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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Energy Basics and Units

Renewable energy

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/rɪˈnuːəbəl ˈenərdʒi/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, renewable energy means: Energy from sources that nature replaces all the time, such as sunlight, wind, flowing water, the Earth's heat and organic material, so they do not run out like coal, oil or gas.

In Turkish: yenilenebilir enerji

How it is used

The umbrella term in policy papers, company strategies and news. People often shorten it to renewables ('investment in renewables'). Common phrases include renewable energy sources, renewable capacity, renewable energy targets and renewable energy projects.

Example sentences

  1. On sunny, windy days, renewable energy covers more than half of the country's electricity demand.

  2. The company plans to double its renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Common collocations

  • renewable energy sources
  • renewable energy targets
  • invest in renewables
  • renewable capacity
  • fossil fuelA fuel such as coal, oil or natural gas that formed underground over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals. Burning it releases carbon dioxide.
  • energy transitionThe long-term shift of an economy's energy system away from fossil fuels towards renewable and other low-carbon sources, together with electrification and efficiency.
  • solar panelA flat, framed unit made of many solar cells that turns sunlight directly into electricity. Many panels connected together form a solar array.
  • wind turbineA tall machine with large blades that turn in the wind and drive a generator to produce electricity. Modern turbines often stand on towers more than 100 metres high.
  • hydropowerElectricity produced by water flowing through turbines, usually from a river or from a reservoir behind a dam. It is the oldest large-scale renewable power source.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Energy Basics and Units

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