Coutersy: Renewable_energy

Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.^[3] Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable, some are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates of exploitation.^[4][5] Renewable energy often provides energy for electricity generation to a grid, air and water heating/cooling, and stand-alone power systems. About 20% of humans’ global energy consumption is renewables, including almost 30% of electricity.^[6] About 8% of energy consumption is traditional biomass, but this is declining.^[7] Over 4% of energy consumption is heat energy from modern renewables, such as solar water heating, and over 6% electricity.^[7]

Globally there are over 10 million jobs associated with the renewable energy industries, with solar photovoltaics being the largest renewable employer.^[8] Renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more efficient and cheaper and their share of total energy consumption is increasing,^[9] with a large majority of worldwide newly installed electricity capacity being renewable.^[10] In most countries, photovoltaic solar or onshore wind are the cheapest new-build electricity.^[1