Greta Stacy is a high school science teacher in Doha, Qatar. She has previously taught in Ecuador and the United States.
Teaching about renewable energy is important because it allows students to engage with solutions for the climate crisis in a meaningful way. This topic can be approached from various perspectives across disciplines. For example, this Algebra Unit Plan allows students to deepen their understanding of algebra while exploring sustainable energy solutions. In a social studies or economic class, students could consider various renewable energy resources in terms of ERoEI ratios and level of sustainability.
Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.
Renewable energy is energy from sources we cannot run out of. Some types of renewable energy, like wind and solar power, come from sources that are not depleted when used. Others, like biomass, come from sources that can be replenished. Common types of renewable energy are wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and geothermal.
Renewable energy has two advantages over the fossil fuels that provide most of our energy today. First, there is a limited amount of fossil fuel resources (like coal, oil and natural gas) in the world, and if we use them all we cannot get any more in our lifetimes. Second, renewable energy produces far less carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful greenhouse gases and pollutants. Most types of renewable energy produce no CO2 at all once they are running. For this reason, renewable energy is widely viewed as playing a central role in climate change mitigation and a clean energy transition.
Transforming the Electric Grid
Some types of renewable energy can provide fuel for transportation (e.g. biofuels) or heating and cooling for buildings (e.g. geothermal). However, most renewable energy is used to make electricity. In 2020, renewable energy sources made up over 28% of the world’s electricity, and that number is rising every year. Around 60% of renewable electricity worldwide comes from hydropower, which has been widely used since the invention of the electric grid, but today wind and solar power are growing fastest.
