Finite resources Some, like sun and wind, are renewable and will likely never run out. Others, like minerals, fossil fuels, and even the air we breathe, are non-renewable, so it’s actually possible to lose them forever.

Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that is sustainable and totally inexhaustible, unlike fossil fuels that are finite. It is considered an environmentally friendly source of energy because it comes directly from the Sun; it does not involve the burning of fossil fuels.

Once they’re gone, they are, for all practical purposes, gone. Renewable resources are so abundant or are replaced so rapidly that, for all practical purposes, they can’t run out. Fossil fuels are the most commonly used non-renewable resources. Renewable resources include solar, wind, hydro, and (possibly) biomass.

In contrast, the many types of renewable energy resources — such as wind and solar energy — are constantly replenished and will never run out. Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun.

Nonrenewable energy resources, like coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are available in limited supplies. Renewable resources are replenished naturally and over relatively short periods of time. The five major renewable energy resources are solar, wind, water (hydro), biomass, and geothermal.

Peat

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels. And as the name suggests, these sources are renewable and won’t run out. Not only that, but they are also more environmentally friendly, producing little or no CO₂ when generating electricity.