{"id":39109,"date":"2025-01-16T10:16:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T09:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rinconeducativo.org\/recursos-educativos\/que-es-energia-limpia\/"},"modified":"2025-01-20T12:15:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T11:15:50","slug":"what-is-clean-energy","status":"publish","type":"re_recurso","link":"https:\/\/rinconeducativo.org\/en\/recursos-educativos\/what-is-clean-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"What is clean energy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If we are rigorous, clean or green energies do not exist, as they are those that do not emit any type of pollutant or harm the environment during their production or consumption. For this reason, in general, the definition is broadened and, as explained by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the term \u2018clean\u2019 includes all energy sources that pollute little and, above all, emit few greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to fossil fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common types of clean energy<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"CO2
CO2 emissions by energy source during its life cycle (Source: Foro Nuclear)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As shown in the graph, nuclear energy<\/a> is the cleanest form of energy in terms of carbon dioxide emissions over its entire life cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nuclear energy is clean throughout its generation, as it is considered almost inexhaustible thanks to the current known reserves of uranium, those yet to be released, the existence of other fuels that can be used in nuclear reactors, such as thorium, or processes such as reprocessing that allow greater use to be made of the fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reaction in the reactor is fission or fusion and not combustion, so no greenhouse gases are emitted in the production of electricity. What you see in the cooling towers that some nuclear power plants have is water vapor that is emitted into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, a large amount of energy can be generated with very little fuel<\/a> thanks to a uranium pellet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy is obtained in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. In fusion, energy is released when the nuclei of atoms combine or fuse to create a larger nucleus, and in fission, the nuclei split into smaller ones, in turn releasing energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when is carbon dioxide emitted in nuclear power? In the construction of the nuclear power plant, when the uranium is mined, in the means of transport when it is taken to the mills to be converted into nuclear fuel, and when the fuel is removed after it leaves the reactor to be taken back to the facility for waste management or reprocessing. The more sustainable these steps are, the more nuclear-related emissions will be reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are also considered clean energy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n