Meaning & use
renewable energy
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Energy from sources that are naturally replaced, such as sunlight, wind, or water, so they do not run out.
Grammar: No plural and no 'a/an' before it: say 'renewable energy is important', not 'a renewable energy'.
Patterns
- renewable energy from something
- invest in renewable energy
- a source of renewable energy
The country now gets half of its electricity from renewable energy.
Wind and solar power are the fastest-growing types of renewable energy.
The government is offering tax breaks to companies that invest in renewable energy.
nounbefore a noun
Used before another noun to describe things related to this kind of energy, such as projects, sources, or industries.
Grammar: Acts like an adjective: it comes before the noun it describes, as in 'renewable energy projects'.
Patterns
- renewable energy project
- renewable energy source
- renewable energy industry
The town approved a new renewable energy project on the coast.
Hydropower is a major renewable energy source in mountainous regions.
She works in the renewable energy industry as an engineer.
Common combinations
- source of renewable energy
- Geothermal heat is a reliable source of renewable energy.
- invest in renewable energy
- Many pension funds now invest in renewable energy.
- renewable energy target
- The EU has set a renewable energy target for 2030.
- transition to renewable energy
- The transition to renewable energy will take decades.
- renewable energy sector
- Jobs in the renewable energy sector are growing quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- green energy
- More informal and often includes nuclear power; 'renewable energy' is the precise term for sources that naturally replenish.
- clean energy
- Focuses on low pollution rather than being replaced; it can include nuclear power, which some people do not call renewable.
- alternative energy
- Older term meaning energy that is not from fossil fuels; it is broader and less precise than 'renewable energy'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: renewable energy or sustainable energy?
renewable energy vs sustainable energy
Sustainable energy meets today's needs without harming the future; it often overlaps with renewable energy but also includes energy efficiency.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'renewable energy' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Renewable energy' is uncountable, so it takes no article and no plural verb. Option B is correct because it uses no article. Option A wrongly adds 'a'; option C wrongly uses a plural verb; option D wrongly uses 'a' before an uncountable noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “renewable energy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.