We live in the world that we create.

The natural resources that the planet offers us are running low with each day. The fossil fuel reserves are thinned and their recovery takes millions of years. Petroleum mining is difficult and can produce accidents with irreversible effects on ecosystems. Forests are ruthless exploited and air purification of CO2 drops with each tree that disappeares.

We have reached a critical level! It's time to become responsible! We should seek for alternative energy generation methods that are in harmony with nature, not against it. We must learn to spend responsably and to take care of our planet.

Science has progressed amazingly in recent years, and with it, also the green energy production technologies. From wind turbines to solar panels and heat pumps to hydroelectric plants, all these mechanisms help to effectively exploit renewable resources that the planet offers us.

What kind of mechanism do we have to produce clean energy?

• Wind turbines

Wind power has aroused people's interest since two millennia ago, when the first ideas of exploiting natural resource appeard. Initially used for mills or pumping the water, this ingenious idea was extended to produce electricity. Starting with capacities of 5 kW at the beginning of last century, we have now more than 7 MW, produced by a single turbine (over 1400 more - Enercon E-126 turbine, built in 2007). Currently, at least four companies are working to develop a turbine with an installed capacity exceeding 10 MW.

• Photovoltaic (solar) panels

The 89 petawatts of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface is plentiful - almost 6,000 times more than the 15 terawatts of average electrical power consumed by humans. (about 15 TW - 15,000 GW).

Turning sunlight into electricity using the solar panels, has the largest technology growth rate currently. Since 2002, every year, green energy production through these panels, increased by approximately 20%. Currently, Germany, Japan and the U.S. produce 89% of the total solar energy. The largest current photovoltaic park, opened in 2008, is installed in Spain with an installed capacity of 55 MW. However, Germany has five of the top eight largest solar parks.

In 2008, the global production of photovoltaic energy was about 5.95 GW and is expected to reach a 18.8 GW by 2012.

Although panels currently on the market have an absorption rate of 12-15%, continuously development in this research field brought us prototypes reaching up to 85% of sunlight absorption rate. In addition, photovoltaic panels require very little maintenance once installed and does not pollute the environment at all.

So, photovoltaic energy is also a serious alternative to polluting methods used today.

• Hydropower

Like wind, water has been also used since ancient times to serve humans' needs. However, only in the late 19th century, water began to be used to produce electricity. Since then, things have changed as much as in the other situation. In 2006, total generated electricity through hydropower, amounted to an impressive figure of 777 GW. It was about 20% of all electricity generated globally and 88% of energy from renewable resources.

Currently, the largest hydropower plant in the world is in China on the Yangtze River and is expected to reach a production of 22.5 GW, with the recent commissioning of turbines in 2011.In our country, the largest hydroelectric is Iron Gate I (Portile de Fier I), located on the Danube, with a production capacity of 1080 MW. Hydropower is the largest and most widespread method of producing green energy and still have more growth potential.