New energy, also known as unconventional energy, refers to various forms of energy other than traditional energy. It refers to the energy that has just begun to be developed and utilized or is under active research and needs to be promoted, such as solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, ocean energy, biomass energy and nuclear fusion energy.

New energy generally refers to the renewable energy developed and utilized on the basis of new technologies, including solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy, ocean current energy and tidal energy, as well as the thermal cycle between the ocean surface and the deep; In addition, there are hydrogen energy, methane, alcohol, methanol and so on.

Generally speaking, conventional energy refers to the energy that is technically mature and has been used on a large scale, while new energy usually refers to the energy that has not been used on a large scale and is being actively researched and developed. Therefore, coal, oil, natural gas and large and medium-sized hydropower are regarded as conventional energy, and solar energy, wind energy, modern biomass energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy and hydrogen energy as new energy. With the progress of technology and the establishment of the concept of sustainable development, the industrial and domestic organic waste, which has been regarded as garbage in the past, has been re-recognized as a material for energy resource utilization and has been in-depth research and development and utilization. Therefore, the resource utilization of waste can also be regarded as a form of new energy technology.

The energy resources that have recently been developed and utilized by human beings and need to be further studied and developed are called new energy. Compared with conventional energy, new energy has different contents in different historical periods and scientific and technological levels. In today's society, new energy usually refers to solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydrogen energy and so on.

It can be divided into: solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, hydrogen energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, small hydropower, chemical energy (such as ether-based fuels), nuclear energy, etc.