Renewable energy is considered today the future in terms of power generation due to the fact that the fossil fuel reserves are finite and using them pollutes the environment.
Types Of Renewable Energy
The renewable energy resources available on the planet today consists mainly of sunlight (solar energy), wind (wind and wave power), water (hydroelectric energy), gravitational forces (tides), the internal heat of the planet (geothermal energy) and biomass (biomass energy).
Despite the fact that these alternative sources of power are clean and continuous, there are certain aspects that must be solved before completely giving up fossil fuels and switching to 100 percent renewable energy.
Advantages Of Renewable Energy
All the renewable energy sources available today on the planet will last as long as the Sun or our planet will exist, so the sooner we start using them, the sooner we will benefit from them.
1. It Will Never Run Out
The source of renewable energy available for us here on Earth, will last as long as the Sun shines and the planet exists.
Giving the fact that our Sun will be here for at least another 5 billion years, we can say that all the renewables produced by the Sun such as: solar, wind, wave and biomass energy can be considered continuous sources of clean power.
Other renewables such as hydroelectric power and geothermal energy are produced by gravity (hydropower), and the underground heat (geothermal), which is produced by the very hot inner core of our planet (is hotter than the surface of the Sun).
2. Is Easy And Cheap To Maintain
Once installed, almost any type renewable energy system is easy and cheap to maintain.
A solar power PV system or a renewable energy system based on wind turbines, will work fine for about two to three decades without needing much maintenance. The inverter used by the PV system must be replaced every 8 to 10 years.
A geothermal system (for heating and cooling) or a geothermal power plant will work decades requiring only little maintenance.
A hydroelectric power plant can work properly a very long time (up to a century) requiring little maintenance, but producing clean electricity when needed.
A biomass power plant is similar to a coal-fired power plant, but burns wood waste instead of coal to generate clean energy. In terms of maintenance, will require only an annual maintenance service.
3. Can Be Used In Many Ways
Renewable energy has many uses.
A solar PV (photovoltaic) system can be used to power a few light bulbs and gadgets, road signs, boats, vans, homes, events, companies, etc.
A solar power plant generates clean electricity for the grid.
A small wind turbine can be used to power a home, while a large wind turbine is used to generate power for the grid.
Hydroelectric power plants are used to generate clean energy at small, medium or large scale.
Geothermal systems are used to provide heating and cooling for homes and companies, while a geothermal power plant can also produce clean electricity using the hot steam coming from the underground reservoir, which is used to spin a turbine and produce clean power using a large generator.
A biomass boiler produces heat for homes and companies, but a biomass power plant can generate electricity using the hot steam produced when burning biomass, which is used to spin a turbine and produce clean electricity with the help of a powerful generator.
4. Does Not Pollute
Solar, wind, hydro, tidal and geothermal power do not release any harmful emissions in the air when we use them to produce energy because the energy resource involved is clean.
When we burn biomass for heat and electricity generation, we do release some greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
However, scientists consider that this renewable energy source is carbon neutral because growing the biomass will remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere as the amount of CO2 released when burning the biomass.
5. There Are Several Renewable Energy Sources That Are Reliable
There are a few renewable energy types that are considered reliable due to the fact that they can generate power when needed.
Tidal power is a reliable source of renewable energy because tides are predictable, and this way we can predict the energy output of a tidal power plant per day, week, month, year, etc.
Hydroelectric power plants using a dam are reliable sources of power because they can start producing energy very quickly by releasing water from the dam.
Geothermal power is also reliable because the geothermal resource coming from the underground is continuous and works 24/7.
6. Can Create Energy Independence
Renewable energy works well without requiring the presence of the grid because it produces energy using the natural resources available on the planet.
This way, using a solar PV system or a wind power system, anyone can produce its own power (which is also clean), becoming this way energy independent from the grid.
Using a geothermal system for heating and cooling, you can heat a building during the winter and cool it during the summer using only the underground resource.
If you live close to a water flow, you can build a tiny hydroelectric power plant (a small water turbine generator) to produce energy for free for your gadgets.
7. Is The Power Source Of The Future
Mankind is heading towards a green future where fossil fuels will remain only a sad part of our history when we developed our society by destroying the environment.
In order to reduce the level of air, soil and water pollution on the planet, mankind will replace the conventional vehicles burning fossil fuels with electric vehicles with zero emissions.
For heating and energy generation, coal will be slowly replaced with natural gas and renewable energy.
After 2050, renewable energy may become a main source of power in the energy mix of all countries in the world.
Disadvantages Of Renewable Energy
Being a pretty new form of power, renewable energy has a few drawbacks.
1. Is An Expensive Technology
Installing a solar PV system, a wind turbine system (even small ones) or a geothermal heating and cooling system requires some serious investment, which the vast majority of people do not have.
There are incentives available provided by local and federal governments for installing renewable energy systems, but even so, the initial price of these green systems is usually high, and the owner will require about a decade to recover its investment.
2. Can Create Noise And Visual Pollution
Wind turbines, both small and large ones, produce a pretty strong noise (noise pollution) when spinning (the rotating blades are producing the noise) to generate power.
An area covered by tall wind turbines can have a visual impact on the people visiting the place (visual pollution).
3. Works Only In Certain Places
A solar panel system must be installed on a roof facing south in the Northern Hemisphere, and facing north in the Southern Hemisphere, otherwise the energy production of the system will be reduced.
Wind turbines must be installed in areas with constant winds. It is better to install them offshore because the winds there are not blocked by any obstacle, and the noise produced doesn’t bother anyone.
Geothermal systems work only in certain areas of the planet, and tidal power can be efficiently produced only in areas with tall tides.
Wave energy can’t be produced on land, and biomass energy can be produced only if we have a constant supply of wood waste.
5. Can Destroy Natural Habitats
Hydroelectric power plants using dams will affect the ecosystems in the area by blocking fish migration.
Dams also have an impact on the environment due to the massive land use and the flooded habitats.
Large horizontal axis wind turbines are known for killing birds and bats. However, vertical axis wind turbines do not affect wildlife due to their design.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is already present in the energy mix of many countries, but to be sure that we are no longer polluting the environment with harmful gases and substances, we have to switch to 100% renewable power.
By changing our lifestyle for a more responsible one, we can develop solutions that will benefit the planet.
The change can begin with any of us because in the energy generation process, we can rely on natural resources such as sun, wind, water and the heat from the ground.
Instead of using fossil fuels like before, we can switch to renewables, because they are cleaner than fossil fuels, they are not limited, and they do not pollute the air, water and soil on the planet.