There has been
excitement and scrambling for the new source of energy in recent years and the
need to find alternatives to fossil fuels. Over the years, the Fossil fuel have
served the world for millions of years from the early man when he started
striking stones to create fire and using firewood as his source of energy.
The industrial
revolution however changed a lot of things globally. The global demand for fuel
to power machines, industries and appliances grow. While machines requiring efficient
fuels made, they are also releasing, in return, a massive proportion of carbon
dioxide beyond what the atmosphere can absorb and recycle. This has given rise
to many global searches for alternative energies.
Renewable energy
is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally
replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves,
and geothermal heat. Fossil fuels on
other hand are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic
decomposition of buried dead organisms.
What is wrong with fossil fuel?
The cost of
increasing consumption of fossil fuel appears to be both obvious and hidden. The
Union of Concerned scientists published in its Report “The Hidden Cost of
Fossil Fuels” listed some cost fossil fuel as, “Human health problems cause by
air pollution from burning coal and oil, damage to land from coal mining and
miners lung disease, environmental degradation caused by global warming, acid
rain, water pollution, national security cost such a protecting foreign sources
of oil.” The Report however noted that such cost are indirect and difficult to
determined since producers and the users of the energy do not pay for these
costs, society as a whole must pay for them.
The Renewable Power:
Solar Power
This involves
harnessing the sun’s power. The basic process is simple. Solar collectors
concentrate the sunlight that falls on them and convert it to energy. The
biggest hurdle for solar energy is the price of installation. Solar equipment
costs significantly more than traditional energy equipment. It takes many years
of use to see that investment pay off. Despite the expense, solar power is a
feasible way to supplement power in cities. In rural areas, where the cost of
running power lines increases, solar power becomes the best choice for
electricity.
Wind power
This involves
harnessing the Wind for power generation. They have been around until the steam
engines and, later, electricity replaced them. Interest in large wind turbines
increased with the oil crises of the 1970s... Giant wind turbines generate
power when the wind turns the large blades. The blades attach to a generator,
making electricity. Large wind farms can meet a utility’s basic power needs.
Smaller wind farms and single windmills can power homes, telecommunications
dishes, and water pumps.
As with solar
power, building a wind farm requires a large initial investment that does not
necessarily pay off quickly.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric
power uses the energy from falling water to turn turbines and generate
electricity. Power generated this way relies on controlling flowing water—such
as a river—often with a dam. Hydroelectric power has many advantages. It almost
goes without saying that it is renewable. Water-powered generators do not
produce emissions. Water flow—controlled within the hydroelectric
plant—determines the amount of electricity produced, so power can be provided
as needed. About 20% of the world’s electricity comes from this source.
Biomass Fuel
“Biomass”
describes almost any plant waste as well as certain crops used as a fuel. Even
though it burns and produces carbon dioxide, biomass fuel is considered to be
“carbon neutral.” CO2 released when biomass fuels burn is taken up by the
plants grown to replace them. However, fossil fuels are still used in the
production of biomass fuel, powering the farming equipment, fuelling the log
trucks, and in other steps along the way. At this time biomass fuel is not
truly carbon neutral. It does decrease overall CO2 emissions, though, which is
a step in the right direction.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal
energy takes natural features like hot springs and steam vents and uses them to
produce electricity or supply a region with hot water. The United States,
Iceland, the Philippines, El Salvador, Russia, Kenya, and Tibet are among the
24 countries that used the 8,900 megawatts of electricity generated by
geothermal facilities in 2005. Direct geothermal heating utilizes hot water at
the surface of the Earth—such as hot springs—to heat homes and other buildings.
Over 16,000 megawatts of energy came from direct geothermal sources in 2005, in
some 72 countries.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear power
was pushed as an alternative to fossil fuels in the 1970s. Plants conducted
nuclear fission in a controlled setting, producing power. Low fuel costs
balanced the financial investment needed to build nuclear power plants,
resulting in cheaper electricity. Despite the notable accidents at the Three
Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania and at Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear power
continues to be a viable source of power in many places. Nuclear power plants
provide 16% of the world’s energy, in 70 countries. Plants now incorporate
multiple safety systems to prevent core meltdowns and release of radioactive
substances. Concerns remain about the disposal of spent fuel, which potentially
could be used to make nuclear weapons.
Ocean Power
A tidal power
plant captures the energy from the flow of the tide in and out of a bay or
estuary. A special dam called a barrage separates the tidal area into upper and
lower basins. Turbines within the barrage turn as the water flows from one
basin to the other, depending on the direction of the tide. The turbines power
a generator, which then makes electricity.
Installing a
tidal plant is expensive, so the plant must be able to generate enough energy
to make it worth the investment. That happens only when there is a difference
of at least 5 m (16 ft) between high and low tide. Any less does not generate
enough power to make a tidal plant financially feasible
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
It is projected
that the future is in hydrogen fuel cells. The advantages of hydrogen are
numerous. The hydrogen reaction produces heat, electricity, and water, but no
pollution. Hydrogen is readily available and can be produced from fossil fuels
or, more important, from renewable fuels. Hydrogen is cheap and more efficient
than any technology involving turbines and significantly more efficient than
internal combustion. However, right now hydrogen technology costs more than
existing power sources. The actual setup of the systems—to control temperatures
and to make fuel cells at usable sizes—is not yet known. These issues must be
resolved before hydrogen fuel cells begin to replace other power sources.
Renewable are coming
According to
International energy agency, “In 2012, the world relied on renewable sources
for around 13.2% of its total primary energy supply, and in 2013 renewables
accounted for almost 22% of global electricity generation, a 5% increase from
2012.”
The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, REN21 in its
2014 report noted that, renewables contributed 19 percent to our global energy
consumption and 22 percent to our electricity generation in 2012 and 2013,
respectively. ...Worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more
than US$214 billion in 2013.
In its
forward-looking report for the year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration
forecasts renewable energy will be the fastest-growing power source through
2040.
Conclusions
From the
foregoing, it is clear that with increasing research in cheaper technology as
well as availability of same, it is clear that the future of Renewable energies
are bright. However, we would continue to rely on Fossil Fuels to a large
extent until our renewable energy sources become more viable and simplified.
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