the report

the report

The Importance of Renewable Energy Sources

1. Introduction

This essay looks at the concepts of sustainability and the environment and the increased pressure we as a human race are putting on the planet in regards to the use of natural resources. The essay will look at the two aspects of the use of natural resources and in doing so provide evidence to a renewable future being essential for society. The fossil fuel and the nuclear age have been a relatively short term in regards to the real effects it is having on the planet, the population increase has been a massive factor in the increased pressure that we have put on the planet to provide more energy. Up until the last decade our own cultural lifespan has been centred around generations that have consumed energy far more than that of past ones and it’s only now that we are starting to see the long term effects of the pillage of the earth’s natural resources. The world is constantly changing and so are the conditions of human lives, there are numerous factors that have aided in a longer cultural lifespan, increased medical knowledge and numerous medical breakthroughs have greatly increased the population of the world and the availability and constant evolving consumer products that are now part of everyday life mean that they are essential. All of these factors have increased the demand in energy but the one common goal that everyone would agree on is wanting a better standard of living. This standard of living will encompass all cultures and the hope for living conditions to be available to everyone will put pressure on energy requirements. With constant improvements and requirements, it is becoming obvious that energy requirements are too great and in turn causing damage to the environment. Many generations have made advances or provided examples of cultures that were well adapted to the energy available at the time. The concern is that damage caused may be reaching a critical point and would affect future generations and the standards of living that they hope to achieve. The past provides many examples of small societies or vast empires that have in some way perished because of unsustainable living and energy resources are no exception to this rule. The concern today in modern culture is rationalising the effects and consequences of past examples with ways to prevent further damage to the planet. This in turn is raising issues on sustainable energy production and if energy requirements cannot be reduced than are there safer alternatives to the methods used today.

2. Benefits of Renewable Energy

The benefits of renewable energy are numerous, but they can be distilled down to a few major ones. The first, and best known, is that it is better for the environment. One study of a geothermal power plant showed that it produced up to 90% less in the way of emissions than a fossil fuel power plant. The reason for this is that, unlike coal or natural gas, geothermal energy uses heat rather than burning to produce power. Similar results have been obtained with solar and wind power. The clean nature of renewable energy means that power can be harnessed with minimal impact on the environment. Compare this to fossil fuels, which produce greenhouse gases and other pollutants, thus contributing to climate changes that can have far-reaching effects. Another benefit of using renewable sources of energy is the reliability that comes with them. With fossil fuel power plants, there is always the risk of running out of fuel. When this happens, the cost of fuel goes up and the cost of electricity subsequently also goes up. This happens most often when there are disruptions in the supply of fuel, which can be caused by anything from natural disasters to wars over resources. This is not a concern with renewable energy because, by definition, it is impossible to run out of a source of energy that is continually replenished. This can lead to a more stable cost of electricity, and it can also lead to energy independence for a country if it is using a resource that is found domestically. An example of this comes from Iceland, which has very little in the way of fossil fuel resources but many sources of renewable energy. Because of this, the cost of electricity in Iceland is very low by European standards.

3. Challenges and Solutions

Since a very long time, people are habituated to using traditional energy sources to fuel their lifestyles. It’s human tendency not to easily accept anything that is poles apart from what we are using now. Many investment bankers and shareholders think that renewable energy is a risky area, whereas according to a report, the future of solar and wind energy businesses are financially more viable than the oil industry, taking into account the politics, economy, and technology. Large industrial or energy projects have a certain level of environmental impact, whether it’s through air or water emissions, land use, or destruction of natural habitat. Renewable energy power projects are much less invasive and frequently can be designed to have minimal environmental impact. It has to be proved that renewables are a more reliable source of energy than the existing energy resources. It has to dispel the myths and misconceptions about the new kinds of energy resources. All these factors pose a big and difficult challenge to the renewable resources. But if we compare, all these challenges put together are nothing in front of the adverse effects that the earth is going to face due to the usage of traditional energy resources in the coming time. So let us say renewable resources have won half the battle here.

Renewable energy sources offer numerous benefits at different societal and environmental levels compared to the use of fossil fuels. It has to overcome a lot of challenges in the process to become a reliable source of energy. Due to the use of nonrenewable resources and rapid industrialization, our energy resources are depleting day by day. This, in turn, has an adverse effect on our environment. According to the statistics, the increase in carbon dioxide in the environment is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years. Renewable energy helps in reducing the global warming effect. But to fight for a better future, we have to cross a lot of barriers in the process.

4. Government Policies and Initiatives

Overall, the commitment shown by governments is an indication that the renewable energy industry will continue to grow and play an increased role in the supply of electricity. The challenge will be to enact policies that are effective and provide the most benefit for the money spent.

The most controversial government action has been the subsidizing of research and development for renewable energy technology. Critics claim that the money could be better spent in other areas, and the nature of the technology industry is that it should be left to the private sector. However, various forms of government funding for renewable energy R&D have been implemented in many countries.

Another key approach is to remove non-economic barriers and streamline planning and regulations for renewable energy. The United Nations Development Program has launched an initiative called Removing Barriers to Renewable Energy Development, with activities in more than 20 developing countries. This is an area where further work is required, as renewable energy still faces barriers in terms of access to the grid and resistance from conventional utilities.

One of the most successful government policies in increasing the deployment of renewables has been the feed-in tariff. A feed-in tariff is a mechanism where a government or electricity retailer agrees to pay a certain amount for electricity generated from a renewable energy source and fed into the grid. The cost is spread to all consumers of electricity. Germany has been the leader in this area and has seen a large deployment of renewable energy. This has stimulated the local industry in the manufacture of solar panels and wind turbines.

Governments around the world are realizing the importance of renewable energy, particularly in electricity generation, and its role in reducing greenhouse gases. Policy makers are implementing various approaches to stimulate the renewable energy industry. Governments are attempting to remove barriers to renewable energy development by providing fiscal incentives to investors and renewable energy credits to electricity suppliers. Some form of legislated renewable energy target is in place in at least 66 countries around the world, including 27 of the 30 OECD countries, which require a portion of their electricity generation to come from renewable sources. In the USA, several states have Retail Portfolio Standards, which require a certain percentage of the electricity sold in the state to come from renewable sources.

5. Conclusion

Renewable energy defines a clean and sustainable future. The clean air and water quality provisions of the Clean Air Act, the efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol, and the state-level pollution reduction programs are all measures to improve US environmental quality. However, continuing economic growth and population increase will lead to a higher demand for energy services, and with our current dependency on fossil fuels, meeting this demand will lead to further environmental degradation. Using renewable energy can restore and preserve the earth’s environmental quality by reducing pollution and the impact of our energy use on the environment. These goals can be met by gradually increasing the use of renewable energy, to make it a significant part of our energy portfolio, and transitioning from our current unsustainable energy path. This is a long-term task that will require closer cooperation among energy customers, communities, public and private organizations, and policymakers.

Renewable energy promotes energy independence for the United States. It must be known that the vast imports of oil from foreign countries not only increase the trade deficit but also leave the United States dependent on other nations and vulnerable to global price and supply instabilities of fossil fuels. A stable and secure energy future can only be attained with the generation and use of our own resources.

Economic benefits from renewable energy (Ph.D., 1971, pg 83, Renewable Energy Power for a Sustainable Future). The various technological advances over the years for the generation of renewable energy have substantially decreased the cost of production, increased employment opportunities, and leveled the playing field for minority businesses and entrepreneurs. Green pricing, as previously mentioned in this paper, has the potential to lower consumer costs in both the short and long term. This helps protect our nation’s more limited resources of coal, natural gas, and oil, by reducing the total energy consumption, whilst preserving a higher quality resource for more critical uses, and possibly exporting to foreign markets.

These various examples of alternative energy indicate that the transition from fossil fuels as the primary source of energy is commendable and achievable. The development and utilization of renewable sources can, in fact, sustain and improve a nation’s economic growth, increase the quality of life, and protect environmental resources for future generations.

Measuring the importance of economic, social, and environmental factors

The importance of renewable energy sources