We know the threat of climate change is very real. Our Atmosphere now contains the highest level is very real. Burning fossil fuels contributes around 90% of the CO2 emissions attributed to climate change. As such, the switch to cleaner types of renewable energy is critical to prevent the worst impa Contact online >>
We know the threat of climate change is very real. Our Atmosphere now contains the highest level is very real. Burning fossil fuels contributes around 90% of the CO2 emissions attributed to climate change. As such, the switch to cleaner types of renewable energy is critical to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and global warming.
Technology is improving fast. As a result, renewable energy is more reliable and affordable. And it''s getting better all the time. Meanwhile, demand for renewable power is growing.
We can now see forward-thinking governments legislating in favor of renewable energy. In turn, the transition to renewable energy is gathering momentum. This progress is positive. And encouraging as shown below:
Renewable energy is energy sourced from natural resources that are in abundance, for example, the sun and the wind.
Traditionally we''ve relied on burning fossil fuels such as coal and processed crude oil to generate electricity. We''ve drilled and extracted these energy resources from the earth and burnt them to produce our electricity. Unlike renewable energy, fossil fuels are finite.
Researchers forecast that we will deplete our fossil fuel energy sources by 2060. While this may seem a long way off, we continue to burn fossil fuels, emitting vast amounts of CO2, the lead contributor to climate change.
Renewable energy sources do not produce air pollutants that harm the environment, and animal and human populations in the same way that burning fossil fuels does.
Renewable energy is on the rise, now accounting for 26% of global electricity generation. To meet net-zero targets, we need to accelerate this progress.
Sidenote: Many researchers and policymakers champion nuclear energy as critical to our transition away from fossil fuels and the clean energy revolution. However, as the raw fuel sources of uranium and plutonmium are technically not renewable resources, nuclear is not technically a type of renewable energy.
Hydroelectric power uses energy from the flow of water stored in dams and rivers. When released, the flow spins turbines. Turbines, in turn, generate electricity.
The history of hydropower dates back to 1771. Historians record the first use as an English mill. The mill used the energy from a nearby flowing river to spin cotton.
Hydro-power is the largest renewable energy source in the world. It accounts for 71% of all renewable energy globally. This popularity is down to the fact that rivers almost always flow. Of course, the weather impacts the availability of the sun or wind. However, Hydropower generates electricity day and night, regardless of the season.
"Pump Storage" aids Hydropower''s generation capacity. Pumps pump water back into storage reservoirs. When there is a less natural flow, the stored water is released back through the turbines. A regular flow, in turn, levels out electricity generation. Pumps mean Hydropower can continuously generate electricity. Even when there is less water flow through rivers or dams.
Asia leads the pack in Hydropower generation with over 511GW of installed capacity. As a result, the continent boasts nearly double the amount of Hydropower than Europe.
The world''s largest Hydropower plant is the Three Gorges Dam, situated on the Yangtze River in China. Three Gorges was fully commissioned in 2010 and can generate 22,500MW of electricity. That''s 20 times more than the world-famous Hoover Dam in the United States.
When the dam was flooded, this behemoth displaced 1.3 million people - a staggering number. All lived on or near the flooded land behind the dam. Worldwide controversy followed. Should it have been built at all, given the human cost?
Building big Hydro has broader impacts. A 2016 research paper looks at the growth of Hydropower in the developing world6. Their study notes:
“disrupting river ecology, deforestation, losing aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, releasing substantial greenhouse gases, displacing thousands of people, and altering people’s livelihoods plus affecting the food systems, water quality, and agriculture near them.”
Human invention continues to seek better answers. A great deal of work is ongoing. Much of this looks at how we can reduce the environmental impact of large-scale Hydropower dams.
Improvements available with "small Hydro" are gaining ground. Engineers are working to increase turbine blades'' efficiency and find ways to generate power with less water flow.
Read more: What Are the Environmental Impacts of Hydropower?
The history of solar energy dates back several decades. Today, we can benefit from electricity produced by solar panels or photovoltaics PV. Technology is aiding the rapid evolution of solar power, in turn, positioning solar as a lead renewable energy source.
This type of renewable energy relies on the sun''s energy. Here, it uses solar cells that then rely on the photovoltaic effect to absorb photons. We can generate electricity by converting photons into electricity.
In its infancy, photovoltaics, or PV systems, existed only on a small scale. Initially, small solar panels powered calculators. Now, large-scale solar energy installations generate vast amounts of electricity.
The Noor Complex is the largest solar plant found in Morocco''s Sahara Desert. This monster plant has a 580MW capacity. Incredibly, that''s enough to generate electricity for a million people. The sun shines 70% of the time in the Sahara, aiding Noor''s colossal capacity.
Today solar energy is one of the most reliable green energy sources, especially in areas where the sun is hot and reliably present. However, solar cell production and land use mean it is not wholly without an environmental impact.
Solar energy underpins many government climate change policies. The International Energy Agency estimates that solar power will provide 25% of energy to the world by 2050. Meeting this target will play a key role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions globally. And contribute significantly to the increased use of renewable energy.
Many other countries have also installed vast amounts of solar power capacity. China is leading the way. In 2018 China had a total PV capacity of 176,100MW. Japan, Germany, and India are following closely behind. All are looking to realize the advantages of the clean energy source solar offers.
Read more: Environmental Impact Solar Energy
However, it wasn''t until the 20th century that the wind became a significant renewable energy source. Initially, small wind turbines generated power in remote and rural areas.
As demand grew, so did the popularity of wind power with a sustained period of research and development, resulting in improved efficiency. Engineers have recently improved rotor speeds, placements, and electrical output. The result? Wind farms are now a familiar sight on the landscape.
Experts now consider wind one of the cleanest types of renewable energy. Primarily as a result of the wind blowing reliably and steadily. The wind usually is constant throughout the year. As such, it meets the high demands of electricity usage.
However, wind farms can get a bad rap as unsightly. Partly as a result, a growing trend is to move wind power offshore, where the wind is often stronger. We can produce electricity without blighting our landscapes. As a result, offshore wind energy has a higher capacity.
In its infancy, wind energy was one of the more expensive renewable energy sources. Today, technology improvements and increased demand have brought costs down.
By 2050, as much as 35% of electricity generated in the US could come from wind power4. Worldwide, wind power could contribute as much as 25-30% of global electricity by 20508.
Wind energy is now more cost-effective than certain fossil fuels, costing around $30-$60 per megawatt-hour. This is less than natural gas, which can cost between $43-$78 per megawatt-hour.
Growing wind energy capacity will also impact jobs. The growth in this type of renewable energy, therefore, requires large-scale employment, with many people employed to build wind farms. As a result, supporting infrastructure requirements will also create jobs to meet renewable energy targets.
Biomass was once the most popular renewable energy source. We can convert organic materials into energy for Biomass. Of course, it''s not a new concept. We have been burning wood to create energy for centuries.
Biological processes create raw biomass materials. The raw materials are essentially grown. On the other hand, geological processes form the raw materials for fossil fuel energy. This process can take thousands of years. Therefore, unlike fossil fuels, biomass benefits from a quicker, cleaner source of raw material.
Crucially, we can use biomass to offset climate-polluting fossil fuels. In the US, it accounted for 5% of primary energy needs in 2017.
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