There are many sources today that are extremely limited in supply. Some of these sources include oil, natural gas and coal. It is a matter of time before they will be exhausted.
Estimates are that they can only satisfy our energy demands for another 50-70 years. So in an attempt to find alternative forms of energy, the world has turned to renewable energy as the solution. There are many pros and cons to this.
Renewable energy sources consist of solar, water, wind, geothermal, ocean and biomass. The most common advantage of each is that they are renewable and can not be exhausted. They are a clean energy because they do not pollute the air, and they do not contribute to global warming or greenhouse effect. Since their sources are natural operating costs are reduced and they also require less maintenance on their facilities. A common drawback of them all is that it is difficult to produce large quantities of electricity their counterpart the fossil fuels are capable of. Since they are also new technologies, the cost of initiating them is high.
Solar energy makes use of solar energy. It is an advantage because the systems can fit into existing buildings, and it does not affect land use. But since the area of the collectors is large, is more necessary materials. Sun radiation is also controlled by geography. And it is limited to daytime and non-overcast days.
Wind power uses wind to produce electricity. Although it is the greatest job producer, it is dependent on strong winds. Wind turbines are large, and although you can use the area under them for farming, many consider them unattractive looking. They are also very noisy to operate. Also threaten the wild bird population.
Hydro electric energy uses water to generate electricity. This is the most reliable of all renewable energy sources. On the negative side affects ecology and causes downstream problems. Decay of vegetation along the riverbed can cause the accumulation of methane. Methane is a contributing gas to greenhouse effect. Dams can also alter the natural river flow and affect wildlife. Colder, oxygen poor water can be released into the river, killing fish. And release of water from the dam can cause flooding.
Geothermal energy uses steam from the earth’s land to generate power. It uses less land than other plants. They can run 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The disadvantages are that it is very site specific and, together with heat from the earth, it can also bring up toxic chemicals when obtaining steam. Drilling geothermal reservoirs and finding them can be an expensive task.
Biomass electricity is produced using energy from wood, agricultural and municipal wastes. It helps save on landfill waste but transportation can be expensive and ecological diversity of land may be affected. Moreover, the process must be simplified.
Ocean energy is a clean and abundant energy form. It does however have high costs. Ocean thermal energy also requires close to one forty degree Fahrenheit difference in water temperature year round. In addition, construction and pipe damage the ecosystem.
There are many advantages to the use of renewable energy sources. There are also some disadvantages. The fact is energy demands will continue to rise. Through research and development and new technologies, hopes many of the disadvantages of renewable energy can be eliminated and we can successfully incorporate it into our power supplies.