There’s little doubt that urgent change is required to our current energy landscape. Fossil fuels are no longer particularly viable, at least not in the long term. Supplies of these are finite and they are causing damage to the environment. A more sustainable route across the board is to switch to renewable resources.
This transformation is likely to have a positive impact on various aspects of our society and the planet. Yet, it is certainly not without its challenges. Let’s explore the use of renewable resources a little further, alongside what the hurdles and potential solutions could be.
Understanding the Options
Renewable energy comes in multiple forms. Unfortunately, there’s not always a great deal of public knowledge about what role each can play. To meaningfully start transforming the energy landscape, people need to understand the various types and applications of renewables. Some of the key forms that are making a difference at the moment include the following
Hydro Power
Hydro power is one of the oldest and most established forms of renewable energy, utilizing the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water to generate electricity. This is typically achieved through the construction of dams or other forms of water control structures that channel water flow through turbines. The advantages of hydro power include its ability to provide a consistent and reliable source of electricity, as well as its relatively low operating costs once a plant is established. Additionally, hydro power plants often have long lifespans and can be coupled with water storage capabilities for irrigation and drinking water. However, the environmental impact of damming rivers and displacing communities must be carefully managed.
Wind Power
Wind power harnesses the energy of the wind through turbines, converting kinetic energy into electrical power. It's one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources due to technological advancements that have reduced costs and increased efficiency. Wind farms, which can be located onshore or offshore, are scalable and can provide significant amounts of electricity. The main benefits of wind power include its low operational costs and the fact that wind is an inexhaustible resource. On the downside, wind power can be intermittent and depends on weather conditions. There can also be concerns about noise and visual impact, as well as effects on local wildlife, particularly birds and bats.
Biofuels
Biofuels are a sustainable form of energy, created from organic matter such as corn, algae, and even recycled cooking grease. When mixed with traditional fuels, it can be a greener way to run vehicles, particularly in ethanol and biodiesel forms. There are various pros and cons for its use. While there can be high production costs and lower fuel economy, biofuels tend to produce fewer emissions, have relatively plentiful renewable sources, and even lubricate engine components.
Solar Power
Solar power is perhaps the most well-known of the renewable energy sources, using panels and solar inverters to transform sunlight into electricity. What many people are less aware of is just how agile and accessible it is at the moment. The drops in prices of solar panels are not just making them accessible for people’s homes, but also ripe for use in other applications. Portable solar battery units are great for camping and emergency systems. Even some electric vehicle charging stations are being fitted with solar panels, improving the holistic sustainability of electric vehicles.
Geothermal Energy
Our world naturally generates heat. This can make it a powerful renewable energy source when harnessed correctly. Geothermal power plants have been running for more than a century, using fissures in the earth to channel heated fluids that in turn help to drive the turbines used to generate electricity. It isn’t just useful for grid power, though.
More green developers are encouraging the integration of geothermal heating into housing construction. These systems use the heat of the earth underneath the property to be transferred to a heat pump that pushes naturally warmed fluids around the home. This saves on electricity and non-renewable fuels used in traditional heating processes.
Bolstering Infrastructure
One of the key challenges to transforming the energy landscape with renewables is ensuring there is the infrastructure to support it. Unless these energy resources can be provided reliably and relatively cost-effectively, it may be less likely that the public, industries, and governments will adopt them.
Perhaps the most important element of infrastructure is ensuring there are stable grids for renewables. In essence, the key here is balancing the renewable energy supply with consumer demand. The challenge is with intermittent supply and overload disturbances. For instance, solar and wind power are both determined by weather conditions, which can make the supply inconsistent, leading to potential disruptions.
The solutions revolve around modernizing grid infrastructure to maximize the efficiency and resilience of infrastructure alongside investing in battery storage to enable excess energy to be retained in case of supply disruptions.
Another important point is that there needs to be significant government support to arrange renewable infrastructure. Many of the problems exist because our energy systems have been built to support fossil fuels. As a result, there needs to be meaningful collaborations between governments, energy regulators, and energy providers in creating policies that incentivize innovations in infrastructure improvement and support the practical development of new systems and plants.
Encouraging Engagement
The public is going to be a key contributor to how and whether our energy landscape transforms. Voluntary — and preferably enthusiastic — adoption of renewables is likely to result in a faster and more lasting transition than forcing people to go green. Therefore, industries must encourage public adoption.
The most practical step is making it easier for citizens to engage. This involves some investment from energy providers. For instance, installing more biofuel and electric vehicle charging points in existing forecourts or public spaces. It might also involve giving price drops to incentivize customers to switch their domestic power supply to renewable energy providers. Governments, too, may help by offering tax breaks for domestic improvements, like geothermal energy or solar panel installation in homes.
Another consideration is that renewable energy is still quite a divisive issue. A recent Pew Research study found that the majority of Americans think the U.S. should never stop using fossil fuels and that the transition to renewables would have a negative impact on prices. This creates significant hurdles to engagement.
Governments and providers need to collaborate on public relations campaigns that provide accurate data in easy-to-understand forms. There needs to be a focus on tackling misinformation surrounding renewables as well as highlighting the significant benefits engagement could bring. These campaigns also have to be targeted, addressing the specific concerns different demographics have about the transition.
Conclusion
The transformation to renewable energy is a necessary and urgent matter. It’s essential that society tackles this head-on, by educating about the different use cases of renewables, alongside improving infrastructure and public engagement. This type of change requires a huge amount of collaboration to make it work, from the government, industry, and the public. By being willing to work together, there’s a chance for a successful and sustainable switch.
