Why Renewable Energy Holds Importance
Author: Pankaj Modi
Sustainable Energy sources are most often regarded as including all renewable sources, such as biofuels, solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power and tidal power. It usually also includes technologies that improve energy efficiency. Sustainable energy is the provision of energy such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. With modern day concern that global warming is for real there is an increasing demand by business and householders for information on the renewable energy options that are available.
A non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be produced, re-grown, regenerated, or reused on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate. These resources often exist in a fixed amount, or are consumed much faster than nature can recreate them. Reliance on non-renewable resources such as oil, gas and coal is unsustainable since they will run out one day. If we run out of fossil fuels, we will have to use some sort of alternative energy produced from the wind, the sun or from water power. These energy sources can easily be replenished in a short amount of time. Alternate sources such as solar and wind power, are infinite and have the added advantage of being non-polluting. Climate change and the need to manage diminishing fossil fuel reserves are today two of the biggest challenges facing the planet. In order to secure the future for ourselves and generations to follow, we must act now to reduce energy consumption and substantially cut greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.
Unfortunately, the cost of some of the renewable energy sources is currently above those of the non-renewable sources. However, increased use of the non-renewables increases demand and lowers unit cost, so we are approaching the time where the old, non-renewable sources will be less competitive. There is no shortage of solar-derived energy on Earth. Indeed the storages and flows of energy on the planet are very large relative to human needs.
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About the Author
"Pankaj Modi Says:" Especially with the recent news of no further funding to Sustainable Energy, a successful program providing subsidies to renewable energy projects in Canada. For more information visit: http://www.energyboom.com
Geothermal captures the heat of the Earth or makes use of the fact that earth is an insulator.
Non renewable energy comes from a source that uses combustion to burn a fuel to create heat. Renewable sources of energy do not require fuel. Wind,solar and tidal are renewable. Geothermal is renewable if the energy obtained is greater than the energy used to capture it. This depends on the system. The geothermal heat pump often used in home applications is not very efficient. This is a tough call because it is right on the edge. The economics, indicate it is not. If it were, you would see a lot more people using this form of heating/cooling
Is Geothermal energy renewable? Why or why not? ?
I am doing a project and talking about geothermal heating and cooling for a home. I need to know if a geothermal system is a renewable energy system and why or why not. PLEASE HELP ME!!! Thank You.
Its cheaper and easy to find.
Why make things harder and more expensive than they need to be? I don’t want to pay more for that. Do you?
Hi, Angie, pretty good question. I assume you’re talking about oil as a depleting source of energy (debateable, in many circles). Let’s assume that is a fact and go from there.
The major issue in the US is dependence on “foriegn” oil which can, and has, brought us to our economic knees. So we need an alternative source.
My thoughts:
* The US has vast supplies of oil both on and offshore that are not used for many political and economic reasons, but can be achieved.
* HydroElectric power (renewable) from dams on rivers or even ocean tides, has been stopped for years due to federal regulation protecting certain “endangered species” such as rare fish or, with tidal, just the cosmetic appearance and economic viability ($$$).
* Federal laws restrict the construction of Nuclear power plants, even tho countries such as France have had almost total dependence on Nuclear Power for years.
* Other alternatives such as wind or hydrogen, would require tremendous
investments in changing the existing power infrastructure.
* As far as transportation, Gas/Electric Hybrid vehicles are a good idea and will help reduce foreign oil dependence.
* Many areas have run taxi and municipal fleets on compressed natural gas for years but, again, the infrastructure is not there for wide use.
Consider the all-electric vehicles that are supposed to solve the problem. There are a couple of issues that don’t get widely reported.
* The widespread claim is that they can be plugged into a household outlet overnight. Great, if you have a home or garage as opposed to an apartment or condo.
* Everyone will recharge overnight, during off-peak hours, when electricity is cheap. Okay, so 10 million people plug in EVERY night, is this still going to be off-peak, cheap electricity?
* Due to federal restrictions, we have to depend on coal-fired electrical plants which emit high CO2 to the atmosphere.
* In many reports, the overnight plug-in rush cannot be handled by the existing power grids. Ever hear of accidental or scheduled “brown-outs” when the demand for power exceeded supply when people had their home air conditioners on in hot weather?
Try saying “Sorry Boss, I couldn’t make it to work ’cause the power went off last night”!
HOWEVER ANGIE, do not despair. We will not run out. As soon as it becomes economically and politically viable, we will have it. It will cost us the same or more and we can leave the oil back in the ground.
Sorry, guess I got carried away but, sorry, it’s a very good moral question. Problem is, the solution will be economic / political.
Can you explain in your own words why finding renewable energy sources is important?
why non-renewable energy has been used so much until now?
why non-renewable energy has been used so much until now? and please add the source if you can.
I’m not sure as to which caps you are referring to however if it’s about wind power, the problem is that winds do not blow on demand and they have to be blowing within very specific parameters in order to produce usable power. Because of this, an equivalent amount of standby generation capacity must be maintained in case the winds aren’t available when needed. Of course, it is very expensive to duplicate the generation capability in hopes of never using the standby capacity so there is some degree of overbooking allowed based on statistics and probabilities Also, wind power tends to produce power of varying frequencies which when hooked to the grid could destabilize the grid. Because of the lack of on demand generation and the stability issue, there’s a limit as to how much of the generation on a grid can be allowed to be from wind power.
Why do we have renewable energy caps?
I’m doing a project for school and need to know why we have a cap on renewable energy, is it because it’s unreliable, or is it because the technology isn’t there yet?
when and why did renewable energy start getting so big?
oil got expensive. burning coal for power is unhealthy. nuclear power scares people.