Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is energy that is captured from the natural environment such as sunlight, wind, rain, waves, tides and geothermal heat. Renewable energy can be employed on both a national and local level and each one comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages as an alternative to traditional energy sources. Three such renewable energy sources are explored below:
Solar power
Solar power is when the sun’s energy is captured through solar panels usually located on the roofs of houses and other such buildings.
This method of energy collection is very popular as the solar panels are considered very non-intrusive and make no noise. The solar panels are also considered to need very little maintenance as they contain no moving parts, so they tend to last a long time and are therefore considered easy to install. However, the downside of solar panels includes the initial cost of purchasing the solar panels as they can seem expensive and it can take you 8-10 years before you can start seeing a return on your investment. They also obviously need the sun’s heat and light to power the electricity and on cloudy days and nights, you may still have to rely on traditional fossil fuels.
Wind power
Wind power is captured using wind turbines which are towers than stand high above both the sea and land with a large propeller on the top. The propeller is turned by the wind and this motion produces electricity. Wind turbines are ideal for places that experience a lot of wind including costal regions and on the top of hills where the wind is a continuous feature.
Wind power is very cost effective and doesn’t have to take up a lot of land since the towers only require a small amount of space and still allow the ground below to be utilised for other purposes. This makes wind power an ideal solution for rural and remote areas.
However, wind power does have its disadvantages including that wind isn’t always guaranteed when you want it. Many people that are located near to wind farms also feel that the towers can be unsightly and blot the beauty of the landscape, especially if towers are erected in coastal areas. Other reasons why people object to wind turbines is that they can be noisy and can contribute to the killing of birds and other wildlife.
Hydro-electric power
Hydro-electric power uses the energy of water typically generated by turbines in a dam. Energy is generated by using the energy produced by the flowing water to power a generator that produces electricity. Dams are built specifically for this purpose where water can be stored up the river behind a dam which can then be released to generate electricity when required.
The benefits of hydro-electric power is that once a dam is constructed or available to produce hydro-electric energy it can be produced at a constant rate over a period of many years. The dams are often also used for water sport activities and many can become a tourist attraction in their own right. The disadvantages however are that dams are very expensive to build and maintain, and they must be operational for many years before they can start to become profitable. They also impact the environment as building them can have a large environmental impact on the natural landscape and environment and they can cause flooding as they disrupt the natural flow of a river.
It can be seen that renewable energy has many benefits as well as some disadvantages but there is no denying that they all offer a very cost efficient method of energy generation that produces no greenhouse gases or ill-effects to the environment. If an investment in renewable energy is to take place, the cost and benefit of each solution need to be weighed up in each location to find the most appropriate method for that community, area and environment.
Article by Sarah Wain, 21st October 2011. Content correct at the date of publication.
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