Can Renewable Resources Ever Address Our Modern Energy Needs?

Can renewable resources ever address our modern energy needs?

There are relatively simple ways people can decrease their carbon footprint, such as the simple act of switching off a light when exiting a room. Beyond this kind of individual effort, countries across the globe are increasingly seeking out ways to collectively reduce the amount of emissions being released into our atmosphere. The pursuit of alternatives such as solar and wind energy are cropping up everywhere, but being energy-efficient is not always as easy as it seems. Large-scale projects like these cost thousands, if not millions of dollars, and recent economic struggles make it harder to pay for them. Thus, the question arises as to whether or not renewable resources can ever meet our modern energy needs.

At first glance, solar panels seem to be quite efficient. For one, installing them can reduce the world’s growing carbon emissions. This is because solar energy does not release any carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or mercury at all, unlike other, current sources of energy do. In an effort to ‘go green’, the American government is willing to offer tax reductions of up to $2000 for people who adopt solar panelling. The problem is, however, that what works for the US won’t necessarily work for others. China, for instance, is covered in blankets of smog because of its duty to provide energy to billions of people. While solar panels could potentially reverse these emissions, the likelihood of the sun penetrating the thick pollution in between is improbable at best.

Not to mention, solar energy is not necessarily the most practical alternative either. This is largely due to the cost of the panels themselves. While they effectively harness the UV rays of the sun for most by converting heat energy into electricity, the panels are quite expensive to maintain. Efficient solar cells can cost as much as $1000, and while governments like the US are offering to fund for the panels initially, who will cover the cost for repairs when they break? With these potential obstacles in mind, solar energy may not be the answer we need.

Nevertheless, solar energy has been known to significantly reduce residential expenses in countries like Armenia. Almost a quarter of household energy is used for heating water in this country. World-renowned charity, Habitat for Humanity, is introducing solar panels to the houses of over a hundred Armenian families. Although long-term maintenance is still in question, it’s undeniable that the country’s climate is perfect for solar panels because it gets about 300 sunny days per year. This makes heating water for these families much less costly. At an average savings of at least $200 US dollars, this data suggests that solar panelling can be cost-effective, with maintenance being more affordable as a result.

Not every location on the map is as lucky as sunny Armenia, unfortunately, making reliability a worthy concern. The US city of Seattle, Washington, is hazy at best every day of the year, and locations like Alaska vary greatly when it comes to light and darkness. An important point supporters of solar panels raise is that UV rays still manage to penetrate even the cloudiest of days. Opponents counter, however, that even when these devices are in use, they only process approximately 15% of the heat and light that reaches them. It appearsthat,in theory, solar panels are promising, but upkeep and reliability for all continues to overshadow how they’ll perform in practice.

Solar energy may have its limits geographically, but there is still hope for pursuing other modern options like wind energy. In small impoverished countries like Malawi, Africa, entire villages are taking advantage of the opportunities a mere breeze can bring. One Malawian teenager, William Kamkwamba – now part of the ever-famous TED global fellowship – wrote an autobiography about how he built a windmill to save his village from severe droughts that his region faced in 2002. He harnessed the power of wind to generate both electricity and water for crop harvesting. This also helped provide drinkable water, thereby decreasing illnesses like cholera, which arise from lack of sanitary living conditions. In this case, because of its affordability, alternative energy may be one of few means for survival in impoverished nations.

One trouble with wind farms worth considering, though, involves consistency. Just as the sun is not always shining, the wind is not always blowing. Back-up power plants running off natural gases would have to be created in order to keep electricity flowing in times when there is no wind. Meanwhile, in Texas, the leading US state for wind energy, the wind blows strongest in the high plains and along its famous, arid mesas. These locations are not close enough for cities like Dallas or Austin to utilise wind as energy, which means they’ll need to continue to depend on non-renewable for energy.

Be it solar or wind energy, it is clear that while renewable resources might not meet our global needs right now, the future brings potential. As with any innovation, there needs to be a process of trial and error before a reliable product can emerge. To ignore the potential of alternative energy against more traditional, non-renewable resources like fossil fuels is equivalent to ignoring the safety of our future, since our dependence on oil not only puts our environment at risk but also our lives. There might be limits to harnessing the power of alternative energy in this era, but with a little patience and a lot of dedicated research, we just may create a brighter, greener future after all.