Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Renewable Energy, Renewed Planet?


Renewable Energy, Renewed Planet?

There are a numbers of questions that surround the applicability of renewable energy such as whether we can reach 100% renewable energy, whether it will provide us with the energy we need to meet demands or whether it will reduce the effects of or even better fix environmental change!

With various countries announcing plans to switch to 100% renewable energy, hope in the feasibility of renewable energy is offered. Having said that, the vast majority of countries are doing little in the way of increasing their use of renewable energy - which isn't very surprising! But, these contrasts have set off debates over our use of renewable energy, its barriers and the desirability of these forms of energy.

Resolving these debates is important and is something I seek to do in this blog as I explore the potential of the various renewable technologies to address environmental change. 

But first, a little look at renewable energy technologies would be helpful, I imagine, because when people think of renewable energy they often think of wind energy, or more specifically wind turbines, and solar energy or more specifically solar panels on houses! There are however many more renewable energy technologies out there and for this reason I will outline them now and explore debates surrounding them in my blog at a later date.

Solar power is the fastest growing energy technology in the world and works even in northern climates such as the United Kingdom! There are two types of solar power: solar photovoltaics (PV) which is basically the solar panels you see on rooftops to generate electricity and solar thermal which is panels that are designed to heat water systems.




Wind mills, wind turbines and wind pumps – all of these can be used to generate renewable electricity. Wind power equipment can be both small and large scale, onshore and offshore. The overall reliability of wind turbines is high - over 97% - and so they propose a promising energy source.




Biogas is the gas that, in the absence of oxygen, is produced from the natural breakdown of organic waste or matter – so plants, animal and food waste. This efficient use of waste can play a key role in the reduction of greenhouse gases!




Biomass is the substances that have been created from animal and vegetable matter. It can be used for heat, power generation and other fuels such as biomethane and makes greenhouse gas emissions savings.

Waste materials can be used to generate energy. Once all recyclable materials are removed the residual waste left can be utilised through various of technologies such as gasification, combustion and anaerobic digestion - processes that biogas uses.

Composting
Composting is the self heating, decomposition and stabilization of biodegradable waste. It occurs in a controlled setting to ensure the end product is sanitary and can therefore ultimately be reused to aid agricultural, horticultural and ecological improvements.

Composting for agricultural uses!

Deep Geothermal
Geothermal technologies make use of the Earths natural radioactive decay to generate surface heating and steam-generated power. Developments so far have enabled systems 5km deep to be engineered and so further development in this area could result in systems that are both a reliable and cost effective source of renewable energy.




Heat Pumps
Heat pumps take heat from a natural source and concentrate it in one location to generate energy from it  for domestic heating or hot water. You can have ground, air and water source heat pumps. 




Hydro power is created when the kinetic (moving) energy of flowing water is converted into electricity. Hydroelectricity is covered under the Governments Feed-in Tariff scheme and the Renewables Obligation which offer incentives for using hydro technologies.

Wave and tidal energy make up marine renewable energy sources. They are a massive source of power but are also massively untapped and so if utilised they have the potential to become a significant energy source.




Renewable transport fuels are a promising, sustainable form of energy. They provide savings on carbon and are also biodegradable meaning they don’t cause any pollution to soils or waterways and consequently present a much less environmentally dangerous alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable fuels include biomethane, biomethanol and biodisel. 

Thanks for reading! 

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