Increasing the Contribution of Renewable Energy (Wind and Solar) compared to Current Levels (Hydroelectric)

by Frandy P. Badilles

As our world makes progress day by day, and yes, it also demands energy for its needs and technology for its new innovative inventions,

    Knowing that there are many sources of energy, these may be non-renewable or renewable types of energy. For this study, we only talk about renewable sources of energy, where hydroelectric is one of the most commonly used as well as the largest among all. In addition, we cannot abandon the existing one or replace it with one from another source, but we can add more sources of energy to produce more energy so that in the future, when we cannot predict happenings, if one is out of operation, we have the other one to operate. These two sources of energy, the wind and solar, have no certainty of producing energy; hence, there is no permanent heat from the sun we see every day, as well as the pressure of the wind that comes through, but we can add more technology to produce more energy to supply our needs.

Energy Contribution

    By focusing on renewable energy, we should put in our mind that it needs a huge amount to fulfill its requirements due to its degree of dispersion and also its intermittence. 1Hydropower, otherwise known as hydroelectric power, offers a number of advantages to the communities that they serve. Hydropower and pumped storage continue to play a crucial role in our fight against climate change by providing essential power, storage, and flexibility services. Hydropower creates jobs in rural locations and boosts local economies. 2 Wind power is a clean and renewable energy source. Wind turbines harness energy from the wind using mechanical power to spin a generator and create electricity. Not only is wind an abundant and inexhaustible resource, but it also provides electricity without burning any fuel or polluting the air. But this is one of disadvantages, Turbines produce noise and alter visual aesthetics. Wind farms have different impacts on the environment compared to conventional power plants, but similar concerns exist over both the noise produced by the turbine blades and the visual impacts on the landscape. 3 Solar power has always been something that humanity has attempted to harness.  Solar energy can reduce your carbon footprint. Although it takes a small down payment of greenhouse gas emissions to create photovoltaic panels, the act of generating power doesn’t create anything. That means everyone can see a significant reduction in their carbon footprint by switching to this technology. The average homeowner in the United States produces about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year that escapes to the atmosphere. When you install solar panels for your energy generation needs, then that figure reduces by over 3,000 pounds.

    However, solar energy requires a significant amount of land to be functional. Solar energy farms require a significant amount of land to produce a usable level of electricity. Some of the largest facilities in the world use almost 20 km² of installed panels to generate enough power for more than 100,000 homes. The installation points can cause land degradation and habitat loss issues that impact local wildlife.

References:

1. https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower

2. Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy | Department of Energy

3. 23 Solar Power Advantages and Disadvantages – Vittana.org

4. WIND POWER - Bing images