The Population’s Role in Maintaining the Viability of Power Energy Production in the Philippines

By: Ryan John B. Perez

 

Introduction

 

Since renewable energy is estimated as to be greater contributor power plant in the future. as years go by it will be out of coil because the capacity of fossil fuels will be decreasing due to minimal source. Therefore, renewable power plant will be the future sources of generating electrical power. In this article is not only focusing people that are related in field of electrical but the population role in helping for maintaining the viability of power energy production since it would be necessary to include population that consumes electrical energy.

Electricity becomes an essential resource for thriving life. According to Our World in Data in Fig.1, it shows that 96.84% people in the Philippines that have access to electricity. Most of our electricity comes from fossil fuel and we are still using it due to their low cost. Our country is using fossil fuel with 73.20% of the share of electricity production and 21.09% from renewable energy [1].

 Sustainability of Generating Power Energy

Renewable energy emits fewer pollutants throughout the courses of its lifetime than other power sources and it is far more effective and cleaner than fossil fuel. The Philippines is still transitioning to renewable energy, and if that happens, it will ensure energy security, self-sufficient, boost local economic development and reduce health and welfare cost [2]. Based on statistic, renewable energy is expected to increase the electricity production in the Philippines in 2030. Air pollution are responsible for over 4.5 million fatalities annually [3] Local studies shows that air pollution affects the solar energy generation due to its Particulate Matter (PM) that gradually covers the solar panel and reduces the solar energy that generation up to between 5 and 20% depending on the region. [4,5]

Another study from Indonesia, that due to water pollution the Cirata Reservoir was experiencing water corrosiveness that caused damage to their hydro mechanical equipment and increase the frequency of maintenance[6]. River flows and water levels may change annually or seasonally, affecting productivity of electricity in they hydro power plant while Wind speed variations can lower generation. (Because turbines cannot run in extremely high or extremely brisk winds) [7]. Improving the environment that affects in sustainability growth in generation power industry may give huge impact to the industry and industry. The Cirata Reservoir's water's corrosiveness appears to have put the supply of electricity and hydropower operations at risk. Corrosive water in the reservoir has damaged the hydro-mechanical machinery substantially and increased the need for maintenance.

Picture 2: Windmills- Produced energy from wind that will convert into eectrical energy.

Power Energy Production

Solar technologies can use photovoltaic panels or solar radiation-concentrating mirrors to turn sunlight into electrical energy. It will produce electricity from sunshine by using photovoltaic technology, which converts direct current into alternating current by creating photons that flow into electrons. This demonstrates that dust can decrease the sustainability of solar power generation [9]. The rotor blades of a wind turbine, which function similarly to an airplane wing or a helicopter rotor blade, convert wind energy into electricity using aerodynamic force. Electricity is produced when aerodynamic force is translated into the spinning of a generator through the connection between the rotor and the generator, although typhon can harm the windmill. Hydrothermal reservoirs are those that are naturally sufficiently hot and permeable, whereas enhanced geothermal systems are those that are naturally adequately hot but improved by hydraulic stimulation.[10] Different temperature fluids can be used to produce electricity once they reach the surface. A dam or other construction that alters the natural flow of a river or other body of water is used to generate hydropower, often known as hydroelectric power. Hydropower uses fuel water that is not diminished or eliminated during the process of producing electricity, instead employing the same other renewable resources. Hydropower relies on the unending, constantly recharging system of the water cycle. there is flaws to the pollution which is the corrosive that can damage the hydromechanical by this, it can affect the amount of electricity generated by the hydropower.

Picture 1: Solar Panel-collects sunlight from the sun and turn into electricity. Renewable resources from environment power energy production.[8]

Population’s Role

 

•           Few of consumers are knowledgeable enough about the fundamentals of electricity and where it came from as which it can help to contribute in the society.

•          Due to the fast-growing population and rapid expanding of technology the demand of electricity is also increasing and more likely not easy to accomplish its generation that can be used in wide consumers.

•          Ways which everyone can contribute of producing an electrical power to power industry.

•          Disseminate the importance of power plant familiarization to everyone.

•          The importance of knowledge about the renewable resources and its fundamentals to non- related EE consumer.

•          Pollution also caused by human activities.

 

Maintaining the Viability

Pollution really affects for generating electrical power that makes barrier for collecting energy such as photovoltaic, hydroelectric power, wind mill, geothermal, and biomass. And it is proven [9] that one of the factors that can affects to generating energy is from pollution through the environment. However, the pollution mostly is humanmade and it causes destruction from gaining electric power from the surroundings and it happened for keep increasing the pollution. Like burning trashes and other smokey materials that can create dust even in a small amount, but population is wide. Pollution will slower the improvement and reduce electricity production because it distracts light energy from reaching the solar cells. Pollution is one of the problems that been encounter on power industry generator reach the required amount of power generated.

References

 

[1]        Ritchie H, Roser M. &, Rosado P. (2020) - "Energy". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/energy' [Online Resource]

[2]        Tachev V. Renewable Energy in the Philippines- Current State and Future Roadmap, 12th of May 2022 [Online Source].

[3]        Farrow, A., Miller, K.A. & Myllyvirta, L. Toxic air: The price of fossil fuels. Seoul: Greenpeace Southeast Asia. 44 pp. February 2020

[4]        Boyle, L.; Flinchpaugh, H.; Hannigan, M. P. Natural soiling of photovoltaic cover plates and the impact on transmission Renewable Energy 2015, 77, 166– 173 DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2014.12.006

[5]        Mike H. Bergin, Chinmay Ghoroi, Deepa Dixit, James J. Schauer, and Drew T. Shindell Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2017 4 (8), 339-344

DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.7b00197

[6]        Sunardi, Sunardi; Ariyani, Miranti; Agustian, Mochammad; Withaningsih, Susanti; Parikesit, Parikesit; Juahir, Hafizan; Ismail, Azimah; Abdoellah, Oekan S. (2020). Water corrosivity of polluted reservoir and hydropower sustainability. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 11110–. doi:10.1038/s41598-020- 68026-x

[7]        Solaun, Kepa; Cerdá, Emilio (2019). Climate change impacts on renewable energy generation. A review of quantitative projections. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 116(), 109415

[8] https://solenergy.com.ph/renewable-energy-spots-philippines/

[9] https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/12987/chapter/6#92

[10] https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-renewable-energy?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6LyfBhC3ARIsAG4gkF8BBQOldKzQthUjcjFSHpO92yZt38qJVPuvZ3ax97wjCSzoAw3dh2oaAliyEALw_wcB