Importance of Renewable Energy Sources

This study is an overlook into importance of renewable energy sources, current developments and upcoming Challenges for sustainability of the environment and a healthier world.

The article is focused not only on the recent developments in the field of renewable and sustainable energy systems, but also highlights the important issues and challenges being faced with economical and solid solutions.

Here we have summarized and provided a comprehensive overview of the current trends in the field of renewable and sustainable energy systems.

The energy crisis are currently the most critical the humanity is facing globally. Despite advanced integrations and developments in energy production in last 20 years in shape of sustainable and renewable energy systems, the population growth has driven a number of factors like increased demand of energy, dependence on fossil fuels and their impacts on climate and speculations in energy markets. A combination of such complex factors is the key element behind the current energy crisis.

The related to this Issue cover a wide range of energy-related readings, including bio-refineries, biofuels and bioenergy, wind energy, energy sustainability, biomass, waste to energy technologies, life cycle assessment study, and energy recovery from waste and advanced waste management methodologies.

What is the difference between Sustainable and Renewable Energy

“Renewable energy” and “sustainable energy” are often used interchangeably, even among industry experts and veterans. There is some overlap between the two, as many sustainable energy sources are also renewable. However, these two terms are not exactly the same.

Renewable energy is produced from existing resources that naturally sustain or replenish themselves over time. Renewable energy can be a much more abiding solution than our current top energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, renewables are increasingly cost effective and their impact on environment is far less severe. By taking advantage of the earth’s ability to grow and recycle organisms, renewable power sources will theoretically be able to supply our energy needs indefinitely.

Sustainable energy however, is derived from resources that can maintain current operations without jeopardizing the energy needs or climate of future generations. The most popular sources of sustainable energy including wind, solar and hydropower, are also renewable.

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is one which replenishes at a higher rate than it is primarily consumed. Sunlight, wind and biological wastes for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are quite abundant and all around us in natural environment.

Fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas are non-renewable resources but that take too much time to form. Similarly, these fuels, when burned to produce energy usually cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide which have known negative impacts on life and natural environment.

On the other hand, the renewable energy generates far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels. While addressing the climate crisis, it is important to shift to renewable energy as the fossil fuels are currently responsible for a considerable share of emissions affecting the global environment.

Moreover, these renewable energies are quite cheaper in most countries, and generating more jobs than fossil fuels.

Here we present the most common sources of renewable energies:

Solar Energy

It is the most abundant of all energy resources and can even be produced in cloudy weather. Our Earth intercepts the solar energy approximately a one million times higher than which human consume energy at one time.

Solar technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural lighting, electricity, and fuels for a number of applications. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.

Another fact is that all countries are not equally endowed with solar energy, but however a significant contribution to the energy mix from direct solar energy is possible for every country.

The cost of manufacturing solar panels has decreased dramatically in the last few years making them not only affordable but often the cheapest form of electricity. Solar panels have a life span of 25 to 30 years and come in variety of shades depending on the type of material used in manufacturing.

The most common type of panel is made using Crystalline Silicon. This technology accounts for 84% of solar panels worldwide. Other types include Cadmium Telluride, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide panels, and thin-film amorphous silicon.

Wind Energy

Wind energy controls the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines located on land or sometimes in sea- or freshwater (offshore). The onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have evolved over the last few years to maximize he electricity production. These are comprised with taller turbines and larger rotor diameters.

Though average wind speeds vary considerably by location, the world’s potential wind energy production exceeds global electricity production, and ample potential exists in most regions of the world to enable significant wind energy deployment.

Many parts of the world are blessed with strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote as offshore wind power offers an enormous potential.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy utilizes the accessible thermal energy from the Earth’s core. Natural heat is extracted from geothermal reservoirs in earth using wells or other means.

These reservoirs being naturally sufficiently hot and permeable are called as hydrothermal reservoirs, while the reservoirs that are sufficiently hot but improved with hydraulic stimulation are called Enhanced Geothermal Systems.

Once at the surface, fluids of various temperatures can be used to generate electricity.

Hydropower

Hydropower reproduces the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, On the other hand, run-of-river hydropower plants produce energy from the available flow of the river.

Hydropower reservoirs often have multiple uses like irrigation, drinking, flood and drought control, navigation services, as well as energy supply.

Hydropower currently is the major source of renewable energy worldwide in the electricity sector. It depends on generally stable rainfall patterns, and can be negatively impacted by climate-induced droughts or changes to ecosystems which impact rainfall patterns.

However the infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in adverse ways. For this reason, in relatively advanced studies, it is considered that small-scale hydro projects are more environmentally-friendly.

Ocean Energy

Ocean energy derives from technologies that use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater waves to produce electricity or heat.

Ocean energy systems are still at an early stage of development, with a number of prototype wave and tidal current devices being explored. The theoretical potential for ocean energy easily exceeds current human energy requirements.

Bio-Energy

Bioenergy is produced from a different organic materials, called biomass, like wood, charcoal, dung (animal excretion) and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels.

Biomass is currently being used in rural areas for cooking, lighting and space heating in developing countries. This includes dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and forestry, and various organic waste streams.

Energy obtained by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions which are considerably lower than burning fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas.

However, bioenergy should only be used in limited applications to maintain potential negative environmental impacts as compared to large-scale increases in forests and bioenergy plantations which may result in deforestation which will have an adverse impact on ecosystem.

Biochar

Energy and value-added materials recovery from waste also include biochar produced from biomass that exhibit high energy values closer to the fossil fuels and therefore it can potentially replace them in heat and electricity generation plants with minor issues in future. Biochar is a stable solid which is rich in carbon that is made from organic waste material or biomass that is partially burnt in the presence of limited oxygen.

There are many qualities that make up biochar vary potential fuel upon the material that it comes from timber slash, corn stalks, manure, etc.

Waste to Energy (WtE) Technologies

Energy can be also recovered from waste in the form of heat, fuel and electricity employing different WtE technologies. The role of WtE technologies is critical in integrated waste management for enhanced sustainability, and maximum economic and environmental benefits.

The recent developments and key issues in WtE technologies should also be the main areas of special interest for commercial partners.

The Use of Renewable Sources in Commercial Perspective

The study also focuses primarily on modern solid waste management technologies and sustainable energy systems. The aim is to stimulate the interests of students, scientists, academics, research mates, industrial partners and public sector policy makers by educating them with latest developments in integrated waste management, sustainable energy systems and other issues related to environmental protection in future.

The areas of interest include waste prevention, source segregation, biological and thermal treatment, waste-to-energy technologies, energy recovery, treatment at central facilities, bio-waste reprocessing, industrial waste, livestock waste, agriculture waste, smart technologies for waste management, waste recycling, management of waste from electrical and electronic equipment, construction & demolition waste, biotechnology, circular economies, symbiosis networks, energy consumption and conservation, carbon and water footprints, zero-waste initiatives, plastics and bio-plastics, and marine waste.

There should be a Special focus on the valorization prospects, and energy and resource recovery from waste such as biofuels, electricity and value-added products etc. The scope also enables local authorities to improve their municipal waste recycling performance and thus help to gain high resource recovery to add to circular economy.

Development in biofuels and bioenergy production and its application are considered as a renewable and eco-friendly source of energy as compared to fossil fuels. While, there are many challenges being faced to overcome before commercialization of these biofuels, including the limitation of food versus fuel, their economic viability, and products quality.

Conclusion

The world is facing serious environmental challenges, including the management of huge waste and energy production leading to climate change and threat to life on earth, due to increasing population, urbanization and energy consumption. The development of integrated waste management, sustainability and renewable energy production systems are overbearing need of the time.

There has been many breakthroughs and developments in these areas in recent decades, but much more is needed to be done to maximize the consumption of energy from renewable sources.