Justin Smith
ENGB 5142

The Role and Challenges of Renewable Energy

Energy is readily available everywhere and comes in various forms. Our universe was created when an infinitely large ball of energy suddenly collapsed and appeared as a small single speck that still contained vast amounts of energy and very low volume. Energy is a property of matter that allows life to occur. Energy sources can be transferred. Stated more eloquently in the First Law of Thermodynamics, “Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can change form.” Capturing different forms of universal energy and transferring them for purposeful use is essential for the progress of modern life. Transferring energy sources in methods of energy production is at the root of every developed nation and its renewability is central to economic development. How can we capture and redirect different forms of energy for more practical use? There are numerous ways to do this; many of which are commonplace around the world today. Acquiring certain forms of energy for use may require mining, drilling, combustion technology, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and other technologies. In the following paragraphs we will explore the vast world of energy by looking at the disadvantages to nonrenewable energy and taking an in-depth look at renewable energy sources and exploring the challenges associated with employing these types of sources in an effort to create energy sustainability in our world. We will also seek to discover which sources are best in order to enhance social progress, economic growth, and environmental improvement for a sustainable future for generations to come. Why exactly do we want to use renewable sources and why do we want energy sustainability? Currently possessing 9.7 million civilians, Haiti is the most populated full-member state of the Caribbean Community. It is the most poverty-filled country in the Americas and is characterized by political violence, government instability, poor access to education, and low quality of life for its citizens. Haiti is a nonindustrialized nation that has become unsustainable. There are many reasons behind its instability and often the media and members of other countries point to Haiti’s chaotic political climate as the primary source of its socioeconomic instability. In the early twentieth-century, Haiti was lush with many of its original forests intact. Since then, Haiti’s residents have cut down an estimated 98% of its once lush forests and destroyed many of the fertile farmlands in an effort to obtain usable energy. According to the United States Energy Information Administration, Haiti’s consumption of oil has gone from an average of 3,709 barrels per day in 1980 to 14,003 barrels per day in 2012. This significant increase in consumption has occurred, while Haiti’s production of oil has remained nonexistent. Haiti’s production of natural gas and coal is absent as well. It receives all of its oil via imports. These numbers paint a dark picture; Haiti is an unsustainable nation. Can it achieve sustainability? This is a complex question that does not currently contain a clear answer. Haiti has a notorious history of government corruption and oppressed citizens with access to very little education, resources, and opportunities compared to its American counterparts. Haiti could seek renewable sources to obtain energy sustainability to strengthen its teetering and volatile economy. How will they implement such sources? Given Haiti’s current political and economic situation, renewable energy sources do not seem like a viable option. With such tumultuous conditions and unsustainable living, many Haitians have migrated to other parts of the Caribbean and Florida. The case of Haiti is a very deep problem that transcends energy production and consumption, but it does demonstrate the importance of planning and taking necessary steps to create an energy efficient and sustainable society. Clean and renewable energy is the foundation for a sustainable future. The following is a list of the most popular current renewable energy sources and their percentage of U.S. domestic energy production based on recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: Nuclear power (8.1%), biomass (4.4%), hydroelectric (2.7%), wind (1.4%), geo-thermal (0.2%), and solar (0.2%). Each of these sources has the potential to take on a larger role in the industry for decades to come. While they are not without their barriers, they are all considered to be very clean and renewable sources in comparison to their fossil fuel counterparts. The list of fossil fuels includes: Coal (20.6%), oil (13.8%), natural gas (24.6%), and natural gas liquids, or NGL (3.2%) (EIA). Certainly, nonrenewable sources with longstanding history such as coal, oil, and natural gas have dominated the U.S. and global energy industry in the early 21st century. Coal is currently responsible for 20.6% of U.S. energy production. While its domestic production has decreased according to many statistics provided for the 20th and 21st centuries, many graphical models show that it has gained some ground in global energy production. Energy for the 21st Century states that global coal production, in terms of percentage contribution to total energy output, increased from roughly 25% in 1994 to 30% in 2008. Coal still appears to be a very relevant world energy source, but at what cost? Coal is a high pollutant source. Coal’s release of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere is well documented. This contributes to a reduction in the amount of heat that can escape from the earth’s atmosphere and has been continuously blamed by many as the cause of global warming. In addition to increased CO2 emissions, burning coal results in heavy metals and nitrous and sulfur oxides being released that contribute to smog and poor air quality. Clearly, if we want an environmentally stable future, we need to develop more clean-coal technologies or we cannot depend so heavily on coal production to meet our energy demands.
Oil also has a rich history as a dominant energy source. The Industrial Revolution and automobile age of the early 20th Century brought a near doubling in oil consumption every decade. The growth in the world’s oil consumption really exploded following World War II, as we have seen exponential growth during that time. The exploration, development, and supply of oil is a remarkable journey that leads to a wide range of products from motor vehicle fuels, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, and various consumer goods. Without oil production, life as we know it would be vastly different. If only the process of drilling and completing a well, oil refining, storage, and transportation were flawless, then oil would be the greatest energy source ever. Of course, the process has its flaws like oil spills and carbon emissions from production. Oil’s fossil fuel counterpart, natural gas, is a very prevalent modern energy source. Natural gas is mostly composed of the carbon atom, methane, and is the lowest carbon emitting fossil fuel. The earth has an abundant supply of natural gas and it has been the cheapest fossil fuel source of energy in recent years. As a result of the aforementioned advantages, it currently occupies 24.6% of domestic energy production. Although natural gas is plentiful and clearly advantageous for several reasons, it is considered a nonrenewable source of energy because it cannot be replenished. While it has a higher ratio of hydrogen and carbon atoms compared to coal or oil and is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, it is still a dirtier source in terms of carbon emissions when compared to the renewable sources. Natural gas may be the dominant U.S. energy source of the next few decades. Is it a sustainable long-term source? The fundamental issues with fossil fuels is that they are not environmentally friendly, are nonrenewable, and thus, do not contribute to long-term sustainability the way that clean, renewable energy sources do. Nuclear power plants are thermal power stations that often contain two massive cooling towers and a sphere-shaped building in the center that contains a heat source called a nuclear reactor. These nuclear plants have the ability to generate large amounts of electricity. The origins of the pursuit of nuclear energy for electricity generation trace back to the early-to-mid 20th century, soon after it was discovered that radioactive elements like radium release massive amounts of energy. According to the World Nuclear Association, “The first commercial nuclear power stations began operations in the 1950’s and there are now over 430 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries, with over 370,000 megawatts of total capacity and roughly 70 more under construction.” Currently possessing the title as the most used renewable energy source in the U.S., nuclear power, is oftentimes linked with hydropower, however these two sources possess several differences. As Energy for the 21st Century declares, “Nuclear power is the outgrowth of the nuclear weapons program to transform the world’s most destructive weapons to peaceful uses.” More specifically, nuclear power refers to the use of nuclear binding energy, or the energy used to split the nucleus of an atom, to generate useful heat and/or electricity. Nuclear power as an electricity source is typically viewed as more dangerous than hydro. This is not always the case. Despite well-documented nuclear catastrophes, such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, nuclear power plants have an excellent overall track record of safe operations. In addition to releasing vast amounts of energy that can be used for electricity generation, nuclear power is a low carbon emissions source for generating electricity in comparison to fossil fuels. The future of building new nuclear power plants is a very controversial topic and beyond the scope of simply finding a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels. Power plants typically have high initial capital costs, yet low fuel costs. Other variables must be taken into account when deciding whether to build a power plant such as, nuclear waste storage costs, carbon emissions trading, and carbon taxes. Forecasters such as the EIA, predict global electricity generation to continue to rise at a constant rate with growth of 1.96% to 3.45% per year through 2040. “It is difficult to imagine building this much electricity-generating capacity with no contribution from nuclear power; Moreover, the hydrogen economy will require large numbers of nuclear power plants to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water (Energy for the 21st Century p. 290).” Given these predictions and a trending global shift to valuing the reduction of carbon emission from fossil fuels, expect nuclear power to be a continuing major player in the non-renewables sector of the industry for decades to come. Imagine a dam’s flood gates wide open and the rapid flowing water rushing violently through as gravity pulls it over the edge of the cliff and the sound waves of the water crashing against the surface below echo off the concrete slab portion of the dam and the surrounding trees. What does this scene have to do with renewable energy? This illustrates the act of generating electricity via hydropower or through the use of a gravitational force of flowing and falling water. Hydroelectric dams increase the level of water to create a hydraulic head to power electricity generating turbines. Hydropower is the most widely used global form of renewable electricity generation. It is an advantageous source for many reasons. It has a low cost per kilowatt-hour, is flexible and can adapt very quickly to meet changes in energy demand, and has a considerably lower level of carbon emissions compared to nonrenewable sources. Its benefits do not come without a cost. Hydroelectric damming can interrupt the natural flow of rivers, which can harm wildlife and interrupt the ecosystem. Abnormal rainfall or lack thereof, can present challenges and cause dams to fail. In 2001, California faced an energy crisis largely as a result of the drought in Oregon and Washington that derailed hydroelectricity exportation to the state. Despite these challenges and setbacks, hydropower is still a prevalent nonrenewable worldwide. There was a time when hydropower was more pervasive in the U.S. than it is today. The Hoover Dam, completed in 1936 and located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, marked a surge in domestic electricity generation via hydropower. Many estimates indicate that over half of US electricity was generated utilizing this method at one point in the 1930’s. Post-World War II brought a significant increase in nuclear generating power plants and fossil fuels. This shift has reduced the amount hydroelectricity to 2.7% of U.S. domestic energy production as of September 2013 (EIA; Monthly Energy Review). With the growing concern of utilizing more clean energy sources to prevent excessive carbon emissions in the US, we could see this number rise in the future. As with any shift in production, whether hydroelectricity realizes resurgence in the U.S. or not will depend heavily on the political and economic climate. The renewable source, biomass, once fulfilled most of the world’s energy demands, and as late as the early 20th century, still contributed to half of it. Biomass refers to organic matter that is used for fuel. It can be used directly via combustion or indirectly following the conversion to a biofuel. Following the Industrial Revolution, its use declined rapidly as the world’s population drastically increased and a heavy dependence on fossil fuels emerged. Energy for the 21st Century proclaims, “Biomass is still a major source of world energy and has been gaining ground in recent years as a commercial fuel purchased as a charcoal for cooking, firewood for heating, and crops grown specifically for their energy content (p.44).” According to recent EIA figures, biomass still makes up 4.4% of domestic energy production and roughly 10% of total world energy consumption. These numbers are not startling due to its easy access, environmental benefits, and renewable nature. One of the major challenges and risks associated with biofuels is that they are traditionally more costly than petroleum products and often require government subsidization. Biofuels do not look like they will ever get back to where they once were and replace fossil fuels as the most significant energy source in the world. However, as the cost of fossil fuels increases and the world seeks to go greener, expect biomass to continue being a relevant renewable source. Wind energy is a renewable source that refers the kinetic energy of air in motion, or more commonly known as the wind. It is converted via the use of wind turbines, wind pumps, or sails into more useful forms of energy like electricity. The use of the wind for purposes such as powering sailboats and certain ships has been common for thousands of years, yet the wind sector of the energy industry has seen a spike in production in recent years due to wind gaining in popularity as a clean renewable and wind farms being built at an accelerating rate. Since the dawn of the new millennium, world wind generation capacity has grown immensely and in 2007, oil and natural gas magnate, T. Boone Pickens unveiled his intent to build the world’s largest wind farm at the time by installing massive and powerful wind turbines in a section of the Texas Panhandle. This move marked one of the recent major moves in the United States to utilize wind energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. While wind is abundant, clean, and renewable, it is not without its barriers as well. Fluctuating wind speeds present a problem for forecasters and wind farms may not always meet energy demands at the time. Due to the variability in wind speeds at any given moment, the supply of wind may not always instantaneously meet the demand for electricity consumption causing the equilibrium to be off. This variability presents obvious challenges when implementing vast amounts of wind power into an electricity grid. In order to combat this, an alternative energy source such as hydroelectricity must be readily available to meet the demands for electricity at any given moment. Currently, the EIA reports wind energy occupying 1.4% of domestic energy production. This number has the potential to climb in the future as natural gas prices rise and wind farm technologies improve. When looking up in the sky at any given moment during the day, the most powerful energy source of them all is likely shining down. The sun, also referred to as solar energy, is a free and abundant energy source that strikes the earth with 173,000 terawatts of power continuously (energy.gov; 6 Things You Did Not Know about the Sun). Each terawatt is equivalent to 1-trillion watts of energy; contrast the magnitude of the sun’s power with a typical lightening bolt striking the earth in a fraction-of-one-second and peaking at 1 terawatt. How do we capture this massive amount of energy? The use of photovoltaic cells on solar panels to capture the sun’s energy is one of the leading technologies. In this method, mirrors are used to concentrate light onto cells in order to increase the efficacy of light capture within panels. Beyond its abundance, solar energy is an excellent source due to its renewability and clean nature compared to coal, oil, and natural gas. Another benefit is the decreasing cost of solar technologies. The installation costs of all solar technologies declined nearly 35% between 1998 and 2010 (acore.org). Although solar technology costs have declined in recent years, the costs of installation and maintenance are still high when compared with natural gas. The current initial costs of many solar technologies are not financially feasible for many people without high or discretionary income. However, with increasing technological advances, it is possible that costs will continue to decrease and solar technologies will improve. This could trigger an increase in demand for solar energy production in the future. Energy generated and stored by the earth is known as geothermal energy. Geo (earth) thermal (heat) sources capture hot water or steam that escapes from the earth’s surface. This is usually found in areas where tectonic plates are separating, magma is close to the surface, and the rock above the magma is porous. As Energy for the 21st Century declares, “ There are three types of geothermal power plants for generating electricity; The most common form is driven by geothermal reservoirs that emit hot, pressurized water between 300-700-degrees Fahrenheit. The drop in pressure inside a separator allows the liquid to flash to steam, which is then directed into a turbine. Any gases pass to the atmosphere, but these are a tiny fraction of the emissions compared to a coal-burning plant with equivalent power output.” One of the limiting factors of geothermal sources is their availability. The future of geothermal energy appears to consist primarily of tapping into currently discovered reservoirs, as opposed to finding new ones. Like solar energy, geothermal energy currently makes up a miniscule percentage of current U.S. energy production at 0.2% (EIA). There is growing speculation reverberating around the world about the impact our actions have on the environment, climate change, and global warming. Many environmental advocates claim that our excessive use of fossil fuels is coming at an extraordinary cost. These activists claim that the burning of these fossil fuels is releasing an excessive amount of CO2 into the atmosphere and causing a rise in temperature. This rise in atmospheric temperature, along with a rise in the temperature of the earth’s oceans is commonly regarded as global warming. There is vast statistical evidence that shows a warming trend of the earth since the end of the 19th century. Proponents of global warming worry that without an intervention; it will reach a point where the permafrost in Alaska, Canada, and Siberia will thaw and release a massive amount of methane entrapped in the ice. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than mere carbon dioxide, and activists claim this could propel us to the point of insurmountable global warming and cause extinction of the human race, and perhaps all life on earth, as we know it. Whether man-made global warming definitively exists or not is still debatable. If it does exist, at what capacity do our actions truly influence the varying temperature of the earth? There are many graphical models that show the earths temperature fluctuating at similar rates since the dawn of civilization. The growing speculation of the future of earth’s climate often overshadows what is currently occurring to our environment. On any given day, many large cities in America and Asia are filled with haze and air pollution. In addition to warming the earth, fossil fuels are often attributed to polluting the air as well. According to the EIA, fossil-fueled carbon dioxide emissions in early 2012 were as follows: 387 million metric tons for coal, 559 million metric tons for oil, and 391 million metric tons for natural gas. With so much evidence pointing to widespread deforestation, prevalent air pollution, and man-made global warming, the growing world trend is to raise awareness of the dangers of heavy dependence on fossil fuels and to raise environmental standards. The importance of low carbon emitting, nonrenewable energy sources to meet world energy demands will only grow. World electricity generation from nonrenewable sources is forecasted to grow from just under 2,500 billion kilowatt-hours in 2010 to over 6,000 billion kilowatt-hours in 2040 (EIA Fig. 19; World Electricity Demand from Renewable Energy Sources). Currently, most renewable energy electricity generation comes from nuclear power plants and hydropower. Nuclear and hydropower’s role in electricity generation will continue to rapidly grow, while other nonrenewable sources are predicted to take on more of a role in meeting world energy demand. Is renewable energy the key to a sustainable future for our earth? As our world population continues to grow and reach heights never seen before, meeting energy demand without sacrificing the purity of our environment will grow in significance. We cannot afford to continue exhausting earth’s natural resources without ensuring that we take necessary steps to replenish them. Improving energy consumption awareness, enacting environmentally friendly measures, and increasing energy efficiency is a must. There is no doubt that the nonrenewable fossil fuels will continue to take on a large role in providing us with a sufficient supply of usable energy, however, the growing importance of clean and renewable energy sources must not be overlooked. Technological advances reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of renewables will be at the heart of energy sustainability for the future. Sustainable energy is imperative to a sustainable earth. A sustainable earth is the essence of sustainable living conditions and is absolutely essential to the survival of our species for generations to come.