renewable energy us essay

Going Right

April 29, 2016

Renewable Energy Persuasive Essay

Robert Caba

Dr. Freymiller

12 April 2016

Out with the Old, In with the Re(new)able

The United States has been operating as a country using limited fossil fuels, but what happens when it all runs out? Would it not be more beneficial to never find out? Renewable energy, energy that is not depleted after its use, is limitless and more sustainable than any other source in energy history. To initiate the clean energy movement is expensive, but there are countless benefits ranging from individual to global impacts in going completely renewable. The first recorded use of renewable energy was harnessing wind power to drive ships over water about 7000 years ago (Darling). However, renewable energy has been around as long as Earth has existed: wind, sun, geothermal, biomass and many more. Clean energy sources can be harnessed to produce electricity, process heat, fuel and other chemicals with significantly less impact on the environment. In 2014, renewable energy sources accounted for fourteen percent of America’s total electricity use (“Renewable Energy Sources”), a four percent incline from the prior year. Completely diverting from fossil fuels to renewable energy clearly is not a new concept for a select few of innovative countries. A few countries, for example, are Costa Rica, Norway and Iceland, all of whom have ran on renewable energy for the entire 2015 calendar year, diving deep into their own land’s resources and utilizing volcanic presence to produce energy (Rosecrance & Thompson 7). Following in the footsteps of Costa Rica and a few other third world countries, major economic powerhouses and biggest users of fossil fuels like the United States should convert to clean energy as a way to benefit the economy, environment and overall health of the country.

As a consumer, one is worried about how abandoning a safe form of energy and transitioning to something new can help or hurt their wallet. Not only can renewable energy help save money, it can also help make money. A 150 billion dollar investment into this new industry would result in 1.7 million job opportunities, reducing the unemployment rate in America by an entire percentage (Pollin & Heintz). The reason for the potential high employment rate is because the industry is labor intensive in the means of installation and maintenance, requiring a lot of manpower for ultimate success. However, the more we wait the more future benefits we are currently losing. In an American Solar Energy Association (ASES) report in 2009, they stated “the 2008 predictions for renewable energy industry in 2030 are significantly lower than the 2007 predictions (National Research Council 169).” Unlike fossil fuels, which are subject to volatile pricing fluctuating over time depending on the market, renewable energy is relatively “free” after installation, using natural resources. The process of transportation and maintenance is minimized allowing prices to stay constant throughout the years. The only way price can head is down; for instance, clean energy is more affordable than 25 years ago. In particular, wind energy, the fastest growing source of power, prices have declined from forty cents per kilowatt per hour to less than five cents per kilowatt per hour (“The Energy Story”), a remarkable change and a huge upside in favor of the conversion. As time continues, technology should continue its progression resulting in cheaper mediums to acquire the energy. Despite of this, the conversion should take place now so results are maximized for the future. All in all, clean energy can both save Americans money while help them make money, the perfect win-win for producers and consumers alike.

Abstaining from burning countless, yet limited fossil fuels every day and polluting the environment is the single biggest benefactor for moving towards a cleaner approach. Not only would greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other pollutants that cause smog and acid rain, reach minimal levels, but also the country is consequently assisting in the reduction of the global warming speed and effects. Unlike fossil fuels, which are unable to be replenished easily, renewable energy is limitless, feeding from natural resources. With the global and national population expected to continue rising, the demand for energy will follow. There is a multitude of different approaches to acquire renewable energy including the most used types: solar and wind power. Specifically, solar energy is the epitome of sustainability and efficiency, calculated through production and prices. Despite the massive amounts of energy used yearly nationwide, “the sunlight falling on the United States in one day contains more than twice the energy we consume in an entire year ( The Energy Story ).” As for wind power, “California [alone] has enough wind gusts to produce 11 percent of the world’s wind electricity ( The Energy Story).” Wind turbines take up a lot of space but still allow the area around it, usually farms, to be used regularly. In the United Kingdom, for comparison, the government set a target for renewable energy to make up 15 percent of their total energy expense by 2020. This motive results in a 34 percent cut in the country’s carbon emission in the same time span (National Research Council 180). Needless to say, renewable energy will make landmark strides in the progression towards a cleaner, better environment. The most important thing on this Earth is this Earth, and it’s society’s job to maintain it.

As well as helping the environment and wallets, renewable energy can help with everyone’s health. By cutting the emission of greenhouse gasses and fossil fuels, air pollution decreases. Air pollution, primarily those contributed through coal burning power plants emitting fine-particulate pollutants, is most associated with causing health problems, chiefly lung cancer. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) predicts that conversion, or even standards, will prevent at least 100,000 heart attacks and asthma attacks per year. Additionally, EPA also estimates a projected 1,100 billion dollar income in health benefits due to avoiding illnesses and deaths (U.S. EPA). As a form of partnership, the health industry could invest a portion of this money into the clean air movement due to its beneficial health impacts and help make installation cheaper. A majority of these pollutants are associated with dangerous levels of climate change, this century’s biggest threat to human health. Climate change, a change in global climate patterns, “will increasingly jeopardize the fundamental requirements for health, including clean urban air, safe and sufficient drinking-water, a secure and nutritious food supply, and adequate shelter (World Health Organization).” Climate change is the main contributor and accelerator towards global warming. Global warming increases the risk of two deadly diseases: Plague and Ebola, to name a few. For Plague, changes in temperature and rainfall will affect rodent populations as well as the infected fleas they carry. Additionally, Ebola outbreaks tend to follow serious downpours or droughts, a likely result of climate change (Biello). The movement would not only lower the pollution rate and risk of infection, but also save countless lives across the globe during the process.

America, along with most other countries, needs to initiate their plans towards a more sustainable, cleaner form of energy. Renewable energy helps increase the production of the economy through the addition of million of jobs. Simultaneously, energy prices would be lower, also helping the consumer save money. However, it is vital to start now. The longer the wait, the less benefits are reaped. Likewise, the clean air movement will mark the beginning of recovery for the environment. Greenhouse gases and other emission will reach all time lows, possibly zero. This deduction is important to slow the rate of climate change and global warming. Stopping climate change and gas emissions in its tracks would also lead to more health benefits. There are dozens of deadly diseases and carriers that spawn from the irregular climate patterns. Also, climate change could affect physiological needs by lessening safe drinking water, food supply and shelter. The United States has a reputation of being an innovator, a leader for many countries. Why has it been so lackadaisical with something so important to everything in today’s society? It has a history of being scared of change; people are too comfortable with life as it is, but it could be better. With the United States recently moving in the right direction, it will be better.

Works Cited

Biello, David. “Diseases Due to Climate Change.” Scientific American . N.p., 8 Oct. 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

Darling, David. “Wind Energy.” Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

National Research Council, and Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Power of Renewables: Opportunities and Challenges for China and the United States . Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2010. Print.

Pollin, Robert, and James Heintz. “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy.” Center for American Progress . N.p., 18 June 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.

“Renewable Energy Sources – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy – Energy Information Administration.” EIA . US Energy Information Administration, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

Rosecrance, Richard, and Peter Thompson. “Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment.” Annual Review of Political Science 6.1 (2003): 7. UNEP . United Nations Environment Programme, 13 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

“The Energy Story – Chapter 17: Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels.” The Energy Story . California Energy Commission, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

U.S. EPA. “Cleaning Up Toxic Air Pollution.” Benefits and Costs of Cleaning up Toxic Air Pollution (n.d.): n. pag. EPA . Environment Protection Agency. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

World Health Organization. Renewable Energy (n.d.): 7. WHO . World Health Organization, 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

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• News & Updates

The Future of Sustainable Energy

26 June, 2021

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Building a sustainable energy future calls for leaps forward in both technology and policy leadership. State governments, major corporations and nations around the world have pledged to address the worsening climate crisis by transitioning to 100% renewable energy over the next few decades. Turning those statements of intention into a reality means undertaking unprecedented efforts and collaboration between disciplines ranging from environmental science to economics.

There are highly promising opportunities for green initiatives that could deliver a better future. However, making a lasting difference will require both new technology and experts who can help governments and organizations transition to more sustainable practices. These leaders will be needed to source renewables efficiently and create environmentally friendly policies, as well as educate consumers and policymakers. To maximize their impact, they must make decisions informed by the most advanced research in clean energy technology, economics, and finance.

Current Trends in Sustainability

The imperative to adopt renewable power solutions on a worldwide scale continues to grow even more urgent as the global average surface temperature hits historic highs and amplifies the danger from extreme weather events . In many regions, the average temperature has already increased by 1.5 degrees , and experts predict that additional warming could drive further heatwaves, droughts, severe hurricanes, wildfires, sea level rises, and even mass extinctions.

In addition, physicians warn that failure to respond to this dire situation could unleash novel diseases : Dr. Rexford Ahima and Dr. Arturo Casadevall of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine contributed to an article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that explained how climate change could affect the human body’s ability to regulate its own temperature while bringing about infectious microbes that adapt to the warmer conditions.

World leaders have accepted that greenhouse gas emissions are a serious problem that must be addressed. Since the Paris Agreement was first adopted in December 2015, 197 nations have signed on to its framework for combating climate change and preventing the global temperature increase from reaching 2 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels.

Corporate giants made their own commitments to become carbon neutral by funding offsets to reduce greenhouse gases and gradually transitioning into using 100% renewable energy. Google declared its operations carbon neutral in 2017 and has promised that all data centers and campuses will be carbon-free by 2030. Facebook stated that it would eliminate its carbon footprint in 2020 and expand that commitment to all the organization’s suppliers within 10 years. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles and has promised that its sprawling logistics operations will arrive at net-zero emissions by 2040.

Despite these promising developments, many experts say that nations and businesses are still not changing fast enough. While carbon neutrality pledges are a step in the right direction, they don’t mean that organizations have actually stopped using fossil fuels . And despite the intentions expressed by Paris Agreement signatories, total annual carbon dioxide emissions reached a record high of 33.5 gigatons in 2018, led by China, the U.S., and India.

“The problem is that what we need to achieve is so daunting and taxes our resources so much that we end up with a situation that’s much, much worse than if we had focused our efforts,” Ferraro said.

Recent Breakthroughs in Renewable Power

An environmentally sustainable infrastructure requires innovations in transportation, industry, and utilities. Fortunately, researchers in the private and public sectors are laying the groundwork for an energy transformation that could make the renewable energy of the future more widely accessible and efficient.

Some of the most promising areas that have seen major developments in recent years include:

Driving Electric Vehicles Forward

The technical capabilities of electric cars are taking great strides, and the popularity of these vehicles is also growing among consumers. At Tesla’s September 22, 2020 Battery Day event, Elon Musk announced the company’s plans for new batteries that can be manufactured at a lower cost while offering greater range and increased power output .

The electric car market has seen continuing expansion in Europe even during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks in large part to generous government subsidies. Market experts once predicted that it would take until 2025 for electric car prices to reach parity with gasoline-powered vehicles. However, growing sales and new battery technology could greatly speed up that timetable .

Cost-Effective Storage For Renewable Power

One of the biggest hurdles in the way of embracing 100% renewable energy has been the need to adjust supply based on demand. Utilities providers need efficient, cost-effective ways of storing solar and wind power so that electricity is available regardless of weather conditions. Most electricity storage currently takes place in pumped-storage hydropower plants, but these facilities require multiple reservoirs at different elevations.

Pumped thermal electricity storage is an inexpensive solution to get around both the geographic limitations of hydropower and high costs of batteries. This approach, which is currently being tested , uses a pump to convert electricity into heat so it can be stored in a material like gravel, water, or molten salts and kept in an insulated tank. A heat engine converts the heat back into electricity as necessary to meet demand.

Unlocking the Potential of Microgrids

Microgrids are another area of research that could prove invaluable to the future of power. These systems can operate autonomously from a traditional electrical grid, delivering electricity to homes and business even when there’s an outage. By using this approach with power sources like solar, wind, or biomass, microgrids can make renewable energy transmission more efficient.

Researchers in public policy and engineering are exploring how microgrids could serve to bring clean electricity to remote, rural areas . One early effort in the Netherlands found that communities could become 90% energy self-sufficient , and solar-powered microgrids have now also been employed in Indian villages. This technology has enormous potential to change the way we access electricity, but lowering costs is an essential step to bring about wider adoption and encourage residents to use the power for purposes beyond basic lighting and cooling.

Advancing the Future of Sustainable Energy

There’s still monumental work to be done in developing the next generation of renewable energy solutions as well as the policy framework to eliminate greenhouse gases from our atmosphere. An analysis from the International Energy Agency found that the technologies currently on the market can only get the world halfway to the reductions needed for net-zero emissions by 2050.

To make it the rest of the way, researchers and policymakers must still explore possibilities such as:

• Devise and implement large-scale carbon capture systems that store and use carbon dioxide without polluting the atmosphere
• Establish low-carbon electricity as the primary power source for everyday applications like powering vehicles and heat in buildings
• Grow the use of bioenergy harnessed from plants and algae for electricity, heat, transportation, and manufacturing
• Implement zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells as a way to power transportation and utilities

However, even revolutionary technology will not do the job alone. Ambitious goals for renewable energy solutions and long-term cuts in emissions also demand enhanced international cooperation, especially among the biggest polluters. That’s why Jonas Nahm of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies has focused much of his research on China’s sustainable energy efforts. He has also argued that the international community should recognize China’s pivotal role in any long-term plans for fighting climate change.

As both the leading emitter of carbon dioxide and the No. 1 producer of wind and solar energy, China is uniquely positioned to determine the future of sustainability initiatives. According to Nahm, the key to making collaboration with China work is understanding the complexities of the Chinese political and economic dynamics. Because of conflicting interests on the national and local levels, the world’s most populous nation continues to power its industries with coal even while President Xi Jinping advocates for fully embracing green alternatives.

China’s fraught position demonstrates that economics and diplomacy could prove to be just as important as technical ingenuity in creating a better future. International cooperation must guide a wide-ranging economic transformation that involves countries and organizations increasing their capacity for producing and storing renewable energy.

It will take strategic thinking and massive investment to realize a vision of a world where utilities produce 100% renewable power while rows of fully electric cars travel on smart highways. To meet the challenge of our generation, it’s more crucial than ever to develop leaders who understand how to apply the latest research to inform policy and who can take charge of globe-spanning sustainable energy initiatives .

About the MA in Sustainable Energy (online) Program at Johns Hopkins SAIS

Created by Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies faculty with input from industry experts and employers, the Master of Arts in Sustainable Energy (online) program is tailored for the demands of a rapidly evolving sector. As a top-11 global university, Johns Hopkins is uniquely positioned to equip graduates with the skills they need to confront global challenges in the transition to renewable energy.

The MA in Sustainable Energy curriculum is designed to build expertise in finance, economics, and policy. Courses from our faculty of highly experienced researchers and practitioners prepare graduates to excel in professional environments including government agencies, utility companies, energy trade organizations, global energy governance organizations, and more. Students in the Johns Hopkins SAIS benefit from industry connections, an engaged network of more than 230,000 alumni, and high-touch career services.

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2. Public opinion on renewables and other energy sources

Americans’ concerns about climate change have put energy production of fossil fuels and the carbon gases these fuels emit at the center of public discussions about climate and the environment. Those debates coupled with long-standing economic pressures to decrease reliance on other countries for energy needs have raised attention to renewable forms of energy including solar and wind power.

Public opinion about energy issues is widely supportive of expanding both solar and wind power but more closely divided when it comes to expanding fossil fuel energies such as coal mining, offshore oil and gas drilling, and hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas. While there are substantial party and ideological divides over increasing fossil fuel and nuclear energy sources, strong majorities of all party and ideology groups support more solar and wind production.

Most Americans know the U.S. is producing more energy today

Most Americans are aware of America’s ongoing energy boom . The United States is producing more energy from fossil fuels and has ticked up production of renewable sources such as wind and solar. A large majority of Americans (72%) say the United States is producing more energy than it did 20 years ago. Far smaller shares say the U.S. is producing the same level (17%) or less energy (10%) than it did 20 years ago 8

Majorities across demographic, educational and political groups say the U.S. is producing more energy today. Awareness of this trend is especially high among those with postgraduate degrees (86% compared with 64% among those with high school degrees or less). Men are more inclined to say the U.S. is producing more energy than women (79% vs. 66%), while Democrats are modestly more likely than Republicans to say this (79% vs. 65%).

Strong public support for more wind and solar, closer divides over nuclear and fossil fuels

Large majorities of Americans favor expanding renewable sources to provide energy, but the public is far less supportive of increasing the production of fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, and nuclear energy.

Fully 89% of Americans favor more solar panel farms, just 9% oppose. A similarly large share supports more wind turbine farms (83% favor, 14% oppose).

By comparison, the public is more divided over expanding the production of nuclear and fossil fuel energy sources. Specifically, 45% favor more offshore oil and gas drilling, while 52% oppose. Similar shares support and oppose expanding hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for oil and gas (42% favor and 53% oppose). Some 41% favor more coal mining, while a 57% majority opposes this.

And, 43% of Americans support building more nuclear power plants, while 54% oppose. Past Pew Research Center surveys on energy issues, using somewhat different question wording and survey methodology, found opinion broadly in keeping with this new survey. For example, the balance of opinion in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey about building more nuclear power plants was similar (45% favor, 51% oppose), and some 52% of Americans favored and 44% opposed allowing more offshore oil and gas drilling in that survey.

Most Republicans and Democrats favor expanding renewables; there are strong divides over expanding fossil fuels

Across the political spectrum, large majorities support expansion of solar panel and wind turbine farms. Some 83% of conservative Republicans favor more solar panel farms; so, too, do virtually all liberal Democrats (97%). Similarly, there is widespread agreement across party and ideological groups in favor of expanding wind energy.

Consistent with past Pew Research Center surveys , this new survey finds there are deep political divides over expanding fossil fuel energy sources. Conservative Republicans stand out from other party and ideology groups in this regard. At least seven-in-ten conservative Republicans support more coal mining (73%), fracking (70%) and offshore drilling (76%). A majority of Democrats oppose expanding each of these energy sources while moderate/liberal Republicans fall somewhere in the middle on these issues.

The political divide over expanding nuclear energy is smaller. Some 57% of conservative Republicans, and 51% of all Republicans, favor more nuclear power plants. Democrats lean in the opposite direction with 59% opposed and 38% in favor of more nuclear power plants.

As also found in past Pew Research Center surveys , women are less supportive of expanding nuclear power than men, even after controlling for politics and education. Some 34% of women favor and 62% oppose more nuclear plants. Men are more closely divided on this issue: 52% favor and 46% oppose. Men and women hold more similar views on other energy issues.

Many Americans are giving serious thought to having solar panels at home

America’s solar power industry is growing. In 2016, solar is expected to add more electricity generating capacity than any other energy source in the United States. Just 4% of Americans report having home solar panels but many more − 37% − say they are giving it serious thought.

These figures are similar among homeowners. Some 44% of homeowners have already installed (4%) or have given serious thought to installing (40%) solar panels at home.

Western residents and younger adults are especially likely to say are considering, or have installed, solar panels at home. Some 14% of homeowners in the West have installed solar panels at home and another 52% say they are considering doing so. By contrast, 35% of homeowners in the South say they have installed (3%) or given serious thought to installing solar at home (33%).

Some 55% of homeowners under age 50 say they have given serious thought to installing or have already installed solar panels at home. Fewer homeowners ages 50 and older say the same (36%).

The key reasons people cite for considering solar are financial followed by concern for the environment. Among all who have installed or given serious thought to installing solar panels, large majorities say their reasons include cost savings on utilities (92%) or helping the environment (87%). Smaller shares of this group, though still majorities, say improved health (67%) or a solar tax investment credit (59%) are reasons they have or would install home solar panels.

• Pew Research Center in 2014 asked a related question – whether the amount of energy produced in the United States had been increasing, decreasing or staying the same in recent years. In that survey, 54% of Americans said the amount of energy produced had been increasing, while 27% said it had been staying the same and 10% said it had been decreasing. ↩

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• ENVIRONMENT

Renewable energy, explained

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal power can provide energy without the planet-warming effects of fossil fuels.

In any discussion about climate change , renewable energy usually tops the list of changes the world can implement to stave off the worst effects of rising temperatures. That's because renewable energy sources such as solar and wind don't emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming .

Clean energy has far more to recommend it than just being "green." The growing sector creates jobs , makes electric grids more resilient, expands energy access in developing countries, and helps lower energy bills. All of those factors have contributed to a renewable energy renaissance in recent years, with wind and solar setting new records for electricity generation .

For the past 150 years or so, humans have relied heavily on coal, oil, and other fossil fuels to power everything from light bulbs to cars to factories. Fossil fuels are embedded in nearly everything we do, and as a result, the greenhouse gases released from the burning of those fuels have reached historically high levels .

As greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise escape into space, average temperatures on the surface are rising . Global warming is one symptom of climate change, the term scientists now prefer to describe the complex shifts affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas , and a range of other impacts .

Of course, renewables—like any source of energy—have their own trade-offs and associated debates. One of them centers on the definition of renewable energy. Strictly speaking, renewable energy is just what you might think: perpetually available, or as the U.S. Energy Information Administration puts it, " virtually inexhaustible ." But "renewable" doesn't necessarily mean sustainable, as opponents of corn-based ethanol or large hydropower dams often argue. It also doesn't encompass other low- or zero-emissions resources that have their own advocates, including energy efficiency and nuclear power.

Types of renewable energy sources

Hydropower: For centuries, people have harnessed the energy of river currents, using dams to control water flow. Hydropower is the world's biggest source of renewable energy by far, with China, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., and Russia the leading hydropower producers . While hydropower is theoretically a clean energy source replenished by rain and snow, it also has several drawbacks.

For Hungry Minds

Large dams can disrupt river ecosystems and surrounding communities , harming wildlife and displacing residents. Hydropower generation is vulnerable to silt buildup, which can compromise capacity and harm equipment. Drought can also cause problems. In the western U.S., carbon dioxide emissions over a 15-year period were 100 megatons higher than they normally would have been, according to a 2018 study , as utilities turned to coal and gas to replace hydropower lost to drought. Even hydropower at full capacity bears its own emissions problems, as decaying organic material in reservoirs releases methane.

Dams aren't the only way to use water for power: Tidal and wave energy projects around the world aim to capture the ocean's natural rhythms. Marine energy projects currently generate an estimated 500 megawatts of power —less than one percent of all renewables—but the potential is far greater. Programs like Scotland’s Saltire Prize have encouraged innovation in this area.

Wind: Harnessing the wind as a source of energy started more than 7,000 years ago . Now, electricity-generating wind turbines are proliferating around the globe, and China, the U.S., and Germany are the leading wind energy producers. From 2001 to 2017 , cumulative wind capacity around the world increased to more than 539,000 megawatts from 23,900 mw—more than 22 fold.

Some people may object to how wind turbines look on the horizon and to how they sound, but wind energy, whose prices are declining , is proving too valuable a resource to deny. While most wind power comes from onshore turbines, offshore projects are appearing too, with the most in the U.K. and Germany. The first U.S. offshore wind farm opened in 2016 in Rhode Island, and other offshore projects are gaining momentum . Another problem with wind turbines is that they’re a danger for birds and bats, killing hundreds of thousands annually , not as many as from glass collisions and other threats like habitat loss and invasive species, but enough that engineers are working on solutions to make them safer for flying wildlife.

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Solar: From home rooftops to utility-scale farms, solar power is reshaping energy markets around the world. In the decade from 2007 and 2017 the world's total installed energy capacity from photovoltaic panels increased a whopping 4,300 percent .

In addition to solar panels, which convert the sun's light to electricity, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun's heat, deriving thermal energy instead. China, Japan, and the U.S. are leading the solar transformation, but solar still has a long way to go, accounting for around two percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S. in 2017. Solar thermal energy is also being used worldwide for hot water, heating, and cooling.

Biomass: Biomass energy includes biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel , wood and wood waste, biogas from landfills, and municipal solid waste. Like solar power, biomass is a flexible energy source, able to fuel vehicles, heat buildings, and produce electricity. But biomass can raise thorny issues.

Critics of corn-based ethanol , for example, say it competes with the food market for corn and supports the same harmful agricultural practices that have led to toxic algae blooms and other environmental hazards. Similarly, debates have erupted over whether it's a good idea to ship wood pellets from U.S. forests over to Europe so that it can be burned for electricity. Meanwhile, scientists and companies are working on ways to more efficiently convert corn stover , wastewater sludge , and other biomass sources into energy, aiming to extract value from material that would otherwise go to waste.

Geothermal: Used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating, geothermal energy is derived from the Earth’s internal heat . On a large scale, underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped through wells that can go a mile deep or more to generate electricity. On a smaller scale, some buildings have geothermal heat pumps that use temperature differences several feet below ground for heating and cooling. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, but it has side effects that need to be managed, such as the rotten egg smell that can accompany released hydrogen sulfide.

Ways to boost renewable energy

Cities, states, and federal governments around the world are instituting policies aimed at increasing renewable energy. At least 29 U.S. states have set renewable portfolio standards —policies that mandate a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources, More than 100 cities worldwide now boast at least 70 percent renewable energy, and still others are making commitments to reach 100 percent . Other policies that could encourage renewable energy growth include carbon pricing, fuel economy standards, and building efficiency standards. Corporations are making a difference too, purchasing record amounts of renewable power in 2018.

Wonder whether your state could ever be powered by 100 percent renewables? No matter where you live, scientist Mark Jacobson believes it's possible. That vision is laid out here , and while his analysis is not without critics , it punctuates a reality with which the world must now reckon. Even without climate change, fossil fuels are a finite resource, and if we want our lease on the planet to be renewed, our energy will have to be renewable.

Related Topics

• SUSTAINABILITY
• RENEWABLE ENERGY
• GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
• SOLAR POWER
• HYDROELECTRIC POWER
• CLIMATE CHANGE

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The Economics of Renewable Energy

Greater use of renewable energy is seen as a key component of any move to combat climate change, and is being aggressively promoted as such by the new U.S. administration and by other governments. Yet there is little economic analysis of renewable energy. This paper surveys what is written and adds to it. The conclusion is that the main renewables face a major problem because of their intermittency (the wind doesn't always blow nor the sun always shine) and that this has not been adequately factored into discussions of their potential. Without new storage technologies that can overcome this intermittency, much of the decarbonization of the economy will have to come from nuclear, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and energy efficiency (geothermal and biofuels can make small contributions). Nuclear and CCS are not without their problems. New energy storage technologies could greatly increase the role of renewables, but none are currently in sight.

I am grateful to Columbia Business School students in my course "Current Developments in Energy Markets" for discussions of the material in this paper. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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Geoffrey Heal, 2010. "Reflections--The Economics of Renewable Energy in the United States," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Oxford University Press for Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 4(1), pages 139-154, Winter.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Renewable resources.

Renewable resources are an energy source that cannot be depleted and are able to supply a continuous source of clean energy.

Geology, Earth Science, Engineering, Physics

Geothermal power is a form of renewable energy created by powering electrical generators with the heat of the earth and naturally occurring subterranean hot water reservoirs.

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When it comes to energy resources, there is always the question of sustainability. It is important that resources provide enough energy to meet our needs—to heat our houses, power our cities, and run our cars. However, it is also important to consider how these resources can be used long term. Some resources will practically never run out. These are known as renewable resources . Renewable resources also produce clean energy , meaning less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.

The United States’ energy sources have evolved over time, from using wood prior to the 19th century to later adopting nonrenewable resources, such as fossil fuels, petroleum, and coal, which are still the dominant sources of energy today. But Earth has a limited supply of these resources. Recently, renewable resource use has begun to increase. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 11 percent of the nation's energy consumption came from renewable resources in 2017.

There are some challenges associated with using renewable resources . For instance, renewable energy can be less reliable than non renewable energy , with seasonal or even daily changes in the amount produced. However, scientists are continually addressing these challenges, working to improve feasibility and reliability of renewable resources .

Renewable resources include  biomass energy (such as ethanol ), hydropower, geothermal power , wind energy , and solar energy .

Biomass refers to organic material from plants or animals. This includes wood, sewage, and ethanol (which comes from corn or other plants). Biomass can be used as a source of energy because this organic material has absorbed energy from the Sun. This energy is, in turn, released as heat energy when burned.

Hydropower is one of the oldest renewable resources and has been used for thousands of years. Today, every U.S. state uses some amount of hydroelectricity. With hydropower, the mechanical energy from flowing water is used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric power plants use the flow of rivers and streams to turn a turbine to power a generator, releasing electricity.

Geothermal energy comes from the heat generated deep within Earth’s core. Geothermal reservoirs can be found at tectonic plate boundaries near volcanic activity or deep underground. Geothermal energy can be harnessed by drilling wells to pump hot water or steam to a power plant . This energy is then used for heating and electricity.

Wind energy generates electricity by turning wind turbines . The wind pushes the turbine’s blades, and a generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. This electricity can supply power to homes and other buildings, and it can even be stored in the power grid .

Radiation from the sun can be used as a power source as well. Photovoltaic cells can be used to convert this solar energy into electricity. Individually, these cells only generate enough energy to power a calculator, but when combined to create solar panels or even larger arrays, they provide much more electricity.

Searching for the right method of using renewable resources is a task that is growing ever more important as Earth’s supply of nonrenewable resources continues to dwindle. Converting to renewable energy will not only better sustain the world’s rapidly growing population, but it will also provide a cleaner, healthier environment for the generations to come.

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• Published: 08 May 2024

Is renewable energy sustainable? Potential relationships between renewable energy production and the Sustainable Development Goals

• Jing Tian   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5223-7494 1 ,
• Sam Anthony Culley 1 ,
• Holger Robert Maier   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0277-6887 1 &
• Aaron Carlo Zecchin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8908-7023 1  

npj Climate Action volume  3 , Article number:  35 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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• Climate-change mitigation
• Sustainability

Given the key role renewable energy plays in averting the impending climate crisis, assessments of the sustainability of renewable energy systems (RESs) are often heavily skewed towards their environmental benefits, such as reductions in carbon emissions. However, RES projects also have the potential to actively harm progress towards other aspects of sustainability, particularly when hidden within the energy generation process. Given the growing understanding of the ’dark side‘ of renewables, we must ask the question: Is renewable energy sustainable? To gain a better understanding of this issue, we analyzed the degree of alignment of seven aspects of the renewable energy production process with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets for six renewable energy types categorizing the relationships as either enablers or inhibitors. This information makes it possible for decision- and policy- makers to move beyond carbon tunnel vision to consider the wider impacts of RESs on sustainable development.

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Introduction.

Achieving net zero carbon emissions is the holy grail of climate change policies, with the transition to renewable energy sources often considered the hero in this quest. While the need to transition to renewables is unquestioned, the myopic pursuit of achieving net zero emissions has resulted in ’carbon tunnel vision 1 ‘ (i.e., a focus on the ability of renewables to reduce carbon emissions at the expense of the consideration of wider impacts), as a consequence of which the broader environmental, social and economic impacts (both positive and negative) of the transition are generally ignored. This means that we are now in treacherous territory, as the switch to renewables to address the current climate crisis could unwittingly create a cascade of other problems for future generations. Consequently, there is a need to better understand the potential positive and negative impacts of renewable energy systems so that we can ensure that the transition to renewables can occur in a sustainable manner.

In order to meet this need, we present a high-level overview of the potential enabling (positive) and inhibiting (negative) relationships between renewable energy systems (RESs) and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 , based on a review of the literature (see Fig. 1 caption for details and definitions). We pay particular attention to how these relationships vary for different types of renewable energy systems (biomass, hydropower, solar, geothermal, wind, wave & tidal 3 ) and how the various aspects of the renewable energy production process affect the environmental, social and economic elements of sustainability as characterized by the SDGs 4 . This enables us to obtain a better understanding of (i) the degree of sustainability of renewable energy systems, (ii) the impacts of adopting carbon tunnel vision, and (iii) what we need to do to broaden our vision to achieve more sustainable outcomes.

SDGs are grouped according to the categories of social, environmental and economic factors based on the Wedding Cake Model 52 . Specific targets recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2 (excluding government implementation targets) are grouped under each associated SDG and ordered clockwise. As was done in previous papers 53 , connections shown in green in ( a ) indicate a renewable energy project can potentially enable achieving a SDG target (this is equivalent to the concepts of reinforcing 54 providing synergies 55 and accomplishing 53 SDG targets). Connections shown in orange in ( b ) indicate a renewable energy project can potentially inhibit progress towards a SDG target (this is equivalent to the concepts of undermining 54 , providing trade-offs 55 and inhibiting 53 progress). Full results of the assessment for each target can be found in the Supplementary Information . Note that SDGs 4, 5, and 10 are excluded from this study since no direct relationships with quantitative indicators could be identified in literature. Given that SDG 16 and SDG 17 are at the heart of the SDG synergies, serving as fundamental interconnections to all other goals 56 , they are also excluded from our study. This is an original figure that was produced by the authors using AutoCAD.

How sustainable are renewable energy systems?

While the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is strongly associated with positive impacts on climate action (SDG 13), there can also be a number of inhibiting relationships with this SDG (Fig. 1b ). Such cases primarily involve the flaring (i.e., burning) of greenhouse gas, leading to emissions during certain types of renewable energy production (e.g., the generation of carbon emissions 5 and the leakage of methane during transportation and storage 6 for biomass production; the release of greenhouse gases when drilling for geothermal energy 7 ; and disturbing deep underwater sediments (e.g., particles settled at the bottom of water bodies) during the operation of hydropower plants 8 ). More importantly, renewable energy systems can also have potential enabling and inhibiting relationships with a number of other SDGs within the environmental category, including life below water (SDG 14), life on land (SDG 15) and clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).

Impacts related to life below water (SDG 14) are primarily associated with the production of wave and tidal power, with potential enabling relationships including enhancing the protection of coastal areas, as the installation of barriers and turbines can contribute to nutrient accumulation for coral protection 1 , 9 , and potential inhibiting relationships including threats to marine life, such as the harming of bird populations by offshore wind farms 10 , 11 . For life on land (SDG 15), potential enabling relationships include the repurposing of natural land, such as establishing wind and solar farms on degraded land 12 , whereas potential inhibiting relationships include the degradation of land quality when biomass contributes to soil erosion and degradation through the use of energy crops and the collection of crop residuals 13 . Regarding clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), potential enabling relationships include improved water-use efficiency 14 , 15 and potential inhibiting relationships relate to the reduced availability of drinking water, such as the contamination of underground aquifers from geothermal exploration, the tainting of potable surface water as a result of the leakage of biomass feedstock, and the allocation of significant water resources for hydropower infrastucture 16 , 17 .

In addition to their impact on the production of affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), renewable energy systems can also affect a range of other SDGs in the social category, including no poverty (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). However, in contrast to SDG 7, where renewable energy systems solely act as enablers, for these other SDGs, they can act as both inhibitors and enablers. For example, in relation to no poverty (SDG 1), potential inhibiting relationships stem from the intermittency of wind and solar energy sources 18 , while enablers could relate to the improvement of living standards through the provision of usable energy 19 . As far as zero hunger (SDG 2) is concerned, potential inhibiting relationships include the reduction of land availability for food production due to renewable energy installations 13 , with potential enabling relationships pertaining to the integration of RESs into agricultural farms (e.g., shading crops with solar panels) 20 , which has the potential to enhance resilience and productivity within the agriculture sector. Regarding good health and well-being (SDG 3), inhibiting relationships could include illnesses caused by harmful chemicals inadvertently released into the air and water, such as hazardous wastewater from geothermal energy production 21 , while potential enabling relationships include the prevention of respiratory infections and disease related to carbon pollution 22 . Finally, in relation to sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), inhibiting relationships could arise from the environmental impact of RESs on modern cities, such as foul odours from biomass conversion, alterations in the microclimate caused by wind turbines and hydropower dams 23 and light pollution from solar panels 24 . In contrast, potential enabling relationships might relate to reduced damage to heritage land compared with that caused by the exploitation of conventional energy sources 12 , 25 .

RESs also have potential enabling and inhibiting relationships with various economic SDGs, including decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9) and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). In relation to decent work (SDG 8), potential enabling relationships include the provision of decent work opportunities within emerging RES projects 26 , while inhibiting relationships relate to the likely reduction in job availability in the fossil fuel industry 27 , 28 . As far as industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9) is concerned, potential enabling relationships include decreased carbon intensity through soil carbon sequestration and CO 2 recycling, while inhibiting relationships could relate to bioenergy and hydropower, for which energy sources require transportation, potentially increasing carbon intensity 29 . With regard to responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), enabling relationships could include improved management of natural resources, where waste and recyclable materials as waste can be utilized as a bioenergy source 30 , whereas potential inhibiting relationships include encroachment on natural resources and the generation of hazardous waste 15 , 21 .

What is the impact of carbon tunnel vision?

In order to obtain a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of the impact carbon tunnel vision has on broader aspects of sustainability, the relationships in Fig. 1 are decomposed by renewable energy type and aspect of the energy production process (Fig. 2 ). The different types of renewables considered include biomass, hydropower, solar, geothermal, wind, and wave & tidal, as these are the most commonly used sources, given current technologies. The aspects of the renewable energy production process considered include source selection, conversion and associated operational requirements, re-use, waste production, storage and transmission & distribution (Fig. 3 ), as these can differ for different types of RESs and include lesser-known elements of the renewable energy supply chain that often receive diminished attention. In the absence of this more nuanced understanding, it is easy to underestimate both the negative and positive sustainability impacts of renewable energy production on SDGs, making it more difficult to escape the currently adopted carbon tunnel vision, as detailed in subsequent sections.

SDG targets are presented by a single value and are divided into three principal spheres—social, economic, and environmental—which are depicted on the vertical axis. The horizontal axis categorizes the six renewable energy types. Within each type, the seven aspects of the energy production process (see Fig. 3 ) are presented in two rows, where connections are shown between a SDG, renewable energy type and aspect of the renewable energy production process. A green index color represents ‘enablers,’ while the orange index color signifies ‘inhibitors’. A lack of highlighting indicates the absence of identified evidence from literature, although it is important to note that this does not necessarily imply the absence of a relationship per se, just that this was outside of the boundary of consideration used here (more details are provided in the Supplementary Information ). This is an original figure that was produced by the authors using the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software.

These aspects are presented within the context of the operational input-process-output concept. Source selection is considered as the first aspect, noting that the storing of potential energy is where impacts emerge—there are no direct impacts from renewable energy types with kinetic energy sources. The process of converting the source into energy can influence SDGs, both through the conversion process itself (i.e., plant location) and the associated operational requirements. After the completion of the renewable energy production process step and before the generation of the output, by-products can either be re-used elsewhere or go to waste. The production outputs can be divided into two parts: storage for local use and operational support, and transmission and distribution for grid connection or delivery. This is an original figure that was produced by the authors using Microsoft PowerPoint.

Underestimation of negative sustainability impacts

As can be seen from Fig. 2 , one of the major impacts of adopting carbon tunnel vision is that, by solely focusing on climate action (SDG 13) and the production of affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), the vast majority of inhibiting relationships between renewable energy production and the SDGs (i.e., the orange cells in Fig. 2 ) are ignored, which is likely to result in a distorted view of the sustainability of RESs. However, it should be noted that the focus on net zero emissions might not be the only reason for the lack of consideration of the potentially negative impacts of renewables on sustainability. This is because inhibiting relationships are primarily associated with the less well-known and understood aspects of the renewable energy production process (such as conversion and associated operational requirements, re-use and the generation of waste), rather than the more well-known and better understood processes (such as those associated with source selection, storage and transmission & distribution).

These potentially negative impacts affect a range of SDGs (Fig. 2 ). For example, operational requirements of renewable energy projects can have a negative impact on SDG 2 (zero hunger) because the development of RESs competes with the agricultural sector for natural resources such as water and minerals, along with land use 15 . This is particularly the case for bioenergy, as energy farming may occupy agriculturally viable land 13 , 16 . The conversion process and storage of energy can have a negative impact on SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), as renewable energy plants and storage facilities can unintentionally encroach on cultural and heritage lands, especially sacred lands of First Nations people (i.e., for indigenous peoples who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area), posing a potential infringement on indigenous rights 25 , 31 . Similarly, the conversion process can have a negative impact on SDG 15 (life on land), as renewable energy facilities are likely to cause damage to the biodiversity of surrounding areas (i.e. natural wildlife) 32 , 33 .

In most cases, the inhibiting relationships between the aspects of the renewable energy production process and the SDGs are specific to a particular renewable energy type. For example, the storage component of the source selection step (Fig. 3 ) can negatively impact SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) in the case of biomass and hydropower. For the former, this is because the feedstock required for bioenergy production necessitates the use of storage facilities, like warehouses or hubs for biomass storage and pre-processing 34 , thereby increasing material resource use and land occupation. For the latter, this is because the storage of water required for hydropower production necessitates the use of dams or reservoirs for storage and collection, potentially altering and using surrounding natural resources 21 , 35 . In contrast, this is not the case for solar, wind and wave & tidal energy (Fig. 3 ).

Similarly, the conversion process (Fig. 3 ) can result in an inhibitive relationship with SDG 14 (life below water) for hydropower, wind and wave & tidal. For hydropower, this is due to the potential to artificially alter aquatic ecosystems and redirect the flow of rivers 21 , 35 . For wind power, this is because of the potential contribution of offshore wind farms to biofouling and the generation of underwater noise 36 , whereas for wave & tidal power, tidal barriers can modify the flow of water and wave patterns 1 , 9 . However, the same does not apply to biomass, solar, or geothermal. This demonstrates that particular care must be taken to understand the inhibiting factors for different renewable energy types in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of their impact on sustainability.

Underestimation of positive sustainability impacts

Figure 2 also highlights that another significant impact of adopting carbon tunnel vision by only considering SDG 13 (climate action) is the lack of consideration of a large number of the other positive SDG impacts of renewable energy production, which is also likely to result in a distorted assessment of the sustainability of RESs. As can be seen in Fig. 2 , all types of RESs exhibit potentially enabling relationships with all of the social (i.e., SDGs 1 - 3, 7, 11) and economic (i.e., SDGs 8, 9, 12) aspects of sustainability. In addition, the components of the renewable energy production process where these occur are generally the same. For example, for SDG 1 (Target 1.5: build resilience to environmental, economic and social disasters), there is a potentially enabling relationship with source selection, transmission & distribution, and storage. This is because renewable energy can directly assist individuals in impoverished conditions by providing them access to electricity, thereby reducing their risk of suffering from local disasters 37 . For SDG 2 (zero hunger), there is a potentially enabling relationship with transmission and storage, attributable to the efficiency and advanced integrated farming techniques that can be enhanced when food production is paired with RESs 38 . Similarly, for SDG 3 (good health and well-being), there is a potential enabling relationship from using renewable energy (conversion, transmission & distribution and storage), as this can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases caused by air pollution (PM2.5, PM10) 22 , as well as chronic respiratory disease resulting from the burning of traditional energy sources like coal and fuel 39 . For SDG 15 (life on land), there is a potentially enabling relationship with the conversion process, as renewable energy plants do not require further deforestation for installation and can repurpose degraded land, such as deserts or areas suffering from soil erosion 12 .

However, some of these enabling relationships only apply to specific combinations of renewable energy type and aspects of the energy production process. For example, biomass and hydropower can have a positive impact on SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) because they are able to use municipal wastewater as one of their energy sources 30 , 40 , thereby purifying water and reusing it as a product or by-product 41 . Additionally, bioenergy, geothermal energy and hydropower can have a positive impact on SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), as bioenergy production can result in the generation of fertilizer as a by-product, thereby reducing material usage and promoting recycling 42 , 43 , hydropower can supply clean water to downstream areas 44 , and geothermal energy can provide heating/irrigation water for direct applications such as greenhouse farming 45 .

How do we broaden our vision?

As highlighted in the previous sections, while renewable energy sources are a strong enabler of climate action, as well as a number of other SDGs, they can also have a range of negative social, environmental and economic impacts. Consequently, there are several significant conclusions to draw that affect how we should think about climate policy:

Ignoring the potential negative impacts of RESs in the singular pursuit of net zero carbon emissions has the potential to result in disastrous consequences and the perverse outcome that solutions intended to increase the sustainability of humankind actually have the opposite effect. We need to heed the lessons of history to avoid another “hole in the ozone layer” by trying to “fix” a specific issue without considering all potential consequences in an integrated fashion. For policy makers, this can be combated by more cross-agency participation in the management of renewable energy zones and planning, so that trade-offs of a proposed solution can be more apparent.

RESs have enabling relationships with a much broader range of SDGs, not just climate action (SDG 13) and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), which, if ignored, can significantly underestimate their positive impact on sustainability. This includes the potential to improve the living conditions of communities through the creation of employment opportunities, improved access to resources or reduced health risks, as well as through supporting the biodiversity of the surrounding environment. While there is mounting political pressure to deliver on decarbonization targets, these synergies are at risk of not being capitalized on, and the multiple benefits of implementing renewable energy projects need to be framed in a more holistic way.

By identifying the potential inhibiting and enabling relationships between RESs and the SDGs, this paper provides a blueprint for sustainability assessments that will enable us to broaden our vision beyond considering the impacts of renewables on net-zero emissions to considering the full range of sustainability impacts, allowing for more structured conversations to occur within project management and policy development. This includes an awareness of all potential negative and positive impacts of different types of renewables on different elements of sustainability, as well as for which aspect(s) of the renewable energy production process they occur. Such awareness is especially important for the aspects for which management decisions determine whether sustainability impacts are enabling or inhibiting. For example, the conversion process can have both positive and negative impacts on SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), depending on how the government and local society manage their strategy for the preservation, protection, and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage. Similarly, operation and transmission & distribution can have both positive and negative impacts on SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), depending on the degree to which renewable energy sources are able to promote GDP growth 46 and create more job opportunities with fair pay 47 . To further the ability for renewable energy projects to be more sustainable, future work on this topic should focus on ways to quantity the impact renewable energy projects can have on the SDGs identified, to allow for more direct comparisons for decision makers 48 , 49 , and policy makers alike 50 , 51 .

The enabling and inhibiting relationships between renewable energy sources and the SDGs identified in this paper provide a step toward the information needed to develop climate policy and associated action plans that ensure that we can achieve net zero emissions by implementing RESs in a sustainable manner. This will enable us to address the climate crisis in a manner that avoids mistakes of the past and creates a positive future for our planet.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre for providing funding for this work through project RP1.2-04. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers of this paper, whose comments have improved its quality significantly.

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Tian, J., Anthony Culley, S., Maier, H.R. et al. Is renewable energy sustainable? Potential relationships between renewable energy production and the Sustainable Development Goals. npj Clim. Action 3 , 35 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00120-6

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00120-6

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What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all around us.

Fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - on the other hand, are non-renewable resources that take hundreds of millions of years to form. Fossil fuels, when burned to produce energy, cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide.

Generating renewable energy creates far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels. Transitioning from fossil fuels, which currently account for the lion’s share of emissions, to renewable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis.

Renewables are now cheaper in most countries, and generate three times more jobs than fossil fuels.

Here are a few common sources of renewable energy:

SOLAR ENERGY

Solar energy is the most abundant of all energy resources and can even be harnessed in cloudy weather. The rate at which solar energy is intercepted by the Earth is about 10,000 times greater than the rate at which humankind consumes energy.

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

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

The cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted dramatically in the last decade, making them not only affordable but often the cheapest form of electricity. Solar panels have a lifespan of roughly 30 years , and come in variety of shades depending on the type of material used in manufacturing.

WIND ENERGY

Wind energy harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines located on land (onshore) or in sea- or freshwater (offshore). Wind energy has been used for millennia, but onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have evolved over the last few years to maximize the electricity produced - with taller turbines and larger rotor diameters.

Though average wind speeds vary considerably by location, the world’s technical potential for wind energy 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 have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers t remendous potential .

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal energy utilizes the accessible thermal energy from the Earth’s interior. Heat is extracted from geothermal reservoirs using wells or other means.

Reservoirs that are naturally sufficiently hot and permeable are called hydrothermal reservoirs, whereas reservoirs that are sufficiently hot but that are improved with hydraulic stimulation are called enhanced geothermal systems.

Once at the surface, fluids of various temperatures can be used to generate electricity. The technology for electricity generation from hydrothermal reservoirs is mature and reliable, and has been operating for more than 100 years .

Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, while run-of-river hydropower plants harness energy from the available flow of the river.

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

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

The infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in adverse ways. For this reason, many consider small-scale hydro a more environmentally-friendly option , and especially suitable for communities in remote locations.

OCEAN ENERGY

Ocean energy derives from technologies that use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater - waves or currents for instance -  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 present human energy requirements.

Bioenergy is produced from a variety of organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, charcoal, dung and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels. Most biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, lighting and space heating, generally by poorer populations in developing countries.

Modern biomass systems include dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and forestry, and various organic waste streams.

Energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, but at lower levels than burning fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas. However, bioenergy should only be used in limited applications, given potential negative environmental impacts related to large-scale increases in forest and bioenergy plantations, and resulting deforestation and land-use change.

For more information on renewable sources of energy, please check out the following websites:

International Renewable Energy Agency | Renewables

International Energy Agency | Renewables

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | Renewable Sources of Energy

UN Environment Programme | Roadmap to a Carbon-Free Future

Sustainable Energy for All | Renewable Energy

Renewable energy – powering a safer future

What is renewable energy and why does it matter? Learn more about why the shift to renewables is our only hope for a brighter and safer world.

Five ways to jump-start the renewable energy transition now

UN Secretary-General outlines five critical actions the world needs to prioritize now to speed up the global shift to renewable energy.

Climate issues

Learn more about how climate change impacts are felt across different sectors and ecosystems, and why we must nurture rather than exploit nature’s resources to advance climate action.

Facts and figures

• What is climate change?
• Causes and effects
• Myth busters

Cutting emissions

• Explaining net zero
• High-level expert group on net zero
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Clean energy

• Renewable energy – key to a safer future
• What is renewable energy
• Five ways to speed up the energy transition
• Why invest in renewable energy
• Clean energy stories
• A just transition

Adapting to climate change

• Climate adaptation
• Early warnings for all
• Youth voices

Financing climate action

• Finance and justice
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• $100 billion commitment
• Why finance climate action
• Biodiversity
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International cooperation

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This Is the Future: Essay on Renewable Energy

Today the world population depends on nonrenewable energy resources. With the constantly growing demand for energy, natural gas, coal, and oil get used up and cannot replenish themselves. 

Aside from limited supply, heavy reliance on fossil fuels causes planetary-scale damage. Sea levels are rising. Heat-trapping carbon dioxide increased the warming effect by 45% from 1990 to 2019. The only way to tackle the crisis is to start the transition to renewable energy now. 

What is renewable energy? It is energy that comes from replenishable natural resources like sunlight, wind, thermal energy, moving water, and organic materials. Renewable resources do not run out. They are cost-efficient and renew faster than they are consumed. How does renewable energy save money? It creates new jobs, supports economic growth, and decreases inequitable fossil fuel subsidies. 

At the current rates of production, some fossil fuels will not even last another century. This is why the future depends on reliable and eco-friendly resources. This renewable energy essay examines the types and benefits of renewable energy and its role in creating a sustainable future.

Top 5 Types of Renewable Energy: The Apollo Alliance Rankings

There are many natural resources that can provide people with clean energy. To make a list of the five most booming types of renewable energy on the market today, this energy essay uses data gathered by the Apollo Alliance. It is a project that aims to revolutionize the energy sector of the US with a focus on clean energy. 

The Apollo Alliance unites businesses, community leaders, and environmental experts to support the transition to more sustainable and efficient living. Their expert opinion helped to compile information about the most common and cost-competitive sources of renewable energy. However, if you want to get some more in-depth research, you can entrust it to an essay writer . Here’s a quick overview of renewable energy resources that have a huge potential to substitute fossil fuels. 

Solar Renewable Energy

The most abundant and practically endless resource is solar energy. It can be turned into electricity by photovoltaic systems that convert radiant energy captured from sunlight. Solar farms could generate enough energy for thousands of homes.

An endless supply is the main benefit of solar energy. The rate at which the Earth receives it is 10,000 times greater than people can consume it, as a paper writer points out based on their analysis of research findings. It can substitute fossil fuels and deliver people electricity, hot water, cooling, heat, etc. 

The upfront investment in solar systems is rather expensive. This is one of the primary limitations that prevent businesses and households from switching to this energy source at once. However, the conclusion of solar energy is still favorable. In the long run, it can significantly decrease energy costs. Besides, solar panels are gradually becoming more affordable to manufacture and adopt, even at an individual level. 

Wind Renewable Energy

Another clean energy source is wind. Wind farms use the kinetic energy of wind flow to convert it into electricity. The Appolo Alliance notes that, unlike solar farms, they can’t be placed in any location. To stay cost-competitive, wind farms should operate in windy areas. Although not all countries have the right conditions to use them on a large scale, wind farms might be introduced for some energy diversity. The technical potential for it is still tremendous. 

Wind energy is clean and safe for the environment. It does not pollute the atmosphere with any harmful products compared to nonrenewable energy resources. 

The investment in wind energy is also economically wise. If you examine the cost of this energy resource in an essay on renewable resources, you’ll see that wind farms can deliver electricity at a price lower than nonrenewable resources. Besides, since wind isn’t limited, its cost won’t be influenced by the imbalance of supply and demand.

Geothermal Renewable Energy

Natural renewable resources are all around us, even beneath the ground. Geothermal energy can be produced from the thermal energy from the Earth’s interior. Sometimes heat reaches the surface naturally, for example, in the form of geysers. But it can also be used by geothermal power plants. The Earth’s heat gets captured and converted to steam that turns a turbine. As a result, we get geothermal energy.

This source provides a significant energy supply while having low emissions and no significant footprint on land. A factsheet and essay on renewable resources state that geothermal plants will increase electricity production from 17 billion kWh in 2020 to 49.8 billion kWh in 2050.

However, this method is not without limitations. While writing a renewable resources essay, consider that geothermal energy can be accessed only in certain regions. Geological hotspots are off-limits as they are vulnerable to earthquakes. Yet, the quantity of geothermal resources is likely to grow as technology advances. 

Ocean Renewable Energy

The kinetic and thermal energy of the ocean is a robust resource. Ocean power systems rely on:

• Changes in sea level;
• Wave energy;
• Water surface temperatures;
• The energy released from seawater and freshwater mixing.

Ocean energy is more predictable compared to other resources. As estimated by EPRI, it has the potential to produce 2640 TWh/yr. However, an important point to consider in a renewable energy essay is that the kinetic energy of the ocean varies. Yet, since it is ruled by the moon’s gravity, the resource is plentiful and continues to be attractive for the energy industry. 

Wave energy systems are still developing. The Apollo energy corporation explores many prototypes. It is looking for the most reliable and robust solution that can function in the harsh ocean environment. 

Another limitation of ocean renewable energy is that it may cause disruptions to marine life. Although its emissions are minimal, the system requires large equipment to be installed in the ocean. 

Biomass Renewable Energy

Organic materials like wood and charcoal have been used for heating and lighting for centuries. There are a lot more types of biomass: from trees, cereal straws, and grass to processed waste. All of them can produce bioenergy. 

Biomass can be converted into energy through burning or using methane produced during the natural process of decomposition. In an essay on renewable sources of energy, the opponents of the method point out that biomass energy is associated with carbon dioxide emissions. Yet, the amount of released greenhouse gases is much lower compared to nonrenewable energy use. 

While biomass is a reliable source of energy, it is only suitable for limited applications. If used too extensively, it might lead to disruptions in biodiversity, a negative impact on land use, and deforestation. Still, Apollo energy includes biomass resources that become waste and decompose quickly anyway. These are organic materials like sawdust, chips from sawmills, stems, nut shells, etc. 

What Is the Apollo Alliance?

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of business leaders, environmental organizations, labor unions, and foundations. They all unite their efforts in a single project to harness clean energy in new, innovative ways. 

Why Apollo? Similarly to President John F. Kennedy’s Apollo Project, Apollo energy is a strong visionary initiative. It is a dare, a challenge. The alliance calls for the integrity of science, research, technology, and the public to revolutionize the energy industry.

The project has a profound message. Apollo energy solutions are not only about the environment or energy. They are about building a new economy. The alliance gives hope to building a secure future for Americans. 

What is the mission of the Apollo Alliance? 

• Achieve energy independence with efficient and limitless resources of renewable energy.
• Pioneer innovation in the energy sector.
• Build education campaigns and communication to inspire new perceptions of energy. 
• Create new jobs.
• Reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. 
• Build healthier and happier communities. 

The transformation of the industry will lead to planet-scale changes. The Apollo energy corporation can respond to the global environmental crisis and prevent climate change. 

Apollo renewable energy also has the potential to become a catalyst for social change. With more affordable energy and new jobs in the industry, people can bridge the inequality divide and build stronger communities. 

Why Renewable Energy Is Important for the Future

Renewable energy resources have an enormous potential to cover people’s energy needs on a global scale. Unlike fossil fuels, they are available in abundance and generate minimal to no emissions. 

The burning of fossil fuels caused a lot of environmental problems—from carbon dioxide emissions to ocean acidification. Research this issue in more detail with academic assistance from essay writer online . You can use it to write an essay on renewable sources of energy to explain the importance of change and its global impact. 

Despite all the damage people caused to the planet, there’s still hope to mitigate further repercussions. Every renewable energy essay adds to the existing body of knowledge we have today and advances research in the field. Here are the key advantages and disadvantages of alternative energy resources people should keep in mind. 

Advantage of Green Energy

The use of renewable energy resources has a number of benefits for the climate, human well-being, and economy:

• Renewable energy resources have little to no greenhouse gas emissions. Even if we take into account the manufacturing and recycling of the technologies involved, their impact on the environment is significantly lower compared to fossil fuels. 
• Renewable energy promotes self-sufficiency and reduces a country’s dependence on foreign fuel. According to a study, a 1% increase in the use of renewable energy increases economic growth by 0.21%. This gives socio-economic stability.
• Due to a lack of supply of fossil fuels and quick depletion of natural resources, prices for nonrenewable energy keep increasing. In contrast, green energy is limitless and can be produced locally. In the long run, this allows decreasing the cost of energy. 
• Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy doesn’t emit air pollutants. This positively influences health and quality of life. 
• The emergence of green energy plants creates new jobs. Thus, Apollo energy solutions support the growth of local communities. By 2030, the transition to renewable energy is expected to generate 10.3 million new jobs. 
• Renewable energy allows decentralization of the industry. Communities get their independent sources of energy that are more flexible in terms of distribution. 
• Renewable energy supports equality. It has the potential to make energy more affordable to low-income countries and expand access to energy even in remote and less fortunate neighborhoods. 

Disadvantages of Non-Conventional Energy Sources

No technology is perfect. Renewable energy resources have certain drawbacks too: 

• The production of renewable energy depends on weather conditions. For example, wind farms could be effective only in certain locations where the weather conditions allow it. The weather also makes it so that renewable energy cannot be generated around the clock. 
• The initial cost of renewable energy technology is expensive. Both manufacturing and installation require significant investment. This is another disadvantage of renewable resources. It makes them unaffordable to a lot of businesses and unavailable for widespread individual use. In addition, the return on investment might not be immediate.
• Renewable energy technology takes up a lot of space. It may affect life in the communities where these clean energy farms are installed. They may also cause disruptions to wildlife in the areas. 
• One more limitation a renewable resources essay should consider is the current state of technology. While the potential of renewable energy resources is tremendous, the technology is still in its development phase. Therefore, renewable energy might not substitute fossil fuels overnight. There’s a need for more research, investment, and time to transition to renewable energy completely. Yet, some diversity of energy resources should be introduced as soon as possible. 
• Renewable energy resources have limited emissions, but they are not entirely pollution-free. The manufacturing process of equipment is associated with greenhouse gas emissions while, for example, the lifespan of a wind turbine is only 20 years. 

For high school seniors eyeing a future rich with innovative endeavors in renewable energy or other fields, it's crucial to seek financial support early on. Explore the top 10 scholarships for high school seniors to find the right fit that can propel you into a future where you can contribute to the renewable energy movement and beyond. Through such financial support, the road to making meaningful contributions to a sustainable future becomes a tangible reality.

Renewable energy unlocks the potential for humanity to have clean energy that is available in abundance. It leads us to economic growth, independence, and stability. With green energy, we can also reduce the impact of human activity on the environment and stop climate change before it’s too late. 

So what’s the conclusion of renewable energy? Transitioning to renewable energy resources might be challenging and expensive. However, most experts agree that the advantages of green energy outweigh any drawbacks. Besides, since technology is continuously evolving, we’ll be able to overcome most limitations in no time.

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How renewable energy serves as a catalyst to broader social change

Renewable energy boosts livelihoods worldwide Image:  Unsplash/VD Photography

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• From fostering innovation to job creation, renewable energy solutions drive progress towards a more equitable and sustainable world.
• Many renewable energy solutions create opportunities for economic development while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Here are some examples of how renewable energy solutions are changing lives all over the world.

Renewable energy solutions mitigate climate change and promote a healthier environment and they often serve as catalysts for broader social change. From fostering innovation and job creation to promoting gender equality or making civic participation more accessible, renewable energy solutions drive progress towards a more equitable and sustainable world.

With support from the Skoll Foundation, the Solutions Insights Lab (SIL), a new initiative of the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN), created What’s Working . This is a searchable portal that combines published solutions journalism and interviews with a wide array of leaders whose work has been supported by the Skoll Foundation over the past 20 years to uncover insights that can help address social problems worldwide.

Have you read?

A new study reveals how renewables could power africa by 2040.

The SIL is a targeted research and analysis service focused on identifying and interrogating what’s working and what’s not in a particular sector or field. It employs interviewing techniques drawn from the solutions journalism approach but is not a work of journalism and is appropriately separated with a firewall from SJN’s core journalism work.

The interviews are not works of journalism themselves. The interviewing approach was standardized and the over 200 individuals interviewed were specifically selected as part of a project supported by the Skoll Foundation. They do not represent any form of endorsement by SJN, which is an independent, non-partisan organization that does not advocate for any particular approach to social change.

The interviews follow a solutions framework to explore how successful approaches work. They look at evidence of impact and replicable insights and their limitations. We analyzed these interviews, in combination with relevant stories within SJN’s Solutions Story Tracker , to distil the lessons learned by those doing this work on the ground and surface insights related to the role renewable energy solutions play in mitigating climate change and making progress on several other Sustainable Development Goals, from eradicating poverty to achieving gender equality.

Solutions for multiple problems

We’ve consistently seen that changemakers can and do successfully design solutions to address more than one issue. This is perhaps most evident among renewable energy solutions that seek to create opportunities for economic development while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Bringing affordable and clean renewable energy to rural and underdeveloped communities benefits the health of their environment and their economy, creating jobs and providing resources that foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

Lifeline Energy , for example, designs, manufactures and distributes solar-powered and wind-up media players across sub-Saharan Africa to connect communities to important information. Classrooms can listen to school lessons, farmers can listen to agricultural radio broadcasts about pesticides, frontline health workers can listen to pre-recorded health content and villagers can access information that allows them to participate in their communities in more informed ways.

Moving to clean energy is key to combating climate change, yet in the past five years, the energy transition has stagnated.

Energy consumption and production contribute to two-thirds of global emissions, and 81% of the global energy system is still based on fossil fuels, the same percentage as 30 years ago. Plus, improvements in the energy intensity of the global economy (the amount of energy used per unit of economic activity) are slowing. In 2018 energy intensity improved by 1.2%, the slowest rate since 2010.

Effective policies, private-sector action and public-private cooperation are needed to create a more inclusive, sustainable, affordable and secure global energy system.

Benchmarking progress is essential to a successful transition. The World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index , which ranks 115 economies on how well they balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability, shows that the biggest challenge facing energy transition is the lack of readiness among the world’s largest emitters, including US, China, India and Russia. The 10 countries that score the highest in terms of readiness account for only 2.6% of global annual emissions.

To future-proof the global energy system, the Forum’s Centre for Energy & Materials is working on initiatives including Clean Power and Electrification , Energy and Industry Transition Intelligence, Industrial Ecosystems Transformation , and Transition Enablers to encourage and enable innovative energy investments, technologies and solutions.

Additionally, the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) is working to assemble public and private partners to further the industry transition to set heavy industry and mobility sectors on the pathway towards net-zero emissions. MPP is an initiative created by the World Economic Forum and the Energy Transitions Commission.

Is your organisation interested in working with the World Economic Forum? Find out more here .

The more of these solutions I looked at, the more I saw that their benefits often have third and fourth layers. They are improving women’s lives and reducing gender inequalities, for example, or making it easier for communities to access information and services, like healthcare. Solutions that address multiple needs are the most powerful and cost-effective. They also bridge the silos that so many solutions exist in.

How to finance the transition to climate-smart agriculture

Earth day: we are almost certainly all eating plastics, says report, and other nature and climate stories you need to read this week, powering up gender equality.

Barefoot College International , for example, uses clean energy to promote socio-economic development, protect the environment and improve women’s lives. Its theory of change places women at the centre as key changemakers. CEO Rodrigo París told us that putting resources towards women is key because “Women have roots in the communities, they have the knowledge... They have a good understanding about the past, about family and the roots, but they have a clear vision on how to solve problems.”

The organization trains mostly older women with little to no formal education in over 90 countries to install, repair and maintain solar lighting units in their villages. Women like Jullietta, a 69-year-old mother of seven and grandmother of 30 in Guatemala, receive the skills and resources they need to electrify homes and schools with solar energy. In doing so, they earn an income for themselves, better the environment and expand economic development opportunities for their entire village.

As one of the 20 trained 'solar mamas' in Guatemala (there are over 3,500 across the world), Jullietta brought power to 35 families in her village and is helping increase the status of women more broadly. The women’s new skills and financial independence puts them at the centre of important community-wide changes too and give them more agency to impact decision-making.

Global Gender Gap Report 2023

Transforming agriculture.

Almost 10,000 miles away, a group of women farmers in Harpur, India purchased and installed solar pumps that use affordable and clean energy to irrigate their crops. The pumps have increased their yields and enabled more diverse crops, which has led to greater profits. They also make a profit by selling irrigation services to others.

Despite facing discrimination, their increased financial independence and greater self-reliance has challenged gender norms in the traditionally male-dominated village. The women report deciding how to use the money they’ve earned and having more control over their economic well-being. The state government in Bihar has also used solar-operated pump projects as a means to improve livelihoods among rural women and is looking to replicate the model in other districts.

Solar lights, in particular, have expanded opportunities for women to improve their livelihoods. From women in Kenya leaving the sex trade once they had lights to fish at night to women in a rural Pakistani village being able to earn money making pottery after the sun goes down and women in Mali creating cooking solutions that don’t produce harmful indoor pollutants , renewable energy solutions have expanded choices and resources for women across the world.

Improving access to healthcare

Other renewable energy solutions seek to alleviate poverty by increasing access to information and services, like healthcare, which also impact women. To reduce high maternal mortality rates among women in rural Zimbabwe, Mobility for Africa uses Hambas , electric three-wheel tricycles that run on rechargeable batteries. Hambas transport pregnant women and new mothers to health facilities for pre- and post-natal care. The clean and renewable energy source mitigates harm to the environment.

Many solutions use renewable energy to expand health services, which is a foundational step in reducing poverty. From the Selco Foundation using solar panels to increase treatment capacities of rural health facilities to using mini solar grids for lighting homes to avoid venomous snake bites , these creative solutions address multiple issues in a single package.

An important aspect of the solutions framework is acknowledging the limitations of a solution. While renewable energy solutions have the potential to provide benefits across three or more areas of people’s lives, they are not without challenges. The biggest hurdle is the upfront costs of purchasing and installing the infrastructure, as well as ensuring there is a system in place to maintain it.

Renewable energy sources, such as solar, can also be less reliable than traditional energy sources, so the power may be more intermittent. But solutions that combine renewable energy with other important issues clearly play important roles in achieving several Sustainable Development Goals, from climate action to eradicating poverty to achieving gender equality. Clean, affordable and renewable energy stands as a pivotal solution with the potential to create a more equitable and healthy future for all.

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Sustainable Development with Renewable Energy

The 10th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research—ICEER 2023

• Conference proceedings
• © 2024
• Nídia S. Caetano 0

Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Porto, Portugal

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• Addresses energy decarbonization
• Discusses how and why renewable energy can be more sustainable
• Includes case studies relevant to renewable energy production systems

Part of the book series: Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE)

Included in the following conference series:

• ICEER: International Conference on Energy and Environment Research

Conference proceedings info: ICEER 2023.

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Table of contents (38 papers)

Front matter.

• Renewable Energy

Agrivoltaic System Development Barriers from European Legislative Framework Perspective

Approach to short-term planning of the development of distribution electrical networks.

• Stefka Nedelcheva, Petya Tsvetkova

Influence of the Neutral Grounding Mode on the Reliability of Actively Adaptive Electric Grids

• Hristo Ilchev

Technical Feasibility and Optimization of Photovoltaic Solar Panels in the Central Area of Peru

• Kattia Eliana Melgar Dionicio, Cesar Augusto Ravines Salazar, Anieval Peña-Rojas, Frans Carhuamaca Castro, Geraldine Yupanqui Fernandez

Gasification of Animal Fat Using Dolomite as Particle Bed in a Downdraft Fixed Bed Reactor

• A. L. Araujo, F. T. Silva, A. Ribeiro, J. B. L. M. Campos, R. M. Pilão

Energy Production from Agro-Wastes: Comparative Studies for Wine Vinasse and Pig Slurry

• Andreia D. Santos, Rosa M. Quinta-Ferreira, Luís M. Castro

Energy Recovery and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potential of Bio-Waste in South American Countries

• H. Romero, M. Farias, G. Armijos, W. Torres, A. Castillo

Modelling, Simulation and Forecasting of Energy and Carbon Markets

The effect of blade curvature on the pico scale undershot water wheel performance.

• Warjito, Rafi Adhi Pranata, Budiarso, Muhammad Mizan, Kevin Geraldo, Farhan Rizqi Syahnakri

Variation of Blade Angle on the Performance of the Undershot Waterwheel on the Pico Scale

• Warjito, Kevin Geraldo, Budiarso, Muhammad Mizan, Rafi Adhi Pranata, Farhan Rizqi Syahnakri

Investigation of Coconut Methyl Ester (CME)-Palm Oil Methyl Ester (POME)-Diesel Blends Volatility

• Natalina Damanik, Iswan Prahastono, Tatang Hernas Soerawidjaja, Iman Kartolaksono Reksowardojo, Tubagus Ahmad Fauzi Soelaiman, Handrea Bernando Tambunan

Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Based on Internet of Things: An Energy Community Digital Twin Case Study

• Modar Zheiry, Luis Gomes, Pedro Faria, Zita Vale

Mathematical Modeling of a Sustainable Dewatering Process for Blueberries and Raspberries Preservation

• Sérgio Lopes, Rafael Santos, Dulcineia Wessel, Isabel Brás, Maria Elisabete Silva, Tânia Ferreira et al.
• Energy Efficiency

Thermal Comfort, Solar Exposure, Energy Production, and Carbon Reduction of Court-Yarded Clustered Sustainable Housing in Arid Regions

• Mohammad Fahmy, Hatem Mahmoud, Ibrahim Elwy, Marwa Abdelalim, Bassel Essam

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Recovery System for Potential Application in the European Cement Industry

• G. Cevolani, G. Messina, C. Salvini, A. Giovannelli

Comparison Between Centrifugal and Inward Radial Turbines for Organic Rankine Cycle Plants

• E. M. Archilei, C. Salvini, A. Giovannelli

Preliminary Results from the Use of Pear Waste in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

• Segundo Rojas-Flores, Renny Nazario-Naveda, Santiago M. Benites, Moisés Gallozzo-Cardenas

Other volumes

• Sustainable Buildings
• Advanced Energy Technologies
• Modelling, Simulation

About this book

This proceedings book contains the full papers of the 10th edition of the International Conference on Energy and Environment Research, ICEER 2023, that took place in Madrid, Spain during October 7–9, 2023. ICEER 2023 is a joint organization of the School of Engineering (ISEP) of the Polytechnic of Porto (P.Porto) and the SCIEI, with collaboration of the Dipartimento di Ingegneria of the Università degli studi "Roma Tre", CIETI and LEPABE research groups. This book includes all the well prepared full papers presented at ICEER 2023.

Editors and Affiliations

Nídia S. Caetano

About the editor

She was the Sub-Director of the Chemical Engineering Department of ISEP for the Infrastructures and Facilities (2014-2016), Course Director of the MSc in Sustainable Energies of the Mechanical Engineering Department of ISEP (March 2013 to June 2018) and Sub-Director of the same MSc (September 2010 to March 2013 and June2018 to June 2022).

Nídia Caetano was the Advisor of the President of ISEP for Environment/Sustainability (2007 to 2018); Vice-President of APESB (Portuguese Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering) from 2019-2020 and from 2022; President of the Fiscal Board of the OERN (Order of the Engineers the Northern Region) from 2022.

Nídia Caetano is External Researcher with LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal, and ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal, and Collaborator at CIETI/ISEP/P.Porto. She funded and is the Coordinator of the Microalgae research laboratory of ISEP in 2008. She was the supervisor of several post-doctoral researchers, PhD and Master students. She has intense activity as project evaluator of national and international agencies.

Nídia Caetano is Associate Editor for Biomass of Renewable Energy (Elsevier), Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of  Algal Research (Elsevier), Review Editor in Sustainable Energy Systems and Policies (Frontiers) and Member of the Editorial Board of Green Technology, Resilience, and Sustainability (Springer). She Guest Edited 20 Special Issues in several international journals (Elsevier, Frontiers, Springer, MDPI), and Guest Edited one book of the Environmental Science and Engineering book series (Springer) has authored or co-authored +250 conference and journal papers with peer review, 20 book chapters, and was the Keynote Speaker or Invited Lecturer of several international conferences.

She has organized and been the conference or program chair of international conferences (ICEER series, from 2016, TEEM, JTIR, ISWA/APESB Beacon conference in Luanda and in Lobito, among others).

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Sustainable Development with Renewable Energy

Book Subtitle : The 10th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research—ICEER 2023

Editors : Nídia S. Caetano

Series Title : Environmental Science and Engineering

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54394-4

Publisher : Springer Cham

eBook Packages : Engineering , Engineering (R0)

Copyright Information : The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024

Hardcover ISBN : 978-3-031-54393-7 Published: 30 April 2024

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-031-54396-8 Due: 31 May 2024

eBook ISBN : 978-3-031-54394-4 Published: 29 April 2024

Series ISSN : 1863-5520

Series E-ISSN : 1863-5539

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XXXIV, 498

Number of Illustrations : 33 b/w illustrations, 158 illustrations in colour

Topics : Mechanical Engineering , Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

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More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total

Solar panels work near the small town of Milagro, Navarra Province, northern Spain, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources — ones that don’t emit planet-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane — according to a report published Wednesday by Ember, a think tank based in London.

For the first time, 30% of electricity produced worldwide was from clean energy sources as the number of solar and wind farms continued to grow fast.

Of the types of clean energy generated last year, hydroelectric dams produced the most. That’s the same as in most years. Yet droughts in India, China, North America and Mexico meant hydropower hit a five-year low. Research shows climate change is causing droughts to develop more quickly and be more severe .

People used more electricity than ever last year, about 2% more, an increase of about as much as Canada uses in a year. Some of this new demand was for heat pumps , which are an efficient way to both heat and cool buildings, and for electric vehicles . It was also for electrolyzers, special machines used to get hydrogen out of water, for energy. These are all technologies that provide solutions to climate change.

Other increased demand was for electricity to feed new data centers and for air conditioning as places around the world become hotter.

Solar made up the biggest share of new clean energy last year. More than twice as much solar power was added as coal power. It was the 19th year in a row that solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity generation. A surge in solar installations happened at the end of the year and the report predicts 2024 will see an even larger jump.

China added more renewable energy than any other country last year — 51% of the new solar power and 60% of the new wind power globally. China, the European Union, the United States and Brazil together accounted for 81% of new solar generation in 2023.

Yet China was also responsible for 55% of coal generation globally and 60% of China’s electricity generation came from coal. The International Energy Agency says coal is the most carbon-intensive of the fossil fuels.

Scientists say emissions from burning fuels like coal must ramp steeply down to protect Earth’s climate, yet there was an increase in electricity made from burning fossil fuels. China, India, Vietnam and Mexico were responsible for nearly all of the rise.

The report said some countries burned coal to make up for the loss of hydroelectric power they experienced when drought caused their reservoirs to dry up. This is an example of a vicious cycle — when climate change prompts the use of more of the substances that cause climate change in the first place.

Despite all the growth in clean energy, fossil fuels still made up the majority of global electricity generated last year, causing a 1% rise in global power sector emissions. Scientists say even if we slashed all greenhouse gas emissions today, the planet would continue to warm for years because of the amount of pollutants already added to the atmosphere.

Analysts expect the world to use even more electricity in 2024. But renewable energy generation is forecast to grow even faster. That could mean a 2% drop (333 terawatt-hours) in energy generated from fossil fuels.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

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Renewables supply 30 per cent of global electricity for the first time.

The rapid growth of solar power led to a record-breaking year for clean energy generation in 2023, and the year is expected to mark the start of a long-term decline in fossil fuels

By Madeleine Cuff

The rapid growth of solar power in China has changed the world’s electricity mix

Costfoto/NurPhoto/Shutte​rstock

Renewables generated a record share of global electricity in 2023 thanks to the rapid growth of wind and solar power . The year marked a turning point in the transition to low-carbon energy , according to think tank Ember, with coal and gas power on the cusp of a long-term decline.

Green electricity jumped from 29.4 per cent of total generation in 2022 to 30.3 per cent last year, a new high. This was driven by the rapid rollout of wind and solar power, particularly in China. Hydropower and other renewables, such as bioenergy, made up the remainder of renewable generation.

A hydrogen fuel revolution is coming – here's why we might not want it

Solar is by far the fastest-growing electricity source, increasing its share of generation from 4.6 per cent in 2022 to 5.5 per cent in 2023. That is the continuation of a long-running trend; since 2000, wind and solar power have gone from generating just 0.2 per cent of global electricity to a record 13.4 per cent today.

The share generated by fossil fuels fell from 61.4 per cent in 2022 to 60.6 per cent in 2023, but the amount of electricity produced by these fuels rose slightly because of a 2.2 per cent hike in overall energy demand, mostly in China. Nuclear provided 9.1 per cent of electricity, the same as in 2022.

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A further surge in wind and solar deployment means that, in absolute terms, fossil fuel generation should fall in 2024 – for the first time outside economic crises or pandemics – even as demand for electricity grows, says Ember’s Hannah Broadbent.

“We really think that 2023 was a major turning point in the history of energy,” she says. “Not only did renewables reach this historic milestone, we also believe that it will be the peak of fossil generation as well. We expect from this year that fossil generation will start to decline at a global level.”

Fossil fuel generation would have declined in absolute terms in 2023, says Broadbent, but severe droughts in China, India, Vietnam and Mexico curtailed hydropower. Coal plants stepped in to fill the gap, leading to a 1 per cent increase in power sector emissions.

Assuming a partial return to normality for hydropower in 2024, Ember says it expects emissions from electricity generation to fall by 4 per cent in 2024, the start of a long-term decline for fossil fuels in the mix.

However, green electricity deployment must increase even more rapidly over the coming years to meet the world’s climate goals. Models suggest wind and solar must deliver 40 per cent of global electricity generation by the end of the decade, around triple its current contribution, in order to meet the target of stopping global warming exceeding 1.5°C.

• Renewable energy

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Renewable energy generation reaches 30% globally

The global transition to cleaner energy sources is moving forward. According to a recent report from the U.K.-based energy think tank Ember, 30% of the world’s energy generated last year was from renewable sources – a record high.

Leading the growth was solar, with a 23% increase in generation, and wind, with a 10% increase.

Matt Smith, energy analyst for Kpler, joined the Standard to break down the report and what we can expect from Texas renewables.

This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:

Texas Standard: Tell us a bit more about this report and some of its main findings. 

Matt Smith:  Sure. So as you mentioned, last year was a record breaking year for renewables, according to Ember, which makes sense, given that we need to see records going forward to reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions from the power sector.

On the aggregate, the share of renewables increased by 1%. So that kind of pushed us over the threshold into 30% for the first time.

In terms of where that renewable growth is coming through from, China added more renewable energy than any other country last year. It accounted for 51% of new solar power and 60% of new wind power additions globally as well.

But in terms of the solar additions, they’re actually fairly polarized. So for regions and countries, China, the EU, the U.S. and Brazil accounted for 80% of all new solar power generation last year. So they were the key drivers, really.

Well, I mean, from a climate perspective, this seems positive, right? But what are some of the, I guess, maybe more negative elements of the report, from that climate view? 

We’ve had droughts that have caused a big problem, particularly in India and China, North America and Mexico. So this caused hydropower to drop to a five-year low.

And while I was just raving about how much solar and wind China is adding, they still got 60% of their power generation from coal, and China actually accounts for 55% of the world’s coal-fired power generation. So they’re this kind of behemoth, right? They’re adding solar, they’re adding wind, but they’re still consuming a lot of everything, basically.

On the flip side of that, aside from the supply-side challenges, demand just continues to rise. So with the world consuming more electricity than ever, demand was up 2% last year. And that’s basically the equivalent of how much Canada uses in a year. So we need to see supplying increasing to meet increasing demand.

So if we bring this back to the U.S., what does the U.S. generation mix look like? 

So in terms of utility scale electricity generation, some 60% still comes from fossil fuels, and that’s split about 45/15 in favor of natural gas and coal.

And then renewables account for just over 20%. And so that’s not just wind and solar, but that’s including hydropower as well.

And then nuclear rounds this out at 20%. So it’s basically 60/20/20 in kind of the breakdown.

And how about here in Texas? I know we’ve bragged about, you know, bleeding in wind. How are we looking compared to other states, and what should we expect going forward? 

Well, the share of natural gas and coal, actually in the generation mix is very similar to the ones I quoted you for the U.S., while renewables, they are higher – they account for 30% of the generation mix.

And as you mentioned, wind power is the lion’s share of that, right? Texas accounts for like over a quarter of all the wind power generated in the U.S.

And then it’s 10% for nuclear. So it’s kind of 60/30/10 on the breakdown. So new renewables are much more part of the mix in Texas than in other states. And that’s only going to continue to grow. But the push is going to be from the solar side of things.

So by 2035 we should see wind and solar generation are going to be double what they are now. But really they need to be, because power generation additions are much needed. Texas is the leading state for electricity consumption in the U.S.; that’s double that of Florida and California. And that number is pretty crazy.

And that number is only going to grow as the population in Texas continues to boom, while demand also grows due to the industrial sector and data centers being added and air conditioning as temperatures rise. So the picture is bullish both on the supply side and demand side for Texas here.

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it  here . Your gift helps pay for everything you find on  texasstandard.org  and  KUT.org . Thanks for donating today.