Problems Associated With Renewable Energy
Introduction
Renewable energy refers to the various energy sources directly obtained from various natural resources. One of the key benefit of the renewable energy is that energy obtained from the natural resources will always be available in all times. In whatever the conditions, the future generation will be capable of accessing the available energy sources. One of the advantages of renewable energy is that there is no adverse danger to human beings. Unlike most of the sources of energy that have adverse danger exposure to the human beings, the renewable energy do not alter the environment and have no serious impact to both human and the environment . In the discussion of the topic, the New York time and the science daily website will be used as main sources. The site ScienceDaily.com discusses how production of solar power is expensive because of the installation and maintenance of the solar panels. Likewise, Bryce discusses in his article how production of hydropower energy is affected by the variation of the water levels.
In the article, “New Efficiency Record for Photovoltaic Cells, Thanks to Heterojunction” emphasizes that the energy obtained from the solar system is one of the unique powers in the entire universe. This is for the key reason that human beings tap directly the power from the sun and use it in various ways. The article identifies that the solar energy is the cleanest form of energy that man has ever invented. The article suggests that obtaining the energy from the sun through the solar panel makes it almost simpler for the human beings to use without any advance impact. For this reason, the sun only provides adequate source of energy that human beings uses for the daily routine without exposing the environment to any form of risk. No threat has been associated with the manner in which the human beings obtain solar power from the environment (About ScienceDaily.com 2012).
However, in the article, there is highlight of various problems associated with obtaining electricity from the solar energy. One of the key problem identified is the fact that the energy is trapped via the solar panels which are expensive to afford. The solar energy although is obtained freely from the sun, the solar panels which are made of the semiconductors and glasses are expensive to afford. For this reason, it is expensive for the average human being to afford the usage of the solar energy because of the price of purchasing the solar panel system. In most cases, the solar panels are also used when fixed more than one. One solar panel cannot produce enough energy that is vital for a large are of usage. For this reason, to produce large amount of energy to be used in a large area, it is vital to connect numerous solar panels. This makes the process of obtaining the entire solar panel system more tedious and expensive.
Another problem identified in the article “New Efficiency Record for Photovoltaic Cells, Thanks to Heterojunction” and associated with extraction of power from the solar system is the fact that various parts of the world experience drastic changes in climate. Solar energy is only obtained from areas that experience high temperature and direct sunlight waves. Without the heat from the sun, then there is no solar energy. There must be enough solar heat for almost eight to twelve hours to ensure that there is enough energy for consumption (About ScienceDaily.com 2012). The drastic changes in the climate affect the amount of heat that is obtained from the sun. This implies that the solar energy needed is determined by the durability of the sun. Extended time of exposure of the sun to the environment will automatically produce more energy. This is a major problem facing the nations in the arctic and Antarctic zones.
In the article, “The cost of the renewable energy” written by Bryce various problems facing hydropower, which is a source of renewable energy, are discussed. One of the key problems identified is the varying in the level of water in the dams and other sources of water. Hydropower is one of the majorly source of energy in almost all parts of the world. This is for the chief reason that it produces large amount of power adequate to serve a large number of people. However, one key problem associated with hydropower as a source of renewable energy is the fact that the level of water vary in the water reservoirs (Bryce 23). In most nations, hydropower is obtained from oceans, lakes, rivers and dams. Variation in the water level affects the manner in which the movement of the turbines vital in producing power. Variation in water is associated with evaporation of the water and desertification. Reduction of the water reduces the amount of power supplied.
An additional problem discussed by Bryce that is associated with hydropower energy is the fact that installation and running the hydropower station is expensive. This is a true aspect in every power plant in the global world. Turbines, which are essential for productions of electricity, are expensive to purchase and install. Maintenance of the firms is also expensive especially since there is necessity for checkups frequently. However, although various problems face the hydropower stations, the hydropower renewable energy is the most used in the entire world (Bryce 23). Both the articles highlight the challenges of installation of power sources as contributory factors of high fuel prices. I concur with the concerns raised in the two articles concerning high installation of renewable power costs. It is indeed a serious issue because people need electricity for performance of various activities and if installation stays as high as they are, cost of living will definitely go up too.
Conclusion
Renewable energy mostly obtained from the environment considered compared to the other sources of energy. This implies that most of the nations, especially the developed nations invest most on the natural sources of energy which are renewable. However, numerous problems are associated with the use of the renewable sources. For this reason, in one way or another, the renewable energy sources are advance used as compared to the other dangerous sources of energy. The importance of the solar energy and the problems that is closely associated with obtaining expensive solar panels. Likewise, Bryce in his article discusses the various problems associated with hydropower, the major problem being variation in water levels (About ScienceDaily.com 2012). I agree to the fact that renewable energy is safe for human use and remains as the only means of provision of energy without adverse effects to either human health or the environment as discussed in the articles. However, according to the issues of high costs of installation raised in the articles make it hard for people to have this form of safe energy and my still opt for the sources with negative effects on their lives.
Works cited
About ScienceDaily.com New Efficiency Record for Photovoltaic Cells, Thanks to Heterojunction. Accessed on 2 October, 2012. From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120927130221.htm
Bryce, Robert. The cost of the renewable energy. Print on June 8, 2011, on page A23 of the New York Times. Accessed on 2 October, 2012. From: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08bryce.html?_r=0
