In a time when the world is dealing with environmental issues like never before, we need an urgent and absolute movement to renewable energies and away from fossil fuels. This is because our society’s only survival road is to align its electricity generation sector 100 percent with renewable energy. It’s also the way we can lead other economies. For more on impactful initiatives, visit Carbon Click.
The Rise of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy has fundamentally changed in the past ten years. What was once a fringe market for solar and wind projects is now the “new normal,” as Kent Moors, executive chairman of Energy Capital Research Group, put it in an exclusive interview with Power Engineering. In 2019, nearly two-thirds of new electrical generating capacity installed in the United States came from renewable energy projects. A similar phenomenon has occurred around the world. This momentous shift has been propelled as much by investment—particularly by governments—as by technological advancements.
Advances in Solar and Wind Power
The solar panels we have today are more robust and effective and even less costly than their forerunners, which makes this form of energy all the more realistic as an option for the construction of new power plants. Wind power continues to spread; despite a slump in turbine sales during the legislative battle over the federal Production Tax Credit that wound up being resolved favourably for the wind industry, the number of wind farms in the country and the amount of power they generate is still set to increase.
Stability of Geothermal, Biomass, and Hydroelectric Power
Stable and reliable geothermal power is available in suitable places. Biomass and hydroelectric power are also reliable, and they are part of the portfolio of this nation’s energy supply. But don’t just take my word for it. If you live anywhere near the Northwest, you know better than anyone that hydroelectric power has for decades been a reliable power source. Its presence in our resource mix is stable precisely because our nations’ rivers are stable. They don’t flood the way that mine shafts do. Residents in DeSoto and surrounding areas can further explore and compare electric plans desoto to ensure they align with their energy needs and environmental goals.
Job Creation in the Renewable Sector
Furthermore, jobs in renewable energy stretch across many sectors of the economy. Being an electrical engineer, I focused on the more technical aspects of the change. Yet, at the installation part, many people are now employed who used to work in manufacturing subsectors. The renewable energy space is a boomtown. And in terms of job creation, the potential is there to greatly increase what we’ve seen thus far.
Challenges in Transitioning to Renewable Energy
Although clear benefits come from using renewable energy, the transition is not without its problems. For example, solar panels can only produce electricity when the sun is shining. And wind turbines operate only when the wind is blowing. In both cases, if the power is not used immediately, it is wasted—a common problem in aviation. Even another renewable power source, biofuels, has its own share of issues. They have a low energy density and require large amounts of water, right when more and more parts of the world are suffering from scarcity.
Renewable Aviation Fuels: The Future of Air Travel
How are Renewable Aviation Fuels Being Developed? Planes will likely keep flying with liquid fuel for the foreseeable future, but aviation’s carbon footprint could shrink with fuels that carry sustainable energy. For more on sustainable solutions, click here.
Some renewable aviation fuels rely on feedstock from crops like soybeans and corn that can be converted into liquid fuel by way of heat, chemistry, or fermentation. With others, the source material isn’t a part of the food chain at all. Coatcount is one of a handful of companies developing a process to extract burnable fuel from coal. That could both save money and eliminate a waste stream in a state where coal power is abundant.
The Push for Electric Aircraft
The push for hybrid and electric aeroplanes is speeding up and could mean a cleaner ride for passengers in the not-too-distant future. Technological advances and a global march toward renewable energy are shifting the conversation from if the 214,000-pound Boeing 737-800 or the 585,000-pound Boeing 777-300ER could ever go electric to how close they are to making that happen.
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