The Concept of Renewable Energy - Essay Example

?Renewable Energy Executive Summary The paper is an exploration of the concept of renewable energy. This includes the definition of the term, the types of renewable energy, the implementation, the related issues and the challenges in the utilization of the methods. The types of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric and wave power. Introduction Energy is the main driving force of nature and human civilization. The world is even known to have a high level of energy consumptions which even increased during the industrial revolution. In the 1970 though, the first awareness of the need to raise awareness on the use of natural sources of energy had been realized through the first Earth Day. The said need is due to the discovered negative effect of the scarcity of fuel to power the planet’s need for energy. From the said concern, sustainability had been a trend but is continuously becoming a need (Maczulak, 2009). The study is aimed to explore the concept of renewable energy which specifically includes the definition of the concept, the different types, the effects and the implementation of the methods. Methodology The study is undertaken through library-based research of both primary empirical data and secondary references. The main aim in the search for references to be used in the research is to find sources that generally explore the concept of renewable energy. There are two types of references used namely reference books and journal articles. The reference books are used for the definition of the different concepts and other secondary data while the journal articles are used to gather both primary empirical data and secondary review data. Results The use of renewable energy is related the concept of sustainability which is related to the proper use of resources such as land, clean water, clean air, and the species diversity in nature. One of the main issues of sustainability is the sources of the energy needed to answer the needs of the world. Energy sustainability is the specific concept that targets the efficient use of energy and the implementation of techniques that can both save the two types of energy sources, the natural fuels and the renewable resources (Maczulak, 2009, p.26). Types of Renewable Resource Renewable sources of energy are materials that can be replenished easily such as sun or solar energy; wind power; ocean waves; water flows and tides; heat flows and stored heat; and biomass (Sorensen, 2004, p.210). For each of the said sources of renewable energy, there are techniques and methods used to extract and store energy. There effectiveness of the method lies on the application and optimization of available resources. Thus, every nation and locality needs to efficiently use the locally available renewable resources to increase the sustainability and to lessen the costs involved (Wengenmayr and Burhrke, 2008). One of the main renewable energy sources promoted on the basis of sustainability is the solar energy. This is considered as the most basic and readily available. Thus, the technology that can capture, store and utilize the power of the sun can make a significant difference. Different developments regarding the use of solar energy are being undertaken in various places around the world. An example is the development of solar concentrators by the engineers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which will be combined with solar films thus surfaces such as windows can gather solar power (Maczulak, 2009, p.108). In the European region, sustainability and the use of renewable energy sources is considered as an important part of the social policies. In 2007, the use of renewable sources of energy had been set on a comprehensive directive to intensify the 2001 directive thus covering the electrical power, heat and mobility. In Germany, Austria, and Greece, solar thermal usage is the main energy source. Biomass is the main source of energy in France specifically used to answer the heat consumption of the country. In other countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Austria, 20 to 30 percent of energy requirements are derived from hydropower. The use of renewable sources of energy in these countries is hindered by the traditional views of the population (Wengenmayr and Burhrke, 2008, p.4). Challenges in the Implementation and Use The use of renewable and sustainable energy sources is beneficial to the environment but it is a continuous struggle to completely implement the methods in every area and locality in every nation on the basis of different factors. These factors are social, economical and environmental in nature. Social effects needed to be faced in changing from conventional to sustainable methods include disparity in income, disparity in raw material, energy resources and sources, technical capabilities based on standard of living and educational level of the people, climatic conditions in the area, demography, type of society (e.g. industrial, agricultural, etc.). Environmental effects include prevention of pollution and the sustainable use of resources (Akella, Saini and Sharma, 2009, 390). This means that the methods that are needed to be applied depend mainly on the locality and the availability of the renewable resource, thus, making it hard to implement a generalized method to a large area or a whole nation due to the great variation in the physical, geographical, social, economical and environmental factors. One example of the challenges being faced in sustainable development is the study conducted in Sudan. Sudan is mainly agricultural in nature. The land is fertile, with livestock and forest resources. Conventional and non-conventional energy resources are simultaneously utilized. The challenge is to undergo sustainable development which means to lean on non-conventional energy resources which are renewable in nature. The hindrances include the susceptibility to extreme climate and the needed finances to start the process (Omer, 2009, p.1) These are the main data gathered regarding the topic. The main objective is the presentation of a general view on the concept of renewable energy sources and the main reason for the difficulty in implementation and utilization. Conclusion The main aim of the paper is to discuss the concept of renewable energy. This includes the definition of the term, the types of renewable energy, the implementation, the related issues and the challenges in the utilization of the methods. The types of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric and wave power. Each of the said renewable resources has different requirements, effects and limitations which can fit different areas and locations on the basis of social, physical, and environmental factors. Finding the right renewable system for sustainable development of a particular area is the main challenge in the subject of renewable energy utilization. Bibliography Akella, A.K., Saini, R.P. and Sharma, M.P. (2009) Social, economical and environmental impacts of renewable energy systems. Renewable Energy, 34, p.390-396. Maczulak, A. (2009) Renewable energy: sources and methods. New York: Infobase Publishing. Omer, A.M. (2009) Sustainable energy: challenges of implementing renewable technologies. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology and Sustainable Development, 1 (1), p.1-23. Sorensen, B. (2004) Renewable energy: its physics, engineering, use, environmental impacts, economy, and planning aspects. London, UK: Academic Press. Wengenmayr, R. and Burhrke, T. (2008) Renewable energy: sustainable energy concepts for the future. Germany: Wiley-VCH. Read More