Solar Energy as One of the Ways of Reducing Global Warming - Case Study Example

Hydropower General information about hydropower Hydropower originates from the potential energy stored in dammed water that is used to drive a water turbine and generator. The flowing water is captured and converted to hydropower when the water spins water turbine and generator. The power generated depends on the volume and the height difference between the source and water’s outflow (the head). Penstock- large pipe-delivers water to the turbine. The hydroelectric power can be produced from pumped storage, run-of the-river, tide, and underground power stations. It is worthy to note that hydropower can be produced in different scales namely large hydro (more than 10megawatts), small hydro (upto10 megawatts), micro hydro (up to 100kw), and pico hydro (up to 5kw). The advantages of Hydropower One major advantage of hydroelectric power is that the operational cost of a hydroelectric plant is almost immune to the increase in the cost of fossils fuel and, more so, absolutely no imports are required for the same. Hydropower is a clean source of energy with absolutely no emissions of Carbon Dioxide, and, therefore, no pollution to the environment. Global warming is also minimized. The hydropower dams can be used as a habitat for some fish and wildlife. More so, the water can be used for irrigation purposes, and they make the surrounding area around fertile (Ryan, 2009). Additionally, electricity can be produced at a constant rate and electricity generation can be stopped when it is not needed by closing sluice gates. Therefore, water can be stored for some time when there is less demand for electricity. Since dams can stay for a longer period it can be used to, store water there is no high demand of power. It is vital to note that many nations recommend hydropower because it does not emit any harmful chemicals and gases such as carbon dioxide and it is not a major contributor to global warming via carbon dioxide. Hydropower is a renewable source of energy or power because rivers and streams are naturally available. Further, hydropower is not expensive as compared to energy produced from nuclear energy or fossil fuels. The advantage of hydroelectric reservoirs is that they are able to tackle daily, seasonal, and peak loads. For instance, when the demand of electric falls, the reservoirs or dams store water while some installed electricity generators are used to store excess energy (Ryan, 2009). The cost of generating hydropower is low making it the most preferable source of the world’s renewable energy. Further, hydroelectric plants are said to have long economic lives with some plants having the ability to be in service for over 50 years. The cost of operation is not high since plants are automated and have few people on site during normal operations. Finally, hydro energy is more flexible source of power or electricity because plants can be ramped or inclined up and down to adapt to transforming energy needs. Once a hydropower dam is constructed, the project generates no direct waste to the ecosystem and has low production of greenhouse gases than fossil fuels (Ryan, 2009). Disadvantages of hydropower Besides the advantages, there exist demerits of hydropower. The turbines used can have negative effect on the fish population in that some fish are killed as water go through the turbine. A dam therefore, changes wildlife and fish in a place as well as landscape. More so, hydropower has an impact on local population. Individuals who live in places that are flooded are forced to move out of their places, thus farms and businesses may be lost. People, at times, may be forced to move out their residential to give space for dam construction. Additionally, dams consume a lot of space for their construction since they are usually constructed on marginalized land that is wooded. It is necessary to cut down trees, which can be dangerous to our environment since the trees act as carbon dioxide sinks which may be harmful. This may be risky to an environment. Finally, it is costly to construct a hydropower dam, and again, it takes years to build dams (Ryan, 2009). Solar energy General information about solar power Solar energy or power is the conversion of sun light into power or electricity. This conversion is done using concentrate solar energy or power or using the PV (photovoltaic). Solar energy may become the future energy because energy from the sun is a natural and renewable resource. In addition, unlike fossil fuels, solar energy does not produce harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Further, energy and light from the sun is free in that it costs nothing after the equipments have been purchased and installed (Ryan, 2009). Advantages of solar power Solar is an energy that is sustainable and renewable uncountable times unless the sun or light from the sun runs out billions of years to come. In addition, solar power can be utilized to produce electricity (Ryan, 2009). The production of electricity from sun is a simple technology that involves the use of solar water heaters. Furthermore, the utilization of skylights in home building decrease the cost of energy needed to light rooms in buildings. Solar panels need little maintenance costs because after optimization and installation they are very reliable since they create power or electricity in few minutes. Disadvantages of solar power The biggest disadvantage of solar power is that it cannot be generated at night. In addition, the electricity generated or produces decrease during cloudy days or times. In order to maximize power generation from the sun, the solar panels must directly face the sun. This implies that panels are installed in fixed locations such as on top of buildings but as soon as the sun starts setting, there is decrease in energy generation (Ryan, 2009). Wind energy General information about win energy Wind energy is a form of energy generated from wind. It is a reliable source of energy because it depends on the strength of the wind to run the turbines that generate energy. Nations should invest in wind energy the world would not run out of wind (Ryan, 2009). Advantages of wind energy Wind is a reliable domestic energy source because the supply of wind is abundant. In addition, wind turbines can be constructed on ranches and farms, which in turn help the rural regions (Ryan, 2009). Ranchers and farmers continue to utilize the land because the turbines use a small fraction of the land. The most significant merit is that wind power is a renewable energy which implies it can be generated uncountable times since it is available in abundance. The use of wind power decreases consumption of fossil fuels because if people adapt the use of wind energy, it could replace overdependence of gas and petroleum products. It is cheap to install and maintain wind turbines since most of these turbines are located in hilly and coastal areas (Ryan, 2009). Disadvantages of wind energy The speed and strength of the wind is always fluctuating which implies that wind turbines fail to generate same amount of power all the time in that even some time they fail to generate electricity. Additionally, when wind turbines run, they produce noise, which affect the neighboring homes. The wind turbine blades may cause harm to the local wildlife such as birds. For instance, in some cases turbine blades have killed birds (Energy.Gov, 2013). Conclusion The use of wind, solar and hydropower as form of energy is the most effective way of reducing global warming because production of energy from these sources does not emit carbon dioxide that affect the climate. However, some energy sources such as hydropower negatively affect the environment because of the digging involved. This in turn affects the ecosystem where some marine animals are forced to move from their habitat Bibliography Alternate Power.Org, 2013, Solar Power: advantages and disadvantages. Retrieved 16 November 2014 from http://www.alternate-power.org/solar-power-advantages-and- disadvantages/ Energy.Gov, 2013, Advantages and challenges of wind energy. Retrieved 16 November 2014 from http://energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy Ryan, V, 2009, Advantages and disadvantages of solar power. Retrieved 16 November 2014 From http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/solar7.htm Ryan, V, 2009, Advantages and disadvantages of wind power. Retrieved 16 November 2014 from http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/wind8.htm Ryan, V, 2009, Advantages and disadvantages of hydropower. Retrieved 16 November 2014 from http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/hydr2.htm Read More