Renewable Energy as a Dominant Form of Energy - Essay Example

RENEWABLE ENERGY – THE NEXT BIG THING Student name: Institutional affiliation: Date of submission: RENEWABLE ENERGY – THE NEXT BIG THING Introduction Recent trends in the world have shown an increase in the application of the renewable sources of energy. This has been not only so in the developed countries but also in the developing and middle income countries. The people from all the corners of the world have as a result of this shifted their focus to the seeing to it that there is maximum application of renewable sources of energy in the operations. This has been mostly so due to the benefits that has accrued to the people and the players that have applied them in their operations. The use has created a developing trend and this has seen the renewable energy as the next big thing in the world in the coming couple of years. Renewable energy can be defined as the energy that is harvested and received from the resources that are naturally existent and naturally regenerating. They include such things as the sun, the wind, the tides, the rain, the geothermal heat and the waves among other several types. Unlike the non renewable sources, they cannot be depleted in their nature. This is because they are naturally forming in nature and no action of the human beings can stop them such as the occurrence and the appearance of the sun. The main misgiving about the non renewable sources is that with time, they will be depleted and cease to exist due to the continuous collection from their store such as the fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources have become the new norm of the world. This has been due to their use and application in the undertaking of the operations and the affairs of the market and the economies of the world. Many people and key players have reaped greatly from the use of the sources of energy that are renewable. (Jacobson, 2011) Recent days in the world have witnessed a change in the focus and shift in attention from the non-renewable to the renewable sources of energy. This has been mostly so in the undertaking of activities such as electricity generation, transportation, water and air cooling and heating systems, and other energy generation mechanisms. Governments and international bodies have been on the forefront in the fostering of the development in the use of the renewable energy sources. This has been exemplified by the funding that has been delivered to boost the sectors that are concerned with the generation. Most notable is the funding that has been given towards the development of the solar energy harvesting systems, the wind turbines and the geothermal plants across the world. Governments and other players believe that this is the best possible alternative to the non-renewable sources of energy that have been in use in the market. They believe that this is the new revolution that has been awaited for in the world. This has been majorly so due to the benefits that accrued from the use of the sources of energy that are renewable. (Jacobson, 2009) There are some attributes that have fostered the shift to the use of the renewable energy sources. These are the benefits that are received by the use of the renewable sources of energy. The first major benefit of the renewable sources of energy is that they cannot be depleted. As pointed out earlier, the renewable sources of energy are self-forming and refilling. As such, they cannot be depleted. This aspect makes them very reliable in the use and the application. Fossil fuels which have been on the forefront in the past in the use in the running of the energy consuming activities can be depleted from the sources where they are mined and harvested from. This attribute of depletion lacks among the renewable sources of energy. The sources are also cheap to acquire and use. Unlike h other sources, they only require the collection and storage facilities. Through this, they end up being far cheaper by great proportions as compared to the other sources of energy. This aids in the cost reduction in the financing of the operations of businesses and the ventures. (Volker, 2013) The renewable sources of energy have another attribute that they possess. This is that they are readily available. Unlike the fossil fuels which have to be dug at extremely high costs and transported and refined at additional costs, the sources of renewable energy are very easy to access. They have an environmental advantage that is also attached to them. This is that they are environmentally friendly. They do not pollute the environment with their use. This has been exemplified by the lack of emissions to the environment. Energy sources such as fossil fuels release carbon and other gases to the environment. This has been on the forefront in the development of the global warming ‘epidemic’ to the world. Unlike this therefore, there are no carbon emissions that are produced by the use of the renewable sources of energy. This makes them friendly to the environment. They also aid in the creation and he promotion of the going green campaigns which have been in existence over the recent few years. These have advocated for the use of energy sources that are clean and fit for the environment. The renewable sources of energy have attained this fete and have become a more than perfect replacement for the non renewable sources of energy. (Jacobson, 2011) Analysis of the market has shown major changes in the shift in the demand and use of the renewable sources of energy. According to an analysis that was undertaken on the world index on the use of the renewable sources, the last decade has seen to it an increase of between 10 -60% in the renewable energy capacity. On the scale of the developed countries such as Australia, the United States and Canada, renewable energy sources topped the list for the use and the application in the everyday activities. Following the analysis of the year 2009, more wind power capacity was added to the national grids of the countries of the world as compared to any other form of renewable energy. This by being an analysis of the past trends, it shows that the renewable energy sources are becoming the new trends that are applied by the people in the undertaking and the carrying out of their businesses. This has been enhanced by the growth that is continually being experienced in the industry. (Demirbas, 2009) Modern day transport has adopted the use of the renewable energy sources. This has been characterized by an increase in the number of solar driven vehicles and buses in the world. Vehicles that are rechargeable are also being recharged with the energy that has been drawn from the renewable energy sources. This is also indicative of the growth and the progress that is continually being experienced in the field and the application effects that this is continually having on the economy. Technology has also been on the forefront in the seeing to it that the best is attained from the use of the sources of energy. This has been to the further benefit of the players and stakeholders. Technology has the benefit of creating maximum effectiveness and efficiency in the undertaking of certain operations. This is to the benefit of the world at large. (Nicola, 2016) Much more progress is anticipated for the future. This has been characterized by the increase in the development of the structures that will enhance the use and collection of the renewable energy sources. Governments, private individuals and international bodies have been on the forefront in the construction of the supporting infrastructure. This includes wind mills that will be used to harvest the energy of the wing. Solar panels have also been put in place at a ratio that has not been seen before. These are all measures that will see to it that the highest possible application of the renewable sources of energy has been put in place. This is also the benefit of the world at large. (Jacobson, 2009) Conclusion In conclusion, there has been an increase in the use o the renewable energy sources in the world. This has been mostly as a result of the many benefits that have been derived from the application. Some of the benefits that have been pointed out are that they cannot be depleted, they are cheap, and they are readily available and that they are also friendly to the environment in that they do not cause any type of environmental pollution. With this, much more is expected in the future as it comes to the application of the renewable sources of energy. (Gando, 2011) The benefits have clearly stood out for themselves. The focus that has also been placed by the governments and the international bodies in the seeing to it that there is increased use and application of the renewable sources of energy is also indicative of the future that is there for the sources of energy. This will be to the further benefit of the world population. With this also, it would be right and in order to state that renewable energy use in the world is the next big thing. References Demirbas, A (2009). "Political, economic and environmental impacts of biofuels: A review". Applied Energy 86: S108–S117 Zhang, C. (2011). Partial radiogenic heat model for Earth revealed by geoneutrino measurements. Nature Geoscience, 4(9), 647–651. Jacobson, M (2011). "Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and materials". Energy Policy 39 (3): 1154. Vincenzo B (2016). Solar Electricity and Solar Fuels: Status and Perspectives in the Context of the Energy Transition. Chemistry, 22, (2016), 32-57. Volker, O2013, Regenerative Energiesysteme. Technologies – Berechnung – Simulation. 8th. Edition. Hanser (Munich) 2013, p. 49. Read More