Refining Procedures on How Best to Improve the Energy Industry - Essay Example

Introduction Renewable energy is the energy obtained from natural sources that uses non-extinguishable resources which have an unlimited supply, hence can be used, and reused; but will never run out. Examples of renewable energy include sunlight, wind, tides, hydro (rain), geothermal, waves, and biomass. Moreover, energy from renewable sources has advantages over the energy from the industrially manufactured fuels and the traditional fossil fuel sources e.g. uranium, oil, plutonium, coal, etc. These types of energy are threats to the earth due to environmental contamination from factors such as green house effects, i.e. gas emissions, which attributes to the global warming, ozone layer destruction, acidic rain that affects tropical forests leading to variations in heat intensity (temperature) causing drastic weather and climatic changes. This results into poor and unpredictable climatic conditions leading to low agricultural production, high dependency ratio, and poor economic growth (Daemon Fairless, 2007). The aim of this paper is to determine whether it is appropriate to replace coal and nuclear energy with renewable energy. Viability This is the ability to have a sustainable source of energy over along period with capability of normal growth, expansion and development without any extra source of energy/ power for support (Marris, 2006). Renewable sources of energy have got unlimited supply, this confirms that they are very viable unlike the other sources (no-renewable) of energy that can run out of stock being that energy and other resources must be used in order to produce them (Daemon Fairless, 2007). This makes it difficult for the power utilities, which need to match the amount of energy generated with the amount being consumed (Daemon Fairless, 2007), and therefore the viability of renewable energy. Renewable are usually natural and they have been there for ages meaning that they are inexhaustible. For example, solar energy is inexhaustible likewise to wind energy. Availability of technology With the increased growing demand for unlimited, reliable, clean and affordable energy, new technologies arise with innovations and inventions, for example, the geothermal energy which is harvested from within the earth’s crust using the three types of power generation plants. i.e. flash, dry steam and binary. The flash plants usually take hot water at 200 degrees centigrade from the ground allowing it to continuously boil as it rises to the surface, using a separator, water and steam are directed to different separate tanks, the steam then runs through a turbine which is then connected to a generator to generate Energy(Electricity.). In the dry steam plant, steam is obtained from the ground fractures and used directly to rotate a turbine that drives a generator to produce power. While in the in the binary plant, the hot water passes through heat exchangers heating the organic fluids to turn the turbine which is connected to the generator. The remaining geothermal fluids and the condensed steam from the three plants are taken back into the hot rock to heat up; this process is repeated to harvest more renewable power. The solar energy, this is the use of the sun to produce energy, with the use of heat engines and photovoltaic cells solar powered generators produce power. The heat engines used are able to not only use the heat from the sun but also the light itself to produce power. Wind power, the flowing air can be used to generate wind power; the power output is dependent of the wind speed, meaning that the stronger the wind speed the more the power output and vice versa. This is also a very good source of power as it does not produce the green house gases like methane and carbon dioxide that are environmental hazards. This means that technologies are in place that ensures renewable energies can be utilised in daily activities. Costs In most cases, the initial cost of renewable energy is high but the operational and the running costs are very low compared to coal or nuclear energy. Being that, the source of the renewable energy is natural and unlimited, it is cost effective (Marris, 2006). The renewable energy generation gets cheaper with time while non- renewable energy generation gets more expensive, for example, once renewable energy infrastructure is built, the fuel is free unlike the non-renewable energy which must use fuel to generate power. Renewable energy being limitless while the source of non-renewable energy which is limited will at one time get finished, hence, more expensive to the manufacturers; this confirms how cheaper the renewable sources of energy will be with time comparatively to the non-renewable energy. The natural sources of energy are found almost everywhere in the world while the non-renewable sources are only found in specific areas. For example, coal and nuclear energy which are only found in specific countries, and also not all non renewable resources can be found at the same time within the same region, compared to the renewable sources of energy for example sun, wind water which are very common hence, only harvesting technique and funds are required to guarantee sufficient and reliable energy. Refining procedures on how best to improve the energy industry Renewable energies are harvested differently and it is important to determine the most appropriate method to harvest and utilise the renewable energy (Daemon Fairless, 2007). For example, solar energy is derived from the sun through the solar powered photovoltaic, heat engines and solar generators, which transforms the energy from the sun through a process called radiation (Marris, 2006). The way solar power is captured, converted and or distributed determine whether the solar power is passive or active (Sorensen, 2004). Conclusion The growing global demand for energy requires evaluation of different energy sources that include renewable energy compared to other sources of energy that include nuclear and coal energy. Environmental changes and demand for more energy introduce importance of renewable energy resources to negate other sources of green house gases and to reduce the negative effects of the global degradation, the implementation of renewable energy technology can play major role in global development. By reducing the frequent energy shortages that are associated with insufficient supply of the non-renewable source of energy, resulting into high cost of production, high tariffs, and levies incurred in production, which translates to higher production and manufacturing cost. The by-products being too expensive to the common citizens, high cost of goods and services, which in turn leads to high cost of living. The government should introduce other forms of power especially the renewable power to the companies and offer them a tax relief on purchase of equipment to enhance quick and drastic change in the power consumption, which could translates in reduction in consumer cost. Moreover, renewable energy is viable, appropriate technologies are in place that ensures sustainability of its usage, and the benefits associated with cost reductions. Recommendation for the future The Government should lower the taxes and other levies on any device, product or service obtained from or use the renewable energy and its by-products and services. Conversely, the reverse should be done with respect to the non-renewable energy (Sanderson, 2006). The different countries should select a few individuals to visit the countries with the best examples on the use of the renewable energy for thorough training to enhance knowledge and to train citizens on the use, importance and how cost effective the renewable energy is to the country as a whole. The government should avail grants to the individuals with projects on natural energy resources to motivate them and to embrace the technology within the country. Also the Government should subsidize on the purchase of the machines during the initial start of the projects, as this is the difficult part of the whole process and or allow them to get loan to purchase the machines of which they repay later after the initiation of the projects. Reference Daemon Fairless. 2007. Energy-go-round. Nature Publishing Group, vol. 447, pp. 1046-1048 Marris, E. 2006. Drink the best and drive the rest: Brazil’s sugar-cane ethanol industry is the world’s best and able to get better. Nature Publishing Group, vol. 444, pp. 60-673. Sanderson, K. 2006. Field in ferment: To move US biofuels beyond subsidized corn will be a challenge. Nature Publishing Group, vol. 444, pp. 673-677. Sorensen, B. 2004. Renewable energy: its physics, engineering, use, environmental impacts, economy, and planning aspects, 3rd Ed. London: Academic Press. Read More