Your Guide to The Different Sustainable Energy Sources

Sustainable and renewable energy systems are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society, with international capacity rising year on year. With fossil fuel security under more and more scrutiny, governments and energy companies are looking for ways to incorporate sustainable energy sources into their overarching strategies. However, the capacities and viability of renewable resources vary significantly. 

This article gives an overview of how the most relevant renewable energy solutions differ in terms of function and potential, offering some insight and prediction into the direction the energy industry might be headed in.  

Solar energy

The power of the sun has been harnessed for centuries in one way or another, with the modern method being the use of PV panels to concentrate solar energy for heating or generating steam for electricity-producing turbines. 

Advantages of solar energy include: 

• Sunlight is universally available
• No greenhouse gases or air pollution
• Scalable in smaller and larger projects
• Can offer energy independence to homeowners and businesses
• Cost effective investment for individuals

Disadvantages include: 

• It’s a time and weather-specific power generation solution
• Requires battery storage solutions 
• Upfront installation costs can be a barrier to smaller businesses or home
• Solar farms require significant land area
• Manufacturing can have some impact on the environment

Wind power

Much like solar, sustainable energy solutions utilising wind have been around much longer than what we perceive to be “traditional” fuel sources. Wind turbines work by capturing the kinetic energy of the wind and converting it into electricity. This is being increasingly adopted by business electricity suppliers due to a growing presence of onshore and offshore wind farms in the UK energy landscape. 

Benefits of wind power include: 

• No greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants
• Wind is endlessly renewable
• It’s remarkably cost-effective once it’s been installed
• The existence of offshore wind farms makes it space-efficient

Drawbacks of wind as renewable energy include: 

• Wind speed, and therefore power generation, fluctuates
• They can pose some risk to flying animals 
• There are some people who take issue with the sight and sounds
• There are significant transmission infrastructure requirements

Hydropower

Hydroelectric power, currently the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, uses the force of flowing or falling water to spin turbines and generate electricity. Hydropower systems can be powered by large dams or from the flow of rivers. 

Advantages of hydroelectric power include: 

• It can be controlled more effectively than wind or solar power
• Dam reservoirs can store massive amounts of potential energy
• Hydropower plants have lon operational lives
• There are no fuel costs

Cons of hydropower include: 

• Large projects have high initial costs
• Bigger projects can impact pre existing ecosystems
• Plants are location specific for viable installations
• Droughts can impact power generation

Geothermal energy

Sustainable energy gathered from the Earth’s internal heat through geothermal power plants is increasing in relevance, with the market growing every year. The Asia-Pacific region is currently leading the geothermal market, but it’s considered a promising avenue for the western world.

The pluses of geothermal power include: 

• It can provide 24/7 power with no weather conditioning
• It’s got a smaller land footprint compared to other renewables
• Power plans have very low operational emissions

Drawbacks of geothermal energy generation include: 

• Locations differ significantly in terms of economic viability
• Drilling can be expensive and risky
• There’s some risk of increasing seismic activity in harnessing

Where is sustainable energy headed?

It’s clear that sustainable energy is on the rise, but not all forms are exactly where they need to be for renewables to become the go-to against fossil fuels. However, the increasing embracement of them from global governments and private energy companies is encouraging in terms of adoption and technological improvements alike.