Renewable energy debate

[6] The concerns about environmental impacts of renewable energy are presented by the proponents of theories like degrowth and steady-state economy as one of the proofs that for achieving sustainability technological methods are not enough and there is a need to limit consumption.

These factors are fairly predictable, and some solar thermal systems make use of molten salt heat storage to produce power when the sun is not shining.

[10] Wind-generated power is a variable resource, and the amount of electricity produced at any given point in time by a given plant will depend on wind speeds, air density, and turbine characteristics (among other factors).

The significance of this "predictable variability[14] depends on a range of factors which include the market penetration of the renewables concerned, the nature of the energy sources used to balance the intermittentcy, as well as demand side flexibility.

[13] Renewable electricity supply in the 20-50+% penetration range has already been implemented in several European systems, albeit in the context of an integrated European grid system:[15] In 2011, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's leading climate researchers selected by the United Nations, said "as infrastructure and energy systems develop, in spite of the complexities, there are few, if any, fundamental technological limits to integrating a portfolio of renewable energy technologies to meet a majority share of total energy demand in locations where suitable renewable resources exist or can be supplied".

In one case, Hydro Aluminium plant in Hamburg was forced to shut down when the rolling mill's highly sensitive monitor stopped production so abruptly that the aluminum belts snagged.

[15] Mark A. Delucchi and Mark Z. Jacobson report that there are at least seven ways to design and operate variable renewable energy systems so that they will reliably satisfy electricity demand:[22] Jacobson and Delucchi argue that wind, water and solar power can be scaled up in cost-effective ways to meet our energy demands, freeing us from dependence on both fossil fuels and nuclear power.

The article addressed a number of issues, such as the worldwide spatial footprint of wind turbines, the availability of scarce materials needed for manufacture of new systems, the ability to produce reliable energy on demand and the average cost per kilowatt hour.

Wind turbine prices have also fallen – by 18 percent per MW in the last two years – reflecting, as with solar, fierce competition in the supply chain.

Further improvements in the levelised cost of energy for solar, wind and other technologies lie ahead, posing a growing threat to the dominance of fossil fuel generation sources in the next few years.

There is no country where the majority of base load power is supplied by wind, solar, biofuels or geothermal, as each of these sources fails one or more of the criteria of low price, availability and reliability.

[43] However, methods and opportunities exist to deploy these renewable technologies efficiently and unobtrusively: fixed solar collectors can double as noise barriers along highways, and extensive roadway, parking lot, and roof-top area is currently available; amorphous photovoltaic cells can also be used to tint windows and produce energy.

While some carbon dioxide is produced during cement manufacture and construction of the project, this is a tiny fraction of the operating emissions of equivalent fossil-fuel electricity generation.

The above study was for local energy in Europe; presumably similar conditions prevail in North America and Northern Asia, which all see a regular, natural freeze/thaw cycle (with associated seasonal plant decay and regrowth).

[54] In Europe and North America environmental concerns around land flooded by large reservoirs ended 30 years of dam construction in the 1990s, since then only run of the river projects have been approved.

Siltation can fill a reservoir and reduce its capacity to control floods along with causing additional horizontal pressure on the upstream portion of the dam.

[60] In boreal reservoirs of Canada and Northern Europe, greenhouse gas emissions are typically only 2% to 8% of any kind of conventional fossil-fuel thermal generation.

For example, the small 1939 Kelly Barnes Dam failed in 1967, causing 39 deaths with the Toccoa Flood, ten years after its power plant was decommissioned.

Changes in the amount of discharged water also have the ability to interrupt mating season for various species of fish by dewatering their spawning grounds and forcing them to retreat.

[84] Mark Diesendorf, formerly Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Technology, Sydney and a principal research scientist with CSIRO has summarised some of the benefits of onshore wind farms as follows.

[90] A report by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland concluded that wind farms harmed tourism in areas known for natural landscapes and panoramic views.

[94] In several cases, wind farm construction near wetlands has been linked to bog landslides that have polluted rivers, such as at Derrybrien and Meenbog in Ireland.

[3] Certain wind farms have been opposed by residents, local councils and national trusts for their potential harmful impact on protected scenic areas, archaeological landscapes, tourism and cultural heritage.

Elsewhere, there are concerns that some installations can negatively affect TV and radio reception and Doppler weather radar, as well as produce excessive sound and vibration levels leading to a decrease in property values.

[107] He says planners and policymakers can mitigate some public opposition by providing the community with comprehensive information, which may also lead to enhanced support fir a project.

In order to minimize the wind farm's environmental impact even further, MidAmerican also worked in conjunction with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, to secure all necessary permits related to any potential risk to wetlands in the area.

Events like the shifting of riverbeds, or changing weather patterns could potentially alter or even halt the function of hydroelectric dams, lowering the amount of time they are available to generate electricity.

[150] In contrast, progressives and libertarians tend to support renewable energy by encouraging job growth, national investment and tax incentives.

Enlightening communities on the socioeconomic implications of fossil fuel use is a potent mode of rhetoric that can promote the implementation of renewable energy sources.

[152] Transparent local planning also proves useful in public discourse when used to determine the location of wind farms in communities supporting renewable energy.

refer to caption and image description
Global public support for energy sources, based on a survey by Ipsos (2011). [ 1 ]
The 5 GW Rampart Dam was terminated as a result of concerns about indigenous people and ecological conservation issues.
The 150 MW Andasol solar power station is a commercial parabolic trough solar thermal power plant, located in Spain . The Andasol plant uses tanks of molten salt to store solar energy so that it can continue generating electricity even when the sun isn't shining. [ 9 ]
Photovoltaic array and wind turbines at the Schneebergerhof wind farm in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz
Biogas fermenter, wind turbine and photovoltaics on a farm in Horstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
The worldwide growth of renewable energy is shown by the green line [ 26 ]
The Ffestiniog Power Station can generate 360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the demand arising.
Hydroelectric power stations that use dams would submerge large areas of land due to the requirement of a reservoir .
The Hoover Dam in the United States is a large conventional dammed-hydro facility, with an installed capacity of 2,080 MW .
Part of the Senftenberg Solarpark , a solar photovoltaic power plant located on former open-pit mining areas close to the city of Senftenberg , in Eastern Germany. The 78 MW Phase 1 of the plant was completed within three months.
An ethanol fuel plant under construction, Butler County, Iowa
Wind power is a common renewable energy source
Acceptance of wind and solar facilities in one's community is stronger among Democrats (blue), while acceptance of nuclear power plants is stronger among Republicans (red). [ 97 ]
The wind turbines at Findhorn Ecovillage , which make the community a net exporter of electricity
U.S. landowners typically receive $3,000 to $5,000 per year in rental income from each wind turbine, while farmers continue to grow crops or graze cattle up to the foot of the turbines. [ 98 ]
Wind turbines such as these, in Cumbria , England, have been opposed for a number of reasons, including aesthetics, by some sectors of the population. [ 99 ] [ 100 ]