What is clean energy?
Clean Energy is the form of energy that doesn’t harm the environment, and doesn’t cause pollution. It also means that it doesn’t contribute to climate change or global warming, or doesn’t use coal, oil, or other fossil fuels in its process of generating power. Clean energy can come from sources like wind turbines, solar panels, and hydroelectric power plants.
Types of Clean Energy
1.Biomass
Biomass is an organic, that is made of material that are derived from living organisms, such as plants and animals.The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste.Biomass energy is considered as renewable energy source and clean energy.
Biomass is an essential piece of Earth’s carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is the interaction by which carbon is traded between all layers of the Earth: air, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.While,carbon released from fossil fuel is not re-absorded to carbon cycle that cause climate changes.
2.Solar Energy
Solar energy is electrical energy discharged from Photo Voltic Cell when sunlight strikes onto it. The IEA estimated by 2024, the cost of Solar energy production will be reduced to 15% to 30%. The Solar energy will contribute to 60% of total renewable energy by 2040 according to IEA report.
3.Wind Energy
The wind energy rotated the propeller-like blade of turbine about the rotor to generate electricity. There are two modalities of wind farm i.e Onshore Wind Farm and Offshore Wind Farm. The contribution of wind energy from onshore and offshore are expected to rise by 57% and 10% respectively in 2024.
4.Hydro Energy
Hydroelectric has been in use since the 1800s, but requires damming an area of water that’s on a river or coast so that when it flows through turbines that convert its motion into electricity. As per the IEA report, Hydropower sector remains prominent clean energy contributor. It is expected to see rise of 9% in Hydropower by 2024. However, global slowdown has pushed hydropower into shrinking industry. Moreover due to capital intensive nature to address social-environmental impact,investors are reluctant to fund the undertakings.
5.Thermo-Nuclear Energy
Thermo-Nuclear energy is derived from energy produced from nuclear fission. It’s one of the most promising sources of sustainable energy.Thermo-nuclear energy offers a number of advantages over other sources of sustainable energy, including its high efficiency and low environmental impact.
One of the challenges in developing thermo-nuclear energy is finding a way to safely contain the high temperatures and pressures involved in the process. Another challenge with thermo-nuclear energy is the cost – right now it is significantly more expensive than renewable sources of power such as solar or wind power.
6.Tidal Energy
Tidal energy comes from the rise and fall of ocean tides, which can be harnessed to generate electricity.Kinetic is less established in tidal energy than hydroelectric, but involves using rotors underwater with blades attached to them that spin due to water flow; they turn generators above water that convert their movement into electric current. Tidal energy has not yet been tested on an industrial scale, but with advancements in technology there’s potential for this method to contribute up to 16% of global supply by 2050.
Benefits
The rapid adoption of renewable energy in many countries is not tempting to be ignored. Cost-Benefit analysis proves its adoption is not a gibberish. There are many advantages of utilizing renewable energy. It is a sustainable, so we won’t ever run out of it (for reletively longer duration). It is additionally, exceptionally flexible it tends to be utilized to create power, heat homes, and power vehicles with attribute of being cleaner than customary petroleum products.
The Clean energy is turning out to be economical as innovation moves along. Sunlight based chargers are currently dearth cheaper than ever, attracting new consumer into eco-system. Furthermore, huge companies like Google have begun subsidizing research for elective wellsprings of feasible energy like tidal and thermo-Nuclear powers.
Challenges
Given worthy praise on sustainable sources of energy, currently just shy to 28% of global energy demand according to The International Energy Agency. This contribution by sustainable sources is expected to surge to 50% of total energy demand by 2050. However, the technological challenges and Financial constraints are major debacles against the tide of sustainablility. The global slowdow due to pandemic has crippled the supply chain and manufacturing industries specializing in semiconductors. The labour shortage has halted many construction undertaking, culminating into financial losses and bankruptcy of many construction industries. The institutional investors are also hesitant with their investment in the green technology considering higher investemt cost and thinner return on investment. So, it seems bleak dream to achieve that lofty agenda too soon.
How do we get there ?
Clean energy particulary solar and wind are highly dependent upon emerging technologies.The Government initiatives backed by incentives,grant, tax benefits,technological subsidies and collaboration with companies are crucial in their thrival. So that companies focus extensively into their research and development and bring the current cost of production below the conventional energy.
Countries such as France have been leaders in pushing for policies promoting clean power generation and use – they have set goals requiring 35% renewable electricity by 2020, aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, and eventually rely 100% on renewables by 2100!
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