Use Of Renewable Energy – In the future, we will need fossil fuels like oil and gas. So the choice (search) is really small. We should push natural gas. We have to approve the Keystone XL pipeline to get Canadian oil. This mantra, repeated in television commercials and political debates, is tinged with a hint of inevitability and regret. But more and more scientific research and the experience of other countries force us to ask: How much fossil fuel do we really “need” in the coming years? To what extent is it a choice?
This is one of the few times I’ve seen the mainstream media take the climate hawks’ wishes seriously enough to consider the possibility of a clean energy system.
Use Of Renewable Energy
. In doing so, he appeals to the failed conventional wisdom propagated by his colleague Joe Nocera and dozens of other journalists and pundits. So woe to him!
Report: Energy Self Reliant States
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This may seem like a small thing, but it is not. The most powerful weapon in the hands of status quo advocates is a glimmer of inevitability: whether we like it or not, we’re stuck with fossil fuels for the rest of this century; A faster change is not possible. That light is a great advantage, but it is also very fragile. When rapid, positive change becomes a tangible possibility (or seen), the question becomes “Can we do it?” Changes from “Should we do this?” “We can’t do it” – always delivered in a tone of world-weary realism – “we shouldn’t do it”, is harder to defend. When people feel that a better future for their children is possible, real, and attainable, they are willing to fight and sacrifice for a lost cause that few would.
So Rosenthal broke down the door. It hardly matters what’s in the rest of his piece (although you should read it). All he had to do was open the conventional wisdom to challenge.
Both sides of the argument in Rosenthal’s piece will be familiar to those who follow the piece. On the “we can do it” side, Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University and Mark A. There are people like Delucchi, who recently published a study [PDF] showing that New York can run as fully on renewable energy as possible. By 2030. On the other hand, a consultant (seriously – kill me) points out that “the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow” and an economist warns against a rapid transition to renewables energy. “Complicated and expensive” (like getting
The Importance Of Renewable Energies
To avoid specific misunderstandings, I want to make a larger point. I was surprised – not for the first time – that people who disagree on whether the transition to renewable energy can happen quickly, do not disagree about the technology, although the arguments are often in those terms spoken.
Think of it this way. If you want to change America’s energy system, there are many levers you can pull. You can improve clean energy technology and make it cheaper. You can change people’s behaviors and expectations. You can change laws and regulations. Or change the cost estimation method. So, using acronyms, it is technological, behavioral, political and economic change.
Achieving a fully renewable energy system will require some of each of these. Much of the controversy in this area revolves around how viable these different types of change are.
Statements like Jacobson’s and Delucchi’s show that a fully renewable system can be realized without significant technological change.
Renewable Energy Procurement
. In other words, they show how you can hold one lever firmly and achieve your goals by pulling the other one harder.
As Jacobsen told Rosenthal: “You can power America with renewable energy from a technical and economic standpoint. The biggest hurdles are social and political — all you need is the will to do it. (About ‘ and economic’ part of it in my ugly addendum below.)
This kind of talk drives some people crazy. They feel this underestimates the sheer scale of the challenge. They think it lulls people into a false sense of security and especially about the (bad) state of clean energy innovation. “Wake up! We really need better technology!” They cried.
Which is good. But let’s be clear: the whole controversy here is not technical. United States.
Who Is Willing To Pay More For Renewable Energy?
We can move to 100 percent renewable energy relatively quickly if we’re willing to make a big spending spree. Imagine a WWII-scale mobilization, or larger, lasting a decade or two.
. Human innovation disputes that. They see other levers – behavioral, political, economic – as inflexible compared to the technological lever. They do not believe that large-scale, rapid changes in social institutions and practices are possible. However, they believe that technological progress can be accelerated and that cheap technology will eventually break down social barriers. So they focus on technology.
That’s good. If your assessment of social and political change is weak, it makes sense to focus on technology.
Others have an optimistic assessment of the potential for behavioral, political and economic change. Part of the motivation for such change, they say, is that technology isn’t a deal breaker—change is possible with today’s technology.
Google Achieves Four Consecutive Years Of 100% Renewable Energy
1. First, I want our discussions about what kind of change is possible (what levers produce action) to be better informed by historical understanding and empirical research. There are a lot of competing gut instincts around here.
2. Second, I want both sides to work together instead of talking to each other, or at least stop talking to each other. “Not this!” Instead of saying that, when Jacobson says it’s technically possible, maybe the other way around, he says, “Yes, that’s true, but that’s not realistic based on the level and pace of social change.” If innovators say, “We need better technology,” the other side might say, “That’s true, but in the meantime, we can make radical, rapid changes in society.”
The scale of the challenge is enormous. We must pull all available levers. We may not know in advance which lever will produce the most change or which combination is the most strategic. But be sure to challenge
. Let us unite to shed the inevitable unwanted light through the treacherous, dirty, unjust situation.
First Time In 100 Years U.s. Renewable Energy Consumption Surpasses Coal
Hidden in all this is a good lesson about the economics of clean energy. Jacobson says the economy isn’t an obstacle — all of the clean energy investments his report recommends make economic sense.
Well, the thing to remember is that there is no single thing called “economics” that measures the objective characteristics of the world. There are many, many different ways of doing economics, which means different ways of estimating value.
Delucchi, Jacobson’s co-author, tells Andy Revkin that the investments they recommend make sense when evaluated “through a full societal cost-benefit analysis over the entire physical lifespan, at a rate of discount close to zero.”
Yes, clean energy investments always make sense when they are valued this way. But they are not rated as such! This style of economic analysis is outside the current economic mainstream. This is not the way any business or government currently evaluates investments. Doing the economy this way would involve a major shift in social/political practice. (See my post on discount rates for more on this.)
Maximizing Renewable Resources: Where And When To Use Solar Power
Whether investments in clean energy are “expensive” is a social question, not just a technological one. It’s about how we estimate social costs and what discount rates we use.
Innovators argue – they told me frankly – that it is impossible to change such an economic industry, so they have no choice but to fight renewable energies on a fundamentally tilted playing field.
I’m not sure I agree. But still, it’s good to clarify what we’re talking about. When we talk about making renewable energy “cheaper”, it is partly about improving technology. It’s about preparation
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When 100% Renewable Energy Doesn’t Mean Zero Carbon
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Renewable Energy And Wildlife Conservation
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Author by : Christopher E. Moorman
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2019-09-10
Publisher by : JHU Press
ISBN :
Description : Brings together disparate conversations about wildlife conservation and renewable energy, suggesting ways these two critical fields can work hand in hand. Renewable energy is often termed simply "green energy," but its effects on wildlife and other forms of biodiversity can be quite complex. While capturing renewable resources like wind, solar, and energy from biomass can require more land than fossil fuel production, potentially displacing wildlife habitat, renewable energy infrastructure can also create habitat and promote species health when thoughtfully implemented. The authors of Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation argue that in order to achieve a balanced plan for addressing these two crucially important sustainability issues, our actions at the nexus of these fields must be directed by current scientific information related to the ecological effects of renewable energy production. Synthesizing an extensive, rapidly growing base of research and insights from practitioners into a single, comprehensive resource, contributors to this volume • describe processes to generate renewable energy, focusing on the Big Four renewables—wind, bioenergy, solar energy, and hydroelectric power • review the documented effects of renewable energy production on wildlife and wildlife habitats • consider current and future policy directives, suggesting ways industrial-scale renewables production can be developed to minimize harm to wildlife populations • explain recent advances in renewable power technologies • identify urgent research needs at the intersection of renewables and wildlife conservation Relevant to policy makers and industry professionals—many of whom believe renewables are the best path forward as the world seeks to meet its expanding energy needs—and wildlife conservationists—many of whom are alarmed at the rate of renewables-related habitat conversion—this detailed book culminates with a chapter underscoring emerging opportunities in renewable energy ecology. Contributors: Edward B. Arnett, Brian B. Boroski, Regan Dohm, David Drake, Sarah R. Fritts, Rachel Greene, Steven M. Grodsky, Amanda M. Hale, Cris D. Hein, Rebecca R. Hernandez, Jessica A. Homyack, Henriette I. Jager, Nicole M. Korfanta, James A. Martin, Christopher E. Moorman, Clint Otto, Christine A. Ribic, Susan P. Rupp, Jake Verschuyl, Lindsay M. Wickman, T. Bently Wigley, Victoria H. Zero...
Renewable Energy And Green Technology
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Author by : Narendra Kumar
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2021-12-09
Publisher by : CRC Press
ISBN :
Description : Renewable Energy and Green Technology: Principles and Practices is based on the present need to understand the principles and utility of renewable energy and green technology to minimize dependency on fossil fuels in global development. Renewable energy is the best and cheapest source of energy as an alternate resource. There is massive potential for renewable energy globally, including in India. The efficient utilization of renewable energy resources could minimize the impact of climate change globally. Generally, renewable energy is generated from essentially inexhaustible sources, including wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, tidal energy, biomass energy, and other sources. Hence, encouraging renewable energy use could save our tomorrow from the climate change perspective and in terms of sustainable food production. This book promotes the exchange of ideas, policy formulation, and collective action to ensure a smooth transition to renewable energy. It describes the technological interventions for reducing environmental and economic damage resulting from the use of conventional energy sources. In this book, the focus is on utilizing various renewable energy sources in diverse sectors. It also elaborates the descriptive methodology of different renewable energies, accompanied by figures and tables. It provides information on biogas energy plants, gasifier technologies, and hydropower technologies, among others, along with their applications. Further, it delves into energy concepts and details significant advantages of the energy resources for sustaining the future world. Lastly, this book will provide instant access to comprehensive, cutting-edge knowledge, making it possible for academicians and researchers to utilize this ever-growing wealth of information. Key features Emphasizes the understanding of the principles and utility of renewable energy and green technology to minimize dependency on fossil fuels in the era of global development Focuses on recent trends in renewable energy with principles and practices in relation to climate change Highlights advanced approaches for sustainable use of renewable energy sources Illustrates the methodology for various aspects of renewable energy with figures and charts Discusses the green technology usages of the agriculture and forestry sectors Provides comprehensive cutting-edge information for policymakers in the field of renewable energy...
The Power Of Renewables
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Author by : Chinese Academy of Engineering
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2011-01-29
Publisher by : National Academies Press
ISBN :
Description : The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable....
Electricity From Renewable Resources
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Author by : National Research Council
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2010-04-05
Publisher by : National Academies Press
ISBN :
Description : A component in the America's Energy Future study, Electricity from Renewable Resources examines the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources. The book focuses on those renewable sources that show the most promise for initial commercial deployment within 10 years and will lead to a substantial impact on the U.S. energy system. A quantitative characterization of technologies, this book lays out expectations of costs, performance, and impacts, as well as barriers and research and development needs. In addition to a principal focus on renewable energy technologies for power generation, the book addresses the challenges of incorporating such technologies into the power grid, as well as potential improvements in the national electricity grid that could enable better and more extensive utilization of wind, solar-thermal, solar photovoltaics, and other renewable technologies....
Design Analysis And Applications Of Renewable Energy Systems
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Author by : Ahmad Taher Azar
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2021-09-09
Publisher by : Academic Press
ISBN :
Description : Design, Analysis and Applications of Renewable Energy Systems covers recent advancements in the study of renewable energy control systems by bringing together diverse scientific breakthroughs on the modeling, control and optimization of renewable energy systems as conveyed by leading energy systems engineering researchers. The book focuses on present novel solutions for many problems in the field, covering modeling, control theorems and the optimization techniques that will help solve many scientific issues for researchers. Multidisciplinary applications are also discussed, along with their fundamentals, modeling, analysis, design, realization and experimental results. This book fills the gaps between different interdisciplinary applications, ranging from mathematical concepts, modeling, and analysis, up to the realization and experimental work. Presents some of the latest innovative approaches to renewable energy systems from the point-of-view of dynamic modeling, system analysis, optimization, control and circuit design Focuses on advances related to optimization techniques for renewable energy and forecasting using machine learning methods Includes new circuits and systems, helping researchers solve many nonlinear problems...
Renewable Energy Driven Future
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Author by : Jingzheng Ren
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2020-09-16
Publisher by : Academic Press
ISBN :
Description : In order to promote the sustainable development of renewable energy and renewable-energy-driven technologies, Renewable-Energy-Driven Future: Technologies, Modelling, Applications, Sustainability and Policies provides a comprehensive view of the advanced renewable technologies and the benefits of utilizing renewable energy sources. Discussing the ways for promoting the sustainable development of renewable energy from the perspectives of technology, modelling, application, sustainability and policy, this book includes the advanced renewable-energy-driven technologies, the models for renewable energy planning and integration, the innovative applications of renewable energy sources, decision-support tools for sustainability assessment and ranking of renewable energy systems, and the regulations and policies of renewable energy. This book can benefit the researchers and experts of renewable energy by helping them to have a holistic view of renewable energy. It can also benefit the policymakers and decision-makers by helping them to make informed decisions. Presents the advanced renewable-energy-driven technologies and the innovative applications of renewable energy sources Develops the models for the efficient use of renewable energy, decision-making and the investigation of its climate and economic benefits Investigates the sustainability of renewable energy systems Features the regulations and policies of renewable energy...
Use Of New And Renewable Energy Sources With Emphasis On Shelter Requirements
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Author by : United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 1990
Publisher by : UN-HABITAT
ISBN :
Description : ...
