Green energy challenges

The idea of ​​using renewable energy sources certainly sounds attractive, but the name itself is deceiving. Most renewable energy sources are heavily dependent on fossil fuels with the exception of wood and dung

Energy transmission costs are much higher than other types of electricity.

This is because most studies overlook the important fact that they are not paid for their work at all. A 2014 study by the International Energy Agency showed transmission costs for wind to be around 3x as much as coal or natural gas.

Renewable energy sources come with a cost and sometimes they can seem too expensive. However, they can be very sustainable and we should continue investing in them.

Some of the reasons for the higher transmission costs for wind and sun are:

• More renewable power lines need to be built as they provide maximum, rather than average production. Renewable energy is available about 15% to 20% of the time; coal – 40% to 50% of the time.

• Renewable energy is typically generated in one location and then transported to where it is used – which can be a lot more inconvenient as the distance grows

• Installed renewable power and ancillary equipment do not have the same level of control over aspects of the grid as a fossil-fueled power plant. This clearly becomes a challenge, which is why we need to adjust the transmission system and add the needed infrastructure.

The cost of running power lines increases as distances to the receiver increase.

If not properly maintained, fires can be a possibility. Especially in dry, windy areas.

Recent evidence points to bad power lines as a potential cause of fires.

In California, negligent maintenance bankrupted PG&E’s Northern California power grid. In recent weeks, PG&E has initiated two preventative power outages, one of which affected up to two million people.

The American Forest Fire Mitidation Project found that power lines have been the main cause of fires in Texas during the last 3 1/2 years.

It’s believed that one of the blackouts in Venezuela was caused by a fire near power lines.

There are various methods to prevent fire, for example by burying the line underground. Alternatives are using wire made of an insulating material instead of regular wire. Any solution comes with a cost though. These costs need to be taken into account when looking at indirect costs if we plan on installing a large number of new sources of renewable energy.

It will take a huge investment in charging stations

So that consumers who are not among the wealthiest can use electric vehicles.

Purchasing an electric vehicle is only feasible if you’re wealthy and have a dedicated garage space where it can charge.

The catch is that these bulk chargers are often limited to fueling vehicles with gas rather than ones which run on electricity. She also can’t afford to spend hours waiting for her car to charge.

You will need inexpensive fast charging stations located all over the place if electric vehicles are the main choice. Many people believe that a part of a road’s maintenance cost should be included in fast charging because it currently comes with the cost of fuel.

Discontinuity drives up costs

It is generally believed that small changes, such as time pricing, smart grids, and power outages for some pre-selected industrial customers can all help to mitigate disruptions. If there’s not enough power to go around, these options have the potential to ensure a steady supply for a select few.

If the system is based on fossil fuel energy and atom energy, with a small amount of renewables, it could theoretically work. The situation will change as more renewables are added to the power supply.

When adding solar power to the grid, you need to also provide batteries for storage. The batteries can help balance out the power supply when people return home from work and dinner is served. You’ll also need to consider the power outages that occur because of extreme winds and storms.

There are a lot of problems that have to be dealt with while building the system. For example, severe storms can disrupt electricity supplies for days at a time. Because of this, it’s necessary to have a backup battery in order just in case the renewable supply isn’t functional.

The number of batteries we use is now irrelevant to provide 3 days worth of backup power for the entire world. If global energy resources will be based on renewable sources, this increase in electricity consumption could certainly be possible.

A much more difficult challenge than storing electricity for three days is the problem of storing it long-term if we’re to get a lot more renewable energy.

In summer, solar energy production is at its highest. However, in winter, solar energy production is at its lowest. In the springtime, hydroelectric power generation is at its peak and usually varies from year to year. Wind power just can’t be relied on day-to-day – both the amount of power generated and when it’s generated vary a lot.

We can’t risk our economy to sudden disruption without electricity, for example the metals must remain at a certain temperature to be used effectively. Elevators should not stop between floors when power cuts occur. Refrigeraters need constant power in order to function.

The cost of disposal of wind turbines, solar panels and storage devices should be reflected in the cost estimate

There seems to be a widespread assumption in energy analysis that at the end of their lives, wind turbines, solar panels and energy storage units will magically disappear without consequence. If they’re recycled, the cost of recycling should be less than

While recycling may not be free, we understand that it can be cost effective. Not only does it take less energy to recycle waste than it would to extract the materials in their original form, but there are also other benefits too. The activity requires less time and creates far fewer greenhouse gas emissions for example

Renewables cannot directly replace many of the devices and processes we have today.

This can lead to a significant decrease in economic efficiency and a longer transition to renewable sources.

Renewable energy can’t cover all our needs today. That’s why we still need fossil fuels to power manufacturing plants and for construction purposes. This means that the fossil fuel system will need to be maintained for at least another 20 years.

There are some things we cannot get from renewable energy alone like steel, fertilizer, cement and plastic. Bill Gates mentions this in the video you shared.

That’s why we rely on asphalt for many building projects, like roads & modern homes. The only other viable option is stone, which isn’t sustainable or renewable.

It is likely that the transition to renewable energy will take 50 years or more

The use of wind power and solar energy in this time will supplement the current fossil fuel system, not replace it. This will also increase costs.

The fossil fuel industry is hanging by a thread. If it wants to survive, the people who work there need their salary over the course of the year, not just when they are needed for backup power.

Fossil fuels come with pipelines, refineries, and needed staff. These factors will need to be taken into account when evaluating the costs of operating an oil field.

If you would like to use natural gas as a backup for renewable energy sources, you will need to invest in storage tanks and pipelines. Even with a 90% reduction in the use of natural gas, the cost should be reduced by only a small degree. A large proportion of the costs are fixed, meaning that any change to the business pays relatively little effect on profit.

I think the transition will be long because many citizens do not know about green energy. They might want to make an effort to learn more about it and change their habits towards green energies.

Do we have too much faith in models and predictions?

The question of whether wind and solar energy are justified needs careful analysis. A common feature of an energy product that has significant economic benefits is that its production tends to be very lucrative.

One of the ways to make sure the clean energy product brings its full potential to light is by enabling governments to tax producers. This way, their profits can be used for the good of the rest of the economy and provide massive benefits for everyone.

If wind and solar energy were to provide clean power, they would not need any subsidies at all, not even first-come-first-serve subsidies. They would be happy to throw profits away for the good of the rest of the economy. Renewable energy may not be as effective as many people think. Perhaps the researchers were overly believing in the distorted models.