12 Reasons Renewable Energy Industries Can Save the Planet

Renewable energy industries offer both financial and environmental benefits. These benefits created massive growth in renewable energy usage. Now, renewable energy provides a major share of global energy demand. Solar and wind energy are the leading renewable energy sources which have grown so competitive and widespread. In this article, you can see how these energy sources are considered better than fossil fuels.

Why Renewable Energy Sources Are Better for The World?
Summary

Why Renewable Energy Sources Are Better for The World?

1. Less Global Warming

Human activity causing the atmosphere to be filled with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases which causes global warming. This will further lead to dangerous climate changes like stronger and more frequent storms, drought, sea-level rise, and more. The electricity sector is responsible for a major portion of greenhouse gas emissions.

In contrast, most renewable energy sources like solar and wind produce little to no greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas emission associated with renewable energy is minimal. This means the increasing supply of renewable energy would let us replace carbon-intensive energy sources.

2. Improved Public Health

The air and water pollution caused by coal and natural gas plants can lead to breathing problems, heart diseases, cancer, neurological damage, and a host of other serious illnesses. Most of these health problems that come from air and water pollution won’t be present in renewable energy technologies. In addition, wind and solar energy generation require no water to operate and they don’t produce any air pollutants. This way renewable energy sources can lead to improving public health.

3. Jobs and Other Economic Benefits

Compared with the typically mechanized and capital-intensive fossil fuel technologies, renewable energy is labor-intensive. In the case of solar systems, installation of the panels is done by certified solar installers. The assistance of well-trained technicians is essential for solar system maintenance. This means that, on average, more jobs are created by renewable energy industries than by fossil fuels.

Increased support from various governments could create even more jobs. Also, the local governments can benefit from renewable energy generation done by solar PV systems property taxes, income taxes, and other payments.

4. Rise in Wind / Solar Energy Usage in The Past Decade

Clean energy is generally considered as the pathway to a sustainable future for the planet. This caused great changes in the energy industry such as an increase in renewable energy capacity, a rise in global investments, etc. over the last 10 years.

Renewable energy capacity quadrupled across the world over the past decade. Solar energy generation has been increased 26 times from what it was in 2011. This continued growth is led by solar energy and wind energy.

5. Reduction in Cost

The speed of cost decline of solar energy generation is very high. Solar system prices have fallen about 80% since 2008. This is expected to keep dropping. Now, solar energy can compete with conventional energy even without any subsidies. The price of wind electricity has also fallen 19% since 2009. In countries like Australia, India, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, and the US, the cost of wind energy generation is lesser than fossil fuels.

6. Renewable Energy Is Now Mainstream

Even when conventional power dominates the non-OECD countries, renewable energy is already becoming the largest energy generation source. China’s new action to control coal use and restrict new coal plants in some regions is also showing the growth of the renewable energy industry is not going to stop.

7. Individual Countries Are Reaching High Shares of Renewable Energy

21% of Australia’s total electricity production was from renewable energy sources. This includes 7% solar, 7% wind, and 5% hydro energy. In Spain, wind power became a major source of electricity in 2013. Renewable produced 42% of mainland Spain’s electricity in 2013 and it reached 50% in 2014. Renewable energy sources accounted for about 20% of the world’s electricity generation.

In the early 2000s, renewable energy generation started a noticeable growth. Now it reached a point where renewable energy provides a major portion of the world’s energy requirements. By 2030, 54.1% installed capacity of the world’s electricity will be from renewable sources and wind and solar energy alone could produce 37.9%.

9. Renewables Can Be Deployed Fast and Scaled Up

Japan has installed 11 GW of solar energy in just two years. In the case of China, they are planning to double their wind energy capacity and triple solar energy capacity in four years. India’s solar mission has set up an ambitious roadmap to 22 GW of solar power by 2022.

Most importantly, Australia had planned the world’s biggest green energy hub called Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH) for the South Coast of Western Australia which can produce up to 50 GW of wind and solar energy.

10. Renewable Energy Delivers for Communities and Builds Resilience

Even with all the technological advancements by humans, a large group of people in the world still does not have access to electricity. But now, renewable energy making electricity accessible to more people. Renewable energy technology costs are significantly lesser than fossil fuel electricity generation.

Local, clean energy solutions, like microgrids running on solar power, give smaller and poorer communities control over their own energy needs. Maintenance costs of the renewable energy systems will be lesser and people using this can escape from the volatile fossil fuel prices.

11. Leading Investment Banks Are Advising Investors to Go Renewable

Several leading investment banks are advising their investors to go renewables. This is where the breakthrough in the renewable energy industry is truly visible.

For example, the Australian Government-owned Green Bank called the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) was established to enable increased financial flows into the clean energy sector. They are trying to reduce carbon emissions by investing $10 billion in various industries including energy generation, agriculture, cleantech innovation, and more.

12. 100% Renewable Energy Is the Way to Go

Renewable energy can meet the world’s energy needs. As the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) finds the technical potential of renewable energy is much higher than global energy demands. Communities, cities, and even top companies are making 100% renewable energy a reality.

Sydney, the most populated city in Australia, created an agreement with a renewable electricity company that ensures all of City of Sydney operations are now using 100% renewable electricity. There are plenty of more examples. Going completely renewables is a smart business decision too.

Summary

Giving more people access to renewable energy can reduce the carbon emission caused by fossil fuel generation. Renewable energy usage also allows them to reduce their electricity costs. Most of the countries are aware of these facts and promoting the usage of clean energy.

Tags: clean energy, renewable energy sources, renewable energy systems, renewable energy technologies