Key Insights:
- The installation of renewable systems is expensive, and not everyone can afford it.
- The availability of renewable sources depends on the weather conditions that limit the production of clean energy.
- The apparatus of a clean energy system has lower energy efficiency.
- Clean energy production is not always carbon-free and has some geographical limitations.
- You need a larger space to install renewable energy systems.
According to UNDP, 69% of the youth between 18 and 35 are concerned about learning more about renewable resources. This awareness is important as renewable energy has both advantages and disadvantages. It is important for all to know about this energy type in detail, particularly students, who will shape the future of the energy world.
In this article, we’ll share some disadvantages of renewable energy to help students better understand this type of energy. But let’s first explore what renewable energy is.
What Does Renewable Energy Mean?
Renewable energy is created from natural resources and can be replenished repeatedly. It is also environment-friendly and generated by harnessing natural resources.
Teachers assign homework on renewable energy types to enhance students’ knowledge during their academic journey. However, students often find it hard to complete this task on time as it requires a lot of research. So, they failed to manage the time for research with other academic responsibilities. To deal with this situation, they can get assistance from assignment writing service providers who can complete this academic paper on time.
Besides, if you want to know about the possible disadvantages of using renewable energy, then continue reading this article.
What are the Disadvantages of Renewable Energy?
Indeed, renewable energy is far better than the non-renewable energy that is being generated by fossil fuels. Renewable energy resources are limitless and can be used to produce electricity repeatedly. However, like any other energy source, there are some disadvantages of renewable energy resources. In this section below, you’ll explore these disadvantages.
1. High Capital Cost
Renewable energy provides substantial energy savings, but it has a higher installation cost. For instance, planting a solar energy system at a small residence can cost £10,000-£20,000, and this cost may go higher depending on your energy needs. Likewise, a larger-scale project such as wind turbines costs between £500,000 and £1000,000 to install.
However, in the current economic conditions, the cost of solar systems and wind turbines continues to fall. Also, significant tax credits and other incentives have been introduced that have made this energy type more popular in recent years. Despite all these facts, the installation cost for renewable energy setup is still high.
2. Is Not Available All the Time
These resources are accessible worldwide but obtainable round the clock. Some days, there is no wind, and the sun does not shine at night. So, when there is no sun or wind, you cannot get renewable energy.
Additionally, sometimes renewable systems produce continuous energy that overloads the grids. All in all, these things make the production of renewable energy inconsistent. On the contrary, the availability of fossil fuels is not intermittent. The power plants of non-renewable energy can be turned on or off whenever needed.
3. Lower Efficiency
Different technologies are used for different energy sources to convert renewable resources into electricity. Therefore, the efficiency of energy conversion devices is essential when moving to clean energy. Unfortunately, the efficiency of these devices is not higher than that of traditional non-renewable energy adaptation devices.
For instance, solar energy conversion devices that are available in the market have an efficiency between 15% and 20%. Conversely, traditional energy conversion devices that use natural gas or coal have an efficiency range of 40% to 60%.
If this topic is a part of your course or you want to understand the efficiency factor of renewable energy in a better way, this is the best guide for you. However, if you do not have time to do thorough research for your homework, then you should buy assignments online from professional and reliable sources.
4. Geographical Limitations
This is one of the greatest disadvantages of renewable energy. Since this clean energy is being produced by harnessing natural resources, the amount of energy that you get from these sources depends on the surroundings. The United Kingdom has a diverse geography that makes some areas more suitable for renewable energy production than others.
For instance, rural areas with open spaces are the best option for planting a wind farm or solar farm. On the contrary, urban areas with shaded buildings are not suitable for any technology. If you want to shift to renewable energy then you must explore the climate around you.
5. Limited Storage Capacities
Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy resources, you must use energy storage devices to store and release energy whenever needed. These devices make the electricity supply consistent and controlled. These storage devices include the utility-scale devices that gained momentum in recent years.
Nonetheless, despite the falling cost and growing popularity of these devices, still they are not advanced enough to deal with large amounts of energy. Additionally, installing these batteries for larger renewable systems is quite expensive. All these factors limit the energy storage capacities for the clean energy system.
6. Not Always 100% Carbon-free
This is the most important disadvantage of renewable energy resources that everyone should know. Needless to say, creating energy from natural sources drastically reduces carbon emissions, but these sources are not always clean. Although solar panels or wind turbines don’t emit carbon while generating electricity, their transportation, manufacturing, and installation still contribute to carbon emissions.
Furthermore, renewable energy parts are still made in those factories which utilise a huge chunk of electricity. However, with an energy-payback period, renewable systems can generate the same amount of energy that they consume during manufacturing. Additionally, by using electric vehicles you can reduce the carbon emissions that occur during transportation.
7. Impacted by Weather Conditions
The efficiency rate of clean energy systems is greatly influenced by the weather conditions. Unlike the non-renewable resources that you can get whenever you need them, these resources are available when the weather is suitable. For instance, wind turbines can only work in large open areas which limits wind energy only to specific areas.
Similarly, areas with cloudy weather are not suitable for solar energy. Solar panels are better to work in sunny and bright areas. For instance, the South East region of England has more solar power installations as compared to other regions due to its hot climate.
8. Requires a Lot of Space
If you want to install a renewable energy plant, then you need a large space to place this technology on your site. This pace limitation is one of the most important disadvantages of renewable energy. As with technological advancements, new smart apparatuses for renewable systems are being introduced that make this installation relatively compact.
According to ecoexperts, if renewable systems are placed smartly, then a solar panel that is enough to power the world takes only 335 km² which is 1.25% of the total Sahara Desert. Interesting? If you want to pursue your career in the renewable energy industry then you are certainly interested in exploring these smart technologies.
In addition, all the above-mentioned disadvantages can help you in writing a good assignment on the subject matter. However, if you still face any problems during your write up then, you can consult with professional assignment writers in the UK who have expertise in dealing with such kinds of academic tasks.
What are the 3 Positives of Renewable Energy?
As you have learned the drawbacks of renewable energy but it also has various advantages that make it better than burning fossil fuels for electricity production. Let’s check out 3 major perks of clean energy.
- There are numerous sources of renewable energy including water, wind, biomass, sun, geothermal, and more. These natural resources are available in infinite amounts so you can get an endless energy supply.
- Renewable energy is clean, safe, and less harmful as compared to the energy that is generated by fossil fuels. This clean energy reduces carbon emissions making it environment friendly.
- Although the installation of renewable energy is expensive, this energy saves you money in the long term as you don’t need to spend operational costs and maintenance costs on renewable systems.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is the future of energy as it is the best way to reduce your dependence on fossil fuels. Despite playing a key role in reduction of the carbon emissions, there are some considerable drawbacks. To effectively address these issues, you must first know the disadvantages of renewable energy.
These drawbacks include high capital costs, geographical limitations, dependence on weather conditions, limited storage capacity, and the need for a larger space for installation. With smart technological advancement and effective policies, these cons can be overcome successfully.
