There are so many advantages of renewable energy, but like everything else in this world, disadvantages are also part of the clean energy solutions. Despite the amount of electricity each source of renewable energy provides, humans are still afraid to go solo in renewable energy sources. Fears of the quantities, costs, and ways we can store these sources that create renewable energy are questions which are on the rise as people are getting educated on the subject. Following are some disadvantages of renewable energies and why they exist.
Quantities of Renewable Energy
We have relied solely on gas and oil consumption for years and can create large quantities to supply most of the residents of the US, and most other countries do the same. Now our dependency on gas and oil has made us fearful of a loss of energy if we were to rely on renewable energy like wind power and solar energy. Going natural also means facing natural changes of weather patterns which could affect availability of renewable sources. One way to overcome this issue is by creating a balance of wind and solar energy so one can be used as back up should the other be unavailable. Rainy days mean solar panels will be weaker, but wind mills can gain wind speed by weather fronts that bring more wind.
Costs of Renewable Energy
Since installing renewable energy sources like wind mills and solar panels are highly expensive, relying only on renewable energy is very costly in the beginning. Wind mills are large and require transportation of large parts across the country, which means money spent on gas consumption and in the actual construction of the wind mills. Solar panels must be transported to their locations for use as well. Installing solar panels on roof tops can be a highly dangerous job. This increases the labor costs associated with installing them.
Storing Renewable Energy Resources
Using natural ways to provide energy to residents and businesses obscures the fact that large structures are used to provide that energy. Wind mills stand tall in the sky and are limited to open areas such as farmlands and plains areas as would be found in Montana. They are also dangerous to bird populations. Putting wind mills in the oceans near shores have been considered, but maintenance would be very costly, especially during hurricane season. Solar panels take lot of space as well. If your rooftops are oddly designed with limited wide spaces, solar panels cannot be installed. They can be used on ground with suspension, but then land space is required and they are aesthetically unappealing.
We should not withdraw from our current growth of clean energy resources just because of these disadvantages. Moving forward with new technology and designs can encourage more people to build and use sources like wind mills and solar panels. Yes, the lack of quantity, costs, and storage are all renewable energy disadvantages but they also provide us with a healthier environment. Even knowing the disadvantages of these technologies, we still have to keep making new developments, which keeps the green job market going as well. Renewable energies are our future.
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