What does the future of energy look like?

In the past years we have faced one crisis after another. The Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of and the resulting war in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions cutting Europe off from the Gas usually supplied by Russia’s economy, and the ongoing global population crisis setting new challenges.

One thing no one can live without these days is electrical power. It has become Essential to our everyday lives as a society.

As coal and other fossil fuels become less desired on of their contribution to global warming and nuclear energy is being shut down out of fear due to catastrophic accidents in the past, there is one essential question we must answer. What does the future of our energy production look like?

Looking at a clean energy future, there are many options. Wind power, hydropower, photovoltaics, and geothermal. Then there are lesser-known options such as nuclear fusion to consider.

In this post, we will look at the pros and cons of each, before evaluating which directions are worth perusing the most.

Starting with wind power. Wind power uses free fuel. A complete and installed turbine has no need to be connected to power to work or use up fuel. This makes it significantly cheaper than some other contenders. It doesn’t emit greenhouse gasses and is a great step away from fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, wind energy can be a threat to some wildlife. Some flying animals may be injured or killed if they fly into the spinning blades of the wind turbines fan-like structure and wildlife in the ground may be disturbed by the vibrations and noise pollution caused by the turbines. The vibrations and noise pollution are similar to that of a skyscraper, structures that continue to be built without question. There is also an expensive upfront cost in the manufacturing process of the turbines.

Wind energy suffers from intermittency. This is caused by the wind itself, which is difficult to predict and blows inconsistently. This means reserves or alternatives are important.

Hydropower is one of the greenest energy sources and one of the lowest maintenances. It can provide cost effective energy for a long time. It is produced locally which means more jobs and energy independence. Energy from water also has the benefit of being used as a source of irrigation. In areas of drought, hydropower reservoirs can be used as a source of water for crops in agriculture.

On the other hand, there are some environmental impacts caused by hydropower. Storage hydropower systems interrupt the natural flow of a river system, disrupting migration paths of various animals, issues with water quality and human or wildlife displacement.

Often, hydropower involves the building of a dam or reservoir and power generating turbines which requires a significant monetary investment. The upfront cost is rather large. This, and the fact that suitable places for reservoirs are becoming rarer over time means that the construction would become more and more expensive.

Photovoltaic energy production is emission free. It can be made available wherever there is sunlight, and it produces energy directly with no extra generators needed. Operation and maintenance costs are low, aside from sun tracking mechanical bases. They are totally silent and are perfect for urban areas as they can be installed easily on rooftops, bike shelters or car ports.

Unfortunately, solar energy - like wind energy – has intermittency issues due to weather and nighttime. Therefore, they are less reliable than other green energy options. They also require inverters to transform the alternating electricity (AC) they produce into the direct electricity (DC) we use and storage to guarantee a continuous supply of energy.

In case of land-mounted PV installations, they require large areas of land for solar farms which are then occupied for a period of 15 to 20 years, or longer. Their efficiency levels are low with the record efficiency being at 47% in research. Normally, the s are only around 22% efficient. This efficiency decreases over time. Solar cells are also very fragile and easily breakable, adding insurance costs.

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that will be around as long as the earth exists. The hot reservoirs in the earth are naturally replenished. It is estimated that geothermal powerplants could provide up to two terawatts of power. It’s more reliable than solar or wind energy as the resource is always there. Energy from this resource is easy to calculate since it does not fluctuate as much as solar or wind.

Geothermal energy is location specific which makes it difficult far anyone who doesn’t live near a source to access. Digging for these resources may release some greenhouse gasses. While these gases are also released naturally, the rate increases near geothermal plants. These emissions are still much smaller than any emissions associated with fossil fuels.

Another issue is that geothermal energy may trigger earthquakes due to the structural alterations of the Earth’s crust. Geothermal energy is also an expensive resource to tap into, with prices around 7 million US Dollars for one plant. These plants also need to be closely managed. Fluid needs to be pumped back into the reservoir faster than it is depleted to maintain the sustainability of the plant.

Nuclear Fusion is the process that gives the sun it’s energy. Since the 1960’s, scientists have been trying to recreate the process that involves atoms being fused together to create larger ones here on Earth. This process has the potential to be a great, clean energy resource for everyone. It works oppositely to nuclear fission, in which heavy atoms are split apart, which is the process nuclear power plants are based on. Most fusion experiments use hydrogen, which can be extracted cheaply from seawater and lithium, meaning fuel supplies could last for millions of years.

However, getting two identical elements to combine is extremely difficult. Both atoms will have the same charge, meaning that they will naturally push each other away. This results in copious amounts of energy being necessary to overcome this resistance. In the sun, this happens due to high heat we can not replicate and a pressure more than one hundred billion times that of Earth’s atmosphere. Only in recent years have scientists managed to successfully fuse to atoms using lasers. The energy created could power a ten to twenty kettles.

While nuclear fusion is a great concept, it leaves much to be desired on the practical side of things.

Clearly none of these concepts is “the one”. They all have their own benefits and problems. It’s safe to say that a combination of energy resources is necessary for a good and functional journey towards a net zero world and energy independence from fossil fuels. We don’t have one right answer yet, but these inventions and methods raise hope for a greener world and a brighter future in energy resources.

Sources:

https://justenergy.com/blog/wind-energy-pros-and-cons/

https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/hydropower/pros-cons-hydropower/

https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/most-efficient-solar-s

https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/storage/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-solar-photovoltaic-quick-pros-and-cons-of-solar-pv/

https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/geothermal/pros-cons-geothermal-energy/

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63957085

https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/what-is-fusion/