Wind turbines and solar panels are being more intensively used. But why is that? What are the benefits of renewable energy sources, and how do they assist our health, the environment, and the economy?
Utility bidder examines the several benefits of clean energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass. See our article on the Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies for more information on their adverse effects and viable strategies to avoid, minimize, or mitigate them.
Decrease In Global Warming
Carbon dioxide and other global warming problems are stuffing our atmosphere as a result of human-related activities. These gases work as heat trappers, acting like a blanket. A web of severe and detrimental consequences has emerged, ranging from more powerful, frequent storms to drought, sea-level rise, and extinction.
Generally, the electricity production industry accounts for around 29% of global warming emissions in the United Kingdom. The major concentrations of these emissions are caused by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.
On the other side, most renewable energy sources disperse little or no global warming problems. Even when “life cycle” emissions of clean energy (emissions from each step of a technology’s life—manufacturing, installation, operation, and distribution) are taken into account, the global warming emissions connected with renewable energy are negligible.
Improved Community Health
Coal and natural gas plant degradation has been the reason for breathing problems, neurological diseases, heart attacks, cancer, early death, and a bunch of other major issues. According to research, everyone is affected by pollution: the life cycle costs and public health effects of coal are estimated to be $74.6 billion per year.
That works out to 4.36 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced or about a third of the average electricity tariff in the United Kingdom. The majority of these negative health effects are caused by pollution in the air and water, which clean energy methods do not produce.
Wind, solar, and hydroelectric power plants generate electricity without emitting pollutants into the atmosphere. Although geothermal and biomass systems produce some air pollutants, their total emissions are often lower than those produced by coal and natural gas-fired power stations.
Furthermore, because wind and solar energy do not require much water to function, they do not damage water resources or put pressure on supplies by competing with agriculture, drinking water, or other critical water uses.
Fossil fuels, on the other hand, can have a considerable influence on water resources: both coal mining and natural gas drilling can pollute drinking water sources and all thermal power plants, including those fueled by coal, gas, and oil, use and consume water for cooling.
Inexhaustible Energy Sources
Strong winds, sunny sky, plenty of plant matter, heat from the soil, and fast-moving water can all give an endless supply of energy. These sources now provide a small percentage of UK electricity, but that could change: Even after accounting for potential limits, studies have repeatedly demonstrated that renewable energy can provide a large portion of future electricity needs.