There’s no question renewable energy provides substantial benefits for our climate, health and economy but what is the impact of renewable energy on worldwide energy output and emissions? What are trends in terms of investment and adoption of these technologies? Looking down the road, will all of our efforts make a difference?
As we see more and more renewable energy projects coming on line, it is a good time to take stock.
Fossil Fuel Energy Still Dominates
The top 10 power-producing facilities in the world are dominated by hydroelectric and nuclear plants. First in annual electricity generation is the Three Gorges Dam with 22,500 MW and Itaipu Dam in Brazil at 14,000 MW. Six of the top seven are hydroelectric projects with four of the top 10 nuclear plants. Top coal plants range in size from 5,000 to 6000 MW; fuel oil plants from 2,000 to 6000 MW, natural gas facilities from 4,000 to 6,000 MW, nuclear plants from 6,000 to 8,000 MW, oil shale facilities from 6,000 to 8,000 MW, peat plants from 200 to 1,500 MW.
Renewables: Some Proven, Most Under Development
Renewable power stations, with the exception of hydroelectric (conventional, pump-storage, run-of-the-river), are considerably smaller in average size with biofuels from 150 to 750 MW, geothermal, from 200 to 300 MW, tidal from 2 to 254 MW, solar power (flat panel photovoltaic, concentrated photovoltaic, concentrated solar thermal) from 152 to 250 MW, wave from 1 to 2 MW, onshore wind from 600 to 1,100 MW and offshore wind from 300 to 700 MW. As of 2010, the world obtained 83% of its energy from fossil fuels, 9% from nuclear energy and 8% from renewables.
Most of the renewables industry is still in the experimental stage and as specific technologies prove themselves they will be scaled up to larger and larger sizes. We are already seeing evidence of this with solar and wind energy projects currently in the planning stage.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), at current trends, worldwide energy use will rise 53% between now and 2035, driven primarily by China and India. Renewable energy is expected to be the fastest-growing source of energy over the next 25 years with 50% of new capacity being renewables. But fossil fuels continuing to be the dominant source of energy.
Chipping Away at Emissions
IndustryTap recently wrote “The Big Picture Breakdown of Greenhouse Gases” and earlier this year “In Depth: Global Energy Demand 2035 and Integrated Global Systems Model.” While the adoption of renewable forms of energy will significantly reduce emissions as they are essentially carbon neutral, taking major bites out of emissions will require technological breakthroughs that can be scaled up; we are just not there yet.
However, there are many possible technologies that might work: new forms of energy IndustryTap covered in “Can Fusion Energy Generate Unlimited Clean Energy by 2017?” and cleaner fossil fuels we wrote about it in “Can A Revolutionary New Gas Eliminate All The World’s Pollution?”
Finally, investment in renewables appears healthy and is increasing; market-based renewable energy solutions are essential if technologies are to be scaled up. Corporations have embraced new technology and this is having a ripple effect throughout the world economy, as we wrote about in “Bluer Skies Ahead with Company’s CO2 Emission Reduction.”
Hakuna shaka nishati mbadala hutoa faida kubwa kwa hali ya hewa yetu, afya na uchumi lakini ni nini athari ya nishati mbadala juu ya uzalishaji wa nishati duniani kote na uzalishaji? Ni nini mwelekeo katika suala la uwekezaji na kupitishwa kwa teknolojia hizi? Kwa mtazamo wa wakati ujao, jitihada zetu zote zitafanya tofauti? Kwa kuwa tunaona miradi zaidi na zaidi ya nishati mbadala ikianza, ni wakati mzuri wa kuchunguza. Nishati ya mafuta ya makaa ya mawe bado inatawala: Vituo 10 vya juu vya kuzalisha umeme ulimwenguni vinatawaliwa na mitambo ya umeme wa maji na nyuklia. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, kwa mwaka huu, mabwawa ya Three Gorges Dam na Itaipu Dam yana uwezo wa kuzalisha umeme wa MW 22,500 na ya Itaipu Dam na ya Itaipu ya Brazil ina uwezo wa kuzalisha umeme wa MW 14,000. Miongoni mwa miradi hiyo, sita ni ya umeme wa maji na nne ni ya nyuklia. Vituo vya makaa ya mawe vya juu vina ukubwa wa kati ya MW 5,000 hadi 6,000; vituo vya mafuta ya mafuta kutoka MW 2,000 hadi 6,000; vifaa vya gesi asilia kutoka MW 4,000 hadi 6,000; vituo vya nyuklia kutoka MW 6,000 hadi 8,000; vifaa vya shale ya mafuta kutoka MW 6,000 hadi 8,000; vituo vya peat kutoka MW 200 hadi 1,500. Kwa mfano, katika nchi za Magharibi, umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme. Tangu mwaka 2010, dunia ilipata asilimia 83 ya nishati yake kutoka kwa mafuta ya makaa ya mawe, asilimia 9 kutoka kwa nishati ya nyuklia na asilimia 8 kutoka kwa nishati mbadala. Sekta ya nishati mbadala bado iko katika hatua ya majaribio na kama teknolojia maalum zinajithibitisha, zitaongezeka hadi ukubwa mkubwa na mkubwa. Tayari tunaona uthibitisho wa hili na miradi ya nishati ya jua na upepo kwa sasa katika hatua ya mipango. Kulingana na Shirika la Habari za Nishati la Marekani (EIA), kwa mwelekeo wa sasa, matumizi ya nishati ulimwenguni itapanda kwa asilimia 53 kati ya sasa na 2035, ikiendeshwa hasa na China na India. Nishati mbadala inatarajiwa kuwa chanzo cha nishati kinachoongezeka kwa kasi zaidi katika miaka 25 ijayo na 50% ya uwezo mpya wa nishati mbadala. Hata hivyo, mafuta ya makaa ya mawe yanaendelea kuwa chanzo kikuu cha nishati. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika chapisho la hivi karibuni la ""The Big Picture Breakdown of Greenhouse Gases"" na ""In Depth: Global Energy Demand 2035 and Integrated Global Systems Model,"" matumizi ya nishati mbadala yatapunguza uzalishaji wa gesi ya kaboni kwa kiasi kikubwa, lakini kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi ya kaboni itahitaji maendeleo ya kiteknolojia ambayo yanaweza kuongezeka." "Hata hivyo, kuna teknolojia nyingi zinazowezekana ambazo zinaweza kufanya kazi: aina mpya za nishati zinazozungumziwa katika ""Je, nishati ya fusion inaweza kuzalisha nishati safi isiyo na kikomo ifikapo 2017?"" na mafuta safi zaidi tuliyoandika juu yake katika ""Je, gesi mpya ya mapinduzi inaweza kuondoa uchafuzi wote wa ulimwengu?"" Mwishowe, uwekezaji katika nishati mbadala inaonekana kuwa na afya na inaongezeka; suluhisho za nishati mbadala zinazotegemea soko ni muhimu ikiwa teknolojia zinapaswa kuongezeka." "Kampuni nyingi zimekubali teknolojia mpya na hii ina athari kubwa katika uchumi wa dunia, kama tulivyoandika katika ""Bluer Skies Ahead with Company's CO2 Emission Reduction."""