Renewable Vs.

Nonrenewable Energy
Resources
Renewable energies generate from natural sources that can be replaced
over a relatively short time scale. Examples of renewable energies
include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. Nonrenewable
energies come from resources that are not replaced or are replaced only
very slowly by natural processes. The primary sources for nonrenewable
energies in the world are fossil fuels -- coal, gas and oil. Nuclear energy
is also considered nonrenewable because there is a limited supply of
uranium in the Earth's crust. When planning the energy profile for
various communities, the advantages and disadvantages of renewable vs.
nonrenewable energies need to be considered.

Advantages of Renewable Energy Resources

Because renewable energies are not burned like fossil fuels, they do not
release pollutants into the atmosphere and provide a cleaner, healthier
environment. Sources of renewable energy are found everywhere in the
world and cannot be depleted. Costs for tapping renewable energies are
decreasing as the technology advances and, once established,
maintenance costs are generally low. Because trained technicians are
needed to maintain the equipment, some renewable energy plants have
the potential to generate more jobs than highly mechanized fossil fuel
plants. Most importantly, there are little or no greenhouse gas emissions
associated with renewable energies that are contributing to driving up
the planet's temperature.

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Resources

Initial costs for setting up renewable energy plants are often quite high
and require careful planning and implementation. Building dams, for
example, for hydroelectric power requires high initial capital and high
maintenance expenses. Renewable energies like solar and wind require
large tracts of land to produce energy quantities competitive with fossil
fuel burning. Renewable sources of energy are also affected by weather,
reducing their reliability. For example, wind turbines only rotate it there
is enough wind at a given speed and solar panels do not operate at night
time and are less efficient on cloudy days

Advantages of Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Fossil fuels are the world's traditional energy sources and electrical
power plants, vehicles and various industrial plants are built around
using them. Many nonrenewable energies are more reliable than most
renewables and are not subject to weather conditions. They provide
continuous --not intermittent, weather-dependent -- energy. New
technologies, such as carbon, capture and storage (CCS) are emerging
that may allow fossil fuel use with less harmful effects to the
environment This process captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from electrical
and industrial plants and stores it underground instead of releasing it to
the atmosphere. The U.S. Department of Energy currently has several
CCS projects in place to determine the long-term feasibility of this
technology.
Disadvantages of Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Fossil fuels are in a limited supply and will one day be depleted.
Processes for extracting and transporting fossil fuels have caused
widespread environmental damage from strip mining and accidental oil
spills. Most importantly, burning fossil fuels releases harmful greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, primarily CO2. Incorporating CCS
technologies into existing fossil fuel plants to prevent CO2 emissions is
extremely costly. Nuclear power plants do not release C02, but pose other
risks such as potential radiation leaks and waste storage problems. The
costs for building new nuclear power plants have risen sharply making
them less economical than other types of power.

About 90% of global energy consumption is supplied by nonrenewable sources.

This is extremely problematic because nonrenewable resources will soon be
exhausted, and most of these sources are also major greenhouse gas emitters. On
the other hand, renewable energy sources (including biomass, biofuels,
hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind) accounted for only 11% of the global
energy consumption in 2010, and are projected to account for only 15% by 2040
(from U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Outlook
2013). Of these, solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower are the cleanest
energy sources as they do not require combustion and therefore have no direct
greenhouse gas or air pollutant emissions, as compared to the burning of biomass
and biofuels which emit greenhouse gases and particles which pollute the air and
cause climate change

Conclusions

Governments worldwide are recognizing that burning fossil fuels is

changing the Earth's climate, increasing global average temperatures,
causing unprecedented melting of polar sea ice and raising sea levels.
Given these climate-change threats, renewable energies appear to be the
wave of the future. Many countries, including the United States, have
programs for limiting CO2 emissions and supporting renewable energy
development. Renewable energy R & D is helping to lower costs and
increase efficiency. In the future, there will likely not be a single
solution to a community's energy needs but a combination of
technologies. Communities will need to identity the energy resources in
their area and develop sustainable energy

Advantages of Solar Energy

Renewable

Solar energy is a renewable energy source. This means that we cannot

run out of solar energy, as opposed to non-renewable energy sources (e.g.
fossil fuels, coal and nuclear).

We will have access to solar energy for as long as the sun is alive –
another 6.5 billion years according to NASA[1]. We have worse things to
worry about; in fact, scientists have estimated that the sun itself will
swallow Earth 5 billion years from now.

Abundant

The potential of solar energy is beyond imagination. The surface of the

earth receives 120,000 terawatts of solar radiation (sunlight) – 20,000
times more power than what is needed to supply the entire world.[2]

Sustainable
An abundant and renewable energy source is also
sustainable. Sustainable energy sources meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
needs. In other words, solar energy is sustainable because there is no way
we can over-consume.

Environmentally Friendly

Harnessing solar energy does generally not cause pollution. However,

there are emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation and
installation of solar power systems – almost nothing compared to most
conventional energy sources. It is clear that solar energy reduces our
dependence on non-renewable energy sources. This is an important step
in fighting the climate crisis.

Good Availability

Solar energy is available all over the world. Not only the countries that
are closest to the Equator can put solar energy to use – Germany, for
example, has by far the highest capacity of solar power in the world.

Reduces Electricity Costs

With the introduction of net metering and feed-in tariff (FIT) schemes,
homeowners can now “sell” excess electricity, or receive bill credits,
during times when they produce more electricity than what they actually
consume.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Expensive
Is solar power really expensive? This is probably the most debatable
aspect on the entire solar energy pros and cons list. The driving forces
behind the development of solar energy are rooted in politics. Solar
power is incentivized to compete against other energy sources on the
market. On the other hand, the U.S. government, similarly to the rest of
the world, provides incentives to every major energy production market –
not just solar.

In 2010, coal received $1,189 billion in federal subsidies and support for
electricity production while solar is not far behind at $968 billion.

Nowadays, the best solar panels can in many situations be cheaper than
buying electricity from the utility. This wouldn’t have been possible
without incentives.

Intermittent

Solar energy is an intermittent energy source. Access to sunlight is

limited at certain times (e.g. morning and night). Predicting overcast days
can be difficult. This is why solar power is not our first choice when it
comes to meeting the base load energy demand. However, solar power
has fewer problems than wind power when it comes to intermittence.

Energy Storage is Expensive

Energy storage systems such as batteries will help smoothen out demand
and load, making solar power more stable, but these technologies are also
expensive.

Luckily, there’s a good correspondence between our access to solar

energy and human energy demand. Our electricity demand peaks in the
middle of the day, which also happens to be the same time there’s a lot of
sunlight!
Associated with Pollution

While solar power certainly is less polluting than fossil fuels, some
problems do exist. Some manufacturing processes are associated with
greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrogen trifluroide and sulfur hexafluoride
has been traced back to the production of solar panels. These are some of
the most potent greenhouse gases and have many thousand times the
impact on global warming compared to carbon dioxide. Transportation
and installation of solar power systems can also indirectly cause
pollution.

The bottom line is this: There’s nothing that’s completely risk-free in the
energy world, but solar power compares very favorably with all other
technologies.

Exotic Materials

Certain solar cells require materials that are expensive and rare in nature.
This is especially true for thin-film solar cells that are based on either
cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).

Requires Space

Power density, or watt per square meter (W/m²), is essential when

looking at how much power can be derived from a certain area of real
estate of an energy source. Low power density indicates that too much
real estate is required to provide the power we demand at reasonably
prices.

The global mean power density for solar radiation is 170 W/m². This is
more than any other renewable energy source, but not comparable to oil,
gas and nuclear power.

Pros Cons
Renewable Expensive

Abundant Intermittent

Sustainable Energy Storage is Expensive

Environmentally Friendly Associated with Pollution

Good Availability Exotic Materials

Reduces Electricity Costs Requires Space

Many Applications

Shared Solar

Silent

Financial Support from Government/State

Low Maintenance

Technology is Improving

Advantages of Solar Energy Solar Energy Disadvantages

Renewable Energy Source Cost

Reduces Electricity Bills Weather Dependenta

Diverse Applications Solar Energy Storage is Expensive

 Low Maintenance Costs Uses a Lot of Space

Technology Development Associated with Pollution

Advantages and Challenges of

Wind Energy
Pros of Wind Energy

 Wind energy is a green energy source and does not cause pollution.

 The potential of wind power is enormous – 20 times more than what the entire
human population needs.[1]

 Wind power is renewable and there is no way we can run out of it (since wind
energy originates from the sun).

 Wind turbines are incredible space-efficient. The largest of them generate

enough electricity to power 600 U.S. homes.[2]

 Wind power only accounts for about 2.5% of total worldwide electricity
production, but is growing at a promising rate of 25% per year (2010).[3]

 Prices have decreased over 80% since 1980 and are expected to keep
decreasing.[4]

 The operational costs associated with wind power are low.

 Good domestic potential: Residential wind turbines yields energy savings and
protects homeowners from power outages.a

Cons of Wind Energy

 Wind is a fluctuating (intermittent) source of energy and is not suited to meet

the base load energy demand unless some form of energy storage is utilized
(e.g. batteries, pumped hydro).
  The manufacturing and installation of wind turbines requires heavy upfront
investments – both in commercial and residential applications.

 Wind turbines can be a threat to wildlife (e.g. biaards, bats).

 Noise is regularly reported as a problem by neighboring homes.

 How wind turbines look (aesthetics) is a legitimate concern for some people

1 Green
Wind energy is a green energy source. Harnessing wind energy does not pollute the environment

nearly as much as fossil fuels, coal and nuclear power do.

It is true that the manufacturing, transportation and installation of a wind turbine contributes to global

warming slightly, but the electricity production itself does not involve any emissions of climate gases
whatsoever.

There are some environmental issues associated with wind energy that we will discuss in the
disadvantages section.

2 Enormous Potential
As mentioned in the introduction of this article, the potential of wind power is absolutely

incredible. Several independent research teams have reached the same conclusions: The worldwide

potential of wind power is more than 400 TW (terawatts). [1]

Harnessing wind energy can be done almost anywhere. Whether or not a resource is financially
feasible is another question.

3 Renewable
Wind energy is a renewable source of energy. Wind is naturally occurring and there is no way we can

empty the energy resources. Wind energy actually originates from the nuclear fusion processes that take
place on the sun.

As long as the sun keeps shining (don’t worry, according to scientists it will for another 6-7 billion years)?,
we will be able to harness wind energy on earth. This is not the case for fossil fuels (e.g. oil and
natural gas), which our society relies heavily on today.

4 Space-Efficient
The largest wind turbines are capable of generating enough electricity to meet the energy demand of 600

average U.S. homes.[2] The wind turbines can’t be placed too close to each other, but the land in-between
can be used for other things. This is why many farms would benefit more from installing wind
turbines as opposed to solar panels.
5 Rapid Growth
Although wind power only accounts for about 2.5% of total worldwide electricity production, the

capacity is growing at an incredible rate of 25% per year (2010). [3] This does not only contribute in the

fight against global warming, but also helps lowering costs:

6 Prices are Decreasing

Prices have decreased over 80% since 1980.[4] Thanks to technological advancements and increased

demand, prices are expected keep decreasing in the foreseeable future.

7 Low Operational Costs

It is generally true that operational costs tend to be low once the turbines first have been

manufactured and erected.However, not every wind turbine is created equal – some are more

susceptible to maintenance than others.

8 Good Domestic Potential

People can generate their own electricity with wind power in much the same manner as people do
with the best solar panels (photovoltaics).

Net metering (currently implemented in more than 40 states across the U.S. [5]) allows homeowners to

receive bill credits for their excess electricity productionThere is good money to save/earn with residential

wind turbines, but maybe the best perks come from not being reliant the utility for electricity, which can
protect you from blackouts as well as fluctuating energy prices.

Disadvantages of Wind Energy

We’ve had a look at the advantages, so now let’s take a look at
the disadvantages of wind energy. Wind energy has a number of
drawbacks and cons, with the NIMBY (not in my backyard) factor playing a
large role.

1. The Wind Fluctuates

Wind energy has a similar drawback to solar energy in that it is not constant.
Although wind energy is sustainable and will never run out, the wind isn’t
always blowing. This can cause serious problems for wind farm developers.
They will often spend a significant amount of time and money investigating
whether a particular site is suitable for wind power.
For a wind turbine to be efficient, it needs to have an adequate supply of
wind energy. For this reason, we often find wind turbines on top of hills or
out at sea. In these locations, there are fewer land obstacles to reduce the
force of the wind.

2. Installation is Expensive
Although costs are reducing over time, wind turbines are still expensive.
First, an engineer must carry out a site survey. This may involve having to
erect a sample turbine to measure wind speeds over a period of time. If
deemed adequate, a wind turbine then needs to be manufactured,
transported and erected on top of a pre-built foundation. All of these
processes contribute to the overall cost of installing wind turbines.

When we take the above into account for offshore wind farms, the costs
become much greater. Installing structures out at sea is far more complex
than on land. Some companies have even commissioned bespoke ships
capable of transporting and installing wind turbines at sea.

Installing wind turbines is an expensive process.

3. Wind Turbines Pose A Threat to Wildlife

We often hear that wind turbines pose a threat to wildlife – primarily birds
and bats. However, researchers now believe that they pose less of a threat
to wildlife than other manmade structures. Installations such as cell phone
masts and radio towers are far more dangerous to birds than wind turbines.
Nevertheless, wind turbines still contribute to mortality rates among bird
and bat populations.

4. Wind Turbines Create Noise Pollution

One of the most common disadvantages of wind turbines is the noise
pollution they generate. You can often hear a single wind turbine from
hundreds of meters away. Combine multiple wind turbines with the right
wind direction and the audible effects can be much greater. This issue is
one of the biggest impacts of wind energy.

Noise pollution from wind turbines has ruined the lives of many
homeowners. Although steps are often taken to install them away from
dwellings, they do sometimes get built too close to where people live. This
is why new wind farms often come up against strong public objection.

5. They Also Create Visual Pollution

Another common drawback of wind turbines is the visual pollution they
create. Although many people actually like the look of wind turbines, others
don’t. These people see them as a blot on the landscape. This, however,
tends to come down to personal opinion. As we build more wind farms,
public acceptance is becoming more common.

Some people see wind turbines as ‘visual pollution’.

Conclusion
 So there we have a list of the different pros and cons of wind energy. Whilst
there are many disadvantages to consider, the wind remains one of the
cleanest and most environmentally friendly sources of energy available
today.

Whether you love or loathe the presence of wind turbine blades, this
technology is key in our fight against global warming. By generating more of
our power from the wind, we are able to reduce our reliance on convential
power plants that consume fossil fuels and pollute the earth.

What is Biomass?

Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and

sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of
power.

Some examples of materials that make up biomass fuels are:

 scrap lumber;
 forest debris;
 certain crops;
 manure; and
 some types of waste residues.
With a constant supply of waste – from construction and demolition
activities, to wood not used in papermaking, to municipal solid waste –
green energy production can continue indefinitely.

Biomass is a renewable source of fuel to produce energy because:

 waste residues will always exist – in terms of scrap wood, mill

residuals and forest resources; and
 properly managed forests will always have more trees, and we will
always have crops and the residual biological matter from those crops.
ReEnergy Holdings is an integrated waste fuel/biomass renewable energy
company. Our facilities collect, process and recycle items for use as fuel,
as well as green energy facilities that create power from that waste.

What is biomass power?

Biomass power is carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable
organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned,
or left as fodder for forest fires.

When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. If you have a

fireplace, you already are participating in the use of biomass as the wood
you burn in it is a biomass fuel.

In biomass power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce

steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to
industries and homes. Fortunately, new technologies — including
pollution controls and combustion engineering — have advanced to the
point that any emissions from burning biomass in industrial facilities are
generally less than emissions produced when using fossil fuels (coal,
natural gas, oil). ReEnergy has included these technologies in our
facilities.

Biomass challenges
While the process to create electricity is similar whether using a biomass
fuel or a fossil fuel, the equipment needed inside the plant is different. All
of ReEnergy’s power generation facilities have been outfitted — and new
acquisitions are upgraded — to allow for the burning of biomass.

As with any electrical generation process, the facility needs a steady

supply of fuel. In all cases, ReEnergy has suppliers to deliver a steady
stream of biomass, and has engaged other suppliers to ensure the facilities
have what they need. In addition, we create fuel for other biomass
consumers — as well as other products — at our recycling facilities.

When anything is burned, it can create emissions and ash. Our facilities
have state-of-the-art cleaning processes that keep emissions below state
regulatory levels, and we reuse our ash