Renewable energy can beat thermal, how and why?

Our planet is marvelous in its own unique way, and the rich bounty of resources which we harness from the mother earth is a treasure house for sustainability of our present and future generations. Unfortunately many resources are limited but we, humans, hardly take cognizance of the fact. The indiscriminate use of these resources in order to fulfill our daily requirements is leading to an inherent risk of extinction of our precious resources.
Needless to say that to protect our finite resources for sustainability of human life, and especially to meet the needs of power consumption (which takes a heavy toll on our resources),we need to switch our focus on harnessing the potential of renewable energy. In fact this sector is so promising that today it is set to beat the thermal energy sector. Let’s have a quick look at the how’s and whys of it.

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is classified as energy that comes from resources like sun light (known as solar), wind, geothermal heat and rain which are constantly replenished. Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources and is constantly replenished. It includes sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, rain water, and various forms of biomass. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and bio fuels. This energy is abundant in nature and is constantly renewed so it can be termed inexhaustible.

WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN BEAT THERMAL?

The present scenario of non-renewable energy sector is critical and does not seem to be much promising. Both coal and petroleum are also extracted from nature and can be used for creating energy. However, crude oil is usually refined and processed into gasoline, petroleum and other products before it is used. Coal, too, has to be converted into other forms of energy to use it fully. The consumption rates of coal and crude oil are such that they will soon be depleted. Thus, our dependence on renewable sources of energy will increase greatly. Here are three top reasons why we should go for renewable energy.
 

• NO NEW COAL AVAILABILITY TILL END OF THE DECADE 

The Coal-fired plants are being planned by the government but unfortunately the new coal capacity will trickle down after 2019 as it would not be sufficient for future. Even if we get it at our hands again, it is harmful for the environment, so it won’t be suitable to use coal as the main resource of our and we have to explore more eco-friendly sources like solar energy.
 

• GAS -  LIABLE AND DANGEROUS

The Gas-fired plants are already a liability for producers as the infrastructure for natural gas production and distribution is fairly expensive; this also includes separate plumbing systems and specialized tanks. Moreover, leaks of natural gas are tremendously dangerous. Such leaks may cause explosions or fire. When inhaled, the gas is highly toxic- the reason why domestic gas still scares people. The gas is a finite source of energy so when we think of importing it, the imported LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) proves to be a costly affair.
 

• DIESEL PLANTS ARE PROHIBITIVELY COSTLY

The crude oil is a limited resource and its rates are very high. The diesel plants are resulting to be costly as diesel fuel is also used for transportation vehicles, commercial trucks, trains, home and industrial generators,. The rates are touching sky- the diesel generated electricity power will cost more than Rs 20 per unit which is triple times the solar power cost.
 
HOW RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN BEAT THERMAL ?

Sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits. Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy.

Let’s take solar energy into consideration. The solar energy potential in India is immense due to its convenient location near the Equator. India receives nearly 3000 hours of sunshine every year. According to the 11th five year plan, the government of India projects a massive expansion in installed solar capacity and aims to reduce the price of electricity generated from solar energy. The current Indian solar installations are forecast to reach approximately 3,800 megawatt in 2015.