There is a lot of uncertainty in the world today regarding the dynamics of climatic change. Trying to find out the exact thing that would take place in the future of renewable energy seems to be impossible but a very interesting point of the task. You cannot see the future of renewable energy but you can examine it closely depending on the current status of renewable energy and then predict the future.
Remember that the International Energy Agency recently released Energy Renewable which is a great analysis and forecast of the global renewable energy up to at least six years to come. This is a significant insight into the current global trend, market actions, and the predicted action over the next five to six years.
The report indicates the type of changes that are likely to take place, where they will take place and how they will take place. Let’s dive in to understand more about these changes as the future of renewable energy at large.
What is Renewable Energy
It is good to understand what renewable energy is and its examples. From the term renewable, renewable energy is energy that has been obtained from the earth’s natural resources that are non-exhaustible. Common examples are wind and sunlight.
Renewable energy tends to cause less harm to the environment as opposed to traditional fossil fuels. With that in mind, it is worth noting that renewable energy is an alternative to the traditional energy that was all based on fossil fuels.
Types of Renewable Energy
Solar energy is obtained typically from the sun. It is obtained by capturing the radiant energy from sunlight then converting them into heat, hot water, or electricity. The best idea about this type of energy is that sunlight is never unlimited. It is always available when needed. Despite its good advantages, it has limitations. One of the limitations is that it tends to be a great upfront cost and has unrealistic expenses for most households. Solar panel installation in the beginning usually is costly but it’s worth it in the long run as it results in huge savings on your power bills.
Wind energy is captured using wind turbines after which it is converted into electricity. If not by using turbines, other ways can also be used to convert wind into useful energy. One of the benefits of wind energy is that it is ever clean and does pollute the air as other energy sources do. However, just like any other source of energy, it has limitations. Most wind farms are built in rural areas and are far from cities where electricity demand is at its peak.
Hydroelectricity is generated from dams. Water flows through the turbines in the dams and produces electricity known as pumped storage hydropower. Its benefit is that it can be generated using large-scale projects and small-scale projects as well. It does not come up with pollution or in other words, it is non-pollutant and friendly to the environment. It has limitations, that is, its storage system may require fossil fuel to pump water effectively.
There are quite many types of renewable energy globally, so it’s prudent to do extensive research on the type of energy you would prefer. Some more types of renewable energy include Geothermal or geothermal heat, hydrogen biomass, and many more.
Let’s have a look at something else with great value.
Where are the changes coming from?
Today China is driving a huge amount of renewable energy capacity, putting a lot of funds in wind power and solar energy resulting in one of the most competitive auction systems used in Europe.
The current leaders in offshore wind are much focused to be overtaken by China through deployment. This kind of growth is what results in a projected threshold increment in the global offshore wind capacity. On the other hand, the onshore wind capacity is determined to grow less concerning over years. Despite the very tiny growth in the US and China, there is a 57% increment coming from the EU.
The key renewable energy findings
What should bring a smile to your face is that the IEA has relooked the projections upwards since the 2018 publication. In the publication, the renewable capacity was predicted to increase by over 50% as we approach 2024. However, this year, wind energy has achieved its limits by heating the headlines a couple of times in the UK. Solar energy is responsible for over 60% of global growth.
However, have it in mind that distributed PV is taken to be one of the largest growing technologies. It is predicted to grow by a huge 250%. Wind power, hydropower, and bioenergy hold the next largest increase.
How does this affect grid carbon intensities?
The capacity growth of renewable energy does not necessarily mean an increase in the grid carbon intensities. However, these capacity changes indicate the stipulated rate, government support, and investments of these renewable technologies globally. In the UK the renewable energy would have increased by 30% in the year 2024.
Conclusion
There is still a lot to be released to the public concerning the renewable energy trends. There is great growth coming in the solar PV market. This will catalyze innovations and reduce costs as well. The offshore wind that is expected to increase threefold in 5 years will behave in the same way ensuring a great utility-scale in place of fossil fuels.
The increase in renewable energy will have an impact on businesses and people. As a consumer of this energy, you have a great opportunity to make a significant impact on the environment. If you’re a house or a firm honor, you can go for solar panels since they will improve your living standards despite reducing your energy cost.