Renewable energy has become the poster child of the ultra-modern eco-friendly movement that foresees a future free of the clutches of fossil fuels. However, can that be the case? Where most literature touts the pros of renewable energy, it becomes equally necessary to look at its possible cons. This blog draws on a critical viewpoint as to why renewable energy may not be the panacea it is made out to be. This isn’t an argument against green, it is a balanced view that says we need to look at all sides of our energy choices.
1. The Promise of Renewable Energy
Let’s briefly note the obvious advantages that exist in the field of renewable energy:
- Minimized emission of greenhouse gases: Sources of renewable energy, like wind, solar, and hydropower, have minimal greenhouse gas emissions to no emissions at all during their operation to ensure a clean climate.
- Lower Working Costs: Generally, renewable energy systems have lower working costs compared to fossil fuel systems once the facility has been installed since the purchase of fuel and maintenance expenses are eliminated.
Of course, all these benefits are important and help to build a better future in terms of sustainability, but in the same breath, some less-talked-about problems need to find their way into the mainstream.
2. Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy Sources
➢ Wind Turbines and Wildlife:
These machines are always objected to due to their impacts on wildlife, especially on birds and bats. Studies have estimated that large farms of wind turbines can significantly increase avian mortality rates. The rotation of the blades encourages killing flying animals, hence leading to the creation of ecological imbalance.
The American Bird Conservancy estimated that as many as 328,000 birds a year die in collisions with the spinning blades of wind turbines in the United States. The actual number could be far larger and undoubtedly will rise as more wind farms are built. Birds of prey, such as eagles and hawks, are particularly vulnerable because they are focused on finding prey and may not notice the turbine blades in time.
➢ Solar Panel Production:
Solar panels are not as green as most people think. Many dangerous chemicals play a role in the manufacture of these solar panels, indirectly producing high amounts of waste. Not to mention the new environmental hazard of throwing away old or damaged panels, with the threat of toxic materials seeping into the soil or water.
A report by The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reveals that solar panel manufacturing processes use a gamut of hazardous chemicals such as cadmium, lead, and silicon tetrachloride. Unless treated accordingly, these substances pose very serious environmental and health problems.
➢ Hydropower and Ecosystem Disruption:
Although hydropower is an extremely reliable source of renewable energy, dam construction has been known to perturb the local ecosystems. Dams alter water flow and significantly affect the migrations of fish, they also cause the dislocation of communities. It is at this point that the environmental cost generally outweighs the benefits reaped from hydropower projects.
Take the Three Gorges Dam in China, for example. Though it is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the environmental and social balances in return for its construction have been enormous: over 1.3 million people have been displaced, and habits of some endangered species destroyed.
3. Intermittency and Reliability Issues
➢ Unreliable Power Source:
Renewable sources of energy, which are classified by the sun and wind, are naturally intermittent. After all, the sun doesn’t shine around the clock, similarly, the wind doesn’t blow continuously. This inconsistency brings unreliability to the power source and creates the need for alternative backup systems, that normally run with fossil fuel resources.
For example, during the Texas winter storm disaster in 2021, there were widespread outages within the state partly because frozen windmill turbines reduced the supply of power generated. This situation shows part of the problem with systems that have been over-reliant on renewable energy sources, with poor backup.
➢ Problems with Energy Storage
One of the problems related to the storage of energy is that when renewable sources are not producing, the energy needed is huge. Current battery technology is not yet that efficient nor economical to store large quantities of energy, hence, this case leads to reliance on traditional power grids.
However, the most attached energy storage is the lithium-ion batteries with limitations in capacity, life span, and cost. Such hitches can only be overcome with the strides made in the advancement of energy storage technology, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
4. Economic and Social Impacts
➢ High Initial Costs:
The initial investment required for renewable energy infrastructure is substantial. Solar panels, wind turbines, and hydropower plants require significant capital, which can be a barrier for many communities and developing countries.
A World Bank report highlights that while the cost of renewable energy has been decreasing, the upfront investment required for infrastructure can still be prohibitive, especially in low-income regions.
➢ Job Displacement:
Transitioning to renewable energy can lead to job losses in traditional energy sectors. While renewable energy also creates jobs, the skills required are different, and the transition can be challenging for workers in fossil fuel industries.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), while renewable energy could create up to 18 million jobs by 2030, there will be significant job losses in the coal, oil, and natural gas sectors, leading to economic and social disruptions if not managed properly.
➢ Land Use and Community Impact:
Renewable energy projects often require large tracts of land. Solar farms and wind turbines can lead to land use conflicts, particularly in rural areas. Local communities may face displacement, and the aesthetic impact of large installations can also be a point of contention.
In India, for example, large solar farms have sparked protests from local communities who fear displacement and loss of agricultural land. A case study from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) illustrates these conflicts and highlights the need for inclusive planning processes.
5. Resource Constraints and In-Limitations
➢ Rare Earth Metals and Mining:
Production from renewable technologies relies on such rare earth metals as lithium and cobalt. Their extraction causes large-scale environmental and social damage, destroying habitats or conservancies and human rights abuses.
An investigation into cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo by Amnesty International exposed shocking human rights abuses, including child labor and dangerous conditions. Independent researchers who worked with Amnesty on that report explained how this cobalt ends up powering battery cells connected to human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
➢ Resource Depletion:
While renewable energy itself is abundant, most of the materials needed to capture it are not. Demand for rare earth metals is soaring, and if there are no radical changes soon in how they are extracted and used, there may not be enough to go around.
A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey indicates that if current production rates are maintained, world demand for lithium could outstrip its supply as early as 2025 a finding that may cause possible resource shortages and increased prices.
6. Renewable Energy: Carbon Footprint
➢ Lifecycle emissions:
Even though operational emissions are much lower, fuller life-cycle emissions associated with renewable sources are still very relevant. Life cycle emissions should, therefore, be taken into account to get the full picture of their environmental impact.
Other research suggests that factoring in rescaled production and disposal, lifecycle emissions from solar panels may be much higher if their manufacturing is being powered by electricity from coal-fired power plants.
7. Technological and Infrastructure Hurdles
➢ Grid Integration Issues:
Renewable energies are technically difficult to integrate into an already existing power grid. All vagaries of renewable energy require a much more flexible and resilient grid; hence making one is expensive and technically tricky to develop.
A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory claims that a huge up-gradation of existing infrastructure with advanced grid management technologies and more efficient transmission capability is required if renewable energy sources are to be integrated into the grid.
➢ Technological Dependence:
Renewable energy technologies greatly rely on advanced materials and manufacturing processes. This can create vulnerabilities in the supply chain and has led to rising geopolitical tensions over access to rare earth metals.
The European Commission’s Raw Materials Initiative highlights the geopolitical risks associated with the concentration of rare earth metal extraction in a few countries, above all, China, holds a large share of global supplies.
➢ Emphasizing Solutions and Reassurance
Though these are formidable challenges, ongoing research and development efforts are solving many of these problems:
➤ Improving Battery Storage Technology:
It is solid-state batteries, flow batteries, and other new battery technologies that will move energy density, lifetime, and cost of energy storage forward. This will effectively improve renewable energy reliability.
➤ Wildlife Protection Measures: Wind Turbines
Innovative solutions are being designed to protect wildlife from wind turbines. For example, painting one of its blades black seems to help reduce bird collision with the turbines. Radar technology is also able to detect birds that are going to hit the turbines and shut them off temporarily.
➤ Responsible Land-Use Practice for Solar Farms:
The efforts are in the way of developing solar farms on degraded or contaminated lands, leaving bare minimum competition, if any at all, to agricultural land and causing minimal environmental impacts. An excellent example of this is the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Conclusion: The Quest for a Balanced Energy Future
Though the motive behind the promotion of renewable energy is quite noble, disregard for demerits cannot be done. Careful consideration has to be made in terms of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of renewable energy. Doing so can further give way to a genuinely sustainable future. But it is, upon ourselves as an eco-friendly enthusiast, to advocate for all activities ranging from better renewable technologies and enhancement of energy storage solutions to improved energy efficiency across all sectors.
