Below, we outline the potential pros and cons of renewable energy.
We outline the general pros and cons, as well as providing some examples of pros and cons from the individual renewable energy sources.
Summary – Pros & Cons Of Renewable Energy
Firstly, What Are The Main Renewable Energy Sources?
The main renewable energy sources might include solar, wind, water (hydroelectric, wave, tidal), and geothermal energy.
Each renewable energy source might have different variations, such as solar PV vs solar CSP, onshore vs offshore wind, and so on.
Bioenergy can also be classified as a renewable energy source, but, not all bioenergy processes might be classified as reasonably sustainable. We haven’t included bioenergy in this guide.
It’s worth noting that bioenergy can be made with different types of biomass.
Nuclear isn’t a renewable energy source, but it does have a relatively clean operational stage with little or zero emissions and air pollution.
Non-renewable energy sources generally include fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil.
The range of pros and cons cover the areas of environmental, resource management, financial, and social (people, health, etc).
Potential Pros
Energy Sources Are Renewable
Energy Resources Are Essentially ‘Free’
May Have Certain Environmental Benefits During The Operation Stage
May Not Generate Waste By-Products During The Operation Stage
May Be Reasonably Efficient At Converting Energy Into Electricity
Some Energy Sources Allow For Flexible/Versatile Installation Or Construction
Some Energy Sources Are Decentralised, & This Can Be A Benefit In Some Ways
Some Energy Sources Allow For Multiple Land Uses At Once
Some Energy Sources Can Be Used On An Individual Level, As Well As On The Utility Level
Some Energy Sources May Have Significant Energy Potential
Might Have A Reasonably Low Water Footprint
May Have Some Economic Benefits
May Have A Range Of Social Benefits
May Help Decrease A Country’s Dependence On Foreign Energy
Some Cities Already Use Renewable Energy For A Significant % Of Their Electricity
Some Renewable Energy Sources Have Received Significant Investment & Experienced Significant Growth In Recent Years
Some Renewable Energy Sources May Have Other Miscellaneous Benefits Or Capabilities
Renewable Energy Technologies In General May Develop & Improve, & Increase Their Capabilities In The Future
We’ve also outlined some of the other reasons why renewable energy might be important in a separate guide.
Potential Cons
Many Major Countries Across The World Still Depend Mainly On Fossil Fuels For Energy
Major Sectors Across Society Still Depend On Fossil Fuels
Can Be Reliant On Climate, Weather, Or Geography
Energy Sources Can Be Variable, & Variability Can Lead To Multiple Issues
Cost Of Renewable Energy Sources Can Be An Issue
May Be A Contributing Factor To Higher Electricity Prices
Some Energy Sources Are Decentralised, & This Can Be A Drawback In Some Ways
Some Renewable Energy Sources Might Be More Labor Intensive Than Fossil Fuel Energy
Renewable Energy Itself May Still Rely On Fossil Fuels In Different Ways At This Point In Time
May Contribute To The Unsustainable Use Of Some Resources & Materials
May Have An ‘End Of Lifespan’ Waste Footprint To Consider
May Still Negatively Affect The Environment & Wildlife In Some Ways
Renewable Energy Sources Might Generally Have Low Energy Density
Renewable Energy Sources Might Generally Have Low Capacity Factor
Some Renewable Energy Sources Can’t Deliver Base Load Power
May Use Land More Inefficiently When Measuring Against Power Density
Some Energy Sources Are Still In The Early Development Stage
There May Be A Range Of Challenges & Barriers In Transitioning To, Or Using A Greater Share Of Renewable Energy
The Growth Of Some Renewable Energy Sources May Not Be Because Of Environmental Or Sustainability Reasons
May Not Solve The Problem Of Overconsumption
*Note
The pros and cons in this guide are broad generalisations.
Each individual renewable energy source has it’s own set of pros and cons, in addition to the more broad pros and cons of renewable energy in general.
Each energy project in each geographic location (i.e. city or town) will have it’s own factors and variables to consider too.
So, each energy source project in each location will require a separate assessment of it’s individual pros and cons (separate to general pros and cons)
The development of technology, as well as other factors might change pros and cons in the future too.
Potential Pros Of Renewable Energy
Energy Sources Are Renewable
As the name suggests, the most obvious benefit of renewable energy sources is that the resources they use for energy are renewable.
This generally means that they are not finite, and they are not being consumed faster than they are being replenished.
The benefit of this might be that these resources won’t face resource depletion issues, or resource scarcity issues.
Examples of resources that are considered renewable are sunlight (for solar energy), and wind (for wind energy).
On the other hand, fossil fuel resources are considered non-renewable because fossil fuel resources are finite, and they take significantly longer to form in nature (hundreds of thousands, to millions of years) than the rate they are consumed at.
Energy Resources Are Essentially ‘Free’
Some renewable energy sources capture energy resources freely from nature
Examples of this are solar energy that freely captures sunlight, and wind energy that freely captures wind.
On the other hand, coal (for coal energy) and uranium (for nuclear energy) both require mining and refining, and cost money as fuel for power plants and nuclear reactors respectively.
May Have Certain Environmental Benefits During The Operation Stage
There might be several environmental benefits to some renewable energy sources at the operation stage.
Those benefits might include:
– Little To No Greenhouse Gas Emissions
At the operation stage, most renewable energy sources have either a small greenhouse gas footprint, or, emit no greenhouse gases at all.
Two relevant guides where we provide more information on this are our guides on how much greenhouse gas each energy source emits, and which energy sources are most harmful.
In an 80 percent renewables future, carbon emissions from the power sector would be reduced by 80 percent (ucsusa.org)
– Little To No Air Pollutants Being Released
Energy sources like solar energy and also wind energy might release little to no air pollutants whilst in operation.
Fossil fuels on the other hand may release air pollutants during combustion.
May Not Generate Waste By-Products During The Operation Stage
Energy sources like solar energy and wind energy might generate no waste by-products during the operation stage.
This is in comparison to coal energy which can generate fly ash as a by-product, and nuclear energy which can generate spent nuclear fuel.
May Be Reasonably Efficient At Converting Energy Into Electricity
Some Energy Sources Allow For Flexible/Versatile Installation Or Construction
A few examples of the flexibility or versatility of installing or constructing renewable energy sources might include:
– Solar Energy
Can be installed on the ground at solar farms, on roofs, on buildings, and in other locations
Solar panels are even portable, and can be transported from one spot to another, or carried around
– Wind Energy
Can be installed onshore, and also offshore
Some Energy Sources Are Decentralised, & This Can Be A Benefit In Some Ways
Decentralisation means the energy source is spread out in various locations as opposed to being concentrated in one location.
Solar and wind might be examples of energy sources that can be decentralised i.e. solar panels and wind turbines can be spread out.
Decentralised energy sources might be at a lower risk of having their energy supply disrupted by extreme weather, natural disasters, and so on.
It appears as though India specifically has benefitted from decentralized renewable energy too …
[India may have cut transmission line energy losses by having decentralized solar power and wind, in addition to saving on energy and money] (cleantechnica.com)
Some Energy Sources Allow For Multiple Land Uses At Once
We outlined this point in a separate guide about the different energy sources and land use
But, some examples might include:
The space between wind turbines for example can be used for uses other than wind energy, such as farming
Homes and buildings can be installed with solar panels on the roof, or on the structure
Some Energy Sources Can Be Used On An Individual Level, As Well As On The Utility Level
For example:
Solar energy can be used privately by individuals or households with the use of one or multiple solar panels
Solar energy can also be used on the utility level with the use of larger solar farms
In comparison, coal energy is usually only used on the utility level with coal power plants
Some Energy Sources May Have Significant Energy Potential
Wave energy and tidal energy are two energy sources that are claimed to have significant untapped energy potential in the ocean that might be able to be captured in the future.
Might Have A Reasonably Low Water Footprint
As just one example, coal power plants with wet cooling (as opposed to dry cooling) may use a significant amount of water compared to solar energy or wind energy during operation.
In an 80 percent renewables future [in the US] … water use [from the power sector] would be reduced by 50 percent (ucsusa.org)
May Have Some Economic Benefits
– Job Creation
Some reports indicate that because some renewable energy sources (like solar energy in particular) are more labor intensive than some fossil fuel sources that are more capital intensive and more mechanised, they may create more jobs/employment (according to some metrics)
They may create a range of jobs that are of a better quality than some fossil fuel related jobs too
– Contribution To GDP & Economy
According to some reports, renewable energy may contribute billions by itself to the US economy.
Additionally, when combined with energy efficiency, energy storage, and EVs, renewable energy and these technologies may contribute over a trillion dollars to the world economy.
– May Specifically Benefit Local Communities & Economies
There’s various ways it can do this, such as local manufacturing (some countries manufacture some of their own renewable energy equipment), constructing renewable energy projects, and also the jobs required for operation.
Where this is the case, it strengthens local communities and economies.
cleantechnica.com mentions this about manufacturing:
that ‘Now, more than 50% of a U.S.-installed turbine’s value is produced in America [which is a] a twelve-fold increase from just a few years ago [and] Some turbine manufacturers plan to make 100% of their components in America [in the future]’
cleantechnica.com also mentions this about value added, and jobs created during construction and permanent operation:
… the 23 largest wind farms in Illinois [in the US] … will add almost $6 billion to local economies over their lifetimes and have resulted in the creation of more than 19,000 jobs during the construction periods [in addition to …] 814 permanent jobs in the state
Local and rural communities and populations in the MidWest in the US specifically may benefit economically from renewable energy projects
– Different Renewable Energy Sources May Provide Additional Income Opportunities For Private Land Owners, & The Government
renewableenergymagazine.com and ucsusa.org both mention (paraphrased) rural landowners and farmers may generate additional income from hosting wind turbines on their property, or produce biomass
On the opposite end of the spectrum, local governments may make additional revenue on taxes like property and income taxes
In terms of solar panels, they may also be used by building owners and home owners, and can feed electricity back into the grid for a credit in some areas
– Imports & Exports
Surplus renewable energy is exported by some countries.
Additionally, where countries can produce more renewable energy domestically, their trade balance may show less reliance on foreign energy imports.
cleantechnica.com discusses the exportation of renewable energy in more detail in their guide, and they identify China as a major exported of renewable energy to the rest of the world
– May Save Costs Spent Addressing Issues That Fossil Fuels May Contribute To
One claimed economic benefit of renewable energy is the money renewable energy might help save in addressing environmental, along with social, and human health problems that fossil fuels might contribute to.
Examples are the cost of addressing air pollution or carbon emissions.
Where these issues (such as air pollutants) have potential to impact human health, there’s also costs from lost productivity, and the costs for the health system to consider.
May Have A Range Of Social Benefits
Including but not limited to:
Renewables might be some of the least harmful forms of energy for humans across several metrics.
Can provide more jobs, and potentially better and higher quality jobs compared to fossil fuels
Might provide a level of energy independence for individuals
Solar energy benefit rural populations and populations with little to no access to a main electricity grid
Solar energy may benefit low income areas
Where renewable energy is responsible for less air pollution, it might benefit human health for the people inhaling air in the area, and place put less of a burden on the health system
From cleantechnica.com:
… renewable energy is scalable in areas where there is very little or no electricity [such as lower income areas]
In Bangladesh, more than 3.5m solar home systems have been installed in rural villages
May Help Decrease A Country’s Dependence On Foreign Energy
Where local renewable energy generation can replace a % of foreign energy, dependence on countries where energy resources are imported from may be reduced.
One example is the countries that rely on countries like Russia or Norway for part of their natural gas supply
Some Cities Already Use Renewable Energy For A Significant % Of Their Electricity
Some Renewable Energy Sources Have Received Significant Investment & Experienced Significant Growth In Recent Years
Solar energy and wind energy might be two examples of renewable energy sources that have received significant investment and experienced signifiant growth (in terms of installed capacity, and the amount of electricity we produce from renewables) in some countries across the world in recent years or decades.
Some Renewable Energy Sources May Have Other Miscellaneous Benefits Or Capabilities
We list those potential benefits or capabilities in the individual pros and cons guides for the individual renewable energy sources.
But, a few examples might be:
Solar CSP’s ability to capture energy when the Sun isn’t out
There might be several ways to make use of the excess/surplus solar or wind power in Germany
Renewable Energy Technologies In General May Develop & Improve, & Increase Their Capabilities
Renewable energy in general may have more room to improve in terms of performance areas like increased power output, improvement energy storage, and new technology like Artificial Intelligence technology and systems may help maximize renewable energy
Potential Cons Of Renewable Energy
Many Major Countries Across The World Still Depend Mainly On Fossil Fuels For Energy
From vox.com:
As of 2017, fossil fuels were still providing [79.7%] of humanity’s [final] energy [consumption], which is roughly what they’ve been providing for decades …
[Modern Renewables were at 10.6%, Traditional Biomass at 7.5%, and Nuclear at 2.2%]
Some reports indicate that the % share of renewable energy isn’t changing much over time even though total renewable energy installed capacity or production can increase.
Major Sectors Across Society Still Depend On Fossil Fuels
i.e. the electricity generation, heating and cooling, and also transport sectors.
From vox.com:
… renewables are 26 percent of global electricity … less than 10 percent (renewable electricity less than 2 percent) of heating and cooling and just 3.3 percent (renewable electricity only 0.3 percent) of transportation energy
Heating and cooling, at 51 percent of global energy use, mostly run on natural gas and oil.
Transportation, at 32 percent of global energy use, mostly runs on gasoline and diesel.
Can Be Reliant On Climate, Weather, Or Geography
Fossil fuels or nuclear for example might be able to be used almost anywhere as long as there’s fuel available.
Some renewable energy sources on the other hand are generally reliant on having the right climate, weather conditions, or geography to be set up and stay in operation.
For example, solar energy needs the right sunlight conditions, and wind energy needs the right wind conditions.
Energy Sources Can Be Variable, & Variability Can Lead To Multiple Issues
Variable energy sources might also be referred to as intermittent energy sources.
Their power output varies over time and is relatively uncontrollable, rather than being consistent and relatively controllable.
This might make them more unreliable energy sources in several ways.
Solar energy and wind energy are two example of variable or intermittent energy sources, because their power output can vary in line with the Sun or wind they are exposed to.
Variability and intermittency can lead to multiple issues, such as:
– Variable energy sources requiring backup energy sources
– Variable energy sources requiring energy storage systems
Batteries are examples of energy storage systems
Energy storage is required to store surplus power for use at a later point when there isn’t enough power being generated by variable energy sources to meet demand
– Contributing to power grid instability
Generating too much power or not enough power might impact the stability of the grid, as opposed to when the grid is dealing with more stable and consistent power output from non-variable energy sources
Cost Of Renewable Energy Sources Can Be An Issue
Residential Scale
Residentially, solar panel setups can cost into into the tens of thousands, to hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up/install (although maintenance may not be as much as for some other renewable energy sources)
Wind turbines installed on private land can also be expensive, and there’s maintenance and repairs costs to consider too.
Whether or not there are cost savings on home renewable energy setups can also depend on a range of factors, such as the efficiency or power output of the setup, setup/installation cost, local weather and climate, maintenance and repair costs, taxes and local renewable energy schemes and programs (that might offer credits, and other incentives), local electricity prices, the cost of energy storage systems, and so on.
Cost savings aren’t always guaranteed (or, it may take a long period of time to reach break even)
Utility Scale
In this instance, we are referring to the production side cost of capital, or, the supply side cost to provide electricity as part of a service that uses renewable energy sources.
Costs for renewable energy sources might be expensive, or, there might be additional costs for renewable energy in the following instances:
– More speculative or developmental renewable energy sources like wave energy or tidal energy might be costly at this point in time
Some Energy Sources Are Decentralised, & This Can Be A Drawback In Some Ways
For example, decentralised energy sources may have issues to do with transmission of power over longer distances, and requiring more transmission lines.
May Be A Contributing Factor Higher Electricity Prices
Analysis of the factors that can impact electricity prices might reveal that renewable energy sources can increase electricity prices.
One way they might do this might be by passing on the additional costs of subsidies or taxes for renewable energy sources to end electricity consumers.
Some Renewable Energy Sources Might Be More Labor Intensive Than Fossil Fuel Energy
We listed this as a benefit, but it might be considered a drawback as well
Increased labor requirements might increase the cost that investors and producers have to pay for labor.
And, some economists might also argue that this is labor we could be saving and allocating to other areas of the economy.
Renewable Energy Itself May Still Rely On Fossil Fuels In Different Ways At This Point In Time
Some of the different ways renewable energy sources might use (and rely on) fossil fuels might include:
– Some solar panel cells use petroleum for plastic polymers in protective backing
– Wind turbines require petroleum for the grease and lubricants they use
– Pumped storage hydro may use fossil fuels for pumping water up hills and elevations
– Fossil fuels may be used as an energy source during the manufacture of some renewable energy equipment (especially in some major manufacturing countries where coal is a major energy source in their energy mix)
– Variable renewable energy sources may rely on fossil fuel energy sources as backup energy, or to provide base load in power grid
May Contribute To The Unsustainable Use Of Some Resources & Materials
A few of the ways renewable energy sources might contribute to the unsustainable use of some resources or materials might include:
Solar energy specifically may use rare materials
Energy storage batteries may use rare or precious metals too
May Have An ‘End Of Lifespan’ Waste Footprint To Consider
Although renewable energy equipment like solar panels and also wind turbines might last decades (20 to 30 years), there’s still a waste footprint when they reach the end of their operation lifespan
Both solar panels and wind turbines might face challenges and barriers in being recycled at this point in time
Energy storage batteries may also face issues related to recycling too.
May Still Negatively Affect The Environment & Wildlife In Some Ways
Renewable energy might still negatively impact the environment and wildlife directly or indirectly in different ways:
– The mining of materials for renewable energy equipment and technology has an indirect environmental footprint to consider
– Large solar farms may require the clearing of land and habitats, or, may result in land being degraded after use
– Flying animals may collide with wind turbines
Renewable Energy Sources Might Generally Have Low Energy Density
Renewable Energy Sources Might Generally Have Low Capacity Factor
We outline the capacity factor of different energy sources in a separate guide
Geothermal might have the second highest capacity factor amongst different energy sources behind nuclear
But, solar and wind might have the lowest capacity factor of all energy sources
Some Renewable Energy Sources Can’t Deliver Base Load Power
i.e. others like solar energy and wind energy can’t deliver base load power
May Use Land More Inefficiently When Measuring Against Power Density
However, it’s also worth noting that when upstream and downstream infrastructure is included in land use calculations, renewable energy might be more land efficient.
Renewable energy might be even more land efficient again when considering factors like multiple land uses for solar or wind energy, and also energy sources like offshore wind that don’t use inland land resources.
Some Energy Sources Are Still In The Early Development Stage
Wave energy and tidal energy may be examples of energy sources at earlier development stages.
They may have their own challenges and limitations to consider with this being the case.
There May Be A Range Of Challenges & Barriers In Transitioning To, Or Using A Greater Share Of Renewable Energy
We put together a separate guide outlining these potential challenges and barriers.
We also put together a guide outlining why China’s transition away from coal may be challenging.
The Growth Of Some Renewable Energy Sources May Not Be Because of Environmental Or Sustainability Reasons
Instead, it may be related to the best interests of lobby groups and specific industries.
For example, swecogroup.com indicates that:
Academic research indicates that growth in renewable energy in any specific country is less motivated by climate change concerns or fossil fuel costs, and more by the presence of strong lobby groups looking to support national industry.
May Not Solve The Problem Of Overconsumption
Renewable energy sources are used with the intention of being more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
However, the solution to some sustainability and environmental issues might not be making energy more sustainable or eco friendly (with the use of renewable energy), but rather reducing total consumption of energy.
Pros & Cons Of The Different Renewable Energy Sources
You can find some relevant guides here:
Potential Pros & Cons Of Solar Energy
Potential Pros & Cons Of Wind Energy
Potential Pros & Cons Of Hydro Energy
Potential Pros & Cons Of Geothermal Energy
Potential Pros & Cons Of Wave Energy
Potential Pros & Cons Of Tidal Energy
Comparison Of Renewable Energy To Other Energy Sources
Renewable Energy vs Nuclear vs Fossil Fuels: Comparison Guide
What About Alternative Energy Sources?
Alternative forms of energy might include nuclear, bioenergy and hydrogen
You can read more about them here:
Potential Pros & Cons Of Nuclear Energy
Not renewable. But, is an alternative energy source to fossil fuels.
Potential Pros & Cons Of Bioenergy & Biofuel
Considered by some reports to be a renewable energy source.
Potential Pros & Cons Of Hydrogen Energy
An alternative energy source for cars, along with hybrid and electric vehicles
*Alternate Energy Cars
For the purposes of this guide, we left out electric cars.
They come under the ‘transport’ category, rather than the ‘stationary energy’ category.
You can read more about the potential pros and cons of electric vehicles in this guide.
Potential Pros & Cons Of Fossil Fuels
For some contrast and a different perspective to the information above, it might be worth reading about the potential pros and cons of fossil fuels too.
Sources
1. Various ‘Better Meets Reality’ guides
2. https://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/smart-energy-solutions/increase-renewables/renewable-energy-80-percent-us-electricity.html
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2018/05/08/we-dont-need-solar-and-wind-to-save-the-climate-and-its-a-good-thing-too/?sh=101e03f0e4de
4. https://www.swecogroup.com/urban-insight/energy/report-the-limits-to-renewable-energy/
5. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/6/18/18681591/renewable-energy-china-solar-pv-jobs
6. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/10/renewable-energy-economic-benefits-know/
7. https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/emily-folk/the-many-economic-benefits-of-renewable-energy-20190312
8. https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power
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