Besides the large benefits of Green energy, it does have some problems too.
Green energy is typically sourced from sunlight, the wind, plants, the rain, and a few other natural sources.
The fact that energy is naturally sourced is the reason it is called green energy.
The goal is to preserve our environment to hopefully restore what has been lost to pollution and other negative effects over the years, and also to preserve what we have at present to ensure that future generations have a clean environment to live in.
The resources used to produce green energy are replenished by nature; they are renewable.
Through the initiative to produce green energy, we now have electricity being created by solar power, wind power, tidal energy, hydroelectric power, biomass energy and geothermal energy.
Using renewable resources to produce energy was thought to be most beneficial to the environment, but are there existing problems with green energy?
Here are some problems with green energy:
High initial set up cost
While one main benefit is that you can save money by using green energy sources in the long run, the initial set up costs are very high.
The required technology is more expensive than the traditional generators used for energy.
In some areas, you may find that the government offers financial incentives to help reduce the initial set up costs.
These energy sources, though they are renewable, aren’t available all the time.
The sun isn’t out at night, some days are windier than others and it’s not rainy all the time during the year.
In fact, some days have heavy rainfall whereas other days do not.
Some parts of the world experience severe drought. So the availability of the resources is very intermittent.
Storage of energy
Due to the fact that the energy sources are as intermittent as they are, there is a need to store energy as it is produced.
At present, with the use of modern technology, we are able to store the energy but there remains a disadvantage of the cost.
It is expensive. As time goes by and as technology progresses, there may be more options for storing energy at a cheaper cost.
Geographical location
Within the United States of America alone, there are different climates in all the states.
The layout of the land is different in certain areas. The availability of particular energy sources is compromised due to this fact.
For instance, in areas where there are tall buildings and lots of shady areas, using solar power will be a challenge if not, impossible.
However, if there was a large piece of open land, wind turbines would fit in perfectly there and using solar power will be most appropriate.
This clearly poses a disadvantage to individuals mainly because of their geographical location and the climates.
Environmental effects
In areas where solar and wind power can be used, a large amount of land will be required.
In addition to that, the materials needed to set up wind turbines can turn out to be toxic, such as heavy metals.
Wind turbines need to be constructed to facilitate its accumulation of natural and green energy and some of the materials needed are steel, concrete, and other industrial materials.
Another environmental concern is the disposal of wind turbines after they have served their purpose and can no longer function.
So you see, while there are major benefits, there seems to be some drawbacks or problems with green energy.