The Future of Sustainable Energy
Our world is suffering, and we feel it every day. Typhoons are destroying cities, icebergs melting by the dozens, and animals being relocated because of the increasing wrath of nature. Businesses are disrupted, more viruses are being discovered, and our very immune systems are being sabotaged.
If there is one thing environmental science has taught us, nature knows how to fight back, and it’s a battle we can’t win because, truthfully, we lack essential resources to survive. So, transitioning to renewable and sustainable energy is crucial to our survival.
Transitioning to Renewable Energy
Sustainable energy is becoming the talk of the century, and for a good reason: we are running out of fossil fuels. We all know that most traditional ways we obtain energy are limited. Conservative estimations suggest that we will run out of fossil fuels by 2060. Less conservative estimates indicate that we would run out by early as 2040, about twenty years from now. From the way we use fossil fuels, it seems that the latter estimation looks more probable.
This is why the transition to renewable energy is so crucial to our survival, because not only does it hinder fossil fuels from completely running out, but because they’re an infinite source of energy. The good news is that sustainable energy utilization is increasing every year.
The utilization of renewable energy resources increased by 26% last year, marking one of the highest increases in sustainable energy history. This means that more people are utilizing renewable energy than ever. However, it’s not only the fears of depleting fossil fuels that make people reconsider their energy choices. It’s also because it’s becoming a more viable option.
A Cheaper Option
Sustainable and renewable energies are becoming a far more viable and practical option than non-renewable forms of energy simply because they are far cheaper. As the prices of non-renewable energy continue to rise, the prices of renewable forms of energy continue to fall. For example, both onshore wind and solar energy prices reached an all-time low in 2019, costing $41 and $40 per megawatt-hour. This is compared to coal energy which is still at a stable $109 megawatt-hour. People are now making huge investments into renewable energy more than ever because it gives them more savings during the long run.
The decrease in prices is related to sustainable energy being an infinite power source. Compared to non-sustainable forms of energy, sustainable forms of energy will never run out. Furthermore, their capacities increase throughout the years, which further improves their overall efficiency.
Increasing Capacities
The way solar power is being harnessed is becoming more efficient nowadays. This means that solar panels attached to home batteries can have more impactful effects on a household. It can power all sorts of appliances for much longer. Moreover, there’s a good possibility that solar energy can now store enough energy for weeks of use. So even though during the winter, you’re never cut out of electrical power. However, it’s not only solar energy affected by this increase in capacities.
Wind energy produced from wind turbines has also increased in capacity. It’s expected that wind energy capacity would increase by a staggering 54% in 2024 and about 70% a year after that. More efficient wind energy means that it can power more neighborhoods quickly. This also means that more countries are adopting wind energy as an alternate energy source for their cities.
For example, Japan has recently started to build more offshore wind farms in their country. This is in hopes that the country will be fully sustainable by the year 2050.
Can it Save Us?
So here comes the main question: can sustainable and renewable forms of energy save us. The scientific community cumulatively agrees that yes, it can. It can also drive us to a future so bright that many predicted that we could start using sustainable forms of energy once we’ve started to live on other planets. However, it can only save us if we’re willing to make the transition.
This demands a structural change, one that requires both government and non-government sectors to join together. This means manufacturers have to start investing billions of dollars in sustainable forms of energy for their factories. The government can grant incentives to manufacturers who make the transition to sustainable energy to reduce overall costs.
Moreover, electric companies should start offering homeowners alternative and more sustainable options instead of relying on coal and other fossil fuels. These are just some of the many examples of how we can begin to save our world through sustainable energy. But the choice will always be up to you.
Meta title: Where is Sustainable Energy Heading and Can It Save Our Planet?
meta desc: Sustainable energy is paving the way for our future. However, only a few know where it’s heading. Discover what you need to know about the future of sustainable energy.
