Energy, in the context our blog, refers to the electrical energy we use to charge batteries, among many other uses. This power could come from any of the renewable and non-renewable energies available. Although it makes sense to use renewable energy that does not affect our climate.
The Main Sources of Renewable Energy
The main sources of renewable energy come from natural processes that repeat indefinitely. We could continue charging batteries from wind, sunlight, gravity and flowing water, forever.
We would also need less electrical energy to retrieve those resources, compared to say coal or gas. This means putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, compared to non-renewable energies.
We could, therefore, make a strong case that using renewable over non-renewable energies, is a socially responsible thing. So the big question is, why don’t we do this now?
Is this a case of bad habits sticking, resistance to change, or the power of big money? Batteries are ready to store renewable energy around the clock. It’s a cheaper option. We just need to do it.
Primary Non-Renewable Energy Resources
Non-renewable energy resources exist in limited quantities deep down within the Earth. They formed millions of years ago from fossil remains of primitive trees and plants. We could possibly replace them, but how long would that take?
The truth of the matter is we could not replace them within a meaningful human timeline. We might therefore be short-sighted, if we continued using those limited resources recklessly. Besides, extracting and using them adds a huge amount of carbon-dioxide to Earth’s atmosphere.
The most common, non-renewable energy resources we still largely use to charge batteries, come from deep in the Earth’s surface. They include coal, natural gas, oil, and petroleum, and all come from the fossilized remains of ancient plants.
Nuclear energy is also non-renewable in a sense. It comes from an abundant mineral, uranium, that we take from the Earth. Nuclear power adds a large amount of carbon-dioxide to our atmosphere during the construction phase. After that, it is a clean energy source, provided we treat it carefully.
Which do you think is the best electrical energy source? Renewable energy with batteries, nuclear energy, or non-renewable energy from ancient plants? Perhaps a combination would be the best at this stage …
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The Case for Renewable Energy Storage
