What Is The Main Energy Source That Drives Global Climate?

The Earth receives constant solar energy of 173,000 terawatts (trillions of watts). That is over 10,000 times the amount of energy used globally. We will effectively have limitless access to power as soon as we create effective devices to capture and store this energy. Nearly every place on Earth has access to solar energy. So what is the main energy source that drives global climate? The correct answer is the Sun.

Although the Sun can affect Earth’s climate, it is not to blame for the recent warming trend. The Sun helps keep the world warm enough for all life on Earth to survive.

How Can the Sun’s Energy Help in Preventing Further Climate Change?

Our sun is a renewable energy source that produces solar energy.

We will always have access to solar energy because the sun will continue to release energy as long as it shines.

Clean and renewable energy sources do not release any damaging greenhouse gases, in contrast to burning fossil fuels.

As early as the seventh century B.C., people started lighting fires using solar energy by reflecting sunlight off of dazzling things.

We are searching for another alternate, sustainable, and renewable energy source because of the depletion of fossil resources.

The sun produces far more energy each day than is required to power the entire planet.

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that can power the earth for millions of years because we can never run out of the light that our sun produces.

One of the greatest and most important inventions of the 20th century, renewable energy has several advantages, especially when compared to the negative impacts of burning fossil fuels.

A new era of eco-friendly technology began with the development of an alternative energy source to conventional fossil fuels.

We could eliminate our carbon footprints thanks to renewable energy sources while still being able to power all of our essential devices.

Due to greenhouse gas emissions and the depletion of fossil fuels, the globe is warming.

Solar (photovoltaic, solar thermal), natural gas, geothermal, low-impact hydroelectricity, wind, and different emerging technologies based on wave and tidal power continue to be the most prevalent types of renewable energy sources.

Despite the drive to increase renewable sources to keep up with the world’s rising energy consumption, some people still struggle to recognize the advantages of renewables.

Renewable energy provides many advantages for society and the production of clean electricity.

What is Renewable Energy?

The energy derived from nature is clean and renewable.

These resources are plentiful and replenish themselves naturally based on weather conditions, including wind, rain, waves, geothermal heat, and tides.

Renewable energy cannot run out and does not cause climate change or global warming.

However, not everyone has access to renewable energy.

For example, not all areas of the planet have access to tidal energy, biomass, or geothermal power (or heat).

Contrarily, everyone can access solar and wind energy thanks to power-generating solar panels and modest wind turbines.

What Types of Renewable Energy Sources Are There?

The most widely used renewable energy sources are hydroelectric, solar, and wind.

However, you should know most renewable energy depends either directly or indirectly on sunshine.

The heat of the sun propels winds and generates power in wind turbines.

Water then evaporates because of the heat of the sun and the wind, creating water vapor, which eventually turns into rain.

Rainfall creates streams and rivers where hydroelectric power is produced.

Let us now examine the three different renewable energy resources while keeping these few suggestions in mind.

We will use energy from the sun, wind, and water.

Besides this, we also have biomass and geothermal energy as alternative sustainable energy sources.

Solar Power

Today, solar energy is without a doubt the most widely used green energy since it is the most dependable and accessible.

Photovoltaic cells and solar thermal capture are the two fundamental ways to harvest solar energy (solar panels)

In solar utility systems, we often produce a lot of electricity using the solar thermal method.

On the other hand, photovoltaic systems are used in small-scale electrical initiatives, such as the installation of solar panels on homes.

Wind Energy

National Geographic claims that people have been using wind power for almost 7,000 years.

The amount of wind energy used globally in 2018 was 4.4 percent, and it supplied 11.6 percent of all the electricity used in the EU.

Many nations today, like the US, UK, Germany, China, and Germany, substantially rely on wind energy.

Wind turbines with rotating blades, similar to those found in aircraft propellers, are required to generate wind power.

The quantity of power generated by wind, according to IRENA, depends on the size of the turbine and its blades.

Anytime there is air movement, the blades rotate and produce power.

We typically place the enormous turbines at locations with strong wind patterns.

Hydropower

Water in motion has enough energy to light up entire nations and major cities.

With over 2,000 facilities, the US has led the world in dam construction during the past century.

According to National Geographic, they are now the second-largest hydropower producer in the world, right after China.

Moving on, hydropower production begins with solar energy, as already indicated.

Water reservoirs with valves or gates to regulate the amount of water flowing out of the reservoir are a common element in hydroelectric power plants.

Before the water overflows the top of the dam or cascades below, it gains potential energy.

The potential energy converts to kinetic energy as the water flows downward.

Following that, the water is used to turn the turbine blades, producing power.

Hydroelectric energy is unquestionably here to stay as long as the earth has sufficient water supplies from the rains.

Is Solar Power the Solution for Developing Countries?

Investors frequently divide nations into groups according to their state of economic growth.

Compared to developed countries, a developing country has a lower economic output.

That there is no agreed-upon definition for the term shows that there has been considerable disagreement on where to draw the line between developed and developing nations.

The United Nations has some standards for classifying nations as developed or developing.

Using terms like “low-income” or “lower-middle-income,” which are based on gross national income (GNI) per person, the World Bank has taken the place of this language.

It is considerably simpler to have policy talks about allocating funds to underdeveloped nations when countries are categorized into these groups.

Organizations classify nations using a variety of criteria.

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are among the countries that are rapidly emerging and have exceptionally fast-growing economies (BRICS).

Here, we point out that the words “first,” “second,” and “third world” are prejudiced and convey the sense that established countries are good (civilized) while developing ones are not.

As we have already discussed the BRICS nations, we must point out that they are all very huge nations with millions of citizens living in both urban and rural locations.

However, not all places have access to electricity.

Most developing nations currently make significant investments in the manufacture of solar panels.

Where Do Developing Countries Get Their Electricity?

Rural areas in many developing nations frequently lack access to electricity and water.

For instance, South Africa has a 58,095 MW total energy generation capacity, which is primarily coal-based.

Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia are among the nations that receive electricity exports from this nation.

Over 500 million people in Africa do not have access to power, as only 10% of people on the African continent are connected to the electrical grid.

In Northeast Africa’s South Sudan, where only 7% of the population had access to electricity in 2019, the situation is dire.

And with that, we have answered the question of why solar energy is a viable option for underdeveloped nations.

Rural locations in underdeveloped countries can establish substantial solar farms.

What Are the Advantages of Using Renewable Energy Resources?

1. Renewable Energy Creates Jobs

The development of new jobs is one of the major social benefits of producing power from renewable sources.

Nearly 10 million jobs are being supported by wind turbines and solar panel installations.

The sector of renewable energy grows in employment each year.

The globe is increasingly concentrating on making efforts to lessen its carbon footprint in the atmosphere.

The market for renewable energy will expand significantly, adding to the number of jobs worldwide.

The employment opportunities produced by renewable energy are very diverse.

They span the marketing, production, installation, and sales spectrums.

The renewable energy industry is far more inclusive because of these jobs.

There is work for everyone to undertake while the global civilization transitions from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy, which requires a variety of talents.

2. Renewable Energy is a Major Economy Boost

The clear economic advantages of renewable energy are another advantage.

Nearly a third of the fossil fuel produced in Saudi Arabia is used to run homes and businesses there.

The idea of a less priced, more efficient power generation technology is a tempting proposition.

The maintenance requirements for renewable energy sources are minimal, and we can safely store any extra energy that is produced for later use.

Energy conservation reduces the cost of power production to the absolute minimum.

In addition, the renewable energy industry in the US received investments of roughly $13 billion.

According to UCS research, the 25 by 2025 strategy would generate over $263.4 billion in economic activity.

The renewable energy industry will also have a knock-on impact that will eventually result in tax revenue for the federal government and local governments.

At this moment, the economic benefits of renewable energy can only be predicted; nobody can predict what the industry will create over the course of the next ten years.

3. Renewable Energy is Affordable

One of the biggest benefits of renewable energy is that it is inexpensive.

It costs a lot of money to operate wind turbines and solar power plants.

However, once the plants generate electricity, maintenance and manufacturing costs drop dramatically.

The price of the power produced is stable because the cost of producing electricity is comparatively low and because clean energy technology uses free fuels.

Clean energy production is not vulnerable to price changes like fossil fuel production is.

As we develop new technology, the price of electricity generated in clean energy facilities has been declining and will do so in the future.

The cost of wind is an excellent illustration of this.

4. Renewable Energy is a Healthy Option

Renewable energy also has health benefits for people and the environment besides economic ones.

The air is significantly safer to breathe everywhere when the pollutants from coal and natural gas plants are removed.

By switching to renewable energy, we can lower our risk of developing cancer, respiratory infections, heart attacks, and other conditions that are caused either directly or indirectly by the pollution that ordinary fossil fuels generate.

According to a Harvard University study, the annual cost of coal alone on public health is above 74.6 billion.

Substantial production facilities’ reliance on coal and gas, which are significant air and water pollutants, can be reduced through the use of renewable energy sources.

They are both safe and hygienic because solar, wind and other renewable energy sources produce almost no waste.

5. Renewable Energy Will Help Save The Planet

Renewable energy is the best option for the environment given the problem of global warming.

Humans overburden the environment with carbon dioxide through production and various emissions, which trap heat and contribute to global warming.

We have seen a sharp rise in storms, torrential downpours, and, of course, a great deal of heat because of these climate changes.

The good news is that nature can mend itself if humanity makes a conscientious effort.

There is absolutely no better method to accomplish this than through utilizing renewable energy sources.

6. Renewable Energy Is Reliable

Because of its high reliability and cheap maintenance costs, renewable energy is incredibly simple to cope with any damage that may arise.

Major renewable energy companies use distributed and modular systems to create electricity.

Distributed systems cover massive areas, whereas modular systems comprise unique solar or wind installations.

Renewable energy systems do not rely on other grid components, such as coal or hydroelectric power plants, to produce electricity.

This is especially helpful in areas with natural calamities.

The renewable energy industry is incredibly adaptable and ready to handle any situations that may happen because any damages may be repaired at a low cost.

Hurricane Sandy serves as an excellent illustration of the dependability of renewable energy suppliers because it damaged fossil fuel power plants but had little effect on the nearby renewable energy projects, which could still produce electricity.

Because it does not rely on any resources that are in short supply to generate electricity, renewable energy is also incredibly dependable.

Most fossil-fuel-powered plants need water to cool the power-generating equipment.

However, renewable energy plants do not need a lot of water for cooling, which is another important benefit of using solar panels.

This makes the plants a better alternative in most ways, besides the storage capacity of several renewable energy facilities.

7. Renewable Energy Is Inexhaustible

Renewable energy sources can never run out.

The energy source is unending because renewable energy depends on independent components.

Because the world never runs out of things like bright skies, flowing water, wind, and plant materials, renewal energy is limitless.

Although they do not currently account for a sizable portion of the energy sector, having an energy source that does not significantly harm the atmosphere will become crucial given the consequences of global warming on the world.

There is little doubt that fossil fuels will eventually run out, and as they do, their price will rise.

Without the choice of renewable energy, the price of electricity could skyrocket.

8. Renewable Energy Can Operate Independently

Renewable energy has the drawback of being weather-dependent.

However, it also grants homes and communities energy independence.

Individuals no longer have to rely on a national grid system to supply electricity; they can now meet their own energy needs.

This is a welcome advantage in places where it is difficult to deliver or receive an energy source because of the weather or general climate.

Individuals can generate and store a sizable amount of energy to use when they cannot access power from a national source, eliminating the need to rely on electrical providers.

The world’s more advanced grid systems use grid systems that send surplus energy to a primary grid, allowing the owners of renewable energy sources to profit from the energy that is paid to the primary grid.

Owning independent power systems is not an arduous task for homeowners because putting up a renewable energy source inside a home is not a substantial issue for them.

Your home can generate its own electricity if you install solar panels while batteries enable storage of extra energy during less sun-friendly weather.

9. Renewable Energy is Eco-Friendly

If you appreciate nature, you know that using renewable energy enables you to contribute to the maintenance of the ecosystem.

Renewable energy has no negative effects on the natural ecosystem, in contrast to the more conventional energy generation system.

For instance, we once thought dams were essential for producing hydroelectric electricity.

This was undeniable, but in more recent times, the ecosystem damage caused by damming rivers and diverting water flow impacted the animals that depended on the rivers’ flow.

Renewable energy sources are the solution for those who care more about nature.

Solar and wind power are no longer the only sources of renewable energy.

We can produce hydroelectric power using new renewable energy sources like wave and tidal technologies without harming the ecologies of important rivers and other bodies of water.

Over 500 megawatts of marine renewable energy are now produced, which is a promising sign that with the correct investments, much more energy may be produced.

10. Renewable Energy Can Be a Supplementary Power Source

The extra electricity produced by wind energy is a side benefit of renewable energy.

The amount of electricity produced by wind in the world increased from 23,900 megawatts in 2201 to 539,000 megawatts in 2017.

These astounding figures have the potential to increase the power deficit in the energy sector.

These kinds of renewable energy initiatives are helpful in producing enough energy to meet the needs of a growing population.

A closer look at renewable energy and how the industry functions will ultimately show that this kind of energy resolves significant and far-reaching issues that we as a species confront.

The solution to finding clean, healthy, and environmentally friendly power is renewable energy.

Final Thoughts

Besides saving the earth, adopting a global strategy to advance renewable energy technologies could be considered the next step in human evolution.

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced thanks to renewable energy, which will also help the planet’s sustainability.

We can employ a clean energy source that does not produce greenhouse gas emissions to power our world by converting the energy from the sun.

The damaging pollutants we produce cause pollution and climate change, including carbon dioxide.

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that can be used anywhere in the world to provide power at a reasonable cost.

The sun generates enough energy to supply all the world’s energy demands, thus its power cannot be diminished.

Solar energy, solar-powered homes, and solar-powered vehicles are the future of the electricity-producing sector and of the entire planet.