Renewable Energy with Benefits & Drawback

Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished.  This includes sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass.  This energy cannot be exhausted and is constantly renewed.
Benefits of Renewable Energy:

• Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies
• Renewable energy never runs out. Other sources of energy are finite and will someday be depleted.
• Most renewable energy investments are spent on materials and workmanship to build and maintain the facilities, rather than on costly energy imports. Renewable energy investments are usually spent within the U.S.; frequently in the same state; and often in the same county. This means your energy dollars stay home to create jobs and to fuel local economies, rather than going overseas. Meanwhile, renewable energy technologies developed and built in the U.S. are being sold overseas, improving the U.S. trade deficit.
• In the last few decades, our nation has increased its dependence on foreign oil supplies instead of decreasing it. This impacts more than just our national energy policy. Our nations energy security continues to be threatened by our dependency on fossil fuels. These conventional energy sources are vulnerable to: political instabilities; trade disputes; embargoes and other disruptions.

Drawbacks of Renewable Energy

It is easy to recognize the environmental advantages of utilizing the alternative and renewable forms of energy but we must also be aware of the disadvantages.

One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. This may mean that we need to reduce the amount of energy we use or simply build more energy facilities. It also indicates that the best solution to our energy problems may be to have a balance of many different power sources.

Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost.