Renewable Energy: Current State, Enablers, and Barriers

Table of Contents

Introduction
Problem
Sustainability
Current state
Renewable Grid Enablers
Economic Barriers
Social and Political Barriers
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The ideas of climate change have been at the center of major debates in recent years. Despite the evident signs of ongoing transformations on a global scale, some people deny its presence. Nevertheless, both personal and expert experiences suggest that climate change is the reality of the 21^st century. While some of its aspects may be conditioned by natural processes, the contribution of humanity remains strong. More specifically, global warming, instigated by the increasing production and industrial activities, poses major reasons for concern. In this regard, developed societies come to realize that they cannot sacrifice the future of the planet through the reckless use of its resources. Thus, the concept of sustainability takes a central role in the global discussion.

Problem

Energy sector is one of the vital industries for all of humanity. It fuels other segments of the economy, as well as the households of each nations residents. However, it also accounts for one of the largest contributions to the climate change. Powerful carbon-based generators emit pollutants in the atmosphere whereas the increasing consumption and production of energy contribute to the global warming. Within the framework of sustainability, green alternatives to traditional sources of energy are actively promoted. However, a question arises of whether the existing green solutions can meet the humanitys demand and become the leading format by 2030-2040.

Sustainability

The observed interest to the development and implementation of green renewable energy aligns with the current pursuit of sustainability on all levels. The concept itself remains one of the central themes of todays political and business discussions. Most of humanity now realizes that it cannot blindly pursue progress and development if the current actions may deplete the resources of future generations. This principle serves as the foundation of the entire notion of sustainability. These ideas are embedded in the main documents that regulate climate initiatives, namely the UNs Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

Current state

Following the surge in sustainability trends, more states opt for green energy research and implementations. As such, the use of green electricity practices has equally been on an increase in the 21^st century. However, while new solutions are created and embedded in energy grids, carbon and nuclear energy continue to represent the vast majority. Even though the intensity of energy use has equally been reduced, it is not yet possible to state major shifts in the global paradigm. At present, the share of green energy is not sufficient, but most sustainable development initiatives promote major transformation by the period between 2030 and 2040.

Renewable Grid Enablers

Many experts and scholars believe that these ambitious goals are, in fact, feasible for the humanity. Indeed, renewable energy is a perfectly viable format with a lot of potential. Moreover, Bhowmik et al. find the current environment highly favorable for such a transition (796). More specifically, the pace of the technological progress creates new opportunities for generating energy out of renewable sources. Next, todays society is highly globalized, leading to a better circulation of positive ideas. Sustainability is a widespread concept that remains in the spotlight of the global community, introducing a positive role model for nations.

Economic Barriers

However, the path to fully renewable energy is not clear of all obstacles. The noble purpose of sustainable practices often casts a shadow on the economic aspect of the matter at hand. The research by Aghahosseini et al. shows major cost-related risks of inefficient models of green energy. The development of modern industries revolves around a certain level of consumption that is necessary to sustain the community. The prospects of renewable grids remain vague, as the potential selection is broad, varying, for example, from fully centralized to complete autonomous patterns. Moreover, it may be wiser to rely on hybrid schemes of energy production.

In addition, the social and political aspects of the green energy production are to be discussed. The rapid transition to fully renewable practices remains a reason for many peoples concern, as they fear that the global community will not have the required time to adjust to a new system. Furthermore, it is questionable whether green technologies are even suitable to meet the public demand for energy. For some, the abandonment of traditional formats evokes association with slowing the progress in favor of sustainability. In this context, it is vital to devise the policies that will address the concerns. Otherwise, unless the transition is global, its effect will not be as strong and positive as it could.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the pursuit of sustainability remains the global trend across various industries. For the energy sector, the pressure is particularly strong due to its immense environmental impact. The implementation of green and renewable grids on a larger scale is likely to yield major improvements in this regard. However, the barriers to such a transition cannot be ignored even for such a noble purpose. It is vital to consider all perspective to alleviate the risks for organizations and residents. Otherwise, the shift to renewable energy may result in larger cost and lesser effectiveness of the global power grid.

References

Aghahosseini, Arman et al. Analysing the Feasibility of Powering the Americas with Renewable Energy and Inter-Regional Grid Interconnections by 2030. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 105, 2019, pp. 187-205.
Bhowmik, Chiranjib et al. Optimal Green Energy Planning for Sustainable Development: A Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 71, 2017, pp. 796 813.
Kaufman, Leslie. Is 100% Renewable Energy Feasible? New Paper Argues for a Different Target. Inside Climate News. 2017. Web.
Sarkodie, Samuel Asumadu et al. Econometrics of Anthropogenic Emissions, Green Energy-Based Innovations, and Energy Intensity across OECD Countries. Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 8, 2021, pp. 1 18.