The Case for Renewable Energy

New Delhi, One of the most debated topics today is the future scenario of energy use. The focus is now on a range of technologies that are expected to emerge in the coming years and decades. There is universal recognition of the fact that new technologies and much greater use of some that already exist provide the most hopeful prospects for mitigation of emissions of gases that threatens our planet.

The good news, experts agree, is that renewable energy can deliver half of the world’s energy needs by 2050.Some reports show that it is economically feasible to cut global CO2 emissions by almost 50% within the next 43 years. They also agree that commercial production of renewable energy on large to massive scales is technically possible.

Alongside global warming, other challenges have become just as pressing. Worldwide energy demand is growing at a staggering rate. Over-reliance on energy imports from a few

countries and volatile oil and gas prices have together pushed security of energy supply to the top of the global energy-economy agenda.

Renewable energy is not a dream for the future – it is real, mature and can be deployed on a large scale. Decades of technological progress have seen renewable energy technologies such

as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels, biomass power plants and solar thermal collectors move steadily into the mainstream. The global market for renewable energy is growing dramatically; in 2006 its turnover was US$ 38 billion, 26% more than the previous year.

Supplies of all fossil fuels – oil, gas and coal – are becoming scarcer and more expensive to produce. Uranium, the fuel for nuclear power, is also a finite resource. By contrast, the reserves of renewable energy that are technically accessible globally are large enough to provide about six times more energy than the world currently consumes – forever.

Renewable energy technologies vary widely in their technical and economic maturity, but there are a range of sources which offer increasingly attractive options. These sources include wind, biomass, photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal, ocean and hydroelectric power. Their common feature is that they produce little or no greenhouse gases, and rely on virtually

inexhaustible natural sources for their “fuel”.

The forecast is that by 2050, 50% of primary energy demand in India will be covered by renewable energy sources.

Source: ‘Energy [R]evolution: A sustainable India Energy Outlook’

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