Alright, listen up!
Let me tell you about the challenges of renewable energy.
It might be a tough voyage like a pirate’s adventure, but let’s overcome it together!
1 Impact on the Natural Environment
The first challenge is the impact on the natural environment.
Renewable energy is said to be environmentally friendly, but it’s not that simple.
For example, when installing solar panels on a large scale, forests might be cleared.
This would take away the habitats of animals.
Wind turbines for wind power might also interfere with the flight paths of birds.
To give a specific example, in a certain region in Japan, the construction of a mega-solar (large-scale solar power plant) threatened to destroy precious nature.
Local people started a protest movement, and the development was finally halted.
2 Unstable Power Generation
The next problem is the instability of power generation.
It’s like a pirate ship’s voyage, dependent on the wind.
Solar power can’t generate electricity at night, and on cloudy or rainy days, the power generation drops significantly.
Wind power can’t generate electricity without wind.
This means stable power supply can’t be guaranteed.
For example, in Germany, the proportion of renewable energy has increased, but the power generation fluctuates greatly depending on the weather, causing problems with the stability of the power grid.
3 High Costs
The third challenge is the cost.
It still costs a lot to create renewable energy facilities.
It takes a lot of money to install and maintain solar panels and wind turbines.
Additionally, developing technology to improve power generation efficiency also costs money.
In Japan, there’s a system called the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) for renewable energy, which is added to electricity bills and borne by us consumers.
The surcharge for fiscal year 2022 was 3.45 yen per kWh.
(The average annual electricity consumption for a typical household is said to be about 3,000 kWh, so the annual burden is 10,350 yen.)
4 Location Restrictions
The fourth problem is the restriction on installation locations.
It’s as frustrating as having a treasure map but not being able to get there.
Solar power requires large areas of land, and wind power needs windy places.
Geothermal power also needs locations with geothermal resources.
In a country with limited land like Japan, finding suitable locations is difficult.
For example, offshore wind power is promising, but it requires coordination with fishing rights and there are concerns about the impact on the landscape.
5 Low Energy Density
The fifth problem is the low energy density.
It’s like trying to get a lot of treasure out of a small treasure chest.
Renewable energy requires a large area to obtain the same amount of energy compared to oil, coal, or nuclear power.
Therefore, large-scale power generation requires vast areas of land.
6 Burden on the Power Grid
The last problem is the burden on the power grid.
It might be similar to balancing the cargo on a pirate ship.
The power generation of renewable energy fluctuates with the weather, making it difficult to integrate into the power grid.
If the power generation suddenly increases or decreases, the quality of electricity can deteriorate, and in the worst case, it can cause blackouts.
For example, in Germany, the proportion of renewable energy has increased so much that they are struggling to maintain the stability of the power grid.
In Japan, Kyushu Electric Power has had to increase the number of days when they control the output of solar power (stop generation).
7 Conclusion
So, these are the main challenges of renewable energy.
Impact on the environment, unstable power generation, high costs, location restrictions, low energy density, and burden on the power grid.
But we shouldn’t give up on renewable energy just because of these problems.
Rather, solving these problems one by one is our adventure.
With technological advances and collective wisdom, we can surely overcome them.
Renewable energy is like a lighthouse illuminating our future course.
Even with problems, overcoming them will lead to a brighter future.
Let’s sail the seas of renewable energy together!
Ah-ha-ha-ha!
(Note)
This treasure map was obtained by asking the magic box.
But the route shown by the magic box is not always correct.
Make sure to verify important information with your own eyes!
I hope this information is useful, cheers! Ah-ha-ha-ha!
