The renewable energy projects are failing to receive the same degree of support from the financial community and the government that nuclear does because they do not offer the same type of energy production. What I mean by this is that Biomass (although renewable) requires burning products that can impact the air quality, Geothermal is more readily available in seismically active areas (i.e. not easily accessible everywhere), Wind only works in areas with prevailing wind (and even then is subject to the weather), and Solar only works during the daytime (and times of non-inclement weather). Whereas, Nuclear can offer a long term, continuous, semi-clean, low cost solution in any area that it is built. That all being said, I believe that the only way we can obtain and maintain our clean-energy independence is to adopt all forms of renewable technologies.
To focus on two of the main renewable energy projects, I think the largest issue with mass adoption of Wind and Solar has to do with the periods of weather (including nights) than hinder production. With that said, I personally see a need for someone to develop a large scale energy storage device that could capture excess energy produced and help spread out the energy distribution to offer continuous energy production regardless of the time of day or weather. This would help make Wind and Solar a well-rounded solution, thus improving their image as a reliable form of energy production.
Hi Cheri,
I really enjoyed your post and you did a great job of summarizing some of the logistical barriers facing some of the renewable energy options. I also completely agree that we need to “adopt all forms of renewable technologies” in order to have an energy portfolio that works well, is sustainable, and provides the energy security that is necessary. As you point out, one of the keys to fully embracing these renewable energy options is going to be storage. Without it, we can potentially cause more problems than we solve and may have other environmental issues down the road that we cannot begin to understand just yet.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Jennifer
(http://engr312.dutton.psu.edu/2014/09/09/renewable-energy-niche-opportunities/)
Hi Cheri,
I enjoyed reading your post and feel that anyone can read your post and understand why nuclear has the advantage over all types of renewable energy! You are exactly right, renewable simply can’t keep up with nuclear energy. I enjoyed reading your niche idea and also agree that there is a need for mass storage and distribution. This technology would greatly advance the renewable energy sector. Thank you for writing a well thought out post and organizing it in a simplified manner.
Katie Loyd
Great post! I think you did an awesome job in comparing the different types of renewable resources and you can really understand in your post why nuclear has so much more support. Though I do think the other resources get support I think it is more focused on specific areas like residential or commercial rather than a whole (if that makes sense!). I agree that nuclear is the best solution to reduce our non-renewable energy consumption and reduce pollution given our current situation. Thanks for sharing!