How much is the UK and the rest of the world really investing in renewable energy? Climate change campaigners, organisations and scientists argue that there is still more work to be done and that the need for coordinated action is greater than ever, as global warming remains on the international agenda.
Investment in the renewable energy sector is a topic where opinion and bias can easily blur fact, meaning that the real innovations and challenges surrounding the energy industry can become overlooked. Paint Inspection prides itself on the work we do for the renewable energy industry and have put together an infographic with just some of the statistics surrounding the renewable energy in the UK and beyond.
We’ve also included some input from key industry experts on the future of renewables:
What the Experts Say….
Nedeljko Haluzan – Renewables-Info
Renewable energy will rule the world in years to come. Here are the reasons why:
- Positive environmental impact is certainly one of the top reasons. Fossil fuels when burn create harmful greenhouse gas emissions that have significantly contributed to global warming phenomenon. Using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels could help to significantly decrease the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The boost to economy in form of new jobs. The number of people employed within the renewable energy industry continues to grow, and this gives many countries an excellent option to boost their economies in this post-recession period.
- Less foreign oil import. The global oil market has become extremely volatile and our dependence on oil continues to grow. With more emphasis on renewable energy and using domestic renewable energy sources instead of importing foreign oil we would drastically improve our energy security and energy independence.
- The variety of options. Renewable energy offers variety of different options to choose from as countries can choose between sun, wind, biomass, geothermal energy, water resources, etc.
- Excellent potential of renewable energy resources. Our sun for instance has almost unlimited potential. Wind, geothermal, biomass – all of these sources have excellent potential to satisfy our energy needs.
- Renewable energy can help in electrification of many rural areas in developing world. In many rural areas renewable energy is cheaper energy option to satisfy energy needs compared to traditional energy solutions.
- Renewable energy can also help improve political ties between countries by sharing technological know-how. Some large renewable energy projects could even be joined works of two or more different countries.
Jim Gunshinan– Home Energy
“There is a concern among advocates of home energy efficiency that renewable energy might allow people to continue being high energy users while offsetting all their energy use by putting bigger and bigger PV panels on their roofs. In other words, maintaining what is in the long run an unsustainable lifestyle and thinking it is a virtue.
Another, perhaps bigger, concern is that homeowners who depend on technology to maintain a certain lifestyle will ignore the other benefits of energy efficiency and home performance. Weatherizing a home in the right way makes the home energy and water efficient, healthy to live in, affordable, and durable. Energy use is only part of the equation, albeit the one most people think of first.
Jeane Manning – Changing Power
“As a long-time (30+ years) researcher of non-conventional alternative clean energy technologies, I predict that the well-known standard renewables—such as solar and wind power—will have their day as the world moves away from carbon fuels and wakes up to the folly of nuclear fission.
The solar sector especially will always have customers for its technologies. However, Alternative Energy 3.0 will involve the non-conventional truly clean technologies such as harnessing the power of magnetism.”
Salman Zafar – BioEnergy Consult
“Renewable energies are there to stay. The share of renewable energy in national energy mix of developed as well as developing world is increasing with each passing day.
The need of the hour is to formulate an integrated renewable energy policy so that all major alternative energy technologies – solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, tidal – are given due importance and respect across the world.”
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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