Which Is A Possible Negative Result Of Using Renewable Energy?

Increased Costs

Implementing renewable energy sources often requires high upfront costs to build the infrastructure needed to generate clean energy. According to Forbes, construction costs for wind and solar projects rose over 20% in 2022 due to supply chain disruptions and inflation. The materials, labor, and permitting required for renewable energy projects like wind farms or solar arrays can make the initial investment significantly higher than building a fossil fuel power plant.

In addition to the initial capital costs, operating and maintaining renewable energy infrastructure brings ongoing expenses. Components like solar panels and wind turbine blades require regular maintenance and replacement over the system’s lifetime. Having to purchase land for solar or wind farms is another cost consideration.

Finally, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy on a large scale necessitates major investments in modernizing the electric grid, training workers, and building storage to accommodate intermittent clean energy sources. According to the UN, an estimated $131 trillion in cumulative investment is needed globally by 2050 to fully decarbonize the energy system.

Intermittency

One of the potential negatives of renewable energy like solar and wind is that their power generation can be intermittent and inconsistent (EnergyX). Solar panels only produce energy when the sun is shining, and wind turbines only spin when the wind is blowing strongly enough. This means renewable generation can fluctuate based on weather conditions and time of day or year (Scientific American).

To deal with the intermittency of renewables, solutions like energy storage and backup power supplies may be required. Batteries and other storage can hold excess renewable energy generated at peak times for use later when generation drops. Natural gas or other dispatchable power plants may need to be kept online as backups to fill gaps when renewable output falls (BPA). However, these measures add complexity and costs to renewable energy systems.

Land Use

One potential negative impact of renewable energy sources like wind and solar is that they require large amounts of land area for installation. According to research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), solar power plants require on average between 3.5-10 acres per megawatt of electricity produced. This is significantly more land area than traditional fossil fuel power plants, which can require less than 1 acre per megawatt. Wind power also has substantial land requirements, needing 360 acres per megawatt for offshore wind farms.

The large footprint of renewable energy facilities can have detrimental impacts on natural habitats if sited improperly. The construction of solar and wind farms in previously undisturbed natural areas could result in habitat loss and fragmentation. Solar and wind projects may also compete for land with agricultural uses if sited on productive cropland or grazing land. According to research by Brookings Institute, wind and solar farms require at least 10 times more land area than fossil fuel plants per unit of energy produced. While renewable energy has climate benefits, the substantial land requirements could become a limiting factor to large-scale deployment if not properly managed.

Materials Sourcing

Transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles requires large quantities of rare earth metals and minerals. These include lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and various rare earth elements. As the Columbia Climate School reports, “Elements such as silicon, cobalt, lithium, and manganese are not rare earth elements, but are critical minerals that are also essential for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”

Increased mining for these materials leads to greater environmental impacts and hazardous waste production. As the IEA reports, “Lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite are crucial to battery performance, longevity and energy density. Rare earth elements are essential for permanent magnets that are vital for wind turbines and electric vehicle motors.”

While some studies show there are adequate global reserves of these minerals, increased mining carries risks like habitat destruction, water pollution, and long-term environmental damage. The switch to renewable energy aims to reduce emissions, but the material requirements create new sustainability challenges around mining and waste.

Grid Reliability

The decentralized and variable nature of many renewable energy sources like wind and solar can present challenges for integrating them into the existing electric grid infrastructure. Unlike traditional power plants that provide consistent baseload power, wind and solar generation fluctuates based on weather conditions and time of day. This variability can put stress on the grid and make it more difficult to balance electricity supply and demand.

According to a Department of Energy report, “Energy reliability is the ability of a power system to withstand instability, uncontrolled events, cascading failures, or unanticipated loss of system components.” As more renewables come online, grid operators have to account for greater variability in electricity supply, requiring new infrastructure investments and updated grid management practices to maintain reliability.

Some concerns around grid stability with increased renewable penetration include the risk of blackouts if supply suddenly drops, frequency fluctuations causing equipment damage, and over-generation issues when renewable output exceeds demand. However, research shows properly managed grids can successfully integrate very high levels of renewables while maintaining reliability. Strategies like interconnecting over larger geographic regions, improving weather forecasting and system visibility, using energy storage, and implementing advanced inverter technologies can help overcome grid integration challenges.

Aesthetic Impact

The visual presence of renewable energy infrastructure like wind turbines and solar panels can negatively impact the aesthetics of natural landscapes. According to a 2018 study published in ScienceDirect, “The presence of solar energy systems has increased significantly in recent years both in rural areas –in the form of solar farms–, and in urban areas as rooftop solar panel installations” (Sánchez-Pantoja, 2018). These solar farms and wind turbines introduce industrial features into landscapes that were previously untouched.

Some find the sleek and modern look of renewable energy infrastructure to be visually displeasing, especially in contrast to natural scenery. As noted in a 2022 ScienceDirect study, “The everyday aestheticisation of renewable energy infrastructures is considered a human-centred and experienced-based process” (Törnroth, 2022). Since aesthetics are subjective, local communities may oppose renewable projects that they feel degrade the appearance of the landscape they value.

Wildlife Impact

Renewable energy projects like wind turbines and solar farms can have negative impacts on wildlife habitats and ecosystems. One major concern with wind power is its effects on birds and bats. Wind turbines can injure or kill birds and bats that fly into the spinning rotor blades. According to a 2022 study, wind turbines cause between 214,000 and 364,000 bird deaths annually in the U.S. [1]. Bats are also affected, with wind turbines causing between 330,000 and 660,000 bat deaths per year [1].

In addition to direct impacts, renewable projects can disrupt ecosystems and habitats. The land cleared for wind and solar facilities fragments wildlife corridors and changes natural landscapes. Solar farms in particular require large tracts of land, impacting local flora and fauna. One 2020 study found that utility-scale solar facilities in California were linked with reductions in biodiversity and species richness [2]. Careful siting and mitigation measures can reduce the habitat disruption from renewables.

Water Usage

While renewable energy sources like solar and wind require minimal water, certain types do have significant water needs that can become a constraint. For example, geothermal power plants use water for cooling just like fossil fuel plants. According to the McKinsey report, geothermal plants consume up to 28 gallons per kWh, compared to nuclear at 0.62 gallons/kWh and coal at 0.49 gallons/kWh.

Solar PV panels require regular cleaning with water to maintain efficiency. The amount varies based on climate, but can range from 0.075 gallons/kWh in a humid climate to 1 gallon/kWh in a desert (Scientific American). While not a huge amount, it can still strain supplies in arid regions reliant on solar.

Hydropower is very water-intensive, as dams alter natural water flows. According to the IEA, reservoirs typically lose significant amounts of water to evaporation and seepage. This can reduce water availability downstream for ecosystems, agriculture, and communities.

Job Losses

The transition to renewable energy will likely lead to job losses in the fossil fuel industry. As countries move away from coal, oil and natural gas, fewer workers will be needed to extract and process these resources.

For example, a 2022 analysis by Energy Innovation projected that U.S. fossil fuel sector jobs could decline by nearly 550,000 between 2022 and 2035 if clean energy policies are enacted (Forbes). Job losses are expected to be concentrated in fossil fuel extraction rather than processing and transportation.

Workers in fossil fuel industries may need retraining and assistance transitioning to jobs in renewable energy or other fields. Investing in workforce training programs can help offset some of the negative impacts of job losses. Education and skills training will be crucial to prepare fossil fuel workers to take advantage of new employment opportunities in the green economy.

Local Opposition

One potential negative impact of renewable energy projects is local opposition from community members. Some of the main concerns raised by local opposition groups include noise, viewshed impacts, and potential reductions in property values (Source). Many renewable projects like wind and solar farms are large in scale, so they can create noise from turbine or panel operations that disturbs nearby homes. Additionally, they fundamentally alter the views and aesthetics of the natural landscape, which some find unappealing. There are also concerns from homeowners that living next to large renewable facilities could reduce their property values through these impacts.

This local opposition often manifests in “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) challenges, where community members support renewable energy in theory but oppose specific projects proposed for development near their properties (Source). Renewable energy developers frequently encounter organized opposition campaigns, petitions, lawsuits, and lobbying of local governments from NIMBY advocates. For example, in Michigan local restrictions have derailed over two dozen utility-scale renewable projects (Source). Addressing these local concerns and opposition early is crucial for renewable energy projects to succeed.