To help understand how we should sustainably power society whith enhanced individual comfort, here is an overview of the pros and cons of the main energy sources.
Don’t miss out the complementary detailed feasibility analysis of a solar powered system combined with ammonia energy storage HERE.
Fossil fuels are not sustainable and are suspected of causing global warming. It would be better to keep them as emergency energy reserves.
Nuclear fuel should be avoided due to the long-term pollution it causes and the risk of it being used as a military target or misused. Fusion energy has not yet been proven and would likely require large-scale, centralized power generation with similar associated risks.
Biomass energy generation from waste is a viable option, but the amount of biomass waste generated is not enough to provide the necessary comfort without using a lot of land that is preferably reserved for wildlife. A temporarily option would be to replace livestock crops by high energy plants like miscanthus, allowing extra energy for winter time.
Hydraulic power provides a nice source of energy and potential energy storage. However, its powering is limited to rivers’ flow and storage in mountainous lakes. Furthermore, it causes issues for wildlife migration.
Geothermal energy is somewhat risky at great depths due to risks of earthquakes, and is not really renewable if energy is only taken out. Extra heating or cooling the ground may also have side effects on aquifer.
Wave and tide energy gathering are interesting, but they are only available locally. Furthermore, the cost level and impact on the environment and lifetime have yet to be demonstrated.
Wind energy main issues are being a nuisance for natural view, and it is deemed rather costly due to movable parts, and limited lifetime.
Photovoltaic electricity generation can be globally integrated onto dwellings or verycally on agricultural lands with minimal environmental impact. However, it also has the issue of intermittency throughout the day and between seasons.
To maximize the potential of solar energy, it is essential to align the price of electricity with the amount of sunlight a region receives over a given period. This would incentivize energy-intensive industries, such as recycling, to operate during the summer months when electricity is less expensive.
Additionally, it would benefit to be combined with interseasonal energy storage. Extra energy consumption in summer would allow less stres on the grid.
We are building a feasibility analysis on using ammonia as interseasonal energy storage. The outcome seems promising at first glance.
Investing in solar facilities, short-term electricity storage, and long-term energy storage is a great way to facilitate the deployment of solar energy. However, it is critical to influence policy at the country and regional level to push for electricity prices to be indexed to the amount of sunlight the region receives.
