How Solar And Wind Energy Could Replace Fossil Fuels In The Future:

What are fossil fuels?

 

What are fossil fuels? Facts about fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are non-renewable natural resources made up of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Coal forms from dead plant matter over long periods of time, petroleum is a fossilized form of organic life, and natural gas comes from the decay of organic matter trapped in rock formations. These energy sources were formed millions of years ago when the earth was very different from today.

 

Fossil fuels are combustible geological deposits of the dead organisms termed fossil fuels. These fuels are naturally occurring substances such as coal, petroleum (includes oil and natural gas), and natural gas whose main constituent is a carbon (the key factor). The process of formation of these fossil fuels is termed fossilization.

 

 Fossil fuels were formed due to the accumulation of dead plants and animals in sedimentary layers under the surface of the earth. This process ultimately initiated the extinction of dinosaurs and ended the Cretaceous Period which was an era when the majority of such organisms lived on Earth. As the temperature and pressure increased under those layers, this caused the conversion of organic matter into more complex hydrocarbons and then released through volcanic activity. During their release, they also underwent pyrolysis that gave rise to various hydrocarbon compounds such as methane, ethane, butane, etc.

 

Let’s find out more about fossils fuels and why they are suddenly in the news.

 

Fossil fuels are organic remains of ancient plants and animals, which have been transformed into crude oil, coal, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas through a series of biological, chemical, and physical processes over a period of millions of years. Fossil fuel is being mined for its energy content, which is similar to a hydrocarbon. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change defines fossil fuel as all forms of coal, oil, and natural gas, including peat. Waste coal is also included in the definition. Additionally, derived gases such as ethane from decayed plants are also considered fossil fuels. 

What is solar energy?

 

 Solar energy, or the capture and conversion of sunlight into electricity/heat, is a fast-growing technology in the US. One in five Americans live within reach of a solar installation, and investment in new installations has risen more than 25% in 2014. These are very interesting numbers but what exactly is solar energy? What are the basics?

 

The way we use energy has been changing for a long time now, we have switched from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources because of their environmental benefits. Solar energy is one of the most popular alternative sources of energy. Using solar power is becoming more and more in some parts of the world due to much stricter enforcement of pollution control regulations.

 

Solar energy, in particular, is an attractive alternative because it doesn’t cause any pollution, which makes people think that it’s a much cleaner way of producing energy than burning coal or other fuel sources. Living in an era when the impact of climate change on the human race has become obvious, many countries have already started reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the number of alternative sources of energy available. As a result, solar power is becoming increasingly more popular – so much so it may even one day completely replace traditional fossil fuels as one of the leading sources of worldwide electricity generation.

 

How Solar And Wind Energy Could Replace Fossil Fuels In The Future:

 

Will Solar power replace fossil fuels? The answer is yes!

 

 You might be surprised that our current sources of energy could potentially be replaced with solar and wind technology. Currently, renewable resources are being used at a very slow pace. This is mainly because of the belief in the durability of fossils fuels. So will solar replace fossil fuels in the future?

 

Solar and wind energy could replace fossil fuels in the future. Here's a Simple Diagram By Keppler Helping Us To See How The Energy From Sun And Wind Could Replace Fossil Fuels On Our Planet.

 

Despite the rapid advancements in solar and wind energy technologies, fossil fuels are still king. They’re cheap, reliable, and provide power for most of the world’s population. But this would be changed in the upcoming years. The cost of installing solar panels continues to drop as we discover better technology. And wind turbines are getting taller and larger to improve efficiency. What if we could replace fossil fuels with clean, cheap, and renewable sources of energy? Could we power our world without causing global warming?

 

Solar and wind are becoming more popular for energy, but are they ready to replace fossil fuels?

 

The solar energy industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade.

 

In 2006, it only made up 0.1% of the world's electricity production, but by 2016, it was 1.3%.

 

The growth of solar power is expected to continue, especially with innovations like the floating solar power plant in China.

 

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar energy could account for 27% of the world's electricity generation by 2050.

 

Wind power is also growing rapidly and it could also be used to generate 27% of the world's electricity by 2050.

 

The amount of solar electricity generated in the United States was 1,927-gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2011, and increased to 7,362 GWh by the end of 2016. That's an increase of 284 percent in just five years!

 

But how does that compare to fossil fuels? The good news is that global coal consumption actually decreased for the second year in a row. In fact, coal consumption has been on a downward trend since 2013.

 

For now, coal may still be used more than solar power worldwide. But that doesn't mean that solar power doesn't have great potential for growth.

 

Solar and wind power are on the rise. While solar power has received the most attention, wind power is making advancements as well.

 

Wind turbines can produce electricity without emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that wind could provide more than 20% of the world's electricity supply by 2030 if governments adopt policies to favor renewable energy over fossil fuels. Wind power is also cost-competitive with natural gas in many parts of the country.

 

Renewable Energy Sources

 

The two most common types of renewable energy sources are solar and wind.

 

Solar Energy:

Solar energy is generated by capturing the sun's rays. The solar power is then converted into either thermal or electrical energy. Solar panels are commonly used to harness the sun's energy and turn it into electrical power. . This process is called the Photovoltaic effect. The photons (light particles) from the sun hit the solar panels and knock electrons loose from their atoms, generating direct current electricity. This electricity can then be used for heating, lighting, ventilation, and cooling systems in homes or businesses. Solar water heaters use sunlight to heat water which is circulated through a series of pipes and tubes.

 

Wind Energy:

 

Wind Energy works by converting wind into electrical power through wind turbines. When wind moves across blades on a turbine, it causes them to rotate around a rotor which produces electricity using an electric generator. The electricity produced can be stored in an electric battery or sent directly to the grid.

 

Renewable energy is increasingly becoming a way of life for many people and businesses. In the UK, for example, renewable energy sources — including wind, solar and hydroelectric — generated more electricity than coal in 2016. This was a first for the country since the Industrial Revolution when coal first became widely used as an energy source.

 

The situation is similar in the U.S., where California is one of several states that have made a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions and rely on renewable sources such as solar and wind power.

 

The Golden State currently gets about 24 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, but Gov. Jerry Brown wants to increase that to 50 percent by 2030, according to The New York Times.

 

In conclusion, I think there is definitely a potential for solar power as we discussed earlier, and wind power to replace fossil fuels in the future. And from what I can see, the future is much brighter than you think, because Solar Panel kits require less maintenance than traditional solar panels and wind turbines produce no harmful emissions. So it’s not a question of if, but when this transition will happen.

 

While there’s still a ways to go, hopefully, we can now see a feasible way forward. The future could well be ‘powered by the sun’ if we are willing to make the effort to get there. But getting there is just the start—in order for renewable energy sources to fully replace fossil fuels, storage solutions will also need to be developed and implemented. Only then can we stop burning fossil fuels and carbon emissions altogether. And that’s all going to take time, money, and effort (lots of effort).