Introduction
Renewable energy drives change in establishing clean and sustainable future. Fossil fuels cause air pollution and climate change around us. Renewable energy substitutes fossil fuels, it provides a clean alternative. Although this field has witnessed great development achieved by scientists and engineers, there are some obstacles and challenges that engineers should address to spread renewable energy worldwide. In this article, we will learn about the most important challenges facing the field of renewable energy, explaining the role of engineers in developing appropriate solutions.
Challenges facing renewable energy
Technical challenges
There are many technical challenges that prevent the widespread spread of renewable energy fields. First, the cost of production. The cost of producing this energy is very high compared to traditional energy production. This is the most prominent challenge on large scales. Second, the problem of energy storage. One of the biggest obstacles to the spread of the energy. For example, solutions must be found to store solar or wind energy for daily use during times when the sun is not available. Third, efficiency. Engineers should put more efforts to improve efficiency of applications.
Economic Challenges
The economy affects renewable energy sector directly. The first economic challenge is government support. Government support contributes to the advancement of the field through tax incentives and tariffs. Any reduction in this support could negatively impact the growth of this sector. Another challenge is return on investment. A lot of investors drive caution when investing in renewable energy projects. Because the return on investment may be slower compared to other projects.
Social and Environmental Challenges
The most prominent of these challenges is community acceptance. This energy projects face opposition from local communities, due to environmental and general aesthetic concerns. Second, environmental impact. Overall, renewable energy is environmentally friendly. However, some stages of producing energy may have bad impacts on the environment.
Political Challenges
The most important of these are government policies. The absence of supportive policies or the existence of unstable policies may hinder the growth of this sector. For example, some countries such as Germany and Denmark are leaders in this field, while others such as China and India are trying to catch up. In addition, the transition to renewable energy requires extensive international cooperation to exchange technology and knowledge.
Role of Engineers
Engineers play a key role in facing these challenges. Their practices are the cornerstone of developing the renewable energy sector. First, they develop new technologies to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost, such as developing more efficient solar cells or larger wind turbines. Second, they drive efficiency through designing integrated systems, such as designing environmentally friendly buildings that consume solar and wind power. Third, manage the energy projects efficiently and ensure their quality, and apply best engineering practices. Finally, spread awareness of the importance of renewable energy among the public, and train new engineers on modern technologies in this field.
Examples of successful projects:
- Large solar farms: such as those in the Sahara Desert.
Read Solar Energy
- Offshore wind farms: which provide large amounts of clean energy.
Read wind turbines
Conclusion
Despite the challenges, engineers and scientist confirm that these obstacles could be addressed. Continuous research and international cooperation are the key solution to overcome any challenges. In addition, the development of technology promises a more sustainable future.
Thanks to the great effort of engineers, we can find suitable solutions to these challenges to achieve maximum benefit.
INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION (IEO)