What are the Negative Aspects of Renewable Energy? (2023 Guideline)

What are the negative aspects of renewable energy? In this article from Linquip, we want to answer this question. As you already know, renewable energy sources are becoming more and more popular each and every day. But each good thing has some downsides as well and renewable energy is not an exception. Here, we will explain some of the disadvantages of renewable energy for you to better understand why some people resist using those energy sources.

Some countries have massive amounts of carbon emissions that should cut down on. Other countries should also expand their use of renewable energy sources. So, the future will be on the side of renewable energy sources and the construction of renewable energy plants has accelerated. But:

What are the negative aspects of renewable energy?

The growth in the renewable energy plants’ construction, although good for the purpose of reducing global warming, may not be an environmentally-friendly approach as much as we thought. Huge floods, financial costs, changes in the animal habitat, and releasing poisonous gasses into the air are among these negative aspects. Below, we will mention some of these downsides to help you get a better idea about this matter.

Huge Floods because of hydropower

Hydropower is one of the most popular renewable energies. Although they don’t impact the air directly, the construction and use of hydroelectric reservoirs can cause many negative impacts including huge floods! The dam that harnesses the hydropower, will store water and when this water is released, it may cause the sudden flood of the river downstream. These floods can damage wildlife, agricultural land, and forests.

Changes in the animal habitat and forests because of the use of biomass resources

We use crops, urban waste, agricultural waste, and forest products as biomass resources. Bioenergy feedstock and how we harvest them for producing electricity have the potential to impact land use along with global warming emissions in a negative way. Tree products, for example, are used for creating bioenergy. Many trees and forest lands should be cut down and cleared to collect enough lumber. This results in changes in animal habitat. Methane emission, as another example, is the result of using animal waste to power engines. Of course, it emits carbon emission, but methane emission is not environmentally friendly either.

Death of birds and other animal species because of the wind turbines

The wind is among the popular sources of renewable energy and provides a considerable amount of electricity that is used in Europe. There are still a considerable amount of wind farms that need to be constructed all around the world in the upcoming years, which eases the use of this renewable energy source. The use of wind power with wind turbines and changes in the air pressure due to this industry has caused the death of many birds and bats. National Wind Coordinating Committee stated that these deaths are due to the collisions with wind turbines and air pressure changes caused by spinning turbines.

Changes in the environment due to the construction of solar panels

Sun is also another source of renewable energy source that has become popular among other renewable energy sources. The downside of using solar power is in the effect it has on water, land, and the environment because of the solar panels. Building huge panels to get more sunlight will require a large area of land. This not only results in grading and clearing the land, but also interferes with the existing use of that land. The outcome of such actions would be erosion, soil compaction, and changes in the drainage channels. Another damage that using solar panels cause is the impact they leave on the land in the procedure of manufacturing, material extraction, disposal, and exploration.

Poisonous gasses are released into the air because of the geothermal power plants

Vast research and development should be done to find the best area to construct geothermal power plants. This is because geothermal power plants should be constructed in areas that contain hot rocks under their surface. The poisonous gasses released into the air because of the holes being drilled into the ground are dangerous for the environment. Geothermal power plants also have another negative effect. Extreme circumstances can make geothermal energy stations initiate earthquakes. Last but not least is the cost of geothermal power plant construction.

Reliability on the weather

Renewable energy often needs certain weather conditions and as a result, our use of these sources can also depend on the weather. Hydro generators, for example, demand enough rain for the dams to be filled. Wind turbines, too, need wind to blow for their blades to turn. And solar panels also depend on the sun to shine in a clear sky.

Conclusion

Renewable energy sources, as we mentioned here, can have negative impacts, but keep in mind that they are making a huge difference in the world when it comes to global warming. Cutting down carbon emissions is a huge step forward to save our planet. Engineers, scientists, nations, and many companies are trying to come up with positive ways to improve the way we utilize renewable energy. They are also trying to help reduce the negative impacts that our use of these sources will leave behind.

Among these solutions, we can mention the use of individual solar panels for buildings that eliminates the need for building huge solar power stations. This can save us large areas that can be utilized for many other purposes instead of being filled with solar power stations.

Now you know the answer to “What are the negative aspects of renewable energy?” What do you think about renewable energy sources? Do you believe they are our only solution to help fight against climate change? Or their disadvantages are far more dangerous for us to use these energy sources? Comment below and share your thoughts with us. Have questions? Feel free to signup on Linquip and our experts will help you find the answer to your questions.