The limits of renewable energy
Planet Earth is simultaneously approaching a number of ecological and resource limits. The resulting uncertainties will heavily impact future energy choices, both the level of primary energy used globally and the shares of fossil, renewable and nuclear fuels in the energy mix. This paper reviews the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIMS Press
2021-06-01
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| Series: | AIMS Energy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/energy.2021037?viewType=HTML |
| _version_ | 1818001706394320896 |
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| author | Patrick Moriarty Damon Honnery |
| author_facet | Patrick Moriarty Damon Honnery |
| author_sort | Patrick Moriarty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Planet Earth is simultaneously approaching a number of ecological and resource limits. The resulting uncertainties will heavily impact future energy choices, both the level of primary energy used globally and the shares of fossil, renewable and nuclear fuels in the energy mix. This paper reviews the possible futures for the various types of renewable energy. To be viable, all potential energy sources must be assessed on their energy return on energy invested (energy return). Given that renewable energy RE growth is considered important for sustainability reasons, renewable energy must be assessed on its ecologically sustainable or 'green' energy return, which includes the energy costs of ecosystem maintenance as input energy costs. The green energy return is accordingly much lower than the conventional value, so that ecologically sustainable renewable energy is unlikely to deliver anything near existing global energy use. The paper further argues that such constraints on renewable energy growth rates mean it cannot be a timely response to global climate change. The paper concludes that energy reductions will be essential, mainly in high energy use countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:36:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-625bd4fbcad54f4290bbead48b8d3ece |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-8334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:36:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIMS Energy |
| spelling | doaj.art-625bd4fbcad54f4290bbead48b8d3ece2022-12-22T02:14:42ZengAIMS PressAIMS Energy2333-83342021-06-019481282910.3934/energy.2021037The limits of renewable energyPatrick Moriarty0Damon Honnery11. Department of Design, Monash University-Caulfield Campus, P.O. Box 197, Caulfield East, Victoria 3145, Australia2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University-Clayton Campus, Victoria, AustraliaPlanet Earth is simultaneously approaching a number of ecological and resource limits. The resulting uncertainties will heavily impact future energy choices, both the level of primary energy used globally and the shares of fossil, renewable and nuclear fuels in the energy mix. This paper reviews the possible futures for the various types of renewable energy. To be viable, all potential energy sources must be assessed on their energy return on energy invested (energy return). Given that renewable energy RE growth is considered important for sustainability reasons, renewable energy must be assessed on its ecologically sustainable or 'green' energy return, which includes the energy costs of ecosystem maintenance as input energy costs. The green energy return is accordingly much lower than the conventional value, so that ecologically sustainable renewable energy is unlikely to deliver anything near existing global energy use. The paper further argues that such constraints on renewable energy growth rates mean it cannot be a timely response to global climate change. The paper concludes that energy reductions will be essential, mainly in high energy use countries.https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/energy.2021037?viewType=HTMLbioenergyclimate changeenergy forecastsgeothermal energyhydropowerrenewable energysolar energywind energytidal energy |
| spellingShingle | Patrick Moriarty Damon Honnery The limits of renewable energy AIMS Energy bioenergy climate change energy forecasts geothermal energy hydropower renewable energy solar energy wind energy tidal energy |
| title | The limits of renewable energy |
| title_full | The limits of renewable energy |
| title_fullStr | The limits of renewable energy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The limits of renewable energy |
| title_short | The limits of renewable energy |
| title_sort | limits of renewable energy |
| topic | bioenergy climate change energy forecasts geothermal energy hydropower renewable energy solar energy wind energy tidal energy |
| url | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/energy.2021037?viewType=HTML |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT patrickmoriarty thelimitsofrenewableenergy AT damonhonnery thelimitsofrenewableenergy AT patrickmoriarty limitsofrenewableenergy AT damonhonnery limitsofrenewableenergy |