Alternative Energy Sources Pros and Cons

Alternative energy sources are those which can be used in tandem with the conventional sources of energy to power mechanical devices. But the rate at which conventional sources are depleting, there will be no 'alternative' but to use them. So it is time we seriously looked at the energy crisis and decided which source of energy is effective enough to fulfill the increasing demand.

Alternative Energy Sources List
Before we can discuss the alternative energy pros and cons, it is essential to know which are the alternative sources of energy. So here's a list of the popularly used alternative sources of energy. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list and there may be more sources of energy beyond those which are mentioned here, but these are more commonly used and have prevailed over a period of time and hence, it is possible to evaluate their pros and cons.

• Biomass
• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Hydro Energy
• Tidal Energy
• Geo-Thermal Energy

Considering the Alternatives

Advantages of Alternative Energy Sources

• Renewable Energy: The first advantage is that they will not get depleted in the foreseeable future. Hence, energy sources like solar energy and wind energy make great sources of energy for cars and homes, respectively. Once set-up, they will provide energy for a very long time.
• Greener Energy Sources: They do not create a residual matter which will harm the environment in the long run. Alternative energy and global warming are said to be inversely proportion. The fuel that is used to run cars today spew out a lot of gases that are bad for the environment. As opposed to those, cars powered by solar energy will not leave any harmful waste matter.
• Free Source of Energy: Excluding the costs of production, renewable sources of energy need not be purchased. Energy sources like sunlight, wind and water require only an initial cost for installation, thereafter which, they are available for free. This can be contrasted with the increasing price energy companies are paying to purchase coal and gas.
• High Supply: The relevance of this point may vary based on where you are located. If you are located in a region with a lot of sunlight, then you will have a lot of solar energy. Likewise, if you set-up a windmill in a windy area, you will receive a constant supply of that energy. Hence, once you decide on a location and set-up a production facility, you need not worry about any supply limitation.

Disadvantages of Alternative Sources of Energy

• High Set-up Costs: Set up costs are considerably high for facilities which will produce the energy. For example, just think of dams which need to be built in order to set up a hydro-powered plant. The relocation of the residents and building the dam involves very high costs. Production of energy using tidal waves too is a very costly affair.
• Storage and Transportation: One of the main reasons why they haven't yet entered the mainstream is because storage and transportation costs for this source of energy is very high. While windmills and hydro-electric power plants are getting more and more sophisticated, other renewable energy sources have a long way to go.
• Unreliable: The renewable energy sources depend largely on naturally occurring factors. For example, if it doesn't rain enough, the hydro-electric plant's production levels will be hampered. Similarly, without enough sunlight, it may not be possible to generate solar energy as efficiently as we need it.
• Not as Efficient as Conventional Energy Sources: The last point is the one we hate to admit to ourselves. As of today, alternative sources of energy are not as efficient as we need them to be. The technology available today is not sophisticated enough to ensure that they can completely overthrow the reign of conventional energy sources. The proof of this is the hybrid car. As we give ourselves time to develop better, more efficient machinery, we have to currently make do with two technologies which should work efficiently.

There is no doubt that alternative energy is the way to the future, but we have to give ourselves time in order to develop ways to fight the cons before we can get these energy sources into the mainstream.