Today’s world demands more energy. For more electricity. Producing it contributes to climate change and is rapidly depleting fossil fuels. So we need to look for forms of alternative energy. What alternative energy sources are there? And what are their advantages and disadvantages?
Alternative energy is energy generated without the use of fossil fuels. Unlike traditional energy derived from natural gas, coal and petroleum, it uses inexhaustible energy sources that are less harmful to the environment in many cases. This is why we also call alternative energy green or renewable energy.
Wind energy is one of the best-known forms of alternative energy. Not least because, of course, we have a lot of windmills and wind farms in the Netherlands. The rotating blades of the windmills convert that movement into electricity. The disadvantage of wind energy is that it does not provide a constant flow of energy; the wind does not always blow at the same speed. Wind turbines also detract more from the view than the landscape!
Renewable energy can also be generated using hydropower. The flow of water is used to generate movement, which is then converted into electricity. This method is often used in mountainous areas, as rivers flow more strongly there than in the Netherlands. Dams and reservoirs increase efficiency, but also have (negative) effects on nature.
Nuclear energy is generated by splitting uranium atoms. While this form of energy produces almost no CO2 emissions, it does produce a lot of chemical waste that needs to be carefully stored. Uranium is also not an inexhaustible resource.
Biomass is used to make biofuel. This involves processing natural materials and various waste streams into fuel. The advantage of this alternative energy source is that the energy sources used are renewable. After all, trees and plants can be replanted. The disadvantage is that CO2 emissions are relatively high and a lot of agricultural or natural land is needed to create the raw materials for biofuel.
Geothermal energy is a form of alternative energy in which the earth's heat is used to run steam turbines to generate electricity. Sustainable? Yes. But that geothermal heat has to be hot enough to convert water into steam at all. In practice, that heat is not equally strong everywhere in the world. In Iceland, for example, it is, but in the Netherlands it cannot be used to generate electricity.
Hydrogen fusion is the newest form of alternative energy. It is all about a chemical reaction that releases a lot of energy. Enough to heat a house and drive a car. The great advantage of hydrogen is that it generates energy without harmful emissions. But initially, quite a lot of (green) energy is also needed for this reaction to take place. That makes it currently one of the more expensive alternative energy sources.
Perhaps the best-known form of alternative energy: solar power. After all, who is not familiar with solar panels? As soon as sunlight hits the panels, an energy flow is created in the solar cells, which can be converted into electricity. In this way, electricity is generated with no emissions and no residual product. Moreover, mobile solar panels can be placed anywhere, so power can also be taken advantage of around crowded or hard-to-reach areas.
