Top 4 Alternative Energy Sources of 2022
Experts on energy transition discussed the best, cheapest, and most reliable energy sources for the future. They also discussed challenges associated with replacing fossil fuels. Solar energy is one of the oldest forms of alternative energy. Humans have harnessed their power since the 7th century BC. They first harnessed sunlight to light fires, though modern solar cells were not developed until the mid-1900s. Modern solar energy systems produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases, making them a potential climate solution.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is projected to account for nearly 95% of the global power capacity additions between 2015 and 2026, compared to 45% over that period in 2015. The pace of renewable energy deployment is accelerating, and China and India are leading the charge. In the United States and Europe, the pace of renewables is on track to accelerate dramatically compared to the last five years. However, a wide range of factors must be considered when evaluating renewables, including price.
Governments are looking to adopt renewable energy to meet their climate-related goals. In addition to providing security, renewable energy generates greenhouse gases, which are a leading cause of global warming.
According to the IEA, global renewable power capacity additions will hit 320 gigawatts this year. That's enough to meet the entire electricity needs of Germany and match the total electricity generated by the European Union with natural gas. Solar PV and wind power are expected to account for 60% of that growth in 2022.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is one of the most common and oldest renewable energy sources and is currently accounting for about 37% of U.S. renewable electricity generation. The source is based on kinetic energy and potential energy from flowing water.
In 2022, according to global student essaypay.com research, hydroelectricity is expected to generate approximately 260 billion kWh or 6.5% of U.S. utility-scale electricity. Hydropower facilities are currently located in 18 states, and 5 of those states account for 61% of the nation's total.
Renewable energy continues to grow. In the United States, solar and wind-generated almost three percent of all electricity. Hydropower accounted for the largest share of renewables in the U.S. in 2020. Non-hydro renewables, such as wind and solar energy, grew from only one percent in 2005 to almost 12.5 percent in 2022. Although electricity demand has remained relatively stable over the past decade, renewable energy sources have been increasing.
Wind energy
In terms of electricity generation, wind and solar are now the world's leading clean energy sources, accounting for 10.3% of global electricity in 2022. This is a substantial increase from the four percent generation in 2015 and the 0.6% in 2010. Wind and solar now provide a third of the world's electricity, outpacing coal for the first time. Nine countries, including China, have reached milestones of more than 10% wind and solar electricity generation by 2022, with Luxembourg, Denmark, and Uruguay achieving these feats. Countries in the Middle East and Africa meanwhile, have reached the low-resource milestone of just over 1%. In 2022, however, these countries are likely to surpass that level, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia achieving ten-percent renewable electricity production.
In addition to generating electricity, wind energy is also environmentally friendly, with less impact on the environment than many other fossil fuels. The wind is always blowing somewhere, and modern wind turbines harness this natural resource and convert it into power. Wind power is now one of the top five alternative energy sources of 2022, and it will remain so for the foreseeable future. The world's population will grow by nearly 40% by 2022, making wind energy one of the top five sources of alternative energy shortly.
Geothermal energy
The heat from the Earth's molten core permeates toward the Earth's crust, forming easily accessible wells of hot water and steam. Some geothermal power plants pipe this hot water and steam to the surface, where they can be converted to electricity. Once the water cools, geothermal resources are injected back into the ground. Geothermal power plants will become one of the top five alternative energy sources in 2022.
In addition to using the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool homes and businesses, geothermal energy is also a sustainable, renewable energy source with the potential to meet future energy needs. The process is simple, yet complex and the system can be expensive to install, but the investment pays for itself over five to 10 years. They are also quieter and have fewer maintenance issues than traditional air conditioners.