Why is Renewable Energy & Energy Storage Important to Study
Table of Contents:
- What is the main objective of Energy Storage?
- The Future of Renewable Energy
- Renewable Energy Programs in India
- Scope of Career in Renewable Energy
Renewable energy, also known as sustainable energy, is regularly obtained from naturally replenished sources or processes. Although their availability is based on time and weather, sunlight and wind, for example, continue to shine and blow.
Solar energy from the sun, Geothermal energy from the heat of the earth, and Biomass from plants are evident examples of Renewable Energy. Furthermore, renewable energy has environmental and economic benefits, such as generating energy with no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reducing air pollution to a certain extent.
Of course, one of the most significant advantages of renewable energy is that much of it is also considered green and clean. That’s why renewable energy is important and has grown in popularity, with wind and solar power becoming prominent.
The importance of renewable energy is expanding at all scales, from rooftop solar panels on residences to massive offshore wind farms. Wind power offers a huge increase in local employment and funding, and solar panels bring a potential long-term option available to anyone with a rooftop. Renewable power capacity is set to expand by 50% over the next four years, led by hydropower, wind power, and solar power.
What is the main objective of Energy Storage?
If the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, how do we access power from renewable sources? The key is to store energy produced when renewable generation capacity is high, so we can use it later when needed.
Energy can be stored in various ways like Flywheel storage, Thermal Energy Storage, Electrochemical storage, Pumped-storage Hydropower, etc. It also includes batteries, ultracapacitors, and biomethane. An energy storage system can store and release energy when needed, to reduce the demand and production imbalance. It can help conserve energy.
Energy storage systems help meet the increasing demand for renewable energy. The stored energy can be turned into a fuel and used in high-efficiency gas engine plants to generate electricity and heat. It cuts down on fossil fuel-based plants and generates less pollution.
Energy storage technologies provide greater flexibility in power usage, both in terms of centralized and distributed supply. Commercial and technological considerations have driven the use of storage systems such as batteries in electronic goods, vehicles, and accumulators such as inverters and other electricity backup solutions.
The Future of Renewable Energy
It is now absolutely vital that we optimize our use of sustainable and renewable energy sources. We have to address the problems of global warming, health effects and sustainability of fossil fuel dependency. The role of renewable energy and storage technologies help the world combat climate change & aims to accelerate progress toward a zero-carbon economy.
More work remains to be done to come closer to carbon neutrality, but this necessity propels the industry ahead and creates possibilities in this sector.
Renewable energy sources are not going away anytime soon — at least not for millions of years (in the case of the sun, for example). They provide a feasible alternative to nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels, and many are also environmentally friendly, emitting little or no CO2.
Is Renewable Energy Capable of Replacing Fossil Fuels? Renewable energy might eventually replace fossil fuels. Because coal and oil have a finite supply on the earth, they will run out. As a result, the future must be renewable. Furthermore, as global warming continues, the environmental benefits of a clean, green, and renewable energy future are increasingly apparent.
Renewable energy alternatives must continue to be innovated to replace fossil fuels entirely. Furthermore, renewable energy sources will undoubtedly need to be combined to maintain a consistent supply. There is a demand for cleaner production processes, power management, and storage.
While a wholly renewable future is possible, much work remains to be done before the world is ready to completely abandon fossil fuels. The push for a better future in power generation has resulted in increased employment creation in renewable energy businesses like solar and wind. As governments attempt to achieve net-zero, which is the balance between the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere and removal from the atmosphere, this trend continues.
Renewable Energy Programs in India
Renewable energy adoption necessitates a social and economic shift in the country. Although an inexpensive energy source like this is a gift for everyone, people are still skeptical of its use and applications. The main objective is to raise public awareness of new technology, its utility, and its financial ramifications.
Educational institutions play a critical role in directly educating the public by including the study of energy storage and renewable energy courses into the curriculum and organizing skill-based training, workshops, conferences, and exhibitions, among others.
The main objective of energy science study is to introduce and train students to various aspects of sustainability world preferences. For instance, Atria University’s course structure offers students training in the infrastructure of sustainable energy systems, understanding of economics and finance of sustainability, the business process of renewable energy, and the fundamentals of climate change. Students will be able to sustain themselves in the field of power generation and management.
Scope of Career in Renewable Energy
In India, the advent and study of renewable energy storage technology have created jobs. In addition, considerable demand for equipment manufacturers in the renewable energy sector to satisfy the Government of India’s objective necessitates several qualified workers. The workforce is required in the manufacturing industry and other areas such as installation, system design, operations and maintenance, finance, and marketing.
The Indian Government established the National Institute of Solar Energy for research and development to produce trained professionals in renewable energy to help meet the Government’s goals. In collaboration with the Green Jobs Sector Skills Council, NISE is launching some fantastic projects to raise awareness and enter the field of research and development in green power storage.
This field can also help prepare students for careers in energy management. Students can learn about risk management and planning their projects in their educational institutions under the guidance of supervisors.
The energy management and specialization in Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Storage, Energy Data Analytics, Energy Policy, and Environmental Regulation are an integral part of the curriculum of renewable energy science programs. It helps students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to implement energy management techniques. Students work on projects like Techno-economic survey of all renewable energy systems, investigate the performance of a utility-scale solar PV plant on-site, research human-induced climate change and mitigation methods, produce electricity, and test the functioning of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant on-site, and much more.
Atria University takes the lead in incorporating renewable energy programs into its curriculum. For instance, AU offers the Energy Sciences major as part of its undergraduate program. The main goal is to provide students with solid knowledge in various aspects of energy management and become capable of addressing the current and future problems in the field.