Electricity Generation from Hydro, Wind, Solar and the Environment

Abstract

 Electricity generation pose an impact on the environment.  The use of fossils for electricity generation contributes to GHG emissions.  Reducing GHG emissions requires a shift to electricity generation from renewables.  Climate change can affect the efficiency of renewable electricity generation.  Renewable electricity generated synthetic fuels can be used during harsh conditions.Human actions such as electricity generation are contributory causes of climate change. In a quest to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation from fossil fuels, the world is turning to renewables. Renewable sources, however, also do have an impact on the environment. Likewise, renewable electricity generation is also dependent on the climate. Hydro, Wind, and Solar are the popular renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. This work reviews the impact of these renewables in electricity generation on the environment. It also considers the effect of climate change on its use. The construction of renewable electricity generating plants leads to habitat disruptions and can also cause fatalities. Climate change weighs an enormous impact on the performance of renewable electricity generating plants. The recent blackout experienced in Texas as a result of the cold weather is a good example. The end of extreme weather conditions is not yet, and the need to start preparing to prevent a blackout re-occurrence. A possible solution for sustainable renewable electricity generation in extreme weather conditions lies in synthetic fuel availability.

A Review of Uncertainties in Power Systems - Modelling, Impact, and Mitigation

“…Fast ramping and frequent start-up generation units are required to provide reserves for wind and solar power fluctuations, which could also increase the operational cost of power systems [32,33]. Moreover, the lack of system flexibility with integrated wind and solar power has the potential to trigger blackouts in the power system.…”

“…This distinction categorizes energy storage into energy applications (long-duration) and power applications (shortduration). Furthermore, energy storage includes bulk storage, employing large-scale units like pumped hydro storage (PHS) and compressed air energy storage (CAES), as well as distributed energy storage within load centers utilizing smaller units [33].…”

Climate change mitigation with carbon capture: An overview

“…While the technology for energy generation from non-renewable sources have matured over time, the contributions it has on climate change has continued to be a source of concern. The combustion of fossil fuels for the generation of energy comes with the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) (High et al, 2022;Towoju & Oladele, 2021) although, this is not the only source of GHG emissions. Energy generation from nuclear processes although a non-renewable energy source produce negligible amounts of GHG (Pioro & Duffey, 2015).…”

Eco-Sustainable Bridging of Housing Deficit – A Case Study of Nigeria

“…The transportation sector has continued to be in the eye of the storm regarding greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion [1]. Although many countries are now moving toward renewable electricity generation and away from the dependence on fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [4,5], some are still at the crossroad yet to decide which to adopt [6]. The electricity generator sector enjoys less criticism than the transport sector despite higher global greenhouse gas emissions [3].…”