“By 2050 we will still be getting 75% of our energy from fossil fuels,” says Armstrong. “A critical issue for us will be to figure out how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from those energy sources. That is going to require carbon capture storage and utilisation.

• Higher upfront cost. While you can save money by using renewable energy, the technologies are typically more expensive upfront than traditional energy generators.
• Intermittency.
• Storage capabilities.
• Geographic limitations.
• Not 100% carbon-free.
• Supply chain constraints.

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy

• The Electricity Generation Capacity is Still Not Large Enough.
• Renewable Energy Can be Unreliable.
• Low-efficiency Levels.
• Requires a Huge Upfront Capital Outlay.
• Takes a Lot of Space to Install.
• Expensive Storage Costs.
• Not Always a Commercially-viable Option.
• It Still Generates Pollution.

Experts say the potential for rapid transformation of the world’s energy system has a parallel in the speed with which cars replaced horses in the 1900s.

Energy Storage Historically, one of the major problems with renewable energy generation is that supplies are far more variable than other means of energy generation. Fluctuations in sunlight levels and wind mean that supplies are less consistent than those derived from fossil fuels.

Although renewable energy sources produce relatively low levels of GHG emissions and conventional air pollution, manufacturing and transporting them will produce some emissions and pollutants. The production of some photovoltaic (PV) cells, for instance, generates toxic substances that may contaminate water resources.

Even if we reduce indirect emissions through electrification and clean energy, uncontrolled direct emissions from industry would still be responsible for at least 20% of GHG emissions both globally and in the US. …

The world lacks safe, low-carbon, and cheap large-scale energy alternatives to fossil fuels. Until we scale up those alternatives the world will continue to face the two energy problems of today.

All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions.

It is the production of energy that is responsible for 87% of global greenhouse gas emissions and as the chart below shows, people in the richest countries have the very highest emissions. This chart here will guide us through the discussion of the world’s energy problem.

Lastly, the lack of access to energy subjects people to a life in poverty. No electricity means no refrigeration of food; no washing machine or dishwasher; and no light at night. You might have seen the photos of children sitting under a street lamp at night to do their homework. 7