Energy is the battery that makes our life operate in order. Energy applications can be divided into four main categories: residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation.
To harvest energy, whether we opt for a renewable solution or decide to use fossil fuels. Bombarded by Media about global warming, more and more companies and homeowners are switching to renewable energy such as solar energy.
Besides being environmentally friendly, renewable energy offers distinct advantages. The most notable pros are less maintenance, lower energy bills, and more money in your pocket.
Today, we’ll compare solar energy with fossil fuels. Let’s find out who the winner is.
Energy applications
Residential energy consumption accounts for almost 40% of total energy usage globally. According to surveys, most home electricity’s highest usage origins from air conditioning, heating, and household appliances.
Commercial and industrial energy consumption ranks second and third in total energy use. The amount of commercial energy usage is much higher than industrial. The commercial sector accounts for more than a third of electricity consumption.
Transportation has the lowest volume of electricity consumption. To give you an idea, the transportation sector in the United States consumes 7.6 billion kilowatt-hours against the 14.4 billion of the residential sector.
Alternative energy systems introduction
Alternative energy systems mean the combination of all renewable energy. Renewable energy is defined as a source of energy derived from a natural process that is continuously replenished (wind, solar, hydro, biomass energy, and geothermal energy).
Renewable energy is clean, green, and low-carbon energy. Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas: electricity generation, heating or cooling, transportation, and rural energy services.
Solar energy’s measurement is generally based on the total amount of solar radiation hitting a surface. The measure includes the sum of the sun’s direct radiation and the sky’s scattered radiation.
The main utilization of solar energy includes a solar heat gathering system, passive solar house, solar water heating system, solar heating, and cooling.
The advantages of alternative energy systems
- Renewable energy does not burn like fossil fuels. This energy type does not release pollutant agents into the atmosphere. As a consequence, renewable energy contributes to creating a cleaner and healthier environment.
- The sources of renewable energy are naturally found all over the world. With new technological advancements, the cost of developing renewable energy is declining.
- There are little or no greenhouse gas emissions. Especially, solar energy supports the fight against global warming.
- Investing in renewable energy let both residential and business owners lower their energy expenses.
The disadvantages of the alternative energy systems
- The cost of establishing a renewable energy plant is usually high and requires careful planning and implementation. For example, building dams for hydroelectric power generation requires high initial capital and high maintenance costs.
- Renewable energy is affected by the weather, which reduces its reliability. Wind turbines can only operate normally when the wind is strong enough. Solar panels do not operate at night and are less efficient on cloudy days.
Fossil fuels introduction
Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy. This group includes coal, petroleum, oil, natural gas, and so on. Fossil fuel is formed by decomposing dead organisms, containing organic molecules originating in photosynthesis that release energy in combustion.
The use of fossil fuels can enable large-scale industrial development. Fossil fuels have been gradually formed over millions of years. Experts speculate that fossil fuel resources may be depleted within a few hundred years.
The advantages of fossil fuels
- Non-renewable energy sources are more reliable than most renewable sources and are not affected by weather conditions.
- New technology applications, such as carbon formulation, energy capture, and storage (CCS), are emerging. Such discoveries may allow fossil fuels to be less harmful to the environment.
The disadvantages of fossil fuels
- The supply of fossil fuels is limited and will eventually be exhausted.
- Burning fossil fuels will release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide. Overall, the process of extracting and transporting fossil fuels harms the environment.
- Long-term utilization of fossil fuels has a lower return on investment. When compared with renewable energy, fossil fuels energy production has higher costs.
Trends of alternative energy systems and fossil fuels in the future
Fossil fuels are the main part of the world’s non-renewable energy sources. Burning oil, natural gas, and coal will release large amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide may cause the Antarctic ice cap to melt completely and cause a destructive rise in sea levels. If this situation occurs, cities such as London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai may be flooded.
Given these climate change threats, renewable energy is the trend of the future. Many regions have formulated plans to limit carbon dioxide emissions and support renewable energy development.
nRuiT Solar energy solutions
nRuiT offers a one-stop solution of lithium energy storage system for residential, industrial, and commercial users.
With the rapid growth of renewable energy, a great diversity of energy storage systems is expected in the markets.
Adding an energy storage system to your home or business can effectively reduce the electricity bill and ensure energy backup.
If you are interested in energy storage systems and want to learn more about them, contact us!
