Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services.
With the increasing demand of electricity, the fluctuating cost of petroleum products as well as the growing concerning for the preservation of the environment and human health are some of the major key factors that are forcing us to embrace and accept the use of alternative energy sources. Currently there are quite a number of renewable energy sources that have been used to generate alternative sources of energy to meet the demand of the population. An example is solar energy, which has gained fast momentum due to the fact that it is a sustainable alternative option that can be utilized in a lot of ways and can be used for many applications and facilities.
Here are some strong reasons why Renewable energy is the best option for Nigeria.
It Is Renewable: one of the obvious benefits of the use of solar energy is that it is a renewable resource (i.e. it is always available), unlike the traditional sources of energy(coal, gas, oil) which are limited and fast depleting and will run out eventually. Nigeria as a nation due to its geographic location in the tropics, benefits from adequate exposure to the energy from the sun.
Environmental Benefits: It is a source of clean energy with little or no impact on the environment. It produces little or no waste as well as greenhouse gases, net carbon emission and harmful air pollutants thereby reducing the impact on the environment (global warming) and air quality (from air pollution).
Economic Benefits: It is a cheaper and more economic source of energy in the long-term. It will create many stable jobs in the country, and requires less maintenance, thereby reducing operating cost which will eventually reduce the cost of budget of the government on power. Although the Government would have to initially invest a high capital cost (i.e. from planning, construction and implementation), this will be a token compared to the benefits received in the future and compared to the heavy price of energy we are currently experiencing. Also due to the advancement in the technology as well as increase in production, the cost of solar panels have slightly reduced, which means less amount of money the government will have to pay to invest in this source of energy.
Stabilize Energy Price: The additional use of this resource to generate power and supply electricity will result to a steady pricing on energy, since the cost of renewable energy is dependent on investment rather than on unstable increasing and decreasing cost of traditional fossil fuels.
Can be used Everywhere: Due to the nature of this resource it can be used in every location and area, and it is great for areas with little or no access to power cables, where installing and running power lines would be difficult to implement as well as expensive.
Easy Installation: Solar panels are easy to install and does not require a lot of process for installation. It is not expensive to maintain and runs for a long period of time.
Improved Public Health: Power generation from renewable solar energy offers significant positive benefits on public health and human well-being. Traditional fossil fuels contribute to air and water pollution and have been linked to health issues such as respiratory problem, cancer and neurological damage just to mention a few. If the use of solar energy is encouraged, it will help promote public health as well as human well-being, due to the fact that it has no emissions and water pollution associated to it. Which will help reduce premature mortality, loss of man hours and other health impacts as well as healthcare cost.
Less Stress of Water Resources: The use of this alternative source of energy does not require the use of water for its operation, thereby not putting additional stress on water resources and competing with other functions such as Agriculture, Domestic use of water, Drinking water systems, and other important water needs. Since fresh water is a finite resource and fast depleting, this form of energy will go a long way to help conserve the water resources of the country.
Alternative sources of energy are here to stay and the sooner we embrace and encourage it, the better off we will be. Renewable sources of energy have become an emerging part of our energy futures, which is evident by big financial organisations, including the World Bank, limiting and in some cases stopping funding to dirty energy in order to promote more clean energy and encourage countries and organisations to reduce their carbon emissions.
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