Fillingtheblanks:Addressingtheneed

foradvancedinfrastructureforalternate
energysources
Introduction
Manywouldagreethefactthat,today,thetwomostprominent
issuesourworldfacesaretheclimatechangeandthedepleting
supplyoflowcostenergy.However,someexpertsbelievealternate
sourcesofenergywouldfillthegapsastheyhavethepotentialto
becomeaselfsustaininginvestment,manywouldsimplydeclineits
truth.Therehasbeensignificantincreaseintheuseofsuch
resourcesinthelastyears;Forexample,USwasabletoinvest$150
billioninrenewableenergyin2009,anumberwhichincreasedto
US$240billionin2010.Stilltoday,therenewableenergyfacesalot
ofissuesespeciallyonthefrontsoffinanceanditsusage.Inmostof
thecases,officialshavecreatedthisintoaninvestorrisksector
whichneedstobecorrected,asprivateentitieshavebecome
hesitanttoinvestcapital.Someofthesechallengesincludelackof
knowledge,experience,ineffectiveplanningandcoordinationamong
privateentitiesandpolicymakers.
Alleviationofpoverty,improvingstandardsoflivingandmost
importantly,achievingsustainabledevelopmentarealloutcomesof
reliableenergyfacilities.Energyplaysanimportantroleinhealth,
education,transport,telecommunicationsandwateravailabilityand
sanitation.Thusenergyisoneofthekeypillarsofsustainable
development.However,inspiteofknowingthefact,globalpowers
havebeenreckless,ignorantandhasbeenrigorouslyusingthenon
renewableenergyresources;theUSEnergyInformation
Administration(EIA)statesthatin2011,that79%oftheworld
energygenerationwasfromnonrenewableenergyresources.

Although,globalenergyresourceshavebeenpredictingabout
increaseinenergydemandsinthenearfutureduetosignificant
increaseineconomyandpopulationindevelopingcountriesand
thusincreasingtheimportanceofalternativesourcesofenergy
criticalthanever.

AlternateSourcesofEnergy
TypesofAlternateSourcesofEnergy
Oneofthemostcommontypeofalternateandrenewableenergyis
resourceisWind.Windenergyorpowerconvertskineticenergyinto
eithermechanicalorelectricalpowerthroughturbines.Today,China
istheleadingwindenergyproducingcountryintheworldafter
successfullydoublingtheenergyproduction.AlthoughWindenergy
producesaclean,nonpollutingelectricity,ithasbeenconcerning
theenvironmentalexperts.Therotationofthebladesproduceshigh
noise,whichcreatesanaestheticimpactwhilethebirdsandthebats

Havebeenkilledwhileflyingthroughtheblades.Theseissues
however,canberesolvedbyselectingdedicatedsitesforsuchfarms.
Anotherissuewithwindenergyisthat,itisintermittent;insimpler
words,itneedswindtofunctionandthisisnotalwaysthecase.
AnotherimportantalternativesourceofenergyisSolar.Togenerate
electricity,solarcellstrapsunlightandthenconvertitintoelectricity;
ittrapselectricityevenwhenthesunisnotshiningenough.Thesolar
cellsareoftwotypes,themostcommonlyusedisthephotovoltaic
(PV),whichproduceselectricitybystoringdirectlyfromsunlight,and

theconcentratedsolarpower(CSP),whichusesamirrortostore
largeareaofsunlightintoasmallerone.Bytheendof2012,
Germany,despitehavinglimitedaccesstosunlighthadthehighest
solarenergycapacity,with31%ofusersintheworld.Thereisagreat
scopefornationstoharvestsolarenergy,butwhathindersisthe
largecapitalrequiredforinvestment.However,theissuecanbe
resolvedthroughendorsement.Anotherissueis,itsinabilityto
integrateinthemarket,butthroughsolarincentives,suchasfeedin
tariffsandsubsidies,theissuecanberesolved.

Hydelpower,orhydropower,istheworldsmostusedrenewable
energyresourcetoday,whichproduces20%oftheworlds
electricity.Hydroelectricenergyisacquiredthroughthedammed
waterspotentialenergywhichdrivesthroughawaterturbineand
thentheelectricityisgeneratedthroughagenerator.China,Canada,
andBrazilaretheleadersinhydelpowerespeciallyChina,whichhas
thehighestdam,whilethedambetweenBrazilianandParaguayan
borderstandslargestintermsofannualelectricitygeneration.The
factthatgivesitanadvantageisthatitdoesminimaldamagetothe
sealife.However,fewofitsdrawbacksincludeinterveninginnature
duetodammingofwateranddisturbingfishhabitatswhichare
vulnerableatsealevel,affectingtheirvelocityandshelter.Aslarger

theamountofwater,moreelectricityitwillproduce,droughtisa
potentialthreat.Thiscaneasilyberesolvedwithreuseofwater.
Geothermalenergyisanothertypeinthelist,whichusestheheat
fromtheearth,especiallythroughshallowground,hotrocksandhot
water.Inmostoftheenergyplants,coalisusedtoheatwaterinto
steam,whichmakesaturbinesbladesspin,generatingelectricity
throughthegeneratorwhichisthenconnectedtotheturbine.The
steamisrecycledbycoolingitintowaterinacoolingtower,andthen
itisrepumpedintothecoreoftheEarthtobereused.

EffectsAlternativeEnergyonEnvironment
Somekeyfeaturesofrenewableenergyresourceincludecreationof
creation,energysecurity,stabilityofprices,itisenvironmental
friendly,isperhapsthefactthatdistinguishesitselffromnon
renewableenergyresource.Renewableresourcesproducea
minimumofgreenhousegasesifusedinminusculeamountduring
manufacturing.Additionally,itproducesminimumwasteandthe
landdisruptionisalsominimum.Moreover,themostefficientwayto
minimisethisisrelocatingalternativeenergyinstalmentsinremote
areasandmarginalland.

Onthecontrary,nonrenewableenergysourcesproducesalarge
emissionofgreenhousegasesalongwithairpollution.Moreover,
explorationofuranium,extractionandproductioncausesimmense
damagetothelandandwaterresources.

ScopeofRenewableEnergyResourceToday
Itiswithoutadoubt,thatthegrowthofrenewableenergyresource
hasbeenincreasingandthustheresultscanbecomparedfromthat
ofthepreviousyears.Nonetheless,thecontributionofalternative
energysourceintheworldremainslimited.Theimportancefor
greateruseofrenewableenergyresourcecanbelearntfrom
examples,suchastheoilspilloftheGulfofMexicoin2010and
JapansFukushimanuclearplantsnaturaldisasterin2011;events
suchastheseexplainsthedamagenonrenewableenergycancause
totheenvironmentandhumanity.Itisimportantforpolicymakers
bothinthegovernmentandcorporatesectortounderstandthe
needofbetteralternativeenergyinfrastructures,alongwiththe
importanceofrenewableenergysectorinthemarkets.Strategies
suchasthesearevitalforcurrentenergysystemsandenhancement
ofourgreeneconomies.

Asseeninthefigurebelowtherehasbeenamassiveincreaseinthe
productionofalternateenergysourcesfromtheyear2005to2010.
FromthefigureitisclearthatChina,theUnitedStates,Germanyand
Spainhavethehighestcapacities,whileChina,

RepublicofKorea,TurkeyandGermanyhasthehighestgrowthrate
infiveyears.Steadygovernmentpolicies,financialsupportfrom
privateentitiesandadvancementintechnologyhavemajorly
contributedinreducingcostsofalternativeenergyinstalmentsand
itsusagewhichhaseffectivelyexpandedtherenewableenergy
industry.

AbsenceofCostCompetitiveness
Today,thenumberofrenewableenergyresourcesofferedtoa
householdhasincreased,whichbringstheneedtoincreasecost
competitivenessinthissectorinordertobalancetheneedfor
energyinthefuture.AccordingtotheBloombergNewEnergy
Financecleanenergyinstallationisgoingtogettripledin2030due
torapidlydecreasingcostofwindandsolarpowerasthecostof
solarpanelsreducedto62%sincecomingintothemarketin2011
Meanwhilethewindturbineshasbeenreducedto12%.Importantly,
electricitygeneratedthroughrenewableenergyhasbecomecost

competitiveagainstcoalandnaturalgasinmanynationssuchas
Chile,wheresolarfarmshavebeencompetingonthespot,whereas
inTexas,windpowercostsarenowequaltothoseoffossilfuel
withoutsubsidies.

IssuesinExistingInfrastructure
Thecontributionofrenewableenergyintheworldislimitedif
comparedtononrenewableenergy.Itisveryimportantforpolicy
makerstoaddressthealternativeenergyinstalmentsinorderto
eliminatetheriskofincoordinationandslowexpansionof
developmentinthemarket.Challengesfinancialandnonfinancial
hinderspotentialprogress,inthisfield.Here,ineffectivevisionand
poorplanningleadstounclearandinconsistentpoliciesinthelong
runwhichpreventsinvestmentanddevelopmentinrenewable
energy.Theculprithereis,thelackofcoordinationbetween
agencies,whichcausesdelaysinprocessingandfurtherslowsdown
thediscussionprocess,criticallyhamperingthefinancialviability.
Additionally,lackofexperiencewithindecisionmakersinrespectto
specificsubjects,greatlyaffectstheadvancesinalternativeenergy
whichcausessubstantialdelaysinprojectdevelopmentandtheir
expansion.Lastly,insufficientgridinfrastructureisaclearanda
presentdangercreatingfuturebarrierstowardsincreasing
generation,especiallyinareasplentifulinalternativeenergysources.

IdentifyingSolutions
Needforaregulatoryandinfrastructurestrategy
Thereisnolongtermplanningwhenitcomestothefutureof
renewableenergyresources.Therehastobeacoherentframework
whichwouldincludelongtermtargetsandgoals.Additionally,the
frameworkshouldrecognizethescopeofinfrastructureupgradesto
furtheraccommodateitsgenerationcapacityandfurtherincreaseits
powerstoragemechanisms.

EnhancingGridInfrastructure
Equippinggridstotransmitalternativesourceofenergyisnotonly
lengthybutrequiresampleofplanningandsupport,whichwillnot
attractthenecessaryfinances,whichiswhygovernmentagencies
anddistributioncompaniesshouldfocusoncreatinginasingle
investmentplan.Forexample,whenPortugaldecidednottouseany
morefossilfuels,thegovernmentalongwiththeprivatesector
beganplanningthegridinfrastructurewhilealteringthegridsto
remoteareastodistributeelectricity.Theydidsousingsmall
generators.Toencourageinvestments,thegovernmentintroduced
reformednewplansforincentives,especiallythefeedintariffs.
Portugaltoday,suppliesover45%ofitsgridelectricityfrom
renewableenergyresources.
EffectiveCapacityBuilding
Theroleofinexperiencepolicymakersinvolvedinthealternative
energysectorisoneofthemajorissuefacedbyinfrastructures
today.Addressingissuessuchasthis,requiresskillsbeyond
regulation.Additionoftechnicalcoursesattechnicalinstitutesto
increasetheskilledlabour,mightaddresstheissue;thesecourses
wouldcovertopicssuchasconstruction,installation,maintenance,
management,gridoperationandforecastinginthealternative
energyfield.Moreimportantly,aminimumtechnicaltrainingshould
berequiredforoperativesinordertooperateeffectively.