Sources of Green Energy: Pros & Cons

There are many sources of green energy, and they're highly recommended.

Of course, though, everyone needs facts about what they're actually buying and if it's actually worth the expense and work.

This post is to get you started on the pros and cons of many types of green energy, to help get an idea if you're thinking of going eco.

1. Solar. Solar energy and panels are becoming increasingly popular these days due to the broader attention to climate change in today's world. You might have noticed yourself that you see more panels on rooftops of houses, and some might see fields full of solar panels. So, what are the pros and cons of this up - and - coming green idea?

• The pros: For one, solar panels emit zero greenhouse gases, reducing your impact on the environment by a lot. Your house's energy takes up a big part of polluting in the environment and stopping that with solar is a grand step into making a better future. Second, you're the controller of your energy, so, even though you might need a backup generator, if there's a power outage, you could probably still have energy since it's not connected to the main energy system. Third, they have strong durability, lasting to about 30 years or even more. This way, they're pretty reliable and you wouldn't expect them to slow down after a decade or so. Also, even though it might be a bit expensive at first, there's a lot of savings you could get, and costs are getting lower by the year.

• The cons: As much as we like the pros about solar energy, sadly, there are cons as well. First off, when manufacturing solar panels, there are many dangerous, toxic chemicals involved, and if they aren't dealt with caution and care, they might leak out and harm the environment, including the workers manufacturing it. Next, if you put solar panels on your roof there's nothing to worry about, but if you're talking about solar farms there is one problem about that: they take up a lot of space. Taking up 5 -- 10 acres per megawatt, people might have to cut down trees for this and it might also affect in damaging habitats. It might be okay to cut down a few, but thinking of the animals that live in them, we have to be open to all the possibilities and effects of every action that is taken.

2.

Wind. Wind energy and turbines are another well - known option for people looking for green opportunities in energy. If you're on a plane, it might happen that you see a group of wind turbines on water. Other times, if you're taking a road trip in high, windy, mountainous areas, you might get a glimpse of spinning white blades. So, let's take a look:

The pros: There are benefits for wind energy that you might want to take into account. For example, it's emission - free, just like the solar panels. Not only that, but it gives jobs to many and contributes to economic growth in many places around the world. Since there's now more jobs based on going green, it's really helping to reduce or prevent unemployment. Not only that, but costs are also reducing, and they don't require a whole lot of maintenance.

• The cons: There are, sadly, a few cons to wind power as well. Turbines could harm birds and bats that might fly near it, and maybe even kill them. Another reason that this might be bad is that they might make a lot of noise, and some people don't like how they look. Also, even if costs are reducing, they're still expensive to install at the start.

3.

Hydro. Hydro power is another option for clean energy. Using fast - running water, this also is a popular and powerful source of energy. They're commonly in the form of dams and are very efficient in producing energy. So, what exactly is this wet kind of energy creator?

• The pros: It's 100% clean, just like the rest, so it helps protect and sustain the environment all around us. There are also low maintenance costs and there's also the fact that the energy is provided by the movement of fast - paced, constantly moving water, which is quite reliable since no one probably ever saw moving water just stop all of a sudden when it's not entering a wider space or something. It's renewable as well. Lastly, hydropower is around 80% -- 95% efficient, making it very useful, including the fact that the system could last until a century or more!

• The cons: There are many advantages to having hydropower, although there are disadvantages as well. One is that the hydropower systems, such as the turbines and all, can interrupt the scenery. Some people like to see nature and such while taking hikes but seeing a huge dam or turbine might be disturbing for them. Another one is that it takes a lot of money and time to build. Maintenance and operation may have affordable costs, but the cost to build is sure going to be a lot, and it might take some time because of its size. They also might impact river flow negatively and might affect underwater creatures and their habitats.

So, in conclusion, these are the three most heard of sources of green energy. Of course, there are still other sources, such as Nuclear Energy, Biomass Energy, Geothermal Energy, etc., but I might talk about a few in some of my other posts. But as I was saying, there are many ways these sources of energy can affect the environment and us, and it's up to you whether you want to join in this plan to select what you think is best and help clean our world.