A number of countries still use fossil energy and one of the countries is Indonesia. Actually, some countries can use some renewable energy sources or alternative energy, especially in Indonesia, because this country has abundant natural wealth. However, the management of natural wealth in that country has not worked maximally yet.
As you know, fossil energy sources such as coal and oil have some disadvantages. One of them is that those cannot be renewed.
So, the solution to overcome this problem is to switch to alternative energy sources such as sunlight, water, wind, and many others. To know more about alternative energies, you are able to read the explanation below according to the Kata Data site in an article written by Fathnur Rohman.
Definition of Alternative Energy and Its Advantages
You may have heard about alternative energy which is referred to as renewable energy. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), alternative energy is a source of “clean energy” that comes from natural processes and is replenished continuously. It means that the availability of alternative energy sources can be renewed.
Since ancient times, alternative energy has been used by humans in their life. For example, traditional boats use the sea breeze to move. Now, there are a lot of scientists and technology experts who are continuously trying to make a series of innovations, so that humans can use alternative energy resources maximally. Solar panels and hydroelectric power are new breakthroughs that can be seen today.
If it is compared with fossil energy, the use of alternative energy does not cause much harm to nature and even it is environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, there are a number of obstacles that are faced by a lot of countries when trying to switch to alternative energy. One of the obstacles is the cost, which is expensive.
According to the NDRC, even though the cost of using alternative energy is expensive, if it is viewed from the impact on the environment, it is very comparable. Now, in various parts of the world, environmental damage has occurred and the use of fossil energy should be reduced and switched to alternative energy.
Examples of Alternative Energy in Daily Life
What is fossil energy? It is a natural resource that comes from natural processes over millions of years. It is considered that fossil energy is dirty energy. The reason is because it is able to produce carbon. Besides, gradually the types of fossil energy such as oil, coal, and natural gas may run out of supply.
Meanwhile, renewable energy resources mean sustainable energy which means that it is something which is inexhaustible like the sun. Renewable energy is included as alternative energy.
In fact, a number of alternative energies are very close to human life. However, the use of it as a source of fuel or a power generation source is still very small. It is also known that this type of energy can produce power with little or no carbon. Compiled from Evaco.com, Edfenergy.com, and other sources, here are the examples of environmentally friendly alternative energy:
1. Solar Energy
The sun is a star which is the point of rotation of the planets in the solar system. The sun has an important role because it supports human life on earth.
Sunlight is an alternative energy source, which is now widely used by people. The use of sunlight as a source of energy is by using a tool called a solar panel.
The availability of sunlight as alternative energy is very abundant. According to researchers, the amount of solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface in one hour is more than the total energy needs of the planet for an entire year.
Indonesia becomes a country which has the potential to use this alternative energy source. The reason is because of the weather factor and also because the amount of solar energy which is used by humans varies. However, it also depends on the time and season of the year and also geographic location.
It is also important to note that, even though solar energy looks clean, but it can also have a bad impact on the environment because of the materials used in solar panel technology. It can be avoided by not throwing away damaged solar panels at random.
2. Wind Energy
Wind is the cleanest alternative energy source because the use of wind, especially in power plants, does not cause emissions or pollution. Even though it has advantages over fossil energy, the use of wind energy is still not optimal. In Indonesia, the number of wind power plants is still small. One of them is the Sidrap Wind Power Plant in South Sulawesi.
3. Hydro Energy
Hydro energy or hydro power is another alternative energy source. This renewable energy is considered more effective as a power generator than solar panels and wind energy. Therefore, hydro power is one of the alternative energies that is being developed in Indonesia.
For your information, by building a dam or barrier, a large reservoir can be used to create a controlled flow of water that will drive a turbine. And then, the turbine will generate electricity.
Tidal energy is another concept of using hydropower. This alternative energy source uses tidal currents to drive a turbine generator so it generates electricity.
4. Biomass Energy
The main idea of this alternative energy is to convert solid fuels made from plant materials into electricity. In the process, it will involve burning organic materials.
The use of this biomass energy can also be a solution in managing organic waste from the agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors. Electricity at low economic costs and environmentally friendly can be produced by biomass energy.
AUTHOR BIO
On my daily job, I am a software engineer, programmer & computer technician. My passion is assembling PC hardware, studying Operating System and all things related to computers technology. I also love to make short films for YouTube as a producer. More at about me…
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