2. What is Sustainable development
Sustainable development is an organizing
principle for meeting human development goals
while also sustaining the ability of natural systems
to provide the natural resources and ecosystem
services on which the economy and society
depend.
3. Sustainable development Energy
Currently, there are four major sources of
renewable energy recognized by the U.S Energy
Information Administration as being the main
sustainable power producers: biomass,
hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar.
4. Solar Energy
By using photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into
energy, solar power makes the most of the Sun’s daily
cycle to harvest energy efficiently. A cheap and easy way of
providing electricity, solar power is one of the largest forms
of sustainable energy available, producing 570
TWh globally in 2018 and on track to expand its capacity up
to 50% by 2024. Solar energy has been used to lead an
energy transition away from fossil fuels, electrifying rural
communities and driving sustainable development.
5. Low operation costs, low carbon emissions, efficient power
production and the rise of batteries has made solar energy
a force for utilities companies – even the most reticent to
embrace renewables. On top of the utilities sector,
the aviation industry has also begun to innovate by using
solar energy as a means to reduce their carbon footprint.
Investment in solar has continued to increase, with nations
like China taking the lead in implementing large-scale solar
projects.
This source of energy is becoming one of the most
affordable and accessible, owing to years of
investment and development within the solar industry.
Along with continued innovation within the field of lithium-
ion batteries, solar power has become a major source
of employment and electrification globally
6. Hydropower
Hydropower is one of the oldest forms of sustainable
energy in use, dating back several thousand years, and it
has grown to encompass several forms of water-based
power generation. The most recognizable form of
hydropower comes in the form of dams like the Hoover
(USA) or Three Gorges (China), where they produce
electricity by letting water flow through its generators
downstream. Responsible for 16% of total global energy
production, hydropower is currently the world’s largest
source of sustainable energy.
7. Hydropower refers to the use of water’s movement as a medium for
energy generation. Including dams, tidal and wave-power,
hydroelectricity’s wide range of sources reflect its versatility and ability
to be used almost everywhere. A dominant form of sustainable power,
hydropower was responsible for 4,200 TWh of energy production in
2018. Featured in the electrical grid of a vast range of countries,
hydropower is one of the most mainstream forms of sustainable energy
found on the current energy market.
Hydroelectric dams are playing a leading role in Costa Rica’s ability to
run almost exclusively on renewable energy while innovation in wave
power in Orkney has furthered research in sustainable development.
Capable of storing energy through pumped storage facilities,
hydropower provides both alternative energy and storage options.
Along with other forms of sustainable energy, hydro is expected to
increase its capacity and help lead a transition away from fossil fuels.
8. Wind Energy
Another form of sustainable energy that has been used for
millennia, windmills have evolved from grinding grain and
pumping water to become wind turbines capable of
harnessing large amounts of energy. The large blades that
make up the turbine are driven by the wind and power the
generator within it to produce energy. One of the fastest
growing forms of renewable energy, wind farms can be
installed at sea and on land, and have played a major part
in the global transition away from fossil fuels.
9. A form of sustainable energy that has continued to develop and
innovate, wind power has gained popularity with utility companies due
to its cost-efficient power generation. Installed in areas exposed to high
amounts of wind, turbines work by using their large blades to capture
the wind’s power and use it to turn a generator, creating energy. In
recent years, wind power capacity has greatly increased in Europe, the
United States and China, with close to 600MW of installed capacity
reported in 2018 – and calls to triple that capacity by 2030.
Able to be installed offshore as well as on land, wind turbines have the
ability to generate high amounts of power for coastal communities. New
developments in battery storage have reduced the intermittency issues
facing wind power, making it one of many sustainable energy options
now capable of powering energy grids with more consistency.
10. Geothermal
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat generated
naturally within the Earth and carried to the surface in the
form of steam, which geothermal power plants generate
electricity from via drilled wells. Since its first iteration in
1913, geothermal power plants and the technology behind
them has been refined and optimized to become an integral
part of the power grids of several nations including Iceland,
El Salvador and New Zealand.
11. Used as a means of power and heating for thousands of years,
geothermal energy is one of the oldest forms of power available to us.
Sourced from the natural heat emanating from the planet’s core,
geothermal energy is responsible for a large share of the energy
production of countries such as Iceland, Kenya and New Zealand. After
the signatories of the Paris Agreement pledged to reduce global carbon
emissions, geothermal has been proposed as a reliable form of
sustainable energy for a range of nations globally.
With 14,900MW of installed capacity worldwide, geothermal energy is
expected to continue its growth, with certain projections believing it
could shoulder up to 3.5% of global electricity demand by 2050. As it
relies on the Earth’s core temperature for energy, geothermal does not
have intermittency issues, but requires more infrastructure to ensure
power generation, while questions have been raised about its
environmental impacts.
12. Bioenergy
A mix of both traditional and modern energy techniques, bioenergy is
derived from a vast array of biological materials such as food waste or
wood pellets and comes in many shapes and forms. Through either
combustion of biological materials to provide energy, or liquid biofuels
to power vehicles, bioenergy has been a cornerstone of sustainable
development.
Popular in countries with rapidly power demand and growing waste and
agricultural sectors, bioenergy has the versatility to provide for different
energy needs. As an energy provider, it has a global installed capacity
of 130GW, while also helping power vehicles worldwide. Growth in
the Pacific and across Africa has seen the use of bioenergy increase
steadily as a means to transition away from fossil fuels.
