The tropical archipelago of the Philippines is a country that is abundantly rich in natural resources. The country’s geographical location right at the Earth’s equator provides sunshine all year ‘round with bouts of monsoon season that brings high intensity rainfall during the months of July all the way to November. Globalization and a heightened sense of awareness and concern for the health of the Earth and every living thing in it has propelled Filipinos, along with the rest of the world, into a state of environmentalism or a heightened state of environmental concern and protection. This heightened state has allowed for the rise and recognition that renewable energies such as solar, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal power are more than enough to sustain the needs of the Earth without resorting to more pollution.
Solar panels and the use of solar power in order to generate electricity for the regular consumer have become a popular alternative and economic incentive in today’s society. Solar panel prices in the Philippines have now become affordable in that regular laymen are able to see the benefits of having solar panels installed in their homes. But then there are still skeptics in the world that spread false information about the use of renewable energies. Here are some common misconceptions about renewable energies that are quite obviously false information:
Renewable Energy is Expensive
This statement is truly false. The advent of the rise in technology has allowed for exponential growth and advancement in science and innovation. When there is an emergence of new technologies, cost comes down as the technology becomes more commonplace. In truth, renewable energies cost a lot less to operate than coal or natural gas power plants. Regular consumers such as common households and small businesses have chosen to employ the use of solar power for its cost efficient benefits. The average price for home solar systems have dropped since 2009. There have been more and more financial options available to consumers that want to invest in renewable energies such as leases and loans, making solar power systems more affordable for everybody.
Renewable Energy Is Not Reliable
In today’s day and age, there are those that still remain skeptical about the reliability of renewable energy. There remains a percentage in our global population that believe that variability dooms renewable energy. How will solar power be produced at night, when it is reliant on the sun? Wind power and solar power systems are complementary systems that work well together. Solar power is produced during the day, while wind power picks up speed during the night. The emergence of advancements in science and technology have also allowed for more sophisticated energy storage options used for later consumption – flexible options to utilize on demand. Take into consideration, too, that there are other types of renewable energy that are not dependent on the sun or the wind speed. Hydropower systems are dependent on the speed of flowing water, geothermal power systems rely on the heat of the Earth’s crust, while biomass power systems are reliant on plant and animal sources. Case in point, these renewable energy systems are able to produce electricity around the clock.
Renewable Sources Cannot Replace Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuel by definition is a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed through the remains of living organisms. What, then, becomes of fossil fuel when all the fossil fuel in the world has been consumed? Indeed, it is one thing for renewable energies to supplement the current energy sources of the world. It is another to replace these fossil fuels with renewable energies entirely. The current global warming concerns punctuate the necessity to steer awareness in a new direction. Fossil fuel continues to burn through the Earth’s atmosphere through the increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the said atmosphere. Promoting and recognizing renewable energies as not only an alternative resource for energy, but the possible replacement of the currently harmful burning of fossil fuel, it becomes a small step in a monumental effort to spread a message and promote an emerging technology. In truth, any given renewable energy resource, whether it be based on the sun, on wind, tides, heat, or biomass, it is at its core just one small part in an immense effort to curb the world’s dependency on fossil fuel.
There are more myths out there that keep going against the fact that renewable energy is the future for the sake of humanity. These myths are typically rumours started by coal and fossil fuel supporters, those that concern themselves with money instead of health and our environment. Let us help in spreading awareness and debunking myths against renewable energies.
