ISSN 2360-7955
Renewable energy technologies offer a clean and sustainable solution, minimizing environmental harm, waste production, and ensuring long-term economic and social viability. However, some of these renewable energies are associated with hazardous substances which substantially affect the environment. This present study explores the environmental and socio-economic implications of renewable energy technologies, highlighting that all energy sources have some environmental impact. The primary drawbacks of fossil fuel combustion and nuclear energy production are depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and greenhouse effect. Although considered environmentally friendly, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, and tidal power still have some ecological effects. Impacts of solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal and tidal powers were described, their specific hazards and environment impacts identified. This review work shows that most of these renewable energies: solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal are associated with hazardous substances during production, usage and disposal such as emission of carcinogenic substances(Arsenic, Galium Arsenide etc.) and emission of toxic heavy metals and Sulphur dioxide which has a tremendous impact on our eco-system. Though renewable energy is thought to be harmless and intended to replace the fossil fuels, particularly petroleum, but based on this review work it has been discovered that materials used for renewable energy production and storage are mostly toxic in nature and affect eco-system. Therefore, caution should be observed in considering it as a viable energy alternative.
Keywords: Renewable energy, Environment, Impact, Energy Security, Photovoltaic Cell