What is the possible disadvantage of using renewable energy sources to generate electricity?

Question

I need it for my homework.

Answer 1

Gas companies and such will go bankrupt.

Answer 2

Assuming you already know the advantages, let me just discuss the Disadvantages.

For one, they might not live up to your expectations especially if they're still in the development or test phase. You would also need patience and give it more time to adjust and fill your needs.

According to wiki, renewable energy sources or generators are vulnerable to these risks:

1. Volume - no guarantee that they will be able to sell all of their peak electricity

2. Price - they depend on the market for both electricity and tradeable certificates

3. Balancing Cost - a function of generator intermittency or interruption

4. Regulation - for example,  the withdrawal of political support effectively ends the market completely

And lastly, its "Dynamic Efficiency: The mechanism tends to support only those technologies which are close to market when it is introduced. Technologies outside the mechanism are likely to become less and less competitive, and thus never be developed".

There are also talks about tax credits that "tend to be vulnerable to political conflict regarding their maintenance in the long term".

For a detailed list of Renewable Energy Source types that include Solar, Wind, Tidal, Geothermal, Wood, Biomass, Hydrological or Hydroelectric Power (HEP) see:

Answer 3

Bio-fuels may disrupt food markets, as we've already seen with corn-based ethanol.  Even if we're not diverting a food-crop into fuel production, farmers may grow inedible bio-fuel plants rather than food for purely financial reasons.

Solar can cause significant environmental pollution in the production of photovoltaic cells.  A bit arcane, but a large percentage of the Sun's energy that strike's earth is reflected back into space.  Highly efficient solar cells would capture that energy to eventually be released as heat as it is used.  Global warming?

Wind turbines mar the landscape and can pose a threat to migratory birds.  Not all areas are suitable for wind-farms, areas that are suitable do not have wind 24/7.  

Solar, geothermal, wind, etc. all suffer from the fact that you can't place production facilities wherever you want and haul in fuel.   This may result in inefficient transmission and distribution layouts.   Much energy is lost overcoming resistance in power lines.

Answer 4

In Britain we have a northern slang expression - 'you don't get nowt for nowt'. This slang expression aptly applies to renewable energy sources.

Large turbine farms extract energy from from the wind, which in turn marginally changes the localised effects of the prevailing wind. Furthermore, wind farms are esthetically intrusive into areas of unspoilt environmental beauty. Finally, if sufficient wind farms are used they will possibly effect rain deposition patterns in other areas.

Tidal energy extraction, from the sea and rivers, will also reduce tidal energy and river flow surge rates. Again, tidal energy extraction will reduce or change (or even increase) localised soil and silt deposition.

Solar panel farms are not appealing to the eye and are not particularly efficient in converting solar energy into electricity.

Hydroelectric power is perhaps the least environmentally impacting of the renewable energy sources. Furthermore, hydroelectric power is the oldest and most commonly used form of renewable energy.

However, oil is starting to run out and so many countries are adopting renewable energy sources. In Britain and Europe wind farms are becoming very common as are roof mounted solar panels. Heat pumps are also being used in many other parts of the world.