Grow-ducation Episode 2: Misconceptions about Sustainable Energy
Welcome back, friends!
As some of you may know from my previous articles, I am the daughter of a sustainable energy professional (professional goofball, that is) and have been surrounded by both major proponents for and major skeptics of renewables for most of my life. In today’s episode of Grow-ducation, I’d like to debunk some of the common misconceptions I’ve heard in my time relating to various aspects of sustainable energy.
Let’s start with the nitty gritty of the three most commonly contested types of renewable energy:
Solar
1. “Solar is too expensive to be viable!”
Actually, people tend to grossly overestimate how pricey it is to install solar panels on their roofs; in fact, the price has decreased 70% in the last 5 years. Bonus: the state and federal tax incentives for solar owners mean you could begin to see a return on your investment within 4 to 6 years. Not sure you’ll have the house for that long? Solar panels tend to increase the resale value of your house by about $15,000, so no worries.
2. “Solar panels don’t work in cloudy weather!”
False. Remember how mom always said to put on sunscreen even when it was overcast because the UV rays could still penetrate the cloud cover and crisp you up? Yeah, same deal. In FACT, solar panels work best in cooler, sunnier climates because cold air actually increases conductivity. Boom, science!
Wind*
1. “Wind turbines kill tons of migratory birds, especially eagles!”
Noooope. The vast majority of golden eagle deaths each year occur because of poisoning or shooting, and the remainder tends to be the result of collisions with cars, power lines, buildings, and, yes, the occasional wind turbine.
Ever since the bird issues at the 35 year-old Altamont Pass wind farm were discovered (turbines rotated too quickly, were too close together, and were placed directly in the migration path), the wind industry has actually been incredibly diligent about researching local bird migration patterns, flight heights, etc., before proceeding with any new projects. Additionally, the older, more dangerous turbines are being replaced over time with safer, more modern machines that will continue to lower the already rare eagle fatalities by an estimated 80%. Hooray for progress!
2. “Wind turbines are loud and will give me a headache!”
Again, common misconception attributed to one incident from over 30 years ago; a wind turbine in Boone, North Carolina in 1978 was loud enough to rattle windows and emit a low frequency that made some nearby home-dwellers feel unwell. Since the 70’s, the turbine technology has improved (obviously), and engineers continue to strive to make the machines even quieter than they already are. I’ve spent a good deal of time at various wind farms, and I can promise you this: if your location was determined to be the best, windiest place to build a project, that wind will be louder than the turbines. Trust me. Also, you can trust this report by GE:
The closest that a wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels. To put that in context, the average air conditioner can reach 50 decibels of noise, and most refrigerators run at around 40 decibels.— Aug 2, 2014
*The primary complaint about wind is actually the visual pollution, but that is simply a matter of personal taste. If you ask me, I think wind turbines are quite beautiful!
Geothermal
1. “Large scale geothermal plants will cause humongous earthquakes!”
Yes, deep geothermal drilling has caused a few accidents…just like every major source of energy has (think: tragedies relating to coal, nuclear, natural gas, etc., not to mention the slow and catastrophic warming of the globe). Luckily, the engineers and scientists in the industry are continuously working to find safer, more reliable ways to harness the power of tectonic activity without setting off larger earthquakes. As of now, the goal is to dig deeper (the further away the drilling is from the surface, the less we will feel the quakes) and make smaller fractures in an effort to mitigate the impact.
2. “Geothermal power plants contaminate groundwater and release emissions!”
Nope and nope. The water used in the geothermal processes is recycled back into a reservoir equipped with a thick cement casing, then reheated by the earth and reused by the plant — the special well casing keeps the reservoir water and the groundwater completely separate. As for the emissions, that would be water vapor; about 50% of the water used during the geothermal process evaporates, and the other half goes back into the reservoir to be reused.
On Sustainable Energy as a Whole
Those were some of the specific myths relating to the individual types of renewable energy. Now let’s look at a few continuously perpetuated misconceptions about sustainable energy as a whole:
“The sustainable industry isn’t creating jobs!”
In the recent presidential election, job-creation was a hot topic, especially since many people in the ever-declining coal industry have been out of work for years. The fact is, some industries phase out and others phase in — this doesn’t, however, mean those unemployed workers are out of luck; according to the Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review of 2014, there were 24,000 jobs added to the solar industry in 2013, compared to only 11,000 added to the oil and gas extraction industry. More numbers: renewable energy supported 625,000 jobs in 2013, whereas the oil/gas extraction industry only supported 202,000. Sure, some of those jobs lean more to the white collar side than blue, but renewable projects need strong hands and hard workers just as much as coal plants do.
“Two of the primary renewables, wind and solar, aren’t reliable because nature is so unpredictable and the resource is intermittent — not continuous!”
Sure, sometimes it’s too cloudy for sufficient UV light to reach the earth, and sometimes the wind lets up, meaning individual solar and wind projects will never be generating power to 100% of their potential, but this isn’t as big of a drawback as some imagine it to be. Take wind power for instance: with the progression of transmission technology, many remote projects are now being integrated more efficiently into the power grid, allowing delivery of energy from places where the wind is blowing (even if your nearby turbines aren’t spinning). Nature’s unpredictability becomes less and less of a problem the further the renewable industry expands, because the sun will always be shining / wind will always be blowing somewhere.
“Investing in renewables and ‘green companies’ isn’t business savvy!”
Aaaand we come full circle. This myth has been perpetuated throughout the entire existence of the renewable industry, and it is simply and utterly untrue; as renewable technology continues to progress and public perception swings even harder in favor of sustainable energy solutions, there has never been a better time to invest in both renewable projects and green companies. As mentioned in our previous article on ESG investing, the financial risks are arguably greater when investing in a non-green company/project simply because of the trajectory of the contemporary business world — more people than ever are realizing the importance of finding sustainable energy solutions before we completely destroy our atmosphere, and companies or projects that choose to dismiss sustainability will ultimately lose out over those that embrace it. Still not convinced? Here’s something to chew on: you know all those really really ridiculously successful Silicon Valley tech companies? Many of them have both invested heavily in renewable projects and pledged to power their data centers with 100% renewable energy (Google, for example, has invested around $2.5 billion in a manner of different renewable projects). If those clever rich guys are actively choosing to invest their company’s money into sustainable solutions, I guarantee you it’s business savvy. Simply put, sustainability / renewable energy is the way of the future, and the sooner we start investing conscientiously, the sooner we will see returns.
Whew, that about covers it.
Obviously there are a myriad of other myths and misconceptions about renewable energy that I can’t touch on now, but these examples ought to at least lay the groundwork for a better understanding of the renewable industry — its history, its drawbacks, and its advantages, among other things. Though the industry isn’t perfect, thousands of engineers, scientists, and professionals (like my dad) are continuously working to improve the technology and propel sustainable solutions to the forefront of the energy movement for the benefit of our generation and generations to come.
For those of you interested in learning more about how you can begin conscientiously investing today, check out Grow’s website for more info!
Sources
http://villarasolar.com/5-common-misconceptions-about-solar-power/
https://www.solarpowerauthority.com/10-myths-about-solar-power-busted/
http://www.aweablog.org/fact-check-wind-energy-eagles-can-successfully-coexist/
http://www.wind-energy-the-facts.org/mythology.html
http://www.livescience.com/2890-5-myths-wind-energy.html
http://www.geo-energy.org/geo_basics_mythbusters.aspx
http://www.irena.org/Publications/rejobs-annual-review-2014.pdf
NRG Media http://www.nrg.com/sustainability/solutions/sustainability-myths/facts/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324432404579052900100464562
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-to-invest-in-renewables
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-to-invest-in-renewables
https://environment.google/approach/
