Energy resource development faces various challenges that complicate the transition from traditional fossil fuels to alternative energy sources.
1. Energy or Fuel Substitution or Scale of Shift
- Currently, there is no alternative energy resource available that can replace fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas, and nuclear) at the necessary scale.
- Although solar energy is abundant, converting it to electricity or industrial heat is still minimal compared to fossil fuels.
2. Energy Density
- Energy density is the amount of energy stored in a unit of material (MJ/kg).
- Fossil fuels have high energy density, meaning they provide a lot of energy per unit. Replacing them with alternatives like biofuels requires more material to produce the same energy output.
3. Power Density
- Power density refers to the rate of energy production per unit area (w/m²).
- Fossil fuels have high power density, requiring smaller areas for energy production. Alternatives like biomass, wind, and solar have much lower power densities, needing larger land areas to produce the same energy.
4. Intermittency
- Energy demand fluctuates; however, renewable sources like wind and solar are intermittent and cannot consistently meet high energy demands.
- Fossil fuels provide reliable, high-load energy, while renewables struggle with consistency due to their natural variability. For example, solar energy generation is dependent on sunlight availability, while wind energy relies on wind speed. This natural variability makes it difficult to predict and provide a stable energy supply.
5. Geographical Energy Distribution
- Fossil fuels and renewables are unevenly distributed across the globe.
- Some regions have abundant fossil fuels, while others have more renewable resources like wind or solar.
- This uneven distribution complicates global energy development, as factors such as cloudiness can decrease solar energy availability and wind speed can impact wind energy production.