What is the difference between renewable and sustainable energy?
Distinguish between types for a cleaner energy future
As the general public becomes more aware of the need to mitigate climate change by transitioning to new forms of energy, the terms can often be misinterpreted or mistakenly used interchangeably. An example is “sustainable energy” versus “renewable energy.” While both sustainable energy and renewable energy are critical to the future of our planet, there are subtle distinctions between the two categories. Not all renewable energy is sustainable and not all sustainable energy sources are renewable.
What is renewable energy?
The definition of renewable energy is usable energy created through naturally recurring processes: the wind blowing or the sun shining, for example. Some common examples of renewable energy sources are solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. Depending on climate and weather, these categories are not always readily available, but will reliably and naturally replenish, making them an ideal and potentially infinite alternative to limited and harmful resources like fossil fuels. Traditional, non-renewable energy sources such as coal and oil, which since the industrial era have been used to “power” much of our modern lives, took millions of years to form and their consumption rate far exceeds their rate of consumption. replacement.
Renewable energy is a frequent topic of public discourse and has filtered down to the general public; A 2017 survey indicated that 82 percent of people worldwide believe the planet should be powered by renewable energy sources. In particular, renewable energy is also becoming more cost-effective, contributing to its growing popularity. But overuse of even renewable resources can cause a given energy source to become unsustainable.
What is sustainable energy?
The definition of sustainable energy is an energy resource that can be maintained for the foreseeable future without compromising or threatening future generations. Energy is “sustainable” when it can meet the needs of a business or society without being depleted or otherwise becoming unusable. Geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind are common sustainable energy sources. Some policymakers and arbiters of public opinion maintain that oil, natural gas and coal are sustainable forms of energy due to their wide availability, but this is controversial and contested as a hard and fast stance. However, in general, energy industry experts can agree that some non-renewable energy sources can be sustainable if used sparingly.
Key differences between renewable and sustainable energy
Not all renewable energy is sustainable energy, and vice versa. To qualify as sustainable, energy must be obtained and distributed efficiently. But some technically renewable energy sources, such as biomass, are not strictly sustainable. As an organic material that arises from plants and animals, biomass is renewable and can be burned for use as heat or fuel. But while biomass is automatically replenished, the consumption of biofuels emits greenhouse gases, which can negatively affect the environment and, in turn, future generations. Therefore, this particular form of renewable energy is not sustainable unless it is carefully controlled, maximizing energy production and minimizing harmful byproducts.
Considerations in the transition to a more sustainable future
How energy is created, distributed, and ultimately consumed are key factors in determining whether a given energy source is sustainable or not. When carrying out this evaluation, elements such as geographical particularities and political and economic interests come into play. Energy professionals and policymakers need to examine how creation-distribution-consumption costs compare to the adoption rate. Political actors in particular should be careful to distinguish between “sustainable” and “renewable” when drafting laws, speaking in public, or making large-scale decisions, as all of this will affect the ability of average consumers to make informed energy decisions. The problems are complex and the long-term environmental impact is not always predictable when both the natural world and our specific energy needs are constantly changing.