Читать книгу Renewable Energy - David Elliott - Страница 8

The use of renewable energy is spreading rapidly, and some claim that wind, solar and other renewables can and will become the dominant global energy sources within a few decades, thus avoiding major climate change problems. Concerns about climate change have been a key driver, leading to growing government support. However, the falling cost of renewable energy has also become a major driver. Some renewable energy technologies are now competitive across the board and costs continue to fall, with a new commercial dynamic adding impetus to their uptake. This book asks whether that trend will be sufficient to ensure that renewables expand fast enough globally to limit climate change to survivable levels without imposing high costs.

There are certainly many who doubt that this is possible. Some critics argue that renewable energy systems are inherently unreliable and expensive, and they look to nuclear power as an alternative non-fossil option, and possibly also to cleaning up fossil fuel use. This book seeks to meet these claims head on and asks to what extent renewables can deliver a technologically and economically viable energy future, and whether other technical options and energy policies to support them are also needed. It explores how important renewable energy technology might be by looking at its progress so far and at its future potential and problems in a context where other approaches are also on offer. Much has been promised from renewables and, so far, they seem to be living up to the promises as they accelerate ahead. This book looks at whether that can and will continue.