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Future is in renewable energy

Zubair Hossain
IF all the types of energy we utilize were converted into crude oil, statistics say, every year the per capita energy consumption would be about 1.5 tonnes. Human development is very closely related to power consumption. Again, the amount of energy consumed has increased with our advancements. Between 1950 and 2000, world energy consumption increased fourfold.
The world is heavily dependant on fossil fuels i.e. oil, natural gas and coal. As they take millions of years to form, fossil fuels are consumed much faster than they are produced. The world's energy reserve is being depleted at an alarming rate and in the future we might run out of all the types of fossil fuel.
In this context, the alternative energy concept is gaining popularity. Historically whenever there was a shortage and subsequent price hike of a dominant energy source, people searched and switched to an alternative. For example, coal replaced wood in the 16th century. Similarly petroleum was first commercialized after Whale oil, the dominant form of fuel for lamps in the early 19th century, was getting beyond affordibility of general
people. Nowadays various natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, geothermal heat etc are of much interest because they are freely available in nature. Moreover, these resources are replenished constantly. If appropriate technology can be used, renewable energy can serve as an efficient and sustainable key to development.
Wind Energy: In some countries, there are large wind farms consisting of several hundred individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network. Wind power is widely used in Europe, Asia, and the United States. No such farms exist in our country, because here wind is irregular and unpredictable. This is often highly variable at several different timescales: hourly, daily or seasonally. A perfect wind mapping can be a solution. Again, the production can be increased by increasing the height of the wind turbines. It is thought that wind energy can be used to produce500to 1000MW of electricity.
Solar Energy: There is a boundless possibility of using solar energy to solve energy crisis of the world. Solar powered electrical generation relies on photovoltaics and heat engines. The initial installation of these facilities is expensive. In addition, setting up of PV cells to produce a sufficient amount of electricity requires a vast open space. Space may not be a problem for our country. And if a good initial investment can be made, the cost of per MW electricity production will gradually come within tolerable limit. Introducing smart grid instead of traditional grid system can make best use of electricity produced from solar energy.
Biomass: Biogas comprises primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. The energy released from combustion of methane allows biogas to be used as a fuel. Biogas can be used for cooking, to produce electricity and power motor vehicles. The remnants of the biomass can be used as fertilizer. Besides, the municipal
wastes can be burnt to produce energy. One point is to be noted that, in our country paper, plastic and rags are often collected by scavengers. They have high calorific value. On the other hand, food wastes contain a great deal of moisture and not good as fuel.
Hydropower: Water being 800 times denser than air, can yield considerable amount of energy even in a slow flowing stream. Although Kaptai Hydroelectric Project serves only 3 percent of the demand at present, establishing hydropower projects elsewhere along with proper water management can make a good contribution to the national grid.