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Renewable energy uses less natural resources and is better for the environment, but why is it not used more widely? What are the challenges faced...

Renewable energy is the energy obtained from sources which are practically limitless in amount and regenerate very quickly. Some examples of renewable energy are solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc. This form of energy is much cleaner and much more environmentally friendly as compared to nonrenewable energy. Yet, there are many obstacles to overcome in order to replace nonrenewable energy and enact a large-scale adoption of renewable energy. 


Renewable energy is a localized form of energy and is also time bound. For example, one cannot expect same amount of solar radiation at every location and 24 hours a day. So, solar energy can only be used in places that have more sunshine. Wind energy is similarly localized to windy areas. The energy has to be stored in batteries during non-production hours (night for solar energy and non-windy for wind energy, etc.). The efficiency of energy conversion of renewable energy sources is very low. A good solar panel will harvest about 14%-15% of the incoming solar energy. Also, renewable energy-based systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines, require a large tract of land. Lastly, all of our infrastructure is designed for nonrenewable energy ad changes/modifications to it would be expensive. 


Hope this helps. 

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