Solar Power in Emerald and Other Renewable Energy Sources: The Real Problem

 Energy conservation. Besides 'going green', that's been a buzzword for several years now, especially since such incidents as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. These threats to the environment had, predictably, caused people all over to raise their voices and call for a shift to renewable energy.

However, despite all that cash poured into developing such sources, we're nowhere near being almost totally reliant on renewable energy – globally, at least. For instance, solar power in Rockhampton, Australia, is currently stagnant, if not declining. Why? It's all thanks to conventional sources (like coal) all but barring the building of new solar farms.

It's not just because of legislation from the 'competition', though. Renewable energy has both pros and cons, and these have a hand in delaying the development. Let's take a look:

1. Pro: It benefits the environment. Renewable sources don't deplete the Earth's resources and results in little to no greenhouse gas emissions, dramatically reducing air pollution overall.

2. Con: Large quantities are difficult to produce. No facilities producing renewable energy have yet to be able to answer the high energy demands of a certain area. In order to answer the power demands, we either need more facilities, or we need to drop our energy usage.

3. Pro: It has economic benefits. Renewable energy is cheaper compared to other ways of generating energy, and it has the potential to create job stability for thousands.

4. Con: The upfront cost can be daunting. Even if there will be savings over the years, the initial investment is expensive, especially when power plants are concerned. That's not including the planning, implementation, and the maintenance expenses, too.

5. Pro: It's reliable. Fossil fuels is running out, however slowly, leading to a rise in costs for all those connected to it. Unlike a shortage of fossil fuel, though, renewable energy won't affect an entire region if weather disruption and the like will impede production in one area.

6. Con: The supply itself isn't too reliable. Rain, wind, and sunshine aren't completely predictable. This means that solar power systems Gladstone, say, may produce a lot of electricity one day, and produce too little the next. It won't matter how efficient the equipment, if the supply isn't stable.