Alternate Energy and Pakistan Scenario.

Byline: NAZIR AHMED SHAIKH

Alternative energy is energy that does not comes from the fossil fuels. The prime objective is to produces little to no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). This means that energy produced from alternative sources does not contribute to the greenhouse effect that causes climate change.

These energy sources are referred to as "alternative" because they represent the alternative to coal, oil, and natural gas, which have been the most common sources of energy since the Industrial Revolution. These fossil fuels emit high levels of CO2 when burned to produce energy and electricity. Alternative energy, however, should not be confused with renewable energy, although many renewable energy sources can also be considered alternative. Solar power, for example, is both renewable and alternative because it will always be abundant and it emits no greenhouse gases. Nuclear power, however, is alternative but not renewable, since it uses uranium, a finite resource.

Alternative Energy

Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) are our most traditional source for power generation. Therefore, the energy that's produced from any source other than fossil fuels is alternative energy. In other words, alternative energy is any amount of energy derived from non-fossil fuel sources. Generally speaking, using alternative energy has a low environmental impact.

Difference between Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources

The alternative energy sources are any source we use to supplement or even replace traditional energy sources used for power generation. It looks same for renewable energy sources. However there is one difference between the two. All renewable energy sources fall under the category of alternative energy sources, but not vive verse.

That's because renewable energy sources are derived from naturally replenished sources or processes of Earth, such as the sun, wind, and water. We refer to these resources as renewable or sustainable (as in sustainable energy) since, unlike fossil fuels, this naturally occurring continual renewal makes them inexhaustible. However, it's possible for there to be alternative energy sources that are exhaustible, and therefore not renewable

Types of Alternative Energy Sources

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a report back in 2020 showing how renewable power has now become increasingly cheaper than fossil fuels for electricity generation. Onshore wind power and solar photo-voltaic, respectively, are currently the most affordable options when it comes to energy production. Using these two natural resources over coal could save as much as $23 billion in yearly power system expenses. It could also lower annual carbon dioxide emissions by 1.8 giga-tons. Bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, and nuclear energy are also making their way into the financially competitive spotlight, depending significantly on location. When it comes to energy efficiency, the leader of the renewable energy pack is wind energy. Behind wind comes geothermal energy, hydropower, nuclear energy, and then solar power.

Most Reliable Sources of Energy

Out of all the known energy sources, nuclear energy has the highest capacity factor by far. Nuclear power plants are able to produce maximum power over 93% of the time on an annual basis. Natural gas is considered the...