Name :Bernard Billyandi Tampubolon

Class :Petroleum Engineering 4

Nim :101316141

The article “Renewable Energy” by David Ferguson discuss about the costs of
renewable tehnologies and scale of this energy. He has two main arguments about how
developed a renewables energy in EROPE, such as costs of this energy, and scale of this
energy. “Renewables energy by definition, are forms of energy that are not exhaustible, as are
fossil fuels”(Jose Goldemberg,2010). Renewables energy including wind, waves,
hydroelectric, solar thermal, and biomas. For some countries in EUROPE, this energy are still
classified new energy, because many countries in EUROPE felt costs of technologies for used
to developed it are unmanageable. Renewables energy are also used as a source of electrical
energy in a few European countries, one of which is UK. David McKay(2014), a British
Economist give an argument on the use of renewable energy as a power source in Europe.
Personally I liked most of his (the writer) opinions in this artcle, because i think his statement
are related with the problem.

The writer said in this article that exploration of renewables energy has two types,
there are onshore and offshore, which is both require high cost. He said it’s technologies hard
to used, if the costs of it unmanageable, an issue about the highest of this technologies lies in
the system of the energy exploration, some of the technology used in the exploration of
energy are still in prototype form, in which the development of the technologies are still in
the testing phase. I think this is reasonable opinion because in fact talking like that. For
example, according to Rida Mulyana (2012), a director of new an renewable energy of
ministry energy and mineral resources that the cause of the high cost of renewable energy
technologies is still relatively new energy, which has not been widely used by people in the
world.

The next arguments about it¸ there is an issue about the highest of this technologies
lies in the system of the energy exploration, the author speaks some of the technology used in
the exploration of energy are still in prototype form, in which the development of the
technology are still in the testing phase. I think this is possible because for renewable energy
technologies that exist at the moment is still difficult to replace fossil energy, for example in
a distribution that is hard to do, so that renewables energy are still quite difficult to replace
fossil fuels as a primary energy when viewed in terms of its distribution. This right is
reinforced by statements from the head of the geology department sukhyar(2014), which is
the main requirement of energy can be regarded as a primary energy if the energy disribution
is easy and large scale. On a scale sufficient renewables energy potential, but its weakness it
occurs in one of them.

The last arguments talk about scale of this energy. In this article he discuss that the
scale also one of the important parts of developing a renewable energy. A British Economist
David McKay says especially in UK, if we just depends on renewables energy to use for
source an electricity, what can we do when suddenly the production of renewable energy are
stopped ?. I think this could happen considering the energy sources that does not always
exist. For example solar energy that is only avaliable during the day, wind energy that powers
vary over time, and water energy cannot be used when river dried.

From three arguments above, we can see about the weakness of renewables energy,
but don’t forget if renewables energy have a weakness, sure he will also have advantages.

first One of them is used of renewables energy due to several reasons, namely the
pollution, they cause very little and almost nothing if its compared with the pollution caused
by fossil fuels, which is from Himka Polban(2014), he said pollutant gas emissions resulting
from the use of renewable fuels as a source of electricity generation ranges 200
kg/MWh,(emission of CO2). This figure is much smaller compared to other polluting gases
from energy, even less than half the emissions that are caused by natural gas, oil or coal.
Sometimes exhaust emissions resulting from renewable energy may be only water vapor, so
if the pitch is wasted into air will not be too significant influence on air pollution that will be
caused.

Second we can see the next benefits of renewables energy, according to the writer
before it, he discuss about renewable energy technologies which is the technologies cost more
expensive than fossil fuels or another energy sources, but he also said it can be managed by
think all of tecnologies system, however many renewable energy are very scalable. For
example, if we just build a technologies system of renewables energy and just providing
technology development costs lone, it certainly makes the price higher, but if we build the
technology for exploration by including the cost to mitigate the effets that may be caused,
then the price of that energy can be controlled, because we are already thinking about the
overall cost of the system. However, there will the question, why we should make it like that?
Emissions caused mostly just water, so why provide a cost for it? So here lies a gap thinking,
although pollutants caused largely water vapor alone, but still we have to keep providing a
costs for effects that may be caused from this system, so the costs can be controlled as
described previously. In this way has proved quite powerful if realized, some countries such
as the UK, Poland, Mediterranean, Scandinava, France, and Atlantic.

The next main advantages is the costs of renewables energy if this is used for
electricity sources, from the Jose Godemberg(2010), he give a data of the price from each the
renewable energy sources.

Power density Power density (W/m2)

Low High
Natural gas 200 2,000
Coal 100 1,000
Solar(PV) 4 9
Solar(CSP) 4 10
Wind 0.5 1,5
Biomass 0,5 0,6
From the data, we can see the potential of each energy if used as a power source,
wherein the power generated is divided into two types: small scale and high scale. On a small
scale normally used by groups or individuals, whereas in a large scale is usually used as a
electrical power source, so this data related to one of the opinion of the author of the above,
then compared with the price of each energy used as a power source, will obtain energy data
which can be used as a potential source of electrical energy, the price, and the power it
produced ideal.

Energy Costs (USD)/watt

Geothermal 5
Solar 0,04
Wind 42
Wave 1,51
Tidal 1,36
Hydropower 8
Biomass 1,76
Source : Jose Godemberg(2010)
 Technical Theoritical potential Production(EJ/year)
potential(EJ/year) (EJ/year)

Solar 62,000-280,000 3,900,000 0.49

Wind 1,250-2,250 110,000 0.98
Hydropower 53-57 160 11.23
Biomass 160-270 1,330 50.3
Geothermal 810-,1545 1,500 0.49
Ocean 3,200-10,500 1,000,000 0.01
Source : Jose Godemberg(2010)

Of the three potential above data and pricing and availability is affecting the development of
energy in each country, every country may choose to develop certain types of renewable
energy in accordance with the price that could be reached,the potential that is needed and
how much the energy supply in each country

All of the arguments above, we can conclude all types certainly has advantages and disadvantages that
is different, so all will be returned to the decision of each country to choose the energy potential
which will be a major research in the field of power generation, and expected of this data can be
helpful in deciding to develop renewable energy or fixed on fossil fuels, more over renewables energy
are scalable. so this will be a consideration for a country to develop such energy, because beginning of
sustainable energy system of renewable energy is when demand and prices balanced.

REFERENCES

Godemberg(2010)Energy what everyone needs to know.OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Himka Polban(2014),Renewables Energy.

Mohamed and Lee(2006),Energy for sustainable development in Malaysia.

http://www.withouthotair.com/c10/page _61.shtml

http://ebtke.esdm.go.id/post/2015/04/24/838/energi.baru.terbarukan .mulai.diperhatikan