​Sustainable Energy - Too little too late?

By : Roisin Farrell and Harriet Bernon

 Sustainable Energy - too little too late?

Contents
1. Introduction
2. Sustainable energy - too little too late?
3. Types of sustainable energy
4. Benefits of renewable energy sources
5. EPA
6. SEAI
7. Graphs
8. Future of sustainability in Ireland
9. Graphs
10. Conclusion
11. Bibliography
1. Introduction

What is sustainable energy?

Sustainable energy is a form of energy that meets today’s demand for energy without
putting them in danger of getting expired or depleted. It can be used over and over
again. Sustainable energy should be widely encouraged as it does not cause any harm
to the environment and is available widely free of cost. All renewable energy sources
like solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower are sustainable sources of energy as they
are stable and available in plenty.
2. Sustainable energy - too little too late?

The idea of the energy transition originated in the 1980s and gained legislative support
in Germany in 2010. The idea is good and also technically feasible. But it requires
sacrifices and right now these sacrifices are politically unthinkable since most people
don’t realize how critical the situation really is. What we are doing for the transition
seems to be is too little and too late.

So, what’s going to happen? The fact that we won’t attain the transition doesn’t mean
returning to Middle Ages, but that in the future not everyone, and not even a majority of
people, will have as much energy as we are used to having today. The sacrifices we
refuse to make now will have to be made, and much larger, in the future.
3. Types of sustainable energy:

1. Solar​ ​energy​ - Solar energy works by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into
electricity for your home or business. The sun delivers more energy to the earth in one
hour than is used worldwide in a year. We can harness this energy by using solar
technologies.

2. Wind energy
. Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the
irregularities of the earth's surface, and the rotation of the earth. This wind flow can be
"harvested" by modern wind turbines, and used to generate electricity.The term "wind
energy" describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity. Wind
turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. this mechanical
power can then be converted into electricity to power homes, businesses.
Wind Energy is currently the largest contributing source of renewable energy in Ireland.
The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) was founded to promote and educate people
about wind energy issues.
3. Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is the heat that is generated and stored in the Earth. It's a clean 
and sustainable energy source. ​This heat energy supplied to the ground can come from two
main sources, the Earth's crust and the solar energy supplied by the sun.
Solar - ​The Earth's surface acts as a very large collector of solar energy, where the
energy radiated from the sun is stored in the shallow layers of soil at the Earth's surface.
This energy can be regarded as stored energy which stays relatively warm throughout
the year - these sources are generally used for individual home heating systems.
The earth’s crust -​ The Earth's structure is comprised of three main layers the Earth's
crust, the mantle and the core. As we move deeper into the structure of the Earth the
temperatures increase. Heat energy can also be due to the decay of radioactive
isotopes such as uranium in different rock types. In volcanic areas such as Iceland
geothermal energy is a main source of energy. In Iceland 87% of buildings obtain their
heat requirements from geothermal sources. The hot rocks and hot springs from the
active volcanic area heat water to produce steam which in turn drives large turbines to
generate electricity.

4. Hydroelectric power -
Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is
called hydroelectric power. The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a
dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows
through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity.
But hydroelectric power doesn't necessarily require a large dam.
4. The Benefits of Using Renewable Energy Sources:

All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels, such as coal
and oil, and natural gas do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by
most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and
habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions.

Human activity is overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other harmful
gases. These gases act like a blanket around earth, trapping heat. The result is Global
warming which leads to a series of different issues, such as, stronger and more frequent
storms, drought, sea level rise, and extinction.
5. Environmental Protection Agency - (EPA)
The EPA was established in 1993 under the 1992 Environmental Protection Act,
replacing the previous Environmental Research Unit. Their mission is to protect human
health and the environment. The EPA has a wide range of functions to ensure Ireland’s
environment is protected. It’s main responsibilities include:

- Environmental licensing
- Enforcement of environmental law
- Environmental planning, education and guidance
- Monitoring, analysing and reporting on the environment
- Regulating Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions
- Environmental research development
- Strategic environmental assessment
- Waste management
- Radiological protection
6. Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland- (SEAI)
SEAI is Ireland's national sustainable energy authority. They work with householders,
businesses, communities and the government to create a cleaner energy future. Their
aim is to make Ireland’s energy more sustainable, affordable and clean. ​To achieve 
this, Ireland must use less energy, move to clean energy, and innovate to create 
new solutions to try meet our energy needs. 
 

Since 2011, SEAI have supported a range of activities from home energy efficiency
upgrades to ocean energy research. They have invested over 400 million in sustainable
energy projects and continue to work towards Ireland’s energy goals.
 
7. Graphs
Ireland’s energy sources in 2015

Ireland’s energy consumption in 2015

8. The Future of Sustainable Energy in Ireland

Ireland is leading the way to a clean energy future by embracing clean electricity,
electric cars, smart networks, heat pumps and emerging technologies.
In a way that was never possible before, Irish consumers are taking control of their own
energy supply as homes and businesses transform into mini power stations.
We are harnessing the power of solar, wind, wave and storage and using smart
technology. These small and fundamental changes are the beginning of our energy
revolution.

We are already adopting new ways to generate and consume energy, including the way
we drive our cars and heat our homes.
In the home, we can harness the power of the sun with the introduction of solar panels
to provide electricity and to heat our water. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels are
becoming a common sight on Irish rooftops, providing clean energy from the sun.

As well as solar energy, Ireland is adapting to a variety of renewable energies. By 2030,

clean energy is expected to become the largest source in global electricity production —
and wind generation is forecast to lead the way to meet the high demand for
renewables in Ireland. When it comes to wind power, Ireland is a global pioneer.
Wind energy now supplies over 20% of Ireland’s total annual electricity demand and at
any one time. 2017 was a record-breaking year for installing wind energy capacity in
Ireland and we have one of the highest levels of installed wind capacity relative to our
wind consumption. By 2020, wind is expected to contribute between 37% and 40% of
our renewable electricity.
9. Graphs
10. Conclusion

I​n conclusion sustainable energy is something I believe we need to take more seriously
as it is crucial to the future of this planet.

The main goals of sustainable development is to minimize the depletion of natural

resources, to create development that can be sustained without causing further
environmental harm and to modify existing developments to make them more
environmentally friendly. ​It’s about improving the well being of everyone wherever they
are. This means we want companies to expand, people to have the best jobs, everyone
to afford nutritious foods wherever they live, quality and affordable education for
everyone, freedom of speech without violence, and our economies to grow
exponentially. We want to develop innovative technologies while keeping the
environment safe.

Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a much lower
environmental impact than conventional energy technologies. We need to use more
sources of sustainable and renewable energy to try slow the global warming process
and protect the environment.
11. Bibliography
1. www.seai.ie
2. us.sunpower.com
3. www.conserve-energy-future.com
4. www.epa.ie
5. www.iwea.com
6. Windeis.ail.gov
7. www.renewableeneryworld.com
8. www.gsi.ie
9. www.ucsusa.org
10. www.resilience.org
11. www.independent.ie
12. www.ucsusa.org
13. www.nrdc.org
14. http://www.ecotecture.com