The impact of the rapidly growing economies of the highly populated countries

(China, India, Brazil, etc), the problems of availability, cost, sustainability of energy
resources, as well as of the concern about global warming formulated the
importance in the use of renewable energy sources by operations and supply chain
managers. Below is a critical discussion of several different methods and strategies
of clean and sustainable energy production that managers can consider:
1. Solar energy
This clean and sustainable energy production strategy entails the transformation of
the radiant heat and light from the sun into electricity or solar power through using
photovoltaic (PV) cells, artificial photosynthesis or concentrating solar devices. Solar
energy can be harnessed all over the world when the sunlight hits the surface of the
PV cell. Portion of photons are absorbed from the process, which release certain
electrons used to produce electricity. Since the heat is from the sun, it yields to
unlimited, inexpensive, and sustainable energy resource.
Solar system offers operations and supply chain managers a dependable energy
source. Developing countries such as South Africa experience continuous
interruption of an electricity supply (Load-shedding). Having a solar system in place,
allow supply chain operations to continue even during load-shedding times. Advance
and quality supply chain activities in rural dwellings are very limited due to the lack of
electricity infrastructures. The solar method allows managers to expand supply chain
networks to reach customers in rural geographical areas as the sun is the source of
energy production.
Globally, solar system is the top renewable method used for electricity production. In
other supply chain activities such as transportation, cooling and heating of goods
and services, the method is barely utilised and 80% of global energy demand are
due to these sectors. Higher utilisation of solar system by managers of operations
and supply chain is crucial to the overall sustainability. Developed countries are
heading towards reducing the gap through modern day trends with Asian countries
leading the way. China developed bus transportation and few roads powered by
solar energy. Solar buses and roads powered by PV cells harness limitless
sunshine. Managers in China greatly reduce carbon footprint, gain globally green
image while gaining competitive advantage. Also, Australia is moving its
transportation to solar system. Car racing managers use SolarSpirt car model which
utilise inexpensive and clean energy from the sun.
Wind energy
This is another way of collecting electric power (energy) from the atmospheric air
using wind turbines. The motion of the wind turbines blades produces kinetic energy
which is converted into electricity. The wind energy strategy is clean and sustainable,
presenting managers with a pollution-free, no threat to public safety and cost-
effective method of producing energy in the supply chain. It is a great approach to
archiving global green supply chain endangered by existing burning of fossil fuels
and production of toxic waste.
The position and height of the windmill or towers is of great importance as higher
positions comes with stronger wind. In most cities, solar panels are better as wind is
mostly blocked by tall buildings and other infrastructures. However, in areas like
northern cape and western cape where there are quite large areas for farming and
warehousing, wind mind shows a great potential. In fact, several farms (Dorper WF,
Sere, Jeffery’s Bay, Cookhouse) in these areas utilise wind power.

Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is the clean and sustainable energy extracted from the
underground heat of earth. Natural processes found in shallow ground, Thermal
springs and molten rock produce a wealth of heat which when captured, it can be
used to produce electricity and heat buildings. Managers should be aware of the
operating cost of geothermal power which are relatively less to fuel power plant, but
costs of forming a geothermal station are higher. The method is not only sustainable,
energy is derived from the earth, it offers an upper hand in comparison to solar and
wind energy operation as they are depend on weather conditions.

In the global push to end reliance on fossil fuels, green energy sources
like solar and wind power have gotten lots of attention. But geothermal
energy is another environmentally friendly energy source. It’s
the underground heat left over from the molten rocks that formed Earth
billions of years ago, and it can be tapped to heat buildings and generate
electricity.
Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal
energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the
Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called
magma. Almost everywhere, the shallow ground or upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface maintains a
nearly constant temperature between 50° and 60°F (10° and 16°C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap
into this resource to heat and cool buildings. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat
pump, an air delivery system (ductwork), and a heat exchanger-a system of pipes buried in the
shallow ground near the building. In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat
exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed,
and the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from
the indoor air during the summer can also be used to provide a free source of hot water [10].

Today, geothermal energy tapped via holes drilled in the ground is used to
heat and cool houses and other buildings. The underground environment
functions as a sort of heat reservoir, with heat being drawn up into a
building during cold weather and excess heat being dumped underground
to lower indoor temperatures during hot weather.
Geothermal power plants typically draw energy from so-called production
wells drilled to depths ranging from 500 feet to two miles. Steam and
superheated water at these depths rise under their own pressure to turn
electricity-generating turbines at the surface; waste liquid from the process
is captured and returned underground through what are called injection
wells.
Geothermal energy represents clean energy derived from heat from the earth
itself. Because of heat produced by natural processes beneath the earth’s crust,
there is a wealth of heat underground, which can be used to produce electricity or
provide heat. This energy is renewable and clean, and the operating plants often
are compact and use less land than other clean and conventional energy
sources.
Geothermal energy taps into the heat within the planet to provide heat of
electricity. Hot water and steam reservoirs can be used directly or to drive
generators and produce energy. Generally, which of these processes is done by
a plant depends on whether it is a heat pump or used for generation.
Marine energy
Ocean waves, tides, salinity and ocean temperature variances carry kinetic energy
or kinetic motion through the movement of water. Large underwater turbines capture
kinetic motion and ocean tides in areas with high tidal movement. Tidal energy
generators are used to convert kinetic motion into electricity

Hydropower energy
Water from rivers is channelled into dams or reservoirs. This flows through a turbine,
spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity.
Bio energy

https://energycentral.com/c/ec/how-renewable-energy-supply-chain-could-lead-whole-savings