Importance of Regional Alternative Energy Resources
There is talk all around regarding going for alternative energy sources. This is all good, but if these are not adopted properly, it could defeat the whole purpose and we could lose some great options to generate green energy from renewable sources. The most important point to focus on is to ensure that regional energy resources can support the energy production there.
Sun shines brightly and more or less constantly along the equator and the areas around it. Typically the days and nights here are equally distributed and they do not change much. Installing solar panels as a permanent source of energy here is a great solution.
On the other hand though, think about the European and North American countries that are close to the poles. Here between summer and winter the length of the day can be quite different. The average day can be as much as 4-6 hours shorter in winter. Here solar energy cannot be used reliably throughout the year.
Another alternative energy source that relies on local resources is the wind energy. Here again the best place to install wind mills are flat plains with lots of open spaces and relatively close to the oceans. This is one place geographically where you can get plenty of windy gusts. This is the perfect place to tap into this source. Having it in the middle of mountain valleys where there is hardly any wind would really be investments going down the drain.
Similarly, we also have other sources like tidal energy and geo thermal energy which work only in places where these resources are available. Besides these even the newer concepts like biogas plants would only work in places where there is constant supply of biomass. Without enough raw material you cannot produce enough energy to run the station sustainably.
Thus the regional alternative energy resources play an important role in determining which alternative source of energy would work best in that area.