Will renewable energies play a vital role in sustainable development by increasing human development and economic productivity? Will renewable energies be more widely considered and used in the future of humanity? Will humans turn to renewable energies for the sake of the life of the planet and the fight against global climate change and the importance of humans for the environment and human survival? What will be the position of fossil and nuclear energies? Why should humans avoid fossil fuels such as oil and gas, etc. and should they no longer use oil and its derivatives for the sake of the Earth's atmosphere and the life of humans themselves and their creatures?
Renewable energy plays a vital role in sustainable development by increasing human development and economic productivity. Analysis of the pipeline of installed wind farms across Africa shows that the continent has significant wind resources and has the potential to increase its capacity by more than 900 percent through the addition of 140 planned projects. The design and implementation of a renewable energy system for wind turbine power analysis in the Aykot Akpaden community serves as a valuable example of the effectiveness of wind energy in reducing high-carbon greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental pollutants and is beneficial to the present and future environment. This analysis evaluates the wind speed and its significant power output based on the system design parameters used. The experiment is carried out between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm for 7 days. The results show that the wind speed in the Akpaden area varies between 2.67 m/s and 4.57 m/s with an average wind speed of 4.03 m/s. There are limitations in some hours of the day when there is no significant wind speed, but there is no full 24 hours a day without the free flow of wind energy. Using a wind turbine with a minimum swept area of 0.283 m2, the output power generated by the available wind speed varies from 3.0 W to 8.82 W/s, so there is 78% efficiency in the system design compared to the theoretical output power of 11.32 W using the system design parameters. Also, as shown in the graphical diagram, there is a significant drop in the output power between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM which is due to the decrease in the wind speed of the area at that time. Therefore, it is observed that there is useful power in the wind speed of the study area which, after being collected and stored, can be used as useful energy for the students during their experiments and research. The output power of the wind turbine can be improved by the desired percentage by using a turbine with a larger blade radius and swept area. Keywords: Efficiency, Power, Renewable, Turbine, Speed, Wind Energy.
Wind energy is one of the most important resources for generating electricity and is used extensively throughout the world among the different renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and ocean thermal power [1]. Due to its many benefits, wind energy is one of the energy sources with the quickest rate of growth in the world [2]. Researchers are tackling technical and socioeconomic issues to promote a future with decarbonised power in order to maximise its potential and societal benefits across the globe [3]. Through 2026, it is anticipated that the world's energy demand would increase at an average annual rate of 3.4% due to better economic conditions that will speed up the use of power in both developed and developing nations. Renewable energy sources are predicted to overtake coal and other fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity generated worldwide by early 2025. It is projected that the proportion of renewable energy sources in the production of electricity will increase from 30% in 2023 to 37% in 2026, with the expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems playing a significant role in this increase. Renewables are anticipated to reduce dependency on fossil fuels during this time by offsetting demand increases in developed economies such as the US and the EU. Regions with significant levels of variable renewable generation are establishing new markets and implementing certain operational measures to guarantee the stability of the power system. Increasingly, battery storage systems are being used to increase system flexibility and stabilize grid frequency, which is crucial for incorporating renewable energy sources [4]. Countries with significant wind energy potential are leveraging this resource to address electricity demand, particularly in regions with energy resource constraints. In areas where electricity access is below 50%, wind power, combined with solar energy, biomass, and hydro, offers a viable low-carbon solution [4].1.1 Cumulative Wind Power Capacity Worldwide Figure 1 gives a list of the largest onshore global wind farms that are currently operational, rated by generating capacity [5]. Figure 1: Cumulative wind power capacity worldwide [5] 1.2 Electric Wind Generator By converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, a wind turbine also referred to as an electric wind generator produces electricity. It neither generates energy nor generates more electrical energy than the rotor blades' mechanical energy. More mechanical power is needed to turn the rotor of a generator when the electrical demand, or "load," is higher. As seen in the wind electric farm depicted in Figure 2, wind power is used to produce mechanical power or electricity, providing energy to residences, workplaces, schools, and laboratories. Wind energy is initially transformed into mechanical energy by the wind turbine's generator, which subsequently turns that mechanical energy into electrical power [6].Figure 2: Wind electric farm [7] 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE One of the most dependable renewable energy sources in the world is wind energy. Seasons, the time of day, and general weather patterns all affect average wind speeds, though. Periods of relatively weaker winds are often followed by multiple days of strong wind speeds at a particular place. Together, the United States, China, India, and Europe have 93% of the world's installed wind power capacity. Between 2000 and 2013, more than 100 GW of wind power capacity was built in Europe. Even though coal, natural gas, and oil account for more than 80% of the US's energy consumption, by the end of 2013, more than 61.1 GW of wind generating capacity had been constructed. China became the world leader in
wind energy, adding over 91 GW of capacity in just eight years to fulfil the demands of its tremendous industrialization, while India reached about 21 GW of cumulative wind power capacity by 2014 [4]. With average wind speeds ranging from 3.5 to 10 meters per second at elevations of 10 to 20 meters, Africa has a significant potential for wind energy. Significant progress is being made by the continent in the development of renewable energy [8]. For example, in Senegal and Kenya, wind energy accounts for 15% and 17% of total power output, respectively. The first Status of Wind in Africa report, released by the Global Wind Energy Council's Africa Wind Power program, gives a broad overview of the continent's wind business and forecasts substantial development. There are currently 83 wind farms operating in Africa, generating 9 GW of clean energy. With 140 projects scheduled to add an additional 86 GW of installed capacity, the project pipeline indicates that capacity might increase by more than 900% [8, 9]. Several major wind energy projects illustrate global developments in the area. The 522.8 MW Sagamore Wind Farm is an onshore wind project located in New Mexico, USA. Constructed in stages, the farm was put into operation in December 2020 after construction started in 2019 [10]. In response to a presidential mandate on renewable energy pilot projects released in December 2019 [11], ACWA Power developed the Azerbaijan 240 MW Wind Farm, a greenfield Independent Power Project (IPP). Similar to this, private IPPs are able to sell energy directly to consumers via the national grid thanks to Morocco's Khalladi 120 MW Wind Farm, which was built under the Renewable Energy Law. In 2014, ACWA Power purchased a majority interest in this project [11]. The Australian Renewable Energy Hub, originally known as the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, will be located in Australia's Pilbara region. This updated proposal, which was approved in January 2023, consists of seven projects with a combined wind and solar capacity of 26 GW with the goal of producing green hydrogen [12, 13]. Early vertical-axis windmills were employed for grain processing in the Seitan region of Iran and Afghanistan, which is where windmills first appeared. Horizontal-axis windmills, like the post or trestle mill, first appeared in Dutch Normandy around 1180 and swiftly expanded across Europe. With a mill house with a revolving tower cap and rotor blades, these ideas developed into the tower mill in the 14th century and, in the 16th century, the famous Dutch windmill, which is still in use today for conventional milling operations [14]. Wind turbines capture wind energy, which is the kinetic energy of flowing air, and transform it into mechanical energy and subsequently electrical energy. These gadgets, which are sometimes called wind generators, are crucial for supplying changing energy needs [15]. Understanding the energy, mechanical, structural, and construction aspects of wind turbine design, building, and operation is essential to creating efficient wind turbines. The sector's consistent advancement is demonstrated by Figure 3, which shows the expansion of wind energy capacity and production in the United States from 1999 to 2009 [16].The results obtained was taken by measuring voltage (V) output using Voltmeter and Current (A) output using Ammeter of the wind generator, the product of the two quantities gives Power (W) output from the wind electric generator per hour from 8am to 9pm each day for 7 days. From the results, the power output of the system varies between the time intervals due to non-steady nature of the wind velocity. The maximum power output of 8.82w was achieved, however, a steadier state of the power output is gotten in the evening hours between 6pm to 9pm most days than the morning, this shows that there is more wind pressure on the fan blades which gives more torque to the rotor shaft and which increases the revolution per minute (r.p.m) of the system, which gives a better output voltage and current from the generator. Graph 1 to 7 illustrate power (w) output of the wind electric generator against time (hour) from day 1 to day 7. The power of the system is measured by multiplying an intermittent measured voltage quantity (V) by a measured current quantity (A) at a stipulated time since the wind energy fluctuates. The result when compared with the theoretical value as calculated using design parameters from equation 1.0 proves the validity of the experiment. Power output of the system ranges from 3.0W to 8.82W, there is a significant fall in power between the hours of 3:00 Pm and 4:00 this is as a result of low wind velocity in all the days of measurement and a maximum accumulated power of 91.13W was achieved in a particular day of the series. 5. CONCLUSION The experimented values of the system correspond with the theoretical value as the power generated by the system from the tables does not exceed the theoretical value of 11.31W, however, the variation in the wind velocity is indicated in the graph with the rise and fall of the power flow curve plotted, a significant zero value power is seen due to condition that there is no availability of wind pressure at the stipulated time of the day, therefore, if the system parameters is expanded, larger value of power can be obtained, and when it is stored over a certain period of time, becomes a useful energy for the society.
Ljubomir Jacić added a reply
Dear Abbas Kashani , please, visit this thread where you can find many answers, case studies, literature, research and different experience in issue of renewable energy. More than 11.300 answers...
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Does_nuclear_power_have_a_future_or_will_new_technologies_of_renewable_energy_be_developed_in_the_energy_sector#view=63f0e937e58660679c003c19/841
I invite you to discuss this important topic for energy development.
The nuclear power industry is also making significant technological
James Martin added an answer
The earlier answer on the entropy of renewables answered the question; especially when allied with a simple calculation on energy density for solar and wind. I strongly recommend https://www.withouthotair.com/ by either buying the book or it is available to download for free. The author sadly died in his prime but his most important legacy has global implications and is factual. It proves that the energy balance cannot be met with natural, non-depleting sources. Please be careful with what you read, many exponents of renewables equate electricity with energy. In advanced countries electricity is only about 20% of the primary energy supply. Heat and transport dominate by far worldwide.
As for nuclear, the IVth Generation of high temperature fission reactors is the near term future. Light water moderated reactors have been deployed almost universally in all countries except India, UK and Canada who have each chosen different routes. The reason for the light water reactor's dominance despite escalating safety costs is well documented in the military history of the last century. UK amongst some others developed and deployed the high temperature gas cooled 'dry' route which has many advantages as are now recognised.
The Generation IV small modular reactors are inherently safe (see Ref Kletz, Trevor for a definition) as has been physically demonstrated in Japan and China on real plants. These countries have looked carefully and dispassionately at the options and developed devices which are inherently safe, factory reproducible, provide high enough temperatures for industrial and domestic heat, also high enough to produce thermo-chemical hydrogen for synthetic transport fuels and provide distributed energy sourcing since it is not feasible to transmit the total energy quantities demanded electrically in mature economies. Growing economies can move directly to distributed low-carbon nuclear elegantly avoiding electricity or gas or liquid fuel transmission infrastructure.
The most advanced demonstration plant in the world is the HTR-PM, presently in commissioning at 2 x 100 MWe in China following the proving of its smaller prototype and serious worldwide development effort over decades. The worldwide body of knowledge on high temperature small nuclear is at a point where deployment at scale is practical before 2030. Most advanced countries have small modular reactor programmes with designs at advanced stages. The high temperature small modular reactor preparations in China, Japan, USA, UK, France and many others produce heat at a temperature matched to repower large coal stations carbon-free by re-using all except the boilers. Deployment studies for such repowering have been completed in China and USA. You will appreciate the massive impact this will have upon global emissions.
The fuel is of course radioactive but is non-proliferating for weapons use because it is contained in ceramic which is harder to break down than newly mined materials so is unattractive and this also makes it safer to store as waste. Waste storage volumes are smaller than from light water reactors due to the higher utilisation of the fuel in the lower energy density core and the conversion efficiency of the downstream processes plus other helpful factors. These high temperature small modular reactors can operate on other fuels such as thorium but can also consume legacy 'hot' residues from pressurised water reactors and the military.
In practical terms, it is physically impossible to build traditional large nuclear power stations at a rate relevant to the latest Paris imperatives. The only way to achieve a high pace of transition, even without global energy growth, is by factory manufacture of small distributable energy plants on a numerical scale similar to other volume manufactures such as aircraft. The Boeing 737 now has delivered 10,000 units manufactured at licensed factories worldwide and is still growing. This aircraft has a similar investment profile to small modular reactors in factory set up and economies of repetition. Volume manufacturing techniques from other industries are especially relevant to small modular nuclear but have not yet been widely applied in nuclear.
As has been said by others in this post, the energy subject is large but that should not prevent thinking fundamentally about the underlying thermodynamic realities as MacKay has done, applying the immutable laws of physics in this debate as few have done and unemotionally analysing the problem and reaching conclusions as many enlightened nations have already but perhaps too quietly done so that democracies can be offered rational choices.
Perhaps the final arbiter is cost in all these things. The UK Government Techno Economic Assessment has shown that small nuclear is attractive from a socio economic perspective and was followed up by a formative expert finance working group to make ready the market and the commercial context. Most recently a study, which can be extrapolated internationally laid out a pathway. https://d2umxnkyjne36n.cloudfront.net/insightReports/Preparing-for-deployment-of-a-UK-SMR-by-2030-UPDATED.pdf?mtime=20161011145322
So the answer to Dariusz's question is in my view, YES, supported by massive programmes of excellent work invested in small modular high temperature reactors which is largely unseen by the general population and decision makers to who sadly have so far only been offered rather poor, expensive and regressive energy choices for all our children.
Please read widely and draw your own conclusions.
Andrej Trkov added an answer
The answer to the question "Nuclear: Yes or No?" depends on many other questions:
- "Is the climate change going on?" I don't think there is any doubt about that. It happened in the geological past, so it can happen again.
- "Is carbon dioxide the cause or the consequence of the climate change?" CO2 absorbs the low-frequency radiation from earth, contributing to the warming of the atmosphere - this is a scientific fact and not something debatable. I sincerely hope it is the cause of global warming, in which case we can do something about it. If it is a consequence, it will just accelerate the warming, in which case the future of the next generations is bleak.
- "Economic aspects?" these are strongly influenced by political and strategic decisions of the government. The present favourable situation for solar is the result of favourable conditions created for this branch of industry. Government decisions can influence the economic aspects of any industry.
- "Nuclear or renewables?" at the end it is all a question of scale. As long as we have solar and wind at the level of a few percent, there is no problem. However, considering that to replace a medium sized conventional power plant (700 MW, say) with solar, the exclusion zone for the solar panel field that produces a comparable amount of energy is about 10 000 hectares of land on a sunny location.
- "Radioactive waste?" deferred phase-out of nuclear is the worst solution. We shall continue to accumulate waste for the next 20 years and will be left with an inventory of fission products (that decay in a few hundred years), as well as some heavy actinides that stay radioactive for thousands of years. These actinides are actually not waste but fuel that can by used in the 4-th generation nuclear reactors. Unfortunately they cannot be used in the current reactors because these were not designed for this kind of fuel.
- "Severe accidents?" they happen in every industry. We are so alarmed by the Fukushima accident in which one person died, compared to 19 000 deaths caused by the tsunami that triggered the accident. Note: it was the tsunami that caused the accident and not vice versa! Indeed, the exclusion zone around the Fukushima complex is about 30 km radius. Compare that to the exclusion zone for a solar field for a single reactor and multiply by the number of reactors (present, or needed in the future) before passing a judgement.
Javier Luis López added an answer
China are working with torium, I think have less problems with used fuel.
The problem is reactors must be on lime soil to avoid leaks go to rivers/sea and used rods must be used at salt mines or similar, that are different sites
The only problem is de bourocracy no technical and economical reasons.
But papers does not shields radiactivity
Kurt Klingbeil added an answer
Thorium has benefits and detriments
It was seriously considered early on but a number of factors caused the shift to uranium.
A significant factor was the production of plutonium - used for weapons.
Domestic nuclear energy was a kind of PR operation / rationalization for military applications.
Thorium is no magic Silver bullet and produces radioactive waste as well
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/benefits-and-problems-with-tho-gs_Twkj.QjqzKLnoxjRZDg
John M Wheeldon added an answer
Kurt Klingbeil Javier Luis López
Thorium-based reactors produce far less waste than uranium-based ones. Further the waste is less reactive and does not contain plutonium. The thorium is more difficult to extract from the mineral source than uranium making the fuel more expensive, but fuel is not a large cost component in electricity production. This cost increase should be offset by the potentially lower capital cost of the reactor.
https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/braincamps/energy/the-latest-technological-advances-in-nuclear-energy/can-thorium-compete-with-uranium-as-a-nuclear-fuel/#:~:text=Thorium%20has%20many%20qualities%20but,the%20future%20of%20nuclear%20energy.
The thorium reactor uses molten salt as the coolant not water so the designs are very different and the thorium design needs development. China (who else) has built and is operation a 10-MW pilot unit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=WChG9J7LPho&t=1911
Hinkley Point C is currently costed at £35 Billion in 2015 money probably closer to £50 Billion when completed.
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John M Wheeldon added an answer
Certainly, nuclear waste transportation is inherently risky, but as with all things nuclear, the public perception magnifies the degree of risk; not passing my back door. The containment vessels pass rigorous testing for potential accidents.
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/10/03/can-nuclear-waste-be-safely-transported-14319
The transportation vehicles are under armed escort and travel at low speed on designated routes only during daylight hours. The local authorities and the armed forces are kept informed on progress and are prepared to respond immediately to any unexpected eventualities.The routes are selected based on the risk they offer and the proximity to population centres. Despite these precautions, when Yucca Mountain was under consideration, Colorado said it was prepared to ban any nuclear waste transportation from passing through the state.
My main points are that it has become fashionable for people who know almost nothing about the intricacies of nuclear energy to just toss out "oh, we'll just use thorium - it avoids all the problems, is more abundant" etc as if anyone can buy a little Thorium MSR kit and build themselves a DIY reactor in their garage.
Well, China has built one in their Gobi Desert garage - currently the ONLY "commercial" Thorium reactor in operation - as yet producing no electricity - only thermal energy and is still considered "experimental".
To my mind calling THAT "commercial" is PR propaganda BS.
Commercial means a complete operational power plant with an open order book and at least 2 sites in full operation for over a year...
Well past the tinkering tweaking "let's try this" phase.
Random amateur armchair anal-ysts and tech tourists touting Thorium / SMR /MSR as solutions - despite them not being available at scale for at least a decade are engaging in hopium-fuelled denialism...
And additionally, the Nuclear Racket has been remiss and negligent in cleaning up the loose ends and rehabilitating its image and credibility even while being touted as a Common-Earth-Metal Bullet
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/are-there-any-commercial-thori-sLZ8HQ4ZQRqp49A_2T6WYA
Pierre Benhaïem added an answer
https://small-modular-reactors.org/smr-nuclear-fuel/
"Small Modular Reactors: The Future of Nuclear Fuel"
SMR, thorium: for a hypothetical future for quite some time now.
Agreed, thorium faces a long row to hoe. I said the Chinese reactor was a pilot plant; the results will determine if there is to be a demonstration plant with power generation.The first commercial nuclear power plant was Calder Hall in the UK with 4 x 50 MW Magnox reactors. This unit began operating in 1956, presumably after c 10 years development, so uranium-based reactors have been in development for almost 80 years. Thorium may benefit from the uranium experience to shorten the development time, but it will still be a few 10s of years.
Jamel Chahed added an answer
I’m pleased to share my latest article, "Advanced climate modeling frameworks: state-of-the-art techniques, uncertainties, and the principle of responsibility, July 2025, Modeling Earth Systems and Environment 11(5)
Article Advanced climate modeling frameworks: state-of-the-art techn...
Javier Luis López added an answer
Here is a new article related to wind farms effects on climate,now in spanish:
Article Extracción de Energía Eólica y Perturbación Atmosférica: Cal...
The role of nuclear and sun energy is rising
John M Wheeldon added an answer
“The next-gen geothermal energy they are pioneering has the potential to meet global energy demand 140 times over”
A little hyperbole goes a long way.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/22/climate/enhanced-geothermal-drilling-oil-gas-fervo-eavor
This article discusses the development of geothermal energy using drilling and fracking techniques employed by the oil and gas industry. The first generation of geothermal tapped into naturally occurring reservoirs of hot water and steam, strata that are not very common. The new generation will pump surface water into hot, dry strata. A concern is that the associated fracking will promote tremors. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake in Pohang, South Korea, is believed to have been triggered by an enhanced geothermal project. To avoid such events and the prior protestations, one proposal suggests inserting tubing, so the water remains separate from the strata. Inserting tubing thousands of feet down without disturbing the strata? I will believe it when I see it.