Renewable energy conserves natural resources by reducing the need for non – renewable energy. Some natural resources are renewable, meaning they can be replaced, and some are not. Paper, corrugated board, and other paper products come from renewable timber sources. Trees harvested to make those products can be replaced by growing more trees. Iron and aluminum come from nonrenewable ore deposits. Once a deposit is mined, it cannot be replaced. The natural resources such as trees form biomass energy. This saves limited oil reserves.
Solar energy is very efficient compared to coal, oil and gas powered stations. The efficiency of a solar powered station varies between 40% and 80% but for an oil powered station it may range 30% to 40%. A solar powered station is therefore more ideal than a coal powered station since much of the energy is lost.
However users currently pay 6 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour for conventionally generated electricity. Eventually as renewable sources of energy becomes more popular the price will drop as no fuel cost is needed.
Using oil, coal and gas means that explorers and miners are in more risk. Accidents such as mine collapses cause a lot of loss in life or a power station explodes. A renewable source of energy is safer to use and handle than its counterparts. A nuclear powered station is also radioactive and its waste is also harmful to the population. Using renewable sources does not leave behind much harmful wastes.
The initial cost of adapting a renewable source of energy may be costly this is the sort term effect. The long term the cost of the renewable source of energy will decrease. This is because you would not need to pay for the source of energy for the renewable type. E.g. you would not need to pay for sunlight. Only the running cost would be needed. If however you continue to use non-renewable sources of energy you would need to pay for the fuel and running costs. E.g. If I build a non – renewable source power station and pay $ 1000,000 to construct, $500,000 for fuel and $100,000 to run I would only need $1000, 000 (for hydro =electric power station) to construct a renewable source power station and $50,000 to run. You would therefore save approximately ½ a million in money and the use of limited non-renewable resources.