Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy: Assessing Water and Air Pollution – A Review of Recent Advances

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al Hussein Technical University, Amman 11942, Jordan

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Abstract

It is essential to investigate alternative energy solutions, especially those derived from renewable energy sources due to the growing global fossil fuel crisis. Renewable and sustainable energy sources have gained significant technological, economical, and environmental attention from researchers globally over the past decade. It has become a viable and sustainable alternative solution compared to conventional fossil fuels, providing cleaner, derived from naturally replenishing sources, with low gas emissions, and more environmentally friendly method for power production. Renewable sources include geothermal, solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass energy. These sources have various environmental impacts; however, these effects are significantly less compared to fossil fuel sources. As an example, fossil fuel-power plants require 35 times more land compared to geothermal power plants. Additionally, geothermal power plants emit approximately one-sixth of the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by natural gas power plants. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the environmental impacts, specifically addressing water and air pollution (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions) associated with utilizing renewable energy sources for power production, which can serve as a crucial tool for policy, developers, and decision makers when planning the usage of renewable energy sources.