Geothermal and hydropower are not the only renewable energy sources that can be tapped by Mindanao.
Among those that can help brighten the future of the country’s second largest island are wind power, solar power, and marine power (also sometimes referred to as ocean energy or ocean power).
Renewable energy technologies are now ready for use on a large scale and have the potential to meet world energy demand many times over, said Dr. Janet Sawin, a senior fellow at the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C. and an expert on international energy and environmental policy.
Thomas Alva Edison once said, “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PVs) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PVs convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.
Mio de la Cruz, in an article which appeared in “Inquirer,” wrote: “On a scorching summer day in a tropical country like the Philippines, the sun beams out approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of surface area that it shines on. If we could harness all that energy, then we could easily power our homes and offices for free.”
But there’s a hitch: “The cost of trapping sunshine and converting it into electricity is considered: approximately P1,000 per watt, way above the reach of the ordinary people,” de la Cruz wrote. Those who want to avail themselves of 1,000 watts of solar power to run appliances in their home need to invest at least P1 million.
Given the abundance of prospective sites, Mindanao should also take a closer look on wind, which is considered as the cheapest renewable resource for electricity generation. Wind power, if developed to its full potential, has the ability to support a vibrant wind industry that can deliver a number of benefits, according to Wind Energy Development Association of the Philippines.
“Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources,” wrote Lester R. Brown, author of “World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse,” “the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources.”
Mindanao is also rich in marine energy or marine power. It refers to the energy carried by ocean waves, tides, salinity, and ocean temperature differences. The movement of water in the world’s oceans creates a vast store of kinetic energy, or energy in motion. This energy can be harnessed to generate electricity to power homes, transport and industries.
“The term marine energy encompasses both wave power — power from surface waves, and tidal power — obtained from the kinetic energy of large bodies of moving water,” Wikipedia explained.
“Offshore wind power is not a form of marine energy, as wind power is derived from the wind, even if the wind turbines are placed over water.”
“Renewable energy offers tremendous potential and, combined with improvements in energy efficiency, could fuel the economy of the future,” Dr. Sawin pinpointed. “The future is in renewable energy — not in outdated and environmentally destructive fossil fuels,” agreed Anna Abad, Climate and Energy campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
Renewable energy sources are considered to be inexhaustible, even if continuously used by man.
“Many renewable sources are already cost-competitive compared to fossil fuels and will become even less expensive when used on a larger scale,” wrote H. Steven Dashefsky, author of “Environmental Literacy: Everything You Need to Know about Saving Our Planet.”
Increasingly, countries around the world are turning to renewable energy to reduce the risks posed by climate change, rising oil prices, energy security concerns, and a host of other challenges. In fact, a global status report on renewable energy, commissioned by the Paris-based Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, shows that renewables are growing at an enormous rate.
“There are (still) 1.5 billion people who don’t have any access to energy, and 3 billion people relying on traditional biomass sources and coal,” deplored Alexander Ochs, director of climate and energy of Washington-based Worldwatch Institute.
“If we want to prevent climate change from spinning out of control, we need to scale up our efforts to accelerate renewable energy development and deployment at all levels.”
“We all need electricity,” said Von Hernandez, Executive Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “It is vital – it powers our lives, runs our hospitals and schools – we need it for every aspect of our lives. But we need it to be clean and sustainable.”
President Benigno S. Aquino III thinks so, too. “Having a reliable energy source is a foundation of progress,” he said. “The lack of access to energy has always been a major drawback to economic and social development.
Without energy, government cannot deliver the most basic of its services – clean water, health, shelter, and education.”
