A critical review on environmental impacts of renewable energy systems and mitigation strategies: Wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal

Enas Taha Sayed; Tabbi Wilberforce; Khaled Elsaid; Malek Kamal Hussien Rabaia; Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem; Kyu-Jung Chae; A G Olabi

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144505

A critical review on environmental impacts of renewable energy systems and mitigation strategies: Wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 20:766:144505. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144505. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Authors

Enas Taha Sayed¹, Tabbi Wilberforce², Khaled Elsaid³, Malek Kamal Hussien Rabaia⁴, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem⁵, Kyu-Jung Chae⁶, A G Olabi⁷

Affiliations

¹ Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Egypt; Center for Advanced Materials Research, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
² Mechanical Engineering and Design, Aston University, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
³ Chemical Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, USA.
⁴ Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Egypt; Center for Advanced Materials Research, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: mabdulkareem@sharjah.ac.ae.
⁶ Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea; Interdisciplinary Major of Ocean Renewable Energy Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, South Korea. Electronic address: ckjdream@kmou.ac.kr.
⁷ Mechanical Engineering and Design, Aston University, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: aolabi@sharjah.ac.ae.

PMID: 33421793
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144505

Abstract

The annual growth of global energy demand and the associated environmental impacts (EIs) has an important role in the large sustainable and green global energy transition. Renewable energy systems have been attracting substantial economic, environmental, and technical attention throughout the last decade, while some have been in the market for almost a century. However, even renewable energy may negatively affect the environment, which is widely considered much less harsh than fossil energy resources. This, in return, requires more consideration and appropriate precautions to be taken. This work discusses the environmental impacts (EIs) of small and medium-sized wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal power systems. The approach goes through all stages from planning and conception to construction and installation and throughout service life and decommissioning. For various circumstances and technically and ecologically viable guidelines for their effect on natural resources and wildlife, clear and comprehensive solutions have been given.

Keywords: Biomass; Environmental impacts; Environmental solutions; Geothermal; Hydro energy systems; Wind energy systems.