Alternative energy in Russia is practically not developed at the state level. For example, certain attempts were made to develop this direction. After two years (2013–2015), it was determined that the largest distribution among such sources is solar energy. However, the government included in the development documents such areas as wind energy sources and, to a lesser extent, hydro generation.
What is alternative energy?
Before proceeding to the consideration of alternative energy in Russia, it is necessary to understand what it represents in general, as well as what types of energy currently exist.
As for the definition, alternative energy is a set of specific measures and methods that will allow to receive electric energy from renewable sources of natural origin. These sources include the following:
- wind energy;
- energy of water and the sun;
- geothermal energy or tidal.
This is an incomplete list of sources. However, they are one of the most popular, as well as those that can be used in Russia. Alternative energy is currently developing quite rapidly in many countries of the world. This is due to the fact that everyone is trying as much as possible to reduce the dependence of mankind on non-renewable resources, with which they now produce electric energy.
Push for development
For the development of any direction of human activity, a certain impulse is needed. It can be anything, the main thing is that it leads to the development of the desired direction. With regard to the development of alternative energy sources, intensive research began after 1973, when there was a well-known oil crisis. It was at that time that it became especially noticeable how much humanity depended on non-renewable natural resources.
As for the development of this direction in the territory of the Russian Federation, here this process proceeds, perhaps, most slowly. This is due to the fact that the country has huge reserves of natural resources that can be used for traditional methods of generating electricity. In other words, there is no necessary impulse for development. In addition, the slow growth rate is also due to the fact that there is no good government support for such projects.
Bioenergy
Alternative energy in Russia of precisely this direction can be actively developed in such regions as the Krasnodar Territory, southern Siberia, and the central part of Russia.
In this case, the main resource is biomass - these are energy sources of plant origin. It is worth noting here that some resources in this area have been used for a long time: wood, sawdust and so on. If we talk specifically about the development in Russia of alternative energy in this direction, then plants and agricultural waste can be used as fuel. In order to process the mass, there are two main methods of burning:
- the use of units with high pressure, but the efficiency of the process is only 40-50%;
- the use of gas turbines is much more profitable, since the efficiency will be 93%.
To maximize cost savings when using this method of generating energy, it is necessary to locate the places for processing waste near their receipt. In other words, gas turbines are best installed near farms or other agricultural enterprises. They are the main supplier of biomass. In this way, a large amount of energy can be obtained by spending a small amount of material resources.
Wind power
Wind is great for generating energy in an alternative way. To develop it, it is necessary to install special equipment of alternative energy - wind turbines. The best place is the coastline - at least 10 km from the sea. If we talk about the territory of the Russian Federation, the Far East is considered the best region, as well as the Far North.
Hydrogen energy
To obtain energy in an alternative way, you can use hydrogen. To get the required resource, there are several ways:
- from natural gas or light oil;
- the method of decomposition of water into components;
- from enzymes or microorganisms.
It is very important to pay attention to the fact that the hydrogen engine in its efficiency exceeds the internal combustion engine by about 2 or even 3 times. This suggests that the development of alternative hydrogen-type energy can be the most efficient way both throughout the world and on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Geothermal energy source
This method allows you to use the heat of the earth's crust to get the necessary energy. However, there are some limitations. They are connected with the fact that using this type of energy from an economic point of view is relevant only in some parts of the planet. Currently, geothermal stations are available only in countries such as the United States, Italy, New Zealand.
Today, alternative energy and ecology are two of the concepts that are most important to humanity. The Russian Federation in this case produces about 10% of all this type of energy worldwide. However, this is not enough, and the indicated direction should develop as actively as possible further. The potential of the geothermal direction in the Russian Federation is huge. According to expert estimates, Kamchatka alone is capable of producing 5 thousand MW of energy per year. For comparison, about 19.3 thousand MW of geothermal energy is currently being produced around the world.
Energy of sun
The most promising direction for the development of alternative energy today is solar. This is due to the fact that the sun is the most powerful source of energy. It is enough to solve the problems associated with the energy of the whole planet. In addition, there is no need to doubt the environmental component of this type of resource, since it is completely of natural origin.
Currently, special photocells are installed worldwide. With their help, you can collect solar energy. Space stations also have solar cells to provide this natural power source. To obtain such energy, special solar stations are installed. They are placed in places where a large number of sunny days are observed.
The biggest problem facing experts in this field is the low efficiency of the solar cells used on the ground. In the best case, it reaches 23%. However, this applies only to earth stations. Batteries installed on space stations have a much higher coefficient. In addition, another problem was the inconsistency in the production of such energy. The sun does not shine round the clock, and can also be hidden behind the clouds. In addition, to deploy a sufficient number of photocells, a lot of empty space is needed.
If we talk about alternative energy in the territory of the Russian Federation, the best regions for placing solar cells are the Krasnodar Territory, Kuban, Primorye, as well as Eastern Siberia.
Thermonuclear energy
Controlled thermonuclear fusion is the most promising area of energy development. With its help, it is possible to completely solve the problem with energy production not only of a particular country, but of all mankind. This direction has three undeniable advantages. The first is an inexhaustible source of energy, the second is the environmental safety of the process, and the third is high economic efficiency.
However, to date, there is still not a single fusion station that would be economically advantageous. It is worth noting that the first stages of development of this direction began in the USSR in the 1950s. The most promising development program in this area is the international ITER program. According to experts, the first serious results should be obtained in 2040–2050. As for Russia, it is a country participating in this program.
General development in the Russian Federation
The development of alternative energy sources in the Russian Federation was greatly hindered by many problems. Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, many research programs were either completely or partially discontinued. The first attempts to revive the development of alternative energy directions were made in the 2000s. Regions were identified in which the development of a particular industry was considered the most promising. However, all programs were minimized quite quickly. At that time, there was a high oil price and there was simply no need for alternative sources.
Development problems
For alternative energy in Russia, companies are doing practically nothing. First of all, it is economically disadvantageous. There are also other negative aspects. Problems arise, in particular, due to the lack of state support for such projects. There is a complete lack of a regulatory framework for this type of activity.
It is unprofitable to develop any of the areas due to the fact that the competitiveness of alternative energy sources is currently too weak relative to traditional methods. In addition, the lack of personnel for the development of this type of activity, especially the highly qualified ones, greatly impedes the development.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that alternative sources need development. They are more environmentally friendly and safe for people. To do this, they need strong support from the state. Without it, you can successfully create only alternative energy at home, for example, install small solar panels for a frequent home or arrange biomass processing if it comes to a farm outside the city.