Renewable energy is complex, and it’s easy to see how misunderstandings about its benefits and challenges spread. Here are three common misconceptions about wind and solar energy and the reality behind them:
1. MYTH: Wind and solar can’t keep up with demand, causing power outages.
Renewable energy is susceptible to outages due to weather, infrastructure damage and other circumstances, just like any other energy source. But it is not disproportionately responsible for loss of power. In fact, when designed well, it can be even more reliable than the energy sources we’re used to.
An example of this is in Babcock Ranch in Florida, a community which, in 2022, survived nearly 10 hours of Hurricane Ian without any residents losing power. They did this with the help of a solar-plus-battery system that includes a 10-MW backup battery as well as underground electric lines. Potential emergency situations like these are one of the reasons Alliant Energy works to diversify our energy mix and build our infrastructure to withstand challenging circumstances.
We’ve also a number of investments in battery energy storage systems, and our wind turbines are designed to help withstand the cold weather that is common in Iowa and Wisconsin—our service region. Our turbines include heaters, insulation and lubricants designed to operate in colder temperatures.
2. MYTH: Manufacturing solar equipment is counterproductive, because the process generates carbon.
It is true that the manufacturing of renewable energy equipment produces carbon emissions. But the use of solar energy quickly makes up for the carbon cost of manufacturing panels, which is about 50 g, or 0.11 lb, of CO2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This makes panels generally carbon neutral by the third year of use, whereas coal produces over twenty times as much CO2 per kWh during operation.
3. MYTH: Wind blades cannot be recycled
Wind turbine blades are large, have a lifespan of about 40 years, and are made of materials that in the past have been difficult to recycle.
To help tackle this problem, REGEN Fiber, a company launched by Alliant Energy’s logistics subsidiary, Travero, has introduced an innovative solution to prevent the materials in these blades from ending up as waste. They repurpose blade materials without the use of heat or chemicals, preventing the carbon emissions that come from burning, and process them into reinforcement fibers and additives which are used in concrete, mortar, asphalt and composite products.
These myths come from real concerns. That’s why it’s important to focus on the facts behind renewable energy. Click here to learn more about Alliant Energy’s transition to cleaner energy sources, or check out our other articles on electric vehicles and solar energy myths.