Earth Protect Blog

BY SYLVIA MWEETWA

A GERMAN consultant Klaus Heidler has challenged developed nations to consider investing in renewable energy technology which has minimal impact on the environment.

Dr Heidler who is Solar Consulting Agency for Sustainable Communication chief executive officer said Germany and other European countries should consider helping developing countries with technology that would assist them adapt to the use of sustainable renewable energy.

In a lecture on renewable energy - potentials and technologies to a group of journalists undergoing Environmental reporting training here, Dr Heidler said supporting of renewable energy projects in African and Asian countries was key to a safer environment considering the climatic conditions the world was faced with.

"I feel that it is time African countries considered investing in technologies as a means of promoting the renewable energy whose study has shown that it has minimal impact on the environment," he said.

He said technologies that could be supported included solar thermal heating, solar thermal power, solar photovoltaic (PV), wind power, small hydro power, geothermal power and biomass.

He said the major advantage with the use of renewable energy was that it was sustainable and would never run out.

Dr Heidler said renewable energy facilities required less maintenance than traditional generators while the fuel being derived from natural and available resources reduced the costs of operation.

"Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants.

So renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centres and suburbs of the capital cities," he said.

The economic benefits could be from the increased use of local services as well as tourism.

"It is easier to recognise the environmental advantages of utilising the alternative and renewable forms of energy but we must also be aware of the disadvantages," he said.

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