Lecture 3 Renewabl-Energy

Renewable Energy
Sources
(Types, Advantages and Limitations)
Background
• In 1831, Michael Faraday’s many years of efforts
rewarded when he discovered electromagnetic induction
• Later, he invented the first generator
• Today, electric energy technologies have a central role in
social and economic development at all scales
• Energy is closely linked to environmental pollution and
degradation, to economic development and quality of life
• Today, we are mostly dependent on nonrenewable fossil
fuels that have been and will continue to be a major
cause of pollution and climate change
• Finding sustainable alternatives is becoming increasingly
urgent
Renewable Energy
• Renewable energy is energy from sources that
are constantly being formed
• Types of renewable energy includes:
solar energy
wind energy
the power from living things: biomass
the power from moving water: hydro/micro-
hydro and tidal waves
Earth’s heat
• Remember, all sources of energy, including
renewable sources, affect the environment
Solar Energy - Power from the
Sun
• Most renewable energy comes either
directly or indirectly from the sun.
• Direct solar energy is used every day,

like when the sun shines on a window
and heats the room
• Solar energy can also be used indirectly

to generate electricity in solar cells
Passive solar heating/cooling
• Passive solar heating is the use of sunlight to heat buildings
directly
• In the Northern Hemisphere, south facing windows receive
the most solar energy
• Therefore, passive solar buildings have large windows that
face south
• Trees – A house shaded by trees is a much cooler house
during the summer. Also, keep in mind that during the
winter, the leaves are gone off the deciduous trees, so the
winter sun can still shine into the home.
• Natural ventilation – Natural ventilation requires
pressure differences to move fresh air through a building.
• An average household could reduce its energy bills by using
any of the passive solar features
Passive solar heating/cooling
Active solar heating
• Active solar heating is the gathering of solar
energy by collectors that are used to heat
water or heat a building
• Solar collectors, usually mounted on a roof,

capture the sun’s energy
• A liquid is heated by the sun as it flows through

solar collectors
• The hot liquid is then pumped through heat

exchangers, which heats water for the building.
Active solar heating
Photovoltaic cells
• Photovoltaic cells are solar cells that convert the
sun’s energy into electricity.
• Solar cells have no moving parts, and they run on

nonpolluting power from the sun.
• However, they produce a very small electrical

current. Meeting the electricity needs of a small
city would require covering hundreds of acres
with solar panels.
Photovoltaic cells
Sunlight falls on a
semiconductor, causing it to
release electrons.
The electrons flow through a
circuit that is complete when
another semiconductor in the
solar cell absorbs electrons
and passes them on to the
first semiconductor.
Photovoltaic cells
• Solar cells require extended periods of
sunshine to produce electricity. This energy is
stored in batteries, which supplies electricity
when the sun is not shining.
• Currently, solar cells provide energy for more

than one million households in developing
countries, where energy consumption is
minimal and electricity distribution networks
are limited.
Wind power
• Energy from the sun warms the Earth’s surface
unevenly, which causes air masses to flow in
the atmosphere.
• We experience the movement of these air

masses as wind.
• Wind power, which converts the movement of

wind into electric energy, is the fastest growing
energy source in the world.
Wind farms
• Wind turbines are used to capture the energy from the wind.
• Large arrays of wind turbines are called wind farms. Large wind
farms supply electricity to thousands of homes.
• In windy rural areas, small wind farms with 20 or fewer turbines
are also becoming common.
• Because wind turbines take up little space, some farmers can
add wind turbines to their land and still use the land for other
purposes.
Wind: an underdeveloped
resource
• Scientists estimate that the windiest spots on
Earth could generate more than ten times the
energy used worldwide.
• In the future, the electricity may be used on the

wind farm to produce hydrogen from water.
• Today, most of the large energy companies are

developing plans to use more wind power.
Biomass: power from living
things
• Biomass fuel consists of plant material,
manure, or any other organic matter that is
used as an energy source.
• Fossil fuels can be thought of as biomass

energy sources, although they are
nonrenewable.
• Renewable biomass fuels, such as wood and

dung, are major sources of energy in
developing countries.
things
things
• Although materials like wood are a renewable
resource, if trees are cut down faster than they
grow, the resulting habitat loss, deforestation,
and soil erosion can be severe.
• In addition, harmful air pollution may result

from burning wood and dung.
Methane
• When bacteria decompose organic wastes, one
byproduct is methane gas.
• Methane can be burned to generate heat or electricity.
• In China, more than 6 million households use biogas

digesters to ferment manure and produce gas for
heating and cooking.
• Some landfills in the United States generate electricity

by using the methane from the decomposition of trash.
Hydroelectricity: power of
moving water
• Hydroelectric energy is electrical energy
produced by falling water.
• Hydroelectric energy accounts for 20% of the

world’s electricity.
• Large hydroelectric power plants have a dam

that is built across a river to hold back a
reservoir of water.
• The water in the reservoir is released to turn a

turbine, which generates electricity.
Hydroelectricity: power of
moving water
The benefits of hydroelectric
energy
• Hydroelectric dams are expensive to build, but
relatively inexpensive to operate.
• Unlike fossil fuel plants, hydroelectric dams do

not release air pollutants that cause acid
precipitation.
• Hydroelectric dams also tend to last much

longer than fossil fuel-powered plants.
• Dams also provide other benefits such as flood

control and water for drinking, agriculture,
The disadvantage of hydroelectric
energy
• A dam changes a river’s flow, which can have far-
reaching consequences.
• A reservoir floods large areas of habitat above the dam.
Water flow below the dam is reduced, which disrupts
ecosystems downstream.
• When the land behind a dam is flooded, people are often
displaced. If a dam bursts, people living in areas below
the dam can be killed.
• River sediments build up behind the dam instead of
enriching land farther down the river, making farmland
below the dam less productive.
• Recent research has also shown that the decay of plant
matter trapped in reservoirs can release large amounts
of greenhouse gases-sometimes more than a fossil-fuel
powered plant.
Modern trends
• In developing countries the construction of
large dams continues
• One modern trend is micro-hydropower, which

is electricity produced in a small stream
without having to build a big dam. The turbine
may even float in the water, not blocking the
river at all.
• Micro-hydropower is much cheaper than large

hydroelectric dam projects, and it permits
energy to be generated from small streams in
remote areas.
Geothermal energy: power from
the earth
• In some areas, deposits of water in the Earth’s
crust are heated by geothermal energy.
• Geothermal energy is the energy produced by

heat within the Earth.
• The United States is the world’s largest

producer of geothermal energy.
• Although geothermal energy is considered a

renewable resource, the water that is used
must be managed carefully so that it is not
Geothermal energy: power from
the earth
• Geothermal power plants generate
electricity using the following steps
Steam rises through a well

Steam drives turbines, which generate
electricity
Leftover liquid is pumped back into the
hot rock
• The leftover liquid, water, is returned to

Earth’s crust because it can be reheated
by geothermal energy and used again.
Why renewable energy?
• There are many energy sources today that are extremely
limited in supply. Some of these sources include oil, natural
gas, and coal. It is a matter of time before they will be
exhausted.
• Estimates are that they can only meet our energy demands for
another fifty to seventy years. So in an effort to find alternative
forms of energy, the world has turned to renewable energy
sources as the solution. There are many advantages and
disadvantages to this.
Renewable energy: advantages
• One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is that
as it is renewable it is therefore sustainable and so will never
run out.
• Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no
waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical
pollutants, so has minimal impact on the environment.
• Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance
than traditional generators. Their fuel being derived from
natural and available resources reduces the costs of operation.
• Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to
many regional areas, as most projects are located away from
large urban centers and suburbs of the capital cities. These
economic benefits may be from the increased use of local
services as well as tourism.
Renewable energy: disadvantages
• One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to
generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those
produced by traditional fossil fuel generators.
• Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the
reliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the
weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need rain to
fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to
turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and
sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. When these
resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make energy
from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent.
• The current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in
excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is
a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost
(especially R & D costs).

Lecture 3 Renewabl-Energy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 3 Renewabl-Energy

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 3 Renewabl-Energy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Renewable Energy

• Direct solar energy is used every day,

• Solar energy can also be used indirectly

• Solar collectors, usually mounted on a roof,

• A liquid is heated by the sun as it flows through

• The hot liquid is then pumped through heat

• Solar cells have no moving parts, and they run on

• However, they produce a very small electrical

• Currently, solar cells provide energy for more

• We experience the movement of these air

• Wind power, which converts the movement of

• In the future, the electricity may be used on the

• Today, most of the large energy companies are

• Fossil fuels can be thought of as biomass

• Renewable biomass fuels, such as wood and

• In addition, harmful air pollution may result

• Methane can be burned to generate heat or electricity.

• In China, more than 6 million households use biogas

• Some landfills in the United States generate electricity

• Hydroelectric energy accounts for 20% of the

• Large hydroelectric power plants have a dam

• The water in the reservoir is released to turn a

• Unlike fossil fuel plants, hydroelectric dams do

• Hydroelectric dams also tend to last much

• Dams also provide other benefits such as flood

• One modern trend is micro-hydropower, which

• Micro-hydropower is much cheaper than large

• Geothermal energy is the energy produced by

• The United States is the world’s largest

• Although geothermal energy is considered a

Steam rises through a well

• The leftover liquid, water, is returned to

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.