Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

Solar Biofuel Hydro & Geothermal

Solar Energy

Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies. Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy.

_{Going Solar Basics}

• _{Solar energy can help to reduce the cost of electricity, contribute to a resilient electrical grid, create jobs and spur economic growth, generate back-up power for nighttime and outages when paired with storage, and operate at similar efficiency on both small and large scales.}

• 
  

Financing Solar Power

A number of non-hardware costs, known as soft costs, also impact the cost of solar energy. These costs include permitting, financing, and installing solar, as well as the expenses solar companies incur to acquire new customers, pay suppliers, and cover their bottom line. For rooftop solar energy systems, soft costs represent the largest share of total costs.

Open Ended

Identify a pro and con of switching to solar power

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease for use in diesel vehicles or any equipment that operates on diesel fuel. Biodiesel's physical properties are similar to those of petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel Vs Fossil Fuel

Using biodiesel reduces life cycle emissions because carbon dioxide released from biodiesel combustion is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed from growing soybeans or other feedstocks used to produce the fuel.

Biodiesels Vs Fossil Fuel

Biodiesel in its pure, unblended form causes far less damage than petroleum diesel if spilled or released to the environment.

Open Ended

How would replacing fossil fuels with biodiesel be beneficial to farmers growing corn or soy?

Hydropower

the source of hydroelectric power is water, hydroelectric power plants are usually located on or near a water source. The volume of the water flow and the change in elevation—or fall, and often referred to as head—from one point to another determine the amount of available energy in moving water. In general, the greater the water flow and the higher the head, the more electricity a hydropower plant can produce.

History of Hydropower

• Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy for producing mechanical and electrical energy and up until 2019, it was the largest source of total annual U.S. renewable electricity generation.

• Thousands of years ago, people used hydropower to turn paddle wheels on rivers to grind grain. Before steam power and electricity were available in the United States, grain and lumber mills were powered directly with hydropower. 

Hydropower

Most U.S. hydroelectricity is produced at large dams on major rivers, and most of these hydroelectric dams were built before the mid-1970s by federal government agencies.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is the heat that comes from the sub-surface of the earth. It is contained in the rocks and fluids beneath the earth’s crust and can be found as far down to the earth’s hot molten rock, magma.

Geothermal Energy

To produce power from geothermal energy, wells are dug a mile deep into underground reservoirs to access the steam and hot water there, which can then be used to drive turbines connected to electricity generators. 

Where is Geothermal Energy Used

Geothermal energy is used in over 20 countries. The United States is the largest producer of geothermal energy in the world, and hosts the largest geothermal field.

Known as “The Geysers” in California, the field is spread over 117 square kilometres and formed of 22 power plants, with an installed capacity of over 1.5GW.

Open Ended

What might be some limitations to using Geothermal Energy in an urban environment?