Renewable energy

Intro to Renewable Energy

Energy and the Environment

What is Renewable Energy? 

• Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished.

• Examples include: sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather

What is "dirty" energy? 

• Nonrenewable, or “dirty,” energy includes fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal.

• Nonrenewable sources of energy are only available in limited amounts and take a long time to replenish. When we pump gas at the station, we’re using a finite resource refined from crude oil that’s been around since prehistoric times.

Multiple Choice

Renewable energy is often referred to as...

• Clean Energy

• Smart Energy

• Silly Energy

Solar Energy 

• Definition: is light, heat, and other forms of energy given off by the Sun. Solar energy can be collected and used to heat buildings and to make electricity

• Used to to heat homes and businesses, to warm water, or power devices.

Wind Energy

• Definition: the process of creating electricity using the wind, or air flows that occur naturally in the earth's atmosphere.

• Wind power is cost-effective, sustainable, and is a clean energy source. 

Hydroelectric Power 

• Definition: electricity produced from generators driven by turbines that convert the potential energy of falling or fast-flowing water into mechanical energy

• Large hydroelectric plants—or mega-dams—are often considered to be renewable energy

Biomass Energy

• Definition: energy produced from organic materials which come from living organisms such as plants and animals. Fuel that is derived from the decomposition of organic material is also referred to as biomass fuel.

• It can be converted into biodiesel for special automobiles, can be converted to methane used as a source to cook food especially in rural areas where natural gas is not so frequently present

Geothermal Energy

• Definition: energy obtained by tapping underground reservoirs of heat, usually near volcanoes or other hot spots on the surface of the Earth.

• Drilling deep wells brings very hot underground water to the surface as a hydrothermal resource, which is then pumped through a turbine to create electricity. Geothermal plants typically have low emissions if they pump the steam and water they use back into the reservoir.

Multiple Choice

____________ power is electricity produced by flowing water.

• Solar

• Hydroelectric

• Wind

• Water

Multiple Choice

The house illustrated here uses panels on the roof to collect a natural resource and convert it into electricity that can be used.

Which alternative energy source does this house use?

• Water

• Wind

• Solar

• Geothermal

Multiple Choice

Energy created from wood, peat moss, and manure is called __________________ energy.

• Biomass

• Natural

• Geothermal

• Solar

Renewable vs Non-Renewable

• A renewable resource is one that can be reused or replaced--like energy from the Sun and wind.

• A non-renewable resource is one that cannot be replaced once it is used up--like coal and oil.

Multiple Choice

Hydro Power is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of hydropower?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Nuclear Power is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of Nuclear Power?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Coal is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of Coal?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Natural gas is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Multiple Choice

Biomass is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of biomass?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Wind is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of wind?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Oil is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Multiple Choice

Solar energy is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of solar energy?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Tidal energy is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of Tidal energy?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Geothermal energy is a ____ energy source.

• Renewable

• Non-Renewable

Poll

Do the benefits outweigh the risks/costs of geothermal energy?

• Yes

• No

The Grid

• The electrical energy is delivered to a transmission substation where a transformer boosts the generator's voltage for long-distance transmission. The electrical energy is sent through transmission lines to reach cities and towns. The web of interconnections between generating stations, substations, and users is called an energy grid

• Household voltage is typically 120 or 240 volts. For energy to be useful the extremely high transmission voltage needs to be stepped down again. Transformers step transmission voltages, which may be in the hundreds of thousands of volts, down to distribution voltages, which may be less than 10 000 volts.