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What Is Renewable Energy?

Unlike fossil fuels, which are exhaustible, renewable energy sources regenerate and can be sustained indefinitely.
The five renewable sources used most often are:
Biomass including:
wood and wood waste,
municipal solid waste,
landfill gas and biogas,
ethanol
biodiesel
Water (hydropower)
Geothermal
Wind
Solar

What Role Does Renewable Energy Play in the United

States?
The use of renewable energy is not new. More than 150 years ago,
wood, which is one form of biomass, supplied up to 90% of our energy
needs. As the use of coal, petroleum, and natural gas expanded, the
United States became less reliant on wood as an energy source.
Today, we are looking again at renewable sources to find new ways to
use them to help meet our energy needs.

Many paper mills use wood waste to

produce steam and electricity

In 2010, consumption of renewable sources in the United States

totaled about 8 quadrillion Btu 1 quadrillion is the number 1 followed
by 15 zeros or about 8% of all energy used nationally. About 10% of
U.S. electricity was generated from renewable sources.
Over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity. The next
largest use of renewable energy is biomass (wood and waste) for the
production of heat and steam for industrial purposes and for space
heating, mostly in homes. Biomass also includes biofuels, such as
ethanol and biodiesel, used for transportation.

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

Renewable energy plays an important role in the supply of energy. When renewable energy sources are used, the
demand for fossil fuels is reduced. Unlike fossil fuels, non-biomass renewable sources of energy (hydropower,
geothermal, wind, and solar) do not directly emit greenhouse gases.

Why Dont We Use More Renewable Energy?

In the past, renewable energy has generally been more expensive to produce and use than fossil fuels. Renewable
resources are often located in remote areas, and it is expensive to build power lines to the cities where the electricity
they produce is needed. The use of renewable sources is also limited by the fact that they are not always available
cloudy days reduce solar power; calm days reduce wind power; and droughts reduce the water available for
hydropower.

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The production and use of renewable fuels has grown more quickly in recent years as a result of higher prices for oil
and natural gas, and a number of State and Federal Government incentives, including the Energy Policy Acts of 2002
and 2005. The use of renewable fuels is expected to continue to grow over the next 30 years, although EIA projects
that we will still rely on non-renewable fuels to meet most of our energy needs.

How Do We Measure Renewable Energy?

Each of the energy sources we use is measured, purchased, and sold in a different form. Many units of measurement
are used to measure the energy we use. Learn more about converting energy units in the Units and Calculators
section.

Learn More
Watch the Renewable Energy Slideshow http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/slideshows
/renewable_energy.html
EIA Data and Reports http://www.eia.gov/fuelrenewable.html
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html
Renewable Energy Information http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/rea_data/rea_sum.html
What are biofuels? http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/biofuels_use.cfm

Last Updated: October 28, 2011

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4/4/2012 12:22 PM

Hydropower - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

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Energy From Moving Water

Hydropower Generates Electricity
Hydropower is the renewable energy source that produces the most
electricity in the United States. It accounted for 6% of total U.S.
electricity generation and 63% of generation from renewables in 2011.
Hydropower Relies on the Water Cycle
Understanding the water cycle is important to understanding
hydropower. In the water cycle:
Solar energy heats water on the surface, causing it to
evaporate.
This water vapor condenses into clouds and falls back onto the
surface as precipitation (rain, snow, etc.).
The water flows through rivers back into the oceans, where it
can evaporate and begin the cycle over again.

Mechanical Energy Is Harnessed from Moving Water

Source: National Energy Education Development Project (Public

Domain)

The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its

flow or fall. Swiftly flowing water in a big river, like the Columbia River
that forms the border between Oregon and Washington, carries a
great deal of energy in its flow. Water descending rapidly from a very
high point, like Niagara Falls in New York, also has lots of energy in its
flow.
In either instance, the water flows through a pipe, or penstock, then
pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to
produce electricity. In a run-of-the-river system, the force of the
current applies the needed pressure, while in a storage system,
water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams, then released as
needed to generate electricity.
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority (Public Domain)

History of Hydropower
Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy. It was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for
purposes such as grinding grain. Our Nation's first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in
1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882.
Because the source of hydroelectric power is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source.
Therefore, it wasn't until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower
became widely used.

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Where Hydropower Is Generated

Most U.S. Hydropower Is in the West
Over half of U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity generation is
concentrated in three States: Washington, Oregon, and California.
Approximately 29% of the total U.S. hydropower was generated in
Washington in 2011, the location of the Nation's largest hydroelectric
facility the Grand Coulee Dam.
Most hydropower is produced at large facilities built by the Federal
Government, such as the Grand Coulee Dam. The West has most of
the largest dams, but there are numerous smaller facilities operating
around the country.

Most Dams Were Not Built for Power

Only a small percentage of all dams in the United States produce
electricity. Most dams were constructed solely to provide irrigation and
flood control.

Data for this map

Learn More
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html
Hydroelectricity Generation by State http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/hydroelec
/hydroelec.html
Bonneville Power Administration: Hydropower http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/education/hydropower.cfm
Hydropower Video http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/education/hydropower.wmv' target='_blank
Hydropower has a long history in the United States http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=2130
Dams: What Goes Up Must Come Down, and Then What? (video) http://news.science360.gov/archives
/20111107
What is the role of hydroelectric power in the United States? http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief
/hydropower.cfm
Hydroelectric power resources form regional clusters http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=1750

Last Updated: March 15, 2012

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Hydropower and the Environment - Energy Explained, Your Guide To U...

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Hydropower and the Environment

Hydropower Generators Produce Clean Electricity, but Hydropower Does Have
Environmental Impacts
Most dams in the United States were built mainly for flood control and supply of water for cities and irrigation. A small
number of dams were built specifically for hydropower generation. While hydropower (hydro-electric) generators do not
directly produce emissions of air pollutants, hydropower dams, reservoirs, and the operation of generators can have
environmental impacts.
A dam to create a reservoir (or to divert water to a run-of-river
hydropower plant) may obstruct migration of fish to their upstream
spawning areas. A reservoir and operation of the dam can also change
the natural water temperatures, chemistry, flow characteristics, and silt
loads, all of which can lead to significant changes in the ecology (living
organisms and the environment) and physical characteristics (rocks
and land forms) of the river upstream and downstream. These
changes may have negative impacts on native plants and animals in
and next to the river, and in the deltas that form where rivers empty
into the ocean. Reservoirs may cover important natural areas,
agricultural land, and archeological sites, and cause the relocation of
people. The physical impacts of a dam and reservoir, the operation of
the dam, and use of the water can change the environment over a
much wider area than that covered by a reservoir.

Fish Ladder at the Bonneville Dam on the

Columbia River Separating Washington and
Oregon

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

While no new hydropower dams have recently been built in the United
States, they are being built in other countries such as China.
Manufacturing the concrete and steel used to construct these dams
requires energy that may create emissions when produced. If fossil
fuels are used as the energy sources to make these materials, then
the emissions from burning those fuels could be associated with the
electricity that hydropower facilities generate. However, given the long
operating lifetime of a hydropower plant (50-100 years), these
emissions are more than offset by the emissions that would have been
produced if the electricity were generated by fossil fuel-fired power
plants.

Did You Know?

The Safe Harbor Dam on the
Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania has
elevators that lift migrating shad from the
base of the dam to top of the reservoir.

Greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, may also form in reservoirs and be emitted to the atmosphere. The
exact amount of greenhouse gases produced from hydropower plant reservoirs is uncertain. The emissions from
reservoirs in tropical and temperate regions, including the United States, may be equal to or greater than the
greenhouse effect of the carbon dioxide emissions from an equivalent amount of electricity generated with fossil fuels.
Scientists at Brazils National Institute for Space Research designed a system to capture methane in a reservoir and
burn it to produce electricity.

Fish Ladders Help Salmon Reach Their Spawning Grounds

Hydro turbines kill and injure some of the fish that pass through the turbine. The U.S. Department of Energy has
sponsored research and development of turbines that could reduce fish deaths to less than 2%, in comparison to fish
kills of 5 to 10% for the best existing turbines.
In the Columbia River, along the border of Oregon and Washington, salmon must swim upstream to their spawning
grounds to reproduce, but the series of dams along the river gets in their way. Different approaches to fixing this
problem have been used, including the construction of "fish ladders" that help the salmon "step up" and around the
dam to the spawning grounds upstream.

Learn More
Hydropower: Advanced Turbine Systems http://hydropower.inel.gov/turbines/index.shtml
Project aims to extract dam methane http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6638705.stm
Hydroelectricity http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/hydro.html
Bonneville Power Administration: Hydropower http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/education/hydropower.cfm
Hydropower Video http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/education/hydropower.wmv' target='_blank
What is the role of hydroelectric power in the United States? http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief

4/4/2012 12:23 PM

Tidal Power - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

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Tidal Power
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, and the rotation of the Earth. Near shore, water levels
can vary up to 40 feet due to tides.
Tidal power is more predictable than wind energy and solar power. A
large enough tidal range 10 feet is needed to produce tidal
energy economically.

Dam of the Tidal Power Plant on the Estuary

of the Rance River, Bretagne, France

Tidal Barrages
A simple generation system for tidal plants involves a dam, known as a
barrage, across an inlet. Sluice gates (gates commonly used to control
water levels and flow rates) on the barrage allow the tidal basin to fill
on the incoming high tides and to empty through the turbine system on
the outgoing tide, also known as the ebb tide. There are two-way
systems that generate electricity on both the incoming and outgoing
tides.
A potential disadvantage of tidal power is the effect a tidal station can
have on plants and animals in the estuaries. Tidal barrages can
change the tidal level in the basin and increase turbidity (the amount of
matter in suspension in the water). They can also affect navigation and
recreation.

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

There are currently two commercial-sized barrages operating in the world. One is located in La Rance, France; the
other is in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada. There is a third experimental 400 kW tidal barrage operating in
Kislaya Guba, Russia.
The United States has no tidal plants and only a few sites where tidal energy could be
produced economically. France, England, Canada, and Russia have much more
potential to use this type of energy.

Tidal Fences
Tidal fences can also harness the energy of tides. A tidal fence has vertical axis
turbines mounted in a fence. All the water that passes is forced through the turbines.
Tidal fences can be used in areas such as channels between two landmasses. Tidal
fences are cheaper to install than tidal barrages and have less impact on the
environment than tidal barrages, although they can disrupt the movement of large
marine animals.
A tidal fence is planned for the San Bernardino Strait in the Philippines.

Tidal Turbines
Tidal turbines are basically wind turbines in the water that can be located anywhere
there is strong tidal flow. Because water is about 800 times denser than air, tidal
turbines have to be much sturdier than wind turbines. Tidal turbines are heavier and
more expensive to build but capture more energy.

Learn More
Ocean Energy Council http://www.oceanenergycouncil.com/index.php/Tidal-Energy/Tidal-Energy.html

Last Reviewed: February 25, 2011

4/4/2012 12:23 PM

Wave Power - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=hydropower_wave

Wave Power
Waves Have Lots of Energy
Waves are caused by
Wave Energy Site
the wind blowing over
the surface of the
ocean. There is
tremendous energy in
the ocean waves. It's
estimated that the total
potential off the coasts
of the United States is
252 billion
kilowatthours a year,
Source: Adapted from NEED.
about 6% of the
United States'
electricity consumption in 2010. The west coasts of the United States
and Europe and the coasts of Japan and New Zealand are good sites
for harnessing wave energy.

Different Ways To Channel the Power of Waves

One way to harness wave energy is to bend or focus the waves into a
narrow channel, increasing their power and size. The waves can then
be channeled into a catch basin or used directly to spin turbines.

The Pelamis Wave Power Device in Use in

Portugal

Source: Marine and Hydrokinetic Technologies Program, U.S.

Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(Public Domain)

CETO Underwater Wave Energy Device

Many more ways to capture wave energy are currently under

development. Some of these devices being developed are placed
underwater, anchored to the ocean floor, while others ride on top of the
waves. The world's first commercial wave farm using one such
technology opened in 2008 at the Aguadora Wave Park in Portugal.
See all the technologies under development at the U.S. Department of
Energy's Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database.
Source: Tuscanit, Wikimedia Commons author (GNU Free
Documentation License) (Public Domain)

Learn More
How wave power works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0mzrbfzUpM
Alternative Energy News http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydro/tidal-power/

Last Reviewed: June 1, 2011

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Wind - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

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Wind
Energy from Moving Air
Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the
Earth's surface by the sun. Because the Earth's surface is made of
very different types of land and water, it absorbs the sun's heat at
different rates. One example of this uneven heating can be found in
the daily wind cycle.

How Uneven Heating of Water and Land

Causes Wind

The Daily Wind Cycle

During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the
air over water. The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the
heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating wind. At night,
the winds are reversed because the air cools more rapidly over land
than over water.
In the same way, the atmospheric winds that circle the earth are
created because the land near the Earth's equator is heated more by
the sun than the land near the North and South Poles.

Source: National Energy Education Development Project (Public

Domain)

Wind Energy for Electricity Generation

Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Wind is a renewable energy source because the wind will
blow as long as the sun shines.

Learn More
Watch the Renewable Energy Slideshow http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/slideshows
/renewable_energy.html
Wind Data http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/wind/wind.html
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html
Energy in Brief: Wind Power http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/wind_power.cfm
Wind Energy Data & Information Gateway http://windenergy.ornl.gov/
WindPoweringAmerica.gov http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/

Last Reviewed: March 15, 2012

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Where Wind Power Is Harnessed

Wind Power Plants Require Careful Planning
Operating a wind power plant is not as simple as just building a windmill in a windy place. Wind plant owners must
carefully plan where to locate their machines. It is important to consider how fast and how much the wind blows at the
site.
As a rule, wind speed increases with altitude and over open areas that
have no windbreaks. Good sites for wind plants are the tops of
smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shorelines, and mountain gaps
that produce wind funneling.

Map of U.S. Wind Resources

Wind Speed Is Not the Same Across the Country

Wind speed varies throughout the United States. It also varies from
season to season. In Tehachapi, California, the wind blows more from
April through October than it does in the winter. This is because of the
extreme heating of the Mojave Desert during the summer months. The
hot air over the desert rises, and the cooler, denser air above the
Pacific Ocean rushes through the Tehachapi mountain pass to take its
place. In a state like Montana, on the other hand, the wind blows more
during the winter.

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of

Energy (Public Domain)

Fortunately, these seasonal variations are a good match for the

electricity demands of the regions. In California, people use more
electricity during the summer for air conditioners. In Montana, people
use more electricity during the winter.

Major Wind Power Locations

Large wind turbines (sometimes called wind machines) generated
electricity in 36 different States in 2011. The top five States with the
largest generation of electricity from wind were Texas, Iowa, California,
Minnesota, and Illinois.

International Wind Power

In 2009, most of the wind power plants in the world were located in
Europe and in the United States where government programs have
helped support wind power development. The United States ranked
first in the world in wind power generation, followed by Germany,
Spain, China, and India. Denmark ranked ninth in the world in wind
power generation, but generated about 19% of its electricity from wind,
the largest share of any country.1

Wind Turbines in the Ocean

Offshore Wind Power

Conditions are well suited along much of the coasts of the United
States to use wind energy. However, there are people who oppose
putting turbines just offshore, near the coastlines, because they think
the wind turbines will spoil the view of the ocean. There is a plan to
build an offshore wind plant off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Wind is a renewable energy source that does not pollute, so some
people see it as a good alternative to fossil fuels.
Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

1
2008 is most recent year data on capacity available as of June 29, 2011.

Learn More
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html

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Wind Energy and the Environment

Wind: A Clean Source of Energy
Wind is a clean source of energy, and overall, the use of wind for
energy has fewer environmental impacts than using many other
energy sources. Wind turbines (often called windmills) do not release
emissions that pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and they
do not require water for cooling. They may also reduce the amount of
electricity generated from fossil fuels and therefore reduce the amount
of air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and water use of fossil fuel
power plants.

Wind Farm at The Cerro Gordo

Project, West of Mason City, Iowa

A wind turbine has a small physical footprint relative to the amount of

electricity it can produce. Many wind projects, sometimes called wind
farms, are located on farm, grazing, and forest land. The extra income
from the turbines may allow farmers and ranchers to stay in business
Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Public Domain)
and keep their property from being developed for other uses. For
example, wind power projects have been proposed as alternatives to
mountain top removal coal mining projects in the Appalachian
mountains of the U.S. Off-shore wind turbines on lakes or the ocean may have smaller environmental impacts than
turbines on land.
Drawbacks of Wind Turbines
Wind turbines do have negative impacts on the environment, but the negative impacts have to be balanced with our
need for electricity and the overall lower environmental impact of using wind for energy relative to other sources of
energy to make electricity.
Modern wind turbines are very large machines, and some people do not like their visual impact on the landscape. A
few wind turbines have caught on fire, and some have leaked lubricating fluids, though this is relatively rare. Some
people do not like the sound that wind turbine blades make. Some types of wind turbines and wind projects cause bird
and bat deaths. These deaths may contribute to declines in species that are also being affected by other humanrelated impacts. Many birds are killed from collisions with vehicles and buildings, by house cats and hunters, and by
pesticides. Their natural habitats may be altered or destroyed by human development and by the changes in the
climate that most scientists believe are caused by greenhouse gases emissions from human activities (which wind
energy use can help reduce). The wind energy industry and the U.S. government are researching ways to reduce the
impact of wind turbines on birds and bats.
Most wind power projects on land also require service roads that add to their physical impact on the environment.
Making the metals and other materials in wind turbines and the concrete for their foundations requires the use of
energy, which may be from fossil fuels. Some studies have shown that wind turbines produce much more clean
electricity over their operating life than the equivalent amount of energy used to make and install them.

Learn More
Energy in Brief: Wind Power http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/wind_power.cfm
Wind Energy Data & Information Gateway http://windenergy.ornl.gov/
WindPoweringAmerica.gov http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/

Last Reviewed: March 19, 2012

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Geothermal - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/print.cfm?page=geothermal_home

What Is Geothermal Energy?

The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from
within the Earth. We can recover this heat as steam or hot water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity.
Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the heat is continuously produced inside the Earth.

Geothermal Energy Is Generated Deep Inside the Earth

Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth's core. Temperatures
hotter than the sun's surface are continuously produced inside the
Earth by the slow decay of radioactive particles, a process that
happens in all rocks. The Earth has a number of different layers:
The core itself has two layers: a solid iron core and an outer
core made of very hot melted rock, called magma.
The mantle surrounds the core and is about 1,800 miles thick. It
is made up of magma and rock.
The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth, the land that forms
the continents and ocean floors. It can be 3 to 5 miles thick
under the oceans and 15 to 35 miles thick on the continents.

The Earth's crust is broken into pieces called plates. Magma comes
close to the Earth's surface near the edges of these plates. This is
where volcanoes occur. The lava that erupts from volcanoes is partly
magma. Deep underground, the rocks and water absorb the heat from
this magma. The temperature of the rocks and water gets hotter and
hotter as you go deeper underground.

Source: Adapted from a National Energy Education Development

Project graphic (Public Domain)

People around the world use geothermal energy to heat their homes and to produce electricity by digging deep wells
and pumping the heated underground water or steam to the surface. We can also make use of the stable
temperatures near the surface of the Earth to heat and cool buildings.

Learn More
Watch the Renewable Energy Slideshow http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/slideshows
/renewable_energy.html
Geothermal Data http://www.eia.gov/renewable/annual/trends/pdf/table1_1.pdf
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html

Last Reviewed: March 15, 2012

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Where Geothermal Energy Is Found - Energy Explained, Your Guide To...

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Naturally occurring large areas of hydrothermal resources are called

geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal reservoirs are deep
underground with no visible clues showing above ground. But
geothermal energy sometimes finds its way to the surface in the form
of:
Volcanoes and fumaroles (holes where volcanic gases are
released)
Hot springs
Geysers

Most Geothermal Resources Are Near Plate

Boundaries
The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major
plate boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated.
Most of the geothermal activity in the world occurs in an area called
the Ring of Fire. This area encircles the Pacific Ocean.
When magma comes close to the surface, it heats ground water found
trapped in porous rock or water running along fractured rock surfaces
and faults. These features are called hydrothermal. They have two
common ingredients: water (hydro) and heat (thermal).

The ring of fire goes around the edges of the

Pacific. The map shows that volcanic activity
occurs around the Pacific rim.
Source: National Energy Education Development Project (Public
Domain)

U.S. Geothermal Resource Map

Geologists use various methods to look for geothermal reservoirs.

Drilling a well and testing the temperature deep underground is the
most reliable method for finding a geothermal reservoir.

U.S. Geothermal Is Mostly in the West

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Most of the geothermal reservoirs in the United States are located in
Energy
the western States and Hawaii. California generates the most
electricity from geothermal energy. "The Geysers" dry steam reservoir
in northern California is the largest known dry steam field in the world and has been producing electricity since 1960.

Learn More
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html

Last Reviewed: March 15, 2012

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Geothermal Energy and the Environment - Energy Explained, Your Guid...

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The environmental impact of geothermal energy depends on how it is being used. Direct use and heating applications
have almost no negative impact on the environment.

Geothermal Power Plants Have Low Emission Levels

Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to generate electricity, so
their emission levels are very low. They release less than 1% of the
carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil fuel plant. Geothermal plants use
scrubber systems to clean the air of hydrogen sulfide that is naturally
found in the steam and hot water.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone

National Park, Wyoming

Geothermal plants emit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfur compounds

than are emitted by fossil fuel plants. After the steam and water from a
geothermal reservoir have been used, they are injected back into the
Earth.

Many Geothermal Features Are National Treasures

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

Geothermal features in national parks, such as geysers and fumaroles

in Yellowstone National Park, are protected by law, to prevent them
from being disturbed.

Last Reviewed: March 15, 2012

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Solar - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/print.cfm?page=solar_home

Energy from the Sun

The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the suns rays (solar radiation) that reach the Earth.
This energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity.
In the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel famously used a
solar thermal collector box (a device that absorbs sunlight to collect
heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Today, people use
the sun's energy for lots of things.

Radiant energy from the sun has powered

life on Earth for many millions of years.

Solar Energy Can Be Used for Heat and Electricity

When converted to thermal (or heat) energy, solar energy can be
used to:
Heat water for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools
Heat spaces inside homes, greenhouses, and other
buildings
Heat fluids to high temperatures to operate a turbine to
generate electricity

Solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways:

Photovoltaic (PV devices) or solar cells change sunlight
Source: NASA
directly into electricity. Individual PV cells are grouped into
panels and arrays of panels that can be used in a wide range of
applications ranging from single small cells that charge calculator and watch batteries, to systems that power
single homes, to large power plants covering many acres.
Solar Thermal/Electric Power Plants generate electricity by concentrating solar energy to heat a fluid and
produce steam that is used to power a generator. In 2010, solar thermal-power generating units were the main
source of electricity at 13 power plants in the United States:
11 in California
one in Arizona
one in Nevada

In 2010, a 75 Megawatt solar thermal unit was added to Florida Power and Light's Martin plant, a 3,700 MW oil- and
gas-fired facility. This innovative system uses a parabolic trough solar array to produce supplemental steam for use
with an existing turbine/generator.
The main benefits of solar energy are:
Solar energy systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon-dioxide
When located on buildings, they have minimal impact on the environment

Two limitations of solar energy are:

The amount of sunlight that arrives at the Earth's surface is not constant. It varies depending on location, time of

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Solar - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy

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day, time of year, and weather conditions.

Because the sun doesn't deliver that much energy to any one place at any one time, a large surface area is
required to collect the energy at a useful rate.

Learn More
Watch the Renewable Energy Slideshow http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/slideshows
/renewable_energy.html
Renewable Energy Potential Maps http://www.eia.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html
Spray-on Solar Panels http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/sprayonsolar.jsp

Last Reviewed: December 19, 2011

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Where Solar Is Found - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understandin...

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http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=solar_where

Where Solar Is Found

Solar Energy Is Everywhere the Sun Shines
Solar energy is by far the Earth's most available energy source. Solar
power is capable of providing many times the total current energy
demand. But it is an intermittent energy source, meaning that it is not
available at all times. However, it can be supplemented by thermal
energy storage or another energy source, such as natural gas or
hydropower.

California Has the Worlds Biggest Solar Thermal

Power Plants
Nine solar power plants, in three locations in California's Mojave
Desert, comprise the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS).
SEGS VIII and IX (each 80 megawatts), located in Harper Lake, are,
individually and collectively, the largest solar thermal power generating
plants in the world. The SEGS plants are concentrating solar thermal
plants.

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of

Energy

Concentrating solar power technologies use mirrors to reflect and

concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect the solar energy and
convert it to heat. This thermal energy can then be used to produce
electricity via a steam turbine or heat engine driving a generator.

Photovoltaic Systems Provide Small to Large

Amounts of Power
Another solar generating technology uses photovoltaic cells (PV) to
convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV cells are made of
semiconductors, such as crystalline silicon or various thin-film
materials. Photovoltaics can provide tiny amounts of power for
watches, large amounts for the electric grid, and everything in
between.
Thousands of houses and buildings around the world have PV
systems on their roofs. Many multi-megawatt (MW) PV power plants
have also been built, including a 200 MW plant in China and a 97 MW
plant in Canada. The largest PV power plant in the U.S. at the end of
2010 was a 48 MW facility in Nevada. Construction started in 2011 on
several plants in California with capacities ranging from 200 to 550
MW.

Solar Power Can Be Used Almost Anywhere at a

Variety of Scales

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of

Energy

World Map of Solar Resources

Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), NASA

Surface meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE), 2008.

Low-temperature solar collectors also absorb the sun's heat energy,

but instead of making electricity, use the heat directly for hot water or
space heating in homes, offices, and other buildings.
Even larger plants than exist today are proposed for construction in the coming years. Covering 4% of the world's
desert area with photovoltaics could supply the equivalent of all of the world's electricity. The Gobi Desert alone could
supply almost all of the world's total electricity demand.

Learn More
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photovoltaics Research http://www.nrel.gov/pv/
International Solar Energy Society http://www.ises.org/ises.nsf!Open

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Solar Energy and the Environment - Energy Explained, Your Guide To ...

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http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/print.cfm?page=solar_environment

Using solar energy produces no air or water pollution and no

greenhouse gases, but does have some indirect impacts on the
environment. For example, there are some toxic materials and
chemicals, and various solvents and alcohols that are used in the
manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells (PV), which convert
sunlight into electricity. Small amounts of these waste materials are
produced.

An Array of Solar Panels Supplies Energy

for Use at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat
Center in Twentynine Palms, California

In addition, large solar thermal power plants can harm desert

ecosystems if not properly managed. Birds and insects can be killed if
they fly into a concentrated beam of sunlight, such as that created by a
"solar power tower." Some solar thermal systems use potentially
hazardous fluids (to transfer heat) that require proper handling and
disposal.
Concentrating solar systems may require water for regular cleaning of
the concentrators and receivers and for cooling the turbine-generator.
Using water from underground wells may affect the ecosystem in
some arid locations.

Source: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Jeremiah

Handeland/Released (Public Domain)

Learn More
U.S. Department of Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program: Implications of PV Manufacturing and
Production http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/man_pro_implications.html
Why PV is Important to the Environment http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/to_environment.html
Solar Frequently Asked Questions http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/solar/cfm/faqs/

Last Reviewed: May 9, 2011

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