Renewable EnergyA Guide to the Future

A lot of people are aware that our environment is precious and that it should be protected as much as possible. Saving rain forests, recycling, and helping endangered species are only some parts of keeping our environment clean. But what is the role of renewable energy in our environment?

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY? WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY? WHY SHOULD I USE RENEWABLE ENERGY? WHAT ARE THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF POLLUTION?

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY? Renewable energy is considered renewable because it comes from fuel sources that are constantly replenished and will not run out. These resources can be replaced fairly quickly and will not deplete Earths natural resources. Non-renewable fossil fuels on the other hand require millions of years of natural processes to be produced. WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY? Renewable energy mainly comes from the sun; the suns rays transmit solar energy used for heating and cooking. Another smaller source of renewable energy comes from the Earths internal heat. The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth also produces the energy for the oceans tides.

WHY SHOULD I USE RENEWABLE ENERGY? People should use renewable energy because non-renewable energy resources threaten the environment and cause pollution. Greenhouse gases, which are the production of burning fossil fuels, trap the suns heat and lead to global warming. Consequently, extreme weather conditions, such as floods, heat waves, and droughts, could arise out of this increasing global warming. Your energy money is used to provide United States citizens with jobs and fuel local economies, rather than on the importation of energy. Your investments are used to build and maintain the energy facilities and keep the U.S. an independent country. Our energy economy can keep on growing without the use of more money. This means you can also save money on utility bills by limiting your energy consumption. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF POLLUTION?

Pollutants can cause serious lung diseases (such as asthma), harm the aquatic and botanic life, and contribute to smog. This is definitely another reason to use renewable energy resources. BY THE WAY Using renewable energy could save the United States money and be a factor in energy independence, because the US imports more than 50% of its oil from other countries. Types of Renewable Energy : Biomass Geothermal Energy Wind Energy Photovoltaics (PV) Cells

Hydropower : Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy. This renewable source of energy provides 10% of the nations electricity. As of now, there are 77,000 Megawatts of hydropower, enough to provide 35 million homes with energy. Converting flowing water into usable energy produces hydropower. Most of this water comes from rivers and is released through turbines to produce energy. Although this power source does not release pollution, it can possibly harm fish and wildlife, displace people, and alter the quality of water. Better technology is trying to reduce the loss of aquatic life, but the problem with this technology is that it is highly expensive and takes a long time to build.

Did you know? Renewable energy technology is improving considerably. Energy prices have dropped; new vehicles with advanced fuel systems and alternative fuels (such as Ethanol) are being introduced and are a way to better technological advancements. Biomass/Bioenergy : Biomass makes up about 7,000 Megawatts of renewable electricity. Biomass fuels stem from industrial processing, such as forestry and wood products, agriculture and wood products, and construction and transportation. Biomass can replace coal in power plants because it produces less sulfur dioxide than coal. Mill operations seem to be the main source of biomass energy in the U.S. Europe, on the other hand, draws its main source of bioenergy from urban wood waste. Third world countries make timber their main source of bioenergy . According from statistics from the International Energy Agency, 11% of the world derives its energy from biomass. Developing countries use about 35%, while the poorest ones use roughly 90%. One way to convert biomass into usable energy is through gasificationconverting biomass to gas and burning it in a gas turbine. Geothermal Energy:

Geothermal energy is capable of producing about 2,800 Megawatts of energy per year, or roughly .2% of the energy in the U.S. Geothermal energy is produced from naturally occurring steam and hot water from under the Earths surface. The steam rotates a turbine, which in turn powers an electric generator. Also, hot water can be used to directly heat buildings. The downside to geothermal energy is that land sites are very hard to find and extremely rare. A positive fact is that geothermal energy is very cost effective and reliable. Wind Energy: Wind energy produces about 2,500 Megawatts of energy, and generates a mere .1% of our electricity. The wind rotates blades around a hub, which is connected to the main shaft. The main shaft spins a generator. The size of turbines is determined by how much energy is needed. Small wind turbines are usually used for homes, farms and ranches. Other ways to use wind energy include grinding grain and pumping water. Wind is classed in categories of 1 through 7, with 7 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. A good wind source that has a class of 3 or higher is the east coast and along the Appalachian Mountains. North Dakota is an excellent wind source. The disadvantages of wind energy are that again, the technology is very expensive, the machinery is known to be noisy, birds have been killed by running into the turbines, and the wind might not be present at certain times throughout the year. Photovoltaics (PV) Cells: PV cells produce electricity from sunlight. Materials used in computer chips are similar to materials used in PV cells. These materials absorb sunlight, which frees the electrons from their atoms and allows them to generate electricity. PV cells are great because they dont require high maintenance, are very reliable, and dont produce pollutants. Although it is better to use renewable energy, we still have to use some type of fossil fuels. We can, however, make the best choices, by using natural gas for water heating and power appliance, which not only is better for the environment, but costs less as well.The downside to this power resource is that it costs more than other energy sources and tends to work effectively only when the sun is shining.

How Estimating Wind Resources at Your Site: Solar Energy Systems and Estimating Solar Resources Micro hydropower Systems Hybrid Systems

Estimating Wind resources: Wind Sources consist of a wind turbine, wiring, controllers, inverters, and/or batteries. Home wind turbines have a motor, a generator, and a tail. The rotor, converting kinetic energy into rotary motion, powers the generator.

The diameter of the rotor determines approximately how much energy will be produced. In order to produce the maximum amount of energy, the turbine has to be raised to a certain height. This may be a problem because of zoning laws. It is important to consult your local government regarding zoning and the laws that are applied to it.

You should consult your local weather bureau or airport for wind speeds in your area. The wind speeds at your site should be at least nine miles per hour. You also have the option of measuring wind speeds at your site on your own. Purchasing a recording anemometer and placing it on top of the tower of the intended wind turbine can do this. For best performance, wind turbines should be placed on top of a hills o that there is no obstruction for the wind. Solar Energy Systems and how to estimating it: A PV System consists of solar modules made up of PV cells. A set of ten of these modules make up the solar panel, which can be mounted to face south, or put on a tracking device to follow the sun. Ten to twenty PV panels can provide enough energy for an average household. Companies have started advancing their technologies to make building materials more productive. For example, windows that generate electricity will soon be available on the market. Costs for PV Systems vary depending on location, solar resources, and available subsidies. You have to consider three factors in order to determine whether your site is appropriate for a Solar Energy System. 1) In the Northern Hemisphere, Solar Systems should be exposed to the sun as much as possible during the day. 2) Obstruction such as trees and shade in front of the panel should definitely be cleared before setting up the system. 3) Unobstructed southern exposure should also be at an appropriate position. The production of energy from PV modules depends on the weather conditions that you live in. The number of modules is determined by your weather conditions. However, energy is still produced even in bad weather conditions, although not as much as in good weather conditions. You need to get more information on this matter before installing it.

Micro hydropower Systems and how to estimating it: Micro hydropower Systems are very small energy systems (water) that produce below 300 Kilowatts of energy. A system this small requires only a small river running by your house. The advantage of this system is that it rung continuously and the energy produced by it is predictable. The key determinants of available resources are the rivers head and flow. The vertical distance that the water falls is head. The flow is the volume of water. The hydropower system consists of the intake from the river, the penstock, the turbine, and the generator. The turbine powers the generator. The penstock delivers the water to the turbine. To measure the head, you have to measure the vertical

distance from the water intake to the turbine. You can measure this by using surveying techniques, altimeters, or water filled tube and pressing gauge. It is a little bit harder to determine the flow. Due to river flow variances throughout the year, it is somewhat difficult to measure flow. A hydrological study should be performed, which includes checking records of regional rainfall and water flows. Hybrid Power Systems how to estimating it: Hybrid Power Systems are a combination of renewable energy systems. A hybrid system, according to experts, has its advantages over a single energy system. For example, a PV System works well during the summer, while wind turbines work well during the winter. If weather conditions at times prevent this hybrid system from working, a battery that accompanies the system is always available. Also, if batteries run low, an engine-generator powered by fossil fuels can be installed to work while the battery is charging. You should set up a system that provides 80% or renewable energy, and 20% of fossil fuels.