What is renewable energy?

Energy exists freely in nature. Some of them exist infinitely (never run out,
called RENEWABLE), the rest have finite amounts (they took millions of years to form,
and will run out one day, called NON-RENEWABLE)
With this in mind, it is a lot easier to lay any type of energy source in its right place.
Let's look at these types of energy in the diagram below:

You will notice that water, wind, sun and biomass (vegetation) are all available
naturally and were not formed. The others do not exist by themselves, they were
formed. Renewable energy resources are always available to be tapped, and will not
run out. This is why some people call itGreen Energy.
TIP

Approximately 20% of electricity produced globally in 2009 came from renewable

sources. Out of this, hydro-power accounted for about 16%.
In 2012, 9% of the energy consumed in the USA came from renewable sources. This
means the USA depends a lot on non-renewable sources. 30% of the energy from
renewable sources came from hydropower, whiles biomass, biofuels and wood, together
accounted for about 49%. Source: USEIA, Monthly Energy Review, April 2013

Illustration of Global Renewable Energy Usage.

When can energy be called 'Renewable'?

When its source cannot run out (like the sun) or can easily be replaced (like wood,
as we can plant trees to use for energy)
When their sources are carbon neutral. This means they do not produce Carbon
compounds (such as other greenhouse gases).
When they do not pollute the environment (air, land or water)
Renewable energy includes Biomass, Wind, Hydropower, Geothermal andSolar sources. Renewable energy can be converted to electricity,
which is stored and transported to our homes for use. In this lesson, we shall take a
closer look at how renewable energy is converted into electricity.

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What is Biomass
Biomass fuels come from things that once lived: wood products, dried vegetation, crop
residues, aquatic plants and even garbage. It is known as'Natural Material'. Plants used
up a lot of the sun's energy to make their own food (photosysnthesis). They stored the
foods in the plants in the form of chemical energy. As the plants died, the energy is
trapped in the residue. This trapped energy is usually released by burning and can be
converted into biomass energy.
Wood is a biomass fuel. It is renewable. As long as we continue to plant new trees to
replace those cut down, we will always have wood to burn. Just as with the fossil fuels,
the energy stored in biomass fuels came originally from the Sun.
It is such a widely utilized source of energy, probably due to its low cost and indigenous
nature, that it accounts for almost 15% of the world's total energy supply and as much
as 35% in developing countries, mostly for cooking and heating. (More reading on
Bioenergy or Biofuel here)

How is biomass converted into energy?

Burning:
This is a very common way of converting organic matter into energy. Burning stuff like
wood, waste and other plant matter releases stored chemical energy in the form of
heat, which can be used to turn shafts to produce electricity. Let's see this simple
illustration of how biomass is used to generate electricity.

1.

Energy from the sun is transferred and stored in plants. When the plants are cut or
die, wood chips, straw and other plant matter is delivered to the bunker

2.

This is burned to heat water in a boiler to release heat energy (steam).

3.

The energy/power from the steam is directed to turbines with pipes

4.

The steam turns a number of blades in the turbine and generators, which are made
of coils and magnets.

5.

The charged magnetic fields produce electricity, which is sent to homes by cables.

Other ways in which organic matter can be converted into energy include:
Decomposition:
Things that can rot, like garbage, human and animal waste, dead animals and the like
can be left to rot, releasing a gas called biogas (also known as methane gas or landfill
gas). Methane can be captured by a machine called Microturbine and converted into
electricity. Sometimes, animal waste (poop) can also be converted into methane by a
machine called 'Anaerobic Digester'
Fermentation:
Ethanol can be produced from crops with lots of sugars, like corn and sugarcane. The
process used to produce ethanol is called gasification.

What is Wind Power?

Wind is caused by huge convection currents in the Earth's atmosphere, driven by heat
energy from the Sun. This means as long as the sun shines, there will be wind.
How do winds form? (Check out the lesson on winds here)
This can be explained in simple terms by the daily wind cycle.

The earth's surface has both land and water. When the sun comes up, the air over the
land heats up quicker than that over water. The heated air is lighter and it rises. The
cooler air is denser and it falls and replaced the air over the land. In the night the
reverse happens. Air over the water is warmer and rises, and is replaced by cooler air
from land.
The moving air (wind) has huge amounts of kinetic energy, and this can be transferred
into electrical energy using wind turbines. The wind turns the blades, which spin a
shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. The electricity is sent

through transmission and distribution lines to a substation, then on to homes, business

and schools.
Wind turbines cannot work if there is no wind,
or if the wind speed is so high it would damage them.

Wind turbines are usually sited on high hills and mountain ridges to take advantage of
the prevailing winds.
Just like a windmill, wind energy turbines have been around for over 1000 years. From
old Holland to farms in the United States, windmills have been used for pumping water
or grinding grain. (More on Wind Energy here)
Did you know...
The largest wind turbine in the world, located in Hawaii,
stands 20 stories tall and has blades the length of a football field.
An average wind speed of 14 miles per hour is needed to
convert wind energy into electricity.
One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 300 homes.
The first power-generating turbine was constructed in
Ohio during the late 1800's and was used to charge batteries.
Wind energy is the fastest growing segment of all renewable energy sources

Water power
Moving water has kinetic energy. This can be transferred into useful energy in different
ways. Hydroelectric power (HEP) schemes store water high up in dams. The water
has gravitational potential energy which is released when it falls.
Let's see a good example of how water can be used to generate electricity.

As the water rushes down through pipes, this stored energy is transferred to kinetic energy,
which turns electricity generators.

The Dam is built to retain the water. More electricity is produced if the water is more
in the reservoir
Sluice Gates: These can open and close to regulate the amount of water that is
released into the pipes.
Potential energy in the retained water is transferred into kinetic energy by water
flowing through the pipes with high speed.
The force and high pressure in the water turns a series of shafts in a generator.
Spinning shafts in the generator charges millions of coils and magnets to create
electricity, which is regulated by a transformer. This is then transported via cables to
homes and factories.
To build a dam there has to be valleys and rivers that flow all year round. This will help
with the building and success of the dam. This way, the fullest effect of the waters
kinetic energy can be tapped.(Click for more on hydro energy)

Global Distribution of Hydro-Power Generation Capacity.

Did you know...

Hydropower is renewable energy source that doesn't cause global warming because it
doesn't releases dangerous greenhouse gases.
China is the largest producer of hydroelectricity, followed by Canada, Brazil, and the
United States (Source: Energy Information Administration).
Hydropower is the most important and widely-used
renewable source of energy.

Geothermal energy
Deep down in the earth's crust, there is molten rock (magma). Molten rock is simply
rocks that have melted into liquid form as a result of extreme heat under the earth.
This can be found about 1800 miles deep below the surface, but closer to the surface,
the rocks layers are hot enough to keep water and air spaces there at a temperature of
about 50-60 degrees F (10-16 degrees C). Geothermal technology takes advantage of
the hot close-to-earth-surface temperatures to generate power.
In places with hotter 'close-to-earth-surface' temperatures, deep wells can be drilled
and cold water pumped down. The water runs through fractures in the rocks and is
heated up. It returns to the surface as hot water and steam, where its energy can be
used to drive turbines and electricity generators.(Note that there isn't any technology
that allows humans to tap the heat from molten rock yet. Maybe one day, there will be)

In other places, a geothermal heat pump system consisting of pipes and pumps buried
in the earth can be used to heat homes. This is done by opening up the system,
extracting the hot air to feed indoor air delivery system during the cold seasons. In the
USA, some geothermal systems can be found in Hawaii and Alaska.
Geothermal energy is called a renewable energy source because the water is
replenished by rainfall, and the heat is continuously produced by the earth.

Solar power
Solar power is energy from the sun. "Solar" is the Latin word for "sun" and it's a
powerful source of energy. Without it, there will be no life. Solar energy is considered
as a serious source of energy for many years because of the vast amounts of energy
that is made freely available, if harnessed by modern technology.

It is renewable!
It is considered 'Renewable Energy' because...

The technology used to convert the sun's power into electricity does not produce
smoke (carbon dioxide and other air pollutants).
Tapping the sun's energy does not usually destroy the environment.
Unfortunately, the sun does not available in the night, and in some days, clouds and
rains and other natural conditions prevent the sun's powerful rays to reach us. This
means that it is not always available. This a why we cannot rely on solar energy alone.

Solar cells
Solar cells are devices that convert light energy directly into electrical energy. In these
cells, there are semiconductors (silicon alloys and other materials). You may have
seen small solar cells on calculators or some mobile phones. Larger arrays of solar cells
are used to power road signs, and even larger arrays are used to power satellites in
orbit around Earth. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic cells or PV devices.

Solar panels
Solar panels are different to solar cells. Solar panels do not generate electricity directly.
Instead they heat up water directly. A pump pushes cold water from a storage tank
through pipes in the solar panel. The water is heated by heat energy from the Sun and
returns to the tank. They are often located on the roofs of buildings where they can
receive the most sunlight.
There is also the Solar Thermal Power Plant.
Here, a concentration of the sun's energy by many
panels is used to heat up water into steam, which is
then used to turn turbines to produce electricity.
Guess what! Power stations of this nature usually
need a lot of space to capture a lot of the sun's
energy!
The Parabolic Trough System uses this kind of
system. Here, troughs are designed to direct the
sun's energy to absorber tubes as long as the sun is
up.
Many of these Parabolic troughs are installed to
collect massive energy for the rods to heat water to
turn turbines.
Other less common methods that use the Solar Thermal Power Plant system are
the Solar Dish and The Solar Power Tower.
Did you know...
In many African villages, the people use the sun's energy to dry food-stuffs like fish, corn,
snails, and cocoa for storage? That is raw solar energy in use. They spread the foods on
large mats and trays in the hot sun for days until the required dryness is attained. This is
common in regions with lots of sun.

Energy conservation:
Saving Energy
Just century ago, humans used very little energy because we had less of the things that
use up energy. There were no computers, phones, TV, cars, lights, washing machines
and all that. After the industrial revolution, people started using a lot more
manufactured items such as electronics, automobiles, and home appliances.
These items use a lot of energy, but if we all cut our energy use by half, that would be
huge savings.
Saving energy can be achieved in a couple of ways: 1.Energy conservation, 2.Energy
Efficiency, and 3.Recycling. These first two are not the same, even though people
often use them to mean the same thing.
Energy Conservation:
This is the practice that results in less energy being
used. For example, turning the taps, computers, lights,
and TV off when not in use.
It also includes running in the park or outside instead
of running on the treadmill in the gym.
Energy conservation is great because we can all do this
everywhere and anytime. It is a great behavior we
must acquire.
Did you know:

1. Up to 25% of heat loss is through windows, plastic window covers can help reduce
drafts.
2. 85 to 90% of energy used to wash clothes goes to heating water
Energy Efficiency
This is the use of manufacturing techniques and technology to produce things that use
less energy for the same result. For example if a heater is designed to warm your home
with less energy than regular heaters, that would be an energy efficient heater. If your
washing machine uses less energy to do the same job as other washers, that is an
energy efficient washer.
FACT: Homes built after 2000 are about 30% bigger, but there use less energy than
older homes.
Source: US EIA survey: RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION SURVEY (RECS)

Recycling
This involves the use of waste or old materials to make new ones. For example, we can
collect all old newspapers from the town at the end of everyday and turn the papers
into fresh paper for printing again. We can collect all plastic bottles and send them to
be used for new plastic bottles, or used for children plastic toys. (read more about
recycling here)

Recycling saves energy because less energy is used to recycle than to turn new raw
materials into new products.
This means to save energy, we need to use all these great ways. If we all try do this,
together we can save some money and use less natural resources too.

http://www.eschooltoday.com/energy/kinds-of-energy/what-is-gravitational-energy.html

Types of Renewable Energy

Solar shingles are installed on a rooftop. Credit: Stellar Sun Shop

The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are
non-renewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too
expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast, the many types of renewable
energy resources-such as wind and solar energy-are constantly replenished and will never run out.
Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy,
can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity,
and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.
The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy, is captured with wind turbines. Then, the
winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor turns into rain or snow
and flows downhill into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric power.
Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up
those plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels,
or chemicals. The use of biomass for any of these purposes is called bioenergy.
Hydrogen also can be found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It's the most abundant
element on the Earth. But it doesn't occur naturally as a gas. It's always combined with other
elements, such as with oxygen to make water. Once separated from another element, hydrogen can
be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity.

Not all renewable energy resources come from the sun. Geothermal energy taps the Earth's
internal heat for a variety of uses, including electric power production, and the heating and cooling of
buildings. And the energy of the ocean's tides come from the gravitational pull of the moon and the
sun upon the Earth.
In fact, ocean energy comes from a number of sources. In addition to tidal energy, there's the
energy of the ocean's waves, which are driven by both the tides and the winds. The sun also warms
the surface of the ocean more than the ocean depths, creating a temperature difference that can be
used as an energy source. All these forms of ocean energy can be used to produce electricity.

Why is renewable energy important?

Workers install equipment for an ocean thermal energy conversion experiment in 1994 at Hawaii's Natural Energy
Laboratory. Credit: A. Resnick, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.

Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it provides. The key benefits are:

Environmental Benefits
Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a much lower environmental
impact than conventional energy technologies.

Energy for our children's children's children

Renewable energy will not run out. Ever. Other sources of energy are finite and will some day be
depleted.

Jobs and the Economy

Most renewable energy investments are spent on materials and workmanship to build and maintain
the facilities, rather than on costly energy imports. Renewable energy investments are usually spent
within the United States, frequently in the same state, and often in the same town. This means your
energy dollars stay home to create jobs and fuel local economies, rather than going overseas.

Meanwhile, renewable energy technologies developed and built in the United States are being sold
overseas, providing a boost to the U.S. trade deficit.

Energy Security
After the oil supply disruptions of the early 1970s, our nation has increased its dependence on
foreign oil supplies instead of decreasing it. This increased dependence impacts more than just our
national energy policy.

Types of Solar
Energyhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/solar-energy

Solar energy technologies use the sun's energy and light to provide heat, light, hot water, electricity,
and even cooling, for homes, businesses, and industry.
There are a variety of technologies that have been developed to take advantage of solar energy.

Solar Energy Technologies:

Photovoltaic Systems
Producing electricity directly from sunlight.

Solar Hot Water

Heating water with solar energy.

Solar Electricity
Using the sun's heat to produce electricity.

Passive Solar Heating and Daylighting

Using solar energy to heat and light buildings.

Solar Process Space Heating and Cooling

Industrial and commercial uses of the sun's heat.

Wind Energy

Modern wind turbines tower above one of their ancestors-an old windmill used for pumping water. Credit: Warren
Gretz

We have been harnessing the wind's energy for hundreds of years. From old Holland to farms in the
United States, windmills have been used for pumping water or grinding grain. Today, the windmill's
modern equivalent - a wind turbine - can use the wind's energy to generate electricity.
Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30
meters) or more aboveground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind.
Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades. Usually, two or three blades are
mounted on a shaft to form a rotor.
A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms
on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it,
causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the
wind's force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag
causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity.
Wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications, or they can be connected to a utility power
grid or even combined with a photovoltaic (solar cell) system. For utility-scale sources of wind
energy, a large number of wind turbines are usually built close together to form awind plant. Several
electricity providers today use wind plants to supply power to their customers.
Stand-alone wind turbines are typically used for water pumping or communications. However,
homeowners, farmers, and ranchers in windy areas can also use wind turbines as a way to cut their
electric bills.
Small wind systems also have potential as distributed energy resources. Distributed energy
resources refer to a variety of small, modular power-generating technologies that can be combined
to improve the operation of the electricity delivery system.

Geothermal Energy

The Earth's heat-called geothermal energy-escapes as steam at a hot springs in Nevada. Credit: Sierra Pacific

Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal
energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the
Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called
magma.
Almost everywhere, the shallow ground or upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface maintains a nearly
constant temperature between 50 and 60F (10 and 16C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap into
this resource to heat and cool buildings. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump,
an air delivery system (ductwork), and a heat exchanger-a system of pipes buried in the shallow
ground near the building. In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and
pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat
pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air
during the summer can also be used to provide a free source of hot water.
In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs of hot water are located in the western states,
Alaska, and Hawaii. Wells can be drilled into underground reservoirs for the generation of electricity.
Some geothermal power plants use the steam from a reservoir to power a turbine/generator, while
others use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporizes and then turns a turbine. Hot water
near the surface of Earth can be used directly for heat. Direct-use applications include heating
buildings, growing plants in greenhouses, drying crops, heating water at fish farms, and several
industrial processes such as pasteurizing milk.
Hot dry rock resources occur at depths of 3 to 5 miles everywhere beneath the Earth's surface and
at lesser depths in certain areas. Access to these resources involves injecting cold water down one
well, circulating it through hot fractured rock, and drawing off the heated water from another well.
Currently, there are no commercial applications of this technology. Existing technology also does not
yet allow recovery of heat directly from magma, the very deep and most powerful resource of
geothermal energy.

Many technologies have been developed to take advantage of geothermal energy - the heat from
the earth. NREL performs research to develop and advance technologies for the following
geothermal applications:

Geothermal Energy Technologies:

Geothermal Electricity Production

Generating electricity from the earth's heat.

Geothermal Direct Use

Producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.

1.Geothermal Electricity Production

This geothermal power plant generates electricity for the Imperial Valley in California. Credit: Warren Gretz

Most power plants need steam to generate electricity. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a
generator, which produces electricity. Many power plants still use fossil fuels to boil water for steam.
Geothermal power plants, however, use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water found a couple
of miles or more below the Earth's surface. There are three types of geothermal power plants:dry
steam, flash steam, and binary cycle.
Dry steam power plants draw from underground resources of steam. The steam is piped directly
from underground wells to the power plant, where it is directed into a turbine/generator unit. There
are only two known underground resources of steam in the United States: The Geysers in northern
California and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where there's a well-known geyser called Old
Faithful. Since Yellowstone is protected from development, the only dry steam plants in the country
are at The Geysers.
Flash steam power plants are the most common. They use geothermal reservoirs of water with
temperatures greater than 360F (182C). This very hot water flows up through wells in the ground

under its own pressure. As it flows upward, the pressure decreases and some of the hot water boils
into steam. The steam is then separated from the water and used to power a turbine/generator. Any
leftover water and condensed steam are injected back into the reservoir, making this a sustainable
resource.
Binary cycle power plants operate on water at lower temperatures of about 225-360F (107182C). These plants use the heat from the hot water to boil a working fluid, usually an organic
compound with a low boiling point. The working fluid is vaporized in a heat exchanger and used to
turn a turbine. The water is then injected back into the ground to be reheated. The water and the
working fluid are kept separated during the whole process, so there are little or no air emissions.
Small-scale geothermal power plants (under 5 megawatts) have the potential for widespread
application in rural areas, possibly even as distributed energy resources. Distributed energy
resources refer to a variety of small, modular power-generating technologies that can be combined
to improve the operation of the electricity delivery system.
In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs are located in the western states, Alaska, and
Hawaii.

2.Geothermal Direct Use

Geothermally heated waters allow alligators to thrive on a farm in Colorado, where temperatures can drop below
freezing. Credit: Warren Gretz

When a person takes a hot bath, the heat from the water will usually warm up the entire bathroom.
Geothermal reservoirs of hot water, which are found a couple of miles or more beneath the Earth's
surface, can also be used to provide heat directly. This is called the direct use of geothermal energy.
Geothermal direct use dates back thousands of years, when people began using hot springs for
bathing, cooking food, and loosening feathers and skin from game. Today, hot springs are still used
as spas. But there are now more sophisticated ways of using this geothermal resource.

In modern direct-use systems, a well is drilled into a geothermal reservoir to provide a steady stream
of hot water. The water is brought up through the well, and a mechanical system - piping, a heat
exchanger, and controls - delivers the heat directly for its intended use. A disposal system then
either injects the cooled water underground or disposes of it on the surface.
Geothermal hot water can be used for many applications that require heat. Its current uses include
heating buildings (either individually or whole towns), raising plants in greenhouses, drying crops,
heating water at fish farms, and several industrial processes, such as pasteurizing milk. With some
applications, researchers are exploring ways to effectively use the geothermal fluid for generating
electricity as well.
In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs are located in the western states, Alaska, and
Hawaii.

3.Geothermal Heat Pumps

The West Philadelphia Enterprise Center uses a geothermal heat pump system for more than 31,000 square feet of
space. Credit: Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium

The shallow ground, the upper 10 feet of the Earth, maintains a nearly constant temperature
between 50 and 60F (10-16C). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air
above it in the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage
of this resource to heat and cool buildings.
Geothermal heat pump systems consist of basically three parts: the ground heat exchanger, the heat
pump unit, and the air delivery system (ductwork). The heat exchanger is basically a system of pipes
called a loop, which is buried in the shallow ground near the building. A fluid (usually water or a
mixture of water and antifreeze) circulates through the pipes to absorb or relinquish heat within the
ground.
In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air
delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat pump moves heat from the
indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can
also be used to heat water, providing a free source of hot water.

Geothermal heat pumps use much less energy than conventional heating systems, since they draw
heat from the ground. They are also more efficient when cooling your home. Not only does this save
energy and money, it reduces air pollution.
All areas of the United States have nearly constant shallow-ground temperatures, which are suitable
for geothermal heat pumps.

Bioenergy

Switchgrass crops can be harvested to make biofuels. Credit: Warren Gretz

We have used biomass energy or bioenergy - the energy from organic matter - for thousands of
years, ever since people started burning wood to cook food or to keep warm.
And today, wood is still our largest biomass energy resource. But many other sources of biomass
can now be used, including plants, residues from agriculture or forestry, and the organic component
of municipal and industrial wastes. Even the fumes from landfills can be used as a biomass energy
source.
The use of biomass energy has the potential to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Biomass generates about the same amount of carbon dioxide as fossil fuels, but every time a new
plant grows, carbon dioxide is actually removed from the atmosphere. The net emission of carbon
dioxide will be zero as long as plants continue to be replenished for biomass energy purposes.
These energy crops, such as fast-growing trees and grasses, are called biomass feedstocks. The
use of biomass feedstocks can also help increase profits for the agricultural industry.

Biomass Energy technology applications:

Biofuels
Converting biomass into liquid fuels for transportation.

Biopower
Burning biomass directly, or converting it into a gaseous fuel or oil, to generate electricity.

Bioproducts
Converting biomass into chemicals for making products that typically are made from petroleum.

1.Biofuels

Corn can be harvested to produce ethanol. Credit: Warren Gretz

Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels - biofuels
- for our transportation needs (cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and trains). The two most common
types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.
Ethanol is an alcohol, the same found in beer and wine. It is made by fermenting any biomass high
in carbohydrates (starches, sugars, or celluloses) through a process similar to brewing beer. Ethanol
is mostly used as a fuel additive to cut down a vehicle's carbon monoxide and other smog-causing
emissions. But flexible-fuel vehicles, which run on mixtures of gasoline and up to 85% ethanol, are
now available.
Biodiesel is made by combining alcohol (usually methanol) with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled
cooking greases. It can be used as an additive to reduce vehicle emissions (typically 20%) or in its
pure form as a renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines.
Other biofuels include methanol and reformulated gasoline components. Methanol, commonly called
wood alcohol, is currently produced from natural gas, but could also be produced from biomass.
There are a number of ways to convert biomass to methanol, but the most likely approach is
gasification. Gasification involves vaporizing the biomass at high temperatures, then removing
impurities from the hot gas and passing it through a catalyst, which converts it into methanol.
Most reformulated gasoline components produced from biomass are pollution-reducing fuel
additives, such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE).

2.Biopower

Wood waste produced by nearby companies fuels this 50-megawatt biomass power plant in California. Credit:
Warren Gretz

Biopower, or biomass power, is the use of biomass to generate electricity. There are six major types
of biopower systems: direct-fired,cofiring, gasification, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and small,
modular.
Most of the biopower plants in the world use direct-fired systems. They burn bioenergy feedstocks
directly to produce steam. This steam is usually captured by a turbine, and a generator then
converts it into electricity. In some industries, the steam from the power plant is also used for
manufacturing processes or to heat buildings. These are known as combined heat and power
facilities. For instance, wood waste is often used to produce both electricity and steam at paper mills.
Many coal-fired power plants can use cofiring systems to significantly reduce emissions, especially
sulfur dioxide emissions. Cofiring involves using bioenergy feedstocks as a supplementary energy
source in high efficiency boilers.
Gasification systems use high temperatures and an oxygen-starved environment to convert biomass
into a gas (a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane). The gas fuels what's called a
gas turbine, which is very much like a jet engine, only it turns an electric generator instead of
propelling a jet.
The decay of biomass produces a gas - methane - that can be used as an energy source. In
landfills, wells can be drilled to release the methane from the decaying organic matter. Then pipes
from each well carry the gas to a central point where it is filtered and cleaned before burning.
Methane also can be produced from biomass through a process called anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion involves using bacteria to decompose organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
Methane can be used as an energy source in many ways. Most facilities burn it in a boiler to produce
steam for electricity generation or for industrial processes. Two new ways include the use of
microturbines and fuel cells. Microturbines have outputs of 25 to 500 kilowatts. About the size of a
refrigerator, they can be used where there are space limitations for power production. Methane can

also be used as the "fuel" in a fuel cell. Fuel cells work much like batteries but never need
recharging, producing electricity as long as there's fuel.
In addition to gas, liquid fuels can be produced from biomass through a process called pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis occurs when biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen. The biomass then turns into a
liquid called pyrolysis oil, which can be burned like petroleum to generate electricity. A biopower
system that uses pyrolysis oil is being commercialized.
Several biopower technologies can be used in small, modular systems. A small, modular system
generates electricity at a capacity of 5 megawatts or less. This system is designed for use at the
small town level or even at the consumer level. For example, some farmers use the waste from their
livestock to provide their farms with electricity. Not only do these systems provide renewable energy,
they also help farmers and ranchers meet environmental regulations.
Small, modular systems also have potential as distributed energy resources. Distributed energy
resources refer to a variety of small, modular power-generating technologies that can be combined
to improve the operation of the electricity delivery system.

3.Bioproducts

Biomass can be used to produce a variety of biodegradable plastic products. Credit: Warren Gretz

Whatever products we can make from fossil fuels, we can make using biomass. These bioproducts,
or biobased products, are not only made from renewable sources, they also often require less
energy to produce than petroleum-based products.
Researchers have discovered that the process for making biofuels - releasing the sugars that make
up starch and cellulose in plants - also can be used to make antifreeze, plastics, glues, artificial
sweeteners, and gel for toothpaste.
Other important building blocks for bioproducts include carbon monoxide and hydrogen. When
biomass is heated with a small amount of oxygen present, these two gases are produced in
abundance. Scientists call this mixturebiosynthesis gas. Biosynthesis gas can be used to make
plastics and acids, which can be used in making photographic films, textiles, and synthetic fabrics.

When biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen, it forms pyrolysis oil. A chemical
called phenol can be extracted from pyrolysis oil. Phenol is used to make wood adhesives, molded
plastic, and foam insulation.

Hydropower

Hydroelectric power generates about 10% of the nation's energy. Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is
called hydroelectric power or hydropower.
The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a
reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn
activates a generator to produce electricity. But hydroelectric power doesn't necessarily require a
large dam. Some hydroelectric power plants just use a small canal to channel the river water through
a turbine.
Another type of hydroelectric power plant - called a pumped storage plant - can even store power.
The power is sent from a power grid into the electric generators. The generators then spin the
turbines backward, which causes the turbines to pump water from a river or lower reservoir to an
upper reservoir, where the power is stored. To use the power, the water is released from the upper
reservoir back down into the river or lower reservoir. This spins the turbines forward, activating the
generators to produce electricity.
A small or micro-hydroelectric power system can produce enough electricity for a home, farm, or
ranch.

Ocean Energy

Workers install equipment for an ocean thermal energy conversion experiment in 1994 at Hawaii's Natural Energy
Laboratory. Credit: A. Resnick, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.

The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical
energy from the tides and waves.
Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar collectors.
The sun's heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature
difference creates thermal energy. Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power
the world.
Ocean thermal energy is used for many applications, including electricity generation. There are three
types of electricity conversion systems: closed-cycle, open-cycle, and hybrid. Closed-cycle
systems use the ocean's warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which has a low-boiling
point, such as ammonia. The vapor expands and turns a turbine. The turbine then activates a
generator to produce electricity. Open-cycle systems actually boil the seawater by operating at low
pressures. This produces steam that passes through a turbine/generator. And hybrid systems
combine both closed-cycle and open-cycle systems.
Ocean mechanical energy is quite different from ocean thermal energy. Even though the sun affects
all ocean activity, tides are driven primarily by the gravitational pull of the moon, and waves are
driven primarily by the winds. As a result, tides and waves are intermittent sources of energy, while
ocean thermal energy is fairly constant. Also, unlike thermal energy, the electricity conversion of
both tidal and wave energy usually involves mechanical devices.
A barrage (dam) is typically used to convert tidal energy into electricity by forcing the water through
turbines, activating a generator. For wave energy conversion, there are three basic
systems: channel systems that funnel the waves into reservoirs; float systems that drive hydraulic
pumps; andoscillating water column systems that use the waves to compress air within a
container. The mechanical power created from these systems either directly activates a generator or
transfers to a working fluid, water, or air, which then drives a turbine/generator.

Hydrogen Energy

NASA uses hydrogen fuel to launch the space shuttles. Credit: NASA

Hydrogen is the simplest element. An atom of hydrogen consists of only one proton and one
electron. It's also the most plentiful element in the universe. Despite its simplicity and abundance,
hydrogen doesn't occur naturally as a gas on the Earth - it's always combined with other elements.
Water, for example, is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O).
Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds, notably thehydrocarbons that make up many of
our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. Hydrogen can be separated from
hydrocarbons through the application of heat - a process known as reforming. Currently, most
hydrogen is made this way from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate
water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen. This process is known as electrolysis. Some
algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, even give off hydrogen under certain
conditions.
Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution.
NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the space shuttle and other rockets into
orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean byproduct - pure
water, which the crew drinks.
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are
often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable
electric power. However, the fuel cell will produce electricity as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied,
never losing its charge.
Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity for buildings, and as
an electrical power source for electric motors propelling vehicles. Fuel cells operate best on pure
hydrogen. But fuels like natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline can be reformed to produce the
hydrogen required for fuel cells. Some fuel cells even can be fueled directly with methanol, without
using a reformer.

In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier
moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun
and wind, can't produce energy all the time. But they could, for example, produce electric energy and
hydrogen, which can be stored until it's needed. Hydrogen can also be transported (like electricity) to
locations where it is needed.

Can A Country Achieve 100% Use of Renewable Energy?

If you think 100% renewable energy will never happen, think again. Several countries have adopted ambitious plan
to obtain their power from renewable energy. These countries are not only accelerating RE installations but are also
integrating RE into their existing infrastructure to reach a 100% RE mix.
Several countries are pioneers in renewable energy. Iceland gets 85% of the countrys electricity from earths heat.
The countrys electricity supply is 100% renewable and depends on geothermal and hydropower. Norway is around
98% renewable and uses hydroelectric, geothermal and wind, to achieve its goal. Portugal rely on hydroelectricity for
38% to 58% electricity, wind power contributes one fifth, biomass 5% and solar around 1%.Scotland has a mandate
to become 100% renewable by 2020.Paraguay uses hydropower ,to provides 90% of its electricity and 19% of
Brazils by using Itaipu dam. The dam took 30 years to build and costs $20 billion. It now helps in displacing 67.5
million tonnes of CO2 a year. Denmark uses 30% wind and 15% biomass for its energy needs. Germany already uses
98% renewable energy.
In a recent study known as The Solutions Project, Stanford professor Mark Jacobson, has concluded that U.S can
meet its 100% of energy demand through renewable by 2050 through concentrated solar power, utility-scale and
rooftop PV, onshore and offshore wind, tidal and conventional hydropower and geothermal wave. Study stays to
achieve its goal, conscious efforts should be made to obtain all new electricity generation by sunlight, water and wind
by 2020 and U.S should replace 80% of its existing energy to renewable sources by 2030 to reach 100% renewable
by
2050.
The resource mix of renewable would be different state by state, in California, Texas and Massachusetts it would be

as

follows-

Sourcehttp://theenergycollective.com/hermantrabish/352551/another-blueprint-100-percent-renewables-mid-century
Numerous agencies such as , the International Energy Agency, Stanford University, the United Nations, the Rocky
Mountain Institute, Google and other have under taken the analysis of the feasibility of transitioning to clean energy
with respect to barriers, requirements, resource and market availability and cost and have all remarkably come to the
same conclusion : 100 % Global transition to clean energy is possible both technically and economically; the only
barriers
that
exist
are
social
and
political.

What Are The Major Barriers To Achieve 100% Renewable And How Can We Overcome Them
For a country to become 100% renewable, it faces certain technical, economical and political challenges.
- Technical challenges include building of a truly smart grid and integration of storage and micro grid into it. An
automated demand response has to be developed to manage energy usage and large swing in supply during peak
electric demand, particularly in buildings. Last decade has seen the tremendous development in low cost smart
electronics,
which
will
enable
the
necessary
energy
management.
- Economic constrains also offers major challenge, as substantial investment is required for the implementation of
renewable energy on large scale. It requires large investment in grid storage, transmission to redistribute power and
to smooth out intermittency. Among the storage methods available today, pumped-storage hydroelectricity is most
cost effective. Low cost electric motors can also be encouraged as it offers the potential for substantial storage via
vehicle-to-grid
architectures.
- Political challenges include creation of regulatory framework, setting standards and offering incentives to economies
to enable them to make dramatic shift in their energy usage to renewables .Political will to accomplish such a
challenging goal must exist and political leaders should come together to plot a course that make economic sense.
Renewable energy should be targeted in the most effective locations such as in the areas without an extensive grid
infrastructure, micro-grids should be created and energy storage should be utilized. We should gradually move
towards 100% renewable and allow technical advancement and cost reduction along the way which will be driven by
global
market.
How to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy By 2050
Ecofys, a leading energy consulting firm produced a report on how the 100% of worlds energy demands can be met
by renewable energy by the year 2050. As per the report, half of the goal can be met by increasing the energy
efficiency to reduce energy demands and other half by producing electricity by switching to renewable energy
sources. Ecofys suggested certain suggestions which can be followed to achieve the goal.

Energy conservation should be built into every stage of product design.

Carbon emissions price should be introduced as energy tax.

For all new buildings, strict energy efficiency criteria should be introduced.

Minimum energy efficiency standards should be introduced worldwide for the products that consume energy,
including buildings.

Developing countries should be provided with alternatives to inefficient biomass burning,such as solar cooker,
improved biomass cooking stove and small-scale biogas digesters.

Communities, businesses and individuals should be encouraged to increase efficiency and should be made aware
about their energy consumption.

Countries should invest substantially in public transport.

New buildings should be created using existing technology which will not require conventional energy for heating or
cooling but will achieve it through sunlight, airtight constructions and heat pumps. The Ecofys foresees that all new
buildings will achieve these standards by 2030.
Ecofys finds that to achieve the target, up to 3% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) should be diverted to
investment in renewable energy, investments in materials and energy efficiency, and necessary infrastructure. This
cost will gradually reduce in future as countries will save money by reduced fossil fuel use. The report finds that by
2050, by making necessary changes, we can save nearly 4 trillion Euros ($5.7 trillion) per year on reduced fuel costs
and
energy
efficiency
savings.
These high upfront investments will be superseded by saving by the year 2040 or much sooner, if factors such as
cost of climate change and impact of burning fossil fuel on public health are considered. If implemented, this plan
has the potential to reduce energy-related greenhouse-gas emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, and will
help
us
to
avoid
the
2C
global
warming
"danger
limit.

Presently, when we talk about a country achieving 100% renewable goal, it is quite possible for the country with
abundant renewable resources which can be utilized in a cost effective and reliable manner. Best example of which is
Iceland, which has made use of its local conditions to become 100 % renewable. But for the countries not blessed
with abundant natural resources, it is advisable that instead of concentrating on achieving 100% renewable,
countries should focus on addressing the important issue of global warming and should aim to establish lowest
carbon emission system and in the process if they achieve 100% renewable it will be the best solution for a cleaner
environment.

References
http://makewealthhistory.org/2012/07/09/countries-with-100-renewable-energy/
www.renewableenergyworld.com
http://theenergycollective.com/hermantrabish/352551/another-blueprint-100-percent-renewables-mid-century
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/22/100-renewable-energy-becoming-the-new-normal/
http://www.skepticalscience.com/100-percent-renewable-by-2050.html

https://www.scribd.com/doc/235728096/ene
rgy-efficient-architecture
https://www.scribd.com/doc/248766231/UN
IT-1