RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

1. SOLAR ENERGY:
The electricity can be generated using the natural source of sunlight as energy and converting
this energy into the electrical energy by means of Solar Panels.
Solar panels turn energy from the suns rays directly into useful energy that can be used in homes
and businesses. There are two main types: solar thermal and photovoltaic, or PV. Solar thermal
panels use the suns energy to heat water that can be used in washing and heating. PV panels use
the photovoltaic effect to turn the suns energy directly into electricity, which can supplement or
replace a buildings usual supply.
A PV panel is made up of a semiconducting material, usually silicon-based, sandwiched between
two electrical contacts. To generate as much electricity as possible, PV panels need to spend as
much time as possible in direct sunlight. A sloping, south-facing roof is the ideal place to mount
a solar panel. A sheet of glass protects the semiconductor sandwich from hail, grit blown by the
wind, and wildlife. The semiconductor is also coated in an antireflective substance, which makes
sure that it absorbs the sunlight it needs instead of scattering it uselessly away.
When sunlight strikes the panel and is absorbed, it knocks loose electrons from some of the
atoms that make up the semiconductor. The semiconductor is positively charged on one side and
negatively charged on the other side, which encourages all these loose electrons to travel in the
same direction, creating an electric current . The contacts capture this current in an electrical
circuit.
The electricity that PV panels generate is direct current (DC). Before it can be used in homes and
businesses, it has to be changed into alternating current (AC) electricity using an inverter. The
inverted current then travels from the inverter to the buildings fuse box, and from there to the
appliances
that
need
it.
PV systems installed in homes and businesses can include a dedicated metering box that
measures how much electricity the panels are generating. As an incentive to generate renewable
energy, energy suppliers pay the systems owner a fixed rate for every unit of electricity it
generates - plus a bonus for units the owner doesnt use, because these can help supply the
national grid. Installing a PV system is not cheap, but this deal can help the owner to earn back
the cost more quickly - and potentially even make a profit one day.
ADVANTAGES:
1. The first and foremost advantage of solar energy is that, beyond panel production, it does
not emit any green house gases.

2. Another advantage of using solar energy is that beyond initial installation and
maintenance, solar energy is free.
3. Solar energy can be produced on or off the grid.
4. Solar energy is a completely renewable resource. This means that even when we cannot
make use of the suns power because of nighttime or cloudy and stormy days, we can
always rely on the sun showing up the very next day as a constant and consistent power
source
5. Oil, which is what most people currently use to power their homes, is not a renewable
resource. This means that as soon as the oil is gone, it is gone forever and we will no
longer have power or energy.
6. Solar energy creates absolutely no pollution. This is perhaps the most important
advantage that makes solar energy so much more practical than oil
DISADVANTAGES:
1. The biggest disadvantage of solar energy is that its not constant. To produce solar
electricity there must be sunlight. So energy must be stored or sourced elsewhere at night.
2. A very common criticism is that solar energy production is relatively inefficient.
3. Solar electricity storage technology has not reached its potential yet.
4. The main hindrance to solar energy going widespread is the cost of installing solar
panels. Capital costs for installing a home solar system or building a solar farm are high.

2. WIND ENERGY
Wind turbines use the winds kinetic energy to generate electrical energy that can be used in
homes and businesses. Individual wind turbines can be used to generate electricity on a small
scale to power a single home, for example. A large number of wind turbines grouped together,
sometimes known as a wind farm or wind park, can generate electricity on a much larger scale.
A wind turbine works like a high-tech version of an old-fashioned windmill. The wind blows on
the angled blades of the rotor, causing it to spin, converting some of the winds kinetic energy
into mechanical energy. Sensors in the turbine detect how strongly the wind is blowing and from
which direction. The rotor automatically turns to face the wind, and automatically brakes in
dangerously high winds to protect the turbine from damage.
A shaft and gearbox connect the rotor to a generator, so when the rotor spins, so does the
generator. The generator uses an electromagnetic field to convert this mechanical energy into
electrical energy.
The electrical energy from the generator is transmitted along cables to a substation. Here, the
electrical energy generated by all the turbines in the wind farm is combined and converted to a
high voltage. The national grid uses high voltages to transmit electricity efficiently through the
power lines to the homes and businesses that need it. Here, other transformers reduce the voltage
back down to a usable level.

ADVANTAGES:
1. Wind energy in itself is a source of renewable energy which means it can be produced
again and again since it is available in plenty.
2. Dependence on the fossil fuels could be reduced to much extent if it is adopted on the
much wider scale by all the countries across the globe.
3. Wind energy doesnt pollute at all. It is that form of energy that will exist till the time sun
exists. It does not destroy the environment or release toxic gases. Wind turbines are
mostly found in coastal areas, open plain and gaps in mountains where the wind is
reliable, strong and steady. An ideal location would have a near constant flow of nonturbulent wind throughout the year, with a minimum likelihood of sudden powerful bursts
of wind.
4. Wind energy replaces electricity from coal-fired power plants and thus reduces
greenhouse gases that produce global warming.
5. Wind turbines can also share space with other interests such as the farming of crops or
cattle.
6. Wind energy is creating jobs that are far outpacing other sectors of the economy.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Though wind energy is non-polluting, the turbines may create a lot of noise.
2. Due to large scale construction of wind turbines on remote location, it could be a threat to
wild life nearby.
3. The strength of the wind is not constant and it varies from zero to storm force. This
means that wind turbines do not produce the same amount of electricity all the time.
4. The storage of excess energy from wind turbines in the form of batteries, hydrogen or
other forms still needs research and development to become commercially viable.
5. Wind turbines are suited to the coastal regions which receive wind throughout the year to
generate power.
INTERCONNECTION OF POWER PLANTS
The connection of various generating stations is parallel is called interconnection of power
stations or also called interconnected grid system. There are several advantages of this grid
system and the cost associated with the interconnection through extra comparable to the benefits
obtained from it.
We have seen that the load on the power station is never constant but keeps on changing with
time. This load can be subdivided into two parts viz i) Base load ii) Peak load
The unvarying load or fixed load which occurs almost whole day on the plant is called base load.
The various peak demands of the load over and above base load of the power plant is called peak
load.
Now the load curve is to be met by a single unit then its installed capacity should be equal to
peak load demand or even more. As peak load occurs for short duration such solution is not

economical that we have seen earlier. The other way is to divide the load into base load and peak
load. Thus by interconnection of various power stations of different types, some station will
supply base load while some other stations will supply peak load. Thus the co-ordination of
operation of different power stations is essential.
The power plant which are working as base load should be capable of working continuously for
long periods. It should have low operating cost. Its repair should be economical and speedy.
The peak load power plants should be capable of quick start, fast synchronization, quick taking
of load and fast response to load variations.
The hydro power plant serves as base load or peak load efficiency. They are normally employed
as base load plants as their capital cost is high. When water is not abundantly available then the
hydro power plant works as peak load.
The cost of generation per unit steam power plant is minimum. Hence it can be employed as base
load. Nuclear power plants are also employed as base load. Diesel, gas and pumped storage
plants are used as peak load plants.
Advantages
1. With interconnected grid system the peak load can be exchanged between the generation
stations. From load curve if there is peak load demand which is more than related
capacity of the plant then the excess load can be shared by other interconnected stations.
2. It is possible to use the older and inefficient plants with grid system for short duration to
supply peak demands. These units may not operate independently but with grid system
they can sustain peak loads. Thus older plants can be effectively used with this system.
3. With interconnected grid system the economical operation of the plant is possible. The
total load is arranged in such a way that more efficient plants can be used as base load
stations which can work continuously throughout the year at high load factor. The less
efficient plants can be made to operate as peak load plants. Also larger generator units
can be employed to reduce capital cost per kW.
4. Various interconnected plants have their load curves different due to which maximum
demand on the system is reduced as compared to sum of individual maximum demands
on various stations. Thus the effective capacity of the system increased as their is
improvement in diversity factor.
5. It can be seen that the load curves of the two different stations are not identical. In worst
conditions the peak loads may occur at a time different by few minutes. Thus the
maximum demands on individual stations are not occurring simultaneously, it is possible
to work with lesser installed capacity with interconnected grid system.
6. In abnormal conditions every station should have reverse standby unit to be put in
operation. With grid system the reverse capacity is reduced which increases efficiency of
the system.

7. The reliability and continuity of the supply is improved with interconnected grid system.
With fault condition occurring in any one station, the supply can be maintained with the
help of other stations.
TYPES OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS:
PUMPED-STORAGE:
This system actually works on the demand for electricity. It uses different elevations between
two reservoirs for water pumping, depending on the requirement. When the requirement for
electricity is less; then the excess of generation power pumps the water into a slightly higher
basin. In case of higher demand the turbines releases back water into a low reservoir through it.
The pumped-storage is commercially the most important form of storage energy and it also
enhances the daily capability factor of the system.
RUN OF THE RIVER:
This type doesnt have the storage or reserving capacity. The water flows and passes through the
turbines. It is continuously moving and should not remain static. So the water coming from
upstream should be used at the moment or it should go around the dam.
TIDE POWER:
The tidal waves produced in the oceans which rise and fall due to the attraction of the moon to
earth, can be used for the generation of electricity. These systems are predictable as we know
when the moon raises tides so the system can be built accordingly. And if such a system is built
then it has advantages like dispatch able generation which means that the generation of
electricity can be stopped on the basis of requirement. Waterwheels are used instead of a dam
which convert kinetic energy rather than potential is less common systems.
MICRO HYDRO SYSTEM:
They come basically in two types depending on the head which is the height difference and
accounts for the pressure. These types are low-head and high-head. A fast moving stream is an
example of a low head system and a waterfall of high-head system. They are very large and
powerful systems.