Renewable Energy

Renewable energy (sources) or RES capture their energy from existing flows of energy, from on-going natural
processes, such as sunshine, wind, flowing water, biological processes, and geothermal heat flows.
Most renewable energy, other than geothermal and tidal power, ultimately come from the Sun. Some forms are
stored solar energy such as rainfall and wind power which are considered short-term solar-energy storage,
whereas the energy in biomass is accumulated over a period of months, as in straw, or through many years as in
wood. Capturing renewable energy by plants, animals and humans does not permanently deplete the resource.
Fossil fuels, while theoretically renewable on a very long time-scale, are exploited at rates that may deplete these
resources in the near future (see: Hubbert peak).
Renewable energy resources may be used directly, or used to create other more convenient forms of energy.
Examples of direct use are solar ovens, geothermal heating, and water- and windmills. Examples of indirect use
which require energy harvesting are electricity generation through wind turbines or photovoltaic cells, or
production of fuels such as ethanol from biomass.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is viewed as the clean and renewable source of energy for the future. Solar energy can be derived
directly as in the following examples:
-Sunlight hits a photovoltaic cell (also called a photoelectric cell) creating electricity.
-Sunlight hits the dark absorber surface of a solar thermal collector and the surface warms. The heat energy is
carried away by a fluid circuit.
-Sunlight strikes a solar sail on a space craft and is converted directly into a force on the sail which causes
motion of the craft.
-Sunlight strikes a light mill and causes the vanes to rotate, although little practical application has yet been
found for this effect.
-Sunlight is focused on an externally mounted fibre optic cable which conducts sunlight into building interiors to
supplement lighting.

Renewable energy sources can be replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most
often include hydropower (water), solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.

Renewable energy's impact on the world's energy picture is significant. Many important events have occurred
during the history of using renewable sources to generate electricity - but the overall use of these fuels has
declined by about 17 percent from their 1996 peak to about 6 quads in 2003.
The use of renewable energy is not new. Five generations (125 years) ago, wood supplied up to 90 percent of our
energy needs. Due to the convenience and low prices of fossil fuels, wood use has fallen. Now, the biomass which
would normally present a disposal problem is converted into electricity (e.g., manufacturing wastes, rice hulls,
and black liquor from paper production).
Historically, low fossil fuel prices, especially for natural gas, have made growth difficult for renewable fuels. The
deregulation and restructuring of the electric power industry could have a major impact on renewable energy
consumption. Demands for cheaper power in the short term would likely decrease demand for renewable energy,
while preferences for renewables included in some versions of proposed electricity restructuring legislation would
breathe new life into this industry.
Use of renewables in the United States is not currently expected to approach that of the major fuels, and due to
their limitations (e.g., their intermittent nature - cloudy days have no solar gain, quiet days mean no wind blows to
drive wind turbines, dams are primarily for flood control, so hydroelectricity production varies as dams' water
levels change), renewables may never provide "the" answer to all energy problems. Around the world, renewable
energy is proving to be of great value.
In 2003, about 6.2 Quadrillion Btu (Quads) of U.S. energy came from renewable fuels. 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 each day. Learn more about converting energy units in the Units of Measurement section.

Fuels like wood and peat are sometimes called "renewable" because they can grow back in a relatively short
time. But all combustion contributes to air pollution and other environmental problems. When fuels are burned
to release energy, the chemical bonds in large organic molecules like carbohydrates are broken. This releases
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the "greenhouse gases" responsible for global
warming.
Some people use the word "renewable" to describe energy sources that are both quick to replenish and relatively
safe for the environment. Many clean, renewable energy technologies are now being developed. Engineers are
working to make these technologies efficient, affordable, easy to use, and easy to produce on a large scale.
Some of these include:
• Solar electricity
• Solar heating
• Wind energy
• Hydroelectric energy
• Biofuels
• Hydrogen fuel cells
• Geothermal energy
• Ocean energy
• Energy efficiency and conservation
Can you trace most of these energy sources back to the sun?

ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE: Solar Electricity

Some renewable energy technologies harvest solar radiation in order to generate electrical energy.
Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to concentrate the sun's heat. The heat is used to boil water which drives
a steam turbine. Solar radiation can also be used to heat a gas which drives a piston. The kinetic energy of the
moving turbine or piston is then converted into electrical energy. Solar thermal energy is a large scale
application, used by a power plant in place of nuclear or fossil fuels.
Photovoltaic technology uses devices called solar cells which can change light energy directly into electrical
energy. This technology is used in small applications like calculators and wrist-watches; in medium-sized
arrays that power highway lighting, recreational vehicles, space stations and other electrical systems not
connected to power lines, and in large arrays owned and operated by power companies.

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ENERGY CONSUMPTION: How much energy did you consume today?

Every day, every person on earth needs food to fuel his or her body. Most people also use some share of the
world's energy resources—including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable resources—to carry out their
daily activities. How big a share of these resources an individual consumes, directly or indirectly, depends a lot on
where and how that individual lives.
In the United States, each person consumes an average of 111 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy
per year or over 300,000 BTUs per day. That's a very big number, but what does it mean? It's enough to keep
thirty seven 100-watt light bulbs burning all the time. Of course most of us don't have thirty seven light bulbs
burning all the time. So where does the energy go?
ENERGY CONSUMPTION: Where does the energy go?

Some of it goes to heat or cool your house, as well as to light it. Some of it goes to light, heat or cool your
school or work, and the places where you shop. It takes energy to run the appliances at these places—including
stoves and refrigerators, televisions, computers, and stereos. Any time you want to bring sound, light or heat some
place, or to take heat away, you are probably using energy to do it. We use energy for all forms of transportation,
including cars buses and trains.
It also takes energy to fuel the tractors on the farms where your food is grown, to manufacture the goods you
buy, and to transport the food and goods to your town.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION: Where does the energy come from?

The energy resources consumed in the United States include:

• Petroleum
 • Natural gas
• Coal
• Nuclear
• Hydropower
• Other (including solar, wind, and other renewables)
All of these are called primary energy sources.
Electricity is called a secondary energy source because we use primary sources to produce it. Usually,
electricity is made at a power plant and sent through transmission lines to our homes, schools and businesses.
Once it reaches these places, it is converted into other useful forms of energy like heat, light and sound.
In 1950, 15% of all the energy used in the U.S. went to generating electric power. Today almost 40% does.
Electric power is an important part of our lives, and it is becoming more important.

Renewable energy sources, such as the sun, wind, rain, and plant matter, naturally and continually
"renew" themselves. These renewable energy sources are:
• Biomass - organic (plant, animal) materials
• Geothermal - the heat of the earth
• Hydroelectric - energy from flowing or falling water (streams, dams)
• Ocean energy - from waves, tides, or temperature differences in the ocean
• Solar - from the sun (two types of systems: solar thermal and photovoltaic)
• Wind - from the wind
Geothermal energy is considered a renewable energy source because fluid removed from the reservoir is
naturally replaced by rainwater seeping into the area (although, technically, the heat is finite).

Municipal solid waste is also considered a "renewable" energy source, since many of the components of
the waste stream are biological in origin; also, from a practical perspective, we're not projected to run out
of waste products. This classification is consistent with the U.S. Department of Energy's inclusion of
municipal solid waste and refuse-derived fuel under the heading of "biomass." It should be noted that in
the State of Hawaii's Solid Waste Management Plan, there is a hierarchy of waste disposal options, and
"combustion" is near the bottom, right above "landfilling." Reduction, re-use, recycling, composting, and
bioconversion are preferred alternatives. Only after the waste stream has been minimized to the maximum
extent possible by those other means will incineration even be considered.

Fossil fuels, although formed by a natural process, are not considered renewable because the replacement
takes millions of years. The rate of energy use is so much faster than the rate of replenishment that for all
practical purposes fossil fuels are not renewable.

The term "alternate energy" (or alternative energy) is used to refer to any energy source that is an
alternative to fossil fuels (coal and oil), so may also include nuclear energy.

"Sustainable" is another term which is sometimes used interchangeably with the term "renewable."
Sustainable refers to a practice which can be continued indefinitely; doesn't damage the natural
environment faster than it is repaired; and does not deplete natural resources faster than they can be
replaced.

Biomass Biomass energy comes from organic materials (anything that used to be alive
or part of a living thing: leaves, branches, wood chips, paper, algae, manure).
Biomass can be used to produce electricity, can be converted into
transportation fuels, or can be burned (such as wood in a barbecue grill) to
produce heat for cooking or other uses. See the fact sheet on Biomass Energy
in Hawaii.

Fuel Cells Fuel cells produce electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. A "reformer" is
used to produce hydrogen from fuels such as natural gas, methane, propane,
ethanol, methanol, or even a chemically complex mixture such as gasoline.

Geothermal Geothermal means "earth heat" ("geo" means "earth" and "thermal" means
"heat"). In Hawaii, geothermal energy is generally associated with areas of
volcanic activity, such as the island of Hawaii. See Geothermal Energy in
Hawaii.
 Hydroelectric Hydroelectric energy comes from flowing water. The water flows through a
turbine, which is attached to a generator. See Hydroelectric Energy in
Hawaii.

Nuclear Nuclear energy comes from nuclear reactions. Nuclear energy is not one of
Hawaii's energy sources. For more information on nuclear energy, see
http://www.ne.doe.gov.

Ocean Ocean energy is found in several forms.

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the difference in
temperature between the surface of the ocean and the bottom of the
ocean. There have been several projects for Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion in Hawaii.

Wave or tidal energy systems use the energy of waves or rising/falling

tides to drive a working fluid through a generator. Wave or tidal power
plants can be based on land or in water. Hawaii currently has no
commercial electricity production from wave or tidal energy systems.
There are plans to study, and possibly demonstrate, the feasibility of low-
impact wave energy systems for Hawaii. Two reports describe Hawaii's
resource and assess feasibility of wave energy projects:

• Wave Energy Resource and Economic Assessment for Hawaii,

1992 (170 pages)

• Wave Energy Feasibility Study for Hawaii, 2002 (56 pages)

Solar Solar energy is from the sun. The sun produces both light and heat, which are
used in two different types of solar energy systems -- solar thermal and
photovoltaic.
Solar thermal systems (such as solar water heaters) use the sun's
energy to heat water for residential use, industrial use, or electricity
generation. Several thousand Solar Thermal Systems in Hawaii are in
use, including water heaters and desalination facilities, although there are
no solar thermal electricity production facilities.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYAT RAJ DEPARTMENT

Karnataka has 56,682 rural habitations including 27,017 Revenue villages. According to 2001 census, about 348
lakhs of its people, out of a total population of 448 lakhs live in these rural habitations. That constitutes about
69% of the State's population and about 62 lakhs households who live in the rural areas depending mainly on
agriculture. The distinguishing features of the State's rural society are the following: -
(a) the existence of a large number of scattered habitations;
(b) dependence on agriculture and related activities;
(c) low share in the state domestic product as compared to its population, which means that it is characterised by
low per capita incomes;
(d) low levels of infrastructure like roads, electricity, housing and water supply; and
(e) lower rank than the urban areas of the State in terms of human development parameters like literacy, health
services and skill endowments.
Development of rural areas in the State would therefore imply improving the productivity of agriculture and other
economic activities in the rural areas, improving the coverage and quality of infrastructure, and improving the
quality of services, which contribute directly to upgrading the quality of human resources. The Department of
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj is implementing number of schemes for improvement of living conditions
of the people, to create economic and political awareness in rural areas.
1. Improvement of Rural Infrastructure
In order to promote improvement in the quality of life in the rural areas it is necessary to promote the
development of infrastructure including rural communications, housing, water supply and sanitation, watershed
development and minor irrigation.
a) Development of Rural Roads
The total length of rural roads in the State is 104034 Kms. Out of this 23511Kms. is asphalted. Roads with
macadam surface, less than about 40,000 Kms. is considered as all weather roads.
Improvement of Roads and their maintenance is the responsibility of the Zilla Panchayats since 1987. The
technical supervision is the responsibility of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. Improvement of
Roads and their maintenance is being done through the district sector Roads & Bridges schemes, Employment
generation schemes and Pradhan Manthri Gram Sadak Yojana etc.,
b) Rural Water Supply
The Department has the responsibility of coordinating the provision of water supply for domestic purposes in over
56,682 rural habitations in the State in conformity with national norms for rural water supply. For this purpose,
the Department is implementing the State sponsored Rural Water Supply Schemes, Centrally sponsored
Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme, Sub-Mission Projects for Rural habitations with water quality
problems under the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, and Externally Aided Projects with the
assistance of the World Bank and Danida.
c) Rural Sanitation
Promotion of Rural Sanitation is being carried out by the department through the state owned programme Nirmala
Grama Yojana and the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP). Latrines are being provided to primary
schools with water supply facilities.
A novel habitat development programme Swachcha Grama Scheme has been launched this year with a cost of
Rs.200 crores for implementation in 1000 villages with assistance from HUDCO.
d) Minor Irrigation
There are 36,696 small tanks in the state out of which tanks having an achcut area of 40 hectares and below come
under the jurisdiction of Zilla Panchayats. There are 33,374 such Minor Irrigation Tanks.
2. Poverty Alleviation
The Department is implementing a number of programmes for poverty alleviation in the rural areas both through
assistance for self-employment activities, and through wage employment oriented works.
Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is aimed at assisting the rural households who are below
poverty line through credit, subsidy, training facilities and other supporting activities to enable the rural poor to
take up remunerative self employment oriented activities.
On the other hand, programmes like Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) and Employment Assurance Scheme
(EAS), aim at providing assured wage employment to the rural poor by engaging them in the creation of
economically productive and socially beneficial assets like roads, school buildings, irrigation wells, anganawadi
buildings, community halls and land development works.
Sampoorna Grameena Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), a Centrally sponsored scheme has been launched during 2001-02
with an objective of providing additional wage employment in the rural areas and also food security, along side
the creation of durable community, social and economic assets and infrastructure developments in these areas.
The emphasis under this scheme will be on watershed development promoting traditional water resources and
Nava Grama, development of housing layouts in rural areas, giving greater opportunity at Panchayat Raj
Institution level to converge funds from different sectors. Jawahar Grama Samrudhi Yojana and Employment
Assurance Scheme will be merged into this scheme from 2002-03.

Indira Awaas Yojana aims at both generation of employment and creation of housing facilities for the rural poor.
3. Rural Energy Programmes
Promotion of sustainable sources of renewable energy to meet the energy requirements of rural households is
another component of the policy of rural development pursued in the State. For this purpose, the Department is
implementing an Integrated Rural Energy Programme. The Department also implements a programme for
popularising improved model cook stoves (Chulhas) through its National Programme for Improved Chulhas. The
development of biogas for meeting domestic energy requirements is being achieved by the Department through
the National Programme for Biogas (NPBD) and the State's own Anila Yojane.
4. Democratic Decentralization
One of the major responsibilities of the Department is in the realm of implementing the provisions of the
Karnataka Panchayath Raj Act, 1993 to achieve democratic decentralization in the governance of the State's rural
areas. The Department coordinates the process of the establishment of Panchayat Raj Institutions under the above
legislation and monitors their functioning in order to ensure that Panchayat Raj Institutions in the State function as
viable and vibrant institutions of Local Self Government.
3 tier structure of Panchayat Raj Institutions
• 27 Zilla Panchayats
• 176 Taluk Panchayats
• 5653 Grama Panchayats