Renewable Energy And Alterna

tive Energy Sources

Renewable Energy
A renewable resource (Risorsa rinnovabile) is a
resource which can be used repeatedly and repl
aced naturally. Examples include oxygen, fresh
water, solar energy and biomass. Renewable res
ources may include goods or commodities such
as wood, paper and leather.
Alternative Energy Source

Alternative energy is any energy source that i

s an alternative to fossil fuel. These alternativ
es are intended to address concerns about suc
h fossil fuels, such as its high carbon dioxide
emissions, an important factor in global war
ming. Marine energy, hydroelectric, wind, ge
othermal and solar power are all alternative s
ources of energy.
Renewable and Alternative Ener
gy Sources
Solar
Wind
Hydropower
Tidal Power
Biomass
Geothermal
Solar Power
Types of Solar Power

 Active  Passive
Active Solar Power

 Energy from sun is st

ored in a “thermal ma
ss”
 When needed, heat fr
om thermal mass is th
en pumped throughou
t structure
Active Solar Power

This also refers to elec

trical generation using s
olar power
Two ways to do this a
re photovoltaic cells and
huge commercial electri
c facilities
This shows the diagra
m for the house seen in t
he previous slide. The P
V panels are on the roof
Large-scale Solar Electric Site
Large-scale Solar Electric Site

These facilities use solar power to heat wat

er to form steam. The steam goes to gener
ate electricity just as in fossil fuel or nuclea
r electric plants.
No release of air pollutants
No electricity generated at night
They do work on cloudy days, though.
Passive Solar Power

Works on the princi

ple that hot air rises a
nd cool air sinks (con
vection)
Solar heats air and i
t moves through conv
ection through the stru
cture or to thermal ma
ss
Passive Solar Power

To re
st of
house

Mass wall or “Tr Using back wall as “mass”

ombe Wall
Solar Power

 Benefits  Detriments
Abundant  Retrofitting needed if str
ucture is not already desi
No greenhouse gases, gned as passive solar
few other pollutants  Has limitations, night, so
Simple, minimal rep me locations better such a
s south rather than north
air needed
facing slopes
Cheap over the long  Initial capital outlay can
term be high
All areas have viable amo
unts of solar energy
Some solar power history

 Solar power furnace

was used by Lavoisier
to discover elements,
particularly nitrogen
 Solar power water dist
illation used by Frenc
h Foreign Legion and
still used today!
Wind Power
Wind power

Can be used for mechanical tasks, e.g. pum

ping water
Can be used for generation of electricity fo
r direct use or storage in batteries
Mechanical Power Windmills

High torque, low-sp

eed to pump water, gr
ind grain, saw wood
Electrical Power Windmills

High speed, low tor

que machines
Will turn themselve
s off if wind speed ex
ceeds their limits
Effects of windpower

Positive Negative
 No greenhouse gases  Some noise pollution
 Few other pollutants  Metal blades interfere
 Cheap with TV & radio rece
 Abundant
ption
 Aesthetic pollution
 Simple
 No evidence for bird
death, but can kill bats
Where is wind power available?

Wind power not highly suite

d to these areas
Hydropower

Electric Mechanical
How hydropower works
 Negative effects of Hydropower

Flooding the land

 Displacement of local inhabitants
Local climatic changes
Tectonic activities (Earthquakes)
 Loss of species (aquatic & terrestrial)
Loss of normal nutrient flow down river
Changes temperature of water, too
Positive Effects of Hydropower

Can generate electricity

Can do mechanical work, e.g. grind grain
No greenhouse gases
Initial construction provides jobs
Tidal Power
Tidal Power
Tidal dam

 Essentially entails pla

cing a dam across an
ocean inlet and harnes
sing the energy as wat
er moves in and out w
ith the tides
 Positive & negative ef
fects are same as hydr
opower
Biomass Energy
Biomass Pros & Cons

 Burning biomass gets  Burning biomass relea

rid of solid waste ses CO2 and other gas
 Creates energy es associated with co
 Creates new markets f
mbustion
or crops  Creates solid waste fr
om ash
 May cause more grass
lands to be planted to
corn
Ethanol production: not environ
mentally benign
Geothermal Energy
Where is Geothermal in the U.S.?
Primarily in western U.S.

Pros – Can be used for electricity generation

, space heating, cooking & low temperature
industrial
Pros – Inexpensive after initial outlay
Pros – No greenhouse gas emission
Cons – same problems as we see with oil dri
lling
Cons – Localized distribution
How does it work?

Drill to deep, hot rock

– Either wet system where heated water belowgro
und is used
– Dry system sends aboveground water belowgro
und to get heated
Resulting steam can be used for a number o
f purposes
An energy mix

Using more than one form of energy to me

et needs is an important way to ensure long
-term energy needs will be met
Just as in ecosystem ecology, we find that
Diversity = Stability
Depending on only one form of energy lea
ves nation vulnerable to all sorts of proble
ms