HOMEWORK RENEWABLE ENERGY • SOLAR ENERGY • Solar energy means using the energy of sunlight to provide electricity, to heat water, and to heat or cool homes, businesses or industry. Passive Solar Heating Some buildings are designed for passive solar heating, and do not need a solar collector. passive solar heating is when opportunities are made for the sun to shine into the building to warm it up. The walls and floors are made with materials that absorb and store the sun's heat, and they heat up during the day and release the heat at night. This is called direct gain. Photovoltaic solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. Solar energy is absorbed by collector, then sunlight is focused with mirrors to create a high-intensity heat source to produce steam or mechanical power to run a generator that creates electricity.
Solar energy means using the energy of sunlight to provide
electricity, to heat water, and to heat or cool homes, businesses
or industry.
Passive Solar Heating
Some buildings are designed forpassive solar heating , and do
not need a solar collector. passive solar heating is when
opportunities are made for the sun to shine into the building to
warm it up. The walls and floors are made with materials that
absorb and store the sun's heat, and they heat up during the day
and release the heat at night. This is calleddirect gain .
Photovoltaic solar cells directly convert sunlight into
electricity.Solar energy is absorbed by collector, then sunlight is
focused with mirrors to create a high-intensity heat source to
produce steam or mechanical power to run a generator that creates
electricity. 2. HIDROPOWER ENERGY
Hydropower is electrical energy derived from falling or running
water. The water pressure that is created by water is used to turn
the blades of a turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator,
which converts the mechanical energy into electricity.
1. Dam
A barrier built across a watercourse to hold back the flow of
water and create a reservoir. The reservoir that is formed is, in
effect, stored energy.
2. Penstock
A pipeline used to convey water, under pressure, from the
reservoir to the turbines of a hydropower plant.
3. Turbine
A machine that is turned by the force of the fast moving water
pushing against its blades. Turbines convert the kinetic energy of
the water to mechanical energy.
4. Generator
Connects to the turbine and rotates to produce the electrical
energy.
5. Transformer
Converts electricity from the generator to usable voltage
levels.
6. Transmission Lines
Conduct electricity from the hydropower plant to the electric
distribution system. Transmission line voltages are normally 115
kilovolt or larger.
3. BIOMASS ENERGY
Biomass refers to renewable energy sources from plant
material.The conversion of biomass energy to electrical and
mechanical energy is part of a process called cogeneration.Other
agricultural industries use the plant waste of their industry
as
the biomass energy source, such as rice husks in the rice
industry.
Green waste is another source of biomass energy consisting
of
council garden waste and wood waste left over from pruning
trees.
This type of biomass is usually transported to a processing
plant,
where it passes through a grinding machine and over screens
to
sift out any dirt and other contaminants.
The different types of biomass can also be blended to create
a
fuel blend, and then placed in a fuel storage bin where it is
then
supplied to the boiler.
4.
WINDNESS ENERGY
A wind turbine is a machine made up of two or three
propeller-like blades called the rotor. The rotor is attached to
the top of a tall tower. As the wind blows it spins the rotor. As
the rotor spins the energy of the movement of the propellers gives
power to a generator. There are some magnets and a lot of copper
wire inside the generator that make electricity.
Because winds are stronger higher up off the ground, wind
turbine towers are about 30 metres tall to allow the rotor to catch
more wind energy. The turbines are built with a device that turns
the rotor so that it always faces into the wind.
Just one wind turbine can generate enough electricity for a
single house or the electrical energy to pump water or to power a
mill which grinds grain. The electrical energy can also be stored
in batteries.
Wind farms
Wind farms are places where many wind turbines are clustered
together. They are built in places where it is nearly always windy.
The electricity that is generated at a wind farm is sold to
electricity companies that provide the electricity to people living
in cities and towns
5. GEO-THERMAL ENERGY
The term geothermal comes from the Greek geo, meaning earth,
and therme, meaning heat, thus geothermal energy is energy derived
from the natural heat of the earth. The earths temperature varies
widely, and geothermal energy is usable for a wide range of
temperatures from room temperature to well over 300F. For
commercial use, a geothermal reservoir capable of providing
hydrothermal (hot water and steam) resources is necessary.
Geothermal reservoirs are generally classified as being either low
temperature (150C). Generally speaking, the high temperature
reservoirs are the ones suitable for, and sought out for,
commercial production of electricity. Geothermal reservoirs are
found in geothermal systems, which are regionally localized
geologic settings where the earths naturally occurring heat flow is
near enough to the earths surface to bring steam or hot water, to
the surface. Examples of geothermal systems include the Geysers
Region in Northern California, the Imperial Valley in Southern
California, and the Yellowstone Region in Idaho, Montana, and
Wyoming.
