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Renewable energy powerpoint presentation slides

Green energy is any energy produced from environmental resources such as sunshine, wind, or water. Check out our competently designed Green Energy template that provides an overview of the green energy power plant service provider firm, its mission, successful projects, and its scope of work. This Green Energy PowerPoint presentation covers the reasons to invest in green energy, introduces green energy by including its benefits, working and compares green, clear, and renewable energy. Additionally, this Clean Energy PPT talks about the various types of green energy such as solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, and biofuels. Furthermore, this Renewable Energy template includes a detailed overview of all the green energy type power plants by comprising their different types, working, components of power, and benefits. Also, this Green Energy PPT provides an estimated cost and maintenance expenses to implement the green energy plants. Lastly, this Clean Energy deck comprises a 30-60-90 days plan, a roadmap to implement a green energy power plant, and a dashboard. Book a free demo with our research team now.

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PowerPoint presentation slides

This complete presentation has PPT slides on wide range of topics highlighting the core areas of your business needs. It has professionally designed templates with relevant visuals and subject driven content. This presentation deck has total of seventy six slides. Get access to the customizable templates. Our designers have created editable templates for your convenience. You can edit the color, text and font size as per your need. You can add or delete the content if required. You are just a click to away to have this ready-made presentation. Click the download button now.

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Content of this Powerpoint Presentation

Slide 1 : This slide introduces Green Energy. State Your Company Name and begin. Slide 2 : This is an Agenda slide. State your agendas here. Slide 3 : This slide presents Table of Content for the presentation. Slide 4 : This is another slide continuing Table of Content for the presentation. Slide 5 : This is another slide continuing Table of Content for the presentation. Slide 6 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 7 : This slide represents the introduction of the green energy power firm. Slide 8 : This slide describes the mission to expand the green energy sector worldwide. Slide 9 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 10 : This slide represents the hydropower station project built by us by covering details such as cost, number of generators, area of the plant, used components, etc. Slide 11 : This slide depicts the offshore wind power project successfully set up by us. Slide 12 : This slide showcases the onshore wind power project established by the green energy power plant firm. Slide 13 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 14 : This slide illustrates why people, organizations, and governments should invest in green energy. Slide 15 : This slide depicts how green energy is economically viable and will become a better-suited option. Slide 16 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 17 : This slide represents what green energy is and how it is produced through natural resources. Slide 18 : This slide presents difference between green, clean and renewable energy. Slide 19 : This slide depicts how green energy works, derived from sun, wind, and water. Slide 20 : This slide represents the benefits of green energy, including reduced harmful emissions. Slide 21 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 22 : This slide illustrates the solar power type of green energy, how the sun's energy is used for multiple purposes. Slide 23 : This slide represents how solar energy works, can be used anywhere, reduces maintenance expenditure, etc. Slide 24 : This slide displays the solar panel components such as aluminum frame, tempered glass, encapsulant –EVA, etc. Slide 25 : This slide depicts the benefits of solar energy, including zero energy-production costs, versatile installation, etc. Slide 26 : This slide showcases utility-scale solar power panels that help to generate a massive amount of electricity. Slide 27 : This slide depicts the utility-scale solar power panels that help our future anticipation of generating electric. Slide 28 : This slide describes the residential solar power panels and their storing capacity of power. Slide 29 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 30 : This slide represents what wind power is, how the wind is caused, its less water usage, etc. Slide 31 : This slide depicts the types of wind turbines such as horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines. Slide 32 : This slide describes how wind turbines work to generate electrical energy through wind energy. Slide 33 : This slide represents the components of wind turbines such as rotor, nacelle, control, etc. Slide 34 : This slide showcases benefits of wind energy by elaborating its advantages in cost-effectiveness. Slide 35 : This slide shows installation of wind turbines offered by green energy power plant firm. Slide 36 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 37 : This slide describes the hydropower type of green energy and how it is generated. Slide 38 : This slide depicts what is hydropower plants, on what principle it works, how it generates electric power, etc. Slide 39 : This slide presents the components of the hydropower plant such as dam, turbine, intake, etc. Slide 40 : This slide represents the working of hydropower plan and its various components. Slide 41 : This slide describes how the implementation of hydropower plants provides many benefits. Slide 42 : This slide showcases the diversion hydropower plant, the process of generating electricity by running water through penstocks. Slide 43 : This slide depicts the pumped-storage hydropower plant and how it generates electricity. Slide 44 : This slide represents the impoundment hydropower plant, how river water is stored in the large data lakes. Slide 45 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 46 : This slide showcases the geothermal energy type of green energy and how it is generated through the wells. Slide 47 : This slide represents the benefits of geothermal energy, such as being environmentally friendly. Slide 48 : This slide displays the dry steam geothermal power plant, its components such as injection well. Slide 49 : This slide presents the flash stream geothermal power plant, its working and components. Slide 50 : This slide depicts the binary cycle geothermal power plant, its working and components. Slide 51 : This slide represents the geothermal power plant method of geothermal energy and the process of power generation. Slide 52 : This slide depicts the geothermal heat pumps methods of geothermal energy and the process of energy production. Slide 53 : This slide showcases Components of Geothermal Power Plant. Slide 54 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 55 : This slide depicts the introduction of biomass energy, its usage, and its energy sources. Slide 56 : This slide represents the overview of biofuels that are produced from biomass energy. Slide 57 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 58 : This slide showcases the cost and maintenance of green energy plants by categorizing them. Slide 59 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 60 : This slide depicts the scope of work for the plant set up for customers. Slide 61 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 62 : This slide displays 30-60-90 Days Plan to Implement Green Energy Plant. Slide 63 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 64 : This slide represents the roadmap to set up the green energy plant by covering the steps involved. Slide 65 : This slide shows title for topics that are to be covered next in the template. Slide 66 : This slide depicts the dashboard for our green energy projects by covering details of total projects. Slide 67 : This slide displays Icons for Green Energy. Slide 68 : This slide is titled as Additional Slides for moving forward. Slide 69 : This slide presents Bar chart with two products comparison. Slide 70 : This slide describes Line chart with two products comparison. Slide 71 : This is a Comparison slide to state comparison between commodities, entities etc. Slide 72 : This slide depicts Venn diagram with text boxes. Slide 73 : This is a Timeline slide. Show data related to time intervals here. Slide 74 : This slide shows Post It Notes. Post your important notes here. Slide 75 : This slide contains Puzzle with related icons and text. Slide 76 : This is a Thank You slide with address, contact numbers and email address.

Renewable energy powerpoint presentation slides with all 81 slides:

Use our Renewable Energy Powerpoint Presentation Slides to effectively help you save your valuable time. They are readymade to fit into any presentation structure.

The two main types of wind turbines are horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). HAWT works by using blades that rotate around a horizontal axis, whereas VAWT works by using blades that rotate around a vertical axis. Both types of wind turbines use the kinetic energy from wind to generate electrical energy through a generator.

Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electrical energy through photovoltaic cells. These cells are made up of semiconducting materials that absorb the photons from the sun and release electrons, which generates electrical energy. The components of solar panels include an aluminum frame, tempered glass, encapsulant –EVA, solar cells, and a backing material.

Investing in green energy is beneficial for individuals, organizations, and governments. Green energy is eco-friendly and renewable, which helps reduce harmful emissions and protects the environment. It also reduces energy production costs in the long run, provides energy security, creates job opportunities, and contributes to economic growth.

Geothermal energy is a type of green energy that is generated by harnessing the heat from the earth's interior. It is generated through geothermal power plants and geothermal heat pumps. Geothermal power plants use wells to extract hot water or steam, which then powers a turbine that generates electricity. Geothermal heat pumps use the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool buildings.

Green energy is a form of renewable energy that produces no or fewer harmful emissions than traditional energy sources. Clean energy refers to energy produced with minimal environmental impact, whereas renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally.

Ratings and Reviews

by Cruz Hayes

March 7, 2022

by Earl Contreras

The Understand Energy Learning Hub is a cross-campus effort of the Precourt Institute for Energy .

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Exploring our content.

Fast Facts View our summary of key facts and information. ( Printable PDF, 289 KB )

Before You Watch Our Lecture Maximize your learning experience by reviewing these carefully curated readings we assign to our students.

Our Lecture Watch the Stanford course lecture.

Additional Resources Find out where to explore beyond our site.

Fast Facts About Renewable Energy

Principle Energy Uses: Electricity, Heat Forms of Energy: Kinetic, Thermal, Radiant, Chemical

The term “renewable” encompasses a wide diversity of energy resources with varying economics, technologies, end uses, scales, environmental impacts, availability, and depletability. For example, fully “renewable” resources are not depleted by human use, whereas “semi-renewable” resources must be properly managed to ensure long-term availability. The most renewable type of energy is energy efficiency, which reduces overall consumption while providing the same energy service. Most renewable energy resources have significantly lower environmental and climate impacts than their fossil fuel counterparts.

The data in these Fast Facts do not reflect two important renewable energy resources: traditional biomass, which is widespread but difficult to measure; and energy efficiency, a critical strategy for reducing energy consumption while maintaining the same energy services and quality of life. See the Biomass and Energy Efficiency pages to learn more.

Significance

14% of world 🌎 9% of US 🇺🇸

Electricity Generation

30% of world 🌎 21% of US 🇺🇸

Global Renewable Energy Uses

Electricity 65% Heat 26% Transportation 9%

Global Consumption of Renewable Electricity Change

Increase: ⬆ 33% (2017 to 2022)

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency measures such as LED light bulbs reduce the need for energy in the first place

Renewable Resources

Wind Solar Ocean

Semi-Renewable Resources

Hydro Geothermal Biomass

Renewable Energy Has Vast Potential to Meet Global Energy Demand

Solar >1,000x global demand Wind ~3x global demand

Share of Global Energy Demand Met by Renewable Resources

Hydropower 7% Wind 3% Solar 2% Biomass <2%  

Share of Global Electricity Generation Met by Renewable Resources

Hydropower 15% Wind 7% Solar 5% Biomass & Geothermal <3%

Global Growth

Hydropower generation increase ⬆6% Wind generation increase ⬆84% Solar generation increase ⬆197% Biofuels consumption increase ⬆23% (2017-2022)

Largest Renewable Energy Producers

China 34% 🇨🇳 US 10% 🇺🇸 of global renewable energy

Highest Penetration of Renewable Energy

Norway 72% 🇳🇴 of the country’s primary energy is renewable

(China is at 16%, the US is at 11%)

Largest Renewable Electricity Producers

China 31% 🇨🇳 US 11% 🇺🇸 of global renewable electricity

Highest Penetration of Renewable Electricity

Albania, Bhutan, CAR, Lesotho, Nepal, & Iceland 100%

Iceland, Ethiopia, Paraguay, DRC, Norway, Costa Rica, Uganda, Namibia, Eswatini, Zambia, Tajikistan, & Sierra Leone > 90% of the country’s primary electricity is renewable

(China is at 31%, the US is at 22%)

Share of US Energy Demand Met by Renewable Resources

Biomass 5% Wind 2% Hydro 1% Solar 1%

Share of US Electricity Generation Met by Renewable Resources

Wind 10% Hydropower 6% Solar 3% Biomass 1%

US States That Produce the Most Renewable Electricity

Texas 21% California 11% of US renewable energy production

US States With Highest Penetration of Renewable Electricity

Vermont >99% South Dakota 84% Washington 76% Idaho 75% of state’s total generation comes from renewable fuels

Renewable Energy Expansion Policies

The Inflation Reduction Act continued tax credits for new renewable energy projects in the US.

Production Tax Credit (PTC)

Tax credit of $0.0275/kWh of electricity produced at qualifying renewable power generation sites

Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

Tax credit of 30% of the cost of a new qualifying renewable power generation site

To read more about the credit qualifications, visit this EPA site .

*LCOE (levelized cost of energy) - allows for the comparison of different electricity generating technologies

Important Factors for Renewable Site Selection

• Resource availability
• Environmental constraints and sensitivities, including cultural and archeological sites
• Transmission infrastructure
• Power plant retirements
• Transmission congestion and prices
• Electricity markets
• Load growth driven by population and industry
• Policy support
• Land rights and permitting
• Competitive and declining costs of wind, solar, and energy storage
• Lower environmental and climate impacts (social costs) than fossil fuels
• Expansion of competitive wholesale electricity markets
• Governmental clean energy and climate targets and policies
• Corporate clean energy targets and procurement of renewable energy
• No fuel cost or fuel price volatility
• Retirements of old and/or expensive coal and nuclear power plants
• Most renewable resources are abundant, undepletable
• Permitting hurdles and NIMBY/BANANA* concerns
• Competition from subsidized fossil fuels and a lack of price for their social cost (e.g., price on carbon)
• Site-specific resources means greater need to transport energy/electricity to demand
• High initial capital expenditure requirements required to access fuel cost/operating savings
• Intermittent resources
• Inconsistent governmental incentives and subsidies
• Managing environmental impacts to the extent that they exist

*NIMBY - not in my backyard; BANANA - build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything

Climate Impact: Low to High

• Solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean have low climate impacts with near-zero emissions; hydro and biomass can have medium to high climate impact
• Hydro: Some locations have greenhouse gas emissions due to decomposing flooded vegetation
• Biomass: Some crops require significant energy inputs, land use change can release carbon dioxide and methane

Environmental Impact: Low to High

• Most renewable energy resources have low environmental impacts, particularly relative to fossil fuels; some, like biomass, can have more significant impacts
• No air pollution with the exception of biomass from certain feedstocks
• Can have land and habitat disruption for biomass production, solar, and hydro
• Potential wildlife impacts from wind turbines (birds and bats)
• Modest environmental impacts during manufacturing, transportation, and end of life

Updated January 2024

Before You Watch Our Lecture on Introduction to Renewable Energy

We assign videos and readings to our Stanford students as pre-work for each lecture to help contextualize the lecture content. We strongly encourage you to review the Essential reading below before watching our lecture on  Introduction to Renewable Energy . Include the Optional and Useful readings based on your interests and available time.

• The Sustainable Energy in America 2024 Factbook (Executive Summary pp. 5-10) . Bloomberg New Energy Finance. 2024. (6 pages) Provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the American energy transformation.

Optional and Useful

• Renewables 2024 Global Status Report (Global Overview pp. 10-39) . REN21. 2024. (30 pages)  Documents the progress made in the renewable energy sector and highlights the opportunities afforded by a renewable-based economy and society.

Our Lecture on Introduction to Renewable Energy

This is our Stanford University Understand Energy course lecture that introduces renewable energy. We strongly encourage you to watch the full lecture to gain foundational knowledge about renewable energy and important context for learning more about specific renewable energy resources. For a complete learning experience, we also encourage you to review the Essential reading we assign to our students before watching the lecture.

Presented by: Kirsten Stasio , Adjunct Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University; CEO, Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) Recorded on:  May 15, 2024  Duration: 68 minutes

Table of Contents

(Clicking on a timestamp will take you to YouTube.) 00:00 Introduction  02:06 What Does “Renewable” Mean?  15:29 What Role Do Renewables Play in Our Energy Use?  27:12 What Factors Affect Renewable Energy Project Development?

Lecture slides available upon request .

Additional Resources About Renewable Energy

Stanford university.

• Precourt Institute for Energy Renewable Energy , Energy Efficiency
• Stanford Energy Club
• Energy Modeling Forum
• Sustainable Stanford
• Sustainable Finance Initiative
• Mark Jacobson - Renewable energy
• Michael Lepech - Life-cycle analysis
• Leonard Ortolano - Environmental and water resource planning
• Chris Field - Climate change, land use, bioenergy, solar energy
• David Lobell - Climate change, agriculture, biofuels, land use
• Sally Benson - Climate change, energy, carbon capture and storage

Government and International Organizations

• International Energy Agency (IEA) Renewables Renewables 2022 Report .
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
• US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
• US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Renewable Energy Explained
• US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Energy Kids Renewable Energy
• US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Today in Energy Renewables

Other Organizations and Resources

• REN21: Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
• REN21 Renewables 2023 Global Status Report Renewables in Energy Supply
• BloombergNEF (BNEF)
• Carnegie Institution for Science  Biosphere Sciences and Engineering
• The Solutions Project
• Renewable Energy World
• World of Renewables
• Energy Upgrade California

Next Topic: Energy Efficiency Other Energy Topics to Explore

Fast Facts Sources

• Energy Mix (World 2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Energy Mix (US 2022): US Energy Information Agency (EIA). Total Energy: Energy Overview, Table 1.3 . 
• Electricity Mix (World 2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Electricity Mix (US 2022): US Energy Information Agency (EIA). Total Energy: Electricity, Table 7.2a.  
• Global Solar Use (2022): REN21. Renewables 2023 Global Status Report: Renewables in Energy Supply , page 42. 2023
• Global Consumption of Renewable Electricity Change (2017-2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Renewable Energy Potential: Perez & Perez. A Fundamental Look at Energy Reserves for the Planet . 2009
• Share of Global Energy Demand (2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Share of Global Electricity Demand (2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Global Growth (2017-2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Largest Renewable Energy Producers (World 2022): International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Capacity Statistics 2023 . 2023.
• Highest Penetration Renewable Energy (World 2022): Our World in Data. Renewable Energy . 2023.
• Largest Renewable Electricity Producers (World 2022):   Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
• Highest Penetration Renewable Electricity (World 2022): Our World in Data. Renewable Energy . 2023.
• Share of US Energy Demand (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
• Share of Electricity Generation (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
• States with Highest Generation (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
• States with Highest Penetration (2021): Energy Information Administration (EIA). State Profile and Energy Estimates. 2023.
• LCOE of US Renewable Resources: Lazard. LCOE. April 2023.
• LCOE of US Non Renewable Resources: Lazard. LCOE. April 2023.

More details available on request . Back to Fast Facts

Renewable & Non-renewable

Energy Resources

A lesson about renewable and non-renewable sources of energy

for 4th, 5th and 6th grade

Teachers' notes

Lesson objectives

Cross-curricular link(s):

Energy, renewable and non-renewable resources

4th, 5th & 6th grades

Mathematics, ELA

Lesson notes:

See the teacher's guide for this lesson for additional information.

What is energy?

> Energy is needed to power all sorts of living and non-living things.

> People need energy to move, breath and play. We get energy from food.

> Non-living things need energy to power themselves.

> Energy is present in many forms and can change forms.

How do you define energy ?

Write your thoughts here:

Energy and Your Life

Energy is needed for many aspects of our daily life to go smoothly:

Fu el for transportation

Heating/cooling homes and other buildings

Electricity

But where does the energy

we use come from?

U.S. Energy

Consumption

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Showing what you know

In the United States, 93% of our energy comes from non-renewable resources, and 7% comes from renewable energy.

U sing a graph, how could you illustrate the percentage of renewable

and non-renewable energy utilized by the United States?

Non-renewable energy resources

In our words,

non-renewable energy is:

Non-renewable energy also:

N on-renewable resources take a long time to make and cannot be replaced once they are used. Most non-renewable resources are made from fossil fuels.

Non-renewable energy:

F ossil fuels

Fossil fuels are a primary source of non-renewable energy

Fossil fuels come from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.

Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum oil and natural gas.

Fossil fuels are used to heat buildings, fuel vehicles and make electricity.

Let's learn more about fossil fuels:

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=77641

How petroleum &

natural gas are made

How coal was formed

So what's wrong with fossil fuels?

Oil is difficult and costly

to drill for and gather,

so the cost of oil

continues to rise

Natural gas is cleaner than many

other fossil fuels, but scientists

think reserves of gas will be

gone by 2085.

Burning coal is a main

cause of smog, acid rain

and toxic substances in

Our alternative is

renewable energy.

* comes from energy resources that can be easily replenished

* utilizes resources that are safer and cleaner for Earth & people

* utilizes resources that have multiple purposes

* needs more research, investment and practice to have expanded success

L et's learn more about the

five types of renewable energy !

plants like soybeans, corn and sugarcane produce ethanol, an alcohol that a type of transportation fuel

oils from vegetables can be used to make biodiesel

cow manure, garbage and wood products can be burned for heat or to make electricity

Le t's learn more about bioenergy:

Copy and paste below link into website browser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kloBSpvxkJY&feature=related

Renewable energy source:

Bioenergy in the U.S. today

Landfill Waste

T oday, we throw away about 4.5 pounds of trash every day. What are we going to do with all our trash? Landfills can burn garbage in special waste-to-energy plants and use its heat energy to make steam to heat buildings or to generate electricity. There are about 90 waste-to-energy plants in the United States. These plants generate enough electricity to supply almost 3 million households

Wood and Wood Waste

About 84% of the wood and wood waste fuel used in the United States is consumed by industry, electric power producers, and commercial businesses. The rest is used mainly for heating in homes. Many manufacturing plants in the wood and paper products industry use wood waste to produce their own steam and electricity.

Animal Waste

Some farmers collect all of the manure, dirt, and waste from their barns in large tanks, or digesters. Inside the digester, methane gas is separated from the liquid and solid waste. The methane gas can then be used to generate electricity to light a barn, or to sell to the electric power grid.

Gas from Landfills

Organic waste produces a gas called methane as it rots. Landfills can collect the methane gas, treat it, and then sell it as a commercial fuel (natural gas is often used for heating & cooling homes). It can also be burned to generate steam and electricity.

Today, there are almost 400 operating landfill gas energy projects in the United States.

Environmental Impact of Bioenergy

* Bioenergy pollutes the air when it is burned--not as much as fossil fuels

*waste-to-energy plants produce air pollution that can be dangerous to people and the environment

* some ash produced from burning is used to build roads, cement blocks, and even artificial reefs for marine animals

*using crops for fuel may limit their other uses (food)

*using plants to make ethanol or biodiesel may offset carbon dioxide emissions because plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow

Hydropower, or water power, is using of moving water to make energy. Energy can be harnessed from rivers, dams, waves or tides.

Le t's learn how hydroelectric power works --

Copy and paste link below into website browser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etreTW19hP8

H ydropower

Content/writing space

Hydropower in the U.S.

Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy. Hydropower is the renewable energy source that produces the most electricity in the United States. It accounted for 6% of total U.S. electricity generated and 67% of energy generated from renewables in 2008.

Environmental Impacts

of Hydropwer

* A dam to create a reservoir may obstruct migration of fish

* A reservoir or operation of the dam can change the natural water temperatures, chemistry, flow characteristics, and silt loads, leading to changes in the ecology of the living environment

*Reservoirs may cover important natural areas, agricultural land, and archeological sites, and cause the relocation of people

*Greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, may also form in reservoirs and be emitted to the atmosphere

The Earth's daily wind cycle can be used to produce energy. Wind energy is most often used to make electricity.

Today’s wind turbines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy and then convert it to electricity.

Le t's learn how wind can make electricity:

Copy and paste the link below into your website browser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kx3qj_oRCc&feature=related

W ind Power

Wind Power in the U.S.

In 2008, wind machines in the United States generated a total of 52 billion kilowatthours, about 1.3% of total U.S. electricity generation. Although this is a small fraction of the Nation's total electricity production, it was enough electricity to serve 4.6 million households or to power the entire State of Colorado. Generation from wind in the United States nearly doubled between 2006 and 2008 .

http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp

In 2008, wind machines in the United States generated about 1.3% of total U.S. electricity generation. That's enough electricity to serve 4.6 million households or to power the entire State of Colorado!

Generation from wind in the United States nearly doubled between 2006 and 2008.

The Environmental

Impact of Wind Power

* wind power plants produce no air or water pollution because no fuel is burned to generate electricity

• negative effect on wild bird populations

* visual impact on the landscape

* other energy must be used at times when the wind isn't blowing strong enough

The sun's heat and light can produce energy called solar power

Le t's learn how solar power works:

S olar Power

Click and paste the link below into the website browser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZO2gtWY2iY&feature=related

Over 10,000 individual U.S. homes and businesses use solar energy for their own electricity and/or heat today.

Solar Power

in the U.S.

There are nine solar power plants in California's Mojave Desert. They are the largest solar generating plants in the world.

Tucson is one of 25 cities designated as a Solar America City by the U.S. Department of Energy. These solar panels help to provide electricity for the whole city.

* produces no air or water pollution and no greenhouse gases

*large solar thermal power plants can harm desert ecosystems if not properly managed.

* Birds and insects can be killed if they fly into a concentrated beam of sunlight

*Some solar thermal systems use hazardous fluids to transfer heat.

* Using water for regular cleaning of solar plant equipment may affect the ecosystem in some arid locations.

Impact of Solar Power

Geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. It comes from volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. People can harness this heat as steam or hot water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity.

Le t's see how it works:

G eothermal Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUQy86ZMpQ

Geothermal Energy in the U.S.

A geothermal heat pump system consists of pipes buried in the shallow ground near the building. Water circulating in the pipes carries heat into a building in the winter and pulls heat out of the building in the summer.

Geysers in California supply power for several plants. These power plants emit only excess steam and very minor amounts of gases.

Most geothermal resources in the United States are found in the western U.S.

Why do you think this is?

Geothermal Resources

The environmental impact of geothermal power

* Direct use and heating applications have almost no negative impact on the environment

* Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to generate electricity, so they release less than 1% of the carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil fuel plant

* emit 97% less acid rain-causing compounds than by fossil fuel plants.

*Steam and water from a geothermal reservoirs are placed back into the Earth after being used.

* Laws protect the use of geothermal features in national parks

Renewable Energy--

Past, Present & Future

People and communities have been using renewable energy for hundreds of years. Why do you think renewable energy sources aren't more popular forms of energy? List some advantages and disadvantages of energy sources.

Disadvantages

Rank these factors when considering an

energy source

Most important

Least important

efficiency of source

Cost of improving/expandng

Effects on the environment

geographic area where source is used

ability for source to be used on it's own

individual homes/businesses can use

entire community can use

research currently done on source

Sharing what you

Select one of the following:

1 . Construct a timeline highlighting the history of one renewable energy resources over the last 100 years. You will need to include at least 12 facts about the history of the energy resource. Include photos or illustrations of your resource's history as well.

2. President Obama has said that renewable energy should be a priority in the United States. Do you agree or disagree? Write President Obama a letter telling him a. If you agree or disagree and why; b. what renewable energy resource(s) you think the U.S. should focus their expansion efforts on and why. Remember, your letter should be persuasive while keeping in mind your audience. You must use facts about energy to back up your feelings!

3. Create a poster advertising support for one form of renewable energy. You must use graphics/illustrations, as well as brief text to persuade viewers to support your energy resource. Your ad must have a title, a slogan and a paragraph of information synthesizing why someone should support the energy resource.

Yo u will be graded for this activity using a rubric that assesses your participation and knowledge development over the course of this lesson.

The future is up to us!

People are using non-renewable energy faster than the Earth can create it.

w ithout other energy resources that can be produced quickly and safely, we will run out of the resources we need to keep us warm, provide us with electricity and run our vehicles

References & Resources

Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Oil, Gas and Coal. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.

Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Solar Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.

Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Water Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.

Benduhn, T. (2009). Energy for Today: Wind Power. Weekly Reader Publishing: NY.

Biomass? Maybe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k.

Energy Kids. United States Energy Information Administration. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=1.

Facts about solar energy and solar power. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=AZO2gtWY2iY&feature=related.

Fossil Fuels with Bill Nye. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php? video_id=77641

Geothermal Energy Process. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rfUQy86ZMpQ

How Wind Turbines Generate Electricity. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=0Kx3qj_oRCc&feature=related

Hydroelectric power--how it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cEL7yc8R42k

Petersen, C. (2004). Alternative Energy. Scholastic Inc: New York.

U.S. Installed Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations. http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capa city.asp

• Natural Sources Of Energy

Renewable Energy

Energy is one of the major inputs for the economic development of the country. Any sustainable energy source that comes from the natural environment is a renewable energy source. Renewable energy is inexhaustible and a clean alternative to fossil fuels. In this article, we will learn about the types and sources of renewable energy.

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is energy that is produced from natural processes and continuously replenished. A few examples of renewable energy are sunlight, water, wind, tides, geothermal heat, and biomass. The energy that is provided by renewable energy resources is used in 5 important areas such as air and water cooling/heating, electricity generation, the rural sector, and transportation.

According to a report in 2016 by REN21, the global energy consumption by the use of renewable energy resources contributed to 19.2% in 2014 and 23.7% in 2015. Many countries have started to invest in these renewable energy resources as these resources will help in maintaining sustainable development. The amount of investment in 2015 was about 286 billion dollars and major sectors were biofuel, solar power, wind, and hydroelectricity.

The existence of renewable energy resources is spread over a wide geographical area in comparison to the conventional energy resources which are often concentrated in a limited number of countries like the oil and gas are mostly concentrated in the Middle East countries. The use of renewable energy resources in energy generation is resulting in less pollution and has a significant effect on economic benefits and energy security.

Examples of Renewable Energy

We can define renewable energy as those energies which can never be depleted. The importance of renewable energy is invaluable. These types of energy sources are different from fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Some examples of renewable energy sources are:

• Wind energy
• Solar energy
• Geothermal energy
• Biomass energy

Sources of Renewable Energy

The sources could sustain for a longer period of time and can easily be renewed often. Sustainable sources are biomass, nuclear power, geothermal, wind energy, solar power, tidal power, and wave power.

The sources of renewable energy are known to be less polluting and therefore the whole world is looking forward to new carbon emission norms, where carbon will play a major role in developing new factories and industries. They will be rated according to the carbon emission and the products that they are producing will be rated accordingly.

Types of Renewable Energy

• Solar Energy:  The radiant light and heat energy from the sun is harnessed with the use of solar collectors. These solar collectors are of various types such as photovoltaics, concentrator photovoltaics, solar heating, (CSP) concentrated solar power, artificial photosynthesis, and solar architecture. This collected solar energy is then used to provide light, heat, and different other forms of electricity.
• Wind Energy:  The energy we get from winds is known as wind energy. For this, windmills have been used for hundreds of years to pump out water from the ground. We use large tall wind turbines that allow winds to generate electricity. The natural airflow on the surface of the earth is used to run the wind turbines. The modern-day wind turbines range from about 600 Kilowatt to 5 Megawatts, for commercial purposes these are rated with an output power of 1.5 to 3 Megawatts. The most preferred locations for these wind turbines to be installed are the areas which and strong and have constant airflows on offshore and sites that are at high altitudes. The power generated from wind energy in 2015 met 4% of global energy consumption.
• Hydroelectricity:  According to statistics, hydroelectricity generated around 16.6% of the global energy resources and constituted about 70% of all renewable electricity. This energy is another alternative source of energy that is generated by the construction of dams and reservoirs on the flowing water, the kinetic energy from the flowing water is used to run the turbines which generate electricity. Tidal power converts the energy of tides and Wave power which captures the energy from the surface of the ocean waves for power generation. These two forms of hydropower also have huge potential in electric power generation.
• Geothermal Energy:  It is the energy that is generated from the thermal energy which is stored in the earth. The heat energy is captured from sources such as hot springs and volcanoes and this heat is directly used by industries for heating the water and other purposes.
• Biomass Energy:  This type of energy is derived from biomass which is a type of biological material derived from living organisms and plant-derived materials which are called lignocellulosic biomass. Biomass can be directly used via combustion to produce heat and indirectly it can be used to convert to biofuels. Biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy such as transportation fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, and methane gas.

Important Questions Asked From Renewable Energy

Q.1) What are the 7 types of renewable energy?

• Hydroelectric energy
• Hydrogen and fuel cells
• Geothermal power
• Tidal energy

Q.2) What are the examples of renewable energy?

Q.3) What is considered renewable energy?

Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.

Q.4) Is renewable energy efficient?

Renewable energy is 100% efficient.

Q.5) What are the benefits of renewable energy?

There are various environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy. They do not produce any greenhouse gas and reduce some types of air pollution.

Q.6) What are the renewable sources of energy?

Q.7) Why we should use renewable energy?

Q.8) What is bad about renewable energy?

One disadvantage of renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by fossil fuel generators.

Q.9) What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy?

Q.10) Is renewable energy good?

Q.11) Is renewable energy sustainable?

All renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, wave and tidal power are forms of sustainable energy.

Q.12) What is the importance of renewable energy?

Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more about various forms of energy along with interesting video lessons.

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Renewable Energy

Renewable energy comes from sources that will not be used up in our lifetimes, such as the sun and wind.

Earth Science, Experiential Learning, Engineering, Geology

Wind Turbines in a Sheep Pasture

Wind turbines use the power of wind to generate energy. This is just one source of renewable energy.

Photograph by Jesus Keller/ Shutterstock

The wind, the sun, and Earth are sources of  renewable energy . These energy sources naturally renew, or replenish themselves.

Wind, sunlight, and the planet have energy that transforms in ways we can see and feel. We can see and feel evidence of the transfer of energy from the sun to Earth in the sunlight shining on the ground and the warmth we feel when sunlight shines on our skin. We can see and feel evidence of the transfer of energy in wind’s ability to pull kites higher into the sky and shake the leaves on trees. We can see and feel evidence of the transfer of energy in the geothermal energy of steam vents and geysers .

People have created different ways to capture the energy from these renewable sources.

Solar Energy

Solar energy can be captured “actively” or “passively.”

Active solar energy uses special technology to capture the sun’s rays. The two main types of equipment are photovoltaic cells (also called PV cells or solar cells) and mirrors that focus sunlight in a specific spot. These active solar technologies use sunlight to generate electricity , which we use to power lights, heating systems, computers, and televisions.

Passive solar energy does not use any equipment. Instead, it gets energy from the way sunlight naturally changes throughout the day. For example, people can build houses so their windows face the path of the sun. This means the house will get more heat from the sun. It will take less energy from other sources to heat the house.

Other examples of passive solar technology are green roofs , cool roofs, and radiant barriers . Green roofs are completely covered with plants. Plants can get rid of pollutants in rainwater and air. They help make the local environment cleaner.

Cool roofs are painted white to better reflect sunlight. Radiant barriers are made of a reflective covering, such as aluminum. They both reflect the sun’s heat instead of absorbing it. All these types of roofs help lower the amount of energy needed to cool the building.

Advantages and Disadvantages There are many advantages to using solar energy. PV cells last for a long time, about 20 years.

However, there are reasons why solar power cannot be used as the only power source in a community. It can be expensive to install PV cells or build a building using passive solar technology.

Sunshine can also be hard to predict. It can be blocked by clouds, and the sun doesn’t shine at night. Different parts of Earth receive different amounts of sunlight based on location, the time of year, and the time of day.

Wind Energy

People have been harnessing the wind’s energy for a long, long time. Five-thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians made boats powered by the wind. In 200 B.C.E., people used windmills to grind grain in the Middle East and pump water in China.

Today, we capture the wind’s energy with wind turbines . A turbine is similar to a windmill; it has a very tall tower with two or three propeller-like blades at the top. These blades are turned by the wind. The blades turn a generator (located inside the tower), which creates electricity.

Groups of wind turbines are known as wind farms . Wind farms can be found near farmland, in narrow mountain passes, and even in the ocean, where there are steadier and stronger winds. Wind turbines anchored in the ocean are called “ offshore wind farms.”

Wind farms create electricity for nearby homes, schools, and other buildings.

Advantages and Disadvantages Wind energy can be very efficient . In places like the Midwest in the United States and along coasts, steady winds can provide cheap, reliable electricity.

Another great advantage of wind power is that it is a “clean” form of energy. Wind turbines do not burn fuel or emit any pollutants into the air.

Wind is not always a steady source of energy, however. Wind speed changes constantly, depending on the time of day, weather , and geographic location. Currently, it cannot be used to provide electricity for all our power needs.

Wind turbines can also be dangerous for bats and birds. These animals cannot always judge how fast the blades are moving and crash into them.

Geothermal Energy

Deep beneath the surface is Earth’s core . The center of Earth is extremely hot—thought to be over 6,000 °C (about 10,800 °F). The heat is constantly moving toward the surface.

We can see some of Earth’s heat when it bubbles to the surface. Geothermal energy can melt underground rocks into magma and cause the magma to bubble to the surface as lava . Geothermal energy can also heat underground sources of water and force it to spew out from the surface. This stream of water is called a geyser.

However, most of Earth’s heat stays underground and makes its way out very, very slowly.

We can access underground geothermal heat in different ways. One way of using geothermal energy is with “geothermal heat pumps.” A pipe of water loops between a building and holes dug deep underground. The water is warmed by the geothermal energy underground and brings the warmth aboveground to the building. Geothermal heat pumps can be used to heat houses, sidewalks, and even parking lots.

Another way to use geothermal energy is with steam. In some areas of the world, there is underground steam that naturally rises to the surface. The steam can be piped straight to a power plant. However, in other parts of the world, the ground is dry. Water must be injected underground to create steam. When the steam comes to the surface, it is used to turn a generator and create electricity.

In Iceland, there are large reservoirs of underground water. Almost 90 percent of people in Iceland use geothermal as an energy source to heat their homes and businesses.

Advantages and Disadvantages An advantage of geothermal energy is that it is clean. It does not require any fuel or emit any harmful pollutants into the air.

Geothermal energy is only avaiable in certain parts of the world. Another disadvantage of using geothermal energy is that in areas of the world where there is only dry heat underground, large quantities of freshwater are used to make steam. There may not be a lot of freshwater. People need water for drinking, cooking, and bathing.

Biomass Energy

Biomass is any material that comes from plants or microorganisms that were recently living. Plants create energy from the sun through photosynthesis . This energy is stored in the plants even after they die.

Trees, branches, scraps of bark, and recycled paper are common sources of biomass energy. Manure, garbage, and crops , such as corn, soy, and sugar cane, can also be used as biomass feedstocks .

We get energy from biomass by burning it. Wood chips, manure, and garbage are dried out and compressed into squares called “briquettes.” These briquettes are so dry that they do not absorb water. They can be stored and burned to create heat or generate electricity.

Biomass can also be converted into biofuel . Biofuels are mixed with regular gasoline and can be used to power cars and trucks. Biofuels release less harmful pollutants than pure gasoline.

Advantages and Disadvantages A major advantage of biomass is that it can be stored and then used when it is needed.

Growing crops for biofuels, however, requires large amounts of land and pesticides . Land could be used for food instead of biofuels. Some pesticides could pollute the air and water.

Biomass energy can also be a nonrenewable energy source. Biomass energy relies on biomass feedstocks—plants that are processed and burned to create electricity. Biomass feedstocks can include crops, such as corn or soy, as well as wood. If people do not replant biomass feedstocks as fast as they use them, biomass energy becomes a non-renewable energy source.

Hydroelectric Energy

Hydroelectric energy is made by flowing water. Most hydroelectric power plants are located on large dams , which control the flow of a river.

Dams block the river and create an artificial lake, or reservoir. A controlled amount of water is forced through tunnels in the dam. As water flows through the tunnels, it turns huge turbines and generates electricity.

Advantages and Disadvantages Hydroelectric energy is fairly inexpensive to harness. Dams do not need to be complex, and the resources to build them are not difficult to obtain. Rivers flow all over the world, so the energy source is available to millions of people.

Hydroelectric energy is also fairly reliable. Engineers control the flow of water through the dam, so the flow does not depend on the weather (the way solar and wind energies do).

However, hydroelectric power plants are damaging to the environment. When a river is dammed, it creates a large lake behind the dam. This lake (sometimes called a reservoir) drowns the original river habitat deep underwater. Sometimes, people build dams that can drown entire towns underwater. The people who live in the town or village must move to a new area.

Hydroelectric power plants don’t work for a very long time: Some can only supply power for 20 or 30 years. Silt , or dirt from a riverbed, builds up behind the dam and slows the flow of water.

Other Renewable Energy Sources

Scientists and engineers are constantly working to harness other renewable energy sources. Three of the most promising are tidal energy , wave energy , and algal (or algae) fuel.

Tidal energy harnesses the power of ocean tides to generate electricity. Some tidal energy projects use the moving tides to turn the blades of a turbine. Other projects use small dams to continually fill reservoirs at high tide and slowly release the water (and turn turbines) at low tide.

Wave energy harnesses waves from the ocean, lakes, or rivers. Some wave energy projects use the same equipment that tidal energy projects do—dams and standing turbines. Other wave energy projects float directly on waves. The water’s constant movement over and through these floating pieces of equipment turns turbines and creates electricity.

Algal fuel is a type of biomass energy that uses the unique chemicals in seaweed to create a clean and renewable biofuel. Algal fuel does not need the acres of cropland that other biofuel feedstocks do.

Renewable Nations

These nations (or groups of nations) produce the most energy using renewable resources. Many of them are also the leading producers of nonrenewable energy: China, European Union, United States, Brazil, and Canada

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Last Updated

June 21, 2024

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