The world is moving towards a future where we will rely predominantly on renewable energy sources. As the world’s largest energy consumer, the United States has ambitious goals for renewable energy use.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2017 to re-open coal leasing on federal lands, but this move is unlikely to increase coal production as it is already being mined at maximum capacity.
Apart from the environmental impacts of fossil fuels, a major drawback is their limited supply. We are running out of oil, and we already need to start thinking of our next big fuel source.
Wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are some of the most common forms of renewable energy. Currently, wind and solar are the cheapest forms of new energy, and due to improving technology and increasing manufacturing capabilities, they are getting more affordable every year.
This article will discuss how renewable energy works and how it is changing the world.
how renewable energy works A wind turbine is a mechanical device that converts the kinetic energy in wind into electrical energy. The wind turns a gear that turns a generator, which produces electricity.
Large turbines usually have three or four blades. These are usually taller than the buildings and trees around them, making them visible from afar. Smaller household turbines have just two blades to save on size and cost.
The size of the turbine depends on what kind of power you need and how much you want to invest. Smaller ones can be had for less than a hundred dollars!
The biggest challenge with wind turbines is not producing enough energy but maintaining stability. Even the slightest change in direction or speed of wind can disrupt its output.
Solar panels and how renewable energy works Solar panels are a common way to generate energy from the sun. Most commonly, solar panels are used to generate electricity.
Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into direct electric current. These cells contain semiconductors such as silicon, cadmium, and gallium, which absorb the sun’s energy.
The cell passes this energy onto an electrical circuit where it is processed and converted into electricity. This electricity can then be directly used or stored in batteries for later use.
Solar panels can also be used to heat water or buildings through the use of thermal collectors. These collectors use the processed electricity to move fluids or air around, which in turn heats up a building.
Solar energy is a renewable source that will be available for us to use for quite some time yet.
Hydropower how renewable energy works A significant portion of the world’s energy comes from hydroelectric power. This is created when a turbine converts the energy in flowing water into electricity.
The more water that is flowing, the more energy is generated. Due to weather patterns and the availability of water, this source of energy is not always consistently available.
Hydroelectric power is a growing industry, with new projects being built every day. Unfortunately, most of these projects are being built in Africa and Asia where there is plentiful access to flowing water.
Increasing the use of hydroelectric power can have negative environmental impacts as well. Damming rivers to generate hydroelectric power can impact fish populations and ecosystems dependent on moving waters.
Furthermore, developing too many hydroelectric projects can deplete a region of water, which would negatively impact the environment and people living in those regions.
Biomass how renewable energy works Biomass is the term given to any material derived from living organisms. This includes plants, trees, agricultural byproducts, and waste materials such as food waste and restaurant scraps.
Biomass can be converted into heat or fuel through a process called biomass conversion. This can be done through burning, gasification, or pyrolysis.
Burning biomass is similar to burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. Gasification is a chemical process that results in a synthetic gas that can be used as a fuel. Pyrolysis is the thermal breakdown of a substance into distinct chemical components.
Both of these processes result in net carbon reduction as they take existing carbon stored in living organisms and convert it into new substances. Biomass conversion plants are growing in number due to the demand for renewable energy sources.
Geothermal energy and how renewable energy works Geothermal energy is energy derived from the heat inside the earth. This heat is caused by the internal energy of the earth, also known as terrestrial radiation.
Geothermal refers to the Earth’s core, where most of the thermal energy is located. Thermal refers to heat, so geothermal just means heat from the Earth’s crust and upper mantle.
The average temperature of the Earth’s surface is approximately 57°F (14°C). Heat is transferred between different layers and regions of the Earth via conduction and convection.
Convection occurs when hot surfaces or substances cool down, then transfer some of their internal energy to nearby substances that are lower in temperature. This process causes cooling effects to spread outward.
Conduction occurs when one substance directly transfers its internal energy to another substance it makes contact with. Both of these processes contribute to the maintaining of a planet’s average temperature.
How we get renewable energy and how renewable energy works Now that we can describe renewable energy, how do we get it? Well, first of all, you have to decide that you want to use renewable energy. There are many countries that have laws requiring the use of renewables, so if you live in one of those countries, you are set!
Otherwise, you need to invest in the infrastructure to get renewable energy. This can be difficult and expensive depending on where you live. For example, it is much easier to build offshore wind farms than it is to build underground tunnels for solar panels.
There are different ways to produce electricity using renewables, but most of them break down into two categories: direct-use and indirect-use technologies. Direct-use technologies rely solely on renewable sources for power, while indirect-use technologies depend on non-renewable sources as well.
There are hundreds of different direct-use technologies that help us obtain renewable energy.
Benefits of renewable energy and how renewable energy works As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest benefits of renewable energy is that it is sustainable. You will never run out of wind or sun, so to speak. Once installations are paid for, they can continue producing energy indefinitely.
Another major benefit is that renewable energy is pollution-free. Solar and wind do not release toxic chemicals into the environment, so you can feel good about that!
Furthermore, renewables are constantly increasing in efficiency. As scientists and engineers learn more about solar and wind technology, they can make improvements that increase the efficiency of production.
Finally, renewable energy is increasingly becoming more cost-effective than conventional sources. As technology improves and becomes more widespread, the cost of production goes down. This puts renewables at an advantage over conventional sources as they become more prevalent and efficient.
There are a few downsides to renewable energy, but these are important to note.
Costs of renewable energy and how renewable energy works One of the biggest concerns people have about switching to renewable energy is the cost. While investing in solar panels or a wind turbine does cost money, investing in renewable energy benefits you in the long run.
The cost of fossil fuels is always increasing while the cost of renewable energy is always going down. As technology improves, the cost of producing renewable energy decreases.
In fact, many countries have subsidies or tax breaks for homeowners who invest in solar panels. These subsidies are put in place to encourage more people to make the switch to renewables and grow the clean energy sector of the country.
Several countries have also put into place minimum price laws for electricity. This means that regardless of what it costs to produce electricity, you will never pay more than a certain amount per kilowatt hour.
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