 The Renewable Energy Industry

Renewable energy usage in the last decade Since the year 2000 the amount of renewable energy used has gone up drastically. From a nearly immeasurable amount in 2000 to almost 10 million in 2008.

The Five Most Common Types Wind Energy Uses wind turbines to create electricity Geothermal Energy Uses heat from the earth’s core to create energy Solar Energy Uses rays from the sun to create energy Biomass Energy Uses organic material to burn to create energy Hydropower Energy Uses water to create energy

Wind Energy  Changes kinetic energy to electrical energy  Each turbine can produce up to 5,600 MW/h annually  Wind turbines are made of steel and fiberglass  California leads the U.S. in wind energy production

Geothermal Energy Three ways to capture Dry Steam Flash Steam Binary Cycle Reservoirs are classified as being either low temperature (below 150°C) or high temperature (above150°C)

Hydropower  Approximately 73% of all renewable energy comes from hydropower  Hydropower is generated by using flowing water by forcing it through piping called a penstock  Then it turns a generator in order to produce electricity  Dams are the largest form of hydropower energy, scientist are developing ways to a harness wave and tidal energy, but are still in developmental stages

Solar power  Solar power is created by collecting sunlight and converting it into electricity  This process is called photovoltaic  This is done by using solar panels, which are solar cells made from silicone that absorb the sun’s radiation  The equipment for this process has no moving parts  Little maintenance  No emissions  No noise

Biomass  Versatile form of renewable energy  Burn fuel in boilers to heat water to turn a steam turbine which creates electricity  Biomass fuel  Wood  Landfill trash  Agricultural waste  Wheat, corn, and other crops  Burning Biomass is an alternative to burning coal  Contains little sulfur and nitrogen, so it does not produce the pollutants that cause acid rain.

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