1. Renewable Energy Resources
aka Alternative

2. Solar Passive Solar Active Solar Solar Power Plants
* fastest growing source of renewable energy
* includes
Passive Solar
Active Solar
Solar Power Plants

3. Suitability of Solar Usage

4. Passive Solar
captures sunlight directly with a structure and converts it to low-temperature heat for space heating

5. advantages disadvantages * eliminate/reduce fossil fuel use
advantage of living in a deciduous biome
* eliminate/reduce fossil fuel use
* No CO2 emissions
* save money on heating
disadvantages
* high initial cost
* latitude

6. Active Solar
typically uses photovoltaic cells to absorb solar energy and gain a mechanical advantage
can be used to…..
* heat water
* heat living space
* generate electricity

7. Photovoltaic Cells aka PV Cells aka Solar Cells

9. Solar Power Plants solar farm (uses PV cells)
use solar energy to generate large amounts of electricity
Moyock, NC
When complete, will be the largest east of the Mississippi
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

10. Solar Power Tower
huge arrays of computer controlled mirrors that track the sun and focus sunlight on a central heat collection tower

11. only 3 in the United States
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, Nevada
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, California

12. Linear Concentrating System (parabolic trough)
sunlight is collected and focused on oil or water filled pipes that run through the middle of curved solar collectors

14. Wind * Second to solar in industry growth
* Generator converts mechanical energy to
electricity behind the turbine

15. advantages disadvantages * No air pollution * High efficiency
* Quick construction
disadvantages
* Visual pollution
* Requires steady winds
* May impact migratory birds

16. In the rangelands of the Great Plains, ranchers may make money by leasing land to power companies and still use the land for grazing or growing crops.
West Texas wind farm

17. offshore wind potential

18. Denmark, with a pioneering wind-power program, is above 40 percent renewable power on its electric grid. It wants to be off fossil fuels by 2050. 

19. nonconventional turbine styles
bladeless prototype

20. Wind and Solar farm in China.
Wind and Solar capacities are growing faster in China than anywhere else in the world.

21. Hydropower
A hydroelectric dam is built across a large river to create a reservoir upstream from the dam.
* Water is released through
the dam to spin turbines to
generate electricity.

22. advantages disadvantages * No air pollution * Low maintenance
* Controls downstream flooding
disadvantages
* High initial cost
* Blocks fish migration
* Traps sediment that would replenish shorelines downstream
* Floods upstream habitats

23. Hoover Dam & Lake Mead
Colorado River, USA

24. Aswan High Dam Nile River, Egypt

25. * Largest hydroelectric power plant in the world
Three Gorges Dam
Yangtze River, China
* Largest hydroelectric power plant in the world

28. Tidal Power
Uses water movement from high tides and low tides to turn turbines and generate electricity
* Major limitation – effectiveness based on large tidal range (difference between low and high tide) or shape of sea floor in the area

29. Geothermal Uses heat, steam or hot water from underground reservoirs
* Used to heat/cool space or to generate electricity

30. Geothermal Heat Pump/HVAC
Uses the temperatures below the surface of the earth to heat or cool a structure.
* Can be used anywhere because although temps above ground fluctuate during the seasons, the temperature below the surface remains consistent between 50˚F - 60˚F year round.

31. Generate electricity
steam turns the turbine which powers the generator to make electricity
thermal energy  mechanical energy  electrical energy

32. advantages disadvantages * No air pollution * Reliable
* Limited locations
* Possible land subsidence

33. The largest geothermal field in the world is known as The Geysers
The largest geothermal field in the world is known as The Geysers. It is north of San Francisco, Ca and is home to 22 geothermal power plants.

34. Biomass * Any organic matter that can be used as an energy source.
* It may be burned directly as a solid fuel or converted into a gas or liquid fuel

35. using biomass for transportation fuel…..
* Corn, sugarcane and switchgrass are the most common sources for ethanol.
Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane for ethanol
Switchgrass field in Illinois

36. aka Waste to Energy (WTE)
using biomass for electricity…..
Includes…
* Biogas (methane) from landfills
aka Waste to Energy (WTE)
* Burning garbage
* Burning wood chips/pellets

37. using biomass for heating & cooking…..
* In many developing countries this accounts for over 90% of their energy use in homes
* Includes fuelwood, animal dung and agricultural waste
* Cause of deforestation in many of these countries
* Major source of indoor air pollution

38. advantages disadvantages * Inexpensive
* Renewable if land is well managed
* Decreased fossil fuel use
disadvantages
* Uses a large amount of land
* Loss of a carbon sink/deforestation
* Increased soil erosion