Ch. 18 Renewable Energy

Benefits of solar power

-Solar technologies use no fuel -Solar devices require very little maintenance -The production reduces dependence on power plants

Benefits of passive solar energy

1. No air pollutants 2. reduces heating bill/ free resource 3. abundant resource

What three purposes are dams designed to serve?

1. They bring water to areas that don't have it 2. controls flooding 3. hydroelectric power is generate

What are the benefits of renewable energy sources?

1. They're unlikely to run out 2. They decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions 3. The World will be less dependent on energy from foreign nations

Cons of active solar energy

1. When no sunlight shines (such as at night,) no energy is produced 2. costly upfront 3. Many regions aren't sunny enough to use this energy

Benefits of tidal energy

1. clean source 2. reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Costs of wind energy

1. constantly scares off birds and wildlife 2. creates noise pollution 3. Eyesore 4. High upfront cost 5. Fast winds aren't near population centers 6. Winds are unpredictable

Costs of tidal energy

1. costs a lot to build 2. isn't consistent

Costs of hydropower

1. dams alter ecosystems and affect organisms 2. some fish can't survive a drastic temperature change around the dams 3. building dams and reservoirs can displace people 4. Sediments get caught in the stream 5. Unlikely to grow 6. Causes erosions or landslides

Benefits of hydropower

1. inexpensive once built 2. can reduce greenhouse gas emissions 3. yields relatively cheap electricity

Costs of solar energy

1. many regions aren't sunny enough 2. devices are expensive 3. the power only works when the sun is out

Costs of geothermal power

1. prime locations are location specific 2. high initial cost 3. Not sustainable 4. some projects can trigger earthquakes

Benefits of active solar energy

1. produces clean energy 2. can be located right where the power is needed 3. Inexhaustible renewable

Benefits of geothermal power

1. small physical footprint 2. releases no pollution 3. heat pumps save money

Benefits of wind energy

1. we are less fossil fuel dependent 2. under good conditions, produces more energy than it uses 3. Renewable 4. Clean (no CO2 emissions) 5. Windfarms reduce blackouts 6. Energy efficient 7. Easy and inexpensive to maintain 8. Inexhaustible renewable

Wind speeds are __% faster off shore

20

What two things are required to have a windfarm?

A constant wind source and an open space

What kind of interior helps passive solar energy heat a home?

A darker interior retains heat

Biodiesel

A diesel substitute produced by extracting and chemically altering oil from plants

What parts do all windmills have?

A gearbox, turbine, generator, and blades

ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

A process that converts the thermal energy in ocean water to electrical energy that people can use

What three things does thermal mass do?

Absorbs, retains and reheats

Biomass combustion energy conversions

Chemical to thermal

Active solar energy conversions

Electromagnetic to thermal to mechanical to electrical

Are windmills faster or slower off shore?

Faster because of the higher winds near the ocean

How does the sun get its energy?

From thermonuclear fusion

What can biomass be used for?

Heating, cooking, lighting, vehicle fuel, electricity generation

______ is most widely used

Hydropower

Which country uses geothermal energy the most?

Iceland

Wind energy is a direct/indirect source of energy

Indirect

How is solar energy (PASSIVE) related to the sun?

It uses the sun's heat for heating buildings

How is solar energy (ACTIVE) related to the sun?

It uses the sun's rays to produce electricity

How is wind energy related to the sun?

It's formed from the sun's uneven heating of the earth's surface

How is tidal energy related to the sun?

It's produced by the natural rise and fall of tides caused by the gravitational interaction between Earth and the sun

How can rivers generate electric power?

Kinetic energy from moving water turns turbines to generate electricity

Tidal energy conversions

Mechanical to electrical

Why is the growth of hydropower unlikely?

Most of the places that have a great opportunity for hydropower have already been dammed

How is hydrogen fuel related to the sun?

Most of the sun is made up of hydrogen

Wind energy

Moving air caused by wind pressure and the uneven heating of earth's atmosphere

Is geothermal energy related to the sun?

No

How is biomass related to the sun?

Plants absorb energy from the sun and convert this solar energy into chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis.

Hydropower energy conversions

Potential to mechanical to electrical

The most expensive energy source

Solar energy

The three categories of biomass and examples

Solid= Corn, Grain Liquids= Manure Gas= Methane

What does the reservoir behind a dam do?

Stores water

What are some key words for hydropower?

Temp. gradient, ammonia, height difference between tides, water cycle

What is the largest dam in the World and where is it?

The Three Gorges Dam in China

How is hydropower related to the sun?

The energy generated through hydropower relies on the water cycle, which is driven by the sun

Biomass

The energy we use from things that are living or were once living

What do houses need that want to use passive solar energy?

Thermal mass

How is geothermal energy used?

To heat and generate electricity

Most active solar power plants are located in the southwest of the __

US

What are some key words for geothermal energy?

Uranium, fission, bubbling mud, erosion, yellowstone national park, and magma

The rising energy source

Wind energy

Flat-plate solar collector

a device that consists of a black, heat-absorbing, metal plate in a flat box with a glass cover

Wind turbine

a device that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy

Photovoltaic (PV) Cell

a device where solar energy is converted directly into electricity

Passive solar energy

a process that involves designing a building to collect, store and distribute the sun's energy naturally

Active solar energy

a system that uses technology to move, collect and store heat derived from the sun

Concentrating solar power (CSP)

a technology that uses mirrors to focus sunlight in order to generate electricity

Ground source heat pump

a tool that takes advantage of the fact that the temperature of soil a few feet underground stays the same. It brings in warm air in the winter and cold in the summer.

Flat-plate solar collectors, or solar panels, provide a method for ____________ solar heating

active

Solar collectors carry _________ or _____

anti-freeze or water

Which of the following is NOT a part of a wind turbine? a. blades b. mirrors c. gearbox d. generator

b. mirrors

Fermentation is produced using what energy source?

biomass

The oldest human energy source

biomass

To create electricity, wind blowing into a turbine turns __________

blades that connect to a gearbox

PV cell energy examples

calculator, roadside phones

Biomass electricity generation energy conversions

chemical to thermal to mechanical to electrical

What are examples of biomass energy sources?

corn, switchgrass, manure, wood, biodiesel

Geothermal energy

deep beneath the earth's surface, high pressure combined with the breakdown of radioactive energy that creates heat. The heat is used to heat our homes and generate electricity.

Is passive solar energy an indirect/direct source?

direct

Passive solar energy does/does not generate electricity

does not

A fuel cell is a device that is used to produce...

electricity

What does a solar power plant generate?

electricity

Biomass energy

energy produced by burning organic matter, such as wood, food scraps, and alcohol

What are the two primary biofuels?

ethanol and biodiesel

What geologic feature would be found where geothermal energy is located?

geysers and hot springs

Geothermal power plants are only on top of ______ ______

hot spots

Byproducts of Hydrogen fuel

hydrogen and water

Biofuels

liquid fuels from biomass sources

The most common way to obtain hydrogen today is to extract it from ____________ which is a component of natural gas

methane

What fuel is produced when microorganisms decompose landfill wastes?

methane

Greenhouses use ______ solar heating to collect the sun's energy

passive

Offshore wind farms are becoming more common because they ___________

produce more power, due to higher elevations

PV cells are also known as __________

solar cells

CSP focuses the ____ heat to generate electricity

sun's

Biopower

the burning of biomass energy sources to generate electricity

Hydropower

the kinetic energy of moving water that turns turbines and generates electricity

Wind farm

the location where wind turbines are built in groups and powered

Tidal energy

the movement of tidal water to generate electricity. it's formed from the difference of high and low tides.

Solar energy is an indirect source of energy b/c of ___________________________

the uneven heating of earth's atmosphere and the sun's waves

Solar energy converts sunlight into _______ energy and then distributes the heat without using heat pumps

thermal

Geothermal energy conversions

thermal to mechanical to electrical

OTEC conversions

thermal to mechanical to electrical

Energy from the ocean is...

tidal and thermal

What is passive solar energy mainly used for?

to HEAT

What is a characteristic of a ground source heat pump?

underground soil temperatures remain constant all year long

Electrolysis

when water molecules are broken down into oxygen and hydrogen gases by an electric current that runs through the water

What are apertures?

windows