Renewable Energy (Ch.18)

All of these energy saving improvements can be added to a home anytime, but one is much easier to install when the home is being built. Which one? A) installing efficient furnaces B) thick wall insulation C) window and door caulk D) a heat pump

B) thick wall insulation

According to the U.S. map below of average daily total of annual solar energy, which state is least suited for producing electricity from solar energy? A. Nebraska B. New York C. New Mexico D. North Carolina E. North Dakota

B. New York

Currently, gasoline is augmented with up to 10% ethanol, that is processed from ____. A. petroleum B. biofuel C. natural gas D. coal

B. biofuel

In rural areas of developing countries, photovoltaic cells are used for all of the following purposes except A. charging batteries B. heating hot water heaters C. providing refrigeration for vaccines D. grinding grain E. pumping water

B. heating hot water heaters

Which of these is an inaccurate statement regarding the harvest of geothermal energy? A) Accessible on virtually any land area on Earth. B) May depend on exhaustible water supplies. C) Can utilize hot, dry rock to produce heated water. D) Potentially has more energy than all oil and gas sources combined.

A) Accessible on virtually any land area on Earth.

The most common use for active solar collection is to _____ . A) Heat water. B) Produce electricity. C) Power fuel cells. D) Align photoelectric arrays.

A) Heat water.

The costs of adding energy efficiency at home: A) are high at first but can be recouped later. B) are almost always paid for by the federal government. C) are so high they will never be made up without some help from incentives. D) are inexpensive, and homeowners save money right away.

A) are high at first but can be recouped later.

Electric meters can run backward for homeowners participating in net metering. What does this mean? A) homeowners receive meter credit for excess energy they generate and supply to the utility's power grid B) the up front costs for installing renewable energy is recovered by rewinding the home's electric meter C) if a homeowner uses less energy in one month than the previous month, then the difference is subtracted from the electric meter D) homeowners who voluntarily cut back on air conditioning use are granted a electric credit E) a radio controlled electric meter for remote monitoring allows the utility company to stop the meter during peak demand periods

A) homeowners receive meter credit for excess energy they generate and supply to the utility's power grid

Which of these is a property of photovoltaic electricity production, but not of solar thermal electricity? A) produces toxic by-products during manufacture B) solar is primary energy source C) produces no air pollution during operation D) produces electricity

A) produces toxic by-products during manufacture

All of the following are challenges that face the application of fuel cell technology for motor vehicles except A) the size and weight of the fuel cell is prohibitive for use in automobiles. B) fuel cells are expensive. C) hydrogen is extremely volatile so safety issues must be addressed. D) infrastructure for refueling is not in place. E) the ability of the fuel cell to store more than a fixed amount of energy.

A) the size and weight of the fuel cell is prohibitive for use in automobiles.

What of these is the main advantage to using fuel cells over direct photovoltaic energy? A) Fuel cells provide a fixed amount of energy, then they are disposable. B) Fuel cells can store the energy for later use. C) Converting electricity to fuel cell energy increases efficiency. D) Photovoltaic electricity cannot power devices directly.

B) Fuel cells can store the energy for later use.

Which of these is the best example of a biomass fuel? A) oil B) animal waste C) coal D) natural gas

B) animal waste

Which of these is an example of an energy efficient practice, as opposed to energy conservation, by a large business? A) giving employees a bonus to buy a bicycle to ride to work B) installing "intelligent" thermostats that provide comfort but better control of energy use C) allowing employees to wear seasonal, more practical clothes D) a yearly bonus to employees who contribute usable ideas on electricity savings

B) installing "intelligent" thermostats that provide comfort but better control of energy use

What is the ultimate source of energy in tidal power? A) ocean waves B) solar radiation C) gravitational forces D) the Earth's magnetic field

C) gravitational forces

Which of these forms of generating electricity has the highest efficiency (90%) of converting available power to usable electricity? A) wind B) photovoltaic C) hydropower D) burning natural gas

C) hydropower

Passive solar heating refers to using A) the sun's energy, collected by solar panels, to generate electricity B) plant and animal material as fuel to generate heat C) sun's energy to heat building without pumps or fans to distribute the heat D) recycled water to cool the nuclear reactor in power plants E) solar-generated hydrogen to produce water and heat

C) sun's energy to heat building without pumps or fans to distribute the heat

A solar thermal electric generator operates LEAST like a __________ power plant. A) coal-fired B) nuclear C) wind D) biomass-fueled

C) wind

All of the following are options to conserve energy at home except A. improve insulation B. install double paned windows C. keep a beverage refrigerator in the garage D. use thermal lined curtains E. caulk cracks on exterior of home

C. keep a beverage refrigerator in the garage

What type of heating system is illustrated below for this home in Santa Fe, NM? A. geothermal B. wind turbine C. passive solar D. nonrenewable E. hydropower

C. passive solar

Which of these is true regarding energy conservation and efficiency practices? A. they have little potential for improving our current energy situation B. their development and production restricts job opportunities and waste tax dollars C. these practices are cheaper to implement than searching for new energy sources D. they are incompatible with growing economies, such as in China

C. these practices are cheaper to implement than searching for new energy sources

Which of these statements is true for wind energy, but NOT for hydropower? A) Is associated with spread of certain parasitic diseases, such as Schistosomiasis. B) Often displaces agriculture and indigent peoples. C) Produces no air pollution in normal operation. D) Has great potential for expansion in highly developed countries.

D) Has great potential for expansion in highly developed countries.

What fuel is consumed in a fuel cell, seen below? A) gasoline B) oil C) natural gas D) hydrogen

D) hydrogen

Which of these appliances uses the least amount of power on an annual basis? A) television B) water heater C) refrigerator D) washing machine E) clothes dryer

D) washing machine

Of the devices below, which of these is incorporating a passive solar design? A. a B. b C. c D. d

D. d

According to the data below, which of these technologies has the highest cost per kilowatt-hour? A. hydropower B. solar thermal C. nuclear power D. photovoltaics E. coal

D. photovoltaics

Energy efficiency is defined as A. energy that escapes in an unusable form B. energy in bonds broken (minus) energy in bonds formed C. using fossil fuels instead of renewable alternative energy D. using less energy to accomplish a given task, by using new technology, for example E. using less energy by reducing energy use and waste, for example

D. using less energy to accomplish a given task, by using new technology, for example

What is the fossil fuel cost of powering a wind turbine? A) 75% B) 50% C) 25% D) 10% E) 0%

E) 0%

Why is biomass an attractive source of energy? A) a shift to biofuels from petroleum-based fuels would be seamless B) it makes use of waste products, reducing waste disposal problems C) it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels D) it produces lower levels of sulfur and ash than coal combustion E) all of these choices

E) all of these choices

What is the fuel that is used to power a fuel cell? A) direct solar input B) propane C) oxygen D) uranium E) hydrogen

E) hydrogen

Which of the following actions is mismatched with its type of energy savings? A) setting the thermostat on the hot water heater lower : energy conservation B) turning off lights when a room is not in use : energy conservation C) replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent : energy efficiency D) "superinsulating" a building : energy efficiency E) installing a new condensing furnace to replace a conventional gas furnace : energy conservation

E) installing a new condensing furnace to replace a conventional gas furnace : energy conservation