1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1What is renewable energy?
Energy which constantly replenish and will never run out.
Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly
from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly
for heating, for generating electricity and for hot water
heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and
industrial uses.The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose
energy, is captured with wind turbines. Then, the winds and
the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor
turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or
streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric
power.Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to
grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known
as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity,
transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass for any
of these purposes is called bioenergy.Hydrogen also can be
found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It's the
most abundant element on the Earth. But it doesn't occur
naturally as a gas. It's always combined with other elements,
such as with oxygen to make water. Once separated from
another element, hydrogen can be burned as a fuel or
converted into electricity.Not all renewable energy resources
come from the sun. Geothermal energy taps the Earth's
internal heat for a variety of uses, including electric power
production, and the heating and cooling of buildings. And the
energy of the ocean's tides come from the gravitational pull of
the moon and the sun upon the Earth.In fact, ocean
energy comes from a number of sources. In addition to tidal
energy, there's the energy of the ocean's waves, which are
driven by both the tides and the winds. The sun also warms the
surface of the ocean more than the ocean depths, creating a
temperature difference that can be used as an energy source.
All these forms of ocean energy can be used to produce
electricity.
1.2Why is renewable energy important?
Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it
provides. The key benefits are:
2.3 Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that is
produced from the channels of naturally occurring hot water
and steam that flow under the top layer of the earth's crust.
Geothermal energy is capable of producing about 2,800
Megawatts of energy per year. . The steam rotates a turbine,
which in turn powers an electric generator.
a) Environmental Benefits: Renewable energy technologies
are clean sources of energy that have a much lower
environmental impact than conventional energy
technologies.
b) Energy for our children's children's children: Renewable
energy will not run out. Ever. Other sources of
energy are finite and will some day be depleted.
2. Types of Renewable Energy
2.1 Hydropower
Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy. This
renewable source of energy provides 10% of the nation’s
electricity. As of now, there are 77,000 Megawatts of
hydropower, enough to provide 35 million homes with
energy. Converting flowing water into usable energy
produces hydropower. Most of this water comes from rivers
and is released through turbines to produce energy. Although
this power source does not release pollution, it can possibly
harm fish and wildlife, displace people, and alter the quality of
water. Better technology is trying to reduce the loss of aquatic.
2.2 Biofuels
Biofuels are sources of energy that are renewable in the truest
sense of the word. They are made from plant matter; since
plants can be regrown, the energy source can be renewed.
Biomass makes up about 7,000 Megawatts of
renewable electricity. Biomass fuels stem from
industrial processing, such as forestry and wood
products, agriculture and wood products, and
construction and transportation. Biomass can replace
coal in power plants because it produces less sulfur
dioxide than coal.
2.4 Tidal Power
Tidal power is a type of renewable energy that utilizes the
principles of hydropower to create energy from the
movements of the oceans and seas. Tides, or level of ocean
water on the shores of land, rise and fall daily in response to
the earth's gravitation relationship with the moon and the sun.
Tidal energy generators utilize the natural rise and fall of
water levels to power generator turbines under the water level
as well as create sea dams that refill daily when the tide is high
and allow the water to trickle back into the ocean after it
passes through a turbine pipe. Tidal energy is in its fledgling
2.5 Wind Energy
Wind energy produces about 2,500 Megawatts of energy, and
generates a mere .1% of our electricity. The wind rotates
blades around a hub, which is connected to the main
shaft. The main shaft spins a generator. The size of turbines
is determined by how much energy is needed. Small wind
turbines are usually used for homes, farms and ranches. Other
Although it is better to use renewable energy, we still have to
use some type of fossil fuels. We can, however, make the best
choices, by using natural gas for water heating and power
appliance, which not only is better for the environment, but
costs less as well.The downside to this power resource is that
it costs more than other energy sources and tends to work
effectively only when the sun is shining.
2.7 Hybrid Power Systems
Hybrid Power Systems are a combination of renewable energy
systems. A hybrid system, according to experts, has its
advantages over a single energy system. For example, a PV
System works well during the summer, while wind turbines
work well during the winter. If weather conditions at times
prevent this hybrid system from working, a battery that
accompanies the system is always available. Also, if batteries
run low, an engine-generator powered by fossil fuels can be
installed to work while the battery is charging. You should set
up a system that provides 80% or renewable energy, and 20%
of fossil fuels.
2.8 Urine: The latest renewable energy source
We could all have the capacity to power our homes, cars and
electronic devices according to the University of Ohio,
who are currently developing energy technology based
around urine.According to the scientists, it is possible,
using a nickel based electrode, to create large amounts of
cheap hydrogen from urine that in turn, can be utilised in
hydrogen fuel cells.This utilisation of hydrogen as a
source of power, is one that is being extensively
researched with everything from hydrogen fuel cell cars
to hand held personal devices being powered by the most
common element in the universe.It is however, a
complex process. As well as being highly flammable,
storing pure hydrogen requires high pressure and low
temperatures. Currently, new nano-materials with high
surface areas capable of absorbing hydrogen are in
production, but not on a large scale .The science behind
utilising urine is to do with chemically binding hydrogen
to other elements, such as water, to make it easier and
safer to store and transport .One molecule of urea, a
major component of urine, contains four atoms of
hydrogen bonded to two atoms of nitrogen .Therefore, by
inserting a special nickel electrode into a pool of urine
ways to use wind energy include grinding grain and pumping
water.
2.6 Photovoltaic cells
PV cells produce electricity from sunlight. Materials used in
computer chips are similar to materials used in PV cells. These
materials absorb sunlight, which frees the electrons from their
atoms and allows them to generate electricity.PV cells are
great because they don’t require high maintenance, are very
reliable, and don’t produce pollutants.
and then applying an electrical current, we can release
hydrogen gas. Botte's current prototype measures 3x3x1
inch and can produce up to 500 milliwatts of power.
3.Solar Energy
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been
harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of
ever-evolving technologies.Solar radiation, along with
secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave
power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the
available renewable energy on earth. Only a minuscule
fraction of the available solar energy is used.
Solar energy, or energy produced by the sun, can be utilized
through a wide range of applications, including home and
water heating, disinfection, and electricity production. Solar
rays include radiant light and heat from the sun that can be
converted into energy using heat engines and photovoltaics,
cells made of photodiodes that produce direct currents from
solar light. Solar panels have gained popularity over the past
ten years as additions to homes and offices as they help collect
and store solar energy for various uses. Solar energy is an
almost inexhaustible source. . Solar powered electrical
generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaics. Solar
energy's uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial
list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling
through solar architecture, potable
water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, solar hot
water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for
industrial purposes.To harvest the solar energy, the most
common way is to use solar panels.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive
solar or active solar depending on the way they capture,
convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques
include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar
thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar
techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting
materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing
properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
Average insolation showing land area (small black dots)
required to replace the world primary energy supply with solar
electricity. 18 TW is 568 Exajoule (EJ) per year. Insolation for
most people is from 150 to 300 W/m² or 3.5 to 7.0
kWh/m²/day.
Solar energy refers primarily to the use of solar radiation for
practical ends. However, all renewable energies, other
than geothermal and tidal, derive their energy from the
sun.Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either
passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert
and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques use
photovoltaic panels, pumps, and fans to convert sunlight into
useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include selecting
materials with favorable thermal properties, designing spaces
that naturally circulate air, and referencing the position of a
building to the Sun. Active solar technologies increase the
supply of energy and are considered supply side technologies,
while passive solar technologies reduce the need for alternate
resources and are generally considered demand side
technologies….
3.1 THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN SOLAR ENERGY
The use of solar energy as a power source is not a new one.
But the panels developed in the 1970s were so bulky and
large; that very few people could afford them, much less use
them. Using technology developed for the computer industry,
cells used in Photovoltaic solar collection systems are now
thinner and more diversified. Perhaps the greatest
advancement in Photovoltaic research has been thin cell solar
research, or nanotechnology. This is the use of very tiny cells
created through silicon and other minerals to collect solar
energy. The creation of nanoparticles has allowed developers
to create shingles coated in these cells as well as to develop a
spray-on coating that can be sprayed onto another material,
such as the roof of a building. This spray-on coating contains
the nanoparticles and enables other items to also collect solar
energy and convert it into electricity.
A new generation of 'nano-structured' millimetre-sized solar
cells that could convert the sun's energy to electricity more
than twice as efficiently as current technologyThe problem of
absorption is one of the issues that keeps the electricity output
of solar panels low and the cost of solar power high. Solar
panels are designed to absorb sunlight at a single angle. This
means that either the efficiency of a panel changes over time
(as the Sun moves across the sky), or a mechanism has to be
installed to make sure the panels are always pointed at the sun.
The new coating made of nanorods allows the solar panel to
absorb light from any angle. .The nanorods form a multi-layer
coating that works like a series of funnels. The top layer of
nanorods takes the light hitting the panel at wide angles and
bends it to a slightly narrower angle. Successive layers narrow
the angle even further, funneling the light so it hits the active
region of the panel at a ninety degree . The solar panel has a
special coating that captures 96.7 percent of the light incident
upon it, compared to 67.4 percent for the untreated silicon
panels commonly in use today. The new coating made of
nanorods allows the solar panel to absorb light from any
angle.angle, eliminating the panel’s need to rotate with the
sun.
3.2 NEW SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS SO EFFICIENT
IT WOKS AT NIGHT
As the price of oil continues to climb, new energy-collecting
technologies are being developed, and they increasingly look
more and more attractive. . One of the latest and an enhanced
variety of solar collector, that is so effective, it can even work
at night.The key to it all is nanotechnology. With this new
technology, millions of extremely small twists of metal are
molded into banks of "microantennas", which can be placed
on almost any material, including plastic sheets. These spiral
shaped "microantennas" are about 1/25 the width of a human
hair. They are so small that they resonate from the interaction
with the sun's infrared rays. This resonation can be translated
into energy. The solar infrared rays hitting the nanoantennas
generate a current that has a frequency which oscillates ten
thousand billion times a second. During the day, the Earth
soaks up a lot of this infrared energy, which is then radiated
out at night -- enabling these microantennas to collect power
even after the sun has set. Conventional solar panels can
convert about %20 of what hits them into electricity. Also,
conventional solar panels are expensive to produce because
the rely on high-grade silicon, which is becoming increasingly
expensive. These new solar collectors can be manufactured for
much less using nanoantenna arrays as cheap as inexpensive
carpet.
3.3 Solar Cells from Tobacco Plants:
This new discovery is based on the possibility of literally
programming the cells of the plants to get solar cells from
tobacco plants. The science behind it is actually pretty simple
and pretty amazing. By using a genetically engineered virus,
scientists were able to literally transform the cells of the plants
to create synthetic solar cells. As the world continues its quest
to use less fossil fuels, the latest possible solution comes from
the most unlikely of sources: the tobacco plant. It will be nice
to see tobacco used for something other than lung cancer. This
new discovery is based on the possibility of literally
programming the cells of the plants to get solar cells from
tobacco plants. custom-made virus is sprayed on the plants
and then it is time to sit back and let it work its magic, they
spread inside in natural course and in turn create artificial
chromophores that make high powered solar cell . Once this
process is complete the tobacco tree is dissolved into a liquid
solution. This solution is then applied on plastics or glass or
poof – which acts as a solar cell. solar cells from tobacco
leaves could provide both an organic way to produce solar
cells and the economic boost that the farming industry needs.
4. The recent applications of solar energy
4.1 Solar Powered Refrigerator
A small ammonia-water intermittent absorption refrigerator
with a 1.44 m2 flat plate solar collector has been tested as a
first step towards the development of ice maker. No oil or
electricity is used. Regeneration takes place during the day
and refrigeration at night. An ice maker seems to be the most
useful device in developing countries.
Any solar cooling device essentially consists of two parts: a
cooling unit employing a thermodynamic cycle no different
from that employed in conventional refrigerators, and a solar
heat source with a flat-plate or a focusing collector to operate
it. The usual index by which the performance of a refrigerator
is measured is the coefficient of performance which is defined
as the ratio of cooling produced to heat supplied. This same
concept may be applied to the refrigerator component and a
cooling ratio may be defined as “the ratio of heat absorbed by
refrigerant during refrigeration to the heat absorbed by
generator contents during refrigeration”.
The performance of the solar collector can be defined by a
heating ratio given by “the ratio of heat absorbed by the
contents of the generator to incident solar radiation on the
collector.The overall performance ratio can now be defined as
the product of the two above defined ratios, or explicitly as
“the ratio of heat absorbed by refrigerant during refrigeration
incident solar radiation on the collector”.The concepts of
heating ratio and cooling ratio are especially useful when
analyzing systems where the collector and generator are
separate. Converting the solar radiation into ice solves the
problems of intermittency and storage. Ice can be stored for
months. Also it is transportable. An ammonia-water cycle is
contemplated. Several ice makers and refrigerators using this
cycle and solar energy input have been built.
4.2 Solar powered Wi-Fi bus stop
What a delightful combination for environmentalists! While
we are waiting for your bus to arrive you can happily stay in
touch with the cyber world. San Francisco bus stops produce
solar electricity and offer Wi-Fi connectivity too. By 2013,
San Francisco is planning to have 1100 such solar-powered
bus shelters put in throughout the city. This project can act as
a catalyst for other states and even countries to follow. They
have taken care of the bus stops at the grass root level too.
They have used recycled materials to develop these bus stops.
The bus stops’ roofs will have solar panels. The underutilized
energy of these bus shelters will be directed back to the grids.

References

1. Wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy-development
2. www.renewable energyworld.com
3. www.essortment.com>science &Technology
4. www.powernanotech.com/trends.html
5. News.discovery.com>tech news