MODULE 3
RENEWABLE ENERGY
SOLAR ENERGY
• Solar energy is the radiation from the sun capable of producing heat, causing
chemical reactions, or generating electricity.
• Solar cell panels are used to convert the solar energy to electrical energy.
Flat-plate solar collectors
• A solar flat plate collector is a large heat absorbing plate.
• It is painted black to absorb as much solar radiation as possible
• The heat energy is transferred to water, air, or other fluid for further use.
• It is usually a large sheet of Copper or Aluminum as they are both good
conductors of heat.
Coating in Solar Panel: A nano material coating on solar panel which reduces
reflection and glare produced by an uncoated solar panel.
Advantages of coating on the solar panels are:
• Hydrophobic – In rainy climates the hydrophobic coating allows water to
flow more easily from the panel.
• Anti-reflective – An anti-reflective layer increases the amount of light
transmitted through the surface of the panel and thus increases
efficiency.
• Self-cleaning – Contaminants like bird droppings and pollution do not
adhere to it.
• Easy to clean and maintain – the coating requires less maintenance to
ensure efficiency.
• Provides long-lasting protection – The coating is durable and can
withstand different weather conditions.
APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR ENERGY:
1. SOLAR STILL
• This technology is based on the simple evaporation-condensation principle
• Solar still distills the impure water by using sunlight
• The impure water is transferred to the container of the solar still, where it is
evaporated by sunlight and the pure water vapour condenses on the cool place
inside surface and drips into a tank.
• This process removes impurities, such as salts and heavy metals, and eliminates
microbiological organisms.
2. SOLAR DRYER
Solar dryers are devices that use solar energy to dry substances,
especially food.
A solar dryer has a black absorbing surface which collects the light and
converts it to heat. The substance to be dried is placed directly on this
surface.
Dryer may closed with glass covers and provided vents in order to
increase efficiency.
BIOMASS ENERGY
• It is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals.
• Examples are wood and wood residues, agricultural residues, waste from
industry, farms and households.
Thermal characteristics of biomass
• Heat value of the biomass material
• Moister content level in the biomass material
• Chemical composition of the biomass material
• Size of the biomass material
• Density of the biomass material
Anaerobic digestion:
It is a method of converting biomass into energy. In this process, organic materials in
the biomass is broken down by the bacterias, in the absence of oxygen & produce
methane-rich biogas.
Biogas
• It is produced by the process of anaerobic digestion.
• Biogas production process can be divided into three steps: hydrolysis,
acidification, and methane formation.
• The main contents in the biogas is methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen
sulphide.
• Biogas is environment friendly and is used for cooking, heating…
• Biogas can be stored directly the tank that produced it, or relieved out to an
external tank.
WIND ENERGY
Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source. Wind energy is
mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. It has a much smaller impact
on the environment than burning fossil fuels.
Environmental benefits of wind energy
Major benefits of wind energy are,
• Wind energy is a renewable energy
• No emission of green house gases
• Reduces the use of fossil fuels
• Reduces the importing of fuels and energy
• Creates wealth and local employment
Disadvantages of wind energy
• Unpredictable - wind energy is that it cannot be produced consistently.
• Turbines might cause noise pollution.
• Location limitations - wind sites are often located in remote locations, far
from cities where the electricity is needed
• Wind plants can impact local wildlife - Birds have been killed by flying into
spinning turbine blades.
OCEAN ENERGY
Ocean energy or marine energy refers to the energy carried by ocean waves,
tides and ocean temperature differences.
The main forms of ocean energies are: Tidal energy, wave energy, ocean
thermal energy
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
• Geothermal energy is the thermal energy generated and stored inside the
Earth’s crust.
• When underground water comes in contact with the hot spot of the earth
crust, steam is generated.
• This steam is piped directly from the underground wells to the power plant
where it is directed into a turbine and generate electricity.
• There are three types of geothermal power plants:
i) dry steam ii) flash steam iii) binary cycle.
• The largest geothermal power plant in the world is Geysers Geothermal
complex ,USA
HYDROGEN ENERGY
• Hydrogen energy involves the use of hydrogen as a fuel to generate
electrical energy
• Hydrogen is a clean fuel and the only products are electricity, water, and
heat.
• Hydrogen Fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications including
transportation, industries etc…
• Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need
recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.
• A fuel such as hydrogen is fed to the anode, and air is fed to the
cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit, creating a flow of
electricity. The protons migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode,
where they unite with oxygen and the electrons to produce water and
heat.