Chapter 1
Principles of
Renewable Energy
Assistant Professor: Mohammad Fahim Kohistani
March 2026
Table of contents
01 Introduction
02 Energy and Sustainable
Development
03 Fundamentals
04 Scientific principles
of renewable energy
05 Types of Renewable Energy
2
Learning Objectives
Upon Completion of this chapter, you shall learn:
1. Understand and define renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
2. Grasp the connection between energy and sustainable development.
3. Analyze environmental, social, and economic impacts of renewable energy systems.
4. Learn scientific principles that govern renewable energy extraction and application.
5. Evaluate the significance of energy efficiency in minimizing waste.
4
Principles of renewable energy
Introduction
The aim of this text is to analyze the full range of renewable energy supplies available for modern economies.
1. How much energy is available in the immediate environment – what is the resource?
2. For what purposes can this energy be used – what is the end-use?
3. What is the environmental impact of the technology – is it sustainable?
4. What is the cost of the energy – is it cost-effective?
5
Principles of renewable energy
Conventional Energy Systems
Definition: Conventional energy refers to energy systems that rely on finite, non-renewable resources such as coal,
oil, natural gas, and nuclear materials. These resources are extracted from the Earth and processed to generate
energy.
Characteristics:
• Energy Density:
• High energy output per unit, making it effective for large-scale energy demands.
• Infrastructure:
• Well-established systems for extraction, transportation, and energy generation.
6
Principles of renewable energy
Conventional Energy Systems
20th Century Energy Trends:
• Global energy consumption surged by over tenfold during the 20th century, primarily fueled by coal, oil, and natural gas.
Industrialization in developed countries drove this demand, while nuclear power emerged as an additional source.
Challenges of the 21st Century:
• Continued industrial growth in developing countries has significantly increased energy requirements. However,
inefficiencies in production and distribution exacerbate the depletion of fossil fuels and contribute to pollution.
Finite Nature of Fossil Fuels:
• Reserves of oil and natural gas are estimated to last only a few decades, while coal may persist for centuries. As
availability decreases, prices rise, creating economic and political pressures to find alternative sources of energy.
7
Principles of renewable energy
Fossil Fuels and Sustainability Issues
Environmental Concerns:
• Burning fossil fuels releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), a
major contributor to climate change. This process also produces air and
water pollutants, impacting ecosystems and human health.
• Examples include the intensification of hurricanes, rising sea levels, and
biodiversity loss due to habitat destruction.
Economic Impacts:
• Countries heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports face challenges like price
volatility and supply disruptions, which can destabilize economies.
• Externalities such as health costs from pollution and damage to natural
ecosystems are not factored into energy prices, masking the true cost of
fossil fuels.
10
Principles of renewable energy
Principles of Sustainable Development
Definition:
• Sustainable development refers to improving living standards while preserving ecological balance. Energy systems
play a pivotal role in achieving this by ensuring that resource usage does not compromise environmental stability or
deplete essential reserves.
Energy's Role in Development:
• Energy underpins modern life, powering essential services such as lighting, heating, communication, transportation,
and industrial production. Reliable energy access is a cornerstone of societal progress.
• Unsustainable energy practices—like excessive reliance on fossil fuels—have significant ecological and economic
consequences, including greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.
Global Context:
In many developing countries, energy imports can constitute more than half of the total export value, creating an economic
imbalance. Transitioning to renewable energy sources can alleviate these challenges by reducing dependency on costly imports
and fostering local energy generation.
8
Principles of renewable energy
Principles of Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development Goals:
Partnerships for the Goals
9
Principles of renewable energy
Introduction to Renewable Energy
Renewable energy derives from ongoing natural processes like solar radiation, wind, water flows, and biological growth.
Unlike finite energy sources, it is continuously replenished.
11
Principles of renewable energy
Introduction to Renewable Energy
11
Principles of renewable energy
Introduction to Renewable Energy
12
Principles of renewable energy
Categories of Renewable Energy
13
Principles of renewable energy
Which one to chose?
14
Principles of renewable energy
Primary supply to end-
use
All energy systems can be visualized as a
series of pipes or circuits through which
the energy currents are channeled and
transformed to become useful in
domestic, industrial and agricultural
circumstances. Figure 1.3(a) is a Sankey
diagram of energy supply, which shows
the energy flows through a national
energy system (sometimes called a
‘spaghetti diagram’ because of its
appearance).
15
Principles of renewable energy
Energy Planning
Integrated Energy Systems:
• Effective energy planning requires analyzing complete energy systems, ensuring supply is matched to
specific end-use requirements.
• Ignoring precise energy needs often leads to inefficiencies. For example, using grid electricity to generate
heat is wasteful when direct heat production would be more efficient.
• Example of Inefficiency: Generating electricity from fuel involves thermal losses in boilers and turbines,
distribution losses in cables, and further dissipation when converted back to heat. Localized heat
production or combined heat and power (CHP) systems would minimize these inefficiencies.
16
Principles of renewable energy
Energy Planning
Efficiency Calculations:
• Efficiency is defined as the ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input. Identifying inefficiencies
is critical to reducing waste and costs.
• Example: Conventional lighting systems with thermally generated electricity have a total efficiency of 1–
1.5%, while modern systems using CHP and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) achieve 14–18%
efficiency—a tenfold improvement.
• Improved efficiency reduces:
• Energy generation capacity and fuel requirements.
• Emission costs.
• Equipment replacement costs (e.g., longer-lasting CFLs).
Energy Management:
• Proactive energy management ensures all systems operate efficiently. Finite fuels benefit from pollution
reduction, while renewables benefit from reduced capital costs through better efficiency.
17
The Solar Resource
● The solar spectrum includes a visible region and energy above and below the visible region.
● At the top of the atmosphere, the spectrum is:
The Solar Resource
● The solar constant (in W/sq.m) can be calculated from the
● sun’s power out by applying the inverse square law. The solar constant is the energy
per square meter per day at the outer edge of the atmosphere. The amount that
reaches the earth’s surface is less because some is absorbed and some is reflected.
The Solar Resource
● The radiation reaching the earth's surface is given in three different ways:
○ Global horizontal irradiance (GHI) is the
total amount of shortwave radiation
received on a horizontal surface
● The GHI value includes both the direct and diffuse
○ Direct normal irradiance (DNI) is the
irradiance. Both direct radiation and diffuse irradiance is
portion of G H I that comes in a
useful for solar applications like flat plate collectors, but
straight line from the sun
only direct radiation can be focused using concentrating
○ Diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) is
collectors.
that portion of radiation that arrives at
the surface from indirect paths.
The Solar Resource
● A map of the average annual solar resource for the Afghanistan
Source: NREL
The Solar Resource
● A map of the average annual solar resource for the world:
Source: Courtesy of 3TIER.
The Solar Resource
● Environmental effects of solar energy are:
○ Manufacturing including certain hazardous materials
○ Disposal of panels when life of the product is over
○ Certain types of solar installations have water requirements
○ Land use issues
○ Effect on wildlife
The Wind Resource
● Global patterns of winds are driven by three primary air cells in each hemisphere: The tropical cell,
the mid-latitude cell, and the polar cell.
● When the earth’s rotation is taken into
account, the winds are deflected by the
Coriolis force that adds an east-west
component to the movement of the air in
the global air cells.
● In the U.S., the best wind resources are on the coasts, the Great Lakes and the Midwest as shown in
the following slide:
The Wind Resource
Source: NREL
The Wind Resource
● A map of the wind resource for the world:
The Wind Resource
● Environmental issues:
○ Land use and visual “eyesore”
○ Structures may create hazard for small aircraft
○ Noise
○ Bird strikes
○ Additional power line infrastructure
Geothermal Resources
● Geothermal is heat generated within the earth primarily from radioactive decay. The best
resources are along tectonic boundaries where it can be used for driving steam generators
and provide baseline power.
Geothermal Resources
● Low quality geothermal heat is available in
most parts of the world and can be used for
geothermal heat pumps (G H P) to provide
heat or air conditioning. These are systems
that work on a basic refrigeration cycle using
heat in the ground as a basic resource.
Geothermal Resources
● Plate tectonics is a geological theory that explains how the earth’s surface moves and changes
over time. The outer surface of the earth is divided into plates that form the lithosphere. The best
spots for geothermal energy tend to be near plate boundaries.
Geothermal Resources
Geothermal Resources
● Environmental effects of Geothermal plants
● Low gaseous emissions including a small amount of CO2
● Can have high volume of water requirements
● Water injection into ground to replace ground water
● Very minor earthquakes (“micro-quakes”)
Hydroelectric Resources
● Hydroelectric resources broadly covers any source that converts the energy in moving or
falling water into electricity. As such, the water is considered to be a prime mover.
● Water is used to generate electricity primarily by trapping it
behind dams and releasing it to turn turbines as it is needed.
Flowing water in rivers, streams, and tides are also used to a
smaller extent.
Hydroelectric Resources
Hydroelectric Resources
Environmental issues with dams:
● Silting problems filling in reservoirs and depriving farmlands of the renewing effects of silt.
● Water quality and flow are affected
● Loss of fish habitat and upsetting natural migration patterns
● Loss of scenic and wild rivers and loss of useful land for reservoirs.
Thank You!