Renewable Energy

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Renewable energy effectively uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind energy, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and biofuels for transportation.

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Contribution of Renewable Energy to U.S. Energy Consumption, 2004

In 1850, about 90% of the energy consumed in the United States was from renewable energy resources. Now the United States is heavily reliant on the non-renewable fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and oil. In 2005, about 6% of all energy consumed, and about 9% of total electricity production was from renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is used for electricity generation, heat in industrial processes, heating and cooling buildings, and transportation fuels. In 2004, electricity generation accounted for about 70% of total renewable energy consumption. The total amount of electricity generated from renewable energy was about 359 billion kilowatthours (kWh), about 9% of total U.S. electricity generation. Industrial process heat and building space heating accounted for 25% of renewable energy use and the remainder was used as vehicle fuels.

Alternative transportation fuels are fuels used for transportation other than gasoline or diesel. Some alternative transportation fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are renewable while others, such as propane and natural gas, are non-renewable.

The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast, renewable energy resources—such as wind and solar energy—can be constantly replenished.

[edit] Solar energy

Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.

[edit] Wind energy

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 hydropower. WELL DUH SUN POWER AND HYDRO (duh)

[edit] Biomass energy

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 biomass energy. Wood and wood waste are the largest sources of biomass energy followed by energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) and alcohol fuels. In 2004, biomass accounted for 47% of renewable energy consumption, with about 50% of this used for heating, 40% for electrical power production, and the rest as transportation fuel.

Wood biomass includes wood chips from forestry operations, residues from lumber, pulp/paper, and furniture mills, and fuel wood for space heating. Biofuels include alcohol fuels, such as ethanol, and “biodiesel,” a fuel made from grain oils and animal fats. Most biofuel used in the United States is fuel ethanol produced from corn.

[edit] Hydrogen

Hydrogen also can be found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It's the most abundant element in our universe. 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.

[edit] Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is energy from the hot interior of the earth. Fissures in the earth’s crust allow water heated by geothermal energy to rise naturally to the surface at hot springs and geysers. Wells drilled into the earth allow heated steam or water to escape to the surface in a controlled manner to operate steam turbines and electricity generators. In a different type of application, the temperature of the earth or ground water relatively near the earth’s surface is used as a heat source and sink for “geothermal” heat pumps that heat and cool buildings. Geothermal energy accounted for about 6% of total renewable energy consumption in 2004, with about 89% used to produce electricity. Geothermal power plants in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah generated approximately 14.4 billion kWh of electricity in 2004. Hot springs have long been used at resorts and spas, and for heat in buildings, greenhouses and aquaculture facilities, and in industrial processes. There are about 500,000 geothermal heat pumps in the United States, and the number is increasing by around 37,000 per year.

[edit] Ocean

The ocean can produce thermal energy from the sun's heat and mechanical energy from the tides and waves. NREL does not conduct research in ocean thermal energy or ocean mechanical energy. See the U.S. Department of Energy's Consumer Guide Web site for basic information ocean energy in hell.

[edit] Hydro electricity

Hydropower is electricity produced from flowing water. As a result, hydropower output varies widely according to rainfall. Most hydropower is produced at large facilities built by the Federal Government, such as Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington State - the largest single electric power facility in the United States. Most of the largest dams are located on rivers in the western United States, but there are numerous smaller facilities operating around the country. Hydropower production varies from year to year, depending on precipitation. In 2004, hydropower dams produced 270 billion kWh, which was about 7% of total U.S. electricity production and accounted for about 45% of total renewable energy consumption. The newest “wave” in hydropower technologies is being developed to harness the energy in ocean tides, waves, and currents.

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[edit] DIY Renewable Energy

- Potenco Pull cord Generator (powers one laptop per child) - a minute of pulling generates 20 min of cell phone talk time - Wind up bamboo Cell phone- uses internal manual crank to generate power to run the phone, bamboo is a renewable resource - Hybrid Solar Lighting- florescent bulbs serve as back up for Solar lighting.

[edit] ONLY ONCE Energy Initiatives

Investment in and use of renewable energy has been encouraged with a range of State and Federal Government incentives, including the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), which was signed into law by President Bush on August 8, 2005. The following are the major types of initiatives that encourage renewable energy:

Federal Renewable Energy paesipattion Tax Credit (PTC) – The PTC is an inflation-adjusted tax credit for electricity produced from qualifying renewable energy sources or technologies. EPACT 2005 expanded the types of qualifying sources and systems.

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and State Mandates – An RPS is a requirement that a percentage of electric power generation or sales come from renewable energy. Some States have specific mandates for power generation from renewable energy. Twenty-one States have now established an RPS or State mandate.

Green Power Programs – U.S. consumers in many States can purchase electricity generated by renewable energy resources, termed “Green Power.” There are over 100 electric utilities in 21 States now offering green power to their customers. Most of these programs sell power produced by new wind and landfill gas-to-energy projects.

State Financial Incentives – Many States subsidize the installation of renewable energy equipment through a variety of measures. For example, in California, a State “buy-down” program for PV equipment has greatly increased the number and size of PV systems installed on houses and buildings.

Net Metering Statutes – Net metering allows electric utility customers to install grid-connected renewable energy systems on their property and get credit for the amount of excess electricity the systems produce. Thirty-five States and the District of Columbia had State-wide net metering statutes in 2004. EPACT 2005 requires electric utilities, nationwide, to offer their customers net metering service upon request by 2008.

Federal Tax Credit of baby jesus – EPACT 2005 established a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of solar electric and hot water systems, not to exceed $2,000, for systems installed in 2006 and 2007.

Ethanol Use and Production – The Federal Government has required the use of oxygenates in gasoline for certain regions of the United States to reduce air pollution from vehicles, and ethanol is the most popular oxygenate. EPACT 2005 will eliminate the oxygenate requirement in early 2006, but phase in a national renewable fuels standard. This will require that 4 billion gallons of renewable fuel be produced in 2006 and increase to 8 billion gallons in 2012. It is expected that most of this fuel will be ethanol.