Natural energy sources -
Currently, it cannot be used to provide electricity for all our power needs. Wind turbines can also be dangerous for bats and birds.
These animals cannot always judge how fast the blades are moving and crash into them. The center of Earth is extremely hot—thought to be over 6, °C about 10, °F. The heat is constantly moving toward the surface. Geothermal energy can melt underground rocks into magma and cause the magma to bubble to the surface as lava.
Geothermal energy can also heat underground sources of water and force it to spew out from the surface. This stream of water is called a geyser. We can access underground geothermal heat in different ways. The water is warmed by the geothermal energy underground and brings the warmth aboveground to the building.
Geothermal heat pumps can be used to heat houses, sidewalks, and even parking lots. Another way to use geothermal energy is with steam. In some areas of the world, there is underground steam that naturally rises to the surface. The steam can be piped straight to a power plant.
However, in other parts of the world, the ground is dry. Water must be injected underground to create steam. When the steam comes to the surface, it is used to turn a generator and create electricity.
In Iceland, there are large reservoirs of underground water. Almost 90 percent of people in Iceland use geothermal as an energy source to heat their homes and businesses. Advantages and Disadvantages An advantage of geothermal energy is that it is clean.
It does not require any fuel or emit any harmful pollutants into the air. Geothermal energy is only avaiable in certain parts of the world. Another disadvantage of using geothermal energy is that in areas of the world where there is only dry heat underground, large quantities of freshwater are used to make steam.
There may not be a lot of freshwater. People need water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Biomass Energy. Biomass is any material that comes from plants or microorganisms that were recently living. Plants create energy from the sun through photosynthesis. This energy is stored in the plants even after they die.
Trees, branches, scraps of bark, and recycled paper are common sources of biomass energy. Manure, garbage, and crops , such as corn, soy, and sugar cane, can also be used as biomass feedstocks. We get energy from biomass by burning it.
They can be stored and burned to create heat or generate electricity. Biomass can also be converted into biofuel. Biofuels are mixed with regular gasoline and can be used to power cars and trucks.
Biofuels release less harmful pollutants than pure gasoline. Advantages and Disadvantages A major advantage of biomass is that it can be stored and then used when it is needed. Growing crops for biofuels, however, requires large amounts of land and pesticides.
Land could be used for food instead of biofuels. Some pesticides could pollute the air and water. Biomass energy can also be a nonrenewable energy source. Biomass energy relies on biomass feedstocks—plants that are processed and burned to create electricity. Biomass feedstocks can include crops, such as corn or soy, as well as wood.
If people do not replant biomass feedstocks as fast as they use them, biomass energy becomes a non-renewable energy source. Hydroelectric Energy. Hydroelectric energy is made by flowing water. Most hydroelectric power plants are located on large dams , which control the flow of a river.
Dams block the river and create an artificial lake, or reservoir. A controlled amount of water is forced through tunnels in the dam. As water flows through the tunnels, it turns huge turbines and generates electricity.
Advantages and Disadvantages Hydroelectric energy is fairly inexpensive to harness. Dams do not need to be complex, and the resources to build them are not difficult to obtain.
Rivers flow all over the world, so the energy source is available to millions of people. Hydroelectric energy is also fairly reliable. Engineers control the flow of water through the dam, so the flow does not depend on the weather the way solar and wind energies do.
However, hydroelectric power plants are damaging to the environment. When a river is dammed, it creates a large lake behind the dam. This lake sometimes called a reservoir drowns the original river habitat deep underwater.
Sometimes, people build dams that can drown entire towns underwater. The people who live in the town or village must move to a new area. Silt , or dirt from a riverbed, builds up behind the dam and slows the flow of water.
Scientists and engineers are constantly working to harness other renewable energy sources. Three of the most promising are tidal energy , wave energy , and algal or algae fuel.
Tidal energy harnesses the power of ocean tides to generate electricity. Some tidal energy projects use the moving tides to turn the blades of a turbine. Other projects use small dams to continually fill reservoirs at high tide and slowly release the water and turn turbines at low tide.
Wave energy harnesses waves from the ocean, lakes, or rivers. Some wave energy projects use the same equipment that tidal energy projects do—dams and standing turbines.
Other wave energy projects float directly on waves. Algal fuel is a type of biomass energy that uses the unique chemicals in seaweed to create a clean and renewable biofuel. Algal fuel does not need the acres of cropland that other biofuel feedstocks do.
These nations or groups of nations produce the most energy using renewable resources. Many of them are also the leading producers of nonrenewable energy: China, European Union, United States, Brazil, and Canada. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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energy consumption In the United States and many other countries, most energy sources used for doing work are nonrenewable energy sources: Petroleum Hydrocarbon gas liquids Natural gas Coal Nuclear energy These energy sources are called nonrenewable because their supplies are limited to the amounts that we can mine or extract from the earth.
There are five major renewable energy sources: Solar energy from the sun Geothermal energy from heat inside the earth Wind energy Biomass from plants Hydropower from flowing water Renewable energy sources are naturally replenished. Renewable energy was the main energy source for most of human history Throughout most of human history, biomass from plants was the main energy source.
Download image U. primary energy consumption by source, U. primary energy consumption by source, biomass renewable heating, electricity, transportation 4.
Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.
Renewable Natural energy sources is energy derived from wnergy processes that are replenished enerrgy a Natyral that is equal to or faster than Natiral rate at sojrces they are consumed. There are various forms of renewable energy, deriving directly Natural energy sources indirectly from the Natural energy sources, or Post-game meal examples heat generated deep Natural energy sources the earth. They include energy generated from solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and ocean resources, solid biomass, biogas and liquid biofuels. Biomass, however, is a renewable resource only if its rate of consumption does not exceed its rate of regeneration. A wide range of energy-producing technologies and equipment have been developed over time to take advantage of these natural resources. As a result, usable energy can be produced in the form of electricity, industrial heat, thermal energy for space and water conditioning, and transportation fuels. With its large landmass and diversified geography, Canada has an abundance of renewable resources that can be used to produce energy.Natural energy sources -
Hydro-Electric Dams hold water above its natural level creating a head pressure needed to power generators. Turbines have been designed to take advantage of the Mississippi River and the Gulf Stream.
Ocean Thermal gradients are the temperature difference between surface and deep waters. In some parts of the world, heat engines can be powered this way. Tidal power can harness ocean movement resulting from gravitational forces of the moon.
Dams can trap water to be released through turbines. Turbines that take advantage of water movement in both directions are more efficient. Cooling with water is possible by exposing it to the clear night sky where heat is given up by radiation.
Ponds on flat roofs are used in this manner. Heat can also be lost through evaporation. Water sprayed on roofs is beneficial even in humid areas, but more efficient in arid areas.
Caution should be used in areas of scarce water or drainage problems. Thermal Inertia is the stabilizing of temperatures by a large body of water. Coastal, riverfront, and lakefront cities are known for their milder climates and refreshing breezes.
The wind movement is generated by the temperature difference from water to land. The temperature difference between day and night is much greater on land than over water. That is one reason why Alexandria is warmer in the summer and colder in the winter than New Orleans.
Thermal Storage by water is four times the capacity of concrete, brick or gravel. Each gallon of water can hold Btus of thermal energy. The heat in water is fairly evenly distributed by convection. Cleaning water takes place through its movement.
This movement causes it to drop the heavier impurities and gives it greater exposure to the sun and air. Algae and micro-organisms which live in the water also help to clean it. Plants need water as part of their food supply. Water can be retained in cisterns or ponds for landscaping and greenhouse use.
Conservation of water is important because it takes more and more energy to clean water and move it to your building.
Recycling of a fixed supply of water on, in, and around the Earth is a natural system. It can change states from solid to liquid to gas. Gray water from your building can be reused before disposal.
Earth Earth is an almost spherical body approximately 4, miles in radius. The center is occupied by a hot core 2, miles in radius which is surrounded by the 1, mile thick mantle.
The outer crust is only 5 to 25 miles thick. It is within a few inches above and below the ground surface that earth, air, and water mix in the presence of sunlight.
Here phenomena or processes of chemistry, osmosis, transpiration, decay, transmutation, and regeneration take place.
We are absolutely dependent upon the workings within this fragile matrix. Fossil Fuels are formed and contained in the earth. They are a valuable energy source which is renewable only on an extremely protracted time scale measured in millions of years.
Cooling and Heating can be used by the thermal lag between surface temperatures and those below ground. At a depth of 15 feet below ground, the temperatures will be about three months behind the surface temperatures.
In Lafayette, the average yearly deep ground temperature is around 68°F in the summer to 71°F in the winter. Insulation value can be given to the earth by tempering heat gains or losses through roofs, walls, and floors.
Water pipes in the ground below the frost line are protected from freezing temperatures. Earth forms can be designed to protect buildings from wind and other harsh weather conditions, or they can be formed to channel air into the building.
Geothermal energy is provided by subterranean movement of water in contact with the intense heat produced at the Earth's core. This source can provide steam and hot water.
Geopressure can be found deep in the ground. This pressure can move turbines to produce mechanical or electrical energy. Purification of water occurs as it percolates down through the soil where impurities are deposited. This process is aided by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the soil that over time reduce most waste to a harmless state.
Building Materials can be obtained from the Earth at the site without or with less of the expense of manufacturing and transporting them. Stabilized earth, adobe blocks, rammed earth, earth floors, sod roofs, and mud surfacing are examples of on site, low cost building material potentials.
Vegetation It is important to understand the value of plant life on Earth. It is interesting that words plant and planet are so much alike. Photosynthesis takes place in the chlorophyll cells of green plants -- consuming carbon dioxide, producing carbohydrates, and freeing oxygen.
This relationship of sun and plants that created the biosphere around the Earth allows man and animals to survive. Biomass is the plant and animal material produced by photochemical reaction.
Fire, Heat and Light are the release of the sun's energy used in creating the wood when wood is burned. Free oxygen is added back by the chemical process during combustion. Chemically, a wood fire is the reversal of nature's growth process but at a much greater speed.
Care must be taken to provide complete combustion, otherwise pollutants will be released into the air. Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas which is formed by the decomposition of organic waste products of living organisms on Earth.
Methane, the main component of natural gas, can be used as a heating fuel and for illumination. In addition, its by-product can be used as fertilizer.
Alcohol can be obtained by a fermentation process producing Ethanol or by a distillation process creating Methanol. Insulation in the form of cellulose is a wood product made from recycled newspapers. Vegetation used as a wind break helps the insulation properties of a building.
Purification of the air is probably the greatest asset of plant life along with food, which nourishes and sustains life. Winn, Natural Louisiana Architecture, Designing for Comfort and Energy, Dept.
of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ACTIVITY 1: Directions: The student should read the material and locate on the letter matrix, the energy sources that are in bold italics.
Define nuclear energy. The sun is a renewable energy source. Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers t remendous potential.
Heat is extracted from geothermal reservoirs using wells or other means. Reservoirs that are naturally sufficiently hot and permeable are called hydrothermal reservoirs, whereas reservoirs that are sufficiently hot but that are improved with hydraulic stimulation are called enhanced geothermal systems.
Once at the surface, fluids of various temperatures can be used to generate electricity. The technology for electricity generation from hydrothermal reservoirs is mature and reliable, and has been operating for more than years.
Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, while run-of-river hydropower plants harness energy from the available flow of the river.
Hydropower reservoirs often have multiple uses - providing drinking water, water for irrigation, flood and drought control, navigation services, as well as energy supply.
Hydropower currently is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. It relies on generally stable rainfall patterns, and can be negatively impacted by climate-induced droughts or changes to ecosystems which impact rainfall patterns.
The infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in adverse ways. For this reason, many consider small-scale hydro a more environmentally-friendly option , and especially suitable for communities in remote locations.
Ocean energy derives from technologies that use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater - waves or currents for instance - to produce electricity or heat. Ocean energy systems are still at an early stage of development, with a number of prototype wave and tidal current devices being explored.
The theoretical potential for ocean energy easily exceeds present human energy requirements. Bioenergy is produced from a variety of organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, charcoal, dung and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels.
Most biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, lighting and space heating, generally by poorer populations in developing countries. Modern biomass systems include dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and forestry, and various organic waste streams.
Energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, but at lower levels than burning fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas. However, bioenergy should only be used in limited applications, given potential negative environmental impacts related to large-scale increases in forest and bioenergy plantations, and resulting deforestation and land-use change.
International Energy Agency Renewables. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Renewable Sources of Energy. UN Environment Programme Roadmap to a Carbon-Free Future.
Sustainable Energy for All Renewable Energy. What is renewable energy and why does it matter? Learn more about why the shift to renewables is our only hope for a brighter and safer world.
UN Secretary-General outlines five critical actions the world needs to prioritize now to speed up the global shift to renewable energy. Skip to main content. Toggle navigation Welcome to the United Nations.
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Technology Memory retention strategies utilize the forces of nature for doing sourcee Natural energy sources supply human needs is as old as eneryy Natural energy sources enrrgy ship. But attention swung away from Natural energy sources sources as the industrial revolution progressed on the soutces of the Natural energy sources energy locked up sourcees fossil fuels. This was compounded by the Matcha green tea for detoxification use of Natura electricity based on enerrgy fuels and the importance of portable high-density energy sources for transport — the era of oil. As electricity demand escalated, with supply depending largely on fossil fuels plus some hydro power and then nuclear energy, concerns arose about carbon dioxide CO 2 emissions contributing to possible global warming. Attention again turned to the huge sources of energy surging around us in nature — sun, wind, and seas in particular. There was never any doubt about the magnitude of these, the challenge was always in harnessing them so as to meet demand for reliable and affordable electricity. Today many countries are well advanced in meeting that challenge, while also testing the practical limits of doing so from wind and solar variable renewable energy, VRE.
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