The Renewable Energy Guide

By EnergyBeta.Com

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Copyright And Disclaimer

COPYRIGHT: Copyright 2010 energybeta.com All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

LIMITS OF LIABILITY / DISCLAIMER:

The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information herein. However, the information contained in this book is distributed without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors nor its distributors will be held liable for any damages to be caused either directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book, or by the software or hardware products described herein

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Introduction to Renewable energy-----------------------------------------------5 Different types of renewable energy ---------------------------------------------5

Solar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Different components used to make solar power: ------------------------------------------ 7 Important factors that impacts the efficiency of solar light panels: --------------------- 7 Following are some of applications of Solar Light Panels: ------------------------------- 7 Solar Energy Facts: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Wind ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 A Wind turbine includes the following parts: -------------------------------------------- 10 Types of wind turbines: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) --------------------------------------------------- 11 Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) ------------------------------------------------------ 11 Wind Energy Facts --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Geothermal --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Three geothermal technologies currently used in the United States are: ------------- 14 Direct-use systems: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Geothermal power plants: ------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Geothermal heat pumps: --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Geothermal energy Facts: ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Hydroelectric power ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Benefits: Why to opt them------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Hydro Electric Facts: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Biomass ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Biomass Facts: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Fuel cell ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Benefits and facts of Fuel cells: ------------------------------------------------------------ 23 Ocean Energy------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 1. Wave Energy: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 24 2. Tidal Energy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 3. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) ------------------------------------------ 25 Ocean Energy Facts: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

Energy consumption and renewable energy consumption ---------------- 27

Renewable energy Consumption: ------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Energy Consumption by Sector ---------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Residential ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Commercial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28 Industrial --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Transportation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Renewable energy consumption and Electricity:-------------------------------------------- 30

The Potential of Renewable Energy ------------------------------------------- 35 Latest technological trends in the area --------------------------------------- 37
The Technologies: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37 Wind Energy-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Solar Energy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Biomass Energy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Aquatic Biofuels: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Geothermal Energy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 39

Political, Economical and environmental factors moving towards renewable energy ------------------------------------------------------------------ 40
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Benefits of using renewable energy ----------------------------------------------------------- 41 Benefits of Solar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 41 Benefits: Why to opt Wind power: --------------------------------------------------------- 42 Benefits of Using Biomass Energy --------------------------------------------------------- 43 Benefits: Why to opt Fuel cells ------------------------------------------------------------- 44 Benefits of Geothermal energy: ------------------------------------------------------------ 46 Benefits of Hydroelectric power: ----------------------------------------------------------- 47

Challenges in using Renewable Energy --------------------------------------- 48

Different challenges in using solar energy: -------------------------------------------------- 48 Wind power challenges ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 Geothermal Challenges ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 Hydroelectric power Challenges--------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Biomass Power Challenges --------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 Fuel cells and Challenges ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 53 Ocean Energy and Challenges ----------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Powering homes with their own renewable types of energy -------------- 54

DIY Solar Energy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54 DIY Wind Energy:------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 DIY Solar Wind energy: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 55

The Future for Renewable Energy -------------------------------------------- 56 Renewable energy products available in the market----------------------- 57
Solar Charger: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 57 Solar Attic Fan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58 Solar lights ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59 Solar bricks --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Solar-Powered Security Camera: -------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Wind Energy Kit for Boat ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Wind & Solar Hybrid System: ----------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Water pumping Windmills: -------------------------------------------------------------------- 61 A Fuel cell vehicle: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 62

Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62 References: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 64

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Introduction Introduction to Renewable energy

We all are answerable for climate change and it is our responsibility to work for its solution. In the past century, it has been noticed that the consumption of non-renewable sources of energy has caused more environmental damage than any other human activity. Electricity generated from fossil fuels has led to high concentrations of injurious gases in the atmosphere. In spite of the harmful effects, the price of the fuels is pushing relentlessly upwards. The reason is that the demand is exceeding supply by a few million barrels a day and the gap is getting wider. The need of the hour is sustainable, clean and green energy. We can no longer afford to spew out tones of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, nor can we easily cope with the rising fuel prices anymore. The myth of inexhaustible natural reserves has been dispelled. Were surrounded by many renewable sources of energy, merely waiting to be tapped into. Renewable energy is the energy derived from natural processes that are replenished frequently. Renewable sources can avoid above problems by using energy sources that either will last longer than the human race or can be regenerated. Most renewable energy sources are environmentally friendly, can fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions and also allow the economies to lessen their dependencies on politically turbulent nations. Renewable energy is the energy generated from solar, wind, rain, tides, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

Different types of renewable energy

Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are constantly renewed in a short period of time. Renewable sources of energy differ widely in their cost-effectiveness and their availability around the world. Though water, wind, and solar may appear free, but their cost comes in assembling, harnessing, and transporting the energy that could be used. For instance, to make use of energy from water, a dam with electric generators and transmission lines is required. Renewable energy sources used most often are: Solar Wind Geothermal Hydropower Biomass Hydrogen

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Solar
Solar energy is the cleanest and inexhaustible of all known energy sources. Solar energy is the light, heat and other radiation that is released from the sun. Solar radiation holds huge amounts of energy and is responsible for almost all the natural processes on earth.

Science behind the Working of Solar light Panels: Solar light Panels have photovoltaic cells or Solar Cells which are arranged in a grid-like pattern on its surface. Solar cells are made of special materials for example silicon. When the solar energy falls on Solar light Panels, this energy knocks electrons loose and allows them to flow freely. The solar cells have the electric field that makes the loose electrons to move in certain direction, which is a current. To take out this current off for external use we place metal contacts on the top and bottom of our solar cell. This is the basic process. But to understand it better lets consider one example of solar cell: the single-crystal silicon cell.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mafate_Marla_solar_panel_dsc00633.jpg)

Silicon in its crystalline form has some unique chemical properties. One single atom of silicon has 14 electrons that are arranged in three diverse shells. The first two inner shells which are closest to the nucleus are completely full. The outer shell has just four electrons. The outer shell is short of four electrons to make it full or stable; therefore a silicon atom will always look for ways to fill up its last shell. For completing its outer shell, it will share the four electrons with its neighboring silicon atoms. This results in the formation of the crystalline structure. This was the explanation of pure crystalline silicon, which is a poor conductor of electricity. It means all the electrons are fully locked. Solar cells have the silicon however with impurities and these impurities are put there for making it more conducting. Lets think about an atom of silicon along with that of phosphorous EnergyBeta.Com

which has five electrons inside its outer shell. When it bonds with its adjacent silicon atoms, there is one electron in phosphorous that is free. While energy or heat is added to it, the majority of these electrons go free, and therefore we have a lot of free carriers. The process of addition of impurities is called doping. When silicon atom is doped with phosphorous, then the resultant silicon which we get is called N-type ("n" for negative) because of the dominance of free electrons which are negatively charged. Actually, by this we got an N-type part of our solar cell. To get the other part silicon atom is doped with boron that has three electrons in place of four in its outer shell, to turn into P-type silicon. In this P-type silicon ("p" for positive) we have free holes. When we put N-type silicon collectively with P-type silicon, the free electrons from the N side, which necessitates holes to fall into, found the free holes on the P side, and they rush to fill them in. This completes the electric field that makes our solar cell work.

Different components used to make solar power:

Solar cells, which are commonly called PV panels One or more batteries Charge regulator for a stand-alone system Inverter, when alternating current (ac) rather than direct current (dc) is required Wiring Mounting hardware or a framework.

Important factors that impacts the efficiency of solar light panels: panels:

Reflectivity of the cell surface Efficiency is also affected by the amount of light blocked by the surface electrodes lying on the front of the cell. Operating temperature of the cell also affects the efficiency, hotter a cell gets the less current it produces. Inherently, solar cells in use get hot, so it is important to mount them in such a way that they are cooled to keep current production at its maximum. Take care that the batteries used for your system are suitable for the application. As the batteries used in these systems are discharged and recharged slowly.

Following are some of applications of Solar Light Panels:

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"Stand-Alone" PV Systems: This is most simple PV systems that produce direct-current (dc) electricity so it can be used right-away to run fans, water pumps, and many other appliances that use dc electricity. Battery Storage PV Systems: These can be designed to power equipment that needs DC or AC electricity. People running ac equipment can add an inverter which is a power conditioning device between the batteries and the load. PV Systems having Backup Generator Power: It is best suited for the situations in which remote or non-grid-connected power is needed and that power must always be available. Hybrid Power Systems: These systems are ideal for remote applications like military installations, communication stations, and rural villages PV Systems and Net Metering: This allows homeowners to get the full value of the electricity which their solar energy system produces.

Energy Solar Energy Facts:

NASA estimated that the Sun gives or irradiates the earth 174 Petawatts (Pw) of solar energy every day. Out of this roughly 30% of energy is reflected back to space, and another major share is absorbed by our atmosphere. Even if we get only 10% of this energy which is about 17.4 Pw per day, it is still more than the whole daily energy requirement worldwide. [#1] Do you know out of total solar radiation that falls on our solar panel how much energy does our Solar cell absorb? Sorry to say that our simple solar panel can absorb only about 14 % or less. Solar Energy is measured in kilowatt-hour. 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts. 1-kilowatt home solar system consists of about 10-12 solar panels and requires about 100 square feet of installation area. [#2] Solar thermal technology can also create electricity by creating steam to power generators. In 1990, a solar powered airplane flew across the U.S.[#2] The "solar panel" accounts for between 40-50% of the total cost of an installed solar energy system. [#2] During the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci already had plans for solar concentrators in his notebooks.

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In just one hour, the earth receives more energy from the sun than the entire world uses during a whole year.[#3] Solar energy can produce lighting for indoor or outdoor use. It can be used to heat swimming pools, power cars, and small appliances. You can even cook food with solar energy. It is calculated (from a William Marsh Rice University a.k.a. Rice University whitepaper) that it would take 25000 square kilometers of solar panels to produce all of the U.S. Electricity needs for one year, and there is definitely this amount of land available in the United States. [#4] According to a global price survey, solar energy prices have declined an average of 4% per year for the past 10 to 15 years. A 1-kilowatt home solar system will prevent approximately 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 lbs of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month! [#2]

Considering the advantages and facts of solar energy, need to build solar power is clear. The advantages range from benefiting our pocket to the environment. Installing solar panels or solar lights, etc., may be costly in the beginning but you can definitely save money in the long run. As solar energy is available for free in comparison to rising cost of oil, which means future $aving$..... Wind is another form of solar energy, we can combine the power of wind with solar to expand the use and reliability. Wind energy combined with solar or as a standalone energy source is a good solution.

Wind
Wind is a form of solar energy. The irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, plus rotation of the earth causes winds. This wind energy, when "harvested" by wind turbines produces energy which can be trapped to generate electricity and carry out many functions. For hundreds of years human beings have used wind to pump water or grind grain. Modern wind turbines are used to produce electricity, either for individual use or for contribution to a utility power grid. Now days, wind energy is the worlds fastest-growing energy technology. Wind turbines with strong, steady winds can cost-effectively generate electricity with no pollutants. Wind turbines generally have two or three blades. As winds above the ground tend to be faster and less

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turbulent than those near the surface, the turbines are mounted on tall towers to capture the most energy.

Science behind the Working of Wind Turbines:

(Source: http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/commons/5/52/EERE_illust_large_turbine.gif) Wind energy is generated by the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. When wind moves over the turbine blades, it generates a lift. The lift makes the blades rotate and hence rotate the shaft. The rotating shaft moves a magnetic field in the generator, which in turn creates electricity.

includes A Wind turbine includes the following parts:

Gearbox Gear box connects the low and high-speed shaft to each other Blades - wind blowing over the blades causes them to lift and rotate Hub - the sphere object used to mount the blades on Generator Generator creates at least 60-cycle AC electricity Tower Tower is the metal pole the turbine operates from. Tower is at least 100 feet off the ground so that the turbine can capture the least turbulent wind Rotor hub Rotor hub is the hub and the blades together Yaw drive Yaw drive is required only for an upwind turbine; it keeps the rotor facing the wind EnergyBeta.Com

Yaw motor It provides power for the yaw drive Nacelle Nacelle sits on top of the tower and clings to the gear box Low-speed shaft It is turned by the rotor at a rate of 30 to 60 rotations every minute High-speed shaft It connects to the generator and drives it Anemometer Anemometer is used to measures the speed of the wind

T ypes of wind turbines:

HorizontalHorizontal- axis wind turbines (HAWT)

Horizontal-axis wind turbines are the turbines in which the axis of the rotor's rotation is parallel to the wind stream and the ground. Every one of grid-connected commercial wind turbines today are built with a horizontal axis. HAWTs have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a tower, which must be pointed into the wind. Small turbines uses simple wind vane, whereas large turbines usually use a wind sensor coupled with a servo motor. Most of these turbines have a gearbox, which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a faster rotation that is more appropriate to drive an electrical generator.

VerticalVertical- axis wind turbines (VAWT)

VAWTs have the main rotor shaft arranged vertically. Main advantages of this arrangement are that the turbines need not to be pointed into the wind to be effective. This is a big advantage on sites wherever the wind direction is highly variable. They are omni-directional which implies that it can instantly accept wind from any direction unlike Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) which have to constantly rotate so that they are facing the wind. VAWT is near the ground, having all of the main components close to the ground, so the tower doesn't need to support it, and it is more accessible for maintenance.

Windmill blades play an important role in improving the efficiency of a wind turbine. Although at the beginning wind turbines were somehow inefficient, but people learned to develop them and to make the windmills a desirable source of energy. Many more shapes and materials have and will be used for windmill blades and people start using more and EnergyBeta.Com

more this alternative source of energy that will not only save our money, but also our environment.

Wind Energy Facts

Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable sources of energy. Wind energy is the fastest growing section of all renewable energy sources. Wind energy is incredibly exploited in Germany where Germany leads the way with 8750 MW of electrical energy produced from wind energy. [#5] Wind energy is more used in Europe than in America, because of favorable climate conditions and because of USA traditional relying on fossil fuels. [#5] Wind energy is mainly transformed form of the Sun's energy. Wind energy is airflows created by different air temperatures in different locations. The sun does all these Earthly dynamics. Thats why wind energy is solar energy. If properly developed, wind power could successfully reduce carbon emissions in the US by at least one third every year and help realize a global carbon dioxide reduction of 4% yearly. In 2006, seven wind turbines off the coast of Dublin, Ireland, represent the largest wind turbines in the world with a capacity of 3.6 MW each. By 2009, the largest wind farm is positioned in the US. It is the Florida Power and Light's Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, in Taylor County, Texas. It has 421 wind turbines having a capacity of 735 megawatts. In 2005 wind energy generated less than 1% of global energy and generated 58,982 MW worldwide. By end 2008 it measured 27,051 MW. 8% of Europe electricity is derived from wind, well ahead of coal and natural gas. The US is the country with the largest wind energy capacity and China exceeded its 2010 target of 10,000 to reach 12,200 MW. [#7] At the 2004 Wind Energy expo in Hamburg, Germany Danish company LM Glasfiber aired out the world's longest windmill blade. The blade was 61.5 meters long and weighed in at just less than 18 tons, which as far as 61.5 meter windmill blades go, is extremely light. When three blades are positioned on a windmill they have a rotary diameter of 126 meters. [#8] Wind energy theory was discovered in 1919 by the German physicist Albert Betz and published in his book Wind-Energie. [#5]

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In 1995, the cost of electricity generated from gas and coal was between 3 and 4 US cents per kilowatt-hour, nuclear power cost 10 to 14 cents, wind power was 5 to 7 cents and solar photovoltaic power was 25 to 40 cents. But the price gap between nonrenewable and renewable energy is closing. By 2030, wind, solar and biomass power may cost less than fossil or nuclear fuels. [#6]

Wind energy contributes to diversification of energy sources and decreases dependence from fuel imports, increasing energy security of the country. Geothermal energy is another good option of renewable energy, which helps us to tap the vast energy below Earth surface.

Geothermal
Do you know that Earths center can reach 12000 degrees Fahrenheit? Just imagine if we could tap that heat for our own use. Geothermal systems do just that. Geothermal energy is the energy that is generated by heat stored beneath the Earth's surface. Geothermal energy taps the Earths internal heat for lot of purposes including electric power production, heating and cooling of buildings. Working or Principle behind Geothermal Power Plant:

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geothermal_energy_methods.png)

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In Geothermal Power Plant energy is generated by drilling deep holes into the earths crust. Geothermal power source is continuously available.

in Three geothermal technologies currently used in the United States are:

Direct-use systems Geothermal power plants Geothermal heat pumps

DirectDirect- use systems:

In these systems, a well is drilled into a geothermal reservoir to supply a steady stream of hot water. The water is brought up from the well, and with the help of piping, a heat exchanger, and controls the heat is delivered directly for its intended use. A disposal system in some cases injects the cooled water underground or disposes of it in a surface storage pond. This Geothermal hot water is used for many purposes including heating buildings, raising plants in greenhouses, heating water for fish farms, drying crops, or for industrial processes.

Geothermal power plants:

In these systems geothermal hot water or steam is used to generate electricity. Older types of geothermal power plants uses steam from the deep wells to directly drive a turbine to produce electricity. Nowadays Flash steam plants are the most common type of geothermal power plants. They use very hot water which is pumped under high pressure to the generation equipment at the surface. Water is vaporized and the vapor drives turbines to generate electricity.

Geothermal heat pumps:

Geothermal heat pumps rely on the fact that below the surface, the Earth remains at a relatively constant temperature all through the year, warmer than the air over it in the winter and cooler in the summer. This heat pump transfers heat stored in the ground into a building in winter and it transfers the heat out of the building and back into the ground in summer. The geothermal heat pump has series of pipes, buried in the ground close to a building to be conditioned. Fluid is circulated all the way through the pipes to either absorb heat from the ground or distribute heat to the ground. These Geothermal heat pumps are used for space heating and cooling in addition to water heating, for residential and commercial applications.

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Geothermal energy Facts:

Geothermal power stations are relatively small, and have a lesser impact on the environment than for instance hydroelectric plants. Geothermal energy is clean and safe for the surrounding environment. The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major plate boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated. Most of the geothermal activity in the world occurs in an area called the Ring of Fire. This area rims the Pacific Ocean. [#9] For every 100 meters you go below ground, the temperature of the rock increases about 3 degrees Celsius. Or for every 328 feet below ground, the temperature increases 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit. [#9] Geothermal energy is sustainable because hot water can be re-injected into the ground. Geothermal energy is extremely price competitive in suitable areas. Geothermal energy is main energy source in Iceland. Iceland is situated in an area with a high concentration of volcanoes, making it an ideal location for generating geothermal energy. Over 26% of Iceland's electrical energy is generated from geothermal sources. In addition, geothermal heating is used to heat 87% of homes in Iceland. Icelanders plan to be 100% non-fossil fuel in the near future. [#9] Geothermal energy is very important energy source in volcanically active places such as New Zealand and Iceland. Geothermal energy can be found in the form of volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. Geothermal energy use has very low emissions of greenhouse gases to about three percent of the carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil power station. Geothermal energy is widely used in California with more than 30 geothermal power plants that are producing more than 90 % of the geothermal electricity in the USA. [#10] Geothermal energy's amount of electricity is less than 1 percent of total electricity produced in the USA. [#10] Geothermal energy has minimum negative environmental impact. Geothermal energy is giving 18 % of Iceland's total electricity. [#10] Geothermal energy could produce 10 percent of US electricity by the year 2050. [#10]

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Geothermal energy could supply US with more than 30,000 MW of power by 2025. [#10] Geothermal energy doesn't depend on the sun like other renewable energy resources. Geothermal energy widely exploited in Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Philippines and in USA mostly in California and Nevada. Geothermal energy is extremely efficient (almost 100 %) energy source where only real source of losing energy is from turbine friction. Geothermal energy has only one real problem and that is lack of easily accessible sites. Geothermal energy's advantage is also the fact that geothermal power plants run continuously day and night with an uptime typically exceeding 95%.

Geothermal energy is cheap renewable energy resource that is also ecologically acceptable. But this energy is not easily available in all areas, so it should be exploited at least at the areas where this energy is easily available (edges of tectonic plates). This would lessen the pressure on fossil fuels and will help Earth to recover from dangerous greenhouse gases. Hydroelectric power is another good source of renewable energy which is by-far the most popular and supplies between 15-20% of the world's electricity.

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Hydroelectric power
The hydroelectric power plants or Dams are used to generate electricity from water on large scale basis. The hydroelectric power plant is built across the large river which has sufficient quantity of water. In case the river is large, more than one dam can also be built across the river but at different locations. Flowing water generates energy which can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydropower or hydroelectric power.

Working or Principle behind Hydroelectric Power Plant: The water that flows in the river possesses two type of energy: the kinetic energy which is due to flow of water and potential energy which is due to the height of water. In hydroelectric power plants potential energy of water is utilized to generate electricity.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydroelectric_dam.png) Water is made to fall with a high force. The force of the water being released through the dam falls on the blades of turbine, which is turned by the moving water. The shaft from the turbine goes into the generator, which generates the power. Power lines are linked to the generator which carries electricity to the homes or factories. When ever the water is done going through the turbine, the water go back to the river.

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Benefits: Why to opt them

Inexhaustible fuel source: Hydroelectric power plants use water to generate electricity which is renewable and is inexhaustible. Clean source of energy: Since the hydroelectric power plants dont burn any fuel no pollution is created. It does not emit any harmful gases or particulate matter, thus keeps the atmosphere clean and healthy for living.

Cost of electricity is constant: Since it does not require any fuel to produce electricity; the cost of electricity produced by them is more or less constant. Saves lot of local currency: Hydroelectric power plants do not depend on the cost of fuels like coal, oil and natural gas in the international market. The country doesnt have to import the fuel, thus saving lots of local currency. Check floods: The Hydroelectric power plants prevent floods in the areas adjoining the large rivers. Irrigation: Water from the Hydroelectric power plants can also be used for the irrigation of farm lands therefore producing the agriculture outputs throughout the year even in the areas where there is insufficient or no rainfall. Long life: The life of hydroelectric power plants is long. There are hydroelectric power plants that were built more than 50-100 years ago and are still running. Hydroelectric power plants require relatively low operations and maintenance costs. The technology is trustworthy and proven over time. Withstand high peak daily loads Water sports and gardens: In surrounding area of the dams the water from reservoir can be used to develop public recreational facilities like water parks for water sports and gardens.

Hydro Electric Facts:

Hydroelectricity is by far the most popular form of renewable energy, and supplies between 15-20% of the world's electricity. [#11] Hydroelectric projects normally results in the damage to aquatic habitats and ecosystems and also to the surrounding indigenous communities. [#11] EnergyBeta.Com

Hydropower today provides about 20 % of the world's electricity and is the main energy source for more than 30 countries. [#12] Hydropower's advantage over other renewable energy sources is the fact that average rainfall is highly predictable and therefore output is reliable and river flow doesn't fluctuate from minute to minute like is the case with wind energy. [#12] Hydropower can also be used for water supply, flood control, irrigation and even recreation purposes. Hydropower doesn't pollute the air but construction and work of the dams can affect natural water systems. Hydropower accounts for 70 % of produced electricity in northwestern United States. [#12] The first hydroelectric power station in history started producing electricity in 1882, according to the Library of Congress web site. It was located in the state of Wisconsin, and used the Fox River for electrical generation. [#13]

Hydroelectric Dams are used for generating the electricity from water's energy. Problems occurs during the summer months when natural flow gets low for hydroelectric's functioning. In that case, the dam must be sealed and it's essential to at least sustain water level which is biological minimum. There are other renewable energies available like Biomass power which is another good option.

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Biomass
The term Biomass often refers to organic material such as timber and crops grown particularly to be burnt to generate heat and power. Biomass power is power acquired from the energy in plants and plant-derived resources, such as food crops, grassy and woody plants, remains from agriculture or forestry, and the organic constituent of municipal and industrial wastes. The highyielding energy crops like trees and grasses, coupled with high-efficiency conversion technologies, can supplement our use of fossil fuels and help us take action to global climate change concerns. Agricultural crops and residues, industrial wood and logging residues, farm animal wastes, and the organic portion of municipal waste all are biomass feedstock. We need to make sustainable use of plants or trees as fuel, and replant them as we harvest them. As long as biomass is produced sustainably by only using as much as is grownthe battery will last forever. Biofuel technologies can competently transform the energy in biomass into transportation, heating, and electricity generating fuels.

Working or Principle behind Biopower: Electricity generated from biomass or biopower uses many different technologies to generate electricity. The most widespread is burning of wood or other feed stocks to produce steam which is then used to drive turbines and generate electricity. Some generators make use of a mix of biomass and fossil fuels to produce electricity, whereas others burn methane, a result of the natural decay of organic materials. In the US, the pulp and paper industries are main producers of biopower.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornfield_near_Sulhamstead__geograph.org.uk_-_22984.jpg) Biomass is a renewable energy source since the energy it encloses comes from the sun. During the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plants captures the sun's energy. Chlorophyll also converts carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground into carbohydrates which are complex compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. On burning these carbohydrates, they turn back into carbon dioxide and water and also release the sun's energy they contain. Like this, biomass functions as a natural battery for storing solar energy. We EnergyBeta.Com

should make sustainable use of plants or trees as fuel, and replant them as we harvest them with the intention that the carbon is reabsorbed in a continuous and virtuous cycle.

Biomass Facts:
Biomass can be used to make electricity. Many towns burn their garbage in waste-toenergy plants. Instead of putting the garbage in landfills, they burn it to make electricity. Biomass is not fossilized material (like oil, coal and gas) but fresh material that can grow again after having been harvested. Modern biomass is used to produce power and heat in large-scale facilities: solid biomass, biogas, biofuel or biodiesel. Biomass can be used to make an energy-rich gas called biogas. Biogas is like the natural gas we use in our stoves and furnaces. Like crude oil refining, it is expected that plant biomass will be fractionated into its different component parts, which will then be used for the production of a wide variety of fuels, materials and fine chemicals. [#14] Biomass is becoming increasingly interesting as a source of heating for rural districts. Biomass will be the most important fuel for rural households particularly in their cooking and agriculture activities such as crop drying. The forest biomass is currently the most expensive fuel for the power plants and the market structure will not support transport of much more than 50 miles from the forest to the biomass power plant. Biomass includes varied organic matter like grass, leaves, wood, wood chips, rice husk, peanut shells, sugarcane fiber, sewage etc. [#15] The source of biomass energy is mainly found in rural areas. Biomass energy production is a labor intensive activity and hence, can be a good source of employment for rural population. [#15] Almost 10% of the biomass energy consumed in the United States comes from garbage which is called municipal solid waste (MSW). The biogenic material like paper, cardboard, food scraps, grass clippings, leaves, leather goods etc. form the source of biomass energy in MSW. This biomass is used to produce electricity. [#15]

Biopower as explained can no doubt help in reducing green house gases emission; lets update our self with the Hydrogen Fuel cells which is really a clean power that emits only pure water.

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There are no toxic emissions even if electricity is generated in schools, hospitals, homes and factories.

Fuel cell
Fuel cell operates just like a battery. But unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not require recharging. It will generate energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied. Working or Principle behind fuel cells:

A fuel cell comprises of two conductors (an anode and a cathode) which are separated by an electrolyte solution (e.g. a salt solution). Hydrogen is passed to the anode, and oxygen is passed to the cathode. Hydrogen reacts with charged particles or ions in the electrolyte, results in the production of water and electrons. The electrons then leave the fuel cell along wires; this is nothing but the electric current generated by the cell. The electrons return to the fuel cell cathode where these electrons combine with oxygen and water to create ions which replace those consumed at the anode. And this way the cycle continues, with hydrogen and oxygen being turned into water while generating electricity.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fuelcell.en.JPG)

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Benefits and facts of Fuel cells:

Does not release global warming gases- As hydrogen is obtained from renewable energy sources, no global warming gases are emitted. Hydrogen fuel cell systems store alternating solar and wind power so there is no requirement of back -up generators powered by fossil fuels. Hydrogen can also be acquired from wave, tidal, biomass or waste energy sources. Quiet operation- Fuel cells can generate electricity efficiently and quietly on the site where it is needed. Security of supply- There is a security of supply in fuel cells, as hydrogen can be obtained from using the renewable and indigenous resources of sun, wind, wave, waste, biomass or tidal power.

Environmental impacts of fuel cells- Fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel; fuel cells are basically more efficient than combustion systems. High Benefits- Benefits that fuel cells offer, no other energy generating technology holds those benefits. If only 20% of cars used fuel cells, America could cut oil imports by roughly 1.5 million barrels every day. [#16] Fuel cells are used in powering trains, buses, boats, planes, scooters, forklifts, even bicycles. A fuel cell produces direct current (DC) voltage which can be used to power motors, lights or any number of electrical appliances. Fuel cells are used in wastewater treatment plants and landfills to convert the methane gas produced there into electricity. Fuel cells are also used in vending machines, vacuum cleaners and highway road signs. Fuel cells are providing power to hospitals, credit card centers, police stations, and banks. Telecommunications Now days as the use of computers, the Internet, and communication networks are steadily increasing, there arises a need for more reliable power than is available on the current electrical grid, and fuel cells have proven to be up to 99.9% reliable. Fuel cell car's overall efficiency is about 60 percent. In comparison, the overall efficiency of a typical gasoline-fueled vehicle is only about 20 percent [#17].

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Ocean Energy
Oceans which cover more than 70% of Earth's surface contain two types of energy:

mechanical energy from tides and waves Thermal energy from the suns heat

Three ways to tap the energy from the ocean are:

1. Wave Energy:

Ocean waves are driven primarily by the winds. Wave energy having the potential to provide an unlimited source of renewable energy, can be extracted and transformed into electricity by wave power machines. These machines can be installed either on the shoreline or in deeper waters offshore.

Ocean wave energy is the form of kinetic energy which exists in the moving waves of the ocean. As waves are originated by blowing winds over the surface of the ocean, this kinetic energy can be used to power a turbine. As the wave rises into a chamber, the rising water forces the air away of the chamber. The moving air spins a turbine which can spin a generator. As the wave departs downward, air flows through the turbine and back into the chamber through doors which are normally closed. This is just one type to extract wave-energy. Others use the up and down motion of the wave to power a piston which moves up and down inside a cylinder. And this piston can also turn a generator.

2. Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is another form of ocean energy, caused principally by the interaction of the gravitational fields of the earth, moon and sun. The coastal water level varies twice every day. Alternatively filling and emptying of natural basins along the shoreline can be exploited to turn mechanical devices to produce electricity.

The technology required to generate electricity from tidal energy is similar to that used in hydroelectric power plants. When tides move toward the shore, they can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams. And when the tide drops, the water behind the dam can be let out similar to that in a regular hydroelectric power plant.

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3. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

Oceans cover almost two-third of Earth's surface makes them the world's largest solar collectors. The sun's heat warms the surface water more than the deep ocean water. In Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, electricity is generated using this temperature difference to generate power. OTEC gives best results when the temperature difference between the warmer (top layer of the ocean) and the colder (deep ocean water) is about 20C. The appropriate conditions exist in tropical coastal areas, generally between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer.

Ocean Energy Facts:

1. Oceans cover over 70% of the Earths surface, making them the worlds largest solar energy collectors. The oceans constitute the largest powerhouse on Earth. [#18] 2. Ocean energy is mostly in an experimental stage but some of its component technologies have the potential to become mainstream energy sources and are now being trialed. 3. Ocean tides constitute a clean and inexhaustible energy source, free from the climatic irregularities which are a constraint on wind and solar power. 4. One of the worlds most suitable sites is the estuary of the river Rance, in western France, where the difference between high and low tides averages 8.17 meters, peaking at 13.5 meters during the equinoxes. [#18] 5. The biggest problem in developing renewable ocean energy is obtaining the necessary capital to prove the technology. 6. The cost of electricity from ocean energy is of the order of about a factor two compared to other electricity renewable energy sources. 7. The largest but most experimental form of ocean energy is ocean thermal energy conversion, which taps heat stored in the ocean to generate electricity. 8. Ocean Energy is recognized in the new US Energy Bill. The US Department of Energy is focusing its hydro capacity toward ocean energy.

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9. Using current technologies, most ocean energy is not cost-effective compared to other renewable energy sources, but the ocean remains and important potential energy source for the future. 10. Ocean energy has the potential to deliver ten million terra-watt hours of electricity per year. 11. According to the survey of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Ho, 2003), the global reserve of ocean energy was 73.6 TW, in which around 40 TW was OTEC. [#18] 12. The cost of ocean energy systems will reduce as the numbers of devices produced, per offshore development, increase. However, unless the devices can be arranged effectively in an array, large scale deployment will not be commercially viable. 13. The oldest tidal power plant was set up 1965 on the Rance River in northwestern France with 24, 10MW generators. It has functioned without fail ever since. Other plants exist in Russia, Canada and China. [#19] 14. Some areas of the world have better wave power potential than others. A few of the best areas include the western coasts of Scotland, northern Canada, southern Africa, Australia, and the northeastern and northwestern coasts of the United States. In the Pacific Northwest alone, wave energy could potentially produce 4070 kilowatts (kW) per meter (3.3 feet) of western coastline, and the west coast of the U.S. is more than a 1,000 miles long. [#20] 15. Worldwide, venture capital investments in ocean power companies have risen from $8 million in 2005 to $82 million in 2008, according to the Cleantech Group. [#20]

Ocean energy sector certainly needs more research to ensure cost-effectiveness. As oceans cover roughly two thirds of earth's surface, they present renewable energy source with tremendous potential and definitely worth further exploration.

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Energy En ergy consumption and renewable energy consumption

Renewable energy offers our planet an opening to diminish Carbon emissions, clean the air, and put our civilization on a more sustainable footing. It in addition offers countries around the world the opportunity to improve their energy security and encourage economic development. In 2008, total worldwide energy consumption was 474 exajoules (4741018 J) with 80 to 90 percent derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. This is equivalent to an average power consumption rate of 15 terawatts (1.5041013 W). [#21]

Renewable energy Consumption:

In 2006, nearly 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, which is mostly used for heating, and 3% from hydroelectricity. New renewables (like modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) accounted for another 2.4% and are growing very rapidly. The share of renewables in electricity generation is about 18%, with 15% of global electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3.4% from new renewables. Renewable energy consumption grew by 7 percent between 2007 and 2008, in spite of a 2 percent decline in total U.S. energy consumption. Total renewable energy consumption increased by 487 trillion Btu to 7,301 trillion Btu. Based on EIA estimates of renewable energy back to 1949, this is the utmost level attained and is because of substantial increases in the use of biofuels, wind and solar energy. Renewable energys share of total U.S. energy consumption was 6% in 2004 and was over 7% in 2008, compared to 6 percent in 2004. [#22]

Energy Consumption by Sector

Renewable energy is consumed across all energy use sectors (Table 2). However patterns keep changing, the two largest consuming sectors are electric power and industrial. In 2008, the electric power sector accounted for 51 percent of renewable energy consumption and the industrial sector 28 percent, down from 56 and 30 percent, respectively, in 2004. This was due in some measure to the substantial change in the transportation sector, whose share rose from 5 to 11 percent between 2004 and 2008. The gain was due to increased consumption of biofuels, primarily ethanol derived from corn, but also to a lesser extent biodiesel. [#23] Finally the two smallest sectors, residential and commercial, maintained their shares of total renewable energy consumption at 8 and 2 percent, respectively.

Residential
Residential delivered energy consumption was 11.3 quadrillion Btu in 2008. Contributing to the lower level of residential energy use is the recent adoption of regional standards for heating and cooling equipment. Recently enacted efficiency standards for residential lighting products and EnergyBeta.Com

incandescent lighting significantly reduce electricity demand for lighting in the residential sector. Shipments of ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps to the residential market increased 40 percent in 2008 and greater consumer awareness have fostered significant growth in this emerging technology. [#23]

Commercial
Despite faster growth in commercial square footage, higher energy prices lead to slower growth in commercial energy consumption, along with increased adoption of energy conservation and efficiency measures. Delivered commercial energy consumption grows to 8.5 quadrillion Btu in 2007 [#23] New lighting and refrigeration standards and Federal and State efficiency programs help offset increasing demand for electricity to power electronic equipment.

Industrial

Slightly more than one-third of delivered energy consumption in the United States occurs in the industrial sector. The largest users of energy in this sector are the bulk chemical, refining, mining, and paper industries. These four industries together account for more than 60 percent of total industrial delivered energy consumption. [#23]

Transportation
Delivered energy consumption in the transportation sector grows to 31.2 quadrillion Btu in 2008. [#23]

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Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity Preliminary Statistics 2008 Table 1 U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source, 2004 - 2008 (Quadrillion Btu) Energy Source Total Fossil Fuels Coal Coal Coke Imports Natural Gas1 Petroleum2 Electricity Imports Nuclear Power Net Electric Net 2004 100.349 85.830 22.466 0.137 22.931 40.294 0.039 8.222 6.260 3.023 0.513 0.389 2005 2006 2007 2008

100.485 99.876 85.817 84.690 22.797 22.447 0.045 0.061

101.552 99.305 86.174 83.436 22.748 22.421 0.025 0.040

22.583 22.224 40.393 39.958 0.084 8.160 6.423 3.133 0.594 0.403 2.136 0.343 2.703 0.066 0.178 0.063 8.214 6.909 3.361 0.795 0.414 2.152 0.343 2.869 0.072 0.264

23.628 23.838 39.773 37.137 0.106 8.458 6.814 3.597 1.025 0.430 2.142 0.349 2.446 0.081 0.341 0.113 8.455 7.301 3.884 1.413 0.431 2.041 0.358 2.453 0.091 0.514

Renewable Energy Biomass

3

Biofuels Waste

Wood Derived Fuels 2.121 Geothermal Energy Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Energy Wind Energy
1 2

0.341 2.690 0.065 0.142

Includes supplemental gaseous fuels. Petroleum products supplied, including natural gas plant liquids and crude oil burned as fuel. 3 Biomass includes: biofuels, waste (landfill gas, MSW biogenic, and other biomass), wood and wood derived fuels. PV = Photovoltaic. Notes: Data revisions are discussed in the Highlights section. Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Data for 2008 is preliminary. Sources: Non-renewable energy: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Monthly Energy Review (MER) April 2009, DOE/EIA-0035 (2009/04) (Washington, DC, April 2009), Tables 1.3, 1.4a and 1.4b; Renewable Energy: Table 2 of this report.

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Renewable energy consumption and Electricity:

Data For: 2008 Report Released: July 2009 Next Release Date: July 2010 Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity Preliminary Statistics 2008 Table 2 Renewable Energy Consumption by Energy Use Sector and Energy Source, 2004 - 2008 (Quadrillion Btu) Sector and Source Total Biomass Biofuels Biodiesel Ethanol
2 1

2004 6.260 3.023 0.513 0.003 0.299 0.210 * 0.210 0.389 0.144 0.164 0.081

2005 2006 6.423 6.909 3.133 3.361 0.594 0.795 0.012 0.033 0.342 0.462 0.240 0.300 * *

2007 2008 6.814 7.301 3.597 3.884 1.025 1.413 0.046 0.041 0.580 0.809 0.399 0.563 0.001 0.001 0.398 0.562 0.430 0.431 0.173 0.187 0.165 0.168 0.092 0.076 2.142 2.041 0.349 0.358 2.446 2.453 0.081 0.091 0.341 0.514 0.527 0.599 0.430 0.490 0.430 0.490

Losses and Coproducts Biodiesel Feedstock Ethanol Feedstock Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic5 Other Biomass6
4 3

0.240 0.299 0.403 0.414 0.148 0.157 0.168 0.171 0.088 0.086 2.136 2.152 0.343 0.343 2.703 2.869 0.066 0.072 0.178 0.264 0.507 0.475 0.430 0.390 0.430 0.390

Wood and Derived Fuels7 2.121 Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Wind Residential Biomass 0.341 2.690 0.065 0.142 0.483 0.410

Wood and Derived Fuels8 0.410

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Geothermal Solar/PV
9

0.014 0.059 0.118 0.105 0.001

0.016 0.018 0.061 0.067 0.119 0.117 0.105 0.102 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.034 0.036 0.003 0.004 0.025 0.026 0.007 0.007 0.070 0.065 0.014 0.014 0.001 0.001 1.883 2.005 1.847 1.972 0.247 0.309 0.007 0.010 0.240 0.300 * *

0.022 0.026 0.075 0.083 0.118 0.123 0.102 0.107 0.002 0.003 0.002 0.003 0.031 0.032 0.003 0.003 0.021 0.022 0.007 0.007 0.069 0.072 0.014 0.015 0.001 0.001 2.048 2.056 2.028 2.032 0.409 0.577 0.010 0.014 0.399 0.563 0.001 0.001 0.398 0.562 0.162 0.157 0.093 0.105 0.006 0.004 0.063 0.047 1.457 1.298 0.005 0.005 0.016 0.019 -

Commercial Biomass Biofuels Ethanol Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic5 Other Biomass6
2

0.001 0.034 0.002 0.025 0.007

Wood and Derived Fuels7 0.070 Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Industrial Biomass Biofuels Ethanol2 Losses and Coproducts Biodiesel Feedstock3 Ethanol Feedstock4 Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic5 Other Biomass6 0.012 0.001 1.860 1.824 0.216 0.006 0.210 * 0.210 0.132 0.076 0.006 0.050

0.240 0.299 0.148 0.147 0.081 0.081 0.007 0.006 0.061 0.061 1.452 1.515 0.004 0.004 0.032 0.029 -

Wood and Derived Fuels7 1.476 Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Wind Transportation Biomass Biofuels Biodiesel1 0.004 0.033 0.295 0.295 0.295 0.003

0.346 0.484 0.346 0.484 0.346 0.484 0.012 0.033

0.614 0.833 0.614 0.833 0.614 0.833 0.046 0.041

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Ethanol2 Electric Power Biomass Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic

5 6 10

0.292 3.503 0.388 0.223 0.066 0.133 0.023

0.334 0.451 3.568 3.827 0.406 0.412 0.221 0.231 0.065 0.073 0.136 0.139 0.020 0.019 0.185 0.182 0.309 0.306 2.670 2.839 0.006 0.005 0.178 0.264

0.568 0.792 3.508 3.690 0.423 0.423 0.237 0.242 0.077 0.079 0.138 0.141 0.022 0.022 0.186 0.181 0.308 0.312 2.430 2.433 0.006 0.008 0.341 0.514

Other Biomass

Wood and Derived Fuels7 0.165 Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Wind
1 2

0.311 2.656 0.006 0.142

Biodiesel primarily derived from soy bean oil. Ethanol primarily derived from corn. 3 Difference between the energy in biodiesel feedstocks (principally soy bean oil) and the energy in biodiesel consumed in the transportation sector. 4 Difference between energy in ethanol feedstocks (primarily corn) and its coproducts (wet and dry distiller grains), and the energy in ethanol consumed in the transportation sector. 5 Includes paper and paper board, wood, food, leather, textiles and yard trimmings. 6 Agriculture byproducts/crops, sludge waste, and other biomass solids, liquids and gases. 7 Black liquor, and wood/woodwaste solids and liquids. 8 Wood and wood pellet fuels. 9 Includes small amounts of distributed solar thermal and photovoltaic energy used in the commercial, industrial and electric power sectors. 10 The electric power sector comprises electricity-only and combined-heat-power (CHP) plants within North American Classification System (NAICS) 22 category whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public. MSW = Municipal Solid Waste. PV = Photovoltaic.

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Energy Consumption by Primary Fuel: Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity Preliminary Statistics 2008 Table 3 Electricity Net Generation From Renewable Energy by Energy Use Sector and Energy Source, 2004 2008 (Thousand Kilowatthours) Sector/Source Total Biomass Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic1 Other Biomass2 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 371,688,391 55,875,118 17,086,267 6,590,366 8,459,538 2,036,363 38,788,851 14,859,238 248,085,084 843,054 52,025,898 1,715,913 1,640,533 1,616,040 231,583 964,155 420,303 24,493 75,380 30,370,006 28,460,443 597,960 21,265 13,357 563,338

351,484,632 357,650,653 385,771,908 352,747,486 53,537,453 54,276,810 54,860,621 55,538,578 15,420,570 15,420,393 16,098,525 16,524,554 5,128,425 8,150,974 2,141,171 5,142,111 8,330,471 1,947,810 5,677,040 8,477,571 1,943,913 6,157,750 8,303,838 2,062,966

Wood and 38,116,883 38,856,417 38,762,096 39,014,024 3 Derived Fuels Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Wind Commercial Biomass Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic1 Other Biomass2 14,810,975 14,691,745 14,568,029 14,637,213 268,417,308 270,321,255 289,246,416 247,509,974 575,155 550,294 507,706 611,793

14,143,741 17,810,549 26,589,137 34,449,927 1,680,155 1,575,188 1,561,794 172,029 945,344 444,421 1,758,789 1,672,752 1,656,755 217,632 953,093 486,031 15,997 86,037 1,712,691 1,619,245 1,598,646 172,590 955,910 470,146 20,599 93,446 1,691,439 1,614,160 1,598,799 202,547 962,496 433,756 15,361 77,279

Wood and 13,394 3 Derived Fuels Hydroelectric Conventional Industrial Biomass Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic1 Other Biomass2 104,967

32,412,566 32,198,528 31,871,511 30,508,807 29,164,073 29,003,087 28,972,463 28,918,826 796,988 120,018 30,213 646,757 732,553 113,155 34,441 584,957 572,447 28,786 34,541 509,120 631,452 27,087 39,782 564,583

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Wood and 28,367,085 28,270,534 28,400,016 28,287,374 3 Derived Fuels Hydroelectric Conventional Electric Power4 Biomass Waste Landfill Gas MSW Biogenic1 Other Biomass2 3,248,493 3,195,441 2,899,048 1,589,981

27,862,484 1,909,563 339,602,472 25,774,142 14,872,266 6,337,518 7,482,026 1,052,722 10,901,875 14,859,238 246,100,141 843,054 52,025,898

317,391,910 323,693,336 352,187,707 320,547,239 22,798,191 23,600,971 24,268,913 25,005,592 13,061,787 13,031,084 13,927,432 14,294,304 4,836,377 7,175,417 1,049,993 4,811,325 7,342,938 876,822 5,475,664 7,487,120 964,648 5,928,117 7,301,560 1,064,627

Wood and 9,736,404 3 Derived Fuels Geothermal Hydroelectric Conventional Solar/PV Wind
1 2

10,569,886 10,341,481 10,711,288

14,810,975 14,691,745 14,568,029 14,637,213 265,063,848 267,039,777 286,253,922 245,842,714 575,155 550,294 507,706 611,793

14,143,741 17,810,549 26,589,137 34,449,927

Includes paper and paper board, wood, food, leather, textiles and yard trimmings. Agriculture byproducts/crops, sludge waste, and other biomass solids, liquids and gases. 3 Black liquor, and wood/woodwaste solids and liquids. 4 The electric power sector comprises electricity-only and combined-heat-power (CHP) plants within North American Classification System (NAICS) 22 category whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public. MSW = Municipal Solid Waste. PV = Photovoltaic. Notes: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Data revisions are discussed in the Highlights section. Revisions to biomass removed MSW nonbiogenic and tires from renewable waste energy. Data for 2008 is preliminary. Source: Electric Power: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report," and predecessor forms: Form EIA-906, "Power Plant Report," and Form EIA-920, "Combined Heat and Power Plant Report."

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The Potential of Renewable Energy

Renewable energy has become a main concern for all the countries and emerging economies. Countries are more and more recognizing the potential role of renewable energy within a portfolio of environment friendly and cost-competitive energy technologies capable of responding to the emerging challenges of climate change, energy security, and access to energy. The work is quickly expanding as an answer to the present challenges of an unsustainable global energy structure and the growth of renewable energy markets. Renewable technologies and industries have been growing, year after year, capturing the interest of the largest global companies. In 2007, more than $100 billion was invested in renewable energy production assets, manufacturing, development and research. Growth trends shows this figure will only continue to increase. Renewable energy accounted for about 10.5 percent of the domestically-produced electricity used in the United States in the first ten months of 2009 [#24]. Apart from hydro and wind energies, most of these renewable resources are at a fairly early stage of development, when judged against fossil fuels. This makes it hard to make exact judgments about the scale of their potential. This is revealed in the large variations frequently found in published estimates of the amount of energy obtainable from renewables. Positive predictions state that they could meet as much as 60% of the world's energy needs. Norway has been capable to develop hydro resources on a scale enough to generate over 40% of their energy. The United States has adequate wind resources to generate electricity for every home and business in the nation. But not all areas are appropriate for wind energy development. The Wind Energy Program measures the potential wind energy resources of areas across the United States so as to identify ideal areas for project development. Wind power is U.S. wind power installed capacity now exceeds 35,159 MW which is enough to serve 9.7 million average households.[#25] Texas is firmly established as the leader in wind power development, followed by Iowa and California.[#26] DOE and NREL has said wind power could generate 20% of US electricity by 2030. [#27] Hydroelectricity is at present largest producer of renewable power in the U.S. There are hydroelectric plants in at least 34 US states. It generates about 66.8% of the total renewable power in the U.S. in 2008. In 2008 hydroelectric sector produced 6.0% of the nation's total electricity. Hydropower generates electricity through turbines and is a clean and renewable energy source, but not without problems. The potential of hydroelectric power plant depends upon the topography and precipitation in the country. Although hydropower is reasonably well developed today, there are still some possibilities to enhance the effectiveness, and introduce new hydropower plants, therefore reducing the dependency on mineral fuels, such as oil, coal and gas. Geothermal Energy produces low emissions and have smaller overall footprint of the entire system. As energy capture and extraction is contained completely underground, and the surface equipment required for conversion to electricity is comparatively compact, these are the facts EnergyBeta.Com

which make it very cost effective energy source. Geothermal energy could play a significant role in national energy picture as a non-carbon-based energy source. It's a very large resource and has the potential to be an important contributor to the energy needs of a country. Geothermal now supplies less than 1 percent of the world's power, although could supply as much as 20 percent in the coming decades. The use of solar energy is gradually growing in a global capacity. The sun provides sufficient daily energy to provide our needs for power; however solar energy is not so far viewed as a primary energy resource. As you could not collect every raindrop in a storm to gather in a pond, similarly we can't possibly collect all of the solar energy emitted by the sun on a daily basis. Though, by developing highly efficient and advanced solar plants, we could definitely meet our daily needs for power. The conversion to solar energy involves up-front costs but the benefits of protecting our environment as well as our quality of life will be the importance of promoting this awesome natural resource. A number of solar thermal power stations have been built. A parabolic trough is the most common set up type of solar thermal power plant. The largest of these thermal solar power stations is the SEGS group (name given to the nine solar thermal power plants in the Mojave Desert). This plant has a total generating capacity of 354 MW, making it the largest solar plant of any kind in the world [#28]. The largest solar power plant in North America is the 25 MW DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Florida [#29]. Nevada Solar One started producing electricity in June 2007. This solar thermal power plant uses parabolic troughs as thermal solar concentrators and heating tubes of liquid which act as solar receivers. This power plant generates 64MW of power. Biomass power is not only the second most important source of renewable energy in the United States but also an important part of the waste management infrastructure. In the future, farms cultivating high-yielding energy crops will greatly expand the supply of biomass. These energy crops, together with high-efficiency conversion technologies, can help us check the consumption of fossil fuels and help us respond to global climate change concerns. Since biomass power is produced from plant sources, it can potentially be formed almost anywhere in the United States. Wood is the chief biomass energy resource. Waste energy is another major source of biomass energy. The main suppliers of waste energy are municipal solid waste, manufacturing waste, and landfill gas. Biomass can be used for direct heating (such as burning wood in a fireplace), for generating electricity, or can be converted directly into liquid fuels to gather transportation energy needs. In the United States, the pulp and paper industries are main producers of biopower, using remains from paper production to generate electricity for industrial plant use. Estimates of the potential of renewable energy are important in informing decisions regarding energy investments and energy policy. While some estimates for renewable energy resource, technical, economic, and market potential have been made, they are not detailed or comprehensive. Private investors and public policymakers have shown interest in using renewable energy to meet a larger share of U.S. energy needs, but this effort would necessitate EnergyBeta.Com

more robust analysis of renewable energy potential. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking partners for developing a Renewable Energy Potential Initiative. This initiative will analyze and explore, in a comprehensive and systematic manner, the potential of renewable energy to meet a substantial share of U.S. energy needs. Renewable Potential Maps present an integrated picture of renewable energy resources in each U.S. Census Division. Solar, geothermal, and wind energy potentials and indicators of hydroelectric and biomass energy potentials (fuel wood harvested, rivers, and precipitation) are presented. For more information on these please see: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/rpmap/rp_contents.html

Latest technological trends in the area

Impressive technical advances in renewable-energy technologies have been made during the past decade. Renewable energy systems have benefited from the overall developments in electronics, biotechnology, materials sciences and other energy areas. Fuel cells were originally developed for the space program but the same technology has opened the door to the use of hydrogen as a non-polluting fuel for transportation. In fact many of the technological gains made in the areas that are not directly related to renewable energy are being considered as promising options in renewable energy. Besides that because of the small size of the most renewable energy equipments, the renewable energy technologies can be developed for use at a pace faster than conventional technologies. Whereas large energy facilities require massive construction which is expensive and productivity gains are difficult to achieve. Most renewableenergy equipment can be constructed in factories applying modern manufacturing techniques leading to cost reduction. The Technologies:

Wind Energy
Wind power is one of the most efficient, affordable and inexhaustible source of electricity. It is pollution-free and cost effective in comparison to coal and gas fired power plants. Advancements in wind energy have been growing rapidly. Apart from multi-megawatt wind turbines, there is a growing sector within industry: Residential wind. Improved airfoil designs for maximum efficiency at low wind speed; high efficiency direct drive permanent magnet alternators and highly sophisticated controls & inverters are now allowing home owners design off-grid systems. These systems are not only increasing energy independence but also competing with current energy prices and reducing environmental impacts. The small wind industry has been growing in the last couple of years. The efficiency and longevity of these machines are improving greatly with new and improved technology. Never in the past was such great attention was paid to the economic feasibility of these machines apart EnergyBeta.Com

from increasing overall quality and performance. Consistent energy production needs the consistent quality of wind; this has lead to increasing effort to improve turbine efficiency in low winds.

Solar Energy
Advances in solar photovoltaic panels are happening at a very fast rate. Thanks to technological leaps in solar panels, solar power has become significantly less expensive in the last few decades. The use of solar energy as a power source is not a new one but the older panels were so bulky and large that not many people could afford them. Using the technology developed for the computer industry, cells used in Photovoltaic solar collection systems are now smarter, thinner and more diversified. The greatest advancement in Photovoltaic research has been nanotechnology (Thin cell solar research). Very tiny cells are created through silicon and other minerals to collect solar energy. The creation of nano-particles has also helped developers to create solar shingles coated in these cells as well as to develop a spray-on coating that could be sprayed onto another material, such as the roof. This spray-on coating contains the nano-particles that enable other items also to collect solar energy and convert it into electricity. Thin cells make the solar panels smaller ensuring availability to the common consumer because many houses in cities have to conform to specific city codes that may not allow the use of solar panels because they are large, visually unappealing, and also obstruct the view. But by using thin cells, these problems could be sorted out.

Biomass Energy
The dominant and prevailing use of biomass is wood waste, burned for heat, power and use in pulp & paper industries. Biomass energy also comes from raw crops, such as corn which is used to make ethanol, soybeans and organic leftovers from agriculture and forestry. Researchers have been investigating fast-growing "energy crops" such as willow and switch-grass that can be put to use in a faster way. But the challenge really is to ensure that all biofuels are produced in such a way that natural resources are conserved, water pollution is minimum and it doesnt contribute to global warming. Biomass energy provides tremendous opportunities to grow marketable crops, power their own operations with renewable energy, and finally manufacture fuel for commercial use.

Aquatic Biofuels:
Around the world, an urgent need for alternative and sustainable fuel is growing due to rising oil prices and growing pollution concerns. Aquatic biofuels offer significant improvements compared to conventional biofuels, overcoming all the concerns related to land shortage, water resources and concerns about the low energy output per unit of land. Aquatic Biofuels means biofuels produced from aquatic photosynthetic organisms (mainly algae). Algae hold an enormous potential as a high-yield source of biodiesel, ethanol and aviation fuels. Algae are the fastest-growing plants in world and like any other plant; they use photosynthesis to harness EnergyBeta.Com

sunlight and carbon dioxide. Algae can be converted into biodiesel, biocrude, ethanol and aviation fuels. The cultivation of algae for biofuels is not yet a commercial reality but given the significance of aquatic biofuels in enhancing energy security, research is going on in producing biofuel from algae at commercially viable level.

Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy, which taps into reservoirs of steam and hot water beneath the surface of earth, is amongst the least explored sources of renewable energy in the world. In 2005, geothermal energy produced just 0.36 percent of the electricity used in the United States, about 3,000 megawatts of energy. The rise in temperature beneath the Earth is roughly 125F per mile. Drill down a couple of miles and you would have rocks hot enough to produce steam, which is result of heat from the Earth's molten core radiating up toward the surface. But getting steam isn't that simple, once you inject water into the well, the rock next to the borehole cools down. You wont get any steam once it cools enough. This seemed like an insoluble problem until recently. Today, geothermal scientists are experimenting with a modified version of the natural gas technique for geothermal energy known as an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Natural-gas industry successfully commercialized the technique of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technique where you drill two wells and fracture the rock between them. This process releases the gas, which flows to the surface. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the United States has sufficient enhanced geothermal reserves to support at least 500,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity generating capacity enough to satisfy almost half of current U.S. demand.

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Political, Economical and environmental factors moving towards renewable energy

The future of fossil fuel is uncertain and based on the present global economic growth rates, fossil fuel energy resources may not last longer than a generation or two, before they are exhausted. Growing ecological concerns are also an additional reason for the limited future of fossil fuel. Eventually all these concerns will force us to give-up our present energy system before our fossil fuel energy resources are fully exhausted. Alternative energy policies to promote the use of renewable energy resources are inevitable. The use of renewable energy resources should be encouraged through new diplomacy. The Climate Conference in Copenhagen was an important step towards preventing global warming and climate changes. The United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Copenhagen has moved away from the division of the world into developed and developing countries, which was blocking any progress on climate control till now. 107 countries signed up the Copenhagen accord for limiting the rise in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, beyond pre-industrial levels. China and India were the last two major economies to sign up the international climate change agreement reached in Copenhagen. The two countries are among the largest and fastestgrowing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. The agreement also calls for spending as much as $100 billion per year to help emerging economies adapt to climate change and develop renewable energy systems, to bring energy technology more quickly to the developing world and to take steps to protect tropical forests from destruction. This will definitely make a substantial dent in the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. China has voluntarily agreed to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide per unit of economic growth a measure known as carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 levels. India also sets a domestic emissions intensity reduction target of 20 to 25 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 levels. The United States pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 percent by 2020 compared with 2005, banking on Congresss enacting climate change and energy legislation. No doubt, world has taken a step further towards promoting the use of renewable energy resources. Negotiators are trying to write an enforceable global climate change treaty, but there is little expectation that such an agreement will be reached this years climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. If not in Cancun, nations should now aim to reach an agreement in 2011 at a United Nations conference in South Africa.

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energy Benefits of using renewable energy

Climate change and diminishing fossil fuel reserves are two of the biggest challenges facing the planet. In order to secure our future and coming generations, we must take steps now to lessen energy consumption and substantially cut greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. Renewable energy sources today are extremely limited in supply. Estimates are that they can merely meet our energy demands for another fifty to seventy years. So in an attempt to find alternative forms of energy, the world has turned to renewable energy sources as the way out. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this. The most common advantage of all renewable sources of energy is that they are renewable and cannot be depleted. They are a clean energy, as they help in reducing the air pollution. A common disadvantage to all of these renewable energy sources is that it is difficult to produce the large quantities of electricity their counterpart the fossil fuels are able to. Moreover they are new technologies; the cost of initiating them is high.

Benefits of Solar
Solar energy makes use of the suns energy. There are many advantages of solar energy and as we move further in these hard economic and energy supply times, these benefits will become all the more obvious. Following are some benefits of solar energy: Using the power of the sun to heat and light our houses is a very clean and environmentally friendly way of generating power. The sun is the source of solar energy. This energy source is unlimited, inexhaustible and above all is free. By using this freely available energy source, we are helping the ecosystem by keeping the earths non-renewable sources of energy preserved. As by installing solar panels, you are using a renewable form of energy you have not to worry about any power shortages in the future. The world's reserves of oil, coal and gas are limited and if we do not take steps quickly to find alternatives, we are surely storing problems up for the future. However these changes might look small to you, when you add together your friends and your friends' friends' efforts, it all adds up to a big change. $aving$..... Installing solar power in your home will guarantee that you have much lower fuel bills almost instantly. Once you recover the higher initial costs of a solar system through reduced utility bills, your solar system will require expenditures only for maintenance. However, it is possible now to build and install solar panels yourself, both very cheaply and easily; it helps in reducing the initial installation costs as well. EnergyBeta.Com

If helps you in reducing your carbon footprint, as then the less power you are using from fossil fuels and the more from renewable sources of energy. Solar energy is a green fuel, as it does not cause pollution or harm the environment in any way. Solar energy does not get affected the vital ozone layer and is environment friendly. Therefore, opting for solar energy to cut down the consumption of the conventional electricity is at the same time helping to make the earth a better place. These systems can fit into existing buildings and it does not affect land use. Solar energy can be used in various different ways. Most common uses are: 1. solar batteries 2. larger solar power plants that collect the heat from the sun, which is subsequently used to produce steam for powering a generator 3. solar energy is harnessed to pump water in remote areas 4. Solar energy can be used to heat residential homes 5. many people use solar energy to heat their water supply and their swimming pools as well 6. solar cookers 7. Solar cars, solar trams, solar buses and even satellites are also seen to operate with the help of solar energy. 8. Small gadgets that involve little energy, such as calculators and watches, often use solar energy. 9. Recreational vehicles and some boats may also run on solar energy.

Solar power is incredibly compatible with other sources of energy. For example its compatibility with wind energy has proved to be very valuable and can help you live off the grid when you use these two renewable energy sources of power to your advantage.

Wind energy is another source which is ample, renewable, widely distributed, cheap, and has no toxic gas emissions. Given below are some benefits of wind power:

Benefits: Why to opt Wind power:

Inexhaustible and infinitely renewable: Unlike conventional fossil fuels, wind energy is ample and is renewable energy that will be accessible for future generations. Economically competitive: With rising coal and gas prices, new wind plants compete well against any new electricity generation source. It is getting cheaper and cheaper to produce wind energy. The cost of generating wind energy has come down by at least eighty percent since the eighties. Wind Energy may shortly be the cheapest way to generate energy on a large scale.

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Valuable crop of the future for farmers and ranchers: Wind turbines are well-suited for rural land uses as crops can be grown and livestock can be grazed up to the base of the turbine. Therefore wind farms located in rural areas can generate energy which can be transmitted to load centers in urban areas via the regional utility grid. The rural areas keep hold of the jobs, as well as land lease revenue for farmers and ranchers.

Many environmental benefits: Wind energy is a clean energy as it doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. Using wind power reduces the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which contributes to climate change. Wind turbines dont consume water: Unlike Irrigation and thermal electric generation plants which accounts for approximately 77% of U.S. fresh water use and Conventional plants producing power from fossil and nuclear fuels use large amounts of water for cooling; wind turbines do not use any water. This makes wind energy a great alternative for drought-stricken areas. Homegrown energy source that contributes to national security: Wind energy contributes to diversification of energy sources and decreases dependence from fuel imports which increases energy security of the country. Applications. Small wind turbines, alone or as component of a hybrid system, can power homes, businesses, and farms/ranches. Wind energy is just right for remote applications, for example water pumping, powering telecommunications sites, and displacing diesel fuel in villages. Community wind projects consist of projects for schools, tribes, municipal utilities, and rural electric cooperatives. Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies existing today. Wind plants create job opportunities and new workplaces in the community. Wind power saves money by offsetting oil, gas fired generation or expensive power imports. Wind Power plant development encourages eco-tourism. It has vast impact on regional development and activation.

Benefits of Using Biomass Energy

Sustainably produced biomass is a never-ending renewable source of energy. And biomass has a history of stable prices unaffected by global economics and political events as it happens in fuel oil, propane, and natural gas.

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Like other renewable energies, such as wind or solar, biomass resources produce less pollution than their fossil fuel counterparts. Some of these emissions are balance by the fact that biomass is plant-derived, and a plant takes up carbon dioxide. By using biomass derived from forest thinning activities, it prevents this material from being burned in the open air where there is no pollution controls. Likewise, agricultural residues can also be used to produce power instead of being burned. Biomass utilization may also prevent the harmful effects of forest fires on the atmosphere by preventing their occurrence. In forest fires Mercury, toxic materials and particulate matter are released. Carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and other gases are also emitted. Biofuel contributes to cleaner air by dropping gasoline emission from motor vehicles. Bio diesel is another common fuel blend that seriously reduces pollution. Biomass changes the wastes from livestock, food processing and households into energy. By using this biomass as energy you can get the following benefits: odor reduction, production of heat or electricity, reduced risk of water contamination, and reduced exposure to disease-causing organisms. By using wastes from food processing, paper industries and household garbage which also contain organic matter that could be converted to energy, we can reduce the use of landfills. By reducing waste flows from livestock, food processing and city sanitation services it can contribute to improved water quality. Preventing wildfires can also improve water quality, as wildfires reduce the ability of soil to absorb water which leads to increased soil erosion. Biomass benefits comprises of creation and retention of local jobs in a rural economy. Energy crops like fast-growing trees, shrubs and grasses are grown as sources of fuel. Growing these energy crops can supply diversity of production to farmers, reducing risks of fluctuating markets and stabilizing farm income. Moreover these crops are typically resistant to disease as well as relatively inexpensive to grow.

Benefits: Why to opt Fuel cells

Does not release global warming gases: As hydrogen is obtained from renewable energy sources, no global warming gases are emitted. Hydrogen fuel cell systems store alternating solar and wind power so there is no requirement of back -up generators

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powered by fossil fuels. Hydrogen can also be acquired from wave, tidal, biomass or waste energy sources. Clean Power: The only emission from hydrogen fuel cells is pure water. There are no toxic emissions even if electricity is generated in schools, hospitals, homes and factories. Quiet operation: Fuel cells can generate electricity efficiently and quietly on the site where it is needed. Security of supply: There is a security of supply in fuel cells, as hydrogen can be obtained from using the renewable and indigenous resources of sun, wind, wave, waste, biomass or tidal power. Environmental impacts of fuel cells: Fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel; fuel cells are basically more efficient than combustion systems. High Benefits: Benefits that fuel cells offer, no other energy generating technology holds those benefits. If only 20% of cars used fuel cells, America could cut oil imports by approximately 1.5 million barrels every day. Fuel cells are used in powering trains, buses, boats, planes, scooters, forklifts, even bicycles. A fuel cell produces direct current (DC) voltage which can be used to power motors, lights or any number of electrical appliances. Fuel cells are used in wastewater treatment plants and landfills to convert the methane gas produced there into electricity. Fuel cells are also used in vending machines, vacuum cleaners and highway road signs.

Fuel cells are providing power to hospitals, credit card centers, police stations, and banks. Telecommunications Now days as the use of computers, the Internet, and communication networks are steadily increasing, there arises a need for more reliable power than is available on the current electrical grid, and fuel cells have proven to be up to 99.9% reliable.

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Benefits of Geothermal energy:

Geothermal power plant causes very low level or sometimes no pollution. Heating cost is very low (cost savings can be as much as 80% more than fossil fuels) Geothermal power plant uses Earth's heat which is a renewable source of energy. The cost of the land to build a geothermal power plant is less, as geothermal power plant requires very little land space in comparison to oil, gas, coal, or nuclear power plant. Geothermal energy is a clean energy, you may receive tax deductions, and/or no environmental bills or some quotas to meet the terms with the countries carbon emission scheme (if they have one). No fuel is required to generate the power, which means the running costs for the plants are very low. As there are no costs for purchasing, transporting, or cleaning up of fuels are required hence resulting in overall low generation costs. Good to environment, as it does not release any greenhouse gases making it highly ecologically acceptable solution. Geothermal power plant does not require structures to collect the energy (as in solar panels or windmills). Geothermal energy is not only used to heat the house but is also used to cool it as well. There is uniform heating which implies there's no cold and hot spots and there are no furnaces or chimney to clean after. Geothermal heat energy can be used directly, without involving a power plant or a heat pump, for a variety of applications such as space heating and cooling, hot spring bathing and spas, agriculture, aquaculture, food preparation, greenhouses, and industrial processes. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) considers them to be one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems available. Maintenance of geothermal heating system is very cheap. The overall financial aspect of geothermal power plants is outstanding; you simply need to provide power to the water pumps, which can also be generated by the power plant itself.

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Benefits of Hydroelectric power:

Inexhaustible fuel source: Hydroelectric power plants use water to generate electricity which is renewable and is inexhaustible. Clean source of energy: Since the hydroelectric power plants dont burn any fuel no pollution is created. It does not emit any harmful gases or particulate matter, thus keeps the atmosphere clean and healthy for living. Cost of electricity is constant: Since it does not require any fuel to produce electricity; the cost of electricity produced by them is more or less constant. Saves lot of local currency: Hydroelectric power plants do not depend on the cost of fuels like coal, oil and natural gas in the international market. The country doesnt have to import the fuel, thus saving lots of local currency. Check floods: The Hydroelectric power plants prevent floods in the areas adjoining the large rivers. Irrigation: Water from the Hydroelectric power plants can also be used for the irrigation of farm lands therefore producing the agriculture outputs throughout the year even in the areas where there is insufficient or no rainfall. Long life: The life of hydroelectric power plants is long. There are hydroelectric power plants that were built more than 50-100 years ago and are still running. Hydroelectric power plants require relatively low operations and maintenance costs. Hydroelectric power stations can be set up in roughly any size, depending on the river or stream used to activate them; big enough to power a single home, factory, small town, or large city. The technology is trustworthy and proven over time. Withstand high peak daily loads. Water sports and gardens: In surrounding area of the dams the water from reservoir can be used to develop public recreational facilities like water parks for water sports and gardens.

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Challenges in using Renewable Energy

Renewable energy resources are sufficient to meet a significant portion of the worlds electricity needs. Fully taking advantage of these potential low CO2-emitting sources for generating electricity will call for enhanced technologies, increased deployment, financial investments, and implementation of policies to drive increased adoption of renewable electricity. If the use of renewable electricity is to rise appreciably, then manufacture and installation of these technologies are required. Lot of research is required for technological advancements to reduce costs and make renewable electricity technologies more efficient. However even with current technologies, renewable resources could contribute more than they do at the present. Overcoming the barriers to widespread renewable energy generation will require engineering innovations in several arenas. There are lots of the challenges in using these renewable sources of energy which are described as follows: Sun is the best source of energy available on Earth. It out-powers everything that human technology could ever create. Just a small fraction of the suns power provides 10,000 times as much as all the commercial energy that humans use on the Earth. But solars share of the total energy market is below 1 percent of total energy consumption, compared with about 85 percent from oil, natural gas, and coal.

challenges Different challenges in using solar energy:

Efficiency of solar energy technology: Todays commercial solar cells which are most often made from silicon, normally convert sunlight into electricity with an efficiency of only 10 to 20 percent. However some test cells do a little better, but their manufacturing costs is much higher. The resultant cell will produce electricity at a cost roughly 3 to 6 times higher than current prices. To make solar economically competitive, engineers have to find ways to improve the efficiency of the cells and to lower their manufacturing costs. Cost of solar energy: The initial cost of the equipment used to harness the suns energy is quite high. Solar energy technologies are a costly alternative to the use of readily available fossil fuel technologies. As the price of solar or photovoltaic panels decreases, we are likely to see an increase in the use of solar cells to generate electricity. Storing solar energy:

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However advanced solar cells become at generating electricity cheaply and efficiently, a major barrier to widespread use of the suns energy remains: the need for storage. At the locations where sunlight is plentiful, its energy have got to be captured and stored for use at other times and places. Many technologies present mass-storage opportunities. Pumping water (for recovery as hydroelectric power) or large banks of batteries are established ways of energy storage, but they face severe problems when scaled up to power-grid proportions. Large area required: Installation of solar energy requires a large area for the system to be efficient in providing a source of electricity. This may be a big problem in areas where space is short, or expensive (such as inner cities). Pollution problem: Pollution can be another big problem to solar panels, as pollution can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic cells.

Wind power challenges

Wind Power should compete with usual generation sources on a cost basis. Although the cost of wind power has decreased considerably in the past 10 years, the technology necessitates a higher initial investment than fossil-fueled generators. The major challenges in using wind as a source of power are as follows: Wind is irregular and it does not constantly blow when electricity is needed. Wind energy cannot be stored unless batteries are used; and not all winds can be exploited to meet the timing of electricity demands. Superior wind sites are often situated in remote locations, far-off from cities where the electricity is required. Transmission lines have to be built to bring the electricity from the wind farm to the city. Wind can never be predicted. Because wind energy will necessitate knowledge of the weather and wind conditions on long term basis, it may be a bit impractical. Hence, in areas where a large amount of energy is needed, one cannot depend completely on wind energy. Wind turbines usually produce less electricity than the average fossil fuelled power station, requiring various wind turbines to be built in order to make an impact.

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The noise pollution from commercial wind turbines is at times similar to a small jet engine. This is fine if you live miles away, but if you live within a few hundred meters of a turbine, this is a major disadvantage. However scientists are working in that direction and latest whisper100 wind turbine produces no sound at all. Sometimes birds have been killed by flying into the rotors. Even this problem has been resolved or greatly reduced through technological development.

Geothermal Challenges
Geothermal heat is extracted from deep within the earths surface, and this is the main disadvantage concerning finding a suitable build location. To extract the required heat they have to find certain hot spots within the earths crust. These hot spots are very common around volcanoes and fault lines, but who wants to build their geothermal power plant next to a volcano. Locations One of the biggest challenges of using geothermal energy lies in exploration stage. In this companies have to find the suitable locations for a power plant. An ideal location has hot rocks at a depth that permits easy drilling. The type of rock over the hot rocks must also be easy enough to drill through. Longevity Another big challenge of geothermal energy is the longevity of the locations. At times the locations may temporarily run out of steam. This may lasts for months. During this time, the power plant won't have sufficient energy to produce electricity. Transportation Oil is very easy to transport. Another challenge with geothermal energy is that it is not easily transported. It can only be used to produce electricity for nearby areas. In addition, geothermal energy can only be used to produce small amounts of electricity as compared to other fuel sources. Power plants can also use the steam to produce heat, but only on a localized basis. While difficult transportation of the produced energy is a shortcoming Hazardous Materials Another important problem with geothermal energy is hazardous gases and minerals. They can turn up from underground along with the steam. The plant must be able to control any leaked gases, but disposing of the gas can be very tricky to do safely.

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Hydroelectric power Challenges

Seems to be an ideal source of clean, renewal energy. Not only hydroelectric power plants provide power, but they control flooding, store irrigation water, and are also the sites for recreation. The immediate challenges facing the industry are as follows:

Pollution

Hydroelectric plants considerably alter the landscape around them, which invariably disrupts the original environment. Often these changes are hazardous to human communities and they cause damage to the local ecology. But the major impact comes from the reservoirs created by large dams.

Greenhouse Gases

When a reservoir is first impounded, all the vegetation in the area is flooded. Submerged plants decompose and release their carbon content in the form of the greenhouse gases CO2 (carbon dioxide) and methane (CH4).

Oxygen Depletion

Biomass decomposition also has a severe effect on the water chemistry in a reservoir. The production of CO2 removes dissolved oxygen from the water, and since reservoirs have little circulation, subsurface water is usually without oxygen (anoxic) and thus hostile to fish and other forms of life.

Methyl mercury Contamination

Recently, mercury contamination has become a big problem. Even though mercury itself is insoluble, but the anoxic and slightly acidic depths of a reservoir permits mercury in the rock bed to react to form methyl mercury, a chemical which is both water soluble and extremely toxic. Methyl mercury collects in the nerve and muscle tissue of animals and fish. Thus, many native populations whose staple diet is fish are vulnerable to mercury poisoning.

Reservoir Induced Seismicity --RIS

RIS is the change in seismic activity that often arises when large reservoirs first begin to fill. This may originate due to the extra stress placed on the underlying geology and the lubricating effect water has on fault lines. Increased seismic activity definitely alters the environment, and poses a significant threat to surrounding populations.

Sedimentation

Sediments are the organic and inorganic materials suspended in any river. They consist of sand, soil, stones, boulders, wood, and other large debris. As a river travels, it moves large quantity of sediment down stream. Most reservoirs yields slow currents permitting carried materials time EnergyBeta.Com

to settle, maximizing sedimentation rates. For several large dams, the trap efficiency is nearly 100 percent.

Biomass Power Challenges

Biomass electricity is formed through the energies from wood, agricultural and municipal waste. It helps to reduce landfill waste, however transportation can be expensive and ecological diversity of land may be affected. In addition, its process needs to be made simpler. Following are some challenges which Biomass electricity is facing:

Biomass energy with only a 50% output capacity is less efficient than its fossil fuel counter-parts. Biomass may work better with small power plants as big power plants would involve thousands more road trucks and trains to deliver the biomass plant material Biomass energy production has hidden economic costs passed on to the consumer. Although promoted as a cheap fuel source, bio-fuels remain very costly due its inefficient output and government subsidies funded by taxpayers. This double-dipping strategy means consumers pay double the price: at the pump and through taxes Burning biomass pollutes the air; however impact varies according the material and production process used. Several biomass companies promote their energy projects as environmentally friendly. However, their production process requires burning solid landfill and sewerage waste which gives off harmful air pollutants including: Mercury, Hydrochloric Acid, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide and Carbon Dioxin Requirement for land to produce these crops could cause loss of plant and animal biodiversity and habitat, as well as put pressure on rainforests and other valuable ecosystems Growth of biofuels could lessen the area existing for subsistence food crops and drive up food prices by redirecting crop yields to generate fuel; making it even more hard to feed the urban poor in developing countries Standard ethanol crops, such as corn in the US and sugar in Brazil, could even increase soil erosion and deplete aquifers Growth of some bio-energy crops implies increased use of pesticides, fertilizers, and water

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Fuel cells and Challenges

Fuel Cells are not the ideal solution to the worlds energy needs. There are several challenges that need to be overcome before widespread use of fuel cells occurs: Fuelling fuel cells is still a problem because the production, distribution, transportation and storage of hydrogen is difficult. Reforming hydrocarbons using reformer to generate hydrogen is technically challenging and not plainly environmentally friendly. The biggest challenge for fuel cells is cost. Even though some fuel cell systems are in use today, but very few are presently cost effective. The refueling and the starting time of fuel cell vehicles are longer. Fuel cells are generally slightly bigger than similar batteries or engines. Though, the size of the units is decreasing. In order to turn into widely conventional as a clean distributed generator, fuel cells have to prove their adaptability for a variety of applications. Certain fuel cell system components like the cell stack which can involve a costly replacement every one to five years depending on the model. They must be developed to have a longer lifetime or be simply and economically replaced. The technology is still in a relatively early stage of development and only few products are available.

Ocean Energy and Challenges

Oceans are vast source of renewable energy in the type of winds, waves and tides. Besides this, there is vast amount of energy in the form of thermal difference which can be extracted. But there are lots of challenges, some are as follows:

It leads to the dislocation of wild life habitats. It can simply be used where there is appropriate tidal flow or wave motion. The frames of the turbines can interrupt the movement of large marine animals and ships through the channels on which the barrage is built. Waves are a disperse energy source, irregular in durability, direction and size Ocean energy is not cost effective when compared to cost of conventional plants using fossil-fuel energy. However it can be cheaper if better technologies and large-scale production is applied.

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Barrage systems necessitate salt resistant parts and lots of maintenance. the barrage systems disrupts the fish migration and kills fish passing through the turbines, hence, there is also the risk of damage to ecosystem, which rely on the coming and going of tides.

Powering homes with Your own renewable types of energy

Around the world energy is being used at an alarmingly high rate. This is because of the fast industrialization and increased awareness in the consumers. But, all this is taking toll on the fossil fuel reserves as they are diminishing fast and their usage becomes costly. Due to the lessening of non-renewable sources from the earth, people are searching more ways to make use of natural and renewable energy sources. Not only that the after effects of these non renewable combustion like global warming and harmful green house gases are also alarming. We need to put in all possible efforts at all possible levels, to work in favor of our environment. Considering that lets work on the possibility of powering homes with our own renewable types of energy. If you are tired of ever rising electricity bill and you dont want to waste money on your electrical bill or you want to help the global economy and save the Earth, then youve the solution. With the ever increasing costs of living, there is no better time to stop throwing money and start to make renewable energy with homemade solar power and homemade wind energy. However, there are many solutions to make renewable energy. But when it comes to home power, the best choices to make renewable energy are solar and wind power.

DIY Solar Energy

NASA estimated that the Sun irradiates the earth 174 Petawatts (Pw) of solar energy each day. Out of this around 30% of energy is reflected back to space, and another major share is absorbed by our atmosphere. Even if we get only 10% of this energy which is about 17.4 Pw per day, it is still more than the whole daily energy requirement worldwide. If this much energy is freely accessible then why there are energy crisis. The answer to this is that we are not able to canalize fully all this energy to meet our necessities. Most Solar Cells which are accessible in the market are quite costly to our purchase power. But now we have an option of DIY Solar Panels. You need some good instructions and simple materials. By building your own DIY Solar Panels with dedication and patience you will start saving in energy bills and you can start generating your own electricity. There are lots of sites available on internet where you can get the required information on how to build your own solar energy and without EnergyBeta.Com

spending much of money. And you can cut your electricity bill by 80% or even eliminate it completely! One such site can be found at: http://www.energybeta.com/go/DIYElectricity

DIY Wind Energy:

Wind energy which is another form of solar energy. The wind energy is abundant and it is 5 times more than the worlds energy consumption. Wind energy is one of the oldest energy sources. Wind energy was used to propel the boats in ancient times. At present wind is used generally to generate electricity and is one of the most effective renewable energy sources. Wind energy does not pollute the environment and have no impact on the climatic changes. You can generate your own energy through the wind turbine and can get enough energy to meet the demand of your home. It doesnt require having a genius mind to make your own wind turbine. There is a lot of information available on the web to guide you to make your own facility. If you generate your own energy, you wont have to worry about the power cuts. The wind power sector and solar power sector are becoming really cost effective with several researches being done so as to cut the installation cost and improve the efficiency of the facility.

DIY Solar Wind energy:

Solar power and wind power are the two main available sources of power on our planet. Both are renewable energy sources and are abundant all year round in all areas, but still produce less than 5% of the worlds electric power. We are now capable to combine the most powerful and abundant forces of nature, available to all of us every day. Take for example this very interesting device - a vertical axis wind turbine embedded with solar cells. So if the sun's shining, but the wind is not blowing you've still got juice; and vice-versa. If you have both that is even better. Although solar power or wind power alone can fluctuate but when used together they provide a reliable source of energy. In many areas once the sun is strongest the wind speed is low and while the wind speed is highest the sun is often the weakest as in winter. The ideal solution is to join these two forms of energy sources to create a constant energy flow. This hybrid system balances out the fluctuations in these powers to give a more smooth flow.

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The Future for Renewable Energy

Renewable energy has many advantages that will help to maintain and expand its place in world energy supply: Renewable energy resources are hugehundreds of times more than the needs of world energy consumption. Advances and research in technologies are dropping manufacturing costs and increasing system efficiencies, in this manner reducing the cost of energy from renewable resources. Negative environmental and health impacts of renewable energy use are much lesser than those of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Many renewable energy technologies can generate energy at the point of use, allowing homeowners, businesses, and industry to generate their own power. Considering the environmental impacts, there is strong support for renewable energy from people around the world. Many governments have plans that support renewable energy use to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and thereby lessening the threat of global warming.

As in coming years, fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas become insufficient, they will become more expensive. Some experts consider that demand for oil will exceed production ability within the next twenty years. The renewable energy sector is a latest and upcoming business model, and needs to have large and predictable markets to invest in the economies of scale in manufacturing that will drive down costs. For renewable energy technologies, where initial costs are usually higher than existing market prices, strong and consistent government policy support is a key prerequisite for creating initial demand. Scale of production is also important to both wind and solar to bring down the costs. The solar industry is transitioning from a zone of component assembly operations to large-scale manufacturing of solar panels (photo-voltaic modules) and other components. New market contestants are bringing capital, technology and manufacturing experience from established and successful industries, for example semiconductor and display, which will noticeably increase scale, automation and throughput of photo-voltaic module production in the coming years. Measures we should take for better future and to close the fossil fuel supply gap are:

Increase efficiency Consume less live slower & friendlier EnergyBeta.Com

Reduce increase of population Replace fossils by renewable energy

Renewable energy products available in the market

There are different types of renewable energy products available in the market. Some of the best products are as follows: Solar power is used to power all sorts of electronic equipment, from handheld calculators, to remote solar-powered sensor arrays, on emergency road signs or call boxes, on buoys, even in parking lots to power lights and even some experimental vehicles and boats. Solar panels are even placed on outdoor lighting structures where the solar cell is charged during daylight hours, and at night, we get free electricity to keep our streets well-lit and secure. Solar panels are also used on satellites, where array of solar cells provide reliable power for the satellite's electrical systems.

Solar Charger:
The world moves very fast these days, and accordingly, the modern human are constantly on the go from one place to another. The inventions of the cell phone, laptop and the personal digital assistant (PDA) have made us yet more mobile. Your phone, GPS, digital camera, MP3 players, etc all involves their batteries to be charged on a normal basis. Your superior pocket computer becomes nothing more than a paperweight once its battery runs out. Solar Charger is a solution to this problem. Solar charger absorbs light energy through the use of Solar Collectors or solar panels and turns that energy into electricity. This electricity can charge the internal Battery-on-Board. Once the Battery-on-Board is getting a charge, you can charge your electronic digital devices. There are different sizes and shapes of solar battery charger. Some are incorporated into bags and backpacks. Some can be rolled up or folded to create a charging station you can take along with you. All you require is a little sunshine and time, and you'll never be short on battery life again. Solar-powered backpacks are the most recent travel gadgets in the tech world to make certain you stay connected. There are some new technical developments that allow you to plug your charger into an automobile or wall socket while this is available, and use this energy to charge your electronics. Wherever conventional energy sources are not available, you would use solar energy in its place. These types of chargers are called "hybrid solar chargers."

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In our world of electronic requirement, and the ever-increasing demand for power, portable solar chargers are shortly likely to be a must for adventure travel, wilderness camping, and even off-grid living. Solar charger may be an important piece of equipment to take with you if you are trekking through the mountains or other unfamiliar area. When out in nature, its a little hard to find an electrical outlet. This is where a solar charger can come in quite handy You may recharge your camera or mp3 player while out on a hike with the help of a solar charger. With advanced technology, they can also be used for larger batteries that provide energy to boats and RVs. Solar battery chargers for recreational vehicles (RVs) are a good investment when out on the road. Solar battery chargers can be placed on the dashboard of your RV and let it soak up the sun while you are enjoying the scenery streaking past you. During an emergency, like a hurricane or earthquake when power goes out, leaves the residents without any ways to contact family. Cell phone batteries only last so long, and recharging them could be a difficulty without electricity. Solar cell phone chargers lessen this problem.

Solar Attic Fan

The Solar Attic Fan is an inexpensive way to use solar energy in your life, which helps to exhaust hot air from your attic. Powered wholly by free solar energy, this sleek and competent vent is both compact and quiet. Installed on a rooftop or in an end-wall or gable, solar attic fans operate each time theres sunlight striking the solar module. Fully operational right from the box, it installs effortlessly, without electrical wiring, no expensive electrician and city permits. Most important feature is a single 10 watt unit can completely vent up to 1,200 square feet, operating at up to 850 cfms. Place it anywhere you need better circulation; attics, lofts, workshops, storage sheds, garages, even barns.

Solar Attic Fan provides attic venting which is an important aspect in maintaining a healthy energy efficient home. Proper venting cools your roof which not only extends the material life but also reduces the load on your air conditioning system. Attic venting also increases fresh air flow which reduces moisture build up produced by every day activities like showering and cooking. Excess moisture trapped in your attic can cause many problems like rust and rot, increased bacteria and mold counts which can have a direct impact on your respiratory health. Solar attic fans simply change the grid energy source with free solar energy. They run when the sun is shining and adding heat to your house. They can be installed wherever unobstructed sunlight is available for their solar modules.

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Benefits of Solar Attic Fan: Lowers attic temperature Prevents ice blocking in colder climates Extends the life of the roofing materials

Solar lights
Solar energy is the cleanest and inexhaustible of all known energy sources. Solar energy is nothing but the light, heat and other radiation that is emitted from the sun. Solar radiation holds huge amounts of energy and is responsible for almost all the natural processes on earth. Solar Lights are completely free standing. Simply fit the light components collectively, press the spike into the ground or screw on to the wall mounting, it really is that simple! Power is provided by solar panels, located tactfully on the head of the lights. During the day the lights charge up with free solar energy via the solar panels collecting power from both sunlight and daylight. The energy is stored in long-life NiCad batteries (supplied) integrated into the lamp body. Often, these lights are designed to turn on automatically at end of the day, providing an enhancing effect through-out the night, and then charge up again during the day. All weather design ensures that Solar Lights are not affected by unfavorable weather conditions ensuring years of pleasure. Features of our Solar Lights: 1. Automatic sunset sensors operate light at evening. 2. Strong design ideal for year round outdoor use. 3. Solid state Light Emitting Diodes give 20,000 hrs life. 4. These are the very economical lighting system. 5. Sun is a direct source of energy for the solar panel. 6. The battery is recharged during the day by direct-current (DC) electricity produced by the solar panel. 7. The light source is powered by the battery each night. 8. The electronic controls are used between the battery, light source and solar panels to protect the battery from overcharge discharge, and to control the timing and operation of the light.

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Solar bricks
The Solar Energy Lighting Brick system are self contained lighting device that are powered only by solar energy and are used for decorative or traffic floe purposes.

SolarSolar- Powered Security Camera:

The 2.4GHz Solar Color PIR Camera & Receiver is a wireless camera, receiving all of its required energy from the sun. With no wires to run, this camera installs simply, providing security and convenience in easy and cost-effective manner. As the camera's PIR motion sensor senses motion, images and voices are transmitted. Upon receiving these signals, the receiver beeps twice, and the LED flashes for one minute, so you'll know when to record or to view on your TV or monitor. The actual transmission time is adjustable for 10, 20, 30 or 40 seconds, but the camera will continue to transmit as long as the PIR sensor is triggered. The Camera's solar panel uses the sun's rays to run and sustain a charge to the camera battery during daylight hours. A negligible amount of energy is released by the long-life rechargeable battery to manage the camera at night.

Wind Energy Kit for Boat

When you are out on the water, you are miles and miles away from the nearest electrical outlet. Aside from having backup batteries in stock to restore your other batteries as they run out of juice, or having a generator, there is no way for you to keep your devices up and running without heading back into shore and waiting. The Wind Energy Kit for your Boat comprises an Air Stream Small Wind Generator which generates upwards of 200W of power, and mounting hardware and pole set specifically designed to attach your wind generator securely to your boat. If you are looking for a fun toy for your boat, but also want a tool that can save you hundreds of dollars along the way, the Complete Wind Energy Kit for your Boat is the perfect choice for you.

Wind & Solar Hybrid System:

This Wind and Solar Hybrid System functions both on and off grid. With this we are capable to combine the most powerful and abundant forces of nature, available to all of us every day. Take for example this very interesting device - a vertical axis wind turbine embedded with solar cells. So if the sun's shining, but the wind is not blowing you've still got juice; and vice-versa. If you have both that is even better. Although solar power or wind power alone can fluctuate but when used together they provide a reliable source of energy. In many areas once the sun is strongest the wind speed is low and EnergyBeta.Com

while the wind speed is highest the sun is often the weakest as in winter. The ideal solution is to join these two forms of energy sources to create a constant energy flow. This hybrid system balances out the fluctuations in these powers to give a more smooth flow.

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hybrid_Power_System.gif)

The system charges a small set of batteries. In the event of a grid failure, the system reverts to a standalone (off grid) function and will continue to supply your home with power for essential loads (water, refrigeration, boiler operation). This system will keep you up and running once all else fails.

Water pumping Windmills:

A usual Windmill comprises of an 18 bladed rotor of 3 meter diameter installed on a tower of 10 meter height. The rotor through the gear mechanism drives the connecting rod along with the pump, which can pump water from a maximum depth of 30 meter, at an average wind speed of 8-10 km per hours. The estimated rate of pumping under ideal conditions ranges from 1000 to 1200 liters per hours that could cater to the irrigation needs of about half to one hectare area depending upon the cropping pattern and its water requirement.

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A Windmill can be installed on an open well, bore well etc at a site that is free from any obstacles that could restrict the availability of Wind to the rotor of the windmill.

A Fuel cell vehicle:

A fuel cell vehicle is a vehicle which uses a fuel cell to generate its on-board motive power. Fuel cells generate electricity to power an electric motor with hydrogen or a reformed hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen from the air. Fuel cell vehicle efficiency is limited

Summary
Even though most of todays electricity comes from big power plants, new technologies offer a range of options for generating electricity nearer to where it is needed, saving on the cost of transmitting and distributing power and improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the system. Improving energy efficiency signifies the most immediate and most cost-effective way to reduce oil dependence, improve energy security, and lessen the health and environmental impact of the energy system. By dropping the total energy requirements of the economy, improved energy efficiency could make increased reliance on renewable energy sources more practical and affordable. By now it is clear that renewable sources of energy wind power, solar power, hydro-electric power, fuel cell power, tidal power, geothermal energy and biomass all are important alternatives to fossil fuels. Their use reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, expands our energy supply and reduces our dependence on unreliable and volatile fossil fuel markets. The growth of renewable energy sources also encourages employment, the creation of new technologies and improves the trade balance. So what we are waiting for. We are already late, it is better to act now than never. So act now!!

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Renewable energy is one of the great stories of recent years, and its going to be a bigger story in the years to come. George W. Bush, former President of the United States

The Stone Age did not end for lack of stones, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil. Sheikh Yamani, former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia

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References:
[#1] http://www.prlog.org/10295698-diy-solar-panel-complete-analysis-on-home-solar-powersystems.html [#2] http://www.energyhimalaya.com/information-center/facts-and-figures.html [#3] http://www.solarbuzz.com/FastFactsIndustry.html [#4] http://thatgreenblog.com/2010/01/11/solar-energy-economic-impact/ [#5] http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/03/wind-energy-facts.html [#6] http://www.energyhimalaya.com/information-center/facts-and-figures.html [#7] http://www.wind-energy-the-facts.org/en/scenarios-and-targets/chapter-5-global-scenarios [#8] http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long307.html [#9] http://www.our-energy.com/energy_facts/geothermal_energy_facts [#10] http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/03/geothermal-energy-facts [#11} http://www.envirohub.net/hydroelectric-energy.html [#12] http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/03/hydropower-facts [#13] http://hubpages.com/hub/facts-about-hydroelectric-energy [#14] http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/04/biomass-energy-facts.html [#15] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biomass-energy-facts.html [#16] http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj04/spr04/blanks.html [#17] http://www.greencar.com/articles/5-facts-hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars.php [#18] http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/03/ocean-energy-facts.html [#19]http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/climate_carbon_energy/energy_solutions/renewabl e_energy/clean_energy_facts/ocean_energy_facts [#20] http://www.energyboom.com/10-facts-about-ocean-wave-power [#21] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_resources_and_consumption [#22] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy [#23] http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/renew_energy_consump/rea_prereport.html [#24] http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html?featureclicked=3& [#25]http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/01-26-10_AWEA_Q4_and_YearEnd_Report_Release.html [#26] http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/Annual_US_Wind_Power_Rankings_041107.html [#27] http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/pdfs/1_overview-demeo.pdf [#28] http://www.nexteraenergyresources.com/ [#29]http://www.energyonline.com/Industry/News.aspx?NewsID=7401&FPL_Commissions_DeSoto_Next _Generation_Solar_Energy_Center__

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