8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 1/18

Renewable energy

Prospects and Problems

-MOHAMMED NIZAR.N

The ever increasing price of fossil fuels exepted with high pollution

caused by plans using fossil fuels has made the world concern about the very

feature of our planet. For instance, economic activity in countries across the

world which were depended heavily on imported petroleum and petroleum

products was thrown out of gear by a sudden increase in petroleum price

since 2000. Although the supplies of these fossil fuels such as coal, oil, andnatural gas are vast out they are not unlimited. And more important, the

earth's atmosphere and biosphere may not survive the environmental impact

of burning such enormous amounts of these fuels. Carbon stored over

millions of years is being released in a matter of decades, disrupting the

earth's carbon cycle in unpredictable ways. There is thus increasing

recognition of the role of renewable energy in ensuring energy security,

sustainable development, decentralized energy supply and growth without

Renewable energy?

Now what is renewable energy? Why is everyone out there concerned about

the future of renewable energy? Well, the answers are not as tough as we

would have expected, nor do they require a lot of action in order to succeed.

Our planet is dependent upon us to keep it thriving, and the best way to do

that is to switch over to renewable energy.

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources —such as

sunlight , wind , rain , tides and geothermal heat —which are renewable

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 2/18

(naturally replenished). Renewable energy technologies include solar power ,

wind power , hydroelectricity , micro hydro , biomass and biofuels . According

to IEA, "Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are

replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun,or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is

electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower,

biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from

renewable resources."

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 3/18

Renewable energy from all sources accounts for only

about 8% of global energy production. Nuclear makes up

another 6% of global energy production. This leavesabout 86% of global energy coming from fossil fuels,

which are both non-renewable, and also the major cause

of global climate change.

Renewable energy sources

1. Wind

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as

electricity, using wind turbines . At the end of 2007, worldwide capacity of

wind-powered generators was 94.1 gigawatts . Although wind produces about

1% of world-wide electricity use, it accounts for approximately 19% of

electricity production in Denmark , 9% in Spain and Portugal , and 6% in

Germany and the Republic of Ireland (2007 data). Globally, wind power

generation increased more than fivefold between 2000 and 2007. Wind

energy has a huge potential for electricity generation. The power output of a

turbine is a function of the cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed

increases, power output increases dramatically. Areas where winds are

stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites are

preferred locations for wind farms. India ranks fourth amongst the wind-

energy-producing countries of the world after Germany, Spain and USA .

More than 95% of installed capacity belongs to Private Sector in seven

states. It is learnt that Tata power would be investing Rs. 500Crs for

additional 115 MW wind project in Gujrat and Karnataka states. The order

for the turbine have already been placed .This project shall be in addition of

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 4/18

85 MW wind power capacity of the company already have in Maharashtra

state. The Central Ministry and several State Nodal Agencies encourage

growth of Wind Energy Sector through financial incentives and policy

support

2. Solar Electricity

"Solar energy" refers to energy that is collected from sunlight. Currently,

solar electricity generation accounts for less than 0.01% of total Global

primary energy production, but like wind it is growing very rapidly.

Generation of electricity from the sun can be accomplished either byconcentrating solar heat and using steam to generate electricity, or using

solar photo-voltaic panels, the majority of the growth is in the latter

technology. Solar photo-voltaic panels are undergoing a technology

revolution, with many emerging companies and technologies competing for

market share.

As regards solar energy, India had designed, developed, manufactured,installed in the field, and maintained around one million solar photovoltaic

cell (SPV) systems by the end of March 2005, the largest number in any

country. There are some 30 types of SPV systems — for rural homes and

street lighting, for pumping water for drinking and irrigation, for community

TV sets and rural telephone exchanges, wireless links to interconnect

exchanges, satellite communication terminals, and to power the electronicson offshore oil production platforms. Optical fibre communication systems,

anti-corrosion systems for oil and gas pipelines, and chargers for back-

packed wireless communication sets for the Army are also covered by SPV

systems. Besides, SPV systems are used in vaccine storage refrigerators in

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 5/18

rural primary health centres (PHCs), railway signals, and warning systems at

unmanned railway-road intersections. There are some 19,000 such

intersections along the country's railway network — a huge market for the

SPV companies.

The country's annual production of solar cells and modules is currently

around 70 MW by eight manufacturers. The country's two leading SPV

manufacturers — the public sector Central Electronics Limited (CEL) and

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) — are currently engaged in

expanding their production capacities. There is huge opportunity for

investing in this sector because the energy is completely renewable. The

government had announced a generation-based subsidy of Rs 12 per unit for

solar photovoltaic and Rs 10 per unit for solar thermal generation.

3. Hydroelectric power

Hydro electric power uses the force of moving water to produce electricity.

Hydropower is one of the main suppliers of electricity in the world, but mostoften in the form of large dams that disrupt habitats and displace people. A

better approach is the use of small, "run of the river" hydro plants. The

Indian government considers hydropower as a renewable economic, non-

polluting and environmentally benign source of energy. The exploitable

hydro-electric potential in terms of installed capacity is estimated to be

about 148,700 MW (See Table ) out of which a capacity of 30,164 MW(20.3%) has been developed so far and 13,616 MW (9.2 %) of capacity is

under construction. In addition, 6,782 MW in terms of installed capacity

from small, mini and micro hydro schemes have been assessed. Also, 56

sites for pumped storage schemes with an aggregate installed capacity of

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 6/18

94,000 MW have been identified. The government expects to harness its full

potential of hydropower by 2027 with a whopping investment of 5,000

billion Rupees.

With the economic liberalisation, the Indian government also opened up the

doors in 1991 to private companies for the setting up of private hydropower

projects. However, so far only about 910 MW has been commissioned by the

help of private players, which constitutes less than 3 percent of the total

installed hydropower capacity. The present major private developers are

Malana Power Company Ltd. , the Jaypee Group and S. Kumar Group.Seeing the vast potential present in the hydro power generation, Jaypee

ventured into private power generation on a “Build, Own, Operate” (BOO)

basis. So far Jaypee has the distinction of participating in 54% of new

hydropower projects under India’s Tenth Five Year Plan. Also, the Indian

government is encouraging development of small hydro power (SHP)

projects in the country because small and mini hydel projects have the

potential to provide energy in remote and hilly areas where extension of an

electrical transmission grid system is uneconomical.

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 7/18

*load factor is a measure of output of a power plant compared to the

maximum output it can produce

4. Ocean Power

4. (a) Tidal Power

Energy can be extracted from tides by creating a reservoir or basin behind a

barrage and then passing tidal waters through turbines in the barrage to

generate electricity. Tide mills are actually a very old form of power, that

was used along the coasts of western Europe in the Middle Ages, and was

only abandoned with the initiation of the fossil fuel era. In modern times, a

tidal dam was built across the Rance estuary in Brittany, France, in the

1960’s. This project has an installed capacity of 240 MW, and has operated

successfully for over thirty years. The cost of tidal generation is higher than

traditional hydro-electric and can have impacts on marine estuarine

environments. Deep marine currents, which are largely driven by tidal

movements, offer a very stable energy source with low environmental

impacts, but the technology has been very little studied. This type of

generation is most comparable to wind, but has the advantages of

predictability and high power-output per size of turbine. The future of tidal

power is uncertain, but likely to grow. Since India is surrounded by sea on

three sides, its potential to hamess tidal energy has been recognised by the

Government of India. Potential sites for tidal power development havealready been located. The most attractive locations are the Gulf of Cambay

and the Culf of Kachchh on the west coast where the maximum tidal range is

11 m and 8 m with average tidal range of 6.77 m and 5.23 m respectively.

The Ganges Delta in the Sunderbans in West Bengal also has good locations

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 8/18

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 9/18

continues research on wave energy as part of its overall mandate to exploit

India's ocean resources. While an improved model was again installed at

Vizinjham in April 1996. The Maharashtra Govt is setting up a small tidal

power plant in 2 coastal villages in Ratnagiri district. A pilot of sorts it will produce between 15 to 20 kW of power when it goes operational this May.

The project costs about Rs 4.5 million ($100,000), and similar projects are

underway in 15 other villages. The hope is that the success of this project

could lead to a similar project with a capacity of 250 kW.

5. Biofuels

Biofuels are an extremely fast-growing, but also very controversial form of

alternative energy. Two key questions remain unclear regarding the use of

biofuels: do biofuels provide more energy than it takes to grow, harvest and

transform them? And, is there enough land available for biofuels to grow any

meaningful quantity? The answers to these two questions are linked.

Current biofuel crops and processes are extremely inefficient. For instance,the U.S. department of energy concludes that "the ' net energy balance ' of

making fuel ethanol from corn grain is 1.34; that is, for every unit of energy

that goes into growing corn and turning it into ethanol, we get back about

one-third more energy as automotive fuel." However, other studies,

including a 2005 study from a Cornell University researcher, conclude that it

actually takes more fossil fuel energy to create ethanol than you actually get back in the resulting fuel. In short, according to these studies, using a litre of

ethanol actually contributes more to global warming than just using a litre of

gasoline. Biodiesel has similar controversy, although the energy returns are

somewhat better. Also, According to the USDA, amount of the total corn

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 10/18

crop consumed to make ethanol will rise from 12 percent in 2004/05 to 23

percent in 2014/15. This will likely drive up the price of corn used for food,

and even while using almost a quarter of the U.S. corn crop, ethanol will

make up a fairly small proportion of the fuel used in the United States . The food to fuel problem is the strongest argument against the current

generation of biofuels . A report from PotashCorp on this trend in agriculture

reads as follows:

“With the growing demand for food and now a surge in the production of

biofuels, the annual increase in grain consumption has grown from its

historical rate of 1.2 percent to 2.0 percent. That has led to a widening gap

between consumption and production – one that would become even more

pronounced if production failures or other supply disruptions occur."

Biofuels only have a meaningful future if the means of production are

shifted away from agricultural crops.

6. Hydrogen

Hydrogen fuel can be implemented as a renewable energy medium with

immense potential. When utilized properly, it has the potential to entirely

replace fossil fuels altogether. Hydrogen is not an energy source, it is an

energy carrier, and potentially a means of storing energy. Currently, most of

the world's hydrogen is produced from natural gas by a process called steam

reforming. Using this process, Carbon Dioxide is still released leading to

climate change, and non-renewable resources are still consumed. There is

another way to make hydrogen, however, which is the use of electricity to

break water down into hydrogen and oxygen. If this is done using renewable

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 11/18

energy sources, the 'hydrogen economy' is born. Hydrogen can be used to

very efficiently generate electricity in fuel cells. Fuel cells are based on the

chemical reaction in which hydrogen and oxygen combine to make water,

but instead of letting the reaction happen explosively, it happens in acontrolled process that generates large amounts of electricity and relatively

little heat. Because it can be stored and transported without losses, hydrogen

may be an important intermediary in going from our fossil-fuel economy to

one based on renewable energy, and because it is a high-energy fuel it may

be particularly important in tranport, although batteries may instead fill this

role. More and more research is going on developing new technologies in

this area.

7. Geothermal

Geothermal energy is the energy of the core of the earth. This energy is

replenished by the slow decomposition of nuclear isotopes in underground

rocks. The core of the earth is at about 4,000 degrees Celcius, and hot

springs near the Earth's surface can reach 350 degrees Celcius. This energy

can be used to heat homes or generate electricity in areas of geological

activity where it is most readily available. Today, 22 nations are generating

geothermal electricity, in amounts sufficient to supply 15 million houses.

Geothermal energy is also used as a direct heating source in areas where it is

available. Most modern geothermal electricity plants use a binary

technology, where a heat exchanger transfers the heat from subsurface water

to a liquid with a lower boiling point than water, which is then used to

generate electricity. This has the advantages of no emissions to the

atmosphere and low consumption of water, and allows power generation

from lower temperature reservoirs. A second, unrelated type of geothermal

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 12/18

heating system uses the relatively small amounts of heat in the ground in

non-geologically active areas to generate heat in a system quite similar to a

refrigerator. These heat pump systems, while relatively efficient, are costly

to install and still require significant amounts of electricity to run.

Current penetration of renewable energy technologies in the market

place:

The penetration of renewable energy into the energy system of human

settlements on Earth is from one point of view nearly 100%. But, only

0.02% of this energy system is currently managed by human society . A larger part of this renewable energy is in the form of biomass energy, either in food

crops or managed forestry providing wood for industrial purpose of for

incineration(fire wood used for heat or cooking in poor countries or for

mood-setting fire-places in affluent countries, residue and waste burning in

combined power and heat plants or incinerators). Hydropower is a

substantial source, but it is no longer growing due to environmental limits

identified in many locations. Passive solar heating is a key feature of

building design throughout the world, active solar heat or power panels are

still at a very minute level of penetration. The thing is that it requires lot of

spaces to set up. This also involves high costs. Also wind has both passive

and active role. Passive use of wind energy for ventilation of buildings plays

a significant role. And active power production by wind turbines is today a

rapidly growing energy technology in many parts of reaching nearly 20% of

total electricity provided is found in Denmark. India ranks among the wind-

producing countries of the world after Germany, Spain and USA.

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 13/18

Further renewable energy technologies, so far with small global

penetration, include biofuels such as biogas and geothermal power and heat.

the dominant energy sources are still fossil fuels, despite the fact that they

are depletable and a cause of frequent national conflicts, due to mismatch between their particular geographical availability and demand patterns.

Problems

Renewable energy increases diversity of energy supplies and can replace

diminishing fossil fuel resources over the long run. Their use in place of

fossil fuels can substantially reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants.While experts believe that many new markets could sustain even higher rates

of renewable energy penetration, numerous barriers remain. The cost of

renewable energy technologies remains high, although it continues to fall.

Though the world has realized the need for the importance of renewable

energy system there contribution to these areas are lower (see why are we

still addicted to oil). Another disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is

difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those

produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. Another disadvantage of

renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply. Renewable energy

often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need

rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to turn

the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat

and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity

to make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The

current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of

traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and

as such has extremely large capital cost.

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 14/18

So a key strategy for market acceleration is by removing trade and

investment barriers between countries with significant renewable resources.

Global strategies for accelerating the market penetration and diffusion of

renewable energies need to engage both developed and developingcountries. Governments can employ a number of strategies to improve the

competitiveness of renewable energy. Technology up gradation is also an

important factor to be met.

Why are we still addicted to oil?

In 2006 it was estimated that the cost to the US of the Iraq war will be

between $1 trillion and $2 trillion, according to a report written by Joseph

Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor who won the Nobel prize for

economics in 2001, and Linda Bilmes, a Harvard budget expert. Many

people now believe that the Iraq war was fought primarily because of the

Iraq's large oil resources, and U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The result is a

one trillion dollar invoice. But imagine if the same amount had been spent

on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Consider, by contrast, that in

2006 all funding for renewable energy and any related scientific research

through the U.S. Department of Energy was less than 10 billion dollars .

Even multiplied over ten years, the total budget for renewable energy adds

up to less than one tenth the cost of the Iraq war. Since the United States isseeking energy security, one speculates that investing 1-2 trillion dollars in

renewable energy and energy efficiency might have got it there with a far

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 15/18

greater degree of permanence than the Iraq war, even had the war been

successful.

ACTIONS NEEDED

Governments should substantially facilitate the use—in an

environmentally sustainable way—of renewable energy

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 16/18

resources through adequate policies and subsidies. A major

policy step in this direction would include implementing clear

price signals for avoided greenhouse gas emissions.

Governments should also promote research and development inrenewable energy technologies by supplying significantly more

public funding.

The private sector, aided by government subsidies, should seek

entrepreneurial opportunities in the growing renewable energy

market.

The S&T community should devote more attention toovercoming the cost and technology barriers that currently limit

the contribution of renewable energy sources.

NGOs can assist in promoting the use of renewable energy

sources in developing countries.

The media can play an essential role in heightening the general

public’s awareness of issues related to renewable energy.

Conclusion:

In comparing the various forms of energy—coal, solar, and wind—there

are pros and cons to each in such a unique way that no overall quantitative

assessment can be made. What is most pertinent for the sake of the

environment—and for species’ health—is the fact the emissions released

from coal are severe, indeed. Using renewable energy would eliminate this

problem entirely. However, the needs of people—especially those in

developing countries—must be mixed into the equation for a realistic result

to be obtained. Even China, completely aware of the problem at hand,

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 17/18

cannot simply switch energy forms if the alternative will not be able to

securely sustain its people. Thus, for such developing countries, it seems that

the only thing that can be done for the time being is to slowly offer

alternatives, to give aid in implementing new forms of energy, and tosuggest laws through international policy that will force the abatement of

emissions.

However, renewable energy does offer a great alternative to us. It is

the answer for energy crisis. It is the answer to global warming. It is the

answer to a more comfortable life. All but not least, renewable energy is our

future.

REFERENCES :

Renewable Energy, by Bent Sorensen- edition 2004

ENERGY SOURCES: the wealth of the world, by Eugene Ayres,

Charles A.Scarlott

www.wikipedia.org

www.ecoworld.com

www.ourclimate.net

www.financialexpress.com/news

www.iea.com/textbase/subjectqueries

www.interacademycounsil.net/cms/reports

www.indiasolar.com

www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy

8/14/2019 Renewable Energy- Nizar

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/renewable-energy-nizar 18/18

Renewable energy sources coming of age, Ashok Parthasarathi, The

Hindu, 2005/08/17