RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: AN OVERVIEW

SOLAR ENERGY

FOSSIL FUELS

NUCLEAR

GEOTHERMAL

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WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?

--Solar energy can be defined as “something as simple the energy gathered in
your parked, sealed car (your solar collector) and converted into heat.
Solar energy is often used to heat houses directly through passive means
(sun enters window, room warms).

-Solar energy is also often used to heat
water (a solar collector is mounted in direct sunlight, which warms a heat
transfer fluid, which in turn heats the water in your hot water tank) (KIDS
INFO,1).”

-“Photovoltaic systems produce clean, reliable electricity without
consuming any fossil fuels. They are being used in a wide variety of
applications, from providing power for watches, highway signs, and space
stations, to providing for a household's electrical needs (KID’S INFO, 1).”

Positives of Solar Energy:

-“For the 2 billion people without access to electricity, it would
be cheaper to install solar panels than to extend the electrical grid. (The
Fund for Renewable Energy Everywhere)

-“Providing power for villages in developing countries is a
fast-growing market for photovoltaics. The United Nations estimates that
more than 2 million villages worldwide are without electric power for water
supply, refrigeration, lighting, and other basic needs, and the cost of
extending the utility grids is prohibitive, $23,000 to $46,000 per
kilometer in 1988.

-“A one kilowatt PV system* each month:
o prevents 150 lbs. of coal from being mined
o prevents 300 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere
o keeps 105 gallons of water from being consumed
o keeps NO and SO2 from being released into the environment
* in Colorado, or an equivalent system that produces 150 kWh per month
(Energy Facts,3).”

-Solar water heaters do not pollute. By investing in one, you will
be avoiding carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and the other
air pollution and wastes created when your utility generates power or you
burn fuel to heat your household water. When a solar water heater replaces
an electric water heater, the electricity displaced over 20 years
represents more than 50 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions alone.

Negatives of Solar Energy:

-(Negative would be the cost to implement solar water a solar water
heater, but) “You can expect a simple payback of 4 to 8 years on a
well-designed and properly installed solar water heater. (Simple payback is
the length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or
avoided energy costs.) (Energy Facts, 4).”

-- “It can be costly to implement a photovoltaic system for heating a
home due to competition with utilities, but “One can, however, heat one’s
house very effectively and cheaply by harnessing the sun’s energy in other
ways (KID’S INFO, 2).”

--“Christopher Dymond, solar specialist for the Oregon Department of
Energy says in 50 years, the cost [of using solar energy] has certainly
declined. ‘At the time, manufacturing costs were over $1,700 per watt. But
costs fell to $20 per watt by the 1970s and are now about $3 per watt,’
Dymond says. ‘At around $1.50 per watt it will be an affordable roof system
that provides the electrical energy needs for a home.’ (Solar PV Celebrates
50 Year Anniversary, 2).”

INNOVATIONS
-- “Red wine, what can beat it? It reduces your risk of heart
disease. It's full of cancer-fighting compounds. And now, researchers at
the University of Toledo reveal yet another use for the juice of the grape.
It makes better solar cells (Red wine leads UT scientists to juice up
potency of solar cells, 1).”
-- “Santa Rosa, California - April 21, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] The big
solar electric installations in California have kept on at a steady pace.
Sharp Solar recently unveiled a new 200 kW photovoltaic (PV) system
installation at a 50,000 sq. foot, multi-tenant office building in Santa
Rosa, California. The building represents Northern California's first "Zero
Energy" commercial real estate complex.

--A Zero Energy property combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient
construction with renewable energy systems such as solar, resulting in "net
zero" energy consumption from the utility provider (Sharp Solar Unveils
200kW Solar Project, 1).”

-- “Phoenix, Arizona - April 23, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] Dish Stirling
solar power plants. They inspire awe and wonder to those who have seen the
experimental solar thermal units. Looking like massive, twisted satellite
dishes on steroids, concocted by quixotic, mad-scientists -- the power
plants aren't designed to capture man-made frequencies, but the sun's
powerful and omnipresent solar energy instead.

Sources:

~SolarCentury Unveils Solar PV Roofing Tiles. Online. 22 April
2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6600&siteid=728
~Dish Stirling Solar Thermal Enters Production. Online. 22 April
2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6589&siteid=728
~Sharp Solar Unveils 200 kW Solar Project. Online. 22 April
2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6561&siteid=728
~Red wine leads UT scientist to juice up potency of solar cells. Online. 22
April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6641&siteid=728
~Solar PV Celebrates 50 Year Anniversary. Online. 22 April
2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6618&siteid=728
~Energy Facts. Online. 22 April
2004<http:www.solarenergy.org/resources/energyfacts.html
~KID’S INFO. Online. 22 April
2004<http:www.solarenergy.org/resources/olderkids.html

ENPH 210 SPRING 2004 SOLAR ENERGY	RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: AN OVERVIEW SOLAR ENERGY
FOSSIL FUELS NUCLEAR GEOTHERMAL BIOMASS WIND HOME	WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY? --Solar energy can be defined as “something as simple the energy gathered in your parked, sealed car (your solar collector) and converted into heat. Solar energy is often used to heat houses directly through passive means (sun enters window, room warms). -Solar energy is also often used to heat water (a solar collector is mounted in direct sunlight, which warms a heat transfer fluid, which in turn heats the water in your hot water tank) (KIDS INFO,1).” -“Photovoltaic systems produce clean, reliable electricity without consuming any fossil fuels. They are being used in a wide variety of applications, from providing power for watches, highway signs, and space stations, to providing for a household's electrical needs (KID’S INFO, 1).”
	Positives of Solar Energy: -“For the 2 billion people without access to electricity, it would be cheaper to install solar panels than to extend the electrical grid. (The Fund for Renewable Energy Everywhere) -“Providing power for villages in developing countries is a fast-growing market for photovoltaics. The United Nations estimates that more than 2 million villages worldwide are without electric power for water supply, refrigeration, lighting, and other basic needs, and the cost of extending the utility grids is prohibitive, $23,000 to $46,000 per kilometer in 1988. -“A one kilowatt PV system* each month: o prevents 150 lbs. of coal from being mined o prevents 300 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere o keeps 105 gallons of water from being consumed o keeps NO and SO2 from being released into the environment * in Colorado, or an equivalent system that produces 150 kWh per month (Energy Facts,3).” -Solar water heaters do not pollute. By investing in one, you will be avoiding carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and the other air pollution and wastes created when your utility generates power or you burn fuel to heat your household water. When a solar water heater replaces an electric water heater, the electricity displaced over 20 years represents more than 50 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions alone.	Negatives of Solar Energy: -(Negative would be the cost to implement solar water a solar water heater, but) “You can expect a simple payback of 4 to 8 years on a well-designed and properly installed solar water heater. (Simple payback is the length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or avoided energy costs.) (Energy Facts, 4).” -- “It can be costly to implement a photovoltaic system for heating a home due to competition with utilities, but “One can, however, heat one’s house very effectively and cheaply by harnessing the sun’s energy in other ways (KID’S INFO, 2).” --“Christopher Dymond, solar specialist for the Oregon Department of Energy says in 50 years, the cost [of using solar energy] has certainly declined. ‘At the time, manufacturing costs were over $1,700 per watt. But costs fell to $20 per watt by the 1970s and are now about $3 per watt,’ Dymond says. ‘At around $1.50 per watt it will be an affordable roof system that provides the electrical energy needs for a home.’ (Solar PV Celebrates 50 Year Anniversary, 2).”
	INNOVATIONS -- “Red wine, what can beat it? It reduces your risk of heart disease. It's full of cancer-fighting compounds. And now, researchers at the University of Toledo reveal yet another use for the juice of the grape. It makes better solar cells (Red wine leads UT scientists to juice up potency of solar cells, 1).” -- “Santa Rosa, California - April 21, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] The big solar electric installations in California have kept on at a steady pace. Sharp Solar recently unveiled a new 200 kW photovoltaic (PV) system installation at a 50,000 sq. foot, multi-tenant office building in Santa Rosa, California. The building represents Northern California's first "Zero Energy" commercial real estate complex. --A Zero Energy property combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction with renewable energy systems such as solar, resulting in "net zero" energy consumption from the utility provider (Sharp Solar Unveils 200kW Solar Project, 1).” -- “Phoenix, Arizona - April 23, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] Dish Stirling solar power plants. They inspire awe and wonder to those who have seen the experimental solar thermal units. Looking like massive, twisted satellite dishes on steroids, concocted by quixotic, mad-scientists -- the power plants aren't designed to capture man-made frequencies, but the sun's powerful and omnipresent solar energy instead.
	Sources: ~SolarCentury Unveils Solar PV Roofing Tiles. Online. 22 April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6600&siteid=728 ~Dish Stirling Solar Thermal Enters Production. Online. 22 April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6589&siteid=728 ~Sharp Solar Unveils 200 kW Solar Project. Online. 22 April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6561&siteid=728 ~Red wine leads UT scientist to juice up potency of solar cells. Online. 22 April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6641&siteid=728 ~Solar PV Celebrates 50 Year Anniversary. Online. 22 April 2004<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6618&siteid=728 ~Energy Facts. Online. 22 April 2004<http:www.solarenergy.org/resources/energyfacts.html ~KID’S INFO. Online. 22 April 2004<http:www.solarenergy.org/resources/olderkids.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: AN OVERVIEW

SOLAR ENERGY

--Solar energy can be defined as “something as simple the energy gathered in your parked, sealed car (your solar collector) and converted into heat. Solar energy is often used to heat houses directly through passive means (sun enters window, room warms).

-Solar energy is also often used to heat water (a solar collector is mounted in direct sunlight, which warms a heat transfer fluid, which in turn heats the water in your hot water tank) (KIDS INFO,1).”