ELECTRICITY

GENERATION
PROCESS
THROUGH RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE
SOURCE OF ENERGY
“…the time is running out …
soon, there will be nothing
left to burn on earth but the
earth itself …”
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
What is renewable energy?
 Renewable energy comes from sources that won’t run out, including:
o The wind
o The sun
o The waves and tides
o Natural underground heat
o Energy crops, wood and waste.
 We can use renewable energy to provide electricity and heat for home and
businesses.
 RENEWABLE ENERGY
Why do we need renewable energy?
 Most of the electricity we use in the UK comes from non-renewable sources, such as coal and gas.
 These ‘fossil fuels’ are running out
 Burning them to provide energy also releases gasses that contribute to climate change
 Renewable sources of energy don’t run out or pollute the environment

Why don’t we get all our electricity from renewable energy?

 It is important to have a mix of energy sources so, if one fails, another can be
used . Also , many renewable technologies are still being developed.
 RENEWABLE ENERGY AND
YOUR HOME
The advantages of using renewable energy in a domestic setting are persuasive:
 Cut your electricity bills: Once you’ve paid for the costs of installing a renewable energy system, you can become
less reliant on the National Grid and your energy bills can be reduced.

 Get paid for the electricity you generate: The UK Government’s Feed-in Tariff pays you for the electricity you
generate, even if you use it.

 Sell electricity back to the grid: If you are generating enough energy to export an excess back into the National
Grid, you can receive an additional payment from the Feed-in Tariff scheme.

 Reduce your carbon footprint: Green, renewable sources of energy don’t release carbon dioxide or other harmful
pollutants into the atmosphere. According to the Energy Saving Trust's Solar panels page, a typical solar PV
system could save around 1.5 - 2 tones of carbon per year. You can find out more in our solar panels guide. 
WIND ENERGY
 WIND POWER
 Airflows can be used to run wind turbines
 Areas where winds are stronger and more constant/ such as offshore and high altitude sites, are
preferred locations for wind farms.
 Wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times
current electricity demand.
 This could require large amount of lad to be used for wind turbines, particularly in areas of
higher wind resources. Offshore resources experience win speeds of ~90% greater than that of
land.
 Wind power produces no greenhouse gases during operation , and power is growing at the rate of
30% annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of 157,900MW.
BIOMASS ENERGY
WHAT IS BIOMASS?
Biomass refers to the organic material that is used for
production of energy. This energy production process is
referred to as Bioenergy. Biomass is primarily found in the
form of living or recently living plants and biological wastes
from industrial and home use. Due to the breadth of the term,
the physical composition of biomass is inconsistent, but
generally includes carbon, water and organic volatiles.
For the production of energy from biomass, the term
feedstock is used to refer to whatever type of organic material
will be used to produce a form of energy. The feedstock must
then be converted to a usable energy form through one of
many processes.
Feedstock + Process -> Usable Energy Form
https://youtu.be/yHWcddUZ35s
BIOMASS ENERGY
Some common biomass conversion processes include:
 Combustion: the process by which flammable materials are burned in the presence of air or oxygen to release heat. It is the simplest
method by which biomass can be used for energy. In its rudimentary form, combustion is used for space heating (i.e. a fire for
warmth) but can also be used to heat steam for electricity generation
 Gasification: is the conversion of biomass into a combustible gas mixture referred to as Producer Gas (CO+H2+CH4) or Syngas.
The gasification process uses heat, pressure and partial combustion to create syngas, which can then be used in place of natural gas
 Pyrolysis: Consists of thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen. It is the precursor to gasification, and takes place as part of
both gasification and combustion
 The products of pyrolysis include gas, liquid and a sold char, with the proportions of each depending upon the parameters of the
process.
 Anaerobic digestion (or bio digestion): is the process whereby bacteria break down organic material in the absence of air, yielding a
biogas containing methane and a solid residue. The methane can then be captured to produce energy. Similarly, the solid residue
can also be burned to produce energy.
 Fermentation: involves the conversion of a plant’s glucose (or carbohydrate) into an alcohol or acid. Yeast or bacteria are added to
the biomass material, which feed on the sugars to produce ethanol (an alcohol) and carbon dioxide. The ethanol is distilled and
dehydrated to obtain a higher concentration of alcohol to achieve the required purity for the use as automotive fuel. The solid
residue from the fermentation process can be used as cattle-feed and in the case of sugar cane can be used as a fuel for boilers or for
subsequent gasification.
Some feedstocks are more conducive for certain biomass conversion processes than others. The determination of which feedstocks
and processes will be used is determined largely by the availability of resources and the desired end form of energy.
THANK YOU