EGN 4913: Renewable Energy Systems

LO1: The Need for Various Energy Sources

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 Graphics and Animations - 1
• Renewables 101 from National Geographic (Nat
Geo)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUE0BZtTRc

• Renewable versus nonrenewable resources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLBK1ux5b7U
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 Graphics and Animations – 1
Title: Renewables 101 from National Geographic (Nat Geo)

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play. 3

LO1: Describe the need for various energy sources
with regards to future energy supply, environmental
impact, and energy conservation.
• Sub-outcome 1: List reasons for alternative energy sources.
• Sub-outcome 2: Estimate the effect of energy conservation in regards
to population growth.
• Sub-outcome 3: Explain global warming and the effect of greenhouse
gases.
• Sub-outcome 4: Identify international concerns for the environment
and related acts and regulations.
• Sub-outcome 5: Describe main characteristics of renewable energy
sources.
• Sub-outcome 6: Identify the most appropriate renewable energy
sources for the UAE based on weather conditions.
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 Introduction to Energy
What is Energy?
• Ability or capacity to do work or cause change
• Produces Warmth
• Produces Light
• Produces Sound
• Produces Movement
• Produces Growth
• Powers Technology
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 Main Classification of Energy (1)
• Resources are basically divided into two broad categories:

• Renewable: An energy source that is regenerative at a

human scale (can be used over and over again.)

• Nonrenewable: An energy source that is depleting and

cannot regenerate in a short period of time.

• Unit of Energy, Work or Heat is Joule (Ws): Amount of

energy needed to move 1kg through 1m with an
acceleration of 1m/s2
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 Main Forms of Energy (2)
 Thermal (Heat)

 Chemical

 Electromagnetic (Electric)

 Nuclear

 Mechanical 7
Possible Classification of Energy (3)

POTENTIA
KINETIC
L
Stored energy
or energy of Energy of motion
position
Gravitational, Stored Motion, Electrical,
Mechanical, Nuclear, Sound, Radiant, Thermal
Chemical
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 Graphics and Animations – 2
Title: Renewable versus nonrenewable resources

Please, Activate slideshow mode and Click to play. 9

 SLO1.1: Alternative Energy Source
• An energy source that can be used instead of fossil
fuels.

• It is usually a renewable source of energy that

could be used, should fossil fuels run out.
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Reasons for alternative energy sources
• Fossil Fuels are Running Out
• Combustion of Fossil Fuels Releases the Greenhouse
Gases (CO2, CH4 , etc.), resulting in Global Warming.
• Extraction and Transport of Fossil Fuels cause
Environmental Damage
• Combustion of Fossil Fuels causes Acid Rain and Air
Pollution
• Public confidence of Nuclear has also been shattered by
the explosion at Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl
(1986), and Fukushima 2011.
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Further Reasons for alternative energy
• Limited supply of resources (Oil, Coal, and NG) cause
unhealthy competition
• Higher costs and increasing costs
• Negative effect on the environment and natural resources
(water, air, forests, wildlife, etc.)
• Carbon based fuels add to Global Warming
• With further developments, renewable energy
technologies can be more reliable than conventional
forms of electricity
• No major safety issues (nuclear energy has many)

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SLO1.2: Energy and Population Growth

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 Energy and Population (some facts)
 Along with the growing per capita energy requirements in
developing and emerging countries, the continuous rise in
the world ’ s population is also adding to the steady
increase in energy demand.
 Between 1960 and 2000 the world population doubled, and
energy requirements tripled.
 Worldwide energy demand has been increasing almost as
quickly as the population since 1980.
 If the world population continues to climb at this rate and
reaches nine billion by 2050, this alone will mean a 50%
increase in energy demand – even without any increase in
per capita energy requirements. 14
World Population and Energy Demand
(past trends)

Development of worldwide primary energy demand and increase in world population.

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 Further Classification of Energy (4)
When comparing different forms of energy, a distinction is therefore
made between primary energy, secondary energy, and useful energy.
Primary energy is energy in its natural and technically unconverted
form, such as coal, crude oil, natural gas, uranium, sunlight, wind,
wood and cow dung (biomass).
Secondary energy is energy in the form in which it is channeled to
users. This includes natural gas, petrol, heating oil, electricity, and
district heating (the use of a centralized boiler installation to provide
heat for several buildings).
Useful energy is energy in its eventual form, such as light for
illumination, warmth for heating and power for machines, and vehicles.
More than 90% of the original energy content is lost during the
conversion of primary energy to usable energy
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Development of primary energy
demand worldwide since 1965.

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 Projections of Global Energy Demand
Growth in primary energy demand
4 500
Mtoe

4 000 China
3 500 India
3 000 Other developing Asia
2 500 Russia
Middle East
2 000
Rest of world
1 500
OECD
1 000
500
0
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; an association of 34 nations to promote growth and trade,

set up in 1961
Global energy demand increases by one-third from 2010 to 2035,
with China & India accounting for 50% of the growth.
Primary energy usage per head related
to world average

Countries with especially high energy consumption mostly use fossil energy sources to
Satisfy their energy needs. On the other hand, countries with particularly low energy
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needs rely to a large degree on traditional biomass.
 Energy Efficiency and Conservation

• Efficiency refers to technological

measures that improve the
efficiency of conversion.

• Conservation refers to lifestyle

actions that reduce energy use.

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 Population growth and energy
conservation (some facts)

• Large amounts of renewable and clean energy will

be required to sustain the energy needs of a growing
world population.

• Solar energy is the only natural energy resource that

can keep up with human consumption.

• How or why?
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 Population growth and energy
conservation (some facts)_ Cont.
• The price of a solar panel in 1975
was ~227 times higher than it is today —
$101.5/watt versus $0.447/watt.

• The price of a solar panel today is ~30%

what it was in 2010 — $0.447/watt versus
$1.50/watt. That’s a 70% discount!

•  99% of new electricity generation

capacity added in the US in 2016 came
from renewable energy sources, 64%
from solar.

• The country leading annual solar power Unit: Terawatt-years

installations is now China, with the US at (1012 Wh)
number 3. 22
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/17/10-solar-energy-facts-charts-everyone-know/
 Energy Conservation
There are mainly three ways to achieve this:

•1) Conservation – Use less!

•2) Improve Efficiency – Technology and “do more

with less”

•3) Renewable Energy – Invest in the future

Example - Increase everyone's’ understanding of the benefits of energy efficiency.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR) – is part of an effective energy conservation

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program.
 SLO1.3: Global Warming and
Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Effects
 During the past 100 years the average temperature on earth has
increased by a good 0.7 ° C.
 This warming is not occurring at a uniform rate in all regions and is
also not constant throughout the year.
 In some regions of the world the temp. is already higher by 2 °C as an
annual average.
 Due to the rise in temperatures, more and more Arctic ice and the
permanent ice of the glaciers melt. As a result, the water in the oceans
expands and the sea levels rise higher.
 The temperatures in the polar region rise even more quickly than in the
rest of the world.
 The ice coverage in the Arctic has decreased by about 10 to 15%
within 20 Years, etc. 24
Global Warming (GW)

Definition: The observed century-

scale rise in the average temperature
of Earth's climate system.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.go
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https://climate.nasa.gov
Causes of Global
Warming
Natural Man-made
• Climate Change • Factories

• Rotation of the earth • Cars

• Volcanoes • Agriculture

• Change in ocean currents • Deforestation

• Solar Cycles and sunspots • Ozone depletion 26

Effects of Global Warming
• Extreme weather
• Rising oceans
• Food and Water scarcity
• Human health
• Economic
• War and conflicts
• Further G. Warming
• ETC.
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 Greenhouse Effect (Cont.)
 The "greenhouse effect" is the effect of atmospheric gases
like carbon dioxide absorbing energy from the sun and
earth and "trapping" it near the Earth's surface, warming
the Earth to a temp. range that is hospitable for life.

 Greenhouse Gases: By their percentage contribution to

the greenhouse effect on Earth the four major gases are:
 water vapor, 36–70%
 carbon dioxide, 9–26%
 methane, 4–9%
 ozone, 3–7%
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 Earth’s Atmospheric Gases
Nitrogen (N2)
Non-
Greenhouse
Gases
Oxygen (O2)
99%

Water (H2O)

Greenhouse
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Gases
1%
Methane (CH4)
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SLO 1.4: International Concerns for
the Environment
•Use of non renewable resources
•Greenhouse gases and global warming
• Fresh water and air availability and quality
• Food availability and distribution
• Pollution and waste management
• Biodiversity loss (1/8 birds, ¼ mammals, ¼ conifer trees, etc.)
• Deforestation https://greenerideal.com/infographics
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 Can Conventions Do all the Work?
• The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) sets binding obligations on industrialized countries to reduce
emissions of GHG. (Some are cooperating within the Kyoto Protocol.)

• COP 21: Conference of the Parties, referring to the countries that have signed up to
the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The COP in
Paris is the 21st such conference.

• COP21 is aiming to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate

change, with the aim of keeping GW well below 2°C.

• How to promote energy efficiency?

– Standards, labeling, and barrier removal
– Private-public partnerships
– Gov. procurement and market transformation activities on a regional basis.
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 What are the Kyoto Protocol (KP)
and the COP21?
• The KP, an agreement negotiated
by many countries in Dec. 1997
and came into force with Russia's
ratification on Feb. 16, 2005.
• The KP was developed under
the UNFCCC - the United
Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change.
• KP sought to see participants
collectively reduce GHG
emissions by 5.2% below the
emission levels of 1990 by 2012.
• COP21 was the 21st
“Conference of the Parties” –
an annual UN conference on
the subject of the climate and
climate change. The 2016 COP
meeting was held in Paris from
the 30th Nov. to 11th Dec.
• It brought leaders with the aim
of achieving a legally binding
and universal agreement on the
climate. The aim is to keep
global warming below 2°C. 
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 Recommendations for Effective
Climate Protection
 The only thing that could help keep climatic effects at a
manageable level would be a reduction in GHG emissions.
 By 2050 GHG emissions worldwide would have to be
reduced to half of what they were in 1990.
 The industrialized countries are currently causing the
biggest per head output of greenhouse gases.
 The developing and emerging countries justifiably want to
catch up in terms of prosperity and energy demand.
 Therefore, the industrialized countries have to make the
biggest contribution towards reducing GHG emissions.
 Recommendations for Effective
Climate Protection (Cont.)
Based on decisions made in 1990, the following targets have
been set as a minimum goal for industrialized countries:

 Reduction in GHG emissions of 25 to 30% by 2005

 Reduction in GHG emissions of 40 to 50% by 2020

 Reduction in GHG emissions of 80% by 2050

 Reduction in GHG emissions of 90% by 2100

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 SLO 1.5: Characteristics of renewable
energy sources
• Flows of energy that are regenerative or virtually
inexhaustible at a human scale.
• Most commonly includes solar (PV and thermal),
biomass, geothermal, wind, tidal, wave, and hydro power
sources, etc.

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 Renewable Energy (Solar facts)
 Each year the sun radiates 1.5 quintillion kilowatt hours of energy
towards the earth.
 The atmosphere swallows up around 30% of this energy but over one
quintillion kilowatt hours are still able to reach the earth’s surface.
 Our current primary energy needs are around 125 trillion kilowatt
hours worldwide.
 A quintillion is a 1 with 18 zeros, and a trillion has 12 zeros.
 Thus, the amount of energy that reaches the earth’s surface each year
is 8000 times > the total primary energy requirement of the world.
 So, we only need to use about 1 hour’s worth of the solar energy that
reaches the earth’s surface in order to cover the energy needs of the
whole of mankind for a whole year.
 Equation: 1h Solar Energy = 1year humans' energy needs.
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 Renewable Energy (Comparative
facts)

Annual renewable energy available and global primary energy

requirement with the total existing conventional energy sources on Earth.
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Sources, Conversions, and
Utilizations of Renewables

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 Advantages of Renewable Energy
• They are inexhaustible at a human scale – they will always
be available – they are renewable

• They are clean and will not damage the Earth

• There are several types – so one or more of them is present

in each country

• Most natural sources can be used on a small scale and serve

local needs, thus cutting costs of transmitting the energy
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 Advantages of Renewable Energy
(Cont.)
• Huge amount of energy available,
• A 5 billion year lifetime,
• Drastically cleaner than non-renewables,
• Widely distributed around the planet,
• Many technologies available and affordable,
• R&D providing even more options,
• Decentralized technology-more jobs and security,
• Non-renewable energy is rapidly depleting, and is
destroying the planet. 41
 “New” Renewable Energy Sources
 “New” renewables are a group of alternative energy sources
that include
 Energy from the Sun, wind, geothermal heat, and
movement of the ocean water.
 They are commonly referred to as “new” because:
 They are not yet used on a wide scale;
 Their technologies are still in a rapid phase of development;
and
 They will play a much larger role in the future energy mix.

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• Solar Energy
 Solar energy is created from sunlight, or heat from the sun radiation.
 Solar is captured when energy from the sun is converted into
electricity; used to heat air, water, or other fluids.
There are currently two types of S.E Technologies:
• Solar thermal: these systems convert sunlight into thermal energy
(heat). Most solar thermal systems use solar energy for space heating
or to heat water (such as in a solar hot water system).
• This can be used to drive a refrigeration cycle, or to generate steam to
run a steam turbine.
• Solar photovoltaic (PV): the conversion of sunlight directly into
electricity using photovoltaic cells.
• PV systems can be installed on rooftops, integrated into building
designs, and vehicles, or scaled up to megawatt scale power plants.
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• Wind Energy
 Wind energy is generated by converting wind currents into other
forms of energy using wind turbines.
 Winds are generated by complex mechanisms involving the rotation
of the Earth, the heat capacity of the sun, the cooling effect of the
oceans and polar ice caps, temperature gradients between land and
sea, and the physical effects of mountains and other obstacles.

• Wave or Tidal Energy

 Wave power generates electricity using special buoys that use the
rising and falling of ocean waves to generate electricity.
 Tidal power generates electricity using underwater turbines designed
to capture the kinetic motion of ebbing and surging ocean tides.
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 • Hydroelectric Power (HP)
• Hydropower is often referred to as water power. The
simplest definition of hydropower would be the power that
derives from the force of energy of the moving water.

• Hydropower doesn't only refer to large hydroelectric power

plants, it also includes small and micro hydro systems.

• HP is currently the most common form of renewable energy

and plays an important part in global power generation.
Worldwide HP produced 3 288 TWh, just over 16% of
global electricity production in 2008, and the overall
potential for HP is estimated to be more than
16 400 TWh/yr. 45
https://www.iea.org
 • Geothermal Energy (GE)

• Geothermal is the heat from the Earth. It is clean

and sustainable.

• Resources of Geothermal range from shallow

ground to hot water and hot rock found a few
miles beneath earth’s surface.

• Also found down even deeper to the extremely

high temperatures of molten rock called Magma.
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• Biomass Energy

• Biomass power is carbon neutral electricity generated from

renewable organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in
landfills, openly burned, or left as fodder for forest fires.

• When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat.

• If you have a fireplace, you already are participating in the

use of biomass as the wood you burn in it is a biomass fuel.

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 Biomass Energy Cycle
• Carbon neutral
– CO2 ultimately released in energy generation is recently captured
and so ideally does not change total atmospheric levels
– Carbon leaks can result in a net increase in CO2 levels

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Characteristics of Renewables (Summary)
The resources which can be renewed along with their exploitation and
can be always available for use are known as renewable sources.
Some of the main characteristics of renewable resources are:
These resources are capable of regeneration.
These are renewed along with exploitation. Thus, always available.
The regeneration of these sources involves some ecological processes
on a time scale.
The renewable sources become nonrenewable if used at a greater
rate than the environment’s capacity to replenish them.
These resources comprise materials like food, timber, raw
materials for clothing’s, leather, etc. These also include oxygen, fresh
water, solar energy, and biomass.
 Renewables’ Growth (fast)
They are growing at much faster rates than conventional sources:
 Solar and Wind power are the fastest growing RE
 However, since these sources began at low levels, it will
take time to build them up.

Growth rates 2005-2035:

Solar 8.3% per year,
Wind 5.7% /year
Geothermal 3.7%/year
Hydropower 2.0%/year
Other renewables
1.4%/yr. (Such as Wood waste,
landfill gas,
agricultural byproducts, etc .)
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 SLO 1.6: Appropriate renewable
sources for the UAE
• Solar energy is the most available renewable source in
UAE.

• Solar based systems: Both solar thermal and solar PV

technologies are good candidates for the UAE.

• In some parts of UAE, Wind energy is available.

 Give some examples:……………………………………

• Geothermal energy is also available in few places

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