2. • quot;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”
3. Intruduction
• Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been
harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving
technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as
wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of
the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the
available solar energy is used.
• Solar power technologies provide electrical generation by means of heat
engines or photovoltaics. Once converted its uses are only limited by
human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space
heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via
distillation and disinfection, day light, hot water, thermal energy for
cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.
5. • Solar energy
• Solar energy refers primarily to the use of solar radiation for practical ends.
All other renewable energies other than geothermal derive their energy from
the sun.
• Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive or active
depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active
solar techniques use photovoltaic panels, pumps, and fans to convert sunlight
into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include selecting materials with
favorable thermal properties, designing spaces that naturally circulate air,
and referencing the position of a building to the Sun. Active solar
technologies increase the supply of energy and are considered supply side
technologies, while passive solar technologies reduce the need for alternate
resources and are generally considered demand side technologies
6. • Solar Energy Advantages
• There is virtually an unlimited supply of solar energy
• There is no cost involved with using solar power other that the cost of
manufacturing the components
• Solar energy is flexible and expandable
• As our use of solar energy increases, our demand on fossil fuels decreases.
• There is no pollution associated with the use of solar power.
• Using solar energy is a silent process.
• Solar Energy Disadvantages
• Potentially large areas of land are required for large-scale solar energy
projects.
• Not many places in the world have enough constant and intense sunshine
to make commercial use of solar energy practical.
• If you live in a region where there is limited amounts of sunshine it may
be difficult to maintain a constant supply of solar energy.
7. • Central de Serpa
• The Serpa solar power plant was developed by the portuguese company Catavento and
it incorporates photovoltaic modules from Sun power, Sanyo, Sharp and Suntech.
General electricFinancial Services provided the financing for the project as part of its
Ecomagination program.
• Generating electricity from the sun with no fuel costs or emissions, the Serpa plant is on
a 60-hectare (150-acre) hillside and is a model of clean power generation integrated
with agriculture. The project supports a European Union initiative by saving more than
30,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions compared to equivalent fossil fuel
generation. The EU agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by
2020, from 1990 levels.
• Portugal relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, and its carbon dioxide emissions have
increased 34 percent since 1990, which is among the fastest rates in the world. To
address this, the country is implementing some of the world's
most advanced incentives for installing renewable energy.
8. Conclusion
• We use energy every day. It surrounds us in different forms,
such as light, heat, and electricity. Our bodies use the energy
stored in molecues of substances like carbohydrates and
protein to move, breathe, grow, and think. We also use energy
to do work and to play. Humans have invented thousands of
machines and appliances that use energy to make our work
easier, to heat our homes, and to get ourselves from place to
place. Some of these machines use electricity, while others,
like automobiles, use the energy stored in substances such as
gasoline. The two most common forms of energy we use are
heat and electricity. Heat is the energy of moving particles in
any substance. The faster the particles move, the warmer the
substance is. Electricity is the energy of electrons moving
along a conductor like a copper electrical wire.