Chapter 21: New Renewable Energy Alternatives

These flashcards encompass key vocabulary and concepts related to renewable energy sources and their applications, as outlined in the lecture notes.

Renewable Energy

Energy collected from resources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

Solar Energy

Energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.

Wind Energy

Energy obtained from the movement of air, converted into electricity using wind turbines.

Geothermal Energy

Thermal energy generated and stored beneath the Earth's surface, utilized for heating or electricity generation.

Ocean Energy

Energy harnessed from ocean waves, tides, and temperature differences in ocean water.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Devices that convert hydrogen gas into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen.

Feed-in Tariff

A policy mechanism that encourages the adoption of renewable energy through payment structures for electricity generated by renewable sources.

Passive Solar Energy

Design strategies to maximize the use of sunlight in buildings for heating and lighting without mechanical systems.

Active Solar Energy

Technology that actively collects, converts, and stores solar energy for later use.

Wind Turbines

Devices that convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical power, commonly used to generate electricity.

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

Technologies that focus sunlight to generate heat, which drives a turbine to produce electricity.

Photovoltaic Cells (PV)

Devices that convert light energy directly into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect.

Net Metering

A system that allows residential and commercial customers who generate their own electricity from solar power to feed surplus energy back into the grid.

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)

Systems that involve drilling into the Earth and injecting water to create steam that can be used to generate electricity.

Tidal Energy

Energy generated from the rise and fall of tides in oceans, harnessed through tidal stream generators and barrages.

Wave Energy

Energy derived from the motion of ocean waves that is converted into electricity.

Green-collar jobs

Jobs created in renewable energy sectors, including design, installation, and maintenance of renewable energy technologies.

Environmental impacts of fossil fuels

Negative consequences on air and water quality and human health due to the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels.

Hydropower

Energy generated from the force of moving water, typically by redirecting water through turbines.

Biomass Energy

Energy derived from organic matter, such as plants, agricultural waste, and animal waste, used for electricity generation, heat, or fuel.

Hydroelectric Dam

A large structure built across a river to create a reservoir and control water flow for generating electricity.

Biofuels

Fuels produced from biomass, such as ethanol from corn or biodiesel from vegetable oils, used primarily for transportation.

Energy Storage Systems

Technologies designed to store excess energy (e.g., electricity from renewables) for later use, such as batteries or pumped-hydro storage.

Grid Modernization

The process of upgrading and enhancing the electricity delivery system, including smart grid technologies, to accommodate diverse energy sources and improve reliability.

Advantages of Renewable Energy

Benefits include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, decreased reliance on fossil fuels, job creation, and improved energy security.

Intermittency of Renewable Energy

The variability and unpredictability of certain renewable energy sources, such as solar (night/clouds) and wind (no wind), requiring backup or storage solutions.

Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, typically to mitigate climate change, often discussed in relation to biomass or geological storage.

Geothermal Heat Pump

A system that uses the stable underground temperature to heat and cool buildings, transferring heat to or from the ground.

Offshore Wind Farm

A collection of wind turbines located in bodies of water, typically oceans or large lakes, to harness stronger and more consistent winds.

Anaerobic Digestion

A biological process in which microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas (rich in methane) and digestate.