Emerging Markets for Clean Energy
A huge global market is emerging for clean energy. Countries are investing heavily in wind, solar and electric vehicles.
From an environmental standpoint, the production of clean energy emits fewer pollutants than the process used to generate fossil fuel-based energy.
Robust studies have shown that a clean electricity grid can maintain resource adequacy while reducing usage of fossil fuels. Electricity plans that include RECs help to support clean energy development.
Hydroelectricity
Water has the potential to produce power, and it is one of the three main sources of electricity we use today. However, the energy we harness from falling water does not pollute the environment and is a renewable resource, unlike fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Hydroelectricity is usually made with dams that partly block a river to make a reservoir of water. Then, this water is released to go through turbines that spin, generating electricity. High voltage 20kw LiFePO4 battery About a sixth of the world’s electricity comes from this renewable source, which is much less harmful than coal-fired power plants.
Another way to generate hydroelectricity is by pumping the water up to a higher point and then down again, storing the electricity for later use. This method, called pumped-storage hydroelectricity, uses less land than traditional projects and has the potential to increase efficiency and power output.
Billions of people use hydroelectricity every day. It can be found in homes, schools, hospitals, and factories, powering the appliances that keep us comfortable and productive. When ice storms, wildfires, or hackers cause blackouts, it’s often hydropower that turns the lights back on. Hydropower is also used to water crops, fight fires, and provide clean drinking water for communities. And it is often one of the first methods a country uses to bring affordable electricity to its citizens, especially in developing countries.
Solar energy
The Sun’s rays provide us with an inexhaustible supply of energy that is used to power our homes and businesses. It’s also used to create heat for heating and cooking, reducing the need for fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
Solar technology captures sunlight and converts it to thermal or electrical energy, or a combination of both. Solar power technologies range from small solar hot water systems to large scale concentrated solar plants.
There are two primary types of solar energy systems – photovoltaics and concentrated solar power (CSP). Photovoltaic solar cells turn sunlight into electricity by using semiconductor materials to absorb light energy, which knocks electrons loose. Metal contacts at the top and bottom of a solar cell direct those electrons into a current, flowing in one direction.
Concentrated solar power uses lenses and mirrors to focus the Sun’s rays into a smaller area. This heats a carrier fluid such as water or steam, which then drives a turbine and generates electricity. Examples of CSP systems include solar dishes, parabolic troughs and solar power towers.
Solar energy systems do not produce pollution, and they require fewer raw materials than traditional fossil-fuel powered systems. However, the raw materials that make up solar systems do not have unlimited availability and may contain environmentally-harmful substances such as lead. In addition, 12v-24v-48v-lifepo4-battery solar panels contain some toxic metals that require careful handling.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy comes from the heat of the Earth, which is a renewable and sustainable resource. It’s also silent, has a low visual impact and takes up little land. It can be used for thermal utilization (heating and cooling) and can also directly transform water vapor into electricity.
Most geothermal plants use a dry steam, flash steam or binary cycle technology to generate electricity. Steam is piped from underground reservoirs into turbines, which then spin to generate electricity. The steam then cools and condenses into water, which is channeled back into the reservoirs. This method of power production accounts for the majority of geothermal energy in the United States.
In addition to producing electricity, a geothermal plant can also be used to provide district heating and hot water. Many swimming pools, balneological (therapeutic) facilities at spas and greenhouses worldwide are heated by geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is also used for milk pasteurization and melting snow in some areas.
Geothermal energy is considered a baseload energy source because it can produce electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without being affected by sun or wind fluctuations. However, it is a relatively expensive energy source to develop and install, which limits its potential for growth. It is particularly effective in countries near active geological activity, such as the United States and Iceland.
Biofuels
The use of renewable biomass fuels can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases when compared to fossil fuels. However, biofuels often require land-use changes that may increase global food prices, and their climate impact varies widely depending on how the fuel is produced and used.
Biofuels can be liquid or gaseous, and include ethanol (primarily from corn), biodiesel (from vegetable oil or animal fats) and green diesel (from algae or cyanobacteria). Liquid biofuels are typically blended with gasoline or other fossil fuels to produce vehicles.
They can also be used to generate electricity, for example by burning wood or cultivated grass in power plants to run turbines and generators. Biofuels can also be burned directly to produce heat, for example at district heating systems or in furnaces.
Many governments encourage and regulate the production of biofuels to help reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. They may offer incentives such as a volumetric ethanol excise tax credit or require blending biofuels into gasoline or diesel.
The most common liquid biofuels are ethane and biodiesel, which are blended into gasoline and diesel. Other biofuels are produced from oily crops such as soybeans and palm oil, and from managed biomass sources like trees and agricultural wastes. They are also being developed from cyanobacteria and algae. Gaseous biofuels include renewable natural gas, which is produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter in landfills and wastewater treatment plants, as well as methane and carbon dioxide obtained from the thermal conversion of biomass or sewage sludge.
