The History Of Green Power
What Is Green Power?
Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources like geothermal, solar, wind and biomass, as well as other forms of biomass and low-impact hydroelectricity. It is available to consumers in markets that are deregulated who want to promote cleaner energy sources by adding a small premium to their utility bill.
Many renewable energies are less harmful to the environment than drilling for oil or mining coal. They also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the most popular green power sources. Solar energy is a renewable resource because it never runs out. It is a clean, efficient and safe energy source that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from conventional fossil fuels like natural gas, coal and oil. It is an excellent alternative to nuclear power, which requires the extraction and mining of uranium and long-term radioactive waste storage.
The sun's energy can be utilized to create electricity in a variety of ways, including photovoltaic (PV) panels and concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP), and solar thermal collectors. Solar electricity can either be distributed directly to homes and businesses or to grids that supply power to others. Some consumers may sell excess energy to the utility company. This can help lower electricity bills and offset rising utility costs.
Solar energy doesn't produce air pollutants or emissions unlike fossil fuels that produce harmful gases and carbon dioxide during combustion. Solar energy can also be used to power different types of devices, such as satellites, boats and spacecrafts in areas where accessing the electricity grid is impractical or impossible.
Solar power can be used in smaller structures. Many homeowners put PV cells on their roofs to generate electricity. Passive solar homes allows these homes to take advantage of the sun's warmth during the day and retain it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require very little maintenance.
Another form of solar power is hydropower, which makes use of the natural flow of the water in streams, rivers and dams to generate electricity. Similar to biomass and wind hydropower, hydropower is renewable because it can be replenished. If you are seeking to add hydropower to your home or business, check out EPA's list of third-party certified options.
Geothermal Energy
A geothermal plant utilizes heat from the Earth to generate electricity. The process involves hot water and steam which naturally occur just a few kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. It is an environmentally sustainable and renewable energy source that can generate electricity all day all year round. Geothermal power can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It is also one of the most eco-friendly forms of energy production.
The most popular type of geothermal power plant is a flash steam power station. This makes use of water heated to 182degrees C or 360deg F to generate electricity from turbines and power plants. Steam can be utilized to heat industrial processes or buildings. Iceland, for example, relies on geothermal energy to melt snow and heat its sidewalks, streets and parking spaces in the cold Arctic winter.
Another source of energy from geothermal sources is hot dry rock (HDR) power plant that taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rock that are heated by either natural or human-made activities. HDR plants require less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, which makes them more affordable and less costly to construct and operate. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there is enough HDR resources in the United States to meet all of our current energy needs.
The steam generated by geothermal power plants can be used to generate electricity through a steam-turbine generator, or be combined with a gas-fired turbine for increased efficiency. The mixture can be transformed into natural gas and then burned in a boiler, generating electricity.
In addition to being clean and reliable, geothermal energy has the smallest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants, that use an engine to convert steam into electricity, produce little-to-no nitrous oxide, methane or sulphur dioxide.
However, despite its advantages geothermal energy doesn't come without its challenges. The drilling needed to build geothermal power plants could trigger earthquakes and could cause groundwater pollution. Furthermore, the dumping of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs could lead to subsidence, which is a gradual sinking of the land that can damage pipelines roads, buildings, and pipelines.
Biogas
Biogas is a renewable gaseous energy source that generates green energy. It is made from manure, agricultural wastes plants wastewater, food wastes, municipal garbage, and other organic wastes. Biogas can be converted into transport fuels, electricity, heat, combined heat and energy, or electricity by using the Fischer-Tropsch method. Biogas is also a great resource for producing renewable hydrogen for use in fuel cells which are expected to play a significant role in the future of energy systems.
The most popular method of valorisation of biogas is to generate electricity using the use of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The heat generated by the CHP process is used to assist in the fermentation process of organic waste, and the electricity is fed to the grid. It can be further compressed into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be used as a replacement for imported natural gas in ground transportation, commercial and residential buildings.
In addition to providing renewable energy, biogas can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants from conventional cooking. The CCAC provides tools for measuring reporting and verifying (MRV) clean cooking in households of low- to middle-income countries. electric wheel scooter will aid the 67 countries who have included clean-cooking goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions.
Utilizing biogas as a substitute for traditional natural gas for cooling and heating and to substitute fossil fuels in the generation of electricity carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas can also be used to produce liquid transport fuels that can be an alternative that is sustainable to oil, coal, and other fossil fuels.
Capturing and recovering methane from food and animal manure waste helps to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, while also preventing nitrogen runoff that could otherwise pollute water resources. Plessis-Gassot is a non-hazardous waste disposal located in Claye-Souilly (France) for instance, captures and converts biogas into a sustainable source of energy for homes that are connected to the system. Additionally, small-scale biogas plants can be installed in cities to facilitate the collection and utilization of organic waste that is generated locally and avoiding the greenhouse gases that are caused by transportation and treatment of these materials.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower is a renewable energy source that makes use of the kinetic energy of water that flows. It is the most powerful and most affordable renewable energy source in the world. It does not emit greenhouse gases directly however it has significant environmental impact. It is a flexible form of green power that is able to be adjusted to meet changing supply and demand. It has a lifespan of more than a hundred years and is able to be upgraded to improve efficiency and performance.
Most traditional hydropower plants use dams to harness the energy of falling water. A series of turbines converts water's kinetic energy into electricity at a rate proportional to its speed. This electricity is then transmitted to the electric grid to be used.
While building an hydroelectric power plant involves an enormous investment in reservoirs, dams and pipes, the operating costs are quite low. These plants can also be used as backups for other intermittent renewable energy technologies like wind and solar.
Hydroelectric plants can be divided into two types that are storage and run of river. Storage plants are characterized by large impoundments, which can store more than a season's worth of water. Run-of-river facilities draw the water of streams and rivers that flow freely. Hydropower facilities are usually situated near or in proximity to areas of population, where there is a high demand for electricity.
The environmental impact of hydropower is dependent on the size and location of the project, the amount of water that is dispersed, as well as the wildlife and habitats affected by decomposition and floods. These impacts can be minimized and reduced through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity (LIHI) standards for construction and operation of hydropower projects. The standards cover measures to control river flows, water quality protection passage of fish, aquatic ecosystems protection endangered and threatened animals as well as recreation and cultural resources.
In addition, to generate renewable energy, some hydropower plants act as the world's biggest "batteries." These are known as pumped storage facilities and work by pumping water uphill from a lower reservoir to a reservoir higher. If electricity is required, the water from the lower reservoir could be used to power generators. The water from the upper reservoir can then be pumped downhill by a turbine to create more electricity.