Energy Resources and Systems

Renewable Energy Systems
ECE 402 / Class 4-A

Topic/Lesson : 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy Resources and Systems

“Engineers and scientists are primarily responsible for the research, development
and design of the equipment that captures energy from renewable and fossil fuel
resources for human use. Given the eventual decline in the availability of fossil
fuel resources, engineers are currently designing technologies for capturing
renewable energy resources that are more efficient, reliable and economically
competitive.”
Scientists define energy as the ability to do “work”. Modern

civilization is possible because people have learned how to change
energy from one form to another and then use it to do work. People
use energy to walk and bicycle, to move cars along roads and boats
through water, to cook food on stoves, to make ice in freezers, to light
our homes and offices, to manufacture products, and to send
astronauts into space.
Where does the energy we use come from? Energy comes

from an energy source.
Energy Sources:
• Fossil fuels – chemical (petroleum, natural gas, coal) energy
• Uranium – nuclear energy
• Biomass – chemical energy
• Geothermal – heat (generated from nuclear processes within the
Earth)
• Hydropower – mechanical energy
• Wind – mechanical energy
• Solar – electromagnetic energy
What do we know about these energy sources? Each of
these sources has a starting form and is converted into a
different form for our convenient use.
Can we use this energy in its form? For example, can sunlight
be directly used to power an electric load? No, a solar photovoltaic (PV)
panel must be used for energy conversion. An Energy System is a
set of conversion technologies that convert energy resources, such as
energy from the sun, into forms that we can utilize for human needs.
Energy system : An energy system is made up of a sequence of

conversions with inputs and outputs that transform an energy resource
into a form usable for human work or heating.
Biomass energy : Energy released from plants (wood, corn, etc.) through
combustion or other chemical process.
Fossil fuel : A non-renewable energy resource that began to form millions
of years ago from the remains of once living plants and animals. Its current
forms include petroleum, coal and natural gas.
Geothermal energy : Heat energy from the Earth.

Hydropower: Transformation of the energy stored in a depth of water into
electricity.
Photovoltaic : A chemical process that releases electrons from a semi-
conductor material in the presence of sunlight to generate electricity.
Solar energy : Energy from the sun; often captured directly as heat or as
electricity through a photovoltaic process.
Uranium : An element that releases heat as it undergoes radioactive
decay.
Wind energy : Energy transferred with the motion of air in the lower
atmosphere that arises from differential heating of the Earth. The energy
in the wind can be extracted as mechanical energy to do work such as
grind grains (a wind mill) or generate electricity (wind turbine).
Renewable energy : Resources, such as wind and water, that can be
recycled or replaced at a rate faster than they are consumed.
Non-renewable energy : Resources, such as fossil fuels, that cannot be
replaced by natural processes at the same rate it is consumed.
Energy Resources Are Available In Our Natural World. Solar
energy is responsible for almost all of these resources. The sun is
responsible for the uneven heating of the Earth that causes wind and
sunlight and plant photosynthesis creates biomass materials such as
wood or corn that we can convert into useable energy. The exceptions
are nuclear and geothermal.
Energy resources that are replenished at the same rate that we use
them are defined as renewable energy resources. Solar, wind,
geothermal and tidal energy are examples of renewable energy.
Biomass can be renewable if we use the plant material at the same rate
that it regrows. But, if we chop down and burn all the trees in a short
period of time, that resource is not considered renewable.
Fossil fuels are also a form of solar energy because they were
generated from biomass materials millions of years ago. They are not
renewable because we are using them at a much faster rate than they
are being regenerated.
Most of our energy is originally derived from the sun.
Environmental impacts differ depending upon the energy source and
conversion process.
Energy sources can be classified as renewable,

nonrenewable or inexhaustible resources.
• An energy source can be considered renewable if it is replenished
within a short period of time.
• Renewable resources include solar, wind (including offshore),
hydro (including micro-hydro), geothermal and biomass.
• Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or
will not be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many
lifetimes.
• Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal,

petroleum, and natural gas.
The world's supply of nonrenewable fossil fuel resources is
limited. Their combustion can negatively affect our
environment. Currently, our society is heavily dependent upon
nonrenewable fossil fuel energy resources, and our lives could
be negatively impacted if the demand for these resources
exceeds the supply.
Different Energy Sources Have Different Costs:

A system is made up of a sequence of conversions. A basic
description of an energy conversion is: Energy from a source
provides input to another system component, which
converts the form and/or state of energy and provides
output to another system component.
In the conversion of energy, a significant fraction of that
energy can be "lost" from the system (in the form of heat,
sound, vibration, etc.). This energy is not really lost, it is just
not converted to the desirable or intended form.
The components of an energy system must work together to

transform energy into a form that can be used in our society.
Systems can be divided into inputs, processes, outputs and
feedback.
Summary:
The term “energy systems” usually describes the set of

production, transformation, transport and distribution
processes of energy sources. Energy systems usually are
very complex and call for knowledge deriving from all scientific
fields to be developed and managed. Although using the
energy available in our homes is easy (we push a button and
the light is switched on), producing that energy and conveying
it into our homes is an extremely difficult and complex task.
Energy has by now become an inseparable partner of human
beings, who use it at any time every day in all their activities.
To ensure the possibility of benefiting from that resource in a
simple, stable and constant way, mankind had to conduct
studies and research for a long time, and only during the last
decades of the 19th century did many nations, but not all,
succeed in developing “energy systems” ensuring the quality
and quantity of energy necessary for development.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Energy Resources and Systems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Energy Resources and Systems

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Energy Resources and Systems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Renewable Energy Systems

ECE 402 / Class 4-A

Energy Resources and Systems

Scientists define energy as the ability to do “work”. Modern

Where does the energy we use come from? Energy comes

Energy system : An energy system is made up of a sequence of

Geothermal energy : Heat energy from the Earth.

Energy sources can be classified as renewable,

• Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal,

Different Energy Sources Have Different Costs:

The components of an energy system must work together to

The term “energy systems” usually describes the set of

You might also like