RENEWABLE ENERGY

ABSTRACT

Renewable energy sources and technologies have potential to provide solutions to the
long-standing energy problems being faced by the developing countries. The renewable energy
sources like wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, biomass energy and
fuel cell technology can be used to overcome energy shortage in India. To meet the energy
requirement for such a fast growing economy, India will require an assured supply of 3–4 times
more energy than the total energy consumed today. The renewable energy is one of the options
to meet this requirement. Today, renewable account for about 33% of India's primary energy
consumptions. India is increasingly adopting responsible renewable energy techniques and
taking positive steps towards carbon emissions, cleaning the air and ensuring a more sustainable
future. In India, from the last two and half decades there has been a vigorous pursuit of activities
relating to research, development, demonstration, production and application of a variety of
renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors. In this paper, efforts have been made
to summarize the availability, current status, major achievements and future potentials of
renewable energy options in India. This paper also assesses specific policy interventions for
overcoming the barriers and enhancing deployment of renewables for the future.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 1

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

INTRODUCTION
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally
replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement
of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable, some
are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates
of exploitation. Renewable energy often provides energy for electricity generation to a
grid, air and water heating/cooling, and stand-alone power systems. Renewable energy
technology projects are typically large-scale, but they are also suited to rural and remote areas
and developing countries, where energy is often crucial in human development. Renewable
energy is often deployed together with further electrification, which has several benefits:
electricity can move heat or objects efficiently, and is clean at the point of consumption. In
addition, electrification with renewable energy is more efficient and therefore leads to significant
reductions in primary energy requirements.
Renewable energy capacity additions in 2020 expanded by more than 45% from 2019, including
90% more new wind power (green) and a 23% expansion of new solar photovoltaic installations
(yellow).
From 2011 to 2021, renewable energy has grown from 20% to 28% of global electricity supply.
Fossil energy shrunk from 68% to 62%, and nuclear from 12% to 10%. The share of hydropower
decreased from 16% to 15% while power from sun and wind increased from 2% to 10%.
Biomass and geothermal energy grew from 2% to 3%. There are 3,146 gig watts installed in 135
countries, while 156 countries have laws regulating the renewable energy sector. In 2021, China
accounted for almost half of the global increase in renewable electricity

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 2

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, is harnessed using a range of ever-
evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, concentrated solar
power (CSP), concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), solar architecture and artificial
photosynthesis. Most new renewable energy is solar. Solar technologies are broadly
characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert,
and distribute solar energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun,
selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing
spaces that naturally circulate air. Active solar technologies encompass solar thermal energy,
using solar collectors for heating, and solar power, converting sunlight into electricity either
directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP).

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 3

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

A photovoltaic system converts light into electrical direct current (DC) by taking

advantage of the photoelectric effect. Solar PV has turned into a multi-billion, fast-
growing industry, continues to improve its cost-effectiveness, and has the most potential of any
renewable technologies together with CSP. Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems use lenses
or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Commercial
concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. CSP-Stirling has by far the
highest efficiency among all solar energy technologies

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 4

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

The two main benefits of using solar energy are

• Systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide.
• Systems on buildings have minimal impact on the environment.

The main limitations of solar energy are

• The amount of sunlight that arrives at the earth's surface is not constant. The amount of
sunlight varies depending on location, time of day, season of the year, and weather
conditions.
• The amount of sunlight reaching a square foot of the earth's surface is relatively small, so
a large surface area is necessary to absorb or collect a useful amount of energy.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 5

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

WIND ENERGY

Air flow can be used to run wind turbines. Modern utility-scale wind turbines range from
around 600 kW to 9 MW of rated power. The power available from the wind is a function of the
cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases up to the maximum
output for the particular turbine. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as
offshore and high-altitude sites, are preferred locations for wind farms. Typically, full load
hours of wind turbines vary between 16 and 57 percent annually but might be higher in
particularly favorable offshore sites.
Wind-generated electricity met nearly 4% of global electricity demand in 2015, with nearly
63 GW of new wind power capacity installed. Wind energy was the leading source of new
capacity in Europe, the US and Canada, and the second largest in China. In Denmark, wind
energy met more than 40% of its electricity demand while Ireland, Portugal and Spain each met
nearly 20%.Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five
times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand, assuming all
practical barriers needed were overcome. This would require wind turbines to be installed over

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 6

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

large areas, particularly in areas of higher wind resources, such as offshore. As offshore wind
speeds average ~90% greater than that of land, offshore resources can contribute substantially
more energy than land-stationed turbines.
• Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet or more
above ground, they can take advantage of faster and less turbulent wind.
• Wind turbines can be used to produce electricity for a single home or building, or they
can be connected to an electricity grid for more widespread electricity distribution.
Tidal Energy

• Tidal Stream Generator

– Makes use of the kinetic energy of moving water to power turbines, in a similar
way to wind turbines that use wind to power turbines.
• Tidal Barrage

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 7

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

– Tidal barrages make use of the potential energy in the difference in height

between high and low tides.

Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall

of tides. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy.

During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement

to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in
area between high tide and low tide. All methods use special generators to
convert tidal energy into electricity.

Tidal energy production is still in its infancy. The amount of power produced so far has

been small. There are very few commercial-sized tidal power plants operating in the
world. The first was located in La Rance, France. The largest facility is the Sihwa Lake
Tidal Power Station in South Korea. The United States has no tidal plants and only a few
sites where tidal energy could be produced at a reasonable price. China, France, England,
Canada, and Russia have much more potential to use this type of energy.

In the United States, there are legal concerns about underwater land ownership

and environmental impact. Investors are not enthusiastic about tidal energy because there
is not a strong guarantee that it will make money or benefit consumers. Engineers are
working to improve the technology of tidal energy generators to increase the amount
of energy they produce, to decrease their impact on the environment, and to find a way to
earn a profit for energy companies
• Advantages
– Clean fuel source compared to fossil fuels
– Domestic source of energy
• Disadvantages
– Tidal power can have effects on marine life.
• The turbines can accidentally kill swimming sea life with the rotating
blades.  

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 8

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Some fish may no longer utilize the area if threatened with a constant

rotating or noise-making object. 
• Installing a barrage may change the shoreline within the bay or estuary,
affecting a large ecosystem that depends on tidal flats.
WAVE ENERGY
Wave energy (or wave power) is the transport and capture of energy by ocean surface
waves. The energy captured is then used for all different kinds of useful work, including
electricity generation, water desalination, and pumping of water. Wave energy is also a type of
renewable energy and is the largest estimated global resource form of ocean energy.
The first patent in wave energy happened in Paris in 1799. Monsieur Girard and his son proposed
using direct mechanical action to drive heavy machinery, including mills, saws, and
pumps. 1 After the first patent, thousands more followed. There were 340 from 1855 to 1973 in
the UK alone. Another early application was in 1910. Bochaux Praceique developed a device to
light and power his house. This application was also in France. 
The pioneer for modern wave energy was Yoshio Masuda, a Japanese naval commander.
Masuda tested multiple different wave-energy devices at sea, and several hundred of these units
were used to power navigation lights. Masuda is also credited for different wave-energy
inventions, such as the KAIMEI, a large barge used as a testing platform, and the Oscillating
Water Column, which was initially used for small-scale navigation. 
Wave energy got a new interest in the 1970s during the oil crisis on 1973. In 1973, member of
the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) decided to put a prohibition
on oil exports, which in turn caused people to look for alternative energies. 
These new pioneers included Stephen Salter, famous for inventing the Salter's Duck, or nodding
duck which converted wave power into electricity.

There are multiple different technologies used for Wave energy. There are five main
types of technology used including; Absorbers, Attenuators, Oscillation water columns,
overtopping and Inverted- Pendulum device.
Abosorbers extract energy from the rise and fall of the waves with a buoy. Once the energy is
extracted it is then converted to electrical energy with a linear or rotary generator.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 9

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Ocean waves contain tremendous energy potential.

Wave power devices extract energy from the surface motion of ocean waves or from pressure
fluctuations below the surface
• Advantages
– Renewable
– Environmentally friendly compared to fossil fuel energy
– Variety of designs to use
– Less energy dependence from foreign governments
• Disadvantages
– Can affect the marine environment
– May disturb private or commercial shipping
– Dependent on wavelength for best operation
– Poor performance in rough weather
– Visual/noise issues

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 10

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
High temperature geothermal energy is from thermal energy generated and stored in the
Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's
geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive
decay of minerals (in currently uncertain but possibly roughly equal proportions).
The geothermal gradient, which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet
and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the
core to the surface. The adjective geothermal originates from the Greek roots geo, meaning
earth, and thermos, meaning heat.
The heat that is used for geothermal energy can be from deep within the Earth, all the way down
to Earth's core – 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) down. At the core, temperatures may reach over
5,000 °C (9,030 °F). Heat conducts from the core to the surrounding rock. Extremely high
temperature and pressure cause some rock to melt, which is commonly known as magma.
Magma convects upward since it is lighter than the solid rock. This magma then heats rock and
water in the crust, sometimes up to 371 °C (700 °F).
Low temperature geothermal refers to the use of the outer crust of the Earth as a thermal
battery to facilitate renewable thermal energy for heating and cooling buildings, and other
refrigeration and industrial uses. In this form of geothermal, a geothermal heat pump and ground-
coupled heat exchanger are used together to move heat energy into the Earth (for cooling) and
out of the Earth (for heating) on a varying seasonal basis. Low-temperature geothermal
(generally referred to as "GHP"[clarification needed]) is an increasingly important renewable
technology because it both reduces total annual energy loads associated with heating and
cooling, and it also flattens the electric demand curve eliminating the extreme summer and
winter peak electric supply requirements. Thus low temperature geothermal/GHP is becoming an
increasing national[clarification needed] priority with multiple tax credit support and focus as
part of the ongoing movement toward net zero energy.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 11

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

(geo = earth and thermal = heat), geothermal energy comes from heat produced by the Earth

• Direct geothermal energy can be accessed in areas where hot springs/geothermal

reservoirs are near the surface of the Earth.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 12

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Geothermal heat pumps utilizes a series of underground pipes, an electric compressor and

a heat exchanger to absorb and transfer heat.
Geothermal power plants also harness the heat of the Earth through hot
water and steam. In these plants, heat is used to generate electricity
• Advantages
– Renewable energy
– Cleaner than burning fossil fuels
• Disadvantages
– Cost of drilling, researching proper areas
– Requires a suitable location

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 13

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

CONCLUSION

The increasing population demands an increase in energy consumption. Energy is necessary for
home, business, and almost every work. Thanks to innovation and invention that helps in
utilizing renewable resources and maintaining a sustainable level of energy in the world.

I hope the above provided essay on renewable energy is easy to understand. We should use
energy efficiently to live a healthy and peaceful life.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 14

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

REFERENCES

1.  "Renewable Energy Market Update 2021 / Renewable electricity / Renewables deployment

geared up in 2020, establishing a "new normal" for capacity additions in 2021 and
2022". IEA.org. International Energy Agency. May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May
2021.
2. ^ Ellabban, Omar; Abu-Rub, Haitham; Blaabjerg, Frede (2014). "Renewable energy resources:
Current status, future prospects and their enabling technology". Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Reviews. 39: 748–764 [749]. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2014.07.113.
3. ^ Timperly, Jocelyn (23 February 2017). "Biomass subsidies 'not fit for purpose', says Chatham
House". Carbon Brief Ltd © 2020 - Company No. 07222041. Archived from the original on 6
November 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
4. ^ Harvey, Chelsea; Heikkinen, Niina (23 March 2018). "Congress Says Biomass Is Carbon
Neutral but Scientists Disagree - Using wood as fuel source could actually increase CO2
emissions". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31
October 2020.
5. ^ Alazraque-Cherni, Judith (1 April 2008). "Renewable Energy for Rural Sustainability in
Developing Countries". Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. 28 (2): 105–
114. doi:10.1177/0270467607313956. S2CID 67817602. Archived from the original on 19
March 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
6. ^ World Energy Assessment (2001). Renewable energy technologies Archived 9 June 2007 at
the Wayback Machine, p. 221.

ABIT , Department of EEE Page 15