31-12-2015, 03:22 PM
Introduction
- Renewable Energy – “any sustainable energy source that comes from natural environment.”
- Some Aspects of Renewable Energy
- It exists perpetually and in abundant in the environment
- Ready to be harnessed, inexhaustible
- It is a clean alternative to fossil fuels
- “energy that is derived from natural process that are replenished constantly”
-- defined by the RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKING PARTY of the INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY
Wind Energy
- Differential heating of the earth’s surface and atmosphere induces vertical and horizontal air currents that are affected by the earth’s rotation and contours of the land and generates WIND.
A wind turbine obtains its power input by converting the force of the wind into a torque (turning force) acting on the rotor blades.
The amount of energy which the wind transfers to the rotor depends on the density of the air, the rotor area, and the wind speed.
PLF of Wind Farm is normally in the range of 20 % to 30% depending upon the site conditions and WTG rating.
Solar Energy
- Solar power is by far the Earth's most available energy source, easily capable of providing many times the total current energy demand.
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
Two main commercial ways of conversion of sunlight into electricity.
Concentrating Solar Thermal Plant (CSP)
Photovoltaic Plants (PV)
CSP and PV both have their markets. PV is very successful in decentralized applications, whereas CSP offers advantages for central and large-scale applications. CSP power plants are the most cost-efficient way to generate and to store dispatch able CO2-free electricity. However, there is no competition between both. Rather, they have to be seen as complementary technologies.
PLF of CSP – In the range of 20 % to 30 %
PLF of PV – In the range of 15 % to 20 %