Introduction to Renewable Technologies

You’ve probably heard of global warming. You might understand that it is a slow temperature increase all over the world. You might also know that this temperature increase somehow harms the environment. But how? In this unit, you’ll learn about global warming and how it causes climate change. You’ll also learn how climate change harms wildlife, natural resources, and humans. Consumers’ use of electricity and cars are the main causes. But changing consumer habits is not as easy as it seems. Several countries have implemented successful policies to stop global warming. By examining these success stories, we’ll look at how we can use these examples to build a framework for future climate change policies.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Discuss global climate change issues.
• Describe how consumer habits influence climate change and energy policies.
• Evaluate climate change policies globally.
• Create frameworks for energy evaluation, including economic, sustainability, and tradeoffs.

Why do we continue to use nonrenewable energy sources? We answer the question by looking at how electricity gets from Point A to Point B. The history of electricity explains how we built this system. In this unit, you’ll explore the infrastructure and history of electricity. You’ll learn about the tradeoffs in using nonrenewable sources, specifically fossil fuels, for generating power. You’ll also look at the new technologies we could use.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Discuss the history of the electric power system and the use of fossil fuels.
• Evaluate the current electric power system and use of fossil fuels.
• Investigate the advantages and disadvantages of the electric power system and use of fossil fuels.
• Examine new technologies and changes in the use of fossil fuels and the electric power system.

If all you know about nuclear power comes from The Simpsons, you’re about to find out that there’s a whole lot more to nuclear power than what happens at the fictional Springfield nuclear power plant. Nuclear power is a chemical process of splitting atoms. It is very efficient and has the potential to power the entire world. However, it does have some disadvantages. Nuclear meltdowns can be devastating to the surrounding environment and can even cause widespread death if not managed responsibly.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Define nuclear energy and discuss how it is harnessed.
• Describe nuclear fission.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power.
• Explain the societal debate over nuclear power.

Solar energy is getting a lot of attention. The sun provides lots and lots of energy, and we can use it in our homes and offices without having to use the local power company. Technologies that harness solar energy are varied and sophisticated. The sun’s heat can be used in many ways, including providing steam for traditional power plants. However, these technologies are still immature. So large-scale solar power continues to be expensive. It can also be unreliable when the sun is not shining. In this unit, you’ll learn about solar energy and the exciting ways we can use it to power our lives.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Define solar energy and discuss how it is harnessed.
• Compare passive solar and active solar energy.
• Examine photovoltaic cells and solar thermal systems.
• Outline the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy.

Wind energy has been around for centuries, as early as 5000 BCE. But it’s been getting a lot of attention lately as a renewable energy technology. It’s clean and sustainable, but wind turbines take up a lot of land and make a lot of noise. In addition, harnessing wind energy requires an area where the climate is optimal, and the land is preferably flat and rural. In areas with a lot of wind, this renewable technology is inexpensive and ideal, especially for homeowners who want to power their own homes. In this unit, you’ll learn more about how wind energy is created and the advantages and disadvantages of using it as an energy source.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Describe wind energy and how it has been used historically.
• Consider environmental factors that affect harnessing wind energy.
• Discuss kinetic energy.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy.

Amongst sources of energy, biomass is the oldest. When humans first set a fire using wood, biomass energy was born. In this unit, you’ll learn about how we get electricity from biomass and biofuel. You’ll also learn about the process of converting biomass to biofuels. Finally, you’ll look at the different options for using biofuels and the pros and cons of both biomass and biofuels.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Describe the major sources of biomass.
• Create a life cycle analysis for biomass conversion.
• Examine different biofuel options.
• Outline the advantages and disadvantages for biomass and biofuel energy.

By now you know that energy is everywhere. And we could get it from anywhere. It’s just a matter of finding out how to convert it so we can use it for electricity. In this last unit, you’ll learn about geothermal and hydroelectric energy. Both of these renewable energy technologies use the earth’s natural energy. One uses the heat deep in the earth’s crust; the other uses the power of water.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Describe types of geothermal energy.
• Discuss how hydroelectric energy is created.
• Examine environmental factors that influence these energy types.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of geothermal and hydroelectric energy.

Software

• Word processing software