RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

RENEWABLE ENERGY
INTRODUCTION

Renewable Energy is the energy obtained from virtually inexhaustible natural

sources, either due to the immense amount of energy they contain or because
they are capable of being regenerated by natural means.

Taking into consideration their degree of technological development and their

level of penetration in the energy matrix of the countries, Renewable Energies
are classified into Conventional Renewable Energies and Non-Conventional
Renewable Energies . Among the first, large hydroelectric plants are
considered; while within the latter are wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal,
geothermal, tidal, biomass and small hydroelectric generators.
The use of renewable energy sources by man is very old. For many centuries
before our era, renewable energies such as solar, wind and hydraulic energy
were used by man in their domestic, agricultural, artisanal and commercial
activities. This situation prevailed until the arrival of the First Industrial
Revolution of the 18th century, when renewable energies had to give way to
fossil resources such as oil and coal, which at that time were offered as
abundant and cheap energy sources. The industrial revolution also triggered
social and economic changes that gave rise to the subsequent development of
the large hydroelectric industry, considered today as a conventional renewable
energy source.

Regarding the national level, it should be noted that Peru has traditionally
been a country whose electricity generation has been based on renewable
sources. This means that our energy development has long contributed to the
reduction of the greenhouse effect that currently overwhelms the planet, with
development that is largely based on clean energy sources.

Until 2002, electricity generated with hydroelectric plants represented 85% of

the total energy generated in the country. With the arrival of Camisea Gas, the
participation of hydroelectric plants decreased until reaching 61% in 2008.

Nowadays, when the availability of fossil resources plays a determining role in

the global and national energy supply, and when environmental factors appear
among the main concerns of contemporary society, Renewable Energies are re-
emerging with increasing success in all latitudes of the world. planet,
encouraged by energy supply constraints and the presence of favorable
regulatory frameworks.

In this context, in May 2008, the Peruvian State issued Legislative Decree 1002
that promotes investment for the generation of electricity with the use of
Renewable Energy Resources ('RER', hereinafter), such as wind, solar,
geothermal, tidal , biomass and small hydroelectric plants with an installed
capacity of up to 20MW .

RER TECHNOLOGIES
Solar energy:

Solar energy is one of the sources of life

and the origin of most other known
forms of energy. Each year solar
radiation provides the Earth with energy
equivalent to several thousand times the
amount consumed by all of humanity.
Hence, solar radiation, collected
appropriately with solar panels , can be
transformed into other forms of energy.

By using solar collectors, solar energy

can be transformed into thermal energy.
In turn, with the use of photovoltaic panels, light energy can be transformed
into electrical energy. Both processes require different technologies that have
nothing to do with each other. Likewise, in solar thermal power plants, the
thermal energy captured by solar collectors can be used to generate electricity.

There are two forms of solar radiation: direct radiation and diffuse radiation .
Direct radiation is that which arrives directly from the solar source, without
intermediate reflections or refractions. The diffuse is that emitted by the
daytime sky, thanks to the multiple phenomena of solar reflection and
refraction caused by clouds and the rest of the atmospheric and terrestrial
elements. Direct radiation can be reflected and concentrated for use, while
concentration of diffuse light is not possible because it comes from multiple
directions. However, both radiations are usable.

Regarding receptors, active

receptors and passive receptors can
be differentiated. The former use
mechanisms to orient the receiving
system towards the Sun - called
trackers - and better capture direct radiation. Passives, meanwhile, are not
capable of carrying out this monitoring.

An important advantage of solar energy is that it allows the generation of

energy at the same place of consumption through architectural integration.
Thus, distributed generation systems take place in which the losses recorded in
the transportation of energy, which currently account for approximately 40%
of the total, and energy dependence are almost completely eliminated.

Wind power:

Wind energy is the energy obtained from the force of the wind, through the use
of kinetic energy generated by air currents. The term aeolian comes from the
Latin Aeolicus , belonging to or relating to Aeolus or Aeolus, god of the winds in
Greek mythology and meaning belonging to or relating to the wind.

Wind energy is related to the

movement of air masses that
move from areas of high
atmospheric pressure to
adjacent areas of low
pressure, with proportional
speeds (pressure gradient).
Wind energy has been used
since ancient times to move
ships driven by sails or
operate blade mill machinery.
In recent decades, the use of
wind energy has progressed
to become one of the fundamental pillars of renewable energy supply.

Today the performance of wind installations has multiplied by 3 in relation to

wind speed. In order to make the most of wind energy, these devices sit on
towers that are as high as possible. The largest wind installations at the
moment have a nominal power that is between 4 and 6 megawatts (MW). The
total height reaches 200 meters, with a hub height of approximately 120
meters. The rotor blades reach 65 meters. According to the Wind Atlas of Peru,
our country has an excellent wind resource. The coasts of the department of
Piura, Lambayeque and some areas of La Libertad stand out. The departments
of Ancash, Lima and Arequipa also stand out, but the department with the most
wind potential is Ica.

Mini Hydraulic Power:

Hydraulic energy or water energy is called energy that is obtained from the use
of the kinetic and potential energies of the current of rivers, waterfalls or tides.
It is a type of Non-Conventional Renewable Energy when its environmental
impact is minimal and it uses water power without damming it, otherwise it is
considered only a form of conventional renewable energy.

In our country, mini hydro plants are those that have an installed power of less
than 20 MW. This renewable technology is the most environmentally friendly
way of producing electricity known. It can be transformed at very different
scales, with small farms existing for centuries in which the current of a river
moves a bladed rotor and generates a movement applied, for example, in rural
mills.

Geothermal energy:

Geothermal energy is energy that can be

obtained by man by taking advantage of the
heat from the Earth's interior. The term
geothermal comes from the Greek geo,
"Earth"; and from thermos, "heat"; literally
"heat of the Earth." Part of the Earth's
internal heat (5,000 ºC) reaches the Earth's
crust. In some areas of the planet, near the
surface, groundwater can reach boiling
temperatures and, therefore, can be used to
drive electric turbines or for heating. The
heat inside the Earth is due to several factors, among which the geothermal
gradient and radiogenic heat stand out.
There is great potential for this energy in the volcanic chains of southern Peru.

Biomass:

The formation of biomass from

solar energy is carried out by the
process called plant
photosynthesis, which in turn
triggers the biological chain.
Through photosynthesis, plants
that contain chlorophyll transform
carbon dioxide and water from
mineral products with no energy
value into organic materials with
high energy content and in turn serve as food for other living beings. Through
these processes, biomass stores solar energy in the short term in the form of
carbon. The energy stored in the photosynthetic process can later be
transformed into thermal, electrical energy or fuels of plant origin, releasing
the stored carbon dioxide again.

In the agroindustrial sector, specifically the sugar cane industry, the presence
of great potential for generating electricity from sugar cane bagasse and rice
husk has been established .

Tidal and Waves:

Tidal energy is due to the gravitational

forces between the Moon, the Earth and the
Sun, which cause the tides, that is, the
difference in the average height of the seas
according to the relative position between
these three stars. This difference in heights
can be taken advantage of in strategic places
such as gulfs, bays or estuaries using
hydraulic turbines that interfere with the
natural movement of water, together with
channeling and deposit mechanisms, to
obtain movement in an axis. By coupling it to
an alternator, the system can be used to
generate electricity, thus transforming tidal energy into electrical energy, a
more useful and usable form of energy.
Tidal energy has the quality of being renewable insofar as the primary energy
source is not depleted by its exploitation, and it is clean, since no polluting by-
products are produced in the energy transformation during the exploitation
phase. However, the relationship between the amount of energy that can be
obtained with current means and the economic cost and environmental impact
of installing the devices for its process have prevented a notable proliferation
of this type of energy.

Other ways to extract energy from the sea are wave energy, which is the energy
produced by the movement of waves; and the energy due to the oceanic
thermal gradient, which marks a temperature difference between the surface
and the deep waters of the ocean

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

A similar, but not identical, concept is that of alternative energies: an

alternative energy, or more precisely an alternative energy source , is one that
can replace current energies or energy sources, either due to its lower polluting
effect, or fundamentally because its possibility of renewal.
Energy consumption is one of the great meters of the progress and well-being
of a society. The concept of energy crisis appears when the energy sources that
society supplies are depleted or become drastically more expensive. An
economic model like the current one, whose operation depends on continuous
growth, also requires an equally growing demand for energy. Since fossil and
nuclear energy sources are finite, it is inevitable that at a certain moment the
demand cannot be supplied and the entire system collapses, unless other new
methods to obtain energy are discovered and developed: these would be
alternative energies.

On the other hand, the use of current energy sources such as oil, natural gas or
coal brings with it problems such as progressive pollution, or the increase in
greenhouse gases.

The alternative/conventional energy discussion is not a mere classification of

energy sources, but represents a change that will necessarily have to occur
during this century.

In fact, the concept "alternative energy" is a bit old-fashioned. It was born

around the 70s of the last century, when the possibility that the traditionally
used energies, energies of fossil origin, would be exhausted in a more or less
short period of time began to be taken into account (an idea especially
widespread after the publication in 1972 , from the report to the Club of Rome,
The Limits to Growth ) and it was necessary to find more lasting alternatives.
Currently it can no longer be said that they are an alternative possibility: they
are a reality and the use of these energies, almost chimerical at the time,
extends throughout the world and is part of the normal means of energy
generation.

Even so, it is important to note that alternative energies, even though they are
renewable, are limited and, like any other natural resource, have a maximum
exploitation potential, which does not mean that they can be exhausted.

Therefore, even if a transition to these new energies can be made smoothly and
gradually, they will not allow us to continue with the current economic model
based on perpetual growth. This is why the concept of Sustainable
Development has emerged. This model is based on the following premises:
  The use of renewable energy sources, since the fossil sources currently
exploited will end up being exhausted, according to current forecasts,
during the course of this 21st century.

 The use of clean sources, abandoning conventional combustion

processes and nuclear fission.

 The extensive exploitation of energy sources, proposing as an alternative

the promotion of self-consumption, which avoids, as far as possible, the
construction of large infrastructures for the generation and distribution
of electrical energy.

 The decrease in energy demand, by improving the performance of

electrical devices (appliances, lamps, etc.)

 Reduce or eliminate unnecessary energy consumption. It is not just

about consuming more efficiently, but about consuming less, that is,
developing an awareness and a culture of energy saving and
condemnation of waste.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

ecological energies
Renewable energy sources are different from fossil fuels or nuclear power
plants due to their diversity and abundance. It is considered that the Sun will
supply these energy sources (solar radiation, wind, rain, etc.) for the next four
billion years. The first advantage of a certain number of renewable energy
sources is that they do not produce greenhouse gases or other emissions,
contrary to what happens with fuels, whether fossil or renewable. Some
renewable sources do not emit additional carbon dioxide, except those
necessary for their construction and operation, and do not present any
additional risks, such as nuclear risk.
However, some renewable energy systems generate particular ecological
problems. Thus, the first wind turbines were dangerous for birds, since their
blades rotated very quickly, while hydroelectric plants can create obstacles to
the emigration of certain fish, a serious problem in many rivers around the
world (in those in northwestern North America that flow into the Pacific Ocean,
the salmon population was drastically reduced).
diffuse nature
 An inherent problem with
renewable energies is their
diffuse nature, with the exception
of geothermal energy which,
however, is only accessible where
the Earth's crust is thin, such as
hot springs and geysers.
Since certain renewable energy
sources provide energy of
relatively low intensity,
distributed over large areas, new
types of "plants" are necessary to
convert them into usable sources.
For 1,000 kWh of electricity, annual per capita consumption in Western
countries, the owner of a home located in a cloudy area of Europe must install
eight square meters of photovoltaic panels (assuming an average energy
efficiency of 12.5%).
However, with four square meters of solar thermal collector, a home can obtain
a large part of the energy necessary for domestic hot water although, due to the
use of simultaneity, apartment buildings can achieve the same performance
with a smaller collector surface area. and, what is more important, with much
less investment per home.
Irregularity
The production of permanent electrical energy requires reliable power sources
or storage media (hydraulic pump storage systems, batteries, future hydrogen
fuel cells, etc.). Thus, due to the high costs of energy storage, a small
autonomous system is rarely economical, except in isolated situations, when
connection to the energy grid involves higher costs.
Polluting renewable sources
As far as biomass is concerned, it is true that it actively stores the carbon from
carbon dioxide, forming its mass with it and grows while releasing oxygen
again, when burned it combines carbon with oxygen again, forming dioxide
again. carbon. Theoretically, the closed cycle would yield zero carbon dioxide
emissions, as the emissions resulting from combustion would remain fixed in
the new biomass. In practice, polluting energy is used in planting, harvesting
and processing, so the balance is negative.
On the other hand, biomass is also not really inexhaustible, even if it is
renewable. Its use can only be done in limited cases. There are doubts about the
capacity of agriculture to provide the necessary quantities of plant mass if this
source becomes popular, which is being demonstrated by the increase in cereal
prices due to its use for the production of biofuels . On the other hand, all
biofuels produce a greater amount of carbon dioxide per unit of energy
produced than their fossil counterparts.
Geothermal energy is not only very geographically restricted but some of its
sources are considered polluting. This is because the extraction of high-
temperature underground water generates unwanted and toxic salts and
minerals being dragged to the surface. The main geothermal plant is located in
Tuscany, near the city of Pisa and is called Larderello Geothermal Power Plant .
An image of the plant in the central part of a valley and the view of kilometers
of one-meter diameter pipes leading to the thermal plant show the landscape
impact it generates.

Geographic diversity
The geographical diversity of resources is also significant. Some countries and
regions have significantly better resources than others, particularly in the
renewable energy sector. Some countries have significant resources close to
major housing centers where electricity demand is significant. The use of such
resources on a large scale requires, however, considerable investments in
transformation and distribution networks, as well as in production itself.
Administration of electrical networks
If the production of electrical energy from renewable sources became
widespread, the distribution and transformation systems would no longer be
the large distributors of electrical energy, but they would function to locally
balance the electricity needs of small communities. Those who have surplus
energy would sell to the deficit sectors, that is, the exploitation of the network
should go from "passive management" where some generators are connected
and the system is driven to obtain electricity "downstream" to the consumer, to
an "active" management, where some generators are distributed in the
network, having to constantly monitor the inputs and outputs to guarantee the
local balance of the system. That would require major changes in the way
networks are managed.
However, small-scale use of renewable energy, which can often be produced
"on site", reduces the need for electricity distribution systems. Current systems,
rarely economically profitable, revealed that an average home with a solar
system with energy storage, and panels of sufficient size, only has to resort to
outside sources of electricity for a few hours per week. Therefore, advocates of
renewable energy think that electricity distribution systems should be less
important and easier to control.
Integration into the landscape
An obvious drawback of renewable
energy is its visual impact on the
local environment. Some people hate
the aesthetics of wind generators
and mention nature conservation
when talking about large solar
electric installations outside of cities.
However, everyone finds charm in
the sight of the "old windmills"
which, in their time, were a clearly
visible example of the technology
available.
Others are trying to use these
technologies in an effective and aesthetically satisfying way: fixed solar panels
can double noise barriers along highways, roofs are available and could even be
completely replaced by solar collectors, amorphous photovoltaic cells that can
be used to tint windows and produce energy, etc.
NONRENEWABLE ENERGY

What are non-renewable energies?

Non-renewable energies refer to conventional forms of energy , those whose

resources from which they are obtained are limited, that is, they do not self-
regenerate like renewable energies.

The most common thing is that to generate these energy sources , fossil fuels
are burned, which when burned cause the emission of a large amount of
greenhouse gases. These gases today are one of the main responsible for
climate change, since their quantity in the atmosphere is increasing very
rapidly.

Examples of non-renewable energies

Within this type of non-renewable energy we can find two main groups:
Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels, such as oil (liquid form), coal (solid), and natural gas (gaseous).
These fossil fuels come from biomass generated millions of years ago that have
been converted into these fuels after undergoing adequate pressure and
temperature conditions.

Petroleum: Petroleum is an organic compound that is made up of a mixture of

hydrocarbons that are insoluble in water and was formed from the
transformation of organic matter that accumulated in the form of sediments.

Coal: Coal is a sedimentary rock, again, of organic origin formed from plant
remains that decompose and accumulate in swampy areas.

Natural gas : in this case, it is a hydrocarbon resulting from the mixture of

gases of natural origin, mainly methane, and which is formed by the
decomposition of several layers of plants and matter of animal origin exposed
to intense heat and pressure during millions of years.

The nuclear energy

The other group of non-renewable energies is nuclear energy. Matter is

composed of atoms, which are made up of a nucleus and one or more electrons
distributed in layers (electron cloud) on the nucleus, which in turn is composed
of one or more protons and an equal number of neutrons.

But what does all this have to do with nuclear energy? The atomic nucleus of
some elements, such as uranium, can be disintegrated and release energy,
which is used by thermonuclear power plants to produce electricity, that is,
nuclear energy is obtained by breaking atoms of some radioactive
minerals (fission). However, the nuclear waste that is produced takes time to
lose its radioactive properties, and many of them may take time to disappear.
SUMMARY OF RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

In summary, renewable energies are those that come from almost unlimited
natural sources, but that require renewal time to be replenished. There are
non-polluting or clean renewable energies and polluting renewable energies.

Among the clean renewable energies, we highlighted wind energy, solar

energy, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave energy or
blue energy. As polluting renewable energies, we highlighted those whose
source is biomass or organic matter. Its problem is that, as with conventional
energies, its combustion produces carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere.

On the other hand, we said about non-renewable energies that, unlike

renewable energies, they are obtained from resources that are limited and do
not have the capacity to self-regenerate. . The most common thing is that these
energies are obtained, above all, from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal
or natural gas. The combustion of these materials contributes to current
climate change by emitting a large amount of greenhouse gases.

There is another group of non-renewable energies, that of nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy comes from the fission process, the process by which the
atomic nucleus of atoms disintegrates to subsequently release energy, used by
thermonuclear power plants for the production of electricity. The great
drawback of nuclear energy is that nuclear waste takes a long time to disappear
and lose its radioactivity.