Practical Application of Renewable Energy Technology

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 1
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 2
TASK 1
Part A
Solar energy
Figure 1: Showing the schematic diagram of the solar power system (Edison, 2015)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 3
Wind Energy
Figure 2: Showing the schematic diagram of the wind power system (Jemmet, 2014)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 4
Hydropower
Figure 3: Showing the schematic diagram of the hydroelectric power system (Jemmet, 2014)
Tidal Power
Figure 4: Showing the schematic diagram of the tidal power system (Jemmet, 2014)

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Part B
As described in Part A of this project with the aid of diagrams, this paper, therefore, covers wind
and solar energy adoption rate as follows below;
Wind Energy
Wind energy is one of the cheapest and cleanest sources of renewable electrical energy. The main
determinant of the cost of wind energy is the wind speed at a given site. This cost is also evaluated
based on the evaluations given on the national trends in the cost of installed wind energy This
statement proves that wind electrical energy is very sufficient and reliable meaning that its
adoption rate should be very high (Powell, 2013). But presently that is not the case as its adoption
is limited by some barriers.
Barriers affecting the adoption of wind energy
These barriers to adoption are as below one after the other;
Capital Cost
It is a fact that wind energy is a cheaper source of renewable electrical power but its initial
installation cost is very high. Such high costs tend to scare away potential individuals in adopting
wind-generated electricity. For instance, as of 2017, the cost of installing a single wind power
plant was estimated to be about $1,200 to $1,700 for every kilowatt (Collins, 2019).
Market Entry
The adoption of wind power also tends to be hindered by market entry factors more so in
instances where there are total domination and stiff competition from other sources of electrical

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power. These competitors include coal, natural gas and nuclear sources of energy. The market
entry of these energy sources is illustrated using the pie chart below;
Coal
40%
Natural gas
20%
Nuclear
30%
Hydroelectrical power
4%
Solar energy
3%
Wind energy
2%
Tidal energy
0%
Sources of electrical energy
Coal Natural gas Nuclear Hydroelectrical power
Solar energy Wind energy Tidal energy
There are problems in locating the best site to place a windmill
Windmill requires being placed in an ideal location. The place should be far away from buildings,
trees as well as other tall structures (Sivaram, 2018). Apart from these barriers, windmills must
have some form of permit that gives individuals the authority to set up such a wind energy power
plant.
Solar Power
The use of solar power is being encouraged in most countries due to its cheapness and reliability
which is a contrast to other sources of non-renewable energy like coal, diesel, and nuclear power.
Based on this statement, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has been at the forefront

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 7
of turning solar energy into a big business opportunity. As of 2017, there has been a sharp rise in
global electricity costs (Motes, 2015). This increase in costs will lead to higher solar energy
adoption rates as people will go for the next best option in trying to reduce their electricity bills.
Unlike wind energy, the installation of solar energy is relatively cheaper as one only needs to buy a
solar panel and then tap the available solar energy from the sun. Similarly, the rate of solar energy
adoption will also be affected by other significant factors like the number of daylight hours. This
is the total amount of the sun’s energy calculated in terms of hours that is received on a certain
location on the surface of the earth. The costs incurred in buying solar panels is much cheaper than
buying, therefore, making the adoption rate of solar energy to be higher than that of wind energy
TASK 2
Part A
An analysis of the solar and wind power is given below;
Wind power
Windmills are installed in open places to allow the harvesting of the maximum amount of kinetic
energy (wind speed) which is then transformed into electrical energy by the use of generators. The
windmill turbine has a gearbox which is applied in increasing the speed of the turbine by the use of
gears. This process is illustrated using the diagram below;

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 8
Figure 5: Showing wind turbines and the gears of wind power (Manwell, 2012)
The type of energy that is coming out of the generator is still in AC form and must be transformed
in order to be used by the final consumer. The transformation steps up the voltage thereby, in turn,
stepping down the current. This action that uses step-up transformers reduces the intensity of the
electricity to the required state. This process is illustrated using equation 1 below;
PLoss= I2R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The power is then transmitted to the substation that steps down the electric power making it be safe
for use by the final consumer (Sivaram, 2018). The substation helps in steps down the electrical
energy to 240 V single phases which are safe for use. Furthermore, at this stage, the electricity will
be connected to the local people where it will be used in homes, businesses, and even farms. The
process where wind power is harnessed to produce electricity that is used by the locals is
illustrated using the following diagram;