NAME _______________________________________________________________ PERIOD __________

Renewable EnergySOLAR VIDEOS & READINGINFOBOOK | SOLAR

1. What type of energy is emitted into space from the sun?

2. What percentage of the sun’s energy that hits Earth is reflected back into space?

3. Solar energy grew until the mid 1950’s- what replaced solar growth?

4. Solar energy collection depends on what conditions?

5. What makes a passive solar home different than an active solar home?

6. What is an environmental concern with manufacturing photovoltaic cells?

7. What is an environmental concern with large solar thermal farms?

ENERGY LAB | HOW SOLAR WORKS

1. Solar panels can convert what percentage of solar output to electricity?

2. Describe the two layers in a solar panel:

3. What is the greatest challenge of solar panels?

4. Explain how solar heat can produce energy:

5. What are two things that can limit solar energy collection?

WIND VIDEOS & READINGINFOBOOK | WIND

1. Wind is considered renewable as long as this is available on Earth:

2. Wind speed is measured with what type of gauge?

3. What are the three basic parts of a wind turbine?

4. Wind turbines are most efficient with winds at least this speed:

5. What are the best locations for wind farms?

6. What is an environmental consideration when siting a wind farm?

7. What is the capacity factor for wind turbines? Why is that?

ENERGY101 | WIND

1. Why is wind the fastest growing renewable energy? (5 things)

2. What are the disadvantages of wind power (2 things)

3.What type of power source is used as a back up if there is no wind?

ENERGY LAB | HOW DOES WIND WORK

1. Why does Texas have “good wind?

2. What 6 attributes make Texas the biggest producer of wind power in the United States?

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3. What is the primary environmental concern for wind farms?

4. Why is hydroelectric and natural gas used as a backup energy source?

GEOTHERMAL VIDEOS & READINGINFOBOOK | GEOTHERMAL

1. Geothermal energy comes from the heat within the Earth. What are estimates of the core temperature of the Earth?

2. Is geothermal energy renewable or nonrenewable?

3. Where are the hottest geothermal regions?

4. The Ring of Fire resides in which ocean?

5. How do flash steam plants work?

6. Aside from producing electricity what are 4 other ways geothermal energy is used?

ENERGY LAB | GEOTHERMAL OPTIONS

1. Geo means: ______________ and thermal means: ___________

2. Geothermal can be used to make ____________________, ________________________ and sometimes _____________________________

3. Why is geothermal not widely available?

4. Explain how geothermal energy can be hydraulically fractured:

5. What is the constant temperature just below the surface in the United States?

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6. How can we capture that temperature?

7. What are 3 advantages to geothermal energy?

SWITCH | GEOTHERMAL OPTIONS

1. How hot is the water that produces steam that feeds into the geothermal power plant?

2. How many people can the Hellisheidi plant power per year?

3. What chemicals are used in geothermal energy production?

4. What is the “white mud” made of in the Blue Lagoon?

5. Why is geothermal energy more powerful/concentrated in places like Iceland and California?

6.The average power density of geothermal is __________________ times less than solar energy

HYDROGEN READINGINFOBOOK | HYDROGEN

1. Why is hydrogen one of the most promising energy carriers for the future?

2. Why must hydrogen gas be manufactured?

3. What is the most cost effective way to produce hydrogen? What is an environmental issue with this method?

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4. What is the most expensive way to produce hydrogen?

5. Most hydrogen produced in the United States is used for what?

6. A hydrogen fuel cell consists of what?

TIDAL READINGINFOBOOK | HYDROELECTRIC (LAST PAGE)

1. What is illogical about ocean energy if harnessing the energy is easy?

2. Why is location a limiting factor for tidal energy?

3. Describe disadvantages of tidal power:

4. Describe advantages of tidal power:

5. How does a tidal barrage work?

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