Renewable
Energy
Sources
PhDr. Tomáš Vlček, Ph.D.
International Relations and Energy Security
Department of International Relations and European Studies
Faculty of Social Studies MU
 The oldest energy sector on Earth
vs.
 New wave of development
 New sector,
perhaps the most dynamic
Why?
2
Renewable Energy Sector
 The sector responds to the global trend of combating climate change,
protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and
decrease imports of energy resources especially after 1989.
◦ Rapid growth in consumption of energy resources
◦ Interdependence in the relationship with foreign suppliers
◦ Contradictory an effort to retain as much autonomy from foreign
countries using nuclear power, domestic coal and, increasingly, renewable
energy
◦ First symptoms caused by lack of coal
◦ Probable end of the hydrocarbon age in the 21 Century (exhaustion of
coal, oil and natural gas)
◦ Fighting the climate change
◦ Emissions reduction efforts
◦ UN and EU commitments to those organizations
◦ The process of liberalization of the electricity
market
◦ Rising energy costs
3
Renewable Energy Development
What is it?
Natural energy that does not have a limited supply. Renewable energy can be used
again and again, and will never run out.
Any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short time scale and
derived directly from the sun (such as thermal, photochemical, and
photoelectric), indirectly from the sun (such as wind, hydropower, and
photosynthetic energy stored in biomass), or from other natural movements
and mechanisms of the environment (such as geothermal and tidal energy).
Renewable energy does not include energy resources derived from fossil fuels,
waste products from fossil sources, or waste products from inorganic sources.
Any naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, as biomass,
solar, wind, tidal, wave, and hydroelectric power, that is not derived from fossil
or nuclear fuel.
Renewable energy is from an energy resource that is replaced by a natural process
at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which that resource is being
consumed. Renewable energy is a subset of sustainable energy.
 Two attitudes to REP:
 Low-carbon economy
◦ a priori does not reject various fossil energy sources
◦ the aim is to adapt the existing economy to low-carbon principle as much as
possible, i.e. minimum production of CO2 as the main greenhouse gas
◦ this approach does not exclude (on the contrary - supports) the use and
development of nuclear energy as an emission-free source
◦ renewables may have different meanings, but they are always more or less
complementary to the primary sources
 Environmental
◦ focuses on the word "renewable" and refuses basically any fossil fuel
◦ the target is complete transition to renewable energy
◦ there are currently many limits for complete transition to renewable energy, such
as the condition of human knowledge and technology, technical aspects and
financial costs
5
Renewable Energy Policies
Incentives
 Approximately 20 percent of global electricity generation now
comes from renewable energy sources
 Renewables accounted for over half of total net additions to
electric generating capacity worldwide in 2012
 Almost 70 percent of new electric generating capacity in the
European Union (EU) for 2012 came from renewables
 Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation soared from 10
gigawatts (GW) in 2007 to over 100 GW in 2012
 This rapid increase in renewables is driven by a number of
factors, including falling technology costs, rising fossil-fuel
prices and carbon pricing. However, the main support for
growth is through government incentives, which totaled USD
88 billion globally in 2011.
KPMG, 2013
Incentives
 Credits
 Grants
 Tax holidays
 Accelerated depreciation
 Non-tax incentives
 Carbon tax and pricing
 Cap and trade schemes
 Indirect taxes, such as energy taxes, excise
taxes or value added taxes (VATs)
Top 5 countries
What sources of RES do you know?
What sources of RES do you know?
Solar Power
Solar Power
The Amount of Solar Energy in the Czech Republic which Stroke a Square Meter
of Surface Bent at an Angle of 40° Southwards (Wh/m2/day)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII Rok
Praha 1228 2027 3034 4149 4846 4644 4930 4577 3475 2729 1140 833 3141
Brno 1247 2111 3163 4262 4953 4877 5211 4774 3679 2918 1309 872 3288
Plzeň 1238 2087 3036 4147 4755 4618 4975 4604 3587 2735 1182 828 3155
Ostrava 1321 2138 2990 3890 4689 4556 4916 4471 3370 2858 1372 976 3135
Břeclav 1343 2204 3315 4429 5046 5100 5411 4925 3990 2975 1441 935 3433
Aš 1255 2215 2941 4180 4662 4431 4837 4459 3544 2639 1327 840 3115
Ústí n. L. 1231 2080 2956 4063 4788 4507 4751 4405 3365 2677 1207 841 3078
Source: European Commission - Joint Research Centre, n.d.
Solar Power
 An average daily amount of solar energy, for example, in Brno is 3,288
Wh/m2, which is 3.288 kWh/m2. The other limit of solar panels is their
efficiency which currently reaches the values around 15 %. Therefore, a
square meter of solar panels can, under ideal conditions and given
efficiency, reach a yearly amount of approximately 180 kWh. Such a low
capacity is enhanced by adding a surface of solar panels; a massive
production of power production and its transmission to the electrical
network in that manner, therefore, stipulated the emergence of so called
solar parks, which are photovoltaic power plants with higher capacities
(above 500 kWp).
3,288 Wh/m2/day = 137 Wh/m2/hour = 137
W/m2 * 0,15 = 20,55 W/m2 * 24 * 365 =
180018 Wh/m2/year = 180 kWh/m2/year
Yearly production of a square meter of solar
panels is approximately 180 kWh.
Solar Power
Solar Energy Tower
 Steam is heated to 500 °C to drive turbines that are coupled to
generators which produce electricity
Solar Energy Tower
Wind Power
 produce electricity by utilizing the flux of air
 The flux of air spins propeller blades, which then spin an electrical power
generator.
 Wind power plants for their operating require a region with an average
speed of wind between 6 and 25 m/s.
Wind Power
Wind Power
Wind Power
Geothermal Power
Geothermal Power
Hydroelectricity
 Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by hydropower, i.e., the production of power
through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely
used form of renewable energy.
 Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste.
Small scale hydro or micro-hydro power has been an increasingly popular alternative
energy source, especially in remote areas where other power sources are not viable.
Small scale hydro power systems can be installed in small rivers or streams with little
or no discernible environmental effect or disruption to fish migration.
 Most small scale hydro power systems make no use of a dam or major water
diversion, but rather use water wheels to generate energy. This was approximately
19% of the world’s electricity (up from 16% in 2003), and accounted for over 63% of
electricity from renewable sources.
 There are several types of hydroelectricity power production facilities:
◦ Falling Water
◦ Flowing Water
◦ Pumping Storage Systems
◦ Tidal Energy Systems
◦ Wave Energy Systems
Hydroelectricity – Falling Water
Hydroelectricity – Falling Water
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Hydroelectricity – Flowing Water
Pumping Storage System
Pumping Storage System
Tidal Energy System
Tidal Energy System
Tidal Energy System
Tidal Energy System
Wave Energy Systems
Wave Energy Systems
Biomass
Biomass
 Developed countries: a renewable source of energy, neutral
emissions
 Developing countries: the source of 90% of the daily energy
consumption for 2.5 billion people
 Fuel and energy:
 Incineration - direct, indirect (biogas), indirect parallel (steam)
 The thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) - solid and liquid fuels
(charcoal, pyrolysis oil, 16 MJ / kg)
 Gasification - oxidation at high temperatures, 5-20 MJ / m3
 Esterification, hydrogenation
 Biochemical transformation - fermentation, digestion (biogas,
18-29 MJ / m3)
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Biomass
 Generation I
◦ Ethanol – easier combustion but lowe calorific value (by 25-30 %)
 Generation II
◦ Fast growing trees
◦ plants that can be grown more than once in one place
 Generation III
◦ Marine plants: algae - 80% lipids
◦ yield up to 30% greater than in oilseed
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GJ/ha
Barley 34 – 50
Wheat 59 – 67
Corn 63 – 71
Sugar beet 138 – 146
Sugarcane 147 - 167
Biofuels