http://www.ck12.org Chapter 17. Introduction to Energy
TABLE17.1:(continued)
Renewable Energy Resource Example
Biomass
The stored chemical energy of trees and other plants
is called biomass energy. When plant materials are
burned, they produce thermal energy that can be
used for heating, cooking, or generating electricity.
Biomass—especially wood—is an important energy
source in countries where most people can’t afford
fossil fuels. Some plants can also be used to make
ethanol, a fuel that is added to gasoline. Ethanol
produces less pollution than gasoline, but large areas
of land are needed to grow the plants needed to make
it.This large machine is harvesting and grinding plants to
be used for biomass energy.Geothermal
Heat below Earth’s surface—called geothermal en-
ergy—can be used to produce electricity. A power
plant pumps water underground where it is heated.
Then it pumps the water back to the plant and uses
its thermal energy to generate electricity. On a small
scale, geothermal energy can be used to heat homes.
Installing a geothermal system can be very costly, how-
ever, because of the need to drill through underground
rocks.This geothermal power plant is located in Italy where
hot magma is close to the surface.KQED: Big Solar Comes of Age
The largest solar thermal plant in the world opens in California’s Mojave Desert, after a debate that pitted renewable
energy against a threatened tortoise. The Ivanpah solar plant is one of seven big solar farms scheduled to open in
California in the coming months, as a result of the state’s push to produce one third of its electricity from renewable
energy. Some 30 states have similar mandates. For more information on this solar plant, see http://science.kqed.org/
quest/video/largest-solar-plant-in-the-world-goes-through-last-test-before-opening/.
MEDIA
Click image to the left for use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/131610KQED: Airborne Wind Energy
On the windswept tarmac of the former Alameda Naval Air Station, an inventive group of scientists and engineers
are test-flying a kite-like tethered wing that may someday help revolutionize clean energy. QUEST explores the
potential of wind energy and new airborne wind turbines designed to harness the stronger and more consistent winds
found at higher altitudes. For more information on wind energy, see http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/airborne
-wind-energy/.