http://www.ck12.org Chapter 5. Energy
5.7 Renewable Energy Resources
- Define renewable resource.
- Describe several renewable energy resources.
Acre upon acre of wind turbines stretch over the landscape in this photo. The blades of the turbines spin in the wind
like giant pinwheels. The energy of the moving blades is used to generate useful electrical energy. Wind is one of
5.7 Renewable Energy Resources
Q:What are some other renewable energy resources?
A:You can read about the major renewable energy resources in this article. But here’s a hint in advance. Renewable
energy resources include mechanical, electromagnetic, chemical, and thermal forms of energy.
What Are Renewable Resources?
Renewable resourcesare natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time or are virtually
limitless in supply. In addition to wind, renewable energy resources include sunlight, moving water, biomass,
and geothermal energy. All of these resources are freely available and won’t run out. Most of them also have
the advantage of producing little if any pollution or carbon dioxide, which contributes to global climate change.
Nonetheless, these energy resources are used far less than nonrenewable energy resources, especially fossil fuels.
You can see where renewable energy resources are used in the U.S., as well as learn more about them, at this URL:
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/people/a_energy.html
Wind
Wind is moving air, so it has mechanical energy that can do work. People have been using wind for energy for
thousands of years. The old-fashioned windmill in theFigure5.16 is one way that wind energy can be used. The
wind turbines in the opening photo above are a much newer way of using wind energy. They change the kinetic
energy of the wind to electrical energy. However, only certain areas of the world get enough steady wind to produce
much electricity. Many people also think that wind turbines are noisy, dangerous to birds, and unattractive in the