1. Top 9 Sources of
Renewable Energy
http://www.reelcaribbeanenergy.com

2. There are many sources of energy that are
renewable and considered to be
environmentally friendly and harness
natural processes.
These sources of energy provide an
alternate ‘cleaner’ source of energy, helping
to negate the effects of certain forms of
pollution.

3. Waves1
The waves are caused by wind action, and wind
action is caused by the sun heating the surface
of the waters, generating air pressure. This means
as long as there is the sun, there will be wind and
waves, even though its intensity may vary.
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean
surface waves, and the capture of that energy to
do useful work — for example for electricity
generation, water desalination, or the pumping of
water (into reservoirs). Wave energy can be
difficult to harness due to the unpredictability of
the ocean and wave direction.

4. Waves1
Most wave power systems include the use of a
floating buoyed device and generate energy
through a snaking motion, or by mechanical
movement from the waves peaks and troughs.
The unpredictable changes in wave patterns
(extreme tides to very calm waters can cause huge
structural damage. It can also cause overload
operation problems. There is also lack of data and
information on this new area, and many
governments and businesses are less encouraged
to utilize it.

5. Waves1
The world’s first commercial wave farm is based in
Portugal, at the Aguçadora Wave Park.
In the United States, the Pacific Northwest
Generating Cooperative is funding the building of a
commercial wave-power park at Reedsport,
Oregon.

6. Tides2
Ocean tides are caused by the earth’s rotation, as
well as the combined gravitational fields of the
earth, sun and moon.
This combination shapes the gravitational pull on
the earth’s oceans. The oceans tidal stream is even
more powerful when wind air pressure systems get
involved. Areas with greater current speeds,
narrow straits and inlets, as well as channels
between islands are perfect locations for installing
tidal energy structures.

7. Tides2
Tidal energy can be generated in two ways, tidal
stream generators or by barrage generation. The
power created though tidal generators is generally
more environmentally friendly and causes less
impact on established ecosystems.
Similar to a wind turbine, many tidal stream
generators rotate underwater and is driven by the
swiftly moving dense water. Although not yet
widely used, tidal power has potential for future
electricity generation because are more
predictable than wind energy and solar power.

8. Tides2
Tidal power is the only form of energy which
derives directly from the relative motions of the
Earth–Moon system, and to a lesser extent from
the Earth–Sun system.
The tidal forces produced by the Moon and Sun, in
combination with Earth’s rotation, are responsible
for the generation of the tides.
The earliest occurrences of using tidal power date
from the Middle Ages, even from Roman times.

9. Tides2
The world’s biggest Tidal Power Plant is the Sihwa
Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea, with 254M
output capacity.
There is also a 240MW output capacity plant in
France called La Rance Tidal Power Plant.

10. Wind3
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy by
wind turbines into a useful form, such as electricity
or mechanical energy.
Wind is caused by huge convection currents in the
Earth's atmosphere, driven by heat energy from
the sun. This means as long as the sun shines,
there will be wind.

11. Wind3
When the sun comes up, the air over the land
heats up quicker than that over water. The heated
air is lighter and it rises. The cooler air is denser
and it falls and replaced the air over the land. In
the night the reverse happens.
Air over the water is warmer and rises, and is
replaced by cooler air from land. The moving air
(wind) has huge amounts of kinetic energy, and this
can be transferred into electrical energy using wind
turbines. One wind turbine can produce enough
electricity to power up to 300 homes.

12. Wind3
Wind turbines cannot work if there is no wind, or if
the wind speed is so high it would damage them.
Just like a windmill, wind energy turbines have
been around for over 1000 years. From old Holland
to farms in the United States, windmills have been
used for pumping water or grinding grain.
Although wind produces only about 1.5% of
worldwide electricity use, it is growing rapidly,
having doubled in the three years between 2005
and 2008.

13. Wind3
In several countries it has achieved relatively
high levels of penetration, accounting for
approximately 19% of electricity production in
Denmark, 11% in Spain and Portugal, and 7% in
Germany and the Republic of Ireland in 2008.

14. Sunlight4
Solar power is energy from the sun. "Solar" is
the Latin word for "sun" and it's a powerful
source of energy.
The technology used to convert the sun's
power into electricity does not produce smoke
(carbon dioxide and other air pollutants).
One of the fastest growing energy sources, new
technologies are developing at a rapid pace.

15. Sunlight4
Two common ways to capture solar power are
through solar cells and solar panels.
Solar cells are devices that convert light energy
directly into electrical energy. In these cells,
there are semiconductors (silicon alloys and
other materials).
You may have seen small solar cells on
calculators or some mobile phones. Larger
arrays of solar cells are used to power road
signs, and even larger arrays are used to power
satellites in orbit around Earth. Solar cells are
also called photovoltaic cells or PV devices.

16. Sunlight4
Solar panels do not generate electricity directly.
Instead they heat up water directly. A pump
pushes cold water from a storage tank through
pipes in the solar panel.
The water is heated by heat energy from the
sun and returns to the tank. They are often
located on the roofs of buildings where they
can receive the most sunlight.

17. Water5
Moving water has kinetic energy. This can be
transferred into useful energy in different ways.
Hydroelectric power (HEP) schemes store water
high up in dams. The water has gravitational
potential energy which is released when it falls.

18. Water5
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.

19. Water5
Hydroelectricity makes approximately 19% of
the world’s electricity (up from 16% in 2003),
and accounts for over 63% of electricity from
renewable sources.
China is the largest producer of hydroelectricity,
followed by Canada, Brazil, and the United
States (Source: Energy Information
Administration).
At this time, most of the available locations for
hydroelectric dams are already used in the
developed world.

20. Radiant Energy6
This natural energy can perform the same
wonders as ordinary electricity at less than 1%
of the cost. It does not behave exactly like
electricity, however, which has contributed to
the scientific community’s misunderstanding of
it.
This natural energy form can be gathered
directly from the environment or extracted
from ordinary electricity by the method called
fractionation.

21. Radiant Energy6
One of the earliest wireless telephones to be
based on radiant energy was invented by Nikola
Tesla. The device used transmitters and
receivers whose resonances were tuned to the
same frequency, allowing communication
between them.
The Methernitha Community in Switzerland
currently has 5 or 6 working models of fuelless,
self-running devices that tap this energy.

22. Geothermal Energy7
Deep down in the earth's crust, there is molten
rock (magma). Molten rock is simply rocks that
have melted into liquid form as a result of
extreme heat under the earth.
This can be found about 1800 miles deep below
the surface, but closer to the surface, the rocks
layers are hot enough to keep water and air
spaces there at a temperature of about 50-60
degrees F (10-16 degrees C).

23. Geothermal Energy7
Geothermal technology takes advantage of the
hot close-to-earth-surface temperatures to
generate power.
In places with hotter 'close-to-earth-surface'
temperatures, deep wells can be drilled and
cold water pumped down.
The water runs through fractures in the rocks
and is heated up. It returns to the surface as
hot water and steam, where its' energy can be
used to drive turbines and electricity
generators.

24. Geothermal Energy7
In other places, a geothermal heat pump
system consisting of pipes and pumps buried in
the earth can be used to heat homes.
Geothermal energy has been used for space
heating and bathing since ancient roman times,
but is now better known for generating
electricity.

25. Geothermal Energy7
The largest group of geothermal power plants in
the world is located at The Geysers, a
geothermal field in California, United States.
Geothermal electricity is generated in 24
countries around the world and a number of
potential sites are being developed or
evaluated.
Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, and
environmentally friendly, but has previously
been geographically limited to areas near
tectonic plate boundaries. Recent technological
advances have dramatically expanded the range
and size of viable resources, especially for direct
applications such as home heating.

26. Biomass8
Biomass fuels come from things that once lived:
wood products, dried vegetation, crop residues,
aquatic plants and even garbage.
Plants use up a lot of the sun's energy to make
their own food in photosynthesis. They store
the foods in the form of chemical energy. As
the plants die, the energy is trapped in the
residue. This trapped energy is usually released
by burning and can be converted into biomass
energy.

27. Biomass8
It is such a widely utilized source of energy,
probably due to its low cost and indigenous
nature, that it accounts for almost 15% of the
world's total energy supply and as much as 35%
in developing countries, mostly for cooking and
heating.
Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous
types of plants, including miscanthus,
switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow,
sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of tree
species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm
(palm oil). The particular plant used is usually
not important to the end products, but it does
affect the processing of the raw material.

28. Biomass8
Biomass can be converted through burning,
decomposition or fermentation.
Production of biomass is a growing industry as
interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing.
The existing commercial biomass power
generating industry in the United States
produces about 0.5 percent of the U.S.
electricity supply.

29. Nuclear Power9
Nuclear power is any nuclear technology
designed to extract usable energy from atomic
nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. The only
method in use today is through nuclear fission,
though other methods might one day include
nuclear fusion and radioactive decay.
In 2007, 14% of the world’s electricity came
from nuclear power, with the U.S., France, and
Japan together accounting for 56.5% of nuclear
generated electricity. There are 439 nuclear
power reactors in operation in the world,
operating in 31 countries.

30. Nuclear Power9
According to a 2007 story broadcast on 60
Minutes, nuclear power gives France the
cleanest air of any industrialized country, and
the cheapest electricity in all of Europe.
Proponents of nuclear energy contend that
nuclear power is a sustainable energy source
that reduces carbon emissions and increases
energy security by decreasing dependence on
foreign oil. They also emphasize that the risks of
storing waste are small and can be further
reduced by using the latest technology in newer
reactors, and the operational safety record in
the Western World is excellent when compared
to the other major kinds of power plants.

31. Nuclear Power9
Critics believe that nuclear power is a
potentially dangerous energy source, with
decreasing proportion of nuclear energy in
power production, and dispute whether the
risks can be reduced through new technology.
They point to the history of and continuing
potential for radioactive contamination by
accident or sabotage, the possibility of nuclear
proliferation and the disadvantages of
centralized electricity production.

32. At REEL, we support green energy projects and are excited by the increasing
use of renewable energy in the world today. The combination of increasing
renewable energy and reduction of carbon footprints is the key to a healthy,
safe environment for future generations.
One of the projects we're currently leading is called the "Save As You Pay - Pay
As You Save" program. This program is devoted to bringing LED lightbulbs and
other sources of energy to the Caribbean, where the cost of electricity is very
high and the land to utilize for renewable energy production is limited.
Please visit http://www.reelcaribbeanenergy.com for more about our
program.

33. Thanks to Listverse.com (http://listverse.com/2009/05/01/top-10-renewable-
energy-sources/)
and eSchoolToday.com (http://www.eschooltoday.com/energy/renewable-
energy/what-is-renewable-energy.html) for the information resources used in
this presentation.