Sustainable Energy Transition: Harnessing Renewable Resources for a Cleaner Future

1. 13 Renewable Energy Resources

2. 13.2 What Are Sources of Renewable Energy? • Renewable energy • Energy that is naturally replenished and that comes from the sun, flowing water, wind, Earth’s interior heat, biomass • Renewable energy will be cheaper if we eliminate: • Inequitable subsidies • Inaccurate prices • Artificially low pricing of nonrenewable energy

3. Hydrogen as a Renewable Energy Resource • Hydrogen is a clean energy source as long as it is not produced with the use of fossil fuels. • However, it has a negative net energy yield.

4. Hydrogen Fuel • Hydrogen as a fuel • Eliminates most of the air pollution problems • Reduces threats of global warming • Some challenges • Chemically locked in water and organic compounds • CO2 levels dependent on method of hydrogen production

5. Hydrogen Fuel (cont’d.) • Production and storage of H2 • Must be produced using other sources of energy • net negative energy yield

6. 13.3 How Can Society Transition to a More Sustainable Energy Future? • We can make the transition to a more sustainable energy future by: • Greatly improving energy efficiency • Using a mix of renewable energy resources • Including the environmental and health costs of energy resources in their market prices

7. Choosing Energy Paths • General conclusions: • Gradual shift to smaller, decentralized micropower systems • Combination of increased energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy • Because fossil fuels are cheap, we will likely continue to use them. • Decarbonization: global transition away from fossil fuels