What is renewable energy?

2. Historically, renewable energy was the first energy humankind used, going from the use of wood as a source of cooking and providing heat to the use of wind energy for transportation, and later as a source of mechanical energy.

3. What is renewable energy? Renewable energy is generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain and tides. These sources are considered renewable because the quickly replenish themselves and are usually available in a newer-ending supply.

4. Renewable energy sources: • Wind energy • Solar energy • Water energy • Geothermal energy • Biomass energy

5. Of all the forces of nature, the wind contains the largest amount of motive power – that is the power to move things. The wind has been used by humans for hundreds of years, first to carry ships across oceans and later to pump water and grind grain.

6. Wind energy More recently wind has been harnessed as a clean, safe source of electricity. Today, airflows can be used to run turbines that generate electricity. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high attitude sites are preferred locations for wind turbines.

7. Wind energy capacity nearby doubled in Romania in 2012. Romania’s total wind energy capacity reached 1,905mw by the end of 2012. • The amount of new wind capacity installed in Romania last year was the fifth highest in Europe as the generous green certificates scheme made investors keen to put money into Romanian wind. Romania led the region for new wind energy projects, behind only Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain. • As for 2013, some 617 mw of additional capacity is expected to be installed this year.

8. The wind farm of Orsova

9. Romania’s operational wind farms are mainly located in Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast, where average wind speeds can reach 7 m/s at an altitude of 100 m. The region is flat and sparsely populated, which makes it possible to install a large number of wind turbines. There are also two other regions with a high wind power potential in Romania: Moldova and Caraş Severin. At the end of 2011, 88% of Romania’s installed capacity was in the Dobrogea area, while in 2012 there has been a shift towards the North East of the country.

11. Without the Sun, our world could not exist – it gives off heat and light to support all living things

12. Solar energy • Is the Sun’s rays that reach the Earth. Solar energy makes plants grow and provides food to eat and oxygen to breathe. This energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. • The history of solar energy dates back to Ancient Greek times. They designed their buildings so that they could benefit from mother nature. • Homes that are powered by solar energy have been installed with batteries that have a capability of storing power that can operate electrical appliances such as: the TV, the radio, computers or refrigerators. The advantage is that all this reduces the cost of energy.

13. The solar panels from Bobicesti

14. Solar power in Romania had in 2007 an installed capacity of 0.30 mw which increased to 3,5 mw by the end of 2011 and to 6,5 mw by the end of 2012. Romania is located in an area with a good solar potential of 2010 sunny days per year and with an annual solar energy flux between 1,000 kwh/m2/year and 1,300 kwh/m2/year • The most important solar regions of Romania are the Black Sea coast, Dobrogea and Oltenia with an average of 1,600 kwh/m2/year. Romania was a major player in the solar power industry installing in the 1970s and ’80 s around 800,000 square metres of low quality solar collectors that placed the country third worldwide in the total surface area of PV cells. • The Covaci Solar Park will be Romania’s largest solar power plant at completion having a total of 480,000 solar panels with a combined capacity of 35 megawatts, and will be located in Timis County.

16. “Water is the best of all things” (Pindar, Olympian Odes)

17. Hydropower • Is the energy produced by hydro power plants with an installed capacity of 10 MW or less (“small hydropower” category), and hydro power plants with an installed capacity above 10 MW (“large hydropower” category). • The mechanical energy of moving water is transferred by a rotating turbine to a generator where it is converted to electric energy and conveyed along transmission lines.

18. Hydro-power plant

19. Hydropower represents the most significant E-RES in Romania. According to the Study regarding the evaluation of the current power potential of renewable energy sources in Romania, performed by ICEMENERG, the rivers with the greatest micro-hydropower potential are the rivers Olt, Mureş and Tisa-Someş. • According to ANRE, at the end of 2012 there were 112 producers with micro-hydropower plants with a total installed capacity of 145 MW and 55 developers with granted / requested setting-up authorisations and a forecasted capacity of 123MW.

20. Geothermal energy • results out of the energy stored in underground hydro-geothermal deposits and layers, exploited in an efficient manner.

23. The geothermal plant in Oradea

24. As per ICEMENERG, the areas where the underground geothermal waters are used for heating purposes (with a temperature at emergence of 60 to 120 Celsius degrees) are mostly located in the northwestern part of the country.

25. Biomass • is a renewable energy source derived from the sun and urban waste, plant material and animal waste. Biomass can regenerate over a relatively short period of time. The main approaches to using plants for energy production are growing plants specifically for energy use and using the residues from plants that are used for other purposes.

26. For Romania, biomass represents an important RES, both in terms of potential and utilization possibilities. As per the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romania has a significant agricultural potential as raw materials used in the production of biofuels and bioliquids are widely cultivated (sunflower, rape, soya, corn, sugar cane or sorghum, energetic willow, Miscanthus, Cynara). As per the same source, Romania has a high biomass potential (around 7.6 million tep/year, which approximates 318 PJ). • According to ANRE, at the end of 2012 there were 7 biomass producers (including cogeneration) with a total installed capacity of 28 MW and 9 developers with granted / requested setting-up authorisations and a forecasted capacity of 28 MW

27. The Biomass thermal plant from Suceava

30. Renewable energies are considered in practice the energies generated from sources which replenish themselves quickly and which are usually available in a never-ending supply. is directly produced by transferring radiant light energy from the Sun is generated by transferring wind energy to a wind turbine results out of the energy stored in underground hydro-geothermal deposits and layers, exploited in an efficient manner. is the energy produced by hydro power plants with an installed capacity of 10 MW or less (“small hydropower” category), and hydro power plants with an installed capacity above 10 MW (“large hydropower” category). is a renewable energy source derived from the sun and urban waste, plant material and animal waste

31. Wind energy capacity nearby doubled in Romania in 2012. Romania’s total wind energy capacity reached 1,905mw by the end of 2012. As for 2013, some 617 mw of additional capacity is expected to be installed this year. Solar power in Romania had in 2007 an installed capacity of 0.30 mw which increased to 3,5 mw by the end of 2011 and to 6,5 mw by the end of 2012. Romania is located in an area with a good solar potential of 2010 sunny days per year and with an annual solar energy flux between 1,000 kwh/m2/year and 1,300 kwh/m2/year At the end of 2012 there were 7 biomass producers (including cogeneration) with a total installed capacity of 28 MW and 9 developers with granted / requested setting-up authorisations and a forecasted capacity of 28 MW ROMANIA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY At the end of 2012 there were 112 producers with micro-hydropower plants with a total installed capacity of 145 MW and 55 developers with granted / requested setting-up authorisations and a forecasted capacity of 123MW. The areas where the underground geothermal waters are used for heating purposes (with a temperature at emergence of 60 to 120 Celsius degrees) are mostly located in the northwestern part of the country.

32. Bibliography • http://www.wall-street.ro/files/149896-446.pdf • http://www.responsabilitatesociala.ro/stiri-csr/casa-de-investitii-alianta-a-finantat-constructia-unui-parc-fotovoltaic.html • http://marinela.wikispaces.com/nitamarinela-Medii+si+tehnologii+curate • http://energii-regenerabile.rivieraimob.ro/en/ • http://lefo.wikispaces.com/Energia+eoliana+din+Romania • http://www.energiaviitorului.ro/harta-solara-a-romaniei.html • http://www.fabricadebani.ro/news.aspx?iid=12171 • http://www.google.ro/imgres?imgurl=http://www.energie-gratis.ro/images/baraj-dragan.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.energie-gratis.ro/hidrocentrale.php&usg=__4JdeHEtzJyl5tn05kAihivkhX1o=&h=250&w=399&sz=14&hl=ro&start=1&zoom=1&tbnid=IzQz66ZvmgwtvM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=124&ei=TMg6UsS0J8TlswaR24HwCg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhidrocentrale%2Bromania%26hl%3Dro%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CCoQrQMwAA