1.What is Green Energy?

Green energy comes from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal
heat. These energy resources are renewable, meaning they're naturally replenished. In
contrast, fossil fuels are a finite resource that take millions of years to develop and will
continue to diminish with use.

Renewable energy sources also have a much smaller impact on the environment than fossil
fuels, which produce pollutants such as greenhouse gases as a by-product, contributing to
climate change. Gaining access to fossil fuels typically requires either mining or drilling deep
into the earth, often in ecologically sensitive locations.

Green energy, however, utilizes energy sources that are readily available all over the world,
including in rural and remote areas that don't otherwise have access to electricity. Advances
in renewable energy technologies have lowered the cost of solar panels, wind turbines and
other sources of green energy, placing the ability to produce electricity in the hands of the
people rather than those of oil, gas, coal and utility companies.

Green energy can replace fossil fuels in all major areas of use including electricity, water and
space heating and fuel for motor vehicles.

Based on REN21's 2016 report, renewables contributed 19.2% to humans' global energy
consumption and 23.7% to their generation of electricity in 2014 and 2015, respectively. This
energy consumption is divided as 8.9% coming from traditional biomass, 4.2% as geothermal
and solar heat, 3.9% hydroelectricity and 2.2% is electricity from wind, solar, geothermal,
and biomass.

1
 Fig. 1 Total World Energy Consumption

Sources of Green Energy

1.1 Wind Energy

Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power generators
for electric power. Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable,
widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, consumes
no water, and uses little land. The net effects on the environment are far less problematic than
those of nonrenewable power sources.

Wind has considerable potential as a global clean energy source, being widely available, and
producing no pollution during power generation. Wind energy has been one of humanity’s
primary energy sources for transporting goods, milling grain, and pumping water for several
years. Wind power gives variable power, which is very consistent from year to year but has
significant variation over shorter time scales. It is therefore used in conjunction with
other electric power sources to give a reliable supply.

2
 Fig. 2 Wind Farm

Advantages: -
i. First and foremost, wind is an unlimited, free, renewable resource. Wind is a natural
occurrence and harvesting the kinetic energy of wind doesn't affect currents or wind
cycles in any way.
ii. Harvesting wind power is a clean, non-polluting way to generate electricity.
iii. Unlike other types of power plants, it emits no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. The
wind turbines harmlessly generate electricity from wind passing by. Wind energy is far
more ecofriendly than the burning of fossil fuels for electricity.

Disadvantages: -
i. Construction of turbines and wind facilities is extremely expensive.
ii. Wind turbines may be dangerous to flying animals. Many birds and bats have been
killed by flying into the rotors.
iii. The cost of travel and maintenance on the turbines increases and is time consuming.
Offshore wind turbines require boats and can be dangerous to manage.
iv. Some wind turbines tend to generate a lot of noise which can be unpleasant.

3
1.2 Solar Energy

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using technologies such
as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy.

There are two basic categories of technologies that convert sunlight into useful forms of energy,
aside from biomass-based systems that do this in a broader sense by using photosynthesis from
plants as an intermediate step. First, solar photovoltaic (PV) modules convert sunlight directly
into electricity. Second, solar thermal power systems use focused solar radiation to produce
steam, which is then used to turn a turbine producing electricity. The following provides a brief
overview of these technologies, along with their current commercial status. Solar PV modules
are solid-state semiconductor devices with no moving parts that convert sunlight into direct-
current electricity.

It has been used for thousands of years in many ways by people all over the world. As well as
its traditional human uses in heating, cooking, and drying, it is used today to
make electricity where other power supplies are absent, such as in remote places and in space.
It is becoming cheaper to make electricity from solar energy and in many situations, it is now
competitive with energy from coal or oil. A solar cooker can be used for cooking food.

Fig. 3 Solar energy absorbing panels

4
Advantages: -
i. Solar energy is a truly renewable energy source. It can be harnessed in all areas of the
world and is available every day.
ii. Solar energy can be used for diverse purposes. You can generate electricity
(photovoltaics) or heat (solar thermal). Solar energy can be used to produce electricity
in areas without access to the energy grid, to distill water in regions with limited clean
water supplies and to power satellites in space.
iii. Technology in the solar power industry is constantly advancing and improvements will
intensify in the future. Innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology can
potentially increase the effectiveness of solar panels and double, or even triple, the
electrical input of the solar power systems.

Disadvantages: -
iv. The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high.
v. Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the
efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to
effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a
noticeable effect on the energy system.
vi. The more electricity you want to produce, the more solar panels you will need because
you want to collect as much sunlight as possible. Solar panels require a lot of space
and some roofs are not big enough to fit the number of solar panels that you would like
to have.

5
1.3 Hydropower

Hydropower or waterpower is power derived from the energy of falling water or fast running
water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower from
many kinds of watermills has been used as a renewable energy source for irrigation and the
operation of various mechanical devices. Hydropower is the largest renewable resource used
for electricity.
In 2015 hydropower generated 16.6% of the world's total electricity and 70% of all renewable
electricity and was expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years. The cost
of hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity.
The hydro station consumes no water, unlike coal or gas plants.

Most hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy of dammed water driving a water
turbine and generator. The power extracted from the water depends on the volume and on the
difference in height between the source and the water's outflow.

Advantages: -
i. No fuel used so no pollution.
ii. Relatively low operations and maintenance costs.
iii. The technology is reliable and proven over time.

Disadvantages: -
i. Requires huge one-time investment.
ii. Affects the aquatic life.
iii. Electricity generation and energy prices are directly related to how much water is
available. A drought could potentially affect the electricity generation.

6
1.4 Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy, the natural heat within the earth, arises from the ancient heat remaining in
the Earth's core, from friction where continental plates slide beneath each other, and from the
decay of radioactive elements that occur naturally in small amounts in all rocks. For thousands
of years, people have benefited from hot springs and steam vents, using them for bathing,
cooking, and heating. During this century, technological advances have made it possible and
economic to locate and drill into hydrothermal reservoirs, pipe the steam or hot water to the
surface, and use the heat or to convert the heat into electricity.

Geothermal power is cost-effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but has
historically been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Recent technological advances
have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, especially for applications
such as home heating, opening a potential for widespread exploitation. Geothermal wells
release greenhouse gases trapped deep within the earth, but these emissions are much lower
per energy unit than those of fossil fuels.

Fig. 4 Geothermal Power plant

Advantages: -
i. The carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is seen as minimal.
ii. Geothermal reservoirs are naturally replenished. According to some scientists, the
energy in our geothermal reservoirs will last billions of years.
Disadvantages: -
i. Requires huge one-time investment.
ii. Suitable only for regions with hot rocks below earth’s surface.
iii. Sites may contain poisonous gases which may pollute the environment.

7
1.5 Biomass Energy

Biomass is an industry term for getting energy by burning wood, and other organic matter.
Burning biomass releases carbon emissions but has been classed as a renewable energy source
in the EU and UN legal frameworks, because plant stocks can be replaced with new growth.
Chemical energy stored in biomass can be converted to heat through combustion. Biomass can
be converted to liquid or gaseous fuels or can be used to generate electricity in the same way
that coal is used.

Fig. 5 Biomass briquettes

Advantages: -
i. Available almost everywhere.
ii. Sulphur, nitrogen oxides and carbon emissions can be significantly reduced by
burning biomass.
iii. Growing biomass crops produce oxygen and use up carbon dioxide.

Disadvantages: -
i. A less concentrate form of energy makes it less efficient.
ii. Releases some emissions if burned improperly.

8
2. Efficiency of the sources

2.1 Solar

Solar cell efficiency refers to the portion of energy in the form of sunlight that can be converted
via photovoltaics into electricity. The efficiency of the solar cells used in a photovoltaic
system, in combination with latitude and climate, determines the annual energy output of the
system.

For example, a solar panel with 20% efficiency and an area of 1 m2 will produce 200 W at
Standard Test Conditions, but it can produce more when the sun is high in the sky and will
produce less in cloudy conditions or when the sun is low in the sky.

2.2 Wind

Accordingly, Betz's law gives the maximal achievable extraction of wind power by a wind
turbine as 59.3% of the total kinetic energy of the air flowing through the turbine.

8
𝑃= ∗ 𝜌 ∗ 𝜗3 ∗ 𝐴
27

2.3 Hydropower

Hydropower is the most efficient way to generate electricity. Modern hydro turbines can
convert as much as 90% of the available energy into electricity. The theoretically power
available from falling water can be expressed as

P=ρqgh

The theoretically power available from a flow of 1 m3/s water with a fall of 100 m can be
calculated as

P = (1000 kg/m3) (1 m3/s) (9.81 m/s2) (100 m)

= 981 000 W

= 981 kW

9
2.4 Geothermal

In comparison with electricity production from geothermal energy direct utilization has several
advantages. It has higher energy efficiency, 50 - 70 percent as opposed to 5 - 20 percent for
conventional geothermal electric plants.

E= 1 - ((QH- QC)/ QH)

2.5 Biomass

Used for heat or heat-led combined heat and power (CHP), biomass energy is approximately
75-80 percent efficient, while generation of electricity is only 20-25 percent efficient, and
conversion to liquid fuels for transportation applications are even less efficient overall.

3. Three stage Nuclear Power Plant

India's three-stage nuclear power programme was formulated by Homi Bhabha in the 1950s to
secure the country’s long term energy independence, through the use
of uranium and thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of coastal regions of South India.
The ultimate focus of the programme is on enabling the thorium reserves of India to be utilized in
meeting the country's energy requirements.

Fig. 6 Three stage Nuclear Programme

10
Stage -1. Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor
In the first stage of the programme, natural uranium fueled pressurized heavy water
reactors (PHWR) produce electricity while generating plutonium-239 as by-product. PHWRs
was a natural choice for implementing the first stage because it had the most efficient reactor
design in terms of uranium utilization.
Natural uranium contains only 0.7% of the fissile isotope uranium-235. Most of the remaining
99.3% is uranium-238 which is not fissile but can be converted in a reactor to the fissile
isotope plutonium-239. Heavy water (D2O) is used as moderator and coolant.

Stage-2. Fast Breed Reactors

In the second stage, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) would use a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made
from plutonium-239, recovered by reprocessing spent fuel from the first stage, and natural
uranium. In FBRs, plutonium-239 undergoes fission to produce energy, while the uranium-238
present in the mixed oxide fuel transmutes to additional plutonium-239. Thus, the Stage II
FBRs are designed to "breed" more fuel than they consume.

Stage-3. Thorium Based Reactors

A Stage III reactor or an Advanced nuclear power system involves a self-sustaining series
of thorium-232-uranium-233 fueled reactors. This would be a thermal breeder reactor, which
in principle can be refueled – after its initial fuel charge – using only naturally occurring
thorium. According to the three-stage programme, Indian nuclear energy could grow to about
10 GW through PHWRs fueled by domestic uranium, and the growth above that would have
to come from FBRs till about 50GW.

Although nuclear power is considered a form of low-carbon power, its legal inclusion
with renewable energy power sources has been a subject of debate and classification.

In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) classified

fission reactors that produce more fissile nuclear fuel than they consume (breeder reactors, and
if developed, fusion power) among conventional renewable energy sources, such
as solar and falling water

11
4. Storage
Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one time for use later. Energy comes in
multiple forms including radiation, chemical, gravitational potential, electrical potential,
electricity, elevated temperature, latent heat and kinetic. Energy storage involves converting
energy from forms that are difficult to store to more conveniently or economically storable
forms. Bulk energy storage is currently dominated by hydroelectric dams. Some technologies
provide short-term energy storage, while others can endure for much longer.

4.1 Batteries

Fig. 7 Rechargeable Battery Bank

Rechargeable Batteries have long been used for storage battery. Nickel-Cadmium were initially
used for storage battery for portable equipment. But they have been replaced by lithium-ion
batteries. The energy density of lithium-ion is typically twice that of the standard nickel-
cadmium.
Lithium batteries also cause less harm when disposed. It is a low maintenance battery. There
is no memory required and no scheduled cycling is required to prolong the battery's life. In
addition, the self-discharge is less than half compared to nickel-cadmium, making lithium-ion
well suited for modern fuel gauge applications. But these batteries do have some disadvantages
too. They require protection from being over charged and discharged too far. It is also
dependent upon the number of charge discharge cycles that the battery has undergone. Another
disadvantage of lithium ion batteries is that there can be certain restrictions placed on their
transportation, especially by air. A major lithium ion battery disadvantage is their cost. When

12
considering their use in mass produced consumer items where any additional costs are a major
issue. Hence, we need to overcome these drawbacks of batteries currently used.

A Vanadium redox battery contains two different electrolyte solutions, each in a separate tank.
In a charged VRB, one electrolyte is positively charged, and one is negatively charged. In order
for the battery to provide power, the electrolytes flow through a fuel cell stack on opposite
sides of a proton exchange membrane. Their opposite charges create a gradient that powers an
external current.

Fig.8 VRB circuit

4.2 Power to gas conversion

Power to gas is a technology that can be used to convert electrical power to gas. It is one of the
efficient method for storage purpose. There are methods which are adopted to convert the
power to gas.

Firstly, we use the process of electrolysis to use electricity to convert water to hydrogen and
oxygen respectively.

H2O(l) → 2 H2(g) + O2(g)

Now the hydrogen generated in the electrolysis equation is injected into the natural gas grid.

The second method is to convert the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane gas by using
Sabatier equation.

CO2 + 4 H2 → CH4 + 2 H2O + energy

The methane may then be fed into the natural gas grid.

13
4.3 Alphabet Inc’s. MALTA

Fig.9 Malta’s energy storage technology

Two tanks are filled with salt, and two are filled with antifreeze or a hydrocarbon liquid. The
system takes in energy in the form of electricity and turns it into separate streams of hot and
cold air. The hot air heats up the salt, while the cold air cools the antifreeze, a bit like a
refrigerator. The jet engine part: Flip a switch and the process reverses. Hot and cold air rush
toward each other, creating powerful gusts that spin a turbine and spit out electricity when the
grid needs it. Salt maintains its temperature well, so the system can store energy for many
hours, and even days, depending on how much you insulate the tanks.

Scientists have already proven this as a plausible storage technique. Malta's contribution was
to design a system that operates at lower temperatures, so it doesn't require specialized,
expensive ceramics and steels.

14
5. Green Energy in India

India is running one of the largest and most ambitious renewable capacity expansion programs
in the world. Newer renewable electricity sources are projected to grow massively by nearer
term 2022 targets, including a more than doubling of India's large wind power capacity and an
almost 15fold increase in solar power from April 2016 levels. Such ambitious targets would
place India amongst the world leaders in renewable energy use.

In the electricity sector renewable energy (excluding large hydro) accounted for 18.37% of the
total installed power capacity in India as of 31 October 2017. Unlike most countries, India
does not count large hydro power while accounting for renewable energy targets. Thus,
renewable energy including large scale hydro-power currently adds up to more than 32% of
the total installed power capacity in India.

Wind power capacity attained 32,746 MW, making India the fourth-largest wind power
producer in the world as of year-end 2017.

Fig. 10 Installed grid capacity from all sources in India

15
Fig.11 Installed grid renewable power capacity (excluding large hydropower) in India as of 31 October 2017

Fig.12 Off-grid power as of 31 October 2017 Capacities in MW

16
6. Barriers to Renewable Energy
6.1 Capital Costs

The most obvious and widely publicized barrier to renewable energy is cost—
specifically, capital costs, or the upfront expense of building and installing solar and wind
farms. Like most renewables, solar and wind are exceedingly cheap to operate—their “fuel”
is free, and maintenance is minimal—so the bulk of the expense comes from building the
technology.

Higher construction costs might make financial institutions more likely to perceive renewables
as risky.

6.2 Siting and Transmission

Nuclear power, coal, and natural gas are all highly centralized sources of power, meaning they
rely on relatively few high output power plants. Wind and solar, on the other hand, offer
a decentralized model, in which smaller generating stations, spread across a large area, work
together to provide power. Decentralization offers a few key advantages, but it also presents
barriers: siting and transmission.

Siting is the need to locate things like wind turbines and solar farms on pieces of land. Doing
so requires negotiations, contracts, permits, and community relations, all of which can increase
costs and delay or kill projects.

Transmission refers to the power lines and infrastructure needed to move electricity from
where it’s generated to where it’s consumed. Because wind and solar are relative newcomers,
most of what exists today was built to serve large fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.

6.3 Reliability Misconceptions

Renewable energy opponents love to highlight the variability of the sun and wind as a way to
support for coal, gas, and nuclear plants, which can more easily operate on-demand or provide
continuous power. The argument is used to undermine large investments in renewable energy,
presenting a rhetorical barrier to higher rates of wind and solar adoption.But reality is much
more favourable for clean energy. Solar and wind are highly predictable, and when spread
across a large enough geographic area—and paired with complementary generation sources—
become highly reliable. Modern grid technologies like advanced batteries, real-time pricing,
and smart appliances can also help solar and wind be essential elements of a well-performing
grid.

17
18