Energy Resources

• Energy is defined by physicists as the capacity to do work.

• Energy is found on our planet in a variety of forms, some of which are immediately
useful to do work, while others require a process of transformation.
• The sun is the primary energy source in our lives. We use it directly for its warmth and
through various natural processes that provide us with food, water, fuel and shelter. The
sun’s rays power the growth of plants, which form our food material, give off oxygen
which we breathe in and take up carbon dioxide that we breathe out. Energy from the sun
evaporates water from oceans, rivers and lakes, to form clouds that turn into rain.
Today’s fossil fuels were once the forests that grew in prehistoric times due to the energy
of the sun.
Types of Energy
There are three main types of energy; those classified as Non-renewable (Conventional);
those that are said to be Renewable (Non-Conventional)); and Nuclear energy, which uses
such small quantities of raw material (uranium) that supplies are to all effect, limitless.
Non-renewable energy
To produce electricity from non-renewable resources the material must be ignited. The fuel is
placed in a well contained area and set on fire. The heat generated turns water to steam,
which moves through pipes, to turn the blades of a turbine. This converts magnetism into
electricity, which we use in various appliances. Non-Renewable Energy Sources: These
consist of the mineral based hydrocarbon fuels coal, oil and natural gas, that were formed
from ancient prehistoric forests. These are called ‘fossil fuels’ because they are formed after
plant life is fossilized. At the present rate of extraction there is enough coal for a long time to
come. Oil and gas resources however are likely to be used up within the next 50 years.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy systems use resources that are constantly replaced and are
usually less polluting. Examples include hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal
(energy from the heat inside the earth). We also get renewable energy from burning
trees and even garbage as fuel and processing other plants into biofuels. One day,
all our homes may get their energy from the sun or the wind. Your car’s gas tank
will use biofuel. Your garbage might contribute to your city’s energy supply.
Renewable energy technologies will improve the efficiency and cost of energy
systems. We may reach the point when we may no longer rely mostly on fossil
fuel energy.
 Energy demand scenario in India
Growing energy needs
• India is one of the fastest developing countries in the world. To sustain this growth, energy
and electricity demands will increase.
• Electricity production in India is mostly achieved through coal thermal power plants.
Although there have been efforts to diversify the options, particularly in the case of
renewable energies, coal remains the dominant source of electricity in the country. Since
2000, the share of electricity production from coal has been slowly increasing; it was 68%
at the start of the millennium and has increased to 73% in 2013. The percentual shares of
all other energy sources, except renewables, have decreased during that time.
• In India, coal satisfies 70% of the total demand that is mostly used in the power sector, and
with India having the 5th largest coal reserves in the world, it has proven to be the most
economical form of energy and electricity in India. Considering an increase in coal
production of 5% each year, the coal reserves are expected to last for another 40–50 years.
• However, the oil supply situation is not so favorable. At the current levels of production,
the domestic oil sources will last for another 23 years. However, the electricity structure as
discussed does not heavily depend on oil.
 Electricity Demand in India
• Electricity consumption is highest in the industrial sector, which in 2015, was estimated
to consume 450 TWh (46%) and shows the highest growth in electricity consumption
(11%). Some of the most important industries for the Indian economy are the steel
industry; aluminum industry; cement industry; petroleum industry; pulp and paper
industry; fertilizer industry; micro, small and medium enterprises and other industries
(they are listed as important because each of them have their own ministry).

• The domestic sector was estimated to consume 213 TWh (22%) and is currently the 2nd
highest consumer. This is to be expected with India’s high population. In 2011, there were
a total of 240 million households in India in the domestic sector, of which 67% are in the
rural sector. There has been a larger increase in households in the urban sector compared to
the rural sector, which can be attributed to rapid urbanization and people moving from
rural areas to urban areas. In 2011, 55% of rural households were electrified compared to
93% of households in the urban sector.

• The agriculture sector was estimated to consume 167 TWh (17%) in 2015 and is the 3rd
highest consumer. India has 125 million hectares of land used for agriculture, and
approximately 50% of the land is irrigated. Since 1991, the land use for agriculture
remained roughly the same, while electricity consumption increased over the same period.
This increase may be due to the increasing use of irrigation over agricultural lands to
provide better yields
• The commercial sector was estimated to consume 86 TWh (9%) of electricity. This sector
is the 4th highest consumer, but the electricity consumption in this sector is increasing at a
higher rate (8.82%) compared to those of the domestic (7.89%) and agricultural (6.59%)
sectors. Total commercial floor space was estimated to be 660 million square meters in
2010 and is experiencing an average growth of 5% every year. The commercial sector
ranges from wholesale trade to public administrative buildings to buildings used for
education and hospitals.

• The electricity consumption from other unorganized sectors was 46 TWh (4.5%) in 2015
and have an average annual growth of 4.75%.

• The railways sector was estimated to consume 15.5 TWh (1.5%) in 2015. In 2012,
passenger kilometers travelled were 1000 billion km, while freight traffic was 975 million
km. Out of this, 50% was through electrified trains (both goods and passenger trains).
Finally, the remainder of electricity consumption was from other unorganized sectors, and
it was estimated that they consumed 46 TWh in 2015 and have an average annual growth
of 4.75%.
 Power plants: Different types of conventional power plants
Advantages & Disadvantages of conventional power plants

• A power plant (also known as a power station or power generating station), is an industrial
location that is utilized for the generation and distribution of electric power on a mass
scale.
• Conventional power plant is the general term applied to the production of electrical energy
from coal, oil, or natural gas using the intermediary of steam.
• The generator is usually a synchronous machine having a small number of poles (two or
four) and running at high speeds (1500–3600 rpm).
• The overall efficiency of energy conversion from fuel to electrical is greatly influenced by
the poor efficiency of the turbine and condenser. Typical overall efficiency ranges from
30% to 40%.
• The main features of these conventional plants are their low capital cost per kilowatt
installed as compared to other plants and virtually no limit on their size.

• These are generally located in the sub-urban regions or several kilometers away from the
cities or the load centers, because of its requisites like huge land and water demand, along
with several operating constraints like waste disposal, etc.
 Difference
Conventional vs Non-conventional Sources of Energy
Conventional Non-conventional
They are called non-renewable sources of They are called renewable sources of energy.
energy.
Conventional sources of energy are the Non-conventional sources of energy refers to
sources that are commonly in use since long the sources that are identified few decades
time. ago (relatively new).
They can be exhausted due to over They cannot be exhausted.
consumption.
They pollute environment, on a large scale They are environment friendly sources,
and adds to global warming. which does not causes pollution.
They are primarily used for industrial and They are mainly used for domestic
commercial purposes. (household) purposes.
Costly. Comparatively less expensive.
They are used extensively, at a higher rate They are not used as extensively as
than the non-conventional sources. conventional sources.
Example- Coal, fossil fuels Example- wind, solar energy and Biomass
 Non-conventional Energy Sources
Energy is the key input to drive and improve the life cycle. The consumption of energy is
directly proportional to the progress of mankind.
The planet is rapidly running out of conventional fuels, and non-conventional sources of
energy are becoming our future. Natural resources like wind, tides, solar, biomass, etc
generate energy which is known as “Non-conventional resources“. These are pollution free
and hence we can use these to produce a clean form of energy without any wastage.
As the consumption of energy grows, the population depends more and more on fossil fuels
such as coal, oil and gas day by day. There is a need to secure the energy supply for future
since the prices of gas and oil keep rising by each passing day. So we need to use more and
more renewable sources of energy. For the effective exploitation of non-conventional
sources, there has been an establishment of a separate department namely “Department of
non-conventional sources of energy” by the government of India.

Types of Non-convention sources

• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Tidal Energy
• Geothermal Energy
• Biomass
 Non-conventional Electric Power Plant
Wind Energy
The wind is a renewable energy source that we can use for a variety of purposes.
• Wind was the earliest energy source used for transportation by sailing ships.

• Some 2000 years ago, windmills were developed in China, Afghanistan and Persia to
draw water for irrigation and grinding grain.
Most of the early work on generating electricity from wind was carried out in Denmark, at
the end of the last century. Today, Denmark and California have large wind turbine
cooperatives which sell electricity to the government grid.
The government has already set an ambitious target to achieve 175 gigawatt (GW) of
renewable energy capacity by 2022. Keeping the target in mind, states have already started
ramping up their installed solar and wind powered capacity. Here is the list of top 9 states by
installed wind power capacity.
1.Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu tops the list of states with the largest installed wind power generation capacity in
the country. The state's total wind capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 8,631 Mw while its
total installed electricity generation capacity stood at 30,447 Mw at the end of 2018, with
wind sector’s share at 28.34 per cent.
2.Gujarat
Gujarat houses the second-largest installed wind power generation capacity in the country.
The state’s total wind capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 6,044 Mw while its total installed
electricity generation capacity stood at 31,382 MW at the end of 2018, with the wind sector’s
share at 19.25 per cent.
3.Maharashtra
Maharashtra houses the third-largest installed wind power generation capacity in the country.
The state’s wind capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 4,789 Mw while its total installed power
generation capacity stood at 43,779 Mw at the end of 2018, with the wind sector’s share at 11
per cent.
4.Karnataka
Karnataka houses the fourth-largest installed wind power generation capacity in the country.
The state’s wind capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 4,584 Mw while its total installed power
generation capacity stood at 27,199 Mw at the end of 2018, with the wind sector’s share
16.8%.
5.Rajasthan
Rajasthan houses the fifth-largest installed wind power generation capacity in the country.
The state’s wind capacity at the end of 2018 stood at 4,300 Mw while its total installed
electricity generation capacity stood at 21,833 Mw at the end of 2018, with the wind sector’s
share at 20 per cent.
Working: The wind has its kinetic energy as it nothing but the flow of atmospheric air. A
wind turbine is a machine which utilizes the kinetic energy of wind to produce rotational
mechanical energy in its shaft. The rotational motion of the shaft turns an electrical generator
to generate electricity.

Wind is caused by uneven heating of the earth from the sun making wind a renewable and
free source of energy. The power in wind is a function of the wind speed and therefore the
average wind speed of an area is an important determinant of economically feasible power.
Wind speed increases with height. At a given turbine site, the power available 30 meters
above ground is typically 60 percent greater than at 10 meters. Over the past two decades, a
great deal of technical progress has been made in the design, siting, installation, operation,
and maintenance of power-producing wind mills (turbines). These improvements have led to
higher wind conversion efficiencies and lower electricity production costs.

Since wind turbines run solely on wind, they cause no pollution making them
environmentally friendly.
The towers are built this tall because there is more wind to be found higher off the ground,
and the longer the rotor blade, the more wind it can capture and the more energy it can
create.
 Types of wind turbines

Turbines

Horizontal axis Vertical axis

wind turbines wind turbines
Horizontal axis means
the rotating axis of the
wind turbine is Darrieus wind
turbine
horizontal, or parallel
with the ground. In
vertical axis wind Savonius wind
turbines the rotational turbine
axis of the turbine
stands vertical or
perpendicular to the
ground.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT)

• Horizontal axis wind turbines, also shortened to

HAWT, are the common style that most of us think
of when we think of a wind turbine.
• HAWT has a similar design to a windmill, it has
blades that look like a propeller that spin on the
horizontal axis.
• Horizontal axis wind turbines have the main rotor
shaft and electrical generator at the top of a tower,
and they must be pointed into the wind. Small
turbines are pointed by a simple wind vane placed
square with the rotor (blades), while large turbines
generally use a wind sensor coupled with a servo
motor to turn the turbine into the wind.
• Most large wind turbines have a gearbox, which
turns the slow rotation of the rotor into a faster
rotation that is more suitable to drive an electrical
generator.
HAWT advantages
• The tall tower base allows access to stronger wind in sites with wind shear. In some wind
shear sites, every ten meters up the wind speed can increase by 20% and the power
output by 34%.
• High efficiency, since the blades always move perpendicularly to the wind, receiving
power through the whole rotation. In contrast, all vertical axis wind turbines, and most
proposed airborne wind turbine designs, involve various types of reciprocating actions,
requiring airfoil surfaces to backtrack against the wind for part of the cycle. Backtracking
against the wind leads to inherently lower efficiency.

Wind power plant, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

HAWT disadvantages
• Massive tower construction is required to support the heavy blades, gearbox, and
generator.
• Components of a horizontal axis wind turbine (gearbox, rotor shaft and brake assembly)
being lifted into position.
• Their height makes them obtrusively visible across large areas, disrupting the appearance
of the landscape and sometimes creating local opposition.
• Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural failure caused by turbulence when a
blade passes through the tower's wind shadow (for this reason, the majority of HAWTs
use an upwind design, with the rotor facing the wind in front of the tower).
• HAWTs require an additional control mechanism to turn the blades toward the wind.
• HAWTs generally require a braking device in high winds to stop the turbine from
spinning and destroying or damaging itself.
Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT)
• Vertical axis wind turbines, as shortened to VAWTs,
have the main rotor shaft arranged vertically.
• The main advantage of this arrangement is that the
wind turbine does not need to be pointed into the
wind. This is an advantage on sites where the wind
direction is highly variable or has turbulent winds.
• With a vertical axis, the generator and other primary
components can be placed near the ground, so the
tower does not need to support it, also makes
maintenance easier.
• It is difficult to mount vertical-axis turbines on
towers, meaning they are often installed nearer to
the base on which they rest, such as the ground or a
building rooftop.
• The wind speed is slower at a lower altitude, so less
wind energy is available for a given size turbine. Air
flow near the ground and other objects can create
turbulent flow, which can introduce issues of
vibration, including noise and bearing wear which
may increase the maintenance or shorten its service
life.
VAWT subtypes
a. Darrieus wind turbine
Darrieus wind turbines are commonly called "Eggbeater" turbines, because they look like a
giant eggbeater. They have good efficiency, but produce large torque ripple and cyclic stress
on the tower, which contributes to poor reliability. Also, they generally require some external
power source, or an additional Savonius rotor, to start turning, because the starting torque is
very low. The torque ripple is reduced by using three or more blades which results in a higher
solidity for the rotor. Solidity is measured by blade area over the rotor area.
b. Savonius wind turbine
Savonius is a drag type turbine, they are commonly used in cases of high reliability in many
things such as ventilation and anemometers. Because they are a drag type turbine they are
less efficient than the common HAWT. Savonius are excellent in areas of turbulent wind and
self starting.
VAWT advantages
1. No yaw mechanisms (mechanism that used to turn the wind turbine rotor against the wind)
is needed.
2. A VAWT can be located nearer the ground, making it easier to maintain the moving parts.
3. VAWTs have lower wind startup speeds than the typical the HAWTs.
4. VAWTs may be built at locations where taller structures are prohibited.
5. VAWTs situated close to the ground can take advantage of locations where rooftops, mesas,
hilltops, ridgelines, and passes funnel the wind and increase wind velocity.
VAWT disadvantages
1. Most VAWTs have a average decreased efficiency from a common HAWT, mainly because
of the additional drag that they have as their blades rotate into the wind. Versions that reduce
drag produce more energy, especially those that funnel wind into the collector area.
2. Having rotors located close to the ground where wind speeds are lower and do not take
advantage of higher wind speeds above.
3. Because VAWTs are not commonly deployed due mainly to the serious disadvantages
mentioned above, they appear novel to those not familiar with the wind industry. This has
often made them the subject of wild claims and investment scams over the last 50 years.
Environmental Impacts
• Wind power has few environmental impacts, as there are virtually no air or water
emissions, or radiation, or solid waste production.
• The principal problems are bird kills, noise, effect on TV reception, and aesthetic
objections to the sheer number of wind turbines that are required to meet electricity needs.
• Although large areas of land are required for setting up wind farms, the amount used by
the turbine bases, the foundations and the access roads is less than 1% of the total area
covered by the wind farm. The rest of the area can also be used for agricultural purposes
or for grazing. Siting windmills offshore reduces their demand for land and visual impact.
• Wind is an intermittent source and the intermittency of wind depends on the geographic
distribution of wind. Wind therefore cannot be used as the sole resource for electricity,
and requires some other backup or stand-by electricity source.
Lecture ends here….
Solar Energy

33
 Sun: Ultimate source of Energy
Pray as God

Light (energy) obtained from Sun can be converted to other Energy

E= hν = hc/λ
For the visible light active semiconductor, the range of band gap is
(1240/380 )= 3.26 eV to
(1240/720 )= 1.72 eV

34
 Solar cells or Photovoltaic cells

 Photovoltaics (often shortened as PV) gets its name from the process of converting light (photons) to
electricity (voltage), which is called the photovoltaic effect.

 This phenomenon was first exploited in 1954 by scientists at Bell Laboratories who created a working solar
cell made from silicon that generated an electric current when exposed to sunlight.

 Solar cells were soon being used to power space satellites and smaller items such as calculators and
watches.

 Today, electricity from solar cells has become cost competitive in many regions

 Photovoltaic systems are being deployed at large scales to help power the electric grid

 Most importantly: the semiconducting materials require the band gap range of 1.7 to 3.2 eV

35
 Schematic diagram of Photovoltaic cell

The most commonly known solar cell is configured

as a large-area p-n junction made from silicon.

In general, diffusing an n-type dopant into one side

of a p-type wafer (or vice versa).

Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semi-conducting materials.
Electrons (negatively charged) are knocked loose from their atoms as they are excited.
Due to their special structure and the materials in solar cells, the electrons are only allowed to move in a single
direction.
Silicon incorporating small amounts of boron or phosphorus is used in different layers.
An array of solar cells converts solar energy into a usable amount of direct current (DC) electricity.

36
First generation solar cells: silicon is still ruling on commercial market because of its dominant qualities. These cells
are typically made with crystalline silicon wafer and consisted on large areas. Some recent approaches to save more
energy through this material is to cut it form multi crystalline ribbons.

Second generation solar cells: Cadmium telluride (CdTe) cells are formed with cadmium and tellurium mixed with zinc cubic
crystal structure. This material is cheaper than silicon but not as efficient as silicon is. Copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS)
alloy cells are deposited on glass or stainless steel and are complex in model. Their band gap is about 1.38 eV.

Third generation solar cells: This generation was very different from previous generation because innovative
semiconductors were used in here. Types of solar cells introduced in this generation includes Nanocrystal solar cells,
Photoelectrochemical cells, Gräetzel Cell, Dye-sensitized hybrid solar cells, Polymer solar cells.

Fourth generation of solar cells: this generation brings most successful types of solar cells for mankind and those were
multijunction Hybird- Nanocrystal cells. For generation of these cells polymers and nano particles were mixed to make on layer
which can help electrons and protons to move for producing better voltage and good quality of direct current.

37
 The Major Industries for Photovoltaic Cell
Amorphous-Si/ CdTe
Crystalline Si
CIGS
microcrystalline-Si  Avancis  First Solar
 Sharp  Showa Shell  Antec Solar
 United Solar
 Kyocera  Wurth Solar  AVA
 Kaneka
 BP Solar  DayStar  PrimeStar
 Fuji Electric
 Q-Cells  Nanosolar Solar
 Sharp
 Mitsubishi
 Mitsubisihi
 SolarWorld
 Schott Solar
 Sanyo
 AMAT
 Schott Solar licensees
 Isofoton  SunTech
 Motech  PowerFilm
 Suntech  OptiSolar
 Evergreen Solar 
CIGS: Copper Indium Gallium Selenide
EPV
 GE Energy

38
 PV Module Conversion Efficiencies

Modules Cells (Lab)

 Dye-sensitized solar cells 3 – 5% 8.2%
 Amorphous silicon (multijunction) 6 - 8% 13.2%
 Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin film 8 - 10% 16.5%
 Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenium (CIGS) 9 - 11% 19.9%
 Multicrystalline or polycrystalline silicon 12 - 15% 20.3%
 Monocrystalline silicon 14 - 16% 23.4%
 High performance monocrystalline silicon 17 - 20% 24.7%
 Triple-junction (GaInP/GaAs/Ge) cell (~ 250 suns) - 40.7%
 Triple-junction (GaInP/GaInAs/Ge ) (454 suns) - 41.1%

 For most PV technologies there is a large gap between the best laboratory efficiencies and those achieved in
production PV modules
Common strategy to Design PV cells
 Advantage of Solar cell or PV cells
1. PV panels provide clean – green energy. During electricity generation with PV panels there is no harmful
greenhouse gas emissions thus solar PV is environmentally friendly.
2. Solar energy is energy supplied by nature – it is thus free and abundant!
3. Solar energy can be made available almost anywhere there is sunlight
4. Solar energy is especially appropriate for smart energy networks with distributed power generation

5.Photovoltaic panels, through photoelectric phenomenon, produce electricity in a direct electricity generation
way
Operating and maintenance costs for PV panels are considered to be low, almost negligible, compared to costs of
other renewable energy systems

6. PV panels have no mechanically moving parts, except in cases of sun-tracking mechanical bases; consequently
they have far less breakages or require less maintenance than other renewable energy systems (e.g. wind turbines)

7. PV panels are totally silent, producing no noise at all; consequently, they are a perfect solution for urban areas
and for residential applications
8. Though solar energy panels’ prices have seen a drastic reduction in every years.

9. Residential solar panels are easy to install on rooftops or on the ground without any interference to residential
lifestyle.
10. Think and include your idea…………………………

42
 Disadvantage of Solar cell or PV cells
1. As in all renewable energy sources, solar energy has intermittency issues: not shining at night but also during
daytime there may be cloudy or rainy weather.

2. Solar energy panels require additional equipment (inverters) to convert direct electricity (DC) to alternating
electricity (AC) in order to be used on the power network.

3. For a continuous supply of electric power, especially for on-grid connections, Photovoltaic panels require not
only Inverters but also storage batteries; thus the investment cost for PV panels for first time is high.

4. In case of land-mounted PV panel installations, they require relatively large areas for deployment; usually the
land space is committed for this purpose for a period of 15-20 years – or even longer.

5. Solar panels efficiency levels are relatively low (between 14%-25%) compared to the efficiency levels of other
renewable energy systems.

6. Though PV panels have no considerable maintenance or operating costs, they are fragile and can be damaged
relatively easily; additional insurance costs are therefore of ultimate importance to safeguard a PV investment.

7. Lacking of long term reliability and large solid waste after few years.

43
 Research Needs for Photovoltaic Cells
Lower Costs

 Efficiency improvements will help to lower costs of PV electricity

 Low-cost storage required for significant penetration of the grid (> 10%)
 In the case of silicon solar cells, there is a need for a high-quality, thin
silicon wafer or sheet (10 – 50 m) that can be produced at low cost
 Automated high throughput process with intelligent process control
 We’ll need to replace silver contacts with lower cost materials such as
copper or carbon-based materials (nanotubes?)
• At an annual production of ~ 154 GWp (~ 2016), the PV industry would be using the entire annual production of Ag (~ 19,000 tons/yr)

 Low-cost (i.e. abundant) materials must be incorporated into reliable, high

performance PV modules and systems (annual total U.S. electricity demand
is ~ 3 x 1012 kWh which can be met by PV arrays with an area of 100 miles x
100 miles in the U.S. Southwest).
 Require Environmental Safety
 Many of us believe that photovoltaics could become the major energy source for the
world in the later part of this century, but continued research and development are
required in several areas:
 Future PV systems should be environmentally benign: avoid heavy metals
 Long-term reliability must be ensured for new PV materials & devices: reduce
solid waste
 PV system costs must be reduced significantly: reuse of the same materials
 Improved conversion efficiencies: use less metals for better performances

45
Wind-Energy

46
 Top 10 countries generating wind energy in 2019
China: 26,155 MW (43.3%)
United States: 9,143 MW (15.1%)
United Kingdom: 2,393 MW (4.0%)
India: 2,377 MW (3.9%)
Germany: 2,189 MW (3.6%)
Spain: 1,634 MW (2.7%)
Sweden: 1,588 MW (2.6%)
France: 1,336 MW (2.2%)
Mexico: 1,281 MW (2.1%)
Argentina: 931 MW (1.5%)
Rest of the world: 11,324 MW (18.8%)
 Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by which wind is used to
generate electricity.
 Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power.
 A generator can convert mechanical power into electricity.

47
 Relation of Wind Power and Wind speed

Wind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion( i.e. wind).

Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary surface with area A

during the time t is: E= 1/2mv2 =1/2(Avtρ)v2 = 1/2Atρv3
where ρ is the density of air; v is the wind speed; Avt is the volume of air passing through A (which is considered
perpendicular to the direction of the wind);

Avtρ is therefore the mass m passing through "A".

½ ρv2 is the kinetic energy of the moving air per unit volume.

Power of energy per unit time is P= E/t = 1/2Aρ v3

More importantly, the wind power is proportional to third power of wind speed.

48
 Major advantages: Benefits
Wind power is cost-effective: One of the lowest-priced energy sources available today, costing 1–2 cents per kilowatt-
hour after the production tax credit. Because the electricity from wind farms is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time
(e.g. 20+ years) and its fuel is free, wind energy mitigates the price uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources of
energy.

It's a clean fuel source: Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such
as coal or natural gas, which emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide—causing human health problems and
economic damages. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain, smog, or greenhouse gases.

It's sustainable: Wind is actually a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the
rotation of the Earth, and the Earth's surface irregularities.
Wind turbines can be built on existing farms or ranches: This greatly benefits the economy in rural areas, where
most of the best wind sites are found.

Wind creates jobs:

Wind is a domestic source of energy:

49
 Major challenges
Wind power must still compete with conventional generation sources on a cost basis: Even though the cost of
wind power has decreased dramatically in the past several decades, wind projects must be able to compete economically with
the lowest-cost source of electricity, and some locations may not be windy enough to be cost competitive.

Good land-based wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities where the electricity is
needed: Transmission lines must be built to bring the electricity from the wind farm to the city.

Wind resource development might not be the most profitable use of the land: Land suitable for wind-turbine
installation must compete with alternative uses for the land, which might be more highly valued than electricity generation.

Wind plants can impact local wildlife: Birds have been killed by flying into spinning turbine blades. Most of these problems
have been resolved or greatly reduced through technology development or by properly siting wind plants. Bats have also been
killed by turbine blades, and research is ongoing to develop and improve solutions to reduce the impact of wind turbines on
these species.

Turbines might cause noise and aesthetic pollution:

50
 Wind mills in India

1. Muppandal Wind Farm: 1,500MW. Situated in Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil
Nadu
2. Jaisalmer Wind Park: 1,064MW

3. Brahmanvel Wind Farm: 528MW

located in Dhule district of Maharashtra, has been developed by Parakh Agro Industries.

4. Dhalgaon Wind Farm: 278MW

Gadre Marine Exports developed the 278MW Dhalgaon wind farm in Sangli, Maharashtra.

5. Raichur in Karnataka

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 Threats to Natural Resources
Overpopulation
This is probably the most significant, single threat that natural resources face. The world’s
population is increasing at a very fast rate. The increase in population means there will be
pressure on almost all natural resources. How?
Land Use:
With more mouths to feed and people to provide homes for, more land will need to be
cultivated and developed for housing. More farming chemicals will be applied to increase
food production. Many forests and vegetation lands will be converted into settlements for
people, roads, and farms. These have repercussions on natural resources.
Forests:
Demand for wood (timber), food, roads, and forest products will be more. Therefore, people
will use more forest resources than they can naturally recover.
Fishing:
The freshwater and seafood sector will face problems too as we will continue to depend
heavily on them. Larger fishing companies are going deeper into the sea to catch fish in even
larger quantities. Some of the fishing methods they use are not sustainable, thereby destroying
many more fish and sea creatures in the process.
Need for more:
Human demand for a comfortable life means more items (communication, transport,
education, entertainment, and recreation) will need to be produced. That means more
industrial processes and more need for raw materials and natural resources.
Climate Change
The alteration in climate patterns is hurting biodiversity and many other abiotic natural
resources. Species that have adapted to their environments may perish, and others will have to
move to more favorable conditions to survive.

Environmental Pollution
Land, water, and air pollution directly affect the health of the environments in which they
occur. Pollution affects the chemical make-up of soils, rocks, lands, ocean water, freshwater
and underground water, and other natural phenomena.

Land Use and Development

The conversion of lands into urban settings, housing development projects, office spaces,
shopping malls, industrial sites, parking areas, road networks, and so on takes away the
naturally occurring land that provided habitat for wildlife and other living organisms.

Intensive Agricultural and Farming Practices

Intensive agricultural practices have claimed much space of the natural resources because
farmers resort to converting forests and grasslands to croplands. In the modern world, the
pressure to convert lands into resource areas for producing priced foods, crops, and livestock
rearing has increasingly led to the depreciation of natural resources especially forests, wild
life and fertile lands. Runoff of agricultural waste, fertilizers, and pesticides into marine and
freshwater environments has also negatively threatened various natural crop species, natural
water resources and aquatic life.
The 20th Century Lifestyle
Human lifestyle in the 20th century tremendously threatens the sustainability of
natural resources. In this era, humans demand more comfortable living in terms of
education, entertainment, recreation, transport, clothing, and shelter which will
demand use of more resources and more production. Accordingly, it simply means
more industrial processes which will definitely demand more energy, more natural
resources and more raw materials. The solution is adopting a sustainable lifestyle.

Lecture ends here