APES Ch 13 Renewable Energy and Conservation Study Guide
Vocabulary
Infrared energy- heat
Passive solar heating – using the sun’s energy without using mechanical devices to distribute the
heat
Active solar heating- using a series of collectors to absorb the sun’s energy and pumps or fans to
distribute the collected heat
Solar thermal electric generation- producing electricity by the use of mirrors or lenses to
concentrate sunlight and heat a fluid-filled pipe or Stirling engine
Photovoltaic solar cell- converts sunlight directly to electricity
Biomass- plant material, including undigested fiber in animal waste, used as fuel
Wind energy- electric or mechanical energy obtained from wind (resulting from the uneven heating
of the surface of the Earth creating differences in atmospheric pressure)
Hydropower- generation of electrical or mechanical energy from falling or flowing water
Geothermal energy- use of energy from within the Earth’s interior for space heating or the
generation of electricity
Tidal energy- use of the ebb and flow of tides to generate electricity
Energy conservation- using less energy by reducing use and waste (ex: carpooling, reducing driving
speeds, or shutting off lights that are not in use)
Energy efficiency- using less energy to accomplish a given task (ex: designing more fuel-efficient
automobiles or light bulbs)
Fuel cell- device that directly converts chemical energy into electricity without needing to produce
steam and use a turbine and generator. Fuel cells use combine the fuel (hydrogen) with
oxygen from the air
Cogeneration- simultaneous production of two useful forms of energy from the same fuel
1.
List four factors that influence the amount of solar energy received in a location.
2.
Which area of the US receives the most solar energy?
The least?
3.
How is passive solar heating different from active solar heating?
4.
What percent of the energy in the US is used to heat water?
5.
What are the advantages of producing electricity with photovoltaic cells?
What are the limitations of photovoltaic cells?
6.
Explain why biomass, wind and hydropower are classified as indirect solar energy.
7.
Give three examples of biomass fuels that are used (burned) directly.
8.
What is biogas?
9.
What liquid fuels can be generated from biomass?
10.
Describe two advantages of biomass fuels.
11.
Describe two disadvantages of biomass fuels.
12.
What problem would result if all crop residues were converted into biomass fuels?
13.
During the past ten years, wind energy capacity has increased ____% annually.
14.
How has the cost per kWh of wind energy changed between 1980 and 2006?
15.
Describe some of the options that have been used to reduce bird mortality from wind farms.
16.
Describe two advantages of wind power compared with fossil fuels.
17.
What is the world’s most widely used form of indirect solar energy?
18.
What is schistosomiasis? How is it related to the generation of energy?
How is it generated?
19.
How does the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act affect the production of hydropower?
20.
Describe three problems associated with hydropower.
21.
Describe two advantages of hydropower compared with fossil fuels.
22.
Why is the Three Gorges Dam project so controversial?
23.
Describe two advantages of geothermal energy.
24.
What is the primary limitation with tapping into hydrothermal reservoirs to produce
electricity or heat for buildings?
25.
Describe how a geothermal heat pump works.
What is the primary disadvantage of geothermal heat pumps?
26.
27.
Classify each of the following as energy conservation or energy efficiency.
a. turning down the thermostat___________________
b. replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs __________
c. taking shorter showers _______________
d. combining trips in the car so you are driving less _________
e. replacing an old water heater with a newer one that uses less energy to produce the same
amount of hot water_________________
f. only running the washing machine when you have a full load ____________
g. driving a Prius instead of a Hummer _____________
h. shutting off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode___________
What could we use as a source of hydrogen for fuel?
28.
Describe two advantages of hydrogen as an energy source.
29.
Describe two disadvantages of hydrogen as an energy source?
30.
What is the fuel source used in fuel cells?
31.
Describe how widely used fuel cells are today.
32.
Describe two disadvantages of fuel cells.
33.
What is energy intensity?
34.
Should it be our goal to increase energy intensity or decrease it?
35.
What is the purpose of the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act?
36.
Describe four characteristics of a superinsulated building.
37.
What is meant by payback time for energy efficiency upgrades?
38.
About ____% of electricity is lost during transmission.
39.
How are human health and energy use linked?