Title: (b) Defining renewable energy
Course: Project week - Leuphana-Copy > Section: What is renewable energy? (science focus)

First things first. 'Renewable energy' is an important concept for this project, but what does it actually mean? The term is being used both in scientific research and popular discourse, sometimes with different or unclear meanings. In this project, it is important that we all understand the same thing by this term.

Tasks:

1. Learn from a video

Watch the video and answer the questions in it. Exchange your results with a partner and discuss them in class.

Here are the viewing questions in overview:

1. What is 'renewable energy'? How would you define the term?
2. What is the definition of renewable energy given in the video? Take notes, look up unknown vocabulary, and try to rephrase the definition in your own words. Can you think of examples that fit this definition?
3. What are some of the general advantages and disadvantages (or challenges) related to renewable energy?

2. A scientific definition of 'renewable energy'

- Read the following definition taken from a science book on renewable energy. Discuss unclear vocabulary and contents. (This is a challenging text – you may have to read it more than once.)
- Compare this scientific definition to the ones your course discussed in the introductory QUESTIONNAIRE: What's your view on renewables? What differences and similarities can you identify?

The renewable energy systems […] include power from solar radiation (sunshine), wind, biomass (plant crops), rivers (hydropower), ocean waves, tides, geothermal heat and other such continuing resources. All of these systems are included within the following general definition:

Renewable energy is energy obtained from naturally repetitive and persistent flows of energy occurring in the local environment.

An obvious example is solar (sunshine) energy that "persists" and "repeats" day after day, but is obviously not constant but variable. Similarly, plants have an annual growing season, which stores energy from sunshine in their structure that is released in combustion and metabolism. With a renewable energy resource, the energy is already passing through the environment as a current or flow, irrespective of there being a device to intercept and harness this power. The phrase "local environment" refers to the location of such a device to intercept the flow. [...] Such energy may also be referred to as green energy or sustainable energy.

In contrast,

Non-renewable energy is energy obtained from static stores of energy that remain underground unless released by human interaction.

Examples are nuclear fuels and fossil fuels of coal, oil and natural gas. With these sources, the energy is initially an isolated energy potential, and external action is required to initiate the supply of energy for practical purposes.

_— Twidell, John & Weir, Tony (2015). Renewable Energy Resources (3^rd ed.). New York: Routledge. Page 3.