Renewable Energy
by Sophie S.
Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
How It's Stored: It is usually stored within some sort of rechargeable battery.
How Efficient It Is: Most solar panels convert about 15% of the sun's energy into electricity.
Wind Energy
How It's Stored: Wind energy can be stored in three ways. The first way is compressed air. It converts the energy into compressed air which is then stored in underground caverns or above-ground tanks. The second way is with a battery. The last way is with hydrogen. This involves splitting water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen by electricity which is generated from the wind turbine. The separated hydrogen cells for electricity generation when there is no wind.
How Efficient It Is: Most wind turbines convert about 70-80% of the wind into electricity.
Hydroelectric Energy
How It's Stored: It is most commonly stored within a power grid.
How Efficient It Is: Hydropower is the second most efficient form of renewable energy. It converts 90% of the power into electricity.
Fun Fact: 10% of the nation's energy comes hydropower.
Geothermal Energy
How It's Stored: It is stored within batteries with the electricity that is created by the spinning turbines.
How Efficient It Is: Geothermal energy is the most efficient form of renewable energy. It converts 92-94% of the power into electricity.