Clean Energy Facts

Know the Truth About Clean Energy

You’ve probably heard many myths about renewable energy, and you’re probably wondering how to find the truth regarding renewable power sources, the efficiency of energy, and the economy of clean energy so that you can become a Clean Energy Champion and share your knowledge with other people.

Below, we break down some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding renewable energy sources. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning to power your home using clean energy or discussing the advantages of renewable energy with family and friends, we’ve got the answers for you.

Flip the card to uncover:

• Solar energy
• Information about Wind Energy (including information about birds and wind turbines)
• The importance of hydropower and marine energy is crucial to the near future of clean energy
• The facts about home and building effectiveness

FACT: Research shows that wind turbines rank at the bottom of the list of infrastructure-related bird deaths, including those caused by cars, electrical lines, antenna towers, pesticides, and cats. In the last 20 years, the research and implementation of a more eco-friendly turbine designs, as well as more consideration of wildlife activity patterns in deciding on the desirable location for wind turbines, has significantly diminished the effects of wind-related development on birds.To be able to identify ways to prevent the risk of wind turbines, reduce their impact, and minimize the potential impact of wind energy development and its potential impacts, the Wind Energy Technologies Office invests in peer-reviewed studies by collaborating with federal regulatory bodies as well as the industry that produces wind energy and environmental groups, such as those of the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute and the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative.

The truth is that the price of a solar system for residential use could range from $15,000 and up to $35,000. You do not have to pay completely when it’s installed. There are financing options for solar that let you pay over time. In addition local, state, as well as federal rebates and tax credits can be found to help offset the cost. Solar panels are also not in need of enough maintenance. For those who live in a smog-filled area, you might want to clean them every year to boost their power, however that’s all of it. Solar panels deliver ample power to satisfy the needs of your home, and at a cost that is lower than electricity that is provided from the grid across a majority of regions of the United States. As the demand for solar energy grows as well, solar energy is gaining popularity, and the Solar Energy Technologies Office is trying to warrant that costs continue to decrease.

Fact: You can use a geothermal heater wherever. The energy source is just one or two feet below the surface (30 feet is the average) in a location where temperatures are consistent throughout the year. This means lower temperatures than average in summer, and for colder climates, higher than average temperatures for air during winter because the soil and rocks can store thermal energy. Geothermal heat pump absorbs the heat energy emitted by structures to store the energy in the ground during summer months to keep buildings warm during winter. The climate of a specific area doesn’t matter but it does benefit to determine the type and size of the heat pump required.

FACT: More than 3,000 free resources are available at the Better Buildings Solutions Center, filterable for your problem, whether you want to identify or evaluate energy-saving technologies, measure energy use, finance a project, or build expertise within your organization. You can search by category, including the specific barrier, building size and type, location, technology, or sector to connect with providers and see examples of how others have solved issues like yours. The Solutions Center provides strategies to help design resilient buildings or increase community resilience, partner with utilities, engage stakeholders in carbon reduction, find financing, and more.

Fact: Hydropower has tremendous potential to play a significant part in the future of clean energy. A variety of technologies utilized in hydropower are established and are commercially accessible However, there is much room to develop and grow. DOE’s Hydropower Vision report estimated that 50 to 65 gigawatts of hydropower and pumped storage hydropower can be added to the U.S. generation mix by 2050. To fully realize this potential, we need to address a few issues in the science of today’s hydropower generation fleet and develop new technologies that reduce the costs and environmental impact of new projects.

Fact: It is possible to obtain clean power round all hours of the day. Certain sources of renewable energy like wind and solar are erratic, they fluctuate throughout the day and do not always generate exactly the same quantity of energy. However, the energy storage technology can be used to collect, store and release clean energy generated from various sources when it’s required. Hydropower produced by releases controlled by water from dams is readily available when the lake has sufficient of the water flowing into it. The geothermal power plants, that harness energy from the warmth beneath our feet, remain operating, and although the wind may not be blowing everywhere, it’s always going somewhere.Geothermal power production is extremely reliable and steady, this aids energy planners perform their jobs more precisely. How often a plant operates at its peak power is determined through a measure called the capacity factor. Geothermal electricity production is rated at 90percent or greater in comparison to coal plants, which are rated at 75 percent. Geothermal applications for cooling and heating benefit from a perpetual energy source. Find out the basics about energy from geothermal sources.
Hydropower supplies clean power to the grid. It can also serve as a reliable and flexible backup power in the event of outages or interruptions to electricity generators that are less flexible. Hydropower can also be a supplement to various renewable sources of energy. Hydropower technologies like pumped storage conserve energy and can be used with other resources like solar and wind when there is a high demand. Find out more about hydropower.

Fact: Solar energy can be captured in virtually every weather condition, even on rainy or snowy days because some sunlight gets to the earth. Solar panels perform perfect in sunny and cold conditions because heat can hinder how sunlight is converted into energy. When you’ve got battery storage attached to the solar panels are able to bring the power you require to power your home at night. This is your personal green energy backup system, in contrast to traditional backup generators. If the power is cut in your area and your electricity is on.Unless you’re part of the small percent of Americans living more than one mile from a power source, homes equipped with solar panels for the roof are usually connected to the grid. That means that if your solar power system isn’t able to provide satisfying energy at any moment, the grid will be able to offer additional the remainder. Win-win! Learn more about solar storage systems that combine solar energy..

FACT: The United States must maximize its use of all renewable energy technologies to achieve the Biden administration’s goal of a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. Marine energy resources—waves, tides, and ocean and river currents—are abundant, geographically diverse, predictable, and complementary to other renewable energy sources. Today, the marine energy industry is in the beginning stages of development, but the total available marine energy resource in the United States is equivalent to nearly 60% of all U.S. power generation in 2019. Even if only a small portion of this technical resource potential is captured, marine energy technologies would make significant contributions to U.S. energy needs.

Actual: The most recent DOE study that was published through Argonne National Laboratory, in the year 2021 revealed it was found that U.S. corn ethanol has lower greenhouse gas emissions of 44% to 52% than gasoline. Argonne’s analysis revealed greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. corn ethanol have dropped by 20 percent between 2005 and the year 2019 due to increased yields of corn per acre, lesser fertilizer use, as well as enhanced ethanol production processes.
The majority of U.S. biofuel comes in the form of ethanol composed of cornstarch and then mixed into gasoline. Around 98% of the gas sold within the United States contains 10% of ethanol.
At the beginning of 2000, U.S. energy policy helped to drive a substantial rise in the production of domestic ethanol mostly to raise energy independence. U.S. corn ethanol production was up from 1.5 billion gallons in 2000 to 16.4 billion gallons in 2018.