有关风力发电或太阳能发电文章的英文

2个回答

  • Fossil energy and nuclear energy are considered nonrenewable energy

    types.Nonrenewable energy is obtained from sources at a rate that exceeds

    the rate at which the sources are replenished.For example,if the biogenic

    origin of fossil fuels is correct,we could consider fossil fuels renewable

    over a period of millions of years,but the existing store of fossil fuels is

    being consumed over a period of centuries.Because we are consuming

    fossil fuels at a rate that exceeds the rate of replenishment,we consider

    fossil fuels nonrenewable.Similar comments apply to nuclear fuels such

    as uranium,as we observe in later chapters.Solar energy is considered

    a renewable energy for the following reasons.1

    Renewable energy is energy obtained from sources at a rate that is less

    than or equal to the rate at which the source is replenished.In the case

    of solar energy,we can use only the amount of energy provided by the

    sun.Because the remaining lifetime of the sun is measured in millions

    of years,many people consider solar energy an inexhaustible supply of

    energy.In fact,solar energy from the sun is finite,but should be available

    for use by many generations of people.Solar energy is therefore considered

    renewable.Energy sources that are associated with solar energy,such as

    wind and biomass,are also considered renewable.

    Solar radiation may be converted to other forms of energy by several

    conversion processes.Thermal conversion relies on the absorption of solar

    energy to heat a cool surface.Biological conversion of solar energy relies

    on photosynthesis.Photovoltaic conversion generates electrical power by

    the generation of an electrical current as a result of a quantum mechanical

    process.Wind power and ocean energy conversion rely on atmospheric

    pressure gradients and oceanic temperature gradients to generate electrical

    power.In this chapter we focus on thermal conversion.We first discuss the

    source of available solar energy,and then consider solar energy technology

    in two of its three forms:passive solar,and active solar.The third form of

    solar energy,solar electric,is discussed in the next chapter.We end this

    chapter with a discussion of solar power plants.