physics

Outlook on Renewable Energy in America

Outlook on Renewable Energy in America is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Outlook on Renewable Energy in America rather than just read about it. In short: Outlook on Renewable Energy in America is a comprehensive two-volume report, published in 2007 by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), about the future of renewable energy in the United States. It has been said that this report exposes a "new reality for renewable energy in America".

Key takeaways

Outlook on Renewable Energy in America belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Outlook on Renewable Energy in America to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Outlook on Renewable Energy in America from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Outlook on Renewable Energy in America is a comprehensive two-volume report, published in 2007 by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), about the future of renewable energy in the United States. It has been said that this report exposes a "new reality for renewable energy in America". Volume One of the report presents background information on government research conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Research Institute and other institutions. It also collates information from industry associations such as the American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, National Hydropower Association, as well as some non-profit organizations. Joint Outlook on Renewable Energy in America is the second volume of the report which presents a scenario compiled by the American renewable energy community. ACORE makes it clear that this report is not a forecast—it is a scenario of what is achievable if the country wants renewables to reach their full potential, and is willing to embrace the public policies to make that happen. ACORE released an update of the report in March 2014, which assesses the marketplace and forecasts the future of each renewable energy technology sector from the perspectives of U.S. renewable energy trade associations. Each sector forecast is accompanied by a list of the trade association's specific policy recommendations that they believe might encourage continued industry growth.

Scenario According to experts, renewable energy could provide up to 635 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity generating capacity by 2025 – a substantial contribution and potentially more than the nation's need for new capacity. According to this scenario, this capacity could come from a wide array of new technologies utilizing the full range of our renewable resources:

Wind power could provide 248 GW by 2025 Solar energy and power could provide 164 GW Geothermal energy and power 100 GW Biomass energy, power, and fuels 100 GW Water power 23 GW In addition, the scenario shows that renewable fuels could meet a large portion of U.S. liquid fuel needs. Recent studies show that biofuels could supply 30% to 40% of U.S. petroleum products by 2030. Ethanol fuel alone could reach 11.5 billion US gallons (44,000,000 m3) per year by the end of the first quarter of 2009, a significant contribution to the approximately 135 billion US gallons (510,000,000 m3) of gasoline consumed annually.

Public policy principles To make the transition to the renewable energy future that is outlined in the scenario, the report argues that the energy policy of the United States needs to be built on a range of principles, which include:

Building a comprehensive national renewable energy strategy that addresses the full range of technological and market issues. Creating energy policies that address both the challenges of oil dependence and global warming in an integrated way. Recognizing that energy efficiency and renewable energy work together. Providing long-term incentives for renewable power investments, modernizing our transmission and distribution systems, and investing in the next generation of biofuel facilities infrastructure. Scaling up an accelerated national R&D program to return the U.S. to global leadership. Implementing long-term and stable policy commitments that allow industry, the financial sector, and consumers to make longer-term decisions.

Rationale for renewables The report argues that America needs renewable energy, for many reasons:

America needs energy that is secure, reliable, improves public health, protects the environment, addresses climate change, creates jobs, and provides technological leadership. America needs renewable energy. If renewable energy is to be developed to its full potential, America will need coordinated, sustained federal and state policies that expand renewable energy markets; promote and deploy new technology; and provide appropriate opportunities to encourage renewable energy use in all critical energy market sectors: wholesale and distributed electricity generation, thermal energy applications, and transportation. The report quotes President Bush on the need to diversify America's energy supply:

It’s in our vital interest to diversify America’s energy supply – the way forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power, by even greater use of … solar and wind energy. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol, using everything from wood chips to grasses, to agricultural wastes. ACORE suggests that these reports dispel the commonly held notion that renewable energy cannot supply the energy needs of a growing American economy. But for this to happen, the government would have to commit to long term policies that promote renewable energy.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Outlook on Renewable Energy in America

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Outlook on Renewable Energy in America claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Outlook on Renewable Energy in America before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Outlook on Renewable Energy in America ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Outlook on Renewable Energy in America

In research: Outlook on Renewable Energy in America appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Outlook on Renewable Energy in America in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Outlook on Renewable Energy in America is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Books about energy issues, Environmental reports, Renewable energy in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Outlook on Renewable Energy in America outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Outlook on Renewable Energy in America in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Outlook on Renewable Energy in America means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Outlook on Renewable Energy in America out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Outlook on Renewable Energy in America in simple terms?

Why does Outlook on Renewable Energy in America matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Outlook on Renewable Energy in America?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Outlook on Renewable Energy in America.