Energy and Utilities Renewable Energy 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a photovoltaic (PV) cell do?
- Heats water using sunlight
- Converts sunlight directly into electricity (Correct answer)
- Stores solar energy as heat
- Concentrates sunlight to drive a steam turbine
Correct answer: Converts sunlight directly into electricity
Photovoltaic cells use the photoelectric effect to convert photons from sunlight directly into direct current (DC) electricity.
Question 2: What is the capacity factor range typically expected from onshore wind farms in the US?
- 5–15%
- 25–45% (Correct answer)
- 60–75%
- 80–95%
Correct answer: 25–45%
US onshore wind farms typically achieve capacity factors of 25–45%, depending on site wind resources and turbine technology.
Question 3: Which US incentive provides a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for electricity generated from wind and certain other renewables?
- Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
- Production Tax Credit (PTC) (Correct answer)
- Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
- MACRS depreciation
Correct answer: Production Tax Credit (PTC)
The Production Tax Credit (PTC) provides a tax credit based on the amount of electricity generated from qualified renewable energy sources.
Question 4: What is 'net metering' for solar customers?
- Measuring total electricity used in a month
- Crediting customers for excess solar power sent back to the grid (Correct answer)
- Installing a second meter for solar monitoring
- Measuring the net energy efficiency of a solar panel
Correct answer: Crediting customers for excess solar power sent back to the grid
Net metering allows solar customers to bank excess generation as credits on their utility bill, offsetting future consumption.
Question 5: What is the primary energy source for geothermal power plants?
- Solar radiation stored underground
- Earth's internal heat from radioactive decay and formation (Correct answer)
- Decomposing organic material
- Compressed natural gas underground
Correct answer: Earth's internal heat from radioactive decay and formation
Geothermal plants harness heat from the Earth's interior, which originates from radioactive decay and residual formation heat.
Question 6: Which US state leads in installed utility-scale solar capacity?
- Texas
- Arizona
- California (Correct answer)
- Florida
Correct answer: California
California has historically led the US in utility-scale solar capacity, driven by its Renewables Portfolio Standard and solar resources.
Energy and Utilities Renewable Energy 1
What does a photovoltaic (PV) cell do?