The purpose of our research is to find out which type of renewable energy (Solar, Hydro and Wind) is the overall best in multiple aspects including cost, enviromental sustainability, and more. This research will help us make a decision about which type of renewable energy we should invest in to save our finances and our planet's enviroment. The 5th chart in this line shows the percent of how much percent of electricity comes from fossil fuels and renewable energy.

We think that solar panels will prove to be the best. They are very popular, showing that they must be cheap and efficient. Also, Solar energy can work anywhere on Earth (because sunlight reaches everywhere) while Hydro or Wind energy require high altitude of water reservoirs or high wind corridors respectively. Also, Wind and Hydro turbines are usually quite large to make a significant amount of electricity.

We are doing a research project, and our first step was choosing our question and deciding to do research. We started by doing our background research, which was who made Solar panels, Wind turbines and Hydro turbines.

“The first solar panel was invented by Charles Fritts in 1883 where he coated a thin layer of selenium with an extremely thin layer of gold. The resulting cells had a conversion electrical efficiency of only about 1%. This invention led to the launching of a movement for producing solar energy,” says ae-solar.com.

“James Blyth's wind turbine idea from 1891. Blyth said that there was wind "to be had everywhere." The world's first wind turbine was constructed in the front yard of a Scotsman named James Blyth, over a century before wind power was given any serious consideration,” says aps.org.

“Hydropower became an electricity source in the late 19th century, a few decades after British-American engineer James Francis developed the first modern water turbine. In 1882, the world's first hydroelectric power plant began operating in the United States along the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin,” says iberdrola.com

Solar Pros according to canhydro.com

• “Very affordable for household use.”
• “Low maintenance cost.”
• “Sustainable and clean energy source.”
• “Applicable almost anywhere.”
• “It has a long lifespan.”

Solar Cons according to canhydro.com

• “It isn’t very movable.”
• “Consume a large amount of space.”
• “Weather conditions affect power generation.”
• “Power output may be variable in some areas.

Solar Pros according to purelightpower.com

• “Lower emissions”
• “Becoming more affordable”
• “Solar is sustainable”
• “Low maintenance”

Solar Cons according to purelightpower.com

• “Need a fair amount of space.”
• “Weather affects your panels’ production.”
• “Aren’t pleasing to the eyes.”
• “Can’t take a rooftop Solar system with you.”

Solar pros according to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “Can be used almost everywhere.”
• “Extremely low maintenance.”
• “Very long system lifespan.”
• “Can be operated unmonitored.”
• “Predictable power output in some areas.”
• “Easy installation.”
• “Silent operation.”

Solar cons according to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “High initial cost.”
• “Power output can be variable in some areas.”
• “Requires good solar exposure.”

Hydro pros according to canhydro.com

• “Abundantly free on Earth.”
• “Little to no carbon emissions.”
• “Electricity generation capacity is predictable.”
• “Climate or weather change has no significant impact.”
• “Have a long life span.”

Hydro cons according to canhydro.com

• “Are geography dependant.”
• “High maintenance cost.”
• “Installation may disrupt the natural biome.”
• “Requires high level speed.”
• “Poses flood control challenges.”

Hydro Pros according to purelightpower.com

• “Clean source of energy.”
• “[You would] not have to rely on an outside source of energy.”
• “Offer public recreational activities.”
• “Provide clean drinking water, flood control and irrigation support.”
• “One of the most efficient energy sources.”
• “About 90% efficient at converting water into electricity.”

Hydro Cons according to purelightpower.com

• “Huge environmental impact on the community.”
• “Involves possible flooding.”
• “Expensive to build.”

Hydro pros according to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “Lowest cost per watt hour.”
• “Predictable year round output.”
• “Does not require a large power bank.”
• “Is quiet and can be made unobtrusive.”
• “Low maintenance.”

Hydro cons according to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “Not suitable in many places.”
• “Requires substantial modification of water source.”
• “Initial installation cost is high.”
• “Colder climates, freezing of pipes, etc can be a problem.”
• “Moving parts will eventually wear out.”

Wind pros according to canhydro.com

• “Is clean, renewable and releases little to no greenhouse gasses.”
• “Low operating costs.”
• “Does not occupy much ground space.”
• “Have a long lifespan.”
• “Is a reliable alternative in rural areas.”

 

Wind cons according to canhydro.com

• “Impossible to know how much energy wind turbines can produce at a certain time.”
• “Causes noise pollution.”
• “Could fall and destroy things in the event of a storm.”
• “Can harm flight animals.”
• “Can be an eyesore.”
• “Routine may be costly for tall turbines.”
• “Not suitable for densely populated areas.”

Wind Pros according to purelightpower.com

• “Is clean and renewable.”
• “Low operating costs.”
• “Doesn’t take much space on the ground.”

Wind Cons according to purelightpower.com

• “Is unpredictable.”
• “People complain of noise disturbance.”
• “Can also be an eyesore.”
• “Can harm birds and bats.”

Wind pros according to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “Low cost per hour in a good location.”
• “Smaller systems can be low maintenance.”
• “Predictable power output is some locations.”

Wind Cons accoriding to electrical-engineering-portal.com

• “Not suitable in many locations.”
• “Towering can be expensive.”
• “People object to the tower aesthetically.” 
• “Birds of prey run into tower.”
• “People report that considerable noise is generated.”
• “Maintenance on a windmill can be difficult.”
• “Moving parts will eventually wear out.”

 

 

 

 

 

Based on our research, wind energy is the best renewable energy source in reliability, environmentally friendly, and cost per watt. We say this because according to echochain.com, Wind energy on and offshore has the lowest carbon footprint, as shown in the below image:

Also, group.met.com says “According to calculations it costs about $2.19 per watt to install solar energy, while wind power costs only $1.50 per watt.” Other than that, wikipedia.org says that “The first wind turbine used for the production of electricity was built in Scotland in July 1887 by Prof James Blyth of Anderson's College, Glasgow (the precursor of the University of Strathclyde).“ This shows that wind energy is reliable and has a lot of research done on it.

Some things that could be researched moving on includes experimenting with Solar panels, Wind turbines and Hydro turbines to prove our conclusion. Researching which energy source is better for geographies with certain features such as in cold Scandinavian countries with many months of no sunlight or hot and sunny equator regions. This research sets the base for future projects on renewable energy by informing other interested information seekers about the best type of renewable energy.

canarymedia.com says that “Fossil fuels remain the greatest source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2022, coal accounted for roughly 35.8 percent of the global power mix, while natural gas followed with a 22 percent share. China, India, and the United States accounted for the largest share of coal used for electricity generation in 2021." 

Watt: A unit of electricity which is equal to 1 joule per second.

Joule: A unit of energy which is equal to the force of one Newton.

Kilowatt: 1,000 watts.

Megawatts: 1,000,000 watts.

canhydro.com: Solar Vs Wind Vs Hydro: Which is the Best Renewable Energy Source?

purelightpower.com: Solar, Wind, or Hydro Energy - Which Renewable is Right for You? | Purelight Power

electrical-engineering-portal.com: Hydro vs. Wind vs. Solar Power

ae-solar.com: History and the Development of Photovoltaics - AESOLAR

aps.org:https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/202207/upload/July-Aug-2022.pdf

iberdrola.com:https://www.iberdrola.com/about-us/what-we-do/hydroelectric-power#:~:text=Hydroelectric%20power%20became%20a%20source,Wisconsin%2C%20in%20the%20United%20States.

 

We would like to thank our parents, who supported us financially and by helping us with the project. We would also like to thank our science teacher, Ms. Rimi Deb who gave us many suggestions, comments and ideas on our project. We would also like to thank one of our peers, Abdulrahman Ahmed, who has more experience with science fair than us.