Educational Media Reviews Online

Renewable Power provides an overview of various "clean energy" alternatives to petroleum based fuels. The video first takes a historical look at the production of energy and the development of its use. It discusses how, as our civilization moved from using firewood to coal and then petroleum, it developed a more and more sophisticated infrastructure dependent on these limited and eventually costly fuels. Dependence on fossil fuels has left us with oil spills, air pollutants, global climate change, and other damaging impacts on the environment.

Renewable energy sources and their technologies are discussed including solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, biomass converters, and hydroelectric dams. Because some of these energy sources like the wind and the sun are not always available, it is necessary to store the energy they produce so it can be used later. Developing low cost storage systems for technology like electric cars is one of the challenges discussed.

Hydrogen is suggested as a means of delivering the energy produced by the renewable sources mentioned above. Hydrogen is the most abundant form of energy because it can be extracted via electrolysis from our most inexhaustible resource: water. Its potential volatility is a concern and author Addison Bain (What Really Happened to the Hindenburg) responds to this issue by explaining what he believes caused the most harm to passengers on the hydrogen filled Hindenburg. His research established that the outer shell of the Hindenburg was coated with a highly flammable substance and it was the burning of this substance that was most destructive.

Lastly, the fuel cell is discussed as a safe and efficient technology for producing energy using hydrogen in combination with oxygen. The most promising type of fuel cell, the PEM or Proton Exchange Memory fuel cell, is explained.

The program follows a logical sequence of ideas. Computer generated graphics along with clear and concise explanations give the viewer a good explanation of the renewable technologies. While renewable sources of energy are offered as clean alternatives to fossil fuels, nothing is mentioned about how they stack up against nuclear energy. I find this to be an unfortunate omission.

The technical quality of the video is good. The audio is clear and well paced. The video is creative and entertaining. At 29 minutes long, it provides the audience with a manageable amount of information and time for meaningful class discussion. It can be used with middle school and high school students, as well as a non-majors college course about energy or environmental concerns. Highly recommended for school and college libraries.