CEA Renewable Energy Technologies 5

Question 1

What is 'agrivoltaics'?

Accepted Answer

Co-locating solar panels and agricultural crops on the same land

Answer

Agrivoltaics combines solar energy generation with crop production or grazing on the same land, optimizing dual use of agricultural land.

Question 2

Which wind turbine configuration places the rotor downwind of the tower?

Accepted Answer

Downwind turbine

Answer

Downwind turbines have their rotor positioned on the leeward side of the tower, allowing passive yaw alignment with wind direction.

Question 3

What is 'levelized cost of storage' (LCOS) used to evaluate?

Accepted Answer

The all-in cost of storing and dispatching one kilowatt-hour of electricity over a storage system's life

Answer

LCOS expresses the total lifecycle cost of a storage system—capital, O&M, charging energy—divided by total energy discharged, enabling comparison across technologies.

Question 4

In solar resource assessment, what does 'direct normal irradiance' (DNI) specifically measure?

Accepted Answer

Solar radiation received per unit area on a surface perpendicular to the sun's rays

Answer

DNI measures the intensity of solar radiation arriving on a surface held perpendicular to the direct beam from the sun, excluding diffuse radiation.

Question 5

What is the primary environmental concern associated with large-scale lithium mining for battery storage used in renewable energy systems?

Accepted Answer

High water consumption and habitat disruption in arid mining regions

Answer

Lithium brine extraction in arid regions like the Atacama Desert consumes large amounts of water and can disrupt local ecosystems and indigenous water rights.

(CEA) Certified Energy Analyst Practice Test

(CEA) Certified Energy Analyst Practice Test

CEA Renewable Energy Technologies 5