Exploring Alternative Energy Options: Solar, Wind, Bio-Petroleum, Geothermal

1. Alternative Energyy Ben Broocks

2. How much energy do we use? • Average American household uses 10,000 Kilowatt Hours (KWH)/year • In 2010 we generated 3,950,331,000 MWH • 47.1% from coal • 20.4% from natural gas • 20% from nuclear • 7.1% from conventional hydroelectric • 4.5% from other • 0.9% from petroleum

3. The problems with Coal • Releases pollutants when burned • Responsible for 40% of mercury released in the air each year • Also releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide • 98% of CO2 emissions are from coal burning • Solid waste • Ash from burned fossil fuels contains hazardous material including: cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and arsenic • 120 sites have contaminated water supplies because of improper disposal of coal ash

4. So, why do we still use it? • Because it is cheap • 1 ton of coal can produce 6,182 KWH • 1 ton of coal cost $36 so, it is $0.006 per khw • Compare to oil • 1 barrel of oil produces 1,699 kwh • 1 barrel of oil cost $70 making it $0.05 per kwh

5. What other choices are there? • Solar • Wind • Bio-petroleum • Geothermal

6. Solar Power • Uses the sun radiation and converts it to thermal or electric energy • Several ways • Solar Thermal Collectors • What people use in their homes • Each cell only produces about 1-2 watts • Parabolic Troughs • Uses a curved panel to focus the light on a tube of transfer fluid that is used to heat water into super heated steam • These power plants often use fossil fuel as a supplement • Solar Dish • Uses a dish array to focus sunlight on a generator • Dishes track the motion of the sun so they are always in full view • Solar Tower • Uses mirrors to focus light onto a tower mounted heat exchanger • Sun light can be concentrated as much as 1500 times

7. Solar Power Pros: Cons: Can only create electricity during daylight hours Weather can effect efficiency Much more expensive $0.38 per KWH compared to coal at $.006 per KWH • No pollutants • Minimal effect on the environment • Renewable

8. Wind Energy • The sun heats the earth unevenly due to it’s shape, and this makes wind (it’s called differential heating) • Wind energy uses the wind to turn a turbine and create electricity • Reverse of how a fan works • Wind fields require little maintenance and can be created out in rural areas

9. Wind Energy Pros: Cons: Costly to maintain Power lines must be run to them Noisy “Unsightly” • No-pollution • Renewable • Cheap to build • Land around wind turbine can still be used to farm

10. Bio-Petroleum • Bio-petroleum uses animal fat, vegetable oil, and algae oil to produce biodiesel • Most engines can use an 80:20 mix of petroleum diesel and biodiesel • In 2007, the United States 450 million gallons (10 million barrels) of biodiesel • Production of bio-petroleums can actually decrease CO2 levels

11. Bio-Petroleum Pros: Cons: Use of crops as biofuels causes food prices to increase (specifically corn being used for ethanol) Supply right now is to limited to create enough to supply current demands • Can decrease pollutants by consuming CO2 and emitting oxygen • Very high yield with a low area (up to 15,000 gallons per acre per year for algae) • Can use waste land and other area unsuitable for agriculture

12. Geothermal Power • Uses heat from the earth to produce power • Direct use water from spring or reservoirs near the earths surface • Electricity generation plants use reservoirs that are within 2 miles of the earths surface • Heat pumps use stable ground water to control building temperature above ground • United States is the leader in Geothermal power • Produced 14.86 million MWH in 2008

13. Geothermal Power Pros Cons Not available everywhere While available in the western United States, Alaska, and Hawaii it is not able to service the rest of the country If not properly built can have severe impact on the environment Drilling is expensive • Minimal emissions • Can actually reduce amount of sulphur from natural vents • Most sulphur and silica vented are processed and sold for industrial use • Smallest land use • Doesn’t require fuel lines be built • No waste disposal • Most exhaust seen is water vapor

14. Other sources of energy • Cold Fusion • Nuclear fusion which takes place at room temperature • Highly improbable, but nice to think about. Would result in essentially free energy • Many claims but no actual breakthroughs • Hydrogen • Can be used as a fuel, with only emission being pure water suitable for drinking • Hydrogen does not occur on earth and must be stripped from other molecules • Wireless Electricity • Uses a magnetic fied to transmit energy through the air • Discovered by Nikola Tesla in the 1890’s

15. Questions?

16. Resources • http://greenecon.net • Green Econometrics • Understanding the Cost of Solar Energy • http://www.eia.doe.gov • US Energy Information Administration • http://meic.org/images/energy-images/energy-fact-sheets/coal_factsheet2006.htm • Technical paper" presented at Nineteenth Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference • The Problems with Burning Coal to Generate Electricity • http://www.hrbp.com/ • HR Biopetroleum • http://www.biofuelswatch.com/wind-energy-pros-and-cons/ • Biofuels Watch • Wind Energy Pros and Cons • http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001176 • AlternativeEnergy.Procon.org • What are biofuels? • http://www.energy-consumers-edge.com/pros_and_cons_of_geothermal_energy.html • Energy Consumers Edge • Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy • http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/24/italian-scientists-claim-cold-fusion-breakthrough/ • Fox News • Italian Scientists Claim (Dubious) Cold Fusion Breakthrough • http://articles.cnn.com/2009-09-02/tech/wireless.electricity_1_electricity-low-power-wireless?_s=PM:TECH • CNN Tech • A cordless future for electricity?