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Renewable Energy Integration. The Only Real Sensible Approach optimize resources at the regional level. Overarching Concerns. Current and future sources of energy
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Renewable Energy Integration The Only Real Sensible Approach optimize resources at the regional level
Overarching Concerns • Current and future sources of energy • What’s best in terms of most efficient combination of capital cost, land use, ecological footprint, material use and jobs created • Distributed Generation and how to achieve it • How to improve the Grid to better incorporate renewables • Local Energy Storage is critical need new storage technologies
And if we require continued Fossil Fuel usage as transport fuel then • Alternatives to conventional Crude Oil must be used • These alternatives will do incredible environmental damage due to the great inefficiency involved in extracting a barrel of oil. • And of course, Coal remains the choice for producing the bulk of electricity
Tar Sands http://www.protectowire.com/applications/profiles/electric_shovels.htm http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/05may/dinning.cfm
Oil Shale http://nandotimes.nandomedia.com/ips_rich_content/896-shale_rock.jpg http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?tabid=104
CO2 Mitigation Options http://www.netl.doe.gov
Carbon Sequestration Options http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/energy.html
Ocean Sequestration http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/sea-carb-bish.html
Nuclear Energy Consumption – a green alternative to fossil emission? – but timescale to build and license new facility is 12-15 years (US)! – Global Growth Scenarios are uncertain
Future Electricity Demand: Nukes make up 12%: Fossils 74% 4 TW Net in 2030 = about 8 TW produced
US Wind Energy Generation Good Trajectory but still only 2.4% of US Nameplate Capacity
2003 1.8 MW 350’ 2000 850 kW 265’ Recent Capacity Enhancements 2006 5 MW 600’
Costs Nosedive Wind’s Success 38 cents/kWh 3.5-5.0 cents/kWh Levelized cost at good wind sites in nominal dollars, not including tax credit
Solar Energy Solar Centre at Baglan Energy Park in South Wales http://www.c-a-b.org.uk/projects/tech1.htm
Large Scale Solar – Land Use Issues http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel
US Installed Solar PV Approximately 15 times less than wind!
“Mighty Whale” Design – Japan The prototype dimensions were chosen to be 50 m (Length) X 30 m (Breadth) X 12 m (Depth). The design called for it to float at even keel at a draft of 8 m. The overall rated power capacity was set at 110 kW. http://www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec/MTD/Whale/
Ocean Wave Conversion System http://www.sara.com/energy/WEC.html
Geothermal Energy Plant Geothermal energy plant in Iceland http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/
Methods of Heat Extraction http://www.geothermal.ch/eng/vision.html
Global Geothermal Sites http://www.deutsches-museum.de/ausstell/dauer/umwelt/img/geothe.jpg
Methane Landfill emissions could produce electricity Boyle, Renewable Energy, Oxford University Press (2004)
One Transition Plan UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONINTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR HYDROGEN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES http://www.unido-ichet.org/ICHET-transition.php
Centralized vs. Distributed Generation http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/fcresources/FCexplained/stationary.htm
Central Power Generation (today) • Remote, Large, Expensive • Long Distance Delivery • Fossil Fuel Plants • Waste Heat • Environment Unfriendly (Co2) • Health Unfriendly (Nox, So2, Pm10, Hg) • Nuclear Plants • Waste Disposal • Hydroelectric Plants • Flooding • Unreliable (2000-2003) • 110 Grid Failures • Cost $80-123 B./Yr • Adds 29-45% To Electric Bill http://www.pharmaciaretirees.com/distributed_generation.htm
Distributed Generation • Located next to user • Capacity kw –Mw in renewables • Economic benefits • “Waste” heat used • Lowers fossil fuel use • Low investment • Power failure losses eliminated • Environmental/ health costs reduced • Grid costs – peak/capital • Lower electric bills • Flexibility of location • Cogeneration • Combined heat & power (CHP) • Micropower http://www.pharmaciaretirees.com/distributed_generation.htm
Sources of DG • Solar – photovoltaic and thermal • Wind Turbines • Hydroelectric (large scale and micro) • Geothermal • Oceanic • Nuclear • Fossil Fuels • Combined Heat & Power (CHP) http://www.pharmaciaretirees.com/distributed_generation.htm
Microturbines • Low to moderate initial capital cost • Fuel flexibility, • burn either gaseous (natural gas, propane, biogases, oil-field flared gas) or liquid fuels (diesel, kerosene) • Heat released from burning the fuel also providing heating and cooling needs (CHP • Extremely low air emissions • NOx, CO, and SOx • Continuous operating even during brownout or blackout A cutaway of a microturbine; 30 and 60-kilowatt units have just one moving part – a shaft that turns at 96,000 rpm.
Microturbine Systems http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/microturbines.html http://www.wapa.gov/es/pubs/esb/2001/01Jun/microturbine.htm
Micro-Hydro http://www.itdg.org/?id=micro_hydro_expertise http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs46.htm
Summary • Solutions Exist both on small scale and very large scale • We do not really have an energy crisis – we do have an energy by fossil fuel crisis • Transition requires leadership and courage and commitment – a true test of humanity as a global entity. • OTEC, Wind, Small Scale Solar, Snakes, Dragons, Hydrogen Production represents solution space
Summary 2 • We must approach an equivalent fuel economy of 50 mpg for any technology • We must enable the smart grid to truly manage electricty use better • Conservation and reduced consumption remain our best hope to have a future
Summary 3 • Post WW II conspicuous consumption and consumer capitalism has clearly burst • We may be evolving globally away from conspicuous consumption and towards necessary consumption • Further evolution takes one to sustainability • But what is the timescale to evolve from necessary consumption to sustainability?