490 likes | 670 Views
Renewab le Energy. Renewable Sources of Energy . Hydro Solar Wind Geothermal Biomass Tidal . How much renewable energy does Canada use? . Check out the Green pieces of pie. Process of using the potential energy of stored water to produce power.
E N D
Renewable Sources of Energy • Hydro • Solar • Wind • Geothermal • Biomass • Tidal
How much renewable energy does Canada use? Check out the Green pieces of pie.
Process of using the potential energy of stored water to produce power. • The amount of electricity generated is determined by how much water is flowing and the amount of force created by the dam
Diga del Cingino dam in ItalyLook closer... See spots on the dam wall? What are they?
European Ibex like to eat the moss and lichen. They also lick the salt off the dam wall.
Hydro Power in Canada • 581 large hydropower dams • Quebec has the largest number (32%), followed by Ontario and BC
Niagara Falls RMR Rick at the Niagara Falls tunnel project: Big Becky completed 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1tT7upP6JE
Rockfill dam at Robert-Bourassa reservoir, Quebec The storage capacity of 61.7 billion cubic metres — ranks 11th in the world.
Sainte-Marguerite rockfill dam, Quebec Rises 171 metres in the air and is the highest dam of its kind in Québec.
The stability of this concrete dam is ensured by the structure's weight.
Daniel Johnson Dam, Quebec Multiple-arch-and-buttress dam Inaugurated in 1969, it was named after Québec's Premier. Its reservoir is four times the size of the Island of Montréal, making it the 5th largest reservoir in the world
Hydroelectricity energy: Pros • Reliable • Capable of generating large amounts of power • Multiple uses for reservoirs – irrigation, recreation, flood control • Currently inexpensive • No emissions
Hydroelectricity energy Cons: • Flooding creates disruption in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems • Appropriate sites are difficult to come by • Sites are often distant from market • Long time to construct dam (10-15 years) • Locations aren't always reliable (drought) RMR Rick builds power lines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-B3D3nvUho
Hydroelectricity The only hydroelectric proposals that should be considered ‘green’ are those that entail no diversions, no inter-basin transfers of water, no flow modifications, no reservoirs, and no interference with fish runs. • Video - Three Gorges Dam • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13460536 • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/7143-china-three-gorges-dam-video.htm 2008
Humans have harnessed wind power for thousands of years, using sails to propel ships and windmills to pump water. Only in the past 30 years has wind been used to generate large utility-scale electricity.
WIND • transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be transmitted to cities and homes. Kingston
Installed Wind Energy http://www.canwea.ca/farms/wind-farms_e.php
1994 Pincher Creek AlbertaCanada’s First commercial wind farm
Grouse Mountain, Vancouver: world’s first and only wind turbine that allows you to stand in a clear glass viewPOD at the top of the tower, three metres from its massive, rotating blades Video: http://www.grousemountain.com/eye-of-the-wind/video
WIND Pros: • No emissions or waste • Abundant and renewable. • Turbines can be set up without disturbing ecosystems. • Existing technology is relatively high output and affordable.
Wolfe Island Near Kingston, Lake Ontario (86 turbines) Wind Turbines Cons: • Wind dependent (output proportional to wind speed). • Not feasible for many locations (Best on coastlines/ high ridges) • Currently expensive • NIMBY: unsightly and noisy
Main sound comes from the aerodynamic swoosh of the blades passing the tower. http://www.canwea.ca/wind-energy/myths_e.php
Solar Energy • Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. • sunlight strikes a panel and electrons are dislodged, creating an electrical current Solar Energy Explained http://www.aboriginalenergy.ca/solarpopup.html RMR Rick installs Solar Panels Oshawa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmI2BjOO9gg
Solar Map of Canada The 13 PV hotspots in each province and territory in terms of yearly PV potential for south-facing PV panels with latitude tilt.
Solar Energy: Advantages • A low-cost means to provide electricity • Simplest and cleanest to operate • Quiet and expandable • No fuel is used, eliminating transportation costs Animation: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/solar.html
Solar energy: Disadvantages • Setup is currently expensive. • Production is weather-dependent • Inefficient in low sun and cloudy conditions • Large surface areas are required to lay out panels of PV cells. • Batteries used to store energy created by solar cells add to the cost and maintenance of the system
Earth's natural heat used to power turbines and generate electricity • Underground steam and hot springs Geothermal
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Pros: • Renewable and simple • Available indefinitely • Low maintenance and operating Cons: • Few government incentive programs • Expensive initial costs: 10 to 15 year payback
Biomass • Organic material that can be burned to generated renewable power • Examples include wood by-products, municipal waste and livestock manure Biomass Explained: http://www.aboriginalenergy.ca/biomasspopup.html
Biomass Pros: • Renewable, plentiful sources of waste products (from agriculture, forestry and food processing). • Not dependent on fossil fuels. Cons: • Burning causes some polluting gases
Tidal Energy The kinetic energy of sea waves spins turbines to generate power. Pro: • Renewable • Predictable CBC 2009
Tidal Energy Cons: • Expensive • Equipment must be able to withstand salt water & sand • Underwater turbines can kill fish • May change fish migration patterns • Sites not near market See Animation: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/tidal.html
Tidal Power Potential http://www.energybc.ca/images/profiles/tidal/canadatidal.png
Ocean Currents Bermuda: 100% dependence on imported oil
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/C2C8B6C9-3F12-42D1-B156-E549B4AB733A/2006_Total_Generation_by_Fuel.jpghttp://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/C2C8B6C9-3F12-42D1-B156-E549B4AB733A/2006_Total_Generation_by_Fuel.jpg
Sources • http://www.aboriginalenergy.ca/types-renewable-energy • http://www.energybc.ca/profiles/largehydro.html • http://www.energybc.ca/profiles/biofuels.html • http://www.energybc.ca/profiles/wind.html • http://www.energybc.ca/profiles/nuclear.html
Pros of Renewable Energy Sources • The word 'renewable', says it all. • Clean source of energy as they do not involve the combustion or burning of fossil fuels or other substances • Plentiful and are available all over the world • Low maintenance costs • Non-perishable energy sources
Cons of Renewable Energy Sources • Problems with reliability and consistency • Initial investment or setup cost is significantly high • Poor global acceptance of renewable energy on a mass scale