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Chapter 12

Chapter 12. Energy Considerations. Overview. Case Study: Power Plant for Surry, Virginia Background Energy Trends Energy Sources Environmental Impacts Infrastructure and Energy. Case Study: Surry Power Plant. Surry County is located near Richmond, VA

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Chapter 12

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  1. Chapter 12 Energy Considerations

  2. Overview • Case Study: Power Plant for Surry, Virginia • Background • Energy Trends • Energy Sources • Environmental Impacts • Infrastructure and Energy

  3. Case Study: Surry Power Plant • Surry County is located near Richmond, VA • Proposed $4 billion, 1,500 megawatt, coal power plant

  4. Case Study: Surry Power Plant • Benefits • Site has easy rail and highway access • Coal is the most affordable means of production • Coal is an important part of VA’s economy • Create 200 permanent jobs, 2,000 temporary jobs

  5. Case Study: Surry Power Plant • What’s not to like? • Chesapeake Bay Foundation concerned about: • air and water pollution, • increased CO, • global warming, and • failure to support clean energy • Because of these roadblocks, the energy supply has trouble meeting the energy demands

  6. Background: Energy Concerns • Demand for energy in the US is constantly increasing • New power producing facilities are needed to meet demand • Non-sustainable energy plants are the easiest and least expensive to build and maintain • Even when benefits greatly outweigh negatives, approval is still hard to achieve because of environmental impacts

  7. Background: Mathematics • Energy = Force x Distance • Measured in Joules (J) or British Thermal Units (BTU) • Power: The rate of energy use • Measured in Watts (W) = J/sec

  8. Background: Mathematics • Example 1: • Estimate the number of households that can be supported by a 100 MW electrical power generating facility. Assume each household uses 1,000 kWh per month

  9. Background: Mathematics • Solution 1: • Use dimensional analysis to find the Watts per household • Divide the total power plant output by the power per household to find the supported homes.

  10. Background: Mathematics • Example 2: • Household power usage is considered residential energy use, which is only 33% of the power a community needs. Power plants usually operate below full capacity in order to improve the lifespan of the plant. This plant only operates at 80%. Determine the actual number of households powered by the facility.

  11. Background: Mathematics • Solution 2: • Multiply the full capacity household by the plant output percentage, and the percentage delegated to residential use. Plant capacity percentage Residential use percetage

  12. Energy Trends

  13. Energy Trends • Energy is used for transportation, industrial production, residential and commercial use, etc… • Total energy use includes both electricity and fuel • Industrial demand decreased since 1990, why? • Shift from industry to service economy • Total energy consumption tripled since 1950 • Need for more power plants evident

  14. Energy Trends: Predictions • Use projections to estimate future demand • Demand depends on population as well as total energy use • Useful to look at energy us per capita

  15. Energy Trends: Predictions • Two projections for total US energy use per capita • If population increases but demand per individual decreases, total demand may remain constant

  16. Energy Sources • Either Renewable or Non-renewable • Non-renewable: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear • Renewable: Wind, solar, biomass, hydropower

  17. Energy Sources

  18. Energy Sources • Renewable Sources • Accounts for approx. 10% of electrical generation • 8% hydropower • Expected to increase • Societal shift to clean energy • Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards • Renewables aside from hydro expected to increase from 2% to 7% of total electricity production by 2030

  19. Energy Sources • Non-Renewable Sources • Coal is the most widely used • Natural gas increase due to low price in the 1990’s • Nuclear power growth impeded by policy • Disasters impact public eye • Japan – March 2011

  20. Energy Sources: Nuclear • 20% of electricity in the US produced through nuclear power • Minimal direct emissions • 19 states have no nuclear power plants • Large coal economy • 6 states have over 50% of energy generated through nuclear power • No new plants constructed since 1977

  21. Energy Sources: Nuclear • Yucca Mountain • Nuclear waste repository • Cancelled in 2009 • Under the Obama Administration funding for development of Yucca Mountain waste site was terminated • The US GAO stated that the closure was for political, not technical or safety reasons. • This leaves United States civilians without any long term storage site for high level radioactive waste

  22. Energy Sources: MSW • MSW – Municipal Solid Waste • Source of energy through direct combustion • WTEF – Waste to Energy Facilities • Facilities to combust the MSW to generate electricity • More common in densely populated regions • Can take the place of a 100 acre landfill in only a few acres • Primary disadvantage is air pollution.

  23. Environmental Impacts • Air Pollution • Primary Contaminants • CO2 – Carbon Dioxide • Greenhouse gas • NOx and SOx - Nitrogen and Sulfur oxides • Acid rain and respiratory problems • NO2 - Nitrogen Dioxide • ground level ozone formation (i.e. smog)

  24. Environmental Impacts • Air Pollution • Primary Contaminants (cont.) • CO • Health problems • Hg – Mercury • Small amounts in coal yield high amounts in atmosphere • Deposits in land and water, accumulates in fish • VOCs – volatile organic compounds • Benzene • Touline • Vinyl Chlorides

  25. Environmental Impacts

  26. Energy and Infrastructure (E&I) • Cost • Capital costs • O&M (operation and maintenace) • Cost projections necessary to evaluate power plant feasibility • Conservative projection: high cost of energy • “Risky” projection: low cost of energy • Must provide a range of projections due to changing prices of resources

  27. E&I: Transportation • Population increased 70% since 1960 • Fuel consumption more than tripled in same period • Fuel consumption depends on miles traveled and fuel efficiency

  28. E&I: Buildings • Buildings account for: • 40% of total energy use • 14% total water consumption • 72% total electricity consumption • 39% CO2 emissions • Green Buildings • More energy efficient • Some buildings being retrofitted for energy savings • Payback Period: amount of time it takes for energy savings to surpass higher capital cost of green buildings

  29. E&I: Wastewater • Treatment facilities very energy intensive due to pumping, aeration, etc… • Optimizing energy use: • Proper equipment specification • Installing more efficient pumps • Potential to generate energy • Organic solids removed from wastewater can be digested and produce methane • Methane (CH4) = natural gas

  30. E&I: Landfills • Methane is produced in landfills • Landfill: Ann Arbor, Michigan • 7.5 year period • 43,600 MWh produced • Valued at $2.5 million • Could power ~ 1000 homes • End product is CO2 , however it emits no more than a coal plant of the same caliber

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