Module 06 Renewable Energy (RE) Technologies & Impacts (continued)

1. Module 06 Renewable Energy (RE) Technologies & Impacts (continued) - Use of RE sources in electricity generation, in transport, and in other energy consumption modes Ecological impacts of RE sources, and mitigation measures

2. RE technology options: • Hydroelectric • Solar Photovoltaics (Solar PVs) • Solar Thermal (Solar T), • also known as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) • Wind • Geothermal • Marine (Wave and Tidal) • Biofuels (Biomass, Bioethanol and Biodiesel) Anything else?

3. Wind Energy Wind power report. 7th ed. London: ABS Energy Research; 2010

4. Wind Energy Top 05 wind energy users Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

5. Wind Energy Onshore wind farm Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

6. Wind Energy Top 10 onshore wind farms until 2010 Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

7. Wind Energy Top 10 proposed onshore wind farms Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

8. Wind Energy Offshore wind turbine Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

9. Wind Energy Large offshore wind farms Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

10. Wind Energy Rotor blade Nacelle with gearbox and generator Swept area Drawing of the rotor and blades of a wind turbine Rotor diameter Hub height Tower Underground electrical connections (front view) Foundation (side view)

11. Wind Energy Rotor blade Rotor diameter Gearbox Generator Rotor diameter Nacelle Tower Rotor blade Generator Gearbox Horizontal axis Vertical axis

12. Wind Energy Wind turbine size • In a large modern wind turbine, • - the generator can be 100 times of the size of a similar turbine in 1980, • blade length has increased almost 8 times over the same period. • the rotor diameter ranges from 40 to 90 m, and is rated between 500 kW and 2 MW Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

13. Wind Energy "Aerogenerator" is a machine that rotates on its axis and would stretch nearly 275 m from blade tip to tip and would stand nearly 600 ft high above the waves. Each turbine should be able to generate enough electricity to provide 5,000-10,000 homes.

14. Wind Energy - Sway (Norway) is planning to build massive floating turbines that would stick straight out of the sea from 100m-deep floating "masts" anchored to the seabed. - An EU-sponsored research project is also investigating 8 –10 MW turbines. - American and Danish companies are planning 9 MW machines. - Full-scale prototypes of all three leading designs are expected to be complete within three years. - These projects have the potential to transform the global energy market forever.

15. Wind Energy Wind turbine size However manufacture of a large wind turbine could be hampered by factors like special reinforced materials and bespoke lifting vehicles, etc. Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

16. Wind Energy each Lens measuring 112 meters in diameter, can provide enough energy for an average household.

17. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts Noise impact: - stress symptoms (headaches) appeared in those who were annoyed by the presence of wind turbines - wind turbines cause noise in two main ways: mechanical noise and aerodynamic noise - the low-frequency aerodynamic noise of wind turbines can bother people by causing sleep disturbances and hearing loss, and can also hurt the vestibular system The vestibular system (which contributes to balance in most mammals and to the sense of spatial orientation) is the sensory system that provides the leading contribution about movement and sense of balance. Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

18. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Noise impact (mitigation): • noise of wind turbines can be significantly minimized by putting obstacles in the propagation path • wind turbines should be built at least 2 km away • house structure could be optimized to block out the noise • - serrated blade can reduce the noise level by, on average, 3.2 dB Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

19. http://www.jimprice.com/prosound/db.htm

20. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Visual impact: • it is subjective • - quantification of potential visual impact can improve the public’s acceptance of the innovation Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

21. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Effect on birds: • birds are killed by wind turbines The amount of birds that are killed this way is negligible compared to the deadly results of other human activities such as deforestation and urbanization. Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

22. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Effect on birds (mitigation): • in a wind project in Texas, avian radars are set to detect birds in the area; the system will stop the wind turbines if there is a potential danger to birds from the turbines • professional wildlife surveys can also be carried out before wind farm construction in order to understand the breeding and feeding behaviors of local birds, which helps to minimize the danger imposed on the birds Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

23. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Climate change: • - as the scale of wind farms becomes larger and larger, they may cause changes in local climates • in Xilingo League, Inner Mongolia, precipitation data showed that there has been an unprecedented drought since 2005, and that this drought developed much faster in wind turbine areas • at the San Gorgonio wind fields in the US, giant wind turbines was found to change local temperatures by warming surface temperatures at night and cooling them in the daytime Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

24. Wind Energy Advantages of offshore wind farms • - wind blows harder and stronger so that it can provide greater productivity when larger turbines are installed. • - huge potentially productive areas available offshore for large wind farms • - wind turbines are far enough from the shore and human life that the issue of visual impact and noise can be ignored. • some efficient but noisy wind turbines, like two-blades and downwind ones, can be used. Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

25. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts Effect on animals: - some sensitive marine mammals, like dab and salmon, can perceive pile-driving pulses at a considerable distance during the construction and operation of wind turbines, thus, their behaviors can be affected by these off-shore wind turbines Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

26. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts • Climate change: • - Simulations of wind turbine’s climatic impact showed that wind power can induce climate change at continental scales, but that its effect on the global average surface temperature is minor. • turbulence in the wake of wind turbines may cause local climate change by mixing the air up and down • turbulence in the wake of the turbines can also change the direction of the high-speed wind at the surface, which would enhance local moisture evaporation Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

27. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts The photograph shows the turbulence field behind the Horns Rev 1 offshore wind turbines (160 MW; Denmark). Unique meteorological conditions on 12 Feb 2008 at 1300 hours resulted in the wind turbines creating condensation (i.e. clouds) of the very humid air, thus making it possible to see the turbulence pattern behind the wind turbines. http://www.ict-aeolus.eu/about.html

28. Wind Energy Environmental Impacts Hurling ice: Leung DYC, Yang Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16 (2012):1031–39

29. Wind Energy Wind energy has a great potential and has rapidly developed over the past 25 years.

30. Electricity generation by energy source: Source: Tables 11 and 13, International Energy Outlook 2011

31. Wind Energy Designed by a student of Arizona State University http://archinect.com/blog/article/21451130/here-goes-please-comment

32. Wind Energy The design will fit on the horizontal steel tube along with the highway signage. Shaped like an axis, the wind turbines would be powered by the whooshing of the wind caused by the passing vehicles rushing at the average speed of 70 mph. Each single wind turbine will be able to produce 9.600 kWh of energy, annually even if the average wind speeds is kept at a minimum of 10 mph. This energy is sufficient to light up a 700 sq ft apartment. http://archinect.com/blog/article/21451130/here-goes-please-comment

33. Wind Energy Mag-Wind Vertical Axis Turbine • 1100 kWh/month in a 13 mph average wind; • 5 kW rated output in 28 mph wind at sea level with 80% relative humidity. • Rooftop Urban or Rural Setting

34. Wind Energy - spinning in the lightest of breezes! - low rotation speed! - magnetic levitation alternator - higher reliability - silent output - max power 2500 W 1.8m 2.7m

35. Wind Energy 3 MW pilot wind power project at Hambantota The project was commissioned in March 1999. The total project cost was around Rs. 280 million. It consists 5 wind turbines of 600 kW each.

36. Wind Energy Small-scale Wind power in Nikeweritiya, Sri Lanka - by Practical Action Villagers are trained to do all the installation and maintenance work themselves. Turbine parts are made by local people, from local materials.

37. Wind Energy The small wind system is approximately 12 m tall, produces 250 W at a rated wind speed of 8 m/s. It costs approximately $550, and should last about 20 years. It powers compact fluorescent light bulbs, a radio, and/or a television. At peak wind times there is excess power that can be used to charge batteries. Small-scale Wind power in Sri Lanka - by Practical Action