Energy and the Environment Renewable Resources and Alternative Energy

1. Energy and the Environment Renewable Resources and Alternative Energy

2. Energy efficiency calculation: energy efficiency (in %) = energy in/energy out X 100 Ex. light bulb efficiency = proportion of electrical energy that reaches the bulb and is converted into light energy rather than into heat Most of our devices are fairly inefficient More than 40 % of all commercial energy used in the United States is wasted Most of it is lost from inefficient fuel-wasting vehicles (internal combustion engines), furnaces, and appliances and from leaky, poorly insulated buildings

4. Renewable energy -- energy from sources that are constantly being regenerated or replenished. Important aspect of sustainability

5. Renewables Major Renewable Energy Sources • Hydropower • Biomass • Geothermal • Wind • Solar

7. Solar Energy: • We utilize two types Active Solar & Passive Solar Active Solar: Technologies like solar panels (photovoltaic cells) are used to convert solar energy into electrical energy.

8. Active Solar Heating -- energy from the sun can be gathered by collectors and used to heat water or to heat a building Solar collectors, usually mounted on a roof to capture the sun’s energy

9. Active Solar Energy In a solar water heating system, a liquid is pumped through solar collectors. The heated liquid flows through a heat exchanger that transfers the energy to water, which is used in a household.

10. Photovoltaic cells Solar cells were invented more than 120 years ago, and now they are used to power everything from calculators to space stations. Sunlight falls on a semiconductor, causing it to release electrons. The electrons flow through a circuit that is completed when another semiconductor in the solar cell absorbs electrons and passes them on to the first semiconductor.

11. Photovoltaic cells or solar cells convert the sun’s energy into electricity • no moving parts, run on nonpolluting power from the sun • So why don’t solar cells meet all of our energy needs? • produces a very small electrical current. • So meeting the electricity needs of a small city would require • covering hundreds of acres with solar panels. Solar cells also • require extended periods of sunshine to produce electricity. • This energy is stored in batteries, which supply electricity • when the sun is not shining. • Solar cells have great potential for • use in developing countries, where • energy consumption is • minimal and electricity distribution • networks are limited.

12. Solar Panel Pros: • gives off no pollution, the only pollution produced is the manufacturing of the devices in factories, transportation of the goods, and installation. • produces electricity very quietly. • harness electricity in remote locations. • space saving,can be installed on top of many rooftops. • cost-effective,initial investment costmay be high, once installed, they provide a free source of electricity, which will pay off over the coming years. • decreases dependence on fossil fuels.

13. Solar Panel Cons: • initial cost • only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. • weather can affect the efficiency of solar cells. • pollution can affect efficiency.

14. Solar Potential for the US Solar also has a large potential for growth - total incoming solar radiation equates to about 3,000 times more solar energy than total energy used worldwide.

15. Passive Solar: uses the sun’s energy to heat something directly.

16. In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to: • collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter • must be well insulated with thick walls and floors in order to prevent heat loss • reject solar heat in the summer • Doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices. • Key  take advantage of the local climate. • Consider: window placement and size, thermal insulation, thermal mass, and shading.

17. Passive solar buildings are oriented according to the yearly movement of the sun. In summer, the sun’s path is high in the sky and the overhang of the roof shades the building and keeps it cool. In winter, the sun’s path is lower in the sky, so sunlight shines into the home and warms it.

18. Another use of passive solar – heat water for household use.

19. Passive Solar Pros: • Renewable. No fuels required. • Non-polluting. Carbon free except for production and transportation. • Simple, low maintenance. • Hot water provides some storage capacity. • Operating costs are near-zero. • Quiet. Few or no moving parts. • Mature technology. • Good return on investment. • High efficiency. • Can be combined with photovoltaic cells in highly efficient cogeneration schemes.

20. Passive Solar Cons: • Intermittent. • Low energy density. • Does not produce electricity. • Supplemental energy source or storage required for long sunless stretches. • Expensive compared to conventional water heaters. • Construction/installation costs can be high. • Hard to compete against very cheap natural gas. • Visually unattractive to some. • Manufacturing processes can create pollution. • Produce low grade energy (heat vs. electricity). • Dependent on home location and orientation.

21. Hydropower • Largest form of alternative energy used • About 20 % of the world’s electricity is produced by hydropower. • The countries that lead the world in hydroelectric energy are China, Canada, Brazil, United States, Russia HIGHEST DAM IN THE UNITED STATES Oroville on the Feather River in California 770 feet LARGEST HYDRO PROJECT IN THE UNITED STATES Grand Coulee on the Columbia River in Washington 6180 MW

22. Hydroelectricity—Power from Moving Water Energy from the sun causes water to evaporate, condense in the atmosphere, and fall back to the Earth’s surface as rain. Gravity causes water to flow downwards -- this downward motion of water contains kinetic energy that can be converted into mechanical energy, and then can be converted into electrical energy at hydro-electric power stations

23. Large hydroelectric power plants have a dam that is built across a river to hold back a reservoir of water. The water in the reservoir is released to turn a turbine, which generates electricity. The energy of this water is evident shown in the spillway. Three Gorges Dam

24. How Hydropower Works Hydroelectric dams convert the potential energy, or stored energy, of a reservoir into the kinetic energy, or moving energy, of a spinning turbine. The movement of the turbine is then used to generate electricity.

25. Large dam construction • Industrialized (developed)countries have already tapped much of their potential. • Non-industrialized (developing) countries have the most untapped potential such as Brazil, India, and China. A modern trend is micro-hydropower, which is electricity produced in a small stream without having to build a big dam. The turbine may even float in the water, not blocking the river at all. Micro-hydropower is much cheaper than large hydroelectric dam projects, and it permits energy to be generated from small streams in remote areas.

26. Hydropower Generation Hydroelectric power production costs less than half of fossil fuel derived electricity (does not include construction costs).

27. Future of Hydropower Tidal Power: Wave Systems Tidal Power: Propeller Systems Tidal Power: Enclosures

28. Hydropower Pros: • • very clean,does not release air pollutants that cause acid precipitation • • inexpensive to operate • •provides other benefits such as flood control and water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and recreation

29. Hydropower Cons: • Provides about 5 to 10% of energy needs • Expensive to build • Dependability; prolonged droughts can cut electrical production in half or more. • Ecosystem above/below the dam is changed • Blocks migratory fish • Destroys habitats • When land behind a dam is flooded, people are displaced. • Dam failure —if a dam bursts, people living in areas below the dam can be killed. • As a river slows down, the river deposits some of the sediment it carries. This • fertile sediment builds up behind a dam instead of enriching the • land farther down the river. As a result, farmland below a dam can become less productive (loss of nutrients). • Recent research has also shown that the decay of plant matter trapped in reservoirs can release large amounts of greenhouse gases • Loss of aesthetic value

30. Wind Power • Use dates back thousands of years in the form of windmills, sailing ships, etc.

31. Wind Power—Cheap and Abundant Energy from the sun warms the Earth’s surface unevenly, which causes air masses to flow in the atmosphere. We experience the movement of these air masses as wind. Wind power, which converts the movement of wind into electric energy, is the fastest growing energy source in the world.

32. Simple technology Wind energy turns the fan blades, which turn the turbine to generate electricity. Technology development – more efficiently capturing wind (blade types) making towers that can work in high winds To optimize output, it is best to position wind turbines in areas of constant wind, yet these areas typically have high winds and can damage the windmills. Wind turns the blades and gears are used spin the generator.

33. In California, large wind farms supply electricity to 280,000 homes. In windy rural areas, small wind farms with 20 or fewer turbines are also becoming common. Because wind turbines take up little space, some farmers can add wind turbines to their land and still use the land for other purposes. Farmers can then sell the electricity they generate to the local utility. Pasadena, CA

34. Scientists estimate that the windiest spots on Earth could generate more than ten times the energy used worldwide. One problem of wind energy is transporting electricity from rural areas where it is generated to urban centers where it is needed. In the future, the electricity may be used on the wind farm to produce hydrogen from water. The hydrogen could then be trucked or piped to cities for use as a fuel.

35. Midwest has more than 90% of US potentialMontana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Minnesota

36. Wind Power Pros • Cost is very competitive, production costs are about 5 cents per kilowatt-hour (coal electricity is around 15 cents). • subsidies helped to create a viable market. • It is estimated that the costs could be lowered to 3-4 cents per kilowatt-hour as wind technology improves. Improvements in technology may also open less windy areas up for economically useful and viable wind power. Wind Power Cons • Reliability is a key issue, as the wind does not always blow. Requires a storage mechanism that compensates for reliability. • Recently, aesthetics has become a significant issue. • Killing of birds and bats from high blade tip speeds. • Disruption of natural wind patterns.

37. Atlantic City, NJ

39. Biomass Basics • Energy from the sun, • via photosynthesis in plants. • This is the same energy we use as food. • This is the same energy that made fossil fuels; fossil fuels are concentrated over time by the heat and pressure within the Earth. • The oldest form of energy used by humans: wood fire, a form of biomass. • In the developed world, biomass that was once thought of as waste is being used for energy.

40. What is biomass? • Energy from plants and plant-derived materials • Any plant tissue can be used for energy, but the faster the plant grows, the more useful it is.

41. Biomass—Power from Living Things Plant material, manure, and any other organic matter that is used as an energy source Fossil fuels are organic and can be thought of as biomass energy sources, but fossil fuels are nonrenewable. Renewable biomass fuels, such as wood and dung, are major sources of energy in developing countries. Although wood is a renewable resource, if trees are cut down faster than they grow, the resulting habitat loss, deforestation, and soil erosion can be severe. In addition, harmful air pollution may result from burning wood and dung.

43. The consumption of wood as an energy source has increased by nearly 80 percent since 1960. In developing countries such as Nepal, Burma, Guatemala, Congo (DRC), and Kenya, the use of fuelwood places an enormous burden on local environments. More than half of all wood cut in the world is used as fuel for heating and cooking

44. Methane can be burned to generate heat or electricity. In China, more than 6 million households use biogas digesters to ferment manure and produce gas used for heating and cooking. In 2002, Britain’s first dung-fired power station started to produce electricity. This power station uses the methane given off by cow manure as fuel. Similarly, some landfills in the United States generate electricity by using the methane from the decomposition of trash.

45. Biomass How does it work? How do we convert biomass energy to useful forms of energy? • Direct burning • Gasification • Co-firing • Fermentation

46. Methods to convert biomass to energy Direct burning: Plant material is chipped, dried, and then burned to boil water, make steam, and then electricity. This is a relatively inefficient technology and the most polluting method of energy from biomass. Gasification: The conversion of biomass into a gas and carbon powder. Process begins with pyrolysis. Biomass is combined with hot sand (800°C). This reduces biomass to gases and carbon powder. Cofiring: The use of biomass in combination with coal. Biomass cheaper than coal, so cofiring is cheaper than burning coal alone. It also produces less sulfur oxide pollution. It is easy to adapt current systems to cofiring. Fermentation: The production of alcohol (ethanol mainly) from sugars in biomass. The alcohol can be burned alone, or mixed with gasoline. Mixtures can range from 10% ethanol (often used to reduce pollution) to 100% ethanol. Ethanol is about as expensive as gasoline currently (although comparisons are hard to make due to the many subsidies for both). The net energy yield from ethanol is low.

47. Alcohol liquid fuels can also be derived from biomass. For example, ethanol, an alcohol, can be made by fermenting fruit or agricultural waste. In the United States, corn is a major source of ethanol. Cars and trucks can run on ethanol or gasohol, a blend of gasoline and ethanol. Gasohol produces less air pollution than fossil fuels do. For this reason, some U.S. states require the use of gasohol in vehicles as a way to reduce air pollution. Ethanol as a source of energy must compete with food production, and will have less dependability from year to year as climate change affects crops.

48. Currently we get less than 1% of our energy in industrialized countries from biomass. While biomass is compelling, as our population continues to grow the competition for arable land and water needed for food production is going to make a number of biomass options unsuitable. However, there are a number of these options that utilize forestry, agricultural, and even industrial waste (e.g. paper), as well as trash found in landfills and recycled nutrients from waste water treatment facilities. Not only are these more efficient input sources, but in many cases using them will also help to address waste disposal issue.

49. Future of Biomass Developing ideas • GMO “Energy Crops” - like Poplar and Willow trees which have been genetically engineered and bred for rapid growth • Algae - also grows rapidly • Biodiesel - Canola and Sorghum, etc. • Cellulosic Ethanol

50. Biomass Pros and Cons Pros: • Truly a renewable fuel. • Widely available. • Generally low cost inputs. • Abundant supply. • Can be domestically produced for energy independence. • Low carbon, cleaner than fossil fuels. • Can convert waste into energy, helping to deal with waste. • Cons: • Energy intensive to produce. • Land utilization can be considerable. • Requires water to grow. • Not totally clean when burned (NOx, soot, ash, CO, CO2). • May compete directly with food production (e.g. corn, soy). • Some fuels are seasonal. • Energy required to transport. • Overall process can be expensive. • Some methane and CO2 are emitted during production. • Not easily scalable.