Stabilizing climate: Shifting to renewable energy
1 Shifting energy economy
2 Turning to the wind
ND, KS, and TX
- Have enough harnessable wind energy to run the entire US economy.
SD is developing a megawatt wind farm.
- Produces 5x the energy needed for all state residents
Wind energy can be exported.
Scotland is developing an off-shore wind farm.
- Produces almost all of the energy needed for the UK
Wind farms can be planted among crop fields and livestock grazing areas.
2.1 Analyzing the availability of wind energy in the United States
Faster than 6.5 m/s suitable for wind farm
Purple, red, and blue
- The best locations for home wind turbines
Orange and pink
- Could provide substantial home energy use savings
2.2 Wind resource in Georgia
Plans for Georgia’s Wind Energy Make Slow Progress – But State Utilities Still Push Forward
2.3 Home wind turbines
Home Wind Power: Yes, in My Backyard! (YIMBY)
U.S. Department of Energy’s Guide to Small Wind Electric Systems, a free publication for homeowners
Possible problems
- Not enough wind
- Injury to birds
- Zoning restrictions
- Cost
- HOA
3 Solar cells and thermal collectors
Photovoltaics (PV) ⇒ Electricity
Solar thermal collectors (STC) ⇒ Heating
Both are made from silicon-based semiconductors and thin films.
Both convert sunlight directly into energy.
STC can convert sunlight into heat. For example, rooftop solar water heaters.
PV use is growing 45% annually.
Initially, PV production was located in Germany, US, and Japan.
Solar cells convert 15% of solar energy into a usable form.
4 Solar energy to villages
4.1 Andean (South America) villages
Candles ⇒ Solar cells
Cost for solar cell installation over 30 months < Monthly outlay for candles
4.2 Indian villages
Villagers in India use kerosene lamps, yet can install solar systems for $400.
Kerosene lamps
- Account for 29% of CO2 emission in these regions
- Use 1.3 million barrels of oil per day (half the oil production of Kuwait)
A solar PV system replaces two kerosene lamps and will pay for itself within 4 years.
Then becomes a free source of electricity.
4.3 International solar energy programs
Buying a solar PV system ⇒ Buying a 25 year supply of electricity
The initial cost is high ⇒ The World Bank and the UN Environment Program
The World Bank helped over 50,000 homeowners in Bangladesh to purchase solar cell systems.
5 Energy from the earth
The heat in the upper six miles of the crust = 50,000x energy found in oil and gas reserves
Half the world’s generating capacity is found in the US and Philippines.
Electricity from geothermal power plants
- Iceland 27% of their electricity
- Philippines 26%
- El Salvador 23%
Near
- Volcanoes
- Shift plates: Potential earthquake zones
- Hot springs/baths: Geology study would be beneficial
5.1 Pacific Ring of Fire
Countries bordering the Pacific in the Ring of Fire
- Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, US, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia
5.2 Other geothermally rich countries
Along the Great Rift Valley of Africa
- Kenya, Ethiopia, those around the Eastern Mediterranean
5.3 Large-scale geothermal energy
Geothermal heat is used to grow vegetables in greenhouses during the winter.
- Russia, Hungary, Iceland, and the US
Aquaculture (fish farms) use warm water from underground.
- China, Israel, and the US
- California supports 15 fish farms producing over 10 million pounds of fish for supermarkets
If the four most populated countries along the Ring of Fire invested in geothermal energy, this would become the leading world energy source.
- US, Japan, China and Indonesia
How a Geothermal Plant Works (5 mins)
6 Plant-based sources of energy
Forest industry byproducts: Biofuels
Sugar industry byproducts: Bagasse & Molasses
- Another source of ethanol
- Sugar Industry and Utilization of Its By-products in Thailand: An Overview
- In 2016, Thailand used 30.68 million tons of bagasse to generate 3.9 billion kWh electricity
- Thailand 1.93 million liters/day ethanol from molasses
Urban waste—Sewage filtration and composting systems
Livestock waste—Sewage filtration and composting systems
Plantations of fast-growing trees—Silviculture
Crop residuals—Also can be used for feeding livestock
Urban tree and yard wastes
6.1 Other thoughts on plant-based energy
Byproducts, residues, and waste would be better sources of energy than corn fuel
- Do not put a drain on food supply
- Do not increase food prices
Waste-to-energy plants burn garbage for heat.
HOWEVER, we need to work towards a zero-garbage economy.
Recycle more than discard.
Burning garbage would not be the answer to our landfill problem.
- Harness methane for heat?
Crops are used to produce biodiesel and ethanol.
Liquid conversion of plant-based energy is more efficient than burning waste.
7 Hydropower: Rivers, tides, and waves
7.1 Not just dams—Kinetic wave power
Captures the energy of waves.
Float systems and coastline wave capture systems can convert the movement of waves to electricity.
This energy can be placed into the electricity grid.
7.2 Ocean current energy
7.3 Local examples of hydroelectric energy
Historic Sylvan Falls Mill
In Rabun Gap, GA
Celebrating its 175th year of operation
Unique in that it is located below a 100-foot cascading waterfall
Powered by a 27-foot water wheel
- One of the largest in the US
The original wheel was wooden.
A steel wheel was installed in 1950.
8 Energy
Primary energy
- Energy form found in nature, not human-engineered yet
- Energy received as input to a system that generates secondary energy
Secondary energy
- Human-engineered energy such as electricity
- Energy generated by converting primary energy
- Delivered to end users for final consumption
8.1 Energy flow
8.2 Primary energy flow
8.3 Total primary energy supply (TPES)
\begin{split} \mathrm{TPES}&=(\mathrm{Production}+\mathrm{Imports})-(\Delta\mathrm{Storage}+\mathrm{Exports})\\ &=\mathrm{Production}+\mathrm{Imports}+\mathrm{Initial~Storage}-\mathrm{Final~Storage}-\mathrm{Exports} \end{split}
Example
- Production: 1,000 kg of oil equivalent
- Imports: 500 kg of oil equivalent
- Initial Storage: 200 kg of oil equivalent
- Final Storage: 400 kg of oil equivalent
- Exports: 300 kg of oil equivalent
- TPES = 1,000 + 500 + 200 - 400 - 300 = 1,000 kg of oil equivalent for domestic use
8.3.1 TPES per capita (kg of oil-equivalent)
8.3.2 The World Bank 2013 TPES data
9 Homework: TPES individual assignment
Energy data of a hypothetical country
- Production: 5,000 kg of oil equivalent
- Imports: 6,000 kg of oil equivalent
- Initial Storage: 2,000 kg of oil equivalent
- Final Storage: 1,000 kg of oil equivalent
- TPES: 5,000 kg of oil equivalent
How many kg of oil equivalent does this country export?
Now, if this country didn’t import any primary energy (Imports = 0), yet kept the same TPES, how many kg of oil equivalent would this country be able to export?