Sustainable Energy

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Sustainable Energy
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Definition

• A system that is sustainable can maintain
  indefinitely a set of key characteristics within
  specified ranges.
• Sustainable energy policy considers social,
  economic and scientific aspects.
• Brundtland Report (UN - 1987) Sustainable
  development meets the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs.

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Balancing Two Views

• Human-centered view
• Maintain living standards Includes health,
  social, and economic standards
• Bio-centered view
• Ecological/Environmental protection Includes
  pollution, ecological diversity and global
  warming
• They consider similar issues, but place different
  importance on specific aspects.
• Human-centered capital is often interchangeable.
• Bio-centered is difficult to characterize/exchange
  .

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Defining Key Characteristics

• Role play
• The Consumer
• The Energy Corporation
• The Environmentalist
• The Government
• How do the key characteristics and sacrifices
  vary?

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Why Sustainability Now?

• Expansion/Globalization give access to greater
  resources without commensurate understanding of
  effects.
• Tragedy of the Commons Hardin, 1968
• Economic system does account for increases in the
  social cost of energy.
• Desire to decouple our economic, social and
  national interests.

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Why Sustainability in Engineering?

• The systems/issues are technical.
• System optimization
• Infrastructure development
• Exploiting new resources
• Sustainability principle yields more appropriate
  engineering answers.
• Emphasize efficiency and long term value
• Inclusion of more parties that might be affected
• Engineered solutions in other contexts

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Difficulties with Engineering Sustainability

• Determination and measurement of the
  sustainability indicators are difficult.
• Include highly complex systems (climate)
• Few accurate mathematical models (economics)
• Not well-suited for mathematical analysis
  (social, ecological)

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Precautionary Principle

• Precautionary Principle Where there are
  threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack
  of full scientific certainty shall not be used as
  a reason for postponing cost-effective measures
  to prevent environmental degradation. (UN 1992)
• Safe until proven harmful harmful until
  proven safe have significantly different
  implications in the face of inconclusive data.

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Where We Stand

• Energy sustainability depends upon
• Effective energy reserves
• (net reserve) (energy to extract, convert
  transport) (non-energy uses)
• Effective renewable energy (the asymptote)
• We can affect through
• Efficient production and use
• Changing use patterns
• Integration of renewables/cogeneration

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U. S. Energy Consumption
TOTAL 102 eJ 102x1018 J
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (March
2001)
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Global Consumption
Region of Industrialization/ Modernization
1 toe 7.33 barrels
Data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy
2003
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Potential in Renewables

• Solar
• 150x150 mi2 Si-cells to power the U.S.
• Ignores some serious engineering hurdles
• Distributed system increase area requirement
• Cells produce x20 their cost in energy
• Amortized w/ mortgage, .25/kWh over life
• Wind
• Producing energy at about .05/kWh (1997)
• Estimated 12,000 MW in U.S. by 2015 (compare to
  an estimated 1000 GW demand) w/ current rate of
  growth

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Energy Use by Fuel
Energy Information Authority (DOE) -- 2003
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Technical Issues

• Reliability
• The U.S. Electric Grid is a vital national
  interest
• Availability of resource
• Modularity and Scalability
• System response time
• Construction lead time
• Integration and intertie

Technology ?? Policy