Title: Ch. 18 Renewable resources!!
1Ch. 18 Renewable resources!!
2Renewable energy energy from sources that are
constantly being formed
- Solar - sun
- Hydroelectric moving water
- Wind
- Biomass organic material
- Geothermal Earths heat
- Tidal - waves
3Solar Energy - energy from the sun
- Nuclear Fusion creates energy on the sun
- Only a fraction of this reached the Earth
- But, this is enough to power
- The wind (wind power)
- Plant growth (biomass)
- The water cycle (hydroelectricity)
- Nearly all renewable energy sources come from the
sun!!!
4Passive Solar using the sun to heat something
directly (ex through windows)
5Active Solar collecting the suns energy to heat
buildings or water (ex solar cells or panels)
- Energy production from solar has doubled every 4
years since 1985!!
http//videos.howstuffworks.com/science-channel/50
15-invention-nation-solar-panels-video.htm
http//solarsc.net/video/examples/how-solar-panels
-work.html
6Costs of Solar Energy
- All costs are up front costs, then savings follow
- Solar pool heater - 3000 - 4000
- Home solar water heater 1000 - 3500
- (includes installation)
- 1 kW power system 10,000 15,000
- 2 kW power system 16,000 - 20,000
- 5 kW power system 35,000 - 45,000
- (will power most homes)
- You can get federal tax credits up to 2000 and
some state tax credits as well
7Wind Power
- Heat from the sun does not warm the earth evenly,
causing the flow of air masses wind - Fastest growing energy source
- Cost is decreasing
8 Wind Farms
- Farmers can sell excess energy back to their
local utility!! - The windiest places on Earth could generate 10
times more energy needed on earth!! - Problem Transporting the energy from rural areas
to where it is needed
9Biomass Power - any organic matter that is used
as an energy source
- Plants material, manure, methane, alcohol
- Major source of energy in developing countries!
- Problems
- cutting too many trees can cause severe
environmental problems - Burning can release large amounts of air pollution
10Methane a byproduct of decomposition
- Britains first Dung-Fired Power plant using the
methane released from cow manure for energy - US uses some energy from methane produced from
landfills!
11Ethanol
- Produced from biomass!
- Benefits
- Renewable
- Less emissions
- Cons
- Takes lots of land
- Rise in produce prices
12Hydroelectricity energy produced by moving water
- 20 of the worlds electricity
- Leading Countries
- Canada
- US
- Brazil
- China
- Russia
- Norway
13Hydroelectric Energy
- Benefits
- Inexpensive to
- operate
- No air pollution
- Last longer than fossil fuel plants
- Flood control
- recreation
- Disadvantages
- Changes a rivers flow
- Reservoir floods the area
- Displaces people
- Reduces water flow
- Destroys salmon fisheries
- Dam failure
- Sedimentation
Today the era of large dam construction is most
likely over We are now using micro-hydropower
14Geothermal Energy energy from heat in the
earths crust
- US is the worlds largest producer of geothermal
energy
15Costs of Geothermal Heat Pumps
- Heat pump 3,500 - 7,500
- Drilling/installation 10,000 - 25,000
- You can get federal tax credits up to 2000 and
some state tax credits
16Alternative Energy energy sources that are
still in development
- How to get off the alternative list?
- Prove it is cost effective
- Environmental effects must be acceptable
- Current Alternative energy sources
- Tidal Power Ocean
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
- Hydrogen
17Tidal Power
- Tides the movement of water caused by
gravitational attractions between the sun, Earth
and the moon. - Currently used in
- France
- Russia
- Canada
Cost is high and not many places suitable enough
18Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
- Warm ocean surface temperatures and cold
subsurface temperatures are used to create
electricity - Surface temps boil water making steam.
- Cold subsurface water cools the steam
- Problems
- Pumping water costs too much
- Pumping cold water to the surface could cause
problems
19Hydrogen??
- The most abundant element in the universe!
- Burning it produces water vapor not pollution
- Electricity is used to split water molecules to
get hydrogen gas - Challenges
- Takes a lot of energy to make
- Not safe to store
20Fuel Cells
- Combining Hydrogen and Oxygen produces
electricity and its byproduct is water! - No
Emissions!!
21Energy Efficiency - of energy put into a system
that does useful work
- Ex a light bulbs light output not its heat
energy - More than 40 of energy produced in the US is
wasted!! - How to improve
- Public transport
- More efficient engines, i.e. fuel cells
22Hybrid Cars
- Less emissions
- Small efficient gas engine
- Electric motor
- Convert breaking energy into electricity
- Aerodynamic
- Lightweight material
23Cogeneration
- Using the same fuel source for two forms of
energy - Ex wasted heat from a furnace can be used to
produce electricity
24Energy Conservation saving energy by reducing
use and waste
- How can we do this in our lives???
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26Energy Efficient Home