Renewable Energy Sources Chapter 18

Producing Electricity Photovoltaic Cells Solar Power Tower Tides Wind Hydroelectric Geothermal Biomass

Heating and Cooling Passive Solar Biomass Geothermal

Fuel for Transportation Biomass Hydrogen Fuel Cells Photovoltaic Cells

Every hour enough energy from the sun reaches the Earth to meet the world’s energy demands for a YEAR!

Solar Energy

Solar cooker

Passive Solar Heating (2:14 mins)

Passive Solar Heating

ADVANTAGES –Free energy –No pollutants –Safe DISADVANTAGES –Is there enough available sunlight in all areas? –Sometimes needs back-up heating source

Active Solar Heating

ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –Safe DISADVANTAGES –Requires maintenance –Is there enough available sunlight in all areas? –Requires a backup hot water source

Solar Water Heaters Should governments require measures, such as solar water heating in new buildings, as part of an energy efficiency plan?

Photovoltaic (Solar Cells) Photovoltaic cells at your housePhotovoltaic farm (power plant)

Photovoltaic Cells 1.Sunlight strikes semi-conductor 2.Electrons move 3.Energy can be stored in battery (1:07 mins)

Photovoltaic Cells ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –Safe DISADVANTAGES –Expen$ive! –Need large surface area –Unattractive –Is there enough available sunlight in all areas? –Requires a backup electricity source

Hydrogen Fuel Cells How it Works: –Combines H with O to produce energy –Can be fueled by anything with H in it Natural gas, alcohol, gas –Gives off water

Hydrogen Fuel Cells ADVANTAGES –H is abundant –Non polluting DISADVANTAGES –Not very efficient to produce Takes electricity to split water and produce H –Expensive –Needs to be stored at high pressure

Hydroelectric Dam

Hydroelectricity ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –Electricity is cheaper per watt than coal. –Flood control –Reservoir for recreation & irrigation DISADVANTAGES –Floods upstream land and reduces flow downstream –Tremendous environmental damage during construction –Dam construction is extremely expensive –Displaces people from homes

Offshore Turbines

Tidal Barrage

Tidal Energy How it works: –Offshore Turbines Similar to underwater windmills –Tidal Barrage Similar to hydroelectric dams

Tidal Energy ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –More predictable than solar and wind DISADVANTAGES –May affect marine ecosystems –Unattractive –Expensive to build –Affects shipping

Will it become a widely used form of energy in the future?

Wind Energy GE commerical:

Wind Energy

ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –Well developed technology –Cheap DISADVANTAGES –Unattractive –Can only be in windy areas –Noisy –Kills bats

Wind graph from pg. 495 Double axis – what is it trying to show? Write a title

Geothermal Electricity

Geothermal Energy for electricity How it works: –Uses Earth’s heat to create steam to make electricity –Hot Dry Rock Method Pump cold water below ground Turns to steam Extract pressurized steam Turns turbine, turns generator, creates electricity

Geothermal Heat Pump

Geothermal Energy - overall ADVANTAGES –No pollutants –Minimal environmental damage during set-up –Predictable DISADVANTAGES –Limited availability on Earth –Can deplete the water reservoirs

Biomass How it works: –Burn organic matter to produce heat –Examples: Wood (#1 in world usage) Municipal Waste (garbage) Sugar cane (Hawaii) Chicken droppings – 1:25

LA airport has implemented a pilot program…use bacteria to break down food wasted from airline meals to generate electricity. The methane produced by the bacteria is transferred to a power plant, where it is burned to generate electricity.

Biomass ADVANTAGES –Reduces “wastes” –Sell extra electricity to public DISADVANTAGES –Some gas emissions –Neighborhood opposition Who wants to live near a plant that burns trash or chicken poop?

Trash to steam

Green Design Elements

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Hearst Building, NY

Parking Garage, CA

Dunkin’ Donuts, FL

Hillside Home, CA

Green homes Net Zero House in Bainbridge Greenest home in america - (~1:50) LEED platinum/gold (~4:36)

LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Cardinals are Green too!

Photo Scavenger Hunt DO –Think of a green element that addresses each building basic. –Get me to sign your pass –Take a picture –Write your reasoning –Return back to the classroom by _____. 1 minute early and you get an extra point! DON’T –Disrupt any classes –Split up –Be late