ELECTRICITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Using heat to make steam Using heat to make pressurized steam, which turns the turbine. “Thermal Electricity Generation”

How does oil or natural gas generate electricity?

How does coal generate electricity?

How does wood generate electricity?

How does nuclear generate electricity?

Vermont Yankee – 510 MW

How does a river generate electricity?

The Moore Hydro Dam on the Connecticut River – 140 MW Above the dam and below the dam and from space

A Very Large Hydro Dam

How does wind generate electricity?

Searsburg VT wind turbines – 6 MW total output of 11 turbines

Even though wind does not produce greenhouse gases, it does have environmental impacts. What are they?

2 MW turbine ~500kW – 1 MW – 2 MW ~400 ft tall Searsburg Newer wind farms 3 MW turbines now being installed in Lowell Vermont have a total height of 459 ft! 6 MW turbine ~700 ft total height!

How can the sun turn a turbine to make electricity?

An array of mirrors shine sunlight on a target to make steam 300 mega-Watts (MW) Spain

Solar power tower from a distance

Parabolic mirrors focus the sun on a tube to make steam

How can the sun make electricity without a turbine or magnets and coils?

Photovoltaic panels use sunlight to move electrons

How can geothermal heat make electricity?

How can we generate electricity from dairy farms?

How can we generate electricity from garbage in landfills?

Human power! How many watts can you generate?

This Habitat house in Charlotte uses 1/20 th the energy of a typical house in Vermont – LOTS of insulation plus windows on the south side make this possible

The greenhouse effect: Who needs it?? (life on earth!)

The greenhouse effect magnified: What causes it?

The greenhouse effect magnified: What are the effects?

Climate Change

Climate Change: What can you do to help?