ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Want what you have. Do what you can. Be who you are. - Mantra from Forrest Church-

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF MOST OF THE ENERGY ON EARTH?

THE SUN

WIND POWER SUPPLIES OVER 20% OF DENMARK’S POWER SUPPLIES ONLY ABOUT 0.5% OF U.S. POWER GENERATES POWER INTERMITTENTLY (TURBINES IN UK OPERATE AT ABOUT 28% CAPACITY) ESTIMATED THAT U.S. COULD SUPPLY ABOUT 20% OF ITS POWER FROM WIND

WINDMILLS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. THEY WERE USED IN PERSIA AS EARLY AS 200 BC TO GRIND GRAIN. THE DUTCH STARTED TO USE WINDMILLS TO PUMP WATER IN 1400.

IDEALLY, YOU WANT TO LOCATE A WIND FARM IN AN AREA WHERE THE WIND BLOWS AT LEAST 14 MPH MOST OF THE TIME. ON A WIND FARM, APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE LAND IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR FARMING. THE TOWERS ARE HOLLOW AND MADE OF STEEL. THE BLADES ARE MADE OF FIBERGLASS. THE NEW WINDMILLS ARE APPROXIMATELY 240 FEET TALL.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST WIND: 1.UNSIGHTLY - COMPARE TO A COAL MINE AND A COAL FIRED POWER PLANT 2.KILLS BIRDS - TRUE OF ANY TALL STRUCTURE 3.NOISY - NOISE PROBLEM MOSTLY SOLVED 4.INTERMITTENT - NO PROBLEM IF TIED INTO A GRID - COULD USE POWER TO CHARGE BATTERIES OR PRODUCE HYDROGEN 5.NOT PRICE COMPETITIVE - CHANGING

SOLAR POWER 1.SOLAR HEATING 2.SOLAR HOT WATER 3.SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS (ELECTRICAL GENERATION) 4.SOLAR LIGHTING

PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING

SOLAR HOT WATER

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS

SOLAR POWER PRICE IS COMING DOWN – CURRENTLY ALMOST COST EFFECTIVE AVERAGE HOME REQUIRES ABOUT 1.4 KILOWATTS TO OPERATE - PANELS ARE 125 WATTS, SO WOULD TAKE 12 OF THE LARGER SIZE SIZE IS ~59 in x 27 in COST IS $600 PER PANEL OR $7200 A COMPLETE PACKAGE FOR 368 kwh WOULD BE ABOUT $13,000

ARGUMENTS AGAINST SOLAR POWER: 1.IT IS INTERMITTENT - NO PROBLEM IF TIED INTO A GRID OR USING BATTERY BACKUP 2.POWER DENSITY IS LOW - NO LOWER THAN COAL OR HYDRO IF EVERYTHING IS CONSIDERED 3.NOT THAT GREAT AT HIGH LATITUDES - TRUE, CAN’T STICK IT WHERE THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE 4.NOT PRICE COMPETITIVE - PRICE IS COMING DOWN - ONCE A SYSTEM IS PAID FOR, THERE IS LITTLE EXPENSE

NUCLEAR POWER

FRANCE SUPPLIES 80% OF ITS POWER FROM NUCLEAR GLOBALY, NUCLEAR SUPPLIES 18% OF ELECTRICITY WITH NO CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS CAN SUPPLY LARGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY RECYCLING WASTE AND USING BREEDER REACTORS, NUCLER REACTORS COULD PROVIDE POWER FOR ANOTHER 2,000 YEARS

ARGUMENTS AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER: 1.SAFETY - NO CHERNOBYL TYPE REACTORS ARE BEING BUILT 2.WASTE - POLITICALLY, NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE A DECISION - CERAMIC BLOCKS IN DEEP ROCK FORMATIONS 3.BOMBS - NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE NOT BOMBS - FUEL RODS CANNOT BE USED TO MAKE BOMBS - THE TECHNOLOGY FOR PURIFICATION IS VERY DIFFICULT CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF NUCLEAR AS COMPARED TO COAL.

NEW PEBBLE BED NUCLEAR REACTORS WILL BE SAFER, SMALLER, AND CHEAPER TO BUILD. WILL USE LEGO CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES. THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF 40-50%. USES SEMI- INERT GAS AS FLUID, E.G. NITROGEN.

AS THE TEMPERATURE INCREASES, THE REACTION RATE DECREASES. IF THE SYSTEM FAILS, THE REACTOR TEMPERATURE GOES UP TO ITS “IDLE” TEMPERATURE AND REMAINS THERE. IT DOES NOT MELT.

HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS

STILL EXPENSIVE, BUT THE PRICE IS COMING DOWN VERY RELIABLE - USED AS BACKUP POWER IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY AND THE MILITARY BASICALLY, A HYDROGEN POWERED BATTERY

ARGUMENTS AGAINST HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS: 1.HYDROGEN IS VERY FLAMABLE - GOOD POINT 2.HYDROGEN CANNOT BE EASILY LIQUIFIED AND MUST BE STORED AS A GAS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE - GOOD POINT 3.NO HYDROGEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE - WILL REQUIRE FEDERAL SUPPORT

HYDRO POWER ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF POWER IN 2005, IT SUPPLIED ABOUT 7% OF ELECTRICITY FOR THE U.S.

NC HAS PROJECTS ON: YADKIN-PEE DEE BROADFRENCH BROADCAPE FEAR CATAWBAHIWASSEENEUSE NEWROANOKETAR LITTLE TENNESSEE

* Tapoco Hydroelectric Project Dams o Calderwood, Tennessee o Cheoah, North Carolina o Chilhowee, Tennessee o Santeetlah, North Carolina * Yadkin Hydroelectric Project Dams o Falls, North Carolina o High Rock, North Carolina o Narrows, North Carolina o Tuckertown, North Carolina ALCOA’S HYDRO PROJECTS IN U.S.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST HYDRO: 1.REQUIRES FLOODING LAND AND BLOCKING STREAMS - WELL, YES 2.NOT THAT MANY STREAMS THAT CAN BE USED 3.DEPEND ON HIGH FLOW - REDUCED FLOW DURING DROUGHTS A PROBLEM

OTHER SOURCES TIDAL CURRENTS EAST RIVER PROJECT