1. Energy Alternatives
Ch 16

2. 16-3 Solar Energy

3. PASSIVE SOLAR What is it: Best used for: Best Locations:
absorb & store heat from the sun directly in a well insulated structure (no machines)
Best used for:
Space heating
Best Locations:
Someplace Sunny 

4. Figure 16.10
Solutions: passive and active solar heating for a home.
Fig a, p. 411

5. ACTIVE SOLAR What is it: Best used for: Best Locations:
Absorbing energy from the sun and pumping a heat-absorbing fluid through the house
Best used for:
Space or water heating
Best Locations:
1 in 10 houses in China, also in Germany, Japan, Greece, Austria, Turkey, Spain & Israel

6. Figure 16.10
Solutions: passive and active solar heating for a home.
Fig b, p. 411

7. Rooftop Solar Hot Water on Apartment Buildings in China

8. P & A
P & A
P & A
P & A
P & A
P & A A

9. Sustainable Energy: Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, U.S.

10. SOLAR THERMAL What is it: Best used for: Best Locations:
Concentrating heat from the sun into high-temperature thermal energy
Best used for:
Generate electricity
Can use directly for high temperature heating (like cooking)
Best Locations:
Mostly desert areas
Spain, California

12. Commercial Solar Power Tower Plant Near Seville in Southern Spain

13. Solutions: Woman in India Uses a Solar Cooker

14. SOLAR CELLS (PHOTOVOLTAIC)
What is it?
Photovoltaic (PV) cells (solar cells) convert solar energy to electric energy
Best used for?
Producing electricity
Best Locations
Current large power plants
Tucson, AZ (U.S.), Portugal, S. Korea, Germany
Google is installing on its roof (power for building plus 1,000 homes)
Could be distributed in rural or third world locations

15. Solutions: Using Solar-Cell Roof Shingles

17. Total Costs of Electricity from Different Sources in 2004

18. Solutions: Solar Cells for a Remote Village in Niger

19. Solar-Cell Power Plant in Arizona

20. 16-4 Water Power

21. HYDROELECTRIC What is it? Best use: Best locations:
Using the kinetic energy of moving water to produce electricity
Best use:
Electricity
Best locations:
Anywhere with falling water or the ability to build a large dam
We have used up most of the world’s sites

23. TIDAL POWER What is it? Best use: Locations limited:
Produce electricity from flowing water in the ocean tides and waves
Best use:
Electricity
Locations limited:
Current: France, Nova Scotia
Working on installing in New York City

24. TIDAL POWER Disadvantages Few suitable sites High costs
Equipment damaged by storms and corrosion 24

25. 16-5 Producing Electricity from Wind

26. WIND What is it? Best use: Locations:
an indirect form of solar energy, the kinetic/mechanical energy is captured by turbines and converted into electrical energy
Best use:
Produce electricity
Locations:
Dominated by Europe right now
The Great Plains are our “Saudi Arabia of wind power”
North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Texas

27. Solutions: Wind Turbine and Wind Farms on Land and Offshore

28. Electricity from Wind Energy Is a Rapidly Growing Global Industry
Countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity
Germany
United States
Spain
India
Denmark
Installation is increasing in several other countries

30. Wind Energy Is Booming but Still Faces Challenges
Drawbacks
Windy areas may be sparsely populated
Winds die down; need back-up energy
Storage of wind energy
Kills migratory birds
“Not in my backyard”

31. 16-6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Biomass as an Energy Source

32. Solid Biomass
Biomass isn’t on your chart, it is useful but it is unlikely that it will be a large scale contributor for industrialized nations.

33. BIOFUELS Best use: Biggest producers of biofuels What is it?
Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from plants and plant wastes (biodiesel & ethanol)
Best use:
Replace gasoline in transportation
Biggest producers of biofuels
Brazil
The United States
The European Union
China

35. BIOFUELS Disadvantages: Studies warn of problems:
Decrease biodiversity
Increase soil degrading, erosion, and nutrient leaching
Push farmers off their land
Raise food prices

36. Natural Capital: Rapidly Growing Switchgrass in Kansas, U.S.

37. ABC Video: MTBE pollution

38. 16-7 GEOTHERMAL

39. GEOTHERMAL Best used for Locations What is it? Electricity generation
Geothermal energy taps the heat stored in the earth’s soil, underground rocks and fluids in the earth’s mantle
Best used for
Electricity generation
Space heating
Locations
Iceland, and any place that has “hot” crust
Particularly out west for US

40. Getting Energy from the Earth’s Internal Heat (2)
Geothermal energy: two problems
High cost of tapping large-scale hydrothermal reservoirs
Dry- or wet-steam geothermal reservoirs could be depleted

41. Natural Capital: A Geothermal Heat Pump System

43. 16-8 Hydrogen as an Energy Source

44. HYDROGEN FUEL CELL What is it: Best used for:
Combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity (by product is water vapor)
Best used for:
Replacement for oil
In homes to replace electricity

45. A Fuel Cell Separates the Hydrogen Atoms’ Electrons from Protons

47. Solutions for a More Sustainable Energy Future?

48. Solutions: Decentralized Power System

49. What Can you Do? Shifting to Sustainable Energy Use