CHAPTER 20: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

By: Jack PhilbinDr Unfried APES2/9/10

ENERGY EFFICIENCY a measure of energy produced

compared to energy consumed. Our current energy technologies are

extremely inefficient and much potential energy in fuels is wasted.

Conservation is the best way to alleviate these issues

COGENERATION production of both electricity and

steam in the same plant.

Increases efficiency by 50%

One of the fastest growing energy sources

SOLAR ENERGY The amount of solar energy reaching

the earth's surface is approximately 10,000 times all the commercial energy used each year.

Passive Heat Absorption- Using natural structures just to gather and store heat

Active Solar Systems- Pump a heat-absorbing fluid through a small collector

SOLAR ENERGY CONTINUED Parabolic mirrors aew

curved reflecting surfaces that collect light and focus it into a concentrated point

These are used in High-Temperature Solar Energy, as a fluid is run through a central tube to the collector.

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS Capture Solar Energy and convert it

directly to electrical current

Separate electrons from Parent Atoms, and accelarate them across an electrostatic barrier

ELECTRICAL ENERGY Electrical energy is difficult and

expensive to store. Different Batteries have different

drawbacks, from corosive acid to lifespan, to storage capacity.

The Sodium-Sulfur battery has potential for large-scale storage, but are extremely expensive

FUEL CELLS Devices that use ongoing

electrochemical reactions to produce an electrical current.

Provides direct-current electricity as long as it is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen.

When run on pure oxygen, waste is minimal.

BIOMASS Plants capture about 0.1% of all solar

energy that reaches the earth's surface.

Wood provides less than 1% of the energy in the United States

Overall, United States wood burning has increased, though it is inefficient and has a high level of pollution

DUNG AND METHANE FUELS In countries with wood shortages,

Animal Manure is burned When it is burned, more than 90% of

the potential heat and most of the nutrients are lost.

Burning methane extracted from Dung is much more efficient, less of a pollutant, and can help fertilize land.

BIOMASS FUELS Ethanol and methanol are produced by

anaerobic digestion of plant materials with high sugar content.

Biofuel is a mixture of gasoline and ethanol, and is often used in automobile engines

HYDROPOWER Water power is about 25% of total

electrical generation Currently, we use only about 10% of

the available water power. Dams produce most of the Hydropower

in the United States Micro-hydro generators are able to

power single homes when submerged in current

WIND POWER Wind power has the capacity to

produce 50 times the world nuclear generating capacity.

Endless resource, does little damage Concentrated in large collections of

wind turbines known as Wind farms

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY The earth's internal temperature can

provide a useful source of energy Has been used in industrial processes,

agriculture, and sometimes aquaculture

No mining or transportation of fuels, and little waste disposal.

TIDAL AND WAVE ENERGY AND OTEC Similar to Hydroelectric Dams Major environmental impact concern,

as it disrupts aquatic habitats to a great extent

Ocean Thermal Electric Conversion- uses heat from sun warmed upper ocean layers to evaporate a working fluid.

Cost, Saltwater corrosion, and ecological destabilization are the downsides

OUR ENERGY FUTURE None of the energy sources mentioned

will completely replace fossil fuels Renewables provide about 40% of the

energy produced in the U.S.(World Energy Council 2007)

By the end of the 21st century, Renewables should make up all of our energy production, according to the same council

WORKS CITED http://www.wec.cz/en/documents/

20wec2007/2007%20Survey%20of%20Energy%20Resources%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

(World Energy Council Summary)

Cunningham & Co’s Environmental Science: A Global Concern: Ninth Edition