Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Chapter 16

Iceland Geothermal Energy

Core Case Study: Iceland’s Vision of a Renewable-Energy Economy (1) Supplies 75% of its primary energy and almost all of its electrical energy using Geothermal energy (sits atop volcanic diverging plate boundary) Hydroelectric power No fossil fuel deposits: imports oil Bragi Arnason: “Dr. Hydrogen” Energy vision – 100% renewable by 2050-2060 Use electricity to decompose H20 into H2 & O2 by electrolysis. Use H2 as hydrogen fuel for transportation

Core Case Study: Iceland’s Vision of a Renewable-Energy Economy (2) 2003: World’s first commercial hydrogen filling station 2003–2007: three prototype fuel-cell buses 2008: 10 Toyota Prius test vehicles Hydrogen-fueled Whale-watching boat: partially powered by a hydrogen fuel cell

16-1 Why Is Energy Efficiency an Important Energy Resource? Concept 16-1 We could save as much as 43% of all the energy we use by improving energy efficiency. Energy conservation – decrease in energy use based on reducing unnecessary waste of energy Energy efficiency – measure of amount of work we can get from each unit of energy used.

16-1 Why Is Energy Efficiency an Important Energy Resource? What % of energy in U.S. is wasted? 84% Unavoidable Loss? 41% Unneccessary Waste? 43% What is the value of the lost energy? $300 billion per year How much does that cost the U.S. each minute? $570,000 How can we save a lot of this money? Improve efficiency !

16-1 Improving Energy Efficiency What is the Second Law of Energy (Thermodynamics)? In any conversion of energy to useful work, some of the initial energy is always degraded to a lower-quality, more dispersed less useful energy – usually low temperature heat that flows into the environment.

2nd Law Spells Heat Loss

How do nuclear power and coal fired power plants compare? 16-1 Energy Efficiency Which pictured technology is most efficient? Least? Fuel cells 60% Incandescent lights 5% How do nuclear power and coal fired power plants compare? Nuclear Power Plant 17% Coal Fired Power Plant 34%

We Waste Huge Amounts of Energy (2) Four widely used devices that waste energy Incandescent light bulb Motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine Nuclear power plant Coal-fired power plant Possible alternatives for the “outdated four”

Processing & Transportation or Power plant Net Energy Efficiency What % of the energy from uranium ends up as useful heat in a house? 14% (1/4 of U.S. homes) Which step is least efficient? Processing & Transportation or Power plant What % of sunlight ends up as heat in a house? 90% !much better! What happens to the lost energy? It ends up as heat lost to the surroundings.

Passive Solar House Achievement 99% of heating & 95% of daytime lighting from the sun. Uses 1/10th of electricity of normal house. Costs of improvements saved in 10 months. Energy Saving Features? Superinsulating windows, thinner insulation, smart walls, computer controlled heat adjustments, solar cells partially earth sheltered

Passive Solar Design Elements Direct gain Green house, sunspace or attached solarium Earth Sheltered Thermal Mass Convection Loops Earth Tubes House is designed for air to naturally circulate by warm air rising and cool air sinking. Air coming into the house goes underground to equilibrate with the stable temperature of the ground. House is built into the Earth to use the Earth’s natural insulation. Heat absorbing materials built into the house to store heat collected sunlight. Attached space that collects energy of sunlight and cycles it through the house. House has windows and eaves oriented to collect Winter sunlight and exclude Summer sunlight.

We Waste Huge Amounts of Energy (1) Advantages of reducing energy waste: Quick and clean Usually the cheapest to provide more energy Reduce pollution and degradation Slow global warming Increase economic and national security Prolong fossil fuel supplies Reduces oil imports, improves energy security Very high net energy yield Buys time to phase in alternatives Creates local jobs

16-2 How Can We Cut Energy Waste? Concept 16-2 We have a variety of technologies for sharply increasing the energy efficiency of industrial operations, motor vehicles, and buildings.

Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) How is energy from burning gasoline in a car used for more than just driving? Recharge the battery, radio, power steering, AC, heating interior All reduce mileage except heating interior Kentridge is heated by steam radiators distributed from the boiler room. Power plants can use their steam after turning the turbines to heat the plant and nearby buildings. U.S. & China following Europe. In Germany businesses, apartment buildings & homes use small cogeneration units running on LPG or natural gas to produce all their heat and electricity needed.

Residential Cogeneration http://www.ballard.com/Stationary_Power/Cogeneration_Fuel_Cells/Default.htm

Household Cogeneration

We Can Save Energy and Money in Industry (1) Replace energy-wasting electric motors (Retire 150 power plants) Convert cement industry to dry kiln process – Save 42% NRG Recycling materials – Metals – Save 75% NRG Switch from low-efficiency incandescent lighting to higher-efficiency fluorescent and LED lighting

Compact Fluorescent Lighting Efficient: CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescents. A 22 watt CFL has about the same light output as a 100 watt incandescent. CFLs use 50 - 80% less energy than incandescents. Less Expensive: Although initially more expensive, you save money in the long run because CFLs use 1/4 the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as incandescents. A single 18 watt CFL used in place of a 75 watt incandescent will save about 570 kWh over its lifetime. At 8 cents per kWh, that equates to a $45 savings.(Would you buy $3 incandescent or $6 CFL?) Reduces Air and Water Pollution: Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting, we could retire 90 average size power plants. High-Quality Light: Newer CFLs give a warm, inviting light instead of the "cool white" light of older fluorescents. They use rare earth phosphors for excellent color and warmth. Versatile: CFLs can be applied nearly anywhere that incandescent lights are used.

LEDs - Anatomy of an LED Video Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10x as long as compact fluorescents, and 100x typical incandescents. Durable – no filament, not damaged when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken and hold up well to jarring and bumping. Cool - LEDs produce 3.4 btu's/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. This also cuts down on summer air conditioning costs in the homes & offices. Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs. More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/7th of Incandescents. Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs. Also, because these bulbs last for years, energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs. For example, many cities in the US are replacing their incandescent traffic lights with LED arrays because the electricity costs can be reduced by 80% or more. NY saving $6 million per year. (Drop how many power plants?) Cost-effective - although LEDs are expensive, the cost is recouped over time and in battery savings. For the AC bulbs and large cluster arrays, the best value comes from commercial use where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive. Light for remote areas - because of the low power requirement for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting.

Why Are We Still Wasting So Much Energy? Energy remains artificially cheap Few large and long-lasting government incentives What about the rebound effect? (Work out to eat more? Save money to spend more? Save energy and use it elsewhere?)

Regulatory Power Nevada 2007 – First state to set higher efficiency standards for higher lighting efficiency. All bulbs sold in Nevada must produce at least 25 lumens per watt. Will save consumers $1.3 billion by 2020. LEDs produce up to 90 lumens per watt. Vermont – adds small charge to monthly bill to fund efficiency to reduce demand. In 2006 saved 56 million kilowatt*hours. Federal U.S. phase out of incandescents by 2014! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7301572n

We Can Save Energy and Money in Industry (2) Electrical grid system: outdated and wasteful. Convert to save U.S. $100 billion per year Utility companies promote use of energy rather than discourage. California – First state to decouple energy sales from profits. Rates are adjusted to provide profits including rewards for meeting efficiency goals. Dow Chemical Company: improvements in efficiency saved 22% since 1996 at cost of $1 billion saving $5 billion.

We Can Save Energy and Money in Transportation Corporate average fuel standards (CAFE) standards Fuel economy standards lower in the U.S. than many other countries (See page 404 Figure 16-5) Fuel-efficient cars are on the market Hidden prices in the gasoline Should there be tax breaks for buying fuel-efficient cars, or feebate?

More Energy-Efficient Vehicles Are on the Way Superefficient and ultralight cars – Ford Focus Gasoline-electric hybrid car – Prius, etc. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – New Prius, etc. City of Auburn just installed 1st charging station. Energy-efficient diesel car – favored in Europe Electric vehicle with a fuel cell – see apparatus extra credit to get it working!

Science Focus: The Search for Better Batteries Current obstacles Storage capacity Overheating Flammability In the future Lithium-ion battery Ultracapacitor Viral battery Using nanotechnology

We Can Use Renewable Energy in Place of Nonrenewable Energy Sources Solar energy: direct or indirect Geothermal energy Benefits of shifting toward a variety of locally available renewable energy resources Forms of renewable energy would be cheaper if we eliminate Inequitable subsidies Inaccurate prices

16-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy? Concept 16-3 Passive and active solar heating systems can heat water and buildings effectively, and the costs of using direct sunlight to produce high-temperature heat and electricity are coming down.

16-3 Passive Solar Energy How are seasonal changes in sunlight designed into the house below? What is passive solar heating? Sunlight is captured directly within a structure & converts it into low–temperature heat for space heating. Heat is stored in walls & floors made of materials like concrete, brick, stone, or tires & is released slowly throughout the day. Low winter sun comes thru while high summer sun is blocked.

We Can Design Buildings That Save Energy and Money (1) Green architecture – Showare Center Living or green roofs – find in downtown Seattle Straw bale houses – Styrofoam dental office in Bonney Lake U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

We Can Design Buildings That Save Energy and Money (2) Two buildings that were designed with energy in mind Georgia Power Company in Atlanta, GA (U.S.) Ministry of Science and Technology Building in Beijing, China

Solar Energy & Passive Solar Heating A passive solar & superinsulated design is the cheapest way to heat a home in regions where sunlight is available more than ___% of daylight hours. 60% Where in the U.S. does this apply to? All but Western Washington!

Case Study: The Rocky Mountain Institute—Solar Powered Office and Home Location: Snowmass, CO (U.S.) No conventional heating system Heating bills: <$50/year How is this possible?

We Can Cool Buildings Naturally A few years ago the news announced that energy use for Summer air conditioning had finally surpassed the use of energy for Winter heating. New technologies available for cooling include: Superinsulation and high-efficiency windows Overhangs or awnings on windows Light-colored roof Reflective insulating foil in an attic Geothermal heat pumps (do AC too!) Plastic earth tubes underground – the ground stays cool! Plant deciduous trees to block the Summer Sun. Evaporative air conditioners.

Home Energy Efficiency How can home energy efficiency be improved? Superinsulated homes Tankless water heaters – my neighbor. Fix air leaks with caulking and weather stripping. Straw bale homes Passive solar heating High efficiency natural gas furnaces & appliances Heat pumps in warm climates Energy saving windows Set higher energy efficiency building codes Switch to flourescent or LED lights

We Can Heat Buildings and Water with Solar Energy – Figure 16-10 Passive solar heating system – sunlight Active solar heating system – solar collector distributes energy as directed Countries using solar energy to heat water

We Can Use Sunlight to Produce High-Temperature Heat and Electricity Solar thermal systems Central receiver system Other collecting systems Unfeasible for widespread use? High cost? Low net energy yields Limited suitable sites Sunny, desert sites

Active Solar Heating How is the solar energy being used? solar collectors absorb solar energy & a fan or pump supplies the building’s space or water heating & space heating needs Where in the world is this common? Cyprus & Jordan up to 65% of homes Japan about 12% Australia about 37% Israel about 83% U.S. About 1.3 million homes

Direct Solar Energy Generating high temperature heat & electricity What is the net energy ratio of these systems so far? 0.9 but new technologies always get cheaper with numbers. © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

Big Solar – Industrial Strength Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) built in 1980s & 1990s. Uses parabolic mirrors & steam turbines in the Mojave Desert. Built in 30-50MW installments every 7 years. 354MW total at present. 3 more solar plants came online in 2009. By 2010 3 more will come online to make 500MW total. Pacific Gas & Electric contracted to produce another 550MW by 2011 or 2012. Ausra using less expensive flat mirrors to produce 177MW by 2011 or 2012. Stirling Energy has contracted w/ San Diego Gas & Electric to deliver 900 MW & with California Edison 850MW using steam pistons. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in 2007 the largest solar array in North America was completed using 70,000 PV cells.

We Can Use Solar Cells to Produce Electricity (1) Photovoltaic (PV) cells (solar cells) Convert solar energy to electric energy Design of solar cells Benefits of using solar cells Solar-cell power plants Near Tucson, AZ (U.S.) 2007: Portugal

Producing electricity by Solar Energy solar energy can be converted directly into electrical energy by photovoltaic cells sunlight striking silicon atoms creates an electrical current electrical energy is stored in batteries for use when the sun is not shining

Solar Electricity © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP

We Can Use Solar Cells to Produce Electricity (2) 1997 Total PV production was 126 MW 2010 reached 7300 MW 35% average annual increase Solar-cell systems being built or planned in Leipzig, Germany South Korea South California (U.S.) China California passed SBI in 2006 “Million Solar Roofs”

We Can Use Solar Cells to Produce Electricity (3) Can generate enough to power your home and earn credit supplying the utility grid with excess Key problem High cost of producing electricity Will the cost drop with? Mass production? SEGS in Mojave Desert Original cost $0.28/KW. Latest cost $0.16/KW New designs: Parabolic to Flat mirrors; steam turbines to steam pistons Nanotechnology?

The Solar Power Industry Is Expanding Rapidly – Fastest growing Solar cells: 0.2% of the world’s electricity 2040: could solar cells produce 16%? Germany: huge investment in solar cell technology General Electric: entered the solar cell market Google completed 1.6MW PV system in 2007 at corporate headquarters. Walmart announced in 2007 installation of 20MW in California & Hawaii & goal of 100% renewable energy.

States have the Initiative 29 states & DC have enacted “renewable portfolion standards” Arizona committed to 15% by 2025 Montana committed to 15% by 2015 New Hampshire & Montana committed to 25% by 2025 California mandated 20% by 2010 & 33% by 2020 Solar power creates 7 to 10 times the jobs as coal.

Trade offs of Solar Cells Advantages: Fairly high net energy Work on cloudy days Easily expanded or moved No CO2 Low enviro impact Last 20-40 years Low land use (roofs) Reduce fossil fuel use Disadvantages: Need access to sun (S64&65) Low efficiency Need to store daylight electricity for night Enviro costs not included in market price Costs not yet competitive High land use (plants) Disrupt desert areas DC current convert to AC

16-4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Producing Electricity from the Water Cycle Concept 16-4 Water flowing over dams, tidal flows, and ocean waves can be used to generate electricity, but environmental concerns and limited availability of suitable sites may limit the use of these energy resources.

We Can Produce Electricity from Falling and Flowing Water Hydropower World’s leading renewable energy source used to produce electricity Hydroelectric power: Iceland Micro-hydropower generators (I thought of it years ago!) Suitcase size generators that can be placed in any stream or river to produce electricity with little environ impact. Power your cabin!

Pros and Cons of Hydropower Advantages: Mod to high net energy High efficiency (80%) Large potential Low cost electricity Long life span No CO2 emissions Can help control floods Provides irrigation water Reservoir for irrigation Disadvantages: High cost of construction Flood danger of collapse Enviro cost not included. Uproots people Decreases fish harvests Decreases flow of silt as natural fertilizer

Tides and Waves Can Be Used to Produce Electricity (1) So far, power systems are limited Norway, Nova Scotia New York City 300 turbines in East River Turbines may turn to face the flow. Portugal – powering 15,000 homes Northern California, coast of Ireland & U.K. Few suitable sites Vulnerable to corrosion & storms Sustainable potential will prompt continued research.

16-5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Producing Electricity from Wind Concept 16-5 When environmental costs of energy resources are included in market prices, wind energy is the least expensive and least polluting way to produce electricity.

Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an Important Step toward Sustainability (1) Wind: indirect form of solar energy Spin of large turbines converted into electrical energy Second fastest-growing source of energy What is the global potential for wind energy? Wind farms: on land and offshore (1st offshore wind farm approved in 2010 for stronger steadier wind.) See S68 & S69 Total installed wind power surpassed 35,000MW in 2009, enough to power 97,000 homes.

Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an Important Step toward Sustainability (2) Where is the “Saudi Arabia of wind power?” North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Texas Does wind power make sense in Washington? Eastern Washington & Oregon farmers Community Based Energy Development – CBED A farmer who owns his own wind turbines can generate $25-30K per year for 1st 10 years & $100K per year after installation costs repaid. How much electricity is possible with wind farms in those states? 2.5 x the entire country’s present production capacity

Producing Electricity from Wind Energy Is a Rapidly Growing Global Industry What countries have the highest total installed wind power capacity? Germany, United States, Spain, India, Denmark Installation is increasing in several other countries In 2009, wind accounted for 39% of all new installed power plants

Pros & Cons of Wind Power Advantages: Mod to high net energy High efficiency Mod capital cost Low electricity cost (& falling) Very low enviro impact, no CO2 Quick construction, easy to expand Can locate at sea Land below available for farming Steady winds needed Back up systems needed when winds are low Enviro costs not in market price High land use Visual pollution Noisy if close to people Can kill migratory birds

16-6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Biomass as an Energy Source (1) Concept 16-6A Solid biomass is a renewable resource, but burning it faster than it is replenished produces a net gain in atmospheric greenhouse gases, and creating biomass plantations can degrade soil biodiversity.

16-6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Biomass as an Energy Source (2) Concept 16-6B Liquid biofuels derived from biomass can be used in place of gasoline and diesel fuels, but creating biofuel plantations could degrade soil and biodiversity and increase food prices and greenhouse gas emissions. “Indonesia & Malaysia produced 87% of the world’s palm oil in 2006. To achieve this more than 6.5 million acres of irreplaceable tropical forests have been clearedfor massive palm oil plantations.” Each year in Borneo “plantation owners set huge fires to clear forests and expand their holdings, often directly in orangutan habitat. “The fires in Borneo in 1997&98 alone destroyed 5 million acres of rainforest and led to the deaths of an estimated 1/3 of the worlds orangutan population.”

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (1) Liquid biofuels include: Biodiesel & Ethanol Who are the biggest producers of biofuels? Brazil – Sugarcane to Ethanol The United States – Corn to Ethanol (Controversy!) The European Union – Germany uses rapeseed China

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (2) Major advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel produced from oil Biofuel crops can be grown almost anywhere No net increase in CO2 emissions if managed properly Available now

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (3) Studies warn of problems: Decrease biodiversity – rainforest destruction Increase soil degrading, erosion, and nutrient leaching – corn most fertilizer intensive crop Push farmers off their land – corporations grab land to grow plantations & force small farmers off in corrupt countries One villager in West Kalimantan (Malaysia) lost his farm in 2006 “I went to my land one morning and found it had been cleared. All my rubber trees, my plants, had been destroyed.” Raise food prices – less corn supply as food

Case Study: Is Ethanol the Answer? (1) Ethanol converted to gasohol (5% common) Brazil: “Saudi Arabia of sugarcane” Saved $50 billion in oil import costs since the 1970s United States: ethanol from corn Reduce the need for oil imports? Slow global warming? Reduce air pollution? Hawaiian Sugarcane Industry collapsed. Now poised to produce ethanol fuel on Kauai. How about Maui or the Big Island?

16-7 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy? Concept 16-7 Geothermal energy has great potential for supplying many areas with heat and electricity and generally has a low environmental impact, but locations where it can be exploited economically are limited. See S69 40 countries use geothermal energy 50% used by Philippines & U.S.

Getting Energy from the Earth’s Internal Heat (1) Geothermal energy: heat stored in Soil, Underground rocks, Fluids in the earth’s mantle Geothermal heat pump system for buildings Energy efficient and reliable for heating and cooling Environmentally clean Cost effective to heat or cool a space Built into 2 schools in Kent School District Estimated $25K to install at my home, would save me $1K per year.

Getting Energy from the Earth’s Internal Heat (2) Hydrothermal reservoirs Iceland See S69 Geothermal energy: two problems 1) High cost of tapping large-scale hydrothermal reservoirs 2) Dry- or wet-steam geothermal reservoirs could be depleted if used too fast. Hot, dry rock: another potential source of geothermal energy? Use oil drilling technology to drill 5km deep.

16-8 The Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydrogen as an Energy Source Concept 16-8 Hydrogen fuel holds great promise for powering cars and generating electricity, but to be environmentally beneficial, it would have to be produced without the use of fossil fuels.

Hydrogen Is a Promising Fuel but There Are Challenges (1) Hydrogen as a fuel Eliminate most of the air pollution problems Reduce threats of global warming Some challenges Chemically locked in water and organic compounds Fuel cells are the best way to use hydrogen CO2 levels dependent on method of hydrogen production

Hydrogen Is a Promising Fuel but There Are Challenges (2) Production and storage of H2 Hydrogen-powered vehicles: prototypes available Can we produce hydrogen on demand? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhroR7oELwA Larger fuel cells

16-9 How Can We Make a Transition to a More Sustainable Energy Future? Concept 16-9 We can make a transition to a more sustainable future if we greatly improve energy efficiency, use a mix of renewable energy resources, and include environmental costs in the market prices of all energy resources.

Choosing Energy Paths (1) How will energy policies be created? Supply-side, hard-path approach Demand-side, soft-path approach

Choosing Energy Paths (2) General conclusions about possible energy paths Gradual shift to smaller, decentralized micropower systems Transition to a diverse mix of locally available renewable energy resources Improved energy efficiency How? Fossil fuels will still be used in large amounts Why?

Economics, Politics, Education, and Sustainable Energy Resources Government strategies: Keep the prices of selected energy resources artificially low to encourage their use Keep energy prices artificially high for selected resources to discourage their use Consumer education

Case Study: California’s Efforts to Improve Energy Efficiency High electricity costs Reduce energy waste Use of energy-efficient devices Strict building standards for energy efficiency