Solar and Wind Power Mariah Negrillo-Soor

WHY USE SOLAR ENERGY?? Potential to supply energy for full year BUT it’s expensive $$$ + difficult to store in large amounts Reduce heating costs learn more

HOW? Daylighting: buildings with a lot of windows = natural light = low heating + electricity bills Photovoltaic cells (energy storage like a car battery) absorb direct sunlight, convert to electricity WOWW So many windowssssss

HOW? Solar Towers: Thousands of mirrors direct tower which heats a liquid to steam Drives turbines; generate electricity

POTENTIAL VS. PROBLEMS Could be greatest energy source BUT: Need to find a way to concentrate, store, and make accessible Produce little to no energy on rainy/cloudy days Gov’t not into high costs, yet still subsidize or fund the use of fossil fuel 

NEW IDEAS Cells compress + pump air into underground caves  use to drive turbines HOT SALT: mirrors heat fluid in pipes  heats molten salt; retains heat  use heat to produce steam  steam powers turbines

TRANSPORTATION AC lines (alternating currents): Loses power over long distances DC lines (direct current) Doesn’t lose power over long distance Expensive; as demand increases price decreases

OKOTOKS, AB Solar panels heat glycol solution Solution flows through pipes in home Goes through more pipes to Energy Center Heat transfers to water Cycle begins again **EXCESS HEAT STORED UNDERGROUND FOR WINTER**

WIND u feel it

WHY? no CO2 omissions no acid rain Renewable Futuristic + pretty = WOWWW!?!

WIND FARMS Onshore: fast winds to get over hills + ridges = more power Little habitat destruction Few high elevations Tall because velocity high elevations (e.g rooftop turbines in Amsterdam and San Francisco)

WIND FARMS Offshore: built on continental shelves More dependable  no trees or buildings in the way Linked with cables to on shore generation systems More attractive? (some peeps don’t like them?)

FUN FACT 2003: plan for wind farm cancelled by Premier Campbell (Liberals) Favour private development This prevents BC Hydro from producing new power Wind power $$$ at first; private companies need incentives; not willing to compete with BC Hydro

Wind Farms in BC Clean Energy Act passed in 2010: BC Hydro promises to buy energy from wind farms + other clean energy projects Haida Gwaii: off shore farm proposed 2009  BC Hydro decides NOPE But proposal for Tumbler Ridge farm in 6 years Bear Mountain Wind Farm in Dawson Creek, BC

Wind Farms in Canada Largest just outside of Toronto Some in Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba St. Joseph wind farm in Manitoba = one of the largest in Canada!

Wind Farms in World Growing on people  fossil fuel = $$ (no good) Many advantages BOOM in wind power = low cost High demand = low price **Encourages economic growth** E.g offer money ($3-5000) to farmers to build on property Can humankind learn to coexist with nature ?!?

NOT PERFECT Not “aesthetically” pleasing; noisy (??) Blades can kill birds + bats May not be windy when needed  use with another energy source (*coughcough* solar) Careful little birdies

BLEAK FUTURE IF WE CONTINUE TO RELY ON FOSSIL FUELS