1. ENERGY RESOURCES
EARTH SCIENCE

2. How is energy created? Most energy on Earth comes from the SUN.
Plants use and store energy (producers)
We consume plants to get their energy (consumers)
Fuel – materials that are burned to produce heat or power. Ex. Fossil fuels
We burn fuel to heat water into steam.
Steam can move a turbine (a big fan) that is linked to a generator which makes electricity.

4. Conventional Energy Sources
Fossil fuels are the major energy sources in the world (coal, oil, natural gas)
Fossil fuels are burned, adding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (can accelerate the greenhouse effect).
There are health issues involved with obtaining and burning fossil fuels.

5. Petroleum and Natural Gas
Petroleum is the natural crude oil found underground. This is refined (changed) into oil and gasoline.
La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles ooze crude oil
Petroleum and natural crude oil are not evenly distributed around the globe. The main producers are the Arab countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,Iraq, and Venezuela.
In many European and Scandanavian countries, gasoline costs A LOT more per gallon, even after the post hurricane Katrina price increase.

6. Renewable Vs. Nonrenewable Resources
Nonrenewable resources can NOT be produced, regrown, or reused faster than we use them.
Examples: Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource. We will run out of this type of fuel in the next 100 years.
Renewable resources ARE replaced faster than we use them.
Examples: solar radiation, tides, winds, moving water.
Resources to be managed in a sustainable manner: geothermal power, fresh water, timber and biomass

7. Keep In Mind…..
As we look at the alternatives to fossil fuels,
Would it make sense to invest the money to use that type of technology here?

8. Alternative ways to Provide Energy
Solar Energy
Hydroelectric Power
Nuclear Energy
Biomass
Geothermal
Wind Power
Tidal Power
Good ideas, but are they worth the money?

9. Solar Energy Solar energy - energy from the sun:
1356 watts / square meter of earth’s surface.
Advantages: free, clean source of energy with no carbon dioxide emissions.
Disadvantages: requires large and expensive solar panels, not constant.
What if the day is overcast, raining or snowing? You need a backup source of energy.

10. Passive Solar Design
Many new schools being constructed use passive solar designs.
Daylighting is used to light classrooms and the classroom lights are controlled by a sensor.
Buildings face south to maximize sunlight.
Hard to get classrooms dark for overhead projector or
Example of Daylighting at a Wake County school

11. 30 acre solar farm (under construction) Angier, NC

12. Energy from Water
Hydroelectric energy comes from gravity causing water to fall and turn a turbine. The turbine turns a generator and provides energy.
Advantages: Used in many places with large water sources, clean, reliable, no waste
Ex. Niagara Falls
Disadvantages: limited availability.
To use this type of energy, people would need to live near the water.

13. Niagara Falls, New York
There are several large hydroelectric power plants at Niagara Falls that generate 4.4 gigawatts of power.
Hydroelectric power produces no waste!

14. Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy :uses the heat from the Earth (to create steam to turn turbines. The turbines then make electrical current).
Advantages: cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly, but until recently was restricted to areas near the edges of tectonic plates.
Example: the country of Iceland uses geothermal power and makes enough energy to provide hot water to all houses free of charge (Dr. Bruck, NCSU).

15. Iceland’s Geothermal Nesjavellir Power Plant
The powerplant makes energy from the heat from the mid ocean ridge!

16. Geothermal Energy on a Smaller Scale
Geothermal heat pumps pump heat to or from the ground.
Uses the Earth as a heat source in the winter and a heat sink in the summer.
In theory, heat can be extracted from any source, no matter how cold.

17. Wind Energy Wind Energy: uses moving air. Advantages:
Clean, free source of energy
Disadvantages: Not practical in most cities or places with little wind.
Cost, possible noise, and the fact that birds fly into them.

18. Wind Energy
Appalachian State has lead efforts to install wind turbines on top of some of the mountains in Western NC. Good idea, or spoil tourism?
There are also efforts to install wind turbines down at the Coast.

19. Wind Energy on the NC Coast
The town of Corolla, NC set up a wind turbine.
Jockey’s Ridge is being considered for one.
Coquina Beach in South Nags Head powers a bath house with wind energy.
Large scale use of wind turbines off the coast have not been used due to seabirds, noise, and ugliness!

22. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy uses chemical reactions (radioactivity) that creates heat which heats water into steam. Ex. Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant provides energy to the surrounding area.
Advantages: Cleaner than burning fossil fuels, A lot of energy is made from small amounts of fuel.
Disadvantages: storage of spent fuel
(40,000 years!) is expensive, safety
and huge startup costs.

23. Cooling tower, Shaeron Harris Nuclear Plant, Fuquay Varina,NC.

25. Biomass energy
Biomass a renewable energy source made from the remains of plants and animal waste. Can be burned directly or used to create methanol gas.
Ex. Wood, dried crops and manure
Advantages: easy, used by many in the world.
Disadvantages: puts CO2 in the air when burned, stinky, it’s ugly, not economical on a large scale, water supplies may get contaminated.

26. Biomass Energy
Hog and poultry farms can use animal wastes and digest them with bacteria to make methane to burn.
Heat water  makes steam  turns turbine, makes energy.
Buncombe county landfill methane gas project – another great example of turning wastes into energy.

27. Biofuels – made from biomass.
* Ethanol – grain alcohol, made from sugar and grain crops
Advantages: Improves vehicle emissions.
Disadvantages: most of it is made from corn, which is a large staple in the world’s food supply, but makes gas mileage go down, Some amounts can cause problems with fuel systems in some cars.
* Biodiesel - use recycled vegetable oil.
2007 – McDonalds begins making biodiesel to power fleet from recycled oil.
Biofuels require as much energy to make it as you get out of burning it!