1. SustainableEngineering@Edinburgh The Future’s Bright, The Future’s Renewable! By: Aidan Johnson (s0673968); Cathal Treacy (s0840748); Hamish Connechen (s0673173) Louise McNab (s0675330) IMS3 Sustainability Module, March 2009. Group 13. Wave Energy What is Wave Energy? Wave energy is essentially a concentrated form of solar- derived energy, caused by wind blowing the surface of the sea and creating ripples, which then grow into larger swells. This kinetic and gravitational potential energy can travel for thousands of miles across the globe, with virtually no loss of energy Generated Power References - Renewable Energy Sources for Buildings. CIBSE publications: Norwich, 2006. 26 pp. - Renewable Energy Scottish Planning Policy. Crown Copyright, 2007. 21 pp. - Cruz, J. (2007) /Wave Power/. Edinburgh, 2001.. -http://www.sep.org.uk/catalyst/articles/catalyst_18_1_330.pdf -Sayigh, A., et al (2008) “Renewable Energy 2008”, /World Renewable Energy Network./ -http://www.daviddarling.info/images/wind_turbine_blades.gif Solar Energy What is Solar Energy? Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that can be converted into a renewable energy source. Solar power technologies provide electrical generation by such means as photovoltaic cells, turbines & stirling heat engines. The level of energy produced depends on location, time of day, time of year, and weather conditions. They use the Sun’s radiation to heat a large body of air (greenhouse effect lets light in, but does not let heat out). This hot air rises and the air movement is used as an energy source to drive large turbines which generate electricity. 1. CO 2 + H 2 → Methanol 2. CO 2 → Hydrocarbons 3. CO 2 → CO → Hydrocarbons Carbon Capture with CO 2 reuse What is Carbon Capture with CO 2 reuse? It is a new solution to the world of rising CO 2 levels and depleted oil and gas supplies. By capturing carbon from the air and reusing it to create hydrocarbons or methanol, we can produce a carbon- neutral fuel to be used, for example, in the aviation industry. There are three distinct methods in CO 2 reuse : Why are renewable energy sources important? The global increase in energy demand coupled with a heightened awareness of the environmental impact of current carbon-based economies has led to the development and implementation of renewable energy sources by many governments as a means to create a low carbon economy. The UK government has set a target to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by around 2050 with significant progress made by 2020. In order to achieve this, the UK government’s Energy White Paper concludes that renewable energy sources will need to contribute 30-40% of UK electricity generation (a large proportion of Greenhouse gases are due to emissions from power sources – see figure on energy emissions). To aid the progress towards this target, the Scottish Executive aims to have 18% of electricity generation within Scotland coming from renewable energy sources by 2010 and 40% by 2020. Renewable energy sources present a solution to both the problem of energy emissions and the depletion of carbon based fuels. Greenhouse-gas emissions in 2000, by source. Introduction to Renewable Energy What are renewable energy sources? Energy from naturally available sources that are constantly replenished and can be harnessed for human benefit. This includes energy from the sun, the wind and the tides as well as energy from replacement matter such as wood or other plant material. What do Solar Updraft Towers do? Europe has an average of 50 kW of wave power per metre-width of wave front. Currently, there are two wave power station sites being created in U.K. coastal waters – the first of which will have a capacity of 3MW. Wind Energy What is Wind Energy? Generated Power A modern wind turbine produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs dependent on wind speed. One 1.8 MW wind turbine can produce over 4.7 million units of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 1,000 households. Wind power is the energy derived from the kinetic energy of the wind. This kinetic energy is converted to electrical form through the use of wind turbines.