beginners guide to alternative energy

8/12/2019 Beginners Guide to Alternative Energy

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Alternative EnergyThe beginners guide


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What is Alternative Energy???

Alternative energyis typically defined as

coming from sources that do not deplete

natural resources or harm the environment.


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Why is this important today?


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Why is this important today?

Climate Change Climate changeis any long-term significant change in the

average weather that a given region experiences.Average weather may include average temperature,

precipitation and wind patterns. Peak Oil

Peak oilis the point in time when the maximum rate ofglobal petroleum extraction is reached, after which therate of production enters terminal decline. The concept is

based on the observed production rates of individual oilwells, and the combined production rate of a field ofrelated oil wells.


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Co2 Emissions = Climate Change?


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Who is creating this mess?

Worldwide Population 2008


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Oil will get more expensive


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Our Environment is at risk

Appalachian Mountain Top Removal


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Sea Level Rise

http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/ClimateTimeMac

hine/climateTimeMachine.cfm


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Why is it such a big deal?

Because the hydrocarbons in oil are

currently involved with almost everything

we touch, see or do. Oil is a factor in our economic growth

Cheap oil = inexpensive construction and

development


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Ok, so what can we do??

We need to transition to more sustainable energy sourcesThe Role of Renewable Energy Consumption in the Nations Energy Supply, 2007

Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuel


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Yeah well why would I be interested?

Your future depends on it!

More exciting than that is that itll be the next growth boomin factitll be the largest creation of wealth weve ever seen.

150 Billion was invested in Clean Technologies during 2007


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What technologies are out there?

Windgrowing at a rapid rateU.S. Leads World in Wind Power Production

August 14, 2008

The United States now leads the world in the amount ofelectricity it generates from wind energy, according to theAmerican Wind Energy Association (AWEA). bringing thetotal installed U.S. wind capacity to 19,549 MW.

While that still lags behind the roughly 23,000 MW installed in

Germany, the stronger winds in the United States are yieldinggreater power production despite the smaller generatingcapacity.


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What does our wind resource looklike?


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How does wind work?

Wind energy is actually a form of solar

energy, created by the uneven heating of

the Earths surface. Hot air rises, replacedby cooler air, resulting in wind. Since air

has mass, wind air in motion has

kinetic energy, which is transformed by

some form of windmill.


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What about the sun?

The energy in Sunlight striking the earth for

40 minutes is equivalent to global energy

consumption for a year.


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How does Solar technology work?

Photons are created in the center of the sun by

the fusion of atoms. It takes a photon about a

million years to work its way to the surface of the

sun, but once free it is hurled through space sofast that it reaches earth in just eight minutes -

after traveling 93 million miles.

Solar power cells convert sunlight into electricity,

using the energy of speeding photons to create an

electrical current within a solar panel.


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Silicon Cells vs Thin Films (CIGS)

Silicon currently accounts for 90% of solar

The have a 13-20 % efficiency

Relies on the supply of Silicon, which canbe a costly resource.,

Thin Films are newer technology based on

CIGS which are copper, indium, gallium,and selenium


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Solar IDEAS


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So what is holding us back?

Cost.

Change

Technology


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What to look forward to?

Off shore wind projects

Thin film solar


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What can you do?

Get informed

Play a role in a sustainable future by being

conscience of your role on the planet. If you find the Earth, our future and the

health of generations to come as a passion

of yours then get involved and learn more!


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beginners guide to alternative energy

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