History Section 3

The New Energy Economy

Stuff from the test

• M. King Hubbert: predicted that oil production would irreversibly decline between 1965 and 1971

• Nitrogen:78%(most), Oxygen: 21%(second), Greenhouse gases: 1%( least)

• The US consumed about 97 quads of energy in 2012

Renewable energy Summary

• Renewable energy: energy from sustainable, natural elements• Renewable energy industry growing, esp solar and wind• But worldwide generation slow• Percent of global energy from renewable energy actually fell a

bit between 1990 and 2009• “achieving goal of halving global energy related CO2

emissions by 2050 would require double renewable generation by 2020”

• Fig 12, pie chart of sources of energy

Wind Power• Fasted growing electric power generation• In US, b/c of:

– Investment tax credits– Federal production– Grant and loans for farmers, ranchers, and rural businesses

with wind power– Renewable Portfolio standards, state regulations that require a

certain amount of energy produced by renewable power, adopted by 30 states

1970’s oil inspired push for alternative energyAs result, wind energy increased in CA early 80’sAnother increase in 90’s with research connecting climate change and fossil fuels

Wind Power

• Collected from turbines, and by spinning blades with wind• Blades connected to drive shaft, which turns the generator

and makes electricity• Benefits:

– Clean, small environmental impact– Wind producers pay landowners rent giving them extra income

Drawbacks: - intermittency, not easily controlled- Bird deaths- Ugly-looking

PV vs CSP Solar Powerphotovoltaic production( PV)

- solar cells that convert sunlight directly to electricity- cells are grouped into panels - fastest-growing renewable energy tech between 2000 and 2011- 2011, Germany and Italy over half global capacity

Solar thermal/electric power plants- aka Concentrating solar power (CSP)- concentrate solar energy to heat a fluid which makes steam to turn

a generator- built a few in the 80’s, but only re-emerged in US and Spain

Question

Explain the difference between PV solar power and solar thermal power

Solar Power

• According to IEA, solar could provide up to 1/3 energy demand after 2060( This was a question on the test!)

Benefits: - no fuel cost( still operating cost though)- no air pollution- low environmental impact- “peak shaving”- extra energy with extra sunlight

Drawbacks- not always reliable( night, clouds)

Biofuels• Made from biomass: renewable organic matter derived from plants or

animals• Ethanol: alcohol fuel from grain sugars, esp. corn

– Process of distilling ethanol not entirely efficient– Usually blended with petroleum fluids– Nearly all gas sold contains some ethanol– Any gas-powered engine can use gas with 10% ethanol

Biodiesel: renewable fuel made from vegetable oils, fats, or greases- Mostly soybean oil in US- Somewhat bad for environment though, forests cut to grow soy for

biofuel- Provides about 3% of transport fuel

Question

What is ethanol?

Geothermal Energy• Heat stored in rock and trapped in liquids like water or brine• Heat used to generate electricity• 3 uses: direct use, electricity generation, geothermal heat pumps• Direct use:

– Take hot water to bath with, cook with, generate electricity– Usually to heat buildings when hot water pumped through– 95% of buildings in Reykjavik use direct heating

Electricity generation:- Led by US- 20x increase predicted between 2011 and 2050

Geothermal heat pumps- Use temp. diff. between above ground air and subsurface to transfer eat to or from te

ground- Can transfer heat to home during winter, heat away from home during summer

Electricity grid and How it works• Electricity grid: a complex machine that produces power safely and

consistently• Power vs energy:

– Power is rate of energy use– Energy is quantity of electricity used over a period of time– Energy is power times time

Transfer of electricity:Generated at power plant into a large currentElectricity generated is transferred by a grid: network of transmission lines, generators, and localized distribution lines

Generators-transmission lines over long distance localized distribution lines individual homes or buildings that use the electricity

The Grid

• Needs to match peak demand for electricity( usually in evening)

• Have to balance technical, legal, and economic problems• Had down to science with fossil fuels• Changing with need for cleaner generation• Problem: clean energy not always reliable ( remember sun

and wind?)• To address concerns, 2 solutions: Smart Grid and Energy

Storage

Smart Grid• Uses info and communication between generator and consumer to

increase efficiency, reliability, and sustainability• Have to work with customers using strategy

– Demand response: to alter consumption patterns in response to diff. prices or reliability events

– Used to reduce peak demand– Demand shift: utility asks a customer to avoid electricity use at times

of peak demand

Energy Storage• 2 major problems: cost and market acceptance• Changing role in future grid operations• Flywheels

– Rotate to store rotational energy– More energy stored as speed accelerates

Compressed air energy Storage- Stores compressed air in an underground cavern or aboveground system of pipes- When stored energy needed, compressed air mixed with fuel, and combusted to

produce energy

Conventional pumped Hydro Storage- Pumps water from a low reservoir to a higher one during off-peak hours- Lets it flow back during peak hours

Energy Storage P. 2• Capacitors( Flux capacitor from back to the future, anyone?)

– Store energy in an electric charge– Useful for stabilizing voltage on grid

Batteries- Limited life- Bridge power applications

Electric vehicles- Charged in a controlled manner- Can store energy in battery and release energy- However, storage capacity is limited- Short life cycle of battery

A Flux Capacitor powered by plutonium

Why are public utilities regulated?

• Rates are regulated through gov’t• Limit the company’s profits• Limits consumer choice• States give utilities protected monopolies, but highly

regulated

Traditional Utility Regulation

• almost every state has different approach to regulation• Cant really accurately generalize• Most use some type of “cost-of-service” regulation– Serve through a monopoly or a number of competing

suppliersTraditional regulation, rates set by state agencies called Public Utility Commissions (PUCs)Set rates by how much money the plant needs to operate

Gas and Oil extraction

• Traditionally “exploring”, not sure where exactly oil is• Use new seismic imaging, but drilling is only way to identify

for sure• Shale Gas changes this– Turned exploration to farming– Shale Gas is gas residing in the source rock– Only recently is it cost efficient to get oil and gas from rock– Use horizontal drilling techniques and hydraulic fracturing– Shale gas has moved from supplying only 1%(2000) to

25%(2011)

Future of Energy Efficiency• Reduce amount of energy it takes to generate products• one of the greatest energy sources: do more with less• About 90% of energy used in incandescent bulbs is wasted (TEST

QUESTION FROM SCRIMMAGE!!!)• Compact fluorescent lights and light-emitting diodes are better

replacements• Also reduce energy lost in energy production• For every 9.5 units of energy produced, plant consumes 100 units• Also improve energy efficiency in transportation with Corporate average

fuel economy standards

Question

How much energy is wasted in traditional incandescent light bulbs?

Nuclear power Renaissance

• In 50’s, nuclear power thought as solution to all energy problems

• Nuclear generators used to power subs• Admiral Hyman Rickover helped create first

sub, US Nautilus powered by nuclear power, in 1954

• By late 1960’s, 50 nuclear power plants were built

Downfall of Nuclear Power with Disasters

• Three Mile Island, New York 1979– Partial meltdown– Thousands of residents fled– Halted rapid growth of nuclear power in US

• Chernobyl, Ukraine 1986– Really famous– 110,000 evacuated, 220,000 more in later years– Region closed off, probably for thousands of years til safe again

• Fukushima 2011– Earthquake and tsunami hit Japan– Destroyed plant, serial fires, meltdowns, explosions– Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company criticized

Question

What country was the Chernobyl disaster located?

Nuclear Power Today

• Nuclear power supplies over 11% of world’s total electricity• 39 new reactors commissioned between 2000 and 2010– Mostly in asian countries– Of 60 reactors currently under construction, 80% in China,

India, South Korea, and RussiaIn 2013, US has 64 nuclear power plants and 104 working reactorsIn 2012, construction permits issued for 4 new reactors

- first permits in 34 years

Small Modular Reactors

• Passive cooling and passive safety features that don’t need human intervention to work

• Safer, can be shut down if humans evacuate• Possible future for nuclear plants

But Wait, there’s more!

Study tips

• I know you all have lives outside of Acadeca, but for the test, here’s a few tips

• Over next month: – Use Robby’s awesome quizlet to review– Hold on to handouts– Try to read over the ENTIRE section once( 30 min per

section, about 1 and a half hours for the whole thing, but you have a month!)

– Remember important people, and generally what they did– They test on minute details, pay attention to those

Studying Tips• During Cram week:

– Don’t read over entire section: too big to retain everything, use only for reference

– Look over section summaries, good for refreshing memory– Go over worksheets– Make a timeline, with details, esp. Acts and DisastersAdditional stuff: This is a smaller section, don’t stress too muchPowerpoints are available, ask Miss Herbert or meIf confused on anything, ask the All knowing Alex, Rockin’ Robby, or (adjective that starts with sh) ChanelParticipate in the review game tomorrow, check your weaknesses in the practice test