planning for energy
TRANSCRIPT
What is Energy?
Energy is power that allow residents to maintain post-industrial lifestyle in developed countries by activating factories, cars, and home appliances.
What are the energy issues?
The U.S. relies heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuel energy which causes climate change, soil, air, and water pollution.
The Federal government does not have a clear national energy policy.
U.S. Coal Power Plants produce more than 100 million tons of potentially toxic coal ash each year.
What are the energy issues?(Cont.)
A Pond with decades of coal ash broke through a dam & spilled over 300 acres at the Kingston Fossil Plant in December 2008.
According to the International Energy Agency, the U.S. is poised to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading oil producer by 2020.
More than 160-million-gallon of oil from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico devastated coastal ecosystem.
Goals
o Securing affordable long-term energy supplies
o Becoming more energy efficiento Conserving on the use of energyo Reducing energy related pollution
U.S. Energy Sources
13.84
27.820.6
8.05
2.67 3.78
2012 U.S. Energy Production by Source
Crude OilNatural GasCoalNuclearHydropowerBiomass
U.S. Energy Administration, Annual Energy Outlook, 2014
Oil
Refining petroleum into gasoline & burning gasoline in motor vehicles creates air & water pollution.
Horizontal drilling & hydraulic fracturing allowed to extract 6.4 million barrels a day.
Costs of guarding international oil supply routes are not being paid by consumers.
Natural Gas Produces ~ ½ as much in carbon
dioxide emission as coal. Cheap & Abundant reserves in U.S. More than ½ of U.S. residences are
being heated with natural gas. U.S is leading producer of natural gas. Natural gas is a potent greenhouse
gas, ~20 times more concentrated than carbon dioxide.
Coalo The largest coal reserves are in U.S.o Coal mining process pollutes soil &
water with acid mine drainage & methyl mercury.
o Burning Coal threats human health by emitting nitrogen dioxide & sulfur dioxide.
o 1.016 billion tons were used for 39% of total electricity & 20.6% of total energy needs in 2012.
o Coal mining is declining due to the price of natural gas.
Nuclear
The U.S. has more nuclear power plants than any other country.
Nuclear power plants last 60 ~ 80 years and need to be monitored and protected from natural disasters to prevent radiation leaks.
The plutonium that fuels nuclear plants is one of the most hazardous substances on earth.
Hydropower
The U.S. has more then 4,000 hydroelectric dams.
They generated fairly inexpensive electricity (~2.67% of total energy needs) in 2012.
They also decreased fish runs and flooded millions of acres.
Several older dams have been dismantled since the late 1990s.
Biomass Biomass is energy from plant and animal
products. Burning harvest slash & lumber pieces
can generate electricity & air pollution Extracting methane from decomposing organic
matter can generate electricity & carbon dioxide from daily
farm & landfills Extracting ethanol from corn
can be used to power cars, but economically not practical. It yields lower miles than gasoline & the ratio of energy returned from the ethanol to the energy invested is low.
U.S. Energy Consumption by Sector
17.61
30.5420.1
26.77
2012 U.S. Primary Energy Use by Sector
CommercialIndustrialResidentialTransportation
U.S. Energy Administration, Annual Energy Outlook, 2014
The Federal Government Offers subsidies for oil & gas development,
wind & solar installations, and creation of ethanol from corn.
Provides tax breaks for oil & gas development. Four federal agencies are dealing with
energy issues. (the DOE, the EPA, the BLM, and the U.S. Forest Service)
Promoted energy loans for development of efficient heating systems & hybrid cars.
Can make an agreement on the mix of energy sources.
The Department of Energy Founded in 1977. Prefers to focus on greater energy production &
efficiency rather than energy conservation. Working to
reduce dependence on imported oil. promote energy efficiency in homes & buildings. develop technologies that increase the
production of domestic oil and natural gas. develop clean coal technology, carbon capture,
nuclear fusion, the safe disposal of nuclear waste. Regulate the transmission & sale of natural gas, oil
and electricity.
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA has set energy & fuel efficiency standards for electrical appliances and conducting the Energy Star Program.
The EPA has not yet defined coal ash as hazardous waste.
The U.S. Forest Service
Monitors private energy companies which are extracting coal, uranium, oil, and gas from national forests.
The State Governments
Adopted renewable portfolio standards that require utilities to acquire a certain proportion of their energy supplies from renewable sources.
State energy offices have promoted energy efficiency &
conservation programs for new energy resource development.
Identify energy loss & recommend investment
Provide low-interest loans & tax credits for energy-saving projects
Building Codes
o Require new commercial, residential, and public buildings
o Alterations to existing buildings to meet energy efficiency standards
o Help building owners conserve energy & save money
The Local Government Zoning ordinances can promote
national security & economic sustainability by allowing mixed-use development around public transportation.
Subdivision regulations can require vegetative buffers around buildings to reduce cooling needs.
Can incorporate energy planning into the comprehensive planning process.
Land Use Patternso Sprawling
relies heavily on private motor vehicles
o Compact encourages walking, biking, public transportation
Case Study: Stairs vs Elevator
Last semester, I climbed stairs instead of taking elevators and counted times that I used stairs instead of an elevator for 13 weeks.
I was living on the third floor on my residence hall. So, I counted numbers when I passed third floors.
I developed my leg muscles and reduced electricity fee, the local communities’ fossil fuels, coals, and air pollution.
The elevator which is located in my previous residential hall is a hydraulic elevator with 3,500 lbs. of capacity.
It takes 2,021 kilowatt per hour. Michigan's electricity costs 13.60 cents/kWh for residential areas.
Case Study: Stairs vs Elevator(Cont.)
Michigan's electricity cost (13.60 cents per 1 kilowatt per hour) times the elevator’s electric usage (2,021 Kilowatt) is $274.86.
It is the price of operating the elevator per hour. The elevator takes 30 seconds from first floor to third floor.
Therefore, the elevator can take me from the first floor to the third floor 120 times in an hour.
Case Study: Stairs vs Elevator(Cont.)
Single operation cost of the elevator was $2.29 (274.86/120=2.29).
I went up and down stairs 1,914 floors and chose climbing stairs instead of taking elevators 638 times.
$1461.32 was saved. (638*2.29=1461.32) A single operation of the elevator from third floor
to first floor takes 16.84 Kilowatt. Since I didn’t take the elevator for 638 times,
10,743.92 kilowatt is saved.(16.84*638=10,743.92)
Case Study: Stairs vs Elevator(Cont.)
A ton of coal creates 2,460 kWh. 4.4 tons of coals were saved.
(10,743.92/2,460=4.4) Coal combustion emits 2.07 pounds
of carbon dioxide per kWh. 22239.91 pounds of carbon dioxide
were not emitted into the atmosphere just because I did not take elevators for 13 weeks.(10,743.92* 2.07= 22239.91)
Case Study: Stairs vs Elevator(Cont.)Total 638Michigan's electricity costs 13.6Cents/kWh The elevator’s electric consumtion 2,021KilowattThe price of operating the elevator per hour 274.86DollarsThe speed from 1st to 3rd 30Seconds
An hour 3,600 SecondsThe elevator's number of operation in an hour 120TimesThe costs of a single operation 2.29Dollars
Total number of floors 1,914 Floors
The money saved 1,461.32 DollarsThe electric consumtion of a single operation 16.84Kilowatt
The total saved electric energy 10,744.98 Kilowatt
The electic energy created by a ton of coals 2,460 KilowattThe number of coal saved 4.4TonsCoals' cabon dioxide emission per kilowatt 2.07Pounds
The number of preserved carbon dioxide emission 22,242.12 Pounds