Renewable Energy

By: Kaleila Simon, Lucas Marsh, Jerrad Nelson, Anders Pace, Brandon Brogan, Morgan Sim,

Evan Norman, and Mattie Stanford

What is renewable energy?

• Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat, which are renewable

(naturally replenished).• According to our book, only 7% of energy

consumption that is used in the U.S. is renewable energy

• The four main topics of renewable energy we are going to cover today is: Wind, Solar, Geothermal, and Hydroelectric.

Wind Energy

What is Wind Energy?

• Wind energy is a form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power.

History of Wind Energy

• By 1908 there were 72 wind-driven electric generators

• By the 1930s windmills were widely used to generate electricity on farms in the United States

• From 1974 through the mid-1980s the United States government worked with industry to advance the technology and enable large commercial wind turbines

• The world's first megawatt-sized wind turbine near Grandpa's Knob Summit in Vermont in 1941

Locations of Wind Energy

Wind energy in Idaho

• Windmills have provided power to pump water in Idaho for decades. More recently, new technologies such as wind turbines and wind energy converters have begun to generate electricity in Idaho, and more are in development.

How Wind is Converted to Energy

• Rotation is Converted to Electricity

• P = ½ ρ A v3 Cp

– P: Power Attained– ρ: Density of Air– A: Sweep Area of Wind

Blades– v: Velocity of Wind– Cp: Power Coefficient

Carbon Nanotubes

• Increase Rigidity• Less Spill• Increase Sweep Area

Airborne Wind Turbines

• Reach Higher Altitudes• Increased Wind Speed

Power Harvesting at Low Wind Speeds• Can Operate and Low and High Wind

Speeds• Can Work Inside Cities

Bladeless Wind Power

• Uses Piezoelectric Discs Inside Hollow Pole

• Converts Wind into Compression

• Piezoelectric Discs convert Compression into electricity.

Solar Energy

Local/Commercial Examples, Cost Efficiency, Conclusion

How Efficient is Solar Energy?

• Efficiency depends on location, general climate, and geography

Commercial Applications

• Global– Planta Solar 10 (PS10); Andalucia, Spain

• Local– Colorado Integrated Solar Project (“Cameo”)– Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project; Nevada

Commercial Applications

• Global– Planta Solar 10 (PS10); Andalucia, Spain

• Local– Colorado Integrated Solar Project– Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project; Nevada

Commercial Applications

• Global– Planta Solar 10 (PS10); Andalucia, Spain

• Local– Colorado Integrated Solar Project– Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project; Nevada

Commercial Applications

• Global– Planta Solar 10 (PS10); Andalucia, Spain

• Local– Colorado Integrated Solar Project– Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project; Nevada

Commercial Applications

• Global– Planta Solar 10 (PS10); Andalucia, Spain

• Local– Colorado Integrated Solar Project– Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project; Nevada

Residential Applications

• Temperature exchange• Electricity– Solar water heating– Incentives

• Passive construction• Cost

Residential Applications

• Temperature exchange• Electricity– Water heating– Incentives

• Passive construction• Cost– Initially high– Foreign market– Incentives

Residential Applications

• Temperature exchange• Electricity– Water heating– Incentives

• Passive construction• Cost– Initially high– Foreign market– Incentives

Residential Applications

• Temperature exchange• Electricity– Water heating– Incentives

• Passive construction• Cost– Initially high– Foreign market– Incentives

Bottom Line…

• Efficiency

• Commercial Use

• Residential Use

Solar Energy

Brief History• In 1839 Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect which explains how electricity can be

generated from sunlight. •Over 100 years later, in 1941, Russell Ohl invented the solar

cell, shortly after the invention of the transistor.•Today, solar panels are becoming widespread and increasingly

efficient due to improvements in design technology.

Process1. When the sun is shining, the panels of a

solar power system capture sunlight and convert it into solar DC power.

2. The system converts this power into 240V AC electricity you can use around your home, using what’s called an inverter.

3. Under a net feed–in system this electricity then gets distributed for use around your property, and any electricity that is not used, is fed into the electricity grid through your electricity meter.

4. Under a gross feed–in system all of the electricity generated is fed into the electricity grid through your electricity meter.

EfficiencyMonocrystalline Silicon Cells:The principle advantage of monocrystalline cells are their high efficiencies, typically around 15%, although the manufacturing process required to produce monocrystalline silicon is complicated, resulting in slightly higher costs than other technologies.

Multicrystalline Silicon Cells:Multicrystalline cells are cheaper to produce than monocrystalline ones, due to the simpler manufacturing process. However, they tend to be slightly less efficient, with average efficiencies of around 12%.

Amorphous Silicon:Amorphous silicon can be deposited on a wide range of substrates, both rigid and flexible, which makes it ideal for curved surfaces and "fold-away" modules. Amorphous cells are, however, less efficient than crystalline based cells, with typical efficiencies of around 6%, but they are easier and therefore cheaper to produce. Their low cost makes them ideally suited for many applications where high efficiency is not required and low cost is important.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY==Geothermal energy is any energy harvested from the natural heat retained by the Earth’s crust..

--Earth’s surface maintains temperatures of 50-60 degrees F as shallow as 10 feet

down.--Geothermal energy is available 24/7--90% and up energy availability from plants (very efficient)--Produces much less waste than conventional power sources(Coal,

natural gas, nuclear)--geothermal wastes in the form of CO2 and wastewater.

--CO2 emissions 1/6 that of clean natural gas

--Wastewater can be treated at any municipal water treatment facility or can be re-injected into geothermal reservoir

--Small scale systems can be installed almost anywhere--Industrial scale power plants can be placed anywhere with tectonic

or hot spring water activity, although future technology will expand this resource tremendously.

--A typical plant today would produce power at about $0.05 per kWh-- The U.S produces approximately 2700 MW of electricity via

geothermal plants per year, roughly equal to burning 60 million barrels of oil.--Small but growing for of power in America and the world.--EGS is very expensive to establish (high introductory costs)

Direct-Use and Heat Pump Utilization

Direct Uses of geothermal energy--hot springs--geothermal wells

-electricity saving uses for hot water

*greenhouses *heating fish farms *hot water for

buildingsHeat Pumps--large or small scale use--series of pipes run liquids or gasses underground to disperse heat or collect it.--no visual impact--large initial cost (20-30k on a residential level) but saves enough energy to compensate in 8-12 years.

Geothermal Power Plants& EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems)

Direct Dry Steam, Flash/Double Flash Cycle, and Binary Cycle Power Plants--Direct Dry Steam plants use super-heated liquids that decompress into

steam that is funneled directly to a turbine. Since this steam drives the turbine no fuels are burned, transported, or stored.

--Flash/Double Flash plants pump super heated liquids into a low pressure tank causing them to instantly vaporize. This gas is then pushed through a turbine. For double flash processes the liquid can be vaporized in two consecutive tanks(to make sure all liquid is flashed)

Binary Cycle plants create energy by extracting more common, moderate temperature water and cycling it through a heat exchanger. Also running through this heat exchanger is a second liquid, or binary liquid which boils at a very low temperature. This binary liquid is vaporized and pushed through the turbine. There are no emissions from this process because all liquids are contained in a closed loop.

--EGS– Future projects and research are geared towards using already existent fissures and man made wells. Many of these are deep enough to touch superheated rocks below. By injecting water into these fissures, letting the naturally hot rocks boil the water, and capturing the steam in a turbine system, energy is created. This can be done almost anywhere but is still extremely expensive based on current tech.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal EnergyPros:

• Almost entirely emission free• Zero Carbon• No fuel required (no mining or

transportation needed)• Not subject to the same fluctuations

as solar or wind.• Smallest land footprint of any major

power source• Virtually limitless supply• Simple and Reliable• Plants have the opportunity to be

underground. • Some level of geothermal energy is

available in most places• New technologies are working on

utilizing cooler temperatures• Massive potential

Cons:

• Prime sights are very location specific and are often far from big population centers

• Losses due to the long distance transmission of electricity

• High construction cost• Large amounts of water required• Sulfur dioxide and silica

emissions.• Drilling into heated rock is

difficult and causes surface instability

• Generally, at least boiling water required (100˚C or 212˚F)

Geothermal Hotspots

Geothermal Energy Use in

Idaho• Native Americans used hot

springs for multiple uses including cooking, bathing, warmth, and medicinal purposes.

• Burgdorf Hot Springs were used by trappers in the 1860’s; and Challis and Givens Hot Springs opened for business in the 1880s.

• In 1892, Idaho became the first state to have a geothermal heating district, which is still in use today: Warm Spring Ave.

• This district heated over 200 buildings including homes, business, and the Natatorium (a local swimming pool).

Continued…• In 1930, Edward’s

Greenhouse became the first commercial greenhouse to use geothermal energy; they still use it today (the are located off of Hill Road).

• In 1973, near Buhl, Leo Ray became the first man to use geothermal energy for raising catfish. He also raised tilapia, alligators, and sturgeon.

• In the early 1980s the State of Idaho drilled two wells in the vicinity of the Capitol Building. By 1982, the State of Idaho geothermal system was supplying heat to nine buildings in the Capitol Mall complex, including the State Capitol.

Geothermal Energy Use in Boise

• During the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009, Boise was voted one of the top ten geothermal cities in the world along with Reno, Nevada, Copenhagen, Denmark, Perth, Australia, and Madrid, Spain.– Three reasons got them onto this list: Boise has the largest

direct use of geothermal energy, we give back 100% of the water back to the aquifer, and because our major buildings downtown already use geothermal energy including the capitol and its mall, the Federal Courthouse, City Hall, Boise High School, Ada County Courthouse and the Boise Centre.

• Boise currently has four geothermal districts, there are only seventeen in the whole country.

Boise State University’s Geothermal Project

• In August of 2011, BSU began their geothermal project.• The heated water needed to be transferred across the

Boise River.• The project is converting many buildings over to

geothermal heating: the Morrison Center, Multipurpose Classroom Building, Interactive Learning Center, Administration Building, Student Union Building, the Mathematics and Geosciences Building, the Environmental Research Building, and the Micron Business and Economics building.

• When completed, it is estimated that approximately 625,000 square feet of building space will be heated using geothermal energy.

Hydroelectric Power

The electricity produced by the force of gravity acting on

water to turn turbines and power generators.

Processes• The transformation of water’s kinetic

energy to mechanical energy then after passing through a turbine to electrical energy.

Types of Hydroelectric Plants

• High Head- Used to store water at an increased elevation. Able to be controlled for electricity demand.

• Low Head- Less efficient due to shorter vertical drop of water.

• Pumped storage- Transfer of water from one reservoir to another at a higher elevation.

Local Examples• Boise River Diversion Dam-1909Provided 1,500 kw of electricity for construction of Arrowrock Dam upstream.Now provides surplus power when needed • Arrowrock Dam-1915Portland cement and sand, new concrete in 1935. Designed to store water to push Idaho’s agriculture standing in America• Anderson Ranch Dam-1950Highest embankment dam in the world when completed. Generators updated in 1986 from 27,000 kw to 40,000 kw production. • Lucky Peak Dam-1955Originally single outlet with potential for hydropower, 1986- installed second outlet and went online with powerhouse in 1988. Primary purpose- flood control, Secondary purpose- irrigation

Boise River Diversion Dam Lucky Peak Dam and Reservoir

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New Technological ProcessesHarvesting energy from ocean waves, tides, and river currents

• Wave power buoys-No Solid waste-Minimal impact on seabed-Visually pleasing.

• Underwater turbines-No land space required-Water is more efficient

than wind

Hydroelectric Power, Worth It?PROS CONS

Readily available due to rainfall and snow

Expensive to build

Low failure rates and operating costs

High hazard risk

Clean fuel source Nutrients can be built up behind dams

Extremely efficient- Easy ON/OFF Disrupts wildlife and other natural resources

No depletion of natural resources Causes low oxygen levels in water

Domestic source of energy Changes habitat

Flood control

Cheap harvesting costs

Source of recreation

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Please try to save energy!!

Sources http://www.greenchipstocks.com/articles/global-wind-energy/466 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wind_power http://www.energy.idaho.gov/renewableenergy/

http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/future-wind-power-9-cool-innovations.html

http://www.raeng.org.uk/education/diploma/maths/pdf/exemplars_advanced/23_wind_turbine.pdf

http://buildyourownsolarpanelshelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/iStock_000009912571XSmall.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell#History_of_solar_cells http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/solar-power/solar-panels.php http://www.sunnysolarlightgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/how-solar-cells-work.gif http://www.aglsolarenergy.com.au/solar-power/about-solar-power/ http://www.criticalpowersupplies.co.uk/images/originals/0000/1221/how_solar_works_en.gif http://www.electricityforum.com/solar-electricity.html• www.eere.energy.gov • www.dsireusa.org • http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/hydroelectric.html• http://www.idwr.idaho.gov/WaterManagement/StreamsDams/DamSafety/dams.htm• http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8210