Living in the Environment 17th Edition

1. 17TH
MILLER/SPOOLMAN
LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 16
Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy

2. We Waste Huge Amounts of Energy (1)
• Energy efficiency
• Advantages of reducing energy waste:
• Quick and clean
• Usually the cheapest to provide more energy
• Reduce pollution and degradation
• Slow global warming
• Increase economic and national security

3. We Waste Huge Amounts of Energy (2)
• Four widely used devices that waste energy
1. Incandescent light bulb
2. Motor vehicle with internal combustion engine
3. Nuclear power plant
4. Coal-fired power plant

4. Flow of Commercial Energy through the U.S.
Economy
Fig. 16-2, p. 399

5. We Can Save Energy and Money
in Industry and Utilities (1)
• Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP)
• Two forms of energy from same fuel source
• Replace energy-wasting electric motors
• Recycling materials
• Switch from low-efficiency incandescent lighting to
higher-efficiency fluorescent and LED lighting

6. LEDs
Fig. 16-4, p. 401

7. We Can Save Energy and Money
in Industry and Utilities (2)
• Electrical grid system: outdated and wasteful
• Utility companies switching from promote use of
energy to promoting energy efficiency
• Spurred by state utility commissions

8. We Can Save Energy and Money
in Transportation
• Corporate average fuel standards (CAFE) standards
• Fuel economy standards lower in the U.S. countries
• Fuel-efficient cars are on the market
• 2016 - 39 miles per gallon for cars and 30 mpg for
trucks
• Hidden prices in gasoline: $12/gallon
• Car manufacturers and oil companies lobby to
prevent laws to raise fuel taxes

9. Average Fuel Economy of New Vehicles Sold in
the U.S. and Other Countries
Fig. 16-5, p. 402

10. More Energy-Efficient Vehicles Are
on the Way
• Superefficient and ultralight cars
• Gasoline-electric hybrid car
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
• Energy-efficient diesel car
• Electric vehicle with a fuel cell

11. Solutions: A Hybrid-Gasoline-Electric
Engine Car and a Plug-in Hybrid Car
Fig. 16-6, p. 403

12. Light-Weight Carbon Composite Concept Car
Fig. 16-7, p. 405

13. We Can Design Buildings That Save Energy
and Money
• Green architecture
• Living or green roofs
• Superinsulation
• U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED)

14. A Green Roof in Chicago-City Hall
Fig. 16-8, p. 405

15. We Can Save Money and Energy in Existing
Buildings (1)
• Conduct an energy survey
• Insulate and plug leaks
• Use energy-efficient windows
• Stop other heating and cooling losses
• Heat houses more efficiently

16. We Can Save Money and Energy in Existing
Buildings (2)
• Heat water more efficiently
• Use energy-efficient appliances
• Use energy-efficient lighting

17. A Thermogram Shows Heat Loss
Fig. 16-9, p. 406

18. Individuals Matter: Ways in Which You Can
Save Money Where You Live
Fig. 16-10, p. 407

19. Why Are We Still Wasting So
Much Energy?
• Energy remains artificially cheap
• Government subsidies
• Tax breaks
• Prices don’t include true cost
• Few large and long-lasting incentives
• Tax breaks
• Rebates
• Low-interest loans

20. We Can Use Renewable Energy to Provide
Heat and Electricity
• Renewable energy
• Solar energy: direct or indirect
• Geothermal energy
• Benefits of shifting toward renewable energy
• Renewable energy cheaper if we eliminate
• Inequitable subsidies
• Inaccurate prices
• Artificially low pricing of nonrenewable energy

21. We Can Heat Buildings and Water with
Solar Energy
• Passive solar heating system
• Active solar heating system

22. Passive Solar Home in Colorado
Fig. 16-12, p. 410

23. Rooftop Solar Hot Water on Apartment
Buildings in Kunming, China
Fig. 16-13, p. 410

24. World Availability of Direct Solar Energy
Figure 22, Supplement 8

25. U.S. Availability of Direct Solar Energy
Figure 23, Supplement 8

26. We Can Cool Buildings Naturally
• Technologies available
• Open windows when cooler outside
• Use fans
• Superinsulation and high-efficiency windows
• Overhangs or awnings on windows
• Light-colored roof
• Geothermal pumps

27. We Can Use Sunlight to Produce High-
Temperature Heat and Electricity
• Solar thermal systems
• Central receiver system
• Collect sunlight to boil water, generate electricity
• 1% of world deserts could supply all the world’s electricity
• Require large amounts of water – could limit
• Wet cooling
• Dry cooling
• Low net energy yields

28. Solar Thermal Power in California Desert
Fig. 16-15, p. 411

29. Solutions: Solar Cooker in India
Fig. 16-17, p. 412

30. Solar Cell Array in Niger, West Africa
Fig. 16-19, p. 413

31. Solar-Cell Power Plant in Arizona
Fig. 16-20, p. 414

32. We Can Use Sunlight to Produce Electricity
(2)
• Key problems
• High cost of producing electricity
• Need to be located in sunny desert areas
• Fossil fuels used in production
• Solar cells contain toxic materials
• Will the cost drop with
• Mass production
• New designs
• Government subsidies and tax breaks

33. Global Production of Solar Electricity
Figure 11, Supplement 9

34. We Can Produce Electricity from Falling
and Flowing Water
• Hydropower
• Uses kinetic energy of moving water
• Indirect form of solar energy
• World’s leading renewable energy source used to
produce electricity
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Micro-hydropower generators

35. Tradeoffs: Dams and Reservoirs
Fig. 13-13, p. 328

36. Tides and Waves Can Be Used to Produce
Electricity
• Produce electricity from flowing water
• Ocean tides and waves
• So far, power systems are limited
• Disadvantages
• Few suitable sites
• High costs
• Equipment damaged by storms and corrosion

37. Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an
Important Step toward Sustainability (1)
• Wind: indirect form of solar energy
• Captured by turbines
• Converted into electrical energy
• Second fastest-growing source of energy
• What is the global potential for wind energy?
• Wind farms: on land and offshore

38. World Electricity from Wind Energy
Figure 12, Supplement 9

39. Solutions: Wind Turbine and Wind Farms
on Land and Offshore
Fig. 16-23, p. 417

40. Wind Turbine
Fig. 16-24, p. 417

41. Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an
Important Step toward Sustainability (2)
• Countries with the highest total installed wind power
capacity
• Germany
• United States
• Spain
• India
• Denmark
• Installation is increasing in several other countries

42. Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an
Important Step toward Sustainability (3)
• Advantages of wind energy
• Drawbacks
• Windy areas may be sparsely populated – need to
develop grid system to transfer electricity
• Winds die down; need back-up energy
• Storage of wind energy
• Kills migratory birds
• “Not in my backyard”

43. Case Study: The Astounding Potential of
Wind Power in the United States
• “Saudi Arabia of wind power”
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Kansas
• Texas
• How much electricity is possible with wind farms in
those states?
• Could create up to 500,000 jobs

44. United States Wind Power Potential
Figure 24, Supplement 8

45. We Can Get Energy by Burning Solid
Biomass
• Biomass
• Plant materials and animal waste we can burn or turn
into biofuels
• Production of solid mass fuel
• Plant fast-growing trees
• Biomass plantations
• Collect crop residues and animal manure
• Advantages and disadvantages

46. We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes
to Liquid Biofuels (1)
• Liquid biofuels
• Biodiesel
• Ethanol
• Biggest producers of biofuel
• The United States
• Brazil
• The European Union
• China

47. We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes
to Liquid Biofuels (2)
• Major advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel
produced from oil
1. Biofuel crops can be grown almost anywhere
2. No net increase in CO2 emissions if managed
properly
3. Available now

48. We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes
to Liquid Biofuels (3)
• Studies warn of problems:
• Decrease biodiversity
• Increase soil degrading, erosion, and nutrient leaching
• Push farmers off their land
• Raise food prices
• Reduce water supplies, especially for corn and soy

49. Bagasse is Sugarcane Residue-can be used
to make ethanol
Fig. 16-28, p. 421

50. Natural Capital: Rapidly Growing
Switchgrass-can be converted to ethanol
Fig. 16-29, p. 423

51. Case Study: Getting Gasoline and Diesel
Fuel from Algae and Bacteria (1)
• Algae remove CO2 and convert it to oil
• Not compete for cropland = not affect food prices
• Wastewater/sewage treatment plants
• Could transfer CO2 from power plants
• Algae challenges
1.Need to lower costs
2.Open ponds vs. bioreactors
3.Affordable ways of extracting oil
4.Scaling to large production

52. Getting Energy from the Earth’s
Internal Heat (1)
• Geothermal energy: heat stored in
• Soil
• Underground rocks
• Fluids in the earth’s mantle
• Geothermal heat pump system
• Energy efficient and reliable
• Environmentally clean
• Cost effective to heat or cool a space

53. Natural Capital: A Geothermal Heat Pump
System Can Heat or Cool a House
Fig. 16-31, p. 425

54. Getting Energy from the Earth’s
Internal Heat (2)
• Hydrothermal reservoirs
• U.S. is the world’s largest producer
• Hot, dry rock
• Geothermal energy problems
• High cost of tapping hydrothermal reservoirs
• Dry- or wet-steam geothermal reservoirs could be
depleted
• Could create earthquakes

55. Geothermal Sites in the United States
Figure 26, Supplement 8

56. Geothermal Sites Worldwide
Figure 25, Supplement 8

57. Geothermal Power Plant in Iceland
Fig. 16-32, p. 425