This presentation is an introduction to the sustainable energy challenge. It gives an overview over fossil fuels, the laws of energy, energy efficiency and conservation, and renewable energy sources. The focus is on providing students with the scientific tools for understanding the magnitude of the challenge and analyzing potential solutions.
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT OF RENEWABLE, NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY, RESOURCES OF ENERGY, SOLAR ENERGY, WIND ENERGY, TIDAL ENERGY, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, BIOMASS ENERGY, OCEAN ENERGY , FREE ENERGY, APPLICATIONS OF RENEWABLE
This is the PowerPoint presentation I used to teach elementary and junior high students about renewable energy. I recommend at least 90 minutes for the presentation, in order to get the most participation and discussion out of the classroom.
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT OF RENEWABLE, NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY, RESOURCES OF ENERGY, SOLAR ENERGY, WIND ENERGY, TIDAL ENERGY, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, BIOMASS ENERGY, OCEAN ENERGY , FREE ENERGY, APPLICATIONS OF RENEWABLE
This is the PowerPoint presentation I used to teach elementary and junior high students about renewable energy. I recommend at least 90 minutes for the presentation, in order to get the most participation and discussion out of the classroom.
Primary Energy Demand of Renewable Energy Carriers - Part 1: Definitions and ...Leonardo ENERGY
Highlights:
* Addresses the question of the Primary Energy Factor (PEF).
* Summarizes the existing definitions for PEF, and the different options to account for primary energy in energy statistics.
* Calls for a consistent methodology for determining PEF for renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
* Concludes that the different ways to account for primary energy make it difficult to compare PEFs.
* Suggests that separation of primary energy into non-renewable and renewable components is useful when comparing PEFs of renewables and fossil fuels.
Organic-Based Sources; Landfill Methane; Biomass energy; Hydropower ; Flowing water (Hydroelectric); Tidal power (waves and tides); Wave; Geothermal Energy (Geothermal power); Hydrogen Energy; Solar energy: (Energy from sunlight Rapid growing) ; Wind Energy
The presentation had all the type of green energy resources and their use. I hope the presentation should be beneficial to all those, who had their intrest in Green Energy.
Green hydrogen Basics - Overview_Jan 2022Gurudatt Rao
This brief presentation gives an overview of different aspects of 'Green Hydrogen' along with challenges linked to its adoption considering Climate Change and Energy Diversification.
Primary Energy Demand of Renewable Energy Carriers - Part 1: Definitions and ...Leonardo ENERGY
Highlights:
* Addresses the question of the Primary Energy Factor (PEF).
* Summarizes the existing definitions for PEF, and the different options to account for primary energy in energy statistics.
* Calls for a consistent methodology for determining PEF for renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
* Concludes that the different ways to account for primary energy make it difficult to compare PEFs.
* Suggests that separation of primary energy into non-renewable and renewable components is useful when comparing PEFs of renewables and fossil fuels.
Organic-Based Sources; Landfill Methane; Biomass energy; Hydropower ; Flowing water (Hydroelectric); Tidal power (waves and tides); Wave; Geothermal Energy (Geothermal power); Hydrogen Energy; Solar energy: (Energy from sunlight Rapid growing) ; Wind Energy
The presentation had all the type of green energy resources and their use. I hope the presentation should be beneficial to all those, who had their intrest in Green Energy.
Green hydrogen Basics - Overview_Jan 2022Gurudatt Rao
This brief presentation gives an overview of different aspects of 'Green Hydrogen' along with challenges linked to its adoption considering Climate Change and Energy Diversification.
Guest lecture given to first-year engineering students at the University of British Columbia, 2013 Sept 10. (APSC 150)
Title: A sustainable (energy) future
After a brief preface on intellectual self-defense, the presentation discussed the science underpinning our understanding of climate change, followed by an analysis of worldwide energy use.
The experience curve was introduced as a force arguably more powerful than Moore's Law (because it applies in virtually every manufacturing sector) and the main reason that renewables (wind and solar, for the time being) are likely to displace fossil fuel and nuclear power in the coming decades -- not for reasons of conscience, but reasons of cost.
Lastly, the metaphor of the "utility death spiral" was introduced to explain the probable impact of efficiency and renewables, on the fossil-and-nuclear dominated utility sector, in coming decades.
With the increase in fuel prices, pollution content in atmosphere and due to gradual end of the non renewable sources
of energy we have to alter the source of our energy in our vehicles. Considering all these reasons we have to switch
over to other sources of energy instead of using conventional sources such as petrol which in future will be going to
extinct. One way to alter the energy source is to go for electric vehicles or e bikes. Electric driven vehicles uses
battery as a source of energy which provide power to motor which in turn provide torque to wheels .The old design
of electric bicycle was having only a single mode of charging, it was just capable to travel 15 km through battery and
was not ergonomically good. The new design uses a low rpm alternator for charging the battery by keeping it in
contact with front wheel .A Motor of 0.5hp provides torque to the rear wheel and the gear ratio is kept 5:2 .battery
discharging time is approximately 2 hrs and charging time through alternator is 1 hour and the bicycle can attain a
maximum speed of 15 km/hr. This work is more beneficial in hilly region and confined areas like college campus
and schools, generating zero pollution, zero noise effect and no fuel consumption.
Blanka Kaker from Slovenian Institute of Quality and Metrology presented at Technology Park Ljubljana (11.2.2015) environmental and energy management systems. The presentation has been focused on obtaining ISO standards e.g. ISO 14001, ISO 14004, EMAS, ISO 50001.
ISO 50001 - The Energy Management JourneyArantico Ltd
A presentation by Dr. Mike Brogan about Enerit's experience with customer ISO 50001 EnMS implementations and present some case studies. ICT tools help to remove some of the pain and anxiety of implementing and maintaining ISO 50001. Mike was recently asked by an energy manager , "We have ISO 50001 what’s next?" and that is the reason for title of the presentation – it is a journey.. Regarding the ISO 50001 standard itself, a customer admitted to Mike that they had only recently read the standard properly and concluded (first that it was not very long) but more importantly that it made excellent sense and sorry he had not read it sooner.. So Mike's my advise is read the standard…
La memoria presentata da FIRE all'audizione presso la X Commissione del Senato in merito alle proposte della Commissione europea di revisione della direttiva efficienza energetica e della direttiva sulle prestazioni energetiche dell'edilizia.
• The Global Food System: Sustainability and Food Security • The Global Carbon Cycle and CO2 Buildup in the Atmosphere • The Climate System and Global Warming For an introduction to stock and flow diagrams, see the book Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows.
Dr. Marty Matlock - The Science of Sustainability: It is Not a Monometric Con...John Blue
The Science of Sustainability: It is Not a Monometric Concept - Dr. Marty Matlock, Executive Director, Office for Sustainability; Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas
, from the 2014 Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), November 2 -5, 2014, São Paulo, Brazil.
More presentations at http://trufflemedia.com/agmedia/conference/2014-global-roundtable-sustainable-beef
PECB Webinar: Managing Risk within the Energy Management Value ChainPECB
Overview:
Managing risks within the energy cycle is truly essential for individuals and companies who manage various phases of this integrated set of processes.
This webinar introduces the participants to the basic terminology and concepts in the energy industry which includes the energy cycle, energy use and various risk types.
It also looks at various energy issues and how the ISO 50001 can be used as a minimum benchmark for organizations looking to build sustainable energy management processes.
Key concepts to be covered include:
Energy Sources: Crude Oil, Natural Gas, LNG, Coal and Power/Electricity
Risks in the Energy Cycle: Market, Credit, Operational, Liquidity, Political, Regulatory, Price, Credit and General Risk Management.
Risk Management Tools and Techniques: Risk Policy, Risk Process, Risk Register and Early warning Indicators.
Presenter:
Orlando is an Enterprise Architect and Program Director with over 15 years’ experience in the field of Business Consulting, Risk Management and Information Technology Delivery. He has an excellent technical background and helps organizations achieve and sustain their ISO certifications.
He has very special interests in renewable energy sources like Biogas, Biofuel and Solar PV.
He is a certified Lead Implementer and Auditor for OHSAS 18001, ISO 50001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, ISO 22301 and holds PHD in Strategy Management and Information Technology. He is the Chief Trainer at Training Heights and the Managing Partner for A4S.
This course introduces renewable energy technologies. Emphasizes exploration of principles and concepts as well as the application of renewable energy technologies (RET). Explores topics such as energy consumption, the prose and cons of renewable energy, energy production and cons, energy conversion, environmental issues and concerns
Mike Reese, director of the Renewable Energy Program at the West Central Research and Outreach Center provides an "Energy 101" to residents of Stevens County.
Descriptive and Inferential Statistical Methods: Analysis of Voting and Elect...Toni Menninger
A presentation highlighting the relevance of statistical methods for the analysis and forecast of elections:
* Voter Turnout by Income, Age, and Gender, with detailed graphs and explanations
* Polls and Election Forecasting, with explanation of the 95% confidence interval
* Representativeness and random sampling
* Aggregated election forecast models
• The Global Food System: Sustainability and Food Security
• The Global Carbon Cycle and CO2 Buildup in the Atmosphere
• The Climate System and Global Warming
For an introduction to stock and flow diagrams, see the book Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows.
Galton's Juenger - Auftrieb fuer Biologismus und wissenschaftlichen Rassismus...Toni Menninger
A German language review of Richard Herrnstein's and Charles Murray's The Bell Curve (1994), a widely debated book advocating racist and social darwinist explanations of social inequality. The review was published in Psychologische Literaturumschau, 1996. Also reviewed is Russell Jacoby & Naomi Glauberman (eds.): The Bell Curve Debate. History, Documents, Opinions, 1994, and Stefan Kuehl: The Nazi Connection. Eugenics, American
Racism and German National Socialism, 1994.
Frenet Curves and Successor Curves: Generic Parametrizations of the Helix and...Toni Menninger
In classical curve theory, the geometry of a curve in three dimensions is essentially characterized by their invariants, curvature and torsion. When they are given, the problem of finding a corresponding curve is known as 'solving natural equations'. Explicit solutions are known only for a handful of curve classes, including notably the plane curves and general helices.
This paper shows constructively how to solve the natural equations explicitly for an infinite series of curve classes. For every Frenet curve, a family of successor curves can be constructed which have the tangent of the original curve as principal normal. Helices are exactly the successor curves of plane curves and applying the successor transformation to helices leads to slant helices, a class of curves that has received considerable attention in recent years as a natural extension of the concept of general helices.
The present paper gives for the first time a generic characterization of the slant helix in three-dimensional Euclidian space in terms of its curvature and torsion, and derives an explicit arc-length parametrization of its tangent vector. These results expand on and put into perspective earlier work on Salkowski curves and curves of constant precession, both of which are subclasses of the slant helix.
The paper also, for the benefit of novices and teachers, provides a novel and generalized presentation of the theory of Frenet curves, which is not restricted to curves with positive curvature. Bishop frames are examined along with Frenet frames and Darboux frames as a useful tool in the theory of space curves. The closed curve problem receives attention as well.
Exponential Growth: Case Studies for Sustainability EducationToni Menninger
Understanding exponential growth is of critical importance in sustainability, resource conservation, and economics. This work contains a collection of practice problems and realistic case studies developed for the teaching of sustainability science and conservation, with an emphasis on learning and applying the concepts of exponential growth. The exercises are designed to foster quantitative competence (numeracy) as well as critical thinking and systems thinking. Students learn to work with tools such as spreadsheet software and online databases and practice the application of basic but powerful quantitative analyses techniques. The case studies are based on recent, high quality data and explore questions of high relevance for the study and application of sustainability science.
This work is related to the Growth in a finite world presentation (http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/growth-in-a-finite-world-sustainability-and-the-exponential-function).
Exponential Growth, Doubling Time, and the Rule of 70Toni Menninger
Understanding exponential growth is of critical importance in sustainability, resource conservation, and economics. This article provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to this essential concept. It also provides a selection of practice problems that will help students apply and deepen their understanding of the material.
This article accompanies my lecture presentation "Growth in a Finite World - Sustainability and the Exponential Function" (http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/growth-in-a-finite-world-sustainability-and-the-exponential-function). Also refer to Case Studies for Sustainability Education: Understanding Exponential Growth (http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/exponential-growth-casestudies).
A lecture in Quantitative Sustainability
It is often claimed that agricultural productivity needs to be increased in order to feed a growing world population. Food security depends on several factors besides the productivity, including waste/efficiency, energy crops, meat consumption, and global justice and equity. This lecture explores the issue of food security in its many dimensions and teaches how to use a high-level systems approach in sustainability science.
Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, Corn Ethanol: Quantitative Study Prob...Toni Menninger
The problems below are a selection of real world problems developed for the teaching of sustainability/conservation related College classes. The exercises are designed to foster quantitative competence (numeracy) as well as critical thinking and systems thinking. They are basic but realistic and all data used are taken from the published scientific literature and from public online databases maintained by official organizations such as FAO and EIA.
No advanced Mathematics is required, yet these problems are challenging for most students. Many students need help to overcome a certain math anxiety or even phobia. These exercises must be accompanied by intensive discussion, assistance, and feedback. Students who complete these assignments successfully experience the power of even basic quantitative methods. They learn that informed citizens do not have to rely solely upon the advice of experts – with reasonable effort they can gather and interpret information and come up with approximate answers to important, non-trivial real world questions.
¨Uber die Darstellung von Raumkurven durch ihre InvariantenToni Menninger
A treatise in classical curve theory featuring the development of the complete theory of Frenet frames and the Frenet equations, and the derivation of explicit representations of important curve classes (Helices, Curves of Constant Precession, Slant Helices)
Utilizing geospatial analysis of U.S. Census data for studying the dynamics o...Toni Menninger
Geographically referenced US census data provide a large amount of information about the extent of urbanization and land consumption. Population count, the number of housing units and their vacancy rates, and demographic and economic parameters such as racial composition and household income, and their change over time, can be examined at different levels of geographic resolution to observe patterns of urban flight, suburbanization, reurbanization, and sprawl. This paper will review the literature on prior application of census data in a geospatial setting. It will identify strengths and weaknesses and address methodological challenges of census-based approaches to the study of urbanization. To this end, a detailed overview of the geographic structure of U.S. Census data and its evolution is provided. Ecological Fallacies and the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) are discussed and the Population Weighted Density as a more robust alternative to crude population density is introduced. Of special interest will be literature comparing and/or integrating census data with alternative methodologies, e.g. based on Remote Sensing. The general purpose of this paper is to lay the groundwork for the optimal use of high resolution census data in studying urbanization in the United States.
Keywords
Sprawl, Urban sprawl, City, Population Density, Population Weighted Density, Census, US Census, Census Geographies, Urbanization, Suburbanization, Urban flight, Reurbanization, Land Consumption, Land Use, Land Use Efficiency, LULC, Remote Sensing, Geospatial Analysis, GIS, Growth, Urban Growth, Spatial Distribution of Population, City Limits, Urban Extent, Built Environment, Urban Form, Areal Interpolation, Scale, Spatial Scale, Longitudinal Study, Dasymmetric Mapping, Ecological Fallacy, MAUP, Modifiable Areal Unit Problem, Metrics
The "Tragedy of the Commons" is one of the most influential scientific publications ever yet it is widely misunderstood. The short presentation provides a critical appraisal and links to read more.
The Human Population Challenge: From “Population Bomb” to “Demographic Crisis”Toni Menninger
A presentation about the Human Population Challenge developed for students in sustainability, including current data, basic demographic concepts, and a discussion of sustainability related issues.
The presentation "Growth in a Finite World" is closely related and precedes this lecture. The presentation "Energy Sustainability" is also suitable as a follow-up lecture.
Growth in a Finite World - Sustainability and the Exponential FunctionToni Menninger
This presentation, accessible to the general public and specifically designed for students of sustainability, explores the dramatic growth of the human sphere on planet Earth with its limited resources, and presents the mathematical tools for understanding the exponential function.
The lecture is accompanied by the article "Exponential Growth, Doubling Time, and the Rule of 70" (http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/exponential-growthmath) and a collection of practice problems and case studies (http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/exponential-growth-casestudies).
The presentation "The Human Population Challenge" is suitable as a follow-up lecture.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
A review of the growth of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Database Collection for the last 12 months. Our collection is now passed the 3 million mark and still growing. See which archives have contributed the most. See the different types of records we have, and which years have had records added. You can also see what we have for the future.
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
Executive Directors Chat Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, and InclusionTechSoup
Let’s explore the intersection of technology and equity in the final session of our DEI series. Discover how AI tools, like ChatGPT, can be used to support and enhance your nonprofit's DEI initiatives. Participants will gain insights into practical AI applications and get tips for leveraging technology to advance their DEI goals.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
2. Lecture Series in Sustainability
Science
by
Toni Menninger MSc
http://www.slideshare.net/amenning/
toni.menninger@gmail.com
The Sustainable
Energy Challenge
3. The Sustainable Energy Challenge
1. The Age of Fossil Fuels
2. Energy use in global perspective
3. The Sustainable Energy Challenge
4. Review: The Laws of Energy
• The Law of Energy Conservation
• Energy Transformations
• The Second Law
• Heat Engines
• Conversion efficiency
• Energy Return on Investment (EROI)
4. The Sustainable Energy Challenge
5. Energy Efficiency potentials
• Systemic approaches
• Individual approaches
6. Economic Considerations
• External Costs of Energy
• Energy Taxes
• Energy Subsidies
7. Power sources
• External Costs of Energy
• Energy Taxes
• Energy Subsidies
8. Conclusion: Does “Clean Energy” Exist?
11. Fossil fuel combustion is the main cause of climate
change and a main cause of air and water pollution and
acid rain
Mining and extraction of fossil fuels is ecologically
and socially destructive: e. g. mountain top coal mining
in the Appalachians, oil spills, coal mine accidents, oil
rig explosions, social unrest (e. g. Nigeria), geopolitical
instability (Iraq, Iran, Central Asia etc.), petro
dictatorships in the Middle East...
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources and their
continued use is not sustainable.
The Fossil Fuel Paradox: There is too much and not
enough of it… More than enough to destabilize the
climate system but not enough to preserve our current
oil-dependent lifestyle much longer
The Age of Fossil Fuels
12. Worldwide oil production is expected to peak in the near
future. Although coal is still relatively abundant and
“nonconventional” oil sources may increasingly be
exploited, the era of “cheap oil” is probably over.
Industrial civilization
has been enabled by
a “fossil fuel subsidy”
- sunlight
concentrated and
stored in deposits of
hydrocarbons that
are relatively easily
accessible, easy to
transport, store, and
use.
The Age of Fossil Fuels
13. Oil discovery rate is declining (Hall and Day, American
Scientist 2009)
Peak Oil ?
15. Petroleum Consumption by the
numbers
• Global supply 2010: 88 million barrels a day ,
or 32 billion barrels a year
• Total US demand : 19 million barrels a day, or
7 billion barrels a year
• The USGS estimates 5 – 16 billion barrels
recoverable in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge (ANWR) How long does that last?
16. Source: Tom Murphy
Can we
replace fossil
fuels with
renewables?
The Sustainable Energy Challenge
17. The Sustainable Energy Challenge
Can we meet
the global
energy need at
US consumption
level?
Source: Tom Murphy
18. Energy use in global perspective
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_energy_consumption_per_capita
Google public data explorer
Total energy consumption per capita by US state
19. Energy use in global perspective
Google public data explorer
20. Industrial civilization is based
on fossil fuel energy
Primary energy use in more and in less developed countries
21.
22.
23. Tropical deforestation accounted for 10 percent of global
carbon dioxide emissions between 2000-2005 — a
substantially smaller proportion than previously estimated
— argues a new study published in Science.
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0621-carbon-emissions-from-
deforestation.html#7lxeme2XSOxrLXg0.99
Gross annual carbon emissions resulting from gross forest cover loss and peat
drainage and burning between 2000 and 2006 in Giga Tons Carbon per year
24. Global Warming: what to do?
● Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (reduce fossil
fuel use, stop deforestation)
● Enhance natural carbon absorption by soil and
vegetation (reforestation, forest management,
conservation tillage, biofuels from algae)
● Technically remove greenhouse gases from the
atmosphere (“carbon sequestration”, “carbon
capture and storage”)
● Try to counteract warming trend with artificial
cooling (“geo-engineering”)
● Do nothing, hope for the best, try to adapt
(“business as usual” (BAU))
26. “Stabilization wedges” proposed by
Pacala and Socolow (Science, 2004)
● Wedges 1-4: Energy efficiency and conservation
● Wedge 5: Fuel shift from coal to gas
● Wedges 6-8: Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
● Wedge 9: Nuclear fission
● Wedges 10-13: Renewable energy
● Wedges 14-15: Forests and agricultural soils
27. Key to a sustainable energy
future: large improvements in
energy conservation and the
transition to a “low-carbon”
energy economy.
The Sustainable Energy
Challenge
29. Sustainable energy considerations
• Energy efficiency
• Availability, intermittency
• Transport, storage
• Environmental impact (pollution, biodiversity)
• CO2 Emissions (based on Life Cycle Analysis)
• Land use intensity
• Material resource requirements
• Energy return on energy investment (EROI)
• Economic cost
• Social acceptance
• … … …
30. Sustainable energy considerations:
Carbon emissions
• Natural gas (methane)
emits less pollution and
less CO2 per unit of
energy compared to coal.
• But it is a potent
greenhouse gas.
Methane leakage
might cause more harm
than is avoided through
fuel shift.
31. Sustainable energy considerations:
Carbon emissions
• Nuclear, wind, solar and hydro power generation
do not emit CO2 during operation but indirect
emissions from the life cycle must be taken into
account. Results are contentious.
World Nuclear Association Oxford Research Group
32. Land use intensity of selected power sources
“Energy Sprawl or Energy Efficiency”, McDonald et al., PLOS One 2009
33. Review: The Laws of Energy
• Energy is a physical entity that can be
measured and quantified.
• Energy (Work) is defined as a force
(measured in N [Newton]) acting through a
distance and measured in J [Joule]:
1J=1Nm
• Power is a measure of
energy flow over time,
measured in W [Watt]:
1 W= 1J/s
Required reading: Energy Literacy
34. Review: The Laws of Energy
• A vehicle must expend mechanical energy
to overcome the forces of friction and air
resistance.
• To climb stairs, you have to expend
energy to overcome the gravitational
force. The amount of gravitational energy
is proportional to the weight of the body
and the vertical height traveled.
• Hydropower generation is proportional to
the height of the dam and the mass of
the water running through turbines.
35. Review: The Laws of Energy
Different kinds of energy have been
measured in different units (Btu, kWh, kcal)
but they can all be converted into each other.
• Mechanical energy (work)
• Heat (Thermal) energy
• Kinetic energy
• Gravitational energy
• Radiation
• Chemical energy
• Electric energy
36. Review: The Laws of Energy
(The Laws of Thermodynamics)
First Law (Law of energy conservation):
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only
transformed.
The conversion efficiency
is the percentage of
“useful” energy
efficiency=
𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
x 100
38. Review: The Laws of Energy
Second Law of Thermodynamics (Law of
entropy):
• Heat energy flows spontaneously from higher to
lower temperature but not the other way.
• Heat cannot be completely converted to
mechanical energy. The conversion efficiency of a
heat engine cannot exceed the Carnot efficiency
(1 − 𝑇𝐶/𝑇𝐻), the rest is lost as waste heat.
• The entropy (“disorderliness”) of a closed system
can only increase. High-grade (useful) energy is
dispersed into low-grade (waste) energy.
Decreasing entropy requires importing energy.
39. Review:
Heat engines
The energy conversion process from heat
to mechanical energy taking place in a heat
engine necessarily involves a loss of waste
heat. Carnot's law states that the maximum
conversion efficiency ( )that a heat engine
can achieve depends on the difference
between the absolute temperatures of the
hot (TH) and the cold (TC) reservoir :
Absolute temperature is
measured in Kelvin.
Tabs=Tcelsius+273.15
40. Implication of the Second Law
Heat engines (combustion motor and thermal
power plant) are inherently inefficient! A large
part of the heat energy is lost, unless it can be
made useful for heating (CHP – Combined Heat
and Power)
TH typically 350-550 ºC, about 600-800 K; TC about 25 ºC or
300 K. Optimal efficiency 50-60%, actual efficiency 15-40%.
41. Process Energy efficiency Theoretical limit
Photosynthesis Up to 6%
Muscle 15% - 25%
Internal combustion engine 15% - 20% 55% (Carnot efficiency)
Electric car up to 80%
Thermal power plant 30% - 40%
global average 32%
≈60% (Carnot efficiency,
depends on temp.)
Cogeneration (CHP) Up to 90%
Hydropower plant 80% - 95%
Wind turbine 15% - 35% 59%
Photovoltaic cells 10% - 15% 35% (with caveats)
Solar water heater 50% - 75%
Electric heater 100%
Gas or wood heating (modern) 75% - 95%
Heat Pump COP (Coefficient of Performance) > 1
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)
Conversion efficiency
42. Energy return
on investment
(EROI, EROEI)
is declining
(Hall and Day,
American
Scientist 2009
– required
reading)
EROI corn ethanol 1.3:1
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-interactive
43. EROI - Energy Return on Investment
• The Energy Return on Investment
(EROI/EROEI) is the energy cost of
acquiring an energy resource. It is not the
same as Energy Efficiency.
• EROI is the ratio of the amount of usable energy
acquired from a particular energy resource to the
amount of energy expended to obtain that energy
resource. Example: EROI = 4 means that each unit of
energy invested yields 4 units of output. Conversely, net
energy output is 75% of gross energy output.
• An “energy resource” with an EROI < 1 is a net sink of
energy.
45. Energy Efficiency potentials: systemic
approaches
● Co-generation
(Combined Heat and
Power, CHP)
● “Smart Grid”: smooth out
demand curve by giving
incentives to consumers,
efficiently controlling energy
flow during peak demand.
Reducing peak demand will
significantly improve overall
efficiency
http://www.oe.energy.gov/S
martGridIntroduction.htm
46. Energy Efficiency potentials: systemic
approaches
● Co-generation (Combined
Heat and Power, CHP)
● “Smart Grid”
● Transportation efficiency:
Urban design to favor walkable,
bikable neighborhoods, efficient
mass transit, smaller cars, car-
sharing, hybrid technology,
replace short distance air travel
by rail, efficient use of air travel
capacity, move freight transport
from truck to barge and rail
UACDC: Visioning Rail Transit in NWA
48. Energy Efficiency potentials: individual
approaches
● Building efficiency: building size, air-tightness, insulation, low-E
windows, heat-recovery ventilation, passive solar design, reflective
roof, efficient wood heating, geothermal heat pumps, solar water
heating, roof PV cells, zero-energy buildings
● Most contractors oversize air conditioners and undersize air
supply (at least 2 sqft per ton recommended)
● Appliances (inefficient: top-loader washer, oversized French
door refrigerator with in-door ice dispenser)
● Lighting: efficient light bulbs, natural light and movement
sensors in office + retail buildings
● Electronic devices: improved power control for computers,
monitors, printers, TVs, even small devices like cell-phone
chargers etc. can save energy; stand-by mode (“vampire energy
loss”) is a huge energy drain
49. Energy Efficiency: economic
considerations
● Investment in energy efficiency and conservation pays off
● “Conservation is the quickest, cheapest, most practical source
of energy”- Jimmy Carter, 1977
Then why is there so little progress in energy efficiency?
● Up to recently, energy prices have been historically cheap,
especially in North America.
● Economic incentives are effective. Businesses and consumers
respond to increasing energy cost (e. g. increased US demand for
transit, increased interest in home energy improvements)
● Energy policy should be consistent and predictable
● Energy or pollution taxes or similar mechanisms (e. g. cap and
trade) provide consistent economic incentives for conservation.
50. Case study: “Progress” in automobile
efficiency
“Jevons’ Paradox”
Technological progress
that increases the
efficiency with which a
resource is used tends
to increase (rather than
decrease) the rate of
consumption of that
resource
=> Absent economic
incentives, technology
will not by itself
promote conservation!
52. Economic incentives are effective!
Prices change behavior
High fuel taxes
promote fuel
conservation
53. Energy Efficiency: economic considerations
● Energy taxes are not a “drain” on the economy – they move
resources from less to more energy efficient sectors.
● Revenues from energy taxes flow back into the domestic economy
– money spent importing energy is lost from the domestic economy.
● Revenues from energy taxes can be redistributed to soften the
impact on low-income groups, or used to create jobs, or invested in
energy efficient infrastructure.
● Energy generation and use causes massive negative externalities
(carbon emissions etc.). Taxes designed to compensate for a
negative economic externality are known as Pigouvian taxes.
Standard economic theory predicts that Pigouvian taxes increase
economic efficiency.
● Difficulty: quantifying the externality
● Difficulty: energy intensive industries will go where energy taxes and
regulations are least strict
54. Economic
considerations:
External costs
of Energy
Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of
Energy Production and Use
A report by the National Research Council’s Committee on Health,
Environmental, and Other External Costs and Benefits of Energy Production
and Consumption
Freely available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12794
55. Economic considerations: energy taxes
“Environmental taxes can play a central role in reducing
the fiscal gap in the years to come. These are efficient
taxes because they tax “bads” rather than “goods.”
Environmental taxes have the unique feature of raising
revenues, increasing economic efficiency, and
improving the public health. (…) It is striking how the
political dialogue in the US has ignored a policy that
has so many desirable features. (…) Simply put,
externality taxes are the best fiscal instrument to
employ at this time, in this country, and given the fiscal
constraints faced by the US.”
Economist William D. Nordhaus
56. Energy Subsidies: “Black not Green”
NYT, July 3, 2010: “oil production is among the most heavily subsidized businesses”
57. Power sources – a brief overview
Coal
● Relatively abundant & cheap
● Biggest source of carbon emissions
● Emits many pollutants incl. Mercury, sulfur
● Coal mining often environmentally destructive –
Mountaintop removal in Appalachia
● Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technically
feasible method of minimizing carbon emissions
but expensive and energy intensive
58. Power sources – a brief overview
Natural Gas
● Less pollution, 40% less carbon emitted per unit
of energy, potential as transportation fuel
● Problem of Methane leakage
● “Hydrofracking”, a relatively recent drilling
technique, is controversial because of the
use of toxic chemicals, high
freshwater use, potential for
watershed contamination,
disposal of large amounts of
fracking fluid, injection wells
causing small earthquakes …
59. Power sources – a brief overview
Nuclear fission power
● Uranium relatively abundant but not unlimited
● Low GHG emissions during operation, GHG emissions during
construction and mining
● Uranium mining very “dirty”, huge environmental impact
● Socially contentious technology
● Investment cost of building new plants relatively high, protracted
permit and construction process, huge delays and cost overruns
universally observed
● Most existing plants are decades old, amortized and highly
profitable but often fail to comply with modern safety standards.
Operators tend to resist costly upgrades, have big economic
incentives to continue operating unsafe plants. Whose interests
do regulators protect?
60. Power sources – a brief overview
Nuclear fission power
● Safety issues: Fukushima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island only tip
of the iceberg; there is a long list of incidents involving nuclear
power plants. Incidents often lead to prolonged, expensive
interruption of operation.
● Radioactive Tritium leaked from Yankee power plant in Vermont,
2010 (http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/rad/yankee/tritium.aspx)
● Release of 18,000 liters of solution containing Uranium at
Tricastin, France, in 2008
● Nuclear power plants potential terrorist targets
● Nuclear proliferation concerns
● Waste disposal and decommissioning difficult if not unfeasible,
costs generally not priced into electricity
61. Power sources – a brief overview
Nuclear fission power
Tchernobyl: more than 20 years after
the disaster, the number of fatalities is
still disputed. The lowest estimate – 56
direct deaths and 4000 long term
cancer victims – was published by the
IAEA, an organization constitutionally
charged with promoting nuclear energy.
Anti-nuclear groups estimate 50,000
potential fatal cancer incidents.
Hundreds of thousands of workers
(“liquidators”) came close to the reactor
core during clean-up work.
● Selection of sites to look up on wikipedia: Sellafield, Mülheim-
Kärlich_Nuclear_Power_Plant, Schacht_Asse_II,
Tricastin_Nuclear_Power_Center, Olkiluoto_Nuclear_Power_Plant, Dounreay
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2006/09/12/a-catalogue-of-idiocy/
63. Power sources – a brief overview
Wind
● Large wind farms economically competitive
● No fuel required, no GHG emissions during operation
● Low maintenance cost, but large upfront investment
● GHG emissions during construction
● Potential for ecological disruption, impact on birds and
bats uncertain, high land use intensity per Megawatt
(“Energy Sprawl or Energy Efficiency”, PLOS One 2009),
● Power output proportional to square of diameter and third
power of wind velocity, transformation efficiency up to 35%
(small scale turbines less efficient), intermittency and
fluctuation of wind direction and velocity reduces efficiency
further.
64. Power sources – a brief overview
Wind
● Small and intermediate wind
power units valuable for off-the
grid, remote areas, developing
countries but not a significant
contribution to energy needs of
developed countries.
65. Power sources – a brief overview
Hydro power
● Very high conversion efficiency
● No pollution or GHG from operation
● Reservoirs can be used as energy storage
● Potential ecological disruption by large as well as small
dams
● Loss of valuable farmland or wildlife habitat
● Large numbers of people relocated because of large dam
projects
● Power disruption during drought
● Other issues with dams
66. Power sources – a brief overview
Biofuels
● Potentially renewable, low-GHG energy source, potential
alternative transportation fuel
● Many issues:
- Land-use intensity
- Water intensity
- Energy inefficiency: very low EROI in some cases
- Competition with food production
- Deforestation for palm oil plantations in Tropics
● Different kinds of biofuels from different sources (e. g. algae,
cellulosic biomass, recycled vegetable oil, sugar cane, corn):
sustainability assessment different in each case
● Currently no plausible, sustainable large-scale source of
biofuels
Recommended readings: NGM; Thermodynamics of the Corn-Ethanol Biofuel Cycle;
“Hunger Games”; Bioenergy – Chances and Limits
67. Power sources – a brief overview
Solar Power
● Ideal, abundant, pollution free source of power
● Photovoltaics still expensive, manufacturing requires rare
materials
● Maximum production during day time, when demand is highest
● Problems of predictability, reliability, storage
● Land use intensity less than wind but more than coal
● Solar water heating very efficient and cheap, mandatory in
many Mediterranean countries, underused in US (why?)
● Many uses on many scales, including low-tech applications
relevant to developing countries, off the grid use
● Immense potential, few draw-backs
68. Power sources: Solar Power
The land area needed to produce 18 TW of electricity using 8% efficient
photovoltaics, shown as black dots. Source: WikiMedia, Do the Math
71. Power sources – a brief overview
Conclusion: does “Clean
Energy” exist?
How would you implement a
national (global?) energy policy
promoting sustainability?