The document discusses various topics related to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. It provides information on making homes and buildings more energy efficient through strategies like improved insulation, energy efficient windows, and green roofs. The document also discusses different types of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen fuel cells. It provides examples and pros and cons of each type of renewable energy. The document emphasizes that a variety of energy sources will be needed for the future and individual actions can help promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.

1. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Chapter 18 Living in the Environment, 14 th edition, G. Tyler Miller

2. - What is energy efficiency? Miller says we waste about 43% of our energy unnecessarily. - Why worry about it? -Do you consider energy conservation and/or efficiency in your house? “ Tired of heating or cooling an empty house while you're away? In about an hour, you can be on your way to a more comfortable home. Depending on the model you select, you can program day and night temperatures and even a setting for every day of the week. You'll be more comfortable with your heating and cooling bill too. Lowe's is happy to provide this information as a service to you.” http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/ProgramThermostat.html

3. What’s a renewable energy source? What are some examples we can think of? http://rredc.nrel.gov/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy

4. Making our homes & offices more efficient Sears tower consumes more energy in a day than a city of 150,000 people! (Miller) Super insulation, plug leaks! Use heat from the sun Energy efficient windows Landscaping, roof top gardens Miller gives lots of other ideas in our text The ING Bank in Netherlands, uses 92% less energy than a conventional building of its size http://www.rmi.org/images/PDFs/BuildingsLand/D92-21_NMBBankHQ.pdf http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/

5. How can we fuel our cars? Hybrids? Gasoline, diesel or natural gas & battery 30-300! mpg Lower emissions Fuel Cells? http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/ H 2 will have to be generated Efficient, 2H 2 + O 2 -> 2H 2 O No moving parts, low maintenance Get the costs down http://www.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm E85 1) http://www.gm.com/company/onlygm/energy/index.html 2) http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/e85.php?topic=E85101

6. More about ethanol… CH 3 CH 2 OH Made from sugar, corn & other grains by fermentation Have you heard of gasohol? (10-23%)  reduced emissions of CO 2 and CO  potentially renewable  net energy loss, higher cost  may compete with growing food  corrosive, harder to start car in cold weather Also read about methanol CH 3 OH http://www.open.ac.uk/T206/photos/220594-1f1.24.jpg

7. Renewable energy for heat and electricity Passive solar Active solar Solar thermal Solar cells Hydropower Wind power Biomass Ethanol Geothermal Hydrogen http://www.fi.edu/guide/hughes/images/renewable.gif

8. Renewable energy provides 16% of world’s energy in the world and 6% in the U.S. Miller says renewable resources haven’t received tax breaks, subsidies and R & D funding as fossil fuels and nuclear power have. Prices we pay for fossil fuels & nuclear don’t include environmental & health costs http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/technologies/renewable_fedrequire.cfm

9. Wind Energy! Mendota Hills Wind Farm http://www.windpower.com/projects_detail.cfm?ProjectID=19 Global Wind energy http://www.windpower.com/windpower.cfm http://cr.middlebury.edu/es/altenergylife/windpower.htm

10. Solar energy…a myriad of possibilities Passive solar…absorbs and stores heat directly…use with good insulation Need access to the sun Need heat storage system Back up system?

11. Active solar heating…. Uses heat absorbing fluids and pumps Popular for heating water in homes High set up costs, high maintenance and unappealing appearance http://www.greenenergy.org.uk/sta/solarenergy/howwork.htm

12. Solar thermal systems Collect and transform radiant energy from the sun into heat, used directly or converted to electricity. Used in desert areas. Sunlight collected and focused on solar collectors. High temps produce steam to run turbines for electricity. These need backup systems or storage, high cost of installation, high land use

13. Photovoltaic cells (PV) You’ve seen them in calculators Quick installation and can be moved; installed on roofs so little land use Low environmental impact, no CO 2 Long lasting, no moving parts  need backup systems  high costs currently http://www.schools.sandwell.net/emu/bowater/bowater2/Primary/solarcells.htm http://www.co.monroe.fl.us/solar-cells-op.jpg

14. Hydropower Works based on water flowing from high to low elevations Controlled by dams and reservoirs and used to spin turbines & produce electricity 20% of world’s electricity Very efficient, low cost electricity No air pollution or waste disposal High construction costs Alters animal habitat Danger of collapse Large dams high environmental impact http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/graphics/hymap.st1.color.gif

15. http://www.tva.gov/power/hydroart.htm http://www.brattle.com/_documents/Expertises/Expertise67.gif http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html Animation at this site! Go there!

16. Energy from biomass Plant & animal wastes burned to provide heat or electricity Wood logs, pellets, wood chips, branches Agricultural waste Animal dung “ Urban waste” = garbage; cardboard and paper, wood waste Used for heating, cooking, industrial processes or to create steam to power turbines for electricity Some argue that that the wastes should be left to feed livestock, recycle into the soil, prevent erosion Biomass can also be converted to biogas (methane and CO 2 ) use bacteria and chemical processes to do this.

17. http://www.gocpc.com/Images2/Biomax/Biomass%20Residues.jpg

18. Geothermal: energy from the earth http://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/english/energy/geothermal/images/43.gif http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.gif

19. more on geothermal…. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.gif Low environmental impact; we’re tapping natural heat sources such as volcanic rock, geysers and hot springs. Energy efficient and cost effective 1% of world’s electricity  Cost is high so source must be concentrated and accessible  Reservoirs can be depleted if heat is removed faster than resupplied . Chevron graphic to see how geothermal works…. http://www.chevron.com/stories/#/stories/re_geo/geo_ov/?gclid=CNWv7LKYy48CFQM-IgodE0nX0w/ another animation http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/gpp_animation.html

20. Hydrogen…a fuel of the future? 2020-2030 2H 2 + O 2 -> 2H 2 O We’ll need to make the H 2  high costs right now  no fuel distribution system in place No green hou se gases Safe, nontoxic, nonpollut ing, itself. http://www.bmwworld.com/pics/7er/7350_1024.jpg

21. So what of the future? Wide variety of sources…no one answer http://www.pdm-group.co.uk/renewable_energy/energy_generation.html What’s the energy policy in this country? How does politics play into this? Aging electrical grid system What can YOU do? www.campaignEarth.org http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/