...Fall 13 Fall 13 Natural Gas vs. Electricity vs. Geothermal – Heating & Cooling Natural Gas vs. Electricity vs. Geothermal – Heating & Cooling 08 Fall 08 Fall Executive Summary When deciding upon a heating and cooling source for a new home, people often ask, “what is the best bang for my buck”? The cost of energy continuously increases as the years go bye due to inflation and the cost of non-renewable resources. Since more than half of additional costs in owning a home comes from heating and cooling, people have begun to look into alternative methods. As a typical consumer there are a few different avenues to choose from in this decision that fit within their needs. With technologies advancing and efficiency increasing constantly, making a decision between natural gas, grid-based electricity, or geothermal heating and cooling may be difficult. Many vendors claim that their products run on minimal energy and that long-term monetary savings with the reduction of the energy bills will justify initial costs. How does one choose between these three options? The variables that affect this decision depend greatly on location. Natural gas is becoming abundantly available everywhere in urban communities of all major cities and towns. However, for rural communities this resource may not be an option. Grid-based electricity can be found just about everywhere in the United States. Other than the increase in prices every year, many have concerns...
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...Alternative Energy Sources: Ending Human Dependence on Oil Craig A. Rockwell SCI 207 – Dependence of Man on the Environment Instructor Gomillion July 13, 2012 Alternative Energy Sources: Ending Human Dependence on Oil We live in a world where oil is the primary source of energy. It is used to produce heating fuels, gasoline, propane, and many other lesser-known fuels. Globally, we are consuming approximately 88 million barrels of oil daily. The Central Intelligence Agency (2012) shows that the United States consumes 19,150,000 barrels daily (pg. 1). Many will argue that we need to end our dependence on oil by finding other sources of energy that we can use in place of oil. This is where the question comes in on whether or not alternative energy sources are the answer to ending human dependence on oil. While alternative energy sources may be a big step in reducing our dependence on oil, they are not a solution to it due to our lack of knowledge on how to harvest and use them efficiently, as well as the limits of what they can do for us. If we are going to talk about alternative energy sources, we have to look into some of the sources that fall into the category of “Green Technology”. Sheer (1995) writes, “The economic and social advantages of renewable energies are enormous: they offer the way toward saving both the earth’s atmosphere and human health; they ensure an independent, safe, long-term energy supply as well as economic development; they will provide...
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...Technologies for Alternative Energy Climate Change Working Paper No. 7 Ainsley Jolley Climate Change Project Working Paper Series March 2006 Centre for Strategic Economic Studies Victoria University PO Box 14428 Melbourne VIC 8001 AUSTRALIA Telephone +613 9919 1340 Fax +613 9919 1350 Email: csesinfo@vu.edu.au Website: http://www.cfses.com Technologies for Alternative Energy 1. Introduction In Papers 5 and 6 technologies for the main sources of energy consumption were discussed. In Papers 7 and 8 the attention is focussed on technologies that impact on emissions from energy production. Table 1 provides data on the main sources of GHG emissions in the advanced economies for the year 2000. Table 1. Sources of GHG Emissions in the Advanced Economies, 2000 Source of emissions Electricity and heat production Petroleum refining Other energy production (coal and gas transformation) Fugitive emissions (coal, oil and gas) Total energy production All sources of emissions Note: (a) energy production as % of all sources of emissions. Source: CSES (2004). Tg CO2 -e 3831.2 420.7 324.6 441.5 5018.1 13175.3 % of total 76.3 8.4 6.5 8.8 38.1 (a) Papers 7 and 8 focus on emissions from the production of electricity and heat, which represent 76.3% of all emissions related to energy production. The other sources of emissions are not discussed in detail in this report. Coverage of the issues relating to these sources of emissions is given in CSES (2004). Incremental technological...
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...Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil? September 24, 2012 Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil? Right now there is no one substitute for oil because we use it for a variety of things. We can use alternative sources in areas to preserve or conserve our usage of oil. We use to use wood for fires and light. Then in the industrial revolution we began to use coal. “Coal can provide much more energy over longer periods than wood or any other biomass product. Forests were also diminishing in many regions because they were being consumed for fuel.” (Eric McLamb). Edwin L. Drake drilled the world’s first oil well in 1859 and launched the petroleum industry. Bach then there was a steady supply of oil and coal, and easily accessible so that’s what we used. Now however we have discovered the harm it does to the environment and realized that it won’t last forever. 58% of our oil is imported and is supposed to rise to 64% by 2020. As we all know anytime we have to have products imported it hurts our economy. If we could cut our national oil use down by 50% then we would not need to have any imported, or at least not until we depleted our oil supply. By reducing the amount of oil we use it would also make what we have last longer. Scientists have been working on alternative energy sources such as nuclear, which some say won’t last because of obvious dangers, solar, wind, geothermal, methane hydrates, and hydrogen...
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...Alternative Energy Sources Geology Many people believe that we must depend on fossil fuels for energy, where as the reality of it is the earth provides an abundance of renewable energy sources. These energy sources can produce enough energy that we would never have to use fossil fuels again. Alternative energy is the use of other energy sources instead of the use of fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Solar power can be used to operate cars and provide electricity to homes and businesses. Hydropower can be used to provide electric power to small towns and cities. Geothermal power can heat up buildings or water to power turbines to make energy. Wind power can be used to pump water and generate electricity. So let’s start with solar power since it is the most known of the group. Energy from the sun is one of the most abundant resources available today out of the alternative group. It is one of the most important of the non-conventional energy sources as well, because it does not pollute the earth. “One of the reasons for this is that the total energy we receive each year from the sun is around 35,000 times the total energy used by man”. (Alternative Energy Sources) One way to capture the sun’s energy is through the use of solar panels made out of Photovoltaic cells, which are commonly called (PV) cells. These panels can be used on homes, businesses, greenhouses, water heaters, traffic lights, or grouped together as a solar power plant. PV cells can transform the sun’s energy...
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...Energy Chapter 13 Section 13-1 WHAT IS NET ENERGY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Basic science: Net energy is the only energy that really counts • The usable amount of high-quality energy available from a given quantity of an energy resource is its net energy yield: the total amount of useful energy available from an energy resource minus the energy needed to make it available to consumers. • We can express net energy as the ratio of energy produced to the energy used to produce it. As the ratio increases, the net energy also rises. When the ratio is less than 1, there is a net energy loss. Net energy ratios for various energy systems over their estimated lifetimes differ widely Fig. 13-2a, p. 301 Fig. 13-2b, p. 301 Fig. 13-2c, p. 301 Fig. 13-2d, p. 301 Energy resources with low or negative net energy need help to compete in the marketplace • Any energy resource with a low or negative net energy ratio cannot compete in the open marketplace with other energy alternatives with higher net energy ratios unless it receives financial support from the government (taxpayers) or other outside sources of funding. – For example, the low net energy yield for the nuclear power fuel cycle is one reason why many governments throughout the world must heavily support nuclear power financially to make it available to consumers at an affordable price. Section 13-2 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FOSSIL FUELS? Fossil fuels supply most of...
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...July 2012 Common Ground Essay The first commercial coal mine in America was started in the 1748. ("History of US Coal Use.") The first commercial oil well in the United States was drilled in 1859. (Yergin, 7) These two fossil fuels were the power behind the American Industrial Revolution, and wealth behind Edward Berwind and John Rockefeller(Brinkley, 435), respectively, that continue to provide power and fuel in present day society. Natural gas is another fossil fuel that helps to provide for the needs of today. Oil, coal, and gas companies tout new technologies that make their products cleaner and safer for the environment. Opponents of fossil fuels say there is no way to burn them cleanly. Proponents for fossil fuels believe there are plenty of reserves to keep America running on fossil fuels for years to come. Advocates for newer technologies, “green” technologies, such as solar power, geothermal energy, and biofuels claim that the time to move on from these fossil fuels has arrived. The new energy sources claim to be renewable so as to never run out. (E.g., the sun would have to supernova for solar power to run out.) They believe the point of “Peak Oil”- the point at which worldwide oil production begins to decline, has already passed and the country will need their new technologies to keep pace during the changing of the energy guard. There are many lenses through which to look at the use of all these energy sources. The end of the debate as to which ones are best...
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...Renewable Energy 50 (2013) 456e463 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Renewable Energy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/renene Overview of potential and utilization of renewable energy sources in Turkey E. Toklu* Department of Mechanical Engineering, Duzce University, Düzce, Turkey a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 22 May 2012 Accepted 20 June 2012 Available online 9 August 2012 Keywords: Energy utilization Renewable energy Sustainable development Turkey a b s t r a c t The necessity of minimizing environmental impacts of energy use, particularly those with potentially worrisome global effects, is perhaps the greatest challenge resulting from the twentieth century’s energy advances. The renewable energy technologies of wind, biofuels, solar thermal and photovoltaics are nally showing maturity and the ultimate promise of cost competitiveness. Turkey’s demand for energy and electricity is increasing rapidly and heavily dependent on expensive imported fossil energy resources that place a big burden on the economy and environmental pollution is becoming an important concern in the country. With respect to global environmental issues, Turkey’s carbon dioxide emissions have grown along with its energy consumption. States have played a leading role in protecting the environment by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. In this regard, renewable energy resources appear to be the one of the most ef cient and effective solutions...
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...ore facts about geothermal energy include that there was about 33 MW of geothermal power online in Oregon producing 165 GWh in 2013, the latest industry survey identified 19 projects under development in Oregon of additional power within the next few years if appropriate contracts are secured, Geothermal power projects have the lowest land density compared to any other renewable power technology, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there are an additional 500 MW of discovered geothermal power resources in Oregon and 1,800 MW of undiscovered resources. Solar energy is another good resource option for Oregon to strongly consider, even though it seems like it wouldn’t be. The Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA) founded in 1981, promotes and advances solar energy utilization. Solar Oregon gives job opportunities and offers volunteer opportunity. Although Oregon is known for being cloudy and rainy, however, Portland General Electric (PGE) says the western Oregon actually receives as much solar energy as the national average, and will produce as much energy as the same system installed in Florida. Values of solar energy include clean energy, lowered accumulative electricity cost, and adds value to your property. The cost of solar panels in Oregon is 95 cents per watt, up to a maximum of $9,500 for energy trusts. Solar energy is obviously a renewable resource, because it comes from the sun. The sun is not going to run out of energy until long after we’re gone...
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...Kavethkar Green energy is the need of the hour to sustain our energy requirements. Green energy includes natural energetic processes that can be harnessed with little pollution. Anaerobic digestion, geothermal power, wind power, small-scale hydropower, solar energy, biomass power, tidal power, wave power, and some forms of nuclear power (ones which are able to "burn" nuclear waste through a process known as nuclear transmutation, such as an Integral Fast Reactor, and therefore belong in the "Green Energy" category). Some definitions may also include power derived from the incineration of waste. In this report we have discussed on various dimension of non renewable energy resources and its impact on our environment. It is aptly said that “The Earth has enough to satisfy the Need but not the Greed of the Humans” We have gone beyond boundaries, now if we look back the results of our greed is appalling for us. The below sections show the various examples of non renewable energy sector- Electricity Sector in India The electricity sector in India had an installed capacity of 250.256 was of end July 2014. Out of which considerable amount, approx. 69.12% (172.986 GW), is generated from non-renewable energy source. India became the world's third largest producer of electricity in the year 2013 with 4.8% global share in electricity generation surpassing Japan and Russia. On 31st May 2014, in India, there was installation of Wind Power Capacity Project. Non-Renewable Energy Resources Non-renewable...
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...1010 Prof. Mrs. Betancourt Energy emergency! Starting from humanity history, humans have been trying to create and establish new things to have better conditions at life. We know from physics lessons that if we want to do a new invention, we need energy in progress. The variety of energy sources actually enables people to obtain their needs in terms of this issue. Due to this fact, the usage of those energy sources has beneficial effects when they are used in the right progress. Sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind; hydro, oceanic and geothermal energies provide the needed energy for people efficiently and are the best options to improve our planet future. Firstly, economic benefits are very important for societies nowadays in the world. As a result of this, societies are trying to find cheaper way to produce energy. Here we can suggest geothermal energy. The source of geothermal energy is hot underground water. This kind of water can be found by sounding and this technique is not expensive. After making canals that water flow inside it is enough to finalize the progress. Energy types which are produced by sun are example of this situation. Besides from the normal risks, geothermal energy can also provide a cleaner source of energy. According to Energy Consumers Edge (ECE) “geothermal energy use does entail some environmental impact, but it is safe to say that the environmental benefits far outweigh the costs’’. Most geothermal facilities operate virtually...
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...role in the performance of many companies, with the exception of those that are its notable leaders or failures. As such, one needs to understand these factors at the outset before delving into the characteristics of a specific firm. Michael Porter, a leading authority on industry analysis, proposed a systematic means of analyzing the potential profitability of firms in an industry known as Porter’s “five forces” model. According to Porter, an industry’s overall profitability, which is the combined profits of all competitors, depends on five basic competitive forces. • Intensity of rivalry among incumbent firms • Threat of new competitors entering the industry • Threat of substitute products or services • Bargaining power of buyers • Bargaining power of suppliers Figure here shows the relationship between the different competitive forces. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS The easier it is for new companies to enter the industry, the more cutthroat competition there will be. Factors that can limit the threat of new entrants are known as barriers to entry. The threat of new entrants is low because barriers to entry due to: • high capital cost • economies of scale • distribution channels • proprietary technology • environmental regulation • geopolitical factors • high levels of industry expertise needed to be competitive in the areas of exploration and extraction. • fixed cost levels are high for...
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...Consumption of Coal After the industrial revolution, energy is urgently needed for both daily life and industries. For hundreds of years, human beings have relied on the consumption of energy. People not only cannot live without them but also have to increase the amount for their better living methods and better life quality. Problems come along with increasing energy, especially when the major part of the energy comes from burning coal. Pollution caused by excess burning of coal and trade problems caused by coal prices and coal reserves are so apparent that need to be addressed. However, the advantages of burning coal for energies are so clear for its cheaper price compared to other energies. The balance between benefit and cost is hard to maintain. The choice between continuing current coal consumption and a healthy future is hard to make. For a sustainable society and to improve the quality of the environment and reform the economy, the global consumption of coal needs to be restricted. The balance between economy and environment is hard to maintain. Burning coal for energy has lots of advantages and disadvantages. There are two opposite opinions towards dealing with excess consumption of coal. According to objective global circumstance, it is impossible to ban coal directly. So a debate about whether to restrict coal makes more sense here. The consumption of coal is a fact and there must be a substitute for coal if people want to restrict it. Renewable energy is the most...
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...Assignment 1 Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Resources for Generating Electricity Question 1 Define the following terms: a) Non-renewable resources Most developed nations are dependent on the non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (coal and oil) and nuclear power. It means that a resources that is replaced slowly by natural earth processes in such a way that once used by people, it will not be available again within a useful time frame. Example of non-renewable resources includes oil, coal, rocks, and minerals. b) Renewable resources Renewable resources have become a focal point of the environmental movement, both politically and economically. Energy obtained from renewable resources puts much less strain on the limited supply of fossil fuels (non-renewable resources).It mean that a resource that is quickly replaced or recycled by natural processes in a time frame that makes it useful for human consumption or use. Examples are include cotton, wood, solar energy, water. Some renewable resources have essentially an endless supply, such as solar energy, wind energy and geothermal pressure, while other resources are considered renewable even though some time or effort must go into their renewal, such as wood, oxygen, leather and fish. c) Hydroelectricity It is a renewable energy source where power is derived from the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. Hydropower (from hydro, meaning water) is energy that comes from the force of moving...
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...Renewable Energy Sources The Sustainability Revolution John C. Ayers "In a sense, the fossil fuels are a one-time gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and should eventually lead us to a future based on renewable resources." Kenneth Deffeyes (2001) "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." — Thomas Edison, 1931 We cannot create or destroy energy. We can only capture it. The sun provides either directly or indirectly nearly all of the energy available to us. Plants capture solar energy directly through photosynthesis. Fossil fuels contain the energy of sunlight captured hundreds of millions of years ago. Photovoltaic (PV) cells also capture sunlight energy directly. Other energy sources capture the energy of sunlight indirectly. Heat from the sun powers the flowing air and water. We usually capture the kinetic energy of wind and water by using turbines that transfer the energy to an alternator, an electrical generator that produces alternating current. Geothermal energy is different in that it captures flowing heat energy produced by radioactive decay in the earth’s interior. In this chapter we will see that Wind, Water, and Sun (WWS) energy sources are sustainable because they are renewable, clean, safe, and nearly carbon-free. Although they have low energy densities, meaning that they require large areas of land or water to produce energy, they are...
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