...Institution of affiliation Summary Renewable energy is that which uses natural phenomena such as wind, tide, sunlight, plant growth ( biomass), geothermal heat among others. In fact, it is said, “Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.” (Conference on New and Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Development, Afgan & Carvalho, 2004). This chapter attempts to look at the various sources of renewable energy and how they can be applied in the shipping industry. The renewable energy resources are available across the globe. Unlike traditional sources of energy such as fossil fuel which is located in specific and limited areas, renewable energy sources can be found in most parts of the world. It is believed that with the rapid development of renewable energy coupled with the efficiencies, economies of various countries will sprout and the energy sector will pride itself with having achieved sustainability and stable supply of energy (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.), & United States. 2010). History of Renewable Energy Research has it that biomass is the oldest form of renewable energy whose use dates back to about 790,000 years....
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...water and energy, reducing waste and pollution, harnessing renewable energy sources, finding ways to reuse materials, and developing less polluting technologies. Green technology is everywhere these days; in the news, politics, fashion, and of course technology. Green Technology is becoming so widespread throughout the world. People are becoming more energy efficient in their homes by buying water-efficient showerheads that are low-flow models, adjusting their refrigerator and freezer temperatures, buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, buying energy efficient appliances, and by recycling rechargeable devices like cell phones or digital cameras. As awareness grows about environmental issues such as pollution, human impact on climate change, and depletion of natural resources, so is interest growing in environmentally friendly products and services. For example, the popularity of green cleaning products has increased in recent years. Nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning products are safer for use in the home meaning they are less likely to cause health problems. They also keep harmful chemicals out of the environment. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are another popular eco-friendly product; compared to traditional, incandescent light bulbs, CFLs use way less electricity. Here are a four of the many types of green technology used today; green energy, vehicles, building and appliances. Green energy as of today is produced by these forms of energy; solar, wind, and...
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...In this day and age, nuclear power is seen as a menacing and unnecessary solution to providing the world with its energy and electricity. However, when looking at the facts nuclear power is far more beneficial than harmful, especially compared to some of the most common sources of energy being widely used today. Nuclear power has many advantages, some of them being environmental, international relations and safety. Some may argue that nuclear power may damage the environment with waste and mining, however recent research has proved that nuclear power is one of the more environmentally friendly sources of energy. These advantages greatly outweigh the possible disadvantages, making nuclear power the better alternative for energy and electricity....
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...FINAL PROJECT CLIMATE CHANGE AND USE OF ENERGY 2012 Tomás Frías Orozco A01222872 Miguel Madrigal Hernandez A01222919 Pedro Morfin Carlos Giovanni Elizarraraz A01227576 Jorge Blass Coss y Leon Cervantes A01226870 Phase 1 1. Introduction • Energy The capacity or power to do work, such as the capacity to move an object by the application of force • Types of energy chemical energy - energy stored in fuel which is released when chemical reactions take place. kinetic energy - energy of a moving object. gravitational potential energy (GPE) - energy an object has due to its position . elastic (strain) potential energy - energy stored in an object that is being stretched. electrical energy - energy transferred by an electric current. thermal (heat) energy - energy of an object due to its temperature. nuclear energy - energy stored in an atom’s nucleus. light energy - energy transferred through waves and light particles . sound energy - energy transferred via sound waves. • Units used depending on their application * British Thermal Unit-Used in Heating and Cooling * Calorie-Science and Engineering (Raise the heat of water) * Food Calorie, Kilocalorie- Used in Nutrition * Joule-Science and Engineering – Electrical Current * Kilowatt Hour-Electrical Fields (Joule/Per second) * Therm- Home Heating Appliances(Heat) 2. Energy Problems • The distribution of the energy produced in the country, as is showed above...
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...Should the global super powers lead an effective way in developing renewable energy? Global super powers rely heavily on energy, so therefore they should develop and fund renewable energy sources. Small countries have a smaller need. They do not have as much capital, so they rely on the global superpowers. Renewable energy is the cleanest way to keep earth clean and free of pollution. Global powers have the resource to advance renewable energy quickly. They have professional people, machinery, technology, money know-how, etc. to make things happen. Different countries in different parts of the world use different kinds of renewable energy. Countries can share with other countries what they’ve learned. This is an effective way to increase renewable energy. The population of the world will greatly benefit from renewable energy. People will be healthier and pollution will be greatly decreased. There will be an ongoing supply of power for every facet of life. Renewable energy must be developed because nonrenewable energy is becoming expensive and environmentally damaging to retrieve. Renewable resources are constantly replenished and will never run out. A clean energy revolution is taking place among global super powers. This generates hundreds of billions in economic activity, and is expected to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. This...
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...Chinese Energy Market Michael Alexander Landon Bunn Thomas Burrus Benjamin Duva Marcela Horan Table of Contents: Executive Summary…………………………………………Page 3 Demand for Energy…………………………………………Page 4 Coal and China…………………………………………………Page 6 Solar Energy in China………………………………Page 8 Competition…………………………………………………………Page 9 U.S./China Relations………………………………Page 10 Recommendations……………………………………………Page 14 Joint Ventures………………………………………………Page 15 References…………………………………………………………Page 17 Executive summary As the nation with the world’s largest population moves towards an industry focused on consumer products, the need for an abundant supply of energy becomes essential. While coal and oil are the current sources of energy, concerns about the quantity available and environmental problems force officials in China to look elsewhere for the country’s energy. Nuclear, wind, and hydroelectric power are all options in this field, but solar energy seems to be the most promising. This paper researches the history of energy demand in China and the potential of solar energy. By providing information about competition, the relations between China and the U.S., and methods of entry, we hope to give insight to those interested in entering the Chinese Energy Market. Demand for Energy in China Figure [ 1 ] From the 1940s to the 80s, the Chinese economy grew from an output level of 18% to 44%, while the amount of energy required to match the economic output tripled. This created an...
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...Energy, Fossil Fuels & Alternative Energy 22 July 2012 In order to understand how energy is converted from one form to another we must first define energy as the ability to do work and “Energy can never be destroyed. Energy can be converted from one form to another but the total energy remains constant (Integrated Science)”. Now that we have defined energy we can go further as there are two types of energy. The first type of energy is Kinetic energy, and is related with motion. Examples of Kinetic energy would be wind, water, machines, and even thermal energy. Our second form of energy is potential energy or energy waiting to be used. To types of potential energy would be fossil fuels or nuclear. Within these two types of energy it can be converted into the same 5 different forms of energy: (1) Mechanical Energy: energy from machines; (2) Chemical Energy: energy produced through a chemical reaction (3) Radiant energy: energy in the form of radiation or in the absence of matter (4) Electrical energy: derived from electromagnetic interactions and (5) Nuclear: energy produced by a nuclear reaction. Energy can go from one type of energy to another through energy transfer and most energy becomes mechanical energy. An example of this would be a power plant. The plant first burns coal (Potential energy converted to kinetic energy) to boil water that in turn spins turbines that produces electricity. All the energy is transferred to the other but only 40% of the...
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...climate change is, and will be striking us with. People have been managing the air irresponsibly, with machines that put out extra carbon dioxide in the air, while cutting trees that convert this co2 to oxygen. The excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the temperature rise with time. Most the people are willing to solve this but they just keep putting it aside to do it some other day, plus the fact that the money investment is quite a lot. Another problem is that some people with high...
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...Nonrenewable energies such as petroleum will eventually run out in the future. This is one of our key energy sources used today. The switch to renewable energy will not have an effect on human beings, and these renewable sources can reduce our carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc. Ones carbon footprint can be calculated by factoring in the amount of people living in a home, the type of home environment, habits done that do not waste energy, and the green technologies already in use in ones home. The energy usage in my home is 36% less than the average 3-person home in the United States. My total usage of energy is about 14,978 kilowatt hours per year. For the carbon emissions of my family’s home, it is, in comparison to the average 3-person home in the United States, 27% less. My total emissions is around 15.92 tons of carbon dioxide per year (BP p.l.c, 2013). Although my energy usage and carbon emissions level are below the average American home, the impact my large carbon footprint has on the environment is still a great amount. A carbon footprint can be reduced through the usage of renewable energy sources, such as the most commonly used “green”...
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...Solar power as away of providing heat and electrical energy from heat The Sun the heat of the sun is about equivalent to burning a billion trillion tons of coal an hour. Even though only a small fraction of that heat ever reaches the earth it is still more then enough to power the whole world. People seemed to realize the importance of the sun around 30,000 BC. This was when people first started planting crops of wheat. They realized plants did better when planted in the sun over the shade. This caused them to worship the sun as a God. Many cultures built large and extravagant temples to worship the sun in. Other cultures built places to observe the sun in, such as Stonehenge in England. Different Types of Solar Panels There are three main types of solar panels. They are flat plate collectors, focusing collectors, and solar cells. The first kind is a flat plate collector. Flat plate collectors are fastened on the top of the roof of a house. They usually either heat the house or its water. A flat plate collector consists of a black rectangular frame, two or three sheets of glass, and copper plumbing. A flat plat collector uses the greenhouse affect. The sun rays go through the glass but can’t get out through the glass. The sun rays heat the water-filled copper tubes. Then the water is used to heat the home or water. Another type of a solar panel is a focusing collector. They consist of a mirror or mirrors...
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...U.S. Imposition of Steep Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels – Protecting or Hurting American Markets and Consumers? On Tuesday, December 16th 2014 the United States Department of Commerce approved a collection of trade tariffs on solar panels imported from China and Taiwan. Tariffs on these solar panels, ranging from 18.56% to 35.21%, have been in place since earlier this year when the Commerce Department issues a preliminary decision. The case was brought by SolarWorld Industries America, Inc. the U.S. subsidiary of German company SolarWorld AG. SolarWorld alleged that Chinese companies were selling solar panels in the U.S. market below manufacturing cost, a practice known as “dumping”, with the intent being to cause harm to domestic manufactures of similar products. This particular case dates back to 2012 when SolarWorld first successfully petitioned to impose solar panel import tariffs. Chinese manufactures of solar panels then started using solar cells, the central component of the technology used to harvest the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, made in Taiwan as a means to circumvent the restrictions. This led SolarWorld to again ask the Department of Commerce to expand the tariffs to include Taiwanese manufactured panels. The proposal will next go to the U.S. International Trade Commission for review, and if approved, keep the assessed duties in place for at least five years. A SolarWorld spokesperson has declared this action as a major victory...
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...Abstract Solar Energy: The Eco-Friendly alternative energy source for The world? Solar Energy: The Eco-Friendly alternative energy source for The world? Solar energy is energy provided by the sun, it is in the form of solar radiation, it can be converted into electrical or thermal energy. Around the world a movement has begun, one started by environmentalist, this movement is known as the Go Green Movement. The goal of this movement is to make people aware of the damages that we are causing and effective measures to reverse them. The Go Green Movement focuses on creating alternative energy sources so that non-renewable energy resources such as: coal, petroleum and fossil fuel are not exhausted. Most fossil fuels are obtained through mining processes, which can damage the environment. They damage the environment by releasing acid, mercury and sulfates into the atmosphere. Christina Nunez, in her article for National Geographic states that fossil fuels such as coal should, “be left untouched in order to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2°C.” (Nunez, 1) This indicates that the burning of fossil fuels such as: coal, oil and gas are factors which contribute to global warming. They contribute to global warming by releasing carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere. In recent years the quandary of having alternate sources of energy has arisen. Solar energy is energy provided by the sun, it is in the form of solar radiation, it can...
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...Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, motor fuels, and rural energy services. Based on REN21's 2014 report, renewables contributed 19 percent to our global energy consumption and 22 percent to our electricity generation in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Both, modern renewables, such as hydro, wind, solar and biofuels, as well as traditional biomass, contributed in about equal parts to the global energy supply. Worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more than US$214 billion in 2013, with countries like China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and biofuels. Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits. In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of energy supply. National renewable energy markets...
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...CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR ENERGY Fig. 1.1(a) Block Diagram of Photovoltaic System Renewable energy is rapidly gaining importance as an energy resource as fossil fuel prices fluctuate. At the educational level, it is therefore critical for engineering and technology students to have an understanding and appreciation of the technologies associated with renewable energy. One of the most popular renewable energy sources is solar energy. Many researches were conducted to develop some methods to increase the efficiency of Photo Voltaic systems (solar panels). One such method is to employ a solar panel tracking system. This project deals with a microcontroller based solar panel is always able to maintain a perpendicular profile to the sun’s rays. Development of solar panel tracking systems has been ongoing for several years now. As the sun moves across the sky during the day, it is advantageous to have the solar panels track the location of the sun, such that the panels are always perpendicular to the solar energy radiated by the sun. This will tend to maximize the amount of power absorbed by the PV systems. It has been estimated that the use of a tracking system, over a fixed system, can increase the power output by 30%-60%. The increase is significant enough to make tracking a viable preposition despite of the enhancement in system cost. It is possible to align the tracking heliostat normal to sun using electronic...
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...Nanotechnology within Energy Markets: Progress in Efficiency Professor Stephen Carter We will be creating a presentation that will explain how important nanotechnology has exploded with new developments within Energy sectors. We will go into detail, explain, and educate our audience with history in nanotechnology, its importance within many different markets but its unprecedented progress in creating clean, efficient energy to the future. We will be stating all the main stream objections, the notion that nanotechnology is not the key and we can support other technologies, we should not support with government funding, and even the small but valid arguments with dealing with ethical objections. We are going to fully touch base on every point of interjection so that you as a viewer of our presentation will have more than enough information to make an informed decision and create your stance on nanotechnology and how it has affected Energy in the 21th century. We will be creating a presentation that will explain how important nanotechnology has exploded with new developments within Energy sectors. We will go into detail, explain, and educate our audience with history in nanotechnology, its importance within many different markets but its unprecedented progress in creating clean, efficient energy to the future. We will be stating all the main stream objections, the notion that nanotechnology is not the key and we can support other technologies, we should not support with government...
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