Chapter 16: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Openers

• BASF• Video

• Energy Efficiency Quiz

Core Case Study: Amory Lovins and The Rocky Mountain Institute (1)

• Amory Lovins, energy analyst

• Rocky Mountain Institute• Nonprofit and nonpartisan• Research and consulting on energy, energy efficiency,

and renewable energy• Consults with 80 major corporations and 50 foreign

countries

Core Case Study: Amory Lovins and The Rocky Mountain Institute (2)

• Location: Snowmass, CO (U.S.)

• No conventional heating system

• Heating bills: <$50/year

• How is this possible?

Sustainable Energy: Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, U.S.

Fig. 16-1, p. 397

16-1 Why Is Energy Efficiency an Important Energy Resource?

• Concept 16-1 Improving energy efficiency can save the world at least a third of the energy it uses, and it can save the United States up to 43% of the energy it uses.

We Waste Huge Amounts of Energy (2)• Four widely used devices that waste energy

1. Incandescent light bulb2. Motor vehicle with internal combustion engine3. Nuclear power plant4. Coal-fired power plant

Advantages of Reducing Energy Waste

Fig. 16-3, p. 399

16-2 How Can We Cut Energy Waste?

• Concept 16-2 We have a variety of technologies for sharply increasing the energy efficiency of industrial operations, motor vehicles, and buildings.

We Can Save Energy and Money in Industry and Utilities (1)

• Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP)• Two forms of energy from same fuel source

• Replace energy-wasting electric motors

• Recycling materials

• Switch from low-efficiency incandescent lighting to higher-efficiency fluorescent and LED lighting

LEDs

Fig. 16-4, p. 401

We Can Save Energy and Money in Industry and Utilities (2)

• Electrical grid system: outdated and wasteful

• Utility companies switching from promote use of energy to promoting energy efficiency• Spurred by state utility commissions

We Can Save Energy and Money in Transportation

• Corporate average fuel standards (CAFE) standards• Fuel economy standards lower in the U.S. countries• Fuel-efficient cars are on the market

• Hidden prices in gasoline: $12/gallon• Car manufacturers and oil companies lobby to prevent

laws to raise fuel taxes

• Should there be a feebate?

Average Fuel Economy of New Vehicles Sold in the U.S. and Other Countries

Fig. 16-5, p. 402

More Energy-Efficient Vehicles Are on the Way

• Superefficient and ultralight cars

• Gasoline-electric hybrid car

• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

• Energy-efficient diesel car

• Electric vehicle with a fuel cell

Solutions: A Hybrid-Gasoline-Electric Engine Car and a Plug-in Hybrid Car

Fig. 16-6, p. 403

We Can Design Buildings That Save Energy and Money

• Green architecture

• Living or green roofs

• Superinsulation

• U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

A Green Roof in Chicago

Fig. 16-8, p. 405

We Can Save Money and Energy in Existing Buildings (1)

• Conduct an energy survey

• Insulate and plug leaks

• Use energy-efficient windows

• Stop other heating and cooling losses

• Heat houses more efficiently

We Can Save Money and Energy in Existing Buildings (2)

• Heat water more efficiently

• Use energy-efficient appliances

• Use energy-efficient lighting

A Thermogram Shows Heat Loss

Fig. 16-9, p. 406

Individuals Matter: Ways in Which You Can Save Money Where You Live

Fig. 16-10, p. 407

We Can Use Renewable Energy to Provide Heat and Electricity

• Renewable energy• Solar energy: direct or indirect• Geothermal energy

• Benefits of shifting toward renewable energy

• Renewable energy cheaper if we eliminate• Inequitable subsidies• Inaccurate prices• Artificially low pricing of nonrenewable energy

16-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy?

• Concept 16-3 Passive and active solar heating systems can heat water and buildings effectively, and the costs of using direct sunlight to produce high-temperature heat and electricity are coming down.

We Can Heat Buildings and Water with Solar Energy

• Passive solar heating system

• Active solar heating system

Solutions: Passive and Active Solar Heating for a Home

Fig. 16-11, p. 409

Passive Solar Home in Colorado

Fig. 16-12, p. 410

Trade-Offs: Passive or Active Solar Heating

Fig. 16-14, p. 411

World Availability of Direct Solar Energy

Figure 22, Supplement 8

U.S. Availability of Direct Solar Energy

Figure 23, Supplement 8

We Can Cool Buildings Naturally

• Technologies available• Open windows when cooler outside• Use fans• Superinsulation and high-efficiency windows• Overhangs or awnings on windows• Light-colored roof• Geothermal pumps

Solutions: Solar Cooker in India

Fig. 16-17, p. 412

We Can Use Sunlight to Produce Electricity (1)

• Photovoltaic (PV) cells (solar cells)• Convert solar energy to electric energy

• Design of solar cells• Sunlight hits cells and releases electrons into wires

• Benefits of using solar cells

• Solar-cell power plants around the world

Solutions: Solar Cells on Rooftop and for Many Purposes

Fig. 16-18, p. 413

Solar Cell Array in Niger, West Africa

Fig. 16-19, p. 413

Solar-Cell Power Plant in Arizona

Fig. 16-20, p. 414

We Can Use Sunlight to Produce Electricity (2)

• Key problems• High cost of producing electricity• Need to be located in sunny desert areas• Fossil fuels used in production• Solar cells contain toxic materials

• Will the cost drop with• Mass production • New designs• Government subsidies and tax breaks

Trade-Offs: Solar Cells

Fig. 16-21, p. 414

16-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Hydropower • Concept 16-4 We can use water flowing over dams,

tidal flows, and ocean waves to generate electricity, but environmental concerns and limited availability of suitable sites may limit the use of these energy resources.

We Can Produce Electricity from Falling and Flowing Water

• Hydropower• Uses kinetic energy of moving water• World’s leading renewable energy source used to

produce electricity

• Advantages and disadvantages

• Micro-hydropower generators

Tradeoffs: Dams and Reservoirs

Fig. 13-13, p. 328

Trade-Offs: Large-Scale Hydropower, Advantages and Disadvantages

Fig. 16-22, p. 415

Tides and Waves Can Be Used to Produce Electricity

• Produce electricity from flowing water• Ocean tides and waves

• So far, power systems are limited

• Disadvantages• Few suitable sites• High costs• Equipment damaged by storms and corrosion

16-5 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Wind Power?• Concept 16-5 When we include the environmental

costs of using energy resources in the market prices of energy, wind power is the least expensive and least polluting way to produce electricity.

Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an Important Step toward Sustainability (1)

• Wind: indirect form of solar energy• Captured by turbines• Converted into electrical energy

• Second fastest-growing source of energy

• What is the global potential for wind energy?

• Wind farms: on land and offshore

World Electricity from Wind Energy

Figure 12, Supplement 9

Solutions: Wind Turbine and Wind Farms on Land and Offshore

Fig. 16-23, p. 417

Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an Important Step toward Sustainability (2)

• Countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity• Germany• United States• Spain• India• Denmark

• Installation is increasing in several other countries

Using Wind to Produce Electricity Is an Important Step toward Sustainability (3)

• Advantages of wind energy

• Drawbacks• Windy areas may be sparsely populated – need to

develop grid system to transfer electricity• Winds die down; need back-up energy• Storage of wind energy• Kills migratory birds • “Not in my backyard”

Trade-Offs: Wind Power

Fig. 16-25, p. 418

United States Wind Power Potential

Figure 24, Supplement 8

16-6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Biomass as an Energy Source

• Concept 16-6A Solid biomass is a renewable resource for much of the world’s population, but burning it faster than it is replenished produces a net gain in atmospheric greenhouse gases, and creating biomass plantations can degrade soil biodiversity.

• Concept 16-6B We can use liquid biofuels derived from biomass in place of gasoline and diesel fuels, but creating biofuel plantations can degrade soil and biodiversity and increase food prices and greenhouse gas emissions.

We Can Get Energy by Burning Solid Biomass

• Biomass• Plant materials and animal waste we can burn or turn

into biofuels

• Production of solid mass fuel• Plant fast-growing trees• Biomass plantations• Collect crop residues and animal manure

• Advantages and disadvantages

Trade-Offs: Solid Biomass

Fig. 16-26, p. 420

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (1)

• Liquid biofuels• Biodiesel• Ethanol

• Biggest producers of biofuel• The United States• Brazil• The European Union • China

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (2)

• Major advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel produced from oil1. Biofuel crops can be grown almost anywhere2. No net increase in CO2 emissions if managed

properly3. Available now

We Can Convert Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels (3)

• Studies warn of problems:• Decrease biodiversity• Increase soil degrading, erosion, and nutrient leaching• Push farmers off their land• Raise food prices• Reduce water supplies, especially for corn and soy

Case Study: Is Biodiesel the Answer?

• Biodiesel production from vegetable oil from various sources

• 95% produced by the European Union

• Subsidies promote rapid growth in United States

• Advantages and disadvantages

Trade-Offs: Biodiesel

Fig. 16-27, p. 421

Case Study: Is Ethanol the Answer? (1)

• Ethanol from plants and plant wastes

• Brazil produces ethanol from sugarcane• Environmental consequences

• United States: ethanol from corn • Low net energy yield• Reduce the need for oil imports?• Harm food supply• Air pollution and climate change?

Case Study: Is Ethanol the Answer? (2)

• Cellulosic ethanol: alternative to corn ethanol• Switchgrass• Crop residues• Municipal wastes

• Advantages and disadvantages

World Ethanol Production

Figure 13, Supplement 9

Natural Capital: Rapidly Growing Switchgrass

Fig. 16-29, p. 423

Trade-Offs: Ethanol Fuel

Fig. 16-30, p. 423

16-7 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy?• Concept 16-7 Geothermal energy has great potential

for supplying many areas with heat and electricity, and it has a generally low environmental impact, but sites where it can be used economically are limited.

Getting Energy from the Earth’s Internal Heat (1)

• Geothermal energy: heat stored in• Soil• Underground rocks• Fluids in the earth’s mantle

• Geothermal heat pump system• Energy efficient and reliable• Environmentally clean• Cost effective to heat or cool a space

Natural Capital: A Geothermal Heat Pump System Can Heat or Cool a House

Fig. 16-31, p. 425

Geothermal Sites in the United States

Figure 26, Supplement 8

Trade Offs: Geothermal Energy

Fig. 16-33, p. 426

16-9 How Can We Make the Transition to a More Sustainable Energy Future?

• Concept 16-9 We can make the transition to a more sustainable energy future if we greatly improve energy efficiency, use a mix of renewable energy resources, and include environmental costs in the market prices of all energy resources.

Solutions: Making the Transition to a More Sustainable Energy Future

Fig. 16-37, p. 431

Economics, Politics, Education, and Sustainable Energy Resources

• Government strategies:• Keep the prices of selected energy resources

artificially low to encourage their use• Keep energy prices artificially high for selected

resources to discourage their use• Consumer education

What Can you Do? Shifting to More Sustainable Energy Use

Fig. 16-38, p. 432

Three Big Ideas

1. We should evaluate energy resources on the basis of their potential supplies, how much net useful energy they provide, and the environmental impacts of using them.

2. Using a mix of renewable energy sources—especially solar, wind, flowing water, sustainable biofuels, and geothermal energy—can drastically reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity losses.

Three Big Ideas

3. Making the transition to a more sustainable energy future will require sharply reducing energy waste, using a mix of environmentally friendly renewable energy resources, and including the harmful environmental costs of energy resources in their market prices.