Energy for EveryoneMichael Newtown, P.E.

Assist. ProfessorCanino School of Engineering Technology

SUNY Canton

We think this is the crisis,

Picture Source: Dr. Robert W. Meyers SUNY ESF

Oil to Water Comparison

• Oil at $ 70 a barrel• Bottle water from vending machine $ 1.50

for 16.9 ounces • A barrel of crude oil is 42 gallons U. S.• The comparison to water, oil cost $0.44 for

16.9 ounces.• Approximately enough oil to drive a car

across the Village of Canton.• We pay more for water than oil.

We think this is the crisis,

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

We think this is the crisis,

This is the real crisis, sustaining our way of life beyond today.

Picture Source: Dr. Robert W. Meyers SUNY ESF

Energy & Power Units

• Food that we eat everyday, kcals

• Wood, 8000 Btu/lbm• Oil, 140,000 Btu/gal• Electricity, watts• Wind, watts• Solar, watts• Geo-thermal, btu or tons

• Btu is the amount of energy to raise 1 lbm of water, 1o Fahrenheit

• Joule is the amount of energy to raise 1 kg of water, 1o Celsius

• 1 Btu = 1055 Joules• Mechanical, the

movement of 1 lbf the distance of 1 foot, Ft-lbf

Units of Power

• Power = energy / time• Btu/hr (Btuh) heat energy used per hour• Watts, number of Joules used per second• Horse Power, the power provided by one

Welsh pony lifting 550 lb of coal one foot in 1 minute.

• National Grid bills in KWh – Power X Time [(KJ/S) x hour]

Basic Appliances

• Refrigerator operating at 115 volts on a 15 amp circuit will draw 1725 watts.

• A circular saw that is rated at 13 amps will use 1495 watts. This is equivalent to 2 hp

• ¾ hp shallow well pump will use .55 watts

As you see it is difficult to keep power and energy straight, as each has its own meaning depending on the use.

An Energy Vs. Power Experiment

• First pick up a 10 pound weight and move it 10 feet. How much work has been done? (Work equals Energy)

• Answer: 100 ft-lbf or 135 Joules or .13 Btu

• Now if that could be done once every second for 1 min, the power necessary to perform such a feat is 1.67 ft-lbf/sec.

• Equivalent in other units are:– .003 hp– .002 KW or 2 Watts

TANSTAAFL

• “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” John W. Campbell, Editor, Astounding Science Fiction Magazine, 1940

• In this modern world we have sometimes forgotten that energy costs more than money. Global Warming, Peak Oil production, etc.

• Now for some alternatives to sustaining our energy demands.

Net-metering for Grid-Connected Systems

• “Bank” excess energy with the local utility

• Meter spins backward; customer receives full retail value for each kWh produced

• Net excess generation (NEG) credited monthly or annually

www.awea.org

Connecting to the Grid

• PURPA requires utilities to connect with and purchase power from small wind systems

• Reduce consumption of utility-supplied electricity

• Utility acts as a big “battery bank”

• Contact individual utility before connecting to its lines

www.awea.org

Power Quality Issues• Must synchronize with grid

• Must match utility power’s voltage, frequency and quality

Interconnection Requirements

Safety Issues• Must meet electrical codes

• Must stop supplying power to grid during power outages

www.awea.org

Solar

Solar Power Today

• Direct solar– Radiation heating

• Passive Solar energy passing through windows heating our homes

• Active Solar energy heating of hot water or glycol

Solar Power Today• Direct solar

– Radiation conversion to electricity• Photovoltaic • Production of electricity by chemical actions• Solar cell wafer has Boron or Phosphorous dopant over a

silicon chip exposed to light and electrons start to flow

Single Cell to Array

Components to PV

• Array• Array

disconnect fuse• Charge

Controller• Batteries• Load disconnect• Inverter• System Monitor

Passive Solar Heating & Cooling

• Direct gain systems• Storage wall systems• Sunspaces

• A passive system has to have a net gain in energy during the heating season and net loss during cooling season

Direct Gain Systems

• Windows– Having windows

with high R values

– Low E coatings reduce heat loss while being able to gain Solar Radiation

Trombe Walls

• Masonry wall exposed to the Sun through a window during the daytime

• Radiation heats the wall

• At night, the wall re-radiates energy to heat room.

Sunspaces

• Sunrooms

• Glass enclosed rooms

• This is a bad example– Too much glass

Solar Hot Water heater

• Any system that uses mechanical assistance to move a fluid is an active system.

Guidelines summary for solar domestic water heating systems:

• A well designed system will provide 50-80% of a home's hot water needs (less in winter, more in summer).

• There should be 10-15 square feet of solar collector area for each person in the household.

• The storage tank should hold 20-30 gallons per person. • There should be no shade on the collectors during the hours from 9:00 AM

to 3:00 PM. • The collectors should face south and be tilted at a 30 degree angle (slight

variations noted above will not significantly harm performance). • The collectors and storage tank should be in close proximity to the backup

system and house distribution system to avoid excessive pipe losses. The pipes need to be well insulated.

• Mixing valves or thermal shutoff devices should be employed to protect from excessively high temperatures.

• Select systems that are tested and certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC).

Major Components to Solar Water Heating

Collectors to capture solar energy. Circulation system to move a fluid between the collectors to a storage tank

• Storage tank • Backup heating system • Control system to

regulate the overall system operation

Wind

How a Wind Turbines Work

Wind Turbine(400 W-100 kW)

Guyed or Tilt-Up Tower

(60-120 ft)

Safety Switch

Power Processing Unit (Inverter)

Cumulative Production Meter

AC Load Center

www.awea.org

How Power is Made from Wind

• P=0.5ρAV^3 (SI units)

• ρ= density of air (lbm/ft^3)

• A= Sweep Area of Blades (ft^2)

• V= Velocity of Wind (mph)

Turbine Efficiency

Efficiency = Pout/Pwind

Betz Limit: 59% efficiency

Best achieved efficiencies are 20-40%

Factors to Consider

• Good wind resource: Class 2 or better

• Home or business located on 1 acre or more of land

• Average monthly electricity bills >$100 for 10 kW system, >$50 for 5 kW system

• Zoning restrictions, economic incentives

www.awea.org

Options: On or Off the Grid?Stand-Alone System

• Batteries to store excess power

• Charge controller

• Inverter (DC to AC)

• Back-up power source for complete energy independence

Grid-Connected System

• Inverter (DC to AC)

• Annual wind speed >10 mph (4.5 m/s)

• Customer motivated by high utility prices, self sufficiency, or environmental concerns

www.awea.org

Modern Small Wind TurbinesHigh Tech, High Reliability, Low Maintenance

• Small turbines range from 20 W to 100 kW

• Only 3-4 moving parts means very low maintenance

• 20- to 40-year design life

• Proven technology – 150,000 installed; over a billion operational hours

• American companies are the market and technology leaders

• Substantial cost-reduction potential

50 kW

400 W(Not to scale)

3 kW

10 kW10 kW

www.awea.org

Before You BuyEconomics will depend on system chosen,local wind resource, electricity costs, and how you use your wind system

Evaluate energy efficiency options first!

Approach investment as you would any other major purchase – do your homework

Average Home Energy Use

www.awea.org

Installation Costs

• Estimate $2-4/installed watt for typical system

• Smaller systems require smaller initial outlay, but cost more per watt

• Taller towers cost more, but usually reduce the payback period

A 4-10 kW system can meet the needs of a typical home

Customers paying 12 cents/kWh or more for electricity with average wind speeds of 10 mph or more

can expect a payback period of 8-16 years www.awea.org

Indirect Estimates of Wind Resource

• Review wind maps

• Obtain airport data

• Visually observe site vegetation

See “A Siting Handbook for Small Wind Energy Conversion Systems,” 800-553-6847 or www.ntis.gov/ordering.gov

Tower Height Matters

Wind speed increases with height

Small increases in wind speed result in large increases in power

Tall towers often needed for clearance above obstacles (turbulence)

May require a variance or a special use permit

www.awea.org

Height or Distance Needed

www.awea.org

Hugh Henderson, P.E.

Hugh Henderson, P.E.

Approx. 3 tons per 100 ft of well

Hugh Henderson, P.E.

Hugh Henderson, P.E.

Hugh Henderson, P.E.

Economics of Geothermal Heat Pumps

• Geothermal heat pumps save money in operating and maintenance costs.

• While the initial purchase price of a residential GHP system is often higher than that of a comparable gas-fired furnace and central air-conditioning system, it is more efficient, thereby saving money every month.

• On average, a geothermal heat pump system costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity, or roughly $7,500 for a 3-ton unit (a typical residential size).

• A system using horizontal ground loops will generally cost less than a system with vertical loops.

Fuel Cells

How fuel cells work

Source: US Fuel Cell Council Fuel Cells

Bio-mass

Source of Biomass

http://www.canton.edu/csoet/alt_energy/