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Alternative Energy

BY: Ricardo Carlos De La Rosa, Jesus Alejandro


Angeles-Mendez, Santana Chisum, Siana Collins,
Dalton Derwin

Introduction to Wind Energy


Wind Energy
inexhaustible
Relatively cheap

How does it work?

Cost of Wind Energy

Wind Energy Pros


Green Energy Source
The potential of wind power
Renewable
Space-efficient
The biggest Turbines

Wind Energy Cons


Wind is a fluctuating
Heavy upfront investments
Wind turbines can be a threat to wildlife (e.g. birds, bats).
Noise
How wind turbines look

Ideal Locations
According to the American Wind Energy Association these ten states are the windiest
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

North Dakota
Texas
Kansas
South Dakota
Montana
Nebraska
Wyoming
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Iowa

Geothermal Energy
What is Geothermal Energy?
An energy that consists of the Earths heat.
Its harmless.
Its available everywhere.

How does it work?

Geothermal Processes

Positive effects
Environmentally friendly
It's a natural resource and is naturally replenished.
Abundant Supply - not weather dependent
Reliable source of energy because its power output can be predicted
with remarkable accuracy.
Technology behind geothermal energy will only continue to improve in
efficiency
Can provide Electricity, cooling and heating
Available everywhere

Negative effects
Location
West v East
Electricity is still needed to operate heat pumps.
Incredible usage of water
To access the vast majority of the energy, the earths crust has to be drilled for
extreme distances.
Expensive

The cost of geothermal Energy

Cost as low as $3,400 per kilowatt installed


Cost over $20,000,000 for a power plant
For a residential area the price would range from $10,000 - $20,000

What is Solar Energy?


According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Solar energy comes from
using the sun as fuel to create heat or electricity. Solar technologies fall into
two categories: passive and active. Passive solar produces heat and provides
lighting for structures. Active solar produces electricity using a technology
called Solar Photovoltaic (PV), or heat, hot water or electricity a technology
called Solar Thermal.

Where Does Solar Energy Come From?


Solar energy comes from the radiation of the sun that reaches the earth.
Energy from the sun can be directly or indirectly converted to solar energy
(heat and electricity).
Solar is the Latin word for sun and the sun is a powerful source of
energy. In fact, the sunlight that brightens up the Earth in just one hour could
meet the world energy demand for a whole entire year.
Solar energy can be used in two ways; heat source or energy source. The use
of reflective solar energy can heat up homes and in ancient Greece the
people built their homes in a direct angle to get the most sunlight during the
winter.

How Solar Energy is Stored


Rechargeable batteries
Generators
Water Systems

Photovoltaic Solar Energy


Converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the
photovoltaic (PV) effect.
Solar shingles are installed on rooftops to provide enough power for
their homes.
PV can be put on a tracking device that follows the sun.

Reflective Energy
A Solar Mirror comprises a substrate with a reflective layer for reflecting
the solar energy, and in most cases an interference layer. Reflective
solar energy uses the reflections of windows and mirrors.

Solar Energy is the most efficient


The main reason that solar energy is more efficient than other energy
sources is because solar energy is:
renewable
costs less than electricity in the long run
environmentally friendly
doesnt cause air pollution
doesnt cause global warming

Ideal Locations
The roofs of houses
Rural areas
Schools
Businesses

Effects of Solar Energy


Hazardous Waste
Solar panels may contain hazardous materials that can be released when
a panel is destroyed improperly.
Storage Units/ Affects Water
Heat is stored in water when using solar energy, and this can cause
health problems.

Outcome of Solar ENergy


If new buildings and homes were built in a certain position, heat and cooling
could be controlled without mechanical systems
Using solar panels, people can save money on their electric bills

Local funding can be better spent on different and newer resources rather
than electricity

Biogas
Natural gas is a nonrenewable energy resource made
from plants and animals that have died and their bodies
have been introduced to intense heat and pressure. The
energy from the plants and animals is stored as carbon
and converted into natural gas and this stored energy can
be usable power.

Biogas
Natural gas is easy to transport because of high powered pipelines that are
able to transport it safely across the entire U.S. We get natural gas by safely
drilling into the ground to remove the gas in a process known as fracking.

Biogas
Natural gas is used
equally between
homes, business , and
by power companies
to create electricity.
For example, Apache
is one of the
companies that uses
natural gas.

Biogas
~Natural gas can be used as cleaner-burning
transportation fuel.
~57% of American homes use natural gas as their main
heating fuel
~Because natural gas furnaces can be brought to life and
shut down quickly, it is used to produce steam for peakload electricity

Biogas
Cons:
Fracking
Non-Renewable
Expensive Pipelines
Toxic

Biogas
Natural gas doesnt explode. It can ignite, but only when there is a source of
ignition. Which will only happen in two ways. One way is if the gas is
presented in a concentrate of 5 to 10 percent relative to the air, or if natural
gas comes in contact with something at least 1000 degrees fahrenheit.

Biogas
Pros:
Cleanest fossil fuel for the environment because it emits little to no
greenhouse gases.
Fracking supports 2.1 million jobs and is a safe and cost efficient way to
extract natural gas

Natural gas produces up to 50% less greenhouse gasses than other


resources. Moreover, the little greenhouse gasses that it emits can and/or
will be captured by on-going technological advancements.

Biogas
Pros:
On average, 22 people die a year from natural gas related accidents. 128
less than peanut allergy related deaths.

Bio-Fuel
BIQ (Bio intelligence quotient) algae powered
building
Built in Hamburg, Germany
129 bioreactors

Bio- Fuel Continued


Reduces emissions
Advantages of using biofuel
Algae is harvested

Work Cited
Passive Houses: 13 Reasons Why the Future Will Be Dominated by this New Pioneering Trend. (2013,
December 2). Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Solar Energy. (2013, January 11). Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Lin, S. (2014, November 3). RPI News. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Brooke, B. (n.d.). Passive Solar Energy. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Photovoltaic (Solar Electric). (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.seia.org/policy/solartechnology/photovoltaic-solar-electric
Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.nrel.
gov/learning/re_photovoltaics.html
Graphene's First Commercial Application To Shed A Little Light. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http:
//www.popsci.com/more-efficient-graphene-light-bulbs-are-bright-idea
New kind of 'tandem' solar cell: Two types of photovoltaic material combined to make a cell that
harnesses more sunlight. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.sciencedaily.
com/releases/2015/03/150324120824.htm
Environmental impacts on PV http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-85120-9_12#page-1
Anti-Reflective Solar Panel Coating Absorbs 96% of Sunlight, Called Photovoltaic 'Game Changer' by
Developer. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/antireflective-solar-panel-coating-absorbs-96-of-sunlight-called-photovoltaic-a-game-changeratm-bydeveloper.htm

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