BBE Final Exam 2001
The Nordic Ware representative in the video (Betty) mentioned how they have regular annual maintenance on their compressed air system and that hearing an audible "hiss" means money lost. How much money is lost if a hiss can be heard?
$700/year
My new neighbor is leaving his outside lights on ALL NIGHT LONG. I am not sure why, but I have to talk with him about it. If the two bulbs are LED, and using just 7.5 watts each, and are left on for 15 hours per night, how many kWh/day (kilowatt hours per day) are being used?
0.225 kWh/day
In the Introduction we discussed the Solar Grand Plan. This plan discussed what would be needed to get the US to 35% solar by 2050. The total US budget is about $4,000 billion dollars per year. If the Solar Grand Plan costs $10 billion per year, what % of the budget is this?
0.25%
The TV is being used 7 hours each day. When it is "on" it uses 85 Watts. When it is "off" it is using 6 Watts. How much energy is it using in a day? (Hint: You will have to calculate the power used when "on" and calculate the power used when "off" and add them together.)
0.69 kWh/day
A 60 Watt light bulb is left on 12 hours. How much energy did it use?
0.72 kWh
The video discussed a "Process Map" for an LCA. Match the order of the stages of a process map for any product for an LCA. (A "Process Map" is a way to organize an analysis of a product by evaluating impacts for each phase of a product.) Material extraction Manufacturing of the product Packaging and transportation (distribution) Use End of Life
1 2 3 4 5
Solar output is in an 11 year cycle. Solar energy getting to the earth's atmosphere is about 1366 Watts/m2. This energy varies by about _________________ Watts/m2 depending on the phase of the solar cycle.
1-2 watts/m2
Match the gas emission with its global warming potential. Nitrous oxide Methane Carbon dioxide
1. 265 2. 28 3. 1
Natural gas accounts for what percent of our total energy supply? What % of transportation energy comes from petroleum? What % of transportation energy comes from biofuel/renewables? What % of petroleum is used for transportation? How much petroleum is used in industry?
1. 29 2. 92 3. 5 4. 72 5. 23
In the Briefing paper, there is a diagram of the oil barrel that indicates the amount of products created from each barrel of crude. Please calculate what percent of the total volume of each barrel (45 gallons) goes toward making the following products. (remember - to get the total percent for each product, take the number of gallons for each product divided by the total gallons produced, then multiply by 100). Gasoline Jet fuel Diesel (Ultra Low Sulfur Distillate)
1. 42.2 2. 8.9 3. 26.6
What are the two primary ways that humans impact the earth's energy balance (select two)?
1. Land use changes that impact average reflection/absorption 2. increased greenhouse gas emissions
Algae and other plants play this role in the Carbon Cycle. Describes how carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of Earth. Describes the amount of carbon dioxide, or equivalent greenhouse gas, caused by a person, organization, event or product. Carbon created by human activity.
1. carbon sink 2. carbon cycle 3. carbon footprint 4. anthropogenic carbon
Much of the lecture covered the roles that conservation, efficiency, and alternatives play in reducing energy use and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from the transportation sector. Distinguish between these three ways that transportation can impact energy use and GHG emissions by matching the term with its definition. Conservation Efficiency Alternatives
1. fewer vehciles 2. more mores 3. low carbon fuel
Match the terms with the definitions. Refers to defining the product or system we are studying. Collecting all of the data that is needed for the LCA Where the LCA begins and ends in terms of scope.
1. functional unit 2. inventory 3. system
Currently the cost of utility scale solar (installed) is about _______ per watt.
1.10/W
Plants (biomass) require energy to grow. Sunlight (photons) provides the energy. On average, what percentage of the energy received from sunlight is used (stored) by the biomass grown on land?
3 to 6
In 2017 we were consuming about 19.9 million barrels of oil per day (EIA FAQ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.). If a 24-inch diameter pipeline can transport about 750,000 barrels per day, what is the % of our total consumption that is supplied by this single pipeline?
3.8% 750,000/19,900,000 x 100
The primary energy required to produce 30 kWh is equivalent to how many gallons of gasoline? Use these conversion factors: 1 kwh = 10,300 Btu of primary energy (We use 10,300 Btu rather than 3,412 Btu because there is lots of energy lost in converting fossil fuel to electricity) 1 gallon of gasoline = 125,000 Btu's
30 kWh x 10,300 Btu/kWh x 1 gallon gas/125,000 Btu = 2.47 gallons of gas.
Natural gas makes up about 29% of the total energy used in the United States. Natural gas is used for a variety of purposes with approximately half of the homes in the US using natural gas for heating. According to Figure 2 in the briefing, match the following sectors with the percentage of the total natural gas used in each sector. Electric power generation Industrial Residential and Commercial Transportation
34 35 28 3
According to this (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.resource, what % of new electricity generation capacity in 2017 was from solar?
39
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was established in 1960 in order to negotiate with oil companies (both private and government-owned) on issues related to oil production and pricing. Of the 14 countries in OPEC, only seven are located in the Persian Gulf. These OPEC countries control about 80% of the world's total proven oil reserves (in 2015), and produce about ______ of the world's total oil supply.
40%
Biogas is also generated from the organic waste buried in landfills. It is basically the same biological process just not quite as efficient. There are about 650 landfill sites currently collecting and using this biogas. Approximately how many more sites could viably collect biogas in the US? (Hint. This is discussed in the section on landfills.
400
In the US, CO2 emissions from petroleum represent about _________ % of the total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
42%
Wood and wood-derived biomass Biofuels (mainly ethanol) Municipal solid waste
44 47 10
I am not sure if my refrigerator uses constant power or variable power throughout the day. To be sure that I measure it correctly, I plug the meter in and measure the energy consumption for a long period of time. I measure for 32 hours and the Watt meter says I used 1.5 kWh. What is the average power (watts) used by the refrigerator? (Don't freak out with this math. You can do it. You have kilowatt-hours and you have hours. You want Watts. Set up your equation to get the right units and then do the math.)
47 Watts
How much of the sun's energy is absorbed by the land?
48%
n the briefing paper example for milk production, about ______ percent of the emissions were from the consumer phase. (This is a math problem. What is the total and then what is the amount from the consumer phase? Now do the math.)
5
In this country and across the globe, hydroelectric power is really a regional opportunity. For example, Oregon generates about _______% of its total electric power from hydro while we here in Minnesota generate only about 2% from hydro sources.
54%
In the Discovery Channel presentation (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., we learn how hydroelectric plants create energy. The video states that since water is not compressible when it is forced through a more narrow passageway or pipe, it naturally speeds up in velocity (which anyone who has been on a kayak or canoe on a narrow river can attest to!) In the video, what speed was the water moving when it enters one of the 17 turbine generators at the plant?
60
Approximately what percentage of US natural gas came from shale (shale and tight oil) in 2017?
62
How much of the sun's energy is absorbed by the Earth overall? (NOTE: Squiggly dash "~" means " about or approximately.)
71%
In the DOE video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (part of the briefing paper) they said that there were ________________ dams in the US, but only 3% of them are currently used for hydroelectric. I find that interesting. The dams are being used to hold water for irrigation and maybe had been hydro dams in the past. Some of these hold potential for future hydroelectric generation.
80,000
The Briefing paper indicated that there is great potential to generate wave energy. In fact, waves off the coast of North America and Greenland alone have the potential to generate about ________% of the US electricity needs. In looking at the map in the briefing paper the problem might be how to transport this power from regions of high wave energy to where the energy is needed.
85
According to this EIA publication (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., (not the lecture) lighting in homes is responsible for approximately what % of the home's electric use?
9-10
Globally, wood represents about 6% of the primary energy supply. This is for heating and cooking. In some of the poorer countries of the world, biomass is used exclusively for energy by as much as ____ percent of the population.
90
David is driving a 2016 Nissan LEAF. The battery capacity is 30 kWh. If he is getting 3 miles per kWh, how far can he go on a single battery charge? (Math again. Set up the units. You have kWh and Miles/kWh. You want Miles.)
90 miles
What has been the growth in the United States of installed solar capacity from 2015 to 2016?
97
Some general understanding of the federal budget is useful as it puts energy spending in perspective. What % of the total federal budget is spent on energy and environment?
About 1%
What are the two types of heat loss talked about in both the video and the briefing?
Air exchanges, leaks, etc, making up 20-40% of total heat loss Transmission losses, making up about 60-80% of total heat loss
Question: About how many MMBTU's (Million Btu's) of energy am I using per year by driving my car? (Use gasoline energy density of 125,000 BTU/gallon).
Approximately 100 MMBTU/year
Dr. Tallaksen talked about energy densities in his lecture. Which fuel below has one of the lowest energy densities (Btu/lb), requiring a larger volume of this fuel to meet the same needs of a higher density fuel?
Below are the energy densities of the various fuels (Btu/lb): Coal 12,000 Biomass 7,000 Hardwood 8-10,000 Gasoline 18,500
What was NOT mentioned as a reason that biogas is not necessarily the perfect fuel.
Biogas can be used directly right out of the anaerobic digester
What's in biogas? What are the main components of biogas and in approximately what percentages are they found?
Biogas is primarily of methane (about 60%) and carbon dioxide (around 40%).
Urban biomass, such as municipal solid waste and yard waste, can also be converted into useful energy. There are several pressing issues when considering using urban biomass. Select all that apply.
Biohazards High moisture content Chemical exposure issues
What is the first off-shore wind turbine in the US? Block Island Wind Farm
Block Island Wind Farm
What is the rate of heat loss from 10 recessed lights? Assume: airflow per light of 5 cfm ΔT of 70Fº
Btu/hr is 1.08 x Airflow (cfm) x ΔT (ºF) = 1.08 x 5 cfm x 10 lights x 70oF = 3780 Btu/hr
From what you have learned in this lesson - both in the video and the briefing paper - which of the following statements is true?
Businesses can almost always save money with energy efficiency.
Glucose
C6H12O6
In the summary section of the briefing paper we learned about how much energy was saved by different policies or programs. Of all the energy programs and policies reviewed, which one saved the most amount of energy for this time period?
CAFE Standards
Dr. John Baker in the video talked about how work is ongoing on ways to improve carbon sequestration as part of agricultural practices. What is meant by the term "carbon sequestration"?
Capturing of atmospheric carbon by plants, soils, and oceans.
What I found most interesting about the history of solar was that in France (a long time ago) a guy named Augusta Mouchot developed and built one of the first solar concentrating devices. He built this because he was concerned about what?
Concerns about the future of coal supplies.
In the briefing paper there was a section titled "Whose carbon is it?" We broke the emissions down in several ways - one of them being by sector (e.g. industrial, residential, etc). This serves a purpose, but because of all of the overlap it is really hard to break it down this way. Some think a better way to think about "Whose carbon is it?" is to frame the issue as _______________.
Consumer demand
In his lecture, Dr. Tallaksen discussed the cost of biomass logistics. He indicated the biggest cost in the supply chain was ________________.
Cost of fossil fuels required throughout the supply chain.
In the lecture, CO2 emissions and efficiency of gasoline vs. diesel fuel were discussed. Which of the two fuels produces more CO2 emissions per gallon?
Diesel
What process is used to refine petroleum so that products can be collected for various uses?
Distillation
What are the things that impact the driving range in my Nissan LEAF? (e.g. how far I can go on a single battery charge.)
Driving fast Cold temperature affecting the battery Cold temperatures mean the need for passenger heat
From the lecture, select all of the following statements that are false.
Electricity from solar PV must be used near where it is generated.
The video on renewable energy in the Indian Himalayas (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. focuses on generation and use of biogas for the people that live there. The narrator mentioned several benefits to the use of biogas for the local people? Which of these was NOT mentioned?
Electricity generated from biogas is put on the electric grid.
Early in the video lecture, Dr. Matsumoto talked about seasonal fluctuations in CO2 (This is very easy to see when you look at atmospheric concentrations of CO2 graphs.) What are these seasonal fluctuations due to?
Photosynthesis and respiration or decomposition
A byproduct of corn ethanol production is distillers grain (commonly referred to as Dried Distillers Grains Solubles or DDGS). This product makes good animal feed primarily because of its high content of __________.
Protein
With "Community Solar" there are typically three parties or groups involved in the transaction. These are:
Ratepayer, utility, and third party developer
Transmission lines are being built to move wind energy from the interior of the US to population centers. Building these transmission lines will_______________ (check all the benefits that apply)
Reduce curtailment. Lower the cost of energy for consumers. Help rural economies. Encourage development of more renewable energy.
Wood biomass can be used in a variety of ways as a source of energy. Some are more common than others. The least likely option is in the fermentation of wood to some liquid fuel (think cellulosic ethanol). Wood to liquid fuels is possible (e.g. pyrolysis), but lots of energy is needed to get the wood into small pieces so it can be processed. The most common wood to energy systems are (select all that apply):
Residential heating Industrial CHP systems producing heat and electricity
Most commercial wind turbines are around 1.5 MW, but some are larger. Off-shore wind turbines can be much larger primarily because _____________.
Road transportation limits size of turbine blades for on-shore wind farms, but this is not a limitation for off-shore farns.
What would you say is the main topic addressed in the video "Is Nuclear Power Good and Bad"?
Safety, fear, and related public perception
Which solar energy technology produces electricity and is easily scalable (from small to large systems)? l )
Solar photovoltaic (PV
From the lecture, which type of solar system converts solar energy directly to electricity?
Solar photovoltaic (PV)
Near the end of the discussion Kim suggested that where you live has a large part to play in your carbon footprint. What was she referring to?
Some areas of the country have cleaner electricity.
In the video, David talked about the 3 types of scientific observational data used to help assess climate change. What are they?
Temperature, precipitation, global and local patterns
In the main video Emily and Katie worked through an example problem about replacing a chest freezer. This example was used to show which of the following concepts:
That calculations can be used to help determine if replacing old equipment is a good decision.
The current wholesale price for natural gas is about __________.
$3.00 per MMBtu
n his video lecture, Dr. Tallaksen talked about biomass economics and that some people put the value of biomass at around $33-50 per ton. But these early estimates didn't consider the many logistical challenges, and the real cost is estimated to be closer to: .
$60-85 per ton
There is a difference between solar generation capacity and electricity generation. Capacity says - if it is running how much would it generate. Whereas the better measure (I think) is in how much generation we are really getting from the system. The US net electricity generation in 2016 was 4,078 million megawatt hours and 56 million megawatt hours were generated from solar. Question: Approximately what % of our net generation was from solar in 2016?
The answer would be 56 /4,078 x 100 or about 1.3%
We used to have a cat, may she rest in peace. The cat warmer used averaged 20 Watts of power which was about 480 Wh/day. Our average total daily home electricity usage in the winter is about 15 kWh/day. Given these values, about what percent of the winter daily energy use in our house was from the cat warmer?
about 3.2%
In the lecture section discussing the spreadsheet tool "Should I purchase an alternative vehicle?" (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. we learned that the carbon emissions from the Electric Vehicle (EV) in Minnesota were about ________.
about 6,680 lbs/year
Which has a better energy efficiency rating?
an electric water heater
A polysaccharide made up of 7000-15000 glucose molecules. A polysaccharide made up of a mix of glucose and other sugars. 3-dimensional polymer with no polysaccharides. Sugar molecule that can be easily converted/fermented to ethanol. A polysaccharide made up of multiple glucose molecules that are easy to break apart.
cellulose hemicellulose lignin glucose startch
Natural gas wells are always enclosed in a casing. This casing is sealed with:
cement
Per the briefing paper, which of the fossil fuels contributes the LEAST to US carbon dioxide emissions?
coal
From the lecture, which of these would fall into the category of conserving energy? Select all that apply. (Hint: Remember the difference between conservation versus efficiency versus alternatives.) Combine trips Carpool when necessary Take public transportation Bike or walk Improve driving habits Improve vehicle maintenance Buy an electric vehicle
conser conser altern. alnter effic effic altern
Which of these is NOT considered a barrier in the briefing for implementing energy efficiency in the commercial and industrial sector?
cultural
One of the arguments against solar is that it is non-dispatchable. That means that we don't have control over the output sometimes (e.g. clouds, solar eclipses, night time, etc.). What actions were mentioned in the briefing paper that are being used to help keep the grid stable when there is a large % of solar (or wind) on the grid? Check all that apply.
do not select all of the, only one is wrong
In the introduction section of the briefing paper we learned about the various goals of energy policy. Most recently, the focus has been on _______________.
energy security and the environment.
Which of the following groups was NOT specifically listed as a potential user of LCAs in the video?
environmental activists
Absorption of energy by carbon dioxide is only a theory and cannot really be tested. True or False?
false
Compared to a full LCA on a product, conducting a partial LCA does not add valuable information about a product.
false
Hardwoods have a higher lignin content than softwoods. True or False?
false
In the video, it was mentioned that the best part about fusion is that you get way more energy out of the reaction than you put in (currently). True or False?
false
One concern with hydroelectric dams is the potential for methane emissions. This is because the dam creates lakes that bury organic material. As the organic material decomposes anaerobically, methane is created and then emitted. True or False: Methane emissions from these reservoirs are about 10 times more than methane emissions from fossil fuels.
false
True or False. Most wave energy systems that have been developed have been very successful.
false
True or False: Hydrogen cyanide is a trace gas in biogas that must be removed due to its odor, health concerns, and corrosivity.
false
True or False: The "Energy Star" program is mandatory - requiring appliances to meet an efficiency standard.
false
True or False: Wood-to-energy systems release carbon dioxide so it cannot be considered a renewable energy source.
false
True or False? Cellulosic-based ethanol is currently the primary form of ethanol being produced at a commercial scale.
false
We provided some bullet points on EISA in one of the chapters in the briefing paper. True or False: EISA did not address greenhouse gas emissions - only energy security issues.
false
The primary energy related concern related to windows in older homes is:
heat loss around the edges of the window (window frame) and where two windows meet (e.g sliding windows)
In Minnesota, the frequency of heatwaves has increased over time. Heatwaves are a function of the combination of both temperature and humidity (dew point). Recent heatwaves (since 2000 or so) have been driven primarily by ____________ .
higher humidity
According to the lecture, an LCA provides ___________________
information to assess the environmental impact of a product or service.
A critical element for any energy system is the ability to store the energy and use it as needed (we will talk about this more in future lessons). One advantage to natural gas is the ability to store the gas in a variety of places. Where is most of the natural gas currently stored?
is the depleted natural gas or oil fields
The biggest benefit of community solar gardens are:
it makes solar more affordable and accessible for everyone
David showed off his The Energy Detective (TED) home electricity monitoring system in his house. In the little video clip (shown in the Guide to Home Energy Monitoring) he showed how the whole house meter responded to what appliance?
its not microwave
The proper units for power use (such as energy used in a home) are:
kWh or Wh.
The most ideal temperature for anaerobic digestion processes is ________________.
mesophilic
David evaluated all his prime energy use for his home in MMBtu and graphed it over several years. Such a nerd . . . What type of energy did he typically use the least? (NOTE: electricity was converted to prime energy needed to generate the electricity)
natural gas
A single energy audit. Data from an individual office building or industrial plant. An average of energy use for multiple industrial plants that operate in a similar way and upgraded to the latest technology. Data compiled from multiple sources that represents energy used per square foot in a school, office building, warehouse, etc.
no no yes yes
Take a look at this map from the lecture or from this website - DOE Wind Powering America map for Minnesota Wind Potential. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. What region of the Minnesota map shows the BEST wind conditions for locating wind turbines?
northeast
In the US, hydroelectric power makes up about ______ % of the total electricity generated
not 17%
We did not focus on this in the lecture, but sometimes when reading about energy systems they may refer to the generation capacity in terms of Terawatts. Google this if you need to! A Terawatt or TW is equivalent to ______ watts. (Count your zeros!!)
one trillion
The Value of Solar (VOS) is a new methodology in Minnesota designed to be an alternative for net metering rules. If the utility chooses to pay for electricity using VOS they would be:
paying more than net metering in the beginning of the contract and less at the end.
When electricity was first invented it was really expensive ($4.0/kWh). It is cheaper than that now - allowing everyone to use electricity. Lower energy prices are part of the energy policy partnership between private industry and the government. This partnership is referred to as a:
regulated monopoly
Converts solar energy directly to electricty Energy from the sun that reaches the Earth's surface Solar energy that involves no moving parts and has been utilized since ancient times Generates heat for hot air or water for heating systems Converts DC to AC power Determining placement of a solar collector by gathering data related to angles
solar photo 1 kW passive solar thermal solar inverter orientatinon
Which mode of transporting petroleum or petroleum products resulted in the most oil spilled per billion-ton-miles traveled in the years 2002-2007? (1 billion-ton-miles traveled is 1 billion tons of oil traveling one mile)
tanker trucks
A company gets to reduce their taxes by 30% of the value of their clean energy investment. The government provides money to a homeowner for investing in energy efficiency. The government allows a company to borrow money at 0% interest to pay for a new high efficiency furnace.
tax credit grants loans
According to the most recent EIA publication called "Where our oil comes from" which are the three top producing oil states.
texas, ND, CALi
The volume of the effluent leaving the digester is about ________________ the amount of organic material entering.
the same as
True or False: Setting of the "system or study boundaries" is part of the "goal setting" step of the LCA. True
tru
True or False: The Lower Heating Value (LHV) of ethanol is lower than the LHV of gasoline. Note: Lower Heating Value is the energy extracted (BTU/mass) from a fuel during combustion - not including the heat lost through the vaporization of the water in the process. It is one measure of the energy density of a fuel.
tru
The briefing paper also talks about how carbon cycling is broken down into fast and slow carbon cycles. The fast carbon cycle refers to the cycling of carbon through various life forms (e.g. plants and animals). True or False: The fast carbon cycle results in seasonal changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
true
True or False: Anaerobic digesters can function as a batch system or as a continuous system. NOTE: With continuous systems the waste is going in and coming out of the system at about the same rate. True
true
True or False: Heat exchangers (or heat recovery units) help make the overall HVAC system more efficient by capturing some of the building's already heated air and using it to warm the cold incoming air going into the system.
true
Cellulose is a structural component of the plant. Cellulose is not designed to be broken down. It takes more energy to break down cellulose than starch. Enzymes used for cellulose hydrolysis are expensive. Byproducts of cellulose hydrolysis are environmentally toxic.
true true true true true
Indicate True or False for the technologies below that concentrate solar energy. Parabolic troughs Dishes Power towers Flat photovoltaic surfaces Solar flares
true ture true false false
Withdrawing fracking water from areas that had low groundwater supplies Injection of fracking water into wells that were not maintained well Transporting fracking water in trucks Spilling fracking water into surface water Storing wastewater in unlined pits above ground
ture tru fal tru tru
Take advantage of the power of moving water. We can convert kinetic energy to electrical energy using turbines. Hydropower does not require the use of fossil fuels. Many rivers have existing dams that could be converted to generate hydropower. Hydropower creates more greenhouse gases that conventional fossil fuels.
yes yes yes yes no
Gasoline is so inexpensive. There are few emissions from gasoline. As a liquid, it is easy to transport and use in engines. It has a high energy density, especially when compared with other energy sources
yes, no, yes, no
From the electricity bill example in the Guide Home Energy Monitoring the stated cost of electricity was $0.0895/kWh. I think this cost is misleading as the true cost to me is much more with all the other taxes and charges. The true cost per kWh including all of the charges is ___________. (Hint: Use the total energy used and the total amount of the bill.)
~$0.111/kWh
About how many MMBtu are used per household per year?
~100 MMBtu
There has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the causes of fluctuations in the price of gasoline at the pump. According to the figure presented in the lecture, approximately what percent of the price of regular gasoline at the pump in 2015 is attributed to the cost of refining the crude oil and profits? (NOTE: Recall the gas pump visual). Select the closest number.
~20%
Math problem: You take a 10 minute shower every day (365 days per year) You change from a 3.5 gallon per minute shower head to a 2.0 gallon per minute shower head. Each gallon used in the shower requires about 100 Btu of energy to heat. How much energy would you save by making this change? (First, calculate how many gallons are saved per year, then calculate the energy saved for those gallons)
1.5 gpm saved for each minute in the shower x 10 minutes per shower is 15 gallons saved per day 15 gallons per day x 365 days = 5475 gallons saved per year 100 Btu/gallon x 5475 gallons/year is 547,500 Btu/year Is this a lot or a little? Remember we use about 100 MMBtu per year for our home. This would be about only about 0.5%, but everything adds up.
Ethanol is not typically burned as a pure fuel (although it could be). Ethanol is generally blended with gasoline to get to a blend known as E10. (This is required in Minnesota.) This label of E10 means the fuel contains about _______% ethanol.
10
Minnesota has a Renewable Energy Portfolio that mandates 25% renewable by 2025. What is the goal for generating electricity from solar by 2030?
10%
A therm is a unit of measure commonly used with natural gas and refers to a specific amount of equivalent energy. How many Btus are in a therm?
100,000 Btu
One alternative to gasoline or diesel powered (internal combustion engines or ICE) vehicles is electric vehicles or EV. When comparing ICE to EV we can't compare miles per gallon so it is better to compare energy used per mile - or better still CO2e emissions per mile. In all cases, that means doing a unit conversion. Question: What is the energy required per mile (BTU/mile) for an electric vehicle getting 3.0 miles/kWh? For purposes of this lesson we will use the direct conversion of 3,412 BTU/kWh. (Note: This is really not accurate because we should go back to primary energy. As you will see in future lessons, there are energy losses in the generation of electricity.)
1137 BTU/mile
Nationally wood is used as a primary heating source for about 2% of US homes. In states out east like Maine, about ________________ of homes are heated primarily with wood.
14-16%
What is the average global temperature?
15 degrees c
As a rule of thumb in Minnesota we get about 1600 kWh per year out of a 1 kW Panel. We also pay about $0.13 per kWh for electricity. If I install a 7.5 kW system, what is the annual value of this electricity?
1560
Solar panel efficiency is calculated as the rated output of the panel (Watts) divided by the total solar energy hitting the earth for that same area of panel. The solar energy from the sun is about 1000 W/m2. If a 250 Watt panel has an area of 1.5 square meters, what is the efficiency of this panel? (Math hint: calculate the watts per square meter output of the panel and divide by the total energy available . . . and then, of course, multiply by 100 to get it into %)
16.6%
For David's home energy audit, he was told that he needed to add attic insulation from the current 10 inches increased to about ________ inches to get to the recommended R value.
18 inches
In looking at the history of wood use, in the US we can see that in the late 1800's we were using about 2 quadrillion BTU's of wood energy (our only energy source at the time). How many quads of energy are we currently getting from wood in the US?
2
Wood makes up about _____________% of our total energy supply
2
Water is used in the Extraction (E) and Production (P) of petroleum and is also used in the production of ethanol and other biofuels. According to the Argonne National Lab report mentioned in the Briefing, what is the typical range of water use for gasoline extraction and production?
2.8 to 6.6 gallons of water per gallon of gasoline
The briefing paper did not discuss small wind turbines for home use. A typical home wind turbine is maybe something closer to 400 watts (nameplate capacity). What is the average daily energy output from this turbine if the capacity factor is 30% (or 0.3)?
2.9kwH/day
We always talk about petroleum as a transportation fuel, but petroleum also gets used in industry. Based on Figure 3, what % of the petroleum is used in industry? (Note about 13% of it is used to make products such as plastics and solvents. The rest goes to processes in industry (heating, etc.))
20-25
When listening to the short story recording about the New York food digesters, I was really surprised that they had a law in place that would ban food waste from restaurants going to the landfill. What year was this law supposed to go into effect?
2015
The new CAFE standards include targets for both MPG and carbon dioxide emissions. What is the 2018 baseline standard for combined cars and light trucks?
232 grams CO2/mile and 38.3 MPG
It seems that no one can agree on units so we always have to do some conversions. It is estimated that there are about 20 lbs of CO2e per gallon of milk. In contrast, Coke has a carbon footprint (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. of about 250 g CO2e/liter (purchased in 2 liter plastic bottles). Both evaluations were 'cradle to grave,' but we still have a problem with the comparison because they are in different units. What is milk's carbon footprint in g CO2e/liter? (You will need the unit conversion for gallons to liters and then lbs to grams).
2400 g CO2e/liter
A typical home uses about ____________ kWh/day.
25-30
In the briefing paper we learned about Carbon Dioxide Equivalents. The main point about carbon dioxide equivalents is that gases trap different amounts of energy per molecule of gas, and so we have normalized the data into something called Carbon Dioxide Equivalents. It is also referred to as the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the gas. For instance, a single molecule of methane will trap approximately ____ times the amount of energy as a single molecule of carbon dioxide, which means it has a CO2 equivalent of about _____. Which number should go in the blanks?
28
Transportation Electric generation Industry Commercial/residential Agriculture
28 28 22 11 9
About how much of the sun's energy is reflected directly back into space?
29
Minnesota's Next Generation Energy Act (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.(2007) is still in effect and was a progressive piece of legislation (as compared to legislation in other states), and is still in effect. This bill established a number of important goals and incentives in Minnesota for our energy planning. The three areas covered by the bill were Reduce Fossil Fuel Use (Article 1 Section 2), Energy Conservation Policy (Article 2, Section 4), and Community Based Energy Development (Article 4). What was the Energy Conservation Policy goal specified in this piece of legislation? Hint: this is covered in the lecture video as well, and this also is what funds utility rebates for upgrading to energy efficient technologies.
Establish an annual energy conservation goal of 1.5% of annual retail electric and gas sales.
From the main video lecture we know that the industrial sector uses approximately 32% of all US energy. More specifically, 62% of this energy (natural gas and electricity) is used in "core production and manufacturing" processes. What are some of these processes? (check all that apply):
Fans Motors Compressed air Pumps Steam systems or boilers
What is the name of the process that splits Uranium to release energy?
Fission
In the lecture there was a discussion about what the goal of transportation efficiency really is. Which of these is a good measure of efficiency when talking about climate change impacts?
Grams CO2 per mile
Which uses more energy? A 1500 Watt hair dryer on for 8 minutes each day or a 15 Watt electric blanket that is on for 12 hours a day? (Note: no phantom power use for either.)
Hair dryer
We've known for some time that natural gas reserves existed in shale gas, but weren't able to economically extract it. What new drilling technique mentioned in the lecture has made extracting shale gas feasible? Select one.
Horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing
Why did Dr. Tschirner say corn grain is a good feedstock for ethanol?
It is made mostly of cellulose.
Natural gas is fairly prevalent in the US. Yet, natural gas is generally concentrated in a few select areas of the country. Select the region that is NOT near any natural gas deposits.
MINNESOTA
The power of the wind is related to this math equation: 1/2pAV3 where: p = air density at 1.2 g/cm A = area swept by the rotor V = wind speed From this equation, indicate below the two ways to get more power out of a wind turbine
Make the sweep area bigger (longer blades or increase height). Find a windier location.
In the lecture, David mentioned the need to be aware of the energy balance for wood, as well as for other fuels. Energy balance is essentially "energy in minus energy out" for the entire system. This is also represented by the term EROI (Energy Returned on Energy Investment). Which equation below best represents the net energy balance for wood?
Net Energy = energy in the harvested wood - energy for land prep - energy used for harvest/chipping/transport - energy for drying and mill processing
What are some reasons why companies flare natural gas rather than sell it?
No pipeline to transport it to markets It is expensive to clean up the gas before selling.
When thinking about electric energy we talk about dispatchable and non-dispatchable generation. Solar is ________.
Non-dispatchable
Why is the normalization step needed in an LCA?
Normalization helps put the results in perspective in order to compare with other impacts.
Which type of power plant is less expensive to operate on an annual basis?
Nuclear
The Energy 101 PV (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. video embedded in the lecture gave a brief overview on how Photo voltaic (PV) systems works. What is the best definition? .
PV modules convert photons from the sun to electricity
In the section on CAFE standards there was some discussion about other options to reduce transportation emissions. One of them was a gasoline tax. What is the not-so-favorable reason for having a gasoline tax?
People with low incomes are more impacted by a gasoline tax.
Dr Gardner talked about EROI or Energy Returned on Energy Invested, defined as the ratio of the amount of energy output to the amount of energy input (energy required to explore, mine, and produce the final energy.) All final energy sources (electricity, gasoline, ethanol, etc.) require energy inputs. Currently, hydropower has the highest EROI of any energy source. Why is this the case? Hint: You may need to do a quick internet search for "EROI" and "HydroPower"
The energy inputs to build, fuel, and operate a hydropower plant are much less than what it takes to build, fuel, and operate other refineries or power plants.
Your car is almost out of gas. You pull up to a filling station pump and you discover that the gas you are about to pump into your vehicle is E85 gasoline. What does E85 mean?
The fuel contains about 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
What are two primary reasons why pyrolysis and gasification are preferable to combustion?
The primary benefits of pyrolysis and gasification are that these methods produce something more than just heat (produce gases that can be used as fuel) and they have more flexibility in the fuels that are used in the process.
In the video we saw that the carbon cycle is balanced with some sinks and some sources of carbon. The two primary sources of anthropogenic carbon are fossil fuel combustion and land use changes. Indicate which are the three main carbon sinks for this anthropogenic carbon.
The three primary sinks of carbon are oceans, land and vegetation, and the atmosphere. Interesting also that CEMENT application is the third biggest source of CO2e.
Biogas is produced under anaerobic conditions. What does this mean?
There is no free oxygen present in the system.
A 'site analysis' for PV systems is much more than a quick visual check to see what areas of the property are shaded.
True
A refrigerator would be a good example of an appliance that uses constant power.
True
Densification is typically preceded by some size reduction (grinding or cutting) for easier handling and storage. True or False: Particle size reduction is a very energy intensive process.
True
Dry wood has a higher energy density than wet wood. True or False?
True
Minnesota electricity generation includes wind in the mix at nearly 18%. According to the briefing, the mix of different electricity generation sources changes for different regions of the country. True or False?
True
The Billion Ton Study revealed that wood energy is likely to continue to be part of the US energy mix.
True
The auditors doing the Schmidt home energy audit used thermal cameras to check for air leakage. They hooked up an exhaust fan to the front door and then took thermal images (thermal pictures) that showed the warm and cool spots in the home. True or False: The cool areas showed up as the color "blue/purple" on the thermal imaging.
True
The briefing paper had a section on "other challenges of wind energy" and had some comparisons of land use. This section drew on an interesting study that looked at both direct and indirect land use for the different energy sources. True or False: Wind energy requires about 70 acres for every 1 MW of production capacity.
True
True or False. A watt-meter (like the killawatt meter) is a good tool to use to measure the energy use of individual appliances in my home.
True
True or False. Due to fossil fuel burning, the carbon concentration in the atmosphere has NOT been constant (and actually increasing) since around 1800, about the time of the industrial revolution.
True
True or False. Your electric bill likely includes information about your electric use from the same month of the previous year.
True
True or False: As described in the lecture, energy use in an industrial facility is divided into two categories: environment (e.g. lighting and climate control) and processes (the energy used to do the work).
True
True or False: Electricity is generated from nuclear power as a result of the heat generated in the fission process captured and used to create steam and turn a steam generator.
True
True or False: Most of the energy produced today from wood to energy systems is related to the industries that produce wood residuals (pulp and paper, lumber mills, etc.)
True
True or False: The Next Generation Energy Act set goals for energy efficiency, renewable energy production, and for GHG emission reductions.
True
True or False? Clearing forests to plant agricultural crops results in an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
True
True or False? Close to half of the energy used in commercial buildings (not industrial facilities!) is for space heating/cooling and lighting.
True
When thinking about transmission losses, the key parameters are:
U value, ΔT, and Area
Why are windmills built so high? Select the most appropriate response.
Wind speeds are faster at higher elevations.
Tax credits are an example of an incentive program meant to help push industry or consumers in one direction or another. What is one current tax credit program for purchasers of electric vehicles (EVs)? (Just a reminder: EV is Electric Vehicle. ICE is Internal Combustion Engine)
You get to take $7500 off of taxes you would normally pay.