Chapter 13 APES
What is the correct sequence for the generation of electricity using the wind?
1-Wind turns the wind turbine blade 2-the gear box transfer mechanical energy to the generator 3-the generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy 4-electricity is transferred to the grid.
After wind turbines are installed, what is the only fossil fuel input required for them to generate electricity?
The fuel needed to travel to the turbine to maintain the equipment.
How is wind harnessed for use as energy?
The kinetic energy produced by the wind is converted into electrical energy.
What is the current role of renewable energy in the United States?
The largest contribution of renewable energy currently in the United States goes toward electricity generation.
What are CAFÉ standards?
CAFÉ stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards.
What is one of the biggest problems with switching to ethanol as a fuel in the U.S.right now?
It takes a great deal of energy to produce ethanol from corn, the major crop currently being used in its production.
Why increase fuel efficiency?
It would save huge amounts of energy, reduce air pollution, and reduce the emission of heat-trapping carbon dioxide.
What are their costs?
Right now,costs are high but they are becoming more competitive as each year passes.
What are the advantages and disadvantages to using biomass for energy needs?
See chart.
What is the chief ingredient in most solar cells?
Silicon is the major ingredient in most solar cells.
What is the world's fastest growing renewable energy resource?
Since 1990, the world's fastest growing energy resources has been wind power.
What type of alternative or renewable energy do not require the use of a turbine to create electricity?
Solar photovoltaics.
What are some energy sources that produce the least emissions?
Solar, hydroelectric, and wind.
What is biomass used for?
Solid biomass is burned mostly for heating and cooking, but also for industrial processes and for generating electricity. Wood, wood wastes, charcoal made from wood and other forms of biomass used for heating and cooking supply 10% of the world's energy. In agricultural areas, crop residues (such as sugarcane and cotton stalks, rice husks, straw, corn cobs, and coconut shells) and animal manure can be collected and burned.
What are some ways to reduce energy consumption by both consumers and industry?
Some basic things we can do to reduce energy consumption include: use mass transit instead of individual automobiles, turn the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer, turn off unused lights and unplug appliances not in use, purchase only need products, buy energy efficient appliances, ride a bicycle instead of using a car, only buy cars with good fuel mileage, keep car engines tuned and tires properly inflated, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights or LEDs, use a power strip for electronics, consolidate (do them all together) errands while in your car, insulate our homes, use public transportation instead of private vehicles, apply sustainable design principles to new construction, charge electricity customers according to a tiered rate system, etc.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of wind power?
Some benefits of using wind energy over other renewables include the land used by a wind farm is able to be used for other purposes, wind farms do not alter the water quality of the area, there is no pollution and no greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation, and wind is a nondepletable resource.
Is energy conservation all about freezing in the winter and baking in the summer? Explain why or why not.
Some critics like to paint proponents of conserving energy as calling for personal sacrifice, giving up cars, freezing in winter, wearing sweaters, and burning up in the summer. This is an incorrect and misleading view of energy conservation, which is implemented mainly by using existing technologies and developing new ones that waste less energy.
Why do some ecologists say it is a bad idea to use crop residues as a source of fuel?
Some ecologists argue that it makes more sense to use animal manure as a fertilizer and crop residues to feed livestock, retard soil erosion, and fertilize the soil. Not allowing these animal and crop wastes to return to the soil as natural fertilizer can reduce food production and food supplies in poor countries. Also, burning dried dung in open fires wastes about 90% of its heat content.
Why is smart-grid technology is needed in the United States?
Some locations have the capacity to generate more electricity than is needed. Some locations cannot supply the capacity of the electricity needed and build new power plants. Peak demands stress some locations causing rolling brown outs. Using wide-scale intermittent sources such as wind and solar power can lead to instability.
What are some things that energy efficiency could do for our nation (or the world for that matter)?
Some things that energy efficiency could do for us includes: making nonrenewable fossil fuel supplies last longer, providing a longer time for phasing in renewable energy sources, improving national security by reducing dependence on oil imports and saving money.
What is a potential drawback (disadvantage) to the use of solar energy systems?
Some toxic metals are used for the production of components.
What are Sun-driven renewable energy types?
Sun-driven or Sun-powered renewable energy types include all solar power, wind power, hydropower, biomass fuels, etc.
What is switchgrass?
Switchgrass is a plant that could be used for cellulosic ethanol production. Switchgrass is a tall perennial grass native to North American prairies that grows faster than corn. It is disease resistant and drought tolerant, can be grown without the use of nitrogen fertilizers on land unfit for other crops, and doesn't need to be replanted each year. A major problem with large scale use right now is its high cellulose content. Right now,it is difficult and costly to break down the cellulose and extract the glucose needed to make ethanol. Scientists are working on this and hope that within a decade or two it will be economically possible to use it on a large scale. One drawback is that it takes more land to grow the switchgrass (because it gives less energy per unit volume) than to grow corn. Switchgrass can also be used to help slow projected climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as organic compounds in the soil.
What are R-values?
The R-value is a measure of insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
What are some common myths about hydrogen based fuels? Which are true? Which are not true?
The biggest myth concerning hydrogen based fuels is that fuel tanks of metal-hydrogen compounds would tend to explode in an accident. This just isn't true.
Why should the U.S. modernize its aging electrical grid system? Explain.
The electrical grid system of most of the U.S. is outdated and prone to blackouts like what the Northeast experienced in the early part of the 21st century. It isn't a smart system so much energy gets wasted and used in an inefficient method. By incorporating smarter technology to control the grid, we get maximum benefit from each kilowatt generated.
Energy experts want us to replace four energy-wasting technologies. What are they?
The four energy-wasting technologies that energy experts want us to replace include: incandescent light bulbs, nuclear power plants, internal combustion engines, and coal burning power plants.
What is the largest dam in the world?
The largest dam in the world, China's Three Gorges Dam, can generate almost 85,000,000, 000 kWh of electricity per year. China is the world's leading producer of hydroelectricity.
What are fish ladders?
A fish ladder is a structure that allows migrating fish passage over or around an obstacle on a river. River obstructions such as dams have the potential to slow or stop fish migration. Fish ladders help to mitigate the environmental problems caused by water impoundment systems.
How does a fuel cell work?
A fuel cell works by combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce water and electricity.Burning hydrogen releases energy in the form of heat and water.
What is a generator?
A generator transform rotational energy into an electric current. It uses the principle of electromagnetic induction.
What are some benefits of green roofs?
A green roof serves as insulation for the structure. A green roof has a cooling effect on the structure and its surroundings. A green roof improves the overall air quality of the surroundings.
What are low-emissivity windows?
A low e glass window (which stands for low emissivity) is simply a window pane coated in microscopic layers of metallic oxides. The coating appears invisible to the naked eye, allowing as much natural light into the house as possible. However, though transparent, this coating also protects your home from unwanted UV rays which can burn your skin, fade your carpets, and damage your furniture. Plus, it also helps to control radiant heat(infrared light) as it enters and leaves a room. In other words, it keeps your house warmer in the winter by reflecting certain segments of the sun's light spectrum back into the home, and cooler in the summer by reflecting particular sections outside. This saves on unnecessary utility expenses while creating a more comfortable living environment.
What is a huge advantage associated with the development and use of geothermal energy systems?
A real advantage is that geothermal energy sources are vast, reliable, and potentially renewable for areas near reservoir sites.
What is a "down-side" to using fluorescent and CFL bulbs?
A significant "down-side" to using fluorescent bulbs is that they contain mercury and require special safe disposal methods.
What does an electric company's tiered rate system charge customers?
A tiered rate system charges customers lower rates for first increments of energy and higher rates as the usage goes up.
What is a turbine?
A turbine captures kinetic energy and transforms it into rotational energy. It turns one kind of kinetic energy into another. A turbine is basically a machine powered by rotating blades. The rotation of the turbine is what drives the actual generator to give off electricity.
What ideas does Amory Lovins have for obtaining more energy?
According to Lovins (of the Rocky Mountain Institute), the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to get more energy with the least environmental impact is to eliminate energy waste.
What are active solar heating systems?
Active solar heating systems captures energy from the sun by pumping a heat-absorbing fluid (such as water or an antifreeze solution) through special collectors, usually mounted on a roof or on special racks to face the sun. Some of the collected heat can be used directly. The rest can be stored in a large insulated container, filled with gravel, water, clay, or a heat-absorbing chemical, for release as needed. Active solar collectors are also used to heat water in many homes.A good example of active solar energy is a home solar water heating system.
What are alternative energy sources?
Alternative energy encompasses all those things that do not consume fossil fuels. The term is used synonymously with renewable energy.
What is "bagasse" and what are its possible uses?
Bagasse is the fibrous residue remaining after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice and is currently used as a renewable resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper products and building materials. Bagasse is often used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills; when burned in quantity, it produces sufficient heat energy to supply all the needs of a typical sugar mill, with energy to spare. To this end, a secondary use for this waste product is in cogeneration, the use of a fuel source to provide both heat energy, used in the mill, and electricity, which is typically sold on to the consumer electricity grid.
Why is sugarcane or bagasse a sustainable choice for creating biodiesel?
Because it utilizes the least amount of energy to produce the greatest yield per hectare of land per quantity of fuel, sugarcane or bagasse is the most sustainable choice right now for biodiesel production.
Given future trends, do you think it is a good or bad idea to train for being an automobile mechanic?
Because there are going to be few moving parts, there will be less need for technically trained auto mechanics.
What did they do in the past?
Between 1973 and 1985, the average fuel efficiency rose sharply for new cars sold in the United States and to a lesser degree for pickup trucks, mini-vans, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). This occurred because of CAFÉ standards set by the government.Between 1985 and 2004, the average fuel efficiency for new passenger cars sold in the United States leveled off or declined slightly.
What are the primary sources of renewable energy in the United States right now?
Biomass and hydroelectricity.
What is biomass?
Biomass consists of plant materials (such as wood and agricultural waste) and animal wastes that we can burn directly as a solid fuel or convert into gaseous or liquid biofuels. Biomass is an indirect form of solar energy because it consists of combustible organic (carbon-containing) compounds produced by photosynthesis.
Can biomass be depleted (used up)?
Biomass fuels like wood are a renewable fuel only if it is harvested no faster than it is replenished. The problem is that almost 3 billion people in less developed countries face a fuelwood crisis and are often forced to meet their fuel needs by harvesting wood faster than it can be replenished.
What are some things you can do to reduce your home's energy consumption while doing laundry?
Buy an energy efficient washing machine and dryer, hang clothes outside to dry after washing, wear clothes more than once before washing, and hang towels to dry after showering and reuse next day.
How can governments encourage energy conservation?
By raising taxes on fossil fuel use, offering tax credits for replacing old appliances with new ones, investing in smart grid technology that can't be hacked.
What is charcoal?
Charcoal is a carbon-based renewable energy resource produced by removing moisture from wood, thereby acquiring a highly flammable material. Charcoal is used mostly in developing countries where it leads to large scale deforestation. Charcoal is almost smokeless when burning and is a very intense heat source. However, in developing countries charcoal is much used for cooking, resulting in major health problems when used indoors. In industrialized countries, charcoal is most used for barbecue.
The country that currently generates the MOST electricity from wind energy is?
China recently overtook the U.S.in having the greatest installed electricity generation capacity from wind power.
How can companies encourage individuals to reduce energy use during peak demand events?
Companies like DTE Energy have discovered that if you allow customers to pay lower prices for energy when peak demand is low, homeowners will often shift their energy use (washing clothes, using their dishwasher) to times when peak demand is low to save money.
What form of energy production can potentially compete with food resources for a community?
Corn and other crops are currently grown for use in creating biofuels. Growing plant material that could be used for food could potentially lead to food scarcity in some countries.
What are some types of renewable energy based on something other than the sun?
Dammed ocean coves and tidal power depend on the moon and tides. Geothermal heat is heat from within the Earth.
Which world country gets the largest percentage of its electricity from wind power?
Denmark.
What are some things that the development of renewable energy resources can do?
Developing renewable energy resources can save money and create jobs, eliminate the need for oil imports, produce less pollution per unit of energy, and increase military, economic, and environmental security.
How can homes be cooled naturally?
Direct solar energy works against us when we want to keep a building cool, but we can use indirect solar energy (mainly wind) and other natural services to help cool buildings. For example, we can open windows to take advantage of breezes and use fans to keep the air moving. A living or green roof can also make a huge difference in keeping a building cool. The nearest and largest green roof is on the Ford Michigan Truck Assembly Plant in Dearborn -you can take a tour! When there is no breeze, super insulation and high-efficiency windows help to keep hot air outside. Other tips include: block the high summer sun with window over-hangs, awnings, or shades, in warm climates, use a light-colored roof to reflect as much as 90% of the sun's heat (compared to only 10-15% for a dark-colored rood, and use geothermal heat pumps for cooling (and for heating in winter).Use "Earth tubes" underground where the Earth is cool year-round.
What is tidal power?
Electricity can be produced from flowing water by tapping into the energy from oceans tides. In some coastal bays and estuaries, water levels can rise or fall by 6 meters (20 feet) or more between daily high and low tides. Dams have been built across the mouths of some bays and estuaries to capture the energy in these flows for hydropower. Since tides are caused by the gravitational attraction between our Earth and the moon, tidal power is NOT based on solar energy. Kinetic energy is the type of energy utilized to produce tidal power.Tidal power can only be generated in locations with a large difference between high and low tides.
What is the largest end use of energy in the United States?
Electricity generation.
What is the least efficient method of space heating?
Electricity produced by nuclear power plants.
What is energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency is the percentage of the total energy input that does useful work and is not converted into low-quality, usually useless heat in an energy conversion system or process.We can conserve energy by increasing the efficiency of our electrical equipment.
What are potentially renewable energy resources?
Energy resources that can be regenerated rapidly, such as biomass energy sources, are considered to be potentially renewable.
What is ethanol?
Ethanol is a biofuel made from plants such as sugarcane, sorghum, sugar beets, corn, and switchgrass, and from agricultural, forestry, and municipal wastes. This process involves converting plant starches into simple sugars, which are processed to produce ethanol.
What is E-85?
Ethanol is mostly used in Flex-Fuel vehicles which are Capable of operating on gasoline, E-85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline), or a mixture of both. E-85 should only be used in ethanol capable vehicles. E-85 has about 30% less energy per gallon so the fuel efficiency on ethanol will be 30% less than when it is running on gasoline. One benefit of flex-fuel vehicles is the ability to run on both gasoline and E-85.
What are some positive features of developing and using hydrogen fuel cells?
Fuel cells are at least twice as efficient as internal combustion engines, have no moving parts, require little maintenance, and produce little or no pollution depending on how their hydrogen fuel is produced.
What is gasohol?
Gasohol is gasoline mixed with ethanol.This is an older term used in the 1970s when ethanol began being used after the oil embargo that left the U.S. feeling dependent for their petroleum on other countries -specifically those in the Middle East.
Geothermal energy is considered to be renewable, but why is it not truly a sustainable supply of power?
Geothermal activity shifts naturally, so the location of the heat produced may not always be the same.
What is one of the biggest limitations to the wide scale use of geothermal energy?
It isn't always possible to find hot rock close to the Earth's surface. Finding a suitable site is often easier in regions near active plate boundaries or hot spots.
What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is the process whereby we extract heat from the Earth itself to provide services for us like space and water heating, electrical production, etc. The heat within the Earth comes from radioactive decay. Tapping into very hot rock deep below can be enough to heat water to steam in order to spin turbines to create electricity.
What is a ground source heat pump?
Ground source heat pumps cool buildings during the summer and help to reduce heating costs in the winter. They operate by circulating water through a loop located underground using the differences in the temperature to heat the water in the loop and thereby heat the structure. Heat pumps use up to 70% less energy than traditional central heating or air conditioning. Its versatility means that it can be constructed anywhere in the world.
What can geothermal energy be used for?
Heating space, producing electricity, and making hydrogen fuel cells.
What are some disadvantages of passive solar space and water heating systems?
High initial (beginning) upfront costs, many people think solar collectors are not aesthetically pleasing to look at, passive systems require owners to pen and close windows and shades to regulate heat distribution, and often owners need laws to prevent blockage of access to light.
Compare the pros and cons of huge dams with small-scale dams.
Huge dams destroy wildlife habitat, lessen natural fertilization of agricultural land below the dam, flood vast acreages, and displace people. Small-scale dams also threaten aquatic life and can destroy wetlands and disrupt the flow of wild and scenic rivers. On the other hand, small dams are much more easily removed. Both types of dams provide clean and continuous electrical power.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric plants?
Hydroelectric plants help to control flooding and supply a regulated flow of irrigation water to areas below the dam. Large-scale hydropower also has a relatively low-cost electricity that is produced. Large hydroelectric plants do have high construction costs.
The country of Iceland is a model for switching from nonrenewable to renewable energy sources. The three renewable sources most used by the people of Iceland are?
Hydroelectric, geothermal, and hydrogen.
How many moving parts are in these hydrogen powered vehicles?
Hydrogen fuel cells are at least twice as efficient as internal combustion engines, have no moving parts, require little maintenance, and produce little or not pollution depending on how their hydrogen fuel is produced.
What are some of the advantages of using hydrogen based fuels?
Hydrogen gas is versatile and can be used to heat buildings, fuel cars, trucks, and planes, power factories, and generate electricity.
What are some methods for saving energy in your home or in other buildings like schools.
I'm just a little bit proud of how low my electrical consumption is during the peak energy days of summer!I keep my window shades closed so the sun doesn't heat up my house, I have trees that shade my house, I have shingles that reflect some of the sun's energy, I open my windows at night to cool my house down and then close them before the sun begins to warm things up, I run my dishwasher and washing machine at night on timers, I use ceiling fans, and if I get too hot -I spend time in my Earth cooled basement. I also have a roof fan that I turn on if it gets hot during the day that sucks all the hot air out of my house and cool winds bring in the cooler night time air.
What country is working towards the goal of becoming the world's first hydrogen economy by 2040?
Iceland is working hard to become the world's first hydrogen economy. They are using geothermal energy to provide the energy necessary to make the hydrogen fuel cells.
Why is improved energy efficiency such an important goal?
If we can improve energy efficiency, we will require less fossil fuels or even the development of as much alternative energies. By making everything energy efficient, we use less. This has a big payoff and is the one thing that improves the quality of the environment the most.
In order to best achieve energy sustainability, what strategies should we consider?
Improving energy efficiency and developing new energy technologies.
What is run-of-the-river generation?
In run-of-the-river hydroelectricity generation, water is retained behind a low dam and runs through a channel before returning to the river. Run-of the river systems do not store water in a reservoir. These systems have several advantages that reduce their environmental impact; relatively little flooding occurs upstream, and seasonal changes in river flow are not disrupted. However, run-of-the-river systems are generally small, and because they rely on natural water flows, electricity generation can be intermittent. Heavy spring runoff from rains of snow melt cannot be stored, and the system cannot generate any electricity in hot, dry periods when the flow of water is low.
What is the connection between corn and ethanol leading to possible increases in food prices?
In the U.S. mass production of ethanol requires who amounts of corn to be grown. This is corn that won't be used to make food products or as feed for animals.
What is ethanol primarily made from in the U.S.?
In the U.S., most ethanol is made from corn. U.S. farmers profit from growing corn to produce ethanol because they receive generous government subsidies as part of the nation's energy policy. Studies indicate that using fossil fuel-dependent industrialized agriculture to grow corn and then using more fossil fuel to convert the corn to ethanol provides a net energy yield of only about 1.1-1.5 units of energy per unit of fossil fuel input. This low net energy yield explains why the U.S. government (taxpayers) must subsidize corn ethanol production to help it compete in the energy markets with other types of ethanol production that have higher net energy yields. It also helps to explain why Brazil, achieving a net energy yield of 8 from bagasse, can produce ethanol from sugarcane at about half the cost of producing it from corn in the U.S. To make matters worse, cars running on E85 fuel (containing 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) get about 30% lower gas mileage than comparable cars running on just gasoline.
What are some important things to do in order to save energy and money in transportation?
Increase fuel efficiency and ban cars in cities.
What is a major disadvantage of using biomass for energy production?
It requires large amounts of land.
What are some characteristics of an energy efficient home in the Northern Hemisphere using a passive solar energy design for heating and cooling?
Light colored roofing, south facing windows, double-paned windows, a roof with an overhang, flooring material with heat absorbing qualities.
Wind power experts project that by 2025, wind power could supply what percent of the world's electricity?
Most wind experts think that wind power could supply more than 10 to 20% of the world's electricity by 2025.
What is the main advantage of nondepletable (are not used up) energy sources over nonrenewable energy sources?
Nondepletable energy sources will not likely to run out on human time scales.
What country produces the greatest proportion of its electricity by hydroelectric plants?
Norway produces the biggest proportion of its electricity through hydroelectricity.
What is a benefit of geothermal energy over hydroelectric energy when generating electricity?
One benefit that that geothermal energy does not cause flooding.
What are some downsides or disadvantages of the use of hydrogen as fuel?
One of their few downsides is that they will require a new type of filling station.There is also some difficulty in obtaining free hydrogen gas. In cars, the fuel tanks need to be rather large to store hydrogen gas. Some people also perceive hydrogen to be explosive. There is also currently a lack of infrastructure to transport hydrogen gas.
List the important biomass fuels. What are some species grown in biomass plantations?
One way to produce biomass fuel is to plant, harvest, and burn large numbers of fast-growing trees (especially cottonwoods, poplars, sycamores, and willows), shrubs, perennial grasses (such as switchgrass), and water hyacinths in biomass plantations.
If you were to develop a personal energy plan, what would be the top five things you would implement?
Only you can answer this question. If I were to answer for my own house it would be: insulate my home, get a programmable thermostat, never use electricity to heat space or water, turn down temperature on my water heater, unplug appliances not being used, get rid of one of my energy guzzling televisions, and purchase a newer, more efficient furnace.
What is our best immediate energy option?
Our best immediate energy option is to cut out unnecessary energy waste by improving energy efficiency.
How important is passive solar energy?
Passive solar energy is an essential or key component of sustainable design for single-family homes.Solar space heating makes use of a free energy source, no carbon dioxide additions are made to the atmosphere, and it reduces air and water pollution. Although it can cost more up-front to build this way, the long terms savings and comfort pay for themselves rather quickly. Passive solar designs are well proven and were even incorporated by the Anasazi cliff dwellers (ancestors of Pueblo Indians) when they carved their homes in south-facing cliffs that had large rock overhangs. During the summer, when the Sun's angle was high in the sky, their homes stayed cool from the shade of the overhang. In winter, when the Sun was low, their homes bathed in heat and light energy.
What are passive solar heating systems?
Passive solar heating systems absorb and stores heat from the sun directly within a well-insulated structure. Walls and floors of concrete, adobe, brick, or stone, and water tanks can be used to store much of the collected solar energy as heat and to release it slowly throughout the day and night. Passive solar is great for new homes in sunny areas but cannot be used to heat existing homes and buildings not oriented to receive sunlight or where trees or other buildings block access to sunlight. A passive solar heating system absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within a structure. On a life-cycle cost basis, good passive solar and super-insulated design is the cheapest way to heat a home or small building in regions with access to ample sunlight.
What are photovoltaic cells?
Photovoltaic cells are devices which convert radiant (solar) energy directly into electrical energy.They generate electricity directly from sunlight. Photovoltaic cells are wafers(thin pieces) of layered semiconductor sheets that produce electrical current when exposed to light.
What are some of their characteristics and uses?
Photovoltaic cells can last 30 years or more if encased in glass or plastic. They can be installed quickly and easily and can be built in solar-cell packages of varying sizes. Minimal air and water pollution is generated during their operation. They have a fairly high net energy, can work on cloudy days, have a low environmental impact and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Economists and environmentalists point out that gasoline costs U.S. consumers much more than it appears. What are some hidden costs of gasoline?
Pollution cleanup, military protection of oil supplies in the Middle East and elsewhere, government subsidies for oil companies, and government subsidies for road builders.
What are some problems associated with the use of trees for biomass?
Potential deforestation and loss of habitat, increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (this occurs when wood is burned), potential soil erosion and flooding, a great deal of particulate matter is released into the air, cut trees are no longer able to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, etc.
How can hydrogen be produced to power electric vehicles?
Producing hydrogen requires considerable energy, if you produce hydrogen by using something like renewable geothermal energy or the like, you are O.K. Hydrogen gas can actually be used to heat buildings, fuel cars, tracks, and planes, power factories, and generate electricity. Electric cars can be powered by a fuel cell running on hydrogen gas.
What are renewable energy sources?
Renewable energy sources are those that are, or can be perpetually (year after year) available.
The amount of electricity generated using renewable energy sources in the future will continue to rise. What is likely to cause this to happen quickly?
Renewable energy sources will start being adopted fastest when there is a drop in the cost of the technology required to use the renewable energy source.
Be able to list all of the major renewable energy resources.
Renewable resources include passive solar, active solar, geothermal, wind, water, solid biomass, ethanol fuel, etc.
How does energy efficiency improve the quality of our environment?
The more energy we save, the less fossil fuel energy we need to rely on. The less energy we need, the less we need to mine for coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear ores. This promotes habitat preservation, minimizes mine waste and leads to less acid runoff and groundwater contamination.
What is the most effective water heater (besides solar)?
The most effective and efficient water heater is a tankless instant water heater fired by natural gas or liquefied petroleum (LP).
What could they do if we strengthened them?
This could cut gasoline consumption in half, save more than three times the amount of oil in the nation's current proven oil reserves, and also save more than enough oil to eliminate all current oil imports to the United States from the Middle East.Obama worked hard to strengthen CAFÉ standards but many of these gains are expected to be lost during the Trump presidency.
How can we increase or improve the energy efficiency of buildings?
Use energy efficient (Energy Star) appliances and use CFL (compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED lights).Use devices that cut off electrical devices when they are not in use can be installed (such as our lights here at school), we can set strict energy-efficiency standards for new buildings, we can heat water more efficiently, install energy efficient devices (replace old computer monitors with flat screens that take less energy), stop heating and cooling losses, insulate and plug leaks, heat buildings more efficiently, use energy-efficient windows, use renewable energy where available, etc.
What are solar cookers or ovens?
Using the sun to cook with in many developing countries can reduce deforestation, the labor it takes to collect fuelwood, the time it takes to collect fuelwood, and indoor air pollution. A downside to solar cookers is that they can take longer to cook and obviously only work well in areas with lots of sunshine.Solar cookers use passive solar energy.
When doing laundry, what are some ways to care for your clothes and use less energy?
Wash in cold water (most new soaps can clean as well in cold water as in hot), buy an energy efficient (Energy Star) washing machine and dryer, hang clothes outside to dry after washing, wear clothes more than once before washing, hand towels to dry after showering and reuse the next day, etc.
What are water impoundment systems?
Water impoundment systems are the most common type of hydroelectric power plants. A large hydropower systems uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Water impoundment systems can have a large environmental impact, a high cost of construction, and the potential to force the displacement of large numbers of people and wildlife.
What is a common argument against wind energy?
Wind can be inconsistent, varying daily, seasonally, and in different locations.
On a worldwide basis, the fastest growing renewable source for generating electricity is?
Wind energy.
What are wind farms and some of their problems and limitations?
Wind farms may be noisy, may interfere with flight patterns of migratory birds, wind turbines can kill birds and bats, may require backup energy if the wind is not steady(many turbines depend on batteries, which are expensive to produce and difficult to dispose of),and can cause visual pollution(some people find turbines aesthetically displeasing).
