Module 5-6 Quiz
False
Foreign Oil Has Historically Been More Expensive Than Domestic Resources (T/F)
Virtual PPA
- within a VPPA contract, the corporate buyer does not own and is not responsible for the physical electrons generated by the project - the VPPA is purely a financial transaction, exchanging a fixed-price cash flow for a variable-priced cash flow and renewable energy certificates (RECs) - because the VPPA is purely financial, the buyer still needs to meet its electricity load through traditional channels— therefore, the VPPA means the buyer's relationship with its utility at the retail level remains unchanged
Physical PPA
- within a physical PPA contract, the corporate buyer takes ownership of the electrons produced by the renewable energy project - this transaction places responsibility on the buyer for monetizing/selling the electrons, which is typically achieved by selling them into the wholesale electricity market - depending on the contract structure, the buyer could also pay for transmission charges
Gas/Gasoline
A Spark-Ignition Engine Is Also Known As A ____ Engine
True
CO2 Has A Global Warming Potential Of 1 (T/F)
False
CO2 Levels In The Atmosphere Stay Fairly Constant Throughout A Year (T/F)
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
CO2-Equivalent Emissions Normalize The _____ Of Gasses
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
GWP Stands For _____
True
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Can Have A Net Warming Or Cooling Effect In The Atmosphere (T/F)
True
Heavy Electrification Has The Added Benefit Of Removing Point Source Pollutions (T/F)
Blue Hydrogen
Hydrogen Produced By SMR Where CO2 Is Captured And Stored Is Called ____ Hydrogen
330ppm; 400ppm
Preindustrial CO2 Concentrations Were Below ____, Today They Are Above ____
Industry, Residential/Commercial, Electric Power
Natural Gas Consumption Is Split Roughly In Thirds Between Which Three Sectors?
True
Net-Zero Is Synonymous With Carbon Neutral (T/F)
False
Net-Zero Is Synonymous With Zero Emissions (T/F)
False; Nuclear Energy is Devoted Entirely to Electricity Production
Nuclear Energy Use Is Split Between The Electric Power Sector & The Industrial Sector (T/F)
True
Oceans Are Dramatically Slowing The Effects Of Climate Change (T/F)
False
Over Half Of The World's Population Live On Farms (T/F)
United States (US)
Over The Past 150 Years, What Country Is The Largest Cumulative Emitter Of Greenhouse Gases?
False
Petroleum Is Mostly Used For The Electric Power Sector (T/F)
Natural Gas
____ Is Used As A Feedstock As Well As A Heat Source In The Industrial Sector
Sponsor Equity (Traditional Equity)
highest risk, highest return because its first investor to suffer losses and last investor to receive distributions
Maintenance Costs (Wind Energy)
- Land Rent: 18% - Insurance: 13% - Service & Spare Parts: 26% - Miscellaneous: 17% - Power from Grid: 5% - Administration: 21%
New Technologies (Wind Energy)
- Modular Blades & Drivetrains - Drivetrain Technologies - Flexible Turbines - Superconducting Direct Drive Generators - Floating Offshore Turbines - Taller Tower
The Cost of New Wind Energy
- No Fuel Cost - 20 Year Equipment Life - 5 to 6 cents per KWh - 2 cents per KWh than coal-fired electricity
Purchase Power Agreements (PPAs)
- a contract between energy generators (sellers) and energy "offtakers" (buyers) - offtakers generally include utilities and other load-serving entities; increasingly, however, corporate buyers and financial companies are also serving as offtakers - generators can be utility companies, industrial companies, financiers etc. offtakers can be the same
Debt Capital
- a contractually-arranged loan that must be repaid by the borrower and occurs when the lender has no ownership shares in the company or venture - debt is generally a lower-risk and lower-cost funding source relative to equity—particularly as compared to sponsor equity - debt capital providers benefit from additional financing protections such as contractually-fixed payment schedules, preferred repayment positions, access to collateral, and rights to assume control of a defaulting company if necessary - debt capital may be invested through a variety of different financial mechanisms including a construction loan, a direct loan to the sponsor or developer of the project, or, to a lesser extent, a loan to the project itself
Tax Equity
- commits upfront equity in exchange for access to tax credits and tax losses from accelerated depreciation - because this type of investment requires significant capital and tax capacity for up to ten years, tax equity investors are often large financial entities such as banks and insurance funds
Underneath
- depending on the depth and the type of the ocean floor, offshore turbines may have fixed foundations or floating platforms - fixed turbines have structural foundations in the ocean floor, while floating turbines are stabilized by moorings and anchors
60%
About _____ Of Energy Consumed Each Year In The US Is Lost As Waste Heat
Fossil-Fuel Combustion For Electricity & Transportation
Approximately 81% Of Annual US CO2e Emissions (By Mass) Can Be Attributed To What?
25%
As Of 2020, China's Carbon Emissions Accounted For Approximately What Percentage Of Overall Emissions?
False
As Opposed To Hydroelectric Dams, Wind Turbines Convert Kinetic Energy Directly To Electrical Energy (T/F)
Water
At Point Of Use, Hydrogen's Only Byproduct Is _______
3%
Cities Make Up What Percentage Of Land Surface?
False
Coastal & Offshore Wind Locations Are Inaccessible For Power Generation (T/F)
Steam Methane Reforming; Electrolysis
Currently, There Are Two Main Methods To Produce Hydrogen: 1) ______ ________ ________ & 2) _____
Natural Gas
Decarbonizing The Electric Grid Can Be Done With A Variety Of Technologies Or Fuels Except _____
True
In General, Wealthier Countries Have Higher Per-Capita Energy Consumption (T/F)
False
It Takes A Large Shift In Carbon Fluxes To Have Any Tangible Effect On Our Ecosystems (T/F)
Wind Speed
Label The X Axis In The Plot Of Wind Power Below
Flat; Cheap
Land That Is ____ And ____ Is Favorable For Wind Farm Construction
True
Many Leading Corporations Have Pledged To Decarbonize Their Businesses & Supply Chains (T/F)
False
Methane Has A Higher GWP Over 100 Years Than Over 20 (T/F)
False
Most Annual US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Come From Methane Due To Enteric Fermentation And Natural Gas Leaks (T/F)
False
Radiative Forcing Describes The Ability Of A Greenhouse Gas To Reflect Heat (T/F)
Combustion Turbine, Gasoline Engine, Solar Panel, Steam Turbine, Wind Turbine, Diesel Engine
Rank These Energy Technologies In Order From Oldest To Newest 1. Combustion Turbine 2. Gasoline Engine 3. Solar Panel 4. Steam Turbine 5. Wind Turbine 6. Diesel Engine
True
Reducing Emissions By 80-90% In Most Decarbonization Pathways Is Fairly Straightforward (T/F)
CO2 Traps Heat; The Source Of New CO2 Is Primarily From Fossil Fuel Combustion; CO2 Levels Have Increased Since The Second Industrial Revolution
Scientific Consensus Exists Around Which Of The Following Facts? - CO2 Traps Heat - The Source Of New CO2 Is Primarily From Fossil Fuel Combustion - CO2 Levels Have Increased Since The Second Industrial Revolution - CO2 Intensifies Feedback Loops With Clouds Causing More Intense Storms - Climate Change Should Be A National Priority
False
Scientists Unanimously Agree On The Science Of Climate Change (T/F)
False
Scope 1 Emissions Are Indirect Emissions From Owned Or Controlled Sources (T/F)
True
Scope 2 Emissions Are Indirect Emissions From The Generation Of Purchased Energy (T/F)
False; Wyoming Has the Highest Per-Capita Energy Consumption in the US
Texas Has The Highest Per-Capita Energy Consumption In The US (T/F)
True
Texas Leads The US For Total Installed Wind Power (T/F)
10%; 15%
The CO2 Concentration Of The Flue Gas At A Power Plant Can Be Between __ & ___
True
The Economies Of Some Countries Depend Heavily On Oil & Gas Exports (T/F)
False
The Electricity Produced Each Year Is Split Between Only The Residential, Industrial, & Transportation Sectors (T/F)
True
The Fuel Mix In The Power Sector Is Diverse & Not Reliant On One Primary Source (T/F)
False
The Global Economy Consumes Most Of Its Energy Today Through A Wide Variety Of New Technologies (T/F)
Energy
The Manufacturing Sector Is A Large Energy Consumer. In Particular, The ____ Industry Is The Most Energy Intensive Sector
Greenhouse Gases
The Primary Forcing Function Of Global Climate Change Is The Emission & Atmospheric Accumulation Of _____
True
The So-Called 'Oil Problem' Is Really A Transportation Problem (T/F)
False
The US Has A Target To End Sale Of New Internal Combustion Automobiles In The Coming Years (T/F)
4000 TWh
The US Produces About How Much Electricity A Year?
Texas
The Wind Corridor Of The US Extends From North Dakota To _______
China
The World's Largest Wind Energy Consumer Is _____
True
There Are Many Possible Pathways To Decarbonization (T/F)
False
There Is Political Consensus In The United States That Urgent Action Should Be Taken To Combat Climate Change (T/F)
Gasoline Engine, Gas Turbine, Steam Turbine, Diesel Engine
Today, The Global Economy Consumes Most Of Its Energy Through Which Four Technologies?
True
Too Many Wind Turbines In One Location Can Disrupt Wind Patterns (T/F)
True
Trees Are A Nature-Based Approach To CO2 Sequestration (T/F)
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Sequestration
What Does BECCS Stand For?
Carbon Capture & Sequestration
What Does CCS Stand For?
Wind Power Class
What Does This Plot Depict?
CO2
What Is The Reference Gas Used When Discussing Global Warming Potential?
70%
What Percentage Of All Carbon Emissions Are Attributable To Cities?
Diesel Engine
Which Engine Uses Compression To Ignite Its Fuel? - Diesel Engine - Gasoline Engine - Gas Turbine Engine
Surface Water Pumping
Which Of The Following Does Not Contribute To Sea Level Change? - Surface Water Pumping - Melting Glaciers - Melting Ice Sheets - Groundwater Pumping - Thermal Expansion
The Dominant Isotope Of CO2 Has Shifted Towards One Consistent With The Combustion Of Fossil Fuels; The Atmospheric Concentration Of CO2 Is Consistent With The Total Cumulative Amount Of Fossil Fuels Burned Since The Industrial Revolution Accounting For Take Up From The Oceans
Which Of The Following Is Evidence That Fossil Fuels Are The Primary Source Of CO2 Emissions? - The Dominant Isotope Of CO2 Has Shifted Towards One Consistent With The Combustion Of Fossil Fuels - The Atmospheric Concentration Of CO2 Is Consistent With The Total Cumulative Amount Of Fossil Fuels Burned Since The Industrial Revolution Accounting For Take Up From The Oceans - The Radioactive Signature Of CO2 Has Changed Over Time Consistent With The Burning Of Fossil Fuels - There Was No CO2 In The Atmosphere Before The Industrial Revolution - The Ratio Of CO2 To Methane In The Atmosphere Is Consistent With The Relative Emissions Of Coal Plants
Biomass
Which Of The Following Is NOT A Common Renewable Fuel Used In Electric Power Generation? - Biomass - Hydro - Wind - Geothermal - Solar
Wind Power Requires Little Land Area
Which Of The Following Is Not A Benefit Of Wind Energy? a. Wind Power Requires Little Land Area b. Wind Requires No Cooling Water c. Wind Turbines Can Often Be Co-Located With Other Activities d. Fuel Is Domestic & Abundant e. Wind Power Is Zero-Emission At Point Of Generation
Foreign Oil Is Typically More Expensive Than Domestic Oil
Which Of The Following Is Not A Potential Downside To Energy Imports? - Foreign Oil Is Typically More Expensive Than Domestic Oil - National Security Risks - Risk Of Energy Price-Spikes In The US If Supplies Are Cut Off - Flow Of Wealth Is To Countries With Different Foreign Policy Objectives Than The US
Wind Power Production Is Moving To The Mountains
Which Of The Following Is Not A Trend In Wind Power Production? - Wind Power Production Is Moving To The Mountains - Wind Farm Construction Is On The Rise In The US - More Wind Farms Are Being Built Offshore - Wind Turbines Are Getting Taller - Wind Farm Construction Is On The Rise Globally
Grams Carbon Per BTU Of Energy
Which Of The Following Shows Units Of Carbon Intensity?
Texas
Which State Leads The US In Total Energy Consumption? - Texas - Louisiana - Illinois - California - New York
True
Wind Energy Producers Prefer Tall Turbines (T/F)
True
Wind Generation Is Generally Mismatched With Electricity Demand (T/F)
True
Wind Power Generation Requires No Water (T/F)
True
Wind Power Is Zero-Emission At Point Of Generation (T/F)
True
Wind Power Makes Up The Largest Portion Of Renewable Power Generation In The US (T/F)
False
Wind Resources Are Evenly Distributed Around The US (T/F)
True
Wind Speeds Are Much Higher On Mountain Ridges, But Transmission Is Too Difficult To Make Wind Power Generation Viable (T/F)
True
Wind Turbine Power Generation Depends On Air Density As Well As Speed (T/F)
True
Wind Turbines At Lower Altitudes Along The Coast Can Produce More Energy Than Turbines At Higher Altitudes On Mountains (T/F)
Landing Platform
enables maintenance
Tower
steel support structure, extending high into the air to capture stronger wind currents
Nacelle
the "heart" of the turbine houses the components that generate electricity from the mechanical energy of the turbine blades
Wind Array
turbines are constructed in groups, with spacing optimized for capturing wind energy while minimizing the overall footprint
Rotor Blades
wind turn the blades, which are connected to shafts that spin inside the nacelle
