Lec 15

Question 1

Clean energy

Answer 1

Energy gained from sources that do not release air pollutants

Question 2

Green energy

Answer 2

Energy derived from natural sources; often from renewable energy sources

Question 3

Renewable energy

Answer 3

Power generated from sources that are constantly being replenished

Question 4

Is green energy always renewable

Answer 4

No but it mostly is

Question 5

Types of renewable energy

Answer 5

Wind
Solar
Geothermal
Bioenergy
Hydropower

Question 6

Most renewable energy is also

Answer 6

Carbon free

No CO2 or other greenhouse gas emissions

Question 7

Not all renewable energy is

Answer 7

C-free and not all C-free energy is renewable

Question 8

Biofuels/bioenergy is

Answer 8

renewable because we can regrow plants that we burn for fuel, but growing plants absorbs CO2 while burning plants release it

Question 9

Nuclear energy is

Answer 9

Carbon free but is not renewable because it uses uranium

Question 10

World energy outlook 2023

Answer 10

The pattern of investments in recent years has been moving further towards cleaner uses of energy

Question 11

Wind power

Answer 11

Uses the power of wind to turn a set of blades and generate electricity

Question 12

Steps from wind turbine into power being generated

Answer 12

Rotating generator converts wind energy into electricity

Transformer increases voltage for transmission to the electric grid

Question 13

How many turbines do we need

Answer 13

An average turbine generates enough power in 46 minutes to power a home for a month

Question 14

Problems with wind power

Answer 14

Ideal wind sites are often in remote locations

Installation is expensive

Wind doesn’t always blow

Turbines produce noise and alter landscape aesthetics

Wind plants can impact local wildlife

Question 15

Solar power

Answer 15

Using solar radiation to generate electricity via photovoltaic cells; also used for heating

Enough energy to meet the planet’s power needs for an entire year, reaches the Earth from the sun in an hour

Question 16

Solar energy mechanism

Answer 16

Solar panel absorbs photons

A control device converts this into electricity

The electricity then passes through a breaker to provide connection to outlets

Question 17

An average home has

Answer 17

More than enough roof area for necessary number of solar panels to supply its power needs and also provide credit for the electrical grid

Question 18

The Brooks Project In Alberta

Answer 18

17-Mw solar project near the TransCanada Highway in Brooks, Alberta

Hopes to offset the use of fossil fuels in Alberta homes

Currently powers 3000 homes with 48 582 panels

Question 19

Problems with solar power

Answer 19

Initial costs for installation are still quite high

It is weather dependent: dependent on sunlight

Storage batteries are expensive

It requires a lot of space

Transportation and installations are associated with GHG emissions

Some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the manufacturing process of solar panels

We need to improve waste management of solar energy

Question 20

Are solar panels toxic

Answer 20

Modern solar panels are silicon based (used to contain cadmium or telluride)

They contain several polymers, some still have lead in the solder, but nothing can leach during use

We just need to recycle the panels properly

Question 21

Main type of hydroelectric plants

Answer 21

Dams

Run of River Plants

Question 22

Run of river plants

Answer 22

Turbines will capture the flow of water and convert it to electrical energy

Do not disrupt the flow of water unlike dams

Question 23

Hydropower provides

Answer 23

The most energy compared to other renewable or low-carbon electricity sources

Is the only source of energy that competes with fossil fuels

Question 24

Problems with water power

Answer 24

Strong environmental impacts (habitat alteration/destruction)

Can affect water quality and supply

Can displace people as much as wildlife

There can be droughts or flood

Constructions of dams can be challenging and dangerous

Safety concerns and maintenance over time

Question 25

Geothermal power

Answer 25

Using heat trapped inside the Earth to bring highly heated water to the surface and generate electricity

Question 26

Geothermal power is captured through

Answer 26

Geothermal power plants, using heat from inside the Earth to generate steam and produce electricity Geothermal heat pumps, using head close to the Earth's surface to head water and produce head to buildings

Question 27

Geothermal power mechanism

Answer 27

Hot water is brought up to the Earth's surface and the steam is used to power a turbine and the power is attached to a grid

Question 28

Enhanced Geothermal System

Answer 28

Hot Water production well Cold water injection well Both are connected to hot granite with stimulative fracture system and head exchange binary system, which is connected to a pwoerhouse

Question 29

Where does the heat come from

Answer 29

Earth's core is made up of very hot molten core surrounding a solid iron inner core Around the Earth's core is the mantle, which is made of rock and magma The outermost layer is the crust

Question 30

Earths crust can

Answer 30

Crack or thin, allowing plums of hot magma from the mantle to rise

Question 31

Direct use of geothermal heat

Answer 31

Hot water for bathing and swimming Space and district heating Greenhouse heating Aquaculture

Question 32

Problems with geothermal power

Answer 32

Only limited to places near tectonic plate boundaries Some locations cooldown over time Drilling and exploration is expensive and the environment is quite aggressive Releasing of potentially harmful gases, such as hydrogen sulphide Potential earthquakes due to diggins

Question 33

Biomass power

Answer 33

Use of organic material from plants and animals, including crops, trees, and waste food Generated from biological or thermal conversion of biomass resources Biomass can also be converted into liquid biofuels Biomass is rich in hydrogen, which can be chemically extracted and used to generate power and fuel vehicles

Question 34

Biomass power mechanism

Answer 34

Forests absorb CO2 through photosynthesis Forests are harvest to create biomass Biomass can be converted into heat and power CO2 is released back into the atmosphere

Question 35

Problems with biomass power

Answer 35

Not pollution free (GHG emissions) Uncontrolled biomass production leads to deforestation and destruction of habitats It is less efficient than other renewable energies It requires a lot of space to set up and it is very expensive Unpleasant odors and concerns about pathogens Requires large amounts of water

Question 36

Biomass power advantages

Answer 36

Positive economic impact Very abundant Provides value to waste Super versatile