Transcript Introduction to Environmental Technology

for the instructor
 Energy part 3 covers alternative ways to generate
electricity using nuclear & wind
 the slide show starts with the next slide
Energy
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Nuclear Energy I
 Existing form of electricity production, producing
>8% of electricity for the U.S.
 Advantages:
 Existing form of energy production
 Does not produce CO2, and therefore does not
increase our impact on Global Warming
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Nuclear Energy I
 Disadvantages:
 Extremely expensive (in many aspects)
 Produces extremely toxic wastes that need to be
secured for (very) long periods of time
 Requires very sophisticated and complex operations
 Accidents at these types of facilities can result in
widespread contamination by radioactive materials
Nuclear Energy III
Some other industrial countries depend heavily on
nuclear power for their electrical generation.
Japan generates 34.5% of
their electricity from
nuclear power.
Kashiwazaki, Japan
World’s largest nuclear plant
Nuclear Energy III
France generates 78.8%
of their electricity
from nuclear power.
Paluel, France
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Wind Generation I
 Existing form of electricity production, producing
<1% of electricity for the U.S.
 Advantages:
 Existing form of energy production
 Does not produce CO2
 Though tall, wind turbines do not cover a large area
 Turbines come in a range of sizes and can be used for
a number of applications both on & off the grid
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Wind Generation I
 Disadvantages:
 Has intermittent energy production (based on the
consistency of the wind)
 The public may consider wind turbines to be
unsightly
 Can be a hazard to bird (& migrating bird) and bat
populations
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Wind Generation II
Relative costs for wind
generation are a fifth of
what they were in the
1980’s; and based on
relatively conservative
estimates are only 5%
more then electricity
from coal-fire power
plants.
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Wind Generation IV – Wind Strength
Locations of consistent
wind generation in the
U.S.
Note the locations in
upstate New York; the
Adirondacks, southern
tier, and great lakes.
To distribute this
power to market would
especially require an
integrated power grid.
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Wind Generation V – Power Grid
To distribute
electrical energy
effectively from
wind source areas
to high-use regions
(urban areas)
requires a more
integrated nationwide power grid
system
This is also a factor for other alternative energy sources
like: nuclear power plants and large scale solar farms.
NPR Story on Power Grid & Alt. Energy
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Power Grid Considerations I
This is the size of a 765kV
line, note farmhouse for
scale
The reason for these large
lines is they are so much
more efficient, comparison of
15 138kV lines to 1 765kV
line
Electrical Energy Alternatives
Power Grid Considerations II
The perception is that high
voltage power lines are
unhealthy. However several
studies conducted in the 1990’s
on the effects of electromagnetic
fields (associated with power
lines) concluded “that there was
no evidence that showed exposure to EMF from power lines
presented a human health hazard.” Two of these studies were
conducted with under the supervision of the National Academy
of Science and by the National Cancer Institute.