Transcript 7_Energy Conference La Paz School 8th grade

La Paz Community School
Renewable Energy In Costa Rica
8th Grade Students
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Guanacaste
● tropical region in northwestern Costa Rica
● mostly dry tropical forest
● two main seasons; dry and rainy
● average temperature varies from 32-36ºC (90-96ºF)
photo credit: Coralie Mercier
costaricarealestate.com
Impacts of Energy Generation
• renewable vs. non-renewable
• different energy generation sources contribute differently to climate change.
Geothermal
Energy
conserve-energy-future
Hydroelectric
Energy
energydigital.com
Fossil Fuel
Photo Credit: Costa Rica News
Fossil Fuel
● when you burn carbon based fuel (fossil fuel) it turns into carbon dioxide
● carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere
○ one of the biggest causes of climate change
○ transparent gas that absorbs infrared radiation (heat) from the sun
○ trapped within the earth’s atmosphere, affecting climate change
houghtpursuits.com
Ctvnews.ca
Geothermal
Pros:
• uses the heat from the earth
• it is clean and sustainable
• can be released without burning fossil fuels
Cons:
ucsusa.org
• the releases of hydrogen sulfide
• the disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic
materials
Hydroelectric
Pros:
• creates energy using the movement of
water to turn turbines
• it releases the lowest amount of
greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide
(CO2) into the atmosphere
Cons:
• dams that are not well built can
negatively affect the ecosystem
robertsoncooper.com
Renewable Energy Sources in Costa Rica
• solar, wind, and geothermal energy
• approximately 90% of Costa Rica’s energy is clean
• hydroelectric plants, volcanoes, rivers, mountains and other natural resources
• 73% from hydroelectric energy, 13% from geothermal energy, 4% from wind turbines
geothermalenergy.com
gmsolaren
energyquest.ca
theenergystory
Costa Rica’s Accomplishments and Goals
• 94 consecutive days running on only renewable energy in the year 2015
• planning to add more hydro, geothermal and wind power plants in 2017
• carbon neutral by 2021
ticotimes.com
riotscience.com
treehugger.com
Steps to achieving carbon neutrality
• Coopeguanacaste and ICE are main electricity companies in Costa Rica.
• Attempting to increase sustainable energy sources and decrease the use of fossil fuels and
non-renewable energy
• Projects: increasing numbers of wind farms and solar panels to provide sustainable energy
guachipelin.com
portal.grupoice.com
Coopeguanacaste R.L.
Potential solutions within the region:
Wind Turbines
Pros:
• Guanacaste is a windy area that will produce
enough energy to pay off the wind turbines
• They will last about 80 years
Cons:
• Very expensive
• Threat to the wildlife
news.co.cr
Potential solutions within the region:
Solar Panels
Pros:
• Guanacaste receives lots of sunlight
• Low environmental impact
Cons:
• solar panels are expensive
• require maintenance
lobalasia.com
Sustainable Energy Use at La Paz
• we have solar panels currently installed at La Paz
• our carbon offset for the month of December was the equivalent of 6 trees
• last year we produced 3.48 MWh
Sustainable Energy Use at La Paz
● need 20-25 times more solar panels or 4400 kwh to work off of completely sustainable
energy and to give back to the grid or give energy back to the company
● to get more panels would cost roughly $150,000
● it would take 8-10 years to pay this off
● good investment for the future
Obstacles to a increased renewable energy
•
•
•
•
guachipelin.com
Individual Finances: some renewable energies are too expensive for individuals
Business Profits: clean energy may reduce profits for corporations
Strikes: energy price increase can lead to public outcry and anger
Reliability: renewable energy is not as reliable fossil fuel
eco.com
portal.grupoice.com
Conclusion
Works Cited
Araya, Monica. “Race to renewable: five developing countries ditching fossil fuels.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 2016.
Web. 26 Jan. 2016
“Costa Rica achieves clean energy milestone by using 100% renewable energy for three months” The Good Daily. Robertson Cooper.
2012. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
“Costa Rica.” Conde Nast Traveller. Conde Nast Traveller. n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2016
"Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Energy." Union of Concerned Scientists. n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
“Fiber Optics for Wind Turbines” The Fiber School Professional Technical Training. The Fiber Optic Marketplace. 2016. Web. 26 Jan.
2016
Gawell, Karl. "Can Geothermal Energy Offset Global Warming?" Renewable Energy World. 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Jan. 2016
“Geothermal Energy” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, National Geographic Partners. 2016. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
"How Much of Costa Rica's Energy Comes From Renewable Sources?" How Much of Costa Rica's Energy Comes From Renewable
Sources? n.p. n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
"Hydroelectricity." David Suzuki Foundation. n.p. n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
“Solar Panel Sponsorship” Buckie Thistle Football Club. Buckie Thistle Football Club. 8 Aug. 2015. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
Powerful Solutions: Seven Ways to Switch America to Renewable Electricity, UCS, 1999. "Barriers to Renewable Energy Technologies." Union
of Concerned Scientists. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
"What Is Energy?" Renewable & Non-Renewable Energy Sources - Conserve Energy Future. EF Conserve Energy Future. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
Lynne Peeples. "Costa Rica’s Green Energy Feat Shows Hope For The Planet." Awaken. 23 Dec. 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
"Stunning Costa Rica Wallpaper." #6811342. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.