Please get
your
notebook!
 Please
board!
read the
TODAY’S GAME PLAN!


Test Turbines (taking
turns)
Discuss Distributed
power
WHY FOSSIL FUELS?
WHY NOT FOSSIL FUELS?

What are the drawbacks of using fossil
fuels?
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES
EVERY POWER SYSTEM HAS PROS AND CONS
SOLAR POWER MUST BE STORED FOR NIGHTS AND
CLOUDY DAYS
Should we be looking for a one-to-one substitution solution?
ARE WE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION?
Creating a paradigm shift
DISTRIBUTED POWER VS CENTRALIZED
POWER
CURRENT ELECTRICITY GRID


One major regional
power plant, usually
coal, natural gas or
nuclear supplies
area’s needs
Same plan throughout
US
OUR ELECTRIC “GRID” = POWER PLANTS
CONNECTED TO CONSUMERS
OUR ELECTRIC “GRID” = POWER PLANTS
CONNECTED TO CONSUMERS
A NEW ENERGY CONCEPT

Distributed Power = dispersed, small-scale
power systems customized to geographic
region combine to meet a region’s needs
THE MIX THAT WORKS FOR
HOUSTON WOULD BE DIFFERENT
THAN THE MIX FOR DETROIT.
A SMARTER GRID –
(HOW IS IT SMARTER? COMPARE TO CENTRALIZED)
DECENTRALIZED POWER
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Advantages
Greater reliance on renewables
Decreased climate change
Protection from centralized power
outages (storms, malfunction,
terrorism)
New jobs/new industries
Promote more community
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Disadvantages
Change is difficult
Need for new infrastructure which
may be costly
Requires more cooperation
Some jobs will be lost
Shift in local economies
PROCESS IT!
Describe centralized power
 Describe decentralized power
 Explain how geography would impact
decentralized power
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