CHANGES IN ELECTRIC
GENERATION
• Generation vs. Demand:
• Demand growing 3% per year
• New Generation more difficult to build
Generation
• Large, Centralized Plants (Old Way)
• Small, Distributed Plants (New Way)
• Also, Site Renewable Generation where it
makes Sense (and Profit)
Large Plants
• Environmental Issues
• Fossil Fuels
• Location/Siting
Large Plants (Cont.)
• New Ideas:
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“Clean Coal”
Wind,
Solar,
Geothermal,
Biomass
Oceanic Thermal Energy
Clean Coal
• Coal Gasification (Combined Cycle) - Low
Emmissions
• Could Happen on Iron Range (Excelsior
Project)
WIND
• Wind Generators currently very popular
• More and more Cost Effective
• Not a Cure-All - never windy when you
need it most
Wind Farm
• Current Standard – 1.5
MW WTG on 80
meter Towers
• Energy cost now in the
4 cents/KWH range
NE Minnesota Wind Data
Typical Service Drop to WTG
NEG Micon NM82
Solar
• Photvoltaics
– Electricity Directly from Sunlight
– Low Conversion efficiency
– Fairly High Cost
• Solar Thermal - Solar One
– Could yet show some promise
• ONLY WHEN THE SUN SHINES
Geothermal
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Hot Water from the Earth
Use the Hot Water or Flash to Steam
Currently 2700 MW capacity in US
Capacity growing at 9% worldwide
Excellent for Home Use - Heat Pumps
Binary-Cycle Plant (Geothermal)
OTEC
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Extract “solar” heat from Ocean Water
Flash it to Steam for Turbine/Generator
Can be combined with DeSalination
Costly
Typical Energy Costs for Various Generation Sourc
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Type:
Installed Cost:
Energy Cost:
Fuel Cells
$15,000-20,000/kW 15-20 cents/kwh
Solar - PV Cells
$6,000-8,000/kW 12-15 cents/kwh
Geothermal
$5,000-10,000/kW 8-10 cents/kwh
Biomass
$2,000-2,500/kW 3-5 cents/kwh
Wind
$1,000-2,000/kW 3-5 cents/kwh
Natrl Gas (Turbine) $1,500-1,800/kW 2-4 cents/kwh
Coal
$1,500-2,000/kW 1.5-2 cents/kwh
Hydro
$2,000-3,000/kW 0.2-0.5 cents/kwh
Distributed Generation
• Make Electricity where and when needed:
– Neighborhood
– Commercial Center
– Industrial Park
• Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Biomass
• Fuel Cells
• MicroTurbines
Microturbines
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Run on Natural gas – Short Sighted?
30-50 kilowatt Designs
Create both Electricity and Hot Water
Small businesses, collection of homes
Fuel Cells
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Most common type: PEM Polymer-Electrolyte Membrane
Strips Electrons from Hydrogen to make Electricity
Safety/Cost
Where to get H2??
H2 Energy Density
DEMAND SIDE
• Conservation Through:
• Market Pricing
• Efficient Products
Market Pricing
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Energy Prices becoming De-Regulated
New Equipment to Automate Pricing:
Smart Meters
Smart Appliances
Smart Meters
• Talks to Electric Company
• Records Hourly Prices
• Tells Appliances what current
Price is
• Shops Around for a Better Rate?
Efficient Products
• Smart Appliances run only when energy is
cheapest, talk to each other
• Superconductors
• Cars
Superconducting Motors
• Extremely Efficient - Zero
Electric Losses
• Very High Torque - 140X
increase in Power Density
• Costly?
• Not very Rugged - Bismuth-Cu
Ceramic Tape
• US Navy Loves Them
Other Superconductors
• Transformers
• Transmission Lines
• Potential Savings…
– Between 5 and 10% of all Electricity Generated
is lost in Transformers and T-Lines
Cars
• EVs - Electric Vehicles
– Biggest Problem is Energy Density
• Battery Powered - Poor Range/Heavy
• Fuel Cell Pwrd - Hydrogen is volatile, has poor
energy density and no delivery system, LNG has
emissions
• Hybrids - LEVs
– Just appearing on Market
– Good “Next Step”
– 30 MPG SUV
CONCLUSIONS
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More of the Same Old Stuff
More New Stuff
Greater Emphasis on Environmental Factors
Conservation is Key
Wireless, Wireless, Wireless
WEB References
• National Renewable Energy Labs
– http://www.nrel.gov/
• Electric Power Research Institute
– http://www.epri.com/
• US Dept. of Energy
– http://www.energy.gov/
• Electric Vehicles
– http://www.evworld.com/