Alternate Energy
st
Sources for the 21
Century
Mike Ewert
Houston Renewable Energy Group
Problem & Opportunity
Several Problems
– Air & water pollution
– Health effects of pollution
– Oil depletion/ imports
– Global warming from CO2
One Solution
– Renewable energy
sources cause minimal
pollution, don’t cause
global warming and are
locally available
Pollution
US power plants emit 18 million tons of SO2 per year +
NOx, particulates, carbon monoxide, mercury and lead
Energy production & use also contribute to Water
pollution
Houston has been in violation of federal air quality
standards since they began in the 1970’s
The Houston/Galveston area must be in compliance by
2007 because we were designated as a "severe" ozone
area.
Some Energy Statistics
The US uses ¼ of
the world’s energy
The US pays
more than
$5 billion for
imported oil
each month
Global Warming
Throughout history, the earth has been
much colder, and at times warmer, than it
is now
– But climate change is occurring 100’s of times
faster than these natural changes
– CO2, CH4, N2O, O3 and soot all cause warming
Global average air temperature has risen
1°F in the past 50 years
But, this has already resulted in melting ice
sheets, migration of animals and more
severe weather
What’s the Alternative?
And what’s the hold up?
Renewable energy generally
cost more than conventional
fossil fuel energy systems
•
Solar 11 - 40 ¢/kWh
depending on the
technology
•
Wind 5 - 15 ¢/kWh from
large wind turbines
But what if you consider the big picture?
There are lots of
Alternatives
Nuclear
Hydroelectric
Wind
Solar
Wave
Tidal
Geothermal
Bio-mass
Helium 3 (from the moon)
Wind
Wind turbines – modern windmills
have become quite efficient and cost
effective in windy areas
Solar Electric
Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
panels generate electricity
directly from sunlight with
special materials
Solar electricity can
also be generated from
the sun’s heat instead
of burning fossil fuels
Solar Thermal
Heat from the sun can be
used to heat water, houses,
pools, in industry and to
generate electricity
Passive Solar
Uses sun angles,
shading and
thermal storage
Daylighting is using
natural sunlight
instead of electric
lights
Solar Cookers
Many different
designs
Can improve health &
reduce deforestation
in developing
countries
Solar Cars?
Hybrid and Electric
cars are coming
Why not solar
charge them?
Water Energy
Hydro-electric, wave, tide
Geothermal & Bio-mass
A Future Hydrogen
Economy?
Solar energy can
split water into
hydrogen & oxygen
A fuel cell can make
electricity from
hydrogen and
oxygen, making
water
A completely clean,
renewable cycle
2 Last Thoughts
It has been
estimated that we
can improve the
way we use energy
by a factor of 4!
ELECTRIC CHOICE
You now have a choice of electric providers in
Texas
Providers must provide an electricity facts label,
so the source is something you can consider
www.powertochoose.com
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