The document discusses alternative energy sources and why they should be used instead of fossil fuels like coal and gas. It provides several reasons for using alternative energy sources such as being sustainable, environmentally friendly, and preventing further global warming. However, fossil fuels are still widely relied on because they are the cheapest option and switching to alternative energy would be very expensive. The document then presents a case study of a school in the US that installed a system to capture methane from a nearby landfill to provide electricity and heating for the school, saving it money in the long run.
The document discusses alternative energy sources and why they should be used instead of fossil fuels like coal and gas. It provides several reasons for using alternative energy sources such as being sustainable, environmentally friendly, and preventing further global warming. However, fossil fuels are still widely relied on because they are the cheapest option and switching to alternative energy would be very expensive. The document then presents a case study of a school in the US that installed a system to capture methane from a nearby landfill to provide electricity and heating for the school, saving it money in the long run.
The document discusses alternative energy sources and why they should be used instead of fossil fuels like coal and gas. It provides several reasons for using alternative energy sources such as being sustainable, environmentally friendly, and preventing further global warming. However, fossil fuels are still widely relied on because they are the cheapest option and switching to alternative energy would be very expensive. The document then presents a case study of a school in the US that installed a system to capture methane from a nearby landfill to provide electricity and heating for the school, saving it money in the long run.
1. Why use alternative energy systems to generate electricity? Alternative energy sources could include hydro, solar, wind tidal/wave, geothermal, human. If the current alternatives such as coal and gas are problematic, why not stop using them straight away?
Alternative energy are sources of energy that do not encompass the use of coal, gas, or fossil fuels. These sources of energy are still today, widely used around the globe to generate electricity, run our cars, and pretty much everything.
Reasons to use these alternative energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind, tidal/wave, geothermal and human energies are because: - they are entirely sustainable - environmentally sound - will not continue the harm caused by global warming that coal and gas have done through the large amounts of carbon dioxide/ monoxide that has gone into the atmosphere through the burning of these materials. - They will never run out, as wind, heat from earth (geothermal), waves are infinite whereas coal or gas might one day run out. - Compared to burning fossil fuels, even nuclear power stations give out a fraction of the green house gases.
However, now that we know that the burning of these fossil fuels are problematic, we still rely on them because they are the cheapest, and most efficient way that has worked for decades to sustain the human populations thirst for electricity. Furthermore, to change immediately to alternative energy sources would cost governments around the world trillions of dollars to set up an alternative energy system that produced the same amount of electricity as what the fossil fuels do now. And for this reason, there is not much government initiative or support for systems such as tidal systems.
A reason for the lack of change is because for the moment there is no dire need to change, i.e. there is still an ample supply of coal being mined out of the ground to supply the worlds power. And the concept of if it works, leave it.
A recent example of this is in the United Kingdom, where according to an article, plants for green tidal power axed as eight nuclear power stations announced, by Jason Beattie, listed that a 10 mile tidal barrage would only meet 5% of UKs energy needs in perspective to its massive 30 billion pound cost.
Another example of lacking government support to alternative energies is Australia; being one of the countries who relies almost solely on fossil fuels to power its cities, rejects many plans for investment into wave energy systems and photovoltaic cells. This is despite Australias great coastline and constant sunlight.
2. Complete a short case study on the use of an alternative energy source for an industrial/commercial application.
Alternative Energy sources such as extracting methane out of a landfill to run electricity and heating needs. This is exactly what happened to a school in the USA, Antioch Community High school which was situated next to a rubbish dump about to be closed. However, there still needs to be management of the gases that are produced, usually, it would be burnt or flared.
Su Young Lee - Engineering The school administrator saw the landfill next to their school as an opportunity to use the gases produced by the landfill instead of wasting it to burning, to produce electricity and heating needs including water, for the high school. Furthermore to this, it would provide the students a hands-on experience of how the future of alternative energy systems is about and great savings to the schools electricity bills.
After the agreements with their local council to gain rights to use the former landfill to take the methane, they planned on how it would work. It was a big investment of 1.9 million dollars to have the whole system of collection of gas to converting to be able to use it for heating and electricity.
The process of turning the raw methane gas into usable natural gas is quite a complex process because of the many factors which are placed on the landfill such as the variable amount of methane which will be produced, in which different engines may not be able to run on. For example, a large turbine will need large amounts of methane to work. Therefore, the schools plan was to change the turbines every so often so they can get the most out of the gases in the landfill and continue to use the almost free gases.
The amazing thing about this very innovative investment is that yes, they did spend 1.9 million dollars initially, however, over 20 years, they will get net returns of over 1.5million, meaning they make profit from it, which could be used to help the school in other technological facilities.
This daring project has even attracted the attention of the EPA? Which says that this has turned a liability into a very important asset.