04/06/2015. Energy Wind Power, Solar Power Ocean Power

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1 04/06/ Energy Wind Power, Solar Power Ocean Power History of Wind Power Scientist believe the first windmills used for work was created in China 000 years ago First historical reference was found in 9, first recorded evidence of use of wind power They were originally used for grinding grain Some middle eastern countries still use them today for harvesting grain. History Of Wind Power After the Crusades European windmills were used to drain wet land by pumping water The design of the windmill was based on the water wheel to propel wind By the 9 century there were over 30,000 windmills in Europe and were used for grain grinding, water pumping, mill plants and other industrial plants Windmills came to North America in the 7 & 8 century and were used for the same purpose Use of Wind Power When electricity was invented windmills were attached to a generator to heat and light homes and businesses First windmill to produce electric energy was in 888 by Charles Bush These windmills needed 500 revolution per minute in order to power a generator 5 Use of Wind Power In the 930s 70s coal and oil became very popular due to their abundance and low cost In 973 wind power became more popular Why? In the 980s funding for wind power was very difficult because people did not think that it was strong enough as oil and coal 6 Pros of Wind Power Wind is free and abundant

2 04/06/05 It is a renewable source and is a clean way of producing energy Generation and turbine costs have gone down over the years Wind power is suited for rural areas Cons of Wind Power Transmission How to get energy from point A to point B Technology Storage and containment must be developed Weather Weather is subjective Noise and view disruption Endangerment of birds Homework What areas in Canada would benefit from Wind Power? Why? Do the pros out weigh the cons of Wind power? Explain your answer. Solar Energy I d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don t have to wait til oil and coal run out before we tackle that. - Thomas Edison It s Not A New Concept Suns Energy Under extreme pressure, and at extremely high temperatures, nuclei of atoms and their electrons can separate, forming plasma. In this extremely high energy state, nuclei can get close enough to each other to fuse. When they fuse, they release tremendous amounts of energy. This is what happens in the sun s core. The energy produced by fusion can be reabsorbed by other nuclei and re-released in future fusion reactions. Suns Energy The energy produced by fusion can be reabsorbed by other nuclei and re-released in future fusion reactions. Energy released in the core of the sun can take thousands of years to find its way to the surface of the sun. Two Main Categories:

3 04/06/05 Solar Thermal Solar Photovoltaic (PV) How It Works water heating Pros of Solar Energy Renewable Abundant Sustainable Environmentally Friendly Good Availability Reduces Electricity Costs Shared Solar Silent Financial Support from Government Low Maintenance Technology is Improving Cons of Solar Energy Expensive Intermittent Energy Storage is Expensive Greenhouse Effect Exotic Materials Requires Space Benefits of Solar Cooking Consumes no fuels/wood No loss of trees & habitat Trees sequester carbon Generates no air pollution Generates no greenhouse gases Produces no smoke Eliminates fire dangers 3

4 04/06/ Benefits Con t Eliminates work No daily search for firewood Billion people rely on wood for cooking fuel! No risks to women and children Frees time for other activities No need to stir food Helps to liberate women 3 What is it? Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert light energy directly into electricity. Commonly known as solar cells. The simplest systems power the small calculators we use every day. PV represents one of the most promising means of maintaining our energy standard of living while not contributing to global warming and pollution. How it Works How it Works Sunlight is composed of photons, or bundles of radiant energy. When photons strike a PV cell, they may be reflected or absorbed. Only the absorbed photons generate electricity. When the photons are absorbed, the energy of the photons is transferred to electrons in the atoms of the solar cell. 4 5 What is it? Ocean energy is replenished by the sun and through tidal influences of the moon s and sun s gravitational forces Near-surface winds induce wave action and cause wind-blown currents at about 3% of the wind speed Tides cause strong currents into and out of coastal basins and rivers Ocean surface heating by some 70% of the incoming sunlight adds to the surface water thermal energy, causing expansion and flow Wind energy is stronger over the ocean due to less drag 6 4

5 04/06/ Point Absorber Buoy: Most common How the Buoys Work Ocean Energy Pros Green Renewable Enormous Energy Potential Reliable Area Efficient A wave farm that is occupying less than a half square mile of an ocean would generate more than 30 MW of power the equivalent of Canadian homes. 3 Cons 4 Environmental Effects Unknown marine animal disruption Affect tourism, Locals Costs Regular maintenance Government assistance New technology 5