Tag Archives: alternative energy

Importance of Global Awareness

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Seeing that this is the final blog of the term, I reflect back on everything that I have learned throughout this term regarding sustainability and the associated mathematics. I never thought that something as basic as percentages or ratios would play such a big role in sustainability. Consider, the percentage of contamination of a certain substance. Or, the percentage of a substance that is being wasted due to one’s lack of accountability when it comes to sustainability. Learning about energy flow and all the different many different forms of energy was really interesting. It was not until taking this class that I learned that energy has a unit, the unit being Quad. Another important factor that needs to be considered not only through a sustainable lens, but through many lenses in life is precision. If mathematicians are not precise about their measurements and data sets for sustainability related entities, there could be outcomes that are detrimental to the environment. Learning about how many different variables are at play for climate change are overwhelming. But, learning about them individually and ways that we can play our part has been helpful. One of the most notable things that I take away from this course is how large my carbon footprint has been throughout my life. From here on out, I aim to consider the ways in which I can make my carbon footprint smaller for the benefit of the environment. This course has taught me so many new ways that I can think about sustainability and how easy it is to take sustainable action. If we all play a small part in becoming a sustainable nation, our earth will be more likely to succeed.

Sustainable Ways

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For some reason the audio on my video is not working. Nevertheless, this video shows all the ways that my roommates and I are attempting to be more sustainable in our apartment. The first clip shows that we try to take shorter showers and turn off the water as we brush our teach. The next clips exhibits that we keep doors and windows open opposed to using electricity for a fan or air conditioner. The third clip displays all of our reusable cups that we use opposed to using one-use plastic water bottles. The last clip shows our washer machine that we use using cold water opposed to hot water because it’s better for the environment.

RPReplay_Final1653318294

Tidal Energy

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Tidal energy has the potential to be the future for harvesting energy. Tidal power is made through the natural cycles of the world’s tides which is caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and other celestial bodies. Tidal energy could function as a significant replacement for traditional electric production from coal. With tidal energy, it is all about finding the most effective location for capturing the tide. The most productive spots are where the range between high tide and low tide is the largest. There are three ways in which tidal energy can be captured; tidal turbines, tidal lagoons, and tidal barrages. Tidal energy is sustainable, renewable, eco-friendly, and is more effective than wind power systems. Like many other new energy routes and potential solutions to environmental issues, there are a lot of barriers to consider when implementing them that slow down the process.

 

https://www.pnnl.gov/explainer-articles/tidal-energy

Harvesting the Power of the Sun’s Rays

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In the Last 10 years, the availability of solar power has increased due to the decrease in installation costs. In 2010, the price of installation in the U.S. was 4,731 dollars per kilowatt. In 2020, the price fell all the way down to 883 dollars per kilowatt. Making the installation process cheaper means that this sort of energy will be available to more people of varying economic classes. If we continue to make headway in refining certain solar panels and harvesting solar energy through water heating and plant-based solar extractions, we could reach commercial-level application sooner than we may think. When asked about solar power in an interview with Mathias Döpfner, Elon Musk predicted that our future civilizations are going to be primarily solar-powered. He continued by saying that the only problem would be finding an efficient way of storing excess solar energy on days when the weather would pose an issue. As we continue to make technological advancements in this field, the idea of solar panel farms will become more of a possibility. This alternative source of energy will soon grow to challenge the big fossil fuel giants one day. Some may see this as a threat but if we truly hope to make a dent in the climate change issue, we must progress with solar power.

 

https://www.ans.org/news/article-3812/elon-musk-shutting-down-nuclear-plants-is-total-madness/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/809796/global-solar-power-installation-cost-per-kilowatt/

 

Wind Energy!

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There are many forms of non fossil-fuel based energy. But, for this post I will be specifically looking at wind energy. In order to understand wind energy, it is important to first understand wind. When the sun unevenly heats the Earth, that is when wind is created. Wind can then be used to create energy. Knowing this, wind energy is sustainable energy. It will continue to be a sustainable source of energy for as long as the sun continues to shine. Wind energy is caught by the giant windmills, called wind turbines, that tower over 100 feet in the air. Sometimes, the wind turbines work by themselves or they can also be connected to power grids or a solar cell system. When there is a decent amount of wind turbines clustered together it is called a wind plant, however only a handful of electricity providers use these wind plants to provide power for their customers.

Across the United States, there are 41 states have wind plants which have developed more than 100,000 jobs for American citizens. In fact, a wind turbine technician is one of the fastest growing jobs in America. It’s important to note that the wind industry is still growing and is nowhere near its peak. The most common use of wind turbines that are stand alone is to pump water. However, farmers could also use standalone wind turbines, as well as homeowners. When it comes to wind power, it is cost effective as it only costs “1–2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit” (energy.gov). Lastly, the newly developing wind industry equals annual investments of over 10 billion dollars into the United States economy. This shows the promise and potential that the wind industry, as well as wind energy has.

Works Cited:
https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-wind.html

https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-energy-basics

https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy

 

Solar Energy Increases

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One source of non fossil-fuel based energy that has been increasing in popularity is solar energy. We can use this type of energy to power homes and the electricity in buildings through the use of solar panels. This is a renewable type of energy source that is not harmful to the environment and is sustainable because it can be regenerated on a daily basis. Solar panels have been increasing in popularity due to the decrease in cost. This makes this type of energy more accessible to access in many populations and socioeconomic groups. There are 92.7 billion solar panels globally and 1.47 million solar panels across the United States. The feasibility of using solar energy is increasing more as time goes on and the cost for solar panels decreases. Hopefully the usage of solar energy only continues to increase because it is an easy, renewable source of energy to use that does not put fossil fuels or other harmful substances into the atmosphere.

sources: https://blog.solstice.us/solstice-blog/solar-energy-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20over%201.47%20million,planting%20almost%201.2%20billion%20trees.

https://sunbadger.com/solar-energy-statistics/#:~:text=At%20least92.7%20billion%20solar,average%20U.S.%20residential%20solar%20installation.

 

The Power of Hydro Electricity

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For this blog post, I chose to present information on Hydroelectric Power. It’s one of the oldest forms of renewable energy, which began use in 1950.

Hydroelectric power’s source of power is water and plants are usually located on or near a water source. The volume of the water flow and the change or fall in elevation is often referred to as head. The head from one point to another determines the amount of available energy in moving water. The greater the water flow and the higher the head, the more electricity a hydropower plant can produce.

There are about 1,450 conventional and 40 pumped-storage hydropower plants operating in the United States. The average lifespan of a hydropower facility is 100 years.

In 2021, hydroelectricity accounted for about 6.3% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation and 31.5% of total utility-scale renewable electricity generation.

Hydroelectric energy is sustainable because it relies on and uses the environment, benefits society, and can benefit the economy. It’s an affordable form of renewable energy that is more affordable than other renewable energy sources. Another reason why it’s sustainable is it’s been used for a long time.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/https://

www.energy.gov/eere/water/hydropower-basicshttps://

www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/34916.pdf

 

Vegetable Oil as a Fuel Source for Cars

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Believe it or not, there are ways to run a car on energy sources that are not diesel or petroleum. As fossil fuel emissions have become the object of concern in the past few decades due to due climate change, people have been eager to find energy sources that are more sustainable than basic petroleum. They have recently discovered that it is possible to power a car on vegetable oil, which is a much more sustainable energy source than petroleum. Burning vegetable oil is known to be less toxic, and it “produces up to 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and particulates” (Choosesq.com). While vegetable oil is not a perfect solution to climate change, it makes you wonder what other renewable energy sources are possible. This is why we need to invest more money into innovation and invention, so that the brightest minds in the world can figure out ways to save the planet.

 

Works Cited:

https://choosesq.com/blog/how-to-run-a-car-on-vegetable-oil/#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20to%20run,SeQuential%20for%20your%20biodiesel%20needs.

 

The Importance of Solar Panels

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Solar panels are an extremely effective way to help combat greenhouse gas emissions by taking natural energy from the sun and converting that into electricity. Using solar panels decreases our dependance on fossil fuels, which as we have previously learned in important to reduce for sustainability purposes and the health of the earth. There are at least 92.7 billion solar panels in use throughout the world today. One year of solar power saves 12,500 pounds of carbon emissions, which is very important in the subject of sustainability. With less carbon emissions and using natural energy, there are less fossil fuels and therefore a more healthy planet.

The United States and other European countries, like Spain and Italy, and China are the driving forces in increasing the amount of solar panels used. These countries receive a lot of sunlight making this initiative to use solar panels very effective. It is predicted that the growth rate of solar panels will be 7.8% from 2022 to 2030.  The power generated from solar panels has grown by 23% since 2019, making this energy source account for 3.1% of global electricity. In America specifically, the amount of solar panels installed grew 485% from 2010 to 2013. The amount of solar panels that the U.S. had installed by 2014 was enough energy to power about 2.4 million U.S. households. According to the growth rate, solar panels are increasing around the world and saving this initiative from countries is helping to save energy globally.

 

citations: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/solar-panels-market#:~:text=The%20global%20solar%20PV%20panels%20market%20is%20expected%20to%20grow,USD%20286.64%20billion%20by%202030.

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/solar-power-rise

https://sunbadger.com/solar-energy-statistics/#:~:text=At%20least92.7%20billion%20solar,average%20U.S.%20residential%20solar%20installation.

Solar and Wind Energy Working Together To Make A Difference

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Solar and Wind are both good forms of renewable energy. Very recently, during the first week of this month, photovoltaic energy (a form of Solar Energy) broke records in the Spanish, Italian, and French markets. This energy along with wind energy helped lower the prices of energy in most European Electricity markets.

The first week of April ended with a general increase in solar energy production compared to the previous week. In the Spanish Energy Market, the hourly photovoltaic energy production record was broken on April 7 with 11 313 MWh. On April 10th, the highest production in history was registered in the French market, at 8788 MWh. The Italian market reached the highest production with this technology since July 2014, with 12 310 MWh on the same day April 10th.

The increase in production in the Italian market was 48% and in the French market was 24%, compared to the previous week. In the German market, the increase in solar energy production was 11%.

Solar PV Energy Breaks Records & Together With Wind Energy Lowers European Electricity Markets Prices