Energy Sources

Claudia S - convener/presenter
Audrey L - recorder
Sean S - recorder
Anna M - convener/recorder
Jackson H - recorder
Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric - Anna
Energy Source Percent of energy Percent of energy Percent of energy
in NC* in US in world**

Wind 0.1% 2% 4.0%

Solar 1.3% 0.6% 1.0%

Hydroelectric 1.6% 2.5% 16.4%

* https://www.eia.gov/state/seds/data.php?incfile=/state/seds/sep_sum/html/sum_btu_totcb.html&sid=US&sid=NC
** https://www.worldenergy.org/data/resources/resource/wind/
 Wind
Pros Cons How It Works:

+No carbon -Limited ability to store power Wind power turns the shaft on the inside of a
emissions turbine. Then, this shaft rotates a rotor that
-Wind turbines kill birds and bats
+Renewable
has oppositely charged ends and is
-Wind turbines mess up “the view” surrounded by copper wire loops. Through
electromagnetic induction, electricity is
-Intermittent source generated. *

Efficiency:

Example of wind farm Countries are looking to lengthen wind

in Oklahoma.
turbine blades from the current 80m to 100m,
Photo from Enid News and Eagle as longer blades equal higher power
production rates. To do so, researchers are
looking for ways to reduce blade weight. **
* http://goldpower.net/news/how-does-a-wind-turbine-generate-electricity/
** http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/42937/materials-innovations-for-more-efficient-wind-turbines/
 Solar
Pros Cons How It Works:

+No carbon emissions -Limited ability to store Solar cells are designed with both a negatively
power and a positively charged side. Photons hit
+Renewable
-Expensive
these cells and knock electrons free from
atoms. These electrons are then sent along
-Dependent on sun’s wires as electricity. *
presence
Efficiency:

Example of conical Conical solar panels allow for direct sunlight

solar panel. throughout the day. A built-in lens improves
Photo from V3
efficiency, but it also increases heat. If solar
panels spin throughout the day, this heat will
be avoided, but efficiency will be maintained.*
* https://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html
Hydroelectric
How It Works:
Pros Cons
This picture demonstrates how
+No carbon emissions -Can be limited by
droughts water power spins a turbine
+Renewable connected to a generator, which
-Can damage then distributes electricity.
+Dams help manage flooding ecosystems
Efficiency:
+Produces energy throughout -Limited sites available
entire day Photo from Alternative Energy Tutorials

Using excess energy, pump water

uphill during the night then let the
water run back down through
Example of turbines during the day. This
hydroelectric dam.
method creates something of a big
Photo from EnergyFive battery through hydroelectricity.
Looking Forward with Renewables
Wind

Sun powers wind power, as the sun creates uneven temperature zones, which prompts convection
in the form of wind. Like regular solar power, it is likely that wind will continue to occur. In the next
50 years, American wind power use is expected to increase by at least a third of what it is now.

Solar

It is expected that by 2040 at least 10% of global electricity will come from solar power. It is
expected that there will be a somewhat endless supply of sunlight in the next 50 years.

Hydroelectric

As much of it has already been tapped, it is unlikely that the amount of hydroelectric power will
increase in the future; current hydroelectric power levels will stay where they are today. Some small
and medium waters could still be tapped, but there are few large scale possibilities remaining.
Oil and Gas - Claudia
Consumption

U.S. receives roughly 36% of its energy from petroleum and 29% from
natural gas (est. 2015)

North Carolina consumes 2.3% of the United States’ total petroleum

share and 1.9% of natural gas (est. 2016)

Total world consumption of petroleum in 2015 was about 93 million

b/d while 22% of energy consumption worldwide came from natural
gas in 2018.
Energy Generation for Oil (Electricity)
Conventional steam: Oil is burned to heat water
to create steam to generate electricity

Combustion turbine: Oil is burned under

pressure to produce hot exhaust gases which
spin a turbine to generate electricity

Combined-cycle technology: Oil is first

combusted in a combustion turbine, using the
heated exhaust gases to generate electricity;
after these exhaust gases are recovered, they
heat water in a boiler, creating steam to drive a
second turbine
Energy Generation for Natural Gas (Electricity)
Steam Generation: Natural gas is burned in a boiler
to heat water and produce steam that then turns a
turbine to generate electricity

Gas Turbines/Combustion Engines: Hot gases from

burning natural gas are used to turn the turbine
and generate electricity

Hydraulic Fracturing/Fracking: Creates fractures in

shale formations to release natural gas; a
fracturing fluid is pumped under high pressure
into the drilling pipe to widen fractures in the rock
or to create new ones
Future Outlook on Oil and Gas
Future Supply Estimates

The global supply of crude oil is expected to be adequate to meet the world's demand for liquid fuels through 2050
(U.S. Energy Information Administration).

“Natural gas is poised to become an even more predominant fuel in the 21st century because the global economy is
expanding and energy is a key driver in this economic success story. More and more of that energy is slated to come
from natural gas, because it is a low-emissions and versatile fuel capable of not only powering homes, but also
utilities and transportation in the form of liquefied natural gas or compressed natural gas” (Exxonmobil).

Future/Current Methods for Efficiency

Modern methods such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling increase access to the edges of oil reservoirs
and achieve higher recovery with fewer wells.

“By increasing recovery, gas production can be maintained with fewer land-use impacts” (Mark Zoback).
Pros/Cons for Oil and Natural Gas
Pros, Oil: Cons, Oil:

- Reliable and inexpensive (for now) - Finite resource

- Offers high-density energy - Oil spills cause pollution and destruction
- Provides jobs and encourages - Can cause health hazards when
economies consumed at high levels

Pros, Gas: Cons, Gas:

- Abundant - Powerful greenhouse gas

- Relatively clean fossil fuel - Nonrenewable resource
- Relatively inexpensive - Fracking can cause regional earthquakes
- Large industry among other environmental concerns
Nuclear - Sean
Pros
- Relatively Low Cost
- Enough Uranium for the next
80 years
- Use of Thorium
- Low Pollution
Cons
- Potential for accidents
- Chernobyl
- Fukushima
- Three-Mile Island
- Radioactive Waste
Nuclear Energy Usage
● In North Carolina, nuclear
energy accounts for nearly 32%
of all electricity generated in the
state.
● In the United States, nuclear
energy accounts for
approximately 20% of all
electricity produced.
● In the entire world, about 11% of
electricity is generated by about
450 nuclear reactors.
How energy is generated:
Nuclear energy originates from
the splitting of uranium atoms –
a process called fission. This
generates heat to produce
steam, which is used by a
turbine generator to generate
electricity.
https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/docu
ments/nuclear_power/nuclear-power-safety-in-north-
carolina.pdf
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-
nuclear-energy.php
https://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-
sources/nuclear
Future Methods for Efficiency
Upgrade current reactors

Complete unfinished reactors

Use in moderation with wind and solar energy

- Lower energy production when adequate wind and solar resources are
high
- Increase energy production when resources are low
Coal - Audrey
Usage
U.S -30% of total energy source
North Carolina- Coal: 21,500 MSTN (2% total U.S.)
Worldwide- In 2014, the share of world energy consumption of coal was at 40.8%,
Future supply estimates
By 2025, worldwide coal use increases by approximately 60 percent over 2002 levels in the reference case
and by nearly 80 percent in the high economic growth scenario.
Con.
Pro.
Non-renewable resource Relatively cheap
Produces lots of CO2 Widely available
Can cause damage to the lungs Infrastructure already in place
Easily converted
And worker accidents
Generation and Efficiency
Generation

Thermal coal is burned and the resulting heat is used to turn water into steam. The steam then turns
a turbine connected to an electrical generator.

Efficiency

● Supercritical steam cycle technology allows operation at higher temperatures. This could
increase efficiency by 50%.
● Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) allows coal to be converted to a gas called
syngas and “purified” before being used to generate electricity. It’s goal is to reduce C02
emissions (-2%)
Biofuels and other novel sources - Jackson
Energy Source North Carolina United States Worldwide

Biofuels/Biomass 2% 4.78 % 9%

Geothermal 0% 0.4 % 0.3 %

http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/interactive/our-energy-system/
https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=NC
https://energync.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NCs_Geothermal_Industry.pdf
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=geothermal_use
https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy/renewable-energy/geothermal-power.html
Biofuels
How it works

Natural oils are extracted from plant

residue. These oils are split through
transesterification, which creates
methyl esters, raw biodiesel, that can
be refined. Ideally, carbon emissions
would be offset from carbon
sequestration in growing plants. https://newatlas.com/sugarcane-oil/48851/
Biofuels
Pros
● Transition liquid fuel
Future Uses ● Utilizes crop residue and
waste
● Creates transition liquid fuel for our ● In countries like Brazil with
infrastructure for following decades as large sugarcane production,
can be cheaper than gasoline.
our energy infrastructure shifts.
● Cellulosic ethanol uses woods chips,
Cons
grasses, and forest residue making it ● Not cost efficient in current
potentially more efficient and less costly form
● Subsidies required
than current biofuels.
● Optimal 1:1 Carbon Ratio is
● 3rd and 4th generation biofuels use less difficult to reach
expensive crops or potentially microalgae. ● Massive land requirements
Geothermal - Jackson
Dry Steam- Production wells draw up water vapor,
which drives turbine, creating kinetic energy.

Flash Steam- Wells bring up hot, pressurized

water, which is “flashed” by lowering pressure,
converts to water vapor, driving turbine.

Binary Cycle- Lower temperature water is drawn

up, transfer thermal energy through heat
exchanger with lower boiling point liquid, which is
heated to gaseous form, driving turbine
Example of Binary Cycle process.
http://energyinformative.org/how-a-geothermal-
power-plant-generates-electricity/
Geothermal
Future Uses

● The first 10,000 meters of Earth’s surface

contains 50,000x the energy of all oil and
natural gas in the world,
● However, most of the sources are located so
far underground that to reach them would
be inefficient and too costly.
● Repurposing old wells for Geothermal vents.
● Estimated to make up 4% of world’s energy
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=3970
usage in the future.
\https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energ
y/future-geothermal-energy.htm
Geothermal
Pros

● Efficient in areas of high geothermal activities.

● Reduced emissions of greenhouse gasses.
● Can be used for heating systems

Cons

● High initial upfront cost.

● Not efficient everywhere http://energyinformative.org/how-a-geothermal-power-plant-
generates-electricity/

● Some potential for seismic activity, but risk is http://geo-energy.org/geo_basics_environment.aspx

minimal.