ES196 Final Exam Energy: conventional & Alternative

What is the consumption of energy world wide by fossil fuels?

84% are fossil fuels, (33% oil, 27% coal, 24% Nat Gas)

What is the consumption of energy world wide by Alternative Sources?

16% are alternative Energies, (6% Hydro, 4% Nuclear, other is 5-6%)

What is the energy climate in the global south?

Biomass is the primary fuel source and accounts for 90% of residential energy use.

What is the energy climate in the global north?

There is a greater use of nuclear. The top 20 countries consume 80% of the natural gas, 65% of the oil, and 50% of coal in the world.

What are fossil fuels?

a natural carbon based fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Why are fossil fuels so dominant

There is already an existing instructor for it, who doesn't support new ones, as well as government-funded subsidies!

What are the impacts of Coal?

Mining processes such as mountain top removal produce the most toxic waste in US along with habitat degradation and work safety issues.

What are the 2 types of coal?

Bituminous, "soft coal", and Anthracic "hard coal"

What are impacts of burning coal?

Its inefficient with 2/3 lost in thermal conversion, along with 10% lost in transport! It also causes half of the CO2 release in the us, 3/4th of the SO2 and Nox, & PM pollution

Oil as a fuel

Reservoirs keep growing, if continued use at current rates, we will run out in 40 - 60 years. Its mainly used in transport and heating.

What are some negatives of oil?

Combustion releases 1/4~ 2/3 of Nox and CO.

What are some types of oil?

Shale oil: comes from fracking.

Oil shale: little bits of rocks that arent oil, but can be made into it.

Tar sands: oil full of dirt and sand.

Extreme oil: very deep sea oil.

What is natural gas, its benefits and costs

Comes from fracking, its a gas so its hard to store and transport, but it has a cleaner burning compared to other fuels, but it releases 1/4 methane, and 1/2 of the co2 compared to coal.

Why transition to renewables?

Economic benefits (Getting rid of 5.2 tril in subsidies for fossil), inefficiencies in combustion (2/3 energy loss) and environmental and public health!

What are energy alternatives, and types?

Zero emissions, efficient, and renewable sources, nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, biomass, others

What is nuclear?

It's 8.5% of US power, releases no GHG, but the uranium can be hazardous to mine. Also, the low and high level waste it produces, as well as accidents, spills, and such! (Fukushima/Chernobyl)

What are some new things in nuclear?

60 new plants (20 in china) are being made! the US is once again making new plants to produce energy.

What is hydro?

Approx 25% of world power, and 3% in US. (norway 99%, BR, NZ, Swiss 97%) Some challenges it has are the costs of dams on environment and society.

What is energy conservation?

finding ways to use less energy or to use energy more efficiently (green buildings, cogeneration plants that make heat and electricity)

How does energy conservation apply to transport?

Cars with better Miles per Gallon, or using hybrid cars, as well and exhaust capture.

What is solar?

The amount of sun reaching the earth is 10,000x the amount of all energy used now! We can use solar actively (heat pumps. electricity etc.) and passively (using it as heat like green houses)

What is the cost of solar?

4-5 cents per KWH, while coal and gas is 6.6 - 6.1 cents. However, it only works in sunny places and times/seasons.

What is wind?

Abundant and nonpolluting renewable. There is a potential of 20 mil MW's. It has a small env impact since u can use the land around them! 1.4 cent KWH

What are fuel cells?

Combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to produce electricity and water vapor. Zero emissions, however, they still need hydrogen to run which is currently made with fossil fuels.

What is Biomass?

fuel using stuff like wood and manure! (biogas/biodiesel)

Other renewables?

Geothermal, ocean, tides, and waves