Comparison of Energy Resources

IB Syllabus: 3.3.1-3.3.3AP SyllabusCh 15, 16

Video – A Crude Awakening

• http://1bog.org/blog/what-if-solar-power-had-fossil-fuel-like-subsidies-infographic/

• 3.3.1: Outline the range of energy resources available to a society

• 3.3.2: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of two contrasting energy sources

• 3.3.3: Discuss the factors that effect the choice of energy sources adopted by different societies

Vocabulary

• Greenhouse gases

• Renewable natural capital

• Non renewable natural capital

• Pollution

Energy Resources

• Fossil fuels coal, oil, natural gas• Nuclear fission, fusion• Solar passive, active• Hydroelectric• Geothermal• Wind

• The relative use of different forms depends on the particular area, its needs and its own available resources

World

Nuclear power6%

Hydropower, geothermal,solar, wind

7%

NaturalGas12%

Biomass11%

Oil32%

Coal21%

United States

Nuclear power8%

Hydropowergeothermalsolar, wind

4%

Biomass4%

NaturalGas23%

Oil39%

Coal22%

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50

30

20

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1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Year

40

2020

History ProjectionsOil

Natural gas

Coal

Nuclear

Nonhydrorenewable

Renewable hydro

Year

210020251950187518000

20

40

60

80

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(per

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)Wood

Coal

Oil

Nuclear

HydrogenSolar

Natural gas

When will it all run out?

• Future of nonrenewable resources depends on

1. Actual or Potential supply

2. Rate of consumption

• Economic depletion – costs too much to use

• Depletion time – time to use 80% of resource

• Traditional measure of availability is reserve to production ratio – change is based on new sources and new processes

Present Depletiontime A

Depletiontime B

Depletiontime C

Time

Pro

du

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C

B

A

Recycle, reuse, reduceconsumption; increasereserves by improvedmining technology,higher prices, andnew discoveries

Recycle; increase reservesby improved miningtechnology, higher prices,and new discoveries

Mine, use, throw away;no new discoveries;rising prices

DepletionCurves

Economics & Mineral Resources• Resources are unequally distributed on the

earth by geologic processes

• In free market economy high supply should = lower price, while scarcity = increased price

• Theory may no longer apply because of governmental control of resources & prices

• Government Subsidies, Lower taxes, & increased purchasing power all benefit mining companies

Most power generation regardless of the type is based on heating water to createSteam to turn a turbine and run a dynamo to create the electricity

Low land use

Easily transportedwithin and between countries

High netenergy yield

Low cost (withhuge subsidies)

Ample supply for42–93 years

Advantages

Moderate waterpollution

Releases CO2 when burned

Air pollutionwhen burned

Artificially low price encourageswaste and discourages search for alternatives

Need to findsubstitute within50 years

Disadvantages

Efficient distribu-tion system

Oil

Advantages Disadvantages

Moderate existingsupplies

Large potentialsupplies

High costs

Low net energyyield

Large amount ofwater needed toprocess

Severe land disruption fromsurface mining

Water pollution from mining residues

Air pollution when burned

CO2 emissionswhen burned

Easily transportedwithin andbetweencountries

Efficientdistributionsystem in place

Coal

Low risk of accidents because of multiple safety systems (except in 35 poorly designed and run reactors in former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe)

Moderate land use

Moderate landdisruption andwater pollution(without accidents)

Emits 1/6 asmuch CO2 as coal

Lowenvironmentalimpact (withoutaccidents)

Large fuelsupply

Spreads knowledge and technology for building nuclear weapons

No acceptable solution for long-term storage of radioactive wastes and decommissioning worn-out plants

Catastrophic accidents can happen (Chernobyl)

High environmental impact (with major accidents)

Low net energy yield

High cost (even with large subsidies)

Advantages Disadvantages

Nuclear Power

Renewable energy

Advantages Disadvantages

Fairly high netenergy Work on cloudydays Quick installation Easily expandedor moved No CO2 emissions Low environmentalimpact Last 20-40 years Low land use(if on roof or builtinto walls or windows)

Reducedependence on fossil fuels

Need accessto sun Low efficiency Need electricitystorage system or backup

High land use (solar cell power plants) could disrupt desert areas High costs (but should becompetitive in5-15 years) DC current must be converted to AC

Solar Power

Transfer to a Sustainable Energy Future

Improve Energy Efficiency

Increase fuel-efficiencystandards for vehicles,buildings, and appliances

Mandate governmentpurchases of efficient vehicles and other devices

Provide large tax credits for buying efficient cars, houses, and appliances

Offer large tax credits for investments in efficiency

Reward utilities forreducing demand

Encourage independentpower producers

Greatly increase efficiencyresearch and development

More Renewable Energy

Increase renewable energy to 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050

Provide large subsidies and tax credits for renewable energy

Use full-cost accounting and least-cost analysis for com-paring all energy alternatives

Encourage government purchase of renewable energy devices

Greatly increase renewableenergy research and development

Reduce Pollution andHealth Risk

Cut coal use 50% by 2020

Phase out coal subsidies

Levy taxes on coal and oil use

Phase out nuclear power or put it on hold until 2020

Phase out nuclear power subsidies

So why use one type over another

• Iceland uses geothermal energy because of their location and its low environmental impacts

• China, US, Russia use coal because they have a lot of it available and it’s cheap economically

• US dependence on oil is cultural because of our insistence on cars, suburbs, bigger, more, better

• EU more nuclear power use because of environmental benefits and they have the technology to do it

• LDCs use wood, dung other biofuels that are easily collected

• With impending effects of climate change the use of carbon dioxide producing energy sources is being questioned around the world

• Our dependence is deep how will we change something that is so deeply ingrained in our way of life?