tinyurl.

com/pjqrdeq
Energy

How does it work?

Pros

Cons

Solar power cells convert

sunlight into electricity, using
the energy of speeding
photons to create an
electrical current within a
solar panel. The silicon
atoms in the solar panel/solar
cell have their electrons
excited which creates the
electrical current. Photons
are created in the center of
the sun by the fusion of

-light from the sun is

very abundant and
otherwise wasted
-relatively
inexpensive to run
-do not need to
connect to a system
-low carbon
emissions
-doesnt pollute,
except for
construction of the
panels
-doesnt take up too
much space, can be
attached to houses
or roads (solar
roadways)
-very little
maintenance
-inexhaustible/
sustainable
http://didyouknowblo
g.com/post/4165492
3144/a-solar-panel-fi
eld-of-the-size-of-au
stria-in-the

Initial Price: Solar

panels are expensive
to make.

Pollution: The
materials its made of,
Silicon, mercury, lead
and cadmium, are
toxic and can cause
pollution. Creation of
the cells used to make
the panels may also
decrease their
efficiency.
Efficiency: Panels
only capture on
average 40% of the
suns energy. Some
high efficiency can
capture up to 80%, but
they are very
expensive.
Reliability: They only
work during the day.
Area: Require a large
amount of area to
generate sufficient
energy for a large
business or a city.

Source
Solar
Power

atoms.

Wind
Power

Simply started, a wind turbine

works the opposite of a fan.
Instead of using electricity to
make wind power, like a fan,
wind turbines use wind to
make electricity. The wind
turns the blade, which spin a
shaft, which connects to a
generator and makes
electricity.

Hydro
Power

Hydro Power(water power) is

used primarily to generate
electricity
Power derived from the
energy of falling and running
water, which may be
harnessed for useful
purposes
Ex: Dams
The water in the dam goes
through the penstock into the
turbine making the generator
turn and create energy

-renewable
-derived from the
sun, which isnt about
to get up and leave
-clean &
nonpolluting, aside
from the creation of
the devices
-takes up a very
small space on the
ground
-can be taken from
the middle of the
ocean, where there
is so much wind. too
much wind.
-

Noise: Wind power is

noisy.
Wildlife: Wind
turbines can affect
wildlife, especially
birds who are often
killed, and
underground habitats
are also often
affected.
Reliability: Wind is
unpredictable. Large
amounts of wind are
needed to make it
worth it.
Aesthetics: Wind
turbines often disturb
the look of a
landscape.

-Clean fuel source

-Wont pollute the
environment
-Renewable
power/energy source
-Reliable and stable
source of energy
-Low maintenance
costs
-No waste disposal

-extremely expensive
to build -must be built
to a very high
standard
-The flooding of large
areas of land means
that the natural
environment is
destroyed
-can be impacted by
drought. When water
is not available, the
hydroplants cant
produce electricity
-hydropower can
impact water quality
and flow
-disrupts salmon
spawning

http://www.duke-energ
y.com/about-energy/g

enerating-electricity/pu
mped-storage-how.as
p
Biomass/
Biofuel

Biomass and biofuels come

directly from living
organisms. In other words, it
is a completely natural
source of energy. Biomass
and biofuel dont necessarily
need to be from animals. It
can also be a plant. Any
living organism works. When
biofuel is ignited, it is
transferred into energy, that
can be used to boil water.
The steam can then power a
turbine that powers a
generator that creates
electricity.

-It is a 100% natural

way to produce
energy.
-Not very expensive
Renewable
short cycle of
Carbon dioxide

-It produces harmful

pollutants.
-Limited
- reduces farmland
available for food.

Geother
mal

Heat from the core of the

Earth heats the mantle. Hot
water is pumped from deep
underground through a well
under high pressure. When
the water reaches the
surface, the pressure is
dropped, which causes the
water to turn into steam. This
spins a turbine, which is
connected to a generator that
produces electricity.The
steam cools off in a cooling
tower and condenses back
into water. The cooled water
is pumped back into the earth
to begin the process

Clean and
sustainable. There is
no fuel used, this
can built
underground so it
takes very little
space. It has a
virtually limitless
supply. No mining or
transportation
required. Smallest
land footprint of any
major power source.
Works great near
plate boundaries and
hot spots.

In extreme cases, the

geothermal power
plant can cause
earthquakes. It is also
expensive. The prime
locations are very
specific and far away
from population
centers. It also
requires the use of
water.

Oil and
Petroleu
m

Crude oil is found in many

places. These places are
mostly foreign countries, but
also include Texas, the

Technologies used
for extracting oil are
already well
developed.

Burning of fossil fuels

releases carbon
dioxide, nitrogen
monoxide, nitrogen

Natural
Gas

Dakotas, California, or
Alaska. Then it is shipped to
refineries, then refined.
Refineries do three things:
separation, conversion, and
treatment. Separation occurs
in the distillation units, where
the heavier liquids sink to the
bottom and the lighter gases
float to the top. In the
conversion phase, heat and
pressure crack heavy
hydrogen molecules into
lighter ones. Treatment is the
final stage. In it, final touches
are made and octane levels
are adjusted. Once
petroleum fuel has been
refined, it is burned to create
steam that goes to a turbine,
which sends rotational
energy into a generator,
which creates electricity.

Petroleum has broad

use.
Its cheap.
Burning one
kilogram of oil can
generate 10,000
kcal.
Easy to transport
because of its liquid
form.

dioxide, sulphur
dioxide, carbon
monoxide, and more,
that have terrible
consequences on
habitats and human
health.
-Non-renewable.
Major pollution.
- Expensive.
- Impacts on aquatic
life by oil spills into the
ocean.
-Need huge amounts
of space. Lots of
mining is needed,
which creates a health
hazard to the workers.

Uses: Often used for

heating, cooking, and energy
generating. Also used as fuel
for vehicles.
Formed: It is a product of
decomposed organic matter
(Biomass). The material
gets covered and sealed off
in an oxygen-free
environment. As the heat a
pressure increases on the
organic material, it goes for
health through a thermal
breakdown (Burning). This
process converts the organic
material to hydrocarbons.
Natural gas is composed
mostly of of methane, the

It is Readily
available domestic
source of energy.
(was 30% of U.S.
energy mix in 2012)

Relatively cheap

-Destroys the
ecosystem
-Can not rely on its
limited source
- fracking - hydraulic
fracturing

simplest and lightest

hydrocarbon.
Obtaining: Deposits of
natural gas can be found
using seismic testing
methods. Once a site is
found, vertical wells are
drilled to reach the gas under
the layers of overhead.
Natural buoyancy brings the
gas to the surface.
Turning Natural Gas into
energy:
We use natural gas to power
energy producing turbines.
The gas is lit on fire in a
boiler to heat water. The
steam pushes the turbine,
which is attached to a
generator, so as the turbine
spins it creates mechanical
energy that the generator
converts into electricity.
Coal

Coal is formed from

decomposing organic
material formed under
extreme heat and pressure.
Coal is generally a solid fuel
that is used to generate
electricity by combustion.
When using coal to generate
electricity it is usually
pulverized and placed in a
furnace with a boiler. The
coal then boils water and
generates steam. The steam
then turns a turbine, the
turbine powers a generator
which creates electricity.
Modern day coal-fire
powered power stations have

-cheap and plentiful

-located close to
surface and cover
large areas
-inexpensive mining
techniques
-easily converted to
energy

-speeds up global
warming
-non-renewable
-polluting chemicals
that are dangerous for
health
-damaging to
surrounding natural
habitats
-transportation can be
costly

picture found:

about a 43% thermal

efficiency. This diagram of a
coal power plant was found
at:
http://www.learneasy.info/MD
ME/iTester/tests/10906_Heat
_Engines/images/generating
_electricity_files/boiler.gif

Nuclear
Power

-Energy released from atoms

from a process in which the
nucleus of an atom splits into
smaller parts(Lighter nuclei)
-works through nuclear
fission.
-process produces free
neutrons and photons, which
releases a large amount of
energy
-A neutron is absorbed by a
uranium nucleus, turning it
briefly into an excited
uranium nucleus, with the
excitation energy provided by
the kinetic energy of the
neutron plus the forces that
bind the neutron. The
uranium, in turn, splits into
fast-moving lighter elements.
The heat from this process
boils water creating steam
which powers a turbine
attached to a generator.

-relatively low cost to

produce energy
-low pollution
-fuel not limited to
just Uranium;
Thorium can also be
used
-ten million times
greater than the
energy released
when burning fossil
fuels
-Reliable, powerful,
and efficient
-Only small amounts
of Uranium are
needed to produce a
large amount of
energy
-Produces about 502
MW, or
1807200000000000
0 joules in a 24 hour
period

-Heat waves,
freshwater shortages
and droughts can
affect cooling of
reactors, forcing them
to be shut down
-Cant get rid of waste
-Nuclear plant
accidents can be
disastrous
-Radioactive waste is
produced

Why build a house without electricity?

How much energy do humans use? In what forms?
528.797 quadrillion BTU, British Thermal Unit (for comparison, it takes 1000 BTU to heat a
10x10x10 ft room 5 degrees Fahrenheit) AKA 557,880,830,000,000,000,000 Joules/ year


Humans produce more energy than we use
- We produce 530.683 quadrillion BTU per year
- We consume 528.797 quadrillion BTU per year

Types of energy the US uses

-Coal 42%
-Natural Gas 25%
-Nuclear 19%
-Hydro 8%
-Oil Petroleum 1%
-Renewable 5%

Cost/Economics
BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Shell made $93 billion combined profit 2013
Average household in US pays $110.55 and consumes 955 kilowatt hours monthly (US
Energy Information Administration), being charged 11.8 cents per kilowatt hours. With that
average, US households pay $1326.60 for electricity per year.

Costs
-

Coal $46.70 per ton

Oil Petroleum $73.29 per barrel

Nuclear power plant was 1.51 cents/kWh in 2013

Hydro power costs about 0.7 cents/kWh


http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Economic-Aspects/Energy-Securit
y/

Climate change - how does it happen? (greenhouse effect, carbon

cycle, use of suns energy):

(For some reason, the pictures here arent working. To see them, as well as the whole How
does climate change happen section spam and lag-free, view the separate doc at
https://docs.google.com/a/students.nusd.org/document/d/15hvTbExVFt9XrdFsee-6dY1LK9q1
ebySE2W3riJ2cjk/edit. Thanks.)

Greenhouse effect-
The process of when thermal radiation is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases is
known as the greenhouse effect. Life as we know it is only possible because of Earths natural
greenhouse effect.

-20% of light from the sun is distributed and reflected by clouds

-51% of the suns light is absorbed by earth
-4% is reflected by the Earths surface
-6% is scattered from atmosphere
-19% is absorbed by atmosphere and clouds


https://www.koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/earth-lab/processes#.VO-RS
033-iw
When sunlight hits the Earths surface, some of it get reflected and some of it turns into heat.
Carbon and other atmospheric gases trap the heat, keeping the Earth warm. The greenhouse
effect caused by increased carbon and other contaminants in the atmosphere has been
keeping more and more heat in our atmosphere, changing the planets temperature
drastically. According to climate.nasa.gov, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are at an
all time high, and 97% of scientists agree that this dramatic change is caused by human
actions.

http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Gases that create the greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor
(H2O), Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Carbon Cycle-
Its a biogeochemical cycle where carbon is exchanged throughout the biosphere,
pedosphere (the outermost layer of the Earth), geosphere,
All living this are made of carbon. Carbon attaches with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. Plants
use both sunlight and carbon dioxide to feed themselves and grow. When plants eventually
die, and get buried they turn into fossil fuels (such as coal or oil millions of years). Humans
then burn the coal, and the carbon returns into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Since
humans have burned so much fuel over the years, there is 30% more carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere compared to 150 years ago.


http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html

-Climate Change - Consequences - what could happen as a result of the changing climate?
-Polar ice caps melt
-Many northern species of animals become at risk of extinction
-Sea levels rise
-Heavy rain and extreme weather events become more common
-flooding and erosion begin to have more effect on land
-decreasing water quality
-decreasing abundance of water in some places, and more abundance in others

-increase in insect outbreaks

-increase in forest fires
increase in heat related sickness and disease
size of major river deltas increases at a very vast rate

Climate Change - Consequences - what could happen as a result of

the changing climate?
Decreasing availability of water resources in some regions
Increase of temp of around 1 degree C in the last 150 years
More intense heat waves
frequent wildfires, longer periods of drought in some regions and an increase
in the number, duration and intensity of tropical storms

Wildlife
plants and animal species struggling to cope
terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species have moved to new locations
some species will be at increased risk of extinction if global average
temperatures continue to rise
Consequences for Human Health
there has been an increase in the number of heat-related deaths
there has been a decrease in cold-related deaths in other regions
High Cost
destruction, forced relocations, droughts, and extinctions add up costs in the
global economy
by 2030, climate change costs are projected to cost the global economy $700
billion annually
Forced Relocation
in 2008, 36 million people were displaced by natural disasters
at least 20 million of those people were driven away from their homes
by disasters related to climate change, like drought and rising sea level

 Southern Hemisphere
most affected
not only states, but cultures and identities will be drowned
200 million people by 2050 could be forced to leave due to
environmental changes

Increasing water levels
floods and decreasing water availability
result of ice caps melting
ocean water expands with heat

Climate Change- Consequences on Regions of US

North East- Heat waves, intense rain, rise of sea level

North West- Rise of sea level, erosion, increase in ocean acidity levels, wildfires, insect
outbreaks competing water demands

South East- Rise in sea level, continuous rise in threats to economy and environment, health
problems due to extreme heat, large decrease in water resources affecting economy and
agriculture

South West- Heat, drought, and insect swarms, increased wildfires, declining water, less

agricultural potential, health changes from heat, and flooding and erosion on the
coastlines (think sea arches, but much, much more significant)

Californias annual temperature is projected

to increase up to 8 degrees within the next
century.

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article6272752.ece/alternates/w620/Pg-24-graphic-c
limate.jpg

http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/538f14e8eab8ea5259b5dd7e-960/sdfvs

Geothermal