Renewables and the environment Friday,1 October2021 1114 AM New economic narrative +The great economic revolutions in history occur when new communication technol with new energy systems ‘+ New energy revolutions make possible more expansive and integrated trade + First two revolutions: © First Industrial Revolution — work force with the communication skills to manage the increased flow of commercial activity made possible by coal and steam power technology ‘© Second Industrial Revolution — in 20th century, centralized electricity communication became the medium to manage a more complex and dispersed oil, auto and suburban era ‘and mass consumer culture [Third industrial revolution ‘+ Internet technology and renewable energies are beginning to merge to create anew infrastructure that will change the way power is distributed in the 21st century + Inthe future, hundreds of millions of people will produce their own renewable energy in theit homes, offices and factories — energy internet — same with how people generate and share information online ‘+ Will create thousands of new businesses and millions of jobs and lay the basis for the sustainable global economy b pillars of TR + Shifting to renewable energy + Transforming the building stock of every continent into micro-power plants to collect renewable energies on site + Deploying hydrogen and other storage technologies in every building and throughout the. infrastructure to store intermittent energies + Using internet technology to transform the power grid of every continent into an energy internet that acts just like the internet ‘+ Transitioning the transport fleet to electric plug-in and fuel cell vehicles that can buy and sell green electricity on a smart, continental, interactive power grid Renewable energy + Uses energy sources that are continually replenished by nature- the sun, wind, water, the Earth’s heat and plants + Technology turn these fuels into usable forms of energy -_most often electricity ‘+ Often call as clean and green because it produces few if any pollutants hy use renewables? ‘+ At present, the predominantly use of fossil fuels to heat and power homes and fuel the cars — havea limited supply and even there is an unlimited supply of FF, using renewables is better for the environment Helps to develop energy independence and security Plentiful and the technologies are improving all the time Hydropower — the most mature and largest source of renewable power and producing about 10% of nation’s technology ‘© Uses adam on a river to retain a large reservoir of water— released through turbines to generate power © Produceno air emissions but can affect water quality and wildlife habitats + Bioenergy — derived from biomass (organic matter) such as plants (i.e. burned wood to produceheat) ‘© Don't get all the biomass energy from trees or plants ~ many industries can create large ‘quantities of unused or residual biomass = Biopower (gas) * Biofuels (liquid) + Geothermal (underground steam or hot water from wells) + Solar Energy - tap directly into the infinite power of the sun and use that energy to produce heat, light and power ‘+ Wind Energy — people have used windmills to harness the wind's energy. ‘© At present, wind turbines operate differently and much more efficient technology © The fastest growing source of energy since 1990 ‘+ Hydrogen — high in energy, yet its use as a fuel produces water as the only emission ‘+ Ocean Energy — produce 2 types of energy © Thermal —sun’s heat ‘© Mechanical — tides and waves © It can be used for electricity generation |Advantages and disadvantages of Renewables