Energy

Energy use is directly correlated to economic growth.    As the global economy has expanded, so, too, has global energy use.   Out of global energy consumption of 474 exajoules, approximately 85% was from the burning of nonrenewable fossil fuels.  Stated differently, this is equivalent to 15 terawatts.  (By comparison, a large nuclear plant generates 1 Gigawatt of electricity per year, and there are 1,000 Gigawatts in a terawatt.)

On average, a European uses 125 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per day per capita.  In America, the total is about 250 KWh.  By comparison One kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the energy used by leaving a 40-watt bulb on for 24 hours. To supply the average American with enough energy per day, would require 480 square meters of solar panels, or  3.5 billion acres.

To supply the average American with enough energy from wind power would require wind farms with a total area roughly of six Californias, or a 1,200-fold increase in US wind power capacity.

Nuclear could be an option.  With current nuclear fission technology, the US would require over 3,000 one-gigawatt nuclear power stations.  (Currently there are only

The scope and challenges are immense.  So is the opportunity.

But why the need for change?

The main issue with non-renewables (aside from nuclear) are CO2 emissions, which for 2005 is 47 billion tonnes/year. Since 1990, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use and cement production increased by about 34% (Dutch Ministry of the Environment). and that figure has been increasing on average 2% a year since 2000, and is forecast by t he US Government to increase 1.4% annually till 2030.

This is driving a business imperative to look at zero emission energy or low-carbon energy.  These technologies are called renewable as the source of the energy is for all intense purposes non-finite, and can be renewed.  For the purposes of this website, nuclear fission will also be considered a ‘green’ technology. 

Following are renewable technologies that this site will cover:

Wind Power
Solar Power
Hydropower
Biofuel
Nuclear
Solar Thermal 
Solar Photovoltaic 
Geothermal

For additional information on CO2 emissions and Energy Consumption:
http://datafinder.worldbank.org/co2-emissions 
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=environment_outlook_for_emissions 
http://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/2008/GlobalCO2emissionsthrough2007.html 
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/renewable_energy.cfm

Tier 3 Pages
Wind power is growing at the rate of 30% annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of 121,000 megawatts (MW) in 2008,[2] and is widely used in European countries and the United States.[3]

Solar Thermal

Solar Photovoltaic

Hydropower

Biofuel

“ The most radical thinking in the field of renewable energy is going to be in biofuels. It is in this area that the most unexpected breakthroughs are likely to come.”
Steven Koonin, BP’s Chief Scientist in The Economist
In excess of 99.9% of the global transportation fuels are derived from traditional non-renewable hydrocarbons.  In many countries, including the US and Canada, there recently have been legislated requirements, for the use of biofuels.  
The two most common of them are ethanol and biodiesel.  In summary the benefits and disadvantages of these two biofuels are as follows:
Ethanol
Benefit

  • Can be efficiently produced
  • Can be combined with regular gasoline, as long as the ethanol content is low

Downsides:

  • Often uses food feedstock due to need for sugars
  • More expensive using cellulosic feedstock
  • Requires engine upgrades for high Ethanol content, such as E-85
  • Negative impact on engines
  • Lower energy density (67% of gasoline)
  • Only 1,900 gasoline stations in the US and 3 in Canada sell E-85 gasoline

Biodiesel 
Benefits
Can be used by unmodified diesel engines

  • Downsides
  • Expensive to produce
  • Limited feedstock options
  • Lower energy density than regular diesel
  • May require engine upgrades

Green Fuel 
New technologies are being developed, including genetically modified organisms, and Pyrolysis oil, the most promising of which is Pyrolysis.  This process has been around for many years, initially as the Fischer-Tropsch process, most notably used by Sasol in South Africa.  Fischer-Tropsch is a catalyzed reaction that can use a diverse source of feedstock, such as coal, natural gas, and biomass.  Unfortunately, is most efficient in scale, requiring huge capital costs, along with high operation and maintenance costs.  As well, it is very energy intensive to run this reaction.
Newer generation technologies are emerging over the course of the year that could fundamentally change the economic attractiveness of Green Fuel, with the following potential benefits:

  • Fuel is standard diesel and gasoline fuels
  • No further refinement required
  • No engine modifications required
  • Flexible biomass options, no need for food feedstocks
  • Potential to use sewage waste stream, redirecting municipal waste from river systems
  • Very fast and efficient process

SustainableKapital is currently following several private companies who are currently building prototype plants, and will develop detailed reports once the technology is proven.

Geothermal Energy

Sources
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/03/nicholas-stern-copenhagen-pledges

Focus on 4 Key areas:

• Materials
• Energy

  • C02 Mitigation and Storage
  • Agriculture & Aquaculture