Energy Production Mr. Hanz SPH 3U1 November 25, 2009

Energy ProductionEnergy Production

Mr. Hanz

SPH 3U1

November 25, 2009

Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels

- Oil

- Gasoline

- Natural Gas

- Coal

CoalCoal

What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?

CoalCoalPros

◦Large domestic reserves

◦Extremely cheap (initial cost)

◦Can ramp up energy production quickly to meet peak demand

CoalCoal

Cons

◦Extremely dirty

◦Large emitter of CO2 and

NOx emissions

◦Environmentally damaging Acid rain

Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy ProductionProduction

How exactly do we produce energy from coal (and fossil fuels in general)?

Oil and GasOil and Gas

Oil and GasOil and GasPros

◦Cleaner than coal

◦Affordable for the time being

◦Infrastructure already in place

Oil and GasOil and GasCons

◦Oil and Gasoline are largely imported Socio-Political Consequences (terrorism, etc)

◦Prices fluctuate greatly

◦Large contributors of greenhouse emissions

◦Production reaching a peak?

Peak Oil?Peak Oil?

For any geographic region, oil production will follow a bell-shaped curve- M.K Hubbert

HydroelectricHydroelectric

HydroelectricHydroelectricRenewable energy source

Produces no greenhouse gas emissions

Canada has vast, untapped hydroelectric resources

How Hydroelectricity works

HydroelectricHydroelectric

In most cases, must flood large swaths of land, destroying ecosystems and displacing large amounts of people

Three Gorges Dam – P.R Three Gorges Dam – P.R ChinaChina$39 Billion U.S (180 billion yuan)

2.35km wide!

22,500 MW Energy Production

1.2 million people displaced - 10x the population of Kingston

Nuclear PowerNuclear Power

Nuclear PowerNuclear Power

Utilizes uranium as a fuel source

◦Can be either enriched or un-enriched, depending on reactor type

◦ Canada, along with Australia have the largest reserves of uranium in the world!

◦Three Nuclear generating stations in Ontario alone – Bruce, Pickering and Darlington

How does it work?How does it work?Fission

◦Controlled chain reaction involving collision between a neutron and uranium atom (Link)

Nuclear Power in OntarioNuclear Power in Ontario

Issues?Issues?Uranium is non-renewable

(especially without reprocessing)

Spent Fuel Storage◦Some fission byproducts are highly

radioactive for thousands of years

Accidents ◦Radioactive contamination◦Meltdown

Past AccidentsPast AccidentsThree Mile Island (Pennsylvania,

1979)

Chernobyl (Ukrainian SSR, USSR, 1986)

RenewablesRenewables

RenewablesRenewablesWind

Solar

Geothermal

Tidal

WindWind

Resource intensive – iron and other raw materials

Intermittent energy production – require a storage medium

SolarSolar

Sun radiates 10,000x more energy onto the earth than we use every day

The most common cost effective cells are only 8% efficient, however this is improving with every year

Size of Cells and thus amount of material used in their production and their cost is also decreasing with every year

GeothermalGeothermal

Obtains heat from the EarthHeat used to generate

electricityOr used directly to heat houses

BiofuelBiofuel

◦ 1st Generation From food sources: vegetable oil, sugar cane, corn

(ethanol) Energy vs. Food

Ethanol – EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) = ~1.34 (34%)

◦ 2nd Generation Cellulose – byproduct of agricultural production:

switch grass, plant stock (LINK)

The Future?The Future?

Tidal

Hydrogen

Fusion

Global Energy Consumption Global Energy Consumption TrendsTrends

Energy Consumption Per Energy Consumption Per CapitaCapita

Why do you think Canada’s energy consumption per capita is so high,even when compared to other western nations (Germany, France, etc)?

Do you find any of these values/figures unexpected?