Energy Source Comparison Sama Bilbao y Leon & Michael J. Stuart Dominion 2007 4-DAY STW “SCIENCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY & RADIATION”

Energy Source Comparison

Energy Source Comparison

Sama Bilbao y Leon & Michael J. StuartDominion

2007 4-DAY STW“SCIENCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY &

RADIATION”

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

• Sustainability Meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

• Life cycle analysis It analyses the environmental performance of

products and services through all phases of their life cycle: extracting and processing raw materials manufacturingtransportation and distribution use, re-use, maintenancerecycling, and final disposal


• Baseload power – minimum required continuous system electrical output. Must be available and online 24/7! Very little fluctuation

• Peaking Power – standby power supply that can be rapidly placed online/offline as demand rises and falls. Need only be available during peak hours High fluctuation Can be brought online/offline quickly

Typical Weekly Load ForecastJuly 2007

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6000

8000

10000

12000

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18000

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0 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18 24 6 12 18

BASELOADBASELOAD

PEAKINGPEAKING


• Capacity The amount of electricity that an energy

source can provide at 100% of its rated output.

• Capacity Factor The percent of actual electricity produced

vs. rated capacity


• Renewable Energy Uses a source of energy that can be

replenished in a reasonably short time.

• Clean Energy Does not create waste in the process of

generating energy


• Climate Change IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007) confirms it Are human activities the cause of climate change?

• History Rio de Janeiro, 1992 U.N. Earth Summit Kyoto, 1997, Industrialized countries agree to reduce

combined greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% compared to 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012

February 16, 2005, Kyoto Protocol enters into force US and Australia only developed countries not to ratify Developing Countries (such as China and India) do not

have Kyoto Commitments in the first commitment period


• Mechanisms to Control Climate Change Reduction of emissions intensity Carbon Tax Cap and Trade Markets Carbon Sequestration

• Any energy source must be meet the “Three E’s” to be viable. Economics Environment Energy Supply

• What happens when youremove one of the legs?

Evaluating Energy SourcesThe Three E’s




• Economics Capital Cost Fuel Cost

Actual Cost of the FuelStability of the price of the fuel

Maintenance Cost Infrastructure Cost



• Environment Land Use Gas Emissions

GHGNOx, SOx, Hg, etcparticulate

Solid Waste Other Waste products Other impacts

Noise pollutionVisual or Cosmetic ImpactsSocial Impacts



• Energy Supply Availability of the resource

Availability of FuelAvailability of SitesAvailability of Raw Materials

Political Stability Technology for use of the resource

Maturity Construction Time

ReliabilityCapacity Factors

Coa

l

Nat

ural

Gas

Oil

Hyd

roel

ectr

ic

Win

d

Geo

ther

mal

Sol

ar

Bio

fuel

s

Nuc

lear

Fis

sion

Nuc

lear

Fus

ion

Capital Cost

Cost

Stability

Maintenance Costs

Infrastructure Cost

Land Use

Gas Emissions

Solid Waste

Other Waste

Noise

Visual / Cosmetic

Social

Fuel

Sites

Raw Materials

Political Stability

Maturity

Construction Time

Reliability Capacity Factors

Economics

Environment

Energy Supply

Fuel Cost

Other impacts

Availability

Technology

EEE ComparisonEEE Comparison

CoalCoal

Coal: ProsCoal: Pros

• Economics Low cost fuel Moderate O&M

• Environment “Clean coal” technology is possible

• Energy Supply Readily available Mature Technology Domestic Fuel >70% Capacity Factor

Coal: ConsCoal: Cons

• Economics High initial cost High cost for “clean coal” (scrubbers,

sequestration, carbon tax)

• Environment Emissions (SOx, NOx, CO2, Mercury) Solid waste Substantial mining impacts

• Energy Supply Long construction time Public opposition

Natural GasNatural Gas

Natural Gas: ProsNatural Gas: Pros

• Economics Lower capital costs

• Environment Lower emissions than coal

• Energy Supply Mature Technology Short construction time Very reliable – Could run 24/7 Very good for load following and peaking

Natural Gas: ConsNatural Gas: Cons

• Economics High fuel cost Large fluctuations in the

price of natural gas

• Environment Large GHG Emissions

• Energy Supply Scarcity of fuel in the long term Political instability associated to natural gas

deposits Natural gas is a valuable natural resource for

other applications

OilOil

Oil: ProsOil: Pros

• Economics Moderate cost to build Moderate O&M

• Environment Mantra: “It’s better than coal.”

• Energy Supply Mature Technology Great for load following

and peaking capacity

Oil: ConsOil: Cons

• Economics High fuel cost High cost for low emissions (scrubbers,

sequestration, carbon tax)

• Environment Emissions (SOx, NOx, CO2, CO)

• Energy Supply Politically unstable fuel supply

Hydroelectric PowerHydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric Power: ProsHydroelectric Power: Pros

• Economics Very low operating costs

• Environment Renewable resource Low emissions No other waste streams

• Energy Supply Mature technology High reliability High capacity factors seasonally

Hydroelectric Power: ConsHydroelectric Power: Cons

• Economics High capital cost

• Environment Large land use Social impact: displacement of populations Environmental impact: displacement of fauna and flora

• Energy Supply Limited available locations Weather and season dependent Can’t turn it on and off Large construction times

Wind PowerWind Power

Wind: ProsWind: Pros

• Economics Zero cost fuel Moderate O&M

• Environment Zero emissions

• Energy Supply

Wind: ConsWind: Cons

• Economics High material cost per KW High infrastructure cost to connect to grid due to

distributed generation Require backup power supplies or storage mechanisms for

when wind isn’t blowing

• Environment High land usage Migratory bird impact Noise pollution

• Energy Supply Limited suitable locations Public opposition Very low capacity factors (<20%)

Solar EnergySolar Energy

Solar: ProsSolar: Pros

• Economics Low fuel cost (free!)

• Environment Renewable Non emitting

• Energy Supply

Solar: ConsSolar: Cons

• Economics High capital costs High maintenance costs Needs backup capacity installed if connected to the grid

• Environment Large land use Highly toxic waste in the manufacturing and disposal of solar

panels Visual impact on natural settings

• Energy Supply Intermittent availability of fuel Limited suitable locations Very raw material intensive Not a fully mature technology Very low capacity factors (10-20%)

Nuclear FissionNuclear Fission

Nuclear Fission: ProsNuclear Fission: Pros

• Economics Low operating costs

• Environment Efficient land use Non emitting Small amount of contained “waste” Promotes economic development in the area as it required highly

skilled workforce

• Energy Supply Uranium is abundant and exists in politically stable nations The supply becomes almost endless (renewable!?) if breeder

reactors and reprocessing are brought online Mature Technology that has continuously improved in the last 20

years Reliable – 24/7 Capacity factors above 90%

Nuclear Fission: ConsNuclear Fission: Cons

• Economics High Capital Costs

• Environment Nuclear waste perception problem Non-proliferation

• Energy Supply Long construction times Requires regulatory maturity and political

stability to develop

Biofuels/BiomassBiofuels/Biomass

Biofuels/Biomass: ProsBiofuels/Biomass: Pros

• Economics Very little data

• Environment Carbon neutral

• Energy Supply Fuel can be domestically

produced – to an extent

Biofuels/Biomass: ConsBiofuels/Biomass: Cons

• Economics Potentially high cost for food crops

• Environment Large land usage

• Energy supply Limited by production of crops and competition

with food supply

Geothermal EnergyGeothermal Energy

Geothermal: ProsGeothermal: Pros

• Economics Low operating cost

• Environment Very low emissions

• Energy Supply Almost a renewable resource Drilling and steam cycle technologies are mature Reliable 24/7 High capacity factors

Geothermal: ConsGeothermal: Cons

• Economics Moderate capital costs

• Environment Alter seismic activity in the area Needs to be carefully managed not to

exhaut the source

• Energy Supply Limited to suitable locations

Nuclear FusionNuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fusion: ProsNuclear Fusion: Pros

• Economics Low operating cost

• Environment No emissions Very small amount of contained low level

waste

• Energy Supply Reliable 24/7 High capacity factors

Nuclear Fusion: ConsNuclear Fusion: Cons

• Economics Very large capital costs

• Environment Still there are many unknowns

• Energy Supply Need to produce the fuel Technology very much in development

Non-Energy SourcesNon-Energy Sources

• Hydrogen• Conservation

HydrogenHydrogen

• Economics Not very Takes 2.5X the energy output as input

• Environment Depends on energy source used to generate it Explosive

• Energy Supply No delivery infrastructure Low energy density

ConservationConservation

• Trying to meet our future energy demands through conservation is like trying to meet our future world hunger demands by dieting.

• Population is expanding and higher technology will require more electricity – not less.

• Conservation is a personal choice.

• We should continue to invest research and effort towards breakthroughs in efficiency.


• No energy source is perfect. They all have their pros and cons.

• Any nation should strive to have a balanced energy mix

• Policymakers, people and media should develop an unbiased method to determine which energy sources should be used where

• Energy sources that may not work at a national level may be perfect for a given household

Documents

Energy Source Comparison Sama Bilbao y Leon & Michael J. Stuart Dominion 2007 4-DAY STW “SCIENCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY & RADIATION”