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Energy Production. Mr. Hanz SPH 3U1 November 25, 2009. Fossil Fuels. - Oil Gasoline Natural Gas Coal. Coal. What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?. Coal. Pros Large domestic reserves Extremely cheap (initial cost)
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Energy Production Mr. Hanz SPH 3U1 November 25, 2009
Fossil Fuels • - Oil • Gasoline • Natural Gas • Coal
Coal What do you know about coal (Pros/Cons as an energy source) ?
Coal • Pros • Large domestic reserves • Extremely cheap (initial cost) • Can ramp up energy production quickly to meet peak demand
Coal • Cons • Extremely dirty • Large emitter of CO2 and NOx emissions • Environmentally damaging • Acid rain
Coal/Fossil Fuel Energy Production • How exactly do we produce energy from coal (and fossil fuels in general)?
Oil and Gas • Pros • Cleaner than coal • Affordable for the time being • Infrastructure already in place
Oil and Gas • Cons • 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? • For any geographic region, oil production will follow a bell-shaped curve • M.K Hubbert
Hydroelectric • Renewable energy source • Produces no greenhouse gas emissions • Canada has vast, untapped hydroelectric resources • How Hydroelectricity works
Hydroelectric • In most cases, must flood large swaths of land, destroying ecosystems and displacing large amounts of people
Three Gorges Dam – P.R China • $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 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? • Fission • Controlled chain reaction involving collision between a neutron and uranium atom (Link)
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 Accidents • Three Mile Island (Pennsylvania, 1979) • Chernobyl (Ukrainian SSR, USSR, 1986)
Renewables • Wind • Solar • Geothermal • Tidal
Wind • Resource intensive – iron and other raw materials • Intermittent energy production – require a storage medium
Solar • 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
Geothermal • Obtains heat from the Earth • Heat used to generate electricity • Or used directly to heat houses
Biofuel • 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? • Tidal • Hydrogen • Fusion
Energy Consumption Per Capita 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?