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Energy Education | Jun 14, 2021

Energy Education with Afe Babalola University Student Chapter

Afe Babalola Univeristy Student Chapter in Nigeria conducted a successful energy4me energy education outreach with 55 Afe Babalola International School students. The students learned lessons on how to explore and produce oil and gas with activities Core Sampling, Perforated Well Casing, Getting the Oil Out, and Understanding Density. The energy4me program was developed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers to help students understand the science behind the industry and the career opportunities available.

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Energy Education | Jun 14, 2021 Energy Education with Afe Babalola University Student Chapter Afe Babalola Univeristy Student Chapter in Nigeria conducted a successful energy4me energy education outreach with 55 Afe Babalola International School students. The students learned lessons on how to explore and produce oil and gas with activities Core Sampling, Perforated Well Casing, Getting the Oil Out, and Understanding Density.

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10 Years on: A holiday in Fukushima, Japan? "Dark tourism" in the nuclear disaster zone

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How do wind turbines work? - Rebecca J. Barthelmie and Sara C. Pryor

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Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? 1/3

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How green is nuclear energy? - 6 Minute English

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Exploring Passive House Design - 90% Energy Savings!

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This week I dropped in on the EcoBuild exhibition in London, Britain's biggest trade fair on sustainable construction. I was gathering future blog posts and looking for ideas to make my own home more sustainable, but the main reason I was there was to attend the Active House symposium. I hadn't heard of the Active House before, but a friend who works for Velux told me I should come along and find out about it.

So what is an Active House?

According to the not-for-profit Active House Alliance, it is "a vision of buildings that create healthier and more comfortable lives for their occupants without negative impact on the climate - moving us towards a cleaner, healthier and safer world."

As the name might suggest, it's an evolution of the Passive House philosophy, which creates low energy buildings. The developers of Active House wanted to take it a step further. Passive Houses put environmental performance front and centre, but not everyone values that. Active House adds comfort as a headline priority, making a much more marketable proposition. An Active House should be low energy, low impact, and great to live in as well. After all, most of us spend 90% of our time indoors.

One the key elements here is light. Buildings lose a lot of heat through their windows, so one of the easiest ways to make an energy efficient home is to add fewer of them. Windows on the south side will catch solar gain and contribute to energy efficiency, but on all other sides they'll be leaching heat. The result of building purely for environmental performance is gloomy and airless homes, and as we've seen from previous posts on biophilic design, that's not great for wellbeing.

To remedy this situation, Active House has worked with Velux to find ways of bringing in more light and air without compromising efficiency. That includes a combination of high tech solutions like electric skylights or sun tunnels, and simple solutions to do with room layout, orientation and how light reflects around interiors.

Is this a competitor to the Passive House? I'm not sure it'll really work that way, since Passive House is a design standard rather than a brand. There's also a lot of overlap. At the symposium we heard from an Italian architect who had won the 2016 award for the best new Active House. She is a designer of Passive Houses, but liked the way that Active Houses used natural light and ventilation, and incorporated those elements into her design. In fact, many Passive Houses would qualify as Active Houses, and vice versa.

What Active House brings to the table is a neat and holistic vision of what a sustainable home can be. It elevates the experience of living in the house to a top line priority alongside efficiency and performance, where it belongs. That makes it much more accessible to people, and various companies around the world have picked up on the idea as one they can sell. We need these sorts of ideas for popularising sustainable housing, making it desirable for everyone, not just the enthusiasts and greens. And one day, we won't even need names like Active House or Passive House. It'll be normal to build that way. The standard will have shifted. They'll just be houses.

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This week I dropped in on the EcoBuild exhibition in London, Britain's biggest trade fair on sustainable construction. I was gathering future blog posts and looking for ideas to make my own home more sustainable, but the main reason I was there was to attend the Active House symposium.

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I think it qualifies as active housing

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This big greenhouse built around a house is the home for a family of 7

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With carbon emissions from our gas and oil boilers contributing to global warming and subsequent climate change, the world's attention has turned to finding alternative heating and energy systems. We need to find sources of energy which are renewable and/or do not produce harmful pollutants.

One potential solution is hydrogen energy, but while it does not harm our atmosphere, it is not necessarily a simple fix. Here we explore the key advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen energy and how it could theoretically be used to power our future.

What is hydrogen?

Our universe is made up of a huge range of different components, each playing its own part in the delicate balance of our planet's ecosystem. The components which are most prevalent are hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen with hydrogen accounting for 75% of the universe and forming the foundation of much of our planet's life. Hydrogen is found in almost all plant matter and water. The sun is also made up of a lot of hydrogen, but it is so light that it evaporates from the surface of the earth through the heat of the sun's rays.

Hydrogen is the most simple of all our elements being made up of just one proton and one electron. This means that in most scenarios it doesn't exist by itself but is combined with other elements (e.g. water or H2O is 2 parts hydrogen to one part oxygen). However, hydrogen is a clean source of energy which, if we can extract it from water, natural gas or biomass, can be used to power and heat our societies.

Find out more about the viability of using hydrogen instead of natural gas in our boilers in Hydrogen Boilers: An Alternative to Gas Central Heating?

How do we extract hydrogen?

There are two methods used to extract hydrogen: electrolysis or steam-methane reforming.

Electrolysis involves passing a high current of electricity through water to separate the oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

It sounds simple enough, but this is a costly process due to the amount of electricity required and in order to create the electricity, fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas, oil or coal) are burned which produces carbon emissions. If the electricity used in electrolysis is obtained via solar panels, wind farms or hydropower, however, we can avoid these carbon emissions.

Steam-methane reforming is the process of separating carbon and hydrogen in methane. It is the method used most commonly at the moment because hydrogen can be extracted in large quantities, but it results in the emission of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Both of these gases are harmful to our atmosphere and will contribute to global warming.

However, it is possible to capture the carbon emitted during the process of producing hydrogen with Carbon Capture Storage (CSS) systems which would prevent the carbon from being released into the atmosphere.

Advantages of Hydrogen Energy

Hydrogen is renewable

Hydrogen is a renewable energy source which means we cannot run out of it, at least not on a human timescale. It's a rich source of energy which is all around us.

Hydrogen is a clean energy source

When we burn hydrogen no harmful byproducts are released into the atmosphere. In fact, once hydrogen has been used as an energy source, it can be converted to drinking water for astronauts.

Hydrogen energy is not toxic

Hydrogen does not cause damage to human health unlike nuclear energy or natural gas.

Hydrogen energy is highly efficient

Hydrogen is incredibly dense in energy and is able to provide a lot of power. It is 3 times more powerful than most fossil based fuel sources so less hydrogen is required to perform the same tasks. This is why hydrogen is used in space exploration to fuel spaceships, aeroplanes, boats, cars and fuel cells.

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Energy

Hydrogen is volatile

Because of its high energy content, hydrogen gas is a highly flammable and volatile substance which makes it a risky fuel to work with.

Hydrogen energy is expensive to produce

Both steam-methane reforming and electrolysis are expensive processes which prevents a lot of countries from committing to mass production. Research and trials are in process to try and discover a cheap and sustainable way to produce enough hydrogen without contributing more carbon into the atmosphere.

Hydrogen energy is difficult to store

Hydrogen is a much lighter gas than gasoline which makes it difficult to store and transport. To be able to store it we need to compress it into a liquid and store it at a low temperature. The high amounts of pressure needed to store hydrogen makes it a difficult fuel to transport in large quantities.

Hydrogen can be dangerous

Hydrogen is incredibly flammable which makes it a dangerous fuel if not handled correctly. There is also no smell to hydrogen so sensors are required to detect leaks.

Could hydrogen be used in home heating?

At the moment the vast majority of UK homes rely on fossil-fuel heating systems such as natural gas and oil boilers. In order to reduce our carbon emissions in line with government targets and fight climate change, we need to change the way we heat our homes. One of the possible solutions is to swap the gas we use to heat 84% of UK homes from natural gas to hydrogen.

The theory is that rather than cause major upheaval and expense by asking most homes in the UK to replace their heating system with a completely alien technology, we replace natural gas with hydrogen. Gradually we could increase the levels of hydrogen supplied to homes and decrease our reliance on natural gas until we are using 100% hydrogen. The main benefits being:

Hydrogen is highly efficient (1kg of hydrogen can produce as much energy as 2.8kg of natural gas)

There would be no carbon emissions from hydrogen boilers (only produce water vapour and heat)

Hydrogen could be used in existing gas grid infrastructure

Boilers are a familiar heating system for homeowners, unlike renewable heating systems (heat pumps and solar)

In theory, this all makes sense but it would require every gas boiler in the UK to be replaced by a hydrogen-ready boiler. Rather than expecting industry and homeowners to make the switch overnight, it could happen gradually, i.e. when a natural gas boiler comes to the end of its natural life it would be replaced with a hydrogen-ready boiler. That way, when the hydrogen network is ready, the fuel would be switched rather than the heating system which minimises disruption.

Worcester Bosch have already revealed their very first hydrogen-ready boiler. The boiler is still compatible with natural gas but after a short visit from a heating engineer it can work on a 100% supply of hydrogen.

As an alternative to boilers, it's also possible for a hydrogen fuel cell to provide heating and energy to a home. A fuel cell converts chemical energy from a fuel, in this case hydrogen, as well as an oxidant (oxygen) into a supply of electricity. Heat is also produced during this process which can be used to heat the home. The Vitovalor CHP by Viessmann is one fuel cell heating system already on the market.

So, is hydrogen heating a viable option?

The advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen energy hydrogen make the topic anything clear cut. Unfortunately, hydrogen production is currently very expensive to produce and our current production process can emit carbon which defeats the object of swapping to a hydrogen network somewhat.

However, according to industry experts, hydrogen has a major role to play in the future of home heating. Hydrogen heating trials are already taking place in the UK where a combination of hydrogen gas and natural gas is already in use in some areas. More trials are planned for the next few years.

Get quotes for a gas boiler

Whatever the outcome of these trials, hydrogen boilers are unlikely to be an option for UK homeowners for the foreseeable future. If you are looking to replace your heating system with a more environmentally friendly solution now, a modern and more energy-efficient gas boiler might be your best option. Some homeowners might want to consider installing a heat pump, solar thermal panels or a biomass boiler, but there are several factors to consider. Find out more in Alternatives to Gas Boilers.

To get professional advice and free installation quotes for a new boiler, send us an enquiry today. We'll provide you with up to 3 free no-obligation quotes so you can compare and choose the best option for your home.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydrogen Energy | Boiler Guide

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With carbon emissions from our gas and oil boilers contributing to global warming and subsequent climate change, the world's attention has turned to finding alternative heating and energy systems. We need to find sources of energy which are renewable and/or do not produce harmful pollutants.

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" I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable"
Jules Verne (1874)

The electrification of transportation demands a reliable, safe and storable fuel source. To achieve a cleaner future, it also needs to be emissions free. As Jules Verne predicted 145 years ago, Hydrogen provides the solution.

Whilst Hydrogen is emissions free, it needs a lot of energy to make it. That's why at Hive Energy, we are investing in Green Hydrogen to deliver a totally clean fuel source. For our business it creates the perfect fit to produce Green Hydrogen on site across our solar assets.

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" I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable" Jules Verne (1874) The electrification of transportation demands a reliable, safe and storable fuel source.

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Added by TOPC

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Visible from Space: The World’s Largest Solar Power Plant

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The world is changing at a rapid pace, and with it comes a pressing need for architecture to follow suit. Minimizing energy consumption throughout the lifecycle of a building, from construction to demolition has never been more of a priority for an industry that impacts so significantly on the environment.

Passive / Active House standards refer to built environments that are truly energy-efficient, comfortable, affordable, and ecological at the same time. Which methodology better suits your sustainable goals?
Passive House
Passive House is a building standard, originally developed in Germany and called Passivhaus, that reduces heating needs by an astonishing 90%. It was founded by Dr. Wolfgang Feist in 1996, and since then, it has spread to many countries including the United States. There are already more than 60,000 Passive Houses worldwide (as of 2016).

The Certified Passive House features walls, roof, and floor with significantly more insulation then conventional houses. Thermal bridges are limited to a minimum to reduce the heat loss. These houses often incorporate triple-pane windows instead of the standard double-pane versions. Passive House is extremely airtight and needs a ventilation system with heat recovery which brings balanced and continuous supply of fresh air into the house. The occupants can still open the windows for natural ventilation, if desired. As a result of all these components this home exhibits heating/cooling load reduction of 90% over traditional construction, and the costly heating and cooling systems can be eliminated, as well as the ductwork associated with them.

Passive House is heated by the accumulation of sun energy, the auxiliary heat from the electrical equipment, small point heat sources (depending on the climate), and the heat from the people who live in it.
Passive House vs. Passive Solar Design
The term "passive house" is very often confused with another term: "passive solar house". Passive House is a certified building energy standard which utilizes the passive solar design principles and takes them to the next level. It adds more strategies to retain energy, as well as utilizing internal heat gains and energy recovery to create an energy balance. The Passive House standard also uses energy modeling and field testing to create a measurable high-performance building. Ongoing data collection of completed projects is an essential part of Passive House's development and ongoing evolution.
Active House
Although it may sound like that Active House is the exact opposite of the Passive House, the strategies are not actually in conflict with one another. Active House follows passive strategies for design, it is designed and constructed to use as little energy as possible but take them to the next level by producing their own energy, often via photovoltaic panels and incorporating solar water heaters and/or geothermal heat pumps.

More than a net zero house, Active House generates positive energy which can be fed back into the grid. The world's first Active House, located in Lystrup, Denmark, contains 50 square meters of solar cells and solar panels some of which have been used to warm under floor heating. The whole system is controlled by a computer that monitors the temperature and opens, closes, and adjusts windows.
Passive vs. Active Elements in a Building Design
Active elements require energy source in order to work. They usually use electricity or other fuel, for example, furnaces for heating and air conditioners for cooling. A more eco-friendly approach involves the installation of solar panels to actively capture sunlight and convert it to electricity to power your home. Other active strategies include solar thermal, energy savings gadgets, and sophisticated controls such as automated controls to bring in fresh air when needed, as well as automated blinds and exterior awnings to control shading.

Passive strategies on the other hand use natural elements, in particular solar and wind to achieve comfort. This approach builds on traditional methods that have been used in residential design for centuries. The first basic principle of passive design is the orientation of the building, which should be situated in a way to take advantage of the path of the sun; for example, south-facing glazing in the northern hemisphere is ideal, because it captures indirect light (summer) or direct light (winter) throughout the course of the day.

It is necessary to block the direct sunlight to keep the house cool during the hot summer days, at the same time allowing natural lighting. Passive cooling strategies include planting deciduous trees to shade the house in the summer, or designing overhangs above the windows. They should be positioned to block the summer sun while allowing lower-angle winter rays to penetrate and heat your house.

Other key elements of the passive design are well insulated building envelope - walls, floor and roof, air-tightness, solar gain, natural light, and natural ventilation. Additionally, a well positioned thermal mass - a thick concrete or masonry wall - can absorb heat from the sun throughout the day and warm your home at night while maintaining consistent and comfortable temperature.

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Passive House vs Active House - suzannezahr.com

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Passive House is a building standard, originally developed in Germany and called Passivhaus , that reduces heating needs by an astonishing 90%. It was founded by Dr. Wolfgang Feist in 1996, and since then, it has spread to many countries including the United States. There are already more than 60,0

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Passive House VS Active House: Two Competing Visions for the Future of Homes

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Passive House is a building standard originally developed in Germany that can reduce heating needs by an astonishing 90%. They reach this target by making the house extremely well insulated, virtua…

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Nikola Tesla Harnessed the Power of Niagara Falls

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How do you generate electricity using coal - animated video

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AMERICA REVEALED | Where Does Our Coal Come From? | PBS

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A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Coal-fired power stations generate over a third of the world's electricity but cause hundreds of thousands of early deaths each year, mainly from air pollution.

A coal-fired power station is a type of fossil fuel power station. The coal is usually pulverized and then burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler. The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam, which is then used to spin turbines that turn generators. Thus chemical energy stored in coal is converted successively into thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy.

Coal-fired power stations emit over 10 Gt of carbon dioxide each year, almost one fifth of total emissions, so are the single largest source of the greenhouse gases which are causing climate change. In 2020 the total number of plants started falling as they are being retired in Europe and America despite still being built in Asia, almost all funded by China. Some remain profitable because costs to other people due to the health and environmental impact of the coal industry are not priced in to the cost of generation, but there is the risk newer plants may become stranded assets.

As a type of thermal power station, a coal-fired power station converts chemical energy stored in coal successively into thermal energy, mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy. The coal is usually pulverized and then burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler. The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam, which is then used to spin turbines that turn generators. Compared to a thermal power station burning other fuel types, coal specific fuel processing and ash disposal is required.

Coal is prepared for use by crushing the rough coal to pieces less than 5 cm in size. The coal is then transported from the storage yard to in-plant storage silos by conveyor belts at rates up to 4,000 tonnes per hour.

In plants that burn pulverized coal, silos feed coal to pulverizers (coal mills) that take the larger 5 cm pieces, grind them to the consistency of talcum powder, sort them, and mix them with primary combustion air, which transports the coal to the boiler furnace and preheats the coal in order to drive off excess moisture content. A 500 MW e plant may have six such pulverizers, five of which can supply coal to the furnace at 250 tonnes per hour under full load.

In plants that do not burn pulverized coal, the larger 5 cm pieces may be directly fed into the silos which then feed either mechanical distributors that drop the coal on a traveling grate or the cyclone burners, a specific kind of combustor that can efficiently burn larger pieces of fuel.

The ash is often stored in ash ponds. Although the use of ash ponds in combination with air pollution controls (such as wet scrubbers) decreases the amount of airborne pollutants, the structures pose serious health risks for the surrounding environment. Power utility companies have often built the ponds without liners, especially in the United States, and therefore chemicals in the ash can leach into groundwater and surface waters.

Since the 1990s, power utilities in the U.S. have designed many of their new plants with dry ash handling systems. The dry ash is disposed in landfills, which typically include liners and groundwater monitoring systems.. Dry ash may also be recycled into products such as concrete, structural fills for road construction and grout.

A well-designed energy policy, energy law and electricity market are critical for flexibility. Although technically the flexibility of some coal-fired power stations could be improved they are less able to provide dispatchable generation than most gas-fired power plants. The most important flexibility is low minimum load, however some flexibility improvements may be more expensive than renewable energy with batteries.

As of 2018 coal was the largest source of electricity at 38%, the same share as 20 years previously: the only countries generating over 350 TWh of the total of about 10,000 TWh in 2018 being China (4,732), India (1,176) and the USA (1,246).

As of 2018 coal power under construction was 236 GW, planned 339 GW, and 50 GW was commissioned and 31 GW retired.

As coal is mainly carbon, coal-fired power stations have a high carbon intensity. On average, coal power stations emit far more greenhouse gas per unit electricity generated compared with other energy sources (see also life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions of energy sources). In 2018 coal burnt to generate electricity emitted over 10 Gt of the 34 Gt total from fuel combustion (the overall total greenhouse gas emissions for 2018 was 55 Gt e).

The most cost effective way to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, a target of the Paris Agreement, includes EU and OECD countries closing all coal-fired power stations by 2030, China by 2040 and the rest of the world by 2050.

Conversion

Some power stations are being converted to burn gas, biomass or waste, and conversion to thermal storage will be trialled in 2023.

Carbon capture

As of 2019 retrofitting existing coal-fired power stations with carbon capture and storage is being trialled, for example in China, but this reduces the energy output and for some plants may not be technically or economically feasible: the economics of retrofit in China are still being researched.

In some countries pollution is controlled by best available techniques, for example those in the EU through its Industrial Emissions Directive. In the United States, coal-fired plants are governed at the national level by several air pollution regulations, including the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulation, by effluent guidelines for water pollution, and by solid waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Coal-fired power stations continue to pollute in lightly regulated countries such as the Western Balkans, India, Russia and South Africa, causing hundreds of thousands of early deaths each year.

Damage to health from particulates, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide occurs mainly in Asia and is often due to burning low quality coal, such as lignite, in plants lacking modern flue gas treatment. Early deaths due to air pollution have been estimated at 200 per GW-year, however they may be higher around power plants where scrubbers are not used or lower if they are far from cities.

Pollutants such as heavy metals leaching into ground water from unlined coal ash storage ponds or landfills pollute water, possibly for decades or centuries. Pollutant discharges from ash ponds to rivers (or other surface water bodies) typically include arsenic, lead, mercury, selenium, chromium, and cadmium.

Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants can fall back onto the land and water in rain, and then be converted into methylmercury by bacteria. Through biomagnification, this mercury can then reach dangerously high levels in fish. More than half of atmospheric mercury comes from coal-fired power plants.

Coal-fired power plants also emit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen. These emissions lead to acid rain, which can restructure food webs and lead to the collapse of fish and invertebrate populations.

As of 2018 local pollution in China, which has by far the most coal-fired power stations, is forecast to be reduced further in the 2020s and 2030s, especially if small and low efficiency plants are retired early.

Coal is delivered by highway truck, rail, barge, collier ship or coal slurry pipeline. Generating stations are sometimes built next to a mine; especially one mining coal, such as lignite, which is not valuable enough to transport long-distance; so may receive coal by conveyor belt or massive diesel-electric-drive trucks. A large coal train called a "unit train" may be 2 km long, containing 130-140 cars with around 100 tonnes of coal in each one, for a total load of over 10000 tonnes. A large plant under full load requires at least one coal delivery this size every day. Plants may get as many as three to five trains a day, especially in "peak season" during the hottest summer or coldest winter months (depending on local climate) when power consumption is high.

Modern unloaders use rotary dump devices, which eliminate problems with coal freezing in bottom dump cars. The unloader includes a train positioner arm that pulls the entire train to position each car over a coal hopper. The dumper clamps an individual car against a platform that swivels the car upside down to dump the coal. Swiveling couplers enable the entire operation to occur while the cars are still coupled together. Unloading a unit train takes about three hours.

Shorter trains may use railcars with an "air-dump", which relies on air pressure from the engine plus a "hot shoe" on each car. This "hot shoe" when it comes into contact with a "hot rail" at the unloading trestle, shoots an electric charge through the air dump apparatus and causes the doors on the bottom of the car to open, dumping the coal through the opening in the trestle. Unloading one of these trains takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. Older unloaders may still use manually operated bottom-dump rail cars and a "shaker" attached to dump the coal.

A collier (cargo ship carrying coal) may hold 41,000 tonnes (40,000 long tons) of coal and takes several days to unload. Some colliers carry their own conveying equipment to unload their own bunkers; others depend on equipment at the plant. For transporting coal in calmer waters, such as rivers and lakes, flat-bottomed barges are often used. Barges are usually unpowered and must be moved by tugboats or towboats.

For start up or auxiliary purposes, the plant may use fuel oil as well. Fuel oil can be delivered to plants by pipeline, tanker, tank car or truck. Oil is stored in vertical cylindrical steel tanks with capacities as high as 14,000 cubic metres (90,000 bbl). The heavier no. 5 "bunker" and no. 6 fuels are typically steam-heated before pumping in cold climates.

The 4 main types of coal-fired power station in increasing order of efficiency are: subcritical, supercritical, ultra-supercritical and cogeneration (also called combined heat and power or CHP). Subcritical is the least efficient type, however recent innovations have allowed retrofits to older subcritical plants to meet or even exceed efficiency of supercritical plants.

G20 governments alone subsidize coal by at least US$63.9 billion per year, almost three-quarters of which is for coal-fired power.

As of 2019 the largest backers are Chinese banks under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In 2018 coal-fired power station capacity factor averaged 51%, that is they operated for about half their available operating hours.

If global warming is limited to well below 2 °C as specified in the Paris Agreement, coal plant stranded assets of over US$500 billion are forecast by 2050, mostly in China. In 2020 think tank Carbon Tracker estimated that 39% of coal-fired plants were already more expensive than new renewables and storage and that 73% would be by 2025. As of 2020 about half of China's coal power companies are losing money and old and small power plants "have no hope of making profits". As of 2018 India is keeping potential stranded assets operating by subsidizing them.

The energy policy of China regarding coal and coal in China are the most important factors regarding the future of coal-fired power stations, because the country has so many. According to one analysis local officials overinvested in coal-fired power in the mid-2010s because central government guaranteed operating hours and set a high wholesale electricity price. As of 2019 BRI investment may be to keep skilled people employed and because banks and state owned enterprises need somewhere to place their capital and expertise.

In democracies coal power investment follows an environmental Kuznets curve. The energy policy of India about coal is an issue in the politics of India.

Protests have often been at mining sites and at sites of proposed new plants.

The first coal-fired power stations were built in the late 19th century and used reciprocating engines to generate direct current. Steam turbines allowed much larger plants to be built in the early 20th century and alternating current was used to serve wider areas.

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A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Coal-fired power stations generate over a third of the world's electricity but cause hundreds of thousands of early deaths each year, mainly from air pollution. A coal-fired power station is a type of fossil fuel power station.

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The 1,050-megawatt proposed Lamu Coal Plant has raised a lot of controversial issues between investors and climate change activists. While investors claim that it would lower the overall cost of power generation in Kenya, environmentalists are highly concerned about the colossal impact of fossil fuels on the environment, not even mentioning the impact on the health of the people.

Being the first coal-fired power plant in Kenya, and in East Africa, the Lamu Coal Plant brings up a lot of questions, since Kenya has a huge capacity of potential renewable energy that can be readily tapped into. So why turn to non-renewable fossil fuels?

Recently, Kenya has indulged in renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. This led to a record of 24 percent of Kenya's electricity coming from these sources in 2015. With more investment in renewables, Kenya has the potential to raise that percentage and have more renewable sources of energy enter the nation's electricity generation portfolio.

In 2014, the Kenyan Government awarded the Amu Power Company the tender to design and build the Lamu Coal Plant, sadly on the only part of Kenya that has been spared from industrial development. Part of its plan includes importing coal from South Africa and Mozambique and generating more from the Kenyan soil. This will be highly taxing on our natural resources as a country, considering fossil fuels areextremely toxic, as well as costing an extra fee for taxpayers; and ultimately, would not ensure the country of meeting its current and future electricity demands.
Economy
The Lamu Coal Plant raises several issues with the Lamu communities, which have so far been ignored despite their urgency. Lamu is located on the northern coast of Kenya owning one of the most alluring coastlines in the world. It's inhabited mostly by the Swahili people whose main source of income comes from the fishing industry, which is currently valued at Ksh1.6 billion, and tourism

Construction of the Lamu Coal Plant would have a direct impact on the economic sustainability of the Lamu community. Among the hazardous emissions of the fossil fuels combustion is nitrogen, which then forms acidic rain that kills fish and shellfish, thereby reducing the supply.
Toxic pollution
The Swahili people are confronted with one of the most serious threats imaginable. The anticipated environmental impacts of the Lamu Coal Plant are being belittled. Coal combustion releases toxic substances such as carbon, sulphur and nitrogen into the atmosphere, which becomes a health threat to the people. Acidic rains change the composition of groundwater and seawater making it fatal to both human and aquatic life.
Rising voices against Lamu Coal Plant's installation
On the brighter side, opposition is growing. Efforts to halt the implementation process of the Lamu Coal Plant are pleasantly increasing. Few Lamu residents clearly understand the environmental and health impacts of the power plant and many do not know what it means to have a coal plant in their neighborhood. However, the increase of livid anti-coal activists and lobby groups has aided the community to become aware of the huge loss that will be incurred once the plant plan is implemented. In 2016, residents and activists of Lamu county protested against the Ksh 200billion power plant. The act found them at the mercy of military and police, but they vowed to be more resilient until their plight is treated with the attention it deserves.

Other environmental organisations, such as 350.org and Greenpeace Africa have been at the forefront, warning investors and the Kenyan Government against the Lamu Coal Plant. According to a previous report by Greenpeace Africa, the death toll from the Lamu Coal Plant alone might be 1,600 per year. Mid last year, the National Environment Tribunal halted the construction of the Lamu Coal Plant. This week many Kenyans joined other environmental activists in the Africa Coal Network opposing construction of coal power plants in Kenya and on the African continent.
Urge to reconsider implementation of the Lamu Coal Plant
Fossil fuels are not good for anything; not our lungs, definitely not our environment and clearly not even our pockets! So who's really benefiting from the proposed Lamu Coal Plant? More economically developed countries like Germany are closing down their coal plants and shifting to renewable sources of energy. Kenya's justification is that using coal as a source of energy is the cheapest alternative. But renewable energy prices have significantly become competitive in recent years. Also, renewable technologies are improving. Clearly, there is no justification investing in coal.

Kenya needs a total paradigm shift in the energy sector and re-evaluation of the strategies put in place in the name of 'making progress'. We possess a diverse potential of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal. How about we invest in those instead.

With all the perilous effects of coal, giving a go-ahead on the implementation of Lamu Coal Plant is a misguided decision and a total violation of human rights. It's time that as a country, we start looking at the bigger picture and learn to defend what is right. Let's turn human rights to human reality.

Sign this petition to ask Kenya's government to stop the construction of the Lamu Coal Plant.

By Annastacia Kuria, Greenpeace Africa volunteer and activist.

The 1,050-megawatt proposed Lamu Coal Plant has raised a lot of controversial issues between investors and climate change activists. While investors claim that it would lower the overall cost of power generation in Kenya, environmentalists are highly concerned about the colossal impact of fossil fuels on the environment, not even mentioning the impact on the health of the people.

Being the first coal-fired power plant in Kenya, and in East Africa, the Lamu Coal Plant brings up a lot of questions, since Kenya has a huge capacity of potential renewable energy that can be readily tapped into. So why turn to non-renewable fossil fuels?

Recently, Kenya has indulged in renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. This led to a record of 24 percent of Kenya's electricity coming from these sources in 2015. With more investment in renewables, Kenya has the potential to raise that percentage and have more renewable sources of energy enter the nation's electricity generation portfolio.

In 2014, the Kenyan Government awarded the Amu Power Company the tender to design and build the Lamu Coal Plant, sadly on the only part of Kenya that has been spared from industrial development. Part of its plan includes importing coal from South Africa and Mozambique and generating more from the Kenyan soil. This will be highly taxing on our natural resources as a country, considering fossil fuels areextremely toxic, as well as costing an extra fee for taxpayers; and ultimately, would not ensure the country of meeting its current and future electricity demands.
Economy
The Lamu Coal Plant raises several issues with the Lamu communities, which have so far been ignored despite their urgency. Lamu is located on the northern coast of Kenya owning one of the most alluring coastlines in the world. It's inhabited mostly by the Swahili people whose main source of income comes from the fishing industry, which is currently valued at Ksh1.6 billion, and tourism

Construction of the Lamu Coal Plant would have a direct impact on the economic sustainability of the Lamu community. Among the hazardous emissions of the fossil fuels combustion is nitrogen, which then forms acidic rain that kills fish and shellfish, thereby reducing the supply.
Toxic pollution
The Swahili people are confronted with one of the most serious threats imaginable. The anticipated environmental impacts of the Lamu Coal Plant are being belittled. Coal combustion releases toxic substances such as carbon, sulphur and nitrogen into the atmosphere, which becomes a health threat to the people. Acidic rains change the composition of groundwater and seawater making it fatal to both human and aquatic life.
Rising voices against Lamu Coal Plant's installation
On the brighter side, opposition is growing. Efforts to halt the implementation process of the Lamu Coal Plant are pleasantly increasing. Few Lamu residents clearly understand the environmental and health impacts of the power plant and many do not know what it means to have a coal plant in their neighborhood. However, the increase of livid anti-coal activists and lobby groups has aided the community to become aware of the huge loss that will be incurred once the plant plan is implemented. In 2016, residents and activists of Lamu county protested against the Ksh 200billion power plant. The act found them at the mercy of military and police, but they vowed to be more resilient until their plight is treated with the attention it deserves.

Other environmental organisations, such as 350.org and Greenpeace Africa have been at the forefront, warning investors and the Kenyan Government against the Lamu Coal Plant. According to a previous report by Greenpeace Africa, the death toll from the Lamu Coal Plant alone might be 1,600 per year. Mid last year, the National Environment Tribunal halted the construction of the Lamu Coal Plant. This week many Kenyans joined other environmental activists in the Africa Coal Network opposing construction of coal power plants in Kenya and on the African continent.
Urge to reconsider implementation of the Lamu Coal Plant
Fossil fuels are not good for anything; not our lungs, definitely not our environment and clearly not even our pockets! So who's really benefiting from the proposed Lamu Coal Plant? More economically developed countries like Germany are closing down their coal plants and shifting to renewable sources of energy. Kenya's justification is that using coal as a source of energy is the cheapest alternative. But renewable energy prices have significantly become competitive in recent years. Also, renewable technologies are improving. Clearly, there is no justification investing in coal.

Kenya needs a total paradigm shift in the energy sector and re-evaluation of the strategies put in place in the name of 'making progress'. We possess a diverse potential of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal. How about we invest in those instead.

With all the perilous effects of coal, giving a go-ahead on the implementation of Lamu Coal Plant is a misguided decision and a total violation of human rights. It's time that as a country, we start looking at the bigger picture and learn to defend what is right. Let's turn human rights to human reality.

Sign this petition to ask Kenya's government to stop the construction of the Lamu Coal Plant.

By Annastacia Kuria, Greenpeace Africa volunteer and activist.

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Lamu Coal Plant: A Bad Energy Source for Kenya - Greenpeace Africa

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Want to do more? Get Involved × The 1,050-megawatt proposed Lamu Coal Plant has raised a lot of controversial issues between investors and climate change activists. While investors claim that it would lower the overall cost of power generation in Kenya, environmentalists are highly concerned about the colossal impact of fossil fuels on the environment, not even mentioning the impact on the health of the people.

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Coal is one of the most plentiful and least expensive fossil fuels in world, and currently accounts for almost 40 percent of energy production in the U.S. The availability and affordability of this fuel source, however, come with trade-offs regarding its effects on the environment, particularly the atmosphere.

Coal has three primary advantages compared to other fuel sources, both non-renewable and renewable: abundance, affordability and low capital expense needed to build coal-powered generation plants. Coal deposits can be found in over 70 countries around the world, with estimates on global reserves of just under 1 trillion tons. If these estimates are correct, coal reserves will last about twice as long as oil and gas reserves at current rates of consumption. Abundance leads to low and stable prices, while the relative ease of converting coal to energy results in power generation plants that can be built using less capital than facilities powered by many competing fuel sources. These advantages can make coal the fuel of choice, particularly in developing countries.

The advantages of coal are now being weighed against two significant disadvantages: the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when it is burned, and the dangers posed by the extraction process. The vast majority of the global scientific community is now in agreement that the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide resulting from the burning of coal and other fossil fuels is warming the Earth's atmosphere and contributing to global climate change, including disappearing glaciers, rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns. Coal-fired power plants are also the greatest contributor to mercury pollution. A second issue with coal is an extraction process that can be dangerous, particularly in developing countries, and other environmental consequences, including acidification of streams.

Coal's role in global warming has resulted in the calls in the U.S. and Europe for scheduled closures of coal-powered plants to reduce greenhouse emissions. However, reductions in the developed world may be countered by continued demand for coal-fired plants in China and elsewhere. Ultimately, however, the future of coal consumption may depend on one factor, generating energy at the lowest possible cost. If an alternative energy source becomes the most affordable option, the use of coal would likely decline over time. The current cost advantages of coal, however, will likely keep this fossil fuel in demand for some time to come.

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Coal is one of the most plentiful and least expensive fossil fuels in world, and currently accounts for almost 40 percent of energy production in the U.S. The availability and affordability of coal come with trade-offs regarding its effects on the environment, particularly the atmosphere.

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Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. The bond that holds the atoms together contains an enormous amount of energy. This energy can be used to create electricity. But it needs to be released beforehand. The release can occur through nuclear fission (Spaltung) or nuclear fusion (Kernschmelze). 

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Austria has no nuclear power plants in use, but there is one on Zwentendorf, which was almost put in operation. The government decided against putting it to use because it is too risky and dangerous. Nevertheless, Austria is surrounded by many nuclear power plants:

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3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Awesome! 3/3

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3 Reasons Why Nuclear Energy Is Terrible! 2/3

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Origin is looking to the future. We're exploring new low and zero carbon ways of providing energy to our customers. Hydrogen, made using renewable energy, could be a solution.

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. It's the energy that fuels the sun and the stars.

Here on Earth, hydrogen is found in the greatest quantities in water (H ₂ O), but it can also be found in natural gas, coal and petroleum.

Benefits of using green hydrogen energy

Sustainable: Hydrogen is emerging as a way for us to significantly decarbonise future energy production. When hydrogen is produced responsibly, it is a source of sustainable, clean, green energy.

Flexible: Hydrogen is also a flexible energy source - it can be used immediately or be stored and transported for later use.

Domestic and commercial: Green hydrogen can support domestic energy needs. It can be used as a clean transport fuel, for providing electricity to the grid, and in factories to offset the carbon from manufacturing processes.

In fact, hydrogen is already used around the world and many countries are planning to use it more for their future energy needs.

In California, hydrogen already fuels a lot of transport with more than 8,800 hydrogen cars, hydrogen-powered buses and a retail network of refuelling stations.

"Green hydrogen, made with renewable energy and sustainable water, will be key to decarbonising Australia's and global energy systems."
Felicity Underhill, General Manager Hydrogen, Origin Energy Take a look at Origin's plan to transition to low carbon

How hydrogen produces energy

When hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the air, it generates heat energy. This energy can be used to:

power fuel cell vehicles

generate electricity in power stations

power rockets into space

There's only one by-product of burning hydrogen: water.

Hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels that can be used to produce energy, and it has the potential to be zero-carbon if the energy source used to produce it was a clean, renewable energy source, like solar or wind.

Origin is committed to accelerating towards a cleaner energy future and hydrogen is one of the ways we can realise this vision.

How to make hydrogen energy

There are a number of ways to make hydrogen. Around 95 per cent of the world's hydrogen is made using fossil fuels, either by using natural gas via a steam methane reformation process or using a coal gasification method. This type of hydrogen is commonly referred to as brown hydrogen. When the carbon emissions from the hydrogen production (for example from the methane in steam methane reforming) are captured and permanently stored, this is known as blue hydrogen.

Green hydrogen

Origin is focusing on opportunities in green hydrogen using renewable energy and sustainably sourced water.

As water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, a clean way to produce hydrogen is via a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis is where an electric current is passed through water to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen

How is Australia placed to produce green hydrogen

Our abundance of sunshine and land could help Australia to be a world leader in producing green hydrogen using renewable energy.

The potential for Australia to be a major supplier of hydrogen globally has been recognised by governments. The Australian Government released the National Hydrogen Strategy in November 2019 and $500 million in funding has already been announced to support hydrogen projects. Developing a hydrogen industry will benefit the Australian economy, create jobs and help protect the environment.

Exporting green hydrogen

By harnessing emerging technologies, we will be able serve our domestic market and export green hydrogen to other countries. Many of Australia's regional trading partners have neither the land nor weather conditions to support the large scale solar and wind projects needed to generate their country's clean energy needs. Origin can therefore play a part in helping other countries to access clean, green energy and create jobs and a cleaner energy future for Australia.

Origin and hydrogen

Technology around the way we can utilise hydrogen is emerging at a rapid rate globally. While it is early days, we are committed to exploring this emerging green energy source.

Origin has a small dedicated team exploring a number of green hydrogen projects and working out how they will fit with our energy mix and our business model for both domestic and export demand.

As a leading Australian integrated energy company with a history of delivering major projects and managing complex supply chains across power and gas, Origin is well-placed to participate in the hydrogen value chain.

More hydrogen resources

Want to learn more about hydrogen? Take a look at these sources.

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Hydrogen energy: what is it and why Origin's looking into it - The Origin Blog

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Origin is looking to the future. We're exploring new low and zero carbon ways of providing energy to our customers. Hydrogen, made using renewable energy, could be a solution. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. It's the energy that fuels the sun and the stars.

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Advantes & Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy 

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Advantes & Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy 

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Geothermal energy is more environmentally friendly than conventional fuel sources such as coal and other fossil fuels. In addition, the carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is low. While there is some pollution associated with geothermal energy, this is relatively minimal when compared to fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy that will last until the Earth is destroyed by the sun in around 5 billion years. The hot reservoirs within the Earth are naturally replenished, making it both renewable and sustainable.

Worldwide energy consumption is currently around 15 terawatts, which is far from the total potential energy available from geothermal sources. While we can't currently use most reservoirs there is a hope that the number of exploitable geothermal resources will increase with ongoing research and development in the industry. It is currently estimated that geothermal power plants could provide between 0.0035 and 2 terawatts of power.

Geothermal provides a reliable source of energy as compared to other renewable resources such as wind and solar power. This is because the resource is always available to be tapped into, unlike with wind or solar energy.

Effective use of geothermal for electricity generation requires water temperatures of over 150°C to drive turbines. Alternatively, the temperature difference between the surface and a ground source can be used. Due to the ground being more resistant to seasonal heat changes than the air, it can act as a heat sink/ source with a geothermal heat pump just two metres below the surface.

Energy generated from this resource is easy to calculate since it does not fluctuate in the same way as other energy sources, such as solar and wind. This means we can predict the power output from a geothermal plant with a high degree of accuracy.

Since geothermal energy is a naturally occurring resource there is no fuel required, such as with fossil fuels that are a finite resource which needs mining or otherwise extracting from the earth.

There is a great deal of exploration into geothermal energy at the moment, meaning that new technologies are being created to improve the energy process. There are an increasing number of projects to improve and grow this area of industry. With this rapid evolution many of the current cons of geothermal energy will be mitigated against.

The largest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal plants need to be built in places where the energy is accessible, which means that some areas are not able to exploit this resource. Of course, this is not a problem if you live in a place where geothermal energy is readily accessible, such as Iceland.

Although geothermal energy does not typically release greenhouse gases, there are many of these gases stored under the Earth's surface which are released into the atmosphere during digging. While these gases are also released into the atmosphere naturally, the rate increases near geothermal plants. However, these gas emissions are still far lower than those associated with fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy also runs the risk of triggering earthquakes. This is due to alterations in the Earth's structure as a result of digging. This problem is more prevalent with enhanced geothermal power plants, which force water into the Earth's crust to open up fissures to greater exploitation of the resource. However, since most geothermal plants are away from population centres, the implications of these earthquakes are relatively minor.

Geothermal energy is an expensive resource to tap into, with price tags ranging from around $2-$7 million for a plant with a 1 megawatt capacity. However, where the upfront costs are high, the outlay can be recouped as part of a long-term investment.

In order to maintain the sustainability of geothermal energy fluid needs to be pumped back into the underground reservoirs faster than it is depleted. This means that geothermal energy needs to be properly managed to maintain its sustainability.

It is important for industry to assess the geothermal energy pros and cons in order to take account of the advantages while mitigating against any potential problems.

This energy resource is certainly important for the future of energy and the environment and TWI can help with any queries you may have about its exploitation:

contactus@twi.co.uk

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What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy?

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There are many advantages of geothermal energy but also some challenges that need to be overcome in order to fully exploit this natural resource.

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Pros:                                             • Stable and reliable energy resource                     •Petroleum is easily extracted and at a low cost                        • Transportation of Petroleum is easy                                •Storage and transportation does not lead to energy loss    • Petroleum possesses multiple usages                                 Cons:                                             • Environmental Pollution            • It is a limited resource             • Has toxic byproducts         

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Pros:                                             • Stable and reliable energy resource                     •Petroleum is easily extracted and at a low cost                        • Transportation of Petroleum is easy                                •Storage and transportation does not lead to energy loss    • Petroleum possesses multiple usages                                 Cons:                                             • Environmental Pollution            • It is a limited resource             • Has toxic byproducts         

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A Hydrogen Society: What it Takes | GE Power

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Pros: No vehicle emissions other than water vapor. Fuel economy equivalent to about twice that of gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is abundant, and can be made from renewable energy.
Cons: This space-age technology is expensive. Acceptable range requires extremely-high-pressure, on-board hydrogen storage. Few places to refuel. Hydrogen is very expensive to transport and there is no infrastructure in place yet. Currently hydrogen fuel is made from nonrenewable natural gas in a process that creates enormous CO2 emissions.

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Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity, is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion-such as water flowing over a waterfall-to generate electricity. People have used this force for millennia. Over two thousand years ago, people in Greece used flowing water to turn the wheel of their mill to ground wheat into flour.
How Does Hydroelectric Energy Work?
Most hydroelectric power plants have a reservoir of water, a gate or valve to control how much water flows out of the reservoir, and an outlet or place where the water ends up after flowing downward. Water gains potential energy just before it spills over the top of a dam or flows down a hill. The potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as water flows downhill. The water can be used to turn the blades of a turbine to generate electricity, which is distributed to the power plant's customers.
Types of Hydroelectric Energy Plants
There are three different types of hydroelectric energy plants, the most common being an impoundment facility. In an impoundment facility, a dam is used to control the flow of water stored in a pool or reservoir. When more energy is needed, water is released from the dam. Once water is released, gravity takes over and the water flows downward through a turbine. As the blades of the turbine spin, they power a generator.

Another type of hydroelectric energy plant is a diversion facility. This type of plant is unique because it does not use a dam. Instead, it uses a series of canals to channel flowing river water toward the generator-powering turbines.

The third type of plant is called a pumped-storage facility. This plant collects the energy produced from solar, wind, and nuclear power and stores it for future use. The plant stores energy by pumping water uphill from a pool at a lower elevation to a reservoir located at a higher elevation. When there is high demand for electricity, water located in the higher pool is released. As this water flows back down to the lower reservoir, it turns a turbine to generate more electricity.
How Widely Is Hydroelectric Energy Used Around the World?
Hydroelectric energy is the most commonly-used renewable source of electricity. China is the largest producer of hydroelectricity. Other top producers of hydropower around the world include the United States, Brazil, Canada, India, and Russia. Approximately 71 percent of all of the renewable electricity generated on Earth is from hydropower.
What Is the Largest Hydroelectric Power Plant in the World?
The Three Gorges Dam in China, which holds back the Yangtze River, is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, in terms of electricity production. The dam is 2,335 meters (7,660 feet) long and 185 meters (607 feet) tall, and has enough generators to produce 22,500 megawatts of power.

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Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity, is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion-such as water flowing over a waterfall-to generate electricity. People have used this force for millennia. Over two thousand years ago, people in Greece used flowing water to turn the wheel of their mill to ground wheat into flour.

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Hydroelectric Power Plant working animation

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What is Biomass?

Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power.

Some examples of materials that make up biomass fuels are:

scrap lumber;

forest debris;

certain crops;

manure; and

some types of waste residues.

With a constant supply of waste - from construction and demolition activities, to wood not used in papermaking, to municipal solid waste - green energy production can continue indefinitely.

Biomass is a renewable source of fuel to produce energy because:

waste residues will always exist - in terms of scrap wood, mill residuals and forest resources; and

properly managed forests will always have more trees, and we will always have crops and the residual biological matter from those crops.

ReEnergy Holdings is an integrated waste fuel/biomass renewable energy company. Our facilities collect, process and recycle items for use as fuel, as well as green energy facilities that create power from that waste.

What is biomass power?

Biomass power is carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned, or left as fodder for forest fires.

When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. If you have a fireplace, you already are participating in the use of biomass as the wood you burn in it is a biomass fuel.

In biomass power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to industries and homes. Fortunately, new technologies - including pollution controls and combustion engineering - have advanced to the point that any emissions from burning biomass in industrial facilities are generally less than emissions produced when using fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil). ReEnergy has included these technologies in our facilities.

Biomass challenges

While the process to create electricity is similar whether using a biomass fuel or a fossil fuel, the equipment needed inside the plant is different. All of ReEnergy's power generation facilities have been outfitted - and new acquisitions are upgraded - to allow for the burning of biomass.

As with any electrical generation process, the facility needs a steady supply of fuel. In all cases, ReEnergy has suppliers to deliver a steady stream of biomass, and has engaged other suppliers to ensure the facilities have what they need. In addition, we create fuel for other biomass consumers - as well as other products - at our recycling facilities.

When anything is burned, it can create emissions and ash. Our facilities have state-of-the-art cleaning processes that keep emissions below state regulatory levels, and we reuse our ash.

Biomass and the US

Biomass fuels provided about 4 percent of the energy used in the United States in 2010. Of this, about 46 percent was from wood and wood-derived biomass, 43 percent was from biofuels (mainly ethanol), and about 11 percent was from municipal waste. Researchers are trying to develop ways to burn more biomass and fewer fossil fuels. Using biomass for energy cuts back on waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Biomass offers other significant environmental and consumer benefits, including improving forest health, protecting air quality, and offering the most dependable renewable energy source.

You can read about how we turn biomass and other residuals into energy here.

Sources: http://biomasspowerassociation.com, http://energy.gov/, http://instituteforenergyresearch.org

A map of biomass facilities can be found here http://biomasspowerassociation.com/docs/biomass_map.pdf

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Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power. Some examples of materials that make up biomass fuels are: scrap lumber; forest debris; certain crops; manure; and some types of waste residues.

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This Is What Will Happen When The World Runs Out Of Oil

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Top 15 Countries by Oil Production (1965-2018)

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Journey to the heart of Energy - How a biomass power plant works

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Biomass Pros and Cons - SWITCH ENERGY ALLIANCE

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Biomass-renewable energy from plants and animals

Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun that is produced by plants through photosynthesis. Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted to liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes

Biomass was the largest source of total annual U.S. energy consumption until the mid-1800s. In 2022, biomass accounted for nearly 5% of U.S. total primary energy consumption. Biomass is used for heating and electricity generation and as a transportation fuel. Biomass is an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries.

Wood and wood processing waste-firewood, wood pellets, and wood chips, lumber and furniture mill sawdust and waste, and black liquor from pulp and paper mills

Agricultural crops and waste materials-corn, soybeans, sugar cane, switchgrass, woody plants, algae, and crop and food processing residues, mostly to produce biofuels

Biogenic materials in municipal solid waste-paper products; cotton and wool products; and food, yard, and wood wastes

Animal manure and human sewage for producing biogas (renewable natural gas)

Biomass can be converted to energy in different ways

Biomass is converted to energy through various processes, including:

Direct combustion (burning) to produce heat

Thermochemical conversion to produce solid, gaseous, and liquid fuels

Chemical conversion to produce liquid fuels

Biological conversion to produce liquid and gaseous fuels

Direct combustion is the most common method for converting biomass to useful energy. All biomass can be burned directly for heating buildings and water, for providing industrial process heat, and for generating electricity in steam turbines.

Thermochemical conversion of biomass includes pyrolysis and gasification. Both processes are thermal decomposition processes wherein biomass feedstock materials are heated in closed, pressurized vessels called gassifiers at high temperatures. The processes mainly differ in the temperatures and in the amount of oxygen present during conversion.

Pyrolysis entails heating organic materials to between 800&deg F and 900&deg F (400&deg C and 500&deg C) in the nearly complete absence of free oxygen. Biomass pyrolysis produces fuels such as charcoal, bio-oil, renewable diesel, methane, and hydrogen.

Hydrotreating is used to process bio-oil (produced by fast pyrolysis) with hydrogen under elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of a catalyst to produce renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, and renewable jet fuel.

Gasification entails heating organic materials to between 1,400&deg F and 1,700 F (800&deg C and 900&deg C) with injections of controlled amounts of free oxygen or steam into the vessel to produce a carbon monoxide- and hydrogen-rich gas called synthesis gas or syngas. Syngas can be used as a fuel for diesel engines, for heating, and for generating electricity in gas turbines. It can also be treated to separate the hydrogen from the gas, and the hydrogen can be burned or used in fuel cells. The syngas can be further processed to produce liquid fuels using the Fischer-Tropsch process.

A chemical conversion process known as transesterification is used for converting vegetable oils, animal fats, and greases into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) to produce biodiesel.

Biological conversion of biomass includes fermentation to make ethanol and anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. Ethanol is used as a vehicle fuel. Biogas, also called biomethane or renewable natural gas, is produced in anaerobic digesters at sewage treatment plants and at dairy and livestock operations. It also forms in and may be captured from solid waste landfills. Properly treated renewable natural gas has the same uses as fossil fuel natural gas.

Researchers are working on ways to improve these methods and to develop other ways to convert and use more biomass for energy.

Biomass provided about 5% of U.S. energy in 2022

In 2022, biomass accounted for 5% of U.S. energy consumption, or about 4,930 trillion British thermal units (TBtu). The types, amounts, and the percentage shares of total biomass energy consumption in 2022 were:

Biofuels-2,419 TBtu-49%

Wood and wood waste-1,984 TBtu-43%

Municipal solid waste, animal manure, and sewage-411 TBtu-8%

The industrial sector is the largest consumer of biomass for energy in the United States

The amounts-in TBtu-and percentage shares of total U.S. biomass energy use by consuming sector in 2022 were:

The industrial sector accounted for the most, in terms of energy content and percentage share, of total annual U.S. biomass consumption in 2022. The wood products and paper industries use biomass in combined heat and power plants for process heat and to generate electricity for their own use.

The transportation sector accounted for the second-highest amount and percentage share of biomass (as biofuels) consumption in 2022.

The residential and commercial sectors use firewood and wood pellets for heating. The commercial sector also consumes, and in some cases, sells renewable natural gas produced at municipal sewage treatment facilities and at waste landfills.

The electric power sector uses wood and biomass-derived wastes to generate electricity for sale to the other sectors.

The United States is a net exporter of biomass energy

On an energy content basis, U.S. total biomass energy exports exceeded total biomass energy imports in 2022.

Densified biomass fuels (wood pellets and other densified biomass fuels) have become a U.S. export commodity in recent years. In 2022, the United States exported about 8.8 million tons of wood fuel pellets ( Table 8).
Last updated: June 30, 2023, with data from the Monthly Energy Review, April 2023; data for 2022 are preliminary.

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How is biomass, such as plants, wood, paper and lumber mills waste, and municipal garbage converted into heat, into biogas, or into liquid biofuels.

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What is Solar Energy?

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How do solar panels work? - Richard Komp

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· Make solar energy more efficient      and less expensive.

· Improve electricity storage and        transmission.

· Use more solar power

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interesting website (sadly in German)

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Definition und technik

Als Sonnenenergie oder Solarenergie bezeichnet man die von der Sonne durch Kernfusion erzeugte Energie, die in Teilen als elektromagnetische Strahlung zur Erde gelangt. Solarenergie kann direkt durch die Sonneneinstrahlung auf Kollektoren zur Erzeugung von Strom (Photovoltaik) und Wärme (Solarthermie) genutzt werden. Solarenergie ist aber auch für alle anderen erneuerbaren Energien notwendig: Wind entsteht durch sonnenerwärmte und kalte Luft (Windkraft), Biomasse wächst nur mit Hilfe der Sonne (Biomasse / Biogas) und Regen fällt nur, wenn auch Wasser an anderer Stelle durch Sonneneinstrahlung verdampft (Wasserkraft).

geschichte

Die Wertschätzung der Solarenergie reicht weit zurück: In nahezu allen Kulturen, von den Ägyptern bis in die Neuzeit, findet sich ein mehr oder weniger ausgeprägter Sonnenkult. Erste Ansätze passiver Nutzung sind bereits in der Architektur der alten Ägypter, in Mesopotamien und den frühen südamerikanischen Hochkulturen zu entdecken. Die aktive Nutzung der Sonnenenergie ist jedoch eine Errungenschaft der Neuzeit.

Der französische Naturforscher George Buffon baute im Jahr 1774 Apparate, bei denen die Sonnenstrahlen mit Hilfe von Spiegeln auf einen Punkt konzentriert wurden. Der erste Kollektor, der Wasser mit Hilfe der Sonne erwärmte, wurde 1891 vom kalifornischen Unternehmer Clarence M. Kemp zum Patent angemeldet. Henry Becquerel, ein französischer Physiker, entdeckte 1839 den Photoeffekt und schuf so die Voraussetzungen für die Solarzellen von heute.

Mit Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts werden erste Solarprojekte Realität: 1904 entstand in St. Louis die erste Solarfarmanlage, 1932 entstanden in Chicago sogar ganze Solarhäuser. Das Prinzip der Solarzelle wurde 1954 in den USA entwickelt und schon 1958 auf amerikanischen und sowjetischen Weltraumsatelliten eingesetzt.

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Solarenergie - Erneuerbare Energie Österreich

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Als Sonnenenergie oder Solarenergie bezeichnet man die von der Sonne durch Kernfusion erzeugte Energie, die in Teilen als elektromagnetische Strahlung zur Erde gelangt. Solarenergie kann direkt durch die Sonneneinstrahlung auf Kollektoren zur Erzeugung von Strom (Photovoltaik) und Wärme (Solarthermie) genutzt werden.

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solar energy, radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. The total amount of solar energy incident on Earth is vastly in excess of the world's current and anticipated energy requirements. If suitably harnessed, this highly diffused source has the potential to satisfy all future energy needs. In the 21st century solar energy is expected to become increasingly attractive as a renewable energy source because of its inexhaustible supply and its nonpolluting character, in stark contrast to the finite fossil fuels coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

The Sun is an extremely powerful energy source, and sunlight is by far the largest source of energy received by Earth, but its intensity at Earth's surface is actually quite low. This is essentially because of the enormous radial spreading of radiation from the distant Sun. A relatively minor additional loss is due to Earth's atmosphere and clouds, which absorb or scatter as much as 54 percent of the incoming sunlight. The sunlight that reaches the ground consists of nearly 50 percent visible light, 45 percent infrared radiation, and smaller amounts of ultraviolet and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.

The potential for solar energy is enormous, since about 200,000 times the world's total daily electric-generating capacity is received by Earth every day in the form of solar energy. Unfortunately, though solar energy itself is free, the high cost of its collection, conversion, and storage still limits its exploitation in many places. Solar radiation can be converted either into thermal energy (heat) or into electrical energy, though the former is easier to accomplish.

Thermal energy

Among the most common devices used to capture solar energy and convert it to thermal energy are flat-plate collectors, which are used for solar heating applications. Because the intensity of solar radiation at Earth's surface is so low, these collectors must be large in area. Even in sunny parts of the world's temperate regions, for instance, a collector must have a surface area of about 40 square metres (430 square feet) to gather enough energy to serve the energy needs of one person.

The most widely used flat-plate collectors consist of a blackened metal plate, covered with one or two sheets of glass, that is heated by the sunlight falling on it. This heat is then transferred to air or water, called carrier fluids, that flow past the back of the plate. The heat may be used directly, or it may be transferred to another medium for storage. Flat-plate collectors are commonly used for solar water heaters and house heating. The storage of heat for use at night or on cloudy days is commonly accomplished by using insulated tanks to store the water heated during sunny periods. Such a system can supply a home with hot water drawn from the storage tank, or, with the warmed water flowing through tubes in floors and ceilings, it can provide space heating. Flat-plate collectors typically heat carrier fluids to temperatures ranging from 66 to 93 °C (150 to 200 °F). The efficiency of such collectors (i.e., the proportion of the energy received that they convert into usable energy) ranges from 20 to 80 percent, depending on the design of the collector.

Another method of thermal energy conversion is found in solar ponds, which are bodies of salt water designed to collect and store solar energy. The heat extracted from such ponds enables the production of chemicals, food, textiles, and other industrial products and can also be used to warm greenhouses, swimming pools, and livestock buildings. Solar ponds are sometimes used to produce electricity through the use of the organic Rankine cycle engine, a relatively efficient and economical means of solar energy conversion, which is especially useful in remote locations. Solar ponds are fairly expensive to install and maintain and are generally limited to warm rural areas.

On a smaller scale, the Sun's energy can also be harnessed to cook food in specially designed solar ovens. Solar ovens typically concentrate sunlight from over a wide area to a central point, where a black-surfaced vessel converts the sunlight into heat. The ovens are typically portable and require no other fuel inputs.

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Solar energy | Definition, Uses, Advantages, & Facts

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Solar energy, radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. The total amount of solar energy incident on Earth is vastly in excess of the world's energy requirements and could satisfy all future energy needs if suitably harnessed.

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So, what is all this hot air about Hydrogen? | Andrew Clennett | TEDxNewPlymouth

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Sasha Yuvchenko :"How I survived Chernobyl"

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Sasha Yuvchenko :"How I survived Chernobyl"