To begin, these two videos neatly summaries how geothermal energy can be harnessed in the home for private use.
Figure 1: Explanation of geothermal energy with case study focus
Figure 2: Explanation of geothermal energy on a global scale.
Geothermal energy can be utilised to an effective extent as summarised in the figures 1 and 2. The possibilities that the earth energy possesses is now being used on a global scale as well as in the home and locally also.
Neal Hot Springs plant begins operation in and is generating 28 megawatts of electricity - enough to power over 25000 homes (The Associated Press, 2013). The plant system pumps water at around 300 degrees from a reservoir 2500 feet underground. This water vapor turns a turbine to run a generator - the water is returned to the ground at a temperature of around 140 degrees to be reheated again (The Associated Press, 2013). This process is completely renewable as the water vapor is recyclable back in to the system. It is estimated that the project cost $143.6 million (U.S. Geothermal Inc., 2013).
Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Plant. Source: reNews, 2012
Several hundred people worked on the construction of the geothermal plant and 20 ongoing jobs (The Associated Press, 2013a) are expected to continue to be offered in connection with the running of the plant. This shows how renewable energy power plant construction can have extra benefits on the wider community with the creation of jobs and more investment through salaries in to the local community. Many projects are associated also with training local people in running renewable energy programs.
This website provides a great source of information on the development of the project.
There are two types of solar panels: photo-voltaic (PV) and thermal. Figure 1 gives the best explanation I have found online of the main facts about solar power and its potential to be utilised in the home.
Figure 1: Introduction of Solar Power. Source: Solar century
PV panels use the suns energy to produce electricity, where as thermal panels use the heat energy from the sun to heat water. Both are feasible options, although it is thermal panels that are currently most popular in residential investment in England. Figure 2 shows a case study of a home owner who has installed renewable energy technologies and how he has benefited from this. The focus is on both solar PV and thermal panels along with a wind turbine that has been installed also.
Figure 2: Renewable Energy Technologies case study. Source: Energy Savings Trust, 2010.
There are Government initiatives to increase the interest in solar power potential at an individual level. The Green Deal is a Government initiative that is aimed at improving energy saving potential of homes and businesses. Figure 2 discusses the possibility of grants being available for help towards installation costs. As the Uswitch website shows, solar panels could be installed for free to lower the cost of energy bills if a scheme exists in the homeowners area. If qualification is not met then solar loans are available also, although this can be quite expensive in the long run. Figure 3 gives an explanation of the Feed-in Tarrif - another Government ran scheme that allows for homes to make a profit from their renewable technologies.
What is the Feed-in Tariff?
The Feed-in Tariff scheme is a government scheme that pays people for every unit of renewable energy they generate as an incentive to promote green energy. You install solar panels and start generating your own renewable electricity.
You use the free electricity you generate in your home, get paid for every unit you generate. If you need more, then you simply buy it from your energy supplier as usual.
You sell any extra electricity you're producing to the National Grid. You get paid per unit of electricity that you generate.
Tariffs are index-linked, which means they will track market prices and, depending on the type of technology you use to generate electricity, they're guaranteed for up to 20 years.
Information about solar panel installation is readily available on the web, with Tesco, Uswitch, Evo energy and the Energy Savings Trust all providing resources to help with progress towards greener energy production.
Tesco Home Efficiency makes solar panels more readily available and affordable to the public; however the prices are still quite expensive and it is not a cheap option in the short term despite the savings to be made in the future.
Evo energy provide much information to make solar panel possibilities seem much more accessible and feasible. The company works with the installation of Solar PV panels along with Solar Thermal panels.
The possibilities with solar power is a great investment as it is a technology that can pay for itself in the year after installation, however it is only available to those that are able to afford the initial cost. Uswitch state that the solar panels installed will pay for themselves within 9 years and will still be profitable for a guaranteed rate for a further 11 years. However, the rate at which electricity is produced or water heated is limited to the reliability that can be placed on the sun shining; less likely in winter months. Figure 4 shows that much can be earned from the PV installation as the money received is tax free.
Figure 4: Table to show how much can be earnt from the installation of solar panels. Source: Uswitch, 2013.
Benefits
The benefits from solar PV panels are plentiful.
The electricity produced is 'free' as it is powered by a public resource - the sun.
Uswitch (2013) claim that bills can be cut by up to 50%.
If solar panels are bought outright and the household qualifies for the 'Feed-in Tariff money can be earned on any excess electricity produced (Uswitch, 2013).
Produce electricity and heat water even when overcast - reliance is not upon the sun presence but more the intensity of the sunlight.
Hot water solar panels can be placed more freely.
Feed-in Tariff.
Lasts up to 25 years.
Excess electricity produced by PV panels can be exported to the grid.
Solar thermals save vast amounts of fueling costs on heating hot water, especially in summer months.
An understanding is gained of exactly how much energy is needed for living and where it can be saved
Disadvantages
Initial installation cost.
Ideally need to be South facing to be most efficient.
Are more efficient when the sun is bright (mainly the summer months)
The inverter will need replacing at some point within the 25 year life span - costing around £1000.
Maintenance.
Solar thermals need to be checked regularly for leaks.
Both PV and thermals need to be kept relatively clean to be most productive.
Uswitch (2013) Solar Panels, [online] available at: http://www.uswitch.com/solar-panels/ [accessed on 12th March 2013]Describe the two different types of panels & their success / costing / opinions.
I recently visited the Glyndebourne wind turbine. Famous for its Opera House and arts contributions the arts organisation is the first to have installed a turbine in an attempt to become independent.
The Turbine
They want to focus on being more environmentally friendly and one project that had strong backing was the construction of a wind turbine. Initial predictions from Northern Energy suggested that on average 100% of Glyndebourne's energy would be produced by a 70m turbine, however after further research it was brought down to an estimate of 90%. For Glyndebourne this project was the largest financially-viable initiative that could be undertaken to reduce their own carbon emissions (Glyndebourne, 2012)
"There is a great beauty in seeing humanity working together with nature rather than against it. How paradoxical it is that while most people think eighteenth-century windmills are beautiful, some consider these twenty-first century windmills to be ugly. Wind turbines provide a most valuable way of reducing our carbon dioxide emissions and I fully support Glyndebourne’s initiative."
- Sir David Attenborough
Attenborough clearly supports the project in its entirety and for all those who do not agree with the chosen location he states that the electricity has to be generated in new renewable ways to make progress towards a more sustainable future: "If people don't like the rhythmic puffy noise it makes then that's their choice, but I can't help feeling such people haven't really grasped where energy comes from. What do they imagine happens when they turn on a light switch or drive their cars?" (Kennedy, 2012).
Gus Christie on the Turbine
The wind turbine was constructed over a period of 3 days; being completed on 3rd December 2011. The turbine is an Enercon E44 with a rotor blade length of 20.8m, standing at 67m tall with a 900kW rated power.
Construction of the turbine
Although controversial the turbine itself is now providing for the vast majority of the opera house's electricity requirements. The opinions of it being a 'blot on the landscape' (Tarver, 2012) still remain among certain residents and also The Campaign for National Parks who joined in the protest against its construction; not disagreeing with the turbine concept but its location in such an idyllic setting. However despite the contrasting opinions it is clear how much of a success the project has been from these figures below:
December 2012 and cumulative figures of turbine output (Glyndebourne,2012)
The remains of an old windmill, destroyed in 1921 are still in evidence on the site; highlighting how wind energy has been used as a natural resource to produce energy for over 5000 years.
Turbine and information board
Old windmill remains
Old & New
The turbine has built-in lightning protection and storm control features which reduces operation when extremely high wind speeds occur; preventing shutdowns causing energy generation losses. It is expected to reduce carbon emissions of the opera house by around 50%.
I believe the Glyndebourne project to be a very successful example of individual construction of a turbine. Being the first UK arts organisation to have taken this initiative, Glyndebourne are at the forefront of the increasing trend of adopting more environmentally friendly energy production methods.
To read more on Glyndebourne's commitment to protecting the environment click here or to specifically see more information about the wind turbine that has been constructed click here.
The aim of this blog is to allow for a broad exploration of the many different aspects of energy and power production; potentially proving that to move away from the use of coal and nuclear in production will have many more beneficial effects than their continued use, with supply being even more scarce in years to come.
I aim to focus around solar energy, wind energy and hydroelectric power in the production of future electricity on a global scale and see if it really is feasable to increasingly adopt these alternate methods of electricity production.
The following video from Richard Branson was brought to my attention and I think it highlights how we as a nation and globally need to reconsider how we can continue to live the lives that we lead. It focuses mainly upon climate change as a whole and it is this aspect of energy resources that I want to revolve my blog around; seeing as it is so topical in the current World climate.
