...The location that we chose is Hilo, Hawaii which has around 44,000 people and rising. The area is sunny and humid throughout the year. We want to build a small community of about 20 units using recycled shipping containers. There is an abundant amount of natural resources to be utilized such as the wind for wind turbines, sun for solar power, free flowing streams for irrigation, and geothermal energy from the Puna Volcano. The initial cost may be high because of how remote the islands are therefore making getting supplies difficult due to shipping. The purpose of a green community is to reduce energy consumption, improve health and reduce impact on the environment. Well-designed green buildings will save money by off-setting the rise of electricity and increase comfort for people by improving air quality. The cost of using electricity will continue to rise which will increase the demand for renewable energy. Since Hawaii is made of islands, we thought it would great to use green buildings to save the resources left in Hawaii without destroying anymore trees or using fossil fuels for energy that’s having an effect on global warming. Also, there would be a limited amount of land left as the population continues to grow. Another purpose of a green building in Hilo is save money on people’s pocket since the cost of living is pretty high through lowering monthly bills by an estimated $92. We would be buying 18.2 acres of land for $500,000. The average cost of a use shipping container...
Words: 852 - Pages: 4
...in the US, the number of quakes at this level has expanded by a factor of four (“26 Pros and Cons Of Fracking” 5). On the other hand, a big wide variety of wells were made using the fracking method, and the quantity of earthquakes have been insignificant (“26 Pros and Cons Of Fracking” 3). Methane is an ozone-harming substance, which hints that it is a greenhouse gas which is also a cause of global warming (Squire 35, 36). The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that fracking can contaminate groundwater tables, tap water systems, and wells and if methane gets into the...
Words: 1270 - Pages: 6
...Geothermal energy is created through power plants similar to the ones that burn coal. However, the heat that turns the water into steam to spin the turbines is derived from the magma in the earth’s mantle, and indirectly from the earth’s core. This is a pretty much renewable, emission free source of energy. The more common way of harnessing the heat from the earth’s mantle is with Flash steam power plants. This is when plants drill down to natural reservoirs, pump cool water down, and pump the hot water up. The water that’s pumped up is way hotter than the boiling point of water (212°F). With Flash steam power plants, the water needs to be between 350° and 700°. When this water is given room to expand, it turns immediately into steam and spins a turbine. Another type of power plant is the Dry steam. This power plant just pumps water down and, and steam up. This is the oldest and simplest design. Water for this design must be above 300°. The last and latest design is the binary power plant. This can take water that is as low as 135°. When the water is pumped up, it goes through a heat exchanger, which transfers heat from the water to another substance with a lower boiling point, like butane. The second substance is then used to spin the turbine. Some of the pros to geothermal energy is that it is pretty much completely reliable, completely renewable, is a steady source of energy, and doesn’t release a much smaller amount of harmful emissions than burning fossil fuels (only...
Words: 648 - Pages: 3
...Geothermal energy which is heat energy can be found in almost everywhere on Earth. It is a renewable energy derived from heat deep in the Earth’s crust. The word “geothermal” comes from Greek words meaning “Earth” (geo) and heat (thermal), it means using the nature heat produced inside the Earth. (Davor Habjanec,2008)The use of geothermal energy occurred more than 10,000 years ago with the settlement of Paleo-Indians in hot springs. The technology of geothermal energy improved each year. In 1904, the first geothermal power plant was built in Larderello, Italy. Although geothermal energy's installation is expensive, it is an efficient and reliable energy resource which does not cause significant pollution, it is renewable, and we can predict the output power with remarkable accuracy. Commercial geothermal power projects which is the geothermal power plant, are expensive. The exploration and drilling of new reservoirs come with a steep price tag. Total costs usually end...
Words: 1014 - Pages: 5
...ENERGY Renewable Energy: An Overview DOE/GO-102001-1102 FS175 March 2001 EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY What is Renewable Energy? Renewable energy uses energy sources that are continually replenished by nature—the sun, the wind, water, the Earth’s heat, and plants. Renewable energy technologies turn these fuels into usable forms of energy—most often elec- tricity, but also heat, chemicals, or mechanical power. Why Use Renewable Energy? Today we primarily use fossil fuels to heat and power our homes and fuel our cars. It’s convenient to use coal, oil, and natural gas for meeting our energy needs, but we have a limited supply of these fuels on the Earth. We’re using them much more rapidly than they are being created. Even- tually, they will run out. And because of safety concerns and waste disposal prob- lems, the United States will retire much of its nuclear capacity by 2020. In the mean- time, the nation’s energy needs are expected to grow by 33 percent during the next 20 years. Renewable energy can help fill the gap. Even if we had an unlimited supply of fos- sil fuels, using renewable energy is better for the environment. We often call renew- able energy technologies “clean” or “green” because they produce few if any pollutants. Burning fossil fuels, however, sends greenhouse gases into the atmos- phere, trapping the sun’s heat and con- tributing to global warming. Climate scientists generally agree that the Earth’s average temperature has risen in the past century...
Words: 4852 - Pages: 20
...Biomass the Energy of Life What is Biomass? Biomass is one of five clean energies sources. Biomass refers to the use of organic material to produce energy. Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals, and it is a renewable source of energy. Biomass comes from a variety of sources which include food crops, grassy and woody plants, residues from agriculture or forestry, oil-rich algae, and the organic component of municipal and industrial wastes. Even the fumes from landfills can be used as a biomass energy source ("EIA Energy Kids - Biomass," n.d.). As well as many other forms of energy, the people need to know how biomass is used, the advantages, and disadvantages that it brings people. Biomass hold stored energy from...
Words: 796 - Pages: 4
...Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy Why should we promote renewable energy? According to the United States White House, one gigawatt of electricity created by renewable energy can power 290,000 homes for an entire year (White House, n.d.). There are numerous advantages to renewable energy. Once fossil fuels run out, the world will be forced to rely on renewable energy sources. Renewable energy can create energy without creating harmful emissions and further polluting the Earth. The solution for more energy is not a simple one. Many countries are having trouble funding renewable energy efforts (Bell, 2013). Presently there are many negative side effects from producing renewable energy, but these problems can be improved upon. Governments have also made advances in technology difficult by placing restrictions on producing renewable energy which leads to higher prices (EPA, n.d.). While these side effects may be putting a damper on current efforts, eventually renewable energy will become a must. Pros and Cons of renewable energy Using renewable energy sources allows the world to have electricity while lowering and in some cases, eliminating waste and pollution (White House, n.d.). Creating new power facilities would also create numerous jobs and could improve local economies (Bell, 2013). Using renewable power sources could allow governments, companies, families and everyone affected by the new power sources the potential to save money on electricity for extended periods...
Words: 1575 - Pages: 7
...When it comes to using energy, the best type is the renewable kind. There are many different types of renewable sources that we can use. Wind, water, sun and geothermal heat are a few that are readily available for use. However, we have to think of the pros and cons and the human interaction that comes with all four of these. Some of the pros and cons are the same with these, although from here-in there will only be talk of wind power and the good and bad sides to using it. Wind power is a totally renewable resource. Since, there is wind all over the world turbines could go up anywhere, on land and in the sea. The pros to putting wind turbines are that they are green. They do not produce any radiation or other type of pollution that can affect the local area. Efficiency always comes in to play when planning something that big and they are very efficient, both with space and what they provide. Some of the largest turbines offer power to generate enough watts for 600 homes; they also can protect against power outages, whereas telephone poles cannot since they can get knocked down more easy, for example in an ice storm. Wind power has been around since the early 1800’s when it was used to power water pumps to get water out of wells to go to farming. And, besides, once the structure is up and running and paid for the power is, for the most part, free. With the pros stated, now it is time for the cons to be gone over. Since the biggest part of a wind turbine is the wind, it can...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...| Geothermal power has many local and global benefits. | Slide 65 of 122, © 2000 Geothermal Education Office | | | http://geothermal.marin.org/geopresentation/sld065.htm Geothermal energy offers those of us who live on the earth the ability to tap into the earth for a new, renewable source of energy. Once discovered, it was a revolutionary solution that quickly spread from one end of the planet to the other. But as with any other solution, if you are considering geothermal energy for your home, you’ll want to take a look at the advantages and disadvantages it produces. So, to help you out, we looked around to discover some answers to your questions - “What are the advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?” The Advantages of Geothermal Energy When it comes to the advantages of geothermal energy, they are numerous. To give you an idea of just how many there are, be sure to check out this list: * First and foremost, geothermal energy is renewable, meaning that as long as we don’t pump too much cold water into the earth -cooling off the hot rocks- the energy will just keep on coming! * Secondly, geothermal energy doesn’t produce pollution, and at the same time, it doesn’t contribute to the greenhouse effect! * The power stations for geothermal energy don’t take up a whole bunch of room, and because of this, they tend to have less of an impact on the surrounding environment. * Because geothermal energy is energy in and of itself, no...
Words: 2271 - Pages: 10
...the whole room illuminates. But, congressman, let me ask you. Have you ever wondered how electricity works? What is it that makes electricity possible? What did it take for light to have the ability to stream out of the light bulb? We take electricity for granted, but not many of us actually look into it. People often do not know how electricity is the way it is, but instead they see electricity as something that is very accessible and plentiful. So, congressman, you have the money, and I have the brains. You want to know how to spend the 200 billion? I’ll tell you. Let’s start off with what electricity really is. You hear that word so many times in your daily life, but few have heard the scientific definition. Electricity is a type of energy produced from the existence of electrons or protons, either statically as a build-up of charge, or dynamically as a current. It is usually categorized into two different currents: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). Alternating current is a constant flow of electric charge that reverses its course from time to time. Direct current is the opposite; it only runs in one direction. Within those two currents are things such as volts, watts, amperes (or amps), and ohms. Volts are the SI unit of electromotive force, the distinction of potential that would force one ampere of current against one ohm resistance. A watt is also an SI unit, but unlike a volt, it is built upon power. One watt is equal to one joule per second, relating...
Words: 6349 - Pages: 26
...difference by providing two way interaction by exchanging data between stations to enable effective integration of new sustainable energy source. The aim is to provide a smarter, safer, reliable and more cost effective grid system using communication technologies, therefore opening up carrier opportunities for IT graduates. The smart grid can help improve service provider in the sense that it helps improve customer management and billing. It also provides peak load reduction. He explained different types of power generation source such as solar voltaic, solar thermal, hydropower, geothermal, current and wave power that can be used with the smart grid. He explained the pros and cons of these entire power generation sources. Among some problems that have to be taken into consideration is the demand, space, how much land it will take to build a power station, cost, the amount of power generated, how it will affect the landscape and the environment, should it be done in a large scale or a small scale and much more. Another problem is that renewable energy are not always usable, for example solar energy which only generates energy when there is sunlight and wind turbine which provides energy only when there is wind. These energy sources are intermittent. It has been suggested that they should be stored in batteries, pump storage hydro, compressed air energy storage (CAES) or any other storage systems. He also stated a few non-traditional players in the smart grid introduction. Such...
Words: 329 - Pages: 2
...difference by providing two way interaction by exchanging data between stations to enable effective integration of new sustainable energy source. The aim is to provide a smarter, safer, reliable and more cost effective grid system using communication technologies, therefore opening up carrier opportunities for IT graduates. The smart grid can help improve service provider in the sense that it helps improve customer management and billing. It also provides peak load reduction. He explained different types of power generation source such as solar voltaic, solar thermal, hydropower, geothermal, current and wave power that can be used with the smart grid. He explained the pros and cons of these entire power generation sources. Among some problems that have to be taken into consideration is the demand, space, how much land it will take to build a power station, cost, the amount of power generated, how it will affect the landscape and the environment, should it be done in a large scale or a small scale and much more. Another problem is that renewable energy are not always usable, for example solar energy which only generates energy when there is sunlight and wind turbine which provides energy only when there is wind. These energy sources are intermittent. It has been suggested that they should be stored in batteries, pump storage hydro, compressed air energy storage (CAES) or any other storage systems. He also stated a few non-traditional players in the smart grid introduction. Such...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...Oil Drilling Jasmine A. Richardson Freshman Seminar Friday 10:20-11:20 Throughout the years the government has spent millions of dollars on oil drilling. But what is the actual purpose of oil drilling? Is it necessary? Are we spending too much money on this one project or is it useful in the end? These questions have been debated so much over and over again. But the question is am I for or against oil drilling? Oil drilling takes up too much time and money for one simple purpose. It takes time and a workload to even begin this process. In order to perform a normal oil drilling process you have to find a land that has to be cleared and leveled, water must be nearby, if there is no water the crews have to dig water well, and lastly the crews have to reserve a pit. All of this is very expensive and damaging to the land. In an article in Bloomberg Business week it was recorded that marathon oil spent 10 million on oil drilling and that was just for one time. If oil drilling is really purposeful for the country why make it so expensive? There aren’t any other resources to finding oil? And the main objective is if we’re spending so much money on oil drilling then why are we even fighting in the war anymore? The damages to the land are excruciating and the government always ends up paying for the damages so that’s double to money they’re spending. One expensive tool they use to capture the oil is the oil rig. They use it to drill into the ground so that they can confiscate...
Words: 2003 - Pages: 9
...Energy Class 1 Energy —— the ability to do work Work —— when a farce acts on an object through a distance Farce —— push or a pull | |Distance |Force |Energy |Power | |USA units |Foot(ft) |Pounds(lbs) |kWh |hp | |Metric |Meter(m) |Newton(N)kg*m/s2 |Joules |J/s(watt) | *kWh —— kilowatt hour hp —— horsepower 33,000 ft*lbs/min = 745 J/s = 746 W —— 1 hp Power —— the rate at which works is ? Mechanical —— relates to the movement of an objects or its position is gravity Sound —— relates to the repetitive compression and rarefaction of molecules in a substance Chemical —— relates to energy stored in the bonds between atoms in a molecule Electrical —— relates to the movement or flow of electrons Light —— relates to on electric change or magnetic field that produce electromagnetic waves Heat —— relates to the motion of particles, atoms or molecules in a substance Nuclear —— relates to the potential energy stored in bonds between particles in the nucleus of an atom Conservation of energy Energy cannot be created or destroyed, if only changer forms Class 2 10 Sources of Energy |Renewable |Non Renewable ...
Words: 3815 - Pages: 16
...hypotheses; (1) life, since its inception, has greatly affected the planetary environment and (2) life has altered Earth’s environment in ways that have allowed life to persist. Do you agree with these two hypotheses? Why or why not? Energy and Food Supplies. The underlying theme of this course is energy. As a whole, the global society needs to find ways to reduce our energy consumption. The food pyramid is a prime example of energy transfer within individual ecosystems and the biosphere. As you increase the trophic levels, a greater amount of energy is lost. Some environmentalists argue that humans should eat a vegetarian diet in order to conserve energy. What are some of the pros and cons of this action? Consider the impact to the agricultural industry? How low on the food chain do you eat? Would you consider eating lower? Model Ecosystems. Review the virtual lab in Model Ecosystems. Within this laboratory exercise you will categorize various organisms into the correct trophic level for five different ecosystems. Once completed, you will calculate the amount of energy transferred between levels. Record your observations. Answer the journal questions and upload it as a Word document into the online course. Energy Policy. The U.S. Energy Policy is currently being reviewed and six main recommendations are listed, by Botkin and Keller (2011, p. 298). Discuss whether or not each recommendation will lead us to a sustainable society. Defend your position by discussing the benefits...
Words: 1862 - Pages: 8
