Energy

Types of Energy

Primary – Released from a direct source

Secondary – Primary energy converted into a different form – e.g. electricity from burning coal

Renewable / Non Renewable

Renewableo Can be replenished at a quicker rate than it is usedo “Flow” – a constant energy transfer occurringo Tidal, wind, solar, HEP

Non-renewableo Can run out and cannot be replaced in the foreseeable futureo “Stock” – a limited stock which will not be replaced (in a hurry at least)o Coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear

Carefully Managed Resources

Some resources must be carefully managed so that they are renewableo Wood

Techniques such as coppicing and replanting ensure it is replaced at the same rate it is used

o Geothermal Reservoirs Tectonic heat turns water into steam – if pumping quantity is too great, continually

pumping water into the ground will cool the ground

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Primary Energy Mix

Many countries cannot supply all their energy needs from one source (e.g. security reasons) therefore use a variety

Amount of each resource used is displayed proportionately in an energy mix chart UK ENERGY MIX

Description ExplanationOver 70% of UK energy supply is oil and gas The UK has reserves of bothSince the 1970s consumption of oil has increased Discovery of North Sea Oil in 1969

Growing demand for transport fuelUse of natural gas has decreased by 85% since 1990Use of coal has fallen by 40% since 1990 Closure of coal mines

Oil and gas are less pollutingUse of renewable resources has increased, but is still lower than the EU average

Government is aiming to move towards a more sustainable energy supply

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Natural Gas; 40%

Oil; 33%

Coal; 17%

Nuclear; 8% Other; 2%

Primary Energy Mix of the UK

Natural GasOilCoalNuclearOther

Energy Distribution

Some countries produce a lot of energy due to large energy reserves and the money to exploit themo Iran, Saudi Arabia – large oil reserveso China, Australia – large coal reserveso UK, Russia, Canada – large oil and gas reserveso USA, Indonesia – large coal, oil and gas reserves

Some countries produce little energy since they have few resources or are unable to exploit them due to a lack of money or political instability

o Angola – politically unstable and lack of moneyo Spain – small fossil fuel reserves

Energy Consumption

Relationship between GDP and energy consumptiono Wealthy countries tend to consume more energy per person because they can afford to and

have access to energy intensive devices like cars o Poorer countries consume less energy per person as they are less able to afford it, additionally,

their lifestyles do not require as much electricity

Trading Energy

Countries that are able to produce a lot of energy therefore export more Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Denmark export energy Italy, Ireland, Spain, Japan import energy

TNCs

Trans-National Corporationso Distribute energyo E.g. ExxonMobil

Oil and gas Based in the USA Largest company in the world Operates in 200 countries Produces 3% of the world’s oil

Production: Explores for oil and gas on every continent except for Antarctica. Oil is extracted and sent to ExxonMobil refineries (e.g. in the USA, Norway, Thailand, UK) for processing.

Distribution: Uses its own transportation system to transport products to distribution centres; either their own ones or independent ones – then sold to customers and individuals for transport fuel.

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Geopolitics of Energy

Energy securityo All countries are dependent on energy supplies, e.g. for transport, heating, electricity and

manufacturingo Global energy use is increasing and fossil fuel reserves are decreasing, maybe leading to an

“energy crisis”o The largest reserves of oil and gas are sometimes in politically or economically unstable areas

such as Russia; energy supplies are often at risk of being disruptedo To secure supplies, agreements are made between exporting and importing regions

e.g. the EU will become increasingly dependent on imports as North Sea Oil runs out, so it opened talks with Russia in 2000 to try to guarantee access to Russian gas supplies. In return, Russia wanted investment into production of fuel and improved access to EU markets.

o Where agreements cannot be reached, it can lead to conflict or the threat of conflict. e.g. the 1980 Carter Doctrine stated that the USA would use military force if necessary to protect its interests in the Middle East and secure the free movement of oil.

o As energy consumption increases, so does the impact of energy use on the environment. International agreements, e.g. the Kyoto Protocol, are drawn up to try and address these problems, but too can lead to political conflict if environmental protection clashes with other national interests, e.g. economic growth

Patterns of Energy Production, Consumption and Trade

Changes in Production

Energy production has increased in countries where new reserves have been discovered, e.g. in Nigeria and Algeria

There have also been decreases in places that have become more politically stable, e.g. Angola The production of energy has decreased in other countries as resources are used up, e.g. North Sea oil

production has declined since 1999, reducing production in the UK, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

Production often decreases in areas that become more unstable e.g. Sudan oil production decreased due to the civil war between 1983 and 2005.

Changes in Consumption

China has a large population and a rapidly growing economy. As standards of living and industrial output go up, China consumes more energy.

Other newly industrialised countries, e.g. India, Malaysia and Mexico, are also using more energy as they develop

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Pros Cons

Wind is unpredictable, therefore amount generated varies with wind

strength

Large numbers of turbines are required to make a significant amount of energy - therefore in practice takes up a lot of

space

They are an eyesore in the countryside - often the most appropriate place for

wind turbines

A threat to wildlife - noisier than a car going at 70mph, and turbines can kill

and injure birds and bats

Wind is free and often in constant supply

Although tall, the base of the turbine does not take up much space, hence land can be used for other land uses

Does not produce any pollutants once build

Very low cost - as little as 0.5 pence per kilowatt hour once going

Wind Energy

1% of the world’s electricity production Case Study: Denmark

o Denmark has invested in wind power since the 1970s, establishing wind farms, offshore and onshore

o Families are offered tax exemptions (no longer having to pay tax) for generating their own electricity

o By 2004, over 150,000 households had joined this schemeo Denmark now produces 19.7% of its electricity from wind power, the highest in the world

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Biomass Energy

Organic material burnt for power or used to produce biofuel Recently living matter A common way of producing biofuel is to ferment sugar cane to produce alcohol which can then be

burnt. Methane and biogas can also be fermented Case Study: Brazil

o Running the ethanol fuel programme since the 1970so Made by fermenting sugar cane: the rest is burnt for heating and powero Ethanol supplies 18% of transport fuel and cars either run on ethanol, or a petrol and energy

mixo Decreases Brazil’s dependence on imported oil

Pros Cons

Large areas of land are needed to produce sufficient biofuels, an

opportunity cost of not growing crops in its place, leads to fuel shortages

Biomass is only renewable if carefully managed

Fossil fuels (NO2, soot, ash, some carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide)

are used to process and transport biomass

May be seasonal

Can live off people's waste, so instead of wasting it, it can be used to create

electricity

Free or low cost inputs

Can be produced freely, independently and remotely

Low carbon

Solar Power

Uses of solar energyo Solar water cookers

Use solar energy to heat water, then pumped into a storage tank ready for useo Solar cookers

Concentrate sunlight and convert it to heat energy and then trapping it to use for cooking

o Photovoltaic cells Convert light energy into electrical energy – used in the home or sent back to the grid

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Pros Cons

CO2 is released in equipment production

PV cells are expensive

Large areas of solar panels and sunny climates are

needed to produce large amounts of electricity

Quiet

Can be used in remote areas, e.g. deserts

Can be equally efficient on rooftops to be space

efficient

Pros Cons

Super expensive and making it releases carbon

dioxide

Disrupts ecosystems, and turbines can kill aquatic

animals

Not very productive during neap or slack tides

A cyclical, predictable pattern - we can predict

the efficiency at any given time

Protects the artificial harbour from large waves

in storms

Renewable, relies solely on the movements of the

moon and the sun - also 100% clean

Tidal Energy

Comes from the movement of tideso Less variable; more predictable, can be harnessed using tidal barrageso Tidal barrages are built across estuaries. As the tide flows in and out, water passes through

gates in the barrage, turning turbines that generate electricity E.g. la Rance tidal barrage

o La Rance Estuary, Northern Franceo Began operating in 1967o Largest tidal power station in the worldo Produces enough energy for 19,000 homeso 13m high and stretches the entire estuaryo Normal tide range is 8m, at a spring tide tidal range of 13.5m

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Energy conservation

Energy can be made sustainable by conserving as much energy as possible. By reducing overall use of energy fewer resources are used up and the environmental effects of energy use are limited, e.g. emission of greenhouse gases

How buildings can be made more sustainable

Reducing the amount of energy needed for heating so that heat loss is reducedo Double glazingo Draught-proofingo Loft insulationo Cavity wall insulation

Installing energy efficient boilers so that less energy is lost to the surroundings Features that help absorb and retain the sun’s energy, e.g. large south facing windows

e.g. St George’s College, Weybridgeo The Rocket – A bio-digester

Recycles biomass (wasted food and wood choppings to name some) by digesting it so that it can be used to lay on the ground for soil development

Uses enzymeso Solar panels on the tennis centre

Solar panels are used for workplace consumption Excess is fed back onto national grid

o Southcote House (accommodation) and Henderson Centre (learning facility) Won awards for sustainability Insulation from the ground

In the walls and windows In the roofs

Affordable accommodation for college staff Also key workers, e.g. policemen, nurses

o Sustainable transport Facilities for bicycle racks Tax on car parking places in workplaces

o Double-glazed windows with argon Asymmetrical glass Stops transmission of coldness Have trickle vents to let cold air in and out and dehumidify

o Toilets Automatic lights Water saving flush

o Air system No air conditioning – air is controlled, requires some electricity yet considerably less Open plan (large gaps in the floor between ground floor and first floor) to permit air to

circulate Heavy doors stop air flow

o Eco|Driver Moderates energy and water usage and identified a significant water leak

How transport can be made more sustainable

Encouraging vehicles that need no fuel, e.g. bikeso E.g. employers receive tax exemptions for loaning and selling bicycles to employees as part of

the Cycle to Work schemeo Carrot

Establishing investment in public transporto E.g. The government subsidise the Park-and-Ride scheme to reduce fuel consumption and the

number of vehicles on the road Congestion charge

o E.g. London congestion charge was introduced in 2003 Charges drivers for entering the central zone of the city on car during normal working

hours Reduces congestion and increases funds for public transport Decreased the number of vehicles in London by 21% CO2 emissions have decreased by 20% £137m was raised Bike use has gone up by 12% since 2003 Bus use has gone up by 6% since 2003

Hydrogen fuel cell buses Electric buses Hybrid fuel buses, e.g. Brazil

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Sweden: Multiple approacheso 78% of Sweden’s primary energy mix is nuclear and hydroelectric power

4% comes from wind powero 1970: Oil took up 75% of the primary energy mix – now oil takes up just 21.5%

Sweden consumes 15,000 kilowatt hours per person per year of energy – one of highest in world

Average Swede releases 5 tons of carbon/year, average American 19 tons of carbon/year

o Wind vs. Nuclear Sweden has had 13 nuclear reactors in operation, now only ten remain New plants to replace decommissioned ones

o Bioenergy Sweden is 53% forest (global average 30%) 85% of bioenergy in Sweden comes from forestry 30% of Sweden’s total supply – industrial processes and district heating

o Fuel cells Combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy – only exhaust is water More research required before this is viable technology

o Solar energyo Wave energyo Human power

Government wants a 20% reduction in energy use in building stock by 2020 Wants renewable energy to be 50% of national supply by 2020 (currently 48%) due to

HEP and bioenergy

Brazil: Biomasso Materials

Use of sugar cane to make bioethanol Flex fuel: 25% bioethanol + gasoline 75% 23% of all cars in Brazil in 2003 88% of all cars in Brazil today

Fuel wood makes biomasso Carbon neutralo World’s largest exporter of bioethanolo 84% of Brazil’s energy comes from renewables o PROALCOOL scheme of 1975

All sugar cane produced was for ethanol production Diesel vehicles banned Subsidized ethanol Tax incentives on ethanol powered cars 35,000 filling stations have an ethanol pump

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