Turning Photons into Fuel
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Transcript of Turning Photons into Fuel
Turning Photons Into FuelGeorge Cook MCAD Sustainable Design Fall 2015
Solar Potential
Earth receives 2X more energy from the sun than all non-renewables combined
Unrealized potential: Only 1% of worldwide electricity generated by solar
Solar Growth TrajectoryU.S. Energy Information Administration estimates growth from 13% to 18% by 2040
All renewables combined
Solar continues to be minority share of renewable mix
IPCC Targets
EIA’s Estimates: Trajectory between “maintain” & “migrate”
Nowhere near the IPCC target
EIA
Current Challenges
Most panels are made in China
Chinese share is expected to rise to 70% by 2017
Solar PV manufacturing requires lots of electricity
73% of China’s electricity came from coal last year
Photo: Beijing Air Pollution by Kentaro Iemoto
Sludge & contaminated water
California, produced 46.5 million pounds of sludge and contaminated water from 2007 through 2011.
Silicon production health risks
Silicosis in miners
Toxic chemicals in manufacturing and end-of-life
Silicon tetrachloride, hydrofluoric acid, cadmium telluride, cadmium sulfide, gallium arsenide…
Resource scarcity
Silicon tetrachloride, hydrofluoric acid, cadmium telluride, cadmium sulfide, gallium arsenide…
Incremental SolutionsReduce impacts from toxic substances
Improve efficiencies, lower costs
Power as a service
Practice Extended Producer Responsibility
Strategic Recommendations
Support Earth Systems
Move beyond incremental change
Instill net-positive values and culture
Stay in planetary boundaries
Learn from Living Systems
Physical, chemical & biological processes
Self-sustaining
Balancing growth & decay
Real world examplesAquagy: Carbon-negative wastewater treatment
ARDEC Algae-based demilitarization
Boeing biofuels from halophytes + recycling aquaculture waste
Photo: Clean Technica
Real world R&D, prototypesHydrogen from algae:Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Bioreactors for buildings: BIQ prototype, Grow Energy, Inc.
“Bionic Leaf” research: Harvard’s Wyss Institute
Real world R&D (continued)Hematite based artificial photosynthesis research: Boston College
Mimicking nature to split water: Max Planck Institute
Thin layer manganese oxide to improve efficiency and cost: Florida State University
ConclusionsSolar PV: Continue to iterate, improve and innovate. Continue to grow share.
Design solutions to replace chemical energy that close the carbon loop.
Use an Earth systems perspective: Holistic designs that value ecosystems services on an equal footing.
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Retrieved from: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/05/solar-panel-manufacturing-is-greener-in-europe-than-china.htmlDustin Mulvaney. “Solar Energy Isn’t Always as Green as You Think.” IEEE. (2014, August 16). Retrieved from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-thinkJ. Matthew Roney. “China’s Solar Panel Production to Double by 2017.” Earth Policy Institute. (2014 July 8). Retrieved from: http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2014/highlights47“Safeguards against silicosis in mining.” Mining Technology. (2011 September 20). Retrieved from: http://www.mining-technology.com/features/feature130267/Jonathan Stempel. “China's JinkoSolar must face U.S. lawsuit over pollution, protests.” Reuters-Environment. (2014 July 31). Retrieved from http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-jinkosolar-lawsuit-idUKKBN0G020H20140731 Dustin Mulvaney. “Solar Energy Isn’t Always as Green as You Think.” IEEE. (2014, August 16). Retrieved from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-thinkChristina Nunez. “How Green Are Those Solar Panels, Really?” National Geographic. (2014 November 11). Retrieved from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/11/141111-solar-panel-manufacturing-sustainability-ranking/Jason Dearen. “Solar industry grapples with hazardous wastes.” Associated Press. (2013 February 10). Retrieved from: http://news.yahoo.com/solar-industry-grapples-hazardous-wastes-184756813.html?nf=1 Nicola Jones. “A Scarcity of Rare Metals Is Hindering Green Technologies.” Yale University-environment360. (2013 November 18). Retrieved from http://e360.yale.edu/feature/a_scarcity_of_rare_metals_is_hindering_green_technologies/2711Dustin Mulvaney. “Solar Energy Isn’t Always as Green as You Think.” IEEE. (2014 August 16). Retrieved from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solar-energy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-thinkBill Scanlon. “New solar cell is more efficient, less costly.” phys.org. (2013 November 11). Retrieved from http://phys.org/news/2013-11-solar-cell-efficient-costly.htmlDavid Feldman & Elaine Ulrich. “Shared Solar: Current Landscape, Market Potential, and the Impact of Federal Securities Regulation.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2015 April). p V.Lynn Yarris. “Quantum Secrets of Photosynthesis Revealed.” Berkeley Lab Research News. (2007 April 12). Retrieved from: http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/PBD-quantum-secrets.htmlAlan Betts. “Our Responsibilities for Managing the Earth System.” alanbetts.com. (2010 December 8). Retrieved from: http://alanbetts.com/workspace/uploads/publicscientist-and-managingearthakb-1319895630.pdf“Planetary boundaries.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. (n.d.) 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(2015 November 11). http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/11/microbes-map-path-toward-renewable-energy-futureSteadman, Ian. “Hamburg Unveils World’s First Algae-Powered Building.” Wired UK. (2013 April 16). Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/2013/04/algae-powered-building/“Growing Algae for a Greener World” Grow Energy. (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.growenergy.orgCooney, Elizabeth. “Bionic Leaf.” Harvard Medical School. (2015, February 9). Retrieved from: https://hms.harvard.edu/news/bionic-leaf“Rust Helps Boston College Researchers Power Up Artificial Photosynthesis.” Boston College Office of News & Public Affairs. (2013 October). Retrieved from: http://www.bc.edu/offices/pubaf/news/2013-sep-oct/boston-college-chemist-dunwei-wang-powers-up-artificial-photosyn.html“Solar fuels as generated by nature.” Max Planck Institute (2014, August 20). Retrieved from: http://www.mpg.de/8373743/photosynthetic-water-splittingFrangoul, Anmar. “Power plant: High-tech photosynthesis.” Florida State University College of Engineering. (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.eng.fsu.edu/research/researchers_article.html?s=high-tech-photosynthesis“High-Temperature Thermochemical Storage With Redox-Stable Perovskites For Concentrating Solar Power.” Advanced Energy Systems Group. Colorado School of Mines. http://aes.mines.edu/hightemp_TCS.html“Study shows value of combining solar thermal energy with biomass gasification to produce natural gas substitute” phys.org (2015 February 9). http://phys.org/news/2015-02-combining-solar-thermal-energy-biomass.html Andrews, Roger. “Renewable Energy Growth in Perspective.” Energy Matters blog. (2014 July 14). http://euanmearns.com/renewable-energy-growth-in-perspective/ Schumacher, EF. A Guide for the Perplexed. (1977). ISBN 0-224-01496-X. Excerpt retrieved from: http://www.philosophymagazine.com/others/MO_Schumacher_Perplexed.html#Chapter11