DoD Executive Agent Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment) NDCEE is operated by: The Road to Renewable Energy: It’s.

DoD Executive AgentOffice of the Assistant Secretary of the Army

(Installations and Environment)

NDCEE is operated by:

The Road to Renewable Energy:It’s Not All “Fun in the Sun”

David S. EadySustainability and Readiness Principal

NDCEENational Defense Center for Environmental Excellence

TRANSFERRING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Supporting Readiness, Sustainability, and Transformation

29 June 2005

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National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence

REGION 4 CONFERENCE – JUNE 2005Executive Agent – OASA(I&E)

How Green is Green?Renewable or “Green” Energy and Sustainability

What is “sustainability”?

“The ability to maintain the necessary level and duration of operational activity to achieve military objectives.” (JP 1-02)

…the capacity for continuance into the long term future

Sustainability and the “Triple Bottom Line”:

Mission

Community

Environment

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Sustainability aspects include: Human activities, interactions and institutions Resource exchange (i.e. flows of energy and materials) Ecosystem manipulation

L.E.S.S. is more: Leave it => limit flows from lithosphere to biosphere Eat it => waste must equal food; there are limits Spare it => maintain biological diversity and productivity Share it => meet basic needs worldwide

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Three kinds of resources: Natural flows (sunlight, winds, ocean currents, etc.)

…continuously flowing resources, from which society can deflect a flow to meet its needs

Funds (forests, fish populations, etc.) …use natural flows to maintain themselves and when harvested

will regenerate, if not irreversibly damaged

Deposits (natural gas, petroleum, coal, etc.) …have no (or very limited) re-growth possibility within human

planning horizons and are gradually depleted when extracted

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What is “renewable” energy?

Renewable energy sources are constantly replenished and will never run out. (NREL)

Renewable energy sources come from existing flows of energy, from ongoing natural processes

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What are the different types of “renewable” energy?* Solar energy Wind energy Biomass energy Geothermal energy Hydroelectric power Hydrogen energy Ocean energy

Does not include fossil fuels or nuclear energy!* Adapted from information found on the NREL website.

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Solar energy* Photovoltaic (solar cell) systems:

producing electricity directly from sunlight

Concentrating solar systems:

using the sun’s heat to produce electricity

Passive solar hearing and daylighting:

using solar energy to heat and light buildings

Solar hot water:

heating water with solar energy

Solar process heat and space heating and cooling:

industrial and commercial uses of the sun’s heat* Adapted from information found on the NREL website.

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Wind energy*

Wind turbines

Stand-alone applications (e.g. water pumping or communications)

Connected to a utility power grid (e.g. a wind plant or “farm”)

* Adapted from information found on the NREL website.

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Biomass energy*

Biofuels:

converting biomass into liquid fuels for transportation

Biopower:

burning biomass directly, or converting it into a gaseous fuel or oil, to generate electricity

Bioproducts:

converting biomass into chemicals for making products typically made from petroleum

* Adapted from information found on the NREL website.

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Why is renewable energy important? Environmental benefits

Renewable energy technologies have much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies

Sustainable supplies Renewable energy sources will not run out, but other sources are

finite and can be depleted

Economic benefits Renewable energy investments are typically local, creating jobs and

fueling local economies rather than contributing to energy imports

Energy security Renewable energy reduces dependency on foreign oil supplies

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Backup Slides

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Bio-Energy Cycle

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DoD Executive Agent Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment) NDCEE is operated by: The Road to Renewable Energy: It’s.

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