E NERGY. S OURCES OF E NERGY Can you find the different sources of energy illustrated in this drawing?

ENERGY

SOURCES OF ENERGY

Can you find the different sources of energy illustrated in this drawing?

RENEWABLE VS NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

CANADA’S ENERGY USE Canada ranks 2nd in the world in energy use per person

Why!? Because… We live in a northern climate Huge country (use a lot of energy for transportation) Advanced industrial economy High standard of living Energy is relatively cheap in Canada so we waste it – we value

comfort and convenience

ENERGY SOURCES

1. Conventional Energy Sources – widely used(Responsible for almost all energy use)

- Examples: Oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectricity & nuclear power

2. Alternative energy sources – new, clean, renewable

- Examples: Solar, Wind & biomass energy

CANADIAN INSTALLED GENERATING CAPACITY - 2006

Renewable energy = Green pieces of pie.

FOSSIL FUELSPros Used globally, for more than a hundred years World economies are driven by sale of fossil

fuels Today’s technology is based on fossil fuels

alone

FOSSIL FUELSCons Reserves are limited. Cost is only likely to increase. Cause a significant amount of pollution and

environmental damage.

Coal Animationhttp://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/coalAnimation.html

COAL(fossil fuel)

COAL MINES IN CANADA24 producing coal mines, primarily in the west (2014)

British Columbia:10 mines Alberta: 9 mines Saskatchewan: 3 mines Nova Scotia: 2 mines

COAL MINES & COAL GENERATION PLANTS

USE FOR COAL Worldwide more electricity is generated from

coal than any other source. Coal generates 41% of the world's electricity. ~70% of world's steel production depends on

coal. Canadian coal is exported to 21 countries on

five continents with an annual value of approximately $2 billion.

COAL

Pros Reliable & relatively cheap Mature technology Newer plants have filters that eliminate 99% of

smoke particles and 95% of carbon released International market

CoalCons Transportation expensive Limited supply Older plants generate large

amounts of air pollution Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen

emissions can bind to water creating acid rain

New plants take long time to build

NATURAL GAS(fossil fuel) Gaseous fossil fuel composed mainly of

methane (CH4). Formed alongside oil fields and coal beds Methane produced from landfills and biogas

from cattle Canada is world’s 3rd largest producer

Natural Gas Animation:http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/naturalgasAnimation.html

NATURAL GAS in Canada British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Nova

Scotia and the Northwest Territories 90% produced in western Canada Half exported to U.S.A.

Geology of Natural Gas

NATURAL GAS

PROS Cleanest burning of all the fossil fuels Relatively low emissions compared to other fossil fuels Safely stored and burned

For the same amount of heat, natural gas produces 30% less carbon dioxide than burning oil and about 45% less than burning coal.

NATURAL GASCONS Limited supply as a non-renewable resource Less concentrated form of energy than oil Tends to be more expensive to extract compared

to other fossil fuels

OIL (fossil fuel) Formed from ancient microscopic plants

and plankton that lived in the ocean and saltwater seas millions of years ago

Off the coast of Newfoundland, the Hibernia is the world's largest oil platform in terms of weight, at a total of 1.2 million tons. This consists of a 37,000 tons integrated topsides facility mounted on a 600,000 ton gravity base structure along with 450,000 tons of solid ballast which was added to secure it in place.

Inside the gravity base structure are storage tanks for 1.3 million bbl of crude oil. The shape of the base is intended to prevent damage by icebergs.

Hibernia Platform

OIL SANDS

Discovered by Aboriginal people who used the tar-like substance to waterproof their clothing and canoes.

Commercial development started 1960s.

Extracting oil from the sands produces more greenhouse gases than drilling, requires a lot of water and cutting down of boreal forest

OIL

PROS Affordable Readily available in Canada Generates less CO2 than coal when burned Efficient Well paid jobs

OIL

CONS Rising cost of extraction Oil extraction can be environmentally

damaging Accidents when transporting crude oil (tanker

ships cause marine damage, pipelines, rail) Produces carbon dioxide when burned

NUCLEAR

Canada Deuterium-Uranium or CANDU reactors are used in Canada. The unique design uses compressed uranium dioxide pellets that are baked at high temperatures. The pellets are loaded into a metal tube that acts as a concentrated source of fuel. The reactors are highly radioactive so the reactor core is heavily shielded to protect the station's operators.

Two types of waste are produced: high level and low level (varies based on how much radiation they produce)

URANIUM OPERATING MINES IN CANADA

Uranium Operating Mine

Nuclear Power Plant

Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, Bowmanville, Ontario

Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, Bowmanville, Ontario

NUCLEAR: Pros

Most efficient power source by land area More efficient at transforming energy into

electricity than coal plants and renewable energy sources.

Nuclear plants don't emit carbon dioxide or other GHG.

Uranium reserves are abundant in Canada.

NUCLEAR CONS

Chemical processing of uranium ore leaves residues that can lead to radon (radioactive gas) exposure to the public.

Cooling water heats up rivers and reservoirs, causing potential harm to aquatic life.

Outdated reactors: lack containment features, computer-controlled instruments and adequate fire-prevention systems.

RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY

Hydro Solar Wind Geothermal Biomass Tidal Fuel cells

ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN CANADA 2011

HYDRO ENERGY

Process of using the potential energy of stored water to produce power. The amount of electricity generated is determined by how much water is flowing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnPEtwQtmGQ

HYDRO POWER IN CANADA 581 large hydropower dams Quebec has the largest number (32%),

followed by Ontario and BC 90% of the large dams are in three ecozones

(Boreal Shield 48% Taiga Shield, and Montane Cordillera)

BC generates 86% of its electricity from hydro

HYDROELECTRICITY ENERGY: PROS Reliable Capable of generating large amounts of power Multiple uses for reservoirs –

irrigation, recreation, flood control Once constructed, relatively inexpensive No emissions

Peace Canyon Dam, B.C.

HYDROELECTRICITY ENERGY Cons: Flooding creates disruption in aquatic and terrestrial

ecosystems Difficulty accommodating fish migration Appropriate sites are difficult to come by – tapped out Long time to construct dam (10-15 years) Locations aren't always reliable (drought)

Fish cannons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9qA8c-E_oA

Video - Three Gorges Damhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13460536

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/7143-china-three-gorges-dam-video.htm 

WIND transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into

mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use.

Kingston

INSTALLED WIND ENERGY 2011

INSTALLED WIND ENERGY 2014

WIND SPEED IN CANADAWhich map is more effective?

WIND

Pros: No emissions or waste Abundant and renewable. Turbines can be set up without disturbing

ecosystems. Existing technology is relatively high output

and affordable. Ontario Provincial government promotion

WIND TURBINES

Cons: Wind dependent (output proportional to wind

speed). Not feasible for many locations (Best on coastlines/ high

ridges) NIMBY: unsightly and noisy Main sound comes from the aerodynamic

swoosh of the blades passing the tower. Turbines now designed to NOT look like

appealing perches; reduction in bird deaths

SOLAR ENERGY

Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. When sunlight strikes a PV cell, electrons are dislodged, creating an electrical current

Solar Energy Explained http://www.aboriginalenergy.ca/solarpopup.html RMR Rick installs Solar Panels Oshawahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmI2BjOO9gg

SOLAR MAP OF CANADA

The 13 PV hotspots in each province and territory in terms of yearly PV potential for south-facing PV panels with latitude tilt.

SOLAR ENERGY: ADVANTAGES

PV is often the lowest-cost means to provide electricity

Simplest and cleanest to operate Silent and expandable Can use unoccupied roofs No fuel is used, eliminating transportation

costs Portable

Animation: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/solar.html

SOLAR ENERGY: DISADVANTAGES

Production is weather-dependent Inefficient in low sun and cloudy conditions Batteries are needed to store energy to cover

those times when solar is not producing Large areas are required to produce industrial

volume of energy; problem if this involves agricultural land; creates solar desert

Solar panels have short life-span; have to be replaced after 3-5 years

Creation of solar panels requires use of non-renewable materials

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Makes use of the Earth's natural heat to power

turbines and generate electricity Underground steam and hot springs

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Pros: Renewable and simple Available indefinitely Low maintenance & operating No visual pollution

Cons: Few government incentive programs Expensive initial costs: 10 to 15 year payback

BIOMASS

Organic material that can be used as a source of renewable power.

Examples include wood by-products, municipal waste and livestock manure

Biomass Explained:http://www.aboriginalenergy.ca/biomasspopup.html

BIOMASSPros: Renewable. Proven technology. Plentiful sources in waste products (from

agriculture, forestry and food processing). Not dependent on fossil fuels. Cons: Burning biomass causes some polluting

gases and liquid waste collection.

TIDAL ENERGY Process in which the kinetic energy of sea waves is used to generate power. Best suited for Bay of Fundy which has huge difference in height between high and low tides.

Pro: Renewable Predictable

Cons: Expensive Equipment must be

able to withstand salt water & sand

Underwater turbines can kill fish

May change fish migration patterns

Sites not near market