Which Energy Source is most sustainable in Ontario? Group 17 Dominik Brejta, Nina Chen, Prabhpreet Hundal, Jasmine Mah, Nanak Rai, Tejpal Sahota, Karan.

Which Energy Source is most sustainable in Ontario?

Group 17Dominik Brejta, Nina Chen, Prabhpreet Hundal,

Jasmine Mah, Nanak Rai, Tejpal Sahota, Karan Seth

Possible types of Energy Sources

• Solar Energy• Wind Energy• Hydro Energy• Coal• Natural Gas• Nuclear Energy

Solar Energy

• Solar energy: electromagnetic radiation released by thermonuclear reactions in core of sun

• A renewable resource• Uses photovoltaic cells, which are used to make solar

panels

Advantages of using Solar Energy

• remote expenses of Canada offer opportunities for developing and using many cost-effective solar technologies

• Continous supply of solar energy is free• solar energy can be used to power small areas• sun delivers solar energy to all parts of Canada

– use of this energy minimizes need for expensive & inefficient transmission and delivery systems

• free - it needs no fuel and produces no waste or pollution

Solar Energy – Advantages continued

• In countries that receive an abundance of sunlight, solar power can be used as an alternative to electricity if it is costly to deliver in a remote area

• Handy for low-power uses such as solar powered garden lights and battery chargers, or for helping your home energy bills

• RENEWABLE• Solar water heating can reduce energy expenses because

water heating usually costs over $400 a year

Disadvantages of using Solar Energy

• photovoltaic cells used in some areas of Canada to power radio transmitters and navigational aids, but it is too expensive for widespread use

• today’s PV cells only convert about 10-20% of the energy into electrical energy

• active systems require several years of operation to recover initial cost of operation in fuel savings

• Does not work at night

Solar Energy – Disadvantages contd.

• very expensive to build solar power stations• solar cells cost a great deal compared to the amount of

electricity they'll produce in their lifetime• can be unreliable unless you're in a very sunny climate• amount of energy received based on:

– time of day– season of year– latitude of area

Solar Energy in Ontario

• active solar systems capture energy by mechanical means (ex. rooftop collectors)– accounts for only a tiny fraction of Canada's energy

use– some studies indicate that it could meet as much as

5% of the Canada's energy needs by the year 2025

How it works

• main applications of solar-energy technology in Canada: space heating, domestic hot water, and for drying crops and lumber

• solar cells: used to convert light directly into electricity

• heat from the sun is used to heat water in glass panels on roof

• water is pumped through pipes in panel• pipes painted black to absorb a larger amount of heat• water pumped through pipe at bottom so that convection

helps flow of hot water out of the top• reduces electricity costs used to heat up water

Solar Water Heating

Solar Furnace

• uses huge array of mirrors to concentrate sun’s energy into small space and produce high temperatures

How it works continued

• Energy that radiates from the sun comes from a process called nuclear fusion– sun made of mostly hydrogen and helium atoms– nuclei of hydrogen atoms in sun’s core combine to form helium– this generate energy– they combine due to the sun’s extremely high pressure and

temperature– 4 hydrogen nuclei combine to become 1 helium atom– But, helium atom contains less mass than the 4 hydrogen atoms

that fused together

How it works continued– Some matter is lost during nuclear fission – lost matter is emitted into

space as radiant energy– Solar energy travels to the earth at a speed of 186 000 miles per

seconds (a.k.a. speed of light)– Only small portion of energy emitted by sun into space hits earth (one

part in two billion)– 15% of sun’s energy = reflected back into space– 30% - used to evaporate water, which produces rainfall– Solar energy = absorbed by plants, land, and oceans

Impact on Environment & Economy

• No air and water pollution• Free and widely available energy source• Manufacturing the PV cells consumes silicon and

produces some waste• Solar thermal farms can harm desert ecosystems

Sustainability

• Looking at the above research, it is evident that as long as the solar energy harvesting fields are managed properly, it is a possibility of using solar energy to power cities.

• However, it should be mentioned that, most likely, it should not be used to power smaller places because of the factor that affect the amount of sunlight available

• The solar cells cost a lot of money, but over time, they will be worth their cost