Shepherd.Mullaney.MMA.Fall2009.Energy&Water

=Solar Panels and Wind Turbines=

Problem?
The United States has always been a power hungry nation. Especially, within the last 3 decades, demands for fossil fuels have skyrocketed. The new age of "just plug it in," has put an impact on your environment and health. The problem at hand is, the United States of America has not been using modern technology to economically harvest energy through natural resources, other than oil. If Americans used wind and solar energy to power simple amenities in our everyday lives we could help build on a green environment while lessening our dependance on foreign oil.

Driving Force of the Problem?
Oil is not a readily renewable energy source. It takes hundreds of years for the earth to produce a barrel of oil. It is imperative that people in america use the technology we have been blessed with to find and create different energy sources. With the rising demand of oil, the cost will soon soar higher than most middle income families will be able to justify their large SUV's, air conditioning, and overall energy consumption. For the sake of our planet, our wallets, and our future, it is time to step up and use the sun and wind to harvest our energy.

[[image:mass_maritime_wind.jpg]] How are people currently solving this problem?
The U.S. government has been extremely responsive with the new "going green" movement. There have been tax deductions and incentives for those homes and companies that can prove they have made their lives less of an impact on the environment with new technology. Here at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, there has been a wind turbine placed on campus to collect the energy from the ocean and transfer it into an alternating current energy source. This has proven to supply 100% of the power consumed by the cadet dormitory. Even though the turbine cost the Academy over 1 million dollars, within 5 years, the Academy has saved well over what they payed for the wind collector. Another innovation that has been put here on campus at MMA is solar panels on the street lamps around campus. There is no power supplied from the grid to the lights. There are 4 foot by 2 foot panels that harvest the suns energy during the day to power the lights during nighttime hours. Many companies such as SolarPath, Energy Star, General Electric, BP (British Petroleum), and many others are further ahead in creating more economical ways to use the earth for providing energy.

[[image:2003_12_04_solar_display1.jpg]]
This diagram is a great example of how solar panels collect energy from the sun photons, which cause electrons to flow through the solar display causing electricity to be made.

Wind Turbines are much different. The turbine blades are pitched in order to produce speed when the wind pushes them, causing them to rotate on a shaft. The shaft then turns a large coil of wires around to magnets which creates a magnetic field and electricity. As the wire spins is causes the magnetic flux to change which causes the polarity within the magnets to change from North to South. This allows for electrons to flow which in turn charge a battery that can be hooked up to a power grid. From the grid this battery can supply energy to everyday house hold items.

CO2 Footprint
Both Solar Panels and Wind Turbines do not produce CO2 emissions. This is a primary reason why solar panels and wind turbines are being heavily advertised and used to entice incentives for buyers. The only emissions caused by these two would be fumes from the truck that would bring them to the build site. The typical 50 gallon electric water heater uses 11.1 barrels of oil a year, which translates into the same amount oil used by a typical 4 door sedan driven by the average consumer. Using solar panels to heat your home water or pool could save hundreds of dollars annually while reducing CO2 emissions.



Highlights of Solar Panels and Wind Turbines
Solar panels: 1. The suns rays do not cost money 2. Fast and efficient way to collect energy 3. No CO2 emissions 4. No harm to the environment 5. Reduce electricity

Wind Turbines: 1. Wind is free 2. Can generate and store energy for long periods of time 3. No CO2 emissions 4. Reduce reliability of national grid

Why might some people not approve or agree with these alternative energy sources?
The main reason one would not agree with these energy sources is because it is dependent on nature. If there is no wind, or no sun, there will not be any energy made. Many wind turbines are put along coast line in order to catch the ocean breeze to optimize time with wind exerted on the turbine. Environmentalists have shut down many projects such as the one right here in our back yard on Nantucket Sound. There were many controversies about putting wind turbines on The Sound because; it would destruct peoples view, it would take away the simplicity of the ocean, it interfered with the canadian geese path south... the list goes on and on. Both of these methods of alternative energy are also costly to start. To put a wind turbine in your back yard and try and catch the wind is not economical unless you can guarantee the return will out weigh the cost of the equipment and materials. Solar panels are becoming more reasonably priced but still take time to make the return on the purchase.

Worldwide Use
Many European and African countries have adapted Wind Turbines to collect energy.

In January, a consortium of Dutch and Kenyan investors will begin construction on the $760 million project, which envisions more than 350 wind turbines towering over desert expanses near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. When completed in 2012, the wind farm is expected to boost the power supply in this nation by almost 30 percent. Kenya is one of the continent's greenest countries, with nearly three-quarters of its power coming from hydroelectric and geothermal sources. But its efforts to harness the wind have put it at the forefront of a budding movement in Africa, ahead of a global climate change conference in Copenhagen next month. Ethiopia inked a $300 million deal last year with the French company Vergnet to build a wind farm. Tanzania is constructing two facilities that will boost its power supply by nearly 10 percent. And South Africa the, continent's largest economy, hopes to complete 18 wind farms by 2014. ( //Christopher Vourlias// )

On a Larger Note
In order to make these two ways of alternative energy efficient in large quantities it would require extensive amount of land and materials. The main problem with solar panels would be having enough water to cool the apparatus collecting photons. The cost to deliver water out to the desert where the sun is most prevalent would out weigh the amount of energy being produced by a significant amount. With wind turbines, the shore line contains too much controversy with marine life and extreme environmentalists. There are wind farms in the plains of the Mid-west but in order to fully supply the U.S. with power would cost billions of dollars.



My Opinion
After learning more about Wind Turbines and Solar Panels, I am more inclined to find more efficient and economical ways to power my own life. The sun outputs enough energy on the earth in one hour to meet the entire countries energy supply demand for the entire year! This fact is incredible to me. I think that more people should try to use Solar and Wind power generators in order to use more available resources and become more energy sufficient and independent. It is important to realize that within the next century it will be imperative to discover new ways to supply power to our homes and run the motors that move our vehicles, and ships. It is frightening being at a maritime academy because the industry that we will be serving in must change significantly in order to adapt to these changes unless shipping companies want to start using extremely large sail boats. This project has sparked my imagination to start being less dependent on foreign oil because some day in the near future there will be no petroleum for every day use.