ECOL 1000 1nd Edition Lecture 17 Outline of Last Lecture I. BioenergyII. Cellulosic EthanolIII. Ocean-Growth BiofuelIV. Wind PowerOutline of Current Lecture II. HydropowerIII. Impoundment plantsIV. Run-of-River plantsV. Three Gorges DamVI. Advantages and Disadvantages of HydropowerVII. Solar ImpulseCurrent Lecture- Impoundment plants (Dams)o Water stored behind the wall of a hydropower dam accumulates potential energyo Gravity carries water through an intake pipe known as a penstocko Water spins the turbine blades attached to a generatoro Hydroelectric power is generated and transmitted- Run-of-River plantso Less costly o Less ecologically disruptiveo Dependant on sustained flowo Penstock takes runoff rainfall and snowpack to hydroelectric plant- Three Gorges Damo 16% of global demand of electricityo 2% of global energyo People displacedThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- When a river floods it distributes nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) to the surrounding areao Damns remove this benefit- Hydropowero Advantages Fossil fuel not needed No pollutants emitted-lessens acid rain Energy cheap to produce (after expense of plant construction) Power produced can be matched to demand Flood control Water retention (recreation & water supply)o Disadvantages Effect on environment and human communities Toxins forming Ecosystem alteration & flow changes Peak flows are no longer seasonal (ecosystems are used to seasonal flooding) Sediment accumulation & transport altered Temperature and oxygen in stream changed- Hydropower 57% of global renewable energy consumption- Video about solar-powered planeo Solar Impulse airplaneo Successfully flew cross-country with multiple stops in cities along the wayo Energy self-sufficiency Visitor’s center at Zion National Park in Utah heated almost entirely by solar energy Solar panels provide electricity The south-facing wall of the visitor’s center made mostly of glass-the other side of the glass is a masonry wall with a black coating that absorbs sunlight. The wallabsorbs and stores heat and gradually releases head into the building during the day- Photovoltaic Cell: technology that takes light energy and converts it into electric
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