Lecture 10 Alternative Energy: Wind & HydropowerPowerPoint PresentationSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Conservation and Innovation can be profitableSlide 7Slide 8AdvantagesDisadvantagesSlide 11Slide 12Slide 132) Run-of-River plantsSlide 15Altered seasonal flow regime of river systemsSlide 17Slide 18Lecture 10Alternative Energy: Wind & HydropowerECOL 1000: Ecological Basis of Environmental IssuesUniversity of GeorgiaSpring 2015Wind PowerBlade works like an airplane wing, and turns a generator•Geography & Topography cause uneven heating of Earth•Winds formed from high to low pressure•So, where is the greatest potential in the US?Wind Turbines- Department of Energy videoWinds of Change- Denmark videoConservation and Innovation can be profitableCurrently, Denmark produces about 20% of their electricity needs through wind powerThat’s projected to increase to 50% by 2030Denmark also commands 60% of the global market for wind turbinesJobs and profit!Numbers and statistics can sometimes be misleading! Be careful of their interpretation….•Wind Farms: clusters of turbines•Currently produce less than 0.5% of global electricity needs•~6% of the total renewable energy•But, fastest growing renewable sector (10x increase in last decade)•2/3 of wind power in US:Texas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, & WashingtonAdvantages•No fuel needed (no drilling, wastes, etc)•No pollutants released (CO2, NO2, SO2)•Domestic energy source•Not subject to disruptions of single energy plantsDisadvantages•Bird & Bat deaths (may interfere with bird movement corridors) (but, car & building window collisions ? Cats?)•Aesthetics?•Intermittent wind (Use offshore locations?)•Windy areas not usually near urban areasHydropowerCapturing the energy of water moving under the force of gravity1) Impoundment plants (Dams)Buford Dam & Lake Lanier2) Run-of-River plants•Less costly•Less ecologically disruptive•Dependant on sustained flow•16% of global demand of electricity•2% of global energy•China, Brazil, & Canada largest producers•Norway & Paraguay ~100% of electricity needsAltered seasonal flow regime of river systemsGlen Canyon DamColorado RiverAdvantages•Fossil fuel not needed•No pollutants emitted•Energy cheap to produce (after expense of plant construction)•Power produced can be matched to demand•Dams also used for flood control•Water retention (recreation & water supply)Disadvantages•Effect on environment and human communities (for example, Three Gorges Dam, China)•Ecosystem alteration & flow changes•Peak flows no longer seasonal•Sediment accumulation & transport altered•Temperature and oxygen in stream