Green Oil Pros

Dilip Dahanukar asked:


The three computer entities, Uncle Guhu, Brother Miki and Bitsy researched alternatives to fossil fuel energy and put out an email through eMaya. Fololowing is an excerpt from the book ‘eMaya’ www.trafford.com/08-0434 : 

     Guhu opened the conversation. “There is a general belief that most of the fossil fuel, coal, gas and oil, is used to make electricity. But that’s not true. I found from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), there is 15 TWh (trillion watt hours) of energy consumed by the World every hour, of which only 5.5 TWh are electricity.”

    Miki couldn’t believe it. He said, “Then what is the rest for?”

    Guhu replied, “There is a lot used for making steam in the chemical and food industry, there is a fair amount for making cement, there is a large amount used in heating homes, some is used in transport and most of the rest is used for cooking food!”

    Bitsy spontaneously remarked, “We must therefore, substitute fossil fuel in all these energy requirements to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions. It’s getting more complicated.”

    Guhu said, “Electricity is generated from many sources. It’s not all fossil fuel. They have 16% by nuclear power, 5.6% by Oil, 19.5% by Natural Gas, 30.5% by coal, and only 18.6 % by renewable sources. The fossil fuels together represent the majority, i.e. 65.6%!”

    “So the fossil fuels add up to 13.2 TW; 9.5 TW for other uses and 3.7 TW for electricity generation. That is 88% of 15 TW of the total.” Bitsy put the figures together.

    Miki said, “That means that of the total fossil fuel consumed, 75% is being burnt for other uses and only about 25% for electricity generation. So in promoting renewable energy for power, we are trying to save what we can from only the one-fourth fraction. I think we must concentrate on the other sector which takes up three-fourth of the fossil fuel consumption.”

    Bitsy said the obvious, “We have to convert the source of energy for the steam for the industry, home heating, and cooking food away from fossil fuels if we want to reduce the fossil fuel consumption.”

    Guhu was more rational. “We must leave no stone unturned. We must try to promote other sources of electricity as demand for energy is increasing by leaps and bounds. If we don’t address the issue, they will take the easy route out and put up more and more coal based thermal power plants. If it is not stemmed, coal will show a marked increase in usage.”

    Miki said, “Among the renewable energy sources, the largest is hydro power. It is the electricity generated when the water stored in a dammed reservoir is sent down a pipe called penstock to the turbine located at a lower altitude which produces the power. As the reservoir gets filled by rain every year, the power source is inexhaustible. All the best sites have been exploited in the developed countries long ago. There is however good prospects in China and the Indian sub-continent.”

    Bitsy added, “But there is now a great awareness of the environmental damage a dam could do. Besides, the displacement of the population from the land which may go under water when the dam is filled is also an impediment to building new big projects. But there is scope for smaller projects called ‘Mini Hydel’ to be established with smaller water capacities befitting the environment.”

    Guhu pointed out, “Now they have a new concept of water power in the form of small do-it-yourself kits. The people living in houses near a flowing stream can put up a small waterwheel to generate power for their home. I think there is sufficient momentum in this field and we will see it grow in the future. China is doing it. Why not elsewhere in the World? Why not on the Mississippi river? We have got to promote that.”

    Miki asked, “Talking of water based generation, what about wave and tidal power from the sea? It could be useful to those living on the coast.”

    Bitsy said, “Sure there are some ways to tap this power and its being done. But the wind from the sea seems to have a bigger potential.”

    Guhu added, “Not only from the sea, but wind energy is also being tapped inland by erecting wind turbines at a rapid pace. The growth of this source has speeded up as it qualifies for Carbon Credit Certificates. The added cash has given a big boost to wind power. From just 10,000 MW in 2000, the capacity has shot up ten times to 100,000 MW in 2008! It’s poised to double every 4 years!”

    Miki said, “The geothermal power could be very useful to substitute fossil fuel in heating homes during winter and cooling them in summer. It’s been promoted by the US department of energy. The temperature below the surface is relatively constant throughout the year; the geothermal pump warms up the fluid down in the Earth and uses it to heat the home during the cold winter. The same system has an accessory which provides domestic hot water for bathing and washing, thus saving substantial energy. It’s being installed in the US in many homes, but we could promote the idea around the world where it snows during the winter and save heating fuel.”

    “I support the idea.” Said Bitsy. “We now know that all these renewable energy sources are very small. They are not going make the slightest dent in the fossil fuel consumption. We need something big. What about solar power?”

    “Solar power is also a good economical substitute for water heaters in tropical countries for heating domestic water for the shower in the bathroom. You need to install rolled sheets on the roof exposed to sunlight and circulate the heated water down in the taps,” replied Miki.

    “That’s one use. But the other is more interesting. There is a way to convert the sunlight directly into electricity by using what is known as photovoltaic cells or PV in short. The largest planned PV station is at Victoria, Australia with a capacity of 154 MW to be commissioned in phases from 2010 to 2013. It is the World’s most advanced PV heliostat solar concentrator power station. Tracking mirrors will concentrate the sunlight on the large PV cells to generate power. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 400,000 tons a year,” explained Guhu.

    “But this is nothing compared to the Palo Verde nuclear reactor in the US, which makes 3,200 MW of power. It saves 8 million tons of greenhouse gases a year! The solar power station looks like a small rose bush in front the big rain tree of the nuclear power plant. I think there doesn’t seem to be anything better than the nuclear power when it comes to saving the gas emissions and at the same time to fulfill the World’s ever increasing appetite for energy!” Observed Bitsy.

    “Good thinking! You have hit the nail on the head, niece.” Guhu complemented her. “We have to concentrate all our energies in pushing the nuclear power fast-forward.”

    Miki said, “We have to think of nuclear power station as a combination of 2 parts: (1) the reactor where steam is generated and (2) the turbine generator which uses the steam to make electricity. We could promote the idea of setting up only the first part near the chemical and food industry and supply them the steam for heating for the process requirements. This will avoid burning of fossil fuels and save the emissions.”

    “That’s brilliant. But I’ll go a step further,” said Bitsy and continued, “the existing coal and gas based thermal power stations also have the two stages, one to make steam and other to use the steam to drive the turbines. They can shut down the first stage and procure the steam from a nuclear station to drive their turbines. Thus the greenhouse gas emissions from the existing power stations could also be saved.”

    “I can foresee that cheap electricity will even make the cement kilns shift from coal to electric heating,” said Miki.

    “Yes nothing is impossible. The steel making furnace is already electric, so why not cement?” added Guhu.

    “I can clearly see some light as how to grapple this gigantic problem. Three fourth of fossil fuel is burnt for heat and only one fourth for electricity. The renewable forms of electricity generation cannot help to reduce the larger component of the fossil fuel consumption. Only nuclear reactors can provide both steam and electricity without adding to the greenhouse gases. The only answer which eMaya can tell the World for reducing emissions on substantial scale is therefore, ‘Nuclear Power’.” Guhu concluded. Bitsy got eMaya to enlighten the World!

    “Hi Friends of CoolWorld,

    This is eMaya. I bring you a perspective of the energy consumption of the World.As much as 85% of the energy requirements of the World are met through fossil fuels, the balance from nuclear and renewable sources. The wind power industry has shown good promise thanks to the cash flow from Carbon Credits and now generates 2% of the total electric power! Other sources like mini hydel, solar, and geothermal have developed momentum for growth.

    But 65% of the energy consumed by the World is as heat and only 35% as electricity. The only way to save fossil fuels substantially is go for nuclear energy, which can create steam as well as electricity to meet bulk of the energy demand. We have to study the method of increasing nuclear energy in a massive and economic way.    Yours, eMaya.”