RENEWABLE ENERGY PRIMER

Preamble
Course Progression

WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY?

Earth’s climate varies far more than it has post-industrial.. What’s the problem?
It’s not the temperature that matters it’s the RATE of change
What’s causing the change? Energy In ≠ Energy Out
Absorption Spectrums of GHGs – H2O, CO2, CH4, NOx
Infrared out resonates CO2, CH4 and other GHG molecules
Logic Box – your own Logic Box can clarify your thinking
Energy Balance – Radiative Forcing explains why Green House Gases matter
CO2 dominates radiative forcing
Main Contributions to Green House Gases
Renewable Energy: Green H2 for Steel, Cement, Fertilizer
Impact: changes too rapid for Nature or Humans to Adapt/Optimize = Disruption
Conferences – inefficient and expensive talking shops.. but necessary?
Carbon Credits – Putting a price on Carbon
Carbon Credits – Carbon offsets, Emissions trading schemes
Energy is Good!
What is Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) and how to use it
Comparison Metrics: LCOE, LCOS, Energy Density, Power Density, Energy Intensity, CO2 Intensity, Critical Minerals, Recycle
LCOE drives Renewable Energy adoption
Solar, Wind & Geothermal cheaper than Coal
2021 Renewables: Primary Energy Source: 13.6%
Electricity Generation: 28.1%
Wind and Solar: accelerating
Energy Density: per unit volume, Joules/Litre, W/L
Specific Energy Density: per unit mass, Joules/kg, W/kg
Surface Power Density, W/m2 at earth’s surface – Reality check

Day1 Recap

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Hydro Electric and Pumped Hydro – 6.8% of world energy consumption.
Larger than all other sources of RE combined
Hydro Electric and Pumped Hydro, Three Gorges 22.5GW
Solar 3% of world energy consumption
Solar potential.. huge!
Why Elon Musk likes solar..
Earth Incident Solar delivers 11 thousand times the power of all Fossil Fuels
Solar Hot Water
Wind 2021: 2.9% of world primary energy – rising fast 6.1% of world electricity production
Wind ~0.9% of total world energy consumption
Nuclear 4.3% of world primary energy consumption (2021)
10.1% of electricity generation
Nuclear the inevitable future of energy for Net Zero 2050 – SMRs
Fusion, Accidents & the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Biomass 9.2% of world primary energy production
2.7% of electricity generation 763 TWh 2021
Biomass – conversion to energy dense Biofuels
Biofuel Miscanthus Grass – fast growing, perennial (Elephant Grass)
Algae – ticks all the boxes
Geothermal: 2021 15.6 GW installed capacity (electric power)
0.22% of world electric generating capacity
Tide Power
Wave Power
Compare Energy Sources – what matters most?
Renewable Energy Project Finance
Renewable Energy Project Failures – Why?

Day2 Recap

ENERGY STORAGE

Energy Storage – the choke point to increased RE adoption
LCOS: Levelized Cost Of Storage
Hydrogen (is) Energy Storage
Hydrogen Energy Storage – Production
Hydrogen Energy Storage – Blue and Green
Hydrogen Uses & Problems – what is a hydrogen fuel cell?
Are BEVs really 3x more efficient than Hydrogen FCEVs?
Energy Storage – Ammonia (NH3)
Energy Storage – Biofuels
Energy Storage – Hydrogen, solid, metal hydrides
Energy Storage – Lithium Ion Batteries
Energy Storage – Hornsdale, South Australia
Energy Storage – Redox Flow
Energy Storage – Liquid Metal Battery
Energy Storage – Flywheels, Capacitors
Energy Storage – Thermal: key values
Energy Storage – Major Technologies compared
How to Reduce your company’s Carbon Footprint

GRID INTEGRATION

Grid Integration: Stable voltage & frequency with Unstable Supply:Load
Power Transmission: Pylons or pipelines?
The key challenges of replacing Oil

Your Takeaways

Day3 Recap

Its over.. relax, enjoy!

END