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Studies conducted since the late 1970s have estimated the net energy value (NEV) of corn ethanol. However, variations in data and assumptions used among the studies have resulted in a wide range of estimates. This study identifies the factors causing this wide variation and develops a more consistent estimate. We conclude that the NEV of corn ethanol has been rising over time due to technological advances in ethanol conversion and increased efficiency in farm production. We show that corn ethanol is energy efficient as indicated by an energy output:input ratio of 1.34.
Geothermal energy, carbon sequestration, and enhanced oil and gas recovery have a clear role in U.S. energy policy, both in securing cost-effective energy and reducing atmospheric CO2 accumulations. Recent publicity surrounding induced seismicity at several geothermal and oil and gas sites points out the need to develop improved standards and practices to avoid issues that may unduly inhibit or stop the above technologies from fulfilling their full potential. It is critical that policy makers and the general community be assured that EGS, CO2 sequestration, enhanced oil/gas recovery, and other technologies relying on fluid injections, will be designed to reduce induced seismicity to an acceptable level, and be developed...
We examine the changes to the electric power system required to incorporate high penetration of variable wind and solar electricity generation in a transmission constrained grid. Simulations were performed in the Texas, US (ERCOT) grid where different mixes of wind, solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar power meet up to 80% of the electric demand. The primary constraints on incorporation of these sources at large scale are the limited time coincidence of the resource with normal electricity demand, combined with the limited flexibility of thermal generators to reduce output. An additional constraint in the ERCOT system is the current inability to exchange power with neighboring grids. By themselves, these constraints...
Some theoretical results concerning the nature of the relationship between the scientific quality and economic value of imperfect weather forecasts are obtained. A prototype multistage decision-making model is considered, involving only two possible actions and two possible states of weather. This particular form of model is motivated by a real-world application known as the fruit-frost problem. For an infinite-horizon, discounted version of this model it is shown that economic value remains zero below a forecast quality threshold and then rises monotonically but nonlinearly above this threshold. In particular, the relative sensitivity of economic value to changes in the quality of forecasts increases as perfect...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Quantifying,
energy,
photovoltaic,
policy,
potential,
The United States decided to develop a nuclear power industry in part to justify the continued development of its nuclear weapons program. One result of this decision was the repression of solar energy technology. This paper examines the technical, economical, and political factors which have affected the use of solar energy tech- nology in the United States. I look at how solar and nuclear technologies have devel- oped in the light of competing theories about autonomous and dependent tech- nology. I also outline a strategy for the development of solar photovoltaic technology as an alternative to nuclear power plants.
Description and data downloaded from DRECP Website: http://www.drecp.org/meetings/2012-07-25-26_workshop/background/Department_of_Defense_Materials/This information and data is provided in support of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. Attachment 1 provides a Department of Defense (DoD) comprehensive matrix detailing potential military operational constraints by Development Focus Area. Attachment 2 provides associated conflict maps by renewable energy technology. Regarding the color coding:·        The red areas represent locations where there is a high likelihood of unacceptable risk to national security, and then technology identified might impact military operations, testing and training.Â...
These data were compiled to create models that estimate entrainment rates and population growth rates of smallmouth bass below Glen Canyon Dam. Objective(s) of our study were to predict smallmouth bass entrainment rates and population growth under different future scenarios of Lake Powell elevations and management. These data represent parameters needed for associated models and data needed to produce figures. These data were collected from publicly available online sources including published papers and federal government datasets. These data were assembled by researchers from U.S. Geological Survey, Utah State University, Colorado State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These data can be used to run...
A raster dataset representing multi-year mean (1998-2018) capacity factors (CF) for a solar photovoltaic system based on current technology, for the Conterminous United States. These data are calculated using ½ hourly irradiance values from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) Sengupta et al. (2018), and the Systems Advisor Model (Blair et al. 2014). Cell values represent the estimated capacity factor (a ratio of net generation to the maximum generation) for photovoltaic energy production for a 1-axis tracking system (technology details found in Maclaurin et al. 2019). The continuous raster were put into 8 quantile bins for interpretation and reporting. For more information and further data, please visit...
This paper provides an assessment of the large-scale implementation of distributed solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin with regard to its interaction with the utility grid, economics of varying levels of high penetration, and displaced emissions. These assessment factors are quantified using simulations with measured hourly solar radiation and weather data from the National Solar Radiation Database as primary inputs. Hourly utility load data for each electric utility in Wisconsin for a complete year were used in combination with the simulated PV output to quantify the impacts of high penetration of distributed PV on the aggregate Wisconsin electric utility load. As the penetration rate of distributed PV systems increases,...
The increased urgency of dealing with mitigation of the looming climate change has sparked renewed interest in the nuclear energy option. There exists a substantial stream of research on the amount of embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with nuclear generated electricity. While conventional fossil fuelled power plants cause emissions almost exclusively from the plant site, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the nuclear fuel cycle are caused in processing stages upstream and downstream from the plant. This paper distils the findings from a comprehensive literature review of energy and greenhouse gas emissions in the nuclear fuel cycle and determines some of the causes for the widely varying...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Current,
Life cycle,
Solar power,
costs,
electricity,
In this paper the case for subsidies for solar energy to counter inefficient pricing practices of electric utilities, hidden subsidies to non-solar fuels and tax law biases are examined. The conclusion reached for two of three regions in the USA in the case of solar energy replacing electricity for hot water heating is that, far from offsetting biases against solar energy, current subsidies reinforce pre-existing biases in favour of the use of solar energy systems.
Renewable energy production can kill birds, but little is known about how it affects avian populations. We assessed vulnerability of populations for 23 priority bird species killed at wind and solar facilities in California, USA.
The Renewable Energy Atlas is an interactive application of the renewable energy resources in the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii. It illustrates the geographic distribution of wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass resources, as well as other pertinent information such as transportation network and administrative boundaries. The Atlas is for anyone interested in renewable energy in the country, including researchers, developers, and policy makers.
The purpose of the pilot project is to trial different methods and vendors of wind power forecasting to determine the best approach to forecasting wind power in Alberta in the future. Three vendors were chosen with global forecasting experience; AWS Truewind (New York), energy & meteo systems (Germany), and WEPROG (Denmark). Each vendor will forecast for 12 geographically dispersed wind power facilities for a year (May 07 to May 08) providing a forecast covering the next 48 hours refreshed hourly. ORTECH Power was chosen to perform the quantitative analysis of the results analyzing methods, timeframes and geographical locations. Phoenix Engineering was chosen to collect all the necessary meteorological data required...
For grading different types of renewable energy based electricity generation systems, a figure of merit has been proposed and evaluated. The figure of merit has been obtained by analyzing total energy utilization in constructing and installing the systems and by their respective electricity generation. The gross carbon emission has also been estimated for evaluation of figure of merit. This figure of merit clearly indicates that wind power is the most sustainable source for electricity generation, followed by small hydropower and solar photovoltaics.
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Canada,
Financial,
government,
large-scale,
manufacturing,
For grading different types of renewable energy based electricity generation systems, a figure of merit has been proposed and evaluated. The figure of merit has been obtained by analyzing total energy utilization in constructing and installing the systems and by their respective electricity generation. The gross carbon emission has also been estimated for evaluation of figure of merit. This figure of merit clearly indicates that wind power is the most sustainable source for electricity generation, followed by small hydropower and solar photovoltaics.
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Canada,
Financial,
government,
large-scale,
manufacturing,
The increased urgency of dealing with mitigation of the looming climate change has sparked renewed interest in the nuclear energy option. There exists a substantial stream of research on the amount of embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with nuclear generated electricity. While conventional fossil fuelled power plants cause emissions almost exclusively from the plant site, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the nuclear fuel cycle are caused in processing stages upstream and downstream from the plant. This paper distils the findings from a comprehensive literature review of energy and greenhouse gas emissions in the nuclear fuel cycle and determines some of the causes for the widely varying...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Current,
Life cycle,
Solar power,
costs,
electricity,
Gasification of German oil shale and coal using concentrated solar energy as a heat source is studied in a fixed bed reactor under an argon atmosphere. The reactor allows direct absorption of irradiation resulting in high rates of temperature increase and hence in simultaneous decomposition of organic matter and carbonates present in the shale. Synthesis gases are produced consisting of H2, CO, CH4, and CO2. Basic considerations on stoichiometrics of shale gasification are presented. A macrokinetic modeling of the shale reaction rate based on conversion is established and verified experimentally. Further experiments are carried out with different irradiation times, shale-particle sizes, gasification temperatures...
The Southern Appalachian forest region of the U.S.-a region responsible for 23% of U.S. coal production-has 24 billion metric tons of high quality coal remaining of which mountaintop coal mining (MCM) will be the primary extraction method. Here we consider greenhouse gas emissions associated with MCM terrestrial disturbance in the life-cycle of coal energy production. We estimate disturbed forest carbon, including terrestrial soil and nonsoil carbon using published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data of the forest floor removed and U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service inventory data. We estimate the amount of previously buried geogenic organic carbon brought to the soil surface during MCM using...
Direct Normal (DNI) solar radiation (kWh/m2/day) for the Southwestern USA, showing the most suitable areas for large-scale Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) development. Data was filtered to exclude areas off-limits to development, lands with slopes >5%, and areas with <5 kWh/m2/day solar power prospects. More information can be found at http://www.nrel.gov/csp/modeling_analysis.html
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