PrintExamples of the Shift to Renewables
In other classes, you have learned the basics of energy, including types of energy created. You have also learned the basics of the various renewable energy sources. A very interesting effort is called Project Drawdown. The overall intent is to provide insight and perspective on possible solutions to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. Climate change is the subject of a future lesson, but the project does have some excellent insights on a number of solutions. We will be referring to this work frequently in this class. For this assignment we will focus on the section that talks about solutions for electricity generation in the context of transitioning from fossil fuel to renewables.
Purpose:
This assignment will help you practice looking at specific solutions in the context of the broader energy picture and how solutions need to be reconciled with energy-related needs.
Critical Thinking and Analysis:
This assignment will help you practice reviewing solutions and innovations in the context of accessibility, reliability, security, and sustainability.
Successful Completion:
This assignment has two parts to complete.
Part one:
Review the Drawdown website, specifically the section on electricity. It covers both energy sources and solutions for efficiency and distribution. You should pay close attention to unique applications of wind and solar such as micro-wind and concentrated solar and different ways to generate energy from fossil fuels, such as cogeneration. You will note that the idea of Drawdown is to propose proven solutions to address energy challenges. These examples include a wide range of solutions but intend to demonstrate that practical solutions do exist.
Part two:
In 225 words (plus or minus 10%), write an essay which discusses climate change driven solutions and their potential impact. Begin by choosing one of the examples listed below and explain how it addresses one of the four attributes (accessibility, reliability, sustainability or security).
Review the entries for:
- Geothermal Power
- Utility Scale Photovoltaics
- Rooftop Solar
- Concentrated Solar
- Biomass Power
- Nuclear Power
- District Heating
- Micro Wind
- Methane Digesters
- Landfill Methane Capture
- Waste to Energy
- Distributed Solar Voltaics
- Ocean Power
- Wind Turbines- Onshore and Offshore
- Small Hydro
- Solar Hot Water
*You might also be interested in reviewing the introduction material on the homepage to learn more about the project.