7Resource sheet - E-zero island
Weigh up thefactorsbelowand decideon thebestwaytoprovideenergyfortheisland.
City with industrial and commercial facilities
Open hillsides
Farmland and grazing
Lake, with river
drainingto sea
Rockywindswept area
Coastal area with fishing villages and
touristfacilities
Weather forecast for the next 24 hours: Most areasoftheislandwillbedryandrather cloudyduringtheday,butbrighterinplaces.
Patchy rainislikely overhillsbutbrighteron
thecoast.Lightwinds in coastalareas.
Tonightitwillbemainlydrywithbrokencloud. Mist andfogwillformwidelywithtemperatures fallingtowards,butunlikelytoreach,freezing. Lightvariablewinds.
Hightideisat13.05this afternoonand01.25 tomorrowmorning.
Briefingnote from power networkmanager: Taking intoaccounttheweatherforecastandthe timeofyear,thelikelyenergyconsumptionfor
theislandforthenext24hoursis15,000units.
Howeverifthetemperaturedropsearlierinthe eveningand stayslow this couldriseto as muchas18,000units.
Stocks of biomassarehighbutunlikelytobe addedtoforthenext3-4monthsandcoal stocksareslightlylowerthanaverageforthe timeofyear.
Morecomplaints havebeenreceivedfrom property developers on the east coastsaying that salesofpropertiesarebeinghampered by aspects of the landscapebeingspoiledby generating equipment.
The mayorhascalled, askingforreassurances that this winterwon’tsee arepeatof last year’sproblemswithpowershortages.
Scheme of work 7 – episode 3
7Energy cards for the island
Onshore wind turbine
Biomass energy plant
Photovoltaics
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedby onshorewind.
•Cost:£100
This energy sourcerequiresnofuelandonly occasionalmaintenance.Howevertheoutputis highlyvariable as it dependsonthewindblowing. Furthermore somepeopleobject totheappearance ofwindfarms, especially if they are placedin undevelopedareas.
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproduced bybiomass.
•Cost: £90
This energy source can use biodegradablewaste materialsotheonlyfuelcostsarethetransporting ofthismaterial,althoughtherearelimitstothe amountofenergythatcanbeproducedthisway. However the costs(andenvironmentalimpact)
increaseifplantsaregrownspeciallyforthispurpose.
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedbya solarfarm.
•Cost:£150
This energysourcerequiresnofuelandonly occasionalmaintenance.Howevertheoutput
issomewhatvariable as it depends on sunlight, thoughevenonahazydaythereisgood output. Some peopleobject tothe appearance of solar farms, especiallyiftheyareplacedin undevelopedareas.
7Energy cards for the island
Tidal power
Natural gas turbines with CO2capture
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedby
Tidalpower.
•Cost£250
This energysourcerequiresnofuelandonly occasionalmaintenance.Howevertheenergy output depends upon the tides.Some people object tothe appearance inwhatmaywellbe anattractivearea.Tidal powermayhavesome impactonlocal wildlife.
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedby
naturalgas turbineswithCO
capture.
•Cost£100
Thesearereliableandcanbesitedawayfrom attractiveareas.However they releasepollutants such as nitrous oxidesandtheactualpower stationisnotveryattractive.
Natural gas turbines with
noCO capture
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedby
naturalgas turbineswithnoCO
•Cost£80
capture.
Thesearereliableandcanbesitedawayfrom attractiveareas.However,theyreleasepollutants suchascarbondioxideandnitrousoxides,and
theactualpowerstationisnotveryattractive.
7Energy cards for the island
Coal powered energy plant
•1,000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedbycoal
withCO
capture.
•Cost £120
These arereliableandcanbesitedawayfrom attractive areas.However, they releasepollutants such asssulphurdioxideandnitrousoxides,and theactualpowerstationisnotveryattractive.
Offshore wind turbines in Copenhagen
•1000unitsofelectricalenergyproducedby offshorewind.
•Cost:£180.
This energy sourcerequiresnofuelandonly occasional maintenance.Howevertheoutput is variable as it depends on the wind blowing,thoughthis varies less than if on land.Some
peopleobject totheappearanceofwindfarms, especially if they are placed I tourist areas.