Assignement-6

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Louisiana State University *

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1070

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Geography

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Apr 3, 2024

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Gerardo Gregory Dr. Amirhosein Jafari CM 1070 26 April 26, 2023 Discussion number 6: Choosing Renewable Resources Of the renewable energy sources, I picked the following three after some consideration and additional research; solar, wind and geothermal. These sources seem to be popular and also been deployed already to some extent in my state so I can look at the success achieved with them. 1. Solar Energy A. Benefits a. Inexhaustible energy source : As a source of energy the sun has no equal in my opinion. It rises everyday and treks across the sky. It is the most abundant energy source on the planet and will work still on cloudy days (National Environmental Satellite Data 2020). The Department of Energy makes a claim also that the amount of sunlight that hits the face of the earth in an hour and a half is enough to handle the world’s energy consumption for a full year. b. Reduction in operating costs : Going solar can greatly reduce operating costs and mitigate the cost of equipment over time. It can be achieved to become “net positive” as the Bullit Center. But this would require other factors in the design (Bullit Center 2023). c. Social sustainability benefits : Solar energy reduces dependency on fossil fuels, having a positive impact on the environment, and improving the all-around quality of life. d. Removing dependability on Fossil Fuels : Our increasing dependance on technology will drive us to a bigger reliance on power, making the need for clean energy even more drastic. Solar energy could break the dependence on fossil fuels and allow us to still maintain a society that has become more and more dependent on energy needs. B. Drawbacks a. Geographical limitations : Powering a large building might become a challenge in Nebraska due to our location in relation to the equator. The sun travels at about a 45-degree tilt across our sky on the Summer Solstice, and close to 25-degrees at the Winter Solstice (Sun Earth Tools 2023) b. Amount of area needed for solar panels : Unlike a wind turbine that is vertical, with a small footprint on land area, solar panels take allot of room. c. Weather Interruptions : I think the biggest drawback for solar power in Nebraska would be weather interruptions. We have some intense winter weather in the Midwest plains. High winds can create havoc on panels, as well as hail (which is very normal), and tornadoes. 2. Wind Power A. Benefits

a. Production of clean energy : Wind Farms are a great source of clean power and reduces the dependance on fossil fuels. Although not as aesthetically pleasing as other solutions, it can compete in certain areas with solar. b. Communal economic benefits : In certain areas, like Nebraska, there are great incentives to go with wind energy. Communities receive tax incentives, funds for public schools, and landowners get revenue. This is very appealing for ranchers, as it provides income that can mitigate seasonal losses due to natural disasters. (University of Nebraska Wind Energy Project 2023) . c. Collaboration amongst stakeholders : To determine the location of turbines to not impact wildlife, or the landowners there needs to be a consensus among all the stakeholders. This allows all parties involved to make a decision on the deployment of wind turbines . d. Local Ownership : With policies like C-BED in the state there is a focus that a percentage of the wind turbines are held free of imminent domain and are in the hands of local owners (NREL 2023) B. Drawbacks a. Wildlife impacts : Wind Turbines can have adverse effects on wildlife through noise pollution, collisions, habitat loss, and reduced survival. b. Not suitable for all areas : This solution cannot be deployed in many areas, and most of the time they are done in remote areas. 3. Geothermal A. Benefits a. Always available : Unlike Solar or Wind, geothermal is always available as it comes from the earths on heat and is not affected by weather or impacted by seasons (Enel. Green Power 2023). b. Does not require large spaces : This source of energy also is compact in its footprint. Unlike solar which requires a large area for panels, or wind that requires massive towers of turbines, geothermal is compact having most of its components underground. c. Silent Energy : After the construction phase and once operational, geothermal plants have almost imperceptible noise levels. d. Durability and recyclable : The heat not used can be routed back into the circuit, making it a optimized resource. Also the plants can have a shelf life of 80 to 100 years. B. Disadvantages : a. Could produce some greenhouse gases : Depending on the method of extraction potential greenhouse gases can be released, this is mostly on dry steam or flash steam plants (Wu 2023). b. Adoption limitations : Although the resource of the energy is not affected by season or weather, the resource itself is limited to the location, as the plants need to be close to tectonic plate boundaries and also have low CO2 levels in the reservoir. In conclusion I would probably debate between wind or geothermal in my geographical area but would lean more to wind. Nebraska is not an overly populated state, so we have large tracts

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