UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

ATURAMU .E. ADESOLA

18/31QD027

ARC 405: BUILDING SERVICES (ELECTRICAL)

II

SUITABLE SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

SUPPLY FOR UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN

 WHAT IS ENERGY SUPPLY

Primary energy sources come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they

can be either nuclear, fossil (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), or

renewable (such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower). These

basic energy sources are transformed into electricity, a secondary energy

source, which travels to your house or place of work via power lines and

other transmission infrastructure.

IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY SUPPLY

Computers, vehicles, communications, state-of-the-art medical

technology, and many other things are all powered by energy.

The demand for dependable and economical energy is especially pressing

for emerging countries. It can be beneficial and even life-saving. These

nations benefit from enhanced transportation, modernized agriculture,

expanded industry, and reliable energy. These are the cornerstones that

enable people to rise above poverty and construct better lives.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy comes from natural sources that replenish themselves

more quickly than they are used up. Examples of such sources that are
continuously replenished are the sun and the wind. There are many

different types of renewable energy available to us.

On the other hand, non-renewable fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas

require hundreds of millions of years to create. When fossil fuels are used

to create energy, they emit dangerous greenhouse gases like carbon

dioxide.

More emissions are produced by burning fossil fuels than by producing

electricity from renewable sources. The key to solving the climate

catastrophe is switching from fossil fuels, which now produce the

majority of emissions, to renewable energy. In most nations, renewables

are now more affordable and create three times as many jobs as fossil

fuels.

SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

 SOLAR ENERGY: The most plentiful source of energy is solar

energy, which may even be used under cloudy conditions. The rate at

which the Earth absorbs solar energy is around 10,000 times higher

than the rate at which people use energy. For a wide range of

applications, solar systems can provide heat, cooling, natural lighting,

power, and fuels. Solar technologies can use photovoltaic panels or

solar radiation-concentrating mirrors to turn sunlight into electrical

energy. Although not all nations have the same access to solar energy,

direct solar energy can nevertheless make a major contribution to any

 nation's energy mix. Solar panels are now not only accessible, but

frequently the cheapest source of electricity because to a sharp decline

in the cost of solar panel production over the past ten years. Solar

panels come in a range of colors based on the type of material used in

their manufacture and have an average lifespan of 30 years.

 WIND ENERGY:Using enormous wind turbines that are installed on

land (onshore), in saltwater, or freshwater, wind energy captures the

kinetic energy of flowing air (offshore). Although wind energy has

been used for thousands of years, onshore and offshore wind energy

technology have advanced recently to maximize the amount of

electricity produced, using higher turbines and bigger rotor diameters.

Despite the fact that average wind speeds vary greatly from place to

place, most locations of the world have the potential for considerable

wind energy deployment. In fact, the technical potential for wind

energy is more than the global power production. Strong winds can be

found in many locations around the world, but often distant areas are

the greatest for producing wind energy. Offshore wind energy has a

lot of potential.

 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Geothermal energy makes use of the

thermal energy that is available from the Earth's interior. Geothermal

reservoirs can be heated using wells or other methods. Hydrothermal

reservoirs are those that are naturally sufficiently hot and permeable,
 whereas enhanced geothermal systems are those that are naturally

adequately hot but improved by hydraulic stimulation. Different

temperature fluids can be used to produce electricity once they reach

the surface. Since it has been in use for more than a century, the

technology for producing energy from hydrothermal reservoirs is

established, dependable, and mature.

 HYDROPOWER: The energy of water flowing from higher

elevations to lower elevations is captured by hydro-power. It can be

produced by rivers and reservoirs. Run-of-river hydro-power facilities

rely on the river's available flow, whereas reservoir hydro power

plants use water that has been stored in a reservoir. In addition to

supplying energy, hydro-power reservoirs frequently serve as sources

of drinking water, irrigation water, flood and drought control,

navigation services, and energy. The largest renewable energy source

in the electricity sector at the moment is hydro-power. It depends on

relatively consistent rainfall patterns, which can be adversely affected

by droughts brought on by climate change or by changes to

ecosystems that affect rainfall patterns.

 OCEAN ENERGY: Ocean energy comes from processes that use the

kinetic and thermal energy of the ocean's waves and currents to

generate heat or electricity. The development of ocean energy systems

is still in its infancy, and several wave and tidal current prototypes are
 being investigated. Theoretically, ocean energy could easily provide

all of the world's energy needs.

 BIOENERGY: Bio-energy is made from various organic resources,

known as biomass, including wood, charcoal, dung, and other

manures for the production of heat and power, as well as agricultural

crops for the creation of liquid bio-fuels. The majority of biomass is

utilized by impoverished populations in developing nations in rural

regions for cooking, lighting, and space heating. Dedicated plants or

trees, agricultural and forestry waste products, and diverse organic

waste streams are all used in modern biomass systems. When biomass

is used for energy, greenhouse gas emissions are produced, although

at a lesser rate than when fossil fuels like coal, oil, or gas are burned.

However, given potential adverse environmental effects connected to

significant expansions in forest and bio-energy plantations, and the

ensuing deforestation and land-use change, bio-energy should only be

employed in limited applications.

ADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

A free source of energy generation is one of the many advantages that

renewable energy offers. As the industry expands, so are the number of

jobs being created to design and implement tomorrow's renewable energy

solutions. Additionally, renewable energy sources increase access to

electricity in developing countries and can lower energy costs.

Naturally, one of the biggest advantages of renewable energy is the fact

that a considerable portion of it also qualifies as green and clean energy.

As a result, renewable energy has increased, with solar and wind energy

being particularly common. However, renewable energy sources are not

the only ones that can provide these environmental advantages. Since

nuclear energy produces or emits very little CO2, it is also a carbon-free

energy source. Some people prefer nuclear energy to sources like solar

and wind since it is a reliable source that is not affected by the weather.

We now come to some of the drawbacks of renewable energy.

DISADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Numerous renewable energy sources, as was already established, cannot

always be relied upon. We cannot produce solar electricity or wind

energy when the sun sets or is obscured by clouds, and vice versa when

there is no wind. Because of this, many nations continue to supplement

their renewable energy sources with fossil fuels.

Due to this fluctuating production capacity, substantial energy storage

systems are needed to ensure that there is always adequate electricity

when the production of renewable energy drops. Using many renewable

technologies to build a more adaptable supply chain that can offset drops

in production for a particular source is an alternative solution.

Some renewable resources, including biomass and hydro-power, do not

experience these supply issues, although as was already said, both of

these resources face unique environmental impact issues.

Additionally, some renewable energy sources, including wind and solar

farms, are a source of complaints from nearby residents who do not wish

to live there.

PROPOSAL FOR A RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE

FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, KWARA

STATE

The University of Ilorin, Kwara State can be classified as a mini city as it

contains all the amenities a city possesses but is not by standard a city. To

find the right source of renewable energy some factors need to be taken

into consideration

 Size of structure

 Location

 Resources available

 Cost
 Amount of power consumed

To estimate after making various researches, the school should use about

10MW of power per day and taking into consideration that the school is

funded by the government, I have chosen the source of energy that I

believe is best for the school.

I have considered the use of solar, wind and hydro power to power the

school, but they have each come up with more cons than pros.

 Solar energy, although one of the cheapest sources of renewable

energy, it costs a lot to maintain, which does not justify the cost of

buying it. The amount of solar panels that would be needed would be

too much for it to be classified as sustainable, which therefore

disqualifies solar power.

 Wind energy is also one of the cheapest sources of renewable energy,

but considering the area the school is located in, with minimal wind

flow, this can not be considered as the best option.

 Hydro power would have been the best considering the fact that the

school possesses it’s own dam, but the water pressure in the dam is

minimal and won’t be able to power the whole school.

According to my opinion and research, the best source of renewable

energy for the school, although mildly expensive will be Biomass Energy.
 BIOMASS ENERGY

Biomass energy, or energy derived from living things, has been used by

people ever since the early "cave man" lit wood fires for warmth or

cooking.

Because biomass is organic, it is composed of materials derived from

living things like plants and animals. Plants, wood, and garbage are the

most typical biomass resources used as energy sources. We refer to these

as biomass feed stocks. A non-renewable energy source is also possible

for biomass energy.

The energy in biomass is initially obtained from the sun: through

photosynthesis, plants transform carbon dioxide and water into nutrients

(carbohydrates).Both direct and indirect methods can be used to convert

the energy from these creatures into usable energy. Direct combustion of

biomass can provide heat, direct conversion of biomass to electricity, or

direct conversion of biomass to bio-fuel (indirect).

A clean, renewable energy source is biomass. Plant or algae biomass may

regenerate quickly since it receives its initial energy from the sun.

Municipal solid trash, trees, and crops are all readily available and may

be managed responsibly. When crops and trees are grown responsibly,

they can reduce carbon emissions by absorbing carbon dioxide during

respiration. The quantity of carbon that is reabsorbed during some bio

energy processes even exceeds the carbon emissions that are generated
during the production or use of fuel. Switch grass is one of the many

biomass feed stocks that can be gathered in pastures or marginal lands

without competing with food crops. Biomass energy, in contrast to other

renewable energy sources like wind or solar, is stored inside the organism

and can be drawn upon as needed.

With The University of Ilorin’s abundance of land and vegetation, I

believe this is the best source of renewable energy for the school.