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Solar Faqs and Global Renewable Energy
Solar Faqs and Global Renewable Energy
Premise:
The Sun is a singular C-neutral solution
to our future energy needs, one whose capacity
dwarfs fossil, nuclear, wind,
1-3 ms/century
lengthening ~ 0 TW
of the day human harvesting
Pfill (constant)
pharvest (variable)
2.4 TW
tidal friction
E/tdiss (variable)
Heat (TWt)
Electrical (TWe)
Heat
Thermodynamic
limit for Thermodynamic limit for
concentrated concentrated sunlight (87%)
Tropic sunlight (87%)
of Capricorn Thermodynamic Mechanical
limit for un-
concentrated
sunlight (68%) 33%
Antarctic Circle
Electrical Electrical
75% 75%
Average solar energy density
W/m2
40% Torrid 225 Chemical Chemical Chemical
Extractable
52% Temperate 150 58,000 TWc 61,000 TWc 19,000 TWc
8% Frigid 75
Land only (29%) and Temperate+Torrid only (97%)
Average 175
Current best PV efficiency Current photo-electrolysis Current best steam engine
Nelson 2003 Fig 2.3 (40%/87%) efficiency (10%/68%) efficiency (30%/28.7%)
[Note: switchgrass
efficiency is 0.38%]
Chemical Chemical Chemical
Technical
7,500 TWc 2,500 TWc 5,600 TWc
Mechanical
1,000 TWm Theoretical
33%
Average wind
energy density:
Electrical
2 W/m2
Wallace 1977 75%
Chemical Extractable
250 TWc
Chemical
Energy dissipation time ~ 8-9 days Technical
14 TWc
Cell circulation time ~ 2-5 days WEA 2000
Ocean Waves
20 knots
50 km
6s 1m
Mechanical Theoretical
34 TWm
Electrical
TWe
75%
Artic Circle
Average wave energy density
in ice-free oceans: Chemical Extractable
0.114 Wm/m2 8.5 TWc
Tropic Wick 1977
of Cancer
Near-shore only (7%)
Chemical
Technical
Tropic
of Capricorn
0.62 TWc
Isaacs 1976
Chemical
2001 Actual
Antarctic Circle ~0 GWc
WEA 2004
~2/3 Radiogenic
~1/3 Conduction through or cooling of lithosphere
http://www.mantleplumes.org/Energetics.html Geothermal
Heat
Mantle Theoretical
1000-4000C 44 TWt
Mechanical
Inner
TWm
core
33%
IGA 2004
Electrical
80 km thick lithosphere TWe
75%
Chemical
5 GWc 2001 Actual
WEA 2004
(includes heat with conversion)
Summary
106
Sources with > 15 TW Solar Theoretical Potentials > 15 TWc:
extractable and technical Electricity Solar, Wind, Waves, Geothermal
potential Solar
Thermal
Technical Potential (TWc)
103 Solar
Fuel
Extractable Potentials > 15 TWc:
Solar, Wind, maybe Waves
Wind
Geothermal
Hydropower
1 Ocean
Ocean Salinity Gradient
Wave
Technical Potentials > 15 TW:
Ocean Tidal
Ocean Solar, maybe Wind
Surface
Currents
10-6
10-6 10-3 1 103 106
Extractable Potential (TWc)