CHANGES IN ELECTRIC GENERATION

1
CHANGES IN ELECTRIC GENERATION

• Generation vs. Demand
• Demand growing 3 per year
• New Generation more difficult to build

2
Generation

• Large, Centralized Plants
• Small, Distributed Plants

3
Large Plants

• Environmental Issues
• Fossil Fuels
• Location/Siting

4
Large Plants (Cont.)

• New Ideas
• Wind,Solar,Geothermal,Biomass
• Extra-Terrestrial Wireless Transmission

5
Microwaves from Space

• Large Solar Power Satellites (SPS) in Earth Orbit
• Beam electricity to earth-based Receiver Antenna
  using Magnetron at Gigahertz Frequencies

6
Distributed Generation

• Make Electricity where and when needed
• Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Biomass
• Fuel Cells
• MicroTurbines

7
Microturbines

• Run on Natural gas
• 30-50 kilowatt Designs
• Create both Electricity and Hot Water
• Small businesses, collection of homes

8
Fuel Cells

• Most common type PEM
• Polymer-Electrolyte Membrane
• Strips Electrons from Hydrogen to make
  Electricity
• Safety/Cost

9
DEMAND SIDE

• Conservation Through
• Market Pricing
• Efficient Products

10
Market Pricing

• Energy Prices becoming De-Regulated
• New Equipment to Automate Pricing
• Smart Meters
• Smart Appliances

11
Smart Meters

• Talks to Electric Company
• Records Hourly Prices
• Tells Appliances what current Price is
• Shops Around for a Better Rate?

12
Efficient Products

• Smart Appliances run only when energy is cheapest
• Superconductors

13
Superconducting Motors

• Extremely Efficient - Zero Losses
• Very High Torque - 140X increase in Power Density
• Costly?
• Not very Rugged - Bismuth-Cu Ceramic Tape

14
Other Superconductors

• Transformers
• Transmission Lines
• Potential Savings...

15
CONCLUSIONS

• More of the Same Old Stuff
• More New Stuff
• Greater Emphasis on Environmental Factors
• Conservation is Key
• Wireless, Wireless, Wireless