On Tuesday I attended a very interesting panel that discussed some different case studies of the utilization of renewable and sustainable energy sources. The studies focused on a broad range of application sizes from small communities and towns in Europe to entire countries. There were a number of panelists who discussed the phasing out of oil and coal towards a more sustainable and clean energy source. The first speaker was Dr. Zhonghe Pang a professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Dr. Pang focused on the latest efforts of China to harness the natural power found in their rivers and beneath the Tibetan Plateau. There is an abundance of geothermal energy found beneath Tibet due to the interactions between the Eurasia and Indian plate. China has been harnessing this energy and they are the world leaders in geothermal heat users followed by Sweden and then the US. Dr. Pang also discussed China’s massive dam building projects that harness the immense power of water flow and convert it into electricity. As you may know the largest dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, is located on the Yangtze River in China. This massive dam has the capacity to produce 22,500 MW which is a staggeringly large amount of power. With China being the world’s most populous country and one that is still developing its industry, this massive damn provides much needed clean electricity to a polluted region of the world.
The next speaker was Tracy Lane the Program Director of the International Hydropower Association. Mrs. Lane focused on the country of Iceland which is almost entirely reliant on renewable energy sources. Thanks to Iceland’s location on a seismically active plate boundary and its abundance of glaciers that melt and feed powerful rivers the country has almost completely phased out the use of oil for electricity and heat production. Before the 1970’s the situation was very different as Iceland was very reliant on imported oil, but then the oil crisis struck and political leaders decided to get their act together and heavily invested in renewable and sustainable energy sources. As oil prices continue to rise we could learn a thing or two from Iceland about their commitment for a sustainable and clean energy future.
After two discussions on geothermal and hydroelectric production the focus shifted to other forms of sustainable energy sources. Dr. David Renne, the president of the International Solar Energy Society, gave a presentation on the uses of solar power around the world. He highlighted a community in Canada that was the first solar heating/seasonal storage community in North America. The 52 family homes in Drake Landing solar community have reduced their amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 260 tons per year.
The next presentation focused on a synergy of sustainable energy sources being used by the town of Mureck in Austria. The farmers in this town started producing their own biodiesel to fuel their tractors and equipment when they realized that they could use the same principles to provide clean energy to the nearby town. They built a heating facility that burns wood chips and an array of solar panels to capture the suns energy. They also built a biogas production plant turning manure and crop byproducts into clean affordable energy. This community is a great example on how just a small number of people can eliminate a town or cities reliance on non-renewable resources. To me this is a glimpse into the future when oil reserves run dry and alternative sources of energy will be required.
From a small community to an entire country, the next presentation focused on Sweden’s use of a carbon tax has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy sources. The idea is that in order to increase the use of biofuel and other renewable energy sources the government has established a tax on oil and coal to raise their prices high above the prices of biomass. In Sweden, as well as many other European countries, district heating supplies heat to an entire town from a single heat generation plant. Traditionally these plants were fired by oil and other non-renewable energy sources. Today around 90% of these district heating plants in Sweden are fired by biofuels and other cleaner renewable sources. These case studies show how places around the world are moving towards the future of energy production. One day when the oil levels run low and prices shoot through the roof these technologies will need to be implemented in order to sustain our way of life. I encourage everyone to learn more about sustainable renewable energy sources as they are the future of our planet.
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