Potential of development of renewable energy

12/01/2017

The fundamentals of modern world power are made warm also by hydroelectric power stations. At the same time their development restrains a number of factors: the cost of coal, oil and gas grows, natural resources of these types of fuel are reduced. Besides, many countries have no own fuel and hydroenergy resources or lack them.

Exit from the situation to many developed countries seemed in nuclear power. But today the NPP is not a source cheap and environmentally friendly energy any more. As fuel for the NPP serves uranium ore – expensive and the extracted raw materials which reserves are even more limited and remote are difficult, at the same time there is rather big risk of operation (accident on the NPP). There is a situation demanding to refuse use of nuclear fuel, to close all nuclear power plants and to switch to renewable or "nonconventional" types of obtaining energy.

First of all, it is the installations and devices using wind power, waters, the sun, geothermal energy, and also heat which is contained in water, air and the earth.

By estimates of futurologists, the share of traditional fuel power in a world energy balance will be continuously reduced. Not only its economic wellbeing and independence, but also a homeland security depends on rates of this process in the concrete country. In a number of the industrial countries long-term projects on increase in a share of renewable energy in power engineering specialists are approved. The countries of the European Union (all EU countries by 2020 have to develop not less than 20% of energy at the expense of renewable sources), China (by 2020 to bring a share of RES to 15% and to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 40 – 45%), etc. are carried to them1.

Today the huge amounts of money estimated by billions of dollars are invested in alternative power engineering, so for example in 2010 the leading positions on it indicators belong to China (54,4), Germany (41,2) and the USA (34,0).

The international researches revealed that at due financing and support of this branch by 2030 full transition to renewable energy is possible, and it belongs to political will more, than to technologies. The developed technologies allow to bring a share of RES to 100%, and not in the certain countries, and in the world in general. Already there is a long-term program for transition to 100% energy from renewable sources in the European Union by 20502.

In the EU, China and the USA special significance therefore they head the rating of the countries on use of renewables is attached to financing of alternative power engineering. There is a large number of projects on use of RES, part of them is already implemented.

Russia went on the way of modernization of the power supply system and in 2009 the Federal law of the Russian Federation No. 261-FZ "About energy saving and about increase in power efficiency and about introduction of amendments to separate acts of the Russian Federation" was adopted. The purposes and problems of development of Russia in the field of energy saving are registered in it. Are carried to the main directions:

  • carrying out energy audits of all buildings;
  • installation of metering devices of resources;
  • decrease in power consumption of the Russian economy by 40% (most important).

It will allow to increase competitiveness of the Russian enterprises in the conditions of the world market. In the northern countries (Sweden and Finland) on unit of the consumed fuel in an oil equivalent in a year 3,5 times more GDP, than is manufactured in Russia.

The perspective of a research of questions of development of renewable power and its influence on social and economic processes was investigated in domestic and foreign works. To philosophical and methodological questions of interaction of society and the nature, works are devoted: V. I. Vernadsky, E. V. Girusov, Yu. Yu. Galkin, A. A. Gorelov, K. H. Delokarov, V. A. Losya, V. A. Kobylyansky, N. M. Mamedov, E. V. Nikonorova, Yu. V. Oleynikov, I. T. Frolov, A. D. Ursula, A. N. Chumakova, etc.

Methodological questions of global ecodevelopment, problem of transformation of intra social political, culturological, psychological and other aspects became the fundamental theoretical directions in the philosophical analysis of genesis of modern sotsio-natural contradictions.

The results of researches devoted to this subject found the reflection in works of a number of domestic and foreign authors among which: N. A. Agadzhanyan, M. I. Budyko, V. I. Vernadsky, F. I. Girenok, E. V. Girusov, A. A. Gorelov, A. V. Katsura, B. I. Kozlov, B. Kommoner, V. A. Koptyug, M. Ya. Lemeshev, K. S. Losev, V. A. Los, N. N. Moiseyev, Yu. Odum, Yu. V. Oleynikov, E. Pestel, A. Pechchei, N. F. Reymers, A. D. Ursule.

The works which laid the foundation for awareness of need of transition of society to the new civilization paradigm significantly reducing his resource requirements can be considered works: M. Mesarovich, D. Medouz, E. Forester, E. Vaytszekker, E. Lovins, L. Lovins, etc. The philosophical bases, essence, genesis of a power problem at the level of global studies were mentioned in works of philosophers and historians, sociologists and economists, scientists of the natural-science and scientific and technical direction: I. B. Bestuzheva-Lada, D. Bella, D. M. Gvishiani, V. V. Zagladina, P. L. Kapitsa, N. N. Moiseyev, to G. Pauka, O. Tofflera, I. T. Frolov, G. S. Hozin, A. N. Chumakov.

Power features in the context of environmental problems was considered in works: E. A. Arab Oglou, E. Vaytszeker, V. I. Vernadsky, V. A. Venikov, E. V. Girusov, B.C. Golubeva, A. A. Gorelov, G. Sheer, B. I. Kozlova, V. B. Kozlova, E. A. Manushina, N. M. Mamedova, I. B. Novik, Yu. A. Oleynikov, S. A. Podolinsky, I. Prigozhin, N. F. Reymers, K. K. Rebane, A. D. Ursula, A. L. Yanshina, and also foreign researchers: U. Brown, K. Boulding, K. Davies. Long-term forecasting of development of power at the existing ecological restrictions is in sight of domestic scientists: I. A. Bashmakov, P. P. Bezruky, I. V. Ivanov, Yu. M. Koryakin, V. A. Legasov, R. D. Margulov, B. E. Patton, Yu. N. Rudenko, M. A. Styrikovich, and also foreign researchers: E. Vaytszekker, P. Putnam, D. Rayleigh, D. Tyurpak, O. N. Fovorsky of Zh. Frisch, V. Hefele, D. Emonds, etc.

Special researches Yu.M. Kolosova, A. D. Ursula, E. K. Tsiolkovsky, A.JI. Chizhevsky, Yu. A. Shkolenko are devoted to the space prospect of development of power, etc.

Relevance of a research of questions of involvement of renewable power is explained by current trends of synthesis of economy, power, ecology, geography, the theory of optimization and information technologies, development of economy of environmental management, ecological economy, the regional ekologo-economic analysis. The power of the world is the big difficult developing system which basis is made now by fossil (traditional) power sources - coal, oil and natural gas. In 2000 in the world it was consumed primary fuel and energy resources of 13 billion tons of conditional fuel, including oil - 34,6%, solid fuel - 28,5%, gas - 22%, atomic energy - 7,1%, hydraulic power - 2,6%, nonconventional renewable and other resources - 0,4%.

Transformation of traditional power sources to the forms, necessary for mankind, leads to negative consequences for the planet (pollution of the atmosphere, emissions of greenhouse gases, etc.). So, according to World Energy Council about stocks and consumption of primary energy carriers, security of the current consumption with geological resources makes on coal - about 850 years, on natural gas - 270 years, on oil - 180 years. The share of Russia in world reserves of oil makes 4,6%, natural gas - 32,9%, coal of-15,9%. Serious danger is constituted by emissions and accumulation in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and methane, defiant adverse effects on climate and global sea level that can lead to environmental disasters and economic disasters. Along with it unevenness of distribution of fossil fuel, its exhaustion, the existing system of production, transportation, transformation and consumption became a major factor of process of globalization of economy, the sphere of political interests and methods of influence of one countries on others.

The solution of the specified problems does urgent consideration as renewables energy of the sun, the earth, wind, the Vod, etc. The power which is based on use of the specified renewables (R) is considered as it is alternative modern power.

Now interest in development of renewable power significantly increases that is confirmed by the biggest level of growth of use of RES among all power sources in world balance. If consumption of primary energy resources increases according to forecasts from 2000 to 2020 by 1,47 times, then consumption of energy from renewable sources more than by 5 times. However it is an insignificant part of economically realized potential of renewable power which, by the minimum estimates, makes 20 billion tons of conditional fuel a year.

Wide use of renewables restrains small density of their stream and variability in time, rather high cost of the majority of technologies of transformation, orientation of the industry and consumers on use of organic fuel.

Taking into account relevance of the considered problems of renewable power their decision is based on the broad international cooperation within the United Nations, the European Economic Community and other organizations which turned into the large scientific and technical and practical direction of development of ways of development of power, ecology, a social position of the countries and certain regions. In many countries of the world at the heart of energy strategies development of renewable power became a subject of public policy. The financed scientific and technical programs are developed. Annual expenses on research and development in the sphere of renewables are made in the world by not less than 1 billion dollars. Standard acts are adopted. Economic incentives is carried out at the expense of tax and credit concessions, favorable tariffs, grants, etc. Especially this legislation actively develops in the USA and Germany. The organizational basis of development of renewable power in the form of definition of the public authority responsible for this direction is created. Market researches in domestic and foreign market are conducted, demonstration objects are created.

The most perspective sources of renewable energy at the moment are:

  • energy of biomass,
  • low-potential energy of the earth,
  • wind power and waters,
  • energy of the sun.

Biomass. Work on the transfer of a part of boiler rooms to local types of fuel, such as peat, waste of a woodworking, etc. positively affects efficiency of power. In Finland, for example, to 26% of energy consumption covers with peat and wood waste. First of all it belongs to the enterprises in the sphere of agricultural industry. Vegetable cultures and biological waste can be raw materials for production of a renewable source of energy – biogas: manure, waste of a slaughter, waste of plants, sewer drains, fats, biogarbage, waste of the food industry, garden waste and malt deposit.

It is especially expedient to apply the production technology of biogas at the water treatment enterprises of the large cities and settlements. As raw materials for them serve sewer drains. Sewage treatment needs to be carried out anyway, using this technology will allow to get additional profit. Due to these installations an opportunity to completely satisfy the needs for the electric power and heat is implemented.

Production of biogas is repaid on dumps of household waste. On the place of landfills it is possible to organize extraction of methane. It will perform several functions: processing of household waste, generation of new energy resources, reduction of emission of greenhouse gases and improvement of ecology. The problem of utilization of household waste very much is particularly acute in the majority large settlements.

Thermal pumps. The technology of use of "thermal pump", in comparison with wind and solar energy, is not subject to influence of weather conditions. It is based on selection of low-potential heat from the environment (the earth, water or air). The greatest efficiency is reached when using water as a source of this heat. It is connected with the fact that water possesses one of the greatest indicators of specific heat. Placement of the evaporator in a reservoir will allow to lower considerably initial costs of construction of TN, it is especially expedient in in territories with large supplies of water resources. Thermal pumps can be small, intended for needs of the certain house, and large, capable to satisfy the needs for heating and hot water the whole areas. One of the largest thermal pumps is the Katri Vala project in Finland the city of Helsinki its general power of 90 MW thermal energy and 60 MW of cold. In the last decade this technology was widely adopted especially. Today in Japan about 3 million installations are operated, in Sweden about 500 000 houses are warmed with thermal pumps of various types.

Wind. Rational use of the distributed wind potential allows to use it both in autonomous wind power installations, and during the work of VEU as a part of local power systems. Gross wind capacity of Russia is estimated at 80*1015 kW/h/year, economic – 40*109 kWh/year.

Besides large installations which power exceeds 7 MW there are wind-driven generators of average and small power. Such installations will be demanded among individuals and the small enterprises. Wind energy first of all needs to be mastered and used on islands and in remote and remote areas where there is no central power supply.

Hydropower. It is considered to be that for the first time for production of electricity hydraulic power was used in 1878 by Englishman William Armstrong for food of the only arc lamp in the art gallery.

The first power plant was started in 1882 on Fox River in the city Appleton, the State of Wisconsin, the USA. In five years in the USA and Canada there were already 45 hydroelectric power stations, and by 1889 – 200.

The hydropower provides production to 88% renewable and to 20% of all electric power in the world, the established hydropower power reaches 777 GW.

The absolute leader in hydraulic power development per capita is Iceland. Except it this indicator is highest in Norway (a share of hydroelectric power station in total development — 98%), Canada and Sweden. In Paraguay 100% of the made energy are developed on hydroelectric power stations.

The most active hydroconstruction conducts China for which hydraulic power is the main potential power source. In this country it is placed to a half of small hydroelectric power stations of the world, and also the largest hydroelectric power station of the world "Three gorges" on the river Yangtze and the under construction largest cascade of hydroelectric power station on power. Larger hydroelectric power station "Grandee Inga" 39 GW is planned to a construction by the international consortium on Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire).

The largest producers of hydraulic power (including processing on pumped storage power plant) in absolute values are the following countries:

Country

Power consumption (in kw/h)

1

China

585

2

USA

369

3

MONGOLIA

364

4

BRAZIL

251

5

RUSSIA

167

6

NORWAY

140

7

INDIA

116

8

VENEZUELA

87

9

JAPAN

69

10

SWEDEN

66

11

FRANCE

63

Sun. For the majority of territories application of installations on use of solar energy is economically justified. First of all, transforming sunlight to heat. It can be absolutely different installations from the most elementary (a black barrel with water on a roof) to more difficult (glass vacuum tubes).

Since the end of the 90th years construction of houses with "solar" architecture which allows to lower energy consumption of the house gained distribution in the world and as much as possible to use energy of the sun. Also received application of installation of various design for heating of water and air (solar collectors). They are used not only in southern latitudes, but also in the North (Finland, Sweden, Canada, etc.). In all cases solar heating panels were used as an additional source of heat, nevertheless, they considerably cut down expenses on heating to several thousand kWh in a year.

Power generation on the basis of solar energy, also gained distribution not only in the southern territories, but also in northern latitudes. Sharing of solar energy with diesel generators allows to receive essential economy of fuel, at the same time there is an emission reduction of products of burning in the atmosphere.

1 - Jager D., Klessmann C., Renewable Energy in the European Energy Market http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/studies/doc/renewables/2011_financing_renewable.pdf

2 - Jager D., Klessmann C., Renewable Energy in the European Energy Market http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/studies/doc/renewables/2011_financing_renewable.pdf

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