Please get out your objectives #1-9 for a stamp.

Review those objectives for today’s quiz!

Please read the board!

Solar quiz!? I got this!

What are the drawbacks of using fossil fuels?

Fossil FuelsSolar and

wind power

US solar industry – record growth in 2012, 16,ooo,ooo panels installed in nation, record 76% growth

10,000 solar companies in the US! Texas is in the top 10 states for solar

installation and has the “most untapped potential” for solar (still just .1%of electricity)

Module costs have dropped 60% last two years

Energy Companies

Ship Channel

Transition from fossil fuels to renewables as fossil fuels become more expensive and scarce

Begin moving more solar/wind materials

Refineries begin transition to something else or shut down

Solar installation – typically 20 panels, takes one day and 5 people.

Total cost of photovoltaic installation: 30% is panels, 70% is wire, labor, invertors, rails, etc

Most jobs in solar are in installation – these jobs will always be American

1999 – Germany created incentives for solar installation

China has increased production of solar arrays

2010: $6/watt 2014: $3/watt

Fossil Fuels Sustainable Energy

What tradeoffs must be considered as Houston makes the transition?

Fossil FuelsSolar and

wind power

So what will take the place of fossil fuels?

Should we be looking for a one-to-one substitution solution?

Creating a paradigm shift

One major regional power plant, usually coal, natural gas or nuclear supplies area’s needs

Same plan throughout US

Distributed Power = dispersed, small-scale power systems customized to geographic region combine to meet a region’s needs

What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?

What does sustainable mean? Why are fossil fuels not sustainable? How might the transition to sustainable

energy affect Houston? What’s the difference between

centralized and decentralized electrical systems?