A Renewable World: The Future Ahead Of Us
A Senior Project by Alejandro Sauter Forseck
• Part 1 – Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
• Part 2 – Contact Sheet• Part 3 – Solar Powered RC Car
• Part 4 – Virtual City Model
Index
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
Alejandro Sauter
What is a carbon footprint?
• Carbon footprint: a measure of the impact our activities on the environment– It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases
produced in our day-to-day lives
Primary Carbon Footprint
• The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation– We control this
footprint directly
Secondary Carbon Footprint
• The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use – Associated with their
manufacture and eventual breakdown
Addressing Your Primary Carbon Footprint
• Besides regular measures, there are two main segments to address:– Transportation– Household
The Household Carbon Footprint
– Thermoelectric 23,121.17 mW (45.2%)– Carbon 2,600 mW (5.1%)– Thermoelectric (Independent Producers)
11,906.90 (23.3%)
– Remaining % is hydroelectric, nuclear, eolic, and geothermic (cleaner energy sources)
Reducing The Household Carbon Footprint
• Two ways– Water-heating solar panels– Photovoltaic panels
Installation
• Water-heating solar panels– simple and cost-friendly– mainly requires plumbing/tubing
Maintenance
• Water-heating solar panels– durable, almost no maintenance– 5 to 10 year warranty
– check tubing every year, revisions every 3-5 years
Costs
• Water-heating solar panels– varies, depending on system type and
capacity– 5,500 to 7,500 USD
– reduce bills and emissions significantly
Carbon Footprint Reduction
• Water-heating solar panels– 230kgCO2/year when replacing gas and
510kgCO2/year when replacing electric immersion heating
Installation
• Photovoltaic solar panels– connection to fuse box– batteries, controller, inverter
– monitor – CFE back-up
Maintenance
• Photovoltaic solar panels– equalize every 6
months – 1 year (refresh water in batteries)
– clean solar panels (dust)
– change batteries every 5-10 yrs
– change solar panels every 15-20 yrs
Costs
• Photovoltaic solar panels– 1,000 USD/panel– 380 USD/battery– 800 USD/controller– 3,000 USD/invertor– 165 USD/switch box PV– 450 USD/switch box
AC/DC– 800 USD/monitor install– 2,500-3,000 USD/materials
& installment
Carbon Footprint Reduction
• CFE energy production percentages/kW
• Your usual kW consumption daily
• Emissions per each kW of each energy source=total
Reducing The Transportational Carbon Footprint
• Traditional ways– Carpool– Smaller cars– Conservative driving
style
• Direct investment– Hybrid cars– Biofuels– Diesel cars
(transitional)
Installation
• Biofuel cars• *Some cars (i.e. Jeep)
are already FlexFuel (take a percentage of biofuel ~ usually 85%)– Spark plug
(Iridium/Platinum)– ECU (Engine Control Unit)
• 2 to 4 cylinders• 5 to 6 cylinders• 8 cylinders
Maintenance
• Biofuel cars– Normal car
maintenance– 2-3 years
check/replace fuel lines (if made of plastic components)
– Change spark plugs every 160,000 km
Costs
• Biofuel car– Pulsar spark plug (Platinum/Iridium)
• 219/249 pesos
– 2-4 cylinder ECU• 6,500 pesos
– 5-6 cylinder ECU• 7,600 pesos
– 8 cylinder ECU• 8,600 pesos
Carbon Footprint Reduction
• Biofuel cars– 70-80% less emissions
than normal cars• 58 lbs of hydrocarbons• 431 lbs of carbon
monoxide• 29 lbs of nitrogen
oxides• 8,600 lbs of carbon
dioxide
– Up to 70% savings on fuel costs
The Future?
• Hydrogen used in cars– FCX Clarity
Hydrogen fuel cells, electric engine
– BMW Hydrogen 7 Uses hydrogen in a combustion engine
Sources• Slide 4,5,6 carbon footprint http://
www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonfootprint.html • Slide 8 CFE production
http://www.cfe.gob.mx/QuienesSomos/estadisticas/Paginas/Indicadoresdegeneraci%C3%B3n.aspx
• Slide 10,11,12,13 water heating solar panels http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Solar-water-heating
• Slide 14,15,16,17 first-hand experience, outback manuals• Slide 18,19,20,21,22 www.fuelflexmexico.com.mx • Slide 22 http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/f00013.htm • Slide 23 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Hydrogen_7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCX_Clarity
Index
Contact Sheet
• Photovoltaic Solar Panels– http://www.erdmsolar.com/ – http://www.solartec.mx/
• Water-Heating Solar Panels– http://www.iluminacionsolar.com.mx/ – http://www.genersys-solar.com.mx/
• Biofuel Mods– http://fuelflexmexico.com.mx/ – FlexFuel Car List (2010)
http://www.autobytel.com/green-cars/list-of-2010-flex-fuel-vehicles-104919/
Index
Solar Powered RC Car
• Opening car bottom• Connecting solar
panel cables with capacitor, capacitor to battery port
Solar Powered RC Car
• Insert battery and close battery port (solar panel capacitor battery car) , now the solar panel charges the battery which powers the car
• Mount solar panel
Solar Powered RC Car
• Mount capacitor and cables so car may run
Solar Powered RC Car (setbacks)
• Battery (old, didn’t deliver enough power, didn’t hold much charge)– Reduce weight (take
down car, build it again)
– Mount 2 solar panels to charge battery faster
Index
Virtual City Model
• Based on Montreal terrain• Specs
– 1,747,807 MW-h annual usage 90% solar, 10% wind
– Population: 668,620 – Life expectancy – 89 years– Unemployment – 5%– 794,981 tons of waste produced
• 45% recycled• 25% burned in waste to energy incinerators• 20% normal incinerators• 10% landfills
Index
Thank You!
• Sources listed in respective parts
• Special thanks to– Maxis SC3000 program for city
– Tim Kabeary Interview/providing info on systems and guidance
– Friends and family who provided support!