SCENES ABOUT ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY What do we want the Netherlands to look like in 40 years in terms of sustainability (energy, cradle to cradle and economics) and how are we going to realize this?
Wiebe Veldhuis Vincent Visser Thomas van Zonneveld
Mentors: J. Bijlsma, H van Vonderen February 2015 Coรถrdinating teachers: B. Toepoel, A. Colly, L. Sytsma
2
SCENES ABOUT ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
Whilst sustainability is a growing focal point all over the world, a lot of investigation is needed. With our research we want to try to change your minds to go fully green. We believe in a good future. We cannot stand and watch and see how the earth is collapsing under our environmentally destroying feet. Every contribution, no matter how small, is important. Not even half of our roofs have solar panels. Not even half of our cars drive on electricity. We do not have an industry where recycled material is used in reasonable quantities. We simply do not have that. But why actually do we not have that? Would it not be the right thing to do? Could it not be profitable for our society and economy? Our interest includes three main areas on how we can change our nation, the Netherlands, to become as sustainable as possible within approximately 40 years. The first subject is durable (´green´) energy. In this part we want to see what is possible in the field of, for example, solar energy, wind energy, blue energy, nuclear energy and more. What can we expect to find in/on our future homes, is it going to be affordable and will it be worth it? The second subject is the circular economy, or said differently; recycling. This part is about what we can reuse, what should be reused and what sort of businesses are doing so. But beside this we tried to find information about the recycling of things like solar panels and wind turbines but also cellphones. The third and last part is the economy as a whole with the government included as well. Here we look for the answers for questions like how can our economy influence the environment but also how the environment can influence the economy. The government itself is also put to the test in how it could and should help the economy in becoming sustainable. Every sub question of a part, but also the parts itself, start with a short introduction and are followed by a conclusion. This research is commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Infrastructure of the Dutch government aiming to find out how the youth sees the future and how younger people look upon sustainability.
Can we achieve becoming sustainable? Being completely sustainable is the goal of many countries. However, to achieve this, some innovations and new techniques are necessary. Today, in 2015, there are enough ways to become completely sustainable. In terms of energy, we could combine different techniques to achieve a goal of using 100% sustainable energy. With just only 1500 wind turbines we could already achieve our goal. However, when you combine this with solar energy and biomass energy, we could agree with just a wind turbine here and there. In terms of cradle to cradle, we could like to achieve to only use reused products. We can reuse everything. From phones and electronic devises to clothes, like jackets, trousers and jeans. We could separate all of our garbage and burn it as a source of biomass, which is another way of gaining energy. To achieve our goals, the government has to help, of course. By giving grants and subsidizing solar panels for example. Also companies have to make concessions, mostly with a positive effect. A green production line can be subsidized and the sale will increase. And with a higher sale, a higher welfare and a better “name” will be gained. 3
Table of contents Introduction Summary (Can we achieve becoming sustainable? ) Table of contents
page page page
[1]
3 3 4
[1.1] [1.2]
What do we think is sustainable? What do we want the Netherlands to look like in 40 years in terms of sustainability (energy, cradle to cradle and economics) and how are we going to realize this?
What are our goals?
page 6
[2]
How are we going to realize our goals?
page 9
[2.1] [2.1.1] [2.1.2] [2.1.3] [2.1.4] [2.1.5] [2.1.6]
What energy facilities can help us, to realize our goals and how? What are the capabilities of wind energy? What are the capabilities of solar energy? What are the capabilities of nuclear energy? What are the capabilities of blue energy? How can we use geothermal sources as a future heat source? What are the capabilities of hydrogen in terms of replacing it for fossil fuels? [2.1.7] What could the future bring us, in terms of biomass energy? [2.1] Conclusion
page page
7 8
page page Page page page page page
9 10 14 24 32 34 41
page page
44 49
What can the cyclic economy do to help us realize our goals? What is cradle to cradle? What is urban mining? What can we do with urban mining? What non-recyclable materials do we use most, and how can we still recycle them? [2.2.5] In what ways do we have to change our behaviour so that we would only have recyclable garbage left? [2.2.6] What potential does the Netherlands have of becoming significant in the recycling of products? [2.2.7] How can we use the plastics in the oceans in a profitable way? [2.2] Conclusion
page Page page page page
50 51 52 53 55
page
57
page
59
page page
62 65
[2.3] How will the economy/government react to sustainability? [2.3] Introduction [2.3.1] In what ways can the government help us with the realization of the Netherlands in becoming sustainable? [2.3.2] Why or why not should the government give grants to companies that produce in a green way? [2.3.3] Which jobs/educations can/will help us in the development of a sustainable society? [2.3.4] Should companies manufacture in a durable way? [2.3.5] Why would a sustainable country be positive for the economy? [2.3] Conclusion
Page page page
66 67 68
page
72
page
76
page Page page
80 85 89
[2.2] [2.2.1] [2.2.2] [2.2.3] [2.2.4]
4
[3]
[3.1] [3.2]
Can we realize our goals?
Conclusion, can we realize our goals? Advices: how to change the current policy?
page 91 page page
92 93
List of used figures References
page page
94 96
Supplements [1] Conversation with Micheal Saakes (blue energy ) [2] Conversation with Gerrit Jan Valk (TNO) [3] Conversation with Darwind (recycling wind turbines) [4] Conversation with Windbrokers (recycling wind turbines)
page page page page page
106 106 109 110 112
5
Part [1] What are our goals? 1.1
What do we think is sustainable?
1.2
What do we want the Netherlands to look like in 40 years in terms of sustainability (energy, cradle to cradle and economics) and how are we going to realize this?
6
1.1
What do we think is sustainable?
Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and the environment can exist in a productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.1 For example, sustainability should not exhaust environmental energy sources like fossil fuels. Thereby something sustainable should be recyclable, be there in unlimited numbers or it should be inducible. This means that it will still be there for the next generations and thus has no negative effects upon them. So, something is sustainable if it contributes to a balance between ecological, economical and social interests in the present as well as in the future. All developments that contribute to a healthy globe with prosperous inhabitants and a good functioning ecosystem are sustainable.
7
1.2
What do we want the Netherlands to look like in 40 years in terms of sustainability (energy, cradle to cradle and economics) and how are we going to realize this?
Our government, the Dutch government, states that they plan to fully replace fossil fuels with sustainable fuels in the next 36 years (2050). This is our goal as well. We want to run the Netherlands on sustainable energy only. This means we shall not use any gas anymore, nor are we going to use oil to produce energy. Electricity, blue energy and water/wind energy will be sources that are going to provide us with the energy we need, just to mention a few. We all know that the fossil fuels will run out one day. Fortunately, there are more options and those options can save us. Without energy we would be nowhere. We have evolved into energy consuming monsters, almost everywhere on the world. Especially here in Europe energy is consumed, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. At this speed, some say that all fossil fuels will be gone within approximately 75 years.1 This is why we want to replace all fossil fuels by inducible fuels, or fuels that are unlimited, within 40 years. (but faster, is preferable) In terms of cradle to cradle we want the Netherlands to work with recyclable products only, and that all those products will actually be recycled. We are already using recyclable products. Plastic bottles, glass and paper for example. But a lot of products are not recyclable yet. We want to, or stop using those and replace them with products that are recyclable, or we want to develop a method with which we can start recycling them. Besides that, there are many products that could be recycled but that almost nobody knows of. Also good to know is that we do not support recycling only. Also reusing products is of high importance to us. Re-using products might even be better... If we look at the economy, we want all companies to fully support a sustainable Netherlands. Plus, we want that education is looking more at sustainability so that in the future a sustainable nation is realisable more easily. Imagine a nation in which sustainability can grow without any delay. In the economy of today, the companies are a huge enemy of sustainability. For them, it is too expensive or too much work. That is one of the reasons why education should focus more on a sustainable nation or maybe even a sustainable world. If more educations, and thus people, are focussed on sustainability, than the development of this phenomenon will increase rapidly and newer, smarter and cheaper ways to make the Netherlands sustainable can be invented. Because of this, people will become more aware of and interested in how the Netherlands should actually look like: sustainable.
8
Part [2] How are we going to realize our goals?
Chapter 2.1
What energy facilities can help us to realize our goals and how?
_____________________________________________ 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6 2.1.7 2.1
What are the capabilities of wind energy? What are the capabilities of solar energy? What are the capabilities of nuclear energy? What are the capabilities of blue energy? How can we use geothermal sources as a future heat source? What are the capabilities of hydrogen in terms of replacing it for fossil fuels? What could the future bring us, in terms of biomass energy? Conclusion
9
2.1.1
What are the capabilities of wind energy?
Wind energy as how it is today Wind energy is one of our major sources of energy along with solar/geothermal energy and biofuel. The Dutch government claims that biofuels and wind turbines have the best future prospects. The Netherlands already had a production capacity in wind energy of 2693 mega watt (1MW = a million watts) at the end of 2013[1] and this number is still rising. Currently we have 2000 (onshore) wind turbines which account for only 4% of the total demand for electricity. This is of course really low. If we want to achieve something with the wind, then we have to step it up a notch. The question is: can we do this within a certain amount of time? If we want wind energy to have a noticeable share in the total energy production, than we have to increase the profitability by making them more efficient and less expensive. Besides, it is a good idea if we can get the civilians of the Netherlands so far that they like the idea of wind turbines in their backyard. We can realize the latter by making wind turbines more friendly to residents.
Figure 1: windturbines
How do they work If we want to improve the efficiency of the wind turbines, then we have to know where to start. Well, we can compare a wind turbine to a fan, working in the opposite direction. A fan uses energy to make wind, and a wind turbine uses wind to make energy. Wind is a form of kinetic energy (energy derived from moving material). When the wind makes contact with the blades of the wind turbine, it transfers some, not all, of its kinetic energy to the blades which make them rotate. The blades ensure that a shaft starts spinning which is connected to the turbine or generator where the kinetic energy is converted into electricity which we can use to light our houses for example. [2] The amount of electric energy that a wind turbine can get out of all the caught kinetic energy is what we call the capacity factor. Or said differently: what it does, to what it could have done. Another word that can be used for ´capacity factor´ is efficiency. Ten years ago the capacity factor was about 25% which is nowadays sometimes 50%! [4] (35% on average)[5] Next to the capacity factor we have the capability factor: how much kinetic energy we extract from all the kinetic energy in the wind facing the wind turbine. To make the distinction between the capacity and capability factor clear, here is an example. ´´All the kinetic energy the wind can provide us equals 100%. We have a wind turbine which extracts 80% of this kinetic energy (capability factor). In the process we lose another 20% which leaves 60%. (60%/80%)×100 = capacity factor = 75%. (This would be an extraordinary good wind turbine because normally the capacity factor is about 35%)
10
Advantages/Disadvantages Advantages [3] It is obvious that an advantage of wind energy is that it is durable. It is unlimited. Second, is that it is good for the environment, no CO2 is produced and or released into the atmosphere. Also, wind turbines are very efficient talking about transport. They can be placed literally almost everywhere minimize the costs and energy loss by means of transport. Wind energy is also really fast energy. By this I mean it is easy to produce. Take some wind, blades and a turbine and you are ready to go. A wind farm can be placed within half a year. Disadvantages [3] People do not like looking and listening to wind turbines. The people placing those terror wind turbines do take the residents in account. They try to place as carefully as possible. Regarding the noise, modern wind turbines are almost deadly silent at a distance of 250-300 meter. Luckily, because they produce 96 decibels if standing next to one of them. Looking at economic prospective there are downsides as well. Producing a wind turbine brings relatively high costs. Besides that it takes a lot of time to earn that money back and start making a profit. The last disadvantage is that birds do not always fly around the wind turbine but prefer to go straight through which does not always end well.
What are the possibilities Now we know how they work, we can look at how to improve them. The first thing you think of is probably the size of the blades. With bigger blades you can ´´catch´´ more wind and convert this extra kinetic energy into extra electrical energy. But before this is possible you have to enlarge the whole structure which is the second possible improvement. The downside of these first two things is that the bigger blades cause more noise, and besides that, bigger wind turbines means more costs and a decreased view. We still have to keep in mind that there is a chance that the costs for enlarging them is higher at a certain point than the extra revenue we will receive. This will result in a loss. Thereby, rotors have to deal with two main powers. Torque and thrust. Torque is what makes the rotors turn. More torque equals more energy. But also: more torque equals more thrust. And thrust is what makes things fall over. Really basically; torque is good and thrust is not. This is a major challenge for engineers. The modern wind turbines deal with a thrust as strong as five F-18 engines trying to pull the thing down. [4] A third improvement could be the efficiency and profitability of the generator. We rely on the universities if talking about making the generators more profitable. A result of this last point is that we can produce the same amount of energy with less turbines and thus less wind turbines or, if we choose to keep the same amount of wind turbines, we can generate even more energy than ever before. Next to wind turbines there are many projects working on wind energy. There is a new blade-less wind turbine device by Saphon. [7] The design is inspired by the sailboat and is likely to significantly increase the efficiency of current wind power conversion devices. The company is already looking for manufacturing partners to bring the turbine to market. Saphon is not the first to engage in exploring the bladeless turbine idea, Nikola Tesla also experimented with similar bladeless technology in 1913. Figure 2: the Saphon windturbine 11
Last but definitely not least, we can improve the capability factor. Unfortunately the capability factor of the imaginary wind turbine in the example used before (75% capability factor) cannot be improved and here is why: In 1919 a German physicist found out, with solid math, that we can only extract 59% of the kinetic energy from the wind. This ´law´ was published by Albert Betz, who was a German physicist and a pioneer of wind turbine technology. This ´law´ is called the Betz´ Law.[5] So 59% is the most you can possibly get out of the winds kinetic energy. Explaining or proving this shows difficult but fact is that Betz was right. It is easy to understand that we will never be able to turn 100% of the wind into energy. Because that would mean that on the ´back of the wind turbine´ no kinetic energy would be left in the wind. No velocity left in the wind. No wind. Dead calm. That the wind stops flowing when it reaches the wind turbine means that ´new´ wind is less able to reach the wind turbine resulting in a decreasing capability factor. The capability factor will continue decreasing until it reaches somewhere near 59%. Fact is; we are still far from getting there.
What can we expect in the (near) future We now know what is not possible: wind turbines and their blades cannot be infinitely large and we cannot extract 100% of the kinetic energy from the wind. But what then is possible? A thing that we did not mention before is that a lot of wind turbines will probably be placed offshore. There is a lot of space, no people nagging about their view and there is more wind than onshore. Various techniques are being used to install those offshore facilities. These include artificial islands and wind turbines on floating foundations anchored at depths of up to 60m, similar to oil rigs. This plan will only be continued if the people opposing wind energy do not persuade the government to drop the project. Luckily, the odds that wind energy will be put on hold are very little because wind energy is the fastest developing renewable energy source. In 2009 we were the country placing relatively most wind turbines in the world even though China is still in the lead. For its part, the EWEA (European Wind Energy Association) estimates that by 2030, so within 40 years, wind energy could supply 2635% of electricity in Europe [6] and thus the Netherlands. In 2020 the Netherlands aim for 13% (nowadays 4%) from which a third will be produced offshore.[6] So can wind turbines make a significant contribution to the production of electricity? Yes, they can, but not yet. A new type of wind turbine, the ladder mill, actually can. A ladder mill is a wind turbine operating at an altitude up to 9000 meter where wind speeds can be 20 times as high as at sea level and produce an estimated 100 MW (that is the equivalent of 70 regular wind turbines)! [6] Regarding the size of the wind turbines, they will most likely not increase. As explained the size depends on the thrust and engineers are not yet that far to increase them again. The chances that wind turbines will decrease on the contrary are present because the wind speed offshore is higher and thus more torque and thrust will be faced. The capability factor will logically not be increased to above 59% and the capacity factor, or efficiency, will not rise to a 100%. Considering Saphons bladeless wind energy converter, the efficiency could increase with a mind-blowing 130%[8] increasing the capacity factor from 35% to 80%.[7] About the capability factor nothing can be said because the project is still in the preface. Also, the focus lies on the offshore projects, therefore the wind turbines itself are not being improved that much anymore. At last, the costs, what it is all about. A Saphons bladeless wind turbine converter is believed to be 45% cheaper. A wind turbine costs about 750.000 to a million euro, so between 410 and 550 thousand is the aim for in the future for a saphon converter. Wind energy itself can also become less 12
expensive. In the next two decades the price of wind energy will drop with an estimated 20% to 30%.[7] A very concrete plan here in the Netherlands is that in the future, offshore projects in the North Sea could add to the number of wind farms, using existing facilities and thus reducing investment costs. Plans are being studied to build 200 turbines, with at least 280 MW, in the Beatrice oil field. Each wind turbine will have 60 meter blades that can withstand the North Sea winds. In 2015, 86 wind turbines will be place in the Ijsselmeer. This project, the Windpark Figure 3: a large-scale wind farm on the North Sea, Noordoostpolder, will be capable to provide 90 km north-west of the island of Borkum. electricity for 400.000 households in the Netherlands. While there is much resistance, the project was given a green light. The first turbines will start operating in 2015 Haliade™ 150-6MW The Haliade is at the moment the newest type of wind turbine with a height of 100 meter, without the blades. With the blades, that have a diameter of 150 meter, the wind turbine will be 187 meter.[7] These wind turbines are for offshore usage. One wind turbine can provide electricity for 5.000 households. If we want the Netherlands to run on wind energy, according to the CBS, the Netherlands counts 7.438.000 households, we only need around 1500 wind turbines. [7] Vestas has also started producing new wind turbines. One of these turbines is able to provide electricity for 7500 households. That means, less than 1000 wind turbines could achieve our goals in terms of electricity.
Conclusion In the near future wind energy shall not have a huge impact on our electronic lives because the efficiency will not rise enough within a small period of time. However, the developments will go faster and faster as time goes by, resulting in more efficient and less expensive wind turbines which can change our energy choices dramatically. Thereby we did not even include the ladder mills and maybe even Saphons energy converter yet. With the use of onshore and also offshore wind farms we can produce a lot of resident friendly wind energy which is more efficient and less expensive than ever before. Wind energy is a serious future energy prospect. Therefore, wind energy should be supported even more by the Dutch government. Instead of placing wind turbines in recreational areas, place them offshore. Or replace all the current wind turbines for the Vestas wind turbine. Fun facts 1. Wind energy is actually a form of solar energy. The sun heats the atmosphere in an uneven way which causes wind. Also, the sun makes the earth spin, which is an even more important cause for our energy producing wind. 2. The GWEC (Global Wind Energy Council) controls a capacity of 400 GW in wind energy at the moment. That is an astonishing 4 billion watts! (net worth = Âą3.5 billion euro)
13
2.1.2
What are the capabilities of solar energy?
The earth is absorbing energy from the sun. Actually, the earth is absorbing lots and lots of energy from the sun. The earth is absorbing an average of 174.7 Watts every m2.1 This average is estimated for over the whole world. For the Netherlands, with a surface of 41.526 km² (41.526.000 m2) this will be 7.254.592.200 W, 7.25*109 W. In one year, this will be a total of 2.288*1017 J, 6.36*1010 kWh. This could be enough for 18 million households (with an average usage of 3500kWh).
Figure 4: a Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) panel
What is solar energy? Solar energy is all the energy that is dissipated by the sun. Only a part of this radiation is reaching the earth´s atmosphere and only a fraction of that is reaching the earth itself. Only a part of this fraction is used as an energy source nowadays. There are many ways in which energy from the sun can be used on the earth. Most common are photovoltaic modules and heating installations. But while there are numerous ways to use solar energy, here are some possibilities: use solar energy for cooking (solar ovens), heating water (solar boilers) and for example the distillation of water to disinfect it. Besides these “active” ways of using solar energy, there is also a passive way to use solar energy. You have to think of heating houses, using the light from the sun, and using the sun as a heater for your house.
Solar panels A solar panel is a panel that converts light into energy. There are many types of solar panels, but the most common nowadays is the PV-panel. A PV-panel consists of multiple photovoltaic (PV) modules combined together. There are many different photovoltaic modules. The principle is most often the same but the materials that the modules are made of differ. That has to do with innovation and higher efficiencies. How does a PV-panel (solar panel) work? A PV-panel consists of multiple photovoltaic (PV) modules combined together. So to explain how a PV-panel works, we will discuss the working of photovoltaic modules. A photovoltaic module consists of a silicon plate. Silicon does not conduct energy. An electron that is hit by solar energy, will be shot from the silicon, but it will replace itself into the silicon again. To change this, phosphor and boron are added. Phosphor on top, boron on the bottom. Phosphor has a needless electron, boron Figure 5: a simplified PV panel somehow misses one electron. Therefore, the electrons from phosphor will move, all the way through the silicon, to the boron. The phosphor will eventually become too positive and the boron will become too negative and the “transport” of electrons will stop. The silicon has become a semi-conductor. 14
When sunlight hits the semi-conductor, an electron from the phosphor is shot from the phosphor. It will then move through the silicon to boron. But boron already has enough electrons. Therefore this electron can be used as energy. When multiple modules are combined, it is called a PV-panel; a photovoltaic panel. The upside of this panel, is negative, the underside is positive. If you connect both sides, there will be electricity. How much energy can solar panels provide nowadays? (the four common panels) The amount of energy that is generated by solar panels is depending on a lot of factors. Of course, the amount of energy that is generated by solar panels is depending on what type of solar panel you are using. Nowadays, there are roughly four types of solar panels: mono crystalline-, poly crystalline-, amorphous- and CIGS solar panels. Amorphous and CIGS panels are a type of “thin film panels”. Thin film panels are being developed nowadays and instead of solid silicon they consist of silicon powder or other substances like CIGS (copper indium gallium selenite). To show the difference between those four panel types, here are the panels pictured. 1 Mono crystalline solar panels are solar panels consisting of solar cells (photovoltaic (PV) modules) made up from one crystal of silicon. They have the highest yield and are deep blue/ black. 2 Poly crystalline solar panels are solar panels consisting of solar cells made up from multiple arm crystals of silicon. The colour is light/dark blue. 3 Amorphous solar panels does not consist of silicon crystals, but of powder. These panels are the newest type of solar panels and are being developed at the moment of speaking (thin film solar panels). They are very thin, “bendable” and unbreakable. 4 CIGS solar panels consist of copper-indium-gallium-selenite instead of silicon. These panels are solid black. This is, and so are amorphous panels, a thin film panel. It is very thin, “bendable” and unbreakable. The yield of these four panels is different. Mono crystalline panels are the best, amorphous is the worst. The difference in it is yield is as following (measured by the incoming light)2: Mono crystalline solar panels Poly crystalline solar panels Amorphous solar panels CIGS solar panels
Figure 6: four types of solar panels
Yielding approximately 14-20 % Yielding approximately 12-16 % Yielding approximately 6-10 % Yielding approximately 13-15 %
Besides the type of panel, the energy generated depends on the following factors. The upward angle of inclination from incoming sunlight, the sideway angle, the underlying system that transports, stores and converts the energy, the solar irradiation (average 174.7 Watts every m2), the amount of sun-hours and the temperature.
15
The amount of energy produced by a solar panel differs from panel to panel and is given in Wp; Watt peaks. This number indicates the maximum of watts that can be generated. To calculate the kWh, we have to use a conversion factor. This is different for each country and has to do with the amount of sun-hours and light intensity. For example, on the equator, this number is higher than on the poles. The light intensity on the equator is higher than on the poles. For the Netherlands, this number is 0.853 (see table) To give an indication, here are some solar panels with their Figure 7: the Indak Solar panel maximum power (under the optimal circumstances). These panels are for sale and are sold in the Netherlands. The first panel, the Indak solar, can be used instead of roof tiles due to its dimensions. You can see this on picture 7.
1 c21e tiles indak solar
Mono crystalline solar panels
300 Wp 255 kWh 300*0.85=255. This number (0.85) indicates how much of the capacity of the panels are used in the Netherlands, see the text above.
2 LG Solar 270 Wp mono
Mono crystalline solar panels
270 Wp 229.5 kWh
3 Hyundai Solar MG245 poly
Poly crystalline solar panels
245 Wp 208,25 kWh
4 TSMC Solar 140Wp dunne
CIGS solar panels
140 Wp 119 kWh
film
1
2
3
Figure 8: four examples of solar panels
16
4
What if everyone in the Netherlands would place solar panels on their roofs? If everyone in the Netherlands would place solar panels on their roofs, they could provide themselves with energy. Here is one example made with the second solar panel mentioned above, the LG Solar 270 Wp mono. An average family, 2.2 people, uses 3500 kWh. With the LG solar, there are 3500/229.5=16 panels needed. According to the producer of the second solar panel, LG, the dimensions are 1640mm x 1000mm x 35mm. This means, 1.64m2 for 229.5 kWh.4 16*1.64= 26.24m2 is needed in solar panels to completely yield all the energy out of solar panels. According to Holland solar, mentioned on the website of Nuon, the available roof surface is 26.4m2 Theoretically, it is possible to get this done. Practically, it is not. Why not? Because solar panels are, most often, rectangles. You have to place all the solar panels in such a way that they use all the space most efficiently and while you, not yet, cannot cut the solar panels into shape, this does not seem possible. However, at the moment, people are investigating flexible solar panels and solar panel paint. Therefore, in the nearby future it should be possible to use all available space on your house or roof. A problem that occurs here are the apartment buildings. The roofs are not capable of gaining energy for all the people inside the apartment. However, other roofs are. For example, what if every big industrial buildings would place solar panels on their roofs? If large areas like industrial buildings are used, this could cope with the problems. If we could use all the areas shined upon by the sun, we would achieve an enormous yield. For example planes or boats. Both of them are operating already, we will discuss them later. But instead of planes and boats, why not use the surface from sea containers? Most of the time they are outside in the sun and on the sea. This could provide a big energy boost for ships but while we have Rotterdam, also for the Netherlands. This could also help us in realising our goals.
Figure 9: a house full of solar panels
17
What does the future look like for solar panels? 5 There is a great future for solar panels. There is a lot of innovation in this area and the panels are getting better and better. The production of solar energy is growing and the prices are lowering. The future is looking great. At the moment, there are CPV systems. This stands for Concentrated PhotoVoltaic. With lenses or dishes, the sunlight is converted to smaller beams (see picture 10). The light could have the intensity of 1000 suns and therefore, the energy in this beam will increase. The Figure 10: illustration of solar panels using dishes efficiency can reach up to 40% by 2017. These systems are way too expensive and too big to be placed on roofs, but for example in rural areas, they can do their job. The Amonix 7700 solar power generator (53kW) is a working example of this principle (see picture 12). The picture at the beginning of this chapter, is a CPV panel. Of course, the heat is a problem, because the heat will increase as well. A solution for the extreme heat generated is the CPVT, the Concentrated photovoltaic and thermal or Combined Heat And Power Solar (CHAPS). In these systems, the heat can be used for district heating, water heating and air conditioning, desalination or process heat. Another future panel is the multiFigure 12: the Amonix 7700 with an electric Tesla Roadster junction photovoltaic panel. In these panels, there are more PV cells above each other; there are more layers. This combined with CHAPS and an infinite number of layers, the cell efficiency could be 87%. Figure 11: illustration of multi-junction photovoltaic
Do solar panels fit into our future plans? Solar panels are very sustainable and there are no considerable disadvantages. But the advantage is definitely considerable: there is no CO2 emission and no harmful waste, the prices are not that high and they do not use materials from the earth like wood or oil. Ironically, the worst disadvantage is the gained energy. This energy has to be stored in gigantic batteries. While batteries are not ecologically friendly, people can build gigantic storages lakes: with the, needless energy, water can be pumped into a lake at higher level. When you need the energy, you open the locks from the lake so that the kinetic energy from the water will be transferred into electrical energy again and you can use the electrical energy. However, before solar panels can become the future, some problems have to be solved. For example the efficiency. The predictions from the international energy agency displays that the highest yields for silicon panels will become 24% in 2017. From that moment, other panels/system will become more interesting. For example, efficiencies to 50% (HCPV, a CPV system), and 28% (tandem cells)6,7.
Therefore, solar panels definitely fit into our future plans.
18
Solar boilers What is a solar boiler and how does it work? A solar boiler is a device that uses the sunlight, to warm up water that is used to warm up houses, swimming pools and other things. Solar boilers can also be used to warm up the underground water beneath a house in the summer, and with the help of heat pump systems you can heat up your house in the winter. There is, in this way, no energy needed to warm up your house or your water. The concept of a solar boiler is very simple. Something made of a metal material, is heated by the sun. Water is flows by this heated material and therefore, the water will be heated. There are many different versions of boilers, but the even-plate-boiler is the boiler which is most commonly used in the Netherlands.
Figure 13: an even plate boiler
The sunlight hits the tank. The black absorbent, black because black absorbs the most heat, is heated. The pipes with water beneath this absorbent warm up. This water is used for anything you want to use it for. The whole tank is insulated. Therefore, most of the heat is absorbed by the plate and therefore in the water. If you install such a system, with an extra tank for the heated water, in a house, your water is completely heated by the sun. With a little pump, the water keeps moving and circulating through the system. When the sun has not got enough power to warm the water, for example in the winter of when it is cloudy, an original boiler will heat or help heat the water. Is it necessary to place a solar boiler in every house? According to the Dutch government, a solar boiler with a collection surface of 3m2 saves up to 150m3 to 200m3 of natural gas.8 The total amount of Figure 14: an even plate boiler in a households in the Netherlands on 1 January 2013 was 7.570.000. If every house household should have a solar boiler, 7570000*150=1.14*109 m3 of natural gas could be saved. By burning 1m3 of natural gas, 1.8 kg CO2 will be emitted. With all transports, productions, cleanings, bringing it to pressure and the storage, the total CO2 emission could become 2.2kg for every m3 natural gas.9 1.14*109 m3 * 2.2= 2.49*109 kg of CO2 could be saved every year with solar boilers. In 2012, the average amount of CO2 emission in the Netherlands is 182,078 million tonnes (measured over multiple years) 10. 2.49*109/1000 = 2.49*106=2,49 ton. 100(2.49/182,078)=1.37% Solar boilers could save 1.4% of the total CO2 emission in Holland. So, is it necessary to place a solar boiler in every house? Yes, because we could save a lot of CO2 emission with such a simple invention. 19
Do solar boilers fit into our future plans? Solar boilers are sustainable. Solar boilers do not need any materials from the earth, except the materials for making the boiler once. They do not need fuel, they are the fuel in some way. The energy provided by solar boiler is, for such a simple device, quite big. While the energy is in heated water, we cannot use the energy for something else, which is actually the only disadvantage. For using the energy for something else, you would need a convertor. However, while we can save 1.37% of the total CO2 emission, solar boilers fit into our future plans.
What can we do with passive solar energy? What is passive solar energy? Solar panels and solar boilers are two types of active solar energy. The energy of the sun is transferred into something else (electrical energy of heated water). If you use the sun just on it is own, without transferring the energy or without the need of devices, we call it passive. If you do not have a heater in your house, you use the energy from the sun to warm your house, without doing anything for it, then it is passive. In modern buildings, there are a lot of possibilities to save energy, just by the architecture of the house. What can you do to save energy in a passive way? Nowadays, passive solar energy is used in all modern houses. The most crucial is the architecture of the house. If your roof is pointed south under an angle of 35 degrees, solar panels can achieve relatively a much higher yield compared to the north. Therefore, most new build houses are built with the angle of 35 degrees. While there is more sun on the south, most living rooms in modern houses are build southwards. There is less energy needed to warm up the house, because the sun shines into the house. To achieve this, you can also use mirrors. Another idea is to use trees. In the summer, trees will stop the sunlight from shining into your house and making it too hot. In the winter, the trees will lose their leafs and the sun is able to shine through the trees making your house warmer.
Figure 15: examples of passive solar energy 20
Solar towers Now that we have talked about solar panels, solar boilers and passive solar energy, there is another way of gaining energy from the sun. It is using solar towers. There are roughly two types of towers. The first is the solar power tower, the second is the solar updraft tower. The solar power tower The solar power tower consists of a huge amount of mirrors. These mirrors focus all their reflected sunlight to the top of a tower, in the middle. This tower contains mostly water. Because of the extreme heat produced by all the mirrors together, the water will vaporize. This vaporized water will be guided through a series of pipes and powers turbines that will therefore produce electricity. The water will be guided again into the tower where it cools down. Then, the process is complete. This happens all the time, so there is a constant power supply. Only at night, there will be no power. This process is exactly the same as in a solar boiler. At the moment, there are some power plants that are operating using this principle. For example: Figure 16: Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the California Mojave Desert Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the California Mojave Desert. It contains 173.500 heliostats, which are mirrors, placed in an area of 1420 ha. The total plant produces 440 MW, enough for 140.000 households in California.11 in the picture (figure 17), you can see the solar beams being reflected to the tower. It is the PS10 solar power plant with a power output of 11MW.12
Figure 17: the PS10 solar power plant
21
The solar updraft tower13 The solar updraft tower consists of the principle of a hot air balloon. When air is heated, its density will decrease. Therefore, it will rise, just like a hot air balloon. When you heat air, it rises. If you heat air and use some turbines, power could be generated. This is the principle of the updraft tower. While the idea is good, the eventual power supply is very low compared to its costs, as shown by a prototype tower, built in Spain. It has a tower of 194.6 meter and a collector radius of 122 meter. It produces 50 kW. According to calculations, it is estimated that a 100MW power plant would require a 1,000 m tower and a collector area of 20 km2. A 200 MW tower with the same tower would require a collector with an area of about 38 square kilometres. A 200MW power station will provide enough electricity for around 200,000 typical households and will abate over 900,000 tons of greenhouse producing gases from entering the environment annually.
Figure 18: a sketch of the solar updraft tower
22
Does solar energy fit into our future plans? The development of solar panels with more and more yield is continuing and people are getting more and more aware of the capabilities of solar energy. This is a good development, solar energy is capable of becoming very significant in our nearby future. There is almost no emission of toxic gasses, the yield is quite high and, when installed, you do not have to do anything for it. Except for cleaning and maintaining it, of course. Besides the solar panels, the solar boilers are worth their investment as well. Using the power of the sun to heat your water does definitely fit into our future plans (less emission for heating water but the same heated water) and so does passive solar energy (without doing actually anything, heating and lighting your house). It could be used even more, for example in apartment buildings and rented houses. While people do not want to invest money in somebody else麓s house the owner should do so. All these ways to use the energy from the sun, can be combined in houses, cars, boats, planes, whatever you can imagine. The Solar Impulse, flies only on solar panels, day and night without a drop of fuel (figure 19)
Figure 19: the Solar Impulse
The MS T没ranor Planet Solar sails only on solar panels. In May 2012, it became the first solar electric vehicle to circumnavigate the globe (figure 20).
Figure 21: MS T没ranor Planet Solar
The Nuna 7 (figure 21) drives by the sun only. It is made by students from the technical university of Delft. The left car, the Stella, was made by the technical university of Eindhoven. And it is not something for famous universities. Even the Marne College is building a solar boats every two years to race against other countries. Figure 20: Stella and the Nuna 7
So, does solar energy fit into our future plans? Yes, it definitely does. 23
2.1.3
What are the capabilities of nuclear energy?
What is nuclear energy? Nuclear energy is a way of manufacturing energy in which atomic reactions are involved. These reactions occur in nuclear reactors. The energy that is generated with those reactions comes in heat. This heat is converted to electrical energy by conventional ways. At the moment of speaking there are two types of nuclear energy. Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fission What is nuclear fission and how does it work? Figure 22: nuclear energy Nuclear fission is a way of nuclear energy whereby one atomic nucleus hits a neutron so the nucleus splits into two atomic nuclei, two or three neutrons and energy. The mass of the first nucleus and the neutron is more than the two nuclei and the neutrons that arise. The mass that has been lost, is converted into energy. You have to use an unstable nucleus; a nucleus that will disintegrate very easily when it collides with a neutron. A good nucleus is uranium 235; an isotope of stable uranium. The principle of nuclear fission will be like this: U-235 is an unstable nucleus. When you shoot a slow moving neutron on this nucleus, the U-235 will be too unstable (U*) and it will disintegrate in another nucleus and three neutrons.
Figure 23: nuclear fission
The reaction: 235
92
U + 01n → 92236U* → 3692Kr + 56141Ba +3 01n (the most common reaction)
The weight of a 235-U nucleus is 235.04393u, the weight of 92-Kr is 91,926156u, the weight of 141Ba is 140,914411 and the weight of one neutron is 1,008665. This means that we start the reaction with a total weight of 236,052595u. This ´u´ is a number used to indicate the mass of atoms and molecules. 1 u = 1.660538921 * 10-27kg. The total weight after the reaction is 235,866862u. This means that a weight of 0.186033u is lost. This weight is converted into energy. You can compute this energy with Einstein´s famous formula: E=mc2. However, to convert this directly into the right unit, we will use a other way. The energy that is generated is: (0.186033*931,49)=173,28MeV=173,28 * 106 eV= 173,28 * 106 * 1.60217653*10-19 =2.77*10-11J. One u can be transferred into 931.49MeV. That is where that number comes from. One MeV is 1,602 177 33×10-13 J. There is not a lot of energy generated with one reaction. However, in a nuclear reactor there will be a lot of reactions per second. This is the reason why nuclear reactors can produce a lot of energy. 24
The neutrons that arise from this reaction can be used for the next reaction. These nucleuses are going extremely fast, one of the arisen neutrons will be slowed down by a moderator (water or carbon). This neutron will again react with another U-235 nucleus and the reaction will occur again. The other two neutrons will be absorbed by control rods, for example, u-238. This U-238 will then disintegrate into plutonium which is used in atomic bombs. Because there are exactly enough neutrons at the perfect speed to react, the reaction can go on and on, until all the U-235 have reacted. What makes this source of energy dangerous? The reaction mentioned above will produce energy. Besides that, some other nucleuses and neutrons will arise. These reaction products are the danger of this type of energy. Kr-92, Ba-141 and U-235/238 and plutonium are radioactive . Because of the fact that more neutrons have arisen then necessary, it could become a chain reaction if the moderator and u-238 do not do their job properly. 238/235
U, 92Kr and 141Ba are radioactive isotopes from uranium, krypton and barium. These isotopes will disintegrate to ´lower´ atoms. by all these disintegrations, a bit of radiation will be sent out. These atoms will be radioactive for a very long time because of their hemi time. The hemi time for plutonium (an arisen particle because of the radiation) and 235/238U are respectively 24.000, 4.470.000.000 and 704.000.000 years. All those years, the materials should be hidden for people who want to steal it. After those years, it is still radioactive. It has only lost half the radiation it once had. Besides that, when one of the arisen neutrons (slow or fast moving) hits the 238U atom, this uranium will disintegrate into plutonium. Plutonium is used in atomic bombs. For some countries, this is an advantage. For others countries, it is a disadvantage. It is whether or not you want to build an atomic bomb. If you want to, you need plutonium. If you do not want people to build an atomic bomb, you do not want nuclear fission. Neutrons arise by the fission of 235-U. To start the reaction mentioned above, you need one slow moving neutron. However, three fast moving neutrons have risen. These neutrons are captured by the moderator and are slowed down so that exactly one neutron will have the right speed to react again. The other two neutrons are captured by the U-235, and U-238 will fall to Plutonium. When the reactor keeps itself to this principle, everything is fine and the reactor is critical. When the U-238 or the moderator do not behaving normally, it could occur that there are more neutrons are slowed down. Now the reactor will be supercritical. As a result of all those slow moving Figure 24: a nuclear chain reaction neutrons, the reaction will go faster and faster and there will be too many reactions. The amount of reactions per second grows and grows until the reactor explodes, or there will be a meltdown. A meltdown is a very dangerous situation in a fission reactor. During a meltdown, the reactor is not cooled down enough. Therefore, the fuel rods will melt and become something like a lava-substance. This substance is extremely hot and it consists of uranium, plutonium, krypton and barium; all radioactive. Because of the extreme temperature of this substance, it can melt through the reactor into the earth and into the environment. 25
Pressure is also one of the dangers of nuclear fission. Most reactors use water as a cooling liquid, but because of the boiling point of water, it will vaporize at 100 degrees Celsius. While most reactors are much warmer than a 100 degrees Celsius, the water has to be compressed to extreme pressures so that the water will not vaporise. Now it is also possible a leak occurs which causes the reactor to explode. What does the future look like for nuclear fission? 1 At the moment of speaking, many countries are working on thorium reactors. In these reactors, uranium is replaced by thorium. These reactors are called liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR´s). Fluoride salts are mixed with thorium. When a neutron is fired onto thorium, thorium will change into U-233 and it will send out two electrons (β--). When another neutron is shot onto this U-233, this uranium will disintegrate to two other nucleuses, some neutrons and energy. The hemitime of the nucleus which will arise with these reactions is much shorter than those from nucleus from the reaction with 235U, mentioned earlier. There is also no plutonium for atomic bombs and there are less radioactive waste products because there is not a lot of uranium. While the fluoride salts are still liquid at high temperatures, it is not necessary to raise the pressure inside the reactor, which makes it safer. These reactors also contain some “safety systems”. When the power supply to the reactor stops, the temperature will rise, because of the uncontrolled reactions. But when the temperature rises, the salt will expand, the density of the uranium in the fluid will drop and the reaction will stop by itself. Another advantage is that all substances are liquid. When the power supply stops, a frozen plug in the bottom of the reactor (see figure 25), will melt. All the liquid Figure 25: an illustration of a substances will flow into a tank beneath the reactor. This tank can be closed and liquid fluoride thorium reactor because of this, it is not possible to have meltdown. (LFTR) Another advantage: there is four times more thorium availably on the earth than uranium. Because we know how it works and because of the fact that we handle fission reactions, nuclear fission will, and already is, become significant for the future.
26
Does nuclear fission fit into our future plans? Nuclear fission has some disadvantages. There is radioactive waste, which has to be put away for billions of years on a place where no one can steal it. This waste is very dangerous. When a disaster with a fission reactor occurs, it mostly has catastrophical consequences. Areas are uninhabitable and the radiation can cause diseases like leukaemia and thyroid cancer. Also, in the area around Tsjernobyl (a nuclear power plant that exploded in 1886), a lot of children and animals were deformed and the number of miscarriages was much higher than normal. This had to do with a mutation in the DNA of women which was inherited by the children.4 But nuclear fission is an environmentally friendly source of energy (except for the waste). There is almost no CO2 emission during the production of energy (transport and digging not included). According to the American investigators Pushker A. Kharecha and James E. Hansen from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 1.84 million lives have been saved with nuclear energy, because there is no pollution5. There is also enough fuel for nuclear reactors. The current amount of known 235U is, according to the IAEA, 5.902.500 tons. Each year, 68.000 tonnes is used for reactions, which means that there is enough for 86 years. While this capacity, Figure 26: dangers of nuclear fission, a duck the 5.902.500, is increasing each year, the amount of used with four legs uranium is not increasing in the same rate because of its inefficiency. Over the years 1980 to 2008 the electricity generated by nuclear power increased 3.6-fold while uranium used increased by a factor of only 2.5.2 The safety is also getting better by the time and the government from the Netherlands is very strict with demands for reactors. The nuclear reactor in Borssele is resistant against an earthquake of 5.2 on the Richter scale and a flood that will cause the water to rise 7.3 meters above sea-level.3 Thorium reactors have potential too, so that they can definitely have a future in the Netherlands. Nuclear fission could be the future in the Netherlands. However, the public support is too low and should be raised.
27
Nuclear fusion What is nuclear fusion and how does it work? Nuclear fusion is in some ways the opposite from nuclear fission. While fission works with one instable nucleus turning into two stable nuclei, fusion works with two nucleuses turning into one. The two nucleuses which the reaction started with, are together heavier than the nucleus and the neutron that arose. The lost mass, just like fission, is turned into energy. This way of energy producing is almost everywhere in the universe. All the energy from the sun and stars are produced by nuclear fusion. The reactions used in fusion reactors are like this: a deuterium Figure 27: nuclear fusion nucleus (hydrogen with an extra neutron) and a tritium nucleus (hydrogen with two extra neutrons) are combined and are converted to a helium-4 nucleus and a neutron. Of course energy is formed. Tritium does not exist on earth. Lithium is used to make tritium inside the reactor. The reaction with tritium is like this: 2 1 H
+ 13H 24He + 01n
Just as with nuclear fission, there is a difference between the mass before, and the mass after the arrow. The mass of 12H (deuterium) is 2,014102u, the mass of 13H (tritium) is 3.016050u, the mass of 4 2 H is 4,002603 and the mass of a neutron is 1,008665u. The difference in mass is (2,014102u+3.016050u)-(4,002603+1,008665u)= 0.018857u. The gained energy is: (0.018857*931,49)=17.56MeV=17.56*106eV=17.56 * 106 * 1,60217653 × 10–19=2.8142*10-12J 1u has an energy of 931.49MeV. However, before this reaction can occur, the electrons from deuterium and tritium have to be removed from the atom. Because of this, the nucleus can come close enough to each other to merge. When the electrons are still in the atom, the nucleus can not come close enough to each other and nothing will happen. To achieve this, you have to radiate the deuterium and tritium. You can radiate it with, for example, lasers or X-rays. When the electrons are separated from the nucleus, it will be a mixture of positive nucleus, and negative electrons. Now it is a plasma, also known as the 4th state of aggregation. To keep the mixture in this state, you have to use extremely high temperatures.
28
What two ways of nuclear fusion do we know? There is a giant gravity on the sun and on the stars in the galaxy. This gravity causes the nucleus to be pressed together. Fusion will occur. On earth, we do not have a gravity that high. That is the biggest problem with nuclear fusion for scientists nowadays. There are two ways to solve this problem. We can create a very high pressure or we can increase the temperature to 15 million K to give the nucleus enough speed to fuse. High temperatures gives the positive nucleus the necessary energy to come close enough to each other to fuse. These temperatures are 15 million K. However, to make it profitable, the temperature should get 150 million K6. This extremely high temperature is again a problem. A plasma with a temperature of 150 million K will melt through everything it touches. Therefore, it cannot touch anything. Because of the fact that the nucleus are positive, a positive magnet will reject a positive nucleus. Tokomaks are systems that work like this magnetic principle (see picture 27). A very high magnetic field is produced and because of its shape, a thorus, the Figure 28: a thorus shaped tokamak (JET) plasma will never touch the walls. However, the magnets need lots and lots of power so a lot of generated power by the fusion is used for the magnets. A high pressure will cause the nucleus to merge because of the high pressure. The way of how this is done is a bit different from normal fusion. Deuterium and tritium are combined in a small plastic ball. With X-rays, the layer of plastic will vaporise. Because of this, the pressure inside the little ball will increase very rapidly. Then some lasers will shoot a pulse of high energy to the ball. At this moment, the pressure and the temperature are just good enough and the two nucleus will fuse together.
Figure 29: using a high pressure for nuclear fusion
This way of fusion offers the most advantages for the future. This is because there is no plasma of 150 million degrees K. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) has already achieved some successes where more energy was produced than energy was used.7
29
What are the disadvantages of nuclear fusion? The greatest disadvantage of nuclear fusion is the extremely high temperature. Because of this temperature many miscellaneous problems occur. How to control the plasma for example. While there are some inventions done to control the plasma, it does not take away the fact that 150 million K is very dangerous. Tritium is formed from lithium. Tritium does not exist on earth in high numbers and it is radioactive Therefore, when it is formed inside a reactor from lithium, there is a little radiation. Also, the formed neutrons will be absorbed by the walls inside a reactor and therefore, these walls will become instable and eventually radioactive. Of course, the investigations for nuclear fusion costs a lot of money. While fusion is a very new technology, all innovations and investigations are very expensive. For example, the planned costs for ITER, a fusion reactor for investigation, are â‚Ź13 billion8. What are the advantages of nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion is very ecologically friendly, there is no CO2 emission. This is measured without transports and building a reactor. The only waste product from fusion is helium. Helium is not damaging to the environment. The substances needed for the fusion reaction are deuterium and tritium. 0.015% of all water on earth is deuterium, and tritium can be made by lithium. There is a lot of both on the earth, much more then uranium. While 0.015% does not sound a lot, you do not need a lot of fuel for nuclear fusion. There is also enough tritium available, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Tritium can be made of Lithium, of which there is enough for 3000 years, in current mines.. if we could get all the lithium from the water too there is actually enough lithium for 60 million years. For a more complicated fusion reaction, you can also only use deuterium. Then there will be enough deuterium for the next 150 billion year.9 Tritium is made of lithium and one neutron. With every reaction, a neutron will arise. This neutron can be used to transform lithium into tritium. Therefore, you do not need to transport the radioactive tritium, because that is formed inside the reactor. The energy that can be made by fusion reactions is very high, according to DIFFER, the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, one gram deuterium (with the format of one piece of chewing gum) can produce the amount of energy that is equivalent to 50 barrels of raw oil. According to DIFFER again, a fusion reactor with 250 kg fuel (125 kg deuterium and 125 kg tritium) is equivalent to a coal-fired power plant which uses 2.700.000.000 kg coal.10 Will we be able to use nuclear fusion in an effective way in the future? At the moment of speaking, investigators and scientists are building ITER. ITER is an investigation project of many countries to investigate fusion power. ITER is planned to be ready in 2019. ITER is a tokamak with the objective to achieve 500MW out of an input of 50MW. If this goal is achieved, ITER would be the first reactor that is able to multiply the input by 10. The first tests will start in 2020. ITER is the successor of JET, The Joint European Torus. This tokamak was able to dispose the energy step by step. If there are successes with ITER, DEMO will be the successor of ITER. DEMO will be a combination of an investigation and a commercial power plant. It is very hard to answer the question, whether or not it is possible to use nuclear fusion in the future. At the current moment, people are doing a lot of investigation to fusion with the objective to have a higher output than input. Especially the tokamak ITER will be very significant for this investigation. Investigators assume that the first generation of commercial fusion reactor will be active in 2050. 30
Does nuclear fusion fit into our future plans? Yes, it does. Nuclear fusion is a very powerful and environmentally friendly type of energy. It can provide us in our needs and even much more. There are no significant dangers, there is plenty of fuel to power the reactors and it can provide lots of energy. So nuclear fusion could become very important for the future. However, we are not there yet. While it fits into our future plans, we have no idea whether or not it will become the energy source for the future. The results of various tests have to show if it will become the future or not. It has at least the potential to.
31
2.1.4
What are the capabilities of blue energy?
What is blue energy? Blue energy is energy that can be generated from the difference in concentration between fresh- and salt water. When you put those two kinds of water next to each other with a membrane in between, the salt (Na+ and Cl- ions) from the salt water wants to go to the fresh water to neutralize the difference in concentration. By using different Figure 30: illustration of blue energy kinds of membranes which let different kinds of ions pass, you can separate the Na+ ions from the Cl- ions. This leads to a potential difference which allows us to generate electricity. The electrons from the Cl- want to go to the Na+ to neutralize the difference in positive and negative. By connecting both sides with a metal rod, the electrons will move. These moving electrons are electricity! For some more clarification look at image figure 30.
What are the possibilities? [1] Where there is fresh- and salt water, there is blue energy. There are three places in the Netherlands where we can generate blue energy: Our first priority is the Afsluitdijk, secondly we have the Nieuwe Waterweg and also Zeeland shows a lot of possibilities. These three places give us a huge potential for blue energy. At this moment big stacks are being tested on the Afsluitdijk, and produce 200MW, this number shall rise because the amount of water in the Ijsselmeer will rise in the future. If we look at the space which is not covered with blue energy yet, we can state that a 1000 up to 1500MW per year should definitely be possible. Wetsus states that in about 10 years we can provide the three northern provinces (Friesland, Groningen & Drenthe) with electricity fully derived from blue energy generated at the Afsluitdijk. The rule of thumb (for now) of blue energy is: 1MW is generated by every cubic meter (1m3) of water that flows by per second. Practice will show if this value (1MW) will also be achieved, or if it must be corrected. In about three years (2017/2018) will be clear if this feasibility will be realized. This means that in practise a few parameters must be optimised, and that takes time, but still 1MW/m3/s is the directory. Also the price to produce membranes is of high importance. If we can lower the costs of producing, the eventual price of blue energy is more appealing to the consumers. Our goal is to decrease the price of blue energy in such a way that it is cheaper than the price of non-durable energy. Lowering the costs can be realized by mass production of the membranes for example. If we want the membranes to be profitable then they should cost less than â‚Ź5,- per square meter says Mr. Saakes of Wetsus (supplement 1)
32
Advantages/disadvantages A huge advantage is that blue energy is durable and does not harm the environment. Mr. Saakes (of Wetsus) says: “The producing process of the membrane is realized with a process that pays attention to the impact on the environment. This means that a minimal amount of energy is used to produce the ion-selective membranes. Also, the anion and kation selective membranes that are made are environmentally friendly which means; no toxic or harmful things are released into the water.� The only waste product is brackish water, which is not harmful in any way to the environment. Look at image B to see where the brackish water goes, and where the fresh and salt water comes from. Also; there are a lot of locations in the Netherlands where blue energy plants can operate. One of the disadvantages is that the only way to provide the electricity cheaper than gas-produced electricity, is to mass produce the membranes which we cannot do yet. Also, in comparison to other types of sustainable energy, it generates a smaller amount of electricity.
Figure 31: a plan for blue energy on the Afsluitdijk
Conclusion Blue energy is still small, but it has a lot of potential to grow in the future. If it becomes as big as other sustainable energy sources remains a question. What we do know is that the price to produce blue energy will definitely decrease and thus make blue energy a cheap and attractive source of energy to the civilians even though not that much blue energy can yet be generated. Thereby blue energy does not harm the environment in any way imaginable.
33
2.1.5
How can we use geothermal sources as a future heat source?
The earth was formed 4,6 billion years ago.1 Particles, dust, rocks, atoms, everything in space, started to collide. The rocks became bigger and bigger with heat building up. Eventually, those expanding rocks became planets. One of those planets is our home, our welcome planet earth. It was formed because multiple smart particles where combined to, what we now know as, the earth. This process of accretion happened and the temperature kept rising because of colliding particles. When the accretion was completed, the earth was formed and inside the earth, the temperature was enormous. During those 4,56 billion years, the earth has cooled down a bit. However, the earth is still extremely hot. In the nucleus, the temperatures are varying from 4500°C to 6500°C. When a volcano erupts, you can see how enormous the heat inside the earth is: even stones and rocks will melt. Why are we not using all the energy?
What is geothermal energy? Geothermal energy is the energy stored in the earth that can be used to gain energy or heat. Geo means earth in Greek and thermos means heat. During the accretion of the earth, all the heat was stored in the earth´s inner core. We know that the core is liquid, everything inside will melt. However, all the geothermal energy in the earth is not formed by accretion. Only about 20 to 30% is formed during that accretion. The other 70 to 80% is formed as a result of nuclear fission.2 As we discussed earlier, when a nuclei is split, it produces a lot of energy. The last 4.56 billion years, this happened. Therefore, a lot of heat is generated and locked up in the earth. Al the forms of energy in the earth, are geothermal. The deeper you go into the earth, the higher the temperature will become. This rise in temperature is steady. Every 1000 meters you go deeper into the earth, the temperature will rise with 30°C. This number is called the geothermal gradient. This geothermal gradient is different for every place in the world. For example, a geothermal gradient of 200°C is measured in Iceland. In the Netherlands, the average geothermal gradient is 30°C. However, this differs from place to place in the Netherlands. On 2000 meter, the temperature is about 60 to 70°C. On picture 31, you can see the differences from place to place. In 2011, TNO measured that the technical and economical achievable potential of geothermal energy up to 4000 meter into the ground, is around 85.000 PJ3. According to TNO, 1 PJ is enough for the average household of 25.000 families. Therefore, an extreme amount of energy is stored in the earth. Depending on the depth of the warm water and on the temperature of the water, there are different ways of using the heat.
34
Figure 32: temperatures in the earth, depending on the depth (the Netherlands)
How can we use geothermal energy? There are many ways to use the energy in the earth to heat/cool our houses. We will discuss them in this paragraph, to start with the most simple one: direct cooling/heating. Direct cooling/heating While the surface of the earth is heated constantly, a few meters beneath the surface, the temperature is constant, in the winter as well as in the summer. This temperature is not influenced by the sun and the average temperature of the Netherlands is: 10.1째C.4 This means, when you dig a hole with a depth of 5 to 10 meters, you will reach a temperature of 10.1 degrees. In the summer, when the sun is heating our houses, we need cooling. The temperature of the earth is 10.1 degrees. We could use this to cool our houses. This could be done by using heat pump systems or other installations. A heat pump will cool water which is transported through the house. Therefore, the temperature of the air inside the house will decrease. In the winter, when the earth is cold and freezing, we need Figure 33: direct cooling/heating heating. The temperature in the earth is still 10.1 degrees. This could be used as extra help to heat our house. This works the same way as cooling a house. The energy savings are estimated to be 95% for cooling and 40-50% for heating (in the winter).5 This principle can also be used to keep roads from freezing and to keep them free from snow. Which makes it safer to drive. The first use of direct geothermal energy was used and built in the Qin dynasty in the 3rd century BC. It is a pool that is heated by a underground hot spring. KWO or WKO systems (natural cooling) and hydrothermal systems Another way of direct use of geothermal energy, is a KWO or WKO system (warmte-koudeopslag of warmte- en koudeopslag). The difference with direct use is that you can gain water from a deeper storage. This means that the water is heated more and that you can use it to warm your office, your house or greenhouses, depending on the depths of the drilling. Two drillings are made into a aquifer (an underground water resource).Water pipes are inserted and a pump is installed. In the winter, the heated water can be pumped to the surface. Now a heat pump can be used to heat a building. You can also use the water without a heat pump by guiding it through the building. The water that is cooled down, will be injected into another aquifer through the second pipe. In the summer, this cooled water can be reused for cooling. After being heated again, it will be injected again into the earth. Deep in the earth, it will keep its temperature so that it can be used again in the winter. This is called a doublet. The energy savings are again estimated to be 95% for cooling and 40-50% for heating (in the winter).5
Figure 34: illustration of KWO 35
Hydrothermal systems are simple to understand and look a bit like WKO. The difference is that you can use it without reinjecting the heated water. A hot water aquifer is tapped. The heated water is pumped to the surface and can be used for a lot of things as heating offices and greenhouses. When the hot water is heated more than 100°C, it can be used to generate electricity in turbines. This however depends on the depths of the drillings. Petro thermal energy systems Petro thermal energy systems are the systems that reach the highest depths. The deeper you go into the earth, the higher the temperature will be. Therefore, this kind of installations are reaching the highest temperatures and these systems can generate electricity the best. The principle of these systems are a bit different to the ones we have discussed so far. At least two drillings are made, one for putting water into the system and one for getting the heated water out of it (there could be more pipes for the output or input). There has to be a distance between the pipes, otherwise the water is not heated enough. The whole system is closed; all the water is reused. The first drilling, is the output. The second drilling will drill a hole through the earth and because of the pressure that is used to drill, all the cleaves in the earth will be connected. Because of that, the surface touched by the water is much bigger and the water will be heated much earlier and faster. The water which is inserted is under pressure. Therefore, the water has only one way out: the 2nd pipe. However, during the time that the water was in the earth, it raised in temperature up to 100°C. But because of the pressure, it will not vaporize. Later on, when the water comes back to the surface, it will vaporize. The steam is then guided through turbines, which generate power. A picture (figure 36) is added on the following page, to give this explanation more clearness. You can also see some other usages like direct usage and heating factories. ´Hot-Wet-Rock´ (HWR), ´Hot-Fractured-Rock´ (HFR) or ´Enhanced Geothermal System´ (EGS) are names given for these kind of systems. Geothermal probes Another way for geothermal energy is a geothermal probe (figure 34). This systems consists of one tube. The ρ (the density) of water at a temperature of 293K=20°C, is 0.998 x 103 kg m-3. Which means, 1 litre of water weights 0.998 kg. The ρ of cold water at a temperature of 277K=4°C, is 0.99997 x 103 kg m-3. Which means, 1 litre of water weights 0.99997 kg. Because of the difference in weight, the heated water will float on the cold water. The cold water will be heated by the energy in the ground and will start floating as well. Some systems consist of a coaxial tube, in the shape of a ´u´. This works the same way. Figure 35: an illustration of a geothermal probe
36
Figure 36: Petro thermal energy systems (summary)
37
What is the current situation in the Netherlands?6 On the picture (figure 31/37) shown, it is clear that the Netherlands has a potential of significant geothermal energy. So, if people or companies in the Netherland should use geothermal energy, there could be a possible way to save tons of emission from damaging substances. Luckily, there are multiple companies and businesses in the Netherlands which are using geothermal energy. Besides that, the energy production from geothermal energy is rising. It started around 2008 when one greenhouse company drilled the first holes to geothermal energy. The success of this investment resulted into many more investors and today, according to the CBS, 8 “deep” installation are operating in 2013 and 1.2 billion is subsidized for 44 more projects.5 Besides that, many more “shallow” installation are used. All projects with a depth of less than 500 meter are called shallow. Projects with a depth more than 500 meter are called deep. The deeper you go into the mantle of the earth, the hotter it will be. Therefore, deep projects are resulting into a higher yield, compared to shallow projects. The thing is, however, that deep projects require higher investments. According to the CBS, in 2013, 993 TJ (993x1012J) was produced by deep geothermal energy and another 3157 TJ was produced by shallow projects. A total of 4150 TJ was produced with a saving of 196K tons of CO2 emission.5
Figure 37: temperatures in the earth, depending on the depth (the Netherlands)
The company ´Green Well Westland´ is an company that operates in flowers and plants. In 2013, they drilled their geothermal sources on a depth of 2900m. The energy is used to heat the greenhouses. The total production of energy is equivalent to 8 million m3 of natural gas. The averted CO2 emission is 14.400 ton. They planned to start new drillings at a depth of 4000 meter.6 According to Theo Duijvestijn, a city council member of Westland, it is possible to cover 70 to 80% of all the needed energy of the Westland companies.7
Figure 38: geothermal energy in tera joules (CBS)
38
What are the advantages of geothermal energy? There are many advantages of geothermal energy. Of course, the most logical one: it is sustainable. When harvesting the energy, there will be no emission of CO2. Besides that, it is still available within 50 years, the earth wont cool down so fast. According to National Geographic, geothermal energy will run out when the earth does. Therefore, we have around 5 billion years left of geothermal energy.8 While this is not entirely true (the aquifer can lose its heat by reinjecting to much cold water), we can use this type of energy for an extremely long time. Eventually, the aquifer that has lost its heat, will regain its heat by the energy from the middle of the earth anyways. This kind of energy is everywhere available, everywhere in the world. The deeper you go into the earth´s crust, the higher the temperature will become. Of course, it differs from place to place because of the geothermal gradient. In Iceland the temperature will be higher at a lower depth then for example in the Netherlands. But this kind of energy is in some form everywhere in the world. This kind of energy is extremely reliable. It has nothing to do with wind, the sun, or any other uncontrollable variable factor. According to the EIA, geothermal energy has a higher capacity factor than any other source of energy, as seen in figure 39.9 The EIA is the U.S. Energy Information Administration, part from the US Department of Energy. Another small advantage which is of great value is that the used space for a power plant can be very small. The heating for a building can be achieved by one drilling.
Figure 39: capacity factors according to the EIA
What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy? The worst disadvantage of geothermal energy is the possible escape of harmful gases. While this can be seen as an advantage, this definitely brings dangers with it. If you cannot catch the escaping gases, it can be seen as pollution. However, if you catch them, you can use them for generating electricity as well. But these are again fossil fuels. The deeper the drillings are, the higher the risk of these escaping gases. While costs can be high for private buildings, there are no significant dangers or disadvantages of geothermal energy.
39
Does geothermal energy fit into our future plans? Different studies have shown that there is a great potential in geothermal energy. According to the NREAP (the National Renewable Energy Action Plan), made by all members of the European Union, 7 to 13% of the total use of electricity can be gained from geothermal energy. Another 22 to 31% from the total use of heat can be gained from geothermal energy. It is even considered possible to produce up to8.3% of the total world electricity with geothermal resources, supplying 17% of the world population.10 So, it fits in our future energy consumption. If we save 13 and 31% on heating and electricity, these same numbers can be transferred to savings in CO2 emission, because there is almost none. Besides the savings, there are many ways on how to gain the energy, not just only drilling deeper and deeper. The first projects with a drilling depth of more than 4000m are already being realized. The future will provide even deeper drillings, with a higher yield that will result in a lower CO2 emission. Besides that, this kind of green energy is sustainable. It will not harm the future generations, they can only benefit from the knowledge we will gain the upcoming 40-50 years. Does geothermal energy fit in our future plans? Yes, it definitely does, it should become part of the future. Let’s go to a society in which the picture (figure 40) on the right is just normal Figure 40: Green Well Westland
40
2.1.6
What are the capabilities of hydrogen in terms of replacing it for fossil fuels?
A point of discussion nowadays is the electric cars. No emission, no sound. In many ways they are better for the environment than usual cars. So why should we not drive on hydrogen? Why can hydrogen not be a fuel for many more things? Even in 1937 whole blimps were airborne with it. Let´s discuss if hydrogen is a better fuel than the normal petrol or diesel.
What is hydrogen gas? 71% of the earth is covered up with water: H2O. H2O consists of two H atoms, hydrogen atoms and one O atom, the oxygen. When two hydrogen atoms are combined, or, when water is undone of its O atom, it is called hydrogen gas, H2. Under normal conditions, H2 is odourless, tasteless, colourless and it is a gas. Besides that, it is very flammable. We can see that for example with the accident with the Hindenburg, the blimp that exploded in 1937. This blimp was filled up all the way with hydrogen gas. The whole blimp burned to the ground in less than 32 seconds. Hydrogen gas is that flammable because it can react with oxygen. When you add oxygen to hydrogen, the two molecules will react and form H2O and a lot of energy:
As you can understand, this is exact the opposite compared to gaining H2, where we had to add energy. Therefore, we should add 286 kJ / mole to gain the H2.1
How can we gain hydrogen gas? There are many ways of gaining H2. There are multiple examples of reactions which will gain you H2. Here are some examples on how to gain hydrogen gas. CH4 + H2O CO + 3H2 CH4 C + 2H2 CO + H2O CO2 + H2 While you will gain H2, you will also get CO, C, CO2 or you need CH4 (methane; a fossil fuel). Therefore, we should use something else. That something else is called electrolyze; electrolysing of water. Electrolysing of water means that you split 2H2O into 2H2 and O2. This happens when you a current flow gets in touch with the water. The H2 and the O2 will both arise, each on one of the electrodes. Figure 41: electrolysing water While both of the arisen molecules are gasses, there has to be a way of separating them. That is done by putting the electrodes in different spaces. Then, the hydrogen can be separated because the hydrogen gas is only formed at the cathode, oxygen only at the anode. The cathode is de – side of the electrical system, the anode is the + side.
An advantages that occurs here is that for every gram, millilitre or mole H2O that is used, double the used amount of H2 will arise, as you can see in the reaction. 41
You can also see, that there is energy needed to get this reaction done. The energy needed to get this reaction done can be gained from, for example generators running on fossil fuels. But, to keep it green, you can also use wind turbines. At night, when there is still wind, you can use the excess wind energy to change this energy into H2. Then the energy can be used at any time you want and it is green. The same thing counts for solar panels. When people are not using them, you can used it to make H2. Because this is not a way of gaining energy, it is not green energy, but green fuel. Therefore, this is not a way of gaining energy, but gaining fuel.
How can we use hydrogen gas as a fuel (for cars)? As we discussed, hydrogen gas is very flammable because it can react with oxygen. Besides H2O, you also get energy. Therefore, H2 can be used as a fuel. At the moment, the hydrogen cars are very topical. But, besides that, you can use this fuel for many more than just cars. Think of generators and cooking. This could be possible. At the moment, innovations are in the area of hydrogen cars. For cars, there are roughly two car engines: hydrogen engines and fuel cells. Hydrogen engines are engines that work principally the same as traditional combustion engines. Instead of petrol or diesel, the engine runs on hydrogen. This hydrogen is burned and H2O and energy are the resulting products. Fuel cells are completely different engines then the ones we see as common. In a fuel cell, for example, hydrogen can react with oxygen instead of being burned. Here water and energy will come out. This fuel cell is therefore safer, you do not burn H2. It also gains much more energy. When you burn something, it will become hot and a great amount of the energy will be transferred to heat. A fuel cell does not burn anything, all the H2 is transferred into energy. Overall, the stored chemical energy is transformed into electrical energy. You can do this principally with all fuels. Why are we not driving on hydrogen yet? Because hydrogen engines simply cannot compete with fuel cells. A couple years ago, people were talking about hydrogen as a fuel. A lot of car companies worked out these ideas, but they never resulted into affordable cars. Why? Because a big part of the energy was converted into heat. When the fuel cells came out, the hydrogen car industry gained a boost. Cars could become safer, cleaner, more silent and eco-friendly. In 2015 Toyota will come with the first fuel cell powered car: the Toyota Mirai, based on their FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) sketches. The car has, compared to electric cars, some very great advantages. When refuelling, the car is filled in seconds due to the high pressure of the gas (compared to hours by electric cars). The range is also much bigger. With the Mirai you can drive 650km, according to Toyota. Compared to around 150-200 by electric cars.2 Figure 42: Toyota Mirai (FCV)
42
What are the disadvantages of hydrogen gas as a fuel? The biggest disadvantage is the hydrogen. It is extremely flammable. Most of us know the accident with the Hinderburg in 1937. The whole blimp burned down in seconds. The danger of hydrogen is its flammability. If hydrogen reacts with oxygen, it could explode. When an accident occurs, the tanks, containing the hydrogen in cars, could explode because of the high pressure. Nowadays, this pressure is about 700bar. That is 700 times the pressure of the atmosphere. At 700 bar, hydrogen has a density of 42 kg/m3, compared with 0.090 kg/m3 under normal pressure and temperature conditions. At this pressure, 5 kg of hydrogen can be stored in a 125-liter tank.3 The car companies are trying to get this pressure down, but for now we have to do it with these pressures. Of course the tanks are built extremely strong to hold the pressure. Another disadvantages: there is only one gas-station in the Netherlands where you can fill up your car with hydrogen gas. This in combination with the high car prises, ensures that nobody wants to buy these cars. The FCV has a price of $69000.2 While you can buy a different new car for much less. The prices of these cars are that high because of platinum. The catalysts are only working with platinum; an expensive metal. However, for the future those prices will most likely lower a lot. This has to do with new innovations.
What are the advantages of hydrogen gas as a fuel? The biggest advantage is that there will be no emission of CO2. Instead, only water will come out of the exhaust. While hydrogen can be formed by green energy, wind turbines, or solar panels, we could become completely CO2 emission-free. When people are adding solar panels to the cars, we do not even have to fill up with H2 but just with H2O.
Does hydrogen as a fuel fit into our future plans? If the government supports hydrogen cars, they could become the future. While a lot of innovation has to be done, a lot of investments are needed. When the prices are lowering and when more filling station will arise, more and more people will buy these cars. Then the CO2 emission Figure 43: example of the advantages of will decrease enormously. The prices of oil will rise in the future, hydrogen as a fuel (theatrical) because of lower oil backups. In this case, the hydrogen car will increase in popularity again. While there are some dangers to cover, the hydrogen cars are way better than our conventional cars because of their green power supply. Does hydrogen as a fuel fit in our future plans? Yes, if the prices will lower they could become the future.
43
2.1.7
What could the future bring us, in terms of biomass energy?
Because we have discussed many things like wind energy, solar panels and geothermal energy, we did not discussed about biomass energy. Using your garbage as a source of energy? When you finished your diner, you can simply make energy from your left overs to get a hot shower or to store the food as energy for cooking your next meal. It sounds great, but is this nonsense, or it this the true future? Let´s have a look at the truths of biomass energy.
What is biomass? The definition of biomass is as following: 1. “The amount of living matter in a given habitat, expressed either as the weight of organisms per unit area or as the volume of organisms per unit volume of habitat.” 2. “Organic matter, especially plant matter, that can be converted to fuel and is therefore regarded as a potential energy source.” However, in this document, the term biomass refers to the dry weight of organism of parts of these organisms. That means that a lot of things could be called biomass. For example straw, wood, food wastes (left overs), dried animals, sugar canes, corn. Almost everything that is made by people can be called biomass. Figure 44: examples of biomass
How can you gain energy from biomass? When you burn something, just anything, you need a fire to start it. When the material itself is on fire, it gaining in temperature. It does not even have to be on fire at all. The energy from inside the material, the recorded energy, is converting. The chemical energy inside and between the molecules of the material is converted into heat. This heat can be converted into electricity. This can be done with generators. The heat can turn water into steam. While hot steam will rise, turbines in generators will start turning en the heat is again converted into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy will be converted to electrical energy. In The Netherlands, we have got 12 of these incinerators. In 2013, 3855 million kWh of energy is delivered by these kinds of installations. But, not all of our waste is biomass. Therefore, this is an example of how to gain energy from dry materials. A lot of people do use this principle in a fire place. Energy from wood is used to spare natural gas for heating. In 2013, a total of 928.000 fire places prevented an exhaust of 460.000 tons of CO2 emission.1
44
Nowadays, there are many ways of gaining energy from biomass. Most of them are chemical. With chemical reactions, different substances are formed. From oils and petrol to for examples H2. When a fuel is made from biomass, it is called biofuel. The possibilities of biofuel are huge. Another way of forming oil is to squash nuts of plants. Rape oil is an example of squashed seeds from the rapeseed. The yellow fields you see sometimes are filled with rapeseed. Figure 45: rapeseed and rape-oil
Another way of gaining the energy is anaerobic digestion. Not only sugars and carbohydrates can be digested, but also, for example, sewage. Silt from the sewers can be digested and be converted into heat and methane gas. This gas can be burned in factories, or it can be injected into the gas network. Now it is called green gas. This way of gaining energy provides since 2009 green energy to the RWZI (Apeldoornse sewage purification plant) and to the electricity network. Besides that, it also provides heat for an adjacent village.2 Another thing we can use as fuel is frying oil. You can buy a tool, called the Fuelpod 3, which allows people to make their own biofuel from old frying oil. The biofuel can be putted into your car and you can drive on it. One little disadvantage, the driver behind you will smell snack-bars everywhere as long as he is behind you. Besides that, the price of a Fuelpod 3 is $6495, or around â‚Ź5326. Therefore, it is to expensive to buy one, for most people.3 Of course, your car has to be able to drive on oil. With no efforts, some cars drive on salad oil. But, not all of them. Also, which is the same as frying oil, on long term, this can do harm to your car. Another simple way of using biomass energy, is heating water in a fireplace for your shower. Some woodwork companies are burning their wooden remains to heat their accommodations with. At the moment, investigators are trying to grow algae that are producing oil themselves. Living in the water, they use CO2 and sunlight to grow. When you burn them, you will regain your CO2. These kinds of biomass energy are called the third generation. The first generations is using food, the second generation is using wood and straw for example.
What is the current situation in The Netherlands in terms of biomass energy? According to the CBS, 69301TJ was provided in 2013. This total amount of energy saved a total of 85259TJ of energy from fossil fuels.2 An example: this 85259TJ = 85259000000 MJ. One m3 of natural gas has a calorific value of 32.000.000J = 32MJ for one m3 of natural gas.4 This means, 85259000000/32=2664343750 m3=2.6x109 m3 of natural gas has been spared in 2013, due to biomass energy. This production is made up from many different ways of using biomass as a source of energy. Figure 46: biomass energy in tera joules (CBS 45
What are the advantages of biomass? “Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and the environment can exist in a productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. For example, sustainability should not exhaust environmental energy sources like fossil fuels. Thereby something sustainable should be recyclable, be there in unlimited numbers or it should be inducible.” When you are making energy from biomass, you are not using any fossil fuel at all. Most of the energy comes, eventually, from the sun. The plants are growing because of photosynthesis. 6 H2O + 6 CO2 → C6H12O6 + 6 O2 The energy needed for this process comes from the sun. The other materials used to grown a plant, are from the earth. For example potassium and sodium. But, if the biomass is made to fuel, the fuel will be burned. All the materials once used will come back into the environment. Just like rain water, all the fallen rain will eventually become new rain. The CO2 that occurs with the burning of fuels, is needed again for the photosynthesis, it is reused. The only thing that is lost, is the energy. While this comes from the sun, nothing is token directly from the earth. Besides that, O2 occurs with photosynthesis. This is the O2 we humans need to live. As long as the sun is alive, we could be possible to use biomass energy Biomass energy does not affect the earth or the environment. Actually, if we could stop using oil from the earth, we would not use CO2 anymore. It is a circular cycle. As long as the CO2 is inside the earth, there is no emission. With biomass energy, we would not use more CO2 as we already have used or are using. All the materials are above the earth´s surface. You are not regaining new molecules of CO2. Therefore, it is a sustainable way of energy, the future generations can use it as well. Besides that, we do not have to establish great Figure 47: illustration of a circular process changes in our current society. While all bio-fuels are liquid, we can just put them in our cars. We do not need new cars of new inventions to use it effectively. We can use it straight away, we can use it directly. A little notification to this is that it is not recommended to use all sorts of oil in your car. On long term it could harm your car.
What are the disadvantages of biomass? When you need biomass energy, you need biomass. This biomass can be gained from, for example, woods. If you chop a forest down to burn it, this forest will no longer be able to transfer CO2 into O2. All the animals that were living inside, will die. Besides that, most of the materials needed for biomass energy are growing in warm countries. Besides that, 22% of the total farmland is needed to achieve a 11.5% portion of the total fuel usage in Europa.5 When you burn plants, all the materials from the plants come into the environment. The burning installation in Harlingen for example, is burning garbage. Not all this garbage comes from the surroundings, but all the CO2 from the garbage is missioned again in Harlingen, the concentrations of CO2 and other hazardous chemical connections are much higher in Harlingen then somewhere else. 46
In 2011, a crane driver became unwell due to an extreme high concentration of sulphur dioxide. In total, there is not more emission. But the emission is moved to one place instead of multiple places. Besides that, all the materials that are used to gain energy have to get to the installations. If you are burning wood, the wood needs to be imported from another country with vehicles, that are probably running on fuel engines. A lot of CO2 is exhausted instead of reduce it.
How does the future look for biomass energy? At the moment of speaking, the food prices are rising. That has to do with supply and demand. The demand is high, the supply is low. For example, we are using more and more food while the suppliers cannot cope with that. If we want to use food for our energy needing’s, the prices will rise and so the prices of biofuel from food will. The same for woods. If we want more and more wood to burn, forests has to be chopped, less CO2 can be converted into O2. Besides that, all the animals inside those forests will die; the environment will only become even worse. This first and second generation will not become the future, they could play a small role by reusing your own garbage. The third generation could become a better candidate. If we could really use the sun and if we could use unused oceans for Figure 48: food as a source of biomass growing algae, then this could play a big role in the future. But investigators has to cope with some problems. For example, if The Netherlands want to use water to grow algae, what water shall we use? We do not have oceans or something. Under optimal conditions, algae can grow up to 7.3 gram, each day in one litre of liquid.6 For industrial usage, this is a problem. Besides that, you cannot stack the algae up because they need the sunlight. Not even to think of countries where it is too hot to grow algae or when all the water is frozen the whole year. Should the whole world import the algae from one plant? Then a lot of CO2 will be emitted into the environment because of transport. The third generation could become interesting if we could cope with these problems. Today, investigators are working on the fourth generation of biofuels. These biofuels are dnamodified and are consuming as many as possible CO2. The goal is to create an algae of plants that are consuming CO2 and that are putting that CO2 back into the ground. The effect of that is that the total CO2 in the atmosphere is decreasing. Besides that, these plants are growing with maximal speed and using as many as possible energy from the sun. Because these are plans, we cannot speak of achievements. To achieve these goals, time is needed. Time and investments. If this could work out the way expected, these biofuels could play a serious role in our future fuel consumption.
47
Does biomass or biofuel fit into our future plans? Biomass can be converted into oil, petrol, hot steam and to energy. Using something that can be planted again is sustainable. Using something, burning it, getting energy and then redo the whole sequence. But of course, that is not possible, that would bring us to the pepertuum mobile: energy from nothing. But that is, according to Leonardo da Vinci impossible. You do have to use the sun, materials from the ground and water to grow plants or food. But, besides that, this is energy from nothing. While all the materials are coming back into the environment except the sun, this is a very special way of energy. But does it fit in our future plans? We have to get a fuel that is sustainable which does not affect the environment. While biofuel does, it could play a role in the future. It will play a role in combination with other energy sources. The problem however is that we do cope with many problems. Costs, transports and of course the burning process. If we could cope with these problems, we do have an energy source that will fit our future plans. The first and second generations of biofuels do definitely not fit in our future plans. While we have our energy, the countries where the food or wood is produced, will only increase their CO2 production and the food prices will rise. The rising food prices will eventually result in an even more askew world. The rich people will get richer, the poor people will get poorer. The third and fourth generation of biofuels however do not cope with this problem. While there is no food used. But we do need space to grow our algae. While we do not have enough space in The Netherlands, we have to import all these algae which will result in an even higher CO2 emission. For The Netherlands, a source like wind has a higher potential then biofuel. While biofuel fits in our future plans, it will not play a huge role in the sustainability of energy in The Netherlands. It could be combined with wind turbines and solar panels.
Figure 49: Food should feed people, not fill cars 48
2.1 Conclusion
Can we achieve our goals within 40 years in terms of energy?
The Dutch government has set goals to achieve a complete sustainable energy production within 36 years, in 2050. Our goal is the same, but it will be even better if all the energy we use, is produced inside The Netherlands as well. To achieve the goals of the government, they have set objectives for shorter times to build up the sustainability slowly. The first goal is to achieve 14% of sustainable energy in 2020. In 2013, 3 billion dollars were spent to increase the sustainability, according to the RVO. In 2013, only 4.5% of the energy was sustainable, which is the same as in 2012.
Figure 50: amount of sustainable energy (CBS)
Is it so hard to achieve the goals of the government? No, it is not. There are so many ways to achieve the goals set by us and set by the government. For example, if you just place wind turbines all over the Netherlands, you would have achieved our goals. If every building in the Netherlands should have solar panels on the roof, we would achieve our goals. If you combine the solar and wind energy systems, it would not be a problem to achieve our goals. If entrepreneurs should invest in green energy, then we can even have a higher budget, with higher yields. The example was set in the borough Greenland. But even without solar and wind energy, we could achieve our goals. Biomass can be capable of huge energy savings. If every company that produces dry dung, should place a biomass installation, the energy savings will be huge. Combine it with a wind turbine in the garden and solar panels on the roof, and your completely sustainable in terms of energy. The bigger investors can look on bigger scale. They could build a new type of nuclear reaction to increase the energy sustainability. To keep it safe, the government can control the stations and innovations will increase safety. Instead of the common reactors, we can now build thorium reactors which are much safer than the previous one. We are also prominent in blue energy. We have many sea-walls where there is a division between salt and sweet water. All these walls can be used for blue energy. Only problem here is again the money. While it is in a testing phase, investing now is very pricy. But the more money is spent for investigations, the better the systems will work and the lower the prices will become. Even without all these expensive ways of sustainable energy we can also take a look at our self. Are we willing to spent a lot of money for solar panels on our roofs? Do we want wind turbines everywhere? Do we want another nuclear power station? People should be more aware of their future and the public support should be bigger. If people can use less energy, by reusing hot water in their house for example, less energy is needed. When less energy is needed, sustainable energy can come in quicker. Overall, the government is able to achieve its goals, the only problem is the money. Investing in the future is of course risky: what will the future bring us, how will the world look within 40 years? However, with the combination of blue energy, wind energy, solar energy, nuclear energy and biomass energy, these goals will not be the problem. The problem is the public support and the money. 49
Part [2] How are we going to realize our goals?
Chapter 2.2
What can the cyclic economy do to help us realize our goals?
_____________________________________________ 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6 2.2.7 2.2
What is cradle to cradle? What is urban mining What can we do with urban mining? What non-recyclable materials do we use most, and how can we still recycle them? In what ways do we have to change our behaviour so that we would only have recyclable garbage left? What potential does the Netherlands have of becoming significant in the recycling of products? How can we reuse the plastics in the oceans in a profitable way? Conclusion 50
2.2.1
What is cradle to cradle?
Cradle to Cradle design (also referred to as: Cradle to Cradle, C2C, cradle 2 cradle or regenerative design) is a different way of thinking about, and the design of, durable solutions in terms of products and processes. The core of this philosophy is that the materials that are used in the one product can be reused in a high quality form in the next product, in a technical or in a biological cycle. The term Cradle to Cradle is a registered trademark of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) consultants. Cradle to Cradle product certification began as a proprietary system; however, in 2012 MBDC turned the certification over to an independent nonprofit called the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. Independence, openness, and transparency are the Institutes first objectives for the certification protocols. The phrase "cradle to cradle" itself was coined by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s. The current model is based on a system of "lifecycle development" initiated by Michel Braungart and colleagues at the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) in the 1990s and explored through the publication “A Technical Framework for Life-Cycle Assessment.”
Figure 51: cradle to cradle
Examples of Cradle to Cradle projects: - The original English book “Cradle to Cradle” is not made from paper, but instead it is made from recyclable plastic that can be used as clear, glossy paper after a simple process. In hot water the ink will dissolve, and leave the plastic clean. Also the ink can be used again as normal ink. - The River Rouge car factory owned by Ford had to be abandoned because the soil was too polluted. On that site, Braungart and McDonough have made a new factory that purifies the soil and the river, creates habitat for birds and makes cars as well.
Figure 52: the original English book “Cradle to Cradle"
51
2.2.2
What is urban mining?
Urban mining is the reusing of materials so that they do not need to be made again. According to the website of urban mining [1] , the definition of urban mining is: “The process of reclaiming compounds and elements from products, buildings and waste.” Just like the first sentence, it says that the reclaiming of usable compounds and elements is needed to decrease the production of that materials. For example: when you want to build a new house, you can reuse the bricks of the old house for the new house. This saves you money, and it saves the environment pollution from the manufacturing of the otherwise used new bricks. On the site of urban mining[1] you immediately see a lot of examples of urban mining. In the list below are some examples explained: The North Face will use 100% recycled polyester fabric by 2016 Basically what the article said: The North Face will be using a clothing takeback program, called Clothes the Loop. In this way The North Face will recycle their polyester fabric which is of course practical for The North Face, but also very good for the environment. The fabric The North Face cannot use for clothes, will be used for insulation, carpet padding and stuffing for toys.
Figure 53: The North Face
The US could get 12% of electricity from municipal waste According to Columbia University´s Earth Engineering Center[2], the US could get 12% of its electricity from municipal waste. That can be realized by sending the waste to incinerators instead of sending it to landfills. The article names a couple of advantages: it would keep 123 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere. It would save 100 million tons of coal annually. And instead of sending plastic to the dump, it could/should be converted into oil. If so, it could provide 6 billion gallons (±23 billion liters) of gasoline Figure 54: municipal waste into energy
Recover gold from e-waste First of all, e-waste is waste such as used phones, old medical equipment and telecommunication devices. All these devices have electronics inside, which contain gold, and other precious metals. Scientist at the national Metallurgical Laboratory have successfully developed the process of extracting gold out of this e-waste. A very good reason to do this is to protect the environment and conserve natural resources and energy. Also the process itself is not harmful to the environment. Of course this makes clear that this process is very durable. Typically, Dr. Manis Kumar Jha the lead scientist of the team, says: One could extract 350g of gold from 1000 kg of PCB(printed circuit boards) of mobile phone.[3]
52
2.2.3
What can we do with urban mining?
In this sub-question we will explain something about the recycling of a number of machines/devices.
Wind turbine It is hard to find solid information on the internet about the recycling or re-usage of wind turbines. To find more about it, an email is sent to Darwind (supplement 3). They replied with a nice email and informed us about their company. Most of the time, a wind turbine is not at the end of their ´life´. These turbines will get totally dismantled and resold on the second hand wind turbine market. However, depending on the age of the wind turbine, it may of course be that the turbine is eligible for demolition. Then also the reusable parts are taken off and sold on the second hand wind turbine market. For this recycling we have sent an email to Windbrokes (supplement 4).[10] They replied to us with the message that the old wind turbines that cannot be used again are dismantled and sold as scrapmetal. The rotor blades must be processed by a specialised company. Replacing 10-13 year-old wind turbines by bigger ones (repowered) is the kind of business Windbrokes does. A lot wind turbines still have enough remaining technical life left, and can be reused after revision.
Solar panels Most parts of a solar module can be recycled including up to 97% of certain semiconductor materials or the glass as well as large amounts of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.[2] However, the recycling possibilities depend on the kind of technology used in the modules. Possibility one is: silicon based. These solar panels provide electricity due to some specific properties of the silicon. Possibility two is: non-silicon based. These modules work without the use of silicon. The recycling of silicon based modules Figure 55: crumbled/crushed solar panels (silicon) First, the aluminium frames and junction boxes are dismantled manually. The module is then crushed in a mill and the different fractions are separated: glass, plastics and metals. [3] It is possible to recover more than 80% of the weight in recyclable products of the initial weight. [4] The recycled glass is perfect for making glass foam and glass insulation. A perfect example for C2C. The other materials are of course also re-used in all kinds of products. The metals can be melted down again, and also the plastic can be reused. Non-silicon based modules These non-silicon based modules require specific recycling technologies such as the use of chemical baths in order to separate the different kinds of semiconductor materials from the panel. [5] For the specific cadmium telluride modules, the recycling process begins by crushing the module and after that separating the different fractions. This process turns up to have a efficiency of recycling up to 90% of the glass and 95% of the semiconductor materials.[6] The other 5 and 10% cannot be recycled because they have lost their necessary quality. In the part before is explained in what ways the products can be recycled. In recent years, private companies have created some commercial-scale recycling facilities, more about this in “companies”
53
Phones Most cell phones contain precious metals and plastics. When placed in a landfill, these materials can pollute the air and contaminate soil and drinking water.[7] The toxic heavy metals can end up in ground water, and so be dangerous to humans. This is because we use ground water for agriculture, and also for drinking water. The coatings of cell phones are typically made of lead, which is also a toxic metal that can result in adverse health effects when exposed to it in high concentrations. The circuit board of cell phones can be made of lead, gold, zinc, copper, beryllium, coltan, tantalum and other raw materials that would require significant resources to mine and manufacture.[8] This is why cradle to cradle is so important. In the first place, it reduces the amount of toxic materials that otherwise would be on a landfill. Instead those materials are re-used in new cell phones. In the second place, this re-using of the ´old´ materials is making mining for more (precious) Figure 56: recycling phones metals unnecessary. The recycle process is in theory the same as the recycle process of solar panels. The parts with recyclable elements are crushed and filtered out by for instance a magnet, or dissolved in an acid. Then the product can go to a company that uses that plastic, glass, or metals to produce products. Broken phones can also be recycled in another way. For instance; phone A´s screen is broken and cannot be fixed, and phone B´s 3.5mm input jack is broken but the phone works just fine. Then instead of throwing both phones away, phone A´s 3.5mm jack can be put in phone B. This saves one cell phone at the dump. The 3.5mm jack is just an example for a part of a phone. In theory almost all parts of a phone can be pulled out, and be installed in another phone. This is in fact an ´old´ method. It has been used a long time for cars, or other vehicles. The working parts are picked out, and stored to be reused later on.
Companies There are some companies that recycle all kinds of materials, mostly metals. One of those companies is Urban Mining Delft (UMD) in The Netherlands. This company was established in 2012 in order to develop and market its new, unique and patented MDS separation technology. The technique separates metals by the use of ferromagnetic fluids and special designed magnets. [9] It would be a very good thing that, in a few decades, all products could be recycled. It is thought that there is good money to be made by setting up a recycle-company, just as UMD. It would decrease the costs of materials, because those can be re-used and do not need to be for instance mined out of the ground.
Future Will urban mining be an important factor in the future? Yes, it is. To summarize the whole story above: ´We need to recycle, because it saves energy in multiple ways, and reduces the amount of waste.´ This is extremely durable. If we realize all the ideas of urban mining, the world would become a better place, for humans, as for all other living creatures.
54
2.2.4
What non-recyclable materials do we use most, and how can we still recycle them? Non-recyclable product (as the name says) are those that cannot be broken down and reused into another item. The items may still be biodegradable and broken down in to earth eventually, even though they are nonrecyclable.[1] Some non-recyclable materials in five categories.
Figure 57: non-recyclable waste
These items cannot be recycled because if they are melted/broken down, they lose their ability to form a proper structure. Paper for instance can only be recycled four to seven times. Non-recyclable paper
Non-recyclable wood
Wrapping paper that is laminated or contains foreign materials such as foilcoatings or glitter
Treated or contaminated wood → wood treated with preservatives or attached to other materials like sheetrock or window glass
Microwave containers Aluminium foil boxes Blueprints Photographic film Frozen food boxes Thermal fax paper Hardcover books Binders Carbon paper
Non-recyclable plastic (consumer items) Plastics attached to other materials such as kitchenware or auto parts
Non-recyclable glass
Some food storage containers Disposable diapers Foam materials Formatica Fiberglass
Cookware
Furniture
Window glass
Matrasses
Mirrors
Insulation Ashes Dirt
Dishware
Light bulbs
Other nonrecyclable waste Animal feces and carcasses
Soil
Vinyl
“Some industry sources estimate that an ordinary sheet of paper made from cellulose fibres derived from wood can survive only four to six trips through the recycling process. The Environmental Protection Agency puts the figure at five to seven times.” [3] The best thing to do with paper that cannot be recycled anymore is to turn it into compost, and use it to grow more trees. In this way, a perfect circle of recycling is made. From tree, to paper, into tree again.
55
In the table below is described how much non-recyclable materials we are using, based on some common-knowledge, -sense and the website of an environmental protection agency[6]. Non-recyclable paper
Non-recyclable wood
+ When looked at the table above, you can conclude that most of these materials are used in an average household, and so a decent part of non-recyclable materials.
This category is less used in an average household, but still a little bit.
Non-recyclable plastic (consumer items) ++ The amount of plastic we throw away is very significant. If you see in the table below how much is actually nonrecyclable, this is the biggest category.
Non-recyclable glass
Other nonrecyclable waste
-This category is thought to be the least big, because most glass is very recyclable. ´Normal´ glass can by melted and formed over and over again.
+The materials from this category is used/produced, but not that much. So you could say that this is ´average´.
How to recycle non-recyclable materials One of the reasons why for instance pizza boxes cannot be recycled, is that they are contaminated with food stains. If this were to put with the recyclable paper, it would ruin the recyclable paper so that it cannot be recycled anymore. But.. before you throw that pizza box out, see if you could re-use/salvage some of it. Perhaps the scraps could be used as Christmas tree decorations after you have cut them into shapes and painted them. Or even; you could use it to pick up some stuff where your dog has littered. Also, there are ways to re-use napkins or paper towels that have been used. For instance; you could use a wet paper towel to wipe down the table after a meal. And in the case you have children, you can wipe their dirty fingers after they have made an artwork by finger-painting. This prevents you from having to use a brand new, clean piece of towelling from the box every time, which would waste a lot of paper! This also yields for non-recyclable plastics. When you have some non-recyclable bottles, because there is not listed a number on it, try to turn them into nifty key holders. You can make them by cutting of the bottoms of the bottles. Some spare change, keys and other items can be put in them. The bottles can also be used as vases for flowers. [4] You just have to be creative.
56
Figure 58: Recycled "non-recyclable" plastic bottle
2.2.5
In what ways do we have to change our behaviour so that we would only have recyclable garbage left?
First of all: most paper waste cannot be recycled because of food stains and because it is laminated with, or contains foreign materials such as foil for instance. We, as consumers, could make those items recyclable by separating those two materials from each other. This is not realistic, because it takes a lot of work and it will not separate well. These items w贸uld be recyclable when the foreign materials are not put in there. As a result, the paper may not contain liquids as well. There has to be done some research about that, but I think it will not work. Another way to solve this problem is to use metals or glass, instead of paper laminated with foreign materials. Metal and glass is always recyclable and is so a potential option to reduce non-recyclable paper. We do not use metal and glass as liquid containers because it is heavier than paper and plastic. When people get aware of the fact that glass and metal are much more durable, they will accept heavier products I think. The benefit of durable materials is much more important than the weight of the products. It will also help if we bring our garbage to a waste management company. Such a company will collect our stuff we do not need anymore and takes care of proper recycling of the items. This way some materials can be reused and that is very helpful for the environment. To make this happen, it would be a good idea to add a kind of tax on all products that consumers can get back when they bring it to a waste management company. In the list below is told what improvements could be made to produce less waste, in for instance an office or school.
Old computers If you have a computer that is younger than four years, you can sell it to a company that reuses parts of your computer in new ones. Such a company also checks if there are still harmful documents left and removes them. In this way other computers can operate safe. You must realize that you get a much lower price four your computer than what you paid for it. Computers that are older than four years can be recycled in another way. Those computers are disassembled to be used as raw materials.
Fluorescent tubes Fluorescent tubes contain chemical elements. A little bit more precise: a fluorescent tube consist of 90 percent glass, 8 percent metal and 2 percent phosphor powder. After the recycling process 0.5 percent phosphor powder remains. With the up-to-date recycling methods, more than 98 percent can be recycled! For the environment it is very important that these tubes are handed in at the right places.
Paper tray In for instance an office, there is a lot of paper in circulation. Think of sticky notes, A4sheets, but also advertising flyers. We tend to throw these away once it is done, or has no use anymore. But remember that those things can be used again! Therefore, place paper trays where it is needed, so people can throw it in there. In this way people will get more conscious of making choices that are related to recycling paper.
57
Avoid the use of paper - go online! To reduce the amount of paper waste, you can choose to publicise your publications online. Your employers, students and other people can download it and read it online. There are also examples of companies that do not use any paper at all. Of course that is really hard to accomplish, but when you send your files etc. by email it would be an improvement.
Conclusion The government would help the recycling process by adding taxes on all packaging products. When the products are brought to a waste management company or to the supermarket, the consumers get the tax back. There is a way to recycle almost all machines, devices, materials etc. We all should try to make sure that it happens! The government can ´force´, or at least provide an attractive way to make people recycle. Also the government can maybe make sure that producers make recyclable products or packaging. This can be done by subsidising the production process.
58
2.2.6
What potential does the Netherlands have of becoming significant in the recycling of products?
First of all, some facts and figures.[1] Less than ten percent of all waste is put on landfills. In 2006 the average Dutch household recycled 60 percent of its waste. In 2003 about 50 percent of the organic household waste was gathered separately. This equalled 1500 kilotons or 1.500.000.000 kg. This was processed to 600 kilotons (600.000.000 kg) of compost. In 2005 the Netherlands recycled 75 percent of its annual paper consumption. This equals 2.5 million tons. (2.500.000.000 kg) This in contrast with the EU, which recycled over 50 percent of its annual paper consumption.
What materials are already separately collected in the Netherlands Paper
All types of paper/paperboard
Glass
Glass jars and bottles Beer bottles (deposit systems in supermarket)
Plastic
Plastics (type 1 and 2 PETE) Plastic soda containers (deposit systems in supermarket) Ink cartridge
Synthetic
Motor oil Tires
Organic
Compostable materials
Metal
Metal cans (also separated by separation techniques)
Chemical
All types of batteries
Fabric
Clothing and toys (for second hand use)
Wood
Construction timber
Construction Concrete and bricks (road fill, grinded down and mixed as new) Appliances
Household appliances
59
What recycling companies does the Netherlands have at this moment? (2014) Name companies Steenhuis recycling
Website www.steenhuis-recycling.nl
HERMION
www.hermion.nl
Holland recycling
www.hollandrecycling.nl
Revema (Utrecht) Vlakglasrecycling Polyplastics Shanks
www.revema.nl www.vlakglasrecycling.nl www.polyplastics.nl www.shanks.nl
Materials the company recycles Iron, metals, batteries, computers, wood, paper and plastics Plastic- metal- and electronic wastes, contaminated and mixed plastic Asbestos, confidential paper, construction/demolition waste, electronics, flat glass, foil, garden waste, paper cardboard, residual waste, scrap metals and wood Paper and cardboard (sheet) Glass Plastics Paper, glass
This is just a short list of recycle companies in the Netherlands. With the help of Google you can find loads of them and also very specific ones that only recycle plastic for instance. Seeing this, we can see that the Netherlands has a great potential of recycling products. Also the Netherlands has a lot of opportunities for people to dump their waste where it will be recycled. In the Netherlands, waste is collected by local authority cleansing departments or waste collection companies. There are also numerous municipal waste recycling centres where people can take their waste. Each municipality operates its own waste collection system: some work with wheeled bins and underground containers, in other municipalities waste bags can be put out.[2] This picture shows an underground container where glass can be recycled. The people have to separate their glass by colour (white, brown and green). This helps the recycle company.
Figure 59: recycling glass in the Netherlands
The Netherlands also is one of the leading countries in terms of recycling. All sorts of products and materials are recycled, such as glass, paper, garden and household organic waste, construction and demolition waste, electrical appliances and many more other materials. It is always trying to raise recycling rates and optimise processes. Also, the Dutch government and industry have agreed that by the end of 2010 42percent of all plastic packaging will be recycled efficiently. [2]
60
Other counties So now we know that the Netherlands is busy recycling all sorts of products as much as possible. When it is possible to handle even more waste, it would be possible to recycle also other counties´ waste. For instance: the UK´ s waste. In 2009 and 2010, compost was the largest component of recycled waste, comprising 40 percent of the total.[3] This is of course much less than what the Netherlands is recycling. 50 percent of the organic waste is recycled, and 75 percent of all paper is recycled in the Netherlands. The maximum percentage of recycling what in the UK 40 percent is, is therefore much lower than the 75 percent in the Netherlands. If it is possible, both counties can benefit by it. The UK gets rid of its waste, and we can recycle their waste and save a lot of raw materials. Also the government will be happy with some extra money that they can get by selling the recycled products. All materials that can not be recycled can be used to generate electricity. This may (hopefully) lead to more electrical cars for instance. In that way we can use less fossil fuels and save the environment. Very durable! Upgrading the recycle factories in the Netherlands causes more employment. More and more people will get in touch with recycling and get familiar with it. This probably has a positive effect. People think more about recycling, and therefore boost the national knowledge about recycling. Also the transport of the waste is very realisable. Big ships can be filled with the UK´s waste and transported to the Netherlands by its large rivers. This is the most durable way of transporting the waste.[4] This is not only applicable for the UK, but also for many other countries that have a surplus of waste, and cannot recycle it as thorough as the Netherlands.
Conclusion As indicated above: the Netherlands has a lot of (specialised)recycle companies and is very busy recycling all kinds of products and materials. Also the government is involving itself in recycling because it is very durable of course. It can provide them with extra money. The prospect is that in the future, the Netherlands will be increasingly busy with recycling. Maybe at one point it can even recycle other counties´ waste. This will be great for the Dutch population because it provides employment and it gets the people more in touch with recycling.
61
2.2.7
How can we reuse the plastics in the oceans in a profitable way?
First of all, we need to know something about the plastic soup.
This information comes from the website from adventurescience.org: [1] Although micro plastic particles are smaller than five millimeters in size, they likely pose a massive environmental and human health risk. Ocean researchers have found them in nearly every liter of ocean water they have examined, from places including Maine, Alaska, Argentina, Thailand and Antarctica. Toxins including DDT, BPA and pesticides adhere to the particles. Because they can resemble plankton, the particles are often ingested by small aquatic life. The toxins bio magnify as they move up the food chain, accumulating in birds, sea life and humans. Micro plastics have several sources: They weather from debris like drink bottles and shopping bags; Figure 60: an albatross carcass filled with plastic, Midway they are laundered from nylon clothing; and they Atoll, Pacific Ocean wash down the drain with many common cosmetics and toothpastes.
How can we filter the plastic out of the oceans in order to be able to reuse it? A 19-year-old Dutch boy called Boyan Slat has invented a innovative concept about cleaning the plastic soup. While diving in Greece he became frustrated. Why?, would you think. Well, he came across more plastic bags than fish. This made him wonder: “Why can we not clean this up?� The circulating ocean currents float the drifting plastic soup into a giant catching system. Eventually all plastic get to the container in the ocean, you can see this on the picture (figure 60). With a conveyor the plastic is lifted and put in a container. The conveyer is driven by power from solar cells on top of the device. No harm is done to any animal life with this idea.
Figure 61: Boyan Slat, The Ocean Clean-up
62
How can we reuse the plastic in a profitable way? The people that work with the ocean cleanup have researched that the plastic recovered from the oceans is suitable to be turned into oil.[2] Also they have been testing whether or not the plastic can be turned into new materials through mechanical recycling. This had promising results. Mechanical recycling is a process in which the plastic is melted down and formed in other products. It can also be melted down into pellets. Factories can use these pellets to form products by melting them down and forging them into a mold. The pellets are easy to transport to factories that need them.
Turning plastics into oil Nowadays it is possible to turn plastics into oil. First, the plastic is cut into small pieces and mixed with water, so they can pump it through pipes. Then they apply heat and pressure to begin breaking it down to molecular level. Next, they separate the mixture into oil, gasses and solids. Finally they convert the oil into gasoline and diesel. This diesel can be straight put into a diesel car. This process is called thermal depolimerization or TDP. It is a thermal process (it uses heat) that breaks down material at a molecular level. Water is used to do that. It copies the natural process for making fuel. It does in minutes what the earth naturally would do in thousands and thousands of years.[3] In the future we will see more and more about the depolimerization of plastic. It can be realized everywhere and it is a very practical idea.
Figure 62: plastics in the seas
63
Prevention We have spoken about how to clear the mess up, but it is just as important to also know how to prevent it from happening. We will give a few examples of how to prevent plastic coming into the oceans. 1. Shopping bags. 1 trillion plastic bags are used an discarded every year! Possible solutions: reusable bags preferable made of post-consumer recycled materials or biodegradable, natural materials. Biodegradable bags made from bio-based materials. 2.
Bottles and their caps. Possible solutions: use a refill bottle, a Dopper for example. 100% bio-degradable and recyclable.
3.
Textiles. An important source of micro plastics appears to be sewage contaminated by fibers from the washing of clothes. Experiments with sampling of wastewater from domestic washing machines demonstrated that a single garment can produce more than 1900 fibers per wash. Possible solutions: make clothes from biodegradable fibers, such as: cotton, bamboo and hemp.
4.
Consumer packaging. The market for rigid packaging for food and drink in Europe is expected to achieve above average growth in volume between 2010 and 2015. Possible solutions: no packaging, reusable packaging, use 100% bio-degradable materials such as paper foam.
5.
Balloons. You probably know the saying: what goes up must come down. Balloons return to land and sea where they can be mistaken for prey and eaten by animals. Sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and seabirds have been reported with balloons in their stomachs. It is believed that they mistake balloons for jellyfish which are their natural prey. Possible solutions: do not release balloons but blow bubbles. Balloons should be 100% (marine-)degradable.
Conclusion Can we use the plastics in a profitable way? Yes, we can. Very profitable, because the plastic can be used to produce fossil fuels. Also it can be recycled mechanically. This way we reuse plastic just like the way we reuse for instance glass. It just can be reused time after time. The ocean cleanup provides us with plenty of plastic. With the help of Boyan Slat his inventive idea we can realize to get the plastic out of the oceans. In this way, we help the environment because we take the plastic out of the habitats of the animals. There is no harm done to animals with this system. At the same time prevention is just as important. All products should be biodegradable so animals and the environment are not harmed.
64
2.2 Conclusion
Can we achieve our goals within 40 years in terms of the cyclical economy?
It is important to recycle. This also is called cradle to cradle. ´The materials that are used in the one product can be reused in a high quality form in the next product, in a technical or in a biological cycle.´ When we do this, we do not need to get raw materials out of the earth. This is good for the environment in two ways. 1. It leaves the earth untouched so that animals and organisms are not disturbed. 2. It saves CO2 emissions. While excavating, pumping or drilling resources out of the ground, CO2 is released into the atmosphere and so causing an increasing greenhouse effect. This also yields for urban mining. That is almost the same, but a little different. Urban mining is for instance reusing bricks from an destroyed building in a new house. The materials do not need to be made again. The difference with cradle to cradle is that that is about mining, drilling and so on, and urban mining is reusing already made objects or materials. We have talked about reusing existing parts from wind turbines, solar panels and phones. This is also an example of urban mining. In the future we must concentrate more on reusing existing parts. You can salvage working parts form a broken device. Then we do not need to produce them again. We also have told about what non-recyclable materials we use most. Those materials can for example not be melted or broken down. But there is still another way to still recycle those materials. Make a vase from a bottle, or make key holders! Then these items still have a good use and do not have to be thrown away. This saves the environment and the consumers´ wallet. Does the Netherlands have potential of becoming significant in the recycling of products? Yes is the answer. We already are very busy recycling all kinds of materials. From plastics to metals. We think it is even possible to have such a capacity to even recycle other countries´ waste. This causes us to burn less fossil fuels for energy and import less or no energy. The plastics even can be depolymerized. Plastic is turned into oils which can be refined into gasoline, diesel and oils. This reduces the amount of fossil fuels pumped out of the ground. That plastic can be fished out of the oceans. That is a major problem; all that plastic in the oceans. With a genius idea from Boyan Slat we can take the plastic out of the oceans. This must happen because all kinds of animals are poisoned. Seabirds mistake plastic for food. They are full of plastic, but die of starvation. The fish can mistake the plastic for algae for example.. In the future the Netherlands´ citizens will recycle most of their waste. Recycle companies can recycle the waste optimally that way. Most products will be used again so that we do not need to mine raw materials. Maybe the Netherlands will also recycle more than all inhabitants of the Netherlands produce. All by all: the Netherlands will be very aware of the need to recycle. It will recycle most of its own waste and when possible even more imported waste.
65
Part [2] How are we going to realize our goals?
Chapter 2.3
How will the economy/government react to sustainability?
_____________________________________________ 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 2.3.4 2.3.5 2.3
In what ways can the government help us with the realization of the Netherlands in becoming sustainable? Why or why not should the government give grants to companies that produce in a green way? Which jobs/educations can/will help us in the development of a sustainable society? Should companies manufacture in a durable way? Why would a sustainable country be positive for the economy? Conclusion
66
2.3 Introduction
Economy
The quality of life in the Netherlands is high these days. However, in some areas question marks can be placed whether this is maintainable/sustainable. The most important worries about the sustainable developments refer to what future generations can use as resources and refer to problems on a global scale. One of the biggest global challenges lies in decreasing the tension between economy and ecology. Besides that, new uprising economies like China and India cause a more competitive ambiance in the economy which can lead to increasing scarcity and higher prices. Making the economy more sustainable is the pursuit of prosperity growth without it being at the expense of the quality of life and environment: economical growth within strict measurements for environment and nature. Doing this is an important way to realize sustainable developments like raising the efficiency of the usage of energy and resources dramatically. The most important challenge of all is to generate more value with less energy and resources. Innovation and rewards are for example important instruments to realize this. Even though all of this will demand high investments in the next couple of years, it will not only contribute to an economical growth, but a better environment and nature as well. The following part of this chapter is about how the economy will effect sustainability and otherwise.
Figure 63: economy and the environment
67
2.3.1
In what ways can the government help us with the realization of the Netherlands becoming sustainable?
Everyone knows that the society where we live in nowadays is controlled by money. Most of us want the cheapest of the cheapest whether it is quality or not and this is a shame. If something can save the world but it is too expensive, then still no one would buy it and/or use it. This also counts for energy. All commercials on the television about energy are telling you that they are the cheapest so you should buy their energy. Commercials about sustainable energy are rare. This is because commercials cost money which will result in a higher cost price while sustainable products are already expensive enough. It is even so expensive that almost no one consumes it. If we want the citizens of the Netherlands to buy sustainable products, then we need help to lower the price of durability. The companies that produce these sustainable products cannot do it alone, otherwise they would already have done it do you not think so? But as we said in the beginning, our society is controlled by money, and so is our government. If we want the government to help us, then it has to be worth it. The question is now: is it? And even more important; why is or is it not?
In what ways is the Netherlands becoming sustainable worth it? Positive external effects A very important thing to start with, is that the more durable a country is, the more prosperous it is (or the other way around, depends on how you see it). Normally the prosperity of a country is measured by the gross domestic product (GDP): all the value added of Figure 64: nominal GDP across the world institutions engaged in production. Value added means the turnover minus the purchase value, not to be confused with the turnover minus the costs which results in the profit. The GDP however does not include the positive and negative external costs, even though it should, because also these indicate the prosperity of a country. This is a reason for the government to help sustainable companies reduce their price and get more market share. It will result in more people buying and using sustainable products and thus a more sustainable and prosperous country. Therefore it is for a government worth it to increase the share in sustainable energy/products. Profitability It is most likely that if the government spends money on innovation in sustainability the profitability of sustainable energy shall rise because of better techniques. It is an investment which will pay itself back in the (near) future. More innovation means a lower cost price so that prices can drop which in return means a higher demand for that certain product (which in this case is sustainable energy). Eventually it will result in an equilibrium price where the turnover for companies providing green energy is at its maximum level. Long story short: innovation ensures companies to grow and thus 68
strengthens the economy. A stronger and well working economy will contribute to a more prosperous country. Therefore it is for a government worth it to increase the share in sustainable energy/products. Options [1] Sustainability is partly about leaving the options open for further generations. Our society consumes resources much quicker than mother nature can regenerate itself. We have a lot of needs, and in this speed we will end up with nothing left, leaving further generations resource less. Luckily, this scenario is far from likely from happening, but it is still plausible. It is up to the government to convert this speed of consuming non-sustainable products into consuming durable products only, so that the quality of life and the environment in Netherlands can be maintained and preferably even increased without being it at the expense of development opportunities of the future generations. Therefore it is for a government worth it to increase the share in sustainable energy/products. Gambling It is most likely that sustainability will increase rapidly in the near future. We cannot be a 100% sure though. We do not know how it is in the future. Maybe the price of fossil fuel has dropped to nil so that it almost cannot be surpassed by sustainable energy any more. Maybe the ideas scientists have are not even possible to fulfil. Maybe the civilians will keep on protesting. We do not know anything for sure. Spending money on innovation is a kind of gambling. Even though things do look quite optimistic. Therefore it is for a government maybe not worth it to invest in sustainable energy/products.
How will the government help? Stimulating scholars We have to think of many things to improve durability, like more efficient harvesting of energy, more ways of doing so and of course making it less expensive. We cannot achieve this if no one knows a thing about sustainability. This means we have to train people on a national scale to do so. It is the task of schools and the government to stimulate students to go green. So a way the government can help us realize our goals is to make sure lots of people get an interest in sustainability. Innovation Stating that a lot of scholars will indeed study something that has to do with sustainability means we indeed think of things to improve durability, like more efficient harvesting of energy, more ways of doing so and of course making it less expensive. The next step is to actually make it happen, which requires money. Partly this money can be derived from the people, but mainly it has to come from the government. So a way the government can help us realize our goals is to spend money on innovation in the field of durability to develop ideas thought up by scholars/entrepreneurs/engineers/etc. Electricity network [3] Clear thing is that the more sustainable we become, the more fossil fuels will be exchanged for electricity. Our electricity network as it is today cannot cope with the estimated amount of electricity. Therefore we have to adjust it. There are two main ideas about how to do this. The first option is the international grid; a grid (network) which connects multiple grids of multiple countries together making it simply a whole lot bigger. The second option is the smart grid; a grid that connects energy sources to the network and regulates them in a smart way. For example, when you produce more electricity with your solar panels than you use, you normally release that surplus to the grid. But when the grid is already overloaded, the smart grid can cut you off preventing you from 69
damaging it. (the surplus will be stored in your own personal ´energy safe´) Which network is to be chosen remains a question for now. That it has to be adjusted, or maybe even fully replaced by our government, is in contrary to that almost sure. Impositions Making sure all (most) of the companies produce in a green way takes a lot of time if we let them choose for themselves. This is caused by non-sustainable products still being less expensive. Therefore the government has to impose sustainable actions and development upon those companies. As durability becomes less expensive these impositions will increase until all companies are forced to produce green. This will not be bad at all for the economy because the government also has to make sure that the impositions increase simultaneously with the decreasing price of sustainable products so that a balance will be maintained. Excise duty A form of imposition which is not laid upon companies only, but upon all users (companies, citizens, etc.) of a certain non-sustainable product, is the excise duty, a form of tax. The most famous example of excise duty is the one used on gasoline and petrol. In some cases it changes people their minds because it makes the product too expensive. Instead of using the non-durable product they change to an environmental better (more sustainable) alternative. Rewarding Companies, civil society organisations (CSO´s), civilians themselves, co-governmental institutions, sport clubs, you name it. All of these start voluntary working on sustainable ideas more and more. The government is already supporting this by rewarding them with a certain amount of money but is planning to do this even more to increasingly stimulate these ideas. Later on, when enough stimulation is achieved, these rewards will be withdrawn again. Environmental damaging subsidies [4] Lots of fishing fleets get subsidies in order to exist because they cannot do it alone. However, those fishing fleets damage our environment because there are too many of them. In the end it comes down to us paying fishing fleets do damage our environment. And not only fishing fleets get those subsidies. It is hard to stop subsidising these kind of organisations because some of them will probably go bankrupt which will damage our economy. The Green Deal Making the economy more sustainable lies not only in the hands of the government. The government wants civilians, companies and organisations to be capable of thinking of and developing durable solutions on their own. Figure 65: Green deals. Stimulating sustainable initiatives. This does it by taking bottlenecks out of the way. For example in the legislation and regulation or by ensuring companies to get in touch with each other. This cooperation between government and society is established in a contract called ´´The Green Deal´´ [2].
70
Carbon capture and storage [2] A wonderful, but yet limited, method of decreasing the amount of carbon in the air is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). It is simply the capturing and saving of carbon, mainly underground. It is however limited and therefore it must be used very efficient and thus careful. It is up to the government to regulate this method and use it as efficient as possible. Promoting Rewarding is the main form of promotion to get people to work and study in the sector of durability. Impositions and excise duty do not raise that much popularity for green energy and products. That is why the government not only has to lower the demand for non-sustainable products but it is really important as well to get people actually wanting to buy sustainable energy. Promotion is also necessary for the innovation. Without promoting sustainability, the civilians will most likely disagree to spend that much money on something they do not even like. After all, it is partly their money the government spends. Increase prosperity It is not difficult to understand that people who suffer from the low level economy at the moment, rather see the government save the economy than spend it on something that may be optional for in the future, nor do people that do not have the access to health care or education. Therefore it is important to raise the (overall) prosperity so that more support can be expected. Money spend on innovation will logically increase gradually with the prosperity. Figure 66: money for innovation
Conclusion So, will the government help us? Yes the government should and will help. Sustainability and its needed investments and innovation will pay itself back in the form of a more prosperous country with a better and more varied economy and higher life standard. How will the government help us? By stimulating scholars to do something with durability and by promoting durability itself, by means of rewarding and the increasing prosperity, great opportunities will open up for sustainable companies to grow and become more significant. In combination with lots of innovation and The Green Deal, sustainability will develop in a fast speed making it most likely cheaper and giving it more market share. Because of that, the government can increase their excise duties, increase the amount of impositions and lower the environmental damaging subsidies, giving sustainability again a higher market share. Besides all of this, the government has to regulate CCS and a new electricity network in order to give sustainability (even) higher chances of succeeding. Whether the government will actually proceed in helping us remains a question to everyone but the government itself and how it will help is even harder to say. Because of not knowing what lies in the future it stays hard to tell what will happen. However, that sustainability has good chances and that the government is highly likeable at our side is quite clear.
71
2.3.2
Why or why not should the government give grants to companies that produce in a green way?
The Dutch government gave in 2005 grants to any company that produced green energy but as well as to the companies that just used it. Because of this green energy was almost as cheap as the so called ´´grey energy´´, energy produced in a non-green way. Both types of energy work just as good. At the moment only companies that produce the green energy itself get grants, or subsidies. Also, they get green energy certificates. These certificates show that these companies produce green energy. If received, they hold a certain value. The company can keep it, but could also sell it to their electricity supplier. Receiving subsidies from the government is getting harder and harder. Our governments wants to cut down the costs of the grants spend on culture, innovation and green energy resulting in a lot of subsidies disappearing (in 2015 the budget will still be 3,5 billion euro). However, a replacement in the form of an innovation fund with a budget of 200 million euro is set up. So if you do something for green energy in the form of innovation you might succeed in getting some governmental cash. In return the government wants to see how you spend it at the end of the year so you have to be prepared. The major innovative grants (and thus grants for green Figure 67: giving grants for “green” factories?
energy) can be divided into 4 groups.
The Innovation Voucher: with this, a company can pay a school or university to solve a question. However, sadly enough the government abolished it on 1 January 2011. Environment and Technology: a program for the development and applying innovative processes, products and services with an environmental benefit. Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR): a program aimed for small businesses that want to solve a social issue by means of innovative ideas. Subsidy Social Organisations and Environment: this subsidy is meant for social organisations without the aim to make a profit. The question is now; why, or why not, should the government proceed with providing companies that produce (or use) green energy with grants?
72
Why should they? Pay back If the government gives companies that produce green energy grants, they can produce it in a cheaper way because the cost price will decrease for them. Because of this, the market share of sustainable energy will increase because the price for consumers will decrease. A higher market share for sustainable energy together with the result (more users of sustainable energy) will result in a more prosperous country with a growing economy (see 2.3.1a Profitability). In this way the grants will not be for nothing, it will eventually give something back for the country and thus the government even though this might mainly be on the long term. Stimulation [4] If producing green means you get money for it, than logically more companies want to produce green. For some it might still mean a loss, but for others it will become a potential way of producing. The more companies producing in a green way, the more sustainable an economy or even a country can become. Besides that, sustainability will grow and develop faster because more companies work in a green way. This faster development will likely result in lower prices, a higher market share and a higher profit. More companies will become interested in producing green because of this higher profit. A negative effect is that if more companies start producing green, more grants will be needed to cover all those companies. On the other hand; a higher profit means less money from the government (subsidy) is needed to support those companies for they already receive more money themselves. In this way, subsidising companies to produce green does not cost any more money, what does do is helping in the development of a sustainable country. Trias Energetica [7] The Trias Energetica is the strategy the government uses currently to stimulate the usage of renewable energy (energetica), containing three steps (trias). Step 1 is to lower the demand of energy as a whole, either fossil or sustainable fuels. Step 2 is to let people use as much renewable energy as they can to cover the demand for energy that is left. Step 3 is to use the fossil fuels that are still needed in the most efficient way. If the government stops subsidising green energy, step 2 will fail miserably because the cost price of green energy will increase again and the demand will decrease again.
Figure 68: Trias Energetica
Fossil fuel grants [6] A report of the Dutch government concluded that the government supported the usage of energy with €4,6 billion in 2010 while we were still in a crisis. This included tax rebates and exemptions for large consumers of energy. For the production of energy in 2010 still more governmental money went to fossil fuels (€1,4 billion) than to renewable energy sources (€1,3 billion), even though it is only a slight difference. Added up the government spend in 2010 €5,8 billion from the national treasury on fossil fuels against €1,5 billion on renewable energy. ´´So the taxpayer contributes to a lower consumer price for fossil fuels. The stimulus to save money decreases as the price of fuel drops. Also the producers of fossil fuels benefited more than the ones of renewable energy. This mechanism hampers a CO2-poor energy provision.´´ Our government has to proceed with subsidising companies to produce and use green energy otherwise it will never be able to compete with fossil fuels. 73
Potential The Netherlands has a huge potential in the field of durability. Because of its location by the sea, the strong position of seaports, the presence of gas and the gas infrastructure the Netherlands can become the energy junction of Europe. If our government stops with providing grants, our green economy would most likely collapse. If not given money, companies will not produce green, it just is not beneficial enough yet. This would ruin our potential of becoming the major country in a green Europe. Entering investments of the Top Sector [5] Renewable energy sources such as wind, bio and solar energy should be able to compete with fossil forms of energy. Therefore Top Sector Energy invests in innovation. The amount will increase structurally up to â‚Ź50 million from 2017 onwards. This means that businesses can show their new products through pilot shows ensuring new inventions to get on the market faster. For relatively not that much money the benefits are clearly there, this is because this money is invested with high accuracy.
Why should they not? Economic crisis The most logic explanation is that since the economic crisis began in 2008, our GDP has dropped with 75 billion euro. Since 2012 we are slightly growing again after a second small dip (see figure 69), but until the consequences have faded, the government is in trouble. There is simply not enough money anymore to do what we want to do, thus we have to cut down the costs. Why stop the grants specifically for green energy? Because the economy has to be saved first so that growth and better chances for green energy can be established again. Green energy is for later concerns, it can wait. There is no future without a solid base as one might say.
Figure 26: The GDP of the Netherlands from 2005 until 2013 in billions
2
Expensive Until green energy can be produced and sold cheap, green energy simply costs a lot. If the government gives grants to every single company that produces green energy, green energy will become cheaper, which is a good thing. As a result of this, more people want to buy sustainable energy, which is a good thing as well. The negative side of this case, however, is that the government actually pays a part of the consumers energy bills. Indirect the government pays the consumer to go green. As how it is today the governments only pays for the innovation and development of green energy, but as described above it will also pay for using it. Like it was not expensive enough already.
74
Green energy certificates [3] Instead of supporting the innovation of green energy, these green energy certificates [1] (a form of subsidy) slow it down. As mentioned, you can receive the certificates by using or producing green energy. However, where the used energy comes from does not matter, nor where it is sold. Companies buy the energy cheap abroad and sell the earned certificates somewhere else for relatively much money. This does not stimulate the development of green energy in the Netherlands at all. The government should make sure those certificates are not in the way of the evolution of durability or even stop them. National policy ´´We must not subsidize the difference between cost- and market price unlimited and in the length of days and years. That costs the government billions of euro´s in the time of tenths of years and makes companies lazy. We have to get rid of that´´ according to Maria van der Hoeven, former Minister of Economic Affairs. She no longer wants national goals as starting point of the policy, but European goals. Now every country has its own goals for sustainable energy and numerous systems of stimulating it. Therefore the market does not function that good Figure 70: Maria van der Hoeven and you are risking a so called subsidy war. ´´The wind farms are build where the subsidies are the highest. Europe can no longer afford this´´, Van der Hoeven announces. If the European Union is not in control, our government has to stop subsidising companies that produce green energy.
Conclusion Maybe we should cut down the grants for a little while purely for economical reasons. We are in a crisis at the moment and we cannot just deny that. Green energy is expensive. To make it even worse, some subsidies do not even stimulate the development of sustainability but slow it down or make companies lazy, especially when it is not managed on a European scale. On the other hand, it will pay itself back and most of the grants do actually stimulate the development of green energy, especially when the Top Sector invests the subsidies very accurately. Besides that, if any country in Europe should invest in green energy than we are the perfect nation for that with the perfect position and the perfect natural energy sources like wind and water. Plus, if the government stops subsidising their main strategy of developing green energy will be overthrown and green energy will not be capable of competing against fossil fuels. We are already in the recovering period of the economical crisis. Soon we will overcome it and then there should be enough money to invest in green energy. Grants for companies that produce green should increase whenever our government has enough money.
75
2.3.3
Which jobs/educations can/will help us in the development of a sustainable society?
The basis of a green and sustainable society are the people thinking about it, working on it and the people studying it. Without human beings being interested and motivated to develop something like durability, the development would be nowhere. Just take a look at any product on the market. Before it is actually for sale, someone had the demand for it, someone had the brains to think of it and someone had the skills to develop it. This is the same for green energy. Right on this moment we already have the demand for renewable energy, even though this is in our eyes yet not enough, because fossil fuels run out. We also have the brains to think of ideas how to fulfill this demand and right now we are in the stadium of developing it (and coming up with even more ideas). To complete this stadium we need people with knowledge of sustainable energy and sustainability as a whole. We also need people that know much about economical aspects of sustainability as well as of the construction of it. But which educations and which jobs can lead us to complete the third stadium? What knowledge do we actually need to develop a sustainable society. It is simply impossible to name all jobs and educational programs which would contribute to a society that functions green. Therefore this sub question will be naming the jobs divided into large groups with some examples to give you an idea and the education part will be focusing on what is done to get more students study something that has to do with sustainability. Besides, a lot of jobs mentioned can be performed in multiple areas, of course we only look at the form in which it can help to develop a sustainable society. Only the top 5 most beneficial jobs and educations will be named.
Jobs If you are looking for a job with which you can help us to develop a sustainable society, than you have numerous things to think about. You could for example become a designer for more efficient turbines. You could also become the head of a wind farm, or you could be that guy/woman installing the solar panels on a new built house. Because sustainability is becoming more and more important also increasingly more jobs will come in. The Dutch government plans to create approximately 15.000 jobs before 2020 in the segment of durability. Here is a list with the major jobs involved in the creation of a sustainable society: Engineer An important step to take, if looking at structures like wind turbines, is to design a structure which functions well. Much of an engineer´s time is spent on researching, locating, applying, and transferring information. Scientific knowledge and Figure 71: windturbine engineering mathematics are crucial. How big, long and/or wide do things need to be and how are we going to include the needed devices like turbines? Also you need to know a lot about materials like simple wood or more modern plastics. What is best for your structure? How much do you need of that material? Ingenuity is also of importance for technical, societal and commercial problems. 76
You have to overcome these before you can deliver your structure with success. Engineering something sustainable is the link between the ideas and the delivery of those ideas to society. Designing a wind farm or even a nuclear reactor is not something any laic can do. It is more complicating than just designing a building for you have to take things in account like radiation or wind speeds. Researcher Even though the engineer does some of the research, the researcher does the most. Research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of questions needed to be answered in case someone wants to do/build/design something. It makes practical applications possible. An example, returning to the previous named job, is that researchers specialized in science can research how strong the radiation of the power plant will be. Another example is that researchers specialized in meteorology can research which wind speed is most beneficial for wind turbines depending on height. On the other hand, researchers specialized in society can research if building a certain structure in a certain area will bring up lots of contradiction. Lots of research is still needed in the field of durability. It is crucial for the development of any kind of sustainable idea. Manager As in every project there has to be someone in charge. This could be you. Before you can really make a change for a sustainable society you have to know how to manage things in such a way that you do not harm the environment. Figure 72: searching for green solutions Managing something that has to do with sustainability has lots of comparisons to managing anything else. You develop vision and strategy, create new possibilities and guarantee the relationships of the company. However, you aim for the developments in the technology and engineering of sustainable structures and ideas. Before you can do some managing in the field of sustainability you need to have some experience in the field, it is not just for everyone. Basic knowledge about the thing you are managing is needed, complimented with the knowledge of the experts (researchers) as well as being aware of the benefits (grants) but also disadvantages (higher costs) of durability. Politician/Officer If you want to go deeper into the creation of a sustainable society than you could aim for a job at the government itself. Instead of following the orders you give them. You can join a political party and raise your voice for sustainability or you could join the Ministry of Economic Affairs which regulates not only affairs related to the economy but also to innovation and durability. ´´The ministry stands for an undertaking Netherlands with an eye for sustainability. (...) Through attention for our nature and environment. Through stimulating cooperation between researchers and entrepreneurs.´´ Sustainability could really use as much people as possible higher up in the government for its development. Imagine what could be realized if all political parties supported sustainability. It would mean a development in rapid speed because (way) more money will be spend on sustainability.
77
´´Nationale Denktank´´ [1] In short the Denktank, Dutch for Thinking tank, is a group that thinks about social issues including sustainability. They think of ideas and theories which can help our society and they also try to do research about the feasibility. Just to name an example, they lately found out that sustainable food could become the standard. With solutions like this the Denktank claims that the Netherlands could save 25% on environmental taxes. Jobs like these are vital for sustainability. Engineers, researchers, managers and even officers cannot do anything without the ideas, the second step in developing a contribute a significant part to sustainability in our daily lives. It would be great if more people would focus on this step so that sustainability could be used more effectively and also more efficiently.
Educations
Companies that signed the Dutch Energy Agreement [2] (het Energieakkoord) strive for a dynamic labour market which responds to changing labour needs and creates opportunities for new and sustainable employment. Employees must be able to train themselves continuously so that they can continue to meet the demands of the constantly changing job market. There must be sufficient professionals, especially technically trained ones, for all positions in the field of energy conservation and renewable energy (also known as people with green skills). Figure 73: het energieakkoord
Naming educations is impossible for every education can be used in a green way. But ´´what does the government do to recruit people with green skills?´´ is more interesting. Here are some ways how studying in the field of sustainability is stimulated:
Top sector of Energy [4] The Top sector of Energy, together with employers and employees, makes it possible that there will come more entrants. Employees and jobseekers will be educated fast so that they can rapidly and effectively start in the sector of their vacancy. ´´We as entrepreneurs give employees chances to have themselves a traineeship in the field of green skills, skills that are needed for developing clean technology and saving energy. Therefore a test project will be launched where sectors within certain regions will be connected.´´ More attention will be paid to the importance of knowledge and skills in the field of saving energy and clean technology. The Top sector Energy wants to realize that these subjects will get a permanent place in the vocational. For employees that lose their job in the sector of energy or the energy-intensive industry, there will be ´from work-to-work-´-trajectories. Green Skills [3] [4] Besides green skills being a term for skills within the field of durability, Green Skills is also a project. The project is in cooperation with the working group of European Affairs aiming for unemployed youth and their skills. Their goal is to offer youth more prospects for a job by training them as sustainable leaders. They want to realize their preconceived goals within Green Skills by short but intensive educations in the Netherlands. Here not only the awareness and motivation are discussed, but also the capacities a sustainable leader needs. By connecting Green Skills to durable companies they can teach the youth skills that they on the moment miss in their education and therefore do not match the demand for labour.
78
Conclusion There are just many jobs you can do, too many to mention, to help the development of a sustainable society. But jobs that are in the field of engineering, doing research, managing the whole, being partly in charge of the whole development or thinking of ideas are probably the best options you have. The jobs itself are not aimed for sustainability, but the main challenge is to turn that around and focus on the durable aspects of the job. With educations you can study quite everything. Therefore there are some ways the government and organisations stimulate students to focus on the durable side of their educations. This is done by the Top sector of Energy which, together with employers, employees and companies, gives more chances for students to go green by a variety of projects. Also organisations like Green Skills excite students for sustainability and they do this with help of the working group of European Affairs. They aim for the youth in the Netherlands and train them to become sustainable leaders. Contributing to a sustainable society is not that hard, you just have to have the right focus.
79
2.3.4
Should companies manufacture in a durable way?
It is not hard to understand that manufacturing in a durable way has its consequences. But the question is whether these consequences will affect these durable companies in a positive or a negative way and is it then still worth it to manufacture in a durable way? That there are upsides as well as downsides is clear. The one worse/better than the other. But also the aspects where the consequences have to do with differ. You can have economically a backlog but environmentally have a benefit. These aspects are to be balanced. Of course the consequences differ per company. For example the size, area of interest and the product produced affect what will happen with companies that produce in a durable way. In this sub question we will be looking mainly at the positive side of manufacturing in a durable way. That companies should manufacture green is fact, but why? Also attention will be paid to some negative consequences that should be considered as well.
Positive consequences Durability is important and we all know it. Companies that produce green know it as well. But after all it is for most companies not mainly about the environment, but about the money. Helping mother nature is a positive effect of producing green, but when this process becomes too expensive one stops with it whether it helps the environment or not. That is why it is important for companies to know that not only the environment benefits from producing green, companies themselves benefit too, even economically. Here are some reasons why. Profitable Innovation Innovative, forward-thinking and creative businesses are gaining an advantage over their slower-moving competitors and gaining the support of the public. [1] Public interest in things such as alternative energy and nontoxic materials is growing along with government moves toward legislating the use of these things around the world (together with giving subsidies and grants to innovative corporations), according to a poll conducted by studies.me. These two factors herald the arrival of an enormous green gold rush, and the businesses that are the most prepared when this rush truly hits will be the ones to rake in the greatest profits, according to the Christian Science Monitor. So in short innovative companies receive the most support from customers as well as the government boasting their market share and position. Also good to know when considering producing green is that banks are planning to let sustainability have an effect on the provision on business loans with the result that these get more affordable for the durable companies.
80
Figure 74: green/alternative energy
Reduced Costs [3] Lighting, heating and cooling are major business expenses for any company. By reducing energy usage, a company can save money each month and help the environment. A business can reduce lighting output by installing certain light bulbs throughout the office which use nearly 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs. [8] One might say that these expenses are derived from electrical appliances and thus are sustainable. This would mean that reducing them will not help the environment because there is not any harm produced by these light bulbs. This is mainly true, but you have to keep in mind that in the production of electricity still fossil fuels are used. For example for the construction of the energy plant. Reducing your usage of energy, also in the form of electricity, will actually help the environment. Besides that it is logically better for the environment to lower your, or take out, the energy usage in the form of any imaginable fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are also more expensive than electricity. Corporate Reputation Business owners put effort into maintaining a positive public image of their brands. Large corporations spend millions of dollars every year strategically placing their logos in the public eye and training the public to see them in a benevolent light. People who are worried about the environment want to support businesses that they see as environmentally responsible. Businesses are happy to comply by undertaking environmental initiatives to maintain an image that is appealing to the public.[1] Being known as ´green´ benefits your brand´s reputation and develops brand loyalty in environmentally aware shoppers who delve into how a product is made before making their purchasing decisions. The latest trend pushing companies to become greener is green stock investment. Also a better reputation helps to improve the connection between the company and her customers. Customers will return to a company faster if they know that the company is doing a good job for the environment. But not only the customers will be positively influenced by the improved reputation, the employees will as well feel better about working at a green company (it is for instance therefore easier to attract new employees and to retain the once that already have a contract). More motivated employees equals higher efficiency and so a healthier corporation. Tax Incentives Companies can receive deductions on their business taxes for going green. The tax incentives apply to both rented and owned commercial business spaces that upgrade their electrical and gas systems to save energy. In an article titled "Tax Incentives for Businesses Going Green" from Green Business Bureau News [6], it states that commercial companies that reduce their energy expenditures by at least 50 percent can receive a $1.80 tax deduction per square foot of space (± €14,14 per square meter). The article goes on to say that companies can also earn smaller tax deductions for less significant changes like the lighting system. There are both federal tax breaks and grants available for businesses investing in solar power including incentives for putting a wind turbine on your property. In most countries you can sell any excess power back to the utility company. Figure 75: taxes for producing green
81
Environmental Concern Some business owners are trying to make their businesses greener out of a genuine concern for environmental health and sustainability. Individuals within those companies have consciences, and these individuals can sometimes have a huge impact on the behavior of the corporation resulting in an environmentally responsible company. [1] The positive effect of this is that it simply, and logically, helps the environment a lot. Less fossil fuels because of a better management of transport, less energy usage because of better electronics and less plastic that is included in the packaging are just three easy-mentioned ways of how to transfer the environmental concern of a business to reality. But there is more, way more. For example the information you give the employees and customers upon sustainability when producing and buying the product or service is a vital part of the transmission. One should always remember that words can be as strong as actions. Waste Wasteful practices have always cost businesses money, but for many years these losses were not large enough to stimulate action because of the low cost of energy and materials. With fluctuating oil costs upon them and the threat of penalties for carbon releases, businesses have more motivation to cut down on the amount of waste they produce. Green initiatives are good for the planet as well as for the bottom line of a business. Companies that produce goods typically leave waste behind. A company can sell that waste to a manufacturer that recycles or repurposes the waste for a profit. For example, General Mills sells the oat hulls left over after making Cheerios cereal. According to Fast Company, General Mills in 2006 sold 86 percent of their solid waste [7] and made more profit from selling it than they spent on disposal. Companies spend a lot of time and money dealing with the waste created during the manufacturing process and buying packaging. Going green can eliminate waste, reduce liability and cut paperwork. Minimal packaging cuts costs and attracts environmentally aware consumers while reducing the burden on landfills. ´´Businesses contribute greatly to the world´s energy use, pollution and waste produced. According to British company Morgan Lovell, offices, factories and retail centers are responsible for 47 percent of the carbon emissions in the world. Going green can help a business do its part to reduce those emissions and help the business save money as well.´´
Figure 76: using cheaper waste for a higher profit
82
Negative consequences Logically producing durable does not only bring positive consequences, otherwise everyone would have switched to sustainability a long time ago. Not every company can find itself in the world of the durable production. Some cannot, some will not. Here are the main reasons what negative consequences will come along with producing in a durable way. Expensive Obviously the first thing companies look at are the costs. Switching from producing not durable to durable is going to cost a lot of money. [4] You have to change for example your light bulbs and heating system, you have to adjust your machinery and you might even have to replace some billboard that are for instance not good for the environment. Many things have to be changed/adapted/adjusted in case one wants to start producing green and every change has its costs. High investments As a result of this first argument companies have high investments. [4] This is part of why sustainability is expensive. The thing, however, is that it is not equally divided over the years. In the first few years your costs will be outrageous high, and slowly it will start to become less expensive until it becomes even profitable. This takes a lot of time, and time is money. Loans have to be applied, interest has to be paid and there will not be any beneficial effects in the beginning. Low profits [4] The profits will decrease in the first couple of years because of the high investments because it is expensive. These low profits are not the worst because companies can earn it back later. After all these extra costs are investments so they pay themselves back in the (near) future. A thing where companies do have to think about is that potential shareholders will look at the profits you make if they are interested in investing in you. For example; Coca Cola exists for 96% out of money of shareholders because it is a company that does well. Producing durable could scare off these potential shareholders and thus potential money. Cut on dividend Because companies have to make a profit which is as high as possible, they can actually not afford to spend extra money on shifting to durable production. The profit has to be maximized because partly the profit goes to the shareholders in the form of dividend. [5] Spending money on adjusting your company lowers the profit and thus the dividend. The money that is spend extra was actually meant for the shareholders. Fair is different. Higher prices Lower profits could result in higher prices. For example; the meat of range chicken is far more expensive than the meat of battery chicken. This is because the costs of range chicken are higher. The market share of environmentally friendly products is lower because of its higher price. Not all customers have the money to buy durable products.
Figure 77: rising prices 83
Conclusion Chances for durable producing companies are growing. The green gold rush is coming because of the increasingly growing reputation of producing green and the government which is trying to meet these companies. Besides this, producing sustainable can greatly increase you reputation as a green business. People are becoming more aware and concerned about the environment and even most shareholders support this because the green stock investments are rising. Also a production on a green basis can decrease your costs over time by various means. First of all the energy you produce/use can be lowered, tax incentives make it more attractive to go all the way into the green way of producing and your waste could actually be worth money. On the other hand producing sustainable costs a lot of money because a lot has to be changed and adjusted. This can lead to high investments and therefore low profits which can threaten your potentials of getting more shareholders. Also it can force you to cut down the dividend which might scare off some shareholders as well. The final negative consequence is that these high costs can lead to higher prices and so a lower market share. In the short time it costs a lot of money but on the long term it can definitely be profitable for your company. Time and patience are key.
84
2.3.5
Why would a sustainable country be positive for the economy?
It is easy said; let´s make our country sustainable. But before saying such things it is good to know why you would actually want that. Is it actually a good idea to make a whole country sustainable? There are many reason why it is, but on the other hand there are of course a lot of reasons why not. In this sub question we will look at the positive consequences sustainability has upon a nation (the Netherlands) because we are pro durability. This sub question has its interfaces with 2.3.1 and 2.3.4 because those two sub questions are partly what we will be looking at now, but the main difference is that we now broaden it a lot. Instead of focusing on a company or government we look at the whole together. We shall have a look at the full economy and then try to find an answer to what we want to know in this sub question; why is a sustainable country positive for the economy? Stimulates innovation Sustainability equals a lot of innovation. [5] Traditional approaches to business will collapse sooner or later, and companies will have to develop innovative solutions. That will happen only when executives recognize a simple truth: Sustainability = Innovation. New techniques to do certain things like the production of energy or the way transport is managed have to be invented. Sustainability brings us a lot of problems we have to overcome. Problems where we work on the day of today. The thing is, however, that if we really put pressure behind becoming sustainable it will go a lot faster resulting in more solutions and therefore more knowledge about how things work in our country. More understanding of the environment in combination with the economy will lead to great things like more efficiency and effectiveness (see next subtitle). Efficiency [6] As we just mentioned, stimulating an environmentally healthy economy will result in the stimulation of innovation which will on its turn cause companies to be more efficient. ´´Why is efficiency important for the economy?´´ one might ask himself. The answer we can give you is the well-known motto of every economist: ´´time is money.´´ The more efficient a company is, the more it can achieve. Cutting down on the time spend on the separation of waste could for example result in spending more time on the marketing which can lead to a higher market share and profit. However, that counts not for just one company. This time-efficiency can be applied to all corporations in the country. More focus can be paid to the more important parts of the production like sales and market share resulting in a national rise of rivalry.
Figure 78: current energy (efficiency) labels
New markets There are now far less companies focusing on sustainable energy than on the ´´normal´´ non-green energy. When a country becomes more and more sustainable, the amount of on green energy focused companies will slowly overtake the other companies. More companies will join the now existing companies in the production of green energy because they know they can get something out of that sector. This will result in more competition in that sector so that prices will drop, green energy in its whole will get more market share and the rise of green energy will only go quicker and quicker. Simultaneously with this growth in green corporations, the amount of people than can work in the sustainable sector will grow as well. Or said differently: there are more jobs created. So in short these relatively new markets create more competition, more market share for durability and more jobs. 85
Prosperity Something than cannot be noticed in numbers, but can still be seen, is the prosperity that will improve because of an environmentally healthy economy. Of course the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is a way to look at how prosperous a country is. But often people forget to look at other consequences which cannot be put in numbers but which do contribute to the prosperity of a country. Other examples are the health of the inhabitants and level of education. Not always these kind of things are put into numbers simply because we cannot do that. This is the same for the sustainability of a country. The better, the more prosperous. Higher profits If the economy of a country is sustainable than the companies that function within it are so too. This can have multiple positive effects on those companies. In sub question 2.3.4a we will dive into this aspect somewhat deeper. For now it is important to know that sustainability can improve the health of your company. It can do this, for example, by sorting the waste better and/or even sell it, or by a more obvious way like saving energy. This can be fossil fuels as well as electricity. The main reason why this is good for the health of a company is because it can save or even bring up money. Environmental Leader investigated what sustainability does to a company and found also this: ´´Sixtyfive percent reported that their company´s sustainability efforts benefited from savings through energy efficiency and 46 percent reported savings through source reduction.´´ Lowering the energy bills can actually save 75 percent of costs spend on the energy. [1] It can save thousands of euro´s per individual year raising the profits with the same amount you save. A research of the one and only Harvard University states the following: ´´Our research shows that becoming environment-friendly lowers costs because companies end up reducing the inputs they use. In addition, the process generates additional revenues from better products or enables companies to create new businesses.´´[4] Unique There are two things that can happen when we as the Netherlands go totally green. The first option is that other countries will follow our steps, the second option is that we become the first and only country functioning as green as possible. Here we are looking at the second option. What if we are unique in being sustainable? Being unique in economical terms is being a monopoly or at least something very close to that. In that scenario we have full power and control because of the lack of competition and rivalry. If other Figure 79: the Netherlands becoming unique? countries want something durable, they will come to us because we are the best in that. As a result of that we can charge them high prices because we are the only one they can buy from. Sadly enough this sketch is not close to being realistic. Other countries are as well as the Netherlands are on the day of today working on becoming sustainable. Some worse, some better than we do. This brings us to the next point.
86
Sustainable Europe In this point we assume that more countries within Europe (but also worldwide) are becoming as sustainable as possible just as what we are planning to achieve. In that case, all the points mentioned above, except ´´Unique´´ for that is the opposite of this point, can be applied to those countries as well. As we already made clear, these points will strengthen the economy of the country that is able to apply it on itself. The outcome of this is that the economies of (a lot of) European countries will become stronger. For most countries a stronger economy means a rise in import and often also export. The positive effect it is all about for the Netherlands is the rise of import of the other countries. The Dutch prosperity largely depends on export [2], or said differently, the import of other countries. So in short, more countries going green results in a stronger overall European economy so that our export grows and thus our prosperity. More stability Companies that produce durable are detectable more efficient and innovative. Companies with a green image adapt faster to the fast moving world around it because of the level of effectiveness and innovation. Therefore these corporations dependent less on the economical fluctuations. [3] These fluctuations happen more often in our modern society. We as the human race demand a lot of resources. The demand for recourses is therefore growing. This leads to higher prices. In combination with the low amount of supply the uncertainty about the development of the prices grows as well, leading to a growing price volatility (price fluctuations). More price shocks are expected in the upcoming years, so says the media as well. In a sustainable country with an economy full of efficient and innovative companies the fear for these price shocks can be neglected.
Figure 80: Europe
Stimulating sustainability as a whole As already explained a couple of times, sustainability effects the economy in a good way. If executed as efficient as possible then the economically healthy economies will strengthen up. Nowadays our economy is negligible sustainable and recovering from the latest recession. What we see is that consumers pass the environmentally responsible products and go for the, still, cheaper nonecological products. When economies get better, more ´green´ products will be bought stimulating the growth of sustainability within the economy but also on other platforms like education and agriculture. In the long term, a sustainable economy will strengthen the economy so that customers buy ´green´ products and thus stimulate the growth of durability as a whole. Because of this the sustainable economy will, again, get a boost as well and so the circle is complete. More money left over Not being sustainable effects our earth dramatically in all sorts of forms. We can notice this especially by means of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is there, because we pump way too much CO2 into the air. CO2 is known to capture heat and thus the average temperature on earth is rising. Ice on the north pole is melting because of this and our country is threatened by the extra amount of water. To survive the redundancy of water our government has to invest in, for instance, building and strengthening dikes. If the Netherlands (and of course other countries as well) act environmentally responsible, we could save the earth and save the money we have to spend on saving ourselves. We then have ´extra´ money that we can spend in/on our economy.
87
Conclusion A sustainable country will provide the nation with innovative companies that are more creative, efficient, effective and also environmentally friendly. New markets will be launched and jobs will be created raising the prosperity. Sustainability itself will make the prosperity rise as well. But not only the welfare of the country will be improved by sustainability. Also the businesses itself will grow tremendously because of higher profits realized by the higher efficiency, more trade with other sustainable countries and less price shocks. Besides that, the government could save a lot of money that is now spend on saving the world for people do not think about the environment before they act. Sustainability as a whole shall grow as well because all the above mentioned points help to increase it. The rise of durability will go faster and faster. It is inevitable.
88
2.3 Conclusion
Can we achieve our goals within 40 years in terms of the economy?
Starting off with the government we now presume that the government will help us in several ways to become as sustainable as possible for it is definitely worth it. Sustainability and its needed investments will pay itself back. We can see this in the form of a more prosperous country with a better and more varied economy and a higher life standard. The government will try to realize this by means of stimulating scholars to go green, by promoting durability itself, by rewarding durability and lots of innovation. A higher prosperity, sustainable corporations getting chances to grow and cheaper green products are examples of results. Because of this excise duties can rise and impositions can grow in quantity giving sustainability an even higher market share. Of all these measurements the measurement of rewarding seems to have the most potential because it makes green products capable of competing against other non-green products. Even though we might not have the money right now to spend a lot of money on rewarding companies in the form of grants, we should consider it on the long term. Something else to take in account is that not all grants stimulate sustainability for some make companies ´lazy´. However, this is only a very small percentage and most of the grants do actually have the desired effect. So all in all we as the Netherlands should (increasingly) continue to reward the green behaviour of businesses. Mind as well that if there is any country where sustainability should be promoted it is the Netherlands. We have the perfect position with the perfect natural energy sources like wind and water. Therefore we should be very focused on the green job market and green study opportunities as well. Without the skilled people to operate in a green economy one will not come any further. The best examples of how someone could be valuable for a green society are becoming an engineer, researcher, manager or even an officer. These jobs are on itself worthless for sustainability, but the main challenge is to turn these Figure 81: should everything be green? jobs around and lay the focus on the durable aspects of the job. Students on the other hand should be stimulated as well. This is done by the Top sector of Energy which, together with employers, employees and companies, gives more chances for students to go green by a variety of projects. Also organisations like Green Skills excite students for sustainability and they do this with help of the working group of European Affairs. They aim for the youth in the Netherlands and train them to become sustainable leaders. After all sustainability has to be worth it for the economy. So the question remains whether companies should or should not manufacture in a durable way, otherwise all of the above will be a waste of time. Luckily it is not a waste of time. Speaking about waste; corporations can earn money on their waste if they sort it out and sell it to recycling organizations. This is only one of the many beneficial consequences of sustainability for a company. The reputation of sustainability and the 89
companies that produce green is constantly rising. People are becoming more aware of the environment and so are shareholders. But even more important is that manufacturing in a durable way can save your company a lot of costs. We already mentioned the waste, but also the energy (e.g. electricity) and associated costs can be decreased and tax incentives can be claimed. However, it is not all rosy for the investment costs are high, a lot has to be adjusted and profits can decrease scaring off shareholders so that prices might have to go up endangering the market share. In the short term it is expensive, but when time passes by sustainability will become more and more profitable. A country running sustainable will cause companies to become more innovative as well as creative, efficient, effective and also environmentally friendly. The welfare of the country shall rise by means of new markets that can be launched so that jobs will be created raising the prosperity. Besides the prosperity the businesses will be influenced positively as well for higher profits can be realized. The government at last will also save some money because the regulations against the deterioration of the world are not necessary anymore. The rise of sustainability will go faster and faster and cannot be stopped. “Sustainability within the economy is inevitable.�
90
Part [3] Can we realize our goals? Conclusion Can we realize our goals? Advises How to change the current policy?
What are our goals? • “To fully replace fossil fuels with sustainable fuels in the next 36 years (2050) • “We want the Netherlands to only work with recyclable products, and that all those products will actually be recycled” • “We want all companies to fully support a sustainable Netherlands. Plus, we want that education is more looking at sustainability.”
91
Conclusion
Can we realize our goals?
Our government, the Dutch government, states that they plan to fully replace fossil fuels with sustainable fuels in the next 36 years (2050). This is our goal as well. We want to run the Netherlands on sustainable energy only. With an increasing public support, this will not be a problem at all. With the current production methods for electricity, we are able to achieve our goals of 100% sustainable energy. Actually, it is very easy to achieve our goals if we use wind and solar energy in combination with biomass plants or farms. However, to achieve this, a good reaction to sustainability from the government is needed. If people want to place solar panels, they will not because of the high price of solar panels. Individuals will not buy wind turbines, because the investments needed are too high. This is the same for biomass installations. But if the government would help, bigger projects would be possible. Wind energy plants, solar panels on costs of the government and biomass installations for big dung producers. Besides that, the government could invest in blue energy and nuclear energy. However, even nuclear energy is not needed at all. A combination of solar energy, wind energy, blue energy, biomass and geothermal energy will fulfil our goals. For the environment, hydrogen will become important too. If everyone in the Netherlands should place solar panels on their roofs, we will not need energy for private usage anymore. If 1500 wind turbines should be placed, we were self-sufficient. Combine those two, and the Netherlands could become leader in sustainability. And what if you should combine it with for example blue energy, biomass and hydrogen? Our goals in terms of energy are easily done. The only problem is the lack of money and the will of investment. In terms of recycling and cradle to cradle we want the Netherlands to only work with recyclable products, and that all those products will actually be recycled. There are already great ways to do so. Almost all products can be recycled and also cradle to cradle is possible. Parts of defect phones that are still in working condition can be placed in new phones and for example glass is always recyclable. When the Dutch government realises more recycling facilities, the Netherlands can recycle all its waste and maybe even waste from other countries. This automatically brings more employment, resources and energy. Also there will be no need to mine raw materials. The environment will have to endure less stress because of our consumers waste and emission. We will be able to recycle all the plastic in the oceans and use them again in the form of plastic and in the form of gas, diesel and other fuels. By recycling the emissions will decrease and less energy is needed to be generated by fossil fuel power plants. If we look at the economy, we want all companies to fully support the Netherlands so that it can become as sustainable as possible. Especially the Dutch government is of great influence on a green environment for all inhabitants of the Netherlands for it can regulate and adjust the behaviour of, in theory, all corporations within its boundaries. Plus, we want that education is looking more at sustainability so that in the future a sustainable nation is realisable more easily because of more people knowing how to cope with durable-related aspects of the society. This green society can be beneficial for all companies that put their minds at it, simply because we humans are inventive enough to think of many solutions to turn being environmentally friendly into the cash that most companies like to see at the end. Green management will be the new trend within the economy. There are no valid reasons not to go green in comparison to the benefits.
92
Advices
How to change the current policy?
This investigation is based upon goals set by us. Those goals are in some ways the same as the goals from the government. For example energy. Our goal is to fully replace fossil fuels by sustainable energy. A 100% objective is not easily done. Of course, you cannot just go for it straight away, some things has to be changed. To help the Dutch government, we have composed a list with advices based upon our investigation. These advices are to help and to achieve the goals set by us, as well as by the Dutch government. *
There should be a higher consumer awareness.
During our investigations we have gained many information. When we talked about it in our personal environments, people were surprised. “Do we only have for about 70 to 80 years of fossil fuels left?” was a common reaction. If people should be more aware of the future problems, for example running out of fossil fuels and the global warming, people would place solar panels earlier and they would have a higher investment in future energy sources. Besides that, energy is used in every household. If people could decrease their energy usage a little, this could have a great impact to the environment. If people should use solar boilers instead of normal heating systems, 1.4% of CO2 emission can be spared. However, some people are against wind turbines and all kinds of sustainable energy. Mostly because it is ugly or it has, in their opinion, no positive effects. People are just not aware of the problems that will occur in the future. This is also the problem for recycling. If people were more aware, they would maybe separate their phones, their batteries of even clothes. Most people will help others by recycling while it is such a simple thing to do. *
The government has to invest more in future energy sources
Blue energy is an energy source that is being develop nowadays. However, investments are high, investigations are expensive. If the government could provide a “blank cheque” for example, the results could be more interesting and the investigations will be done earlier, because money is mostly the problem. This is the same problem for customers. A few years ago, people could get a reimbursement if they placed solar panels on their roofs. Today, those payments are not possible. If a customer buys solar panels, they have to pay it all by themselves. If this changes, people would buy solar panels much earlier. When new buildings are build, they could have solar panels subsidized by the government instead of roof-tiles. Also there could be more wind turbines in the North Sea, and a lot of new jobs will be created. For examples jobs like engineering, but also ferries who could bring the engineer towards the wind turbines. *
The government should cooperate with more countries, all over the world.
Why not cooperate with Germany for example? Germany has a huge amount of rural areas which can be used for wind turbines or solar energy. Germany is already producing solar energy in high numbers, so why not take a look and cooperate? We could cooperate and invest both in the same techniques. Why investigate both the same, apart from each other, while you can do it together. When you do it together, you have a higher budget and your investigations will be more worth full.
93
List of used figures Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 27:
wind turbines the Saphon wind turbine a large-scale wind farm on the North Sea, 90 km north-west of the island of Borkum. a Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) panel a simplified PV panel four types of solar panels the Indak Solar panel four examples of solar panels a house full of solar panels illustration of solar panels using dishes
page 10 page 11 page 13
page 18 page 18 page 19 page 19 page 20 page 21
Figure 17 Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20
illustration of multi-junction photovoltaic the Amonix 7700 with an electric Tesla Roadster an even plate boiler an even plate boiler in a house examples of passive solar energy Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the California Mojave Desert the PS10 solar power plant a sketch of the solar updraft tower the Solar Impulse Stella and the Nuna 7
Figure 21 Figure 22 Figure 23 Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29 Figure 30
MS T没ranor Planet Solar nuclear energy nuclear fission a nuclear chain reaction an illustration of a liquid fluoride thorium reactor dangers of nuclear fission, a duck with four legs nuclear fusion a thorus shaped tokamak (JET) using a high pressure for nuclear fusion illustration of blue energy
page 23 page 24 page 24 page 25 page 26 page 27 page 28 page 29 page 29 page 32
Figure 31 Figure 32
a plan for blue energy on the Afsluitdijk temperatures in the earth, depending on the depth (the Netherlands) direct cooling/heating illustration of KWO an illustration of a geothermal probe Petro thermal energy systems (summary) temperatures in the earth, depending on the depth (the Netherlands) geothermal energy in tera joules (CBS) capacity factors according to the EIA
page 33 page 34
Figure 4: Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16
Figure 33 Figure 34 Figure 35 Figure 36 Figure 37 Figure 38 Figure 39
94
page 14 page 14 page 15 page 16 page 16 page 17 page 18
page 21 page 22 page 23 page 23
page 35 page 35 page 36 page 37 page 38 page 38 page 39
Figure 40
Green Well Westland
page 40
Figure 41 Figure 42 Figure 43
electrolysing water Toyota Mirai (FCV) example of the advantages of hydrogen as a fuel (theatrical) examples of biomass rapeseed and rape-oil biomass energy in tera joules (CBS illustration of a circular process food as a source of biomass Food should feed people, not fill cars amount of sustainable energy (CBS)
page 41 page 42 page 43
Figure 51 Figure 52 Figure 53 Figure 54 Figure 55 Figure 56 Figure 57 Figure 58 Figure 59 Figure 60
cradle to cradle the original English book “Cradle to Cradle" The North Face municipal waste into energy crumbled/crushed solar panels (silicon) recycling phones non-recyclable waste Recycled "non-recyclable" plastic bottle recycling glass in the Netherlands an albatross carcass filled with plastic, Midway Atoll, Pacific Ocean
page 51 page 51 page 52 page 52 page 53 page 54 page 55 page 56 page 60 page 62
Figure 61 Figure 62 Figure 63 Figure 64 Figure 65 Figure 66 Figure 67 Figure 68 Figure 69 Figure 70
Boyan Slat, The Ocean Clean-up plastics in the seas economy and the environment nominal GDP across the world Green deals. Stimulating sustainable initiatives. money for innovation giving grants for “green” factories? Trias Energetica The GDP of the Netherlands from 2005 until 2013 Maria van der Hoeven
page 62 page 63 page 67 page 68 page 70 page 71 Page 72 page 73 page 74 page 75
Figure 71 Figure 72 Figure 73 Figure 74 Figure 75 Figure 76 Figure 77 Figure 78 Figure 79 Figure 80 Figure 81
wind turbine engineering searching for green solutions het Energieakkoord green/alternative energy taxes for producing green using cheaper waste for a higher profit rising prices current energy (efficiency) labels the Netherlands becoming unique? Europe should everything be green?
page 76 page 77 page 78 page 80 page 81 page 82 page 83 page 85 Page 86 page 87 Page 89
Figure 44 Figure 45 Figure 46 Figure 47 Figure 48 Figure 49 Figure 50
95
page 44 page 45 page 45 page 46 page 47 page 48 page 49
References Part [1] What are our goals? - 1.1 [1]
What do we think is sustainable?
United States Environmental Protection Agency (z.d.) Sustainability Basic Information. Retrieved on 3-8-2014, http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm - 1.2 How do we want the Netherlands to look like in 40 years in terms of sustainability (energy, cradle to cradle and economics) and how are we going to realize this?
[1]
Ecotricity (z.d.) The End Of Fossil Fuels. Retrieved on 3-8-2014, https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels
Part [2] How are we going to realize our goals?
- Chapter 2.1 What energy facilities can help us realize our goals and how? - 2.1.1 What are the capabilities of wind energy?
[1]
GWEC (2014). Global Installed Wind Power Capacity (MW) – Regional Distribution. Retrieved on August the 23th, 2014, http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/5_171_global-installed-wind-power-capacity_regional-distribution.jpg
[2]
ENERGIE.GOV (2014). How Do Wind Turbines Work? Retrieved on August the 28th, 2014, http://energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work
[3]
InfoNu (2010). Windenergie: de voor- en nadelen. Retrieved on August the 28th, 2014, http://dier-en-natuur.infonu.nl/milieu/57628-windenergie-de-voor-en-nadelen.html
[4]
Justin Marino (2014). Advancements in Wind Turbine Technology: Improving Efficiency and Reducing Cost. Retrieved on September the 2nd, 2014, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/04/advancements-in-windturbine-technology-improving-efficiency-and-reducing-cost
[5]
FT Exploring (2010). Wind Turbines and the Energy in Wind. Retrieved on September the 2nd, 2014, http://www.ftexploring.com/energy/wind-enrgy.html
[6]
Planete-Energies (2013). The Future of Wind Energy. Retrieved on September the 3th, 2014, http://www.planete-energies.com/en/the-energy-of-tomorrow/the-future-for-currentenergy-sources/renewable-energy/the-future-of-wind-energy-276.html
[7]
Alstom (2014). Haliade™ 150-6MW Offshore wind turbine. Retrieved on September the 3th, 2014, http://www.alstom.com/Global/Power/Resources/Documents/Brochures/offshorewind-turbine-6mw-robust-simple-efficient.pdf Saphon Energy (2012) The Saphonian › Illustration. Retrieved on Retrieved on September the 3th, http://www.saphonenergy.com/site/en/illustration.59.html
[8]
96
- 2.1.2 What are the capabilities of solar energy? [1] J. Tsao, N. Lewis, G Crabtree (2006). Solar FAQs. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.sandia.gov/~jytsao/Solar%20FAQs.pdf [2]
Dialoog (z.d.). Hoe werkt een fotovolta誰sche installatie? Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.dialoog.be/dekoevoet/pdf/dK137-hoe-werkt-een-fotovoltaische-installatie.pdf
[3]
Ecologisch (z.d.) Zonnepanelen. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014 http://www.eco-logisch.nl/kennisbank-Zonnepanelen-144
[4]
LG (z.d.) Mono X. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014 https://www.wattco.nl/Producten%20pdf/LG%20Solar/Zonnepaneel_LG_Solar_Data_SheetLGxxxS1C-G3-EN_20121212.pdf
[5]
Amonix (z.d.) AMONIX 7700 SOLAR POWER GENERATOR. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/About/Amonix.pdf
[6]
Wikipedia Foundation (15-01-2015) Concentrated photovoltaics. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentrated_photovoltaics
[7]
Wikipedia Foundation (23-01-2015) Solar panel. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel
[8]
Rijksoverheid (z.d.) Hoeveel geld bespaar ik met een zonneboiler? Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/duurzame-energie/vraag-en antwoord/hoeveel-geld-bespaar-ik-met-zonnepanelen-of-een-zonneboiler.html
[9]
Goeievraag (2012) Hoeveel CO2 komt er vrij bij verbranding van 1 kuub aardgas? Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.goeievraag.nl/wetenschap/natuurkundescheikunde/vraag/212836/co2-vrij-verbranding-kuub-aardgas
[10]
The World Bank Group (z.d.) CO2 emissions. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.KT/countries
[11]
Bright Source Energy (2013) IVANPAH, Solar Electric Generator System. Retrieved on 5/7-102014, http://www.ivanpahsolar.com/
[12]
Wikipedia Foundation (25-07-2014) PS10 solar power plant. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS10_solar_power_plant
[13]
J. Schlaich, R. Bergermann, W. Schiel, e.a. (z.d.) Design of Commercial Solar Updraft Tower Systems. Retrieved on 5/7-10-2014, http://www.fem.unicamp.br/~phoenics/EM974/PROJETOS/Temas%20Projetos/Solar%20Chi mneys/solar_updraft.pdf
97
- 2.1.3 What are the capabilities of nuclear energy? [1]
Multiple sources are used for this information: Kloosterman, J. (z.d.). Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://www.clubgreen.nl/vraag/Liquid-Fluoride-Thorium-Reactor.html Wikipedia Foundation (22-01-2015). Liquid fluoride thorium reactor. Retrieved on 30/31-82014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reactor#Advantages Wikipedia Foundation (19-01-2015). Thorium fuel cycle. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycle#Nuclear_reactions_with_thorium Wikipedia Foundation (20-01-2015). Thorium. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium
[2]
World Nuclear Association (08-10-2014). Supply of Uranium. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Uranium-Resources/Supply-of Uranium/
[3]
Nederlandse rijksoverheid (z.d.). Hoe veilig zijn kerncentrales in Nederland?. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/kernenergie/vraag-enantwoord/hoe-veilig-zijn-kerncentrales-in-nederland.html
[4]
Wikipedia Foundation (22-01-2015). Chernobyl disaster. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Human_impact
[5]
Pushker A. Kharecha* and James E. Hansen (2013) Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power. Retrieved on 30/31-8-2014, http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es3051197
[6]
Wikipedia Foundation (11-12-2014). Kernfusie. Retrieved on 6-9-2014, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernfusie
[7]
Bruno van Wayenburg (13-02-2014) Kernfusie-experiment levert voor het eerst energie op. Retrieved on 6-9-2014, http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2014/02/13/kernfusie-experiment-levertvoor-het-eerst-energie-op/
[8]
ITER Organization (z.d.) Facts & Figures. Retrieved on 6-9-2014, http://www.iter.org/factsfigures
[9]
J. Ongena* and G. Van Oost (z.d.) Energy For Future Centuries. Retrieved on 6-9-2014, http://www.agci.org/dB/PDFs/03S2_MMauel_SafeFusion%3F.pdf
[10]
ITER Organisation (z.d.) Fuelling the Fusion Reaction. Retrieved on 6-9-2014, https://www.iter.org/sci/fusionfuels
98
- 2.1.4 What are the capabilities of blue energy? [1]
Saakes, M. 2014, Blue Energy, Retrieved on 28-08-2014, http://www.wetsus.nl/research/research-themes/blue-energy - 2.1.5 How can we use geothermal sources as a future heat source?
1]
WiseGeek (z.d.) What is the history of the solar system. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-history-of-the-solar-system.htm
[2]
Wikipedia Foundation (06-12-2014) Aardwarmte. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardwarmte#Restwarmte_uit_de_tijd_van_het_ontstaan_van_d e_aarde
[3]
Platform Geothermie (z.d.) Technisch/economisch potentieel van geothermie in Nederland. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://geothermie.nl/geothermie/de-bron-van-deenergie/potentieel-nl/
[4]
Weerstatistieken (z.d.) Weerstatistieken De Bilt – 2015. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://www.weerstatistieken.nl/
[5]
Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (2013) Hernieuwbare energie in Nederland. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/00DEA034-8FBE-4EFF-B48818FC4A9BC7BC/0/WebversiefHernieuwbareenergie.pdf
[6]
Green Well Westland (z.d.) green-well-westland projectbeschrijving. Retrieved on 10/11/1412-2014, http://www.green-well-westland.nl/index.php/nl/green-wellwestland/projectbeschrijving
[7]
Geothermie FloraHolland (15-02-2014). Geothermie FloraHolland [Videobestand]. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, van https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2awqT0dfSU
[8]
National Geographic (z.d.) Encyclopedic Entry - geothermal energy. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/geothermalenergy/?ar_a=1
[9]
U.S. Energy Information Administration (28-01-2013) Levelized Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/electricity_generation.cfm
[10]
World Energy Resources: Geothermal World Energy Council 2013 (2013) Geothermal. Retrieved on 10/11/14-12-2014, http://www.worldenergy.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/10/WER_2013_9_Geothermal.pdf
99
- 2.1.6 What are the capabilities of hydrogen in terms of replacing it for fossil fuels? [1]
The National Academic Press (z.d.) Appendix H - Useful Conversions and Thermodynamic Properties. Retrieved on 21/22/23-12-2014 http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10922&page=240
[2]
Wikipedia Foundation (11-2014) The Mirai. Retrieved on 21/22/23-12-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Mirai
[3]
AIR LIQUIDE (Planet Hydrogen) (z.d.) Under pressure. Retrieved on 21/22/23-12-2014, http://www.hydrogen-planet.com/en/hydrogen-1/how-is-hydrogen-stored/underpressure.html - 2.1.7 What could the future bring us, in terms of biomass energy?
[1]
Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (z.d.) Hernieuwbare energie in Nederland 2013. Retrieved on 25/26/27-12-2014, http://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/00DEA034-8FBE-4EFFB488- 18FC4A9BC7BC/0/WebversiefHernieuwbareenergie.pdf
[2]
Rijksdienst voor ondernemend Nederlands (z.d.) Rioolwater levert woonwijk energie op. Retrieved on 25/26/27-12-2014, http://www.rvo.nl/node/8012
[3]
Doctor Diesel (z.d.) FuelPod 3 Flyer. Retrieved on 25/26/27-12-2014 http://www.doctordiesel.com/FuelPod3Flyer.pdf
[4]
Wikipedia Foundation (20-01-2015). Verbrandingswarmte. Retrieved on 25/26/27-12-2014, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbrandingswarmte
[5]
LeefbareOmgeving (z.d.) Biomassa: achterhaalde hype. Retrieved on 25/26/27-12-2014, http://www.leefbarewereld.nl/energie/biomassa_achterhaalde_hype
[6]
Chen C.-Y., Yeh K.-L., Aisyah R., Lee D.-J., Chang J.-S. (2011) Cultivation, photo bioreactor design, and harvesting of microalgae for biodiesel production: A critical review.
- Chapter 2.2 What can the cyclic economy do to help us realize our goals? - 2.2.1 What is cradle to cradle? [1]
Tauw company, 2011, Cradle to cradle, retrieved on 19-09-2014, http://www.tauw.nl/duurzaamheid/cradle-to-cradle/ - 2.2.2 What is urban mining
[1]
The urban mining site, 2012, URBAN MINING, retrieved on 19-09-2014, http://urbanmining.org/
[2]
Nickolas J. Themelis and Charles Mussche, 2014, US Could Get 12% of Electricity From Municipal Waste, retrieved on 19-09-2014存http://urbanmining.org/2014/08/us-could- get12-percent-electricity-municipal-waste
[3]
Srivastava, V, 2014, Now, a process to recover gold from e e-waste, retrieved on 19-09100
2014, http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ranchi/now-a-process-to-recover-goldfrom-e-waste/article1-1221504.aspx - 2.2.3 What can we do with urban mining? [2]
Krueger, L 1999. “Overview of First Solar´s Module Collection and Recycling Program” (PDF). Retrieved on 20-09-2014, geen webadres voor dit PDF bestand. Via Wikipedia.
[3]
Krueger, L 1999. “Overview of First Solar´s Module Collection and Recycling Program” (PDF). Retrieved on 20-09-2014, geen webadres voor dit PDF bestand. Via Wikipedia.
[4]
Wambach, K 1999. “A Voluntary Take Back Scheme and Industrial Recycling of Photovoltaic Modules” (PDF). Retrieved on 20-09-2014 Uit: Brookhaven National Laboratory p.15
[5]
Wambach, K 1999. “A Voluntary Take Back Scheme and Industrial Recycling of Photovoltaic Modules” (PDF). Retrieved on 20-09-2014 Uit: Brookhaven National Laboratory p.17
[6]
Krueger, L 1999. “Overview of First Solar´s Module Collection and Recycling Program” (PDF). Retrieved on 20-09-2014, geen webadres voor dit PDF bestand. Via Wikipedia.
[7]
Bozowi, 2014, Being Responsible, retrieved on 20-09-2014, http://bozowi.co.uk/being-responsible
[8]
Price, E, 2014 Recycling Cell Phones, retrieved on 20-09-2014, http://blog.goinggreentoday.com/recycling-cell-phones/
[9]
Urban mining corp, 2014, The Principle, retrieved on 20-09-2014, http://www.umincorp.com/technology - 2.2.4 What non-recyclable products do we use most, and how can we still recycle them?
[1]
Wikipedia Foundation, 2014, Recycling in the Netherlands, retrieved on 18-11-2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_in_the_Netherlands
[2]
Slob, F, 2013, Collection and Recycling in the Netherlands, retrieved on 18-11-2014 http://www.wastematters.eu/about-dwma/activities/collection-and-recycling/activities-inthe-netherlands.html
[3]
Truss, E, 2013, Reducing and managing waste, retrieved on 24-11-2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-and-managing-waste
[4]
World Shipping Council, 2014, EFFICIENCY, retrieved on 01-12-2014 http://www.worldshipping.org/benefits-of-liner-shipping/efficiency
101
- 2.2.5 In what ways do we have to change our behaviour so that we would only have recyclable garbage left? [1]
Chacha, anonymous, 2012, What is the definition of non-recyclable, retrieved on 10-12-2014, http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-the-definition-of-non%26%2345%3Brecyclable
[2]
Jackson, A, 2009, Non-Recyclable Materials, retrieved on 09-12-2014, http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/non-recyclable.asp
[3]
Claiborne, C, 2010, Is there a limit to how often paper can be recycled?, retrieved on 09-12-2014, www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/science/21qna.html
[4]
Simolo, G, 2013, How to Recycle Those Things You Can´t Recycle, retrieved on 10-122014, http://www.ecopedia.com/how-to/how-to-recycle-things-you-cant-recycle/
[5]
Hoogland, E, 2014, Recycling tips, retrieved on 10-12-2014, http://www.shanks.nl/web/recyclingwijzer/tips-recyclen.htm
[6]
U.S EPA, 2014, Common Waste and Materials, retrieved on 10-12-2014, http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/index.htm - 2.2.6
What potential does the Netherlands have of becoming significant in the recycling of products?
[1]
Rijkswaterstaat, 2010, Nederlands afval in cijfers, gegevens 2006-2010, retrieved on 1112-2014, http://www.rwsleefomgeving.nl/onderwerpen/afval/publicaties/downloads/nederlandsafval-0/
[2]
Attero, 2010, Het heldere alternatief van Attero, retrieved on 12-11-2014, http://www.attero.nl/upload/docs/0086-fo-nascheiding-v6-lr-los.pdf
[3]
Department Environment, food and rural affairs, 2013, Waste and recycling statistics, retrieved on 12-12-2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/waste-and-recyclingstatistics - 2.2.7 How can we use the plastics in the oceans in a profitable way?
[1]
Adventurers and scientists for conservation, 2014, About Us, retrieved on 11-12-2014, http://www.adventurescience.org/
[2]
Slat, B, 2014, The Concept, retrieved on 12-12-2014, http://www.theoceancleanup.com/the-concept.html
[3]
Hutchins, T, 2008, Thermal Depolimerization, retrieved on 12-12-2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtS6K43np9o
[4]
Haffmans, S, 2011, 10 examples of Plastic Soup Prevention, retrieved on 02-02-2015, http://issuu.com/partnersforinnovation/docs/10_examples_plastic_soup_prevention 102
- Chapter 2.3 How will the economy/government react to sustainability? - 2.3.1 In what ways can the government help us with the realization of the Netherlands in becoming sustainable? [1]
EPA (2010). What is Sustainability? Retrieved on September the 7th, 2014, http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm
[2]
Rijksoverheid (2014). Duurzame economie. Retrieved on September the 20th, 2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/duurzame-economie/groene-groei
[3]
CBS (2011). Monitor Duurzaam Nederland. Retrieved on September the 21th, 2014, http://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/C5AC3D1F-8479-4B10-8585%20A19166B3DA6B/0/2011a317pub.pdf
[4]
WWF (2014). Schadelijke Subsidies. Retrieved on September the 21th, 2014, http://www.wwf.be/nl/wat-doet-wwf/impact-verminderen/de-duurzaame-toekomst-devisvangst-verzekeren/schadelijke-subsidies/894 - 2.3.2 Why or why not should the government give grants to companies that produce in a green way?
[1]
VREG (2013). Groenestroomcertificaten. Retrieved on September the 28th, 2014, http://www.vreg.be/groenestroomcertificaten
[2]
Google (2014). Bruto Binnenlands Product. Retrieved on September the 28th, 2014, https://www.google.nl/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&id im=country:NLD:BEL:CHE&hl=nl&dl=nl#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=ny_gd p_mktp_cd&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=region&idim=country:NLD&ifdim=region&tstart =1127944800000&tend=1380405600000&hl=nl&dl=nl&ind=false
[3]
Wise Nederland (2014). Zo werkt de handel in groene stroom. Retrieved on September 28th 2014, http://wisenederland.nl/groene-stroom/zo-werkt-de-handel-groene-stroom
[4]
Rijksoverheid (2014). Duurzame energie. Retrieved on September the 28th, 2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/duurzame-energie/duurzame-energiestimuleren/subsidieregeling-stimulering-duurzame-energieproductie-sde
[5]
Rijksoverheid (2014). Ondernemersklimaat en innovatie. Retrieved on October the 1st, 2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/ondernemersklimaat-en-innovatie/investeren-intopsectoren/energie
[6]
ECOFYS (2011). Fossiele brandstoffen sterker gestimuleerd dan hernieuwbare energie. Retrieved on October the 1st, 2014, http://www.ecofys.com/nl/pers/fossiele-brandstoffensterker-gestimuleerd-dan-hernieuwbare-energie/
[7]
VROM (2010). Dossier Duurzaam Bouwen en Verbouwen. Retrieved on October 1st, 2014, file:///C:/Users/Visser/Downloads/informatieblad-strategien-duurzaam-bouwen.pdf
103
- 2.3.3 Which jobs/educations can/will help us in the development of a sustainable society? [1]
Nationale Denktank (2012). ´´Duurzaam voedsel kan de standaard worden´´. Retrieved on December the 6th, 2014, http://www.nationale-denktank.nl/2012/12/duurzaam-voedselkan-de-standaard-worden-3/
[2]
SER (2013). Energieakkoord voor duurzame groei. Retrieved on December the 7th, 2014, http://www.energieakkoordser.nl/energieakkoord.aspx
[3]
Jong en Duurzaam (2013). Green Skills. Retrieved on December the 8th, 2014, http://www.jongenduurzaam.nl/projecten/green-skills/
[4]
SER (2013). Energieakkoord. Retrieved on December the 9th, 2014, http://www.energieakkoordser.nl/~/media/files/energieakkoord/overzicht-belangrijkstemaatregelen-energieakkoord.ashx - 2.3.4 Should companies manufacture in a durable way?
[1]
eHow (2012). Why Companies Are Going Green. Retrieved on November 13th, 2014, http://www.ehow.com/info_8095389_companies-going-green.html
[2]
eHow (2012). How Going Green Affects Consumer Buying. Retrieved on November 13th, 2014, http://www.ehow.com/about_6803367_going-green-affects-consumer-buying.html
[3]
InfoNu (2009). Maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen: voor - en nadelen. Retrieved on December 3th, 2014, http://zakelijk.infonu.nl/diversen/40671-maatschappelijk-verantwoordondernemen-voor-en-nadelen.html
[4]
Novaa (2009). Duurzaam ondernemen. Retrieved on December 5th, 2014, https://www.nba.nl/Documents/Publicaties-downloads/brochureDuurzaam_ondernemen.pdf
[5]
Green Business Bureau (2010). Tax Incentives for Businesses Going Green. Retrieved on November 13th, 2014, http://www.gbb.org/news/tax-incentives-for-businesses-going-green/
[6]
Fast Company (2007). 50 ways to green your business. Retrieved on November 13th, 2014, http://www.fastcompany.com/60952/50-ways-green-your-business
[7]
ENERGY.GOV (2014). Frequently Asked Questions: Lighting Choices to Save You Money. Retrieved on November 13th, 2014, http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/frequentlyasked-questions-lighting-choices-save-you-money
104
- 2.3.5 Why would a sustainable country be positive for the economy? [1]
Energy Star (2013). Light bulbs in businesses. Retrieved on October 2nd, 2014, http://www.energystar.gov/productsredirect/light_bulbs?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB
[2]
Rijksoverheid (2014). De Nederlandse welvaart wordt voor een belangrijk deel gedragen door de export. Retrieved on October 2nd, 2014,http://miljoenennota.rijksfinancien.nl/miljoenennota2014/S_1027_Wereldhandel10/a1239_De-Nederlandse-welvaart-wordt-voor-een-belangrijkdeel-gedragen-door-de-export
[3]
Duurzame Hotels Nederland (2014). Waarom duurzaam zijn? Retrieved on October 5th, 2014, http://www.duurzamehotels.nl/home/waarom-duurzaam-zijn/
[4]
Harvard Business Review (2009). Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of Innovation. Retrieved on October 5th, 2014, https://hbr.org/2009/09/why-sustainability-is-now-the-keydriver-of-innovation
[5]
Rijksoverheid (2014). Duurzame economie. Retrieved on November 11th, 2014, http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/duurzame-economie/groene-groei
[6]
Rijksoverheid (2014). Monitor Duurzaam Nederland 2014: Verkenning. Retrieved on November 11th, 2014, http://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/74B73245-57D5-4D7A-A949844F56114916/0/monitorduurzaamnederland2014verkenning.pdf
105
Supplements Supplement 1; conversation with Mihael Saakes (blue energy)
WS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
Dear Michel Saakes,
We are three exam candidates from 6VWO (Marne College) and are busy making our PWS (profielwerkstuk). The PWS is a compulsory element for our exam. Via Worldschool we have signed up to HUGS “Het uitvinden van de groene samenleving”. We have chosen for bio based: scenarios for energy transition on all levels. This project is led by the ministry of infrastructure and environment.
The ministry of infrastructure and environment are looking for creative and innovative ideas that can be turned into policy. Therefore they are working together with reputable investigation institutes, scientists, and students. Also they find it important to listen to the younger people, to involve them into their future. The goal of this project is to sketch a vision of the future, and to think of possible solutions to make that happen. We focus on energy (100% durable production), cradle to cradle = recycle products and the economy in the Netherlands over 40 years.
Our question for you is: what do you think about our capabilities over 40 years, with reference to the blue energy concept. How much energy can it provide, what does it cost, is it profitable and are there more locations to install the installation(s) other than the ´afsluitdijk´. And of course; are there any disadvantages? We would appreciate it if you could give us even more information. We look forward to receive your reply. With kind regards,
Wiebe Veldhuis Thomas van Zonneveld Vincent Visser
106
Saakes, Michel
Michel.Saakes@wetsus.nl
Beste allemaal, Als Thema coรถrdinator Blue Energy zal ik proberen jullie vragen kort te beantwoorden. De kostprijs per kWh, opgewekt door Blue Energy, moet lager of gelijk zijn aan die van windenergie en zonne-energie. De economische haalbaarheid is alleen mogelijk als de opwekprijs lager is dan de prijs waarvoor de elektrische energie (kWh prijs) wordt aangeboden. In Nederland kan in totaal 1000-1500MW worden opgewekt met Blue Energy, dat is dus 5 tot 7,5 maal meer dan alleen de Afsluitdijk (200MW). Overigens: door een toename van de hoeveelheid IJsselmeer water wat afgevoerd moet gaan worden in de toekomst, zal ook het aantal MW van de Afsluitdijk stijgen. Blue Energy: Als vuistregel wordt een vermogen van 1MW opgewekt per m3 rivierwater dat per seconde wordt afgevoerd. De praktijk zal leren of deze waarde van 1MW (VOOR 1 M3 PER SECONDE) ook wordt gehaald of dat er eventueel een correctie op moet worden toegepast (naar beneden). Op dit moment worden grote stacks getest op de Afsluitdijk. Nadelen t.o.v. het milieu zijn op dit moment nog niet in beeld. De impact van de filtratie vooraf en de RED technologie worden wel in beeld gebracht. Het lozen van brak water is in ieder geval geen nadeel voor het milieu. Over 40 jaar (en veel eerder dan dat) zal duidelijk zijn of Blue Energy een component zal zijn van onze elektrische energieopwekking. Zowel zonne-energie als windenergie zullen qua kWh prijs dan gedaald zijn en het is dan ook noodzakelijk dat Blue Energy deze trend zal volgen. Overigens is het zo dat de kWh prijs over 40 jaar heel anders kan uitvallen dan nu. Tenslotte: in alle vooraf berekeningen is duidelijk dat Blue Energy rendabel moet kunnen draaien bij een membraanprijs van <5 euro/m2. Die prijs moet haalbaar zijn bij massaproductie van de membranen. Hopelijk hebben jullie zo een beeld wat de toekomst ons mogelijk zal brengen. Met hartelijke groeten, Michel
PWS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
Hallo Michel, Allereerst heel erg bedankt voor de snelle reactie! Hier kunnen we in mooi gedeelte van ons PWS mee vullen. Als we nog op onduidelijkheden stuiten, zult u het horen. Met vriendelijke groeten,
107
PWS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
Hallo Michel, Na bezig te zijn geweest met uw mail kwam ik op 3 vragen, namelijk; Wanneer zal duidelijk zijn of 1MW per m2 per seconde haalbaar is (of niet)? Is het maken van zo´n membraan schadelijk voor het milieu en/of put het (natuurlijke) bronnen uit? Stel; het gaat goed en het is rendabel, waar wordt de 1000 tot 1500 - 200(afsluitdijk) = 800 tot 1300 MW opgewekt? Ook op de Afsluitdijk, of op een andere locatie? Met vriendelijke groeten, Wiebe Veldhuis
<Michel.Saakes@wetsus.nl> Beste Wiebe, Ik zal proberen je vragen te beantwoorden: Voor de haalbaarheid is een periode van 3 jaar gereserveerd. Dat betekent dat in de praktijk een aantal parameters geoptimaliseerd moeten worden en dat kost tijd. En zeker, het genoemde getal van 1MW per m3 per seconde blijft de leidraad.
Het maken van het membraan wordt uitgevoerd met een proces dat in elk facet let op de milieu impact. Dus zo min mogelijk energieverbruik om de ion selectieve membranen te maken wordt nagestreefd en de gemaakte anion en kation selectieve membranen zijn milieuvriendelijk (en dat betekent: geen afgifte van schadelijke stoffen aan het water). -
Het opwekken van 200MW gebeurt aan de Afsluitdijk. Een andere locatie is bij de Nieuwe Waterweg en in Zeeland. Overigens heeft de Afsluitdijk prioriteit nummer 1.
-
Ik wil je tenslotte ook nog wijzen op de website www.redstack.nl (Voor actuele stand van zaken). Met hartelijke groeten, Michel
108
Supplement 2; Conversation with Gerrit Jan Valk (TNO) Beste Thomas, Vincent en Wiebe, Jullie vraag aan Richard Beekhuis is bij mij terecht gekomen. Allereerst leuk dat jullie voor duurzame energie hebben gekozen als onderwerp voor jullie PWS. Wel zou ik jullie adviseren om het onderwerp af te bakenen, omdat het anders heel breed wordt. Denken jullie bij duurzame energie bijvoorbeeld alleen aan elektriciteit of ook aan duurzaam gas? Misschien kan dit (TNO-)rapport jullie op weg helpen: https://www.tno.nl/downloads/naar_toekomstbestendig_energiesysteem_nederland_tno_2 013_r10325.pdf Het verbaast me overigens wel een beetje dat jullie op internet weinig informatie over dit onderwerp hebben kunnen vinden. Als je bijvoorbeeld googelt op ´toekomstbeeld duurzame energie 2040´ (4 woorden uit jullie mailtje) krijg je honderden hits, waarvan zo op het oog een groot deel ook wel relevant is. Er is echt meer dan genoeg informatie te vinden op internet, maar zoals gezegd helpt het als je de onderzoeksvraag iets afbakent zodat je gerichter kunt zoeken. En dan kun je ook met scherpere vragen organisaties benaderen voor input. Ik wens jullie veel succes met jullie profielwerkstuk, Met vriendelijke groet, Gerrit Jan Valk Drs. G.J.E. (Gerrit Jan) Valk Sr. Business Developer Smart & Sustainable Energy Systems
T +31 (0)88 866 73 01 M +31 (0)65 354 80 30 E gerritjan.valk@tno.nl
109
Locatie Disclaimer
Supplement 3; conversation with Darwind (Recycling wind turbines) Goedemorgen Darwind, Wij zijn drie jongens van het Marne College in Bolsward. We hebben de opdracht gekregen om een profielwerkstuk (PWS) te maken. We doen dit in opdracht van het ministerie van Milieu en infrastructuur. Het doel is om onze verwachting te schetsen over hoe wij denken dat Nederland er over 40 jaar uitziet op het gebied van duurzaamheid. Hierin verwerken wij ook een stukje recycling. Daarover hebben wij een paar vragen en we zouden het heel erg op prijs stellen als jullie ons daarmee willen helpen. We vragen ons af wat er gebeurt met windmolens als ze om wat voor reden dan ook worden weggehaald. Komen ze simpelweg bij het oud ijzer, of worden sommige onderdelen hergebruikt of wordt er nog wat anders mee gedaan?
In afwachting van uw reactie, Met vriendelijke groeten,
Wiebe Veldhuis Thomas van Zonneveld Vincent Visser
Berry van Beek (b.vanbeek@xemc-darwind.com) Beste Wiebe, Thomas en Vincent, Dank je voor jullie mail en zal proberen jullie vraag te beantwoorden. Zoals jullie misschien al wisten is Darwind een Nederlandse producent en leverancier van wind turbines. Wij ontwikkelen, ontwerpen, produceren, installeren, beheren en onderhouden onze eigen wind turbines voor de Europese commerciĂŤle markt. In principe is Darwind dan ook niet verantwoordelijk voor het verwijderen en recyclen van oude wind turbines. Daar is vaak de wind turbine eigenaar voor verantwoordelijk. Indien Darwind wind turbines plaats dan is dat vaak op een nieuwe locatie. Indien het een bestaande locatie bestemd dan is de huidige eigenaar verantwoordelijk voor de afbraak van de wind turbine(s). Maar het komt ook wel eens voor dat wij als fabrikant die wind turbines dienen te verwijderen. In het geval dat Darwind de turbines dient te ontmantelen zijn deze turbines vaak nog niet aan het einde van hun levensduur. Deze turbines worden dan ook in zijn geheel ontmanteld en doorverkocht op de 2de hands wind turbinemarkt. Echter afhankelijk van de leeftijd van de turbine kan het natuurlijk zijn dat de turbine voor sloop in aanmerking komt of dat daarvan onderdelen worden verkocht voor hergebruik. Maar helaas hebben wij als producent daar geen ervaring mee en kunnen jullie dan ook geen goed antwoordt geven op deze vraag. Ik denk ook dat jullie de recyclingsvraag beter kunnen leggen bij bedrijven die handelen in 2e handse wind turbines zoals o.a. het bedrijf windbrokers. 110
Tot slot zou ik jullie willen aanraden om het woord ´wind turbines´ te gebruiken. In de wind turbinemarkt is dit een geaccepteerd woord en windmolens daarentegen niet. Dit even als tip. Ik hoop jullie hiermee voldoende geïnformeerd te hebben. Mochten jullie nog vragen hebben neem dan gerust contact met me op. With kind regards / Met vriendelijke groet, XEMC Darwind B.V. Berry van Beek Sales Manager
11/24/14 PWS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
to Berry
Goedemorgen,
Bedankt voor uw snelle reactie. Met deze informatie kunnen wij weer wat verder met ons PWS. Wanneer wij alsnog relevante vragen voor u hebben, zullen we die u stellen.
Met vriendelijke groeten, Wiebe Veldhuis, Thomas van Zonneveld en Vincent Visser.
111
Supplement 4; conversation with Windbrokers
PWS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
Goedemorgen Windbrokers,
Wij zijn drie jongens van het Marne College in Bolsward. We hebben de opdracht gekregen om een profielwerkstuk (PWS) te maken. We doen dit in opdracht van het Ministerie van Milieu en infrastructuur. Het doel is om onze verwachting te schetsen over hoe wij denken dat Nederland er over 40 jaar uitziet op het gebied van duurzaamheid. Hierin verwerken wij ook een stukje recycling, ook het recyclen van wind turbines. Wij zijn bij jullie gekomen via het bedrijf Darwind. We hebben hen ook wat vragen gesteld en voor het recycle-gedeelte stuurden ze ons door naar jullie. We zouden het heel erg op prijs stellen als jullie ons met onze vragen willen helpen.
We vragen ons af wat er gebeurt met windmolens als ze om wat voor reden dan ook worden weggehaald. Komen er onderdelen bij het oud ijzer? Zo ja, welke onderdelen dan? En wat voor onderdelen kunnen worden hergebruikt in andere windmolens? Zijn er verder ook nog andere handelingen die met de ´oude wind turbines´ wordt gedaan?
In afwachting van uw reactie,
Met vriendelijke groeten
Wiebe Veldhuis Thomas van Zonneveld Vincent Visser
112
Henk van den Bosch | WINDBROKERS
<hb@windbrokers.com>
Mijne heren,
Dank voor uw bericht. Ons antwoord is als volgt.
Er zijn reeds tientallen wind turbines in Nederland gedemonteerd en verwijderd. Dit betreft de volgende situaties: 1. De wind turbines worden vervangen door (veel) grotere wind turbines. Dit betreft het zgn. ´repoweren´ of opschalen. Hierbij worden turbines vervangen die een leeftijd hebben van 10-13 jaar. Deze wind turbines hebben nog voldoende resterende technische levensduur om elders hergebruikt te worden. Dit is met name de markt waar Windbrokers zich mee bezig houdt. 2. De wind turbines worden niet vervangen en de locatie wordt gesaneerd. Wanneer de wind turbines niet de moeite waard zijn om te herinstalleren worden deze gedemonteerd en als oud ijzer en koper verkocht. De rotorbladen moeten door een gespecialiseerd bedrijf worden verwerkt.
Dit zijn ongeveer de opties. Succes met jullie opdracht. Met vriendelijke groet, Henk Van den Bosch WINDBROKERS EUROPE B.V.
11/24/14 PWS Marne
<pwshugs@gmail.com>
to Henk
Goedemiddag meneer Van den Bosch,
Heel erg bedankt voor de snelle en complete reactie! Hier kunnen we verder mee.
Met vriendelijke groeten, Wiebe Veldhuis, Thomas van Zonneveld en Vincent Visser
113