Over the past three days, we have four very different renewable energy exhibits, including a photovoltaic solar power plant (CPFL), a flex-fuel engine manufacturer (Bosch), a hydroelectric plant (Usina Henry Borden) and a renewable energy conference (EnerSolar). Through these visits, I learned many new things, visualized what we have been learning in the classroom and spoke with industry professionals about products and upcoming technologies.
At CPFL, we first had an introduction to the company and what they are researching, and then we had a tour of the photovoltaic cells at their plant. The company is testing two different types of silicon formations within the cells and several different panel configurations. They are testing both amorphous silicon panels and polycrystalline silicon. They are also testing the efficiency of tracking panels, stationary panels, and roof configurations. The tracking panels are all connected to one motor, which adjusts the angle to the sun’s position every 5 minutes. During the night or extreme weather conditions, the panels revert to a completely flat position to reduce risk of panel damage. Furthermore, they are looking into incorporating wind turbines into their arrays to increase power production.
At Bosch, we learned how flex fuel engines work and the different testing methods used on them for efficiency, emissions, and performance under different conditions. We visited their cold testing room, wind drag room, emissions room, and engine performance room, to name a few.
The EnerSolar conference in São Paulo was a collection of companies and vendors displaying their latest technologies and products relating to the renewable energy field, especially solar power. I learned about turn-key production, the different types of solar panel racks, the different types of solar thermal technologies, and how to anti-theft systems work for solar panels, among many other things.
At the Henry Borden hydroelectric plant, we were given an introduction to the history of the plant, how it is set up, the unique features of the design, and how it works. We then toured the plant to see the magnitude of the equipment used in the process and viewed a model of the inner workings of each turbine. At the plant, there is an above-ground plant with 16 turbines and another underground with even more. We learned that the underground section was built after the energy revolution happened and the aboveground section was bombed.
After visiting all of these locations, it is clear which are the most substantial in Brazil and which still need more development. The Henry Borden Plant is a very effective source of power generation for Brazil. It generates 890 MW of energy through its 720 m drop of water elevation. This technique requires less water and does not use a dam. Although this plant has been operating since 1926, the technology is still very prevalent and efficient. This plant was created to meet the energy demand of the time and now produces 80% of the electricity for Sao Paulo. The specific economics impacts of the plant were not mentioned, but it is a necessary part of electricity generation for Sao Paulo. Although it was not built for environmental reasons, it was designed to have the least effect on the natural pattern of the environment.
Flex engines have also proved to be very effective for Brazil due to the large amount of ethanol readily available in the country. The engines allow for consumers to use a mixture of ethanol and gasoline to maximize performance and reduce CO2 emissions. As new minimum efficiency standards are released and as better engines are created, flex engines are being improved over time. Flex engines were also initially created to meet fuel demands during the oil crisis in the 1970s. As ethanol became a more prevalent, cheaper fuel source, flex fuel engines were developed to provide an alternative to completely ethanol or gas engines.
Photovoltaics are still a fairly new technology that is not extremely efficient yet compared to the cost, but it is obvious that advances are being made rapidly due to the need, interest, and desire to utilize the sun’s power. They are not widely used in Brazil yet because they are immature, but it is clear that it is going to become a much more important power source in coming years.
All three of these technologies already exist in the United States, but some are much more exemplified than others. Hydropower is a great source of electricity for the US, like the Hoover Dam and has been used properly. The idea of using gravitational potential energy from natural elevation rather than creating a dam that changes the habitual makeup of the area is the big difference that I would change in future hydroelectric plants in the US. This technique minimizes environmental and societal impact by not flooding certain areas, relocating towns and farms, and by drying the river past the dam. As mentioned previously, solar is still maturing and developing. It is not that big of a resource for the US yet, but as the technology advances and the need for clean, renewable energy grows, it will become more popular. As for flex fuel engines, their significance in the US is greatly different than Brazil. Although 40% of US cars have flex fuel engines, most owners are not aware of this fact or what it means. Furthermore, there are so few gas stations that offer ethanol, it makes utilizing a flex fuel engine very difficult in the US. As fossil fuel resources begin to diminish, ethanol will mostly likely become more popular as our dependence on fuel-powered vehicles continues.
