Author: mvacek

Hydropower and Geothermal Energy in Texas

mvacek

Here at Texas Green Rangers, we have blogged about solar and wind energy quite a bit. While these two kinds of renewable energy are prominent in the Lone Star State, we feel it is important for y’all to know that our state also has the ability to generate even more clean energy from other sources.

Hydropower

While hydropower is the most common source of renewable electricity in the United States, it only accounts for 1% of Texas’ electric power today. Hydropower reached its peak in Texas in the 1930’s when it was one of the most important forms of generated energy that brought lots of jobs and electricity to the state.

Hydroelectric power is generated from the force of falling or moving water, most often from dammed water in lakes and reservoirs falling through turbines that connect to a generator.

Another way to generate hydroelectric power comes from “pumped storage” where water moves from a lower-elevation reserve to a higher-elevation reserve where the water is released during peak power demand times. The water financial gain of this process is higher than the cost of pumping water at non-peak times but the electricity generated from the process is less than what is consumed moving the water. As of 2006, Texas had 23 dams producing hydroelectric power. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) currently operates six dams, all of which are used for hydroelectric power in times of peak demand. During operation, the six dams can generate up to 292 megawatts (MW) of energy, or 2 percent of LCRA’s annual need.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is a form of energy gained from internal heat in rocks deep in the earth. This is an especially important form of energy because it is essentially always available and can never be used up completely. In the United States, it is the third largest source of renewable energy.

There are two main ways to generate geothermal energy. One way is to drill wells to produce electricity from heated water or by using the surface heat from the earth to heat and cool buildings. The second option is typically done with the help of geothermal heat pumps. More than 10,000 residential geothermal heat pumps have been installed. These pumps are one of the simplest non-electric ways to use the energy, 70% used by the pump is renewable and the remaining 30% is electric energy used to transport the geothermal energy. In addition, over 160 schools in Texas have installed geothermal H-VAC systems as an alternative to conventional H-VACs. SECO estimates that using the earth’s temperature to cool and heat buildings could potentially reduce energy spending by up to 50%. Geopressured-geothermal energy, hot steam, hot dry rock, and magma have potential to be renewable energy sources for Texas. There are at least five major regions in Texas with significant potential for geothermal energy, though water availability, extraction and disposal are likely limitations to fully taking advantage of this energy source.

Obviously, Texas has great potential to become a beacon for renewable resources in the United States. We should continue to push to expand these green energy sources so we can move towards a greener future for our great state.

Edited by: Maddie

A Texans Guide to Residential Solar Panels

mvacek

Thinking about installing solar panels in your home? Not sure where to start? Well you’re not alone. Several Texas residents have looked into installing solar panels to power their homes but have been overwhelmed with options and information. Over the past few years, Texans who live in residential areas have probably been approached at least once by door to door salespeople asking if they were interested in installing solar panels. This can be a turn off for a lot of people, but solar panels have proven to be a cheaper and greener alternative. Here is a list of things you should know if you’re looking to power your home with solar energy.

First Steps

Before starting the the process of getting solar panels for your home, you should first think about ways to make your home more energy efficient. Taking these extra steps can save you more money quickly. For more advice on how to make your home more energy efficient, take a look at the Smarter House website of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. If you want a professional opinion you can also reach out to a professional energy audit.

Installing solar panels in your home could even grant you incentives from the government. For more information on government policies and incentives related to solar energy, visit the DSIRE website. This organization remains up to date with federal, state, and local policies.

How Solar Panels Work

So how do solar panels save you money? In order to understand how this energy alternative, you have to look at how solar panels operate. Solar modules convert sunlight into electricity measured in kilowatt-hours. Either you use all of the solar electricity or it goes into the electric grid. The amount of electricity generated throughout the day, or your system’s “yield”, will depend on specifications such as the array’s tilt, orientation (north, east, south, west), shade, DC-AC conversion ratio, and a few other factors. The TXSES and Department of Energy websites offer additional basic solar details.

It’s important to understand that your utility affects your electric bill and there are policies that are specific to the state of Texas. Some utilities will only charge you for your “net” energy use, so basically you pay the remainder of the energy that use in your home. Other utilities might compensate you for unused electricity that is sent into the grid at a lower rate.

Incentives

Austin Energy has adopted a system called a “value of solar” rate where all your solar energy is credited to your bill at a pre-set rate which would offset your electric consumption charges. Make sure to check with your electric utility to learn how their solar rate works. DSIRE is also a great source to check out about more solar policies.

The Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) allows eligible homeowners who purchase solar energy systems to claim an income tax credit that is up to 30 percent of the installment cost. This credit is currently available until the end of 2021, for more incentives check out The Department of Energy and DSIRE websites as well as your electric utility and city government websites.

 

Edited: AJ

Texas and the impact of Climate Refugees

mvacek

In the ongoing public debate on whether or not climate change is caused by humans, politicians, journalists and activists often mention the threat of the increasing number of “climate refugees”. However, the term “climate refugee” is not the one that is legally recognized.

Origin of Climate Refugees

After the disastrous events of World War II and redistribution of much of the European population, the United Nations General Assembly decided in December 1950 to hold a conference in order to negotiate and sign a Convention describing the Status of Refugees and Statelessness people.

In July 1951, twenty-six countries were represented in Geneva to agree on a new Convention framing(proposing??) a legal status and an international protection for refugees. The goal of this convention was to find a legal definition for refugees. The characteristics that define refugees can be categorized in three ways:

  • The fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion;
  • The person is outside the country of his or her nationality (or habitual residence);
  • The person is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country.

Only these three elements frame the legal definition of a refugee. This is why a so-called climate refugee does not match the criteria of the Geneva Convention.

Climate displaced persons numbers are expected to rise.

The purple represents the “dry corridor” in Central America, which falls mostly within Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

In June 2011, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a report showing that in 2010, more than 42 million persons were displaced because of natural disasters. Among these 42 million persons, NRC highlighted that 90% of them were displaced because of climate related events such as floods and storms. Here in Texas, thousands of Central American migrants arrive at the border each month, fleeing both grinding poverty and unchecked gang violence. Increasingly, they’re also escaping the effects of climate change. The narrow strip of land flanked by oceans known as Central America is one of the world’s most environmentally vulnerable regions. “It’s an area hit by hurricanes on both sides, rocked by volcanic eruptions, drought, earthquakes, and with accelerating climate change, it’s even more vulnerable,” said María Cristina García, a Cornell University professor of American studies who’s writing a book about climate refugees.

As Texans, we are connected to a border shared with millions of people being affected by the harsh reality of climate change. We need to educate both ourselves and our fellow Texans about climate refugees and understand that these people are having to flee their homes due to the actions of humans across the world. Showing these people compassion is the least we can do as fellow humans.

Top 5 Windiest State: Texas uses its assets to boost its economy

mvacek

Texas uses wind resources to its advantage making a boom in the economy and bold move to clean energy.


When you think about wind energy, Texas probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Believe it or not, Texas is actually the leading nation in producing wind energy. Texas has widely been known for its oil and gas industry, but with the help of the strong winds in  West Texas, Texas has catapulted itself to the top of wind power. Since wind energy has become a huge part of the Texas economy, I think it’s important to understand how Texas became the Nation’s leader in wind energy. Click here to see a chart of Texas’ broken down energy use.  

West Texas

One reason why wind energy has been so successful in Texas is because of the way that the transmission has been engineered to move the electricity from remote regions to more populous areas. The overall wind energy production is only expected to increase and produce more and more of the state’s electricity as an advancing technology allows for more electricity to be used from the turbines. To see how wind turbines work, click here.

What about coal?

Since wind technology has advanced, the cost of electricity that has come from wind turbines have already dropped about one-third over the past nine years. This has come after coal-fired power plants have shut down due to the lowering costs of cleaner energy. Last year wind surpassed coal in generating capacity. In 2017, wind generated about 15% of the electricity in Texas, which went up from less than 13% in 2016 according to the Energy Department.

What’s the future of wind energy in Texas?

The future of wind energy in Texas is expected to continue to grow, the only problem is a matter of where the wind farms will be built. Texans are excited that wind energy is both a clean source of energy and good for the economy, the only concerns reside in what land will be used for wind farms and how will the growing economy will be regulated.

 

You can find us on Twitter @TexasGreenRangers1 where you can plan on seeing weekly updates and helpful resources on how you can help our state become greener. Another source to look to if you have any questions is our Facebook group.