Some problems related with electricity production using clean energy. A view about a part of the Alentejo region (South Portugal)

Abstract

Some problems related with electricity production using clean energy. A view about a part of the Alentejo region (South Portugal)

M. R. Duque (1)

(1) Departamento de Física, Universidade de Évora, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Colégio Luís António Verney, Rua Romão Ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal Phone:351 266 745372 ; E-mail:mrad@uevora.pt

1.Introduction – The increasing demand for energy worldwide, and the possibility that, within a relatively short time, the stocks of material traditionally used for electricity production will be exhausted, and the fact that the pollution level is high, as led to the intensive use of renewable or “clean” energy. Our work presents some problems related with the intensive use of some “clean” energies. We must think also in the future, and in what will happen in 15 or 20 years when the actual plants stop working. We will study , in particular, a part of the Alentejo region (South Portugal).

2. Method –We will study problems related to the principal types of power plants in the region: dams and hydropower plants (ground area used, release of carbon dioxide and methane [1]), solar photovoltaic power plants (area used, recycling needs, problems related with the production of photovoltaic cells) and wind farms (noise pollution, use of rare earth elements, climate and wild life disturbance, inputs and outputs of the distribution network, lifetime of turbines and accessories). The last part of the work is related with the destination of the power plants when they stopped functioning.

3. Results and discussion – Some of the parameters needed to our work are not measured in the studied region but with the data available it is possible to identify some problems in the region. It is also possible to make the connections between our region and other regions with data in different parts of the globe. A discussion related with data presented and taking account the characteristics of the region, and the amount and way of life of people living in the area will be presented.

4. Conclusions – Clean energy is not known on the Earth. All types of energy used to produce power originates disturbances on the planet that man (in our days) does not know how to solve them. We can no longer solve the current problem creating problems for future generations to solve.

5. References [1] A. Kemenes, B.R. Forsberg Y J.M. Melack, J. Geophys. Res.,116, (2011) G03004