A Path Towards

Renewable Energy Ubiquity

Nathan T. Nesbitt
PhD Candidate, Boston College Physics Dept.

nathannesbitt.wordpress.com

A Little About Me

A Little About Me
Students for a
Just and Stable Future
(SJSF)

EPA Energy & Climate Division

Energy Star
2011
for Data Centers
Counterpoint
Commencement

A Little About Me
BC Physics Department
Solar Cell Research:
Nano-architecture Design

Climate Justice @ Boston College

Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2nd Ed,

(2012)

Found Climate Change &

Carbon Pollution killed
5 million people in 2010.

(TckTckTck & DARA, 2012)

Solar Resource Worldwide

1 HEC = 50 TW

Solar Becoming Affordable

(natural gas)
(oil)

Create Sustainable
Alternatives
Possible Electricity Generation in Northeast
Rooftop solar

Offshore Wind

Onshore Wind

Energy Self-Reliant States, 2nd Ed., 2010

Solar Panel
Land Coverage for
100% of Electricity

We need to build a lot more

renewable energy!

https://www.energy-charts.de/power.htm

The Solar Spectrum

Above Earths Atmosphere

P. A. Higgins, blog.sunspotter.org
11

Silicon Atom
Conduction Shell
Valence Shell

Light to Electricity
P-Type

N-Type

e-

Load

e-

Uphoto = e * Vphoto
Uphoto

eLoad

U local ave of e-

13

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Load

The electron:
Is excited by light
Drifts through depletion zone
photon
Diffuses through solar cell
Drifts through circuit
Diffuses through solar cell

The Solar Spectrum

Available to Terrestrial PV

http://spie.org/newsroom/4146-multiple-exciton-generation-in-a-quantum-dot-solar-cell

Conventional Solar Cell

light
Conventional Solar Cell:
Thick Crystalline Si Absorber

Top Contact
Absorber
Bottom Contact

e
e

Solar Cell
15

Load

Next Generation Solar Cells

light
Tandem Solar Cell:
Top: Thin Perovskite Absorber
Bottom: Thick Crystalline Si Absorber

Top Contact
Absorber
Bottom Contact

e
e

Solar Cell
16

Load

The Solar Spectrum

Available to Terrestrial PV

Extra energy captured

in tandem solar cell

http://spie.org/newsroom/4146-multiple-exciton-generation-in-a-quantum-dot-solar-cell

PV Efficiency

http://www.nrel.gov/pv/

Material Resources

P. H. Stauffer et. al., USGS Fact Sheet 087-02 (2002)

19

Grid Integration of
Renewables

Diurnal Insolation Variation

We need diurnal (daily) storage!

https://www.energy-charts.de/power.htm

Total daily radiation on

earths surface (MJ/m2)

Seasonal Insolation Variation

45

http://www.itacanet.org/the-sun-as-a-source-of-energy/part-2-solar-energy-reaching-the-earths-surface/

Electrochemical
CO2 Reduction

Why Renewable Hydrocarbons?

No mining required for energy storage medium

(batteries do)

Many hydrocarbons liquify easily

(H2 doesnt)

Compatible with conventional infrastructure

(stoves, gas pipelines, heaters)

Hydrocarbon Liquid Fuels

Hydrogen
(H2)
Methane
(CH4)
Ethane
(C2H6)
Propane
(C3H8)
Butane
(C4H10)
Methanol
(CH3OH)
Formic Acid
(HCOOH)
Gasoline

33 kWh/kg
0.003 kWh/L

(critical point:)
(131 psi @ 33 K)

15 kWh/kg
0.01 kWh/L

boiling point:
4130 psi @ 100F

14 kWh/kg
0.01 kWh/L

boiling point:
706 psi @ 100F

14 kWh/kg
7.0 kWh/L

boiling point:
110 psi @ 100F

14 kWh/kg
7.7 kWh/L
5.5 kWh/kg
4.3 kWh/L

boiling point:
31 psi @ 100F
boiling point:
0 psi @ 148F

1.7 kWh/kg
2.1 kWh/L

boiling point:
0 psi @ 213F

12 kWh/kg
8.8 kWh/L

boiling point:
0 psi @ 185F

CO2 Reduction Cell

+

O2

ch

ge
an

x
nE

water
+
KHCO3

to
o
r
P

ne
a
r
b
em

water
+
KHCO3

CO
+
H2

4e

4e
O2
2H2O + 2CO
en
g
y
n
Ox lutio t
o
Ev talys
Ca

Re CO2
d
Ca uctio
tal
ys n
t

2CO2

2O2

4H+

CO2

2H2O

de
o
n

H+

Ca
tho

de

e.g.: Metal Electrode, Pt, Nafion, Au Catalyst, Metal Electrode

Fuel from Electricity?

Sunlight = 1 kW / m2
PV efficiency = 20%
1 gal / 3 hr = 56 m2

1 US gallon gasoline = 120 MJ = 33.3 kWh

Cheapest PV electricity = $0.03/kWh

=> $2.00 of electricity (at 50% conversion efficiency) = 1 US gallon gasoline

1 gal = $3.00

=>

$1.00 per gallon for equipment.

flow rate = 33.3 kWh / (42 A * 240 V) = 3.33 hrs/gal

= 1 gallon / 3 hrs * 6 hrs sunlight
= 2 gallons / day
= 730 gallons / year

Car engine eff.= 20%

Electric car eff. = 90%
56 m2 * (20/90) = 3.5 m2

=>

If equipment lasts 1 year, can cost $730.

42 A at 100 mA/sqcm is a 23 cm diameter electrode.

240 electrodes stacked in series, at 5 mm/layer is 1.2 m tall.

Resources
Science & Technology:
MIT OpenCourseWare: Fundamentals of
Photovoltaics
(Prof. Tonio Buonassisi)
http://www.pveducation.org
http://www.itacanet.org
http://www.eia.gov

Resources
Career Advice:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/
sunday/she-wanted-to-do-her-research-hewanted-to-talk-feelings.html
Gender equality: - Miss Representation,
- The Mask You Live In
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