studio[Ci]
1. Solar Photovoltaics (good for peak summer electrical needs)
Using the best available solar energy resource data and acceptable
assumptions the solar energy available from
9
Solar PV = 2.915 x 10 kJ/acre
To meet all of electrical needs and more for peak us
12
3,400 acres for 9.91 x 10 kJ
2. Geothermal heat pumps (good for both heating and cooling)
For vertical geothermal heat pump wells drilled approximately 300 feet deep
and other reasonable typical assumption the energy available from
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Geothermal = 9.058 x 10 kJ/acre
use 2,550 acres for geothermal heat pumps we would yield
Geothermal heat pumps =2.30
13
x 10 kJ
3. Solar water heating (good for year round)
Evacuated tubes and assuming 30% system heat losses in storage and
exchange
Using 15% of land (possibly only roof-tops) at 1,245 acres to yield
12
Solar water=3.37 x 10 kJ
4. Detroit River (good for supporting a base-load electrical supply)
If smaller submersible water turbines are used, system sequestered away from
shipping lanes and water diverters are used to occupy approximately 19.3% of
available surface area the energy available from
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Detroit River energy generation = 2.792 x 10 kJ
5. Detroit Salt Mines (good for heating and cooling)
Most of the significant costs for geothermal are related to bore-hole drilling, if
we use the existing tunnels in the Detroit Salt Mines (over 100 miles of existing
tunnels) and use the very stable temperatures found in the mines
• Detailed information is needed to fully assess but this tunnel network
could provide most, if not all of the space heating and cooling requirements for
Southwest Detroit
• Preliminary estimates with air-heat exchange only at 50% efficiency
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estimates 1.62 x 10 kJ (this could be significantly more using liquid
reservoirs in the mines)
Closing-off some of the unused tunnels and pumping compressed air in some
of these passageways could be used for peak energy storage
Underground compressed air/wind turbines and Air to Air /Heat
Exchange Network
7
4.424 x 10 kJ could be available
INFO Graphics
Alternative Energy: Footprint Rules of Thumb
GEOGRAPHY
Detroit MI
ROLE
Complex Data Research, Summary and Visualization
CLIENT
Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC)
STATUS
2010-Current