Climate change and carbon foot printing are current and real issues for business today. We face many challenges in a world where average temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, affecting food chains, human populations, biodiversity and even insurance premiums. Business can connect on this issue via established environmental management systems such as ISO14001 or BS8555. Whilst carbon dioxide has had most of the recent media coverage, it is only one of a family of green house gases that causes enhanced climate change. Business must also be aware and account for other green house gases including methane, nitrous oxide and various refrigeration gases. The process of carbon foot printing allows business to account for its carbon emissions and to report on these, however, it is wise to include emissions from other gases in this process.
Archive for May, 2009
Carbon management for business; A beginner’s guide
Saturday, May 30th, 2009Recovery Act Announcement: President Obama Announces Over $467 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Geothermal and Solar Energy Projects
Thursday, May 28th, 2009President Obama today announced over $467 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States. The funding announced today represents a substantial down payment that will help the solar and geothermal industries overcome technical barriers, demonstrate new technologies, and provide support for clean energy jobs for years to come. Today’s announcement supports the Obama Administration’s strategy to increase American economic competiveness, while supporting jobs and moving toward a clean energy economy.
“We have a choice. We can remain the world’s leading importer of oil, or we can become the world’s leading exporter of clean energy,” said President Obama. “We can hand over the jobs of the future to our competitors, or we can confront what they have already recognized as the great opportunity of our time: the nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. That’s the nation I want America to be.”
“We have an ambitious agenda to put millions of people to work by investing in clean energy technology like solar and geothermal energy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. “These technologies represent two pieces of a broad energy portfolio that will help us aggressively fight climate change and renew our position as a global leader in clean energy jobs.”
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is a clean source of renewable energy that harnesses heat from the Earth for heating applications and electricity generation; geothermal plants can operate around the clock to provide significant uninterrupted “base load” electricity, or the minimum amount a power utility must provide to its customers.
The Recovery Act makes a $350 million new investment in this technology, dwarfing previous government commitments. Recovery Act funding will support projects in four crucial areas: geothermal demonstration projects; Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) research and development; innovative exploration techniques; and a National Geothermal Data System, Resource Assessment and Classification System.
Geothermal Demonstration Projects ($140 Million)
Funding will support demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies to advance geothermal energy in new geographic areas, as well as geothermal energy production from oil and natural gas fields, geopressured fields, and low to moderate temperature geothermal resources.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technology Research and Development ($80 Million)
Funding will support research of EGS technology to allow geothermal power generation across the country. Conventional geothermal energy systems must be located near easily-accessible geothermal water resources, limiting its nationwide use. EGS makes use of available heat resources through engineered reservoirs, which can then be tapped to produce electricity. While the long-term goal of EGS is to generate cost competitive clean electricity, enabling research and development is needed to demonstrate the technology’s readiness in the near-term.
Innovative Exploration Techniques ($100 Million)
Funding will support projects that include exploration, siting, drilling, and characterization of a series of exploration wells utilizing innovative exploration techniques. Exploration of geothermal energy resources can carry a high upfront risk. By investing in and validating innovative exploration technologies and methods, DOE can help reduce the level of upfront risk for the private sector, allowing for increased investment and discovery of new geothermal resources.
National Geothermal Data System, Resource Assessment, and Classification System ($30 Million)
The long-term success of geothermal energy technologies depends upon a detailed characterization of geothermal energy resources nationwide. In 2008, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an assessment of high temperature resource potential in the Western United States. To fully leverage new low-temperature, geopressured, co-production, and EGS technologies, DOE will support a nationwide assessment of geothermal resources, working through the USGS and other partners. Second, DOE will support the development of a nationwide data system to make resource data available to academia, researchers, and the private sector. Finally, DOE will support the development of a geothermal resource classification system for use in determining site potential.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a rapidly expanding industry with a double-digit annual growth rate in the United States. DOE is focused on supporting the U.S. industry’s scaling up of manufacturing, production, and distribution so the technology can become cost competitive with conventional sources of energy. DOE will provide $117.6 million in Recovery Act funding to accelerate widespread commercialization of clean solar energy technologies across America. These activities will leverage partnerships that include DOE’s national laboratories, universities, local government, and the private sector, to strengthen the U.S. solar industry and make it a leader in international markets.
Photovoltaic Technology Development ($51.5 Million)
DOE will expand investment in advanced photovoltaic concepts and high impact technologies, with the aim of making solar energy cost-competitive with conventional sources of electricity and to strengthen the competitiveness and capabilities of domestic manufacturers.
Solar Energy Deployment ($40.5 Million)
Projects in this area will focus on non-technical barriers to solar energy deployment, including grid connection, market barriers to solar energy adoption in cities, and the shortage of trained solar energy installers. Combined with new technology development, these deployment activities will help clear the path for wider adoption of solar energy in residential, commercial, and municipal environments.
Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development ($25.6 Million)
This work will focus on improving the reliability of concentrating solar power technologies and enhancing the capabilities of DOE National Laboratories to provide test and evaluation support to the solar industry.
For information on these and other Funding Opportunities under the Recovery Act, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Recovery And Reinvestment Act page on Funding Opportunities.
Asia/Pacific Energy Use To Double North America’s by 2030
Thursday, May 28th, 2009The United Nations estimates that world population will grow past nine billion persons by 2050, or more than 2.3 billion more than now.
With the Asia/Pacific region accounting for much of the growth in human population — and growth in energy consumption — by 2030 the demand for electricity and energy use in the area will nearly quadruple from 1990 levels.
Global CEOs back greenhouse gas cuts, carbon caps
Thursday, May 28th, 2009OPENHAGEN – Global business leaders added momentum to prospects for a new U.N. climate treaty by agreeing Tuesday that the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by mid-century by setting specific limits on carbon.
Government officials reported little progress in setting such limits, however, showing how distant a new treaty remains.
Some 500 CEOs and other top business experts said at the conclusion of the three-day World Business Summit on Climate Change in Denmark that “immediate and substantial” emissions cuts were needed by 2020, followed by cuts of at least 50 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. They said governments should use the marketplace to set a global price on carbon instead of taxing it, according to a statement from conference organizers.
Under cap-and-trade, the government establishes a market for carbon dioxide by distributing credits to companies that emit greenhouse gases. The companies can then invest in technologies to reduce emissions to reach a certain target or buy credits from other companies that already have met their emission reduction goals.
Private companies help public entities with energy conservation
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009In late March the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would allocate $168.6 million in block grants at the state, county and city levels for energy efficiency improvements. With small staffs, tight budgets and an even tighter deadline approaching this summer, local recipients are reaching out to private businesses for help.
Bradenton officials are compiling budget numbers, prioritizing retrofits for city facilities and considering converting some systems to solar power. They have enlisted Sarasota-based Carlson Studio Design as an educational resource.
“We have been talking with consultants who do this for a living,” said Tim Polk, Bradenton’s director of planning and community development.
Stimulus funds eco-projects
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009The state has awarded more than $132 million to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that will be used to fund wastewater and stormwater projects throughout the state.
The funds, part of the federal stimulus package, will be used to make low-interest loans to local governments. About 50 percent will be directed to those disadvantaged communities that do not have to replay the loan principal and another 20 percent will fund “green” infrastructure projects.
About 70 projects, worth $1.2 billion, are seeking a share of the $132 million.
UCF students roll back meter
Several thousand University of Central Florida students saved enough energy to power 210 homes for a month, or about $27,000.
The effort was part of the university’s third annual energy conservation competition, a month-long campaign that challenges students living on campus to cut electric consumption.
Southern to Capture, Store Carbon From Alabama Plant (Update2)
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009By Jim Polson
May 21 (Bloomberg) — Southern Co., the largest U.S. producer of electricity, plans to begin capturing and storing part of the carbon dioxide emitted from an Alabama power plant beginning in 2011, in a step to ease global warming.
The demonstration project at the James M. Barry plant, a coal-burning generator near Mobile, will use the technology of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to extract carbon dioxide, Atlanta-based Southern said today in a statement. The U.S. Energy Department will pipe the heat-trapping gas underground.
Southern and American Electric Power Co. are the leading U.S. producers of electricity from coal, which accounts for about a third of U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Alabama project aims to capture and store about 1 percent of the plant’s carbon dioxide output, or 150,000 tons a year.
Read the complete article…
Southern to Capture, Store Carbon From Alabama Plant (Update2)
Friday, May 22nd, 2009By Jim Polson
May 21 (Bloomberg) — Southern Co., the largest U.S. producer of electricity, plans to begin capturing and storing part of the carbon dioxide emitted from an Alabama power plant beginning in 2011, in a step to ease global warming.
The demonstration project at the James M. Barry plant, a coal-burning generator near Mobile, will use the technology of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to extract carbon dioxide, Atlanta-based Southern said today in a statement. The U.S. Energy Department will pipe the heat-trapping gas underground.
Southern and American Electric Power Co. are the leading U.S. producers of electricity from coal, which accounts for about a third of U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Alabama project aims to capture and store about 1 percent of the plant’s carbon dioxide output, or 150,000 tons a year.
Cutting Operating Expenses with Efficiency
Friday, May 22nd, 2009With corporate revenues falling, corporate energy bills are becoming even more glaring as a cost center and source of waste.
Commercial and industrial (C&I) buildings account for 43 percent of total U.S. electricity expenditures per the US Department of Energy. This represents a significant cost to the country in both corporate profits and avoidable GHG emissions. The stage is set for more energy efficiency projects in this downturn.
A recent report, and our own experience, suggests that the downturn may in fact be generating momentum for energy saving initiatives. The Economist Intelligence Unit recently published the results of a survey of 538 senior business executives and 18 in-depth interviews that “almost three-quarters (73 percent) of firms polled will make energy efficiency a high or moderate priority over the next two years in a bid to cut costs.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included significant support for such efforts and state-level Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) increasingly include energy efficiency goals and incentives for businesses. This government and utility money can be monetized easily by qualified energy efficiency vendors.
Global Voluntary Carbon Market Doubled in 2008 to $705M
Thursday, May 21st, 2009With an estimated 123 million tons of carbon credits traded in 2008, the voluntary carbon market across the world nearly doubled from the 65 million tons of credits traded in 2007.
The 2008 credits traded at a combined value of about $705 million, up from the $331 million in 2007, according to a press release from Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance.
The average price for voluntary carbon credits traded over the counter increased 20 percent in 2008, to about $7.34 per ton of carbon emission equivalent. The data was assembled from 190 voluntary carbon credit retailers, brokers, exchanges and accounting registries. The data is published in a report called “Fortifying the Foundation.”
The report notes that, for the first time, the Chicago Climate Exchange has overtaken the voluntary over-the-counter market for volume of carbon credits traded. The Chicago Climate Exchange oversaw 69.2 million tons of carbon credit trading, compared to 54 million tons in the over the counter market.