scholarly journals Economic Analysis of Sequestering Carbon in Green Ash Forests in the Lower Mississippi River Valley

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 731-740
Author(s):  
Ching-Hsun Huang ◽  
Gary D. Kronrad ◽  
Shiaolin D. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Electric Utility ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Green Ash ◽  
Carbon Credits ◽  
Lower Mississippi River ◽  
The Cost

Since the U.S. is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), it has become crucial to develop options that are both cost effective and supportive of sustainable development to reduce atmospheric CO2. Electric utility companies have the options of reducing their use of fossil fuels, switching to alternative energy sources, increasing efficiency, or offsetting carbon emissions. This study determined the cost and profitability of sequestering carbon in green ash plantations, and the number of tons of carbon that can be sequestered. The profitability of green ash is $2,342 and $3,645 per acre on site indices (measurement of soil quality) 65 and 105 land, respectively, calculated with a 2.5% alternative rate of return (ARR). These figures shift to –$248 and –$240 calculated with a 15.0% ARR. If landowners who have an ARR of 2.5% can sell carbon credits for $10 per ton of carbon, profits will increase by $107 per acre on poor sites and $242 on good sites. Over one rotation (cutting cycle), 38.56 net tons of carbon can be sequestered on an acre of poor quality land and 51.35 tons on good quality land. The cost of sequestering carbon, without including revenues from timber production and carbon credits, ranges from a high of $15.20 per ton on poor sites to $14.41 on good sites, calculated with a 2.5% ARR; to a high of $8.51 per ton on poor sites to $7.63 on good sites, calculated with a 15.0% ARR. The cost of storing carbon can be reduced significantly if the trees can be sold for wood products.

Can Coal Contribute to Sustainable Development?

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Wicks ◽  
Malcolm Keay
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Cost Penalty ◽  
The Cost

Coal is not always seen as a route to sustainable development; renewable energy, energy efficiency and a move away from fossil fuels are what people usually have in mind. The paper argues that such a view is incomplete. One of the key development challenges facing the 21st century is to ensure wider access to clean energy. There are 1.6 billion people currently lacking electricity and the enormous benefits it brings in terms of poverty reduction and improved quality of life. Coal has been the route to electrification for millions in the developing world – China alone secured electricity access for over 700 million people between 1980 and 2000 in a system based 84 percent on coal. Clean technologies generally involve higher costs. Can the higher environmental expectations of the 21st century be met without denying or delaying access to electricity for millions in need? The paper identifies ways in which the cost penalty and other barriers to the introduction of clean coal-based technologies can be overcome. Higher efficiencies reduce both costs and emissions – the universal deployment of existing commercial best practice would produce savings equivalent to those from the Kyoto protocol. Emerging coal-based technologies enable cost-effective carbon dioxide emissions reductions. Co-firing of coal and renewables is often the most effective route to enabling resources such as biomass and solar power to be exploited. In the longer run, carbon sequestration offers huge potential for near zero emissions power at costs comparable with or lower than the alternatives. The conclusion is that no single fuel source provides the answer to sustainable development; a range of options is needed. Cleaner coal-based technologies must be one of those options: they can meet both immediate development goals and longer-term climate change imperatives.

scholarly journals BIOFUELS AS PROMISING FUELS

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Mićić ◽  
Pero Dugić ◽  
Zoran Petrović ◽  
Milorad Tomić
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Technical Issues

The use of fossil fuels results in global warming and pollution. In comparison with fossil fuels biofuels represent an eco-friendly, biodegradable, sustainable, cost-competitive and promising alternative energy source. They contain high energy content and do not contribute to greenhouse effect. Therefore, using cheap or renewable resources as the feedstock for biofuels production has a great potential in terms of a major contribution to future energy supply. The production and use of biofuels is already well established and a further promotion of these fuels such as lipid biofuels (bioethanol, pure plant oils and biodiesel) and gas biofuels (biomethane, biohydrogen) mainly depends on non-technical issues, such as policies and cost–effectiveness. Biofuels will definitely stay for the foreseeable future and still can continue to provide the earth and the human population with a relatively clean source of energy with several benefits such as economic benefits of providing employment and health benefits of reduced carbon emissions, leading to cleaner air. With increasing sophistication of technology and intense research and development done, one can safely infer that biofuel will become more appealing and applicable for use on a globally commercial level. As such, biofuel is acknowledged as the Earth’s future energy source. Until a newer and cleaner energy source is discovered, scientists will definitely persist in researching and enhancing biofuels to make them more cost-effective, while still being environmentally friendly.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Cost-Effectiveness of an Industrial Natural Gas Cogeneration Facility in a Regulated Electric Utility Environment

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Bedley
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Electric Utility ◽  
Public Utility ◽  
Electric Industry ◽  
Industrial Facilities ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Structural Framework ◽  
Effective Option ◽  
Generating Capacity ◽  
The Cost

Since Congress enacted the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978, the electric utility industry has experienced many significant changes — legal, structural and technical. For purposes of this discussion, one of the more important changes that resulted was the installation of substantial electric generating capacity via “cogeneration” at industrial facilities nationwide. PURPA defined, and created by law, entities known as “qualifying facilities” or “QFs”, and established a framework in which they were allowed to compete with utilities in both the wholesale electric market (by sales for resale) and retail electric markets (by self-generation). The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct92) took PURPA one step further, allow additional entities — such as Exempt Wholesale Generators (EWG), marketers and brokers — to participate in the wholesale electric markets, forever changing the once monopolistic structure of the electric industry. Importantly, from a legal, structural and technical standpoint, QFs continue to enjoy advantages over other generators - both utility and non-utility. The legal and structural framework continue to favor QFs and technically, the equipment available for cogeneration facilities is significantly more efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly than in the past. Cogeneration can be a very cost-effective option for large energy users, providing in many instances the only alternative to purchasing electricity from the monopoly utility. Paper published with permission.

Structural and Electrical Characterization of Amorphous and Crystalline Manganese Oxide Thin Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (60) ◽  
pp. 3929-3934 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Olson ◽  
Kenneth D. Shaughnessy ◽  
Emma G. Langford ◽  
Michael Boyle ◽  
Muhammad B. Haider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Magnetron Sputtering ◽  
Manganese Oxide ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Electrical Characterization ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Dc Magnetron Sputtering

ABSTRACTThe environmental impact resulting from the use of fossil fuel as an energy source affects the entire globe. Eventually, fossil fuels will no longer be a reasonable source of energy and alternative energy sources will be needed. Thermoelectric materials (TE) that directly convert heat into electricity are a viable option to replace the conventional fossil fuel because they are reliable, cost effective, and use no moving parts. Recently researchers discovered the existence of giant Seebeck coefficient in manganese oxide (MnO2) powders, which ignited an increased interest in MnO2-based materials. In this work we present a systematic structural and electrical characterization of amorphous and crystalline MnxOy thin films. These films were deposited at room temperature on heated silicon and sapphire substrates by DC Magnetron Sputtering. Our preliminary results show that MnxOy/silicon thin films undergo a crystalline change from Mn2O3 to Mn3O4 as annealing temperature is increased from 300°C to 500°C.

Design of a Novice Hydraulic Buoyant Force Engine

2014 ◽  
Vol 705 ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
N. Mir-Nasiri ◽  
B. Almenov
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Combustion Products ◽  
Destructive Effect ◽  
Buoyant Force ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Belt Transmission ◽  
The Cost

In connection with the consumptive depletion of the earth and the destructive effect of emissions of combustion products on the environment, now all of humanity is in search for alternative energy sources. The proposed technology intends to produce electricity directly at the consumer location or in close vicinity to it by utilizing the concept of vertical buoyancy power generation in a still water reservoir and thus able to lower the cost of electricity and save the fossil fuels. The newly invented machine is able to converts the buoyance force energy into mechanical energy of shaft rotation, and thus into the electricity via rotary generator. The hydraulic buoyant force engine system includes two cylindrical pulleys with belt transmission mounted on the stationary frame that is submerged into the water. The belt carries the chain of elastic plastic airbags to generate the buoyance force. The empty and weightless airbags are driven first by the belt and pulleys system to the bottom of a water reservoir where they are filled with the air delivered by the compressor and then the bulged bags and thus connected belt are driven up by the buoyant force. As a result the belt and shaft of the connected to the upper pulley generator will be constantly driven by the buoyant force. The paper describes the details of the engine construction, the amount of power generated by the engine as a function of the reservoir depth and the power of an air compressor as well as advantages of such engine installations and their impact on the society.

Ammonia as a Green Fuel for Transportation

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calin Zamfirescu ◽  
Ibrahim Dincer
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Cooling Power ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Driving Range ◽  
The Cost ◽  
System Effectiveness ◽  
Green Fuel ◽  
Engine Power

In this paper, the potential benefits and technical advantages of using ammonia as a green fuel for transportation are analyzed based on performance indicators including the system effectiveness, the driving range, fuel tank compactness, and the cost of driving per km. Similar to hydrogen, ammonia is a synthetic product that can be obtained thermally, physically, chemically or biologically either from fossil fuels, biomass, or other renewable sources and can be used as a clean fuel. The refrigeration effect of ammonia is another advantage of it and is included in the efficiency calculations. The cooling power represents about 7–10% from the engine power, being thus a valuable side benefit of ammonia’s presence on-board. If the cooling effect is taken into consideration, the system’s effectiveness can be improved by about 20%. It is shown that if a medium size hydrogen car converted to NH3, it becomes more cost effective per driving range as low as CN$3.2/100 km.

The Design and Fabrication of an Alternative Drive System to Reduce Heliostat Manufacturing and Installation Costs

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Chavez ◽  
Evan Sproul ◽  
Joshua Christian ◽  
Kendra Valdez ◽  
Ian Luders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Drive System ◽  
Automated Testing ◽  
Alternative Drive ◽  
Clean Energy Source ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Production And Operation ◽  
Mexico Tech

The limited supply and environmental impact of fossil fuels has become an urgent problem. To aid in overcoming this problem a team from New Mexico Tech (NMT) is improving existing heliostat technology to create a more cost-effective and mobile heliostat design. The team has devised an innovative patent pending liquid-ballast heliostat drive system which reduces the cost of heliostat drive mechanics, utilizes a cost-effective mirror design, and eliminates an unnecessary support pedestal. By implementing this new design the team will help to create a more economically viable, clean energy source that will benefit all energy consumers as well as the environment. The team’s goal is to create a heliostat that reduces the cost of production and operation by thirty percent. In doing so, the team must also meet strict accuracy and lifetime specifications created by Sandia National Labs (SNL) and NMT. In pursuit of meeting these specifications the team is currently completing fabrication of a prototype. Using this prototype the team will evaluate drive system performance through semi-automated testing. After testing, the team will continue the design process with the ultimate goal of creating multiple improved prototypes.

scholarly journals MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES OF LOW-COST SI-BASED CRYSTALLINE TYPE SOLAR CELL IN BANGLADESH

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Shafiqul Islam ◽  
Md. Rakibul Hasan ◽  
Fariba Mohammadi ◽  
Antara Majumdar ◽  
Ali Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Atomic Energy Commission ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
The Cost

In today’s world with the increasing population, the world's energy needs are growing steadily andthe crisis for power is also increasing. All the conventional sources of energy like gas, coal, oil etc are limited.In this situation, the need for establishing a renewable energy source as an alternative energy generation systemhas become very important for sustainable energy security of the country. Among various renewable energysources, solar energy comprises a large portion. The solar energy captivated by Earth’s atmosphere, oceansand land is about 385000 EJ[1]. But only less than 1% of useful energy comes from solar power [2]. Thisstatistics shows that, the sun shine produces 35000 times more power on earth than the daily power productionusing solar energy. Thus the earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in awhole year.[3] The conversion of sunlight into electricity using solar cells system (10-14%) is worthwhile way ofproducing this alternative energy. Bangladesh receives strong sunshine throughout the whole year (3.8-6.42Kw-hr/m2) and it has been found that the average sunshine hours are 6.69, 6.16 and 4.81in winter, summer andmonsoon, respectively.[4] Bangladesh is also adopting means to use solar energy day by day. Many privateCompanies in Bangladesh import solar panels from abroad and sell them into the country. The approximatecost for importing readymade panels varies from 90-98 BDT per Wp. There are some companies which importsolar cells from foreign countries and assemble them into panels. The average cost for importing cells isapproximately 41-57 BDT per Wp. The cost of assembled panels from imported cells is approximately 78-84BDT per Wp. From the analysis it is found that, the cost of a locally produced PV panel is 10 percent lower thanimported ones [5] because of 60% cost incurs for producing cells from raw materials. Although solar panels arebeing produced in Bangladesh, till now solar cells have not been fabricated yet. In Bangladesh for the first time‘Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC)’ is going to set up a laboratory to fabricate crystalline solarcells. It is anticipated that producing cells from raw materials locally and then assembling them into PV panelswill reduce the cost almost 30%. This paper explores how fabricating crystalline solar cells locally isanticipated to reduce cost of solar panels. If the cost effective technology could be made familiar in Bangladeshthen it would help in solving our power crisis in a great deal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jme.v42i1.15934

The IBM-PC in electron microscopy

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 612-613
Author(s):  
James F. Mancuso
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Financial Applications ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Instrument Control ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
Control Image ◽  
Ibm Pc

IBM PC compatible computers are widely used in microscopy for applications ranging from control to image acquisition and analysis. The choice of IBM-PC based systems over competing computer platforms can be based on technical merit alone or on a number of factors relating to economics, availability of peripherals, management dictum, or simple personal preference.IBM-PC got a strong “head start” by first dominating clerical, document processing and financial applications. The use of these computers spilled into the laboratory where the DOS based IBM-PC replaced mini-computers. Compared to minicomputer, the PC provided a more for cost-effective platform for applications in numerical analysis, engineering and design, instrument control, image acquisition and image processing. In addition, the sitewide use of a common PC platform could reduce the cost of training and support services relative to cases where many different computer platforms were used. This could be especially true for the microscopists who must use computers in both the laboratory and the office.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document