California's Vision for Reaching Zero-Carbon Emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Sanchez-Perez ◽  
S. Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Zero Carbon

Steel: friend or foe in the face of the climate emergency?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Swann ◽  
Francois Hanus ◽  
Olivier Vasart ◽  
Alan Knight
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
High Potential ◽  
If Steel ◽  
Embodied Carbon ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
Recycled Material

<p>Steel is the most recycled material in the world and a key contributor to the circular economy, but todays primary steelmaking methods result in high embodied carbon. In the face of the climate emergency, designers have been tasked with driving down the upfront emissions of the built environment. Naturally the embodied carbon characteristics of all materials have been put under the microscope and those with high impacts are being demonised, primary steel is one of those. So how does a designer balance the immediate needs of the climate emergency with the future needs of society? When confronted with a material like steel with practically perfect circularity characteristics but high embodied impacts how do designers balance the needs of today with those of tomorrow? What if steel could be made with zero carbon emissions? Coupled with its high potential for re-use and its high recycling rates is steel a friend and ally in the face of the climate emergency rather than a foe?</p>

A qualitative assessment of the impact of smart homes and environmentally beneficial technologies on the UK 2050 net-zero carbon emission target

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghasson Shabha ◽  
Francesca Barber ◽  
Paul Laycock
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Smart Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

PurposeThere are 29 million homes in the UK, accounting for 14% of the UK's energy consumption. This is given that UK has one of the highest water and energy demands in Europe which needs to be addressed according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Smart homes technology holds a current perception that it is principally used by “tech-savvy” users with larger budgets. However, smart home technology can be used to control water, heat and energy in the entire house. This paper investigates how smart home technology could be effectively utilised to aid the UK government in meeting climate change targets and to mitigate the environmental impact of a home in use towards reducing carbon emissions.Design/methodology/approachBoth primary and secondary data were sought to gain insight into the research problem. An epistemological approach to this research is to use interpretivism to analyse data gathered via a semi-structured survey. Two groups of participants were approached: (1) professionals who are deemed knowledgeable about smart home development and implementation and (2) users of smart home technology. A variety of open-ended questions were formulated, allowing participants to elaborate by exploring issues and providing detailed qualitative responses based on their experience in this area which were interpreted quantitatively for clearer analysis.FindingsWith fossil fuel reserves depleting, there is an urgency for renewable, low carbon energy sources to reduce the 5 tonnes annual carbon emissions from a UK household. This requires a multi-faceted and a multimethod approach, relying on the involvement of both the general public and the government in order to be effective. By advancing energy grids to make them more efficient and reliable, concomitant necessitates a drastic change in the way of life and philosophy of homeowners when contemplating a reduction of carbon emissions. If both parties are able to do so, the UK is more likely to reach its 2050 net-zero carbon goal. The presence of a smart meter within the household is equally pivotal. It has a positive effect of reducing the amount of carbon emissions and hence more need to be installed.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is needed using a larger study sample to achieve more accurate and acceptable generalisations about any future course of action. Further investigation on the specifics of smart technology within the UK household is also needed to reduce the energy consumption in order to meet net-zero carbon 2050 targets due to failures of legislation.Practical implicationsFor smart homes manufacturers and suppliers, more emphasis should be placed to enhance compatibility and interoperability of appliances and devices using different platform and creating more user's friendly manuals supported by step-by-step visual to support homeowners in the light of the wealth of knowledge base generated over the past few years. For homeowners, more emphasis should be placed on creating online knowledge management platform easily accessible which provide virtual support and technical advice to home owners to deal with any operational and technical issues or IT glitches. Developing technical design online platform for built environment professionals on incorporating smart sensors and environmentally beneficial technology during early design and construction stages towards achieving low to zero carbon homes.Originality/valueThis paper bridges a significant gap in the body of knowledge in term of its scope, theoretical validity and practical applicability, highlighting the impact of using smart home technology on the environment. It provides an insight into how the UK government could utilise smart home technology in order to reduce its carbon emission by identifying the potential link between using smart home technology and environmental sustainability in tackling and mitigating climate change. The findings can be applied to other building types and has the potential to employ aspects of smart home technology in order to manage energy and water usage including but not limited to healthcare, commercial and industrial buildings.

Aqueous phase conversion of CO2 into acetic acid over thermally transformed MIL-88B

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad ◽  
Paramita Koley ◽  
Swarit Dwivedi ◽  
Abhijit Shrotri ◽  
Akshat Tanksale
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Aqueous Phase ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Catalyst Recycling ◽  
Efficient Catalyst ◽  
Co Catalyst ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Zero Carbon

Abstract Sustainable production of acetic acid (AA) is a high priority due to its high global manufacturing capacity and numerous applications. Currently it is predominantly synthesized via carbonylation of methanol, in which both the reactants are fossil-derived. CO2 transformation into AA is highly desirable to achieve net zero carbon emissions, but significant challenges remain to achieve this efficiently. Herein, we report a heterogeneous catalyst, thermally transformed MIL-88B with Fe0 and Fe3O4 dual active sites, for highly selective AA formation via methanol hydrocarboxylation. This efficient catalyst showed high AA yield (590.1 mmol/gcat.L) with 81.7% selectivity at 150°C in aqueous phase using LiI as a co-catalyst. The reaction is believed to proceed via formic acid intermediate. No significant difference in AA yield and selectivity was noticed during catalyst recycling study up to five cycles. This work scalable and industrially relevant for CO2 utilisation to reduce carbon emissions, especially if green methanol and green hydrogen are used.

Integrated petroleum coke and natural gas polygeneration process with zero carbon emissions

Energy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 91 ◽  
pp. 479-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaser Khojasteh Salkuyeh ◽  
Thomas A. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Petroleum Coke ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Zero Carbon

Path to zero carbon emissions

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 360 (6396) ◽  
pp. 1416.10-1418
Author(s):  
Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Zero Carbon

California's Vision for Reaching Zero-Carbon Emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Andres Sanchez Perez ◽  
Sarah Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Reference System ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Public Utility ◽  
Public Input ◽  
California Energy Commission ◽  
Public Utility Commission ◽  
Zero Carbon

<div>In "The 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018" the California legislature set a target of 100\% of California's electricity generated from renewable and zero-carbon sources by 2045. </div><div>The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and other state entities now have the task of planning to meet that target. </div><div>The California Energy Commission (CEC) has sponsored multiple studies and sought public input on the pathways that they are exploring. </div><div>A key result of that planning process is a Reference System Portfolio (RSP) based on existing and planned electricity generating capabilities, and modeled grid build out to meet the planned targets by 2045 at the lowest cost. </div><div>Although this RSP has been discussed by the CEC in a public forum, to our knowledge, it has not been presented to the photovoltaic community.</div><div>Here we document the CEC’s current RSP, with emphasis on understanding their expectations for build out of solar as well as the associated need for storage and curtailment.</div>

A Plan for Biomass Power Generation With Negative Carbon Emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Circulating Fluidized Bed ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Carbon Capture And Sequestration ◽  
Wood Harvesting ◽  
Zero Carbon

Abstract Worldwide energy consumption is accelerating at an unprecedented rate while humanity comes to understand the effects of climate change. Renewable resources such as wind and solar supply more energy every year, but the overwhelming majority of energy consumed is still from fossil fuels. The transition to zero carbon emission sources is important, but carbon negative energy could also become necessary in ensuring a sustainable global environment and economy. The most technically and commercially viable carbon negative solution is biomass-fueled power generation with carbon capture and sequestration. A conceptual design based on a biomass-fired circulating fluidized-bed boiler and developed using the Thermoflex software package (Thermoflow, Inc.) is presented that can be evaluated and pursued by the research, engineering, and business communities. Recommendations are proposed for siting and fuel supply in the Southeastern U.S., with an evaluation of some of the impacts from wood harvesting, processing, and transportation to the lifecycle carbon emissions. An economic analysis of this carbon negative concept indicates that certain policy proposals in the U.S. could make biomass power generation with carbon capture and sequestration an economically feasible resource. Results show that an owner and/or the public could realize a net benefit of up to $332/MWh above and beyond marginal energy or capacity values under aggressive carbon pricing.

A New Metric for Net-Zero Carbon Buildings

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siir Kilkis
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Global Sustainability ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

In this study a new carbon equivalency metric was developed in order to quantify the compound carbon emissions that buildings are responsible in the built environment. This metric first analyses the rationale about the management of exergy balance among supply and demand involved in satisfying building power and energy loads. Then using the degree of the rationale found, direct carbon emissions from the building and avoidable secondary carbon emissions that the building is responsible due to exergy mismatches are calculated. Based on this metric a net-zero carbon building definition was introduced and its advantages for quantifying the actual impact of buildings on global sustainability were discussed in comparison to net-zero energy building and carbon neutral building concepts. A case study for an example net-zero energy building is presented, which reveals that the new carbon equivalency metric can indicate whether the building is actually environmentally neutral or not. Results show that the example building has negative impact on environment and global sustainability in terms of carbon emissions even though it is rated a net-zero building. This paper also discusses that although another new net-zero exergy building definition may reduce the shortcomings of the net-zero building definition, only the net-zero carbon building metric may accurately rate the environmental impact of buildings. Beyond carbon emissions from buildings, the same metric can be used for any variety of greenhouse emissions and sectors.

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