Gribble - the future of power generation?

Alternative energy sources are always being sought, it was not that long ago that solar, wind and heat pump were slightly off the wall alternative energy sources – now they are regarded as perfectly normal and needed.

Recently I was reading and interesting blog that offered some other sources of energy you may not have thought about (positiveenergy) – maybe alternatives that will be become fully accepted in the not to distant future.

Nations and governments may rely of Gribbles to combat concerns over energy security, let alone climate change – Gribble, yes Gribbles, check out what the future energy sources could be:

Waste tea leaves. Scientists at a Pakistani university used a gasification process to create biodiesel from used tea leaves. Considering that the world today consumes several million tones of tea annually, the leaves could be a reliable fuel source.

Gribbles. A tiny, wood-chewing crustacean called Limnoria quadripunctata, or the gribble, has been shown to have a digestive trait that could convert wood and straw into liquid biofuel. Researchers at the universities of York and Portsmouth have proposed using the enzymes that fill the creatures’ long digestive tracts to break down cellulose and lignin into energy-rich sugars.

Grass clippings. Again at the University of York, scientists are experimenting with using microwaves to heat garden and wood waste in the absence of oxygen in a process called pyrolysis. The resulting biofuel could be blended with fossil fuel or used by itself.

Frog foam. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are creating an artificial photosynthetic material that uses enzymes from plants, bacteria, fungi, and frogs, all trapped within a foam housing, to create solar energy in an entirely new way. Foam was chosen because it can effectively concentrate the reactants but allow very good light and air penetration. The design was based on the foam nests of a semi-tropical frog called the Tungara frog, which creates very long-lived foams for its developing tadpoles.

Poke berries. The fruit of the pokeweed — the ubiquitous purple-stalked plant that grows rampantly across the south and whose red berries Civil War soldiers used to write letters home – could be the key to spreading solar power across the globe, according to researchers at Wake Forest University’s Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials. Scientists have used the red dye made from pokeberries to coat their efficient and inexpensive fiber-based solar cells. The dye acts as an absorber, helping the cell’s tiny fibers trap more sunlight to convert into power.

Household garbage. A consortium of companies in Australia is investigating the viability of constructing an ethanol plant that would turn household rubbish and building waste into more than 200 million liters of fuel per year. The process, developed by a U.S. biofuel company, Coskata, Inc., uses sources like municipal, commercial, and industrial waste at the end of its life cycle—waste otherwise bound for the landfill, and turns them into renewable energy.

Cow power. Using the methane gas byproduct of cattle is old news, but William Taylor, a farmer in Northern Ireland, has rigged up an entirely new way of deriving renewable energy from cows. Instead of letting his cows free range while they graze, he puts them on a treadmill. The electricity generated from one cow on a treadmill is enough, says the farmer, to power four milking machines. And as a bonus, cows that exercise produce more milk.

Tomatoes. Designer Cygalle Shapiro created a tiny LED lamp powered off circuits running off several tomatoes sitting next to it. The lamp draws power off of the chemical reaction among the tomatoes’ acids, zinc, and copper. And the “batteries” run out when the tomatoes turn stale.

Tobacco. Maybe there’s hope for this cash crop. Researchers in Virginia have suggested that tobacco could be genetically modified to use as a biofuel, with the added benefit that it is not a food source, like corn and soybeans — and therefore the object of a battle over resources. Because it can generate high quantities of oil and sugar, its potential as a fuel crop is high, but commercial use as a biofuel may be more than five years away.

Picture by Auguste Le Roux

Apart from an interesting article there was a great quote in the piece that could be used powerfully to industry and commerce.

Rob Murray-Leach, the Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency Council said:

”Economic purists have been telling us that if there were $100 notes lying around, industry would have already picked them up. This report shows that companies have blind spots – sometimes you have to help them find the $100 notes.”

What a great line, but how true as well.

The article further highlighted that investment is needed by business into energy efficiency but what do you expect if you want a great return – as Murray-Leach, a former adviser to the climate economist Ross Garnaut, said energy efficiency should be viewed in the same way as other business investments – you need to spend to generate a return.

”Some people say that tackling climate change is too expensive, we should wait to see what the world does first. This report shows that there is a huge amount we could do right now to cut our emissions and grow our economy.”

The Australian government report shows that industry their could “pick-up”, as it were, $736 million – not may not seem too much in industrial terms but we are talking about a country with just under 22 million population so in context it is a sizable amount, for the US it would be well over $10 billion from just one sector!

It just show what money is “lying around” and yet being ignored – it is about time industry opened it’s eyes, they may not be concerned about climate change but why walk by billions of dollars just sitting there when they could be picking it up, particularly in these tougher times?

She highlights how energy efficiency is the way ahead as far as change energy use for environmental, energy security and energy supply reasons.

As she reports – it is what people want to happening compared to new or old forms of power generation. New power stations are needed but the impact of funding into energy efficiency is paramount.

Here is the bulk of the article:

Lately, it seems as if when the conversation turns to developing a modern national energy policy, the smart grid and renewable energy get all the attention—and with good reason, since both topics promise a future full of intelligent energy management and freedom from fossil fuels.

The smart grid and renewables capture our imagination, but it’s energy efficiency that’s affecting real change, right now—and the public (and investors) have taken notice. As far as I’m concerned, this new emphasis on—and interest in—efficiency is a longtime coming.

There are a couple of concrete indications that energy efficiency is gaining credibility and becoming the popular go-to solution for energy resource management. First off, investors are pushing money into a slew of energy efficiency opportunities—from hybrid cars to energy management systems, and everything in-between.

According to Peachtree Green, a New York-based investment bank that provides expert advice on “valuing technology assets,” 2009 was the year energy efficiency came into its own, ranking second after wind, in terms of 2009 transaction value,

In fact, Peachtree Green reports that, even while the overall green tech sector saw a 4.1% drop in value, energy efficiency saw an increase in value from $164 million to $1.3 billion. The report states that, “The clear break-out category was Energy Efficiency, with a more-than-sevenfold increase in reported transaction value for 2009.”

Energy efficiency is also winning hearts and minds in the court of public option. According to a recent poll conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund and NRG energy, respondents indicate that they are most interested in energy efficiency: 47% in particular stating that the number one environmental issue that companies should focus on is energy efficiency. With the future of government funding on shaky ground, public support of energy efficiency projects and protocols could make all the difference.

Historically, the states have often promoted energy efficiency—with great success. In fact, as of 2009, 19 states have adopted a myriad of energy efficiency strategies. In California, for example, a program that began 30 years ago has morphed from simply requiring energy-efficient appliances into an extensive energy-conscious mandate that now includes renewable energy and other smart energy technologies. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the National Grid—an energy delivery company for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island—has, over the last 20 years, helped 5 million of its customers reduce energy use and save up to $3.8 billion.

As I’ve stated before, distributed energy is the ultimate form of energy efficiency and reliability.

But in the end, it’s a “boots on the ground” efficiency effort that will make the difference. As Peachtree explains,

“The reason many utilities and energy companies are undertaking certain projects, carbon capture being the best example, is because the government is financing these initiatives. Once the money dries up, many of these projects will be shelved.”

But if the public (i.e., voters) demands funding for energy efficiency, it can make all the difference. Public outreach is one of the best ways to engage and encourage communities to become energy efficiency stakeholders.

This should be great headline grabbing news but it is strange how often “spend, spend, spend” is regarded as sexy while being frugal and saving is regarded as nerdy or introverted.

Fortunately the U.S. is taking a lead in changing what is sexy as far as saving money through energy efficiency is concerned. They have just announced that President Obama’s administration has set up the SEE Action Network (State Energy Efficiency Action Network) to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements.

This sounds like an interesting development and will hopefully keep the energy efficiency drive, at least in the U.S. of A, moving forward – it is also good to see the States setting a good example in this area compared to past times.

Credit to Mr Obama to keep pushing forward with the energy efficient message and schemes such as this one, particularly when he trying to increase his popularity because as we have established doesn’t produce the biggest headlines.

To help raise the importance and hopefully the desirability of energy efficiency there were some interesting quotes in the Initiative’s press-release from Lisa P. Jackson, the EPA Administrator, and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Jackson said in a press-release regarding the new initiative:

“In the clean energy future, energy efficiency is action number one. We can cut greenhouse gases and protect our environment at the same time we save money for homeowners, schools and businesses.”

While Chu added:

“Expanding energy efficiency is one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways we can address climate change and grow America’s economy.”

These quotes are worth highlighting as the truths they state need to be kept to the fore as they crank up awareness of energy efficiency – focussing on it rather than leaving it lurking in the shadows.

A lot of talk and focus goes into renewable, clean energy sources and new energy generation – important in the long term but as Jackson states: “Energy efficiency is action number one,” because as she suggests it ticks all the boxes, particularly with regard to saving money.

Chu underlines the importance of putting energy efficiency at the top of the list by stating that it is the quickest way to address climate change and save money, thus affecting the economy.

Wind turbines, solar panels, wave power and clean power stations are all sexy as they often involve major capital investment, jobs creation and are clearly visible on the skyline or in the oceans. Meanwhile energy efficiency is so often hidden, turning off lights; either by hand or automatically doesn’t demand much attention.

For politicians, locally and nationally, energy saving actions do not grab the headlines when compared to announcing some new wind farm or similar – but the message does seem to be getting though, possibly thanks to the economic downturn over the last year or so.

As politicians, business leaders and others begin to see the figures for the savings made through energy efficiency then they begin to salivate – they can see the headlines and hear the sound-bites in their heads. Suddenly turning out that light becomes sexy and the figures can be seen in black and white (and hopefully in 172 point on the front page alongside a politicians/community leaders name and photo!).

I am not suggesting at all that President Obama, Lisa P. Jackson (mustn’t forget the P) and Steven Chu are taking action for the headlines – I think they want to make the right decisions and are a major driving force behind these energy efficiency initiatives, but what they say is helping to convince the movers and shakers in business, politics and communities to act. When the estimates and even the actual figures are produced then we see a further boost from decision makers.

What happens on a national or international level can be illustrated within your own home. You know, as Ken Cheyne has stated on this blog, that if you hang your washing on a washing line outdoors instead of using an electric dryer you will save money, let alone the environment. Yet so many people do not do it, they carry on using the drier because of habit or convenience.

If someone added a running money meter above the drier running up the costs while in use (like a running taxi meter) would people think again. Imagine that on every appliance, light or electrical system in your home – would you make changes? Only you can answer that but I think we can make a good guess.

If your local City Hall or other public buildings had giant energy cost meters displayed prominently on the sides of the structures showing what was being used and the costs do you think people would change habits and become energy efficient?

So the more encouragement followed up by estimates and actual figures, for energy efficiency the better as saving money instead of throwing it away is always sexy!

(Please note that Enigin PLC do supply a system where your energy saving can be seen publicly – Check It Out)

John Osborne at BSI (British Standards Institute) Training encourages organisations to think of energy management as business critical for cost reasons, but equally important as a means to embed sustainability and change across a workforce…

Improving energy efficiency within a business can provide a number of real benefits. Not only will it help to reduce impact on the environment, but it will also save money. Why then, do so many companies fail to put sufficient energy management policies in place to improve their effectiveness? A BSI study revealed that 80 per cent of respondents rated energy management as “very important”, with the key driver being to reduce or control cost, yet 60 per cent didn’t have an energy management policy in place.

Organisations are clearly talking the talk when it comes to energy consumption, but simply making the right noises isn’t enough. If businesses are to truly cut costs and offset this against less attractive cost cutting exercises then they need to put a clear system in place to manage this. Without a transparent policy to guide businesses forward, how can they even begin to answer those all important questions?

• How much energy does the business use currently?

• Who is responsible for managing energy efficiency within the company?

• What are the current issues with your energy consumption?

• What activities lead to consumption of energy?

• How can you improve your energy efficiency?

• Have you identified what areas need to be improved or completely changed?

• How much energy could you save in the long term?

• What impact would saving energy have on your business from a financial perspective?

Those businesses that are unable to answer all of these questions have really only scratched the surface of effective energy management (if at all). The likelihood for those that have a clear policy in place is they will have already addressed these questions, and will have made the first foot hold into producing a robust framework for making significant and continued improvements in energy consumption. A policy and tight framework will also allow identification of an organisations’ past, present and future energy consumption as well as the development of an energy monitoring process.

The BSI report showed that two thirds of respondents did not conduct regular energy usage audits, nor did they maintain a current energy management policy, both of which compromise the delivery of continual improvement in energy management.

In an effort to make the right noises, some businesses may make minor adjustments to save money, such as ensuring PC monitors are switched off at night, and perhaps replacing light bulbs with energy saving varieties; but is this really enough?

Energy management has evolved into a rather complex arena, covering a multitude of business activities all of which need to be taken into consideration when bringing about change and improvement. Companies may find that additional training and a standardised management system (such as BS EN 16001, the new European standard for Energy Management Systems) is needed to help them build a framework that will enable them to implement change. But there are a few simple steps you can take in the first instance to get the ball rolling:

• Take regular meter readings: this will help you to understand how much energy your organisation is currently consuming

• Organise thorough inspections of the work premises: this will help you to identify the areas where further savings can be made.

• Assess energy consumption levels on current activities

• Talk to employees and get their input on energy waste

• Take into account all energy related activities under the control of your organisation, for example the energy used to operate machinery and heat buildings. In taking these initial steps, most organisations will begin to realise the level of energy emissions being needlessly emitted every day.

Wasting unnecessary energy is largely due to poor organisation and education; in most cases employees simply don’t understand how to make the change themselves. But ultimately, wasted energy will affect the efficiency and productivity of a business, certainly in the long term.

Making change happen:

• Build a policy that incorporates the processes and practices you need to improve energy efficiency across the business. This will create a mechanism to turn energy efficiency into a key performance indicator

• Get buy in from senior management – do they really understand the benefits of making this change?

• Communicate with staff – involve them from the outset, get their feedback and suggestions for improving energy efficiency. The most successful change happens when everyone in the company is onboard.

• Establish clear minimum reduction targets so you have something the measure against

• Establish reliable ways of measuring consumption / assess on regular bases – energy consumption can fluctuate seasonally depending on weather and productivity.

• Establish objectives, implement, monitor and measure and continually improve

Once a policy has been created, organisations must implement the behavioural change needed to embed energy efficiency considerations into everyday decision-making and this is by no means an easy feat. This won’t happen overnight, it requires clear planning, perseverance and ongoing support.

Actions speak louder than words in today’s challenging climate, it’s clear that businesses can no longer continue to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to energy efficiency. The benefits are now clear to all, but if businesses are to truly reap those benefits changes need to be made, policies must be put in place and improvements must carried out and maintained. Those 80% of companies that cited energy management as a key driver for reducing costs, should really make their actions speak louder than their words if they are really serious about controlling spend and increasing the overall efficiency of their business – it could also significantly reduce the need to make cuts elsewhere in the business, which in most cases would only damage an organisation’s performance.

BSI Group

In an Energy Efficiency Assesment report issued on Tuesday (click here to see report) New York State provided very interesting recommendations that could move the Empire State to the lead position in the US as far as a clean energy economy is concerned and it makes financial sense as well.

The plan recommends energy efficiency as a major focus for commerce and industry and a new state building code that would also require stricter energy efficiency. Not only will this bring environmental benefits but the costing is a no-brainer, as the return on investment in energy efficiency is substantial – to quote the report:

“The 2008 Optimal Report concluded that opportunities for electricity end-use efficiency in New York are extensive and inexpensive compared with available supply options. Results of the study estimate the State’s achievable potential through 2015 to be about 26,000 GWh, representing a reduction of approximately 14 percent from the forecast of electricity demand in 2015…….Programs that would capture this achievable potential would cost $7.2 billion in 2008 dollars over seven years, or an approximate average annual program portfolio budget of $1.0 billion. Net benefits to the New York economy would total $12.8 billion, including $20.8 billion in total statewide benefits and $8.0 billion in societal costs. The benefit-cost ratio of the electric efficiency measures is estimated to be 2.60, which means that the New York economy would capture approximately $2.60 in benefits for every dollar invested in efficiency.”

The report also highlights how the commercial sector has the greatest potential for energy saving and emphasised the main areas that can be affected, again to quote the report:

“Similarly, the end-users with the greatest efficiency potential for the commercial sector are indoor lighting, cooling, ventilation, and refrigeration. Within the commercial sector, the study concludes that the building type with the greatest energy savings potential is office space, which accounts for 33 percent of the efficiency savings opportunities. Finally, for the industrial sector, the greatest efficiency savings opportunities are in industrial process end-uses and indoor lighting.”

From my point of view it is interesting to see where they stress the efficiencies can be made, all areas where I know the company I am associated with, Enigin PLC, have products to intelligently control energy use.

The report also focuses on the importance of advance meters, such as the Eniscope, to supply end-users with real-time energy consumption feed-back, the report states:

“By enabling customers to receive information regarding system costs in real time and to take actions to respond to higher electricity peak prices, AMI (Advance Metering Infrastructure) has the potential to reduce peak demands. In addition, the ability to monitor customer usage would improve a utility’s ability to measure the actual effects of energy efficiency measures.”

This is an important efficiency and money saver for many organisations. In Daytona, Florida, Bethune-Cookman University made savings of 43% after monitoring just one cooling station using an Eniscope advance meter, which identified areas where they were spiking their energy use and hence being penalised financially. The Eniscope enabled them to intelligently change usage patterns and make financial and energy savings, plus seeing reductions in maintenance costs.

I hope New York State will be able to put their recommendations into practice and provide not just a national lead but an international one as well.

If so, regardless of the financial prejudice involved, failure to cooperate and agree to compromise will mean a depressing future for our planet and its population. Wealthier nations, such as the US (who didn’t sign the Kyoto accord back in 1997 fearing their economy would suffer), have demonstrated reluctance to cut carbon emissions to avoid the financial contributions entailed.

Unfortunately, until the US decides to sign up to targets, the rest of the world will be unwilling to do so. An example needs to be set, and time is running short.

In effect, disadvantaged countries are more vulnerable to climate change than richer ones, and this should urge the latter to suggest their help in the face of this shared adversity.

A set of measures have been identified as necessary to counterattack the climate threat:

- set emission reduction targets for industrial countries
- secure commitments by developing countries to slow emissions growth
- establish hard figures of funding for poor countries
- create an institution to manage those funds

It is of common interest to aid the poor to implement energy saving methods, as lack of action now could result in bigger costs down the line.
Developing countries, that will be the biggest emitters in the future, want around £250 billion per annum to help them cut emissions by becoming energy efficient, switching from fossil fuels to clean energy like wind and solar. The money will also help vulnerable countries like small island states adapt to climate change. As unlikely as this funding is currently, developed countries sway towards committing to a substantial contribution to keep the subject on the table.

Climate risk reduction officer for aid agency CAFOD, Agnes Kithikii, presents the issue as critical: “People are dying right now due to climate change and more people will die because of the delay in reaching a legally binding agreement this December in Copenhagen,” she said. “The US, EU, Australia and Canada and other rich countries are denying the poorest and most vulnerable people the right to a future.”

The Paris-based agency made this appeal at a ministerial meeting held in the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Jean-Yves Garnier, the director of the IEA energy statistics office, wished for the ministerial conference to send a clear message to their 28 member states.

The IEA’s Scoreboard for 2009 revealed that energy efficiency improved on average annually by 1.9 percent between 1979 and 1990, but in recent years that improvement had fallen to only 1 percent.

IEA analysts reason that, since the 1980s oil price hike ended, many countries cut back on their efforts on energy efficiency.

The IEA was established in 1974 after the oil crisis, the inter-governmental institution acts as a policy advisor to 28 member countries, but also works with many other countries.

The agency has recently focused on energy security, economic development and environmental protection, the so-called 3Es.

Reducing energy use will save organisations a total of £1 billion and more than 4MtCO2 each year by 2020

The final details of the UK Government’s scheme to save organisations money on fuel bills and to reduce carbon emissions have been unveiled today by the UK’sDepartment of Energy and Climate Change.

The Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme is a new regulatory incentive to improve energy efficiency in large public and private sector organisations. Large energy users in business and the public sector will be required to take part in the scheme from 1st April 2010 (not the best of dates – ed).

Following extensive consultation with businesses and trade bodies, DECC has made some improvements to the scheme:

• • To smooth the introduction of the scheme and to help ease the upfront costs, organisations will only have to report emissions in the first year (2010/11). In subsequent years organisations will have to buy allowances corresponding to their emissions from energy use, and then surrender them by the end of the year.
  • In the second year (2011/12) extra weighting will be given to organisations which take action early to improve energy efficiency.
  • Recognition will be given to organisations which use onsite renewable energy like wind turbines or solar panels by publishing the increased carbon savings from such measures.
  • Organisations will be given greater flexibility in how they participate. Subsidiaries who are large enough to qualify in own right (at least 6000MWh) may opt to do so separately from their organisational group.
  • Given the primary focus of the scheme is energy efficiency, the CRC will now be known as CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

It is good to see governments taking actions such as these – if there is a problem it is in the fact that this “regulatory incentive” is not understood by many in commerce and industry!

]]> http://www.energysavingblog.com/2009/10/energy-efficiency-scheme-will-save-cash-and-carbon/feed/ 1