A cost-minimizing approach to eliminating the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Timmons ◽  
Benjamin Weil
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Dynamic Pricing ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marginal Costs

Purpose Many institutions of higher education have committed to carbon neutrality. Given this goal, the main economic issue is minimizing cost. As for society as a whole, dominant decarbonization strategies are renewable electricity generation, electrification of end uses and energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to describe the optimum combination of strategies. Design/methodology/approach There are four questions for eliminating the primary institutional greenhouse gas emissions: how much renewable electricity to produce on-site; where and at what price to purchase the balance of renewable electricity required; how to heat and cool buildings without fossil fuels; and how much to invest in energy efficiency. A method is presented to minimize decarbonization costs by equating marginal costs of the alternates. Findings The estimated cost of grid-purchased carbon-free energy is the most important benchmark, determining both the optimal level of campus-produced renewable energy and the optimum efficiency investment. In the context of complete decarbonization, greater efficiency investments may be justified than when individual measures are judged only by fossil-fuel savings. Practical implications This paper discusses a theoretically ideal plan and implementation issues such as purchasing carbon-free electricity, calculating marginal costs of conserved energy, nonmarginal cost changes, uncertainty about achieving efficiency targets, and dynamic pricing. The principles described in this study can be used to craft a cost-minimizing decarbonization strategy. Originality/value While previous studies discuss decarbonization strategies, there is little economic guidance on which strategies are optimal, on how to combine strategies to minimize cost or how to identify a preferred path to decarbonization.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Institutions of Higher Education

2010 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parikhit Sinha ◽  
William A. Schew ◽  
Aniket Sawant ◽  
Kyle J. Kolwaite ◽  
Sarah A. Strode
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Gas Emissions

scholarly journals Evaluation of vehicle lightweighting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with focus on magnesium substitution

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 869-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddharth Kulkarni ◽  
David John Edwards ◽  
Erika Anneli Parn ◽  
Craig Chapman ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fuel Economy ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Material Design ◽  
Torsional Stiffness ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Vehicle weight reduction represents a viable means of meeting tougher regulatory requirements designed to reduce fuel consumption and control greenhouse gas emissions. This paper aims to present an empirical and comparative analysis of lightweight magnesium materials used to replace conventional steel in passenger vehicles with internal combustion engines. The very low density of magnesium makes it a viable material for lightweighting given that it is lighter than aluminium by one-third and steel by three-fourth. Design/methodology/approach A structural evaluation case study of the “open access” Wikispeed car was undertaken. This included an assessment of material design characteristics such as bending stiffness, torsional stiffness and crashworthiness to evaluate whether magnesium provides a better alternative to the current usage of aluminium in the automotive industry. Findings The Wikispeed car had an issue with the rocker beam width/thickness (b/t) ratio, indicating failure in yield instead of buckling. By changing the specified material, Aluminium Alloy 6061-T651 to Magnesium EN-MB10020, it was revealed that vehicle mass could be reduced by an estimated 110 kg, in turn improving the fuel economy by 10 per cent. This, however, would require mechanical performance compromise unless the current design is modified. Originality/value This is the first time that a comparative analysis of material substitution has been made on the Wikispeed car. The results of such work will assist in the lowering of harmful greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously augment fuel economy.

Comparison of time series approaches for prediction of energy consumption focusing on greenhouse gases emission in Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-499
Author(s):  
Maryam Doroodi ◽  
Alireza Mokhtar
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Energy Carriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Double Exponential ◽  
Double Exponential Smoothing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to predict the amount of energy consumption by using a suitable statistical method in some sectors and energy carriers, which has shown a significant correlation with greenhouse gas emissions. Design/methodology/approach After studying the correlation between energy consumption rates in different sectors of energy consumption and some energy carriers with greenhouse gas distribution (CO2, SO2, NOX and SPM), the most effective factors on pollution emission will be first identified and then predicted for the next 20 years (2015 to 2004). Furthermore, to determine the appropriate method for forecasting, two approaches titled “trend analysis” and “double exponential smoothing” will be applied on data, collected from 1967 to 2014, and their capabilities in anticipating will be compared to each other contributing MSD, MAD, MAPE indices and also the actual and projected time series comparison. After predicting the energy consumption in the sectors and energy carriers, the growth rate of consumption in the next 20 years is also calculated. Findings Correlation study shows that four energy sectors (industry sector, agriculture, transportation and household-general-commercial) and two energy carriers (electricity and natural gas) have shown remarkable correlation with greenhouse gas emissions. To predict the energy consumption in mentioned sectors and carriers, it is proven that double exponential smoothing method is more capable in predicting. The study shows that among the demand sectors, the industry will account for the highest consumption rate. Electricity will experience the highest rate among the energy careers. In fact, producing this amount of electricity causes emissions of greenhouse gases. Research limitations/implications Access to the data and categorized data was one of the main limitations. Practical implications By identifying the sectors and energy carriers that have the highest consumption growth rate in the next 20 years, it can be said that greenhouse gas emissions, which show remarkable correlation with these sectors and carriers, will also increase dramatically. So, their stricter control seems to be necessary. On the other hand, to control a particular greenhouse gas, it is possible to focus on the amount of energy consumed in the sectors and carriers that have a significant correlation with this pollutant. These results will lead to more targeted policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Social implications The tendency of communities toward industrialization along with population growth will doubtlessly lead to more consumption of fossil fuels. An immediate aftermath of burning fuels is greenhouse gas emission resulting in destructive effects on the environment and ecosystems. Identifying the factors affecting the pollutants resulted from consumption of fossil fuels is significant in controlling the emissions. Originality/value Such analyses help policymakers make more informed and targeted decisions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make safer and more appropriate policies and investment.

scholarly journals Solar energy policy to boost Brazilian power sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-367
Author(s):  
Juliana Pacheco Barbosa ◽  
Joisa Dutra Saraiva ◽  
Julia Seixas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Power System ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Incentive Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the opportunity for the energy policy in Brazil to tackle the very high cost-effectiveness potencial of solar energy to the power system. Three mechanisms to achieve ambitious reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 2030 and 2040 are assessed wherein treated as solar targets under ambitious reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector. Then, three mechanisms to achieve these selected solar targets are suggested. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews current and future incentive mechanisms to promote solar energy. An integrated energy system optimization model shows the most cost-efficient deployment level. Incentive mechanisms can promote renewable sources, aiming to tackle climate change and ensuring energy security, while taking advantage of endogenous energy resources potential. Based on a literature review, as well as on the specific characteristics of the Brazilian power system, under restrictions for the expansion of hydroelectricity and ambitious limitation in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the power sector. Findings The potential unexploited of solar energy is huge but it needs the appropriate incentive mechanism to be deployed. These mechanisms would be more effective if they have a specific technological and temporal focus. The solar energy deployment in large scale is important to the mitigation of climate change. Originality/value The value of the research is twofold: estimations of the cost-effective potential of solar technologies, generated from an integrated optimization energy model, fully calibrated for the Brazilian power system, while tacking the increasing electricity demand, the expected reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the need to increase the access to clean and affordable energy, up to 2040; proposals of three mechanisms to deploy centralized PV, distributed PV and solar thermal power, taking the best experiences in several countries and the recent Brazilian cases.

scholarly journals Smart Solutions for Sustainable Cities—The Re-Coding Experience for Harnessing the Potential of Urban Rooftops

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 7112
Author(s):  
Valeria Todeschi ◽  
Guglielmina Mutani ◽  
Lucia Baima ◽  
Marianna Nigra ◽  
Matteo Robiglio
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
The City

Urban rooftops are a potential source of water, energy, and food that contribute to make cities more resilient and sustainable. The use of smart technologies such as solar panels or cool roofs helps to reach energy and climate targets. This work presents a flexible methodology based on the use of geographical information systems that allow evaluating the potential use of roofs in a densely built-up context, estimating the roof areas that can be renovated or used to produce renewable energy. The methodology was applied to the case study of the city of Turin in Italy, a 3D roof model was designed, some scenarios were investigated, and priorities of interventions were established, taking into account the conditions of the urban landscape. The applicability of smart solutions was conducted as a support to the review of the Building Annex Energy Code of Turin, within the project ‘Re-Coding’, which aimed to update the current building code of the city. In addition, environmental, economic, and social impacts were assessed to identify the more effective energy efficiency measures. In the Turin context, using an insulated green roof, there was energy saving in consumption for heating up to 88 kWh/m2/year and for cooling of 10 kWh/m2/year, with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 193 tCO2eq/MWh/year and 14 tCO2eq/MWh/year, respectively. This approach could be a significant support in the identification and promotion of energy efficiency solutions to exploit also renewable energy resources with low greenhouse gas emissions.

Applying optimization techniques to improve of energy efficiency and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of wheat production

Energy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
pp. 672-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashkan Nabavi-Pelesaraei ◽  
Homa Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha ◽  
Peyman Qasemi-Kordkheili ◽  
Hamed Kouchaki-Penchah ◽  
Farshid Riahi-Dorcheh
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Wheat Production
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