Energy in Green Building: The Carbon Imperative and
the Ruby Slippers
Dr. Alexandra “Sascha” von Meier
Professor, Dept. of Environmental Studies & Planning
Sonoma State University
www.sonoma.edu/ensp
CO2 emissions ≈ 7 GtC/y
Natural carbon cycle ≈ 50 GtC/y
1 GtC/y = 1 billion tons of carbon per year, which may be bound in CO2 or other compounds
CO2 emissions ≈ 7 GtC/y
CO2 removal from atmosphere ≈ 3 GtC/y
7 800
3
Burning fossil fuel means combustion of hydrocarbons:
CXHY + O2 → CO2 + H2O
hydrocarbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
where the proportions of CO2 and H2O depend on X and Y
GISS analysis of global surface temperature; 2008 point is 11-month mean.
Source: Jim Hansen, 2008
Five Stages of Receiving Catastrophic News Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance
Source: Arctic Council and International Arctic Science Committee, www.acia.uaf.edu
Slide: John Holdren
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report
Climate stabilization (at 450 ppm CO2) requires global emissions to peak by 2015 and to fall to ~80% below 2000 levels by 2050
Slide: Jim Williams
California’s Big Step Forward:
Assembly Bill 32
2050 Target (EO 03-05)
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O2
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2008 Estimate
2020 Goal under AB32
2050 Goal
Executive order
Historical
Emissions
Inventory
Electricity
Transportation
Industry
Slide: Snuller Price
American Heritage Dictionary, 10th ed.
Physical Meaning of Energy:
Energy = the ability to do work
Force
distance
Work = Force · distance
Energy = the ability to do work
Potential energy = mgh
(mass, gravitational acceleration, height)
Kinetic energy = ½ mv2
(mass, velocity)
velocity
Examples of Energy
Natural gas in the pipeline (chemical)
Gas flame on my kitchen stove (chemical to thermal)
Hot water in the kettle (thermal)
Electricity in the wall outlet (electrical)
Spinning blade of the coffee grinder (mechanical kinetic)
Pancakes & maple syrup (chemical)
Vase sitting on top shelf (mechanical potential)
Vase falling down to floor (mechanical kinetic)
Radioactivity (nuclear to radiant)
Sunshine (radiant to thermal)
Wind (mechanical kinetic)
Because a measurable quantity of energy is conserved during any conversion of one form to another, it makes sense to give a single name to that quantity.
Matter and Energy Resources
“High Quality” means
concentrated
pure
easy to use
in an orderly state
“Low Quality” means
dispersed
impure
more difficult to use
disordered
High quality energy:
mechanical, electrical, radiant
Medium quality energy:
nuclear, chemical
Low quality energy:
thermal (heat)
2nd Law requires: Some of the chemical fuel energy will be degraded into heat. The amount of mechanical work or electricity produced will be less than the fuel input.
Basic lesson:
Use energy sources matched in quality with end use needs.
Units of energy:
calories
kilocalories
joules
kilowatt-hours (kWh)
British Thermal Units (BTU)
therms (105 BTU)
quads (1015 BTU)
Units of power:
calories per hour
joules per second = watts
kilowatts (kW)
BTU per hour
Power = energy per unit time
Electric usage 232 kWh $0.11/kWh
Gas usage 52 therms $0.71/therm
Conversion factors: 1 therm = 100,000 Btu = 105 Btu
1 kWh = 3,413 Btu
Questions:
• Which is my greater energy consumption – electricity or gas?
• Which is more expensive per unit energy – electricity or gas?
Electric usage 232 kWh $0.11/kWh
Gas usage 52 therms $0.71/therm
Conversion factors: 1 therm = 100,000 Btu = 105 Btu
1 kWh = 3,413 Btu
Convert 232 kWh into therms by multiplying
by the conversion factors (3,413 Btu / kWh) and (1 therm / 105 Btu):
232 kWh x (3,413 Btu / kWh) x (1 therm / 105 Btu) = 7.9 therms
→ I use 7.9 therms worth of electricity
$ 0.115 / kWh
PG&E electric rates have stayed about the same over the past five years
$ 1.04 / therm
$ 0.92 / therm
PG&E gas rates have gone up from $0.70 / therm
Electric rate $ 0.115 / kWh
Gas rate $ 0.92 – 1.04 / therm
Which is more expensive, gas or electricity?
Conversion factors: 1 therm = 100,000 Btu = 105 Btu
1 kWh = 3,412 Btu
$0.115/kWh x (1 kWh/3,412 Btu) x (105 Btu/therm)
= $3.37/therm
→ electricity is over three times as expensive as natural gas
Time for a break, maybe?
Portfolio of renewable energy resources Problematic issues: • spatial and temporal constraints on energy availability • requires sophisticated, integrated planning
In my opinion, these are the most readily solvable problems.
Pacific Gas & Electric, 1989
Exclusion zone radius 18 km, area 109 m2
Incident solar radiation 1000 W/m2
at conversion efficiency 0.1
could generate 108 kW or 100 GW of solar power
at capacity factor 0.2 would produce 5% of U.S. electric energy
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