Energy, Environment & Engineers · Energy, Environment & Engineers Green Talks SJSU October...

Energy, Environment & Engineers Green Talks

SJSU October 2017 Bill Dunckel P.E.

BILL DUNCKEL ∗ SJSU MS. ISE 1978 ∗ P.E. 1986 ∗ Two decades in the energy industry ∗ Representing only myself ∗ Putting inspiration into practice

One Engineer’s View

∗ See a Need ∗ Find an Opportunity ∗ Identify a Solution ∗ Predict and confirm the solution’s performance under

all conditions

∗ Responsible for safety and well being of the public

What is Engineering?

∗ 1st Law of Thermodynamics + Conservation of Mass = Everything remains on Earth, including undesirable byproducts.

∗ Engineers design products, systems, and processes that impact the earth.

∗ It is the engineer’s duty to minimize that impact. But how?

The Environmental Problem

∗ Oil or steam? ∗ Direct cost comparison ∗ Boiler PSI ∗ Net environmental

impact

Flatwork Ironer Example

Image from siouxlaundry.com

Image from cannepp.com

The Solution?

∗ Defined often by Carbon Emissions ∗ Some sources harm the environment less than others

but all have undesirable byproducts ∗ No single source can meet our energy needs ∗ Ref. ME 172 Alternative Energy Sources

Choose a Clean Energy Source

Evolution of Primary Energy Sources

Cumulative Contributions to the Global

Carbon Budget from 1870

Source: Global Carbon Project “Carbon Budget 2015”, Nov. 2015

∗ Heating/cooling – residential, commercial, industrial ∗ Lighting – homes, buildings, streets, signals ∗ Mechanical motion – transportation, water management,

electricity generation ∗ Electronics - telecom, internet, TV, computing, gaming, etc.

End Uses of Energy

US Energy Consumption

∗ The entire circle, not just the source, impacts the environment. ∗ Measure the total environmental footprint from source to end use. Strive for improvement. ∗ National Transit Research Consortium estimates that by 2035 there will be somewhere between

1.3 million and 6.7 million worn-out EV hybrid and plug-in vehicle batteries in the U.S. (mostly NiMH).

Environmental Circle of Energy

Source

End Use

Equipment Disposal

Decommission Capture, Convert

& Transport

Equipment Mfg.

Byproducts

Exhaust & Heat

∗ Energy Crisis of 1970’s Jimmy Carter ∗ Conservation defined – sweater & table lamp ∗ Small car trend – fuel efficiency from downsizing ∗ Quick to start and politically attractive ∗ Hard to sustain a cultural shift

Recent US Energy History (The old solution)

1974 2017

∗ Example: Lighting – incandescent, fluorescent, HID, LED

Applied Technology (The new solution)

Research

Commercialization Market Adoption

Application Development Normalization & Standardization

∗ Audits ∗ Tax Incentives ∗ Rebates ∗ Cap & Trade ∗ Regulations -Title 24, ∗ Oversight - BAAQMD

All this is designed to push us toward a cleaner environment

but good engineering can do it better.

Governmental Programs

∗ Explore ∗ Innovate responsibly ∗ Justify – first cost vs life cycle cost (Engineering Economic Analysis – Newnan et.al.) ISE 102 and 103. ∗ Implement – go see it! ∗ Monitor performance - commissioning ∗ Incorporate into your design practice

Putting it into Practice

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

∗ HACA concept to ASHRAE standard practice

Data Center Example

• Data Center: 100 to 1,000 w/sqft • House: 1/2 to 2 w/sqft - 11,000kwh/yr

.

Image from slashgear.com

2% of US energy and growing

Billi

ons

of K

wh/

year

Data approximated from lbl.gov

∗ Cooling power is about 1/3 of the total

Data Center Example

Image from indiamart.com

Smartphone Ap to track your location

1 GPS triangulation/hour .1 gram CO2e/triangulation 8 hours/day 200 days/yr 2 million users 352 tons CO2e/year. Change triangulation rate to 1/minute increases total footprint by 20,768 tons CO2e/year. = 432 tree equivalent (per EPA: 1,640.7 lbs CO2/MWh ) (¼ gram CO2e/watt hour – energyguide.be)

Even small Things can have BIG Environmental Footprints

∗ Remember: ∗ No source is perfect - undesirable byproducts ∗ No single source can meet our needs ∗ Nothing leaves our planet

∗ Measure the total environmental footprint from source to decommissioning, not just the source

∗ Conserve when you can – don’t waste even what is “free” ∗ Watch for new products, designs, and practices and incorporate into your

engineering practices ∗ Become thought leaders and encourage others ∗ Don’t wait for the government to enforce standards ∗ Carbon today, but what are tomorrow’s undesirable byproducts?

My Request of You

∗ Ernie Unwin ∗ Robert McQueen ∗ Grant Duhon ∗ Francois Rongere ∗ Aaron Rezendez ∗ Peter Rumsey ∗ Bruce Myatt

Acknowledgements & Links

∗ www.lbl.gov ∗ www.epa.gov ∗ www.eia.gov ∗ pge.com/pec ∗ Cfroundtable.org ∗ Images from Pixabay.com

Email Me: wcd7@pge.com