Plant Services - March 2008 - (Page 29)

SuStainability Energy not typically classified as renewable energy by most jurisdictions, but in many ways heat recovery shares the characteristics of most accepted renewable energy sources. It’s immediately available in vast quantities, and using it causes no increase in greenhouse gas emissions. By some estimates, the energy wasted as heat in generating electricity in the United States is the largest potentially carbon-free energy source on the planet. Some companies have recognized this and are systematically designing their processes and electrical supplies to maximize the use of recovered heat. BASF’s “Verbund” chemical plant concept is a well-documented example of this thinking. Industries with much smaller processes than BASF can gain similar benefits by teaming with other plants. The Friesenheimer Insel industrial park near Mannheim, Germany, is a good example of gaining benefits by cooperation. It’s interesting to see the range of choices evolving in Germany, a major market that’s been implementing a reasonably consistent renewable energy strategy for the past 15 to 20 years (Figure 2). The larger role of wind, hydro and biomass of various forms relative to solar and geothermal solutions (and despite the fact that Germany’s photovoltaic incentives are among the most aggressive in the world) is a pretty good indicator of the relative economics and environmental impact. The obvious remaining renewable energy source readily available anywhere on earth, with zero greenhouse gas emissions, that is cheap to capture and cost-free to operate is, of course, energy efficiency. Tempting as it is to include this as usually the cleanest and cheapest energy source, conservation is beyond the scope of an article on energy sources commonly referred to as renewable. Cement plant runs with wind California Portland Cement Co. signed a 25-year contract with Southern California Edison that ensures a large portion of the power consumed at its Mojave, Calif., plant will be from a renewable energy source. In 2007, eight 3-megawatt wind turbines were installed in the Tehachapi (California) wind resource area by Alta Innovative Power Co. LLC. The turbines are expected to be fully operational in March 2008, to meet the plant’s electric power requirements. California Portland has won numerous awards for its energy activities, including honors in the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Partner of the Year program for three years in a row. In March 2007, the Mojave plant won its second energy efficiency award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine. This award recognizes the plant’s energy planning, applications of efficiency technologies and practices, and climate change mitigation efforts for the year 2006. The Mojave plant also received this honor at the 2005 awards ceremony – the first repeat winner in the same category in the six-year history of the awards. It continued to improve, and California Portland reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 by 31,247 metric tons compared to 2005. California Portland has led the cement industry in energy efficiency, encouraging duplication of its efforts to save energy, emissions and dollars. Examples of energy-saving focus areas include highefficiency process improvements, electrical and lighting systems, compressed air, mechanical systems and drives, plant operations, engineering, maintenance and public education. A badly thought-out renewable energy project that fails to deliver any obvious benefits will become a rationalization for not trying again. Brown learns beans United Parcel Service (UPS) is in the process of evaluating biodiesel fuel at its air hub in Louisville, Ky., running some 366 ground support vehicles on a 5% biodiesel blend. The biodiesel is manufactured from U.S.-produced oils such as soybean oil, recycled cooking oil or animal fat. The fuel reduces emissions of particulate matter, carbon and volatile organic compounds. Tests in October 2007 using biodiesel to replace jet fuel provided encouraging results, according to a Scientific American report (www. sciam.com). A 1968 L-29 Czechoslovakian jet was flown for 37 minutes to as high as 17,000 feet. “She flew and she flew just fine,” says physicist Rudi Wiedemann, president and CEO of Biodiesel Solutions Inc., whose company provided the fuel: fresh canola oil refined into biodiesel. “We wanted to show that it was doable by just going out and doing it.” Doug Rodante, president of Green Flight International (a company in Florida that promotes alternative aviation fuels), and chief test pilot Carol Sugars, a senior pilot with UPS, conducted extensive fuel tests on the ground, beginning with a 20% blend of biodiesel and normal jet fuel and progressing to 100% percent biodiesel (B100) as their confidence increased. Biodiesel can gel at cooler temperatures. The L-29 has a fuel-warming system, making it one of the few jets currently capable of burning biodiesel. “We can burn a 20% mix in other aircraft with no modifications,” Rodante says. “As little as 20% biodiesel in petroleum diesel fuel will reduce carbon emissions by 50%,” Wiedemann says. Airplanes emit roughly 12% of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, but they’re among the fastest-growing sources and, potentially, the most damaging because of their release higher in the atmosphere. 29 How renewable energy competes On the surface, most of the alternative energy sources appear to deliver desirable outcomes compared to traditional energy supplies. Alternatives can be less costly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve supply quality or reliability, or offer some combination of these. However, as the title of this article suggests, the reality is very often that these apparent benefits have a hard time competing with the low cost, convenience and reliability of traditional supplies. For this reason, it’s important for a company to have a clear understanding of why it wants to implement renewable energy solutions. This must be accompanied by clear measures of success that are rigorously tracked. A vague sense that it’s the right thing to do, or everyone else is doing it so it must be good, aren’t sufficiently sound reasons to proceed. A badly thought-out renewable energy project that fails to deliver any obvious benefits will become a rationalization for not trying again. The choice of solution depends on the reasoning. Consider some of the reasons and how they might affect the choice of renewable energy option. March 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com http://www.sciam.com http://www.sciam.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - March 2008

Plant Services - March 2008 Contents From The Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Enterprise Thinking Technology Toolbox: Hydrogen In Action Cover Story: Get Real Electrical: Reliable Distribution Power Transmission: When the Belt Breaks Web Hunter: Tooting Horns In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy versus Sustainability

Plant Services - March 2008

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