Simple, efficient options that may assist reduce the impression of local weather change exist already. Some of them nonetheless must be applied, although, whereas others must be improved.
That’s in line with 2023 IEEE President Saifur Rahman, who was among the many audio system from engineering organizations on the COP27 occasion held in Egypt in November. The IEEE Life Fellow spoke throughout a session addressing the function of know-how in delivering an equitable, sustainable, and low-carbon resilient world.
Rahman, an influence knowledgeable and professor {of electrical} and pc engineering at Virginia Tech, is the previous chair of the IEEE advert hoc committee on local weather change. The committee was shaped final 12 months to coordinate the group’s response to the worldwide disaster.
About one-third of emissions globally are produced by electrical energy technology, and Rahman mentioned his mission is to assist cut back that quantity by engineering options.
At COP27, he mentioned that regardless that the primary legally binding worldwide treaty on local weather change, often known as the Paris Agreement, was adopted practically a decade in the past, international locations have but to come back to a consensus on the best way to cease burning fossil fuels, amongst different points. Some proceed to burn coal, for instance, as a result of there aren’t any different economically possible selections for them.
“We as technologists from IEEE say, ‘If you keep to your positions, you’ll never get an agreement,’” he mentioned. “We have come to offer this six-point portfolio of solutions that everybody can live with. We want to be a solution partner so we can have parties at the table to help solve this problem of high carbon emissions globally.”
The options Rahman outlined have been using confirmed strategies that cut back electrical energy utilization, making coal crops extra environment friendly, utilizing hydrogen and different storage options, selling extra renewables, putting in new varieties of nuclear reactors, and inspiring cross-border energy transfers.
Energy-saving suggestions
One motion is to make use of much less electrical energy, Rahman mentioned, noting that dimming lights by 20 % in properties, workplace buildings, motels, and faculties may save 10 % of electrical energy. Most folks wouldn’t even discover the distinction in brightness, he mentioned.
Another is switching to LEDs, which use not less than 75 % much less vitality than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs price about 5 occasions extra, however they last more, he mentioned. He referred to as on developed international locations to supply monetary help to creating nations to assist them substitute all their incandescent bulbs with LEDs.
Another energy-saving measure is to boost the temperature of air conditioners by 2 °C. This may save 10 % of electrical energy as effectively, Rahman.
By higher controlling lighting, heating, and cooling, 20 % of vitality may very well be saved with out inflicting anybody to endure, he mentioned.
Efficient coal-burning crops
Shutting down coal energy crops fully is unlikely to occur anytime quickly, he predicted, particularly since many international locations are constructing new ones which have 40-year life spans. Countries that proceed to burn coal ought to accomplish that in high-efficiency energy crops, he mentioned.
One sort is the ultrasupercritical coal-fired steam energy plant. Conventional coal-fired crops, which make water boil to generate steam that prompts a turbine, have an effectivity of about 38 %. Ultrasupercritical crops function at temperatures and pressures at which the liquid and gasoline phases of water coexist in equilibrium. It leads to increased efficiencies: about 46 %. Rahman cited the Eemshaven ultrasupercritical plant, in Groningen, Netherlands—which was in-built 2014.
Another environment friendly possibility he identified is the mixed cycle energy plant. In its first stage, pure gasoline is burned in a turbine to make electrical energy. The warmth from the turbine’s exhaust is used to provide steam to show a turbine within the second stage. The ensuing two-stage energy plant is not less than 25 % extra environment friendly than a single-stage plant.
“IEEE wants to be a solution partner, not a complaining partner, so we can have both parties at the table to help solve this problem of high carbon emissions globally.”
Another methodology to make coal-fired energy crops extra environmentally pleasant is to seize the exhausted carbon dioxide and retailer it within the floor, Rahman mentioned. Such carbon-capture techniques are being utilized in some places, however he acknowledges that the carbon sequestration course of is just too costly for some international locations.
Integrating and storing grid and off-grid vitality
To correctly stability electrical energy provide and demand on the ability grid, renewables must be built-in into vitality technology, transmission, and distribution techniques from the very begin, Rahman mentioned. He added that the vitality from wind, photo voltaic, and hydroelectric crops must be saved in batteries so the electrical energy generated from them throughout off-peak hours isn’t wasted however built-in into vitality grids.
He additionally mentioned low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen gas must be thought of as a part of the renewable vitality combine. The gas can be utilized to energy automobiles, provide electrical energy, and warmth properties, all with zero carbon emissions.
“Hydrogen would help emerging economies meet their climate goals, lower their costs, and make their energy grid more resilient,” he mentioned.
Smaller nuclear energy crops
Rahman conceded there’s a stigma that surrounds nuclear energy crops due to accidents at Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island, and elsewhere. But, he mentioned, with out nuclear energy, the idea of changing into carbon impartial by 2050 isn’t practical.
“It’s not possible in the next 25 years except with nuclear power,” he mentioned. “We don’t have enough solar energy and wind energy.”
Small modular reactors may substitute conventional nuclear energy crops. SMRs are simpler and cheaper to construct, and so they’re safer than in the present day’s giant nuclear crops, Rahman mentioned.
Though small, SMRs are highly effective. They have an output of as much as 300 megawatts of electrical energy, or a few quarter of the dimensions of in the present day’s typical nuclear plant.
The modular reactors are assembled in factories and shipped to their final location, as an alternative of being constructed onsite. And not like conventional nuclear services, SMRs don’t must be positioned close to giant our bodies of water to deal with the waste warmth discharge.
SMRs haven’t taken off, Rahman says, due to licensing and technical points.
Electricity switch throughout nationwide borders
Rahman emphasised the necessity for extra cross-border energy transfers, as few international locations have sufficient electrical energy to produce to all their residents. Many international locations already accomplish that.
“The United States buys power from Canada. France sells energy to Italy, Spain, and Switzerland,” Rahman mentioned. “The whole world is one grid. You cannot transition from coal to solar and vice versa unless you transfer power back and forth.”
Free analysis on local weather change
During the convention session, Rahman mentioned an IEEE assortment of seven,000 papers associated to local weather change is accessible from the IEEE Xplore Digital Library. IEEE additionally launched a web site that homes further sources.
None of the options IEEE proposed are new or untested, Rahman mentioned, however his objective is to “provide a portfolio of solutions acceptable to and deployable in both the emerging economies and the developed countries—which will allow them to sit at the table together and see how much carbon emission can be saved by creative application of already available technologies so that both parties win at the end of the day.”