Article Link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/ecocenter/energy/Converting-Energy-Waste-into-Electricity-and-Heat.html
Picture Link: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSl78OXNrv8xEAVtW3A1nRiI5n-jU4PNfuKLZthe6HmUOP4Cux2H6tm5Ydkdg2nno_wAOAjP0TXLLwp2x98xgFlk2HAZVIc5b5zU1XDn7suo3kSr5pBLojwB3dpXJs_58eyGMN1pwvcxd/s1600/smoke-stack1_k4ys.jpg
The article, "Conveying Energy Waste into Electricity and
Heat" by Bruce Hathaway can be found in the Smithsonian website under the
date, February 27, 2009.
The sight
of a prolific smokestack is agonizing for most people to see because of the well-known
fact that many modern factories are still extremely inefficient. In fact, the average power plant is only 33
percent efficient. So, if you take three units of energy into a power plant you will only get one unit out. Luckily, we have CHP (Combined Heat and
Power) to save the environment. CHP is a way to
capture the intense heat escaping from smokestacks and turn it into electricity
or put it into other good use, such as heating homes. CHP could replace 30 percent of power
currently generated by fossil fuels, decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent,
and annually save $150 billion to $250 billion.
Bruce
Hathaway, an energy conversationalist and writer for Smithsonian, notes the
problem that our electric grid has with the CHP when he says, “We’re not doing
the best we can with the technology available.
Why? Well, for starters, our
electric grid is mainly run by protected monopolies, and they’re not rewarded
for efficiency. Inefficient central
power is protected by a glacier of artificial barriers. That regulatory glacier is slowly melting,
but not as fast as the real glaciers.”
So, the
real reason why companies are not using CHP is because of greed. Bruce Hathaway is saying that the stingy
companies that run power plants are too cheap to buy CHP because they will not
be rewarded for being efficient. If the
stubborn companies keep their ways, our climate may soon be changed too much before
we can make these companies use CHP.
It is hard
to believe that some people are so ignorant that they do not even bother trying
CHP. Although, not all countries avoid
CHP. Countries like Germany, Japan and
China already generate more than 20 percent of their national power by CHP, and
Denmark generates 50 percent of its power by CHP. If the U.S. generated just 20 percent of its
national power by CHP, then we would eliminate 848 million tons of carbon
dioxide emissions. That is equal to
removing 154 million cars from the road!
The
efficiency of CHP is not only great for the environment, but it also helps
economically. Since the CHP can make
power plants exceed 90 percent efficiency, the plants save an enormous amount
of money because their resources end up lasting longer. An example of a company that has great
success with CHP is a steel plant on the shores of Lake Michigan. This steel plant now saves over $100 million
a year, which is crucial for keeping it competitive in the world steel
market. Besides the big savings, this
company has been recognized by the EPA for cutting its greenhouse gases by 1.1
million tons a year.
The plants
that are against CHP remind me of the movie/book, The Lorax. The Once-ler’s mills keep on polluting and
destroying the environment. No matter
how often or how much the Lorax protests against cutting down the trees and ruining
the environment, the Once-ler just keeps on manufacturing thneeds. Many power plants, aka the Once-ler, are not
really trying to cut down on their carbon footprint no matter how much the
energy conversationalists are trying to persuade them to use CHP. Because of this, our environment is getting in much worse shape than it could be if these power plants listened the the energy conversationalists.
Personally,
I agree to what Bruce Hathaway is saying.
The pro-economic and pro-environmental CHP brings a win-win opportunity
for power plant everywhere. The fact
that CHP is not widely used in our electricity generating system should be belligerent
to most people. This article has taught
me that many companies in the U.S. are being extremely inefficient in the way
that they generate power. However, this
shame can be diminished by persuading power plants to use CHP.
I am very surprised that companies in the US don't use CHP. If I owned a power plant, I would definitely use it. Not only do I save money but I help the environment. I can't believe these companies won't use CHP, even if they don't care about the environment they would still save millions of dollars. I think you did a great job at explaining how ignorant and greedy some companies in the US are. I think your point was clean and good job. I only hope that some where in the near future these companies realize how badly they are effecting the environment and how they could do better. Especially before its too late and the damage is irreversible.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked to hear that the efficiency of most power plants is only 30%. That is a vast waste of natural resources and the cause of millions of tons of uneccesary pollution. I find it hard to believe that these companies are so ingnorant and lazy that they fail to put in place CHP practices. I don't understand how they could be cheating themselves out of millions of dollars in revenue/ savings and not take action. I would like to know the point of view from these inefficient companies, there must be some good reason they are not using CHP. Great job givin lots of information and making an interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting to read because I never knew about CHP. It is hard to believe so many plants do not use it. CHP is clearly an economic and environmental gain for a company. This article reminds me of our unit about the carbon cycle. You did a great job explaining how much less of an impact humans could have on the cycle if we use CHP.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a great article. Even if companies won't get rewarded for being more efficient now, it will pay off in the long run when we can actually breathe clean air instead of nasty, smog filled oxygen. I like the way you tied in this article to the Lorax. It's kind of ironic how similar these two situations are to each other. I never knew about CHP before, but it sounds like a smart descision we should utilize to keep our earth cleaner and houses warmer. Good job :)
ReplyDeleteI found this article very informing about companies impact on the environment. This article shows how greedy some companies are and how they need to change. You did a great job showing how some companies have accepted what they were doing and making a difference, while others are turning their heads the other way. If I owned a plant I would definitely switch to CHP because it not only saves me money in the long run but it also is pro environmental. All in all you did a great job making the problems in this worlds companies stand out. Great Job Kevin!
ReplyDeleteGood job on this post, Kevin. I didn't know that Germany, Japan and China already generate more than 20 percent of their national power by CHP, and Denmark 50 percent of its power by CHP. I am quite suprised that the United States do not use this type of enviormental-friendly power, as well as some other industrialized countries, besides China and Japan. I think that if every country had the intiative to use CHP, we would be seeing a big difference in our enviornment. Some companies may be greedy, but they do not realize how detrimental air pollution from smoke stacks and power plants can be to the enviornment and the air we breathe. This post is very informative and interesting. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteThis article was really informative, I had heard of ways that the process of power generation has become more efficient over time, but the idea of combining heat and power is new to me. I think that this new technology is very promising for the future as long as all power plants adapt it and increase their output in the process. I don't get why more countries haven't already adopted this practice. Good article, great summary.
ReplyDelete