Greenhouse gas mitigation benefits and cost-effectiveness of weatherization treatments for low-income, American, urban housing stocks

BackgroundTwo major factors that determine the efficiency of programs designed to mitigate greenhouse gases by encouraging voluntary changes in U.S. agricultural land management are the effect of land use changes on producers’ profitability and the net sequestration those changes create. In this work, we investigate how the interaction of these factors produces spatial heterogeneity in the cost-efficiency of voluntary programs incentivizing tillage reduction and cover-cropping practices. We map county-level predicted rates of adoption for each practice with the greenhouse gas mitigation or carbon sequestration benefits expected from their use. Then, we use these bivariate maps to describe how the cost efficiency of agricultural mitigation efforts is likely to vary spatially in the United States.ResultsOur results suggest the combination of high adoption rates and large reductions in net emissions make reduced tillage programs most cost efficient in the Chesapeake Bay watershed or the Upper Mississippi and Lower Missouri sub-basins of the Mississippi River. For programs aiming to reduce net emissions by incentivizing cover-cropping, we expect cost-efficiency to be greatest in the areas near the main stem of the Mississippi River within its Middle and Lower sections.ConclusionsMany voluntary agricultural conservation programs offer the same incentives across the United States. Yet spatial variation in profitability and efficacy of conservation practices suggest that these uniform approaches are not cost-effective. Spatial targeting of voluntary agricultural conservation programs has the potential to increase the cost-efficiency of these programs due to regional heterogeneity in the profitability and greenhouse gas mitigation benefits of agricultural land management practices across the continental United States. We illustrate how predicted rates of adoption and greenhouse gas sequestration might be used to target regions where efforts to incentivize cover-cropping and reductions in tillage are most likely to be cost -effective.

Co-design and assessment of mitigation practices in rice production systems: A case study in northern Vietnam

The Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program at West Virginia University (WVU), which is funded by the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), has provided a unique opportunity to enhance efficient energy utilization in small to medium-sized manufacturers. It has also provided training to engineering students in the identification and analysis of efficient energy use in each aspect of the manufacturing process and associated supporting elements. The outcomes of the IAC Program at WVU have assisted the manufacturers and the students in having a heightened sensitivity to industrial energy conservation, waste reduction, and productivity improvement, as well as a better understanding of the technical aspects of manufacturing processes and the supporting elements through which efficient energy utilization can be enhanced. The IAC at WVU has conducted 101 energy assessments from 2002 until 2006. The focus of the industrial assessments has been on energy savings. It has been the IAC’s interest to strongly focus on energy savings and on waste minimization and productivity improvements that strictly have an impact on energy. The IAC at WVU was selected as the Center of the year in 2005 from amongst 26 centers and has obtained a ranking within the top 5 in the previous few years. From 2002 to 2006, the total recommended energy savings produced by the IAC at WVU is 1,214,414 MMBtu, of which the electricity accounts for 93,826,067 kWh (equivalent to 320,226 MMBtu) and natural gas for 871,743 MMBtu. The balance is accounted for in savings in other fuels, mainly coal and wood. This results in an average recommended energy savings of 928,971 kWh from electricity and 8,631 MMBtu from natural gas per facility. The total CO2 emissions saved from 2002 to 2006 is 154,462 tons, with an average of 1,529.3 tons per facility. The average recommended energy cost savings per facility is $135,036. The overall implementation rate of the assessment recommendations is 60.6% for the 101 industrial assessments conducted since 2002. The implemented recommendations resulted in total energy savings of 62,328,006 kWh from electricity, 295,241 MMBtu from natural gas, and 43,593 MMBtu from other fuels, totaling 551,557 MMBtu. The average implemented energy savings per industrial facility is 5,461 MMBtu and the average implemented energy cost savings is $ 59,879. The average implemented energy and productivity cost savings exceeds the program average of $ 60,000 per assessment. The IAC at WVU has produced a variety of energy efficiency recommendations in areas of industrial energy consumption such as Boilers and Steam systems (19), Air Compressors (15), HVAC (4), Chillers (12), Furnaces and Ovens (17), Motors (8), Lighting (20), Insulation (3), CHP and Cogeneration (4), and Process Equipment (7). The project has benefited the public by enabling the reduction of CO2 emissions by 89,726 tons due to the implemented energy saving recommendations at 101 small and medium sized manufacturing facilities. Since CO2 is a green house gas, its reduction will improve the quality of the environment significantly. The reduction in operating costs for the manufacturing facilities in terms of energy cost savings will increase the manufacturing facilities’ profits and improve their competitive edge, thus causing possible expansion in the manufacturing activities, leading to increase in good paying jobs.

Competition for the biomass resource: Greenhouse impacts and implications for renewable energy incentive schemes

Anaerobic digestion to produce biogas is an important decentralised renewable energy technology. Production varies extensively between different countries and within countries, as biogas production is heavily dependent on local and regional feedstocks. In Germany, distinct regional differences can be observed. Therefore, understanding the kinds of biogas systems operating within a region is crucial to determine their greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential and carbon neutrality. This is the first study to conduct an integrated life cycle assessment of biogas configurations in the landscape (biogas plants and their biomass catchments) for an entire region. RELCA a ‘REgional Life Cycle inventory Assessment’ approach was used to model the GHG mitigation potential of 425 biogas plants in the region of Central Germany (CG), aggregated to nine biogas clusters, based on feedstock mix (e.g. animal manures and energy crops) and installed capacity. GHG emission profiles were generated to compare and to identify the role of GHG credits and size of installed capacity on the mitigation performance of the regional biogas clusters. We found that smaller scaled slurry dominant clusters had significantly better GHG mitigation performance (−0.1 to −0.2 kg CO2eq kWhel−1), than larger energy crop dominant (ECdom) clusters (0.04–0.16 kg CO2eq kWhel−1), due to lower cultivation emissions and larger credits for avoided slurry storage. Thus, for the CG region larger ECdom clusters should be targeted first, to support GHG mitigation improvements to the overall future electricity supplied by the regional biogas systems. With the addition of GHG credits, the CG region is producing biogas with GHG savings (−0.15 kg CO2eq kWhel−1, interquartile range: 0.095 kg CO2eq kWhel−1). This infers that biogas production, as a waste management strategy for animal manures, could have important ramifications for future policy setting and national inventory accounting.

Driven by the global campaign against the dual pressures of environmental pollution and resource exhaustion, the Chinese government has proposed the target of carbon neutrality. On account of this, the increasing number of waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) from electric vehicles (EVs) is causing emergent waste-management challenges and it is urgent that we implement an appropriate waste-LIB recycling program, which would bring significant environmental benefits. In order to comprehensively estimate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste-LIB recycling, the GHG savings also need to be taken into account. Based on the requirements of a carbon-neutral target, this study adopted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method to established a mathematical model for measuring the GHG emissions and GHG savings of waste LIBs and a numerical experiment is presented to verify the model. The results were analyzed and are discussed as follows: (1) To achieve carbon neutrality, the resultant GHG emissions and GHG savings are equal, and the corresponding value is 706.45 kg CO2-eq/t. (2) The influence of the ratio of recovery from different collection centers on the net GHG emissions is relatively weak and the ratio of different processing strategies significantly affects the net GHG emissions. (3) There are three directions including recycling technologies, type of batteries, and environmental pollutants, that warrant investigation in the future research.

Core Ideas Corn stover is a potentail feedstock for advanced biofuels. Benefits and risks assoicated with harvesting residues reviewed. Strategies to protect soil if residues harvested summarized. Crop residues like corn (Zea mays L) stover are potential feedstock for production of advanced biofuels (e.g., cellulosic ethanol). Utilization of residue like stover for biofuel feedstock may provide economic and greenhouse gas mitigation benefits; however, harvesting these materials must be done in a manner that protects the soil. This paper summarizes an introductory overview presented at the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) workshop in Sacramento, CA, on crop residue removal for advanced biofuel production. Corn stover has been identified as an advanced biofuel feedstock, which could provide agronomic, economic and greenhouse gas mitigation benefits. However, stover harvest may result in soil exposed to erosive forces, and inadequate residue input for sustaining soil organic matter, resulting in soil degradation and other negative environmental consequences. Thus, strategies to protect the soil resource to balance current and future societal needs are required. Returning adequate residue and/or adding cover crops can mitigate or reduce risks to soil properties, which may be adversely impacted by harvesting crop residue. It is paramount to safeguard the soil so this indispensable resource continues providing a wide range of services including feeding and clothing a growing population.

Climate change is driving the need for new approaches to energy production and utilization globally, contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Low-emission hydrogen is recognized as a key energy vector for decarbonization, and numerous countries are currently evaluating strategies and roadmaps for its integration. Colombia, with its abundant renewable resources, is poised as a potential player in hydrogen production. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of hydrogen pathways and their cross-sectoral interactions within the Colombian energy system. By employing an open energy system optimization framework (OSeMOSYS), we modelled a detailed supply-demand hydrogen chain and analysed a series of scenarios from 2021 to 2050, including a sensitivity analysis. Our results show that hydrogen pathways will require 2–6.4 Mt/year in hydrogen production, 8–27 GW in new installed capacity, and US$50–80 billion in investments, with favourable impacts in GHG mitigation, energy imports, and socioeconomic benefits. We use these findings to suggest an update to the targets of the current National Hydrogen Roadmap focused on a higher ambition to deploy a full hydrogen economy. Our open methodology provides a valuable tool for conducting further assessments in developing countries interested in defining low-emission hydrogen roadmaps.

Aviation alternative fuels are perceived as an effective short-term mean to decarbonise our flights. Sustainable aviation fuels from algae have been recently approved for commercial flights, and here we present an assessment of their greenhouse gas (GHG) savings. Three case studies have been investigated with different plant designs and cultivation strategies. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation’s Life Cycle Assessment methodology is used as a guideline to assess the GHG saving potential of aviation fuels from algae. The approach here presented allows having a sound comparison with other alternative fuel production pathways. We show that the cultivation strategy based on oil maximisation does not necessarily provide significant advantages in terms of GHG savings. The assessed GHG savings fall in a wide range, being dependent on the inputs and cultivation strategy considered. In the best-case scenario, up to 68% of GHG savings can be achieved, therefore offering a substantial advantage over traditional fuels. When compared with the GHG saving of kerosene from other traditional bio-based feedstocks, like rapeseed, the results confirm algae as an interesting alternative, provided that certain conditions for their cultivation, such as high process optimisation, nutrient recycling and use of renewable energy to meet input demand, are met. The study also assessed the area potentially needed for an algae production plant able to supply large volumes of raw material to an existing commercial biorefinery. The findings confirm the potential of this feedstock to mitigate land abandonment on the coasts of the Mediterranean basin.

Optimal building retrofit pathways considering stock dynamics and climate change impacts

We develop a stylized model of fuel markets in an open economy to analyze the impact of ethanol policy on social welfare and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The policies considered here include the $0.51 per gallon blender’s subsidy for ethanol and the import tariff of $0.54 per gallon on sugarcane ethanol. Our analysis shows that the combined subsidy and tariff policy decreases welfare by about $3.6 billion relative to a non intervention policy. Furthermore, there are no GHG mitigation benefits since GHG emissions show a slight increase (0.08%) when both policies are in place.

Biomass direct-fired power generation system in China: An integrated energy, GHG emissions, and economic evaluation for Salix

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to quantify the potential levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) and cost savings from a set of households’ energy saving measures, considered as “everyday choices”.Design/methodology/approachFour areas of living were selected for the study: household electricity, space heating, transport and food consumption. The study used a quantitative research approach in which the impact of selected scenarios of an average Finnish household was assessed.FindingsFindings suggest that GHG savings from behavioural change regarding household electricity remain marginal in comparison to savings gained from transportation related measures. Transportation also provides the most cost-efficient ways to decrease GHGs but not in all cases. Based on the results, the authors suggest that smart technologies, such as on-line, active feedback systems could have a major role in guiding household energy use. Also, given the high GHG savings from transport, the authors highlight the importance of providing infrastructure and services for clean mobility, and in designing well-functioning and compact cities enabling shorter travels.Originality/valueThe aim of our study was twofold – by analysing the case household’s choices, we obtained information on environmental and economic impacts, but in addition to this, the aim was to open discussion on the role of households in tackling climate change and how to support households in making sustainable choices. Although research regarding household energy behaviour is vast, so far very few studies have focused on both economic and environmental impacts of households’ everyday actions.

We estimate the costs of climate change to US agriculture, and associated potential benefits of abating greenhouse gas emissions. Five major crops’ yield responses to climatic variation are modeled empirically, and the results combined with climate projections for a no-policy, high-warming future, as well as moderate and stringent mitigation scenarios. Unabated warming reduces yields of wheat and soybeans by 2050, and cotton by 2100, but moderate warming increases yields of all crops except wheat. Yield changes are monetized using the results of economic simulations within an integrated climate-economy modeling framework. Uncontrolled warming’s economic effects on major crops are slightly positive—annual benefits <$4 B. These are amplified by emission reductions, but subject to diminishing returns—by 2100 reaching $17 B under moderate mitigation, but only $7 B with stringent mitigation. Costs and benefits are sensitive to irreducible uncertainty about the fertilization effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, without which unabated warming incurs net costs of up to $18 B, generating benefits to moderate (stringent) mitigation as large as $26 B ($20 B).

Better targeting of fertilizer application can result in yields that meet or exceed those achieved without improved targeting while reducing total fertilizer use. However, in many growing regions, it may be difficult for farmers to access the necessary data to inform improved fertilizer use. The GreenSeeker Handheld is a low-cost technology that can be used to improve the efficiency of fertilizer applications by providing farmers with recommendations for the amount of nitrogen (N) to apply mid-season to meet the needs of their crops. The technology has been utilized on nearly 2,000 farmer fields representing more than 60,000 hectares in three regions of Mexico. In this study, the net effects of this technology on economic and environmental outcomes for these farmers were assessed. Specifically, farmer field-level data and locally derived greenhouse gas emission factors were analyzed and use of the GreenSeeker Handheld was estimated to have led to a total of $2.6 M USD in additional profits and more than 14,300 tons CO2e of avoided emissions. However, not all farmers utilizing this technology followed the resulting recommendations. Participating farmers that did not follow the recommendations experienced lower profits, indicating that benefits would have been larger had participants applied fertilizer at the levels recommended for their fields. In addition, the total benefits of higher farm profits and reduced emissions could be scaled up significantly if this technology were applied more broadly. However, development and implementation of the technology had been supported by subsidies and further efforts would be needed to make it sustainable.