Page 351 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

326 Cha pte r Ei g h tee n

Energy Administration, forerunner of the Department of Energy,
launched Project Independence with the goal of achieving energy self-
sufficiency by 1980. Although some initial reductions were achieved,
the political agenda shifted, and the sense of urgency waned. Instead
of foreign oil imports declining from the 1973 level of about 33%, the
level of imports has risen to about 67% by 2008.

DFE in Energy Innovation
In response to concerns about energy and climate, there are many
companies around the world that have pursued a proactive strat-
egy—grappling with energy innovation rather than clinging to the
status quo. As described in Chapter 8, energy efficiency, conservation,
and carbon emission reduction have become important priorities in
the private sector. Companies of every size have become sensitized
to the importance of wise energy management, if only for purposes
of cost control; and many are implementing more efficient technolo-
gies such as combined heat and power. The following are examples
of environmentally beneficial innovations that are taking place spe-
cifically in the energy-producing industries:
• Carbon capture and storage. The coal-fired electric power
in dustry is exploring the use of carbon capture and storage
(CCS) technology as a long-term solution for eliminating
greenhouse gas emissions. A variety of techniques are being
investigated for trapping carbon dioxide (CO ) from coal com-
2
bustion before it is released into the atmosphere. While cap-
tured CO could be used for applications such as algae farms,
2
the most commonly cited method is pumping the CO into
2
underground storage chambers. For example, a Swedish util-
ity, Vattenfall, has established a pilot 30-megawatt power plant
fitted with CCS in Germany. In the United States the Depart-
ment of Energy was supporting similar pilot studies under
the FutureGen program, but funding has been suspended.
• Advanced biofuels. Renewable fuels, including next-
generation biofuels, are increasingly recognized as a critical
component of any U.S. strategy for energy security. Unlike
corn ethanol, advanced biofuels will offer both a substantial
return on energy and a sufficient use of renewable feedstocks
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per BTU by 50% or more
across the full life cycle. Examples of biomass sources being
investigated for advanced biofuels production include agri-
cultural residues such as rice straw, woody plants such as
poplar, municipal solid waste, and microorganisms such
as algae. Figure 18.4 illustrates the many possible pathways
for recovering biomass from waste streams and converting it
into energy, fuels, or bio-products [3].