Page 23 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

INTRODUCTION xxi

Pollution Abatement Consideration

According to a 1999 study report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), one kilowatt
of energy produced by a coal-fired electric power–generating plant requires about 5 pound
(lb) of coal. Likewise, generation of 1.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electric energy per year
requires about 7400 lb of coal that in turn produces 10,000 lb of carbon dioxide (CO ).
2
Roughly speaking, the calculated projection of the power demand for the project totals
to about 2500 to 3000 kWh. This will require between 12 million and 15 million lb of
coal, thereby producing about 16 million to 200 million lb of carbon dioxide. Solar power,
if implemented as previously discussed, will substantially minimize the air pollution
index. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon be instituting an air pollu-
tion indexing system that will be factored into all future construction permits. All major
industrial projects will be required to meet and adhere to the air pollution standards and
offset excess energy consumption by means of solar or renewable energy resources.

Energy Escalation Cost Projection

According to the Energy Information Administration data source published in 1999,
California consumes just as much energy as Brazil or the United Kingdom. The entire
global crude oil reserves are estimated to last about 30 to 80 years, and over 50 percent
of the nation’s energy is imported from abroad. It is inevitable that energy costs will
surpass historical cost escalations averaging projections. The growth of fossil fuel con-
sumption is illustrated in Figure I.1. It is estimated that the cost of nonrenewable energy
will, within the next decade, increase by approximately 4 to 5 percent by producers.

Figure I.1 Growth in fossil fuel consumption. Courtesy of
Geothermal Education Office.