A lesson in solving wicked problems: invent something that can solve multiple problems at the same time while providing a bridge to solve more. A Japanese inventor and his company have developed a machine that uses 1 kWh of electricity (worth about $0.10 - $0.15 in the US) and 1 gallon of water (worth about $0.0015 in the US) to turn 1 kg of plastic packaging and material (worth about $1.50) into 1 liter of oil (worth about $2.50). So if you paid nothing to the consumer to recycle their plastic, you could produce a product for just over 15 cents and sell it to urban markets for $2.50 per liter. You then avoid the costs of transporting the product, the emissions associated with current heating methods for recycling, and provide a steady source of oil that can help ease the transition to a fossil fuel-less future. All this, and the potential for residential or community-scale enterprise. Although I am no fan of compromise on continuing the use of fossil fuels, it is hard not to love this idea. (Add to it the fact that if implemented on a national scale, it could drastically lower the price of oil and still allow the process to make money...SOLD!)
Plastic to oil fantastic
"'If we burn the plastic, we generate toxins and a large amount of CO2. If we convert it into oil, we save CO2 and at the same time increase people’s awareness about the value of plastic garbage.'"
The fact that three of the top twenty sit near or on the largest freshwater reserve in the world should raise eyebrows. The number of cities in California and Florida on this list should raise alarm bells. The fact that it's a list of cities should not have prevented the authors of the study from listing the State of New Mexico in its entirety. We have more than enough water on the planet to support the projected population, but people do not always live where the water is, and localized issues are going to present major problems going forward...especially as sea levels rise and pollute freshwater aquifers with salinated water.
Could these 20 cities run out of water
"Unlike many other analysis, this study incorporated both local rainfall and the availability of stored and imported water – what the authors called 'hydraulic' sources. These sources include man-made reservoirs and aqueducts that can transport water from one drainage basin to another. The study also accounted for natural variability in rainfall and water availability to classify each urban area as low, medium, or high in vulnerability."
I am one of the first to confess my enjoyment of smartphones and small-computer technology, and my corresponding ambivalence to the energy use that supports it. My house is hyper-efficient relative to electricity use, so I do not notice - or pay for - much of the electricity that makes my devices possible. (Including the electricity that makes my blog available for viewing or updating 24/7/365.) As the efficiency of our heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment has dropped significantly over the past two decades, we retain high rates of electricity use because of this device proliferation, and the energy needed to support cloud data centers. With development of infrastructure in an era of cheap electricity, there is no incentive to make things cheaper.
Your iPhone uses more electricity than your fridge
"The global digital economy, also known as the ICT system (information-communications-technologies), sucks up as much electricity today as it took to illuminate the entire planet in 1985. The average iPhone requires more power per year than the average refrigerator. It’s like you’re walking around all day with a fridge’s worth of electricity in your pocket (but no hummus!)."
Even with this growing energy consumption by our personal devices, we still need to prioritize improving our homes. Thankfully, the market rewards transparency, efficiency, and renewable energy. Especially for those that have the ability to take advantage of historically low costs of capital, the investments in energy technology and efficiency will pay huge dividends in reclaimed value.
Study finds solar panels increase home values
Unlocking the value of an energy efficient home
"The premium ranged from $3.90 to $6.40 per watt of capacity, but tended most often to be about $5.50 per watt. This, the study said, 'corresponds to a home sales price premium of approximately $17,000 for a relatively new 3,100-watt PV system (the average size of PV systems in the study).'"
Unfortunately, the market still favors incumbents, so we need smart market development and regulation to make sure that we can transition to smarter uses of energy and not just ones that provide economic benefit to existing companies. Utilities need to be a part of the solution, and need to adopt a more flexible business model: one that allows them to maintain and transition their distribution infrastructure, but also allows them to participate in the renewable energy and community energy arenas.
Why US power companies don't want you putting solar panels on your roof
"The solar companies, however, fear this will make solar more expensive, hurting both their business and the spread of green energy as direct subsidies fade away. They argue that the utilities are overplaying their hand. A study they commissioned argues that the utilities actually benefit from distributed solar’s ability to help the grid meet local demand. This is especially true, it says, when utilities are required to use a certain share of renewables, and when customers are paying 'smart rates' that vary depending on when they purchase their power."
Happy Friday!
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