INCORPORATING GREEN PRACTICES INTO ENGINEERING AND NON-ENGINEERING EDUCATION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

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1 INCORPORATING GREEN PRACTICES INTO ENGINEERING AND NON-ENGINEERING EDUCATION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE Yunus A. Cengel University of Nevada, Reno 1

2 Background and Societal Impact 86% of energy and 66% of electricity in the world come from limited supplies of fossil fuels via combustion. Increasing concentration of greenhouse gases is changing the planet's climate. Earth's average temperature has increased by 1.2 to 1.4ºF since 1900, and most is due to human activities. If greenhouse gases continue to increase, average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 2.5 to 10.4ºF above 1990 levels by the end of century. In the U.S., energy-related activities account for 3/4 of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. 2

3 Background and Societal Impact About 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation (one-half comes from power plants). Personal cars and trucks in the US emit 20% of the United States' carbon emissions. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN network of 2,000 scientists: Major extinctions around the globe, and billions of deaths are possible. Observed effects include sea level rise, changes in the range and distribution of plants and animals, trees blooming earlier, lengthening of growing seasons. 3

4 State-of-the-Art: What is being done Several hightly publicised reports alarmed about the consequences of climate change. The U.S. government has established a comprehensive policy on climate change, which involves Slowing the growth of emissions. Strengthening science, technology, and institutions Enhancing international cooperation In 2002, the U. S. announced a plan to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18% over the 10-year period from 2002 to Regulations to increase fuel economy of vehicles. 4

5 State-of-the-Art: Opportunities There are many steps individuals can take to: - preserve resources, - decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and - increase energy independence. Greenhouse gas emissions can be minimized through simple measures like: - swithing to energy efficient lighting - purchasing fuel efficient vehicles - pracricing conservation measures. 5 Raising public awareness through education is key.

6 A general education course on: Energy, efficiency, environment (E 3 ) The world is getting highly technological, but the level of technical literacy is low. Science and Engineering students take several humanities/social sciences/art courses, but not vice versa. There is a need for a general course on energy, efficiency, and environment for all college students. The goal should be to raise awareness and to develop energy-wise habits for life-long use. 6

7 The Energy, Efficiency, Environment course: Should be part of a university core requirement or elective. Can be used as a science elective. Designed for non-scientists and non-engineers Should be non-math based (basic math operations should be adequate). Should be highly practical, and must dwell on everyday experiences/applications. Ethical aspects, economical benefits, and environmental impact should be emphasized. 7

8 Learning About GREEN practices The word Green is inspired by the greenery of nature (trees), and symbolizes the desire to preserve natural state of things by avoiding/minimizing irreversible changes (damage to environment). That is, to sustain things in balance at their current state as much as practically possible. As such, it is closely related to sustainability. Green/sustainable practices allow humans to exploit nature, but to do so without inflicting irreversible damage to the environment and without disturbing the 8 ecological balance.

9 Green Engineering Principles-1 1. Engineer processes and products holistically, use systems analysis, and integrate environmental impact assessment tools. 1. Conserve and improve natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being. 1. Use life-cycle thinking in all engineering activities. 2. Ensure that all material and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently safe and benign as possible. 3. Minimize depletion of natural resources. 9

10 Green Engineering Principles-2 6. Strive to prevent waste. 7. Develop and apply engineering solutions, while being cognizant of local geography, aspirations, and cultures. 8. Create engineering solutions beyond current or dominant technologies; improve, innovate, and invent (technologies) to achieve sustainability. 9. Actively engage communities and stakeholders in development of engineering solutions. (Adopted at Sandestin Conference by 65 Scientist, FL, May 2003) 10

11 An Application: ASHRAE GreenGuide Tips Guidance to HVAC&R system designers involved in green or sustainable building design. - Air-to-Air Heat Recovery - Night Precooling (of buildings, structures) - Ventilation Demand Control Using CO 2 - Solar Energy System PVs - Point-of-Use Domestic Hot Water Heaters - Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixtures (Low-flow shower heads) - Rainwater Harvesting - Ground-Source Heat Pumps - Gas-Engine-Driven Chillers 11

12 Example: Green Thermodynamics - The main principles of green thermodynamics is a subset of green engineering principles as: Ensure that all material and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently safe and benign as possible. Minimize depletion of energy resources. Strive to prevent waste. Improve, innovate, and invent (technologies) to achieve sustainability. - Minimizing entropy generation or exergy destruction during a process is an important part of green thermodynamics. - A process with a higher second-law efficiency is a greener thermodynamic process. 12

13 Degrees of Non-Greenness of Energies 13

14 Example: Fuel Saved by Low-Resistance Tires Problem: Consider a car that gets 25 mpg on regular tires and is driven 15,000 miles per year. For a fuel cost of $2.20/gal, determine how much fuel and money will be saved per year by switching to low rolling resistance tires. Fact: Tires with the lowest rolling resistance can improve the fuel efficiency by nearly 2 mpg. Result: Fuel saved = 44.5 gallons/year Money saved = $98/year 14

15 Example: Cooking efficiency 15

16 Conservation: Inexhaustible Energy Source - 97 nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 107,000 16

17 Example: Replacing a Valve by a Turbine LNG TURBINE - Result: 900 kw of power production; $600,000 a year savings. 17

18 Index of Satisfaction - Engineering decisions are mostly based on economics, and getting more with less is certainly a good feeling. - People also get a satisfying feeling when they do the right thing, even if it is not economical. A Las Vegas resident who covered her roof with PV cells to generate her own electricity indicated great satisfaction even if it was not economical. - This example shows that all relevant feelings of satisfaction should be considered in engineering decision, not just the economic one. The right decision is the one that satisfies the most feelings of most people. 18

19 Recommendations 1. Increasing emission of greenhouse gases and the resulting climate change poses a threat for the future of sustenance on planet earth. 2. There is a need for increased awareness of green practices in daily life and engineering (ethical). 3. A general core course on energy, efficiency, and environment for all college students for a sustainable future should be beneficial. 4. Green engineering principles should be incorporated into the engineering curricula, especially in courses related to energy. 19

20 References 3. Allen,D. T. and D. R. Shonnard, 2002, Green Engineering- Environmentally Conscious Design of Chemical Processes" Prentice Hall, PTR. 4. Annual Energy Outlook 2006, Energy Information Administration (EIA), US Dept of Energy, 6 Clean Air Interstate Rule, 2005, Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed in May Our Common Future (The Brundtland Report), World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford University Press, Oxford, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2. Y. A. Cengel, Green Thermodynamics, The 2 nd International Green Energy Conference (IGEC-2) UOIT, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, June 25-29,