Other Source of Energy

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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Coal is still the most important source of U S electricity

Coal, despite being the most polluting energy source, is still the most important source of U.S. electricity and the main reason for this is the fact that coal is still the cheapest energy option with coal prices being 3.5 times cheaper compared to oil.

Coal currently satisfies around 39% of U.S. electricity demand (August 2012 data from the U.S. Department of Energy). Many energy experts expect that coal will remain a top source for generating electricity in United States for entire century, even despite its highly negative environmental impact in form of harmful greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and climate change.

Why will U.S. likely stick with coal for foreseeable future? The price is of course one of the most important reasons but not the only one. The other factor is its abundance as approximately one quarter of worlds total coal reserves are found within the United States. More than half of U.S. states produce coal (26), with Wyoming being the leader in coal consumption.

If we translate these coal reserves into numbers and add them in equation with the current U.S. coal consumption we can see that United States has enough coal to supply their energy needs for the next three centuries.

U.S. is the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita, and the nations heavy dependence on coal is certainly one of the main reasons that led to this scenario. In the last 40 years United States increased its coal production by more than 70%, and only in the last few years there has been a significant slowdown in building new coal fired power plants, mostly because of cheaper natural gas due to shale gas discoveries.

Coals abundance and its cheap price tag still seem to be more important than environmental issues such as climate change and air pollution. The U.S. transition to renewable energy isnt going as fast as expected meaning that the lions share of U.S. energy consumption is still satisfied from fossil fuels.

By the current looks of it U.S. will build natural gas fired power plants instead of coal power plants because natural gas is less polluting than coal, and also because natural gas prices have dropped significantly due to shale gas discoveries. Burning natural gas produces 45% less carbon emissions than burning coal, and this is certainly enough to push things in favor of natural gas. Natural gas already satisfies more than 30% of U.S. electricity demand, and if its prices remain low, coal could soon lose its lead in U.S. electricity generation.

Renewable energy sector will certainly require some time before being able to replace coal and other fossil fuels, not just because of its current lack of cost-competitiveness but also because of powerful fossil fuel lobbies and their large influence over politics.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

WHAT IS LEED And what does it mean for you

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was developed in 1998 by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a green building certification system.

LEED standards have been implemented in more than 7000 projects in the United States and 30 other countries, which have totaled 1.062 billion square feet of development area. LEED is a primary step towards cleaner, greener, sustainable living.

LEED in Canada

The Canada Green Building Council received permission to adapt the LEED program and tailor it to the Canadian market in 2003. The LEED program was adjusted to specifically meet requirements of the different Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations.

How Does it Work?

LEED measures performance in five key areas:

sustainable site development
water efficiency
energy efficiency
materials selection
indoor environmental quality

A building or project may earn up to 100 base points depending on its performance in the five environmental categories. There are six additional points that can be earned through a category that focuses on innovation and building design.

There are four possible levels of certification that can be earned:

Certified: 40 – 49 points
Silver: 50 – 59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80 points and above

LEED certification can be obtained by submitting an application online. The applicant must submit documentation and proof of compliance with LEED guidelines and requirements. Applicants must also pay registration and certification fees.

LEED Canada has certification in the following project areas:

· LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC)

· LEED for Core & Shell Development (CS)

· LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI)

· LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EB:O&M)

· LEED for Homes

Projects in Canada can register with the USGBC when there is no equivalent LEED Canada rating system. There are four specific USGBC rating system which do not have a Canadian equivalent:

· LEED for Retail (NC)

· LEED for Retail (CI)

· LEED for Heathcare

· LEED for Schools

The USGBC later created the Green Building Certification Institution (GBCI) to accredit individuals for their knowledge of the LEED rating system. There are two types of accreditation programs that individuals may obtain: LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) or LEED Green Associate (LEED Green Assoc.). The GBCI also provides project accreditation.

Notable LEED Buildings:

Hearst Tower in NYC, certified LEED Gold

Taipei 101 in Taiwan, certified LEED Platinum & world’s tallest LEED building

Vancouver Convention Centre, certified LEED Platinum

Richmond Olympic Oval in British Columbia, certified LEED Silver

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about renewable energy! Knowledge Is Power If there is something else youd like to know write to us at info@endeavorscorp.com and well do our best to address it for you!

Sources:

http://www.cagbc.org/AM/PDF/FAQ_LEED_registration_with_CaGBC_or_USGBC_110620.pdf

http://www.cagbc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Programs/LEED/default.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design

http://www.gbci.org/org-nav/about-gbci/about-gbci.aspx

http://fmlink.info/article.cgi?type=News&pub=FMLink&title=2011-08-12&mode=source&id=42059&catid=111

http://www.meetingscanada.com/content/vancouver-convention-centre-receives-highest-leed-certification-19208

http://blog.builddirect.com/greenbuilding/leed-certification-richmond-olympic-oval/