ENVS 307 Final Study Guide

With regards to McKinsey, what is the major obstacles to realizing the benefits of energy efficiency (EE) investments?

-All levels of government must recognize that energy efficiency is an important resource that can meet future needs -Create and launch at regiona and national levels a proven set of approaches to unlock the full potential of EE investments -Identify ways to provide the funding to make these investments -Create alliances between utilities, regulators government, industry, and consumers -Encourage innovation in the development and deployment of next-generation energy efficient investments

Which statements, drawn from your readings, describe how consumers might decide to purchase an EV instead of a gasoline vehicle?

-At price parity, consumers will probably choose the EV as it has lower operating (fuel) costs. -If the EV is slightly more expensive (say $1000 to $3000), consumers may purchase an EV because the fuel savings could recover the initial price difference

Why is there such an intense effort to lower EV battery costs?

-Batteries are the most expensive component in EVs.

EVs generally do not generate any carbon emissions while you are driving. But EVs still have carbon emissions associated with driving. How can this be?**

-Batteries release carbon while they are being recharged -The emissions are indirect- the carbon emissions come from the electric utility that is supplying power to your recharging station.

What is the purpose of the term MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) ? How is it used?

-Calculation that describes EV vehicle efficiency -Allows us to compare efficiency of EVs to gasoline vehicles

What are some factors that contribute to the efficiency of electric vehicles?

-Electric motors are more efficient than gasoline engines -Lower friction because there is no "drive train" -EVs are much heavier than gasoline vehicles** -EVs are more aerodynamic than gasoline vehicles

Lets assume, theoretically, that renewable energy sources (wind and solar) have essentially 0 carbon emissions. What is the implication of replacing all fossil fuel sources with renewables? Identify which of the following statements are true regarding emissions produced?

-Emissions will go to 0 because F/E goes to 0 -It won't matter how much energy you use

Which of the following factors could help you save energy you use while operating your EV?

-Using the "economy mode" of driving -Using accessories wisely, like air conditioning -Following the speed limit -Avoid "hard breaking"

Why is insulation important to our discussion of of energy efficiency?

-Insulation is a low cost, highly effective tool for reducing unwanted thermal losses or gains -Its practical- its here now and can be used widely -Retrofitting older buildings with better insulation is cost effective

Consider the output of the eGallon app from the US Department of Energy. What does this output tell you?**

-It cost about 40% less to "fill up" your EV than a gas vehicle -Gas is more expensive than electricity

What are the barriers to replacing gasoline/diesel internal combustion vehicles with more efficient models?

-Many vehicles are on the road so it could take a long time to replace them -The average life of a vehicle is 19 years. This means that the replacement rate is very low** -Replacement implies purchasing a new vehicle. The upfront cost of purchasing a more efficient vehicle is costly. Not everyone can afford to do this.

Which of the following are examples of energy efficiency?

-Replacing less efficiency appliances with new more efficient appliances -Insulating your home or building

What are some examples of energy efficiency?

-Reuse. Reusing existing materials often saves energy over manufacturing new materials -Passive designs that don't require power such as using windows for lighting instead of electric lights. -Efficient designs

What is carbon intensity?

-The amount of carbon per unit of energy used -The amount of carbon release per unit of energy used

Under what conditions might you choose the high carbon intensity source?

-The low density source simply requires too much space or other clearances. E.g. wind turbines -?

What is EV "range anxiety"?

-The problem that EVs have limited driving range** -Consumer worry about distance between charging stations for their EV

What are some of the ways that we could reduce VMT?

-Try to carpool -Ride your bike or walk when possible -Use mass transit whenever possible -Purchase a more efficient vehicle

What is energy efficiency?

-Using less energy to produce the same amount of work -Using less energy to meet your needs

What the are project impacts of California's effort to reduce demand (VMT) strategy?

-increasing housing density -increasing job density -increasing services density (shopping, schools, etc.)

Vehicle cost of ownership is a calculated value that tells us the total amount of money spent over a specific period (e.g. 3 years). Which of the following factors are used to calculate cost of ownership?

-maintenance -fuel -purchase price

What is energy intensity?

-the amount of energy required per unit of GDP -the amount of energy required to perform an amount of work

When did the US court of appeals require the federal government to account for the economic effects of climate change in regulatory cost-benefit analysis?

2008, at the end of Bush administration

Transportation and Electricity generation are responsible for over 50% of our total emissions. If we were to convert all transportation to zero emissions technology, how much would emissions decrease?

28%

What is "net metering"?

A contract between a utility and a home owner with solar panels that requires the utility to pay homeowners a fee for any electricity they generate that is sent back to the grid

Why do deserts seem to get much more solar radiation than forested areas?

Absence of clouds and moisture that might absorb

The State of California is slowly but surely preventing new homes from being built that use natural gas. What might be the reason for this?

All appliances in the home can be powered by renewable electricity

Which statement explains Jevon's Paradox?

As energy becomes less expensive, consumers will use more

Which answer below best describes why rising "affluence" leads to more demand for energy?

As people's income increases, they want to purchase more goods and services to make their life more enjoyable. These can include a new car, a bigger house, go on holiday, or even eat better food. All of these services involve the consumption of energy

According to your readings, what does the World Watch Institute claim about the challenges facing our global civilization and climate change?

By reducing climate change and slowing population growth, other major environmental problems like deforestation can be better managed

The US is currently experiencing a glut of natural gas so prices are historically low. Many utilities have found that converting their coal burning generators to natural gas is a very good investments. Surprisingly, we also find that some support this as it cuts carbon emissions in half. Without knowing anything else and using only the Kaya Identity which of the following must be true to support this claim that emissions are lower.

Carbon Intensity of natural gas must be lower than coal

If we converted all of our energy sources to renewables in the United States, what would happen to the emissions

Carbon/Energy would approach 0, and emissions would approach 0

Why is California focused on car and light truck emissions? What about all the other forms of transportation?

Cars and light truck emissions are seen as a "much easier" target

The US is shifting away from coal to natural gas to provide the bulk of our fossil fuel based electricity. Natural gas generates about 50% less emissions per unit of energy that coal. What effect would this have on carbon intensity in the electricity generating sector? (assume all other factors are constant)

Cause carbon intensity to decline

Which vehicle would cost you the least amount of money to refuel?

Chevy Bolt

The article "Decoupling Energy Growth and GDP", the authors talk about "flexibility". What might they be referring to?

Companies will need many different strategies to cope with almost certain stricter environmental regulations

One of the most compelling arguments from the McKinsey study/report is that implementing these wide ranging energy efficiency investments could do what?

Could reduce US annual energy consumption by 20+%

How does the earth's tilt (23.5 degrees) affect the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface?

Countries like the US receive more radiation in the summer

How do energy saving investments affect the local economy?

Creates local jobs and energy savings by homeowners are often spent locally

Which of the following is a reason that a public utility (such as PG&E or SOCAL Edison) oppose the expansion of residential solar systems?

Decrease demand which lowers their revenue

Which area of the world has the largest amount of population growth?

Developing world

If the swept area, A, is doubled, and all other things are constant (c.p.), how much will the wind power increase?

Double

The article "Decoupling Energy Growth and GDP" discusses how to have economic growth while also reducing carbon emissions. Which factor figures prominently in this article?

Energy Intensity

Why is energy storage (batteries are an example) so important for solar panels?

Energy can stored during the day and released at night, reducing the need for grid electricity

McKinsey and Company is one of the largest management consulting firms in the world. They have clients all over the globe. So, when they speak about investments, everyone listens. What is the central conclusion to their work in the assigned readings?

Energy efficiency offers a vast, low-cost energy resource for the US Economy

Assume that Population is growing and GDP/Population is growing. What must happen to the remaining terms for emissions to decrease?

Energy/GDP and Carbon/GDP must decrease faster than the population terms

The US Agency for International Development makes what claim about how to slow population growth?

Enture women have easy access to family planning

Many people think that business has done nothing to address climate change. Is this view supported by your readings

False

The term "energy efficiency" defines the amount of energy used to perform a unit of work. For example, the amount of energy required to produce illumination (light) in your house. As we will learn in this course, energy efficiency investments can be a "double win" for the US: reducing energy demand and they have a positive return on the investment. Which term of the Kaya Identify is impacted most by improvements in energy efficiency?

GDP/Capita** Double check

The article "Decoupling Energy Growth and GDP" talks about "the rise of electrification". What is a good example of this shift?

Gasoline to electric vehicles

Given that solar panels generally produce the most electricity during the day for about 8 hours only, what scaling rule might you use to size a solar panel array for your rooftop that can produce enough electricity to power your home for 24 hours?

Generally 3X- you'll need to generate 24 hours of power in the 8 hours the system operating

If the carbon intensity of all of our energy sources goes to 0, what would happen to the carbon emissions, according to the Kaya Identify?

Go to 0

What does the R Value tell you about a building material (e.g. insulation)?

Higher R values indicate better insulation

Which of California's strategies to reduce vehicle emissions may have the most impact?

Improve fuel-efficiency of existing gas powered vehicles

What is Jevon's paradox?

Improving energy efficiency will lower costs but then lead to more overall consumption

According to your readings, the US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, affirmed what legal opinion about the Department of Energy's (US DOE) use of the social cost of carbon (SCC)?

In 2016 the court affirmed that the US DOE was correct to use the value of the SCC in its analysis

What are the conceptual origins of the net zero building movement?

In biology, where all components have a one or more integrated functions

How does population growth affect emissions of carbon dioxide?

In general, population growth leads to greater demand for services. If the services are linked carbon intensive energy sources, then emissions are going to increase

What happens to the wind power generated if the wind velocity doubles?

Increase by 8x

Given that the majority of the world's population lives in large, developing countries, what does the Kaya Identity tell us about their emissions?

Increasing population and affluence will drive emissions up

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum generates the "warmth" you feel when you go outside into the sunlight?

Infrared

What is community resilience?

Integrating population programs along with strengthening social, institutional, economic, and environmental capacity

Our discussions in class about population growth and GDP growth (growth in income per person, for example), lead us to what conclusion about how these two terms affect emissions?

It clearly shows that all things being equal (c.p.) the only way to reduce emissions is to reduce carbon and intensity and improve energy efficiency so that these terms can more than offset the effect of population and GDP growth as a driver of emissions

What is the social cost of carbon?

It is a measure the economic harm or damage done per one ton of carbon dioxide emitted into the environment

What is the so-called duck curve?

It shows how solar panels are lowering electricity demand on public utilities during the day

There are many scenarios that have been developed to predict how much the temperature rise over the coming decades. What factor results in the lowest increase in average temperature?

Lowest population growth

Homeowners who invest in energy efficiency can expect what kind of return on their investment?

More control over energy cost, increase comfort, and add to the home's value

The article from the Proceedings of the National Academy (PNAS) makes what basic claim regarding increasing human population and climate?

More people on the planet make the job of reducing the effects of climate change much harder

Which of the following is an advantage of solar panels over other form of electricity generation?

No carbon dioxide emissions

What major shift is underway in California to combat transportation emissions from vehicles?

No more focus on traffic congestion, but will focus on reducing VMT

Is it possible for our energy intensity to go to 0?

No, energy is always required to do work

We talked about VMT as a key measurement. Reducing VMT means reducing the miles you drive which reduces vehicle carbon emissions. In your readings, why is low density housing and commercial development spread over large areas a problem?

People will need to driver longer distances and this tends to increase VMT, not reduce it

What is the primary reason that solar panels sales are experiencing such high growth in the number of installations?

Price: the cost per watt has dropped 10X in the past 10 years

We spent a lot of time in class discussing energy efficiency "investments". The McKinsey article was a lengthy and robust treatment of this topic. While there seem to be a huge potential for energy savings, what seem to be the biggest barrier to a rapid expansion of efficiency efforts?

Probably the actions of state, local, and national governments and their collective inability to work more closely with industry/business

The purpose of the Kaya Identity is:

Provide a method to help us think about the factors that are driving carbon emissions

What is "waste reduction" in the context of energy efficiency from your readings?

Reducing air leaks, adding insulation in older buildings

What is the fundamental limitation of using solar energy to power our homes and businesses?

Solar panels can only produce power for about 6-8 hours per day

Elon Musk has made some amazing claims about solar panels. What is the basic idea?

Solar panels could power the entire US from a 100x100 mile solar park

Which area of the US gets the most solar radiation?

Southwest

The article on "Energy intensity vs Carbon Intensity" makes a very interesting proposition about how to "decarbonize" the economy. What is it?

That the product of energy intensity x carbon intensity creates a new term we can call the carbon intensity of the economy. And, this could be used to guide and implement policy

We spoke at length in class about the positive return on investment in energy efficiency investments. Well, you are not getting paid to do these- you have to spend money. So where does the "return" come from?

The return is the reduced spending on electricity. So if you are currently spending $150 a month on electricity and gas and after your investments you are only spending $75 a month, that $75 savings/month is your return.

What is "solar noon"?

The time of day where the sun is most directly overhead

What is the primary reason that gasoline engines/cars so "inefficient" in their use of fuel?

The vast majority of the energy released during combustion is lost through heat**

What is the Betz Limit?

Theoretical limit on how much wind energy can be used by a wind turbine

What claim is made in your readings about energy efficiency options- e.g. how many different areas can benefit ?

They are everywhere

Why are LED light bulbs important to our discussion about energy efficiency?

They produce the same illumination as conventional (incandescent) bulbs but at only 1/10th the power

If we "multiply" these two terms together, as we discussed in class, what does the result tell us? (E/G * F/E = F/G obviously).

This could be called carbon intensity of the economy. This result avoids the focus just on energy consumption and puts more focus on actual emissions.

What is the carbon footprint of a internal combustion vehicle?

Total of all carbon emissions from the manufacture of all the parts and components

Why are vehicle emissions so important in our fight to reduce global carbon emissions?

Vehicle emissions are a major part of the total carbon emissions.

Based on what we've discussed, why do business owners choose low carbon sources like wind and solar?

Very simple: renewables are now less expensive**

What part of electromagnetic spectrum is used by solar panels to generate electricity?

Visible

Lets assume that population growth is moderate, about 1.1% per year. And, that GDP growth is also moderate- perhaps 2-3% per annum. If we are going to reduce emissions, why is energy efficiency so important?

You could make the argument, especially considering the McKinsey article, that energy efficiency investments can be done very quickly and at low cost. While make major investments in switching over carbon free sources like wind and solar take a lot more time.

What is a net zero building?

a building that produces as much energy as it uses, on an annual basis

During class we discussed so-called "heliostats"- arrays of parabolic mirrors that focus the sunlight they receive on a central tower. One of the potential (they are still pretty expensive) advantages of this approach is:

because of the intense heat generated, these system can continue to generate electric power well into the night.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using solar panels for electricity generation?

dependent on sunlight

What happened at Ingersoll Rand's manufacturing plant in Waco, Texas?

energy consumption declined by 50%

This graph shows that energy intensity in the US has declined steadily. A likely cause of this decline could be:

energy intensive industries are leaving the US

The photoelectric effect describes....

how light can be converted into electricity

How can we reduce energy intensity?

implement energy conservation and efficiency measures

What happens if we increase the swept area, A?

increase

What might the advantage of a microgrid consisting of group of homes all with solar power?

may provide more resiliency as those with excess power can share with others who might need more power during the day