Paying Less for Gasoline Both Good and Bad?
Just a few months ago, gasoline prices were at a record high. Most people around this country were paying a minimum of $4 dollars a gallon for gas. Simply put, most Americans could not afford the prices they were being charged at the pumps. Now only four months later, most consumers can purchase gasoline for a mere $1.50 a gallon. This constitutes a significant price change compared to this past summer and gasoline now appears to many as a steal. So this is great news correct?
Certainly, in a way it is. Many people who have been affected by the current economic recession that we are in can now breathe a little more easier because their expenses have essentially been reduced (by the decrease in gasoline prices). These monetary savings can then be re-directed towards other expenses that people must pay. This is a win-win situation for all.
Indeed, reducing the overall expenses by lowering fuel prices for consumers helps people in tough economic times like now. However, it may also lead to careless consumption of these commodities. This past summer brought forth many changes to Americans habits, specifically driving. For the first time in decades, Americans reduced their overall consumption of gasoline because they drove less. Public transportation saw tremendous growth in ridership levels. Along with this, the ideas of both conserving energy and developing alternative energy sources really took off as most Americans sincerely became interested in reducing their fuel consumption. But now with gasoline prices back down; there is the fear that people will start driving significantly more, they will choose to travel less on public transportation systems, and alternative energy ideas will be pushed aside as more important issues are addressed.
This is unquestionably one tough subject matter. It is only a matter of time before gasoline prices rise once again. The time is now to continue pushing forward these ideas about alternative energy sources, otherwise we will have not learned anything from the energy prices we payed only a short time ago.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays All
I cannot believe that Christmas is nearly upon us already. It seems like just a few weeks ago it was the middle of the summer. Time is running out and I still have a few presents to pick up along with going to Mass this afternoon. So with all this said, everyone here at TheEnergyState.com would like to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Cooling a Building With an Alternative Approach
This past semester at school I had to write a report for one of my classes. The topic of the paper was to discuss an energy saving device that has potential for use by the masses. Since this was on the topic of what is talked about on this website, I decided I would share my report with you all. I hope everyone enjoys it.
With an ever increasing population, our nation’s infrastructure is being challenged each and every day. Our nation’s roads, bridges, water supply systems, wastewater systems, and power grids are currently in need of major overhauls to keep up with the demand that is required by the populations that they serve. Relating to this topic of power grids is the issue of peak power. Currently peak power demand is one of the biggest challenges facing utility companies across the United States.
Peak power demand is defined as a period of time when customer consumption of electricity is the greatest. For the most part this period occurs during the hours of late afternoon and early evening when most people are returning home from their day jobs.This actual number associated with peak demand varies from season to season and geography of a particular location, but it usually the largest during the summer months when usage of air conditioning systems is high. This has caused many places like the South Western United States, the Gulf Coast Region, and large cities around the country such as New York City to experience immense strain on their power grids during hot days when consumers are trying to battle the heat.
To meet the demand caused by peak power demand utility companies often resort to firing up older and less efficient power plants, and or purchase electricity on the market. Both of these temporary solutions have negative effects, both environmentally and economically. Less efficient power plants often pollute more when compared to power plants that are used on a continuous basis. In addition to this, consumers are charged higher rates for their electricity usage during peak power demand.
In order to fully solve this problem, air conditioning energy usage must drop. This can be done through either improved energy efficiency and or shifting energy loads to off-peak. One such company called Ice-Energy has applied both of these concepts in its development of an air conditioning system called the Ice Bear.
The principle behind the Ice Bear is simple. A building can be cooled during the day by using electricity consumed during off peak times. This allows for both decreased pressure off the power grid (during peak demand) and also cheaper electricity rates for the consumer. The question then becomes how is this accomplished, and the answer is clear. Ice storage.
The Ice Bear works as follows: The system stores cooling energy at night, by freezing water within an insulated storage tank to create and store cooling capacity for the next day. During the day, the Ice Bear utilizes the energy stored from the previous night to provide cooling by circulating chilled refrigerant from the tank to a modified evaporator coil within the conventional air conditioning system. The energy-intensive compressor within the traditional, high-energy consuming air conditioner remains unused during the day. Ice is then refrozen each night. (Ice Energy). The Ice Bear allows for little to no modification of existing commercial air conditioning systems. No duct work has to be changed, and it was designed to work with both conventional roof top and split system air conditioning systems. This is a significant bonus for any building that is considering installing such a system as it reduces the costs involved with implementing such a device.
Similar systems in New York City have shown ice storage to be a viable alternative to conventional air conditioning systems. The Metropolitan Life Tower in Manhattan recently switched to ice storage for a means of air conditioning and the benefits quickly became clear. “Ice storage lowers the facility’s peak energy use by 900 kilowatts, and reduces overall electric usage by 2.15 million kilowatt-hours annually. This is as good for the environment as taking 223 cars off the streets or planting 1.9 million acres of trees to absorb the carbon dioxide caused by electrical usage for one year.” (CBS News).
At costs ranging from tens of thousands to upwards of millions of dollars, many of these systems will and are primarily used for large scale commercial buildings where energy usage is high and constituents a good majority of a business’s expenses. Over time one can expect smaller models to be developed for the individual home. However, issues about cost and payback for small scale usage might make it impractical for the individual home owner to purchase. It is also important to note that many communities like those found in California, give incentives for businesses to purchase and use this technology.
Like other technologies out there, the Ice Bear and other ice storage systems have some undermining issues with them. Along with the initial high capital cost, there also needs to be sufficient room for the ice storage tanks. In suburban communities where commercial buildings typically have enough open space on their land, this is not so much of an issue. However in any large city, open space around buildings is non-existent. This creates challenges to the engineers who need to find a location on the property for the most critical piece of the system, the ice storage tanks.
The adaption of this technology is a step in the right direction of controlling peak power demand and energy usage. By using ice storage technology, we as consumers can not only curb our appetite for electricity but also help the environment. The usage of systems similar to the Ice Bear will allow for the general masses to still hold on to the same quality of life as before, but with the satisfaction that blackouts will occur less and that there will be significant reductions in air pollution caused by putting more power plants online during peak power demand.
References:
“Hybrid Cooling: How It Works.” Ice-Energy. 2006. 20 Nov. 2008.
<http://www.ice-energy.com/products/howitworks/tabid/163/Default.aspx>
“The Ice Is Right: Buildings Use Ice-Cooling Systems To Save Money On Air Conditioning During
Summer.” CBS News. 16 July 2007. 20 Nov. 2008
< http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/16/tech/main3061798.shtml>
