I think the one way - the only way - it could make a big difference is by having equivalent-to-emissions CCS as a pre-requirement for ongoing fossil fuels sales, ie to be a not-negotiable production cost borne by producers, before use, not paid for by taxpayers after. It wouldn't work by capturing CO2 but by making fossil fuels unprofitable and shifting investments into clean energy.
I suspect that as prohibitively costly as genuine, reliable, safe CCS at sufficient scale might be - FF industry killing if costs are borne by them - the full costs of those externalities will be greater again. But calculating them fully with low error bars will probably remain extremely difficult. Facing up to it head on and building an abundant sufficiency of very low emissions energy will be much cheaper.
It is the fundamental arithmetic that I struggle with - 2 to 3 times as much CO2 by weight as fossil fuels used making it. More CO2 than any commodities barring ones like sand and gravel (that we don't actually make more of) and very nearly more than ALL other commodities added together. CCS that needs to be at scales larger than any existing industry to be effective. All cost, no income without subsidy from levies on industry and/or taxation that will be resisted and evaded. Capture and Use invariably ends up with the CO2 coming back.
Meanwhile investing in clean energy is the single most effective and cost effective thing we can do - a very welcome and until very recently, very unexpected surprise. I doubt that "you care, you fix it" with some empty gesture funding, or perhaps enough rope funding, was expected to deliver anything tangible. Calling it "Green" energy was supposed to be disparagement and insult.
CO2 use as a refrigerant for heat pumps is a way to not only capture CO2 (though not in gigatonnes) but also provide heating, cooling, and refrigeration at super high efficiencies. Copeland has a ton of interesting research and projects on their website.
Yes CO₂ (R744) can be used as an eco-friendly refrigerant with low global warming potential and no flammability risks, but it has its challenges in air conditioning and heat pumps. The main issue is its high operating pressure, which requires stronger, more expensive components and increases the chance of leaks. It also operates in the transcritical region of its Pressure-Enthalpy curve in warm climates, where efficiency drops because it struggles to reject heat effectively. With a low critical temperature of 88°F, CO₂ systems don't do well in hot regions compared to other refrigerants. It needs a gas cooler instead of a condenser coil since it won't condense. These systems are also more complex and costly to build and maintain, needing skilled technicians. While CO₂ is great for some uses, its efficiency and cost challenges limit its adoption in air conditioning.
This could be a discussion for a future article. Thanks for the comment Bill!
LCOE is the average cost per unit of energy produced by a power-generating system over its lifetime, accounting for all costs, including capital, operations, maintenance, and fuel, divided by total energy output. At times, LCOE will be higher and lower than this average, which necessitates storage, obviously.
What is the MPG of a car at a red light or parked?
If a car is parked, it implies no one needs it. A better analogy would be a car that won't move when you are trying to drive a dying relative to a hospital.
I think the one way - the only way - it could make a big difference is by having equivalent-to-emissions CCS as a pre-requirement for ongoing fossil fuels sales, ie to be a not-negotiable production cost borne by producers, before use, not paid for by taxpayers after. It wouldn't work by capturing CO2 but by making fossil fuels unprofitable and shifting investments into clean energy.
Externality pricing seems logical to me.
I suspect that as prohibitively costly as genuine, reliable, safe CCS at sufficient scale might be - FF industry killing if costs are borne by them - the full costs of those externalities will be greater again. But calculating them fully with low error bars will probably remain extremely difficult. Facing up to it head on and building an abundant sufficiency of very low emissions energy will be much cheaper.
Great summary - The capital markets largely remain focussed on putting bandaids on BAU - or worse hoping the issue just goes away
It is the fundamental arithmetic that I struggle with - 2 to 3 times as much CO2 by weight as fossil fuels used making it. More CO2 than any commodities barring ones like sand and gravel (that we don't actually make more of) and very nearly more than ALL other commodities added together. CCS that needs to be at scales larger than any existing industry to be effective. All cost, no income without subsidy from levies on industry and/or taxation that will be resisted and evaded. Capture and Use invariably ends up with the CO2 coming back.
Meanwhile investing in clean energy is the single most effective and cost effective thing we can do - a very welcome and until very recently, very unexpected surprise. I doubt that "you care, you fix it" with some empty gesture funding, or perhaps enough rope funding, was expected to deliver anything tangible. Calling it "Green" energy was supposed to be disparagement and insult.
CO2 use as a refrigerant for heat pumps is a way to not only capture CO2 (though not in gigatonnes) but also provide heating, cooling, and refrigeration at super high efficiencies. Copeland has a ton of interesting research and projects on their website.
Yes CO₂ (R744) can be used as an eco-friendly refrigerant with low global warming potential and no flammability risks, but it has its challenges in air conditioning and heat pumps. The main issue is its high operating pressure, which requires stronger, more expensive components and increases the chance of leaks. It also operates in the transcritical region of its Pressure-Enthalpy curve in warm climates, where efficiency drops because it struggles to reject heat effectively. With a low critical temperature of 88°F, CO₂ systems don't do well in hot regions compared to other refrigerants. It needs a gas cooler instead of a condenser coil since it won't condense. These systems are also more complex and costly to build and maintain, needing skilled technicians. While CO₂ is great for some uses, its efficiency and cost challenges limit its adoption in air conditioning.
This could be a discussion for a future article. Thanks for the comment Bill!
What is the LCOE of renewables when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow?
LCOE is the average cost per unit of energy produced by a power-generating system over its lifetime, accounting for all costs, including capital, operations, maintenance, and fuel, divided by total energy output. At times, LCOE will be higher and lower than this average, which necessitates storage, obviously.
What is the MPG of a car at a red light or parked?
If a car is parked, it implies no one needs it. A better analogy would be a car that won't move when you are trying to drive a dying relative to a hospital.