Comments on: Which forms of energy count as green energy? http://quezi.com/3319 "Now You Know" Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:16:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: eiffel http://quezi.com/3319#comment-214 eiffel Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:57:44 +0000 http://quezi.com/?p=3319#comment-214 Thanks for your comment, miggs. For sure, CHP is a step in the right direction. It's suboptimal to have centralized power stations which need massive cooling systems, when all that heat is actually wanted somewhere else. Thanks for your comment, miggs.

For sure, CHP is a step in the right direction. It’s suboptimal to have centralized power stations which need massive cooling systems, when all that heat is actually wanted somewhere else.

]]> By: miggs http://quezi.com/3319#comment-213 miggs Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:43:27 +0000 http://quezi.com/?p=3319#comment-213 I want to take issue with the claim that combined heat & power isn't green energy. By your definition that equates green with renewable and carbon-free, you're right. But I think that's the wrong metric. We should be doing everything we can to slash greenhouse gas emissions. So the right question is how much a given technology or fuel source will cut that pollution. And on that issue, CHP is the best of all worlds. Full disclosure: I'm associated with Recycled Energy Development, a company that does CHP. But the reason I'm involved is I think it could change the world. EPA and DOE studies suggest CHP and other "energy recycling" technologies (like waste heat recovery) could slash greenhouse emissions by 20% in this country. That's as much as if we removed every passenger vehicle from the road -- suggesting it would do FAR more than increasing gas mileage standards. Meanwhile, costs would fall due to increased efficiency. We need to be doing much more on this front. Whether we call it "green" is perhaps an issue of semantics, but I think we should recognize how much CHP could help the environment. I want to take issue with the claim that combined heat & power isn’t green energy. By your definition that equates green with renewable and carbon-free, you’re right. But I think that’s the wrong metric. We should be doing everything we can to slash greenhouse gas emissions. So the right question is how much a given technology or fuel source will cut that pollution. And on that issue, CHP is the best of all worlds.

Full disclosure: I’m associated with Recycled Energy Development, a company that does CHP. But the reason I’m involved is I think it could change the world. EPA and DOE studies suggest CHP and other “energy recycling” technologies (like waste heat recovery) could slash greenhouse emissions by 20% in this country. That’s as much as if we removed every passenger vehicle from the road — suggesting it would do FAR more than increasing gas mileage standards. Meanwhile, costs would fall due to increased efficiency.

We need to be doing much more on this front. Whether we call it “green” is perhaps an issue of semantics, but I think we should recognize how much CHP could help the environment.

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