| The most basic of carbon footprint reduction strategies A very realistic and cost effective method to reduce coal fired electrical energy emissions. |
The Green Metroplex Caucus is a staunch advocate of the practice of using as much
energy at night at their business or home as is practical. Of course, electrical energy
energy at night at their business or home as is practical. Of course, electrical energy
should be curtailed as much as possible by
any means at hand such as converting to
fluorescent and CFL bulbs for lighting; using
Energy Star appliances; installing extra
insulation and reflective barriers and planting
deciduous trees and vines on the south and
west sides of buildings to reduce air condi-
tioning expense and using recycled products.
.
However, we are recent converts to the use
of electric vehicles for transportation and that
is simply because, by charging these vehicles
at night one can significantly decrease the
any means at hand such as converting to
fluorescent and CFL bulbs for lighting; using
Energy Star appliances; installing extra
insulation and reflective barriers and planting
deciduous trees and vines on the south and
west sides of buildings to reduce air condi-
tioning expense and using recycled products.
.
However, we are recent converts to the use
of electric vehicles for transportation and that
is simply because, by charging these vehicles
at night one can significantly decrease the
over-all carbon footprint we create by the simple fact that over 79% of all electrical energy is
produced from coal fired electrical generation. By taking advantage of a simple practice by the
electric utilities, one can ACTUALLY help to reduce the carbon footprint they create.
.
Simply stated, in order to save the firebricks from cracking during the night hours, where coal
is burned to create the heat needed for electric generation, coal is constantly fed into the
furnace at a higher than idle rate. Coal burning is not significantly reduced from the amount
used during daylight operations; even though there is a much smaller demand for electricity at
night, year round. Industry lays idling at night and air conditioning needs in buildings are greatly
reduced during night operations.
.
The reason for this is that if coal fired electrical plants were shut down when the majority are
not needed, at night, the firebricks lining their fire box would cool down rapidly. The bricks
tend to distort and crack if cooled off (or reheated) quickly. It is much more practical to keep
them heated up to operational temperatures as a result; thus they burn significantly more coal
at night than the demand for energy warrants.
.
By a happy coincidence, many commercial operations such as state of the art high rise
buildings take advantage at night of the greatly reduced Kilowatt Hourly Commercial Rate to
turn heat sinks into large bins of frozen ice at night. Thus storing the energy to create cooling
in that building at a greatly reduced cost when compared to daylight Kilowatt Hourly Rates.
.
Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco Bay charges recycled batteries at night and discharges
them, through inverters into its third rail system for its mass transit railroad system, and saves
penalty rates during the peak daylight energy hours as a result.
.
As it happens, it would take over 20 million electric vehicles to use ONLY the
energy wasted by electric utilities running coal fired power plants to EQUAL
the energy wasted by them, just to keep their firebricks hot enough not to
crack during off peak, night time hours; thus charging YOUR batteries at
night DOES NOT ADD TO YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT!. It reduces it.
(Read: LESS SMOG; LESS GASOLINE.).
.
That is to say: Every battery charged at night
reduces the energy that a fully online power
plant would otherwise have to generate
during the day. Thus by charging every
battery device one owns at night, including
electric or PHEV vehicles, one stores 70%
of energy that is potentially useful during
daylight hours; night time charging reduces
the over all carbon footprint for all of those
devices by a significant factor.
In addition: Electric Vehicles do not need
imported oil for fuel and one does not need to
stupidly convert food into ethanol or bio-fuel and raise the price of several nutritious
foods directly (oranges to ethanol) or indirectly (corn for dairy cattle feed which
contributes to milk and cheese production costs) in the process.
.
It is cheaper and environmentally smarter to charge batteries
and to store energy from coal fired electric utilities, at night.
Some city municipalities are starting to run their bio-methane powered generators at
solid waste landfills at full capacity during the day to reduce their costs for higher
electric rates during peak hours and are charging their distributed energy battery
banks at night from this free energy in order to reduce their utility costs by
discharging these battery banks during the day, too.
produced from coal fired electrical generation. By taking advantage of a simple practice by the
electric utilities, one can ACTUALLY help to reduce the carbon footprint they create.
.
Simply stated, in order to save the firebricks from cracking during the night hours, where coal
is burned to create the heat needed for electric generation, coal is constantly fed into the
furnace at a higher than idle rate. Coal burning is not significantly reduced from the amount
used during daylight operations; even though there is a much smaller demand for electricity at
night, year round. Industry lays idling at night and air conditioning needs in buildings are greatly
reduced during night operations.
.
The reason for this is that if coal fired electrical plants were shut down when the majority are
not needed, at night, the firebricks lining their fire box would cool down rapidly. The bricks
tend to distort and crack if cooled off (or reheated) quickly. It is much more practical to keep
them heated up to operational temperatures as a result; thus they burn significantly more coal
at night than the demand for energy warrants.
.
By a happy coincidence, many commercial operations such as state of the art high rise
buildings take advantage at night of the greatly reduced Kilowatt Hourly Commercial Rate to
turn heat sinks into large bins of frozen ice at night. Thus storing the energy to create cooling
in that building at a greatly reduced cost when compared to daylight Kilowatt Hourly Rates.
.
Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco Bay charges recycled batteries at night and discharges
them, through inverters into its third rail system for its mass transit railroad system, and saves
penalty rates during the peak daylight energy hours as a result.
.
As it happens, it would take over 20 million electric vehicles to use ONLY the
energy wasted by electric utilities running coal fired power plants to EQUAL
the energy wasted by them, just to keep their firebricks hot enough not to
crack during off peak, night time hours; thus charging YOUR batteries at
night DOES NOT ADD TO YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT!. It reduces it.
(Read: LESS SMOG; LESS GASOLINE.).
.
That is to say: Every battery charged at night
reduces the energy that a fully online power
plant would otherwise have to generate
during the day. Thus by charging every
battery device one owns at night, including
electric or PHEV vehicles, one stores 70%
of energy that is potentially useful during
daylight hours; night time charging reduces
the over all carbon footprint for all of those
devices by a significant factor.
In addition: Electric Vehicles do not need
imported oil for fuel and one does not need to
stupidly convert food into ethanol or bio-fuel and raise the price of several nutritious
foods directly (oranges to ethanol) or indirectly (corn for dairy cattle feed which
contributes to milk and cheese production costs) in the process.
.
It is cheaper and environmentally smarter to charge batteries
and to store energy from coal fired electric utilities, at night.
Some city municipalities are starting to run their bio-methane powered generators at
solid waste landfills at full capacity during the day to reduce their costs for higher
electric rates during peak hours and are charging their distributed energy battery
banks at night from this free energy in order to reduce their utility costs by
discharging these battery banks during the day, too.
| Charge E-trikes & EV's & Tool & Toy Batteries at night! |
1 Billion Trees by 2007 .
Definitions List .
Facts List .
IPCC Report Summary .
Links List .
Recycle Index .
Definitions List .
Facts List .
IPCC Report Summary .
Links List .
Recycle Index .
| The web address of this page is http://www.green-metroplex.com/factoids/E-Progress.html Page revised on: 8/6/2008 Our Environmental Pledge to you Green Metroplex Service and Sales practices safe and sane battery recycling for the protection of the environment, as a public service. Every part, wire and battery and even the dirt on a used or worn out E-trike is recycled, especially battery materials like cadmium, lithium, lead or acid which are never sent to a solid waste landfill. What we ask of you: We encourage you to only and always charge your E-trike or other electric battery powered devices or vehicles ONLY AT NIGHT, when that practice will actually decrease your Carbon Footprint. We also encourage you to get and use recycle waste containers at home and at work. |
| Click the above Graph for a larger view of the Department of Energy's stats on U.S. Oil Production and Imports. |
