Shipping, World Trade & CO2

The international shipping industry recognizes the need and is committed to reduction of green- house gases and carbon dioxide gases. Even though, the shipping industry is the most carbon efficient means of transport, on the whole, the industry’s carbon emissions are just 3% of global emissions as compared to those of a major nation economy.

To that extent, the industry would have to aim at the carbon emission reduction level set by the new United Nations Climate Change Convention.  From this year shipping industry aims for the major reduction in CO2 emissions.

However, since the shipping industry is  majorly dependent on world trade, the growth of the world economy and the population would inadvertently determine the sector’s total  reduction  in carbon emissions in the future.

 

Source : NTM Sweden & ICS

Friction Reduction on Ship Hulls by blowing bubbles: by Mitsubishi

Feb 2012: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and transport company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) has planed and tested out effectiveness of a system which will reduce the frictional resistance between the seawater and vessel's bottom by using a layer of air bubbles. The Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System(MALS) has been coupled with high-efficiency ship hull for a container ship . The company claims which will in turn will reduce the CO2 emission by 35% compared to conventional carrier designs.

To test out this MALS , MHI  installed it on a module carrier  of NYK subsidiary called "YAMATAL" and  verified the CO2 reduction efficiency. This module carrier was choosen as they have a shollow -draft hull that generates relatively low water pressure which minimizes the amount of electricity required by an air blower to supply air to the vessel's bottom. Even the flat wide bottom retains the supplied air supplied under the vessel's bottom.

It was quite successful, as MHI was expecting the reduction of CO2 by 10% . After this the company looked into the second application of the technology with the completion of the conceptual design of the "MALS-14000CS," a New Panamax size 14,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent) container vessel.

Same as YAMATAI, MHI expects the MALS-14000CS will give the result of 10 percent reduction in CO2 emissions through the MALS. But they went for additional design features by which MHI expects an overall cut in CO2 emissions of 35 percent. These new additions are as follows:

1. A new high-performance hull form that places the bridge relatively forward

2.Exhaust funnels at the stern, and additional container space under the accommodation quarter. 

3. Ship will coupled with a two-engine & two-shaft propulsion system. These will reduce the carbon emission by 24 percent.

4. Diesel engine and waste heat recovery system will be fully electronically controlled which will provide another five percent.

5. A Sox scrubber to remove sulfur oxide from flue gas, and a ballast water treatment system.

Researcher are developing  superhydrophobic surfaces modeled on the water fern salvinia molesta, which is able to remain completely dry when submerged by trapping a layer of air on the surface of its leaves using tiny hairs. Combining MALS with such a surface would mean the air wouldn't need to be pumped continually to the bottom of the vessel.

This plant fern surrounds itself by a layer of air that enables it to remain dry when underwater. While it has been understood for some time that this is a result of tiny hairs on the plant's leaves which trap air, the problem in mimicking this phenomenon has been to make the layer stick. When replicated, this superhydrophobic surface disappears after several hours in moving water, but salvinia molesta can stay "dry" even when submerged for weeks.

Source: MHI & University of Bonn

Global Warming and Its Effect !!

Global warming is the term which define the cumulative effect of  Green House Gases. Main GHG are Methane and Carbon dioxide. These gases, they built up at lower atmosphere of earth and traps the sun's heat. It not only increases the earth surface temperature but mainly causes climate change, happen to our environment, atmosphere and weather over time. Climate change impacts the hydrology and biology of the planet -- everything, including winds, rains and temperature, is linked.

Global warming isn't just about things getting hotter -- other changes can occur, including stormier, drier and even, in some instances, colder conditions

Effects of Global Warming !!

1. Sea Level to Rise

Higher temperature melts the ice in glaciers, sea ice and polar ice sheets. It increases the water in world's seas and oceans. 

Scientists are able to measure direct impacts on people in the United States by melting water from Greenland's ice cap: The flow of the Colorado River has increased sixfold [source: Scientific American]. And scientists project that as the ice shelves on Greenland and Antarctica melt, sea levels could be more than 20 feet (6 meters) higher in 2100 than they are today [source: An Inconvenient Truth]. Such levels would submerge many of Indonesia's tropical islands and flood low-lying areas such as Miami, New York City's Lower Manhattan and Bangladesh.

2. Shrinking Glaciers

The  Himalayan glaciers which are the source of  the Ganges River, which supplies drinking and irrigation water to 500 million people, are reportedly shrinking by 40 yards (37 meters) each year [source: The Washington Post].

3. Heat Waves

Europe was hit by deadly heat wave in 2003, killing an estimated 35,000 people, could be the harbinger of an intense heat trend that scientists began tracking in the early 1900s [source: MSNBC].

4. Storms and Floods

High Temperature heats up the ocean water which  in turns give strength to hurricanes. Increasing ocean and atmospheric temperatures with give birth to violent storms. Between 1905 and 2005 the frequency of hurricanes has been on a steady ascent. From 1905 to 1930, there were an average of 3.5 hurricanes per year; 5.1 between 1931 and 1994; and 8.4 between 1995 and 2005 [source: USA Today]. In 2005, a record number of tropical storms developed, and in 2007, the worst flooding in 60 years hit Britain [sources: Reuters, Center for American Progress].

5. Droughts

Experts say that as the climate warms drought conditions may increase by at least 66 percent which results in quick shrinkage of supply water and reducing quality agriculture . India , Pakistan and Sub-Saharan Africa are also going through it.

6. Disease 

While more than 150,000 people die from climate change-related sickness each year, everything from heat-related heart and respiratory problems to malaria are on the rise [source: The Washington Post]. Cases of allergies and asthma are also increasing.

7. Economic Consequences

Billions of Dollars of damage will be caused as a result of serve storms, floods, earth quakes, etc. Extreme weather can create extreme financial setbacks. For example, during the record-breaking hurricane year of 2005, Louisiana saw a 15 percent drop in income during the months following the storms, while property damage was estimated at $135 billion [source: Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University].

8. Conflicts and War

Lack of food, water and land will create conflict , war , aggression, panic  and all kind of instability.

The conflict in Darfur has been partly blamed on stresses caused by global warming

9.  Biodiversity Loss

Extinction of many wild life, plants  and animal species is  happening due to desertification, deforestation and ocean warming, as well as the inability to adapt to climate warming.

This will effect humans overall as rising sea level and loss of plant/ animal will cause  loss of food, fuel and income.

10. Destruction of Ecosystem

Models been made on temperature variations which tell increasing chances of devastating floods, drought, wildfires, ocean acidification and eventual collapse of functioning ecosystems worldwide, terrestrial and aquatic alike.

Reference: Discovery 

Buildings - LEED Certification

What is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)  is a  market­-driven program that provides third-party verification of green buildings.  LEED works with all types of buildings and  addresses their full lifecycle.

Participation in the  LEED process demonstrates leadership and social responsibility. LEED ensures  building owners  healthy indoor spaces. LEED projects have been successfully established in 135 countries.

The Process

Commercial buildings need to fulfill all LEED prerequisites and earn a minimum of 40 points on a 110-point LEED rating system scale. Residential buildings require a minimum of 45 points on a 136-point scale

LEED-certified buildings are designed to:

•  Increase asset value and Lower operating costs
• Reduce waste sent to landfills
• Conserve energy and water
• Be healthier and safer for occupants
• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
• Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities.

LEED benefits businesses

Green building benefits the environment and our health. It promises a better future.

How businesses are benefited by LEED Certification

1. It provides competitive edge in today's market.

Green buildings attract buyers and tenants because they provide lower operating costs and healthier indoor environments. Study shows that when developers choose to go for new green construction, occupancy increases 6.4 % and rent 6.1 %. For existing buildings undergoing green updates, occupancy increases 2.5 % and rent increases 1 %. Property owners discovered the cost benefit chart which shown below:

	Operating costs	Building value	ROI	Occupancy	Rent
New construction	drop 13.6%	rises 10.9%	improves 9.9%	rises 6.4%	rises 6.1%
Existing building projects	drop 8.5%	rises 6.8%	improves 2.5%	rises 1%	rises 19.2%

2. It lowers the risk.

LEED certification results in faster sale and renting of building then the normal building in the same visinity. Hence, it reduces the financial risk for owners. It reduces the consumption of energy by using renewable resources of energy and better air and water quality are beneficial to health. It also runs the building with minimum wastage of water and electricity.

3. Tenants are attracted by LEED certified Buildings.

4. It’s cost effective.

Green building pays. LEED can help it pay even more. Green Building results in total saving of 20% in total construction cost. Even while renting or selling LEED certified buildings per square foot goes higher than a normal building.

Source: usgbc © 2013 U.S. Green Building Council

Roof Top System- Its Components

A Solar System generally  comprises of the following elements: Solar Panel, a Charge Controller, a Power Inverter, a Monitor and Electrical Distribution System. As seen with each other technologies each component has different manufacturers , quality, features and price.

Solar Panel: A Solar Panel consists of silicon crystals which converts the rays on the sun into electricity. They supply electricity, required for charging batteries and running the appliances either directly or through power inverter. A combination of panels is used to produce the electricity which is  more than the  required and excess of energy is stored in battery for nighttime or cloudy days. They are available in different sizes, voltages and amperages. They can be connected be in series, parallel or both depending on design requirements of the system.

Charge Controller: It is a vital component and functions like the brain of system. It monitors the electricity produced by solar panels and then regulates the electricity to charge the batteries and prevent them from over-charging. It helps to increase battery life and performance. Different technologies are available for selection including Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controllers.

Batteries: They are required to store excess power generated from solar panels for later use. Without battery, power would only be available when the sun is shinning. The batteries are available in different voltages and varying amp-hour ratings depending on system requirements.

Inverter: It converts the DC Volts produced by solar panels into AC volts. The inverters can be used to charge batteries by connecting it to the backup generator or an AC electrical source. It is important to choose the right inverter for the demand and power requirements of the system so that the components can function properly.

Monitor: It is used to monitor the condition of the battery, the power generated by solar panels and consumption of power by the users. The monitors available in the market will provide you with information for protection of batteries, help’s to locate the source of the system  problems where they occur and allows to reduce generator use , by knowing when to shut it down.

Generator: Gas powered generator is a good investment to keep the batteries charged during extended period of rainy/cloudy days. It can also provide temporary power when there is high demand for power. It is a handy tool to have when sunlight is not available.

On Grid: When to system is connected to local utility.

Off Grid: It is a system where solar powered structure would not be connected to external electrical device.

Grid Tie: It means that you can use solar energy when it is available and when that source is not available, have the system automatically switch to on-grid electricity from the power company.

Function of the PV inverter

The tasks of a PV inverter are as varied as they are demanding:

1. Low-loss conversion
One of the most important characteristics of an inverter is its conversion efficiency. This value indicates what proportion of the energy “inserted” as direct current comes back out in the form of alternating current. Modern devices can operated with an efficiency of around 98 percent.

2. Power optimization
The power characteristics curve of a PV module is strongly dependent on the radiation intensity and the temperature of the module – in other words, on values that continually change over the course of the day. For this reason, the inverter must find and continually observe the optimal operating point on the power characteristics curve, in order to “bring out” maximum power from the PV modules in every situation. The optimal operating point is called the "maximum power point" (MPP), and the search for, and tracking of, this MPP is correspondingly called "MPP tracking." MPP tracking is extremely important for the energy output of a PV plant.

3. Monitoring and securing
On the one hand, the inverter monitors the energy yield of the PV plant and signals any problems. On the other, it also monitors the power grid that it is connected to. Thus, in the event of a problem in the power grid, it must immediately disconnect the plant from the grid for reasons of safety or to help support the grid – depending on the requirements of the local grid operator.

In addition, in most cases the inverter has a device that can safely interrupt the current from the PV modules. Because PV modules are always live when light is shining on them, they cannot be switched off. If the inverter cable is disconnected during operation, this can lead to dangerous light arcs forming, which do not go out on account of the direct current. If the cutout device is integrated directly in the inverter, installation and wiring efforts are reduced considerably.

4. Communication
Communication interfaces on the inverter allow control and monitoring of all parameters, operational data, and yields. Data can be retrieved and parameters can be set for the inverter via a network connection, industrial fieldbus such as RS485, or wireless via SMA Bluetooth®. In most cases, data is retrieved through a data logger, which collects and prepares the data from several inverters and, if desired, transmits them to a free online data portal (e.g. Sunny Portal from SMA).

5. Temperature management
The temperature in the inverter housing also influences conversion efficiency. If it rises too much, the inverter has to reduce its power. Under some circumstances the available module power cannot be fully used.

On the one hand, the installation location affects the temperature – a constantly cool environment is ideal. On the other hand, it directly depends on the inverter operation: even an efficiency of 98 percent means a power loss of two percent –in form of heat. If the plant power is 10 kW, the maximum thermal capacity is still 200 W. Therefore, an efficient and reliable cooling system for the enclosure is very important – such as SMA’s “OptiCool” cooling concept. The optimum thermal layout of the components allows them to dissipate their heat directly to the environment, while the whole encasing acts as a heat sink at the same time. This allows the inverters to work at maximum rated capacity even at ambient temperatures of up to 50° C.

6. Protection
A weather-proof enclosure, ideally built in line with protective rating IP65, allows the inverter to be installed in any desired place outdoors. The advantage: the nearer to the modules the inverter can be installed, the lower the expenditure for the comparatively expensive DC wiring.

Multi Cluster Box for Off-Grid PV

SMA Solar Technology AG has released the Multi-cluster Box, an off-grid AC distribution hub that manages a variety of renewable and combustion generation sources for large-scale Sunny Island multi-cluster systems.

Now available for the North American market, the SMA Multi-cluster Box features a pre-configured design that the company says simplifies the installation of off-grid renewable energy systems, providing users with design flexibility and making rural electrification simple and scalable.
Ideal for systems up to 110 kW, the Multi-cluster Box offers simple connection of multiple renewable energy sources, backup combustion generators and electrical loads into one battery-supported AC grid. It allows two, three or four three-phase clusters, each consisting of three Sunny Island inverters, to be connected in parallel.
“By dividing the inverter capacity into clusters, the system becomes extremely flexible with respect to performance,” notes Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “This design scheme is highly scalable, thanks to the parallel connection of multiple clusters. Subsequent expansion of the off-grid system is also easy to implement, making it ideal for rural electrification.”
The SMA Multi-cluster Box is assembled in SMA’s production facility in Denver.