T M Abir Ahsan - 919198498 | Biological Systems Engineering
Assignment 1: Develop one of the topics discussed in the "Why Energy Systems Are
Important" lecture(s) in more depth.
Global warming: Industrial and Building
CO2 emissions
Global warming is one of the buzzwords in the present context considering its negative impact
on the planet. Earth's temperature has been the highest in recent times in the last 2000 years.
According to NASA, among the hottest years, earth inhabitants have experienced almost 19 since
2000. Global temperature has risen at least 1.18 °C since the year 1880. The primary culprit
behind this ever-increasing global warming trend is the total concentration of heat-trapping
carbon dioxide (CO2) within the bio atmosphere. Human activities associated with
industrialization have caused the attention of this gas molecule to increase by 48% over the last
171 years. This value now stands at a record highest of 416 ppm, more than what could have
naturally occurred over 20,000 years. These activities mainly include burning fossil fuel for
industrial, building, and other commercial usages energy production. Fossil fuels like coal and oil,
when burnt, combine carbon and oxygen, resulting in CO2 addition to the atmospheric air.
Deforestation for industrial and agricultural purposes reduces the natural absorption of this
greenhouse gas. The CO2 creates a thin layer around the earth's atmosphere. It traps heat
generated by solar irradiation, a phenomenon known as the "Greenhouse effect" (NASA: Climate
Change and Global Warming, no date). Though many other gases also account for this, current
estimation shows that the contribution of CO2 to the anthropogenic Greenhouse gas (GHG) is the
highest, about 50%. (Dincer et al., 1999)
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), on a global level, almost 61% of energy is
consumed for industrial and building usage, nearly 84% of which resort to conventional fossil fuel
burning for energy production. The 'Center of Climate and Energy Solutions' mentioned that
industrial fields like manufacturing, food processing, construction, and mining account for almost
29.6% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, consolidating direct and indirect emissions.
(Controlling Industrial Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, no
date). Direct emissions include on-site combustion of fossil fuels for heat and energy, various
non-energy use of fossil fuels, and chemical processes involved in iron, cement, and steel
production. In contrast, indirect emissions include electricity generation to run industrial
operations. The residential and commercial building sector is another significant stakeholder in
this global GHG emission. It's responsible for 29% of total U.S. GHG emissions. (Decarbonizing
U.S. Buildings | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, no date) The building sector consumes
fossil fuel-generated energy for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, cooking,
water heating, and running household electrical appliances. In addition to the regular emissions
(29% of total annual emission) from building energy operations, the embodied carbon in building
materials and construction is responsible for 11% of GHG emissions. The 2020 World Population
data sheet estimates a 25% growth in global population by 2050, which will impose increased
T M Abir Ahsan - 919198498 | Biological Systems Engineering
demand in energy and accommodation, resulting in even higher GHG emissions. (Global ABC
Global Status Report 2018, EIA)
Sustainable energy production and application are fundamental ways to offset carbon emissions
from conventional energy systems. Solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, ocean waves, geothermal
are attractive sources for producing clean energy, and researchers have delved into the
innovation, incorporation, and augmentation of such systems. Combined solar cooling, heating,
and power generation techniques are getting attention to achieving net-zero energy buildings.
Extensive research on carbon capture, use, and storage methods are now targeting to capture
almost 90% CO2 from power generation and other industrial sites. The major challenge of more
large-scale implementation of such techniques includes higher capital investment, stochastic
nature, lack of efficiency, massive space occupancy, and inefficient storage systems. Also, the
energy concentration of the mentioned clean energies is much lower than that of conventional
ones. A lot of research work is currently in the pipeline to address the challenges and increase
the efficacy of clean energy systems. World leaders also need to align their policies to the latest
climate science and prioritize investment in the research expansion of clean energy.