{"id":8997,"date":"2021-08-26T15:56:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T15:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=8997"},"modified":"2023-04-26T11:57:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T16:57:14","slug":"substantial-decarbonization-of-industry-is-possible-but-needs-to-start-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/substantial-decarbonization-of-industry-is-possible-but-needs-to-start-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Substantial decarbonization of industry is possible, but needs to start now"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kelly Altes<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview for a\u00a0<\/span>recent\u00a0ACEEE\u00a0blog post<\/span><\/a>, Elizabeth Dutrow of the EPA\u2019s ENERGY STAR Industrial Partnership states that U.S. manufacturing industry carbon emissions could be reduced by as much as 86 percent by 2050. Achieving this, she added, would require significant action in energy efficiency, material efficiency, technology upgrades, and the creation of power-grid synergies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a huge reduction in emissions also requires motivated owners. At IMEG \u2014 and we assume elsewhere \u2014 we have seen increasing industrial client interest in addressing environmental issues. Lowering their carbon footprint also has become less of a return-on-investment issue for owners and more of a public perception and business risk issue. For example, owners who file<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ESG reports<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014\u00a0valuable information\u00a0used by\u00a0many customers and investors<\/span>\u00a0\u2014<\/span>\u00a0can\u00a0help\u00a0differentiate their business\u00a0based\u00a0on their environmental\u00a0stewardship, including\u00a0their carbon footprint.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Helping clients reduce their carbon footprint requires addressing both operational carbon (emissions), i.e., from electricity\/power usage and refrigerant from their facilities and equipment; and embodied carbon \u2014 that which exists in the material and structure of a facility. For long-term property owners who can afford the first cost, investing in today\u2019s highly energy-efficient equipment is a no-brainer for reducing operational carbon. Since most of a building\u2019s lifetime energy use and cost occurs over long-term operations and maintenance <\/span>(see\u00a0pie chart),\u00a0<\/span><\/i>an even larger impact on emissions can be made by investing in system monitoring and verification equipment. This allows plant engineers to continuously evaluate actual building operations, identify and correct sub-par equipment operation, and eliminate unnecessary energy use.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Different\u00a0approaches\u00a0are\u00a0required\u00a0to reduce\u00a0embodied\u00a0carbon.\u00a0Typical strategies include the\u00a0use\u00a0of\u00a0sustainable\u00a0and low-carbon\u00a0materials like\u00a0wood\u00a0and low-carbon concrete mixes\u00a0as well as\u00a0mechanical and electrical equipment and refrigerants\u00a0with reduced\u00a0embodied carbon values.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designing\u00a0a\u00a0low-embodied-carbon building\u00a0should begin with a comprehensive life cycle assessment early in design so engineers can provide the best strategies that align with the client\u2019s carbon-reduction goal. The assessment can include comparing different structural materials, analyzing building skin design with the architect, and reviewing different finishes with the interior designer. The reliability, expandability, flexibility,\u00a0and\u00a0resiliency of the building\u00a0also\u00a0should be considered.\u00a0In addition,\u00a0having\u00a0lower embodied\u00a0carbon\u00a0at the beginning followed by lower\u00a0embodied\u00a0carbon\u00a0replacements\u00a0and renovations\u00a0as the building ages\u00a0will reduce\u00a0the\u00a0overall embodied\u00a0carbon\u00a0across the building\u2019s life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Power strategies\u00a0also should be considered by\u00a0owners \u2014 many of whom\u00a0anticipate\u00a0business risk related to the power grid of the future.\u00a0(Full electrification of\u00a0building infrastructure, dependent on a future decarbonized grid, also\u00a0is\u00a0gaining attention as many companies\u00a0commit\u00a0to driving natural gas usage to zero.) Alternative and sustainable power\u00a0strategies include\u00a0photovoltaic, wind,\u00a0micro grid,\u00a0co-generation,\u00a0battery storage,\u00a0and\u00a0off-site private power generation.\u00a0At IMEG we have developed an\u00a0in-house\u00a0tool\u00a0to model\u00a0these strategies and\u00a0adjust variable inputs like\u00a0square footage\u00a0of PV, cost of power per kW,\u00a0etc.,\u00a0allowing clients to\u00a0project energy and carbon reductions\u00a0and\u00a0make informed decisions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s critical that these and\u00a0other\u00a0strategies be considered by industries across the U.S. if we hope to achieve the 86 percent reduction\u00a0in emissions\u00a0the EPA states is possible\u00a0over the next 30 years.\u00a0\u201cMany different approaches are needed to achieve deep decarbonization by 2050,\u201d\u00a0says Dutrow, adding,\u00a0\u201cIndustry needs to start now.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With\u00a0manufacturing accounting\u00a0for 25 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, such a reduction would be a substantial win for environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kelly Altes\u00a0 In an interview for a\u00a0recent\u00a0ACEEE\u00a0blog post, Elizabeth Dutrow of the EPA\u2019s ENERGY STAR Industrial Partnership states that U.S. manufacturing industry carbon emissions could be reduced by as much as 86 percent by 2050. Achieving this, she added, would require significant action in energy efficiency, material efficiency, technology upgrades, and the creation of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3,155,1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSubstantial decarbonization of industry is possible, but needs to start now - IMEG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Substantial decarbonization of industry \u2013 both carbon emissions and embodied carbon \u2013 is possible but needs to start now.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/substantial-decarbonization-of-industry-is-possible-but-needs-to-start-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Substantial decarbonization of industry is possible, but needs to start now - IMEG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Substantial decarbonization of industry \u2013 both carbon emissions and embodied carbon \u2013 is possible but needs to start now.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/substantial-decarbonization-of-industry-is-possible-but-needs-to-start-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"IMEG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-26T15:56:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-26T16:57:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blog-ind-pic-e1665174539543.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"738\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Taryn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/\",\"name\":\"IMEG\",\"description\":\"Design Consulting Firm\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/substantial-decarbonization-of-industry-is-possible-but-needs-to-start-now\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blog-ind-pic-e1665174539543.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blog-ind-pic-e1665174539543.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":738,\"caption\":\"CO2 emissions as carbon dioxide pollution from exhaust gases outline concept. 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