\nDiscussion about renewable energy sources and usage is increasing around the world, especially among industries in the United <\/p>\n
States. While coal, oil and natural gas prices soar, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to affect the earth’s climate, <\/p>\n
alternatives for power are more attractive than ever. <\/p>\n
\nThere are five main renewable energy sources currently proven to provide “clean,” usable energy: biomass, geothermal, <\/p>\n
hydrogen, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind. Biomass and hydropower sources top the list, both with relatively high <\/p>\n
percentages of current usage—close to 45 percent. <\/p>\n
\nDespite their proven effectiveness and our increasing need for them, the Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information <\/p>\n
Administration (EIA) reports that renewable energy sources are a modest part of our energy portfolio, accounting for only 6 <\/p>\n
percent of the country’s total energy supply. Although there has been booming growth of solar and wind power usage—both <\/p>\n
by about 30 percent—renewable energy consumption reportedly has not budged since 1989, and the EIA expects just a 2 <\/p>\n
percent increase in usage by 2025. <\/p>\n
\nThis flat growth is due not only to the current dependence on fossil fuel power but also to the fact that many renewable <\/p>\n
energy resource processes need to be improved and made cheaper to maintain. As fossil fuels continue to have negative impacts <\/p>\n
on our society, though, the U.S. government, through many environmental agencies, is putting the pressure on industries to <\/p>\n
find “greener” plant processes. Renewable energy is one good consideration, but pros and cons must be evaluated. <\/p>\n
\nFor instance, the DOE is providing $44 million this year in State Energy Program (SEP) grants to support and encourage <\/p>\n
energy-saving and efficiency goals in every state and U.S. territory, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands <\/p>\n
(www.eere.energy.gov\/states\/).
\nThe SEP saves an average of 41.35 million Btus per year, reducing energy bills by $256 million. <\/p>\n
\nRenewable Energy Defined<\/b><\/p>\n
\nThe DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) office reports that hydropower is currently the largest source of <\/p>\n
renewable power, generating nearly 10 percent of the electricity used in the United States. <\/p>\n
\nHydropower comes from capturing energy created by flowing water—most notably through a dammed river or lake—and <\/p>\n
turning it into electricity. The dammed method of hydropower is called impoundment. Diversion methods channel part of the <\/p>\n
flow of a river through a canal or penstock and may not require the use of a dam. There are various sizes of hydropower <\/p>\n
plants, depending on the amount of electricity needed. <\/p>\n
\nNewer methods of hydropower, called pumped storage, allow water in a lower pool to be pumped to an upper pool during off-peak <\/p>\n
hours for storage until peak hours, when the upper water is released through a hydroelectric turbine to create valuable <\/p>\n
peaking electricity during times of high demand. However, because pumped storage still requires the use of coal or nuclear <\/p>\n
electricity to operate the turbine, it falls in the category of improved economics rather than renewable energy source. <\/p>\n
\nBiomass is any plant-derived organic matter available on a renewable basis, such as agricultural food and feed crops and <\/p>\n
animal wastes. According to EERE, technologies use renewable biomass resources to produce an array of energy-related products <\/p>\n
including electricity, liquid, solid and gaseous fuels, heat, chemicals and other materials. Biopower technologies are proven <\/p>\n
electricity-generation options in the United States, and there are a variety of fuels created from biomass resources: liquid <\/p>\n
fuels like ethanol and methanol, and gaseous fuels like hydrogen and methane. Products made from biobased chemicals include <\/p>\n
renewable plastics and natural fibers. <\/p>\n
\nBioenergy ranks a very close second to hydropower in renewable U.S. primary energy production, accounting for 3 percent of <\/p>\n
the primary energy production in the country. The EIA reports that bioenergy used to rank number one but has declined <\/p>\n
gradually over the past several years. <\/p>\n
\nHydrogen is the simplest and most plentiful element in the universe; however, it does not occur naturally as a gas on the <\/p>\n
Earth. Instead, it is combined with other elements, as in water, which is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). <\/p>\n
Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds like the “hydrocarbons” that make up many of our fuels: gasoline, natural <\/p>\n
gas, methanol and propane. Hydrogen is produced from these sources through the application of heat: from bacteria or algae <\/p>\n
through photosynthesis, or by using electricity or sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. <\/p>\n
\nEERE states that even though hydrogen is high in energy, an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. The <\/p>\n
space shuttle is a perfect example. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the shuttle and other rockets <\/p>\n
into orbit. In addition to the rocket engines, hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle’s electrical systems, producing a clean <\/p>\n
byproduct—pure water, which the crew drinks. A fuel cell is like a battery that is constantly replenished by adding <\/p>\n
fuel to it. It never loses its charge. <\/p>\n
\nHydrogen potentially could be used to power vehicles or run turbines or fuel cells to produce electricity. This locally <\/p>\n
produced electricity could be used for normal electrical power requirements in buildings, supporting computers, lights, HVAC <\/p>\n
fans and pumps, and air conditioning compressors. Many believe that once we determine how to produce hydrogen economically, <\/p>\n
it will hold the best promise for powering our industries and homes. <\/p>\n
\nEERE explains that geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth, which is clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal <\/p>\n
energy range from shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth’s surface, down even deeper to <\/p>\n
the extremely high temperatures of molten rock, called magma. <\/p>\n
\nGeothermal hot water near the Earth’s surface can be used directly for heating buildings and as a heat supply for a variety <\/p>\n
of commercial and industrial uses. Geothermal direct use is particularly favored for greenhouses and aquaculture. Although in <\/p>\n
this country most geothermal resources are concentrated in the West, geothermal heat pumps can be used nearly anywhere. <\/p>\n
\nWith ocean water covering more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, it is potentially one of the largest available sources <\/p>\n
of renewable energy. EERE reports that the oceans contain two types of energy: thermal and mechanical. Each day, the oceans <\/p>\n
absorb enough heat from the sun to equal the thermal energy contained in 250 billion barrels of oil. As the sun warms the <\/p>\n
surface much more than the deep ocean water, the temperature difference stores thermal energy. The conversion of ocean water <\/p>\n
to electricity also produces desalinated water. <\/p>\n
\nMechanical energy is created from the power of ocean waves and tides. The total power of waves breaking on the world’s <\/p>\n
coastlines is estimated at 2 to 3 million megawatts. There are many ways to extract this energy and turn it into electricity, <\/p>\n
including similar methods to damming a river. <\/p>\n
\nEERE describe solar technologies as using the sun’s energy and light to provide heat, light, hot water, electricity and even <\/p>\n
cooling for homes, businesses and industry. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. We <\/p>\n
already use a simple version of this energy to power watches and calculators. More complex systems can light houses and <\/p>\n
provide power to the electric grid. <\/p>\n
\nSolar hot-water heaters use the sun to heat either water or a heat-transfer fluid in collectors. A typical system will reduce <\/p>\n
the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide <\/p>\n
energy-efficient hot water and hot-water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities. <\/p>\n
\nWind energy can be captured to generate electricity, charge batteries, pump water or grind grain. Electricity can be <\/p>\n
generated from wind turbines with two or three propeller-like blades, mounted on a rotor, that turn a generator—much as <\/p>\n
a propeller can fly an airplane. The turbines are usually placed on high towers to take advantage of stronger, less <\/p>\n
turbulent, wind. <\/p>\n
\nWind turbines can be used as standalone applications or they can be connected to a utility power grid or even combined with a <\/p>\n
PV (solar cell) system. Research advances have helped drop the cost of energy from the wind by 85 percent during the last 20 <\/p>\n
years, providing greater incentive for government funding of this fuel source. <\/p>\n
\nPractical Uses of Renewable Energy for Industries<\/b> <\/p>\n
\nThe DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) has created a variety of programs to aid in industrial process improvements. <\/p>\n
For instance, through its Industries of the Future program, ITP is partnering with the most energy-intensive industries to <\/p>\n
effectively plan and implement a comprehensive research and development (R&D) agenda. These vital industries—aluminum, <\/p>\n
chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum refining and steel—are responsible for the majority <\/p>\n
of industrial energy consumption and represent the greatest opportunities to increase efficiency. <\/p>\n
\nAs an example, according to EERE, the U.S. chemical industry is the world’s largest, accounting for more than 26 percent of <\/p>\n
global chemical production (over $450 billion per year) and nearly 30 percent of all U.S. industrial energy consumption. ITP <\/p>\n
Chemicals hopes to help that industry achieve a 30-percent reduction in energy, water use, and toxic and pollutant dispersion <\/p>\n
per unit of output by 2020 through cost-shared, precompetitive R&D projects that meet industry needs and help achieve <\/p>\n
national goals for energy and the environment. <\/p>\n
\nSo which of the renewable energy resources will most likely affect and benefit the operation of industries in the United <\/p>\n
States? The EIA’s “Annual Energy Outlook 2005” notes that “Despite strong growth in renewable electricity generation as a <\/p>\n
result of technology improvements and expected higher fossil fuel costs, grid-connected generators using renewable fuels…are projected to remain minor contributors to U.S. electricity supply.” The EIA adds that renewables other than <\/p>\n
conventional hydropower are projected to provide approximately 3.2 percent of total U.S. electricity generation by the year <\/p>\n
2025. <\/p>\n
\nAccording to EIA senior economist, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, Thomas W. Petersik, the slow growth of <\/p>\n
renewable energy is due to a number of negative factors that naturally come with renewables’ processes. He explains that <\/p>\n
renewables produce amounts of energy per unit volume that are too small, are too distant from transmission lines and <\/p>\n
electricity consumers, and are too expensive to convert to electricity to compete with fossil fuels for grid-connected <\/p>\n
electricity supply. <\/p>\n
\nPetersik adds, “Intermittent renewables, that is, solar and wind power, suffer from uncertainty in availability—cloudy <\/p>\n
or windless periods—no solar power at night, for example, and the general certainty in most instances that winds will <\/p>\n
be diminished during summer peak hours. Moreover, least-cost renewable energy sources tend to be in relatively short supply, <\/p>\n
so that once initial quantities are used, costs for additional use could rise substantially. Finally, renewables can also <\/p>\n
present environmental challenges, such as chemical contaminants for geothermal, or dangers to fish or birds for <\/p>\n
hydroelectricity or wind, respectively.” <\/p>\n
\nThat said, however, Petersik counters that in a minority of instances, EIA projections and market observation indicate that <\/p>\n
renewables can be competitive and contribute to U.S. electricity supply—including industries—through the grid or <\/p>\n
other method. He explains that biomass fuels such as wood sources, or geothermal or hydroelectricity resources, are known to <\/p>\n
be very reliable. <\/p>\n
\n “Where renewables can compete successfully,” says Petersik, “they offer opportunities for least-cost electricity supply, <\/p>\n
thereby lowering U.S. industry energy costs and helping them remain competitive, providing domestically supplied energy and <\/p>\n
domestic employment, often times also adding environmental benefits—such as cleaner air. In those instances, by <\/p>\n
offering lower cost competitive energy supplies, renewables also substitute for fossil fuels, thereby contributing to <\/p>\n
competition and reduced price pressures on fossil fuels in all markets.” <\/p>\n
\nPetersik predicts that off-grid solar power, despite its tendency to be notably more expensive than grid power, may become <\/p>\n
cost effective in “remote” locations—sometimes even within cities—”where the cost of extending a distribution <\/p>\n
line to supply a small amount of very valuable power exceeds the relatively lower cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) <\/p>\n
battery-supported PV unit,” he explains. He reports that biomass, particularly forestry and wood wastes, has provided the <\/p>\n
U.S. pulp and paper industries low-cost fuel for electricity generation for decades. These same energy crops could provide <\/p>\n
future electricity supplies even though “biomass gasification technologies are costly and not yet commercial—and face <\/p>\n
significant challenges from fuel contaminants—and transportation of biomass fuels from field to generating plant <\/p>\n
remains expensive,” he adds. <\/p>\n
\nIf the United States were to turn more aggressively to renewable energy, Petersik believes that biomass and wind power appear <\/p>\n
to be the most likely sources, with geothermal power as another likely contributor for some additional supply in California, <\/p>\n
Nevada and a few other Western states. He says there is also evidence that conventional hydroelectric <\/p>\n
power—historically a major contributor to U.S. industrial success—might be able to contribute a significant <\/p>\n
proportion of new U.S. renewable electricity supply. This could be done primarily by adding generators to existing dams and <\/p>\n
hydroelectric facilities and renovating and upgrading obsolete turbines, generators and associated equipment—all <\/p>\n
without building new dams and, in some instances, without diverting additional water. But while hydropower has significant <\/p>\n
reliability and availability in most parts of the country, it also faces cost, environmental and alternative-use challenges. <\/p>\n
\nThe EIA is not a policy agency and does not set goals or advocate for them; however, Petersik summarizes, “EIA estimates and <\/p>\n
projections all indicate that renewables can and will contribute to meeting U.S. electricity supplies, but that, like most <\/p>\n
everything else, if the nation chooses to rely much more heavily on renewables, we will need to be willing to pay for them <\/p>\n
and be willing to accommodate their presence in our communities.” <\/p>\n
\nRelated Opportunities for the Mechanical Insulation Industry<\/b><\/p>\n
\nAccording to Gordon Hart, a consulting engineer for ARTEK Inc. with more than 25 years in the thermal insulation industry, <\/p>\n
some renewable energy processes show promise for the insulation industry. For starters, he explains that creating biomass <\/p>\n
power requires the use of a chemical plant—converting soybeans to diesel fuel, or corn to ethanol. As already <\/p>\n
demonstrated in today’s chemical plants, their high-temperature operations and inclusion of large numbers of pipes and <\/p>\n
equipment would require thermal insulation. <\/p>\n
\nSolar voltaic energy shows the most promise in housing insulation and therefore shows minimal potential for industries. <\/p>\n
Geothermal power, on the other hand, is proven to require insulation. Hart explains that geothermal “is already harnessed at <\/p>\n
The Geysers Plant in northern California and requires the use of lots of insulation. That electrical power plant collects <\/p>\n
geothermal-generated steam from beneath the hills and uses it to power low-pressure turbines, which in turn power electrical <\/p>\n
generators. The plant has an overall capacity to generate 850 MW of electrical power, about equal to the capacity of a large <\/p>\n
coal-fired plant. There are a large number of steam ‘wells’ and each of these is connected with insulated piping to larger <\/p>\n
collection piping. (Shown in Figure 1.) Without effective insulation on the collection pipes, such as in the photo, the <\/p>\n
process wouldn’t work.” <\/p>\n
\nHowever, Hart explains, The Geysers Plant only provides about 4 percent of the state’s electrical power needs. The only other <\/p>\n
major geothermal opportunity in this country is probably in Yellowstone National Park, which would require obstructing the <\/p>\n
crowd-drawing aesthetics of “Old Faithful,” America’s oldest national park attraction. <\/p>\n
\nHydroelectric power is the oldest form of electrical power generation and an important form of renewable energy, says Hart. <\/p>\n
Of the large number of existing hydroelectric power stations in the United States, the largest is the Hoover Dam, located <\/p>\n
downstream of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, and the source of Lake Meade. <\/p>\n
\n “As a hydroelectric power station, this magnificent engineering structure can generate its rated 2,000 MW of electrical <\/p>\n
power when the lake is full,” reports Hart. “Unfortunately, the U.S. Interior Department can’t keep Lake Meade full due to <\/p>\n
drought, steady growth in southern California since it was completed in 1935, and more recent spectacular growth in and <\/p>\n
around Las Vegas, Nevada. You can’t use all that water and generate 2,000 MW of electrical power at the same time.” <\/p>\n
\nEven more importantly for the insulation industry, hydroelectric power plants do not require the use of insulation. In fact, <\/p>\n
no hydropower energy sources require insulation, nor do hydrogen, solar and wind sources. <\/p>\n
\nAlthough opportunities for our industry in renewable energy technologies are limited, all is not lost, says Hart. “Renewable <\/p>\n
energy will only be economical if fossil fuel prices remain high or continue to increase past their current levels. If that <\/p>\n
happens, then it will become increasingly cost effective for users of fossil fuel energy to use it as efficiently as <\/p>\n
possible. When they do, mechanical insulation will become increasingly important. Mechanical insulation typically has a <\/p>\n
simple payback of less than 2 years: on high-temperature piping and equipment, it is as short as 1 month. When dealing with <\/p>\n
thermal energy, mechanical insulation is simply the most cost effective means of increasing energy efficiency.” <\/p>\n
\nSo, although the mechanical insulation industry probably will not derive much direct benefit from the growth of renewable <\/p>\n
energy technologies, Hart believes the same economic factors fostering the growth of renewables also will foster the growth <\/p>\n
of the mechanical insulation industry. And if the trend for increasing fossil fuel prices increases, he says, our industry’s <\/p>\n
future still looks very bright. <\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IO050903_01.jpg\")
<\/a>Figure 1<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"