Progress (or lack there of):
The weather in our region is very cold these days, and it is expected to last for at least 14 days.
As a result, our ventilation aggregate stopped working again the other day (-13C). It seems as though temperatures below -10C causes build up of ice inside the rotating heat-exchanger and the aggregate stops working (the alarm flashing on the display says "Rotor"). The ventilation subcontractor has been notified, but we are still waiting for them to fix this and other remaining issues.
Dispite the fact that the project has not been completed and formally "handed over" to us, they sent us the remaining invoices on December 23rd. I immediately contacted the project leader and told him that we accept to pay for the other work - but the last invoice for the ventilation system (ca 10.000 USD) will not be paid until the solution has been delivered according to the contract.
Note: The updates on this blog have not come as frequently as they used to. First we had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the last couple of days we have been skiing in the norwegian mountains (at Beitostoelen).
Comments:
Until our own JAHUS project has finished - I will continue to write updates when there is progress to report. There will also be more on the economics of this project. Initial calculations indicate that our project will have a paybacktime of approximately 12 years. With more fine-tuning others who want a JAHUS project should be able to get almost the same CO2/energy savings with a paybacktime of 10 years. More on these calculations and suggestions on how to achieve the same benefits and a paybacktime of only 10 years in future blog-posts.
"The job isn't done...."
COP15 in Copenhagen didn't give us what we had hoped for. In the next 12 months we will continue to see development and discussons on the unresolved issues (China letting UN monitor what they do, USA to pass a new climate law, who pays for what etc.). As we enter into a new year, I will also continue to update this blog with information on topics related to global warming and energy-saving.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
After Copenhagen - now what?
Comments: not done yet
The climate meeting in Copenhagen ended, as feared, without the big breakthrough. The result was a sort of declaration to continue work, and at least that is something.
The U.S. and other rich countries were blamed for the failure in Copenhagen. I think the toughest COP15 critics oversimplyfy what in reality is very difficult political questions.
1) It was an error to put a lid on the scientific debate about climate change: instead, one should be much more open about the uncertainty, but also remind people that the uncertainty could mean that things are worse than the models indicate. We should view the measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as an insurance. (Insurance is something we pay for even if we do not know for sure that something goes wrong.)
2) It will be expensive: One can compare the cost to the entire world's GDP, and say that it is not going to cost us much. The burden, however, will not be evenly distributed and it will definitely change the lives of many people. Are these efforts going to result in major transfer of resources from developed- to developing countries?
3) The distinction between the "rich nations" and the rest is also too easy. It was also one of the major problems with the Kyoto Protocol (in addition to the United States never ratified it): no restrictions were imposed on most countries in the world, also relatively rich countries, such as South Korea. The same was true for rapidly growing economies such as China, which in the meantime has become the world's largest emission source.
(Thanks to Are Slettan for input)
Progress:
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the ventilation aggregate stopped working around noon on Saturday. Later on that same day, the outside temperature increased to -7C (from -12C) and I decided to start the aggregate again. This time it worked - and I told the ventilation team that it seems like the aggregate has problems below -10C. This is of course not an acceptable limitation in a country like ours where we can expect -10C in December, January, February and occationally even in March. It is now 4 pm on Monday and they have not responded or showed up to finish the work...
In my email I also asked for an update on when the electrician is planning to connect the new fans - to get the flow of heated air into the ventilation system. He didn't come on Friday, but the projectleader responded per email on Sunday saying "The electrician is coming tomorrow!".
Around noon today I received a phonecall directly from the electrician - and he said he could not make it today. I told him what the project leader had promised me, but he insisted that he could not come today.
I sent a frustrated mail back to the project leader: "Did just hear that Morten is not coming today (so now we see how much your promises, with exclamation points, are worth) ..."
He responded very quickly: "I spoke with Runar now, he promised to call Morten and tell him to stop by today! He will call you back. " (Runar is the manager). Does anyone believe that the electrician called me back or showed up?
The climate meeting in Copenhagen ended, as feared, without the big breakthrough. The result was a sort of declaration to continue work, and at least that is something.
The U.S. and other rich countries were blamed for the failure in Copenhagen. I think the toughest COP15 critics oversimplyfy what in reality is very difficult political questions.
1) It was an error to put a lid on the scientific debate about climate change: instead, one should be much more open about the uncertainty, but also remind people that the uncertainty could mean that things are worse than the models indicate. We should view the measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as an insurance. (Insurance is something we pay for even if we do not know for sure that something goes wrong.)
2) It will be expensive: One can compare the cost to the entire world's GDP, and say that it is not going to cost us much. The burden, however, will not be evenly distributed and it will definitely change the lives of many people. Are these efforts going to result in major transfer of resources from developed- to developing countries?
3) The distinction between the "rich nations" and the rest is also too easy. It was also one of the major problems with the Kyoto Protocol (in addition to the United States never ratified it): no restrictions were imposed on most countries in the world, also relatively rich countries, such as South Korea. The same was true for rapidly growing economies such as China, which in the meantime has become the world's largest emission source.
(Thanks to Are Slettan for input)
Progress:
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the ventilation aggregate stopped working around noon on Saturday. Later on that same day, the outside temperature increased to -7C (from -12C) and I decided to start the aggregate again. This time it worked - and I told the ventilation team that it seems like the aggregate has problems below -10C. This is of course not an acceptable limitation in a country like ours where we can expect -10C in December, January, February and occationally even in March. It is now 4 pm on Monday and they have not responded or showed up to finish the work...
In my email I also asked for an update on when the electrician is planning to connect the new fans - to get the flow of heated air into the ventilation system. He didn't come on Friday, but the projectleader responded per email on Sunday saying "The electrician is coming tomorrow!".
Around noon today I received a phonecall directly from the electrician - and he said he could not make it today. I told him what the project leader had promised me, but he insisted that he could not come today.
I sent a frustrated mail back to the project leader: "Did just hear that Morten is not coming today (so now we see how much your promises, with exclamation points, are worth) ..."
He responded very quickly: "I spoke with Runar now, he promised to call Morten and tell him to stop by today! He will call you back. " (Runar is the manager). Does anyone believe that the electrician called me back or showed up?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Final day of negotiations in Copenhagen
Event: A Copenhagen Accord it is
An agreement drawn up Friday night by leaders from the US, China, India and South Africa has been recognized Saturday morning by the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The three-page document, which would not be binding in international law, dropped a final paragraph in a previous draft that had said that negotiations on a full, legally binding treaty would have to be completed by the end of 2010.
The text stuck to previous goals, including one of limiting world temperature rises to a maximum rise of 2 Celsius above pre-industrial times to avert impacts such as floods, heat waves, species extinctions and rising ocean levels.
The draft still left blank key elements such as the depth of cuts in greenhouse gas emissions expected of developed nations by 2020.
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3070
Comments: What was agreed at Copenhagen – and what was left out
National leaders and sleep-deprived negotiators thrashed out a text late last night that could determine the balance of power in the world and possibly the future of our species. A useful breakdown of the key points is provided at the following web-site:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/how-copenhagen-text-was-changed
Comments: Copenhagen climate conference: global warming talks meltdown
The Bella Centre in Copenhagen looks more like the aftermath of a particularly messy house party rather than the place where 120 of the most powerful men and women have just met to discuss saving the planet.
Obama said “Yes we can!”
Umm, actually no we can’t.
It soon became clear that China was not signing up to any treaty that allowed other countries to snoop around in their dirty emissions laundry. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reportedly left for his hotel in a huff and suddenly the whole conference was plunged into chaos.
What really happened - and why?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6843154/Copenhagen-climate-conference-global-warming-talks-meltdown.html
Progress:
The carpenter came to our house yesterday and he removed the "doghouse" (that covers the heatpump), but to our surprise it didn't make the noice go away. The problem must be the heatpump itself or the way it is connected to the house. The team who installed it has promised to fix it (but did not show up yesterday).
The electrician didn't come on Friday and we therefore still can't try the JAHUS solution (with heated air added after the aggregate). At the moment it is -12C outside, and the fresh air that is delivered to the livingroom is only 7C (!).
The pictures show that the pipe that is used for sending the exhaust air out of the house, is full of condensated- and partly frozen water (the exhaust air is -3C).
I hope they will wrap this pipe in isolation material too, to fix the problem.
To add to our frustration, the aggregate stoppped working this morning (Saturday). It started making noices and I had to pull the plug. When I restarted the aggregate, the heat-exchanger didn't rotate and that was the cause of the noices from the aggregate. I therefore pulled the plug again and emailed the project leader and the subcontractor - telling them that we are currently without a working ventilation system. With Christmas only days away, I really hope that they take this seriously on Monday.
An agreement drawn up Friday night by leaders from the US, China, India and South Africa has been recognized Saturday morning by the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The three-page document, which would not be binding in international law, dropped a final paragraph in a previous draft that had said that negotiations on a full, legally binding treaty would have to be completed by the end of 2010.
The text stuck to previous goals, including one of limiting world temperature rises to a maximum rise of 2 Celsius above pre-industrial times to avert impacts such as floods, heat waves, species extinctions and rising ocean levels.
The draft still left blank key elements such as the depth of cuts in greenhouse gas emissions expected of developed nations by 2020.
http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3070
Comments: What was agreed at Copenhagen – and what was left out
National leaders and sleep-deprived negotiators thrashed out a text late last night that could determine the balance of power in the world and possibly the future of our species. A useful breakdown of the key points is provided at the following web-site:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/how-copenhagen-text-was-changed
Comments: Copenhagen climate conference: global warming talks meltdown
The Bella Centre in Copenhagen looks more like the aftermath of a particularly messy house party rather than the place where 120 of the most powerful men and women have just met to discuss saving the planet.
Obama said “Yes we can!”
Umm, actually no we can’t.
It soon became clear that China was not signing up to any treaty that allowed other countries to snoop around in their dirty emissions laundry. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reportedly left for his hotel in a huff and suddenly the whole conference was plunged into chaos.
What really happened - and why?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6843154/Copenhagen-climate-conference-global-warming-talks-meltdown.html
Progress:
The carpenter came to our house yesterday and he removed the "doghouse" (that covers the heatpump), but to our surprise it didn't make the noice go away. The problem must be the heatpump itself or the way it is connected to the house. The team who installed it has promised to fix it (but did not show up yesterday).
The electrician didn't come on Friday and we therefore still can't try the JAHUS solution (with heated air added after the aggregate). At the moment it is -12C outside, and the fresh air that is delivered to the livingroom is only 7C (!).
The pictures show that the pipe that is used for sending the exhaust air out of the house, is full of condensated- and partly frozen water (the exhaust air is -3C).I hope they will wrap this pipe in isolation material too, to fix the problem.
To add to our frustration, the aggregate stoppped working this morning (Saturday). It started making noices and I had to pull the plug. When I restarted the aggregate, the heat-exchanger didn't rotate and that was the cause of the noices from the aggregate. I therefore pulled the plug again and emailed the project leader and the subcontractor - telling them that we are currently without a working ventilation system. With Christmas only days away, I really hope that they take this seriously on Monday.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Progress - in Copenhagen and in our JAHUS
Event 1: Video clip
As world leaders arrived in Copenhagen yesterday, a nice videoclip was released to further highlight the need for serious committments from both developed- and developing countries. Watch the video clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Nc18O4E38&feature=player_embedded
Event 2: Back to work
United Nations talks on fighting climate change finally turned to the details of how to combat global warming on Thursday after 36 hours of wrangling over procedural issues. Officials expressed relief that the procedural row had ended at last, but warned that the dispute had wasted precious time just a day away from the end of the conference.
"I would say: hold tight and mind the doors, the cable-car is moving again," the UN's chief climate negotiator, Yvo de Boer, told journalists in Copenhagen.
Progress:
Today they finally installed the connection between the pipe with heated air from the heatpump (the pipe in the lower right side of the picture) and the pipe that blows fresh air from the aggregate to the distribution network in the house (the pipe in the upper left corner of the picture). The new setup is exactly what I asked for in an earlier blog post (and in discussions with the subcontractor). The design is also illustrated in my technical sketch which is attached below.
As shown in the picture above, the new setup includes a fan (the lump on the connection between the two pipes) - and because the electrician hasn't connected the fan to the electrical grid in the house, the functionality can not yet be verified. I hope that we can test it for the first time tomorrow and publish some results during the weekend.
Tomorrow the carpenter has promised to move/adjust the "doghouse" that was built around the heatpump (outside). We believe the current construction is causing more noice than normal from the heatpump - because the "doghouse" is attached to the outside wall and probably transmits vibrations to the house.
It is -10C in Kolbotn now and the exhaust air is therefore below zero (C). As I expected, there is condensated water building on the un-isolated pipe as shown in the next picture. I have forwarded this picture to the ventilation experts and told them that I believe that this particular pipe should be isolated. The last picture was included to illustrate how cold one of the valves is under such conditions.
As world leaders arrived in Copenhagen yesterday, a nice videoclip was released to further highlight the need for serious committments from both developed- and developing countries. Watch the video clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Nc18O4E38&feature=player_embedded
Event 2: Back to work
United Nations talks on fighting climate change finally turned to the details of how to combat global warming on Thursday after 36 hours of wrangling over procedural issues. Officials expressed relief that the procedural row had ended at last, but warned that the dispute had wasted precious time just a day away from the end of the conference.
"I would say: hold tight and mind the doors, the cable-car is moving again," the UN's chief climate negotiator, Yvo de Boer, told journalists in Copenhagen.
Progress:
Today they finally installed the connection between the pipe with heated air from the heatpump (the pipe in the lower right side of the picture) and the pipe that blows fresh air from the aggregate to the distribution network in the house (the pipe in the upper left corner of the picture). The new setup is exactly what I asked for in an earlier blog post (and in discussions with the subcontractor). The design is also illustrated in my technical sketch which is attached below.As shown in the picture above, the new setup includes a fan (the lump on the connection between the two pipes) - and because the electrician hasn't connected the fan to the electrical grid in the house, the functionality can not yet be verified. I hope that we can test it for the first time tomorrow and publish some results during the weekend.
Tomorrow the carpenter has promised to move/adjust the "doghouse" that was built around the heatpump (outside). We believe the current construction is causing more noice than normal from the heatpump - because the "doghouse" is attached to the outside wall and probably transmits vibrations to the house.
It is -10C in Kolbotn now and the exhaust air is therefore below zero (C). As I expected, there is condensated water building on the un-isolated pipe as shown in the next picture. I have forwarded this picture to the ventilation experts and told them that I believe that this particular pipe should be isolated. The last picture was included to illustrate how cold one of the valves is under such conditions.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Interest rates and global warming?
Comments:
Strong domestic economy caused the norwegian central bank to increase interest rates by 0,25% today, dispite the fact that a stronger local currency will make it even harder for the export industry to compete in the global market.
So, why do I talk about a relationship between interest rate policies and global warming? When you need to tighten the domestic economy to prevent inflation - isn't adding more tax to the cost of electricity a good alternative (or supplement) to the frequent increases in interest rates ? Increasing taxes on electricity will not only curb inflation, but it will speed up the adoption of energy saving projects - and it will also have an element of distributive politics (people who own the biggest houses pay the most). Such a measure will not strengthen the exchange rate in the same way, and hence will not aggravate the situation for the export industry.
Should energy saving measures provide some environmental benefit, Norway must also increase the export capacity of the power grid (multiple cables to Europe). If no excess power can be sold to Europe, supply of electricity will exceed demand and prices will plunge.
Many people have recently argued that we must avoid adding to the capacity of the transmission of electricity between Norway and the rest of Europe. They say that synchronizing the prices of electricity with the rest of Europe is a bad thing - and is only being pushed by profit-hungry power companies. Electricity prices that Norwegian industry must pay is currently below the level their competitors out there pay. They should be able to make a profit with European electricity prices (or move production to where it can be produced at competitive prices). Private households will have less money to spend (and drive inflation) either way - tax on electricity or higher interest rates. As a reminder, look to the United States and what artificially low gasoline prices did to the use of cars. At the other end of the spectrum, look to Europe to see what high energy prices have done to the daily routines like switching off the lights when you leave a room (if you don't move quickly up the stairs, the lights are switched off automatically before you get to the next level).
In addition, there are other more technical arguments why we need to add more cables between us and Europe. This fall, we had two examples of large quantities of clean energy that was lost because we lacked the capacity for the exchange of energy between Denmark and Norway. In Denmark there was a storm and since this happened over a weekend, it was not enough demand for power in the grid - and they simply had to disconnect the wind turbines from the power grid (a grid that does not have the ability to store energy). That same week, there was a story on the TV2 News that the local power company (BKK) had to let the water in reservoirs flow outside the turbines - because they produced too much power and magazines could not be filled more.
When there is no wind in Europe, they should be able to draw on hydropower from Norway (which we can save and "let go" when it suits us). Similarly, they should be able to export energy to us when the wind generates "too much" power - because we can use this energy to pump water up to the reservoirs (where the energy can be saved and released again when there is no wind in Denmark or overcast in Spain - so that the solar powerplants do not produce electricity).
Events:
More than a 100 world leaders have now arrived in Copenhagen and take over for the environment ministers.
The demonstrations outside continue and so does the talk of police brutality.
Inside the COP15 building, there seems to be a bigger gap between the developed- and the developing countries than when they started the negotiations a week ago. There are still many challenges that the delegations must face before they can leave on Friday - with the results we all hope for.
Progress:
Only 2 days until they promised to have all the extra ventilation work done (new fan, adding the heated air after the aggregate, reducing noice) - but nothing was done today either.
Strong domestic economy caused the norwegian central bank to increase interest rates by 0,25% today, dispite the fact that a stronger local currency will make it even harder for the export industry to compete in the global market.
So, why do I talk about a relationship between interest rate policies and global warming? When you need to tighten the domestic economy to prevent inflation - isn't adding more tax to the cost of electricity a good alternative (or supplement) to the frequent increases in interest rates ? Increasing taxes on electricity will not only curb inflation, but it will speed up the adoption of energy saving projects - and it will also have an element of distributive politics (people who own the biggest houses pay the most). Such a measure will not strengthen the exchange rate in the same way, and hence will not aggravate the situation for the export industry.
Should energy saving measures provide some environmental benefit, Norway must also increase the export capacity of the power grid (multiple cables to Europe). If no excess power can be sold to Europe, supply of electricity will exceed demand and prices will plunge.
Many people have recently argued that we must avoid adding to the capacity of the transmission of electricity between Norway and the rest of Europe. They say that synchronizing the prices of electricity with the rest of Europe is a bad thing - and is only being pushed by profit-hungry power companies. Electricity prices that Norwegian industry must pay is currently below the level their competitors out there pay. They should be able to make a profit with European electricity prices (or move production to where it can be produced at competitive prices). Private households will have less money to spend (and drive inflation) either way - tax on electricity or higher interest rates. As a reminder, look to the United States and what artificially low gasoline prices did to the use of cars. At the other end of the spectrum, look to Europe to see what high energy prices have done to the daily routines like switching off the lights when you leave a room (if you don't move quickly up the stairs, the lights are switched off automatically before you get to the next level).
In addition, there are other more technical arguments why we need to add more cables between us and Europe. This fall, we had two examples of large quantities of clean energy that was lost because we lacked the capacity for the exchange of energy between Denmark and Norway. In Denmark there was a storm and since this happened over a weekend, it was not enough demand for power in the grid - and they simply had to disconnect the wind turbines from the power grid (a grid that does not have the ability to store energy). That same week, there was a story on the TV2 News that the local power company (BKK) had to let the water in reservoirs flow outside the turbines - because they produced too much power and magazines could not be filled more.
When there is no wind in Europe, they should be able to draw on hydropower from Norway (which we can save and "let go" when it suits us). Similarly, they should be able to export energy to us when the wind generates "too much" power - because we can use this energy to pump water up to the reservoirs (where the energy can be saved and released again when there is no wind in Denmark or overcast in Spain - so that the solar powerplants do not produce electricity).
Events:
More than a 100 world leaders have now arrived in Copenhagen and take over for the environment ministers.
The demonstrations outside continue and so does the talk of police brutality.
Inside the COP15 building, there seems to be a bigger gap between the developed- and the developing countries than when they started the negotiations a week ago. There are still many challenges that the delegations must face before they can leave on Friday - with the results we all hope for.
Progress:
Only 2 days until they promised to have all the extra ventilation work done (new fan, adding the heated air after the aggregate, reducing noice) - but nothing was done today either.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
There is light at the end of the tunnel - is it a train?
Event 1: Walkout heightens failure fears for climate marathon
Negotiators worked through the night Tuesday to prevent a UN climate summit from ending in catastrophic failure after developing nations staged a five-hour walkout and China accused the West of trickery.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20091214/twl-walkout-heightens-failure-fears-for-6d10327.html
Event 3: Green protest on Sydney Opera House
Greenpeace activists climb the Sydney Opera House to get their message across to the world leaders - only a short week away from the closing of the conference.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20091215/video/vwl-green-protest-on-sydney-opera-house-d7f4ae7.html
Progress:
The ventilation subcontractor said: "I am waiting for the delivery of sound absorbers. These will help significantly on the noise. I'll check with the refrigeration engineer - there may be something to do with the noise from the heat pump. We should be fully assembled during this week".
The electrician is in the house today and will install the regulator for the fan that drives the "extra loop" (supply of cooler air to the bedrooms). Hopefully he will also make it easy for the ventilation team to install the extra fan downstairs. That fan will pull heated/cooled air from the area near our heatpump and blow it into the stream of fresh air (after the aggregate). This air-mixture is then distributed around the house from the attic.
Negotiators worked through the night Tuesday to prevent a UN climate summit from ending in catastrophic failure after developing nations staged a five-hour walkout and China accused the West of trickery.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20091214/twl-walkout-heightens-failure-fears-for-6d10327.html
Event 2: More specifically China versus USA
China, which last month for the first time publicly announced a target for reducing the rate of growth of its greenhouse gas emissions, is refusing to accept any kind of international monitoring of its emissions levels, according to negotiators and observers. The United States is insisting that without stringent verification of China’s actions, it cannot support any deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/science/earth/15climate.html?_r=1&ref=energy-environment
Event 3: Green protest on Sydney Opera HouseGreenpeace activists climb the Sydney Opera House to get their message across to the world leaders - only a short week away from the closing of the conference.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20091215/video/vwl-green-protest-on-sydney-opera-house-d7f4ae7.html
Progress:
The ventilation subcontractor said: "I am waiting for the delivery of sound absorbers. These will help significantly on the noise. I'll check with the refrigeration engineer - there may be something to do with the noise from the heat pump. We should be fully assembled during this week".
The electrician is in the house today and will install the regulator for the fan that drives the "extra loop" (supply of cooler air to the bedrooms). Hopefully he will also make it easy for the ventilation team to install the extra fan downstairs. That fan will pull heated/cooled air from the area near our heatpump and blow it into the stream of fresh air (after the aggregate). This air-mixture is then distributed around the house from the attic.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Developing = poor?
Comments: Developing = Poor?
At the COP15 the press is constantly referring to a fight between the developed countries and the developing countries. Developed countries have caused the problem by occupying most of the available "CO2 space" and should therefore pay for most of the efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in developed and developing countries.
People seems to think of developing countries as poor countries - but is this always true? Today there seems to be only one nation with huge amounts of cash, China (categorized as a developing country). A leading developed country USA borrows money from China to finance its budget deficit. When USA is going to pay big bucks to developing countries for CO2 reduction programs - it will be with borrowed money from China.
If you play with this thought, it might get scary... If you get into trouble financially (or otherwise) and live in Sicily or in New York -the Mafia is more than happy to help you. There is a catch, however, they will some day "ask" for a favour in return. The more you owe them, the harder it will be for you to pay them back.
The blue-suits know more about this dilemma, but through history we have seen many South American countries with huge debts - and at that time they borrowed from USA. Hyperinflation and frequent devaluations reduced the debt - how will USA be able to pay China back? My guess is that we'll either see inflation or big budget cuts (or both).
Event 1: More than 200 activists detained Sunday.
Danish police stopped an unauthorized demonstration on a second day of street protests over climate change as environment ministers met for informal talks to advance negotiations on a new pact.
These arrests follow the 968 people detained during and after a mass rally Saturday in Copenhagen. (Police said only 13 of them remained in custody Sunday. Of those, three were set to be arraigned in court on preliminary charges of fighting with police).
At the COP15 the press is constantly referring to a fight between the developed countries and the developing countries. Developed countries have caused the problem by occupying most of the available "CO2 space" and should therefore pay for most of the efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in developed and developing countries.
People seems to think of developing countries as poor countries - but is this always true? Today there seems to be only one nation with huge amounts of cash, China (categorized as a developing country). A leading developed country USA borrows money from China to finance its budget deficit. When USA is going to pay big bucks to developing countries for CO2 reduction programs - it will be with borrowed money from China.
If you play with this thought, it might get scary... If you get into trouble financially (or otherwise) and live in Sicily or in New York -the Mafia is more than happy to help you. There is a catch, however, they will some day "ask" for a favour in return. The more you owe them, the harder it will be for you to pay them back.
The blue-suits know more about this dilemma, but through history we have seen many South American countries with huge debts - and at that time they borrowed from USA. Hyperinflation and frequent devaluations reduced the debt - how will USA be able to pay China back? My guess is that we'll either see inflation or big budget cuts (or both).
Event 1: More than 200 activists detained Sunday.Danish police stopped an unauthorized demonstration on a second day of street protests over climate change as environment ministers met for informal talks to advance negotiations on a new pact.
These arrests follow the 968 people detained during and after a mass rally Saturday in Copenhagen. (Police said only 13 of them remained in custody Sunday. Of those, three were set to be arraigned in court on preliminary charges of fighting with police).
Event 2: Gahr and Gore
Former American Vice President Al Gore and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will present their global report on melting ice during a side event of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) today - "Melting of the polar regions occurs much faster than experts previously thought. Sea may rise two feet over this century."
Progress:
Nobody showed up to finish the work today either.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The price tag on CO2 cuts
Event 1:
In connection with the Nobel Peace Prize concert, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Unni Steinsmo (CEO SINTEF) and Torbjørn Digernes (Rector of NTNU). They represent some of the best climate-related research in Norway and title on the the lecture was "How to meet Norways challenges and opportunities in the climate crisis?".
They presented numbers which showed that Norway has to reduce our CO2 emissions by 16 million tonnes per year by 2020 - and the price tag for this is estimated at 7 billion NOK per year. This puts the price tag on CO2 cuts to NOK 4.500 per tonne of CO2.
(Note: 1 USD = 5.5 NOK)
They also presented areas we should focus on to achieve this goal - energy efficiency, renewable energy and CO2 capture (and storage). The greatest potential lies on energy efficiency they say, and have estimated that the potential is 12TWh per year. With sufficient capacity for the transfer of power to Europe, one can argue that 1TWh saved in Norway, means 1 TWh less from coal fired power plants in Europe. In this scenario 12 TWh will equal 12 tons of CO2 per year. Even though most of our electricity is produced without CO2 emissions (hydroelectric power) - they estimate that 12 TWh equals 6 tons of CO2.
If the potential is at 6 million tons of CO2 the politicians should, in the next 10 years, channel approximately 27 billion NOK to increase the energy efficiency in buildings (private, public and commercial buildings). A large part of the potential lies in the approximately 1.5 million private homes in Norway, which are not yet compliant with the low-energy standard (100 KWh/m2 per year). What do the politicians do to realize this potential?
We have converted our house to a "jahus" with the replacement of windows, extra insulation, ventilation with heat recovery and heat pump. Projected savings are approximately NOK 15.000 a year with the current level of electricity prices. With a total cost of about NOK 280,000, it is as much as 19-year repayment period.
If, however, the government helped make the package 135,000 NOK cheaper the repayment period would be halved (10 years). The estimated cuts in our house are 30 tons of CO2 per year and multiplied by the price tag at 4.500 NOK per tonne you get 135,000 NOK.
Unni Steinsmo and Torbjørn Digernes addressed the politicians with a "call to action" (ref Obama) and called for a strategy for industrialization of these technologies - both the results of research in renewable energy and technology for energy efficiency.
My specific request is a combination of interest-free loans over 10 years - as they have in France (for example from the Norwegian State Housing Bank), and tax exemption on products included in "jahus" projects. Both of these suggestions can be done within the 4.500 NOK per tonne of CO2 and I believe many families would initiate such projects if the hurdle of upfront payment was removed and the repayment period was reduced to 10 years.
A whole industry would be busy improving our houses over the next 10 years - giving us both lower unemployment and lower CO2 emissions. I agree with Unni Steinsmo and Torbjørn Digernes - what are the politicians waiting for?
Event 2:
Participants to the Global Day of Action try to prevent an inflatable globe from falling to the ground to dramatize their call to act now coinciding with the ongoing climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in suburban Quezon City north of Manila, Phililppines. The activity coincided with activities from other countries calling on the world leaders for a fair, ambitious and binding deal to combat climate change. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)
Progress:
1 week from Christmas and we haven't seen the ventilation team since the hand-over metting. They promised to fix both functionality and noice issues as soon as possible....
In connection with the Nobel Peace Prize concert, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Unni Steinsmo (CEO SINTEF) and Torbjørn Digernes (Rector of NTNU). They represent some of the best climate-related research in Norway and title on the the lecture was "How to meet Norways challenges and opportunities in the climate crisis?".
They presented numbers which showed that Norway has to reduce our CO2 emissions by 16 million tonnes per year by 2020 - and the price tag for this is estimated at 7 billion NOK per year. This puts the price tag on CO2 cuts to NOK 4.500 per tonne of CO2.
(Note: 1 USD = 5.5 NOK)
They also presented areas we should focus on to achieve this goal - energy efficiency, renewable energy and CO2 capture (and storage). The greatest potential lies on energy efficiency they say, and have estimated that the potential is 12TWh per year. With sufficient capacity for the transfer of power to Europe, one can argue that 1TWh saved in Norway, means 1 TWh less from coal fired power plants in Europe. In this scenario 12 TWh will equal 12 tons of CO2 per year. Even though most of our electricity is produced without CO2 emissions (hydroelectric power) - they estimate that 12 TWh equals 6 tons of CO2.
If the potential is at 6 million tons of CO2 the politicians should, in the next 10 years, channel approximately 27 billion NOK to increase the energy efficiency in buildings (private, public and commercial buildings). A large part of the potential lies in the approximately 1.5 million private homes in Norway, which are not yet compliant with the low-energy standard (100 KWh/m2 per year). What do the politicians do to realize this potential?
We have converted our house to a "jahus" with the replacement of windows, extra insulation, ventilation with heat recovery and heat pump. Projected savings are approximately NOK 15.000 a year with the current level of electricity prices. With a total cost of about NOK 280,000, it is as much as 19-year repayment period.
If, however, the government helped make the package 135,000 NOK cheaper the repayment period would be halved (10 years). The estimated cuts in our house are 30 tons of CO2 per year and multiplied by the price tag at 4.500 NOK per tonne you get 135,000 NOK.
Unni Steinsmo and Torbjørn Digernes addressed the politicians with a "call to action" (ref Obama) and called for a strategy for industrialization of these technologies - both the results of research in renewable energy and technology for energy efficiency.
My specific request is a combination of interest-free loans over 10 years - as they have in France (for example from the Norwegian State Housing Bank), and tax exemption on products included in "jahus" projects. Both of these suggestions can be done within the 4.500 NOK per tonne of CO2 and I believe many families would initiate such projects if the hurdle of upfront payment was removed and the repayment period was reduced to 10 years.
A whole industry would be busy improving our houses over the next 10 years - giving us both lower unemployment and lower CO2 emissions. I agree with Unni Steinsmo and Torbjørn Digernes - what are the politicians waiting for?
Event 2:
Participants to the Global Day of Action try to prevent an inflatable globe from falling to the ground to dramatize their call to act now coinciding with the ongoing climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in suburban Quezon City north of Manila, Phililppines. The activity coincided with activities from other countries calling on the world leaders for a fair, ambitious and binding deal to combat climate change. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)
Progress:
1 week from Christmas and we haven't seen the ventilation team since the hand-over metting. They promised to fix both functionality and noice issues as soon as possible....
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Obama is in town
Event 1:
Barack Obama, and the "circus" that always follows the american President, arrived in Oslo this morning. After a brief meeting at the Nobel Institute, the Obama group moved on to talks with the norwegian government (he also brought his Energy Secretary to the talks).
Barack Obama, and the "circus" that always follows the american President, arrived in Oslo this morning. After a brief meeting at the Nobel Institute, the Obama group moved on to talks with the norwegian government (he also brought his Energy Secretary to the talks).
This week has been very busy for Obama with the US health reform, unemployment, and the decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.
He has also started preparations for the UN conference on climate change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen. Part of those preparations was to meet with Al Gore - a previous Nobel Peace Prize winner for his (and UNFCCs) efforts to put global warming on the agenda.
The day’s events culminate in the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, where Obama will accept the 2009 award and deliver a speech before an audience of about 1,000 people at Oslo City Hall. He will address members of the Nobel committee, who stunned the world and Obama himself on Oct. 9 by presenting him with the award only nine months into his presidency.
“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee wrote in explaining its decision.
The president’s speech on Thursday, which aides said he was still writing and editing during the seven-hour flight from Washington, will focus directly on the paradox of the moment for Obama as he accepts a prize for peace nine days after announcing that he would escalate the war in Afghanistan by sending in 30,000 new American troops.
Other Events:
In his Nobel Peace Prize speach Obama did, as predicted, talk about the paradox of the moment and the concept of "just war". He did not say much about the climate challenge (it was after all a speach in the setting of the Nobel Peace prize). He did, however, say that solving this issue is a prerequisite not only to good and sustainable living conditions, but actually to peace as well. "...It is also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades." Failure to prevent dramatic climate changes will fuel new wars over water, farming land etc. - and as such a strong signal to the UN conference in Copenhagen.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/10/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5961370.shtml
The day’s events culminate in the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, where Obama will accept the 2009 award and deliver a speech before an audience of about 1,000 people at Oslo City Hall. He will address members of the Nobel committee, who stunned the world and Obama himself on Oct. 9 by presenting him with the award only nine months into his presidency.
“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee wrote in explaining its decision.
The president’s speech on Thursday, which aides said he was still writing and editing during the seven-hour flight from Washington, will focus directly on the paradox of the moment for Obama as he accepts a prize for peace nine days after announcing that he would escalate the war in Afghanistan by sending in 30,000 new American troops.
Other Events:
In his Nobel Peace Prize speach Obama did, as predicted, talk about the paradox of the moment and the concept of "just war". He did not say much about the climate challenge (it was after all a speach in the setting of the Nobel Peace prize). He did, however, say that solving this issue is a prerequisite not only to good and sustainable living conditions, but actually to peace as well. "...It is also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades." Failure to prevent dramatic climate changes will fuel new wars over water, farming land etc. - and as such a strong signal to the UN conference in Copenhagen.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/10/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5961370.shtml
China on Wednesday criticised the lack of action by developed nations in fulfilling their commitments on carbon emissions reduction and financial support to developing nations in coping with climate change. http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article62882.ece?homepage=true
Action Jackson: U.S. EPA Boss Gets Warm Welcome in Copenhagen. Jackson said she has emphasized in her meetings that while the Obama administration will push Congress to enact legislation next year curbing greenhouse gas emissions, EPA will move ahead with plans to both finalize greenhouse gas rules for vehicles in March, and then curb the carbon output from large emitters like coal-fired power plants.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34311724/ns/us_news-environment/
Green fund to be proposed by Norway, UK, Australia and Mexico at U.N. climate talks.
Progress:
During the renovation project, including the JAHUS part discussed here on this blog, we had to move a lot of "stuff" around in the house - from the attic to the basement living room (now a storage room) etc. Even though there is still work to be done before the ventilation project is finished, we're now busy getting all our "stuff" back were it belongs (and in this process sending quite a lot to recycling).
On Tuesday the ventilation subcontractor promised to fix the noice problem (most urgently needed outside - where the exhaust air leaves the house). With all the delays earlier on in the project, it is no surprise that this last relay leg has not yet begun. It is probably because the guy doing the work in our house was injured last week. He cut him self with a knife during work at a different location (but this injury was known when they promised to finish the delivery within a week).
Until the JAHUS solution has been delivered 100%, I'll keep the "Progress" heading - but then I have to think of new heading that better describes this section of the blog (detailing the economics of this JAHUS project,
During the renovation project, including the JAHUS part discussed here on this blog, we had to move a lot of "stuff" around in the house - from the attic to the basement living room (now a storage room) etc. Even though there is still work to be done before the ventilation project is finished, we're now busy getting all our "stuff" back were it belongs (and in this process sending quite a lot to recycling).
On Tuesday the ventilation subcontractor promised to fix the noice problem (most urgently needed outside - where the exhaust air leaves the house). With all the delays earlier on in the project, it is no surprise that this last relay leg has not yet begun. It is probably because the guy doing the work in our house was injured last week. He cut him self with a knife during work at a different location (but this injury was known when they promised to finish the delivery within a week).
Until the JAHUS solution has been delivered 100%, I'll keep the "Progress" heading - but then I have to think of new heading that better describes this section of the blog (detailing the economics of this JAHUS project,
Blog changes:
There are a lot of useful websites out there with a focus on global warming and related topics, but I have found that the www.350.org site complements in a nice way the other listed favorite websites (thanks to the reader who suggested this). I have therefore added the link in my "favorite links" shown on the blog's righthand side.
The videoclip on youtube.com illustrates nicely why the organization is called 350.org: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kg1oOq9tY
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The JAHUS hand-over meeting
Event 1:
On the second day of the COP15 in Copenhagen, I found 2 news articles that illustrate the challenges we're facing:
Progress:
On the second day of the COP15 in Copenhagen, I found 2 news articles that illustrate the challenges we're facing:
Virgin Galactic (http://www.virgingalactic.com/) showed their new spaceship to the press. The goal is to take rich people for a 2.5hour trip to space and back (6 passengers on each trip will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness and a magnificent view for 200.000 USD). As if intercontinental flights didn't generate enough CO2. Yes, part of the emissions will take place outside the earths atmosphere, but some of it will be released exactly were it makes the most damage....
China released salesnumbers for new cars. The chinese people bought more than 1 million cars in November - a 98% increase over November 2008! The total number of cars sold in China will for 2009 outnumber that of USA. India also reports a 61% increase in car sales for November. The total of 133.687 is still far behind China, but these numbers illustrate two economies in which the middleclass now can afford cars and want a more "western" lifestyle. At 0,5 tons of CO2 per year per capita in India they are still way behind USA at over 20 million tons per year - but the number of new cars on the road indicate that the gap is closing.
Progress:
Today we had the "handover meeting". The project leader showed up half an hour earlier than the ventilation subcontractor, so we decided to push the "hot potato" to the end. We took a tour around the house (both outside and inside). I pointed out the things that I had put on my "follow-up" list and we stopped at some locations to listen to the noice level from the ventilationsystem and the heatpump. Some of the "issues" were solved by explaining how it should work/be, and others were put on their "to do list".
The first part of the meeting was done really quickly, and we had just finished that part when the "ventilation guy" showed up. We then started discussing the JAHUS (energy saving) part of the project. At first I only listened to the guy explaining how it should work. Because the clock turned 3 pm - the system switched automatically to normal mode (from low effect during the day) and everybody could observe the change in noice level.
They agreed that the noice level outside and inside the building still isn't acceptable and promised to fix it (as soon as possible).
I then explained that the temperature of the air leaving the house is way to high. As mentioned in a previous blogpost a 10C increase in the exhaust air equals a loss of approximately 1.8KW He agreed that exhaust air at 16.7C was too high, but no matter how they tried to manipulate/adjust the valves and settings on the aggregate - they didn't manage to increase the temperature of the air flow to the livingroom while decreasing the exhaust air.
They (finally) agreed to add the heated air after the aggregate like I suggested some time ago - and with an extra fan on that new pipe, we can very accurately adjust the temperature to the other rooms.
When these two changes have been implemented - I believe the system will work as planned and I am really looking forward to that day. On that day, we will also be given the instructions on how to operate and maintain the system. This will include:
- How we can adjust the weekly program (scheduler) for the aggregate and the heatpump
- What to do if the house looses power (when it comes back on)
- What we need to do when going from winter to spring/summer (and vice versa)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Virtual Participation in COP 15
Event 1:
The long awaited UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15) has finally begun.
Rising hopes for a meaningful outcome at the Copenhagen climate talks have received a further boost with the news that Barack Obama and Indian leader Manmohan Singh will attend the 192-nation conference in its vital last days.
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1768
If you, like me, would have liked to be there to follow the discussions and all the surrounding activity - there is a an offering that will be welcome: "virtual Participation in COP 15".
Check out this official portal:
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_15/virtual_participation/items/5092.php
Progress:
The hand-over meeting is less than one day away and there is still work to be done, but nobody showed up today.
During the weekend I found out that there was a 10C increase in the "used air" that the ventilation system sends out of the house - when we mix the heated air and the fresh air before the aggregate (versus only sending cold fresh air into the aggregate = the baseline case).
Today I wanted to estimate how much energy we waste when we send out 500 m3 (per hour) of air with a temperature that is 10C higher than the baseline case. Pulling the volumetric heat capacity (VHC) for air from the table below - I found that the loss is equal to 1,8KW for 10C (or 180KW per 1C increase in the exhaust air). This value will of course be higher when the outside air falls below zero (because the 10C temperature difference will be higher).
The long awaited UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15) has finally begun.
Rising hopes for a meaningful outcome at the Copenhagen climate talks have received a further boost with the news that Barack Obama and Indian leader Manmohan Singh will attend the 192-nation conference in its vital last days.
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1768
If you, like me, would have liked to be there to follow the discussions and all the surrounding activity - there is a an offering that will be welcome: "virtual Participation in COP 15".
Check out this official portal:
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_15/virtual_participation/items/5092.php
Progress:
The hand-over meeting is less than one day away and there is still work to be done, but nobody showed up today.
During the weekend I found out that there was a 10C increase in the "used air" that the ventilation system sends out of the house - when we mix the heated air and the fresh air before the aggregate (versus only sending cold fresh air into the aggregate = the baseline case).
Today I wanted to estimate how much energy we waste when we send out 500 m3 (per hour) of air with a temperature that is 10C higher than the baseline case. Pulling the volumetric heat capacity (VHC) for air from the table below - I found that the loss is equal to 1,8KW for 10C (or 180KW per 1C increase in the exhaust air). This value will of course be higher when the outside air falls below zero (because the 10C temperature difference will be higher).
Sunday, December 6, 2009
First testresults from the JAHUS
Progress:
Now that the ventilation system should be finished according to the subcontractor who is responsible for the this part of the project - I have run some tests on the system during the weekend (in preparation for the handover meeting on Tuesday).
The scenarios were as follows:
1) The system was running as the ventilation team had left it on Friday afternoon. This means pulling some hot air from the area near our heatpump - and mixing it with fresh/cold outside air before the "preheated" air entered the ventilation aggregate.
2) I then closed the supply of preheated air and let only the cold outside air enter the aggregate.
The testresults presented above are shown in degrees Celsius and show that switching off the supply of pre-heated air had a dramatic effect on the temperature of the air leaving the house, while only minimal effect on the temperature in the livingroom (and other parts of the house).
With the last setup the exchange of energy is more effective because there is a much bigger difference in temperature between the cold outside air and the hot exhaust air. To me this confirms my view - that the heated air should be mixed with the fresh air after the aggregate (with its rotating heat exchanger). We'll have to wait for Tuesday to hear why they insist on the design we have now.
Now that the ventilation system should be finished according to the subcontractor who is responsible for the this part of the project - I have run some tests on the system during the weekend (in preparation for the handover meeting on Tuesday).
The scenarios were as follows:
1) The system was running as the ventilation team had left it on Friday afternoon. This means pulling some hot air from the area near our heatpump - and mixing it with fresh/cold outside air before the "preheated" air entered the ventilation aggregate.
2) I then closed the supply of preheated air and let only the cold outside air enter the aggregate.
The testresults presented above are shown in degrees Celsius and show that switching off the supply of pre-heated air had a dramatic effect on the temperature of the air leaving the house, while only minimal effect on the temperature in the livingroom (and other parts of the house).
With the last setup the exchange of energy is more effective because there is a much bigger difference in temperature between the cold outside air and the hot exhaust air. To me this confirms my view - that the heated air should be mixed with the fresh air after the aggregate (with its rotating heat exchanger). We'll have to wait for Tuesday to hear why they insist on the design we have now.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Moving slowly forward
Event 1:
President Barack Obama has changed his travelplans. They now say that he will join the other heads of state at the end of the climate summit in Copenhagen. The planned one-day visit on November 9th has therefore been dropped.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-press-secretary-united-nations-climate-change-conference
Event 2:
Green Entrepeneur Shai Agassi talks about the climate challenges just days before Copenhagen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM18BqlGyWI&feature=player_embedded
Progress:
The ventilation team sent a guy on Friday afternoon, and he worked on the system that will remove condensated water from the heatpump (in the hallway). He also spent some time on the ventilation aggregate (it now seems to automatically switch between the lowest effect and the "normal" setting).
I have asked them to bring a decibel meter on Tuesday - so that we can document the noicelevels when the system running in "normal mode". They know that I cannot accept the solution if it can't be run in "normal mode" with acceptable noicelevels outside and/or inside the house.
A week ago I also bought a CO2 meter (UPS says it will arrive on Monday). I hope that this meter can tell us when we have sufficient supply of fresh air in the house. According to the sales material it will show the CO2 level (range: 0 – 9,999 ppm) and we can set a threshold that will warn us if there is too much CO2 in the house.
http://www.co2meter.com/products/co2-temperature-humidity-meter
President Barack Obama has changed his travelplans. They now say that he will join the other heads of state at the end of the climate summit in Copenhagen. The planned one-day visit on November 9th has therefore been dropped.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-press-secretary-united-nations-climate-change-conference
Event 2:
Green Entrepeneur Shai Agassi talks about the climate challenges just days before Copenhagen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM18BqlGyWI&feature=player_embedded
Progress:
The ventilation team sent a guy on Friday afternoon, and he worked on the system that will remove condensated water from the heatpump (in the hallway). He also spent some time on the ventilation aggregate (it now seems to automatically switch between the lowest effect and the "normal" setting).
I have asked them to bring a decibel meter on Tuesday - so that we can document the noicelevels when the system running in "normal mode". They know that I cannot accept the solution if it can't be run in "normal mode" with acceptable noicelevels outside and/or inside the house.
A week ago I also bought a CO2 meter (UPS says it will arrive on Monday). I hope that this meter can tell us when we have sufficient supply of fresh air in the house. According to the sales material it will show the CO2 level (range: 0 – 9,999 ppm) and we can set a threshold that will warn us if there is too much CO2 in the house.
http://www.co2meter.com/products/co2-temperature-humidity-meter
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Why set the target at 2C ?
Event 1: the world is headed for a global warming of well over 3°C
A sobering new assessment by the "Climate Action Tracker" of the emission commitments and pledges put forward by industrialized and developing countries for the Copenhagen climate negotiations shows that the world is headed for a global warming of well over 3°C by 2100.
Carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to be over 650 ppm, with total GHG concentrations close to 800 ppm CO2 equivalent. From these numbers, there is at least a one in four chance of exceeding a warming of 4°C. This "Climate Action Tracker" is an independent science-based assessment, which tracks the emission commitments and actions of countries. The website provides an up-to-date assessment of individual national pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
A sobering new assessment by the "Climate Action Tracker" of the emission commitments and pledges put forward by industrialized and developing countries for the Copenhagen climate negotiations shows that the world is headed for a global warming of well over 3°C by 2100.
Carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to be over 650 ppm, with total GHG concentrations close to 800 ppm CO2 equivalent. From these numbers, there is at least a one in four chance of exceeding a warming of 4°C. This "Climate Action Tracker" is an independent science-based assessment, which tracks the emission commitments and actions of countries. The website provides an up-to-date assessment of individual national pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Event 2: Why is 3C warmer so much worse than 2C ?
"As honest curiosity: If we have seen a temperature increase of 0.57deg C over the past 100 years, when the CO2 levels went from 288 ppm to 365 ppm, how are current climate models managing to bring in temperature increases of up to (?) 6 degrees?"
After a temperature increase of 2 degrees above preindustrial levels the Earth reaches one of its natural 'tipping points'.
This basically means that various eco/climate systems operating within our planet begin to 'change gear', should this happen then we have 'run-away' climate change over which we have no control.
For example:
i) The tundra stretching across Russia,Siberia,Canada & the Arctic is ancient swamp land; previously frozen for millenia these swamps begin to release huge amounts of CO2 & methane as they deforst, (try Googling 'drunken trees' - its happening already).
ii) As the oceans heat up they begin to emit CO2 rather than retain it.
iii) Coral reefs bleach in hotter water, as they die they release CO2; once the reefs are dead the ocean ecosystems begin to collapse, with millions of tons of rotting vegetable matter, (dead fish) releasing yet more CO2.
iv) With less sea ice the dark waters of the ocean attract more sunlight increasing the temperature further.
It is the prevention of these and other 'positive feedbacks' which have the scientists so worried. Essentially once positive feedback loops begin, we completely lose control and it could take tens of thousands of years for the Earth's climate to return to its current state, if ever.
(Thanks to Clint Boon for his insights).
Progress:
They have encapsulated the outside-part of our heatpump today (see the attached picture). This "doghouse" has three purposes:
- Protect the heatpump
- Capture and maximize the effect of the exhaust air from the ventilation system (5-10C warmer than the surrounding air)
- Reduce the negative visual effect of a heatpump mounted on to the northfacing wall
Yes, we are still waiting for the team to reduce the noice level (inside and from the outside) - and hopefully they will change the point of entry for the heated air (from the heatpump). No progress to report today, but they have confirmed that the hand-over will take place on Tuesday next week.
The pictures below, shows the condense on the piping containing around 0C exhaust air.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Higher energy prices - yes please
Sorry - blog editing problem. Please see my last blog post here:
http://thejahusblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/higher-energy-prices-yes-please.html
http://thejahusblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/higher-energy-prices-yes-please.html
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