Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, led a seminar on energy efficiency policies Thursday in the Baker Center at UT.
The seminar addressed reducing industry energy consumption, which accounts for about one-third of the nation’s energy consumption, and optimizing it efficiently. Some major energy-intensive fields that come from the manufacturing sector are refining chemicals and oil, production of pulp and paper, steel, cement and other materials processing.
“What the market is moving to is capturing and generating lower levels of waste heat,” Brown said. “The area that we really need to work on is the level of recovery of waste heat from high-performance computers in computer labs.
“The heat recovery generator has not been developed for lower levels of heat and it would be very beneficial if that technology was developed.”
Brown mentioned the largest U.S. alloy silicon manufacturing plant in West Virginia, which helps make products like aluminum foil, computer chips, deodorant and car parts. According to http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=14581, it is investing about $100 million in an energy recycling project that is expected to be completed in 2013. This project will capture high levels of heat that will power a generator that could create about 60 megawatts of electricity from its hairpin dryers.
Reducing energy consumption in industries today is also an important and challenging issue. Brown said that PepsiCo, which produces convenient foods, snacks and beverages, reduced the energy intensity of its production by 23 percent in 2002. It saved $100 million in energy cost and continues to produce renewable containers for its products.
According to pepsico.com, in 2010 PepsiCo developed the world’s first fully compostable SunChips bag. Currently it has developed the world’s first all plant-based, renewable beverage bottle, which comes out in 2012. Since it is made from raw materials like corn husks, switch grass and pine bark, this will significantly reduce PepsiCo’s carbon footprint.
“Energy efficiency is the fastest, cleanest, cheapest source of energy available to us,” Brown said.
Microwave drying is more efficient and less wasteful for drying products in factories such as paper and pulp and even better for heating food in your own kitchen. Fluorescent light bulbs are four-to six-times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs since they use less heat to produce light. Heat pump water heaters take heat from the air and also dehumidifies, which is more efficient than a standard electric water heater, which uses gas.
Brown has worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory for many years and is affiliated with UT. Her seminar was aimed to provide information to the community, professors and students. A diverse crowd of more than 35 people enjoyed her seminar and stayed afterwards to share views and ask questions.
“She is now in a position to really influence energy issues in the valley because she’s on the Tennessee TVA board, and so she will have a big impact on energy in the valley,” Bob Shelton, director of the Energy and Environmental Program, said.
Energy efficiency is one of the many themes included in the Energy and Environmental Program at the Baker Center.
Katie Dison, sophomore in psychology, said she tries to conserve energy every day.
“I definitely turn off my lights, don’t use lights during the day, unplug everything and walk everywhere,” Dison said.
Tom Bogart, Maryville College President, will speak about his book in an upcoming event, “The False Promise of Green Energy,” at 7 p.m. on April 27 in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker Center.
Green the Block — a national organization and environmental movement that helps to cultivate the importance of education, community and networking to better our economy and environment — is hosting a trash pickup from 9 a.m. to noon on April 23 at Tribe One. A celebration with food, music and dancing will be held afterwards from noon to 2 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.greentheblock.net.
