User:Alex.Duncan03/sandbox

Energy and Sustainability

As average temperatures begin to increase, ocean levels rise, and more natural disasters pop up year after year, we find ourselves in an increasingly larger climate crisis. Unless strong action is taken by governments, organizations, and even ordinary citizens, we will likely find ourselves on an inhabitable planet much sooner than we would hope. One of the biggest factors causing climate change is the gasses emitted and fossil fuels burnt every day in the pursuit of energy. While there are many issues contributing to the climate crisis, one that we can tackle through the pursuit of innovation and technology is renewable and sustainable energy.

As technology continues to advance, we find ourselves in a world in which we have greater opportunities to develop new innovations, especially energy systems. Solar, wind, geothermal, and many more types of renewable energy have proven to be valuable alternatives to fossil fuels, and we continue to make more breakthroughs within these industries every single day. If we continue to invest in alternative and sustainable energy, we can break real ground on the issues our society faces today, especially climate change.

This belief that the answer to our problems can be found in the form of alternative and sustainable energy has led to the creation of this wiki page, in hopes that people across the world may see it and be inspired to make change, as well as become advocates for the alternative energy industry. This living repository is a place in which information regarding the newest breakthroughs in energy and sustainability, social benefits, as well as how alternative energy systems work can be easily accessed by people across the globe. This distribution of information serves as a means to get people to truly understand why alternative, sustainable energy is a necessity for society, in hopes that they will be more willing to invest and make a difference, whether that be by installing solar panels, getting involved in the industry, or even just being a casual supporter of the movement. All support of this huge change from fossil fuels to alternative and sustainable energy means a lot, and with enough people on board, meaningful change is possible.

With such lofty goals of increasing support and making meaningful change within the energy industry, it is vital that this wiki site spreads information in an effective manner. This means that it keeps readers engaged, provides accurate and easy to follow information, as well as provides next steps for the average person to take to support the cause. To do this, the site is split into four categories: important terms, research within the industry, platforms that are useful for the production of alternative energy, and social impacts.

Within this list of important terms, it was decided that any processes, tools, or overarching themes regarding the importance of the energy industry should be included. Processes such as electromechanical energy conversion and magnetic induction provide an insight into how alternative energy is produced, allowing readers to better understand the topic in which they are hopefully becoming more invested in. Terms such as battery management systems and lithium ion batteries show the necessary parts that allow sustainable energy to happen, allowing for an even deeper understanding of how the alternative energy industry continues to grow. Finally, terms such as climate change and sustainable infrastructure highlight why sustainable energy is necessary, even further supporting this idea that we need to tackle the climate crises through the energy industry. Including these vastly different terms allows readers to become more invested in what they are reading, making important changes in the process.

Furthermore, specific platforms and methods to develop innovations within the industry such as ANSYS and ArcGIS were included as it provides greater insight into how sustainable energy is created. It allows viewers to better understand the process, making it much more likely that they will want to get involved in the industry. Along with these vital terms and platforms, recent research papers were also included in the site as a means for viewers to become even more engaged and excited about the new innovations that are currently happening. By including information on the latest technologies, change feels much more realistic, resulting in greater support of the alternative energy industry.

Finally, important social and cultural things including the tax benefits of investing in alternative energy, environmental impacts, green taxes, the Paris Climate Accord, and more were included in hopes that they leave a more emotional impact on viewers. It is important to not get lost in the glamor of new technology, and to remember the reason that these changes are necessary. The goal is that in including the social impacts and topics regarding sustainable energy, people will become more invested in making real change, allowing for a movement to start as we look to strike the climate crisis head on.

While there are still many things missing from this resource, that’s what makes its status as a living repository so vital. The end of climate change is still a ways away, and there are many steps necessary to take as the end approaches. But, this makes the living repository so powerful in that as new innovations are discovered, new ideas created, and new supporters become involved, information can be updated to remain as accurate as possible. This will paint a picture of the long process that is making change within the energy industry, and hopefully inspire others to get involved along the way.

Articles

Solar Energy Policy Developments in Europe by Mihaela Pacesila

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24873518.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A7c267df45b7ae420ea9084d5a5823b05&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&origin=&initiator=&acceptTC=1

Mihaela Pacesila’s paper, Solar Energy Policy Developments in Europe, explores the current state of solar energy use in Europe and comments on the effectiveness and implications of the switch to solar energy. Pacesila begins with describing the different ways how solar energy can be captured and different ways it can be used in everyday life such as cooking, heating and cooling, and for electricity. Then the paper moves to talk about the positive effects of the switch to solar energy environmentally, socially, and economically. Although most people focus on the environmental impacts of solar power, there are large social and economic impacts such as improving overall health and granting easier access to energy. The paper concludes with discussing the current state of the market for solar energy in Europe and why it is thriving or scarce in certain parts of Europe. Papers such as Pacesila’s can be useful for those considering switching to solar technology—to help them see the benefits of switching to solar and see if they are in the optimal climate and situation for solar power.

Tidal Range Resource of the Patagonian Shelf – Vicky Martí Barclay, Simon P. Neill, Athanasios Angeloudis

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0960148123004433?token=E08A4811AE6149DA070F0DF478B8DC7542C521D3D1A8F03C196C0796ABDFDE93E7EB535D26EE3F2C61CF80440D40083F&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20230412170954

This paper explores the possibility of using tides for energy production because of the predictability of tides. Since the regions in the world suitable for tidal power are limited, the paper goes in depth of the Patagonian shelf, which is along the coast of Argentina. It begins with describing how tides are harnessed and used to create energy using different methods such as in-steam tidal generators and tidal range power plants. Then it goes into depth about the research done on the Patagonian shelf and explains some reasons why it is a great location to start implementing tidal energy extraction practices: tidal resonance along the coast that leads to high tides(8m), rising sea levels in that region will allow extractable tidal levels to increase, and location of large cities to the coast. Papers such as this one can help push certain countries to switch to renewable energy because they lay out the feasibility and benefits of switching from non-renewable to renewable energy

Design and Operation of a Thermomagnetic Engine for the Exploitation of Low-Grade Thermal Energy by Muhammad Uzair Mehmood, Zeeshan, Yeongmin Kim, Rahate Ahmed, Jaeyoung Lee, Wongee Chun

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/er.6804

This published paper focuses on the extraction, conversion, and production of thermal energy. What makes the thermal energy researched in this paper is the fact that it is extracted from low temperature entities, as well as the fact that it relies on electromagnetic processes to happen, making it thermomagnetic energy. These researchers from Jeju National University used funding to investigate gadolinium, an extremely rare material from deep within the earth that is classified as a magnetocaloric material, meaning that it can be heated or cooled using magnetic fields. This gadolinium was used with thermomagnetic engines to extract thermal energy that can be used to power homes around the world. What makes this method particularly special is that gadolinium can be used to extract thermal energy from low temperature materials, making the extraction safer, cheaper, and more efficient. This group performed simulations, created models, and ran tests that showed that the method can be very effective at producing thermomagnetic energy. Their new models have resulted in increases in efficiency of around 20%.

The Future of Geothermal Energy by Dr Jefferson Tester

https://naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/testertestimony04.19.07.pdf

This research paper by Dr. Jefferson Tester from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology goes in depth into the innovation as well as future industry of geothermal energy. Tester believes that geothermal energy can be the solution to all of our energy problems, going as far as saying that it can be the main source of energy in the United States by the year 2050. He then discusses how there are two main options when it comes to geothermal energy: conventional hydrothermal and EGS (enhanced/engineered geothermal systems). This paper focuses specifically on EGS, discussing how they rely on temperature-depth relationship, high thermal gradients, permeability, porosity, and fluid saturation, all of which are hard to obtain for a single substance. This problem of maximizing all of these factors led to the testing of EGS. The findings from this research were primarily that while geothermal energy could be a particularly good solution, it will not be easy. Tester estimates that EGS could provide over 100 GWe (electrical gigawatts) of energy, the actual development of these EGS systems will be challenging due to lack of fundings and support from the US Government.

Research on Li-ion Battery Management System

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5630318

"Research on Li-on Battery Management Systems" published by the IEEE and written by Dongping Xu et.al. discusses the most effective way of recording signal parameters and calculating the state of charge(SOC) for lithium ion batteries. In regards to recording parameters, the article notes that the most frequently used form of recording battery information, photoelectric relay, is ineffective in battery systems composed of many cells and can unnecessarily increase the cost of a BMS. Xu proposes that lithium ion specific integrated circuits(IC) would consume less electricity and perform reading quicker than photoelectric relay. The article then discusses the benefits of these ICs in regards to recording voltage, current, and temperature. In addition, the article posits that these lithium ion specific ICs are more effective at estimating the charge within a battery at any given point. A Single-Phase Multifunction Metering IC as presented in this article allows for both more precise and less expensive calculations for the integration current.

An example of an all solid state battery.

The Future of All Solid State Batteries

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/924/1/012038/pdf

The article “The Future of All Solid State Batteries” provides information into a new form of battery that could possibly provide a safer and more efficient alternative to lithium ion batteries: all solid state batteries. In lithium ion batteries, a liquid electrolyte is between the anode and cathode of the battery. In the case of damage, this liquid electrolyte could react with lithium atoms and cause an explosion. In addition, much of the environmental damage caused by creating lithium ion batteries is because of the extraction of this electrolyte. By using a solid electrolyte, these batteries are safer and also can have a longer lifespan and higher capacity. Solid electrolytes made of glass, lithium, sulfides, and oxides are all being tested to examine their potential in all solid state batteries. The shortcoming of these solid state batteries is that due to the lower ionic conductivity of these solid electrolytes, all solid state batteries cannot charge and discharge as quickly. Still, all solid state batteries are an exciting new development that could revolutionize the battery market.

Green Credit

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=eih&AN=155465470&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=git1

Hydropower remains one of the world's biggest sources for renewable energy, and plants becoming increasingly popular as the demand for sustainable energy rises

Green credit has grown increasingly common as companies grow aware of the devastating effects of pollution and their hand in producing it. This paper explores the impact of green credit on the value of new energy firms in China. The results suggest that the value of a firm significantly improves with green credit, and that those effects can last long term. Green credit policies were first implemented to address the financial resource scarcity experienced by NECs (new energy companies) and other eco-friendly companies. NECs face unique difficulties as capital. They need a large amount of funding for research and development, the innovation in technology has a high failure risk, and the payback period for NECs is typically much longer than other companies. Despite these shortcomings, governments began introducing many initiatives to promote green credit development as concerns about energy consumption and pollution grew stronger. Green credit as a system can work because banks make decisions not solely based on economic performance, but factor in environmental performance.

Sustainability Finance

https://galileo-gatech.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/openurl?institution=01GALI_GIT&vid=01GALI_GIT:GT&volume=176&date=20230501&aulast=Mills,%20Evan&issn=03014215&issue=&genre=article&spage=&id=doi:&id=pmid:&title=Energy%20Policy&atitle=Green%20Remittances:%20A%20Novel%20Form%20of%20Sustainability%20Finance&sid=EBSCO:eoh

A key barrier of sustainable development is the lack of finance. Despite resources like green credit, formal aid and private investment still fail to reach certain populations. Remittances are intended to be a way to help with poverty, and this article looks at the possibility of remittances that are specifically targeted towards sustainable development. Dubbed “green remittances”, these can be directed towards a variety of areas, such as agriculture, transportation, or even community-level infrastructure projects. Low-income countries produce the least amount of greenhouse-gas emissions but are most vulnerable to effects of climate change. There is a significant amount of investment that needs to be done to reduce the vulnerability that nations have to climate change impacts, and the amount of money currently given for development is significantly lower than the amount needed for the goals that have been set in place. One largely untapped source of funding are remittances. Migrants who send money back to developing nations are a huge but largely decentralized and informal source of poverty alleviation. Diverting some of the funds being sent back to develop sustainable practices could be a hugely helpful way to ensure sustainable development happens in all communities.

Terms

Climate Change

Climate change is the long term shift of weather and temperatures due to some natural but mostly human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels through energy production, transportation, and the destruction of wildlife and trees. Some effects of climate change have been increasing temperatures, melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, and more unpredictable weather. Unfortunately, the negative effects of climate change do not proportionally impact those who release the most greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Those living in poorer coastal areas and dryer warmer areas have taken most of the hit with increasing floods and wildfires causing many to lose their homes. Fortunately, there is a clear solution towards slowing climate change. The number one cause of climate change is the burning of oil, gas, and coal for power and electricity generation. By switching to more renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric, we can release less greenhouse gasses into the air and slow the effect of climate change.

Sustainable Infrastructure

Sustainable infrastructure employs methods into the infrastructure field to make cities more compact, sustainable, and resilient to impacts of climate change. For example, in coastal towns and cities, new building tactics are being developed to build homes that are more resilient to flooding and rising sea levels. Some of these methods are the use of stilts under houses and building parking garages under large buildings so in the event of a flood, the lack of resistance allows the water to run straight through the building instead of sweeping the infrastructure of the building with it. Another example is the attempt to increase the efficiency of energy used in different buildings such as large factories. Some new technologies and grids are able to collect real time data about energy usage in factories and employ predictive maintenance, manage production processes, and forecast future energy consumption. New practices such as these two and many more in the infrastructure field are vital to help slow climate change and shift to healthier energy and construction practices.

Magnetic Induction

Above is a depiction of the general process of magnetic induction as well as Faraday's Law.

Magnetic induction is a physical phenomena in which the change in magnetic flux experienced through a loop in a coil results in an induced current, as well as a subsequently induced magnetic field from this current that opposes the direction of the initial magnetic field. This change in magnetic flux can be caused due to either a varying cross sectional area of the coil or other shape experiencing the flux, as well as a non-constant magnetic field, many times seen in the form of a magnet oscillating near a coil, resulting in a constantly changing field, and thus change in flux and induced current. Faraday’s Law is a mathematical equation used to show how induced emf and thus current arises mathematically, and can be seen in the form $\varepsilon mf=-Nd\Phi /\operatorname {d} \!t$, where N is the number of loops of the wire, $\varepsilon mf$ is induced emf, and $d\Phi /\operatorname {d} \!t$ is change in magnetic flux. Lenz’s Law is also an important aspect in magnetic induction, and simply states that the direction of the induced current will be in the direction opposite to the change in magnetic field, or in other words, with the direction of the induced magnetic field. Magnetic induction is a very important physical process in most devices with the purpose of electrical energy or electrical energy conversion.

The above apparatus depicts the conversion of electrical energy to mechanical energy in the form of a drill.

Electromechanical Energy Conversion

Electromechanical energy conversion is the process by which electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy, or mechanical converted to electrical. This process usually takes place using translational or rotational motion. A device in which electrical energy is converted into usable mechanical energy is often referred to as a motor, whereas a device that converts mechanical to electrical is in many ways considered a generator. Majority of the time, this conversion relies on specific electromagnetic devices including but not limited to transformers, converters, solenoids, solenoid actuators, and electromagnets. These devices are then used to create electrical machines that assist in this energy conversion. Electromechanical energy conversion is considered reversible in that upon converting from electrical to mechanical energy, you can then convert back to the original form, barring energy loss from the device. To this extent, the efficiency of the converting device is crucial to efficient energy conversion. In the real world, we often see this electromechanical energy conversion in the form of alternative energy devices such as windmills, which utilize mechanical energy in the form of rotational motion caused by the wind, and subsequently convert to electrical energy.

Lithium Ion Battery

Lithium ion batteries are a form of rechargeable battery that utilize the reduction reaction of lithium ions to store energy. These are the most commonly found batteries in consumer applications, being used in devices ranging from laptops and mobile phones to electric vehicles. Lithium batteries operate on the high electrochemical potential in lithium atoms, meaning that they are highly reactive and, importantly, have a high propensity to lose their outer electrons. This means that if there is a path for these electrons to take to separate from the lithium atom, they will take this path in order to reach a state of higher potential. By funneling these electrons through a wire, a current is generated that can be used to power electrical devices. Lithium ion batteries deteriorate over time with the amount of charge cycles corresponding to how many times a battery can completely charge and discharge before losing capacity or becoming unusable.

A battery management system for use with lithium batteries.

Battery Management System

A battery management system(BMS) is an integrated system containing different forms of hardware and software with the goal of optimizing the performance of a battery or collection of batteries, called a battery pack. An effective battery management system will perform readings on multiple aspects of a battery/battery pack such as voltage, temperature, and performance compared to other cells. Using these readings, the system will perform operations in order to keep the battery pack operating at peak efficiency. For example, if the system senses that the temperature of the battery/battery pack has exceeded a set temperature, it will accordingly disconnect this battery/cell to maintain safety. This operation is usually implemented through a charge controller. Many of these systems also include over and under voltage protection for added safety benefits. Another example of one of these operations is battery balancing for cells in series which will redistribute charge between cells in order to maintain an equivalent charge on all cells.

Green Financing

Subsidies for solar panels are among the most common for households

Green financing is a loan, investment, or other form of financing that promotes environmentally positive practices. There are many types of green financing, such as green mortgages, green credit cards, green loans and banks, and green bonds. Green bonds account for the vast bulk of green funding. Green financing mostly exists in the corporate space, though there are things available for households such as subsidies for solar panels. Green loans incentivize companies to have environmentally friendly practices, but also are a huge way new energy companies who focus on renewable energy can get financing. Green financing is growing increasingly important as efforts to make companies more environmentally friendly are growing. Projects that fall under green finance include pollution prevention and control, renewable energy and energy efficiency, circular economy initiatives, and sustainable usage of resources and land. Green financing generally has better terms for companies (such as interest rates) and gives funding to projects that would otherwise be left without much funding, since the nature of many sustainable projects is a lot of upfront investment.

Green Taxes

Green taxes are loosely defined and can constitute a variety of different taxes. They can be emission taxes that tax on the amount of environmental damage done (also known as “Pigouvian taxes”), for example, carbon taxes. They can also be taxes on consumer goods or production inputs whose use can damage the environment, like gas. Green taxes can even be used as a term to refer to things such as lower tax rates for production methods that help reduce pollution and save energy. Countries have been involved in multiple initiatives to reduce pollution and become more environmentally sustainable (see Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement), though efforts have been relatively minimal. One of the biggest ways that countries do try to encourage sustainability is through green taxes. There is virtually no incentive for a company to try to be environmentally sustainable unless it helps them make more money in one way or another. By taxing companies that pollute more, it helps encourage them to try and seek out environmentally friendlier methods. European nations are currently heading the green tax efforts, with Norway at the top. Other countries, like the United States have been much slower on the uptake. Green tax reforms are a good, first way to hold companies accountable, though they should not be expected to yield significant revenue, but rather meeting environmental goals.

Programs/Platforms

Ansys HFSS

HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) is a processor and simulation software produced by the Ansys company (specializing in engineering simulation software). HFSS uses complex solvers to handle an abundance of electromagnetic problems. It is primarily used in RF circuit analysis, antenna analysis, radar simulations, and radio frequency interference (RFI) simulations, however it is also capable of handling a vast array of other problems, situations, and simulations. The Ansys company offers programs and trainings in Antenna Design, 3D Layout for PCB, Multiplication, Antenna Arrays and Periodic Structures, and 3D Components, Boundary Conditions, Ports and Mesh to its users in order to give them the skills necessary to use the software. HFSS processes user inputs to model electromagnetic processes. HFSS customers will input the geometric elements of the entity they intend to run simulations with, as well as other important properties including but not limited to permittivity, permeability, bulk conductivity, dielectric loss tangent, and mass density.

Ansys HFSS simulation

Ansys Fluent

Depicted is an example of a project created in Ansys Fluent, a centrifugal pump.

Ansys Fluent is one of the premier fluid simulation softwares produced by the Ansys company. Receiving updates as late as early 2023, Ansys Fluent provides a work space for engineers, scientists, and even the casual student to accelerate their design process and create more accurate models of products that can be used in the real world. On top of modeling, Ansys Fluent also serves as a means to run simulations on turbulence, flow, aerodynamics, heat transfer, and more on any physical object. Ansys Fluent takes input from users regarding the geometric and physical properties of the materials and objects that simulations are being run on. On top of being used for many practical and mechanical applications, Ansys Fluent also proves useful in battery design when trying to create alternative energy systems that are both more efficient, and more affordable. Ansys provides tools and even instructional courses through Ansys Fluid that allow for the modeling of electrothermal batteries. Overall, Ansys Fluid has a very diverse list of applications, and is particularly useful in modeling and designing batteries within the sustainable energy industry.

ArcGIS US Energy Atlas

https://eia.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/interactivelegend/index.html?appid=5039a1a01ec34b6bbf0ab4fd57da5eb4

ArcGIS is a software that contains online geographic information and displays it on a map. It is primarily used for people to collaboratively  analyze location data and make maps. The specific map that can be useful in our topic of renewable energy is the U.S. Energy Atlas which helps identify energy infrastructure and resources in the United States. This can help us locate areas that are in need of a clean energy source, locate places ideal for the use of specific types of renewable energy, and locate areas that have high use of nonrenewable energy that need to be slowly shut down and halted. The ArcGIS U.S. Energy Atlas also allows the user to look at only specific types of energy and maps which can be helpful to isolate the current status of certain types of energy infrastructure in the United States, such as data on solar panels and where the most optimal locations are.

MATLAB: Battery Modeling with Simulink

https://www.mathworks.com/videos/matlab-simulink-racing-lounge-battery-modeling-with-simulink-96690.html

The following video illustrates how you can use MATLAB to model batteries that are in cars, which could be implemented into solar panels in the future. The video shows how to open files of battery systems into MATLAB, and then illustrates how to extract different data from those files and graph plots of the data using code in MATLAB. Since batteries are one of the main components in solar panels and are used in other types of renewable energy, creating models of them in MATLAB can be very helpful in the future. Another useful tool along with MATLAB is the website MATLAB Central, which has files of circuit modeling for different batteries that can be used in MATLAB itself which reduces the amount of work for the user.

Eagle

A printed circuit board being designed in Eagle.

https://www.autodesk.com/products/eagle/features

Eagle is a software used for the design of printed circuit boards(PCB), a component integral to manufacturing battery systems. A printed circuit board is a sheet composed of multiple layers of insulating and conducting materials that allow connections between electrical components. In Eagle, engineers first create a schematic diagram, and then a PCB layout. The schematic diagram is a conceptual overview of the connections between different components. This step is used to understand which parts of the PCB need to communicate with each other. Next, a layout file is created which represents an image of the connections on the PCB. This file can be thought of as a map that shows where the different components and the connections between them will be placed on the final board. After completion, this file is exported and fed to a machine that etches out the location of connections on the board. From here, components are soldered onto the board either by hand or with the help of a pick-and-place machine.

AMP Energy Management System

https://www.amp.tech/connected-energy-management-system/#

AMP Energy Management System(EMS) is a multi-stage system used to manage batteries in electric vehicles. Within the AMP EMS are two main components: a battery management system and integrated charging. The battery management system monitors and adjusts the batteries based on stage of charge and state of health and is designed to be scalable for use in both low-voltage and high-voltage applications. The AMP integrated charging touts ultra-fast bi-directional charging at up to 2 kilowatts per liter power density which is achieved through the most dense on board charger currently on the market. Multiple different models for charging for different designs of electric vehicles. Though it has not reached the market yet, AMP is currently developing ampLogic for use in their EMS. ampLogic will be a cloud-based software that collects large amounts of data to be analyzed by machine learning algorithms. These algorithms will theoretically provide higher quality optimization of batteries and help to extend battery life in electric vehicles.

Marginal Abatement Cost Curve

A model used to help both companies and policy makers identify and make decisions about emissions is a marginal abatement cost curve. MAC curves are used to illustrate the economics of climate change mitigation and contribute to decision making relating to internal carbon strategies. Mitigation analysis is identifying risks and figuring out how to minimize their effect. Marginal abatement curves present the costs or savings expected from different opportunities, as well as the potential volume of emissions that could be reduced if a particular strategy was implemented. MAC curves can be made for a company, an entire industry, or even at a wider economic level. Marginal abatement curves are extremely complex and time-consuming to make. Depending on the scale of the curve, the amount of abatement parameters can be a lot. As software has developed, building these models has become increasingly easier. Though this is an extremely helpful tool that aids a lot in policy decision making, it shouldn’t be the only thing used to make decisions. Rather, it helps add to a robust catalog of other research and information for companies and policy makers to make the best choice.

Nordhaus DICE Model

William Nordhaus during his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize

The Nordhaus DICE Model (Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy Model) was one of the first economic models that integrated information from natural and climate science into a long term macroeconomic model. William Nordhaus, the creator of the model, used a common growth model and integrated an abatement function, a damage function, and various equations to relate GDP growth to the increase in CO2 levels. Nordhaus used this model to calculate the optimum rise in temperature amongst other calculations. This model is one of three assessment models used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DICE model improves with more data that is acquired, which has changed the calculated optimal climate goal (from 3.5 degrees Celsius to less than 2 degrees Celsius). These calculations have confirmed the goals of the Paris agreement as well, whose goal is to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius. DICE has had improvements made to the model as well, such as the RICE model (Regional Integrated Climate-Economy model).

Social/Cultural

Paris Climate Accord

On December 12, 2015, 194 parties came to an agreement on a set of long term goals and regulations to try and slow global warming. The agreement was to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius, review countries progress every five years, and provide financial help to developing countries to mitigate climate change and their abilities to adapt to climate impacts. Every 5 years, each country submits a climate action plan and in 2023, for the first time, a coalition of members from countries will reassess the agreement and try to raise the goal from allowing 2 to 1.5 degrees Celsius increase in temperature for this century. The Paris Agreement is vital for global reduction of greenhouse emissions because some poorer developing countries need aid from wealthier ones to help finance and complete their goals. The agreement also allows countries to hold each other accountable so every country is “doing their part” in the effort to reduce climate change.

Members of the IEA speaking in front of congress.

International Energy Agency

The International Energy Agency believes that the public should be involved with creating clean energy policies and creating plans that are sustainable, culturally appropriate and feasible to implement. The IEA holds clean energy webinars in which there is dialogue between energy experts and citizens to help the decision making process for different regulations. Most importantly, the IEA hopes to inform and educate the public, especially the youth. It strives to teach about the prominence and realness of climate change and hopes that through education the public will use more environmentally friendly practices and be more active in society. The IEA also works with governments and industry to promote the switch to healthier energy usage and practices, and ensure affordable energy to all people. Through communication with the public, government, and private industry the IEA can help inform and push environmentally sustainable policies and practice.

Residential Use of Solar Panels

Solar panels are series photovoltaic cells between semi-conductors that use energy from the sun to create usable energy in the form of electricity. When the photons from the sun hit the solar panel, they generate an electric field and induce an emf, resulting in energy. This process is known as the photoelectric effect, and has become a main source of alternative energy. As saving our planet becomes ever more important with increasing temperatures and gas emission, alternative energy is ever more important. Solar panels are particularly important as they are relatively easy to install for residential use. More families are investing in solar panels each year, as experts estimate they can save up to $100,000 in electricity bills in your lifetime. As of 2022, almost 4% of people have invested in residential solar power in the United States, and this number only continues to rise. In order to get started, interested parties can contact local mapping services to determine if their roof is suitable, and upon approval can seek quotes and installation of the solar panels. The United States Government awards certifications to installers every year, who can then be trusted to install solar panels in homes across the world. On top of the cost benefits of saving money on your energy bill, the Government also offers tax breaks to those utilizing alternative forms of energy, making residential use of solar panels more common and efficient.

Government Tax Incentives for Sustainable Energy

As the climate crisis continues to grow, our need for alternative energy does as well. In order to combat this problem, nations across the world are investing more in clean, sustainable energy including geothermal, solar, and wind power. This has led to many governments, including that of the United States, to award citizens for choosing a cleaner method. In the United States, rebates, tax credits, and savings programs are offered to those who use alternative forms of energy. As of 2022, people who invest in solar energy, fuel cells, battery storage, and wind energy are given a tax credit of 30% of the money they spent on switching to alternative energy. Geothermal and solar water heaters are also eligible for a 30% tax credit. Other forms of sustainable energy including but not limited to efficient air conditioners, biomass stoves, energy efficient insulation, and electric vehicles are also eligible for these tax breaks. In order to receive these tax breaks, both owners and renters need only to complete the IRS Form 5695 when filing tax returns. This process is relatively easy and benefits the environment and consumers of sustainable energy.

The lithium triangle in South America, an area rich with lithium.

Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining

The intensive mining practices needed to procure lithium along with a lack of proper recycling practices can cause damage to our environment. Mining for lithium requires approximately 500,000 gallons of water for one metric ton. In developing regions such as near Salar de Atacama in Chile, this can contribute to up to 65 percent of the water usage for the region. Lithium mining can also contribute to water pollution if the toxic materials used in the mining process leak into nearby water sources, which can be harmful to farmers who use these sources for crop irrigation. On top of this, Australian research showed only 2 percent of their lithium ion batteries are recycled, with the rest of the batteries left in landfills where they can leak harmful materials into the environment. As a result of the carbon emissions released from the production of lithium ion batteries, most electric vehicles end up creating higher overall carbon emissions than diesel cars during production due to the high impact of the mining process.

Benefits of Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles are an alternative to gas or diesel powered vehicles that instead run on rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Despite the higher carbon impact of production, electric vehicles often produce less carbon emissions over their lifespan than gasoline or diesel vehicles. The lifetime carbon emission of an electric vehicle is largely dependent on how electricity is generated in the country that the vehicle is being charged in. For countries that utilize green energy, such as Norway which produces much of its electricity from hydropower, the emissions of electric vehicles are greatly reduced compared to conventional fossil fuel vehicles. However, even in countries that mainly burn fossil fuels to create electrical power, electric vehicles are still slightly better or on par with gas or diesel powered vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles are also beneficial for the environment since they very often have a better mileage per gallon when compared to their gas or diesel counterparts. Overall, while electric vehicles still have very far to come in terms of being entirely good for the environment, they are a step in the right direction for a more sustainable world.

RE100

The RE100 is an initiative that brings together some of the biggest businesses worldwide that are committed to using 100% renewable energy. Some companies that are part of this include Apple, Meta, Kia, and Samsung. Members are required to report to RE100 and are held to standards that continuously work towards bringing companies to using fully renewable energy. They do annual reports that disclose how RE100 member companies are continuing to improve their usage of renewable energy and develop even better ways to consume energy efficiently. RE100 provides an easily accessible way for consumers to not only be able to see which companies are dedicated to having fully renewable energy, but also how those companies are doing it and the progress that they are making over the years. Public transparency is a really valuable way to hold corporations accountable and initiatives like the RE100 force transparency in the process of becoming fully renewable.

Carbon Reporting

Organizations like the EPA help provide comprehensive data about carbon emissions

Carbon reports are reports documenting an organization or company’s greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, its contribution to climate change. Carbon accounting makes businesses stay legally compliant, and greenwashing-free. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a program named the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) that over 8,000 facilities are required to report to. The data from each year is made public to the general population. Some facilities that are required to report their emissions are power plants and large industrial facilities. This reporting helps account for which emissions come from lower-emitting sources like residential sources since that is harder to track. Carbon reporting is available to the public, but very rarely can individuals create significant change or damage. Carbon reporting helps create policy, and that is where individuals can engage. Pushing and voting for relevant legislation is one of the biggest ways an individual can help create long-term, lasting, and impactful change.