Methodology to Adapt and Update a Life Cycle Cost Calculator for Your Institution: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide provides a methodology for adapting a life cycle cost (LCC) calculator to your institution. An LCC calculator can be used to examine the present and future costs of any expenditure and can include a proxy carbon price in its analysis. Adapting an existing tool saves time and resources when compared to building from scratch. It also provides the most accurate information by accounting for specifics of context, such as energy costs and the greenhouse gas emission rates of energy sources, which vary by region. This guide outlines a five-step process for adapting an LCC calculator to match your institutional context. Step one is identifying all assumptions and utilities that may be needed to complete a life cycle cost estimate (e.g. electricity, central plant steam). Step two is collecting the data for all identified utility rates and assumptions. Step three is preparing the tool for the data update. Step four is entering institutionally specific variables into the calculator. Step five is updating the tool with the best available data to maintain accurac

Policy Insights from Comparing Carbon Pricing Modeling Scenarios

Carbon pricing is an important policy tool for reducing greenhouse gas pollution. The Stanford Energy Modeling Forum exercise 32 convened eleven modeling teams to project emissions, energy, and economic outcomes of an illustrative range of economy-wide carbon price policies. The study compared a coordinated reference scenario involving no new policies with policy scenarios that impose a price on all fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the U.S. The CO2 price scenarios begin in 2020 at $25/ton or$50/ton and rise each year over inflation at one percent or five percent. The scenarios also vary by the use of the revenue from the carbon pricing policy; scenarios include rebates to households and deficit neutral reductions in marginal tax rates on capital and labor income. Across all models and policy scenarios, the study finds that carbon pricing leads to significant reductions in CO2 emissions, the majority of which occur in the electricity sector via the reduction of coal use. Policy effects on other energy sources vary by model, for example owing to different technology cost assumptions (e.g., cost of natural gas vs. wind generation). Some models translate energy shifts into changes in conventional air pollutants, reporting declines consistent with substantial air quality benefits from the policy scenarios. The economic costs of the policies are expected to be modest – allowing for nearly identical economic growth– but vary across models. These costs are offset by benefits from avoided climate damages (which are not modeled in this study) and health benefits from reductions in conventional air pollution. The study finds that the CO2 taxes generate significant revenue; a $25/ton price would generate roughly$1.4 trillion over the first decade and all models reported that emissions reductions do not significantly depend on the use of the revenue. Using revenues to reduce capital or labor taxes reduces economy-wide costs in most models relative to household rebates, but the estimated size of the cost reductions varies significantly across models. Across all models that estimated impacts across households, devoting at least some revenue to household rebates improves outcomes for low income households relative to applying all revenue to reductions in other taxes. We focus here on results through 2030, concluding that beyond a decade model uncertainties are too large to make quantitative results useful for near-term policy design

A how-to guide for the Smith College Proxy Carbon Life Cycle Cost Calculator

Detailed written guide for using the LCC calculator for Smith College. A similar guide can be adapted for users of the calculator at your institution. The Smith College Proxy Carbon Life Cycle Cost Calculator is a tool designed to include climate impacts in the evaluation of present and future costs of projects on campus. At the request of the Study Group on Climate Change, this Excel tool was developed as part of the implementation of a proxy carbon price at Smith College

Tunable Surface Properties of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles from Highly Hydrophobic to Highly Hydrophilic

The formation of materials with tunable wettability is important for applications ranging from antifouling to waterproofing surfaces. We report the use of various low-cost and nonhazardous hydrocarbon materials to tune the surface properties of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (NPs) from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic through covalent functionalization. The hydrocarbon surfaces are compared with a fluorinated surface for wettability and surface energy properties. The role of NPs’ hydrophobicity on their dynamic interfacial behavior at the oil–water interface and their ability to form stable emulsions is also explored. The spray-coated NPs provide textured surfaces (regardless of functionality), with water contact angles (θ) of 10–150° based on their surface functionality. The superhydrophobic NPs are able to reduce the interfacial tension of various oil–water interfaces by behaving as surfactants

Carbon Neutrality Should Not Be the End Goal: Lessons for Institutional Climate Action From U.S. Higher Education

Aggressive climate action pledges from governments, businesses and institutions have increasingly taken the form of commitments to net carbon neutrality. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are uniquely positioned to innovate in this area, and over 800 U.S. colleges and universities have pledged to achieve net carbon neutrality. Eleven leading U.S. HEIs have already attained this status. Here, we examine their approaches to achieving net carbon neutrality, highlighting risks associated with treating emissions reduction approaches such as carbon offsets, renewable energy certificates, and bioenergy as best practice in isolation from broader policy frameworks. While pursuing net carbon neutrality has led to important institutional shifts toward sustainability, the mix of approaches used by HEIs is out of alignment with a broader U.S. decarbonization roadmap; in aggregate, these carbon neutral schools underutilize electrification and new zero-carbon electricity. We conclude by envisioning how HEIs can refocus climate mitigation efforts towards decarbonization (with net carbon neutrality as a possible milestone), with an emphasis on actions that will help shift policy and markets at larger scales

Branched Hydrocarbon Low Surface Energy Materials for Superhydrophobic Nanoparticle Derived Surfaces

International audienceWe present a new class of superhydrophobic surfaces created from low-cost and easily synthesized aluminum oxide nanoparticles functionalized carboxylic acids having highly branched hydrocarbon (HC) chains. These branched chains are new low surface energy materials (LSEMs) which can replace environmentally hazardous and expensive fluorocarbons (FCs). Regardless of coating method and curing temperature, the resulting textured surfaces develop water contact angles (θ) of ~155° and root-mean-square roughnesses (Rq) ≈ 85 nm, being comparable with equivalent FC functionalized surfaces (θ = 157º and Rq = 100 nm). The functionalized nanoparticles may be coated onto a variety of substrates to generate different superhydrophobic materials

What Does it Take to Reduce Massachusetts Emissions 50% by 2030? Challenges Meeting Climate Goals Under Current Legislation (S.2500)

Executive Summary: To do its part in the global fight against climate change, Massachusetts must achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, and aggressive intermediate goals are essential to ensure that the state is on track for net zero. Senate bill 2500, “An Act setting next generation climate policy,” stipulates that 2030 emissions must “not be less than 50% below the 1990 emissions level.” In 2017, Massachusetts carbon dioxide emissions were 22% below 1990 levels, so the state will need to reduce annual emissions by an additional 28% of 1990 levels by 2030. If enacted, S.2500 would give the state important new tools that would significantly reduce emissions. However, our analysis suggests that additional policies beyond those in S.2500 will likely be necessary to reliably achieve the 2030 goal of cutting emissions in half from 1990 levels. With no new policies enacted (but not accounting for COVID-19), we estimate that 2030 emissions will be roughly 35% below 1990 levels (Figure 1, BAU). We use a range of policy proposals to approximate the key policies in S.2500: the Transportation and Climate Initiative cap and invest program, a net zero stretch building code, and a moderate carbon price ($29/MT rising to$48 in 2030—roughly similar to one in a recent legislative proposal) in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. We use published modeling results to approximate these policies and estimate that they would reduce emissions by an additional 6% below 1990 levels (~41%). This leaves an emissions reductions shortfall of ~9% (or 8 million metric tons of CO2, roughly the equivalent of 1.7 million passenger vehicles) in 2030 (see Fig. 1). To reach a 50% reduction by 2030, Massachusetts could implement a higher carbon price (e.g. $58/MT rising to$95 by 2030), which would be possible under S.2500. Some (but not all) models suggest that a higher carbon price alone would be sufficient to reach 50% of 1990 levels by 2030. Another option (not in S.2500) is to enact an ambitious clean electricity standard to reduce electricity emissions. To ensure we reach the 2030 goal, robust policies will be needed in all major sectors of the state\u27s economy, with electricity sector decarbonization particularly important (Fig. 1, Stringent case)

Policy Insights From the EMF 32 Study on U.S. Carbon Tax Scenarios

The Stanford Energy Modeling Forum exercise 32 (EMF 32) used 11 different models to assess emissions, energy, and economic outcomes from a plausible range of economy-wide carbon price policies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States. Here we discuss the most policy-relevant results of the study, mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of current models. Across all models, carbon prices lead to significant reduc- tions in CO2 emissions and conventional pollutants, with the vast majority of the reductions occurring in the electricity sector. Importantly, emissions reductions do not significantly depend on the rebate or tax cut used to return revenues to the economy. Expected economic costs, as modeled by either GDP or welfare, are modest, but vary across models. These costs are offset by benefits from avoided climate damages and health benefits from reductions in conventional air pollution. Using revenues to reduce preexisting capital or labor taxes reduces costs in most models relative to lump-sum rebates, but the size of the cost reductions varies significantly. Devoting at least some revenue to household rebates can significantly reduce adverse impacts on low income households. Carbon prices at $25/ton or even lower levels cause significant shifts away from coal as an energy source with responses of other energy sources highly dependent upon technology cost assumptions. Beyond 2030, we conclude that model uncertainties are too large to make quantitative results useful for near-term policy design. We close by describing recommendations for policymakers on interacting with model results in the future

Electric sector policy, technological change, and U.S. emissions reductions goals: Results from the EMF 32 model intercomparison project

The Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) 32 study compares a range of coordinated scenarios to explore implications of U.S. climate policy options and technological change on the electric power sector. Harmonized policy scenarios (including mass-based emissions limits and various power-sector-only carbon tax trajectories) across 16 models provide comparative assessments of potential impacts on electric sector investment and generation outcomes, emissions reductions, and economic implications. This paper compares results across these policy alternatives, including a variety of technological and natural gas price assumptions, and summarizes robust findings and areas of disagreement across participating models. Under a wide range of policy, technology, and market assumptions, model results suggest that future coal generation will decline relative to current levels while generation from natural gas, wind, and solar will increase, though the pace and extent of these changes vary by policy scenario, technological assumptions, region, and model. Climate policies can amplify trends already under way and make them less susceptible to future market changes. The model results provide useful insights to a range of stakeholders, but future research focused on intersectoral linkages in emission reductions (e.g., the role of electrification), effects of energy storage, and better coverage of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can improve insights even further

Electric Sector Policy, Technological Change, and U.S. Emissions Reductions Goals: Results from the EMF 32 Model Intercomparison Project

The Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) 32 study compares a range of coordinated scenarios to explore implications of U.S. climate policy options and technological change on the electric power sector. Harmonized policy scenarios (including mass-based emissions limits and various power-sector-only carbon tax trajectories) across 16 models provide comparative assessments of potential impacts on electric sector investment and generation outcomes, emissions reductions, and economic implications. This paper compares results across these policy alternatives, including a variety of technological and natural gas price assumptions, and summarizes robust findings and areas of disagreement across participating models. Under a wide range of policy, technology, and market assumptions, model results suggest that future coal generation will decline relative to current levels while generation from natural gas, wind, and solar will increase, though the pace and extent of these changes vary by policy scenario, technological assumptions, region, and model. Climate policies can amplify trends already under way and make them less susceptible to future market changes. The model results provide useful insights to a range of stakeholders, but future research focused on intersectoral linkages in emission reductions (e.g., the role of electrification), effects of energy storage, and better coverage of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can improve insights even further