[CAnet - news] Opportunity cost-benefit analysis of Green IT
"Bill St. Arnaud" <[email protected]> Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:55:32 -0500
| Newsgroups | gmane.culture.publications.news |
|---|---|
| Organization | CANARIE Inc |
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
This is a multipart message in MIME format. --===============1442658462== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0231_01C95EBC.CC0804F0" Content-Language: en-us This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0231_01C95EBC.CC0804F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For more information on this item please visit my blog at http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/ or http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com ------------------------------------------- [An interesting aspect on the debates of solution to CO2 emissions is the cost benefit analysis of various technology approaches. As pointed out in Joseph Romm's blog "Climate Progress" an opportunity cost benefit analysis highly favours windmills and solar thermal power (not photovoltaics) because they can be deployed quickly and start reducing CO2 emissions immediately. Nuclear power, on the hand, has a huge opportunity cost because of the long time frame it will require to deploy nuclear power plants. As a result, by taking into consideration opportunity cost-benefit analysis nuclear comes off second worst to carbon sequestration in terms of alternate energy solutions for reducing CO2 emissions. By that same analysis I would argue that Green IT has a significant opportunity benefit even greater than windmills. We know from reports like SMART 2020 that Green IT can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 15%. But since many of these solutions can implemented almost immediately (given sufficient incentives such as mandated carbon neutrality), the opportunity benefit may be significantly greater than the nominal 15% reduction. As well, given the compelling cost benefit analysis of windmills, it is likely they will contribute a significant amount of baseload power, which could result in wide fluctuations in power availability. As I have pointed out in this blog before, Next Generation Internet network and grids could be readily designed to deal with this fluctuating load without resorting to backup power from batteries or diesel generators. (See my blog on follow the sun/follow the wind networks and grids). This is the mind set we need to develop as we move forward to a future zero carbon society. To date electrical power engineers assume all of their customers need the same degree of reliable power, and therefore are less than enthusiastic about most renewable energy sources because of their unreliability. Green Internet and IT can be easily designed to handle large fluctuations in the availability of renewable energy---BSA] Joseph Romm's blog on opportunity cost-benefit analysis http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/14/stanford-study-part-1-wind-solar-basel oad-easily-beat-nuclear-and-they-all-best-clean-coal/ World's first demo of follow the sun/follow the wind network and grid http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2008/10/worlds-first-demo-of-follow-sunf ollow.html ------------------------------------- To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to [email protected] These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the CANARIE board or management. ------ [email protected] [email protected] http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/ ------=_NextPart_000_0231_01C95EBC.CC0804F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:x=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" = xmlns:p=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" = xmlns:a=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" = xmlns:dt=3D"uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" = xmlns:s=3D"uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" = xmlns:rs=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" = xmlns:b=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" = xmlns:ss=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" = xmlns:c=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" = xmlns:odc=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" = xmlns:oa=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" = xmlns:html=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" = xmlns:q=3D"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:D=3D"DAV:" = xmlns:x2=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" = xmlns:ois=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" = xmlns:dir=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" = xmlns:ds=3D"http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" = xmlns:dsp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" = xmlns:udc=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" = xmlns:xsd=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" = xmlns:sub=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/"= xmlns:ec=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" = xmlns:sp=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" = xmlns:sps=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" = xmlns:xsi=3D"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" = xmlns:udcxf=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" = xmlns:wf=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" = xmlns:mver=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006= " xmlns:m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" = xmlns:mrels=3D"http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationshi= ps" = xmlns:ex12t=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types"= = xmlns:ex12m=3D"http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messag= es" xmlns:Z=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:st=3D"" = xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dus-ascii"> <meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Consolas; panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:10.5pt; font-family:Consolas;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:windowtext;} span.PlainTextChar {mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Plain Text"; font-family:Consolas;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" /> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit"> <o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" /> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </head> <body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple> <div class=3DSection1> <p class=3DMsoPlainText>For more information on this item please visit = my blog at <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><a = href=3D"http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/">http://green-broadband.blog= spot.com/</a> or <a = href=3D"http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com">http://billstarnaud.blogspot.co= m</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p = class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------------<o:p></o:= p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>[An interesting aspect on the debates of solution = to CO2 emissions is the cost benefit analysis of various technology approaches. = As pointed out in Joseph Romm’s blog “Climate Progress” = an opportunity cost benefit analysis highly favours windmills and solar = thermal power (not photovoltaics) because they can be deployed quickly and start reducing CO2 emissions immediately. Nuclear power, on the hand, has a = huge opportunity cost because of the long time frame it will require to deploy nuclear = power plants. As a result, by taking into consideration opportunity cost-benefit analysis nuclear comes off second worst to carbon = sequestration in terms of alternate energy solutions for reducing CO2 = emissions.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>By that same analysis I would argue that Green IT = has a significant opportunity benefit even greater than windmills. We = know from reports like SMART 2020 that Green IT can reduce CO2 emissions by as = much as 15%. But since many of these solutions can implemented almost = immediately (given sufficient incentives such as mandated carbon neutrality), the = opportunity benefit may be significantly greater than the nominal 15% = reduction.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>As well, given the compelling cost benefit analysis = of windmills, it is likely they will contribute a significant amount of = baseload power, which could result in wide fluctuations in power availability. As = I have pointed out in this blog before, Next Generation Internet network and = grids could be readily designed to deal with this fluctuating load without = resorting to backup power from batteries or diesel generators. (See my blog on = follow the sun/follow the wind networks and grids). This is the mind set we need to develop as we move forward to a future zero carbon society. To date = electrical power engineers assume all of their customers need the same degree of = reliable power, and therefore are less than enthusiastic about most renewable = energy sources because of their unreliability. Green Internet and IT can be = easily designed to handle large fluctuations in the availability of renewable = energy---BSA]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>Joseph Romm’s blog on opportunity = cost-benefit analysis<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a href=3D"http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/14/stanford-study-part-1-wind-= solar-baseload-easily-beat-nuclear-and-they-all-best-clean-coal/">http://= climateprogress.org/2008/12/14/stanford-study-part-1-wind-solar-baseload-= easily-beat-nuclear-and-they-all-best-clean-coal/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>World’s first demo of follow the = sun/follow the wind network and grid<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><a href=3D"http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2008/10/worlds-first-demo-of-= follow-sunfollow.html">http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2008/10/worlds= -first-demo-of-follow-sunfollow.html</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p = class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>= <p class=3DMsoPlainText>To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o= :p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText>These news items and comments are mine alone and = do not necessarily reflect those of the CANARIE board or = management.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>------<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal>http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> </body> </html> ------=_NextPart_000_0231_01C95EBC.CC0804F0-- --===============1442658462== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ news mailing list [email protected] http://lists.canarie.ca/mailman/listinfo/news --===============1442658462==--