Research Theme I: The low carbon emissions economy
Energetic costs and opportunities of grid-scale energy storage
March 8, 2013. As renewable energy sources continue to be integrated into the grid and electricity load profiles increase in volatility, energy storage can help mitigate the intermittent nature of renewable energy production and alleviate the demands on our aging energy grid. New and emerging energy storage technologies – such as next-generation compressed air energy storage and pumped storage, as well as advanced batteries – are changing the domain of energy storage. However, new research indicates that some of the environmental benefits of installing new solar and wind farms may be offset by the high embodied energy costs of
grid-scale energy storage. To quantify the long-term energetic costs, researchers created a new mathematical formula dubbed ESOI, or energy stored on investment. The ESOI of a technology is determined by the amount of energy that can be stored by a technology divided by the amount of energy required to build it. The research showed that the best way to reduce long-term energetic costs would be to improve the cycle life of the storage system. For example, for batteries this would mean increasing the lifetime number of charge and discharge cycles.
Two primary energy storage concerns are location and duration of storage. For British Columbia, its well established hydroelectricity dams offer the most promising energy storage technology. Pumped hydroelectric storage works because when demand is low, surplus electricity is used to pump water to a reservoir behind a dam. When demand is high, the water is released through turbines that generate electricity. Such systems are in use in Wales, Switzerland, Italy, the US, China and other countries and in total comprise some 127 GW of capacity, over 10 times the maximum capacity of BC’s electrical grid. But while pumped hydro storage may work in BC at the utility scale, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work when it comes to storage for smaller-scale projects where cost and energy storage requirements are very different. Instead of relying on a single storage source, a layered
approach of multiple applications may be the key to delivering reliable energy, reduced GHG emissions and renewables integration.
Research Theme II: Sustainable communities
Public-Private Partnerships enabling sustainability
March 14, 2013. In a
recent article, business groups discuss the potential of public-private partnerships (P3s) in the adoption and uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). With P3s, companies can provide much needed expertise, while benefiting from the access to capital that comes from working with government, and the certainty of long term cash flow anticipated from offering services that would otherwise be provided by government. The public receives the expertise of the private sector, and it is a way to leverage high-potential but high-risk projects that might not be possible without industry support. Three potential avenues in play for promoting the utilization of EVs are P3 agreements around the installation of charging stations, tax incentives favoring
low-emission vehicles, and joint management of road tolls which could offer incentives to people who are driving an electric car. For example, California negotiated an agreement with an energy servicing company that resolves past claims made by the company in return for the installation of a minimum of 200 charging stations around the state.
British Columbia has been promoting P3s
for more than a decade despite concern by economists about flawed analysis. Some argue that lease agreements lead to significant financial costs borne by the tax-payers. In high risk situations however, P3s are often a popular choice because the private sector is perceived to be better at measuring and managing risk. In the case of new environmental technologies, a large capital investment is generally required, which presents high risk. Public-private partnerships can significantly speed up implementation and push innovation, a must if we are to achieve large scale adoption of electric vehicles in the province. The largest P3 agreement in Canada, the
Canada Line rapid-transit train that links Downtown Vancouver to the Airport is a case where the P3 enabled the project to happen. A significant move for sustainable transportation in Metro Vancouver, the train is reducing driving and promoting public transit in the region. A similar goal of providing environmentally friendly transportation options during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics resulted in temporary street-car service on existing track between Granville Island and the Olympic Village.
Research Theme III: Resilient ecosystems
Zooplankton resilient to changing water temperatures, but not all human impacts
March 8, 2012. A recent study
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science takes a closer look at zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny oceanic animals that graze on primary producers––single-celled plants called phytoplankton that fix carbon in the ocean––and are eaten by animals larger than themselves. They are thus important for the transfer of energy in marine food webs. Because zooplankton are small, they are more affected by changes in the viscosity, or fluidity, of water than their predators. Water viscosity changes with water temperature, so researchers were interested
“in trying to determine the effects of climate change at the very base of the food chain.” They discovered that changes in water temperature are not detrimental for zooplankton, because the temperature change also alters their swimming pattern, making it more effective. However, if the water becomes more viscous without a corresponding temperature change, for example as a result of algal blooms, zooplankton are less efficient swimmers, which has implications for their grazing performance.
This study indicates that human disturbances––like nutrient pollution that leads to algal blooms––can alter marine ecosystem functioning by disrupting patterns of predation and consumption at lower levels of the food chain. The recognition that marine ecosystems are increasingly under threat has resulted in the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). The Commission for Environmental Cooperation
recently released two reports to aid in designing resilient MPA networks in a changing climate. The first report identifies four central scientific guidelines, which include protecting ecological linkages like the role of zooplankton in energy transfer, protecting carbon sinks, and protecting the full range of biodiversity in a region. The second report is to assist managers and planners. It breaks down each guideline into manageable steps, helping to overcome the enormity of this necessary task.
Research Theme IV: Social mobilization
Canada ceding its leadership in the Arctic
March 12th, 2013. The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Lab (PEARL) located in Eureka, Nunavut, houses one of two-dozen globally located spectrometers that track changes in the climate as part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). As the most northerly located spectrometer, the lab at Eureka is viewed by Atmospheric Scientists as a key site, tracking the increasing changes in arctic landscapes. However, a cut in federal funding has dramatically reduced the operational capacity of the site, from 150 annual measurement days down to approximately 30, impacting the research ability of the laboratory. Data collected at PEARL have played an important role in tracking changes in high-latitude climate
and have been reported in studies such as Climate Trends in Canada’s High Arctic, and analyses of ozone and other atmospheric gases in northern environments. The funding cuts have diminished the ability of Canadian scientists to study changes to the climate of the Arctic and according to Canadian news media, are damaging Canada’s international scientific reputation.
Cuts to research funding come at a time when the Canadian Federal government faces criticism over scientific transparency. In a February 2012 edition of the leading scientific journal Nature, an editorial called upon the Harper Government to stop publicly limiting scientists from speaking about their research. Arguing that Canada and the US have undergone a role reversal with regard to transparency and access to government produced science, the journal calls upon the Federal Government to stop muzzling scientists. The editorial comes on the heels of an open letter
published by the Canadian Science Writer’s Association. The letter cites several high profile examples of scientists being kept from discussing research findings, and calls upon the government to cease ‘incredible’ and ‘extreme’ control over information.
Research Theme V: Carbon management in BC forests
Increasing forest fire risk poses health problems for BC communities
March 11, 2013. Sarah Henderson, a scientist with the BC Center for Disease Control, is warning
communities across BC that forest fires pose a serious threat to air quality and respiratory health. Speaking at the North Central BC Air Quality forum, she noted that 2010 was the worst fire season in history, and that four of the worst fire seasons in history have happened in the last decade. This has serious implications for air quality across the province, although local geography plays a strong role. Prince George, for example, rests in a valley surrounded by hills. Air tends to settle in the valley, leading to dangerous concentrations of fine particulate matter. Forest fires can lead to spikes in air pollution by as much as 2000%. The Lower Mainland, in contrast, sees smaller spikes in the range of 200% during fire events.
The concern is that the mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation combined with a changing climate will lead to larger and more frequent fires. Drought-like conditions have been called the “new normal” for western North America, and evidence has suggested that forest fires across Canada are likely to increase in frequency and size. At another community meeting in early March, this time in Kamloops, scientists warned
that fires will have a larger influence on BC’s forests in coming decades. They suggested that the process of “savannification” is already underway, with drier and sparser forests increasing in size.
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Amplified greenhouse effect shaping North into South
Canada's Arctic glaciers headed for unstoppable thaw: study
