MONITORING & METERING


OPTIMISM AND ACTION!


The global energy transformation is being driven by the need to limit


climate change and foster sustainable growth. Mark Naples, managing


director, Umicore Coatings Services, explains why robust data collection is at the core of our planet’s future


S


ince the introduction of fossil fuels as an energy source in the late 1800s, carbon dioxide levels in


the atmosphere have nearly doubled. Today, fossil fuel use is estimated to contribute almost 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015,


energy-related CO2 emissions have risen by around 4%. The coming years are critical, and we need a leap in national collective ambition levels. So, how do we mitigate more than a century’s worth of human impact on the climate? The most powerful option is at our fingertips: green energy.


UNDERSTANDING THE MASSIVE CHANGES AHEAD The global energy transformation is being driven by the dual imperatives of limiting climate change and fostering sustainable growth. An unprecedented decline in renewable energy costs, new opportunities in energy efficiency, digitalisation, smart technologies and electrification solutions, are the key enablers behind this trend. The fundamental truth about the transition to a zero-carbon economy is that energy is no longer about capturing and exploiting resources: it’s about technology, speed, innovation and agility. The clean energy transition is the single biggest economic opportunity in history – bigger than the industrial revolution and the computing revolution. How humans produce, distribute and consume power will be cleaner, cheaper and infinitely more complex. Global carbon emissions from energy are set to peak in 2025 thanks to massively increased


government spending on clean fuels in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), government spending on clean energy in response to the crisis would mark an ‘historic turning point’ in the transition from fossil fuels in its annual report on global energy. For a couple of days in December, wind power supplied over half the UK’s electricity.


THE CURRENCY OF TRUST Per kWh produced, renewable energy emits


between 11 and 740g of CO2 on a life-cycle basis. Depending on the type (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, tidal, wave, biomass), it can combat climate change and have various environmental benefits but may still produce significant greenhouse gas emissions. Six of the seven renewable energies have climate change mitigation benefits because they have


lower average life-cycle CO2 equivalent emission values than coal, the dirtiest of all the energies. Whatever form upcoming legislative changes take


– and no matter how broad or specific they might be – they will all share a common theme: improved transparency. This means robust data collection is at the core of our planet’s future. In many industries, this manifests as an increased focus on health, safety, environmental, and social policies, collecting data to inform new and improved working methods. Far from a simple box-ticking exercise or another length of red tape to throttle productivity, these measures should be seen as an opportunity to streamline and heighten productivity, resulting in less waste


34 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2023


and higher quality products. The sensing technology required to secure that future is available today and is more affordable and accessible than ever. Now, any company can monitor their industrial gas usage, emissions or even the general air quality around its workplace. Laser absorption spectroscopy is a powerful tool for detecting trace gases and has a particularly big role in tackling the ‘low hanging fruit’. These emissions have the biggest impact on climate


change. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are classified as greenhouse gases due to their ability to strongly absorb infrared


light emitted from the Earth’s surface, which effectively traps infrared light emitted from Earth as heat and contributes to the warming of our atmosphere. However, infrared spectroscopy can be used to exploit the infrared absorbing


property of CO2 and CH4 and determine the atmospheric concentrations of these gases.


GETTING ON THE RIGHT WAVELENGTH When emitting gasses, it results from a problem that can be fixed. With natural (biogenic) and


human-caused (anthropogenic) CH4 emissions accounting for $19 billion in wasted natural gas, something as simple as a leaking pipe or a poorly-managed wetland has a serious cost to businesses. However, to mitigate this wastage, it must first be identified. The detection is based on how light is absorbed


through a medium. Emitters within the sensor generate pulses of IR light, passing through a sampling chamber containing a filter. The filter


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