Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Solutions

DMJM Harris Energy & Power Services provided complete turnkey design/ build services for the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospitals installation of cogeneration and backup generation systems. A highly energy efficient design incorporated the use of the engine generator waste heat to supplement the Hospitals hot water heating needs for domestic hot water and their laundry. This significantly offset natural gas expenditures for the Hospital. Two emergency generators were installed to provide energy security and insure patient safety.

Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Solutions

By Jon Lorentz, Jim Zaniboni and Richard John - AECOM Global Energy

The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change represents a very serious global risk, and it demands an urgent global response.
In October 2005, the UK Government published the Stern Report, an examination of the likely economic impacts of global warming. The report stated that climate change could shrink the global economy by up to 20%. Without action, up to 200 million people could become refugees as their homes are hit by drought or flood. The report highlighted the need to take action now, and that such action would have to be coordinated at an international level if it was to be effective. The chief culprit behind this threat to the planet is carbon dioxide emissions, which have already pushed up global temperatures by half a degree Celsius and will continue to do so in the future unless the requisite steps are taken. The other greenhouse gases methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor and halocarbons also contribute to global warming. The likely physical impacts of climate change are positively alarming: glaciers could melt; crop yields could decline; up to 40% of species could face extinction; and extreme weather events, such as an increase in hurricane intensity, could become more frequent. The global population is facing what is very possibly the biggest challenge it has ever confronted. As professional technologists, scientists, engineers and environmentalists we are effectively the front line of the human response to these challenges, and we have a responsibility to use our technology, skills and resources to ensure that todays projects are constructed using methods that will ease rather than exacerbate the situation, and that tomorrows energy solutions are designed to conform with best environmental practice.

40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from energy used in buildings.

DMJM Harris was selected by California State University at San Bernardino (CSUSB) to perform the development and designbuild implementation of an energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrade project to continue campus growth while delivering on the states aggressive energy reduction goals. This project will reduce the Campus annual energy costs by over $1.1 million and includes: Expansion of the existing central chiller plant Thermal energy storage (TES) tank New cooling towers Variable frequency drives 350 kW of solar PV energy CO2 demand ventilation controls Energy efficient lighting Water conservation Installation of irrigation well

Mitigation Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are referred to as mitigation measures. These measures not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also provide an opportunity to take advantage of a greater diversity of energy sources, including those with a smaller carbon footprint. Regulatory measures introduced by governments like the State of California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are a necessary first step and will mean that we have to make fundamental changes to the way that energy is generated, and the way it is delivered and consumed by the building and industrial sectors. Greenhouse gas emissions mitigation policies that can be expected to be introduced around the world include: Developing stronger energy standards for new and existing industrial and building projects Mandatory disclosure of building energy consumption Carbon trading/offsetting Encouragement of renewable energy generation, and carbon capture from power generating stations, through the establishment of national incentive regimes Planning requirements for maximum on-site generation of renewable energy Specifications for government- supported development projects that require, for example, higher than normal energy efficiency standards.

Adaptation The climate will continue to change for at least the next 50 years. Consequently, new buildings will have to be constructed to different performance parameters, and existing buildings and infrastructure will have to be adapted to function effectively under a different range of climatic conditions. Adjusting to climate change is termed adaptation. Climate change will affect the way that projects are designed and operated, and more extreme weather will have a significant impact on flood defenses, structural stability (greater wind loading and higher risk of subsidence), which in turn will influence future design, construction and remediation activities. Delivering Solutions At AECOM, we have established an energy solutions framework which brings together the unique capabilities of our specialist technology groups and the strong local presence provided by our global reach. This framework is divided into three categories: carbon management, sustainability and energy efficiency, and clean energy. Carbon management: Carbon management enables organizations to understand, control, and reduce carbon emissions resulting from their activities. Corporations are now recognizing that an early commitment to carbon management brings significant competitive advantage as well as tangible benefits to the bottom line.

Energy efficiency and sustainable buildings: Commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 40% of end-use energy consumption. There is broad acknowledgement that developing comprehensive efficiency strategies for these buildings is the fastest and most cost-effective action we can take to reduce the demand for energy and reduce carbon emissions. To realize the full benefits of sustainability and energy efficiency, strong energy policies are required which stipulate building codes and standards that change the investment patterns in the built environment. From the Kyoto Protocol to the European Performance of Buildings Directive to the Executive Orders being implemented by individual US states, like California, the market drivers are in position and starting to take effect.

Traditional power stations and distribution networks lose as much as two-thirds of all energy during its transmission into buildings. But local combined heat and power schemes offer a way of significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Faced with the daunting task of providing air-conditioning to all district schools, the San Diego Unified School District turned to DMJM Harris Energy & Power Services for an innovative solution. With the state of the California energy market, it was important to install the most cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling equipment in each school with an eye towards offsetting the increased energy usage that would result. The District also had goal to exceed 2005 Title 24 requirements and incorporate LEED criteria where it made sense economically.

Governor Schwarzeneggers Executive Order S-20-04 commits to aggressive action to reduce state building electricity usage by retrofitting, building and operating the most energy and resource efficient buildings by taking all cost-effective measures described in the Green Building Action Plan. It encourages the reduction of grid-based energy purchases for state-owned buildings by 20% by 2015, through cost-effective efficiency measures and distributed generation technologies. Clean energy technologies Many countries are introducing mechanisms to support the development of clean energy technologies, such as solar cells, wind turbines and bio-fuels. As a significant bonus, these clean energy resources enhance national energy security by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Simultaneously, we are seeing dramatic changes in the commercial viability of energy derived from clean sources such as solar cells, wind turbines and bio-fuels. As a significant bonus, these clean energy resources enhance a countrys energy security by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

Towards a low-carbon future For nearly 30 years, AECOM has been a leader in pioneering low-carbon renewable energy technologies, including wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, biogas and landfill gas as well as projects involving bio-fuels technologies. For these and many other renewable energy projects, AECOM also performs comprehensive environmental impact studies to ensure the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts, allowing the projects to be constructed and operated while sustaining the sensitive environments of the region. In keeping with the objective of consistently delivering outstanding solutions that create a better world in which to work and live, our operating companies are leading the way in progressive policy development, sustainable building designs and the deployment of advanced clean energy technologies, to assist our clients develop a low carbon future. At the same time AECOM companies are implementing their own plans to achieve our goals for sustainability.

The world is just beginning to confront the issues of climate change, energy security and associated impacts on individual economies. We have the technical expertise, scientific knowledge and professional resources to respond to these challenges and provide solutions anywhere in the world.

Our projects leave the world a better place.

Technologies that Could Reduce Global CO2 Emissions from Energy Generation
38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 Energy efficiency Fossil-fuel switch Renewable energies Nuclear energy Carbon capture and storage Remaining CO2 emissions

Source: European Commission

A Global Company that Delivers Outstanding Solutions AECOM is a leading global provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world. We provide our services through our global network of approximately 28,000 employees in more than 60 countries to a broad range of end markets, including the transportation, energy, facilities and environmental markets. We are one of the largest U.S.-based engineering design firms, based on 2005 revenue, according to Engineering News-Record (ENR) and ranked the largest pure design firm by ENR. We provide our services in major geographic markets around the world, including North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America.

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