Energy and the

Environment @ CITRIS
Meeting Our Global Energy Challenge
Paul K. Wright
A. Martin Berlin Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Chief Scientist, CITRIS
July 11th 2007

“Energy is the single most important challenge facing humanity today”

Richard E. Smalley, Nobel Laureate
 The CITRIS Solution
90.000
MiniCAM
80.000

Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000
1. Conservation & 60.000
Energy Efficiency 50.000

ƒ Power-Aware Buildings 40.000

30.000
ƒ Fuel Efficiency 20.000 Emissions to the
ƒ Sustainable Transportation 10.000
atmosphere

2. Renewable Energy 2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

ƒ Alternative Fuels
ƒ Alternative Power

3. Nuclear Energy
4. Coal to Gas Substitution
5. Carbon Capture & Storage
Power-Aware Buildings
Funded by the California Energy Commission
$2.5M/year for 10 years
~15 lead investigators
New CITRIS building, located on UCB campus
Collaboration with Grid Operators and IOUs

90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

* CITRIS honors Energy Commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld

Wireless Technology for
Energy Efficiency & Demand Response
ƒ Summer heat creates over-demand for AC
ƒ Avoid brown-outs (level the demand) during peak usage with
enabling technology:
ƒ Meters, thermostats, temperature-nodes: Cal ISO Daily Peak Loads
In ad hoc self-organizing January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000

wireless networks 50
Peak Day August 16 -
43.5 GW

ƒ Demand Response scenario: 45

Commercial AC

ƒ Smart Thermostat receives 40

price signals every ¼ hour

GW
35
(or, emergency signals ASAP)
ƒ Users’ responses to price 30

Residential AC
points lower energy costs 25

20

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0

0
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 Demand Response in a “Smart House”
Incoming price signals

New thermostat shows price of electricity

in ¢/kWhr + expected monthly bill.

New meter conveys real-time

Appliance lights
usage, back to service provider.
show price level &
appliances
Wireless beacons (smart dust) allow for fine-tuned powered-down
comfort/control.
 The Result?
California energy regulators approved a PG&E
plan in July 2006 to upgrade all of the company’s
residential electricity and natural gas meters, a 5-
year project that promises to change the way the
utility’s customers pay for power …
Courtesy PG&E

S.F. Chronicle, July 20, 2006

… and the research

will continue at CITRIS
Courtesy PG&E “Micro-mote” sensor, with
target of <$2.00 BOM
Impact on the Environment

ƒ The EPA estimates that CA would need 10 new power

plants by 2013 to meet “business as usual” growth. But
that Demand Response and Energy Efficiency eliminate
the need for 5 new plants which, in turn, saves 9 million
tons of CO2 emissions or a $10 billion in net savings to
consumers.
ƒ http://www.epa.gov/cleanrgy/pdf/keystone/PrusnekPrese
ntation.pdf
Renewable Energy:
Alternative Power
90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

 Fuel Efficiency Studies:
Helios: From Sunlight to Energy
Main paths: electrical, cellulose, microbes
Cellulose Cellulose-degrading
Plants microbes
Engineered
photosynthetic microbes Methanol
and plants Ethanol
Hydrogen
Artificial
Hydrocarbons
Photosynthesis
PV Electricity Electrochemistry
 Energy Biosciences Institute

¾ BP funded
¾ $500M ($50M/year for 10
years)
¾ ~25 lead investigators
¾ Dedicated new UC building,
University of California, Berkeley ● located on UCB campus
(Helios Energy Research
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory ● BP ●
Facility)
University of Illinois, Urban-Champaign

Goal: Develop new sources of energy and reduce the environmental impact
of energy consumption
¾ Production of fuels from biomass
¾ Microbially enhanced oil recovery
¾ Carbon sequestration
¾ Economics and social issues around biofuels
Berkeley Resources

¾ Joint Genome Institute

¾ National Energy Research
Supercomputing Center
¾ Molecular Foundry
¾ National Center for
Electron Microscopy
¾ Cryo-EM Facility
¾ QB3 NMR Facility
Energy production via Waste or Crops
ƒ Ethanol from corn
ƒ 3% US auto fuel; CO2 impact - fossil fuels used in fermentation
ƒ Ethanol from cellulosic sources (switchgrass or poplar)
ƒ Lignin burned to heat plant sugars
ƒ CO2 absorbed during the growth of these plants for ethanol
ƒ Substitute cellulosic ethanol for gasoline can reduce GHGs 90%
ƒ Creation of new microbial fuels
 Microbial Fuel Synthesis
Building novel pathways for novel fuels Joint Genome
Institute
Intriguing Algae: its own
metabolic machinery uses
sunlight and CO2 to make oil
(C15/C18 diesel) but very
very slowly
Botryococcus braunii (Algae)
Berkeley Center for
Synthetic Biology
Approach: bioprospect for new pathways to
speed up the process
pAtoB AACoAT
PBAD

G6P pHMGS PBAD

HMGS

FDP pHMGR tHMGR

PBAD

DHAP G3P pHMGSR HMGS tHMGR

PBAD

PEP
Glycolysis

pBad33MevT AACoAT HMGS tHMGR

PBAD
PYR
Fatty acid O pMevT AACoAT HMGS tHMGR
PLAC
AcCoA OH

Fatty aldehyde O A-CoA AA-CoA HMG-CoA Mevalonate

OAA CIT H A-CoA CoA A-CoA CoA 2 NADPH CoA

TCA Alkane
MAL Cycle
Microbial Fuel Synthesis
Construction of platform hosts and genetic tools Joint Genome
Institute – Bio Fab Lab
Approach: a different algae (Chlamydomonas)
reproduces very fast but creates no oil. Ideally if
one part of the genome of one algae can be
combined with the genome of the other, then we
could make oil very quickly. The Berkeley research
is busy decoding the genome of these algae. They
estimate diesel at 65c per gallon. Gene expression Berkeley Center for
tools are the key enablers. Synthetic Biology

PoPS PoPS PoPS

NOT.1 NOT.2 NOT.3 ‘Can I have Device
three inverters?’ Composition

‘Here’s a set of PDP inverters,

1→N, that each send and
receive via a fungible signal
PoPS PoPS
NOT.1
PoPS Devices carrier, PoPS.’

‘I need a few DNA Parts

binding proteins.’
Composition

‘Here’s a set of DNA binding

proteins, 1→N, that each

Parts recognize a unique cognate

DNA site, choose any.’

Zif268, Paveltich & Pabo c. 1991

‘Get me this DNA.’

‘Here’s your DNA.’

TAATACGACTCACTATAGGGAGA DNA
Helios: From Sunlight to Alternative Power

Cellulose Cellulose-degrading
Plants microbes
Engineered
photosynthetic microbes Methanol
and plants Ethanol
Hydrogen
Artificial
Hydrocarbons
Photosynthesis
PV Electricity Electrochemistry
 Plastic Film Solar Cells
Absorption
Exciton
Diffusion
Length Indium Tin Oxide Exciton
Diffusion
20 nm P3HT
100 nm
Absorption
h+ Charge
Depth Transfer
e- S n
Polymer
Charge
Al Transport

CdSe Nanorods

Transport: Bi-continuous Network

Carrier multiplication/ harvesting scheme

Figure 2.4. Nanocrystal-nanowire assemblies (a) PbS

nanocrystals grown on the surface of PbSe nanowire.
(b) Decoration of PbSe nanowire with PbS nanocrystals.
(c) Decoration of a multiwall carbon nanotube with
CdSe nanocrystals

Enhanced multiple exciton generation

Enhanced density of states to harvest multiple excitons
Integrated systems for sunlight to fuel
Natural photosynthesis – proof of concept for solar to fuel
in single integrated system

Natural photosynthesis Artificial system: using ideas from

Efficient for sustaining life - natural photosynthetic systems
not efficient for making fuel

• mimic a plant’s adaptive mobility

to optimize photon absorption
• integrate photosynthetic organisms
such as cyanobacteria that can use
light to oxidize water
• develop nanoscale photoelectrochemical cells
The Helios Project
$160 M
Building
Nuclear Energy

90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

The New Nuclear Energy:
Improved Performance & Safety

PG&E Diablo Canyon Plant

ƒ New Nuclear Plants
ƒ 31 new license applications
announced for U.S. nuclear
power plant construction
ƒ 4 designs, including the
ESBWR and AP-1000 with
passive safety systems
GE Economic Simplified BWR
ƒ Existing Nuclear Plants
ƒ 20% U.S. electricity
ƒ 70% U.S. total non-fossil
energy production
ƒ Average capacity factors
now greater than 90%
 Yucca Mountain repository system
The current performance standard
requires that maximum doses be
below 2 percent of natural
background radiation exposure for
at least 10,000 years, and no
higher than natural background for
at least one million years

Repository site selected in US and Finland

50% of U.S. reactors with 20-year license renewals
31 U.S. sites applying for construction
3 new reactor designs with NRC for certification
2005 Energy Bill for construction and R&D
New nuclear power plant orders in EU and Asia
 The CITRIS Solution
90.000
MiniCAM
80.000

Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000
1. Conservation & 60.000
Energy Efficiency 50.000

ƒ Power-Aware Buildings 40.000

30.000
ƒ Fuel Efficiency 20.000 Emissions to the
ƒ Sustainable Transportation 10.000
atmosphere

2. Renewable Energy 2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

ƒ Alternative Fuels
ƒ Alternative Power

3. Nuclear Energy
4. Coal to Gas Substitution
5. Carbon Capture & Storage
 Many large scale interactions
need to be answered
¾ Which of these topics should receive the most funding?
Immediate impact versus the longer term high-risk options?
¾ How do new energy-production methods impact other
resources (water, land-use, culture..)
¾ Short term: Impact on the environment on mining the Athabasca
tar sands?
¾ Long term: Cultivation of land for bio-fuels (loss to other uses,
water amounts, impact of fertilizer run off)?
¾ What are the possible effects on developing (especially
poorer) nations and social equity worldwide?
 The cost of cutting carbon in different ways
Marginal cost abatement, examples € / t CO2
Measures below the line have a negative abatement cost,
Meaning they save money and cut emissions
Switch from coal to gas
Forestation for power generation
50
Water
Cellulosic ethanol +
heating
0
Nuclear
Wind Solar Carbon capture and storage
–
Sugar-cane
biofuel in retrofitted coal-fired
power stations
50
Fuel-efficient vehicles Carbon capture and storage
with enhanced oil recovery and
new coal-fired power stations 100
Lighting systems
Fuel-efficient commercial vehicles
150
Insulation improvements

200
.7 1.4 2.7 3.5 1.5
Sources: Vattefall Abatement potential, gigatonnes CO2 / year in 2030

E.g. Lighting accounts for 19% of the worlds electricity use

Standard incandescent bulb costs 1 euro but uses 15 euros of electricity per year
CF bulbs cost 5 euros but uses only 3 euros per year
The payback is thus less than one year
Near term vision…

€/ton

€/kWh
€/gal

Try this…
ppm/city
ton/town
kW/house
It’s hard to find a good planet.

This is the only one we have!

CITRIS: Human Well-being in all Nations
 CITRIS Strategy (& today’s talk) influenced by
World greenhouse-gas emissions by sector, %
Energy California
Biosciences Energy
Institute Electricity
Commission
Transport & heat
(BP) 13.5 24.5 Projects

Waste
3.6

Agriculture
13.5

Other
12.9

Deforestation Industry
18.2 13.8

Source: World Resources Institute

Coal to Gas Substitution
90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

Coal is hard to avoid
ƒ Abundant in countries
with large & growing
economies Æ
ƒ Dirt Cheap!
ƒ US fuel for electricity
ƒ 50% coal
ƒ 20% nuclear
ƒ 18% natural gas
ƒ 7% hydro

(EIA,2004)

$5.86
$4.59

$0.90
 Since Coal is so Abundant we must
Consider other Use-paths to avoid CO2

PRESENT Coal
USAGE
Pulverized Direct Coal
Coal Gasification Liquefaction
Combustion
IGCC Fischer-
Carbon Fuel
Tropsch
Cell
Synthesis
Gas &
Fuel Cell Steam
Turbine

Synthetic Liquid
Electricity H2
Chemicals Fuels
Carbon Capture & Storage

90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

Carbon Capture and Storage
Geologic Storage Ocean Storage

Mineralization
 Thermoelectrics: power generators that run on
waste heat, or solid-state home refrigerators that
are incredibly energy efficient.
Heatin

n p n p

Heatout

R
S 2σT
Power ZT =
Heatin
k

carnot efficienty
Tcold Fraction of 0.4
n p n p
Thot Today
Heatout 0.2
I
Bi 2 Te 3 Goal

V
0
Refrigerator 0 1 2 3 4 5
ZT

Goal: Obtain same figure of merit ZT with cheaper organic materials

Conservation & Energy Efficiency:
Fuel Efficiency

90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095

Fuel Efficiency for Autos/Trucks

ƒ Study of combustion and new engine designs in

Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
ƒ E.g. Homogeneous Charge Compression
Ignition, or HCCI
Renewable Energy:
Alternative Power
90.000
MiniCAM
80.000
Emissions (MtCO2 yr-1)

70.000

60.000

50.000
40.000

30.000
20.000 Emissions to the
atmosphere
10.000

2005 2020 2035 2050 2065 2080 2095