How Much, What Cost? Making "Going Green" Pay-Off

Companies whose product objectives include reducing costs orwaste, more reliable equipment management; improved physical asset control orgreater situational awareness should investigate the variety of capabilitieswireless sensor systems can provide. In addition to the potential savings inenergy, there are likely many additional cash benefits to be found. With 22% of the globe’s energy consumption, the USis the largest energy consumer and lowest energy producer of any developedeconomy in the world. The result? It is the most CO2 intensive nation in the worldwith a daily consumption of 6 gallons of oil per person per day or 19 tons ofcarbon dioxide per capita annually. This is 80% higher than Europeand 94% higher than Japan. The greatest sources of USenergy expenditure are: • Industrial Energy 35% (chemicals, steel, processing etc) • Road transportation is 25% • Residential energy consumption 21% • Commercial buildings 16% Over the next decade, those sectors of the economy driven byconsumer demand are the ones which will most rapidly increase greenhouse gases- buildings and houses. The good news is that there are multiple opportunities toimprove upon these areas. For example, the demand for energy could be reducedby 25 to 30% through a series of low cost, high return steps:  • Monitor & control of energy consumption specificallyheating and cooling in homes and buildings – Smart Grid  • Replacement of incandescent bulbs with compact florescentlighting  • Equipment replacement, choosing high-efficiency waterheaters and Energy StarTM appliances when it’s time for new These seeminglysmall steps save energy and reward investment with a rapid payback of less than2 years, although many are immediate and some actually pay for themselvesinstantaneously. In fact, according to the McKinsey Report “Reducing U.S.Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much What Cost” 40% of the total options forreducing greenhouse gases do not cost, rather releases money into the economy. As the recognition not only of the costs of global warming,but also the savings to be realized with replacement and upgrading, becomeapparent, opportunities abound! There are numerous initiatives and programssupporting environmentally friendly products and solutions which continue tounfold at a breakneck pace. These initiatives are for products designed to bemanufactured using greener processes and handled responsibly at the end oftheir life cycle as well as those specifically designed to aid industries andindividuals in reducing their carbon footprint. Products such as Western Digital’sGreenPower hard drives and Seimens hybrid drive system for buses reduce energyconsumption and CO2 emissions up to 40 percent. Both were developed under greeninitiatives and are taking their industries by storm. Green Engineering, what is it? Clean Energy Act, RoHS & WEEE WEEE As of August 13, 2005, producers have been required to finance the collection,treatment, recycling and recovery of all Waste Electrical & ElectronicEquipment RoHS As of July 1 2006 Electrical & Electronic Equipmentmay no longer be sold in the European Union if it contains any of six bannedsubstance Restriction of Hazardous Substances On March 1 2007 the first phaseof Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic InformationProducts came into effect. The Climate Control Bill introduced by RepresentativesEdward Markey (D-Mass.) & Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) in May of 2009 introducedthe most recent version of the American Clean Energy & Security Act andaims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by the year2020. It would distribute up to 85 percent of pollution permits in a proposedcap-and-trade program. The Carrot & Stick Cash & Energy Savings Using Wireless Sensor Networks Industries everywhere are finding ways to save not only onenergy and it's costs but through the use of wireless networks, in numerousother ways too. According to Oak Ridge National Laboratories, through theuse of wireless sensor networks, savings on energy for motors used inindustrial processes could improve efficiency by 20%, resulting in significantcost savings. Wayne Manges said: "With electric motor-driven systemsaccounting for nearly one-fourth of all electricity consumption in the United States, the potential for savings ishuge." The Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Programworks with US industry to improve environmental performance and energyefficiency. The ITP is distributing 15 million to support R&D specificallyto improve energy efficiency in industrial processes. Already a number of newwireless sensor products are being developed together with the Department ofEnergy. Cost savings with wireless systems are recognized inmultiple areas including materials and labor where the cost of running wire inplants ranges between $155 and $3,700 per foot. The typical payback for wiredsystems is 24 months and less than a quarter of that for a wireless equivalent,only six months. Add in the on-going energy savings and the return oninvestment decision is very clear. In a large number of industries, companies are recastingtheir product lines to implement wireless technologies. "We can't think ofany segment of the industry that isn't going to be impacted by this,"states Honeywell’s CTO Dan Shiflin. Wireless sensor networks of all varieties are exploding intoour world. There is a massive amount of research & development, fromacademia to start-ups, pushing to create proverbial “better-faster-cheaper”products. A growing number of products are based on an emerging specification“ZigBee”. A majority of utility companies that have settled on a standard haveidentified ZigBee as their preference due in main to its inherent securitycapabilities. Real-time data from wireless sensors networks will enablecompanies to achieve greater productivity and efficiency by continuallyimproving their processes. Named BP International's first Director of Technology &Sensory Networks, for the oil company's Technology Office, Ken Douglas said"You don't ask people 'How would you use ZigBee?' Because they don't know,but if you ask them: 'How would you use information that you can now access forthe first time?' They have to think about it for a bit, but then the ideas juststarting pouring out." In addition to the benefits of ZigBee’s security layers, themesh network is highly reliable, flexible and can connect a variety of sensorssimultaneously including protocols such as OPC, Modbus and HART. Companies whose product objectives include reducing costs orwaste, more reliable equipment management; improved physical asset control orgreater situational awareness should investigate the variety of capabilitieswireless sensor systems can provide. In addition to the potential savings inenergy, there are likely many additional cash benefits to be found. Engineering...great profession... "Engineering ... it is a great profession. There is thefascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid ofscience to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal orenergy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards ofliving and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer's highprivilege." Herbert Hoover, Civil Engineer, 1929. 31st President

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