Corporate Climate Change Series. What gets measured gets managed – taking the initiative on climate adaptation, P6
- Shidonna Raven
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
January 13, 2024
Source: World Economic Forum
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
To protect this solar cell, it is then sandwiched between protective layers of glass and resin, where heat is applied to cure the resin, and the glass itself was produced with sand and other materials melted together in a furnace reaching over 1,700°C.
The electrical components of the panel were soldered at over 400°C and bonded, and if there are ceramic insulators, those were made through firing and sintering at over 1,000°C. The plastic and cardboard packing used in the shipping of the final solar product were also made with heat at around 200°C; with plastics are often extruded, moulded and even thermoset with heat, and paper pulp decomposed and dried with heat.
It's not just solar. The cement in our wind turbines has been through pyroprocessing in a 1,400-1,500°C kiln. The copper in the wires of your electric vehicle were likely heated in the steps of annealing, forming and tempering, let alone all the metals and plastics composing the car body.
Here’s the issue: these temperatures are high. Indeed, 70% of all industrial heat is above 100°C and almost half of industrial heat is above 400°C.
Unfortunately, the laws of thermodynamics prohibit electric heat pumps from efficiently producing high-temperature heat. Because the price of fossil fuels is often three to five times cheaper than delivered electricity at the end of the grid, businesses cannot economically switch over.
Although renewable power is becoming cheaper to produce, the gap for the end customer is unlikely to close, as the grid itself is a significant component of cost. In the US, transmission and distribution costs are already 44% of the total cost of delivered electricity. For commercial and industrial heat, there is usually no efficiency and economic savings for going all electric.
So the vast majority of this heat is generated through the burning of fossil fuels today. What can we do to reach net zero?
Does your company have a climate change plan? Is it complaint with current climate laws? Why? Why not?
Share the wealth of health with your friends and family by sharing this article with 3 people today.
If this article was helpful to you, donate to the Shidonna Raven Garden and Cook E-Magazine Today. Thank you in advance.
Comments