Feds Going Green

[CodeWarrior]

If you participate in construction or renovation of federal buildings, this article should interest you as Biden is taking another step in regulating energy use and building emissions:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-green-buildings_n_6390fd3ce4b0f3db9b55348d

 

[JMarsh]

Chinese Coal-based Power Plants

www.wilsoncenter.org

China is building more than half of the world's new coal power plants

China accounted for 52 per cent of the 176 gigawatts of coal capacity under construction in 20 countries last year, according to the Global Energy Monitor

www.newscientist.com

China starts building 33 GW of coal power in 2021, most since 2016 -research

China started building 33 gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation capacity last year, the most since 2016, research published on Thursday showed, a sign the country is falling back on fossil fuels as economic worries mount.

www.reuters.com

Plans for new coal plants in China rebound, with 8.63 GW approved in the first quarter of 2022 - Greenpeace East Asia

Provincial governments across China approved plans to add a total 8.63 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power plants in the first quarter of 2022 alone, already 46.55% the capacity approved throughout 2021, new research from Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing office shows.

www.greenpeace.org

Number of coal power plants by country 2022 | Statista

China has around five times as many coal power plants as any other country in the world. India and the U.S. each had more than 200 plants in 2022.

www.statista.com

China Is Planning 43 New Coal-Fired Power Plants. Can It Still Keep Its Promises to Cut Emissions?

China built three times more new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined in 2020.

time.com

Analysis: Will China build hundreds of new coal plants in the 2020s?

Powerful stakeholders in China are lobbying for targets that would allow hundreds of new coal-fired power stations to be built into its next five-year-plan.

www.carbonbrief.org

China Ramps Up Coal Power Again, Despite Pressure to Cut Emissions - Inside Climate News

ICN occasionally publishes Financial Times articles to bring you more business and international climate reporting. China is set to add new coal-fired power plants equivalent to the European Union’s entire capacity in a bid to ***** its slowing economy, despite global pressure on the world’s...

insideclimatenews.org

Why is China building coal power again?

Experts call on the government to return to cutting capacity after policy U-turn

dialogochino.net

Despite Pledges to Cut Emissions, China Goes on a Coal Spree

China is building large numbers of coal-fired power plants to drive its post-pandemic economy. The government has promised a CO2 emissions peak by 2030, but the new coal binge jeopardizes both China’s decarbonization plans and global efforts to tackle climate change.

e360.yale.edu

Commentary: China is building 184 coal plants - Guess what that will do to carbon emissions? - Canadian Energy Centre

Canada's abundant supply of natural gas has potential to reduce Asia's reliance on coal

www.canadianenergycentre.ca

China’s plan to build more coal-fired plants deals blow to UK’s Cop26 ambitions

Renewed commitment to coal could scupper Britain’s aim to secure global phase-out pact at climate summit

www.theguardian.com

 

[ICE]

In Challenge To Industry, White House Looks To Set 'A New Gold Standard' For Green Buildings

The private consortium that writes the nation’s codes sided with industry over Biden. A new push to clean up federal buildings may put pressure on builders.

www.huffpost.com

Yet the federal government plays little role in setting the national building codes that determine whether new construction uses fossil fuels.
Where did the federal govt. find the authority to ram this stuff down our throats?

But the White House is now aiming to set what U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called “a new gold standard for new construction all across America,”
A few beurcrats dictate what is best for the entire country.

By 2030, 30% of all federal buildings by square footage will need to bring their emissions from cooking and heating equipment down to zero.
It is so obvious that these Greenies haven't a clue. Zero no less??? The technology doesn't exist and never will.

California said it would be the first to join.
Never miss a chance to shoot oneself in the foot.

“So it’ll make the air cleaner, especially for those living near new construction, and it will save taxpayers money to the tune of $8 million per year in building costs.”
The biggest lie of all. They say that we will reach zero emissions and save money. And look at the amount of the savings.....$8 million out of trillions.

Electric heating, appliances and vehicles are widely considered the best options to replace fossil fuels in residential buildings and passenger transportation in the near future,
Widely considered among the members of a think tank.

since supplies of low-carbon fuels that function like natural gas or gasoline are expected ― even in the industry’s own rosy forecasts ― to remain scarce for the next few decades.
The United States has the largest reseves on the planet and could be energy independant for hundreds of years.

Yet gas companies, fuel sellers and construction trade lobbies balk at rules requiring new buildings to go electric.
And why not? It's a stupid plan and there's plenty of other groups that oppose this.

The green movement is a transfer of wealth from the USA to China. China is where everything is made and everything will become exponentially more expensive. There will come a day when China can flip a switch and we will be a stone age society.

 

[e hilton]

Now all the coal trains from WV will gontonthe west coast to ship coal to china. And we will be left with shortages.

 

[bill1952]

Where did the federal govt. find the authority

It's for federal buildings. And between feds or NAHB/AGA, it's hard to know who is more dangerous.

 

[wwhitney]

Atmospheric carbon dioxide is harmful to all of us due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. That's something we are already seeing and which will only continue to accelerate under a "business as usual" strategy. We currently have a market failure because the cost of carbon pollution has not been internalized to the energy markets. That needs to happen either via a tax on carbon pollution, subsidies for non-polluting technologies, or quotas and regulations. Or a combination of all three.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Msradell]

Electric heating, appliances and vehicles are widely considered the best options to replace fossil fuels in residential buildings and passenger transportation in the near future,
Widely considered among the members of a think tank.

Of course the electricity have to come from somewhere and right now by far the largest majority of it comes from fossil fuels! Unless environmentalists start believing nuclear power we are going to be up the proverbial creek without a paddle!

 

[steveray]

In Challenge To Industry, White House Looks To Set 'A New Gold Standard' For Green Buildings

The private consortium that writes the nation’s codes sided with industry over Biden. A new push to clean up federal buildings may put pressure on builders.

www.huffpost.com

Yet the federal government plays little role in setting the national building codes that determine whether new construction uses fossil fuels.
Where did the federal govt. find the authority to ram this stuff down our throats?


The green movement is a transfer of wealth from the USA to China. China is where everything is made and everything will become exponentially more expensive. There will come a day when China can flip a switch and we will be a stone age society.

Same way ICC took the IECC away from membership and made it a committee....They just have to get it passed once and it will never come back out....Like RFS...And then all of the fed money will be tied to it, so adoption will be "mandatory"....

 

[bill1952]

While I strongly support the need to electrify and stop burning fossil fuels, I am slightly cynical of the administrations motives, because of the benefits to labor from the this regulation.

 

[steveray]

Benefits to labor?

 

[ICE]

Benefits to labor?

Chinese labor....and the children of Congo.

 

[bill1952]

Benefits to labor?

Renovating and installing new electrical work and other upgrades in existing federal buildings. I am in favor of the effort but don't think for a moment a president doesn't consider the politics and this is one who relies on labor - like trades unions - for votes.

This is construction, not EVs.

 

[wwhitney]

Chinese labor....and the children of Congo.

OK, so energy policy needs to be coordinated with labor standards, trade policy, and domestic industrial policy. That's doable. The issues you raise are not specific to low carbon technologies.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[ICE]

This is construction, not EVs.

This is solar and while it will probably be prevailing wage there's 90% of the cost tied up in Chinese material.

 

[steveray]

You want a Green Code, they have one....This one is Energy Conservation, it doesn't care what the source is.....

Oh wait.....You can still heat the outside.....Lets not stop that....

C403.13 Mechanical systems located outside of the building
thermal envelope. Mechanical systems providing heat
outside of the thermal envelope of a building shall comply
with Sections C403.13.1 through C403.13.3.
C403.13.1 Heating outside a building. Systems installed
to provide heat outside a building shall be radiant
systems.
Such heating systems shall be controlled by an occupancy
sensing device or a timer switch, so that the system
is automatically de-energized when occupants are not
present.

 

[ICE]

The issues you raise are not specific to low carbon technologies.

That rings hollow. Just because Nike and Apple are guilty, that doesn't wash away renewable energy's sins.

 

[steveray]

It's all going to be fusion soon anyway....

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough: The Future Of Clean, Limitless Energy

Battery technology could advance, allowing for mass adoption of clean energy production and storage for homes, vehicles and more.

www.forbes.com

 

[bill1952]

This is solar and while it will probably be prevailing wage there's 90% of the cost tied up in Chinese material.

It's LED lighting, heat pumps, other electrical appliances, ev chargers, as well as some pv - installed by electricians. Hard to imagine there are not requirements/incentives for US products like much federal legislation, the ev rebates for domestic production and union shops.

 

[wwhitney]

That rings hollow. Just because Nike and Apple are guilty, that doesn't wash away renewable energy's sins.

Sure, but it doesn't meet renewable energy inherently has those problems. If we want to fix them we can, with more effort/money.

If you want to do a fair comparison, then you also need to look at things like the steel supply and how much steel is used for fossil fuel power plants, etc.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[ICE]

It's LED lighting, heat pumps, other electrical appliances, ev chargers, as well as some pv - installed by electricians. Hard to imagine there are not requirements/incentives for US products like much federal legislation, the ev rebates for domestic production and union shops.

There Ya Go Replace it all even though it is working just fine. Since it is for the federal government there will be a book of requirements for the recycling .....by union workers. That alone breaks the bank. If the lights are a bother they should shut them off.

Where do you think the Led lighting, heat pumps, electrical appliances and EV chargers come from? The carbon footprint in the manufacturing of that stuff is never factored in. The container ship burning bunker oil is not part of the equation. The trucks from the port??? When all is said and done the net gain hardly seems worth the disrution.....well there is the transfer of our wealth to China and the third world.

 

[steveray]

Now it is LED's with dimmers and 2024 will be automatic shutoff so no more reading in bed.....

N1104.2 (R404.2) Interior lighting controls. Permanently installed lighting fixtures shall be controlled with a dimmer, an occupant sensor control or another control that is installed or built into the fixture.

 

[wwhitney]

There Ya Go Replace it all even though it is working just fine.

Having read the article, it is talking about (a) standards for new federal buildings and (b) a standard for 30% of the federal building stock to bring "their emissions from cooking and heating equipment down to zero." That latter standard could presumably be met largely by the new buildings and by remodels/renovations that were going to be done anyway. So I don't see why you jump to throwing away existing equipment that isn't near end of life.

Where do you think the Led lighting, heat pumps, electrical appliances and EV chargers come from? The carbon footprint in the manufacturing of that stuff is never factored in. The container ship burning bunker oil is not part of the equation. The trucks from the port???

I don't know what data went into developing the guidelines referred to in the article, but there are certainly plenty of "cradle to grave" analyses of "green" technologies vs incumbent technologies. Often the "green" option wins at every point of the lifecycle; sometimes the "green" option is behind at the start of use, but then pulls ahead fairly quickly during the operational period due to reducing operating emissions.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[steveray]

"their emissions from cooking and heating equipment down to zero."

And then a larger electrical service and a gas fired generator for when the power goes out because of the poorly managed grid.....Oh wait, they want to outlaw those as well....

 

[bill1952]

I guess as long as one doesn't believe in climate change and the human actions causing it, all this seems meaningless. Or if you do believe but changes will cost you profit, like it will for the AGA and NAHB, you'll also be against reducing greenhouse gasses.