unit 2🐇 Flashcards
Define Renewable source.
Renewable resources is defined as a resource that can be replaced (or replenished) over time, or does not abate/ lessen in quality at all.
e.g. Woods like pine, wind, solar, or wave energy
Define Non-renewable source.
Non-renewable resources are extracted and used at rate greater than are replaced. Their rate of replenishment is not sustainable. Most non-renewable resources are carbon-based and need to be burnt to extract their energy.
e.g. oil, gas, nuclear, and coal (major contributors of greenhouse gases and air + water pollution).
Define Non-renewable source.
Non-renewable resources are extracted and used at rate greater than are replaced. Their rate of replenishment is not sustainable. Most non-renewable resources are carbon-based and need to be burnt to extract their energy.
e.g. oil, gas, nuclear, and coal (major contributors of greenhouse gases and air + water pollution).
Define reserves.
proven resources that can be economically and technically extracted.
Political and economic importance of reserves
-national borders
-balancing of political impact and economic benefit
-impact on local populations
-set-up costs
-supply
Define Recondition / Refurbish
The rebuilding of a product so that it becomes “good as new”.
Define Repair
Repair refers to fixing or renewing a worn out or broken component.
Re-engineer
the redesign of materials or components to improve the performance of a product.
What is LCA (Life-Cycle-Analysis)?
a tool that designers can use to measure the impact of their designs.
What is a Circular Economy (waste reduction)
The circular economy is an economic model where materials and resources in a system are in constant use. Waste is viewed as a resources and is brought back into the system to generate new products and services.
What are examples of innovation in a circular economy.
-the use of bioplastics that are made from renewable biomass
-Clothing subscription or rental services
Redesigning in a circular economy
-Within the circular economy, different business models need to be developed where users rent or lease a product or service, rather than purchasing it. For designers, this means rethinking and innovating to meet new contexts for manufacture, distribution, sales, and end of life.
-To design for the circular economy designers need to consider the systems the product moves in and how the materials will be recovered and reused. This may entail working with a group of organizations and companies to achieve the goal.
What are the two main categories of materials in a circular economy.
Biological and technical
Define biological materials.
materials that are renewable and come from nature (organic)
Define technical materials
materials that are manufactured and are finite in their quantities.
Describe a linear economy
-Take resources from nature, and generate waste in the process
-Make a produce a product using the materials, and generate waste in the process
-Dispose of the product and thus create waste
Energy Recovery/ Waste to energy (WtE)
Waste-to-energy (WtE) is a form of energy production that generates electricity through the treatment (usually combustion) of non-recyclable waste. These systems are typically quite large and complex and are usually implemented by municipalities or cities.
Types of energy WtE systems will produce:
-Electricity
-Gasification which produces a combustible gas such as hydrogen
Define WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive)
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) addresses the complex issue of recycling waste electronics by improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of these materials at their end of life.
Why is WEEE important/necessary?
-Electronic devices contain a mixture of materials and components that can be hazardous and cause environmental damage when disposed of improperly (e-waste)
-Poisoned workers, environmental damage, rising materials costs, and geopolitical tensions are some of the outcomes. In addition, many electronic devices contain scarce or vaulable resources (Gold, rare earth metals, etc.).
What is Raw Material Recovery?
This strategy involved the separating of raw components of a product in order to recover the parts and materials. By doing so, parts and materials can be sorted correctly and thus increase the quantity of materials available for recycling and reuse, and reduce waste.
What is Dematerialization?
dematerialization seeks to reduce the energy and materials used in the production, use, and end-of-life of a product, and thus reduce the impact on the environment.
What are examples of dematerialization?
-shifting from paper to digital communication (letter to emails)
-fossil fuels to solar power
-shrinking or miniaturizing a product so it uses less material
What is Light weighting/de-weighting?
the reduction of the quantity of materials to reduce overall weight which results in less material and energy use. Designers may make use of FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and Generative Design to identify materials, forms, or processes that can reduce weight but still meet the same performance goals.
What is Finite Element Analysis?
the use of calculations, models and simulations to predict and understand how an object might behave under various physical conditions.
What is Generative Design?
a technology in which 3D models are created and optimized by cloud computing and AI.
What is Embodied Energy?
Embodied Energy is the sum of all energy need to produce and maintain a product or service. Designers can use an analysis of embodied energy to understand how their design choice impact the amount of energy use in their design.
What are components of Embodied Energy?
-Materials: Energy used to extract and produce materials used in the product or building
-Transport: Energy used to transport the materials to the factory or the building site
-Assembly: Energy used to construct the building or create the product
-Recurring: Energy used to maintain parts of the building, or to use the product
-Recycling: Energy used to recycle the components or parts of the build at the end-of-life.
What are Strategies for reducing embodied energy?
-Use less material
-Make choices in design and process that minimize scrap material
-Select low-embodied-energy materials
-Select low-energy construction systems
-Use naturally available materials or organic renewables
-Use durable materials and components
-Use materials with more reusable and recyclable potential
Define the concept of ‘Distributing Energy: National and International Grid Systems’
The energy grid is the system for distributing energy. It includes energy generation (power stations), powerlines over which electricity travels, and connections to homes, businesses and factories. Electricity is often produced far from where it is being used. The modern grid allows for multiple producers (generators using nuclear, coal, wind, to produce energy) to feed electricity into a system where it can be efficiently distributed to consumers.
Why do designers need to know about the grid?
National and international grids are not designed for small-scale energy producers to feed electricity into–they are only efficient at a large scale. Small-scale produces, like a homeowner with a solar array cannot feed any excess energy they generate back into the grid.
Define a smart grid.
A Smart Grid uses information technology to provide a real-time picture of energy production and consumption. Smart Grid technologies allow for small scale and sustainable energy producers to provide power. Smart grids make use of sensors and software to manage electricity distribution and consumption. A home dishwasher, for example, could be set to operate in the evening when power costs are lower, thus saving money.
Define Local combined heat and power (CHP)
Local combined heat and power is a technology that uses a single fuel source to produce both heat and electricity. This type of system means a consumer does not have to purchase energy from a local utility in addition to burning a fuel on-site to generate heat.
Advantages of CHP.
CHP systems have the advantages of reduced costs because heating and energy production are combined into one system and reduced emissions because of the combined system.
In some contexts, the excess heat generated by a factor is distributed back to the local community to heat homes in the winter.
Explain Systems for individual energy generation.
These are systems for the small-scale production of energy. These types of systems are typically used for single households with the goal of a zero- or low-carbon footprint. They are also implemented in situations where it is expensive or impossible to connect to the power-grid.
What is the role of Systems for individual energy generation in smart grids?
individual energy generation has started to play an increasing role in smart grids. Homeowners install solar panels or wind turbines on their property and sell any excess energy back into the grid. In this way, it is possible to recoup the cost of the system through the sale of excess energy.
Benefits of systems for individual energy generation.
-supplement to grid-power system
-lower environmental impact
-Typically use renewable energy such as solar or wind
-can be scaled to meet the needs of a single user
-possible to live “off-grid” (no connection to power distribution infrastructure)
Considerations of systems for individual energy generation.
-high initial cost
-may require owner to carry out maintenance
Explain Quantification and mitigation of carbon emissions.
Almost every process involved in the life cycle of a produce generates CO2. As climate change has increased, focus has shifted towards minimizing carbon emissions. Central to this is accounting for the sources of carbon–quantification. This is often referred to a product’s carbon footprint.
Designers have a moral and environmental responsibility to design in a manner which mitigates or eliminates the environmental impact of our design. Quantifying the carbon footprint of our designs is an important step towards
What is Carbon offsetting?
the practice of compensating for the carbon that is produced. Examples could include planting trees to compensate for the carbon produced in the manufacture of a product.
Disadvantages of batteries:
Batteries contain heavy metals, which when disposed of improperly can cause pollution, soil, air, and water contamination, as well as health problems.
Batteries convert ______ energy into ______ energy.
chemical, electrical
Considerations of batteries
-Power demands for the design
-Physical size of the battery
-standard battery sizes
-rechargability
-environmental impact of disposal of the battery
Define incremental solutions
Solutions that are gradual, in steps, slow, minimal, etc.
Define radical solutions
Solutions that are quick and extreme (not in stages).
Advantages of incremental solutions:
Able to exploit existing technologies; no need to develop new solutions
Minimal changes to manufacturing processes and technologies.
Respond to some aspects of legislation quickly and efficiently
Low risk
Improvement to competitiveness
Disadvantages of incremental solutions:
Small changes need to be made frequently in order to comply with new or evolving regulations.
Low potential for market growth as the marketplace is crowded with competitors offering similar solutions.
Advantages of radical solutions:
Opportunity to innovate with associated benefits (patents, first to market, fewer competitors)
High potential for market growth
Innovative approaches can develop new technologies
Disadvantages of radical solutions:
Research and development (R&D) can be costly and lengthy
High level of risk
Define Clean Technology
Clean technology is a broad term that describes products and processes that reduce waste and use as little non-renewable materials and energy as possible. This can encompass a range of technologies and strategies, all with the goal of minimizing environmental impact.
Examples of strategies for clean technology:
-cradle-to-cradle
-circular economy
-life cycle analysis (LCA)
-light weighting
-use of recycled materials
Drivers for cleaning up manufacturing:
promoting positive impacts of the company’s products or services.
ensuring neutral impact or minimizing negative impacts through conserving natural resources:
reducing pollution and use of energy
reducing wastage of energy and resources: installing solar panels to power manufacturing
Explain the social influence on clean technology.
Consumer groups, public pressure, and public perception could influence a company to implement clean technologies.
Explain the economic influence on clean technology.
A company may identify financial benefits for using clean technologies such as lower material and energy costs. Government incentives and subsidies could make the switch more attractive. Conversely, taxes surcharges, and penalties might make not switching costly.
Explain the political influence on clean technology.
Legislation or laws may require a company to make changes. If they don’t make the switch they are breaking they law or unable to trade or sell their product.
What are End-of-pipe technologies?
End-of-pipe (EOP) technologies are focused on reducing or eliminating pollutants at the last step of the manufacturing phase. EOP technologies do not eliminate the production of a harmful substance; rather, the goal is to prevent or minimize the release of the substance into the natural environment.
Limitations of EOP on designers:
While EOP technologies do minimize environmental impact, from a sustainability point of view they may not be the best choice. Designers and manufacturers should focus on a more wholistic approach to design which eliminates the need for the production of hazardous or harmful substances in the first place. In this regard, cradle-to-cradle approaches to design are more sustainable.
For socially and environmentally conscious designers, EOP technologies are a last choice as the focus should be on engineering or designing out processes, materials, and waste that are harmful, benefits can be reached
What are System level solutions?
System level solutions refer to solutions that address the whole system, not just the components. These solutions are regulator in manner (taxes, tax benefits, legislation, etc.) that aim to reduce consumption of raw materials, decrease pollution and waste throughout the manufacturing process, and increase the use of sustainable energy, materials and practices. System level solutions, like cradle-to-cradle design and circular economy solutions, are complex and require participation from a range of stakeholders, some of who may have opposing interests.
Define Green Design
Focus is on the re-engineering of a design to reduce it’s environmental impact and increase its sustainability. Green design focuses on making changes that are typically incremental in nature: switching to a recyclable material, reducing energy in manufacturing or use, increasing durability of the product. Green Design typically focuses on one or two environmental objectives, such as switching to sustainable materials or reducing energy usage.
Characteristics of green design
Short timescale
Incremental changes (small changes over time)
Low risk
Define Eco- Design
It is a more complex approach to sustainability. Cradle-to-Cradle design (C2C), Circular Economies, etc. are examples of eco-design. For designers, eco-design is more than just using green materials–it considers the entire lifecycle of the product and its impacts.
Characteristics of eco design
Long timescale
Great complexity
High risk
What is the difference between eco design and green design?
The terms Green Design and Eco-Design have different characteristics, particularly with regard to the timescale and complexity. Timescale refers to the length of time it takes to implement a design change. Long and short timescales are relative and typically determined by the complexity of the technological change being implemented. Incremental solutions, because of their simpler and smaller nature, are implemented on relatively short timescales. Radical solutions, because of their complexity are typically implemented on longer timescales.
What is the Prevention Principle?
The avoidance or minimization of waste production
What is the Precautionary Principle?
The anticipation of potential problems.
What are the objectives of green design (materials)?
increasing the efficient use of material by reducing quantity required
selecting non-toxic material and environmentally friendly materials
minimizing the number of different materials used in a product
labelling materials so they can be easily identified for recycling and disposal
What are the objectives of green design (Energy)?
reducing the amount of energy required to manufacture or use a product
switching to sustainable or renewable energy sources
What are the objectives of green design (Pollution and waste)?
Reducing the negative impacts of manufacturing (see Clean Technology)
considering the end-of-life of the product and designing to maximize sustainability goals
improving the durability of the product to ensure that it meets the objectives for the planned life of the product
Incremental strategies for green design:
Material: switching to a non-toxic or more sustainable, recyclable, environmentally friendly material for the product
Manufacturing Process: Switching to more sustainable processes that use less energy and generate less waste
Energy: Increasing the energy efficiency of the product; switching to more sustainable, renewable energy sources for manufacturing needs
Engineering: Designing a product to be disassembled easily (design for disassembly); Use of standardized parts across the product line to reduce the need for many different parts to be manufactured.
Incremental strategies for green design:
Completely changing the manufacturing process
The result is a completely new product or service that meets the needs of the user in a unique way.
Refer to “Drivers for Innovation” to understand why a company may make a calculated risk.
What are the common uses of LiPo (Lithium Polymer)?
Rechargeable power source in portable electronic devices
What are the advantages of LiPo (Lithium Polymer)?
-Low-maintenance, doesn’t require to be discharged
-High energy density
-Ideal for slim form factors
-flexible form factor
-Higher level of safety compared to Lithium Ion batteries
What are the characteristics of LiPo (Lithium Polymer)? – Cost, energy density, environmental impact, materials.
Relative Cost: High
Energy Density: 100-130 Wh/kg
Environmental Impact: Low
Materials: Manganese Dioxide, Lithium, Copper
What are the common uses of Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) batteries?
Rechargeable power source in portable electronic devices such as laptops and small digital cameras
What are advantages of Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) batteries?
-Lightweight
-Low-maintenance, doesn’t require to be discharged
-High energy density
-Ideal for slim form factors
What are the characteristics of Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) batteries? – Cost, energy density, environmental impact, materials.
Relative Cost: High
Energy Density: 100-130 Wh/kg
Environmental Impact: Low
Materials: Manganese Dioxide, Lithium, Copper
Subject to transportation regulations
Requires a protection circuit
What are the common uses of Lead Acid Batteries?
Provide high current for cars and machinery.
What are advantages of Lead Acid Batteries?
-Low-maintenance
-Capable of high discharge rates
-Inexpensive to manufacture
What are the characteristics of Lead Acid batteries? – Cost, energy density, environmental impact, materials.
Relative Cost: Low
Energy Density: 30-50 Wh/kg
Environmental Impact: High
Materials: Lead Sulphate; Lead
What are the common uses of NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries?
Rechargeable power source for portable devices like power tools, radios and medical equipment
What are advantages of NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries?
-High number of charge/discharge cycles
-Simple and safe transportation
- Fast charging and long shelf life
What are the characteristics of NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries? – Cost, energy density, environmental impact, materials.
Relative Cost: Low
Energy Density: 45-80 Wh/kg
Environmental Impact: High
Materials: Nickel Oxide-Hydroxide, Cadmium, Potassium Hydroxide
What are the common uses of NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride)?
Electric vehicles and digital cameras
What are the advantages of NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride)?
No transportation regulations; Higher capacity compared to NiCad; Higher voltage
What are the characteristics of NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride)? – Cost, energy density, environmental impact, materials.
Relative Cost: Medium
Energy Density: 60-120 Wh/kg
Environmental Impact: Low
Materials: Nickel Oxide-Hydroxide, Rare earth metals, Cobalt
What is Energy Density?
The amount of energy stored within a given weight or volume. The measurements in our table above show energy density in terms of Wh/Kg – Watthours per kilogram. One watt-hour per kilogram is equal to 3600 joules per kilogram.
What does the LCA assess?
extraction of raw materials
processing of materials
manufacture of the product
distribution of the product
use of the product by the user
repair and maintenance of the product during its usable life
recycling and disposal of the product at the end of its usable life
Designers use LCA to gain insight into the environmental impact of their design. Through conducting an LCA, designers can:
identify the relevant energy inputs (embodied energy) that go into the making, use, and disposal of the product
identify relevant material inputs that go into the manufacture and use of the product (raw materials, consumable materials used in the use of the product – coffee filters used in a coffee machine, for example)
identify release of chemicals and harmful substances released into the environment (CO2 emissions, Greenhouse gases, etc.)
evaluate the impact of their design on the environment
What is Cradle to Cradle design?
Cradle to cradle is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of nature in which waste is reused.
