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Substantial cuts in CO2 emissions can be achieved with existing technologies.

 
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11 May 2007

Power generation, transmission and consumption are the key areas in which the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide can be significantly reduced and climate change effectively combated. The technologies required to achieve substantial cuts in CO2 emissions are already available. As the Spring 2007 issue of the research magazine Pictures of the Future reports, Siemens has an exceptionally wide-ranging portfolio in the field of CO2 reduction, offering technologies for eco-friendly power generation and transmission as well as energy-saving lamps, kitchen appliances and building systems. More than 50 percent of all Siemens R&D outlays flow into environmental and climate protection.

The European Union has set itself the goal of cutting CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020. In the wake of the latest reports from the United Nations' Climate Panel, similar measures are under discussion in many countries. It is currently estimated that effective steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would cost 0.1-1 percent of global GDP each year. In contrast, taking no action and allowing the average global temperature to rise unchecked would cause long-term damage to the world economy and could result in costs as high as 20 percent of global GDP.

Substantial cuts in CO2 emissions can be achieved with existing technologies.

The latest issue of Siemens' research magazine, Pictures of the Future, features nearly 30 pages on "Technology for the Environment." This section gives a comprehensive overview of various technologies that can help cut CO2 emissions. Solutions include CO2-free coal-fired power plants, for example, or innovative fuel-cell power plants that – in combination with a gas turbine – are expected to achieve 70- percent efficiency (and emit nearly 30 percent less CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity than today's average combined-cycle plant). Particularly striking are the many possibilities for reducing emissions with technologies that are already available today. If the combined potential for conserving energy in the areas of power generation and distribution, private and industrial consumption, and transportation was leveraged, CO2 emissions could be slashed by up to 50 percent. Pictures of the Future reports on a study of a hypothetical city that exploits all currently available technologies for efficient, environmentally friendly power generation, distribution and consumption.

Some 6,300 Siemens wind turbines in operation worldwide cut CO2 emissions by roughly 10 million tons per year. Siemens is also involved in biomass, geothermal and solarthermic facilities. In addition, about one-third of the world's hydroelectricity is generated using technology from the Voith Siemens Hydro joint venture.

In the field of power transmission, high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) technology is highly efficient. Siemens is currently building a HVDC line in India which has substantially fewer transmission losses than a conventional alternating current transmission line and will cut CO2 emissions by some 690,000 tons per year.

Building insulation is the most important means of reducing everyday energy consumption. In the average private household, heating accounts for 80 percent of energy consumed. As a provider of performance contracting, Siemens has already helped slash energy consumption by 20-40 percent in numerous public buildings – such as government agencies, swimming complexes and schools – by optimizing climate control and making other, often minor investments. Siemens has concluded about 1,900 performance contracts in 6,500 buildings worldwide since 1995. Guaranteed energy-cost savings amount to at least €1 billion, with CO2 emissions cut by 2.4 million tons.

Electric motors are one of the most underestimated ways of conserving energy in industry. Some 20 million industrial motors are in use worldwide, for instance in drives, pumps and compressors, and they account for 65-70 percent of industrial power consumption., By using energy-saving motors and frequency converters and by optimizing entire systems, the amount of power consumed can be throttled by 10-15 percent, depending on the application.

Energy consumption can also be drastically reduced by using energy-saving lamps and light-emitting diodes, which consume 80 percent less electricity and boast life cycles that are 15 to 50 times as long as those of conventional light bulbs. Every energy-saving lamp that replaces a conventional bulb reduces CO2 emissions by half a ton during its life cycle. If such lamps were used worldwide, CO2 emissions could be reduced by some 450 million tons per year.

Siemens also provides transportation solutions with tremendous potential for slashing CO2 emissions, such as piezo injection systems for gasoline engines, which can cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent. The metro system that Siemens built in the Norwegian capital of Oslo requires 30 percent less power than previous systems because braking energy is fed back into the power system and the cars are made of lightweight materials.

Intelligent traffic and parking control systems also help reduce CO2 emissions by minimizing traffic jams and congestion resulting from drivers looking for free parking spaces (which often accounts for 40 percent of city traffic).



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