Publications by authors named "Eric Masanet"
Electrification and clean hydrogen are promising low-carbon options for decarbonizing industrial process heat, which is an essential target for reducing sector-wide emissions. However, industrial processes with heat demand vary significantly across industries in terms of temperature requirements, capacities, and equipment, making it challenging to determine applications for low-carbon technologies that are technically and economically feasible. In this analysis, we develop a framework for evaluating life cycle emissions, water use, and cost impacts of electric and clean hydrogen process heat technologies and apply it in several case studies for plastics and petrochemical manufacturing industries in the United States.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlanet-compatible pathways for transitioning the chemical industry.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2023
Article Synopsis
- Chemical products like plastics and fertilizers are important for our daily lives but can harm the environment when made and used.
- The study suggests seven ways to make the chemical industry better for the planet by 2050, which could cost between $1.2 and $3.7 trillion.
- These improvements could cut the demand for chemicals by 23-33% and help reduce harmful emissions while still providing the chemical products we need.
Article Synopsis
- More people are using solar panels and batteries at home, but we don’t fully understand how much they cost or how much carbon they produce.
- In California, using solar power can save households between $180 and $730 a year and reduce carbon emissions by 110 to 570 kg in 2020.
- However, adding batteries can make the overall costs 39% to 67% higher, and by 2040, solar with storage may cost even more and create more emissions than just solar panels alone.
Article Synopsis
- Ethylene production in the U.S. is increasing because of a lot of shale gas, which is changing how much energy and greenhouse gases (GHGs) the chemical industry uses and emits.
- Researchers created a detailed model to study how energy use and GHGs vary between traditional natural gas and shale gas.
- The findings show that differences in energy use depend on how well equipment works, while GHG emissions vary mainly due to leaks in gas production, helping experts find ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride, two leading wide band gap semiconductors with significant potential in electric vehicle power electronics, are examined from a life cycle energy perspective and compared with incumbent silicon in U.S. light-duty electric vehicle fleet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProduct energy intensity (PEI) metrics allow industry and policymakers to quantify manufacturing energy requirements on a product-output basis. However, complexities can arise for benchmarking of thermally concentrated products, particularly in the food processing industry, due to differences in outlet composition, feed material composition, and processing technology. This study analyzes tomato paste as a typical, high-volume concentrated product using a thermodynamics-based model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper presents estimates for water consumption and steam generation within U.S. manufacturing industries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study looks at how using carbon capture and storage (CCS) with coal power plants in the US can affect energy and climate in the long run.
- If CCS is used aggressively, it could cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 37-58% by the year 2100, but it wouldn’t lower the overall warming effect as much (only 24-46%).
- Starting CCS too late could make climate problems worse over time, so it’s important to think about when we start using these technologies!