Written on: May 6, 2024 by NORA
NORA
Dr. Butcher, do you want to give a short introduction to Dr. Frank and provide a brief update about what you have going on at the lab these days.
Dr. Butcher
Thank you, I’d be happy to. NORA is very focused on understanding how this industry can become part of a renewable future. Dr. Frank comes to us with a very strong background in environmental science and understanding the “lay of the land” as it pertains to environmental questions, metrics and how to measure and quantify greenhouse gas and greenhouse gas equivalent emissions. Those are extremely important as we seek to take the right steps in order to transition the industry over the coming decades.
Dr. Frank
As Tom said, at NORA, we understand how different types of renewable and biobased fuels play a role in decarbonization from a State perspective, as well as look at it from a National perspective. We are exploring these different pathways and understand how NORA can contribute to the literature, to the understanding of the benefits, and to the advantages that these different fuels have to offer when it comes to sustainability.
NORA
Dr. Frank, if you would, please talk a little bit about your experience.
Dr. Frank
I graduated from State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY ESF) in 2022. My dissertation focused on understanding and quantifying different types of renewable energy-based technologies and fuels using a methodology called techno-economic analysis. Essentially, we’re understanding the technical impacts of different types of fuel systems and different types of renewable energy technologies.
We are also understanding the economic impacts—whether these systems, these fuels, are financially viable, over time, in terms of commercialization and in terms of research and development initiatives. In addition to working at NORA, I am working as an assistant professor of Renewable Energy at SUNY Morrisville. I’m fascinated by what NORA is doing with biomass-based fuels, and I’m intrigued by the techno-economic analysis.
NORA
Let’s talk a little bit about decarbonization, the social cost of carbon, and why it is important. How does that all work together in finding solutions with biomass-based fuels?
Dr. Frank
The social cost of carbon is a financial metric that was developed by researchers, economists and policymakers to understand how we can put a dollar value on a ton of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere, or that is abated by using different types of energy alternatives. This plays into different types of cost benefit analyses that we do in academia. It’s not just a hypothetical metric, it’s a metric that’s been employed and utilized by the Federal government by more than 10 different State governments.
This metric allows us to understand different types of emissions from a financial perspective instead of just understanding the environmental impact. This is a metric that we’ve been using in our research at NORA, as well as in my published academic research.
NORA
Are you actually quantifying the GHGs and then helping demonstrate how to get us to the next level of reductions?
Dr. Frank
Yes, we physically quantify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are being released depending on the deployment of different types of technologies and fuels. Then, based on the quantity, we calculate the social cost of carbon that’s either being employed as a financial benefit or a financial cost, depending on the type of study that we’re doing.
NORA
Dr. Butcher, Dr. Frank, I’d like to ask a very basic question. Dr. Butcher, you’ve been in your career quite a while. Dr. Frank, you’re still relatively early on in your field. Both of you are very esteemed in your academic achievements—why are you both interested in energy?
Dr. Butcher
I love the science of it. I love the engineering of it. I love the design work. I just think it’s a fascinating field. To me it’s so important and impactful for the United States and for the world. I just really enjoy being in an area that matters so much.
Dr. Frank
I agree with everything Dr. Butcher said; I always tell my students, think about everything we do from cooking, to plugging in our phones, to just living our lives—everything relies on and is centered around our energy consumption, our energy production. It touches every aspect of our lives. If we’re able to make a difference in the type of energy we’re consuming, I feel like we’re able to actually make a real change in our environment and in society as a whole.
NORA
There’s a transition going on right now in our country, and in the world, away from over-dependence on fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. How does liquid heating fuel fit into that, and how does it measure up with the research that you are conducting as you study energy?
Dr. Butcher
In the area of liquid fuels, we have a great opportunity to transition to low-greenhouse gas, low-carbon, renewable fuels. This is an opportunity that not everybody has. The fuels that we’re looking at are largely plant-based, and the renewable scores have been vetted and evaluated by lots of folks, and so there are very good numbers out there. These fuels are already produced in significant quantities, enough to make a big difference in our market. It’s a great chance for us to achieve low greenhouse gas emissions with a practical solution that isn’t going to lead to big capital costs or other costs for homeowners and energy users. We’re lucky to have this great opportunity.
I’m very impressed with how much progress the industry has made already. We need to have standards that define these fuels so that manufacturers know how to develop new products—because they know the fuel won’t change, it’s well defined. We need test standards and those have been developed. We have products that are now certified by the manufacturer and standard bodies like UL for biodiesel up to B100. Additionally, other fuels are becoming more and more important on the market. So, the industry is moving. There are many early adopters moving out with high-level demonstrations. We have the chance to do this and we’re taking that chance, and I think that’s great.
NORA
Dr. Frank, what kind of research projects are you all working on as you help demonstrate that transition?
Dr. Frank
We recently engaged in a net-zero carbon home case study that will be submitted for publication shortly in peer reviewed literature. We focused on the residential sector to understand how we can achieve a net-zero carbon concept through the incorporation of a solar photovoltaic system for electricity generation, and also by consuming a 100% biomass-based heating fuel. Some of the other research that we’re focusing on is understanding different types of rebate programs and how they will help to increase consumer efficiency and safety by encouraging the replacement of different types of existing heating equipment. We have updates on what it accomplished in fuel savings and carbon emissions reduction.
NORA
What have you seen in the course of that rebate program in terms of savings on the whole?
Dr. Frank
We’ve estimated that, through the rebate program, we’ve yielded an energy savings of approximately 20%. In total, between the years 2022 and 2023, we had 2,000 boiler upgrades yielding an annual savings of upwards of 330,000 gallons of liquid heating fuel. If we assumed an equipment life of around 20 years, this would result in a total savings of more than seven million gallons of liquid heating fuels; that’s enormous.
NORA
That is a huge impact. I would imagine the cost savings for the consumer is incredible.
Dr. Frank
The financial benefits from these savings were enormous. Over the course of 20 years, it amounted to millions of dollars. We’re using the average social cost of carbon value at a 5% discount rate—it’s calculated under other discount rates as well.
NORA
How is your work at NORA helping connect with SUNY Morrisville?
Dr. Frank
Last semester, we had NORA research engineers Neehad Islam and Ryan Kerr come to Morrisville and conduct various types of fuel tests for the students to show them what it is like to use different types of biomass-based fuels, and what the impacts are. From my perspective, bringing NORA to Morrisville was very important in helping students understand that the renewable energy field doesn’t just consist of solar and wind power, but that it consists of other types of fuels and technologies, as well. Students received a different perspective than they would in these types of renewable energy courses.
NORA
Dr. Frank, you represent a new generation of energy researchers that are engaging with our industry and in the space of liquid heating fuels. What’s your impression and what are your peers’ impressions of decarbonizing with renewable liquid heating fuels?
Dr. Frank
We hear so much about your standard renewable energy technologies, which is wonderful. However, I do think we need to increase our educational efforts, like we’re doing through NORA, like I’m doing through Morrisville, to let students know that we’re going to need multiple technologies and fuels working together to achieve our decarbonization goals. Education is going to be a huge factor, and it’s also going to get students who are interested in renewable energy to go and work in these fields once they graduate, knowing that there are different types of job opportunities in other renewable energy fields.
Dr. Butcher
I agree with Dr. Frank—we’re working hard on this and making great progress in a whole bunch of ways, but I don’t think that everybody knows about what we’re doing. There’s an important need to educate and communicate renewable energy as a really viable and low-cost alternative way to approach GHG reduction.
Dr. Frank
That’s why, Dr. Butcher, I think that the techno-economic aspect is so important because you’re not only looking at it from an engineering or technical perspective, but you’re also looking at it in a realistic financial sense and saying, “This is great from an environmental sense, from a technological sense, but if it doesn’t make sense financially, then that’s going to be a huge challenge.” It seems that this type of research brings different approaches and perspectives together; this will increase and help us to understand the viability of these pathways.
Dr. Butcher
Agreed. I think the financial and economic part of what we’re doing is a strength for this entire approach.
NORA
What do you think are the most effective decarbonizing fuels currently in play?
Dr. Butcher
For those who are using liquid fuels, the most cost-effective approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is through the use of biofuels. One of the points that can be made is that we can do this right now. We talk about the time value of carbon—carbon reduction today versus carbon reduction a decade or two from now—with other technologies. However, we can do transitions to biofuels right now and I think that’s critically important; I’m really happy that we have a great option that current liquid fuel users can adopt now.
NORA
Do you see a difference biodiesel versus renewable diesel or any assessment at this point?
Dr. Butcher
Those are two very different fuels. We’ve been focusing on biodiesel because it’s been available to us. Increasingly, renewable diesel is becoming available to this market, as well, and that gives us an exciting new opportunity to consider both of those fuels, perhaps in blends or some different ratios of end use, perhaps for specific applications. We’re happy to have both of those tools in our toolbox now to achieve the end goals. It’s really wonderful that we have biobased fuels that are currently commercially available and that are financially competitive with other types of technologies and other fuel systems.
NORA
Both of those emerging technologies provide options and it’s helpful to have the economic analysis, as well as the scientific basis, that exemplifies the benefits so that people can make informed decisions based on the research that you’re doing. ICM
