AN OPERATIONAL TRANSITION OF A CITIES ENERGY SUPPLY

 

Energy Eminence demonstrates the transformation of existing cities to a local, self-sufficient, clean-energy supply, within a decentralized commercialization model.   This is an original systems approach to harness the immediate value of the existing small-scale, clean-tech innovation, that would enable existing cities to transform into sustainable cities. 

 

Energy Eminence facilitates the sustainable fuel and electricity supply from new technologies, alongside a sustainable fertilizer supply and value conversion of waste, generating from elegant, small buildings, situated street-side or rooftop, across a city.  Multi-level, mini-power-towers that install this micro energy grid, will be housed within a structure with a base size of approximately 4m x 3m, 10m+ high.  These will integrate innovative, low-capacity, complimentary sustainable technologies, engineered adjacently within a singular processing and dispensing unit. 

 

Multiple installations of these mini power towers which service several blocks in a city each, will connect virtually through a central and supervisory management centre that utilizes central management technology to optimize an entirely localized energy supply across a city.

 

Energy Eminence processing units can generate determined levels of energy by utilizing the new small-scale solar, plant and water processing technology.  These units will also dispense bio-fuel for vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, bio-electricity and purify water.  The operating units of these  technologies are currently too small to be installed within large-scale processing plants through traditional energy suppliers but are suitable for use within decentralised small units which enables their immediate commercialisation that would otherwise be impossible.  Therefore these incredible new technologies gain an opportunity to reach the market within a large scale operating model whilst in a small scale stage of development.

 

The Energy Eminence exhibition may realise the potential widespread commercialisation of emergent technologies such as thorium molten salt reactors, artificial photosynthesis or quantum energy generation.  The processing units will integrate multiple waste-to-value technologies that can transform 100% of locally generated waste into an optimized value output; including bio-fuel, bio-gas, electricity and even bio-fertilizer from food and human waste that can transfer to inner-city organic gardens.  Such technologies include: hydrogen fuel cells generated from recycled water,  solar fuel cells generated by artificial photosynthesis, microbial fuel cells, Algae conversion to fuel or electricity, sewage and rubbish waste conversion, alongside electro-activated water purification and otherwise.

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Legislative barriers to installing a local clean energy building on street-sides will be by-passed by rendering the provocation of a temporary artistic installation, which can potentially transition to permanence once it is established but it will be installed only as a ‘demonstrative’ innovation ‘utilitarian art exhibition’.  The reason for this is that artistic exhibitions can gain temporary licenses to operate, whereas installing permanent new energy supply facilities in existing cities would be a lot harder to achieve given existing legislative barriers.  The installation takes inspiration from Gustav Eiffel, who proposed the Eiffel Tower as a ‘two year’ exhibition which then remained 125 years.  Eiffel’s exhibition was at the time promoted as in tribute to “not only the art of the modern engineer, but also the century of Industry and Science in which we are living and the great scientific movement of the eighteenth century and the Revolution of 1789”. Clean-tech for energy is arguably the 21st century's rendition of ‘the art of the modern engineer’. 

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2. Background

 

A NEW ECONOMIC PARADIGM FOR ENERGY SUPPLY

 

The Energy Eminence exhibition presents a commercialization platform capable to decentralize control of our dominant economic instrument that is energy.  Energy Eminence installations may redistribute wealth, facilitate new jobs, increase local innovation, enable a greater quality of life with sustainable living applications and inspire social cohesion by compelling the collaboration of diverse stakeholders.  A completely local and sustainable model of energy has great potential for impactful change.

  

Encapsulating an equitable distribution of resources within an operating model for an authentic application of triple bottom line ‘sustainable accounting’ returns, intended to operate for the common benefit of profit, people & planet. Each exhibition installation aspires to engage the entire community in an innovation opportunity that instigates the transition of their economies, for their personal advantage and to mitigate climate change related issues relevant to traditional sources of energy.

 

Importantly, new small-scale energy technologies find it difficult amidst legislative, financial and growth barriers to scale on their own.   Arguably the business arena is often structured against them.  (Biello, 2011)  Transitioning from small-scale into large-scale models that may realize widespread deployment is a hard fought transformation and there are a lot of failures.  A lot of incredibly technologies arguably fail to develop in the marketplace.  Therefore enabling a commercialisation model in which these technologies can be deployed adjacently, in order to satisfy the large-scale needs of a cities energy consumption levels by clustering, bridge’s a gap that the market fails to currently deliver for.

 

 

3. The Problem

 

PROTECTING LIFE

 

Energy Eminence illustrates a mechanism to eliminate the environmental, human and geo-political harm from the harvesting and consumption of the fossil fuel industry that predominantly accelerates climate change.  By enabling existing cities to convert to self-sustaining energy centres, this will eliminate the need for thousands of new harmful industrial developments, which advance globally and are due to imminently contaminate the natural resources of many vulnerable ecosystems and communities. (NRDC, 2022)

 

Energy Eminence extracts an eternal lifecycle for localised, decentralised energy and evolves the concept of waste to be considered valuable.  This will require the engagement of local consumers to sort their waste carefully.  It also provides value through eliminating disposal pollution, by de-commissioning landfills and incineration, and minimizing the ocean transfer of waste by eliminating the transportation of waste out of communities.  (Franken et al, 2019)

 

Currently, up to 80% of the world’s energy for fuel and electricity derives from traditional, large-scale and harmful extractive industry models.  (EESI, 2022)  Other reports suggest this may be 70%, whereby clean energy is said to amount to 29% of the global supply.   (IEA, 2022)  Yet the climate change crisis necessitates urgent and substantial transition to diminish the impending environmental devastation.  

 

Energy Eminence utilizes small-scale tech intelligence applications that do not impact the environment at all, to extract or generate energy; whilst simultaneously focused on increasing energy conservation and efficiency, in order to avoid unnecessary harm advancing during the time of systems transition.  The highest aspiration for the social impact of this exhibition is to be the architect of a high impact sustainable transition for cities that invites collaboration. The macro-hypothesis of an environmentally-clean-energy self-sufficient nation synergistically aligns with a sustainable nation.  Independent energy supply naturally disconnects a state from the growing catastrophe of resource-related wars and the militant groups they inspire, alongside the ecosystem devastation that fossil fuel extraction often brings about.

 

 

4. The Market and Customer Segments

 

Established as a competitive exhibition to realize the optimum version of such a clean-tech collaboration, the market is realised in three segments.

 

The first market is relevant to the fact that Energy Eminence will invite development participation from the world's universities, technology developers and clean-tech entrepreneurs, to procure the best clean technology for installation as a modular delivery of manufactured processing units. Promoting the clustering model will allow for the unrestricted inclusion of unrelated stakeholders with varied specialities and flexible formations, which enables a uniquely contagious model for growth, replication and innovation that eventually has the capability to scale.  Co-ordination of collaborative stakeholders will be tactically established within a clustered concentration of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers and institutions as the integration of these units into a working city is designed.  Uniquely related groups will establish alternative integrations of this innovation model, without the limitations of ‘ownership’ structures. Sponsorship for promoting this competitive opportunity to participate in developing an Energy Eminence unit for this exhibition, may likely to come from large energy companies who may be interested to see what small developers are innovating to achieve in the energy market.

 

A secondary market segment is the community who can engage the initiative.  The exhibition increases urban metabolism in cities as living organisms with citizens, the environment and the economy converging in symbiosis.  Urban patterns of behaviour regarding waste, energy and nature can change through collaborative use of these units, increasing community involvement such as contribution to the recycling will enhance interdependency, resilience, innovation, social relations and empowerment in an environmental, economic and technical capacity.  Energy Eminence will create jobs, a buoyant new micro economy, energy neutral buildings and new sustainable systems; whilst minimising GHG emissions, air pollution and eliminating waste all within a local self-sufficient energy supply model.  This market addresses the social and societal impact such an energy supply could develop.

 

The third market relevant is the financial return for fuel, electricity; bio-fertilizer and clean water which is potentially very  lucrative.  Clean energy technology has enormous growth potential.  The global market for fuel cells generated for hydrogen and oxygen is currently valued at USD$4.1 billion. (Grand View Research, 2022)    The Artificial Photosynthesis market to generate hydrogen fuel cells is estimated to only be worth USD$185 Million by 2030, however this is arguably so small due to being restricted to small scale deployment which Energy Eminence could change.  (Markets and Markets, 2022)  If structured within a model that will allow large scale deployment, the possibilities for artificial photosynthesis will be extensive.   The global waste to energy market had a value of USD$35.1 billion in 2019.  (Allied Market Research, 2022)  The bio-fertilizer market from food waste is due to be worth USD$34 billion by 2024 (Grand View Research, 2022)   The global renewable energy market is currently valued at US$ 952.16 billion (Global News Wire, 2022).  The global electricity market is currently valued at $1,614.03 billion (The Business Research Company, 2022) And the global bio-fuel market is currently valued at USD$110 billion (Statista, 2020).  These figures estimate the Total Addressable Market (TAM) globally.

 

A group of decentralised energy micro-grids spread around a city in an initial exhibition, could only take a small slice of these markets, however the potential upon scaling the deployment of such units in cities across the world, opens up a vast potential for global growth.  This would be possible if the initial exhibition was successful and demonstratively profitable.  The market for an initial exhibition of these technologies in mini-power-towers across a city is difficult to quantify.   

 

The ultimate city to install the first exhibition, in order to inspire other cities around the world to convert to self-sufficient energy supply, is London, who would be positioned as a world leader.  The Serviceable Available Market (SAM) is as follows.  The electricity and gas market for London is 3.9 billion pounds.  (The Association for the Conservation of Energy, 2022)  The market for bio-fuels and bio-fertilizers in London is difficult to currently quantify, however, fuels and fertilizers converted from waste through the unit could be transported and sold elsewhere if the current market demand did not require them.   The London waste-water market in 2021 was worth $34,388.1 million.  (Global Data, 2022)  The Ontario Tech University did a study in 2011 which quantified the London market for energy as follows:

 

     

   

Arguably with a grid of Energy Eminence units spread across the city, this entire city market for electricity, gas, fuel, waste and water provision could be challenged.  However, a realistic target for an initial installation might be only 5% of London’s energy supply as a Serviceable Attainable Market (SAM) goal.  Keeping in mind that the output of the units may be a limiting factor or not.  5% of the 2011 market is as follows, whereby estimating the market value for converting waste to various forms of energy is not easily estimated without more development.  On this basis the SAM could be estimated at a value of nearly 38 billion.

 

 

 

 

5. Customer Persona

 

Given the instances of war to environmental contamination that the extraction of fossil fuels cause, the air and land pollution from waste landfills and incineration and the environmental damage with unsustainable water use; the possibility of a local, sustainable energy supply that does zero environmental and geo-political damage, would arguably appeal to an increasing portion of the population, who genuinely wish to reduce their carbon footprint and act as a sustainable consumer.  Global studies indicate one third of the population will pay more for sustainable options.  (Business Wire, 2021)  While, a British Government study indicated that 75% of their population were worried about climate change and willing to spend more and change habits to reduce its risk. (Office for National Statistics, 2021)  That same study indicates that people feel helpless, anxious and stressed for their families future due to this situation and providing them with a new locally optimised energy model to engage would help them to feel in control by engaging an initiative with such broad scope for impactful change.

One consulting study identified that 46% of sustainable consumer personas are termed as ‘front-runners’, whereby they are quick to compromise, change and embrace sustainable consumption opportunities.  (Nair, 2021)  That same study recognised 23% of sustainable consumers have the ‘follower’ persona, where they need to be inspired to align with brands or initiatives, allowing for their scarcity in time and resource.  24% are deemed to have the ‘passive’ persona, whereby they are often middle aged or older and change is less spontaneous.  They are less engaged in their personal power to impact the sustainability issue and price can be prohibitive.  ‘Inactive’ persona’s account for 6% of sustainable consumers who believe that government and industry should take responsibility for the challenges that face society today while they feel powerless to impact change.  This study supports the British Government study that estimates 75% of consumers would embrace sustainable change by suggesting that 69% of sustainable consumers would be likely to consider engaging a sustainable initiative like Energy Eminence, in order to make sustainable changes to their cities energy supply model and lower their impact on the environment.

 

 

6. References

 

Allied Market Research (2022) Waste to Energy Market Outlook - 2027  https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/waste-to-energy-market#

Biello, D.; (2011) Green Energy’s Big Challenge: The Daunting Task of Scaling Up; Yale Environment 360 https://e360.yale.edu/features/green_energys_big_challenge__the_daunting_task_of_scaling_up

Business Wire (2021) Recent Study Reveals More Than a Third of Global Consumers Are Willing to Pay More for Sustainability as Demand Grows for Environmentally-Friendly Alternatives https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211014005090/en/Recent-Study-Reveals-More-Than-a-Third-of-Global-Consumers-Are-Willing-to-Pay-More-for-Sustainability-as-Demand-Grows-for-Environmentally-Friendly-Alternatives

EESI (2022) Fossil Fuels Description;  https://www.eesi.org/topics/fossil-fuels/description

Franken, M; de Jong, W.;  de Iongh, Z,; van Marsbergen, A.; (2019) Research into Bali’s plastic polluted rivers and designs of suitable collection structures for rivers to mitigate the plastic discharge into the ocean DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.25445.14560 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340621821_Research_into_Bali's_plastic_polluted_rivers_and_designs_of_suitable_collection_structures_for_rivers_to_mitigate_the_plastic_discharge_into_the_ocean

Global Data (2017) Market value of Water Management in United Kingdom https://www.globaldata.com/data-insights/environment---waste-management/market-value-of-water-management-in-united-kingdom-2080960/

Global News Wire (2020) Global $7425.02 Billion Oil and Gas Markets, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F  https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/03/04/2187025/0/en/Global-7425-02-Billion-Oil-and-Gas-Markets-2015-2020-2020-2025F-2030F.html#

Global News Wire (2022) Renewable Energy Market Size to Worth Around US$ 1,998.03 https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/04/20/2425276/0/en/Renewable-Energy-Market-Size-to-Worth-Around-US-1-998-03-Bn-by-2030.html

Grand View Research (2021) Fuel Cell Market Size & Share | Industry Report, 2021-2028; https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fuel-cell-market#

Grand View Research (2022) Food Waste Management Market Size Report, 2020-2027; https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/food-waste-management-market

IEA (2022) Global Energy Review 2021, Renewables; https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2021/renewables

Markets and Markets (2022) Artificial Photosynthesis Market by Application (Hydrocarbon, Hydrogen, Chemicals), Technology (Co-Electrolysis, Photo-Electro Catalysis, Nanotechnology, Hybrid Process), Region (North America, APAC, Europe, Rest of World) - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-photosynthesis-market-94334557.html?

Nair, S (2021) The Four Personas of Sustainability-minded Consumers; https://www.kerry.com/insights/kerrydigest/2021/sustainability-persona.html

NRDC (2022) Fossil Fuels Dirty Facts; https://www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fuels-dirty-facts

Office for National Statistics (2021) Three-quarters of adults in Great Britain worry about climate change https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/threequartersofadultsingreatbritainworryaboutclimatechange/2021-11-05

Statista (2020) Global biofuels market size 2020-2030 – Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/217179/global-biofuels-market-size/#

 The Association for the Conservation of Energy (2022) Energy Efficiency in London https://www.theade.co.uk/assets/docs/resources/Energy-Efficiency-in-London.pdf