Comments AAMiller has made

Cellulase cost is no longer limiting

I know this thread is a bit stale, but I'd like to correct an error in case anyone else stumbles across this. The cost of cellulase enzymes is no longer a major barrier to cellulosic ethanol production. Enzyme developers such as Novozymes have used "directed evolution" techniques to generate cellulases with higher activites. With more efficient enzymes, less is required, reducing costs. Here is a link to a Novozymes powerpoint presentation, see slide 24 for a cost breakdown.

http://www.novozymes.com/NR/rdonlyres/A0E8CDF5-DC67-42E7- ...On An interview with Greasecar founder Justin Carven posted 2 years, 9 months ago 12 Responses

Cellulase cost is no longer limiting

I know this thread is a bit stale, but I'd like to correct an error in case anyone else stumbles across this. The cost of cellulase enzymes is no longer a major barrier to cellulosic ethanol production. Enzyme developers such as Novozymes have used "directed evolution" techniques to generate cellulases with higher activites. With more efficient enzymes, less is required, reducing costs. Here is a link to a Novozymes powerpoint presentation, see slide 24 for a cost breakdown.

http://www.novozymes.com/NR/rdonlyres/A0E8CDF5-DC67-42E7- ...On An environmental-justice advocate responds to the biofuels boom posted 2 years, 9 months ago 12 Responses

Manufacturing Energy & Mercury Release

Has anyone seen any information about the energy required to manufacture a CFL or other types of lighting? I would guess that the more complex design of the bulbs might require a greater up-front energy input. There are a lot of potentially confounding factors though; perhaps the greater efficiency of newer plants offsets this effect? I wonder how the magnitude of any difference in manufacturing energy compares to the amount used by the bulb during it's life. The amount of additional energy required to properly recycle a bulb may also be relevant. It would be great if Energy Star would take these "hidden" energy costs into account.

Regarding mercury, I'd like to see a comparison of how much is actually released into the environment (as opposed to total emissions) by consumers of CFLs vs. power plants. Even if power plants have higher "per bulb" total emissions, the material is all in one place, and may be handled more responsibly (due to EPA regulation). For instance, a ton of mercury that is captured and recycled by a plant might not be as damaging as a ton of mercury released into a landfill by thousands of individuals.On They've Had Their Filament posted 2 years, 9 months ago 8 Responses