CHP Spells ‘Energy Efficiency’

CHP. RNG. H2. CH4. CO2. Speaking about new energy solutions can sometimes seem like a swirl of alphabet soup. We hope our three-part series, Emerging Energies Explained, will help you explore energy technologies already shaping our future.

In this first edition, discover how CHP captures energy that traditional generators do not utilize (and thus lose) to provide greater efficiency and lower costs.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)* estimates that nearly two-thirds of the energy used for electricity production, transmission and delivery is lost before it reaches a customer’s doorstep. While emerging technologies may enhance efficient electricity production, other technologies can be applied to further improve efficiency and thus maximize the amount of energy that can be productively used.

Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, refers to solutions that generate onsite electricity and produce thermal energy. Thermal energy is a captured byproduct of electric generation which, at conventional power plants, is generally a lost or “wasted” energy resource that is discharged to the atmosphere. Capturing this thermal energy reduces the fuel needed for conventional heating systems that would otherwise rely on electricity, natural gas or oil.

While conventional electricity generation occurs at central power plants, CHP systems are often located onsite or near facilities with high, 24-hour energy needs: manufacturing plants, hospitals, universities and other locations. They might also appear as large-area, supplemental solutions such as microgrids, which are networks of distributed energy resources that can be connected to larger utility grids. Micro-CHP have recently entered the market and can be productively used in other settings, including multi-family housing and hotels.

CHP systems may include equipment such as reciprocating engines, microturbines, fuel cells, steam turbines and gas turbines. CHP systems are highly efficient in recapturing produced heat that goes unused during power generation, maximizing the energy output to generate additional onsite electricity, heating or cooling.

The EPA offers the following striking example of the efficiency gains provided by a typical CHP system. To produce 80 units of electricity and useful thermal energy, a conventional system uses 155 units of energy inputs for an overall efficiency of 52%. However, the CHP system needs only 100 units of energy inputs to produce the same 80 units of electricity and useful thermal energy—a total system efficiency of 80%.

Flexible and efficient, CHP can run on various fuel sources: traditional natural gas and biogas, propane, diesel, methanol and hydrogen. In case you were wondering, biogas describes the sometimes-pungent byproducts that result when organic matter decomposes—think backyard mulch piles, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. These gaseous byproducts can be captured and converted into useful fuel.

CHP IN ACTION: SAY CHEESE

Are you wondering if you might already be benefitting from CHP technology? The answer could be as close as the cream in your coffee or the milk in your cereal.

HP Hood LLC, the operator of several well-known dairy brands in the United States, relied on Washington Gas to implement a 15-megawatt CHP system and energy management system to support cost reduction at their facility in Winchester, Virginia. Installed within a single day, HP Hood LLC reported that this solution has reduced energy intensity, the amount of fuel per unit of energy used, by 24% and resulted in a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

"Using natural gas to fuel our combined heat and power system was essential for this project,” explains Dennis McNutt, Sustainability and Energy Manager.

“Natural gas is cost competitive, dependable and an efficient fuel source. Washington Gas was a trusted partner in developing our CHP system [and] enhancing our existing natural gas service necessary for CHP while remaining operational.”

Why Chp Matters To You

Through high system efficien- cy, CHP technology can reduce emissions when compared to conventional systems that don’t recover heat. Recapturing rogue or underutilized heat produced during electricity generation means that less fuel can produce the same amount of energy. Lowering fuel needs per unit of energy produced also makes CHP a helpful factor in managing energy costs because the systems (located on-site) often use natural gas.

Perhaps the most significant benefit of CHP is its contribution to overall energy resiliency.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity describes the U.S. electric grid as a multi-operator ecosystem spanning over 9,200 electric generating units and at least 600,000 miles of transmission lines. Increasing demands on the aging power grid place it under periods of high stress that can potentially result in more frequent downtimes. CHP technology can help ensure uninterrupted operation for critical facilities even during large-scale power outages.

To learn more about CHP and other emerging technologies, please scan the QR code on this page.

Thank you for reading. Please check out the August edition of the Washington Informer for an in-depth look at the benefits of renewable natural gas (RNG).

Why We Still Must Take Missing Black Girls Seriously Despite Carlee Russell

While she has now admitted she was never kidnapped, initial reports of Carlethia “Carlee” Russell missing, made major news and went viral on social media in mid July. Despite her showing up at her home two days later, and her disappearance being an act, there was a fervor to get her back that should be maintained for the many missing Black women and girls in the United States.

The National Crime Information Center revealed that while Black women and girls make up about 7% of the U.S. population, they account for almost 36% of all missing Black women and girls in America. These numbers prove Black women and girls disproportionately go missing, but unlike in Russell’s scenario, it’s rare that their cases gain nationwide notoriety.

When a Black woman or girl goes missing, law enforcement and others should take it very seriously. Russell’s disappearance was an unfortunate, isolated incident that should be viewed as such, not an example of what is likely happening when a Black woman goes missing.

Why don’t people generally take missing Black women and girls seriously? In 2004, Gwen Ifill is believed to have first used the term “missing white woman syndrome,” referencing the way the media often dealt with the stories and cases of white women who are kidnapped or missing.

Nineteen years later, missing white women tend to still get more media attention.

“I think there's a lot of bias involved. And ‘missing white woman syndrome,’ as Gwen called it and penned it originally, I guess, also includes the wall-to-wall coverage that actually gets communities up in arms, to the point where you have people flying themselves to Aruba to help look for Natalee Holloway,” said Soledad O’Brien in a PBS Newshour interview about an HBO documentary series “Black and Missing.”

“So it's not even just the media. It's this idea of like, why do people as a whole just not care,” O’Brien questioned.

Numbers show that missing Black women and girls is a serious issue that should get as much attention as white women.

Despite Russell going missing being a hoax, I encourage police, the media and citizens alike to maintain the same urgency many people possessed behind the alleged kidnapping of the 25-year-old, when all Black women and girls go missing. WI

Why We Should Care About the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA Striking

For the first time since the 1960s, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG- AFTRA) are on strike at the same time, meaning Hollywood is pretty much on hold.

Beyond it being history-making in nature, these strikes are a wake up call and up close look at the challenges of the film and television industry. Writers aren’t being compensated fairly and AI is threatening roles and positions, among other protections members of WGA and SAG-AFTRA lack and are currently fighting for.

Many celebrities, including Tyler James Williams of “Abbott Elementary” and “Everybody Hates Chris” fame, Gina Torres of “Suits” movie and television star Jennifer Garner (“13 Going on 30” and “Alias”) and DMV native Jermaine Crawford of “The Wire,” have joined the strike’s cause.

It’s approaching three months since writers took to the frontlines to strike and SAG-AFTRA began striking after not coming to agreements on July 13. From unknown names to major celebs alike, people are protesting for change, fair wages and more.

Many celebrities, including Tyler James Williams of “Abbott Elementary” and “Everybody Hates Chris” fame, Gina Torres of “Suits” movie and television star Jennifer Garner (“13 Going on 30” and “Alias”) and DMV native Jermaine Crawford of “The Wire,” have joined the strike’s cause.

“Residuals. Healthcare. Fair wages. F**k AI. Donate if you can,” Williams wrote on Instagram.

This strike is about more than your favorite series being on hold, it’s about rights, protections, and ensuring fair compensation. Writers, actors and entertainers play key roles in society and it’s up to audiences– us– to celebrate their work and take note of their needs.

Hail to the Chief

Congratulations to the new [Metropolitan Police Department] Chief Pamela A. Smith for making history as the first African American woman to hold the position. As with all of our city leaders, I hope and wish for a successful tenure and progress.

Richard Bright Washington, D.C.

To The Editor

Kickin’ It Old Skool

I really enjoyed the story about the MLS honoring members of Howard’s legendary soccer team during All-Star Week. I had no idea Howard was the first HBCU to win a national title at the Division 1 level almost 50 years ago. Our stories need to be told, as we’ve been successful at not just a few things but many things. We are a talented people who can do it all. Those who have, deserve their recognition. Salute to Lincoln Phillips, Keith Tucker and Phillip Gyau.

Yakin N. Gaines

Readers' Mailbox The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.

Guest Columnist

'Youth Aren't Bulletproof'

"Dear Lawmaker,

My name is Ana Rodriguez. I lost my daughter, Maite Rodriguez on May 24, 2022 in a mass shooting at her school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, TX … It was the last week of school and she was excited about watching movies with her friends and attending the honor roll ceremony.

Don't imagine. Put yourself in my daughter's shoes that day: Her name is called out to receive her honor roll certificate and she walks over, wearing her green converse with a heart on the right toe. She must feel so happy and proud of herself. After the ceremony, her class gets up and starts heading back to Room 112. I'm sure she and her friends are talking and showing each other their achievement certificates, not knowing the fear, pain and horror that awaits … All I have left of my daughter Maite are memories. Memories and the last pair of shoes I

Guest Columnist

Regression

Some legal analysts have assessed our current Supreme Court as being "the most conservative Supreme Court since the 1930s." The first question that needs to be asked is, "Who among us would want a return to the status that they and their people endured in the United States in the 1930s?

I'm guessing that the only people whose hands would be up would be rich white men. I cannot imagine any other category or group within our society believing that the 1930s was better for them than the current era. Not women. Not ethnic minorities. No one who is concerned with human rights, worker's rights, voting rights, or the environment. That's not to say we don't have problems now, but thankfully, we are not living in the 1930s.

Speaking personally, I can certainly recall life in a "simpler time." Growing up in the 1960s and '70s, things "made more sense," from my perspective. But that's just it: MY perspective

Guest Columnist

Marian Wright Edelman

purchased for her, the ones she wore on that awful day — her green Converse with a heart drawn on the right toe … "

When 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez was murdered by an assault rifle in her fourth-grade classroom alongside two teachers and 18 classmates, her parents had to identify her body by those favorite sneakers. Maite's shoes became a symbol of the devastation of that day. On July 18, supporters of the Uvalde families brought copies of this letter from Maite's mother and lapel pins featuring Maite's green

Rev. Stephen Tillett

isn't the only perspective. I share this country with 332 million other Americans, and this planet with 7.8 billion other human beings. It's simply not all about me, my perspectives, my opinions and my wishes.

Sadly, I think the current Supreme Court, and the billionaires who paid for them to be there, don't understand that it's not all about them! Rather than use the word, conservative, I think regressive is more appropriate for this court. Regressive means "becoming less advanced; returning to a former or less developed state." Several recent

Alabama Will Never Change

included just one majority-Black district out of the state's seven districts despite Black voters making up 27% of the state's population.

David W. Marshall

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to be concerned when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in Allen v. Milligan. The critical case deemed Alabama's current congressional map as unlawful and likely in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. After the 2020 census, the Alabama congressional map

As a result of the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, the state was required to redraw lines to create a second majority-Black district. After the higher court's ruling, one would think state lawmakers would make a good-faith effort to comply with the Section 2 provision. But Alabama will always be Alabama. It will always be the state of former Gov. George Wallace, who stood and blocked the doorway at the University of Alabama as federal authorities tried to allow Black students to enter and enroll at the school. When the defiant Wallace refused to move, President John Kennedy ordered 100 troops from the Alabama National Guard to assist federal officials. The federal government's fight with Alabama over race continues.

Alabama is still defiant as its Re- sneakers to Washington, D.C., to distribute in the halls of Congress. At a moment when some Republican lawmakers have been proudly wearing AR-15 lapel pins to work, they hoped these pins could send a different message: as the artist who created the pins said, "Maite's shoes are a symbol of her beauty and strength, and a reminder that real people are dying every day from gun violence, including small, innocent children. Instead of celebrating AR-15s, let's remember all that they have the power to destroy." Rep. Lauren

Boebert

(R-Colo.) was filmed being handed this letter and pin and immediately throwing both into a trash can.

These are the forces our children are up against from some of the adults who should be entrusted to help protect them. But our children already know they deserve better. Every year students in grades K-12 enrolled in Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools summer enrichment programs take part in a National Day of Social Action highlighting a critical

EDELMAN Page 57 court rulings have undone decades of established law simply because of the personal ideology of the conservative activists on the court. Those rulings threaten to make us a less advanced and less developed nation.

In life, things move in one direction. There is no rewind button. Life does not afford us the opportunity for reruns. And yet this court has determined that it wishes to revisit an earlier time that is largely unacquainted with the changes that have occurred in our nation and the world over the past century. That sort of backward movement is simply unsustainable and wholly undesirable for a significant majority of our fellow Americans. This is a direct result of the Supreme Court appointment and about 100 other judicial appointments, stolen from President Obama by Mitch McConnell and his cohort in the U.S. Senate. Rather than fulfill their constitutional duty of "Advise and Consent" for court appointments, they simply chose to put their fingers in their ears and ignore the nomina- publican-controlled legislature approved a new congressional map with just one majority-Black district. Gov. Kay Ivey quickly signed the redistricting map into law.

"The legislature knows our state, our people, and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I am pleased that they answered the call, remained focused, and produced new districts ahead of the court deadline," Ivey said in a statement.

By ignoring the court's ruling, Alabama has not changed in its long-held belief in state rights, where states feel they can do whatever they want, especially when it comes to holding back people of color. It's been 60 years since Gov. George Wallace's infamous 1963 "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door"; the former governor would have been proud that the state's tradition of blocking the rights of Black Alabamians continues in

Guest Columnist

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)