Technological Life Cycle - Assignment Example

ENG2002 Assignment 2 Name of Student Name of Institution Class Course Date ENG2002 Assignment 2 Question 1-Technological life cycle Cradle-to-cradle design is a human based thinking system that believes on effective and elegance approach of human design to natural system through learning from the incorporated patterns of nature. This revolutionary approach of human industry of redesign base on a science and design rigorous conviction that is capable of moving the human industry to a level beyond the sustainability concerns. The knowledge of cradle-to-cradle is from the industrial ecology and industrial and architectural designs fields. The design is much on the intelligent product systems. It is much of a positive agenda that is cantered on a world full of healthy materials that are safe, ecologically and economically deployed. Cradle-to-cradle put more focus on the sustainable materials, products, and systems. The processes normally result into impacts on to the human and ecological health. The products normally possess a recycling ability and can be composted safely (Shen & Patel, 2008, p. 49). Cradle-to-cradle design brings about a new ideological concept referred to as eco-effectiveness. Top world Leaders have shown their concerns on environmental issues thus turning on proactive measures that aimed at changing their practices to minimize pollution and wasteful natural resources, and ensure that they go by the environmental regulations. This was called eco-efficiency that defines the idea of economy and environment as odds to each other, and that decisions that are made might benefit the environment with little costs or profit to business. Although this assumptions was criticized with arguments that environment and economical concerns are exclusively mutual. The eco-effectiveness and eco-efficiency are contrasted in their operations on the ground that industrial operational processes can take advantage over the processes of nature such as waste equals food, use of current solar income and respect the diversity, and produce products that only benefit the environment. This is different from the do less harm philosophy of eco-efficiency and seek making of products through intelligent product design (Newman & Auer 2007, p. 43). The idea of the processes of production being a closed loop, the by-products of energy can be put into use as new products inputs. This means that, a product can be completely remade into another product that has same value to the consumer after its usefulness has diminished. The availability of the methods of recycling and the product’s chemical composition limits the lifespan of an inferior product, meaning, products billed as recyclable are definitely ‘downcyclable’. The resulting product does have less value to the con summers than the parent product. Cradle-to-cradle design differentiates between the technical and biological nutrient processes of design. Biological nutrients are biodegraded completely and have not harm to the environment as well as human health. On the other hand, technical nutrients are synthetics recovered and reapplied by a manufacturer to produce products or goods that has equal value. This normally operates on a closed loop processes thus deemed less wasteful (Fang, Cote & Qin, 2007, p. 42). Pau Hawken outlines the technical nutrient idea as a service and flow economy concept in the book Natural Capitalism. The concept stresses on the transformation of durable goods market to a serviced-based economy instead of a service of purchase and ownership transaction. The transactions are termed fee-for service arrangement. This is an arrangement where consumer pays for services provided by an appliance, which he or she does not own. For instance, a consumer pays for the refrigerator services that he does not physically own for the right to use it in keeping food cool. The consumer and the environment both benefit since the insensitive that surrounds the refrigerator are redefined (Keating, Baum & Hennen, 2001, p. 24). Quality and durability are secondarily considered in a traditional durable goods market. Production of a long-lasting product is not encouraged to the manufacturer as consumer tend to change their taste fast that they will consider purchasing new looking units with changing fashion rather than shorter shelf-life appliances. The refrigerator is normally wasted in this scenario when its components are scrapped to produce a new-looking model. The manufacturer is encouraged in a service and flow economy to put more investment on energy saving appliances that are useful to the consumers in service provision (Berkhout, Muskens & Velthuijsen, 2000, p. 32). Substantial efforts have been put into actions directed to improving of the living standards. This has engaged making of our environment more comfortable with minimum energy consumptions. It is estimated that 40 percent of energy that we consume are consumed within buildings, which has longer life span than other devices. The habits of energy saving can be adopted easily but this can only be the first step to be taken concerning the conceived disruption of paths of the ways of life in buildings. Today, the world is characterized with the systems of cradle-to-grave industry, meaning, products imply considerable products and pollution in their lifecycle from time of manufacture, transportation, time in use and disposal. Cradle-to-cradle innovative approach is now being explored where some of the products are now designed to minimize the negative environmental effects and at the same time, they are recycled by end-of-life treatment. The most efficient solution starting from the design phase rather than directing efforts to the disposal phase (McDonough & Anastas, 2003, p. 85). The concept of cradle-to-cradle is applied to the entire energy and industrial systems. Although this may seem difficult at the moment, there is a technological existence that can make the concept of cradle-to-cradle design possible, part coming from the future advances of technology that foster on investing on alternative energy coupled by supports from professionals who specializes in a large-scale cradle-to-cradle design solutions. Taking for example, one can design a building in a way that imitates nature where everything designed have a purpose. To begin with, the shape can be designed in a way that increases stability, maximize space, and at the same time reduces the materials used in construction and effects from wind. The key features of heating and cooling processes account for about 30 percent of the total energy consumption in buildings. The rooftop and the surface of the building can be constructed for the purposes of thermal insulation where heat is transferred between the building and the earth by the heat absorption circulation liquid, which will reduce consumption of energy. Heating in buildings can be optimized by considering the much energy currently used, for example it would be advisable to heat the environment through sensors only when people are present. Additionally, energy produced from physical activities can be made useful by harvesting and fed in electric grids. The building in the cradle-to-cradle context is special. The potential of buildings is high on biological and technological nutrient terms because they are made up of various products of buildings. The three cradle-to-cradle principles are applicable in the building sector. Buildings and constructions have a long life span, distinguishing itself from other sectors. At the same time, most of the building components require replacement or repair in the time of use. Putting this into consideration, it was proposed by McDonough and Braungart for the buildings to be designed as trees where as the cities designed as forests. In this scenario, buildings are like dynamic regulators of climate producing oxygen, filter carbon dioxide, and produce more energy than they consume as well as maintaining biological and technological metabolism from their nutrients (Ayres & Simonis, 1994, p. 64). The industrial revolution resulted into advances of new technologies. The new technologies in turn that correspond to new possibilities brought welfare and prosperity. The new technology bounds the society to fossil fuels bringing an impression on human independence to nature. Modern buildings and factories, however, still hinders the local nature and its source of energy and depend entirely on the supply of shrinking fossil fuels. Skills and knowledge of extracting and manipulating the streaming local energy has considerably reduced (McDonough et al 2003). The solar energy has realized the thriving of living organisms, and through solar rays, plants have been able to produce food. Thus, an advocate is made by McDonough and Braungart for the renewable sources of energy to be put into use in heating, electricity and lighting within the buildings and industries for processes of production (Schultz & Welfens, 2000, p. 38). Conversion of the renewable sources of energy requires that the current systems of production, transport and buildings to be completely redesigned. And since it is a gradual development, nothing can be done but permitting the systems of fossil energy that are in existence. But, a hybrid system that use local, streaming renewable sources of energy is suggested, designed for the purposes of reducing the burdens of ecological and economical production of artificial energy (McDonough et al 2003). The concept of cradle-to-cradle is inspiring and ambitious vision wise for us to rethink our building and living methods. Although, there are critical observations made that not all objectives are achieved immediately as the cradle-to-cradle design does not provide solutions concrete to the buildings and infrastructure that exist. The existing buildings are largely based on the current residential heritage having unknown lifespan. It is also argued by David MacKay that the utilization of all the sources of renewable energy to fully change into renewable energy use is nowhere near to be proved. Not all the products will operate in a similar when the principle of cradle-to-cradle design is applied (Marshall & Tucker, 2012, p. 29). Question 2-Choice of Technology Part 1 Annualized cost accrued= PVC(r (1+r) n ) / (1+r) (n+1) -1 Where PVC – present value of cost r- Discount rate per period n- Duration in time Year Solar Natural Gas Electricity Cost Benefit Cost Benefit Cost Benefit 1 3118.18 3881.82 1090.91 909.09 545.46 454.54 2 2766.23 4233.77 791.21 1208.79 395.64 604.36 3 2253.35 4746.65 633.82 1366.18 321.91 678.09 4 1950.57 5094.43 557.31 1442.69 278.65 721.35 5 1754.09 5245.91 501.17 1498.83 250.58 749.42 6 972.19 6027.81 462.37 1532.63 231.19 768.81 7 1520 5480 333.32 1666.68 217.16 782.84 8 1447.12 5552.88 415.46 1584.54 206.73 793.27 9 1391.45 5608.55 397.56 1602.44 198.78 801.22 10 1348.12 5651.88 385.18 1614.82 192.59 807.41 Part 2 Discounting the future expenses d= 1/ (1+r) t = 1/ (1+0.2)10 =1/ 6.1917 = 0.1615 Cost net present value of solar NPV= diNBi =0.1615×3118.18×3881.82 = 1954830.48 Cost net present value of natural gas NPV= 0.1615×1090.91×909.09 = 160165.26 Cost net present value of electricity NPV= 0.1615×545.46×454.54 = 40041.24 Part 3 High discount rate presents a smaller value of the future costs and benefits. As the future payments are received further, the more the effects of discount rate continue to expand. This is so since choices of discount rates presents significant differences to the present values on whether they are positive or they are relative to the alternative projects that are desirable. This is mostly when costs and benefits accrue for longer periods. Higher Discount rates favor those projects with benefits if they accrue earlier (Anastas & Kirchhoff, 2002, p. 43). The NPV difference for the discount rates between the points: At 0% =1000 At 10%=113.84 At 15%=36.88 At 20%=49.17 At 25%=61.46 Part 4 Solar heating is the best option for low discount rates. Electricity heating is the most favorable for heating with increasing discount rates. Discounting provides a reflection of people’s consumptions habit that they prefer present consumption to the future, which in turn affects the choice of future investment. This relates to technology and policy making in that when applied properly, discounting is able to tell the worth of the future costs and benefits at the present. Simple pay back times for electricity heating NPV=B0 +B1 / (1+r) +B2 / (1+r) 2 …+ B n / (1+r) n = (454.54/1.2)+(604.36/1.44)+(678.09/1.728)+(721.35/2.073)+(749.42/2.4883)+(768.84/2.986)+(782.84/3.5832)+(793.27/4.3)+(801.22/5.16)+(807.41/6.1917) = 378.78+419.69+392.41+347.97+301.18+257.48+218.48+184.48+155.28+130.40 = 2786.15 References Anastas, P. T., & Kirchhoff, M. M., 2002, Origins, current status and future challenges of green chemistry, Cengage Learning, New York. Ayres, R.U. & Simonis, U.E., 1994, Industrial metabolism: restructuring for sustainable development, United Nations University, Tokyo. Berkhout, P., Muskens, H. G., & Velthuijsen, J.W., 2000, Defining the rebound effect, Sage, New York. Fang, Y., Cote, R. P., & Qin, R., 2007, Industrial sustainability in China; Practice and prospects for eco-industrial development. Journal of Environmental Management. Keating, M., Baum, E., & Hennen, A., 2001, Cradle-to-grave: The environmental impacts from Coal, Spectrum printing and graphics, Inc., Boston. Marshall, A., & Tucker, L. M., 2012, Cradle-to-cradle home designs: Process and Experience, Cengage Learning, New York. McDonough, W., Zimmerman, J., Braungart, M., & Anastas, P., 2003, Cradle-to-Cradle Design and the Principles of Green Design, New Perspectives and Practices of Engineering and Design, Environmental Science and Technology. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2002, Design Chemistry. Introduction to the Cradle-to-Cradle Design Framework, MBDC. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2002, Design for the triple top line: new tools for sustainable commerce, Routlegde, New York. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2003, intelligent materials pooling: evolving a profitable technical metabolism through a supportive business community, Sage, New York. Newman, A., & Auer, M., 2007, An Evaluation of Cradle to Cradle Design As a Solution to the Chinese Environmental Crisis, SPEA Honors, Indiana University, Paper series, vol.1 No. 1 Schultz, H., & Welfens, M. J., 2000, Sustainable development by dematerialization in production and consumption strategy for the new environmental policy in Poland, Wuppertal Institute. Shen, L., & Patel, M., 2008, Life cycle Assessment of polysaccharide materials: A review. J. Polym. Environ. Read More

The idea of the processes of production being a closed loop, the by-products of energy can be put into use as new products inputs. This means that, a product can be completely remade into another product that has same value to the consumer after its usefulness has diminished. The availability of the methods of recycling and the product’s chemical composition limits the lifespan of an inferior product, meaning, products billed as recyclable are definitely ‘downcyclable’. The resulting product does have less value to the con summers than the parent product.

Cradle-to-cradle design differentiates between the technical and biological nutrient processes of design. Biological nutrients are biodegraded completely and have not harm to the environment as well as human health. On the other hand, technical nutrients are synthetics recovered and reapplied by a manufacturer to produce products or goods that has equal value. This normally operates on a closed loop processes thus deemed less wasteful (Fang, Cote & Qin, 2007, p. 42). Pau Hawken outlines the technical nutrient idea as a service and flow economy concept in the book Natural Capitalism.

The concept stresses on the transformation of durable goods market to a serviced-based economy instead of a service of purchase and ownership transaction. The transactions are termed fee-for service arrangement. This is an arrangement where consumer pays for services provided by an appliance, which he or she does not own. For instance, a consumer pays for the refrigerator services that he does not physically own for the right to use it in keeping food cool. The consumer and the environment both benefit since the insensitive that surrounds the refrigerator are redefined (Keating, Baum & Hennen, 2001, p. 24). Quality and durability are secondarily considered in a traditional durable goods market.

Production of a long-lasting product is not encouraged to the manufacturer as consumer tend to change their taste fast that they will consider purchasing new looking units with changing fashion rather than shorter shelf-life appliances. The refrigerator is normally wasted in this scenario when its components are scrapped to produce a new-looking model. The manufacturer is encouraged in a service and flow economy to put more investment on energy saving appliances that are useful to the consumers in service provision (Berkhout, Muskens & Velthuijsen, 2000, p. 32). Substantial efforts have been put into actions directed to improving of the living standards.

This has engaged making of our environment more comfortable with minimum energy consumptions. It is estimated that 40 percent of energy that we consume are consumed within buildings, which has longer life span than other devices. The habits of energy saving can be adopted easily but this can only be the first step to be taken concerning the conceived disruption of paths of the ways of life in buildings. Today, the world is characterized with the systems of cradle-to-grave industry, meaning, products imply considerable products and pollution in their lifecycle from time of manufacture, transportation, time in use and disposal.

Cradle-to-cradle innovative approach is now being explored where some of the products are now designed to minimize the negative environmental effects and at the same time, they are recycled by end-of-life treatment. The most efficient solution starting from the design phase rather than directing efforts to the disposal phase (McDonough & Anastas, 2003, p. 85). The concept of cradle-to-cradle is applied to the entire energy and industrial systems. Although this may seem difficult at the moment, there is a technological existence that can make the concept of cradle-to-cradle design possible, part coming from the future advances of technology that foster on investing on alternative energy coupled by supports from professionals who specializes in a large-scale cradle-to-cradle design solutions.

Taking for example, one can design a building in a way that imitates nature where everything designed have a purpose.

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