Carbon has become a word that is used most often to denote global warming and pollution. The word carbon has become a vulgar word in modern society, often being portrayed in a negative light. The goal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been to put a stop to Carbon, and its other gaseous Greenhouse friends, for the past 40 years. Many different methods and practices have been put in place to slow down or stop the emission of carbon dioxide, the by-product of burning fossil fuels. From the implementation of Renewable Energy Standards to the discussion of taxes or fines on carbon; everything has been considered. One method commonly used to reduce Carbon from entering the atmosphere is called Carbon Capture Sequestration or Storage abbreviated CCS.

CCS takes the carbon that would have entered into the atmosphere and redirects it to other sources, such as underground caverns or bacteria filled ponds. CCS does not result in less Carbon being produced; it merely results in less carbon entering the atmosphere. Unfortunately, negative side effects still exist in the form of polluted aquifers, soil and water. The EPA has decided to further restrict Carbon, even the carbon sequestered by CCS practices. Those participating in CCS now must account for all the carbon emitted and store and must assure the water surrounding them is safe from contamination often associated with CCS. Until completely renewable technology is available and viable for businesses something needs to be done to lessen the burden on those responsible for accounting all the carbon within the CCS process.

Continuous Energy Management and Optimization (CEMO) grants users the ability to monitor and manage anything that can be metered all on a comprehensive easy to read web-based dashboard. The information the CEMO system monitors will be stored on an external database that can be accessed from anywhere at any time making carbon accounting as easy as a few clicks of the mouse. The CEMO system has the ability to be customized according to the user’s needs. Anything that can be metered, can be monitored and measure, if you cannot measure it you cannot control it. With the CEMO system monitoring and controlling your CCS no longer needs to occupy all of your time.

The energy industry and the environment are two things which have been tied together since the beginning of the industrialized world. It comes as no surprise that the Department of Industry (DOI) wishes to discuss environmental law for energy awareness month. Environmental law is a complex system of treaties, statutes, conventions, common law, and regulations. The idea behind the law is to govern the impact humans have on the environment in terms of pollution and natural resources.

Two of the most discussed environmental laws at this point are carbon taxes and cap and trade. The main ambition fueling these institutions is the reduction of carbon, specifically carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. Carbon taxes have gained support in multiple groups over the last few years. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA) focuses on caps more than taxes. The ACESA is optimistic that these caps will create more jobs and give the United States an edge in the clean energy market.

Under cap and trade or carbon tax systems the economic incentives to lower carbon emissions can be substantial. In order to fully capitalize on a cap and trade system you would need to have a constant awareness of the amount of carbon being produced by your operations so that you can decide if you need to sell or buy carbon credits. In order to understand your carbon output you need to conduct carbon accounting which is generally a long process that is either carried out by an audit or through carbon inventories that will need to be accumulated and calculated in order to arrive at your organizations total carbon output. This can be an extremely long and expensive process.

Continuous Energy Management and Optimization (CEMO) contains powerful carbon accounting software that allows users to see the full picture of their carbon production in real-time for their facilities. The minute by minute information will show how energy efficiency or energy conservation is playing a role in your carbon reduction. The comprehensive dashboards will also factor in alternative energy sources or other carbon reducing practices. Without real-time information you are stuck waiting until an audit is completed or trying to guess your carbon reduction. You wouldn’t trade stocks without watching the market and the same applies for carbon credit trading. Why use guess work when you can have the power of real-time information at your finger tips?