Earth Day - Carbon dioxide emission 2014

While March 28 2015 is designated as 2015 Earth day, it is high time during this event to know about the carbon dioxide emission that each of us contributed every time we switch on every bulb, television, computers and charging our cellphones.

Carbon dioxide is a leading green house gas that warms our planet to unprecedented levels. The level of annual temperature increase already leads to climate pattern disturbances that includes cyclones, super typhoons, drought, rising of sea level, remember super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013, it is attributed to global warming.

In 2014, Meralco has distributed a total of 30,611.85 Giga watt hours of electricity within Metro Manila, parts of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Quezon Laguna and Batangas. Do you know how much of this electricity was produce using fossil fuels and how much was produce using earth friendly (renewables) means? When we say about renewables that means energy from geothermal, hydro, wind, biomass, solar and biodiesel. Renewables are carbon neutral and does not contribute to global warming.

So who are the electricity generation plant source for Meralco in 2014?

And what are the fossil fuel type used by electricity generators that Meralco distributed in in 2014?

Meralco source it's 2% of distributed electricity in 2014 from renewable energy sources. Meralco sourced it's RE electricity from San Roque hydro electric from San Miguel Corp, WESM (Wholesale Electricity Spot Market) and from its own embedded customers like those from solar roof tops, biomass plant, landfill gas plants in Payatas and Montalban.

Electricity derived from hydro electric plant is the largest renewable energy contributed to Meralco. 

While WESM has several type of renewable energy, its renewable energy contribution to Meralco is 291.40 GWH. The fossil based electricity contributed by WESM to Meralco is 1,046.74 GWH.

The renewable energy technology contributed by WESM are geothermal, hydro, wind and biodiesel. These technology are carbon neutral or non CO2 emitting technology. Biodeisel contributed 2 GWH, Geothermal 172 GWH, Hydro electric 113 GWH and Wind 2.94 GWH. 

Do you know that in 2014 for every kWh of electricity we used, we contributed 0.59 kg of CO2.

So if each one of us uses 720 kWh per year, that means 177 kg of CO2 release into the air. 

Typical Filipino household consumes 300 kWh per month, that means 3600 kWh per year and CO2 emission of 2,124 kg CO2.

Do you know that each mature tree (5 years old and above) absorbs 23 kg of CO2. That means for each year if your household has an emission of 2,124 kg CO2 and you need to have at least 92 trees! 

Ask yourselves, did you plant 31 trees last year to offset your CO2 emission? Think about the environment each time you switch on that bulb, or the time spent playing computers or watching TV... each activity contribute to green house emission.

So how would you celebrate earth day in 2015? And how would you reduce your electricity consumption to help reduce the green house gas emission?

sources: Meralco website, WESM website and UN IEA website (for CO2 factor emission)

This blog was created with Metro Manila electricity consumption and its carbon emission in mind.