It's not just a good idea... IT'S THE LAW!
To change a low-energy-state substance, like Carbon Dioxide, into a fuel, like Ethanol, energy must be expended. This process can be made more efficient through the use of catalysts, but you can't get something for nothing.
The energy will have to come from somewhere. It will probably come from the electric grid, which means it will come from coal or other fossil fuels.
So, if you draw the big box around the whole life cycle, you use electricity, which produces Carbon Dioxide, to change Carbon Dioxide to Ethanol. This Ethanol can then be burned to produce energy, which will release all of the Carbon Dioxide back into the environment.
So, the only question is, is the amount of energy released by the burning of the Ethanol greater or less than the amount of energy used to change the Carbon Dioxide into Ethanol. Unfortunately, it is an absolute physical reality that the amount of energy released must be less than the amount of energy consumed. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
So, in order to minimize the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the environment, if you're into that sort of thing, is to do nothing. This process cannot do anything but make the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the environment go up.
TANSTAAFL.
Haiku Guy wrote:
This process cannot do anything but make the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the environment go up.
________________________________________________________
It ain’t necessarily so!
If the energy comes from wind or solar that cannot be used on the grid for lack of demand then even if the process is inefficient it is essentially free.
I have 12KW of solar on my roof, I average on a good day between 60kw to 70kw of generation but, I can’t use all that, my normal usage is only 30-40kw per day. If I could put my 30-40kw excess production into liquid fuel as a backup to run my generator I think that would be great, more than great I would jump on it in a New York minute.
Putting my extra into a battery is inefficient too and using the battery decreases the life of the battery. Batteries are expensive, VERY expensive. I would much rather use free fuel to run the generator when needed than the battery.
Where I live the utility company will not buy back my excess production. They will hold it for me like a battery but if the grid is down how do I get my power back from them. I would rather not use my generator or battery but would rather use the generator than the battery if I have to use one or the other.