Workshop: Measurement Challenges and Metrology for Monitoring CO2 Emissions from Smokestacks

NIST hosted its first workshop titled Measurement Challenges and Metrology for Monitoring CO₂ Emissions from Smokestacks held on April 20 and 21, 2015 at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus. The workshop attracted a diverse group of attendees including representatives from several National Metrology Institutes (U.S. Korea, China, Taiwan), the US EPA, Relative Accuracy Testing Audit (RATA) companies, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), stack measurement equipment manufacturers, power plants, and private laboratories that calibrate wind speed instruments and flow meters. The workshop provided an opportunity for this diverse group of stake holders to answer critical questions concerning the current capabilities and accuracy of CO₂ flux measurements from power plant smokestacks. We discussed possible shortcomings in existing CO₂ flux measurement strategies, new measurement methods with the potential to improve accuracy, and current research activities at NIST to support better CO₂ flux measurements. Workshop session topics included: 1) Continuous Emissions Monitoring Equipment (CEMS) and RATA Measurements, 2) Pitot Probe Characterization and Calibration, and 3) NIST Facilities and Flow Measurement Research.

The workshop provided the opportunity to develop international collaborations in advancing greenhouse gas emissions measurement science and disseminating standards in support of improved national greenhouse gas emissions inventories traceable to SI standards. Such traceability is essential for promoting measurement innovation and creating the potential for future international agreements in greenhouse gas emissions. The planning team is anticipating making the workshop a biennial event given the growing international interest in the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. A report of the content discussed at the workshop is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1201.