Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact Flashcards
7 cards from real REP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact flashcards as text
Which concept describes designing products so that materials can be continuously cycled back into production, eliminating waste?
Answer: Circular economy
The circular economy model aims to keep materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, eliminating the concept of waste.
What environmental benefit does demand response (DR) provide in a grid with high renewable penetration?
Answer: It reduces curtailment of renewable generation during overproduction periods
Demand response shifts electricity consumption to periods of high renewable output, reducing curtailment and improving the overall utilization of clean generation.
Which factor most significantly determines a wind project's annual carbon offset potential?
Answer: The carbon intensity of the grid it displaces
The carbon offset per MWh generated depends on the emissions intensity of the displaced grid electricity, which varies significantly by region and fuel mix.
The Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) is used in regulatory analysis primarily to:
Answer: Monetize the economic damages from emitting one additional ton of CO2
The SCC estimates the economic harm caused by releasing one additional metric ton of CO2, enabling cost-benefit analysis of emission reduction policies.
Which practice is considered a key principle of 'just transition' in the context of decarbonizing the energy sector?
Answer: Ensuring fossil fuel workers and communities receive support and economic opportunities during the shift to clean energy
A just transition ensures that the move away from fossil fuels does not disproportionately burden workers and communities that depend on those industries.
What is the primary environmental advantage of offshore wind compared to onshore wind?
Answer: Stronger, more consistent winds yield higher capacity factors with reduced land use conflicts
Offshore wind benefits from stronger, steadier winds (higher capacity factors) while avoiding land use competition, visual impacts, and noise concerns affecting populated areas.
In triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability accounting, the three pillars are:
Answer: People, Planet, and Profit
The TBL framework evaluates organizational performance across social (People), environmental (Planet), and economic (Profit) dimensions simultaneously.