{"489561":{"#nid":"489561","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Breathe Easier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECombining information about electric power plant operation with real-time air quality predictions has allowed researchers to create a new capability for minimizing the human health effects of air pollution from power generating facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Pollutant Optimization Model, described in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, provides a new approach for reducing the health effects of ozone and fine particulate pollution. By considering health impacts and generating costs together, the hybrid model may provide a new tool for utility companies seeking to meet air quality standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a test case for the state of Georgia, the model suggested that health impacts could have been reduced by $176 million, while increasing generating costs by $84 million.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe looked at what would be the least expensive way of running these power plants if you take into account both the generating costs and the health impact costs,\u201d said Valerie Thomas,\u0026nbsp;Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial \u0026amp; Systems Engineering and School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech. \u201cYou would still be operating plants that emit pollutants, of course, but you would reduce operations at the ones having the greatest impact and increase the use of facilities that have less impact or are in other areas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new approach depends on the use of \u201creduced form\u201d air quality predictions. Comprehensive air quality models typically require days of computer time to calculate concentrations of pollution for one emissions scenario, but the new format uses only the \u201csensitivities\u201d derived from the full model to accurately produce predictions in less than a second. This capability would allow utility companies, for the first time, to test many possible scenarios in evaluating how air quality would change with different combinations of generating plant operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is really all about \u2018smart generation,\u2019\u201d said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cThis shows there\u2019s a way to meet the standards by controlling who emits what and at what time, and that may change the amount of investment you\u2019d need to make in new emission control equipment. Hour-by- hour, we\u2019ll be able to determine what makes the most sense.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECombining information about electric power plant operation with real-time air quality predictions has allowed researchers to create a new capability for minimizing the human health effects of air pollution from power generating facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Air Pollutant Optimization Model provides a new approach for reducing the health effects of ozone and fine particulate pollution."}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2016-01-22 12:16:46","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:27","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"489551":{"id":"489551","type":"image","title":"ISyE Professor Valerie Thomas Helped Develop the Air Pollutant Optimization Model","body":null,"created":"1453658496","gmt_created":"2016-01-24 18:01:36","changed":"1475895245","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:05","alt":"ISyE Professor Valerie Thomas Helped Develop the Air Pollutant Optimization Model","file":{"fid":"204405","name":"valerie_thomas.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/valerie_thomas.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/valerie_thomas.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":51477,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/valerie_thomas.jpg?itok=ej-TJR6U"}}},"media_ids":["489551"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"104451","name":"air pollution"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"171593","name":"ESNS"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"426","name":"isye"},{"id":"1135","name":"valerie thomas"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@isye.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWriter\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStewart School of Industrial \u0026amp; Systems Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404.385.4745\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["shelley.wunder-smith@isye.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}