Signed by governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, AB 32 requires that by 2020 the state of California reduce emissions of key GHGs by 25%. The CARB GHG measurement network will help the state determine the effectiveness of programs designed to achieve methane reductions as required under AB 32.
Michael Woelk, CEO of Picarro, said: ”California will lead the way for GHG emissions measurement and verification. This is a critical step towards the establishment of regional and national networks of instruments taking actual measurements of GHGs and a move away from the dangerous reliance on carbon inventory and carbon accounting approaches that are built on potentially inaccurate human estimates and software calculations.”
A scientific journal article published by CARB scientists in January 2010 found that standard methane inventory calculations for Los Angeles County may underestimate measured atmospheric emissions in the region by 30%. A network of precise gas analyzers will help identify and explain these sorts of discrepancies.
Picarro said that a crucial criterion in CARB’s choice of its gas analyzer is the device’s capability to measure minute background levels of up to 1ppb. This precision allows CARB scientists to measure small variations in ambient methane in real-time and on a continuous basis, without frequent recalibration of the device.
The exact deployment location of CARB’s Picarro analyzers has been proposed and the board expects to have the first phase of its GHG emission measurement network in place within six months. Picarro analyzers are manufactured at the company’s Sunnyvale, California, headquarters and exported to countries worldwide.
