Join host Mark Smith as he dives deep with Jana Brodersen from Clean Connect to explore how mass balance calculations and digital twin technology are revolutionizing emissions monitoring and measurement in the oil and gas industry. This episode unpacks the technical foundations behind modern energy verification systems.

Tune in inside: Mass balance fundamentals, digital twin integration, IoT data mapping, ProMax simulation software, emissions monitoring technology, EPA compliance engineering, data fidelity scoring, ISCC certification processes, blockchain energy trading, AI-powered facility monitoring

Take aways:

• Mass balance works like a checking account - tracking what comes in versus what goes out of energy systems

• Digital twins combined with real-time IoT data create powerful facility monitoring capabilities

• Mapping IoT data to simulation software originally took 6 months per site, now reduced to potentially 6 hours

• Data fidelity scores help operators prioritize critical emission devices and measurement accuracy

• Camera monitoring integrated with mass balance calculations provides comprehensive emissions detection

• The future involves AI-powered automated facility management to optimize field personnel deployment

• ISCC certification requires ISO 14067 with mass balance methodology for renewable energy credits

• Multiple mass balances within closed systems allow pinpoint identification of emission sources

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:46 - Jana's Background in Oil & Gas Engineering

02:24 - Introduction to MMRVT Framework 05:33 - Understanding Mass Balance Fundamentals

07:37 - Digital Twin Development with Luminary

10:27 - Streamlining Data Integration Processes

12:03 - Data Fidelity Scoring and Meter Accuracy

14:02 - Combining Visual and Mass Balance Monitoring

18:00 - Future Vision for Automated Operations

20:09 - Outro

Quote of the show: "You have a camera that's now on site that is your eyes for the facility that you can actually see that something is happening that shouldn't be happening, which is emissions."

In the rapidly evolving energy sector where verification and blockchain-fueled trading are dismantling traditional systems, understanding the technical infrastructure becomes crucial. Jana Brodersen brings over 20 years of oil and gas engineering expertise, specializing in process design and simulation using advanced software like ProMax. Her journey from upstream facility design to emissions monitoring represents the industry's pivot toward environmental accountability and data-driven operations.

The conversation reveals how mass balance principles, fundamental to process engineering, now serve as the backbone for renewable energy certification through standards like ISCC. The integration of digital twin technology with real-time telemetry data creates unprecedented visibility into facility operations, enabling operators to track emissions with precision previously impossible.

The discussion explores the challenges of scaling these technologies across hundreds of sites, the importance of data quality through fidelity scoring, and how combining visual monitoring with mathematical models creates robust verification systems. As the industry faces increasing regulatory pressure from the EPA and growing demand for verified clean energy, these technological solutions become essential for operational success.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Empirical Energy Podcast for more insights into the technologies reshaping global energy markets, and share this episode with anyone interested in the intersection of engineering, environmental compliance, and energy innovation.

#EmpiricalEnergy #MassBalance #DigitalTwin #OilAndGas #EmissionsMonitoring #CleanEnergy #EnergyVerification #ProcessEngineering #IoTData #ProMax #EnvironmentalCompliance #EnergyTechnology #BlockchainEnergy #RenewableEnergy #ISCC #EPA #PermianBasin #FacilityMonitoring #DataIntegrity #EnergySector

Join host Mark Smith as he sits down with Emily Wilson, the brilliant scientist leading instrument development at Clean Connect, for an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge emission measurement technology. In this fascinating episode, Emily shares her remarkable 23-year journey at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where she developed groundbreaking instruments for measuring trace gases in Earth and planetary atmospheres, including sending the mini carb instrument into orbit via the space station in 2019.

Short description: Emily Wilson discusses her transition from NASA to Clean Connect and introduces Project Vulcan, a revolutionary approach to measuring and reducing stack emissions in real-time.

Tune in inside: NASA instrument development, miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer, Project Vulcan stack monitoring, combustion efficiency optimization, greenhouse gas reduction, empirical measurement vs emission factors, global carbon observation networks, spectroscopy applications, feedback loop technology, climate change mitigation

Take away:

• Learn how Emily's NASA-developed technology is being adapted for commercial emission monitoring

• Discover Project Vulcan's approach to mapping combustion emissions across stack cross-sections

• Understand why direct measurement beats emission factors for accurate environmental data

• Explore the potential for 10% greenhouse gas reduction through optimized combustion

• See how real-time feedback loops can gamify emission reduction for companies

• Understand the critical need for global carbon monitoring networks in developing countries

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:47 - Emily's NASA Background and Instrument Development

05:32 - Partnership with Clean Connect and Technology Transfer

07:02 - Project Vulcan Overview and Client Response

11:38 - Spectroscopy and Emission Mapping Technology

14:42 - Manufacturing Challenges and Component Sourcing

16:58 - Future Vision for Climate Impact and Global Monitoring

20:14 - Empirical Energy vs Traditional Emission Factors

21:52 - Outro

Quote of the show:

"I just want to build, I want to create the idea, buy the parts, build the thing, test the thing, manufacture the thing. That's the key part. And then we can get it into use."

Ready to dive deeper into the science behind emission measurement? Subscribe to the Empirical Energy Podcast for more groundbreaking conversations with the innovators reshaping global energy markets. Hit the notification bell to stay updated on the latest episodes featuring producers, traders, consultants, and renegades driving the clean energy revolution.

#EmpiricalEnergy #EmissionMeasurement #NASA #CleanTech #ProjectVulcan #SpectroscopyTechnology #GreenhouseGas #ClimateChange #InstrumentDevelopment #CombustionOptimization #EnvironmentalMonitoring #EnergyInnovation

Join Mark Smith on the Empirical Energy Podcast as he explores the cutting-edge world of blockchain-powered zero trust networking with Hans Rempel, founder of Diode. In this deep-dive episode, discover how blockchain technology is revolutionizing industrial cybersecurity and secure communications for critical infrastructure.

Short Description: Hans Rempel from Diode explains how blockchain technology transforms traditional VPN limitations into provably secure, permissionless communication networks for industrial facilities and IoT devices.

Tune in for insights on:

• Blockchain-anchored network definitions and access control

• Zero trust networking vs traditional VPN security models

• Permissionless secure communications for industrial IoT

• Mathematical ownership of network access control lists

• Self-custody security models inspired by cryptocurrency principles

• Provable data provenance for critical infrastructure

• Autonomous AI agent network provisioning challenges

• Clean Connect architecture optimization with Diode integration

Key Takeaways:

• Traditional VPNs require opening firewall ports and complex multi-system configuration management

• Zero trust networking uses bridging servers but introduces new vendor trust dependencies

• Blockchain eliminates man-in-the-middle attacks by putting access control lists on immutable ledgers

• Self-custody network definitions give facility owners mathematical control over their security

• Permissionless networks allow adding trusted nodes without vendor dependency

• Autonomous AI agents will require automated network provisioning at scale

• Provable data provenance enables complete audit trails from sensor to final energy attribution

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - Hans Rempel Background and Diode Company Origins

04:15 - Internet of Things vs Secure Inbound Communications

06:45 - Traditional VPN Limitations and Security Challenges

09:20 - Zero Trust Networking and Bridging Server Concepts

11:40 - Blockchain Integration for Provably Secure Networks

14:25 - Self-Custody Security Models and Mathematical Ownership

17:10 - Clean Connect Architecture Analysis and Diode Implementation

20:35 - Permissionless Network Nodes and IP Address Control

22:50 - Future of Autonomous AI Agents and Network Automation

24:15 – Outro

Quote of the Show: "We want to give the owner the facility owner or Clean Connect, we want to give you mathematical ownership of that access control list."

Don't forget to subscribe to the Empirical Energy Podcast for more insights into the intersection of energy, AI, and blockchain technology. Like this episode if you found Hans's explanation of blockchain zero trust networking valuable, and share it with anyone working in industrial cybersecurity or critical infrastructure protection.

#blockchain #zerotrust #cybersecurity #industrialiot #networking #vpn #criticalinfrastructure #energysecurity #cleanconnect #diode #autonomousai #provenance #selfcustody #permissionless #empiricalenergy