Resalta Enters Polish Market Through Joint Venture with Luneos

03.09.2019

business-posao-mreža — Photo-illustration: PIxabay

Resalta is pleased to announce the launch of its new joint venture with the Polish energy transition service provider Luneos. Through the new venture, Resalta enters the next stage of its international expansion and begins operations in Poland.

The joint venture will combine the two companies’ strengths, with the aim of implementing an ambitious project pipeline in Poland, with a strong focus on combined heat and power in the industrial segment. Resalta’s technical expertise and prior experience on such projects, combined with Luneos’ knowledge of the Polish market will allow both companies to expand their respective businesses and offer their clients a broader portfolio of services and solutions.

“Resalta is happy to have found a strong partner for the next step of its international expansion, with shared values, ambitions and strong expertise. Poland is among the largest markets in Europe and we believe its potential for energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources is immense. We look forward to facing this challenge together with Luneos”, Luka Komazec, CEO of Resalta, said.

“We are extremely glad to team up with an expert partner who brings in significant experience and valuable expertise into the venture. Observing current changes in the energy market We understand the great challenge polish companies are facing. The search for modern, future-oriented, and own Energy sources is a natural direction of development. We believe the joint venture with Resalta creates a very good position for Luneos to offer suitable solutions to our clients,” added Zbigniew Prokopowicz, CEO of Luneos.

Luneos is a leading energy transition partner on Polish market offering a comprehensive service in preparation, financing, implementing and servicing investments in the area of LED lighting and photovoltaic installations. They invest in the energy independence of large and medium enterprises, providing energy optimization tools without investment contribution on the client’s side. Their combined activities aim at reducing energy costs and the cost of CO2 emissions, with a systematic drive to achieve energy independence.

For Resalta, this joint venture marks its entry onto the Polish market, the 9th country in which the company will be operating. Resalta is a leading energy efficiency and renewables company already present across SEE in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. A dynamic, fast-growing company, Resalta works with both public and private clients to finance, design and implement projects that reduce energy consumption, lower CO2 emissions and promote sustainability while generating cost savings. So far, the company has realized over 180 energy projects for over 120 clients and continues to expand its product and service portfolio.

Source: Resalta

Africa Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between High Growth and Low Emissions

03.09.2019

solarni-panel-koliba-afrika — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The urgency to mitigate climate change around the world is growing, with an increasing focus on lowering CO2 emissions. Nowhere is this more critical than in Africa, which has one of the world’s fastest growing populations, high levels of poverty, inequality and is disproportionately impacted by climate events including cyclones and drought. The continent is home to 86 of the world’s 100 fastest growing cities, 79 (representing 48% of Africa’s GDP) of which are classified as being at “extreme risk” of climate change.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ninno JackJr)

Given the strong correlation between energy usage and economic growth, this set of circumstances poses a challenge for African governments, businesses and communities: How can energy access and usage be accelerated to support economic growth, without increasing CO2 emissions and increasing the climate risks already facing the region?

While there are many other factors that contribute to economic growth and the living standards of individual citizens, the impact of electricity access cannot be understated. Energy and electricity are used to power industries from agriculture to financial services, enabling them to grow and employ more people. In the home, electricity reduces the amount of time and effort needed for everyday household tasks, empowering more people (particularly women) to take up employment outside the home, increasing household income and improving living standards. For these reasons and many more, improving electricity access must be a priority across Africa.

Yet, compared to the rest of the world, Africa has a significantly lower rate of access to electricity, with as many as 600 million people excluded across the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa has an average electricity access rate of just 38.5%, falling to 20.2% in rural areas. Even in urban areas, more than one in four people do not have access to electricity. This compares to rates of 100% in most developed parts of the world (including the EU and China) and over 85% in emerging economies in India and East Asia.

Sub-Saharan Africa also lags behind the rest of the world in terms of electricity consumption per capita and electric power distribution and transmission efficiency. Worryingly, it is one of the only regions for which electric power consumption per capita decreased from 1990 to 2010 (the latest year with a consistent global dataset). This is in stark contrast to other emerging economies – China’s consumption grew by 476%, the Arab world’s by 115%, East Asia & Pacific’s by 181% and India’s by 135%. This suggests economic stagnation and a prolonged under-investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution across sub-Saharan Africa at a time when its population has grown.

The condition and efficiency of the continent’s grid infrastructure needs attention if electricity access is to improve. Sub-Saharan Africa’s rate of electric power transmission and distribution losses are better than those in India and the Arab world, but still more than double those seen in the EU, East Asia & Pacific and China. Losses as a percentage of output in the region have increased by over a third since 1990, demonstrating a lack of grid maintenance and investment, which will continue to hinder electricity access and the associated economic growth.

Africa needs power, but at what climate change cost?

Renewables no longer a luxury

Historically, the high costs of utility-scale electricity generation from renewable and other low-emission sources meant that high government subsidies, industrial incentive programs and high levels of citizen engagement were needed to lower emissions without constraining economic growth. For many African governments, these were considered an unaffordable luxury.

Over the last five to 10 years, however, the cost of installing and operating renewable energy generation facilities at scale (particularly photovoltaic solar and onshore wind) has reduced dramatically. They now offer a competitive, or in some cases cheaper, alternative to traditional fossil fuel power plants.

Africa is a prime location for renewable energy developments due to its high levels of InSolAtion (Incoming Solar Radiation) and available land space for both solar and wind power. In addition, the modular, scalable and easily replicable nature of solar and wind power generation technologies means that where sufficient grid connections and storage infrastructure exist, these facilities can be rapidly planned, built and connected over much shorter time frames than their fossil fuel and nuclear counterparts; large nuclear or coal fired power plants can take over a decade to plan and build, whereas solar farms could be completed in less than two years. Of course, larger numbers of these installations are required, but this could also be used as an advantage, spreading generation facilities across a country instead of concentrating activity in a small number of strategic locations.

Historically, renewables needed to be subsidized by governments to be commercially competitive, but in recent years the Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) of utility-scale renewable solar and wind energy has fallen significantly, to the extent that both are now cheaper than almost all new-build fossil fuel power plants.

Policies for low emissions

For the wide-scale implementation of low-emissions power generation and reliable distribution to the 600 million people still without access to power in Africa, African governments, businesses and communities must work together to put appropriate policy frameworks and investment programs in place.

Firstly, government commitments to climate change and emissions targets must be supported by stable, or at least predictable, regulatory frameworks that incentivize and lower the barriers to renewable energy project development.

There is also reduced potential for African countries with fiscal constraints or high levels of debt to channel public money towards renewables and energy efficiency R&D, as has been done in wealthier parts of the world. African countries need to attract public-private partnerships, FDI or “mission programme” funding to develop renewable projects without adversely impacting public finances.

Power investment in the region has been hindered by persistent financing risks (often relating to political risk and the financial strain on national utilities operators), challenging project development and insufficient or unstable regulatory frameworks. These factors emphasize the need for governments to work to centrally coordinate energy planning and investment requirements, putting in place the required incentives and fiscal safeguards to encourage private sector investment and international involvement in renewable energy power generation and distribution.
An uphill battle

Nowhere in the world is balancing the energy triangle of security and access, environmental sustainability and economic development more pressing than in Africa, which continues to face an uphill battle to develop its vast natural resources in a way that will benefit its citizens and the environment for the long term. As the vulnerability of the region’s fragile economy and fast-growing cities to climate change becomes better understood and more widely publicized, there can be no doubt that encouraging economic growth while minimizing the growth of CO2 emissions is a dilemma that the continent must solve.

With the increasing affordability and technological feasibility of renewable electricity, it is possible to build a grid system which provides sustainable electricity to Africa’s growing population. Given the limited ability for citizens to absorb tax increases to fund such projects, the onus has to be on governments to:

Create an attractive environment for investment in the power sector by foreign businesses and governments, including creating policy certainty and economic stability.
Work with international finance agencies to help guarantee critical investments in the power sector to further encourage foreign and private sector investment.
Where required, update energy generation, transmission and distribution policies to support independent power producers (for renewables), micro-grids and prosumers (consumers who also produce) to increase electricity access across the country.
Reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuel subsidies in support of lower cost new-build renewable power generation facilities.

The scale and scope of these actions begins to show the vast commitment required from African governments and their cooperation with international investors, foreign governments, NGOs, research institutes, businesses and communities to successfully solve this dilemma and transition Africa towards a low-emission, well developed economy that is supported by an inclusive, sustainable, affordable and secure energy system.

Source: WEF

This Is Why Denmark, Sweden and Germany Are Considering a Meat Tax

02.09.2019

butcher-mesar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Carnivores are in the firing line, with nations including Germany, Denmark and Sweden considering a tax on meat.

Advocates of such a plan say the environmental impact, health ramifications and concerns about animal welfare underpin the need for such a levy. But how realistic is it? And would it really work?

While the idea is likely to face opposition from farming bodies and industry lobby groups, in Germany Green and Social Democrat lawmakers are backing a higher sales tax on meat. Officials in Denmark and Sweden have considered similar proposals, according to a report from financial intelligence firm Fitch Solutions.

High emissions

Raising animals for food requires huge amounts of land, food and water. Added to that, the livestock sector plays a significant role in emitting greenhouse gases, producing 7.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That’s around 15% of all human-induced emissions.

While meat consumption is falling in some developed nations, it is rising elsewhere, including in China, according to research published in Science. When you add to that the FAO’s prediction that overall global demand for livestock is set to increase by 70% by 2050, you can see why some politicians back policies to limit it.

There’s a growing move away from meat in many developed countries. A recent report commissioned by the United Nations advocates plant-based diets to help mitigate climate change, including a policy recommendation to reduce meat consumption.

A tax on meat would echo other levies imposed around the world to promote public health and well-being. In addition to long-standing charges on alcohol and tobacco, sugar taxes are now in place in many countries including the UK, Ireland, Portugal and the UAE.

Really effective?

Even so, such measures can be controversial, with some arguing they fall disproportionately on low-income consumers. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning a review of how “sin taxes” work in the UK.

Others argue that better-designed policies could make these taxes work more effectively and alleviate the impact on the low-income population. A working paper from the US National Bureau of Economic Research explores how this could function in practice through the theoretical framework of a soda tax.

A study in Science contends more evidence is needed about the effectiveness of trying to influence people’s food purchasing and consumption.

“The multitude of factors that influence the price and availability of meat, and how it is processed and marketed, determine a socioeconomic landscape that profoundly affects, and is affected by, norms and behaviors,” the authors wrote.

“The existence of major vested interests and centres of power makes the political economy of diet change highly challenging.”

Source: WEF

Turning Europe into a Giant Wind Farm Could Power the Entire World

02.09.2019

vetropark-vetrenjače — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

On windy days, Europe’s growing number of wind farms can run entire nations on clean energy. But what if there were turbines in every potential location? Scientists have calculated that in such a scenario – however unlikely – Europe could generate enough onshore wind power to satisfy the entire world’s needs.

Mapping the wind

Researchers at the University of Sussex in the UK and Aarhus University in Denmark have developed techniques to map the total potential of onshore wind energy across the European continent. The research suggests that Europe could produce 100 times more energy than it currently does from onshore wind farms.

The map below shows that countries in Eastern Europe offer the greatest potential for generating additional onshore wind energy, with Norway and Iceland also presenting the opportunity to maximize renewable energy production.

The research team used digital wind atlases to provide finely detailed information on wind patterns across Europe. Armed with this data they identified that 46% of the European landmass would be suitable for the installation of wind turbines, and that’s after excluding urban areas, military sites and other landscapes unsuitable for reaping the wind.

The study estimates that more than 11 million additional wind turbines could, theoretically, be installed over almost 5 million square kilometres of suitable terrain.

The report concludes that if this potential was fully exploited, Europe could provide the whole planet with all the energy it will require as far into the future as 2050.

However, we should note the use of the word ‘theoretically’. The research team is quick to point out that this is not a proposal, but an indication of the untapped power of onshore wind capacity.

“Obviously, we are not saying that we should install turbines in all the identified sites but the study does show the huge wind power potential right across Europe which needs to be harnessed if we’re to avert a climate catastrophe,” said co-author Benjamin Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Sussex.

The decline of coal

For two weeks in the early summer of 2019, the UK ran entirely on energy produced without burning coal. On those sunny, breezy days in May, the output from renewable sources allowed the UK National Grid to shut down its coal-fired power stations and pump wind and solar energy into the homes and businesses of consumers.

The UK’s reliance on coal has declined dramatically and its government has announced plans to shut down all of its remaining coal-fired power stations by 2025.

A global shift to renewables

China and India are installing renewable energy capacity on a vast scale.

China aims to increase renewable generating capacity by 38% in 2020 (compared to 2015 levels) with a total investment of $361bn, according to UN data. In recent years India has exceeded its targets for installing renewable capacity. In 2016 it overshot its target by 43%.

Looking ahead, India is planning to install 175 gigawatts of capacity in 2022, according to the UN. China is cancelling plans for new coal-fired power stations and India is expected to follow suit by 2022.

Winning a battle, losing the war

Despite the shift towards clean energy production, greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change continue to increase.

Global coal power generation increased 3% in 2018, with growth mainly in Asia, particularly in China and India.

The UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2018 shows there is no sign of a peak in the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere.

The report shows that in 2017 emissions from energy and industry went up after three years of stability. Climate scientists have warned we have just over a decade to keep the global rise in temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius. But to achieve that, greenhouse gas emissions will have to be 25% lower by 2030 than they were in 2017. As we head towards 2020, we are still moving in the wrong direction.

Source: WEF

Great Barrier Reef Outlook Now ‘Very Poor’, Australian Government Review Says

01.09.2019

koralni_greben — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Marek Okon)

The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef has deteriorated from poor to very poor according to an exhaustive government report that warns the window of opportunity to improve the natural wonder’s future “is now”.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s outlook report, published every five years, finds coral reefs have declined to a very poor condition and there is widespread habitat loss and degradation affecting fish, turtles and seabirds.

It warns the plight of the reef will not improve unless there is urgent national and global action to address the climate crisis, which it described as its greatest threat.

The report says rising sea temperatures and extreme events linked to climate change, such as the marine heatwaves that caused mass coral bleaching in the northern two-thirds of the reef in 2016 and 2017, are the most immediate risks.

Other major threats include farming pollution, coastal development and human use, such as illegal fishing. The report says water quality is improving too slowly and continues to affect many inshore areas, largely due to farming practices that had not improved rapidly enough.

“Without additional local, national and global action on the greatest threats, the overall outlook for the Great Barrier Reef’s ecosystem will remain very poor, with continuing consequences for its heritage values also,” the report says.

“The window of opportunity to improve the reef’s long-term future is now.”

The authority’s chief executive, Josh Thomas, said the reef was widely recognised as one of the best managed marine protected areas in the world and its world heritage values remained intact, but it was at a critical point in its history.

“While the reef is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, its future is one we can change – and are committed to changing,” he said.

The report maps the health of the reef, which it says has declined from what was described as a crossroads in 2009 to “under pressure” in 2014 to being a “changed and less resilient reef” in 2019.

It says not all areas of the reef have been equally affected and the challenge to restore the reef is big, but not insurmountable. It would require action to effectively address the climate crisis and effective implementation of the government’s 2050 reef plan.

The environment minister, Sussan Ley, said the reef had been hit over the past five years by two mass coral bleachings, several cyclones, an ongoing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak and the impacts of climate change. She said the “very poor” outlook was something “we can change and are committed to changing”.

Other key findings of the report include that: seagrass meadows are in poor condition; some species populations are being substantially affected by habitat loss and degradation; the size of the reef is becoming a less effective buffer to widespread and cumulative impacts; reef-dependent economies need to prepare for the impacts of a less diverse ecosystem caused by rising ocean temperatures.

Global Heating Brings Mediterranean Butterfly to the UK

31.08.2019

leptir_plavi_priroda — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A fast-flying migratory butterfly from the Mediterranean is appearing in large numbers across southern England this summer as a result of global heating, experts say.

More than 50 long-tailed blues and hundreds of the butterfly’s eggs have been discovered in recent weeks, which is likely to result in an unprecedented emergence of the butterfly in Britain later this autumn.

Experts believe record-breaking summer temperatures have led to the brightly coloured insect booming in number, with longer-term global heating helping it shift far north of its historical range.

“We’ve never recorded this many migrant adults before – it’s completely unprecedented,” said Neil Hulme of Butterfly Conservation, an expert on the long-tailed blue. “In only a few days, I’ve found more than 100 eggs in Sussex alone and the butterfly has been seen in Cornwall, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent and Suffolk. We’ve even had a sighting in Glamorgan, in south Wales.”

The long-tailed blue is abundant in Africa and southern Europe but was once an extremely rare visitor to Britain – possibly brought in accidentally on imported plants and vegetables. Only 30 butterflies were recorded over 80 years after it was first spotted in Britain in 1859.

But this is the third time in six years that large numbers have crossed the Channel to reach the south coast, with a record 109 sightings in 2013.

The long-tailed blue may be small but it is a powerful flyer and lays eggs on plants such as everlasting pea, which are common in gardens and allotments. The eggs laid by migratory butterflies will hatch adult butterflies at the end of September or in October, but British winters are too cold for the butterfly to survive.

Hulme added: “In hot weather it can go through its entire lifecycle in just over a month, which is half the period taken by many species. The caterpillar grows up inside the flowers and pods of peas and similar plants, hidden away from predators. It has the full toolkit for world domination.”

This is proving to be a vintage year for migratory insects, with the largest invasion of painted lady butterflies since 2009 and other rarer migrant species such as the bedstraw hawk-moth and the Queen of Spain fritillary also being recorded.

Dan Hoare, of Butterfly Conservation, said the long-tailed blue sightings confirmed the butterfly was extending its geographical range northwards in response to global heating.

“Our rapidly changing climate brings positives for some expanding species, while others may find it much harder to adapt and keep pace with the changes,” he said. “Butterflies, moths and other insects respond quickly to environmental change, providing an indicator of the impacts of a warming climate on the natural world.”

Source: Guardian

From Bio Waste to SCOBY Packaging

30.08.2019

compost-419259_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

If you’ve ever made kombucha, you’re familiar with the process of using a culture of bacteria and yeast to ferment tea. That culture is called a “scoby” and the process has inspired designer Roza Janusz to look at the ways that natural bio-waste can be used to replace traditional packaging materials such as plastic and leather.

MakeGrowLab’s SCOBY Packaging is home-compostable, has a shelf life of 2 years, an oxygen barrier and a microbial barrier, is insoluble in water and impermeable to water, and is 100% free from plastic and microplastic, not to mention being edible! From bags to bowls, the material can be used for all kinds of packaging and wrapping that might normally be done with plastic.

The SCOBY project began with the early work of Polish designer and MakeGrowLab co-founder Roza Janusz. With her work, she wanted to answer the question: “What if we could grow materials instead of making them and at the end of their cycle, use it as fertilizer which would then be used to continue the cycle of a biological production system?” Roza experimented with agricultural waste, using the kombucha process to grow the SCOBY material. In order to refine the end-product of the SCOBY, which wasn’t quite ready to be used as packaging and textile, Roza teamed up with Josh Brito to form the MakeGrowLab.

Josh and Roza are currently in the middle of patenting the SCOBY Packaging material and process, with plans to move to a new facility by the end of the year. “Here we are currently conducting several tests to make sure we can deliver the best material to the world,” Josh told CleanTechnica in an email. “Without a large production facility, this material can be more expensive than plastic. For this reason and the high demand, we will be opening up a facility at the end of the year.” We’ll just have to be patient a little bit longer before we can give SCOBY a try.

Cost is one of the main obstacles for most startups and companies seeking to disrupt the stronghold of traditional plastic. Generally, biodegradable plastics cost more to make than PET plastic, and it will take a while for the demand to be high enough to make them competitive. Finding an affordable and effective biodegradable plastic to take on the status quo is an important part of the solution to the planet’s plastic litter problems.

Source: Clean Technica

When I Say Window, I Mean VELUX

29.08.2019

Nice weather is coming when we usually renovate spaces where we live, work, and spend pleasant moments with friends and family. Then we change windows, doors, blinds, we paint or replace the façade. When asked who to contact for professional help in the renovation, the first answer and friends’ recommendation is usually VELUX. And everyone agrees that there are no better ones in this field. However, few of us know the details that determine this company and provide her with the label “the best in the business”.

Just because I like to know what is embedded in the environment I dwell, I addressed top experts – representatives of VELUX Serbia. I asked them questions that I know for sure will be interesting for their new customers and clients.

I was pleased to receive a lot of important information, perhaps even more than I could imagine, from Mina Markovic from the Marketing and Sales Department and Stevan Culibrk from Project Support Department. Their professionalism, expertise, and dedication to help me select the product and provide top-notch service and necessary information cannot leave indifferent even the most demanding customers.

EP: The company VELUX Serbia was established in 1997 but it is less known that it is just one of the daughter companies. Can you tell us more about the parent company?

Stevan Culibrk: Although materials were hardly available during the Second World War, the Dane, Villum Kann Rasmussen managed to construct the first VELUX roof window that will turn dark, uninhabited attics into bright and inspirational places across the globe. The first VELUX roof window was mounted in one elementary school in 1942, and in the same year, it was registered as a brand. The idea came from an architect who sought a technical solution that would allow the room below the roof to be functional as a classroom. The name VELUX is a two-word coinage: VE from ventilation and LUX from the Latin word for light, which emphasizes the two basic elements that the roof window brings into space, which are fresh air and natural lighting. The VELUX company’s headquarters is located in Denmark in Horsholm.

For more than 75 years, VELUX has been creating a better living environment in homes around the world. We have production and sales in more than 40 countries with an extensive distribution network. Our products include roof windows as well as a range of decorative elements: outdoor sun protection, interior blinds, installation products and remote-control products.

EP: When we say the roof window, we all think of VELUX. However, this is just one type of windows in your company’s offer.

Stevan Culibrk: Almost everybody name roof windows as VELUX, which makes us extremely proud, and our brand is also the first association for roof windows for pitched roof. However, the VELUX product range applies to all types of inclined roofs from 0° to 90°.

If you want superb comfort, the solution is the VELUX INTEGRA® roof window with the remote control. With the remote control, you can control the window, interior and exterior blinds from anywhere in the house. The built-in rain sensor ensures that the window closes automatically with the first drops of rain.

VELUX CABRIO® turns your roof window into a balcony in just a few seconds, so you can enjoy the fresh air without leaving home. Opening the lower part automatically raises an integrated fence that provides the necessary security. We also have a roof terrace that is an excellent solution for the roof inclination from 35° to 53°.

The VELUX ACTIVE window provides automatic control of the indoor climate, taking into account three parameters: temperature, humidity and CO₂ levels. The system automatically regulates the opening and closing of the roof windows, as well as the interior and exterior blinds providing a healthier indoor climate.

With the VELUX sun tunnel, which can be for flat and pitched roofs, it is possible to get natural light even in the darkest parts of the house. Through a high reflection tube, the light can be transferred from the roof to the ceiling if their distance is up to 6 m. It is deal for small rooms and narrow spaces, such as corridors, bathrooms and rooms without natural light. They are an excellent solution even on cloudy and winter days. The tube is 35 cm in diameter, and it is coated with a super-reflective coating which allows the light transmission to be 98% in the room.

EP: You mentioned there are windows for flat and pitched roofs. Which are sold more and why?

Stevan Culibrk: VELUX is recognizable for the windows for pitched roofs, and they indeed occupy an important place in our sales. But as the trends in the construction industry are oriented to a flat roof, the windows for flat roofs are becoming increasingly important. Here, I would point out that the flat roof windows give three times more light than the facade windows. The façade window, no matter how big, cannot provide the distribution of light to the depth of the room. This problem is very efficiently resolved with VELUX flat roof windows, which in that way, enable a healthy living environment.

EP: Do we only buy windows and accessories, or your team of experts assists in assessing, selecting, installing and servicing?

Stevan Culibrk: In VELUX, special attention is paid to customers. We launched free counselling and consultations on the selection and installation of VELUX windows throughout the territory of Serbia. The team of experts contact the customer, arrange the appropriate appointment and on the spot take a look at the attic, the roof construction, the technical possibilities of installation as well as the needs of each customer. Based on this, we propose appropriate models and dimensions, as well as a recommendation for an authorized dealer and installer. What is also very important is to note that our products, if properly installed, have a warranty of up to 10 years. We have technical support in the field and service beyond the warranty period. There is also support for projects and work with architects, so we have encompassed all client groups with our services.

EP: In the world there is a trend of offering discounts. What benefits do you provide to your customers?

Stevan Culibrk: We had a great spring action in May, we wanted to please all our customers. By purchasing a basic and energy-efficient package, customers received free products. Also, very important are the current actions of our distributors throughout the year. We try to ensure that our authorized dealers always have some benefits, discounts and actions that will help end customers.

Prepared by: Milica Jordan

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Weak Systems and Funding Gaps Jeopardize Drinking-Water and Sanitation in the Poorest Countries

29.08.2019

sand-dunes-water-africa — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Water sounded the alarm for an urgent increase in investment in strong drinking-water and sanitation systems.

The call came as the international water sector meets in Stockholm for its annual conference during World Water Week (25-30 August 2019). It is triggered by a new report published by WHO on behalf of UN-Water that reveals that weak government systems and a lack of human resources and funds are jeopardizing the delivery of water and sanitation services in the world’s poorest countries – and undermining efforts to ensure health for all.

“Too many people lack access to reliable and safe drinking-water, toilets and hand-washing facilities, putting them at risk of deadly infections and threatening progress in public health,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Water and sanitation systems don’t just improve health and save lives, they are a critical part of building more stable, secure and prosperous societies. We call on all countries that lack essential water and sanitation infrastructure to allocate funds and human resources to build and maintain it.”

The UN-Water Global Assessment and Analysis of Sanitation and Drinking-Water 2019 (known as the GLAAS report) surveyed 115 countries and territories, representing 4.5 billion people. It showed that, in an overwhelming majority of countries, the implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene policies and plans is constrained by inadequate human and financial resources. Nineteen countries and one territory reported a funding gap of more than 60% between identified needs and available funding. Less than 15% of countries have the financial or human resources needed to implement their plans.

“If we are to create a healthier, more equitable and stable society, then strengthening the systems to reach those currently living without safe and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene services must be a top priority,” says Mr Gilbert F Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. “While we need to ensure that there is sufficient funding to tackle these critical challenges, it is equally important to continue reinforcing national delivery systems.”

While funding gaps and weak systems are holding many countries back, the report also found that countries have begun to take positive steps towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation.

“The Sustainable Development Goals have inspired us to take concrete actions at the national level to increase access to sanitation,” says Mr David Molefha, Principal Water Engineer at the Ministry of Land Management Water and Sanitation Services in Botswana. “We have developed a sanitation roadmap and are working to eliminate open defecation. With these actions, we are working to improve peoples’ lives.”

About half of the countries surveyed have now set drinking-water targets that aim for universal coverage at levels higher than basic services by 2030, for example by addressing water quality and increasing access to water on premises. In addition, specifically targeting open defecation will have a dramatic impact on public and environmental health.

As the international authority on public health and water, sanitation and hygiene, WHO gathers scientific evidence, sets and monitors standards, and promotes best policies and practices for ensuring safe, reliable water, sanitation and hygiene for all people.

Source: WHO

Underground Line to Heat Up London Homes During Winter

29.08.2019

train-2331175_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Anthony Tyrrell)

The sweltering temperatures on the tube’s Northern line will soon begin keeping homes in Islington, north London, cosy through the colder months, under a scheme to harness the heat from the underground.

By the end of the year the project will pipe heat from the underground into hundreds of homes and businesses that are part of a heating scheme in the borough. The project is one of a growing number of schemes across the UK designed to warm homes using “waste heat” from factories, power plants, rivers and disused mine shafts.

The hunt for alternative sources of renewable heat has gained pace after the government’s pledge to ban gas-fired boilers from new-build homes from 2025.

The Islington heat network already keeps about 700 homes warm by channelling heat created in the Bunhill Energy Centre, which generates electricity, into local council housing, schools and a leisure centre.

The next phase of the project, which is due to be completed in the coming months, will extend the network to a further 450 homes.

The tube project could pave the way for district heating schemes across the capital to warm homes with cheap, low carbon heat from underground lines.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) estimates there is enough heat wasted in London to meet 38% of the city’s heating demands.

Tim Rotheray, director of the Association for Decentralised Energy, said district heating schemes were mushrooming across the UK as a low-cost tool in tackling the climate crisis.

“Almost half the energy used in the UK is for heat, and a third of UK emissions are from heating. With the government declaring that we must be carbon-neutral within 30 years we need to find a way to take the carbon out of our heating system,” he said.

“The opportunity that has become clear to the decentralised energy community is the idea of capturing waste heat and putting it to use locally.”

In urban and industrial settings, waste heat is produced wherever there are cooling systems, thermal power plants or heavy industry. The key to harnessing heat is to use it locally.

British Sugar’s factory in Wissington, Norfolk, pipes excess heat produced from cooking syrup into a neighbouring 18-hectare (45-acre) greenhouse used to grow medical cannabis. It also pumps some of its carbon emissions into the greenhouse for the plants to convert to oxygen.

An even greater source of heat lies below many of Britain’s towns and cities: in the geothermal energy trapped in water at the bottom of old mines. Stoke-on-Trent is working on a £52m project to tap energy from hot water deposits deep underground. This will heat conventional water before it is pumped through the network to customers.

Stoke city council estimates the scheme, which will be operational by the winter of 2020, could cut its carbon emissions by an estimated 12,000 tonnes a year.

Tesla Scouting New Factory Locations in Germany

28.08.2019

autos-214033_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

German newspaper Rheinische Post reported on August 25 that representatives from Tesla have been scouting locations for a possible European factory in the state of North Rhine–Westphalia, which is located in western Germany and shares a border with the Netherlands and Belgium. NRW is that nation’s most populous state and home to three of its major cities — Düsseldorf, Köln, and Bonn. An extensive network of roads and railways connect the region to the rest of Europe.

Unnamed officials of NRW say initial inspections have already taken place. Although, precisely where in the state is not known. Representatives of the government and of Tesla have declined to elaborate further on the subject.

Just north of NRW is the state of Lower Saxony, which also shares a border with the Netherlands and is a little bit closer to the Scandinavian countries which — particularly in Norway — have embraced the transition to electric cars.

The newspaper also quotes Bernd Althusmann, economics minister for Lower Saxony, as saying Tesla has expressed an interest in his state as well, particularly the port city of Emden and the area known as Emsland. More than a year ago, Elon Musk tweeted the Germany was a strong contender for Tesla’s first European factory.

With Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai on pace to begin building cars before the end of this year, it makes sense for Tesla to turn its attention to Europe. Several European cities, provinces, and countries have been vying for Musk’s attention for years, including Spain, France, Sweden, Poland, Belgium, and more. The cost of shipping cars from California to European destinations must be quite high, and not all of that cost can be passed on to consumers.

Europe is also experiencing a surge in new battery factory construction. Tesla is planning to utilize battery cells made by LG Chem in Nanjing for its Chinese vehicles, so it is logical to assume it would consider using cells made by an outside supplier for any European-built cars.

It will be interesting to find out where Tesla ultimately decides to build its first European factory and why. But no matter the location, the company is clearly not worried about finding enough customers for its cars. Lack of demand? Forgetaboutit!

Source: Clean Technica

India Plans Large Renewable Energy Projects with Public Sector Companies

28.08.2019

rasmus-kuber-CROh0hfuG3I-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Rasmus Kuber)

The Indian government is reportedly planning to rope in public sector companies to set up large-scale renewable energy projects on the lines of the ultra mega power projects program launched a few years back.

According to media reports, the central government is planning to assign targets to public sector companies to set up large-scale renewable energy projects with capacities of up to 1.8 gigawatts each. The government may allow the companies to choose the power generation technologies to be installed at these projects.

Public sector companies owned directly by the central government and working in the power sector may form joint ventures with various state governments to set up these projects. Some of these companies could be NTPC, Solar Energy Corporation of India, NHPC, and Power Finance Corporation.

The public sector companies may collaborate with the state governments to identify and acquire land for these projects in order to keep the capital cost expenditure, and the tariffs, as low as possible. Installation of power plants shall be done by private project developers but a major change from several current tenders would be the deep involvement of the central public sector companies in the entire process which would add promote confidence among bidders and developers.

In order to ensure that state governments cooperate in land identification and acquisition, some revenue may be set aside for the states linked with the actual annual generation from these projects.

This ultra mega renewable energy project program, though not officially announced, seems to be in line with a similar program launched by the Indian government to set up coal- and gas-based power plants across the country. Under this program, launched in 2005, the government had planned to set up 15 power plants of 4 gigawatts of capacity each. The government managed to auction only four such projects and only two could be operationalized. While the operational power plants are much more efficient than conventional thermal power plants and are also among the cheapest coal-based power plants, the future of the other 13 power plants remained uncertain.

India already has a program that aims to set up 12 gigawatts of solar power capacity through public sector companies. This program has been designed to help and promote domestic solar cell and module manufacturers. However, the response to the tenders issued under this program has so far been quite poor.

Additionally, there is an ongoing program to set up solar power parks across the country with a cumulative capacity of 40 gigawatts. Several success stories have emerged through the implementation of this program. The added modifications to the proposed program — involving public sector companies and offering incentives to state governments to aid the land acquisition — could prove game-changers.

Source: Clean Technica

ABB Azipod® Takes Marine Propulsion to the North Pole and Beyond

27.08.2019

The_crew_of_KV_Svalbard_at_the_North_Pole._Photo_courtesy_of_the_Norwegian_Coast_Guard — Photo: Courtesy of the Norwegian Coast Guard/ABB

Norwegian Coast Guard’s vessel KV Svalbard has become the first ever Azipod®-powered ship to reach the North Pole, in another milestone for ABB’s leadership in sustainable marine propulsion technology.

Photo: Courtesy of the Norwegian Coast Guard/ABB

With its advanced technology, superior performance in the toughest marine environments and environmentally friendly electric operation, ABB’s Azipod® propulsion system has become an industry standard. In its latest milestone, Azipod® has made history, driving the Norwegian Coast Guard icebreaker KV Svalbard all the way to the North Pole.

KV Svalbard, built in 2001 and equipped with twin 5MW Azipod® icebreaking units, became the first Norwegian vessel to sail to the North Pole this August. The ship travelled through packed polar ice at speeds as high as 6 to 7 knots as part of an international scientific expedition, called Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment (CAATEX), that’s led by the Norwegian non-profit research foundation The Nansen Center.

“We were able to navigate through the Arctic waters and reach the North Pole faster than we thought possible,” said Ottar Haugen, Commander of the Norwegian Coast Guard. “This is a significant milestone for us and a proof that we have a vessel in our fleet equipped with a robust propulsion system that enables operations in the harshest ice conditions – all the way to the North Pole.”

Azipod® is an electric propulsion system that enables ships to be highly maneuverable, utilizing an electric drive motor located beneath the hull in a submerged pod, which can rotate 360 degrees to deliver thrust in any direction. An Azipod® propulsion is capable of breaking up to 2.1 m thick Arctic ice and has a proven ability to cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent as compared to traditional shaftline marine propulsion systems.

When Sovcomflot’s LNG (liquefied natural gas) carrier Christophe de Margerie made the world’s first-ever crossing of the Northern Sea in 2017 without the aid of an ice-breaker, it was powered by ABB’s Azipod® propulsion. Notable for many attributes, this vessel and her 14 sister ships feature some of the most powerful Azipod® thruster units for ice-going conditions produced by ABB (3x15MW).

The success of the Arctic expedition is the latest in a long line of milestones point for Azipod®. Since its introduction in 1990, ABB has delivered Azipod® electric propulsion systems to over 90 icebreakers and ice-going vessels with a combined propulsion power of up to 45 MW. Options for Azipod® propulsion span 1MW to 22MW, and the technology has played a key role in developing ABB’s strong position for environmentally-friendly electric propulsion. Azipod® propulsion systems have accumulated more than 15 million running hours, saving over 700,000 tons of fuel in the passenger cruise segment alone.

Azipod® is the marine propulsion system of choice not just for ice-going vessels but also for everything from cargo vessels to cruise ships, ferries, mega-yachts, offshore supply fleets, research vessels, wind turbine installation boats and drilling rigs.

ABB has continually improved Azipod® over the past three decades, resulting in higher efficiency and reduced emissions. This means that a ship consumes less fuel driving the generators which provide electric power to the Azipod®. Lower fuel consumption means reduced CO2 emissions. That’s important because the global ferry industry, which transports 2.1 billion passengers annually, is under pressure to meet the International Maritime Organization’s target of reducing annual emissions by 30 percent by 2025.

Source: ABB

WHO Calls for More Research into Microplastics and a Crackdown on Plastic Pollution

26.08.2019

julia-joppien-krCTg4cKtVQ-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Julia Joppien)

The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls for a further assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential impacts on human health, following the release of an analysis of current research related to microplastics in drinking-water. The Organization also calls for a reduction in plastic pollution to benefit the environment and reduce human exposure.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Julia Joppien)

“We urgently need to know more about the health impact of microplastics because they are everywhere – including in our drinking-water,” says Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health, at WHO. “Based on the limited information we have, microplastics in drinking water don’t appear to pose a health risk at current levels. But we need to find out more. We also need to stop the rise in plastic pollution worldwide.”

According to the analysis, which summarizes the latest knowledge on microplastics in drinking-water, microplastics larger than 150 micrometres are not likely to be absorbed in the human body and uptake of smaller particles is expected to be limited. Absorption and distribution of very small microplastic particles including in the nano size range may, however, be higher, although the data is extremely limited.

Further research is needed to obtain a more accurate assessment of exposure to microplastics and their potential impacts on human health. These include developing standard methods for measuring microplastic particles in water; more studies on the sources and occurrence of microplastics in fresh water; and the efficacy of different treatment processes.

WHO recommends drinking-water suppliers and regulators prioritize removing microbial pathogens and chemicals that are known risks to human health, such as those causing deadly diarrhoeal diseases. This has a double advantage: wastewater and drinking-water treatment systems that treat faecal content and chemicals are also effective in removing microplastics.

Wastewater treatment can remove more than 90% of microplastics from wastewater, with the highest removal coming from tertiary treatment such as filtration. Conventional drinking-water treatment can remove particles smaller than a micrometre. A significant proportion of the global population currently does not benefit from adequate water and sewage treatment. By addressing the problem of human exposure to faecally contaminated water, communities can simultaneously address the concern related to microplastics.

Source: WHO

Cuba Drastically Reforms Fishing Laws to Protect Coral Reef, Sharks and Rays

26.08.2019

hai-nguyen-6-qhtf3qEco-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Hai Nguyen)

Cuba has introduced sweeping reforms of its fishing laws in a move seen as smoothing the way for possible collaboration with the US on protecting their shared ocean, despite Donald Trump’s policy of reversing a thaw in relations.

The move is the first time the text of an environmental law in Cuba specifies the need for scientific research, which experts say will mean greater reliance on state-of-the-art US technology.

“If we don’t look for collaboration we can’t have the full picture,” said Jorge Angulo Valdes, a Cuban marine biologist at the University of Florida. Ocean science must continue to transcend political pressures, he said. “Trump is doing everything he can to close the doors on collaboration. Cuba is doing everything to make it easier to keep those doors open.”

Cooperation is as vital to US interests as it is to Cuba, Angulo-Valdes said. The two countries are separated by just 140km (90 miles) of water, and Cuban waters provide spawning grounds for species of snapper, grouper and other commercially important reef fish in the US. Maintaining healthy numbers of bonefish, a lucrative game fish in south Florida, for example, depends on protecting the species in Cuban waters, where the bonefish spawn, said Angulo Valdes.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Fabio Santaniello Bruun)

The reforms are Cuba’s first major overhaul of fishing laws for more than 20 years and a major step for preservation of some of the world’s most important marine ecosystems, said Dan Whittle, Caribbean director of the US-based Environment Defence Fund (EDF), which has worked with Cuba on conservation and sustainable fishing and brokered several of its key environmental agreements with the US.

“These laws also level the playing field because now the US can say that their neighbours are using the most up-to-date science,” said Whittle.

Despite having some of the world’s best preserved marine ecosystems, Cuba has seen declining fish populations, including of key commercial stocks like grouper and snapper. Angulo Valdes said: “Marine resources weren’t doing well, nearly 80% were in critical condition. The old law didn’t cover the private sector and wasn’t working.”

The new laws aim to curb illegal fishing, recover fish populations and protect small-scale fisheries, with increasing use of data-limited methods that allows fisheries to assess which species are most vulnerable, even when scientific data on specific stocks is scarce. The laws also separate sport and recreational fishing and brings fisheries under the management of the food industry ministry (Minal).

A key feature is a new licensing framework for the growing private commercial fishing sector in Cuba. Established in 2009 to increase seafood production and create jobs, this sector now has 18,000 private commercial fishers operating out of more than 160 fishing ports to provide seafood to state markets.

Rummaging Through Trash to Find Clean Energy

24.08.2019

hermes-rivera-landfill-plastic-waste-deponija-smeće-otpad — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Hermes Rivera)

Landfills around the world are filling up. In 2016, humanity generated over 2 billion tonnes of waste. In the next 30 years, that figure is expected to grow to 3.4 billion.

Where will all this waste end up?

A recent report by UN Environment’s International Environmental Technology Centre outlines one technology that has the potential to reduce the volume of waste entering landfills by up to 90 per cent.

Waste-to-energy plants have been around for over 100 years, but today their use is on the rise, with many seeing the plants as a quick-fix solution to growing waste challenges. This phenomenon is especially apparent in Asia, where some 1,200 of the 1,700 plants worldwide are found. Japan alone maintains over 700. China is on track to increase the number of their plants by over 50 per cent, according Yuanyang Ou of SUS Environment, a Chinese investor and operator of waste-to-energy plants.

The core concept remains largely the same as a century ago. Burn solid waste at high temperatures so that the waste is eliminated and use the excess heat to power turbines and create electricity.

Historically, this would also produce significant amounts of ash and toxic gases. Today’s waste-to-energy plants, however, are much cleaner. Advanced technologies help to burn waste at extremely high temperatures, which ensures complete combustion. Emissions are also specially treated, which leaves minimal amounts of toxic byproducts like flue ash. Some tests have even shown that the air emitted by certain waste-to-energy chimneys can be cleaner than the air flowing in.

“Removing waste is the primary benefit of these plants, but not the only one,” says Ou. “Energy capture mechanisms ensure that excess heat can be used for electricity generation.”

Globally, 1 per cent of renewable energy already comes from waste.

Keith Alverson, director of the UN Environment Programme’s International Environmental Technology Centre, points out that the climate benefits of waste-to-energy extend beyond renewables. “Waste-to-energy plants can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to open burning and landfills,” he says. “Open burning does not happen at a high-enough temperature for complete combustion, so emissions are dirty. And in landfills, biomaterial will decompose and emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.”

While they are typically clean, a mismanaged plant will produce unsafe byproducts, even with advanced emission control technologies. In countries where there are detailed regulations governing waste-to-energy plants, it’s less of an issue. But where countries don’t have strategies for maintenance and monitoring or guidelines on health and safety, there is a much higher risk.

The plants are also hungry beasts. A large-scale modern thermal waste-to-energy plant requires between 100,000–300,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year over, delivered daily over its lifetime. If an operator can’t procure enough waste, some plants could potentially drop below their optimal operating temperature. When that happens, efficiency drops, and the risk of toxic emissions is increased.

In an extreme scenario, operating a plant may mean a government has to import waste, or add coal to the waste stream, just to feed the fires.

And while a waste-to-energy plant may significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, it does not eliminate the need for them entirely. The residues that such a plant does produce are hazardous and require safe disposal.

Even with all of the downsides, the increase in the number of waste-to-energy plants is not slowing down. While the refrain used to be NIMBY—“not in my backyard” —these days it’s just as likely to be PIMBY—“please in my backyard”.

“The benefits of the plants are clear, but the technology is not without its problems,” says Alverson. “For those countries eyeing the technology, getting the regulations and the legislation right will ensure the technology does more good than harm.”

Source: UNEP

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