Worst Wildfire in California History Threatens State’s Climate Goals

29.12.2017

wildfire-1105209_960_720 — Foto: pixabay

As predicted, the Thomas Fire in Southern California was officially declared the largest wildfire in state history, surpassing the 2003 Cedar Fire which burned 273,246 acres and killed 15 people.

The vast blaze, now 89 percent contained, has burned through 281,620 acres, according to CalFire. More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged and two people were killed.

But the other devastating aspect? A future of even more fires due to climate change. The world’s rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gases makes fires more likely to occur not just in California, but across the planet.

And in a vicious cycle, the Golden State’s recent string of fires has caused a sharp increase in unhealthy air and carbon dioxide emissions, which drives global climate change. So even if you don’t live in California, its fires also affect you and our future generations.

“The kinds of fires we’re seeing now generate millions of tons of GHG emissions. This is significant,” Dave Clegern, a spokesman for the state Air Resources Board, a regulatory body, told KQED Science.

While the amount of emissions from the December fires have yet to be calculated, October’s wine country blazes alone released as much pollution as motorists in the state normally emit in a year.

Additionally, burning trees not only release a powerful pollutant known as black carbon, but the loss of a forest also hampers CO2 sequestration, Jim Branham, executive officer at the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, noted to KQED.

The immense scale of the emissions could also undermine California’s climate change goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

California Governor Jerry Brown has warned that the state’s vast fires “could happen every year or every few years.”

“We’re facing a new reality in this state, where fires threaten people’s lives, their properties, their neighborhoods, and of course billions and billions of dollars,” Brown commented after surveying the Thomas Fire’s damage in Ventura County. “With climate change, some scientists are saying southern California is literally burning up.”

Indeed, California’s fires have become more and more destructive, with 14 of the top 20 largest fires in state history having occurred since 2000.

Source: ecowatch.com

Using Solar Power As A Political Tool In Armenia

29.12.2017

photovoltaic-system solar — Foto: Pixabay

Electrical energy is not just about running refrigerators and recharging cell phones. It can also have political ramifications. Just ask the people of Armenia, who are still trying to move out of the shadow of Russia following the breakup of the Soviet Union decades ago. Armenia’s electricity all comes from gas-fired generating plants, except for the aging Metsamor nuclear facility which supplies 30% of all electricity within the country. 83% of the natural gas consumed by Armenia comes from Russia, which makes it difficult for Armenia to assert independence from its powerful neighbor. Russia also supplies all the fuel for the Metsamor facility.

Armenia is a good candidate for solar power. Each square meter of the country receives an average of 1,720 kilowatt-hours of sunlight each year. That compares favorably to only 1,000 kilowatt-hours per square meter in most of Europe. Deputy Energy Minister Hayk Harutyunyan tells Agence France-Presse his country has an “Energy Road Map” to using nothing but renewable power in the future. “To ensure its energy security and independence, Armenia, like any other country, strives to diversify energy sources,” he says, according to a report in South Africa’s The Citizen.

The goals of the Energy Road Map are modest at present — 8% of the country’s electrical needs will come from renewables by 2022, for instance. Armenia is under pressure from Europe to close the antiquated Metsamor facility immediately, but the government has decided to keep it operational until 2026, when it expects there will be enough renewable energy available to replace the power the nuclear plant provides.

“We have never had any illusion that the nuclear power plant could work forever. One day, we will have to stop it and we must be ready for this,” says Harutyunyan. “That’s why, during the last several years, Armenia has been stepping up efforts to develop all types of renewable energy — hydro, wind, and solar.” Experts say Armenia has the potential to generate as much as 3,000 MW of electricity annually from solar — more than it currently consumes. That means Armenia could transition from being an energy importer to an energy exporter, earning the nation much needed income.

In 2006, Russia took control of Armenia’s generating stations and its utility grid. Renewable energy would allow the landlocked country to move out from under the thumb of the Russians and control their own energy destiny. In late 2015, an Armenian tycoon with business interests in Russia, Samvel Karapetyan, bought out Armenia’s indebted electricity distribution company from a Kremlin-controlled holding, Inter RAO. His Tashit Group is investing in solar projects and has already spent some $500,000 building a solar power plant in the mountainous tourist town of Tsaghkadzor.

Harutyunyan says a consortium of investors from 10 countries are about to begin construction of a 55 MW solar power plant. The World Bank is supporting the project with an investment of $60 million as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the present time, three 1 MW solar installations have been completed in Armenia, with 7 more planned for 2018. The government is also sponsoring rooftop solar for many remote villages.

Energy independence would be especially helpful to Armenia, which is surrounded by not-so-friendly neighbors. It was negotiating with the European Union to join that group but Russian influence — largely as a result of having a stranglehold on its energy supply — forced the government to join the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which Russia considers a counterweight to NATO. Armenia has also been a sworn enemy of Turkey on its western border for more than a century. Azerbaijan to the east also has cast covetous eyes on parts of Armenian territory.

Renewable power may be key to a resurgence of Armenia’s political power — a lesson that could become increasingly important in a world being disrupted by changes in global weather patterns. “Alternative energy may not fully replace conventional energy sources, but it will help reduce Armenia’s energy dependence on Russia and, as a result, weaken the Kremlin’s political leverage over [the Armenian capitol of] Yerevan,” says Armenian energy analyst Alexandre Avanesov.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Tesla’s Massive Australian Battery Responds to Coal Power Outages in Milliseconds

29.12.2017

Tesla’s massive lithium-ion battery storage facility, which was designed to feed South Australia’s unstable power grid, is already proving itself by responding to power outages within milliseconds.

The system—the largest of its kind on planet Earth—was tested twice just this month. According to CleanTechnica, on Dec. 14, the Loy Yang coal power plant in the neighboring state of Victoria suddenly went offline. Remarkably, the Hornsdale Power Reserve battery system (the Tesla system’s official name) kicked in within 140 milliseconds and injected 100 megawatts of power into the grid.

Two weeks later, another unit of the Loy Yang plant unexpectedly went offline. Tesla battery’s also responded within milliseconds to send 16 megawatts to the grid.

“That’s a record and the national operators were shocked at how quickly and efficiently the battery was able to deliver this type of energy into the market,” State energy minister Tom Koutsantonis commented after the Dec. 14 outage. “Until now, if we got a call to turn on our emergency generators it would take us 10 to 15 minutes to get them fired up and operating which is a record time compared to other generators.”

The 100-megawatt Powerpack system, which charges using renewable energy from Neoen’s Hornsdale wind farm near Jamestown, is designed to hold enough power for 8,000 homes for 24 hours, or more than 30,000 houses for an hour during a blackout.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously made, and won, a bet that his company could build the battery within “100 days from contract signature or it is free.” The giant battery officially switched on in early December.

Source: ecowatch.com

Microsoft “AI For Earth” Project Will Democratize Access To Climate Change Data

29.12.2017

Information is power. Until recently, information about the condition of the earth’s environment has been accessible only to a limited number of people — climate scientists, researchers, and government officials among them. On December 11 — the two-year anniversary of the Paris climate accords — Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer of Microsoft, announced his company will invest $50 million over the next 5 years to democratize access to the data available about the environment available from the thousands of land, sea, and atmospheric sensors in place around the world using AI or artificial intelligence.

The plan is to make it possible for individuals and business owners to access the data available so they can analyze it themselves and decide how to best take strategic actions that will benefit them personally and support the quest for climate change strategies that promote the goals of the Paris climate accords. For instance, Microsoft envisions AI tools that will allow people to conserve energy and reduce water usage in agriculture.

On its AI For Earth webpage, Microsoft sets forth 3 goals:
Access — Through the AI for Earth grant program, individuals and organizations can gain access to cloud and AI computing resources to create more efficient environmental solutions.
Education — New AI for Earth educational opportunities will enable organizations to explore available AI tools, learn how to use them, and discover how these tools can meet their specific needs.
Innovation — AI for Earth will accelerate the pace of innovation by managing projects that demonstrate new applications, publishing research to further the scientific discussion, and partnering with others to expand and grow initial projects.

“AI can be trained to classify raw data from sensors on the ground, in the sky, or in space into categories that both humans and computers understand,” Smith said. “Fundamentally, AI can accelerate our ability to observe environmental systems and how they are changing at a global scale, convert the data into useful information, and apply that information to take concrete steps to better manage our natural resources.”

According to a report by Futurism, the expansion of the AI For Earth program involves 3 steps. First, Microsoft will provide funding for researchers around the world to design and test new AI applications. Second, the most promising applications will receive additional funds to bring them to scale. Third, Microsoft will make the most useful applications part of the services it provides to climate scientists and others involved with sustainable initiatives.

“We face a collective need for urgent action to address global climate issues. When we think about the environmental issues we face today, science tells us that many are the product of previous Industrial Revolutions,” Smith said as part of the December 11 announcement. “We must not only move technology forward, but also use this era’s technology to clean up the past and create a better future.”

Democratizing access to information may provide a means of bypassing the climate trolls who insist climate change is a hoax dreamed up by China to embarrass the US. It could empower people to make up their own minds without resort to the priests of propaganda whose mission is to obfuscate and confuse. With luck, this approach could change the narrative being bandied about by certain political leaders who shall remain nameless.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Green Tech Will Be Everywhere in 2018: Politics Cannot Stop the Revolution

29.12.2017

In 2017, clean power gathered unprecedented momentum. Multiple automakers launched entire families of electric vehicles (EVs), including the most exciting one yet, Tesla’s Model 3. With climate change problems mounting, national and local governments are pushing for more renewable energy and an end to fossil-fueled cars — despite hostile moves in those areas by US President Donald Trump. Elected officials and the public want fewer gas-powered vehicles and coal plants, and more EVs, solar panels, and wind turbines. That will ultimately benefit your health, wallet, and environment, and you’ll be less reliant on large energy and oil corporations, to boot.

With the expectations of consumers, companies and governments all getting higher, 2018 has a lot to deliver. There are key deadlines, especially on Tesla’s part, and if companies miss them, green buyers could go from exuberant to depressed. Here’s what to expect on the consumer side for EVs, clean home power, battery storage backup, and more.

Despite increasing concern that atmospheric CO2 levels are reaching the point of no return, president Trump opted America out of the Paris climate agreement, and along with many Republicans in control of American Congress has pushed coal and oil instead of clean energy. The rest of the world, however, is moving forward. France, for one, created the “Make our Planet Great Again” initiative as counter-programming to Trump. That nation and the UK will also ban fossil-fueled cars completely by 2040. Elsewhere, China installed a record number of wind and solar energy projects in 2017 to curb its own smog issues, and has even bigger plans for 2018 and beyond. The nation wants 20 percent of its power to come from solar or wind by 2030, and to invest around $560 billion by 2020, creating 13 million jobs in the process. As China is now the world’s biggest polluter, this will not only mitigate global CO2 levels but make green tech cheaper around the world.

Electric, hydrogen and hybrid vehicles

In 2018, you’ll have more choice than ever for green transportation as plug-in-hybrid choices expand and EVs become ever more mainstream. Whereas before Tesla was the only game in town for long-range electric transport, you can now choose a Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf or, if you’re in Europe, a Renault Zoe. Next year there will be even more choices as cars like the VW e-Golf and the Jaguar i-Pace arrive.

Tesla started delivering the Model 3 in July 2017 to the nearly 400,000 people who ordered one. At that time, Elon Musk promised to build around 1,500 in September, 20,000 this month, and up to 10,000 a week later in 2018. Suffice to say, that didn’t happen — not even close. By the beginning of October, the company had produced 260 cars only, reportedly because of Gigafactory battery production issues and other problems. Things have picked up since, with large numbers of Model 3s reportedly spotted at delivery centers. On top of that, suppliers recently reported that Tesla has increased its demand for parts for up to 5,000 vehicles per week. If Tesla holds to that, it will just be a month or two behind its original schedule. Still, last quarter it produced a record 25,336 vehicles over three months (mostly Model S and Model X EVs), so 20,000 Model 3s in a single month would be a big leap.

Lucky for us, other manufacturers will be selling other new or updated EVs next year, including Chevy, Nissan, Jaguar, and Audi.

Solar power

Tesla is also one of the most interesting consumer solar power companies for 2017. It launched its Solar Roof in late 2016, providing an option for homeowners who want solar-powered homes but not ugly solar panels. If you’re building a new home or replacing your roof anyway, the solar tiles compare favorably with pricey roofing options like slate or cedar shingles. Customer deliveries only recently started (delays with Tesla are obviously a thing), but by next year the company should be building enough to fulfill all of its orders.

Panasonic has reportedly also started building its high-efficiency, low-profile solar panels for Tesla at the Gigafactory 2, in Buffalo. Those will sell in limited numbers next year, but reportedly won’t reach peak capacity until 2019.

In a new wrinkle on the sharing economy, so-called blockchain microgrids could bring solar power to the masses. A company called LO3 Energy promises to let communities buy and sell solar power generated locally. The system works on any size solar installation, from hundreds of homes to just two. If solar power could be shared among multiple homes or businesses, it would become a lot more affordable.

Sunpower is another company to watch. It launched a new type of panel that uses a technique called “shingling” to fit more photovoltaic cells into the same space. That could result in cheaper solar panel installations for both consumers and energy companies.

Batteries, hydrogen and infrastructure

Lithium-ion battery systems are having a good year outside of EVs, famously helping Australia and Hawaii save sun and wind energy for rainy (or calm) days. Tesla again gets the lion’s share of publicity for its Powerpack installations, which helped it win a $50 million bet with the South Australian government.

We also have to give a nod to Ikea, though, which has been selling inexpensive solar panels in the UK and other nations. It unveiled its own battery system in Britain (manufactured, again, by Panasonic). For £6,925 ($9,300), you can get a package with both solar panels and the battery, including installation.

There are still a few developments that could arrive to market as early as next year. The most promising is perhaps StoreDot’s batteries, which can be charged in as little as five minutes for both EVs and smartphones. The company has been vague about how it works, saying the tech uses nano-materials and organic compounds. If batteries like those used by Tesla and Chevy could be charged in five minutes rather than an hour, it would obviously make EVs a lot more practical for long trips.

More realistically, Samsung was among the first of the big manufacturers to launch a faster-charging lithium-ion battery, the 21700 cell, at the beginning of the year. It can be fully charged in just 20 minutes, a significant improvement over the 30-minute-plus charging times of current cells. The only problem: While they’re already available for e-bikes and other smaller devices, Samsung reportedly won’t mass-produce them for cars until about 2021.

As for whether you’ll drive a hydrogen car in 2018, the answer is “not likely.” The cars are still far too expensive ($60,000 or so for the Toyota Mirai), and there are almost no filling stations in North America. Hydrogen needs economies of scale to kick in, and with EVs coming on strong, that seems increasingly unlikely.

Speaking of infrastructure, with more companies launching EVs, you’ll need more places to charge them besides your home. In Europe, the Ionity network will be launching more than 400 stations by 2020, including eighty 350kW ultra-fast chargers that can juice up future EVs in as little as five to 10 minutes.

In the US, there are now around 16,000 charging stations, with 13 percent of those offering fast charging.

Conclusion

If 2018 fulfills the potential of 2017, green energy will become an unstoppable force. Any moves the Trump administration decides to make against it will only hurt the US in the short term, as green tech becomes an economic force around the world. EVs next year could be cheaper than gasoline cars for the first time, considering overall cost of ownership. Suffice to say that replacing a million gas-burning cars will have a big impact on atmospheric CO2 levels.

Even without big breakthroughs, battery tech keeps evolving and is bound to give us more capacity and faster charging times in 2018. Small tech and engineering gains will also make solar panels a bit better and a bit cheaper.

By 2019 and 2020, EVs with self-driving tech will be cheap, practical and mainstream. With solar and wind starting to beat coal, nuclear and gas-powered plants in price, the power you use for your EV and home will be cleaner and cleaner. Will this save the planet from excess CO2 levels? Maybe not, but we have no choice but to try.

Source: engadget

UK Clean Energy Records Make 2017 ‘Greenest Year Ever’

28.12.2017

This year is set to be the “greenest ever” for the UK, according to data provided by the National Grid.

Over the course of 2017, 13 different renewable energy records have been broken.

“It’s been an exciting year managing the many ‘network firsts’,” said Duncan Burt, director of the system operator at National Grid.

These “firsts” include the first full day since the Industrial Revolution without coal power, an achievement that head of energy at Greenpeace Hannah Martin said would have been “unimaginable” a decade ago.

Other achievements include the most electricity produced from solar power at any one moment, and the most wind power produced in a day.

Britain’s power system is the fourth cleanest in Europe and the seventh cleanest in the world.

It is still lagging behind Germany, which has invested extensively in renewable energy and actually paid consumers to use energy over the Christmas period due to supply outstripping demand.

However, public support for green energy is at an all-time high in the UK, and WWF predicted 2017 will be the “greenest year ever” in light of its broken energy records.

“We have never been cleaner or greener – and we are on course for an even better year in 2018,” said Gareth Redmond-King, head of energy and climate at WWF.

“This is the success of supporting renewables in electricity,” he said.

“The Government has subsidised onshore wind, offshore wind, solar, hydro, the lot, and that has led to the cost of it falling, we have built more and now a third of our electricity comes from renewables.”

In partnership with WWF and Environmental Defence Fund Europe, National Grid has been working to forecast the carbon intensity of electricity.

Mr Burt said 2017 represented “a new era of grid operation”.

“We now have significant volumes of renewable energy on the system which poses an exciting challenge for us in ensuring the supply and demand is matched second by second,” he said.

“As this trend continues, our ability to forecast these patterns is becoming more and more important. We have an expert team of forecasters who monitor a range of data, to forecast just how much electricity will be needed over a set period.”

Experts at the National Grid work with industry to ensure they are equipped to deal with the changing energy landscape, according to Mr Burt.

“Climate change is wreaking havoc on our nature and wildlife, but we are at last facing up to the challenge, turning our backs on polluting fossil fuels and embracing a new, clean future,” said Mr Redmond-King.

However, he noted the importance of strong, continued Government action to drive this move towards greener energy.

“This is a success in terms of power; we haven’t done so well in relation to cutting emissions in our homes and vehicles. That’s where we need more concerted action,” he said.

The Government set out its clean energy strategy in October, which included over 50 measures to improve energy efficiency and clean power.

However, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas described the plan as a “blueprint for underachievement”, and critics suggested it did not do enough to meet the UK’s emissions targets.

A commitment to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 does not go far enough, according to WWF, and should be brought forward to 2030.

Mr Redmond-King said while the strategy included a commitment to “decarbonise” our homes, it did not set out how this would be achieved.

“It’s a big job, but it has huge impacts, and we really need to see the detail of how the Government is going to commit to do that,” he said.

Source: independent.co.uk

New Solar Energy Law in Indianapolis

28.12.2017

solar-panels — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A new law that takes effect in just five days could impact solar panel users across the state.

Senate Bill 309 takes effect January 1st, 2018. Scott Biggs,with Jefferson Electronic in Indianapolis said “The solar market has heated up because the economics make more sense to save money for people.”

Right now, solar panel users get a credit on their power bill for putting excess energy back onto the power grid. But, some say that benefit is about to get a bit dimmer.

“I think if you don’t look past the headline, it looks scary. It looks like solar energy is not going to be a good thing or the utility company’s not going to let you do it. That’s not really true at all,” Biggs explained.

Under the new law, Biggs said customers who install solar panels after December 31st 2017 would get the credit, at current rates, for just the next 15 years. If you already have solar panels, or install them before year’s end, he says you are grandfathered in for 30 years.

“So, if you put in a new solar system on the second of January, you really don’t have anything to worry about for 15 years. And in 15 years, that will take affect and it will lessen some of the credit.” Biggs explained.

Biggs said solar panel costs are plunging which is making the solar business grow.

“I think the legislation has done us a favor, because it got more people talking about it. To the extent it’s a negative thing. I don’t really think it’s going to affect a lot of our customers 15 years down the road,” Biggs said.

Indiana’s investor-owned utility companies who lobbied aggressively for the measure said solar panel owners who feed excess power to the grid were being compensated too generously.

Source: mywabashvalley.com

New Low For India Wind Energy Tariff In 500 Megawatt Auction

28.12.2017

The latest onshore wind energy auction in India has yielded the lowest-ever tariffs quoted by project developers.

The wind energy auction organized by the state government of Gujarat its power distribution company revealed a tariff of Rs 2.43/kWh (¢3.8/kWh) as the lowest bid. The tender was floated for an allocation of 500 megawatts of capacity. The competition was so fierce that 12 developers submitted bids for a cumulative capacity of 1,527 megawatts, more than thrice the capacity on offer. None of the developers quoted a bid of more than Rs 3.00/kWh (¢4.7/kWh). The spread between the 12 bids was just Rs 0.52/kWh (¢0.8/kWh).

The largest capacity was secured by Sprng Energy, a platform of Actis Energy. The company won 197.5 megawatts of capacity at the lowest tariff of Rs 2.43/kWh (¢3.80/kWh). Verdant Renewables won rights to develop 100 megawatts of capacity at Rs 2.44/kWh (¢3.81/kWh). KP Energy and Engie-backed Betam Wind Energy secured 30 megawatts of capacity each while Powerica will develop 50 megawatts of capacity, all at Rs 2.44/kWh (¢3.81/kWh) tariff. One of India’s leading renewable energy independent power generation companies, ReNew Power Ventures, bid for 200 megawatts of capacity at Rs 2.45/kWh (¢3.83/kWh) and due to this higher tariff managed to secure just 17.6 megawatts of capacity.

Such is the competition that ReNew Power missed out on the 200 megawatt capacity by two-hundredths of a cent. The reason for this fierce competition is the lack of any power purchase agreements being carried out on the basis of feed-in tariffs. Wind energy projects are now being awarded only through competitive auctions.

The high competition and conducive conditions in this particular auction resulted in wind energy tariffs in India becoming even cheaper than solar power tariffs. India’s lowest solar power tariff stands at Rs 2.44/kWh (¢3.81/kWh). The utilities which will acquire electricity from these wind energy projects are among the best rated in the country and are in a much better financial condition than others. The availability of adequate infrastructure for renewable energy projects, including evacuation and transmission infrastructure, resulted in this sharp drop in tariffs.

Source: cleantechnica.com

PROJECT “Sustainable Energy for South East Europe“

28.12.2017

There is a justifiable fear that South East Europe will lose its pace with the rest of the continent if it does not adopt a long-lasting and far-reaching strategy of investing in a sustainable, efficient, renewable energy system – because, in the next 10 years, almost 90 percent of the energy infrastructure using lignite (brown coal) is expected to close these plants or begin their reconstruction.

It is necessary to make a decision on how to replace the existing capacities of brown coal as soon as possible. Considering the construction period of new plants is 5 to 8 years and their life expectancy 40 to 50 years, investments in energy must be managed with clear long-term goals.

In support for the creation of a long-term vision for the regional development, a group of organizations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia, gathered around the project “Sustainable Energy for SEE”, developed the Energy Model 2050 for South East Europe, based on Calculator 2050 – a tool developed by the United Kingdom Department of Energy and Climate Change (UK DECC), successfully used by many countries*. Thanks to the participation of the Belgrade non-governmental organization “Fractal” in this project, this energy model is available and makes exploring a wide range of energy and emission scenarios easier for us, and it can be used by technical experts and decision makers, as well as interested public. This tool provides the opportunity for citizens to create an opinion and attitude about their energy future.

With this model, partner organizations selected and compared two scenarios for the region. The first one follows the worst route regarding climate impact and implies continuous dependence on fossil fuels, with the focus on new coal power plants, without ambitious targets for increasing energy efficiency, instead of new renewable energy sources. In contrast, the low carbon scenario shows how the region can reduce energy losses and move to a sustainable, efficient and renewable system, allowing countries to meet the goal of reducing harmful emissions by 80 percent by 2050 compared to 1990. In this scenario, the transformation of the transport sector and especially the transport electrification represent an essential part that leads towards the decarbonization.

The transport emissions, which currently account nearly 15 percent of the total emissions (2010 year data), are the cause of air and noise pollution, especially in cities. If mobility, based on the current model, remains unchanged and dominant practice in the region by 2050, energy consumption and emissions of harmful gases in the transport sector will increase by almost 50 percent compared to today’s values. Contrary to this scenario, improving vehicle efficiency, moving from gasoline and diesel to electric motors and progress in logistics planning and smart routes will contribute to reducing energy consumption and dependence on predominantly imported oil by 2050.

Relying on the expected trends in the EU, this scenario of transport development suggests that 80 percent of road vehicles by 2050 will be on electric or combined hybrid drive. At the same time, it is expected to reduce the use of cars, especially in cities and for short drives.

Examples offered by countries such as Norway, where up to 50,000 electric vehicles were registered by April 2015, bring important and incentive policies such as tax exemption, the advantage of obtaining parking or the ability to drive on bus lanes. At the same time, the electric vehicles market is evolving rapidly, new models for electric transport are introduced, along with the expected decrease in serial production costs.

Relying on the expected trends in the EU, this scenario of transport development suggests that 80 percent of road vehicles by 2050 will be on electric or combined hybrid drive

Cost analysis of different scenarios in the model shows that the path to clean energy will not be more expensive than the current plans: in the long run, countries can save money thanks to higher energy efficiency and energy savings. Although significant investments in public transport, biking networks, and urban planning are required, capital costs and fuel costs by 2050 will be lower than in a scenario that suggests an increased use of cars.

Translated and revised excerpt from the publication: South East Europe, The EU Road or the Road to Nowhere, An energy roadmap for 2050 – A guide to the future

* Countries that have developed an energy model based on Calculator 2050 are Great Britain, Belgium, China, South Korea, South Africa,
India, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Colombia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Austria, and Australia. Algeria, Brazil, and Hungary are in the process of creating this model.

This content was originally published in the eighth issue of the Energy Portal Bulletin, named ECOMOBILITY.

How the World’s First Floating City Could Restore the Environment

28.12.2017

Floating-City-Circular-Buildings-889x500 — Foto: Blue Frontiers, Blue21, Simon Nummy

The world got a little closer to the first floating city when the Seasteading Institute signed a memorandum of understanding with the French Polynesian government earlier this year. Not only could floating cities offer a sustainable place to live, but they could also potentially help coral reefs recover and provide a habitat for marine life, according to Joe Quirk, Blue Frontiers co-founder and Seasteading Institute seavangelist. Inhabitat spoke with Quirk and architect Simon Nummy to learn more about the vision for the world’s first floating city.

Quirk told Inhabitat, “We think of cities as being a blight on the land and polluting the oceans. Floating cities are so different because they could actually be environmentally restorative.” For example, an increase in ocean temperatures has caused much of coral bleaching. Quirk said the mere presence of a floating city could help combat this issue. He said, “The corals could actually recover if we could just lower the temperature a little. Our engineers at Blue Frontiers have devised a plan to position the platforms to create some shadows to lower the temperatures. So as the sun moves about, you get enough light on the ocean floor to spark photosynthesis, but you lower the heat just enough to have a restorative effect.”

Solid floating structures can also increase the amount of sea life by serving as a habitat, according to Quirk. He said platform floors, that would be below water level, could be made of glass, creating an aquarium apartment or aquarium restaurant.

There are currently a few visions for what the floating cities might look like from different designers, as seen in the images. Nummy, who won the Seasteading Institute’s Architectural Design Contest, told Inhabitat, “The intent is for an architecture derived from nautical technology and sensibility, combined with a deep respect and willingness to learn from the culture and knowledge of the original seasteaders, the Polynesians.”

The goal is for the floating city, which will be placed around one kilometer, or a little over half a mile, from shore inside a protected lagoon, to be 100 percent renewable and 100 percent self-sufficient. Floating solar panels could help power the city, and Quirk said as water cools panels, they could generate 20 percent more energy than their landlocked cousins. 20 percent of the floating city could be comprised of solar panels. Another goal is to not discharge any water into the lagoon – waste water is to be treated and recycled. Food could be cultivated in sea farming systems.

“Each building strives for energy independence and the architecture results from this; energy efficiency and passive strategies are vital,” Nummy told Inhabitat. “Polynesian architecture is primarily about the roof and we have tried to interpret this in a contemporary, sensitive way that both reflects local precedents while harvesting rainwater and discretely maximizing the opportunities for photovoltaics and vertical axis wind turbines.”

The floating city could be designed to look like a natural island, featuring green roofs and buildings constructed with locally-sourced materials – potentially bamboo, coconut fiber, or local wood like teak. Nummy told Inhabitat, “The buildings are designed to connect to nature and embrace the magnificent Tahitian views. Walls are to be louvred or openable whenever possible.”

2020 is the goal for construction of the floatreing village, which would include around 15 islands 82 by 82 feet. Quirk said the first floating city could be kind of like the first iPhone – rather bulky and expensive – but they aim to drive down the price with later iterations. Two to three years after 2020, they hope to double the amount of platforms – from around 15 to around 30 – and then triple the amount two to three years after that.

Quirk said, “Island nations and coastal nations are already suffering from sea level rise, and this is a realistic way for them to adapt.”

Source: inhabitat.com

Germany Sets New Renewable Energy Record

28.12.2017

Germany has broken another renewable energy record, with clean power providing a third of of the country’s electricity in 2017.

Preliminary data from the Association of Energy and Water Industries show that renewable electricity generation grew to a record 33 percent this year, up from 29 percent in 2016.

“The figures show impressively that there is already an accelerated shift in power generation from CO2-intensive to low-carbon and almost CO2-free energy sources,” Stefan Kapferer, the chairman of the association, said.

“The energy industry is clearly on course with regard to energy and climate targets: our industry is able to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990.”

Onshore and offshore wind power has now surpassed natural gas, nuclear, and hard coal as the second largest electricity source, with a 16 percent slice of Germany’s power mix.

Germany often makes headlines for its impressive renewable power achievements.

On especially windy and/or sunny days, German power operators are sometimes forced to pay customers to take electricity from the grid.

Most recently, thanks to low demand, unseasonably warm weather and strong breezes, power prices went negative for much of Sunday and the early hours of Christmas Day, the New York Times reported. This is now the second Christmas in a row with two days of negative spot power prices.

Still, there’s room for improvement if Germany wants to meet the goals of its ambitious “Energiewende,” or sustainable energy transition. The country’s power supply still largely relies on lignite, aka brown coal, which generated about 23 percent of Germany’s electricity this year.

Source: ecowatch.com

Trina Solar Suspends Plans For 1 Gigawatt Solar Fab In India

27.12.2017

The world’s largest solar module manufacturer has suspended plans set up a fabrication facility in one of the fastest growing markets – India.

The head of sales for Trina Solar in India recently confirmed that the company has shelved plans to set up a 1 gigawatt solar module manufacturing facility in the country. Gaurav Mathur stated over capacities in the global solar modules market as the reason behind this decision. While this assertion may be true for the overall global market, it does not hold ground in India, especially with the massive expansion in installed capacity planned by the Indian government.

India plans to auction at least 74 gigawatts of solar power capacity between January 2018 and March 2020, or 2.7 gigawatts capacity every month, on average. Compare this with the installed annual solar module production capacity in India of 5 gigawatts and you’ll understand the huge gaping hole that needs to be fixed from the production side.

Trina Solar had planned to set up a 1 gigawatt production facility in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The project was announced following a policy push (Make In India) by the central government to encourage investment in the manufacturing sector. However, at least the solar module manufacturers are yet to see a clear policy that offer incentives for production solar cells or panels. So, after waiting for two years, Trina Solar found it prudent not to pursue its production facility plans, or it could be a way to pressure the government to move swiftly on the policy front.

“We are willing to manufacture in India, provided we get some kind of benefit, specifically for solar industry. It is only a matter of time. We will set up (the manufacturing unit) provided we have the right kind of policy support from the government,” Mathur said.

The prospect of a planned $400-500 million investment from a foreign company being jeopardized may very well push the government to act swiftly on its solar manufacturing policy. Already, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is planning to implement an auction policy for setting up solar equipment manufacturing facilities. According to media reports, the government may float tenders to set up 20 gigawatts of solar equipment manufacturing capacity.

It is unclear if Trina’s decision is a reaction to this policy change news, as such auctions would only increase competitiveness in the market.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Northborough-Southborough Public Schools Investigate the Use of Solar Energy

27.12.2017

Since July 2016, the Northborough-Southborough Public School system has been investigating the feasibility of solar energy within their district.

“We have moved forward in a very collaborative way with our town,” shared Superintendent Christine Johnson.

The towns and the three collective school committees began the process of exploring the benefits of “going green,” one of which is to send an educational message to their students.

“We believe it important to be a good economic consumer and a good energy consumer so we put together the Request for Proposals (RFP),” Johnson noted.

The RFP process resulted in the selection of Tighe & Bond, an engineering and environmental consulting firm, to do a comprehensive study (Phase I). They presented their findings this fall which detailed preliminary information. Johnson reported that they liked what they learned and that there was the potential for some impressive returns that the towns would gain by following through with this concept.

The project has been broken into phases and Phase II will delve deeper into the various sites that will have the higher levels of return for cost savings. This phase will include the Request for Quotes (RFQ) from solar providers. The towns would lease the solar equipment rather than purchase which would alleviate any capital outlay.

Tighe & Bond’s Feasibility Study consisted of roof top and parking lot canopy solar units. Phase II will include structural analysis to determine the most viable sites within the school district’s 10 buildings, and Phase III will include equipment procurement and contract negotiation to move forward.

There are pluses and minuses to both types of solar units. The advantages of roof-mounted solar panels include streamlined aesthetics, optimization of space, fortification of roofs and greater speed of installation. Negatives include spatial limitations, orientation to the sun, age and condition of the roof, and zoning restrictions.

Parking lot canopy units are becoming more popular as roof and ground sites become scarce. They also provide secondary benefits such as heat reduction in summer and protection from weather elements. However, there is concern over difficulty in the winter with snow plow maneuverability.

Out of the ten buildings initially evaluated, these schools have been selected for further study: Lincoln Street, Fannie E. Proctor, Marion E. Zeh and Marguerite E. Peaslee elementary schools and Robert E. Melican Middle School. Some were better candidates for roof structures while others were best suited for parking lot canopies. Peaslee and Melican need roof repairs.

Using a cumulative 124,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month at a cost of approximately $20,678 during the study period, renewable energy projects provide savings while stabilizing operating costs. For example, Lincoln Street School would see 119 percent energy savings.

As Phase II progresses, towns will analyze the information and opportunities for public input will occur. There will also be an educational component for students to track energy consumption and calculate costs and savings as part of their curriculum.

“This is a big project and it shows students that we are proactive in terms of being environmentally aware,” Johnson said. “It shows the taxpayers that we are trying to save money and it shows we are trying to be 21st-century ready.”

Source: communityadvocate.com

Plastic Trash Used In Construction Materials In Coastal Kenya — To Save Sea Turtles, Nature, Tourism

27.12.2017

Plastične flaše, Plastične boce, Zagađenje — Photo: Pixabay

The coastline of Kenya has been a hotspot for tourism and fishing activities for a quite a while now — with the region also being home to fair numbers of sea turtles. Recent years, though, have made the region home to significant quantities of plastic trash and debris — much of which eventually washes into the sea.

With that reality in mind — and also the effect that such pollution has on wildlife and tourism — a man by the name of Sam Ngumba Ngaruiya has in recent times been working with locals in and around the town of Malindi to gather up and recycle the ubiquitous plastic pollution into construction materials.

The idea is simple: pay locals to gather up plastic debris and pollution, and then repurpose it into useful construction materials (fence poles, roof tiles, road signs, flooring, containers, etc.).

Ngaruiya’s firm, Regeneration Environmental Services Ltd, pays locals 10 shillings for 1 kilogram of plastic (~2 two-liter water bottles). Effectively, according to Ngaruiya, this means that in 4 or so hours, around 50 kilograms of plastic can be collected by those working on this — resulting in earnings of around 500 shillings ($4.86).

That’s roughly “enough to eat and feed their family for a day,” according to Ngaruiya. So, not a bad deal all things considered for those looking to make a living and also help clean up the local living environment.

The gathered plastics are then separated into 8 different types, which are then machine-chopped into flakes around 1-cm in size. These plastic flakes are then rinsed and dried — following which, they are then combined with hardeners and sun-blockers, then heated to around the melting point (avoiding going much higher limits toxic fume creation). Into this heated mass, locally acquired gravel, sand, coconut fibers, sawdust, etc., is added — with the mixture then being poured into already created moulds of the products in question.

“Basically we are substituting plastic for cement,” explained Ngaruiya in an interview with Reuters. The US-trained engineer went on to explain that when the melted plastic cools, it absorbs and “squeezes” the sand, creating a compact and rather strong building material.

“These recycled plastic products can last 200 years,” he continued. So, in other words, arguably the greatest “negative” of plastics — their resistance to degradation and decay — becomes a positive owing to a change of context (construction materials), according to Ngaruiya.

The coverage from Reuters continues: “Kai, a 3-year-old green sea turtle, was released back into the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean off Kenya’s coast this month. She had been hospitalized after her guts were blocked with white plastic bags she swallowed, mistaking them for jellyfish, and tiny plastic pieces entangled in the sea grass she eats.

“In a bid to clean up Kai’s environment, the villagers of Watamu, who depend on fishing and tourism, joined hands in 2016 with an entrepreneur and a local ocean conservation charity to recycle plastic waste from two marine national parks in eastern Kenya … Villagers in Watamu, including school children, gather plastic waste from the sea, beaches and households every Friday, a holy day for the Muslim-majority community here.”

To date (since work began in 2016), Ngaruiya’s company has recycled around 40–50 tonnes of plastic pollution gathered from nearby areas. With the firm’s recycling plant possessing a daily capacity of around 2 tonnes, there’s certainly still room for growth, but orders for the recycled materials being produced there have remained sparse — despite being “competitively priced,” according to Ngaruiya.

Something very interesting here is that there is no government support backing the work — or support from various agencies, banks, etc. Ngaruiya has put around $500,000 of his own money into the project.

Kenya, as you may remember, actually went ahead and banned single-use plastic bags earlier this year because of the environmental problems associated with them, so the recognition that plastic pollution is a problem is there, but direct support for Ngaruiya’s project is nonexistent.

Ngaruiya noted that there likely needed to be a change at the consumer level for real change to come about: “It’s time to take personal responsibility with one’s own waste, to separate the organics from the plastics, and ensure they reach the recycling centers.”

He added that there needed to be many more facilities like his along the coast of Kenya to better deal with the problem.

To provide more context here, tourism in Kenya has fallen considerably in recent years, particularly with regard to coastal regions. The official line on the matter is that Islamist groups have created a security issue in the region. Other opinions exist, though, with a notable one being that the growing pollution problems scare tourists away.

A currency exchanger in Watamu by the name of Ben Kithiy was quoted as saying: “Floating plastic pieces sticking to the body when you are swimming in these waters makes for a very unpleasant experience.”

He added that even local children didn’t like swimming at the beaches much anymore as a result.

Kithiy also explained that over the last year he has found 5 rotten dead turtles on just his local beach in Blue Lagoon Bay; with many others also seen floating lethargically in shallow waters after consuming plastic debris (most of which likely starved). Obviously, such sights aren’t likely to draw in tourists looking for a vision of “unspoiled paradise.” (The fact that tourism, and international wealth pumps in general, are directly associated with such pollution is seemingly lost on many people.)

The head of the local Watamu Turtle Watch conservation program, Casper Van De Geer, explained to Reuters that around 15% of the turtles brought in for rehabilitation every year were directly harmed by the ingestion of plastic.

He stated: “Close to half of them die of infection as pieces of hard plastic lodge into nooks and crannies inside the intestine, lacerating it and causing infection.”

Hopefully, attitudes and initiatives similar to Ngaruiya’s become more common over the coming years. If ecological collapse is to be avoided, then such a shift will be a necessity.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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