Veolia Unveils ‘Cupcycling’ Scheme to Turn Coffee Cups into Shopping Bags

13.09.2017

From today shoppers in Selfridges will be able to give their green credentials a polish thanks to a new partnership between the department store, waste giant Veolia and papermaker James Cropper, which together have launched a new initiative to turn the store’s old coffee cups into its iconic yellow shopping bags.

The ‘cupcycling’ programme will collect disposable coffee cups from Selfridges’ Oxford Street headquarters and retail store and ship them to Cropper’s recycling plant in Cumbria where they will be turned into paper for the shopping bags.

The closed loop system is an example of how coffee cups can become part of a circular economy system, according to Gavin Graveson, chief operating officer of public and commercial at Veolia.

Currently the UK uses around 2.5 billion paper cups every year, but the vast majority of these are not recycled.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to further encourage a mass collaboration between designers, manufacturers, vendors and consumers as we all have a part to play in making all of our packaging more environmentally friendly and ensuring our resources are kept in the loop for longer,” Graveson said in a statement.

Used coffee cups are difficult to recycle due to their mix of paper and plastic materials, as well as left over coffee. However, the cupcycling plant uses specially developed technology to separate the cardboard from the polyethylene lining. The paper fibre is then rescued and turned into luxury papers and the polyethylene is recycled into products such as plastic tubing and cable wraps. According to Cropper, one large Selfridges bag will contain the equivalent paper found in one 8oz cup.

“The fibre used to create paper cups is very high quality as only ‘virgin’ pulp is used to satisfy food contact requirements,” Steve Adams, managing director of James Cropper, explained. “Seeing this go to waste on such a huge scale is what inspired us to develop the technology to separate the two components. What we’re left with is material that’s virtually indistinguishable from fresh fibre and can therefore be used to create paper products of the highest quality, such as Selfridges’ bags.”

The news comes as coffee shops across the UK are facing increasing pressure to address the issue of waste cups, with Costa becoming one of the first brands to launch a nationwide coffee cup recycling scheme in February.

Source: businessgreen.com

Massachusetts Solar Marketplace Changing

13.09.2017

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Solar power continues to grow in Massachusetts and around the country, but new data shows the source of new installations is changing.

Nationally, the industry installed 2,387 megawatts of solar capacity in the second quarter of this year, up 8 percent from that quarter last year. But, residential solar accounted for just 563 megawatts, down 17 percent year-over-year, according to a new report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

In Massachusetts, the industry installed 115.3 megawatts in the second quarter of 2017, up from 99 megawatts installed that quarter in 2016. Residential solar accounted for 43.2 megawatts in the second quarter of 2016 and only 17.3 megawatts in 2017, a drop of about 60 percent. Non-residential installed capacity increased from 55.8 to 98 megawatts, a 76 percent increase.

“Slowdown in residential solar is largely a function of national installers scaling back operations in major state markets as they prioritize profitability over growth,” GTM Research Solar Analyst Austin Perea said in statement about the national data.

That explanation holds true in Massachusetts, where non-residential projects are making up for the residential market’s performance and taking advantage of state incentives, said David Gahl, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s director of state affairs, northeast.

“We see the overall continued expansion of the market,” said Gahl, adding that Massachusetts remains a leader in solar power. “Obviously, there’s a lot of momentum.”

Marlborough-based Brightstar Solar, which completes residential and small commercial installations, saw about 50 percent growth from 2015 to 2016.

“Maybe it was too easy,” Jon Reese, an owner of the company.

Reese, whose company has cut prices this year to keep up volume, suspects national companies may be scaling back because of less demand from homeowners.

Bad weather in the second quarter led to some lost construction days. And, people may be hesitant to make major financial investments given the uncertainty of the Trump administration, Reese said.

Reese and Michael Kelley, owner of Mass Renewables in Bellingham, said they see more competition from mid-sized or small companies, like theirs, as larger companies pull back.

“I don’t see a drop-off in residential (solar installations) locally,” Kelley said. “We’re just as busy as we always have been.”

Upcoming changes to state incentives for residential and other systems may spur people to install systems before the changeover. The transition needs to go smoothly, company representatives said.

“The commonwealth continues to be a national leader in solar energy, with 1,800 megawatts and 74,000 projects in operation to date,” Kevin O’Shea, a spokesman for the state Department of Energy Resources, said in a statement. “Massachusetts’ next solar incentive program, SMART, will double the amount of solar in the state at half the ratepayer cost compared to the existing program.”

Newly installed solar capacity has increased every year since 2002, a trend expected to continue in 2017, according to the state.

Meanwhile, the Solarize program that takes advantage of the collective buying power in participating communities to lower installation prices and a solar loan program remain popular, said Andrew Belden, a senior director at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which is involved in both initiatives.

Wayland, Lincoln and Sudbury are participating in a Solarize program where residents and businesses can purchase solar photovoltaic and hot water systems. The towns ran a different Solarize program in 2012.

The market is still ripe.

Solarize is attractive to people who don’t want to do the homework to compare and pick an installer, said Kaat Vander Straeten, a Wayland resident involved in running the Wayland, Lincoln and Sudbury Solarize program.

People used to think solar panels looked ugly, but that attitude has changed. Homeowners worried about climate change want to make a difference, Vander Straeten said.

Solarize programs have helped generate business for SolarFlair Energy, which is an installer for the Wayland, Sudbury and Lincoln program. The company tries to diversify, sad Dan Greenwood, vice president of business development, for the Ashland company.

“We are not a huge company,” Greenwood said. “We’ve got a pretty good baseline for residential projects and some commercial projects mixed in.”

Source: bellingham.wickedlocal.com

Co-ops In Florida Make Rooftop Solar Possible For More People

13.09.2017

Solarni paneli, krovovi — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

How does a co-op make rooftop solar systems more affordable? Ten people who band together to buy something usually get a better price than ten people acting individually. That’s the idea behind the St. Pete Solar Co-op, which began in 2016 when the local League of Women Voters partnered with Florida Solar United Neighborhoods, whose mission statement says it seeks to expand “access to solar by educating Floridians about the benefits of distributed solar energy, helping them organize group solar installations, and strengthening Florida’s solar policies and its community of solar supporters.”

Getting a rooftop solar system for your home is still a daunting task. Even though the cost of solar panels is falling, there are still a welter of questions facing homeowners. Which installers are reliable? Who has the best warranties? Who will service the system after it is installed? Who takes care of permitting and coordinating with the local utility company?

Not only does the St. Pete Solar Cooperative help customers save up to 20% on their rooftop solar systems, it also serves as a place where interested homeowners can learn more about solar power, find answers to their questions, and benefit from the moral support that comes with acting in concert with others rather than alone. As interest in solar energy grows in the state of Florida, more resident-driven co-ops are forming. FL SUN will launch co-ops in North Pinellas and Hillsborough counties Sept. 25, joining the dozen running across the state and others in formation.

FL SUN Coordinator Dave Sillman says now is the time for both residential and commercial solar energy to boom. “We’re trying to push it along to that tipping point. That’s the key to the co-ops,” he explains. “Not only is solar much more affordable now — it is the best investment you can make. Solar systems on average pay for themselves in about eight and a half years, warranty for 25 years and should last 35 to 40 years, so they pay back two to three times what you invest in them,” Sillman claims.

About 240 people joined the St. Pete solar co-op last year, and about 50 of those homeowners installed solar, according to St. Petersburg area League of Women Voters president Julie Kessel. There’s no cost to join and no obligation to go through with installation. Many people participate in the co-op just to get information and learn about the industry, she says.

At co-op meetings, residents learn about the cost savings of solar, the environmental benefits, and the logistics of installation. The co-op groups issue a competitive bid to installers and hire one together as a group. The League is also working to bring alternative financing options to the area that will offer low- and middle-income families with good credit lower cost financing for their solar panel systems.

“The demand is there,” Kessel says. “We know people call us all the time asking ‘Do you have the co-op up?’ and ‘When is the co-op coming back?’ We are on the front lines for sea level rise in St. Pete and the surrounding beach communities. There are very practical reasons to adopt solar.” Especially now when half of Florida residents are without electrical power following the drubbing the state took from Hurricane Irma.

One beneficiary of the St. Pete Solar Co-op is Brenda Probasco of Gulfport. With the 30% federal tax credit and the discount she got as a co-op member, she was able to get a 15 panel rooftop solar system installed on the roof of her 1,260 square foot, 3 bedroom home for $6,800. In August, her electric bill was just $5.49 — in AC-dependent Florida.

“I’ve always been an environmentally conscious person, and I know climate change is real,” says Probasco. “I think we’re getting to a point in Florida where when you do a checklist of things you need to have in your house like a refrigerator, solar panels are just going to be a part of that.” With the advent of more solar co-ops, her prediction could well become a reality.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Investors: Food Firms Must Embrace Smarter Water Practices

13.09.2017

desert-2165985__340 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Corporations from across the food industry are taking steps to improve their water management, but many remain exposed to high levels of water-related risks that could leave investors exposed in the future.

That is the conclusion of a major new report from the investor-backed Ceres think tank, which today ranks the world’s largest food and drink companies based on their response to water risks, such as water security, droughts, and flood risks.

The report, entitled Feeding Ourselves Thirsty: Tracking Food Company Progress Toward a Water-Smart Future, provides 42 of the world’s largest food and drink firms with a score out of 100 based on the quality of their water risk disclosures and risk management efforts.

It found that overall the food sector’s performance has improved by 10 per cent since the first edition of the report was published in 2015. However, the average score for the 42 companies benchmarked was still only 31 points and despite improvements, the meat and agricultural products industries continue to lag far behind the packaged food and beverage industries.

The top scoring companies included Nestle with a score of 82, Coca-Cola with a score of 72 and Unilever with a score of 70. However, there were signs some parts of the food supply chain are lagging far behind in the quality of their water risk management. For example, Smithfield Foods was the top scorer in the meat category with a score of just 33 and Bunge topped the table of agricultural product companies with a score of just 29.

Brooke Barton, senior director of water and food at Ceres, who co-authored the report, said it was critical for the industry as a whole to step up its response to water-related risks, especially as climate impacts escalate.

“Smart water management is a business imperative for food companies, as the impacts of climate change and water scarcity and pollution accelerate around the world,” she said. “Some corporate leaders are making strong progress, but the majority must do more to water-proof their businesses to protect and sustain our water supplies.”

Anne Sheehan, director of corporate governance at giant US pension provider CalSTRS, predicted the new report would be used by institutional investors to step up pressure on firms that fail to adequately address water risks.

“This updated analysis can be used by large institutional investors to reassess their environmental risk engagements, especially with the low-scoring companies held in their portfolios,” she said. “It also provides investors a clearer perspective on how well – or not – food companies are responding to water risk in order to sustain a competitive advantage in their market sector.”

Source: businessgreen.com

RAMBO AMADEUS: Every Gram of CO2 You Drop into the Air, Your Grandchildren Will Inhale No Matter How Much Money You Leave on Their Bank Accounts

12.09.2017

We are definitely sure that there is no person in this region who hasn’t heard of Rambo Amadeus, a great musician, poet and a “media manipulator” as he describes himself. In the interview for Energy portal, he revealed to us how far did he come with his project “Solar Retro Sailboat”, why hybrid vehicles are the best choice for each driver at the moment, but also why it is important to preserve the cleanness of the sea, land and air for future generations.

EP: You, Rambo, are a great fighter for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. What do you think why such view of the world is not something that is benevolent in the Balkans? Is it because people here are occupied with mere survival, is it media’s fault for insufficient reporting on the benefits of “green approach” or is it politicians’ fault? How can we change that?

Rambo Amadeus: Well, I definitely have a different perspective of the surroundings. Majority of common people are crying for reducing senselessly high energy costs. Rich Denmark consumes 5 times less energy per household on average, than we do.

On the other hand, owners and resellers of energy resources – the chosen number of people, that every reduction in energy costs directly strikes on their wallet, have a huge impact on government and that is the reason why the things go slowly or are not happening at all.

Common people understand that energy efficiency is good, but it is wrong to expect that the state or large energy systems will deal with that. Ordinary working people should do that by themselves for one simple reason because it pays off. You won’t see the commercials on TV for loans for energy efficiency, although the interest rates are much lower than for cash loans and even though all banks need to have them in their offers by the law. An individual must be persistent, he must make inquiries and find out what his rights and possibilities are. Google is an excellent advisor there.

EP: We know that your IndieGoGo campaign for modernization of solar sailboat is successfully finished and the targeted sum was collected. But, do you need more money? Has anybody else out of public figures or institutions supported you?

Rambo Amadeus: No, we do not need more money. UNDP Montenegro has allocated funds that are sufficient for finishing the boat. UNDP finances the boat until it is launched. We will probably need some funds to give salary to a young and capable skipper and he would be on duty on the boat. But we will think about that when we finish the boat.

I have to mention Montenegrin Telekom, which has been supporting sailing since last season. It helped me restore some legendary sailing boats which are the icons of Herceg Novi. Thus, UNDP finances us till launching and Telekom has announced that it is willing to help smoothly functioning of the boat in later stages.

EP: Can you tell us something about the history of a sailing boat – cutter? On what drive did it move, apart from wind, when it was originally built?

Rambo Amadeus: It originally used oars and wind. It was used for the training of sailors and sailing officers in rowing and sailing. It was designed at the end of 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century you could find it in more or less all navies of the world.

EP: How far did you come with the project? How much time (and money) did you spend? Do you and Nenad Bošković have a team of collaborators on the project or are you doing everything by yourselves?

Rambo Amadeus: So far we have bought a hull, a boat trough, the original design of naval cutter, but it was made with the best technology – the west system, in the shipyard ENAVIGO Virovitica.

The boat is now in the workshop in Herceg Novi, and the calculations were made by Srđan Đaković, an experienced shipbuilding engineer, specialized in sailing boats. The keel, a completely innovative and original design, was done by Ivan Erdevički, our well-known citizen of Herceg Novi, who has his own office for ships’ designing.

We are currently communicating with the Faculty of Technology in Belgrade, they will help us with the hydrodynamics of the keel’s sheets and the rudder’s sheet, and they will make that out of carbon. We are in parallel communication with the suppliers of the needed elements.

We are making boat cart for the sailing boat, so that we could move it smoothly.

The next stage is “sculpting” of the deck and cockpit. We have to make a model of the boat in a natural size, so that we could have it as I would say “for real”. None of 3D models and drawings can help there since you have a completely different impression when you have a model in a natural size in front of you.

So, now in June we made a model out of hardwood, adhesive tape and Styrofoam. A famous artist and my friend, Darko Vlaović will help us with the visual appearance of the deck, so that it is at the same time classical and retro with modern look and also ergonomic.

Igor Pjacun will take care of the ergonomics, easy accessibility of the commands, ropes, angles and halyards. He is a famous Adriatic skipper and competitor, a good friend of mine and one of the most experienced sailors I know.

EP: As announced, solar retro sailboat should be launched into the sea in spring 2018. You said that it is a good idea to sail around the Bay of Kotor and thus draw attention of other sailors, but also everyone else on the importance of preserving the sea and environmental protection. But, will the tourists have an opportunity to go for a boat ride?

Rambo Amadeus: Definitely. The idea is that after a while, the boat becomes sustainable, commercially used, that it can financially maintain itself and also bring salary for one sailor, skipper.

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Bulletin on Ecomobility.

Interview by: Nevena Đukić and Vera Rakić

Walney Extension World’s First To Use 8.25 Megawatt Wind Turbines

12.09.2017

Wind - Power — Foto - ilustracija: Pixabay

The 330 megawatt Walney Extension West offshore wind farm has begun wind turbine installation and will go down as the world’s first offshore wind project to use wind turbines rated at 8.25 megawatts.

Located in the Irish Sea off the coast of the North West of England, the Walney Extension West offshore wind project recently began the installation of its 40 MHI Vestas’ V164-8.0 MW (megawatt) wind turbines. 8 MW wind turbines were installed at the 258 MW Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm earlier this year, the first time an offshore wind farm has used turbines so large. Developed by DONG Energy, Burbo Bank began installation of 32 of Vestas’ 8 MW behemoths.

However, MHI Vestas this week announced that, again in cooperation with DONG Energy, its 8 MW wind turbines will be installed at the 330 MW Walney Extension West offshore wind farm, but they have been optimized and rated to deliver a maximum output of 8.25 MW, making the project the world’s first project to utilize turbines exceeding 8 MW.

“We are very happy to see installation at Walney Extension West starting well,” said MHI Vestas Chief Operations Officer, Flemming Ougaard. “With the first turbine now installed and producing power to the grid, we look forward to a good partnership with DONG Energy over the coming months as we continue installing the remaining 39 turbines.”

“We are delighted to have passed such an important milestone for the project,” added Andrew Cotterell, Walney Extension programme director at DONG Energy. “With the construction focus now off-shore we really appreciate the good progress we are making on the turbine installation of the West phase of Walney Extension together with MHI Vestas.”

MHI Vestas’ V164-8.0 wind turbine is a behemoth of a structure, with 80-meter blades and a swept area of 21,124 square meters. Reaching 187 meters tall at its highest point, the turbine has the potential to generate tremendous amounts of renewable energy — in December of 2016 a single turbine was rated at generating 216 MWh over a 24-hour period.

Source: cleantechnica.com

UK Renewable Energy Competitive Auction Yields Record Lows & In Excess Of 3 Gigawatts

12.09.2017

Energija vetra, trubina, vetro, vetar — Photo: Pixabay

A total of eleven new electricity projects totaling more than 3 gigawatts were awarded contracts by the UK Government today in the country’s latest competitive auction for Contracts for Difference, including three offshore wind farms which included an impressive low strike price of only £57.50 per megawatt-hour.

The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced the results of the competitive auction today, in which eleven new projects worth up to £176 million successfully won Contracts for Difference (CfD) amounting to more than 3 gigawatts (GW) of electricity. The projects — which include three offshore wind farms and two biomass projects — are expected to provide the power equivalent to supply 3.6 million homes.

“We’ve placed clean growth at the heart of the Industrial Strategy to unlock opportunities across the country, while cutting carbon emissions,” said UK Minister for Energy and Industry, Richard Harrington. “The offshore wind sector alone will invest £17.5bn in the UK up to 2021 and thousands of new jobs in British businesses will be created by the projects announced today. This government will continue to seize these opportunities as the world moves towards a low carbon future, and will set out ambitious proposals in the upcoming Clean Growth Plan.”

Expectations were high for this particular auction, specifically as they pertained to the offshore wind sector. RenewableUK, the country’s trade body for the offshore wind industry, predicted record low strike prices in the auction. “Monday’s auction results could be a watershed moment for the UK offshore wind sector,” said Emma Pinchbeck, RenewableUK’s Executive Director. “The offshore wind sites that win on Monday will be a catalyst for our future economy and will provide cheap, clean electricity for UK consumers.”

The last Contracts for Difference auction was held back in February of 2015 and the two offshore wind projects that successfully won contracts succeeded at strike prices of £119.89 MW/h and £114.39 MW/h.

This time around, those looking for massive cost reductions were not disappointed, with prices on average dropping 47%. Specifically, DONG Energy’s 1,386 MW Hornsea 2 off the coast of Yorkshire, and EDPR’s 950 MW Moray off the northeast coast of Scotland both won with strike prices of £57.50 MW/h (expected to begin generating in 2022/23), while Innogy and Statkraft’s 860 MW Triton Knoll off the coast of Lincolnshire walked away with a strike price of £74.75 MW/h (expected to begin generating in 2021/22).

“We knew today’s results would be impressive, but these are astounding,” crowed RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Hugh McNeal. “Record-breaking cost reductions like the ones achieved by offshore wind are unprecedented for large energy infrastructure. Offshore wind developers have focused relentlessly on innovation, and the sector is investing £17.5bn into the UK over the next 4 years whilst saving our consumers money.”

Also winning in the auction were two biomass with combined heat & power (CHP) projects, both of which won with strike prices of £74.75 MW/h and expect to begin generating in 2021/22, as well as six advanced conversion technologies projects that included primarily strike prices of £74.75 MW/h to begin generating in 2021/22, but an impressively low £40 MW/h that is expected to begin generating in 2022/23.

“The latest renewables auction show huge price reductions across the board, with offshore wind, energy from waste and biomass clearing at prices from £57.50-£74.75,” added James Court, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Renewable Energy Association. “These results show that renewables are now the most cost effective form of any energy generation which can future proof both the UK grid and provide sustainable new jobs in the UK.

“Offshore wind’s success shows what can happen with government support, and consider that this auction was for so called ‘less established’ technologies, with the more mature onshore wind and solar blocked to market. Surely now is the time for the government to commit to a low carbon industrial strategy.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

GE Renewable Energy Completes 5,000 Megawatts Worth Of Wind Capacity In Brazil

12.09.2017

GE Renewable Energy announced last month that it had successfully installed 5,000 megawatts worth of wind energy capacity in Brazil, making it the first company to accomplish the milestone.

Announced in Rio de Janeiro at the Brazil Windpower conference at the end of August, American GE Renewable Energy revealed that they had successfully completed the installation of 5,000 megawatts (MW) worth of wind energy capacity in Brazil, the first company to reach the milestone and solidifying the company’s role in the country’s renewable energy expansion.

“Brazil is an important market for GE Renewable Energy,” said Jean-Claude Robert, general manager for Onshore Wind in Latin America. “We believe in the growth potential of wind and renewable energy, and we are committed to providing affordable, reliable, sustainable energy to customers across Brazil. We are confident we can continue to grow by using the combined resources of GE — what we call the GE Store — to meet the needs of the wind power industry.”

All in all, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 2,700 wind turbines and represents around 33% of all wind energy installed across Brazil. The country currently has 10,740 MW worth of wind energy installed and sits as one of the world’s major markets for future wind energy development — although there are fears that the country may see a slowdown in installation soon. Figures published by MAKE Consulting in May conclude that political and economic instability in the country are expected to hamper wind development. While Brazil installed an impressive 2.5 GW (gigawatts) worth of new wind capacity in 2016, and exceeded 2.4 GW worth of capacity additions three years running, “MAKE predicts an impending cliff from 2019 due to slumping demand for electricity.” Further, there were no new wind Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) signed in 2016, and Brazil’s highly anticipated reserve power auction was cancelled within days of its intended date.

As part of the total 5,000 MW installed are three projects which will reach commissioning (ie, wind turbine installation completion) by the end of September. These projects include:
The Ventos Araripe III wind farm, in partnership with Casa dos Ventos, in Chapada do Araripe (PI), made up of 156 of GE’s 2.3-116/107 turbines.
The Caldeirão I wind farm, developed with customer Queiroz Galvão, also in Chapada do Araripe (PI), consisting of 70 of GE’s 2.7-122 turbines.
The PEC Expansion in Guaranhuns (PE), which will add 22 turbines to the wind farm, increasing the number of operational turbines to 75.

While GE Renewable Energy and other wind energy developers and manufacturers are targeting Brazil for future development expansion, it is not necessarily clear just yet whether the country has the ambition or the political willpower to match.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Finland Completes Its First Ever Offshore Wind Farm

12.09.2017

wind-power-plant — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Finland may not be a world-renowned leader in renewable energy, but this month the northern European country announced the completion of its first ever offshore wind farm, the 42 megawatt Tahkoluoto wind farm.

Finland has a relatively small amount of renewable energy capacity when you consider its position and the relative capacity of its neighbors. With around 3 gigawatts (GW) worth of large-scale hydropower, 2 GW worth of bioenergy, and 1.6 GW worth of onshore wind energy, it falls well short of its next-door neighbors, Sweden and Norway. However, all good things start with small steps, and this month Finnish energy developer Suomen Hyötytuuli announced that it had completed the country’s first ever offshore wind farm, the 42 megawatt (MW) Tahkoluoto wind farm located in the Baltic Sea.

Tahkoluoto started out life in 2010 as a demonstration project with one Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbine and has since seen the addition of 9 more wind turbines, each at 4.2 MW. The project received a feed-in tariff of €83,5 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for 12 years and a €20 million demonstration subsidy.

“Suomen Hyötytuuli has now a ready concept for planning and building offshore wind power on an industrial scale,” said Tuomo Kantola, the chairman of the board for Suomen Hyötytuuli.

More impressively, however, is the fact that this is also the world’s first offshore wind farm developed specifically for icy offshore conditions. The Tahkoluoto wind farm must work in demanding icy conditions in Tahkoluoto, in Pori, on the west coast of Finland, and has to deal with a sea that freezes, a shallow coastline, a hard seafloor, and less wind than offshore wind farms that are built in the North Sea, for example.

Looking forward, the Tahkoluoto wind farm now serves as a way forward not only for future wind farms in Finland, but as a demonstration of future wind farms in icy and difficult conditions.

“When operating in the global wind power market, developing technological solutions for arctic conditions can bring export possibilities for Finnish project and technology business,” Tuomo Kantola added. “Suomen Hyötytuuli has an interest in offshore wind power development also in the future. The current situation in energy business makes it hard to make any investments. Political decisions such as the plans to increase real estate taxation have an impact on risk-taking and developing in particular.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Wind Power Saves Over $100 Billion In Health Care Costs In US, Study Finds

12.09.2017

A study done by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and published by Nature Energy in August finds that wind power in the United States is responsible for saving thousands of lives and over $100 billion in health care costs by reducing the pollution that causes asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases.

Power plant emissions — including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter — cause or aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular health, often leading to hospitalization or even death, as documented by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and others. However, the rapid growth of pollution-free wind power in recent years has helped to decrease emissions of these harmful pollutants. Wind power is now the country’s largest renewable energy capacity source, with enough installed to power 25 million average American homes every year.

The LBNL study covered a 9 year period. It found that all parts of the United States benefited from wind energy energy generation. The Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest regions benefited the most, since they are the areas in which coal-fired generating facilities are most prevalent. Many opponents of wind power claim the federal production tax credit costs taxpayers a great deal of money, but the study found that in the Mid-Atlantic region, the health benefits of wind power were equivalent to between $100 to $250 per megawatt-hour, which is 4 to 10 times greater than the value of the tax credit. In the Upper Midwest, the benefit was between $50 to $120 per megawatt-hour.

The researchers estimated the amount of avoided emissions between 2007 and 2015 using the EPA’s Avoided Emissions and geneRation Tool. It provides a statistical yardstick for determining the amount of emissions avoided by using wind and solar energy. It looks to see which US power plants are most likely to decrease energy production as the result of the availability of renewables.

For last year, the American Wind Energy Association calculated that American wind power generated $7.4 billion in public health benefits through avoided SO2 and NOX emissions, based on cost assumptions provided by the Harvard School of Public Health. Previous work by LBNL found that state policies that promote renewable energy policies have economic benefits that are far greater than their cost, due principally to lower health care expenses.

Fossil fuel advocates like to pooh-pooh the claim that lower emissions mean lower health care costs. They would prefer to scream about how unfair it is for government to pick winners and losers in business, as if government has no business protecting citizens from health risks.

Only those with a severely stunted concept of ethical behavior could argue they should be allowed to continue poisoning people with the waste products created by their economic enterprise. If we all emptied the contents of our septic systems onto their lawns, they would soon start singing a different tune, just like Rex Tillerson, who used to be the head of one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies but went to court to prevent a competitor from engaging in fracking operations in the vicinity of his home.

How much more evidence do we need that fossil fuel advocates — including the Idiot in the Oval — are two-faced, lying weasels who are content to poison most living things just so long as they can make a profit doing so?

Source: cleantechnica.com

Government To Push Four Stalled Hydro Power Projects For Completion This Year

11.09.2017

The government is planning to commission at least four hydro-power projects fully or partially this year, especially in the northeast region, which has over 40 percent of India’s stalled projects, a senior power ministry official told BloombergQuint.

The first station of Tuirial hydro-power plant, a greenfield project owned by the North Eastern Electric Power Corp. Ltd. (NEEPCO) on the Tuirial river, was commissioned in Mizoram last fortnight.

“Out of the 60-MW capacity, 30 MW has been commissioned and we are hopeful of commissioning remaining 30 MW by this year end,” the official said requesting anonymity.

The Tuirial project was conceptualized in 1998 but faced many hurdles because farmers launched protests against the submerging of their farmlands and standing crops due to the reservoir.

After commissioning this project, Mizoram will be the third power surplus state in the northeast region. The official pointed out that the northeast region has the maximum number of stalled hydro-power projects in the country, 60 GW of the total 145 GW.

“Of this 60 GW projects in the North East, 50 GW stalled hydropower projects are in Arunachal Pradesh alone,” the official added.

Tuirial project is to be funded from equity from government, loan from a domestic financial institution, sub-ordinate loan to be granted by the government and grant from DoNER (Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region).

Apart from this project, the 330-MW Kishanganga project in Jammu and Kashmir, 110-MW Pare hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh, and the first unit of 600-MW Kameng project, also in Arunachal, will be commissioned this year, said another official from the power ministry.

Last year, the power ministry had commissioned 1,659-MW hydro power, and the target for this year is commissioning 1,305 MW hydro power. Of this, 266 MW has been commissioned till date.

The government is also planning to start Arun-III hydro-power project in Nepal by December. The Union Cabinet had approved the 900-MW project at a cost of Rs 5,723.72 crore earlier this year.

Source: bloombergquint.com

Offshore Wind Power Cheaper than New Nuclear

11.09.2017

Energy from offshore wind in the UK will be cheaper than electricity from new nuclear power for the first time.

The development, revealed in figures from the government, has been seen as a milestone in the advance of renewable energy.

The plummeting cost of offshore wind energy has caught even its most optimistic supporters by surprise.

Nuclear firms said the UK still needed a mix of low-carbon energy, especially for when wind power was not possible.

The figures, from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for offshore wind were revealed as the result of an auction for subsidies, in which the lowest bidder wins.

Two firms said they were willing to build offshore wind farms for a subsidy of £57.50 per megawatt hour. That compares with new nuclear plants at a subsidy of £92.50 per megawatt hour for 2022-23.

Emma Pinchbeck from the wind energy trade body Renewable UK told the BBC: “These figures are truly astonishing.

“We still think nuclear can be part of the mix – but our industry has shown how to drive costs down, and now they need to do the same.”

Onshore wind power and solar energy are already both cost-competitive with gas in some places in the UK.

And the price of energy from offshore wind has now halved in less than five years.

Energy analysts said UK government policy helped to lower the costs by nurturing the fledgling industry, then incentivising it to expand – and then demanding firms should bid in auction for their subsidies.

Michael Grubb, professor of energy policy at University College London, called the cost reduction “a huge step forward in the energy revolution”.

“It shows that Britain’s biggest renewable resource – and least politically problematic – is available at reasonable cost.

“It’ll be like the North Sea oil and gas industry: it started off expensive, then as the industry expanded, costs fell. We can expect offshore wind costs to fall more, too,” he said.

The subsidies, paid from a levy on consumer bills, will run for 15 years – unlike nuclear subsidies which run for 35 years.

This adds to the cost advantage offshore wind has now established over new nuclear.

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, said: “This massive price drop for offshore wind is a huge boost for the renewables industry and should be the nail in the coffin for new nuclear.

“The government’s undying commitment to new nuclear risks locking us into sky high prices for years to come. Put simply, this news should be the death knell for Hinkley C nuclear station.”

However, the nuclear industry said that because wind power is intermittent, nuclear energy would still be needed.

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “It doesn’t matter how low the price of offshore wind is. On last year’s figures it only produced electricity for 36% of the time.”

EDF, which is building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, said the UK still needed a “diverse, well-balanced” mix of low-carbon energy.

“New nuclear remains competitive for consumers who face extra costs in providing back-up power when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine,” the French firm said.

“There are also costs of dealing with excess electricity when there is too much wind or sun.”

EDF added that energy from new nuclear plants would become cheaper as the market matures, as has happened with offshore wind.

Eyes will be raised at this suggestion, as nuclear power has already received subsidies since the 1950s but storage of surplus energy from offshore wind is still a challenge.

Prof Grubb estimated the new offshore wind farms would supply about 2% of UK electricity demand, with a net cost to consumers of under £5 per year.

Experts warn that in order to meet the UK’s long term climate goals, additional sources of low-carbon energy will still be needed.

Source: bbc.com

Madison West High School Students Seeking to Install 100 Solar Panels Atop School

11.09.2017

A student group at West High School has set an ambitious goal of raising $50,000 to install 100 solar panels on the roof of the school.

If the West Green Club can meet its goal, the Madison School District will contribute $25,000 to install the panels. The panels, which can produce 30 kilowatts of electricity at peak times, would join others mounted on top of the school in the 1990s.

Since then, the district has installed a small number of solar panels atop all five Madison high schools. The panels, which provide a negligible savings on the schools’ electric bills, were installed mostly for educational reasons. If they’re successful, the West Green Club would significantly up West High School’s solar energy use.

Since fundraising started in June, the student-led coalition at West has raised $17,400 through the end of August. The goal is to complete the fundraising by the end of this year so the panels can be installed next June. Donations are funneled through the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools and can be made through the club’s website at www.westgreenclub.org. In addition to other funding sources, the club’s biannual electronic waste recycling drive, which raises at least $2,000, will help the cause.

The club also has tried to raise awareness and donations in a variety of ways such as setting up a solar panel display and running games at the Regent Neighborhood July 4th party and hosted an ice cream social at the school.

“While it didn’t raise as much compared to other (fundraisers), it raised awareness,” said member Nyah Banik, a senior.

Club president Charles Hua said what makes the effort unique is that it is entirely student led.

“If adults (i.e. district administrators, parents) were to lead this initiative instead of youth, no long-term increase in awareness among students of energy challenges would be made,” he said.

The club, which typically has about 40 members, this year piqued the interest of 63 freshmen who signed up for it on first day of school.

Patrick Grady, a West High English teacher and the club’s adviser, said a student approached him about starting the group in 2001. Grady said he was already incorporating social justice and environmental issues in his curriculum, so it felt like a natural fit.

Since then, he said, students have continued to step into leadership roles. He encourages students to run with an idea and will occasionally nudge them with one of his own. He was particularly struck by former President Barack Obama’s goal of reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

“I told Charles, ‘If that is the goal for the country, let’s make it the goal for the school,’” said Grady, noting that West’s electric costs are currently $291,000 a year.

The club has other initiatives including a composting program for food waste, which is getting a renewed push this year.

Outside of West, the group hopes to launch similar “green clubs” at elementary and middle schools across the district to increase awareness and commitment for the long term.

“The solar panels symbolize our commitment to greenness,” senior Grace Upham said. “This is our future. We want to make it clean, we want to make it green and we are making it happen.”

Source: host.madison.com

China Plans To Ban Fossil Fuel Vehicles

11.09.2017

Zagađenje, Auspuh, Automobil — Photo: Pixabay

China’s vice minister of industry and information technology, Xin Guobin, has announced that the Chinese government is currently working on a timeline to end both the production and sales of fossil fuel vehicles. The bold move comes as the government struggles to respond to public outcry in major Chinese cities struggling with crippling air pollution.

The move has yet to be finalized with an official timeline and regulation, but the statement reveals that the Chinese government is looking at fossil fuel vehicles as much more than just a solution to air pollution. Xin noted that Beijing plans to “elevate new energy vehicles to a new strategic level” and that they expect the move to have a significant impact on the environment and the growth of the domestic auto industry.

China is the largest auto market in the world, with more new vehicle sales per year than any other country, making the shift in direction a major turning of the tides in the electrification of personal transportation. The move sees China joining the UK and France in establishing national goals for the phaseout of internal combustion vehicles. This is a move that is clearly easier said than done. Though, China has more incentive to decarbonize transportation than just a ploy to bolster its green image.

The Chinese government already offers overly generous incentives for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. The result is that the prices of plug-in cars are often competitive or even lower than conventional fuel vehicles today. The incentives have come at a cost and have been politically divisive, which is why the country is instead shifting towards a cap-and-trade model. The new model requires automakers to build a percentage of alternative fuel vehicles (“new energy vehicles”) or buy credits from competitors who have an excess of the credits. It’s a program reminiscent of the California Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

The new model is not a timid one, with a very ambitious mandate of “8%” of all vehicle sales that must be hybrid, plug-in, or electric vehicles for 2018. The goal steps up to “10%” for 2019, followed by another increase to “12%” in 2020. The percentages are in quotes because they aren’t exact percentages where one gas car equals one electric car. A fully electric car with long range (a certain battery size, most likely) will be counted as 4 cars; a fully electric car that doesn’t hit that minimum range/capacity will count as 2 cars; and a plug-in hybrid will count as 1 car. While these goals will not clean up Beijing’s infamous smog overnight, they send a clear message to the citizens and to automotive companies that China is charting a new course forward for its citizenry.

China sees the shift to electrification as an opportunity to define the global plug-in vehicle market and has already become a hotbed of development, with numerous manufacturers clamoring for footholds in the emerging Chinese plug-in vehicle market. Honda, Nio, and Volkswagen are all pushing forward into the emerging market with plans to release new production EVs in China next year. BYD has also established itself as an early leader in the market. It leads Chinese electric car sales thanks to several consumer models that are already quite popular in the country, supported by an ever-growing suite of fleet offerings.

The move will also help China to cut oil imports, which are a constant drag on its economy. Shifting money flowing out of the country for fuel imports to domestic renewable electricity generation only makes the deal that much sweeter.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Dutch Government Ordered By Court To Take Immediate Action To Reduce Air Pollution

11.09.2017

Termoelektrana, Ugalj, Zagađenje — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The government of the Netherlands has been ordered by a court in the country to take immediate action to reduce air pollution levels, as current levels in some parts of the country are in breach of legal European Union particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels, according to recent reports.

The ruling is the result of a case brought to court by various environmental activists, and seems to represent a marked victory in the battle to deal with growing air pollution problems in the region.

“Limits on the emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are still being violated, although they should have been restricted to the permitted levels long ago,” the District Court in The Hague ruled. “This the responsibility of the state.”

According to the country’s Caretaker Deputy Environment Minister, Sharon Dijksma, authorities will now be speeding up existing plans to reduce air pollution in order to comply with the order.

A spokesperson for one of the environmental groups behind the case, Anne Knol of the group Milieudefensie, was quoted as saying: “The judge is forcing the state to better protect the health of its citizens. This is a major breakthrough.”

Reuters provides more: “In a landmark decision in 2015, the same court ordered the government to cut carbon dioxide emissions to at least a quarter below 1990 levels by 2020. Estimates published this week showed emissions were 11 percent lower in 2016.

“The health ministry has warned that current levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions, mainly caused by road traffic and factories, can lead to respiratory illnesses, with chronic exposure shortening life expectancy by more than a year.”

Certainly good reasons to go about dealing with the issue — all of which contribute to reduced worker productivity, it should be realized.

Notably, the new ruling bans “the government from taking steps that would lead to further violations of European emissions rules.” It’s not yet completely clear what than entails in practice, though.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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