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

Indian State Of Karnataka Announces 860 Megawatt Solar Tender

27.12.2017

India’s fifth largest state in terms of operational solar power capacity has recently launched a huge tender to further expand its solar power infrastructure and meet the renewable purchase obligation.

Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited, a state government agency, recently issued tender documents for 860 megawatts of solar PV power capacity. The capacity will be allocated in blocks of 20 megawatts each across 43 locations in the state.

Interested bidders will be allowed to bid for as low as 3 megawatts per site. It is unclear as to why the state government chose to distribute the solar power projects across the state. Projects at a single location, like a solar park, tend to have lower capital cost investment as multiple power plants can share transmission and other basic infrastructure.

A possible reason for the state-wide distribution could be to insulate the transmission and distribution network from sudden fluctuations in solar power generation. In fact, the government had earlier cancelled a tender for 750 megawatts due to lack of adequate transmission infrastructure. A part of this cancelled capacity has been re-tendered.

Karnataka is host to perhaps the largest solar power park planned in India. The Pavagada solar power park is expected to have an eventual installed capacity of 2,700 megawatts. Auctions for a substantial capacity have already taken place with some projects also commissioned.

The state, which plans for 6,000 megawatts of solar power capacity operational by March 2022, clearly does not want all of its solar assets concentrated at one place and has thus decided to distribute the projects across districts.

It is heartening to see states taking initiative to push India’s solar power target of 100 gigawatts by March 2022. The central government recently announced plans to have 74 gigawatts of solar power capacity auctioned between January 2018 and March 2020.

Source: cleantechnica.com

South Korea Aim: 5 Times More Solar Energy Generation By 2030

26.12.2017

The government of South Korea has unveiled new plans for the country to boost its solar energy generation 5 times over by 2030, as revealed by the country’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The news follows on earlier campaign promises by the relatively new President, Moon Jae-in — campaign promises to cease support for new nuclear energy projects and to embrace “eco friendly” energy modalities. The new president has more or less kept his word, as the government has now cancelled plans for 6 new nuclear reactors.

That said, South Korea still represents the 5th largest nuclear energy user in the world — with a total of 24 nuclear reactors now active in the country, altogether meeting around a third of its electricity demand.

Commenting on the plans, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Paik Un-gyu, stated: “We will fundamentally change the way renewable energy is developed by creating an environment where the public can easily participate in the renewable energy business.”

Reuters provides more: “South Korea plans to provide a fifth of the country’s total amount of electricity from renewable energy by 2030, up from 7% in 2016. To meet that goal, it plans to add 30.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power generating capacity and 16.5 GW of wind power capacity by 2030. As of 2017, South Korea has 5.7 GW of generating capacity from solar power and 1.2 GW from wind power.

“The additional capacity will come from major projects, as well as by converting individual households, farms, and small businesses to renewable energy, the ministry said.”

The government is apparently now aiming for approximately 1 out of every 30 households to be equipped with solar energy systems by 2022. That’s certainly an interesting goal, isn’t it? Quite a divergence from where politics are headed in the great old USA it would seem…

Source: cleantechnica.com

Adnan Bosović: The Balkans Has to Keep up with Europe

26.12.2017

Adnan slika — Photo: PE Elektroprivreda BiH

Adnan Bosović, the electrical engineer and expert associate for the development of distributive, energy efficient facilities in the Sector for strategic development in PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo, has explained to us the situation in Bosnia and Hercegovina regarding ecomobility, how popular energy efficient cars are and also the situation with charging infrastructure.

EP: What is the situation in BiH in terms of e-mobility? What is the percentage of hybrid and fully electric cars?

Adnan Bosović: Year after year, the number of hybrid cars, which have come on the market much earlier, is increasing. However, these vehicles cannot be charged from the grid. PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo has recently purchased the first two electric cars in BiH Mitsubishi iMiEV and Volkswagen e‑Golf. I do not have information on the usage of plug-in hybrid cars in BiH. There is also a small number of transformed electric cars.

EP: In your opinion, what is the reason for a small number of these vehicles in wider use?

Adnan Bosović: It is evident that the market for electric cars in BiH is still at a very early stage of development. However, as in other sectors, it is expected that BiH will also achieve the EU’s level of development of the electric cars market with a certain delay. Given the fact that the sales price of the electric cars is still quite high, the key precondition for this is the introduction of incentives.

EP: What are all the obstacles which buyers but also importers encounter when buying electric cars in your country?

Adnan Bosović: So far, two brands which PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo has purchased, are present on BiH’s market. Service equipping and training of service’s personnel is being performed only now. Both buyers and importers have difficulties with but the purchase of electric cars due to the limited offer on the market and larger orders in the EU countries. Other obstacles for the general use of electric cars are lack of public and private charging infrastructure and the drivers’ fear of disappearance of energy before reaching their destination due to the limited reach of the existing electric cars.

EP: Do you expect that BiH will soon provide subsidies to importers of electric and hybrid vehicles as well as tax reliefs to the owners of these cars?

Adnan Bosović: I believe that it is necessary to insist on the introduction of different incentives and benefits according to the model of EU countries since this is the key precondition to finally start with the significant sale of electric cars in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

EP: Does PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo influence a change in legislation regarding the simplification of electric vehicles’s registration?

Adnan Bosović: Up to this moment it was early to start with this kind of initiatives, but we notice that the public has matured for the progress in this regard, so we hope to see some concrete steps in the near future.

EP: When do you expect for charging infrastructure, that is the network of charging stations to be built in BiH?

Adnan Bosović: There is already a certain number of chargers for electric vehicles in BiH, primarily in the city of Sarajevo. A good part refers to the chargers in car showrooms, that are intended for their own usage. The first public charging station in BiH was installed by the Hotel Residence Inn Marriott in Sarajevo in 2016, but it is intended only for the hotel guests. The first charging station that PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo has installed is placed in front of the Directorate building at 15 Vilsonovo šetalište in Sarajevo. The charger is in the function and we expect its promotion soon. Charging will be free of charge for all owners of the electric vehicles until further notice. In the years to come, we will certainly be witnesses of the spread of charging network and charging stations for electric vehicles in BiH.

EP: Does PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo plan to connect with international corridors that is to enable travellers from Europe to charge their electric vehicles in BiH without difficulties?

Adnan Bosović: If BiH wants to connect to international corridors on which electric cars will run, the development of high-power DC chargers is certainly an imperative. Of course, we are aware of the importance of these charging stations, but it’s too early to talk about concrete locations and their number.

EP: When do you expect that the things in the Balkans will change for the better and what steps should be taken?

Adnan Bosović: Time passes quickly and the sector of electromobility is rapidly evolving, so the Balkans needs to keep up with Europe, which means that incentives and different tax reliefs should be introduced, then invest into the charging network for electric cars, as well as purchase electric cars.

EP: What number of cars can the existing distribution grid endure?

Adnan Bosović: We have done detailed analyses on the impact of electric cars’ charging on our distribution grid on which basis we have developed several scientific and expert papers. The results show the average percentage of electric cars breakthrough, from which we do not expect major problems, is 5-10 percent. This means that the distribution grid is not an obstacle for the introduction of electric cars. Of course, the problems may occur locally, in certain places, but operators of distribution system have established ways to increase the capacity of their grids. Naturally, for the greater breakthrough of 20-50 percent, the problems are big and much is changed, but on this topic, there are many scientific and expert papers.

EP: What impact on change does your team of innovation experts have in this sector?

Adnan Bosović: Sector for strategic development in PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo is among other things in charge with pilot projects and the introduction of new technologies in our company, so our role in the sector of electromobility is thus clear. We carry out our activities with the help of other sectors. For example, the pilot project of the first charging station could not be possible without the Sector for General Affairs and Elektrodistribucija Sarajevo. The development of electric cars’ market will certainly be supported by many other subjects such as car sellers, environmental funds, municipalities, ministries and other institutions.

EP: Since you have recently shown your first electric cars, can you tell us something more about it? What are its characteristics, what battery does it have and what is battery’s capacity? How many kilometers has it crossed so far? Have you thought about installing solar panels on its roof?

Adnan Bosović: So far we have purchased two electric vehicles as part of the fleet of PE Elektroprivreda BiH – Sarajevo. Those are Mitsubishi iMiEV and Volkswagen e Golf. Mitsubishi iMiEV is a small city car for 4 people whose mo‑ tor has the power of 49kW and the capacity of the battery is 16 kWh which allows maximum range of 160 km. Volkswagen e Golf is an electric car for 5 people and the power of the motor is 100 kW, the capacity of its battery is 35.8 kWh and its range is 300 km. For the time being, the Directorate of the company will use them for local tours in Sarajevo. The cars are serially produced so we are not thinking about their refinement in terms of installing solar panels.

EP: Tell us something about the chargers you are working on, how fast are they?

Adnan Bosović: The first charging station, that we installed was equipped with two Mode3 type 2 connectors, is envisaged for AC charging of 2 vehicles with a maximum power of 2×22 kW. It should be pointed out that the power of AC charging of electric vehicles depends on the power of rectifier in an electric vehicle that is limiting. So, Mitsubishi iMiEV is charging with a power of 3.7 kW at our station and Volkswagen e-Golf with a power of 7.2 kW.

EP: Since you had a chance to drive an electric car, can you describe us your impression?

Adnan Bosović: I had a chance to of course drive our two recently purchased cars, as well as some others during the business visits to the countries in the region. The greatest subjective difference in comparison to the vehicles with manual transmission is that everything is automatic in electric cars. In addition to that, a great acceleration of electric cars has made a powerful impression, but also the fact that they are unusually silent.

EP: Do you have any message for the drivers – pollutants for the end?

Adnan Bosović: The massive use of electric cars is the future and that is something that is already happening in developed countries all around the world. The selling price is still relatively high, but it will definitely fall with greater mass production and with the development of technology. The introduction of incentives makes these cars more affordable to ordinary people and thus we need to insist on their introduction in the countries of our region.

Interview by: Vera Rakić

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

India Plans 5 Gigawatt Offshore Wind Auction In 2018

26.12.2017

WINDMILLS — Photo - Illustration: Pixabay

After delay of several years, India may eventually auction and allocate its first-ever offshore wind energy projects next year.

The Minister for New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh, recently told media outlets that at least 5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity could be auctioned in 2018. Feasibility study on one of the proposed sites is in progress while a similar survey would begin at two more sites soon, Singh added.

India plans to auction 10 gigawatts of wind energy capacity each in 2018 and 2019 to reach a total installed capacity of 60 gigawatts by March 2022.

The talks of survey for offshore wind energy projects in India date back to 2010. The Centre for Wind Energy Technology (now the National Institute of Wind Energy) was reported to undertake a 2- to 3-year feasibility survey along India’s coastline. Either those surveys were never undertaken or the new surveys are being conducted at a higher hub height to correspond with the current technology available.

The National Institute of Wind Energy (NISE) had upgraded India’s onshore wind energy potential from 49 gigawatts at 50 meters hub height to 103 gigawatts at 80 meters hub height and eventually to 302 gigawatts at 120 meters hub height. A similar upgrade in the offshore wind energy potential may have delayed the government’s plans.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, along with other arms of the government, approved the offshore wind energy policy in 2015. While there have been no auctions for offshore wind energy projects, Suzlon Energy — one of India’s leading wind energy solutions providers — was reportedly working on a 600 megawatt project in the state of Gujarat. No recent updates on the project are available.

The news of a potential auction would be music to the ears of companies like Suzlon Energy, Vestas, and Senvion which are operational in India and would be front-runners to supply technology to project developers who bid for the projects.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Shanghai Flying Car Tower to Clean the Air with a 50,000-Plant Vertical Forest

26.12.2017

Smart-Power-Long-889x577 — Foto: Richard Moreta Castillo

Flying cars seem to be moving from the realm of science fiction to reality – and Richard’s Architecture + Design (RA+D) helmed by architect Richard Moreta Castillo has already designed a net-zero tower pioneering drone car infrastructure. The Smart Power Long tower, a condominium building planned for Shanghai, features landing pads for flying cars. The futuristic concept is super green, according to RA+D, and will feature a vertical forest in which 50,000 trees and shrubs could scrub the skies.

Dubai started testing flying taxis earlier this year, and RA+D also pointed to Nevada officials seeking permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for flying passenger drones as evidence the futuristic vehicles could soon be soaring the skies. RA+D first came up with the drone car tower concept in 2015 with their Moscow Tower, and they said the Shanghai tower’s construction could occur faster than expected – between 2018 and 2020.

The condominium tower draws design inspiration from Chinese dragon art. Docking stations for drone cars wind up the exterior. The building could clean the air naturally, as plants take in carbon dioxide, and could also have 180 carbon dioxide extractors, according to RA+D. The air could then be expelled from the top in numbers corresponding with the hour, illuminated with an LED spotlight to create an appearance similar to fire, to create what RA+D described as the “first smoke and chromatic clock for the reference of the Shanghai community.”

Clean technologies are also part of Smart Power Long’s design, such as a recycling water plant utilizing ultraviolet disinfection treatment. A vertical electrical power plant will draw on solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. The multi-use building could also contain a convention center, water river biology laboratories, and residences.

Smart Power Long is designed for Shanghai’s Pudong District with a budget of $600 million.

Source: inhabitat.com

First Public Ultra-Fast EV Charging Station in Europe is Now Operational

26.12.2017

Elektromobil, Punjač, Renault, , Stanica za punjenje — Foto: Pixabay

An ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging station that just opened in Germany could offer upcoming models of EVs a range of 100 kilometers, or around 62 miles, in a snappy five minutes. It’s the first public station with the super fast chargers in Europe. Four cars can be charged at the same time at the Ultra-E station right now at rates of 175 kilowatts (kW) – with 350 kW coming soon.

Two different ultra-fast EV charging networks are springing up across Europe right now, according to Electrek; the one that just went online is from Ultra-E, backed by partners like BMW, Audi, Renault, and the Netherlands-based Allego, which is equipping a corridor with 21 ultra-fast stations from the Netherlands to the Austrian border.

Allego COO Ulf Schulte said in a statement, “We are delighted to be setting a milestone for future elctro-mobility in Europe with this new generation of fast chargers.”

These ultra-fast chargers are located in Kleinostheim close to the A3 motorway, at the Aschaffenburg-West exit on Saaläcker Strasse. Two of the four ultra-fast connections will be offering charging at rates of 350 kW in the spring – although Electrek pointed out no EV can currently charge at that rate yet. Schulte said, “We support all the current charging cards and access apps, enabling anyone to charge their e-car at Allego and quickly be on their way.”

More Ultra-E charging stations will be popping up soon, every 150 to 200 kilometers or so – that’s around 93 to 124 miles – near motorway exits. The next one is planned for Bernau am Chiemsee in Southeast Germany.

Electrek said the other up-and-coming charging network is Ionity, a joint venture of Daimler, BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi. They announced in late November they’ve secured site partners for 18 countries in Europe.

Source: inhabitat.com

India Auctions 750 Megawatts Of Solar At 3.9¢/kWh

26.12.2017

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

India auctioned off 750 megawatts of utility-scale solar power capacity over the last few days to wrap up a highly eventful 2017 that saw new records being created in terms of tariffs.

The famous Bhadla solar power park in the Indian state of Rajasthan is in the news once again. The Solar Energy Corporation of India auctioned 750 megawatts of solar power capacity at this solar power park. Interestingly, while the projects will be located in Rajasthan, the power generated will be acquired by the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh.

There were two separate auctions of 500 megawatts and 250 megawatts. The first auction of 500 megawatts was oversubscribed 6 times over with interested developers submitting bids for 3.1 gigawatts. The tariff bids were between Rs 2.47/kWh (3.80¢/kWh) and Rs 3.29/kWh (5.07¢/kWh). While the viability gap funding (capital support by the government) was on offer, none of the developers opted for it.

Hero Future Energies secured 300 megawatts of capacity at Rs 2.47/kWh (3.80¢/kWh) and SoftBank-backed SB Energy won rights to develop 200 megawatts at Rs 2.48/kWh (3.81¢/kWh); SB Energy had actually placed bid for 500 megawatts of capacity.

Other major developers that submitted bids but failed to make the cut in this auction include Actis Energy, Azure Power, Canadian Solar, ReNew Power, EDF, and Solairedirect. Acme Solar, too, participated in the auction and quoted Rs 3.03/kWh (4.67¢/kWh) for 300 megawatts of capacity. Interestingly, this bid is 24% higher than the bid Acme had placed in May 2017 in a similar auction for a project in the Bhadla solar power park. That May 2017 bid of Rs 2.44/kWh (3.7¢/kWh) remains the lowest-ever tariff for a solar power project in India. Acme is expected to launch an initial public offering to raise funding for this project.

The second auction for 250 megawatts of capacity also witnessed huge participation from project developers. Prospective developers placed bids for 1,350 megawatts, translating into an oversubscription of 5.4 times.

Azure Power and ReNew Power Ventures secured rights to develop 200 megawatts at Rs 2.48/kWh (3.88¢/kWh) and 50 megawatts at Rs 2.49/kWh (3.89¢/kWh), respectively. Three companies — ReNew Power Ventures, SB Energy, and FRV Solar had placed bids to set up the entire 250 megawatt capacity. Other bidders included Actis Energy, Hero Future Energies, Canadian Solar and EDEN RE.

Power generated from this 750 megawatt capacity will be acquired by Uttar Pradesh, which has not seen such low tariffs in its own solar power auctions. Uttar Pradesh utilities recently signed power purchase agreements for solar power at Rs 7.02/kWh (11¢/kWh). The power supplied to Uttar Pradesh from the Bhadla solar power park will now come at additional cost as the central government has exempted inter-state transmission of solar power from any charges.

Uttar Pradesh had expressed interest in the procurement of power from Bhadla-based solar power projects after the May 2017 auction at the solar park that yield record-low tariff of Rs 2.44/kWh (3.7¢/kWh). Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has already signed a similar agreement to acquire around 200 megawatts from Rewa solar power park located 800 kilometers away in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indian Railways eyes a similar arrangement in the near future.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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