Extreme Heatwaves With “Apparent Temperatures” As High As 55° Celsius To Regularly Affect Much Of World (With 4° Celsius Of Warming Over Pre-Industrial Levels)

13.08.2017

climate-change — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

If global temperatures rise 4° Celsius over pre-industrial levels, then extreme heatwaves with “apparent temperatures” peaking at over 55° Celsius will begin to regularly affect many densely populated parts of the world, according to a new study from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.

“Apparent temperatures” refers in this case to the Heat Index, which quantifies the combined effect of heat and humidity to provide people with a means of avoiding dangerous conditions.

The new findings are the result of the researchers involved exploring the relationship between humidity levels and heatwave occurrence — with the “novelty” of the new study being that it “looks not only at temperature but also relative humidity to estimate the magnitude and impact of heat waves.”

At temperatures of 55° Celsius or so, it should be realized, much of the activity that takes place in the modern industrial world would simply have to stop. Such heatwaves would be profoundly debilitating.

The press release provides more: “The study analyses changes in yearly probability for a high humidity heatwaves since 1979 under different global warming scenarios. If global temperatures increase up to 2° C above pre-industrial levels the combined effect of heat and humidity (known as apparent temperature or Heat Index) will likely exceed 40° C every year in many parts of Asia, Australia, Northern Africa, South and North America. Europe will be least affected with up to 30% chance of having such strong heat wave annually.

“However, if temperatures rise to 4° C a severe scenario is on the horizon. Scientists predict that a new super-heatwave will appear with apparent temperature peaking at above 55° C — a level critical for human survival. It will affect densely populated areas such as USA’s East coast, coastal China, large parts of India and South America. Under this global warming scenario Europe is likely to suffer annual heatwaves with apparent temperature of above 40° C regularly while some regions of Eastern Europe may be hit by heatwaves of above 55° C.

“… According to the study, the effect of relative humidity on heatwaves’ magnitude and peak might be underestimated in current research. The results of the study support the need for urgent mitigation and adaptation action to address the impacts of heatwaves, and indicate regions where new adaptation measures might be necessary to cope with heat stress.”

All of which costs money. With all of the problems that will be greatly impacting the nations of the world by that time, it seems pretty likely that not too much will be done to limit the impact of such heatwaves on the poorest and most vulnerable portions of populations (which will likely have swelled quite a lot by then).

The new work is detailed in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Reusable Carbon Nanotube & Quartz Fiber Water Filter Removes 99% Of Heavy Metals

12.08.2017

Researchers at Rice University have developed a simple water filtration material so effective that a single gram of it can treat up to 83,000 liters of contaminated water, after which it can be washed with vinegar and reused.

After a trip to India, where he saw the connection between e-waste and groundwater contamination as a high-schooler, and then working with Rice chemist Andrew Barron, Perry Alagappan, now an undergraduate student at Stanford University, developed a potentially lifesaving filter that has been shown to remove up to 99% of the toxic heavy metals in treated water samples, including lead, copper, cadmium, mercury, and nickel.

The filter material is made from carbon nanotubes which are grown in place on a substrate of quartz fibers (“quartz wool”) and are “then chemically epoxidized.” According to lab tests, the resulting SENT (supported-epoxidized carbon nanotube) filters, when scaled up, are able to quickly ( In addition to being effective and reusable, the new filter uses inexpensive raw materials (“a cost under $0.25/g including materials and manufacturing costs”) and relies on a fairly easy and common skill — the making of vinegar — to keep it functional and reusable.

“Every culture on the planet knows how to make vinegar.”

“This would make the biggest social impact on village-scale units that could treat water in remote, developing regions. However, there is also the potential to scale up metal extraction, in particular from mine wastewater.” – Andrew R. Barron, Department of Chemistry, Rice University

For his ongoing research and developments, Alagappan has taken home the top spot in the Environmental Science category of the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and was recognized with the award of the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Here’s Everything Tesla Wants to Accomplish by 2020

12.08.2017

Elon Musk’s plans for the coming decade are nothing short of ambitious. Among other things, Tesla‘s CEO has promised to dramatically increase car production, launch several completely new cars, and conquer self-driving vehicles by 2020. Here’s a closer look at what exactly Musk has promised Tesla will accomplish during the next few years.

COMPLETE ITS GIANT GIGAFACTORY

Musk’s giant battery factory in Nevada is key to Tesla’s future because it is expected to help the company cut the cost of its batteries by as much as 30%.

The Gigafactory, about 5.5 million square feet, would help the company dramatically cut the cost of its batteries once it’s fully operational in 2018 by “using economies of scale, innovative manufacturing, reduction of waste, and the simple optimization of locating most manufacturing process under one roof.”

In fact, Tesla has said it will create more battery cells at the Gigafactory than all of the lithium-ion battery makers combined did in 2013.

BRING THE MODEL 3 INTO PRODUCTION

The batteries created at the Gigafactory would enable Tesla to produce its first mass-market car, the Model 3. It will be about $35,000 and have a range of more than 200 miles per charge. Tesla started production of the Model 3 earlier this month and planned to begin deliveries at a company event on Friday, July 28.

LAUNCH A COMPACT SUV, DUBBED THE MODEL Y, BY THE END OF 2019 OR EARLY 2020

In July 2016, Musk confirmed Tesla planned to bring to market a new compact SUV, dubbed the Model Y. But a timeline for the vehicle wasn’t disclosed until May, when Musk said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that it would arrive by late 2019 or 2020. He also said the vehicle would be built on a platform separate from the Model 3.

REVEAL AN ELECTRIC SEMITRUCK IN SEPTEMBER

Musk announced in August that the company was working on a Tesla semitruck, in his “Master Plan, Part Deux.” In June, though, Musk said Tesla was working with major trucking companies to design the company’s first all-electric semitruck.

“We are showing off a working prototype at the end of September, but we have shown it to people who buy heavy-duty trucking, and they all love it,” Musk said during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting. “They just want to know how many can they buy and how soon.”

While we will most likely get a look at the electric semi in a few months, it’s still not clear when the truck would be available.

ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCK BEFORE THE CLOSE OF 2019.

Musk also said in his “Master Plan, Part Deux” that Tesla would build an electric pickup truck for consumers. Musk said in April that Tesla would reveal its semitruck in September and its consumer pickup truck in 18 months to two years, meaning sometime between October 2018 and April 2019.

INCREASE THE RANGE OF TESLA CARS TO 1,000 KILOMETERS PER CHARGE.

Tesla’s cars already boast the best range on the market, but Musk has said he aims to dramatically increase how far Tesla’s cars travel on a single charge.

“The record right now for the Model S is 800 kilometers (497 miles). That is the furthest that anyone has driven a Model S,” Musk told the Danish news site Borsen in September 2015. “My guess is probably we could break 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) within a year or two. I’d say 2017 for sure.”

Musk added that by 2020 Tesla could most likely make its cars go as far as 745 miles per charge.

While the record for hypermiling in a Tesla is about 560 miles, the official range for Tesla’s Model S P100D is about 315 miles per charge, according to ratings by the Environmental Protection Agency.

MAKE ITS CARS FULLY AUTONOMOUS.

Another bold promise Musk has made for Tesla is that its cars will be autonomous before 2020.

Tesla began rolling out its new Enhanced Autopilot hardware in October. Musk said at the time that the hardware would enable full autonomy once the software was ready.

However, Musk has said it’s unlikely regulators will have laws in place by the time Tesla’s autonomous cars are ready, so drivers may have to wait a little longer before getting to go hands-free.
While the company plans to do a demo drive in a Tesla in self-driving mode from Los Angeles to New York City by the end of this year, Musk said during a TED Talk in April that it would most likely be 2019 before a driver could take a nap behind the wheel of a Tesla.

PRODUCE 500,000 CARS PER YEAR BY 2018.

Tesla made a little more than 50,000 vehicles in 2015, but Musk said in May 2016 that his company planned to produce no fewer than 500,000 by 2018.

To help put this in perspective, Tesla delivered a little more than 76,000 vehicles in 2016.

Tesla has acknowledged this is an aggressive target, but it’s not shying away from the challenge.

“Increasing production fivefold over the next two years will be challenging and will likely require some additional capital, but this is our goal, and we will be working hard to achieve it,” the company said in its 2016 letter to investors.

PRODUCE 1 MILLION CARS BY 2020.

As if producing half a million cars by 2018 were not enough, Musk wants to kick it up a notch and make 1 million cars a year by 2020.

Why? Demand for the Model 3 was greater than expected, forcing Tesla to reassess its goals. The company had about 325,000 reservations for the Model 3 during the first week of taking deposits.

While it’s no doubt an ambitious plan, Musk has said he is confident Tesla can achieve such aggressive growth.

DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF SUPERCHARGERS BY 2018.

With more Tesla vehicles on the road, Musk is also aiming to build out Tesla’s charging infrastructure.

During the Model 3 unveiling in March 2016, Musk said the company planned to expand its Supercharging network. Superchargers are stations that can charge a Tesla enough almost 200 miles of range in just 30 minutes.

Musk said during the Model 3 event that Tesla would double the number of its Superchargers worldwide, from 3,600 to more than 7,000, by 2018.
However, in April, Tesla said that by the end of this year it aimed to have 10,000 Superchargers worldwide, meaning the company is most likely ahead of schedule.

As of July, Tesla had increased the number of Superchargers to just over 6,000.

TURN TESLA INTO AN ENERGY COMPANY.

Musk doesn’t just want Tesla to make electric cars — he also wants the company to produce the energy that powers the cars.

In November, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar-power company founded by Musk’s cousin, Lyndon Rive.

Musk has made clear that his long-term vision for Tesla is a full-service sustainable-energy company.

“The opportunity here is to have a highly innovative sustainable-energy company that answers the whole energy question from power generation and storage to transport,” Musk told reporters during a call shortly after the announcement in June 2016.

“We are a sustainable-energy company,” he added. “This is, broadly speaking, right in line with that. In order to solve the sustainable-energy problem you need generation, storage, and electric cars.”
In October, right before shareholders voted on the SolarCity acquisition, Musk revealed the Tesla Solar Roof. It’s composed of solar shingles and is Tesla’s energy-generation solution.

The company began taking orders in May for its Solar Roof, which costs about $21.85 per square foot.

THE COMPANY IS EXPECTED TO DISCLOSE DETAILS ABOUT ITS TESLA NETWORK, A MOBILITY SERVICE, SOMETIME THIS YEAR.

In July 2016, Musk said in his “Master Plan, Part Deux” that Tesla planned to roll out a mobility service.

At the time, Musk said that once Tesla vehicles were fully autonomous, the company would set up a program for owners to make money off their car by letting other people use it.

“You will also be able to add your car to the Tesla shared fleet just by tapping a button on the Tesla phone app and have it generate income for you while you’re at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and, at times, potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost,” he said.

In October, the company said Tesla owners who wanted to make money from ride-hailing or ride-sharing could do so only on its ride-hailing network and that it would disclose more details about it this year.

Source: futurism.com

2° Celsius Rise In Global Temperature Is Climate Change “Best Case Scenario”

11.08.2017

2 degrees Celsius has become the catchphrase that people around the world use when talking about climate change and how much average global temperatures will rise by the end of this century. It was the talisman that empowered the Paris climate accords in December 2015. It’s the amount of heating that many climate scientists say the earth can tolerate without global warming going completely off the rails and over a cliff.

But a new study by researchers at the University of Washington and funded by the National Institute of Health finds that average temperature rise will most likely be 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2100. They say 2°C is the “best case scenario.” In fact, they say there is a 90% chance that global temperatures will increase between 2° and 4.9° Celsius. That upper number is equivalent to just under 9° Fahrenheit.

“Our analysis shows that the goal of 2 degrees is very much a best-case scenario,” says lead author Adrian Raftery, a UW professor of statistics and sociology. “It is achievable, but only with major, sustained effort on all fronts over the next 80 years. Our analysis is compatible with previous estimates, but it finds that the most optimistic projections are unlikely to happen,” Raftery says. “We’re closer to the margin than we think.”

Statistically, the researchers found there is only a 5% chance that Earth will warm 2 degrees or less by the end of this century. The chance that warming will be at or below 1.5 degrees is less than 1%.

The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) included future warming rates based on four scenarios for future carbon emissions. The scenarios ranged from “business-as-usual” emissions from growing economies to serious worldwide efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.

“The IPCC was clear that these scenarios were not forecasts,” Raftery said. “The big problem with scenarios is that you don’t know how likely they are, and whether they span the full range of possibilities or are just a few examples. Scientifically, this type of storytelling approach was not fully satisfying.”

Rather than use the IPCC approach, the researchers focused on three factors they believe are more relevant to predicting climate change — total world population, gross domestic product per person, and the amount of carbon emitted for each dollar of economic activity, a factor known as carbon intensity.

Raftery says he and his colleagues expected total global population to correlate strongly with increasing world temperatures but their analysis did not support that theory. That is because most of the population increase will be in Africa, which uses few fossil fuels.

Carbon intensity — the amount of carbon emissions produced for each dollar of economic activity — did correlate strongly with rising temperatures, however. That value has been declining recently due to more efficient appliances and devices that use electricity. How quickly that value drops in future decades will be crucial for determining future warming.

The study finds a wide range of possible values of carbon intensity over future decades, depending on technological progress and countries’ commitments to implementing changes. “Overall, the goals expressed in the Paris Agreement are ambitious but realistic,” Raftery says. “The bad news is they are unlikely to be enough to achieve the target of keeping warming at or below 1.5 degrees.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

India’s Recent 500 Megawatt Rooftop Solar Auction Sees Lowest Bid Of 3.4¢/kWh

11.08.2017

India has auctioned the largest capacity of rooftop solar power projects in history and the results are extremely promising and could provide a much-needed boost to the rooftop solar power market.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) recently announced that it auctioned just over 503 megawatts of rooftop solar power projects across 35 states and union territories of the country. The auction was the first phase of a 1 gigawatt rooftop solar power program announced by SECI; under the program, rooftop solar power systems will be implemented atop government buildings across the country.

As per the data released by SECI, 50.2 megawatts was auctioned under the CAPEX model in 32 states. Under the model, the project owner and developer will contribute toward the project implementation through a mix of equity and debt funding and electricity will be sold at a tariff specified by the central or state regulators.

Bids under the CAPEX model were in the form of lowest capital cost needed to set up the systems. The maximum bid allowed was Rs 75,000/kW ($1,166/kW). The highest bid was recorded as Rs 65,000/kW ($1,010/kW).

Just over 453 megawatts of capacity was awarded under the RESCO model, where the developers will be required to bear the entire project cost upfront. The electricity will be sold at the tariff quoted by the developer during auction. Once the project breaks even all revenue from the sale of electricity will actually be developer’s profit.

The lowest tariff bid received under the RESCO model was Rs 2.20/kWh (3.4¢/kWh) for 11.2 megawatt of capacity in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The highest bid was placed for 9.6 megawatts of capacity in the state of Bihar at a tariff of Rs 4.59/kWh (7.1¢/kWh).

Some of the leading names in the Indian solar power market that participated in the auction include ReNew Solar Power, Mytrah Energy and Azure Power.

Under the both the models, project developers would also receive financial incentives depending on the time taken to commission the projects and their location; incentives will vary from $116/kW to $700/kW.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Increased Hydro & Solar Generation Brings Down Electric Prices In El Salvador

11.08.2017

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Increased hydro power generation and a newly commissioned solar power project have reduced the overall cost of electricity in El Salvador, the power regulator of the country, Siget, recently stated.

Siget recently announced that the electricity tariff for the period of 15 July to 15 October 2017 has fallen by 3.09% to $118.9/MWh. The price fall has come as a result of increased hydro power generation and the operationalization of a solar power project.

A 60-megawatt solar power project was commissioned by Neoen, a French independent power producer. The project was secured by the company in a competitive auction and sells electricity at a tariff of $0.1019/kWh ,which is 18% lower than the electricity tariff was for the first quarter of this year. The project was secured in a competitive auction held in 2014, and has been commissioned in partnership with a local conglomerate Almaval.

El Salvador has organized several competitive auctions for wind and solar power projects over the last couple of years. Earlier this year, it allocated four solar power projects with 120 megawatts of total capacity at tariffs between 4.955¢/kWh to 6.724¢/kWh. Successful project developers offered 36% to 53% discount compared to the ceiling tariff of 10.53¢/kWh set by the government.

The successful bidders — Tracia Network Corporation, Capella Solar, Sonsonate Energy and Asocio Ecosolar — will sign power purchase agreements of a duration of 20 years and will be required to commission the projects in 2019.

Once these projects are commissioned, the percentage of renewable energy in the country’s electricity mix will increased substantially. And given their low tariffs, the overall electricity price would also fall sharply.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Tata Steel Commissions First Solar Project At Indian Iron Ore Mine

11.08.2017

India’s second largest steel maker, Tata Steel, recently commissioned the country’s first solar power project located at an iron ore mine.

Tata Steel has commissioned a 3 megawatt solar power project at an iron ore mine in the state of Jharkhand. The solar power project, the first at an iron ore mine in India, will help Tata Steel replace a part of the electricity it consumes from the grid or diesel-based generators to power operations at the mine.

The project was commissioned jointly by Tata Steel, Tata Power Solar and Tata Power Trading Company — all part of the Tata industrial conglomerate. Power generated from the project will be purchased by Tata Steel at a fixed tariff. According to the information provided by the company in a press release, the mine currently draws electricity from the grid to carry out operations. In case the grid electricity is unavailable, the company shifts to diesel-based power generators.

“We have constantly looked at opportunities to exploit renewable energy sources. This is yet another milestone in our quest to become a sustainability driven company, committed to exploring clean energy solutions. Renewable energy is the best way of mitigating the impact of climate change,” said T V Narendran, Managing Director, Tata Steel India.

With the implementation of this solar power project, the company will be able to offset at least a part of the fossil fuel-based electricity coming from the grid or being generated using diesel. In addition to the solar power project, the company has also installed several solar-powered lights. The site of the project has enough area to increase the project size to 4.5 megawatts.

Other metal companies in India are also looking to implement renewable energy projects to power their operations. Vedanta-owned Hindustan Zinc, the largest zinc producer in India, is planning to set up 115 megawatts of solar power capacity for captive power consumption.

According to company officials, the capacity shall be set up in two phases — 15 megawatts and 100 megawatts. In the first phase, 10 megawatts capacity shall be set up near a smelter facility while a 5 megawatts project will be set up close to a zinc mine.

With the rapid fall in solar module prices, it makes financial sense for these large energy-intensive companies to switch to solar power and reduce dependence on costlier grid electricity. Additionally, using solar power will also help them meet their renewable purchase obligation.

Source: cleantechnica.com

DONG Energy Boosts Earnings Expectations as it Finalises Fossil Fuel Sell-Off and Eyes Renewables Opportunity

11.08.2017

Danish wind giant DONG Energy has improved its earnings expectations for the year following a surge in profits in the three months to June 2017.

In its first financial results since reaching an agreement to sell its oil and gas business in May to INEOS, DONG reported a 74 per cent rise in operating profit over the second quarter of 2017 thanks to new offshore wind farms coming online and higher power output from its existing arrays.

DONG also raised its full-year earnings forecast from DKK15 – DKK17bn ($2.4bn-$2.7bn) to DKK17 – DKK19bn ($2.7bn – $3bn), on the expectation it will sell 50 per cent of the Borkum Riffgrund German offshore wind farm this year rather than next.

“H1 showed strong strategic progress supplemented by good financial and operating results,” chief executive Henrik Poulsen said in a statement. “Our offshore wind farms under construction are progressing according to plan. We are also continuing our efforts to expand our portfolio of offshore wind projects for construction after 2020.”

These include a bid for the development of the new Hornsea 2 project in the UK and a 12MW offshore wind demonstration plant off the coast of Virginia in the US, Poulsen added.

The sale of its oil and gas business is awaiting approval by UK, Norwegian and Danish authorities, and is expected be completed by the end of September.

Poulsen also hinted that thanks to a predicted “excess investment capacity” from around 2019 DONG may start expanding its investment activity in other types of renewable energy.

“Value-enhancing, green growth opportunities beyond the current investment plan will thus be explored against tight strategic and financial criteria,” he said. “This could naturally include additional opportunities within offshore wind – which remains our core focus – as well as other renewable technologies and within our downstream, customer-facing business. All of this supporting DONG Energy’s vision to play a leading role in the energy transformation.”

In other industry news, Innogy, SSE, and Statoil today unveiled the ownership breakdown of the planned 4.8GW offshore wind development at Dogger Bank in the North Sea.

SSE and Statoil will each own 50 per cent of three projects – Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B and Dogger Bank Teesside A – while the remaining project, Dogger Bank Teeside B, will be wholly owned by Innogy.

The energy giants are now responsible for taking the projects to financial close.

Meanwhile, Peterhead Port in Scotland has won a major contract to act as the hub for Vattenfall’s eleven-turbine European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC). Under the deal Peterhead will harbour one of the world’s largest floating cranes and the six barges responsible for transporting the foundations out to sea.

The Scottish government is keen to drive investment in the Scottish offshore wind industry. Earlier this month it invested a further £1.5m ($1.95m) into the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator, which aims to accelerate the development of new technologies and drive the cost of offshore wind down.

Scotland has already invested £1.5m ($1.95m) in the project alongside major industry players such as DONG Energy and Vattenfall.

The latest updates further underline the progress being made by a sector that has seen the cost of new offshore wind projects fall by an estimated 40 per cent over the past four years.

The industry is widely tipped to confirm further sharp cost reductions later this autumn when the results of the government’s latest clean power contract auction are announced.

Source: businessgreen.com

Orlando Becomes 40th City to Commit to 100% Renewable Energy

10.08.2017

Obnovljivi izvori energije — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Orlando City Commission unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday establishing a goal to move Orlando to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2050. Orlando is now the largest city in Florida to make such a commitment and joins a growing movement of more than three dozen cities nationwide that have committed to a 100 percent clean energy future.

Council chambers were filled with elated members of the First 50 Coalition, a broad-based alliance led by the League of Women Voters of Orange County that is pushing for sustainability in Central Florida.

“Today, Orlando takes its place on the regional, state and national stage as a forward-thinking city committed to a healthier, sustainable future,” said League of Women Voters of Orange County co-president Carol Davis. “This is a first, important step, and we plan to continue to support and encourage the City to follow with concrete measures that solidify this commitment.”

Orlando represents the 40th city in the U.S. to commit to move to 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Mayor Buddy Dyer has already championed multiple green energy initiatives, including signing the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda in the past few months. In June, Mayor Dyer signed onto the Sierra Club’s Mayors for 100% Clean Energy campaign and endorsed a vision of powering all of Orlando with 100 percent clean energy. Other Florida cities that have committed to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy include St. Petersburg and Sarasota.

The local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch, a key member of the First 50 Coalition, praised the City Commission’s vote.

“We stand in support with the Orlando City Commission, in realizing the importance of renewable energy to it residents, by taking the necessary actions to begin the transformation,” said Beverlye Colson Neal, president of the NAACP’s local branch. “We look forward to working with the City to educate the residents of the importance and advantages of renewable energy as we move into the future.”

Sara Isaac, League of Women Voters of Orange County’s director of partnerships, agreed. “We applaud the City of Orlando for looking ahead to the future and seeing that a better tomorrow is possible if we take bold action today,” Isaac said. “Orlando is a young city that is just now beginning to fully realize its possibilities. This action showcases Orlando as a potential powerhouse player on the national stage.”

In a letter sent to commissioners urging their support, First 50 acknowledged that Orlando has already taken significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, praising in particular Green Works Orlando and Smart ORL, which boosted Orlando down a path of clean-energy and sustainability.

Orlando’s vote was applauded by Phil Compton, senior organizing representative with the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Campaign in Florida, and a member of the First 50 Coalition.

“All across our state and our nation, cities are committing to a future powered by 100 percent clean and renewable energy for all,” Compton said. “Today, Orlando joins this growing movement of cities that are ready for 100 percent clean, renewable energy.

Source: ecowatch.com

Latin American Renewables Sector Enjoys Twin Funding Boost

10.08.2017

Latin America’s fast-expanding renewables sector received a twin-boost this week as two leading developers announced they had secured funding for giant wind farm projects in Chile and Mexico.

Mainstream Renewable Power announced yesterday that its Chilean joint venture Aela Energía has obtained $410m in project financing for two wind farms boasting 299MW of capacity.

The company, which is 60 per cent owned by investment firm Actis and 40 per cent owned by renewable energy developer Mainstream, said the deal brought the 170MW Sarco project and 129 Aurora projects to financial close.

Both projects are now on track to be completed in the second half of 2018 and together will provide power to the equivalent of 460,000 households.

The deal is the latest milestone in Mainstream’s push into the Chilean market, which saw it last year secure supply contracts for almost 1GW of wind energy capacity with bids that undercut fossil fuel power suppliers.

“We are delighted to have reached financial close on these two projects, which will deliver 300MW of wind power to Chile when they are completed,” said Bart Doyle, general manager of Mainstream Chile. “These projects were awarded through a competitive tendering process in which wind energy prices came in below fossil fuel prices, clearly demonstrating that renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel generation.”

The project financing will be provided by a group of multilateral and commercial banks including Inter-American Development Bank and its member affiliate Inter-American Investment Corporation (IADB-IIC), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Korean Development Bank, Caixa, and KfW and Banco Santander as VAT lender.

The 18-year project financing arrangement will account for 70 per cent of the total financing for the projects, with equity partners providing the remaining 30 per cent.

The news came just a day after Cubico Sustainable Investments announced it has achieved financial close for the 250MW El Mezquite wind farm and the 350MW Solem solar PV project in Aguascalientes in Mexico.

The company said it had secured non-recourse project finance debt totalling $450m, with $220m to the El Mezquite project and $230m earmarked for Solem.

The two projects were each awarded power purchase agreements through Mexico’s second long-term electricity auction in September 2016.

Ricardo Diaz, head of Americas at Cubico, said the “ground-breaking milestone” made the company one of “a handful, from either the first or second auction in Mexico, that have been able to raise third party financing”.

“We now plan to continue consolidating our presence in the market supporting the government and selected local developers to achieve their clean energy ambitions in the country, as we are doing in the rest of the region,” he added.

The company said that alongside the debt financing Cubico and a number of minority partners will invest close to $200m of equity in the projects. The two sites are expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2018.

Osvaldo Rance, head of Mexico at Cubico, said the project provided “tangible proof of the bankability of the PPA awarded in the auction and the new legal framework that enabled us to raise competitive financing”.

Source: businessgreen.com

Massachusetts Considering Plan To Classify Wood Pellets As Renewable Energy

10.08.2017

In order to more easily “achieve” its renewable energy goals (formally, at least), the state of Massachusetts may implement a plan that would see the burning of wood pellets classified as renewable energy.

This plan would also result in subsidies for the use of wood pellets as biomass fuel. Considering that some research has shown that wood pellets can have a higher total carbon footprint than even coal does, such a subsidy does not make sense from the perspective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and neither does counting biomass as an option to achieve the state’s renewable energy targets, of course.

It’s likely to make sense from the perspective of supporting a local industry, and allowing for official renewable energy goals to be “achieved” more easily though.

Climate Central provides more: “The plan is part of proposed new rules updating the state’s standards for alternative energy, which are expected to be finalized in the coming months. If approved, the updated standards would subsidize biomass fuel and add it to the energy sources that contribute to a requirement for at least 5% of the state’s electricity to come from certain renewables by 2020.

“Massachusetts is among the Northeast’s leaders in developing renewable and clean energy. In July, a new offshore wind farm — among the first in the US — was proposed for the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. It will be combined with large batteries to help meet a state mandate for the development of renewables.

“… On its website, the Massachusetts Forest Alliance, one of the chief proponents of the biomass rules, says burning wood for electricity is carbon neutral because emissions are offset as trees used for fuel are replaced by new growth. But a Climate Central analysis found in 2015 that switching to wood from coal increased carbon dioxide emissions at the Drax power station in rural England by 15 to 20 percent for each megawatt produced. Cutting trees for fuel also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide pollution that forests absorb.

“It can take decades to replace trees chopped into wood pellets, research shows. Some hardwood forests can take up to 70 years to soak up as much carbon dioxide as they spew into the atmosphere after being chopped down.”

Something else that should be realized here is that wood-pellet harvesting effectively strip mines the soils of the forests and regions in question — with important nutrients being sucked out of the land, leaving the biosphere there diminished from what it once was.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Financing & Turbines Secured For 424 Megawatt Mexican Reynosa III Wind Park, The Largest In Latin America

10.08.2017

Two parallel announcements have given shape to the planned 424 MW Reynosa III Wind Park set to be developed in Mexico, with wind turbines supplied by Vestas and financing from Mexico’s state-owned development banks.

Mexico’s Secretariat of Energy (SENER) announced on Tuesday that the country’s state-owned development banks will provide financing for a total of 964 MW (megawatts) worth of wind and solar capacity, awarded nearly a year ago in Mexico’s second renewable energy power auction. The banks in question — Nafin, Bancomext, and Banobras — will provide preferential loans to the developers of the projects.

Specifically, Mexican electric utility Zuma Energia will receive $330 million in public loans for the development of the 424 MW and $642 million Reynosa III Wind Park, set to be developed in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The project will also receive a $110 million private loan from Santander Bank.

Upon completion, the 424 MW project is expected to be the largest wind farm in Latin America, according to SENER.

Additionally, parallel to the SENER announcement, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems announced that it would be providing over 120 of its V136-3.45 MW wind turbines to the project, as well as a 15-year service agreement. The project is expected to be completed by 2019.

In addition to the Reynosa III Wind Park, the Mexican Secretariat also announced that Cubico Sustainable Investments and GE Financial Services will receive a total of $240 million in public loans for the development of the 250 MW, $317.5 million El Mezquite Wind Park, set to be developed in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon. Additionally, Cubico and Alten Renewable Energy will receive financial backing to develop the 290 MW, $371 million Solem I and II Solar Farms, set to be developed in the state of Aguascalientes.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Global Infrastructure Partners Acquires 50% Stake From DONG Energy In 450 MW Borkum Riffgrund 2 Offshore Wind Farm

10.08.2017

WINDMILLS — Photo - Illustration: Pixabay

One of the world’s leading infrastructure investors, Global Infrastructure Partners, this week announced that it has acquired a 50% stake in the German 450 MW Borkum Riffgrund 2 Offshore Wind Farm from Danish wind energy developer DONG Energy.

Specifically, Global Infrastructure Partners III (GIP III), an equity fund managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), has acquired a 50% stake in the 450 MW offshore wind farm from DONG Energy for a total consideration of approximately €1,170 million (subject to approval by competition authorities).

The 450 MW Borkum Riffgrund 2 Offshore Wind Farm is currently under construction by DONG Energy in the German North Sea, off the coast of Lower Saxony. DONG Energy originally committed to building the project back in June, 2016, and at the beginning of this year it was announced that Vestas would provide 56 of its V164-8.0 MW wind turbines.

Retaining 50% of its stake, DONG Energy will not only continue to provide engineering, procurement, and construction services to the project, but will also provide operation and maintenance services as well as a route to market for the power production of the project.

This is the second joint venture between DONG Energy and GIP, following GIP’s acquisition of a 50% stake in the Gode Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm back in September, 2015.

“We’re pleased to be able to build on the partnership we established with GIP in relation to Gode Wind 1 in 2015,” said Samuel Leupold, Executive Vice President and CEO of Wind Power at DONG Energy. “That partnership has been a success for all parties, and we’re committed to ensuring a similar success in relation to Borkum Riffgrund 2.”

“This second transaction with DONG Energy continues and strengthens our successful partnership,” added Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner of GIP. “DONG is a recognized leader in the energy sector and the pioneer in the development and operation of offshore wind farms, and this acquisition underscores GIP’s strategy of investing in superior quality projects and developing long-term strategic partnerships with industry leaders.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

E.ON Trails New Green Growth Strategy

09.08.2017

renewable — Photo - ilustration: Pixabay

German utility giant E.ON has today announced plans to launch of a green energy investment strategy to lead the firm into the “new energy world”.

The announcement came as part of E.ON’s half year results, which saw the utility largely recover from its “extraordinarily weak” first quarter to boost earnings growth 25 per cent in the three months to June 2017 and cut its debt faster than expected.

The strong performance prompted the utility to reaffirm its earnings expectations for full-year 2017 and trail new investment and dividend strategies for 2018, including a new plan to focus on the “new energy world”.

E.ON CEO Johannes Teyssen said he would reveal the full strategy at the release of the company’s 2017 full year results next Spring. But he suggested it would include investment in “competitive renewables” and energy efficiency.

“We’ll focus on our strong customer base and its interests. We offer our customers more efficient networks, new energy solutions, and competitive renewables,” he said in a statement. “Our sustainable business models will deliver increasing earnings, which will benefit our investors as well.”

E.ON added it expects 2017 earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to fall between €2.8bn and €3.1bn, in line with original forecasts.

Last year E.ON spun off its fossil fuel business Uniper into a separate entity, leaving it free to focus on cleaner sources of generation and energy-related services. Since then it has focused on boosting its green power offering, including rolling out electric vehicle charge points in homes and expanding access to clean energy tariffs through a partnership with supermarket retailer Lidl.

It has targeted much of its focus on the solar market, introducing the Aura battery storage system and E.ON Solar Cloud for solar power storage, and teaming up with Google on Project Sunroof to help consumers identify the solar potential of their rooftops.

As a result, E.ON said demand for its solar solutions has increased six-fold in Germany over the course of a year.

Source: businessgreen.com

Scottish Government Celebrates Opening of 100th Re-Use Store

09.08.2017

Scotland’s ‘re-use revolution’ has this week celebrated a major milestone, with the news 100 re-use stores across the country have now secured quality certification through the national Revolve standard scheme.

The Zero Waste Scotland agency, which operates the Revolve standard as part of its campaign to assure customers that second hand goods meet stringent quality standards, said Scotland now boasts 100 certified stores as well as three flagship superstore hubs.

The latest superstore hub, ReStyle Argyll in Argyll and Bute, officially opened yesterday, joining Blythswood Care in Dingwall and the Edinburgh Remakery in offering a range of repair, re-use, and re-sale services to customers.

Speaking during a visit to the Blythswood Care centre, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham, said the new stores were delivering significant environmental benefits.

“Re-use is one of the smartest ways in which we can keep products and materials out of landfill and in high-value use for longer,” she said. “In Scotland we are working towards ambitious targets on waste, with no more than five per cent of all waste to go to landfill and 70 per cent of waste recycled or prepared for reuse by 2025.

“Re-use and repair superstores like Blythswood Care’s here in the Highlands, and ReStyle Argyll in Argyll, are at the forefront of those ambitions by making it easier for people to donate and shop for second-hand items. By shopping at these hubs, and other stores across Scotland with the Revolve logo, customers can be confident they have access to high-quality products which offer good value and support local communities through jobs and volunteering opportunities.”

The new stores are also supported by a phone and online service subbed Re-use Line, which allows people to donate large items such as furniture and white goods for re-use.

Zero Waste Scotland said the service had seen its highest levels of demand last month with 928 items – or 30 tonnes of goods – referred for re-use.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said it was “clear both consumers and businesses are waking up to the scale of opportunity in re-use and repair”.

“The extent to which the Revolve brand has grown – with over 100 stores now certified, including the first private sector organisations earlier this year – clearly demonstrates strong support for a more sustainable, more circular economy in Scotland,” he added.

Source: businessgreen.com

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