Wyatt Wants Winnipeg to Generate and Sell Solar Power

15.11.2017

Coun. Russ Wyatt wants Winnipeg to create a new arm’s-length corporation that will generate solar power and sell it back to Manitoba Hydro.

The Transcona councillor has authored a motion to create a new non-profit entity to set up solar farms on city property, sell solar power and promote the benefits of green energy.

“We have a lot of land, a lot of buildings that we own and we also are major contributors to greenhouse gases,” Wyatt said in a telephone interview Tuesday, explaining the rationale for a corporation he’d like to call the Winnipeg Green Energy Organization.

“We’re really behind the 8-ball here in Manitoba when it comes to adopting other forms of energy production. Largely it’s because our energy has been relatively cheap. But as you know, Manitoba Hydro is looking to increase their rates. I think we have to look at alternative forms of energy for that reason as well as for the good of the environment.”

Wyatt said the city can fund this new corporation using $200,000 in annual energy savings from the use of LED traffic lights.

Winnipeg has experience setting up arm’s-length corporations, he said, pointing to the creation of the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation in the 1970s.

Wyatt plans to submit his motion, seconded by Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie, to city council Wednesday. It will be referred automatically to executive policy committee.

Wyatt said he’s told Mayor Brian Bowman’s office about the motion and hopes it will receive support.

Source: cbc.ca

Ingeteam Surpasses 40 GW of Installed Wind-Power Capacity

15.11.2017

Ingeteam, an independent supplier of electrical conversion equipment, has announced that it surpassed the milestone of 40 GW of installed wind-power capacity worldwide thanks to record sales of its converter product lines. This significant achievement underpins the growth the company experienced in its core markets, with an addition of an impressive 10 GW globally in just two years.

Earlier this year, the company landed the world’s top spot among independent suppliers of wind-power converters, after setting a new record year for its converter deliveries in 2016. To date, a total of 40,175 MW of wind turbines have been equipped with Ingeteam’s technology, strengthening its position as an independent supplier of wind converters.

This performance is largely due to Ingeteam’s establishment of a leadership position in Brazil and India, two of the world’s largest emerging wind-energy markets. Over the last two years, the company has respectively supplied 1,878 MW in India and 1,240 MW in Brazil.

“Although both the Indian and Brazilian wind markets have slowed down in 2017 due to regulatory and commercial issues, we have no doubt that they will pick up again and continue with the positive overall growth trend they have set over the past few years,” added Goyen. “The fundamentals of growth are there and they remain key areas of investment for Ingeteam in the long run.”

In addition to power converters, Ingeteam also provides turbine controllers, Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS), Smart SCADA management systems and O&M services for wind turbines of up to 15 MW for onshore and offshore applications worldwide.

Source: windpowerengineering.com

India’s Tata Power Doubles Profit From Renewable Energy Division To $27 Million

15.11.2017

solarka-iran — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

One of India’s leading private power generation companies, Tata Power, has reported a huge jump in profit from its renewable energy division.

In a press release, Tata Power reported that the profit from its renewable energy portfolio doubled to Rs 173 crore ($27 million) in the quarter ending September 2017. Tata Power counts large hydro power projects in its portfolio of clean energy sources.

While the company did not give a technology-wise breakout of the profits generated, they would have likely come from increased generation from hydro and wind energy projects and addition of new solar power projects in the portfolio.

Increased hydro and wind energy generation would have continued from the quarter ending June 2017 into the following quarter due to heavy rains and high speed winds in India. Solar power generation would have been comparatively lower during the period, however, Tata Power did acquire a massive portfolio of solar power projects from Welspun Energy — including one of the largest solar power projects in India with over 151 megawatts of capacity, located in Madhya Pradesh.

Tata Power Renewable Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, had acquired 31 solar and 2 wind energy projects from Welspun Energy. The company itself has secured rights to develop several solar power projects, and recently commissioned a 30 megawatt project in the state of Maharashtra.

Tata Power has a gross generation capacity of 10,613 megawatts, including 3,210 megawatts of clean energy capacity. This, however, includes 693 megawatts of large-hydro power capacity, which is not considered renewable energy technology in India, yet.

The company owns 966 megawatts of solar and 1,140 megawatts of wind energy capacity across India. It also has interests in the renewable energy projects in other emerging markets, including South Africa, through partnerships.

Apart from its power generation business, Tata Power also has solar panel and cell manufacturing capacity. It recently increased panel manufacturing capacity from 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts and cell production capacity from 180 megawatts to 300 megawatts.

Source: cleantechnica.com

MATT MCGRATH: Are Vehicles Greener on the Other Side as Well

15.11.2017

With Matt McGrath, BBC journalist specialized in reporting on science and ecology, we discussed the steps that are being taken in the United Kingdom to alleviate the apparent climatic changes caused by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide.

Ever since the European Commission warned the government of the United Kingdom about the poor quality of air in 16 mainly city areas, threatening with the legal proceedings to be pursued before the Court of Justice if the British authorities do not take urgent measures such as reducing the volume of traffic, switching to electric vehicles and reducing the emissions of gas emission from diesel vehicles, there has been a lot of controversy in the British media about the major effects of the immediate measures. The London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the impending implementation of one of the strictest standards for the emission of harmful gases, and that also involves a new levy that the owners of diesel and petrol vehicles produced before 2005 and not complied with the Euro 4 standard, would have to pay for driving through the central part of London. Opponents of the announced measures are largely arguing that the air in the city won’t become cleaner and the desired outcome won’t be attained, due to the fact that of all the vehicles passing through the main streets of this metropolis merely 7% belong to a group affected by this additional charge.

EP: What problems have the authorities been facing in the attempt to reduce pollution in urban areas, most importantly in London, where high concentrations of nitrogen oxide were measured?

Matt McGrath: The issue in the UK particularly has become acute because of the incentives the government gave to car purchaser back in the mid 90’s to buy diesel cars and now about the half of the cars in UK are diesel. It is not only about the private drivers – there are vans, taxis and all those heavy goods vehicles… So, most of the local governments are trying to tackle the issue by looking the other way, not by tackling it. It is only because of the court cases that made them do something about the pollution problem. London is global city with millions of people who live and work there, and the majority of the government officials are aware of the possible growth in number of lawsuits. The new mayor is undoubtedly trying to solve the problem, so he has introduced the measures which created a huge low emission zone in the city, and the aforementioned additional levy for older vehicles coming into the central zone will be introduced during this year. There’s no doubt it will hugely contribute to the pollution reduction. As far as other communities, or the rest of the UK, it is more difficult to introduce the changes. So for example, last year central government informed the local authorities they have three million pounds to tackle the air pollution problem which should be distributed among all the local governments, but London alone spent 180 million pounds. So, the government doesn’t want to deal with this in a comprehensive way, local governments have the responsibility but lack resources, so at the moment the problem falls between the two. Right now, there is a needle gun being held at the government’s head and they will have to do something about it and what they will do nobody knows.

EP: One way to reduce the emissions of harmful gases is also to increase the number of electric vehicles. What kind of incentives does your government give for purchase of these vehicles?

Matt McGrath: The buyer gets the grant of about 5,000 pounds. One must know that most of our motorways are electrified so drivers of electric car can travel around the country and find charging station every 20 miles. No wonder the sales of electric cars are going up. Although it has gone nearly well, it still can’t measure up to the market in Norway, which is the world leader in this field. Recently, I have heard an interesting story from my colleague who bought a petrol car and surprisingly enough, he waited for its delivery. Not so long ago, diesel car was usually sold as a family car, and generally you would have to wait for its delivery, and nowadays you have to wait for petrol car the whole six weeks. There is a change taking place in the mentality, people are moving away from diesels back to petrol, or back to hybrids, whose sales have gone pretty well. I really think we are witnessing the change in people’s minds. Nowadays, people think more about the pollution and they are more concerned about it because their children ride in family cars that go on diesel, or go to school by buses which also use diesel, so in that way they are exposed to harmful gases more often than not. I think all of this has led to a breakthrough and the idea of buying hybrid or electric vehicle is even more acceptable. Having taken into account all the facts, the United Kingdom is today cleaner than it was 20 years ago. The air is also cleaner.

EP: How much does the UK use renewable energy sources?

Matt McGrath: Last year we got 20% of electricity from renewable sources, out of which solar energy made the largest share. We also got 20% from nuclear power plants and all other sources provided the rest of energy we needed. Due to its position, our country can use the power of the wind, both on offshore and onshore wind farms. When it comes to biomass, there is no shortage of this resource in our country, but its use raises a lot of questions since it is produced by cutting and burning trees.

EP: What needs to be done in one country in order to have more electric cars on roads?

Matt McGrath: It takes a more integrative approach and strategy if you want to have more electric cars. It is necessary to develop the electric car market, but the situation in this field depends also on other things, so we have to wait for certain changes to happen: batteries need to be better; Tesla has to make a new, cheaper vehicle. Skoda made an announcement at the beginning of this year that by 2020 they would have all hybrid cars, and that is very good news. I’m sure we’ll be eyewitnesses of a massive change over the next 10 years. There will also be self-driving cars, which means that the program, instead of driver, will be responsible for driving.

EP: Lastly, do you find realistic the expectation for the Republic Ireland to stop using fossil fuels for electric energy production by 2030, as it has been announced?

Matt McGrath: The Republic of Ireland is in a position to have more energy than it can use, either from wind, coal or some other source. As for climate and eventual changes which would be caused by shifting to renewable energy sources, the big issue is that Ireland is an agricultural country, and animals, especially cows, could be in danger if they build power plants which use wind, water and other sources. It is possible to get to that point, since they have various ways for electricity production, but I don’t think Ireland will be the top of the class when it comes to the giving up the use of fossil fuels by given deadline. Even if they reach the goal, it would be just a portion of the picture.

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

Interview by: Tamara Zjačić

ABB delivers 117 electric vehicle charging stations for German highways

15.11.2017

ABB will deliver 117 electric vehicle charging stations to the German utility EnBV, the Swiss engineering company said.

These are now increasingly being installed on Europe’s motorways to accommodate a new generation of electric vehicles from makers such as Tesla, Porsche and BMW with long range batteries.

ABB has so far delivered more than 5,000 networked charging systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles worldwide. They are due to be installed at service station operator Tank & Rast locations by the end of the year. Tank & Rast operates about 350 filling stations and 390 service areas on German autobahns.

Previously, charging stations had been concentrated in cities, but Europe has been pushing for cross-country networks.

15,000 Scientists From 184 Countries Warn Humanity of Environmental Catastrophe

15.11.2017

climate change — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

More than 15,000 scientists have signed a chilling article titled “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice,” urging global leaders to save the planet from environmental catastrophe.

The plea, published Monday in the international journal BioScience, is likely the largest-ever formal support by scientists for a journal article with 15,372 total signatories, Motherboard noted. The scientists represent 184 countries and have a range of scientific backgrounds. Prominent signatories include Jane Goodall, E.O. Wilson and James Hansen.

The “Second Notice”—an update to the original version published 25 years ago by the Union of Concerned Scientists and signed by 1,700 scientists then—underscores the lack of progress from the original document.

The first notice started with this statement: “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.” It described trends such as the growing hole in the ozone layer, pollution and depletion of freshwater sources, overfishing, deforestation, plummeting wildlife populations, as well as unsustainable rises in greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures and human population levels.

Unfortunately, the authors of the current article said that humanity has failed to progress on most of the measures.

They ominously warned, “time is running out.”

“Especially troubling is the current trajectory of potentially catastrophic climate change” from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities, the paper stated.

William J. Ripple, lead author of the current article and a distinguished professor of ecology at Oregon State University, told the Associated Press he was stunned by the level of support for the manuscript.

“I initially sent it out to 40 of my colleagues,” he explained. “After 24 hours there were 600 scientists who signed it. Within two days, there were 1,200. There were so many people signing that our website crashed a couple of times.”

According to the AP, the researchers document a number of alarming trends from 1992 to 2016, such as a 28.9 percent reduction of vertebrate wildlife, a 62.1 percent increase in CO2 emissions, a 167.6 percent rise in global average annual temperature change and a 35.5 percent increase in the global population (about 2 billion people).

One of the few positive trends over the past 25 years is the recovery of the ozone layer thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which sharply cut the use of chlorofluorocarbons. Reductions in extreme poverty and hunger, a slowdown in deforestation in some parts of the world, the rapid growth of the renewable energy sector and a sharp drop in birth rates in certain regions due to women and girls having greater access to education were also identified as positive trends, the AP reported.

The authors conclude that urgent measures are necessary to avoid disaster. They call upon everyday citizens to urge their leaders to “take immediate action as a moral imperative to current and future generations of human and other life.”

Individual actions such as having fewer children and using fewer resources, from fossil fuels to meat, will also help avert global disaster.

“Humanity is now being given a second notice, as illustrated by these alarming trends,” the scientists wrote. “We are jeopardizing our future by not reining in our intense but geographically and demographically uneven material consumption and by not perceiving continued rapid population growth as a primary driver behind many ecological and even societal threats.”

Source: ecowatch.com

Microsoft Vows to Cut Emissions 75 Per Cent by 2030

15.11.2017

Microsoft has become the latest corporate giant to unveil ambitious emissions reduction goals, publicly pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions by three quarters by 2030 against a 2013 baseline.

The company said the new target, which was unveiled on the sidelines of the UN’s COP23 Climate Summit in Bonn, would deliver a level of decarbonisation in line with the 2C temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement.

Writing in a blog post, Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer at Microsoft, said the company would meet the target through continued investments in energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy capacity, following its separate commitment to source rising levels of energy from renewable sources.

He added that meeting the 2030 target would result in 10 million metric tons of carbon emissions being avoided.

Smith also stressed that there were compelling business reasons for setting a deep decarbonisation goal.

“As we expand our global cloud infrastructure, we will increasingly turn to renewable energy because it is a clean power source and gives us better financial predictability,” he wrote. “It’s good for the environment, our customers and our business. Our cloud-based programs to reduce resource consumption have already cut energy consumption at our main campus in Redmond, Washington by nearly 20 per cent, reducing emissions and our power bill… Put simply, the environment and our business both benefit each time we’ve implemented sustainability targets and goals.”

He urged other companies to set similarly ambitious emissions targets and argued that the IT sector had huge potential to help deliver decarbonisation across a wide range of industries.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud are enabling companies and governments to make smarter, real-time decisions that lower emissions and reduce resource consumption in areas from buildings to transportation to manufacturing to agriculture to the production and distribution of electricity,” he wrote.

Source: businessgreen.com

Tipping Point: How Renewables Could Dominate UK and German Power Grids Within a Decade

14.11.2017

solarni-park — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A series of economic ‘tipping points’ could lead to a surge in renewables deployment in the UK and Germany over the next decade, paving the way for the countries to rely entirely on renewable power for lengthy periods from as early as 2030.

That is the conclusion of a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance released today on the sidelines of the COP23 Climate Summit and commissioned by energy storage specialist Eaton and the Renewable Energy Association.

Entitled Beyond the Tipping Point, the study explores how the power grid is likely to respond to a huge increase in the use of variable renewables technologies, such as wind and solar farms. It argues that inflexible ‘baseload’ technologies such as nuclear and coal plants will face a “very challenging environment” as renewables and energy storage costs plummet and new flexible grid management technologies are deployed.

Specifically, the report predicts renewables will account for more than half of UK and German power supplies by 2026, rising to 63 per cent by 2040.

It adds that this surge in renewables deployment will mean that from 2030 there could be whole weeks where wind and solar generation exceed demand at some point each day, while from 2040 wind and solar could generate enough power to meet weekly demand during some weeks, paving the way for energy storage technologies to enable a fully renewables-powered grid.

“In this environment, flexible power technologies such as energy storage and gas generators will have an advantage,” the report states. “In addition, certain types of demand response such as flexible electric vehicle charging and variable industrial loads can respond quickly to conditions on the grid, or shift or consume surplus renewable energy.”

The report acknowledges that a big increase in renewables capacity will require some wind and solar farms to be curtailed when supply exceeds demand. But it argues new flexible grid technologies should mean curtailment does not climb to significant levels. The report calculates that by 2030 less than one per cent of UK and three per cent of German wind and solar generation will be ‘wasted’ due to oversupply.

“This study highlights a seismic shift in how power systems will operate in future,” said Albert Cheung, head of global analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “As wind and solar become the cheapest options for power generation, the race is on to develop and deploy the flexible resources that will complement them.”

Louis Shaffer, distributed energy segment manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Eaton, said the report would be followed a second study early next year that will explore how new technologies and policies can help deliver more flexible grids in support of renewables deployment. “These solutions could include continued promotion of smart metering, reforms to increase market openness and transparency for all grid ancillary services and long-term grid service contracts and pricing schemes,” he explained.

Dr Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, said the report provided further evidence that “wind and solar power are now the cheapest form of new build generation in many cases, and costs will continue to fall dramatically”.

“Massive increases in future renewable power generation mean that industry and government must start planning now to ensure low-carbon, cost-effective ways of balancing demand and supply,” she said. “We believe that there is a role for fuelled renewable technologies such as bioenergy and energy from waste to provide the complementary baseload generation that will be required, to avoid the need for carbon intensive generation at all. This study shows that battery storage is well placed to serve short term supply and demand issues and highlights the dramatic cost reductions in renewable power over the past few years.”

The report follows a study last week from German non-profit Energy Watch Group and the Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, which argued that a 100 per cent renewable powered grid was both technically and economically feasible.

It also comes on the same day as the International Energy Agency published its annual World Energy Outlook report, which predicts a seismic shift in the global energy market through to 2040, with China taking the lead on renewables and nuclear generation over the next three decades as the US becomes a leader in oil and gas exports.

Although the paper predicts a dramatic rise in the use of wind, solar and natural gas between now and 2040, as well as the end of the “boom years” for coal consumption, it stresses that decarbonisation efforts will not move nearly fast enough to avoid severe climate change without a major new investment and policy push.

Source: businessgreen.com

Renewables Provided 44.1% Of Germany’s Electricity In October

14.11.2017

renewable-energy — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Germany added 2.3 gigawatts of new onshore wind capacity in the first half of 2017. Though it failed to meet the target last year, the Renewable Energy Act set an annual target of installing 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity. Add in a warm autumn and the winter storms Xavier and Herwart, and it is easy to see how renewables provided 44.1% of Germany’s electricity in October.

A press release from Germany Trade and Invest boasts that renewables produced more than 38% overall of Germany’s energy production so far this year. Wind energy produced 82.12 terawatt hours (TWh) as of November 13. Biomass, solar, and hydro followed with 40.10 TWh, 37.5 TWh and 16.84 TWh, respectively.

Though brown coal is still the nation’s leading source, its share of the energy pie is decreasing.

“This is another fantastic return for the time and money that has been put into renewable energy sources. Germany is a global leading market in the area of electricity generation through renewable sources. Further market opportunities come though innovation and cost reduction such as through big data, blockchain technologies and with the coupling of the heat and mobility sector,” said Esther Frey Director of Energy, Environment and Raw Materials at federal economic development agency Germany Trade & Invest.

“We also see strong growth for storage technologies. The number of small home storage systems has grown by 113% per year on average since 2013, while large-scale batteries supporting the electricity grid increased tenfold within that period.”

The big question, of course, is whether Germany will be able to meet its target of at least 80% renewable energy by 2050.

A recent report from Fraunhofer states they need to pick up the pace:

“In 2016, 1.5 GW new PV capacity was installed in Germany [ISE4], which corresponds to nearly 2% of total new PV capacity worldwide. In the German Renewable Energy Act EEG 2014 and 2017 , the federal government set down an annual target of 2.5 GW PV [EE G] . To meet most of or all of Germany’s energy demand with renewables by 2050, ca. 150 – 200 GW PV installed capacity is required by 2050 [ISE5, IWES2]. This means that an average of 4 – 5 GW PV must be installed annually up to 2050. With time, the older PV systems must be replaced. As of now, replacing installations have not played a large role. Once the targeted capacity of 200 GW PV has been reached and assuming an operating life of 30 years, estimates show that 6 – 7 GW PV must be replaced each year. The transformation of the entire power sector to renewables is not a target of the present German federal government. A minimum share of 80% renewables by 2050 is foreseen; and the government sees the necessity of also setting an upper target, or expansion corridor.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

IKEA UK Rings Up Success on Food Waste, Green Energy and Circular Sofas

14.11.2017

IKEA is pressing ahead with plans to become a ‘circular retailer’ that minimises its waste and encourages customers to reuse and repair its products, according to the company’s latest Annual Summary for the UK.

The company will confirm this morning that for the second year running it has sent no waste to landfill in the UK, with rubbish instead being diverted for reuse, energy generation, and recycling into new products.

Speaking at the BusinessGreen Leaders Summit last week, IKEA’s sustainability manager for UK and Ireland Hege Sæbjørnsen revealed IKEA is now ‘cost positive’ for cardboard and plastic, with old cardboard used for making new products such as its ‘Billy’ bookcases.

The firm also revealed it has expanded its furniture take-back scheme, with almost 13,000 beds, sofas and appliances recovered to date, while a pilot scheme for textile collection in Cardiff has seen more than a tonne of textile waste collected in less than a year. The scheme will now roll out nationwide, IKEA confirmed.

“We are determined to have an overall positive impact on the UK – both for the people we meet, and the planet where we live and work,” Sæbjørnsen said in the report. “We call this becoming people and planet positive. When we achieve it, we’ll be more than a sustainable business. We’ll be a regenerative business, without reliance on finite resources – creating a better everyday life for millions of people.”

IKEA also said its ‘Food is Precious’ programme, which launched in June, has already cut food waste at its UK stores by 32 per cent, a major step towards its goal of halving food waste by the end of 2020.

It also said it now generates 41 per cent of the energy it uses across the UK, as part of its goal to be producing enough renewable energy to power its entire global operations by 2020.

IKEA’s progress against its environmental targets is set against the backdrop of soaring sales – total UK revenues were up almost six per cent to the year ending August 31, compared to the previous year. Over the last six years sales have jumped 56 per cent for the furniture giant.

Source: businessgreen.com

This electric school bus is coming to the US in 2019

14.11.2017

Electric-bus-Jouley — Photo: Print Screen / YouTube / Thomas Built Buses

You’d be hard-pressed to find a vehicle type today that isn’t in the process of being electrified by some major manufacturer. If it has wheels or rotors or wings, someone out there is trying to replace the gas tank with a battery.

Even some of our most iconic vehicles are slated for electric conversion. Today, Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, announced plans to manufacture an all-electric school bus with a range of 100 miles for distribution in the US by 2019.

The bus is a Saf-T-Liner C2 Electric Bus that will be manufactured by Daimler subsidiary Thomas Built Buses. Nicknamed “Jouley,” the bus will seat 81 children and is powered by a 60kWh battery, giving it a range of up to 160 kilometers (99.4 miles). Additional battery packs will be available for bus operators who want a higher range.

There are a number of smaller bus manufacturers working on electrification projects, but Daimler’s Thomas Built Buses supposedly has a 38.7 percent market share in the US.

Source: The Verge

India Plans World’s Largest Solar Power Tender — 20 Gigawatts

14.11.2017

solar-panel-1393880__340 — Photo: Pixabay

It is perhaps the worry of missing the ambitious renewable energy target that the Indian government has floated the idea of launching the world’s largest solar power tender.

According to media reports, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is planning to auction off 20 gigawatts of solar power capacity in one go. The final details of the proposed auction are still being deliberated upon, however, the aim is to spur domestic solar modules production as well as further reduce the cost of solar power.

Despite the ambitious targets and supportive policies, India has lagged in solar power capacity addition. The country plans to have an installed solar power capacity of 100 gigawatts by March 2022. The installed capacity as of 30 September 2017 was just over 14.7 gigawatts. So, it needs to add an additional 85 gigawatts in the remaining four years and six months.

While a substantial amount of capacity is already in the pipeline, a larger quantity has yet to be allocated. To achieve the 100 gigawatts target, India will have to add around 1.6 gigawatts every month between October 2017 and March 2022. India has never seen such growth in its solar, or any other renewable energy technology. Between April and September of 2017, India managed to add just 2.5 gigawatts of solar power capacity, or just 413 megawatts per month.

Initially, the government had planned to set up 40 gigawatts of the 100 gigawatts from rooftop solar power systems. Realizing that the rooftop market does not enjoy the penetration and financial benefits that the utility-scale projects have, the government circled back to utility-scale solar power projects. It increased the target for capacity addition through solar power parks from 20 gigawatts to 40 gigawatts.

The 20 gigawatt tender being talked about will likely be under this solar power parks scheme itself. Several state governments have already identified land to set up a cumulative 20 gigawatts of capacity and the Solar Energy Corporation of India will auction these projects in the near future. Work on the additional 20 gigawatts of solar power parks may soon come to fruition.

While details of the tender will emerge in the due course of time, the projects auctioned will likely be commissioned in phases. The largest solar power tender launched in India to date had a capacity of 2 gigawatts.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Study Links Osteoporosis to Air Pollution

14.11.2017

Exposure to air pollution is known to cause a vast array of respiratory health problems, but in a new study, researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health have determined that air pollution can also weaken bones.

The paper, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, is the first to document high rates of hospital admissions for bone fractures in communities with elevated levels of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5).

Unfortunately, as a press release for the study noted, risk of bone fracture admissions is greatest in low-income communities. In the U.S., air pollution is especially high in poorer communities.

For the study, researchers analyzed osteoporosis-related fracture hospital admissions among 9.2 million people between 2003 and 2010 and found that even a small increase in PM2.5 concentrations would lead to an increase in bone fractures in older adults.

A further eight-year followup of 692 middle-aged, low-income adults found that participants living in areas with higher levels of PM2.5 and black carbon (the soot that comes from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants and other fossil fuel sources) had lower levels of parathyroid hormone (a key calcium and bone-related hormone) as well as greater decreases in bone mineral density than those exposed to lower levels of the two pollutants.

The study’s authors pointed out that the World Health Organization considers osteoporosis the second leading cause of disability globally after cardiovascular disease.

The researchers noted that particulate matter can cause systemic oxidative damage and inflammation, which could accelerate bone loss and increase risk of bone fractures in older individuals. Just think of smoking cigarettes as an example. Smoking contains several particulate matter components and has been identified as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fracture.

“Decades of careful research has documented the health risks of air pollution, from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, to cancer, and impaired cognition, and now osteoporosis,” said Andrea Baccarelli, MD, Ph.D., chair of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School and the study’s senior author.

Baccarelli said that the best way to prevent air-pollution-related diseases is through policies to improve air quality.

“Among the many benefits of clean air, our research suggests, are improved bone health and a way to prevent bone fractures,” he said.

Since genetic factors are not a major determinant of osteoporosis, the authors suggested that research on the disease should be broadened to examine the impact of environmental factors.

In recent weeks, the Indian capital of New Delhi has been blanketed by a thick cloud of smog. As EcoWatch reported, the air in New Deli has remained “hazardous” for days. Illegal crop burning, vehicle emissions, industrial pollution and dust from sprawling construction sites have contributed to the pollution emergency. By 11 am on Friday, the U.S. embassy air quality data for PM 2.5 showed levels had reached 550, while the safe limit is 50, according to U.S. embassy standards.

Source: ecowatch.com

Denver Becomes Latest City to Require Green Roofs

13.11.2017

Denver is the latest city to mandate rooftop gardens or solar installations on new, large buildings, joining San Francisco, New York, Paris, London and other cities around the world with similar green roof measures, the Associated Press reported.

The Colorado capital ranks third in the nation for highest heat island and eighth in the nation for worst ozone/particulate pollution, according to the Denver Green Roof Initiative, a grassroots group that advocated for the city’s green roof ordinance, Initiative 300.

Although the official tally is not in, the ballot initiative had 54 percent approval as of Thursday, signaling that the measure is headed towards victory. The vote will be certified on Nov. 24.

Initiative 300 creates a new building code that requires green roofs or solar panels for most buildings 25,000 square feet or larger that are constructed after Jan. 1, 2018.

The Associated Press noted that the measure is more stringent than other green roof mandates, as it requires many existing buildings to be retrofitted with green roofs when the old roof wears out. Older buildings that cannot support the load of a green roof can get an exemption.

“These required building improvements would significantly reduce long term operating costs by lowering energy consumption and increasing the longevity of a roof,” the Denver Green Roof Initiative stated on its campaign website. “A green roof lasts 2-3 times as long as a traditional roof because the waterproofing membrane is protected from damage by the elements and workers by covering it with a growing medium and plants.”

The measure did not have an easy road to passage. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock opposed the initiative over worries that it could drive up the costs of construction projects. Also, several Denver businesses spent $250,000 in an advertising push against the plan.

Department of Community Planning and Development spokeswoman Andrea Burns told the Denver Post in March that the department would prefer to give architects and engineers “the flexibility to design a roofing system that works best for their needs and their budgets.”

Following the vote, however, Burns conceded to CBS4 that “it will be a little bit of work in the next few weeks, but green roofs are already possible in Denver. It’s just a matter of making those agreements that are part of Initiative 300 work with our system now. We’re going to make this work for the people of Denver.”

The Denver Green Roof Initiative admits that green roofs cost about $15 more per square feet than a traditional black roof but pointed out that the green roof will pay for itself in about six years.

“Even though the extra cost would be offset in as soon as 6.2 years, most developers choose not to incorporate them because they build the building then sell it,” the group said. “They don’t see those energy and storm-water savings. They don’t save the money from roof longevity. Yet they are still able to sell the building for more money with these improvements!! We believe that the developers of Denver could be doing more to negate their footprint in our beautiful city. We believe green roofs are the answer.”

The initiative was endorsed by green builders and environmental groups.

“Initiative I-300 will contribute to improving Denver’s air quality, increasing the energy efficiency of its buildings, mitigating the urban heat island effect, managing storm water runoff, and creating habitat for pollinators and other insects,” said Lauren Petrie, Food & Water Watch’s Rocky Mountain Region Director. “We are dedicated to a more sustainable future in Denver and believe that passing this green roof initiative will be a vehicle for asserting our human desire for cleaner air and water, and cooler urban temperatures.

The Denver Green Roof Initiative stressed in a Facebook post Friday that even though Initiative 300 passed, there are still “tremendous hurdles to overcome due to push back from those in power.”

“This is a battle won against climate but the war doesn’t stop here,” the post stated. “We must all get active and fight for our values, because we are stronger together. Thanks again for the overwhelming support. The citizens of Denver have a healthier, more sustainable future because of YOU!”

Source: ecowatch.com

Global Carbon Emissions Set to Rise for First Time in Four Years

13.11.2017

Zagađenje, Elektrana, grejanje, Ekologija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

After years of flat growth, global carbon dioxide emissions are set to rise again in 2017 to hit a record high, according to new data that seriously threatens international efforts to avert dangerous global warming.

The Global Carbon Project’s 12th annual report unveiled this morning at the UN climate summit in Bonn suggests an increase in coal use in China and sluggish progress by the US and EU to decarbonise was behind the emissions uptick.

The rise, after years of flat growth, has sparked fears the world could be moving backwards in the fight against climate change just at the period when emissions need to start coming down sharply.

Lead author Professor Corinne Le Quéré from the University of East Anglia admitted the results were “very disappointing”.

“With global CO2 emissions from human activities estimated at 41 billion tonnes for 2017, time is running out on our ability to keep warming well below two degrees let alone 1.5 degrees,” she warned.

“This year we have seen how climate change can amplify the impacts of hurricanes with more intense rainfall, higher sea levels and warmer ocean conditions favouring more powerful storms,” she added. “This is a window into the future. We need to reach a peak in global emissions in the next few years and drive emissions down rapidly afterwards to address climate change and limit its impacts.”

Although the figures are not final, they are agreed by more than 70 of the world’s leading climate experts from more than 50 institutions. The formal projections put the potential rise at between 0.8 per cent and three per cent.

The data follows hot on the heels of a concerning study released last month reporting that greenhouse gas emissions are at their highest atmospheric concentrations in at least 800,000 years. Meanwhile the World Meteorological Society has also already concluded that 2017 is set to be one of the three hottest years on record – with 2015, 2016 and 2017 all in the top three.

The news adds extra pressure to policymakers and diplomats gathered in Germany for the final week of talks at the annual UN climate summit. Negotiators need to hash out a global ‘rule book’ for the Paris Agreement, which countries signed in 2015 with the aim of limiting temperature rises to “well below” two degrees.

“The only way we are going to see these emission numbers go in the right direction is if the politicians spend less time talking about their Paris pledges and more time actually meeting them,” Christian Aid’s international climate lead Mohamed Adow warned. “They need to change the facts on the ground. Coal needs to be rapidly phased out of the global energy mix, while renewables must be ramped up far quicker.”

Source: businessgreen.com

3D-Printed Fractal Solar Receivers From Sandia May Lead To Small-Scale CSP Facilities

13.11.2017

Crescent_Dunes_Solar_December_2014 — Foto: en.wikipedia.org

Solar power is not a “one size fits all” proposition. What works for one part of the world may not work for another. India is a case in point. Rooftop solar power has been a challenge given India’s urban densities and inadequate roofs. Concentrated solar power plants could help meet India’s renewable energy goals, but most CSP plants are too large to fit conveniently on the land available.

Researchers at Sandia National Labs have figured out how to downsize CSP facilities so that they are economically viable without taking up as much space as traditional solar panel arrays. Much of rural India is powered by diesel generators, which cost a lot to install and operate. While small-scale CSP might be too expensive in some areas of the world, it could be just right for India.

The key to downsizing CSP facilities is making the solar energy absorbers that capture sunlight and redirect it to a central tower more efficient. That solar energy is then concentrated and used to heat a fluid or a gas that can be stored and used later to turn a generator. Experimenting with different designs for the solar receivers is a tedious, costly, and time consuming process. That’s where 3D printing comes in.

The researchers, led by engineer Cliff Ho, have pioneered the use of an additive manufacturing technique called powder-bed fusion to print their small-scale receiver designs from Iconel 718, a high-temperature nickel alloy. Ho says this 3D printing provides a cost effective way to create a small number of different fractal designs. Some of the designs tested are as much as 20% more efficient than conventional solar receivers.

In the future, production using 3D printing could be expanded to meet the needs of real-world CSP facilities. Previous attempts to boost the efficiency of the solar receivers focused on special coatings, but they proved to have a relatively short lifespan and need frequent and expensive replacement.

“Additive manufacturing enabled us to generate complex geometries for the receiver tubes in a small-scale prototype,” Ho says. “Fabricating these complex geometries using traditional methods such as extrusion, casting, or welding would have been difficult.”

Traditional designs use a flat panel design of tubes. “When light is reflected off of a flat surface, it’s gone,” said Ho. “On a flat receiver design, 5 percent or more of the concentrated sunlight reflects away. So we configured the panels of tubes in a radial or louvered pattern that traps the light at different scales. We wanted the light to reflect, and then reflect again toward the interior of the receiver and get absorbed, sort of like the walls of a sound-proof room.”

The objective of the research at Sandia Labs is to create small-scale CSP facilities of 1 megawatt or less that will be appropriate for use by small rural communities. The research is part of a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project conducted by the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States. SERIIUS is a joint endeavor of the Indian Institute of Science and the National Renewable Energy. It is funded by the US Department of Energy and the government of India.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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