Houston, You Now Have Solar Power

26.04.2017

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

On Friday, Houston announced it will be purchasing 10.5% of its energy from the SolaireHolman utility-scale power plant located eight hours away in Alpine, Texas. The plant is one of the largest solar installations in Texas and was constructed by Solairedirect North America, a subsidiary of French energy giant ENGIE. The city will purchase the power under a 20-year power-purchase agreement.

“As the energy capital of the world, it is important that Houston lead by example and show that investing in solar and renewable energy is a critical tool cities must use to prepare for the future,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “As the nation’s largest municipal purchaser of green power, we are living proof that large, industrial cities like Houston can have a robust economy but also help fight climate change.”

Houston is just the latest Texas city to derive a significant amount of its power from solar energy, following cities like Georgetown, San Antonio and Austin. The former hardscrabble oil town’s announcement comes barely a week after El Paso sold out subscriptions to its month-old community solar program in less than a month.

Texas has long been a leader in renewable energy. Under former governor Rick Perry (now Secretary of Energy in the Trump Administration), the wind industry thrived with help from the state and federal government. Solar is now receiving similar support, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has predicted the city will add 5.7 GW of solar power in the next five years.

If that much solar is added, it would catapult the state into the No. 2 position in the Top 10 Solar States as ranked by SEIA. It currently ranks No. 9. Houston has ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Top 30 Local Government list of the largest green power users, consuming nearly 1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually. That number represents more than 89% of its total energy needs.

One of Texas’ largest solar installations, the SolaireHolman project includes 203,840 solar panels on 360 acres, providing electricity for Houston locations like the Hermann Park Zoo, the Bob Lanier Public Works Building, wastewater treatment plants, and several Bush Intercontinental Airport terminals.

Source: pv-magazine-usa.com

Charlottesville Wins Award for Solar Energy Efforts

26.04.2017

The city of Charlottesville just received a big award for being solar-power friendly and it’s the first city to get the recognition in the state.

The city now has a designation as “SolSmart Bronze.”

The award is an achievement that recognizes Charlottesville for adopting practices and programs to help the community go solar. Charlottesville is one of the first 50 communities in the U.S. to get the recognition.

“By becoming more solar friendly as a community, it can basically hedge our risks against increased energy costs in the future, it helps us doing environmental stewardship efforts and it also starts to put power generation into the hands of our local property owners,” Susan Elliott of the City of Charlottesville, said.

The SolSmart program is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. The award has three different levels, bronze, silver and gold.

Source: nbc29.com

DUBRAVKA NEGRE: We Have Invested about 150 Million Euros in Serbia so far

26.04.2017

According to all indicators, 2015 was a record year for the EIB investments in climate projects with a total amount exceeding 20 billion euros. In all documents or interactive portals of the European Union institutions, the phrase that climate change is the greatest challenge for humanity is inevitable. Everybody recognizes the concern, the consequences are far-reaching and timeless, the responsibility of the current generation of politicians and decision-makers is exceptional. One can also come across the term that 2015 was the millennium year because a global campaign was launched that must yield results. There is no alternative.

This time we talked to Ms. Dubravka Negre, who has recently become the Head of the EIB Regional Representation for the Western Balkans. This is an institution that participates in the most direct way possible in the fight against climate change and also funds specific projects. The EIB is an investment institution established in 1958 and founded by members of the European Union. As such it closely works with all the institutions of the European Union – the European Parliament, the European Comission and the European Council. The headquarters is located in Luxembourg, the bank has about 2,900 employees and apart from the projects within the EU, it cooperates with nearly 150 countries that are not members of the EU. Those countries receive around 10 percent of the total EIB fund.

EP: An interesting conference was held in Morocco on 8 September, 2016, just two months before the conference COP 22. The EIB was the organizer and if our readers want to know more, they can go to: http://www.eib.org/infocentre/events/all/medconference-2016.htm. Can you tell us something about the participants, the results and the objectives of the conference?

Dubravka Negre: The Conference in Rabat was dedicated to climate issues in the Mediterranean region and was organized in partnership with the Government of Morocco and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Climate action promotes economic growth, prosperity as well as job creation. Therefore, as the largest international funder of climate activities the EIB mobilized there resources, skills and experts to give financial support for concrete projects in Morocco, but also in many other countries. The Conference provided an opportunity to investigate serious consequences of climate change in the Mediterranean region – particulary erosion and drought that have serios impact on production in agriculture, food safety that has to be provided in concentrated urban areas on the coast. Apart from that, we were also able to learn more about adapting to climate change, the mitigation, particularly in the area of financial requirements during the Conference and also to discuss specific methods for financing projects in the field of climate change in the Mediterranean region.

EP: After the Conference COP 21 and the Paris Agreement all the parties in the public sector were involved in projects in order to ensure the reduction of the level of CO2 coming from industrial and public sectors. What is the strategy of the EIB? In what way do you support these efforts and what products does the EIB have dealing with this subject? How does the EIB cooperate with commercial banks and institutions?

Dubravka Negre: The EIB supports the transition to an economy that is friendly to the environment, has a low level of CO2 and takes account of the climate. As the bank of the European Union we understand the need to promote the objectives in the field of environmental protection in developed countries, but also in those that are still developing, with the aim to support sustainable development across the globe. As one of the largest investors in the world when it comes to climate change, we define at least 25 percent of the portfolio on the low carbonic and climatically favourable activities. Our investments support sustainable projects in more than 160 countries, supporting also private financing for climate activities. In that way we encourage others to be involved in our long-term investments. In 2015 we had the biggest investments ever when it comes to investing in climate change. It is about 27 percent of total lending, or to be more precise 20,7 billion euros.

We take into account the climatic conditions when assessing new projects and during the monitoring of existing investments. We call this integration!

In the period of preparation, we observe the following:

– When we evaluate the economic aspects for the project which leads to significant changes in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), we incorporate the economic costs of carbon dioxide emissions.

– The estimation of greenhouse gas emission in the projects that we invest in, is made on the basis of specific methodologies for the sector.

– For all fossil fuel generation projects we apply a special Emission Performance Standard in order to do the screening of investments whose carbon dioxide emissions exceed the threshold.

– For projects, sectors and regions particularly vulnerable to the climate change impacts, we require the following – that the promoter considers climate risks and includes adaptation measures in the project design and operation. The potential of the project to generate carbon credits is estimated. Technical assistance can be given to promoters and thus help them take advantage of this potential.

The EIB gladly accepted a global agreement on climate change that took place in Paris. The bank, that already provides the biggest financial support for climate projects, will now play a key role in mobilizing additional resources, mainly in private sector. In the next 5 years the EIB expects to lend about 100 billion euros for the projects dedicated to climate change worldwide.

We cooperate with the others as well in order to help further investments in climate projects and projects on environmental protection. Our traditional products for financing are medium-term and long-term projects with fixed or variable interest rate in euros or other currencies. We finance large projects with direct loans for projects, but we also support smaller projects indirectly. We finance them through credit lines from local banks or in combination with other agents. We complement our traditional lending with other products such as investment funds.

EP: Renewable energy sources are a part of the strategy against climate change. Can you tell us what type of activities you have on the market? Who can apply for your loans and who can attend your conferences?

Dubravka Negre: The promotion of sustainable, competitive and secure sources of energy is the key of the policy of the European Union and for the EIB is an important sector for funding. The EIB applies strict criteria for energy credits established on the basis of a comprehensive review. Thus, we ensure that our lending in the energy sector mimics EU policies when it comes to energy and climate policies. We focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, energy networks, as well as research and innovation. Likewise, we support the development and expansion of the projects in the field of renewable energy sources in order to make energy suppliers more sustainable, competitive and secure.

By investing in renewable energy sources we support the EU policy on climate change. We will help in achieving the goal according to which 20 percent of the energy used should be from renewable energy sources by 2020. Not only that we finance secure renewable technologies, such as wind farms, hydroelectric power plants, projects in the field of geothermal energy and biomass, but we also strongly encourage the development of such projects. We demand that the best possible technology available is used in the projects we fund.

Loans are the main product for the projects in the energy field. We also offer structured finance options. Our clients are states, local governments, private investors, small and medium enterprises, commercial banks and corporations. We fund large projects alone and for the small ones we form a partnership with market intermediaries.

EP: Tell us more about Serbia and the region in terms of climate change and projects? How much have you invested in the area so far? What are your plans for the next year and for the following few years?

Dubravka Negre: So far in Serbia, the EIB has invested about 80 million euros through GGF (Green for Growth Fund), whose goal is to support small projects in the field of RES such as hydropower plants and wind farms of less than 30 MW. We support projects related to solar energy, biogas, biomass, geothermal energy and all this through financial intermediaries.

In addition to GGF, in the energy sector in Serbia, we have invested a total of about 150 million euros in the last few years. In the Western Balkans, we have supported in the past few years the rehabilitation of several hydroelectric power plants in Bosnia, with the loan of 90 million euros. Now we also participate in the construction of a new hydro power plant of 20 MW. We also provide technical assistance through the Western Balkan Investment Framework for the preparation of irrigation projects in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but also for two wind farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We are interested to continue to be involved in projects on climate change in Serbia, including the RES. In addition to projects in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, as well as the fight against elevated levels of carbon dioxide, the EIB aims to contribute to the reconstruction of existing transmission and distribution networks.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

Extreme Arctic Melt Could Increase Sea Level Rise Twice as Fast as Previously Estimated

26.04.2017

Extreme Arctic melt could increase global sea level rise twice as fast as previously estimated and cost the world economy between $7 trillion and $90 trillion by 2100, a new analysis shows.

The assessment from the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program projects that increased ice melt in the Arctic could contribute to an overall 20 to 29 inches of global sea level rise over the next century—nearly double the minimum estimates provided by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The Arctic warmed faster than any other region on earth between 2011-2015 and the assessment speculates that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summer by 2040.

“The Arctic is continuing to melt, and it’s going faster than expected in 2011,” Lars-Otto Reiersen, head of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) which prepared the report, told Reuters.

“Multi-year ice used to be a big consolidated pack. It’s almost like a big thick ice cube versus a bunch of crushed ice. When you warm the water, the crushed ice melts a lot quicker.”

Source: ecowatch.com

Tesla to Double Size of Charging Network in Race to Take EVs Mainstream

26.04.2017

Tesla elektricni auto — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla has announced plans to make charging “convenient, abundant and reliable” for all its customers by doubling the number of chargers in its global network by the end of 2017.

The move, which was announced yesterday, comes ahead of the planned rollout of the firm’s first mass-market EV, the Model 3, which is due to start hitting roads later this year.

Tesla currently has 5,400 rapid charge points in its global ‘Superchargers’ roadside network and a further 9,000 ‘

‘ in hotels, resorts and restaurants, all of which are free for Tesla customers.

Under the new plan it intends to boost the number of Superchargers to more than 10,000 and Destination Chargers to 15,000 by the end of the year.

Tesla hopes the move will deliver enough extra capacity to cope with the thousands of Model 3 vehicles it has already sold.

“As Tesla prepares for our first mass-market vehicle and continues to increase our Model S and Model X fleet, we’re making charging an even greater priority,” the firm wrote in a blog post yesterday. “It is extremely important to us and our mission that charging is convenient, abundant, and reliable for all owners, current and future.”

Much of this expansion will be focused in the US, where the number of Superchargers is set to increase 150 per cent, with 1,000 new Supercharger installed in California alone. Extra capacity will be added on its most popular travel routes to allow multiple Teslas to recharge at a time, alongside a concerted push to install more charge-points in city centres, Tesla added.

The move came on the same day as the Source London EV charging network announced it was on track to deliver 1,000 chargers across the capital by the end of the year. The network’s operator, BluepointLondon, also announced it has teamed up with SSE Energy to guarantee 100 per cent of the power provided to its EV customers comes from wind or hydropower sources.

Source: businessgreen.com

Report: Nearly Half of Fortune 500 Firms Set Carbon Goals

26.04.2017

Growing numbers of major corporates across America are making pledges to reduce their environmental impact and boost their energy efficiency, according to a new report.

The latest Power Forward research, published yesterday by WWF, Ceres, Calvert and CDP, found nearly half of Fortune 500 companies now have targets in place to reduce greenhouse gases, improve energy efficiency and/or increase renewable energy sourcing – up five per cent since the last study in 2014.

The report uses data from company disclosures made public to CDP, the investor-backed group that holds the world’s largest database of corporate climate data.

It reveals a significant shift in corporate attitudes is underway across America, according to Marty Spitzer, senior director of climate and renewable energy at WWF. “American businesses are leading the transition to a clean economy because it’s smart business and it’s what their customers want,” he said.

Spitzer insisted that despite the election of Donald Trump the trend would continue. “Clean energy is fueling economic opportunity from coast to coast without regard for party line,” he added. “Washington policies may slow this boom, but these companies are making it very clear that a transition to a low-carbon economy is inevitable.”

The report suggests the trend is most pronounced among the largest companies, with 63 per cent of Fortune 100 companies setting climate goals. However, the smallest 100 companies in the Fortune 500 have also displayed a sharp uptick in interest in climate goals, with a 19 per cent increase in the number of firms with green goals since 2013.

Firms are also showing an increasing appetite for more ambitious targets, the report notes, with significant numbers of companies setting 100 per cent renewable energy goals and Science-Based Targets that align corporate policy with global efforts to limit warming to two degrees.

Growing corporate support for clean energy is mainly thanks to a sharp decline in the cost of renewables in recent years, the report noted.

Enthusiasm for target setting is most marked in the ‘Consumer Staples’ sector, with 72 per cent of these firms settings goals compared to just 11 per cent of energy companies.

However, firms are not just embracing climate action for the reputational benefits, the paper insisted. Nearly 80,000 emission-reduction projects from 190 Fortune 500 companies delivered almost $3.7bn in savings for 2016 alone, thanks to lower energy costs and improved efficiencies.

Source: businessgreen.com

Indian Railways Proposes 800 Megawatt Solar Park

25.04.2017

On the heels of the successful allocation of 750 megawatts of solar power capacity at record-low rates, the Indian Railways is now looking to replicate this model to ensure a cheap and sustainable power supply.

The Indian Railways has approached the government of Madhya Pradesh with a proposal to set up a mega solar power park with a capacity of 700-800 megawatts (MW). The project will come up at Shajapur, a few hundred kilometers east of the Rewa solar power park which received the lowest-ever tariff bid ever in India.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) recently signed a power purchase agreement to procure 24% of the electricity generated from the 750-megawatt Rewa solar power park. Indian Railways is looking to replicate the same model.

An auction for the Rewa solar power park yielded a levelized tariff of Rs 3.30/kWh, the lowest-ever tariff at that time (now the second lowest).

Three units of 250 megawatts each were recently auctioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The three units of the solar power park have been awarded at tariffs of Rs 2.970 to Rs 2.979 per kWh (4.4¢/kWh). The lowest bid was placed by ACME Cleantech Solutions, one of the leading solar power project developers in India. Mahindra Renewables, part of a large industrial conglomerate, secured a 250 MW unit at Rs 2.974/kWh, and Solenergi secured the third unit at Rs 2.979/kWh.

The bids placed by these developers are for only the first year of project operations. The tariffs will increase by Rs 0.05/kWh (0.07¢/kWh) for a period of 15 years. Thus, the levellised tariff for all three units will be around Rs 3.30/kWh (4.9¢/kWh).

The Madhya Pradesh government is said to be in talks with Noida Metro and Coal India as well to set up a solar power parks. Last year, the state government signed an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India to set up a 1,000-megawatt solar power park in Chhatarpur district.

A recent study showed that the Indian Railways can source 25% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2025. This can be realized, in part, through the Railways’ plan to set up 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity across the country.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Corvus Energy Wins 10-Year Contract For Hybrid Ferries In Scandinavia

25.04.2017

Travelling by water has the same negative impact on the environment as moving freight by truck — a plume of deadly diesel emissions following behind. In Scandinavia, ferries are an important part of the transportation system both internally and across international borders and most of those ferries are powered by diesel engines. But hybrid ferries are beginning to appear along ferry routes in the region.

Just like a hybrid automobile, these new ferries store electricity in an onboard battery and use it to power electric motors to propel them forward part of the time. Corvus Energy has just announced that it has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide long term service and maintenance functions aboard all of the Scandlines hybrid ferry fleet.

Scandlines was the first ferry operator to build and operate large ROPAX (roll-on/off passenger) hybrid ferries that combine traditional diesel engines with advanced battery power. Scandlines uses Corvus lithium ion batteries exclusively. Corvus Energy provides purpose built battery systems for a variety of hybrid and fully electric heavy industrial equipment, including large marine propulsion drives.

“Scandlines is very pleased to continue and expand our long partnership with Corvus Energy. Beginning with Corvus in 2012, their industry leading energy storage technology has become the standard electric battery power solution for all of our hybrid vessels,” said Fini Hansen, Technical Superintendent of Fleet Management at Scandlines.

On February 5th of this year, Scandlines put itd two newest Corvus-powered hybrid ferries, the M/V Berlin and M/V Copenhagen, into regular service on its Rostock-Gedser route between Denmark and Germany. Along with the decreased environmental impact, the fuel consumption of the vessels has been reduced significantly compared to the previous ferries used on the same route.

Another ferry line, Norway’s ColorLine, is building the largest hybrid electric ferry in the world. The 525-foot long Color Hybrid will carry 2,000 passengers and 500 cars and will operate between Sandefjord and Stromstad. It is expected to use only electric power in Sanderfjord itself and near the docks at either end of the route. It will be ready for commercial service in 2019.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Gamesa Captures 38% Share of India’s New Wind Capacity Additions

25.04.2017

Gamesa has reported a massive jump in installation numbers in India as it continued to dominate the crowded wind energy market.

According to media reports, the Spanish wind turbine manufacturer recently announced that it installed 2,050 megawatts of wind energy capacity in India in FY2016-17 (between April 2016 and March 2017). This is the first time that any turbine manufacturer has been able to achieve the 2,000 megawatts milestone in a financial year.

India added a total of 5,400 megawatts of wind energy capacity; at 2,050 megawatts Gamesa captured an impressive share of 38%. The company has been India’s leading turbine manufacturer for the last several years. In FY2014-15, the company commissioned 657 megawatts, while in FY2015-16 this capacity increased to 1,000 megawatts, translating into a 30% share in the Indian market.

The Indian wind energy sector has managed to beat the targeted capacity addition for the last two financial years and is expected to do so in the current financial year as well.

The Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) recently stated that a record 6,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity is expected to be added in financial year 2017-18 which will be 11% higher than the 5,400 megawatt capacity added in 2016-17, also a record.

While being the largest supplier of wind turbines to the Indian market, Gamesa recently also participated in the first-ever wind energy auction in India. The company placed a bid to set up 250 megawatts of capacity at a tariff of Rs 3.68/kWh (5.7¢/kWh). The company failed to make the cut as its bid was 6.4% higher than the lowest and winning bid.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Planet Breaches 410 ppm for First Time in Human History

25.04.2017

The amount of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere is now officially off the charts as the planet last week breached the 410 parts per million (ppm) milestone for the first time in human history.

“It’s a new atmosphere that humanity will have to contend with, one that’s trapping more heat and causing the climate to change at a quickening rate,” wrote Climate Central’s Brian Kahn. “Carbon dioxide hasn’t reached that height in millions of years.”

The milestone was recorded Tuesday at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii by the Keeling Curve, a program of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego. Since the planet reached the dangerous new normal of 400 ppm last year, scientists have warned that that the accelerated rate at which concentrations of CO2 are rising means that humanity is marching further and further past the symbolic red line towards climate chaos.

What’s more, as Aarne Granlund, a graduate student researching climate change at the University of the Arctic, pointed out, the recording was taken before carbon levels are expected to reach their annual peak, meaning they could soon notch even higher.

But despite the unprecedented threat, climate action has ground to a halt in the U.S. under the leadership of President Donald Trump and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, forcing campaigners and concerned citizens to take to the streets in droves to prompt the government to do something to address the threat of planetary devastation.

Saturday’s March for Science saw tens of thousands of people rally in Washington, DC and across the world to send a message to the Trump administration that governance should be based on research and facts—not ideology.

Speaking at the march in San Diego, Ralph Keeling, director of the CO2 program at Scripps whose father founded the Keeling Curve, gave an impassioned speech on why legislators need to abandon the partisan effort to stymie environmental legislation, declaring: “The climate change debate has been over for decades.”

Now, infused by the energy of the March for Science, campaigners are gearing up for next weekend’s Peoples Climate March with a week of action that centers on creating a just transition away from fossil fuels.

“The Peoples Climate March is the next step for the March for Science, a call to get more engaged in our political system, to confront power and to demand solutions,” explained May Boeve, executive director of 350.org.

“The demands we will put forward—respect for Indigenous peoples, investments in communities on the front lines of the climate crisis, transitioning from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy economy that works for all and more,” Boeve continued, “highlight the intersections between our different struggles and the common solutions we can work for together.”

Dubbed “From Truth to Justice: Earth Day to May Day 2017,” the more than 50 events in the lead-up to Saturday will include strategy sessions, a massive youth convergence, the introduction of a 100 percent Clean Energy Bill in Congress and non-violent direct actions.

On Friday, activists will form “Mother Earth’s red line” on the Capitol lawn to symbolize the multiple lines that must not be crossed by corporations and governments in the increasingly severe climate crisis, organizers said.

“This is about strength in unity; diverse groups of people are coming together like never before and are creating a red line of protection against capitalism, militarism and racism,” said Kandi Mossett, Indigenous energy and climate campaign organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network, one of the group’s organizing the direct action. “We are here to push for solutions like Indigenous rights, divestment and renewable energy as we continue to fight for a just transition away from a fossil fuel based economy.”

Source: ecowatch.com

GE Seals €1.5bn LM Wind Power Turbine Blade Deal

25.04.2017

Engineering conglomerate GE has completed its €1.5bn purchase of Danish wind turbine technology purchase LM Wind Power, bolstering its position in the fast-expanding global wind energy market.

GE announced last week that it has sealed the deal, which was first announced last autumn, having secured regulatory approval in the EU, US, China, and Brazil.

The company said the deal would provide its renewable energy division with new turbine blade design and manufacturing capabilities. It added that the move would be accretive to GE earnings in 2018.

“The completion of the LM Wind Power acquisition provides us with the operational efficiencies necessary to support the growth of our wind turbine business, which is the fastest growing segment of power generation,” said Jérôme Pécresse, president and CEO of GE Renewable Energy, in a statement.”With LM’s technology and blade engineering, we are now able to improve the overall performance of our wind turbines, lowering the cost of electricity and increasing the value for our customers.”

Marc de Jong, CEO of LM Wind Power, said the deal built on a “long-standing partnership” between the two companies, including the installation of the first-ever offshore wind farm in the US. “We see many digital and advanced manufacturing technology capabilities that will help accelerate our technology development and increase our customer reach,” he added.

GE said LM Wind Power would continue to operate as an individual operating unit, providing blades to GE’s onshore and offshore wind turbine projects and to the wider wind industry. The company added that it has “established protocols and safeguards to protect customers’ confidential data”.

In other wind industry news, up to 200 jobs are set to be created at a Kishorn dry dock in the Highlands to support the development of floating offshore wind turbines off the Aberdeenshire coast.

The dry dock has been closed for 23 years, but is now due to re-open after Kishorn Port Ltd and Kincardine Offshore signed an exclusivity agreement to redevelop the site. Work is expected to begin at the site this summer with the first turbine in a 50MW project expected to be installed from the second quarter of 2018.

The move was welcomed by Scottish Business, Innovation and Skills Minister Paul Wheelhouse, who said it underlined the Scottish government’s commitment to delivering renewable energy supply chain jobs.

“With 25 per cent of Europe’s offshore wind potential, and through development with due regard to our natural environment, Scotland is strongly positioned to maximise the economic and environmental benefits that both technologies can deliver,” he said. “The Scottish Government is determined to ensure projects deliver supply chain jobs in communities across Scotland and we have been encouraging developers to do all they can to maximise their economic impact, so today’s agreement is very welcome.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Report: UK Firms Tapping £290bn Global Renewables Market

24.04.2017

UK renewable energy firms are consistently signing multi-million pound export contracts, securing themselves a foothold in a fast-expanding global market worth $290bn a year.

That is the conclusion of a new study from trade body RenewableUK, which assesses the export activity of an illustrative sample of 36 of its members in the wind, wave, and tidal energy sector.

The report found the companies had collectively signed more than 500 contracts to work on renewable energy projects in 43 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Americas.

The contracts covered in the sample ranged in size from £50,000 to £30m and were generated by both manufacturing and consultancy companies from across the country.

For example, Sustainable Marine Energy in Edinburgh is manufacturing tidal turbine platforms for a project in Singapore, while JDR Cables in Hartlepool is working on infrastructure for German offshore wind farms.

The government-backed wave and tidal test centres off the coasts of Cornwall and Orkney are also said to be generating export opportunities by attracting firms from around the world to test their technologies in real world conditions.

The report, entitled ‘Export Nation: A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports’, comes just weeks after the latest official data from the Office for National Statistics revealed exports for the UK Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy topped £4.11bn in 2015.

RenewableUK’s executive director Emma Pinchbeck said the report confirms clean energy as a “great British success story”, but warned the UK must maintain its leadership position in the global renewables market post-Brexit.

“We need to act swiftly to retain this competitive advantage or other nations will capitalise on the hard work our businesses have done to build opportunities,” she said in a statement. “This year, as part of its Industrial Strategy, the government will be looking to identify and support world-leading, innovative industries with global trade potential. This report shows that the UK’s wind and marine energy sectors can offer much to the government’s Industrial Strategy. Britain must secure its position as a leading exporter in tomorrow’s global energy market”.

Source: businessgreen.com

Denmark to Build Offshore Wind Turbine Higher than Eiffel Tower

24.04.2017

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

Manufacturers led by Siemens AG are working to almost double the capacity of the current range of turbines, which already have wing spans that surpass those of the largest jumbo jets. The expectation those machines will be on the market by 2025 was at the heart of contracts won by German and Danish developers last week to supply electricity from offshore wind farms at market prices by 2025.

Just three years ago, offshore wind was a fringe technology more expensive than nuclear reactors and sometimes twice the cost of turbines planted on land. The fact that developers such as Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG and Dong Energy A/S are offering to plant giant turbines in stormy seas without government support show the economics of the energy business are shifting quicker than anyone thought possible — and adding competitive pressure on the dominant power generation fuels coal and natural gas.

“Dong and EnBW are banking on turbines that are three to four times bigger than those today,” said Keegan Kruger, analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “They will be crucial to bringing down the cost of energy.”

About 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the coastline in the German North Sea, where the local fish and seagulls don’t complain about the view of turbines in their back yards, offshore wind technology is limited only to how big the turbines can grow. Dong has said it expects machines able to produce 13 to 15 megawatts each for its projects when they’re due to be completed in the middle of the next decade — much bigger than the 8-megawatt machines on the market now.

Just one giant 15-megawatt turbine would produce power more cheaply than five 3-megawatt machines, or even two with an 8-megawatt capacity. That’s because bigger turbines can produce the same power from a fewer number of foundations and less complex grid connections. The wind farm’s layout can be made more efficient, and fewer machines means less maintenance.

“Right now, we are developing a bigger turbine,” said Bent Christensen, head of cost of energy at Siemens Wind Power A/S, in a phone interview. “But how big it will be we don’t know yet.”

Larger turbines are heavier, placing a natural limit on size, said Christensen. Lightweight materials such as carbon fiber may be required to reduce the heaviness of the rotor and the blades as the turbines grow.

“If we just go 10 years back, nobody could imagine what we’re doing today,” he said. “When you try to predict the future you have to be quite careful.”

The scale of the turbines may not even stop at 15 megawatts. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp. is working on components for a possible 50-megawatt turbine that would have blades 100 meters long — each stretching further than two soccer fields.

These gigantic blades would be able to fold away to reduce the risk of damage at dangerous wind speeds. Siemens, along with Vestas Wind Systems and General Electric Co., are advising on the research program that’s funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

In the nearer term, Denmark, the home of wind energy, last month said it would expand the country’s main offshore wind test site to demonstrate turbines that will soar as high as 330 meters, taller than the Eiffel Tower. That could take the generation capacity past 10 megawatts, enabling turbine makers like Vestas and Siemens to challenge the boundaries of current capacity.

“The question of turbine capacity and wing span has never really been an issue from a technological perspective,” Jens Tommerup, chief executive of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S, a partnership Vestas has with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., said in an email. “We have already taken the capacity of our 8-megawatt platform to 9-megawatt. The real question is what can the market support.”

Turbines will get bigger if developers and governments allow.

“The answer lies more in stable, visible volume targets rather than the technology itself,” Tommerup said.

The auction in Germany was a jaw-dropping moment for industry analysts, many of whom expected a steady decline in prices but not another record. Deep-sea projects in Germany and the cable arrays needed to reach substations off the coast make these developments more complex than in neighboring states. The idea that Dong and EnWB bid for zero subsidy was a shock — and a first for projects of this scale.

“This is a wake up call that the fossil-fuel power industry in Europe is on its way out,” Urs Wahl, manager of public affairs at Germany’s Offshore Wind Industry Allianz, said in a phone interview.

The previous record low price was 49.90 euros a megawatt hour, won by Vattenfall AB in September. Bloomberg New Energy Finance had anticipated bids near 55 euros. The average price in the end was just 4.40 euros per megawatt-hour because one Dong Energy project secured a subsidy of 60 euros per megawatt-hour. The others bid zero, meaning they’ll get paid at market electricity prices.

“This option is opening up now as a subsidy-free production of electricity,” said Magnus Hall, chief executive officer of Vattenfall, in an interview in Brussels on Wednesday. “That really moves offshore into a perspective of continued growth.”

Competition in the German round may have been even tougher than other recent contests because it was the last chance for developers to win contracts for projects they’ve worked on for years, according to Deepa Venkateswaran, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

The “surprise” result highlights that “developers appear to be increasingly banking on scale” including cost cuts expected in the future and perhaps higher wholesale power prices, said analysts at Jefferies Group LLC.

The industry’s relentless focus on efficiency and cost cuts have come at a big price for turbine makers. Vestas, which has installed more turbines than any other company, closed a third of its factories and cut more than 3,000 jobs to deal with three years of losses stemming from declining turbine prices.

South Korea’s CS Wind Corp., a turbine-tower maker, cut 54 jobs at a factory in Scotland on April 18, saying that “extremely low prices requested by developers of projects” created gaps in its order book.

“Clearly, this puts us all under pressure,” Ralf Peters, a spokesman for turbine maker Nordex SE, said in a phone interview from Hamburg.

His company, which builds only onshore machines, has already seen how ultra-low bids in the onshore wind market in Chile are squeezing the supply chain.

Source: gcaptain.com

AC Energy to Add Capacity at Pagudpud Wind Farm

24.04.2017

wind energy — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

AC ENERGY Holdings, Inc., through a renewable energy development unit, is looking to expand by 69 megawatts (MW) its wind farm in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte to bring the total capacity to 150 MW when completed.

Roman Miguel G. de Jesus, president and chief executive officer of AC Energy subsidiary North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp., said an application for a service contract for the added capacity has been filed with the Department of Energy (DoE).

“We’re waiting for it. It’s pending with the DoE,” he told reporters on Friday, when the company showed its wind farm in Brgy. Caparispisan, Pagudpud to media and executives of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Mr. De Jesus looks after AC Energy’s 36% economic stake in the 81-MW wind farm, and also heads the holding firm’s retail electricity supply business.

John Eric T. Francia, president of AC Energy, said the company was not banking on the guaranteed rate previously offered by the government through the feed-in tariff (FiT). The current project made it to the first round of FiT, which awarded a rate of P8.53 for each kilowatt-hour exported by a developer to the national grid for 20 years.

“Our assumption is we’re not banking on FiT,” said Mr. Francia. “(DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi) has stated that quite explicitly.”

“The way I view it, at least, is in phases. Phase one in terms of kicking off renewable is through feed-in tariff. Phase two is through RPS (renewable portfolio standard),” he added.

The DoE has yet to issue the guidelines for RPS, a market-based policy that requires distribution utilities and other industry participants to source a portion of their power supply from eligible renewable energy resources.

“These are just two interim phases before you get to a stage where renewables is totally competitive,” he said.

Under the FiT system, qualified developers of emerging renewable sources are offered a fixed rate per kWh of their exported electricity, but excluding the energy for their own use. Their entitlement is taken from a “feed-in-tariff allowance” billed to all on-grid electricity consumers who are supplied with power through the distribution or transmission network.

The FiT system is one of the policy mechanisms provided in the law being implemented by the DoE to encourage the development of the renewable energy industry. The agency, under the previous administration, had aimed to maintain a 30% share of clean energy in the country’s power mix.

The second round of wind energy FiT with a 200-MW installation target offered a rate of P7.40 per kWh.

AC Energy also has a 68% stake in the 52-MW NorthWind Power Development Corp. and 100% interest in the 18-MW Monte Solar Energy, Inc.

“At least AC Energy, we’re not pushing for a FiT 3. What we’re pushing for and hoping for is the implementation of the RPS,” Mr. Francia said.

The wind farm in Caparispisan uses 27 units of Siemens SWT-3.0-101 wind turbines, where each turbine has an installed capacity of 3 MW. It started its commercial operations in November 2014.

Mr. Francia also said that AC Energy is keen on talking to one of its partners — UPC Renewables Philippines — should it build a 150-MW wind farm in Balaoi, which is near Caparispisan.

“We’ll talk. If that expansion happens or before it happens, then we undertake to discuss it with our partner, with UPC,” he said.

Mitsubishi Corp.’s Diamond Generating Asia Ltd. and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund are AC Energy’s other partners in the Caparispisan wind farm.

AC Energy aims to reach 2,000 MW of attributable capacity, or the equivalent in megawatts of its economic stake in various projects, by 2020. Of that target, 1,000 MW is targeted to be renewables. It installed around 1,000 MW in 2016, with renewable energy accounting for less than 10%.

In traditional energy, the company has a 20% in the 632-MW GNPower Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co.; 50% in the 668-MW GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co.; 35% in the 244-MW South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp.; and 85% in the 552-MW GNPower Kauswagan Ltd. Co.

Based on data supplied by AC Energy, its 19.8% stake in the 637-MW geothermal steam and power capacity in Darajat and Salak geothermal fields along with its 75% stake in the 75-MW wind farm project in Sidrap, South Sulawesi more than doubled the company’s clean energy capacity to at least 264 MW.

Source: bworldonline.com

Switch to Solar Power will Save Mumbai Housing Society ₹28,000 a Month

24.04.2017

Solarni paneli — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A cooperative housing society in Mahim, which has been recycling its waste for the past six years, has now taken another step to reduce its carbon footprint. They have installed solar panels on their rooftop that will help them save Rs3 lakh every year in electricity bills.

Our Lady of Vailankani Housing Society at Mary Nagar that has two buildings — a 12-storey one with 112 flats and a seven-storey building with 48 flats — has set up a solar power panel with a capacity of 10 kilowatt (kW). The power produced by the panels would light up common areas (lobbies, staircases). A Mumbai house with two bedrooms, on an average, uses 8 to 10 kW electricity daily.

Setup at a cost of Rs 7.5 lakh earlier this month, the 32 panels with solar photovoltaic cells will substantially reduce the society’s monthly electricity bill. The residents have estimated that their monthly electricity bill which comes to Rs 55,000 will be reduced by Rs 28,000.

It is one of first housing complexes in Mahim to use solar power to meet part of their energy needs. “Keeping the sermons of the church in context of the imminent issue of climate change, we have like-minded citizens who want to do their bit to protect the environment,” said AM Sodder, secretary of the housing society. “Not only are we harnessing energy that reduces the carbon footprint, but also our garbage is not adding to the city’s solid waste management woes.”

A recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) and think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) found that Mumbai, with its ample sunlight and vast array of roots, has the potential to generate 1.72 Giga Watt Peak (GWp) solar energy through photovoltaic (solar) panels installed atop buildings. This means solar energy can take care of half of Mumbai’s power needs.

The buildings also have a net-metering system, which allows surplus power generated by solar panels to be exported back to the grid. At the end of a financial year, the society will be charged by the electrical power supplier only for the ‘net usage’.

Although this is their latest green initiative but not the only one. The housing society has been recycling kitchen and garden waste through composting for the past six years. They have managed to save 2.19 lakh kg of organic waste from reaching the city’s overburdened landfills and generated almost three tonnes of manure. The residents have created four concrete compost pits located at one end of the complex where 10 kg of daily wet waste (vegetable, kitchen discards) is dumped. “We use sugarcane stems with gunny sacks at the base of each compost pit to ensure enough moisture. After dumping the waste, we add sawdust, dried leaves and water to breakdown the compost into manure faster,” said Inacio Ciriaco Fernandes, manager of the residential complex.

He added that the manure is used to nurture three gardens within the complex. “We sell excess compost at Rs15 per kg to residents and even other nearby societies as the finished product is voluminous,” said Fernandes.

Source: hindustantimes.com

Britain Set to Have its First Coal-Free Day since Industrial Revolution

24.04.2017

The United Kingdom’s grid operator just announced an incredible prediction—April 21 is probably going to be the country’s first coal-free day since the Industrial Revolution.

“Great Britain has never had a continuous 24 hour period without coal. Today is looking like it could be the first,” according to a tweet from the National Grid’s Electricity National Control Centre.

The National Grid confirmed with the Mirror that Friday is on track to be “the first time the UK has been without electricity from coal since the world’s first centralized coal fired generator opened at Holborn Viaduct in London in 1882.”

“The first day without coal in Britain since the industrial revolution marks a watershed in the energy transition,” Hannah Martin, head of energy at Greenpeace UK, told the Guardian. “A decade ago, a day without coal would have been unimaginable, and in 10 years’ time our energy system will have radically transformed again.”

The UK intends to phase out the polluting fossil fuel, with plans to switch off its last coal power station in 2025 in order to meet climate commitments.

“The direction of travel is that both in the UK and globally we are already moving towards a low carbon economy. It is a clear message to any new government that they should prioritize making the UK a world leader in clean, green, technology,” Martin added.

Great Britain’s use of renewable energy has vastly expanded in recent years and the country is now a world leader in offshore wind. And last month, the nation’s large expanse of solar fields and rooftop panels reached a milestone when the amount of electricity demanded by homes and businesses was lower in the afternoon than at night.

Solar power turned the country’s grid demand “upside down,” Duncan Burt, National Grid’s head of real time operations, explained in a tweet at that time.

Source: ecowatch.com

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