U.S. Energy Shakeup Continues as Solar Capacity Triples

24.10.2016

Solar power capacity in the U.S. will have nearly tripled in size in less than three years by 2017 amid an energy shakeup that has seen natural gas solidify its position as the country’s chief source of electricity and coal power continue to fade, according to monthly data published by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Cutting carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants is a major part of the U.S. strategy for tackling climate change as the country seeks to meet its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement and keep global warming from exceeding more than 2°C (3.6°F).

Reducing those emissions requires changing the fuels used to produce electricity, including using more natural gas and renewables than coal, historically the country’s largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change.

Renewables still make up only a fraction of the U.S. power supply — 8 percent this year. That’s expected to grow to 9 percent next year, and the biggest driver of that growth is solar.

Solar power has been on a tear in recent years partly because of cheaper solar panels and a federal tax credit for solar installations. Congress extended the solar tax credit early this year, helping to fuel a 39 percent annual growth rate for solar power-producing capacity, to 27 gigawatts by next year from about 10 gigawatts in 2014, or enough to power about 3.5 million homes, the data show.

“Because of pent-up demand due to uncertainty over the federal tax credit, solar had a record year in 2016,” said Doug Vine, senior energy fellow at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. “Solar capacity buildout is expected to be similar next year.”

By contrast, wind power generating capacity is expected to grow by about 8 percent next year after growing nearly 15.5 percent in 2016.

For most of the past century, coal has been king in the electric power industry. But it has begun to falter as a major energy source in the U.S. because falling natural gas prices have encouraged electric power companies to build more gas-fired power plants.

At the same time, new mercury pollution regulations for coal-fired power plants have taken effect, renewable energy has become cheaper to produce and electric power companies have begun to gear up for the Clean Power Plan — the Obama administration’s climate policy aiming to slash carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.

For the first time in history, more electricity is produced using natural gas than with coal. That has helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because natural gas releases roughly half the carbon dioxide as coal.

This year, 35 percent of U.S. electricity is expected to be produced using natural gas, and 30 percent will be produced using coal, according to the data. Last year, each produced about 33 percent of U.S. electricity.

With natural gas prices rising, the share of U.S. electricity produced with coal is expected to rise slightly to 31 percent in 2017. But with natural gas expected to generate 34 percent of America’s electricity next year, it is expected to remain the biggest player for the second year.

“Coal is now in many markets the marginal player,” said Daniel Cohan, professor of environmental engineering at Rice University. “There’s definitely been switching from coal to gas, and many analysts think that the majority of coal power plants are losing money.”

As more and more companies are required to install expensive scrubbers on their coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury and other air pollution, the future of coal plants in many areas is likely grim, he said.

“If they’re losing money or breaking even, it’s not going to make sense for them to put in scrubbers,” Cohan said. “It’s likely to tip a growing number of coal plants to shut down.”

Source: climatecentral.org

COP22: from Paris to Marrakesh

21.10.2016

After close to 200 countries signed up to a historic Climate Agreement in Paris at the end of 2015, the focus this year is firmly on the follow-up meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco in November, the 22nd Conference of the Parties, or COP22.

Last year’s Paris Agreement was a statement of collective determination to make real progress in what had been an elusive search for global consensus in battling climate change. In Paris parties agreed to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

This remains a challenging task, as it means that industrialised countries will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by mid-century and become carbon-neutral thereafter. And climate change will continue, so adaptation will grow as well.

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation will need climate finance investments. If 2015 was about the principle that – finally – something had to be done, 2016 is about how to achieve this new set of ambitious environmental goals and make them a concrete reality.

“COP22 is currently referenced as the ‘implementation’ COP,” explained Jan-Willem van de Ven, Associate Director and Head of Carbon Market Development at the EBRD’s Energy Efficiency and Climate Change department, who is coordinating the Bank’s work at the meeting.

This year’s Marrakesh session, from 7-18 November, won’t be just for diplomats and political leaders. Morocco will host a simultaneous meeting for engineers, researchers, scientists, and policy-makers to devise actionable pathways for meeting the goals of the treaty.

2016 has already been dubbed the “Year of Green Finance”, with a spotlight on how to deliver the trillions of dollars’ worth of investments needed to make a decisive difference on global warming.

Now when the 2015 Paris Agreement ratification threshold has been reached, the priorities this November will be strengthening the steps to deal with both climate change itself and its effects, so-called climate change mitigation and adaptation.

A key focus for negotiators will be to further develop the regulations and decisions to implement the Paris Agreement. As an example, in Paris it was agreed to schedule every five years a global stock-take that would help countries determine how to increase and accelerate their emission reduction targets.

The rules and procedures on monitoring these processes are yet to be agreed. Due to the complexity of issues and number of parties involved these will remain slow negotiations, but the process is moving forward.

Ways will be sought to support individual countries in translating into action their climate pledges as per their National Determined Contributions (NDCs) through capacity building, technology transfer and climate finance.

The responses will be strengthened by developing collaborative initiatives and there will be sessions on how to mobilise the finance, technology and skills to deliver the climate goals.

The EBRD – through its new Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, an initiative that places even more emphasis on climate finance – stands ready to support the countries where it works in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

By 2020, the EBRD aims to be dedicating 40 per cent of its annual investments to green economy projects, doubling the pace of financing in this sector compared with the last five years.

As in 2015, the EBRD will play an active role in the COP22 conference and it is organising a number of events itself as well as participating in other meetings. The planned EBRD-led activities will focus on capacity building in relation to the NDCs, energy efficiency, carbon market policies, adaptation and technology transfer.

As this COP is in Morocco, an EBRD country of operations, the Bank will profile its work in the country and the region.

As part of the climate finance day organised around COP22, the Bank will showcase the MoroccoSustainable Energy Financing Facility. Through SEFFs, the EBRD indirectly lends to local banks for on-lending for energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy projects. Morocco’s MorSEFF has been extended to two commercial banks in Morocco, BMCE and BCP.

Source: ebrd.com

Energy Efficient Prosperity: Green Buildings

21.10.2016

A couple of years ago, the Ngewana family sat around the kitchen table of their Cape Town home and set themselves a target: over the next six months, they would try to cut their electricity use by 40% by retrofitting their two‑story home and making some small but important changes to their daily habits.

Even though the family knew there was a lot they could do, they were not sure where to start. They teamed up with the Green Building Council South Africa to make a range of no-cost, low-cost and “invest to save” improvements, and they also set goals to reduce their water use and waste.

To limit the amount of electricity they needed for heating and cooling, they installed insulation, ceiling fans, a flat-panel solar hot water heater, and a closed-combustion wood pellet stove. The family built on these investments by making a raft of low-cost and free changes to their everyday practices – for example, by replacing old light bulbs with more efficient ones and switching them off whenever they left the room.

Within three months, the Ngewanas had already surpassed their electricity target, and were enjoying the increased comfort that came with their energy savings. As a family with two parents in well-paid jobs and three young adults living at home, the Ngewanas enjoyed an income and lifestyle that were notably above the South African average.

In developed and emerging economies alike, the buildings in which we live and work offer huge potential for energy savings. Buildings are some of the largest energy users in the world, accounting for 30% of total energy use.

For countries seeking to confront major challenges like rising energy demand and energy insecurity, it’s essential to reduce our buildings’ energy consumption. By 2050, over 85% of the projected growth of building energy demand is expected to occur outside the OECD.

This is especially true for populations that are gaining greater access to material wealth and goods. As we build more factories and new homes, we lock in patterns of energy use and behaviour that will affect us for years to come.

Large residential blocks in countries like Ukraine offer a stark example of this. In addition to a residential energy sector that was once highly subsidised, Ukraine has a history of slow legislative change, limited awareness, and few resources to adopt and maintain energy efficient practices. Yet residents wanted more comfortable homes but also lower energy bills.

Improvements to building energy efficiency are also having a significant impact in countries like India. The Indian Green Building Council has brought in green building rating systems and is helping to achieve building energy savings of 30% to 50%. Investments are generally paid back over just two to three years, showing how green buildings make good business sense.

Meanwhile, back in South Africa, the Green Building Council recently developed a new “ socio economic category” for rating the energy efficiency of buildings.

The method takes into account socio-economic considerations that affect energy use and comfort in buildings, such as poverty, unemployment and levels of health and education. “ These can all be addressed, at least to some degree, through the way we design, build and operate buildings,” said the council’s chief executive, Brian Wilkinson.

Source: iea.org

Oslo Introduces First-of-its-Kind “Climate Budget” to Cut Emissions in Half by 2020

21.10.2016

When Oslo’s city government launches its budget in 2017, the city will no longer simply count money, but it will also track carbon emissions. For a long time, Oslo has had ambitious emission reduction targets, yet emissions have increased by 15 percent since 1990. To ensure the city’s low-carbon ambitions are followed by action, the 2017 city budget has allocated a reduction of 836,000 tons of CO2 to relevant sectors in Oslo.

In late spring, the city council passed a new Climate and Energy Strategy, which aims to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2020 (from 1990 levels) and to become carbon neutral by 2030. In order reach the carbon emissions reduction goal, Oslo needs support from the national government to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project for renewable energy at the Klemetsrud Plant, which accounts for 15 percent of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

To reach the 2020 target, the Norwegian capital has identified 42 measures that directly affect the city’s emissions and are now outlined in a new chapter in the city budget, called the “Climate Budget.” The Climate Budget, a first of its kind plan, shows estimated emission reductions, its financing and each agency in charge.

Also new, is the visualization of shared responsibility in transitioning to a carbon neutral future—including Oslo agencies, municipal companies and the city districts. The 42 measures will also mobilize and involve Oslo urbanites, the business community and NGOs – all crucial in making Oslo a leading green city.

Just like the use of public funding is monitored throughout the year, the progress on climate measures will be scrutinized by the city as well. Through continuous reporting and debates on the progress of each measure, the city government aims to inform and involve the city council and the people of Oslo.

Oslo’s main source of emissions is transportation, fossil fuel use in buildings and waste incineration. While many of these measures can be implemented without the need for additional funding, measures to increase the use of bicycles as a form of public transport, improve the public transport system and phase out oil boilers from buildings will require additional funding in 2017.

More facts about the Climate Budget:
• The Climate Budget counts 42 measures that together will reduce Oslo’s carbon emissions from 1.4 million tons in 2013, to 600 000 tons in 2020.
• The responsibility for implementing and seeing the measures through is distributed across the city departments. In addition, the recently established Climate Agency will have a role as a knowledge hub and agent for the implementation of the measures in Oslo.
• The measures that will reduce emissions the most towards 2020 are financial incentives and the national ban on oil boilers from 2020, full scale CCS at the waste incineration plant and a long list of measures aiming to reduce emissions from car traffic, construction sites and goods transport.
• In the 2017 budget approximately 225 mill. NOK (approximately 25 mill. EUR/ 28 mill. USD/ 21 mill. GBP) have been allocated specifically for climate measures.

Source: c40.org

Wind Power Could Supply 20% of Global Electricity by 2030

21.10.2016

Although solar power gets more press, the wind power industry is growing nearly as fast. The (GWEC) released an historic report Tuesday in Beijing, saying 20 percent of the world’s total electricity could come from wind by as early as 2030. With last year’s Paris climate deal as a strong motivating factor, the group predicts the world’s total wind power capacity could grow by nearly five times over the next 14 years, reaching as much as 2,110 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.

The GWEC report outlines that, although not cheap, the long-term benefits of wind power infrastructure will begin paying off immediately. The GWEC estimates an annual investment of $224 billion would be required globally in order to grow the wind power industry to its potential capacity. Meanwhile, 2,110GW of clean, renewable wind energy would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.6 billion tons each year.

China has been an unlikely leader in the wind power industry, boosting its capacity by 17 percent last year over 2014 figures for a total of 433GW. Chinese leaders still plan to add 60GW before the end of this year. Despite the increased capacity, China is still struggling to create ways to utilize that renewable energy efficiently. In July, China’s energy regulator said 21 percent of all wind-generated electricity was wasted in the first half of this year, due in large part to new coal-fired power plants which make it more difficult for wind power to reach the grid. Chinese leaders did pledge earlier in the year to shutter 1,000 coal mines, which many took as a sign of the beginning of the end of fossil fuel use there, but the battle between coal and wind rages on.

China, and many other places on the planet, will have to improve their grid infrastructure in order to take full advantage of plentiful wind energy. The energy regulator said that more than 40 percent of the wasted power occurred in regions of China that are already underserved by the grid, clearly illustrating how the failure is on the part of the infrastructure and not the nearly infinite potential ofrenewable energy. While government leaders can work to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in finite supply, they must also work to improve the infrastructure that allows residents to reap the benefits of the wind.

Source: inhabitat.com

The World’s First Wind-Hydro Turbines Will Generate Energy Even When There’s no Breeze

21.10.2016

One of the biggest challenges wind farms face is how to generate power when there’s no wind. Max Bögl Wind AG and GE Renewable Energy are attempting to solve that issue by combining wind turbines with hydropower technology. The wind-hydro plant will be the first of its kind, and it’s set to be fully operational by 2018.

The innovative renewable energy plant is designed to generate power even when wind isn’t blowing. It will feature the tallest wind turbines in the world, according to GE Reports, which stand 584 feet tall. The turbine bases serve as reservoirs containing 1.6 million gallons of water, and the wind farm will be surrounded by an additional reservoir containing 9 million gallons of water.

To function, the wind-hydro plant must be located on a hill. Water will flow down the hill to generate hydro electricity, and it will be pumped back up the hill when energy is not needed. This enables the wind-hydro plant to continually produce power. GE Renewable Energy and Max Bögl Wind AG found an ideal location in Germany‘s Swabian-Franconian Forest.

GE Renewable Energy onshore wind general manager Cliff Harris told GE Reports, “Germans in this area are known as tinkerers and inventors. So the mentality of this technology really fits with the population. It’s a bit risky, and it can’t work everywhere. But the plant will run for several decades, and we expect the benefits will be felt over that time.”

The wind farm will generate 13.6 megawatts of energy, and the hydroelectric plant can generate 16 megawatts. A pilot project with four wind turbines is slated to connect to the grid in 2017, and the hydropower plant will be operational in 2018. The project will help Germany achieve its goal of generating a minimum of 45 percent of its energy via renewable sources by 2030.

Source: inhabitat.com

New Source Solar Panels Pull Clean Drinking Water from the Air

21.10.2016

A new kind of solar panel is being tested in water scarce regions of Ecuador, Jordan, and Mexico where the device, called Source, pulls moisture from the atmosphere to provide clean drinking water. Developed by the Arizona-based startup Zero Mass Water, the setup uses solar energy to produce potable water for a family of four or an entire hospital, depending on how many panels are in use. Last year, the company raised $7 million to back a series of pilot programs to prove how simple and cost-effective access to clean water can be.

Founder and CEO Cody Friesen is also an associate professor at Arizona State University’s School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. Zero Mass Water is the second startup to stem from Friesen’s work at ASU, and it promises a reliable source of affordable drinking water without the need for additional infrastructure. Because the devices can be used alone or in groups, the solar-powered system can scale up or down to meet the water needs of as many or as few people as desired.

A single solar panel can produce enough clean water for a family of four, and it’s easy to use because the water flows from a faucet on the back side of the solar panel setup. Source works by passively absorbing moisture from the air using a special humectant material. The solar panel converts solar energy to electricity, which is used to power the process that drives the water back out of the collection material. The water is then evaporated to remove pollutants, leaving behind clean, safe drinking water.

Around the world, there are many places primed for this type of sustainable, standalone passive water source. ZMW plans to use Source to provide fresh water to Syrian refugees in Jordan and to Jordanian families, affecting 100,000 households by the end of 2017, with funding from the Clinton Foundation, Duke Energy International, and other investors. Although the pilot programs to date have been conducted in developing countries and areas where water supplies have been contaminated or disrupted by violent conflicts, Friesen sees no reason that residents of the United States couldn’t put Source to work for them as well, and effectively skirt problems with municipal lead contamination and the other threats that increasingly limit access to clean drinking water across the country.

Source: inhabitat.com

Tesla Motors Starts Production on Self-Driving Electric Car

20.10.2016

Tesla Motors is starting to build its electric cars with all the sensors, cameras and other gear needed to drive completely on their own when regulations allow the technology to take over that responsibility.

The announcement made late Wednesday by Tesla CEO Elon Musk marks the Silicon Valley automaker’s next step toward selling cars that can navigate the roads without the help of a human.

Google, ride-hailing service Uber and an assortment of other automakers also are working on a range of self-driving cars in an effort to ultimately turn the steering over to robots.

Tesla has offered an automatic steering and braking system called Autopilot in its cars since last summer, but that technology is meant to be monitored at all times by a driver.

Source: wjhl.com

Solar & Wind Cheaper To Replace Coal In UK Than Biomass

20.10.2016

A new study has concluded that transitioning to wind and solar power would be a cheaper option for the United Kingdom to replace its coal fleet than using biomass electricity generation.

According to a new study published this week by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and conducted by London-based Vivid Economics, which examined the full system costs of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar in comparison to biomass as a replacement for the UK’s coal fleet, wind and solar came out as the cheaper option.

The UK already uses a lot of biomass for electricity generation, with the report concluding that “biomass supplies the lion’s share” of the country’s renewable electricity generation. However, as the authors of the report note:
“…recent science shows that many forms of biomass produce more carbon emissions than fossil fuels like coal and natural gas—especially biomass from forests—increasing carbon pollution precisely when the United Kingdom aims to rapidly decarbonise its electricity sector.”

The study therefore analyzed three key costs:
1. The latest technology costs across biomass, solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies
2. The cost of ensuring a reliable electricity supply
3. The cost of GHG emissions given the United Kingdom’s legislative commitment to keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius — the basis for international commitments on climate change enshrined in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

The study concluded that, by 2020, “when fully accounting for the total economic cost of different energy technologies, biomass is more costly than wind and solar alternatives.”

“The science already shows that burning biomass on a mass scale for electricity increases carbon pollution and is extremely harmful to the environment,” said Sasha Stashwick, a senior advocate with NRDC, a US-based environmental organization.

“The emissions risks associated with biomass are simply too big to be ignored, and now we see that the economics of biomass don’t make sense as the UK strives to replace coal and decarbonize its power sector. This report clearly indicates that when you account for total economic costs, cleaner alternatives like wind and solar are the lower-cost solution for a coal-free UK. It’s just good economic sense.”

The report further concludes that solar and wind are likely to be the least-cost method to ensure UK reliability of supply by 2025. In addition, biomass is already a mature technology, and unlikely to see further cost decreases, whereas both wind and solar continue to see cost declines, and are predicted to continue to see cost declines into the future.

“Phasing out coal is absolutely necessary as the UK aims to curb climate change, but we can’t afford to backtrack by focusing on unsustainable forms of biomass that are neither clean nor cheap,” added Matt Williams, Policy Officer with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). “It is critical that we focus on renewable forms of energy that deliver emissions reductions and protect wildlife and the natural environment while providing value for money, so as to ensure that the UK hits its legally binding climate change targets.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Low Cost of Electricity in ND Discouraging Solar Energy Investments

20.10.2016

solar-panel-array-1591359__340 — Photo: Pixabay

North Dakota averages 60 percent of possible sunshine each day, according to the North Dakota State Climate Office. But according to Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency, the state does not have many goals or incentives for utilities or individuals to invest in solar energy.

According to the North Dakota Century Code, in 2007 the Legislature established an objective of 10 percent of all retail electricity sold in the state be obtained by renewable and recycled energy by 2015. The objective was voluntary, and there were no penalties for providers that failed to meet it.

Jerry Lein, North Dakota Public Service Commission utility analyst, said the state exceeded its goal and reached 16 percent renewable energy by 2015. Lein said he was not involved in setting the 2015 goal, but he believes the goal was made voluntary because of a lack of legislative support for a mandatory standard.

Lein said he does not know if the Legislature will implement any new goals, but he expects the development and use of renewable energy will continue to grow.

South Dakota has the same voluntary objective as North Dakota, while Montana and Minnesota have required renewable energy standards, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The organization said 29 states have mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standards, eight have voluntary goals and 13 have no renewable energy standards or target.

According to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency, North Dakota doesn’t offer solar rebate programs or tax credits for solar system purchasers. However, the database states a taxpayer may claim a federal tax credit of 30 percent of qualified costs for a home solar electric system.

The state only offers a sales tax exemption on solar energy systems on a commercial or industrial scale of systems above 100 kilowatts, according to the database.

The North Dakota Century Code states that North Dakota offers an exemption to any locally-assessed solar, wind or geothermal energy device serving a building from paying property tax increases for five years.

North Dakota requires investor-owned utilities to offer net metering to all customers, but electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are exempt, the incentives database says. Net metering requires a utility to monitor how much energy the solar power system produces and how much the user consumes and gives credit for the surplus.

Electricity companies in the state vary in renewable energy offerings and programs available to consumers.

According to Otter Tail Power Co., 20 percent of its energy supply comes from renewable resources. The company also offers the “TailWinds” program, which allows customers to buy wind-generated energy, but no solar energy programs are offered.

Xcel Energy owns a utility-scale solar system and purchases power from similar systems, according to its website. The company also offers a Solar Rewards program that assists customers installing their own solar panels and a community program that allows customers to invest in solar without purchasing their own system. However, the rewards programs are not available in North Dakota.

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. offers renewable energy credit purchase for Wyoming customers, but does not have any renewable energy programs available in North Dakota.

Northern Plains Electric Cooperative doesn’t offer any renewable energy loans, but the co-op is researching solar energy.

Northern Plains Electric Cooperative and Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative installed a 6.56 kilowatt solar system at the Northern Plains office in Carrington in June 2015. The project’s primary objective is to provide information about the costs and benefits of a solar system, states the cooperative’s website.

Northern Plains Electric Cooperative system engineer Ashten Dewald said the solar project has gotten a lot of interest from the public and other co-ops. Dewald said the advice she gives people interested in installing a solar system is to look at the costs and benefits.

“If you want to be eco-friendly and install solar panels for that reason, great, but at this point, it’s not really justifiable with the low cost of North Dakota energy,” Dewald said.

According to the Institute for Energy Research, North Dakota has the seventh-lowest electricity price in the country at 6.81 cents per kilowatt.

Dewald said the co-ops received grants from the state to pay for the project, but without those, it would have taken 30 years to pay off the system. For the average user, it would be about 25 to 30 years to pay off, Dewald said.

However, the price of solar is getting cheaper every day, and installation and system costs are dropping, Dewald said.

“We don’t have anything new planned right now, but with solar being on the rise, I’m not going to rule anything out,” Dewald said.

Cass County Electric Cooperative is also investing in solar. The co-op started a community solar program in September, according to its website.

Prairie Sun Community Solar is a 102-kilowatt solar system made of 324 solar panels on city land in Fargo. Cass County Electric Cooperative members can participate in the program by purchasing full or half panels and will receive solar credits on their monthly bills.

Troy Knutson, manager of technical services for Cass County Electric Cooperative, said the co-op has received a lot of interest about the project and two-thirds of the panels have been reserved.

Knutson said the co-op is hoping to get 100 percent of the panels reserved. He said the co-op was also expecting more interest from commercial members.

The co-op has 40 members who have their own solar systems, but they also have many customers living in apartments, Knutson said. The community project gives them an opportunity to participate in solar, when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, Knutson said.

Knutson said the low cost of energy in North Dakota is why solar systems haven’t taken off. The systems have a long payback time, and people want to see results sooner, Knutson said.

The co-op has enough land leased to build a similar-sized project, but nothing is in the works yet, Knutson said.

“We have to wait and see what the level of demand is going to be,” Knutson said. “There almost needs to be an incentive to inspire more development.”

Source: bismarcktribune.com

Construction Completed on the Largest Solar Grid in the Midwest

20.10.2016

Minnesota is now home to the largest solar energy facility in the Midwest.

The North Star Solar Project spans 1,000 acres near North Branch and is made up more than 440,000 solar panels. Officials say it will provide enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes.

The project was proposed after a Minnesota statute required public utilities to produce at least 1.5 percent of retail electricity from solar energy by 2020. In the long term, Xcel Energy plans to be 63 percent carbon-free by 2030.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, partners in the project celebrated the end of the construction that began in April.

Chris Clark, the president of Xcel Energy’s Upper Midwest division, says renewable energy is the nation’s future.

“We’re really excited,” he said. “This is the largest solar installation that we’ve interconnected to our system at over 100 megawatts. This is really part of our energy future.”

The North Star Solar Project also had a great economic impact for the local economy.

The project employed more than 300 workers throughout construction, and it’s estimated to generate $350,000 a year in property and production tax revenues for Chisago County.

The energy from North Star will also help power the State Capitol, along with wind energy from another nearby plant. While construction is done, the project won’t start harvesting the sun’s energy for a few months.

Source: minnesota.cbslocal.com

Air Pollution more Deadly in Africa than Malnutrition or Dirty Water, Study Warns

20.10.2016

Africa’s air pollution is causing more premature deaths than unsafe water or childhood malnutrition, and could develop into a health and climate crisis reminiscent of those seen in China and India, a study by a global policy forum has found.

The first major attempt to calculate both the human and financial cost of the continent’s pollution suggests dirty air could be killing 712,000 people a year prematurely, compared with approximately 542,000 from unsafe water, 275,000 from malnutrition and 391,000 from unsafe sanitation.

While most major environmental hazards have been improving with development gains and industrialisation, outdoor (or “ambient particulate”) air pollution from traffic, power generation and industries is increasing rapidly, especially in fast-developing countries such as Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

“Annual deaths from ambient [outdoor] particulate matter pollution across the African continent increased by 36% from 1990 to 2013. Over the same period, deaths from household air pollution also continued to increase, but only by 18%”, said a researcher at the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development development centre. The OECD is funded by the world’s richest 34 countries.

For Africa as a whole, the estimated economic cost of premature air pollution deaths in 2013 was roughly $215bn (£175bn) a year for outdoor air pollution, and $232bn for household, or indoor, air pollution.

The study’s author, Rana Roy, is concerned by the pace at which outdoor air pollution is growing in Africa, bucking the downward trend in most countries. Used cars and trucks imported from rich countries are adding to urban pollution caused by household cooking on open fires.

“This mega-trend is set to continue to unfold throughout this century. It suggests that current means of transportation and energy generation in African cities are not sustainable,” said Roy. “Alternative models to those imported from industrialised economies, such as dependence on the individual automobile, are necessary.

“It is striking that air pollution costs in Africa are rising in spite of slow industrialisation, and even de-industrialisation in many countries. Should this latter trend successfully be reversed, the air pollution challenge would worsen faster, unless radically new approaches and technologies were put to use.

“The ‘new’ problem of outdoor air pollution is too large to be ignored or deferred to tomorrow’s agenda. At the same time, Africa cannot afford to ignore the ‘old’ problem of household pollution or to consider it largely solved: it is only a few high-income countries – Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles and Tunisia – that can afford to view the problem of air pollution as being a problem of outdoor particulate pollution alone.”

The study stresses that there is not nearly enough knowledge of the sources of air pollution and its impact in much of Africa. It quotes UK scientist Mathew Evans, professor of atmospheric chemistry at York University, who is leading a large-scale investigation of air pollution in west Africa.

“London and Lagos have entirely different air quality problems. In cities such as London, it’s mainly due to the burning of hydrocarbons for transport. African pollution isn’t like that. There is the burning of rubbish, cooking indoors with inefficient fuel stoves, millions of steel diesel electricity generators, cars which have had the catalytic converters removed and petrochemical plants, all pushing pollutants into the air over the cities. Compounds such as sulphur dioxide, benzene and carbon monoxide, that haven’t been issues in western cities for decades, may be a significant problem in African cities. We simply don’t know.”

Whereas China has reached a level of development that has allowed it to concentrate on solving air pollution, most African countries must grapple with several major environmental burdens at the same time, said the report.

“[They] are not in the position of a China, which can today focus on air pollution undistracted by problems such as unsafe water or unsafe sanitation or childhood underweight,” said Roy.

Henri-Bernard Solignac-Lecomte, head of the Europe, Middle east and Africa unit at the OECD development centre, said the paper made a double case for action. “Air pollution in Africa increasingly hurts people and hinders economic development. Reducing it requires urgent action by governments to change the unsustainable course of urbanisation. Indeed, Africa urbanises at a very fast pace: today’s 472 million urban dwellers will be around a billion in 2050. Today’s investment choices will have decade-long impacts on urban infrastructure and the quality of life of urbanites.

“Bold action to improve access to electricity, using clean technologies such as solar power, can contribute to reducing the exposure of the poorer families to indoor smog from coal or dung-fired cooking stoves.

“As for outdoor pollution, African economies would be well advised to learn from the experience of industrialised countries, for example by developing mass public transportation systems – like Rabat or Addis-Ababa are doing with their tramways.”

Roy warned that the human and economic costs of air pollution might “explode” without bold policy changes in Africa’s urbanisation policies.

She concluded with a call for urgent international action: “If Africa’s local air pollution is contributing to climate change today, at a time when its population stands at 1.2 billion, or 16% of the world’s population, it is safe to suppose that … it is likely to contribute considerably more when its population increases to around 2.5 billion, or 25% of the world’s population in 2050, and thence to around 4.4 billion, or 40% of the world’s population in 2100.”

Source: theguardian.com

Onshore Windfarms more Popular than Thought, UK Poll Finds

20.10.2016

Public support for onshore windfarms is far higher than widely believed, according to a new opinion poll, even in rural areas.

Wind turbines are also far more popular than fracking or nuclear power, contrasting with the UK government’s decision to block onshore windfarms but back shale gas exploration and new nuclear power plants.

The ComRes poll, conducted for climate change charity 10:10, found that 73% of the British public supported onshore windfarms, with just 17% opposed, and the rest not sure. Strong support remained even when only considering the views of those from rural areas, who might live near windfarms: 65% support versus 25% against.

However, when people were asked what level of support they thought windfarms had across the country, just one in 10 said it was more than 70%. The average level of support estimated by people was just 42%, far below the true figure. Research for 10:10 conducted by Imperial College London showed that more than two-thirds of newspaper comment and editorial articles in the last five years were negative overall about windfarms.

“The UK public love wind power and they don’t even realise,” said Max Wakefield, at 10:10, which launched its Blown Away campaign on Thursday. “It’s plainly not true onshore wind is unpopular with the UK public. It’s time our politicians caught up. Onshore wind is already the cheapest tool we have to achieve energy independence, keep bills under control and tackle climate change.”

The government’s own polling has consistently shown that renewable energy has 75-80% public support. But the Conservative victory in 2015, with 37% of the vote, has all but ended onshore windfarm developments, fulfilling a manifesto pledge to do so.

The new poll showed even stronger public support for solar energy – 83% for and 8% against – but ministers have slashed solar subsidies.

Fracking was supported by 34% and opposed by 45% in the poll. Ministers overruled Lancashire council earlier in October to grant permission for shale gas exploration, leading to accusations of double standards, as local communities have the final say over windfarm applications.

Nuclear power was supported by 46% in the new poll and opposed by 37%. In September, the prime minister, Theresa May, gave the go-ahead for a new heavily subsidised nuclear plant at Hinkley in Somerset. Offshore windfarms, which are supported by ministers, are also popular with the public, with 80% supporting and 10% opposing.

The ComRes poll interviewed 2,037 British adults online on 12-13 October 2016 and data were weighted to be representative of all British adults.

Source: theguardian.com

South Australian Windfarms Revise Safety Settings after Statewide Blackout

19.10.2016

Several windfarm operators in South Australia have already revised their settings to allow them to ride through larger network disruptions, following the storm in September that caused a statewide blackout, according to an update by the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo).

New information released by Aemo on Wednesday morning reveals nine of 13 windfarms in the state “tripped” after freak winds blew over several major transmission lines in the state.

The loss of the power lines caused six “voltage disturbances” in the network. Generators, including windfarms, have safety settings which automatically disconnect from the grid when there are more than a set number of such disturbances.

It appeared almost a third of the state’s windfarms had settings that allowed them to ride through the six disturbances, as did all the state’s thermal generators.

Aemo said it was working with both windfarm operators and turbine manufacturers to better understand these “voltage ride-through” settings.

“Several windfarms have already implemented revised settings, allowing them to ride through a higher number of disturbances,” Aemo said in a statement.

When the nine windfarms disconnected, they removed 445 MW of generation from the network, causing a surge of power to be drawn from the Heywood interconnector with Victoria. That caused another automatic safety trip, shutting down the interconnector. In turn, that caused trips at the state’s thermal generators, resulting in the statewide blackout.

The new information was sure to reignite a campaign being launched against renewable energy.

Energy expert Dylan McConnell, from the Melbourne Energy Institute, told Guardian Australia it was likely windfarms needed more conservative “voltage ride-through” settings than coal or gas generators.

But he said the fact that a number of windfarms did ride through the event suggested their disconnection from the grid in South Australia was not a fundamental issue with wind power, but rather an issue with the choice of settings.

However, McConnell said the voltage disruptions were very severe, and potentially big enough to cause damage to generators that remained connected.

The report noted that voltage levels were usually required to be maintained within 10% of a line’s rating. “If voltage levels are not maintained within this range, damage can occur to the network or customer-connected equipment, and power system protection equipment might not operate correctly,” it said.

But three of the disruptions ahead of the blackout involved voltage dropping to 60% below the line’s rating.

McConnell said: “There are obviously questions about whether the preset limit (for voltage ride-through) was too conservative. But there is also a question of whether it [is] reasonable to think that a generator should ride a voltage collapse all the way down.”

McConnell also pointed out that if South Australia had fewer windfarms, this particular event was likely to have played out exactly the same way.

The large number of windfarms in the state was a factor in the shutting of the Northern coal-fired power generator in Port Augusta. If that generator was still running, it would have been cut off from the grid by the downed power lines, creating a similar disruption to the tripped windfarms.

“Yes, if there was gas generator or coal generator in Adelaide, then yes it might have ridden through the fault. But if you’re comparing the current situation to one where there was a coal generator in Port Augusta, you would have had a significant loss of generation,” he said.

McConnell said although the storm was a freak event, the resulting analysis could help network operators, market operators and policymakers create a more robust network.

“There’s a question about having a diversity of renewable energy resources,” he said.

Aemo was continuing to investigate the event.

Source: theguardian.com

Shipping ‘Progressives’ Call for Industry Carbon Emission Cuts

19.10.2016

Many of the world’s biggest shipowners and charterers have called on heads of state to take swift action to force carbon emission cuts on their industry which is the only sector in the world not now bound by climate change targets.

Maersk, Cargill, the Global Shippers’ Forum and 45 other shipping organisations including the Danish Shipowners’ Association said “ambitious” action is needed at a key UN meeting in London next week to bring shipping into line with the world’s 195 countries, all of which have signed up to the Paris climate agreement to curb emissions.

“It is time to recognise the important role which the global shipping industry must play in holding global temperatures well below 2C,” the coalition told the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“Shipping’s emissions are expected to substantially increase over the coming years. To curb this trajectory, IMO countries must demonstrate that they can match the ambition and pace of the UN climate body, the UNFCCC [which oversaw the Paris deal],” say the “progressive” shippers in a letter.

Shipping’s emissions, which stand at around round 1,000m tonnes of CO2 a year, compared to about 781m from aviation, are forecast to rise to nearly 17% of the world’s total over the next 30 years if left unregulated.

But the industry, which carries much of the world’s goods, is the only economic sector not now subject to any treaty on climate change, country-by-country emissions controls or reduction targets of any kind – even though it emits around 3-4% of global gas emissions and has a carbon footprint the size of Germany’s.

Aviation agreed a weak emissions-reduction scheme last month in Montreal, leaving shipping and the IMO exposed and appearing to drag its heels.

“The IMO and the industry needs to act fast. Shipping emissions are forecast to rise by 50-250% by 2050 if unchecked. The IMO sticks out like a sore thumb,” said a spokesman for Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based NGO.

To secure an agreement, the IMO and the progressive shippers will have to overcome strong opposition from some developing countries with major shipping interests as well as lobbying by powerful fossil fuel groups and trade associations. These argue for a global CO2 monitoring scheme to be set up before any agreement is made on reductions.

Led by China, Brazil and some small island states like the Cook Islands, one group has argued in IMO meetings that because shipping is a truly international industry, it cannot be regulated in the same way as countries, and must not be rushed into cuts. It says the world’s 100,000 big ships have already reduced emissions considerably but more data and analysis is needed.

“Until the IMO CO2 data collection system is up and running, there is insufficient data to determine whether or not it would be realistic for IMO to adopt a firm contribution on behalf of the sector,” says a group which includes the Baltic and International Maritime Council, Intercargo and Intertanko in a paper submitted to the IMO.

They and others fear that a tax on fuel or emissions, or a cap, could vastly increase fuel costs in a sector already suffering an economic downturn.

But the progressives, who are backed by the powerful International Chamber of Shipping – the international trade association for merchant shipowners – say enough information about CO2 emissions is known and an early decision on a timeline for reductions should be agreed in London next week.

The coalition is backed by a further 19 companies in the the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) which last week also urged the IMO to reflect the Paris agreement’s objective of keeping global warming below 2C. The body proposes a detailed roadmap for establishing shipping’s “fair share” of global emission reductions.

“This should lead to the swift establishment of reduction targets which should be submitted to the UNFCCC. Defining shipping’s ‘fair share’ of CO2 reductions must be balanced between the required ambition to deliver on the Paris Agreement, and the need to be equitable and affordable for the industry, as well as enforceable on a global basis to ensure change,” said the SSI.

The influence of lobbyists is expected to be key in the meeting. They have traditionally been able to pressure some shipping-dependent countries who operate flags of convenience and ship registration schemes to water down, delay or dismiss action on reducing pollution or emissions.

Leaked documents seen by the Guardian show that the Pacific Cook Islands this year reversed the progressive position it took on climate change in Paris last year, to lead opposition in the IMO to emissions cuts being imposed. The documents showed the country’s negotiator claimed this would hurt small island developing countries the most, even though the Cook Islands are low-lying and vulnerable to sea-level rise and climate change.

“Shipping must be profitable and has to keep growing to survive. Any notion on imposing a system that would increase transport cost and availability of freight even further would be extremely detrimental to [least developed countries] and SIDS [small island developing states] and severely impact on our economic security while inhibiting growth and development potential”, the Cook Islands negotiator said.

He would not even countenance the setting up a working group to talk about cuts. “To be honest I am staggered that this was even suggested,” he said.

The meeting will also decide whether to impose a global cap on SOx emissions from 2020 or 2025. This would see sulphur emissions fall from the current maximum of 3.5% of fuel content to 0.5%.

Although cars and land-based industries have greatly reduced pollution, shipping has been allowed to continue burning some of the dirtiest fuels in the world, thousands of times more polluting than the fuel used in cars.

Source: theguardian.com

Six Energy-Harvesting Gadgets Powered by People

19.10.2016

People power is perhaps one of the world’s greatest untapped sources of renewable energy. Smart devices that harness kinetic energy from everyday human activities help the environment in more ways than one. By turning motion into useable electricity, human-powered gadgets help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and batteries that damage the planet. At the same time, kinetic gadgets encourage people to keep moving, thereby supporting a healthier lifestyle. From a dance floor that turns your sweet moves into a luminous display to a clever motion-powered light that keeps runners safe at night, we’ve rounded up six amazing gadgets that take advantage of human movement.

For runners, or anyone else interested in being active after dark, this motion-powered light is a dream come true. Battery-powered headlamps and body lights can flicker out without warning, leaving you invisible after the sun goes down. The Million Mile Light is a small, clip-on LED lamp that draws power from a runner’s movement, and emits a continuously flashing light bright enough to ensure that motorists will be able to spot a pedestrian over 200 yards away. The lamp promises a 100,000-hour lifespan, making it a long-term sustainable lighting option for all sorts of night owls on the go.

Imagine a place where you could dance, dance, dance the night away and then head home knowing you’ve helped generate clean energy. It’s not a far-fetched idea thanks to Energy Floors’ kinetic energy-generating dance floor. To demonstrate the tech, the company created a translucent floor with a dynamic LED display powered by motion from each shimmy and shake. Motion is transferred through the floor to a small generator, and each 30-inch square floor tile can produce up to 35 watts of sustained output.

Mexico-based consortium Bambootec created a clever bicycle that harvests pedal power and turns it into renewable energy. Small gadgets like smartphones and MP3 players can be recharged via a connected power adapter on the go. The bike also sports a navigation dashboard in the handlebars that measures distance and time. The frame is made mostly from bamboo, a sustainably harvested grass, so the bike has a low environmental impact from its origins to its operation.

The simple act of walking could power your small electronic devices — and it could happen sooner than you might expect. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers created a pair of insoles capable of generating 20 watts of energy from footsteps. The invention prompted the founding of InStep NanoPower, a startup working to produce shoes with the energy-generating insole built right in. Footwear that doubles as a power source would be a boon to busy urban dwellers, college students, long-distance backpackers and anyone else who puts in a lot of steps over the course of a given day.

A suburban shopping mall seems like an unlikely place for renewable energy generation, and yet it makes a lot of sense because there’s lots people walking around. Pavegen, a clean tech firm, installed 68 kinetic floor tiles in a Johannesburg mall last year to raise awareness about the problems rural villages face with unreliable power grids. The tiles power an interactive data screen that displays real-time footfall data, while harvesting electricity to power struggling communities elsewhere in South Africa. The Sandton City shopping mall sees over two million footsteps each month, which translates into a substantial amount of energy and a major impact in the lives of people who simply want light, heat and other basic amenities.

A team of Georgia Tech engineers recently developed a hybrid textile that uses solar power and kinetic energy to produce clean energy. The futuristic fabric could be used to create wearable clothing, household window dressings and even camping tents. Solar cells made from polymer fibers and triboelectric nanogenerators meshed with wool threads are woven together to create a flexible, lightweight, breathable fabric capable of generating substantial amounts of electricity. The material’s inventors are working on ways to make it waterproof and to improve its long-term durability. It will be quite a while, then, before you can buy a shirt that can charge your smartphone, but we’re getting closer.

Source: engadget.com

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