Siemens Gamesa Awarded Turbine Supply For Four Spanish Wind Farms

19.04.2018

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy announced on Monday that it had been awarded the contract to supply wind turbines for four separate wind farms in Spain by developer Gas Natural Fenosa Renovables, for a total of 166 megawatts (MW).

The four wind farms in question are being developed by Gas Natural Fenosa Renovables, which was awarded the 166 MW capacity in Spain’s renewable energy auction held in May of 2017 that awarded 3 gigawatts (GW) worth, mainly to wind energy. The obvious preference for wind immediately caused the Spanish solar association (Unión Española Fotovoltaica) to cry foul. However, the reality of the situation — at least so far as I was able to tell at the time — was that wind energy was better placed to offer lower bids.

The company was actually awarded a total of 667 MW worth of wind power in the Spanish renewable energy auction, requiring €700 million in investments. This adds to a total installed capacity of 979 MW in Spain and another 234 MW spread across Australia, Mexico, and Brazil.

“The result from the auction highlights the value of the portfolio of renewable projects by the energy group, on which it has been working hard for the last few years and which has led to the creation of a truly competitive and streamlined portfolio of projects,” explained Rafael Villaseca, Gas Natural Fenosa Renovables’ CEO, at the time.

Fast-forward nearly a year and Gas Natural Fenosa Renovables has awarded the contract to supply the wind turbines for its four wind farms to Siemens Gamesa, one of, if not the leading wind turbine manufacturer in the world. Siemens Gamesa will provide 48 of its SG 3.4-132 wind turbines — one of its most popular products — and will also commission, operate, and maintain the turbines for three years, all of which are due to be completed mid-2019.

Beyond offering one of the world’s leading wind energy brands and a popular product, Siemens Gamesa also offers locally-produced turbines, with the turbine blades to be manufactured at the company’s Aoiz factory in Navarre, Spain and in nearby Tangiers, Morocco, and the nacelles will be manufactured at its Ágreda facility in Soria, Spain.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Activists Call on Red Sox to Go 100 Percent Renewable

19.04.2018

On April 10, Massachusetts environmental groups launched a campaign asking the state’s beloved Red Sox baseball team to “go green,” an Environment Massachusetts press release reported.

In their joint “Sox Go Green” campaign, Environment Massachusetts and MASSPIRG Students are specifically calling on the team to source 100 percent of the power it uses for Fenway Park, its Florida spring training facility and all other team operations from renewable energy.

The campaign is not at all antagonistic to the team, but rather urges the Red Sox to use their name recognition to inspire other Massachusetts institutions to take environmental action.

“As a lifelong Sox fan, I know how important this team is in the eyes of everyone who lives in Massachusetts,” MASSPIRG chapter chair and UMass Boston student Morganne McGuirk said in the press release. “If the Red Sox go 100 percent renewable, other businesses and institutions will undoubtedly follow their lead.”

The activists want the team to follow a two-step schedule. In five years, they want them to get 100 percent of their electricity from New England solar and wind farms. In 10 years, they want them to meet all their transportation and heating needs from renewables as well.

Activists point out that if the Red Sox head their suggestion, they will be joining seven Massachusetts cities and towns and major state institutions like Harvard and Boston Universities, as well as 120 major companies including Google.

If the Red Sox agree, it would not be out of character for a team with a history of taking environmental actions.

They were the first Major League Baseball team to install solar thermal panels in 2008, which were used to heat water in Fenway Park. In spring of 2015, the they planted Fenway Farms, a rooftop garden over the third-base side of the park. Produce from the garden is used to prepare food sold at the stadium.

But the Red Sox are not alone among professional sports teams in taking action on environmental issues.

In March, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced plans to increase its environmental commitments over concerns that climate change would threaten the frozen ponds on which many of its players first learned to skate. The NHL said it would focus on reducing carbon emissions, supporting energy efficiency, and reducing waste and water use.

In the world of Football, the Philadelphia Eagles have 2,500 solar panels installed at their stadium.

The Red Sox main rivals, the New York Yankees, have also taken environmental action. Since the team’s new stadium opened in 2009, the team has used renewable energy certificates, which represent one megawatt-hour of renewable energy generated and delivered to the grid, for 100 percent of the stadium’s purchased energy.

“If I know anything about Boston, it’s that we don’t like to come in second to New York,” Environment Massachusetts State Director Ben Hellerstein said in the release. “The Red Sox should set their sights on winning the race to 100 percent renewable energy.”

Source: ecowatch.com

India Added More Solar & Wind In 2017 Than Coal-Based Capacity

18.04.2018

Perhaps for the first time ever, India added more renewable energy capacity in a calendar year than coal-based capacity. One of the fastest growing renewable energy markets achieved this feat last year.

According to government data, India added 12.8 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity against just 4 gigawatts of net coal-based power capacity added in 2017. Renewable energy dominated the new capacity added in India with a massive share of 66%, up from 42% in 2016. Coal-based power capacity had a share of 21% in the new net capacity added, down from 54% in 2016.

Interestingly, the total power capacity added in India in 2017 was also down from 30 gigawatts in 2016 to 19 gigawatts in 2017. The sharp decline is also due to the 3.1 gigawatts of coal-based capacity retired last year, also a record.

Net coal-based capacity declined from 16 gigawatts in 2016 to just 4 gigawatts in 2017. Wind energy capacity declined marginally in 2017, from 4.3 gigawatts to 4.1 gigawatts. The solar power sector witnessed another record year with new capacity added increasing from 4.7 gigawatts to 8 gigawatts. A marginal fall wind capacity added in 2017 also meant virtually no growth in new renewable energy capacity added in 2017 compared to 2016.

More net capacity in the renewable energy sector was added in three of the four quarters last year than in the coal-based power sector. Since Q3 2015, India has seen more renewable energy capacity added in six of the 10 quarters.

Winds have been blowing in favor of India’s renewable energy sector over the last few months and quarters due to regular auctions in the solar and wind energy sectors. While the wind energy sector did see a slowdown due to policy changes, it is likely to be back on track of accelerated growth in the coming months as nearly 7.5 gigawatts of auctioned capacity (by early April 2018) comes online.

Similarly, large and regular solar power auctions have been planned at the central as well as state level across the country. These would also add to the huge pipeline of projects already auctioned and under construction.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Finland’s Fortum Wins Tender To Increase Country’s Solar Energy Capacity By 30%

18.04.2018

alternative-2225__340, solar — Photo: Pixabay

The Finland-based firm Fortum has won a tender to build out the country’s total solar energy capacity by around 30%, it has revealed.

Given that Fortum is majority-owned by Finland itself, the fact that it won the tender isn’t too surprising itself, but it is interesting how substantial the tender is. The plan is reportedly to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on around 40 commercial buildings throughout the country.

While this will altogether only amount to around 10 megawatts (MW) worth of nameplate capacity, the buildout will actually represent the largest solar energy project to date among Finland, Sweden, and Norway, reportedly.

A statement on the matter released by the company noted that “installation work will start in spring 2018 and will be completed during autumn 2018.”

Notably, the exact terms and value of the deal have not been publicly disclosed.

Reuters provides some context on the matter: “The total solar power production capacity in Finland neared 35 MW by the end of 2017 and adding the new installations will increase the country’s output by about 30%…Fortum, the Nordic region’s largest utility in terms of customer base, has so far been active in the solar power industry mostly in India, where it has implemented projects with a total output of 185 MW.”

Presumably all of the new solar energy generation capacity will be installed in the the southern part of the country where solar insolation levels aren’t too bad. Even that being the case, such installations will still provide most of their generation potential during a period of just a half year or so, clustered around the summer solstice.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India A Step Closer To First Offshore Wind Energy Auction

18.04.2018

Nearly eight years after we first covered news about India taking initial steps to set up offshore wind energy projects, the first government document seen as a precursor to a final auction has been released.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently issued an expression of interest document on its website. The Ministry wants to gauge market interest to set up 1 gigawatt of offshore wind energy capacity off the coast of Gujarat, western India.

Back in November 2010, we covered a news story stating that the Ministry is planning to conduct a survey to establish the generation potential for offshore wind energy. The survey was supposed to take two to three years to complete. There is no word on whether this survey has indeed been completed or not.

In 2015, the Ministry approved an offshore wind energy policy that outlined the various approvals project developers would require to set up the projects, the various agencies that would be involved in the approvals, and so on.

Late last year, the Ministry announced that it plans to hold auctions for 5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity in 2018-19. Minster for New and Renewable Energy RK Singh stated that a feasibility study ongoing at one of the proposed sites is in progress, while a similar survey would begin at two more sites soon. Apart from Gujarat, offshore wind energy projects are likely to come up in Tamil Nadu as well.

As of February 28th, 2018, India had an installed wind energy capacity of 32.9 gigawatts. The government has set a target to increase this figure to 60 gigawatts by March 2022. The government is expected to auction 10 gigawatts of wind energy capacity each in 2018-19 and 2019-20 to this effect.

Since India introduced competitive auctions in the wind energy sector last year, nearly 7.5 gigawatts of capacity has been allocated to project developers. Minimum tariff bids in these auctions have collapsed by nearly 30% in a matter of just 12 months. Offshore wind energy auctions are expected to be highly competitive as well, even though the capital cost of at least the initial projects is expected to be high.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Claire Perry to Instruct Committee on Climate Change to Scope Net Zero Goal

18.04.2018

Ideja, Planeta, klimatske promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

UK Climate Minister says government will ask climate watchdog to consider how UK could meet 1.5C Paris target

Later this year the UK government will formally ask its official climate experts, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), to explore the potential for the UK to tighten its emission reduction targets to bring them in line with international goals, Energy and Climate Minister Claire Perry announced today.

Speaking during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place in London this week, Perry said she would instruct the CCC to report on the implications of the Paris Agreement’s target to limit a rise in global average temperature to “well below” 2C and aim for 1.5C.

“After the IPCC’s report later this year, we will be seeking the advice of the UK’s independent advisors, the Committee on Climate Change, on the implications of the Paris Agreement for the UK’s long-term emissions reduction targets,” Perry said.

Under the 2008 Climate Change Act the UK already has a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, against 1990 levels, which is technically consistent with Paris goals to limit warming to below 2C.

But there have been growing calls for the government to boost its national targets in light of the Paris Agreement’s target for reducing annual emissions to ‘net zero’ during the second half of the century, which would require anthropogenic emissions to be balanced by the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Campaign group Plan B is currently pursuing a legal challenge against the government in a bid to get the law strengthened, while research from the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute last month also backed a net zero goal.

In March 2016 former Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom promised the UK would enshrine a net-zero emissions goal into UK law, but following the Brexit vote and last year’s election plans stalled.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – is due to release a report on the global implications of the 1.5C target in September. Perry said she would instruct the CCC to look at how the UK would meet such a goal after that report is released. The CCC will not only evaluate the UK’s current target in light of the 2015 Paris Agreement, but also latest science and technology, both of which have moved on fast in the 10 years since the Climate Change Act was first agreed.

If it does opt for a tougher goal, the UK government will have to act quickly to give the country the best chance of achieving faster decarbonisation. According to the LSE researchers, a fresh target would need to be in place by 2020 to coincide with the submission of revised ‘nationally determined contributions’ to the Paris Agreement and the CCC’s advice on the sixth carbon budget.

The UK is the first G7 country to formally promise to explore a net zero goal, and polling research suggests the move has strong public support. Conservative environmental think tank Bright Blue this week released analysis of polling from Opinium suggesting that 64 per cent of UK adults agree the UK should aim to cut its emissions to zero over the next few decades.

The survey, which questioned more than 4,000 adults, found that 51 per cent of people are more concerned about climate change today than a decade ago, climbing to 57 per cent among the under 40s.

“A net zero target is supported by a clear majority of the public, including Conservative voters, while concern about climate change is particularly high among younger voters,” Bright Blue head of research Sam Hall said. “By adopting a net zero target, the government is therefore seizing a great opportunity to appeal to key younger voters without trading off existing voters.”

Former climate diplomat and CEO of the European Climate Foundation Laurence Tubiana, today urged other nations to follow the UK’s lead.

“10 years after the UK pioneered its world-first Climate Change Act, today’s announcement shows that once again it is the British government looking to lead the world on climate change,” she said. “For a safe climate we need all governments to aim for cutting pollution to net zero levels by 2050. This decision to review Britain’s long-term climate target sends a strong message to the EU and other big economies that London is committed to the Paris Agreement, and now it’s time they too considered what more they can do.”

Reaction among other campaigners and climate experts was also almost universally positive. Ed Matthew, associate director at environmental think tank E3G, said a net zero goal would “cement the UK as the global leader in the battle against climate change”.

Former environment secretary and former leader of the Conservative Party Lord Michael Howard also welcomed the news. “The Climate Change Act has proven its worth, but as science and diplomacy move on, it should of course be kept under review – and the tougher international targets agreed at the Paris summit make it likely that the UK’s own target will need to be strengthened,” he said.

Source: businessgreen.com

More Good News About Coal-Killing Perovskite Solar Cells

18.04.2018

solar-panels — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

US coal and nuclear energy stakeholders are still holding out hope for their aging power plants, but the window for relief is closing fast. They face stiff competition from low-cost natural gas, and renewables are flexing their muscles, too. This is all happening before perovskite solar cells hit the market at scale. Why does this matter? New perovskite technology could drive solar costs down past conventional silicon solar cells, pushing both nuclear and fossil energy farther out of the picture.

For those of you new to the topic, perovskite refers to a class of lab-grown, crystalline materials that mimic the structure of the naturally occurring mineral perovskite.

Synthetic perovskites have caused quite a stir among photovoltaic researchers in recent years. They are relatively cheap and easy to grow in the lab, and they can be used in a thin-film format that provides the additional benefits of high volume, low-cost solar cell manufacturing.

In a perfect world, perovskites would offer a low-cost alternative to conventional silicon solar cells. Unfortunately for solar energy fans, the world is not a perfect place for perovskites because they degrade quickly when exposed to humidity.

On the bright side, there is a solution. Someone just has to find it.

The EU consortium Solliance is one of many research organizations working the problem. Last November it announced a world record of 13.5% for its thin film perovskite solar cell, and just last week it updated its perovskite PV progress. The latest iteration of the cell hit the 14.5% mark.

Last week’s announcement is also significant because Solliance demonstrated that the new cell can be interconnected with others to make a larger module without a significant loss of efficiency.

The trick is to make sure that the active material covers as much of the module as possible. Solliance shrank the non-active, interconnection areas down to a fraction. It achieved 95.3% coverage for the active areas and ended up with an efficiency of 13.5% for the module overall.

Then there’s that thing about low-cost manufacturing:

…Apart from the electrodes currently used, all layers can be processed in ambient environment and at temperatures below 120⁰C, making expensive equipment obsolete. The deposition and interconnection technologies are industrially available for both Sheet-to-Sheet and Roll-to-Roll manufacturing.

As for when you can get your hands on that low-cost thin film solar cell, that’s a good question. It doesn’t look like that will take forever, though. Panasonic is a partner in the consortium along with the “disruptive” renewable energy company Greatcell Solar Limited and the Russia-based solar business incubator Solartek.

Speaking of progress, one of the world’s biggest cheerleaders for perovskite solar cells is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and it has just come out with an article that outlines just how quickly things are developing in the field.

Perovskites were unstable and there were all kinds of problems—but you could clearly see in all the measurements that these were high-quality semiconductors. We saw where efficiency records were broken day after day after day. We realized this is not something we should be ignoring.

The article also makes a good case for the advantages of perovskites over silicon:

…The silicon technology requires a high-temperature manufacturing process, whereas the perovskite process is simpler: chemicals are applied to a substrate, either by deposition or roll-to-roll printing. When dry, the residue leaves crystals that serve as excellent semiconductors. This means perovskite panels are more flexible than rigid silicon panels…

At this point, NREL is confident that perovskites will break into the market. Here’s a take from NREL staff scientist David Moore:

I don’t see anything that stands in the way of commercialization of perovskite. There are a couple of challenges left. We need to make sure they’re going to last 30 years. But the strides we’re making in those areas are just as rapid as the progress we made with efficiency in the first five years. Just based on the progression of both of those things, there’s every reason to believe that we’ll continue on that path to solve those problems…

The article cites a laundry list of improvements and discoveries that NREL has made in just the past year, so if you want to see your tax dollars at work hop on over and check out “NREL Research Pushes Perovskites Closer to Market” over there at NREL.gov.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Less Meat and More Green Power: Scientists Cook Up 1.5 Degrees Trajectory with Minimal Reliance on Negative Emissions

17.04.2018

cow-759018__340 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Scientists at Utrecht University in the Netherlands have modelled a way to hit tough global climate targets without resorting to the extensive use of negative emissions technology such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

Most 1.5 degree climate scenarios – a temperature limit that would save low-lying islands from rising sea levels and avert the worst economic and ecological impacts of climate change – rely heavily on negative emissions technology to make the numbers add up.

But such technology is still relatively unproven and commercially challenging, while planting more foreststo act as carbon sinks takes time and eats into the available land to grow food.

Researchers at Utrecht University claimed to have found a way around this challenge last week, with the release of a new paper explaining how the 1.5 degrees target can be reached with a radically scaled down use of negative emissions technology.

Using computer modelling, the scientists found that by using more renewable power and cutting down on agriculture emissions the world can hit 1.5 degrees with substantially less use of negative emissions technology.

Animal production, for example, is responsible for up to 14.5 per cent of global emissions, as well as demanding extensive land and water use and playing a role in deforestation. If humans limited intake of meat and dairy to a healthy amount the pressure to use negative emissions would ease substantially.

Detlef van Vuuren, project manager of the IMAGE project and professor at Utrecht University, acknowledged that such lifestyle shifts may be difficult to deliver. “It is clear that each path comes with its own challenges,” he admitted. “For example, a change in dietary habits entails a large-scale change in the global food system. In any case, each scenario shows a clear break with past trends.”

But the paper notes that such alternative scenarios offer many other global benefits in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, such as improving health and global food supply.

The paper also stressed that ongoing investment in negative emissions technology would be necessary in any scenario in order to meet the 1.5 degree target.

Source: businessgreen.com

Good News, Bad News For Renewable Energy In New Jersey

17.04.2018

obnovljiva-energija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

When Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey, wasn’t closing traffic lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge to punish political opponents, he was putting up barriers to renewable energy. Now that he has been consigned to the dustbin of history, his successor, Philip Murphy, is pushing a plan that will help New Jersey realize 50% of its electrical energy from renewables by 2030. That target brings the state in line with similar programs underway in California and New York.

New Jersey, like several other states and many individual cities, is determined to do its part to meet America’s commitments to the Paris climate change accords, despite headwinds from the Trump administration. “If you look at the United States commitments under Paris, these percentages would more than uphold New Jersey’s share of the burden,” Robert C. Orr, the primary science adviser to the UN secretary general, tells the New York Times. Orr is now the dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.

“Obviously, New Jersey is a significant state, but it’s not a driver in the same sense that California is,” he says. “But by putting New Jersey in a group with California and New York and then Vermont and Maryland, you start to see, not getting all the way to Paris targets, but you start to see the trend line moving toward us meeting Paris.” Governor Murphy has also been supportive of an initiative to build offshore wind turbines along the New Jersey coast, something Christie openly opposed. The new initiative seeks to build 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind generation by 2030, enough to power 1.5 million homes.

The part of Murphy’s plan that will not please environmentalists is his embrace of nuclear energy. “I believe the biggest bridge we have to our clean energy future are the nukes and, not to mention, the thousands of jobs they support,” he says. New Jersey currently derives nearly half of its electricity from four nuclear power plants. One of those — the Oyster Creek facility — is scheduled to close soon, but Murphy’s plan will shovel $300 million a year to the remaining nukes to keep them going for a few more years. New Jersey rate payers will have the privilege of paying the subsidy.

Nonetheless, some environmental groups feel the need to temper their distaste for the program. “We don’t want to see the abrupt closure of nuclear plants, because if you close them tomorrow, we know that they’ll just be replaced by more fossil fuels,” says Dale Bryk, senior strategic director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “You have to have an orderly transition plan that involves scaling up renewables first, so that when the nuclear plants close, they’re replaced with clean energy.”

Not everyone is so sanguine, however. “It’s going to put a chilling effect on spending more for renewable energy, because to build out renewable will cost much more,” says Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This bill is about a nuclear subsidy, and that’s the primary purpose. And that’s the diversion to make you think you’re getting something that you’re not.”

New York and Illinois have granted similar subsidies to nuclear facilities but they contain a provision the New Jersey legislation does not. Every three years, the companies that operate nuclear reactors in those states will have to open their books to demonstrate they still need the subsidy. The New Jersey nuclear plants will be under no such obligation.

Green energy proponents will complain the subsidies should be used to install more renewable energy facilities and they have a valid point. In the long run, every available dollar should be put to work creating the clean energy grid of the future rather than propping up traditional generating facilities that are no longer economically viable. Still, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Some progress is better than none, especially at a time when federal policy favors a return to the age of steam.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Free RENEXPO Tickets for Our Reads

17.04.2018

From the 24th to the 26th of April this year, in BelExpocentre, Belgrade will be held 5th RENEXPO® Water & Energy, International fair trade, which will bring together producers and distributors of product representatives of scientific institutions, design firms, water companies, local self-governments, public utility companies , ministries as well as financial institutions that invest resources in renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and water management.

The subjects Hydropower, Wind Energy, Biogas, solid Biomass, Waste Management, Waste Water, Drinking Water and Flood Protection are in the focus of the exhibition, conferences, round tables, seminars and in the side programme.

More than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries meet 2.500 international visitors. The countries Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Croatia present themselves on 2.000 m² exhibition area and in conferences.

Our readers have an opportunity to win free tickets for the event by registering on the following link: http://www.cloud.dow-media.com/de/freeticket_water/?L=1&c=RW5lcmdldHNraSBQb3J0YWw=.

May Announces £60m Fund to Clear Oceans of Plastic ‘Scourge’

17.04.2018

Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged £61.4m in funding to turn the tide against ocean plastic, as part of a new initiative from Commonwealth countries to tackle the problem.

Announcing the move on Saturday, May dubbed plastic waste a “scourge” on the world’s oceans and promised to harness collective action from Commonwealth nations to “effect real change”.

The cash will be split into three pots: £25m into scientific, economic and social research to address sources of plastic waste, £20m to stop plastic pollution from manufacturing in developing countries, and £16.4m to improve waste management in the UK, particularly in cities.

The PM will use a meeting of the 52 Commonwealth nations in London today to urge other countries to join the anti-plastic fight, under a new campaign from the UK and island state Vanuatu dubbed the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA).

May hopes other Commonwealth nations will join the CCOA and follow in the footsteps of the UK on tackling plastic waste, by implementing measures such as a microbeads ban or plastic bag charges. New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ghana have already joined, Downing Street said on Saturday.

“This week we will look closely at how we can tackle the many threats to the health of the world’s oceans, including the scourge of marine plastic pollution,” she said in advance of the summit this week.

“As one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the world today it is vital that we tackle this issue, so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than we currently find it.”

Poor waste management is the single leading cause of plastics in the ocean, and improving waste infrastructure in developing countries will be a major focus of the CCOA, according to Downing Street.

For example, the Department for International Development will fund pilot programmes in up to three Commonwealth developing countries to tackle waste from cities that often ends up in waterways.

Earlier this year the UK promised to eliminate “unnecessary” single-use plastics in the UK by 2042. The pledge came in response to an unprecedented public outcry over the issue following the broadcast of the BBC’s Blue Planet II documentary, which exposed the devastating impact plastic waste is having on ocean wildlife, and high-profile campaigns such as Sky’s Ocean Rescue initiative.

Although measures to hike taxes on single-use plastics are still under development, the response from the business world to anti-plastic sentiment has been dramatic, with firms from PG Tips to Iceland pledging to cut down – or outlaw altogether – single-use plastics from their operations.

Meanwhile, campaigners show no signs of easing up on the issue. Today Sky announced National Geographic has pledged $10m towards the broadcaster’s Sky Ocean Ventures, an investment arm dedicated to supporting business ideas to tackle ocean plastic.

The cash will be used for grants, innovation challenges and events to raise the profile of the plastic problem and fund the development of alternative materials and new, zero-waste manufacturing processes.

Source: businessgreen.com

Alaskan Glaciers Have Not Melted This Fast in at Least Four Centuries

17.04.2018

Rising temperatures are causing glaciers in Alaska’s Denali National Park to melt faster than at any time in the past 400 years, according to new research.

The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, a journal of the American Geophysical Union in March. The Earth science organization released details about the research Tuesday.

“We have not seen snow melt like this in at least four centuries,” lead author Dominic Winski, a glaciologist at Dartmouth College, told USA Today.

For the study, Winski and 11 other researchers from Dartmouth College, the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire examined ice cores drilled from the summit of Mt. Hunter in June 2013.

The ice cores gave the scientists a record of temperatures and climate conditions on the mountain dating back to the mid-17th century. For instance, dark bands of ice with no bubbles indicated that snow on the glacier melted in past summers before re-freezing.

When analyzing the bands, the scientists determined that the site’s summers are at least 2.2-3.6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer now than summers during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Additionally, rising temperatures are melting 60 times more snow on Mt. Hunter than at the start of Industrial Revolution 150 years ago.

The researchers concluded that the tropical Pacific Ocean, which is warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, is contributing to the unprecedented melting of Mt. Hunter’s glaciers.

Winski explained that warmer tropics lead to higher atmospheric pressures and more sunny days over the Alaska Range, which contributes to more glacial melting in the summer.

“This adds to the growing body of research showing that changes in the tropical Pacific can manifest in changes across the globe,” Luke Trusel, a glaciologist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey who was not involved with the study, said in a statement. “It’s adding to the growing picture that what we’re seeing today is unusual.”

It is important to understand how mountain glaciers are affected by climate change because they provide fresh water to many communities and their melting can contribute to sea level rise, Winski noted.

“The natural climate system has changed since the onset of the anthropogenic era,” he said. “In the North Pacific, this means temperature and precipitation patterns are different today than they were during the preindustrial period.”

Source: ecowatch.com

MHI Vestas Unveils New SMART Tools For Turbine Optimisation & Cost Reductions

16.04.2018

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind unveiled a new suite of next-generation SMART tools this week that are designed to enhance offshore wind turbine optimization and provide better turbine monitoring, thereby allowing for “significant” cost savings for developers and operators.

Announced on Wednesday, MHI Vestas unveiled its MVOW SMART Turbine products, a new trademark suite of tools that will provide customers with the tools to enhance design assessments, offshore wind turbine monitoring, and real-time decision-making. According to the company, it is “pushing boundaries inside the turbine and could now lay claim to having the world’s smartest available turbine.”

“We are not content to just manufacture the world’s most powerful turbine,” boasted Henrik Baek Jorgensen, Head of Product Management, referring to the recent installation of an MHI Vestas V164-8.8 MW offshore wind turbine at the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC). “We know that our customers require world-class production and operation of the turbine in every area. This product portfolio addresses their most critical business needs and gives them an unprecedented level of visibility and control.”

MHI Vestas’ new MVOW SMART Turbine suite is made up of four separate products:

SMART Foundation Loads, which optimizes foundation design upfront. The software package will allow MHI Vestas customers to perform integrated load design simulations prior to undertaking detailed load assessments, using a range of options and scenarios.

SMART Dampers are designed to actively reduce fatigue loads. Active SMART Dampers reduce fatigue and design loads by reducing the side-to-side and fore-aft movements of the tower and also help to extend the use of monopile foundations to more challenging sites where rougher conditions can cause heavier loads.

SMART Fast Data is billed as being able to dramatically increase the data flow from the turbine. Receiving data frequency 600 times faster than traditional SCADA methods from the nearly 1000 sensors in a turbine, the tool unlocks hidden insights, enhances diagnostic capability, and optimizes scheduled service.

SMART Performance Monitor brings wind power plant monitoring to a hand-held device. Feeding real-time information on turbine performance, site production, and operational notifications to any mobile device, the Performance Monitor puts the wind park into the customer’s pocket.

“Our ambition is to not only have the most powerful products, but also the smartest products in offshore wind,” Jorgensen added. “This portfolio is the latest example of how we’re taking digitalisation to the next level and reflects our singular commitment to optimise our customers’ business case.”

The move comes on the heel of several recent MHI Vestas announcements which underline the company’s plans to continually develop new and groundbreaking technologies, while at the same time expanding its share into new global markets. As mentioned, an MHI Vestas V164-8.8 MW wind turbine was recently successfully installed at the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre off the coast of Scotland — the most powerful wind turbine to be deployed for commercial application.

Towards the end of March, MHI Vestas also signed four separate Memorandums of Understanding with companies in Taiwan to begin building out its supply chain in the region. Taiwan has been a recent hotbed of offshore wind industry attention, and MHI Vestas has been quick to similarly jump into the region.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Pakistan Can Spur Social & Economic Development With Renewable Energy, Claims IRENA

16.04.2018

The International Renewable Energy Agency has published a new analysis of Pakistan’s energy sector which shows that the country can spur both social and economic development and improve its energy security by developing its “abundant” renewable energy sources.

In a new report published earlier this week, Renewables Readiness Assessment Pakistan, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) made the case for developing Pakistan’s “abundant renewable energy resources that can be utilised for power generation and end-use sectors.” Specifically, there is a significant need to address what the authors of the report described as “a widening gap between power demand and generation” that stems from “continued growth in energy demand and inadequate investment in generation infrastructure.” Specifically, Pakistan’s gap between demand and supply reached as much as 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2012, but slowly swung back to between 4 GW and 6 GW.

Unsurprisingly, this is not just a matter of statistics, and instead has a direct impact on the lives of Pakistanis and the economic and social development of the country.

According to IRENA, hydropower has traditionally been Pakistan’s predominant form of renewable energy and makes up 7.1 GW worth of the country’s grid-connected capacity, but could be expanded to up to 60 GW. IRENA’s assessment of Pakistan’s renewable energy potential also identified 50 GW of possible wind energy capacity and up to 25 million tonnes of biomass feedstocks from industrial and agricultural residue per year.

Currently, Pakistan has nearly 600 megawatts (MW) of wind power, 400 MW of solar PV, 50 MW of small hydropower, and 160 MW from biomass. Further, Pakistan has another 2,000 MW worth of renewable energy currently under development.

Looking at solar PV specifically, the authors of the report highlight the country’s high levels of solar irradiation, specifically in the country’s south and southwest. While no specific GW capacity was given, the authors of the report also pointed to several letters of intent across several states which are paving the way for more solar capacity in the near-future. Pakistan’s solar industry is still in its early stages, but it still boasts employment of more than 15,500 people, most of which are involved in small-scale residential and commercial deployment.

“Pakistan is undergoing rapid economic and industrial development, which in turn is fuelling strong energy demand growth across the country,” said Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General. “To meet this demand Pakistan has a tremendous opportunity to cost-effectively tap its abundant solar, wind and hydropower resource potential. Doing so would support national prosperity and job creation, whilst enhancing security of supply, improving access and moving Pakistan towards greater energy independence.”

“Pakistan is rich in renewable energy potential, and can with this assessment develop policies, investment opportunities and energy development actions to harness it,” said Abid Sher Ali, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Power. “Critical to this report has been IRENA’s valuable policy guidance and technical assistance to determine our best available renewable-based power options.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Siemens Gamesa Passes 5,000 Megawatts Commissioned In India

16.04.2018

wind-turbin-vetroturbina — Photo illustration: Pixabay

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy this week announced that it had passed 5,000 megawatts (MW) worth of wind energy connected to the Indian grid, becoming the second largest manufacturer in India.

Announced on Thursday to coincide with a visit to India by Markus Tacke, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s CEO, the company revealed that it had successfully connected 5,000 MW to the Indian grid since first entering the company’s wind market in 2009. Since then, Siemens Gamesa has become the second largest wind energy original equipment manufacturer (OEM) based on cumulative installed capacity, and has been the market leader for the past three years.

Specifically, Siemens Gamesa has operations across seven key states for wind energy in India, and a strong industrial presence across the country, with two blade facilities in Nellore (Andra Pradesh) and Halol (Gujarat), a nacelle factory in Mamandur (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), and a repair center in Red Hills (Chennai, Tamil Nadu).

“It is encouraging to see our incremental growth in India over the years. India is a key market for us and will continue to be one for years to come,” said Markus Tacke. “The global wind market dynamics are changing and so is the change occurring in India. Hence, it is imperative for us to respond to the market with more agility, better products and comprehensive digital intelligence which will set us to the path for strong profitable growth, and our L3AD2020 program will set us on track to global leadership.”

“With a dynamic market scenario like ours, we will be introducing new technologies and products specifically designed for the Indian wind and market conditions, thus delivering more value for our customers,” added Ramesh Kymal, Siemens Gamesa Onshore CEO for India.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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