Old Electronics Could Be More Profitable Than Literal Gold Mines

14.04.2018

Forget panning for gold or extracting copper ore. A new study shows that recovering metals from discarded electronics, a process known as urban mining, is far less expensive than mining them the traditional way.

If you’re reading this, you’re part of one of our planet’s biggest problems: e-waste. Eventually, your smartphone slows down or you simply give in to the hype and decide it’s time to upgrade. You may forget all about your discarded device the minute you get your hands on its shiny new replacement, but the planet won’t.

In 2016 alone, the world discarded 44.7 million metric tons of unusable or simply unwanted electronics, according to the United Nations’ 2017 Global E-Waste Monitor report. That’s 4,500 Eiffel Towers-worth of phones, laptops, microwaves, and TVs. Only 20 percent of this e-waste was properly recycled that year. The rest was likely either incinerated, pumping pollution into the atmosphere, or added to a landfill somewhere, with its toxins now leaking into our soil and water supply.

So. Simply trashing our electronics is bad for the environment, but that’s clearly not enough to prevent the practice. What may be enough, though, is the news that those discarded electronics could be a literal gold mine.

Of course, we already knew electronics contain precious metals in addition to all that glass and plastic. While a single smartphone might not contain all that much, consumers buy about 1.7 billion of the devices each year. In just one million of those, you’ll find roughly 75 pounds of gold, 35,000 pounds of copper, and 772 pounds of silver.

It all adds up. But according to a press release from the American Chemical Society, no one was quite sure whether mining it was economically worthwhile.

To clear up that issue, a trio of researchers from Beijing’s Tsinghua University and Sydney’s Macquarie University conducted a study, the results of which are now published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

First, the researchers collected data from eight recycling companies in China. They calculated all the costs associated with mining gold and copper from recycled television sets – from gathering the e-waste to paying for the equipment and buildings needed to recycle it.

After they figured that out, they factored in government subsidies and the money the companies could make selling the various components into the equation. Lastly, the researchers compared the total cost of this urban mining to that of ore mining and concluded that ore mining was 13 times more expensive.

Of course, not every nation has the same subsidies as China, nor will all the costs of recycling be the same everywhere. However, China is the world’s largest producer of e-waste, according to the UN report. If companies in that nation see they can make money by mining metals from e-waste, it could have a big impact on the overall problem.

Maybe more Chinese companies get into the business of urban mining. Perhaps companies in other nations start looking into the practice. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll think twice about what to do with your lame old smartphone once you get your hands on its replacement.

Source: Futurism

Climate Change Could Set Off Volcanoes

13.04.2018

climate-change-2254711_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

We can add volcanic eruptions to the list of potential climate change hazards.

In a presentation at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly held from April 8 to 13, University of Clermont Auvergne Ph.D. student Gioachino Roberti explained research indicating that melting glaciers could trigger eruptions, the Independent reported Wednesday.

According to Roberti, glaciers give mountains stability. When they melt, that stability goes with them, leading to collapses and landslides. And lack of stability means trouble for anyone living under a volcano.

“Volcanoes are a pressurised system and if you remove pressure by ice melting and landslide, you have a problem,” Roberti told the Independent.

Roberti’s presentation focused on a case study of Mount Meager in British Columbia, Canada. The volcano saw the largest landslide in Canadian history on its south side in 2010. By 2016, volcanic gases formed ice caves in the glacier, the first time that had ever happened on the mountain.

The researchers used mathematical models to conclude that another landslide could impact the magmatic plumbing of the mountain enough to trigger an eruption.

Roberti told the Independent that this is most likely an impact of climate change.

“We see a correlation between high temperature, ice melting and landslides,” Roberti said.

If climate change does trigger more eruptions, it might offer some relief for global temperatures. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), volcanic eruptions release sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, which leads to global cooling by converting into sulfuric acid, which condenses and forms sulfate aerosols that reflect sulfate radiation back into space. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 cooled the planet for three years, decreasing temperatures by as much as 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit during its peak.

A National Center for Atmospheric Research study published in 2017 found that global warming could mean that future eruptions have a more severe climate impact, leading to greater cooling than before, but not enough to offset global warming.

The USGS points out that volcanoes also release carbon dioxide, and in the deep past it is possible that massive eruptions did trigger global warming. However, today the carbon impact of volcanoes is minimal next to human impacts. The 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens emitted 10 million tons of carbon dioxide in nine hours; humans routinely emit the same amount in 2.5 hours.

Ice-capped volcanoes aren’t the only ones vulnerable to climate change. Open University researcher Dr. David McGarvie said he didn’t think there was enough evidence yet that glacier loss would trigger eruptions, but he told the Independent that climate change had historically impacted ice-buried volcanoes in Antarctica and Iceland.

“There is more and better evidence across Iceland that when the ice sheet underwent major reduction at the end of the last glacial period, there was a large increase in both the frequency and volume of basalt erupted—with some estimates being 30 times higher than the present day,” he said, though he said current ice melting was not at the same scale.

Source: ecowatch.com

Renewable Energy Meets 100% Of Portugal’s March Electricity Needs

13.04.2018

According to new numbers published earlier this month, Portugal’s renewable energy production in March exceeded the country’s electricity consumption for the month, a record not seen in forty years.

Earlier this month the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, APREN, alongside ZERO, Portugal’s Sustainable Earth System Association, highlighted data from Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the country’s transmission system operator (TSO), that showed electricity produced from renewable energy sources in March exceeded the consumption of mainland Portugal, reaching 4,467 gigawatt-hours (GWh) for the month, or 103.6% of consumption.

This does not mean that the country was consistently run on renewable energy during March — most countries do not rely so heavily on renewable energy that they presume they won’t need excess sources of electricity generation, or that renewable energy will generate consistently 100% of the time. Accordingly, thermal fossil fuel power plants and/or imports were required to complement the country’s electricity supply at times, but these periods were fully compensated by renewable energy generation in other times.

Specifically, therefore, Portugal’s supply of renewable energy accounted for a minimum daily share of 86% on March 7, and a maximum of 143% on March 11. Hydroelectricity and wind energy accounted for the lion’s share of renewable energy production, with 55% and 42% respectively.

Another bright point from March was the role renewable energy had in lowering the average daily wholesale market price for electricity, which came in at €39.75 per megawatt-hour (MWh), well down on the €43.94/MWh a year ago.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Solar Smashes Wind In First German Technology Neutral Tender

13.04.2018

As the expiry of the previous support scheme for renewable energy in Denmark resulted in a significant expansion with land based wind energy in 2017, we hold our breath to see how the annual technology neutral wind and solar tenders for 2018 and 2019 will pan out in the country. While we wait we can look to Germany and see what happened there at its first attempt.

According to Wind Power Monthly Germany’s first joint technology tender has been branded a “failure” by industry associations after only solar projects secured all of the capacity.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency (BNA) reports that in a 200 megawatt (MW) auction on February 18th, bids were made for wind power projects, with none of them being successful. Solar projects won the whole thing with 32 contracts at values ranging from €39.60/MWh to €57.60/MWh!

In a response to the auction results, the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) found the joint tenders as “unsuitable” for encouraging the build-out of the two technologies that would otherwise help stabilize the production of electricity from renewable energy.

To Wind Power Monthly BWE president Herman Albers states: “Pitting two most important pillars of our future energy system against each other is inefficient and not effective. Instead, we need an intelligent mix of the two technologies.”

His counterpart at BSW-Solar, Carsten Körnig, agrees: “We are happy for the many solar winners, but consider the experiment a failure. The auction results prove the excellent price-performance ratio of new solar power plants, but not the suitability of joint tenders.”

The BNA received bids totaling 395 MW for the 200 MW of available capacity, and Jochen Homann, the president of the BNA, agrees that a mix of different technologies is essential for the success of the energy revolution.

A couple of joint onshore wind and solar auctions are planned for each year in Germany between 2018 and 2021, after which the process will be evaluated.

Renewable energy expansion is certainly accelerating whereever you look, but it might be a good idea to coordinate the effort at the government level. While there is generally nothing wrong with having the lowest bidder win, there is a good point in encouraging overlapping technologies to play an equal role. If for nothing else, then at least until large-scale energy storage is feasible. Or — some might argue — until everything eventually goes off grid or micro-grid.

Here on CleanTechnica we often discuss whether solar or wind will win in the long run, but a pragmatic approach with currently available technologies would in any case be preferable in contrary to dirty power.

Source: cleantechnica.com

British Wind Farms Breeze Past Generation Records in First Quarter of 2018

13.04.2018

The first three months of 2018 saw record-breaking wind generation, according to new data released this week that underscores the increasing influence of renewable power in the UK electricity system.

Data from energy market monitoring firm EnAppSys shows wind farms in Britain set new half-hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly generation records over the last three months, with a total of 15.8TWh of wind energy generated through to the end of March.

The high yields propelled output from overall renewables to hit a record high of 25TWh, putting green power behind only gas as the largest generating source in Great Britain.

It continues a trend set during the final quarter of 2017, when wind and solar power generation overtook nuclear to become the UK’s second highest source of electricity for the first time ever.

“The performance of renewables highlights just how important this electricity source – and particularly wind – has become to Britain’s power mix,” said Paul Verrill, EnAppSys director. “With offshore wind farms a cheap and relatively uncontroversial source of power, levels of wind generation are expected to continue rising”.

In total gas provided 37.3 per cent of electricity in Q1 2018, followed by renewables at 29 per cent and nuclear at 18.1 per cent. Despite the cold snap dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’, coal-fired power stations delivered a record low of just 9.4 per cent of UK power, while 6.3 per cent came from electricity imports.

Verrill said wind generation will be boosted even further by the completion of the Western Link interconnector later this year. The cable will move power from Scotland into England, helping to ease constraints on output from Scottish wind farms, he said.

Data from WWF Scotland revealed last week that Scottish wind farms produced 44 per cent more power this last quarter compared to the same period last year.

“Much of the onshore wind farm capacity within Britain is based in Scotland but there are relatively limited levels of export capacity down into the rest of Britain through northern England,” Verrill explained. “The Western Link will move power from Scotland into England and this will reduce the likelihood of wind farms being paid to go offline due to transmission constraints.”

Source: businessgreen.com

New Zealand Bans New Offshore Oil and Gas exploration

13.04.2018

Sporet-na-gas — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

New Zealand has announced a halt on any new oil and gas exploration in the country, in a surprise move hailed as “historic” development by environmental campaigners.

Although there are 31 oil and gas permits currently granted in New Zealand, no new permits will be granted in the future, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today.

Ardern said the move is “an important step to address climate change and create a clean, green and sustainable future for New Zealand”.

“We must take this step as part of our package of measures to tackle climate change,” she added.

Ardern came to power in New Zealand last year on a platform promising to deliver net zero emissions in New Zealand by 2050, and to take strong action to combat climate change.

Over the past decade some of the world’s largest energy companies have searched for fossil fuel reserves off the coast of New Zealand.

While in recent years the country’s economic reliance on oil has dipped, the unilateral move to outlaw new exploration took industry by surprise today, with one of the country’s main energy firms, New Zealand Oil & Gas, complaining the “sudden” change came without consultation.

But green groups cheered the blanket ban on new licenses. Greenpeace New Zealand executive director Dr Russel Norman said the country was “ending the age of oil”.

“Just as New Zealand did in 1987 when it went nuclear-free and stood up to the powerful US military, this has shown bold global leadership on the greatest challenge of our time – putting people ahead of the interests of oil corporations and the hunt for fossil fuels that are driving dangerous climate change,” he said.

Source: businessgreen.com

Angela Merkel Wants Federal Government To Help Prevent Diesel Car Bans Or Restrictions

12.04.2018

The federal government of Germany is looking to avoid the diesel car bans and usage restrictions in the country — on every level of government, whether regional or city level — German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Following a two-day cabinet meeting focused on various subjects (including possible city-level diesel car bans), the German Chancellor spoke to reporters and noted: “There are no plans for a big car summit, but there surely will be meetings of the technical working groups which have been created in the framework of this summit process.”

That comment is a reference to the German federal government’s intention of stymieing further talk about the potential ban of diesel cars by local authorities in cities and regions where air pollution levels pose a threat to public health.

The coverage from Reuters provides a bit more information: “Merkel added that the transport minister and the environment minister had agreed that any driving restrictions in the form of ‘blue badges’ or city bans for diesel cars should be avoided.”

These comments follow a strident denial by Germany’s Transport Minister that the federal government was considering the creation of a joint fund with the country’s auto manufacturers (to be used for diesel car retrofits) as a possible means of avoiding the city-level or regional ban of such vehicles.

The German magazine Der Spiegel had reported previously that just such a joint fund was being considered by the Merkel administration. The bad PR that followed that report seems to have possibly nixed the idea … for now.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Low Carbon Shipping: Solar and Wind Assisted Vessels Set Sail

12.04.2018

Vikinglinesailship-580x358 — Foto: Norsepwer

As global governments clash over the level of ambition the shipping industry should incorporate in its international climate plan this week, the green economy continues to push forward a host of innovations which promise to cut the carbon impact of seafaring vessels.

In Finland, the M/S Viking Grace will this week become the only passenger ship in the world equipped with a ‘rotor sail’ that harnesses wind power for propulsion when it sets sail from Turku on the first of its wind-assisted voyages to the Swedish capital Stockholm tomorrow.

Developed by Finnish clean tech engineering specialists Norsepower Oy, the 24-metre high cylindrical rotor sail unit installed on the ship utilises the ‘Magnus effect’ to harness wind power, which helps propel the ship alongside its conventional engine, thereby delivering fuel savings.

The fully automated solution senses whenever the wind is strong enough to assist in propelling the ship, Norsepower explained, helping to cut fuel consumption and reduce carbon emissions by up to an estimated 900 tonnes a year.

The rotor sail system will help boost the green credentials of the Viking Grace, which has been in operation since 2013.

Fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the ship is already one of the most environmentally friendly passenger ships in the world, according to the firm, offering lower emissions and noise levels than many similar vessels.

Jan Hanses, Viking Line CEO, said news of the first voyage of the wind-assisted ferry to Stockholm was “a great day for us”.

“As an Åland shipping company, we rely on the sea for our livelihood so it’s of prime importance for us to promote the well-being of the marine environment,” he said. “We want to pioneer the use of solutions that reduce the environmental load.”

In addition, Viking Line now also plans to install two Norsepower rotor sail on board a new ferry vessel which is currently being built in China and is due to come into operation in 2020.

Norsepower CEO Tuomas Riski said innovations like the rotor sail concept had gained interest in the shipping community due to the growth in environmental regulations. “The completion of this project is a great moment for all those involved,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world on the island of Bora Bora, holidaymakers can now take a tour of the lagoon on an electric, solar powered, noise-free catamaran developed by Soel Yachts in cooperation with Okeanos Foundation for the Sea and the Bora Peal Beach Resort.

The first of many SoelCat 12’s that the company hopes to produce, the vessel utilises a 120kWh battery which, when the boat is not in operation, can collect solar energy that can then provide power for up to four households using a 15kVA inverter that plugs into the Bora Bora resort when the vessel is moored.

According to SoelYachts, the French Polynesian resort is thus able to use the solar electric boat to power it desalination plant, producing up to 4,000 litres of fresh water every hour. It added that the vessel was also designed to be “demountable, like an IKEA furniture piece” enabling it to be affordably shipped to destinations around the world.

“Whether the SoelCat 12 is used in Bora Bora, Sydney, the Maldives or Bahamas, the benefits and PR values are applicable on a worldwide scale,” he said.

The latest developments are just two examples of emissions-saving innovations being deployed by the shipping industry, which also includes a raft of new hull designs, biofuel and fuel cell developments, and ‘slow steaming’ strategies designed to curb emissions across the sector.

Campaigners and some shipping firms have argued these emerging technologies and others could deliver steep emissions cuts across the sector and are calling for the IMO to this week adopt ambitious new decarbonisation targets. But some shipping firms and investors have countered that upgrades will prove costly for operators and as such this week’s talks remain on a knife edge as they enter the final straight.

Source: businessgreen.com

Bentley Motors Starts Work on UK’s Largest Solar Car Port

12.04.2018

Fotonapon, Solarni punjači, Solarni paneli — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Bentley Motors has started work on what will be the UK’s biggest solar carport at its factory headquarters in Crewe, as part of the luxury carmaker’s plan to boost its green power production.

Over the next six months Bentley will install 10,000 solar panels over its car park at the Crewe site, creating a solar farm with a capacity of 2.7MW. The company already has more than 20,000 panels installed on the factory’s rooftop.

Peter Bosch, board member for manufacturing, said the installation will help reduce the environmental impact of Bentley’s production process.

“This solar installation is another example of how we can make our factory more sustainable by using technological innovation,” he said. “This helps us produce extraordinary cars with responsibly sourced materials in an efficient manner, while continually striving to reduce the company’s environmental impact.”

At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year Bentley launched its first luxury plug-in hybrid, adding a charging dock to the Bentayga model that was first launched two years ago to give the car a 50km all-electric range.

Bentley also enlisted renowned designer Philippe Starck to create the recharging unit, the Bentley by Starck Power Dock, which is from aluminium and “pressed eco-linen with bio-sourced thermosetting resin”.

“We continue to focus on new initiatives that reinforce our commitment to the environment, whether this is introducing alternative powertrain technologies in future models, or our award-winning work to reduce the environmental impact of our factory,” Bosch added.

Source: businessgreen.com

Siemens Gamesa To Build Australian 194 Megawatt Wind & Battery System

12.04.2018

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy announced this week that it has been awarded the contract to build what it is calling a “pioneering” 194 megawatt (MW) onshore wind farm in the south of the country with a combined battery energy storage system.

The Bulgana Green Energy Hub project will be built in the southern Australian state of Victoria, in the country town of Stawell, and will comprise a 194 MW wind farm as well as a 20 MW/34MW-hour (MWh) lithium-ion battery. Set to be developed by renewable energy independent power producer Neoen, Siemens Gamesa will provide all engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) efforts which are set to begin immediately, with completion and commissioning expected by August of 2019.

The project is expected to generate 750,000 MWh of clean, renewable electricity each year, the equivalent to taking 230,000 cars off the road or planting 1.2 million trees, and will produce enough electricity to supply the equivalent of approximately 130,000 homes.

The Bulgana Green Energy Hub has also already secured two Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), one with the State Government of Victoria over 15 years and another with Australian agribusiness Nectar Farms for 10 years. In addition, Nectar Farms will receive the electricity stored in the Energy Hub’s battery system during low wind periods.

Siemens Gamesa’s new contract follows on from over 300 MW already installed across Australia, and is the fourth EPC contract in the country.

Source: cleantechnica.com

ACCIONA To Build 145 Megawatt Texas Wind Farm

12.04.2018

ACCIONA Energia announced this week that it will build its ninth wind farm in the United States with the development of the 145 megawatt (MW) Palmas Atlas wind farm in Texas, its second wind farm in the Lone Star State.

ACCIONA Energia, the renewable energy subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure company ACCIONA, announced on Tuesday that it would build its second wind farm in Texas, the 145 MW Palmas Atlas wind farm located in Cameron County, situated close to ACCIONA’s other Texas wind farm, the 93 MW San Roman wind farm that was commissioned in December of 2016.

The Palmas Atlas wind farm will need an investment of around $200 million and will be built using 46 Nordex AW125/3150 wind turbines, with expected completion in November of 2019. In addition to the 524 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy the project will generate annually — the equivalent of enough electricity to power 43,000 US households — the project will also employ around 170 people at the peak of construction and provide employment for 10 people to maintain operations. Further, ACCIONA Energia predicts that Palmas Atlas will generate $40 million in tax revenue over the span of its lifetime, as well as more than $44 million in lease payments to local landowners.

“We are proud to undertake a new wind power project that consolidates the reactivation of our investment activity in the United States and confirms our commitment to grow in a controlled and profitable manner in a market that continues to offer very interesting opportunities for the renewables sector,” said Rafael Esteban, CEO of ACCIONA Energy USA Global LLC.

Upon completion, Palmas Atlas will increase ACCIONA Energia’s wind power capacity in the United States up to 866 MW, with three other wind farms in Oklahoma (329 MW), two in the Dakotas (192 MW), one in Illinois (101 MW), and one in Iowa (6 MW) — not to mention a 64 MW concentrating solar power in the Nevada Desert. ACCIONA Energia also boasts an unnamed pipeline of projects which will continue to increase its presence in the US.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Solar+Storage Project In North Carolina Highlights Improvements In Panel Efficiency

11.04.2018

solar-cells-2590968__340 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Cyprus Creek Renewables has partnered with LG Electronics on what is the largest solar-plus-storage installation in the continental United States. The project is located in coastal North Carolina. It’s an 8.5 megawatt series of solar installations bundled with 12 megawatt-hours of storage.

The solar generation in the system comes from nearly 22,000 of LG’s 395-watt solar panels installed across 12 different solar farms spread across southeastern North Carolina. Bundling the solar farms with storage allows Cypress Creek to offer flexible energy supply offerings to the utility. Naturally, the solar generation has the potential to shave off peak energy consumption in the heat of the day, but it can also be pushed through into high-demand evening hours and can last through cloudy periods.

“Creating a clean, sustainable future that’s accessible and affordable is central to LG’s goal of providing solutions that match changing needs in our communities, workplaces and homes – including innovative, intelligent solutions for energy conservation, solar energy and energy storage. LG’s involvement in these projects underscores the company’s commitment to providing innovative, market-leading solutions to its partners and customers,” said Tim Distler, head of solar business development, LG Electronics USA.

The LG panels used in the installation include LG’s innovative Cello wiring design (PDF), which makes use of specifically crafted wires that scatter light to nearby solar cells instead of reflecting it back out to the atmosphere as a more traditional solar panel ribbon wire would do.

The new wiring design also reduces electrical loss, increases power output, and improves panel reliability, as evidenced by LG standing behind the panels with a 15-year product warranty and a 25-year solar panel performance warranty.

LG’s NeON 2 panels add bifacial capability, meaning that the solar cells used in the panel are able to convert solar energy into electricity on the front of the cell and the back. Granted, with only the front of the cells facing the sun, generating power from the rear of the cell does not return anywhere close to an equal amount of power as the front, but the bifacial nature of the cells was taken into account with the design of the panel to maximize the generating potential of the rear of the solar cells.

It’s fun to take a dive into the latest and greatest micro-improvements in solar cell and panel design and to see how they are not just improvements in a government lab in a dark basement somewhere, but real improvements being rolled out in production solar panels at scale. The advancements in solar panel design translate into real efficiency improvements, with the front of the solar cell coming in at 21.5 % efficiency while the back still nets an impressive 20% efficiency.

If you’ve read this far, I highly encourage you to check out the easy-to-read LG NeON 2 product page if only to learn about the improvements in solar panel technology being realized in production panels that can be purchased today.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Apple Now Globally Powered by 100% Renewables

11.04.2018

In its continued efforts to “combat climate change and create a healthier environment,” Apple announced Monday that its global facilities are now powered with 100 percent clean energy.

All of the tech giant’s retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries use renewable energy sources, upping the ante from 93 percent two years ago.

“We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement.

“We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.”

To be clear, it’s just Apple’s own operations that are running on 100 percent renewables. Its entire global supply chain—which makes parts and accessories for Apple’s products—is still working on it. However, the company said it has convinced 23 total manufacturing partners to make the transition.

Additionally, it’s not like every single Apple Store generates its own green electricity from, say, a solar rooftop. These stores are usually connected to a municipal power grid, and it’s not possible to ensure the electricity is entirely free of fossil fuels.

But the tech titan is able to claim its “100 percent renewable” accolade because it purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from green-energy producers and has built its own renewable energy facilities around the world, totaling 626 megawatts of generation capacity. Last year, 286 megawatts of solar PV generation came online, its most ever in one year.

Apple also has 15 more projects down the line. Once complete, over 1.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy generation will be spread across 11 countries.

The iPhone maker has also created an energy subsidiary in Delaware called Apple Energy LLC to sell surplus electricity generated by its various renewable energy projects.

“Since 2011, all of Apple’s renewable energy projects have reduced greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 54 percent from its facilities worldwide and prevented nearly 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e from entering the atmosphere,” the company touted.

A number of IT corporations have taken major strides in reducing their carbon footprint. Last month, Microsoft announced the single largest corporate purchase of solar power ever seen in the U.S. Google also announced last week that toward the end of 2017, it reached its goal to run on 100 percent renewable energy.

Former Vice President Al Gore, a member of Apple’s board of directors, celebrated the news.

“Apple is proving the business case for reducing greenhouse emissions and simultaneously reducing energy costs,” he tweeted. “All of its facilities are now powered by 100 percent clean energy!”

Source: ecowatch.com

Shell Confirms its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rose in 2017

11.04.2018

Shell’s global greenhouse gas emissions increased last year due to increased fossil fuel output in some of its key markets, according to its latest sustainability report,

Published yesterday, the report shows Shell’s direct emissions rose from 70 million tonnes in 2016 to 73 million last year, while its indirect emissions from the energy it purchased also ticked up from 11 million to 12 million tonnes.

The oil giant blamed the rises on the inclusion in its emissions data of facilities previously operated by its Motiva joint venture, the reopening of previously shut down units in Singapore, and a rise in production from its QGC joint venture refineries in Australia.

However, it said the increases were partly offset by a number of divestments last year as well as reduced production at its Peal gas-to-liquids plant in Qatar.

Overall, half of Shell’s direct emissions came from its refineries and chemical plants, according to the report, while 45 per cent resulted from its oil, gas and gas-to-liquid products and another two per cent came from its shipping activities.

In total, the use of Shell’s natural gas products and refineries by others amounted to 579 million tonnes of emissions in 2017, representing less than two per cent of the world’s total, the report estimates.

The update underscores the scale of the challenge faced by the oil major as it seeks to deliver on its pledge to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050.

The rise in emissions also comes despite a commitment to increase its spend on low carbon innovation to $2bn a year and as recent acquisitions of electric vehicle charger firm NewMotion and energy supplier First Utility.

The report comes just days after the company published a new scenario that sketched out how the goal’s of the Paris Agreement could be met through the deep decarbonisation of the global economy. However, it also follows news the company is currently facing court action in the Netherlands from green groups in a bid to push Shell to step up its efforts to comply with the Paris Agreement.

The report, which was evaluated using external review panels, states that the firm “fully supports” the work of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to increase transparency of the risks and opportunities presented by climate change.

“We believe that companies should be clear about how they plan to be resilient in the energy transition,” it states. “Therefore, we are working with the TCFD to develop guidance on effective disclosures which, where commercially possible, will be most relevant and useful to investors.”

In his introduction to the report, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden also said the firm planned to “produce more natural gas, the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, and make it a priority to reduce leakage of the potent greenhouse gas methane from our gas operations”.

However, he also highlighted a continued focus on clean tech innovation, underlining the “huge opportunities to break new ground in low carbon energy solutions and technologies”.

“We, at Shell, think long and hard about our role in the transition to a cleaner energy future and the steps needed to create a sustainable world economy,” van Beurden wrote. “We continue to put respect for people, their safety, communities and the environment at the heart of our approach.”

The oil major recently made headlines by releasing a potential pathway for the world to meet the targets set out in the Paris Agreement of keeping temperature increases ‘well below’ 2C by the end of the century. It argued that while it was still technically, industrially, and economically possible to meet the Paris targets, doing so would require a major increase in efforts from private and public actors, as well as a focus on developing carbon capture technologies.

Source: businessgreen.com

World’s Most Powerful Wind Turbine Installed in Scottish Waters

11.04.2018

EOWDCfirstturbineinstallation3-580x358 — Foto: Vatenfall

The world’s most powerful wind turbine has been successfully installed in Aberdeen Bay, providing another first for the record-breaking European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC).

Developer Vattenfall announced it yesterday completed the installation of the first of 11 turbines at the site. It also confirmed the new turbine from manufacturer MHI Vestas is one of two that has been enhanced with new internal power modes. As a result the capacity of the two turbines has been increase from 8.4MW to 8.8MW, making it the largest turbine to be deployed commercially by the global offshore wind industry.

Vattenfall said the upgrade to the two turbines alongside the plans to install nine 8.4MW models will take the EOWDC’s capacity to 93.2MW, enough capacity to meet more than 70 per cent of Aberdeen’s domestic electricity demand and annually displace 134,128 tonnes of CO2.

The milestone comes less than two weeks after Vattenfall confirmed it had completed the installation of the first suction bucket jacket foundations at the site – another industry-first that the company claims will help bring down the cost of offshore wind power.

“The turbines for the EOWDC, Scotland’s largest offshore wind test and demonstration facility, help secure Vattenfall’s vision to be fossil fuel free within one generation,” said Gunnar Groebler, Vattenfall’s Head of Business Area Wind. “The EOWDC, through its innovative approach to cost reduction and pioneering technologies, leads the industry drive towards generating clean and competitive wind energy power – one that will reinforce Scotland’s global energy status.”

The news was also welcomed by Gina Hanrahan, acting head of policy at WWF Scotland, who said it further underlined the country’s position as renewables hub.

“The installation of the first of these powerful turbines at Aberdeen Bay is another milestone in Scotland’s renewables story,” she said. “Offshore wind, which has halved in cost in recent years, is critical in the fight against climate change, helping to reduce emissions, keep the lights on and create thousands of jobs across the Scotland and the UK. Developments like this have an important role to play in securing the Scottish Government’s target to meet half of all Scotland’s energy demand from renewables by 2030.”

The announcement comes just a day after new figures revealed power output from Scotland’s onshore wind farms rose 44 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter of the year.

Source: businessgreen.com

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