Plastic Free and Carbon neutral: Manchester Maps Out Bold Green Vision

23.03.2018

manchester-891151_960_720 — Foto: Pixabay

Mayor Andy Burnham used the city’s first Green Manchester Summit yesterday to unveil a raft of new environmental goals, which could cement the region’s position as one of the world’s leading green business and clean tech hubs.

Under the broad pledge to ensure Greater Manchester achieves ‘carbon neutral’ status by 2040 at the latest, the Mayor’s Office confirmed a host of new targets on green buildings, plastic waste, and transport.

A group of 43 hospitality businesses from across the region, led by former footballer and hotel owner Gary Neville, launched a new ‘Plastic-Free Greater Manchester’ campaign, pledging to work with businesses and the public to end the use of single use plastics from 2020.

Burnham signalled his support for the campaign and announced plans to set up a consortium that would allow smaller businesses to buy reusable materials and packaging in bulk.

“People have been horrified by how polluted our oceans and rivers have become through plastic waste,” Burnham said. “But this isn’t just happening on the other side of the world. Last week we heard that Greater Manchester’s rivers were some of the most polluted. We cannot just carry on as usual – the time has come for action.”

The Mayor also confirmed plans to deliver a zero emission bus fleet and invest up to £50m over three years in new cycle lanes and paths.

In addition, he confirmed a range of new green building commitments, including plans for a new energy efficiency retrofit programme and proposals to include a new zero carbon homes and buildings target in the Greater Manchester spatial framework, which is currently out for consultation.

He also set a new goal for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to only occupy energy efficient buildings. Industry sources said a similar scheme pioneered in Australia had led to significant efficiency improvements across the real estate sector.

At the same conference, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) trade body announced the launch of a new Greater Manchester Local Network and revealed plans to open an office in the city by the summer of 2018.

“Greater Manchester has an opportunity to be a trailblazer, as it has been many times before in its history,” said John Alker, director of policy and places at UKGBC. “It can demonstrate that high quality, sustainable buildings support an ambitious vision for the region as a clean, green and healthy place to live and work, which will support the attraction of talent and investment.”

Meanwhile, the GMCA, The Tyndall Centre, and consultancy Anthesis Group unveiled a new UK city-focused low carbon pathway model, dubbed SCATTER or Setting City Area Targets and Trajectories for Emissions Reduction.

The new toolkit, which has been piloted in Manchester, aims to make it easier for cities and regions to set emission reduction targets and define appropriate pathways to achieve them.

“The SCATTER toolkit will allow Greater Manchester to set, probably for the first time in the UK, a science-based low carbon pathway,” said Councillor Alex Ganotis, Greater Manchester’s Green City lead. “The tool allows cities and city regions like Greater Manchester to make informed choices about the range and scale of carbon reduction measures that are most appropriate to them. This knowledge will help transform Greater Manchester into one of Europe’s leading green cities and improve the lives of residents as we strive to meet our green ambition.”

The announcements came in the same week as the Global Covenant of Mayors announced plans to develop a new City Research and Innovation Agenda across its members to address “critical knowledge, data and innovation gaps that will enable cities to take accelerated and more ambitious climate action”.

Michael Bloomberg, co-chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action, said the sharing of best practices would help cities around the world respond to climate change. “Mayors recognize that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” he said. “Data allows them to identify challenges and opportunities – and respond. This new collaborative effort gives cities access to critical resources that will help them do more, faster, to take on climate change.”

Source: businessgreen.com

This College Could Become the First 100% Renewable Campus in U.S.

23.03.2018

As a growing number of U.S. cities make pledges towards 100 percent renewables, it’s easy to forget that the entire state of Hawaii set this important benchmark three years ago when it mandated that all of its electricity must come from renewable sources no later than 2045.

To help the Aloha State meet this ambitious commitment, in 2015, the University of Hawaii (UH) and the Hawaiian Legislature set a collective goal for the university system to be “net-zero” by Jan. 1, 2035, which means the total amount of energy consumed is equal to the amount of renewable energy created.

Now, UH’s Maui College is on its way to become the first campus in the United States to transition off fossil fuels by using on-site solar systems coupled with battery storage, university officials announced.

The campus’ solar-plus-storage project—consisting of 2.8 megawatts of solar PV and 13.2 megawatt-hours of battery distributed energy storage—is scheduled to become fully operational by 2019.

The project is part of a partnership with Johnson Controls, which developed the systems, and Pacific Current, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries.

Not to be left behind, four other Oahu-based UH campuses have also committed to slashing their carbon footprint with their own energy and infrastructure improvements. Through a combination of solar shade canopies, distributed energy storage and energy efficiency measures, Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapi’olani Community College and Windward Community College will see a reduction of fossil fuel use for energy by 98 percent, 97 percent, 74 percent and 70 percent, respectively, university officials touted.

“We are proud to move the entire University of Hawaii System closer to its net-zero energy mandate, to celebrate UH Maui College’s achievement and to position the Oahu community college campuses within reach of 100 percent renewable energy generation,” said UH Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton.

“Hawaii’s leaders set the national example of sustainability and renewable energy standards with the net-zero mandate by 2035 for UH, and we’re proud to partner with the university to help it reach that commitment and aim for UH Maui College to become the first campus in the U.S. to generate and store 100 percent renewable energy onsite, 16 years ahead of schedule,” added Rod Rushing, president, Building Solutions North America, Johnson Controls.

According to Fast Company, UH’s eventual clean energy savings are not the only appealing aspect of the project—it’s also an educational opportunity for its students:

“While the new energy efficiency measures and solar arrays will save the UH system around $78 million, that’s not what makes it unique: Johnson Controls and UH have also partnered on an educational program, featuring curriculum, an internship program, and workshops for faculty and students, that will roll out alongside the new energy systems.”

Source: ecowatch.com

Methane Meltdown: Thawing Permafrost Could Release More Potent Greenhouse Gas Than Expected

23.03.2018

A study published in Nature Climate Change Monday shows that thawing permafrost in the Arctic might produce more methane than previously thought. Methane has 28 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide, so the findings indicate scientists might have to reassess how thawing permafrost will contribute to climate change.

The research contradicts previous studies that suggested dry permafrost would contribute more to global warming than water-saturated permafrost, and it would do so mostly by releasing carbon dioxide. By studying samples of water-saturated permafrost in the laboratory over a seven-year period, the study’s authors found that the samples produced equal amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. They were then able to derive models that predicted water-saturated permafrost would release about 2.4 times the greenhouse gases that dry permafrost would.

“What we can definitely say is that the importance of methane was underestimated until now in the carbon studies,” the study’s lead author and Universität Hamburg researcher Christian Knobloch, told The Washington Post.

The reason this study found different results is likely due to its length. Permafrost releases carbon as it melts due to microbial decomposition; previous studies did not pick up on the production of methane in water-saturated soils because they only lasted days or weeks. The laboratory observations, however, found that methane-producing communities of microorganisms did not activate in the permafrost samples until weeks to years had passed.

More methane release has been observed in field studies of the Arctic. Last summer, for example, EcoWatch reported that scientists found 7,000 methane-filled mounds in thawing permafrost in Siberia that bounced when researchers pressed on them.

“What’s remarkable about this study is the length of time they spent tracking the communities, and I think that offers a potential reason for why field and lab studies have disagreed with each other,” University of Guelph ecologist Merritt Turetsky, who studies permafrost but was not involved in this particular study, told the Post.

However, the authors of Monday’s study point out that more work needs to be done to determine how their laboratory observations will play out in the Arctic. While they predict that there will be a significant amount of water-saturated permafrost thawing in the region, since permafrost tends to impede drainage, they still say further research is needed to determine how much of the thawing ground will actually be wetlands.

Róisín Commane, an Arctic-atmosphere researcher at Harvard University, who was also not part of the study, told the Post that many factors could prevent the methane observed in the laboratory from reaching the atmosphere in the real world. Permafrost might not retain water as the ice melts, and organisms in the soil could turn the methane into carbon dioxide before it reaches the air.

“Ecosystems will probably produce more methane as they stay wet. The big question we have is, how much of that makes it into the atmosphere, and I don’t think they get to that question here,” Commane told the Post.

However, whether or not melting permafrost releases more methane or carbon dioxide, the Post reported that as much as 10 percent of permafrost carbon could be released into the atmosphere this century, which would disrupt global climate change goals.

Source: ecowatch.com

Flooding and Heavy Rains Rise 50 Per Cent Worldwide in a Decade, Figures Show

23.03.2018

Climate-changes — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Global floods and extreme rainfall events have surged by more than 50 per cent this decade, and are now occurring at a rate four times higher than in 1980, according to a new report.

Other extreme climatological events such as storms, droughts and heatwaves have increased by more than a third this decade and are being recorded twice as frequently as in 1980, the paper by the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (Easac) says.

The paper, based partly on figures compiled by the German insurance company Munich Re, also shows that climate-related loss and damage events have risen by 92 per cent since 2010.

Prof Michael Norton, Easac’s environmental programme director, said that greenhouse gas emissions were “fundamentally responsible for driving these changes”.

“Trends towards extremes are continuing,” he said. “People have experienced extreme weather already – big switches [between] warm and cold winters – but the frequency of these shifts may be changing.”

“Some of the underlying drivers of extreme weather which were speculative four years ago are now looking less speculative and [more like] credible hypotheses. That is the weakening of the Gulf Stream and the meandering behaviour of the jet stream.”

The Easac study, Extreme weather events in Europe: Preparing for climate change adaptation, looked at new data and models focused on a potential slowdown of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, due to an influx of freshwater from melted ice sheets in Greenland.

It was compiled by experts from 27 national science academies in the EU, Norway and Switzerland, although the paper was not peer-reviewed.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has assessed the probability of a slowdown before 2100 at more than 90 per cent – or “very likely”. However, a complete “switch off of the gulf stream – or Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) – is increasingly thought possible by some scientists.

Some studies say this could lower land temperatures in the UK, Greenland, Iceland and Scandinavia by up to 9C.

UK arrays positioned in the north Atlantic measured a 30 per cent drop in AMOC strength between 2009-10, the Easac study says. And while uncertainties persist about the pace and scale of possible future changes, the decline in Gulf Stream strength itself has now been “confirmed”.

Citing “gathering evidence of an emerging negative phase” in Atlantic temperature swings driven by a weakening Gulf Stream, the study calls for research to be stepped up.

“With potentially substantial implications for the climate of north-west Europe, it is clearly desirable to quantify this risk further,” it says.

Source: businessgreen.com

BNEF Predicts Mexico To Add 24 Terawatt-Hours Of Clean Energy By 2022

23.03.2018

Bloomberg New Energy Finance has predicted that Mexico’s recent reforms to the corporate power market and the introduction of clean energy certificates will result in an addition 24 terawatt-hours of clean energy by 2022.

Writing on Monday, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) highlighted Mexico’s impending increase in clean energy, referring to its 1H 2018 Corporate Energy Market Outlook published in January. Specifically, Bloomberg highlighted Mexico’s new clean energy certificates (CEL) which will serve as the country’s primary mechanism by which it seeks to achieve its goal of securing 35% clean energy generation by 2024. Set to begin this year, a 5% CEL mandate relative to power consumption will be imposed for 2018, increasing to 13.9% by 2022.

According to BNEF, HSBC Holdings, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, and Deacero SA de CV have all already signed Power Purchase Agreements in Mexico for 272 megawatts (MW) worth of clean energy, giving them a good lead on meeting their sustainability goals in Mexico.

Additionally, Mexico’s three clean energy auctions have already resulted in the sale of 5.4 million CELs for delivery starting this year, 9.3 million for 2019, and 5.9 million for 2020. The growing demand for CELs will also continue as companies seek both to meet new government regulations as well as increase their own sustainability goals.

The country’s first clean energy auction awarded 1,720 MW worth of wind and solar energy in early 2016, which was followed by an even more impressive 2,871 MW of new capacity awarded in the second clean energy auction. In the third auction late last year, Mexico awarded a still healthy 593 MW worth of wind projects, including a record low $17.7 per-megawatt-hour onshore wind project awarded to Enel.

Mexico is also being highlighted as one of the next big renewable energy markets and in November of last year, GTM Research identified Mexico as one of five countries which will join the elite gigawatt-scale solar markets in 2018. Alongside its own internal growth, Mexico has also been playing a larger role in the global renewable energy market, highlighted most recently by being named the 30th International Energy Agency member country on February 17.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Advised Against Levying Import Duty On Solar Cells & Modules

22.03.2018

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Indian government has been advised by multiple entities not to levy import duties on solar cells and modules.

While the Chinese government was the first to caution India against levying anti-dumping or safeguard duties on imported solar cells and modules, the new advice is from more friendly quarters.

The European Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer recently stated that India should avoid implementing a proposed safeguard duty as it could be detrimental to India’s own renewable energy market.

The EIB President was in India recently to attend the first summit of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi. EIB offered debt funding worth €500 million for Indian solar power projects during Hoyer’s visit.

India is currently investigating levying anti-dumping and safeguard duties on imported solar cells and modules. The Directorate General of Safeguards had recommended levying a 70% safeguard duty on solar cells imported from China and Malaysia for a period of 200 days while it completes an investigation into a complaint filed by the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association.

The ISMA is reportedly preparing to file a fresh application into the matter pushing the authorities to extend the period of investigation, which could possibly lead to a higher rate of duty, and possibly for a longer period of time.

Earlier last year, the Indian government also initiated an investigation into imported solar modules. Details on the status of this investigation remain elusive. Imported modules constitute around 90% of the solar modules installed in India.

Apart from the EIB, a panel of the Indian Parliament also advised the government against any import duties on solar cells. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy not only voiced concerns over the high safeguard duty on imported solar cells, but also questioned the imposition of customs duty on imported solar modules which the developers oppose but are being forced to pay. The panel members also asked the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to resolve the confusion over Goods and Services Tax (GST).

There is no doubt that the Indian solar market would suffer considerably if high duties are imposed on imports. India has seen a massive collapse in solar power tariffs over the last few years, and the drop has been in conjugation with the fall in prices and increased use of imported modules and cells. The parliamentary panel is right to point out that high duties could severely impact investments in India’s solar market.

Source: cleantechnica.com

HEALTHY ENERGY IS CREATED IN “BASTALISTE”

22.03.2018

Katarina Milenkovic

Katarina Milenkovic–President of citizen’s society “Ama Centre” and the coordinator of “Bastaliste”

Katarina Milenkovic graduated communication from a Faculty of Political Sciences, the University of Belgrade. She was engaged in journalism and public relations, after which she founded the association “Ama – Centre for the Care of People and Nature”.

Katarina grew up in Pirot and during the childhood, she had no contact with the village and agriculture. She gained a basic knowledge of agriculture owing to the Internet and volunteering on organic farms around the world.

During 2013, she established “Bastaliste”, a collective organic garden just 10 km from the center of the capital.

We learned techniques for organic vegetables growing from our own mistakes. We communicated with people from Slanci and watched what they were doing. In every generation of gardeners, we had a few of them, remembering how their grandparents were growing vegetables. For the last two years, we have had a professional association for organic agriculture in “Bastaliste”, who comes once a month, diagnoses our parcels and advises us what to improve. People from Slanci recognize “Bastaliste”: I hear positive comments very often when going by public transport. They see us simply as “those who do not spray anything!”. That means a lot to me, because of people from Slanci supply Belgrade with food,” said Katarina, adding that she is not actually a food producer, but perhaps even the worst gardener in “Bastaliste” since her plot has the most weeds.

− I would like to point out that I quit “safe work” because I wanted to do what I deeply believe in. When you work for someone else, you usually only participate in other people’s visions. Although it’s nice to work in a community if you have your own vision, it’s better to look for your own place. When I founded “Ama Centre” four years ago, I started a struggle to achieve my own vision, that is, everyone should have access to food, not just any kind of food, but to food good for their body and whose production has no harmful effect on the environment – Katarina tells us the story of the “Ama Centre”.

“Ama Centre” shares numerous information and educational materials on sustainable agriculture on its website.

As one of its goals, Katarina states the concept of One municipality − one “Bastaliste”. In a desire to bring us closer to this vision, Katarina explains that garden communities as a form of urban agriculture represent more than the place where food is produced. In addition to the obvious benefits −, a nicely arranged space where the position of the population is being improved by food production, the message of sustainable development is transferred in practice. The garden also represents a green oasis that affects the microclimate of its environment and lowers the air temperature in the environment for several degrees.

“Bastaliste” was created while I lived in Slanci. In front of the house, there was a flat plot, which we rearranged and invited people to join us in the formation of the first garden community. In the debut season, we had 5 members. The following season, with the help of the President of the Local Community of the village of Slanci, we got a new plot, where “Bastaliste” has been for the fourth year now. And this was the “textbook example “ of abandoned land − uninhabited for 30 years, with lots of garbage, shrubs, and thorns − explained Katarina.

After three months of intensive work, members of “Garden” have brought the abandoned plot to a fruition. Today, this parcel has 22 subplots of 40 square meters that are handed over to the members of “Bastaliste” for the production of vegetables for their own needs. Gardeners share equipment, a drip irrigation system, and a pavilion that will host a number of workshops next year.

The time required to maintain the plot depends on the season. Spring is the most demanding time of year because at that time land is prepared and then sowing is performed.

Citizen’s Association “Ama Centre” works in the areas of sustainable development, environmental protection, organic production and permaculture, rural development, communities, youth, women’s and minority rights and the media. Projects of “Ama Centre” are WWOOF Serbia, Bastaliste, Bastaonica, and Women for Sustainable and Solidarity Agriculture.

WWOOF Serbia presents the education program through volunteering on organic farms throughout Serbia. Ama Center
is a member of the Global Federation of WWOOF Organizations (FoWO).

During the season it is necessary to pull weeds, to water the crops and to pick fruits. For a plot of 40 square meters, it is necessary to spend several hours two to three times a week.

− When you watch the plant grow and you know what you eat, it changes your view of the world, but also the mental and emotional state. Working with land and people fundamentally changes you. When you live and work in a garden community, you are drawn together. If my parcel was covered with weeds, it would affect the others. There are no concrete walls that would prevent the spread of weeds. Therefore, we must support each other so that our organic garden can survive. And that’s what makes us a garden community. So, apart from dealing with food production, we also present a social experiment that explores how much we are willing to give ourselves to others, how much we hurt and/or appreciate each other. Personally, I really enjoy it because the community is getting stronger every day – explained Katarina.

After “Bastaliste”, a garden community was founded in Sabac. Since the founders are acquaintances of the members of “Bastaliste”, the formation of another garden community in our country, was supported with the knowledge and experience of our debutants. There were initiatives for founding “Bastaliste” in other local governments, but so far no one has come into operation, so the citizens of Kragujevac, Novi Sad, Nis, and Obrenovac will wait for some time for their own production of organic vegetables.

The garden community, according to Katarina’s words, can be viewed as both open and closed system. Everything that is brought in it − remains there. There is no waste management system in Slanci, so the obligation to carry garbage to containers reminds people of any intention to produce garbage at all. On the other hand, “Bastaliste” realizes interaction with the environment. By composting the leaves and sorting recyclable rubbish, members of this community give an example of the environment.

− So far in “Bastaliste” we have composted and used natural spraying macerates. In the future, we will deal with “green” energy because we do not have a connection to the grid. The rainwater collection system would also be useful for irrigation. If someone wants to give such kind of contribution, the invitation to become our member is on – said Katarina.

The only formal condition for accessing this garden community is to give up on the use of artificial fertilizers and chemical preparations. At the end of each year, Ama Center invites new members, which is posted on their website, Facebook page, and mailing list. Interested candidates fill out an online questionnaire, on the basis of which the admissions committee gets an impression of who are the potential members, what values they live and what they believe in. A narrow circle of selected candidates is called on the day of open doors, where they are practically introduced to “Bastaliste” and we go through another round of interviews. The admission committee is made up of members from at least two previous seasons.

− There were some interesting experiences during the reception, from e-mail permutations and invitations of candidates that we did not like, to the disappointment and aggression of rejected candidates. Nevertheless, since the introduction of this system three years ago, our community is rapidly strengthening”, Katarina said proudly.

Ama Center cooperates with other civil society organizations, and Katarina is a frequent guest at various events. The concept of urban garden communities implies that they are located on publicly owned land, but the cooperation with the City of Belgrade has not yet happened.

− City authorities have been briefed on our project since foundation. We negotiated with representatives of several municipalities and secretariats of the City of Belgrade, ask- ing to give us the parcel for use. According to their reactions, the only problem is the lack of enforcement procedures, since the comments on the very idea are very positive. Still, I think that where there is a will − there is a way. We are at our disposal to transfer experiences from abroad since we know a lot on this subject − explains Katarina.

Environmental protection involves a large number of measures and activities, and the food takes a small part of it. However, food is close enough to man to understand its environmental impact. In Serbia, with the exception of associations dealing with organic agriculture, there are rare ones that, like “Ama Centre”, have an integrated approach that studies the position of food in the ecosystem.

− Of course, it will never be possible to produce all the food in urban areas, but if we do everything we can, we will save our planet − the only one we have. The civil sector is the one that initiates changes. State apparatus is by nature large, bulky and inert. In order for a change to happen, the first impulse is needed, which must come from citizens, because we care most about the quality of our lives. Our duty and obligation is to introduce novelties and fight for education. Being successful at that, depends on many factors, not only on us, especially in Serbia − such as it is, which of course does not mean that we should give up,” she explained.

At a recently organized conference of the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Belarus, Katarina was the only representative of the civil sector in Serbia. During the event, FAO’s new goals were presented, and Katarina hopes that Ama

Center’s activities will contribute to the realization of these goals in Serbia.

On the World Food Day on October 16, in the Cultural Center “Grad”, for the second time this year “Delicatessen Monday” was held, during which food was prepared by members of “Bastaliste”. Prepared foods were harvested on their plots, with the purchase of only necessary supplements. They named dishes “Potage of the magic pumpkin and Jesenjska proja”, “Sataras a la Garden”, “Just a cake with lavender”, “Bundevara cake” and “Exotic banana bred” because the gardeners wanted to draw public’s attention to the use of locally grown food which almost has no environmental footprint, but also to promote urban and organic agriculture, as well as the concept of garden communities.

− I am very proud of the members who have initiated and organized these events. They did it great – Katarina is pleased.

Katarina Milenkovic recently was one of the speakers at the TEDx conference in Mokrin. The concept of these conferences is the transmission of messages that encourage the community to be socially responsible.

− To survive, only air and food are needed. Access to air is not limited so far (we will not speak about the quality this time), but the food that needs to be brought into the body at least three times a day – it ever is. In the world, a large number of people are starving or eating foods of inadequate nutritional value. Agriculture is one of the largest polluters of the environment. Every day, when we go to the grocery store or to the market, while cooking and eating, we must be aware that the food we eat leaves a trace on our environment. When a person realizes himself and begins to live by contributing his activities to making this world a better place, he opens the door for small revolutions. Look around – how you live, with whom you live and socialize, what you eat, where you are buying, what you are talking about, where your thoughts go. All this affects the world as it is. Energy and mental personal hygiene are enough to change things for the better. All these “small” revolutions together make up the “big” one that we all are waiting for. There is no “big” revolution, without change within a man.

In short, my motto is: MY PERSONAL CHANGES ALL (THE WORLD) – concluded Katarina with a succinct message she hopes to reach as many people as possible.

Prepared by: Marija Nesovic

This content was originally published in the eighth issue of the Energy Portal Magazine ECOHEALTH, in November 2017.

US Energy: Renewables on the Rise as Fossil Fuel Use Slumps

22.03.2018

Despite the best efforts of US President Donald Trump, coal generation in the US fell 2.5 per cent in 2017, according to official data released yesterday that reveals a contrasting jump in renewables use.

Figures released by the US Energy Information document a slump in fossil fuel generation during 2017, with natural gas generation also falling 7.7 per cent on 2016 levels.

At the same time coal accounted for more than half of electric capacity retired from the system last year, with 6.3GW of coal generation capacity mothballed out of a total of 11.2GW that came offline. For the first time in at least a decade, no new coal generation capacity opened.

It follows President Trump’s high profile promises to end the so-called “war on coal” by relaxing environmental regulations and other barriers to fossil fuel growth.

However, it seems his efforts to increase US reliance on fossil fuel power have proved ineffective to date, with the EIA’s data confirming trends detailed in a separate report in January by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which highlighted the impending retirement of a large fleet of coal-fired power stations and the rapid growth of US wind and solar energy.

According to the EIA, both wind and solar hit record shares in the electricity system, delivering 6.3 per cent and 1.3 per cent of net generation respectively. Wind is expected to overtake hydropower to become the largest source of renewable generation in the US next year, the EIA added.

Overall, net electricity generation was down 1.5 per cent in 2017, compared to 2016 levels.

Source: businessgreen.com

UK Offshore Wind Targets Sector Deal That Could Spur £48 Billion In Investments & 30 Gigawatts By 2030

22.03.2018

The UK offshore wind industry has this week committed to working with the Government on a “transformative” sector deal that could spur £48 billion in new investments in the country’s infrastructure and increase offshore wind capacity to 30 gigawatts by 2030.

In an effort to secure support from the UK Government by means of a Sector Deal — partnerships between government and industry that have yielded significant benefits for UK sectors such as the automotive and life science sectors — the UK Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) has presented its “ambitious” 2030 Vision. The OWIC’s plan is in direct response to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy published in 2017 and seeks to reduce costs, increase productivity, decarbonise the UK economy, and grow a skilled workforce.

The 2030 Vision consists of commitments of investing a further £48 billion in essential energy infrastructure by 2030, which could reduce overall electricity system costs by 9%; a five-fold increase in export value, up to £2.6 billion per year; 27,000 skilled jobs across the UK, an increase from the 11,000 in existence today, and focused primarily in coastal areas; and the potential for offshore wind capacity to reach 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from 13 GW today.

The Baroness Brown of Cambridge will lead the offshore wind energy sector’s engagement with the Government, in addition to her role as the UK’s Low Carbon Business Ambassador and Vice Chair of the Committee on Climate Change.

“The challenge for the offshore wind industry and Government is to ensure that we capitalise on our world-leading position in a highly competitive, global market and deliver on the huge potential for jobs, new infrastructure, exports and economic growth,” Baroness Brown said. “This will also allow us to continue to achieve significant cost reductions, helping energy consumers.

“With an ambitious Sector Deal, we have the opportunity to take the next transformative steps together, enabling the offshore wind industry to help Government to achieve its clean growth ambitions in a way that boosts productivity and growth throughout the UK.”

The offshore wind energy sector believes that a Sector Deal of this sort would be able to deliver one-third of the UK’s electricity from offshore wind by 2030. In addition, the additional offshore wind capacity will not only generate clean electricity, but it will also result in a direct impact on the supply chain productivity and efficiency, which will benefit adjacent sectors as well as the UK’s export options. In particular, the global offshore wind market is expected to reach over £30 billion per annum by 2030 which gives the UK export market tremendous opportunities to participate, and lead to the proposed five-fold increase in export value.

In addition, the offshore sector is promising its own new commitments to support the objectives of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy, including prioritizing innovation, creating new business opportunities, generating high-quality jobs, helping communities, and upgrading UK infrastructure.

“We’re working together as a Sector to partner with the UK Government and deliver our ambitious vision for the future of offshore wind,” said Benj Sykes, Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council and VP at Ørsted. “This deal comes at the right time for the Offshore Wind Sector; we have grown rapidly and reduced costs much faster than anticipated. The Sector is now at a critical turning point and must seize this opportunity to reach its full potential with a transformative deal. Our proposals show how the innovative offshore wind industry can drive economic growth throughout the UK, attracting billions in investment, driving growth in coastal communities which need new opportunities, whilst generating affordable and clean energy.”

The Sector Deal has unsurprisingly been warmly welcomed and supported across the UK offshore wind sector.

“Offshore wind is a UK- wide success story, with recent cost reductions a testament to the sector’s ability to rise to a challenge,” said Fabrice Leveque, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables. “Scotland has a strong heritage of offshore expertise, as well as some of Europe’s best wind resources. This new deal is an opportunity to build on recent successes and ensure that the enormous potential for jobs and investment presented by offshore wind is shared across the UK.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Government Floats Proposals to Phase Out Coal and Oil Heating from 2020s

22.03.2018

The government has launched a Call for Evidence on its plans to phase out high-carbon fossil fuel heating systems, such as coal fires and oil burners, over the next decade.

In a document released yesterday the government offered more detail on its plans to halt the installation of oil and coal heating systems from the 2020s onwards, starting with new build properties.

Building on a policy first set out in the Clean Growth Strategy last year, the move represents is a key step towards decarbonising the UK’s building stock, which is responsible for around a third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently around 1.1 million homes in Great Britain are heated using oil, many of which tend to be large and inefficient rural houses. Oil is the most carbon intensive heating option for properties not connected to the central gas grid, and thus is a key starting point for decarbonisation efforts.

In addition, around 170,000 homes rely primarily on coal or other solid fuels for warmth.

“This is an ambitious change to the way millions of people heat their homes and businesses and presents a significant market opportunity,” energy and climate change minister Claire Perry said in the consultation foreword.

She stressed the economic benefits of moving to lower carbon fuel sources, including biomass, hydrogen gas, heat pumps, and heat networks. “Phasing out high carbon fossil fuel heating may be a challenge, but it is also an opportunity for new jobs, new skills, and investment in innovation, as well as greater comfort and convenience for the end user,” Perry explained.

The findings will be used to develop a framework to follow on the from the existing subsidy scheme the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which is scheduled to close to new applicants in 2021. The government said it will also seek to address market barriers to make the installation of cleaner alternatives to oil and coal cheaper and easier, to reduce the reliance on subsidies for renewable heat going forward.

The government is also due to publish a report later this summer confirming its long-term approach to decarbonising heating networks, which will lay the groundwork for pursuing either large scale hydrogen or biomass gas grid, or mass use of heat networks or heat pumps.

“It must be understood that we will not be heating our buildings in 2050 by setting fire to the same substances people burned in the Victorian era,” Perry warned the industry. “Progress is a crucial part of our Industrial Strategy: it keeps UK businesses at the cutting edge. Our heating industry must retain its position as a world leader, seeing this process as an opportunity to lead the change that is necessary, and not let the world change without them.”

Industry insiders have been urging the government to accelerate efforts to develop a replacement for the RHI, warning that without a clear signal as to how Ministers intend to support the development of the market beyond 2021 the imminent end of the existing subsidy scheme could start to have a chilling effect on investment.

Source: businessgreen.com

India Offers $1 Billion To African Countries For Solar Projects

22.03.2018

Following the first summit of the International Solar Alliance held in New Delhi recently, the Indian government has announced assistance worth $1 billion for implementation of solar power projects across several countries in Africa.

The Indian Ministry for External Affairs has outlined guidelines to make available the $1 billion assistance for 23 projects across 13 countries in Africa. These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Democratic Republic Congo, Ghana, and Nigeria.

The International Solar Alliance was an idea floated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and was launched in collaboration with the French government at the climate change summit in 2017.

The aim of the ISA is to support installation of 1,000 gigawatts of solar power capacity by 2030 globally. The Alliance also fits well in India’s strategic aspirations.

Targeting African countries with solar project funding puts India in direct competition with China which has had a long history of funding energy projects in Africa.

Sources told Indian news agencies that solar modules will be supplied by Indian manufacturers, likely at rates cheaper than those from Chinese manufacturers. If this is indeed the case, it would extend the trade war between Indian and Chinese solar cell and module manufacturers to outside the continent.

What India practices is by no means unethical or uncommon. Several initial solar power projects under India’s National Solar Mission were commissioned with debt funding from American banks, including the United States Export-Import Bank. All these projects used solar modules from American companies, mostly from First Solar.

By offering a line of credit to African countries, India would not only achieve its strategic goals but also open a new market for its ailing domestic solar module manufacturers.

Not long ago there were media reports that the Indian government would allow the Solar Energy Corporation of India to open offices in other countries with a goal to enable quicker and easier implementation of solar energy policy and infrastructure. SECI is responsible for formulation and implementation of solar as well as wind energy policies in India.

Source: cleantechnica.com

McDonald’s to Take Major Bite Out of Carbon Footprint with New Science-Based Targets

21.03.2018

McDonald’s has become the first global restaurant company to set greenhouse gas targets in line with global climate science, it claimed today as it launched a raft of new green commitments.

The fast food giant has pledged to reduce emissions from its restaurants and offices around the world by 36 per cent by 2030, using 2015 as a baseline year – a goal approved by the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative.

McDonald’s also committed to a 31 per cent cut in emissions intensity across its entire global supply chain over the same period.

Altogether, it said its SBT pledges will save 150 million metric tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Under the SBT initiative, companies have to publicly commit to detailed emissions reduction goals, which are then independently verified as being in line with the trajectory suggested by scientists to give the world a reasonable chance of keeping temperature increases below 2C above pre-industrial levels.

McDonald’s joins the likes of Gap, Nike, Adobe, Mars and Nokia in making an SBT-approved pledge. But the fast food giant, which has almost 37,000 restaurants worldwide, could prove a controversial addition, given its influence over the global beef market, a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In working towards the new goals, McDonald’s said it would prioritise action on beef production and restaurant energy usage, as well as sourcing packaging and waste.

It comes as the company marks 10 years of its UK delivery fleet using 100 per cent biodiesel recycled from cooking oil, an initiative which it claims has saved nearly 7,000 tonnes of CO2 every year compared to traditional fleets.

All franchised- and company-owned McDonald’s branches in the UK are already run on 100 per cent renewable electricity from a combination of wind and solar power, and 60 per cent of its modular new build restaurants have their own solar panels, it added.

“As a business with a presence up and down the country we take our environmental responsibilities incredibly seriously and work hard to reduce our impact on the environment,” said Connor McVeigh, supply chain director at McDonald’s UK. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made but there’s more work to do, which is what today’s announcement is all about.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Vattenfall Awarded Two Subsidy-Free 350 Megawatt Offshore Wind Farms In Netherlands

21.03.2018

Swedish power company Vattenfall has been awarded the contract to build two 350 megawatt offshore wind farms in the Netherlands which, upon completion in 2022, will be the first offshore wind farms to be built without subsidies.

Authorities in the Netherlands opened its first subsidy-free offshore wind power tender in December of 2017 seeking bids for the construction of the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm which will be made up of two 350 megawatt (MW) projects. Vattenfall announced on Monday that it had been successful in the auction and would proceed with developing the project, which could have a maximum capacity of between 700 to 750 MW.

“This is excellent news for Vattenfall and the Netherlands,” explained Magnus Hall, Vattenfall’s President and CEO. “It is a significant step for us in view of our ambitions to grow in renewable energy production. We have previously announced that we intend to invest SEK 13 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) in growth investments in wind power for the period 2017-2018. The Netherlands is an important market for us and this will be our second offshore project there. It’s a great honor for us to get the opportunity to contribute with this project to the transformation of the Dutch energy system.”

The rules of the December tender were that the project would be completed within 5 years, which puts the completion date, at the latest, sometime in 2022. This is important because while the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm is not the first project to be awarded a subsidy-free tender it will, in fact, be the first to reach operation.

A year ago, Germany’s first competitive auction for offshore wind not only yielded an average bid price which was “far below expectations,” but also included what was believed to be the world’s first subsidy-free offshore wind projects. Specifically, DONG Energy (now Ørsted) won the right to construct the 240 MW OWP West and the 240 MW Borkum Riffgrund West 2 with bids of zero government subsidy required. All projects awarded in the April 2017 auction are expected to be completed in 2024, meaning that while they technically receive the award for first offshore wind farm awarded a subsidy-free contract, they won’t be the first to begin operating.

“Winning the bid for Hollandse Kust Zuid is a result of our continuous cost reduction efforts along our entire value chain and the solid track record and portfolio approach of our company,” added Gunnar Groebler, Vattenfall Senior Vice President Business Area Wind. “We are very happy to enlarge our contribution in making the Dutch energy system more sustainable and support our customers, large and small, on their way to become climate smarter.”

The Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farms are set to be located 22.2 kilometers off the west coast of the Netherlands and will have a maximum capacity of between 700 and 750 MW — likely hovering in that middle area due to the potential availability of larger offshore wind turbines.

The announcement was heralded by offshore wind and renewable energy proponents in Europe as a landmark occasion.

“This news shows zero-subsidy bids are possible for some developers in some markets not least where Governments take on and manage a share of the project risk,” said Giles Dickson, CEO of the European wind energy trade body WindEurope.

“In this instance the Dutch Government taking care of the grid connection is a significant factor. Plus the Dutch Government has successfully minimised the risk linked to offshore wind by giving clear visibility about future market volumes. And the new Dutch Government has committed to bring in a carbon floor price at national level which will help the business case for offshore wind.

“Wind energy is showing again and again that it can deliver ever more capacity for less cash. That’s the key message other governments should take from this: they should revise their ambition upwards in their national energy plans and offshore wind is a great way to help them do this.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Anchovies and Chips: WWF Warns of Climate Threat to Iconic Dishes

21.03.2018

fish-and-chips-2187421_960_720 — Foto: Pixabay

Many of the UK’s most popular dishes could become much more expensive, or even disappear altogether, over the coming decades as a result of climate impacts.

That is the stark warning contained in a report today from NGO WWF ahead of its high profile Earth Hour campaign later this week.

The report analysed the environmental footprint and climate risks associated with four popular dishes: chicken tikka masala, fish and chips, cheese ploughman’s, and Welsh stew lamb cawl.

It details how projected climate impacts through to 2050 could undermine availability of key ingredients, necessitate new agricultural techniques, and push up prices across the board.

For example, it draws on warnings that the more extreme rainfall and drought conditions that is expected to result from climate change could drive up the price of onions, tomatoes, and rice, while pressure on land use could see chicken feed switched to alternative sources of calories such as insects and algae. The report says these trends could combine to increase the cost and change the flavour of the UK’s most popular dish, chicken tikka masala.

Similarly, it details how anticipated changes in fish stocks as a result of warming oceans could drastically reduce cod availability, resulting in “anchovies and chips” becoming the national dish.

In addition, cheese production is thought to be at risk of disruption from increased heat stress on dairy herds, while increased incidences of extreme weather is expected to test the viability of Welsh sheep farms in the coming decades.

“The threat to these classic dishes just shows that climate change could impact every aspect of our lives in future if we don’t act now,” said Gareth Redmond-King, head of energy and climate at WWF. “That’s why this Earth Hour we want people to eat more sustainably. That doesn’t necessarily mean going vegan or vegetarian – it means each of us cutting back on the amount of fish, meat and dairy we eat. If each of us takes a small action, together we can combat climate change and future-proof our best-loved dishes.”

Earth Hour will take place from 8:30pm on Saturday 24 March and will once again see some iconic buildings around the world dim their lights.

However, this year’s campaign is particularly focused on food and will see chefs working with the Sustainable Restaurant Association prepare a ‘One Planet Plate’ that boasts specific sustainability credentials.

WWF will also call on people to make one ‘promise for the planet’ to curb their environmental impact.

Today’s report highlights how small changes in diet could help reduce environmental footprints, calculating how greenhouse gas emissions associated with different dishes varies considerable.

For example, the carbon emissions associated with a lamb stew were calculated to be equivalent to driving 31 miles in a car. In contrast, the emissions associated with fish and chips were considerably lower at the equivalent of eight miles of driving.

Source: businessgreen.com

Suzlon Energy Commissions Largest Wind Turbine In India

21.03.2018

One of India’s leading wind energy solutions providers, Suzlon Energy, has announced a new wind turbine that could help generate significant savings for project developers as competition in India’s wind energy sector intensifies.

Suzlon Energy announced in a press release that it has commissioned India’s largest wind turbine so far. At 140 meter hub height the turbine gives an output of around 2.6-2.8 megawatts.

The company has not launched the turbine commercially. It has installed a prototype at a location in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the leading state in terms of installed wind energy capacity.

According to the company, testing is underway with certification expected in Q3 of Calendar Year 2018 (CY2018). The S128 wind turbine generator is the latest addition to Suzlon’s product portfolio and features the time tested Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) technology. It also consists of the country’s largest rotor blade measuring 63 meters and has a rotor diameter of 128 meters.

It is designed to optimally harness wind resources at higher altitudes making low wind sites viable. This next generation turbine is well equipped to improve energy yield and support competitive tariff environment in India while protecting customers return on investment (ROI).

Suzlon management has called the new turbine “revolutionary,” but why? Apart from being the largest wind turbine in India, it is also a product that the sector desperately needs.

As we have been reporting for several months, India has switched from a feed-in tariff regime to competitive auctions. Capacity addition now is highly regulated and is completely dependent on the frequency of auctions. This has significantly increased the competition among project developers who recently bid the lowest ever tariff bids.

In fact, tariff bids in Indian wind energy auctions collapsed by around 30% in a matter of 10 months. Most new wind energy projects are now cheaper than an overwhelming majority of thermal power plants operational in India.

Developers using this turbine would be able to place very competitive bids. India plans to have at least 60 gigawatts of operational wind energy capacity by March 2022. To achieve this target, the federal government is expected to issue tenders for at least 20 gigawatts of the next couple of years according to a set timeline.

Suzlon would hope that the new turbine brings in some much-needed boost in sales as well. Despite having a share of 35% in India’s installed wind energy capacity, the company has faced stiff competition from the likes of Gamesa over the last few years.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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