Victorian Government Passes 40% By 2025 Renewable Energy Target

23.10.2017

The Andrews Labor Government in Victoria, Australia, has successfully passed through the State’s Legislative Council its ambitious renewable energy target of 25% renewable energy by 2020 and 40% by 2025.

The southern Australian state of Victoria announced its plans to introduce the country’s most ambitious renewable energy target back in August. Australian states have had to lead the way on renewable energy development, as the country’s Federal Government refuses to acknowledge the dire threat of climate change and remains thoroughly beholden to the country’s fossil fuel industry.

This was solidified earlier this month when the Federal Government announced that it would not implement a countrywide clean energy target in favour of its own National Energy Guarantee policy — a move out of line with all advice, support, and common sense. However, despite the near-universal condemnation of the Government’s decisions, Bloomberg New Energy Finance this week published research which suggests the National Energy Guarantee could nevertheless deliver a 42% renewable energy share by 2030 — the exact same share enshrined in the original Clean Energy Target proposal.

Regardless, State ambition has been the most important driving factor in Australia’s renewable energy industry for the past few years. While this was primarily driven by South Australia, its eastern neighbour Victoria has since stood up, and this week successfully passed the Victorian Renewable Energy Target through the State’s Legislative Council.

The Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Bill 2017 introduces a target of reaching 25% renewable energy by 2020 and 40% by 2025. The government hopes that the target will cut the average cost of power in Victoria by approximately $30 a year for households, $2,500 a year for medium businesses, and $140,000 a year for large companies.

Further, it is hoped that the target will create up to 11,000 jobs, not to mention providing much-needed electricity generation to the national market.

“This is an historic day and I’d like to thank all of the community campaigners who’ve been such passionate advocates for this important legislation,” said Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. “Renewable energy creates jobs and will help drive down power prices for Victorian households and businesses.”

“These legislated targets remain the one constant for renewable energy investor confidence in Australia and the message is clear — Victoria is open for business.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Renewable Energy Share Hits All-Time High In India — 13.2% of Electricity

23.10.2017

Rapid increases in installed capacity and favourable weather conditions pushed renewable energy generation in India to an all-time high earlier this year.

In July 2017, the share of renewable energy generation among India’s total electricity generation and imports touched 13.2%, the highest ever in the country. Total electricity generation and imports in India during July 2017 totalled 98.1 billion kilowatt-hours, while total renewable energy generation was 12.9 billion kilowatt-hours.

In June 2017, total renewable energy generation in India had crossed the 10 billion kilowatt-hour mark for the first time ever. June, July, and August 2017 together were also the three-month period when renewable energy generation in India was over 10 billion kilowatt-hours for three consecutive months.

The reason for this sharp jump in July was the large wind capacity exposed to high-speed monsoon winds. Of the 12.9 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy generation in July, 76.2% (or 9.8 billion kilowatt-hours) were generated by wind energy projects, again the highest ever.

Due to the high wind energy generation this financial year (April 2017 to March 2018), India seems on track to meet the non-solar renewable purchase obligation target. The country is aiming at 9.5% share of non-solar renewable energy in total power consumption. During the first 5 months of the financial year, the share of non-solar renewable energy generation stood at 7.24%.

Solar power, on the other hand, lagged significantly during the first 5 months, with a share of just 1.58% compared to the full year target of 4.75%.

In FY2016–17, India has missed out on solar and the overall renewable energy purchase obligation. Against a targeted non-solar renewable energy procurement of 8.75%, it could manage just 5.51%. The solar power target was 2.75% whereas the actual generation was just 1.11%. The overall renewable energy generation was 6.62% against the procurement target of 11.50%.

For the period of April to August 2017, wind energy generation in India is up 28% in 2017 compared to the previous year, while solar power generation is up 84%. Total renewable energy generation is up 25% this compared to the previous year.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Vestas, Tesla, Windlab, & Australian CEFC Partner On World’s First Utility-Scale Hybrid Wind, Solar, & Storage Project

22.10.2017

A world first renewable energy project has taken its first steps in Australia, with big-name companies Vestas, Tesla, and Windlab backed by Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation partnering on a $160 million, 60 MW hybrid wind, solar, and energy storage project.

A flurry of announcements were published Thursday confirming the development of a 60 MW (megawatt) hybrid wind, solar, and energy storage by Australia’s international wind energy company Windlab. The AUD$160 million Kennedy Energy Park set to be built in central north Queensland as a joint venture between Windlab and Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation of Japan.

Kennedy Energy Park will be the first wind, solar, and storage hybrid generator connected to Australia’s national electricity network via a single connection point. It also serves as an industry-leading project demonstrating the complementary nature of the three technologies and proving their ability to work together. Vestas — who will provide the wind turbines for the project — describes the project as a “world first” of its kind.

The Kennedy Energy Park will consist of 43.2 MW worth of wind, made up of twelve Vestas V136, 3.6MW turbines; 15 MW worth of AC, single-axis tracking solar; and a 4 MWh Li Ion battery storage provided by Tesla.

Upon completion, Kennedy will be able to generate approximately 210,000 MWh of electricity per annum, which is the equivalent of enough electricity to supply over 35,000 average Australian homes.

“We believe Kennedy Energy Park will demonstrate how effectively wind, solar and storage can be combined to provide low cost, reliable and clean energy for Australia’s future”, said Roger Price, Windlab’s Executive Chairman and CEO. “The broader adoption of projects like Kennedy can address the recommendations of the Finkel review and ensure that Australia can more than meet its Paris Commitments while putting downward pressure on energy prices”.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to join Windlab on this project, which places Vestas at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions and is a testament to how we are providing solutions that make renewable energy more cost-competitive and grid compliant,” said Johnny Thomsen, Senior Vice President, Product Management for Vestas. “With 35 years of experience in meeting complex grid requirements and developing advanced power plant controllers, Vestas has the foundation to also lead the way in hybrid solutions.”

“Hybrid solutions combining wind, solar and storage hold a huge potential for Australia,” added Clive Turton, President of Vestas Asia Pacific. “Kennedy Phase I has the potential to leverage Australia’s abundant renewable energy resources and be a giant leap forward for the country in reaping those resources while ensuring a consistent and reliable electricity supply. Kennedy shows that Vestas, together with visionary partners like Windlab, can provide the solutions.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) similarly announced on Thursday that it will invest AUD$94 million into the project.

“This is a landmark project for Queensland and Australia, creating a new model for renewable energy that brings together the benefits of wind, solar and battery storage to overcome intermittency and improve reliability.” said CEFC Wind Sector Lead Andrew Gardner.

“Financing three separate technologies on one site was a complex undertaking that had not previously been achieved in Australia. As the sole debt financier for this project, our goal was to demonstrate the bankability of large-scale, integrated hybrid renewable energy projects for the future. We expect such projects to become an increasingly important part of Australia’s electricity system, with complementary battery storage addressing the intermittency of wind and solar generation to support grid stability.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Solar Panels Might Get More Efficient Thanks to a Butterfly

22.10.2017

peacock-butterfly-1655724__340 — Foto: Pixabay

A common sight in the forests and meadows of India is the common rose butterfly. Known for its velvety black wings and colorful body and tail, the common rose spends its day gathering nectar from flowers like zinnias and Egyptian Starcluster. But soon, the common rose might be known for something else—making our solar panels more efficient.

“I was in a conference and somebody was presenting about butterflies and their nanostructures, and I was intrigued,” says Radwanul Siddique, lead author of a recent paper published in the journal Science Advances. Siddique’s paper uses these butterfly nanostructures as inspiration for a new type of solar cell design that can absorb more sunlight than traditional solar panels.

“A lot of insects have structural colors, where their colors come from nanostructures,” says Siddique. For instance, the bright blues and greens of many Morpho butterflies are caused by tiny tree-like shapes in the wings, less than a millimeter across. These nanostructures absorb and reflect different colors of light at different angles, so the butterfly appears to ‘shimmer’ and change colors in the air.

The common rose butterfly has a similar trick. Its velvety black wings get their color from tiny microscopic holes that trap and absorb light, giving the butterfly a blacker color than would be possible otherwise. And to an engineer like Siddique, who works with solar cells, a type of structure that absorbs more light is exactly what he needed.

Siddique and his colleagues examined the nanostructures of the common rose butterfly under a scanning electron microscope and attempted to recreate those structures with a solar cell. By adding tiny microscopic holes to the solar cell, Siddique’s team dramatically increased the solar cell’s efficiency.

So why does adding some tiny holes make a solar panel better? Mostly, it’s because those tiny holes greatly increase absorption at extreme angles. Most solar panels have to be pointed directly at the sun in order to generate the most amount of energy. When they’re angled off to the side, they’re much less efficient. Thanks to the tiny holes catching more angled light, Siddique’s solar cells are around three times as efficient at extreme angles.

That could be great news for homeowners with rooftop solar installations. Rooftop solar panels are often fixed, which means they only generate lots of power for a few hours per day. With Siddique’s design, their solar panels could produce more power at all daylight hours, which would translate to more power at more times.

And if you’re thinking that adding lots of tiny holes to solar panels can’t be cheap, the solution to that problem can be found in the common rose butterfly too. The butterfly makes the holes in its wings pretty cheaply, after all, and Siddique and his team borrowed the butterfly’s methods for their own research.

All the butterfly has to do to create its nanostructures is to combine some proteins together. Due to chemical interactions, those proteins automatically form into the right nanostructure. Siddique’s team created artificial versions of those proteins and applied them to solar cells, creating a cheap and scalable way to produce more efficient solar panels.

With any luck, a few years of development will be all it takes to start placing solar panels with Siddique’s design on rooftops around the world.

Source: popularmechanics.com

Regreening The Earth Could Lower Carbon Levels As Much As Ending Use Of Fossil Fuels

21.10.2017

green-forest — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

There’s a new study out spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy and published in the Proceedings Of The National Academy of Sciences which presents a series of 20 steps that can be taken to naturally mitigate the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Taken together, the effect on carbon levels would be equivalent to stopping the use of fossil fuels entirely.

Here is the abstract of the study:
trees lower carbon levelMost nations recently agreed to hold global average temperature rise to well below 2 °C. We examine how much climate mitigation nature can contribute to this goal with a comprehensive analysis of “natural climate solutions” (NCS): 20 conservation, restoration, and/or improved land management actions that increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands.

We show that NCS can provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2 °C. Alongside aggressive fossil fuel emissions reductions, NCS offer a powerful set of options for nations to deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement while improving soil productivity, cleaning our air and water, and maintaining biodiversity.

More importantly, the authors believe most of the strategies they recommend can be implemented at a cost of no more than $100 per ton of carbon dioxide, with some costing as little as $10 per ton. Comparatively, some of the carbon capture technologies being tested today will cost as much as $1,000 per ton.

Replanting forests, protection of peatlands that store carbon dioxide, and improved management of agricultural and grasslands could constitute more than a third of the actions needed to meet the climate targets established by the COP21 Paris climate accords, the researchers say.

Their research shows the benefits of reforestation would be 30% greater than a UN panel thought possible in 2014. “Better stewardship of the land could have a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought,” they say.

Combined, “regreening of the planet” would be equivalent to ending the burning of all oil worldwide. Overall, better management of nature could keep more than 11 billion ton of carbon dioxide emission out of the atmosphere each year by 2030. That alone is equal to all of China’s annual emissions from burning fossil fuels today.

“Fortunately, this research shows we have a huge opportunity to reshape our food and land use systems,” Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, said in a statement following the release of the report.

“If we are serious about climate change, then we are going to have to get serious about investing in nature,” added Mark Tercek, chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy, which led the study.

What the report implies but doesn’t say directly is that clear cutting of existing forests for grazing and farming has a direct and serious impact on global carbon dioxide levels. “Trees Are Cool,” reads a popular bumper sticker. They are also essential to keeping global average temperature rise below 2º C. We need to stop cutting them down while planting new ones.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Report: Protected Buildings Cost English Households £500m a Year in Energy Bills

21.10.2017

Struja, energetska efikasnost, strujomer, — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A new report has revealed the extent to which strict property regulations are pushing up energy bills and stymieing energy efficiency efforts in older homes.

According to new research released today by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), residents of Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas have already missed out on energy savings worth an average of £240 a year due to strict preservation policies.

It finds that energy use in protected homes has fallen by less than the national average between 2006 and 2013, because energy-saving strategies like installing double-glazed UPVC windows and cavity wall insulation are barred or difficult to gain approval for.

In total, £3.8bn worth of energy savings could have accrued to protected homes in England over the period if energy use had dropped in line with the average in other neighbourhoods.

“Preservation policies play an important role in protecting our historic buildings but our research shows that there is a trade-off,” report co-author Dr Charles Palmer explained. “The results highlight that preservation policies have inadvertently hindered some households from cutting down their energy use and their bills.”

As well as consigning millions of people to draughty homes and higher energy bills, Palmer warned the problem could threaten the UK’s ability to meet its climate targets.

“The UK’s residential sector, which makes up 13 per cent of UK emissions, must decarbonise if the UK is to meet ambitious emission reduction targets,” he said. “The government’s Clean Growth Strategy plans a number of measures to improve the energy efficiency of our homes but neglects the role of restrictions that make it difficult to achieve this in homes covered by preservation policies. Reducing emissions from homes could become increasingly unrealistic if preservation policies make it costly or even impossible to improve energy efficiency. Ten per cent of the UK’s housing stock is subject to preservation polices so it is a significant issue.”

One solution could be to place limits on the numbers of properties that can be newly designated as Listed or in a Conservation Area, Palmer suggested, or introduce new powers for local authorities to relax preservation policies to allow more energy efficiency retrofits to go ahead.

Source: businessgreen.com

September 2017: Earth’s 4th Warmest September on Record

20.10.2017

climate-change- — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

September 2017 was the planet’s fourth warmest September since record keeping began in 1880, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and NASA this week. The only warmer Septembers came during 2015, 2016 and 2014. Minor differences can occur between the NASA and NOAA rankings because of their different techniques for analyzing data-sparse regions such as the Arctic.

Global ocean temperatures last month were the fourth warmest on record for any September, according to NOAA, and global land temperatures were the third warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the warmest for any September in the 39-year record, according to the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS).

Each of the first eight months of 2017 have ranked among the top four warmest such months on record, giving 2017 the second highest January–September temperature in the 138-year record: 0.78°C (1.57°F) above the 20th-century average. This is behind the record year of 2016 by 0.13°C (0.24°F). This near-record warmth in 2017 is especially remarkable given the lack of an El Niño event this year. Global temperatures tend to be warmer during El Niño years, when the ocean releases more heat to the atmosphere. Given the lack of an El Niño event in 2017, it is unlikely that we will surpass 2016 as the warmest year on record. However, 2017 is almost certain to be the planet’s warmest year on record that lacks any influence from El Niño, and Earth’s four warmest years of the last century-plus are likely to be 2016, 2017, 2015 and 2014.

Two Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes caused billion-dollar weather disasters last month, according to the September 2017 Catastrophe Report from insurance broker Aon Benfield: Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Through the end of September, Earth had 21 billion-dollar weather events for the year, which is a typical number for this point in the year. The year that ended with the most billion-dollar weather disasters in records going back to 1990 was 2013, with 41; that year had 33 billion-dollar disasters by the end of September. Last year, there were 28 billion-dollar weather disasters by the end of September; that year ended up with 31 such disasters.

In its October 12 monthly advisory, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) stated that neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions were present in the Eastern Pacific (ENSO-neutral conditions existed). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the benchmark Niño 3.4 region (in the equatorial Pacific) were about 0.5°C below average over the past week; SSTs of 0.5°C or more below average in this region are required to be classified as weak La Niña conditions, with the 3-month average SSTs holding at these levels for five consecutive months (with an accompanying La Niña-like atmospheric response). Enhanced east-to-west blowing trade winds are predicted for the west-central Pacific over the next two weeks and these stronger-than-average trade winds will help the progression towards La Niña. NOAA forecasters gave a 55 – 65 percent chance of a La Niña event by winter, similar to the 55 – 60 percent odds given in their previous month’s forecast.

Arctic sea ice extent during September 2017 was the seventh lowest in the 38-year satellite record, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The Arctic was dominated by low pressure and clouds in the summer of 2017. The cyclonic (counterclockwise) winds associated with the stormy pattern also tend to spread out the sea ice. Together, this two influences brought slower ice loss than in the record-low extent years of 2012 and 2007. The Arctic reached its lowest extent for the year on Sept. 13, which was the eighth lowest extent on record. The five lowest Arctic sea ice extents were measured in September 2012, 2007, 2016, 2011 and 2015.

Sea ice surrounding Antarctica had the second lowest extent on record in September 2017 and has been at record- to near-record lows since September 2016. A recent study by John Turner and colleagues links the recent Antarctic sea ice decline to a series of strong storms accompanied by long periods of warm winds from the north. These changing weather conditions are associated with large shifts in the Southern Annual Mode (SAM) index.

No all-time national heat records were set or tied in September 2017. As of October 17, thirteen nations have set or tied all-time national heat records in 2017 and two have set or tied all-time cold records. National all-time monthly temperature records so far in 2017 have numbered 44 for maximum temperature and two for minimum temperature. Most nations do not maintain official databases of extreme temperature records, so the national temperature records reported here are in many cases not official. I use as my source for international weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, one of the world’s top climatologists, who maintains a comprehensive list of extreme temperature records for every nation in the world on his website. If you reproduce this list of extremes, please cite Maximiliano Herrera as the primary source of the weather records.

Source: ecowatch.com

Target Announces 100% Renewable Energy Target Amidst New Climate Policy

20.10.2017

Obnovljivi grad — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Target, one of America’s leading discount store retailers, has this week announced a new climate policy and goals based on the Science-Based Targets initiative, including a commitment to source 100% renewable energy in its domestic operations.

Target published its new climate policy and goals on Tuesday, created with the Science-Based Target initiative “in mind” in an effort to “keep making progress” on its existing global and local environmental efforts. As Target highlight in their announcement, the company is a two-time ENERGY STAR partner of the year, and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) 2016 top corporate solar installer in the US.

Target’s new climate policy opens by simply stating that “Target acknowledges the scientific consensus that the climate is changing, that our business is contributing to that change, and that our supply chain, operations, and customers will continue to be impacted by the effects of climate change.” As a result, Target is “committed to reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, and to engaging constructively with industry peers, value chain partners, external stakeholders, and policymakers to help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

“Target has long been committed to making our business more sustainable, which leads to a stronger, cleaner supply chain and operations, and a healthier environment for our team members and guests,” explained Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO, Target. “That’s why we’re setting goals to reduce our greenhouse gas footprint, and working with our industry partners, policymakers and other stakeholders to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

The hallmark of Target’s new climate policy and goals is a commitment to source 100% renewable energy for all their domestic operations. Target is set to focus their efforts to meet their new policy and goals in five specific areas:
Increasing adoption of renewable energy in our own operations, our supply chain, and on the electricity grid;
Driving energy and water efficiency in our own operations and in our supply chain;
Investing in innovations supporting the transition to a lower-carbon transportation system, including vehicle electrification;
Considering climate impacts in raw materials sourcing, particularly the impacts of land use change, and designing plans to mitigate those impacts; and
Supporting communities most heavily impacted by climate change and building their resilience to climate change impacts like extreme weather events

Target will continue their partnership with the WWF and their promotion of water conservation — which, according to Target, has already saved over 22 million gallons of water through the optimisation of outdoor irrigation systems at 176 of their stores.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Quitting Coal: New Global Survey Names the Companies, Countries and Cities

20.10.2017

solarka-iran — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

More than a quarter of the 1,675 companies that owned or developed coal-fired power capacity since 2010 have entirely left the coal power business, according to new research from CoalSwarm and Greenpeace. This represents nearly 370 large coal-fired power plants—enough to power around six United Kingdoms—and equivalent to nearly half a trillion dollars in assets retired or not developed.

While many generating companies go through this rapid makeover, the research also shows that a total of 23 countries, states and cities will have either phased out coal-fired power plants or set a timeline to do so by 2030.

“Before 2014, no major jurisdiction had completely phased out coal,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, energy analyst at Greenpeace East Asia. “What we are witnessing now is the beginning of a major overhaul of our energy system—one that can address climate change and air pollution. Governments now need to speed up the shift to 100 percent renewables and ensure a just transition for workers and communities affected by the coal industry’s downfall.”

To date, six countries, states, provinces or cities have completely phased out coal power since 2014, and an additional 17 have announced a coal power phase-out date of 2030 or sooner. Three of the G7 economies, and a total of eight EU countries, have decided to phase out coal—the Netherlands joining the list only this month. Indonesia, the third largest builder of new coal power plants after India and China in recent years, also said it would not start more coal projects in its main grid.

“Global investment in coal has crashed as a result of a dramatic fall in new projects in China and India, with money flowing increasingly toward lower-cost renewable energies,” said Myllyvirta.

The list of jurisdictions becoming coal-free includes the capitals of China and India. Both countries have dramatically curtailed investment in new coal plants in response to concerns over wasted resources in the wake of coal power overcapacity and falling utilization rates, public outcries over high levels of air pollution, and ambitious clean energy targets.

“Record amounts of coal-fired capacity were retired in the past two years, and the growing number of phase-out policies means the trend will accelerate. Improving competitiveness of clean energy, poor economics of coal, air pollution problems and efforts to tackle climate change have all played a key role in accelerating the demise of coal,” said Christine Shearer, senior researcher for CoalSwarm’s Global Coal Plant Tracker.

“While the progress in moving away from coal has been faster than expected, it needs to be accelerated urgently. Meeting the objectives of the Paris agreement requires all OECD countries to close their coal-fired power plants by 2030, so it’s high time for other countries, especially Germany, Japan and Southeast Asia, to follow this example,” said Shearer.

Despite President Trump’s rhetoric about reviving the coal industry, decisions to retire coal plants in the U.S. have continued in 2017 at the same rapid rate as the year before, with 54 units announcing retirement, a total generating capacity equal to all coal-fired power plants in Spain.

“In quite a few places such as Belgium, states in the U.S., and Scotland, it’s companies deciding to close their coal plants which is resulting in these jurisdictions becoming coal free. In the U.S., progress continues on the state level despite rhetoric from the Trump administration,” said Myllyvirta.

California, the biggest state economy in the U.S., is already coal-free and is actively pushing its neighboring states to reduce coal as well. Massachusetts is due to close its last coal-fired power plant this year and five other states—Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Washington—have phase-out dates.

Source: ecowatch.com

China To Face Clean Energy Subsidy Problems Without Change Of Policy, Government Official Says

20.10.2017

There will be increasing problems in the coming years with regard to China meeting its clean energy subsidy obligations, unless changes are made to the country’s fixed power price policies, a government official revealed recently.

Mississippi solar jobs ChinaIn total, the shortfall expected without a change of policy will climb to 200 billion yuan ($30.2 billion) by 2020 — up from 50 billion yuan in 2016.

The comments come from the director of China’s National Development and Reform Commission’s Energy Research Institute, and were made at an industry conference, so they are presumably worth taking note of.

That director, Dongming Ren, stated: “The shortfall will continue to widen if China keeps its current renewable policy of fixed power prices unchanged.”

As you may recall, China is currently working to raise the share of its energy mix held by renewables to 15% by 2020 — hence the aggressive subsidies.

So why does this news matter? As noted by the deputy director at State Power Investment Corp’s Huanghe Hydropower Development Corp, Pang XiuLan, while also speaking at the conference: “Two years of delays in getting government subsidies will cut a solar project return by 5-6 percentage points.”

Reuters provides more: “To ease the government’s financial burden on renewable projects and keep the rate of waste power under control, China has cut subsidies for new large-scale solar and onshore wind power projects and set capacity limits in regions with high waste rates.

“It also introduced green electricity certificate system in February and aimed to enforce compulsory quota system on coal-fired power plants in 2018. The country also plans to launch a nationwide carbon trade emissions trading market this year, although Ren said earlier on Wednesday that plan is delayed into 2018.”

“’China needs to expand the source of renewable subsidies, otherwise it would be very difficult for clean energy to compete with coal, especially before environmental costs are showed on coal-fired power prices,’ stated Ren.

Interesting news. Not too surprising, but interesting. We’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Inaugural Island Renewable Energy Initiative Meeting Held In Maldives

20.10.2017

The inaugural meeting of the Island Renewable Energy Initiative (IRIE) was recently held in Malé, Maldives, in partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) — bringing together senior officials and ministers from 30 different countries and organizations to discuss ways of accelerating renewable energy deployment and addressing climate change.

The Government of the Maldives hosted the event, bringing together small island developing states (SIDS) in its capacity as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), according to an email sent to CleanTechnica.

Considering the practical benefits to island nations accompanying a switch from imported fuels to renewables, and the imminent danger that climate change and sea level rise poses to many, the fact that support is as strong as it is — strong enough to spur the creation of the discussed meeting — amongst small island nations shouldn’t be surprising.

For many small island nations, the writing is essentially already on the wall that before too long the island/country will have to be abandoned, so it makes sense for it pursue the most aggressive actions available, or to at least use their position to draw attention to the ongoing changes.

As it stands, more than 2 gigawatts (GW) of renewables capacity has already been deployed in SIDS, with a further 6 GW (or more) of projects now planned.

“In the wake of a deadly hurricane season in the Caribbean and at a time when the resolve to tackle the climate crisis has been called into question, small islands are sending the world a clear message: we are seizing the promise of renewable energy to grow our economies today and build a better future for tomorrow,” commented Thoriq Ibrahim, Energy and Environment Minister for the Maldives and Chair of Alliance of Small Island States. “As Chair of AOSIS, Maldives has made leaving a lasting legacy of renewable energy infrastructure in small islands a priority and IRIE is how we are fulfilling that vision.”

The email provides more: “Despite progress, SIDS face financial and technical barriers as they transition their power, heating, cooling, and transportation sectors to renewable energy, many of which stem from their size, geography and limited capacity. Greater international cooperation can help overcome these barriers by enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing, leading to improved economies of scale, reduced transaction costs and better enabling environments for donors and investors.

“IRIE works to enhance AOSIS political coordination and outreach to development partners with a view to mobilizing the resources — finance, technology, and capacity building — required for the transformation of energy systems in SIDS. IRIE also works to amplify the success of SIDS focused initiatives, such as IRENA’s SIDS Lighthouses.

“Small islands contribute a miniscule fraction of global emissions and yet we have taken the lead in committing to some of the most ambitious clean energy plans in the world,” continued Minister Ibrahim. “IRIE is a testament to island leadership and the important role the Maldives has played in the international effort to tackle climate change for over three decades.”

To elaborate on that: from the perspective of greenhouse gas contributions to date, small island developing states are often responsible for less than some small towns in long-ago “developed” countries. That, of course, doesn’t matter much in any practical sense as, responsible for the cause or not, such island nations are likely going to be the first regions to have to be abandoned as a result of anthropogenic climate change. With that in mind, the creation of IRIE seems prudent.

Source: cleantechnica.com

DTE Buys Easements for Wind Farms

19.10.2017

Since April, DTE Electric Company has recorded easements on 276 parcels of agricultural property in Branch County for the purpose of evaluation for wind farm developments.

Atwell Engineering, as agents for DTE, has negotiated and recorded documents from 59 property owners mostly in Union, Sherwood and Matteson Townships.

Other parcels are in Batavia, Bronson, and three in Quincy Townships.

The easements, filed with the Register of Deeds, started with one filed by Union Township Supervisor Ralph Strong and his wife in April. The latest one was filed in September.

The easements are labeled “Standard Utility Wind Easements” and assigned to DTE Electric Company to evaluate the property for suitability for associated transmission lines, wind and weather monitoring, access, towers and wind turbines, it states.

No one was willing to discuss financial terms of the easements, which continue to exist until cancelled by DTE.

All do indicate, however, the projects are subject to local ordinances, setbacks, and noise levels.

So far none of the townships have such an ordinance. Matteson and Ovid townships will discuss solar and wind ordinances during workshops this month.

Strong said Union township will not consider one.

Three townships, Quincy, Butler, and Girard, have passed ordinances regulating solar farms but wind has not been considered.

DTE has developed 13 wind projects, mostly in the thumb region of Michigan with three in north central Michigan.

Those generate 905 megawatts.

Last month DTE issued a statement on its wind projects, “As the state’s largest investor in renewable energy, DTE Energy has collaboratively engaged with communities across Michigan to drive investments of $2 billion in wind energy since 2008, creating hundreds of jobs for residents and a local tax revenue for communities while delivering reliable, affordable and clean energy for our 2.2 million Michigan customers.”

If built, the projects would be taxed as personal property. Owners have filed notice that the easements would continue to be used and remain subject to agricultural exemptions.

As the state’s largest investor and producer of wind energy, DTE produces enough energy from renewable sources to power nearly 450,000 homes.

The U.S. Department of Energy said Michigan ranks among the top 15 states nationwide for potential wind energy generation.

The area around the Great Lakes is particularly well-suited for wind energy development because of the availability of higher wind speeds across flat land.

The cost of wind generation has decreased significantly as technology has advanced and the industry has expanded, making wind energy the most costeffective renewable energy resource. Calls to the DTE Wind manager were not returned Tuesday.

Source: thedailyreporter.com

Solar Energy Talks Happening in Fremont and Omaha

19.10.2017

solar-panels — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Area residents interested in the current status of the Fremont Community Solar Farm project have two upcoming opportunities to receive updates about what all the approximately $2 million project entails.

From 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, those gathering at Keene Memorial Library will listen to City Administrator Brian Newton, along with Michael Shonka, another Nebraska solar power advocate, speak about various topics surrounding the Fremont project and solar energy as a whole.

Those unable to attend the Thursday conversation are invited to attend a Smart Energy Talks Nebraska presentation happening from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha inside of the Milo Bail Student Center. The panel discussion will focus on the importance of renewable energy in communities and the challenges and benefits of electric vehicles on the grid.

Newton said that he was invited to talk primarily because Fremont’s Community Solar Farm offers a unique opportunity that the dozen-or-so others scattered around the state of Nebraska do not.

What is unique about Fremont’s 1.5 megawatt, 5,000 panel farm, is that those utilizing the farm’s energy have the choice to buy actual panels on the farm, or to avoid a long-term commitment and upfront payment by subscribing to blocks of the panel’s monthly energy output.

The farm, which sold out in 7 weeks, is comprised of 180 residential customers and approximately 20 commercial customers. There is a pretty even mix among people who subscribed to blocks of energy output and those who purchased panels at an upfront cost of $180 per panel for a 20-year term – the approximate life of the solar farm.

The farm is currently under construction on a 10-acre plot of land located south of Jack Sutton Drive. All customers utilizing the plot had the chance to purchase solar shares that would cover up to 80 percent of their used Kilowatt hours.

On average, residential customers in Fremont use about 1200 KW hours monthly, Newton said. Those who purchased panels have an estimate return on their investment in approximately 9 years. While there is a slightly elevated monthly utility cost, there were up-front benefits to purchasing panels.

“The reason a lot of people decided to buy the panels is because they get 30-percent back on the $180 panel price the first year because of the investment tax credit,” Newton said.

Newton said that a majority of people he’s spoken with elected to get involved with the solar farm because it has a positive impact on the environment. But with that being said, it also makes some business sense.

“It’s a lock on their energy for 20 years, and a lot of people said, ‘wow, that’s a good deal, where else can I lock in my energy price for 20 years?,’” he said. “So it made business sense to them, too.”

Currently, approximately 70 customers are on the waiting list to get involved with the next phase of the Community solar Farm, Newton said.

As best as he knows, Fremont has the only solar farm in Nebraska that gives people the choice to purchase panels or to subscribe to blocks of energy output.

“I don’t want to say that we are the early adopters, or that we are on the bleeding edge, but I certainly think we are on the leading edge,” Newton said. “And that’s thanks to the Utility and Infrastructure Board and City Council for wanting to diversify some of our energy. You’ve got to have leaders that believe in this first before you can even offer it.”

Source: fremonttribune.com

Canada Methane Emissions Far Worse Than Feared

19.10.2017

zagađenje vazduha, termoelektrane, — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Canadian oil and gas industry could be emitting methane at rates 25 to 50 percent higher than official estimates, according to new research.

A study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology compared measurements taken from airplane surveys of fossil fuel infrastructure in Alberta to emissions reported by industry—which is only required to report intentional emissions from flaring, and not estimate leaked emissions—and other figures.

“Our first reaction was ‘Oh my goodness, this is a really big deal,'” study author Matthew Johnson told the Guardian. “If we thought it was bad, it’s worse.” Alberta, Canada’s top fossil fuel-producing province, has set a goal of reducing methane emissions 45 percent by 2025—a target researchers say could be severely compromised by the study’s findings.

As reported by the Guardian:
“Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defence described the findings as alarming. ‘The methane gas currently being wasted would supply almost all the natural gas needs of Alberta, and is worth $530m per year,’ Dale Marshall of the organisation said in a statement. ‘This represents an economic cost for governments in the form of lost royalties and taxes, and for industry in terms of revenue.’

Marshall pointed to the readily available solutions for controlling leaks and intentional releases of methane gas, portraying them as some of lowest cost strategies available to reduce carbon emissions.”

Source: ecowatch.com

SunPower To Supply 505 Megawatts In First & Second Round Of French Tenders For Solar Projects

19.10.2017

One of the world’s leading solar manufacturers, SunPower, has revealed this week that it will provide 505 megawatts worth of products in the first and second round of French energy regulator CRE’s tenders for solar projects, more than any other solar panel manufacturer.

SunPower announced on Wednesday that it will supply 291 megawatts (MW) worth of solar panels to projects awarded in the recently-announced second round of French energy regulator CRE fourth tender (CRE-4), which will include ground mount, carport, and rooftop projects in continental France, as well as storage and self-consumption in the country’s ZNI (non-interconnected zones).

“With these awards, the total capacity of SunPower solar panels supplied to ground, carport and rooftop, and ZNI projects awarded in this year’s first and second round tender process is 505 megawatts, more than any other solar panel brand,” said SunPower Executive Vice President Peter Aschenbrenner. “SunPower solar panels deliver cost-competitive power and proven long-term reliability, and we are proud to play a significant role in serving France’s goals for clean, renewable solar power.”

This second round of CRE-4 joins the 214 MW that SunPower will provide to projects awarded in the first round of CRE-4.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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