European Union Reaffirms Commitment To Helping Pacific Islands Deal With Climate Change

06.07.2017

Climate-changes — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The European Union has reaffirmed its full commitment this week to helping the Pacific Islands and territories deal with the negative impacts of climate change, further reiterating the European Union’s recent moves to publicly confirm the importance of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The move came at the inaugural meeting of the Climate Action Pacific Partnership held in Suva, Fiji, over the 3rd and 4th of July, which was organized in recognition of the need to support and strengthen the participation of Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) in the global transition to a low-carbon economy and increase their participation in the global climate agenda. These P-SIDS states are made up of Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and my own country, and Papua New Guinea.

Out of the event held in Fiji earlier this week came key recommendations including the need to mainstream climate risk considerations and resilience across all policies, as well as in public and private investment and financing strategies.

The Pacific Island leaders also adopted a “Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP): an integrated approach to Climate Change and Disaster.” The Framework is designed to provide “high level strategic guidance to different stakeholder groups on how to enhance resilience to climate change and disasters, in ways that contribute to and are embedded in sustainable development.” The EU will thereby support this Framework and its implementation as well as “support the development of innovative approaches for linking climate actions taken by the public and private sectors and by civil society.” The P-SIDS leaders committed themselves to the Paris Agreement and the scientific basis behind the Agreement in a Statement published on Wednedsay.

Additionally, and speaking specifically to the danger of climate change, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced that his country has offered to provide permanent refuge to the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu, two of the most climate-vulnerable Pacific nations, in the event that their atolls are subsumed by rising sea waters caused by climate change.

Looking at the role of the European Union, it is unsurprising that they have taken such a leading role, not just to continue an existing leadership role that the EU has been very proud of — and which is mirrored in the low-carbon transition in evidence in many large and small EU Member States — but to hit out at the move made by US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his country out of the Paris Climate Agreement.

In the wake of the move, the European Union has repeatedly committed to reaffirm its support of the Paris Climate Agreement. In May, the EU, alongside 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, committed to defend and implement the Agreement, and a month later all the leaders of the European Union and its various presidents all reaffirmed their strong commitment to the Paris Agreement, and their desire to “swiftly and fully” implement the goals therein.

Additionally, and maybe most interestingly, we reported last week that German Chancellor Angela Merkel — arguably the EU’s most prominent leader and proponent — has made it clear she will likely confront the United States President over his isolationist policies, in particular the impact these policies have on global climate issues.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Greenpeace: Renewables to Undercut All Other Forms of Power Across the G20 by 2030

06.07.2017

Renewables have been cheaper or equal in price to power from new coal or nuclear plants in around half of G20 countries since 2015, according to a new Greenpeace commissioned report, which predicts wind and solar power will outcompete all alternatives across the whole G20 by 2030.

The study, which was carried out by the Finnish Lappeenranta University of Technology, analyses electricity generations costs in all G20 countries from 2015 to 2030.

It found that onshore wind farms already undercut traditional power sources in large parts of Europe, South America, the US, China and Australia. It also argues that solar costs are falling so fast that the technology will undercut all other forms of power generation, including onshore wind by 2030.

The report cites growing evidence that renewables can outcompete new fossil fuel plants and nuclear projects in a growing number of countries.

“Last year, this average levelised cost of generating power from solar worldwide dropped 17 per cent, onshore wind power costs dropped 18 per cent and offshore wind power costs fell by 28 per cent according to a report commissioned by UNEP and BNEF,” the report states.

“Furthermore, in many countries RE has begun to undercut all other sources of new power generating capacity, with unsubsidised prices falling tonearly €26/MWh for a wind power project in Morocco and a bid of €24/MWh was made for a solar power plant in Abu Dhabi last year.”

Experts are increasingly confident that renewables costs are falling so fast they can still outcompete fossil fuels even when associated grid upgrade and balancing costs are considered.

The report follows a separate recent study from BNEF, which predicted renewables would provide nearly half of global power capacity by 2040 as wind and solar costs continue to fall sharply.

The analyst firm predicted solar power costs are set to fall a further 66 per cent by 2040, while onshore wind energy costs are expected to fall 47 per cent.

Greenpeace Germany energy expert Tobias Austrup said the latest study should come as a wake-up call for world leaders gathering for this weekend’s G20 Summit in Hamburg.

“There can be no excuses anymore. Climate protection increasingly makes economic sense across the G20 as renewable energy becomes cheaper than dirty coal and nuclear,” he said. “Any G20 country that is still investing in coal and nuclear power plants is wasting their money on technology that will not be competitive in coming years. The G20 now has a responsibility to send a clear signal that accelerating the clean energy transition is not only the right thing to do for the climate, but also for the economy.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Report: Green Gas Could Now Power One Million Homes

06.07.2017

Anaerobic digestion (AD) plants across the UK now produce enough green gas to power more than a million homes, according to an industry report released today by the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA).

Capacity has jumped 18 per cent over the last year, the report found, bringing total AD capacity to 730MW (energy equivalent) with annual generation coming in at 10.7TWh of energy each year.

Improvements to operational performance, such as more consistent feedstocks, has also boosted load factors from 69 per cent to 73 per cent over the past year.

However, ADBA chief executive Charlotte Morton said the industry could do so much more if further government support was provided. “While it’s encouraging that the new government has committed to the Paris Agreement and to meeting the UK’s Carbon Budgets, there is currently a desperate lack of long-term policy support for AD, particularly in heat and transport, areas where AD can make a significant contribution to decarbonisation,” she said in a statement.

“While there are 437 AD plants in the planning stage, most of these are unlikely to be built without stronger government support for AD. This is a huge wasted opportunity – the government needs to act now to provide both short and long-term certainty for the AD industry to enable it to deliver the green energy the government urgently needs both to meet its legally binding climate change targets and for the UK’s energy security.”

ADBA claims policy uncertainty, from delays in updating the Renewable Heat Incentive to cuts in the Feed-in Tariff, is already having an impact on the number of new plants coming online. Between 50 and 80 plants were commissioned in 2016, but that number is projected to fall to between 19 and 64 this year due to policy uncertainty, the trade body warned.

Source: businessgreen.com

Pakistan to Produce 2,050MW Wind Power

05.07.2017

Wind-turbine — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Wind power generation capacity in Pakistan increasing rapidly as 13 projects with a cumulative installed capacity of around 650 MW have been installed and commissioned whereas 25 projects with cumulative capacity of around 1400 MW are in various stages of implementation.

Pakistan is developing wind power plants in Jhimpir, Gharo, Keti Bandar and Bin Qasim in Sindh as the cheap and environmental-friendly wind energy is gaining popularity. Alternative Energy Development Board of Pakistan has identified two wind corridors (of Jhimpir and Gharo) in the province of Sindh while the estimated potential for these two corridors is more than 50,000 MW.

On Monday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has granted another generation license to wind power plant.

The Nepra granted generation license to the Iran-Pak Wind Power (pvt.) Limited (IPWPPL) for its wind farm with installed capacity of 49.50 MW located at Tapo Junqshahi, District Thatta, Sindh.

Main sponsor of the project include SUNIR (Iran Power & Water Equipment and Services Export Company) of the Islamic Republic of Iran whereas the minor sponsors include the Planet Group and the Tufail group of Pakistan.

SUNIR is an Iranian group company, constituted of 24 independent companies involved in manufacturing of a wide range of different equipment & a rich experience of engineering services & consultancy in water & electricity industries. Since its establishment in 1994, SUNIR has successfully performed a wide range of activities in more than 18 countries.

Energy Department of Government of Sindh issued Letter of Intent (Lol) for development of the project and also allocated to the sponsors 1250 acres of land in the Jhimpir wind corridor at Deh Kohistan 7/3 Tapo Jungshahi, Taluka & District Thatta, in the province of Sindh for setting up an approximately 50.00 MW generation facility/Wind Power Plant/Wind Farm.

For the implementation of the project, the sponsors have incorporated a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) in the name of IPWPPL.

The proposed project is based on Renewable Energy (RE) source and does not cause pollution as in the case of conventional power plants. However, the Nepra considers that the construction and operation of the generation facility/Wind Power Plant/VVind Farm may cause soil pollution and noise pollution. In this regard, the IPWPPL also carried out the Initial Environment Examination and submitted the same for the consideration and approval of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Government of Sindh while EPA has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the construction of the project.

The IPWPLL’s wind power plant will achieve Commercial Operation Date by June 30, 2019 and will have a useful life of more than twenty (20) years.

Source: dailytimes.com.pk

Proposed Wind Farm Off the Coast Could Generate 1,000 Megawatts

05.07.2017

A major wind power project aims to capture the Central Coast’s wind and turn it into electricity. Trident Winds proposes to build a wind farm of 60 to 100 turbines off the coast, from Cayucos to north of Piedras Blancas.

Trident Winds founder Alla Weinstein presented her Seattle-based company’s case for the project June 20 at the Veterans Memorial Building. Before founding Trident, she led the company that developed the WindFloat floating foundation for deep-water offshore installations.

“Demand for energy continues to grow,” she said. “A convergence of factors leads to a need for more renewable energy. The technology is maturing.”

Weinstein said the project would be more than 20 miles offshore, to catch the winds and be out of sight, except from high on Hearst Castle’s hilltop, when lights would probably be seen at night. Together, the 600-foot-tall turbines would produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity. That power would reach the mainland through underwater transmission lines to the PG&E substation in Morro Bay.

The turbines would be tethered to the ocean floor by cables. The area targeted was chosen after weighing the overlapping interests in the area, from fishing grounds to the Point Mugu Missile Range, which impinges on part of the proposed site, and the fiber-optic cable corridor off Los Osos and Morro Bay.

It is outside the boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, but in the migration path of gray and blue whales, elephant seals and other marine mammals. Pelagic birds might not be affected as much as land birds, which frequently fly into the whirling windmill blades on land.

“They navigate by changes in pressure, so they alter their route to fly around the turbines,” Weinstein said. “Pelagic birds are smarter than land birds.”

Environmental organizations filed comments to the initial request, posted on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s website.

Weinstein said the wind off California’s coast represents a potential 112-gigawatt resource, compared to the two gigawatts that Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant produces. According to the California Energy Commission, wind power is projected to fill some of the requirement for 50 percent of California’s Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015, which requires the state to get half of its electrical power from renewable energy sources by 2030. If everything falls into place — the project is subject to 33 permits and leases — it could be operational in 2025, Weinstein said.

Trident was the first company to apply for a lease to build a wind farm off the Central Coast. The land it would be leasing is in federal waters, so the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is the responsible agency. Statoil, a Norwegian energy company, has since applied to compete for the lease. Weinstein’s presentation was a voluntary effort by Trident. Statoil has not yet offered to make its case to the public.

County Supervisor Bruce Gibson serves on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management California Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, the panel of federal, state, local agencies and tribal governments collecting information to advise on decisions about future offshore renewable energy development in federal waters offshore California. He introduced Weinstein.

“The time is right for taking a look at energy offshore,” he said.

Source: sanluisobispo.com

Solar Tops Poll of Most Desired Smart Home Technologies

05.07.2017

Clean energy delivered by solar and battery storage systems has emerged as one of the most popular smart home solutions on the market, with 44 per cent of people saying they would like at least one of the technologies installed in their home by the end of the decade.

More than a third of people said they would want smart lighting installed, while 20 per cent opted for a voice-controlled smart hub and 13 per cent want to install a charging point for an electric car, according to a new survey released today by energy supplier E.ON.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll in April on behalf of E.ON, questioned 2,000 UK homeowners and found almost 73 per cent have already adopted some kind of smart home technology, from digital photo albums to smart thermostats.

Respondents cited saving money and becoming more energy efficient as some of the key drivers for installing smart technologies.

“It’s really heartening that three quarters of households have already taken steps to make their homes smarter,” Gavin Stokes, head of commercial solutions at E.ON UK, said in a statement. “But with a quarter of people saying they’re yet to take steps to make their homes more solutions-savvy, there’s still much we can do to help people realise the benefits a smarter lifestyle can bring.”

Solar may have emerged as a clear technology favourite, but the survey also found a patchy level of understanding about how the technology works.

Almost a fifth of those surveyed believe solar panels only generate electricity when it is sunny, while one in 10 people think solar panels do not work in colder climates – both common myths about the technology that developers and installers have struggled to dispel.

The survey comes as solar-plus-storage solutions are beginning to make their way onto the mainstream market. Firms including E.ON, Moixa, LG Chem, Tesla, North Star Solar, and MEP Werke are all offering solar-plus-storage solutions to domestic energy customers, with studies suggesting half of all EU citizens could be generating their own energy by 2050.

Advocates of the technology maintain it can maximise financial returns and emissions savings from solar installations and also potentially allow households and businesses to sell grid balancing services to grid operators. Providers of solar-storage systems are also increasingly confident that as costs fall the technology offering can prove attractive to customers without recourse to subsidies.

In related news, E.ON this week announced new plans to drive the growth of clean energy across its businesses with the creation of its own procurement and marketing functions for the German, British and Swedish markets. The teams will focus on purchasing power and gas for customers and marketing the production from renewable sources, E.ON said.

Source: businessgreen.com

ALEKSANDRA TOMIC: The Introduction of Energy Managers a Big Step Forward for Serbia

05.07.2017

In late September 2016, a conference on “Energy efficiency in public buildings in Serbia” was held at the hotel Metropol and was organized by GIZ, Ministry of Energy and Mining and the Faculty of Architecture. At this meeting, we learned more about the methodology of collecting and processing data on public buildings and comprehensiveness of this project, keeping in mind that in the last 20 years there were no investments in Serbian cities.

Among the speakers was also Ms. Aleksandra Tomic, PhD, who addressed the conference on behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. We talked to her in the building of the National Assembly, in the luxurious ambience of one of the three buildings that thanks to Ms. Tomic got an energy passport. The reason for our conversation is newly formed, informal parliamentary group called Serbian Parliamentary Energy Policy Forum. Ms. Tomic is the President of this group.

EP: The project “Energy efficiency in public buildings in Serbia” that GIZ supports is important for Serbia in terms of restoring public buildings, municipalities, schools and hospitals on the local level. You are involved in this project on behalf of the Parliament, so tell us what is the existing situation like and whether, in your opinion, the project can improve the situation on the local level.

Aleksandra Tomic: Within the cooperation between the German GIZ and NARS (National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia), which was established for monitoring implementation of the Law on the Rational Use of Energy, which the Serbian Parliament adopted on March 15th 2013, with particular emphasis on energy efficiency in buildings, Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy formed a Subcommittee to deal with these issues. Therefore, our cooperation lasts from 2013.

The Committee, which I chaired then realized that issues relating energy should be pointed out and set aside for the public to hear the truth about energy policies of all political actors in the world. Here, I have in mind EU countries and countries of the region in the first place, because they are an integral part of the political relations of the countries we cooperate with. Therefore, we have always been active participants in GIZ projects. In that way, we realistically represented all entities who seek for new legislation as MPs.

The relationship with local governments is an inseparable part of functioning of MPs, the Committee and NARS, with a special emphasis on the implementation of the new laws. They are not only the obligation of the authorities on the national level, but also authorities on the local level. GIZ really invested a lot of effort and the results are visible. However, the needs are much greater, because it is obvious that nothing has been done for 20 years in this area until 2012.

EP: Tell us more about the activities of the Serbian Parliamentary Energy Policy Forum that you lead. You have effective international activity, such as the Conference Bioenergy held on November 18th, 2016 in Belgrade. Also, you have plans for exchange with the German Parliament in June 2017. Why are these experiences important for us and whether the implementation of solutions from developed countries is possible in our legal system and energy?

Aleksandra Tomic: Serbian Parliamentary Energy Policy Forum is an informal parliamentary group which at this Assembly consists of 15 MPs. Meanwhile, another 14 MPs from several parliamentary groups submitted a request for membership. The Forum has 10 permanent members from the group consisting of 90 non-parliamentary members from other institutions: universities, companies, civil society organizations and the media. The activities of the Forum do not replace the activities of other institutions, but they are complementary. The Forum organizes events where the key actors in the energy sector meet, inform each other and discuss all the issues in the energy sector. Given the fact that MPs pass laws, open dialogue is necessary with all the actors who enable MPs to make decisions based on quality information that reflect numerous points of view. In this context, the meetings of Serbian Parliamentary Energy Policy Forum, is the place where all local, state, regional, European and other international actors in this field meet.

During these meetings, they exchange information and express opinions. In the last Assembly from 2014 to 2016, we had seven meetings and several conferences and other activities where we discussed
various issues. Some of these issues concern the possibility of using biomass for energy purposes, possible models of funding energy efficiency in buildings, as well as the topic in the field of mining and mining-geological research. Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia until 2025, with projections until 2030, we have considered at five simultaneously held panels, on which many journalists participated. Each participant had the opportunity to express their opinion, ask questions and participate in the discussion and the result is our recommendations of the
Forum that we submitted to the Ministry of Mining and Energy and published on the website of the National Assembly.

Clearly shaping energy policy objectives and creating opportunities for their achievement is a necessary perquisite for ensuring the economic development of Serbia. There is no economic development without good energy policy. Adequate setting of the targets enables the reduction of poverty, affects the increase in employment and the health of the nation. In a country like ours, with limited energy resources, limited human resources and without the ability to significantly influence global politics, it is not an easy task. A good energy policy enables a rational and efficient use of our limited resources, provides the ability to earn money, as well as heating and transport. I must say that events like conference COP21 influence the eventual review of the goals set forth in the Energy Strategy, which we adopted at the beginning of December 2015, and the objectives of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development we will have to revise as soon as possible.

EP: You have been involved in the preparation of energy passports for three significant buildings in Belgrade. How do you assess last year’s introduction of Energy Managers in the management system in our country, and the necessity of making energy passports?

Aleksandra Tomic: One of the results of the work of the Committee and Subcommittee, which I mentioned earlier, is also creation of energy passports for three most important buildings in Belgrade, which was conducted by the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade based on the cooperation between GIZ and NARS. Buildings that have received energy passports are the edifice of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Presidency of Serbia and the Palace of Serbia. These are the initial documents, without which you cannot start doing anything precise in the direction of reducing energy consumption. The introduction of Energy Managers in the system is a major step forward for Serbia. They are essential because they provide support to local governments in terms of personnel, in order to start developing energy passports for all the buildings owned by the Republic or local authorities. Regional Chamber of Commerce provides the assistance in obtaining certification of Energy Managers, which makes the inclusion of the economy in improving the process of introducing energy efficiency much higher. Otherwise, the law that introduced the function of Energy Managers in the system is a part of the EU standards, and this occupation is also considered to be one of the most popular and highest-paid not only in the EU but also in the world. If we want to reduce budget costs and increase public expenditure, and to use energy more rationally, this is a sure path to economic development of Serbia.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

This text was originally published in our bulletin number 7 – Energy Efficiency, on April 1th.

Philips Lighting Flicks Switch on Gulf’s First Major Renewables Certificates Deal

05.07.2017

Interest in securing 100 per cent renewable power has stepped up a gear in the Gulf region, with the news Philips Lighting has become the first major global corporate to purchase renewable power in the region using the International REC (I-REC) Standard.

The standard allows companies to secure single-use certificates outside Europe and North America that prove that for each 1MWh of power they use 1MWh of renewable energy has been produced and delivered associated environmental benefits.

The scheme allows companies operating in countries where no similar documentation scheme exists to purchase renewable power in line with criteria that have been backed by the RE100 initiative, The Climate Group, and CDP.

Philips Lighting worked with consultancy ECOHZ to purchase traceable renewable power through the scheme from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA’s) Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

The renewable energy certificates will be issued by the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon) that has recently been appointed as the local I-REC issuer for the United Arab Emirates.

Nicola Kimm, head of sustainability, environment, health and safety at Philips Lighting, said the deal would support the company’s goal to become ‘carbon neutral’ by 2020.

“Through the sales of our energy efficient lighting, we contribute to reducing lighting’s share of all global electricity consumption from the current 15 per cent level to eight per cent in 2030. However, this alone is not enough,” she said. “To keep our planet on course with the Paris agreement to mitigate climate change, we must fully switch to renewable sources of electricity.”

Tom Lindberg, managing director at ECOHZ, predicted that renewables developers in the Gulf region could soon see growing demand for their power. “Currently, around one per cent of electricity in the Gulf region is generated from renewable sources,” he said. “Looking at the great interest in renewable energy from multinationals operating in the region, this is not enough. Philips Lighting is taking a bold first mover step and is a great example of how corporate action can show this demand for traceable, credible renewable electricity.”

The landmark deal was also welcomed by Sam Kimmins at The Climate Group, which heads up the RE100 initiative that has seen nearly 100 high profile firms commit to sourcing 100 per cent renewable power.

“Going 100 per cent renewable makes business sense, and solutions are available – wherever operations are based,” he said. “Together, RE100 members are creating change, and accelerating progress to a low carbon economy.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Huge N.C. Wind Farm May Be Suspended

04.07.2017

Vetropark, Njiva, kukuruz — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Months after reaffirming its commitment in eastern North Carolina, Virginia’s Apex Clean Energy is preparing for the ramifications of a wind moratorium in North Carolina.

Kevin Chandler, spokesman for Apex Clean Energy, which is planning a 105-turbine project in North Carolina, confirms the firm may be suspending its investment plans.

“An 18-month delay coupled with the near-certainty of additional red tap means we will almost certainly have to suspend Timbermill Wind if House Bill 589 becomes law,” Chandler said in an email.

Timbermill Wind, the name given to the project planned for Perquimans and Chowan counties, was to be the state’s second utility-scale wind farm, after an Avangrid-developed project near Elizabeth City that’s already spinning and creating power for Amazon.

“It’s unfortunate that a small number of elected officials were able to hijack what should have been a bright moment for clean energy in North Carolina,” Chandler writes, adding that the measure, House Bill 589, “threatens private property rights and jeopardizes hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in rural economies.” He adds that the moratorium, added in an evening committee weeks after the original bill had been passed in the House, “sends a clear signal that wind energy is not welcome in North Carolina while selfishly seeking to divide the renewables industry.”

“This is not the behavior of a pro-business, pro-property rights legislature,” he writes.

A small group of legislators have repeatedly tried to pass wind moratoriums and regulations that would add additional scrutiny to project approvals. The latest attempt by Sen. Harry Brown (R-Jones, Onslow) was to add the wind moratorium language to an existing energy bill – a compromise measure Duke Energy had reached with the solar industry. Until last week, it didn’t include any language at all involving wind energy. In an evening committee, Brown added an addendum calling for a moratorium while research was conducted on wind farms’ impact to military operations in the state.

Source: bizjournals.com

1.5 Million Volunteers Plant 66 Million Trees in 12 Hours, Breaking Guinness World Record

04.07.2017

Šuma, Drveće — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh set a new Guinness World Record on Sunday after 1.5 million volunteers planted more than 66 million tree saplings in just 12 hours along the Narmada river.

The effort bested the state of Uttar Pradesh’s previous record-breaking feat, when 800,000 participants planted 50 million trees in one day in July 2016.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, boasted the achievement: “I am extremely proud to happily share that people of Madhya Pradesh successfully planted 6.63 Crore saplings today.” One crore is 10 million.

According to a press release for the occasion, the aim of the mass-planting event was to raise awareness for the nation’s “make India green again” plan. At the Paris climate conference, India pledged to increase forest cover to 95 million hectares (235 million acres) by year 2030 and is putting $6.2 billion towards the effort.

“I am greatly indebted to all who are planting trees today,” Chouhan also told India.com. “We will be contributing significantly in saving nature. By participating in a plantation, people are contributing their bit to climate change initiatives and saving the environment.”

Source: ecowatch.com

London Bridge Rail Upgrade Delivers 113 Per Cent Biodiversity Boost

04.07.2017

railroad-tracks — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A multi-billion pound rail upgrade project might not be the most obvious place to look for biodiversity benefits, but according to Network Rail the high profile overhaul of London Bridge has led to a massive boost in biodiversity levels in the surrounding area.

The company announced yesterday that the Bermondsey Dive Under part of the huge upgrade project has led to a 113 per cent in biodiversity in the local area, thanks to the deployment of new wildflower embankments and green walls.

The Dive Under is part of a joint project by Network Rail, Skanska, and Ramboll designed to streamline the tracks running in to London Bridge, reducing delays and increasing the number of trains that can use the station at peak times.

Two new lines using the junction will come into use this summer and commuters will be able to see how a range of design innovations have helped to revitalise biodiversity in the area.

Prior to the start of the project in 2012, the Bermondsey site had “limited botanical diversity and low conservation value”, according to Network Rail, with the area blighted by Japanese Knotweed and debris from previous tenants that had led to soils that were “heavily contaminated” with asbestos and hydrocarbons.

The project removed over 21,900 tonnes of contaminated material and eradicated the Japanese Knotweed. It then undertook a programme of wildflower planting and installed 765 square metres of green walls under arches and access ramps.

The company said the planting had created “green corridors and stepping stones to the wider area, leaving a fantastic legacy both environmentally and aesthetically for the local community”. It added that the programme had led to a doubling of biodiversity in the area.

The update was provided yesterday as the company confirmed it had been awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating under the CEEQUAL international infrastructure sustainability assessment, after securing a score of over 96 per cent for the project.

“The fantastic score of 96.6 per cent is the result of our collaborative way of working to not only protect but enhance the environment and the community whilst delivering this complex project,” said Gerardo Austria, consents and sustainability manager at Network Rail.

Charl de Kock, project manager, Skanska, said the score was a result of the early work the companies did to ensure sustainability was a top priority for the project.

“We were able to achieve this excellent CEEQUAL score due to us embedding a sustainable approach from the design stage through to the delivery of the project,” he said. “This success is testament to the commitment to sustainability from our client, Network Rail, our design partner, Ramboll, and all our other contracting partners and supply chain.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Golf Course Goes Solar

04.07.2017

In a move designed to cut its monthly bill for electricity in half, Tracy Golf and Country Club is installing an extensive solar energy system scheduled to go on line within the next month.

The cost of electricity from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. — averaging more than $100,000 annually — is a major operational cost for the club, which, like many other golf courses, is trying new strategies to stay in business, explained Chris Jones, chairman of the TGCC board of directors’ facilities committee.

“Reducing the cost of electricity by half is huge for us at a time when every cent counts,” Jones said. “The club is making every effort to remain a recreational asset for the Tracy area, but it is a challenge at a time when not as many people are playing golf.”

Electricity, mostly required to run pumps at the course’s two deep wells that supply water for irrigation, is one of two major costs of operating the 18-hole course opened in 1956 at the south end of Chrisman Road.

The other large ongoing cost is maintaining the playing areas, and a new contract negotiated with Sierra Golf Management of Chowchilla has already reduced that cost, Jones said. The solar energy project is the second phase of TGCC’s cost reduction program inaugurated in recent months.

The 688 solar panels are being installed in three rows at the center of the course by 1st Light Energy of Manteca, which has installed similar solar energy networks at other golf courses.

The project is being mortgage financed, so there is no large upfront cost, explained Lisa Loscavio, a TGCC director in charge of golf operations.

Over 25 years, the cost savings of the solar power project could reach $1.8 million, she reported.

“Finances for us, as for many other golf courses, are a major challenge,” she said. “Before the recession hit in a decade ago, we had 400 proprietary members; now we have only 60 and need more.”

An equal number of nonproprietary members, limited in the days they can play, helps bring in additional revenue, and three years ago, the club moved from being a members-only golf course to actively soliciting nonmember outside play through websites and other media.

The number of nonmembers paying course and cart fees has gradually increased, and efforts are in place to further increase outside play, Loscavio reported.

Use of the course for fundraising golf tournaments for nonprofit organizations is being encouraged, and the restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch, is open to the public, as is the bar.

Three high schools — Tracy, West and Kimball — use the course for boys and girls team practice sessions, match play with other schools, and tournaments. The course is also working with the city of Tracy to conduct clinics for beginning golfers.

The Tracy Chamber of Commerce touts the course as one of the recreational attractions in the Tracy area, and home builders point out the course’s location near new subdivisions being constructed or planned.

With construction of the solar panels nearing completion, inspections by the county and PG&E are the final steps that could lead to the beginning of power generation as soon as the end of the month.

Source: goldenstatenewspapers.com

Dominion Energy Buys Virginia Solar Power Facility, Plans to Purchase Another

04.07.2017

Solarni paneli — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Dominion Energy acquired Clarke County Solar, a 10 MW solar power facility in Clarke County, Va., from the project’s developer, an affiliate of Chicago-based Hecate Energy.

The company also announced plans to purchase a 20 MW solar farm under construction in Northampton County, Virginia – also from developer Hecate Energy – in the third quarter of 2017.

With these additions, Dominion Energy’s solar portfolio would include 25 facilities in 23 Virginia localities with about 409 MW of solar generating capacity, which can produce enough power to serve more than 100,000 typical homes and business around the state. Dominion Energy could also add at least 5,200 MW of solar in Virginia over the next 25 years to meet its customers’ energy needs.

“Dominion Energy is pleased to aid in the expansion of solar power in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Thomas F. Farrell, II, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion Energy. “We see great promise in clean solar energy and believe it will be an ever-increasing portion of our company’s fuel mix over the decades to come.”

Clarke County Solar, located on a 117-acre parcel of land in White Post, Va., has entered service, and was acquired by a unit of Dominion Generation, Inc., a unit of Dominion Energy. That unit also has agreed to purchase upon completion the Cherrydale facility on 180 acres in Kendall Grove, Va., in Northampton County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

That transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017. Nearly 300 jobs have been created during peak construction of the Clarke County and Cherrydale projects. DEPCOM Power, Inc., has served as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor.

Long-term power purchase agreements for both projects are in place with Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) for the offtake from these facilities.

ODEC and Dominion Energy unit Dominion Energy Virginia are partners in two other generating facilities in Virginia – North Anna Power Station and Clover Power Station.

Dominion Energy has more than 2,000 MW of solar generating capacity – including company-owned assets and assets that are contracted by Dominion Energy units serving Dominion Energy customers – in operation or under development in nine states.

Source: elp.com

City of Edmonds Becomes 1st in Washington to Commit to 100% Renewables

03.07.2017

The city of Edmonds in Washington has committed to a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100 per cent clean and renewable energy by 2025.

The resolution was approved in the Edmonds City Council on Tuesday 27 June, making Edmonds the first city or town in the state of Washington to commit to 100 per cent renewable energy and the 37th city in the U.S. to make such a commitment – according to the Sierra Club.

Earlier in June, the cities of Sarasota in Florida, and Columbia in South Carolina, became the 35th and 36th cities in the country to make the pledge.

The news of Edmonds’ commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy came just days after the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously approved a historic resolution that would see cities across the country transition to 100 per cent renewable energy within two decades.

In 2015, around 10 per cent of Edmond’s energy came from nuclear sources, with small amount of coal and natural gas (less than 2 per cent) likely included, the Sierra Club said.

Edmonds Councilman Mike Nelson, who amended the resolution to make the 100 per cent clean energy commitment, said in a statement: “The majority of harmful greenhouse gas emissions come from cities, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Whether you are a small city, like Edmonds, or a large city, the infrastructure is in place to shift to clean, renewable energy. We hope every city in our State joins us and flips the switch to renewable energy.”

Other cities in the U.S. committing to 100 per cent renewables include: Santa Barbara, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Madison, Wisconsin; Abita Springs in Louisiana; Pueblo, Colorado; and Moab, Utah.

According to the Sierra Club, if all the cities belonging to the U.S. Conference of Mayors were to adopt 100 per cent renewable energy, they could cut carbon dioxide emission by 619 million metric tonnes, equivalent to the emissions of around 180 coal-fired power plants.

Source: climateactionprogramme.org

Space Shades Malta’s Solar Power Push

03.07.2017

Millions of people flock to Malta to get roasted by the intense sun, but the Mediterranean island struggles to hit its solar power goals.

Despite being one of the EU’s sunniest countries, Malta doesn’t have a lot of space. With 413,000 people crammed into only 316 square kilometers — the densest population in the EU — it’s difficult to find enough space to set up solar panels.

Malta must triple its solar power capacity by the end of the decade to meet its renewable energy targets, but it also has to make sure its solar power projects aren’t so ugly or intruding that they scare off lucrative tourists or cover up the country’s limited amount of agricultural land.

Overall, Malta is supposed to have 10 percent of its energy come from renewables by 2020, and its sluggish pace is alarming the European Commission, which called on the government “to assess whether their policies and tools are sufficient and effective in meeting their renewable energy objectives.”

In 2015, only 5 percent of Malta’s energy came from renewable sources, one of the lowest shares in the EU. Of that, only 30 percent came from photovoltaics, or PV, while 13.4 percent came from solar water heaters, said Daniel Azzopardi, the CEO of the Energy and Water Agency, the body that implements government energy policies. The rest came from biofuels.

“We are blessed with a very high solar index, however we are unlucky when it comes to geography,” Azzopardi said.

Wind power isn’t a viable option because Maltese waters get very deep very quickly, a hurdle for offshore wind towers. Environmental concerns also played a big role in closing the door on the technology — a planned offshore wind farm was scrapped after an assessment found it would harm marine life. Onshore wind farms could have interfered with the island’s international airport, according to Malta’s updated renewable energy action plan.

Despite the lack of space, solar is the government’s best bet to meet its end-of-decade target.

The drive to expand renewables is part of a broader transformation of Malta’s energy mix — something that’s a challenge for islands in general. During its presidency of the Council of the EU, which ends Friday, Malta spearheaded an initiative to encourage the promotion of clean energy on islands.

Its work is in its infancy: 14 EU countries signed a political declaration in Valletta at the end of May calling for the establishment of a forum of government officials, investors, civil society groups and universities meant to help islands access renewable energy.

Until recently, Malta was isolated from the European power grid, almost completely dependent on oil to power its electricity plants and heat its homes.

It began receiving liquefied natural gas at the beginning of this year through a new LNG terminal and is now linked up to the Sicilian electricity grid through a €182 million connector that went online in 2015. A gas pipeline to Sicily is also in the works.

Malta’s total installed solar power capacity at the end of last year accounted for about 90 megawatts, or about 1.5 percent of its energy. The goal is to ramp that up to 4.7 percent by the end of the decade — or almost half of its total renewables energy target — according to Malta’s national renewable energy plan, which was first adopted in 2010, then completely revamped and adopted again earlier this year.

Malta “has a tremendous opportunity, but has not fulfilled it yet,” said James Watson, the CEO of Solar Power Europe, an industry lobby group in Brussels.

Residential roofs provide another option, but drone footage over Malta shows rows of houses with Mediterranean-style flat roofs, with only the occasional glint of a solar installation.

That’s because closely packed houses are different heights, so one building often shades the roof of another.

“If my neighbor decided to build another building 10 meters higher than mine, my panels will be in the shade,” said Mark Bajada, managing director of Bajada Energy, which controls 40 percent of the country’s solar power market.

The government is trying to solve that with a new community plan that allows people to invest in solar farms located elsewhere on the island and reap the benefits through lower power bills. But the scale so far is tiny: It serves 350 families so far, Azzopardi said.

Saint Julian’s, a popular resort town north of the capital Valletta, exemplifies the challenge of accommodating renewables and tourists. Visitors soak up the sun on neatly arranged lounge chairs facing a pool and the bay — but the idyllic scene is marred by several rows of solar panels clustered near the water.

“Our main income is coming from tourism,” Bajada said. “We have to be very, very careful not to have a visual impact with ugly-looking structures.” Tourists injected €1.7 billion in the Maltese economy in 2016, according to Maltese media.

The government is aware that solar panels can be a blight.

“This proliferation of [PV] systems is generating increasing concern on their visual impact affecting the urban landscape and skyline in village cores,” the government report said.

That’s why Malta’s new solar farm policy calls for setting up panels in places far from tourists like old garbage dumps or on post-industrial brownfield sites. It also prioritizes large-scale PV rooftops on car parks and on industrial areas.

“Malta is a place where people value the land that we have,” said Konrad Mizzi, Malta’s former energy minister. “Environmental groups are very strong … so we have to be innovative in our ways.”

The government has been sluggish in implementing its new policy, Bajada said. The solar farm plan is still being worked on, but the recent election and ensuing cabinet reshuffle delayed its adoption.

“It’s ridiculous,” Bajada said. “We have been waiting for the last four, five years … It’s not about this government or the former government; they both promised but are still struggling to see it done.”

Another option is integrated PV panels, which are built into walls. They don’t generate as much power as traditional solar panels because they don’t spend as much time facing the sun, but they aren’t as ugly and also help boost a building’s energy efficiency, said Bajada, calling them “aesthetically sexy.”

Industrial users are already starting to use them. About 20 minutes outside of Valletta, the headquarters of the local branches of toymaker Playmobil and media equipment manufacturer Baxter shimmer in the blazing sun, both buildings banded by dark solar wall panels just above the windows, providing shade during the hot Maltese days.

That’s “special engineering,” said Bajada, whose company installed the panels.

Bajada said integrated PV panels are still more expensive than the regular rooftop ones, which makes them less popular.

Falling solar panel prices make PV schemes of all kinds more attractive, and the government ramped up its solar power plans after it found that the amount of government support needed is diminishing.

“It was a bit of a ‘wait and see’ attitude,” Watson said.

“The drastic reduction in the prices of PV panels has provided an alternative, cost-effective path for Malta to reach its 2020 [renewable energy] target,” the national report said.

But that won’t solve Malta’s main problem — a lack of space. The government’s national solar policy report notes that “once brown fields cannot be exploited further, it will be impractical for Malta to increase its PV renewable generation.”

Source: politico.eu

Germany Breaks Green Energy Record by Generating 35% of Power from Renewables in First Half of 2017

03.07.2017

Germany raised the proportion of its power produced by renewable energy to 35 percent in the first half of 2017 from 33 percent the previous year, according to the BEE renewable energy association.

Germany is aiming to phase out its nuclear power plants by 2022. Its renewable energy has been rising steadily over the last two decades thanks in part to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) which was reformed this year to cut renewable energy costs for consumers.

Germany has been getting up to 85 percent of its electricity from renewable sources on certain sunny, windy days this year.

The BEE reported on Sunday the overall share of wind, hydro and solar power in the country’s electricity mix climbed to a record 35 percent in the first half.

The government has pledged to move to a decarbonised economy by the middle of the century and has set a target of 80 percent renewables for gross power consumption by 2050.

It aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in 2020 from 1990 levels and 95 percent by 2050.

Source: independent.co.uk

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