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Senvion Closes Contract for 42-MW Serbian Alibunar Wind Farm

Photo-ilustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Senvion, manufacturer of wind turbines, has closed the financial contract for the Alibunar wind farm in Serbia with Elicio NV, for the delivery, installation, and commissioning of 21 Senvion MM100 turbines.

Alibunar is located close to the Malibunar wind farm, where four Senvion MM100 turbines will be installed in the second half of this year for another project. Senvion will take care of servicing over a period of 15 years for both projects.

The installation is planned to take place in the first half of 2018, ahead of schedule (originally, the installation was to be completed in the Fall 2018).

“We are happy to be building our first projects in Serbia, this, and early next year. Our activities in Serbia mark a milestone which reflects our successful strategy to enter in new markets,” said Jürgen Geissinger, CEO at Senvion.

“With a strong hub in Milan, Italy, Senvion is well positioned to serve the whole Southern European market very efficiently and the opening of a Senvion local branch in Serbia, we have the right team in place to be a strong partner for our customers in the Balkan region.”

The Alibunar wind farm will be located in the village by the same name, 60 kilometers north of Belgrade. The 21 turbines with a hub height of 100 meters and rated output of two megawatts each will together produce enough energy to power around 27,600 households on average per year.

“The financial closing of the project is a benchmark for Senvion in Serbia,” Carlo Schiapparelli, Managing Director Europe South-East at Senvion said. “We thank Eolico NV for their continuous confidence in our services and products in different markets and are looking forward to this next positive cooperation.”

Source: windpowerengineering.com

Siemens Gamesa Installs 6 Megawatt Wind Turbines On Floating Foundations For Hywind Scotland

Photo-ilustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Newly anointed Siemens Gamesa has completed the installation of five 6-megawatt turbines on floating foundations in Stord, Norway, to be then towed to Scottish waters to be installed at what will then be the world’s largest floating offshore wind project, the 30 megawatt Hywind Scotland.

Siemens Gamesa, the newly minted company arising out of the merger between the two company namesakes, which was finalized back in April, announced this week that it had completed the installation of five 6 megawatt (MW) wind turbines atop floating foundations. The completed turbines will now be towed to Scottish waters, where they will be installed 25 kilometers off the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, at water depths between 90 and 120 meters, becoming the 30 MW Hywind Scotland floating offshore wind farm, the largest in the world.

“Siemens Gamesa views the floating wind farm market area the same way as we did with offshore wind farms in the early beginning: it is a very interesting area that is initially a niche market,” said Michael Hannibal, CEO of Offshore at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. “This niche may, however, develop over time into a large market. It is a niche in which we would like to build a strong position for this reason.”

The Scottish Government approved Hywind Scotland back in November of 2015, at the same time that developer Statoil announced its final investment decision to build the project.

“Statoil is proud to develop the world’s first floating wind farm,” said Irene Rummelhoff, Statoil’s executive vice president for New Energy Solutions, at the time.

“Our objective with the Hywind pilot park is to demonstrate the feasibility of future commercial, utility-scale floating wind farms. This will further increase the global market potential for offshore wind energy, contributing to realising our ambition of profitable growth in renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions.”

Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, Masdar, announced that it had acquired a 25% stake in the Hywind Scotland project.

The Siemens Gamesa floating wind turbines are built onto ballast-stabilized foundations that will then be anchored to the seabed with mooring lines. Currently, the average traditional offshore wind farm is built in water depths between 20 and 30 meters (according to Fraunhofer IWES). While, strictly speaking, the further you get from shore the deeper the seabed gets, this is not always true, and developers have been able to move further from shore while finding water depths in the sweet spot. Nevertheless, this still restricts the consistency and strength of offshore winds, placing a natural cap on the efficiency of traditional offshore wind farms.

However, floating offshore wind farms — as exampled by Hywind Scotland, which will be installed in waters between 90 and 120 meters — are able to go out further, without worrying as much about seabed depths (they still have to be moored to the seabed). This allows for lower installation costs, as there is no need to be building concrete foundations, and opens offshore wind farms up to more consistent and stronger winds.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Renewable Energy Provides More Electricity Than Nuclear Power In US

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo – illustration: Pixabay

Renewable energy sources are now providing more electricity than nuclear power for the first time ever in the United States, according to figures issued by the US Energy Information Administration and highlighted by Ken Bossong’s Sun Day Campaign.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its most recent “Electric Power Monthly” report last week, with data for April of this year. While natural gas continues to lead, followed by coal, renewable energy sources — a combined total of biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind — beat out nuclear energy. The figures have shown it swinging in renewables’ favor, and it grew tight over the first third of this year — renewable energy providing 20.20% of US net electrical generation, while nuclear provided 20.75%. However, for two months straight now, renewable energy sources overtook nuclear — 21.60% for renewables and 20.34% for nuclear in March, and 22.98% for renewables and 19.19% for nuclear in April.

Renewable energy output has been growing steadily, and between the first third of 2016 and 2017, renewables increased their share by 12.1%, whereas nuclear output dropped by 2.9% (so far, we’re seeing coal as the biggest loser in terms of overall share).

It was only a fortnight ago that we learned that, for the first time ever, US wind and solar electricity generation exceeded 10% of the monthly total (in March) — not bad, considering that wind and solar accounted for 7% of 2016’s total electricity generated (although, it’s also possible the EIA undersold the real numbers).

Nuclear energy capacity has been dropping off over the past four years, a trend which is expected to continue moving forward as well. Between 2013 and 2016, six separate nuclear reactors permanently ceased production (Crystal River, Kewaunee, San Onofre-2, San Onofre-3, Vermont Yankee, Fort Calhoun) amounting to 4,862 MW of generation capacity gone from the system. Meanwhile, only one new reactor came online during 2016, adding 1,150 MW, and six more reactors are scheduled to close over the next four years.

Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, renewable energy sources are all experiencing strong growth in the United States. Year-over-year growth between the first third of 2016 to 2017, solar has grown by 37.9%, wind by 14.2%, hydropower by 9.5%, and geothermal by 5.3%.

“In light of their growth rates in recent years, it was inevitable that renewable sources would eventually overtake nuclear power,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “The only real surprise is how soon that has happened — years before most analysts ever expected.”

“Renewable energy is now surpassing nuclear power, a major milestone in the transformation of the U.S. energy sector,” said Tim Judson, Executive Director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. “This gulf will only widen over the next several years, with continued strong growth of renewables and the planned retirement of at least 7% of nuclear capacity by 2025. The possible completion of four new reactors will not be enough to reverse this trend, with total nuclear capacity falling by 2,806 MW (3%) through 2025.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Panasonic HIT Solar Panel Sets New Record For High Temperature Efficiency

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

When we think of solar panel efficiency, we usually think in terms of how much of the sunlight hitting the panel gets converted into electricity. Output efficiency is normally computed by laboratory testing, where the ambient temperature of the test environment is carefully controlled. That number is important, of course, but the temperature of the panel when it is up on a roof in direct sunlight on a hot summer day can significantly impact its performance in the real world. Just as a naturally aspirated internal combustion engine loses power as elevation increases, a solar panel loses efficiency as its temperature rises.

This week, Panasonic announced that its latest HIT solar panel performs best in high temperature environments. The technical explanation is that the output temperature coefficient for its latest HIT solar panel is -0.258%/°C2. That’s an improvement of 0.032 percent.

According to a Panasonic press release,

“Output temperature coefficient is a vital metric in evaluating solar modules as a measurement of how quickly their conversion efficiency degrades as the temperature rises, thereby reducing the output. The standard silicon solar cell’s output temperature coefficient is -0.50%4, which denotes a decline of 0.50% in the conversion efficiency as the module temperature rises by 1°C.

“For instance, at the module temperature anticipated in the summer months (75°C), the conversion efficiency will decrease by 25% in comparison to the environment at 25°C. Panasonic HIT® modules, which boast an improved output temperature coefficient, will nearly halve the decline in the conversion efficiency, significantly increasing performance in high temperature settings.”

Mukesh Sethi, group manager of Panasonic’s solar division in North America, said, “This latest innovation, combined with our efforts in conversion efficiency, are living examples of Panasonic’s relentless drive to provide customers with the very best in residential solar technology. The Panasonic HIT® is proven to offer the very best value to consumers in the residential solar market, and this latest development will be a massive help in locations where extreme heat is a factor for consumers.”

Panasonic is leading the solar panel industry in other important ways. Many commercially available panels come with only a 10-year warranty. HIT panels from Panasonic now come with a full 25-year workmanship warranty, and the company guarantees their output will degrade less than 10% by the end of that period. That’s important. Buying and paying for a rooftop solar panel system that produces far less electricity after a decade is no bargain. “You get what you pay for” is still operative when considering a solar installation.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Climate Change Minister: Clean Growth Plan Coming this Autumn

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

The government’s long-awaited Clean Growth Plan will finally be made public after the summer recess, according to newly appointed Climate Change Minister Claire Perry.

Perry, who replaced Nick Hurd at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) earlier this month, told Parliament this morning the plan will be released in a matter of weeks.

Parliament breaks for summer recess on July 20 and returns on September 5.

“My intention is to publish the Clean Growth Plan when Parliament returns from the summer recess, and I look forward to cross-party discussion and hopefully consensus on a hugely important document, both for Britain’s domestic future and our international leadership,” Perry said.

She suggested that between now and the publication date she will explore whether the draft plan can be made more ambitious. “I want the Clean Growth Plan to be as ambitious, robust and clear blueprint as it can be, so that we can actually continue to deliver on this hugely vital piece of domestic and international policy,” she said.

The UK is legally-bound to reduce its emissions by 57 per cent by 2032 compared to 1990 levels, and by at least 80 per cent by 2050, under the Climate Change Act.

The release of the Clean Growth Plan was first promised in late 2016. It is seen as hugely important for industries across the power, transport, and building sectors and is expected to provide a blueprint for the UK’s decarbonisation pathway through the 2020s and early 2030s.

Under current policies the UK is on track to miss its legally binding emission reduction targets for the mid 2020s onwards, prompting campaigners to warn more action is needed to curb emissions from heat, buildings, industry, transport, and agriculture.

There has been growing frustration among business leaders over the repeated delays to the release of the plan, with numerous calls for it to be published as soon as possible in order to avoid an investment hiatus and spiralling decarbonisation costs.

Perry insisted the almost year-long delay to the plan does not reflect a lack of government commitment to the aims of the Climate Change Act, arguing a series of unprecedented events such as tje Brexit vote, a snap election, and the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement have all led to unavoidable delays.

“We were the first country in the world to set binding carbon budgets, we have over achieved on the first one and second one, and our full intention is to engage the whole of government and industry in delivering on the upcoming budgets,” she insisted.

Green businesses will be hopeful that the new plan will deliver ambitious new policies to promote energy efficiency, green transport, and low carbon industry, as well as reduce emissions from land use and agriculture.

They are also likely to push for the plan to be accompanied by a decision from the Treasury over the level of funding support that will be available for clean power projects from 2020 onwards and clarity from the government over whether it is willing to provide a route to market for increasingly cost competitive onshore wind and solar projects.

Source: businessgreen.com

Moixa Powers Up Plans for 100,000 Battery Virtual Power Plant

Photo-ilustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

UK-based energy storage and smart grid specialist Moixa will today announce it has secured £2.5m in new investment in support of its plans to build a ‘virtual power plant’ based on 100,000 domestic batteries.

The announcement will be made at the Housing 2017 conference in Manchester, where Moixa will confirm it has secured a £1m funding facility from Greater Manchester Combined Authority to support the development of a new regional sales and delivery centre in the city.

The new office will focus on offering solar and storage products to private customers and pursuing multi-thousand unit deployments with social housing clients.

The company will also confirm that it has secured £1.5m in new equity investment, including £500,000 from Japan’s largest utility, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and £500,000 from First Imagine! Ventures.

As part of the deal Moixa is now working on plans to pilot it battery systems in Japan, alongside Tepco and a number of other partners. Further trials in Europe and the US are also planned for the next 12 months, the company said.

The company, which last year launched a trial in Barnsley to integrate solar panels and its energy storage system, is aiming to aggregate a fleet of domestic batteries, which can then act like a back-up power plant to help balance the grid.

It is aiming to install 50,000 batteries in the UK by 2020 and manage a further 50,000 batteries through its smart grid software, creating a virtual power plant with up to 250MWh of capacity.

“Smart home batteries are transforming our electricity system, saving money for households and communities and supporting a cost-effective, reliable, low-carbon network,” said Simon Daniel, CEO of Moixa, in a statement.

“We are developing solar plus storage solutions for social housing that will help councils tackle fuel poverty and we look forward to collaborating with Greater Manchester and supporting the low carbon energy transition in the Northern Powerhouse region.”

The latest investment round was also backed by Lady Barbara Judge CBE, chairman of the Institute of Directors and Athene Capital, who will now sit on Moixa’s international advisory group as it starts to consider export markets.

She said Moixa was “well positioned to seize opportunities in a rapidly emerging global market”.

“It has unrivalled experience in the UK, strong partnerships with key players, and is working at the cutting edge pioneering the use of smart batteries in virtual power plants to cut costs and carbon in our electricity system,” she said.

The company is aiming to promote the financial benefits of a solar and storage package for customers, noting that solar panels that are integrated with a storage systems can cut domestic energy bills in half while also allowing customers to access a £50 a year ‘GridShare’ payment for contributing to Moixa’s virtual power plant.

Source: businessgreen.com

Onshore Wind Delivers Almost a Quarter of Northern Ireland’s Power

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Onshore wind capacity in Northern Ireland has passed the 1GW mark and is providing nearly a quarter of the country’s power, according to the latest generation figures from NI Electricity Networks.

Following the opening of a number of new onshore wind farms, the latest figures show that there is now 1.029GW of onshore wind capacity connected to the grid in Northern Ireland.

The data also shows that over the 12 months to April 2016 onshore wind met 22.4 per cent of electricity demand in the country, while renewables as a whole met 27.1 per cent of demand.

The country has seen £127.5m of local investment mobilised in onshore wind capacity so far this year, while there has also been additional investment in storage and smart grid technologies.

In addition, the country boasts 197MW of solar capacity, 65MW of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity, and 4MW of hydro and tidal capacity.

“Crossing this 1GW threshold shows just how much of a success story onshore wind is in Northern Ireland,” said Rachel Anderson, chair of the Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group, in a statement. “Onshore wind remains one of the vital growth areas to our modern low-carbon economy, so we need to ensure that politicians here join us in securing a bright future for this technology.”

Her comments were echoed by RenewableUK’s executive director, Emma Pinchbeck, who said renewable electricity was “making a massive contribution to Northern Ireland, creating jobs, bringing inward investment and enabling local regeneration”.

“Northern Ireland is making the most of its great onshore wind resources, embracing a mature technology which is now the cheapest way to generate electricity bar none, helping to keep consumer’s bills down,” she added.

Energy policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland administration. However, the administration has emulated the UK government in closing the equivalent of the Renewables Obligation scheme and Feed-in Tariff incentives to new projects a year ago. A grace period means a number of projects are still in development, but developers are concerned future projects could be denied a route to market.

However, the DUP’s recent election manifesto fuelled hopes new projects could come online again, after it called for a new Energy Strategy that addresses the “future of renewables”.

The update comes just a day after the UK’s minority Conservative government signed its controversial £1bn confidence and supply deal with the Northern Ireland’s DUP.

The agreement could have significant implications for the green economy and environmental policy with the deal promising a £1bn, two year investment package, including £150m for new ultra-fast broadband infrastructure.

In addition, the deal promised a review of Air Passenger Duty, which is likely to be opposed by green groups, and ensures DUP involvement in future discussions about agricultural policy and support post-Brexit.

The deal has been roundly condemned by environmental groups, which have criticised leading DUP politicians’ past rejection of climate science and mishandling of renewable heat subsidies.

Source: businessgreen.com

Plastic Pollution Endangering UK Wildlife, Greenpeace Finds

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Wildlife along the UK coastline is under threat from mounds of plastic pollution caused by discarded plastic bags, bottles, fishing nets and microplastics, campaigners will warn today.

A two-month expedition by Greenpeace around the coastal waters of Scotland in May and June has uncovered evidence of plastic pollution seriously damaging large swathes of wildlife habitats, including biodiverse areas that are home to seals, puffins, whales, and basking sharks.

The expedition, which ended today in Edinburgh, found beaches strewn with plastic litter, seabirds trapped in tangles of rubbish, and microplastic pollution affecting coastal waters.

Greenpeace is using its findings from the voyage to step up the campaign for a plastic bottle deposit scheme in Scotland, that would see consumers receive payment for recycling drinks bottles across the country.

A trial scheme is already in the works from Coca-Cola after the drinks giant bowed to pressure from campaigners earlier this year, but Greenpeace claims the soft drinks industry as a whole is still guilty of a “woeful lack of action” on plastic waste.

Every day in the UK 35 million plastic bottles are used and discarded, it says.

A petition signed by 25,000 Scots calling for a deposit return scheme for drinks bottles in Scotland will be delivered to Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham later today.

Greenpeace claims similar schemes have pushed the rate of plastic bottle collection up to 95 per cent in other countries, and would represent a major boost in tackling ocean plastic pollution.

A UK-wide petition on the same issue has currently gathered 150,000 signatures.

“It cannot be right that our beaches, seas and the stunning wildlife they are home to should become the final dumping ground for throwaway plastic bottles and other plastic trash,” Tisha Brown, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said in a statement. “With a truckload of plastic entering the ocean every minute, we need urgent action from governments and from major soft drinks companies which produce billions of single-use plastic bottles every year, like Coca-Cola, to stop the flow of plastic into the sea.”

Greenpeace said samples of the scientific trawls made on the trip will now be sent to the University of Exeter for further analysis, with full results to be published later this year.

Source: businessgreen.com

Arctic Climate Change Forces Cancellation Of Arctic Climate Change Study …

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The first portion of the 2017 Hudson Bay System Study in the Arctic, part of the 2017 Canadian Research Icebreaker CCGS Amundsen Expedition, has been cancelled due to climate change–induced hazardous sea ice conditions.

In other words, a study focused on the study of climate change in the Arctic has now been cancelled because of climate change in the Arctic.

To be more exact, though, the cancellation is “due to complications associated with the southward motion of hazardous Arctic sea ice, caused by climate change.” In other words, the dangerous sea ice conditions would mean that the ship journey would take too long for the researchers to get to the site with enough time remaining to achieve their research goals.

A press release provides more: “This year the Expedition Logistics and Science Teams accelerated the mobilization of the 2017 Arctic Expedition to permit departure of the Amundsen six days ahead of schedule. This would allow CCG to carry out critical marine safety and security operations in the unusually severe ice conditions in the Strait of Belle Isle and along the northeast coast of Newfoundland before beginning the Science Mission.

”Unfortunately, the conditions required much more extended support than anticipated. Fleet management issues and inadequate alternative ships forced the cancellation of the science program due to significant safety concerns.”

“Considering the severe ice conditions and the increasing demand for Search And Rescue operations (SAR) and ice escort, we decided to cancel the BaySys mission. A second week of delay meant our research objectives just could not be safely achieved – the challenge for us all was that the marine ice hazards were exceedingly difficult for the maritime industry, the CCG, and science,” commented Dr David Barber, Expedition Chief Scientist and BaySys Scientific Lead.

As we’ve reported many times in recent months and years, the Arctic is rapidly undergoing massive changes — with sea ice disappearing quickly, temperatures climbing rapidly, and positive feedback loops involving the release of methane starting to take off. As these changes continue, far more than simple research expeditions will be affected. …

Source: cleantechnica.com

US Commercial Buildings Could Cut Energy Use 29% With Widespread Controls

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

A new report by the US Energy Department’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has concluded that widespread use of building controls across the country could cut energy consumption by an average of 29%, or the equivalent electricity used by 12 to 15 million Americans.

US Energy Department’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) investigated 34 different types of energy efficiency measures, most of which rely on building control systems, and looked at how these measures could affect energy use in commercial buildings such as stores, offices, and schools. The researchers from PNNL found that such measures could cut annual commercial building energy use by an average of 29%, and would result in national energy savings of between 4 to 5 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) — approximately 4% to 5% of the country’s annual energy consumption.

“Most large commercial buildings are already equipped with building automation systems that deploy controls to manage building energy use,” said report co-author and PNNL engineer Srinivas Katipamula. “But those controls often aren’t properly programmed and are allowed to deteriorate over time, creating unnecessarily large power bills.

“Our research found significant nationwide energy savings are possible if all U.S. commercial building owners periodically looked for and corrected operational problems such as air-conditioning systems running too long.”

Commercial buildings across the United States collectively consume about 18 quadrillion BTUs of primary energy every year, and the authors of the report conclude that “inadequate building operations leads to preventable excess energy consumption along with failure to maintain acceptable occupant comfort.” In other words, many buildings likely have the tools and controls to increase energy efficiency significantly, but aren’t making use of it, resulting in excess energy usage. The report specifically focused on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) faults and operation, and therefore major retrofits are not required for the energy savings to be achieved.

Some upgrades are recommended, though, such as enhanced communication capabilities and installation of variable-speed drives on certain fans and pumps in some buildings. Some of the measures that were studied by Katipamula and his team included: Fixing broken sensors that read temperatures and other measurements, Turning off power-using devices like printers and monitors when a room isn’t occupied, Dimming lights in areas with natural lighting.

The authors of the report found that six of the 34 measures they analyzed showed the potential for more than 2% site energy savings. These included: wider deadbands and night setback (7.8%), shortened HVAC schedules (7.1%), demand control ventilation (7.1%, reduced minimum VAV box terminal damper flow settings (6.5%), optimal start (5.9%, supply air temperature reset (2.5%).

Interestingly, while advanced rooftop unit fan controls a high electricity saving, the additional natural gas consumed as a result dropped its savings to only 1.3%.

All commercial buildings across the United States have the potential to reduce energy usage to some degree, but secondary schools were found to be able to see energy savings of around 49%, and standalone retail stores & auto dealerships of 41%.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Canada Is Now 1.7 Degrees Warmer Than In 1948

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Average global temperatures keep rising. While 2016 is the warmest year on record, the previous record was set in 2015 and, before that, 2014. A new joint report from Health Canada and the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) puts this into perspective.

This has resulted in “melting sea ice, changing precipitation patterns and thawing permafrost.”

Southern Ontario’s hospitals reported an 11% rise in emergency room visits during a recent heat wave.

Windsor, Ontario, now experiences +30 temperatures about twenty-three days a year.

Heat waves, such as the 2010 event that caused 280 deaths in Quebec, are becoming more common.

“There is no denying it and no doubt about it: our planet is warming and climate change is well underway, around the world and right here in Canada. And extreme heat events are one of the consequences. Periods of extreme heat are uncomfortable, but they can also exacerbate existing health conditions, such as asthma, and put people at risk for heat-related illnesses, even death,” it says on the SMCC website.

This situation will only get worse:

“Scientists predict that almost all of Canada will continue to get warmer during the next 80 years. Even with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, Canada’s summers are projected to warm by 1.5° C to 2.5° C by mid-century. Those temperatures will be higher if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated.”

Given Canada’s plan to ramp up Alberta’s bitumen production 53%, to reach Premier Notley’s so called emissions “cap,” it seems very likely that the nation’s emissions will grow.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Sadiq Khan: Gove Must Get a Grip on ‘Life and Death’ Air Pollution Crisis

Foto: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has requested an urgent meeting with the new environment secretary, Michael Gove, to urge him to get a grip on Britain’s “life and death” air pollution crisis.

Last week, Khan activated the capital’s emergency alert system after experts warned toxic air in the capital had reached dangerous levels. Large parts of southern England and Wales were also affected on Wednesday.

The government has come under growing pressure over the air quality crisis, which is responsible for 40,000 deaths a year in the UK.

After a string of humiliating defeats in the courts, the government eventually published its air quality plan consultation earlier this year. Khan described it as a “deep disappointment” and a “backwards step” and challenged Gove to overhaul the government’s plans.

Khan said: “Michael Gove has a huge opportunity to change course for this government and finally get a grip on the national air quality health crisis.”

“He said previous environment ministers had not prioritised air pollution, or even recognised its harmful impact.

“We know it causes an estimated 40,000 early deaths in this country every single year,” Khan added. “This is now a matter of life and death and the government has one last chance to put it right.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “We are firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. That’s why we have committed more than £2bn since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emissions vehicles, support greener transport schemes and set out how we will improve air quality through a new programme of clean air zones.

“We have consulted on proposals to further improve the nation’s air quality and will publish our final air quality plan by 31 July.”

Khan said the government’s plan – published shortly before the general election after a legal challenge – lacked “serious detail, fails to tackle all emission sources, such as from buildings, construction or the river, and does not utilise the government’s full resources and powers”.

Earlier this year the Guardian revealed the risk to children’s health posed by air pollution. An investigation revealed that hundreds of thousands of children are being exposed to illegal levels of damaging air pollution from diesel vehicles at schools and nurseries across England and Wales.

The government’s own statistics show that 38 out of 43 UK “air quality zones” breach legal limits for air pollution.

Khan has set out a package of measures to tackle air pollution in the capital including a toxicity charge from October and an ultra low emission zone.

He said it was now time for the government to introduce a national vehicle scrappage fund to help retire diesel cars and vans bought in good faith, to reform vehicle excise duty and to publish a Clean Air Act.

Khan, who has also announced a new £1m scheme to help businesses clean up the capital’s air, said: “The government can no longer continue to bury its head in the sand about our toxic air. Londoners simply cannot wait… I urge government to tackle this challenge immediately, because its current air quality plan quite frankly is not fit for purpose.”

Source: businessgreen.com

118 U.S. Mayors Endorse 100% Renewable Energy Goals

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

The Sierra Club released a new analysis Friday that found that transitioning all 1,400+ U.S. Conference of Mayors member-cities to 100 percent clean and renewable electricity will significantly reduce electric sector carbon pollution nationwide and help the U.S. towards meeting the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

According to the Sierra Club analysis, if cities belonging to the U.S. Conference of Mayors were to move to 100 percent clean and renewable electricity, it would reduce electric sector carbon emissions by more than that of the five worst carbon polluting U.S. states combined. If the 100 percent energy targets were achieved by 2025, the total electric sector carbon pollution reductions would fill anywhere from 87 percent to 110 percent of the remaining reductions the U.S. would need to achieve in order to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.

The analysis of National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Energy Information Administration data comes before the start of the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Miami Beach, from June 23-26, where members will consider a resolution that would establish support for the goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy in cities nationwide.

In addition, the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign and the co-chairs of Mayors for 100% Clean Energy announced Friday that 118 mayors across the country have endorsed a goal of powering their communities with 100 percent clean, renewable energy such as wind and solar.

The Mayors for 100% Clean Energy initiative is co-chaired by Mayor Philip Levine of Miami Beach, Mayor Jackie Biskupski of Salt Lake City, Mayor Kevin Faulconer of San Diego and Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin of Columbia, South Carolina. Benjamin is also a vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

“It’s up to us as leaders to creatively implement clean energy solutions for our cities across the nation. It’s not merely an option now; it’s imperative,” said Mayor Benjamin. “Cities and mayors can lead the transition away from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean and renewable energy.”

Mayoral endorsements of 100 percent renewable energy have led to ambitious action in municipalities across the U.S. The mayors of St. Petersburg, Florida and Abita Springs, Louisiana issued proclamations endorsing a goal of transitioning to 100 percent clean and renewable energy, followed by the formal adoption of a community-wide goal establishing 100 percent clean, renewable energy as the target for city energy planning.

“In San Diego, we brought business and environmental groups together to advance a goal of 100 percent renewable energy,” said Mayor Faulconer. “It makes sense for mayors across the country to work together because when we talk about the future of our planet, we’re talking about the future of our communities.”

Salt Lake City recently released its Climate Positive 2040 plan which details the specific steps and policies the city will pursue with Rocky Mountain Power to achieve the goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2032.

Thirty-six cities across the U.S. have now committed to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy. This growing list of cities most recently includes Columbia, South Carolina, which this week unanimously voted to transition entirely to clean, renewable energy by 2036. Other cities including Los Angeles and Denver are studying pathways to 100 percent clean energy.

“We can’t ignore climate change because climate change is not ignoring us,” said Mayor Biskupski. “Cities must adapt to cope with the threats of climate change, and that’s also why we must take action to mitigate them. Salt Lake City has set the ambitious but achievable goals of generating 100 percent of the community’s electricity supply from renewable energy by 2032, followed by an 80 percent reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. We are taking action to achieve these goals and I am honored to join mayors from across our nation to lead the transition to clean, renewable energy.”

Source: ecowatch.com

How Algae Can Help Sweden Eliminate Carbon Emissions

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Algae is often considered a nuisance, but for Sweden, the rapidly growing sea plant is now an asset.

As the Scandinavian country works to cut all of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, it’s using algae to sop up the carbon emissions from cement.

Cement production, it turns out, is a major source of carbon dioxide. It also happens to be a top industry in Sweden.

So the country is at a crossroads—how does it keep creating one of the most widely used materials in the world, while also bringing emissions to zero?

The answer: algae.

Nestled in the quaint village of Degerhamn, Sweden, a cement factory called Cementa (owned by the international conglomerate HeidelbergCement) is implementing a new initiative that uses algae from the nearby Baltic Sea to capture the factory’s carbon dioxide emissions before the gas enters the atmosphere.

Cement is composed largely of limestone, a substance that, when heated, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition, fossil fuels are burned in the process of heating the limestone, emitting even more carbon dioxide.

The process that Cementa uses is simple. First, water from the Baltic is pumped into large bags that can hold about 800 gallons of liquid. Then, nutrients are added to multiply the algae. Finally, the liquid is mixed with the factory’s waste and left to sit in the sunlight, which gradually absorbs all the carbon.

This system was created as a part of Swedish scientist Catherine Legrand’s Algoland project.

Legrand and her team from Linnaeus University found that algae is able to convert carbon dioxide and water into various growth-promoting nutrients. The cement plant is essentially enhancing algae’s naturally occurring photosynthesis process. According to Linnaeus University researcher Martin Olofsson, in just a few runs through the algae mixture, nearly all carbon dioxide is absorbed by the green sea plant.

The Algoland system at Cementa is still small-scale, but with ample supply of space, sunlight, water and fresh algae, the company has plenty of potential to take this initiative to the next level. The project is set to expand beyond Sweden as well.

“We are preparing to scale up the algae project to a commercial scale in Morocco,” Jan Theulen, Heidelberg’s director of alternate resources, told Quartz Media.

Sweden’s use of algae is just a small part of a larger, nationwide push towards a cleaner energy supply. Over the past several years, the country has increased its tax on carbon emissions for both industries and households, and it’s one of the few countries that goes beyond the pledges made under the Paris climate agreement.

Sweden has long been a trailblazer in the fight against climate change, and it’s now discovering that viable green technology sometimes resides just beneath the surface.

Source: ecowatch.com

World’s Biggest Coal Company Closes 37 Mines as Solar Prices Plummet

Photo-ilustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The rapid growth in renewable energy continues to put a dent in the demand for coal.

Coal India, the world’s biggest coal mining company and producer of 82 percent of the country’s coal, announced the closure of 37 mines that are financially “unviable.”

The sites make up roughly nine percent of the total mines operated by Coal India. The company is expected save Rs 800 crore ($124 million) from the closures.

India’s energy market is undergoing a rapid transformation as it moves away from fossil fuels. Last month, the country cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations.

Notably, solar has been cheaper than coal-based electricity in India for the past several months. According to Quartz:

“At an auction for 500 megawatt (MW) of capacity at the park on May 12, the state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) managed to discover a record-low tariff of Rs 2.44 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The previous low was two days before that when tariffs hit Rs 2.62 per kWh during auctions for another phase of Bhadla solar park.

“The country’s largest power company, NTPC, sells electricity from its coal-based generation units at a princely Rs 3.20 per kWh.”

The National Thermal Power Corporation of India said that the country currently hosts a solar power capacity of 845 megawatts, after the recent addition of a 225 megawatt solar farm, the Mandsaur Solar Power Project.

“India’s solar sector has received heavy international investment, and the plummeting price of solar electricity has increased pressure on fossil fuel companies in the country,” as The Independent reported. “The government has announced it will not build any more coal plants after 2022 and predicts renewables will generate 57 percent of its power by 2027—a pledge far outstripping its commitment in the Paris climate change agreement.”

Source: ecowatch.com

Energy Professionals Fear UK Set to Miss Carbon Targets

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Energy professionals fear a combination of Brexit and uncertainty over the future of energy and climate policy is hampering the sector’s development and increasing the chances of the UK missing its emissions reduction targets.

That is the conclusion of a survey of nearly 500 executives undertaken by professional body the Energy Institute (EI), which warns Ministers urgently need to clarify the UK’s post-Brexit plans and bring forward the long-awaited Clean Growth Plan.

The survey reveals a majority of respondents regard Brexit as a cause for “material concern” over the potential impact on the energy system, while 60 per cent fear a curtailment of freedom of movement will impact the availability of skilled workers.

The group called on the government to seek continued close co-operation with the EU single energy market, and a majority of respondents called on Ministers to transfer key EU energy and climate change directives into UK law – including on renewables, energy performance of buildings, vehicle emissions and civil nuclear.

However, EI said opinion is more divided on whether the EU Emission Trading System or state aid rules should be retained.

The barometer also revealed that nearly eight out of ten respondents believe the UK will fall short of meeting the fifth carbon budget, which requires emissions to be 57 per cent lower than 1990 levels by 2030.

However, there was a more optimistic assessment of President Trump’s decision to exit the Paris Agreement with only a quarter saying it represents a significant threat to achieving the accord’s 2C target.

EI President, Professor Jim Skea, said the energy industry urgently required clarity on both the government’s Brexit and decarbonisation plans.

“The call for a predictable, no-surprises policy is reinforced in the 2017 Energy Barometer with clear advice to those negotiating Brexit,” he said. “Workforce availability and the smooth transition of energy and climate change laws need to be priorities.The Barometer also reflects the need for ministers to bring forward a credible Clean Growth Plan to demonstrate how they intend to course-correct the UK’s emission reduction efforts. On the basis of current policies, the fifth carbon budget is seen by energy professionals as elusive.”

His comments were echoed by EI vice president and former National Grid CEO Steve Holliday who warned that “the stakes are high for the UK’s energy economy”.

“The potential is there for significant industrial benefit and emission reduction at least cost to consumers and taxpayers, but sound policy making should not be drowned out by Brexit or other political upheavals,” he said. “Energy professionals’ advice could not be stronger on putting energy efficiency at the heart of the government’s strategy. The benefits of energy efficiency stack up for emission reduction, energy security, industrial growth and affordability.”

The government is understood to be considering ambitious new plans on energy efficiency as part of the Clean Growth Plan, and the Conservative Party manifesto included proposals for a new industrial energy efficiency scheme. However, neither initiative made it into last week’s Queen’s Speech.

Meanwhile, green groups are increasingly frustrated over the delay to the Clean Growth Plan with speculation mounting the government could face a legal challenge if it is not published in the coming months.

Industry insiders have repeatedly warned that without clarity on clean energy policies and financial support beyond 2020 the pipeline of low carbon infrastructure projects risks contracting sharply over the next few years.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was considering a response to the report at the time of going to press.

Source: businessgreen.com