AUSTRIA WIND POWER: Local farmers grow their own energy

20.05.2017

A small Austrian town fights climate change with an innovative partnership of small, local entrepreneurs.

The small town of Bruck an der Leitha 45 kilometers southeast of Vienna is at the forefront of Austria’s drive for renewable energy. Its latest venture involves 52 local investors in an innovative cooperative project. Organic farmer Friedrich Metzker is proud of his investment. “In 2000, we switched to organic farming to produce fruits and vegetables in a more sustainable way,” he says. “Since then we are using renewable energy for our work and also in our personal lives. Organic farming and renewable energy fit just perfect.”

The first Bruck wind farm in 2000 was intended to move the town toward fully renewable energy usage. Bruck set up a non-profit organisation to develop three major renewable energy sectors—a biogas plant, biomass district heating, and wind parks. “The most recent wind energy project has created approximately 20 jobs,” says Michael Hannesschläger, the wind parks’ manager. “That’s remarkable at a time when employment is falling as a result of increased retail competition from Vienna.”

The 12 turbines with a total power of 36 MW produce clean energy for 27, 000 households. The latest deal is financed with a loan backed by the Investment Plan for Europe, the EU scheme implemented by the European Investment Bank that’s intended to trigger EUR 315 billion in additional investment over three years. The Plan allows the EIB to make investments it might not have made in years past. In this case, it is able to take on a larger portion of the deal. “This is the first Investment Plan project that we financed in Austria,” says Melchior Karigl, a renewable energy expert at the European Investment Bank. “Given it is a clean energy investment, we could support the project with a higher amount of EIB financing that’s almost 75 % of the total project cost.”

A citizen project

The project is the fruit of 52 local shareholders who organized themselves in a private limited partnership. This local factor may have a positive effect on the acceptance of wind farms in the region. A quarter of the investors are farmers and the average investment was about EUR 100 000. “At the EIB, we often work with larger corporates, but here the Investment Plan allowed us to support a group of small entrepreneurs and to take on more project risk than in previous onshore wind transactions,” says Karigl. “This brings high value added.”

Energiepark Bruck Leitha GmbH is also an investor. The company has already implemented six wind farms in the area with a total capacity of 147 MW. “The engagement of the EIB played a significant role in making this project come true especially in terms of risk minimization,” says Hannesschläger. “It makes sense as a small company to think out of the box and to apply for European funding.”

The community now takes a lot of pride in what they call “their windfarm.” All the energy is sold to the grid, because of the legal framework in Austria. Green-funded wind power is bought by a state-owned organisation, which is responsible for the commercialisation of green power on the free market. “We are proud of it,” says Metzker, the farmer.

Renewable energy: favourable politics and economics

Austria has a commercially and politically favourable environment for renewable energy installations, which has led to the achievement of significant cost and carbon savings across the country. A “feed-in tariff” introduced in 2002 means that each kWh of renewable electricity generated is purchased by the local power company at a set price. The tariffs were high enough to make many renewable energy systems commercially viable.

The uptake was more than twice as high as the government had expected. As a result in 2006 the government exceeded its renewable electricity target of 4% to provide 8% of electricity from renewable energy. “More than 15% of Austrian installed capacity in wind power is situated in our region,” says Hannesschläger. “The high share of local investors leads to a high level of identification with the wind power and renewable energy in general.”

The region now produces more green electricity than its annual electricity consumption.

Source: eib.org

Utility-Scale Solar Grew 72% Per Year Between 2010 & 2016

19.05.2017

solar-panels — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Utility-scale solar installations—including both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal technologies—grew at an average rate of 72% per year between 2010 and 2016, faster than any other generating technologies. Utility-scale solar (plants with a capacity of at least one megawatt) now makes up about 2% of all utility-scale electric generating capacity and 0.9% of utility-scale generation. The first utility-scale solar plants were installed in the mid-1980s, but more than half of the currently operating utility-scale solar capacity came online in the past two years.

As of December 2016, more than 21.5 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar generating capacity was in operation across the United States, with more than 7.6 GW of that capacity coming online in 2016. Although California has the highest total installed capacity of any state, a number of states have deployed significant utility-scale solar capacity in recent years. Several states have policies such as renewable portfolio standards or state renewable tax credits to encourage solar deployment. Since 2005, the federal government has provided a 30% investment tax credit, which is scheduled to phase down or expire by 2022.

Utility-scale solar generation has been increasing as a result of the rapid growth in capacity; however, solar’s share of utility-scale electricity generation is 0.9%, about half of its share of capacity. Most solar generators are considered an intermittent or non-dispatchable resource because their availability depends on ambient insolation (exposure to the sun).

Some systems, such as the Crescent Dunes solar thermal plant, are paired with an energy storage system, which allows greater operational flexibility. As monthly capacity factors indicate, solar generation is strongly seasonal, with more sunlight available in the summer (about 30% capacity factor on average) than in the winter months (near 15%).

In addition to utility-scale solar, electric generating capacity from small-scale solar systems (such as rooftop and other customer-sited PV systems) has also grown. In 2016, EIA estimates that the United States added 3.4 GW of small-scale solar generating capacity across all three end-use sectors (residential, commercial, and industrial), ending the year with more than 13.1 GW of installed capacity. (EIA reports capacity values in GW of alternating current output.)

According to EIA estimates, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts had the most small-scale solar capacity with 5.4 GW, 1.3 GW, and 1.0 GW, respectively. Monthly generation from small-scale solar capacity is estimated to have been 1.6 million megawatthours (MWh) on average in 2016, or about two-thirds of the amount generated by utility-scale solar generators.

Source: cleantechnica.com

LEGO Smashes 100% Renewable Energy Goal

19.05.2017

The LEGO group announced it reached its goal of balancing 100 percent of its energy use with renewable sources.

The beloved toymaker’s ambitious feat was achieved three years early thanks to its 25 percent stake in the massive, 258-megawatt Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm that just opened Wednesday in the UK’s Liverpool Bay.

“We work to leave a positive impact on the planet and I am truly excited about the inauguration of the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm,” said Bali Padda, CEO of the LEGO Group.

“This development means we have now reached the 100 percent renewable energy milestone three years ahead of target. Together with our partners, we intend to continue investing in renewable energy to help create a better future for the builders of tomorrow.”

As CleanTechnica reported, the wind farm is a joint venture between DONG Energy, PKA and KIRKBI A/S—the parent company of the LEGO Group. Because of that, LEGO was able to reach its 100 percent renewable energy goal after only four years and DKK 6 billion worth of investment into two offshore wind farms.

According to an announcement, the LEGO Group has supported the development of more than 160 megawatts of renewable energy since 2012. Total output from its investments in renewables now exceeds the energy consumed at all LEGO factories, stores and offices globally, it said.

To celebrate the milestone, the Danish company set a Guinness World Record by building the largest ever LEGO brick wind turbine—a seven and a half meter tall structure made from 146,000 bricks. LEGO even enlisted its mascot, Batman, to receive the recognition at a ceremony in Liverpool.

“We see children as our role models and as we take action in reducing our environmental impact as a company, we will also continue to work to inspire children around the world by engaging them in environmental and social issues,” Padda said.

Source: ecowatch.com

Taiwan to invest $22.7 billion in wind energy

18.05.2017

vetroturbina — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The East Asian island plans to invest 684 billion New Taiwan dollars ($22.7bn) as part of the nation’s 8 year plan to boost wind generated electricity to 4,200 megawatts (MW) by 2025.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has released the details of the country’s 8 year green energy development plan, which aims to completely phase out nuclear power plants by 2025.

To meet this ambitious goal, Taiwan plans to increase the share of renewables in the nation’s power mix from 4.8 per cent to 20 per cent over the next 8 years.

At the same time, the country will decrease reliance on coal power plants from 45.4 per cent in 2016 to 30 per cent by 2025.

MOEA will invest a total of $22.7 billion to increase electricity generated from inland wind farms to 1,200 MW and offshore wind farms to 3,000 MW by 2025.

The hope is that this initial investment will stimulate private sector contributions of up to $478 billion New Taiwan dollars ($15.9bn) from 2017 to 2024.

Lin Chuan-neng, Director-General of Bureau of Energy under MOEA, projects that the return on investments for offshore wind investors will be around 3 to 5 per cent.

He went on to detail that the government will offer a 20 year guarantee to private investors.

Within the 684 billion New Taiwan dollar investment, $7.76 billion New Taiwan dollars ($258m) will be dedicated to additional investments in the Kaohsiung and Taichung port offshore wind turbine industry zones, added Lin.

Specifically, the marine technology park in Kaohsiung will receive $5.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($183m) under the special budget, while Taichung City will receive $2.8 billion New Taiwan dollars ($93m) from 2016 to 2024.

The government will also set aside a sum of $1 billion New Taiwan dollars ($33m) for the construction of an offshore wind turbine verification system and database, while state-owned electric utility company Taipower will spend $197.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($6.6bn) on the development of wind farm infrastructure from 2016 to 2024.

Source: climateactionprogramme.org

Romania Doubles Incentives For Plug-In Electric Vehicles

18.05.2017

electric car BMW — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In a bid to help reduce the country’s growing air pollution problems, the government of Romania has reportedly doubled the incentives on offer for buyers of plug-in electric vehicles.

Following the changes — creating the “Rabla Plus” program out of the earlier “Rabla” program — the government in the country is now offering up to €11,000 towards the purchase of new plug-in electric vehicles (EVs).

The earlier Rabla program provided EV buyers with as much as €5,000 in incentives, which was itself building on an earlier incentives program offering EV buyers up to €3,700 in incentives.

The new Rabla Plus incentives program is slated to run until 2019. The new program will also provide buyers of non-plug-in hybrids with up to €1,450 in incentives.

Green Car Reports provides more: “Despite the incentives, the most recent European Alternative Fuel Observatory report notes that only about 160 plug-in electric cars were registered in Romania last year.”

“Local media Economica.net projects that up to 100,000 Romanians will take advantage of the higher rebates… However, the Romanian government is facing a similar challenge in promoting electric cars to one in the US. The lack of charging infrastructure has put a damper on buyers’ enthusiasm — and it’s far worse in the smaller country.

“A program to boost the number of charging stations was launched in 2011 with very little success. 5 years later, a mere 10 stations were up and running. Last year, the government launched a new program to support the installation of charging stations in certain public institutions. Its goal is to grow their network to at least 20,000 charging points by 2020.”

In related news, the government of Romania has also now expanded the country’s “cash-for-clunkers” program to incentivize the purchase of electric vehicles following the turning in of old, heavily polluting vehicles.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Jordan Refugee Camp Becomes First in the World to be Powered by Renewables

18.05.2017

Up to 20,000 Syrian refugees living in the Azraq refugee camp have been given access to free clean power thanks to the world’s first solar farm to be deployed at a UN refugee camp.

The UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, yesterday announced the 2MW is covering the power needs of 5,000 shelters, allowing refugees to power lights, phone chargers, fans, fridges or TVs.

The microgrid is now expected to be extended to all the 36,000 refugees living in the camp by early next year, while the solar farm will be extended to deliver 5MW of capacity. Any excess power will then be fed into Jordan’s national grid, providing a boost to its plans to build a “green economy” by 2020.

The €8.75m project has been funded by the IKEA Foundation through the Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign, which raised €30.8m UNHCR projects. For each LED light-bulb sold by IKEA during the campaign period, the IKEA Foundation donated €1 to UNHCR to bring renewable energy and education to refugees.

The first phase of the project is already expected to deliver carbon savings of 2,370 tons a year and cut running costs at the refugee camp by $1.5m a year.

Moreover, the UNHCR said the construction of the Azraq solar plant has provided an income opportunity to over 50 refugees who have been trained and employed to help build the solar farm in partnership with Jordanian solar company Mustakbal.

“Lighting up the camp is not only a symbolic achievement; it provides a safer environment for all camp residents, opens up livelihoods opportunities, and gives children the chance to study after dark,” said Kelly T. Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, in a statement. “Above all, it allows all residents of the camps to lead more dignified lives. Once again the partnership between IKEA Foundation and UNHCR has shown how we can embrace new technologies, innovation and humanity while helping refugees.”

Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, said the project provided a model that could be emulated around the world. “The world’s first solar farm in a refugee camp signals a paradigm shift in how the humanitarian sector supports displaced populations,” he said. “UNHCR Jordan will save millions of dollars, while reducing carbon emissions and improving living conditions for some of the world’s most vulnerable children and families.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Scottish Offshore Wind Farms Given Second Life Following Court Ruling

18.05.2017

Vetropark, Njiva, kukuruz — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A legal ruling in Scotland has given second life to as much as 2.3 gigawatts worth of offshore wind farms that had previously been halted due to concerns over their impact on migratory seabirds.

Back in July a judge in the Outer Court of Session in Scotland revoked consent for four separate wind farms — the 600-megawatt (MW) Inch Cape Offshore wind farm, the 450 MW Neart Na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, and the 525 MW (each) Seagreen Alpha and Bravo projects — due to the potential danger to certain species of migratory seabird living in the Special Protection Areas.

However, this week, the Inner House at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, overturned the July revocation. Lord Carloway, the Lord President of the Court of Session, penned an Opinion of the Court which dispatched the original judge’s findings, saying that the judge “strayed well beyond the limits of testing the legality of the process and has turned himself into the decision-maker following what appears to have been treated as an appeal against the respondents’ decisions on the facts.” Further, the judge appears to have acted “almost as if he were the reporter at such an inquiry… For this reason alone, his decision on this ground cannot be sustained.”

The decision now opens the way for developers Mainstream Renewable Power (Neart na Gaoithe), Red Rock Power (Inch Cape), and joint partners SSE and Fluor (Seagreen Alpha and Bravo) to proceed with their respective developments. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the projects could pave the way for up to £10 billion in investments to develop up to 2.3 GW of offshore wind capacity.

Unsurprisingly, the move was welcomed by all developers involved.

“We welcome the ruling of the Inner House of the Court of Session in favour of Scottish Ministers, overturning last year’s decision by Lord Stewart,” said David Sweenie, Mainstream Renewable Power’s Offshore Manager for Scotland. “This £2 billion project is capable of supplying all the homes in a city the size of Edinburgh with clean energy. It will create over 500 jobs during construction and over 100 permanent jobs once operational. More than £540 million will be directly invested in Scotland during the construction phase and a further £610 million during the operational phase.”

“Red Rock Power welcome the court’s ruling which supports the continued development of a £2 billion investment in Scotland’s energy infrastructure,” added a spokesman for the Project Owner Red Rock Power Ltd. “Red Rock Power also acknowledges the important and continued role that RSPB has in protecting our internationally important wildlife.

We will therefore continue to work collaboratively with the RSPB and all stakeholders to refine the project design to ensure that the project can be delivered whilst minimising environmental impacts.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Dams Significantly Impact Global Carbon Cycle, New Study Finds

18.05.2017

There are an estimated 84,000 dams in the U.S., blocking more than 17 percent of rivers in the nation. Dams are interrupting wildlife habitats, damaging the ecosystem and impacting the global climate cycle, according to a new study in Nature Communications.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Université libre de Bruxelles, reveal that nearly one-fifth of the organic carbon that moves from land to ocean is trapped by man-made dams. The reservoirs can act as a carbon sink or significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, which, the researchers say, are not properly represented in climate change models. More than 90 percent of the world’s rivers are projected to be blocked or rerouted by at least one dam within the next 15 years.

The new information is helping climate scientists track carbon and get a better understanding of the overall carbon cycle, which is critical in mitigating the impacts of climate change, including severe drought, flooding and sea level rise.

“Dams don’t just have local environmental impacts. It’s clear they play a key role in the global carbon cycle and therefore the Earth’s climate,” said Philippe Van Cappellen, co-author of the study. “For more accurate climate predictions, we need to better understand the impact of reservoirs.”

But dams don’t just affect the carbon cycle, they interfere with vital nutrients. The researchers found that ongoing dam construction blocks the transport of phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon from flowing into wetlands, lakes, floodplains and coasts downstream. This alters the entire ecosystem, and the wildlife and marine life dependent on it.

Dams have also been found to be a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to a 2016 study, published in the journal BioScience:

“Much attention has been paid to negative impacts of dams on fish and other riverine biota, but the indirect effects on biogeochemical cycling are also important to consider. Although reservoirs are often thought of as “green” or carbon-neutral sources of energy, a growing body of work has documented their role as greenhouse gas sources. Artificial reservoirs created by dams are distinct from natural systems in a number of key ways that may enhance greenhouse gas emissions from these systems.”

“Methane emissions at Hoover Dam have been estimated to be as bad as carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants,” said Gary Wockner, river activist and board member of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Hoover Dam in 1937 was the planetary genesis of megadams and the hydropower industry, and now it’s likely also a big contributor to climate change.”

“If we keep building dams around the world, especially in warm environments, global climate change emissions likely won’t slow down no matter how much coal and gas stays in the ground,” Wockner concluded.

Source: ecowatch.com

Researchers At Australia’s University Of Newcastle Testing Printed Solar Panels

17.05.2017

Printed-Solar-Velcro-Fixing-edit2 — Foto: newcastle.edu.au

A team of researchers headed by Professor Paul Dastoor at the University of Newcastle in Australia has begun testing printed solar panels. The experimental panels are made by printing a special electronic ink onto clear laminated sheets as thin as a single piece of paper using conventional printing presses. The sheets have been installed using velcro strips and cover an area of about 100 square meters. This represents the first large-scale test of a project Dastoor and his team have been working on for more than 15 years.

“This installation brings us closer than we have ever been to making this technology a reality. It will help to determine the lifespan of the material and provide half-hourly feedback on the performance of the system,” says Professor Dastoor. “There are just three demonstration sites at this scale that we know of anywhere in the world, so Australia has joined quite an elite group of global leaders poised to make this technology a commercial reality.”

The printed solar panels are light and flexible and can be literally rolled out anywhere there is a flat surface. Dastoor says the cost of producing the printed panels is about $10 per square meter. “The low cost and speed at which this technology can be deployed is exciting, particularly in the current Australian energy context where we need to find solutions, and quickly, to reduce demand on base-load power,” Dastoor says.

“No other renewable energy solution can be manufactured as quickly. On our lab-scale printer we can easily produce hundreds of meters of material per day. On a commercial scale printer, this would increase to kilometres. If you had just ten of these printers operating around the clock we could print enough material to deliver power to 1000 homes per day,” he says.

Dastoor says the printed solar panels are more sensitive to low light levels, which means they produce a more constant flow of power on cloudy days. They can even produce a small amount of energy from moonlight. Their light weight and ease of installation make them an ideal choice for bringing electricity to areas hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes and storms.

The test at the University of Newcastle will allow researchers to monitor a large area of panels under real world conditions for the first time. If successful, the proof of concept demonstration could inspire a new service delivery model, removing key barriers to solar uptake in the community.

“It might operate like a telephone line, where customers choose a service plan based on their usage requirements but do not need to outlay the physical cost of the line installation and associated upkeep. The system is owned, maintained and updated by the provider and customers could scale their plan up or down as their requirements change,” said Professor Dastoor. “By reinventing the delivery model we remove the need for initial lump sum outlays, overcoming the key barrier to community uptake and ensuring that the science actually ends up on our rooftops,” he says.

Dastoor has not revealed any specifics about the conversion rate of his printed solar panels or how they compare in electricity production to conventional crystalline panels.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Solar Energy Brings A Ray Of Hope To Salt Farmers In Gujarat

17.05.2017

A vast majority of India’s salt comes from Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch desert. Here, about 43,000 salt farmers, mostly women, work in brutal heat to produce salt from briny tidal water. It is hard work for little pay. Most of these salt farmers barely earn enough to support their families. But a new effort to bring solar energy to the salt flats is helping lift these rural women and their families out of poverty and into India’s clean energy future.

Salt farming is the only source of income for the local Agaria community, where children start typically working on the salt farm at age 10 and have little education. During the dry season, salt farmers pump briny groundwater out over the salt flats, and coax out the salt using rakes and rollers over the next few months as the water evaporates. The pumps are typically diesel-powered, meaning most salt farmers have to set aside 40% of their meagre earnings to purchase diesel fuel for the following year. The yearly fuel expenses keep these women and their families in poverty.

The Agarias use the power of the sun to help dry the salt— but today, they can also use it to operate their pumps, avoiding the expense and pollution of diesel.Over the past three years, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), working closely with India’s Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and other partners, has helped design a program to bring more than 500 solar-powered water pumps to salt farming families in the Rann of Kutch. The pumps have proven to be more efficient and reliable than diesel pumps, and save time and money for the hard-working farmers.

I met one of these families recently when I visited India, a multi-generational crew who all worked together in the salt marsh. Thanks to a system set up by NRDC and SEWA experts, they were able to obtain a solar pump through a low-cost loan a few years ago. The pump has been so successful they’ve already paid back their loan and want to buy one more. I asked the matriarch what she was doing with all the money they were saving and she laughed, gesturing to her grandchildren. “It’s all for them,” she told me, “what else?”

NRDC-SEWA research showed that salt farmers who switched from diesel to solar-powered pumps saw their savings increase more than 150%. Today, as prices for pumps have fallen substantially and the price of diesel has increased, farmers who make the switch could save even more. The new pumps allow families like the one I met to have more economic independence, to do things like send children to school.

The solar pumps also run cleaner than diesel pumps. Diesel exhaust contains fine particles which can enter the lungs and bloodstream, creating respiratory problems, heart disease, and even premature death. Other chemical components in diesel exhaust are known carcinogens. Even in India’s rural areas, fine particle pollution can be four to five times higher than national air quality standards.

Climate pollution from diesel is a serious concern as well. Millions of Indians are vulnerable to the more frequent and intense heat waves, flooding and drought caused by climate change. An analysis by NRDC and SEWA estimates that replacing diesel water pumps in the Rann of Kutch with solar and hybrid solar/diesel water pumps can potentially avoid as much as 115,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year. That is the equivalent of taking more than 24,000 cars off the road.

NRDC and SEWA’s work has allowed salt farmers to demonstrate a solid track record of paying back their loans, which should open the door for commercial banks to make more solar loans available to thousands of salt farmers who still use diesel pumps. But the story doesn’t end in the deserts of Gujarat. The financing models and other lessons learned from this project can be applied to communities across India. By developing new methods of clean energy financing, India can greatly expand clean energy access and build a clean energy economy that will benefit millions of people.

Source: huffingtonpost.in

China & India Surpass USA As World’s Most Attractive Renewable Energy Countries

17.05.2017

Solarni paneli — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

China and India have both surpassed the United States in EY’s Renewable energy country attractiveness index, pushing the US down for the first time since 2015 in the ranking of the top 40 countries.

EY published the 49th issue of the Renewable energy country attractiveness index (RECAI) this week, revealing that China and India had both surpassed the United States to take the top two spots, respectively, and the US falling to third. Unsurprisingly, recent executive orders made by newly minted President Donald Trump to roll back Obama-era environmental and climate change policies attempts to revive the US coal industry, and the review of the Clean Power Plan, all served to decrease the country’s attractiveness for renewable energy development and investment.

“Movements in the index illustrate the influence of policy on renewable energy investment and development – both productive and detrimental,” said Ben Warren, EY Global Power & Utilities Corporate Finance Leader and RECAI Chief Editor. “Supportive policy and a long-term vision are critical to achieving a clean energy future.”

The United States didn’t lose their spot solely because of their own poor performance but also lost out because of strong growth in both China and India. China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) announced in January that the country intends to spend $363 billion to develop new renewable energy capacity by 2020. China is also intending to trial a pilot tradable green certificate program in July of this year.

Meanwhile, India continued its upward trend that has been seen over the past few editions of the RECAI, thanks in part to the country’s plans to build 175 GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2022 and to ensure renewable energy accounts for 40% of installed capacity by 2040.

“The renewable energy industry is beginning to break free of the shackles that have stalled progress in the past,” Warren added. “More refined technology, lower costs and advances in battery storage are enabling more widespread investment and adoption of clean energy.”

These weren’t the only movements, however, as can be seen below. The United Kingdom squeezed its way back into the top 10, while somewhat surprisingly, Australia managed to eke its way into the top 5 due to a record year of investment in renewable energy and efforts to ensure the country reaches its 2020 renewable energy target. Canada fell out of the top 10, and Chile, France, and Mexico all saw themselves slip down in the top 10.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Wind Power Gives Oklahoma Schools a Lifeline During Budget Cuts

17.05.2017

Wind-turbine — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Oklahoman recently took a look at what the Sooner State’s growing wind industry has meant for rural school districts.

Its findings: Wind power has made a big difference.

Oklahoma has faced steep cuts to its state education budget in recent years, but wind payments have helped bridge the gap for many small-town districts.

“We would probably be right there screaming with everyone else about the budget if it wasn’t for those (turbines),” said Rob Friesen, superintendent of Okarche Public Schools. The Okarche school system recently added a new gym, built a new elementary school and art center, and a constructed an agricultural and technology building.

“It increases the amount of money you can go out and bond,” Friesen said. “Without it, we wouldn’t be doing all these projects,” Friesen said. “Without it, we would have to pick just one of these projects.”

Meanwhile, Robert Trammell, superintendent of Cheyenne Public schools, said wind revenue makes up 10 percent of his district’s budget, and wind development helped the Minco public school system build a new high school.

In rural districts short on resources, wind farm revenue can clearly make a huge difference. In fact, researchers from Oklahoma State University recently found wind farms would pay in-state schools more than a billion dollars during the course of their lifetimes.

Source: ecowatch.com

Australia leaps up global renewable energy investment rankings

17.05.2017

australian-flag — Photo - illustration: Pixabay

Australia has leaped up the rankings of the most attractive countries for renewable energy investment, thanks to the record sums of more than $7.5 billion committed to large-scale wind and solar, not to mention rooftop installations, over the past year.

Ernst & Young’s Renewable Energy Attractiveness Index – published twice a year – puts Australia at number 5 across the globe, a big jump from number 11 in October last year.

China and India take the top two placings, displacing the US since the election of Donald Trump and his promise to revive the coal industry, while Germany comes in No 4, just ahead of Australia, with Chile, Japan, France, Mexico and the UK making up the rest of the top 10.

Last October, Australia’s ranking had slipped out of the top 10 because it was not clear that the renewable energy target, which requires 33,000GWh of renewable energy by 2020, would be met.

But a sudden surge in investment, particularly in large-scale solar following the success of the ARENA funding round, has delivered some 3,000MW of committed projects, with more in the pipeline.

And in the last week, the 200MW Silverton wind farm has begun construction near Broken Hill, while the 530MW Stockyard Hill wind project in Victoria has set a record low price for wind energy in the country of around 5.5c/kWh ($55/MWh).

“After a year of record investment in renewables, with coal on the decline, the country is gearing up to maintain its renewables target but also ensure grid stability through increased storage,” the EY report notes, adding in further detail how the “billionaire tweets” and the plunging cost of battery storage has generated huge interest in the technology.

The Clean Energy Regulator, and now the energy minister Josh Frydenberg, both recognise that the 2020 RET will likely be met – possibly with enough commitments made over the next 12 months. The CER noted that 3,300MW has been committed in the last 15 months, and most of it in the last six to eight months.

However, there is a policy void at national level after that 2020 target is met, with the industry then dependent on state-based schemes such as Victoria, which aims for 40 per cent renewables by 2025, Queensland (50 per cent by 2030), and Northern Territory (also 50 per cent by 2030). None of these targets have been legislated yet.

NSW and Western Australia do not have set targets for renewables, but have made it clear they are keen for more large-scale solar and wind energy, combined with storage.

Ironically, the recent surge in investment follows a three year investment drought after the Australian government sought to bring the RET to an end, and then pushed to reduce it. Frydenberg recently described the RET as a “reckless” policy, even though its original target of 45,000GWh was enthusiastically supported by the Coalition when the legislation was passed.

Rooftop solar is also showing a rebound in interest – thanks to rising electricity prices and the introduction of small battery storage systems – and looks on track to get near 1GW for the year after a record start for the first four months. Battery storage is seen as the key for future renewable investment, it says.

China leads the index, vowing to spend $US363 billion developing renewable power capacity by the end of 2020, creating 13 million jobs, while E&Y notes that in India the government has a hugely ambitious renewable energy program, and solar developers have offered to supply power at lower prices than new-build coal plants, effectively blocking new coal capacity.

In the US, the election of Trump has added huge uncertainty about the future for renewables, in Germany recent auctions found offshore wind could be built without any subsidies, while in Chile, the first carbon price in South America came into force from January 1, adding $US5/MWh to each tonne of fossil fuel emissions.

Source: reneweconomy.com.au

The Sun Irrigates a Carrot

17.05.2017

Droughty, hot, summer day will no longer worry Marko Čarnić, vegetable grower from Begeč, near Novi Sad. From now on the sun also works for Čarnić, who is one of the biggest manufacturers of carrots not only in Serbia but also in the region. Part of his tilths seeded with carrots, is watered by an irrigation system which is run by solar energy. This system is the first of its kind in Serbia.

While pointing to the system of 27 solar panels which are placed next to the main road, Marko Čarnić explains that he cultivates around 200 acres on which carrot occupies the biggest part almost 120 acres. 7,000 tons of carrot is produced for sale annually. Vegetable crops are stored in a modern cold storage, recently built, whose capacity is 6,000 tons.

– Truth to be told, I never feared the drought, because all my fields are covered by irrigation systems driven by diesel generators – said Čarnić.

– However, I contemplate this system as an investment into the future. It will show the effects for more than 20 years, since it achieves significant savings especially in fuel. Thus, we become more competitive, and that is very important now when we will face the reduction of customs protection and the arrival of EU products on our market.

Marko Čarnić explains how the investment of 28,000 EUR pays off for a maximum of three years. He had a maximum support of ProCredit bank in financing and also in finding a company that is engaged in designing and installation of solar irrigation system run by solar energy. For the time being, this system waters 6 acres of land, but very soon it will be extended to the neighbouring field, so that it will cover the total of 14 acres.

Janko Medveđ, his colleague, is also a major producer of carrots also from Begeč. He grows this vegetable on about 130 acres, and he is also thinking about setting up this kind of a system, but he has certain dilemmas.

– The biggest problem would be its mobility – said Medveđ.

– In order to have good results, I need to respect the crop rotation, that is, I cannot grow only vegetable crops that do not require irrigation. Therefore, it would be priceless if I could move it, but anyway I will see what will Marko’s experience be like and then I will decide. Irrigation system, which Čarnić has installed and whose power is 7,5kW can pump out 500 cubic meter of water a day. Each system is specially designed depending on the needs of the farmer and it can be controlled remotely via the Internet connection. The panels are resistant to impacts, and the entire system requires minimal investment in maintenance in the next 25 years.

This story was originaly published in Energetski portal bulletin “Renewable Sources of Energy 2016“, in June 1^st 2016.

Building Blocks: Lego and DONG Energy to Cut Ribbon on UK’s Largest Wind Turbines

17.05.2017

The first commercial offshore wind farm to make use of the next generation of giant 8MW turbines will be officially inaugurated later today at a ceremony to mark the official opening of the Burbo Bank Extension project in Liverpool Bay.

The 258MW project has been developed by DONG Energy, which holds a 50 per cent stake alongside Danish pension fund PKA and KIKBI A/S, the parent company of LEGO Group, which each hold a 25 per cent stake.

The 8MW turbines have been provided by MHI Vestas and make use of the first blades to be manufactured in the UK at the company’s factory on the Isle of Wight. Each turbine stands at 195 metres tall and boasts blades that are 80 metres long and weigh 35 tonnes.

The 32 turbines installed seven kilometres off the coast are set to provide enough clean power for 230,000 homes.

The emergence of a new generation of turbines capable of delivering significant higher levels of capacity than earlier models has been widely credited with pushing down the cost of offshore wind energy. An industry-backed study earlier this year said that improvements in technology and project management had helped drive costs down by around a third over the past four years.

DONG said the project would also enable a £225,000 a year community benefit fund and support for the RNLI lifeboat at New Brighton.

In addition, the company has pledged to work with Teach First social enterprise to coach teachers and increase the number of science, technology, engineering and maths teachers in the region.

The project sits alongside the original Burbo Bank project, which came online in 2007. The original project was the first to make use of Siemens’ 3.6MW turbines, which delivered 90MW of capacity from 25 turbines.

DONG Energy said the scale of the extension project highlighted the “enormous progress” the industry has made over the past decade in boosting wind generation capacity and reducing costs.

The news comes several weeks after Lego-owner KIKBI A/S signalled that it was interested in following its initial investments in renewable energy with backing for further clean energy projects.

Chief Executive Soren Thorup Sorensen told Reuters that “we definitely have an appetite for more, and we’re constantly looking for possible investment opportunities”.

The news also follows a further boost for the UK’s offshore wind industry yesterday, after a Scottish court ruled Mainstream Renewable Power’s 450MW Neart na Gaoithe wind farm off the Scottish coast could proceed following a judicial review triggered by a legal challenge from the RSPB over the potential impact on sea birds.

RSPB said it would now consider the ruling before making a decision on whether or not to launch an appeal.

Source: businessgreen.com

1...314315316...408 Page 315 of 408

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2025 June

Events for 30 June

Events for 1 July

Events for 2 July

Events for 3 July

Events for 4 July

Events for 5 July

Events for 6 July

Events for 7 July

Events for 8 July

Events for 9 July

Events for 10 July

Events for 11 July

Events for 12 July

Events for 13 July

Events for 14 July

Events for 15 July

Events for 16 July

Events for 17 July

Events for 18 July

Events for 19 July

Events for 20 July

Events for 21 July

Events for 22 July

Events for 23 July

Events for 24 July

Events for 25 July

Events for 26 July

Events for 27 July

Events for 28 July

Events for 29 July

Events for 30 July

WRITE US