Report: Onshore Wind Now So Cheap it Could Go ‘Subsidy-Free’

17.04.2017

Onshore wind is now cheap enough to deliver power to UK consumers without subsidy, according to a report released today by management consultancy Baringa Partners.

Commissioned by Scottish Renewables, the report finds the government could deliver 1GW of new onshore wind capacity at no additional cost to consumers above the wholesale cost of power.

The findings mean the cost of decarbonising the UK energy system could be cut significantly, saving consumers money on their energy bills in the process.

However, realising the promised savings depends on onshore wind being given access to the energy market. It is currently barred from Contract for Difference (CfD) auctions, where developers bid for 15-year price support contracts that give them a guaranteed price for the power they generate.

The Conservative Party pledged to halt new subsidies for onshore wind farms in its manifesto at the 2015 election. The government has subsequently failed to include both onshore wind and solar farm projects in CfD auctions, despite the fact all other new build energy projects receive some form of subsidy and developers maintain they can undercut the contracts handed to nuclear and offshore wind developers.

The Baringa report urges the government to allow onshore wind access in the so-called ‘pot one’ CfD auction rounds, which are meant to cover more mature clean energy technologies.

It suggests onshore wind could clear an auction with prices of £49.40 per MWh, which is currently just below the wholesale electricity price – which stood at £50 per MWh in December 2016 according to Ofgem.

If the price of power dips below this – and historic trends suggest it could – the onshore wind projects would be able to access top-up payments to make up the difference, but if the wholesale price rises over time these payments would be eliminated – resulting in onshore wind projects that could reasonably be classified as ‘subsidy free’.

The report argues the government would not be breaking its manifesto pledge by allowing onshore wind access to a CfD, as the savings in the long-term would likely outweigh any short-term subsidy costs.

The new figures come as official data from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reveals sluggish winds and dry weather have caused a slight dip in the amount of electricity the UK generated from renewable sources last year.

Provisional estimates for 2016 generation in the UK reveal a dip of one per cent in renewable generation, despite a 13.7 per cent rise in new renewables capacity over the year as new solar and onshore wind came online ahead of recent subsidy cuts.

Hydro generation fell by 15 per cent compared to 2015 thanks to lower rainfall, while offshore and onshore wind generation fell by 5.8 per cent and 7.8 per cent respectively. However, the drop was partially offset by a jump in solar generation, up 36 per cent to a record 10.3TWh thanks to increased capacity.

Despite the poor weather conditions 2016 was still the second highest year for renewable electricity generation, and lower electricity use overall meant renewables’ share of the electricity mix for 2016 barely changed, coming in at 24.4 per cent, compared to 24.6 per cent in 2015.

As of December 2016, the UK had 34.6GW of renewable electricity capacity. Wind – both offshore and onshore – are the lead generation type for renewables, followed by bioenergy, solar, and hydro.

Source: businessgreen.com

Theresa May Admits Air Pollution is One of UK’s Gravest Health Risks

17.04.2017

Theresa May has admitted the full scale of the UK’s air pollution crisis, in a letter acknowledging poor air quality is the fourth biggest health risk for the British public after cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The letter, obtained by the Evening Standard, was written in response to a letter sent last month by more than 200 doctors from across the UK which warned “time is running out” to prevent health damage caused by pollution from diesel cars.

In her reply May admitted the scale of the health impacts caused by poor air quality were significant. “Poor air quality is the fourth largest risk to public health, behind only cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseasem” she wrote. “It disproportionately affects some of the most vulnerable in our society, including the elderly, people with lung and heart conditions, and the very young.”

Some campaigners were quick to point out that the risks of both cancer and cardiovascular disease are exacerbated by poor air quality.

In their original letter to the Prime Minister the group of doctors called for the government to introduce a diesel scrappage scheme to take the most polluting diesel cars off the road and accelerate the shift to ultra-low emission cars.

But although May also blamed diesel cars as a major source of pollution for the UK’s urban areas, she stopped short of committing to a diesel scrappage scheme. “I agree with you that one of the main reasons our cities continue to face pollution problems is the significant levels of NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions that diesel vehicles produce,” she wrote. “Harmful emissions from transport contribute significantly to the air quality challenge we face.”

May has in recent weeks hinted drivers of diesel cars could be in line for financial help for replacing their cars, saying she is “mindful” of the fact the last Labour government encouraged the purchase of diesels through a series of tax breaks. Diesel cars produce less carbon dioxide than petrol, but can generate more than twice as much particulate pollution, which contributes to poor air quality.

The government’s latest air quality plan is due to be published in the next fortnight, and will contain more details of the government’s plan to establish a series of clean air zones around the country in a bid to slash air pollution.

Reports suggested the plan could include the removal of traffic calming measures such as speed bumps in clean air zones, which force drivers to repeatedly speed up and slow down again – increasing particulate pollution. Further reports have indicated the most polluting cars could also be charged up to £20 a day to enter a number of city centres across the UK.

Source: businessgreen.com

Ford Reveals 1st Pursuit-Rated Hybrid Police Car (PHOTOS)

16.04.2017

Ford has revealed what it describes as the industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car, the Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan. This is part of Ford’s $4.5 billion “electrified” vehicles push (hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electrics).

Considering that Ford sells roughly 63% of all the police vehicles sold in the US, the news is pretty notable (though, we already knew it was coming).

As would be expected with a hybrid, the Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan has a pretty good fuel economy — with the (projected) EPA-estimated combined rating being 38 miles per gallon.

That’s around twice the combined fuel economy rating for the Police Interceptor with a 3.7-liter V6 (EPA-estimated 18 mpg combined). So, there are significant fuel savings to be had with the new hybrids.

The press release provides more:

– While idling, the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan’s lithium-ion battery helps power the high electrical loads of a police vehicle, reducing engine run time and saving an estimated 0.27 gallons of fuel per hour. Police Responder Hybrid Sedan customers could see nearly $3,900 a year in potential fuel savings per vehicle relative to the Police Interceptor, if a police vehicle is driven 20,000 miles per year, runs two shifts per day, 365 days per year, idles 4.9 hours per 8-hour shift, and is fueled at an average gas price of $2.50/gallon. The Ford Police Responder online fuel calculator enables customers to determine how much they may potentially save.

– The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan uses an efficient Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter engine with an electric motor fed by an advanced lithium-ion battery. The hybrid is calibrated for law enforcement’s unique duty cycle and will run in battery-only mode up to 60 mph. The car automatically switches to maximum performance — with the engine and battery working at peak acceleration levels — when needed.

Orders for the new Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will reportedly begin this “spring,” and deliveries next summer.

Westfield Shopping Centers Throughout Australia Get 40 New ChargePoint EV Charging Bays

15.04.2017

bmw-electric — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

The popular Westfield shopping center network in Australia is now home to 40 new ChargePoint electric vehicle charging bays (spread across 10 different locations), thanks to a new partnership with BMW Australia. The 10 Westfield sites are spread throughout Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.

Commenting on the matter, Richard Kelleway, CEO of Visionstream (the operator of the Australian arm of Chargepoint), stated: “As the number of charging stations grows, it becomes easier for individuals and businesses to choose to drive electric… This should make people sit up and take notice of the EV (electric vehicle) movement. If businesses and organizations want to attract EV drivers, they will need to provide the necessary infrastructure.”

The recent charging station buildout (all the 40 stations are now online) is expected to be expanded in the future, according to those involved — presumably, as EV usage/ownership grows.

The press release provides a bit more information: “The initiative was conceived last year as part of BMW and Westfield’s commitment to sustainability, with ChargePoint chosen as the preferred supplier. All Westfield charging stations are now in operation with a view to expand the network as EV popularity grows. The installation of the charging stations positions Westfield shopping centres as the leading shopping destinations for EV drivers.”

On a related note, there are now around 340 ChargePoint EV charging points in Australia — a decent number; though, there’s certainly room for growth.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Will Become World’s 3rd Largest Solar Market This Year

14.04.2017

Solarni paneli — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

India is set to overtake Japan as the world’s third-largest solar power market this year, a Taiwanese research firm has predicted.

According to EnergyTrend, the global solar PV demand is expected to remain stable at 74 gigawatts this year while India is expected to see sustained growth. The research claims that growth in China’s solar PV demand is expected to reduce slightly as the government has a lower capacity addition target compared to the last year.

Solar power in the world’s second largest market — the United States of America — may fall out of favor given the political scenario. Meanwhile, in Japan the government is expected to continue to reduce feed-in tariffs, possibly leading to a dent in investments.

India, on the other hand, is expected to contribute 14% to the global solar PV demand as the government continues to push for a very ambitious installed capacity target of 100 gigawatts by 2022. The target translates into 90 gigawatts of capacity addition over the next five years.

India recently crossed the 10 gigawatt installed solar capacity mark. EnergyTrend expects the south Asian country to add another 10 gigawatts this year. The government, for its part, expects to add 20 gigawatts over the next 15 months.

A total of 14 gigawatts of capacity is reportedly under construction or at the design stage. A large portion of this capacity is expected to be commissioned during the upcoming financial year, stating 1 April 2017. An additional 6 gigawatts of capacity is also scheduled to be auctioned soon.

Source: cleantechnica.com

California Introducing Annual $100 Fee For Zero-Emission Vehicle Owners … In 2020

13.04.2017

Electric car — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The California state legislature has passed a new $52.4 billion bill known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1) that will see owners of zero-emissions vehicles charged an annual fee of $100. The charge is intended to offset the gasoline taxes that zero-emissions vehicle owners don’t pay, but that’s not all.

The new $100 annual fee for zero-emissions vehicles won’t be imposed until 2020. However, starting in 2018, all vehicle owners will be charged a variable annual fee of between $25 and $175 — variable depending on vehicle value. According to Governor Jerry Brown, this range was chosen since it will likely end up being less than comparable repair costs resulting from driving on damaged roads.

In addition to that charge, the SB1 bill also introduces a $0.12-per-gallon gasoline tax increase — which is intended to account for inflation (the tax was last increased in 1994). In total, the new state gasoline tax will total 30¢ per gallon. It will take effect on November 1, 2017.

“Unlike the practice in previous years, this one is to be used only for improvements to the transportation infrastructure, to begin cutting into an estimated $130 billion backlog of repairs and expansions,” Green Car Reports highlights. “The new fees and increased taxes will amount to $52.4 billion over 10 years, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee.”

Going on: “Trying to cast the increase in a brighter light, officials say this time the money will go where it is intended — to pay for road repairs — because they have fixed the ‘leak,’ in which the funds collected were used for non-transportation projects. Now that the bill has been approved, it’s up to civic groups and the tax-paying drivers to ensure the state remains accountable for spending the $5.24 billion annual fund in smart ways.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Portland Commits to 100% Renewables, Joins 25 Other Cities

13.04.2017

Wind-turbine — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The city of Portland and Multnomah County in Oregon are joining the growing list of communities transitioning entirely to renewable energy.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury made the announcement Monday at the June Key Delta Community Center in North Portland—the site of a former gas station-turned green building.

Portland is likely the largest city in the U.S. to take this ambitious step, the Sierra Club told the Portland Business Journal. The two areas join 25 other communities that have made similar announcements.

According to Oregon Live, the plan involves meeting all electricity needs from renewable sources by 2035. To up the ante, fossil fuels for heating and transportation will also be phased out by 2050.

Wheeler acknowledged that this commitment would not be easy.

“They will be difficult to achieve,” the newly elected mayor said.

“We’re actually going to have to make deliberate steps, and deliberate investments, and deliberate policy changes in order for this to become a reality,” Wheeler said, adding “and I’m committed to that.”

Oregon Live noted that “the city and county can lead the way in some respects, but much of the heavy lifting will depend on utilities and the market for electric vehicles accelerating.” For instance, utilities like Portland General Electric will have to quickly phase out coal and other fossil fuels.

As EcoWatch mentioned previously, committing to 100 percent renewables is not as far-fetched as it seems. The Solutions Project, which is aiming to make clean energy accessible and affordable for all, is advocating for towns, cities, states and even the whole country to convert its energy infrastructure to renewables.

The Solutions Project team published a study and roadmap illustrating how each U.S. state can replace fossil fuels by tapping into the renewable resources they have available, such as wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, as well as small amounts of tidal and wave power.

The authors found that converting the nation’s energy infrastructure into renewables is ideal because it helps fight climate change, saves lives by eliminating air pollution, creates jobs in the rapidly booming renewable energy sector and also stabilizes energy prices.

Source: ecowatch.com

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: Green Climate Fund Will Be the Biggest Financial Mechanism

13.04.2017

Climate change is a global problem and the obligation of each country is to actively participate in the fight against all these changes. Serbia plans to ratify the Paris Climate Agreement by mid-2017 and it will soon pass the Law on Reducing the Greenhouse Gas Emission. The beginning of work on the Strategy on Climate Change was promoted during September 2016 in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. At numerous meetings during 2015 and 2016, you could hear that Serbia would be able to use international funds

for the implementation of its obligations in the fight against climate change, as well as certain EU funds. During June 2016 in the French Embassy in Belgrade, the advisor of permanent UN coordinator in Serbia, Mrs. Borka Jeremić stated that the new framework of the development partnership with Serbia for the period from 2016 to 2020 envisaged the support to Serbian Government in developing the capacities for climate change and managing natural resources.

State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Mrs. Stana Božović pointed out then, that the value of projects which were supported by the programme was 11 million dollars; out of which 2.2 million would be provided from Global Fund GEF in the following five years, 5 million dollars from the future Fund for the environmental protection of Serbia and the rest from donors.

In the interview with permanent coordinator of the UN Office in Serbia, Mrs. Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, for Energetski portal we found out how to evaluate the activity of Serbia in solving the biggest challenges of mankind.

EP: The ultimate objective of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is to stabilize CO2 emission into the atmosphere. Climate change is associated with the biggest polluter and that is the industry. In your opinion, how does the problem of climate change reflect or will it be reflected on the global industry and economy?

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: The energy sector, industry and economy in general are the key emitters with the effect of greenhouse gases (GHG) and certainly have a huge potential for reducing of those emissions and thereby mitigating the consequences of climate change. Reaching the national and international goals to reduce GHG emissions will primarily be achieved through investments into renewable energy sources, energy efficiency as well as adequate waste management, including the recycling industry. The switch to energy-efficient and new technologies in the industrial sector with the improvement of efficiency of industrial processes are some of the key measures which are defined in the reports by developing countries and those reports are submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Another important part of the transition to sustainable growth represents an investment in transport sector, both in terms of energy efficient vehicles and in development of transport infrastructure. Given the fact that urban areas are the carriers of economic growth around the world, the current global trend represents the sustainable development planning of urban areas in order to strengthen their resistance to climate change.

Therefore, climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge with which mankind faces, but it also represents a milestone in the development of humanity and the opportunity to make economic growth and development more sustainable.

EP: The conference COP 21 held in Paris last year was evaluated as one of the most successful and as the largest diplomatic event where the settlement was reached. The Agreement will become valid when signed by 55 countries that emit 55 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Is the implementation of this Agreement really possible?

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: This Agreement is the result of years of effort of the international community for the adoption of universal multilateral agreement on climate change. After the Kyoto Protocol, which wasn’t adopted by sufficient number of countries, as well as the failure to adopt the Agreement in Copenhagen in 2009, the United Nations and other global and regional partners such as EU have established the broad coalition of developed and developing countries in order to create such an ambitious framework for action.

The Agreement Green Climate Fund Will Be the Biggest Financial Mechanism from Paris sends a clear signal to investors, companies and policy makers about the fact that the transition to sustainable production and consumption is inevitable. What is maybe most important is the fact that developed countries committed to provide help in the fight against climate change more than they did so far. The fact that the Agreement was signed by the USA and China confirms the global commitment to the process.

In order to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Green Climate Fund was established as the new global mechanism for financing the measures for combating climate change. This is the biggest funding mechanism of this kind so far, with the ambitious goals of mobilisation of funds in the amount of 100 billion dollars a year by 2020 and it gives us hope for the success in implementation of agreed commitments.

EP: Serbia is among the first countries to give its national commitment plan in which it states that it will reduce CO2 emission into the atmosphere for 9.8 per cent compared to reference year of 1990. How do you assess the activities of Serbia in the fight against climate change?

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: Serbia is strongly committed to fulfilling of its obligations in the field of fight against climate change, both in international plan and within the process of its accession to the EU. Full implementation of regulations in these areas is adxz significant expense to the economy and the budget, but it is certainly necessary and profitable long-term investment which ensures the competitiveness and placing the products to the market. Compliance with the regulations and strengthening of the necessary administrative capacities still remains a main challenge. Administrative capacities in the field of climate change must bestrengthened at both central and local levels in order to ensure effective implementation of regulations.

Serbia fulfills its obligations in the areas of reporting to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and currently in the process of developing of the National Strategy to combat climate change, which will hopefully respond to challenges and opportunities for low-carbon development, and in accordance with ambitious strategic goals of the European Union. The legal framework, which will establish the implementation of the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS), is also in the final stage of development. The implementation of this legal framework will have a significant impact on economic development and energetics in the future.

The UN team in Serbia appreciates the efforts made by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in order to meet international obligations in the field of climate change. The new five-year partnership between the Serbian Government and the UN envisages a number of specific program activities that will support the Government in improving its capacity to respond to climate change and manage the natural resource in accordance with international agreements. Several UN agencies such as the Fund for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNESCO and others are currently dealing with this issue in the framework of their mandates.

EP: According to your data, what are the biggest threats for the humanity stemming from climate change? We know that CO2 from anthropogenic sources remains for a very long time in the atmosphere, even up to 1000 years and that there are no natural processes which would contribute to its reduction or elimination. Please, give us some more information on changes in the flora and fauna and weather disasters. Are they more frequent, what is their quality and what would be the estimates for the future period?

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: Climate change is a global problem which represents a threat to economic growth and developmentand to the survival of mankind as well. The scientific data and facts of the International Panel on Climate Change, but also of some other professional departments and academic communities at the national level, indicate the seriousness of climate change. On the other hand, we are witnessing increasingly frequent and intense weather disasters which cause the damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and unfortunately cause human victims. The harmful effects of climate change on agriculture, forestry, water management, health and biodiversity are described in detail within the national report submitted by countries to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The increase in mean annual temperature will have different impacts across the globe, from sea level rise, to frequent droughts, heavy rainfalls, storms and similar things. According to the climate scenarios, the area to which Serbia belongs is characterised by a long-term increase in average annual temperatures, as well as long-term reduction in rainfall with the increase of extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, droughts and episodes of heavy rainfalls. Extreme weather conditions, especially droughts, that is the increased number of dry days with extreme temperatures, will dominate the future climate conditions.

As for the damage caused by climate change, Serbia has been facing with the periods of extreme weather conditions and extreme weather events since 2000 and they have caused significant material and financial losses. Even without further changes of climate conditions it is clear how urgent is the need for adjustment. Two, probably the most important extreme climate events were the drought in 2012 and the floods in 2014. The total damage from flooding in 2014 was estimated at more than a billion and half euros, with the estimated damage in the agricultural sector of around 120 million euros.

On the other hand, the droughts that occurred in the past few years have probably caused the greatest losses. The drought in 2012 was particularly serious and had the effect of reducing the yields of some crops by around 50 per cent, which led to a total agricultural loss of around 2 billion dollars. Changed climate conditions will lead to significant changes in the composition of flora and fauna of the planet. Species can adapt to changed environmental conditions, but it takes time which in this case we do not have at our disposal. Thereby, to many species which are sensitive even to small changes of climate and site conditions in which they live, are threatened by extinction. When we talk about the relationship between climate change and environmental protection in Serbia, we should point out the fact that among the most vulnerable are ecosystems of wetlands and prairies in addition to forest ecosystems.

Forests can change its composition, structure and distribution. These consequences will arise primarily due to future shift of climate zones which will be faster than the possibilities of migrations of some species and forest types. The vulnerability of mountain habits to climate change is also emphasized. Taking into account that two thirds of the Republic of Serbia are mountainous areas and there are species whose populations are restricted to mountain peaks and as such they do not have natural corridors for mitigation. These species will be among those which will be most affected by climate change. Most of these species are endemic and if they disappear it will lead to the reduction of biodiversity, including the reduction of genetic diversity.

EP: What is your opinion on the conference COP 22 which was held in Morocco. What were the main objectives, themes and activities this time?

Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano: The conference in Morocco is the natural extension of 21 session held in Paris in 2015. The meeting was primarily devoted to further enforcement of the Paris Agreement, harmonisation of the supporting documents that will facilitate the implementation of reached agreements, as well as monitoring of the processes. Special attention was paid to adaptation measures on climate change conditions and the countries would be further encouraged to audit the intended national contribution to reducing GHG emissions, with the goal of achieving major reduction ambitions. As always, the series of accompanying events where countries and other interested parties discussed on various practical issues related to the implementation of climate policy, were organised during the session. Among other things, Serbia also performed with the accompanying event during which measures for encouraging local development resistant to climate change were promoted.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

Scotland Sets Wind Record, Provides Enough Electricity for 3.3 Million Homes in March

13.04.2017

Slowly but surely, it is becoming fact that households and entire countries can run on clean, renewable energy. Costa Rica, for instance, ran on renewable energy sources for 285 days in 2015 and achieved similarly in 2016. Additionally, Denmark produced 160 percent of its energy needs in one day in July of 2015 via wind power.

Now it has been reported that Scottish turbines provided 1.2 million megawatt hours of electricity to the National Grid—enough energy to meet the electrical needs of 136 percent of households in the country (or ~3.3 million homes). What’s more, 58 percent of Scotland’s entire electricity needs were met for the entire month. The Independent reported that on March 17 and March 19, enough energy was generated to power Scotland’s total power needs for an entire day.

An analysis of WeatherEnergy data by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Scotland revealed that the amount of energy generated in March increased by a staggering 81 percent compared to the same month in 2016.

WWF Scotland’s director, Lang Banks, commented on the monumental achievement:

“Given this March wasn’t as windy as it has been in some previous years, this year’s record output shows the importance of continuing to increase capacity by building new wind farms.

“As well as helping to power our homes and businesses, wind power supports thousands of jobs and continues to play an important role in Scotland’s efforts to address global climate change by avoiding millions of tonnes of carbon emissions every year,” he added.

Karen Robinson of WeatherEnergy added her insight:

“It’s massively impressive how Scotland has steadily grown its wind power output [over] the years. The total output from turbines this March was up more than four-fifths compared to the same period last year. This was enough power to provide the equivalent of the electrical needs of over three million homes. More importantly, it meant the equivalent of almost three-fifths of Scotland’s total electricity needs during March were met by onshore wind power.”

Now that Scotland has set an impressive new wind record, the WWF is calling on political parties to continue backing onshore wind power to help the country meet its carbon emission cut targets. One of the country’s goals is to deliver the equivalent of 50 percent of the energy required for Scotland’s heat, transport and electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Warming Up to Solar Energy in Chicago, Cook County

12.04.2017

When Chicagoans drive toward Des Moines, Indianapolis and Springfield, they see local wind turbines helping to power our transition to a clean energy future. Here in Cook County, our best renewable energy growth opportunity is installing modern solar energy panels on residential and commercial building rooftops and on underutilized “brownfield” industrial sites.

Solar energy development is being driven by smart policies, technological improvements, and civic and political leadership. The Illinois Legislature passed a modernized Renewable Portfolio Standard, which, if implemented well, can jump-start solar energy installations and financing. It’s especially important for Illinois to move quickly to leverage the federal Investment Tax Credit for solar energy that is available over the next four years.

There have been huge technological innovations in almost all solar energy equipment. Solar panel costs have dropped from $4 per watt to less than 40 cents per watt over the past 10 years, and solar inverter efficiency has improved to close to 99 percent.

Since 2015, Cook County has partnered with the city of Chicago, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Elevate Energy, Commonwealth Edison and West Monroe Partners to advance development of new community solar projects. In 2011 the City of Chicago solar formed an energy partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Environmental Law & Policy Center and West Monroe Partners. Both SunShot initiatives, supported by U.S. Department of Energy grants, accelerate solar energy projects, streamline processes and remove barriers.

Community solar energy is like a community garden. Just as some people don’t have a sunny backyard for a vegetable garden, other folks don’t have rooftops that are well-designed or well-situated for solar development. Some rooftops are shaded by trees or buildings, or they face or tilt in less advantageous directions. Some rental tenants or condo owners might be interested in solar energy while others are less so. Through community solar projects, people share in a local renewable clean energy project and gain both the energy and economic values as if those solar panels were on their own roofs.

Public demand for community solar energy is high. When Cook County requested proposals for potential community solar sites, it received more than 100 recommended sites from throughout suburban Cook County and the city. The proposals came from businesses, community and civic groups, and governmental agencies, and the sites included commercial buildings, school and church rooftops, and industrial brownfields. Cook County and its partners are now working to analyze the business case for community solar projects at 15 business, educational and non-profit locations throughout the county.

The Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission will soon begin work to implement standards for the new Illinois renewable energy legislative programs for community solar, low-income solar, commercial and residential building rooftop solar, and “brownfields to (solar) brightfields” projects. New job training programs should create opportunities for neighborhood residents to gain skills for the clean energy jobs of the future.

With President Donald Trump’s unfortunate rollbacks of federal environmental and clean energy initiatives, our states, counties and cities must step up. Chicago and Cook County should be national leaders in stepping up to accelerate solar energy. Let’s seize the solar energy development opportunities for progress in our communities.

Source: chicago.suntimes.com

Northwest Nuclear Plant Gets ‘White Finding’ From Federal Investigation

12.04.2017

nuclear-reactors — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Tuesday the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission scolded the Northwest’s only nuclear power plant. The NRC said the Columbia Generating Station in southeast Washington improperly packaged, mis-labeled and shipped too-hot radioactive waste.

The NRC gave the errant shipment its white finding. In federal-government-speak that’s something that is a low-to-moderate safety problem. But the agency is still taking it seriously.

Last November workers at the Columbia Generating Station shipped a package of low-level nuclear waste to a disposal facility about 10 miles away. But when the used filters arrived, workers measured seven times the radioactive dose coming off the package than there was supposed to be.

The report said, “… the radwaste manifest and shipping paperwork contained numerous errors, and the waste was misclassified.”

The waste was also sealed in the wrong type of cask.

The NRC said it’s taking these errors so seriously, because the package was shipped off-site and could have unduly exposed the public if an accident had occurred. To be clear, none of this waste escaped.

The report also found several green, or low safety significance findings against the Columbia Generating Station.

The NRC meets publicly on May 2 with the power plant leaders to discuss the conclusions of the investigation and possible consequences.

Source: kuow.org

California’s Solar Energy Set Power Supply Record in March

12.04.2017

California met its goal to produce about half the state’s electricity from renewable sources for three hours on March 11, a new estimate from the U.S. government shows.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s statistics division used data from the California Independent System Operator, which manages the electricity grid across 80 percent of California and part of Nevada, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The record was set when almost 40 percent of the electricity flowing across the grid came from large-scale solar power plants.

Factor in electricity produced by area homes and businesses, and solar met about half the overall electricity demand in the middle of the day.

Although the surge in renewable power is a key part of California’s fight against climate change, it creates its own set of problems. California produces so much solar power on bright summer days that some is shunted off the grid, in a process known as curtailment.

“We’re seeing the potential for more curtailment this summer,” Independent System Operator spokesman Steven Greenlee said. “The thing is, we’re seeing this happen sooner than our initial analysis suggested.”

California aims to have 50 percent of all electricity come from renewable sources by 2030.

Source: abcnews.go.com

CO2 Levels Heading Back to the Days of the Dinosaur

12.04.2017

If humans burn all the fossil fuels at their disposal—and this could happen in the next two centuries—researchers predict that the planetary atmosphere would match the one that witnessed the days of the dinosaurs at the dawn of the Jurassic period, around 200 million years ago.

By the 23rd century, planetary temperatures would be as high as those at the end of the Silurian, 420 million years ago. In this baking environment, plants had yet to begin to colonize the land and almost all life was concentrated in the oceans.

This torrid forecast is not based on any one piece of research: It is the outcome of an analysis of 1,200 estimates of ancient atmospheres, based on evidence of fossilized plants and shells, over a timespan of almost half a billion years.

The consequence is that, if humans exhaust the resources of coal, oil and natural gas, conditions will follow that have no precedent in 420 million years of evolution.

And the agency at work is the ratio of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which has hovered at around 280 parts per million (ppm) for almost all human history.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that was once present in the atmosphere at far greater levels.

Once humans started to burn coal and oil—based on plant material sequestered during the Carboniferous era—they also started to return ancient CO2 to the atmosphere, to create a heat trap. Carbon dioxide ratios have risen to more than 400ppm and planetary average temperatures have risen by almost 1°C.

The latest research, published in Nature Communications journal, contains a grim warning for humankind—but it was driven at least in part by curiosity about the coupling of atmosphere and evolution during the emergence of complex life.

“We cannot directly measure CO2 concentrations from millions of years ago,” said Gavin Foster, professor of isotope geochemistry at the University of Southampton in the UK, who led the study. “Instead we rely on indirect ‘proxies’ in the rock record.

“In this study, we compiled all the available published data from several different types of proxy to produce a continuous record of ancient CO2 levels.”

During the half billion years, planetary temperatures alternated between extended cold snaps with low CO2 levels and intense “greenhouse” temperatures at which CO2 levels rose to 3,000 ppm.

But these changes were immensely slow and the study emphasizes the speed of human impact in what geologists would like to call the Anthropocene period.

Research like this is fundamental: It tells climate scientists something about the dynamics of atmosphere and sunlight over the millennia. And one of the puzzles of evolution is that, in the early days of life, the Sun must have been fainter than it is now.

“Due to nuclear reactions in stars, like our Sun, over time they become brighter,” explained Dan Lunt, professor of climate science at the University of Bristol, UK and a co-author of the report.

“This means that, although carbon dioxide concentrations were high hundreds of millions of years ago, the net warming effect of CO2 and sunlight was less. Our new CO2 compilation appears on average to have gradually declined over time by about 3-4 ppm per million years.

“This may not sound like much, but it is actually just about enough to cancel out the warming effect caused by the Sun brightening through time, so in the long term it appears the net effect of both was pretty much constant on average.”

So the coincidence of a greenhouse atmosphere and a cooler Sun created conditions in which life emerged, evolved and adapted to its environment. Plants consumed and sequestered carbon dioxide and animals benefited from the oxygen released in the process.

Planetary temperatures began to stabilize—until humans launched the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s. The world’s nations, meeting at the UN climate conference in Paris in 2015, pledged to cut fossil fuel use and contain global warming to a maximum of 2°C.

The past enshrines a horrific warning. The return of all that prehistoric carbon—preserved in fossil fuels—back into the atmosphere would mean that, by 2250, CO2 levels would reach 2,000 ppm. This has not been seen for 200 million years.

“However, because the Sun was dimmer back then, the net climate forcing 200 million years ago was lower than we would experience in such a high CO2 future,” Prof. Foster said.

“So not only will the resultant climate change be faster than anything the Earth has seen for millions of years, the climate that will exist is likely to have no natural counterpart, as far as we can tell, in at least the last 420 million years.”

Source: ecowatch.com

Health and Green Building Experts Join Forces to Tackle Indoor Air Pollution Threat

12.04.2017

A group of health and green building experts have joined together in a new working party aimed at integrating energy efficiency policies with measures to tackle indoor air pollution caused by kitchen products, faulty boilers, open fires, and other household appliances.

Launched today, the working party hopes to help reduce public exposure to indoor air pollution by developing research, policy recommendations, and innovative solutions for tackling dirty air in the home.

Members of the group include experts from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC) network.

The initiative is aimed at expanding public awareness of outdoor air pollution to also include the “more immediate” health threat of poor air quality inside buildings, the group’s members said.

It comes as the government readies its much-anticipated draft plan for improving outdoor air pollution across the UK, which is expected to emerge within the next fortnight.

Professor Stephen Holgate, the RCP’s special advisor on air pollution, said while people tended to focus on air travel, busy roads or factories as sources of air pollution, one of the more immediate threats to human health was provided by indoor air pollution.

“Factors such as kitchen products, faulty boilers, open fires, fly sprays and air fresheners, can cause poor air quality in our homes, workspaces and schools,” he said. “We need to take action now and protect our future generations.”

BRE’s CEO Peter Bonfield, who has also joined the working party, said people in the UK spent up to 80 per cent of their lives inside their homes, schools and workplaces, highlighting the importance of reducing pollution levels inside buildings.

“Improving indoor air quality represents a huge opportunity to significantly improve our health and wellbeing,” said Bonfield, who has recently led government-sponsored reviews into building energy efficiency and mitigating flood risk. “Consumers need to be aware of the direct benefits of energy efficiency and how to best implement energy efficiency measures in their homes including ventilation strategies, achieving adequate indoor air quality through increased insulation levels.”

Roger Street, principle investigator from the ARCC network, said engineering and research on improving indoor air quality was increasingly going hand-in-hand with solutions to reduce carbon emissions.

“There is already a willingness to act from the built environment community in making use of research findings to improve indoor air quality,” said Street. “This is particularly true for existing public research investment into understanding the linkages between decarbonisation, health and housing. An exciting area of emerging research to assist with ventilation design for new and retrofitting applications over the building’s lifetime is the development in air flow modelling between external and internal environments that account for climate change.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Solar Powers Up Lincolnshire Electric Vehicle Charge Points

12.04.2017

Renewable power firm Lark Energy has installed two electric car charging ports bolstered by solar PV panels at its headquarters in Lincolnshire, the company announced yesterday.

The firm said the new car ports could complement existing EV charge points at the site and would help it to increase the use of electric vehicles in its own fleet.

Moreover, the solar energy generated by the car ports are designed to be fed into the grid to be used as part of the firm’s energy consumption at the site, including delivering power to the EV charge points themselves.

Paul Adams, joint managing director of Lark Energy, said the innovation had the potential to be installed at further car parks and EV charge points across the country as take-up of battery-electric transport grows in the coming years.

“Solar powered car ports offer an opportunity for renewable energy generation,” said Adams. “We are keen to deliver installations for developers and commercial property owners including golf courses, country clubs and hotel car parks throughout East Anglia and the East Midlands. And by installing charging points powered by sustainable energy in the network we will be helping to promote the use of electric vehicles and renewables in the region.”

The news follows a flurry of funding announcements from the government yesterday aimed at encouraging further development of low carbon vehicle technology.

The government also confirmed drivers will continue to benefit from up to £4,500 off the cost of an ultra-low emission car, up to £2,500 off hybrid vehicles and £500 towards the installation of a home charge point.

Source: businessgreen.com

EDF Joins Masdar Group In 800 Megawatt Dubai Solar Project

11.04.2017

photovoltaic-solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

EDF Energies Nouvelles will work with Masdar Group on the 800 megawatt phase 3 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates.

Masdar Group, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, and Gransolar Group have been joined by EDF Energies Nouvelles just weeks after construction on the third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai began.

The Masdar Group–led consortium was confirmed as the winner of the 800 MW solar power tender that was floated by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) last year. The phase III tender set a record for lowest-ever solar PV tariff globally at that time. The Masdar-led consortium beat the phase II winning bid of 5.84¢/kWh with a bid of 2.99¢/kWh. Masdar Group and DEWA signed the power purchase agreement for the project in November 2016.

Phase two of the solar power park with 200 megawatts of capacity has already been commissioned. The tender for the 200 megawatt phase four of the solar park will be opened in June of this year. This phase will be based on concentrated solar power technology.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will have an eventual capacity of 5 gigawatts. The initial planned capacity was 1 gigawatt which was subsequently increased to 3 gigawatts, and now 5 gigawatts. Bids of the first 1 gigawatt of capacity have already been awarded.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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