7-Eleven to Power 425 Texas Stores With Wind Energy

07.04.2017

7-Eleven, Inc. will energize 425 stories in Texas with wind energy it will buy from TXU Energy. This initiative is expected to reduce 7-Eleven’s carbon footprint by 6.7 percent and reduce operating costs.

The energy will come exclusively from wind farms in Texas, which is a state with more than 10,000 turbines. The agreement is 96 months and begins June 1, 2018.

“This agreement is beneficial for 7-Eleven on several fronts,” Ben Tison, 7-Eleven senior vice president of development, said in a press release. “Wind energy is a renewable, more cost-effective resource that will lower the carbon footprint of these stores as well as operating costs. Our customers, particularly Millennials and the younger Generation Z, care about sustainability and reducing environmental impacts, and they’re paying attention to what companies are doing.”

Last year, 7-Eleven outlined three steps to reduce its environmental footprint, touching on people, planet and products. The planet pillar, for example, means reducing its energy footprint in stores by 20 percent by 2025. The retail chain has already taken steps to reach their goal by installing LED lighting, energy management systems, and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning units.

“Our goal was to make sure that we were helping 7-Eleven reach its sustainability goals,” Gabe Castro, vice president of business for TXU Energy, said. “We were able to do that by helping them through the process to evaluate all of the options available, and then customizing a complete solution to help them reach those goals. We are proud to collaborate with 7-Eleven.”

Texas is a perfect state for 7-Eleven to be making these lofty wind power goals. It is, in fact, the leading state when it comes to wind capacity, both installed and under construction. Texas is also home to six of the top 10 largest wind farms in the nation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. The 781.5 megawatt Roscoe Wind Farm, 220 miles west of Dallas, is the largest in the world with 627 turbines across 100,000 acres.

Wind power in Texas hasn’t only provided a source of clean energy, it’s also a big economic driver, creating more than 22,000 jobs in operations and maintenance, construction, manufacturing and many support sectors, according American Wind Energy Association.

Source: ecowatch.com

Hyundai Reportedly Working on Next-Gen Solid-State Batteries for Electric Vehicles

07.04.2017

Major car companies like Hyundai have toyed with both hydrogen and electricity for clean fuel sources, but now it seems the Seoul, South Korea-based manufacturer may be taking a major step towards improving technology for their electric cars with solid-state batteries. An April 5 report from The Korea Herald says the car company has pilot-scale battery production facilities in which they’re developing the battery technology that could store more energy and be a game changer for the industry.

Hyundai may be working on solid-state batteries in their facilities they own, according to information obtained by The Korea Herald from who they described as sources close to the matter. They quoted this source as saying, “Hyundai is developing solid-state batteries through its Namyang R&D Center’s battery precedence development team and it has secured a certain level of technology.”

Hyundai is apparently developing the technology without help from Korean battery manufacturers like LG Chem or Samsung SDI. The source compared Hyundai’s approach to Toyota’s – they also own production facilities according to the source. Industry sources told The Korea Herald Hyundai might be able to mass produce solid-state batteries around 2025.

LG Economic Research Institute analyst Choi Jung-deok told The Korea Herald “…if automakers are able to succeed the mass production of next-generation batteries, the paradigm of batteries in the future may be shifted.”

As solid-state batteries carry less risk of explosion they are considered safer than conventional batteries. According to Electrek, no company has yet been able to produce solid-state batteries at a large scale and at a price competitive with lithium-ion batteries. Along with Toyota, Ford has dabbled in the technology as well.

Companies like Bosch and Dyson have also invested in the technology; the latter acquired a solid-state battery startup in 2015 for $90 million with plans to construct a $1 billion factory.

Source: inhabitat.com

Successful Take-Off: Private Wire Solar Farm Credited with Saving Belfast Airport £100,000

07.04.2017

Belfast International Airport has announced it has saved £100,000 on its energy bills in the 10 months since the switch was flicked on the neighbouring Crookedstone Road solar farm.

The £5m Crookedstone Solar Farm was developed by Lightsource Renewable Energy and is connected to the airport by a private wire under a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement.

In the wake of last year’s cuts to solar subsidies, developers maintain private wire projects where the power generated by a solar installation is used on site continue to offer significant financial benefits for companies.

The Crookedstone project is said to be providing over one quarter of the airport’s annual power needs, with the site able to run entirely on solar power at certain peak times.

The £100,000 of energy cost savings recorded to date are expected to increase over the summer as the solar farm enters the optimum months for power generation.

The project is also expected to deliver annual greenhouse gas emissions savings of 2,100 tonnes – equivalent to taking 469 cars off the road.

“The solar farm project has exceeded all expectations,” said Belfast International Airport’s operations director, Alan Whiteside. “From switch-on in March to the end of the year, the ‘ballpark’ savings were over £100,000… The project is consistently delivering a reliable ‘green’ and cost-saving energy supply for the airport. No other airport in either the rest of the UK or Ireland has a similar energy source and we’re delighted with its operation.”

His comments were echoed by Nick Boyle, CEO of Lightsource, who urged more businesses to take advantage of private wire solar connections.

“We worked hand in hand with the team at Belfast to deliver a project which would meet their needs,” he said. “Not only has this project significantly reduced their emissions, it has significantly improved their bottom line. That’s the benefit that a Lightsource Private Wire agreement can deliver for a business.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Households to Dump 235 Million Tonnes of Clothing in Landfill this Spring

07.04.2017

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of clothing is set to be dumped in landfill this spring by UK consumers unaware that much of it can be reused or recycled, according to new research published today.

In total, UK consumers are set to throw out 680 million items this spring, with 235 million tonnes of clothing expected to end up in landfill, according to a survey of 2,000 shoppers commissioned by Sainsbury’s and Oxfam.

Three quarters of people said they expect to throw clothes in the bin this spring, with the average person ditching 19 items – seven of which will go straight into the rubbish.

The survey reveals as many as half of people are unaware that worn out or dirty clothing can be recycled. Men are more likely to send items to landfill than women, with 82 per cent saying they will bin items compared to 69 per cent of women.

Sainsbury’s has partnered with Oxfam to encourage consumers to donate all unwanted clothing at the supermarket’s instore recycling banks.

“If clothes go out with the rubbish, they’ll end up in landfill, so we’ve teamed up with Oxfam to help Britons become more charitable and environmentally savvy this spring,” Paul Crewe, head of sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said in a statement. “No matter if they’re worn out or grubby, we’re calling on shoppers to donate their unwanted clothes at recycling points in our stores across the UK – perfectly placed to fit into the nation’s everyday routine.”

The fashion industry is one of the most resource-hungry sectors of the global economy, with vast quantities of water and energy used in the production and manufacture of textiles.

A 2016 report from waste advisory service Wrap revealed extending the lifetime of clothes by an extra three months would cut the carbon, waste and water footprint of each garment by up to 10 per cent.

Clothing collected at Sainsbury’s is delivered to Oxfam, with more than 16.3 million garments collected and recycled last year.

“While recycling is now common-place for things like paper and plastics, it’s often overlooked when it comes to our clothes,” Crewe added. “But we’re trying to fix that and now have 340 donation points at our stores, so our customers can spruce their wardrobe in the knowledge that their old items will be making a difference elsewhere.”

Other retailers, including H&M and M&S, have also installed in-store recycling stations in an attempt to encourage shoppers to donate old clothes for reuse or recycling.

Source: businessgreen.com

MEET ZUNUM: The Tesla Of Aircraft (PHOTO)

06.04.2017

A new airline startup based out of Kirkland, Washington, could soon bring electric aircraft to mainstream consumer travel. Zunum Aero, which came out of stealth mode yesterday, just unveiled plans to develop a series of electric and hybrid aircraft that could bring simplicity and efficiency to both airlines and passengers.

Zunum’s concept is to develop a series of aircraft that can run off of a variety of electrical sources, lowering the cost of air travel significantly and the carbon footprint that goes along with it (the company claims that 40% of all airline pollution comes from regional flights). With initial funding from Boeing and JetBlue Technology Ventures, Zunum plans to start that process with smaller, 10-passenger aircraft and then scale up the airframes as technology improves.

At the rate of battery development, that may not be too long. Just last year, the Solar Impulse team became the first to circumnavigate the globe fueled entirely by solar energy. NASA and Airbus have also developed electric aircraft concepts, though each is only capable of carrying one or two passengers.

If successful, Zunum would be the first manufacturer to deliver an electric aircraft suitable for regional consumer travel, potentially disrupting a space currently dominated by Bombardier and Embraer. By taking advantage of smaller regional airports, the company also claims that further savings can be baked into the passenger experience, potentially pushing down the cost of regional flights to $100 round trip.

It’ll still be a while until consumers can buy those $100 fares though. As a venture-backed startup, Zunum undoubtedly has years of prototyping and developing to endure as well as lengthy inspection and oversight by the FAA. Initial concepts of the aircraft, according to The Verge, are slated to begin testing “by the early 2020s,” while larger-scale models will develop in the decade following.

Along the way, Zunum will also have peers. Earlier this year, Boom, which promises to bring supersonic travel back to the consumer marketplace, raised over $30M to bring its aircraft to market. Virgin Atlantic is on board to be the launch customer for that airframe.

Despite the challenges that lie ahead, Zunum seems to have attracted a solid series of investors and is entering the market at a point when electric vehicles are really gaining traction. Like Tesla’s value now exceeds Ford’s, Zunum may some day overtake Boeing.

(Soirce: Grant Martin for Forbes)

Traders Bet their Oil Storage Assets that OPEC Cuts Will Work

06.04.2017

The jury is still out on whether OPEC can rein in a global oil glut but top commodity traders are betting it can by selling stakes in storage tank businesses that profited from oversupply.

Since January, Glencore, Vitol and Gunvor have completed or have been seeking to sell parts of their holdings in storage firms.

Vitol’s deal was agreed in October, before the Nov. 30 announcement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that it would cut output from Jan. 1. Vitol’s deal was completed in January, and others have lined up sales since.

“The traders picked the right time to sell,” Jean-François Lambert of Lambert Commodities consultancy said, adding an oil price recovery and prospects for a more balanced market were partly behind the timing, alongside factors such as freeing up cash to trade.

“If you have an opportunity to sell assets to lighten your balance sheet without losing control then you do it,” he said, reports Reuters.

The five top traders, who also include Mercuria and Trafigura, expect OPEC to extend output cuts into the second half of 2017, which would help draw down global inventories.

When inventories are plentiful, the oil price for future delivery tends to be above the price for prompt delivery, a state known as contango, when it pays to be in the storage business, taking fees and selling stored oil forward at a profit. This has been the situation since mid-2014.

At times, the prompt price was more than $1 less than a barrel for delivery a month later. With an abundance of crude supplies, trading houses could book easy profits by buying crude and storing it after selling it forward.

“Contango is a very basic play. It’s lazy,” Trafigura’s co-head of risk Ben Luckock said, speaking during a commodities conference. “But I think you’ve seen contango has come out of the market.”

As stockpiles draw down, the oil price for prompt delivery tends to trade above future prices, a condition known as backwardation. At this point, oil cannot be sold forward at a quick profit and the storage business loses its luster.

Till now, there have been few clear signs that OPEC and non-OPEC cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) were working, with global stockpiles stubbornly high, according to U.S. data and International Energy Agency (IEA) figures.

MARKET MOMENTUM

But some analysts are starting to see a shift.

“Examining less visible – but still reported – inventories shows about a 72 million barrel of total oil draws globally since end-January. We expect this to gain momentum,” Morgan Stanley said in a research note last week.

Oil trader Pierre Andurand of Andurand Capital Management, speaking to CNBC last week, went further, saying he expected “sustainable backwardation” by late summer.

The oil futures market was in backwardation, almost continuously, from early 2011 to mid-2014. Then it switched into contango as Brent crude tumbled from more than $100 a barrel. By the start of 2016, it had fallen below $30.

Capitalizing on this market price structure, in mid-2015, Vitol bought its partner’s 50 percent stake in infrastructure and storage firm VTTI for $830 million. Then in October 2016, it agreed to sell 50 percent to Buckeye Partners for $1.15 billion, completing that deal in January.

The oil futures market has yet to slip into backwardation since OPEC began its cuts. But it came close in February when the price for the front-month Brent was $56.66 a barrel, settled at 16 cents less than the contract for delivery seven months later.

The spread has since widened again to about 80 cents between the front-month contract and seven-month Brent. That could change if, as some OPEC officials suggest, cuts by the group and its non-OPEC partners are extended beyond June and prices climb.

If it does, Glencore’s sale of a 51 percent stake in its global oil products storage business for $775 million to Chinese conglomerate HNA last week would look prescient.

Gunvor, meanwhile, is selling a share in a Rotterdam storage facility, while Trafigura is working on its IPO in privately owned Puma Energy, a venture with Angola’s state-run Sonangol Holdings LDA and investment company Cochan Holdings.

But not everyone is convinced a return to backwardation will be sustained, as U.S. shale oil producers have ramped up output, filling some of the gap left by OPEC and its partners.

“While over the next couple of months backwardation may temporarily come back … we see a strong comeback of U.S. shale supplies joining in on many long-planned supply additions in the Atlantic Basin,” David Wech of JBC Energy consultancy said.

EU on Track to Meet 2020 Renewable Energy Targets

06.04.2017

The European Union (EU) is on track to meet its target of sourcing 20 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020, according to a new report.

The European Environment Agency’s new report “Renewable energy in Europe 2017: recent growth and knock-on effects” outlines that renewables’ contribution to the EU’s energy mix is approaching 17 per cent – helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the region by 10 per cent since 2005.

Furthermore, the report details that fossil fuels in the region are being successfully displaced through the increased use of renewable energy sources.

The analysis shows how the region has begun to transition towards a cleaner energy mix, aided by the region’s reduced reliance on coal power and increased use of renewable energy.

In the UK, CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent in 2016, after coal use fell a record 52 per cent – according to the Carbon Brief.

The report states that renewables in the region’s energy mix increased from 15 per cent in 2013 to 16 per cent in 2014, before then increasing further to 16.7 per cent in 2015.

This trend is set to continue with renewables accounting for 77 per cent of all new electricity-generating in 2015 – marking the eighth consecutive year renewables dominated new capacity.

The report states that: “While fossil fuel capacity needs to be decommissioned at a faster rate to ensure that the EU avoids stranded assets or a lock-in of carbon-intensive power plants by 2030, the rate of replacement of carbon-intensive energy sources by RES to date has already resulted in GHG emissions reductions in the EU electricity sector, in the consumption of energy for heating and cooling, and in transport.”

The report was released ahead of the European Parliament vote on the region’s budget through to 2020.

Markus Trilling, policy coordinator at the CAN Europe coalition of green NGOs, urged MEPs to ensure the budget is aligned with achieving the goals of the Paris climate Agreement in addition to establishing a framework for climate proofing and for the phase out of any support to fossil fuels.

Under the Paris Agreement, Europe committed to ensure renewable energy accounts for 27 per cent of energy use by 2030, and to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent compared to 1990 levels.

By 2050, the bloc plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent.

Last month, it was announced that eleven EU Member States have already achieved their national 2020 targets, including Sweden, Italy, Denmark and Romania.

According to eurostat, Austria and Slovakia are about 1 per cent short of achieving their targets.

Source: climateactionprogramme.org

Japan on Track to Reach 35% Renewables by 2030

06.04.2017

With strong policy leadership, Japan can reach a 35 per cent renewable power share by 2030 – according to a new report.

The report “Japan: Greater Energy Security Through Renewables: Electricity Transformation in a Post-Nuclear Economy” released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) outlines that: “increases in energy efficiency have driven down electricity demand in Japan over the past six years and will continue to do so going forward.”

Furthermore, this energy efficiency supports the expansion of renewables – namely offshore wind and solar energy.

However, the report said that regulatory and grid barriers to renewables must be addressed for the nation to tap capital markets to support national renewable energy programmes.

According to the IEEFA’s estimations, Japan will reach 100 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by the end the 2016 fiscal year.

Japan abruptly changed its electricity generation system in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident of 11 March 2011 which saw the retirement of the Japanese nuclear industry.

Power demand is now falling in the country, leading the authors of the report to conclude that many of the 45 proposed coal-fired power projects will not reach the construction phase.

Japan’s power demand is projected to fall to 868 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2030 from 1,140 TWh in 2010.

At the same time, renewables are becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to fossil fuels.

According to IEEFA, 10 GW of offshore wind in the country by 2030 is an “entirely feasible” target – if the right policy framework and support are in place.

IEEFA said: “Japanese offshore wind-power resources have been largely overlooked but have tremendous potential, and can viably contribute to baseload power demand”.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Japan is projected to reach 12 per cent of the country’s power generation by 2030, it currently stands at 4 per cent; however, new policy support by the government will be required for the solar expansion in the country to continue at the levels achieved in the past few years.

A recent move towards reverse auctions for large-scale solar suggests Japan can realise significant further solar cost reductions, like those currently being achieved around the world, the IEEFA said – with 500 megawatts (MW) to be auctioned this year.

The report said: “Japan can go a long way toward delivering on its Paris climate agreement commitments and improving its energy security by increasing the share of renewable energy in its generation mix.”

Source: climateactionprogramme.org

Survey: Renewable Energy Ranks as One of the Most Disruptive Forces in Global Energy

06.04.2017

Renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes are top priorities for energy executives around the world, as the world presses ahead with efforts to decarbonise energy systems, according to the latest World Energy Issues Monitor from the World Energy Council (WEC).

Published today by the WEC, the World Energy Issues Monitor each year surveys more than 1,200 energy leaders in 95 countries to take the pulse of the energy industry on a range of topics, from clean energy to cyber threats.

Commodity prices dominated as the issue causing the most uncertainty across the industry. However, the report also reveals growing engagement with a raft of clean technology and environmental issues.

When the monitor began surveying in 2010, the key issues on the agenda of energy industry leaders were energy price uncertainty, the financial crisis, and the lack of a global climate policy framework, while action was focused on enabling the growth of energy use in China and India and promoting energy efficiency.

Seven years on, there is a marked shift in focus with renewable energy deployment to the fore as a key action area, flanked by energy efficiency and economic growth.

Uncertainty surrounding climate frameworks has dipped as a concern thanks to the Paris Agreement of 2015, while system change including digitisation and decentralised have risen up the uncertainty agenda.

The report also highlights how the future pace of development in the electricity storage sector is now a top concern for the industry.

“Our survey shows that energy leaders face and acknowledge disruptive change,” said Christoph Frei, secretary general of the WEC, in a statement. “The Issues Monitor illustrates that innovation issues such as digitalisation, decentralisation, innovative market design or electric storage rapidly gain traction, while a more difficult growth context and new physical and digital risks are posing ever greater threats to the energy sector. Today defining the energy agenda globally, five years ago these issues were far from being a priority.”

Brexit is set to add another layer of uncertainty in the UK, the WEC highlighted, with uncertainity around European Investment Bank funding, the UK’s membership with the Energy Union, and the future of regulations such as EU State Aid rules all threatening to impact investment levels in the sector.

“Political and regularity uncertainty including Brexit is making market design unpredictable and are barriers to sustained investments needed to transform and update energy infrastructure in the UK, which has been estimated as being £215bn by 2030,” Francois Austin, a UK member of the WEC and a partner at management consultancy Oliver Wyman, commented.

Source: businessgreen.com

Dressing for Long-Term Success: H&M Vows to Become ‘Climate Positive’ by 2040

06.04.2017

Swedish fashion giant H&M has unveiled new plans to become a ‘climate positive’ retailer throughout its value chain by 2040.

The headline target is a key plank of the retailers new ‘100 per cent’ strategy, launched earlier this week, which sets out its plan to curb the environmental impact of the mass market retail sector.

Under the new strategy H&M, which boasts more than 4,300 stores around the world, has promised to use 100 per cent recycled or sustainably sourced material by 2030 and deliver a ‘climate neutral’ supply chain by 2030.

The targets are the latest in a series of sustainability commitments from the fashion retailer, which has backed material recycling technologies and has a long-standing eco-friendly ‘Conscious Collection’.

However, the company has faced criticism from some green groups for its role in so-called “fast-fashion”, a term used to describe a sector of the industry which promotes the consumption of low cost clothes that are discarded each season.

Head of sustainability Anna Gedda insisted H&M wants to play a role in driving industry-wide change.

“We want to use our size and scale to lead the change towards circular and renewable fashion while making our company even more fair and equal,” she said in a statement. “We want to lead by example, pave the way and try new things – both when it comes to the environmental and social side – to ultimately make fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable. Our climate positive strategy is one way of doing this.”

To achieve its ‘climate positive’ goal, H&M plans to deliver a ‘climate neutral’ supply chain for its Tier 1 and 2 operations by 2030 – a target which covers all manufacturing and processing factories owned or subcontracted by its suppliers, as well as other selected suppliers, including those providing non-retail goods such as store interiors.

Following that goal, H&M said it will invest in offsetting measures, such as projects to protect carbon sinks, in order to deliver a ‘net positive’ environmental impact by 2040 at the latest.

H&M has teamed up with WWF to deliver the new strategy. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of the charity’s climate and energy practice, said the retailer’s goals were “hugely ambitious”.

“The H&M group has committed to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than they are responsible for by 2040,” he said in an interview published in H&M’s report. “This is hugely ambitious, especially considering the scale and complexity of their value chain.”

He continued: “The most challenging aspect is therefore also within the value chain. For example, how to ensure that the H&M group’s suppliers adopt similar ambitions, how to influence customer behaviour, how to address impacts related to material needs and recycling of garments. These will all take capacity building, awareness raising, innovative approaches and overall collaboration across the H&M group’s value chain.”

A number of targets are set out in the report to act as milestones towards the over-arching goals for 2040. For example, the company plans to cut energy use in its own operations by 25 per cent by 2030 against a 2016 baseline and deliver a 30 per cent cut in emission per product by 2025 against a 2017 baseline.

H&M also plans to become “100 per cent circular” with key milestones including a target to only use recycled or sustainably sourced material in its clothing by 2030. In 2016, that figure stood at 26 per cent.

To boost its use of sustainable material H&M said it needs to scale up the production of sustainable cotton and invest in R&D to expand the use of recycled fibres in clothing production.

Last month the retailer launched its latest eco-collection, Conscious Exclusive, which uses fabric made from recycled plastics and fabrics.

The new strategy comes as competition heats up between fashion giants eager to prove their green credentials. In recent months both Zara and Mango have launched new sustainable collections, while luxury fashion house Kering recently set out its new plan to cut its environmental footprint by 40 per cent by 2025.

Source: businessgreen.com

ABB ALWAYS OFFERS THE BEST: Company Launches Industry-Leading Digital Solutions Offering, ABB Ability™

06.04.2017

ABB Ability™ Electrical Distribution Control System — Foto: ABB

ABB commercially launched ABB Ability, its industry-leading portfolio of digital solutions, at ABB Customer World in Houston. With the commercial launch of more than 180 solutions and services today, ABB is unlocking value for customers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. By combining ABB’s deep domain expertise with network connectivity and the latest digital technologies and innovations, ABB Ability creates powerful solutions and services that solve real business problems and produce tangible business opportunities.

ABB Ability helps customers in utilities, industry, transport and infrastructure develop new processes and advance existing ones by providing insights and optimizing planning and controls for real-time operations. The results can then be fed into control systems to improve key metrics such as factory uptime, speed and yield.

The offering builds on ABB’s pioneering technology and more than four decades of industrial digital leadership. It will enhance customers’ ability to innovate and compete in the emerging digital-industrial marketplace.

– As a pioneering technology leader in digital solutions, with an installed base of more than 70 million connected devices and 70,000 control systems, ABB is uniquely positioned to support its customers’ digital transformation. With ABB Ability, we are combining ABB’s entire portfolio of digital solutions and services. We are creating additional customer value by bringing together ABB’s domain expertise, advanced connectivity and the latest digital technologies. With this, our customers can achieve unprecedented improvements in operational performance and productivity – said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer.

Digital offerings provided by ABB Ability include performance management solutions for asset-intensive industries; control systems for process industries; remote monitoring services for robots, motors and machinery; and control solutions for buildings, electric-vehicle charging networks and offshore platforms. Some of the more specialized offerings address energy management for data centers and navigation optimization for maritime shipping fleets, among many others.

Customers who are already using the portfolio of digital solutions that are now part of ABB Ability include some of the world’s leading utilities, manufacturers and service providers, among them Shell Oil, CenterPoint Energy, Con Edison, BASF, Royal Caribbean, Cargill, Volvo, BMW and many others.

ABB Ability’s next-generation digital solutions and services are being developed and built on Microsoft’s leading Azure cloud platform, based on a strategic partnership with the software company.

– Building our solutions on the Azure platform means we can take advantage of all of its capabilities and add value with our domain-specific offering. In effect, we are turning ABB’s decades of industrial domain expertise into software offerings that our customers can access through the world’s largest and most advanced digital platform. From being a hidden digital champion, we are becoming the partner of choice for customers embarking on a digital transformation. They can now know more, do more, do better, together. We can help them assess, automate, optimize and collaborate – said ABB Chief Digital Officer Guido Jouret.

Among the new ABB Ability innovations showcased in Houston are:

ABB Ability System 800xA – One of the solutions provided by ABB Ability builds on the market-leading automation platform System 800xA. Select I/O, a new addition to System 800xA, is a redundant, Ethernet-based, single-channel I/O system. It supports ABB’s next-generation project execution model, Intelligent Projects, which offers a range of efficiency improvements for automation projects. With Select I/O, customers can undertake major projects on a faster schedule with fewer cost overruns. It uses standardized cabinets that allow installers to digitally marshal signals instead of using labor-intensive marshalling panels. Loop checks can be done before the rest of the system is delivered, minimizing the impact of late changes and allowing for project tasks to be executed in parallel.

ABB Ability Asset Health Center – Among the first ABB Ability solutions to be launched on Azure is ABB’s next-generation asset performance management solution, Asset Health Center 3.0. Available since January 2017, it uses predictive and prescriptive analytics and customized models to identify and prioritize emerging maintenance needs based on probability of failure and asset criticality.

ABB Ability Collaborative Operations – This powerful solution, now being brought to scale across industries, helps customers collaborate more effectively. It allows experts to work together across organization boundaries, using the same data and analytics platforms. It focuses on such outcomes as improving productivity, reducing equipment failures, lowering the cost of asset maintenance and transforming overall business performance. This is done while maximizing security and protecting data, people and assets at every level of integration. The solution has been delivering sustainable, long-term results to early adopters.

ABB Ability Digital Substation – ABB’s digital substation provides customers in the utility sector with unmatched control and efficiency. The digital substation incorporates fiber optic current sensors and disconnecting circuit breakers to reduce maintenance requirements and the need for miles of conventional cabling. ABB Ability takes these advances several steps further by combining the latest electrical gear with digital sensors and cloud computing. The result is that grid operators can make decisions based on comprehensive, up-to-the-moment information, while predictive algorithms can improve maintenance practices and asset management.

ABB Ability Smart Sensor – This smart sensor solution, unveiled last year, connects low-voltage electric motors to the Industrial Internet, allowing them to be monitored continuously. The solution, which can be easily affixed to a motor, transmits data on vibration, temperature, loads and power consumption to the cloud. Alerts are generated as soon as any of the parameters deviates from the norm, allowing the operator to take preventive action before the motor malfunctions. Early indications are that the smart sensor solution leads to a reduction in downtime of motors by up to 70 percent and extends their lifespan by up to 30 percent. Acting on the data to optimize the motor’s performance reduces energy consumption by as much as 10 percent.

The list of innovative and versatile solutions associated with ABB Ability continues, with such offerings as ABB Ability Asset Insight, ABB Ability Ellipse Enterprise Asset Management software, and the ABB Ability Data Center Automation infrastructure management software. With solutions like these and many more, ABB Ability will serve customers in utilities, industry, and transport and infrastructure. It will leverage the power of the digital revolution by enabling reduced maintenance costs, longer asset life, more efficient operations, reduced environmental impacts and improved worker safety.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com. ABB in Serbia www.abb.rs

Upsolar Charts Course to Bring Floating Solar to European Waters

06.04.2017

Buoyant solar panels floating on the surface of lakes and reservoirs could soon become a common sight across Europe, if one PV manufacturer has its way.

Hong Kong-based PV manufacturer Upsolar two days ago announced plans to bring its floating solar technology to Europe via its Italian subsidiary Upsolar System Italia.

The floating panels are rigged to a galvanised steel framework fitted with buoyancy aids, and anchored in place with nylon cables.

The expansion plans follow the installation of a 1MW floating solar test-bed in Singapore in October 2016, where 10 different floating solar systems – including Upsolar’s – were assessed for their performance and cost-effectiveness.

Upsolar said land constraints and strict planning laws mean Europe is primed to become a key market for floating solar.

“As the market for floating solar PV gains momentum, we believe that it is the right time to start introducing our technology and services to Europe,” Enrico Carniato, group deputy general manager of Upsolar, explained in a statement. “Higher panel efficiency and lower costs of land use is one of the driving factors on why people are taking a bigger interest in this.

“As well as the economic benefits, we can see the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Columbia and other regions where solar installations could be hindered by land restrictions or regulations greatly benefitting from floating solar PV.”

Proponents of floating solar technology cite lower maintenance costs and improved module efficiency as a key benefit of the technology, with advocates claiming the cooling effect of the water can boost module efficiency by up to 15 per cent. Floating arrays can also limit evaporation from reservoirs, aiding water security.

Europe’s largest floating solar farm was constructed at the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near London last year, as part of Thames Water’s plans to source a third of its energy from renewable resources by 2020.

The project, which was delivered Lightsource Renewable Energy, saw more than 23,000 panels deployed on the water’s surface, covering around a tenth of the reservoir.

Source: businessgreen.com

Mark van Wees: Support for Serbia through IPA project

05.04.2017

In mid-September last year the representatives of the GFA Consulting Group took participation at the conference in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce where the beginning of work on the Strategy on Climate Change with the Action plan was presented. GFA group will provide assistance and it will have a monitoring role in this process.

In our region, this German consulting firm has cooperated with a number of Ministries and local self-governments and enabled financial resources as well as the implementation of projects in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia and Macedonia. Currently, they are implementing international projects in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and America.

We have met two experts from this group in Belgrade and our interlocutor is one of them Mr. Mark van Wees. He is the team leader and the key expert within the project of Strategy on Climate Change and Action plan. He has 20 years of experience in the field of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and climate change, and he has a Master degree in Physics. He was included in the development of numerous studies and analyses.

So far, he has cooperated with relevant institutions such as the EBRD, the World Bank and the European Commission.

EP: GFA Consulting Group is renowned for its efficient solutions in the global market consulting. This company, whose headquarters are in Hamburg, has implemented complex studies and projects in over 130 countries by 1982. What will your team do with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Serbia and what will be your concrete task? What are the deadlines when we talk about the Strategy on Climate Change together with the Action Plan?

Mark van Wees: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection will develop with the support of IPA project the National Strategy on Climate Change which will be connected with all the sectors. It will create the Action Plan and legal framework for the future activities. In the period of the preparation of the Strategy, many other activities should also start. The Action plan will have to comply with the future obligations of the Republic of Serbia, as a potential EU member. It will have to comply with EU2030 Climate and Energy Framework as well as with the Strategy of Energy Community.

The project Strategy on Climate Change with the Action Plan received the support of the EU in the framework of IPA 2014. It will provide information on the impact, costs and welfare of the alternative solutions that we propose in order to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. We will offer regulation, measurement techniques and climate goals. The main objective is to evaluate the existing policies in Serbia, including the assessment of the readiness of the institutions and legal frameworks. Then, we will propose recommendations for improvement.

Another key task is to assess the impact of the economic and social segment of life. It is also important to evaluate the influence of new scenarios on the environment that predict a decrease of CO2. This includes scenarios that refer to the approach of Serbia to the European Union and scenarios based on the intentions and information of the interest parties.

This project will last until the end of 2017 and we will work in a very close cooperation with all relevant Ministries. During the project, the team will regularly consult the stakeholders in social and economic circles and identify the desired regulations and measures for Serbia.

EP: The issue of climate change is very important in international institutions and circles dealing with energy, harmonization of energy policy and environmental protection. We can also add that China and the United States have recently ratified the Paris agreement during the meeting of G20. However, it is necessary that 50 countries which account for more than 55 percent in air pollution ratify the agreement. How do you assess Serbian INDC (Intended national contribution)?

Mark van Wees: Paris agreement crossed the threshold for entering into force after October 5th, 2016, when the agreement was ratified by China, the US and EU. Now the plan is that it comes into force on November 4th, 2016. This is a very important step. Serbia has declared its Intended national contribution with the plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 9.8 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. Your country now must put into operation a serious climate and energy policy that will allow you not only to realize the current policy, but also to strengthen and help the fight towards the goal in the years to follow. This effort is in line with all the signatories to the agreement. All these countries have also identified their contribution to climate change and the impact they have on the overall life.

EP: GFA group has cooperated with the countries in the Balkan region. What would be your advice to our administration at this point?

Mark van Wees: GFA group is very active in the whole region, not just when it comes to climate change, but also in other energy projects. The energy sector is the key sector in the process of reducing the level of CO2 in Serbia. Here I want to point out the experience of GFA when it comes to financial analysis, such as investments in energy efficiency. We had a number of successful projects in the region on this subject. Financing of low-carbonic development in Serbia will be the key issue for our project.

EP: What do you expect from the conference COP22 in Morocco?

Mark van Wees: This conference is very important because many of the items agreed upon in the Paris Agreement must be further developed and agreed upon in more details. By this I mean, for example, an agreement on the CO2 market and the necessary instruments for the functioning of that market. I expect that COP22 will put the Paris Agreement into operation. I would like to invite your readers to follow all the information, results and opportunities for interested parties on the project that we started in Serbia on the web page www.serbiaclimatestrategy.eu.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

MEPs vote to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels

05.04.2017

MEPs have voted overwhelmingly to ban biofuels made from vegetable oils including palm oil by 2020, to prevent the EU’s renewable transport targets from inadvertently contributing to deforestation.

A new palm oil regulation, minimum sustainability criteria, customs duty reforms and anti-deforestation articles in future EU trade deals were also approved with a 640-18 majority.

The motion has stirred a diplomatic hornet’s nest, with seven countries – including Indonesia, Malaysia, Costa Rica and Ecuador – warning of a trade dispute if the ban is acted upon.

While the report is not binding, EU lawmakers are now drawing up amendments to EU legislation which would be legally enforceable if approved by the European commission and council.

The proposals could also be included in a palm oil assessment that the commission is expected to publish later this year.

“Today’s vote is just the beginning,” said Kateřina Konečná, the report’s rapporteur. “The European parliament has showed that it will no longer be silent on this issue, and we have asked the commission to act.”

Industry associations representing some biofuels sectors welcomed the parliamentary vote, with some calling for MEPs to go further.

Emmanuel Desplechin, the secretary-general of the European renewable ethanol association, said: “We call on the European parliament to translate its position into binding requirements and limit the contribution of transport fuels from palm oil and its derivatives to the share of renewables in transport in the renewable energy directive until peatland drainage is halted.”

At issue is the role played by the EU’s target of sourcing 10% of transport fuels from renewables by 2020 in driving deforestation. The mandate’s introduction coincided with a five-fold increase in the use of palm oil for biodiesel, according to trade data.

Studies have found (pdf) that overseas demand for palm oil, soy, beef, wood and other agricultural products are key drivers of illegal forest clearances in Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries.

“The European commission must not lose more time in putting forward an EU action plan to make Europe a deforestation-free economy and turn the tide on global forest destruction,” said Greenpeace spokesperson Sebastien Risso.

Tropical forests now account for just 7% of the world’s vegetation but are under threat from a predicted doubling in palm oil demand by mid-century.

Palm plantations are already estimated to cover up to 27m hectares of land globally, a landmass the size of New Zealand, and even this may be an underestimate.

Analysis by the Zoological society of London last month found that nearly a million hectares of undisclosed land owned by the world’s major palm oil companies had gone missing from the inventories.

But trade associations aligned with vegetable oil-based crop holdings say that robust action could threaten the livelihoods of smallholders – 40% of palm oil producers – just as palm oil-producing-countries have begun taking steps to limit the damage done by unsustainable practices.

“Instead of cutting back, the EU should instead go further in its support,” said Anita Neville, a sustainability VP at Golden Agri-Resources, Indonesia’s largest grower of oil palm. “The EU can achieve much more by acting as a powerful incentive for sustainable development than by limiting ties.”

“A ban is not constructive,” agreed Jelmen Haaze, the co-chair of the European sustainable palm oil advocacy group. “It is an illusion to think we can take one commodity out of the economy and solve all our problems.”

Speaking at the Strasbourg plenary yesterday, Karmenu Vella, the EU’s environment commissioner, welcomed the study and pledged to report on the feasibility of new action to halt deforestation by mid-year.

“We also have to look, for example, at our own consumption of agricultural commodities that are often associated with deforestation, such as soy and palm oil, here in the EU,” he said.

Europe’s lobby of biofuels producers is one of the most powerful in Brussels, spending €14m a year and employing 400 lobbyists in total – more than the commission’s entire energy directorate, according to Oxfam.

Source: theguardian.com

European Coal Emissions Slump 11 Per Cent

05.04.2017

The pressure on the European coal power sector was again underlined this week, with the release of new data showing emissions from coal power plants covered by the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) fell 11 per cent last year.

An analysis from carbon market think tank Sandbag detailed how overall emissions from the power sector fell four per cent last year, driven in large part by an 11 per cent slump in emissions from coal power.

The fall was the result of utilities switching from coal to gas across the bloc and the closure of a number of coal plants, primarily in the UK where separate government figures last month confirmed coal’s share of the power mix slumped from 22.3 per cent in 2015 to a record low of 9.1 per cent last year.

Dave Jones, electricity analyst at Sandbag, said the rapid decline in coal power emissions was “impressive”, but he warned more action was required to push dirty coal power off the grid across the bloc.

“Emissions from Europe’s 280 coal power plants still accounted for 39 per cent of total EU ETS emissions,” he said in a statement. “It is clear that phasing out coal in favour of renewables is the quickest and cheapest way to rapidly reduce ETS emissions, and policymakers must figure out how to make this happen.”

The switch away from coal has been largely driven by relatively low gas prices and the imposition of a higher carbon price in the UK through its carbon floor price.

The Sandbag analysis warns that the EU’s carbon price, imposed through the ETS, has had a negligible impact on power sector emissions and details how lower coal emissions have exacerbated the problem.

The report notes that lower emissions from coal have helped push the surplus of emissions allowances in the market above three billion tonnes for the first time.

“ETS emissions fell by 2.4 per cent in 2016, and have fallen on average 2.7 per cent since 2005,” the analysis explains. “This compares to the cap falling by 1.74 per cent in this phase, and no plans to increase the proposed 2.2 per cent fall in the next phase. This means emissions are now 11 per cent below the cap, and this gap means the cumulative surplus will continue to increase year on year.”

The EU is working on reforms to try and alleviate the surplus of allowances and push up carbon prices by moving excess allowances into a Market Stability Reserve. But Sandbag warned that under these changes the underlying problem of a huge disconnect between the cap and actual emissions will remain in place.

“A near-zero carbon price is doing nothing to help [drive the transition to cleaner energy],” Jones said. “The low carbon price is also stalling industrial decarbonisation, where emissions have fallen by less than one per cent in the last four years.”

Source: businessgreen.com

BT Inks £185m Wind Power Deal

05.04.2017

Two major new corporate renewable energy deals have been inked this week, with BT signing a £185m contract with a Scottish wind farm and building materials specialist Wienerberger agreeing to purchase power from DONG Energy’s offshore wind farms.

BT announced it has agreed a 15-year, £185m Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Stroupster wind farm in Northern Scotland, which will now provide the telco 100GWh of clean power a year.

The deal is the fourth PPA BT has signed with wind farms across the UK in support of its commitment to source 100 per cent renewable power.

“BT is a green energy pioneer and we have been purchasing 100 per cent renewable energy in the UK since 2012,” said Rob Williams, BT’s general manager of power procurement. “By 2020 we aim to be purchasing 100 per cent renewable electricity worldwide, so soon all of our power will come from sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat wherever we operate across the globe – where markets allow.

“We hope our commitment to renewable energy will encourage more consumers and businesses to make the move towards renewable energy.”

BT’s commitment makes it one of the world’s largest consumers of renewable power with the company’s power demand of 2.5TWh accounting for around one per cent of all UK power.

Jenny Hogan, Scottish Renewables director of policy, said the latest PPA was part of an encouraging trend amongst Blue Chip customers. “The fact that we’re seeing more and more large companies like BT contracting most or all of their power from sources like wind, solar, hydro and biomass shows that renewable energy makes good business sense,” she said. “It’s great to see firms like BT grasp this opportunity to cut carbon and stabilise their energy costs.”

The news comes in the same week as DONG Energy’s plans to sell power from its fleet of offshore wind farms direct to corporate customers received a boost, with the news Wienerberger is to source renewable power from the Danish energy giant for all its UK sites.

Wienerberger said the move would help it reduce the environmental impact of its operations and benefit those building industry customers who are keen to use building materials that boast low levels of ’embodied carbon’.

Jeff Whittingham, managing director at DONG Energy Sales UK, said the deal highlighted the appeal of the company’s offer to business customers.

“DONG Energy is driving the transition to low-carbon energy systems in the UK, and we believe that businesses should have access to renewable electricity supply without incurring additional cost,” he said. “Naturally we are delighted that Wienerberger shares our ambition of creating this greener energy future. It’s exciting that one of the UK’s largest building material producers places such a strong emphasis on sustainability.”

Source: businessgreen.com

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