Duke Energy Goes for Sun Energy in California

11.01.2017

Duke Energy Renewables has acquired three solar power plants in California totaling 55MW from SunPower Corp.

The projects are the 20MW each Rio Bravo I and Rio Bravo II facilities and the 15MW Wildwood Solar II scheme, all of which are located in Kern County.

Southern California Edison is buying the electricity generated by the plants under 20-year agreements, Duke said.

Duke Energy Renewables president Rob Caldwell said: “These solar projects are excellent facilities that increase our solar presence in California by 50%.”

Source: renews.com

Paris Boosts Cycling Infrastructure, Names 2017 ‘Year of the Bike’

11.01.2017

Paris plans a major boost to its cycling infrastructure and will ban cars from outside the Louvre museum as it steps up its fight against traffic pollution, the mayor said on Sunday.

Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo announced a new two-way 4 kilometre bike lane to run along the Rue de Rivoli, a major east-west thoroughfare and one of the city’s most famous streets, and to connect the Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde.

She also said Paris will accelerate a plan to double the surface of its cycling lanes by 2020.

“Climate is the number one priority. Less cars means less pollution. 2017 will be the year of the bicycle,” Hidalgo said in a statement.

The noisy and polluted Rue de Rivoli, which links major landmarks like the Louvre Museum, Palais Royal and the historic Marais area, would become an area for walking, cycling and shopping, where the space for cars will be halved.

The city will also ban private cars from the historical Place du Carrousel du Louvre, which cuts through the Tuileries park and the square in front of the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum with about 9 million visitors per year.

Paris this year plans to pedestrianise most of the Marais by limiting car traffic there to residents, public transport and local businesses.

From 2018, Paris will also start operating a new “tram-bus” along the right bank of the Seine to boost public transport infrastructure as part of its bid for the 2024 Olympics.

Deputy mayor in charge of transport Christophe Najdovski said cities like Bordeaux and Lyon are way ahead of Paris in terms of reopening access to their riverbanks and banning polluting diesel cars from the city centre, as Tokyo has done.

“We have a lot of work left to do, as is obvious from the numerous days with peak pollution levels at the end of 2016,” Najdovski said.

In September, Paris turned a stretch of highway on the right bank of the river Seine into a pedestrian zone in an attempt to reduce pollution despite fierce protests from drivers and the conservative opposition.

In the past 15 years, private car traffic in Paris has fallen by about 30 percent as the city introduced its popular Velib bicycle sharing scheme and its Autolib electric vehicle sharing scheme, city authorities said.

Source: reuters.com

These 5 States Host Two-Thirds Of India’s Solar Power Capacity

11.01.2017

Solar power installed capacity is highly concentrated in few states in India. This is largely the result of proactive initiatives taken by some states that are also endowed with ample solar radiation resource and surplus land.

Just five states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu — host more than 67% of the total solar power capacity operation in India. Three of these states (Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) have been leading in terms of fresh capacity added this financial year, data up to the 31st of October 2016 released by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy shows.

Gujarat and Rajasthan have been pioneers in India’s solar power sector as they were among the first states to host utility-scale solar power projects. Solar power plants in these two states predate even the National Solar Mission which now targets having 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity by March 2022.

Despite being the first to set up utility-scale solar power projects, neither Gujarat nor Rajasthan is the leader in terms of installed capacity. Southern states — Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh — aggressively implemented their ambitious solar power policies. Tamil Nadu now leads all Indian states in terms of operational solar power capacity.

Apart from the availability of surplus land and ample solar radiation resources, another possible factor that led to the domination of south Indian states in solar power sector is the lack of adequate fuel to power gas-based power plants in the region.

Several gas-based power plants have been set up across southern states. However, due to lack of adequate gas from the domestic gas fields these power plants remain idle. Perhaps to fill this generation gap, the state governments came out with aggressive solar power policies.

Last year, Andhra Pradesh proposed the most ambitious renewable energy target among all Indian states. The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) proposed to increase the share of renewable energy in its electricity mix to 25.25% by March 2022. Indian regulations call for separate renewable purchase obligations for solar and non-solar technologies. For non-solar renewable energy technologies APERC has proposed a target of 12.50% by March 2022. The commission has also proposed to increase the solar power share from 4.75% in 2017-18 to 12.75% in 2021-22.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Wind Power Now Runs All Electric Passenger Trains in the Netherlands

11.01.2017

All of the electric passenger trains running in the Netherlands are now powered entirely by wind. One year ahead of schedule, Dutch railway company NS announced its entire electric train fleet is running on 100-percent wind power as of January 1, 2017, ushering in a new era of green transportation. Renewable energy advocates hope the early success will inspire planners to incorporate wind-powered trains in other high-speed rail projects around the world, including some proposed in the United States.

In late 2015, the Dutch government announced its goal to power the country’s electric trains entirely with wind power by 2018. However, early successes in rolling out the clean energy program resulted in 75 percent wind power for the trains in 2016, so the initiative made a final push and achieved 100 percent effect January 1, 2017. One of the Netherlands’ largest railway companies, known as NS, partnered with the Eneco energy company in 2015 to funnel renewable energy into its fleet of electric trains, which carry 600,000 people per day.

Electric trains on the NS use around 1.2 billion kWh of electricity a year, which is roughly the equivalent of all the households in the city of Amsterdam. Switching to a renewable source for the energy-hogging transportation will make a huge dent in the nation’s carbon footprint, which has already been shrinking over the years due to investments in renewable energy projects. The electricity used to power the Dutch trains comes from wind farms in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Finland, many of which were just recently built. Because some of those farms opened ahead of schedule, it became possible to move up the timeline for powering electric trains with clean energy.

Source: inhabitat.com

Solar Panel Researchers Investigate Powering Trains by Bypassing Grid

11.01.2017

Imperial College and climate change charity 10:10 to focus on connecting solar panels directly to train lines, reports BusinessGreen.

Imperial College London has partnered with the climate change charity 10:10 to investigate the use of track-side solar panels to power trains, the two organisations announced yesterday.

The renewable traction power project will see university researchers look at connecting solar panels directly to the lines that provide power to trains, a move that would bypass the electricity grid in order to more efficiently manage power demand from trains.

According to the university, the research team will be the first in the world to test the “completely unique” idea, which it said would have a “wide impact with commercial applications on electrified rail networks all over the world”.

“It would also open up thousands of new sites to small- and medium-scale renewable developments by removing the need to connect to the grid,” Imperial College London said in a statement.

Network Rail is currently investing billions in electrifying the UK’s railways in a bid to reduce the number of trains running on diesel fuel, curbing costs, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

Combining this effort with increased renewable energy generation in the UK could significantly decarbonise train lines by 2050, according to 10:10, but in many rural areas the electricity grid has reached its limit for both integrating distributed energy generation and supplying power to train firms.

“What is particularly galling is that peak generation from solar and peak demand from the trains more or less match but we can’t connect the two,” explained 10:10’s Leo Murray, who is leading the project. “I actually believe this represents a real opportunity for some innovative thinking.”

Initially the project will look at the feasibility of converting “third rail systems” which supply electricity through a power line running close to the ground and are used on roughly one third of the UK’s tracks.

“Many railway lines run through areas with great potential for solar power but where existing electricity networks are hard to access,” explained Prof Tim Green, director of Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College London.

The university will collaborate on the technical aspects of the project with Turbo Power Systems – a firm that works on distribution and management of power in the railway sector – while 10:10 is leading on research looking at the size of the long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) market for directly connecting renewables to transport systems.

“I don’t think you get a better fit for PPA than a train line,” added Murray. “A rural train line even more so, the project would open up many investment opportunities across the country and further afield.”

The news comes as it emerged that every one of the Dutch state-owned railway company NS’s passenger trains are now being powered entirely by wind energy.

As of 1 January 2017 all trips taken by the estimated 600,000 people who ride NS trains everyday are being powered by wind energy.

Having teamed up with the energy firm Eneco in 2015 with the aim of reducing its emissions, NS has now reached its target of switching the sources of power for its trains to 100% renewables one year ahead of schedule, with the firm originally setting a target date of 2018 for the milestone.

Source: theguardian.com

VW Shares Rise as $4.3 Billion Emissions Deal with U.S. Justice Department

11.01.2017

Volkswagen’s supervisory board had meeting on Wednesday to approve a draft $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, a key milestone in its attempts to recover from its emissions test cheating scandal.

Shares in Europe’s biggest carmaker rose more than 2 percent in early trading as investors welcomed the latest move to draw a line under the biggest business scandal in its 80-year history.

However, some said the 16-month saga could still have further to run, with U.S. authorities investigating who was individually responsible for the cheating and Volkswagen (VW) facing probes and lawsuits in Europe and elsewhere.

“This is a partial victory, but VW is by no means out of the woods yet,” said Ingo Speich, a fund manager at Union Investment which holds about 0.6 percent of VW preference shares. “There are still considerable litigation risks.”

“Facts need to be revealed now and, if necessary, further steps need to be taken regarding individuals to regain the trust of capital markets,” Speich added.

VW said after the market close on Tuesday it was in advanced talks over a civil and criminal settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over its diesel emissions test cheating, and planned to plead guilty to criminal misconduct.

It warned the deal exceeded the 18.2 billion euros ($19.2 billion) it has set aside to cover the costs of its wrongdoing, and it has yet to quantify the impact on its 2016 group results.

The settlement will allow investors to refocus on VW’s fundamental business, though there is uncertainty over the total cash required given exchange rate moves and the number of diesel cars VW may need to repurchase, Barclays analysts said in a note, keeping an “overweight” rating on the stock.

VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they were on the road, and that as many as 11 million vehicles could have similar software installed worldwide.

Despite the scandal, the group said on Tuesday it notched up record sales last year, led by premium brands Audi and Porsche, though analysts say it may have offered big discounts on VW brand cars which have suffered most from the crisis.

Source: reuters.com

Alexey Miller’s Speech about Gazprom Results

11.01.2017

Beside wide analysis of 2016. year, Mr Alexey Miller at the end of last year stressed some facts at the internal meeting in Gazprom. Over the course of 2016, the working gas capacity of our UGS facilities grew by 1,260 million cubic meters. As of the end of the injection period, our UGS facilities contained 72.1 billion cubic meters of gas, an all-time high for Russia’s gas industry. Meanwhile, the potential daily deliverability of our UGS system reached a record 801.3 million cubic meters.

Throughout 2016, Gazprom ramped up gas production to over 419 billion cubic meters, exceeding the 2015 results and going beyond the planned output level by 11 billion cubic meters.

He stress es that Gazprom is making consistent efforts to expand our resource base. Since Gazprom is a partially state-owned company, the Russian Government can pursue an efficient policy to manage the national mineral and raw material base. Each year for many years, we have increased our gas reserves, with the reserve replacement ratio of more than 1. In 2016, the ratio is 1.09.

They set new records in terms of gas deliveries to Europe. On November 29, 2016, Gazprom’s gas supplies to that market totaled 614.5 million cubic meters per day. That amount is unprecedented for the Soviet Union and modern Russia alike. Add to that the fact that our total gas exports set an absolute record as well. The aggregate amount of gas exported to Europe in 2016 – and I can say that for certain – is expected to exceed 179 billion cubic meters. That is a historic high.

The Nord Stream 2 project is running strictly on schedule. The gas pipeline will be brought online in late 2019. Me Miller is absolutely convinced that they will put onstream new gas export capacities in a timely manner and in full. The amount of gas to be supplied across the Baltic Sea via Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 will total 110 billion cubic meters per year.

According to the data obtained this days, the Nord Stream capacities are loaded by even more than 100 per cent. We supply upward of 150 million cubic meters of gas daily via that gas pipeline. The growing consumption in our key partner countries is yet another proof of the fact that the Nord Stream 2 project is extremely important to the European market.

Source: gazprom.com

Iowa, Illinois and New Jersey Rank as Best States for Clean Energy Corporates

11.01.2017

Iowa, Illinois and New Jersey are the best states in the US for procuring clean energy, a new study from the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) has concluded.

The three states topped a new ranking of US regions based on the ease with which large corporates can procure clean energy, such as wind and solar power, for their operations.

The paper, released yesterday, suggests states across the US will attract more businesses – and with them jobs and investment – if they invest in boosting renewable energy capacity. By 2025 some of the US’ biggest retail and technology firms are expected to move to using 100 per cent renewable energy to power their activities, leading to an additional 60GW of clean energy demand, the report notes.

“The technology industry is increasingly transitioning to clean energy to meet customer demands, consumer expectations and our own strong sustainability commitments,” Rick Goss, senior vice president for environment and sustainability for ITI, said in a statement. “Clean and renewable energy sources are good for the environment, and they provide energy reliability and price stability benefits that are good for business. States interested in growing their tech sector should embrace this trend.”

Energy policies across US states vary widely, and some make it easier than others for large corporate companies to develop, fund or procure energy from large renewables projects. While Iowa, Illinois and New Jersey topped the rankings thanks to their high levels of clean energy development and favourable regulatory environment, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alabama came bottom of the list.

The report calls on policymakers at state level to take action to make it easier for corporates to procure clean energy within their borders by removing barriers to corporates installing their own clean energy projects, simplifying the regulatory landscape and backing new innovations governing the purchase of clean energy.

The report’s findings were backed by many of the world’s most famous technology and retail brands, including Walmart and Microsoft.

“Walmart is proud to be recognised as a leader in renewable energy procurement, and we are encouraged that a number of states have made significant efforts to support the practice,” Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy at Walmart, said in a statement. “Much work remains to be done, and we look to these efforts to determine the best practices that will drive the broader creation of cost-effective, customer-focused, and operationally sustainable renewable energy procurement programs.”

Source: businessgreen.com

“Man of the Year”, Choice Made by the Daily

10.01.2017

Mohammed_Barkindo_September_2016_(29604098012) — Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Photo: Wikipedia/Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres

OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, has been named ‘Man of the Year’ for 2016 by The Daily, the leading African online newspaper.

The Daily explained: “This year,” the letter announcing the award states, “the choice is anchored on your untiring efforts, your adoption of strategic measures, your making of diplomatic shuttles, your engagement with oil-producing and consuming nations, your holding of various fora and your positive actions – all of which culminated in the rise of crude oil prices from less than $30 to over $50 per barrel in the global oil markets.”

“With these and other feats, we are very optimistic that many multiplier effects, including new investments, new oil and gas finds, additional reserves, job creation, new technologies, capacity-building, and increased concerns for the environment, will become ever more positive,” it added.

HE Barkindo, who was born in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, has long ties with OPEC. A former long-standing OPEC National Representative for his country, he has served as OPEC Governor and also spent some time as Acting OPEC Secretary General.

During his working career, HE Barkindo has occupied many key positions in Nigeria’s public and private sectors, including a period as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Source: opec.org

Beijing Creates Anti-Smog Police to Tackle Air Polluters

10.01.2017

Beijing will create an environmental police force aimed at tackling deadly smog, after the Chinese capital spent the first week of 2017 mostly shrouded in a thick haze of pollution.

The new law enforcement outfit will patrol the streets, eyes peeled for open-air barbecues, trash burning and dusty roads that violate regulations, the city’s acting mayor Cai Qi said at the weekend.

Beijing will also shut its last coal-fired power plant and reduce coal consumption by 30% this year, Cai said according to state media. Officials will shut 500 factories and 300,000 older vehicles will be taken off the road.

“There is still a long way to go to meet the expectation of the public,” he added, admitting he wakes up every morning and checks the air quality, along with the weather report.

The capital is frequently beset with toxic smog and levels of harmful air pollution in 2015 were more than eight times those recommended by the World Health Organization.

China declared a “war on pollution” in 2014, but has struggled to deliver the sweeping change many had hoped to see and government inspections routinely find pollutions flouting the law.

Last week, inspection teams from the environment ministry found some companies resuming operations despite a government ban, known as a “red alert”, aimed at curbing smog. More than 500 construction sites and businesses and 10,000 vehicles violated measures to reduce air pollution.

But Beijing’s new police squad may do little to help residents breathe easy.

Its focus on local, street-level sources of pollution ignores the steel factories and coal-fired power plants just outside the city limits in neighbouring Hebei province, or the more than 5m cars clogging the roads. Cars account for about 31% of the most harmful type of air pollution, according to China’s environmental ministry.

While officials are aware heavy industry and automobiles are the largest sources of pollution, the government has been reluctant to impose sweeping change for fear of economic repercussions and potential unrest from fired workers.

“The root cause of the region’s smog problems, from a long-term perspective, is an unclean industrial and energy mix, which requires big changes,” said Chen Jining, China’s environmental minister, adding that he “felt guilty” about the toxic haze.

Beijing education authorities did bow to public pressure last week, agreeing to install air purifiers in school classrooms after more than a year of campaigning by concerned parents.

A study earlier this year found acrid air is linked to at least one million deaths a year in China, and contributed to a third of all fatalities in major cities, on par with smoking. Another research paper said the smog had shortened life expectancies by five and a half years in parts of China.

Source: theguardian.com

Sydney Air Pollution Alert Issued as Temperature Heads to 38C

10.01.2017

An air pollution alert has been issued for Sydney residents due to a high level of ozone, already exceeding government standards for the entire year.

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage put the air-quality forecast for Sydney’s metropolitan area on Tuesday as “poor”, denoting a score of 100-149 on the Air Quality Index (AQI). “Hazardous” is classified as 200 and above.

Ozone is an irritant secondary pollutant formed by chemical reactions between atmospheric gases and nitrogen oxides from car-vehicle exhausts on sunny days. The problem is exacerbated by lack of wind.

As temperatures increase, so does ozone production, meaning it forms more readily in summer and reaches its highest concentrations in the afternoon or early evening.

Matthew Riley, the director of climate and atmospheric science at OEH, said higher levels of ozone were not unusual in Sydney over December and January.

The national standards allowed for one day above the accepted ozone levels per year, to account for extreme events such as bushfires that can increase production, said Riley.

Ozone levels exceeded that level in Richmond and St Marys in western Sydney late on Monday afternoon and could do so again on Tuesday or Wednesday, due to high temperatures and weak winds.

As well as worsening existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, breathing in too much ozone could cause eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, as well as coughing and shortness of breath.

NSW Health advised sufferers to use their medication when necessary and, if symptoms worsened, to seek medical advice. The department’s Dr Ben Scalley said parents should limit the time children with asthma play outside.

“Ozone levels reach their peak around 7pm in the evening and tend to be lowest in the morning, so it’s best to plan outdoor play in the morning when the day is cooler,” he said.

The alert coincides with a period of sweltering summer weather for Sydney and its surrounding regions. Temperatures were forecast to hit 31C in central Sydney on Tuesday. Residents of the western suburbs were expected to see a high of 37C.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a high of 38C in the city on Wednesday, cooling on Thursday, then rising again to temperatures in the early 30s on Friday and Saturday.

Richmond and Penrith were both forecast to reach 40C on Wednesday and 42C on Friday. Inland NSW would bear the brunt of the hot weather, with a heatwave at severe or extreme levels past 45C on Wednesday, the weather bureau said.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has warned of a heightened risk of bushfires this week, and urged farmers to protect their properties by putting in firebreaks around paddocks and other assets.

Source: theguardian.com

EIB Supports Sint Trudo Foundation for Energy Neutral Social Housing

10.01.2017

Dutch Social housing foundation Sint Trudo and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have today signed a financing agreement of EUR 150 million. The facility made available by the EIB will be used for new, largely energy neutral, housing as well as making existing social housing more sustainable.

With her investment programme for the years 2016-2020 social housing association Sint Trudo answers to the lack of affordable social housing in de Eindhoven region, where population is still on the rise. The programme will create around 1.800 new, largely energy neutral, housing units. Also, existing rental housing with a relatively low energy label will be made more sustainable, up to an average “level B” Dutch energy label. The construction of new housing will take place on various locations in the region around the city of Eindhoven.

Vice-President Pim van Ballekom of the EIB said: “This operation with Sint Trudo is a good example of the EIB’s commitment for social housing in the Netherlands. Especially now, affordable housing is very important, but the facilities do have to meet certain criteria when it comes to environmental and sustainability concerns. We are glad to support Trudo in filling a gap in the housing market and happy to do so in the most energy efficient way possible.”

Sint Trudo’s CEO, Thom Aussems, added: “With this loan Sint Trudo finances a substantial part of her investment programme, with an emphasis on the construction of new, affordable, energy neutral rental housing, so-called “Near Zero Energy Buildings” (NZEBs), as well as on making existing housing more energy efficient. This fits very well with European objectives for urban renewal and sustainable communities and thus was a very good fit for EIB financing.”

Source: eib.org

U.S. Solar Lobbying Group Names ‘Bridge Builder’ as New Leader

10.01.2017

The U.S. solar industry’s top lobbying group named energy policymaker Abigail Ross Hopper as its new chief executive, pledging pragmatism as the sector prepares to work with an incoming president who has expressed doubts about its importance.

Hopper joins the Washington-based Solar Energy Industries Association after serving as director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for two years. At the BOEM, Hopper was responsible for leasing and permitting oil, gas and offshore wind projects.

She replaces Rhone Resch at SEIA, who stepped down in May after 12 years at the group’s helm.

In a statement, Hopper said she had spent her career “working with all sides of the political and ideological spectrum to arrive at pragmatic approaches to energy policy.”

Prior to her role at BOEM, Hopper held a range of energy policy roles in Maryland, including serving as energy advisor to former Governor Martin O’Malley.

SEIA has been instrumental in garnering federal government support for solar power, including winning a five year extension of the industry’s federal tax credit at the end of 2015.

The industry, which has grown dramatically in the last decade, has received support from many Democratic and Republican lawmakers in recent years in part because it employs hundreds of thousands of workers.

But U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said solar and wind are too expensive. He has also called global warming a hoax and promised to quit a global accord to cut greenhouse gas emissions, prompting concern among renewable energy proponents.

SEIA Board Chairman Nat Kreamer said Hopper was chosen in part for her “brige-building talents”.

Source: reuters.com

VW Unveils the All-Electric Autonomous Microbus of the Future

10.01.2017

The VW Microbus is one of the most loved VW models of all time, and now, after years of releasing nothing but concepts, it looks like the automaker is finally ready to release a new Microbus. The new I.D. Buzz was recently unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.

The I.D. Buzz concept follows the debut of the I.D. electric concept unveiled a few months ago at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Based on the same MEB platform as the I.D. hatchback, the new Microbus dubbed the MEB-XL has been extended, providing enough room for up to eight passengers and two luggage compartments.

Just like the I.D. hatchback, the I.D. Buzz is powered by an all-electric powertrain. In this concept the electric powertrain consists of two electric motors, one at the front axle and one at the rear to generate a total of 369 horsepower. The concept has a driving range of 270 miles and with a 0-60 mph time of about five seconds, the I.D. Buzz concept will out accelerate every other van on the market and even most sports cars. Lastly the 111 kWh battery can be charged up to 80 percent within 30 minutes using the Combined Charging System (CCS) or an inductive charging interface.

The I.D. Buzz concept is also the world’s first fully autonomous multi-purpose vehicle. A slight push on the steering wheel makes it retract and merge into the instrument panel, switching the concept to the fully autonomous “I.D. Pilot” mode that could make it into production by 2025. In I.D Pilot mode, the concept detects other drivers and obstacles on the road with laser sensors, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, side area view cameras and a front camera.

Source: inhabitat.com

Wind Farms Deliver all Scotland’s Power for Four Straight Days

10.01.2017

The recent flurry of UK wind power records continued today, as analysts confirmed Scotland generated power equivalent to the country’s entire electricity demand on four consecutive days late last year.

WWF Scotland, drawing on data from WeatherEnergy, reported all of Scotland’s power demand was matched by output from wind turbines on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th of December.

The period also saw Scotland set a new record for total daily wind power output, with 74,042MWh of electricity sent to the National Grid on Christmas Eve. Over the course of the day, wind farms met 132 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs.

“These are two spectacular achievements, which underline the massive progress Scotland is making in securing an ever increasing proportion of its electricity needs from wind power and other clean renewable sources,” said WWF Scotland’s director Lang Banks. “Scotland can be proud that its record-breaking wind power output at the end of December, and resulting export of excess electricity through interconnectors to England, greatly contributed to what also proved a record-breaking week for wind power across the entire UK.”

The news comes just days after separate data for the whole of the UK revealed new half-hourly, daily and weekly records were set on the 23rd, 24th and 25th December, with nearly a third of UK electricity coming from wind on Christmas Day.

It also follows a new analysis by Carbon Brief, which revealed that over the course of 2016 wind power outperformed coal power for the first time. Coal’s total share of the power mix slumped to 9.2 per cent, its lowest level of output since 1935, while wind power accounted for 11.5 per cent of UK electricity.

Banks urged the Scottish government to build on the success of the country’s renewables sector. “Later this month, the Scottish Government is expected to publish its new energy strategy,” he said. “We hope these latest wind power records embolden Ministers to aim high when it comes to the role renewables play in their forthcoming strategy especially in areas beyond the power sector, such as heat and transport.”

Karen Robinson of WeatherEnergy said the recent records were part of an encouraging trend. “It was only as recently as August 2016 that we first recorded a day where wind powered electricity generation exceeding demand,” she said. However, thanks to increasing levels of renewables capacity and improved energy efficiency reducing power demand, we’re starting to see more and more such days.”

Further records are expected in the coming years as the UK continues to expand its offshore wind capacity.

Late last week, developer Vattenfall announced it was reviving plans to extend the Thanet offshore wind farm by adding 34 more turbines to the 100-turbine site.

Meanwhile, this weekend saw the first 6MW Siemens turbine installed at the 402MW Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm.

The first of 67 turbines was installed safely on 7 January by A2SEA’s specialist SEA CHALLENGER vessel, completing a major milestone for the project off the Norfolk coast, which is co-owned by Statoil, Masdar, and Statkraft and is expected to provide clean power for up to 400,000 households.

However, industry insiders remain concerned about the prospects for the onshore wind industry. The government has effectively halted subsidies for new onshore wind project, sparking criticism that the lowest cost form of new generation capacity available in the UK currently is being denied the route to market that is being offered to more costly technologies.

Source: businessgreen.com

New Zero Waste Roubaix Case Study Shows ‘Where There Is a Will There Is a Way’

09.01.2017

Last week civil organization Zero Waste Europe has released their latest case study . Demonstrating how the town of Roubaix in Northern France has been able to make significant steps towards a circular economy. The case study highlights the community projects and schemes which have tackled waste at the source, even where the town lacks competences on waste management.

This case study shows that it is vital to involve all stakeholders to change consumption patterns as well as waste generation habits for a successful implementation of a circular economy. The project was so successful that 25% of participating households were able to reduce their waste generation by over 80% and 70% reduced their waste by 50%.

In previous case studies Zero Waste Europe has demonstrated that high recycling rates combined with low generation of waste and low waste management costs are entirely feasible. Zero Waste Europe’s latest case study, highlights how a comprehensive approach has paved the way for zero waste in Roubaix. By integrating families, institutions, businesses, schools and associations Roubaix is creating a new circular system which aims to cut down waste at source and create a new culture of waste.

The case of Roubaix also showcases also the limitations faced by some municipalities in Europe. Roubaix, like other municipalities in France, lacks direct control of waste collection and management policies, meaning that all changes need to be approved by a consortium of municipalities that, in this case, has been reluctant to approve progressive policies. As a result of this the town decided to take an alternative approach reaching out to various stakeholders in Roubaix to minimise waste at its source.

Ferran Rosa, Zero Waste Europe’s Policy Officer said: “Where there is a will there is a way. By challenging households to directly cut down their waste, Roubaix has proven that we can all adjust our lifestyles to more sustainable patterns and make economic savings at the same time”.

Roubaix, which is considered to be the poorest town in France, illustrates that political will and citizen involvement can drive significant change in any situation, even when the competences and resources are lacking.

With the aim of successfully shifting towards a zero waste society and a circular economy, Zero Waste Europe illustrates best practices and supports local transition. Zero Waste Europe’s new campaign ‘Make your city zero waste!’ calls for public support in reaching more municipalities in 2017, and sharing zero waste best practices.

Source: zerowasteeurope.eu

1...356357358...414 Page 357 of 414

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2025 October

Events for 31 October

Events for 1 November

Events for 2 November

Events for 3 November

Events for 4 November

Events for 5 November

Events for 6 November

Events for 7 November

Events for 8 November

Events for 9 November

Events for 10 November

Events for 11 November

Events for 12 November

Events for 13 November

Events for 14 November

Events for 15 November

Events for 16 November

Events for 17 November

Events for 18 November

Events for 19 November

Events for 20 November

Events for 21 November

Events for 22 November

Events for 23 November

Events for 24 November

Events for 25 November

Events for 26 November

Events for 27 November

Events for 28 November

Events for 29 November

WRITE US