US Vehicle Emissions Hit Record Low as Fuel Economy Climbs to Record High

04.11.2016

taxi-cab, New-York, USA — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The transportation sector accounts for 26 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Recognizing the opportunity to reduce carbon pollution from vehicles to mitigate climate change, in 2012 the Obama Administration mandated 54.5 miles per gallon fuel efficiency standards for the model year 2025. The auto industry is not only responding – it’s outperforming. A new reportfrom the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds that compared to 2014, the average fuel economy of model year 2015 vehicles increased 0.5 mpg to a record high 24.8 mpg. New vehicle carbon dioxide emissions averaged 358 grams per mile — 7 grams per mile better than required by the 2015 greenhouse gas emissions standard and a 13 gram per mile improvement over the 2014 requirement.

“Car buyers can go to the showroom knowing that no matter what kind of vehicle they buy, it will be better for the climate – and their wallets – than ever before,” Christopher Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said in a statement. “This report highlights that the industry is providing vehicles that customers want, while reaching new levels of environmental performance.”

The EPA attributes the fourth consecutive year of automakers outperforming GHG standards and the record high fuel economy to new fuel-efficient technologies such as “turbo charging, engine downsizing, more sophisticated transmissions, vehicle weight reduction, aerodynamics and idle stop-start, along with improved accessories and air conditioning systems.” Car manufacturers are increasingly using lighter materials like aluminum and high-strength steel to achieve weight loss and increase fuel economy. 2015 model year vehicles were on average 25 pounds lighter than the previous year.

The EPA estimates that the GHG emissions standards have slashed nearly 130 million metric tons of carbon emissions. However, Grundler recently warned that even steeper fuel economy standards will be needed in order for the US to meet climate targets called for in the Paris climate agreement. “What we know is, just from the math, if we’re going to achieve what science tells us we need to achieve by 2050, we’re going to need to see a lot of zero and near-zero emissions technology coming into the fleet,” Grundler told Bloomberg Politics. “Facts are facts.”

Source: inhabitat.com

Your Carbon Footprint Destroys 30 Square Metres of Arctic Sea Ice a Year

04.11.2016

Klimatske promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The average westerner’s carbon emissions destroy 30 square metres of Arctic sea ice every year, according to new research.

The work indicates that, even with current efforts to cut emissions, the Arctic will lose all its ice in summer within about 20 years.

Plummeting Arctic sea ice cover is one of the most obvious signs of climate change and is increasingly linked to extreme weather events such as storms and floods in Europe and severe cold snaps in the US.

The new study revealed a linear link between emissions of CO2 and the loss of Arctic sea ice, which has shrunk by half in the last 40 years. The link enables people to understand their own contribution to climate change, according to the leader of the work, Prof Dirk Notz, at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany.

“It allows us, for the first time really, to intuitively grasp how we all individually contribute to global warming,” he said. “The observed numbers are very simple. For each tonne of CO2 that a person emits anywhere on this planet, three square metres of Arctic summer sea ice disappears.”

“So far the global warming debate has always been about very large numbers like billions of tonnes of CO2 or very small numbers like 0.1C of temperature change,” he said. “Our study allows us to understand that it is really our own individual actions, every day, that contribute to ongoing global warming.”

The research, published in the journal Science, analysed the declining extent of Arctic sea ice from 1953 to 2015 and found it tracked the emissions of CO2 from fossil fuel burning and other human activities. The relationship fits well with the underlying physics.

As a result, it is possible to calculate how much Arctic sea ice is lost as a result of an individual’s emissions. The average annual emissions of a citizen of the 35 rich nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is 10 tonnes per year, leading to 30 sq m of ice being lost. Citizens of the US, Canada and Australia have a higher carbon footprint – about 16 tonnes – each causing almost 50 sq m of ice loss per year. In the UK, the average emissions are 7.5 tonnes per year, meaning 22.5 sq m of ice loss.

Prof Len Shaffrey, at the University of Reading in the UK, said the new research was sound and showed a new way of linking Arctic sea ice loss and personal CO2 emissions: “It means on average we are [each] responsible for the loss of tens of square metres of summer Arctic sea ice. That’s a pretty sobering thought.”

The link also allows the calculation of how much CO2 can be emitted in future before the Arctic is entirely ice-free in September, usually the month of the smallest extent. The scientists found 1,000 gigatonnes (GT) of CO2 was the limit. If all the carbon-cutting pledges currently made by the world’s nations are implemented, the Arctic will be ice free in summer in about 22 years, according to the new research.

“There is not a god-given year when the ice will be gone but there is this number of 1,000GT – once we have emitted that amount, the [summer] Arctic sea ice will be gone,” Notz said. “If emissions don’t change at all from today’s level, which is extremely unlikely, then the ice will be gone in 25 years. If emissions continue to rise then the ice will be gone sooner than that.”

The 1,000GT carbon budget is also the limit for keeping climate change below the internationally agreed threshold of 2C. This means that even if the Paris climate treaty, which enters into force on Friday, is successful, the Arctic will still become ice-free in summer.

However, the Paris treaty also includes an aspiration to limit the temperature rise to 1.5C, which would require radical cuts in CO2 emissions, including sucking the gas out of the air and burying it. If this was achieved, the Arctic ice cap would remain year round.

Arctic sea ice fell to its second lowest recorded extent in September, and scientists say this matters for a number of reasons. “By losing Arctic sea ice, we are losing a very effective refrigerator, as sea ice today reflects most of the sunlight and keeps the Arctic cool,’ said Notz. “If we lose this refrigerator, the Greenland ice cap will melt much more rapidly, for example, and drive up sea levels.”

Other scientists are increasingly linking the loss of Arctic sea ice to a weakening of a high level wind, called the jet stream, which is in turn linked to increasing extreme weather events, such as storms and floods in western Europe, severe cold snaps in the US and drought in California. “The jury is still out on how robust these studies are but there is mounting evidence,” said Notz.

“Also, we are destroying a landscape from this planet which is extremely beautiful and future generations would have nothing to look at but open water in September, so for me that is an ethical thing,” he said.

Source: theguardian.com

Paris Climate Change Agreement Enters Into Force

04.11.2016

The Paris agreement on climate change enters into force on Friday, marking the first time that governments have agreed legally binding limits to global temperature rises.

The passage of the accord – the fruit of more than two decades of often tortuous international negotiations on combating climate change – was hailed by nations and observers around the world.

Under the agreement, all governments that have ratified the accord, which includes the US, China, India and the EU, now carry an obligation to hold global warming to no more than 2C above pre-industrial levels. That is what scientists regard as the limit of safety, beyond which climate change is likely to become catastrophic and irreversible.

Countries have put forward commitments on curbing carbon emissions under the agreement, but a report on Thursday found those pledges would see temperature rises significantly overshoot the threshold, with 3C of warming. Environmental groups urged governments to do more.

Andrew Norton, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, said: “The voices of the people who will be hit hardest by the devastating impacts of climate change need to be heard. Governments must work to plan practical steps for the agreement’s implementation, and set out how climate finance can actually reach people in the poorest, most vulnerable countries.”

Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for the charity ActionAid, added: “The Paris agreement sends a much-needed signal to politicians and industry that we have to build a new world, and this has to start now. However, the deal is not enough to keep people and the planet safe.”

Asad Rehman, international climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “The Paris agreement is a major step in the right direction, but it falls a long way short of the giant leap needed to tackle climate change. Far tougher action is needed to rapidly slash emissions.” Greenpeace said that while the deal needed strengthening, it was a “momentous occasion” that it had come into force.

Next week, governments will meet in Morocco under the auspices of the United Nations to discuss how to put the Paris accord into force, and meet its aims.

Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s climate chief, and Salaheddine Mezouar, foreign minister of Morocco, said in a joint statement: “Humanity will look back on 4 November 2016 as the day that countries of the world shut the door on inevitable climate disaster and set off with determination towards a sustainable future.

“The Paris agreement is undoubtedly a turning point in the history of common human endeavour, capturing the combined political, economic and social will of governments, cities, regions and businesses and investors to overcome the existential threat of unchecked climate change.”

Lord Turner, former head of the UK government’s statutory advisory committee on climate change, said: “The fact that this crucial UN agreement is coming into force within a year of signing is a hugely important achievement, and the good news is that agreement to the Paris deal is being matched by real progress in many countries.”

However, fossil fuel industries see continued opportunities for development within a low-carbon world.

Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association, said: “For many countries, coal will continue to play a significant role in economic development, industrialisation and urbanisation. For the Paris agreement to be realised, we need to support those countries [that are committed to lower emission coal technology, such as high-efficiency plants]. We cannot wish coal away.”

Source: theguardian.com

‘The Heat is There’: Is There a Future for Geothermal Energy in Australia?

04.11.2016

Geotermalna energija, Island — Photo: Pixabay

In July 2010, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) took a $32m gamble on geothermal energy, investing in Australia’s first demonstration of geothermal electricity generation.

Six years later, the wells in South Australia’s Cooper Basin have been filled with concrete and abandoned, and the geothermal exploration company involved – Geodynamics Limited – has announced it is rebranding and pivoting to biogas, solar photovoltaic, battery storage and hybrid solutions.

Although geothermal energy is a mainstay of electricity generation in countries such as Iceland and El Salvador, the ancient, slumbering strata of Australia presents a more challenging landscape.

Since 2009 Arena has funded seven geothermal projects at a cost of more than $40m. Only one is still active.

In 2013 the agency established an international geothermal expert group to review Australia’s prospects for commercial geothermal energy generation. That group came to the conclusion that, despite more than $1bn worth of investment from the private sector and governments since the 1990s, the Australian geothermal energy sector faced significant technical hurdles, and the prospect of commercial viability before 2030 was slim.

Geothermal energy is harnessed in three main ways. The first is the simple hot spring beloved of tourists and health-seekers. There is even a specific term – balneotherapy – to describe the use of these for therapeutic benefits. These geothermally heated waters are also used to drive direct-use geothermal systems in places such as Perth, where 55C water is extracted from 500 to 1,200 metres underground and used to heat water for swimming pools or for space heating.

The second option is a geothermal heat pump, like the one used to control the temperature at the Geosciences Australia building in Canberra. This doesn’t so much use geothermal energy as take advantage of the Earth’s thermal mass to absorb heat during summer and release it during winter.

The third option – and the one causing headaches for Australia’s nascent geothermal energy industry – is geothermal electricity generation. The problem is not a lack of heat but rather how to economically tap into it.

“We’re looking at heat that’s effectively created by depth, and because we’re doing this in sedimentary basin settings, three to four kilometres is usually the depth you need to get the temperatures required,” says Dr Rowan Hansberry, a post-doctoral researcher at the South Australian centre for geothermal energy research.

In volcanically active Iceland, scalding hot water and steam rises through wells with minimum pumping. In Australia, accessing that subterranean heat means drilling at least two wells – one to pump down cold water at high pressure and another to extract the now-heated water – and hoping that the rock or substrate between the two wells is permeable enough or fractured enough to allow the water to pass through and collect heat on the way.

This is the risky part of so-called enhanced geothermal energy. Geothermal companies don’t know how permeable an area will be until they’ve drilled the wells, which can cost $20m each. For Geodynamics Limited, it cost $144m to find out that the wells drilled 4-5 kilometres into the Cooper Basin were not economically viable, at least in comparison to the alternatives, says Geodynamics’ commercial manager, Gregory Wong.

“Solar photovoltaic is now so cheap that it’s difficult for renewables which aren’t currently commercially mature to chase solar photovoltaic down the cost curve,” Wong says. “Even if we continued to make improvements in our delivered cost of energy, the speed at which we can make improvements is nothing like the speed that solar PV has been reducing in cost, so we were getting further away from the cost of solar PV rather than closing the gap.”

Enhanced geothermal energy is not impossible. The US energy department is actively pursuing enhanced geothermal energy with its Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy, or FORGE R&D, initiative, focusing on the factors that influence success in enhanced geothermal energy generation.

Arena is now taking a similar approach, granting $450,000 to the University of Adelaide’s South Australian centre for geothermal energy research to develop a map of geothermal structural permeability.

One outcome of the international geothermal expert group’s report was to highlight the fact that previous geothermal efforts had really just focused on finding subsurface heat but hadn’t factored in the issue of permeability at those depths.

“They had run into trouble with low flow rates out of wells and quickly decaying flow rates,” Hansberry says. “If we can effectively map structural permeability well ahead of drilling, using existing data sets, we can effectively de-risk the drilling process and bring the cost down.”

To do this, the group is collecting existing data from previous drilling efforts – both for geothermal energy but also petroleum and mineral exploration and other subterranean endeavours – as well as data from seismic and geological studies to create a database of natural structural permeability data in four key basins.

“What we’re looking at is, if we drill wells, are we going to get fluid consistently travelling through them at the right kind of residence times to heat up enough,” Hansberry says.

They’re also road-testing the accuracy of the data by comparing their estimations of permeability with actual findings from some of the wells.

Despite the hiccups faced so far, Hansberry is cautiously optimistic about the future of geothermal energy in Australia, pointing out that the heat is there but the biggest roadblock is our understanding of the geology.

“We really need to de-risk that drilling, because it’s far too expensive to go and drill a $150m well and then find out that we didn’t understand the reservoir or we didn’t understand the characteristics of what we were looking for.”

Source: theguardian.com

World on Track for 3C of Warming under Current Global Climate Pledges, Warns UN

03.11.2016

The commitments made by governments on climate change will lead to dangerous levels of global warming because they are incommensurate with the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report.

The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) said that pledges put forward to cut emissions would see temperatures rise by 3C above pre-industrial levels, far above the the 2C of the Paris climate agreement, which comes into force on Friday.

At least a quarter must be cut from emissions by the end of the next decade, compared with current trends, the UN said.

The report found that emissions by 2030 were likely to reach about 54 to 56 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, a long way astray of the 42 gigatonnes a year likely to be the level at which warming exceeds 2C.

Erik Solheim, chief of Unep, said the world was “moving in the right direction” on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change, but that measures should be taken urgently to avoid the need for much more drastic cuts in emissions in future. “If we don’t start taking additional action now, we will grieve over the avoidable human tragedy.”

He warned in particular that people would start being displaced from their homes by the effects of climate change, suffering from drought, hunger, disease and conflicts arising from these afflictions. Mass migration as a result of climate change is hard to separate from other causes of migration, but is predicted to become a much greater problem.

This year is “locked in” to be the hottest on record, according to Nasa, eclipsing last year’s record heat, and may show the way to future temperature rises and their accompanying problems.

Under the Paris agreement, reached last December, all of the world’s functioning governments have agreed to reduce greenhouse gases in line with the need to hold warming to no more than 2C, which scientists consider the limit of safety. That agreement has been ratified by the US, China and the European Union, and several other governments.

However, while all of the governments involved in the Paris accord have agreed their own domestic targets for curbing greenhouse gases, these are not legally binding. In addition, few countries have set out concrete plans for how they would implement the curbs.

Next week, signatories to the Paris agreement will gather in Marrakesh to flesh out some aspects of the pact reached last year. Supporters hope that some countries may come up with fuller plans for how they mean to achieve the necessary future emissions reductions, and countries that have not yet ratified the agreement will be persuaded to do so.

None are expected to announce new targets on emissions in line with the reductions that the Unep report suggests are necessary. Nations currently have domestic targets on curbing or cutting emissions by 2020, set out in 2009 at the UN meeting in Copenhagen, as well as their Paris commitments which apply from 2025 to 2030.

Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth’s international climate campaigner, said: “This is a stark warning that cannot be ignored – tougher action on climate change is urgently needed to prevent the world speeding towards catastrophe. Governments are drinking in the ‘last chance saloon’ if the lofty goals of the Paris climate agreement are to be met.”

Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, said: “Unep’s report confirms that there has been remarkable acceleration towards a global low-carbon economy over the past year, but considerably more action is required if governments are to meet the target they set under the Paris agreement.”

Another significant climate agreement was signed in the last few weeks. Under the Montreal Protocol of 1987, countries agreed to phase out gases known to be harmful to the ozone layer. Some of the substitutes, however, turned out to be much more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the planet.

Under a new addition to that agreement countries around the world have agreed to remove the harmful HFCs used in some air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. If fully implemented, this could result in a 0.5C reduction in future warming. Given the goal set in Paris for limiting global temperature rises to 2C, this would make a significant difference to the world’s actions on climate change if it is fully endorsed. Phasing out the relevant chemicals may take much of the rest of the decade, however, and could face resistance in some industries.

Solheim urged countries to embark on more ambitious programmes to improve energy efficiency, increase the amount of energy coming from renewable sources, and look to meet the national targets they set in Paris.

Source: theguardian.com

The Tesla Model 3 could Feature an Ice-Melting Solar Roof

03.11.2016

Elon Musk just announced that the already amazing and affordable Tesla Model 3 will feature the same photovoltaic glass technology used in the company’s recently unveiled solar roof system. According to Musk, the technology could be used to create a car roof that defosts ice and melts snow while continuously generating energy from the sun.

The CEO dropped some huge hints during a conference call regarding Tesla’s merger with SolarCity, where he also described the creation of a special Tesla glass division. The Model 3, expected to be released in 2017, is already making waves as the company’s first affordable electric vehicle.

The surprising price of $35,000 (before tax incentives) and the estimated 215 mile driving range are enough to consider trading in your gas-guzzler, but the addition of a solar roof is the cherry on top. While Musk did not come right out and say how the new technology would be integrated in the Model 3, his tweets seem to paint a pretty clear picture: “Solar glass tiles can also incorporate heating elements, like rear defroster on a car, to clear roof of snow and keep generating energy.”

Referring to the ability to incorporate heating elements directly into the glass solar panels, Musk all but gives away the plans for a paneled roof and windshield that can defrost and melt snow efficiently. He also gave reassurance that the system is “strongly net positive,” so melting away frost consume a minimal amount of energy. The merger between Tesla and SolarCity will not only benefit customers set on powering their homes with renewable energy, but also the everyday driver who wants to cruise around in an affordable, solar-topped EV.

Source: inhabitat.com

Kenya: Geothermal Company to Generate Sh1.7 Billion From Sale of Steam in Menengai

03.11.2016

The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) projects to generate Sh1.7 billion from sale of steam from its Menengai geothermal fields in Nakuru County.

According to GDC Corporate Communications Manager Ruth Musembi, the field is now ripe for electricity production, after three independent power producers were licensed to build power plants.

Each plant has a capacity to produce 35 megawatts of power.

The power plants are expected to be operational in 2017 when the sale of steam is expected to kick off in earnest.

Quantam Power East Africa, OrPower 22 which is a consortium of Ormat, Civicon and Symbion and Sosian Energy have been contracted to construct the power plants.

According to the agreement, the power producers will finance, design, construct, install, operate and maintain the plants.

Besides GDC, the power producers have also signed a power purchase agreement with Kenya Power who will also buy the generated power to inject in the national grid.

Drilling at Menengai fields started in February 2011.

The new development is expected to result in a lower cost of power.

“The three power producers have been allocated space at Menengai fields where they will construct the power plants,” said Ms Musembi.

“All the paperwork is complete and GDC has already signed a project implementation and steam supply agreement with the power producers,” she stated.

Ms Musembi said that by 2018, Menengai fields are expected to generate at least 105 MW under phase one of the multibillion project.

Apart from Menengai, Ms Musembi revealed that plans were at an advanced stage to launch the Baringo-Silale project where phase one is targeted to generate 200 MW of power.

“The drilling of the fields is expected to commence early 2017 and GDC has already acquired an environmental and social impact assessment license allowing the exploitation of the massive resources,” she said.

The first phase is funded by the government and development partners who have provided a loan of Sh8 billion.

GDC says a 70km access road has been completed while water supply and drilling services contracts have been awarded.

The state corporation is also exploring the prospect of developing an initial 150MW at the Suswa field.

The site has an estimated potential of 750MW when fully developed.

“We have already completed the scientific studies and infrastructural designs and GDC is awaiting a go ahead from the government to commence drilling activities at Suswa,” said Ms Musembi.

Source: allafrica.com

New South Wales Unveils Plan to Reach Zero Emissions by 2050

03.11.2016

The New South Wales government has launched an ambitious climate change policy that could see the state achieve zero emissions by 2050.

On Thursday NSW’s environment minister, Mark Speakman, released draft plans for the NSW climate change policy framework, setting out the “aspirational goal” of zero emissions by the middle of the century. The government also released two other plans that set out in more detail how the policy would be implemented, the climate fund strategic plan and the plan to save NSW energy and money.

They set out in some detail how the state intends to increase investment in the renewable sector, help vulnerable families responding to climate change and reduce household bills.

“The $500m package represents a meaningful, responsible and measured investment that is consistent with and optimises the federal government’s emissions reduction policy,” Speakman said.

The NSW industry resources and energy minister, Anthony Roberts, said: “Attracting up to $3bn of investment and jobs in energy efficiency and advanced energy in NSW, this package will facilitate the acceleration of new technologies, such as battery storage, for a safe, reliable, low-cost transition to guarantee our state’s energy security.”

NSW said the plans were consistent with the federal government’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.

But the plans are unusual for a Liberal-led government, and may prove to be a contentious point with the federal government.

John Connor, chief executive of the Climate Institute, welcomed the announcement, saying: “With NSW now joining Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, over half of national emissions are now covered by governments targeting net zero emissions by 2050.”

He said the state government’s plan was smart to recognise that national commitments made before the Paris agreement didn’t add up.

“The national government’s 2017 review of its climate policies and consideration of post-2030 targets would do well to adopt or better this framework’s 2050 target and attempts to integrate climate risks and opportunities into decision making,” he said.

“Physics is beginning to catch up with politics and it is heartening to see both sides of the Australian political spectrum can engage with the risks as well as the opportunities of the climate challenge.”

South Australia’s emissions target for 2050 is also for zero net emissions. But during the sweeping blackout in South Australia in September the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, derided South Australia and other of Labor government’s renewable and emissions targets, describing them as “completely unrealistic”.

“I regret to say that a number of the state Labor governments have over the years set priorities and renewable targets that are extremely aggressive, extremely unrealistic, and have paid little or no attention to energy security,” he said at the time.

The government is currently engaging in a public consultation process over the draft. Submissions close in December.

Source: theguardian.com

UK Coal-Powered Electricity Projected to Fall by Record Amount

03.11.2016

The amount of electricity generated from UK coal power stations is on track to fall by two-thirds this year, a decline which analysts said was so steep and fast it was unprecedented globally.

Climate change thinktank Sandbag said the drop was due to a doubling in the price of a carbon tax and the lower price of gas. The group has written to the chancellor, Philip Hammond, urging him not to water down the carbon floor price in this month’s autumn statement, which the steel industry has been lobbying the government to do.

Using data up to the end of October from the Office for National Statistics and the national grid, the thinktank estimated coal generation would fall 66% by the year’s end. Coal generation fell 23% in both 2015 and 2014 on the year before, and 10% in 2013.

Energy industry sources said the forecast for 2016 appeared to be broadly in line with expectations.

This year has seen a series of record lows for coal after three major plants closed, including the last remaining coal plant in Scotland. For several days in May the country’s coal plants produced no power for the first time in more than a century, and output was so low that from April to September, solar panels generated more power.

“It’s on top of four years’ worth of falls,” said Dave Jones, an analyst at Sandbag. “That fall is completely unprecedented. Everyone’s talking about what they can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, people talk a few percentage points here or there, but 66% is completely unprecedented in any country ever.”

Jones said the price of a tonne of carbon doubling from £9 to £18 in 2015 under the carbon floor price scheme was the driving force making coal plants uneconomic. Gas, which has been cheaper this year, has largely filled the gap in recent months.

The government last year pledged to phase out coal power entirely by 2025 to help meet its climate change commitments, but is yet to issue a consultation on the move. Sandbag said the decline in coal had seen emissions from the fuel go from 22% of the UK’s total carbon footprint in 2012, to just 5% now.

Official statistics show emissions dropped 4% in 2015 due to a rapid decline in coal, and the fall will almost certainly be much greater this year.

“The carbon price support has driven a remarkable decarbonisation of UK electricity,” said Jones. “The UK is now on track for a coal phase-out before 2025, but the chancellor must maintain the carbon price support, or emissions will begin growing again.”

UK Steel confirmed it was lobbying the government to reduce the carbon floor price to bring down energy prices.

Source: theguardian.com

IRENA: Offshore Wind Could Swell 650 Per Cent by 2030

02.11.2016

Powered by falling costs and rapid technology improvements, offshore wind capacity could grow by more than 650 per cent in the next 15 years, according to new research released today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The market could grow from 13GW in 2015 to 100GW by 2030, IRENA said, with larger turbine blades and more sophisticated floating platforms allowing farms to be built deeper offshore, where winds are stronger and yields are higher.

Such technology advances are also expected to deliver rapid cost reductions for the industry. IRENA predicts average costs for electricity generated by offshore wind farms will fall by 57 per cent over time, from $170 per MWh in 2015 to $74 per MWh in 2045.

“Offshore wind power is poised to become a leading power generation technology in a decarbonised global economy,” Adnan Z. Amin, director-general of IRENA, said in a statement. “Now that onshore wind power is cost-competitive with conventional power generation technologies, more attention is shifting to offshore applications, characterised by high technical power generation potential.”

However, in order to realise this high growth future for the industry, governments must ensure enough investment is funnelled into technology innovation and adequate mechanisms are in place to reduce technical risk and finance costs, IRENA warned.

The report follows hot on the heels of a RenewableUK update this week that revealed how a number of leading British offshore engineering firms, such as JDR Cables, First Subsea and MPI Offshore, are well placed to take advantage of the growth in the global offshore wind industry.

The report shows British companies have already won 115 contracts to provide services to 50 overseas offshore wind farms, taking a significant share of a market featuring 250 offshore wind farms currently in development globally.

Source: businessgreen.com

GGE ESCO at panel discussion “Implementing Energy Efficiency Solutions in the Public and Private Sectors

02.11.2016

Ankica Barbulov, CEO of GGE ESCO (Serbia) participated at the panel discussion “Implementing Energy Efficiency Solutions in the Public and Private Sectors” at the 9th Balkan Energy Finance Forum 2016 in Belgrade.

She presented the opportunities and challenges for energy efficiency improvements in the country. “With the regulatory framework in place, Serbia is ready for important projects that are to improve energy efficiency in municipalities, cities, industry as well”, Barbulov stressed and added that GGE’s integrated model optimizing the whole energy services value chain represents a perfect model for the markets that are yet to grow and develop, such as a Serbian one.

www.energetskiportal.rs

Renewable Street Lighting Firm Powers Up with £1.5m Investment

02.11.2016

A UK firm that develops street lighting that is fully powered by renewable electricity has launched in Greater Manchester, backed by £1.5m investment from its founder.

Solar Street Lighting, founded by North West businessman and property investor Navid Dean, develops LED hybrid solar and wind-powered street lighting that is tailored to a site’s specific conditions.

The street lights are powered entirely by solar panels and wind turbines attached to each individual lighting unit, and are designed to reduce carbon emissions as well cut energy costs for local authorities.

Dean said his investment in the business – which is a joint venture with Chinese lighting technology firm Gloria Technology – helped Solar Street Lighting to acquire a 30,000 square foot premises at the Ivy Business Centre in Failsworth comprising an office, showroom, and distribution centre.

According to Dean, the firm’s aim is to provide sustainable, affordable, off-grid street lighting that is free from day-to-day running costs.

“In the UK alone over four billion KWh of electricity is consumed by street lighting every year, costing approximately £500m and resulting in over 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being produced,” said Dean. “By combining wind and solar power with high efficiency LED lighting, our street lighting solution will help to dramatically cut energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.”

The company is not the first to focus on low carbon street lights. Danish lighting firm Scotia earlier this year revealed plans to install the first wave of trial solar-powered street lights in London. Its Monopole street light technology collects solar energy during daylight hours and stores it in batteries after sundown.

Meanwhile, a number of UK councils are turning to LED street lights, which rely on power from the grid, but promise to slash energy use and bills.

Source: businessgreen.com

Madrid Poised to Restrict Cars in City Centre Amid Air Pollution Fears

02.11.2016

Madrid’s city council is on the verge of temporarily slashing the number of cars allowed into the city centre by half as the Spanish capital struggles with high levels of air pollution.

With levels of nitrogen dioxide rising above permitted levels, the city authorities have activated a series of anti-pollution measures, reducing the speed limit on the M30 orbital motorway around the centre and banning parking in the area for non-residents. Authorities are also urging people to use public transport wherever possible.

The boina, or beret, of smog that hovers over Madrid prompted the council to introduce a raft of strict traffic protocols last year. In mid-November 2015, nitrogen dioxide levels in the city centre reached almost double the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

On Tuesday, the council said that although the threshold had been met to enact a measure forbidding 50% of vehicles from entering the centre – those with number plates ending in even numbers allowed on even days and those ending in odd ones on odd days – the move would be suspended because many people were returning from the long All Saints’ Day bank holiday weekend.

“However, the Madrid city council asks people not to head into the central area in order to lower the levels of NO2 pollution,” it said in a statement. “As an alternative, we recommend the use of public transport.”

Should nitrogen dioxide levels remain high on Wednesday, the council will bring in the odd/even ban in Madrid’s seven central districts. Emergency services vehicles are exempt from the ban, as, among others, are taxis, zero-emission cars, motorbikes and removal vans.

A number of cities have similar schemes. Last November, the mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo, won a fight with the French government to introduce emergency traffic bans during pollution spikes that would see alternate driving days based on number plates.

The city has banned old, more polluting cars registered before 1 January 1997 from the city’s streets from Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.

In March, the WHO warned that outdoor air pollution has risen 8% globally in the past five years, with billions of people around the world now exposed to dangerous air.

Outdoor air pollution causes more than 3m deaths a year – more than malaria and HIV/Aids – and is now the biggest single killer in the world.

The UN says air pollutants such as sulphates, nitrates and black carbon penetrate deep into the lungs and the the cardiovascular system, posing huge risks to human health. The toll of toxic air is expected to double as urban populations increase and the number of cars in the world reaches 2bn by 2050.

Source: theguardian.com

NIS and Betec Sign a Co-Operation Agreement on Developing Geothermal Energy in Serbia

02.11.2016

NIS a Serbian energy company and Betec a geothermal development firm in Belgrade have signed a Co-Operation Agreement on developing Geothermal energy in Serbia. The companies will jointly develop geothermal active areas in northern Serbia by drilling new production wells and building power plants based on the well head power plant technology. The drilling works are planned to begin in 2017 and the first power plant is planned to be commissioned within a year later. The projects will also include combined heat and power plants.

Mr Kirill Kravchenko, NIS´s CEO, said, “NIS aims to lead the growth of renewable energy in Serbia. For years, we develop a large number of energy efficiency projects, especially projects of cogeneration – electricity produced from gas. In cooperation with our partners, we will further develop our projects in the exploitation of geothermal resources and contribute to increasing of production of energy from renewable resources, and also contribute to energy independence of Serbia.”

Mr Kevin Cao, Kaishan’s CEO, noted, “KS Orka aims to be the leading global developer and operator of geothermal projects. KS Orka has prioritised investments in emerging economies and is targeting development of 500MW of power generation capacity over the next five years. The Co-Operation with NIS in Serbia is an important step towards achieving this goal in the Balkans.”

Source: nis.eu

IRENA’s 12th Council Meeting Begins in Abu Dhabi

02.11.2016

More than 300 high-level government representatives from 100 countries – the largest number ever represented at an IRENA Council meeting – gathered yesterday in Abu Dhabi to attend the 12th Council of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

At the outset of the meeting, IRENA’s Director-General Adnan Z. Amin, presented the annual report of the Agency’s work. “When we started out just over five years ago, many were not convinced of the need for the energy transformation. But developments during the past few years have exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic supporters,” said Mr. Amin. “Plummeting costs and rapid innovation have spurred investments, transforming renewable energy solutions from the periphery, to an economically and technically preferable option.”

In looking ahead to the future, he added “We live in a time of extraordinary change; change that is reshaping the way we think, live and work, and bringing new and transformative opportunities that will revitalize economies and lift people out of poverty, but also disrupt the known and put strain on the incumbents. The pace of this change will only accelerate. With the continued implementation of the work programme and responsiveness to the needs of our Members, IRENA is playing our part to ensure that the sustainable energy future we need becomes a reality.”

For the remainder of the Council, participants will discuss the content and focus of the Agency’s future work as part of IRENA’s Medium-term Strategy for 2018-2022. Thematic sessions will also be held on renewable energy in cities, renewable energy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, implementing renewable energy as a means for countries to achieve their national commitments under the Paris Agreement (NDCs), renewable energy opportunities in Asia, and the corporate sourcing of renewables.

Composed of 21 IRENA Members, the Council meets twice annually to facilitate cooperation among Members, oversee implementation of the IRENA work programme and complete substantive preparations for the Agency’s annual Assembly.

Source: irena.org

Global Carbon Intensity Falls as Coal Use Declines

02.11.2016

global warming, air pollution — Photo: Pixabay

The amount of carbon needed to power the global economy fell to record lows in 2015, as coal consumption in major economies plummeted.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) annual Low Carbon Economy Index report has found that the global carbon intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) fell by 2.8%.

This was more than double the average fall of 1.3% between 2000 and 2014, but far below the 6.5% required to stay within the 2C warming limit set by last year’s Paris agreement.

“What we’ve seen in 2014-15 is a real step change in decarbonisation,” said Jonathan Grant, PwC director of sustainability and climate change.

The result was just 0.1% lower than the previous year, but it occurred against the background of healthy growth, which usually spurs carbon emissions growth.

“There was fairly reasonable economic growth in 2015, which is why we think this result is quite significant,” said Grant.

The biggest driver was a decline in China’s coal consumption, which resulted a 6.4% drop the carbon intensity of the world’s second biggest economy.

A centrally-led shift of the economy to a service-based industry has begun to shut down the vast coal-fuelled steel and cement sectors. For the first time, China led the rankings table for the biggest drop in intensity.

The UK and US were also significant contributors, reducing by 6% and 4.7% respectively, to the overall drop as both governments introduced policies that pushed coal plants out of business. In the UK coal use dropped by 20% for the second year running.

Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “In the week in which the Paris Agreement comes into force, this is very promising news in showing that the dominant paradigm of economic growth is swiftly changing, which makes the Paris targets look more achievable.

“This analysis shows once again that economic growth and carbon emissions are not inextricably linked… Climate science is unequivocal in showing that switching away from coal is an essential first step in keeping climate change within ‘safe’ limits.”

But Grant said coal represented the low-hanging fruit and that economies were enjoying the benefits of relatively painless early decarbonisation.

“Countries are focussing on decarbonising electricity. That means tackling coal power. I think it will get increasingly challenging. Coal is the easiest target for government policy,” he said.

Source: theguardian.com

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