OPEC Secretary General to attend annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group

07.10.2016

OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, along with a delegation from the OPEC Secretariat, will be attending the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) that take place in Washington DC from October 7-9.

HE Barkindo has already presented a statement to the International Monetary and Financial Committee outlining OPEC’s current oil market outlook. This included commentary on global economic growth, oil demand and supply, commercial oil stocks and the demand for OPEC crude. HE Barkindo also reaffirmed OPEC’s longstanding commitment to support oil market stability for the mutual benefit of consuming and producing nations.

HE Barkindo also delivered an intervention to the G-24 Ministerial meeting that took place on October 6. This included some background and context to the decision taken at the 170th (Extraordinary) Meeting of the OPEC Conference in Algiers last week.

He said that the landmark decision “underlines the Organization’s continued commitment to a ‘sustainable stability’ in oil markets, for the mutual interests of producing nations, for efficient and secure supplies to consumers, and with a fair return on invested capital for all producers.”

The Conference decision to opt for an OPEC-14 production target ranging between 32.5 and 33 million barrels a day, he said, “was focused on the need to accelerate the ongoing drawdown of the stock overhang and bring the rebalancing forward.”

Source: opec.org

Poland’s New Solar-Powered Bike Path Glows Bright Blue at Night

07.10.2016

Solarni paneli — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

Poland—home to some of the most bike-friendly cities in the world—unveiled a gorgeous, glowing bike path near Lidzbark Warminski in the Mazury region last week to help nighttime cyclists get from A to B.

The 100-meter track, created by construction company TPA Instytut Badan Technicznych in Pruszkow, is still in test phase.

Next Nature Network reported that the bike path illuminates at night thanks to blue luminophores, a synthetic material that emits light after being charged by the sun. The color blue was chosen for the path because the engineers thought it would best suit the scenic Mazury landscape.

TPA president Ruttmar told Polish publication Gazeta Wyborcza that the material used for their track can emit light for more than 10 hours, meaning it can radiate throughout the whole night and re-charge the next day as it absorbs the sun’s rays.

The engineers drew inspiration from a similar solar-powered bike path in the Netherlands known as the “Starry Night” bike lane that was unveiled by Studio Roosegaarde about two years ago.

The two paths, however, are different in a notable way. While the Dutch path lights up via solar-powered LEDs, the Polish path requires no additional power supply, Waldemar Królikowski, director of the Board of Regional Roads in Olsztyn, said.

According to Inhabitat, TPA designed the path with sustainability in mind. The company is also researching ways to optimize production costs since this illuminated bike path indeed costs more than conventional ones.

Source: ecowatch.com

Coffee Producers in Costa Rica Use Science to Tackle Climate Change

07.10.2016

coffee-beans — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The report “A Brewing Storm”, released on Aug. 29 by the Climate Institute of Australia, warned that the main coffee producing countries will face difficulties such as the proliferation of plant diseases and the loss of arable land.

In the last few years, these kinds of warnings have given rise to a loose network of experts, government agencies, cooperatives and associations of producers that have the shared mission of saving local coffee production with the best available technology.

Some 40,000 families depend on coffee for a living, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, growing Arabica, the variety of coffee that is grown in the country, on a total of just over 85,000 hectares of land. This makes it the third agricultural export and the eighth largest export overall, although it only represents two per cent of the coffee in the global market.

The remaining farms have adapted; in order to survive they have tried to position themselves as producers of premium quality coffee. The 673 coffee farmers in Llano Bonito, a third of whom are women, have formed a cooperative called Coopellanobonito, which exports to the United States.

Now they have to find a way to deal with climate change and the rise in temperatures.

“Costa Rica is considered internationally a top coffee producer. So we have to look for ways to remain positioned in the market,” Elías de Melo, a Brazilian expert on coffee and agroforestry systems at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE), based in Brazil, told IPS.

One of the proposed solutions is a project that De Melo brought to Llano Bonito. Along with the local Café Forestal Foundation, De Melo is visiting six coffee farming communities in the country to understand their problems and devise solutions together.

“We want to set up four pilot farms in this community, to function as outdoor classrooms,” Carlos Jones, the Foundation’s executive director told the producers.

The idea is to create four of these model farms in each of the six communities.

This project received 100,000 dollars from the international Adaptation Fund, which finances projects and programmes aimed at reducing the effects of climate change in developing countries. Through this mechanism Costa Rica obtained 10 million dollars to use in 30 projects to be implemented by the non-governmental Fundecooperación.

Costa Rica has gradually taken on a leading role in coffee production. In 2013 the country presented a voluntary initiative to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the coffee sector: NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) Café – the first agricultural NAMA in the world.

NAMA Café is also committed to climate change adaptation, said the head of the coffee division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Luis Zamora.

“Coffee can withstand adverse conditions, but only up to a certain extent,” Zamora, one of the proponents of NAMA, told IPS.

How to avoid reaching that point referred to by Zamora? With adaptation measures, said the expert, such as planting trees in the coffee plantation to regulate the temperature through agroforestry systems, harvesting rainwater or using more resistant new varieties.

A common practice on coffee farms is to use fruit trees such as plantain trees in order to provide shade for the coffee plants and a number of additional advantages for producers.

“There can be no mitigation and adaptation to climate change without putting trees in the productive systems,” said De Melo.

Trees create a microclimate preventing problems related to high temperatures and soil erosion, while improving water filtration. A careful selection of trees can even diversify crops, while serving as a climate change adaptation measure.

“Now we come home with plantain, cassava, and taro (Colocasia esculenta, a tuber widely consumed locally), jocotes (Spondias purpurea, Spanish plum). All these are trees that give shade,” said Abarca.

However, solutions to continue producing coffee with rising temperatures must be found quickly, said Zamora, because “there is not much time to think,” given the advance of climate change.

Coffee farmers went through difficult times in 2013, when high levels of moisture and high temperatures allowed the coffee fungus or roya to spread through Central America.

These episodes force farmers to use new coffee varieties more resistant to diseases, like the so-called H1 hybrids, the Costa Rica 95 variety or the Brazilian Obata.

The farms need financial support, noted Zamora and De Melo, because to change plant varieties has a cost of about 8,000 dollars per hectare. Trees can take up to three years to produce their first harvest.

These solutions that are encouraged by experts and producers should come from the grassroots, even if they are scientifically proven.

This is demonstrated by a poll carried out by economist Milagro Saborío, who surveyed 300 coffee producing families about climate change for a joint project between CATIE and Conservation International.

Source: ipsnews.net

NASA Takes Next Step in Green Aviation X-planes Plans

07.10.2016

Yesterday, at the 39th meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization, 191 countries reached a global climate deal to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. At the same time, NASA is working to create new experimental aircraft that will demonstrate new “green aviation” technology intended to dramatically reduce fuel use, emissions and noise – with the goal of cutting emissions from the nation’s commercial aircraft fleet by more than 50 percent, while also reducing perceived noise levels near airports to one-half the level of the quietest aircraft flying today.

To that end, NASA recently awarded six-month contracts to four companies, who will each define the technical approach, schedule, and cost for one or more large-scale, subsonic X-plane concepts. These concepts are in support of NASA’s ultra-efficient subsonic transport research goals.

The companies are Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation of Manassas, VA; Dzyne Technologies Incorporated of Fairfax, VA; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Ft. Worth, TX; and The Boeing Company of Hazelwood, MO.

“Engaging these contractors now to gather this information will help us move forward efficiently and expeditiously when we’re ready to commit to building the X-planes themselves,” said Ed Waggoner, NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program director.

Each company is to detail their specific X-plane system requirements for a piloted experimental aircraft capable of sustained, two to three hours of powered high subsonic flight, as well as conducting at least two research flight sorties per week over the course of a year-long program.

The requested information is to be built around a plan that would see the selected experimental aircraft eventually flying no later than 2021.

NASA’s return to flying large-scale X-plane technology demonstrators – a staple of its aeronautical research heritage – is part of New Aviation Horizons, an ambitious 10-year accelerated research plan developed and announced by NASA earlier this year.

Source: nasa.gov

IAEA Mission Says Canada’s Pickering Nuclear Plant Has Strengthened Safety, Sees Scope for Further Improvement

07.10.2016

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today said Canada’s Pickering Nuclear Power Plant has strengthened safety in recent years but also identified areas where work is needed to further improve the facility’s operational safety.

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) yesterday concluded a 19-day mission to assess operational safety at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, located outside Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario.

The team found that the facility has made good progress in a number of operational safety areas, for example by installing severe accident simulation software. The team also proposed further safety enhancements, including measures to ensure proper maintenance of safety-relevant equipment.

OSART missions aim to improve operational safety by objectively assessing safety performance using the IAEA’s Safety Standards and proposing recommendations for improvement where appropriate.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) operates six reactors at the site, with an additional two reactors in safe shutdown state. The units are CANDU pressurized heavy water reactors, which commonly use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as a coolant and moderator. Unit 1 came online in 1971, while unit 8 was the last to be connected to the grid, in 1986. The site hosted OSART missions in 1987 and 2004.

“We noted that the Pickering Nuclear Power Plant has made good progress in their operational safety performance in the past several years. Many safety enhancements were implemented,” said team leader Fuming Jiang, Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA.

Source: iaea.org

Renault-Nissan Alliance Named Official COP22 Passenger Car Partner with Zero-emission Fleet

07.10.2016

Elektromobil, Punjač, Renault, , Stanica za punjenje — Foto: Pixabay

The Renault-Nissan Alliance, world leader in zero-emission mobility, will provide a fleet of 50 all-electric vehicles as the official passenger-car provider for the United Nations’ COP22 Climate Conference in Marrakech, Morocco. The fully electric fleet will shuttle delegates.

More than 25,000 participants from 195 countries are expected to attend the annual climate summit Nov. 7-18. It marks the second time the United Nations will use a zero-emission shuttle fleet in support of public transport at one of its major conferences.

The COP22 fleet will feature the Renault ZOE subcompact car, the Nissan LEAF compact car and the seven-seat Nissan e-NV200 van. The vehicles will be available to shuttle delegates 24 hours, seven days a week to key venues at the conference, as a complement to public transportation.

The Alliance will also provide a network of more than 20 accelerated and standard charging stations at strategic locations. The accelerated charging stations will be able to charge the EVs from 0 to 80 percent in about one hour.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the global leader in zero-emission vehicles. With six models, it has already sold more than 360,000 electric vehicles worldwide. Nissan LEAF, launched in 2010, remains the industry’s best-selling EV. Renault ZOE is the best-performing EV in Europe. The Alliance has sold about half of the electric vehicles on the road globally today including the Renault Twizy two-seat, urban commuter vehicle, and the Nissan e-NV200 van, which has been on sale in Europe and Japan since 2014.

In addition, the Renault-Nissan’s Tangier, Morocco, plant is designed to move towards “zero CO2” emissions through the use of renewable resources, for thermal energy produced on site, as well as its purchased electricity. The plant began operations in 2012, and its approach remains unique in the automobile industry.

Source: prnewswire.com

DOE Charts Show Why Climate Doom and Gloom Isn’t Needed

06.10.2016

A new report from the US Department of Energy paints a bright picture for our prospects to cut carbon pollution and prevent the most dangerous levels of climate change. The report looked at recent changes in costs and deployment of five key clean energy technologies: wind, residential solar, utility-scale solar, batteries, and LED bulbs. For each technology, costs fell between 41% and 94% from 2008 to 2015.

The report finds that due to its low cost, US wind energy capacity has nearly tripled since 2008. Wind now supplies nearly 5% of total US electricity generation.

As a result, there are now nearly 90,000 U.S. manufacturing, construction, and wind operations jobs. Research has resulted in bigger turbines that can generate more electricity.

Offshore wind also presents tremendous untapped potential, with the first such project set to begin generating power off the cost of Rhode Island this month. The DOE envisions wind generating 20% of the nation’s electricity by 2030 and 35% by 2050, with costs falling a further 35% by 2050.

Utility-scale solar farm costs have fallen 64% since 2008, and distributed (mostly residential) solar costs by 54%. While solar still accounts for a relatively small percentage of overall US electricity generation, its deployment has been increasing rapidly as costs have dropped. Even the military is getting on board.

In 2015, the solar sector employed about 220,000 Americans. The DOE envisions that solar power could supply 27% of US electricity generation by 2050. Solar deployment is surging in 2016, with around 10 gigawatts (GW) set to be installed this year – equal to all the solar capacity installed in the US through 2014.

Solar panel leasing from companies like Solar City and Sungevity has revolutionized the distributed solar market, accounting for the majority of domestic residential system installed in leading state markets in 2015. This approach makes solar panels obtainable for households that can’t afford to purchase them. Distributed solar costs are expected to fall a further 16–33% by 2020.

The best available LED bulbs use 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Although their high efficiency slashes electric bills, the bulbs’ high cost was initially a deterrent to many consumers. However, LED costs have plummeted 94% since 2008. From 2014 to 2015, LED installations in the US more than doubled, and already account for 6% of installed A-type lightbulbs, as well as 11% and 21% of directional bulbs and outdoor lighting fixtures, respectively.

By 2035, DOE anticipates that LEDs will account for 85% of American’s lighting installations, saving Americans nearly $630 billion in avoided energy costs.

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the US reached 115,000 in 2015, more than double the number sold in 2012. Overall US EV sales will surpass a half-million by the end of this year. As shown by a new paper and app from MIT, EVs reduce greenhouse gas emissions 58% compared to gasoline-powered cars, and often cost less on a per-mile basis. As low-carbon energy deployment increases, EVs will only become cleaner.

The technology is advancing rapidly due to heavy research, with batteries produced at high-volume now costing 79% less than they did in 2009. Chevroletand Tesla will soon release electric cars with 200 mile-per-charge range and before-rebate prices under $40,000, and Renault beat both automakers to the punch with the 250-mile, $28,000 Zoe. There are now more than 35,000 public and private EV charging outlets in the United States, and in the UK, EV charging stations will outnumber petrol stations by 2020.

The MIT study showed that in order to meet climate targets, we need a transition to EV transportation fueled by low-carbon sources of electricity. The DOE report shows that this sort of high-tech clean future is entire plausible; we’re moving in the right direction with falling costs and rising deployment of the right technologies.

Source: theguardian.com

Strengthen the Capacities for the Use of Bioenergy in Serbia

06.10.2016

milica-giz-vukadinovic-foto — ????????????????????????????????????

Delegation of German Economy in Serbia organized a conference entitled ‘Biomass and Biogas in Serbia’ at the beginning of April in Belgrade. A number of interested companies from Germany held a presentation in order to establish cooperation and partnership in Serbia. Many Executive Managers and owners of the companies arrived in Belgrade (‘Vecoplan’. ‘New Eco-tech Verfahtenstechnik’, ‘Strawtherm’, ‘AP Bioenergietechnik’ and many others). However, the exposition of Milica Vukadinović dragged our attention. She is “Project Development” Component leader for the programme “Development of a Sustainable Bioenergy Market in Serbia” (DKTI) of GIZ. The aim of this presentation was to present the activities and cooperation with Serbian cities and municipalities. We were acquainted with plans that should improve the standard at the local level and the quality of life on farms, in rural households, schools, hospitals, etc.

EP: Would you be so kind to tell us something about the programme “Development of a Sustainable Bioenergy Market in Serbia” (GIZ DKTI) which focuses on the prospects and challenges in developing bioenergy market in Serbia? What are the timelines of this project and what does GIZ conduct within this project?

Milica Vukadinović: The programme “Development of a Sustainable Bioenergy Market in Serbia” is a bilateral programme between the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Germany. The programme is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and The Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia. The programme lasts till the end of 2017.

The main objective of the programme is to strengthen the capacities and to create favourable environment for the sustainable usage of bioenergy in Serbia in different fields.

Fields of the Project are the following:

Policy advice → improvement of framework conditions for bioenergy sector and adjustment of regulations and standards
Biomass supply → development of local structures for heat power plant’s provision of biomass such as wood residues (production or collection, processing, transportation, storage)
Efficient firewood utilization in households → promoting efficient utilization of wood fuels in households, as well as the introduction of standards for more efficient furnace
Project Development → helping Serbian and German investors in developing and implementing various types of innovative projects in the field of bioenergy (for example heating system on wood biomass in public buildings, biogas power plants, power plants for the production of heat for industrial purposes)

In concrete terms, the field of Project Development, which is in the framework of GIZ DKTI project, has been focused on the development of small and medium-sized biogas power plants this year.

Germany is the leader in the field of biogas and there are over 9,000 biogas power plants with total installed power of over 4,500 MWh. Serbia has only three functional biogas power plants, which have been operating since 2013.

However, the introduction of biogas power plants on medium sized farms in Serbia would create additional constant incomes to farmers and agricultural households and more important it would reduce the negative impacts of fluctuations of other income of the farms.

Small biogas power plants on farms imply the installation of technology which uses raw materials that farmers already have and that is free. This raw material is organic waste such as animal manure from which biogas can be produced. Biogas can be used for the production of heat for the farms’ needs, but also for the production of electricity which can be sold at pre-defined incentive prices (so-called ‘feed-in’ tariffs) and in that way farmers can earn additional income.

By using electricity from renewable energy sources, Serbia is moving towards the environmental standards of the European Union; achieves increased revenue at the local level, and agricultural households gain energy independence, which can have a major role in doing business and development planning in the future. Domestic farmers have shown huge interest in new technologies which we have been promoting as an organization and we hope that we will have an opportunity to talk to Serbian farmers about the prosperity and the benefits which biogas yields has brought to them in the years ahead of us.

EP: What is your experience regarding the cooperation with local governments? Which municipalities and cities have been included in your projects in the field of bioenergy? What has been achieved so far?

Milica Vukadinović: We would particularly want to highlight the excellent cooperation with local self-governments, engagingness of people and their readiness for changes which lead to better standard of living, sustainable development, economic development of municipalities and environmental protection.

I will single out the cooperation with the Municipality of Pirot, which will through public-private partnership soon provide heating on wood biomass in public buildings (schools and kindergartens) in their city. Then, we conduct campaigns together we the Municipalities of Leskovac, Vlasotince, Bajina Bašta and Užice for the promotion of more efficient usage of firewood. The municipalities in the southwest Serbia in Zlatibor District (Bajina Bašta, Nova Varoš, Prijepolje, Priboj, Mali Zvornik, Novi Pazar) have made joint efforts and shown willingness to switch from heating on fossil fuels onto locally available and CO₂ neutral energy source – wood chips.

EP: What is the situation regarding the use of wood biomass for energy purposes in the region? Can you compare the progress of Serbia in relation to other neighbouring countries?

Milica Vukadinović: Serbia has a huge biomass potential for electricity production in agriculture and forestry. The aim of Serbian Government is to make this potential accessible and thereby help the increase of the energy share from renewable energy sources. Heating power plants, industrial power plants and agricultural households show the increased interest for the use of bioenergy for heat and electricity. The efforts that GIZ makes in the development of bioenergy market in Serbia are of huge significance for the entire Balkan region. Our goal is not just the exchange of existing knowledge and good practices between Serbia and Germany but also between regional actors in this field. This contributes to the local economic strengthening, additional employment and significant positive impact on the environment. It is very important to point out that the sustainable usage of bioenergy requires an organised and systematic approach of actors in different sectors and at all levels.

EP: Cooperation between Germany and Serbia is long-term and includes all professions. What are the GIZ’s plans for the future period in Serbia in the field of bioenergy?

Milica Vukadinović: Cooperation between Serbia and Germany is exceptional in many areas and we are proud of our partnership because it creates real values for the citizens of Serbia. Development potentials of Serbian agriculture are extraordinary, since Serbia has significant resources. We pay much attention to this area. The German Agency for International Cooperation is very dedicated to agricultural development through the usage of bioenergy. Currently, domestic farmers rely on traditional energy sources to a great extent, which are expensive and have harmful impact on the environment. Energy independence, improvement of your business and achievement of additional revenues can be achieved with the adoption of new technological solutions and with turning towards the production of bio-energy.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

UK’s Billions of Takeaway Cups Could Each Take ’30 Years’ to Break Down

06.10.2016

Coffee-addicted Britain is leaving a mountain of toxic waste for the next generation as scientists warn it could take decades for paper cups from Starbucks, Pret a Manger and other chains to decompose.

The environmental cost of the coffee-to-go culture has been highlighted amid growing concerns that much of the public wrongly believe the cups are recycled, when in fact they are dumped in the green bin in the office or the recycling bin on the street.

While the paper can be recycled, the problem arises because recycling plants do not have the facility to remove the plastic lining which makes the cups impermeable.

Chris Cheeseman, a professor of materials resources engineering at Imperial College London, says the polyethylene is resistant to degradation and could take around 30 years to break down. “Even then we don’t know for sure, because nobody has looked at the cup specifically,” added Cheeseman.

Even if there were no plastic lining, the cup could take at least two years to start breaking down because of the high quality paper. “In terms of environmental impact the cellulose fibre is potentially more of an issue than the plastic,” he said.

“This could take 18 months to two years to start to break down and then it produces methane gas which is probably not collected.”

For health and safety reasons the paper must be virgin, prompting claims that it takes at least 100,000 trees to fuel Britain’s coffee habit a year.

Last week the Liberal Democrats called for a 5p tax on coffee cups following the success of the plastic bag tax in a bid to change consumer behaviour.

Parminter is planning to call all the main coffee chains to talks to discuss the issue of recycling and pressure them into doing more.

Simply Cups, a company that collects cups from businesses and event organisers for specialist recycling has launched a plastic product developed from the cups.

It estimates the number of cups in circulation could be as high as 5bn when caterers, hotels, restaurants such as McDonald and shops such as Waitrose and Greggs are taken into account.

Efforts to fight paper cup waste will be centre stage in Manchester city centre next week when a series of giant cup-shaped bins will appear on pavements.

Charity Hubbub has launched the scheme with the city council and high street coffee retailers in a bid to change coffee-drinker habits. It says the cups collected will be taken to a specialist recycling centre and turned into plastic pellets which can then be used in products such as garden furniture.

Jason Cotta, managing director of Costa, said the company was hugely concerned with this important issue and it had partnered with a university to understand the lifecycle of a cup once it left its stores. It was also trialling in-store waste disposal and since April has been donating 25p to anti-litter charities every time a customer uses a disposal cup.

Source: theguardian.com

California Program Encourages Adoption of Zero-Emissions Vehicles

06.10.2016

California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program is expected to increase sales of electric, plug-in hybrid, and other alternative light-duty vehicles in the United States. The ZEV program is administered by the California Air Resources Board and affects model year 2018 and later vehicles, requiring automakers to earn credits for alternative fueled vehicles based on a percentage of their sales in California. So far, nine other states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Oregon) have adopted California’s ZEV program. Taken together, California and the nine other states that have adopted the program accounted for 28% of total U.S. sales of light duty vehicles in 2015. Analysis in EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2016 (AEO2016) looks at the ZEV program’s implications for vehicle sales and energy consumption.

The ZEV sales requirement is administered through credits that are earned for selling specific types of vehicles. The value of the credits for vehicles sold within each of the following categories depends on certain vehicle characteristics including, for example, the electric driving range of electric vehicles:
-Full zero-emission vehicles (full ZEVs), such as battery-only electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
-Transitional ZEVs, such as plug-in hybrid electric or hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles
-Advanced Technology Partial-ZEVs, such as gasoline- or diesel-electric hybrid, compressed natural gas, or methanol fuel cell vehicles
-Conventional Partial-ZEVs, which are considered extremely clean conventional vehicles

Partial and transitional ZEVs have lower credit values than full ZEVs. For example, sales of hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles yield fewer credits than sales of battery-only powered electric vehicles.

The required credits are calculated as a percentage of an automaker’s conventional light-duty vehicle sales. The total percentage requirement starts at 4.5% for model year 2018 sales and increases to 22% for model year 2025 sales. Full ZEVs must make up 16% of the required credits by model year 2025, which encourages the sale of vehicles powered by electricity or hydrogen fuel cells.

The AEO2016 Reference case projects sales and energy consumption of these vehicles assuming compliance with the ZEV program in all adopting states. Even though the program is based in California, national sales are affected as more alternative light-duty vehicle models become available as a response to the mandate. Taken together, California and the nine other states that have adopted the program accounted for an estimated 39% of national light-duty electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2015.

The AEO2016 Reference case projects that by 2025, full ZEVs and transitional ZEVs will make up 6% of national light-duty vehicle sales and about 2% of the total light-duty vehicle stock. With the increased stock, light-duty vehicles are projected to account for about half a percent of national electricity demand by 2025. After full implementation of the ZEV program in 2025, market penetration and energy consumption for electric, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen, and other alternative vehicles is projected to continue to grow through 2040.

Source: theenergycollective.com

Here’s Where the World’s Largest Solar Panel Farm Is Under Construction

06.10.2016

While California has been covering pockets of its deserts in sprawling solar panel farms over the past few years, it turns out the sunny state won’t be home to the world’s largest one.

That will be in China, according to a report from Bloomberg. A clean energy division of China’s largest private investment group, called China Minsheng New Energy Investment, is building a solar panel farm that will stretch across the equivalent of 7,000 city blocks and produce two gigawatts of energy in the northwest of the country.

In comparison, the biggest solar farms in California are a little under 600 megawatts (one gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts). Large natural gas or coal plants can commonly generate about one gigawatt of energy.

While solar panels on home roof tops are the most emblematic form of solar, the majority of the world’s solar power is coming from these large solar panel farms built in remote regions. The farms sell power to utilities or even big companies like Apple AAPL 0.60% .

Approximately 70% of the solar panels that will be installed in the U.S. this year will be in these “utility-scale” solar farms. Companies like SunPower SPWR 7.02% are turning to the latest computing tech—like drones and robots—to build these big solar farms more quickly, at a lower cost, and with more attention to land concerns.

Making more efficient use of land is an increasing issue for solar companies. The U.S. federal government recently only allocated a small portion of California’s deserts for clean energy projects, while setting aside far more for conservation.

SunPower has started a collaboration with the University of California at Davis to research how to mix agriculture with solar farms. The solar farm in China’s Ningxia region, which is halfway completed, will provide some shade for crops that will be used for feed for animals.

While solar panel farms generate carbon emissions-free energy from an unlimited resource—the sun—the projects have at least two weak spots: the massive land that the sites need, and the variability of the energy (i.e. only works during the day).

It’s unclear whether the Ningxia solar farm will store energy in batteries. But the Bloomberg report says that getting the solar energy that’s already being produced onto the grid has been a bit of a challenge. Approximately 20% of the solar farm’s capacity wasn’t used in the first quarter of this year.

Source: fortune.com

Lithuania to Generate up to EUR 500 Million for Energy Efficiency with EIB

06.10.2016

European Investment Bank (EIB) to attract private finance into residential energy efficiency modernisation via a guarantee scheme funded by the Lithuanian Government.

The Lithuanian Leveraged Fund, a guarantee scheme funded with EUR 100 million of EU Structural and Investment Funds and national resources, comes in support of energy efficiency investments to cut energy bills in thousands of Lithuanian homes. The structure will maximise the funds available for the “Multi-apartment Building Modernisation Programme”, a key government priority with national and municipal backing.

Minister of Environment Kęstutis Trečiokas said: “Renovation is an area that yields stunning results and its positive changes can be felt by almost everyone. After refurbishing their houses, hundreds of thousands of Lithuanian residents enjoy nicer surroundings and, I have no doubt, are happier. I am very glad that along with the reduction in energy consumption in the renovated houses, CO2 emissions have decreased significantly as well. In the renovated buildings, more than 40% of the energy used for heating is saved, which is yet another step towards the preservation of the environment and a rational consumption of natural resources.”

Source: eib.org

Helping Lay the Groundwork for Electric Vehicles

06.10.2016

For every promise of how electric vehicles will revolutionize transportation, there is a matching practical challenge. If electric vehicles need recharging, how do we make that process fast and convenient? If all our cars will be plugged in, how will today’s gas stations change? How can we remake public transportation to be not just an electric equivalent, but a radical improvement over what came before—the way motorized vehicles surpassed horses and carriages?

ABB studies the practical challenges and creates the solutions that are underpinning the EV transformation, on scales from national to personal. We provide the answers that offer improvements to drivers, passengers, vehicle makers, city managers, utilities, national governments, and the population at large.

Integrating electric vehicles into the transportation system begins with seeing the big picture. ABB is among the very few who have expertise in large-scale power transmission and know how to tie the charging systems into the Industrial Internet of Things. We have created nationwide charger networks in several countries, including Estonia, Denmark and the Netherlands.

At the city-wide level, ABB’s solutions are making a big difference. TOSA is a fully electrified bus system that uses ABB-designed flash-charging technology to boost the battery while the bus is mid-route. At each stop, an arm connects and provides a 15 second charge. More recharges mean smaller batteries, which in turn means more physical capacity for people. Buses no longer need overnight recharging. And most visibly, this can all be done without overhead electrical lines—offering more flexibility to route planners and a better view to city-dwellers.

We also apply our expertise at the individual charger level, developing systems for maintenance and for user functions like payment and subscription. With over 4,000 units, ABB has the world’s largest installed base of EV chargers. We’re helping to ensure that chargers are readily available, easy-to-maintain by providers, and easy-to-use by customers. By linking chargers to the Industrial Internet of Things, ABB helps facilitate web-based payments, software upgrades, remote troubleshooting, and helps contribute to a smarter grid.

Source: new.abb.com

The Future Belongs to Clean Energy

06.10.2016

As we close out a summer marked by uncertainty in news and events, one trend for which analysts voice increasing certainty is the accelerating pace of the clean-energy transformation reshaping how the world generates electricity.

With increasing speed, global energy markets are turning away from fossil fuels and towards wind and other renewable sources, not just because they’re clean but because they’re cheaper, more competitive energy choices and offer a level of long-term certainty more price-volatile fossil fuels just can’t match.

In fact, by 2030 clean energy is expected to overtake fossil fuels and become the largest source in global electricity production — and wind power is forecast to lead the way to meet the surging demand for renewables. In its 2016 Outlook, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) projects: a fundamental transformation of the world electricity system over coming decades towards renewable sources.

From forecast data to market demand, it’s clear the future belongs to wind and other clean energies.

In the top energy markets on six continents, wind is now the cheapest or largest source of newly installed power and gaining share. In 2015, the wind industry crossed the 60 gigawatt (GW) mark for the first time and reached an unprecedented 63 GW installed globally.

The bottom line: wind is winning. Not just in forecasts, but in today’s global marketplace.

Wind power installations are projected to continue this trend, more than doubling in developing countries and increasing by one-third in developed countries by 2030. As wind energy costs continue to drop, the primary drivers for clean energy are expected to include replacement of existing generating capacity – fossil fuel or nuclear – because they simply no longer make economic sense; further growth in global electricity demand; long-term policy stability such as that provided by the production tax credit in the U.S.; and nation-specific targets driven by the Paris Climate Agreement.

Developing markets in particular have an opportunity to leapfrog older energy sources and meet new electricity demand by using wind power that is cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels. One example is the Lake Turkana wind project in Kenya, where Vestas supplies wind turbines and Google will be a key investor. Upon completion, it will supply 310 megawatts of clean power, account for some 15% of the country’s electricity consumption, and power Kenya’s future growth more cheaply and cleanly than traditional fuels.

While the present and the future look bright for renewables, pushing their energy costs even lower remains key for accelerating the transition to a clean energy mix globally. BNEF reports that onshore wind’s costs are expected to drop 23–36% globally by 2030, but Vestas is committed to driving down the levelized cost of wind energy even further.

To achieve this, we are leading the industry with investments in research and development and our smart data capabilities to help customers lower their cost of energy, increase their annual energy production, and strengthen their business case. With an unrivaled data pool from the industry’s largest installed base of wind turbines as well as meteorological reporting from around the world, we are constantly improving every aspect of the business — from product design and testing, siting and manufacturing, to operations and maintenance.

With this kind of constant innovation and technological advancement driving down the cost of energy, wind is well-positioned to keep its lead as the preferred renewable energy choice. And clean power will continue leading the global transformation away from traditional energy sources.

Indeed, the future belongs to clean energy, and the world’s new clean-energy economy looks strong.

Source: theguardian.com

Energy Efficiency Should Be Placed on a Level Playing Field in the Clean Energy Incentive Program

05.10.2016

energetska-efikasnost2 — Foto-ilustracija: energetskiportal.rs

Despite the fact that energy efficiency is generally the least-cost option for states looking to comply with the Clean Power Plan, it has yet to be fully considered as a strategy for the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP). This could result in reduced investment in energy efficiency which would mean increased electric costs and less money in the hands of communities. As we’ve shown, it costs significantly less to reduce emissions through energy efficiency than through other means.

These savings get passed down to customers, resulting in local job creation and economic development. The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest proposal for the CEIP is an important opportunity to ensure that states can reward investments in energy efficiency while claiming credit for the pollution it avoids. The CEIP early-action program incentivizes renewable energy and energy efficiency serving low-income communities, but as currently drafted, it puts efficiency at an unfair disadvantage. Earlier, ACEEE submitted comments to the EPA that seek to put energy efficiency on a level playing field.

The CEIP is expected to spur early investment in clean energy and provides benefits to low-income communities. In addition to rewarding early investments in energy efficiency and solar projects implemented in low-income communities, the CEIP offers an extra incentive to renewable energy. While we support many elements of EPA’s recent proposal, we are requesting that EPA expand this pool of credits available to renewable energy to also include energy efficiency.

We think this point is so important that we’ve created a letter for sign-on that requests EPA to treat energy efficiency as equal to renewable energy in the CEIP. The exclusion of energy efficiency is a significant oversight that could cause states to opt for more expensive compliance options. We’ve received broad support for this idea from businesses, policymakers, localities, health advocates, environmental groups, and others. Now is the time to show your support and put efficiency on a level playing field in the CEIP.

ACEEE’s broader comments also recommend an increased incentive for residential efficiency and solar projects implemented in low-income households. We think the current award is not enough to drive the significant investment needed in these communities. Increasing the incentive will help to ensure that residential projects are a major component of the CEIP and that low-income households can directly participate and benefit from this program. We also request that EPA recognize the full benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) installed at critical facilities and other public buildings in low-income communities, and include it as an eligible technology under the CEIP. We support having EPA create a presumptively approvable CEIP plan for states to follow, and request that EPA provide clear guidance to states for evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) to award efficiency savings. You can view a copy of ACEEE’s comments for more detail. With a recent deadline extension to November 1, there is still time to provide comments to EPA.

Source: aceee.org

Electric Vehicles Will Help the Shift Toward EU’s Green Transport Future

05.10.2016

A large scale roll-out of electric cars on European roads would result in significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower levels of certain air pollutants, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment released today. However, widespread use of such vehicles would pose challenges for Europe’s power grid in meeting increased electricity demand.

The EEA briefing ‘Electric vehicles and the energy sector — impacts on Europe’s future emissions‘ looks at the impact of different scenarios that take into account the increased use of electric cars and their effect on the European Union’s (EU) energy system, and on emissions of greenhouse gases and selected air pollutants.

“Electric vehicles powered by renewable energy sources can play a bridging role in the EU’s plans to move towards a greener, more sustainable transport system, and in meeting its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80‒95% by 2050. However, larger numbers of electric vehicles will not be enough for the shift to a low-carbon economy. Other problems such as growing demand for transport and congestion remain and need to be addressed as well,” said Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director.

Several scenarios were explored, including one model where electric cars have an 80% share of the EU’s total car fleet in 2050. Additional electricity generation will be required in the EU to meet the higher energy demand. The need for extra power will be higher if other sectors like industry or households do not follow through on planned energy efficiency improvements. The use of renewable energy in 2050 will also have an effect on the level of emissions from the power-generating sector.

Overall, the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions in the road transport sector would outweigh the higher emissions caused by the continued use of fossil fuels in the power-generating sector. In the EU, a net reduction of 255 million tonnes of CO2 could be delivered in 2050. This amount is equivalent to around 10% of the total emissions estimated for that year. However in countries with a high share of fossil power plants, environmental benefits would be lower. This would also lower the benefits of using electric vehicles in these countries.

An 80 % share of electric vehicles would also significantly reduce overall emissions of certain air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). For other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), emissions could increase due to the continued use of coal in the electricity generation sector.

A larger number of electric cars on the road may pose future challenges for Europe’s power production capacities and put stress on existing power grids. Under the 80% scenario, the share of Europe’s total electricity consumption from electric vehicles would increase from around 0.03% in 2014, to 9.5% by 2050. A more extensive infrastructure providing more public charging points would be key as well as increased power capacity able to handle a larger European car fleet. The assessment stresses that closer coordination between the road transport and energy sectors on policy making and investments will be crucial.

Pros and cons of electric vehicles

Today’s briefing is complemented by the publication of a new EEA guide on electric vehicles in Europe, which provides a non-technical summary of the latest information on electric cars in Europe, including those with hybrid technologies. The guide specifically focuses on the electric passenger cars currently on the market, and describes how they work and the challenges and incentives in place they face in achieving their broader use. Sales and use of electric vehicles are increasing, but they currently only make up 1.2% of total passenger car sales in the EU. Current estimates also show that electric cars only account for 0.15% of Europe’s total car fleet.

Source: energyindemand.com

Photo: pinterest.com

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