France Gets Help From EU Partners as Wildfires Rage

12.08.2022

wildfire_požar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Firefighting teams and equipment from six EU nations started to arrive in France on Thursday (11 August) to help battle a spate of wildfires, including a fierce blaze in the parched southwest that has forced thousands to evacuate.

Most of the country is sweltering under a summer heatwave compounded by a record drought — conditions most experts say will occur more often as a result of rapid climate change.

“We must continue, more than ever, our fight against climate disruption and… adapt to this climate disruption,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said after arriving at a fire command post in the village of Hostens, south of Bordeaux.

The European Commission said four firefighting planes would be sent to France from Greece and Sweden, as well as teams from Austria, Germany, Poland and Romania.

“Our partners are coming to France’s aid against the fires. Thank you to them. European solidarity is at work!” President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.

“Across the country over 10,000 firefighters and security forces are mobilized against the flames… These soldiers of fire are our heroes,” he said.

In total, 361 foreign firefighters were dispatched to assist their 1,100 French colleagues deployed in the worst-hit part of the French southwest.

A first contingent of 65 German firefighters, followed by their 24 vehicles, arrived Thursday afternoon and were to go into action at dawn Friday, officials said.

Among eight major fires currently raging, the biggest is the Landiras fire in the southwest Gironde department, whose forests and beaches draw huge tourist crowds each summer.

It had already burned 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) in July — the driest month seen in France since 1961 — before being contained, but it continued to smoulder in the region’s tinder-dry pine forests and peat-rich soil.

Since flaring up again Tuesday, which officials suspect may have been caused by arson, it has burned 7,400 hectares, destroyed or damaged 17 homes, and forced 10,000 people to quit their homes, said Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Mendousse of the Gironde fire and rescue service.

Borne said nine firefighting planes are already dumping water on the blaze, with two more to be in service by the weekend.

Source: EURACTIV.com

Mihajlovic: The Goal is to be a Transit Route in Energy, as we are in Transport

12.08.2022

struja koridor žice wires electric — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Fre Sonneveld)

Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy, prof. Zorana Mihajlovic, Ph.D., stated that the state is doing and will do everything it can to ensure sufficient amounts of energy for the upcoming winter and that thanks to financial stability it is possible to ensure energy security.

Mihajlovic reiterated for TV Kurir that despite the announced price increase, the price of electricity in Serbia will still be the lowest in Europe, and that the goal is for our country to be a transit route in energy, as it is in traffic.

“What we are intensively working on, which is a priority, is the completion of the gas interconnection with Bulgaria, and when everything is completed in September of next year, we will have the opportunity to purchase gas from Alexandroupolis, that is, the LNG terminal, as well as from Azerbaijan. When we have more suppliers, it automatically increases the security of the country, because it is not good to depend on only one supplier, whatever country it is. Also, we want to connect not only in the gas sector, but also in the high-voltage network, and with Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, because we want to be a transit route in energy, as we are in traffic, that is the vision of how Serbian energy should look like,” added Mihajlovic.

She said that, when it comes to the upcoming winter season, the state is doing everything it can to provide enough energy and energy sources.

“Thanks to financial stability, we manage to provide everything, but it costs the state a lot. We will have to import electricity in the coming months as well, because we have a serious problem in the power industry, and I believe that this would not have happened if things had been done differently. We have always been with EPS, we have facilitated the import of electricity and coal. The only way out for the Serbian energy sector is investments, especially in RHE and OIE, through strategic partnerships. It is necessary for EPS to invest in existing and new mines, but also to finally start building new capacities,” said Mihajlovic.

She said that, when it comes to raising the price of electricity, that step was necessary, given the increase in prices in the entire production chain, but that despite the announced price increase, the price of electricity in Serbia will still be the lowest in Europe.

“The Ministry of Mining and Energy has prepared a regulation on the energy vulnerable customer, which will enable those citizens who are not socially vulnerable according to the criteria of social institutions, but have low incomes, to have the right to benefits when paying for electricity, gas and thermal energy,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Source: Ministry of Mining and Energy

Energy Security: France Takes Emergency Measures to Boost Renewables

11.08.2022

France gets around 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources – 8 per cent from wind energy, but it needs more to meet its climate goals while reinforcing energy security. The war in Ukraine and disruptions in its conventional electricity generation fleet are putting France’s energy system under stress. The French Government is taking unprecedented steps to maximize renewable electricity generation as part of the solution.

Wind energy is available locally and doesn’t need to be imported from other countries. It’s competitive and doesn’t depend on the market price of fossil fuels. And it saves money to Governments and consumers. Wind energy will contribute 8bn euros to France’s State revenue in 2022-23: under Government-backed Contracts for Difference (CfDs) project developers pay Governments the difference between the State-guaranteed purchase price of electricity and the wholesale electricity market price, which is currently very high due to the war in Ukraine. As more wind energy continue to be deployed, savings will increase.

But inflation and higher commodity costs are putting certain renewable energy investments at risk. The French Government estimates that 5-6 GW of wind projects and 6-7 GW of solar projects may not go ahead because of the current economic environment. The Government has therefore announced several emergency measures to boost renewable electricity generation ahead of the winter. Among them is the possibility for new wind and solar farms to sell their electricity directly on the market for 18 months before locking in their CfDs, and the possibility for projects that have already won an auction to increase their capacity by up to 40 per cent before completion. The Government also plans to factor the evolution of raw material costs into Contracts for Difference. These immediate measures will be completed by an upcoming emergency law on further accelerating the deployment of renewables in France.

In parallel, the French Government doubled the size of the planned Oléron offshore wind zone (Atlantic ocean) to 2 GW, following a public consultation with more than 15,000 participants. The choice of the wind zone reflects the attention given to the local environment, and the complementarity of clean energy projects with biodiversity protection. France wants to build 40 GW of offshore wind by 2050 spread over 50 wind farms. The country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, located in St Nazaire, started sending electricity to the grid this June, and offshore already employs more than 5,000 people in France. The industry aims to quadruple this to over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

WindEurope Chief Policy Officer Pierre Tardieu said: “The French Government is taking unprecedented steps to boost wind power generation and deal with the current energy crisis. The wind sector is ready and fully committed to playing its part in securing France’s and Europe’s energy supply. The Government’s emergency measures mean more electricity generation in the coming months, and more energy security for French businesses and citizens. At the same time, the announcement of a 2 GW wind zone off the Oléron island confirms France is serious about its big offshore wind plans. And the broad consultation process shows this can be done with the support of the community. And that wind energy projects and biodiversity protection can be mutually beneficial.”

Source: WindEurope

Why Don’t Solar Panels Work as Well in Heatwaves?

11.08.2022

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zbynek Burival)

Heatwaves are good for generating solar energy – right?

Well, yes and no.

Recent hot weather has generated record amounts of solar power.

Germany broke a new record for solar power generation, and, in the United Kingdom, solar power met up to a quarter of the nation’s power needs, according to the news site Energy Live News.

But too much heat can actually be bad for solar panels.

How does extreme heat affect solar panels?

Heat can “severely reduce” the ability of solar panels to produce power, according to CED Greentech, a solar equipment supplier in the United States.

Depending on where they’re installed, hot temperatures can reduce the output efficiency of solar panels by 10 percent-25 percent, the company says.

According to the American renewable energy website EnergySage, solar panels are tested at 25°C (77°F) and generally have a temperature range of between 15°C and 35°C. Solar cells – the electronic devices that convert sunlight into electricity that are connected together to build solar panels – produce solar power most efficiently within this range.

But solar panels can get as hot as 65°C (149°F), EnergySage says. This can affect the efficiency of solar cells.

Why do solar panels struggle in very hot weather?

The impact of heat on solar panels is to do with the laws of thermodynamics – the science of heat and how it affects things.

The electricity generated by solar panels comes from a flow of particles called electrons inside the electrical circuit, explains news site Euronews.

When temperatures soar, these electrons can bounce around too much – and this reduces voltage, or the amount of electricity generated.

Too much heat also reduces the efficiency of the solar panel, by 0.5 percentage points for every degree Celsius rise in temperature.

What can be done about overheating solar panels?

How hot your roof is likely to get during the year is one of the factors that solar panel installers will consider when designing a solar panel system.

Ways to reduce the impact of hot weather include mounting solar panels a few inches above the roof, explains CED Greentech. This allows airflow to cool the panels.

Using solar panels that are built with light-coloured, reflective material can also reduce the amount of heat they absorb.

Electronic components that operate the solar panels can be installed in a shaded area behind the panels to help stop them from becoming too hot.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Asia Chang)

Does very hot weather affect other energy sources?

Solar panels aren’t the only energy system impacted by high temperatures.

Nuclear power plants and other types of thermal plants – which convert heat into electricity – can also be affected.

According to an expert interviewed by Fortune magazine, all types of thermal power plants – whether coal-fired, gas-fired or nuclear – need huge amounts of water to keep them cool.

In France, the heatwave cut electricity output from two nuclear power plants when the hot temperatures warmed water in the nearby Rhône River used to cool nuclear reactors, Fortune notes.

What do rising temperatures mean?

The rising global temperature – caused by growing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves around the world.

Unprecedented heatwaves are breaking temperature records this year in countries and continents, including India, Pakistan, Australia, Europe, North Africa and the United States.

In a blog for the World Economic Forum, climate change expert Bob Ward says: “The threat of heatwaves will carry on climbing while greenhouse gas levels continue to accumulate.”

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proenca)

Adapting infrastructure and communities to climate change is a vital part of tackling the climate crisis – alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate adaptation needs investment. In developing countries alone, the United Nations Environment Programme estimates the cost of climate adaptation will be between USD 140- USD 300 billion a year by 2030, and between USD 280- USD 500 billion a year by 2050.

What does this mean for the renewable energy industry?

In industry, climate adaptation includes redesigning products and systems to be more resilient to climate change impacts like more extreme weather.

The solar energy industry is already developing technology innovations to help solar panels work in even the harshest conditions. Researchers are even exploring how solar panels might work at night.

Renewable energy, including solar power, is already a big part of climate mitigation – ways to reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, wind and solar generated a record 10 percent of the world’s energy.

By 2050, renewables could supply four-fifths of the world’s electricity, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This could “massively” cut carbon emissions and help to mitigate climate change, it says.

But to get there, innovation needs to be accelerated in business and technology, IRENA adds.

Source: World Economic Forum

Together for a Healthy Environment

10.08.2022

lake-gfa26c81ad_1920 — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay (jiriposival0)

Suppose you had the opportunity to visit Slovenia. In that case, you must have noticed that there is no scattered paper and waste, all green areas are arranged, and what particularly impressed me was the flowers that can be seen on almost every terrace and window. It seems that in this country, people pay special attention to the space in which they live and that they really take care of the environment and its protection. The citizens who take care of everything are the most deserving of that, but also the nongovernmental organizations that are there to help and point out mistakes and omissions.

The Slovenian Association of the Ecological Movement – ZEG is an association of ecological movements whose common goal is the development and protection of the environment. It was founded in 2002 and currently unites 11 environmental movements and five non-profit institutions.

“In 1992, an association called the Slovenian Ecological Movement – SEG was founded, which gained 2,600 members in a few years. The Association of Ecological Movements – ZEG, founded in 1997, became the holder of the associations in Slovenia, and from 1997 to 2002, it helped in the establishment and registration of 15 associations. Our goal is to protect the environment. We have a large number of engineers, doctors, masters, and experts in many fields who are always available to us. They help us prepare expert opinions, remarks and everything we need when we give proposals for some laws and the like,” Karel Lipič, President of the Slovenian Association of the Ecological Movement, explains.

ZEG focuses on four activities: waste management, air quality protection, water protection and harmful radiation.

“Of course, we pay attention to other important areas and are all particularly interested in the energy issue. In addition, we pay special attention to education, especially the youngest, and we actively participate in the implementation of the Eco-School project. We cooperate with the Government and ministries, the Chamber of Commerce, and competent institutions. We have been given a special status, and every year we submit reports to the authorities because we actively participate in solving major problems in Slovenia. We supervise the construction of a landfill for highly active waste from the nuclear power plant. We are also participating in drafting the law for a better life for people who live near industrial facilities that can affect pollution,” our interlocutor says.

In focus:

There was a lot of talk about the Environmental Protection Act of Slovenia, and ZEG actively participated in its drafting. ZEG members were speakers at the Public Debate last year while they submitted another remark regarding the area of waste management and water protection. From the beginning, they followed the drafting of the law, and they also participated in the drafting and gave expert suggestions and remarks.

Waste problem

Although there is no waste in Slovenia, at least not the visible one, this country has big problems with it. They are intensively monitoring what and how it is being done in Croatia, as well as in the countries of the region when it comes to this. They pay special attention to the problem of plastic packaging, i.e. plastic waste.

“The bail system has been developed to some extent in Croatia, but their solutions have not brought great results. That is why i plan to hear from their representatives how the system works at the conference that will be organized in October this year so that we can see how we can apply it in our country,” Karel points out.

There is a developed system in Slovenia for collecting municipal waste. A good part of it is recycled, but the problem of its disposal needs to be solved permanently. In this association, they see the solution in constructing incinerators which would solve this problem but also provide a safe source of thermal energy. The incinerators would be modeled on those in Vienna, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

“We are fighting for industrial waste processing, and five locations for the construction of incinerators have been determined in Slovenia. Of course, some are against their construction, but I think that brings great damage to both the economy and industry. One will be built in Ljubljana, one in Maribor and three more in other places. All documents have been prepared for the incinerator in Ljubljana. The construction should begin early next year and it should be completed by 2024. When it comes to Maribor, the documentation is ready, and I expect that it will be built by 2024. Their construction will solve 60 to 70 percent of waste in Slovenia. Of course, during the construction of incinerators, the most modern technology must be used, they must not pollute the air and the environment, and they must provide electricity and heat”, Karel Lipič points out.

In their work, they are always guided by good examples from other countries, and professional counseling gives them answers to questions that bother them. Our interlocutor points out that the basis of everything is good laws, but also their good application. He pays special attention to the fact that municipalities are the most important in the whole system and the way in which they apply the laws.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

EU plan to cut gas use by 15 per cent set to come into effect

10.08.2022

heating-grejanje-gas — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

An EU plan to cut gas consumption across the bloc by 15 per cent to cope with an energy price crisis spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine comes into effect on Tuesday (9 August).

The EU regulation enshrining the plan agreed two weeks ago by the 27-nation bloc was published Monday in the European Union’s official administrative gazette, stipulating it would take force from Tuesday.

“Considering the imminent danger to the security of gas supply brought about by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, this regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency,” it said.

The aim is for the EU to be able to bolster its reserves of gas in time for what is likely to be a very tough winter. European households and businesses are being squeezed by skyrocketing energy prices and reduced Russian gas that several member states depend on.

The regulation said that EU countries “shall use their best efforts” to cut gas consumption by “at least 15 per cent” between August this year and March next year, based on how much they used on average over the previous five years.

Some EU countries, though, had carve-outs from strictly following the rule, which was, in any case, termed a “voluntary demand reduction”.

These were countries not fully connected to the European electricity grid or with gas pipelines to other parts of the EU or unable to free up enough pipeline gas to help other member states.

Hungary, which relies on gas piped directly from Russia, had demanded the exception.

Germany, the EU’s economic powerhouse, took a major share of the 40 per cent of EU gas imports from Russia last year.

Should the European Commission see a “severe gas supply shortage” or exceptionally high gas demand emerging, it can ask EU countries to declare an alert for the bloc. That would make gas cuts binding and limit exceptions.

While the EU has not included Russian gas in its sanctions on Moscow for the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has drastically cut supplies anyway in what Brussels seems as an attempt to strongarm Europe.

Source: EURACTIV.com

EBRD and EU boost Serbian Family Business

09.08.2022

couch-nameštaj — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Bimbo is a family-run business that specialises in designing and refurbishing retail outlets, offices, hotels and public buildings. And just like many other family firms in the region that were set up in the 1990s, it is now at a stage when the next generation are looking to take over the business.

This calls for a reassessment of the current business model and a plan for the future. An EBRD advisory project, supported by European Union (EU) funding, has helped Bimbo to improve its sales operations and undertake a wider company transformation.

A shift from entrepreneurial to corporate thinking

“When I worked in the corporate sector, it was interesting for me to learn that almost all of today’s big international companies started as small family firms,” explains Marko Ilic, the son of the company founder, who spent over 10 years working in Serbia and abroad. “We are now going through a phase of business succession. We have taken it very seriously and see it as a make-or-break situation. I fear that many companies that have no or little interest and ambition to deal with this phase properly will not survive.”

To navigate this phase successfully, the firm reached out to the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses team, which connects companies with experts and consultants to help them improve various business areas. Between 50 and 70 percent of the project costs are financed by the EU, which makes these investments more affordable for small businesses.

“Improving sales was our first goal,” Marko continued. “The company has an entrepreneurial background and most things were decided on a personal level and ‘feeling’. At one point, we realised that we needed more structured sales processes and, together with the consultants, we developed a unique process with defined job descriptions and established reporting lines. We also introduced additional sales training, as well as appropriate sales measurements and benefits.”

The company hired five more sales professionals to respond to the expected increase in business volume. And the more efficient processes have not only resulted in more sales and better productivity, but they have also allowed management to redirect its energy to areas with greater market potential and to acquiring new clients. Since then, the company has landed a few big clients and extended services for some existing clients.

“With the boost in sales we have realised that we need a wider transformation and we have now started another project which is a deep dive into our internal processes, with the aim of further improving the way we work. We have seen what a difference it makes when you improve one area, such as sales, and we are keen to replicate this in other business areas. It will help us to completely shift from an entrepreneurial way of working to a more corporate organisation, which i hope will bring much more efficiency and success to our work.”

Looking back at where they started, Marko believes that they are somewhere in the middle of their corporate transformation and that there is still lots of room for improvement.

“What’s important is that we are going in the right direction and i hope that in five years’ time we will get to where we want to be.”

Source: EBRD

Wildfires in Europe Burn Second-Biggest Area on Record

08.08.2022

fire-požar-njiva-paljenje — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Wildfires raging through Europe this summer have burned the second-largest area on record, even though the region is only halfway through its typical fire season, according to data from the European Union’s Joint Research Centre.

A dozen European countries have suffered major blazes this year, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying homes and businesses. Countries including Italy, Spain and France still face extreme fire risks.

Wildfires have burned 600,731 hectares in EU countries this year so far, the data showed. That ranks as the second-highest total for any year since 2006 when records began. In 2017, 987,844 hectares were burned.

This year’s burned area is more than double the size of Luxembourg. No other year in the dataset had seen such a high amount of burned land in Europe by August.

The Mediterranean region’s typical fire season runs from June to September.

Climate change is exacerbating fires by increasing the hot and dry conditions that help them spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely. Hotter weather saps moisture from vegetation, turning it into dry fuel – a problem exacerbated by shrinking workforces in some areas to clear this vegetation.

Victor Resco de Dios, professor of forest engineering at Spain’s Lleida University, said the large fires France and Portugal suffered in early July were “extremely unusual” and demonstrated how climate change is causing the fire season to start earlier last longer.

“Today’s fires in the Mediterranean can no longer be extinguished… Large fires are getting bigger and bigger,” he said.

The JRC data covers wildfires bigger than 30 hectares, so if smaller fires were included, the total burned would be even higher.

Southern European countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers. Still, hotter temperatures are pushing extreme wildfire risk north, with Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic among those hit this season.

Some actions can help to limit blazes, such as setting controlled fires that mimic the low-intensity fires in natural ecosystem cycles.

But without steep cuts to the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, scientists concur that heatwaves, wildfires and other climate impacts will worsen significantly.

Source: EURACTIV.com

The Future of Panthera Tigris in Thailand and Globally

07.08.2022

tigar — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Edewaa Foster)

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest wild cat species in the world, and is listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red List in 2011. The tiger is also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, the tiger populations in Thailand and globally are exposed to growing threats, which have raised concerns among conservationists, leading to increased international dialogue and action to conserve and protect the endangered species.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the global tiger population has dropped by 95 per cent, from approximately 100,000 individuals to as low as 3200 in 2010 year. Now there are only 13 recognised tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam), of which only 10 still have wild functional tiger populations. Today the global population of tigers stands at about 4500.

Thailand is an important habitat for the Indochinese sub-species of Panthera tigris (Panthera tigris. corbetti) and one of the last strongholds for tigers in the Greater Mekong region, however many challenges still remain in protecting and conserving the species.

In 2010, Thailand held an Asian Ministerial Meeting on Tiger Conservation, which was attended by the 13 tiger range countries and ultimately led to the Hua Hin Declaration on Tiger Conservation. A Tiger Summit was also held at St. Petersburg, Russia in the same year, where the tiger range countries adopted the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation, and established a common target to conserve and double the tiger population “TX2” target by the year 2022.

Panthera tigris habitats in Thailand

Currently, there are 17 protected areas situated in the Western Forest Complex of Thailand, of which the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary are specified as core areas for tiger habitats. The tigers in both protected areas have spread to the upper part of the western forest area, which is located nearby Mae Wong National Park, Khlong Lan National Park, Khlong Wang Chao National Park, and Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary.

It is estimated that approximately 17-20 tigers are currently living in the upper part of the western forest complex, while the lower part of the western forest complex is home to around 11 tigers. Additionally, there are approximately 25 tigers living in Thap Lan National Park in the Khao Yai-Dong Phaya Yen forest complex, and a few in the Ta Phraya National Park. However, the restoration of tiger populations continues to be a great challenge, since no sighting reports of tigers have been made in the past 10 years in areas where reports were previously made. This includes areas such as Phu Kieo-Nam Nao Forest Complex, Mae Ping-Om Koi Forest Complex, and Srilanna-Khun Tan Forest Complex.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Fezbot2000)

Forest and ecosystem restoration are essential for conserving Panthera tigris

The establishment of the Si Sawat Non-Hunting Area in the southwestern forest area is currently in the process of becoming an ecological corridor between the Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary and the Srinakarin Dam National Park. This will be useful in facilitating the movement of tigers between the forest areas.

Another great hope for tiger conservation is to restore tiger populations at the Khao Yai National Park, after the last sighting was reported in 2001, where 20-28 tigers were found in Thap Lan National Park. However, during 2015-2019, the Thai government had invested in the construction of a tunnel connecting the forest or the wildlife corridor, which showed traces of tigers in the camera traps and SMART patrols.

Source: IUCN

The World Needs More Diverse Solar Panel Supply Chains to Ensure a Secure Transition to Net Zero Emissions

06.08.2022

solar-modules — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sungrow Emea)

Ensuring a secure transition to net zero emissions will require increased efforts to expand and diversify global production of solar panels whose global supply chains are currently heavily concentrated in China, the IEA said in a new special report released today.

Chinese industrial and innovation policies focused on expanding solar panel production and markets have helped solar PV become the most affordable electricity generation technology in many parts of the world. However, this has also led to imbalances in solar PV supply chains, according to the IEA Special Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, the first study of its kind by the Agency.

Global manufacturing capacity for solar panels has increasingly moved out of Europe, Japan and the United States over the last decade and into China, which has taken the lead on investment and innovation. China’s share in all the key manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80 percent today, according to the report, and for key elements including polysilicon and wafers, this is set to rise to more than 95 percent in the coming years, based on current manufacturing capacity under construction.

“China has been instrumental in bringing down costs worldwide for solar PV, with multiple benefits for clean energy transitions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “At the same time, the level of geographical concentration in global supply chains also poses potential challenges that governments need to address. Accelerating clean energy transitions around the world will put further strain on these supply chains to meet growing demand, but this also offers opportunities for other countries and regions to help diversify production and make it more resilient.”

Meeting international energy and climate goals requires the global deployment of solar PV to grow on an unprecedented scale. This in turn demands a major additional expansion in manufacturing capacity, raising concerns about the world’s ability to rapidly develop resilient supply chains. For example, annual additions of solar PV capacity to electricity systems around the world need to more than quadruple by 2030 to be on track with the IEA’s pathway to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Global production capacity for the key building blocks of solar panels – polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and modules – would need to more than double by 2030 from today’s levels and existing production facilities would need to be modernised.

“As countries accelerate their efforts to reduce emissions, they need to ensure that their transition towards a sustainable energy system is built on secure foundations,” Dr Birol said. “Solar PV’s global supply chains will need to be scaled up in a way that ensures they are resilient, affordable and sustainable.”

Governments and other stakeholders around the world have begun to pay increasing attention to solar PV’s manufacturing supply chains as high commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks have led to an increase of around 20 percent in solar panel prices over the last year. These challenges – particularly apparent in the market for polysilicon, a key material for making solar panels – have resulted in delays in solar PV deliveries across the globe and higher prices. The IEA special report argues that these challenges call for even greater attention and efforts by policymakers going forward.

The report examines solar PV supply chains from raw materials all the way to the finished product, covering areas such as energy consumption, emissions, employment, production costs, investment, trade and financial performance. It finds, for example, that the electricity-intensive manufacturing of solar PV is mostly powered by fossil fuels today because of the prominent role of coal in the parts of China where production is concentrated – but that solar panels still only need to operate for four to eight months to offset their manufacturing emissions. This brief payback period compares with the average solar panel lifetime of around 25 to 30 years. Increasing decarbonisation of electricity supplies and greater diversification of solar PV supply chains should both help reduce this footprint in the future, the report notes.

Because diversification is one of the key strategies for reducing supply chain risks worldwide, the special report assesses the opportunities and challenges of developing solar PV supply chains in terms of job creation, investment requirements, manufacturing costs, emissions and recycling. It finds that new solar PV manufacturing facilities along the global supply chain could attract USD 120 billion of investment by 2030. And the solar PV sector has the potential to double the number of PV manufacturing jobs to 1 million by 2030, with the most job-intensive areas in the manufacturing of modules and cells.

The special report summarises policy approaches that governments have taken to support domestic solar PV manufacturing and highlights priority areas for action to improve security of supply and to address key challenges such as environmental and social sustainability, investment risks and cost competitiveness.

Source: IEA

Driest July in Memory Imperils Europe’s Crops

05.08.2022

kukuruz_sunce — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

As much of Europe bakes in a third heatwave since June, fears are growing that extreme drought driven by climate change in the continent’s breadbasket nations will dent stable crop yields and deepen the cost-of-living crisis.

The European Commission on Wednesday (3 August) urged EU member states to re-use treated urban wastewater as irrigation on the continent’s parched farms after France and parts of England saw their driest July on record.

In France, where an intense drought has hammered farmers and prompted widespread limits on freshwater use, there were just 9.7 millimetres (0.38 inches) of rain last month, Meteo France said.

That was 84 per cent down on the average levels seen for July between 1991 and 2022, making it the driest month since March 1961, the agency added.

Farmers nationwide are reporting difficulties in feeding livestock because of parched grasslands, while irrigation has been banned in large areas of the northwest and southeast due to freshwater shortages.

Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said July’s rainfall represented “just 12 per cent of what’s needed”.

France is the fourth-largest wheat exporter and among the top five exporters of maize globally. Poor harvests due to drought may heap further pressure on grain supplies after war in Ukraine caused global shockwaves.

“Our food system has been under stress for a while, and with the supply issues from Ukraine, that has only gotten worse,” said Shouro Dasgupta, an environmental economist at the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change.

“These heatwaves are on top of droughts and will see crops wither faster.”

Dasgupta said that extreme heat driven by climate change contributes to food price inflation for consumers and harsher conditions for producers.

“Droughts and heatwaves impact people’s livelihoods. People will be less able to afford food,” he told AFP.

“And during heatwaves, outdoor workers are only able to work fewer hours, which brings cascading impacts for supply.”

Source: EURACTIV.com

As Fuel Prices Rise, Companies Look to Energy Efficient Solutions

04.08.2022

photovoltaic-system-g94f076ae4_1920 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay (mrganso)

With fossil fuel prices reaching record highs, companies around the world are focusing on energy efficiency to save money and reduce the emissions driving the climate crisis.

Research shows that a safe future below 1.5°C requires the world to cut 30 gigatonnes greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) annually by 2030. Carbon emissions need to be cut by building smart cities and managing land and resources more efficiently. Transport and buildings are among the largest contributors.

Increasing energy efficiency, particularly industrial energy efficiency, can make a real difference in reducing our need for fossil fuels,” said Patrick Blake, Programme Officer for United for Efficiency (U4E) – a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-led global effort supporting developing countries to move their markets to energy-efficient appliances and equipment.

“This improvement in energy efficiency will also reduce electricity bills for companies and support the scale-up of renewable energy,” he added.

Improving energy efficiency

Energy efficiency can take many forms, with U4E focusing on lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning, distribution transformers and electric motors.

LED lamps, for example, are not only more efficient than conventional lamps, but they also last 20 times longer. Research shows that by switching to LED lighting in 156 developing countries, over 110 terawatt-hours (TWh) could be saved by 2030, nearly the same as the current electricity consumption of the Netherlands.

Similarly, by increasing efficiency in distribution transformers, which adjust voltage and current and are placed between the power plant and the consumer, 60 TWh could be saved by 2040, or the same as the current consumption of the Czech Republic.

“Half of the near-term reductions in emissions in the energy sector can be achieved through energy efficiency, for example, by using more energy-efficient appliances and lighting and more efficient motors,” said Miriam Hinostroza, Head of the Global Climate Action Unit, at UNEP’s Energy and Climate Branch.

Companies have found that energy efficiency is a double win, it’s good for their bottom line but it’s also good for the environment. Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, has been working with U4E to improve the efficiency of distribution transformers in developing regions like Africa.

These transformers are a key product in the power value chain, with electricity typically passing through five of them between the power plant and the consumer.

U4E research shows that a transition across the African continent to the most energy-efficient transformers could save 5.7 TWh a year, worth around 400 million US dollars by 2040.

This transition would also reduce CO2 emissions by 4.7 million tonnes a year. The transformers also have the added benefit of being more stable, reducing outages and increasing energy security.

“Transformers are critical for enabling an efficient and safe flow of electricity, operating continuously around the clock,” said Bruno Melles, Head of the Transformer Business at Hitachi Energy.

It is not just in Africa where U4E is helping to drive change. In Türkiye, U4E has been working in the industrial sector to help improve efficiency in motor-drive systems. Around 46 per cent of net electricity consumption in Türkiye comes from the industrial sector, and about 70 per cent of this comes from electric motor-drive systems, many of which are inefficient.

UNEP, through U4E, has been providing technical assistance to the Promoting Energy-Efficient Motors in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Türkiye (TEVMOT) project.

The project, which started in 2017, and has been extended until the end of 2023, will contribute to Türkiye’s intended Nationally Determined Contribution commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 21 per cent from the business-as-usual level by 2030.

Source: UNEP

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