Switch to fully renewable energy within reach: report

www.watoday.com.au
3 Apr 2013

Australia's abundant renewable resources are barely tapped. Australia's main electricity market could source all of its electricity from renewable energy with the help of a carbon price of as low as $50 a tonne, according to research at the University of New South Wales.

The researchers found currently available renewable energy technologies such as wind and concentrated solar thermal power could displace all fossil fuelled power plants in the National Electricity Market Management Company, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in the international Energy Policy journal. It would cost us a bit but it would be quite affordable.

The work used technology costs projected to 2030 by the government's Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics last year-costs that may prove conservative as prices of solar photovoltaic panels and other renewable sources tumble. A carbon price of $50 $100 a tonne would make coal and gas-fired power plants uneconomical, depending on varying assumptions, the report said.

"We think wind and solar will be a lot cheaper in 2030 than those projections", said Mark Diesendorf, an associate professor at the UNSW, and one of the authors of the report, Least cost 100% renewable electricity scenarios in the Australian National Electricity Market Management Company. "We could do it if we have the political will", Dr Diesendorf said. "It would cost us a bit but it would be quite affordable, and it may be cheaper than we have projected".

Running simulations based on power demand and supply data for 2010, the researchers found wind would contribute most in a switch to fully renewable energy. It would account for between 46 and 59%, while solar PV and concentrated solar would supply 15 20% each, and hydroelectric and biofuel-based gas generators the remainder.

Australia now sources about 10% of its electricity from renewable sources, an amount set to at least double by 2020 under the government's renewable energy target. The Coalition backs the goal but has vowed to repeal the carbon tax if it wins office in September. Pacific Hydro, a renewable energy generator in Australia, Chile and Brazil, said reaching 100% renewable energy supply is technically feasible but obstacles are steep. "It would take a substantial shift in political thinking", Andrew Richards, executive manager of corporate affairs at Pacific Hydro, said. "You'd need to mobilise tens of billions in capital to make it happen".

Political differences
After a bruising political fight to implement a $23 a tonne carbon tax, the government is not keen to rekindle debate over lifting the price. Instead, the price-if it hasn't been repealed-is likely to fall after July 2015 when the rate is linked to Europe's emissions trading scheme where prices are hovering below $6 a tonne. "The level of the carbon price is likely to move with international carbon prices as countries act together to cut emissions", said a spokesman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet. The Coalition, meanwhile, argues the existing renewable energy target is driving sufficient investment to the sector.

"To drive up the carbon tax to $100 would largely make electricity unaffordable for most Australians who are already struggling to pay their power bills, and put thousands of jobs at risk because of the impact it would have on manufacturing", said opposition climate spokesman Greg Hunt. "When commentators put forward these proposals they need to be honest with the public about what the real costs would be for people's power bills".

Greens leader Christine Milne, though, described the UNSW research as "hugely significant". "For decades opponents of the renewable energy revolution have peddled the lie that renewable energy is unreliable and expensive", Senator Milne said. "This independent and rigorous academic report exposes that lie".

Senator Milne noted the Multi Party Climate Change Committee ordered the Australian Energy Market Operator to conduct a similar study to determine the feasibility and cost of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030 and 2050. AEMO delivered its findings to the government on Tuesday. It is understood the release of the report is not imminent.

Subsidies
Pacific Hydro's Mr Richards said calls for additional renewable energy support should be viewed in light of the International Monetary Fund's report last week that energy subsidies total $US1.9 trillion a year, mostly for fossil fuels. "You need to slowly unwind [those subsidies] at the same time you ramp up the positive stuff", Mr Richards said. "Then you'll start to see the transition more quickly".

Many other countries are setting high goals, including Scotland's aim to generate all its power from renewable sources by 2020. Denmark has bipartisan political support to achieve 100% by 2050, while Germany's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 will be driven mostly by the power sector. "They are not just talking about it-they are doing it", Dr Diesendorf said. "Australia has huge potential because of our magnificent renewable sources but politically it's more difficult because of our very powerful fossil fuel and minerals industries, which are very reluctant to change".

$200m Broken Hill solar plant approved

www.abc.net.au
2 Apr 2013

A $200 million solar power station for the far west has been recommended for approval by the NSW Government. Electricity company AGL Energy is planning to build the plant at Rob Day Station south-west of Broken Hill. AGL Energy has indicated there will be 150 jobs in construction and four ongoing positions once the solar power plant is operational at the end of 2015. The company has agreed to environmental conditions the state has imposed in approving the solar power station.

The company will change the entrance to the plant, and has to monitor biodiversity in the area and put a power line to the solar power plant underground. Geoff Luke, the owner of Rob Day Station where the plant will be, says he is confident the company will be able to meet the environmental conditions "I don't know the actual specifics, but I know one was a tree that may have held a buzzard at one stage which we haven't seen in a long time," Mr Luke said. "I've got a small solar set-up myself and that doesn't annoy me at all. It's a very silent producer so it's not a problem at all." He's welcomed the approval.

"It's something that I think a lot of people have been quite anxious to see go ahead along with the wind farm also," he said. "They've been very diligent in their research around the area so I'll be living next to it so I'll be quite happy with it." AGL Energy is also planning to build a wind farm near Silverton. It has not yet been approved for construction. Both have been named major projects by the NSW Government.

Apple wins big with renewable energy

www.hydrogenfuelnews.com
30 Mar 2013

Apple emerging as a major player in the renewable energy sector
Apple has emerged as a strong advocate for renewable energy, especially that of the solar variety. The famed technology company has taken an acute interest in solar power as a potential way to mitigate emissions and become more environmentally friendly. Last year, Apple's headquarters received an expansive rooftop solar power system, and the company has been making use of stationary hydrogen fuel-cells to power data centers in North Carolina. The company's enthusiasm concerning renewable energy seems to be paying off.

75% of Apple's energy comes from renewable sources
Apple has announced that it is now receives 75% of its power from renewable energy. That is to say that all of its corporate facilities receive the majority of their energy needs through renewable sources of power. Hydrogen fuel-cells and solar power are among the most popular renewable power sources for Apple. Much of the company's efforts in the realm of renewable energy can be found at its massive data center in Maiden, North Carolina. There, the largest end-user-owned solar power system in the U.S, can be found, as well as a comprehensive hydrogen fuel-cell network that helps power the data center. The solar array itself produces 20 MWs of renewable energy, with another 20 MWs expected to come online later this year.

Solar and hydrogen account for much of company's energy needs
Apple has plans to receive 100% of its energy from renewable sources in the near future. In the past, the company has been criticized for its environmental impact by environmental groups around the world. The company has also taken note of the rising costs of fossil fuels. In an effort to address these issues, Apple turned to renewable energy and found that solar and hydrogen fuel were capable enough to meet the company's needs.

Apple may be a strong example for others
Solar energy and hydrogen fuel are expected to continue playing major roles in the company's future. Apple does have some interest in other forms of renewable energy, such as wind and hydroelectric, but has only levied modest investments in both forms of renewable power. Apple may help serve as an example to other large companies that renewable energy is not only viable but solar and hydrogen, in particular, are effective ways to meet energy demand.

Scottish wind power generation surged 19% to a record in 2012

www.bloomberg.com
28 Mar 2013

Wind-power generation in Scotland surged 19% to a record in 2012 as energy from clean sources contributed 39% of the region's total electricity needs. Electricity generated from renewables rose 7% from 2011 to more than 14,600 GW-hours, the Scottish government said today in an e-mailed statement. Nearly 39% of the region's total electricity needs came from renewables in 2012, enough to power every home in Scotland. Scotland wants all its electricity to come from clean sources by 2020 and it has set an interim target for half to come from renewables by 2015. It contributed about 35% of total U.K, renewable generation last year.

Scotland approves wind farm opposed by Donald Trump

www.cbsnews.com
26 Mar 2013

The Scottish government on Tuesday approved an offshore wind farm that has drawn the ire of American tycoon Donald Trump, who fears it will spoil the views at his luxury golf resort nearby. Trump vowed to bring a lawsuit to stop the 230 million pound ($349 million) development, which consists of 11 wind turbines planned off the coast near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland. "We will spend whatever monies are necessary to see to it that these huge and unsightly industrial wind turbines are never constructed", the real estate mogul said in a statement.

Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing said the project will boost the local economy, test new technologies and be capable of providing energy to meet the electricity needs of 49,000 homes--almost half the number in Aberdeen. The wind farm, owned by Swedish power company Vattenfall and a local business consortium, still needs to obtain a marine license and approval for an onshore substation. Trump is concerned that the turbines will spoil sea views for golfers at his sprawling, 750 million pound ($1.2 billion) resort at Menie Estate, which opened last summer despite strong local opposition.

The businessman, who bought the land north of Aberdeen in 2006, was due to add a luxury hotel to the site but he has said he will not proceed with those plans until the wind farm project is rejected. Trump Organization argues that Scottish leader Alex Salmond and his predecessor gave verbal assurances that a wind farm would never be approved off the coast of the resort. The tycoon criticised Tuesday's approval as a "purely political decision" and claimed it would ruin tourism and natural beauty in Scotland. "We will put our future plans in Aberdeen on hold, as will many others, until this ridiculous proposal is defeated", he said.

Trump himself has been criticised by local residents and environmentalists, who protested that his golf resort threatened the coastal sand dunes and wildlife in the area. In total, the resort has permission to build two golf courses, a 450 room hotel and holiday homes along 3 miles of coast. Last April Trump told a Scottish parliament inquiry into renewable energy to stop the wind power efforts in the country's north.

"Scotland, if you pursue this policy of these monstrous turbines, Scotland will go broke", he said. "They are ugly, they are noisy and they are dangerous. If Scotland does this, Scotland will be in serious trouble and will lose tourism to places like Ireland, and they are laughing at us". When challenged to produce hard evidence about his claims on the negative impact of turbines, Trump said: "I am the evidence, I am a world class expert in tourism".

France publishes 1GW offshore wind tenders

www.upi.com
March. 25, 2013

PARIS, March 25 (UPI)--France has officially moved ahead with a second round of tenders for offshore wind farms, thorough which it seeking 1 GW of new capacity. First announced in September by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and confirmed in January by French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Delphine Batho, terms of the tenders were officially published Friday by the Commission for Energy Regulation, or CRE.

The tender calls for about 200 wind turbines off the French coast for a total installed capacity 1 GW, joining a first tender released last year, which will result in the building of nearly 2 GWs of wind turbines in the Pays de Loire, Brittany, Normandy and Upper Normandy. The government asserts the tender will trigger $4.5 billion in energy company investments and provide 10,000 direct jobs.

A first round of offshore wind power tenders launched in 2011 under the former government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy resulted in 2 GWs of bids going to a consortium led by French power giant EDF Energy, wind turbine manufacturer Alstom and Denmark's DONG Energy. The new tender is split into two wind farms--one would be built off the city of Le Treport in Normandy with the other near the Islands of Noirmoutier and Ile d'Yeu Islands off the Vendee department of the Pays de Loire along France's Atlantic coast.

The area off Le Treport covers 68 miles while the Pays de la Loire site covers 50 miles, which each expected to generate 480 500 MWs of power. The Treport region also figured in the first round but was rejected because the projected price of electricity generation was considered too high. CRE documents state the winners of the new tender will be announced in January 2014 with the construction and commissioning phase of the project is scheduled for 2021 23.

The maximum price of the electricity to be generated by the by new farms was set at $260 per MW to avoid producing "sticker shock" for consumers. The CRE also chose to set aside a 2 month deadline for submissions that was in force the first time, instead giving bidders until Nov. 29 to prepare their pitches. The results of the first tender were criticized for strengthening EDF Energy's control over the market, especially after French competitor GDF Suez was shut out in four bids, the British energy analysts ICIS Heren reported.

"If EDF Energy was the best-placed candidate in terms of price, there's nothing that can be done, and, if that happens again this time, it's hard to argue with it", an unnamed utility company source told the website. Alstom Chief Executive Patrick Kron has confirmed interest in the current Treport and Noirmoutier sites along with his EDF Energy and DONG partners, the regional daily Ouest France reported.

The new wind power tender come as France is having a national debate on energy transition, under which Hollande has pledged to reduce the country's reliance on nuclear power to 50% by 2025. He has set a goal of producing 23% of the country's energy mix from renewables by 2020, including 19 GWs from onshore wind turbines and 6 GWs from offshore installations.

Personality clue to 'wind turbine syndrome'

phys.org
22 Mar 2013

Public concern about new technology infrastructure like mobile phone masts has been shown to trigger reports of ill health… and recently even the new 'green' technology of wind turbines has been blamed for medically unexplained non-specific symptoms. But now, for the first time, a study by psychologists, engineers and built environment experts at The University of Nottingham, has found no link between the 'measured' level of noise from small and micro wind turbines and reports of ill health.

The research could be helpful in prompting pre-emptive action in future planning applications for small and medium sized wind turbines to help reassure those concerned about the impact of small and micro wind turbines on their wellbeing.

Midlands survey
This collaborative study involved researchers from the Faculty of Engineering as well as Social Sciences and was funded by the UK Energy Research Centre . It is the first project to examine how personality, and specifically 'negative orientated personality' (NOP), affects reported levels of non-specific symptoms like headache, sleeplessness, stomach upsets and general malaise. It was carried out as a public survey of 1270 households within 500 metres of eight 0.6kW micro-turbines and within 1 km of four 5kW wind turbines in two Midlands cities.

Dr Claire Lawrence from the University's School of Psychology said: "We measured the actual noise from the turbines and used environmental noise modelling software that helped us to predict how much sound is actually heard by those living in the vicinity. We found there was no relationship between the 'real' level of noise and reports of ill health. "

The personality traits measured from the 138 returned questionnaires were neuroticism, (propensity to be more anxious, to take longer to revert to an equilibrium), negative affectivity (the propensity to feel negative emotions), and also frustration intolerance (sensitivity towards frustrations, discomforts and annoyances).

Sounds of a turbine
The research involved extensive fieldwork to gather data to create a series of geographical sound maps using state of the art computer software. Ten sound types were selected based on previous published research into wind turbine noise. The sounds were; swooshing, screeching, whistling, humming, throbbing, thumping, scratching, high frequency, low frequency and buzzing. For each, participants were asked to rate how often they had heard each sound from the micro or small turbine near their home, and how loud each sound was to them on a scale of 0 (never noticed) to 4 (extremely loud.) A mean score was calculated for both the occurrence and loudness for each participant.

To take into account people's attitude to wind power the survey asked them about their attitude to it using a scale of 1 to 7, from very positive to very negative. The participants also reported their experience of 12 common symptoms such as headache and fatigue over the preceding six months.

No evidence of a link
The researchers concluded that the people who live near a turbine and can hear some noise, did not suffer more non-specific health symptoms than people who could not in reality hear the same sound. The study indicated that generally it is not the turbine noise per se that is causing the symptoms. Indeed, for those individuals who did not score highly on these negative orientated personality traits, reporting hearing the sound was not associated with symptoms. This association was only evident for those higher in these traits.

While there is general public support for renewable energy, and indeed the majority of respondents in the reported study were positive about wind power in general, it is acknowledged that individuals are often more negative when faced with the prospect of having wind turbines near their homes. This research is the first study ever carried out to show the relationship between personality and perception of wind turbine noise in relation to a so-called 'green technology'. The results could be significant in informing local authority decision-making on the increasing number of planning applications for wind turbines across the UK.

Triodos buys half of U.K. wind farm, seeks to boost capacity 20%

www.bloomberg.com
21 Mar 2013

Triodos Renewables Plc, an arm of Netherlands-based Triodos Bank NV, purchased a stake in a wind farm in southeast England and said it's seeking to increase its power generating capacity by a further 20% this year. The unit and the bank's Renewables Europe Fund bought 49.8% of the 10-MW facility in Cambridge, Zeist-based Triodos said today in an e-mailed statement. The farm produces enough electricity to supply power to about 5,720 homes. Triodos plans to raise capacity by a fifth later this year, on top of 20% growth from today's deal and commissioning of a wind farm earlier this month, according to the statement.

Materials scientists make solar energy chip 100 times more efficient

phys.org
20 Mar 2013

Scientists working at the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) have improved an innovative solar power device to be about 100 times more efficient than its previous design in converting the sun's light and heat into electricity. "This is a major step toward making practical devices based on our technique for harnessing both the light and heat energy provided by the sun", said Nicholas Melosh, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and a researcher with SIMES, a joint SLAC/Stanford institute.

The new device is based on the photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) process first demonstrated in 2010 by a group led by Melosh and SIMES colleague Zhi-Xun Shen, who is SLAC's advisor for science and technology. In a report last week in Nature Communications, the group described how they improved the device's efficiency from a few hundredths of a percent to nearly 2%, and said they expect to achieve at least another 10 fold gain in the future.

Concentrated sunlight heats up the device's semiconductor cathode to more than 400° Centigrade. Photoexcited hot electrons (blue dots) stream out of the cathode's nanotextured underside down to the anode, where they are collected as direct electrical current. Additional solar and device heat is collected below the anode to run electricity-generating steam turbines or Stirling Engines.

Conventional photovoltaic cells use a portion of the sun's spectrum of wavelengths to generate electricity. But PETE uses a special semiconductor chip to make electricity by using the entire spectrum of sunlight, including wavelengths that generate heat. In fact, the efficiency of thermionic emission improves dramatically at high temperatures, so adding PETE to utility-scale concentrating solar power plants, such as multi-MW power tower and parabolic trough projects in California's Mojave Desert, may increase their electrical output by 50%. Those systems use mirrors to focus sunlight into superbright, blazingly hot regions that boil water into steam, which then spins an electrical generator. "When placed where the sunlight is focused, our PETE chips produce electricity directly; and the hotter it is, the more electricity it will make," Melosh said.

The heart of the improved PETE chip is a sandwich of two semiconductor layers: One is optimized to absorb sunlight and create long-lived free electrons, while the other is designed to emit those electrons from the device so they can be collected as an electrical current. A cesium oxide coating on the second layer eases the electrons' passage from the chip. Future research is aimed at making the device up to an additional 10 times more efficient by developing new coatings or surface treatments that will preserve the atomic arrangement of the second layer's outer surface at the high temperatures it will encounter in the concentrating solar power plant.

"We expect that other materials, such as those incorporating barium or strontium, will make the surface much more stable up to at least 500° Celsius", said Jared Schwede, a Stanford graduate student who performed many of the PETE experiments. An additional challenge will be to engineer the device to withstand the dramatic 500 degree daily temperature swings at solar power plants, as their systems heat up during the day and then cool down at night.

Infigen takes on Origin over wind power, consumer costs

reneweconomy.com.au
21 Mar 2013

The renewables industry has responded angrily to Grant King's renewed attempts to dilute the renewable energy target, accusing the CEO of Origin Energy of distorting the facts, and taking actions in his own self interest that could result in higher bills for consumers. Miles George, the CEO of Infigen Energy, the largest owner of wind farms in the country and an emerging developer of solar power, said King-who has waged a campaign against the RET for the last few years-had gone "over the top" in a speech to CEDA earlier this week and made statements that were "just not true".

George's comments were made before the government on Thursday announced it would endorse the recommendation of the Climate Change Authority to retain the fixed 41,000 GW target for the RET. But given the uncertainty over the upcoming election and the position of the Coalition, and the possibility that another review could be held in 2014, the same arguments are likely to be rolled out in coming months. George's intervention highlights to what extent the renewables industry has been frustrated by the actions of the incumbent industry, but also points to a warning of the rapid changes that are being ignored by utilities-possibly at their peril.

George told an energy conference in Sydney on Wednesday that Origin Energy had invested billions in the gas export industry, and was seeking to protect that investment. "The fact is that the expected huge rise in domestic gas prices to export parity pricing over the next few years will make domestic gas fired power generation prohibitively expensive, and for that reason alone uncompetitive", George said. "Independent studies conducted by the Climate Change Authority, among others, have found that increased levels of renewable energy will in fact displace coal fired generation, after gas exporters (including Origin Energy) price themselves out of the domestic electricity generation market".

Read More…

Fewer turbines for 'gigantic' Atlantic Array wind farm

www.bbc.co.uk
20 Mar 2013

The number of turbines planned for an offshore wind farm has been reduced from a maximum of 278 to 240, the firm behind the project has revealed. RWE npower renewables, the developers of the Atlantic Array off north Devon, has reduced its plans following a consultation and environmental study. Campaigners, Slay The Array, said it was a minor change and would make little difference. The plans are expected to be submitted in June.

'Good compromise'
A company spokesman said the changes focused on reducing the visual effects and underwater disturbance caused when constructing the farm. Alistair Gill, head of offshore wind farm development, said the project was "half the size of the original plans". The initial plan was to build a maximum of 417 turbines. Mr Gill said: "It's a tiny fraction of the size awarded by the Crown Estate for offshore development in the Bristol Channel. "I think this is a good compromise", he said.

The company added the initial size awarded by the Crown Estate was 367 m²iles (950 km²) and its revised project would be 77 m²iles (200 km²). 'Absolutely gigantic' Campaigner, Steve Crowther, said: "This is about whether it's appropriate to have a wind farm twice the size of Bristol nine miles off the coast of north Devon. "People don't seem to understand the scale of this, it's absolutely gigantic". RWE npower renewables predicts the farm would provide enough electricity to power 900,000 households.

Large UAE solar project launched

www.upi.com
March. 18, 2013

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, March 18 (UPI)--Launching the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world in Abu Dhabi represents a milestone for Middle East energy, an executive said.

Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar led a partnership that includes French supermajor Total and Spanish energy infrastructure company Abengoa to launch the Shams 1 concentrated solar power plant. The companies said it took $600 million and three years to build a project billed as the largest of its kind in the world. Masdar Chief Executive Officer Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber said the project is a milestone that has significance beyond the United Arab Emirates.

"Just like the rest of the world, the region is faced with meeting its rising demand for energy, while also working to reduce its carbon footprint", he said in a statement. "Shams 1 is a significant milestone, as large-scale renewable energy is proving it can deliver electricity that is sustainable, affordable and secure".

Shams 1 is designed to produce 100 MW of electricity by focusing the sun's rays on oil-filled pipes for steam generation. The project employs more than 258,000 mirrors on a 1 square-mile site. It would displace about 175,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

World's two largest solar power towers to be built in California

www.turnto23.com
18 Mar 2013

As joint partners, the two pioneers in solar power tower technology will work together to permit and finance the 500 MW Palen Solar Electric Generating System. Abengoa will build the plants as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor, and will lead the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plants once online. BrightSource Energy will provide the solar field technology and plant design.Solar power towers generate power the same way as traditional power plants-by creating high temperature steam to turn a turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels or nuclear power to create the steam, they use the sun's energy. At the heart of the system is a state-of-the-art solar field design, optimization software and a control system that allow for the creation of high temperature steam. The steam is then integrated with conventional power plant turbines to produce predictable, reliable and cost-competitive clean energy.

Double whammy to the anti-wind farm brigade

www.businessspectator.com.au
18 Mar 2013

A study of mine published Thursday night delivers a double whammy to those who argue that wind turbines cause health problems in communities.

Earlier this week researchers at the University of Auckland published an experimental study showing that people primed by watching online information about health problems from wind turbines, reported more symptoms after being exposed to recorded infrasound or to sham (fake) infrasound. The study provided powerful evidence for the nocebo hypothesis: the idea that anxiety and fear about wind turbines being spread about by anti-wind farm groups, will cause some people hearing this scary stuff to get those symptoms.

The double whammy for the scaremongers comes in the form of an historical audit of all complaints made about wind farm noise or health problems on all of Australia's 49 wind farms. Australia's first wind farm, which still operates today, started generating power in 1993 at Esperance in Western Australia. Twenty years on, our 49 wind farms have seen 1471 turbines turning for a cumulative total of 328 years.

In recent years, and particularly since 2009, we've heard a lot about health complaints involving wind turbines, thanks to the efforts of groups such as the Waubra Foundation (none of whose directors live in or near the Victorian town of Waubra) and the interconnected Landscape Guardians. And, just as the nocebo hypothesis would predict, the great bulk of health and noise complaints have arisen since 2009: 82% of complainants made their first complaint after that date.

There are some 32,677 people living within 5km of these 49 wind farms around Australia, and just 120 or one in 272 of them have ever made formal complaints, appeared in news reports or sent complaining submissions to government. Moreover, 81 (68%) of these are people living near just five wind farms, each of which have been heavily targeted by wind farm opponent groups.

Our study tested four hypotheses relevant to the nocebo hypothesis:

1. Many wind farms of comparable power would have no history of health or noise complaints from nearby residents (suggesting that factors that don't relate to the turbines may explain the presence or absence of complaints)
2. Wind farms which had been subject to complaints would have only a small number of such complaining residents among those living near the farms (suggesting that individual or social factors may be required to explain different 'susceptibility')
3. Few wind farms would have any history of complaints consistent with recent claims that turbines cause acute health problems (suggesting that explanations beyond turbines are needed to explain why acute problems are reported)
4. Most health and noise complaints would date from after the advent of anti-wind farm groups beginning to foment concerns about health (from around 2009) and that wind farms subject to organised opposition would be more likely to have histories of complaint than those not exposed to such opposition (suggesting that health concerns may reflect 'communicated' anxieties).

Read More…

Japan Adds 1,178 megawatts of mostly solar energy in nine months

www.bloomberg.com
15 Mar 2013

Japan added 1,178 MWs of mostly solar clean-energy capacity in the nine months to the end of December as the country curbs its reliance on nuclear power. Japan added 1,119 MWs of solar to the 4,800 MWs already installed, according to data released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on March 13. Wind rose 34 MWs and biomass 22 MWs, according to the government figures.

The country began an incentive program for clean energy in July to boost use of renewables after the 2011 Fukushima atomic disaster. The ministry approved applications for above-market rates for clean energy worth 5,236 MWs until the end of December, including 3,857 MWs of non-residential solar. The northern island of Hokkaido accounts for 26% of approved applications by capacity for solar plants 1 MW or larger, the most among Japan's 47 prefectures, the data showed.

Weatherill pushes wind farms ahead of health study

www.theaustralian.com.au
21 Mar 2013

A MAJOR international study into the effects of wind turbines on health has been pre-empted by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, who wants a rapid increase in the number of large-scale wind farms. The Premier yesterday suspended standing orders in parliament to force a debate on his motion to help foster an increase in the development and construction of wind farms across the state. He claimed there were only economic and environmental benefits to be gained, and no evidence wind farms have a negative impact on property values or health.

"The fact is that there is no evidence that indicates that wind farms have a negative impact on the value of property; in fact, some towns located near wind farms are experiencing booms instead of sales droughts", Mr Weatherill told parliament. "I do not deny for a moment that there are some people who have genuine concerns about wind turbines appearing in their backyard, especially if their neighbour is getting a financial gain from it and they are getting no gain. "I do not deny that there are people concerned about the potential health effects, notwithstanding the absence of scientific evidence to support their concerns".

In a judgment last month, a federal magistrate accepted that wind farms slashed the value of surrounding properties, ruling falls of up to 33% in value were likely and it was "hard to imagine" any prospective buyer ignoring such development. wind farm developers and the renewables industry have insisted land values are not affected by wind farms. Next month, in the face of mounting international evidence and continued industry denials, SA's Environmental Protection Authority will begin a study that will continuously measure the lowest frequency noises from the Waterloo wind farm in the state's mid-north. EnergyAustralia will co-operate by turning its 37 wind turbines on and off so there can be no dispute about background noise.

As reported by The Australian last month, the new testing is considered to be a critical development in a long-running dispute over wind turbines that has split rural communities and frustrated an industry that sees itself as critical to Australia's clean energy future. A literature review on health impacts also is due to be released by the National Health and Medical Research Council for public consultation in the second half of the year. But Mr Weatherill said there were 19 wind farm projects within the state that were committed or listed or publicly announced, and there should be more, despite the mounting complaints and concerns.

"It is clear that wind farm developments increase prosperity while reducing carbon pollution, they boost employment, they boost investment, they encourage innovation and technological development and they will deliver a clean energy legacy", he said.

Liberal opposition energy spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith accused the Premier of a political stunt and said genuine community concerns should be respected. "This government feels otherwise. They know best; announce and defend, get out there and tell people what is best for them. We do not agree", he said. "There is a visual impact, there are impacts, there are concerns, and they need to be explored".

Last week a study by Simon Chapman, professor of public health at Sydney University, was released that found the supposed "wind turbine sickness" appeared to be caused by the power of suggestion, and was far more prevalent in communities where anti-wind farm lobbyists had been active.

Germany grabs renewable lead as Australia drops back

www.theage.com.au
14 Mar 2013

In 2009, Germany sprinted past the European Union's 12% Renewable Energy Target three years ahead of schedule. Germany's response? Raise the bar.

Europe's biggest economy is now aiming for 35% of energy to be derived from renewable sources by 2020, 50% by 2030, 65% by 2040 and 80% by 2050. Meanwhile, 7,000 km to the east, China-a nation with a less stellar record than Germany on the energy and environmental front-is making similarly aggressive strides towards renewable energy targets.

When China hit its solar-specific goal of 5 GWs of capacity by 2012 also three years ahead of schedule-it lifted the target to 21 GW by 2015. An ambitious quadrupling of the goal, and then some. Since then, the Beijing bureaucrats have started to ponder whether the new target is ambitious enough. The talk, perhaps encouraged by the dire pollution dogging the Chinese capital, suggests the new 2015 goal will be more like 40 GWs.

Surprise surge
And Australia? As power demand continues to decline in eastern states, catching the big private and public utilities off guard, the energy debate is shifting-in the other direction. The 41,000 GW-hour goal for renewable energy by 2020 now looks like being closer to 25% of total generation by 2020 rather than the 20% envisioned by the scheme's designers.

As a result, the Climate Change Authority, the government and the coalition are under immense pressure to pull back. To recap: Germany and China achieve their aims early and respond by lifting their sights. Australia is on course to reach its target and is now considering a cut.

Slow-mover disadvantage
Figures out this week from Pitt and Sherry show the share of coal-fired power to the National Electricity Market Management Company dropped below 75% last month for the first time. That trend, now more than four years long, has prompted incumbent generators to mobilise. Activity, though, is not being focused on grabbing a bigger share of the renewable energy market but rather the marshalling of lobbyists to get a softer RET. The target may be unwelcome for some private-and state-owned generators but is it bad for Australia?

The Climate Change Authority found the cost of the RET policy was negligible-that it was delivering substantial benefit to the economy and that its compliance cost was balanced by the resultant reduction in wholesale electricity prices. Meanwhile, studies continue to show that a transition to 100% renewable energy is technically and economically feasible for Australia-and would be highly popular. Even the government's own energy economics forecaster advised that renewable energy would be the cheapest form of electricity by 2020.

In spite of this, it appears Australia seems content to lag its international competitors. According to the Climate Change Authority, only 10% of Australian energy production in 2010 11 was from renewable energy sources-and half of that came from pre-existing hydroelectric. Of the $5 billion invested in renewable energy deployment in 2011, more than 80% was by households purchasing solar power systems. By contrast, more than $50 billion was spent by both the USA and China in the same year.

All up, entrenched interests are lobbying for a reduction in Australia's Renewable Energy Target, our competitors are increasing their lead, often mastering technology and skills-think solar PV-developed in Australia. The government needs to consider whether ceding further ground-which would no doubt occur if the RET were weakened-is the wise move to make.

US approves 3 major renewable energy projects

www.businessspectator.com.au
14 Mar 2013

The Obama administration on Wednesday approved three large renewable energy projects in the US West, including what will be one of the world's largest solar developments, that combined will produce enough energy to power 340,000 homes. The projects, to be built mostly on federal lands in California and Nevada but funded privately, were announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at a press conference in San Francisco.

The approvals were for one wind and two solar projects, including NextEra Energy Resources Inc's 750 MW McCoy Solar Energy Project near the southern California city of Blythe in Riverside County that stands to be one of the largest solar developments in the world.

The other two projects are the 150 MW Desert Harvest Solar Farm proposed by EDF Energy Renewable Energy, also in Riverside County, and the 200 MW Searchlight Wind Energy Project in Nevada, south of Las Vegas. Searchlight, which is being developed by Duke Energy Corp, will use Siemens wind turbines. Both solar projects will use photovoltaic solar panels.

Wednesday's action brings the total number of renewable energy projects approved by the administration to 37 including 20 solar facilities, eight wind farms and nine geothermal plants with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids.

"That's a lot of power, and these projects now are becoming the examples to the rest of the world on what can be done with renewable energy", Mr Salazar said during the signing ceremony in San Francisco.

The two California projects are located in one of the nation's 17 solar power zones-areas the administration has identified as well suited for solar power projects due to high levels of sunlight, proximity to transmission lines, and limited impact on wildlife in the area. "They are the blueprint, the bible if you will, of where solar power will go on public lands in the years ahead", Mr Salazar said.

The renewable energy zones encompass 285,000 acres of public lands across six western states. California Governor Jerry Brown said the new projects will advance the state's position as a leader in the fight against climate change. "We have a lot of challenges in this country, a lot of them, but climate change is on the way and we've got to do something about it", Mr Brown said.

Bumper year for solar and wind energy

www.smh.com.au
12 Feb 2013

2012 was another bumper year for renewable energy worldwide with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity surpassing 100 GWs for the first time and wind power capacity expanding by almost one-fifth. Rapid growth outside Europe saw a total of about 32 GW of solar PV capacity installed, bringing capacity to 101 GW and narrowly pipping the 30 GWs taken up in 2011, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association said, citing preliminary figures.

"No one would have predicted even 10 years ago that we would see more than 100 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity in the world by 2012", said EPIA President Winfried Hoffmann. "The photovoltaic industry clearly faces challenges but the results of 2012 show there is a strong global market for our technology. Solar photovoltaic plants can now generate as much electricity in a year as about 16 mid-sized coal-fired or nuclear power stations, the lobby group said.

Australian surge
Australia added about 1 GW of solar PV capacity last year, lifting the country's capacity about 70% to 2.4 GW, according to the Australian Solar Council. The wholesale price of solar PV is now as low as 55¢ per watt of power, down from an average of $7 in 2008, said John Grimes, chief executive of the Australian Solar Council.

With some consumers in NSW, for instance, paying more than 50¢ per kW-hour for peak power, solar power is becoming "an absolute no-brainer", Mr Grimes said. "The fundamental economics are now driving the uptake of solar, rather than government support".

Demand for new PV panels was quiet at the start of the year but has picked up in recent weeks, suggesting 2013 demand will probably land between the 840 MW to 1 GW levels installed in the past two years, he said. Policy uncertainty remains, though, with the government now considering a recommendation by the Climate Change Authority in its review of the Renewable Energy Target to cut the size of commercial PV installations eligible for the small-scale solar scheme from 100 to 10 kW capacity.

"That would be an enormous brake on the take-up of solar in commercial and industry areas'' if accepted by the government, and curb job growth in a sector already employing about 25,000 people, Mr Grimes said. The crash in solar PV prices has largely been prompted by Chinese producers flooding the market with low-cost panels. The expansion of the global market came even as new European capacity slumped amid subsidy cuts by governments.

Countries outside Europe added more than 13 GW of solar capacity last year, compared with less than 8 GW in 2011, driven by China, the US and Japan, the data show. Germany, home to a third of the world's solar panels, remained the biggest market after adding 7.6 GW, while Europe as a whole installed 17 GWs, down from 23 GW. Research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance released last week found that new solar and wind capacity is now cheaper than the cost of building new coal-fired power plants in Australia.

Wind power accelerates
In a separate statement, the Global Wind Energy Council said installed capacity expanded 19% last year, with 44.7 GW of turbines built. The total of new capacity beat the previous record 40.6 GW installed in 2011 by just over 10%. Figures for Australia show the country added 358 MWs of new wind capacity, lifting the total by 16% to 2.584 GW, the Council said.

A rush by wind farm developers in the US to beat an anticipated expiration of the US Production Tax Credit saw the country install more than 8 GW of capacity in the final three months of 2012 alone. All up the US added 13.1 GW of capacity in 2012, leaving it just shy of the estimated 13.2 GW added by China.

"While China paused for breath, both the US and European markets had exceptionally strong years", Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said in a statement on the group's website. "Asia still led global markets, but with North America a close second, and Europe not far behind".

Europe set a record with 12.4 GW of wind power added, as markets such as Sweden, Romania, Italy and Poland posted quicker growth. The outlook remains uncertain, though, as the region's on-going sovereign debt crises limits government support, the council said. The region, though, continues to lead the market for offshore wind farms, with 1.166 GW added, accounting for more than 90% of total offshore installations of 1.293 GW in 2012, the council said.

Siemens' 6 MW offshore wind turbine receives certification

www.nawindpower.com
5 Mar 2013

GL Renewables Certification (GL RC) has awarded Siemens Wind Power offshore prototype certification for the testing of its new 6 MW offshore wind turbine at DONG Energy's Gunfleet Sands III demonstration project, located in the UK

This will be the first offshore test of this new wind turbine. The prototype certificate confirms the wind turbine design's compliance with the requirements of the GL guideline for offshore wind turbines, edition 2005.

Siemens developed the SWT-6.0 turbine specifically for the demanding conditions in offshore locations. The first unit, which features a 120 meter rotor, was installed in 2011 at the Hovsore test site in Denmark. The turbine has now operated for well over a year, setting new production records during testing, Siemens notes.

The second 6 MW prototype, which has a 154 meter rotor, was installed in 2012 at the new national test center at Osterild, Denmark. In January, Siemens installed two additional SWT-6.0 prototypes at DONG Energy's demonstration project Gunfleet Sands III. Both machines for this project are equipped with the 120 meter rotor.

GL RC has also been contracted to carry out the type certification of the offshore turbine and is currently involved in the design evaluation process. Type certification is required in many countries around the world and is often a condition necessary to apply for international wind power plant tenders.

Wind farms beneficial: Clean Energy Council

www.abc.net.au
3 Apr 2013

According to recent research conducted by the Clean Energy Council, wind farming has reportedly generated more than $4 billion in investment in Australia since its introduction. Much of this investment has been in rural and regional towns.

A report commissioned by the Council by Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) found that a typical 50 MW wind farm pays host farmers $250,000 per year, is constructed by workers who spend up to $1.2 million locally, and contributes up to $80,000 annually to community projects.

It also shows that each wind farm creates up to 48 direct jobs during construction, and then employs about five staff on an ongoing basis. The council says that in some areas, like Bungendore near Canberra, wind farms have caused the local population to increase. The population there increased by 24% after the Capital wind farm project was established, but many farmers are still not convinced about the benefits.

Rodd Pahl, a farmer from the nearby town of Collector, says the wind towers create too much noise, impact on health and reduce the value of rural land. "Bungendore has grown not because of the wind farm. It's grown because you've got big defence facilities and because it's a great place to live".

The Clean Energy Council says an opinion poll conducted last year found that 77% of Australians support wind farm developments. The poll, conducted by independent research company QDOS, surveyed 1,200 people, including many from areas where wind farms were sited.

Tamil Nadu eyes 5,000 MW more wind power

www.deccanchronicle.com
3 Mar 2013

Chennai: With the revival of the generation based incentive scheme, Tamil Nadu hopes to retain the status of a leading generator of wind power producer by adding 5,000 MW hopes to retain the status of a leading generator of wind power producer by adding 5,000 MW in the next five years.

Constraints in providing power evacuation facilities to the new developers and the scrapping of the GBI scheme drove away potential investors in wind power sectors to other states like Maharastra and Gujarat. Tamil Nadu has the highest installed wind capacity of 7160.1 as on January 31 this year, which accounts for country's 40 total installed wind. Tangedco has an ambitious plan to add wind power capacity of 13,500 MW by 2020.

After achieving an all time capacity addition of 1083 MW in 2011 12, Tamil Nadu has witnessed drastic fall in capacity addition of windmills post GBI with only 173 MW added to the grid as on January 31 this year. During the same period, Maharastra has added 242 MW in the grid while Gujarat has installed 226 MW.

K. Kasturirangan, chairman, Indian Wind Power Association said that the industry added 3196 MW in 2011 12, this year (till January) capacity addition fell to 1200 MW. "The country not only failed to add 1800 MW to the grid, but also lost investment to the tune of '110,800 crore and creation of new employment opportunities", he told DC. He said that during peak windy season, many wind power projects were disconnected from grid, which caused a lot of wastage of power besides a huge backlog in payment of arrears and a low price for the energy produced by windmills were the factors forcing investors to scout other states.

Danish energy gets super-sized: meet the world's largest wind turbine

www.wired.co.uk
2 Mar 2013

When it comes to wind turbines, size matters. Besides air density and wind speed, the most important factor affecting energy yield is the rotor's swept area, where wind flows over the rotor blades. That's why Siemens has built the B75, a record-breaking 75 metre blade. When three of them are combined with a new 6MW turbine, these fibreglass giants will--when the wind blows at the right speed--generate around 65% more energy than Siemens' previous best models.

Weight is crucial--lighter blades allow for less bulk elsewhere in the structure, reducing infrastructure costs. So Siemens' engineers devised a new manufacturing process called IntegralBlade, in which glass-fibre-reinforced epoxy and balsa wood are poured into a single mould, eliminating the need for adhesives or overlapping materials. Cast in one piece, with no weight-adding seams or joints, each blade weighs 25 tonnes--up to 20% lighter than conventional fibreglass blades.

Last summer three B75 blades were transported 320km from Esbjerg, Denmark, to Siemens' offshore test site at Osterild, where their rotations will, when the four-metre-wide hub is included, cover a swept area of 18,600 m²--that's the equivalent of two-and-a-half football pitches, or the wingspan of two Airbus A380s. Scaling up green energy? We're big fans.

London gives offshore wind financial boost

www.upi.com
March. 1, 2013

LONDON, March 1 (UPI)--The British government said it was giving offshore wind power a $3.4 million vote of confidence in a move to drive down costs by 25%.

The British Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency announced it awarded three companies financial support for offshore wind innovations. London said wind power would help advance a low-carbon economy, adding support for innovation would help the country cut the costs of offshore wind by 25% by 2020.

The funding would support High Voltage Partial Discharge Ltd, and JDR Cable Systems Ltd, improve designs for cable systems tied to offshore wind platforms. Principle Power (Europe) Ltd., meanwhile, is working on a floating-platform system that would eliminate the need for seabed foundations.

"This $3.4 million will give three more companies the boost they need to take their innovative designs to the next level, helping cut costs in offshore wind generation, and ultimately helping us harness more power from turbines out at sea", Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said in a statement.

The wind announcement follows a decision by the British government to set aside $30 million to support the development of technology used to exploit marine energy. London said marine energy could meet as much as 20% of nationwide energy demand by 2050.

Texas wind energy sets record; grid expansion planned in Sweetwater area

www.reporternews.com
1 Mar 2013

Texas set a record for the%age of electricity generated by wind power--a staggering 28% of total supply across the state's main grid system--with wind generation providing 9,481 MWs of power at 7:08 p.m. Feb. 9, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Friday.

This surpassed the previous record of 8,667 MW set Jan. 29, when 32.5% of wind integration was recorded, the council said. Twenty-three days in February topped 20% as far as wind integration is concerned.

More than 7,000 of the 9,481 MW on Feb. 9 came from West Texas wind farms. One MW is enough electricity to power about 200 homes during periods when electricity use is highest and about 500 homes during periods of typical consumption.

ERCOT has more than 10,400 MW of commercial wind power capacity, and wind power comprised 9.2% of total energy used in the ERCOT region last year, compared with 8.5% in 2011, according to ERCOT, which manages the grid for the state's total electric load, matching supply and demand for 23 million customers across 40,500 miles of transmission lines.

"What that (%age of wind integration) represents is the highest portion of load served on record by wind power", said Robbie Searcy, spokeswoman for ERCOT. "It tells us at what point in the day wind generation hit its (highest)%age: Wind power can change all throughout the day".

Two new solar power technologies being funded by ARPA-E

oilprice.com
27 Feb 2013

The Solar Vortex is an idea being researched by a consortium led by Georgia Tech, which hopes to imitate the process that creates small twisters in order to drive a turbine.

A twister is created due to the temperature difference between the hot ground, and the cooler air above. The ground heats low level air, which then rises and begins to twist as the cool air above falls around the outside of the twisting column of hot air.

The consortium has created a short cylinder which sits on a dark surface which can absorb and emit a lot of heat. The air is warmed and caused to twist into a vortex by the angled walls. At the top of the cylinder is a fan attached to a generator which is turned by the rotating column of air, creating electricity.

Arne Pearlstein, a professor of mechanical engineering and part of the team working on the Solar Vortex, estimates that the device will produce electricity for 20% cheaper than wind turbines, and 65% cheaper than solar PV panels. This is mainly due to the reduced maintenance costs. "You're talking about somebody getting up on a stepladder instead of going hundreds of meters up into a wind turbine to deal with a gearbox", she said. Another new technology which is being funded by the ARPA-E is the Sunfolding heliostat for concentrating solar plants.

Heliostats are normally large, expensive constructs which must be strong enough to withstand high winds, and sit on a complex tracking system which must be durable enough to operate for years in hot, dusty environments. The sunfolding heliostat is much smaller than normal, meaning that it doesn't need to worry about the wind, and the tracking system has been replaced with two simple air bladders that inflate or deflate to change the angle of the mirror.

By making heliostats cheaper concentrated solar power could soon begin to generate electricity for a cost that is competitive with coal and natural gas.

Wind energy hits new milestone in China

www.hydrogenfuelnews.com
27 Feb 2013

China has been making significant progress toward meeting its sustainability goals through the adoption of renewable energy. The country has become a leader in the global solar power industry, with its presence helping drive down the cost of solar panels in numerous markets around the world.

The country receives only moderate attention for its wind power sector, however, which has reached a major milestone. GTM Media Research, a leading market analysis firm, has announced that China's wind power capacity has reached new heights.

Read More…

GE to increase focus on wind farm investment

www.businessspectator.com.au
27 Feb 2013

Global conglomerate General Electric Co is firmly committed to bankrolling new wind power and other energy projects in Australia, despite community opposition to wind farms, according to The Australian.

GE has significantly increased its exposure to the oil and gas industry over the past two years, but the company's global vice-chairman, John Rice, said GE plans to refocus on infrastructure projects, including "two or three" in Australia.

"We are having discussions with third-party financial institutions about partnering in ways that will help get wind projects developed and other important energy projects", Mr Rice said, according to The Australian.

"There is capital available but it is not coming from the same places (as) before the GFC. A lot of this is done by the European banks. So, if we want to be successful long-term in the infrastructure space, we have to be one of the groups that connects capital with those infrastructure projects. That may involve product development work, which we have done a lot of over time, but his is a new world".

Wannon electorate residents take to solar energy

www.standard.net.au
27 Feb 2013

SOLAR power is on the rise in Wannon, with the electorate now home to 7200 solar-powered houses. Around 20 supporters celebrated the achievement at a barbecue in Portland on Sunday, where the figures were announced. Portland Sustainability Group convenor Peter Reefman said the new figures were a "milestone". "I don't think people realise just how staggering that number is in solar intake", he said. "A lot of people are surprised at just how quickly the solar revolution is happening in the region".

The group revealed 3700 people in Wannon now have solar panels, while 3500 have solar hot water. The Portland barbecue was one of 20 similar events held across the country on the weekend to put solar power on the agenda for September's federal election. Australia now has more than one million houses with solar electricity, and more than half a million households with solar hot water.

Mr Reefman said installing solar hot water could save households an average of $400 $600 a year. Wannon households installing solar power can save upwards of $300 a year, with some saving around $1000 per year. Despite government cuts to solar power rebates within the last year, Mr Reefman said he was positive more Australians would invest in solar technology. "When there's more people in a town with solar power, neighbours are more encouraged to take it up and we are starting to see that in some of the towns in Wannon".

He hopes Parliament will recognise the community's support for sustainable energy when making decisions. "Government support has been reduced so savings are a lot less today, which is one of the reasons why the barbecue took place", Mr Reefman said. "Through people power, we are doing what we can to make sure that governments support and keep supporting solar power".

Federal member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, was unable to attend the barbecue, but met with solar power supporters on Saturday to accept a certificate acknowledging the number of solar homes in the electorate. Members from community campaign group 100% Renewable also attended the Portland event.

Spinning solar cells to be manufactured in Victoria

www.electronicsnews.com.au
25 Feb 2013

SIL Global will be manufacturing V3Solar's spinning conical solar cells at an industrial hub in Victoria. The company has bought a 20 acre site at Thurla Industrial, where it will manufacture the solar cells for the US-based V3Solar. Construction of the plant will start this year. V3Solar's Spin Cells have a spinning conical design which increases the effective photovoltaic surface area for a given footprint, and the US developer claims its products provide improved power delivery.

The ultimate aim is to produce the spin solar cells which will be used in the second stage of a solar generation plant. The SILG plant will have 800,000 spin cell units. According to Thurla Industrial Park developers, a large part of the estate's growth will stem from the solar industry and related sectors.

Alternative energy blowin' in the wind

www.canberratimes.com.au
24 Feb 2013

The federal government's large-scale renewable energy target for 2020 remains unchanged at 41,000 GWs. From a small office in Canberra, billions of dollars worth of wind turbines are being proposed for large slabs of land across the world.

The office is quiet. Several people tap away at their keyboards. A number of the staff are graduates from ACT universities. In a room off to the side are a set of computers 250 times faster than a standard laptop. Two air-conditioners stop the computers overheating. The computers are churning through huge amounts of commercially sensitive data.

Their job is to track the wind. To find out where it blows and where it blows reliably. Sometimes the computers are focused on entire countries at a time. Once the ''hot spots'', as they are called in the wind game, are found, the people move in. Nathan Steggel and Luke Osborne sit just a few metres away from the room. These two men are modern-day prospectors.

They could be the new faces of the energy industry. They have already proven to be novel thinkers in the wind sector. Steggel has a PhD in computational fluid dynamics and is from the United Kingdom. Osborne is an engineer and fifth-generation Bungendore resident. His family owns land not far from Infigen Energy's Capital wind farm.

Once the computers give them the results, they turn up to the place they have mapped from several thousand km away-perhaps to a village in the US or a town in South Africa-to determine whether a wind farm worth hundreds of millions of dollars can be built there. ''Some of these landowners are often blown away by the technology,'' Osborne says.

Then the discussions, and commercial agreements, begin. At the moment their Canberra-based company of 27 staff is too small to finance the building of any wind farm. But the enterprise does everything up until that stage-overseas and in Australia-with other companies taking ownership towards the end.

The company these men are helping to build, Windlab Systems, was started in the territory 10 years ago by former CSIRO scientists who developed its wind-mapping technology. It was launched with about $1 million of seed money from the ACT government and the group now known as the Capital Angels. ''When we started there were four people and we were a consulting services company,'' says Steggel, one of the founders. ''But you can't make a hugely exciting company from consulting.''

Today the enterprise not only chases the wind. It now has 273 MWs (MW) under construction, more than 1500MW permitted and more than 6500MW being proposed globally. Once these projects are complete, they will supply enough power for two million homes.

It puts together development applications and deals with communities surrounding proposed wind farms. This is probably the job few others are eager to do. Australia's history of wind farm development shows it is a polarising topic. It seems communities are mostly angry when they first spot the development applications in the foyers of local council buildings.

Opposition to turbines often turns into outrage. The turbines are labelled eyesores. Nothing but vote-catching contraptions for greenies. Dangerous for birds. They create shadows. They are noisy. There are even claims the turbines adversely affect health (at least one official body, the South Australia's Environmental Protection Agency, which perhaps deals with more of these complaints than counterparts in other states, has rejected the health claim).

In November, it was reported that EnergyAustralia told the Climate Change Authority it was concerned community opposition to wind power could make Australia's renewable energy target difficult to achieve.

The federal government's large-scale renewable energy target for 2020 remains unchanged at 41,000 GWs. The ACT government is aiming for 90% use of renewable energy by 2020. About 80% of this would have to be achieved by wind power, according to an Environment and Sustainable Development report. The same report also outlines the territory government's aims to source this power from the Canberra region.

Osborne, Windlab Systems's chief operating officer, says he would like to see green power traded into the ACT market from other states. In other words, this would mean the territory would buy power from other Windlab Systems-related projects, thereby creating more business for Windlab Systems.

Osborne says this would meet the government's agenda of supporting the ACT green energy sector-because Windlab Systems is the only wind power company in Canberra-and would also help the government meet the ''ambitious'' 90% renewable target within seven years. Steggel, Osborne and their colleagues are pioneering other ways to expand the use of wind turbines to create more clean power. In particular, they are coming up with new ways to quell community discontent: a vital aim if the wind sector is to have a mainstream future.

One way to make communities more welcoming is to offer landowners surrounding the turbines shares in the project: so-called ''direct ownership''. Already it has been done at one Windlab Systems-led project in Victoria. The company has done something similar in Nebraska, where all members of a landowners' association were given the opportunity to buy shares. ''It recognises communities,'' Osborne says. ''The landowners take part in some of the decision making, they get information much quicker.''

Traditionally, financial rewards have stayed on the same side of the fence as the turbines. The property owner received rent, usually a generous amount due to the scale of the developments, for the land. Another way of getting locals onside is to put money into community trusts. In South Africa, where huge expanses of wind farms are being built as part of its government's own push for renewable energy, Windlab Systems is heavily involved in up to $4 billion of projects.

At one project, Windlab Systems created community trusts which would result in local groups receiving an estimated $1 million a year for education and social development. This is a large figure for many of the poor communities surrounding these wind farms in South Africa. The sum of $1 million or so a year makes up 5% of dividends for the wind farm. A squall for anyone who doubts the money to be made in the emerging wind power sector.