in.reuters.com
17 Jun 2012
Investors in the world's first floating wind turbine are seeking European Union funding to build five more off the coast of Portugal following the success of initial testing of the device. The wind power generator, which cost 20 million euros ($25.3 million), floats over deep ocean waters, unlike previous offshore wind farms built in shallow waters and attached to the ocean floor.
EDP and Seattle-based Principle Power, partners in the project, said the pilot produced 1.7 GWs of energy per hour (GWh) on average since its blades started turning six months ago, enough to supply power to 1,300 families. "This was a great success, our calculations have proved right, and the unit performed as predicted. But this was a conservative design. Next time we will be more optimistic", Principle Power Chief Executive Alla Weinstein told Reuters.
The pilot sits six km off the coast of the windy town of Povoa do Varzim, close to Porto in northern Portugal. It is 54 metres tall and weighs 1,200 tonnes, with a turbine from Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems and backup from Repsol and other local partners. Its capacity at 2 MWs (MW) is just below the average of offshore wind turbines in Europe, which was 3.6 MW at end-2011, according to the European Wind Energy Association. Construction of a bigger wind farm park now awaits EU funding.
"We have applied for a European Commission funding scheme that creates a tariff-like funding mechanism when you produce energy. It is provided through the monetisation of carbon credits", Weinstein said. Construction and testing would then commence on a larger scale. "After the prototypes are fully tested, we start with the commercial phase in two years' time, with the objective of starting to have some return on the investment", Pedro Valverde, the project manager at EDP, said.
The first wind turbine is connected to the grid through cables that run on the ocean floor and are linked to an onshore sub-station. If the distances are much greater than 6 km, the plan is to build mid-ocean substations. "These electrical cables are relatively inexpensive", Valverde said. Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva told reporters at a presentation of the first results of the pilot test, "We can't help but feel a bit proud about being in the front line in renewable energy. This must be a priority for Europe if it wants to reach its 2020 (carbon reduction) goals".
Monday, 25 June 2012
Japan approves 2 reactor restarts, more seen ahead
www.reuters.com
16 Jun 2012
TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters)-Japan on Saturday approved the resumption of nuclear power operations at two reactors despite mass public opposition, the first to come back on line after they were all shut down following the Fukushima crisis. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, his popularity ratings sagging, had backed the restarts for some time. He announced the government's decision at a meeting with keep ministers, giving the go-ahead to two reactors operated by Kansai Electric Power Co at Ohi in western Japan.
The decision, despite public concerns over safety after the big earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant, could open the door to more restarts among Japan's 50 nuclear power reactors. "There is no such thing as a perfect score when it comes to disaster prevention steps", Trade Minister Yukio Edano told a news conference after the announcement. "But, based on what we learned from the Fukushima accident, those measures that need to be taken urgently have been addressed, and the level of safety has been considerably enhanced (at the Ohi plant)", he said.
Edano, who holds the energy portfolio, said the government policy to reduce Japan's dependence on nuclear power in the medium-to long-term was unchanged despite the decision. The decision is a victory for Japan's still-powerful nuclear industry and reflects Noda's concerns about damage to the economy if atomic energy is abandoned following the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
The push to restart the two Ohi reactors, before a potential summer power crunch, also underscores the premier's eagerness to win backing from businesses worried about high electricity costs that could push factories offshore. Kansai electric says it will take six weeks to get both reactors running fully. But the decision risks a backlash from a public deeply concerned about nuclear safety. As many as 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside Noda's office on Friday night amid a heavy police presence to denounce the restarts, urging the premier to step down and shouting "Lives matter more than the economy".
Noda's own future is murky as he struggles to hold his fractious party together after cutting a deal with opposition rivals to double Japan's sales tax to 10% by 2015. "I imagine there will be a fair number of (reactor) restarts by next year. The government under Noda is surprisingly eager", said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University's Japan campus. nuclear power supplied almost 30% of electricity needs before the March 2011 disaster, which triggered meltdowns at Fukushima, spewing radiation and forcing mass evacuations.
The accident destroyed public belief in the "safety myth" promoted by Japanese nuclear power advocates for decades. Activists have collected more than 7.5 million signatures on a petition urging an end to atomic power. Protesters have poured into the street almost daily over the past week. All 50 reactors were shut down for maintenance or safety checks in the months since the accident. The government had placed a priority on gaining the approval of local communities for the Ohi restarts to avert July-August power shortages. Critics say the government was too hasty in signing off on the restarts, especially given delays in setting up a new, more independent nuclear regulatory agency.
Tattered Trust
Public trust in regulators was tattered by evidence that cosy ties with utilities were a key reason Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power Co was unprepared for the tsunami, and subsequent signs that relations remain far too snug. Parliament's lower house on Friday approved legislation to create a new atomic regulator, but getting it up and running will take months. That could force the government to go slower on restarts, though some politicians are keen to forge ahead. "We can no longer go back to a life that depends on candles", ruling party heavyweight Yoshito Sengoku said in an interview with the Sankei newspaper this week.
The Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, the current watchdog, has approved stress tests for Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc's 890 MW No.3 reactor in Ikata, southern Japan. Next on the list for possible approval are two Hokkaido Electric Power reactors in Tomari, northern Japan and Hokuriku Electric's two in Shika, western Japan. "Basically he (Noda) doesn't want to wait but,.. it would attract criticism so the government would be cautious if they are clever", said Hiroshi Takahashi, a Fujitsu Research Institute fellow and member of a panel advising the government on energy policies.
16 Jun 2012
- Restarts would be first after Fukushima disaster
- Japan's policy to reduce nulcear dependence intact-trade min
- Nuclear safety considerably enhanced after Fukushima-trade min
TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters)-Japan on Saturday approved the resumption of nuclear power operations at two reactors despite mass public opposition, the first to come back on line after they were all shut down following the Fukushima crisis. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, his popularity ratings sagging, had backed the restarts for some time. He announced the government's decision at a meeting with keep ministers, giving the go-ahead to two reactors operated by Kansai Electric Power Co at Ohi in western Japan.
The decision, despite public concerns over safety after the big earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant, could open the door to more restarts among Japan's 50 nuclear power reactors. "There is no such thing as a perfect score when it comes to disaster prevention steps", Trade Minister Yukio Edano told a news conference after the announcement. "But, based on what we learned from the Fukushima accident, those measures that need to be taken urgently have been addressed, and the level of safety has been considerably enhanced (at the Ohi plant)", he said.
Edano, who holds the energy portfolio, said the government policy to reduce Japan's dependence on nuclear power in the medium-to long-term was unchanged despite the decision. The decision is a victory for Japan's still-powerful nuclear industry and reflects Noda's concerns about damage to the economy if atomic energy is abandoned following the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
The push to restart the two Ohi reactors, before a potential summer power crunch, also underscores the premier's eagerness to win backing from businesses worried about high electricity costs that could push factories offshore. Kansai electric says it will take six weeks to get both reactors running fully. But the decision risks a backlash from a public deeply concerned about nuclear safety. As many as 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside Noda's office on Friday night amid a heavy police presence to denounce the restarts, urging the premier to step down and shouting "Lives matter more than the economy".
Noda's own future is murky as he struggles to hold his fractious party together after cutting a deal with opposition rivals to double Japan's sales tax to 10% by 2015. "I imagine there will be a fair number of (reactor) restarts by next year. The government under Noda is surprisingly eager", said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University's Japan campus. nuclear power supplied almost 30% of electricity needs before the March 2011 disaster, which triggered meltdowns at Fukushima, spewing radiation and forcing mass evacuations.
The accident destroyed public belief in the "safety myth" promoted by Japanese nuclear power advocates for decades. Activists have collected more than 7.5 million signatures on a petition urging an end to atomic power. Protesters have poured into the street almost daily over the past week. All 50 reactors were shut down for maintenance or safety checks in the months since the accident. The government had placed a priority on gaining the approval of local communities for the Ohi restarts to avert July-August power shortages. Critics say the government was too hasty in signing off on the restarts, especially given delays in setting up a new, more independent nuclear regulatory agency.
Tattered Trust
Public trust in regulators was tattered by evidence that cosy ties with utilities were a key reason Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power Co was unprepared for the tsunami, and subsequent signs that relations remain far too snug. Parliament's lower house on Friday approved legislation to create a new atomic regulator, but getting it up and running will take months. That could force the government to go slower on restarts, though some politicians are keen to forge ahead. "We can no longer go back to a life that depends on candles", ruling party heavyweight Yoshito Sengoku said in an interview with the Sankei newspaper this week.
The Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, the current watchdog, has approved stress tests for Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc's 890 MW No.3 reactor in Ikata, southern Japan. Next on the list for possible approval are two Hokkaido Electric Power reactors in Tomari, northern Japan and Hokuriku Electric's two in Shika, western Japan. "Basically he (Noda) doesn't want to wait but,.. it would attract criticism so the government would be cautious if they are clever", said Hiroshi Takahashi, a Fujitsu Research Institute fellow and member of a panel advising the government on energy policies.
New wind farms raise New Zealand's renewable energy generation
www.power-eng.com
16 Jun 2012
Wind power is on course to supply 20% on New Zealand's electricity by 2030, compared with just 5% now, industry experts said Friday on the announcements of two major new wind power projects. State-owned power company Meridian Energy announced it would start construction on a 26 turbine, 60 MW wind farm at Mill Creek, north of Wellington, in the next two months, to be completed in mid 2014. "At an estimated 169 million NZ dollars (132.36 million U.S, dollars) to construct and with an annual average operating cost of 3.3 million NZ dollars, Mill Creek is a very strong commercial proposition", Meridian Energy chief executive Mark Binns said in a statement.
Meridian Energy's wind development team had taken advantage of a number of external factors, including the strong New Zealand dollar, an easing of steel prices and highly competitive turbine technology and construction industries, he said. The Mill Creek wind farm would be situated near existing Meridian Energy wind farm West Wind. "The project will extend the contribution of renewable energy from the city to the wider Wellington region. Between West Wind and Mill Creek we will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 100,000 average New Zealand homes".
Mill Creek would produce on average 235 MW hours of power per year, enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 average New Zealand homes. Friday, which was Global Wind Day, also marked the opening of the country's newest wind farm, the 7.65 MW Mount Stuart wind farm in the South Island's Clutha district. New Zealand Wind Energy Association chief executive Eric Pyle said the two projects reinforced wind power as a cost effective form of generation and an attractive investment.
"From the point of view of an investor, the major advantages of wind farms are that they can be built quickly and sized to fit both the developer's strategy and market requirements", Pyle said in a statement. Wind energy had grown over 25% a year over the last few years to supply about 5% of New Zealand's electricity, and was likely to be supplying 20% by 2030, said Pyle.
Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said the role of wind power for electricity generation was steadily increasing. "Unlike many countries, New Zealand's wind power does not require subsidies. It is one of the cheapest sources of generation for New Zealand to develop", Heatley said in a statement. "Renewables already play a significant role in our energy mix with 77% of New Zealand's electricity coming from renewable sources last year. The government has a target of 90% by 2025". About 2,400 MWs of other wind projects were already approved, Heatley said.
16 Jun 2012
Wind power is on course to supply 20% on New Zealand's electricity by 2030, compared with just 5% now, industry experts said Friday on the announcements of two major new wind power projects. State-owned power company Meridian Energy announced it would start construction on a 26 turbine, 60 MW wind farm at Mill Creek, north of Wellington, in the next two months, to be completed in mid 2014. "At an estimated 169 million NZ dollars (132.36 million U.S, dollars) to construct and with an annual average operating cost of 3.3 million NZ dollars, Mill Creek is a very strong commercial proposition", Meridian Energy chief executive Mark Binns said in a statement.
Meridian Energy's wind development team had taken advantage of a number of external factors, including the strong New Zealand dollar, an easing of steel prices and highly competitive turbine technology and construction industries, he said. The Mill Creek wind farm would be situated near existing Meridian Energy wind farm West Wind. "The project will extend the contribution of renewable energy from the city to the wider Wellington region. Between West Wind and Mill Creek we will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 100,000 average New Zealand homes".
Mill Creek would produce on average 235 MW hours of power per year, enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 average New Zealand homes. Friday, which was Global Wind Day, also marked the opening of the country's newest wind farm, the 7.65 MW Mount Stuart wind farm in the South Island's Clutha district. New Zealand Wind Energy Association chief executive Eric Pyle said the two projects reinforced wind power as a cost effective form of generation and an attractive investment.
"From the point of view of an investor, the major advantages of wind farms are that they can be built quickly and sized to fit both the developer's strategy and market requirements", Pyle said in a statement. Wind energy had grown over 25% a year over the last few years to supply about 5% of New Zealand's electricity, and was likely to be supplying 20% by 2030, said Pyle.
Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said the role of wind power for electricity generation was steadily increasing. "Unlike many countries, New Zealand's wind power does not require subsidies. It is one of the cheapest sources of generation for New Zealand to develop", Heatley said in a statement. "Renewables already play a significant role in our energy mix with 77% of New Zealand's electricity coming from renewable sources last year. The government has a target of 90% by 2025". About 2,400 MWs of other wind projects were already approved, Heatley said.
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Renewable Energy Systems may buy shares in offshore wind parks
www.bloomberg.com
15 Jun 2012
Renewable Energy Systems Ltd., a U.K, clean-power developer, may buy stakes in offshore wind projects as European governments seek to attract investment into the industry to curb carbon emissions and secure supply. "Our participation in investment in offshore projects in the future is an interesting area strategically that we'll look to get into", Chris Morgan, chief executive officer of the company's RES Southern Cross Offshore unit, said in an interview in London.
European countries are seeking to boost offshore wind even as they struggle to finance power-generating turbines, which cost about 3 million pounds ($4.7 million) a MW to build. The U.K, plans to lure pension and insurance money, after Danish and Dutch retirement funds took stakes in wind parks. RES Southern Cross Offshore offers development, engineering, construction and project management services for wind farms at sea, as well as project operations and maintenance, Morgan said. "In due course we'd very much like to be an investor in projects", he said, with the company taking minority stakes in ventures.
The RES Southern Cross unit has won the rights to develop a 500 MW offshore wind park off the coast of Brittany with Iberdrola SA and its other developments include working with U.K, utility Centrica Plc (CNA) on a 4.2 GW project in the Irish Sea. The industry has potential beyond the balance sheets of utilities and will need other investors, Morgan said. The U.K, plans 18 GWs of capacity by 2020 and Germany 10 GWs. France began a 6 GW program rolled out in the next decade.
RES Southern Cross, based in Hertfordshire, England, is also interested in developing offshore wind in the US, which currently hasn't any turbines at sea, Morgan said. The company has delivered more than 6.5 GWs of wind power in the UK, Ireland, France and Scandinavia and owns 750 MWs of onshore generation.
15 Jun 2012
Renewable Energy Systems Ltd., a U.K, clean-power developer, may buy stakes in offshore wind projects as European governments seek to attract investment into the industry to curb carbon emissions and secure supply. "Our participation in investment in offshore projects in the future is an interesting area strategically that we'll look to get into", Chris Morgan, chief executive officer of the company's RES Southern Cross Offshore unit, said in an interview in London.
European countries are seeking to boost offshore wind even as they struggle to finance power-generating turbines, which cost about 3 million pounds ($4.7 million) a MW to build. The U.K, plans to lure pension and insurance money, after Danish and Dutch retirement funds took stakes in wind parks. RES Southern Cross Offshore offers development, engineering, construction and project management services for wind farms at sea, as well as project operations and maintenance, Morgan said. "In due course we'd very much like to be an investor in projects", he said, with the company taking minority stakes in ventures.
The RES Southern Cross unit has won the rights to develop a 500 MW offshore wind park off the coast of Brittany with Iberdrola SA and its other developments include working with U.K, utility Centrica Plc (CNA) on a 4.2 GW project in the Irish Sea. The industry has potential beyond the balance sheets of utilities and will need other investors, Morgan said. The U.K, plans 18 GWs of capacity by 2020 and Germany 10 GWs. France began a 6 GW program rolled out in the next decade.
RES Southern Cross, based in Hertfordshire, England, is also interested in developing offshore wind in the US, which currently hasn't any turbines at sea, Morgan said. The company has delivered more than 6.5 GWs of wind power in the UK, Ireland, France and Scandinavia and owns 750 MWs of onshore generation.
Vestas grabs wind turbines order for Putian Hanjiang Baihe wind park
www.whatsonxiamen.com
12 Jun 2012
Vestas Wind Systems has received another order consisting of 24 units of the V90 2.0 MW turbine from China's largest developer, Long¥. This order from Long¥ follows a previous order for the Qiulu wind park earlier this year, and is solid proof of confidence in Vestas Wind Systems' V90 2.0 MW turbine's performance in the coastal areas with complex wind conditions. The turbines will be installed in the Hanjiang Baihe wind park in Putian County, Fujian Province.
The Baihe wind park is located in the south Asian tropical maritime climatic area, 12 km from the coast with an annual average wind speed of only 7 m/s at 80 metres height, but with occasional strong winds. Vestas Wind Systems' V90 2.0 MW turbines are not only able to deliver a high output under low wind conditions, but are able to withstand the strong winds and are therefore the preferred choice for the customer. Vestas Wind Systems has repeatedly verified the business case which was eventually presented to the customer by conducting thorough wind resource analyses several times in order to substantiate the performance and reliability of the V90 2.0 MW turbine.
Vestas Wind Systems China President Jens Tommerup says, "Vestas Wind Systems started to develop projects together with Long¥ in 2004 and we have since then further developed our offerings. Given our strong track record with the V80 2.0 MW turbines, we are pleased to have won the second Long¥ project using our V90 turbines, which are specifically equipped with a yaw backup system that enhances the protection of the turbines during typhoons. Upon completion of this project, our installed base with Long¥, China's most experienced developer, will have reached almost 330 MW in Fujian province".
The order includes supply of wind turbines, installation supervision and commissioning, a Vestas Wind Systems Online(R) SCADA system and a 3 year service and maintenance agreement.
Read More…
12 Jun 2012
Vestas Wind Systems has received another order consisting of 24 units of the V90 2.0 MW turbine from China's largest developer, Long¥. This order from Long¥ follows a previous order for the Qiulu wind park earlier this year, and is solid proof of confidence in Vestas Wind Systems' V90 2.0 MW turbine's performance in the coastal areas with complex wind conditions. The turbines will be installed in the Hanjiang Baihe wind park in Putian County, Fujian Province.
The Baihe wind park is located in the south Asian tropical maritime climatic area, 12 km from the coast with an annual average wind speed of only 7 m/s at 80 metres height, but with occasional strong winds. Vestas Wind Systems' V90 2.0 MW turbines are not only able to deliver a high output under low wind conditions, but are able to withstand the strong winds and are therefore the preferred choice for the customer. Vestas Wind Systems has repeatedly verified the business case which was eventually presented to the customer by conducting thorough wind resource analyses several times in order to substantiate the performance and reliability of the V90 2.0 MW turbine.
Vestas Wind Systems China President Jens Tommerup says, "Vestas Wind Systems started to develop projects together with Long¥ in 2004 and we have since then further developed our offerings. Given our strong track record with the V80 2.0 MW turbines, we are pleased to have won the second Long¥ project using our V90 turbines, which are specifically equipped with a yaw backup system that enhances the protection of the turbines during typhoons. Upon completion of this project, our installed base with Long¥, China's most experienced developer, will have reached almost 330 MW in Fujian province".
The order includes supply of wind turbines, installation supervision and commissioning, a Vestas Wind Systems Online(R) SCADA system and a 3 year service and maintenance agreement.
Read More…
$257 billion invested in renewable energy in 2011
news.brisbanetimes.com.au
12 Jun 2012
Global investment in renewable energy reached a record of $257 billion last year, with solar attracting more than half the total spending, according to a UN report released Monday. Investment in solar power surged to $147 billion in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 52% thanks to strong demand for rooftop photovoltaic installations in Germany, Italy, China and Britain.
Large-scale solar thermal installations in Spain and the United States also contributed to growth during a fiercely competitive year for the solar industry. Several large American and German manufacturers fell victim to price pressure from Chinese rivals that helped to halve the cost of photovoltaic modules in 2011. The report's authors said the demise of companies such as Solyndra, Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, Solar Millenium and Solon AG was a sign that the solar industry is maturing. "In 1903, the United States had over 500 car companies, most of which quickly fell by the wayside even as the automobile sector grew into an industrial juggernaut", the report said. "Today, the renewable energy sector is experiencing similar growing pains as the sector consolidates".
China was responsible for almost a fifth of the total investment volume, spending $52 billion on renewable energy last year. The United States was close behind with investments of $51 billion, as developers sought to benefit from government incentive programs before they expired. Germany, Italy and India rounded out the top five. Wind power investment slipped 12% to $84 billion due to uncertainty about energy policy in Europe and fewer new installations in China, according to the report.
Overall investment in renewable energy grew 17%, a slowdown from the 37% increase seen in 2010. Still, the head of the UN Environment Program claimed the latest figures were an indication that renewable energy is drawing level with fossil fuels in some markets. "These trends are real, they are substantive and they are transformative", Achim Steiner told reporters in a conference call.
The UN is hoping that countries will use an environmental summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week to commit to further investments in renewable energy, which covered just 16.7% of global energy consumption in 2010. Of this share, modern technologies such as solar and wind accounted for just 8.2%, less than the 8.5% contributed by biomass.
By comparison, more than 80% of electricity consumed worldwide still comes from fossil fuels that are blamed for a rise in carbon in the atmosphere. The UN report claims that solar panels installed in Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Australia can now compete with the retail cost of electricity in those countries, even as government feed-in subsidies are lowered. It noted that developing countries were also exploring the use of renewable energy other than hydroelectric, which has long been a popular source in poor countries.
Nations in East Africa are seeking to take advantage of the abundant geothermal capacity in the Rift Valley region. Kenya aims to meet half of its electricity needs with geothermal power by 2018. Djibouti, Eritrea, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are also exploring geothermal use.
12 Jun 2012
Global investment in renewable energy reached a record of $257 billion last year, with solar attracting more than half the total spending, according to a UN report released Monday. Investment in solar power surged to $147 billion in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 52% thanks to strong demand for rooftop photovoltaic installations in Germany, Italy, China and Britain.
Large-scale solar thermal installations in Spain and the United States also contributed to growth during a fiercely competitive year for the solar industry. Several large American and German manufacturers fell victim to price pressure from Chinese rivals that helped to halve the cost of photovoltaic modules in 2011. The report's authors said the demise of companies such as Solyndra, Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, Solar Millenium and Solon AG was a sign that the solar industry is maturing. "In 1903, the United States had over 500 car companies, most of which quickly fell by the wayside even as the automobile sector grew into an industrial juggernaut", the report said. "Today, the renewable energy sector is experiencing similar growing pains as the sector consolidates".
China was responsible for almost a fifth of the total investment volume, spending $52 billion on renewable energy last year. The United States was close behind with investments of $51 billion, as developers sought to benefit from government incentive programs before they expired. Germany, Italy and India rounded out the top five. Wind power investment slipped 12% to $84 billion due to uncertainty about energy policy in Europe and fewer new installations in China, according to the report.
Overall investment in renewable energy grew 17%, a slowdown from the 37% increase seen in 2010. Still, the head of the UN Environment Program claimed the latest figures were an indication that renewable energy is drawing level with fossil fuels in some markets. "These trends are real, they are substantive and they are transformative", Achim Steiner told reporters in a conference call.
The UN is hoping that countries will use an environmental summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week to commit to further investments in renewable energy, which covered just 16.7% of global energy consumption in 2010. Of this share, modern technologies such as solar and wind accounted for just 8.2%, less than the 8.5% contributed by biomass.
By comparison, more than 80% of electricity consumed worldwide still comes from fossil fuels that are blamed for a rise in carbon in the atmosphere. The UN report claims that solar panels installed in Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Australia can now compete with the retail cost of electricity in those countries, even as government feed-in subsidies are lowered. It noted that developing countries were also exploring the use of renewable energy other than hydroelectric, which has long been a popular source in poor countries.
Nations in East Africa are seeking to take advantage of the abundant geothermal capacity in the Rift Valley region. Kenya aims to meet half of its electricity needs with geothermal power by 2018. Djibouti, Eritrea, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are also exploring geothermal use.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Survey reveals overwhelming community support for wind farms
www.standard.net.au
12 Jun 2012
COMMUNITY surveys by the Clean Energy Council show more than three-quarters of respondents support continued development of wind farms. Two-thirds of the 1200 people surveyed across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales believed a farmer's right to generate income from their land was more important than a resident's right to a view without wind turbines.
More than 7 out of 10 said farmers should be able to do what they wanted with their land. A total of 41% said it was unlikely wind farms would create health problems for people living nearby and 18% said it was very unlikely. In another question response, 83% predicted health concerns would turn out to be nothing to worry about. The results were released by the lobby group as community debate continues about alleged health effects on people living near wind farms and environmental impacts, with the latest protests centred around a proposed 233 turbine wind farm near Penshurst.
According to the Clean Energy Council, which represents renewable energy companies, 25% of interviewees were from south-west Victoria, with much of the region's polling done around Macarthur and Port Fairy districts. A quarter of the participants were from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, while the rest lived near wind farms zones. Results also showed 77% of respondents felt local communities and land owners should be able to make their own decisions about hosting wind farms, without interference from state politicians, and 49% felt some objectors were motivated by jealousy after missing out on income for hosting wind farm towers.
The council's policy director Russell Marsh said survey results showed how anti-wind farm activists were out of step with most of the community. "They don't mention the thousands of local people that have been employed by wind power", he said. "They don't mention the hundreds of farmers for whom wind turbines have been the difference between staying on the land and selling up.
"And they certainly don't mention the tens of millions of dollars that have been pumped into regional communities, helping sustain those areas missed by the mining boom". Mr Marsh said the Australian wind industry was committed to being as transparent and supportive as possible towards communities and appreciate concerns. "There are obviously real issues that will continue be debated", he said. "As with any new infrastructure there will always be some people who respond to wind farms with anger or anxiety".
12 Jun 2012
COMMUNITY surveys by the Clean Energy Council show more than three-quarters of respondents support continued development of wind farms. Two-thirds of the 1200 people surveyed across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales believed a farmer's right to generate income from their land was more important than a resident's right to a view without wind turbines.
More than 7 out of 10 said farmers should be able to do what they wanted with their land. A total of 41% said it was unlikely wind farms would create health problems for people living nearby and 18% said it was very unlikely. In another question response, 83% predicted health concerns would turn out to be nothing to worry about. The results were released by the lobby group as community debate continues about alleged health effects on people living near wind farms and environmental impacts, with the latest protests centred around a proposed 233 turbine wind farm near Penshurst.
According to the Clean Energy Council, which represents renewable energy companies, 25% of interviewees were from south-west Victoria, with much of the region's polling done around Macarthur and Port Fairy districts. A quarter of the participants were from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, while the rest lived near wind farms zones. Results also showed 77% of respondents felt local communities and land owners should be able to make their own decisions about hosting wind farms, without interference from state politicians, and 49% felt some objectors were motivated by jealousy after missing out on income for hosting wind farm towers.
The council's policy director Russell Marsh said survey results showed how anti-wind farm activists were out of step with most of the community. "They don't mention the thousands of local people that have been employed by wind power", he said. "They don't mention the hundreds of farmers for whom wind turbines have been the difference between staying on the land and selling up.
"And they certainly don't mention the tens of millions of dollars that have been pumped into regional communities, helping sustain those areas missed by the mining boom". Mr Marsh said the Australian wind industry was committed to being as transparent and supportive as possible towards communities and appreciate concerns. "There are obviously real issues that will continue be debated", he said. "As with any new infrastructure there will always be some people who respond to wind farms with anger or anxiety".
Turbines arrive for Bull Hill wind site; advocates say wind farms great for state’s economy
bangordailynews.com
12 Jun 2012
SEARSPORT, Maine--Workers unloading wind turbine components Tuesday morning at the Mack Point industrial port looked like busy ants as they toiled near the giant cylinders that will become the towers for the Bull Hill Wind Project in Hancock County. The $76 million project, developed by First Wind and expected to be completed in November, will include 19 turbines built on about 100 acres in Township 16 MD near Eastbrook. It should generate 34 MWs of power, or enough electricity for 18,000 homes.
And it's a good example of the way that wind projects add to the local and statewide economies, according to proud officials from First Wind, general contractor Reed & Reed and Sprague Energy, which runs the terminal. "We can't stress enough the economic benefits of these projects", Pat DeFilipp of Reed & Reed said at a wind-buffeted press conference on the bulk dock. "We'll spend 150,000 work hours on this project. That's several million dollars worth of payroll".
Behind him, the tower components that came from Denmark were gently raised off the cargo ship and then lowered onto flathed trucks. They'll be stored at Mack Point until the 165 foot-long turbine blades from Colorado are shipped to Maine by rail. Then, when the parts are all together, they will make the trek across Waldo and Hancock counties to the Bull Hill site for assembly. Members of the Land Use Regulation Commission unanimously voted in October--with one abstention--to give the green light for Maine's largest wind power company to build the rural Hancock County wind farm. It will be First Wind's fifth project in Maine.
Read More…
12 Jun 2012
SEARSPORT, Maine--Workers unloading wind turbine components Tuesday morning at the Mack Point industrial port looked like busy ants as they toiled near the giant cylinders that will become the towers for the Bull Hill Wind Project in Hancock County. The $76 million project, developed by First Wind and expected to be completed in November, will include 19 turbines built on about 100 acres in Township 16 MD near Eastbrook. It should generate 34 MWs of power, or enough electricity for 18,000 homes.
And it's a good example of the way that wind projects add to the local and statewide economies, according to proud officials from First Wind, general contractor Reed & Reed and Sprague Energy, which runs the terminal. "We can't stress enough the economic benefits of these projects", Pat DeFilipp of Reed & Reed said at a wind-buffeted press conference on the bulk dock. "We'll spend 150,000 work hours on this project. That's several million dollars worth of payroll".
Behind him, the tower components that came from Denmark were gently raised off the cargo ship and then lowered onto flathed trucks. They'll be stored at Mack Point until the 165 foot-long turbine blades from Colorado are shipped to Maine by rail. Then, when the parts are all together, they will make the trek across Waldo and Hancock counties to the Bull Hill site for assembly. Members of the Land Use Regulation Commission unanimously voted in October--with one abstention--to give the green light for Maine's largest wind power company to build the rural Hancock County wind farm. It will be First Wind's fifth project in Maine.
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Solar win for AGL is loss for Moree
theland.farmonline.com.au
11 Jun 2012
THE federal government has switched its support for large-scale solar power away from a Spanish-backed venture, deciding to grant $130 million to rival AGL Energy venture. The Australian Financial Review reported Resources Minister Martin Ferguson announced the grant to AGL Energy and partner FirstSolar on Saturday in the revised tender for the government's $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program. The partners are planning to build a $450 million,159 MW solar photovoltaic project at two NSW sites in Broken Hill and Nyngan. The decision means the future is highly uncertain for the $923 million solar project at Moree in northern NSW, which was to receive $306 million of federal funding.
Mr Ferguson reopened the grant tender in February after the Moree venture, led by Spain's Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and Pacific Hydro, missed a deadline. FRV resubmitted its bid, as did the three other shortlisted projects, by AGL Energy, TRUEnergy and an Infigen Energy Suntech Power consortium. But Mr Ferguson said the AGL Energy project "had the highest level of merit" in terms of value for money, low risk and commercial viability, which is assured by AGL Energy's binding contract to buy the power. The revised grant means Canberra has slashed its spending in this round of the Solar Flagship program. Mr Ferguson said the sharp drop in the cost of solar cells meant taxpayers' money could be spread further.
11 Jun 2012
THE federal government has switched its support for large-scale solar power away from a Spanish-backed venture, deciding to grant $130 million to rival AGL Energy venture. The Australian Financial Review reported Resources Minister Martin Ferguson announced the grant to AGL Energy and partner FirstSolar on Saturday in the revised tender for the government's $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program. The partners are planning to build a $450 million,159 MW solar photovoltaic project at two NSW sites in Broken Hill and Nyngan. The decision means the future is highly uncertain for the $923 million solar project at Moree in northern NSW, which was to receive $306 million of federal funding.
Mr Ferguson reopened the grant tender in February after the Moree venture, led by Spain's Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and Pacific Hydro, missed a deadline. FRV resubmitted its bid, as did the three other shortlisted projects, by AGL Energy, TRUEnergy and an Infigen Energy Suntech Power consortium. But Mr Ferguson said the AGL Energy project "had the highest level of merit" in terms of value for money, low risk and commercial viability, which is assured by AGL Energy's binding contract to buy the power. The revised grant means Canberra has slashed its spending in this round of the Solar Flagship program. Mr Ferguson said the sharp drop in the cost of solar cells meant taxpayers' money could be spread further.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Broken Hill will host one half of the largest solar energy project in the southern hemisphere, it was announced today.
www.abc.net.au
9 Jun 2012
The $450 million project will have an ultimate output of 159 MWs, enough to power 33,000 homes, and will be constructed across two sites; Broken Hill and Nyngan. The Broken Hill site will consist of nearly a million solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) panels and will be built to the west of the city. Construction is hoped to begin in 2014 and is expected to bring 150 jobs to Broken Hill and a further 300 to Nyngan. The solar farm is expected to be operating by 2015 and is a joint venture between the Federal and State Governments and Australian energy company AGL Energy.
"The Commonwealth will contribute $170 million and the NSW Government will contribute $65 million", Minister for Energy and Resources, Martin Ferguson said this morning. "Form the Australian Government's point of view, this is a very substantial project. "This go ahead to the project in Nyngan and Broken Hill is very very significant to the solar PV industry and also it represents a substantial statement by the Australian Government, not only in support of renewable energy but in our confidence of the development of the solar industry in Australia".
Minster Ferguson said a recent drop in the price of solar panels from places such as China meant the overall cost of the project, and therefore the government contribution, was reduced significantly. The Mayor of Broken Hill Wincen Cuy says the project will provide a welcome boost to the local economy. "It's an absolutely fabulous announcement for Broken Hill. "150 jobs (and), I'm lead to believe, somewhere between 150 and 200 million dollars invested into the community. "It's a great opportunity for Broken Hill to be, once again, put on the national stage as an innovator and a place to be and a place to come to work".
AGL Energy is also involved in the significant Silverton wind farm project just north of Broken Hill and Mayor Cuy says the city is now well on the way to being known as the renewable energies centre of Australia. "Broken Hill has been famed for the resources that it's been able to produce over the last 130 odd years. "Now we could d become the renewable capitol energy of Australia, how good would that be?" A spokesperson for AGL Energy says today's announcement represents the largest solar farm project Australia has ever seen. "The scale of these farms is impressive by any measure. "The total output of these farms is 159 MWs and to get that done we... are going to have to install about 2.5 million panels.
"Together with the Federal Government, the NSW Government and our partners FirstSolar, we'll be investing a total of close to half a billion dollars in these regional economies of Nyngan and Broken Hill". AGL Energy says the Broken Hill and Nyngan developments are important to the entire renewable energies industry. "It's important because at some point this decade, probably late this decade, it is possible that solar will supplant wind as the cheapest form of renewable generation".
9 Jun 2012
The $450 million project will have an ultimate output of 159 MWs, enough to power 33,000 homes, and will be constructed across two sites; Broken Hill and Nyngan. The Broken Hill site will consist of nearly a million solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) panels and will be built to the west of the city. Construction is hoped to begin in 2014 and is expected to bring 150 jobs to Broken Hill and a further 300 to Nyngan. The solar farm is expected to be operating by 2015 and is a joint venture between the Federal and State Governments and Australian energy company AGL Energy.
"The Commonwealth will contribute $170 million and the NSW Government will contribute $65 million", Minister for Energy and Resources, Martin Ferguson said this morning. "Form the Australian Government's point of view, this is a very substantial project. "This go ahead to the project in Nyngan and Broken Hill is very very significant to the solar PV industry and also it represents a substantial statement by the Australian Government, not only in support of renewable energy but in our confidence of the development of the solar industry in Australia".
Minster Ferguson said a recent drop in the price of solar panels from places such as China meant the overall cost of the project, and therefore the government contribution, was reduced significantly. The Mayor of Broken Hill Wincen Cuy says the project will provide a welcome boost to the local economy. "It's an absolutely fabulous announcement for Broken Hill. "150 jobs (and), I'm lead to believe, somewhere between 150 and 200 million dollars invested into the community. "It's a great opportunity for Broken Hill to be, once again, put on the national stage as an innovator and a place to be and a place to come to work".
AGL Energy is also involved in the significant Silverton wind farm project just north of Broken Hill and Mayor Cuy says the city is now well on the way to being known as the renewable energies centre of Australia. "Broken Hill has been famed for the resources that it's been able to produce over the last 130 odd years. "Now we could d become the renewable capitol energy of Australia, how good would that be?" A spokesperson for AGL Energy says today's announcement represents the largest solar farm project Australia has ever seen. "The scale of these farms is impressive by any measure. "The total output of these farms is 159 MWs and to get that done we... are going to have to install about 2.5 million panels.
"Together with the Federal Government, the NSW Government and our partners FirstSolar, we'll be investing a total of close to half a billion dollars in these regional economies of Nyngan and Broken Hill". AGL Energy says the Broken Hill and Nyngan developments are important to the entire renewable energies industry. "It's important because at some point this decade, probably late this decade, it is possible that solar will supplant wind as the cheapest form of renewable generation".
Suzlon signs EoI to develop 2,500 mw of wind power capacity
articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
7 Jun 2012
BANGALORE: wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy Group today signed an expression of interest (EoI) with the government of Karnataka to develop 2,500 MW (MW) of new wind power capacity in the state between 2012 and 2017. Speaking on the occasion here, Suzlon Energy Group Chairman Tulsi Tanti said: "This not only reinforces Karnataka's position as one of India's leading markets in wind power, but also illustrates their commitment towards creating a low-carbon economy in the state".
The EoI covers the development of new capacity in wind farms across the state, with developments planned in the districts of Bijapur, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Dharwad, Raichur, Chikmagalur, Mysore, Belgaum and Bagalkot. The investment is worth Rs 15,000 crore, according to a company statement. Under the EoI signed during GIM 2012, the Karnataka government would obtain the necessary permissions, registrations, approvals and clearances for the development of wind farms in the state. Suzlon Energy, in turn, would play the role of a developer and facilitate the flow of investments into the state through its customers investing in wind power. Karnataka has large untapped wind power potential, with estimates ranging around 13,000 MW according to Centre for Wind Energy Technology (CWET).
7 Jun 2012
BANGALORE: wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy Group today signed an expression of interest (EoI) with the government of Karnataka to develop 2,500 MW (MW) of new wind power capacity in the state between 2012 and 2017. Speaking on the occasion here, Suzlon Energy Group Chairman Tulsi Tanti said: "This not only reinforces Karnataka's position as one of India's leading markets in wind power, but also illustrates their commitment towards creating a low-carbon economy in the state".
The EoI covers the development of new capacity in wind farms across the state, with developments planned in the districts of Bijapur, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Dharwad, Raichur, Chikmagalur, Mysore, Belgaum and Bagalkot. The investment is worth Rs 15,000 crore, according to a company statement. Under the EoI signed during GIM 2012, the Karnataka government would obtain the necessary permissions, registrations, approvals and clearances for the development of wind farms in the state. Suzlon Energy, in turn, would play the role of a developer and facilitate the flow of investments into the state through its customers investing in wind power. Karnataka has large untapped wind power potential, with estimates ranging around 13,000 MW according to Centre for Wind Energy Technology (CWET).
'People worrying themselves sick' over windfarms
www.adelaidenow.com.au
7 Jun 2012
MORE than 80% of people believe health concerns about wind farms will "turn out to be nothing to worry about", a survey commissioned by the Clean Energy Council says. The survey also showed the majority of respondents supported wind farms and felt the right of farmers to make a profit from turbines on their land was more important than a resident's right to a view. The council survey took in 1200 people in regional and metropolitan areas in three states-South Australia, Victoria and NSW-which have wind farms.
More than 80% of respondents felt concerns about the health effects of wind turbines would prove unfounded, while 17% thought they would turn out to be "a real health issue". Two-thirds (67%) of people believed a farmer's right to generate income from their land was more important than a resident's right to a view clear of wind turbines. Clean Energy Council policy director Russell Marsh said the results showed those who opposed wind power were "out of step with community thinking". "The majority of people surveyed agreed that wind farms bring income to farmers and local businesses, and that governments shouldn't get in the way of this", Mr Marsh said.
Following the first hearing this week by an SA parliamentary committee investigating wind farms, Greens MLC Mark Parnell said while people "get annoyed from the sound from wind farms, there is no evidence that it's making people sick". "Certainly people are worrying themselves sick", he said. The survey also found:
7 Jun 2012
MORE than 80% of people believe health concerns about wind farms will "turn out to be nothing to worry about", a survey commissioned by the Clean Energy Council says. The survey also showed the majority of respondents supported wind farms and felt the right of farmers to make a profit from turbines on their land was more important than a resident's right to a view. The council survey took in 1200 people in regional and metropolitan areas in three states-South Australia, Victoria and NSW-which have wind farms.
More than 80% of respondents felt concerns about the health effects of wind turbines would prove unfounded, while 17% thought they would turn out to be "a real health issue". Two-thirds (67%) of people believed a farmer's right to generate income from their land was more important than a resident's right to a view clear of wind turbines. Clean Energy Council policy director Russell Marsh said the results showed those who opposed wind power were "out of step with community thinking". "The majority of people surveyed agreed that wind farms bring income to farmers and local businesses, and that governments shouldn't get in the way of this", Mr Marsh said.
Following the first hearing this week by an SA parliamentary committee investigating wind farms, Greens MLC Mark Parnell said while people "get annoyed from the sound from wind farms, there is no evidence that it's making people sick". "Certainly people are worrying themselves sick", he said. The survey also found:
- ALMOST two-thirds (60%) of people felt restrictions on wind farm growth meant the state's industry was mis-sing opportunities.
- ABOUT three-quarters (77%) felt local communities and landowners should be able to "make up their own minds" about wind farms, with less interference from politicians. South Australia provides 54% of the nation's wind power.
Renewable energy costs falling: agency
phys.org
6 Jun 2012
Power from renewable energy sources is getting cheaper every year, according to a study released Wednesday, challenging long-standing myths that clean energy technology is too expensive to adopt. According to the study by the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency, the costs associated with extracting power from solar panels has fallen as much as 60% in just the past few years. The price of generating power from other renewables, including wind, hydroelectric power, concentrating solar power and biomass, was also falling. "One of the (myths) out there perpetuated by industry lobby groups is that renewable energy is too expensive", said Adnan Amin, IRENA's director general.
The numbers tell a different story however as "costs are falling exponentially... and will continue (to do so) in the future", said Amin arguing that electricity generation "is now cost competitive with many traditional fossil fuel technologies". According to Dolf Gielen, director of IRENA's innovation and technology centre, investment in renewables is no longer a niche but rather represents the "bulk of investments in global power generation", accounting for half of the total annual capacity additions worldwide. "The markets are growing very fast... and further cost reductions are very likely", he said adding that in 2011, investments in the supply side of renewable energy sources reached about $260 billion.
A second IRENA study released Wednesday estimates renewables will create a minimum of four million jobs just in the electricity sector in rural areas of the developing world. Today, there are five million jobs world-wide in the renewable energy sector and more than 1.3 billion people, mainly in Africa and Asia, who do not have access to electricity, according to IRENA. "There is considerable employment potential", said Amin. Founded in 2009, IRENA is an intergovernmental organisation established to promote the widespread use of renewable energy sources. It has more than 155 member states and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
6 Jun 2012
Power from renewable energy sources is getting cheaper every year, according to a study released Wednesday, challenging long-standing myths that clean energy technology is too expensive to adopt. According to the study by the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency, the costs associated with extracting power from solar panels has fallen as much as 60% in just the past few years. The price of generating power from other renewables, including wind, hydroelectric power, concentrating solar power and biomass, was also falling. "One of the (myths) out there perpetuated by industry lobby groups is that renewable energy is too expensive", said Adnan Amin, IRENA's director general.
The numbers tell a different story however as "costs are falling exponentially... and will continue (to do so) in the future", said Amin arguing that electricity generation "is now cost competitive with many traditional fossil fuel technologies". According to Dolf Gielen, director of IRENA's innovation and technology centre, investment in renewables is no longer a niche but rather represents the "bulk of investments in global power generation", accounting for half of the total annual capacity additions worldwide. "The markets are growing very fast... and further cost reductions are very likely", he said adding that in 2011, investments in the supply side of renewable energy sources reached about $260 billion.
A second IRENA study released Wednesday estimates renewables will create a minimum of four million jobs just in the electricity sector in rural areas of the developing world. Today, there are five million jobs world-wide in the renewable energy sector and more than 1.3 billion people, mainly in Africa and Asia, who do not have access to electricity, according to IRENA. "There is considerable employment potential", said Amin. Founded in 2009, IRENA is an intergovernmental organisation established to promote the widespread use of renewable energy sources. It has more than 155 member states and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Wind Turbine Syndrome: mass hysteria in the 21st Century?
www.climatespectator.com.au
6 Jun 2012
"The patients suffered from nervous excitability, with buzzing noises in the ear, giddiness, and neuralgic pains,.. in some cases,..objective lesions, such as a subinflammatory condition of the membrane tympani,.. All the trouble speedily vanishes if the ear is allowed a sufficient measure of physiological rest; this it can only obtain by the cause of the evil being withdrawn. The victims,.. seem all to be of markedly nervous organization, and the moral may be drawn that such persons should not use the telephone". British Medical Journal, September 21, 1889
The history of the introduction of new technology has often featured highly publicised panics about the miseries that will be visited upon those who fall prey to these Mephistophelean temptations. The industrial revolution in the nineteenth century was the golden age for technophobes and those convinced that modern society was toxic.
George Miller Beard, an American neurologist, popularised the long-discredited diagnosis of neurasthenia. He argued that "wireless telegraphy, science, steam power, newspapers and the education of women; in other words modern civilization" was responsible for widespread anxiety, depression, headaches and fatigue. While we can laugh at the amusing conflation of ideologies about the social order with disease, such attributions are not hard to find today. At 60, I'm old enough to remember neighbours telling my parents that they wouldn't have one of those televisions in the house. Electric blankets, microwave ovens, computer screens and most recently, mobile phones and towers have all attracted panic.
With there being many more mobile phones than people in Australia today, and mass use going back now more than 15 years, the flatline data on the incidence of brain cancer doesn't suggest much evidence to support the populist rumour that mobile telephony causes cancer.
Panics about wind farms are the latest example of technophobia, although those convinced that wifi emits death-rays have recently joined the queue. I've been closely following the claims that wind turbines cause illness for about two years. Many aspects of this unfolding and increasingly hysterical saga point to large psychogenic factors. Psychogenic illness is defined as a constellation of symptoms suggestive of organic illness, but without an identifiable cause, that occurs between two or more people who share beliefs about those symptoms. The idea that fear of illness can precipitate symptoms goes back at least to the time of Francis Bacon who said, "Infections,.. if you fear them, you call them upon you".
A key component of psychogenic illness is that sufferers are warned that they should fear some agent. They are truly 'communicable diseases'. The internet is awash with such warnings and Australia's very own Waubra Foundation, with unregistered doctor Sarah Laurie at the helm, is doing all it can to spread alarm in rural communities. Media monitoring records of alarmists' messages in rural communities provides important evidence for the strong likelihood of a nocebo effect at work.
Read More…
Simon Chapman is professor of public health at the University of Sydney. Twitter: @simonchapman6
6 Jun 2012
"The patients suffered from nervous excitability, with buzzing noises in the ear, giddiness, and neuralgic pains,.. in some cases,..objective lesions, such as a subinflammatory condition of the membrane tympani,.. All the trouble speedily vanishes if the ear is allowed a sufficient measure of physiological rest; this it can only obtain by the cause of the evil being withdrawn. The victims,.. seem all to be of markedly nervous organization, and the moral may be drawn that such persons should not use the telephone". British Medical Journal, September 21, 1889
The history of the introduction of new technology has often featured highly publicised panics about the miseries that will be visited upon those who fall prey to these Mephistophelean temptations. The industrial revolution in the nineteenth century was the golden age for technophobes and those convinced that modern society was toxic.
George Miller Beard, an American neurologist, popularised the long-discredited diagnosis of neurasthenia. He argued that "wireless telegraphy, science, steam power, newspapers and the education of women; in other words modern civilization" was responsible for widespread anxiety, depression, headaches and fatigue. While we can laugh at the amusing conflation of ideologies about the social order with disease, such attributions are not hard to find today. At 60, I'm old enough to remember neighbours telling my parents that they wouldn't have one of those televisions in the house. Electric blankets, microwave ovens, computer screens and most recently, mobile phones and towers have all attracted panic.
With there being many more mobile phones than people in Australia today, and mass use going back now more than 15 years, the flatline data on the incidence of brain cancer doesn't suggest much evidence to support the populist rumour that mobile telephony causes cancer.
Panics about wind farms are the latest example of technophobia, although those convinced that wifi emits death-rays have recently joined the queue. I've been closely following the claims that wind turbines cause illness for about two years. Many aspects of this unfolding and increasingly hysterical saga point to large psychogenic factors. Psychogenic illness is defined as a constellation of symptoms suggestive of organic illness, but without an identifiable cause, that occurs between two or more people who share beliefs about those symptoms. The idea that fear of illness can precipitate symptoms goes back at least to the time of Francis Bacon who said, "Infections,.. if you fear them, you call them upon you".
A key component of psychogenic illness is that sufferers are warned that they should fear some agent. They are truly 'communicable diseases'. The internet is awash with such warnings and Australia's very own Waubra Foundation, with unregistered doctor Sarah Laurie at the helm, is doing all it can to spread alarm in rural communities. Media monitoring records of alarmists' messages in rural communities provides important evidence for the strong likelihood of a nocebo effect at work.
Read More…
Simon Chapman is professor of public health at the University of Sydney. Twitter: @simonchapman6
Gas contracts may be linked to renewable energy, Gazprom says
www.bloomberg.com
5 Jun 2012
Gazprom (GAZP), the world's biggest natural-gas producer, said renewable energy may eventually replace oil for indexing gas prices in long-term contracts.
"It's time to define ways to improve the system", Alexander Medvedev, deputy chief executive officer of the Russian gas exporter, said in prepared remarks for a speech today at the World Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur. "As a new thing, one could choose a renewable source as an alternative energy resource for indexing prices in the future".
For now, Gazprom links its prices to oil and refined products with a time lag, a method that dates back to the 1970s, when the fuels were more commonly used in power generation. As Brent crude rallied in the past three years and gas traded on exchanges became cheaper, Europe's biggest utilities suffered losses under long-term contracts with suppliers and called for a new system. Units of E.ON AG (EOAN) and RWE AG (RWE), Germany's biggest utilities, are in arbitration with Gazprom over prices.
Gazprom has defended oil-indexed pricing as a way to protect buyers against the influence of producers and unknown future risks. The company, which supplies one-quarter of European gas needs and is seeking to raise that share to 30%, has no plans to break the oil-link any time soon. "One should be quite cautious with proposals to reject the oil-price indexation", Medvedev said today. Long-term gas contracts ensure security of supply and protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, Medvedev said at the conference. They help share risks and secure long-term investments, he said.
5 Jun 2012
Gazprom (GAZP), the world's biggest natural-gas producer, said renewable energy may eventually replace oil for indexing gas prices in long-term contracts.
"It's time to define ways to improve the system", Alexander Medvedev, deputy chief executive officer of the Russian gas exporter, said in prepared remarks for a speech today at the World Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur. "As a new thing, one could choose a renewable source as an alternative energy resource for indexing prices in the future".
For now, Gazprom links its prices to oil and refined products with a time lag, a method that dates back to the 1970s, when the fuels were more commonly used in power generation. As Brent crude rallied in the past three years and gas traded on exchanges became cheaper, Europe's biggest utilities suffered losses under long-term contracts with suppliers and called for a new system. Units of E.ON AG (EOAN) and RWE AG (RWE), Germany's biggest utilities, are in arbitration with Gazprom over prices.
Gazprom has defended oil-indexed pricing as a way to protect buyers against the influence of producers and unknown future risks. The company, which supplies one-quarter of European gas needs and is seeking to raise that share to 30%, has no plans to break the oil-link any time soon. "One should be quite cautious with proposals to reject the oil-price indexation", Medvedev said today. Long-term gas contracts ensure security of supply and protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, Medvedev said at the conference. They help share risks and secure long-term investments, he said.
Thin-Film photovoltaics market aims to convert on huge potential
news.thomasnet.com
5 Jun 2012
Ultimately, the world will run out of fossil fuels. Meanwhile, as the world fights over fossil fuels, our planet hangs in space a mere 93 million miles from a giant fusion reactor that's 1.4 million km wide. The sun gives us about 1.37 kilowatts per m² of energy. If it were somehow possible to convert 100% of the sun's energy into usable power, we would need only one hour of it to power the Earth for an entire year.
Using the sun for energy is hardly a new concept. Nor are photovoltaics (PV), which convert sunlight into electricity; the technology has been under commercial development since the 1970s, though up until recently, it remained difficult to achieve economies in manufacturing to make PV affordable. To date, solar panels large enough to fulfill significant energy needs have been neither very cheap nor very portable.
While the military has developed folding, semi-portable solar panels for installations in remote locations, few organizations or individuals have the kinds of budgets of the Department of Defense. Not to mention that most solar panels to date have been opaque, rigid and hard to use in places that could use a little supplemental energy from PV: atop a car or a building's windows.
The future practicality of PV--lower price point and putting PV cells onto less rigid surfaces so they can be "wrapped" or molded around buildings, cars and even people, in the form of PV-cell clothing--seems to lie in making PV cells flexible. Enter the plastics industry and the development of thin-film solar cells (TFSC), also called thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) cells. TFSCs are made by depositing one or more thin layers, i.e., films, of photovoltaic material onto a substrate. The thickness of the layers is small, ranging from a few nanometers to a few tens of micrometers. Existing thin-film processes generally use semiconductor materials such as copper, indium, gallium, cadmium and selenium to create the PV cells.
Read More…
5 Jun 2012
Ultimately, the world will run out of fossil fuels. Meanwhile, as the world fights over fossil fuels, our planet hangs in space a mere 93 million miles from a giant fusion reactor that's 1.4 million km wide. The sun gives us about 1.37 kilowatts per m² of energy. If it were somehow possible to convert 100% of the sun's energy into usable power, we would need only one hour of it to power the Earth for an entire year.Using the sun for energy is hardly a new concept. Nor are photovoltaics (PV), which convert sunlight into electricity; the technology has been under commercial development since the 1970s, though up until recently, it remained difficult to achieve economies in manufacturing to make PV affordable. To date, solar panels large enough to fulfill significant energy needs have been neither very cheap nor very portable.
While the military has developed folding, semi-portable solar panels for installations in remote locations, few organizations or individuals have the kinds of budgets of the Department of Defense. Not to mention that most solar panels to date have been opaque, rigid and hard to use in places that could use a little supplemental energy from PV: atop a car or a building's windows.
The future practicality of PV--lower price point and putting PV cells onto less rigid surfaces so they can be "wrapped" or molded around buildings, cars and even people, in the form of PV-cell clothing--seems to lie in making PV cells flexible. Enter the plastics industry and the development of thin-film solar cells (TFSC), also called thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) cells. TFSCs are made by depositing one or more thin layers, i.e., films, of photovoltaic material onto a substrate. The thickness of the layers is small, ranging from a few nanometers to a few tens of micrometers. Existing thin-film processes generally use semiconductor materials such as copper, indium, gallium, cadmium and selenium to create the PV cells.
Read More…
SA Premier rejects nuclear argument
www.abc.net.au
5 Jun 2012
Premier Jay Weatherill says the South Australian Government remains opposed to nuclear power as an avenue to cutting carbon emissions. A nuclear power advocate Professor Barry Brook of University of Adelaide thinks it is inevitable Australia will embrace nuclear power. Professor Brook expects small nuclear power plants could be built in years to come, possibly at outback mining sites. He says BHP Billiton should consider the option as it expands the Olympic Dam mine.
"It can provide clean energy for it and it's actually producing metals and fuel for the rest of the world", he said. "I would suggest by about 2025 there's going to be a lot of serious debate about getting the first reactors built here and probably the way it can be done is to build small reactors you can bury underground, so they're very safe like that".
Mr Weatherill says using nuclear power is not on the table. "It doesn't represent the policy of this Government", he said. "Leaving aside the broader objections, there is a practical, financial objective that means that nuclear power for South Australia is unlikely to be viable".
5 Jun 2012
Premier Jay Weatherill says the South Australian Government remains opposed to nuclear power as an avenue to cutting carbon emissions. A nuclear power advocate Professor Barry Brook of University of Adelaide thinks it is inevitable Australia will embrace nuclear power. Professor Brook expects small nuclear power plants could be built in years to come, possibly at outback mining sites. He says BHP Billiton should consider the option as it expands the Olympic Dam mine.
"It can provide clean energy for it and it's actually producing metals and fuel for the rest of the world", he said. "I would suggest by about 2025 there's going to be a lot of serious debate about getting the first reactors built here and probably the way it can be done is to build small reactors you can bury underground, so they're very safe like that".
Mr Weatherill says using nuclear power is not on the table. "It doesn't represent the policy of this Government", he said. "Leaving aside the broader objections, there is a practical, financial objective that means that nuclear power for South Australia is unlikely to be viable".
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Panasonic to begin mass-production of long-life lithium-ion battery system for solar-powered homes in Europe
www.power-eng.com
5 Jun 2012
Osaka, June 4, 2012 (JCN Newswire)-Panasonic Corporation announced today that it will start in June mass-production of a compact, secure and long-life lithium-ion battery system the company has developed for European homes. This marks the first time for the company to produce in volume such a system designed for Europe.
In Germany and other European countries, governments are cutting purchase prices for solar power in order to rein in the expansion of solar power generation, which led solution that allows consumers to optimize the self-consumption of solar power generated on their rooftops. Towards a coming era where people generate energy for their own use, Panasonic is strengthening its storage battery business and the development of large-scale storage battery systems whose demand is expected to expand rapidly.
Last year, Panasonic supplied its lithium-ion battery storage system for the S10 household energy storage system developed by E3/DC, an engineering firm in Germany. Through field tests in Germany, Panasonic is ready to mass-produce the lithium-ion battery system.
The lithium-ion battery system consists of the Panasonic battery module with nominal capacity of 1.35kW and a battery management system designed to control charge and discharge of the battery in accordance with customer needs. The battery system stores excess energy generated from the photovoltaic (PV) power system during peak hours of PV generation and discharges the energy as needed, providing an ideal solution as a household battery storage system that helps self-consumption of solar-generated power. It will also enable households to reduce the dependence on grid power and facilitate the further spread of green energy.
"In Germany, there is a concern that the integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, into the power grid could cause instability in power distribution because of their unpredictable nature", said Mr. Fumitoshi Terashima, Director, Smart Energy Systems Business Unit, Energy Company of Panasonic. "With our state-of-art lithium-ion battery technology and high-quality battery management systems, we will promote self-consumption of solar power generated by households as well as reduction of load during peak hours. In so doing, Panasonic aims for a leading position in providing a solution to protect the power grid system".
Panasonic Group continues to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-performance battery storage systems and contributes to the growth of the global market for such systems.
Special features:
5 Jun 2012
Osaka, June 4, 2012 (JCN Newswire)-Panasonic Corporation announced today that it will start in June mass-production of a compact, secure and long-life lithium-ion battery system the company has developed for European homes. This marks the first time for the company to produce in volume such a system designed for Europe.
In Germany and other European countries, governments are cutting purchase prices for solar power in order to rein in the expansion of solar power generation, which led solution that allows consumers to optimize the self-consumption of solar power generated on their rooftops. Towards a coming era where people generate energy for their own use, Panasonic is strengthening its storage battery business and the development of large-scale storage battery systems whose demand is expected to expand rapidly.
Last year, Panasonic supplied its lithium-ion battery storage system for the S10 household energy storage system developed by E3/DC, an engineering firm in Germany. Through field tests in Germany, Panasonic is ready to mass-produce the lithium-ion battery system.
The lithium-ion battery system consists of the Panasonic battery module with nominal capacity of 1.35kW and a battery management system designed to control charge and discharge of the battery in accordance with customer needs. The battery system stores excess energy generated from the photovoltaic (PV) power system during peak hours of PV generation and discharges the energy as needed, providing an ideal solution as a household battery storage system that helps self-consumption of solar-generated power. It will also enable households to reduce the dependence on grid power and facilitate the further spread of green energy.
"In Germany, there is a concern that the integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, into the power grid could cause instability in power distribution because of their unpredictable nature", said Mr. Fumitoshi Terashima, Director, Smart Energy Systems Business Unit, Energy Company of Panasonic. "With our state-of-art lithium-ion battery technology and high-quality battery management systems, we will promote self-consumption of solar power generated by households as well as reduction of load during peak hours. In so doing, Panasonic aims for a leading position in providing a solution to protect the power grid system".
Panasonic Group continues to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-performance battery storage systems and contributes to the growth of the global market for such systems.
Special features:
- The lithium-ion battery system has design life time of 5000 cycles* and realizes long-term operation. (*Estimated based on the conditions of about 80% DOD and normal temperature.)
- The high-performance battery management provides battery status information to the controller of home energy storage system, which allows users to remotely monitor the status of the system and battery.
- A high-capacity and high-voltage lithium-ion battery system employs a lithium-ion cell that is specifically developed for an energy storage application.
Renewable energy schemes help boost farmers' profits
www.guardian.co.uk
4 Jun 2012
More than a quarter of all farmers have not just green fields but "green" barns too, thanks to a surge in the use of solar panels and wind turbines.
Renewable energy is promising to overtake rural tourism as a secondary income for the agricultural sector, with 200 MWs of power-enough for 40,000 households-installed, according to joint research by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and NatWest bank. They found that one in six farmers will have solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in place by the middle of this year and one in five will be producing clean electricity by this date. If this trend continues, as much as 15% of all UK electricity from renewable sources come from the land by the end of this decade, they believe.
Jonathan Scurlock, chief renewable energy adviser to the NFU, said: "The NFU has been encouraging farmers and growers nationwide across all sectors to diversify into renewable energy for the past few years, but we are amazed at this level of uptake already. "The potential of land-based renewable energy to support profitable farming, while contributing to energy security and the low-carbon economy, is evidently much greater than we ever imagined", he added. The results also showed that a higher proportion of farmers in the south of England (20%) and Wales (21%) were using solar installations, in comparison to the north. The uptake of wind turbines was about the same across England and Wales with around 5%-6% in each area.
Read More…
4 Jun 2012
More than a quarter of all farmers have not just green fields but "green" barns too, thanks to a surge in the use of solar panels and wind turbines.
Renewable energy is promising to overtake rural tourism as a secondary income for the agricultural sector, with 200 MWs of power-enough for 40,000 households-installed, according to joint research by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and NatWest bank. They found that one in six farmers will have solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in place by the middle of this year and one in five will be producing clean electricity by this date. If this trend continues, as much as 15% of all UK electricity from renewable sources come from the land by the end of this decade, they believe.
Jonathan Scurlock, chief renewable energy adviser to the NFU, said: "The NFU has been encouraging farmers and growers nationwide across all sectors to diversify into renewable energy for the past few years, but we are amazed at this level of uptake already. "The potential of land-based renewable energy to support profitable farming, while contributing to energy security and the low-carbon economy, is evidently much greater than we ever imagined", he added. The results also showed that a higher proportion of farmers in the south of England (20%) and Wales (21%) were using solar installations, in comparison to the north. The uptake of wind turbines was about the same across England and Wales with around 5%-6% in each area.
Read More…
China ends nuclear power moratorium
www.upi.com
2 Jun 2012
BEIJING, June 2 (UPI)--China's Cabinet said it had approved a nuclear power plan that would allow for new nuclear projects after a year of putting industry progress on hold. China had suspended new work on any new nuclear projects in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tidal wave in Japan that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant causing partial meltdowns in several of the plant's reactors. The disaster caused many countries to suspend nuclear projects. But China, which approved its nuclear industry's strategic plan for 2020, is seen as a pace-setter, The Financial Times reported Saturday.
"The combination of technical experience, operational experience and support that can come out of China will make China a leader in the global nuclear industry", said George Borovas, head of the nuclear practice at global law firm Pillsbury. "We are starting to see it already. Chinese companies are in the international marketplace much more aggressively than they were one or two years ago", he said.
The plan approved by the cabinet includes new safety standards, which allows for the resumption of inspections of existing plants. It also allows for approval of new plants with tougher standards to safeguard against the possibility of floods and earthquakes. The cabinet's approval, "is the main hurdle", said Guo Shou, energy analyst at Barclays. "Approvals for new nuclear reactors are around the corner, they are going to come very, very soon", Guo Shou said.
2 Jun 2012
BEIJING, June 2 (UPI)--China's Cabinet said it had approved a nuclear power plan that would allow for new nuclear projects after a year of putting industry progress on hold. China had suspended new work on any new nuclear projects in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tidal wave in Japan that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant causing partial meltdowns in several of the plant's reactors. The disaster caused many countries to suspend nuclear projects. But China, which approved its nuclear industry's strategic plan for 2020, is seen as a pace-setter, The Financial Times reported Saturday.
"The combination of technical experience, operational experience and support that can come out of China will make China a leader in the global nuclear industry", said George Borovas, head of the nuclear practice at global law firm Pillsbury. "We are starting to see it already. Chinese companies are in the international marketplace much more aggressively than they were one or two years ago", he said.
The plan approved by the cabinet includes new safety standards, which allows for the resumption of inspections of existing plants. It also allows for approval of new plants with tougher standards to safeguard against the possibility of floods and earthquakes. The cabinet's approval, "is the main hurdle", said Guo Shou, energy analyst at Barclays. "Approvals for new nuclear reactors are around the corner, they are going to come very, very soon", Guo Shou said.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Altamont Pass celebrates 'repowering' of wind farm
www.mercurynews.com
31 May 2012
The hilly Altamont Pass region in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties is home to one of the nation's oldest wind farms, first developed in the 1970s on land leased from cattle ranchers. On Thursday, state energy officials, local officials and wind developers from NextEra Energy Resources gathered at the site to celebrate completion of the first phase of NextEra Energy Resources's massive "repowering" project, which is expected to drastically reduce the number of red-tailed hawks, golden eagles and other raptors killed by turbines each year.
The project, much of it visible from Interstate 580, is radically changing the iconic landscape. At least six miles of overhead electrical lines and about eight miles of road are being removed, returning the land to a more natural state. And scores of antiquated windmills that have lined the hillsides for decades have been removed. In their place stand enormous, state-of-the-art behemoths, their white blades slowly turning in the warm wind. "When you mention Altamont people think of three things: the Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and windmills", Ken Alex, a senior adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown, said in reference to the infamous 1969 concert. "Today we're going to talk about windmills".
NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based energy company, owns about half of the wind turbines in the 50,000 acre region known as the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, while the others are owned by a patchwork of other developers. In the next four years, it will replace nearly 2,000 of the 4,000 wind turbines it has at the site, many of which are nearly 30 years old, with about 100 huge state-of-the-art turbines. The new turbines stand 430 feet tall, or taller than the some coastal redwood trees. For every new turbine installed, 23 of the old ones will be removed--a dramatic drop expected to significantly reduce the number of birds and bats that die in the whirling blades each year.
So far, nearly 400 older turbines have been removed and replaced with 34 new turbines near Vasco Road and the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Brentwood. The other two phases of the project are scheduled to be completed by 2015. Each of the new turbines, manufactured by Siemens, generates 2.3 MWs of electricity--enough to power 600 to 700 homes. "We're a third of the way there", said Matt Schafer, NextEra Energy Resources's vice president of business management. "Our goal is to repower all of our assets at the Altamont in the next few years".
Looming over Thursday's event were concerns about the federal production tax credit for utility-scale wind turbines that is scheduled to sunset at the end of this year. Efforts are under way in Congress to extend it for two more years, but many in the wind industry warn that future projects are already grinding to a halt because the credit is crucial to making wind power cost-competitive with such energy sources as solar and natural gas. "If the PTC isn't extended you'll see very little, if any, development in 2013", said Steve Stengel, director of communications for NextEra Energy Resources. "That is a fact".
President Obama recently visited TPI Composites, an Iowa manufacturer of wind turbine blades, and urged Congress to extend the credit. Iowa gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. In California, the vast majority of wind turbines are clustered in three regions: the Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy, Tehachapi near Bakers Groupfield and the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs. Solano County is now home to several wind projects as well. California currently gets about 5% of its electricity from wind power, while most of the rest comes from natural gas, nuclear power and hydroelectric. The state has set an ambitious goal of getting 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and utilities have signed several renewable energy contracts with developers.
PGE, which currently gets about 20% of its energy from renewable sources, is well on its way to meeting the new goal. About 25% of the utility's renewable energy comes from wind, but that is shrinking as more solar projects come online. "Solar will be our biggest contributor on our path to get to 33%", said Fong Wan, PGE's senior vice president for energy procurement. "We have a lot of solar projects in California, but wind will always be a part of the mix". Wan wore a light blue tie with windmills on it for Thursday's ribbon-cutting. He recalled driving from New York to California in the 1980s and crossing the Altamont Pass for the first time.
"As I drove through I wondered 'Why are these old wind turbines here? They don't even spin, and they fall down,' " he said. John Jackson, a local cattle rancher, owns 480 acres in the area and has wind turbines on his property. He's seen the wind farm change over the years and is a fan of the new turbines. "I like them", he said. "The old ones would shut down if the winds got too strong, and then they'd fall down and hit the wires and start grass fires. These spin slower than the old ones, and they are very quiet".
31 May 2012
The hilly Altamont Pass region in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties is home to one of the nation's oldest wind farms, first developed in the 1970s on land leased from cattle ranchers. On Thursday, state energy officials, local officials and wind developers from NextEra Energy Resources gathered at the site to celebrate completion of the first phase of NextEra Energy Resources's massive "repowering" project, which is expected to drastically reduce the number of red-tailed hawks, golden eagles and other raptors killed by turbines each year.The project, much of it visible from Interstate 580, is radically changing the iconic landscape. At least six miles of overhead electrical lines and about eight miles of road are being removed, returning the land to a more natural state. And scores of antiquated windmills that have lined the hillsides for decades have been removed. In their place stand enormous, state-of-the-art behemoths, their white blades slowly turning in the warm wind. "When you mention Altamont people think of three things: the Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and windmills", Ken Alex, a senior adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown, said in reference to the infamous 1969 concert. "Today we're going to talk about windmills".
NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based energy company, owns about half of the wind turbines in the 50,000 acre region known as the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, while the others are owned by a patchwork of other developers. In the next four years, it will replace nearly 2,000 of the 4,000 wind turbines it has at the site, many of which are nearly 30 years old, with about 100 huge state-of-the-art turbines. The new turbines stand 430 feet tall, or taller than the some coastal redwood trees. For every new turbine installed, 23 of the old ones will be removed--a dramatic drop expected to significantly reduce the number of birds and bats that die in the whirling blades each year.
So far, nearly 400 older turbines have been removed and replaced with 34 new turbines near Vasco Road and the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Brentwood. The other two phases of the project are scheduled to be completed by 2015. Each of the new turbines, manufactured by Siemens, generates 2.3 MWs of electricity--enough to power 600 to 700 homes. "We're a third of the way there", said Matt Schafer, NextEra Energy Resources's vice president of business management. "Our goal is to repower all of our assets at the Altamont in the next few years".
Looming over Thursday's event were concerns about the federal production tax credit for utility-scale wind turbines that is scheduled to sunset at the end of this year. Efforts are under way in Congress to extend it for two more years, but many in the wind industry warn that future projects are already grinding to a halt because the credit is crucial to making wind power cost-competitive with such energy sources as solar and natural gas. "If the PTC isn't extended you'll see very little, if any, development in 2013", said Steve Stengel, director of communications for NextEra Energy Resources. "That is a fact".
President Obama recently visited TPI Composites, an Iowa manufacturer of wind turbine blades, and urged Congress to extend the credit. Iowa gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. In California, the vast majority of wind turbines are clustered in three regions: the Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy, Tehachapi near Bakers Groupfield and the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs. Solano County is now home to several wind projects as well. California currently gets about 5% of its electricity from wind power, while most of the rest comes from natural gas, nuclear power and hydroelectric. The state has set an ambitious goal of getting 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and utilities have signed several renewable energy contracts with developers.
PGE, which currently gets about 20% of its energy from renewable sources, is well on its way to meeting the new goal. About 25% of the utility's renewable energy comes from wind, but that is shrinking as more solar projects come online. "Solar will be our biggest contributor on our path to get to 33%", said Fong Wan, PGE's senior vice president for energy procurement. "We have a lot of solar projects in California, but wind will always be a part of the mix". Wan wore a light blue tie with windmills on it for Thursday's ribbon-cutting. He recalled driving from New York to California in the 1980s and crossing the Altamont Pass for the first time.
"As I drove through I wondered 'Why are these old wind turbines here? They don't even spin, and they fall down,' " he said. John Jackson, a local cattle rancher, owns 480 acres in the area and has wind turbines on his property. He's seen the wind farm change over the years and is a fan of the new turbines. "I like them", he said. "The old ones would shut down if the winds got too strong, and then they'd fall down and hit the wires and start grass fires. These spin slower than the old ones, and they are very quiet".
Germany's plans to end use of nuclear power get a boost
www.dw.de
29 May 2012
Germany's grid operators have announced plans for a major expansion of the network. The move is seen as key part of the country's goal of ending the use of nuclear power in 10 years' time. The German government's plans to do away with the use of nuclear power got a boost on Tuesday when the country's power grid operators announced plans to make major investments to expand the grid.
The head of grid operator Tennet, Martin Fuchs, told a press conference in Bonn that Germany's transition away from nuclear power would cost about 20 billion euros ($25 billion) over the next decade. He said those funds would go towards modernising the existing grid and constructing around 3,800 km (2,360 miles) of new, mainly high-voltage power lines.
Fuchs warned though, that the job won't be easy, but "we believe Germany can achieve it". Three other high-voltage grid operators, Amprion, 50Hertz and TransnetBW are also involved in the project. The lack of capacity of the grid is seen as one of the major problems Germany will have to overcome if it is to successfully make the transition. "Without the expansion of the electricity network, progress on renewable energy won't produce results", the head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, told the news conference, which was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Finance Minister Philipp Roesler.
Read More…
29 May 2012
Germany's grid operators have announced plans for a major expansion of the network. The move is seen as key part of the country's goal of ending the use of nuclear power in 10 years' time. The German government's plans to do away with the use of nuclear power got a boost on Tuesday when the country's power grid operators announced plans to make major investments to expand the grid.The head of grid operator Tennet, Martin Fuchs, told a press conference in Bonn that Germany's transition away from nuclear power would cost about 20 billion euros ($25 billion) over the next decade. He said those funds would go towards modernising the existing grid and constructing around 3,800 km (2,360 miles) of new, mainly high-voltage power lines.
Fuchs warned though, that the job won't be easy, but "we believe Germany can achieve it". Three other high-voltage grid operators, Amprion, 50Hertz and TransnetBW are also involved in the project. The lack of capacity of the grid is seen as one of the major problems Germany will have to overcome if it is to successfully make the transition. "Without the expansion of the electricity network, progress on renewable energy won't produce results", the head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, told the news conference, which was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Finance Minister Philipp Roesler.
Read More…
Japan set to clear restart of two nuclear reactors
online.wsj.com
31 May 2012
TOKYO--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears set to order two of Japan's 50 closed reactors to return online in time for the summer energy crunch--the first reactors to be restarted since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. The move, which could take effect as soon as next week, comes after local leaders from western Japan backed away from their opposition, giving provisional support to a restart of the two reactors, located at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s plant. "I effectively accept" a restart of the reactors, provided it is on a temporary basis, to help deal with expected power shortages in the peak summer period, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said at a city-office news conference Thursday. "It's time to stop superficial arguments".
Without the restart of the two powerful reactors, the government said, the area covered by the Oi complex, which includes the city of Osaka, would face power shortages of up to 15%. The two reactors are expected to largely eliminate that shortfall, but don't guarantee a swift return of other idled plants. Opinion polls continue to show the public is looking for a long-term exit from nuclear power. The threat of power shortages and a possible exodus of businesses from the region--now a hub of electronics makers such as Panasonic Corp, and Sharp Corp.--helped fracture the unity of the local opposition.
The government's nuclear minister, Goshi Hosono, won agreement from local leaders in a meeting Wednesday by promising that no other reactor will be restarted until an independent nuclear regulator is created--likely after summer. All of Japan's nuclear reactors were eventually shut down after the March 2011 nuclear disaster. The local leaders issued a statement Wednesday that any restart should be a temporary measure. The abrupt about-face of Mayor Hashimoto, a tough critic of the Noda administration and a man seen as the voice of growing political dissatisfaction in Japan, deprived the local leaders' group of a rallying point in their opposition, resulting in their rapid climb-down. "We have put across our concerns to the government. We have fulfilled our responsibility as local government leaders", Katsunori Ishida, spokesman for the local leaders' group, said.
The government must now get the approval of the governor of Fukui prefecture, where the Oi plant is located, and the local assembly. Gov. Issei Nishikawa, a past proponent of nuclear power, is expected to endorse the move. Mr. Hosono is set to be dispatched to the prefecture to explain a plan to create stronger safety oversight of the plant--including the temporary stationing of a deputy minister there and the permanent assignment of plant engineers. "I will make a final decision on the restart at my own responsibility", Mr. Noda said in a news conference Wednesday.
On May 5, the last operating reactor went offline, depriving the country of an energy source that used to account for over 30% of its power supply. The government has since been warning of serious power shortage, especially in western Japan where reliance on nuclear power is much greater than in the eastern half. On May 18, the government announced a plan to ask households and businesses in the service area of Kansai Electric to reduce power usage by at least 15% during summer, compared with peak levels in 2010. Gov. Yukiko Kada, who leads Shiga prefecture next to Fukui, where the Oi plant is located, stressed Wednesday that she will still press the government to proceed cautiously with a restart. Her office also said the governor hasn't dropped her tough demands, including a clear road map for Japan exiting nuclear power.
31 May 2012
TOKYO--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears set to order two of Japan's 50 closed reactors to return online in time for the summer energy crunch--the first reactors to be restarted since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. The move, which could take effect as soon as next week, comes after local leaders from western Japan backed away from their opposition, giving provisional support to a restart of the two reactors, located at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s plant. "I effectively accept" a restart of the reactors, provided it is on a temporary basis, to help deal with expected power shortages in the peak summer period, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said at a city-office news conference Thursday. "It's time to stop superficial arguments".
Without the restart of the two powerful reactors, the government said, the area covered by the Oi complex, which includes the city of Osaka, would face power shortages of up to 15%. The two reactors are expected to largely eliminate that shortfall, but don't guarantee a swift return of other idled plants. Opinion polls continue to show the public is looking for a long-term exit from nuclear power. The threat of power shortages and a possible exodus of businesses from the region--now a hub of electronics makers such as Panasonic Corp, and Sharp Corp.--helped fracture the unity of the local opposition.
The government's nuclear minister, Goshi Hosono, won agreement from local leaders in a meeting Wednesday by promising that no other reactor will be restarted until an independent nuclear regulator is created--likely after summer. All of Japan's nuclear reactors were eventually shut down after the March 2011 nuclear disaster. The local leaders issued a statement Wednesday that any restart should be a temporary measure. The abrupt about-face of Mayor Hashimoto, a tough critic of the Noda administration and a man seen as the voice of growing political dissatisfaction in Japan, deprived the local leaders' group of a rallying point in their opposition, resulting in their rapid climb-down. "We have put across our concerns to the government. We have fulfilled our responsibility as local government leaders", Katsunori Ishida, spokesman for the local leaders' group, said.
The government must now get the approval of the governor of Fukui prefecture, where the Oi plant is located, and the local assembly. Gov. Issei Nishikawa, a past proponent of nuclear power, is expected to endorse the move. Mr. Hosono is set to be dispatched to the prefecture to explain a plan to create stronger safety oversight of the plant--including the temporary stationing of a deputy minister there and the permanent assignment of plant engineers. "I will make a final decision on the restart at my own responsibility", Mr. Noda said in a news conference Wednesday.
On May 5, the last operating reactor went offline, depriving the country of an energy source that used to account for over 30% of its power supply. The government has since been warning of serious power shortage, especially in western Japan where reliance on nuclear power is much greater than in the eastern half. On May 18, the government announced a plan to ask households and businesses in the service area of Kansai Electric to reduce power usage by at least 15% during summer, compared with peak levels in 2010. Gov. Yukiko Kada, who leads Shiga prefecture next to Fukui, where the Oi plant is located, stressed Wednesday that she will still press the government to proceed cautiously with a restart. Her office also said the governor hasn't dropped her tough demands, including a clear road map for Japan exiting nuclear power.
Monday, 4 June 2012
For future energy, volcanic Indonesia bets on heat
www.weku.fm
28 May 2012
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest number of active volcanoes, is betting that all the hot rocks will provide a clean and reliable energy source for the future. The country is believed have 40% of the world's geothermal energy resources. But making geothermal energy economically feasible will require adjusting the country's heavily subsidized energy prices. And that issue is a political hot potato.
Unused Potential
Steam is visible from miles away as it billows into the sky over Kawah Kamojang, Indonesia's first geothermal field in West Java. Some of the steam is piped into a plant, where it turns turbines and generates electricity that is fed into the national power grid. It's is run by the geothermal arm of the state-owned oil company Pertamina. "This area", explains plant manager Tavip Dwikorianto, "used to be a volcano that erupted and collapsed, forming a large crater. Heat comes up from faults inside the crater. The heat is released through vents and hot springs around the crater".
In many spots near the Kamojang plant, boiling hot water with the sulfurous smell of rotten eggs gushes from the ground. Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes, strung out through the archipelago. At present, Indonesia is only using about half a GW of its estimated potential of 28 GWs of geothermal energy. That potential is roughly equivalent to 12 billion barrels of oil. Until 1996, Indonesia produced more oil than it could consume, so there was little incentive to invest in geothermal, and it is still cheaper to produce electricity by burning oil or coal.
Read More…
28 May 2012
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest number of active volcanoes, is betting that all the hot rocks will provide a clean and reliable energy source for the future. The country is believed have 40% of the world's geothermal energy resources. But making geothermal energy economically feasible will require adjusting the country's heavily subsidized energy prices. And that issue is a political hot potato.Unused Potential
Steam is visible from miles away as it billows into the sky over Kawah Kamojang, Indonesia's first geothermal field in West Java. Some of the steam is piped into a plant, where it turns turbines and generates electricity that is fed into the national power grid. It's is run by the geothermal arm of the state-owned oil company Pertamina. "This area", explains plant manager Tavip Dwikorianto, "used to be a volcano that erupted and collapsed, forming a large crater. Heat comes up from faults inside the crater. The heat is released through vents and hot springs around the crater".
In many spots near the Kamojang plant, boiling hot water with the sulfurous smell of rotten eggs gushes from the ground. Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes, strung out through the archipelago. At present, Indonesia is only using about half a GW of its estimated potential of 28 GWs of geothermal energy. That potential is roughly equivalent to 12 billion barrels of oil. Until 1996, Indonesia produced more oil than it could consume, so there was little incentive to invest in geothermal, and it is still cheaper to produce electricity by burning oil or coal.
Read More…
China, Japan driving green energy investments
www.brisbanetimes.com.au
29 May 2012
CHINESE and Japanese investors will be the force driving merger and acquisition activities in the renewable energy industry in coming years, according to accounting firm KPMG. Asian investment in the renewable energy industry in 2011 increased by more than 50% from the year before. Asian companies made 29 acquisitions last year worth $US2.1 billion. Survey respondents believe Chinese and Japanese buyers are likely to be the new major investors and acquirers in the renewable industry in the next 18 months. Mathew Herring, KPMG Australia's national leader of renewables, has urged the country to position itself to take advantage of the coming investment boom.
"Given our proximity to-and strength of relationships with-these countries, we should be making Australia a more attractive place for renewable energy investment by continuing to progress policies, addressing infrastructure challenges, collaborating better with the resource sector and motivating domestic investors", Mr Herring said. Japanese trading houses and industrial corporations such as Marubeni and Mitsubishi have been active in acquiring overseas renewable energy assets in the past year. Mitsubishi, one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates, announced a plan in March this year to acquire German North Sea offshore wind transmission assets for $US318 million. The company has also bought assets in Mexico and Britain.
Japanese interest in the renewable energy industry is largely driven by the desire to buy energy projects that offer long-term and low-risk returns. Hiroshi Sakuma, a senior vice-president of Mitsubishi, said: ''We are primarily interested in power projects. We continue to invest in the power business and infrastructure projects as they provide steady revenue for our company.'' Chinese investment in the industry is motivated by equipment manufacturers seeking to expand into new markets. Andy Cox, KPMG's global head of energy and natural resources, said in the report that ''Chinese outbound investment seems very much centred on their OEM [original equipment manufacturing] players deploying their highly competitive technology into new markets''.
In March, China's LDK Solar bought a 33% interest in the German maker of solar photovoltaic components. China Datang Renewable Power Co and solar equipment maker Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric Co formed a partnership with Sydney-based CBD Energy last year to develop $3 billion worth of wind and solar plants.
29 May 2012
CHINESE and Japanese investors will be the force driving merger and acquisition activities in the renewable energy industry in coming years, according to accounting firm KPMG. Asian investment in the renewable energy industry in 2011 increased by more than 50% from the year before. Asian companies made 29 acquisitions last year worth $US2.1 billion. Survey respondents believe Chinese and Japanese buyers are likely to be the new major investors and acquirers in the renewable industry in the next 18 months. Mathew Herring, KPMG Australia's national leader of renewables, has urged the country to position itself to take advantage of the coming investment boom.
"Given our proximity to-and strength of relationships with-these countries, we should be making Australia a more attractive place for renewable energy investment by continuing to progress policies, addressing infrastructure challenges, collaborating better with the resource sector and motivating domestic investors", Mr Herring said. Japanese trading houses and industrial corporations such as Marubeni and Mitsubishi have been active in acquiring overseas renewable energy assets in the past year. Mitsubishi, one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates, announced a plan in March this year to acquire German North Sea offshore wind transmission assets for $US318 million. The company has also bought assets in Mexico and Britain.
Japanese interest in the renewable energy industry is largely driven by the desire to buy energy projects that offer long-term and low-risk returns. Hiroshi Sakuma, a senior vice-president of Mitsubishi, said: ''We are primarily interested in power projects. We continue to invest in the power business and infrastructure projects as they provide steady revenue for our company.'' Chinese investment in the industry is motivated by equipment manufacturers seeking to expand into new markets. Andy Cox, KPMG's global head of energy and natural resources, said in the report that ''Chinese outbound investment seems very much centred on their OEM [original equipment manufacturing] players deploying their highly competitive technology into new markets''.
In March, China's LDK Solar bought a 33% interest in the German maker of solar photovoltaic components. China Datang Renewable Power Co and solar equipment maker Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric Co formed a partnership with Sydney-based CBD Energy last year to develop $3 billion worth of wind and solar plants.
Germany sets new solar power record, institute says
www.reuters.com
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass. Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs.
"Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass. Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs.
"Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
Analysis: UK bets on biomass in move away from coal
www.reuters.com
25 May 2012
(Reuters)-Britain is placing Europe's biggest bet on biomass as an alternative to polluting oil and coal and expensive gas, but reliance on imports could challenge the plan's low-carbon credentials and Britain's energy security. Burning wood, sunflower husks or animal feces offers steady so-called "baseload" power, giving biomass an advantage over intermittent renewable rivals solar and wind. It also offers an alternative to Europe's gas-fired power plants, where profits have been eroded by rising natural gas prices.
One way biomass is finding a way into the UK's energy mix is through the conversion of coal-burning power plants, which saves up to 75% of the cost of building a new station. "Biomass is perfect for baseload generation capacity because it's always available, it's not like wind power or solar", said Hannes Lechner, head of bioenergy at consultancy Poyry. Britain's biomass plans are Europe's biggest, with 3 GWs in planning representing 20% of Europe's growth through 2035, according to IHR Emerging Energy Research. It is part of the UK's aim to get 15% of its energy from green sources by 2020.
Read More…
25 May 2012
(Reuters)-Britain is placing Europe's biggest bet on biomass as an alternative to polluting oil and coal and expensive gas, but reliance on imports could challenge the plan's low-carbon credentials and Britain's energy security. Burning wood, sunflower husks or animal feces offers steady so-called "baseload" power, giving biomass an advantage over intermittent renewable rivals solar and wind. It also offers an alternative to Europe's gas-fired power plants, where profits have been eroded by rising natural gas prices.
One way biomass is finding a way into the UK's energy mix is through the conversion of coal-burning power plants, which saves up to 75% of the cost of building a new station. "Biomass is perfect for baseload generation capacity because it's always available, it's not like wind power or solar", said Hannes Lechner, head of bioenergy at consultancy Poyry. Britain's biomass plans are Europe's biggest, with 3 GWs in planning representing 20% of Europe's growth through 2035, according to IHR Emerging Energy Research. It is part of the UK's aim to get 15% of its energy from green sources by 2020.
Read More…
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