Green energy helps reduce power bills, study finds

www.smh.com.au
25 Jun 2013

Wind farms, hydroelectric power and other renewable energy sources will actually cut household electricity bills, not push up bills as detractors have claimed, a new study suggests.

Research commissioned by wind farm owner Meridian Energy found the national renewable energy target-which requires electricity generators to provide at least 20% of power from clean sources by 2020 will ultimately force down wholesale power prices.

It found the renewable energy legislation would save Victorian households about $35 a year if the carbon price stayed, and $50 if it were abolished. South Australia-which already gets more than 20% of power from renewables-would save as much as $56 a year.

It is a different story in NSW and Queensland, where renewable energy has less impact on wholesale prices. Households in the northern states would pay up to $27 more because of the legislation. The study found that nationally, households would be in front, saving as much as $12 a year-assuming the carbon price survived.

Meridian Energy EnergyAustralia chief executive Ben Burge said the study, which was commissioned from consultants Sinclair Merz Knight, challenged claims that renewable energy was driving up power bills. "The [target] has been mischaracterised as a direct tax on consumers", said Mr Burge, who is also the chief executive of retailer Powershop. "What this research proves is that wind is not the culprit. Wind reduces pressure on households".

Renewable energy use hits record heights in Australia

designbuildsource.com.au
8 Jun 2013

The latest data from Australia's peak clean energy body indicates that the country's use of renewable energy hit record heights last year. According to figures from the Clean Energy Council's 2012 Clean EnergyAustralia Report, a record-breaking 13.14% of Australia's electricity was derived from renewable energy in 2012.

Both solar power and wind power have reached major milestones since the start of 2012, Australia's 62 wind farms produced enough electricity to supply power to one million households for the first time last year, while the country installed its millionth solar power system earlier this year.

While solar power and wind power saw an increase in their share of renewable energy generated, rising to 26% and 8% respectively, hydroelectric power nonetheless remains the dominant form of clean power, accounting for 57% in 2012.

CEC chief executive David Green said the report shows that renewable energy is fast emerging as an economically viable power source, especially in light of the rising expense of its conventional, mainstream peers. "The cost of fossil fuels such as gas has been going up, while clean energy has been getting cheaper-fast", he said

Green also highlighted rapid growth in the deployment of renewable energy in Australia, and the sector's salutary contribution to the national economy. "The clean energy industry contributed $4.2 billion in investment and approximately 24,300 to the Australian economy in 2012", he said. Despite this impressive level of spending, however, the report found that Australian investment in renewables actually fell significantly last year, dropping $1.3 billion dollars from $5.5 billion in 2011.

The decline in investment has been largely attributed to the solar sector due to the scuppering of government incentives for the installation of rooftop panels and declines in systems cost. Further declines in investment are also expected this year as a result of political uncertainty in the lead up to the federal election this year, and the potential impact on the renewable energy sector of a Coalition victory.

Record in renewables

www.theage.com.au
5 Jun 2013

Australia produced a record amount of renewable energy last year, with clean electricity sources such as hydroelectric, wind and solar generating more than 13% of the nation's power, new industry figures show. A report by the Clean Energy Council says hydroelectric electricity is still the most dominant clean-energy source, representing 58% of all renewable electricity generated in 2012.

But the council's chief executive, David Green, said other sources were growing strongly, with wind power rising to 26% of renewable generation and solar to 8%. Despite the growth, the report also finds Australian investment in renewables fell by $1.3 billion dollars last year, from $5.5 billion in 2011 to $4.2 billion.

Much of the decline in investment came in solar, as government incentives to install rooftop panels were axed and the cost of systems fell. The fall mirrors a 10% decline in renewable energy investment globally in 2012.

Mr Green said the findings showed technologies such as wind, solar and bioenergy were starting to make a major difference to the way electricity was produced and consumed. SMA inverter & 20x250 w Trina Solar Honey Quality systems made affordable.

Wind industry angered over red tape

www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au
30 May 2013

WIND energy producers are in a twist after being forced to demonstrate they are operating within noise limits every time they seek to surrender Renewable Energy Certificates.

As of the start of June, all large-scale power stations accredited under the renewable energy target will have to submit a "standing notice" of ongoing compliance with all local, state and federal planning and approval requirements. Operators say they were only advised of the change late last week. Power stations, including hydroelectric, will continue to be required to complete an annual electricity generation return as before.

"The standing notice was introduced to enhance the integrity of the large-scale renewable energy target", a spokesperson for the Clean Energy Regulator said. "The standing notice will ensure the [regulator] is able to identify issues related to non-compliance as large-scale generation certificates are created".

The change follows debate in the Senate last November over wind farm noise, with Democratic Labor Party's John Madigan from Victoria calling for wind farm operators to provide wind and noise data to an independent authority every three months.

Senator Madigan stirred bemusement from the industry at the time with his call for the regulator to cancel a wind farm's accreditation should it operate in contravention of a law "whether written or unwritten". Even though the proposed amendments failed, the regulator opted to require compliance proof before certificate payment "to avoid a hint of a hint" that the industry was falling short, an official said.

Jonathan Upson, senior development manager of regulatory affairs with wind farm owner Infigen Energy, said while all power generators should operate according to the regulations, state governments are the responsible authorities to ensure compliance with planning decisions. This includes having acoustic experts on staff.

"The benefit of having a federal energy regulator attempt to duplicate the compliance role of state government planning departments is not clear to us", Mr Upson said.

Wind industry angered over red tape

www.smh.com.au
29 May 2013

Wind energy producers are in a twist after being forced to demonstrate they are operating within noise limits every time they seek to surrender Renewable Energy Certificates.

As of the start of June, all large-scale power stations accredited under the renewable energy target will have to submit a "standing notice" of ongoing compliance with all local, state and federal planning and approval requirements. Operators say they were only advised of the change late last week. Power stations, including hydroelectric, will continue to be required to complete an annual electricity generation return as before.

"The standing notice was introduced to enhance the integrity of the large-scale renewable energy target", a spokesperson for the Clean Energy Regulator said. "The standing notice will ensure the [regulator] is able to identify issues related to non-compliance as large-scale generation certificates are created".

The change follows debate in the Senate last November over wind farm noise, with Democratic Labor Party's John Madigan from Victoria calling for wind farm operators to provide wind and noise data to an independent authority every three months.

Senator Madigan stirred bemusement from the industry at the time with his call for the regulator to cancel a wind farm's accreditation should it operate in contravention of a law "whether written or unwritten". Even though the proposed amendments failed, the regulator opted to require compliance proof before certificate payment "to avoid a hint of a hint" that the industry was falling short, an official said.

Jonathan Upson, senior development manager of regulatory affairs with wind farm owner Infigen Energy, said while all power generators should operate according to the regulations, state governments are the responsible authorities to ensure compliance with planning decisions. This includes having acoustic experts on staff.

"The benefit of having a federal energy regulator attempt to duplicate the compliance role of state government planning departments is not clear to us", Mr Upson said. The imposition of such requirements on the renewable sector-particularly the wind industry-was also discriminatory unless similar measures are applied to other energy providers.

"The next logical step would be for the Australian Energy Regulator to require monthly declarations from gas and coal-fired power stations, and their associated coal mines, that they are compliant with all air, water and noise pollution laws and regulations", Mr Upson said.

wind farm operators are also nervously awaiting a decision from the NSW cabinet, perhaps within three weeks, on whether to adopt tough new guidelines for the industry in the state.

Portugal provides 70% of electricity using renewable energy

designbuildsource.com.au
19 Apr 2013

Figures from Portugal's electricity network operator indicate that 70% of all electricity consumed in the country during the first quarter of this year was derived from renewable energy sources, leading to a marked decline in the usage of conventional fossil fuels for power generation purposes.

The record-breaking levels of renewable energy usage were heavily abetted by favourable weather conditions, expediting generation by hydroelectric power facilities and wind turbines and bringing about declines in electricity consumption by Portuguese citizens.

Hydro was the biggest power provider throughout the quarter, supplying 37% of all electricity consumed in Portugal for a staggering 312% year-on-year increase.

Wind power came in second, supplying 27% of total electricity and achieving a record-breaking generation level for Portugal. wind turbine power generation levels increased 60% year-on-year and were 37% greater than average.

In stark contrast to the prominence of hydroelectric power and wind in Portugal's energy portfolio, however, solar power makes only a negligible contribution to nationwide power generation. While figures on solar power generation for the first quarter of 2013 are not yet available, in 2012 photovoltaics only supplied 0.7% of total energy demand, equivalent to 225.5 MWs.

The frugal energy consumption habits of the Portuguese no doubt also contributed to the increased prominence of renewables. While a warm winter and fewer working days contributed to a marked decline in energy usage of 2.3% during the first quarter, power consumption in Portugal has fallen steadily over the past several years and currently stands at 2006 levels.

The increased usage of renewable energy has conversely led to a sharp decline in the consumption of conventional fossil fuels, which the small Iberian nation can only import. Portugal used 29% less coal and 44% less gas for electricity generation in the first quarter compared to 2012 figures.

Portugal has undertaken concerted efforts to transition toward renewable energy sources since the middle of last decade, in order to reduce the country's reliance on imported fossil fuels as well as harness its rich climate resources as a peninsular nation state.

In 2011, Portugal even managed to use renewable energy sources to provide for all the country's power needs for a period of several hours. The March quarter of 2013 marks the first occasion, however, that the country has managed to supply so much of its energy needs from renewable sources over such a protracted time frame.

Windfarm cash to fill community 'sails'

www.theflindersnews.com.au
10 Apr 2013

With less than a week until the $50,000 Clements Gap Sustainable Communities Fund closes, Pacific Hydro is urging groups not to leave their applications to the last minute.

"Applications must be received by Tuesday", said the wind farm company's general manager Lane Crockett. Groups and organisations operating in Clement's Gap, Mundoora, Port Broughton, Wandearah, Redhill and Crystal Brook are eligible for funding.

"If your group or organisation is working on socially and environmentally sustainable projects that need funding, we encourage you to apply", Mr Crockett said.

The Fund Allocation Panel is comprised of four community members, four Pacific Hydro staff and a representative from both Barunga West and Port Pirie councils.

Applications are accepted in five areas: sport and recreation, health and safety, art and culture, education and the environment. Visit www.pacifichydro.com.au or phone Chloe on (03) 8621 6428.

Switch to fully renewable energy within reach: report

www.watoday.com.au
3 Apr 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China's wind energy industry spirals higher

www.smh.com.au
4 Feb 2013

China installed more than a third of the world's new wind turbines in 2012 and is on course to beat the government's 2015 target of 100 GWs of generation capacity by more than a year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) data.

Wind energy in China now accounts for 5.3% of the country's generating capacity and supplies about 2% of its electricity, placing it behind only coal and hydroelectric power. While new installations slowed from 2011's record levels, China's 15.9GW of new wind capacity exceeded the 15.5GW of new hydroelectric power and dwarfed the 1.2GW of solar and 700 MWs of nuclear capacity added last year.

"This year however, project approvals have sped up and we forecast a modest recovery in both financing activity and construction in 2013", Demi Zhu, China wind analyst at BNEF, said. "The fact that China wind overtook nuclear as a generation source even in its most challenging year of recent times is a testament to the massive scale and momentum of the industry in this country".

China's adoption of renewable energy has surprised many, with some Australian commentators projecting wind and solar to contribute only 0.3% of China's electricity supply by 2020. According to preliminary BNEF research, some 11% of total electricity generation by 2020 will come from non-hydroelectric renewable sources, said Jun Ying, head of China research.

At about 2% of current electricity supply, though, wind power is "far from being sufficient to ease China's current severe air pollution issue in any noticeable way", Mr Ying said. Last year, the country added 80GW of capacity-larger than Australia's total-with coal-fired places accounting for about 60% of that increase, BNEF said.

New investment in wind was worth $US27.2 billion ($26.1 billion) in 2012, down 12%. Turbine costs, though, fell 10% as suppliers, mostly home-grown, cut prices.

Read More…

Ontario electricity: Wind out-produces coal

www.thestar.com
11 Jan 2013

Wind turbines out-produced coal-fired power plants in Ontario last year for the first time.

Meanwhile, the underlying wholesale price of electricity crept up by 2.9%, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Over the past two years, it has risen 13%. The rise in wind power is set to continue, with more turbines due to come on stream, and Ontario's last coal-fired plants set to shut down at the end of this year.

The Ontario Power Authority has said that Ontario has close to 2,000 MWs of wind power in operation with another 3,800 MWs under development. In its year-end review, the IESO reported that wind turbines churned out 4.6 TWs of electricity in 2012 up from 3.9 TWs the year before. (A TW is a billion kW hours).

That meant wind supplied 3% of the province's power last year, out-producing coal at 2.8%. The numbers delighted the Canadian Wind Energy Association. "It's a sign of things to come", said vice president Brandy Giannetta. "We've really proven ourself as a resource".

But wind's increase presents some challenges to the province's power system, which sometimes has too much power flowing onto the grid. Energy consultant Bruce Sharp noted that when there's a surplus, wind turbines continue producing power but the system operators throttle back production at Bruce Power's nuclear plants-while still paying them for the lost production.

Meanwhile, Ontario Power Generation also spills water at some of its hydroelectric-electric stations to make room for the wind power on the grid. In effect, he said, that replaces low-cost hydroelectric power with higher-priced wind power. nuclear power is still the mainstay of Ontario's power supply, making up almost 57% of last year's supply compared with 55% the year before.

That could well grow this year, as two long-idle units at Bruce Power's nuclear station returned to production late in 2012. The wholesale price of power also crept high in 2012, the IESO reported. It rose to 7.37 ¢ a kW hour from 7.16 ¢. In 2011, it was 6.52 ¢. That price does not include delivery and regulatory charges.

Consumers don't pay that price directly. They either pay time-of-use rates, which are adjusted twice a year; or they buy their power from an energy retailer. But the wholesale price underlies consumer prices. Critics have blamed the increase in renewable power such as wind for the rise in prices.

Giannetta argued that's not the case, noting that the price of wind power for contracts going forward was trimmed this year from 13.5 ¢ a kW hour to 11.5 ¢. That's competitive with other types of new generation, she said.

Yallourn Power Station downsize shows Renewable Energy Target is working

Clean Energy Council
17 Oct 2012

The peak body for Australia's clean energy industry said today's announcement that part of the coal-fired Yallourn W power station would be mothballed showed that cleaner sources of power were gradually replacing the country's highest-polluting power generation. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said if Australia was serious about transitioning to a clean energy future, then such shifts in the way electricity was generated were to be expected.

"Six weeks ago renewable energy was wrongly criticised in some quarters for not reducing emissions, and now Australia's 20% Renewable Energy Target has been criticised for being too effective", Mr Green said. "The fact is, the Renewable Energy Target is doing exactly what it is supposed to: aiding Australia's transition to a cleaner energy system and hunting out the least-cost ways of doing this.

"Not only that, while providing the country with clean energy such as solar, wind, bioenergy and hydroelectric, it has also delivered billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs, along with increased protection against the volatile costs of fossil fuels. And it has the potential to deliver much more if kept in place and not tinkered with".

However, the policy is currently under review by the Climate Change Authority, which is under pressure from some energy companies who want it scaled back in order to maintain their dominance of the market.

"People are using less fossil fuelled electricity because of the increased contribution of large-scale clean energy such as wind, rising power prices, mild weather and better energy efficiency at home as well as through technologies like solar power. Contrary to the predictions of some doomsayers, the lights are still on and our energy sources are still secure. "It's not surprising the impact of all this is being felt by some of the big fossil fuelled power generators.

"But it is too early to say whether any forecast reduction in demand for energy will be a long-term trend or whether it will increase again if we all turn the air conditioning on over a few hot summers, or the exchange rate changes and manufacturing picks up", he said.

Australia's largest solar farm opens amid renewable target debate

www.reuters.com
10 Oct 2012

(Reuters)-Australia switched on its first utility-scale solar farm on Wednesday, bringing the country a small step closer to achieving ambitious renewable energy use targets that traditional coal and gas power producers are now fighting to soften.

The Greenough River solar farm, just outside the small town of Walkaway in Western Australia state, is a joint-venture between Western Australian state-owned Verve Energy and U.S, conglomerate General Electric Co. It is expected to generate 10 MWs, enough to power 3,000 homes.

"The Greenough River solar farm demonstrates that renewable technologies can contribute to meeting Australia's future energy needs on a sustainable, cost-competitive basis", Jason Waters, chief executive of Verve Energy said on Wednesday. Australia has committed to getting 20% of its power from renewables by 2020 but big coal and gas-based utilities are arguing for generation targets to be cut.

The plant is General Electric Co's first investment in Australian renewable energy, and plans are already underway to eventually expand it to 40 MWs. The electricity generated by the plant will be purchased by Western Australia Water Corporation to power a nearby desalination plant.

Australia is one of the world's most ideal places for solar projects. It has the highest average solar radiation per m² of any continent in the world, according to government, and a population the size of New Delhi spread over an area the size of the contiguous United States. Australia currently gets about 10% of its electricity supply from renewable energy, about two-thirds of which comes from hydroelectric power.

Read More…

Liquid air 'offers energy storage hope'

www.bbc.co.uk
2 Oct 2012

Turning air into liquid may offer a solution to one of the great challenges in engineering-how to store energy. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers says liquid air can compete with batteries and hydrogen to store excess energy generated from renewables. IMechE says "wrong-time" electricity generated by wind farms at night can be used to chill air to a cryogenic state at a distant location. When demand increases, the air can be warmed to drive a turbine.

Engineers say the process to produce "right-time" electricity can achieve an efficiency of up to 70%. MechE is holding a conference today to discuss new ideas on how using "cryo-power" can benefit the low-carbon economy. The technology was originally developed by Peter Dearman, a garage inventor in Hertfordshire, to power vehicles. A new firm, Highview Power Storage, was created to transfer Mr Dearman's technology to a system that can store energy to be used on the power grid. The process, part-funded by the government, has now been trialled for two years at the back of a power station in Slough, Buckinghamshire.

More than hot air The results have attracted the admiration of IMechE officials. "I get half a dozen people a week trying to persuade me they have a brilliant invention", head of energy Tim Fox told BBC News. "In this case, it is a very clever application that really does look like a potential solution to a really great challenge that faces us as we increase the amount of intermittent power from renewables".

Dr Fox urged the government to provide incentives in its forthcoming electricity legislation for firms to store energy on a commercial scale with this and other technologies. IMechE says the simplicity and elegance of the Highview process is appealing, especially as it addresses not just the problem of storage but also the separate problem of waste industrial heat.

• The process follows a number of stages:
• "Wrong-time electricity" is used to take in air, remove the CO2 and water vapour (these would freeze otherwise)
• the remaining air, mostly nitrogen, is chilled to -190C (-310F) and turns to liquid (changing the state of the air from gas to liquid is what stores the energy)
• the liquid air is held in a giant vacuum flask until it is needed
• when demand for power rises, the liquid is warmed to ambient temperature. As it vaporizes, it drives a turbine to produce electricity - no combustion is involved

IMechE says this process is only 25% efficient but it is massively improved by co-siting the cryo-generator next to an industrial plant or power station producing low-grade heat that is currently vented and being released into the atmosphere. The heat can be used to boost the thermal expansion of the liquid air. More energy is saved by taking the waste cool air when the air has finished chilling, and passing it through three tanks containing gravel. The chilled gravel stores the coolness until it is needed to restart the air-chilling process.

Delivering durability
Highview believes that, produced at scale, their kits could be up to 70% efficient, and IMechE agrees this figure is realistic. "Batteries can get 80% efficiency so this isn't as good in that respect", explains Dr Fox. "But we do not have a battery industry in the UK and we do have plenty of respected engineers to produce a technology like this. "What's more, it uses standard industrial components-which reduces commercial risk; it will last for decades and it can be fixed with a spanner".

In the future, it is expected that batteries currently used in electric cars may play a part in household energy storage. But Richard Smith, head of energy strategy for National Grid, told BBC News that other sorts of storage would be increasingly important in coming decades and should be incentivised to commercial scale by government. He said: "Storage is one of four tools we have to balance supply and demand, including thermal flexing (switching on and off gas-fired power stations); interconnections, and demand-side management. Ultimately it will be down to economics".

Mr Dearman, who also invented the MicroVent resuscitation device used in ambulances, told BBC News he was delighted at the success of his ideas. He said he believed his liquid air engine would prevail against other storage technologies because it did not rely on potentially scarce materials for batteries. "I have been working on this off and on for close on 50 years", he told BBC News.

"I started when I was a teenager because I thought there wouldn't be enough raw materials in the world for everyone to have a car. There had to be a different way. Then somehow I came up with the idea of storing energy in cold. "It's hard to put into words to see what's happening with my ideas today".

John Scott, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), added: "At present, pumped-hydroelectric storage is the only practical bulk storage medium in the British grid. "However, locations are very restricted", he told BBC News. "In the future, if new storage technologies can be deployed at a lower cost than alternatives, it would benefit the power system". A spokesman for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (Decc) said it would shortly launch a scheme to incentivise innovation in energy storage. Other grants are available from Ofgem.

Clean energy industry calls for investment stability

Clean Energy Council
12 Sep 2012

Australia's clean energy industry today called for the Federal Government to ensure the 20% Renewable Energy Target remains unchanged in order to retain its investment-grade stability and drive job creation along with lower costs for consumers.

The Federal Government's Climate Change Authority is currently undertaking a review of the target, to source 20% of Australia's energy from renewable sources by 2020. "The Renewable Energy Target is the single most important policy measure for the entire Australian renewables sector", Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said.

The Renewable Energy Target was introduced by Liberal Prime Minister John Howard in 2001 and increased by Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2009 with the support of the Coalition. "Since its introduction, it has generated some $18.5 billion of investment and thousands of jobs-many of them in regional and rural areas where most of Australia's abundant clean energy resources are found", Mr Green said. "It has seen more than 1.7 million Australian households moving to protect themselves from fossil fuel-driven price rises by installing small-scale systems such as solar panels and solar hot water.

"In addition, the equivalent of more than 2.1 million households is now powered by large-scale renewables such as hydroelectric and wind. "To date, it has also been the single largest carbon abatement scheme in Australia and without it Australia would not have achieved its emissions reductions target under the Kyoto Protocol".

Mr Green said the Renewable Energy Target in its current form stood to generate up to $30 billion more in investment and a total reduction of 380 million tonnes in carbon emissions over the life of the scheme. But the Renewable Energy Target's ability to deliver more investment, jobs, carbon abatement and energy security would be severely undermined if fundamental changes are made to it or the legislative and economic mechanisms underpinning it, Mr Green said.

"Of overriding importance is the need for policy stability and investment security to secure the funds that will deliver clean energy for Australia. "Any changes to the Renewable Energy Target will shatter this stability and remove investor confidence in clean energy, negating the industry's ability to support Australia's shift to clean energy sources and to reduce energy costs for consumers in the long-term. The fact a review is even being held is already contributing to uncertainty in the market. "Further, any change would likely damage the returns on billions of dollars of renewable energy investment already made under the current policy settings and in turn damage Australia's reputation as a safe place to invest in energy infrastructure".

Mr Green said acting on recent suggestions from some quarters that the target in total GWs should be reduced to match forecasts of lower energy demand would only serve to decrease investor confidence. "Future electricity demand is inherently difficult to predict, particularly at a time when the Australian energy market and the production and consumption of electricity are undergoing quite substantial reforms and change. "But investing in a 15 year-plus energy project requires long-term clarity about policy settings that will affect revenue sources. This security is provided by the current fixed GW target".

Mr Green said the cost of renewable energy was small compared to other considerations such as poles and wires-and it was dropping all the time. "The cost of the Renewable Energy Target contributes just 7% to the average Australian electricity bill, and this is forecast to drop to just 4% by 2020 with even greater potential savings as we all become smarter about how we use our energy".

Wind Power to dominate South Korea renewable energy efforts: KuicK Research

www.power-eng.com
8 Sep 2012

Delhi, India, (PR.com)--With the countries all over the world developing their wind power potential, South Korea has also joined the trend by initiating a massive wind power program that is expected to relieve the country of its huge fossil fuel imports that, currently, energize the country. South Korea has recently realized the vast wind reserves which has been given priority in the country's renewable energy revolution. A recently published research report by Kuick Research has pointed out that the country holds one of the world's largest wind resources with wind speeds in the higher limit.

The report details that South Korea has potential wind reserves of more than 340 TWh of which close to 100 TWh is onshore and a whopping 243 TW is offshore. This indicates towards huge offshore wind power potential that the administration has just beginning to tap. Another reason for the country to move offshore was because of the limited land available for wind farm development. The report gives detailed wind map studies with the wind speeds much faster than that required for power generation.

The feed-in tariff policy of the government has now been replaced by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The research report points out the various reasons behind this reform one of which was the low revenue given to wind generated electricity as compared to solar and hydroelectric power.

The country is currently in the process of developing the world's largest offshore wind farm with capacity of 2.5 GW expected to be operational by 2019. A consortium of government and private companies being led by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy is developing this ambitious project that will catapult the country's wind power to levels at par with many countries in the world.

United Kingdom's RenewableUK has joined hands with the Korea Wind Energy Association to augment South Korea's efforts of wind power development through a 3 phase project called the UK-Korea Ocean Energy Technology Project, the first of which will be a detailed study of the country's offshore wind resources and the subsequent phases to be determined on the results of the study.

The research study shows that the government has already committed KRW 373.7 Billion in renewable energy development in 2012 and gives further details of this money being invested in various projects to help the country reach its target of including 10% power generated from renewable energy by 2022. The report also lists the various quotas of electricity produced by renewable sources of energy that will need to be included by the utility companies as part of the new Renewable Portfolio Standard policy.

South Korea heavy industry companies are augmenting the government's efforts by facilitating the availability of wind turbines by locally manufacturing them so that the companies do not have to import the equipment and the cost of wind power can be reduced. The report gives details of the wind turbine portfolio of all the companies involved.

The research report is a detailed text that emphasizes on the bright future of wind power in South Korea. It gives details to all the necessary facets required to bring about an organized wind power growth. The report details the targets and gives precise plans of the government to achieve these ambitious renewable energy targets and how exactly the country will go about the Low Carbon Green Growth Policy in the coming years to develop its most abundant resource.

Growing demand for Renewable energy

www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au
27 Aug 2012

THE new 2012 Australian Energy Update report shows strong growth in the use of renewable energy, according to the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE). "Renewable energy (excluding biomass) recorded the strongest consumption growth in 2010 11 at 21%, followed by natural gas and oil consumption which both increased by 7%" said BREE Executive Director and Chief Economist Professor Quentin Grafton.

"The strongest final energy consumption growth was observed in the mining and transport sectors. "Total energy consumption, including transformation activity, increased by 3% in 2010 11 to 6100 petajoules, supported by stronger economic growth". Total final energy consumption in Australia grew by 2% to 3839 petajoules in 2010 11. Total electricity generation remained, more or less unchanged at about 253 000 GWs in 2010 11 with declines in coal-fired generation offset by increased generation from natural gas and renewable energy sources (including solar, wind and hydroelectric).

"A 3% fall in energy production in 2010-11 to 16,640 petajoules, reflected lower production of coal, crude oil and uranium oxide primarily due to weather-related events" according to Professor Grafton. "Energy statistics and their analysis are critical to industry, government and the community to make better decisions about our energy future,
2012 Australian Energy Update

Scorching summer dries up hydro power

www.power-eng.com
5 Aug 2012

The hot, dry summer means there's not much hydroelectric in your hydroelectric bill this summer. In Ontario, consumers use "hydroelectric" as shorthand for electricity. But technically, hydroelectricity means power generated by water. With not much rain and lots of evaporation this summer, rivers and lakes are at low levels, so there's less water to whirl the turbines at hydroelectric generating stations.

How much less? The amount of hydroelectric power produced in Ontario dropped 20% this July compared with July a year ago, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator. In fact, Ontario got more power from natural gas-fired generators in July than it did from its hydroelectric stations. Gas-powered generation jumped 33% from a year earlier. That meant hydroelectric contributed 17% of Ontario's power supply in July, while gas-fired units churned out 20%.


Hydropower also took up some of the slack as hydroelectric production dropped, increasing by 7% year over year. The total amount of power generated in the province was a fraction of a% higher this year than last. Ontario Power Generation generates most of the province's hydroelectric power. Early in the year, there was plenty of wet weather in the northwest, said OPG spokesman Ted Gruetzner, but it was a different story elsewhere.

"Through the central, northeast and eastern parts of the province, we didn't get much snow, and we haven't had much rain, so the reservoirs are down", he said in an interview. The biggest drops in production were at OPG's smaller hydroelectric stations; total production was down a more modest 10% at the big hydroelectric stations at Niagara Falls and Cornwall.

The other power source with a dramatic production drop was coal, which was down 42% from the year before. The province continues to shut down coal-fired units as it aims to cease coal generation by the end of 2014; in July, it produced 5% of the province's power, down from close to 9% a year ago. Combined output from renewable power sources such as wind, solar and biomass was little changed.

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.

Freo’s wave energy project gets go ahead

www.sciencewa.net.au
16 May 2012

A Fremantle-based wave energy company has received funding to commence operations for its grid-connected CETO Wave Energy Project, marking an important step for the technology's future research and development as a viable energy alternative. Carnegie Corporation's Garden Island-based CETO project will receive $9.9 million from the Federal government's Emerging Renewables Program with an additional $5.5 million coming from the WA government's Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) Fund. Using a network of subsea pipelines the submerged CETO buoy system will pump pressurised water to an onshore power generating facility--located at the HMAS Stirling naval base--to drive hydroelectric turbines with an estimated output capacity of 2MW.

Curtin University's National Center for Marine Science and Technology Studies (CMST) Doctor Tim Gourlay says that structurally and environmentally CETO is ahead of other wave energy technology around the world. "The big advantage of the CETO system is that it is fully submerged and has very good survivability in storms, so by keeping them [buoys] beneath the surface they capture the oscillatory motion without the breaking wave impacts", he says. "It is a slow moving underwater buoy with minimal moving parts and I can't see any adverse impacts on the eco-system".

The project's viability also highlights the amount of wave energy resources Australia has available and the support gap of government-led incentives for the development of clean energy projects. Dr Gourlay says although Australia has supportive policies in place it still falls behind other developed nations. "In Europe there are a lot of government incentives for developing clean energy", he says. "Wave power companies have a lot of trouble getting funding, partly because there have not been many government incentives for this type of development".

The CMST have conducted reviews for the Australian Government on wave energy applications. They have also been involved with the Clean Energy Council of Australia (CEC) to promote the use of the technology. CEC policy officer Lucy Stevens says companies that deal in new clean energy technologies are often under-resourced. "There has traditionally been a major gap in introducing programs to support cutting edge technology moving from research and development through to full roll out and commercialisation", she says. Ms. Stevens expects the Federal Government's $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation will help to bridge that gap. A 2011 CSIRO study showed Australian wave energy resources could produce up to five times the country's electricity requirements.

App shows green power flows to German consumers

www.reuters.com
25 Apr 2012

(Reuters) - Power users with "green" leanings in Germany now can put into practice what they preach by switching on electrical devices at times of high renewable energy production. A new app offered by German utility Vattenfall Europe provides short-term information about the share of power derived from renewables such as wind or solar within the overall power mix. Stromwetter (power weather), the smartphone app which was developed by the firm, displays in green colour any share of renewable power exceeding 10%, or 8 GW of usage out of the maximum power load on the transmission grids of roughly 80,000 MW, Vattenfall said on Wednesday.

"If you prefer to use power from wind and solar power sources, then that is the time period on which to focus your consumption," said Helmar Rendez, managing director of Vattenfall Distribution. "By using the app, power customers can voluntarily support the strategy shift towards renewables, independently of where they are buying their power and at what tariff it is priced," he added. Wind power accounted for 38% of renewable power output last year and solar power for 16%, with biomass accounting for 30% and hydroelectric power the rest.

Stromwetter will derive the data from Leipzig power exchange EEX, which collects and relays aggregated production figures from German and Austrian power companies in 15-minute intervals. Germany has embarked on a shift toward renewables and away from nuclear power in the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster in March 2011. It derived 20% of power from renewables last year. It wants 35% by 2020 and 80% by the middle of the century.