Australian
Wednesday 27/1/2010 Page: 5
Kevin Rudd could be forced to redraft renewable energy targets, because the Australian Greens and the Coalition are considering joining forces to boost incentives for commercial development of alternative power sources. The Greens climate change spokeswoman, Christine Milne, will announce today plans for a private member's bill to prevent the government from counting solar hot water systems and solar cells on roofs in accounting for its target of 20% renewable energy use by 2020.
Senator Milne will argue that the accounting system has stymied the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects, leading to a collapse in the price of renewable energy certificates and undermining potential for development of large-scale commercial alternative energy projects. Coalition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt backed the move, saying he was prepared to talk with the Greens because the development of alternative energy sources was crucial to addressing climate change.
The comments came as Tony Abbott began finalising his plan to reduce emissions using practical measures rather than a market based scheme such as Labor's proposed emissions trading scheme. They followed former government adviser Ross Garnaut who said the government must press on with a market based scheme. Late last year, the country's biggest renewable energy company, AGL Energy, said it would not invest in alternative energy forms until the government addressed a 50% collapse in the price of certificates issued to companies and households that produced renewable energy.
The Greens hope talks with the Coalition will find common ground. Senator Milne said under her bill, hot-water systems and solar cells would attract renewable energy certificates but would not count towards the 20% renewable energy target. "This would ensure that the technologies are supported, but do not crowd out large-scale renewable energy," she said. "This is not the perfect policy, but it is an achievable way to fix this problem quickly."
Mr Hunt said the Coalition was keen to talk to the Greens but it could not make firm commitments. "We moved an amendment to ensure there was space for the solar, geothermal and tidal power projects within this target," he said. "Alternative energy industries are being stymied by pigheadedness." Professor Garnaut said yesterday he still favoured an ETS with a fixed price.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Solar-driven Stirling engines get to work
news.cnet.com
January 22, 2010
Business and government officials on Friday cut the ribbon on a solar array in Arizona that uses giant parabolic dishes to generate electricity from the sun. Solar plant developer Tessera Solar installed 60 solar collectors, called the SunCatcher from Stirling Energy Systems, in Peoria, Ariz. Each dish is rated at 25 kWs and the entire facility will have a capacity of 1.5-MWs of generation.
Utilities installing large-scale solar energy generation are typically using arrays of flat photovoltaic panels or concentrating solar energy systems, where mirrors or reflective troughs create heat to make electricity. The Stirling Energy Systems technology also captures heat by using a mirrored parabolic dish that moves to track the sun. But instead of heating a liquid to make steam for a turbine, the heat is directed at a hydrogen gas-filled piston, which drives a Stirling engine to make electricity.
The company claims its technology delivers electricity more efficiently and uses less water than other technologies. Inifinia is another company that has built a solar energyed Stirling engine using a parabolic dish, although it is smaller. Tessera Solar said that it has contracts to install as much as 1,600 MWs' worth of capacity in California and Texas.
January 22, 2010
Business and government officials on Friday cut the ribbon on a solar array in Arizona that uses giant parabolic dishes to generate electricity from the sun. Solar plant developer Tessera Solar installed 60 solar collectors, called the SunCatcher from Stirling Energy Systems, in Peoria, Ariz. Each dish is rated at 25 kWs and the entire facility will have a capacity of 1.5-MWs of generation.Utilities installing large-scale solar energy generation are typically using arrays of flat photovoltaic panels or concentrating solar energy systems, where mirrors or reflective troughs create heat to make electricity. The Stirling Energy Systems technology also captures heat by using a mirrored parabolic dish that moves to track the sun. But instead of heating a liquid to make steam for a turbine, the heat is directed at a hydrogen gas-filled piston, which drives a Stirling engine to make electricity.
The company claims its technology delivers electricity more efficiently and uses less water than other technologies. Inifinia is another company that has built a solar energyed Stirling engine using a parabolic dish, although it is smaller. Tessera Solar said that it has contracts to install as much as 1,600 MWs' worth of capacity in California and Texas.
NY air base to get solar energy farm
www.wcax.com
January 25, 2010
NEWBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) says a new solar energy farm at Stewart Air National Guard Base will serve as a model for other military installations and demonstrate that solar panels are a cost-effective energy source. The project, to be built this year, is funded by a $4 million federal investment under the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill.
Congress and the Pentagon have set new requirements that each branch of the military must purchase or generate at least 25% of the energy they consume from renewable sources by 2025. The Stewart Air National Guard base solar farm will be constructed by The Solar Energy Consortium using Applied Materials thin-film solar photovoltaics technology. It's expected to generate the amount of electricity used by 100 homes.
January 25, 2010
NEWBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) says a new solar energy farm at Stewart Air National Guard Base will serve as a model for other military installations and demonstrate that solar panels are a cost-effective energy source. The project, to be built this year, is funded by a $4 million federal investment under the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill.
Congress and the Pentagon have set new requirements that each branch of the military must purchase or generate at least 25% of the energy they consume from renewable sources by 2025. The Stewart Air National Guard base solar farm will be constructed by The Solar Energy Consortium using Applied Materials thin-film solar photovoltaics technology. It's expected to generate the amount of electricity used by 100 homes.
Premier re-emphasises King Island commitment
Sunday Tasmanian
Sunday 24/1/2010 Page: 4
PREMIER David Bartlett has continued his love affair with King Island, flying in, media in tow, for his third visit to the Bass Strait Island in 10 months. Declaring it "was good to be back", the campaigning Premier opened his bag of goodies. He re-announced $800,000 for the island's school, promised to rebuild the senior citizens club that was damaged by fire last year and reopened the Naracoopa Jetty, made safe by a $700,000 upgrade funded by the State Government. "This Labor Government is a government that generally cares about all areas of Tasmania, whether they be the Bass Strait Islands or regional areas of our community." Mr Bartlett said.
He used the trip to tell voters the Government's renewable energy board had recommended the Government commit $21 million to boost green energy on the Bass Strait Islands. The plan would involve Hydro building new solar, wind and biodiesel energy-generation facilities on the Islands to enhance their clean green images. Mr Bartlett said the Government would "consider" funding the plan in the coming weeks. "Tasmania has the strongest knowledge in wind and water energy anywhere in South-East Asia," he said. "Under this proposal, Tasmania will become a global leader, with the Bass Strait Islands the focal point." Mr Bartlett's past two trips to the North-West Island of 1600 people have involved the abattoir, which has stayed open because of a $12 million government loan to the operator, the world's biggest meat company, JBS Swift.
Sunday 24/1/2010 Page: 4
PREMIER David Bartlett has continued his love affair with King Island, flying in, media in tow, for his third visit to the Bass Strait Island in 10 months. Declaring it "was good to be back", the campaigning Premier opened his bag of goodies. He re-announced $800,000 for the island's school, promised to rebuild the senior citizens club that was damaged by fire last year and reopened the Naracoopa Jetty, made safe by a $700,000 upgrade funded by the State Government. "This Labor Government is a government that generally cares about all areas of Tasmania, whether they be the Bass Strait Islands or regional areas of our community." Mr Bartlett said.
He used the trip to tell voters the Government's renewable energy board had recommended the Government commit $21 million to boost green energy on the Bass Strait Islands. The plan would involve Hydro building new solar, wind and biodiesel energy-generation facilities on the Islands to enhance their clean green images. Mr Bartlett said the Government would "consider" funding the plan in the coming weeks. "Tasmania has the strongest knowledge in wind and water energy anywhere in South-East Asia," he said. "Under this proposal, Tasmania will become a global leader, with the Bass Strait Islands the focal point." Mr Bartlett's past two trips to the North-West Island of 1600 people have involved the abattoir, which has stayed open because of a $12 million government loan to the operator, the world's biggest meat company, JBS Swift.
Green rise in power, fuel costs
Herald Sun
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 26
VICTORIANS could face higher electricity and petrol prices from July 1 if the Rudd Government adopts a carbon tax proposal by the Greens to break the climate change policy deadlock. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he would examine the idea and was open to discussions with all parties. The Greens called for a $23-a-tonne carbon tax to be introduced for two years. The temporary tax would raise $10 billion a year, of which $5 billion would be paid as compensation to low and middle-income households to shelter them from higher electricity and energy prices.
Industry and small business would get about $2 billion in assistance with $1.2 billion given to help poor countries deal with climate change. Unlike the Government's plan, petrol would be hit by the tax and it could add about 5c a litre at the pump. Electricity generators would also miss out on compensation, but farming will be excluded. The plan aims to put the Greens back into the national debate about climate change, after they were effectively sidelined by the Rudd Government last year as it sought to strike a deal with the Coalition's former leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Greens leader Bob Brown said it was urgent and essential that a deal be struck in the short term, to begin the quest to reduce climate change, while a proper plan was worked out for the longer term. "Our job is to help get the climate change bus going again," Senator Brown said. Mr Rudd's carbon pollution reduction scheme was blocked by the Senate last year. It faces defeat again when Parliament resumes.
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 26
VICTORIANS could face higher electricity and petrol prices from July 1 if the Rudd Government adopts a carbon tax proposal by the Greens to break the climate change policy deadlock. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he would examine the idea and was open to discussions with all parties. The Greens called for a $23-a-tonne carbon tax to be introduced for two years. The temporary tax would raise $10 billion a year, of which $5 billion would be paid as compensation to low and middle-income households to shelter them from higher electricity and energy prices.
Industry and small business would get about $2 billion in assistance with $1.2 billion given to help poor countries deal with climate change. Unlike the Government's plan, petrol would be hit by the tax and it could add about 5c a litre at the pump. Electricity generators would also miss out on compensation, but farming will be excluded. The plan aims to put the Greens back into the national debate about climate change, after they were effectively sidelined by the Rudd Government last year as it sought to strike a deal with the Coalition's former leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Greens leader Bob Brown said it was urgent and essential that a deal be struck in the short term, to begin the quest to reduce climate change, while a proper plan was worked out for the longer term. "Our job is to help get the climate change bus going again," Senator Brown said. Mr Rudd's carbon pollution reduction scheme was blocked by the Senate last year. It faces defeat again when Parliament resumes.
Libs go cold on solar plan - Feed-in tariff scheme `inefficient'
Canberra Times
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 6
The ACT Opposition has withdrawn support for the ACT Government's solar feed-in tariff scheme, criticising its efficiency after calculating it cost about $500 for every tonne of emissions it saved. But the ACT Government and the Greens have rejected the Liberals' comments, arguing the scheme was never pitched as a low-cost abatement solution. Rather, it was aimed at encouraging the uptake of solar energy as part of a bigger strategy for reducing emissions. The scheme pays households about 50c per kW/hour of energy their solar panels generate, almost four times the standard rate, and the additional cost to electricity retailers is then passed on to non-participating customers, costing them about $27 extra a year, according to ActewAGL estimates.
Based on figures from the ACT Government on the scheme's operation since it started on March 1, 2009, to September 30, which showed $251,000 had been paid to solar generating households to save 556 tonnes of emissions, this worked out to about $500 a tonne. Liberals leader Zed Seselja previously supported the scheme, telling the Legislative Assembly in July, "[The feed-in tariff] seeks to encourage Canberra families to utilise this technology by installing renewable energy generators in their homes by offering a premium rate for any electricity they feed into the grid. Initiatives that encourage families to be more environmentally aware should be applauded."
But yesterday, Mr Seselja distanced Himself from his party's endorsement of the scheme, even though his party had estimated in 2008 the cost per tonne would be about $500. "What we are saying is that it's an inefficient scheme," Mr Seselja said yesterday. "We said there's some merit in solar; we're pro-solar. What we raised concerns about was efficiency and we raised those concerns right up front. What we're now getting is hard figures about what the benefit is and how mach it costs."
Acting ACT Environment Minister Joy Burch said the scheme was a success, with 905 households participating, and that the September figures Mr Seselja quoted were outdated. "The Liberals don't seem to be able to offer up a clear alternative policy to encourage solar use on a small or a large scale," Ms Burch said. "Over five years we expect there will be a reduction of 107,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, and that's like taking 5000 cars off our roads. That's something we should be supporting."
Greens environment spokesman Shane Rattenbury also criticised Mr Seselja's position. "Zed is missing the point around the purpose of a feed-in tariff because it's not designed to be the lowest-cost abatement," Mr Rattenbury said. "It's an industry development policy - growth jobs among small business. I think those small business communities would be very concerned to hear that the Canberra Liberals are taking the position that they're taking." Mr Rattenbury did agree with Mr Seselja on one thing: the Government needed to hurry up with the implementation of stage two of the scheme, extending it to larger generators, which at the moment is the subject of a discussion paper. "I have some sympathy for the argument Zed's making. The feed-in tariff we have at the moment is a half-baked scheme."
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 6
The ACT Opposition has withdrawn support for the ACT Government's solar feed-in tariff scheme, criticising its efficiency after calculating it cost about $500 for every tonne of emissions it saved. But the ACT Government and the Greens have rejected the Liberals' comments, arguing the scheme was never pitched as a low-cost abatement solution. Rather, it was aimed at encouraging the uptake of solar energy as part of a bigger strategy for reducing emissions. The scheme pays households about 50c per kW/hour of energy their solar panels generate, almost four times the standard rate, and the additional cost to electricity retailers is then passed on to non-participating customers, costing them about $27 extra a year, according to ActewAGL estimates.
Based on figures from the ACT Government on the scheme's operation since it started on March 1, 2009, to September 30, which showed $251,000 had been paid to solar generating households to save 556 tonnes of emissions, this worked out to about $500 a tonne. Liberals leader Zed Seselja previously supported the scheme, telling the Legislative Assembly in July, "[The feed-in tariff] seeks to encourage Canberra families to utilise this technology by installing renewable energy generators in their homes by offering a premium rate for any electricity they feed into the grid. Initiatives that encourage families to be more environmentally aware should be applauded."
But yesterday, Mr Seselja distanced Himself from his party's endorsement of the scheme, even though his party had estimated in 2008 the cost per tonne would be about $500. "What we are saying is that it's an inefficient scheme," Mr Seselja said yesterday. "We said there's some merit in solar; we're pro-solar. What we raised concerns about was efficiency and we raised those concerns right up front. What we're now getting is hard figures about what the benefit is and how mach it costs."
Acting ACT Environment Minister Joy Burch said the scheme was a success, with 905 households participating, and that the September figures Mr Seselja quoted were outdated. "The Liberals don't seem to be able to offer up a clear alternative policy to encourage solar use on a small or a large scale," Ms Burch said. "Over five years we expect there will be a reduction of 107,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, and that's like taking 5000 cars off our roads. That's something we should be supporting."
Greens environment spokesman Shane Rattenbury also criticised Mr Seselja's position. "Zed is missing the point around the purpose of a feed-in tariff because it's not designed to be the lowest-cost abatement," Mr Rattenbury said. "It's an industry development policy - growth jobs among small business. I think those small business communities would be very concerned to hear that the Canberra Liberals are taking the position that they're taking." Mr Rattenbury did agree with Mr Seselja on one thing: the Government needed to hurry up with the implementation of stage two of the scheme, extending it to larger generators, which at the moment is the subject of a discussion paper. "I have some sympathy for the argument Zed's making. The feed-in tariff we have at the moment is a half-baked scheme."
Make most of our natural assets in producing power Go geothermal
Adelaide Advertiser
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 20
Opinion
I SUPPORT David Noonan, of the Australian Conservation Foundation, (The Advertiser, 20/1/10) with regard to power sources for the proposed Roxby Downs mine. If the expansion goes ahead, why not kick-start South Australia's fledgling geothermal power industry by building a transmission line from a geothermal power station to Roxby Downs? Is BHP Billiton afraid that if we develop geothermal resources, using the heat from natural radioactive decay of rocks in situ, Australia will not need power from induced nuclear fission, that is, nuclear energy stations using uranium? Why not build the desalination plant on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, where there is access to deep ocean water, which can disperse salt, and plenty of wind to generate power, and with a possibility of using wave or tidal power?
Margaret Dingle. Norwood.
Friday 22/1/2010 Page: 20
Opinion
I SUPPORT David Noonan, of the Australian Conservation Foundation, (The Advertiser, 20/1/10) with regard to power sources for the proposed Roxby Downs mine. If the expansion goes ahead, why not kick-start South Australia's fledgling geothermal power industry by building a transmission line from a geothermal power station to Roxby Downs? Is BHP Billiton afraid that if we develop geothermal resources, using the heat from natural radioactive decay of rocks in situ, Australia will not need power from induced nuclear fission, that is, nuclear energy stations using uranium? Why not build the desalination plant on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, where there is access to deep ocean water, which can disperse salt, and plenty of wind to generate power, and with a possibility of using wave or tidal power?
Margaret Dingle. Norwood.
Time to take steps in the right direction
Hobart Mercury
Tuesday 19/1/2010 Page: 18
Opinion: Peter Boyer
CHANGE is in the air. Big issues are swirling around us calling for big decisions. Within two months Tasmanians will choose the people who will govern them until 2014. Could this turn out to be one of those rare events in Tasmanian politics, an election worth remembering? We will almost certainly get plenty of campaign trivia, lost tempers and smeared reputations, and maybe a tight finish and frantic post-poll manoeuvring. But a better measure of success would be whether the election deals with the big issues and produces a capable, talented government.
Our chances don't look good. The small size of Tasmania's Lower House allows parties to win only a dozen or so seats. Many of these will inevitably fall to party stalwarts rewarded for loyal service, leaving little room for fresh, independent thinkers tackling big ideas. This is shaping as a humdrum election producing a humdrum parliament.
The biggest of the big issues, everywhere, is man-made climate change. We might have seen this as a double failure of the Copenhagen meeting and Australia's emissions trading legislation put new emphasis on what needs to be done at a subnational level, like here in Tasmania. Yet climate is not considered a significant Tasmanian campaign issue, rating far behind education, health, roads and pretty well anything else. It seems that the major parties believe climate action to be a matter for others, higher up the chain. But isn't that where we've just failed? What is it about climate and politicians?
Do they find it too soft and blurry an issue to sell to the electors, unlike like a new road? Can't they find the time, or sit still long enough, to get their heads around the science? Or do they not even bother to start, seeing it as some green conspiracy to deprive them of their hard-earned lifestyles? Scientists have produced ample evidence of a crisis, including accelerating ice-melting at both poles and an alarming carbon emissions trend. The political response is to postpone international action, quibble over national action (the Federal Opposition remains without a climate policy) and generally try to have the subject buried and forgotten.
In this age of the spectator we like to watch others stuff up while things collapse in a heap, but democracy doesn't let us off that easily. We choose who governs us, so we are partly culpable. Making our democracy work effectively means more than sitting back and watching. Last week, a group called Climate Action Hobart launched a set of strategies intended to start parties and candidates thinking about where Tasmania should position itself on climate change, and then committing to a focused, sustained program of action. The strategies, formulated with expert advice and fleshed out at a community forum late last year call for action in 10 key areas aimed at taking advantage of Tasmania's resources, including renewable hydro power, to make the state a leader in tackling climate change.
Now endorsed by local climate groups around the state. "10 steps to a safer climate" seeks the active engagement of political, community and business interests to contribute effectively to a safe climate while inspiring effective action elsewhere in the world. The ambitious agenda aims to set Tasmania, without delay, on a path to zero carbon emissions by 2050 with a 2020 target for all-renewable energy, and a 20% reduction in overall energy use. It advocates reformed planning laws for sustainable communities, support for public and low-carbon transport, support for local food and sustainable consumption, protection of old forests and rigorous carbon accounting, and the elimination of waste through a 100% recycling program.
The plan asserts that most of the actions needed, while not cost-free, will bring great benefits, including more liveable, resilient communities with better housing, less pollution and less road congestion, more secure jobs, less vulnerability to global economic shocks, and an increasingly valuable reputation as a haven for green tourism and sustainable development. The program will be a demanding one. As the plan points out: "No one can predict where the potholes will lie on the road ahead. We hope and expect this community plan to evolve and expand over time. Yet a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Over the next two months climate groups across the state will join in publicity campaigns, candidate surveys and lobbying to impress upon political aspirants the over-riding importance of climate policy and the real, measurable value to Tasmania of taking world-leading initiatives. Entering this election campaign, we can choose to put our trust in shaky initiatives elsewhere, higher up, over which we have no real authority. Or we can decide that climate is a significant public issue for Tasmania, then stand up and work to make this place an example for others.
10 steps to a safer climate:
"TEN steps" is an outline of what Tasmania can contribute to preventing dangerous climate change.
Details of the strategies can be found online at www.climateactionhobart.org or www.climatetasmania.com.au/ ten-strategies.
pb@climatetasmania.com.au
Tuesday 19/1/2010 Page: 18
Opinion: Peter Boyer
CHANGE is in the air. Big issues are swirling around us calling for big decisions. Within two months Tasmanians will choose the people who will govern them until 2014. Could this turn out to be one of those rare events in Tasmanian politics, an election worth remembering? We will almost certainly get plenty of campaign trivia, lost tempers and smeared reputations, and maybe a tight finish and frantic post-poll manoeuvring. But a better measure of success would be whether the election deals with the big issues and produces a capable, talented government.
Our chances don't look good. The small size of Tasmania's Lower House allows parties to win only a dozen or so seats. Many of these will inevitably fall to party stalwarts rewarded for loyal service, leaving little room for fresh, independent thinkers tackling big ideas. This is shaping as a humdrum election producing a humdrum parliament.
The biggest of the big issues, everywhere, is man-made climate change. We might have seen this as a double failure of the Copenhagen meeting and Australia's emissions trading legislation put new emphasis on what needs to be done at a subnational level, like here in Tasmania. Yet climate is not considered a significant Tasmanian campaign issue, rating far behind education, health, roads and pretty well anything else. It seems that the major parties believe climate action to be a matter for others, higher up the chain. But isn't that where we've just failed? What is it about climate and politicians?
Do they find it too soft and blurry an issue to sell to the electors, unlike like a new road? Can't they find the time, or sit still long enough, to get their heads around the science? Or do they not even bother to start, seeing it as some green conspiracy to deprive them of their hard-earned lifestyles? Scientists have produced ample evidence of a crisis, including accelerating ice-melting at both poles and an alarming carbon emissions trend. The political response is to postpone international action, quibble over national action (the Federal Opposition remains without a climate policy) and generally try to have the subject buried and forgotten.
In this age of the spectator we like to watch others stuff up while things collapse in a heap, but democracy doesn't let us off that easily. We choose who governs us, so we are partly culpable. Making our democracy work effectively means more than sitting back and watching. Last week, a group called Climate Action Hobart launched a set of strategies intended to start parties and candidates thinking about where Tasmania should position itself on climate change, and then committing to a focused, sustained program of action. The strategies, formulated with expert advice and fleshed out at a community forum late last year call for action in 10 key areas aimed at taking advantage of Tasmania's resources, including renewable hydro power, to make the state a leader in tackling climate change.
Now endorsed by local climate groups around the state. "10 steps to a safer climate" seeks the active engagement of political, community and business interests to contribute effectively to a safe climate while inspiring effective action elsewhere in the world. The ambitious agenda aims to set Tasmania, without delay, on a path to zero carbon emissions by 2050 with a 2020 target for all-renewable energy, and a 20% reduction in overall energy use. It advocates reformed planning laws for sustainable communities, support for public and low-carbon transport, support for local food and sustainable consumption, protection of old forests and rigorous carbon accounting, and the elimination of waste through a 100% recycling program.
The plan asserts that most of the actions needed, while not cost-free, will bring great benefits, including more liveable, resilient communities with better housing, less pollution and less road congestion, more secure jobs, less vulnerability to global economic shocks, and an increasingly valuable reputation as a haven for green tourism and sustainable development. The program will be a demanding one. As the plan points out: "No one can predict where the potholes will lie on the road ahead. We hope and expect this community plan to evolve and expand over time. Yet a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Over the next two months climate groups across the state will join in publicity campaigns, candidate surveys and lobbying to impress upon political aspirants the over-riding importance of climate policy and the real, measurable value to Tasmania of taking world-leading initiatives. Entering this election campaign, we can choose to put our trust in shaky initiatives elsewhere, higher up, over which we have no real authority. Or we can decide that climate is a significant public issue for Tasmania, then stand up and work to make this place an example for others.
10 steps to a safer climate:
"TEN steps" is an outline of what Tasmania can contribute to preventing dangerous climate change.
Details of the strategies can be found online at www.climateactionhobart.org or www.climatetasmania.com.au/ ten-strategies.
- Make Tasmania carbonneutral by 2050 with a year-by-year roadmap.
- Fully assess and protect the immense carbon stores in Tasmania's old forests.
- Reduce energy use by 20% by 2020.
- Derive all of Tasmania's energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.
- Radically overhaul planning laws to ensure sustainable cities and regions.
- Significantly increase investment in public and low carbon transport.
- Help communities and businesses make a full transition to a low-carbon future.
- Support local and sustainable production and consumption, with a focus on food.
- Close resource loops and eliminate waste.
- Work actively to achieve climate justice for all and to educate Tasmanians about climate change.
pb@climatetasmania.com.au
Calls to lighten power cost load
Canberra Times
Tuesday 19/1/2010 Page: 4
The ACT Government is coming under increasing pressure to exempt low-income earners from the additional electricity costs stemming from the ACT Government's solar feed-in tariff scheme, introduced almost a year ago. The scheme requires electricity retailers such as ActewAGL to pay households with solar panels a premium rate for the electricity they generate, resulting in higher electricity costs for all other households so retailers recoup that money.
The premium payments - made at a rate of 50.05c per kW-hour the panels generate - are an incentive to increase the uptake of solar panels and for households to recoup the high costs of purchasing them, and result in other households paying an average of an additional $27 a year for electricity. Although ACT Environment Minister Simon Corbell has previously said the Government would adjust the energy concession available to low income earners to negate the increase, more than six months after electricity prices went up there is still no sign of a reprieve.
ACT Council of Social Service director Roslyn Dundas said the energy concession had barely increased in years - from $189 in 2004-05 to $195 in 2008-09, while the average electricity bill had increased by about $350 in the same period - and the additional costs associated with the feed-in tariff were putting even more financial pressure on low income earners. About 22,000 Canberra households claim all or part of this rebate yearly. "It's putting an extensive burden on households to stay warm and cool," she said.
In its submission to an ACT Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission issues paper on the scheme, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal also questioned the fairness of the scheme and existing concessions, saying, "The feed-in tariff, in the form adopted by the ACT, is highly inequitable.., the scheme design provides significant financial benefits to the wealthy investors in FIT capacity and passes the cost equally to all consumers, including low-income earners who have no financial capacity to make such an investment."
ACT Opposition leader Zed Seselja and Greens environment spokesman Shane Rattenbury also called on Mr Corbell to urgently increase the concession. Mr Corbell was unavailable for comment yesterday but a spokesman said the concession was being reviewed by the ACT Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water and the Department of Housing and Community Services as part of the feed-in tariff Stage Two discussion paper released last month, which relates to expanding the scheme to large solar generators. A decision on the rebate would be announced "later this year".
Mr Corbell has also been criticised for telling the commission that it should not take into consideration "advancing welfare or social considerations" which the commissioner Paul Baxter flagged he would raise in a submission to Mr Corbell on what the new premium price should be. After receiving the submission Mr Corbell will set the premium price to be paid to occupiers of households participating in the feed-in tariff scheme for 2010-11.
"If this Premium Price, fairly set upon economic grounds, impacts upon the financial situation of low income or disadvantaged households this is a separate issue which the Government has other avenues for addressing. The Premium Price is not a suitable vehicle for advancing welfare or other social considerations," Mr Corbell wrote to Mr Baxter last week. As it was Mr Corbell who determined the terms of reference for the commission's submission, Mr Baxter said he would no longer include social equity in his submission.
Tuesday 19/1/2010 Page: 4
The ACT Government is coming under increasing pressure to exempt low-income earners from the additional electricity costs stemming from the ACT Government's solar feed-in tariff scheme, introduced almost a year ago. The scheme requires electricity retailers such as ActewAGL to pay households with solar panels a premium rate for the electricity they generate, resulting in higher electricity costs for all other households so retailers recoup that money.
The premium payments - made at a rate of 50.05c per kW-hour the panels generate - are an incentive to increase the uptake of solar panels and for households to recoup the high costs of purchasing them, and result in other households paying an average of an additional $27 a year for electricity. Although ACT Environment Minister Simon Corbell has previously said the Government would adjust the energy concession available to low income earners to negate the increase, more than six months after electricity prices went up there is still no sign of a reprieve.
ACT Council of Social Service director Roslyn Dundas said the energy concession had barely increased in years - from $189 in 2004-05 to $195 in 2008-09, while the average electricity bill had increased by about $350 in the same period - and the additional costs associated with the feed-in tariff were putting even more financial pressure on low income earners. About 22,000 Canberra households claim all or part of this rebate yearly. "It's putting an extensive burden on households to stay warm and cool," she said.
In its submission to an ACT Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission issues paper on the scheme, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal also questioned the fairness of the scheme and existing concessions, saying, "The feed-in tariff, in the form adopted by the ACT, is highly inequitable.., the scheme design provides significant financial benefits to the wealthy investors in FIT capacity and passes the cost equally to all consumers, including low-income earners who have no financial capacity to make such an investment."
ACT Opposition leader Zed Seselja and Greens environment spokesman Shane Rattenbury also called on Mr Corbell to urgently increase the concession. Mr Corbell was unavailable for comment yesterday but a spokesman said the concession was being reviewed by the ACT Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water and the Department of Housing and Community Services as part of the feed-in tariff Stage Two discussion paper released last month, which relates to expanding the scheme to large solar generators. A decision on the rebate would be announced "later this year".
Mr Corbell has also been criticised for telling the commission that it should not take into consideration "advancing welfare or social considerations" which the commissioner Paul Baxter flagged he would raise in a submission to Mr Corbell on what the new premium price should be. After receiving the submission Mr Corbell will set the premium price to be paid to occupiers of households participating in the feed-in tariff scheme for 2010-11.
"If this Premium Price, fairly set upon economic grounds, impacts upon the financial situation of low income or disadvantaged households this is a separate issue which the Government has other avenues for addressing. The Premium Price is not a suitable vehicle for advancing welfare or other social considerations," Mr Corbell wrote to Mr Baxter last week. As it was Mr Corbell who determined the terms of reference for the commission's submission, Mr Baxter said he would no longer include social equity in his submission.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Firm unveils wave energy project
West Australian
Monday 18/1/2010 Page: 4
Australia's first facility to generate power from wave energy is being built off Garden Island, south of Perth. Fremantle company Carnegie Corporation Wave Energy yesterday unveiled a $12.5 million project that will create enough electricity to power 3500 homes. The five MW facility, scheduled for completion next year, employs a world-first design that uses the bobbing movement of submerged buoys to drive pistons on the seabed. In turn, the pistons drive pressurised water to an onshore turbine, which generates electricity that is fed into the main grid.
Work has begun off Garden Island's west coast for a prototype unit, which will be tested this year. The full-scale facility, measuring about 200m by 200m, will then be constructed off the island next year. "It's a relatively small footprint because wave energy is a very concentrated form of energy," Carnegie Corporation's chief operating officer Greg Allen said. The units will be fixed to the seabed at a depth of 24m, with a network of 30 buoys floating in the water column, below the surface. Mr Allen said the technology could be deployed on any southwest-facing coast, and that he envisioned a string of bigger facilities near populated areas throughout southern Australia.
The fact that most population centres are near the coast makes wave energy attractive, he said. The system could also potentially be used to supply power to coastal water desalination plants. Energy Minister Peter Collier said technologies such as wave energy would be essential to meet the national target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. Other technologies, such as geothermal energy, are still some years away from commercial viability, he said. WA gets about 5% of its power from renewable sources, predominantly wind energy. Mr Collier said the 2020 target was "a challenging and difficult prospect", and that WA needs to "hit the ground running" by funding technologies that can be rapidly commercialised.
Monday 18/1/2010 Page: 4
Australia's first facility to generate power from wave energy is being built off Garden Island, south of Perth. Fremantle company Carnegie Corporation Wave Energy yesterday unveiled a $12.5 million project that will create enough electricity to power 3500 homes. The five MW facility, scheduled for completion next year, employs a world-first design that uses the bobbing movement of submerged buoys to drive pistons on the seabed. In turn, the pistons drive pressurised water to an onshore turbine, which generates electricity that is fed into the main grid.Work has begun off Garden Island's west coast for a prototype unit, which will be tested this year. The full-scale facility, measuring about 200m by 200m, will then be constructed off the island next year. "It's a relatively small footprint because wave energy is a very concentrated form of energy," Carnegie Corporation's chief operating officer Greg Allen said. The units will be fixed to the seabed at a depth of 24m, with a network of 30 buoys floating in the water column, below the surface. Mr Allen said the technology could be deployed on any southwest-facing coast, and that he envisioned a string of bigger facilities near populated areas throughout southern Australia.
The fact that most population centres are near the coast makes wave energy attractive, he said. The system could also potentially be used to supply power to coastal water desalination plants. Energy Minister Peter Collier said technologies such as wave energy would be essential to meet the national target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. Other technologies, such as geothermal energy, are still some years away from commercial viability, he said. WA gets about 5% of its power from renewable sources, predominantly wind energy. Mr Collier said the 2020 target was "a challenging and difficult prospect", and that WA needs to "hit the ground running" by funding technologies that can be rapidly commercialised.
United energy plan call
Age
Monday 18/1/2010 Page: 2
SOME of Australia's big green energy players have called on the Federal Government to remove solar hot water heaters from a scheme that entices investment in renewable power. After last months failure at Copenhagen to secure a binding global accord on cutting carbon, the companies have taken aim at Australia's renewable energy target (RET). The target requires 20% of Australia's power to be renewable by 2020. But the scheme came under fire after a $1600 solar hot water subsidy flooded the market with renewable energy certificates from domestic water heaters, causing the certificates' value almost to halve.
In a submission to a Council of Australian Governments inquiry, companies including AGL Energy, Pacific Hydro and wind turbine makers Vestas and Suzlon call for hot water heaters to be removed from the scheme. Industry estimates put the total value of RET driven investment at up to $30 billion. The group called for state-based energy efficiency schemes to be joined in a single national scheme.
Monday 18/1/2010 Page: 2
SOME of Australia's big green energy players have called on the Federal Government to remove solar hot water heaters from a scheme that entices investment in renewable power. After last months failure at Copenhagen to secure a binding global accord on cutting carbon, the companies have taken aim at Australia's renewable energy target (RET). The target requires 20% of Australia's power to be renewable by 2020. But the scheme came under fire after a $1600 solar hot water subsidy flooded the market with renewable energy certificates from domestic water heaters, causing the certificates' value almost to halve.
In a submission to a Council of Australian Governments inquiry, companies including AGL Energy, Pacific Hydro and wind turbine makers Vestas and Suzlon call for hot water heaters to be removed from the scheme. Industry estimates put the total value of RET driven investment at up to $30 billion. The group called for state-based energy efficiency schemes to be joined in a single national scheme.
German ministers reach consensus on solar tariff cuts
www.environmental-finance.com
22 January 2010
Key German government ministers have agreed to make double digit cuts to solar feed-in tariffs (FITs), to the dismay of the German solar industry. The country's FIT encourages the construction of solar energy plants by setting a price for the electricity they produce at above usual market rates, for up to 20 years. This means that developers can raise finance against a guaranteed revenue stream and enables higher-cost renewables to compete with traditional fossil fuelled plants.
Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (Christian Democratic Union) and the Minister for the Economy Rainer Brüderle (Federal Democratic Party) this week both backed a 15-17% reduction, for cabinet consideration in February. The cut would come on top of already agreed a 9% reduction in the FIT for 2010 and a further 9% in 2011, slashing a total of 35% from the tarriff within two years. The reductions are likely to come into force in April. Ground-mounted installations would be hit with an additional 10% cut and very large solar PV plants would also be subject to slightly higher reductions.
The government said the current 9% FIT decline was insufficient in view of 30% drop in roof-top photovoltaic (PV) prices over the last year, and developers are seeing record returns arising from the solar FIT. Excessive subsidies were also dragging on cell efficiency improvements, it argued. The government said it needed to "take the weight off the consumer", who ultimately pay for FITs, for a technology which provides less than 1% of the national grid capacity.
The conservative Bavarian government also announced this week that it would cease approving permits for ground-mounted PV installations on farm land. But since Bavarian planning laws already heavily restrict such installations, the announcement is more likely intended to politically coincide with the federal government's FIT plans.
Some firms have themselves called for deeper FIT cuts, but German solar trade body BSW-Solar attacked the proposed changes, saying they would send many German producers to the wall. Returns on investment would fall to the critical 6%-7% mark, the minimum that German PV developers would consider, BSW-Solar said. The association was deeply concerned that the government intended to make a further 15% cut to FIT at the end of 2010. However, the industry also revised the date it predicts solar electricity prices will reach parity with conventional electricity from the middle of the decade to 2013.
Clean-tech equity analyst Michael McNamara at Jefferies International said he remained bearish on the solar sector despite viewing the FIT changes as partially positive. "It is too early to make any changes to our models, but the impact of this cut would be positive although relatively limited. We believe that the German market will remain very strong if FIT cuts are 15-17% as IRRs [internal rates of return] will still be very attractive. For example, the unlevered IRR of a rooftop installation in Bavaria could easily achieve 7.2% with an installed cost of €3.3/Watt peak (module cost of €1.8/Wp) which is a pretty conservative installed cost estimate."
BSW-Solar believes the double-figure cuts would mean the end of solar cell production in Europe, to the advantage of competitors in China, citing a report by the Baden-Württemberg State Bank (LBBW) published this month. Chinese suppliers have been the main beneficiaries of a boom in roof-top PV installations in Germany over the last two years although German cell producers still rely on the domestic market for up to around half of their turnover, LBBW said. Rooftop PV prices have fallen 30% over the last 12 months, largely due to cheaper silicon prices.
FIT cuts in Spain in the midst of the recession had already sent a shock wave through the German solar cell industry, which is putting its hopes on increasing demand this year from the US. But the equity markets have remained cautious, not least because of apprehensions about FITs. DZ Bank, for example, downgraded bellwether solar stocks Q-Cells and SolarWorld to "sell" in October on this basis. SolarWorld shares were trading at €13.99 ($19.72) today, down 11% on last Thursday's close. Q-Cells' share was similarly down 15% to €10.56 today.
22 January 2010
Key German government ministers have agreed to make double digit cuts to solar feed-in tariffs (FITs), to the dismay of the German solar industry. The country's FIT encourages the construction of solar energy plants by setting a price for the electricity they produce at above usual market rates, for up to 20 years. This means that developers can raise finance against a guaranteed revenue stream and enables higher-cost renewables to compete with traditional fossil fuelled plants.
Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (Christian Democratic Union) and the Minister for the Economy Rainer Brüderle (Federal Democratic Party) this week both backed a 15-17% reduction, for cabinet consideration in February. The cut would come on top of already agreed a 9% reduction in the FIT for 2010 and a further 9% in 2011, slashing a total of 35% from the tarriff within two years. The reductions are likely to come into force in April. Ground-mounted installations would be hit with an additional 10% cut and very large solar PV plants would also be subject to slightly higher reductions.
The government said the current 9% FIT decline was insufficient in view of 30% drop in roof-top photovoltaic (PV) prices over the last year, and developers are seeing record returns arising from the solar FIT. Excessive subsidies were also dragging on cell efficiency improvements, it argued. The government said it needed to "take the weight off the consumer", who ultimately pay for FITs, for a technology which provides less than 1% of the national grid capacity.
The conservative Bavarian government also announced this week that it would cease approving permits for ground-mounted PV installations on farm land. But since Bavarian planning laws already heavily restrict such installations, the announcement is more likely intended to politically coincide with the federal government's FIT plans.
Some firms have themselves called for deeper FIT cuts, but German solar trade body BSW-Solar attacked the proposed changes, saying they would send many German producers to the wall. Returns on investment would fall to the critical 6%-7% mark, the minimum that German PV developers would consider, BSW-Solar said. The association was deeply concerned that the government intended to make a further 15% cut to FIT at the end of 2010. However, the industry also revised the date it predicts solar electricity prices will reach parity with conventional electricity from the middle of the decade to 2013.
Clean-tech equity analyst Michael McNamara at Jefferies International said he remained bearish on the solar sector despite viewing the FIT changes as partially positive. "It is too early to make any changes to our models, but the impact of this cut would be positive although relatively limited. We believe that the German market will remain very strong if FIT cuts are 15-17% as IRRs [internal rates of return] will still be very attractive. For example, the unlevered IRR of a rooftop installation in Bavaria could easily achieve 7.2% with an installed cost of €3.3/Watt peak (module cost of €1.8/Wp) which is a pretty conservative installed cost estimate."
BSW-Solar believes the double-figure cuts would mean the end of solar cell production in Europe, to the advantage of competitors in China, citing a report by the Baden-Württemberg State Bank (LBBW) published this month. Chinese suppliers have been the main beneficiaries of a boom in roof-top PV installations in Germany over the last two years although German cell producers still rely on the domestic market for up to around half of their turnover, LBBW said. Rooftop PV prices have fallen 30% over the last 12 months, largely due to cheaper silicon prices.
FIT cuts in Spain in the midst of the recession had already sent a shock wave through the German solar cell industry, which is putting its hopes on increasing demand this year from the US. But the equity markets have remained cautious, not least because of apprehensions about FITs. DZ Bank, for example, downgraded bellwether solar stocks Q-Cells and SolarWorld to "sell" in October on this basis. SolarWorld shares were trading at €13.99 ($19.72) today, down 11% on last Thursday's close. Q-Cells' share was similarly down 15% to €10.56 today.
Marine Life Flourishing Beneath Off-Shore Wind Turbines
cleantechnica.com/
January 19th, 2010
Not only do off-shore wind turbines not harm marine life, but they actively encourage more of it, a very encouraging study has just concluded, after closely following the effects of the off-shore wind farms being built off the European coast. A Swedish Scientist at the Stockholm University's Zoology Department studying the effects of off-shore wind turbines discovered that marine life has become more abundant and diverse near the foundations. Dan Wilhelmsson found that offshore wind turbines constitute habitats for fish, crabs, mussels, lobsters and plants.
The seabed in the vicinity of the wind turbines had higher densities of fish compared to further away from the turbines and in control areas. This was despite that the natural bottoms were rich in boulders and algae. Blue mussels dominated on the wind turbines that appeared to offer good growth conditions. "Hard surfaces are often hard currency in the ocean, and these foundations can function as artificial reefs. Rock boulders are often placed around the structures to prevent erosion (scouring) around these, and this strengthens the reef function," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Not only were the foundations giving a boost to marine life, but interestingly, we might be able to build-in features to them in such a way as to enhance conditions to favor those species that need more protection. "With wind and wave energy farms, it should be possible to create large areas with biologically productive reef structures, which would moreover be protected from bottom trawling. By carefully designing the foundations it would be possible to favor and protect important species, or, conversely, to reduce the reef effects in order minimize the impact on an area," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Come to think of it, this shouldn't come as such a surprise. There are many instances of sunken boats, planes and other metal and concrete objects having been thoroughly repurposed by the creatures of the deep for their own needs. We already use artificial reefs to rebuild populations of marine life.
January 19th, 2010
Not only do off-shore wind turbines not harm marine life, but they actively encourage more of it, a very encouraging study has just concluded, after closely following the effects of the off-shore wind farms being built off the European coast. A Swedish Scientist at the Stockholm University's Zoology Department studying the effects of off-shore wind turbines discovered that marine life has become more abundant and diverse near the foundations. Dan Wilhelmsson found that offshore wind turbines constitute habitats for fish, crabs, mussels, lobsters and plants.The seabed in the vicinity of the wind turbines had higher densities of fish compared to further away from the turbines and in control areas. This was despite that the natural bottoms were rich in boulders and algae. Blue mussels dominated on the wind turbines that appeared to offer good growth conditions. "Hard surfaces are often hard currency in the ocean, and these foundations can function as artificial reefs. Rock boulders are often placed around the structures to prevent erosion (scouring) around these, and this strengthens the reef function," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Not only were the foundations giving a boost to marine life, but interestingly, we might be able to build-in features to them in such a way as to enhance conditions to favor those species that need more protection. "With wind and wave energy farms, it should be possible to create large areas with biologically productive reef structures, which would moreover be protected from bottom trawling. By carefully designing the foundations it would be possible to favor and protect important species, or, conversely, to reduce the reef effects in order minimize the impact on an area," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Come to think of it, this shouldn't come as such a surprise. There are many instances of sunken boats, planes and other metal and concrete objects having been thoroughly repurposed by the creatures of the deep for their own needs. We already use artificial reefs to rebuild populations of marine life.
Offshore Wind Power and Wave Energy Devices Create Artificial Reefs
www.sciencedaily.com
Jan. 19, 2010
Offshore wind energy and wave energy foundations can increase local abundances of fish and crabs. The reef-like constructions also favour for example blue mussels and barnacles. What's more, it is possible to increase or decrease the abundance of various species by altering the structural design of foundation. This was shown by Dan Wilhelmsson of the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, in a recently published dissertation.
"Hard surfaces are often hard currency in the ocean, and these foundations can function as artificial reefs. Rock boulders are often placed around the structures to prevent erosion (scouring) around these, and this strengthens the reef function," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
A major expansion of offshore wind energy is underway along European coasts, and the interest is growing in countries such as the US, China, Japan, and India. Moreover, wave power technologies are being developed very rapidly. Many thousand wind and wave power plants grouped in large arrays that each cover several square kilometers can be expected. How marine life will react to this is not clear, but several research projects investigating the impacts of noise, shadows, electromagnetic fields, and changes in hydrology etc, are underway.
Dan Wilhelmsson studied how offshore wind turbines constitute habitats for fish, crabs, lobsters, fouling animals, and plants. He shows that wind turbines, even without scour protection, function as artificial reefs for bottom dwelling fish. The seabed in the vicinity of wind turbines had higher densities of fish compared to further away from the turbines and in reference areas. This was despite that the natural bottoms were rich in boulders and algae. Blue mussels dominated on the wind turbines that appeared to offer good growth conditions.
Wave power foundations, too, constituting massive concrete blocks, proved to attract fish and large crabs. Blue mussels fall down from the surface buoys and become food for animals on the foundations and on the adjacent seabed. Lobsters also settle under the foundations. In a large-scale experiment, holes were drilled in the foundations, and this dramatically increased numbers of crabs. The position of the holes also proved to be of importance for the crabs.
However, aggregations of certain species may have a negative impact on other species. The number of predatory animals on artificial reefs can sometimes become so large that the organisms they prey on, such as sea-pens, starfish, and crustaceans, are decimated in the surroundings, and certain species can disappear entirely.
"With wind and wave energy farms, it should be possible to create large areas with biologically productive reef structures, which would moreover be protected from bottom trawling. By carefully designing the foundations it would be possible to favour and protect important species or, conversely, to reduce the reef effects in order minimize the impact on an area," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Jan. 19, 2010
Offshore wind energy and wave energy foundations can increase local abundances of fish and crabs. The reef-like constructions also favour for example blue mussels and barnacles. What's more, it is possible to increase or decrease the abundance of various species by altering the structural design of foundation. This was shown by Dan Wilhelmsson of the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, in a recently published dissertation.
"Hard surfaces are often hard currency in the ocean, and these foundations can function as artificial reefs. Rock boulders are often placed around the structures to prevent erosion (scouring) around these, and this strengthens the reef function," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
A major expansion of offshore wind energy is underway along European coasts, and the interest is growing in countries such as the US, China, Japan, and India. Moreover, wave power technologies are being developed very rapidly. Many thousand wind and wave power plants grouped in large arrays that each cover several square kilometers can be expected. How marine life will react to this is not clear, but several research projects investigating the impacts of noise, shadows, electromagnetic fields, and changes in hydrology etc, are underway.
Dan Wilhelmsson studied how offshore wind turbines constitute habitats for fish, crabs, lobsters, fouling animals, and plants. He shows that wind turbines, even without scour protection, function as artificial reefs for bottom dwelling fish. The seabed in the vicinity of wind turbines had higher densities of fish compared to further away from the turbines and in reference areas. This was despite that the natural bottoms were rich in boulders and algae. Blue mussels dominated on the wind turbines that appeared to offer good growth conditions.
Wave power foundations, too, constituting massive concrete blocks, proved to attract fish and large crabs. Blue mussels fall down from the surface buoys and become food for animals on the foundations and on the adjacent seabed. Lobsters also settle under the foundations. In a large-scale experiment, holes were drilled in the foundations, and this dramatically increased numbers of crabs. The position of the holes also proved to be of importance for the crabs.
However, aggregations of certain species may have a negative impact on other species. The number of predatory animals on artificial reefs can sometimes become so large that the organisms they prey on, such as sea-pens, starfish, and crustaceans, are decimated in the surroundings, and certain species can disappear entirely.
"With wind and wave energy farms, it should be possible to create large areas with biologically productive reef structures, which would moreover be protected from bottom trawling. By carefully designing the foundations it would be possible to favour and protect important species or, conversely, to reduce the reef effects in order minimize the impact on an area," says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
India Unveils Renewable Energy Trade Rules
online.wsj.com
JANUARY 19, 2010
MUMBAI - - India's federal electricity regulator announced a policy for regulating tradable energy instruments in the country, a step that will help open up its multibillion-dollar carbon markets as it attempts to balance a rapidly expanding economy with low-carbon growth. The instruments--called renewable energy certificates--will help boost power generation from water, wind, solar and other such clean energy sources in the country. The policy will create a national-level market for buying and selling such certificates, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission said in a statement late Monday.
A utility or power producer that exceeds its renewable energy targets will be able to sell surplus certificates to utilities that fail to meet their goals. The targets are to be fixed by state-level regulators. Under the policy, a federal-level agency will be created for issuing certificates to renewable energy generators, it said. The value of a certificate will be equivalent to one MW of electricity injected into the grid from renewable sources. These certificates can be traded only in the power exchanges approved by the regulator and within a price range determined by it from time to time, the commission said. "Apart from carbon credits, which are subject to a lot of international protocols and timelines, this [policy] will provide internal support for renewable energy projects within the country," said Vinod Kala, managing director of Emergent Ventures India, an environment consulting company.
India, which currently has an installed generation capacity of about 156 GWs, plans to add about 13 GWs of capacity annually over the next few years to meet the demands of its growing economy. The power sector is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in India, the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, as a majority of the electricity is generated from fossil fuels such as coal. The country's Environment and Power ministries have a roadmap for increasing the proportion of power from renewable sources in an effort to work toward low-carbon growth. "However, renewable energy sources are not evenly spread across different parts of the country," CERC said.
While a higher renewable purchase obligation can be introduced in some states, it isn't possible in states with lesser potential for renewable sources. renewable energy certificates are expected to address this mismatch between the availability of renewable sources and the requirement of the utilities to meet their renewable targets, CERC said. However, Mr. Kala at Emergent Ventures India said certain pending issues must be addressed--including clarity on what kind of penalties will be implemented if distribution companies don't meet their renewable energy targets--in order for the overall policy to be effective.
JANUARY 19, 2010
MUMBAI - - India's federal electricity regulator announced a policy for regulating tradable energy instruments in the country, a step that will help open up its multibillion-dollar carbon markets as it attempts to balance a rapidly expanding economy with low-carbon growth. The instruments--called renewable energy certificates--will help boost power generation from water, wind, solar and other such clean energy sources in the country. The policy will create a national-level market for buying and selling such certificates, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission said in a statement late Monday.A utility or power producer that exceeds its renewable energy targets will be able to sell surplus certificates to utilities that fail to meet their goals. The targets are to be fixed by state-level regulators. Under the policy, a federal-level agency will be created for issuing certificates to renewable energy generators, it said. The value of a certificate will be equivalent to one MW of electricity injected into the grid from renewable sources. These certificates can be traded only in the power exchanges approved by the regulator and within a price range determined by it from time to time, the commission said. "Apart from carbon credits, which are subject to a lot of international protocols and timelines, this [policy] will provide internal support for renewable energy projects within the country," said Vinod Kala, managing director of Emergent Ventures India, an environment consulting company.
India, which currently has an installed generation capacity of about 156 GWs, plans to add about 13 GWs of capacity annually over the next few years to meet the demands of its growing economy. The power sector is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in India, the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, as a majority of the electricity is generated from fossil fuels such as coal. The country's Environment and Power ministries have a roadmap for increasing the proportion of power from renewable sources in an effort to work toward low-carbon growth. "However, renewable energy sources are not evenly spread across different parts of the country," CERC said.
While a higher renewable purchase obligation can be introduced in some states, it isn't possible in states with lesser potential for renewable sources. renewable energy certificates are expected to address this mismatch between the availability of renewable sources and the requirement of the utilities to meet their renewable targets, CERC said. However, Mr. Kala at Emergent Ventures India said certain pending issues must be addressed--including clarity on what kind of penalties will be implemented if distribution companies don't meet their renewable energy targets--in order for the overall policy to be effective.
Energy sector feels the wind in its sails
Weekend Australian
Saturday 16/1/2010 Page: 7
THIS decade, Australia's windfarm industry expects to increase its employment almost 500% as the national renewable energy target, legislated last year, drives rapid development. The escalation of wind energy is one of three waves of change in electricity supply predicted by the Australian Energy Market Operator as it seeks to model national high-voltage transmission needs.
According to AEMO, the renewable target will drive a 450% increase in wind energy while the gas generators simultaneously will enter a golden period. The target scheme runs out of puff in 2020 it has a cap of 45,000 GW hours a year but combined cycle gas plants will become the preferred technology for meeting Australian power demand in the next two decades. Combined cycle gas turbine baseload generation is predicted to increase 10-fold in two decades.
The AEMO model suggests it will be about 2024 before the third technology wave makes its mark with large-scale geothermal development and carbon capture and sequestration processes enabling the coal generators to arrest their decline in Australian power supply. Meanwhile, the ball is with wind developers. Miles George, managing director of Infigen Energy, builders of the first largescale windfarm in NSW, recently told a Senate committee he expects 800 MWs of wind energy to be established each year of this decade.
George, whose Capital windfarm near Bungendore is contracted to sell its output to Sydney Water for the desalination plant due to be commissioned this summer, says a reasonable target long term for the wind sector would be to meet 15 to 20% of national electricity demand. Meanwhile, the Rudd government's RET should drive the wind sector's employment from 1600 people today to 7600 by the end of the decade, according to Clean Energy Council estimates. Overall, the council predicts the renewable energy industry will increase its employment in Australia from 10,370 people today to more than 24,000 in 2020.
The CEC says support for desalination projects by putting zero-emission power into the eastern seaboard grid to offset use of fossil fuels will be an important early factor for the wind industry. Apart from the 141MW committed by Infigen Energy to support Sydney Water, AGLis developing 524 MW of wind farms at Oaklands Hill in Victoria and Hallett in South Australia between now and 2012 for the SA water scheme.
Australia now has 49 wind farms carrying 962 turbines with a capacity of 1668MW. The CEC says there are 6000MW of wind energy projects proposed across Australia. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics sees an even more optimistic outlook for wind energy. In its latest review of electricity generation, ABARE records 10,672MW of wind farms undergoing feasibility studies in addition to 734MW of developments being built.
ABARE has 71 wind farms in its "less advanced projects" category. Fourteen are proposed for NSW, including the giant Silverton project near Broken Hill with a planned capacity of 1000MW, and 30 for Victoria. A further 17 are proposed for SA. Infigen Energy's George foresees a technology change further boosting Australia's wind rush. He told the Senate committee on fuel and energy that a typical windfarm turbine today has a capacity of 2MW and, while 3MW units are being brought in to operation, there are 6MW prototypes being tested. This will enable another substantial decrease in wind energy costs.
Saturday 16/1/2010 Page: 7
THIS decade, Australia's windfarm industry expects to increase its employment almost 500% as the national renewable energy target, legislated last year, drives rapid development. The escalation of wind energy is one of three waves of change in electricity supply predicted by the Australian Energy Market Operator as it seeks to model national high-voltage transmission needs.
According to AEMO, the renewable target will drive a 450% increase in wind energy while the gas generators simultaneously will enter a golden period. The target scheme runs out of puff in 2020 it has a cap of 45,000 GW hours a year but combined cycle gas plants will become the preferred technology for meeting Australian power demand in the next two decades. Combined cycle gas turbine baseload generation is predicted to increase 10-fold in two decades.
The AEMO model suggests it will be about 2024 before the third technology wave makes its mark with large-scale geothermal development and carbon capture and sequestration processes enabling the coal generators to arrest their decline in Australian power supply. Meanwhile, the ball is with wind developers. Miles George, managing director of Infigen Energy, builders of the first largescale windfarm in NSW, recently told a Senate committee he expects 800 MWs of wind energy to be established each year of this decade.
George, whose Capital windfarm near Bungendore is contracted to sell its output to Sydney Water for the desalination plant due to be commissioned this summer, says a reasonable target long term for the wind sector would be to meet 15 to 20% of national electricity demand. Meanwhile, the Rudd government's RET should drive the wind sector's employment from 1600 people today to 7600 by the end of the decade, according to Clean Energy Council estimates. Overall, the council predicts the renewable energy industry will increase its employment in Australia from 10,370 people today to more than 24,000 in 2020.
The CEC says support for desalination projects by putting zero-emission power into the eastern seaboard grid to offset use of fossil fuels will be an important early factor for the wind industry. Apart from the 141MW committed by Infigen Energy to support Sydney Water, AGLis developing 524 MW of wind farms at Oaklands Hill in Victoria and Hallett in South Australia between now and 2012 for the SA water scheme.
Australia now has 49 wind farms carrying 962 turbines with a capacity of 1668MW. The CEC says there are 6000MW of wind energy projects proposed across Australia. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics sees an even more optimistic outlook for wind energy. In its latest review of electricity generation, ABARE records 10,672MW of wind farms undergoing feasibility studies in addition to 734MW of developments being built.
ABARE has 71 wind farms in its "less advanced projects" category. Fourteen are proposed for NSW, including the giant Silverton project near Broken Hill with a planned capacity of 1000MW, and 30 for Victoria. A further 17 are proposed for SA. Infigen Energy's George foresees a technology change further boosting Australia's wind rush. He told the Senate committee on fuel and energy that a typical windfarm turbine today has a capacity of 2MW and, while 3MW units are being brought in to operation, there are 6MW prototypes being tested. This will enable another substantial decrease in wind energy costs.
Cove gets wind power
Hobart Mercury
Friday 15/1/2010 Page: 13
THE Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal has rejected an appeal by the Hobart City Council against a wind turbine development approved by the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority. The council appealed against the authority's decision to approve installation of four 12-kW 11-metre high wind turbines on the roof of the Marine Board Building.
The council claimed the development was out of scale with neighbouring buildings and the general character of the cove, it interfered with the views and vistas within and beyond the cove and the turbines would be individually prominent in contrast with neighbouring buildings. The tribunal found no likely impact could be demonstrated on views and vistas, found the turbines would be in keeping with the character of the cove and said they were not out of scale with neighbouring buildings. Hobart Lord Mayor Rob Valentine said the council had a win when the developer of wind turbines proposed for the ANZ Centre in Elizabeth St Hobart appealed.
The two parties reached an agreement at mediation on redesigned wind turbines. Ald Valentine said their height was reduced from 16.7m to 11m and the design changed. "We got a better outcome for the city, it pays for the council to look at these things critically." The final result was the ANZ building developer substantially modified the proposal so the turbines conformed with the City of Hobart Planning Scheme. Ald Valentine said the council had wanted to make sure its feelings were known about the Marine Board wind turbine proposal.
Friday 15/1/2010 Page: 13
THE Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal has rejected an appeal by the Hobart City Council against a wind turbine development approved by the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority. The council appealed against the authority's decision to approve installation of four 12-kW 11-metre high wind turbines on the roof of the Marine Board Building.
The council claimed the development was out of scale with neighbouring buildings and the general character of the cove, it interfered with the views and vistas within and beyond the cove and the turbines would be individually prominent in contrast with neighbouring buildings. The tribunal found no likely impact could be demonstrated on views and vistas, found the turbines would be in keeping with the character of the cove and said they were not out of scale with neighbouring buildings. Hobart Lord Mayor Rob Valentine said the council had a win when the developer of wind turbines proposed for the ANZ Centre in Elizabeth St Hobart appealed.
The two parties reached an agreement at mediation on redesigned wind turbines. Ald Valentine said their height was reduced from 16.7m to 11m and the design changed. "We got a better outcome for the city, it pays for the council to look at these things critically." The final result was the ANZ building developer substantially modified the proposal so the turbines conformed with the City of Hobart Planning Scheme. Ald Valentine said the council had wanted to make sure its feelings were known about the Marine Board wind turbine proposal.
Where the wind blows
Independent Weekly
Friday 15/1/2010 Page: 8
Opinion
It is interesting, and ironic, that much of the wind energy we currently have in SA owes its existence to the coal-fired power station at Port Augusta. Australian governments like to talk about all they are doing to reduce Australia's reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions yet they have never built a major power transmission line to allow development of a sustainable energy resource, whether it be wind, solar or geothermal.
They have built major lines for mining (Olympic Dam) and for coal-fired power stations (Port Augusta). If the high-capacity Port Augusta to Adelaide power lines did not pass through the mid-north, with its high quality wind resources, we would not have the Hallett, Clements Gap, Snowtown, and (under construction) Waterloo Windfarms. No further windfarm development can take place on Eyre or Yorke Peninsulas, where there is a very high-quality wind resource, because of the lack of suitable power transmission lines.
David Clarke, Clare
Friday 15/1/2010 Page: 8
Opinion
It is interesting, and ironic, that much of the wind energy we currently have in SA owes its existence to the coal-fired power station at Port Augusta. Australian governments like to talk about all they are doing to reduce Australia's reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions yet they have never built a major power transmission line to allow development of a sustainable energy resource, whether it be wind, solar or geothermal.
They have built major lines for mining (Olympic Dam) and for coal-fired power stations (Port Augusta). If the high-capacity Port Augusta to Adelaide power lines did not pass through the mid-north, with its high quality wind resources, we would not have the Hallett, Clements Gap, Snowtown, and (under construction) Waterloo Windfarms. No further windfarm development can take place on Eyre or Yorke Peninsulas, where there is a very high-quality wind resource, because of the lack of suitable power transmission lines.
David Clarke, Clare
Wind farm in Antarctica
www.evwind.es
January 17, 2010
On Saturday, the $7.4-million Ross Island Wind Farm in Antarctica began feeding electricity at full power for the very first time. The windfarm's three 333-kW Enercon E33 wind turbines will provide roughly 11% of the power for the two bases in Antarctica. The largest wind energy plant in Antarctica, able to provide electricity to 500 homes, was inaugurated today in the frozen continent thanks to a joint United States and New Zealand.
Its three huge wind turbines will supply 11% of the energy demand of all scientific research projects of both countries in the Ross Sea coast, said diplomatic sources in New Zealand. The wind energy plant will significantly reduce the emission of gaseous pollutants and, by not using fossil fuel, there will be less risk of potential spills that damage the environment. The wind energy project has cost eleven million dollars and was opened this morning but the turbines are fully operational for a month. Chaired the event New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, who said that initiatives like this are necessary to protect "one of the most untouched ecosystems but also more fragile the planet."
The wind energy plant has a capacity of 1 MW, can cut the use of 460 thousand liters of diesel fuel and emit 370 thousand tons less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to the New Zealand company Meridian Energy, which has installed wind turbines. Since the work began in November 2008, the intense cold and winds forced the workers to use water to freeze the concrete foundation of each mill, which can withstand winds up to 200 kilometers per hour. The world's southernmost windfarm it is located on Crater Hill, Ross Island, Antarctica. The construction and development of this windfarm will be unique and challenging.
January 17, 2010
On Saturday, the $7.4-million Ross Island Wind Farm in Antarctica began feeding electricity at full power for the very first time. The windfarm's three 333-kW Enercon E33 wind turbines will provide roughly 11% of the power for the two bases in Antarctica. The largest wind energy plant in Antarctica, able to provide electricity to 500 homes, was inaugurated today in the frozen continent thanks to a joint United States and New Zealand.
Its three huge wind turbines will supply 11% of the energy demand of all scientific research projects of both countries in the Ross Sea coast, said diplomatic sources in New Zealand. The wind energy plant will significantly reduce the emission of gaseous pollutants and, by not using fossil fuel, there will be less risk of potential spills that damage the environment. The wind energy project has cost eleven million dollars and was opened this morning but the turbines are fully operational for a month. Chaired the event New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, who said that initiatives like this are necessary to protect "one of the most untouched ecosystems but also more fragile the planet."
The wind energy plant has a capacity of 1 MW, can cut the use of 460 thousand liters of diesel fuel and emit 370 thousand tons less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to the New Zealand company Meridian Energy, which has installed wind turbines. Since the work began in November 2008, the intense cold and winds forced the workers to use water to freeze the concrete foundation of each mill, which can withstand winds up to 200 kilometers per hour. The world's southernmost windfarm it is located on Crater Hill, Ross Island, Antarctica. The construction and development of this windfarm will be unique and challenging.
21-Megawatt Solar Power Plant Opens in California
www.naturalnews.com
January 17, 2010
(NaturalNews) California-based solar panel producer FirstSolar has opened a 21-MW power plant in Blythe, making it the largest photovoltaic solar energy plant in the country. Utilizing thin film solar cells made out of cadmium telluride, the plant will be able to generate power for about 17,000 southern California homes.
A project that took only three months to construct, the Blythe solar plant is already set to be replicated across the state. In order to spur California to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals that were put in place by Governor Schwarzenegger, Southern California Edison, a local power company, has agreed to purchase solar energy from FirstSolar's Blythe plant for 20 years.
The thin cell technology used by FirstSolar to produce its panels is the most cost effective in the industry. The technology is so reliable and effective that FirstSolar has been able to sign deals with municipalities around the world to build utility-scale energy plants. Though not as efficient as silicon-based solar panels, the cadmium telluride cells are much more cost effective and seem to hold the most potential for large-scale use.
The company has also increased its MW production over 600% between 2007 and 2008, representing a positive trend towards increased use of solar energy generation at the utility-scale level. The company has been dubbed the "Google" of solar energy production because it has pioneered utility-scale solar energy production and has continued to see steady growth despite economic turmoil.
Plans are already in the works to build several more southern California power stations, one with 250 MW capacity and another other with 300. A 48-MW plant in Nevada was also recently approved. FirstSolar has also signed an agreement with a city in China to build a massive 2,000 MW facility. Half of it is set to be completed and operating by 2014, generating 1,000 MWs of clean, solar energy to its residents.
As far as California is concerned, the state plans to convert at least 33% of its production to renewable energy by 2020. Although solar panels have been around for years, the cost of production was typically very high and efficiency was very low, making them a largely ineffective power source. Companies like FirstSolar are helping to make renewable energy production more viable through advanced solar technology.
Other renewable energy sources being pursued include wind energy and agricultural biomass production.
January 17, 2010
(NaturalNews) California-based solar panel producer FirstSolar has opened a 21-MW power plant in Blythe, making it the largest photovoltaic solar energy plant in the country. Utilizing thin film solar cells made out of cadmium telluride, the plant will be able to generate power for about 17,000 southern California homes.
A project that took only three months to construct, the Blythe solar plant is already set to be replicated across the state. In order to spur California to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals that were put in place by Governor Schwarzenegger, Southern California Edison, a local power company, has agreed to purchase solar energy from FirstSolar's Blythe plant for 20 years.
The thin cell technology used by FirstSolar to produce its panels is the most cost effective in the industry. The technology is so reliable and effective that FirstSolar has been able to sign deals with municipalities around the world to build utility-scale energy plants. Though not as efficient as silicon-based solar panels, the cadmium telluride cells are much more cost effective and seem to hold the most potential for large-scale use.
The company has also increased its MW production over 600% between 2007 and 2008, representing a positive trend towards increased use of solar energy generation at the utility-scale level. The company has been dubbed the "Google" of solar energy production because it has pioneered utility-scale solar energy production and has continued to see steady growth despite economic turmoil.
Plans are already in the works to build several more southern California power stations, one with 250 MW capacity and another other with 300. A 48-MW plant in Nevada was also recently approved. FirstSolar has also signed an agreement with a city in China to build a massive 2,000 MW facility. Half of it is set to be completed and operating by 2014, generating 1,000 MWs of clean, solar energy to its residents.
As far as California is concerned, the state plans to convert at least 33% of its production to renewable energy by 2020. Although solar panels have been around for years, the cost of production was typically very high and efficiency was very low, making them a largely ineffective power source. Companies like FirstSolar are helping to make renewable energy production more viable through advanced solar technology.
Other renewable energy sources being pursued include wind energy and agricultural biomass production.
Micron teams with Australian solar power company
www.kivitv.com
January 19, 2010
BOISE, Idaho - - Micron Technology Inc, has signed a deal with an Australian company to build solar components using new technology that could significantly lower the cost of solar panels. Micron on Thursday announced it had signed the deal with Origin Energy, which also generates and retails energy to about three million customers. The Idaho Statesman reports the two companies signed the agreement in December. Origin Energy has already produced commercial solar panels using a silicon wafer called "sliver" technology in Australia. Origin Energy says the sliver panels are built from cells thinner than most solar cells but are highly efficient.
January 19, 2010
BOISE, Idaho - - Micron Technology Inc, has signed a deal with an Australian company to build solar components using new technology that could significantly lower the cost of solar panels. Micron on Thursday announced it had signed the deal with Origin Energy, which also generates and retails energy to about three million customers. The Idaho Statesman reports the two companies signed the agreement in December. Origin Energy has already produced commercial solar panels using a silicon wafer called "sliver" technology in Australia. Origin Energy says the sliver panels are built from cells thinner than most solar cells but are highly efficient.
German Solar Industry Could Face Subsidy Cuts Close To 30% Sources
www.nasdaq.com
Jan 15, 2010
FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Germany's photovoltaic-solar energy industry faces a reduction in state subsidies that could be close to 30%, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen next week plans to present a proposal that foresees cutting solar subsidies by a double-digit%age, the people within the industry told Dow Chemical Jones newsletter Energy Daily. The cuts could take effect as early as April, or July at the latest, they said.
There could be further cuts from the beginning of next year if installations of new photovoltaic facilities in 2010 exceed last year's expansion, the people added. Combined with annual cuts for photovoltaic-solar facilities of between 8% and 10% that already have been agree to under existing legislation, the additional cuts could amount to a reduction of 20% to nearly 30%, the people said. Germany subsidizes photovoltaic-solar energy facilities--such as rooftop installations--with so-called feed-in rates that guarantee minimum prices for the electricity they generate.
Market observers estimate that a total photovoltaic-power-generation capacity of up to 3 GWs will be newly installed in 2009. However, final figures for last year's new installations haven't yet been published. In 2008, new photovoltaic installations in Germany added a generation capacity of around 1.5 GW. German economic research institute RWI last year projected that the costs of solar subsidies could reach EUR77 billion by 2013, up to EUR11 billion more than originally expected. The German government has pledged to cut the subsidies to contain the costs.
Jan 15, 2010
FRANKFURT -(Dow Jones)- Germany's photovoltaic-solar energy industry faces a reduction in state subsidies that could be close to 30%, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen next week plans to present a proposal that foresees cutting solar subsidies by a double-digit%age, the people within the industry told Dow Chemical Jones newsletter Energy Daily. The cuts could take effect as early as April, or July at the latest, they said.
There could be further cuts from the beginning of next year if installations of new photovoltaic facilities in 2010 exceed last year's expansion, the people added. Combined with annual cuts for photovoltaic-solar facilities of between 8% and 10% that already have been agree to under existing legislation, the additional cuts could amount to a reduction of 20% to nearly 30%, the people said. Germany subsidizes photovoltaic-solar energy facilities--such as rooftop installations--with so-called feed-in rates that guarantee minimum prices for the electricity they generate.
Market observers estimate that a total photovoltaic-power-generation capacity of up to 3 GWs will be newly installed in 2009. However, final figures for last year's new installations haven't yet been published. In 2008, new photovoltaic installations in Germany added a generation capacity of around 1.5 GW. German economic research institute RWI last year projected that the costs of solar subsidies could reach EUR77 billion by 2013, up to EUR11 billion more than originally expected. The German government has pledged to cut the subsidies to contain the costs.
Friday, 22 January 2010
City's new seat of power
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday 14/1/2010 Page: 7
Sydney Town Hall has been brought into the era of carbon emissions and climate change, with the City of Sydney converting the 121-year-old building into the largest photovoltaic installation in the central business district. The council was yesterday installing 240 cutting-edge solar panels on the roof, capable of producing up to 48 kW hours of energy. That is enough to supply the Town Hall, the council chambers and the council offices next door. "The solar panels demonstrate that new green technology can be incorporated into heritage buildings," the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.
In order to avoid damaging the slate roof of the historic building, the council was forced to install special fixtures first and then use cranes to hoist materials into place. The panels are the first of their kind to be installed in Australia, and feature high efficiency cells that can be manufactured at lower cost. Our plan is to provide 25% of our energy needs from renewable sources and reduce growing demand for power from coal-fired power stations," Cr Moore said.
"Across all our properties we are investing $18 million to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions through solar hot water, solar panels, sensor lighting and intelligent control systems that manage energy use as it is needed. Our target is a minimum of 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our properties by 2012." With the installation of the panels Sydney Town Hall joins other municipal headquarters around the world, including in Barcelona, the US state of Oregon and the Hammersmith district of London. solar panels were installed on the roof of Melbourne Town Hall in 2003.
Thursday 14/1/2010 Page: 7
Sydney Town Hall has been brought into the era of carbon emissions and climate change, with the City of Sydney converting the 121-year-old building into the largest photovoltaic installation in the central business district. The council was yesterday installing 240 cutting-edge solar panels on the roof, capable of producing up to 48 kW hours of energy. That is enough to supply the Town Hall, the council chambers and the council offices next door. "The solar panels demonstrate that new green technology can be incorporated into heritage buildings," the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.In order to avoid damaging the slate roof of the historic building, the council was forced to install special fixtures first and then use cranes to hoist materials into place. The panels are the first of their kind to be installed in Australia, and feature high efficiency cells that can be manufactured at lower cost. Our plan is to provide 25% of our energy needs from renewable sources and reduce growing demand for power from coal-fired power stations," Cr Moore said.
"Across all our properties we are investing $18 million to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions through solar hot water, solar panels, sensor lighting and intelligent control systems that manage energy use as it is needed. Our target is a minimum of 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our properties by 2012." With the installation of the panels Sydney Town Hall joins other municipal headquarters around the world, including in Barcelona, the US state of Oregon and the Hammersmith district of London. solar panels were installed on the roof of Melbourne Town Hall in 2003.
Decision Promised Soon on Cape Cod Wind Farm
www.nytimes.com
January 13, 2010
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration moved a step closer on Wednesday to ending the nearly decade-long conflict over a major wind energy installation off Cape Cod, Mass. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, after meeting with virtually all of the parties to the dispute, said that he intended to decide whether to approve the wind turbine project no later than April. "What I want everyone to understand is that we will bring this process to a conclusion," Mr. Salazar said at a news briefing. He said the drawn-out controversy and repeated challenges were "bad for everyone involved."
The project, known as Cape Wind, is shaping up as a signal test of the Obama administration's commitment to renewable energy projects on public lands and off the nation's shorelines. Cape Wind, first proposed in 2001, would be the country's first major offshore wind energy project, although wind energy developers in Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island hope to follow soon.
A coalition of state and local politicians, American Indian tribes, preservationists and Cape Cod business operators oppose the project, saying the 130 wind turbines rising 440 feet above the surface of Nantucket Sound would spoil the ocean view and disrupt submerged Indian burial grounds. Mr. Salazar said he was trying to balance two of his most important missions at the Interior Department: to promote development of renewable energy to address global warming and to preserve the nation's public lands and historic heritage.
Although he gave no explicit clue to his intentions on Cape Wind at Wednesday's briefing, he did say that pushing renewable energy was one of President Obama's top priorities. And his sense of urgency on reaching a decision on Cape Wind appeared to be a sign that he was leaning toward approving it. Mr. Obama has not publicly taken sides in the dispute. The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose family compound in Hyannis Port looks out on the proposed windfarm site, was one of the project's most outspoken opponents.
In a meeting, the coalition opposing the windfarm asked Mr. Salazar on Wednesday to consider relocating the project to a less intrusive part of the sound. State officials who support the project, including Gov. Deval Patrick, rejected the proposed compromise, saying the alternate site has already been considered. Mr. Salazar appeared to support the state officials' position, saying that relocating the project would require a new multiyear permitting process. He said that some of the objections of the tribes and other opponents could be addressed within the existing application.
Opponents said Mr. Salazar could approve the alternate site because it had already been considered in federal permits. Audra Parker, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the principal opposition group, said that the alternate site would produce as much clean energy and have far less impact on tribal and historic sites than the current proposed site.
The project appeared to suffer a major setback last week when the National Park Service declared that Nantucket Sound was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The decision came in response to a petition from two Massachusetts Indian tribes who said the soaring turbines would thwart their spiritual ritual of greeting the sunrise. But Mr. Salazar can still approve the project after consulting with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent body.
A coalition of New England environmental groups urged Mr. Salazar to give a green light to Cape Wind. "This project will show the country and the world that we can meet the twin objectives of delivering clean, renewable energy while preserving the nation's historical, cultural and natural resources," the groups said in a statement.
January 13, 2010
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration moved a step closer on Wednesday to ending the nearly decade-long conflict over a major wind energy installation off Cape Cod, Mass. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, after meeting with virtually all of the parties to the dispute, said that he intended to decide whether to approve the wind turbine project no later than April. "What I want everyone to understand is that we will bring this process to a conclusion," Mr. Salazar said at a news briefing. He said the drawn-out controversy and repeated challenges were "bad for everyone involved."
The project, known as Cape Wind, is shaping up as a signal test of the Obama administration's commitment to renewable energy projects on public lands and off the nation's shorelines. Cape Wind, first proposed in 2001, would be the country's first major offshore wind energy project, although wind energy developers in Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island hope to follow soon.
A coalition of state and local politicians, American Indian tribes, preservationists and Cape Cod business operators oppose the project, saying the 130 wind turbines rising 440 feet above the surface of Nantucket Sound would spoil the ocean view and disrupt submerged Indian burial grounds. Mr. Salazar said he was trying to balance two of his most important missions at the Interior Department: to promote development of renewable energy to address global warming and to preserve the nation's public lands and historic heritage.
Although he gave no explicit clue to his intentions on Cape Wind at Wednesday's briefing, he did say that pushing renewable energy was one of President Obama's top priorities. And his sense of urgency on reaching a decision on Cape Wind appeared to be a sign that he was leaning toward approving it. Mr. Obama has not publicly taken sides in the dispute. The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose family compound in Hyannis Port looks out on the proposed windfarm site, was one of the project's most outspoken opponents.
In a meeting, the coalition opposing the windfarm asked Mr. Salazar on Wednesday to consider relocating the project to a less intrusive part of the sound. State officials who support the project, including Gov. Deval Patrick, rejected the proposed compromise, saying the alternate site has already been considered. Mr. Salazar appeared to support the state officials' position, saying that relocating the project would require a new multiyear permitting process. He said that some of the objections of the tribes and other opponents could be addressed within the existing application.
Opponents said Mr. Salazar could approve the alternate site because it had already been considered in federal permits. Audra Parker, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the principal opposition group, said that the alternate site would produce as much clean energy and have far less impact on tribal and historic sites than the current proposed site.
The project appeared to suffer a major setback last week when the National Park Service declared that Nantucket Sound was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The decision came in response to a petition from two Massachusetts Indian tribes who said the soaring turbines would thwart their spiritual ritual of greeting the sunrise. But Mr. Salazar can still approve the project after consulting with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent body.
A coalition of New England environmental groups urged Mr. Salazar to give a green light to Cape Wind. "This project will show the country and the world that we can meet the twin objectives of delivering clean, renewable energy while preserving the nation's historical, cultural and natural resources," the groups said in a statement.
Hunt on for carbon storage
The Australian
Tuesday 12/1/2010 Page: 18
CLIMATE: The federal and Victorian governments will start looking for greenhouse gas storage basins in Bass Strait next month, kick-starting up to $6 billion worth of appraisal and development expenditure over the next 15 years. Victoria's Department of Primary Industries plans a seismic survey in February and March of potential storage areas south of the big producing fields in Bass Strait's Gippsland Basin. Seismic surveys involve shooting energy pulses at the sea floor and analysing the returning waves to guess the geology below.
In a report released last month, the Rudd government's Carbon Storage Taskforce identified the Gippsland Basin as the most important of the nation's potential storage areas. The basin is near Victoria's Latrobe Valley home of the nation's dirtiest coal-fired power plants and could also be used to store NSW greenhouse gases. The government wants new storage locations for greenhouse gases, rather than using Bass Strait's depleted oil and gas reservoirs or storage space below them.
Exxon-Mobil does not want to inject carbon dioxide into space below its Bass Strait fields in case it contaminates the oil and gasfields above. The taskforee has estimated the southern Bass Strait fields could take 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for 25 years. If exploration started this year, storage could be ready by 2022, the taskforce chaired by former Woodside Petroleum executive Keith Spence claims.
Private companies are expected to spend most of the $6bn the taskforce says could be spent nationwide on developing a greenhouse gas storage industry between now and 2025. About $2bn each could be spent on exploration, appraisal and development. The taskforee has recommended governments spend $254 million on a "precompetitive" exploration program, such as the one planned by Victoria's Primary Industries Department, which will cost $5m.
Tuesday 12/1/2010 Page: 18
CLIMATE: The federal and Victorian governments will start looking for greenhouse gas storage basins in Bass Strait next month, kick-starting up to $6 billion worth of appraisal and development expenditure over the next 15 years. Victoria's Department of Primary Industries plans a seismic survey in February and March of potential storage areas south of the big producing fields in Bass Strait's Gippsland Basin. Seismic surveys involve shooting energy pulses at the sea floor and analysing the returning waves to guess the geology below.
In a report released last month, the Rudd government's Carbon Storage Taskforce identified the Gippsland Basin as the most important of the nation's potential storage areas. The basin is near Victoria's Latrobe Valley home of the nation's dirtiest coal-fired power plants and could also be used to store NSW greenhouse gases. The government wants new storage locations for greenhouse gases, rather than using Bass Strait's depleted oil and gas reservoirs or storage space below them.
Exxon-Mobil does not want to inject carbon dioxide into space below its Bass Strait fields in case it contaminates the oil and gasfields above. The taskforee has estimated the southern Bass Strait fields could take 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for 25 years. If exploration started this year, storage could be ready by 2022, the taskforce chaired by former Woodside Petroleum executive Keith Spence claims.
Private companies are expected to spend most of the $6bn the taskforce says could be spent nationwide on developing a greenhouse gas storage industry between now and 2025. About $2bn each could be spent on exploration, appraisal and development. The taskforee has recommended governments spend $254 million on a "precompetitive" exploration program, such as the one planned by Victoria's Primary Industries Department, which will cost $5m.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Wind energy's employment boom for S-E tourism hotspot
Adelaide Advertiser
Thursday 14/1/2010 Page: 17
ONE of South Australia's coastal tourism hot spots will be transformed into a hub for wind energy generation within the next two years, resulting in jobs and an economic boom for the region. Two major windfarm developers have locked in key agreements with landowners in and near Robe for billion-dollar projects that will create more than 1000 MW of wind-generated energy, expected to power more than 400,000 homes.
District Council of Robe chief executive Bill Hender said there was potential "for a huge boom to the economy". "It's very early days. It will be 18 months to two years before onsite work begins leading to hundreds of jobs in construction phase and 30-40 permanent jobs," Mr Hender said. Renewables sector investor Macquarie Capital last month agreed to back Robe Wind Pty Ltd's $1 billion, 600 MW project along the WoakWine range between Beachport and Mt. Benson. Robe Wind - a company owned by the 35 farmers on whose land the proposed windfarm is to be constructed - described the support as an important milestone in the delivery of the project.
Infigen Energy also confirmed it had landowner agreements in place for its 400-500MW WoakWine Wind Farm project from Cape Jaffa to Beachport. Infigen Energy has a strong track record of windfarm development in the Limestone Coast region with the Lake Bonney windfarm, which comprises Lake Bonney 1 (80.5MW), Lake Bonney 2 (159MW), and Lake Bonney 3 (39MW). Together, the new projects would potentially rival Australia's largest windfarm development near Broken Hill in NSW, being built by Epuron at a cost of about $2 billion. South Australia currently has the nation's highest installed capacity of wind generation, with nine operating wind farms and 5000MW of proposed projects.
Thursday 14/1/2010 Page: 17
ONE of South Australia's coastal tourism hot spots will be transformed into a hub for wind energy generation within the next two years, resulting in jobs and an economic boom for the region. Two major windfarm developers have locked in key agreements with landowners in and near Robe for billion-dollar projects that will create more than 1000 MW of wind-generated energy, expected to power more than 400,000 homes.District Council of Robe chief executive Bill Hender said there was potential "for a huge boom to the economy". "It's very early days. It will be 18 months to two years before onsite work begins leading to hundreds of jobs in construction phase and 30-40 permanent jobs," Mr Hender said. Renewables sector investor Macquarie Capital last month agreed to back Robe Wind Pty Ltd's $1 billion, 600 MW project along the WoakWine range between Beachport and Mt. Benson. Robe Wind - a company owned by the 35 farmers on whose land the proposed windfarm is to be constructed - described the support as an important milestone in the delivery of the project.
Infigen Energy also confirmed it had landowner agreements in place for its 400-500MW WoakWine Wind Farm project from Cape Jaffa to Beachport. Infigen Energy has a strong track record of windfarm development in the Limestone Coast region with the Lake Bonney windfarm, which comprises Lake Bonney 1 (80.5MW), Lake Bonney 2 (159MW), and Lake Bonney 3 (39MW). Together, the new projects would potentially rival Australia's largest windfarm development near Broken Hill in NSW, being built by Epuron at a cost of about $2 billion. South Australia currently has the nation's highest installed capacity of wind generation, with nine operating wind farms and 5000MW of proposed projects.
A new wave power plant will be built in the United Kingdom
www.evwind.es
12/01/2010
A joint-venture has been established between Swedish-based Vattenfall and Scottish-based Pelamis Wave Power for the construction of wave energy facilities. Under the first project a 20 MW plant will be built by 2014 off the Shetland Islands. Swedish-based Vattenfall and Scottish-based Pelamis Wave Power announced that they have created a joint-venture (named Aegir) for the construction of wave energy plants. The first project is expected to start operations in 2014 in the eastern Atlantic, off the coast of the Shetlands, with a 20 MW capacity.
The launch of the joint-venture, called Aegir, was announced the same day that Vattenfall's new office in Edinburgh, and the first in Scotland, was officially opened by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP. Aegir has been set up to explore wave power development opportunities in Scottish waters and plans to deploy Pelamis Wave Power's second generation 'P-2' wave energy convertor on the developed site. Aegir is keen to identify and confirm a potential site off the Shetland Islands' west coast and make progress towards installing a project up to 20 MWs in scale. This would make the project a potential candidate for the Saltire Prize, the Scottish Government's marine power innovation award.
Dr Helmar Rendez, the Head of Group Function Strategies at Vattenfall, which incorporates the research and development arm of the European energy company, said: "Vattenfall intends to make electricity clean by 2050 and halve its carbon emissions by 2030; this means we must invest in the green energy technologies of today and tomorrow. "The partnership with Pelamis Wave Power allows us to work on developing a site that will prove very productive when we make wave power a commercial reality. We are pleased to tie-up with Pelamis Wave Power and take this project forward as we have big hopes for the future of wave power and see Scotland as a good place to do this."
Neels Kriek, the new Pelamis Wave Power Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to be working with Vattenfall on this ground breaking project which we hope will be one of many for our Scottish built P-2 Pelamis Wave Power machine. We also anticipate this project being a leading candidate for the Scottish Government's Saltire Prize for commercially proven wave power technology."
Aegir is working towards installing a first phase, multi-machine array, with an installed capacity of up to 20 MWs (MW). Vattenfall's ambition is for wave power projects to grow to the scale of offshore wind projects and the Aegir project is seen as a key stepping stone to that ambition and the opportunity that exists in the Shetland Isles. The plant will use "Pelamis Wave Power P2" buoys, consisting of semi-submerged cylinders connected by hydraulic rams which generate power when resisting the wave action. Each machine consists of several sections, has a 4-metre diameter and is 150-180 metres long, with a capacity of 750 kW.
Ulf Tisell, manager of Vattenfall's Ocean Energy Program, said that the ocean west of Shetland has very close to ideal conditions that will enable us to extract energy from the waves effectively». Also, following the construction of this first plant using the Pelamis Wave Power technology, other technologies will be considered for further projects «to be developed after 2014 for large-scale capacity». Pelamis Wave Power is headquartered in Leith, Edinburgh. Established in 1998, the company employs ~70 staff and is one of the UK's largest renewable energy technology manufacturing companies.
The company was the first to generate electricity into the UK grid from offshore wave energy in 2004, the first to secure an order for a multiple machine project and the first to operate a wave farm anywhere in the world, in 2008. It is currently building its next generation machine, the P-2, which will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre in 2010. Deployed as multiple units in 'wave farms', each Pelamis Wave Power machine can produce sufficient electricity each year to meet the equivalent annual average electricity demand of ~500 UK households.
12/01/2010
A joint-venture has been established between Swedish-based Vattenfall and Scottish-based Pelamis Wave Power for the construction of wave energy facilities. Under the first project a 20 MW plant will be built by 2014 off the Shetland Islands. Swedish-based Vattenfall and Scottish-based Pelamis Wave Power announced that they have created a joint-venture (named Aegir) for the construction of wave energy plants. The first project is expected to start operations in 2014 in the eastern Atlantic, off the coast of the Shetlands, with a 20 MW capacity.
The launch of the joint-venture, called Aegir, was announced the same day that Vattenfall's new office in Edinburgh, and the first in Scotland, was officially opened by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP. Aegir has been set up to explore wave power development opportunities in Scottish waters and plans to deploy Pelamis Wave Power's second generation 'P-2' wave energy convertor on the developed site. Aegir is keen to identify and confirm a potential site off the Shetland Islands' west coast and make progress towards installing a project up to 20 MWs in scale. This would make the project a potential candidate for the Saltire Prize, the Scottish Government's marine power innovation award.
Dr Helmar Rendez, the Head of Group Function Strategies at Vattenfall, which incorporates the research and development arm of the European energy company, said: "Vattenfall intends to make electricity clean by 2050 and halve its carbon emissions by 2030; this means we must invest in the green energy technologies of today and tomorrow. "The partnership with Pelamis Wave Power allows us to work on developing a site that will prove very productive when we make wave power a commercial reality. We are pleased to tie-up with Pelamis Wave Power and take this project forward as we have big hopes for the future of wave power and see Scotland as a good place to do this."
Neels Kriek, the new Pelamis Wave Power Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to be working with Vattenfall on this ground breaking project which we hope will be one of many for our Scottish built P-2 Pelamis Wave Power machine. We also anticipate this project being a leading candidate for the Scottish Government's Saltire Prize for commercially proven wave power technology."
Aegir is working towards installing a first phase, multi-machine array, with an installed capacity of up to 20 MWs (MW). Vattenfall's ambition is for wave power projects to grow to the scale of offshore wind projects and the Aegir project is seen as a key stepping stone to that ambition and the opportunity that exists in the Shetland Isles. The plant will use "Pelamis Wave Power P2" buoys, consisting of semi-submerged cylinders connected by hydraulic rams which generate power when resisting the wave action. Each machine consists of several sections, has a 4-metre diameter and is 150-180 metres long, with a capacity of 750 kW.
Ulf Tisell, manager of Vattenfall's Ocean Energy Program, said that the ocean west of Shetland has very close to ideal conditions that will enable us to extract energy from the waves effectively». Also, following the construction of this first plant using the Pelamis Wave Power technology, other technologies will be considered for further projects «to be developed after 2014 for large-scale capacity». Pelamis Wave Power is headquartered in Leith, Edinburgh. Established in 1998, the company employs ~70 staff and is one of the UK's largest renewable energy technology manufacturing companies.
The company was the first to generate electricity into the UK grid from offshore wave energy in 2004, the first to secure an order for a multiple machine project and the first to operate a wave farm anywhere in the world, in 2008. It is currently building its next generation machine, the P-2, which will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre in 2010. Deployed as multiple units in 'wave farms', each Pelamis Wave Power machine can produce sufficient electricity each year to meet the equivalent annual average electricity demand of ~500 UK households.
Magma Energy Reports Successful Soda Lake Geothermal Well Flow Test
www.renewableenergyworld.com
January 12, 2010
Magma Energy Corp, reported this week that is has successfully completed flow testing of its Soda Lake geothermal production well 45A-33, which will have the capacity to produce 3 MWs (MW) of net power once a turbine system is installed at the site. The well was drilled in June 2009 and, following a field optimization program, the flow test was completed in December. The recent test demonstrated the well to be capable of 1,200 gallons of sustained flow per minute at 385°F.
The well is in the process of being connected to the Soda Lake facility which was successfully refurbished in September and October, 2009 in preparation for additional production from the well field. The refurbishment program contributed an additional 1 MW of net output to the site. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 23 MW and steady base load power production at 90-95% availability.
"We are extremely pleased with this result from our field optimization program which incorporated an established oil and gas stimulation technique known as deflagration. To the best of our knowledge, this well stimulation technology has never been used before in the geothermal industry. We have now confirmed half of our planned Phase 1 program to increase Soda Lake's gross power capacity from 11 MW to 23 MW and we expect to confirm the remaining capacity by the end of March, 2010," said Andrea Zaradic, Magma's vice president of corporate development.
January 12, 2010
Magma Energy Corp, reported this week that is has successfully completed flow testing of its Soda Lake geothermal production well 45A-33, which will have the capacity to produce 3 MWs (MW) of net power once a turbine system is installed at the site. The well was drilled in June 2009 and, following a field optimization program, the flow test was completed in December. The recent test demonstrated the well to be capable of 1,200 gallons of sustained flow per minute at 385°F.
The well is in the process of being connected to the Soda Lake facility which was successfully refurbished in September and October, 2009 in preparation for additional production from the well field. The refurbishment program contributed an additional 1 MW of net output to the site. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 23 MW and steady base load power production at 90-95% availability.
"We are extremely pleased with this result from our field optimization program which incorporated an established oil and gas stimulation technique known as deflagration. To the best of our knowledge, this well stimulation technology has never been used before in the geothermal industry. We have now confirmed half of our planned Phase 1 program to increase Soda Lake's gross power capacity from 11 MW to 23 MW and we expect to confirm the remaining capacity by the end of March, 2010," said Andrea Zaradic, Magma's vice president of corporate development.
Experts split on significance of China’s new green energy law
www.environmental-finance.com/
08 January 2010
Renewable energy specialists in China have questioned the significance of a recent amendment to the country's 2006 Renewable Energy Law, saying it will have little, if any, effect on renewable energy companies on the ground. However, others contend that the amendment provides an important framework to help address several issues plaguing the fast-growing sector, and sets the stage for a long-awaited stimulus policy and funding package.
A senior official quoted by state news agency Xinhua on 28 December trumpeted the amendment, passed by China's highest legislative body 26 December, as a contribution to the "global fight against climate change". The Xinhua story emphasised that the amendment requires state-owned grid companies to purchase power from renewable energy producers, but failed to mention that the original 2006 law required the same thing. "I think it's an excellent publicity stunt," said Peter Corne, a Shanghai-based managing director at global law firm Eversheds. "It reminds me of some pop icons that get a second hit years later with the same song."
But Corne added that, beyond PR value, the amendment does contain some substantive changes meant to correct imbalances that have emerged in China's rapidly growing renewables sector. These include inadequacies of the power grid, whereas much as a third of China's 20GW of wind turbines spin unconnected to transmission lines, and the failure of some grid companies to purchase renewable power or provide grid connection as required by the original law. "The main message of this new amendment is that the government is more serious in addressing the problems facing the expansion of renewables," he said.
The amendment, first reviewed last August (see Environmental Finance, September 2009, page 12), is intended to bolster central government oversight, regulation and enforcement of the proportion of renewable energy produced and purchased. Ma Lingjuan, deputy general manager of Beijing-based China Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), said the amendment links renewable energy purchasing targets for grid companies, which already exist in disparate regulations, with fines mentioned in the original law. Those fines have been doubled and subsidies offered to further incentivise compliance.
The amendment also requires grid companies to expand the range of power grids to better transmit electricity from solar and wind resource-rich regions in the northwest to the industrial east coast. Xinhua also touted the amendment's mention of the importance of 'smart grids' in facilitating a larger role for renewables in China's energy structure – quoting a researcher at China's foremost research institute as saying smart grids and renewables should be like "twin brothers".
However, Charles Yonts, Hong-Kong based head solar analyst with brokerage, analysis and advisory services firm CLSA, said that, behind the rhetoric, there is little substance: "They talk about the smart grid, but there's little concrete there. I think, if anything, the amendment is a shot across the bow of the grid companies, a little push to remind them that the law [requiring off-take] is there."
But Changhua Wu, Beijing-based head of Greater China for the Climate Group, an NGO, said that Chinese laws at this level are often vague, offering only a framework to be fleshed out with future regulations. Wu added that a long-awaited policy and funding package, known previously as Beijing's Green Stimulus Package, would be released soon.
"This amendment sets the foundation for the New Energy Development Plan – which is focused much more on the size of the market and investments." said Wu. "But if you don't address the barriers to growth – the infrastructure of the sector – as this amendment does, it doesn't matter how much power you make."
Originally expected as early as last May, the New Energy Development Plan, which Wu said would include plans for nuclear energy, is reported to include amended capacity targets for renewable sectors. "The major content of the plan is to review the targets for renewables – wind, solar, hydro. The exact numbers we don't know, but it's clear that the targets will be increased," added CREIA's Ma.
08 January 2010
Renewable energy specialists in China have questioned the significance of a recent amendment to the country's 2006 Renewable Energy Law, saying it will have little, if any, effect on renewable energy companies on the ground. However, others contend that the amendment provides an important framework to help address several issues plaguing the fast-growing sector, and sets the stage for a long-awaited stimulus policy and funding package.
A senior official quoted by state news agency Xinhua on 28 December trumpeted the amendment, passed by China's highest legislative body 26 December, as a contribution to the "global fight against climate change". The Xinhua story emphasised that the amendment requires state-owned grid companies to purchase power from renewable energy producers, but failed to mention that the original 2006 law required the same thing. "I think it's an excellent publicity stunt," said Peter Corne, a Shanghai-based managing director at global law firm Eversheds. "It reminds me of some pop icons that get a second hit years later with the same song."
But Corne added that, beyond PR value, the amendment does contain some substantive changes meant to correct imbalances that have emerged in China's rapidly growing renewables sector. These include inadequacies of the power grid, whereas much as a third of China's 20GW of wind turbines spin unconnected to transmission lines, and the failure of some grid companies to purchase renewable power or provide grid connection as required by the original law. "The main message of this new amendment is that the government is more serious in addressing the problems facing the expansion of renewables," he said.
The amendment, first reviewed last August (see Environmental Finance, September 2009, page 12), is intended to bolster central government oversight, regulation and enforcement of the proportion of renewable energy produced and purchased. Ma Lingjuan, deputy general manager of Beijing-based China Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), said the amendment links renewable energy purchasing targets for grid companies, which already exist in disparate regulations, with fines mentioned in the original law. Those fines have been doubled and subsidies offered to further incentivise compliance.
The amendment also requires grid companies to expand the range of power grids to better transmit electricity from solar and wind resource-rich regions in the northwest to the industrial east coast. Xinhua also touted the amendment's mention of the importance of 'smart grids' in facilitating a larger role for renewables in China's energy structure – quoting a researcher at China's foremost research institute as saying smart grids and renewables should be like "twin brothers".
However, Charles Yonts, Hong-Kong based head solar analyst with brokerage, analysis and advisory services firm CLSA, said that, behind the rhetoric, there is little substance: "They talk about the smart grid, but there's little concrete there. I think, if anything, the amendment is a shot across the bow of the grid companies, a little push to remind them that the law [requiring off-take] is there."
But Changhua Wu, Beijing-based head of Greater China for the Climate Group, an NGO, said that Chinese laws at this level are often vague, offering only a framework to be fleshed out with future regulations. Wu added that a long-awaited policy and funding package, known previously as Beijing's Green Stimulus Package, would be released soon.
"This amendment sets the foundation for the New Energy Development Plan – which is focused much more on the size of the market and investments." said Wu. "But if you don't address the barriers to growth – the infrastructure of the sector – as this amendment does, it doesn't matter how much power you make."
Originally expected as early as last May, the New Energy Development Plan, which Wu said would include plans for nuclear energy, is reported to include amended capacity targets for renewable sectors. "The major content of the plan is to review the targets for renewables – wind, solar, hydro. The exact numbers we don't know, but it's clear that the targets will be increased," added CREIA's Ma.
SA wave energy project still on stream
www.news.com.au
January 11, 2010
Carnegie Corporation's proposed $400 million wave-energy project at Port MacDonnell near Mt Gambier has not lost ground as a result of receiving funds for its West Australian project, the company says. Carnegie Corporation received the first tranche of a $12.5 million grant from the WA Government last week for its Garden Island project. The grant will be used to support the building of a large commercial prototype for its CETO technology, which uses the movement of buoys anchored on the ocean floor to drive onshore turbines. Chief operating officer Greg Allen said the advancement of the WA project did not kill interest in its South Australian plans.
"The plan has always been based around delivering the West Australian project first, so it hasn't changed,'' he said. "We are in the process of negotiating a specialist to undertake project feasibility work at the site as part of an environmental constraints review. That will then feed into the design side of the project to start looking at the scope and the detailed costings.'' The State Government leased a 17,000ha stretch of seabed to the company for an initial three-year period in February last year to allow it to test the appropriateness of the site for a wave-energy project. Carnegie Corporation has a further three-year option over the site and may be granted a project lease at any time it agrees to proceed.
January 11, 2010
Carnegie Corporation's proposed $400 million wave-energy project at Port MacDonnell near Mt Gambier has not lost ground as a result of receiving funds for its West Australian project, the company says. Carnegie Corporation received the first tranche of a $12.5 million grant from the WA Government last week for its Garden Island project. The grant will be used to support the building of a large commercial prototype for its CETO technology, which uses the movement of buoys anchored on the ocean floor to drive onshore turbines. Chief operating officer Greg Allen said the advancement of the WA project did not kill interest in its South Australian plans.
"The plan has always been based around delivering the West Australian project first, so it hasn't changed,'' he said. "We are in the process of negotiating a specialist to undertake project feasibility work at the site as part of an environmental constraints review. That will then feed into the design side of the project to start looking at the scope and the detailed costings.'' The State Government leased a 17,000ha stretch of seabed to the company for an initial three-year period in February last year to allow it to test the appropriateness of the site for a wave-energy project. Carnegie Corporation has a further three-year option over the site and may be granted a project lease at any time it agrees to proceed.
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