www.businessspectator.com.au
23 Jul 2012
Victoria's wind power sector is in a state of flux. After a strong run-up in capacity over the past few years, led by the 192 MW Waubra wind farm, plans for development have been curbed in the wake of new government guidelines-an all too familiar story for the clean energy sector. The new Baillieu government requirements, introduced last year, sees wind farms banned from many areas of the state as well as offering homeowners the right to veto any development within two km of their house.
Since the guidelines came into effect, there have been no new wind farm applications. The story is the same in New South Wales, where similarly arduous guidelines have been enforced. That's not good policy, unless you are actively looking to destroy an entire sector.
Keppel Prince, Australia's largest wind turbine maker, is a symbol of the problems. In the two months to June it reportedly cut over 10% of its workforce as demand dried up. The Portland-based company is at the heart of wind farm developments in Victoria, with four wind farms in the vicinity of its base of Portland on Victoria's western coast.
Keppel Prince, with around 450 staff at the beginning of the year, is not a big player from a global perspective, but it is indicative of the problems with clean energy policy in Australia in general. Peruse the Google News archives and you will see regular stories of job gains and job cuts as policy shifts dictate its immediate future. A major jobs announcement is practically an annual event.
The constant 'toing and froing' on policy across federal and state levels leaves the clean energy sector hopelessly exposed. Half-full rarely exists when it comes to turning Australia into a clean energy powerhouse.
Beyond wind farms coming under pressure in New South Wales and Victoria, this year we have seen solar PV face the risk of boom then bust in Queensland and the solar hot water rebate closure on a federal level. In all cases, the rules changed with little notice given. There are of course positives in clean energy policy, but even they are shrouded in doubt.
Solar Flagships Program offered great potential for the development of large-scale solar. We now sit three years after the $1.5 billion program was formed however, with just one confirmed project that will cost the government $170 million and create 159MW of capacity. At the start of the year that was going to be $770 million (which could have been reduced as solar panel prices had slumped) and around 400MW.
On the surface, the $10 billion of funding for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation is great news for the sector, but given the glacial speed of Solar Flagships Program, one must be wary of speaking too soon. Especially as the overwhelming favourite to win the next election, Tony Abbott, has promised to consign it to the scrap bin.
The carbon price is not perfect policy-with so many stakeholders in play that is not really possible-but it is a step in the right direction. It too is haunted by the Abbott shadow, however. While a repeal may be unlikely, the fact it is regularly canvassed undermines the power of the legislation to help transform the nation's energy supply.
Fortunately, we still have the bipartisan renewable energy target, but now the likes of Origin Energy's Grant King are looking to change the rules. We await with baited breath the outcome of a crucial review of the RET by the newly formed Climate Change Authority-and hopefully some much needed certainty for renewable energy policy will follow. Without it, the Keppel Prince tale will become much more than a worrying trend.
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Monday, 6 August 2012
Isle of Wight to become UK’s hydrogen fuel test bed
www.energyefficiencynews.com
19 Jul 2012
The Isle of Wight off the UK's south coast is to become a test bed for hydrogen fuel technology in a £4.66 million project led by energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power. With a £1.3 million grant from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, ITM Power will partner on the project with Ecoisland Partnership CIC-a community-based initiative aiming to make the Isle of Wight self-sustaining by the end of the decade.
The project is one of five being sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board, which also include an end-to-end, green hydrogen production, distribution and retailing system in London; a wind-powered hydrogen generation system in Aberdeen to serve a fleet of fuel-cell buses and two solar-generated hydrogen projects in Swindon and Surrey.
Also taking part in the Isle of Wight project and providing backing are SSE, Toshiba, IBM, Cable and Wireless, Cheetah Marine, the National Physical Laboratory, Arcola Energy, the Universitie of Glamorgan and University of Nottingham. The island will be home to a hydrogen energy production, storage and vehicle refuelling system, which will be integrated into the existing power network. An electrolyser-based refueller will be linked into the island's renewable energy developments to serve as a demand side management load.
Low-carbon hydrogen will be produced for use as a vehicle fuel, which will be supplied by two grid-connected hydrogen refuelling platforms. The larger of the two refuellers will be sited on a centrally located business park to serve a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles from Hyundai, Microcab and River Simple. Vestas Wind Systems, SSE and Southern Water will be using the hydrogen-powered vehicles as part of the car club being set up by Ecoisland Partnership CIC.
The other, smaller refueller will be located on the south coast of the island to serve hydrogen-powered boats. "Ecoisland represents a quantum leap for renewable technologies in the UK", says ITM Power CEO Graham Cooley. "ITM's energy storage and clean fuel technology will be at the heart of this project that gives us an ideal opportunity to link our equipment with world leading smart grid technologies to create the integrated energy grid of the future".
19 Jul 2012
The Isle of Wight off the UK's south coast is to become a test bed for hydrogen fuel technology in a £4.66 million project led by energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power. With a £1.3 million grant from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, ITM Power will partner on the project with Ecoisland Partnership CIC-a community-based initiative aiming to make the Isle of Wight self-sustaining by the end of the decade.
The project is one of five being sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board, which also include an end-to-end, green hydrogen production, distribution and retailing system in London; a wind-powered hydrogen generation system in Aberdeen to serve a fleet of fuel-cell buses and two solar-generated hydrogen projects in Swindon and Surrey.
Also taking part in the Isle of Wight project and providing backing are SSE, Toshiba, IBM, Cable and Wireless, Cheetah Marine, the National Physical Laboratory, Arcola Energy, the Universitie of Glamorgan and University of Nottingham. The island will be home to a hydrogen energy production, storage and vehicle refuelling system, which will be integrated into the existing power network. An electrolyser-based refueller will be linked into the island's renewable energy developments to serve as a demand side management load.
Low-carbon hydrogen will be produced for use as a vehicle fuel, which will be supplied by two grid-connected hydrogen refuelling platforms. The larger of the two refuellers will be sited on a centrally located business park to serve a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles from Hyundai, Microcab and River Simple. Vestas Wind Systems, SSE and Southern Water will be using the hydrogen-powered vehicles as part of the car club being set up by Ecoisland Partnership CIC.
The other, smaller refueller will be located on the south coast of the island to serve hydrogen-powered boats. "Ecoisland represents a quantum leap for renewable technologies in the UK", says ITM Power CEO Graham Cooley. "ITM's energy storage and clean fuel technology will be at the heart of this project that gives us an ideal opportunity to link our equipment with world leading smart grid technologies to create the integrated energy grid of the future".
GE turbines help Greenko drive wind power cost below coal
www.businessweek.com
18 Jul 2012
The cost of wind power has dropped below the price of coal-fired energy in parts of India for the first time as improved turbine technology and rising fossil fuel prices boost its competitiveness, Greenko Group Plc (GKO) said.
"Today we're able to supply energy below the cost of conventional power", said Mahesh Kolli, president of Greenko Group, which is building wind projects with General Electric Co. in India. "That's the key development for this year".
The cost of wind has closed in on coal thanks to more advanced turbines, which can produce more electricity from lower wind speeds. The shift means new wind farms in India will be able to survive without state subsidies, potentially attracting investors to a country where 57% of installed capacity is coal-based and 31% renewable, including hydroelectric.
Greenko Group began operating its first wind project in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra state this year using 1.6 MW GE turbines designed for low winds. That farm is "achieving efficiencies never before seen in India", with a 30% plant load factor, Kolli said today by telephone. That's a measure of a site's actual generation compared with its theoretical capacity.
The company, based on the Isle of Man, has signed agreements for more than 1,000 MWs of wind capacity and a three-year contract to buy at least 450 MWs of GE turbines. State power distributors in places such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have a "market incentive to buy wind power because we're cheaper", Kolli said.
Generation Cost
The executive didn't specify the cost of generation, which varies according to state. Estimates from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show the most efficient wind projects in India run at a similar cost to new coal-fed plants. The best projects have a levelized cost of energy, which allows for comparison between different fuel sources, of 2.7 rupees (5¢) to 4.4 rupees a kilowatt-hour, compared with coal's 1.9 to 4.8 rupees, Ashish Sethia, an analyst at London-based BNEF, said in a July 3 note.
The economics of Indian wind developments may lure investors away from markets such as the US, where the end of a tax break for wind-power utilities could cause a 75% slump in new installations next year, according to BTM Consult, a unit of Navigant Consulting Inc. (NCI) (NCI) Kolli said India's decision to suspend a wind subsidy in April won't affect investments.
Subsidy Loss
The generation-based incentive, which paid wind farms a 500 rupee subsidy for every MW of electricity fed into the grid, is only the "icing on the cake", he said. Its loss won't diminish the 19% return on wind projects that Greenko Group assumes in its 15 year power sale agreements, he said. The current cost to build wind farms in India is about $1.25 million a MW, according to Kolli. While that price has largely held steady, the company is buying turbines that are 20% more efficient than in the past, he said.
Greenko Group already has more than 200 MWs of operating hydroelectric capacity in the country. Hydro and wind projects in India benefit from an abundance of renewable sources of energy, unlike coal and gas-fired generation which has been hurt by fuel supply shortages. Greenko Group reported a 6.5% increase in net income to 9.5 million euros ($11.6 million) for the financial year through March. Its shares fell 0.4% to 107 pence as of 12:28 p.m, in London today, extending their decline this year to 11%.
18 Jul 2012
The cost of wind power has dropped below the price of coal-fired energy in parts of India for the first time as improved turbine technology and rising fossil fuel prices boost its competitiveness, Greenko Group Plc (GKO) said.
"Today we're able to supply energy below the cost of conventional power", said Mahesh Kolli, president of Greenko Group, which is building wind projects with General Electric Co. in India. "That's the key development for this year".
The cost of wind has closed in on coal thanks to more advanced turbines, which can produce more electricity from lower wind speeds. The shift means new wind farms in India will be able to survive without state subsidies, potentially attracting investors to a country where 57% of installed capacity is coal-based and 31% renewable, including hydroelectric.
Greenko Group began operating its first wind project in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra state this year using 1.6 MW GE turbines designed for low winds. That farm is "achieving efficiencies never before seen in India", with a 30% plant load factor, Kolli said today by telephone. That's a measure of a site's actual generation compared with its theoretical capacity.
The company, based on the Isle of Man, has signed agreements for more than 1,000 MWs of wind capacity and a three-year contract to buy at least 450 MWs of GE turbines. State power distributors in places such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have a "market incentive to buy wind power because we're cheaper", Kolli said.
Generation Cost
The executive didn't specify the cost of generation, which varies according to state. Estimates from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show the most efficient wind projects in India run at a similar cost to new coal-fed plants. The best projects have a levelized cost of energy, which allows for comparison between different fuel sources, of 2.7 rupees (5¢) to 4.4 rupees a kilowatt-hour, compared with coal's 1.9 to 4.8 rupees, Ashish Sethia, an analyst at London-based BNEF, said in a July 3 note.
The economics of Indian wind developments may lure investors away from markets such as the US, where the end of a tax break for wind-power utilities could cause a 75% slump in new installations next year, according to BTM Consult, a unit of Navigant Consulting Inc. (NCI) (NCI) Kolli said India's decision to suspend a wind subsidy in April won't affect investments.
Subsidy Loss
The generation-based incentive, which paid wind farms a 500 rupee subsidy for every MW of electricity fed into the grid, is only the "icing on the cake", he said. Its loss won't diminish the 19% return on wind projects that Greenko Group assumes in its 15 year power sale agreements, he said. The current cost to build wind farms in India is about $1.25 million a MW, according to Kolli. While that price has largely held steady, the company is buying turbines that are 20% more efficient than in the past, he said.
Greenko Group already has more than 200 MWs of operating hydroelectric capacity in the country. Hydro and wind projects in India benefit from an abundance of renewable sources of energy, unlike coal and gas-fired generation which has been hurt by fuel supply shortages. Greenko Group reported a 6.5% increase in net income to 9.5 million euros ($11.6 million) for the financial year through March. Its shares fell 0.4% to 107 pence as of 12:28 p.m, in London today, extending their decline this year to 11%.
Monday, 23 July 2012
Korea ramping up wind power projects
www.ibtimes.co.uk
13 Jul 2012
Korea is speeding up its wind power projects, aiming to complete construction of turbine test beds in the South and Yellow Seas by June 2013, as well as expanding some pre-existing offshore projects. Jae-Yong NamKung, Deputy Director of New and Renewable Energy Division, confirmed Korea's ambitions at the June 15 Global Wind Day Networking Seminar. He said a 20 MW wind power test bed in southwestern Korea would be completed a year ahead of schedule.
Wind power turbines of 5-7 MW will be tested and certified on Jeju Island as a precursor to placing them in the South and Yellow Seas. The construction and expansion of harbors is spurring the acceleration of wind turbine testing, as the new harbors will play a role in the assembly and logistics of offshore wind farm projects. The results of the tests will also be used to help the Korean government form a long-term wind power plan to be announced in early 2013.
At this time, renewable energy makes up about 2% of Korea's total energy production, but government backing of the Green Growth strategy has created a competitive business niche for wind power. By 2013, Korea would like to install about 500 turbines with 100 MW capacity off its western shores in a private-public partnership. Local governments around Korea are also pushing 5 GW wind farm projects.
Korean manufacturing titans like Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Ship Building and Marine Engineering are getting into the wind power game. The Korean Wind Energy Industry Association Chairman Dr. Rimtaig Lee said that by applying the shipbuilder's experience of natural gas and oil exploration to wind power, the engineering firms are now building five installation vessels, cumulatively.
13 Jul 2012
Korea is speeding up its wind power projects, aiming to complete construction of turbine test beds in the South and Yellow Seas by June 2013, as well as expanding some pre-existing offshore projects. Jae-Yong NamKung, Deputy Director of New and Renewable Energy Division, confirmed Korea's ambitions at the June 15 Global Wind Day Networking Seminar. He said a 20 MW wind power test bed in southwestern Korea would be completed a year ahead of schedule.Wind power turbines of 5-7 MW will be tested and certified on Jeju Island as a precursor to placing them in the South and Yellow Seas. The construction and expansion of harbors is spurring the acceleration of wind turbine testing, as the new harbors will play a role in the assembly and logistics of offshore wind farm projects. The results of the tests will also be used to help the Korean government form a long-term wind power plan to be announced in early 2013.
At this time, renewable energy makes up about 2% of Korea's total energy production, but government backing of the Green Growth strategy has created a competitive business niche for wind power. By 2013, Korea would like to install about 500 turbines with 100 MW capacity off its western shores in a private-public partnership. Local governments around Korea are also pushing 5 GW wind farm projects.
Korean manufacturing titans like Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Ship Building and Marine Engineering are getting into the wind power game. The Korean Wind Energy Industry Association Chairman Dr. Rimtaig Lee said that by applying the shipbuilder's experience of natural gas and oil exploration to wind power, the engineering firms are now building five installation vessels, cumulatively.
Australian navy signs up for wave power at its main base
www.reuters.com
16 Jul 2012
(Reuters)-Australia's navy is seeking not only to rules the waves but to harness them, too, signing a power supply deal for its largest base with cutting-edge wave energy company Carnegie Corporation Wave, Carnegie Corporation said on Monday. Carnegie Corporation Wave has completed the first stage of its project based in Perth, the capital of Western Australia state, and expects to supply all the electricity generated from the project to the base, HMAS Stirling, from the end of 2013, the company said in a statement. Shares in Carnegie Corporation Wave, which also has a wave energy operation in Ireland, surged 34% to 5.1 Australian¢ on the news.
Submerged buoys use wave energy to pump pressurised water to onshore turbines, generating electricity. The company won a A$10 million ($10.2 million) grant earlier this year from Prime Minister Julia Gillard's government, which is keen to promote clean energy investment. "I am very pleased that we've been able to support the development of this world-leading technology,.. through a new relationship between Carnegie Corporation Wave and our defence force", Gillard told reporters in announcing the deal in Perth. HMAS Stirling is named for a British Royal Navy captain who established the first European settlement in Western Australia in 1829.
16 Jul 2012
(Reuters)-Australia's navy is seeking not only to rules the waves but to harness them, too, signing a power supply deal for its largest base with cutting-edge wave energy company Carnegie Corporation Wave, Carnegie Corporation said on Monday. Carnegie Corporation Wave has completed the first stage of its project based in Perth, the capital of Western Australia state, and expects to supply all the electricity generated from the project to the base, HMAS Stirling, from the end of 2013, the company said in a statement. Shares in Carnegie Corporation Wave, which also has a wave energy operation in Ireland, surged 34% to 5.1 Australian¢ on the news.
Submerged buoys use wave energy to pump pressurised water to onshore turbines, generating electricity. The company won a A$10 million ($10.2 million) grant earlier this year from Prime Minister Julia Gillard's government, which is keen to promote clean energy investment. "I am very pleased that we've been able to support the development of this world-leading technology,.. through a new relationship between Carnegie Corporation Wave and our defence force", Gillard told reporters in announcing the deal in Perth. HMAS Stirling is named for a British Royal Navy captain who established the first European settlement in Western Australia in 1829.
Wave energy project promises jobs boost
www.abc.net.au
13 Jul 2012
A wave energy company hopes its 19 MW project off the coast of Portland will generate thousands of jobs. Victorian Wave Partners is joining with the US manufacturing giant Lockheed Martin to build 28 buoys that will generate power from the waves off Portland's coast. Work on the $232 million project is expected to begin next year. The company's George Taylor says local subcontractors will be used and many others will be employed.
"The number will become very significant, very quickly I believe into thousands of people", he said. "In the Warrnambool and Portland areas there are some very good fabricators and I'm sure they'll play a part". Anita Rank from the Committee for Portland says it is working to connect local businesses to the energy company. "We're keen to see local manufacturing be involved, that benefits the whole community", she said.
She says the community is enthusiastic about the project. "It's consistent with our vision of promoting the region as a renewable energy hub", she said. The Federal Government has contributed $66 million to the project, which will generate enough electricity to power 10,000 homes.
13 Jul 2012
A wave energy company hopes its 19 MW project off the coast of Portland will generate thousands of jobs. Victorian Wave Partners is joining with the US manufacturing giant Lockheed Martin to build 28 buoys that will generate power from the waves off Portland's coast. Work on the $232 million project is expected to begin next year. The company's George Taylor says local subcontractors will be used and many others will be employed.
"The number will become very significant, very quickly I believe into thousands of people", he said. "In the Warrnambool and Portland areas there are some very good fabricators and I'm sure they'll play a part". Anita Rank from the Committee for Portland says it is working to connect local businesses to the energy company. "We're keen to see local manufacturing be involved, that benefits the whole community", she said.
She says the community is enthusiastic about the project. "It's consistent with our vision of promoting the region as a renewable energy hub", she said. The Federal Government has contributed $66 million to the project, which will generate enough electricity to power 10,000 homes.
Report: Wind farms add billions of dollars to local economies
www.pantagraph.com
17 Jul 2012
Illinois' 23 largest wind farms--several of which are in Central Illinois--will add $5.8 billion to local economies over the life of the projects, according to an Illinois State University study released Tuesday.
The construction of wind farms--including Twin Groves and White Oak wind farms in McLean County, Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm in Livingston County, Pioneer Trail in Iroquois and Ford counties and Rail Splitter Wind Farm in Tazewell and Logan counties--generated 19,047 construction jobs and 814 local, long-term jobs, said David Loomis, director of ISU's Center for Renewable Energy and co-author of the study.
During the construction phase of the various wind farms, workers made more than $1.1 billion. The wind farms generate $28.5 million in annual property taxes, and landowners make about $13 million a year by allowing turbines to be placed on their properties, the study reports. "This is important to know so informed decisions can be made regarding the future of wind projects", Loomis said at a news conference during the sixth annual Advancing Wind Energy in Illinois conference at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal.
Loomis said wind farm production is at a standstill now because a production tax credit that helped offset project costs expires at the end of the year. Jack Darin, president and director of the Sierra Club's Illinois chapter, said extending that tax credit is "critical for the health of our environment". "Today's heat is the kind scientists say will be the new normal if something is not changed", Darin said, referring to current "old and dirty" practices of energy production.
Larry Flowers, deputy director of the American Wind Energy Association, said coal and gas producers receive subsidies so wind power should as well to level the playing field. Flowers said wind power projects are important for job creation in the United States. Mike Matejka, legislative affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, agreed. "Wind jobs are very, very important as we bridge the recession", Matejka said.
Wind farms and high speed rail work have been two keys to keeping people employed, he said, adding that those workers in turn are able to pay their mortgage, buy a vehicle and groceries. McLean County leads the state with wind farm projects. The planned turbines will produce enough electricity to power about 192,000 homes a year.
17 Jul 2012
Illinois' 23 largest wind farms--several of which are in Central Illinois--will add $5.8 billion to local economies over the life of the projects, according to an Illinois State University study released Tuesday.
The construction of wind farms--including Twin Groves and White Oak wind farms in McLean County, Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm in Livingston County, Pioneer Trail in Iroquois and Ford counties and Rail Splitter Wind Farm in Tazewell and Logan counties--generated 19,047 construction jobs and 814 local, long-term jobs, said David Loomis, director of ISU's Center for Renewable Energy and co-author of the study.
During the construction phase of the various wind farms, workers made more than $1.1 billion. The wind farms generate $28.5 million in annual property taxes, and landowners make about $13 million a year by allowing turbines to be placed on their properties, the study reports. "This is important to know so informed decisions can be made regarding the future of wind projects", Loomis said at a news conference during the sixth annual Advancing Wind Energy in Illinois conference at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal.
Loomis said wind farm production is at a standstill now because a production tax credit that helped offset project costs expires at the end of the year. Jack Darin, president and director of the Sierra Club's Illinois chapter, said extending that tax credit is "critical for the health of our environment". "Today's heat is the kind scientists say will be the new normal if something is not changed", Darin said, referring to current "old and dirty" practices of energy production.
Larry Flowers, deputy director of the American Wind Energy Association, said coal and gas producers receive subsidies so wind power should as well to level the playing field. Flowers said wind power projects are important for job creation in the United States. Mike Matejka, legislative affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, agreed. "Wind jobs are very, very important as we bridge the recession", Matejka said.
Wind farms and high speed rail work have been two keys to keeping people employed, he said, adding that those workers in turn are able to pay their mortgage, buy a vehicle and groceries. McLean County leads the state with wind farm projects. The planned turbines will produce enough electricity to power about 192,000 homes a year.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Wave technology to power naval base
www.abc.net.au
16 Jul 2012
The Defence Department will use wave technology to power its largest naval facility, south of Perth. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is in Perth to announce the deal with Carnegie Corporation Wave Technology. Wave power will be used to power HMAS Stirling's electrical infrastructure at Garden Island. The company's chief executive, Michael Ottaviano, says power generated by waves from the ocean will be fed into the island's grid from the end of next year.
16 Jul 2012
The Defence Department will use wave technology to power its largest naval facility, south of Perth. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is in Perth to announce the deal with Carnegie Corporation Wave Technology. Wave power will be used to power HMAS Stirling's electrical infrastructure at Garden Island. The company's chief executive, Michael Ottaviano, says power generated by waves from the ocean will be fed into the island's grid from the end of next year.
GE Builds a Better Battery
www.businessweek.com
11 Jul 2012
What does it take to launch a better battery? Makers of electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy gear want to know. For a 45 person internal startup at General Electric Co (GE), it took the financial backing and technical support of an AAA-rated company with more than $140 billion in annual revenue, not to mention the care and attention of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt. It also helped that the team chose a proven battery design that had been under development for 30 years before GE got involved. The result is the Durathon, a molten salt battery that went on sale in September 2011, providing backup power for cell phone towers, among other uses.
There are plenty of ideas for new batteries; the problem is commercialising them. Today's cars still rely on lead-acid batteries that date back to experiments done in 1859, while consumer electronics are powered by alkaline batteries that trace their roots to 1899. Innovators come along regularly, but in the past year a slew of battery startups have hit rough patches. Ener1, which was pledged $118 million of federal aid to develop lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, filed for bankruptcy in January. Battery maker A123 Systems (AONE) of Waltham, Mass., lost $125 million in the first quarter. At a US Department of Energy conference in February that showcased new battery concepts, Microsoft (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates warned that "the failure rates here are going to be well over 90%".
Read More…
11 Jul 2012
What does it take to launch a better battery? Makers of electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy gear want to know. For a 45 person internal startup at General Electric Co (GE), it took the financial backing and technical support of an AAA-rated company with more than $140 billion in annual revenue, not to mention the care and attention of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt. It also helped that the team chose a proven battery design that had been under development for 30 years before GE got involved. The result is the Durathon, a molten salt battery that went on sale in September 2011, providing backup power for cell phone towers, among other uses.
There are plenty of ideas for new batteries; the problem is commercialising them. Today's cars still rely on lead-acid batteries that date back to experiments done in 1859, while consumer electronics are powered by alkaline batteries that trace their roots to 1899. Innovators come along regularly, but in the past year a slew of battery startups have hit rough patches. Ener1, which was pledged $118 million of federal aid to develop lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, filed for bankruptcy in January. Battery maker A123 Systems (AONE) of Waltham, Mass., lost $125 million in the first quarter. At a US Department of Energy conference in February that showcased new battery concepts, Microsoft (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates warned that "the failure rates here are going to be well over 90%".
Read More…
Italy signs renewable power decrees
in.reuters.com
7 Jul 2012
MILAN, July 6 (Reuters)-Italy signed on Friday long-awaited decrees on new support schemes for solar and other renewable energy aiming to bring incentives in line with falling costs and ease the burden on consumers who pay for incentives with their bills.
Italy's green power industry has boomed in recent years as investors from around the world ranging from banks and private equity funds to utilities poured billions of euros into the sector, lured by generous support measures. With incentives ballooning above expected limits, Rome announced a plan in April to scale back production incentives for renewable energy that have inflated consumer power bills, but it took few months to iron out details. "This (new) incentive system allows us to sustain the development of renewable energy industry", Environment Minister Corrado Clini said after signing of the decrees. "Proposals from regions and suggestions from companies have been used".
The new decrees, signed by Industry, Environment and Agriculture Ministers, set a 500 million euro ($615.35 million) annual cap on new spending for incentives, including 200 million euros for solar power generation, the industry ministry said in a statement. "It is very disappointing. We hoped to have 700 million euros for photovoltaic power and even more for other renewables", Marco Pigni, director of Italy's renewable energy association APER, told Reuters.
The ministry said the new decrees simplify a procedure of logging on to a register to get incentives-a thorny issue for the renewable industry which sees it as an additional red tape. Under the solar power decree, photovoltaic plants-which turn sunlight into power-with capacity between 12 and 20 kilowatts could be exempt from having to log on to a register if they opt for a 20% cut in incentives, the ministry said. Concentrated photovoltaic power plants, innovative plants as well as those realised by public bodies would be also exempt from having to go through a register, it said.
The new incentive scheme for photovoltaic plants will begin in 45 days after a 6 billion euro cumulative annual limit on incentives is exceeded, while other renewable energy generation will switch to new regime from January 1, 2013 with a four-month transition period, the ministry said. With generous incentives in place since 2007, Italy's solar market has become the world's second-biggest after Germany and was the fastest growing market in the world in 2011.
It has attracted major solar module makers such as Chinese group Suntech Power, Trina Solar, Yingli Green Energy Holding and U.S, firms FirstSolar and SunPower Corp. "With the new incentives, there is a risk that many jobs would be lost and capital would flee abroad", APER's Pigni said. ($1 = 0.8126 euros)
7 Jul 2012
MILAN, July 6 (Reuters)-Italy signed on Friday long-awaited decrees on new support schemes for solar and other renewable energy aiming to bring incentives in line with falling costs and ease the burden on consumers who pay for incentives with their bills.
Italy's green power industry has boomed in recent years as investors from around the world ranging from banks and private equity funds to utilities poured billions of euros into the sector, lured by generous support measures. With incentives ballooning above expected limits, Rome announced a plan in April to scale back production incentives for renewable energy that have inflated consumer power bills, but it took few months to iron out details. "This (new) incentive system allows us to sustain the development of renewable energy industry", Environment Minister Corrado Clini said after signing of the decrees. "Proposals from regions and suggestions from companies have been used".
The new decrees, signed by Industry, Environment and Agriculture Ministers, set a 500 million euro ($615.35 million) annual cap on new spending for incentives, including 200 million euros for solar power generation, the industry ministry said in a statement. "It is very disappointing. We hoped to have 700 million euros for photovoltaic power and even more for other renewables", Marco Pigni, director of Italy's renewable energy association APER, told Reuters.
The ministry said the new decrees simplify a procedure of logging on to a register to get incentives-a thorny issue for the renewable industry which sees it as an additional red tape. Under the solar power decree, photovoltaic plants-which turn sunlight into power-with capacity between 12 and 20 kilowatts could be exempt from having to log on to a register if they opt for a 20% cut in incentives, the ministry said. Concentrated photovoltaic power plants, innovative plants as well as those realised by public bodies would be also exempt from having to go through a register, it said.
The new incentive scheme for photovoltaic plants will begin in 45 days after a 6 billion euro cumulative annual limit on incentives is exceeded, while other renewable energy generation will switch to new regime from January 1, 2013 with a four-month transition period, the ministry said. With generous incentives in place since 2007, Italy's solar market has become the world's second-biggest after Germany and was the fastest growing market in the world in 2011.
It has attracted major solar module makers such as Chinese group Suntech Power, Trina Solar, Yingli Green Energy Holding and U.S, firms FirstSolar and SunPower Corp. "With the new incentives, there is a risk that many jobs would be lost and capital would flee abroad", APER's Pigni said. ($1 = 0.8126 euros)
Anti-aging elixir for solar cells
phys.org
3 Jul 2012
Photovoltaic modules deliver power without risks to the environment and climate. But solar power is expensive. Therefore, it is imperative that the modules last as long as possible, 25 years or more. Fraunhofer researchers in the USA are now investigating materials to protect solar cells from environmental influences to meet that goal.
Sometimes it's just a couple of¢ that decide the success or failure of a technology. As long as solar power, for instance, is still more expensive than energy extracted from fossil fuels, photovoltaics will not be competitive on the broad open market. "Power generation from solar power continues to be reliant on public subsidies-this is no different in the USA than in Germany", explains Christian Hoepfner, Scientific Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. "If we want renewable energy to penetrate the global market over the long term, then we must ensure it gets cheaper".
There are no silver bullets to reach this target: Efficiency cannot be arbitrarily increased, and it is expensive to produce solar cells and modules. If you want to change something here, you have to solve a puzzle with many variables: Engineering teams around the world are searching for new technologies and production methods to make cells and modules cheaper, more efficient, more durable and reliable.
Read More…
3 Jul 2012
Photovoltaic modules deliver power without risks to the environment and climate. But solar power is expensive. Therefore, it is imperative that the modules last as long as possible, 25 years or more. Fraunhofer researchers in the USA are now investigating materials to protect solar cells from environmental influences to meet that goal.
Sometimes it's just a couple of¢ that decide the success or failure of a technology. As long as solar power, for instance, is still more expensive than energy extracted from fossil fuels, photovoltaics will not be competitive on the broad open market. "Power generation from solar power continues to be reliant on public subsidies-this is no different in the USA than in Germany", explains Christian Hoepfner, Scientific Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. "If we want renewable energy to penetrate the global market over the long term, then we must ensure it gets cheaper".
There are no silver bullets to reach this target: Efficiency cannot be arbitrarily increased, and it is expensive to produce solar cells and modules. If you want to change something here, you have to solve a puzzle with many variables: Engineering teams around the world are searching for new technologies and production methods to make cells and modules cheaper, more efficient, more durable and reliable.
Read More…
U.S. takes giant leap toward wind energy
www.upi.com
3 Jul 2012
WASHINGTON, (UPI)--The US Department of Interior said it completed environmental reviews for onshore and offshore wind power, including a 3,000 MW project. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the final environmental impact statement was released for the proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farms in Wyoming. The complex could include as many as 1,000 turbines and generate as much as 3,000 MW of power.
An assessment of wind power areas off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts will be used by U.S, regulators to make future lease decisions in an area encompassing roughly 165,000 acres. Salazar, in a statement, said the two projects would put the United States at the forefront of the move to advance renewable energy resources. "When it comes to wind power, we're making significant progress both onshore and offshore to diversify our nation's domestic energy portfolio and stand up a clean energy economy", he said.
Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, said the eastern seaboard could emerge as a pioneer for wind power, while the wind regime in Wyoming could spin the turbines that would make up one of the largest wind farms in the world. He said his Republican counterparts, however, were trying to block some of the steps needed to advance the projects. Republican leaders have pressed the White House for more oil and natural gas drilling.
3 Jul 2012
WASHINGTON, (UPI)--The US Department of Interior said it completed environmental reviews for onshore and offshore wind power, including a 3,000 MW project. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the final environmental impact statement was released for the proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farms in Wyoming. The complex could include as many as 1,000 turbines and generate as much as 3,000 MW of power.An assessment of wind power areas off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts will be used by U.S, regulators to make future lease decisions in an area encompassing roughly 165,000 acres. Salazar, in a statement, said the two projects would put the United States at the forefront of the move to advance renewable energy resources. "When it comes to wind power, we're making significant progress both onshore and offshore to diversify our nation's domestic energy portfolio and stand up a clean energy economy", he said.
Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, said the eastern seaboard could emerge as a pioneer for wind power, while the wind regime in Wyoming could spin the turbines that would make up one of the largest wind farms in the world. He said his Republican counterparts, however, were trying to block some of the steps needed to advance the projects. Republican leaders have pressed the White House for more oil and natural gas drilling.
Cheap wind power tested as Renova starts farms: Corporate Brazil
www.businessweek.com
1 Jul 2012
Renova Energia SA (RNEW11)'s strategy to produce wind power cheaper than anywhere else in the world will be tested as it brings its first turbines online, helping to transform Brazil into the world's fourth-biggest market. Renova, which counts utility Light SA (LIGT3) as among its biggest shareholders, started operating South America's biggest wind farm cluster in northeastern Brazil last week. The company, based in Sao Paulo, plans to build at least six farms next year.
Brazil aims to more than double its capacity to generate wind power next year by harnessing the same weather system that brought Portuguese and Spanish sailors to the continent in the 1500s. Renova is betting its farms can produce energy for as little as a quarter of the price needed to make some European projects viable.
"There's uncertainty over whether these turbines will perform as expected", Unai Otazua Aranguren, director of renewable energy consultant Garrad Hassan Group Ltd.'s Brazil office, said by telephone. "The wind here behaves differently to what we have in Europe and the U.S".
Renova rose 0.3% to 31 reais in Sao Paulo trading on June 29, bringing its year-to-date gain to 16%. It has more than doubled since it first sold shares in 2010. Brazil's government is promoting wind and other renewable energy projects in a bid to diversify away from hydroelectric plants, which account for 66% of the nation's installed capacity. Wind farms can help shore up the supply of electricity in drier months when dam reservoirs diminish.
Read More…
1 Jul 2012
Renova Energia SA (RNEW11)'s strategy to produce wind power cheaper than anywhere else in the world will be tested as it brings its first turbines online, helping to transform Brazil into the world's fourth-biggest market. Renova, which counts utility Light SA (LIGT3) as among its biggest shareholders, started operating South America's biggest wind farm cluster in northeastern Brazil last week. The company, based in Sao Paulo, plans to build at least six farms next year.
Brazil aims to more than double its capacity to generate wind power next year by harnessing the same weather system that brought Portuguese and Spanish sailors to the continent in the 1500s. Renova is betting its farms can produce energy for as little as a quarter of the price needed to make some European projects viable.
"There's uncertainty over whether these turbines will perform as expected", Unai Otazua Aranguren, director of renewable energy consultant Garrad Hassan Group Ltd.'s Brazil office, said by telephone. "The wind here behaves differently to what we have in Europe and the U.S".
Renova rose 0.3% to 31 reais in Sao Paulo trading on June 29, bringing its year-to-date gain to 16%. It has more than doubled since it first sold shares in 2010. Brazil's government is promoting wind and other renewable energy projects in a bid to diversify away from hydroelectric plants, which account for 66% of the nation's installed capacity. Wind farms can help shore up the supply of electricity in drier months when dam reservoirs diminish.
Read More…
Wasting carbon tax cash on the living dead
www.climatespectator.com.au
2 Jul 2012
Have you heard the joke about the government that set up a carbon tax to reduce emissions but then spent nearly $100 million days before the scheme started to try to stop it from reducing emissions? Yes, it really happened. In one of the greatest examples of throwing good money after bad, the federal government provided $50 million to prop-up the Energy Brix brown coal power station and briquette plant which commenced operation in 1956; and in conjunction with the Victorian government, threw $40 million at Alcoa's 1963 Point Henry Geelong aluminium smelter-all on Friday. By the way the money for Energy Brix is on top of around $100m they'll receive in cash and free permits out of the Government's Energy Security Fund. Closure of these two plants would have been one of the quickest and lowest cost forms of greenhouse gas abatement the country had at its disposal.
Alcoa's Point Henry Smelter has been living off the generosity of other Victorians for three decades now. Thanks to what one former member of the Hamer Victorian government called a "collective moment of insanity", in the early 1980s the Victorian government committed itself to an electricity supply contract that has provided Alcoa with hugely subsidised electricity. The deal was so good for Alcoa and so bad for other Victorians that current Liberal Party Federal President Alan Stockdale described it as "manifestly unjust". Energy Brix and its associated briquette factory is the oldest fossil fuel power plant operating in the country, originally commencing production in 1956. It is also the third most polluting per unit of electricity generated, being just a shade better than Hazelwood-the most carbon intensive plant in the developed world. What's worse is that it also produces brown coal briquettes which are then used to fire boilers that might have switched to less pollution intensive fuels, were briquettes unavailable. Or alternatively production locations might have shifted to areas where gas was available.
Energy Brix is well past retirement age and should have been put out to pasture years ago. For a long-time, industry participants have looked at Energy Brix and seen a creaking, sub-economic scale power station; and a briquette factory that was museum piece from the time before gas was discovered in Bass Strait. But what they could also see was an option or gambling stake on lots of free carbon permits from the government that they could cash-in, after finally putting the plant out of its misery.
As early as the 1990s it was widely expected within the power industry that government would ultimately introduce a carbon trading scheme. At the same time many hoped, and furiously lobbied for, government to allocate the carbon permits based on historical levels of pollution.
For those owners of sub-economic scale or very old coal power plants that were on the verge of closure, this created an incredibly perverse incentive. Essentially you would invest as little as possible to keep the highly polluting plant just creaking over so you could lay claim to lots of free permits under a future carbon trading scheme. Once these free permits were in the bag, you could cash-in the chips so to speak even though you had no genuine plans to keep plant running over the long-term. As an illustration, a fire went through the briquette plant in December 2003, and rather than invest to restore the plant to full operation, they instead have just continued to run the plant at a fraction of its full capacity. Of course this was after putting its hand out to the Victorian government (something HRL seem to be rather practiced in) for $5.2 million dollars, which the government rejected.
Meanwhile during the same week the Baillieu government was bailing out aluminium workers, it has informed all staff working on renewable energy within Sustainability Victoria to pack up their desks. With the renewable energy industry about to invest close to $20 billion over the next eight years, Climate Spectator has been informed by government sources that there are now just two people within the Victorian government dedicated full-time to supporting renewable energy investment.
While South Australia has captured billions in power project investments and lower electricity prices thanks to renewable energy, it appears as if the Victorian government is resolutely determined to cut its nose to spite its face. In spite of the carbon tax finally becoming a reality, it appears as if a smoke-affected, near terminal job in the hand, is worth more than two clean energy jobs in the bush.
2 Jul 2012
Have you heard the joke about the government that set up a carbon tax to reduce emissions but then spent nearly $100 million days before the scheme started to try to stop it from reducing emissions? Yes, it really happened. In one of the greatest examples of throwing good money after bad, the federal government provided $50 million to prop-up the Energy Brix brown coal power station and briquette plant which commenced operation in 1956; and in conjunction with the Victorian government, threw $40 million at Alcoa's 1963 Point Henry Geelong aluminium smelter-all on Friday. By the way the money for Energy Brix is on top of around $100m they'll receive in cash and free permits out of the Government's Energy Security Fund. Closure of these two plants would have been one of the quickest and lowest cost forms of greenhouse gas abatement the country had at its disposal.
Alcoa's Point Henry Smelter has been living off the generosity of other Victorians for three decades now. Thanks to what one former member of the Hamer Victorian government called a "collective moment of insanity", in the early 1980s the Victorian government committed itself to an electricity supply contract that has provided Alcoa with hugely subsidised electricity. The deal was so good for Alcoa and so bad for other Victorians that current Liberal Party Federal President Alan Stockdale described it as "manifestly unjust". Energy Brix and its associated briquette factory is the oldest fossil fuel power plant operating in the country, originally commencing production in 1956. It is also the third most polluting per unit of electricity generated, being just a shade better than Hazelwood-the most carbon intensive plant in the developed world. What's worse is that it also produces brown coal briquettes which are then used to fire boilers that might have switched to less pollution intensive fuels, were briquettes unavailable. Or alternatively production locations might have shifted to areas where gas was available.
Energy Brix is well past retirement age and should have been put out to pasture years ago. For a long-time, industry participants have looked at Energy Brix and seen a creaking, sub-economic scale power station; and a briquette factory that was museum piece from the time before gas was discovered in Bass Strait. But what they could also see was an option or gambling stake on lots of free carbon permits from the government that they could cash-in, after finally putting the plant out of its misery.
As early as the 1990s it was widely expected within the power industry that government would ultimately introduce a carbon trading scheme. At the same time many hoped, and furiously lobbied for, government to allocate the carbon permits based on historical levels of pollution.
For those owners of sub-economic scale or very old coal power plants that were on the verge of closure, this created an incredibly perverse incentive. Essentially you would invest as little as possible to keep the highly polluting plant just creaking over so you could lay claim to lots of free permits under a future carbon trading scheme. Once these free permits were in the bag, you could cash-in the chips so to speak even though you had no genuine plans to keep plant running over the long-term. As an illustration, a fire went through the briquette plant in December 2003, and rather than invest to restore the plant to full operation, they instead have just continued to run the plant at a fraction of its full capacity. Of course this was after putting its hand out to the Victorian government (something HRL seem to be rather practiced in) for $5.2 million dollars, which the government rejected.
Meanwhile during the same week the Baillieu government was bailing out aluminium workers, it has informed all staff working on renewable energy within Sustainability Victoria to pack up their desks. With the renewable energy industry about to invest close to $20 billion over the next eight years, Climate Spectator has been informed by government sources that there are now just two people within the Victorian government dedicated full-time to supporting renewable energy investment.
While South Australia has captured billions in power project investments and lower electricity prices thanks to renewable energy, it appears as if the Victorian government is resolutely determined to cut its nose to spite its face. In spite of the carbon tax finally becoming a reality, it appears as if a smoke-affected, near terminal job in the hand, is worth more than two clean energy jobs in the bush.
Monday, 16 July 2012
Britain's supply of green energy soars
www.independent.co.uk
1 Jul 2012
Britain is being powered by record levels of green energy, after a surprise increase in electricity generated from wind, sun and waves. Renewables accounted for 11% of the UK's electricity in the first three months of 2012, compared with 7.7% from January to March 2011. There were big rises in power from onshore wind farms, while generation from hydroelectric and bioenergy plants also rose sharply, putting Britain much closer to meeting its legally binding commitment to get 15% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The increases could also go some way to solving the looming energy crisis, as decades-old nuclear, coal and gas power stations are taken out of service.
The latest figures from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency show that gas accounted for 27% of electricity generated in the first quarter of 2012, its lowest level in the past 14 years. High gas prices were blamed. Coal accounted for 42%, up by a fifth, while nuclear fell from 19 to 17%. Onshore and offshore wind generation was up by around 50% year-on-year. Hydroelectricity output was 43% higher between January and March 2012 than a year earlier, and thermal renewables rose by 20%. Solar, wave and tidal grew by more than 800%, but remain the smallest renewables sector with most technologies still in their infancy. Gordon Edge, of the trade body RenewableUK, claimed the figures were proof that "green growth is beginning to take hold".
Joss Garman, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace, said: "Britain is now in prime position to become the Saudi Arabia of the global offshore wind industry. The cost of wind power is falling fast so if ministers don't make the wrong decision over the next few months-and if they avoid a risky bet on a new dash for more gas burning-then we could all reap the benefits of a strong home-grown clean energy boom with stabilised energy bills, new jobs and industries, and reduced carbon emissions".
Major progress in renewables risks being undermined by a cabinet row over imminent cuts to some subsidies between 2013 and 2017. Ed Davey, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, is planning a 10% reduction in subsidies for onshore wind, but George Osborne is reported to favour a cut of up to 25%. With the Renewables Obligation Certificate regime due to expire in 2017, there are fears that uncertainty over its replacement could spook investors. Shaun Kingsbury, of the private equity firm Hudson Clean Energy, warned MPs that "if things continue to slow andmore detail comes out that makes it more complex, then you will see people stopping development spend". The Government claims its Energy Market Reform Bill will attract the £150bn-£200bn needed to overhaul the national grid and replace ageing nuclear and coal power stations. "Our ageing infrastructure has not been invested in for 30 years", said a government source. "If we don't fix it, the lights go out".
The surprise rise in green energy production at the start of this year builds on strong growth in 2011, when renewables generated 34,410 GWh, up a third on 2010. In 2009, just 3% of energy consumption in the UK came from renewables. Capacity grew by 36% last year. Charles Hendry, the climate change minister, said: "This shows that the UK is powering forward on clean and secure energy and is a very attractive place to invest".
Read More…
1 Jul 2012
Britain is being powered by record levels of green energy, after a surprise increase in electricity generated from wind, sun and waves. Renewables accounted for 11% of the UK's electricity in the first three months of 2012, compared with 7.7% from January to March 2011. There were big rises in power from onshore wind farms, while generation from hydroelectric and bioenergy plants also rose sharply, putting Britain much closer to meeting its legally binding commitment to get 15% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The increases could also go some way to solving the looming energy crisis, as decades-old nuclear, coal and gas power stations are taken out of service.The latest figures from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency show that gas accounted for 27% of electricity generated in the first quarter of 2012, its lowest level in the past 14 years. High gas prices were blamed. Coal accounted for 42%, up by a fifth, while nuclear fell from 19 to 17%. Onshore and offshore wind generation was up by around 50% year-on-year. Hydroelectricity output was 43% higher between January and March 2012 than a year earlier, and thermal renewables rose by 20%. Solar, wave and tidal grew by more than 800%, but remain the smallest renewables sector with most technologies still in their infancy. Gordon Edge, of the trade body RenewableUK, claimed the figures were proof that "green growth is beginning to take hold".
Joss Garman, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace, said: "Britain is now in prime position to become the Saudi Arabia of the global offshore wind industry. The cost of wind power is falling fast so if ministers don't make the wrong decision over the next few months-and if they avoid a risky bet on a new dash for more gas burning-then we could all reap the benefits of a strong home-grown clean energy boom with stabilised energy bills, new jobs and industries, and reduced carbon emissions".
Major progress in renewables risks being undermined by a cabinet row over imminent cuts to some subsidies between 2013 and 2017. Ed Davey, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, is planning a 10% reduction in subsidies for onshore wind, but George Osborne is reported to favour a cut of up to 25%. With the Renewables Obligation Certificate regime due to expire in 2017, there are fears that uncertainty over its replacement could spook investors. Shaun Kingsbury, of the private equity firm Hudson Clean Energy, warned MPs that "if things continue to slow andmore detail comes out that makes it more complex, then you will see people stopping development spend". The Government claims its Energy Market Reform Bill will attract the £150bn-£200bn needed to overhaul the national grid and replace ageing nuclear and coal power stations. "Our ageing infrastructure has not been invested in for 30 years", said a government source. "If we don't fix it, the lights go out".
The surprise rise in green energy production at the start of this year builds on strong growth in 2011, when renewables generated 34,410 GWh, up a third on 2010. In 2009, just 3% of energy consumption in the UK came from renewables. Capacity grew by 36% last year. Charles Hendry, the climate change minister, said: "This shows that the UK is powering forward on clean and secure energy and is a very attractive place to invest".
Read More…
Gunning for energy blowin' in the wind
www.canberratimes.com.au
30 Jun 2012
From on top of these 80 metre-high wind turbines near Gunning, the view sweeps across the Southern Tablelands and future landscape of power generation. More than $3 billion worth of wind farms are awaiting planning approval in a concentrated wind and power belt from Crookwell to Yass. At least 10 major developments comprising more than 800 turbines are moving through environmental assessment or being tweaked to comply with draft guidelines for wind farms.
Each of the 31 turbines on Spanish-based multinational ACCIONA Energy's Gunning Wind Farm operates independently. They can turn 360° to catch optimum wind power, guided by an anemometer aerial which measures wind speed and direction, 24 hours a day, from on top of the gleaming white generators. ACCIONA Energy engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to assess economic benefits from its turbines which cost more than $100 million to build. They generate enough power for 24,000 homes. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts the wind farm will raise gross regional product in the south-east region by $69.3 million over the next decade.
On a high ridge, turbine blades travel at a few metres per second up to 25 metres per second in high winds, before they are turned off as a safety measure. Nine operation and maintenance workers oversee the plant and can take an internal lift to the top of each generator. The turbines are controlled from Melbourne and monitored from a base on a merino sheep stud 15 km north-east of Gunning. Debate is raging over wind farm impacts, even though only five-three near Crookwell and two at Lake George and Tarago-are up and running. ACCIONA Energy's director of engineering, construction and operation Brett Wickham said over time community acceptance of wind farms would grow.
''I think we do need more history, I think there has been a lot of fear and panic generated in various communities. ''I think, not only do we ask people to source factual documentation and do as much reading as they can from researched and peer-reviewed areas to be able to allay some of those fears, we also need a bit more history.'' He said over the next 25 years the turbines would either be re-powered or removed. ''No wind turbine around the world has reached that stage yet, but there have been opportunities to increase the capacity of the machines,'' Mr Wickham said. ''As part of our planning permit, de-commissioning is part of that, as much as we are bound to build it, if we are not generating money, we are bound to remove everything to a standard set by local planning authorities.''
The release of National Health and Medical Research Council's findings on wind farms at the end of this year will influence state governments' policies. Canberra-based wind power developer Windlab Systems has an interest in one of the projects near Boorowa. Windlab Systems's regional director for Australia, Luke Osborne, believes investments across the region are likely to go ahead in some form and bring a new and valuable revenue stream to the region. ''If the renewable energy target-the 20% renewables by 2020 stays in its current form, yes it will all go ahead.'' Multinational energy company Epuron proposes about 182 turbines worth $1 billion on sites near Yass and Bookham.
30 Jun 2012
From on top of these 80 metre-high wind turbines near Gunning, the view sweeps across the Southern Tablelands and future landscape of power generation. More than $3 billion worth of wind farms are awaiting planning approval in a concentrated wind and power belt from Crookwell to Yass. At least 10 major developments comprising more than 800 turbines are moving through environmental assessment or being tweaked to comply with draft guidelines for wind farms.Each of the 31 turbines on Spanish-based multinational ACCIONA Energy's Gunning Wind Farm operates independently. They can turn 360° to catch optimum wind power, guided by an anemometer aerial which measures wind speed and direction, 24 hours a day, from on top of the gleaming white generators. ACCIONA Energy engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to assess economic benefits from its turbines which cost more than $100 million to build. They generate enough power for 24,000 homes. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts the wind farm will raise gross regional product in the south-east region by $69.3 million over the next decade.
On a high ridge, turbine blades travel at a few metres per second up to 25 metres per second in high winds, before they are turned off as a safety measure. Nine operation and maintenance workers oversee the plant and can take an internal lift to the top of each generator. The turbines are controlled from Melbourne and monitored from a base on a merino sheep stud 15 km north-east of Gunning. Debate is raging over wind farm impacts, even though only five-three near Crookwell and two at Lake George and Tarago-are up and running. ACCIONA Energy's director of engineering, construction and operation Brett Wickham said over time community acceptance of wind farms would grow.
''I think we do need more history, I think there has been a lot of fear and panic generated in various communities. ''I think, not only do we ask people to source factual documentation and do as much reading as they can from researched and peer-reviewed areas to be able to allay some of those fears, we also need a bit more history.'' He said over the next 25 years the turbines would either be re-powered or removed. ''No wind turbine around the world has reached that stage yet, but there have been opportunities to increase the capacity of the machines,'' Mr Wickham said. ''As part of our planning permit, de-commissioning is part of that, as much as we are bound to build it, if we are not generating money, we are bound to remove everything to a standard set by local planning authorities.''
The release of National Health and Medical Research Council's findings on wind farms at the end of this year will influence state governments' policies. Canberra-based wind power developer Windlab Systems has an interest in one of the projects near Boorowa. Windlab Systems's regional director for Australia, Luke Osborne, believes investments across the region are likely to go ahead in some form and bring a new and valuable revenue stream to the region. ''If the renewable energy target-the 20% renewables by 2020 stays in its current form, yes it will all go ahead.'' Multinational energy company Epuron proposes about 182 turbines worth $1 billion on sites near Yass and Bookham.
Renewable energy doubles in five years
www.scotsman.com
29 Jun 2012
Scotland produced a record amount of renewable energy last year, almost double the total from five years ago. The UK Department for Energy and Climate Change said 13,735 GWs of renewable energy were generated north of the Border in 2011, up 44.3% on the previous year and up 97.3% on 2006. Provisional figures for the first quarter of this year show another big increase in renewables output to a total of 4,590GWH, up 45.5% compared with the first three months of 2011. Energy minister Fergus Ewing said the figures show that renewable energy generation in Scotland was "going from strength to strength".
Jenny Hogan, of Scottish Renewables, said: "Not only does renewables industry now employ more than 11,000 people in Scotland, it's helping to reduce our carbon emissions, tackle climate change and insulate us from volatility in the gas market which has been responsible for the major hikes in energy bills over the last few years". However, the advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) will today publish a report that will say the pace of measures to reduce emissions needs to increase fourfold.
It will highlight that, across the UK, although greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7% in 2011, only 0.8% of that can be linked directly to measures to lower carbon. David Kennedy, CCC chief executive, said: "Much of last year's fall in emissions was due to a combination of mild weather, rising fuel prices, falling incomes and transitory factors in power generation". Tom Ballantine, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: "This assessment of progress makes it pretty clear the Scottish Government's climate policy is at a crossroads". It could choose to stick to current path and miss the targets, forfeiting the many benefits, or it could increase efforts to reduce emissions to put us on the right road to a low-carbon future, he said.
29 Jun 2012
Scotland produced a record amount of renewable energy last year, almost double the total from five years ago. The UK Department for Energy and Climate Change said 13,735 GWs of renewable energy were generated north of the Border in 2011, up 44.3% on the previous year and up 97.3% on 2006. Provisional figures for the first quarter of this year show another big increase in renewables output to a total of 4,590GWH, up 45.5% compared with the first three months of 2011. Energy minister Fergus Ewing said the figures show that renewable energy generation in Scotland was "going from strength to strength".
Jenny Hogan, of Scottish Renewables, said: "Not only does renewables industry now employ more than 11,000 people in Scotland, it's helping to reduce our carbon emissions, tackle climate change and insulate us from volatility in the gas market which has been responsible for the major hikes in energy bills over the last few years". However, the advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) will today publish a report that will say the pace of measures to reduce emissions needs to increase fourfold.
It will highlight that, across the UK, although greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7% in 2011, only 0.8% of that can be linked directly to measures to lower carbon. David Kennedy, CCC chief executive, said: "Much of last year's fall in emissions was due to a combination of mild weather, rising fuel prices, falling incomes and transitory factors in power generation". Tom Ballantine, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: "This assessment of progress makes it pretty clear the Scottish Government's climate policy is at a crossroads". It could choose to stick to current path and miss the targets, forfeiting the many benefits, or it could increase efforts to reduce emissions to put us on the right road to a low-carbon future, he said.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
How boat engineering is keeping hydrogen power hopes buoyant
www.guardian.co.uk
28 Jun 2012
The Ross Barlow looks like a traditional canal barge, built 100 years ago to be drawn by a horse, travelling at the same speed as modern diesel engine vessels. However the 18 metre boat is one of the most technically advanced in the world. Silent and greenhouse gas-emission free, it can cruise the canals for at least a week on a minimum of fuel. The brainchild of Prof Rex Harris of University of Birmingham's school of engineering is a hydrogen-powered craft, and this week has been one of the stars of a convention in Birmingham that is bringing together key people in the race to find low-carbon transport fuels for ships.
The hydrogen on the Ross Barlow is stored onboard in a large-scale metal hydride storage system, which can handle large amounts of hydrogen at room temperature. The hydrogen is released by decreasing the pressure to feed the barge's fuel-cell (an electric battery, in effect). According to Harris, boats are better placed than cars to run on clean hydrogen because the weight of the heavy tank that stores the fuel is immaterial and can replace ballast. "They are at the cutting edge of the hydrogen fuel revolution", he says. "It is widely recognised that the world has only a few years to meet the urgent challenges of climate change and oil depletion".
Longer terms aims of the University of Birmingham project include the development of a canal-side hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and to generate hydrogen from renewable sources of electricity on suitable sites throughout the canal network. Elsewhere, two British ferry companies are now developing hybrid hydrogen-powered boats, for the Scottish isles and Bristol, but the biggest practical advances in the nascent technology are coming from mainland European countries. Germany and Greece both have hydrogen fuel-cell-driven submarines, Turkish students at Istanbul Technical University have built a ferry, a hydrogen-powered boat cruises the Amsterdam canals and there are advanced plans for ocean-going hydrogen container vessels.
The increasing price of diesel fuel, the need to reduce carbon emissions, and the soaring cost for railway electrification is also boosting research into a new breed of hydrogen railway trains. Coincidentally, scientists working on hydrogen trains around the world will also meet in Birmingham next week. The first hydrogen-powered locomotive was built for a mine in Canada in 2002 and in the past 10 years, fuell cell trains have been developed in Taiwan, Japan, South Africa, Spain and Denmark with more others planned for China. The state-owned Spanish railway company has demonstrated a "hydrail tram", and has announced that it will launch Europe's first hydrail train later this year.
28 Jun 2012
The Ross Barlow looks like a traditional canal barge, built 100 years ago to be drawn by a horse, travelling at the same speed as modern diesel engine vessels. However the 18 metre boat is one of the most technically advanced in the world. Silent and greenhouse gas-emission free, it can cruise the canals for at least a week on a minimum of fuel. The brainchild of Prof Rex Harris of University of Birmingham's school of engineering is a hydrogen-powered craft, and this week has been one of the stars of a convention in Birmingham that is bringing together key people in the race to find low-carbon transport fuels for ships.The hydrogen on the Ross Barlow is stored onboard in a large-scale metal hydride storage system, which can handle large amounts of hydrogen at room temperature. The hydrogen is released by decreasing the pressure to feed the barge's fuel-cell (an electric battery, in effect). According to Harris, boats are better placed than cars to run on clean hydrogen because the weight of the heavy tank that stores the fuel is immaterial and can replace ballast. "They are at the cutting edge of the hydrogen fuel revolution", he says. "It is widely recognised that the world has only a few years to meet the urgent challenges of climate change and oil depletion".
Longer terms aims of the University of Birmingham project include the development of a canal-side hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and to generate hydrogen from renewable sources of electricity on suitable sites throughout the canal network. Elsewhere, two British ferry companies are now developing hybrid hydrogen-powered boats, for the Scottish isles and Bristol, but the biggest practical advances in the nascent technology are coming from mainland European countries. Germany and Greece both have hydrogen fuel-cell-driven submarines, Turkish students at Istanbul Technical University have built a ferry, a hydrogen-powered boat cruises the Amsterdam canals and there are advanced plans for ocean-going hydrogen container vessels.
The increasing price of diesel fuel, the need to reduce carbon emissions, and the soaring cost for railway electrification is also boosting research into a new breed of hydrogen railway trains. Coincidentally, scientists working on hydrogen trains around the world will also meet in Birmingham next week. The first hydrogen-powered locomotive was built for a mine in Canada in 2002 and in the past 10 years, fuell cell trains have been developed in Taiwan, Japan, South Africa, Spain and Denmark with more others planned for China. The state-owned Spanish railway company has demonstrated a "hydrail tram", and has announced that it will launch Europe's first hydrail train later this year.
Goldwind sells its Australian wind farm to CGN Energy
in.reuters.com
28 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-China's Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co said it has sold its 19.5 MW Mortons Lane wind farm in Australia to CGN Wind Energy Ltd, a unit of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. Goldwind Science & Technology Co, China's second-biggest wind turbine maker, also secured a power purchase agreement and the installation of the first Goldwind Science & Technology Co turbines in Australia through the project, it said in an email to Reuters on Thursday. The Morton's Lane project, in Western Victoria, will use 13 Goldwind Science & Technology Co wind turbines, each generating 1.5 MW of electricity.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co Australia has its own project management team overseeing the construction of the Mortons Lane project. "Goldwind Science & Technology Co is very pleased that CGNWE has invested in Mortons Lane wind farm-Goldwind Science & Technology Co's first Australian project. This project has been developed due to the support of the Australian Government's renewable energy target", said Goldwind Science & Technology Co Australia Managing Director Mr. John Titchen in the statement.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co did not disclose the value of the deal. Goldwind Science & Technology Co's first-quarter net profit fell 97% due to weak wind turbine prices and increased market competition. After the deal, Mortons Lane wind farm would become CGNWE's first Australian renewable energy project.
28 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-China's Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co said it has sold its 19.5 MW Mortons Lane wind farm in Australia to CGN Wind Energy Ltd, a unit of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. Goldwind Science & Technology Co, China's second-biggest wind turbine maker, also secured a power purchase agreement and the installation of the first Goldwind Science & Technology Co turbines in Australia through the project, it said in an email to Reuters on Thursday. The Morton's Lane project, in Western Victoria, will use 13 Goldwind Science & Technology Co wind turbines, each generating 1.5 MW of electricity.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co Australia has its own project management team overseeing the construction of the Mortons Lane project. "Goldwind Science & Technology Co is very pleased that CGNWE has invested in Mortons Lane wind farm-Goldwind Science & Technology Co's first Australian project. This project has been developed due to the support of the Australian Government's renewable energy target", said Goldwind Science & Technology Co Australia Managing Director Mr. John Titchen in the statement.
Goldwind Science & Technology Co did not disclose the value of the deal. Goldwind Science & Technology Co's first-quarter net profit fell 97% due to weak wind turbine prices and increased market competition. After the deal, Mortons Lane wind farm would become CGNWE's first Australian renewable energy project.
GPA signs 25-year contract for solar farm
www.guampdn.com
28 Jun 2012
The Guam Power Authority signed a 25 year contract with Quantum Guam Power for a solar farm at a signing ceremony at GPA headquarters yesterday. It is the first renewable energy contract GPA has signed. The project costs about $95 million and will be located near the Layon Landfill in Inarajan. The solar farm will harness the energy from the sun through solar photovoltaic cells. It will produce about 20 MWs a year, enough to power 1,700 homes. The 25 year contract has terms that guarantee energy production and a fixed price per contract year.
Public Utilities Chairman Simon Sanchez said it was the first big step for renewable energy on Guam. "We're using an energy source that will always be here", Sanchez said. He said instead of sending money off island to fuel refineries in Singapore for oil to run GPA power plants, the money saved through the solar farm project will stay on Guam. "There's about $300 million dollars leaving Guam every year", Sanchez said of GPA's annual purchase of fossil fuel. With solar, part of that money can be going to the local economy, he added.
Consolidated Utility Services General Manager John Benavente said this could create jobs for local residents. "This is monumental since we can convert (what would otherwise be spent on oil) into jobs", Benavente said. GPA General Manager Joaquin Flores said it took more than a year to finalize the contract. "We are here today and this really will make Guam a better place", Flores said. The new solar farm would help stimulate the economy, Flores said.
Flores and Quantum Guam Power Chief Development Officer Dirk Straussfeld signed the contract, as their audience applauded. After the ceremony, Sanchez said the project wouldn't reduce the price of power right away, but in the long term, it will help keep costs down. "This is guaranteed energy at a fixed price unlike oil, which can go up at anytime", Sanchez said. There will be other solar power projects in the future and wind power projects as well, he said. The utility's goal is to have 5% of power coming from renewable energy within five years. The long-term aim is to have 20% renewable.
Public law has set goals for 8% of net sales to come from renewable energy by 2020, 10% by 2025, and 25% by 2035, Pacific Daily News files show. Flores explained that the move to renewable energy only made sense since many other utilities have other energy sources. "There were financial issues in regards to our lenders. There were concerns that we are totally reliant on fossil fuels, but now we're moving forward", Flores said.
Straussfeld said his company has much experience in renewable energy and will be a great partner with GPA. "We come with the know-how and our business is based on working with utilities providing this service", Straussfeld said. The company won the bid last May and has gone through a long process to get the 25 year contract right for both parties. "We wanted to make sure that everyone is committed", Straussfeld said.
28 Jun 2012
The Guam Power Authority signed a 25 year contract with Quantum Guam Power for a solar farm at a signing ceremony at GPA headquarters yesterday. It is the first renewable energy contract GPA has signed. The project costs about $95 million and will be located near the Layon Landfill in Inarajan. The solar farm will harness the energy from the sun through solar photovoltaic cells. It will produce about 20 MWs a year, enough to power 1,700 homes. The 25 year contract has terms that guarantee energy production and a fixed price per contract year.
Public Utilities Chairman Simon Sanchez said it was the first big step for renewable energy on Guam. "We're using an energy source that will always be here", Sanchez said. He said instead of sending money off island to fuel refineries in Singapore for oil to run GPA power plants, the money saved through the solar farm project will stay on Guam. "There's about $300 million dollars leaving Guam every year", Sanchez said of GPA's annual purchase of fossil fuel. With solar, part of that money can be going to the local economy, he added.
Consolidated Utility Services General Manager John Benavente said this could create jobs for local residents. "This is monumental since we can convert (what would otherwise be spent on oil) into jobs", Benavente said. GPA General Manager Joaquin Flores said it took more than a year to finalize the contract. "We are here today and this really will make Guam a better place", Flores said. The new solar farm would help stimulate the economy, Flores said.
Flores and Quantum Guam Power Chief Development Officer Dirk Straussfeld signed the contract, as their audience applauded. After the ceremony, Sanchez said the project wouldn't reduce the price of power right away, but in the long term, it will help keep costs down. "This is guaranteed energy at a fixed price unlike oil, which can go up at anytime", Sanchez said. There will be other solar power projects in the future and wind power projects as well, he said. The utility's goal is to have 5% of power coming from renewable energy within five years. The long-term aim is to have 20% renewable.
Public law has set goals for 8% of net sales to come from renewable energy by 2020, 10% by 2025, and 25% by 2035, Pacific Daily News files show. Flores explained that the move to renewable energy only made sense since many other utilities have other energy sources. "There were financial issues in regards to our lenders. There were concerns that we are totally reliant on fossil fuels, but now we're moving forward", Flores said.
Straussfeld said his company has much experience in renewable energy and will be a great partner with GPA. "We come with the know-how and our business is based on working with utilities providing this service", Straussfeld said. The company won the bid last May and has gone through a long process to get the 25 year contract right for both parties. "We wanted to make sure that everyone is committed", Straussfeld said.
Monday, 2 July 2012
IKEA to only use renewable electricity generated by its own wind turbines in Sweden
www.power-eng.com
27 Jun 2012
SWEDEN, Jun. 27 As a step towards using only energy from renewable sources in its global operations, IKEA Group is investing in a new wind farm with 30 wind turbines on Gloetesvalen, a mountain in Haerjedalen, Sweden. This is one of the largest investments to date in a wind power project in the Nordic countries and one of the largest land-based wind power project that work has started on so far in Europe during 2012.
The IKEA Group currently has around the world 96 wind turbines in operation or under construction, including nine in Sweden. This new investment will bring the total number of wind turbines owned by IKEA in Sweden to 39. The new Gloetesvalen wind farm is estimated to produce a total of 220 GWh (90MW) a year, equivalent to the annual electricity needs of approximately 48,000 homes. Construction will start this summer and the wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2014/beginning of 2015.
"At IKEA, we want to take a leading role in the transition to a low-carbon society by only using 100% renewable energy in our global operations. By only using wind power in Sweden, it is an exciting and important step toward reaching that goal. We will not only be self-sufficient in electricity in Sweden, generating enough to supply all IKEA buildings and operations in the country, but it will give us opportunities to supply IKEA stores in other countries with wind power", says Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group.
The IKEA Group has earmarked 590 million euros to invest in renewable energy, including this current wind power project and other investments that are planned over the next three years. An agreement has been signed with the O2 wind power company to develop, construct and manage the Gloetesvalen wind farm.
"This is the second time we have done business with IKEA in the course of the past 18 months, and it is the result of some very good and very close cooperation", says Johan Ihrfelt, O2's managing director. "Through its investment in Gloetesvalen IKEA has chosen to participate in one of the Nordic countries' most promising wind power projects in terms of the reliability of the meteorological conditions".
Gloetesvalen Wind Farm-facts & figures wind farm with 30 wind turbines situated on Gloetesvalen approx. 40 km north-west of Sveg in the south-western corner of Haerjedalen in west-central Sweden.
This is one of the best locations for wind in the whole of Sweden, with a highest point 1,010 metres above sea level. The wind has been measured here over a period of more than 10 years. The yearly mean wind speed of 8.1 metres per second is extremely good, and in the cold winter months this increases to more than 9 metres per second. Gloetesvalen has been approved in the local municipality's outline plan and selected by the Swedish Energy Agency as an area of national interest for wind farming.
It is estimated that the wind farm will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 176,000 tonnes. (Calculated using methods advocated and approved by the Swedish Energy Agency.)
27 Jun 2012
SWEDEN, Jun. 27 As a step towards using only energy from renewable sources in its global operations, IKEA Group is investing in a new wind farm with 30 wind turbines on Gloetesvalen, a mountain in Haerjedalen, Sweden. This is one of the largest investments to date in a wind power project in the Nordic countries and one of the largest land-based wind power project that work has started on so far in Europe during 2012.
The IKEA Group currently has around the world 96 wind turbines in operation or under construction, including nine in Sweden. This new investment will bring the total number of wind turbines owned by IKEA in Sweden to 39. The new Gloetesvalen wind farm is estimated to produce a total of 220 GWh (90MW) a year, equivalent to the annual electricity needs of approximately 48,000 homes. Construction will start this summer and the wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2014/beginning of 2015.
"At IKEA, we want to take a leading role in the transition to a low-carbon society by only using 100% renewable energy in our global operations. By only using wind power in Sweden, it is an exciting and important step toward reaching that goal. We will not only be self-sufficient in electricity in Sweden, generating enough to supply all IKEA buildings and operations in the country, but it will give us opportunities to supply IKEA stores in other countries with wind power", says Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group.
The IKEA Group has earmarked 590 million euros to invest in renewable energy, including this current wind power project and other investments that are planned over the next three years. An agreement has been signed with the O2 wind power company to develop, construct and manage the Gloetesvalen wind farm.
"This is the second time we have done business with IKEA in the course of the past 18 months, and it is the result of some very good and very close cooperation", says Johan Ihrfelt, O2's managing director. "Through its investment in Gloetesvalen IKEA has chosen to participate in one of the Nordic countries' most promising wind power projects in terms of the reliability of the meteorological conditions".
Gloetesvalen Wind Farm-facts & figures wind farm with 30 wind turbines situated on Gloetesvalen approx. 40 km north-west of Sveg in the south-western corner of Haerjedalen in west-central Sweden.
This is one of the best locations for wind in the whole of Sweden, with a highest point 1,010 metres above sea level. The wind has been measured here over a period of more than 10 years. The yearly mean wind speed of 8.1 metres per second is extremely good, and in the cold winter months this increases to more than 9 metres per second. Gloetesvalen has been approved in the local municipality's outline plan and selected by the Swedish Energy Agency as an area of national interest for wind farming.
It is estimated that the wind farm will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 176,000 tonnes. (Calculated using methods advocated and approved by the Swedish Energy Agency.)
Solar production glut to persist to 2015 - study
in.reuters.com
26 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-solar panel manufacturers face three more years of tough conditions until the market shuts down excess production capacity, according to a new report issued on Tuesday by renewable power consultancy GTM Research. Production capacity for photovoltaic solar panels this year stands at 59 GWs, about double the 30 GWs expected to be sold into the global market, according to GTM analyst Shyam Mehta. About 21 GWs of the current production is expected to be retired by 2015 as panel prices continue their steep declines, GTM said.
Companies such as Suntech Power, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd and FirstSolar Inc have all expanded manufacturing in recent years to supply panels into the fast-growing market for renewable power. But with subsidies in top European markets including Germany and Italy falling under the knife, the panel makers have been forced to pull back on their expansion plans, and most are operating manufacturing lines at levels well below their capacity.
"The training wheels of subsidies are coming off, and the next few years will see the industry's first attempt to ride without support. Consequently, the next three years will be an extremely difficult period", Mehta said. The glut of supplies has already taken its toll on the industry, sending several US, European and Asian companies into bankruptcy as they failed to keep pace with a more than 50% drop in wholesale panel prices since the beginning of 2011. The drop in panel prices, which currently stand at about 70 85¢ per watt for most major manufacturers, will continue, with prices likely to reach 45¢ by 2015, GTM said.
Leading that price drop will be Chinese companies such as Trina Solar Ltd, Yingli Green Energy, Jinko Solar and Hareon Solar, according to GTM. While those price drops will make solar power more affordable, they will force many companies to alter their strategies and potentially cede the panel-making business to more efficient players, Mehta said. "Most current PV manufacturers will have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and make tough decisions about their future role in the industry", said Mehta.
26 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-solar panel manufacturers face three more years of tough conditions until the market shuts down excess production capacity, according to a new report issued on Tuesday by renewable power consultancy GTM Research. Production capacity for photovoltaic solar panels this year stands at 59 GWs, about double the 30 GWs expected to be sold into the global market, according to GTM analyst Shyam Mehta. About 21 GWs of the current production is expected to be retired by 2015 as panel prices continue their steep declines, GTM said.
Companies such as Suntech Power, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd and FirstSolar Inc have all expanded manufacturing in recent years to supply panels into the fast-growing market for renewable power. But with subsidies in top European markets including Germany and Italy falling under the knife, the panel makers have been forced to pull back on their expansion plans, and most are operating manufacturing lines at levels well below their capacity.
"The training wheels of subsidies are coming off, and the next few years will see the industry's first attempt to ride without support. Consequently, the next three years will be an extremely difficult period", Mehta said. The glut of supplies has already taken its toll on the industry, sending several US, European and Asian companies into bankruptcy as they failed to keep pace with a more than 50% drop in wholesale panel prices since the beginning of 2011. The drop in panel prices, which currently stand at about 70 85¢ per watt for most major manufacturers, will continue, with prices likely to reach 45¢ by 2015, GTM said.
Leading that price drop will be Chinese companies such as Trina Solar Ltd, Yingli Green Energy, Jinko Solar and Hareon Solar, according to GTM. While those price drops will make solar power more affordable, they will force many companies to alter their strategies and potentially cede the panel-making business to more efficient players, Mehta said. "Most current PV manufacturers will have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and make tough decisions about their future role in the industry", said Mehta.
Wind energy sector hits back at MP
www.standard.net.au
25 Jun 2012
THE wind power sector has hit back at scathing criticism in Federal Parliament last week by an MP who described electricity generation by wind turbines as ludicrously inefficient. Sydney-based Liberal Craig Kelly claimed 3500 turbines would be needed to produce the equivalent output of one medium-sized conventional coal or gas-fired power station.
"The electricity they produce is 500% more expensive than electricity produced by coal-fired plants", he said. "Even if we built these 3500 steel windmills, we would still need a gas-fired power station as a backup, for when the wind doesn't blow, the power doesn't flow. "Overseas studies have suggested that we could actually lower our emissions of CO₂ if we did away with wind turbines altogether and just ran gas power stations inefficiently".
The Clean Energy Council later issued an invitation to Mr Kelly to tour a wind farm and learn how it drives investment in local communities. South-west Victoria is one of Australia's fastest-growing regions for wind farm investment. "The cost of wind power can be about the same as brown coal in many cases or only marginally more", the council's policy director Russell Marsh told The Standard.
"Wind power is currently the cheapest type of renewable energy that can be rolled out on a large scale and is expected to play a major role under Australia's renewable energy target of 20% by 2020". Mr Marsh said there was no evidence new power stations had to be built solely to back up wind generation. "When wind power is being fed into the system, less power is required from carbon-intensive sources to meet our energy needs".
25 Jun 2012
THE wind power sector has hit back at scathing criticism in Federal Parliament last week by an MP who described electricity generation by wind turbines as ludicrously inefficient. Sydney-based Liberal Craig Kelly claimed 3500 turbines would be needed to produce the equivalent output of one medium-sized conventional coal or gas-fired power station.
"The electricity they produce is 500% more expensive than electricity produced by coal-fired plants", he said. "Even if we built these 3500 steel windmills, we would still need a gas-fired power station as a backup, for when the wind doesn't blow, the power doesn't flow. "Overseas studies have suggested that we could actually lower our emissions of CO₂ if we did away with wind turbines altogether and just ran gas power stations inefficiently".
The Clean Energy Council later issued an invitation to Mr Kelly to tour a wind farm and learn how it drives investment in local communities. South-west Victoria is one of Australia's fastest-growing regions for wind farm investment. "The cost of wind power can be about the same as brown coal in many cases or only marginally more", the council's policy director Russell Marsh told The Standard.
"Wind power is currently the cheapest type of renewable energy that can be rolled out on a large scale and is expected to play a major role under Australia's renewable energy target of 20% by 2020". Mr Marsh said there was no evidence new power stations had to be built solely to back up wind generation. "When wind power is being fed into the system, less power is required from carbon-intensive sources to meet our energy needs".
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Sun sets on solar jobs in the sunshine state
Clean Energy Council
26 Jun 2012
More than 4500 jobs could go in the next 12 months as a result of yesterday's decision by the Queensland Government to slash an incentive for people to purchase solar power systems, according to analysis commissioned by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council acting Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the solar industry was "obviously disappointed" at such a rapid reduction in the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme, which would put thousands of jobs at risk.
"The Solar Bonus Scheme has been very successful, with the solar industry now employing approximately 11,000 Queenslanders. The Solar Bonus Scheme itself has stimulated $2.37 billion worth of private investment", said Mr Thornton. "It is appropriate that the Queensland government reduces the level of its support scheme, given the great success of solar and the reduction in the cost of solar power systems in recent times. "However, this kind of sudden drop could have a serious negative impact on an industry that has been delivering major economic benefits to the state", he said.
A decision was made on Monday afternoon to reduce the level of support to householders under the Solar Bonus Scheme from 44¢ per kilowatt-hour down to 8¢. Mr Thornton said he was concerned about the Queensland Government's commitment to clean energy for the state, given it had also closed its rebate scheme for solar hot water last Friday.
26 Jun 2012
More than 4500 jobs could go in the next 12 months as a result of yesterday's decision by the Queensland Government to slash an incentive for people to purchase solar power systems, according to analysis commissioned by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council acting Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the solar industry was "obviously disappointed" at such a rapid reduction in the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme, which would put thousands of jobs at risk."The Solar Bonus Scheme has been very successful, with the solar industry now employing approximately 11,000 Queenslanders. The Solar Bonus Scheme itself has stimulated $2.37 billion worth of private investment", said Mr Thornton. "It is appropriate that the Queensland government reduces the level of its support scheme, given the great success of solar and the reduction in the cost of solar power systems in recent times. "However, this kind of sudden drop could have a serious negative impact on an industry that has been delivering major economic benefits to the state", he said.
A decision was made on Monday afternoon to reduce the level of support to householders under the Solar Bonus Scheme from 44¢ per kilowatt-hour down to 8¢. Mr Thornton said he was concerned about the Queensland Government's commitment to clean energy for the state, given it had also closed its rebate scheme for solar hot water last Friday.
eBay to power data center with Bloom Energy's renewable energy fuel cells
www.mercurynews.com
21 Jun 2012
eBay said it plans to build a data center powered by startup Bloom Energy's renewable energy fuel-cells, a more environmentally friendly alternative to drawing power from the mostly coal-based electric grid. The U.S, online auction sales group will use 30 Bloom Energy servers that use biogas derived from renewable organic waste and will only use the grid as a back-up source of power. Last month, Apple said it was buying equipment from SunPower and Bloom Energy to build two solar array installations to power its main U.S, data center.
Concerns about the ever-expanding power consumption of computer data centers have mounted in recent years, as technology companies build enormous facilities housing servers to cater to an explosion in Internet traffic, multimedia use and enterprise services hosting. "eBay is raising the standard for the entire industry. It is 21st century infrastructure for the industry needs of the 21st century", said KR Sridhar, chief executive of Sunnyvale-based Bloom Energy, said in a statement.
21 Jun 2012
eBay said it plans to build a data center powered by startup Bloom Energy's renewable energy fuel-cells, a more environmentally friendly alternative to drawing power from the mostly coal-based electric grid. The U.S, online auction sales group will use 30 Bloom Energy servers that use biogas derived from renewable organic waste and will only use the grid as a back-up source of power. Last month, Apple said it was buying equipment from SunPower and Bloom Energy to build two solar array installations to power its main U.S, data center.
Concerns about the ever-expanding power consumption of computer data centers have mounted in recent years, as technology companies build enormous facilities housing servers to cater to an explosion in Internet traffic, multimedia use and enterprise services hosting. "eBay is raising the standard for the entire industry. It is 21st century infrastructure for the industry needs of the 21st century", said KR Sridhar, chief executive of Sunnyvale-based Bloom Energy, said in a statement.
Turbines for new North Shore wind farm arrive next week
www.staradvertiser.com
21 Jun 2012
First Wind LLC will begin delivering turbine parts next week for its Kawailoa wind power project on Oahu's North Shore, company officials said today.
The company will transport the blades and tower components from Kalaeloa Harbor to the project site starting Monday using oversized trailers. The deliveries will be made between 10 p.m, and 5 a.m. Monday through Friday to minimize traffic disruptions, according to a news release from the company.
In addition, each delivery will have a police escort. Traffic may be stopped momentarily as the trucks navigate certain intersections along the delivery route, the company said. "We are making every effort to ensure that this transport is done with minimal traffic disruptions", said Kekoa Kaluhiwa, First Wind director for external affairs. "We truly appreciate everyone's patience throughout this process".
First Wind broke ground on the wind project on February 24. Kawailoa Wind's 69 MWs of generating capacity will be enough to power the equivalent of 14,500 Oahu homes. The project includes thirty Siemens turbines that will be installed on land owned by Kamehameha Schools mauka of Kamehameha Highway between Waimea Bay and Haleiwa town.
21 Jun 2012
First Wind LLC will begin delivering turbine parts next week for its Kawailoa wind power project on Oahu's North Shore, company officials said today.
The company will transport the blades and tower components from Kalaeloa Harbor to the project site starting Monday using oversized trailers. The deliveries will be made between 10 p.m, and 5 a.m. Monday through Friday to minimize traffic disruptions, according to a news release from the company.
In addition, each delivery will have a police escort. Traffic may be stopped momentarily as the trucks navigate certain intersections along the delivery route, the company said. "We are making every effort to ensure that this transport is done with minimal traffic disruptions", said Kekoa Kaluhiwa, First Wind director for external affairs. "We truly appreciate everyone's patience throughout this process".
First Wind broke ground on the wind project on February 24. Kawailoa Wind's 69 MWs of generating capacity will be enough to power the equivalent of 14,500 Oahu homes. The project includes thirty Siemens turbines that will be installed on land owned by Kamehameha Schools mauka of Kamehameha Highway between Waimea Bay and Haleiwa town.
Scotland touts renewable energy leadership
www.upi.com
20 Jun 2012
SAN FRANCISCO, June 20 (UPI)--With 25% of the offshore and tidal resources in Europe, Scotland is on pace to become the regional hub for renewables, the Scottish first minister said. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond addressed delegates at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco during a trade mission to the United States. Scotland, he said, was making a significant contribution to the emerging renewable energy sector. "We are ambitious for the future, both for ourselves and what we can contribute to the rest of the world", he said.
Scotland aims to derive 100% of its electricity demand through renewable energy projects by 2020. The government estimates it met 35% of its electricity demand last year through renewable energy resources. All universities in Scotland have energy technology partnerships with third parties and Scotland this year signed a collaborative deal with the Masdar Energy Institute in Abu Dhabi. Glasgow, meanwhile, serves as a major research center for offshore wind power generation. "We possess 10% of Europe's wave energy resources and 25% of its offshore wind and tidal resources--all with only 1% of the EU population", Salmond said.
20 Jun 2012
SAN FRANCISCO, June 20 (UPI)--With 25% of the offshore and tidal resources in Europe, Scotland is on pace to become the regional hub for renewables, the Scottish first minister said. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond addressed delegates at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco during a trade mission to the United States. Scotland, he said, was making a significant contribution to the emerging renewable energy sector. "We are ambitious for the future, both for ourselves and what we can contribute to the rest of the world", he said.
Scotland aims to derive 100% of its electricity demand through renewable energy projects by 2020. The government estimates it met 35% of its electricity demand last year through renewable energy resources. All universities in Scotland have energy technology partnerships with third parties and Scotland this year signed a collaborative deal with the Masdar Energy Institute in Abu Dhabi. Glasgow, meanwhile, serves as a major research center for offshore wind power generation. "We possess 10% of Europe's wave energy resources and 25% of its offshore wind and tidal resources--all with only 1% of the EU population", Salmond said.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
RPT-Faulty tests blamed for California nuclear plant leak
in.reuters.com
19 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-Tubes that leaked radioactive steam at a California nuclear power plant, leading to an indefinite shutdown, were not properly tested by the manufacturer prior to installation, nuclear regulators told an overflowing public hearing on Monday. The San Onofre Nuclear Power plant, located in Orange County, has been shut down since Jan. 31, when plant operators discovered a small radiation leak in one of the plants' two units. The 2,150 MW plant is operated by Edison International's Southern California Edison utility.
The nuclear station is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego and is critical to the grid to import electricity into southern California. Its extended shutdown raises the possibility of rolling power outages as warmer temperatures boost demand for power over the summer. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday pinned the blame for the leak on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which it said underestimated the velocity of water and steam surging through the generator by a factor of three or four times in its computerized test of the equipment.
The tubes were also not held together tightly enough inside the troubled Unit 3 reactor, allowing them to rub against each other and causing premature wear, regulatory officials said. Eight of the 129 tubes tested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since the shutdown at the plant's troubled Unit 3 generator failed pressure testing, an unprecedented number, said Elmo Collins, regional administrator for the Region IV office of the NRC. "We've never seen that before", he said of the test results. "This is a significant, serious safety issue".
Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southern California Edison said they would not allow the plant to reopen until it was safe to do so, and declined to give a specific timeline for restarting the plant. "Both San Onofre units will be shut down until repairs are made and we and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are satisfied it is safe to operate", said Pete Dietrich, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for the power plant.
While the regulatory commission has some authority over contractors such as Mitsubishi, Collins made it clear that it's Southern California Edison that will ultimately be held accountable if penalties are eventually levied by the government. A crowd of over 400 people showed up for the hearing, many asking pointed questions about the competence of the Southern California Edison and the regulatory commission, as well as raising questions about the safety of nuclear power.
Dozens of environmentalists held a rally prior to the meeting with anti-nuclear signs, including one banner that read "Fukushima not again!"-a reference to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last year following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Damon Moglen, climate and energy director for green group Friends of the Earth, said that Southern California Edison made significant design changes to the plant without seeking an amendment to its existing license, as is required by the regulatory commission.
His group submitted petition to nuclear regulators on Monday to require the company to obtain a new license, complaining that in his view the commission was "asleep at the regulatory wheel". The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its investigation into what went wrong at the plant was ongoing and promised to keep the public apprised of any new developments. A written report on the findings will be released next month, regulators said.
19 Jun 2012
(Reuters)-Tubes that leaked radioactive steam at a California nuclear power plant, leading to an indefinite shutdown, were not properly tested by the manufacturer prior to installation, nuclear regulators told an overflowing public hearing on Monday. The San Onofre Nuclear Power plant, located in Orange County, has been shut down since Jan. 31, when plant operators discovered a small radiation leak in one of the plants' two units. The 2,150 MW plant is operated by Edison International's Southern California Edison utility.
The nuclear station is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego and is critical to the grid to import electricity into southern California. Its extended shutdown raises the possibility of rolling power outages as warmer temperatures boost demand for power over the summer. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday pinned the blame for the leak on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which it said underestimated the velocity of water and steam surging through the generator by a factor of three or four times in its computerized test of the equipment.
The tubes were also not held together tightly enough inside the troubled Unit 3 reactor, allowing them to rub against each other and causing premature wear, regulatory officials said. Eight of the 129 tubes tested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since the shutdown at the plant's troubled Unit 3 generator failed pressure testing, an unprecedented number, said Elmo Collins, regional administrator for the Region IV office of the NRC. "We've never seen that before", he said of the test results. "This is a significant, serious safety issue".
Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southern California Edison said they would not allow the plant to reopen until it was safe to do so, and declined to give a specific timeline for restarting the plant. "Both San Onofre units will be shut down until repairs are made and we and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are satisfied it is safe to operate", said Pete Dietrich, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for the power plant.
While the regulatory commission has some authority over contractors such as Mitsubishi, Collins made it clear that it's Southern California Edison that will ultimately be held accountable if penalties are eventually levied by the government. A crowd of over 400 people showed up for the hearing, many asking pointed questions about the competence of the Southern California Edison and the regulatory commission, as well as raising questions about the safety of nuclear power.
Dozens of environmentalists held a rally prior to the meeting with anti-nuclear signs, including one banner that read "Fukushima not again!"-a reference to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last year following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Damon Moglen, climate and energy director for green group Friends of the Earth, said that Southern California Edison made significant design changes to the plant without seeking an amendment to its existing license, as is required by the regulatory commission.
His group submitted petition to nuclear regulators on Monday to require the company to obtain a new license, complaining that in his view the commission was "asleep at the regulatory wheel". The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its investigation into what went wrong at the plant was ongoing and promised to keep the public apprised of any new developments. A written report on the findings will be released next month, regulators said.
Renewable energy use surged worldwide last year
phys.org
18 Jun 2012
Renewable energy reached a big milestone in 2011, surging to a record $257 billion in global investments, the UN Environment Program announced, up 17% from 2010 and a sixfold increase over the past seven years. The figure also marks a breakthrough for the solar power industry, which drew nearly twice as much investment as wind power last year, according to reports from the UN and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century Total solar investments rose 52%, to $147 billion, in 2011, the reports say. While China has led the world in renewable-energy investments for three years, it increasingly faces competition from around the world, especially from the United States.
Chinese renewable-energy investments rose 17% to $52 billion in 2011. In the US, a 57% surge that pushed investments to $51 billion. The UK, Spain and Italy also had investment booms, with respective growth rates of 59, 45 and 43%, although their totals remain relatively small. The most extreme change came in India, whose 62% rise to $12 billion represents "the fastest investment expansion of any large renewables market in the world", UNEP reports.
This is mostly good news for the renewables industry, particularly solar, but the UNEP and REN21 reports have some dark spots, too. While $257 billion is a new record for global investments in renewables, the 17% increase is down substantially from the 37% growth recorded in 2010. Investments declined in some countries including Germany (down 12%) and much of the Middle East and Africa (down 18%). "Policy uncertainty created by the Arab Spring delayed some projects", UNEP notes, "but a number of important initiatives did still progress".
Read More…
18 Jun 2012
Renewable energy reached a big milestone in 2011, surging to a record $257 billion in global investments, the UN Environment Program announced, up 17% from 2010 and a sixfold increase over the past seven years. The figure also marks a breakthrough for the solar power industry, which drew nearly twice as much investment as wind power last year, according to reports from the UN and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century Total solar investments rose 52%, to $147 billion, in 2011, the reports say. While China has led the world in renewable-energy investments for three years, it increasingly faces competition from around the world, especially from the United States.
Chinese renewable-energy investments rose 17% to $52 billion in 2011. In the US, a 57% surge that pushed investments to $51 billion. The UK, Spain and Italy also had investment booms, with respective growth rates of 59, 45 and 43%, although their totals remain relatively small. The most extreme change came in India, whose 62% rise to $12 billion represents "the fastest investment expansion of any large renewables market in the world", UNEP reports.
This is mostly good news for the renewables industry, particularly solar, but the UNEP and REN21 reports have some dark spots, too. While $257 billion is a new record for global investments in renewables, the 17% increase is down substantially from the 37% growth recorded in 2010. Investments declined in some countries including Germany (down 12%) and much of the Middle East and Africa (down 18%). "Policy uncertainty created by the Arab Spring delayed some projects", UNEP notes, "but a number of important initiatives did still progress".
Read More…
Monday, 25 June 2012
Solar boom heads to Japan creating $9.6 billion market
www.bloomberg.com
19 Jun 2012
Japan is poised to overtake Germany and Italy to become the world's second-biggest market for solar power as incentives starting July 1 drive sales for equipment makers from Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co, to Kyocera Corp. (6971) Industry Minister Yukio Edano set today a premium price for solar electricity that's about triple what industrial users now pay for conventional power. That may spur at least $9.6 billion in new installations with 3.2 GWs of capacity, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast. The total is about equal to the output of three atomic reactors. Solar stocks rallied.
"The tariff is very attractive", said Mina Sekiguchi, associate partner and head of energy and infrastructure at KPMG in Japan. "The rate reflects the government's intention to set up many solar power stations very quickly". Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's effort to cut dependence on atomic energy that provided about 30% of Japan's power before the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011 will help a solar industry suffering incentive cuts across Europe. It's also raising concern among Japanese business groups that clean power aid will raise bills and slow Japan's economic recovery.
"This is a mechanism with a high degree of market intervention by setting tariffs artificially high and making users shoulder the cost", said Masami Hasegawa, senior manager of the environmental policy bureau of Keidanren, Japan's most powerful business lobby, which counts Toyota Motor Corp, and Nippon Steel Corp (5401) among its members. "We question the effectiveness of such a scheme".
Twice German Rate
Utilities will pay 42 yen (53¢) a kilowatt-hour for 20 years to solar power producers, almost twice the rate in Germany, the world's biggest market by installations. The solar tariff was among incentive rates for clean energy announced today by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and foreshadowed by a ministry official June 15. Solar stocks rallied for a second day. The Bloomberg Global Large Solar Energy index added 1.8% at 12:13 p.m., bringing its two-day gain to 8.5%, the largest two-session intraday advance since February.
Developers are counting on the subsidies and have accelerated solar-park construction plans this year. "We hear every day a new announcement of a MW-scale project", Izumi Kaizuka, a solar industry analyst at RTS Corp., said in Munich, referring to projects 1 MW or bigger. Japan ranked sixth worldwide by new installations last year, when it added 1.3 GWs of solar to bring its installed base to 5 GWs. Next year builders will erect roughly triple that level, or another 3.2 GWs to 4.7 GWs, New Energy Finance forecasts. A GW is enough to supply about 243,000 homes in Japan.
Read More…
19 Jun 2012
Japan is poised to overtake Germany and Italy to become the world's second-biggest market for solar power as incentives starting July 1 drive sales for equipment makers from Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co, to Kyocera Corp. (6971) Industry Minister Yukio Edano set today a premium price for solar electricity that's about triple what industrial users now pay for conventional power. That may spur at least $9.6 billion in new installations with 3.2 GWs of capacity, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast. The total is about equal to the output of three atomic reactors. Solar stocks rallied.
"The tariff is very attractive", said Mina Sekiguchi, associate partner and head of energy and infrastructure at KPMG in Japan. "The rate reflects the government's intention to set up many solar power stations very quickly". Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's effort to cut dependence on atomic energy that provided about 30% of Japan's power before the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011 will help a solar industry suffering incentive cuts across Europe. It's also raising concern among Japanese business groups that clean power aid will raise bills and slow Japan's economic recovery.
"This is a mechanism with a high degree of market intervention by setting tariffs artificially high and making users shoulder the cost", said Masami Hasegawa, senior manager of the environmental policy bureau of Keidanren, Japan's most powerful business lobby, which counts Toyota Motor Corp, and Nippon Steel Corp (5401) among its members. "We question the effectiveness of such a scheme".
Twice German Rate
Utilities will pay 42 yen (53¢) a kilowatt-hour for 20 years to solar power producers, almost twice the rate in Germany, the world's biggest market by installations. The solar tariff was among incentive rates for clean energy announced today by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and foreshadowed by a ministry official June 15. Solar stocks rallied for a second day. The Bloomberg Global Large Solar Energy index added 1.8% at 12:13 p.m., bringing its two-day gain to 8.5%, the largest two-session intraday advance since February.
Developers are counting on the subsidies and have accelerated solar-park construction plans this year. "We hear every day a new announcement of a MW-scale project", Izumi Kaizuka, a solar industry analyst at RTS Corp., said in Munich, referring to projects 1 MW or bigger. Japan ranked sixth worldwide by new installations last year, when it added 1.3 GWs of solar to bring its installed base to 5 GWs. Next year builders will erect roughly triple that level, or another 3.2 GWs to 4.7 GWs, New Energy Finance forecasts. A GW is enough to supply about 243,000 homes in Japan.
Read More…
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