vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
September, 26 2012
HA NOI (VNS)--A pioneering 25MW geothermal power plant will be built in the central province of Quang Tri's Dakrong District, according to the Viet Nam Thermal Association vice chairman Ta Huong. The plant, set to be the very first of its kind in Viet Nam, has been licensed by provincial authorities and aims to promote exploration for new sources of energy in the near future.
Huong said Viet Nam has the potential for developing geothermal power in almost all provinces and cities nationwide, especially in Phu Tho, Quang Binh and Quang Tri. The geothermal plant can operate 24 hours a day without being affected by weather conditions such as sunlight, wind or sea wave. Geothermal electricity is generated from geothermal energy. It is considered to be sustainable and friendly-environmental because the heat extraction is small compared with the earth's heat content.
It's reported that the geothermal power plant will use Hot Dry Rock (HDR) heat mining technology to mine the heat from the hot rock found almost everywhere at some depth beneath the surface of the earth. The water is pumped into hot, crystalline rock via an injection well, which becomes superheated as it flows opening joints in the hot rock reservoir, and is then returned through production wells. At the surface, the useful heat is extracted to generate power and the same water is recirculated to mine more heat.
The technology has been used by many countries in the world including the US, Germany and Iceland. The US takes the lead, with its geothermal power output accounting for 32% of all geothermal power produced in the world. In the next 50 years, the US is expected to generate 100,000MW from geothermal energy, supplying power for 25 million households at a cost of around $40 million per year.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Businesses divided on energy target shift
www.smh.com.au
25 Sep 2012
The debate over Australia's renewable energy target of 20% by 2020 has intensified, with the Business Council of Australia joining calls to adjust the target amid fears it will unreasonably drive up power prices. But the council, one of the nation's main business lobby groups, has abandoned its long-held view that the target should be scrapped altogether, citing concerns that this could undermine investment in solar and wind farms.
In its submission to a government review of the target-the key measure to support the clean energy industry-the BCA has backed some power companies' concerns that the falling electricity demand in coming years means Australia will actually overshoot the 20% target. Its call to adjust the scheme deepens the divide within the business community on the issue. Another peak body, the Australian Industry Group, warned in its submission against changes to the target, saying this would create ''intense uncertainty'' for energy investors.
Big power firms are also divided, with Origin Energy and TRUEnergy backing an adjustment but AGL Energy arguing against any change. Origin Energy has estimated that the overshot target would add about $25 billion to the national energy costs through to 2030. But the BCA's decision to ditch its total opposition to the scheme reflects the importance of the target to the industry. Solar and wind firms are strongly reliant on the target because it delivers them a guaranteed income by forcing electricity retailers to source a portion of the power they sell from renewable projects.
''We are,.. conscious of the substantial investments that have been made or planned for, given the existence of the RET,'' the BCA submission states. The council says that about 26% of electricity will end up coming from renewable sources by 2020 because the target is set as a raw total of 41,000 GWs per year.
This would have equalled 20% on old electricity forecasts. But with demand now projected to fall because of high prices and the proliferation of rooftop solar panels, the target will be overshot, the council argues. ''We believe that the current level of the target is materially out of line with the stated objective,'' it says. ''This substantial increase in the target imposes additional costs on electricity users.''
Meanwhile consumer group CHOICE has called for greater powers to be given to the energy market regulator to ensure ''unjustifiable'' rises in power prices over the past five years don't happen again. CHOICE has made 14 recommendations to a Senate committee inquiry into electricity prices ahead of a hearing in Sydney today. ''Australian household electricity consumers have experienced rapid electricity price rises over recent years,'' it said in a submission to the inquiry. ''CHOICE believes these increases have been to a significant extent avoidable and unjustifiable.''
The group yesterday issued the results of a survey showing that 55% of respondents were very concerned about electricity prices and 30% were quite concerned.
25 Sep 2012
The debate over Australia's renewable energy target of 20% by 2020 has intensified, with the Business Council of Australia joining calls to adjust the target amid fears it will unreasonably drive up power prices. But the council, one of the nation's main business lobby groups, has abandoned its long-held view that the target should be scrapped altogether, citing concerns that this could undermine investment in solar and wind farms.
In its submission to a government review of the target-the key measure to support the clean energy industry-the BCA has backed some power companies' concerns that the falling electricity demand in coming years means Australia will actually overshoot the 20% target. Its call to adjust the scheme deepens the divide within the business community on the issue. Another peak body, the Australian Industry Group, warned in its submission against changes to the target, saying this would create ''intense uncertainty'' for energy investors.
Big power firms are also divided, with Origin Energy and TRUEnergy backing an adjustment but AGL Energy arguing against any change. Origin Energy has estimated that the overshot target would add about $25 billion to the national energy costs through to 2030. But the BCA's decision to ditch its total opposition to the scheme reflects the importance of the target to the industry. Solar and wind firms are strongly reliant on the target because it delivers them a guaranteed income by forcing electricity retailers to source a portion of the power they sell from renewable projects.
''We are,.. conscious of the substantial investments that have been made or planned for, given the existence of the RET,'' the BCA submission states. The council says that about 26% of electricity will end up coming from renewable sources by 2020 because the target is set as a raw total of 41,000 GWs per year.
This would have equalled 20% on old electricity forecasts. But with demand now projected to fall because of high prices and the proliferation of rooftop solar panels, the target will be overshot, the council argues. ''We believe that the current level of the target is materially out of line with the stated objective,'' it says. ''This substantial increase in the target imposes additional costs on electricity users.''
Meanwhile consumer group CHOICE has called for greater powers to be given to the energy market regulator to ensure ''unjustifiable'' rises in power prices over the past five years don't happen again. CHOICE has made 14 recommendations to a Senate committee inquiry into electricity prices ahead of a hearing in Sydney today. ''Australian household electricity consumers have experienced rapid electricity price rises over recent years,'' it said in a submission to the inquiry. ''CHOICE believes these increases have been to a significant extent avoidable and unjustifiable.''
The group yesterday issued the results of a survey showing that 55% of respondents were very concerned about electricity prices and 30% were quite concerned.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Fire Island turbines now producing wind power for Southcentral Alaska
www.alaskadispatch.com
24 Sep 2012
It's official: After a decade in the making, Fire Island wind turbines are supplying power to Southcentral Alaska.
All 11 wind turbines are now generating power according to the Alaska Public Radio Network. The turbines went through a checklist of things necessary before Fire Island Wind, a CIRI Inc, subsidiary, could start delivering power to its buyer, Chugach Electric Association Inc., starting Friday, Sept. 21.
The $65 million project is expected to produce 50,000 MWs of power annually--enough to power 4,000 Southcentral Alaska households. All together, that's about 4% of the power Chugach produces.
CIRI entered into an agreement with Chugach for the utility to purchase 25 years of Fire Island's power for $97 per MW for 25 years. That's higher than the current price--about $60 a MW right now--but the price of wind power is expected to remain consistent, while natural gas-powered energy is expected to fluctuate in price.
Work on the project was ironically halted for three days by severe winds from a regional storm earlier this month. No turbines were damaged in the storm, but crews on the island spent time clearing trees. That contract to deliver power to Chugach isn't set to begin until Jan. 1, but any power produced before next year will still be sold to the Anchorage-based utility.
24 Sep 2012
It's official: After a decade in the making, Fire Island wind turbines are supplying power to Southcentral Alaska.
All 11 wind turbines are now generating power according to the Alaska Public Radio Network. The turbines went through a checklist of things necessary before Fire Island Wind, a CIRI Inc, subsidiary, could start delivering power to its buyer, Chugach Electric Association Inc., starting Friday, Sept. 21.
The $65 million project is expected to produce 50,000 MWs of power annually--enough to power 4,000 Southcentral Alaska households. All together, that's about 4% of the power Chugach produces.
CIRI entered into an agreement with Chugach for the utility to purchase 25 years of Fire Island's power for $97 per MW for 25 years. That's higher than the current price--about $60 a MW right now--but the price of wind power is expected to remain consistent, while natural gas-powered energy is expected to fluctuate in price.
Work on the project was ironically halted for three days by severe winds from a regional storm earlier this month. No turbines were damaged in the storm, but crews on the island spent time clearing trees. That contract to deliver power to Chugach isn't set to begin until Jan. 1, but any power produced before next year will still be sold to the Anchorage-based utility.
Denmark gets first power from 400MW wind park
www.climatespectator.com.au
24 Sep 2012
Danish utility DONG Energy has brought the first turbine on stream at Anholt, set to be the country's biggest offshore wind park with a total capacity of 400 MWs. The Anholt development will deliver enough power for 400,000 households, or 4 per¢ of Denmark's power consumption, when it is completed in a year's time, state-controlled DONG Energy said on Friday.
Denmark, already the world leader in wind power with around a quarter of its electricity from wind farms, aims to cover half its power needs with wind turbines by 2020. It also aims to get 30 per¢ of overall energy consumption from renewables by 2020, and Anholt will make a significant contribution to those goals, DONG Energy said.
The wind farm, located off the island of Anholt in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden, will have 111 Siemens turbines with a capacity of 3.6 MW each. While DONG Energy has not disclosed the cost of the project, estimates are around 10 billion Danish crowns ($1.74 billion).
DONG Energy, the oil, gas and electricity producer, owns 50% and is the operator of the Anholt development, while pension insurance groups PensionDenmark and PKA own 30% and 20% respectively. The pension providers bought their stakes in March 2011, marking a new step in DONG Energy's efforts to bring new kinds of investors into wind power projects and diversify its own risk as wind farm developer and owner.
24 Sep 2012
Danish utility DONG Energy has brought the first turbine on stream at Anholt, set to be the country's biggest offshore wind park with a total capacity of 400 MWs. The Anholt development will deliver enough power for 400,000 households, or 4 per¢ of Denmark's power consumption, when it is completed in a year's time, state-controlled DONG Energy said on Friday.
Denmark, already the world leader in wind power with around a quarter of its electricity from wind farms, aims to cover half its power needs with wind turbines by 2020. It also aims to get 30 per¢ of overall energy consumption from renewables by 2020, and Anholt will make a significant contribution to those goals, DONG Energy said.
The wind farm, located off the island of Anholt in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden, will have 111 Siemens turbines with a capacity of 3.6 MW each. While DONG Energy has not disclosed the cost of the project, estimates are around 10 billion Danish crowns ($1.74 billion).
DONG Energy, the oil, gas and electricity producer, owns 50% and is the operator of the Anholt development, while pension insurance groups PensionDenmark and PKA own 30% and 20% respectively. The pension providers bought their stakes in March 2011, marking a new step in DONG Energy's efforts to bring new kinds of investors into wind power projects and diversify its own risk as wind farm developer and owner.
REpower to install Austria's tallest wind turbines
www.nawindpower.com
20 Sep 2012
Suzlon Energy subsidiary REpower Systems SE says it has signed a contract with Austria-based Windkraft Simonsfeld AG for the delivery of eight 3.2M114 wind turbines. Each of the turbines, which will be installed at the Poysdorf-Wilfersdorf III wind farm in northeastern Austria, has a rated power output of 3.2 MW and a hub height of 143 meters.
With a total height of 200 meters, the REpower Systems 3.2M114 will be the tallest wind turbine ever constructed in Austria, according to the company. The turbines will be delivered in the second quarter of 2013, and the wind farm, which will have a total power output of about 26 MW, is scheduled to go online in the fourth quarter.
In addition to delivering, constructing and commissioning the turbines, REpower Systems also will be responsible for maintaining the machines.
20 Sep 2012
Suzlon Energy subsidiary REpower Systems SE says it has signed a contract with Austria-based Windkraft Simonsfeld AG for the delivery of eight 3.2M114 wind turbines. Each of the turbines, which will be installed at the Poysdorf-Wilfersdorf III wind farm in northeastern Austria, has a rated power output of 3.2 MW and a hub height of 143 meters.
With a total height of 200 meters, the REpower Systems 3.2M114 will be the tallest wind turbine ever constructed in Austria, according to the company. The turbines will be delivered in the second quarter of 2013, and the wind farm, which will have a total power output of about 26 MW, is scheduled to go online in the fourth quarter.
In addition to delivering, constructing and commissioning the turbines, REpower Systems also will be responsible for maintaining the machines.
Fukushima fallout seeps into India's troubled nuclear push
in.reuters.com
19 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-On a wind-whipped beach on India's southern tip, a small fishing community feels it is falling dangerously on the wrong side of history. While much of the world is turning its back on nuclear power, the villagers of Kudankulam, in a part of India hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, say their government is gambling with their lives by opening one of Asia's first new nuclear reactors since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Unable to rely on a coal sector crippled by supply shortages and mired in scandals, India is pushing ahead with constructing nuclear reactors despite global jitters over safety. Hundreds of millions of Indians still live without power and factories suffer frequent blackouts-an embarrassment to India's aspirations as an emerging economic powerhouse. But that means little to 41 year-old Francisca, the wife of a fisherman. If the Japanese government was unable to prevent Fukushima, she asks, how can India guarantee their safety?
"After the Fukushima incident, we're really scared that the same will happen to us", she said, sitting in the shade of a canopy among about 1,000 protesters. "Our lives are being spoiled. "The government doesn't see us as human beings". Dogged by opposition for nearly a quarter of a century, the Russian-built Kudankulam Atomic Power Project is finally due to start within weeks, producing 2 GWs of electricity-enough to power about 20 million homes in Tamil Nadu state.
Protests against the plant have intensified as the deadline nears: villagers have been tear-gassed, beaten and one was shot dead this month as they launched hunger strikes and waded neck-deep in the Indian Ocean to form human chains in a last-gasp attempt to stop the plant from opening.
One Sunday earlier this month, thousands of fishermen marched along a strip of coastline among coconut trees and tiny churches towards the yellow-and-white domes of the Kudankulam plant. They camped out on the beach overnight, ate rice stew and planned to march on to the site, where authorities had been expected to start loading fuel rods into the reactors. The next morning, they were confronted by police in riot gear. Scuffles broke out, and tear gas shells sent the protesters scurrying back to their villages.
A curfew-like atmosphere lingered when Reuters visited the villages two days later. Kudankulam's shops were shuttered, its streets deserted and primitive roadblocks of rocks and bushes set up to keep security forces away. Police, parked in groups of about a dozen in the roads surrounding the villages, were seen filming cars that entered and left the area. The clashes are yet another frustration to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to plug power shortages that have hobbled Asia's third-largest economy at a time of slowing growth and dwindling foreign investment.
Read More…
19 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-On a wind-whipped beach on India's southern tip, a small fishing community feels it is falling dangerously on the wrong side of history. While much of the world is turning its back on nuclear power, the villagers of Kudankulam, in a part of India hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, say their government is gambling with their lives by opening one of Asia's first new nuclear reactors since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.Unable to rely on a coal sector crippled by supply shortages and mired in scandals, India is pushing ahead with constructing nuclear reactors despite global jitters over safety. Hundreds of millions of Indians still live without power and factories suffer frequent blackouts-an embarrassment to India's aspirations as an emerging economic powerhouse. But that means little to 41 year-old Francisca, the wife of a fisherman. If the Japanese government was unable to prevent Fukushima, she asks, how can India guarantee their safety?
"After the Fukushima incident, we're really scared that the same will happen to us", she said, sitting in the shade of a canopy among about 1,000 protesters. "Our lives are being spoiled. "The government doesn't see us as human beings". Dogged by opposition for nearly a quarter of a century, the Russian-built Kudankulam Atomic Power Project is finally due to start within weeks, producing 2 GWs of electricity-enough to power about 20 million homes in Tamil Nadu state.
Protests against the plant have intensified as the deadline nears: villagers have been tear-gassed, beaten and one was shot dead this month as they launched hunger strikes and waded neck-deep in the Indian Ocean to form human chains in a last-gasp attempt to stop the plant from opening.
One Sunday earlier this month, thousands of fishermen marched along a strip of coastline among coconut trees and tiny churches towards the yellow-and-white domes of the Kudankulam plant. They camped out on the beach overnight, ate rice stew and planned to march on to the site, where authorities had been expected to start loading fuel rods into the reactors. The next morning, they were confronted by police in riot gear. Scuffles broke out, and tear gas shells sent the protesters scurrying back to their villages.
A curfew-like atmosphere lingered when Reuters visited the villages two days later. Kudankulam's shops were shuttered, its streets deserted and primitive roadblocks of rocks and bushes set up to keep security forces away. Police, parked in groups of about a dozen in the roads surrounding the villages, were seen filming cars that entered and left the area. The clashes are yet another frustration to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to plug power shortages that have hobbled Asia's third-largest economy at a time of slowing growth and dwindling foreign investment.
Read More…
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Japan cabinet approves plan to exit nuclear energy
www.reuters.com
19 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-Japan's cabinet has approved a new energy plan to cut the country's reliance on nuclear power in the wake of last year's Fukushima disaster, but dropped a reference to meet a nuclear-free target by the 2030s, ministers said on Wednesday. Since the plan was announced on Friday, Japan's powerful industry lobbies have urged the government rethink the nuclear-free commitment, arguing it could damage the economy and would mean spending more on pricey fuel imports.
Trade Minister Yukio Edano, who also oversees the energy portfolio, said the cabinet had approved the new energy plan. "But whether we can become nuclear free by the 2030s is not something to be achieved only with a decision by policy makers. It also depends on the will of (electricity) users, technological innovation and the environment for energy internationally in the next decade or two", he said.
In abandoning atomic power, Japan aims to triple the share of renewable power to 30% of its energy mix by the 2030s, but will remain a top importer of oil, coal and gas for the foreseeable future. Finance Minister Jun Azumi told a separate news conference that there needed to be flexibility in the policy to avoid putting a burden on the public in a country where nuclear supplied 30% of electricity before Fukushima.
All but two of Japan's nuclear 50 reactors are idled for safety checks after an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 devastated the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Under the new energy plan, there should be strict implementation of a 40 year lifetime for reactors. It also said existing reactors shut after Fukushima should be restarted only if a new nuclear regulator confirms their safety and there should be no construction of new reactors.
The newly established Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) will decide whether reactors currently under construction are safe enough to start commercial operations, Edano said. Asked if newly built reactors could run beyond the 2030s, Edano said a decision on this would be decided later. Reactors currently under construction include the 1,373 MW Shimane No.3 unit of Chugoku Electric Power Co's and the 1,383 MW Ohma unit of Electric Power Development Co's.
19 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-Japan's cabinet has approved a new energy plan to cut the country's reliance on nuclear power in the wake of last year's Fukushima disaster, but dropped a reference to meet a nuclear-free target by the 2030s, ministers said on Wednesday. Since the plan was announced on Friday, Japan's powerful industry lobbies have urged the government rethink the nuclear-free commitment, arguing it could damage the economy and would mean spending more on pricey fuel imports.
Trade Minister Yukio Edano, who also oversees the energy portfolio, said the cabinet had approved the new energy plan. "But whether we can become nuclear free by the 2030s is not something to be achieved only with a decision by policy makers. It also depends on the will of (electricity) users, technological innovation and the environment for energy internationally in the next decade or two", he said.
In abandoning atomic power, Japan aims to triple the share of renewable power to 30% of its energy mix by the 2030s, but will remain a top importer of oil, coal and gas for the foreseeable future. Finance Minister Jun Azumi told a separate news conference that there needed to be flexibility in the policy to avoid putting a burden on the public in a country where nuclear supplied 30% of electricity before Fukushima.
All but two of Japan's nuclear 50 reactors are idled for safety checks after an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 devastated the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Under the new energy plan, there should be strict implementation of a 40 year lifetime for reactors. It also said existing reactors shut after Fukushima should be restarted only if a new nuclear regulator confirms their safety and there should be no construction of new reactors.
The newly established Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) will decide whether reactors currently under construction are safe enough to start commercial operations, Edano said. Asked if newly built reactors could run beyond the 2030s, Edano said a decision on this would be decided later. Reactors currently under construction include the 1,373 MW Shimane No.3 unit of Chugoku Electric Power Co's and the 1,383 MW Ohma unit of Electric Power Development Co's.
Alberta’s largest wind project ready before winter
www.edmontonjournal.com
18 Sep 2012
EDMONTON-As Alberta's largest wind farm nears completion, Edmonton-based Capital Power Corp, is opening the site of the $357 million project to the public. "On Wednesday we'll have a blade signing in the village of Halkirk, where the public can sign a 44 metre blade that will be used on one of the 83 turbines, as well as tours of the site", said spokesman Michael Sheehan. Halkirk is about 120 km east of Red Deer.
Rising 124 metres from ground to blade tip--taller than the Epcor Tower in Edmonton--the turbines look a bit out of place on the gently rolling prairie of Paintearth County. Capital Power says all the foundations for the turbine towers have been completed. As well, reclamation of the wide access roads has begun. Currently needed to bring in heavy equipment, the roads will eventually be less than five-metres wide, winding through the 10,000 hectares of private land within a 60 square km area straddling Highway 12 between Halkirk and Castor.
So far, 34 turbines have been assembled completely and it is expected that all 83 will be up by the end of October as the 250 workers aim to have most work complete before winter arrives. Work on the project's power substation is also on target and is expected to be energized by Oct. 5 when power will be supplied to the site. After that, groups of turbines will be able to come online and feed power into the provincial grid.
The arrival of Capital Power offers an economic boost in the form of new tax revenue for the county and the village of Halkirk, as well as compensation and annual lease revenue to the 49 landowners. The company's 14 permanent staff will also invigorate a village that claims a population of 121. "There has been a lot of hustle and bustle throughout the area because of this project, and it means a lot to the local economy", Tarolyn Peach, chief administration officer for Paintearth, said in a recent interview.
Capital Power purchased the project design and all approvals from Greengate Power Corp, in 2011. Alberta's energy market does not pay extra for wind or solar power, so for Capital the deal-maker was a contract with a major California utility for the purchase of green-energy credits. While power from the Halkirk project will go directly into the Alberta grid, Capital expects that half of the project's revenue will come from these green credits, paid for by California consumers.
With 150 MW (MWs) of capacity, Halkirk will provide enough power to supply 50,000 homes while the wind blows--which should be at least 30 per¢ of the time. While Alberta is the only province with a fully deregulated electricity market--which means wind power does not earn a higher price than less expensive coal-fired generation--it has Canada's third largest system, with 891 MW currently in place, all in windy regions south of Calgary.
Ontario, by comparison, has 2,000 MW in operation with another 3,600 MW being built under its feed-in tariff program, including projects by Capital Power. The Edmonton firm is also building a wind power project in B.C., where BC Hydro pays a premium for renewable energy.
18 Sep 2012
EDMONTON-As Alberta's largest wind farm nears completion, Edmonton-based Capital Power Corp, is opening the site of the $357 million project to the public. "On Wednesday we'll have a blade signing in the village of Halkirk, where the public can sign a 44 metre blade that will be used on one of the 83 turbines, as well as tours of the site", said spokesman Michael Sheehan. Halkirk is about 120 km east of Red Deer.Rising 124 metres from ground to blade tip--taller than the Epcor Tower in Edmonton--the turbines look a bit out of place on the gently rolling prairie of Paintearth County. Capital Power says all the foundations for the turbine towers have been completed. As well, reclamation of the wide access roads has begun. Currently needed to bring in heavy equipment, the roads will eventually be less than five-metres wide, winding through the 10,000 hectares of private land within a 60 square km area straddling Highway 12 between Halkirk and Castor.
So far, 34 turbines have been assembled completely and it is expected that all 83 will be up by the end of October as the 250 workers aim to have most work complete before winter arrives. Work on the project's power substation is also on target and is expected to be energized by Oct. 5 when power will be supplied to the site. After that, groups of turbines will be able to come online and feed power into the provincial grid.
The arrival of Capital Power offers an economic boost in the form of new tax revenue for the county and the village of Halkirk, as well as compensation and annual lease revenue to the 49 landowners. The company's 14 permanent staff will also invigorate a village that claims a population of 121. "There has been a lot of hustle and bustle throughout the area because of this project, and it means a lot to the local economy", Tarolyn Peach, chief administration officer for Paintearth, said in a recent interview.
Capital Power purchased the project design and all approvals from Greengate Power Corp, in 2011. Alberta's energy market does not pay extra for wind or solar power, so for Capital the deal-maker was a contract with a major California utility for the purchase of green-energy credits. While power from the Halkirk project will go directly into the Alberta grid, Capital expects that half of the project's revenue will come from these green credits, paid for by California consumers.
With 150 MW (MWs) of capacity, Halkirk will provide enough power to supply 50,000 homes while the wind blows--which should be at least 30 per¢ of the time. While Alberta is the only province with a fully deregulated electricity market--which means wind power does not earn a higher price than less expensive coal-fired generation--it has Canada's third largest system, with 891 MW currently in place, all in windy regions south of Calgary.
Ontario, by comparison, has 2,000 MW in operation with another 3,600 MW being built under its feed-in tariff program, including projects by Capital Power. The Edmonton firm is also building a wind power project in B.C., where BC Hydro pays a premium for renewable energy.
Energy market reform the cure for power price pain
Clean Energy Council
20 Sep 2012
Rising electricity prices are hitting Australian households hard and energy efficiency and energy market reform is the key to easing the power price pain, according to the Clean Energy Council (CEC). In a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Prices, the CEC states the rules that underpin how the electricity industry delivers power to consumers do not adequately reflect the needs of consumers or the changing needs of our energy system.
"Australia, along with many other developed countries, is experiencing significant electricity price increases, with very real consequences for vulnerable households and businesses", said CEC Chief Executive David Green. "It's great news that the cost of moving to a more equitable and cleaner future for Australia is set to fall to less than 4% of bills by 2020. Getting the framework right to ensure network costs do not reach the forecast 55% of an Australian household energy bill is now essential", said Mr Green.
The submission also highlights that the National Electricity Objective, which is the basis of all decisions about our electricity market, does not currently consider the needs of electricity bill-payers, long-term economic factors or a clean environment. "Reform of the National Electricity Objective will allow the long-term interests of consumers to have far greater weight with regulatory decision makers", Mr Green said. "Now we need to get on with the job of making real changes to Australia's energy market that will deliver actual benefits to consumers in the form of more money in their pockets".
Mr Green said a smarter energy system will empower households to take control of their electricity use and reduce their bills. "Demand-reducing measures that would save people money-like smart technology that tells us how we use our energy-could be rolled out more widely to households, but for that to happen significant changes need to happen to the way our energy markets are regulated and managed", Mr Green said.
"For example, some energy providers in Victoria have launched web portals that allow customers to login and monitor their electricity use at different times of the day. In countries like Germany, you can already monitor your live home energy use from wherever you are using an iPhone app. "If our recommendations are adopted, the outcomes of the Select Committee's inquiry will unlock huge benefits to consumers in the shape of power bill savings and efficiency gains".
The CEC’s submission to the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Prices is available online at cleanenergycouncil.org.au/policyadvocacy/Submissions/current
20 Sep 2012
Rising electricity prices are hitting Australian households hard and energy efficiency and energy market reform is the key to easing the power price pain, according to the Clean Energy Council (CEC). In a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Prices, the CEC states the rules that underpin how the electricity industry delivers power to consumers do not adequately reflect the needs of consumers or the changing needs of our energy system."Australia, along with many other developed countries, is experiencing significant electricity price increases, with very real consequences for vulnerable households and businesses", said CEC Chief Executive David Green. "It's great news that the cost of moving to a more equitable and cleaner future for Australia is set to fall to less than 4% of bills by 2020. Getting the framework right to ensure network costs do not reach the forecast 55% of an Australian household energy bill is now essential", said Mr Green.
The submission also highlights that the National Electricity Objective, which is the basis of all decisions about our electricity market, does not currently consider the needs of electricity bill-payers, long-term economic factors or a clean environment. "Reform of the National Electricity Objective will allow the long-term interests of consumers to have far greater weight with regulatory decision makers", Mr Green said. "Now we need to get on with the job of making real changes to Australia's energy market that will deliver actual benefits to consumers in the form of more money in their pockets".
Mr Green said a smarter energy system will empower households to take control of their electricity use and reduce their bills. "Demand-reducing measures that would save people money-like smart technology that tells us how we use our energy-could be rolled out more widely to households, but for that to happen significant changes need to happen to the way our energy markets are regulated and managed", Mr Green said.
"For example, some energy providers in Victoria have launched web portals that allow customers to login and monitor their electricity use at different times of the day. In countries like Germany, you can already monitor your live home energy use from wherever you are using an iPhone app. "If our recommendations are adopted, the outcomes of the Select Committee's inquiry will unlock huge benefits to consumers in the shape of power bill savings and efficiency gains".
The CEC’s submission to the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Prices is available online at cleanenergycouncil.org.au/policyadvocacy/Submissions/current
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Energy efficiency minimum standards a win for consumers
Clean Energy Council
13 Sep 2012
The availability of low quality, energy-intensive appliances imported from overseas will be reduced under new legislation passed through the Federal Senate today, in a move applauded by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards legislation would help protect households from power price pain by increasing the energy efficiency levels of new appliances and streamlining the energy star rating labelling system across Australia.
"Today's decision to limit the use of poor quality appliances is good news for people who are struggling with rising electricity costs. Some of these devices have a low upfront cost that can seem appealing, but end up hurting you every time you open your power bill", he said. "Loopholes in the current system mean that in some states inferior imported products are able to slip through the net and be sold to unsuspecting customers".
Mr Green said the current energy rating labelling system-the Equipment Energy Efficiency program-would be streamlined and expanded to include more products such as insulation, window glass and gas-powered products. "At the moment there are different arrangements for placing standards and energy ratings on appliances in different states, which can be confusing for consumers. The changes introduced today will include moving to a single national regulator, cutting down on red tape for businesses and reducing fees for registering products", he said.
"With these improvements, people can be confident they are getting consistent information when purchasing large appliances like air-conditioners, washing machines and dryers". Mr Green stressed that sustained dialogue and engagement with both consumers and the industry was now important in order to ensure the program was able to deliver the maximum benefits.
13 Sep 2012
The availability of low quality, energy-intensive appliances imported from overseas will be reduced under new legislation passed through the Federal Senate today, in a move applauded by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards legislation would help protect households from power price pain by increasing the energy efficiency levels of new appliances and streamlining the energy star rating labelling system across Australia."Today's decision to limit the use of poor quality appliances is good news for people who are struggling with rising electricity costs. Some of these devices have a low upfront cost that can seem appealing, but end up hurting you every time you open your power bill", he said. "Loopholes in the current system mean that in some states inferior imported products are able to slip through the net and be sold to unsuspecting customers".
Mr Green said the current energy rating labelling system-the Equipment Energy Efficiency program-would be streamlined and expanded to include more products such as insulation, window glass and gas-powered products. "At the moment there are different arrangements for placing standards and energy ratings on appliances in different states, which can be confusing for consumers. The changes introduced today will include moving to a single national regulator, cutting down on red tape for businesses and reducing fees for registering products", he said.
"With these improvements, people can be confident they are getting consistent information when purchasing large appliances like air-conditioners, washing machines and dryers". Mr Green stressed that sustained dialogue and engagement with both consumers and the industry was now important in order to ensure the program was able to deliver the maximum benefits.
IGA Bright lighting idea cuts IGA energy bill by $40k overnight
www.theage.com.au
20 Sep 2012
Rather than rely on automatic timers, the Geraldton IGA teams played with different lighting combinations-like half-lighting during out-of-hours stocking and baking times. While the big supermarkets are caught in their own price wars, a group of independent grocery stores in Western Australia's Sinosteel-Midwest region claim to have shaved about $40,000 or 10%-off their annual energy costs with basic incentives.
The first of the changes did not cost anything to implement and dramatically reduced their carbon footprint overnight, driving overhead savings they've been able to pass on to their customers, according to Queens SUPA IGA manager Stuart Bain. With the introduction of a price on carbon looming about a year ago, Mr Bain and the managers of Rigters SUPA IGA and Wonthella SUPA IGA, got together with their semi-retired owner and set themselves a challenge. "We were just talking because the power bills kept going up and up and we wanted to see what we could focus on", Mr Bain said.
Geraldton's problem with "brown-outs" during the summer months was also a driver for change. All three IGAs agreed to participate in an energy monitoring program, which meant when the seaside city was nearing summer peaks they would reduce their usage for a period of time, usually about three hours. But through the program they were also for the first time able to see their energy usage in real time-even accessing the data remotely from their mobile phones-and the insight has proven invaluable, Mr Bain said.
Through summer his store, a 3,500m² flagship, was tipping up to 420 kWs at peak usage times. "It's a fair whack for a supermarket", he said. "But we could see what we were using at what times and that's what really pushed us to do some energy saving". The first and biggest contributor to the reduction in energy instantly cut the flagship store's power bill by about $3000 per month, Mr Bain said. "It was just lighting control", he explained.
Rather than rely on automatic timers, which saw full lighting come on at 4am and go off at 10pm, the Geraldton IGA teams played with different lighting combinations-such as half-lighting during out-of-hours stocking and baking times. "We just started a manual system instead of the automatic timers and it's just a matter of training staff to go and turn them on at certain times", Mr Bain said. "In summer we were looking at saving about $3000 in a month. "It was massive and that wasn't through changing lights or anything, that was just through putting 12 hours into breaking down our light times and then just staff training after that".
After the lights were under control the team turned to their heating and cooling systems to find further energy reductions. But the 10% reduction is only half way to their final energy goal and the IGAs have now turned to spending money to save money, investing in 160 solar panels and trialling new types of lights. The panels are a 30 kW system that is being pumped backed into their grid and have only become viable recently as the renewable space has become more affordable with greater competition.
"Staff have been awesome getting behind it once we explained that we were doing things to cut our carbon footprint it made them excited to get involved and having a target to reach really helped", he said. But there have been business incentives driving the cost reduction as well.
"The best way to stay ahead of the competition, which is Coles and Woolworths, is to cut costs in other ways and that gives us more money to put into promotions and to keep our prices down", Mr Bain said. As well as targeting 100% renewable energy, the IGAs are also considering retrofitting energy efficient door on open air fridges.
20 Sep 2012
Rather than rely on automatic timers, the Geraldton IGA teams played with different lighting combinations-like half-lighting during out-of-hours stocking and baking times. While the big supermarkets are caught in their own price wars, a group of independent grocery stores in Western Australia's Sinosteel-Midwest region claim to have shaved about $40,000 or 10%-off their annual energy costs with basic incentives.
The first of the changes did not cost anything to implement and dramatically reduced their carbon footprint overnight, driving overhead savings they've been able to pass on to their customers, according to Queens SUPA IGA manager Stuart Bain. With the introduction of a price on carbon looming about a year ago, Mr Bain and the managers of Rigters SUPA IGA and Wonthella SUPA IGA, got together with their semi-retired owner and set themselves a challenge. "We were just talking because the power bills kept going up and up and we wanted to see what we could focus on", Mr Bain said.
Geraldton's problem with "brown-outs" during the summer months was also a driver for change. All three IGAs agreed to participate in an energy monitoring program, which meant when the seaside city was nearing summer peaks they would reduce their usage for a period of time, usually about three hours. But through the program they were also for the first time able to see their energy usage in real time-even accessing the data remotely from their mobile phones-and the insight has proven invaluable, Mr Bain said.
Through summer his store, a 3,500m² flagship, was tipping up to 420 kWs at peak usage times. "It's a fair whack for a supermarket", he said. "But we could see what we were using at what times and that's what really pushed us to do some energy saving". The first and biggest contributor to the reduction in energy instantly cut the flagship store's power bill by about $3000 per month, Mr Bain said. "It was just lighting control", he explained.
Rather than rely on automatic timers, which saw full lighting come on at 4am and go off at 10pm, the Geraldton IGA teams played with different lighting combinations-such as half-lighting during out-of-hours stocking and baking times. "We just started a manual system instead of the automatic timers and it's just a matter of training staff to go and turn them on at certain times", Mr Bain said. "In summer we were looking at saving about $3000 in a month. "It was massive and that wasn't through changing lights or anything, that was just through putting 12 hours into breaking down our light times and then just staff training after that".
After the lights were under control the team turned to their heating and cooling systems to find further energy reductions. But the 10% reduction is only half way to their final energy goal and the IGAs have now turned to spending money to save money, investing in 160 solar panels and trialling new types of lights. The panels are a 30 kW system that is being pumped backed into their grid and have only become viable recently as the renewable space has become more affordable with greater competition.
"Staff have been awesome getting behind it once we explained that we were doing things to cut our carbon footprint it made them excited to get involved and having a target to reach really helped", he said. But there have been business incentives driving the cost reduction as well.
"The best way to stay ahead of the competition, which is Coles and Woolworths, is to cut costs in other ways and that gives us more money to put into promotions and to keep our prices down", Mr Bain said. As well as targeting 100% renewable energy, the IGAs are also considering retrofitting energy efficient door on open air fridges.
Call to ease regulations for small wind farms
www.abc.net.au
Thu, 20 Sep 2012
The Hepburn Shire Council will lobby the Victorian Government to exempt community-based wind farms from strict regulations. A planning amendment introduced by the State Government last year prohibits new wind farms in certain areas and within 2 km of houses. The council adopted a motion at this week's meeting to express its ongoing support for renewable energy developments.
Mayor Sebastian Klein says small wind farms should not be treated the same as large-scale wind farms. "It basically asks for the State Government to make different considerations for community owned wind farms than I guess large-scale, corporate wind farms", he said. "So I guess small-scale community owned wind farms that provide back to the community have a community dividend and also have a much smaller footprint and a much smaller impact on the landscape and on people's amenity".
Thu, 20 Sep 2012
The Hepburn Shire Council will lobby the Victorian Government to exempt community-based wind farms from strict regulations. A planning amendment introduced by the State Government last year prohibits new wind farms in certain areas and within 2 km of houses. The council adopted a motion at this week's meeting to express its ongoing support for renewable energy developments.
Mayor Sebastian Klein says small wind farms should not be treated the same as large-scale wind farms. "It basically asks for the State Government to make different considerations for community owned wind farms than I guess large-scale, corporate wind farms", he said. "So I guess small-scale community owned wind farms that provide back to the community have a community dividend and also have a much smaller footprint and a much smaller impact on the landscape and on people's amenity".
UK wind power output sets new record above 4GW
www.reuters.com
14 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-The volume of electricity produced by Britain's wind farms reached a new record on Friday, breaching the 4 GW mark for the first time as new wind farms open and benefit from stormy weather especially in Scotland. Britain's more than 4,000 wind turbines produced 4.13 GW on Friday morning, the national grid operator said, accounting for nearly 11% of the country's electricity at the time and breaching the previous record by 0.3 GW.
"As part of government targets for emissions reductions and sourcing more energy from renewable sources, it's expected that each autumn, a new record for wind power output will be set", said a National Grid spokesman, adding that thanks to precise wind forecasting systems, network managers could prepare for the boost in renewable energy output.
Britain plans to generate 15% of its annual energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2020, up from 9% last year. More than 7 GW of onshore and offshore wind farms are currently installed in Britain, still a way off the government's target of 31 GW by 2020.
14 Sep 2012
(Reuters)-The volume of electricity produced by Britain's wind farms reached a new record on Friday, breaching the 4 GW mark for the first time as new wind farms open and benefit from stormy weather especially in Scotland. Britain's more than 4,000 wind turbines produced 4.13 GW on Friday morning, the national grid operator said, accounting for nearly 11% of the country's electricity at the time and breaching the previous record by 0.3 GW.
"As part of government targets for emissions reductions and sourcing more energy from renewable sources, it's expected that each autumn, a new record for wind power output will be set", said a National Grid spokesman, adding that thanks to precise wind forecasting systems, network managers could prepare for the boost in renewable energy output.
Britain plans to generate 15% of its annual energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2020, up from 9% last year. More than 7 GW of onshore and offshore wind farms are currently installed in Britain, still a way off the government's target of 31 GW by 2020.
Floating turbines research on track as new wind power study touts value of offshore power generation
www.power-eng.com
13 Sep 2012
PORTLAND, Maine--A consortium of environmental groups released a report Thursday touting the value of offshore wind power along the Atlantic seaboard and urges federal and state governments to act aggressively to support its development, even as Maine researchers are moving toward placing a scale model of a floating turbine in the Gulf of Maine next spring.
Catherine Bowes and Justin Allegro of the National Wildlife Federation wrote the new report, titled "The Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy". Representatives from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Environment Maine, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Maine AFL-CIO attended a press conference to make the report public on Thursday morning.
"Congress is now debating whether to continue huge subsidies for big oil and gas, and whether to extend support for clean renewable energy sources like wind", Dylan Voorhees, clean energy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said in a release announcing the report. "In Maine, we are fortunate to have a large, untapped potential for clean, homegrown, offshore wind power. Maine people, businesses and workers agree that offshore wind power can help Maine people and our economy and environment as we cut our addiction to dirty, imported fossil fuels".
The report notes that the United States generates no power from offshore wind at present, but that "recent actions by the federal government, along with bipartisan leadership from coastal state officials, have put critical building blocks in place--a€" bringing us closer than ever before to finally tapping this massive domestic energy source". Progress reports on offshore wind development in 10 Atlantic Coast states and a discussion of how to develop offshore wind farms without threatening wildlife are included in the 54 page document.
Among the report's recommendations are to elevate the Department of Energy's scenario for achieving 54 GWs of cost-effective offshore wind power by 2030 as a national priority; codify goals for renewable energy generation; extend tax incentives including the federal Investment Tax Credit for offshore wind, the Production Tax Credit and Advanced Energy Project Credit; take direct action to secure buyers for offshore wind power; increase funding to the US Energy and Interior departments and relevant state agencies to support research and deployment of offshore wind power; enact strict pollution reduction policies related to all power sources; and coordinate offshore wind power development decisions with federal, state, tribal and regional coastal and marine spatial planning efforts "in a manner that is consistent with the goals of America's National Ocean Policy".
Read More…
13 Sep 2012
PORTLAND, Maine--A consortium of environmental groups released a report Thursday touting the value of offshore wind power along the Atlantic seaboard and urges federal and state governments to act aggressively to support its development, even as Maine researchers are moving toward placing a scale model of a floating turbine in the Gulf of Maine next spring.
Catherine Bowes and Justin Allegro of the National Wildlife Federation wrote the new report, titled "The Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy". Representatives from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Environment Maine, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Maine AFL-CIO attended a press conference to make the report public on Thursday morning.
"Congress is now debating whether to continue huge subsidies for big oil and gas, and whether to extend support for clean renewable energy sources like wind", Dylan Voorhees, clean energy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said in a release announcing the report. "In Maine, we are fortunate to have a large, untapped potential for clean, homegrown, offshore wind power. Maine people, businesses and workers agree that offshore wind power can help Maine people and our economy and environment as we cut our addiction to dirty, imported fossil fuels".
The report notes that the United States generates no power from offshore wind at present, but that "recent actions by the federal government, along with bipartisan leadership from coastal state officials, have put critical building blocks in place--a€" bringing us closer than ever before to finally tapping this massive domestic energy source". Progress reports on offshore wind development in 10 Atlantic Coast states and a discussion of how to develop offshore wind farms without threatening wildlife are included in the 54 page document.
Among the report's recommendations are to elevate the Department of Energy's scenario for achieving 54 GWs of cost-effective offshore wind power by 2030 as a national priority; codify goals for renewable energy generation; extend tax incentives including the federal Investment Tax Credit for offshore wind, the Production Tax Credit and Advanced Energy Project Credit; take direct action to secure buyers for offshore wind power; increase funding to the US Energy and Interior departments and relevant state agencies to support research and deployment of offshore wind power; enact strict pollution reduction policies related to all power sources; and coordinate offshore wind power development decisions with federal, state, tribal and regional coastal and marine spatial planning efforts "in a manner that is consistent with the goals of America's National Ocean Policy".
Read More…
Report backs greater role for wind energy
www.upi.com
13 Sep 2012
TANFORD, Calif., Sept. 13 (UPI)--Wind power can play a greater role than currently supported in meeting most or bulk of global energy demand, a report from Stanford and Delaware universities says. Scientists used a sophisticated climate model to argue that wind as an energy resource can satisfy "half to several times" the world's total energy needs within the next two decades.
wind farms have drawn criticism worldwide for being cost-inefficient, eyesores on pristine rural or seaside landscapes and noisy. Supporters of wind power's greater use contest most of those criticisms. "If the world is to shift to clean energy, electricity generated by the wind will play a major role and there is more than enough wind for that", Andrew Myers, a spokesman for the Stanford University School of Engineering said.
Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford and co-author of the report said, "The careful siting of wind farms will minimize costs and the overall impacts of a global wind infrastructure on the environment". The findings were published in the proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences by Jacobson and Cristina Archer, an associate professor of geography and physical ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware.
The report contradicts two earlier studies that said each turbine steals too much wind power from other turbines and that turbines introduce harmful climate consequences that would negate some of the positive aspects of renewable wind power. The report calculated the number of wind turbines needed to meet half the world's power demand, about 5.75 TWs, in a 2030 clean-energy economy. They said that 4 million turbines would do the job.
The 4 million turbines producing 5 MWs each could supply as much as 7.5 TWs of power, or more than half the world's power demand, without significant negative effect on the climate. "To get there, however, we have a long way to go", Jacobson said. "Today, we have installed a little over 1% of the wind power needed".
Jacobson and Archer recommend siting half of the 4 million turbines over water. The remaining 2 million would require a little more than one-half of 1% of the Earth's land surface, about half the area of Alaska. High-wind sites including the Gobi Desert, the American plains and the Sahara Desert are prime candidates for the installations, they said. "As these results suggest, the saturation of wind power availability will not limit a clean-energy economy", Jacobson said.
The Environmental Technology Center at the University of Nottingham, England, has published 15 "myths" about wind power to debunk each with a "fact". "Many people make many claims about wind turbines and the effects that they allegedly have. We've collated our favorites and given the answers", the university said on its website. Nottingham runs international campuses in Ningbo, China; and Semenyih, Malaysia.
13 Sep 2012
TANFORD, Calif., Sept. 13 (UPI)--Wind power can play a greater role than currently supported in meeting most or bulk of global energy demand, a report from Stanford and Delaware universities says. Scientists used a sophisticated climate model to argue that wind as an energy resource can satisfy "half to several times" the world's total energy needs within the next two decades.
wind farms have drawn criticism worldwide for being cost-inefficient, eyesores on pristine rural or seaside landscapes and noisy. Supporters of wind power's greater use contest most of those criticisms. "If the world is to shift to clean energy, electricity generated by the wind will play a major role and there is more than enough wind for that", Andrew Myers, a spokesman for the Stanford University School of Engineering said.
Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford and co-author of the report said, "The careful siting of wind farms will minimize costs and the overall impacts of a global wind infrastructure on the environment". The findings were published in the proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences by Jacobson and Cristina Archer, an associate professor of geography and physical ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware.
The report contradicts two earlier studies that said each turbine steals too much wind power from other turbines and that turbines introduce harmful climate consequences that would negate some of the positive aspects of renewable wind power. The report calculated the number of wind turbines needed to meet half the world's power demand, about 5.75 TWs, in a 2030 clean-energy economy. They said that 4 million turbines would do the job.
The 4 million turbines producing 5 MWs each could supply as much as 7.5 TWs of power, or more than half the world's power demand, without significant negative effect on the climate. "To get there, however, we have a long way to go", Jacobson said. "Today, we have installed a little over 1% of the wind power needed".
Jacobson and Archer recommend siting half of the 4 million turbines over water. The remaining 2 million would require a little more than one-half of 1% of the Earth's land surface, about half the area of Alaska. High-wind sites including the Gobi Desert, the American plains and the Sahara Desert are prime candidates for the installations, they said. "As these results suggest, the saturation of wind power availability will not limit a clean-energy economy", Jacobson said.
The Environmental Technology Center at the University of Nottingham, England, has published 15 "myths" about wind power to debunk each with a "fact". "Many people make many claims about wind turbines and the effects that they allegedly have. We've collated our favorites and given the answers", the university said on its website. Nottingham runs international campuses in Ningbo, China; and Semenyih, Malaysia.
Energy efficiency minimum standards a win for consumers
Clean Energy Council
13 Sep 2012
The availability of low quality, energy-intensive appliances imported from overseas will be reduced under new legislation passed through the Federal Senate today, in a move applauded by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards legislation would help protect households from power price pain by increasing the energy efficiency levels of new appliances and streamlining the energy star rating labelling system across Australia.
"Today's decision to limit the use of poor quality appliances is good news for people who are struggling with rising electricity costs. Some of these devices have a low upfront cost that can seem appealing, but end up hurting you every time you open your power bill", he said. "Loopholes in the current system mean that in some states inferior imported products are able to slip through the net and be sold to unsuspecting customers".
Mr Green said the current energy rating labelling system-the Equipment Energy Efficiency program-would be streamlined and expanded to include more products such as insulation, window glass and gas-powered products. "At the moment there are different arrangements for placing standards and energy ratings on appliances in different states, which can be confusing for consumers. The changes introduced today will include moving to a single national regulator, cutting down on red tape for businesses and reducing fees for registering products", he said.
"With these improvements, people can be confident they are getting consistent information when purchasing large appliances like air-conditioners, washing machines and dryers". Mr Green stressed that sustained dialogue and engagement with both consumers and the industry was now important in order to ensure the program was able to deliver the maximum benefits.
13 Sep 2012
The availability of low quality, energy-intensive appliances imported from overseas will be reduced under new legislation passed through the Federal Senate today, in a move applauded by the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said the Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards legislation would help protect households from power price pain by increasing the energy efficiency levels of new appliances and streamlining the energy star rating labelling system across Australia."Today's decision to limit the use of poor quality appliances is good news for people who are struggling with rising electricity costs. Some of these devices have a low upfront cost that can seem appealing, but end up hurting you every time you open your power bill", he said. "Loopholes in the current system mean that in some states inferior imported products are able to slip through the net and be sold to unsuspecting customers".
Mr Green said the current energy rating labelling system-the Equipment Energy Efficiency program-would be streamlined and expanded to include more products such as insulation, window glass and gas-powered products. "At the moment there are different arrangements for placing standards and energy ratings on appliances in different states, which can be confusing for consumers. The changes introduced today will include moving to a single national regulator, cutting down on red tape for businesses and reducing fees for registering products", he said.
"With these improvements, people can be confident they are getting consistent information when purchasing large appliances like air-conditioners, washing machines and dryers". Mr Green stressed that sustained dialogue and engagement with both consumers and the industry was now important in order to ensure the program was able to deliver the maximum benefits.
Clean energy industry calls for investment stability
Clean Energy Council
12 Sep 2012
Australia's clean energy industry today called for the Federal Government to ensure the 20% Renewable Energy Target remains unchanged in order to retain its investment-grade stability and drive job creation along with lower costs for consumers.
The Federal Government's Climate Change Authority is currently undertaking a review of the target, to source 20% of Australia's energy from renewable sources by 2020. "The Renewable Energy Target is the single most important policy measure for the entire Australian renewables sector", Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said.
The Renewable Energy Target was introduced by Liberal Prime Minister John Howard in 2001 and increased by Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2009 with the support of the Coalition. "Since its introduction, it has generated some $18.5 billion of investment and thousands of jobs-many of them in regional and rural areas where most of Australia's abundant clean energy resources are found", Mr Green said. "It has seen more than 1.7 million Australian households moving to protect themselves from fossil fuel-driven price rises by installing small-scale systems such as solar panels and solar hot water.
"In addition, the equivalent of more than 2.1 million households is now powered by large-scale renewables such as hydroelectric and wind. "To date, it has also been the single largest carbon abatement scheme in Australia and without it Australia would not have achieved its emissions reductions target under the Kyoto Protocol".
Mr Green said the Renewable Energy Target in its current form stood to generate up to $30 billion more in investment and a total reduction of 380 million tonnes in carbon emissions over the life of the scheme. But the Renewable Energy Target's ability to deliver more investment, jobs, carbon abatement and energy security would be severely undermined if fundamental changes are made to it or the legislative and economic mechanisms underpinning it, Mr Green said.
"Of overriding importance is the need for policy stability and investment security to secure the funds that will deliver clean energy for Australia. "Any changes to the Renewable Energy Target will shatter this stability and remove investor confidence in clean energy, negating the industry's ability to support Australia's shift to clean energy sources and to reduce energy costs for consumers in the long-term. The fact a review is even being held is already contributing to uncertainty in the market. "Further, any change would likely damage the returns on billions of dollars of renewable energy investment already made under the current policy settings and in turn damage Australia's reputation as a safe place to invest in energy infrastructure".
Mr Green said acting on recent suggestions from some quarters that the target in total GWs should be reduced to match forecasts of lower energy demand would only serve to decrease investor confidence. "Future electricity demand is inherently difficult to predict, particularly at a time when the Australian energy market and the production and consumption of electricity are undergoing quite substantial reforms and change. "But investing in a 15 year-plus energy project requires long-term clarity about policy settings that will affect revenue sources. This security is provided by the current fixed GW target".
Mr Green said the cost of renewable energy was small compared to other considerations such as poles and wires-and it was dropping all the time. "The cost of the Renewable Energy Target contributes just 7% to the average Australian electricity bill, and this is forecast to drop to just 4% by 2020 with even greater potential savings as we all become smarter about how we use our energy".
12 Sep 2012
Australia's clean energy industry today called for the Federal Government to ensure the 20% Renewable Energy Target remains unchanged in order to retain its investment-grade stability and drive job creation along with lower costs for consumers.The Federal Government's Climate Change Authority is currently undertaking a review of the target, to source 20% of Australia's energy from renewable sources by 2020. "The Renewable Energy Target is the single most important policy measure for the entire Australian renewables sector", Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said.
The Renewable Energy Target was introduced by Liberal Prime Minister John Howard in 2001 and increased by Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2009 with the support of the Coalition. "Since its introduction, it has generated some $18.5 billion of investment and thousands of jobs-many of them in regional and rural areas where most of Australia's abundant clean energy resources are found", Mr Green said. "It has seen more than 1.7 million Australian households moving to protect themselves from fossil fuel-driven price rises by installing small-scale systems such as solar panels and solar hot water.
"In addition, the equivalent of more than 2.1 million households is now powered by large-scale renewables such as hydroelectric and wind. "To date, it has also been the single largest carbon abatement scheme in Australia and without it Australia would not have achieved its emissions reductions target under the Kyoto Protocol".
Mr Green said the Renewable Energy Target in its current form stood to generate up to $30 billion more in investment and a total reduction of 380 million tonnes in carbon emissions over the life of the scheme. But the Renewable Energy Target's ability to deliver more investment, jobs, carbon abatement and energy security would be severely undermined if fundamental changes are made to it or the legislative and economic mechanisms underpinning it, Mr Green said.
"Of overriding importance is the need for policy stability and investment security to secure the funds that will deliver clean energy for Australia. "Any changes to the Renewable Energy Target will shatter this stability and remove investor confidence in clean energy, negating the industry's ability to support Australia's shift to clean energy sources and to reduce energy costs for consumers in the long-term. The fact a review is even being held is already contributing to uncertainty in the market. "Further, any change would likely damage the returns on billions of dollars of renewable energy investment already made under the current policy settings and in turn damage Australia's reputation as a safe place to invest in energy infrastructure".
Mr Green said acting on recent suggestions from some quarters that the target in total GWs should be reduced to match forecasts of lower energy demand would only serve to decrease investor confidence. "Future electricity demand is inherently difficult to predict, particularly at a time when the Australian energy market and the production and consumption of electricity are undergoing quite substantial reforms and change. "But investing in a 15 year-plus energy project requires long-term clarity about policy settings that will affect revenue sources. This security is provided by the current fixed GW target".
Mr Green said the cost of renewable energy was small compared to other considerations such as poles and wires-and it was dropping all the time. "The cost of the Renewable Energy Target contributes just 7% to the average Australian electricity bill, and this is forecast to drop to just 4% by 2020 with even greater potential savings as we all become smarter about how we use our energy".
Monday, 17 September 2012
China pushes wind power, but no quick payoff for producers
in.reuters.com
10 Sep 2012
HONG KONG, Sept 10 (Reuters)-China will order its dominant electricity distributors to source up to 15% of their power from renewable energy including wind, but slow compliance means it may be years before the country's struggling wind power developers benefit, industry executives say. The quota system will apply to State Grid Corp of China and China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd by the end of this year, the executives say.
China boasts the world's largest wind power capacity, but a third of it sits idle as renewable energy is a money-losing business for grid operators and network construction has lagged capacity expansion. As a result, China struggles to transmit electricity from generating zones in the northwest, north and northeast to population hubs in the south and east.
"With the roll-out of the quota system and acceleration of grid construction, the problem of distributors holding back on wind power purchases will ease", said Hu Yongsheng, president of China Datang Corp Renewable Power Co Ltd. But until China reforms a pricing policy that makes selling wind power and other renewables like solar power unprofitable, the country's powerful grid operators have little commercial incentive to follow the new quotas.
That means wind power developers such as China Long¥ Power Group Corp Ltd, Huaneng Renewables Corp Ltd, Datang Renewable and China Power International New Energy Development Co Ltd will continue to struggle. Chinese wind power developers posted worse-than-expected results for the first half of 2012, with grid operators increasingly reluctant to distribute the costly and unpredictable source of power amid a sharp economic downturn. Their shares are languishing near record lows.
"Renewables should boom in China in two to three years but not now", said Joseph Jacobelli, an independent energy analyst who was formerly head of global cleantech research at HSBC Holdings PLC. "The key barrier is the current tariff-setting mechanism gives no commercial incentive whatsoever to the grids to connect and dispatch renewables", Jacobelli said, adding that it would also take China several years to build ultra high-voltage lines needed to deliver the power produced at remote wind farms to users in the south and on the coast.
Grid operators buy wind power at government-dictated on-grid, or wholesale prices, of 0.51 0.61 ¥ ($0.08 $0.10) per kilowatt-hour (kW), while the prices of electricity purchased from coal-fired plants can be as low as 0.3 ¥. The government subsidises grid firms for selling renewable energy to help shift China away from polluting coal, but the subsidies are not enough for them to make a profit. China's waning power demand growth because of the economic slowdown has also reduced the subsidies, which are closely tied to electricity sales to consumers.
Read More…
10 Sep 2012
- One-third of wind power capacity idle due to pricing, infrastructure
- Shares of Chinese power developers trading near record lows
- Government to require grid operators to buy minimum amount of renewable energy
HONG KONG, Sept 10 (Reuters)-China will order its dominant electricity distributors to source up to 15% of their power from renewable energy including wind, but slow compliance means it may be years before the country's struggling wind power developers benefit, industry executives say. The quota system will apply to State Grid Corp of China and China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd by the end of this year, the executives say.
China boasts the world's largest wind power capacity, but a third of it sits idle as renewable energy is a money-losing business for grid operators and network construction has lagged capacity expansion. As a result, China struggles to transmit electricity from generating zones in the northwest, north and northeast to population hubs in the south and east.
"With the roll-out of the quota system and acceleration of grid construction, the problem of distributors holding back on wind power purchases will ease", said Hu Yongsheng, president of China Datang Corp Renewable Power Co Ltd. But until China reforms a pricing policy that makes selling wind power and other renewables like solar power unprofitable, the country's powerful grid operators have little commercial incentive to follow the new quotas.
That means wind power developers such as China Long¥ Power Group Corp Ltd, Huaneng Renewables Corp Ltd, Datang Renewable and China Power International New Energy Development Co Ltd will continue to struggle. Chinese wind power developers posted worse-than-expected results for the first half of 2012, with grid operators increasingly reluctant to distribute the costly and unpredictable source of power amid a sharp economic downturn. Their shares are languishing near record lows.
"Renewables should boom in China in two to three years but not now", said Joseph Jacobelli, an independent energy analyst who was formerly head of global cleantech research at HSBC Holdings PLC. "The key barrier is the current tariff-setting mechanism gives no commercial incentive whatsoever to the grids to connect and dispatch renewables", Jacobelli said, adding that it would also take China several years to build ultra high-voltage lines needed to deliver the power produced at remote wind farms to users in the south and on the coast.
Grid operators buy wind power at government-dictated on-grid, or wholesale prices, of 0.51 0.61 ¥ ($0.08 $0.10) per kilowatt-hour (kW), while the prices of electricity purchased from coal-fired plants can be as low as 0.3 ¥. The government subsidises grid firms for selling renewable energy to help shift China away from polluting coal, but the subsidies are not enough for them to make a profit. China's waning power demand growth because of the economic slowdown has also reduced the subsidies, which are closely tied to electricity sales to consumers.
Read More…
Wind Power to dominate South Korea renewable energy efforts: KuicK Research
www.power-eng.com
8 Sep 2012
Delhi, India, (PR.com)--With the countries all over the world developing their wind power potential, South Korea has also joined the trend by initiating a massive wind power program that is expected to relieve the country of its huge fossil fuel imports that, currently, energize the country. South Korea has recently realized the vast wind reserves which has been given priority in the country's renewable energy revolution. A recently published research report by Kuick Research has pointed out that the country holds one of the world's largest wind resources with wind speeds in the higher limit.
The report details that South Korea has potential wind reserves of more than 340 TWh of which close to 100 TWh is onshore and a whopping 243 TW is offshore. This indicates towards huge offshore wind power potential that the administration has just beginning to tap. Another reason for the country to move offshore was because of the limited land available for wind farm development. The report gives detailed wind map studies with the wind speeds much faster than that required for power generation.
The feed-in tariff policy of the government has now been replaced by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The research report points out the various reasons behind this reform one of which was the low revenue given to wind generated electricity as compared to solar and hydroelectric power.
The country is currently in the process of developing the world's largest offshore wind farm with capacity of 2.5 GW expected to be operational by 2019. A consortium of government and private companies being led by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy is developing this ambitious project that will catapult the country's wind power to levels at par with many countries in the world.
United Kingdom's RenewableUK has joined hands with the Korea Wind Energy Association to augment South Korea's efforts of wind power development through a 3 phase project called the UK-Korea Ocean Energy Technology Project, the first of which will be a detailed study of the country's offshore wind resources and the subsequent phases to be determined on the results of the study.
The research study shows that the government has already committed KRW 373.7 Billion in renewable energy development in 2012 and gives further details of this money being invested in various projects to help the country reach its target of including 10% power generated from renewable energy by 2022. The report also lists the various quotas of electricity produced by renewable sources of energy that will need to be included by the utility companies as part of the new Renewable Portfolio Standard policy.
South Korea heavy industry companies are augmenting the government's efforts by facilitating the availability of wind turbines by locally manufacturing them so that the companies do not have to import the equipment and the cost of wind power can be reduced. The report gives details of the wind turbine portfolio of all the companies involved.
The research report is a detailed text that emphasizes on the bright future of wind power in South Korea. It gives details to all the necessary facets required to bring about an organized wind power growth. The report details the targets and gives precise plans of the government to achieve these ambitious renewable energy targets and how exactly the country will go about the Low Carbon Green Growth Policy in the coming years to develop its most abundant resource.
8 Sep 2012
Delhi, India, (PR.com)--With the countries all over the world developing their wind power potential, South Korea has also joined the trend by initiating a massive wind power program that is expected to relieve the country of its huge fossil fuel imports that, currently, energize the country. South Korea has recently realized the vast wind reserves which has been given priority in the country's renewable energy revolution. A recently published research report by Kuick Research has pointed out that the country holds one of the world's largest wind resources with wind speeds in the higher limit.
The report details that South Korea has potential wind reserves of more than 340 TWh of which close to 100 TWh is onshore and a whopping 243 TW is offshore. This indicates towards huge offshore wind power potential that the administration has just beginning to tap. Another reason for the country to move offshore was because of the limited land available for wind farm development. The report gives detailed wind map studies with the wind speeds much faster than that required for power generation.
The feed-in tariff policy of the government has now been replaced by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The research report points out the various reasons behind this reform one of which was the low revenue given to wind generated electricity as compared to solar and hydroelectric power.
The country is currently in the process of developing the world's largest offshore wind farm with capacity of 2.5 GW expected to be operational by 2019. A consortium of government and private companies being led by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy is developing this ambitious project that will catapult the country's wind power to levels at par with many countries in the world.
United Kingdom's RenewableUK has joined hands with the Korea Wind Energy Association to augment South Korea's efforts of wind power development through a 3 phase project called the UK-Korea Ocean Energy Technology Project, the first of which will be a detailed study of the country's offshore wind resources and the subsequent phases to be determined on the results of the study.
The research study shows that the government has already committed KRW 373.7 Billion in renewable energy development in 2012 and gives further details of this money being invested in various projects to help the country reach its target of including 10% power generated from renewable energy by 2022. The report also lists the various quotas of electricity produced by renewable sources of energy that will need to be included by the utility companies as part of the new Renewable Portfolio Standard policy.
South Korea heavy industry companies are augmenting the government's efforts by facilitating the availability of wind turbines by locally manufacturing them so that the companies do not have to import the equipment and the cost of wind power can be reduced. The report gives details of the wind turbine portfolio of all the companies involved.
The research report is a detailed text that emphasizes on the bright future of wind power in South Korea. It gives details to all the necessary facets required to bring about an organized wind power growth. The report details the targets and gives precise plans of the government to achieve these ambitious renewable energy targets and how exactly the country will go about the Low Carbon Green Growth Policy in the coming years to develop its most abundant resource.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
New hydrogen filling stations in Europe and Japan
www.4-traders.com
7 Sep 2012
The automotive industry has announced that vehicles powered by fuel-cell technology will be on the market by 2015. Air Liquide is preparing for the emergence of hydrogen in transport by supporting the rollout of the necessary filling station infrastructure globally. These developments have recently received strong government backing in Europe and Asia.
Today, Air Liquide officially opened its first public hydrogen filling station for passenger cars in Germany, in the city of Duesseldorf. This state of the art station will be followed by 10 new hydrogen filling stations that will be designed, built and rolled out in the next three years under the auspices of the German government's major demonstration project. By 2015 Germany will have a supply network of at least 50 public filling stations.
Those new steps are in line with the Group's announcement in October 2011 that it would invest in 20 new stations in Europe. Driven by the same dynamic, two other stations have been installed recently by Air Liquide in Oslo, Norway, and in the Swiss city of Brugg.
In Japan, the government sees hydrogen as a promising major energy source for cars and expects to install about 100 hydrogen distribution stations for fuel-cell vehicles by 2015. Air Liquide Japan intends to build a significant number of them and, in support of this goal, has recently set up a specialized team focused on the hydrogen business. The Group is already very active in Japan in this field, having so far installed 3 hydrogen energy stations (in Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Saga). One of these stations demonstrated the feasibility of a complete "Blue Hydrogen" chain, from wood chips to clean mobility.
Read More…
7 Sep 2012
The automotive industry has announced that vehicles powered by fuel-cell technology will be on the market by 2015. Air Liquide is preparing for the emergence of hydrogen in transport by supporting the rollout of the necessary filling station infrastructure globally. These developments have recently received strong government backing in Europe and Asia.
Today, Air Liquide officially opened its first public hydrogen filling station for passenger cars in Germany, in the city of Duesseldorf. This state of the art station will be followed by 10 new hydrogen filling stations that will be designed, built and rolled out in the next three years under the auspices of the German government's major demonstration project. By 2015 Germany will have a supply network of at least 50 public filling stations.
Those new steps are in line with the Group's announcement in October 2011 that it would invest in 20 new stations in Europe. Driven by the same dynamic, two other stations have been installed recently by Air Liquide in Oslo, Norway, and in the Swiss city of Brugg.
In Japan, the government sees hydrogen as a promising major energy source for cars and expects to install about 100 hydrogen distribution stations for fuel-cell vehicles by 2015. Air Liquide Japan intends to build a significant number of them and, in support of this goal, has recently set up a specialized team focused on the hydrogen business. The Group is already very active in Japan in this field, having so far installed 3 hydrogen energy stations (in Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Saga). One of these stations demonstrated the feasibility of a complete "Blue Hydrogen" chain, from wood chips to clean mobility.
Read More…
Gales send turbines into overdrive
www.abc.net.au
7 Sep 2012
While gale-force winds kept emergency services busy across South Australia this week, they also fired up turbines on the state's wind farms. Figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator show while the winds were howling, more than half the state's power came from wind farms. Roughly a quarter of South Australia's power came from wind farms last year.
But the Clean Energy Council's policy director, Russell Marsh, says when winds topped 90 km per hour earlier this week, that figure was much higher. "What we've seen is over the last couple of days the amount of energy generated from wind power in South Australia has gone through between 55 and 85% since Monday as a result of the very strong winds we're having at the moment", he said.
And for a few brief moments in the early hours of Wednesday morning, wind was generating so much power some of it was being exported to Victoria. Mr Marsh says emissions from South Australia's power sector have fallen every year since 2005, and have dropped 27% over the past five years. He says there is no reason other states could not emulate the success.
"South Australia has a great, great wind resource, it's probably one of the best places in Australia to build wind", he said. "And we expect to see,.. many more wind farms built, not just in South Australia but in other states along the south-east coast of Australia". But he says the figures do not suggest coal-fired power generation's days are numbered.
"We're really only starting down the path of developing both wind power specifically and renewable energy generally in Australia", Mr Marsh said. "I think we're going to see coal and other fossil fuel generation around for a number of years to come. But, certainly we reckon that wind and other renewables can certainly play their part in generating more energy in the future".
One of the criticisms of wind power has long been that times of light wind conditions result in a reduction in the amount of energy generated. But Mr Marsh denies this week's event reinforces that argument. "No it doesn't, because what the market operator's also showing is that across the year, about 25% of the state's power comes from wind", he said.
"And that has resulted in two things in South Australia. Firstly, you're seeing less generation from coal and gas as a result of the amount of wind. And also you're seeing greenhouse gas emissions in South Australia dropping. "So... what we're seeing in South Australia is evidence that deploying wind, in this case wind, in Australia actually does lead to using less fossil fuels and reduces emission".
7 Sep 2012
While gale-force winds kept emergency services busy across South Australia this week, they also fired up turbines on the state's wind farms. Figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator show while the winds were howling, more than half the state's power came from wind farms. Roughly a quarter of South Australia's power came from wind farms last year.
But the Clean Energy Council's policy director, Russell Marsh, says when winds topped 90 km per hour earlier this week, that figure was much higher. "What we've seen is over the last couple of days the amount of energy generated from wind power in South Australia has gone through between 55 and 85% since Monday as a result of the very strong winds we're having at the moment", he said.
And for a few brief moments in the early hours of Wednesday morning, wind was generating so much power some of it was being exported to Victoria. Mr Marsh says emissions from South Australia's power sector have fallen every year since 2005, and have dropped 27% over the past five years. He says there is no reason other states could not emulate the success.
"South Australia has a great, great wind resource, it's probably one of the best places in Australia to build wind", he said. "And we expect to see,.. many more wind farms built, not just in South Australia but in other states along the south-east coast of Australia". But he says the figures do not suggest coal-fired power generation's days are numbered.
"We're really only starting down the path of developing both wind power specifically and renewable energy generally in Australia", Mr Marsh said. "I think we're going to see coal and other fossil fuel generation around for a number of years to come. But, certainly we reckon that wind and other renewables can certainly play their part in generating more energy in the future".
One of the criticisms of wind power has long been that times of light wind conditions result in a reduction in the amount of energy generated. But Mr Marsh denies this week's event reinforces that argument. "No it doesn't, because what the market operator's also showing is that across the year, about 25% of the state's power comes from wind", he said.
"And that has resulted in two things in South Australia. Firstly, you're seeing less generation from coal and gas as a result of the amount of wind. And also you're seeing greenhouse gas emissions in South Australia dropping. "So... what we're seeing in South Australia is evidence that deploying wind, in this case wind, in Australia actually does lead to using less fossil fuels and reduces emission".
South Australia blown away by wind power this week
Clean Energy Council
6 Sep 2012
South Australia's blustery conditions this week had one positive: wind power provided more than half of the state's power on Wednesday, according to the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) showed that 55% of all the electricity used by South Australians yesterday was generated by the state's wind farms, which were spinning flat out all day long.
"In the early hours of Wednesday morning, there was a peak where 80% of the state's power came from the wind and South Australia exported some of its energy to Victoria. Then early on Monday morning a record was broken when just over 85% of power came from the wind.
"According to AEMO, in the 2011 12 financial year almost a quarter of the state's electricity was generated by wind farms. This has led to a corresponding drop in generation from coal and gas plants, with wind generating more energy than coal for the first time. "South Australia has proven once again that wind power can generate real power-and lots of it", he said.
Mr Marsh said the data showed that emissions from South Australia's power sector had fallen every year since 2005 06 and had reduced by more than 27% over the last five years. "All this wind is putting South Australia well ahead of the curve on Australia's 20% Renewable Energy Target, and helping to provide farmers and local businesses in regional areas with extra income. "It also means the state's residents collectively have a lower carbon price bill, while getting fully compensated by the Federal Government under the scheme".
Fast facts:
6 Sep 2012
South Australia's blustery conditions this week had one positive: wind power provided more than half of the state's power on Wednesday, according to the Clean Energy Council. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) showed that 55% of all the electricity used by South Australians yesterday was generated by the state's wind farms, which were spinning flat out all day long."In the early hours of Wednesday morning, there was a peak where 80% of the state's power came from the wind and South Australia exported some of its energy to Victoria. Then early on Monday morning a record was broken when just over 85% of power came from the wind.
"According to AEMO, in the 2011 12 financial year almost a quarter of the state's electricity was generated by wind farms. This has led to a corresponding drop in generation from coal and gas plants, with wind generating more energy than coal for the first time. "South Australia has proven once again that wind power can generate real power-and lots of it", he said.
Mr Marsh said the data showed that emissions from South Australia's power sector had fallen every year since 2005 06 and had reduced by more than 27% over the last five years. "All this wind is putting South Australia well ahead of the curve on Australia's 20% Renewable Energy Target, and helping to provide farmers and local businesses in regional areas with extra income. "It also means the state's residents collectively have a lower carbon price bill, while getting fully compensated by the Federal Government under the scheme".
Fast facts:
- On Wednesday 5 September, 55% of SA's power came from wind farms
- A record 85.5% of power came from the wind early on Monday 3 September
- 24.2% of the state's power came from the wind in the 2011-12 financial year. Coal use dropped by 9% over the same period
- Emissions in South Australia have dropped by 27.4% over the last five years.
Queensland misses the target on energy prices
Clean Energy Council
5 Sep 2012
The Clean Energy Council has called for more collaboration to reduce electricity prices and less finger-pointing, following Energy Minister Mark McArdle's attack on Australia's 20% Renewable Energy Target this morning. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said everyone was concerned about rising power bills, but ditching the Renewable Energy Target would be like cutting off our nose to spite our face.
"The Renewable Energy Target is a low-cost policy that stands to unlock more than $20 billion in investment and tens of thousands of jobs, much of which will flow to regional and rural areas. In recognition of this, the policy has the support of all political parties across Australia.
"In Queensland the Renewable Energy Target provides important support, particularly for the state's sugar mills, which use cane waste to produce renewable energy and generate an extra source of revenue. "Queensland is also leading the country in solar power, and all that new clean energy is helping to push back major investment in big power stations and save everyone money".
Mr Marsh said analysis by ROAM Consulting showed the Renewable Energy Target currently made up about 6% of power bills, a very small amount compared to the spiralling costs of poles and wires.
"Due to the winding back of support for renewable energy at both federal and state level and the declining cost of the technology, the cost of the Renewable Energy Target has peaked and will decline towards the end of the decade. We will be able to deliver more for less under this policy as the decade unfolds.
"In terms of an average annual household power bill, the Renewable Energy Target contributes about $100 per year today, but this is expected to fall to just under $60 in 2020. In contrast, the price of fossil fuels such as gas has risen sharply over the last couple of years, with further increases projected.
"The Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics this year estimated that renewable energy sources such as solar and wind would be among our cheapest types of power within 10 to 20 years. In the case of some types of bioenergy such as landfill gas, we are already there. Solar power fell in price by 45% last year alone", he said. "So, contrary to some recent commentary, investing in renewable energy will be key to protecting consumers against power price increases in the future".
Mr Marsh said the Energy Minister appeared to have been wrongly advised on some of the costs and projected impacts of the Renewable Energy Target. "Renewable energy across the country currently produces around 10% of our electricity. This will rise to around 20% by the end of the decade, driven by the lowest cost forms of generation available under the target", he said.
"We welcome the Queensland Competition Authority looking at the full costs and benefits of the Renewable Energy Target. The Productivity Commission has also recently looked at this policy as part of its work on the carbon price. "There are steps we can take to reduce power prices, but we need to work together rather than looking in the wrong place for scapegoats", he said.
5 Sep 2012
The Clean Energy Council has called for more collaboration to reduce electricity prices and less finger-pointing, following Energy Minister Mark McArdle's attack on Australia's 20% Renewable Energy Target this morning. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said everyone was concerned about rising power bills, but ditching the Renewable Energy Target would be like cutting off our nose to spite our face."The Renewable Energy Target is a low-cost policy that stands to unlock more than $20 billion in investment and tens of thousands of jobs, much of which will flow to regional and rural areas. In recognition of this, the policy has the support of all political parties across Australia.
"In Queensland the Renewable Energy Target provides important support, particularly for the state's sugar mills, which use cane waste to produce renewable energy and generate an extra source of revenue. "Queensland is also leading the country in solar power, and all that new clean energy is helping to push back major investment in big power stations and save everyone money".
Mr Marsh said analysis by ROAM Consulting showed the Renewable Energy Target currently made up about 6% of power bills, a very small amount compared to the spiralling costs of poles and wires.
"Due to the winding back of support for renewable energy at both federal and state level and the declining cost of the technology, the cost of the Renewable Energy Target has peaked and will decline towards the end of the decade. We will be able to deliver more for less under this policy as the decade unfolds.
"In terms of an average annual household power bill, the Renewable Energy Target contributes about $100 per year today, but this is expected to fall to just under $60 in 2020. In contrast, the price of fossil fuels such as gas has risen sharply over the last couple of years, with further increases projected.
"The Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics this year estimated that renewable energy sources such as solar and wind would be among our cheapest types of power within 10 to 20 years. In the case of some types of bioenergy such as landfill gas, we are already there. Solar power fell in price by 45% last year alone", he said. "So, contrary to some recent commentary, investing in renewable energy will be key to protecting consumers against power price increases in the future".
Mr Marsh said the Energy Minister appeared to have been wrongly advised on some of the costs and projected impacts of the Renewable Energy Target. "Renewable energy across the country currently produces around 10% of our electricity. This will rise to around 20% by the end of the decade, driven by the lowest cost forms of generation available under the target", he said.
"We welcome the Queensland Competition Authority looking at the full costs and benefits of the Renewable Energy Target. The Productivity Commission has also recently looked at this policy as part of its work on the carbon price. "There are steps we can take to reduce power prices, but we need to work together rather than looking in the wrong place for scapegoats", he said.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Kiwi wave energy device gets US trial
www.nzherald.co.nz
3 Sep 2012
A kiwi-designed device which generates electricity by ocean wave energy is one step closer to breaking into the massive US energy market. The Wave Energy Technology-NZ (Wet-NZ) converter will be tested off the Oregon coast over the next two months. It is a major milestone for the eight-year project, which was a collaboration between Industrial Research Ltd (IRL), a Crown Research Institute, and private Wellington company Power Projects Ltd.
Success with the trial meant the possibility of full-scale commercialisation in the US, said Gavin Mitchell, IRL general manager of industry engagement. "This US deployment is a great opportunity to promote New Zealand technology in one of the world's most important energy markets". The device was designed to extract as much energy as possible from three different types of wave motion.
A half-scale, 18.4 metre long version would be moored to the sea floor off Oregon in an upright position, with wave movement converted into energy by a system of on-board hydraulics. Mitchell said the next step after this test would be to get further funding from the US government to develop and trial a full-scale version of the device. That would need to be tested in bigger, more powerful waves in another part of the country, he said.
The designers had also applied to the US navy to be considered for a 12 month test in Hawaii. "That's to allow the navy to evaluate energy devices to look at rolling it out at their bases worldwide". Wave-energy technology was still in its early stages both in New Zealand and internationally, Mitchell said. "Imagine where wind turbines were 15 years ago-there were early trials and then suddenly there was a mass adoption. "At the moment, there are only one or two devices as advanced as ours".
Wet-NZ technology used wave energy rather than tidal power, he said. Getting the project to this testing point was possible due to a US$2 million grant from the US Department of Energy and a partnership with US company Northwest Energy Innovations. The New Zealand Government had also provided funding to get the project scaled up from proof-of-concept to prototype. Wet-NZ had been refined based on the results of deployments at various sites around New Zealand, as well as extensive wave tank modelling. IRL is a Crown Research Institute with the task of supporting New Zealand industry.
3 Sep 2012
A kiwi-designed device which generates electricity by ocean wave energy is one step closer to breaking into the massive US energy market. The Wave Energy Technology-NZ (Wet-NZ) converter will be tested off the Oregon coast over the next two months. It is a major milestone for the eight-year project, which was a collaboration between Industrial Research Ltd (IRL), a Crown Research Institute, and private Wellington company Power Projects Ltd.Success with the trial meant the possibility of full-scale commercialisation in the US, said Gavin Mitchell, IRL general manager of industry engagement. "This US deployment is a great opportunity to promote New Zealand technology in one of the world's most important energy markets". The device was designed to extract as much energy as possible from three different types of wave motion.
A half-scale, 18.4 metre long version would be moored to the sea floor off Oregon in an upright position, with wave movement converted into energy by a system of on-board hydraulics. Mitchell said the next step after this test would be to get further funding from the US government to develop and trial a full-scale version of the device. That would need to be tested in bigger, more powerful waves in another part of the country, he said.
The designers had also applied to the US navy to be considered for a 12 month test in Hawaii. "That's to allow the navy to evaluate energy devices to look at rolling it out at their bases worldwide". Wave-energy technology was still in its early stages both in New Zealand and internationally, Mitchell said. "Imagine where wind turbines were 15 years ago-there were early trials and then suddenly there was a mass adoption. "At the moment, there are only one or two devices as advanced as ours".
Wet-NZ technology used wave energy rather than tidal power, he said. Getting the project to this testing point was possible due to a US$2 million grant from the US Department of Energy and a partnership with US company Northwest Energy Innovations. The New Zealand Government had also provided funding to get the project scaled up from proof-of-concept to prototype. Wet-NZ had been refined based on the results of deployments at various sites around New Zealand, as well as extensive wave tank modelling. IRL is a Crown Research Institute with the task of supporting New Zealand industry.
World's biggest offshore windfarm planned off Scottish coast
www.guardian.co.uk
31 Aug 2012
Scheme with enough capacity to power 40% of Scottish households has been submitted for planning permission The world's biggest offshore wind farm could be built off the northern Scottish coast, after a scheme with enough capacity to power 40% of Scottish households was submitted for planning permission.
The £4.5bn complex would have 339 turbines covering 300 km² off Caithness, making it 50% bigger than the giant London Array scheme off Kent. It is expected to be the first in a series of deep water schemes under "Round 3" licensing. The renewable industry has hailed it as a watershed moment but warned these new deep water farms might only be fully realised if the government provides policy stability by pushing through its proposed Energy Bill.
The 1.5 GW farm is being developed by Moray Offshore Renewables, a joint venture between Spanish oil company Repsol, and an arm of Portuguese power group EDP, which has recently become partly owned by China's state-owned Three Gorges Corporation. It has already attracted controversy because it is opposed by American billionaire Donald Trump, who says the 200 metre-high turbines will spoil the view from his planned new golf course.
Dan Finch, project director for the scheme due to come on stream in 2018, said working more than 12 miles from shore allowed it to take advantage of the excellent wind resource in the outer Moray Firth.
"We estimate that the project will be capable of supplying the electricity needs of 800,000 to 1m households,.. Each year this development could save between 3.5m and 4.5m tonnes of CO₂ compared with coal fired generation, and between 1.5m and 2m tonnes of CO₂ compared with gas fired generation", he said.
The industry body, RenewableUK, said a further 4.5 GWs of offshore wind schemes should follow into the planning process this year with a total of 18 GWs expected to become operational over the next eight years. But Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK's chief executive, emphasised that this progress could only be achieved if the policy certainty laid out in the upcoming Energy Bill was achieved.
"We're marking a watershed moment as Round Three starts to become a reality with this planning application. It's the first of many coming forward. As well as delivering secure supplies of low carbon electricity to British homes and businesses, our global leadership role in offshore wind can provide tens of thousands of jobs across the country, building and maintaining these turbines".
The Moray Firth wind farm, which will be given significant subsidies, compares with the 1 GW at the London Array, which is currently in the construction phase, and compares with the largest British coal-fired plant, Drax in northern Yorkshire of 4 GWs, and the planned new EDF Energy nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset with a combined output of 3.2 GWs and a bill of at least £10bn.
China Three Gorges Corporation acquired a 21% holding from the cash-strapped Portuguese government in Energias de Portugal, EDP, for €2.69bn (£2.13bn). The Beijing-based energy company was responsible for construction of the also controversial Three Gorges Dam-project, the world largest hydroelectric power plant, that went into operation in 2008.
31 Aug 2012
Scheme with enough capacity to power 40% of Scottish households has been submitted for planning permission The world's biggest offshore wind farm could be built off the northern Scottish coast, after a scheme with enough capacity to power 40% of Scottish households was submitted for planning permission.The £4.5bn complex would have 339 turbines covering 300 km² off Caithness, making it 50% bigger than the giant London Array scheme off Kent. It is expected to be the first in a series of deep water schemes under "Round 3" licensing. The renewable industry has hailed it as a watershed moment but warned these new deep water farms might only be fully realised if the government provides policy stability by pushing through its proposed Energy Bill.
The 1.5 GW farm is being developed by Moray Offshore Renewables, a joint venture between Spanish oil company Repsol, and an arm of Portuguese power group EDP, which has recently become partly owned by China's state-owned Three Gorges Corporation. It has already attracted controversy because it is opposed by American billionaire Donald Trump, who says the 200 metre-high turbines will spoil the view from his planned new golf course.
Dan Finch, project director for the scheme due to come on stream in 2018, said working more than 12 miles from shore allowed it to take advantage of the excellent wind resource in the outer Moray Firth.
"We estimate that the project will be capable of supplying the electricity needs of 800,000 to 1m households,.. Each year this development could save between 3.5m and 4.5m tonnes of CO₂ compared with coal fired generation, and between 1.5m and 2m tonnes of CO₂ compared with gas fired generation", he said.
The industry body, RenewableUK, said a further 4.5 GWs of offshore wind schemes should follow into the planning process this year with a total of 18 GWs expected to become operational over the next eight years. But Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK's chief executive, emphasised that this progress could only be achieved if the policy certainty laid out in the upcoming Energy Bill was achieved.
"We're marking a watershed moment as Round Three starts to become a reality with this planning application. It's the first of many coming forward. As well as delivering secure supplies of low carbon electricity to British homes and businesses, our global leadership role in offshore wind can provide tens of thousands of jobs across the country, building and maintaining these turbines".
The Moray Firth wind farm, which will be given significant subsidies, compares with the 1 GW at the London Array, which is currently in the construction phase, and compares with the largest British coal-fired plant, Drax in northern Yorkshire of 4 GWs, and the planned new EDF Energy nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset with a combined output of 3.2 GWs and a bill of at least £10bn.
China Three Gorges Corporation acquired a 21% holding from the cash-strapped Portuguese government in Energias de Portugal, EDP, for €2.69bn (£2.13bn). The Beijing-based energy company was responsible for construction of the also controversial Three Gorges Dam-project, the world largest hydroelectric power plant, that went into operation in 2008.
German shipyards see future in wind power
www.spiegel.de
30 Aug 2012
After years of decline, Germany's shipyards are now pinning their hopes on offshore wind farms, a key component of the country's energy revolution. Some have converted entirely to building equipment for wind farms. But the initial euphoria has worn off as the true challenges of the transition become clear.
Two years ago, Tomas Marutz became the head of the Nordseewerke in Emden, Germany. The shipyard is one of the biggest and oldest in the country. But Marutz's most important task now is, he says, "to get shipbuilding out of people's heads".
That's no easy task for a man who speaks about ships like a father talking about his children. He is fascinating by the process of shipbuilding, from the lucky penny that is tossed under the first sheet of steel used in construction to the moment when a finished ship is launched from the docks. Building ships isn't just a question of "welding individual pieces together", he says. "It is a holistic creation".
But these days, Marutz doesn't have the chance to enjoy such moments. Submarines and container ships are no longer being built at the shipyard, which once belonged to German steel and shipbuilding giant Thyssen. Nowadays, the company is building towers and steel bases for wind turbines used in offshore wind farms off the German coast.
Read More…
30 Aug 2012
After years of decline, Germany's shipyards are now pinning their hopes on offshore wind farms, a key component of the country's energy revolution. Some have converted entirely to building equipment for wind farms. But the initial euphoria has worn off as the true challenges of the transition become clear.
Two years ago, Tomas Marutz became the head of the Nordseewerke in Emden, Germany. The shipyard is one of the biggest and oldest in the country. But Marutz's most important task now is, he says, "to get shipbuilding out of people's heads".
That's no easy task for a man who speaks about ships like a father talking about his children. He is fascinating by the process of shipbuilding, from the lucky penny that is tossed under the first sheet of steel used in construction to the moment when a finished ship is launched from the docks. Building ships isn't just a question of "welding individual pieces together", he says. "It is a holistic creation".
But these days, Marutz doesn't have the chance to enjoy such moments. Submarines and container ships are no longer being built at the shipyard, which once belonged to German steel and shipbuilding giant Thyssen. Nowadays, the company is building towers and steel bases for wind turbines used in offshore wind farms off the German coast.
Read More…
Maryland switches on 16 MW grid connected solar system
www.elp.com
29 Aug 2012
Baltimore, Constellation announced the completion of a 16.1 MW grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar installation in Emmitsburg, Maryland., as part of the state of Maryland's Generating Clean Horizons initiative.
Constellation financed, owns and operates the about $50 million solar facility on behalf of its customer, the state of Maryland. Electricity generated by the system is purchased by the state's Department of General Services and the University System of Maryland under 20 year solar power purchase agreements with Constellation.
The grid-connected system is expected to produce more than 20 million kW of emissions-free electricity per year. Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of 17,981 metric tons of CO₂ annually, according to US EPA data.
The ground-mounted solar power plant was constructed by FirstSolar, using about 220,000 of its advanced thin film PV panels situated on 100 acres of land leased by Constellation from Mount St. Mary's University. In addition to the 16.1 MW system, Constellation developed a 1.6 MW solar power system on the site that will supply power directly to the university.
In February 2009, the Maryland Energy Administration, in partnership with the University System of Maryland and the Department of General Services, approved the award of four renewable energy projects under the Generating Clean Horizons program. The initiative was intended to spur the development of large-scale, commercial renewable energy projects, and the state issued requests for proposals for long-term power purchase agreements from renewable sources delivering clean power to the grid by 2014.
Constellation currently owns and operates more than 112 MW of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the US In Maryland, Constellation has developed nearly 25 MW of solar projects for customers, including Anne Arundel County, Coppin State University, General Motors, Maryland Science Center and McCormick & Co.
By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements or solar services agreements, Constellation offers solar installations that may require no upfront capital from customers and may provide fixed power costs that are less than projected market rates.
29 Aug 2012
Baltimore, Constellation announced the completion of a 16.1 MW grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar installation in Emmitsburg, Maryland., as part of the state of Maryland's Generating Clean Horizons initiative.
Constellation financed, owns and operates the about $50 million solar facility on behalf of its customer, the state of Maryland. Electricity generated by the system is purchased by the state's Department of General Services and the University System of Maryland under 20 year solar power purchase agreements with Constellation.
The grid-connected system is expected to produce more than 20 million kW of emissions-free electricity per year. Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of 17,981 metric tons of CO₂ annually, according to US EPA data.
The ground-mounted solar power plant was constructed by FirstSolar, using about 220,000 of its advanced thin film PV panels situated on 100 acres of land leased by Constellation from Mount St. Mary's University. In addition to the 16.1 MW system, Constellation developed a 1.6 MW solar power system on the site that will supply power directly to the university.
In February 2009, the Maryland Energy Administration, in partnership with the University System of Maryland and the Department of General Services, approved the award of four renewable energy projects under the Generating Clean Horizons program. The initiative was intended to spur the development of large-scale, commercial renewable energy projects, and the state issued requests for proposals for long-term power purchase agreements from renewable sources delivering clean power to the grid by 2014.
Constellation currently owns and operates more than 112 MW of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the US In Maryland, Constellation has developed nearly 25 MW of solar projects for customers, including Anne Arundel County, Coppin State University, General Motors, Maryland Science Center and McCormick & Co.
By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements or solar services agreements, Constellation offers solar installations that may require no upfront capital from customers and may provide fixed power costs that are less than projected market rates.
Industry to ride "solar-coaster" as Victorian Government cuts support
Clean Energy Council
3 Sep 2012
The solar industry is bracing itself for yet another boom-bust cycle following today's decision by the Baillieu Government to slash the incentive for Victorians to purchase solar power systems, according to the Clean Energy Council.
Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said the national solar industry had seen so many ups and downs due to government policy changes that it had coined its own phrase – the "solar-coaster". "We're obviously disappointed at this decision to reduce support for solar power, which will make it harder for everyday Victorians to reduce their power bills and put industry jobs under pressure," Mr Marsh said.
"It is appropriate that the Victorian government reduces the level of its support scheme, given the recent reduction in the cost of solar power systems. However, the proposed feed-in tariff of 8¢ per kilowatt-hour is too low and does not reflect the fair and reasonable value of the electricity and other benefits that solar power systems provide to our energy system."
Mr Marsh said the Victorian solar policies to date had been very successful. "The solar industry now employs approximately 4800 Victorians and has stimulated $1.34 billion of private investment in Victoria. This change could have a serious negative impact on an industry that has been delivering major economic benefits to the state," he said.
Energy Minister Michael O'Brien announced today that the Victorian Government would reduce the level of support to householders under the Victorian feed-in tariff scheme from 25¢ per kilowatt-hour down to 8c at the beginning of next year.
Mr Marsh said recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Victorians from all walks of life were installing solar power systems to save on their electricity bills. "If you've thinking about installing solar power, it's definitely the time to do it – but you also need to make sure you do your research.
Download the Clean Energy Council’s consumer guide from www.solaraccreditation.com.au,” he said.
3 Sep 2012
The solar industry is bracing itself for yet another boom-bust cycle following today's decision by the Baillieu Government to slash the incentive for Victorians to purchase solar power systems, according to the Clean Energy Council.Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said the national solar industry had seen so many ups and downs due to government policy changes that it had coined its own phrase – the "solar-coaster". "We're obviously disappointed at this decision to reduce support for solar power, which will make it harder for everyday Victorians to reduce their power bills and put industry jobs under pressure," Mr Marsh said.
"It is appropriate that the Victorian government reduces the level of its support scheme, given the recent reduction in the cost of solar power systems. However, the proposed feed-in tariff of 8¢ per kilowatt-hour is too low and does not reflect the fair and reasonable value of the electricity and other benefits that solar power systems provide to our energy system."
Mr Marsh said the Victorian solar policies to date had been very successful. "The solar industry now employs approximately 4800 Victorians and has stimulated $1.34 billion of private investment in Victoria. This change could have a serious negative impact on an industry that has been delivering major economic benefits to the state," he said.
Energy Minister Michael O'Brien announced today that the Victorian Government would reduce the level of support to householders under the Victorian feed-in tariff scheme from 25¢ per kilowatt-hour down to 8c at the beginning of next year.
Mr Marsh said recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Victorians from all walks of life were installing solar power systems to save on their electricity bills. "If you've thinking about installing solar power, it's definitely the time to do it – but you also need to make sure you do your research.
Download the Clean Energy Council’s consumer guide from www.solaraccreditation.com.au,” he said.
German offshore wind sector needs more than just new law: executives
www.reuters.com
28 Aug 2012
(Reuters)-Changing regulations will not be enough to make Germany's planned offshore wind expansion work, executives and industry experts say, arguing the industry needs to find other ways to support one of the main pillars of the country's energy shift.
Germany's cabinet will discuss on Wednesday a draft law on expanding the use of offshore wind parks, a reaction to the slow expansion that network operators said was caused by insufficient regulation. "Certainly, the new law is a step in the right direction", Mike Winkel, head of renewable energy at E.ON, Germany's largest utility, told the annual Handelsblatt conference on renewable energy. "But the main goal has to be to get the grid connections done in time. Greater certainty for investors can only support this", he added.
He pointed to lengthy procedures to approve and connect offshore projects that were slowing down the offshore expansion. Grid operators are reluctant to build power lines at sea because they have to pay compensation should they break down. So many wind farms could lack the means to transfer the power they are generating back to the mainland.
The government is trying to address this bottleneck by passing on those costs to power consumers to reduce the risk for investors who have been very hesitant to invest in the offshore sector so far. That way, the government wants to make sure it can meet its goal of installing more than 10,000 MWs of offshore capacity by 2020, and 25,000 MW by 2030, to replace 20,500 MW in nuclear capacity gone by the end of 2022.
Read More…
28 Aug 2012
(Reuters)-Changing regulations will not be enough to make Germany's planned offshore wind expansion work, executives and industry experts say, arguing the industry needs to find other ways to support one of the main pillars of the country's energy shift.
Germany's cabinet will discuss on Wednesday a draft law on expanding the use of offshore wind parks, a reaction to the slow expansion that network operators said was caused by insufficient regulation. "Certainly, the new law is a step in the right direction", Mike Winkel, head of renewable energy at E.ON, Germany's largest utility, told the annual Handelsblatt conference on renewable energy. "But the main goal has to be to get the grid connections done in time. Greater certainty for investors can only support this", he added.
He pointed to lengthy procedures to approve and connect offshore projects that were slowing down the offshore expansion. Grid operators are reluctant to build power lines at sea because they have to pay compensation should they break down. So many wind farms could lack the means to transfer the power they are generating back to the mainland.
The government is trying to address this bottleneck by passing on those costs to power consumers to reduce the risk for investors who have been very hesitant to invest in the offshore sector so far. That way, the government wants to make sure it can meet its goal of installing more than 10,000 MWs of offshore capacity by 2020, and 25,000 MW by 2030, to replace 20,500 MW in nuclear capacity gone by the end of 2022.
Read More…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)