Renewable energy investments already making good returns
Renewable Energy Stocks that are Already Paying Out Oil Price. com By The Energy Report | Thu, 17 October 2013 Alternative energy is a long-term investment, but returns are already rolling in, says Edward Guinness, co-manager of the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund, which is up a whopping 67% year to date. Before you know it, rooftop solar could be as ubiquitous as mobile phones, and developments in wind energy are already creating a compelling value proposition for energy consumers—especially in Europe, where energy prices are high. Learn about the holdings driving growth for Guinness’ fund in this interview with The Energy Report……http://oilprice.com/Finance/investing-and-trading-reports/Renewable-Energy-Stocks-that-are-Already-Paying-Out.html
Energy storage promises to revolutionise renewable energy
The PUC’s big storage decision will boost renewable energy production My desert.com October 17th, 2013 | by K Kaufmann My Twitter feed and email box are lighting up with big news that the California Public Utilities Commission has voted to approve an order requiring the state’s three big utilities to start procuring renewable energy storage technology, with the goal of having 1,325 megawatts of storage on the grid by 2020.
You can read the full text of the original proposed decision, as released Sept. 3, here.
Both Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric will be required to procure a total of 580 megawatts of storage, with 310 megawatts dedicated to transmission, 185 megawatts on distribution and 85 megawatts going to the consumer market, which presumably means distributed generation or rooftop.
San Diego Gas & Electric will be responsible for putting on 165 megawatts of storage, with an 80-55-30 split on the transmission, distribution and customer requirements. The three utilities have until Jan. 1, 2014 to file individual applications on how they will run their first solicitations for energy storage facilities.
Those are the quick basics. Expect plenty of press and discussion on this decision. Its potential impacts are huge — in terms of providing a big push for more research and investment in storage technology in the state and in pushing California to go beyond its current 33 percent renewable energy target. If renewable power can be stored for use when the wind is not blowing and sun isn’t shining, then the potential for clean energy development will be limitless……http://voices.mydesert.com/2013/10/17/the-pucs-big-storage-decision-will-boost-renewable-energy-production/
Refuting the lies of anti renewable energy propaganda
Myth-busting Germany’s energy transition Smart Planet By Chris Nelder | October 12, 2013 Major English-language media have been propagating a false narrative about the stunning success of Germany’s transition to renewable energy: theEnergiewende. To hear them tell it, the transition has been a massive failure, driving up power prices, putting Germany’s grid at risk of blackouts, and inspiring a mass revolt against renewables.
Nothing could be further from the truth……..
I debunked a few of the hoary tropes about the Energiewende one year ago, such as the notion that the grid can’t handle a large share of variable renewable power. But apparently many in the major Western media still haven’t gotten the memo.
So let’s clear out the fog and debunk a few of the favorite myths about theEnergiewende.
Myth: “After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan two-and-a-half years ago, Merkel quickly decided to begin phasing out nuclear power and lead the country into the age of wind and solar.” (This one is from the above-mentioned Der Spiegel article.)
Fact: Germany’s switch to renewables started in 1991, and the nuclear phaseout started in 2002. Continue reading
Renewables leading in global energy investment
Citibank: Renewables will get bulk of world’s new power investment http://fuelfix.com/midland/2013/10/10/citibank-renewables-will-get-bulk-of-worlds-new-power-investment/ October 10, 2013 The world is going clean: Renewable energy will make up more than 70 percent of investment in new power generation by 2025, a Citibank report said Thursday.
Demand for power is growing around the globe and most of it will be renewable. Of the nearly $10 trillion dollars that will be poured into the power sector in the next decade, more than $2 trillion will be invested in wind, followed by $1.5 trillion in hydropower and $1.3 trillion in solar power, as nations around the world begin to make the shift away from fossil fuel generation.
While natural gas has cut into coal’s dominance for power generation in the United States, the report notes that in the longer run, the lower price of solar energy will make it increasingly attractive, especially during peak demand periods, when wholesale power in Texas can cost as much as $4,500 per megawatt-hour.
“Solar steals the most valuable part of electricity generation at the peak of the day when prices are highest,” the report said. German natural gas power plants have already said they are reluctant to build new generation because of the impact of solar power on their profits, according to the report.
More than $37 trillion will be invested in the global energy infrastructure in the next two decades, with nearly 50 percent of it devoted to electricity generation, Citibank estimated in the report. Oil production will account for about 37 percent of total investment, followed by natural gas, coal and biofuels, at 23 percent, 3 percent and one percent, respectively.
Financial boost for global renewable energy
Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Gives a Boost to Global Renewable Energy http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Norways-Sovereign-Wealth-Fund-Gives-a-Boost-to-Global-Renewable-Energy.html By Joao Peixe | Wed, 16 October 2013 The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund is the largest in the world at around $750 billion, and a new government is currently being formed in Oslo that is considering investing some of the wealth in renewable energy projects across the world.
Formed in 1990, the fund generates money from taxes on Norway’s oil and gas industry, as well as owning several fields in the North Sea, and a 67% stake in Statoil. It also owns large shares in many of Europe’s largest companies, and it has been calculated that one in every $80 invested in equities around the world is owned by Norway, giving the fund massive influence over the global financial market.
Samantha Smith, the head of global climate and energy initiative at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), explained that “if Norway actually does this, it will be an unprecedented shift in the global investment community and also for tangible action on climate change.”
After the elections that took place in September, truthdig reports that a centre-right coalition government is being formed by Erna Solberg, the leader of the Conservative party. One of the first proposals that they have talked about is to use the sovereign wealth fund, officially known as the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, to invest in renewable energy projects in developing countries, and the global renewables sector.
The WWF is asking the Norwegian government to give 5% of its investment portfolio to invest in renewable energy infrastructure, and end all investment in coal and tar sands.
Energy storage to revolutionise large scale renewable energy
Energy storage mandate expected to bring large-scale renewable energy projects onto the electric grid http://photos.mercurynews.com/2013/10/16/energy-storage-mandate-expected-to-bring-large-scale-renewable-energy-projects-onto-the-electric-grid/ Oct 16, 2013
The first-in-the-nation energy storage mandate is expected to help integrate large-scale renewable projects onto the electric grid, help the grid better manage unpredictable events such as storms or wildfires, push utilities to consider a wider range of emerging technologies and jump-start the storage market as a whole. PG&E’s Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage System Pilot Project, based in East San Jose, charges batteries when demand is low and sends stored power to the grid when demand grows, allowing operators to balance supply and demand. The project, which cost $18 million, uses the sodium-sulfur batteries made by NGK in Japan that have 4 megawatts of capacity and can store electricity for roughly six hours
PG&E’s Yerba Buena battery energy storage project, seen Tuesday morning Oct. 15, 2013, is capable of storing up to four megawatts of power from its place in the hills above Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif. A California law that requires utilities to get 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind is widely credited with accelerating the state’s cleantech economy. Now state regulators are poised to compel utilities to invest in “energy storage,” which could jump-start technology long considered the holy grail of the electricity industry. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
100% renewable energy powers Austrian town
Güssing, Austria Powered Entirely By Renewable Energy Clean Technica 16 Oct 13, A small town in Austria that had no significant industry or trade business is now thriving thanks to local renewable resources.Güssing (population: 4,000) sits in eastern Austria. In 1988 the region (population: 27,000) was one of the poorest districts in the country. It relied on agriculture, there was no transportation infrastructure, unemployment was high, and 70 percent of those who did have work were commuting to Vienna, 100 miles away. The town, where two-thirds of the working population was out of work and young people were moving away, was referred to as a dying town. Due to a lack of connections to the railway network and to the Austrian Autobahn (freeway) system, energy costs were extremely high. At the time the town of Güssing was said to be hardly able to afford its $8.1 million annual fossil fuel bill.
Several of the town leaders realized that $8 million dollars going to pay for fuel oil (mostly for heating) and other fossil fuels (such as coal for electricity) from outside the region could stay in the local economy if they could produce their own energy. However, they realized if they wanted to be energy self-sufficient the first step was reducing energy use. In 1990, the town implemented an energy efficiency program, retrofitting all public buildings with new insulation and replacing all streetlights with energy-efficient bulbs, reducing energy expenditure in buildings in the town center by almost 50 percent.
With greatly improved efficiency, the town then adopted a policy calling for the complete elimination of the use of fossil fuels in all public buildings, in an attempt to keep more money in the local economy……
The little town has become a net energy producer—generating more energy from renewables than it uses. Altogether, there are more than 30 power plants using renewable energy technologies within 10 kilometers of the village. Now the goal is to take the lessons from the small town of Güssing and make the entire 27,000-person district an energy-self-sufficient net producer……
The town now has 60 new companies, 1,500 new jobs, and annual revenues of $17 million due to energy sales, all resulting from the growth of the renewable energy sector. The downtown has been rebuilt and young people picture themselves staying there in the future. And other areas are following Gussing’s lead. More than 15 regions in Austria are now energy independent with regard to electricity, heating, and/or transportation. The town of Güssing has shown that not only is a high-renewables future possible, but also economically advantageous. Schwarzenegger must agree, because when he left he said, “I’ll be back.”
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/16/renewable-energy-powered-austrian-town-gussing/#FMpHPsrls8ze6ylD.99
The Wonders of Solar Power
Eco Kinetics, a leading business in Solar PV Installers 9 Oct 13 Although solar power has now been on the scene since around the mid-20th century, the revolutionary notion hasn’t spread as much like wildfire as wed have liked. Here are a few reasons why everyone should input those lovely looking solar panels on the roofs of their homes:
Unlike oil, solar power does not emit greenhouse gases or carcinogens into the air, therefore does not pollute it a much better alternative to the contamination produced from the fossil fuels we have come to depend on. Solar energy can be used to heat water, dry clothes, heat swimming pools, power attic fans, power small appliances, produce light for both indoors and outdoors, and even to power cars, among other things.
Also – It’s free! Who doesn’t want free energy to power their homes? The only cost, is the initial price of the panels themselves, but over a period of time you will save a whole lot of money. Solar energy doesn’t require expensive and continuous raw materials like oil or coal, and requires significantly lower operational labouring than conventional power production. So it not only cuts down your household bills but is a great deal greener for the environment.
Because solar doesn’t rely on on-going mining raw materials, it doesn’t result in the destruction of forests and ecosystems that occurs with most fossil fuel operations. Italys Montalto di Castro solar park is a good example of Solar contribution to curbing emissions. It avoids 20,000 tonnes per year of carbon emissions compared to fossil fuel energy production. The sun is a gigantic source of power so why not use it rather than spoil the environment through the use of fossil fuels?
Something you don’t want surrounding your home and annoying your neighbours is noise, so you’ll be pleased to know that solar power is completely silent, you’ll be the envy of your whole street whilst being quiet and modest about it. They don’t make a single peep whilst extracting their useful energy from the sun. However, the colossal machines used for pumping oil create an abundance of noise pollution and are therefore very impractical.
Rooftop power is a good way of supplying energy to a growing community. More cells can be added to homes and businesses as the community grows so that energy generation is in line with demand. Many large scale systems currently end up over generating to ensure that everyone has enough. Additionally, solar cells can also be installed in a distributed fashion, i.e. they don’t need large scale installations.
Renewable energy generation in UK breaking records
Record high for UK renewables Renewable Energy Focus 01 October 2013 Statistics published today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) showed that the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources in the UK reached a new record high of 15.5% of total electricity generation in the second quarter of this year.
“The fact that we have seen the record for renewables generation broken twice in the space of a few months shows for itself the progress being made in the race to decarbonise our economy and secure our future electricity supply.” http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/34797/record-high-for-uk-renewables/
New Renewable Energy Storage System supported by U.S. Dept. of Energy
U.S. Dept. of Energy Supports New Renewable Energy Storage System Oil Price, By John Daly | Sat, 28 September 2013 The two bottlenecks inhibiting further use of renewable energy systems are cost and the fact that the sun doesn’t always shine or the wind blow-in one word, storage. While mass production of components such as solar photovoltaic cells means that their price has been dropping, the issue of storing and releasing electricity generated by renewable sources during their down times has led engineers worldwide to tackle the problem.
Large-scale, low-cost energy storage is needed to improve the reliability, resiliency, and efficiency of next-generation power grids. Energy storage can reduce power fluctuations, enhance system flexibility, and enable the storage and dispatch of electricity generated by variable renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and water power.
Now one technology seems sufficiently promising that it is receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Energy Storage Program.
What is this promising new technology?
Isothermal compressed air energy storage (ICAES) refers to storage of compressed air at a constant temperature, which is a key element in the improved energy efficiency of the system.
SustainX has completed construction of its first utility scale ICAES system. It was hooked up to the grid earlier this month and it’s now in the process of revving up to speed. The DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability’s Energy Storage Program underwrote $5,396,023 of the system’s cost……..
The DOE is certainly impressed, noting on its “Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage” webpage; “SustainX’s ICAES technology offers several advantages: it can be sited anywhere, and it is not dependent on advantageous geological formations. It allows power and energy to scale independently. It consumes no fuel and produces no emissions. It utilizes proven mechanical systems and is composed almost entirely of steel, water, and air. It offers 20 years of performance at full power and capacity and 100% depth of discharge.” Governmental endorsements don’t come much stronger than that.
And how big is the compressed air energy storage industry going to become? According to Navigant Research director Kerry-Ann Adamson, the market will grow dramatically over the next decade. Adamson remarked, “Rapidly changing energy mixes and increasing renewable energy penetration will continue to introduce instability onto electricity grids worldwide in the coming years, while the volatility of load profiles will challenge grid operators to deliver reliable and secure electricity. These macro conditions will drive demand for CAES, helping to rejuvenate a sector that has been largely dormant for the last two decades.” http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Bill-Gates-Backs-New-Renewable-Energy-Storage-System.html
Russia now subsidising renewable energy
Russia offers first ever subsidies for renewable energy PV MAGAZINE, 01. OCTOBER 2013 BY: IAN CLOVER The world’s largest oil producer plans to develop its renewable energy sector – which currently produces just 0.8% of the country’s power – and has hosted its first clean power auction, with 39 ventures securing subsidies. Russia has offered its first ever state-backed support for renewable energy, offering subsidies for 39 clean power ventures with a combined capacity of 504 MW.
Solar power won the day, with 399 MW secured, while the wind power sector won just one-tenth of the 1,100 MW of wind capacity offered in the auction. By contrast, solar developers bid for nearly 1,000 MW, winning 32 projects to be built between 2014 and 2017.
“The tender has been quite successful for solar energy, showing that the Russian market can attract developers,” the head of the Russian Solar Industry Association, Anton Usachev, told Bloomberg. Because developers are required to use at least 50% of materials sourced from local contractors, the wind power sector may have been reluctant to invest, he believes.
Solar bidders, on the other hand, were evidently confident in their ability to satisfy local content requirements.
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin ratified the subsidy program, which is intended to wean the country off its reliance on fossil fuels……http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/russia-offers-first-ever-subsidies-for-renewable-energy_100012889/#axzz2galM1ZDF
Cut subsidies to fossil fuel industries – says International Monetary Fund
IMF: The Murky Cobweb Of Energy Subsidies http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3961 29 Sept 13 Solar power subsidies are a drop in the bucket compared to the gravy train the fossil fuel sector still rides. The International Monetary Fund has pledged to “shine a light on the murky cobweb of energy subsidies”.
In an address to the UN High-Level Forum on Sustainable Development; IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde spoke of a triple challenge facing the planet – economic instability, environmental damage and insufficient equity. ”We cannot view these in isolation. Each feeds on and magnifies the other,” she said.
Ms. Largarde stated energy subsidies, including tax subsidies, came to almost $2 trillion in 2011; “a whopping 2½ percent of global GDP that could have been used more wisely.”
Even US President Barack Obama has recognised enough is enough. Earlier this year, he proposed billions more be invested in renewable energy and the elimination of $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies in his 2014 budget proposal.
In recent years the International Energy Agency (IEA) has also repeatedly called for a winding back of fossil fuel subsidies, which are at times obscured from public view. “Governments need to stop hiding their handouts to oil, gas and coal and come clean,” says the IEA.
Renewable energy subsidies are the relatively new kid on the block, as is the industry itself – and it’s not unusual for fledgling sectors to require a helping hand. However, the fossil fuel sector has been around for well over a century, has been hugely profitable for much of the time; yet has had its snout firmly planted in the public trough for decades – and still does today.
While renewables such as solar power have still flourished on an uneven playing field; with fossil fuel subsidisation wound back and the support diverted to renewable energy, a cheap yet clean energy future will arrive even faster.
Solar photovoltaic energy growing even faster than wind power
Solar PV To Out-Pace Wind Power This Year http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3962 29 Sept 13 Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) predicts more solar panel capacity will be added around the world this year than wind power.
BNEF forecasts 33.8GW of new onshore wind farms and 1.7GW of offshore wind will be added this year along with 36.7GW of new PV capacity – the first time the solar technology has outpaced wind.
“The dramatic cost reductions in PV, combined with new incentive regimes in Japan and China, are making possible further, strong growth in volumes,” said Jenny Chase, BNEF’s head of solar analysis.
Looking further ahead, BNEF believes onshore wind and PV will contribute almost equally to the world’s new electricity capacity installations between now and 2030. It forecasts onshore and offshore wind combined will grow from representing 5% of the world’s total installed power generation capacity in 2012 to 17% in 2030. Solar panel based power generation will increase from 2% in 2012 to 16% by 2030.
In other relatively recent news from the company, BNEF says development banks financed USD$109bn in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrical transmission and distribution last year. The 26 institutions covered by its analysis have financed a total of $425bn in clean energy investment since 2007.
Roughly half of the global total ($217bn out of $425bn) went to European projects.
Of all the sectors within renewables, large hydro secured the largest amount of funding, with $29.2bn of investment since 2007. Solar power projects received a total of $12.1b for the period.
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German government-owned development bank based in Frankfurt, has been the biggest investor by a large margin; ploughing nearly $147b into clean energy between 2007 and 2012. Next on the leader-board is China Development Bank (CDB) at $77b.
This year BNEF expects at least another 15% growth in development bank financing; but this could be as much as 30% more if new entrants begin participating in the market.
Windcentrale’s success in crowdfunding wind energy
Crowdfunding for Wind Energy Sets New World Record http://theenergycollective.com/claretaylor/279926/crowdfunding-wind-energy-sets-new-world-record Clare Taylor September 26, 2013 This week 1700 Dutch households raised EUR 1.3 million in just thirteen hours to buy shares in a wind turbine – setting a new world record for crowdfunding. For the next 12 years, these households will receive their own sustainable energy from the cooperatively owned turbine. With electricity costs set to rise, the ‘wind-sharers’ will benefit from big annual savings – by anticipating and managing energyneeds. Facilitated by Dutch company WindCentrale, the wind shares were sold for EUR 200 each and households bought single shares or blocks of shares. Each share corresponds to approximately 500kWh of electricity per year (the annual average household consumption in the Netherlands is 3500kWh).
Harm Reitsma, founder of Windcentrale, comments: ‘We expected things would move fast, but nobody anticipated the run on the wind-shares that happened yesterday evening. An increasing number of people want to generate their own electricity. Solar panels aren’t always an option and so wind-shares in a remote wind turbine gives everyone the chance to take matters into their own hands and generate their own clean electricity. As a result, interest in our wind-shares has been huge, and continues to rise. A good example of Power To The People!’
Windcentrale was founded in 2010, setting up cooperatives to help accelerate the switch to sustainable energy in the Netherlands. The wind-sharers jointly own the wind turbine, and a dedicated smartphone App allows every owner to see wind speeds and electricity production levels ‘real time’.
Explicitly linking patterns of energy consumption and renewable energy production is also highlighted inEnergizAIR, an Intelligent Energy-Europe project aimed at setting up a renewable energy weather forecast covering real-time production indicators for PV, solar thermal and wind turbines.
Irish start-up EnergyElephant uses a ‘e-traffic light’ system to let users know when there is a lot of renewable energy being generated. Founder Joe Borza sees this as a way to enable consumer choice in reducing household’s carbon footprint, tweeting last week ‘What a day for Irish wind energy! 40% for most of this afternoon!!!’ Time to ‘make hay while the sun shines’, and the wind blows…
World’s largest solar thermal plant now in action
World’s biggest solar thermal power plant fired up in California Grist By John Upton 25 Sept 13 Business Wire Ivanpah The 3,500-acre Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is a startling sight in the Mojave Desert. Three sprawling units each contain a circular array of mirrors reflecting rays from the sun toward a 459-foot central tower. Water in the tower is heated by the rays to produce steam, which spins turbines and — voila — electricity is produced.
It all seems a bit magical, but as of Tuesday, the world’s largest solar thermal power plant began feeding energy into a power grid for the first time.
How much energy? Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce 377 megawatts of power that will be sold to two Californian utilities, helping the state’s electricity sector meet ambitious, state-mandated renewable energy goals. During some days it could provide enough power for more than 200,000 homes.
Partners in the project include NRG Energy, BrightSource Energy, Google, Bechtel and, of course, you and me. The federal government leased public land to the effort and backed it up with one of those loan guarantees that you heard so much about in 2011 and 2012…….http://grist.org/news/worlds-biggest-solar-thermal-power-plant-fired-up-in-california/?utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&sub_email=chris%40protectourwinters.org
1 This Month
petition to oppose the rapid increase of space-military industry threatening Jeju Island and the region.
[Petition by April 19th (KST)] Stop the joint military-Hanwha Systems-Jeju Provincial Government Sea Launch!
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
-
Archives
- April 2026 (194)
- March 2026 (251)
- February 2026 (268)
- January 2026 (308)
- December 2025 (358)
- November 2025 (359)
- October 2025 (376)
- September 2025 (257)
- August 2025 (319)
- July 2025 (230)
- June 2025 (348)
- May 2025 (261)
-
Categories
- 1
- 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES
- business and costs
- climate change
- culture and arts
- ENERGY
- environment
- health
- history
- indigenous issues
- Legal
- marketing of nuclear
- media
- opposition to nuclear
- PERSONAL STORIES
- politics
- politics international
- Religion and ethics
- safety
- secrets,lies and civil liberties
- spinbuster
- technology
- Uranium
- wastes
- weapons and war
- Women
- 2 WORLD
- ACTION
- AFRICA
- Atrocities
- AUSTRALIA
- Christina's notes
- Christina's themes
- culture and arts
- Events
- Fuk 2022
- Fuk 2023
- Fukushima 2017
- Fukushima 2018
- fukushima 2019
- Fukushima 2020
- Fukushima 2021
- general
- global warming
- Humour (God we need it)
- Nuclear
- RARE EARTHS
- Reference
- resources – print
- Resources -audiovicual
- Weekly Newsletter
- World
- World Nuclear
- YouTube
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
nuclear-news 