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Solar energy costs to beat fossil fuels, as China, Japan introduce feed in tariff

“The likelihood that Japan will follow China in rolling out major policy incentives to scale up renewable energy production is an exciting prospect. The demand created by these two Asian giants could well provide the global tipping point that accelerates the emergence of renewables as cost-competitive or indeed cost-beating alternatives to fossil fuel power generation.”

Japan’s Feed In Tariffs Could Accelerate Global Solar Grid Parity, Renewable Energy News,   24 Aug 11,. New legislation in place in China and laws about to be enacted in Japan could be the global tipping point for renewables achieving grid parity with fossil fuel based power generation sooner than most expected. Continue reading →

August 25, 2011 Posted by | India, Japan, renewable | Leave a comment

100% renewable energy to run Germany’s railways

Germany’s road to a 100% renewable railway, Nuclear power was once a go-to source for keeping German trains on the go. Fukushima changed that. In response to Japan’s nuclear disaster, Germany decided to put the brakes on its nuclear plants by 2020. Now, Deutsche Bahn, the country’s biggest electricity consumer, is looking elsewhere. Smart PLanet, By Melissa Mahony | August 24, 2011 

The national railway operator plans to switch over entirely to renewable energy by 2050. Continue reading →

August 25, 2011 Posted by | Germany, renewable | Leave a comment

For New Jersey, wind and solar energy a better investment than nuclear power

As for nuclear, Tittel said. it’s too expensive to build, maintain, and operate. The cost of building a nuclear plant is three to four times more than wind and then you add the environmental and safety issues, he said.

“Wind and solar is a much better investment,”

Wind And Solar Energy Overshadow Nuclear At Energy Master Plan Public Hearing, Toms River Patch, By Elaine Piniat 19 Aug 11, The public, environmental advocates, and stakeholders voice their opinions on the state’s Energy Master Plan. Wind and solar energy were the focus at a public hearing on the state’s Energy Master Plan held by Sen. Bob Smith (D- District 17) and Assemblyman John McKeon (D- District 27) at the Town Hall in Toms River.
“The New Jersey shore provides an appropriate setting for a vigorous discussion on clean energy, considering it is an ideal location for harnessing renewable sources like wind and solar…New Jersey has a unique opportunity to modernize our energy blueprint for the future,” Smith said prior to the hearing…… Continue reading →

August 19, 2011 Posted by | ENERGY, USA | Leave a comment

Even with the recession, renewable energy performing well across the globe

Special report:Renewable energy sector grows despite recession, The Citizen, 13 August 2011, Paris. The renewable energy (RE) sector continues to perform well despite continuing economic recession, incentive cuts, and low natural-gas prices, the Renewables 2011 Global Status Report (GSR) released last month has shown.

In 2010, renewable energy supplied an estimated 16 per cent of global final energy consumption and delivered close to 20 per cent of global electricity production. Renewable capacity now comprises about a quarter of total global power-generating capacity. Including all hydropower (estimated 30 GW added in 2010), RE accounted for approximately 50 per cent of total added power generating capacity in 2010.

In 2010, existing solar water and space heating capacity increased by an estimated 25 gigawatts-thermal (GWth), or about 16 per cent. The report was commissioned by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) and produced in collaboration with a global network of research partners.

“The global performance of renewable energy despite headwinds has been a positive constant in turbulent times”, says Mr Mohamed El-Ashry, chairman of REN21’s Steering Committee. “Today, more people than ever before derive energy from renewables as capacity continues to grow, prices continue to fall, and shares of global energy from renewable energy continue to increase.” …..http://thecitizen.co.tz/sunday-citizen/40-sunday-citizen-news/13743-special-reportrenewable-energy-sector-grows-despite-recession.htm

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August 15, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Japan doing well with energy conservation – nuclear power not necessary?

Saving electricity has become a sort of national religion. With many air conditioners set at 82 degrees, businessmen have shed their usual suits in favor of “super cool biz” short-sleeve shirts. Car makers have been forced to operate on weekends to avoid sucking up electricity during peak weekday hours.

Peak electricity usage for the Tokyo area so far this summer was nearly 23% below the peak last summer.

The drop in electrical consumption is shaking Japan’s decades-old commitment to nuclear power

Summer Power Success Raises Heat in Energy Debate, WSJ AUGUST 12, 2011, By Peter Landers It looks as if Japan has just about survived the peak of summer electricity demand without power outages, although the Tohoku region had some close calls…..

Japan’s success at avoiding outages even with most of its nuclear reactors out of service is taking on a more strategic importance, influencing the broader debate over nuclear power’s future. Whether to phase out nuclear power will be a big issue when the Democratic Party of Japan chooses a successor to Prime Minister Naoto Kan later this month or next month……http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/08/12/summer-power-success-raises-heat-in-energy-debate/

Japan Snaps Back With Less Power, Economy Survives Reactor Shutdowns, and Tokyo Rethinks Nuclear Policy, WSJ, Peter Landers. JULY 29, 2011 TOKYO—When the March 11 tsunami knocked out more than half of the nuclear power plants serving the Tokyo area, it set off one of the biggest unplanned experiments in a modern society: Could a metropolis of 30 million people get by after losing about a fifth of its power supply?

After a steaming July in Japan filled with 90-degree-plus days, the preliminary answer is in, and it is yes. Continue reading →

August 13, 2011 Posted by | ENERGY, Japan | Leave a comment

United States Army Going Green

Army to build green-energy capabilities, Fierce Government August 12, 2011 — By , The Army plans to launch large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects on Army installations, Army Secretary John McHugh said Aug. 10. The Army predicts it will invest up to $7.1 billion over the next 10 years to meet its energy goals; this will produce 2.1 million megawatt hours of power annually, the service estimated in a statement.

What Army envisions as “an economically viable, large-scale renewable energy infrastructure,” will begin with a task force, McHugh said, to address energy security, escalating fuel prices and compliance with green-government mandates. The Energy Initiatives Office Task Force, which will be part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, will be fully operational by Sept. 15, he said……For more:- see the Army press release    http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/army-build-green-energy-capabilities/2011-08-12

August 13, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | 1 Comment

Australian soldiers to wear portable solar power

Super slim solar cell a success, The Age, Ben Cubby August 12, 2011 ’A typical solar cell is about 0.2 millimetres thick, which is 200 micrometres  thinner than a human hair or a sheet of paper, will soon be used by Australian soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan as a portable power source. The solar cells, invented by researchers at the Australian National University, can be used to cover helmets, tents or clothing and recharge electronic gear such as night vision goggles.

They also have extensive potential in civilian applications, including recharging phones and computers, because a square metre of lightweight solar panel can generate 140 watts of power and yet be rolled up into a ball afterwards. ’A typical solar cell is about 0.2 millimetres thick, which is 200 micrometres – that’s too thick to bend, it would shatter,” the project’s chief investigator, Andrew Blakers, said. ”But these cells are about 45 microns thick, so they are flexible and also about the same efficiency as commercial solar cells. By comparison, really fine quality merino wool is about 18 microns thick.” In practice, many square metres of panel could be unfurled from a box about the same size as a wine cask   http://www.theage.com.au/national/super-slim-solar-cell-a-success-20110811-1iot3.html

August 12, 2011 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, renewable | Leave a comment

USA govt report – renewable energy outstrips nuclear

Renewable Energy Consumption Passes Nuclear, Earth Techling, by Steve Duda, August 9th, 2011 Renewable energy consumption in the United States recently exceeded current and historical consumption levels for nuclear energy, a government study reports.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, during the first quarter of this year a combination of nuclear outages related to plants shutting down for refueling and the start of the high water season for hydropower generation caused the shift in consumption. Seasonal variations in renewable energy, said the EIA,  ”are dominated by the annual cycle of water availability for hydroelectric power production. Hydropower constitutes a significant yet highly variable portion of total renewable energy consumption, accounting for 31% of renewable energyconsumption in 2010.”

Joining this is a multi-year upward trend in renewable consumption driven by increasing consumption of biofuels and wind capacity additions. In the context of this study, renewable energy consumption is defined beyond electric power generation from hydro, wind, solar, and geothermalsources. Sources including biofuels for transportation (such as ethanol and biodiesel) and biomass (such as wood and wood wastes) for space heating and industrial steam production as well as for electric power generation are counted as renewable resources……http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/08/renewable-energy-consumption-passes-nuclear/

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August 11, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Solar energy becoming cheaper than coal

 it’s too bad our elected leaders see no value in spurring the next generation of energy technology rather than preserving tax cuts for oil and coal companies that are making record profits

5 breakthroughs that will make solar power cheaper than coal, Mother Nature Network, Karl Burkart, 8 Aug 11 Solar technology charges forward despite Washington’s backward march. Continue reading →

August 9, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Scotland’s renewable energy revolution

On-farm energy gets major boost in Scotland  Farmers Guardian, August 5, 2011 | By David Boderke, RENEWABLE projects in Scotland’s agriculture sector have been given a major boost with the announcement of a new Agri-Renewables Strategy.Announcing the strategy at the Black Isle Show, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said it will ‘ensure land managers can benefit from the renewables revolution and unlock the green energy potential of their land’.

Welcoming the announcement, NFU Scotland’s president, Nigel Miller said the Scottish Government’s commitment to develop the strategy and, in particular, to simplify the planning process, were ‘spot on’.Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland is currently experiencing a renewables revolution and I want to see farmers, crofters and land managers working with local communities to ensure they grasp the benefits for their businesses and the nation…..
He said the strategy, which he hoped would be in place by summer 2012 ‘at the latest’, will be developed in co-operation with industry representatives and will build on the Scottish Government’s existing renewables activity in the agricultural sector.
On-farm energy gets major boost in Scotland | News | Farmers Guardian

August 5, 2011 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Renewable energy development – the rational German example

Oh, the beauty of a system that is easy to understand and predictable……

Germany Shows How Renewable Energy Should Be Done, Daily Finance, ByTravis Hoium, The Motley Fool 08/01/11   Germany is doubling its efforts to be a renewable-energy power over the next 50 years, and it’s expanding beyond just solar power. After the country put thekibosh on exploding solar installationsby cutting feed-in tariffs (FIT), it has increased the FIT for biomass, geothermal, and offshore wind while simplifying solar rates. The wet blanketcurrently covering the German nuclear industrymeant the country needed to find a way to push renewable-energy installations to meet national renewable-energy goals before plants began closing. Continue reading →

August 2, 2011 Posted by | Germany, renewable | Leave a comment

Connecting nuclear and renewable energy – not a good idea?

Nuclear permit, renewables issues connected, Columbia Daily Tribune, By RUDI KELLER,  August 1, 2011  A forced marriage between nuclear power issues and rules for renewable energy standards seems likely if Missouri lawmakers are to consider — in a special session — whether utility customers will be required to pay for the first step toward building a new nuclear reactor.

Reversal of ruling may affect agenda. On Friday, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green reversed his ruling from late June that had seemingly allowed the two issues to remain separate. That ruling, nuclear power advocates and representatives of industrial ratepayers had said, settled many of the issues that remained from a 2008 initiative setting standards for renewable energy…..

PSC Chairman Kevin Gunn said he sees no reason why the two issues are joined other than as a legislative convenience. “The renewable energy should probably not be married to the early site permit,” he said…..http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/01/nuclear-permit-renewables-issues-connected/

August 2, 2011 Posted by | ENERGY, USA | Leave a comment

Germany’s strategic approach to renewable energy and energy efficiency

This package of proposals forms the basis for Germany’s confidence that it can phase out one source of energy and phase in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The combination of a mix of policies (emissions trading, standards, regulations, incentives) with planning and investments in the longer-term infrastructure is the pathway Germany has chosen.

How Germany plans to succeed in a nuclear free, low-carbon economy, | guardian.co.uk, 29 July 11, Germany plans to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets while it phases out nuclear power  Germany has taken some fundamental energy decisions in recent months, ones that are interesting for other countries to study and learn from. The most “famous” decision recently has been to phase out nuclear power in the next ten years. This move builds on years of debate and a societal decision after Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident to move away from nuclear energy.

There has been much less focus, however, on the phasing in of other sources of energy. Nor has there been much focus on how Germany can remain the economic powerhouse of Europe, and the world’s second largest exporting country, while removing a significant source of energy from its grid.

This phase-in story is vital to understand, especially taking into account that Germany plans to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets while it phases out nuclear power. So, how will this work?……. Continue reading →

July 30, 2011 Posted by | Germany, renewable | Leave a comment

Germany’s electric bicycles, powered by renewable energy

Germans get on their e-bikes – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation),29 July 11, Electric bikes may be the bicycle industry’s next big thing if German users are anything to go by.Demand in Germany, one of Europe’s largest markets for electronic bicycles along with the Netherlands, tripled in 2010 and is set to grow by 50 per cent to 300,000 this year, according to bicycle industry association ZIV.This attitude reflects a broader trend in Germany, where the Greens party is gaining popularity, for people to buy a range of “green”, environmentally friendly products…..Germans get on their e-bikes – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

July 30, 2011 Posted by | Germany, renewable | 1 Comment

Jobs and savings, in renewable energy for Wisconsin

The report found the state could see $2.7 billion in investment from renewable energy projects, while aggressive move to deploy energy efficiency could save Wisconsin residents $5.9 billion on their electric and natural gas bills..

Report: Greener energy policies will create more Midwest jobs, Journal Sentinel, By Thomas Content, 19 July 11, One week after a report found Wisconsin ranked 13th in the nation in green jobs, a new report projects the state would add another 11,500 jobs if it adopted more aggressive policies supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency. Continue reading →

July 21, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

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