Times 23rd June 2017, President Trump laid claim to an idea that could help his promised wall
along the Mexico border to turn a profit: solar panels. “I will give you an
idea that nobody has heard about yet. The southern border: lots of sun,
lots of heat. We are thinking about building a wall as a solar wall. So it
creates energy. And pays for itself,” he told a campaign-style rally in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The scheme would lower the cost to Mexico too, he said,
adding: “Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!” Mr Trump has discussed
the scheme in private meetings with legislators but floated it publicly for
the first time on Wednesday.
Contrary to his claim, however, others had
already raised the idea. Designs for the wall submitted to the US
government in April by Thomas Gleason, a Las Vegas businessman, had solar
panels powering lig hting, sensors and border patrol stations. The
Department of Homeland Security has been inviting companies to submit
plans, although Congress still has not allocated the funds needed to build
the wall. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/president-trump-claims-solar-panels-will-pay-for-his-mexican-wall-bt62xbkfl
June 24, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
decentralised, USA |
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Utility Week 19th June 2017, Mongoose Energy has launched a new crowdfunding platform to secure
financing for community energy projects. The company hopes the platform
will widen the pool of potential investors, bring down the cost of capital
and enable greater innovation in funding. “More people want a bigger say
in where their power comes from, where their investments go, and in
improving their own communities,” said former energy secretary and
chairman of Mongoose Energy, Sir Ed Davey. “Launching our own
crowdfunding platform means we can dispatch better energy, better financial
returns and better social dividends to UK community investors.” Mongoose
Crowd will offer people the first ever opportunity to invest up to £20,000
per year in community energy schemes via the Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA)
for peer-to-peer lending which the government launched in April last year.
http://utilityweek.co.uk/news/Community-energy-crowdfunding-platform-takes-off/1305532
June 21, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
decentralised, UK |
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Scottish Energy News 16th June 2017, The Royal Society of Edinburgh – Scotland’s National Academy – has set up a
new Inquiry Committee to look at Scotland’s Energy Future. The inquiry
aims to contribute to the important debate around Scotland’s energy
supply, demand and use, as well as moral and environmental
responsibilities.
It will also look to inform the policy- and decision-making at a Scottish, UK and international levels in relation to
resources needed at acceptable financial, moral and environmental costs.The
committee, which is expected to sit for around 18 months, will consider how
Scotland can meet the future energy demand and how to ensure that the
energy used is secure, affordable and environmentally justifiable. It will
also examine all areas of the debate around Scotland’s energy future in
the context of its commitment to combat global climate change and the
environmental imperative to reduce carbon emissions. http://www.scottishenergynews.com/
June 19, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
ENERGY, UK |
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Solar Power Will Kill Coal Faster Than You Think https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-15/solar-power-will-kill-coal-sooner-than-you-think [excellent graphs] Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s outlook shows renewables will be cheaper almost everywhere in just a few years. by Jess Shankleman and Hayley Warren June 15, 2017, Solar power, once so costly it only made economic sense in spaceships, is becoming cheap enough that it will push coal and even natural-gas plants out of business faster than previously forecast.
That’s the conclusion of a Bloomberg New Energy Finance outlook for how fuel and electricity markets will evolve by 2040. The research group estimated solar already rivals the cost of new coal power plants in Germany and the U.S. and by 2021 will do so in quick-growing markets such as China and India.
The scenario suggests green energy is taking root more quickly than most experts anticipate. It would mean that global carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuels may decline after 2026, a contrast with the International Energy Agency’s central forecast, which sees emissions rising steadily for decades to come.
“Costs of new energy technologies are falling in a way that it’s more a matter of when than if,” said Seb Henbest, a researcher at BNEF in London and lead author of the report.
The report also found that through 2040:
- China and India represent the biggest markets for new power generation, drawing $4 trillion, or about 39 percent all investment in the industry.
- The cost of offshore wind farms, until recently the most expensive mainstream renewable technology, will slide 71 percent, making turbines based at sea another competitive form of generation.
- At least $239 billion will be invested in lithium-ion batteries, making energy storage devices a practical way to keep homes and power grids supplied efficiently and spreading the use of electric cars.
- Natural gas will reap $804 billion, bringing 16 percent more generation capacity and making the fuel central to balancing a grid that’s increasingly dependent on power flowing from intermittent sources, like wind and solar.
- BNEF’s conclusions about renewables and their impact on fossil fuels are most dramatic. Electricity from photovoltaic panels costs almost a quarter of what it did in 2009 and is likely to fall another 66 percent by 2040. Onshore wind, which has dropped 30 percent in price in the past eight years, will fall another 47 percent by the end of BNEF’s forecast horizon.That means even in places like China and India, which are rapidly installing coal plants, solar will start providing cheaper electricity as soon as the early 2020s.
“These tipping points are all happening earlier and we just can’t deny that this technology is getting cheaper than we previously thought,” said Henbest.
- Coal will be the biggest victim, with 369 gigawatts of projects standing to be cancelled, according to BNEF. That’s about the entire generation capacity of Germany and Brazil combined.Capacity of coal will plunge even in the U.S., where President Donald Trump is seeking to stimulate fossil fuels. BNEF expects the nation’s coal-power capacity in 2040 will be about half of what it is now after older plants come offline and are replaced by cheaper and less-polluting sources such as gas and renewables.
In Europe, capacity will fall by 87 percent as environmental laws boost the cost of burning fossil fuels. BNEF expects the world’s hunger for coal to abate starting around 2026 as governments work to reduce emissions in step with promises under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
- “Beyond the term of a president, Donald Trump can’t change the structure of the global energy sector single-handedly,” said Henbest.All told, the growth of zero-emission energy technologies means the industry will tackle pollution faster than generally accepted. While that will slow the pace of global warming, another $5.3 trillion of investment would be needed to bring enough generation capacity to keep temperature increases by the end of the century to a manageable 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the report said.
The data suggest wind and solar are quickly becoming major sources of electricity, brushing aside perceptions that they’re too expensive to rival traditional fuels.
By 2040, wind and solar will make up almost half of the world’s installed generation capacity, up from just 12 percent now, and account for 34 percent of all the power generated, compared with 5 percent at the moment, BNEF concluded.
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, renewable |
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Two days after President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Modi and Macron pledged to achieve emissions reductions beyond their nations’ commitments.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/india-joins-renewable-energy-revolution-accelerates-targets-13206/
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
India, renewable |
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Energy-efficient cleaning robot, Science Daily
- Date:
- June 14, 2017
- Source:
- SINTEF
- Summary:
- State-of-the-art solar cells are efficient — but are even more so when they are kept clean. A cleaning robot enables solar panels to deliver at full capacity.
State-of-the-art solar cells are efficient — but are even more so when they are kept clean. A cleaning robot developed by Norwegian researchers enables solar panels to deliver at full capacity……
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170614092728.htm
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
EUROPE, renewable |
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Clean energy stored in electric vehicles to power buildings
Stored energy from electric vehicles (EVs) can be used to power large buildings — creating new possibilities for the future of smart, renewable energy — thanks to ground-breaking battery research from WMG at the University of Warwick.
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/51513
Making hydrogen fuel from humid air
One of the biggest hurdles to the widespread use of hydrogen fuel is making hydrogen efficiently and cleanly. Now researchers report in the journal ACS Nano a new way to do just that. They incorporated a photocatalyst in a moisture-absorbing, semiconducting paint that can produce hydrogen from water in the air when exposed to sunlight.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/acs-mhf060917.php
New technology will enable properties to share solar energy
Dr. Mahmoud Dhimish’s research will mean low energy bills for consumers
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/uoh-ntw060717.php
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, renewable |
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Scottish Energy News 15th June 2017, The UK electricity supply industry – which includes Scottish Power and
Perth-based utility SSE as grid operators – have formally set out for the
first time how the role of local electricity networks will change as the UK
‘smart’ energy grid becomes a reality.
A ‘smart’ grid will give British households, businesses and communities the ability to take
advantage of a new range of energy technologies and services to take
control of their energy and lower their costs – including renewable
generation, energy storage and BPVs (battery-powered cars).SSE has led the
way in demonstrating the benefits of a distributed system operator
transition through the Northern Isles New Energy Solutions (NINES) project
in Shetland.
“The NINES project was the first time active network management was deployed at scale in the UK. The headline result was that NINES enabled a 200% increase in renewable energy alongside a significant reduction in diesel generation, which is traditionally used to meet fluctuations in supply and demand.” http://www.scottishenergynews.com/
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
ENERGY, UK |
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Times 14th June 2017, Global coal usage fell steeply for the second year running in 2016, in what
BP hailed as a “decisive break from the past”.Spencer Dale, the oil giant’s
chief economist, highlighted the “stark” reversal in fortunes of the fuel
source, which has been driven by declines in China and the US, as arguably
the most striking feature in its annual statistical review of world energy,
published yesterday.
Britain recorded a 52.5 per cent drop in consumption
as coal power plants were forced out of the energy mix. That took UK coal
consumption back to levels not seen in almost two centuries, since the
industrial revolution.
Coal usage worldwide grew steadily from 2009 to
2013, driven by rising energy demand in Asia. Just four years ago it still
accounted for the largest share of growth in global energy consumption.
After plateauing in 2014, however, coal has declined steeply over the past
two years, falling by 1.7 per cent in 2016. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/coal-industry-in-sharp-decline-as-world-turns-to-cleaner-fuel-nlsvqlqzf
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, ENERGY |
1 Comment
Renew Economy 13th June 2017, Wind, solar and energy efficiency have replaced the vast majority of power
previously provided by the UK’s coal fleet, a new analysis shows.
Since the start of the coalition government in 2010, coal’s role in the
generation mix has fallen to historic lows, culminating in the country’s
first coal-free day since the 19th century earlier this year.
But the gap has not been plugged by natural gas, the UK’s now primary source of
electricity. Renewables and energy efficiency have together covered nearly
85% of the power the UK no longer gets from its coal plants. http://reneweconomy.com.au/wind-solar-energy-efficiency-replaces-coal-generation-uk-33657/
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
renewable, UK |
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Big switch: Distributed energy to overtake centralised power by 2018 http://reneweconomy.com.au/big-switch-distributed-energy-to-overtake-centralised-power-by-2018-2018/ By Giles Parkinson on 13 June 2017 [good graphs]
Energy storage has reached a tipping point, so much so that around 320GW of new large scale power plants that might have been planned in the 10 years to 2023 will now no longer be needed.
According to a new report from Deutsche Bank, the growth of distributed energy – locally provided renewables such as rooftop solar and battery storage – will soon outstrip new centralised generation capacity additions across the world.
In fact, it could happen as early as 2018, marking a fundamental shift in the nature of the world’s energy systems, recognising that the old centralised model will be quickly replaced by a system based around localised energy production and storage.
Deutsche Bank estimates that the market for stationary energy storage – used in electricity grids – will rise six fold in the next five years, from 1GW and $4 billion, or 40GW or $25 billion by 2022. Note the big fall in spending per GW as the price of storage plunges.
“This increased penetration of distributed generation should drive the need for intelligent distribution networks comprised of nanogrids, microgrids and virtual power plants (VPPs),” the Deutsche analysts write.
To put the 320GW into context, it is more than six times the installed capacity in Australia’s electricity grid, and about 14 times the size of its coal fleet. It represents the once-anticipated new build of coal fired power stations in India, that many say will no longer happen.
The shift in emphasis from centralised to distributed energy has long been predicted, although it is given scant attention in the latest Finkel Review. Some analysis, such as that by the CSIRO, predict that half of all generation will come from consumers by 2050.
Deutsche Bank says the global shift is likely to be accelerated by moves to reduce the scope of solar feed in tariffs, encouraging yet more consumers to add battery storage.
“Regulatory environment will likely be a critical driver of storage adoption rates and contrary to consensus views, detrimental solar policies could potentially act as a significant growth catalyst for storage sector.” (Meaning low feed in tariffs will encourage more people into storage).
It notes that in several European countries, the difference in the price of feed-in-tariffs and price paid for electricity from the price of power consumed from the grid is significantly wide. It didn’t mention Australia, but that is also significant difference.
This shift is being accompanied by big cost reductions in battery storage, particularly in the cost of lithium ion cells.
It lithium-ion cell costs have already plunged from $US900/kWh in 2010 to $US225/kWh in 2015 – a similar trajectory to solar, and are tipped to fall to $US150/kWh by 2020. Tesla/Panasonic li-ion costs are already below $US200/kWh for cells and around $US225/kWh for the entire battery pack.
In says that in California, for example, combining a solar-panel system with a commercial-scale battery installation (500kWh) can deliver a 20 per cent return on investment with state subsidies, and still 12 per cent without subsidies, from peak shifting alone.
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, decentralised |
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FT 13th June 2017 Oliver Joy, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy,
Brussels: I read with interest the report on power-generating pavements in London. The US pulling out of the Paris deal is a storm in a teacup in this context. The real answer to the global energy transition and delivering
beyond the pledges made in Paris lies with our cities and mayors.
Cities consume more than two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 per cent of emissions globally. Mayors and local leaders are truly at the “coal face” of the climate challenge. But without electrification of sectors such as heating, cooling and transport, the problem will never be solved.
Mitigation and adaptation measures are important, but energy transition is where the climate battle will be won or lost. Electrifying these sectors will not only reduce emissions but also open cities up as new centres of energy demand. In turn, this will mean that more renewables can come online.
Currently, wind and solar plants are being switched off to ensure system stability. But what if that excess power could be sent to our cities instead, so that millions of people can charge their cars with cheap kilowatts rather than petrol? This will mean rolling out more transmission capacity and smart grids so that power generated by wind and solar in remote regions can be delivered to the densely populated urban areas.
It will also mean consumers thinking consciously about their consumption patterns and when to boil their kettles. On June 27, Maros Sefcovic, European Commission vice-president for energy union, Michael Bloomberg and
Christiana Figueres will meet in Brussels with nine local leaders at the first board meeting of the newly formed Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
The initiative is an alliance of more than 7,400 cities and local governments worldwide on climate action. One thing is for
sure, if we don’t open up and electrify our cities, it will be like driving the global energy transition with the handbrake on.
https://www.ft.com/content/88852f90-4d3d-11e7-919a-1e14ce4af89b
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, climate change, ENERGY |
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Climate News Network 12th June 2017 Imagine living in a house which heats and cools itself, which saves
significantly on energy costs and keeps you healthy and comfortable – and
helps to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the process.
The good news is that, in the UK and several other countries, you don’t need to imagine
it. Houses as good as that are available to those who can afford them,
thanks in large measure to the Passivhaus Trust, an independent non-profit
organisation which promotes the principles of low-energy design.
“If youwant to get to zero carbon, Passivhaus gets you most of the way there, and
a bit of renewable energy finishes the job”, says Jon Bootland, the
Trust’s CEO. The Trust is one of the winners in this year’s Ashden
Awards, an annual international competition to encourage sustainable
energy. Passivhaus topped the shortlist for the 2017 award for sustainable
buildings.
The awards will be presented on 15 June by Al Gore, the former
US vice-president turned climate campaigner, at a ceremony at the Royal
Geographical Society in London, with each UK winner receiving £10,000
(US$13,300) to support their business (overseas winners receive twice as
much). http://climatenewsnetwork.net/passive-housing-cuts-costs-global-warming/
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
2 WORLD, ENERGY |
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Renewable Energy Outproduces Nuclear In The U.S. [good graphs] Oil Price.com By Ron Patterson – Jun 10, 2017, The EIA released the latest edition of their Electric Power Monthly on May 25th, with data for March 2017. March data includes some milestones which are significant in that these circumstances have not existed for a very long time, if ever.
• The contribution from solar reached just over 2 percent
• The contribution from All Renewables exceeded that from Nuclear
• The combined contribution from Wind and Solar exceeded 10 percent
• The contribution from Non-Hydro Renewables exceeded 12 percent
………This year the increase in solar output in March seems significantly greater than in the previous three years. The solar generation capacity in the U.S. increased by over 57 percent for the year 2016 and data is not yet available from the Solar Energy Industries Association for the first quarter of 2017….http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/Renewable-Energy-Outproduces-Nuclear-In-The-US.html
June 12, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
renewable, USA |
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Winds of change: gusts across Europe help set renewable power record, Nuclear, wind and solar power in UK generate more electricity than gas and coal combined for first time ever. Guardian, Adam Vaughan, 8 June 2017
The windy weather across Europe in the past 24 hours may have been a curse for summer picnics, but it has set records for renewable power. In the UK, wind, nuclear and solar power were together generating more electricity than gas and coal combined at 1pm on Wednesday, for the first time ever.
Including hydropower and biomass burned at power stations such as Drax in North Yorkshire, renewables provided 50.7% of demand at lunchtime.
High wind speeds and the growing number of windfarms off the coasts of the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries have also set what are understood to be records……https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/07/winds-gusts-europe-enewable-power-record
June 10, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
ENERGY, UK |
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