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Pacific islands Tonga and Tokelau moving to 100% solar energy

Tonga joins Pacific solar drive to cheaper, safer, cleaner power REneweconomy By   17 August 2012 Last week, New Zealand-based Powersmart Solar officially switched on the first of three solar power systems being installed on the South Pacific archipelago of Tokelau. As reported on RenewEconomy earlier this month, Tokelau is replacing the diesel electricity systems that have powered its three atolls with solar power systems and battery storage.

But Tokelau is not the the only South Pacific nation currently undergoing a solar transformation. The Kingdom of Tonga switched on its own maiden solar plant at the end of last month – another New Zealand-funded project that, along with the plant at Tokelau’s Fakaofo atoll, are set to be the first of many to come in the region, according to NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully.

As is the case in Tokelau, the Tongan solar plant – Ma’ama Mai, which means “Let there be Light” – is part of a scheme to reduce the island nation’s dependence on fossil fuels and, in particular, diesel. According to reports, Tonga was consuming about 30 million litres of diesel a year; an average of about one litre every two seconds.

A collaborative effort between Tonga Power and NSW-based Meridian Energy, Ma’ama Mai’s nearly 6,000 solar panels will generate around 1MW a year, which equates to 4 per cent of electricity used on the main island of Tongatapu. For such a seemingly small amount, this will help Tonga save an estimated 470,000 litres of diesel – $NZ15 million-worth – over the 25-year-life of the plant.

According to an ABC News report, the plant was originally going to be funded by Tonga Power and the Tongan Government, but the World Bank would not loan Tonga any more funds, so New Zealand stepped in to cover the $7.9 million cost.

Already it is paying off, with the government announcing a reduction in the price Tongans pay for electricity from August 1. And this could just be the beginning – Tonga’s Minister for Public Enterprises, William Clive Edwards, says the aim is to have 50 per cent of the country’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2018; including solar, wind and biomass….. http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/tonga-joins-pacific-solar-drive-to-cheaper-safer-cleaner-power-60042

August 17, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, OCEANIA | Leave a comment

Saudi Arabia to go solar energy in a big way

Kingdom eyes 40 GW solar energy by 2032 Saudi Gazette, August 16, 2012  JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious target of installing more than 40 GW of solar power capacity by 2032, of which 60 percent would be from concentrated solar power (CSP) and remaining from photovoltaics (PV). Continue reading →

August 17, 2012 Posted by | renewable, Saudi Arabia | Leave a comment

Developing storage systems for renewable energy

Storage systems for renewable energy, Energy Harvesting Journal , 13 Aug 12, Energy storage systems are one of the key technologies for the energy turnaround. With their help, the fluctuating supply of electricity based on photovoltaics and wind power can be stored until the time of consumption.

At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), several pilot plants of solar cells, small wind power plants, lithium-ion batteries, and power electronics are under construction to demonstrate how load peaks in the grid can be balanced and what regenerative power supply
by an isolated network may look like in the future.

“High-performance batteries on the basis of lithium ions can already be applied reasonably in the grid today,” says Dr. Andreas Gutsch, coordinator of the Competence E project. As stationary storage systems, they can store solar or wind power until it is retrieved by the grid. “When applied correctly, batteries can also balance higher load and production peaks and, hence, make sense from an economic point of view.”

The Competence E project is presently developing several pilot systems consisting of photovoltaics and wind power plants coupled to a lithium-ion battery. Over a development phase of two years, a worldwide battery screening was made. “Now, we know which lithium-ion cells are suited best for stationary storage systems,” says Gutsch.
The first stage of the modular systems will be constructed on KIT Campus North by the end of 2012. It will have a capacity of 50 kW…..
http://www.energyharvestingjournal.com/articles/storage-systems-for-renewable-energy-00004648.asp?sessionid=1

August 14, 2012 Posted by | energy storage, Germany | Leave a comment

Up to 113,845 jobs in clean energy for Michigan

“It’s a job creating machine, with the added benefit of cleaner air, improved public health and healthier communities.”

All told, the initiative would create between 74,495 and 113,845 jobs in Michigan..

 Renewable energy ballot measure called ‘job creating machine‘ By Karen Bouffard Detroit News Lansing Bureau, August 10, 2012 Lansing— At least 74,000 jobs would be created if voters approve a proposed ballot measure that requires 25 percent of energy to come
from renewable sources by 2025, according to a Michigan State University study released Friday.

Results of the study were announced by supporters of the Michigan Energy Michigan Jobs renewable energy ballot proposal, which is opposed by utility companies and business groups. The higher renewable electricity standard would create more than $10
billion in investments, according to the study. Continue reading →

August 11, 2012 Posted by | employment, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Scotland CAN get to %100 renewable energy

100% renewable energy ‘attainable’
http://www.strathearnherald.co.uk/strathearn-news/scottish-news/2012/08/10/100-renewable-energy-attainable-64054-31597089/ Aug 10 2012 The ambition to generate 100% of Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020 could be within reach, a report has suggested.
Scotland’s Renewable Energy Sector In Numbers – an online portal by industry body Scottish Renewables which pulls together figures from a range of sources – shows figures on energy capacity, output, jobs and investment, and emissions which were buried away in dense government reports. Continue reading →

August 11, 2012 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Renewable energy – matching electricity supplies to demands

MATCHING SUPPLIES OF ELECTRICITY TO VARIABLE DEMANDS FOR ELECTRICITY, DESERTEC UK, 9 Aug 12 It is sometimes suggested that renewable sources of electricity cannot provide more than about 20% of our electricity supplies because they are intermittent or variable. But all sources of electricity are intermittent because they need to be taken out of service for scheduled maintenance and because, like any kind of equipment, they are liable to unscheduled breakdowns. With all sources of power, load factors are normally well short of 100%.

The variability of sources such as wind power is much less of an issue than is sometimes suggested, as described in Managing Variability (PDF, 402 KB, a report by independent consultant David Milborrow commissioned by Greenpeace, WWF, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, July 2009).

Not only are all sources of electricity intermittent, and many of them are variable, but the demand for electricity is variable too—and there can be quite large changes from one minute to the next. The often-quoted example is how there can be a sharp peak in demand for electricity when there is a commercial break in a popular TV programme and many people go and put the kettle on to make a cup of tea.

There is a range of techniques available for matching supplies with constantly varying demands. When electricity supply systems are properly engineered, they should be able to accommodate sources of electricity that are 100% renewable.

Any or all of the following techniques may be used:


  • Large-scale ‘HVDC’ transmission grids    . In an area like Europe, there are several potential benefits from building a ‘supergrid’ of highly-efficient HVDC transmission lines to link existing HVAC transmission grids (see electricity transmission grids). One of the most important benefits is that this kind of large-scale grid can make it much easier to match variable supplies with variable demands. For example, the wind may stop blowing in any one spot but it almost never stops blowing everywhere across a wide area like Europe. If there is a peak in demand in any one area, it can almost always be met from spare capacity in one or more other areas. Large-scale storage facilities, such as pumped-storage systems in Norway and the Alps, may be widely shared. Submarine HVDC transmission lines that have been laid between Norway and Denmark and between Norway and the Netherlands enable both pairs of countries to benefit in this way.
  • Complementary sources of power……
  • Power on demand. …   .  http://www.desertec-uk.org.uk/elec_eng/supply_demand.html

August 10, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, Reference, renewable | Leave a comment

MATCHING SUPPLIES OF ELECTRICITY TO VARIABLE DEMANDS FOR ELECTRICITY

MATCHING SUPPLIES OF ELECTRICITY TO VARIABLE DEMANDS FOR ELECTRICITY, DESERTEC UK, August 12, 
It is sometimes suggested that renewable sources of electricity cannot provide more than about 20% of our electricity supplies because they are intermittent or variable. But all sources of electricity are intermittent because they need to be taken out of service for scheduled maintenance and because, like any kind of equipment, they are liable to unscheduled breakdowns. With all sources of power, load factors are normally well short of 100%.

The variability of sources such as wind power is much less of an issue than is sometimes suggested, as described in Managing Variability (PDF, 402 KB, a report by independent consultant David Milborrow commissioned by Greenpeace, WWF, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, July 2009).

Not only are all sources of electricity intermittent, and many of them are variable, but the demand for electricity is variable too—and there can be quite large changes from one minute to the next. The often-quoted example is how there can be a sharp peak in demand for electricity when there is a commercial break in a popular TV programme and many people go and put the kettle on to make a cup of tea.

There is a range of techniques available for matching supplies with constantly varying demands. When electricity supply systems are properly engineered, they should be able to accommodate sources of electricity that are 100% renewable.

Any or all of the following techniques may be used:


  • Large-scale ‘HVDC’ transmission grids    . In an area like Europe, there are several potential benefits from building a ‘supergrid’ of highly-efficient HVDC transmission lines to link existing HVAC transmission grids (see electricity transmission grids). One of the most important benefits is that this kind of large-scale grid can make it much easier to match variable supplies with variable demands. For example, the wind may stop blowing in any one spot but it almost never stops blowing everywhere across a wide area like Europe. If there is a peak in demand in any one area, it can almost always be met from spare capacity in one or more other areas. Large-scale storage facilities, such as pumped-storage systems in Norway and the Alps, may be widely shared. Submarine HVDC transmission lines that have been laid between Norway and Denmark and between Norway and the Netherlands enable both pairs of countries to benefit in this way.
  • Complementary sources of power. In load-balancing via the grid, it is helpful if different kinds of generators have complementary characteristics. For example, there is a good fit between solar power—which is strongest in the summer—and wind power—which is strongest in the winter (see, for example, Seasonal optimal mix of wind and solar power in a future, highly renewable Europe, Dominik Heide and others, Renewable Energy 35, 2483-2489, 2010).
  • Power on demand. One of the most useful attributes in any source of electricity is the ability to respond quickly to peaks in demand. Sources of electricity such as coal-fired power stations or nuclear power cannot respond quickly in that way and are really only suitable for ‘base load’. Non-renewable sources that provide power on demand are gas-fired power stations and stand-by generators (See Emergency power systems to be worth £1.5bn by 2020, The Telegraph, 2011-11-09). Renewable sources of power that can provide power on demand include:……  http://www.desertec-uk.org.uk/elec_eng/supply_demand.html

August 8, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

US Power Company To Invest Another $883 Million In Solar by Energy Matters. 7 Aug 12,US utility Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) recently announced it will request approval to invest up to USD$883 million to develop an additional 233 megawatts (MWs) of solar energy capacity.

The company made the announcement at an event marking the start of a renewable energy project that will transform a dormant brownfield in New Jersey into a solar farm. This will be the fifth PSE&G  project that uses a brownfield or landfill site for energy production.

Brownfield sites are abandoned facilities often contaminated with materials that make them unsuitable for residential purposes.

“Every time we reclaim a landfill or brownfield site with solar panels, it’s a win for the people of New Jersey,” said PSEG chairman, president and CEO Ralph Izzo. “We are ready to do more of these projects and transform sites like this all over the state to generate more jobs along with clean renewable energy.”

The 1.06-MW PSE&G Hackensack Solar Farm is part of the utility’s Solar 4 All program. When the current phase of the program is complete early next year, PSE&G will have created about 175 direct jobs annually for the last three years and spent $300 million while developing 80 megawatts of solar capacity….  http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3327

August 8, 2012 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Siddharth Malik’s success story in solar power for India

How seven young entrepreneurs defied hurdles to develop clean renewable energy  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/emerging-businesses/entrepreneurs/how-seven-young-entrepreneurs-defied-hurdles-to-develop-clean-renewable-energy/ 4 AUG, 2012,   SHREYA JAI,ET BUREAU articleshow/15347643.cms   Renewable energy in India has always been a risky business, be it due to high input cost, unsteady market or lack of government support. But these seven young entrepreneurs defied all this and much more. 

At a time when even big companies are reluctant to enter the renewable energy market due to the huge costs involved, they have come up with innovative solutions to develop clean energy, which brings down the costs and is accessible by the commons, even village folks, reports ET. 

‘SWADES’ STORY IN REAL  Siddharth Malik, 30 Megawatt Solutions, Delhi 
AN engineering and management degree fromUniversity of Pennsylvania, a flourishing career with energy-focused companies in the US where the base package is a sinful $1,00,0000 per annum. What more can you ask for?

Well, Siddharth Malik had ideas. This passionate 30-year old left all this to come back to India and start his own renewable energy venture amalgamating high-performing solar-thermal systems with fossil fuels.

He started Megawatts Solutions in 2010, which provides concentrated solar-thermal solutions. “At least when sun is shining, fossils need not be fired,” says Malik, adding, “this simple idea creates long-term economic value for industry owners.” Its 0.5-mw pilot project in Guragon provides a hybrid solution by integrating solarthermal with fossil fuel that offers considerably higher value than stand-alone solar thermal plants.”  It has resulted in up to 25% more efficient performance than competing technologies , which makes a drastic improvement in economics of solar,” adds Malik.

MS’ solutions are based on home-grown concentrated solar thermal technology and its role ranges from designing to manufacturing, installing and commissioning industrial-scale solar thermal projects. It has four projects in the pipeline including a 3 mw solar thermal heating project in Gujarat – the largest ever in India.

August 4, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, India | Leave a comment

Decentralised solar power made poor Indian villagers the winners!

Solar Power Helped Keep the Lights On in India By David Biello | August 1, 2012 Every day, at least 400 million Indians lack access to electricity. Another nearly 700 million Indians joined their fellows inenergy poverty over the course of the last few days, or roughly 10 percent of the world’s population.

Oddly enough, some of the formerly energy poor—rural villagers throughout the subcontinent—found themselves better off than their middle-class compatriots during the recent blackouts, thanks to village homes outfitted with photovoltaic panels. In fact, solar power helped keep some electric pumps supplying water for fields parched by an erratic monsoon this year.

That monsoon is partly to blame for the blackouts as well. A lack of rain has meant a reduction in power from India’s hydroelectric dams. Pair that with problems with the supply of coal to burn and the northern half of India found itself with not enough electricity supply to meet demand. One ironic anecdote illustrates this conundrum nicely: coal miners in northern India were trapped when their electric lifts failed as a result of the blackout exacerbated by a lack of coal….. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/08/01/solar-power-kept-the-lights-on-in-india/

August 3, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, India | Leave a comment

Japan could become second biggest solar power nation New Scientist,  02 August 2012 by Rob Gilhooly WITH nuclear power on the ropes in Japan, it could be solar power’s time to shine. Minamisoma City in Fukushima prefecture has signed an agreement with Toshiba to build the country’s biggest solar park. The deal comes weeks after Japan introduced feed-in tariffs to subsidise renewable energy – a move that could see the nation become one of the world’s largest markets for solar power.

Parts of Minamisoma are around 10 kilometres from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and land there has been contaminated by radiation fallout. “Moving away from a dependency on nuclear is of course involved [with the agreement to build the solar park],” a city official said.

Both Minamisoma and neighbouring Namie have called for the cancellation of plans to build a nearby nuclear power plant – although Minamisoma has received $6.4 million over the past 25 years for initially agreeing to host the facility.

A number of Japanese municipalities have started solar projects in recent months. Plans have been drawn up for large-scale solar parks in Hokkaido and Kyushu, while SB Energy began operating two megasolar facilities, in Kyoto and Gunma, on 1 July.

“New solar projects are being generated day by day,” says Toshiba’s Yuji Shimada. Some estimates suggest the move could help Japan leapfrog Italy andbecome the second-biggest market for solar power after Germany… http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528764.800-japan-could-become-second-biggest-solar-power-nation.html

August 3, 2012 Posted by | Japan, renewable | Leave a comment

Solar power gives energy independence to Pacific Island Tokelau

Island nation of Tokelau gets ready to go solar Gizmag, By Antonio Pasolini, July 30, 2012 Adopting renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is a great way to reduce emissions and produce energy locally.

In places like remote Pacific islands, however, those benefits are potentially a key to independence. For that reason Tokelau, a 10 sq. km. (3.86 sq. mi) island nation that lies around 500 km (311 mi) north of Samoa and which is a territory of New Zealand, is about to ditch diesel as a source of electricity and switch to solar power. Continue reading →

July 31, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, OCEANIA | Leave a comment

National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Solar Has The Most Potential Of Any Renewable Energy Source Think Progress, Jul 30, 2012 A recently released study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, estimates that the technical potential of photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power (CSP) in the United States is as much as 200,000 Gigawatts, enough to generate about400,000 TWh of energy annually.

The report dismisses economic and political impacts on the solar industry and focuses solely on the scientific and engineering limitations. The types of solar power studied in the report were Urban Utility-Scale Photovoltaics, Rural Utility-Scale Photovoltaics, Rooftop Photovoltaics, and Concentrated Solar Power, which is a utility-scale project “in which the solar heat energy is collected in a central location.”

The report broke down each type of solar array: Continue reading →

July 31, 2012 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Bangladesh goes solar

Bangladesh sees surge in use of solar energy , 31 Jul 2012   Alertnet   By Syful Islam DHAKA, Bangladesh   As costs fall and incomes rise, power-hungry Bangladesh is seeing a surge in the adaptation home solar energy systems.

Last year, close to 40,000 units a month were installed on average across the country; this year installations have surged to 55,000 a month, according to Ruhul Quddus, head of the Rural Services Foundation, a Bangladeshi charity. His charity is installing 11,000 solar power systems a month, up from 8,000 a month last year, he said.

Altogether, 30 percent more homes are using solar power in Bangladesh than a year ago – a change driven by a rise in purchasing capacity and falling prices.

“Rural people now want to improve their quality of life,” including by trading kerosene lamps for solar and using the latest electrical appliances, said Abser Kamal, chief executive office of Grameen Shakti, a pioneering organisation in renewable energy in Bangladesh.

Per capita income has been rising in Bangladesh in recent years as the country’s growth rate has improved. During the last fiscal year, per capita hit income hit $848 a year, up from $676 three years ago, according to government figures. The country’s growth rate during the last fiscal year was 6.32 percent, and this year the government is targeting growth of 7.2 percent.

Installing solar power in their homes helps families with a variety of tasks, Kamal said.

A RANGE OF BENEFITS….. http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/bangladesh-sees-surge-in-use-of-solar-energy

July 31, 2012 Posted by | ASIA, renewable | Leave a comment

Supercomputer Powered By Solar Panels, by Energy Matters, 31 July 12 A supercomputer used by Britain’s Met Office (the equivalent of Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology) is now powered by solar panels. The solar panel array will generate 221,000 kW hours of electricity per year – enough energy to power 67 UK households – and will avoid around 116 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

  Installed on the rooftop of the Met Office’s Exeter HQ Energy Centre, the array is linked to an electricity management system allowing for real-time monitoring of the panels’ performance The 250kW solar power system consists of 1,000 solar modules. The system was installed by UK company Sungift Solar.

Drawing on more than 10 million weather observations each 24 hours, an advanced atmospheric model and three high performance supercomputers are used to create 3,000 tailored forecasts and briefings a day.

Among the Met Office’s other sustainability efforts in relation to its supercomputers is a Direct Current (DC) power project; a system that is delivering a 10% power reduction and a £200,000 electricity cost saving per year.
The organisation has also invested in evaporative free cooling for its supercomputers. Large tanks installed on the roof of its headquarters in Exeter allow for cooling at ambient temperature outside the building for much of the time, rather than total reliance on mechanical cooling. …. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3318

July 31, 2012 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

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