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South Africa’s renewable energy becoming cheaper

Renewable energy ‘getting cheaper’ Business Report, By Londiwe Buthelezi. May 22 2012 The cost of renewable energy for South African businesses and homes is coming down. Projects chosen in the second bidding window of the renewable energy independent power producers (IPP) programme would offer power at lower prices, the Department of Energy announced yesterday. Continue reading →

May 23, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, South Africa | Leave a comment

Communities benefiting from distributed renewable energy

It’s possible to reduce today’s energy consumption for street and road lighting by as much as 60% with new technologies – LED, smart lighting, distributed wind energy and even lights out programs.

The distributed energy market refers to small-scale energy produced primarily for on-site energy consumption meaning street lights, roof tops and ledges anything that requires a direct power source. In 2011, the size of the distributed renewable energy market was estimated around $70 billion dollars globally. It’s expected to top $150 billion by 2015. Because distributed energy is generated at the source of where energy is needed, the inefficient transmission lines are eliminated, creating a more direct source of renewable energy, with the traditional grid being used as a supplemental energy source.

Small Wind Energy Goes Urban In Italy, Korea, Brazil And Texas , by Jennifer Hcks, 18 May 12, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2012/05/17/small-wind-energy-goes-urban-in-italy-korea-brazil-and-texas-yes-texas/?ss=innovation-science Streetlights usually operate at electricity rates like the ones we pay in our private homes. About one-third of a municipality’s electrical costs are for street lighting. So having that energy provided by some form of renewable energy, means that every cent is saved and for municipalities, whose budgets are being squeezed, that’s something serious to consider. Continue reading →

May 18, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, decentralised | Leave a comment

Apple going renewable energy

Apple to power main data centre using renewable energy, Technology Spectator, 18 May 2012 Apple plans to power its main US data center entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms. Continue reading →

May 18, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Decentralised solar energy for use by USA soldiers

U.S. Army tests renewable energy systems for soldiers in the field GizMag, By Antonio Pasolini, May 16, 2012 In a bid to mitigate the risks associated with fuel transportation and to make soldiers’ work less technically complex, U.S. military scientists have started to test microgrids that would provide clean energy to soldiers in the field. Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Walmart’s considerable solar energy achievement

And The Solar Lights All Went On In Massachusetts* (Walmarts) Renewable Energy News 16 MAY, 2012 | by Energy Matters Various sources are reporting the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, will be partially powering half of its Massachusetts stores with solar energy very soon.

27 of its Massachusetts stores will have solar panel arrays installed by 2014, representing a total capacity of 10 megawatts. Walmart director of energy, David Ozment, said he expects the solar power systems to produce enough electricity to provide 10-15 percent of each store’s energy requirements…. The systems add to Walmart’s already significant on-site renewable energy portfolio. As of last month, the company had 115 rooftop solar arrays in seven countries, collectively generating 71 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Germany to be nuclear free within 10 years

includes VIDEO http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/210528/288/Germany-plans-to-go-nuclear-free-within-a-decade Germany plans to go nuclear free within a decade, May 10, 2012 “…. Protest against nuclear energy in Germany began shortly after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and Berlin reacted. After a safety review Angela Merkel’s government decided to shut down eight of Germany’s 17 reactors immediately and abandon nuclear energy altogether by 2022. She says, “We want to make sure that our power supply is safe,” Merkel said. “But at the same time it must be reliable.”

Germany’s answer is renewables! Aside from solar power, the country embarked on an ambitious quest to build dozens of off shore wind parks with thousands of turbines in the North and Baltic Seas. Most of the assembly happens in the northern town of Bremerhaven and local officials say the rush into renewables has led to an economic boom here. Nils Schnorrenberger says, “We had an unemployment rate of 25 per cent six years ago. Now it is 14 per cent and the companies gave 2000 people jobs just here in Bremerhaven.”..

. Ever since the Chernobyl disaster, Germans have had a troubled relationship with
nuclear energy with regular protests against new plants and nuclear waste transports. Since Fukushima, however, the country’s decision to quit atomic power seems irreversible, even in the face of challenges and uncertainties ahead. http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/210528/288/Germany-plans-to-go-nuclear-free-within-a-decade

May 11, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, renewable | Leave a comment

Saudi Arabia’s $109 billion solar energy plan

Saudi Arabia Plans $109 Billion Boost for Solar Power Bloomberg, By Wael Mahdi and Marc Roca – May 10, 2012 Saudi Arabia is seeking investors for a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that generates a third of the nation’s electricity by 2032, according to officials at the agency developing the plan….

“We are not only looking for building solar plants,” al- Odan said in an interview in Riyadh yesterday. “We want to run a sustainable solar energy sector that will become a driver for the domestic energy for years to come.”…

May 11, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, Saudi Arabia | Leave a comment

Renewable energy chosen by island nations

Climate Conversations – Island nations commit to renewable energy Alert Net By Veerle Vandeweerd, 11 May 12, Jamaica is a nation on a mission for sustainable energy for all. The government spent $2.2 billion – or 40 percent – of its foreign exchange earnings on
importing fossil fuels in 2011. So they decided to make a change.

They turned to the nature around them – the sunshine, waterfalls and rivers – investing in renewable energy. By 2030, 30 percent of Jamaica’s energy will come from renewables. Continue reading →

May 11, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | OCEANIA, renewable | Leave a comment

Japan moves toward renewable energy, as nuclear lobby’s influence wanes

“We have the technological know-how. Japan can do anything that Germany can.”

the heavy political influence once exerted by the country’s “nuclear village” of power companies and regulators is waning, experts say.

above – wind turbines, Japan

Crisis-hit Japan mulls shift to renewable energy, Knox News, By Elaine Kurtenbach and Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press May 6, 2012 “……..To offset the energy shortfall, utilities have ramped up oil- and gas-based generation, giving resource-poor Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, its biggest annual trade deficit ever last fiscal year. That $100 million-plus a day extra cost, worries over the risks of nuclear power and concern over carbon emissions are leading many decision-makers to view renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind more positively. Continue reading →

May 7, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, renewable | 1 Comment

Solar powered boat completes round the world trip

PlanetSolar – she’s arrived! First around the world on solar energy Sail World, 6 May 12, On Friday 4th May, after precisely 32,401nm, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar arrived back into the Hercule Harbour in Monaco, thereby achieving the first around-the-world voyage with solar energy! It was probably not planned, but appropriate, that the vast-decked, strange-looking craft arrived back at its point of departure the day before Connect-the-Dots Day , a consciousness-raising day in search of world unity on the necessity for discarding fossil fuels. A large crowd turned out to welcome them. The 115ft catamaran – the largest solar-powered boat ever built – crossed the finish line at 2.12pm local time.

The leader of the PlanetSolar expedition, Raphaël Domjan predictably told waiting reporters: ‘We are extremely happy to have achieved this first world tour with solar energy!

‘We have shown that we have the technologies as well as the knowledge to become sustainable and safeguard our blue planet.’

In her journey around the globe, PlanetSolar visited 28 countries and travelled 585 days without using a drop of fuel. …. http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/PlanetSolar—shes-arrived!-First-around-the-world-on-solar-energy/96885

May 7, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Massachusetts project the national leader in solar energy

The Westford facility is unique in that all of the project’s key players — from the developer and its financiers to the operator and its utility partner — are Massachusetts companies.

Solar park set to warm region Boston Globe, By Brenda J. Buote Globe Correspondent / May 6, 2012“………Through successful public-private partnerships, the amount of solar installed in Massachusetts has soared from 3.5 megawatts in 2007 to more than 92 megawatts, according to Richard K. Sullivan Jr., secretary of the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The Westford project is one of several large-scale renewable energy developments spurred by the Massachusetts Green Communities Act, which was signed into law by Patrick in 2008 to support renewable energy and efficiency projects. Continue reading →

May 7, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

UK govt betrays its promises by cutting solar energy funding

Mr Cameron told a conference in London of energy ministers from 23 countries that Britain would deliver on its renewable energy commitments.

Thousands of jobs at risk after PM abandons solar subsidies Senior figures in the industry say they face a bleak future as demand for panels collapses INDEPENDENT UK NIGEL MORRIS 07 MAY 2012 NEW MOVES TO REDUCE SUBSIDIES FOR FITTING SOLAR PANELS ON HOMES ARE JEOPARDISING BRITAIN’S HOPES OF HITTING RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF JOBS, DAVID CAMERON WAS WARNED LAST NIGHT.

Some 400 senior figures in the solar energy industry said demand for panels has collapsed since the Government started slashing financial incentives for families that want to go green. Continue reading →

May 7, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, renewable, UK | Leave a comment

New and cheaper concentrated solar power

Breakthrough in concentrated solar power from partnership between 3M and Gossamer Space Frames THE FUEL OF TOMORROW REPORTED TODAY BY ANGIE BERGENSON– MAY 6, 2012 New solar collector could unlock great potential for solar energy

Solar thermal energy has taken a large step forward due to a new partnership between 3M’s Renewable Energy Division and Gossamer Space Frames, a developer of solar energy technologies. This week, the two companies revealed a new solar energy collection system that is designed specifically to reduce the cost of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. CSP is a type of solar energy system in which sunlight is concentrated and directed at solar panels. These systems create a large amount of heat, which can be converted into electricity, thus making them powerful energy generation systems……. the companies believe that CSP systems may soon enter into a veritable “golden age,” bringing the rest of the solar energy industry with them. http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/breakthrough-in-concentrated-solar-power-from-partnership-between-3m-and-gossamer-space-frames/853465/

May 7, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Los Angeles – overwhelming call for more roodftop solar power

New Poll: Angelenos Overwhelmingly Support More Local Rooftop Solar Power Environmental Expert, City Council, LADWP Solar Action Puts L.A. on the Right Track in the Minds of Voters LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)-– A significant majority of voters in Los Angeles wants more local solar powering their city; in fact they want lots more. These are the findings of a new poll on L.A. attitudes toward renewable energy conducted by the public research firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) for the Vote Solar Initiative.

Advocates are urging city and utility leaders to take note and keep taking bold steps to expand investment in a local solar power economy.

Key findings:

A large majority of voters want LADWP to use more electricity generated from renewable sources like solar (87 percent) and wind (79 percent).
Three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents specifically feel that LADWP should be doing more to expand the use of local rooftop solar in Los Angeles.
Four out of five (81 percent) support LADWP increasing its local solar goal to 1,200 megawatts, ten percent of Governor Brown’s goal for local clean power. Support for this goal remains strong across the political spectrum, with majorities of Democratic, Republican and Independent voters all expressing support.

A memo detailing the survey findings is available here:
http://votesolar.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Vot……… http://www.environmental-expert.com/news/new-poll-angelenos-overwhelmingly-support-more-local-rooftop-solar-power-292759

May 5, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Growth of renewable energy in USA

Who uses renewable power, in one map, Washington Post, by Brad Plumer, 05/02/2012 We keep hearing that renewable energy is booming in the United States, but where is it? Here’s a handy map from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing how much electricity each state gets from wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal (but not hydropower):….

Why do some states do better than others? Policy helps. Some 30 states have laws that require utilities to get a certain portion of their power from renewable sources. (The Southeast is the big exception here.) The strictness of the laws varies from state to state, but by and large, states with stricter standards get more renewables. But simply having natural resources helps, too: Idaho, Wyoming, and South Dakota don’t have strict standards, but there’s so much wind up there that turbines are going up anyway….. Meanwhile, the EIA notes, if you include hydropower, some states in the Pacific Northwest look even better. Idaho gets 93 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric dams. Oregon gets 78 percent and Washington 82 percent…. The EIA has data on total renewable generation, not including hydropower, here (Excel file). The top states in 2012 on this metric were:

1. Texas
2. California
3. Iowa
4. Minnesota
5. Washington
6. Illinois http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/where-americas-renewable-energy-is-in-one-map/2012/05/02/gIQAHNpPwT_blog.html