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The world watches as renewables succeed in Germany, as nuclear power fades

A vast majority of Germans have made up their minds on the need to phase out nuclear. And what happens in Germany will be a major indicator for other countries…..  The world is watching Germany’s Energiewende.”
 Germany: Fighting Climate Change And Phasing Out Nuclear Power Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin Think Progress,   Apr 27, 2012  by Arne Jungjohann Recently, the editorial board of the Washington Post asked if the world can fight global warming without nuclear power, looking to Germany and Japan for the answer.

Both countries are known for a nuclear shutdown path. In Japan, only one of the 54 nuclear reactors currently remains in operation. Germany has closed eights reactors following the nuclear catastrophe of Fukushima in March 2011 and the remaining nine are scheduled to be closed by 2022.

That obviously must lead to rising emissions, the Post claims. …. If you look at the most recent emissions data, however, the opposite is happening. Germany reduced its carbon emissions in 2011 by 2.1 percent despite the nuclear phase out. How can that be? Continue reading →

May 2, 2012 Posted by | Germany, renewable | Leave a comment

Wind farms really do fight climate chnage

Wind Farms Fight Climate Change http://www.greenchipstocks.com/articles/wind-farms-fight-climate-change/1820 Wind Farms Falsely Linked to Climate Change. By Zoë Casey , May 1st, 2012 Media sources have today published reports claiming that wind farms can cause local temperature increases. The news, based on a study carried out on large wind farms in Texas, has been widely reported and, in some cases, falsely linked to global climate change. Continue reading →

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

Potential for clean energy at airports

Clean Energy At Airports Could Find Space Around Runways, Study Says HUFFINGTON POST  05/ 1/2012 From EarthTechling’s Beth Buczynski:  VIDEO a look at Denmark’s clean energy  A new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that bustling airports could serve a vital new function, doubling as alternative energy factories.

The study findings, recently published in an Environmental Management article titled “Airports Offer Unrealized Potential for Alternative Energy Production [PDF],” indicate that airports might want to consider converting empty land into alternative fuel power plants where it is both economically and environmentally beneficial…… Alternative energy projects at major hubs like the Indianapolis and Denver airports, as well as smaller airports like the one in Chattanooga, Tenn., demonstrate the potential for benefits across the airport spectrum. Such efforts may be particularly beneficial for rural economic development, as many rural airport properties contain expansive grasslands that potentially could be converted to biofuel crops or other renewable energy sources… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/clean-energy-airports-renewables-study_n_1468079.html

May 2, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

India at international Clean Energy Ministerial meeting

When the recession-hit coalition [UK] government tried to cut the subsidies – known as Feed In Tariffs – green energy producers and the environmental group Friends of the Earth took it to court. And won

Montek’s message on clean energy, Hindustan Times, 1 May 12 The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman was in London last week for the Clean Energy Ministerial meeting – leading the Indian delegation in the absence of Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy. It was an important conference to attend, as India is a major partner in this 23-nation initiative.  The CEM is a forum of 23 governments: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

So that’s pretty much most of the G-20, plus a few green worthies such as Sweden and Denmark. India’s importance is underscored by the fact that the summit in 2014 will be held in India. And that’s not a day too soon in a country that Montek Singh Ahluwalia estimates is on course to notching up a long-term economic growth rate of 8 to 9%. With a billion plus population, the environmental implications of India’s energy consumption are enormous…….

the two major clean energy sources India is looking at are solar and wind. There’s good news on both fronts: recent assessments of available resources in India are that they are much larger than previously estimated. And costs are coming down. Continue reading →

May 1, 2012 Posted by | India, renewable | Leave a comment

Low income households to get free solar power

Free Solar Power Systems For Cayman Islands Households, Energy Matters, 30 April 12, The Cayman Islands government is taking an interesting approach to helping low income families battle increasing electricity costs – by providing free solar panel systems.

Cayman Islands’ Premier, the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP announced last week  a free solar energy programme for 1500 households that will generate electricity bill savings of nearly 70% for beneficiaries and ensure these families will always have access to electricity for basic applications.

The $15 million programme will not only benefit the households, but also generate between 150 – 200 new job opportunities for Caymanians.

“We will be using reliable data from the Economic and Statistics Office, the Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Department of Social Services, in order to target those in most need of assistance. We will ensure that the myth is broken that renewable energy is only for the very wealthy and elite!” said Premier Bush. The Cayman Islands government has been pushing renewables uptake since revising its Electricity Regulatory Authority Law in 2010. A pilot feed in tariff program was launched in 2011, paying AUD 42c per kilowatt hour for all solar electricity produced by a system.

The Cayman Islands has a special interest in low emissions electricity generation. Like many small island nations around the world, the Caymans currently has a high dependence on electricity generated with expensive imported fossil fuels and is especially vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change. The island of Grand Cayman was hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, flooding many areas and   damaging an estimated 95% of the buildings on the island….  http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3183

April 30, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, OCEANIA | Leave a comment

Iceland could supply renewable energy to Europe via submarine cable

Europe Could Receive Renewable Energy From Iceland via Submarine Cable Market watch, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, Apr 27, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — The Icelandic energy provider, Landsvirkjun, one of Europe’s leading renewable energy companies, may help supply Continental Europe with renewable energy via a North Atlantic submarine power cable. Continue reading →

April 28, 2012 Posted by | EUROPE, renewable | Leave a comment

A solar energy business for two Tongan grandmothers

Tonga’s Solar Grandmothers, by Energy Matters, 27 April12,  Two grandmothers from the island nation of Tonga have acquired the skills to install solar panel systems in the nation’s communities without access to mains grid electricity.

According to a report on Matangi Tonga Online , Siutiti Halatoa and Siale Leohau successfully completed a six months training course in solar power installation last year at Barefoot College, India, with the assistance of the Indian Government. The recently launched Kolomotu’a Women’s Solar Project  in Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga, will assist the women in their role of solar installers. The project is being supported under the Tonga Energy Roadmap.

The grandmothers are the first women to be trained in solar installation in Tonga and will begin their new careers by installing solar panels in over 30 homes, starting with households without electricity in ‘Isileli, Hala ‘o Vave and Sopu.
The solar panels and other equipment have been provided by an anonymous donor and each off-grid installation will generate enough electricity to power several light bulbs and a mobile phone ……. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3181

April 27, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, OCEANIA | Leave a comment

Solar energy- a new economy for Navajo tribes

There’s a strong desire in Indian Country to step out of the role of just a landlord that is collecting rents to being involved in the equity ownership,” MacCourt said.Erny Zah, spokesman for Navajo

The 30-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant planned for the outlying Navajo community of To’Hajiilee would cover more than 200 acres.

Navajo community banks on proposed solar array, Bloomberg, By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, 26 April 12, TO’HAJIILEE, N.M.  This flat, dusty stretch of prairie in central New Mexico is where the leaders of a remote, sparsely populated American Indian community envision a sea of solar panels capable of producing enough electricity for more than 10,000 homes miles away from the reservation.

The To’Hajiilee solar project is one of 19 energy projects that will share in $6.5 million recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy to spur renewable energy development on tribal lands. About two-thirds of the money is earmarked for tribes in the West, and most of that will be going toward getting projects in New Mexico andArizona off the ground…… At stake is a wealth of untapped potential. Continue reading →

April 27, 2012 Posted by | indigenous issues, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

35 Indian villages get solar street lighting

Solar street lights to illuminate 35 villages, Times of India, Kapil Dixit, TNN | Apr 27, 2012, ALLAHABAD: Finally, the wait is over. Solar streetlights are being installed in 54colonies of 35 villages spread over 13 blocks of the district.
With Center and state government authorities’ sanctioned adequate funds to install as many as 256 solar street lights, the UP New & Renewable Energy Development Authorities has done a remarkable job to illuminate villages with solar run streetlights in identified colonies.

The installation of solar streetlights have been taken up at Chaka, Dhanupur, Handia, Kaurihar, Koroan, Kotwa, Manda, Meja, Phulpur, Pratappur, Ram Nagar, Saidabad and Shankargarh blocks. The UPNEDA officials have taken up the project to install solar run street lights after identifying a total of 54 colonies/localities which lack proper lighting arrangements for years, and this was the first time, when such measures were being taken up to illuminate these colonies….. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Solar-street-lights-to-illuminate-35-villages/articleshow/12888592.cms

April 27, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, India | Leave a comment

UK poll shows overwhelming support for renewable energy

Poll: Nine out of 10 people want more renewables Friends of the Earth survey latest to show public support for renewables as green group launches new Clean British Energy campaign  BusinessGreen  23 Apr 2012 
Almost nine in 10 people want to see the government ramp up the UK’s use of clean domestic energy and reduce the country’s reliance on imported gas, a new YouGov poll reveals.
Just under two-thirds of the 2,884 people questioned on behalf of campaign group Friends of the Earth listed wind, wave, solar, or tidal as power sources they wanted to see playing a greater role in the UK’s electricity mix over the next decade, while just two per cent backed an increase in gas capacity.  The survey is the latest to signal strong public backing for renewable energy, following Sunday’s YouGov poll for Scottish Renewables that found 71 per cent of Scots supported wind power, and a separate Ipsos MORI survey last week that reported 67 per cent of respondents were in favour of using more wind power…..  http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2169394/poll-people-renewables

April 23, 2012 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Nuclear power had had its day, as wind energy blows in worldwide

Small-scale wind power facilities could be used in developing countries and in remote areas. In developed countries, small-scale wind power turbines are also gaining in significance with consumers because the electricity generated with them costs less than that offered by many energy providers. Experts see a long-term growth potential in small wind technology.

More than half the wind turbines in Germany are run by private citizens, farmers and local communities.

  Wind energy blowing away nuclear power, by  Gero Rueter http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15903703,00.html  23 April 12, Wind energy supplies 3 percent of global electricity needs and will soon supply more electricity than nuclear power. In 2011, some 50 billion euros were invested in wind, leading some to say it’s cheap and creates jobs.

Wind energy is booming and it is gaining in significance worldwide. It supplies some 20 percent of electricity in Spain and Denmark as well as about 10 percent in Germany. By 2020, the share of wind energy will have risen to between 20 percent and 25 percent in Germany, according to estimates.

Last year, new wind power plants with a total capacity of some 40 gigawatts (GW) were installed worldwide, according to the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA). This puts wind energy’s global capacity at 237 GW by the end of 2011- the equivalent of what some 280 nuclear power plants generate. Currently, there are some 380 nuclear power
plants producing electricity worldwide. Continue reading →

April 23, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, decentralised | Leave a comment

India’s glowing renewable energy future

Sun shines over renewable energy Business Line, N. RAMAKRISHNAN 22 April 12,  Wind energy continues to be the single largest component of the RE portfolio, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all Green power. The Indian renewable energy industry has never had it so good. Wind power installations in 2011-12 were the highest in a single financial year, at 3,163 MW, taking the total installed capacity to 17,320 MW.

The Centre has announced an ambitious national solar mission under which 20,000 MW of solar power capacity will be added in the next decade. The first phase of the solar mission envisages 1,000 MW of capacity, both solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. The installed renewable energy capacity in the country at the end of March 2012 stood at 24,500 MW, about 12 per cent of the total installed power capacity of 2,00,287 MW…..
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/article3342620.ece

April 23, 2012 Posted by | India, renewable | Leave a comment

India’s Gujarit solar park- even bigger than China’s Golmud Solar Park.

Asia’s largest solar field switched on in India, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS April 19, 2012,   By KATY DAIGLE Bloomberg,  BUSINESSWEEK NEW DELHI The west Indian state of Gujarat is flipping the switch on Asia’s largest solar power field as part of its 600 megawatt solar energy addition to India’s power grid.

The Gujarat Solar Park, spread across a desolate 3,000-acre (1,200-hectare) swath of desert, can supply 214 megawatts of electricity, making it larger than China’s 200-megawatt Golmud Solar Park. Continue reading →

April 21, 2012 Posted by | India, renewable | 1 Comment

Australia launches renewable energy fund

$10b fund for renewable energy firms http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/b-fund-for-renewable-energy-firms/story-e6frg2r3-1226330084361   AAP April 17, 2012 COMPANIES involved in renewable energy will soon be able to tap into a $10 billion federal pool. The Gillard government released today an independent review into the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), which is due to start operating from July 2013.

The government accepted all recommendations made by the review.

The CEFC will provide $10 billion worth of financing to companies involved in renewable energy, low-emissions and energy efficiency technology. The review was led by Reserve Bank of Australia board member Jillian Broadbent.
The CEFC will encourage private investment and help overcome capital market barriers for cleaner energy technologies, the government said in a statement today.

The fund will apply “commercial rigor” to its investment decisions to make sure companies have a positive rate of return and are able to repay the loans.

April 18, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, renewable | Leave a comment

Farmers boost their income by also farming sunlight

“It is the sweet spot,”.. it doesn’t interfere with existing farming or grazing on prime lands. “It’s a way of getting yield from land that’s not paying enough.”…..

 the benefits of generating green energy are great, but the best part is that once the 20-year solar lease expires, the land can return to agricultural use….. “Years down the road it could revert to [agricultural] land,” .. “It was a win-win for everyone.”

Solar Energy Grows on North American Farms,13 Apr 2012, CNBC.co By: Trevor Curwin, A California solar power project developer is teaming with farmers to expand use of the alternative energy.  “It’s basically an opportunity to farm the sun,” says Recurrent Energy CEO Arno Harris, about his firm’s plans to build 500 megawatts of solar photovoltaic, PV, installations on farms in California and the Canadian province of Ontario.

The firm has contracted dozens of farmers in both areas, building five- to 20-megawatt solar PV installations on otherwise marginal farmland. Continue reading →

April 14, 2012 Posted by | Canada, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

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