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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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Growth of renewable energy in USA

Who uses renewable power, in one map, Washington Post,  by , 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

May 3, 2012 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

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

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