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Feed-in Tariffs – the renewable energy way to go

Feed-in Tariffs the Way Forward for Renewable Energy, Peter Lynch with an introduction by Andrew DeWit, 28 Nov 11 Peter Lynch, an expert on the renewable energy sector, offers a concise introduction to the central role of feed-in tariffs (FITs) in fostering the ongoing transition from conventional, carbon-laden sources of generating electricity to renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal. As the author points out, FITs guarantee markets and prices for renewable power, and drive down their cost through deployment and the encouragement of yet more technical advance. FITs thus offer much hope to a world that seems unable to reach any sort of global agreement on cutting emissions which have continued to spiral since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Last year, according to figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (link), investment in new generation capacity from renewable energy sources (excluding hydro) totaled USD 187 billion, outpacing the USD 157 billion new investment in natural gas, oil, and coal-fired generating capacity. This rapid ramping up of deployment of existing technologies is key for renewables, as Bloomberg notes. For example, since the mid-1980s each doubling of wind generation capacity has led to a 14% reduction in cost through technical improvements in production, better materials, learning by doing, and the like. Advances have come so rapidly that the Bloomberg New Energy Finance researchers “expect wind to become fully competitive with energy produced from combined-cycle gas turbines by 2016 in most regions offering fair wind conditions.”

The article highlights the role of the German FIT in driving this energy revolution. It notes that a decade ago Germany targeted a 12.5% share of electricity from renewables for 2010, but blew through the target in 2007 to achieve a 15.1% share……..

Feed-in Tariffs: The Proven Road NOT Taken…Why?

Peter Lynch……. http://japanfocus.org/-Peter-Lynch/3654

November 28, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Economic, environmental, resources crises to be solved in Denmark through 100% renewable energy

Denmark faced three global crises which will hit it “with a force that is so far absolutely unheard of” — an economic and financial crisis, a climate crisis and a resources crisis. “This proposal will address all three crises.”

 Denmark aims for 100 pct renewable energy in 2050

* Proposes to get 52 pct of power from renewables in 2020

* Aims for entire energy supply from renewables in 2050

* Minister says investment in green energy can pay off

By Mette Fraende COPENHAGEN, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Danish government proposals on Friday called for sourcing just over half of its electricity from wind turbines by 2020 and all of its energy from renewable sources in 2050. Continue reading →

November 27, 2011 Posted by | Denmark, renewable | Leave a comment

Renewable energy now winning the race against fossil fuels

Renewable power trumps fossil fuels for first time L.A. Times, 25 Nov 11 Renewable energy is surpassing fossil fuels for the first time in new power-plant investments, shaking off setbacks from the financial crisis and an impasse at the United Nations global warming talks.

Electricity from the wind, sun, waves and biomass drew $187 billion last year compared with $157 billion for natural gas, oil and coal, according to calculations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance using the latest data. Accelerating installations of solar- and wind-power plants led to lower equipment prices, making clean energy more competitive with coal.
“The progress of renewables has been nothing short of remarkable,” United Nations Environment Program Executive Secretary Achim Steiner said in an interview. “You have record investment in the midst of an economic and financial crisis.” The findings indicate the world is shifting toward consuming more renewable energy even without a global agreement on limiting greenhouse gases. Delegates from more than 190 nations converge in Durban, South Africa, on Nov. 28 to discuss new measures for limiting emissions damaging the climate….

The New Energy Finance figures exclude investment that merely replaces existing plants, and its renewables tally excludes money spent on building large hydropower projects. Wind operators are likely to install 43 gigawatts of generating capacity this year and 48 gigawatts next year, up from 36 gigawatts in 2010, GWEC estimates…. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-renewables-20111125,0,2421278.story

November 27, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving for the free fuel of wind and sun

Thankful for Alternatives to Coal and Nuclear November 24th, 2011 › Clean Energy › Simon Mahan › Last week, SACE participated in a media flurry over two released reports. The first report documents how America’s traditional power plants (like coal and nuclear) consume vast amounts of freshwater – an invaluable, and increasingly stressed resource here in the Southeast. The second report gives us a path forward – away from dirty, thirsty coal plants and equally thirsty nuclear plants.

The other report (“Toward a Sustainable Future for the US Power Sector: Beyond Business as Usual 2011“) was published by Synapse Energy Economics and commissioned by the Civil Society Institute to figure out how the U.S. could power our country without coal.

Hardly a pie-in-the-sky, academic endeavor, Beyond Business as Usual looks at a 40 year timeframe to phase out coal and cut nuclear without heavy reliance on any one single source of electricity generation. By ramping up energy efficiency, solar, wind energy, biomass and other renewable energies, the report lays out a roadmap for eliminating coal by 2050 – all while reducing consumer costs by $18 Billion. This is possible, in part, due to renewable energy’s fuel costs being stable in perpetuity – in other words, the wind and sun are free whereas coal and natural gas prices are expected to continue to fluctuate wildly. Anadditional $450 billion in health-related costs would be avoided (such as asthma and premature deaths caused by coal) and are not included in the analysis’ initial $18 Billion savings figure. Water consumption would be expected to drop 90% over a business-as-usual scenario – nearly a 54 trillion gallon per year reduction.

This Thanksgiving, in addition to family and friends, I’m also thankful for energy alternatives to “business as usual.” http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/11/24/thankful-for-alternatives-to-coal-and-nuclear/

November 25, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Small is economic, as well as beautiful – renewable energy developments

And will the rest of Europe follow? The poll-leading Socialists in France, after all, are talking of halving the country’s nuclear capacity. “Most of the world will follow this way, but it will be slow,” Dudenhauser says. “Everyone expected blackouts after the nuclear shutdown, but it didn’t happen.  But it would not be manageable if everyone goes Germany’s way in the next two years.”

Size not a factor in German power play , Climate Spectator, GilesParkinson, 24 Nov 11 It seems strange that the world’s most cautious and best performing economy should be acting as some sort of crash test dummy for the world’s clean energy future. But this is exactly the position that Germany finds itself in following its commitment earlier this year to abandon nuclear energy and to push towards its vision of a fully renewable power supply by 2050.

And if this is the future, then companies that have based their models around the principal of centralised power stations may find little cause for comfort. But it is presenting enormous opportunities for those focused on the concept of distributed generation, particularly fuel cells – at least that’s the take of Roman Dudenhausen, the CEO and co-founder of German energy consultants ConEnergy, and a recently appointed director to the board of Australia’s Ceramic Fuels Cells.

Dudenhausen says the accelerated phase-out of Germany’s nuclear capacity is presenting companies such as Ceramic with a unique opportunity…… Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | decentralised, Germany | Leave a comment

Increasingly cost competitive – renewable energy report by IEA

Renewable energy becoming cost competitive, IEA says, By Henning Gloystein, LONDON  Nov 23,  (Reuters)–Renewable energy technology is becoming increasingly cost competitive and growth rates are in line to meet levels required of a sustainable energy future, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Wednesday.

The report also said subsidies in green energy technologies that were not yet competitive are justified in order to give an incentive to investing into technologies with clear environmental and energy security benefits.

The renewable electricity sector has grown rapidly in the past five years and now provides nearly 20 percent of the world’s power generation, the IEA said during the presentation of the report titled Deploying Renewables 2011.

The IEA’s report disagreed with claims that renewable energy technologies are only viable through costly subsidies and not able to produce energy reliably to meet demand. ”A portfolio of renewable energy (RE) technologies is becoming cost-competitive in an increasingly broad range of circumstances, in some cases providing investment opportunities without the need for specific economic support,” the IEA said, and added that “cost reductions in critical technologies, such as wind and solar, are set to continue.”

“The portfolio of RE technologies, which includes established hydro power, geothermal and bioenergy technologies is now, therefore, cost-competitive in an increasingly broad range of circumstances, providing investment opportunities without the need for specific economic support.”

But the IEA also defended subsidies in renewable energy technology as a necessary means to create a clean and independent energy supply system.  In the past, the IEA has been criticized by environmental groups for underplaying the role of renewable energy technologies in favor of nuclear and fossil-fuels….. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/23/us-energy-iea-renewables-idUSTRE7AM0OV20111123

November 24, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

A silver lining to USA militarisation of northern Australia – renewable energy marines?

When the case for renewables is made on the grounds of national security, the arguments of climate denialists and delay merchants are bombed back to the Stone Age. ….

 as the U.S. Marine Corps demonstrates, energy conservation and renewable energy are now critical national security concerns. 

Will President Obama Send Green Marines to Darwin?, Renewable Energy World, By Dan Cass ,November 18, 2011    President Barack Obama was in Australia this week and upset China and Indonesia with the annoucement of an increased military presence in this country, including 2500 US Marines to train and provision equipment in Darwin.

When the U.S. Marine Corp establish themselves a new home in Darwin, they will bring some seriously green equipment and ideas to our shores. This is because in the three years of his Presidency, Barack Obama has actively led the U.S. Department of Defense to embrace renewable energy and a strategic awareness of climate change…. Continue reading →

November 19, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Big boost in renewable energy investment

Clean Energy Investment May Double to $395 Billion by 2020 Bloomberg, By Louise Downing – Nov 15, 2011  Investment in renewable power generation may double to $395 billion a year by 2020, led by growth in offshore wind and solar energy projects, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast.

The total may rise further to $460 billion a year in real terms by 2030 from $195 billion last year, according to the research unit of Bloomberg LP. Continue reading →

November 17, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, renewable | Leave a comment

Renewable energy to power India’s top tourist destination

Renewable energy to power Palace, Times of India Pavan M V , TNN | Nov 16, 2011 MYSORE: If the official machinery has its way, renewable sources of energy will power the special illumination of the Mysore Palace, which has emerged as the top grosser among tourists in India. Thanks to the ambitious solar city programme sponsored by the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), the 1 lakh bulbs could draw power by harnessing solar energy.

The project aims to reduce consumption of fossil fuel and electricity in the urban areas and switch to alternate sources of energy. The estimated project cost for the implementation of renewable energy project in Mysore under the project is put at Rs 1,620 crore. The project cost was disclosed during SCP meeting at the MCC on Tuesday….
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Renewable-energy-to-power-Palace/articleshow/10754836.cms

November 17, 2011 Posted by | India, renewable | Leave a comment

Change to renewable energy may be happening faster than expected

Technology transitions always happen faster than the conventional market predicts PV MAGAZINE 14. NOVEMBER 2011 BY:  RAY WILLS “…..What are the implications of rapidly shifting technologies for renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics? Renewable generation of all forms continue to get cheaper while the price of fossil fuel rises, and governments may finally move to also eliminate global fossil fuel subsidies.

Continuing bad (and sad) news from Fukushima will continue to keep nuclear off most agendas. Meanwhile, solar will be at retail grid parity in most of the world by 2015 at the same time that electric vehicles will be produced in numbers (one Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning to build one million electric vehicles by 2015) in the market place, thus creating low cost storage options that deal with intermittency, storage for peak, and minimizing (not yet eliminating) overnight load supplied from fossil fuel generation by 2025…… Continue reading →

November 15, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

David Crane, CEO of NRG Energy spells it out on decentralised renewable energy

A Power Company President Ties His Future to Green Energy ENVIRONMENT 360 09 NOV 2011: INTERVIEW David Crane, the CEO of one of the nation’s largest electric companies, has become a leading proponent of renewable energy. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he explains how, in the face of government paralysis, the private sector can help lead the shift away from fossil fuels.

David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy, is not your typical power company executive, as becomes clear when he calls climate change a “slow-moving catastrophe” and “the fundamental issue of our day.”
In an interview with Yale Environment 360 senior editor Fen Montaigne, Crane said he believes the U.S. electricity-generating market is on the verge of a profound transformation, not unlike the era two decades ago when the antiquated world of land-line telephones and “Ma Bell” companies was about to give way to cell phones and mobile communications.
The electricity future, says Crane, will be transformed by the widespread adoption of three innovations: solar panels on residential and commercial roofs, electric cars in garages, and truly “smart meters” that will seamlessly transfer power to and from homes, electric vehicles, and the grid. Continue reading →

November 10, 2011 Posted by | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

Favourable report for Scotland’s renewable energy

Report backs Scottish renewables under independence, BBC News 6 Nov 11
A new bank report has backed Scotland’s renewable energy policies, just days after a major finance company warned businesses against investing in the renewables sector in Scotland. Citigroup had said the independence referendum process would create huge uncertainty when major decisions on green projects were needed.

But investment bank Altium Securities dismissed the warning. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing welcomed the Altium report….. In its report, Altium Securities said it “did not share recent competitor analysis that utilities developing renewable energy assets were exposed to stranded asset risk from an independent Scotland”.

It also argued Scotland had the potential to be the lowest-cost generator of wind energy in Europe due its “unique wind characteristics”….. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15608107

November 7, 2011 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Florida schools save money while kids manage mini solar power plants

 The systems also will be used year-round to save schools an estimated $1,200 a year in electricity costs. Schools are already thrilled with the educational prospects.

 the newest program has created several much-needed small-business and contractor jobs.

Solar power is coming to a school near you, $10 million federal project will be educational, ease utility costs By Erica Rodriguez, Orlando Sentinel,  November 3, 2011 Schoolchildren across Florida will soon be managing mini solar-energy power plants this fall designed to ease utility costs, educate kids and supply campuses with power during natural disasters. Continue reading →

November 4, 2011 Posted by | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

2012 will by United Nations international year of sustainable energy

UN calls for universal access to renewable energy, Guardian UK 2 Nov 11, UN’s annual Human Development Report backs drive towards sustainable energy for all and says empowering women will help to meet world’s environmental challenges

The UN has called for a high-profile initiative to promote universal access to power such as electricity in developing countries based on a global advocacy campaign and investments on the ground for clean energy.

In its annual Human Development Report, the UN Development Progamme (UNDP) said the time is right for such a drive as the UN has designated 2012 as the international year of sustainable energy for all. Meanwhile, next year’s Rio+20 Earth summit will provide an
opportunity to define a global approach for universal access to energy
– about 1.5 billion people worldwide, more than one in five, lack electricity. Continue reading →

November 3, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

The REAL renaissance – renewable energy

The rebirth of renewable energy, October 27, 2011|By Daniel Yergin, Special to CNN Renewable energy is generating a lot of political heat. The bankruptcy of solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, after a half billion dollar loan from the Federal government, has set off a hot debate on Capitol Hill. And a group of American-based solar companies are demanding 100% tariffs on imports of Chinese solar panels. They charge that China unfairly competes by subsidizing the Chinese industry, which Beijing resolutely denies.

All this, however, is occurring against a larger backdrop. Around the world renewable energy is going through a rebirth. It is becoming a big business. It is also becoming a more established part of the world’s overall energy supply. Last year, $120 billion was spent to install renewable electricity generation worldwide. Yet it is still a relatively small business compared to the overall energy business, and one that still faces big challenges in getting to scale on a global basis….. http://articles.cnn.com/2011-10-27/opinion/opinion_yergin-renewable-energy-rebirth_1_renewable-energy-renewable-electricity-generation-energy-policy?_s=PM:OPINION

October 31, 2011 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

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