Nebraska Senators Introduce Bills to Advance Renewable Energy
Senators Introduce Bills to Advance Renewable Energy in Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. 2 KNOP, 17 Jan 15 — State senators announced Friday that they will introduce five bills intended to advance Nebraska’s renewable energy industry, increase economic development and provide property tax benefits.
“These bills will help to incentivize growth and investment in Nebraska over surrounding states and also remove barriers to renewable energy development in our state,” said Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, who is sponsoring one of the bills.
Nordquist’s bill would create a Nebraska production tax credit for renewable electric generation facilities and would allow the credit to be transferable. Surrounding states, including Iowa and Oklahoma, already offer a credit against state income tax for each kilowatt hour of electricity that a renewable energy generation facility produces.
“Without a state production tax credit in place, surrounding states have a competitive advantage over Nebraska,” Nordquist said “This would put Nebraska on a level playing field by helping our state compete for projects designed to export electricity out of the state as well as benefiting Nebraska ratepayers by providing cheaper available electricity for in-state utilities.”
“A state production tax credit is essential to leveling the playing field and enabling our state to become a net exporter of energy instead of importer,” said Jon Crane, President of Bluestem Energy. Sen. Al Davis will introduce a bill to broaden the existing Nameplate Capacity Tax to include projects using solar, biomass or landfill gas as the fuel source. In 2010, the Legislature created the Nameplate Capacity Tax, which is a flat excise tax that replaces the heavily front-loaded personal property tax that early wind energy projects paid……….
Sen. Ken Haar will introduce a bill to simplify the existing process for the Nebraska Power Review Board to consider a renewable energy export facility. …………
Sen. Heath Mello will introduce a bill to simplify the Community-Based Energy Development, (CBED) process. …….
Sen. Ken Schilz will introduce a bill that would require the Nebraska Energy Office to prepare a comprehensive, forward-looking energy plan for Nebraska by the end of 2015 that would be
updated every two years………http://www.knopnews2.com/home/headlines/Senators-Introduce-Bills-to-Advance-Renewable-Energy-in-Nebraska-288829681.html
Fossil fuel energy growth to be beaten by renewables in 2015
Renewable Energy Growth To Outstrip Fossil Fuels Clean Technica January 16th, 2015 by Joshua S Hill Renewable energy consumption is set to grow over the next few years, and according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, said growth will outstrip growth in the fossil fuel industry.
Despite this growth, non-fossil fuels are faced with political challenges that may hamper their ability to flourish.
Renewables are a growing commodity that, to the surprise of nobody, is taking up a lot of the attention of utilities and energy companies the world over. Add to that the declining reliance upon fossil fuels such as coal and oil — be it for environmental reasons, or for fear of investing in an energy strategy which may very well end up stranded — and renewable energy is a sure fire win.
However, as the report’s authors write, “non-fossil fuels lack the overarching policy support they need to make faster progress globally.”
The report, which investigated six industries and their prospects for 2015, highlighted the massive part China is having on the global energy scene…….http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/16/renewable-energy-growth-outstrip-fossil-fuels/
Renewable energy in USA cost competitive – can triple by 2030
US can more than triple its renewable energy says IRENA report, Renewable Energy 
Magazine Robin Whitlock, 15 January 2015 27 percent renewable energy is both technically possible and cost-effective by 2030 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The US can increase its renewable energy capacity from 7.5 percent of the energy mix in 2010 to 27 percent by 2030 according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) entitled Renewable Energy Prospects: United States of America released this week on Monday 12th January. The report, which is part of IRENA’s ongoing REmap 2030 study, also says the US can increase its use of renewable energy in power generation from 14 percent to almost 50 percent by 2030, thereby making the country the world’s second largest renewable energy user after China.
“As the second largest energy consumer in the world, the US must continue to play a leading role in the global transition to a sustainable energy future” said Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA. “The recent agreement between the US and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a ground-breaking step, but this report aims even higher, showing that more can be done at limited cost.”
Current policies in place in the US would only enable the share of renewable energy to reach 10 percent by 2030. REmap 2030 estimates that an annual investment of $86 billion would be required between now and 2030 to enable this figure to rise to 27 percent, an increase of $38 billion annually beyond business-as-usual. The higher renewable share will result in annual savings of $30 billion to $140 billion by 2030 when accounting for factors such as human health and reduced emissions.
“REmap 2030 shows that the US could install significantly higher amounts of renewables – and that it can do so affordably” added Mr. Amin. “Even in a country with cheap shale gas like the US, renewable energy is still cost competitive and reduces air pollution, enhances energy security, benefits the economy, and plays a leading role in fighting climate change.”……….http://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/article/us-can-more-than-triple-its-renewable-20150115
Large-scale wave energy systems reliable – could spur economic growth in the Pacific Northwest
Wave energy integration costs should compare favorably to other energy sources, Energy Central Jan 14 – Energy Weekly News A new analysis suggests that large-scale wave energy systems developed in the Pacific Northwest should be comparatively steady, dependable and able to be integrated into the overall energy grid at lower costs than some other forms of alternative energy, including wind power.
The findings, published in the journal Renewable Energy, confirm what scientists have expected – that wave energy will have fewer problems with variability than some energy sources and that by balancing wave energy production over a larger geographic area, the variability can be even further reduced……….
Another strength of wave energy, the study suggested, is that its short-term generation capacity can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy over a time scale ranging from minutes to hours, and with some accuracy even seasonally or annually.
The Pacific Northwest has some of the nation’s best wave energy resources, and as a result is home to the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy .
Wave energy in the region is expected to spur economic growth, help diversify the energy portfolio, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce transmission losses, the study noted,,,,,,,,,,,, http://www.energycentral.com/generationstorage/futureandalternativegeneration/news/en/34894133/Wave-energy-integration-costs-should-compare-favorably-to-other-energy-sources
Women on the move – into employment in renewable energy
An increasing female presence in Renewable energy By Sarah Brooks Linked In 12 Jan 15 The energy sector has always been regarded as male dominated. As of 2013, females contributed to just 21% of the workforce for traditional energy sources such as oil, gas and petroleum. However in the renewables sector females appear to be getting ahead. In Scotland alone 28% of the employees of the renewable energy industry were female.As the renewable industry is considered to be a relatively new source of energy and is still continuously undergoing development and investment, it opens up opportunities for females who would not normally be given a chance to work in the energy sector. Scotland are leading in the renewable sector in the UK, in 2012 almost 30% of electricity generated came from renewable sources compared to just 8% in England and Wales.
If the rest of the UK continue to develop similar to Scotland the number of careers for women within the sector will only increase. Although females are beginning to enter the energy workforce, it is questioned whether these are still mainly in sales and business based roles rather than technical. As of 2010, only 6% of the engineering workforce in the UK were female. Granting this, in 2013 16% of the graduates in engineering degrees were female, which was a small improvement from years prior.
This slight growth over the recent years can be shown through the fact in 2013 50% of the females employed by engineering industries were aged 25-30 years old. This is indication there will be a gradual influx of a younger generation of females into technical roles within the renewable sector as engineers begin to graduate and build their careers within the industry. Initiatives are in place to help encourage and support females to pursue engineering and technical roles. A survey carried out by Atkins in 2013 on females in engineering careers found over 50% of the sample felt they were put off at school for pursuing engineering as it being portrayed as ‘too difficult’ and ‘male dominated’………
Despite the renewable energy industry still being largely dominated by males, there is still huge opportunity for females to get on board not only in business support roles but technical too. With females being gradually encouraged to pursue an engineering career we can expect to see a gradual influx of women in the renewable workforce over the next few years…….https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/increasing-female-presence-renewable-energy-sarah-brooks
Renewable energy powers municipalities in Sweden
Municipalities in Sweden powering cities from renewable energy sources Phys Org, 13 Jan 15 By relying on district heating combined with heat and power production, municipalities in Sweden power their cities from renewable energy sources. Nordic countries have achieved a great independence from fossils because of their widespread district heating systems. District heating is a smart way to avoid using fossil fuels to heat buildings. It is typically based on wood, peat and other biofuels, or household waste. But other non-fossil fuel sources, such as deep thermal heat—sourced from between 100 to 500 meters below the ground—or recycled heat from industries can be used as well.
Two Swedish experts talk to youris.com about ways of removing carbon-based fuels from the heating equation, and what other municipalities can learn from their experience. One of them is Karin Ericsson, a senior lecturer at the Department of Environmental and Energy Systems of Lund’s University. Her research field is energy system analysis and bioenergy in Europe. The other is Mats Didriksson, who is director for the business area energy of Kraftringen, an energy company owned by four municipalities in Southern Sweden near the city of Lund.
What is the history of the development of district heating in Sweden?………
What can cities in other countries learn from Sweden’s experiences?………..http://phys.org/news/2015-01-municipalities-sweden-powering-cities-renewable.html
Ontario’s Grand Renewable Wind Project
Grand Renewable Wind Project Completed http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/grand-renewable-wind-em4640/ January 13, 2015 The 149 megawatt Grand Renewable Wind facility in Ontario is now complete and has commenced operations.
Consisting of 67 2.3 MW Siemens turbines, the wind farm will create enough clean electricity to power approximately 50,000 Ontario homes. All electrical output will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority.
Grand Renewable is a joint venture between Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc., Pattern Energy Group Inc. the Six Nations of Grand River; comprised of the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga and Tuscarora nations.
“The Six Nations Elected Council is committed to ensuring we enter into sustainable development projects that not only enrich our economy but are also socially and environmentally responsible,” said Chief Ava Hill, Six Nations Elected Council.
The Six Nations community owns 10% of the project.
More than 500 workers were employed on site during peak of construction, most of whom were Ontarians. 12 full-time permanent positions have been created for ongoing operations and maintenance. Construction of the project began in September 2013.
Samsung says it is making a $5-billion investment in Ontario, “to create the world’s largest cluster of wind and solar power. Our investments will create 900 direct renewable energy manufacturing jobs and 9,000 high-skilled jobs in Ontario.”
Yet to be constructed is Samsung’s 100 megawatt Grand Renewable Solar Project (GRS), the largest solar farm of its type in Canada and one of the largest in North America.
Grand Renewable Wind is the second wind farm in Ontario to reach operational status for Pattern Energy, which says it also has two other facilities under construction and two in late stage development; totaling 1,269 megawatts to be installed in the province by 2018.
The electricity from Grand Renewable Wind will make a significant contribution to Ontario’s clean energy goals.
According to Ontario’s Ministry of Energy, 20,000 MW of renewable energy will be online by 2025, representing about half of Ontario’s installed capacity. The province’s 2013 Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) estimates 10,700 MW of wind, solar and bioenergy capacity will be operational by 2021.
Further details of the Grand Renewable Wind and Grand Renewable Solar projects can be viewed here.
Renewable Energy projects keenly supported in Indian States
Renewable Energy Project Developers Flock To Indian State Of Telangana , Clean Technica 9 Jan 12 “…….As the auction for renewable energy projects (especially solar power) gets ever more competitive, some project developers are approaching the state governments directly to set up projects and potentially secure power purchase agreements at the base tariffs determined by state-level regulatory bodies.
SunEdison recently successfully undertook this approach in Rajasthan. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rajasthan government to install 5 GW solar power capacity over the next five years.
Greenko is planning to aggressively expand its renewable energy base in India. On 30 September 2014, the company had an operational capacity of 715 MW. It plans to increase the operational capacity to 1 GW by the end of this year. The company has a cumulative capacity of 2.5 GW of power generation capacity in its pipeline.http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/11/renewable-energy-project-developers-flock-indian-state-telangana/
Wind power record set by Denmark as it heads towards fossil-free goal
Denmark Sets World Record For Wind Power Production BY ARI PHILLIPS THINK PROGRESS JANUARY 8, 2015 Denmark has been long been a pioneer in wind power, having installed its first turbines in the mid-1970s when oil shocks sent the import-dependent nation on a quest for energy security. Thirty-seven years later, the country has set a new world record for wind production by getting 39.1 percent of its overall electricity from wind in 2014. This puts the Northern European nation well on track to meet its 2020 goal of getting 50 percent of its power from renewables.
The news of Denmark’s feat adds to the national records the U.K. and Germany set for 2014 and further establishes Europe as a leader in the wind power industry. This is especially true when it comes to offshore resources, as countries like Scotland, England, and Denmark build out their offshore wind farms. Wind generated enough electricity to power just over 25 percent of U.K. homes in 2014 — a 15 percent increase from 2013. In December, Germany generated more wind power, 8.9 terawatt-hours, than in any previous month.
A big source of the surge of Denmark’s wind production this year came from the addition of around 100 new offshore wind turbines. In January of 2014, the peninsular country got just over 61 percent of its power from wind. This is more than three times the overall productionof 10 years ago, when wind only made up 18.8 percent of the energy supply. The country has a long-term goal of being fossil fuel-free by 2050.
While Peterson may be getting ahead of himself with his enthusiastic statements — as it would be impossible for Denmark to stop global warming even if the small country had zero emissions — Denmark is nonetheless charting one of the most ambitious national paths towards greenhouse gas mitigation. The government has a goal of reducing GHGs by 40 percent by 2020 compared to 1990. According tothe government, they are on track to reduce emissions by 37 percent.
Through expanding wind power and converting more heat pumps and power plants to use biomass, the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building believes that the country could get 71 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In 2000, that share was just 16 percent……..
Denmark is also benefiting economically from its early investment in wind as the country has become a leading wind power manufacturer with major firms like Vestas and Siemens Wind Power based there. Currently around nine out of every 10 offshore turbines installed globally are made in Denmark. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/07/3608898/denmark-sets-world-record-for-wind-power/
Renewable energy with battery system transformed electricity system of Caribbean island Bonaire
Caribbean Island Ditching Diesel In Favor Of Renewable Energy Clean Technica January 9th, 2015 by Rocky Mountain Institute Originally published on RMI Outlet.By Kaitlyn Bunker
Bonaire (pop. 14,500), a small island off the coast of Venezuela, is famous for its beautiful marine reefs, which are visited by 70,000 tourists every year. What many of the tourists don’t realize is that the majority of the electricity powering their needs comes from renewable energy. Yet for the residents of Bonaire, the switch from fossil-fueled to renewable energy systems has made a world of difference………
the government and local utility began working together to create a plan that would allow Bonaire to reach a goal of generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
Bonaire’s Electricity System Transformation
The result is a transformed electricity system on Bonaire. The island is now home to 12 wind turbines with a total of 11 MW of wind power capacity, which contribute up to 90 percent of the island’s electricity at times of peak wind, and 40–45 percent of its annual electricity on average. Battery storage (6 MWh) is included in order to take advantage of available power in times of excess wind, and provide that stored electricity in times of low wind. The battery also boosts the reliability of the overall system—it is capable of providing 3 MW for over two minutes, allowing time for additional generation to be started when there is a sudden drop in wind………http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/09/caribbean-island-ditching-diesel-favor-renewable-energy/
2014 Renewable Energy Boom Driven by Solar Power
Solar power drives renewable energy investment boom in 2014, Guardian, Damian Carrington, 10 Jan 15 Global clean energy investment leapt 16% in 2014 led by solar power surge in US and China – but Europe lags behind Global investment in clean energy jumped 16% in 2014, boosted by fast-growing solar power in the US and China. Solar, whose costs have plummeted in recent years, attracted over half the total funding for the first time.The green energy market has been gloomy in recent years and the rise in investment is the first since 2011. But despite strong growth in most regions, only a series of large offshore wind farms stopped Europe going into reverse, while the Australian government’s antipathy to renewables saw investment there tumble by 35%.
The new figures, from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), show $310bn (£205bn) was ploughed into green energy last year, just short of the record $317bn in 2011. However, as green energy gets ever cheaper, the money invested in 2014 bought almost double the clean electricity capacity than in 2011.
“The investment bounce back in 2014 exceeded our expectations,” said Michael Liebreich, chairman of BNEF’s advisory board. “Solar was the biggest single contributor, thanks to the huge improvements in its cost-competitiveness over the last five years.”…….
“The figures show that renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive, with solar in particular rapidly approaching parity with fossil-fuel generation. They suggest also that investors are growing weary of increasingly volatile fossil fuel markets,” said Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
“Some developing countries have increased low-carbon investment hugely – a staggering 88% in the case of Brazil – and there is a danger that the UK, with its restrictive planning regulations for renewables, will find itself increasingly swimming against the global tide,” Black said.
“It’s encouraging to see the smart money in the world’s economic powerhouses is betting on clean energy,” said Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist. “The only disappointment is that, save for offshore wind, the UK and the EU are now lagging behind. For all the whinging about UK ‘going it alone’ on clean energy, it is increasingly clear that the bigger economic risk is being left behind as the low-carbon jobs go where political leaders show genuine commitment to a clean energy future.”http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/09/solar-power-drives-renewable-energy-investment-boom-2014
Utah gets big solar power investment – Google and Prudential Capital Finance 104MW Solar Plant
Google and Prudential Capital Finance 104MW Solar Plant in Utah http://www.solarnovus.com/google-and-prudential-capital-finance-104mw-solar-plant-in-utah_N8442.html 9 January 2015 Scatec Solar ASA, an integrated independent solar power producer, has entered into financing agreements totalling USD 157 million for construction of a 104 MW(dc) Red Hills solar power plant in Utah. When complete, the Red Hills solar project will be Scatec Solar’s largest developed and constructed project in North America.
Total investment for the plant is estimated at USD 188 million—with Google providing tax equity, Prudential Capital Group providing debt financing, and Scatec Solar providing sponsor equity. The power plant will be wholly-owned by a partnership jointly owned by Google and Scatec Solar, which structured and executed the financing for the project. Scatec Solar will manage and operate the plant when it goes into operation.
Google has signed agreements to fund over $1.5 billion in renewable energy investments across three continents with a total planned capacity of more than 2.5 GW (gigawatts).This agreement represents the 18th renewable energy investment project for Google and supports its continued push towards a clean, low carbon energy future.
Prudential Capital Group, a Prudential Financial asset management business, provided term financing for the project.
The Utah Red Hills Renewable Energy Park, set to be built on a site with excellent solar irradiation, will generate around 210 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, which will be fed into the grid under a twenty-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with PacifiCorp’s Rocky Mountain Power, according to the utility’s obligation under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. When operational by the end of 2015, the plant will be Utah’s largest solar energy generation facility, generating enough energy to power approximately 18,500 homes annually. Based on US Environmental Protection Agency estimates, it will produce enough renewable power to prevent nearly 145 thousand tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually—the equivalent to not burning 156 million pounds of coal each year.
The ground-mounted photovoltaic solar facility is being developed on approximately 650 acres of privately-owned land in Parowan, Utah, will deploy approximately 325,000 PV modules on a single-axis tracking system and will interconnect to an existing transmission line.
Scatec Solar is an integrated independent power producer, aiming to make solar a sustainable and affordable source of energy worldwide. Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns and operates solar power plants, and will in 2014 deliver power from 220 MW in the Czech Republic, South Africa and Rwanda. The company is in strong growth and has a solid pipeline of projects under development in Africa, US, Asia, Middle East and Europe. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘SSO’. – See more at: http://www.solarnovus.com/google-and-prudential-capital-finance-104mw-solar-plant-in-utah_N8442.html#sthash.YOfvBs2F.dpuf
Alaska’s Renewable Energy project recognised as awinner
Project review: 2014 CESA installations, Part I, Renewable Energy Focus 09 January 2015 Reg Tucker
Biennial program recognizes outstanding state and municipal programs that have accelerated the adoption of clean energy technologies. Part I of this series provides a sampling of a few case studies behind the award-winning projects and initiatives.
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a national, nonprofit coalition of public agencies working together to advance clean energy, recently announced the recipients of the 2014 State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards. According to CESA, the winning programs exemplify the ground-breaking work being done by states and municipalities in the arena of clean energy development and deployment.The programs nominated for these awards were submitted by state and municipal clean energy agencies from across the country. The entries were reviewed by a team of distinguished, independent judges and were scored based on public benefits and results, cost effectiveness, leadership and innovation and the ability to replicate.
- The Alaska Energy Authority and the Kodiak Energy Association for Kodiak, Alaska: A 99% Renewable Energy Community………
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Project #1: Alaska Energy Authority/KEAAlaska’s Renewable Energy Fund, managed by the Alaska Energy Authority, has catalyzed a movement towards renewable energy across Alaska by funding 277 renewable energy grants totaling $250 million over the past seven years. With support from the Fund, strong local leadership, and hard work, the Kodiak Electric Association (KEA) has achieved more than 99 per cent renewable energy electric generation. KEA has developed a renewable energy grid that includes hydro power, wind, and battery storage technologies.Alaska’s Renewable Energy Fund has made it possible for communities and villages across the state to study their renewable energy resources, conduct proper engineering designs for those projects that are economically and technically feasible, and construct their projects for the greatest public benefit possible. In the case of Kodiak Electric, which serves about 6,300 people on Kodiak Island, prior to the Renewable Energy Fund’s start in 2008, KEA generated approximately 60 per cent of its electricity from hydro power and 40 per cent from diesel.
Through multiple successful applications to the Renewable Energy Fund, KEA was able to conduct feasibility studies, design, permit, and construct two phases of wind development, adding six 1.5MW turbines on Pillar Mountain, just above the City of Kodiak. During phase two of the project, KEA added two 1.5MW (1MWhr) battery storage systems that provide 30 to90 seconds of bridging power to allow ramping up of output of a nearby hydroelectric system at times when the wind output decreases rapidly.
The addition of the battery systems has allowed the wind to be used without curtailment, and it allows more water to be stored at the hydro facility during times when the wind blows. Additionally, and with the financial support of the Renewable Energy Fund, a third hydroelectric turbine was added to the existing Terror Lake powerhouse to increase output by an additional 13.8 MW. Since the end of 2013, KEA has been able to shut off the diesel generators and allow the battery/hydro mix to fulfill their spinning reserve requirement. They also have enough hydro redundancy to allow for maintenance of hydro turbines without burning diesel fuel to generate power. For the first nine months of 2014, KEA generated 99.7 per cent of its power from renewable energy, resulting in significantly lower energy costs for the community by reducing its diesel fuel purchases to nearly zero.
KEA estimates that it saved its small community about $13 million in reduced fuel costs through the end of 2013. Over $4 million per year is now saved by the community, to the benefit of residents, seafood processors, the Coast Guard Base, and all other electrical customers. It has also cut diesel emissions to zero except for a few hours per year, resulting in cleaner local air and dramatically reduced greenhouse gas emissions…………http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/41059/project-review-2014-cesa-installations-part-i/
Top renewable energy investment trends for 2015
UK watch: Tracking renewable energy investment trends, Renewable Energy Focus 05 January 2015 KATHARINE EARLEY As we head into 2015, Renewable Energy Focus contributor Katharine Earley speaks to Triodos Bank about investment trends, including crowd-funding, community-owned energy and businesses opting for on-site energy generation.With renewable energy set to be one of the key winners to emerge from the EU’s new three-year, £250bn investment plan, 2015 could be a promising year for renewables. We caught up with ethical investment pioneer Triodos Bank to understand what trends it foresees for the year ahead.
“We could see some real strides forward for renewable energy in Europe, particularly if the EU’s investment plan focuses on grid infrastructure,” Matthew Clayton, executive director of Triodos Renewables, explained. “As we move from centralised power plants to smaller, distributed energy generation, government investment could really help to address this important systems issue. Coupled with private investment in energy efficiency and generation, such a move could lead to more rapid progress.”
For Triodos’ part, its renewables company, owned by some 5,000 shareholders, operates 11 onshore wind and hydroelectric projects across the UK with a capacity of 53MW, enough electricity to power 34,200 homes. Founded in 1994, the company has seen a 35% increase in shareholders and a 50% increase in generating capacity in the past three years. Its projects generated more than 100m kWh of clean electricity in 2013. Having already raised £2m from its latest share offer, it is now extending the offer until 30th January 2015.
So what does Clayton see as the reasons for this prosperity?
“Investor confidence has grown as the nature of the projects become more robust,” he explained. “The technology is proven and is also decreasing gradually in price. Interestingly, we’re seeing interest from a wide range of investors, from individuals through to institutional investors. And we want to make investing in renewables accessible – that’s why we’re inviting minimum investments of £50 through our current share offer………..
1. More projects will be developed to supply a business
“We’ll see more projects developed with a direct supply of renewable electricity to a business,” Bazin stated. “This helps the developer to achieve a better price for the power and reduces electricity losses during transmission. Meanwhile, the business purchasing the energy benefits from greater security of supply, lower cost compared to using major utilities and a boost to its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.”
According to Bazin, this direct supply of electricity will be a key component of roof-mounted solar projects, which are high on the UK government’s agenda in 2015. This type of direct supply model also helps to raise awareness of the positive impact of renewable energy among building users, he confirms.
2. Community-owned energy will gather momentum
In 2014 Scotland had a massive success in renewable energy, especially wind power
Scotland Saw A “Massive Year” Of Renewable Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/06/scotland-saw-massive-year-renewable-energy/ January 6th, 2015 by Joshua S Hill That Scotland saw impressive records broken last year is of no real surprise to those who followed news of their monthly wind energy generation numbers. New numbers published early January have only confirmed that sense of record breaking, with another record month and a “massive year” in total.
WWF Scotland provided the information, by way of WeatherEnergy, and found that for December, wind energy provided 164% of Scottish household electrical needs — a massive record, well up on what had already seemed to be a mammoth record, set in October, when wind energy provided 126% (though, as it turns out, before Scotland’s performance was brought to my attention, they hit 163% in February). Specifically, wind energy delivered 1,279,150MWh of electricity to the National Grid, enough for 3.96 million homes.
In fact, wind energy generated enough energy to supply over 100% of Scottish household needs on 25 out of the 31 days of December.
“December turned out to a record-breaking month for wind power, with enough green energy generated to supply a record 164% of Scottish households with the electricity they need,” said WWF Scotland’s director Lang Banks. “Even on calmer days, wind still supplied the equivalent of over a third of electricity needs of every home.”
For 2014 as a whole, wind energy delivered an estimated 8,958,130MWh of electricity to the National Grid, or an average of 746,510MWh each month. That’s enough to supply the electrical needs of 98% of all Scottish households.
Without doubt, 2014 was a massive year for renewables, with wind turbines and solar panels helping to ensure millions of tonnes of climate-wreaking carbon emissions were avoided,” added Banks. “With 2015 being a critical year for addressing climate change internationally, it’s vital that Scotland continues to press ahead with plans to harness even greater amounts of clean energy.”
Solar power did relatively well throughout the year for Scotland, though it’s hard to come close to the country’s wind energy industry. Homes fitted with solar PV panels generated enough energy to supply homes in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness with an estimated 100% or more of their electricity needs throughout June and July, and 60% or more across the same four cities during March, April, May, August, and September.
“For 2014 as a whole, on average, wind power generated enough to supply the electrical needs of 98% of Scottish households, with six months where the amount was greater that 100%,” Banks continued. “And, in the tens of thousands of Scottish households that have installed solar panels saw them meet two-thirds or more of their electricity or hot water needs from the sun during several months of the year, helping those homes to reduce their reliance on coal, gas, or even oil.”
Karin Robinson of WeatherEnergy also commented on the remarkable year-that-was for Scotland: “We’re famous in the UK for our obsession with the weather, but how often do we see it in a positive light? At a time when the world is desperately looking for low-carbon sources of energy, the data show that clean renewables are already playing a significant and growing role in Scotland’s, and the rest of the UK’s, overall energy mix. We just need to blow their trumpet a bit more.
The news came just a few days before WWF published another report, this time based upon technical analysis conducted by international energy and engineering consultancy DNV GL, which found that Scotland could be a renewable energy powerhouse by 2030, completely decarbonised and delivering renewable energy enough for all the country’s electricity needs.
“It’s great to see the vision for a secure, renewables-based future for Scotland independently tested and proven,” said WWF Scotland’s Climate and Energy Policy Officer, Gina Hanrahan. “It’s clear that Scotland doesn’t have to generate electricity from coal, gas or nuclear to ensure security of supply.”
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