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Republican heresy? Religious conservatives promoting renewable energy

As conservatives, we believe that increasing our use of renewable energy will improve public health and help protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Study after study demonstrates the negative health effects on people who live near coal plants. They are, by and large, people who are too poor to move. The quality of our air and water impacts not just your health and mine and people across Michigan. They also affect the health and life of the unborn.

As conservatives, we believe that using more renewable energy will reduce the amount of fuel we import from other nations

renewable-republican

Flag-USAConservatives should lead on renewable energy as way to protect God’s creations http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/keith_den_hollander_ renewable.html By Keith den Hollander  State Committee Member at Michigan Republican Party Chairman, MI Chapter at Christian Coalition, 22 Sept 13 In the next few days, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder unveiled the first of four reports on renewable energy that could potentially reshape Michigan’s energy economy.

Conservatives have a real opportunity to lead in the area of renewable energy and we should applaud Governor Snyder for his leadership in the energy sector……. Opinions like those expressed by the Mackinac Center’s Ken Braun (9/14/2013), who downplays the importance of renewable energy to Michigan, do not fully reflect the conservative viewpoint on energy.

Humankind has a moral obligation to be good stewards of the Earth and the resources that God has put on this planet for our responsible use. We are free to use coal, natural gas and oil – and also the wind, sun, manure and any other resource that can be economically and responsibly used or harnessed to create energy.

An “all of the above” approach to energy generation is beneficial to our state, economy, and long-term sustainability. This approach can help reduce the amount of energy derived from fossil fuels, and increase the amount generated from renewable sources. Continue reading →

September 23, 2013 Posted by | politics, Religion and ethics, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Dispelling some myths about renewable energy

Flag-USASix Myths About Renewable Energy WSJ, By  KEITH JOHNSON 22 Sept  “……….MYTH NO. 1: Renewables Are an Insignificant Source of Power ……. Conventional hydroelectric power, such as the Hoover Dam, is also renewable energy. Taken together, hydroelectric and other sources—biomass, geothermal, solar and wind—combined to account for 12% of U.S. electricity production last year, and close to 14% so far this year………It’s also important to remember the scale of the country’s renewable efforts. The U.S. has the second-biggest electricity system in the world, accounting for about 20% of the entire world’s generation capacity. Wind power’s 5% of that pie is a big slice. The 60-odd gigawatts of wind power installed in the U.S. amounts to more electricity-generation capacity than in the entire country of Australia or Saudi Arabia, and as much as all of Mexico…….

The seemingly small share of power produced by renewable energy at the national level also reflects the fact that some states have a lot of green power and some have practically none. Texas has the biggest electricity system in the country, and gets 11% of its juice from renewables, nearly all from wind. ……..MYTH NO. 2: Renewables Are Too Expensive

Forget about problems down the road. Another criticsm of renewables in the here and now: They’re expensive ways to generate electricity…...

      here are two big issues to bear in mind. First, costs are falling fast—thanks largely to technological advances such as larger wind turbines and cheaper components for solar-power arrays—so in some places, solar and wind power can cost even less.

The latest price data for wind-energy power-purchase agreements, released by the Department of Energy last month, showed that nationwide, the price of wind-generated electricity fell to just over 4 cents per kilowatt-hour nationwide, not counting the 2.2-cent federal tax subsidy. In some regions, well-sited wind farms produce electricity for closer to 2 cents.

Likewise, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just released its latest report on the costs of installing solar power. Costs for small-scale solar residential arrays fell by about 13% in the past year, driven largely by cheaper solar components due to a global supply glut. Utility-scale prices also fell…..

There’s also the question of hidden costs. Coal-fired electricity, for instance, has nasty side effects, including air pollution, health impacts and carbon-dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming (all of which factored into the Obama administration’s proposal Friday for new limits on coal emissions)—and those don’t show up in coal’s price tag. If coal and other fossil fuels had to tally the total costs their use imposed on society, coal wouldn’t be the cheapest source of electricity, and clean-burning renewables wouldn’t look nearly so pricey.

Add all the hidden costs together, and the total cost of different power sources looks quite different, according to that recently published study……..

MYTH NO. 3: Variability Dooms Renewable Energy
The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow,……..Consider the situation with wind power. Curtailments have fallen steadily in recent years as system operators have gotten better at using forecasting and integrating wind power. Investment in new transmission lines has also picked up pace, enabling wind farms in isolated locations to offer power more readily to a wider area.

That is the key to overcoming the natural variability of renewables such as wind and solar power. Individual wind farms may be very volatile. But scores of wind farms over thousands of square miles show less volatility—the wind is always blowing somewhere. As grid operators have added more wind in more locations to their systems, as well as the lines to carry that wind, integrating wind power into the electricity system has become easier.

Take Texas. Four years ago, facing severe transmission constraints, the state was dumping 17% of all the wind power it produced. In 2012, after adding more wind farms and almost 2,600 miles of transmission lines, curtailments were below 4%, and wind power provided 10% of the electricity in the nation’s biggest power market.

September 23, 2013 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

New report on America’s renewable energy policy

2013 America Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Report http://www.environmental-expert.com/news/2013-america-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-report-393874

Sep. 19, 2013 North and South America Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2013 report presents an in-depth analysis of the renewable energy policies across the major countries in North and South America namely the US, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of their renewable energy industry.

The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in each of these countries. The report also provides insights to major policy initiatives for the market development of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biopower and biofuels. The report ( http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/268267-north-and-south-america-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2013.html ) is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.

Scope

  • The report covers policy measures and incentives used by the major countries in North and South America to promote renewable energy.
  • The report details promotional measures in different countries both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies namely solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and bioenergy.
  • The report also highlights the differences and focus of the renewable energy policy frameworks in different countries in North and South America.

Table of Contents for the report North and South America Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2013 include: Continue reading →

September 20, 2013 Posted by | renewable, resources - print, SOUTH AMERICA, USA | Leave a comment

USA’s renewable energy progress races ahead in Western States

Flag-USAUS West Leads The Renewable Energy Way http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3949   19 Sept 13,  According to the American Council on Renewable Energy, western US states are leading the charge on good clean energy policy and investment and other regions in the nation need to follow their lead.

In the first instalment of its annual “Renewable Energy In The 50 States” report, ACORE reviewed the renewable energy policies, programs and investment environment in the 13 states that make up the Western Region, and judged the potential for future growth of the renewables sector.

Three more reports, focusing on the Midwest, Northeast, and the Southeast, are due for release in coming months.

The ACORE report found while all states had benefited from enhanced federal government support for wind, solar, and other renewable technologies over the last ten years, “In no part of the U.S. is this truer than in the West,” said Michael Brower, ACORE’s Interim President and CEO.

“With strong renewable portfolio standards (RPS), the political will to protect and/or expand them, and the nearly half of 2012’s new build asset finance for renewable energy, the West is far and away in the national renewable energy vanguard. America needs all the states in our three other regions to quickly follow their lead.” Continue reading →

September 19, 2013 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Solar power in Japan surpasses the 10 gigawatt mark.

sunflag-japanSolar energy reaches new milestone in Japan http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/solar-energy-reaches-new-milestone-japan/8513955/ 17 September 2013. 

Japan hits 10GW of installed solar energy capacity

As Japan continues to look for alternatives to fossil-fuels and nuclear power, the country has reached a major milestone concerning solar energy. A recent study conducted by NPD Solarbuzz, a research organization focused on solar energy, found that Japanese photovoltaic installations surpassed the 10 gigawatt mark. This makes Japan only the fifth country in the world to reach this milestone. The other four are Italy, China, Germany, and the U.S. Continue reading →

September 18, 2013 Posted by | Japan, renewable | Leave a comment

Scotland’s Sustainable Renewable Technologies (SRT) comes up with the SOLAR PYRAMID

The Solar Powered Pyramid http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3947 18 Sept 13 The sight of solar panels on a rooftop mightn’t generally capture as much attention as it once did, but this installation certainly does.
Designed and installed by Scotland’s Sustainable Renewable Technologies (SRT), the 48.25 kW installation provides 85% of the power used by the pyramid-shaped headquarters of Survey Solutions at Bilston Glen, Loanhead, Edinburgh.

According to SRT, other solar companies approached to execute the installation shied away from the project; stating that it could not be done.
Design of the scaffolding system that would allow the panels to be positioned in place was quite a challenge, but even more so was the clients’ requirement that each face of the pyramid to be covered in solar panels must be a perfect triangle. There could be none of the stepping that would otherwise be seen with square solar cells of the cut-down panels along edges.

solar-pyramid

To achieve the “perfect triangle” effect wasn’t so much a case of high-tech wizardry, but more design ingenuity – the panels along the edge are dummies and do not generate power.  The 193 panel array will provide a benefit to the building’s owners of around AUD$17,000 annually and avoid the creation of around 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The system was installed in July 2012 and has been nominated for this year’s Solar Power Portal Awards, which recognises good practice, professionalism, quality, safety and innovation in the UK’s solar industry.

The SRT installation is unsurprisingly in the “Most Innovative System Design,” category. Also not surprising is the comment from Tom King, SRT’s managing director, who said the installation was the most challenging project he has planned so far.
We imagine the project has resulted in all sorts of weird and wonderful design requests for Mr. King and his team.

 

September 18, 2013 Posted by | decentralised, UK | Leave a comment

Brazil cools on nuclear power plans; favors wind

Brazil will probably scale down its plans for new nuclear plants due to safety concerns following the 2011 radiation leak in Japan and pick up some of the slack with a “revolution” in wind power, the head of the government’s energy planning agency said.
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/69772

September 17, 2013 Posted by | Brazil, renewable | Leave a comment

Japan’s big electricity companies put obstacles in the way of renewable energy

Since there are no regulations defining grid access, the restrictions can be imposed at will by the major utilities. 

In a survey by the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, in Tokyo, as many as 60 solar power providers said they had given up selling power because of the grid access problems.

 a major stumbling block for renewable energy,

Renewable energy push blunted as ad-hoc rules stymie private upstarts, Japan Times,  KYODO SEP 15, 2013 Ever since Japan kicked off a system to encourage the use of renewable energy for electricity in July 2012, businesses, civic organizations and even local government bodies have been trying to break into the tightly held power market.

Under the so-called feed-in tariff system, utilities are required purchase any generated electricity derived from five types of renewable energy for a fixed price and a set time.

But the momentum seems to be slowing. Several potential power suppliers are dropping their bids after coming face to face with restrictions that make it difficult for them to link to the power grids run by the utilities, which are essentially monopolies. Continue reading →

September 16, 2013 Posted by | business and costs, Japan, renewable | 1 Comment

Power companies join in California’s Community Renewable Energy project

solar-panels-localThe group estimates that more than 20,000 residential ratepayers throughout California, each purchasing an average 5 KW share, will be able to participate in the program, as well as local schools, businesses, the military and the government.

California approves shared renewable energy program http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/california-approves-shared-renewable-energy-program_100012727/#axzz2etkybguT 13. SEPTEMBER 2013 BY:  IAN CLOVER

Flag-USAApproval of the largest program for shared renewable power in the U.S. passes in California, enabling schools, rental tenants and owners of homes in the shade to invest in solar energy projects. California’s Legislature has given the green light for the state’s “Green Tariff Shared Renewables Program”, which is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and will allow rental tenants, schools, cities and many other interested parties to invest in California’s renewable energy projects.

The program allows businesses and individuals to purchase shares in the renewable developments of three investor-owned utilities– Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E), and Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) – in return for a greener electricity supply and, in the future at least, lower bills. Continue reading →

September 14, 2013 Posted by | decentralised, renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Cost of renewable energy has halved since 2008

Analysis: 50% Reduction In Cost Of Renewable Energy Since 2008  Clean Technica, 11 Sept 13 (Very good graphs).  Renewable energy becoming more cost-competitive with fossil fuels isn’t news – as technology improves and more clean power generation comes online, electricity without emissions gets cheaper. But one new analysis reveals just how shockingly cheap it’s gotten.

The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) from wind and solar sources in America has fallen by more than 50% over the past four years, according to Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis 7.0, recently released by global financial advisor and asset manager firm Lazard Freres & Co.

Lazard’s analysis compared the LCOE for various renewable energy technologies to fossil fuels on a cost per megawatt hour (MWh) basis, including factors like US federal tax subsidies, fuel costs, geography, and capital costs.

Utility-Scale Solar, Wind Lead LCOE Charge Continue reading →

September 12, 2013 Posted by | renewable | Leave a comment

Wind power to dismantle nuclear weapons

The Largest Federal Wind Farm Will Power The Dismantling Of Nuclear Weapons, Stan Alcorn, Co exist 10 Sept 13 “…..The largest federal wind power plant is now being built to power a facility that does most of the nuclear weapons dismantling in the United States.

At the Pantex in the wind-rich Texas panhandle, electricity will soon come from five massive turbines, to help “green the nuclear security enterprise.”….. The case for the project is largely economic. The 47 million kilowatt hours of energy the five massive turbines will deliver should provide of 65% of the plant’s energy needs. That will save $2.8 million annually over the course of the 18-year contract, according to Siemens–money that will be used to pay back the original investment….  it’s a smart investment in the long run. And Marks says it’s only the beginning. “We hope to expand the wind farm even beyond these five turbines,” she says. “There’s plenty of property there, and plenty of wind.” http://www.fastcoexist.com/3016748/the-largest-federal-wind-farm-will-power-the-dismantling-of-nuclear-weapons

September 10, 2013 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Cheaper solar cells with nanotechnology

sunCheaper Solar Cells With Abundant Earth Materials http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3921 4 Sept 13 University of Alberta scientists have used nanotechnology to design a solar cell incorporating abundant-earth elements, which they say could lead to cheaper and more prolific solar power in off-grid areas.

The team’s work revolves around finding ways to lower the cost of print and spray-on solar technology using nanoparticle-based photovoltaic cells. Jillian Buriak, senior research officer of the UA’s National Institute for Nanotechnology and fellow researchers used two commonly occurring elements, zinc and phosphorous, to form zinc phosphide, a highly conductive and photosensitive nanoparticle. The team then invented a method for dissolving the nanocrystals into a red-coloured ink capable of absorbing light and transforming it to energy.

Buriak believes this photovoltaic ink is an important step towards mass production of solar power through roll-to-roll printing and spray-on techniques.

“Nanoparticle-based ‘inks’ could be used to literally paint or print solar cells or precise compositions,” she said.

“Half the world already lives off the grid, and with demand for electrical power expected to double by the year 2050, it is important that renewable energy sources like solar power are made more affordable by lowering the costs of manufacturing.”

According to the University, the advantage of using such abundant-earth elements in the solar research is that both materials are more plentiful than scarce materials such as cadmium and are free from manufacturing restrictions imposed on lead-based nanoparticles.

Team member Hosnay Mobarok of UA’s Faculty of Science discovered the method of turning the zinc phosphide nanoparticles into a photovoltaic liquid. Erik Luber, from the Faculty of Engineering then worked on making the film responsive to sunlight.

The team have built a prototype solar panel and are currently working on spray-coating larger solar cells to test their efficiencies.

The work, funded in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, has been published in the journal ACS Nano.

September 4, 2013 Posted by | decentralised, renewable | Leave a comment

Gulf Cooperation Council showcases solar energy development

UAE And Saudi Arabia Evolving Into Solar Powerhouses http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3920 3 Sept 13  The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are leading the way among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in the deployment of solar power.

Combined, GCC countries have approximately 84 GW of solar farm projects in the pipeline due for completion by 2017; representing investment value of  US$155 billion.

“Over the years, solar power has been acknowledged as the most promising source of renewable energy and GCC governments have demonstrated their keenness to shift from traditional energy sources to these low-cost and abundant alternatives,” said Derek Burston, Director of the UK-based Bowmedia, the organisers of Gulf Sol 2013.

“Direct radiation in many Middle Eastern countries exceeds 6 kWh per square metre per day, making for excellent solar potential. In addition, recent decreases in the costs of solar technologies coupled with rising electricity demand in these growing nations, if coupled with the right policies, could make the region a hub for solar expansion”.

Saudi Arabia aims to double its installed electricity capacity; a goal that will be achieved in part by the construction of 54 GW of renewable energy power stations by 2032, 41 GW of which will be solar.

The largest operating solar panel based power generation facility in the GCC region currently is Enviromena’s 10 MW PV plant in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Abu Dhabi has set a goal of generating 7% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

The Gulf Sol 2013 summit will run from September 3 to 5 and aside from showcasing the latest in solar technology, the event will include sessions discussing the feasibility of solar power projects in remote areas, opportunities in the GCC for international companies and regulatory and policy frameworks for implementation of solar projects.

The Gulf Cooperation Council consists of six Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The alliance was formed in part to strengthen relations among its member countries.

September 3, 2013 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, renewable | Leave a comment

Look at this – World’s largest solar thermal energy plant

Take A Tour Of This Insane Solar Thermal Energy Plant  (Excellent photos) 

Solar-thermal-plant-Califor

‘I would suggest going to check it out in person during your next Vegas binge weekend, but from the 15 freeway it’s little more than a silvery blur — a rippling, mirage-like, silvery blur that feels like it might sear your retinas if you look at it too long. So it’s a good thing they’ve just posted this incredible virtual tour……. HTTP://WWW.GIZMODO.COM.AU/2013/08/TAKE-A-TOUR-OF-THIS-INSANE-SOLAR-THERMAL-ENERGY-PLANT-IN-THE-CALIFORNIA-DESERT/

August 30, 2013 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

127 countries now supporting renewable energy schemes

Renewable energy support schemes now present in 127 countries, report finds PV Magazine, 28. AUGUST 2013 | MARKETS & TRENDS, GLOBAL PV MARKETS, APPLICATIONS & INSTALLATIONS | BY:  IAN CLOVER The Worldwatch Institute — an independent research organization based in Washington D.C. — reports that 127 countries worldwide have now enacted support schemes for renewable energy…….. Despite the economic downturn leaving a number of countries mired in recession and hamstrung by shrinking budgets, investment in renewable energy development and expansion has generally followed an upward trend, particularly in the solar photovoltaics industry, which has seen module costs fall by as much as 80% since 2008, and 20% since 2012.

At the beginning of this year, 66 countries offered tax incentives on renewable energy development, the report finds. And as the technology has proliferated, so has regional diversity.

In the middle of the decade, 58% of countries that enacted renewable energy support schemes were located in Europe and Central Asia. Today, that figure is slightly more than a third of the global total, with East Asia and the Pacific (21%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) following closely. http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/renewable-energy-support-schemes-now-present-in-127-countries–report-finds_100012528/#ixzz2dOMWGZNk

August 29, 2013 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

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