Solar Energy Boom in Spain

Spanish companies and research centers are taking the lead in the recent revival of concentrated solar power, as expanses of mirrors are being assembled around the country for concentrated solar plants. At the same time, Spanish companies are also investing in huge photovoltaic fields, as companies dramatically increase production of PV panels and investigate the next generation of PV.

Spain is already fourth in the world in its use of solar power, and second in Europe behind Germany, with more than 120 MW in about 8300 installations of PV. Within only the past ten years, the number of companies working in solar energy has leapt from a couple dozen to a few hundred.

Solar thermal power, also known as concentrating solar, works by utilizing the heat of the sun (unlike PV panels, which work on the principle of the movement of electrons between layers when the sun strikes the materials).

PV costs run nearly double that of solar thermal for a power plant of a similar size, but PV has the advantage of modularity.

Original article: Technology Review. Read more…

OMA Plans Massive North Sea Wind Farm to Power Europe

Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture announced plans for an incredible array of oceanic wind farms that may one day produce as much energy as the Persian Gulf. Dubbed Zeekracht (sea power), the masterplan comprises a massive ring of wind farms centered around the Netherlands that spans seven adjacent countries. By calling for such a large network of communal infrastructure and knowledge, the plan takes a giant step towards ensuring European energy independency by 2025.

Thanks to its high and constant wind speeds, shallow waters, and cutting-edge renewable industries, the North Sea is one of the world’s most suitable areas for large scale wind farming. OMA states: “The potential magnitude of renewable energy in the North Sea in fact, approaches that of fossil fuel production in the Persian Gulf states today.”

The firm’s Zeekracht masterplan calls for a massive communal wind power infrastructure focused in an ‘’Energy Super-Ring’ around the Netherlands. The plan’s components include a Production Belt, which covers clean tech research and manufacturing, and an International Research Center that promotes cooperation, innovation, and development. Since large scale fishing is impossible in the vicinity of a windmill field, the areas will also be effectively converted into nature reserves that shelter fish and other sealife.

Original article: Mike Chino. Inhabitat. 15 January 2009. Read more…

Smart Grid City

SmartGridCity is the US’s first fully integrated smart grid community and will boast the largest and densest concentration of these emerging technologies to date. Boulder, Colorado has been selected as the site of SmartGridCity.

Something that is being termed the Smart Grid is seen as a power system that combines traditional and cutting-edge technology to create a much-improved electric grid. That grid would, in turn, support the ever-increasing array of digital services desired by consumers, while effectively managing the requisite massive flow of energy.
Over the next several years, SmartGridCity will offer the potential for:
Adding more clean and green power sources in our fuel mix—greatly improving power delivery and reliability while optimizing environmental benefits.

• A grid that allows more choice about when, how much and what kind of energy you use.
• A digitally enhanced, more resilient and stable energy grid that is less prone to outages and improves power reliability.
• More energy efficiency and conservation options to manage your energy dollar

Read more…

Navy Charters Kite Powered Cargo Ship to Deliver Equipment

The US Navy’s Military Sea Lift Command has chartered a “kite assisted”, fuel saving ship to deliver cargo from Europe to the US. The ship uses a paraglider shaped, SkySails system, which supplements its internal combustion engines.

The sail is basically a huge, computer-controlled kite that soars 30 — 90 metres into the air, using wind to tow the ship at the end of a long tear-proof synthetic rope. Fuel savings are expected to be about 20-30% or $1600 per day.

Original article: Mark Rutherford. CNet News. 11 October 2008. Read more…

BYD F3DM Extended Range Electric Car Launches in China

Chinese automaker BYD has unveiled the BYD F3DM electric vehicle (EREV) for sale in the Chinese market. BYD also plans to bring the 62-mile range $22,000 car to the US and out-Volt the Volt.

The F3DM will operate for up to 62 miles in all-EV with a motor making 300 lb-ft of torque, when the battery runs low power comes from a 1.0 liter gasoline engine. Compare that to the Chevy Volt which will only have a 40 mile range in all-electric and will be mated to a 1.4-liter gasoline engine. The batteries can be charged in several ways, with a standard wall plug it’ll take about 7 hours, a dedicated high power charging station will do the job in about 3 hours, and a half charge can be achieved in as little as 10 minutes.

The real smack in the mouth is the asking price for the F3 DM — only $22,000 for the China market model — much cheaper than the expected $40,000 for the Volt. BYD has announced intent to introduce the car to the US market in the 2010 model year or perhaps sooner depending on crash certifications and regulatory hoop-jumping. The F3DM will make its worldwide debut in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Original article: Ben Wojdyla. Jalopnik. 15 December 2008. Read more…

Paul Gilding – Scream Crash Boom (2)

AND so the moment arrives.

In my first Scream Crash Boom letter of 2005 I forecast the inevitable crash of the global ecosystem. I said the resulting economic and social crises would then drive an investment boom in a new industrial revolution and economic transformation. I thought I was forecasting events a decade or two away. Now, just three years later, look around us. The global economy is trembling under its own weight. We see:

• riots and political crises across Asia as surging food prices, driven by extreme climatic events and surging economic growth, put severe pressure on the daily lives of billions of people;
• protests, strikes and political upheaval across the world as oil prices respond to the reality of limited supply, threatening recession, or worse;
• global financial markets lurching from crisis to crisis as complexity, greed and interconnectedness drives the financial system to the edge;
• debate about external military intervention in countries that can’t deal with the humanitarian consequences of extreme weather, such as Burma;
• scientists mystified by dramatic increases in melting at the Northern Polar and Antarctic icecaps, at rates way beyond their forecast models;
• and countless more impacts with floods and fires in the USA, droughts and dying rivers in Australia, melting glaciers all over the world, and on and on.

The ecosystem crash I thought was decades away is now underway and the resulting economic crash is not far behind, perhaps the slide has already begun. As our global market empire eats its way through the natural resources of the planet, stealing from our children, it now overextends, as all empires do before they decline. Desperate for more resources to feed its hungry masses, to shore up the middle class’s wealth, to keep the elites supportive and to protect itself, the system makes promises of continued riches. Promises it can no longer keep. Look how our system responds to oil prices – a response so ridiculous it’s almost funny. We see that our addiction to a non-renewable, polluting resource threatens the economy. Our solution? To try to increase supply and reinforce our dependency.

Madness surrounds us now. This empire has no emperor. There is no senate, no central committee, no board of directors. No-one is in charge and no-one can control what happens next. The system is too complex and intertwined and the momentum is too great. The system is breaking down and we need to prepare for what’s coming. When we look back, 2008 will be a momentous year in human history. Our children and grandchildren will ask us “What was it like? What were you doing when it started to fall apart? Could you see it? What did you think? What did you do?

Read more

SA may have renewable feed-in tariff by March

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) hopes to finally approve the long-awaited renewable energy feed-in tariff (Refit), aimed at stimulating investment in the sector, on 9 March 2009.

Owing to the currently more expensive cost of generating electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and natural gas, feed-in tariffs are seen as a structure to stimulate large-scale investment in the renewable energy sector.

The Refit would not lower the cost of electricity for the customer, but would subsidise renewable energy generators. The tariff was expected to cover the cost of generation, plus a fair return for investors.

“The model calculates the subsidy amount as the difference between the feed-in tariff provided, and the avoided cost of power generation. This gives an indication of the additional costs to the consumer of the tariff programme,” indicated Nersa.

The model also allowed for the inclusion of carbon revenue through the Clean Development Mechanism.

The tariff schedule for 2008 to 2013 as setout in the consultation paper would be as follows:

wind power 65,48c/kWh in 2008, steadily decreasing by 2,45% a year to 57,84c/kWh in 2013;

hydro-power 73,76c/kWh in 2008, decreasing 0,57% a year to 71,69c/kWh in 2013;

landfill gas, 43,21c/kWh in 2008, decreasing 1,16% a year to 40,75c/kWh in 2013;

concentrating solar, 60,64c/kWh in 2008, lowered by 1% a year to 57,67c/kWh in 2013.

Eskom Distribution would be appointed the renewable energy purchasing agency, with the responsibility of the regulator limited to overall monitoring and review.

The NERSA proposal is not without its critics: WWF climate change programme manager Richard Worthington stated: “We have called on Nersa to reconsider their proposal and call for the tabling of an improved proposal, as soon as possible. We hope to see a stronger proposal that provides for an independent renewable energy purchasing agency, and a more cost responsive way of setting tariffs.”

Original article: Christy van der Merwe. Engineering News. 5 January 2009. Read more…

Earthlife Africa has come out to say that while they support the principle behind REFIT, they have some concerns about the actual policy. They set forth 10 reccomendation on how to improve the draft policy.

You can read more here.

Paul Gilding – Market Wimps

THE latest calls for delays to action on climate change in Europe and Australia shows just how weak our captains of industry and their political supporters are when it comes to their commitments to markets. It exposes their Stalinist, command and control tendencies and reminds us, despite their protestations otherwise, they really are more comfortable with oligopolies and private gatherings in the old club, than with the rough and tumble of a genuine market.

The transformation of the economy to a low carbon one requires change driven by new incentives. This should be music to the ears of anyone who believes, as I do, in the innovative power of people and markets when given the right incentives. Yes, change can be hard work and must be managed, but it sorts out those who are innovative and courageous, those prepared to have a go, from those lazy, over protected sections of the economy that need shaking up for the greater good.

This of course is what our captains of industry argue about markets, that if we expose our ideas, technology and management capacity to the rigours of an open process of capital allocation then the best will rise to the top. That is why many of them are so nervous and now scream for protection, because they fear that their day is coming to an end and more innovative technologies and companies will replace them. So they seek any excuse to slow down that process.

A classic example of this is the debate over trading vs taxes. The corporate sector argued strongly for trading as the most effective and efficient method of identifying where capital should be directed to cut CO2 emissions. They were right to do so as a well-designed market for carbon, without free allocation of permits, is the right answer. It lets government guarantee a steadily reducing level of CO2 pollution (the cap and trajectory) and lets the market find the right price to achieve it.

Having argued for this, many so called market advocates then wimped out and started complaining about “certainty” – that they would face uncertainty on price. Well duh, that’s what markets are, a way to set the price given limited but unknown supply. So now the market advocates seek government intervention – compensation, price caps, longer term trajectories and delay – anything to avoid this being a real market.

There are notable exceptions, such as Grant King at Origin Energy. Origin has long recognised the inevitability of a carbon price and argued strongly in favour of one, even when it was very unpopular in the corporate sector to do so. King was a part of a small group of CEOs – the Business Roundtable on Climate Change – that pushed the Howard government to act, despite derision from the conservative members of the BCA.

Beyond policy advocacy, Origin saw the writing on the wall and invested in gas and renewables and positioned their brand as a green one with consumers. So now while the market wimps are calling for protection and delay, Origin is saying “bring it on”. Their recent submission to the government called for stronger targets than Garnaut. No wimps there.

The business community needs to decide if they want a market solution or not. Either they face up to the market and let it do its work or get out of the way and let government regulate a command and control solution. You can’t have it both ways and if we don’t get to work on the market approach soon, the heavy hand of government will be the only option left.

Original article: Paul Gilding. www.paulgilding.com. 17 October 2008. Read it…

SA website launch

Welcome to the website of the Southern African office of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. Please feel free to comment on any of the posts on this site.