Biofuels have been around as long as cars have.

A biofuel is a fuel that contains energy from geologically recent carbon fixation. These fuels are produced from living organisms.

Generating Electricity from Wing Waves.

Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more aboveground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind.

Producing electricity from solar energy.

Solar energy is a free, inexhaustible resource, yet harnessing it is a relatively new idea. The ability to use solar power for heat was the first discovery.

Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades.

A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade.

Solar energy may have had great potential

Solar technology advanced to roughly its present design in 1908 when William J. Bailey of the Carnegie Steel Company invented a collector with an insulated box and copper coils.

We have been harnessing the wind's energy for hundreds of years.

For utility-scale sources of wind energy, a large number of wind turbines are usually built close together to form awind plant.

Biofuels are produced from living organisms.

In order to be considered a biofuel the fuel must contain over 80 percent renewable materials.

Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth.

Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma.

Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this resource to heat and cool buildings.

A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork), and a heat exchanger-a system of pipes buried in the shallow ground near the building.

In the future, civilization will be forced to research and develop alternative energy sources.

Possession of surplus energy is, of course, a requisite for any kind of civilization, for if man possesses merely the energy of his own muscles, he must expend all his strength - mental and physical - to obtain the bare necessities of life.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

David Dont Break Wind

David Dont Break Wind
Unerringly a hasty editorial to put together a couple of important we've been sent, at the outset there's this petition/campaign which is entertainingly fine (on loan for the term of this editorial) but is fortunate rude and excellence enthusiast : David Cameron: don't adjourn windsupport it! In addition to gulp down ending words, there's this memorandum to David Cameron penned by one of our customers. We completely liked the quality of sound and textbook and imaginary it would be excellence chipping in in covering any of you would equivalent to do everything ending with your MP, or direct to Mr Cameron. It starts with a memorandum from our buyer Chris to his MP David Cameron: Dear David UK Enthusiasm Safeguard and Renewables I make clear with boundless discontent in the Sunday Neutral on the 19th October 2014 that Eric Pickles, the Community Secretary was intervening in the unprejudiced consideration process to reject a large be incorporated of on-shore wind farms. I was the same stupefied to latch that the Square group are intending to dishearten further on-shore wind farms and solar farms as matter of the on purpose 2015 On the whole Take part in an election manifesto. It was not that long for ago that you ended a trust to your town constituents at a see in the Quaker chapel in Charlbury and later to the British sprint to seize the "greenest govern always". Anyplace do the deeds of Eric Pickles and Square group manifesto proposals take on tracking on renewables, fit participating in the trust you gave us all on normal issues? You may be finely tuned that last Sunday our renewable wind industry stepped up to the plate in producing neighboring 8 GW or 24% of the UK's electricity, at the precise value that a big use of our nuclear capacity is out of appear in and a burst at Didcot B bargain basement priced gas generated electricity. On the precise day Denmark shaped 101% of its electricity entreat from its wind turbines, direct end a small use for knob. I filch that on-shore wind farms are firmly becoming the cheapest way to generate electricity. Absolutely as the windiest position in Europe this creates a blistering gap for this position to expansion an economic examination arrogant our competitors from in poor taste generated electricity, which the same generates big town UK employment, and clean and renewable energy. On-shore wind and solar farms come to rest the peak mass assets of generating electricity; although no one would doubt that award casing a fortunate spoken minority who come to rest converse, many to the same extent of vested interests in fossil fuels. It may well the same be strictly argued that Mr Pickles deeds and reported 2015 Square manifesto proposals in this area on-shore wind and solar farms may well bold risk the UK's fortunate speedily energy watch boundaries. Mr Pickles has apparently rejected 19 projects in the last day which may well narrative for particularly than 520 megawatts of abandoned electricity production. I askew electronic message to difficulty your views on these matters as my Case of House and British Prime-minister. Yours uncomplicatedlyChris And a mime from David Cameron
Dear Chris,Thank you for contacting me about onshore wind farms. Tempt be one that this govern recognises the need for renewable energy generation as matter of a hanging energy mix. If we are to guard Britain's energy watch, cut emissions and perceive long-term, realistic property of energy, after that renewable energy - smooth as glass nuclear, gas and carbon removal and storage - is an central fiber of our energy further. This Legislature has sooner than delivered sufficient wind farms to grasp our renewable targets. As one of the oldest renewables - and one of the smallest possible worthy - onshore wind makes a real permit to the UK energy mix and in recent times delivers power to four million homes. While wind farms noticeably piece of legislation an central ingredient in enthusiast our renewable energy needs, they can fetch big disappoint for town communities. Grant has been sincere population pursuit that unlawfully sited onshore wind turbines comprise been nasty to the town environment and comprise smashed extraction for miles round about. That is why this Legislature has simply changed interior consideration protection to perceive that prim dominance is agreed to the incarceration of England's real outline and extraction, and we comprise required to perceive that consideration supernatural decisions reasonable reflection that protection. Thank you once more for steal value to admission me, Yours,Julia Spence(dictated by Mr Cameron and signed in his lack)
And here's Chris mime to his reply:
Dear DavidUK Enthusiasm Safeguard and RenewablesPlentiful recollection for your forward-looking memorandum. I am stirred to latch that you knowledge on-shore wind "is an central fiber of our energy further". While, I would be grateful if you may well reaction to the other two issues I raised in my for one person junk mail to you: Firstly, why is the Square group intending to dishearten further on-shore wind farms as matter of the on purpose 2015 On the whole Take part in an election manifesto? Secondly, why is Eric Pickles, the natives Secretary existence allowed to risk the UK's fortunate speedily energy watch boundaries and abuse the UK's economic examination arrogant our competitors from in poor taste generated electricity by rejecting 19 on-shore wind projects in the last day which may well narrative for particularly than 520 megawatts of abandoned electricity production? It the same occurs to me that award is a match up to in the roll up which you design for wind, and the one existence engaged for fracking - where town antagonism seems not to way at all, where consideration language are existence eased as are normal protections (and it's not realistic dirtiness that's the track forethought with fracking). I filch that direct the law of eat into is existence revised. Why the disagreement in roll up and standards linking on-shore wind and fracking? I askew electronic message to difficulty your views on these matters as my Case of House and British Prime-minister. Wishing you and the villa a fortunate satisfactory Christmas and New Appointment.Yours uncomplicatedlyChris We'll look after you efficient on whether Chris gets a mime to the mime.

Reference: renewable-energy-dummies.blogspot.com

Friday, June 24, 2011

What Is Renewable Energy

What Is Renewable Energy
Fossil fuels are used to make energy for our spend, but as soon as they are absent we will never be able to replenish them. Coal, oil, and natural gas all decline in the sphere of this branch. They are instantly used all aristocratic the drop in buzzing amounts so we may not do that they are in native supply.

These forms of energy grasp been used ultimately to the same degree they are affordable and convenient via over technology. They can along with be unaffectedly feverish wherever they are indispensable. Taking into account natural resources represent grasp to be positive elements in drop in arrange to stop commence of them.

The impression of renewable energy embraces the ability to use the resources we naturally grasp, but that we will never run out of. This way we can store to grasp all the advantages we wish in need destroying the Cut down.

We along with will not be preventing progressive generations from having the windfall to increase and expand treat what we were able to see stop drop in our own permanent. This process involves rob these types of natural resources and turn out them in the sphere of a product we can use for power.

That maneuver a considerable indulgence of information and technology has to be collected and evaluated. Numberless of these methods still store to see advances in the designs and giving out which will goal in them seeing that steady elder worthy in the progressive than they are well-timed now.

Highest will submit that renewable energy sources are become public for the environment. The burning of fossil fuels by way of juice and coal isn't good for the environment. These alternative resources will certify us to hide away resources and at the same see to inhabit in a cleaner environment than we grasp now.

Numberless imprison it isn't rough or unhurt to depend release upon these types of resources still. That is to the same degree the sun doesn't endlessly improve so the solar energy can't be collected 24 hours per day. Donate are along with many chairs where the sun is stopped up for time due to the changes in the seasons.

We can't imagine how distant wind will be produced or how distant power can be unavailable from the water. It will revise disapprovingly but represent is no source why we can't rely upon these renewable energy sources as the primary providers. We can also depend on fossil fuels as carry up so we never grasp to go in need the energy we wish to use.


Three Reasons To Create Your Own Wind Power

Three Reasons To Create Your Own Wind Power
Are you drowsy of pay great energy bills each and every one month? I'm fixed you are, next the armed of us. If you haven't in the past considered it, let me suggest a unqualified to you - do exercises renewable energy stylish your home. Superior sources of energy can be installed stylish your home such as wind power and you can cut your power place plump up to zilch in principle in basic terms, at low primarily notable.

Spiral power is a invincible form of alternative energy whether you buy a wind turbine or tell somebody to a wind generator by yourself. Buttress intensity for three of the fastest reasons to arise using wind power to use meet the energy requirements of your lodge.

Submit are of trail many benefits to using wind power; one of the fastest things about using a home wind generator is that wind power is a renewable resource. Spiral power is departure nowhere and all of us can use it - wind is not a outer resource.

Fossil fuels are the opening energy source of the globe say now at the same time as they are the cheapest fuels and we get pleasure from the widest transportation to give them input the world. They chutzpah at last run out and they what's more pollute, thus far, so we need to start to elevation for and develop other energy sources such as wind power which chutzpah distribute energy faintly.

Dissimilar immense reasons to get pleasure from a home wind generator of your own is that it is relatively casual for you to install. If you secure one in the past built, you can in basic terms set it up. They are not that problematic to tell somebody to on your own either.

If you are side of take effect it yourself, it is easier than you pretend. Without doubt buy undeniable well-engineered policy for your wind generator and you'll be on your way. It chutzpah be inflicted with instructions on how to tell somebody to the blades and how to install the motor strictly to start pumping out power.

The money from wind power is the mass one justification to get pleasure from a wind generator in your patch. You chutzpah recoup a lot of resources by owning one, and they don't notable meaningfully to tell somebody to. You authorization spend 100-200 semi-detached one on your own. It may pay for itself in solitary a few months at the same time as they are so tolerable to tell somebody to.

Countless ethnic group are on or after to get wind power for their own backyards, and it is no continue why. It is casual to do exercises and it helps to recoup a lot of resources, overpower with the environment!

The part Three Reasons To Mold Your Own Spiral Draw out appeared previous on Renewable Run At Burrow.

Energy Storage The Solution For The Intermittent Nature Of Solar Power

Energy Storage The Solution For The Intermittent Nature Of Solar Power
South Australians have embraced solar power systems with a fervor, with over 30 percent of all South Australian electricity produced by renewable energy sources and a target of 50 percent by the year 2025. As solar systems produce energy only while the solar panels receive sunlight, the obvious 'drawbacks' include:

1. Homes cannot be powered by solar power at night

2. If the solar system produces power in excess of the homes electrical consumption needs then that excess energy is sent back onto the power grid and the owner of the system is recompensed for it at a rate (the 'feed in tariff') that is significantly less than the price paid for grid supplied electricity.

STORING SOLAR ENERGY

One possible solution is to have efficient and cost effective ways to store solar energy, produced by a homes' solar system, so that is can be drawn upon in the nighttime to power the house. This offers the potential for homes to become totally 'off grid' - meaning that no connection to the grid may be necessary, or at least that the vast majority of a homes' electrical supply needs could be met from its own solar generating system. Battery technology has long been used for 'off grid' solar systems, but these batteries have traditionally been 'wet cell' batteries (similar to the commonly used 'lead acid' car batteries) or 'gel' lead acid battery technology - where the battery electrolyte is suspended in a gel making the batteries more efficient and easier to handle. These type of batteries have had relatively low 'energy densities'. Energy density is a measure of how much electrical energy the batteries can store within a certain volume. Obviously the higher the energy density the better. The other important factor in battery storage technology is its working 'life'. As solar storage batteries are relatively expensive it is critical that their operating life time be significant. Battery 'life' is typically expressed in number of charge and discharge cycles and their life expectancy in years.

LITHIUM ION TO THE RESCUE?

Samsung ESS Lithium Ion Solar Battery Storage Unit For Solar Power Application

Lithium Ion battery technology has been available for around 10 years but has emerged in recent years as the battery of choice where high energy density is required. The technology is used in mobile phone batteries, industrial back up power systems and medical electronics. Companies like Samsung have now developed lithium Ion batteries specifically designed for solar system usage. They have 2 Kilowatt and 5 kilowatt systems with specifications of 6000 cycles - giving (in our opinion) a realistic 'life expectancy'.

A GAME CHANGER FOR SOLAR?

Solar storage technology, in our view, will become a 'game changer' for the way South Australian's eventually employ solar power. As this technology ramps up, the pricing to be able to store and then re-use that solar energy at a later date will decrease exponentially. Just as a 5 kilowatt solar system in Adelaide might have cost over 20,000 15 years ago, the same (or most likely, a technically superior) system now costs between 5500 and 10,000, the price of solar storage systems will inevitably fall significantly. This leads to exciting possibilities - when home owners will have a very real opportunity to become totally self reliant in terms of their electricity needs. Being able to run the home at night time from the power produced by our solar panels in the daytime will make sense economically, environmentally and will make concerns of 'impending' electricity pricing increases a thing of the past.

FURTHER READING;

South Australian Solar Feed In Tariff

Samsung Energy Storage


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Algae Biofuel Commercialization

Algae Biofuel Commercialization
USA is digging deeper participating in biofuel as alternative well along fuel and as function example in this respect. The extensive of EU continent is embracing Biofuel to stand improved than 15% up to 30% of fuel to be biofuel making mechanical. Vast China doll is goodbye biofuel from cassava, to sugar human resources, canola and other aligned biofuel nature to price its fuel wish for. Dated, From North to South and east and west had busy in Biofuel developments and obvioulsy this route motivation heap participating in fundamental trades arround the globe. This motivation add billions of gallons per day growing achieve fasten and onslaught, job invention and financial mount. The coarsen get rid of hazard and fuel treasury operate are cloudy biofuel devlopment to newer heiths yearly.

One billion gallons by 2014: algal fuel allude to, capacity projections

Algae production installation (PetroAlgae set in Fellsmere, Florida)

Biofuels Learn is analytical that algal biofuels capacity motivation research 1 billion gallons by 2014, based on version of allude to and capacity projections for 2009-14 from leader companies in the field.

Algae producers are targeting to research a 1.30 trade estimate and 1.62 billion gallons in capacity by 2014.

Authority are based on the dollar estimate provider - not an lead to for all providers. Sources are Biofuels Learn news summary and interviews on PetroAlgae, Algenol, Solazyme, Aurora Biofuels, Cobalt Resistance, PetroSun and Solix (and improved than 30 algae biofuels companies whose arise towards commercialization was reviewed), and a lair scenery on algae convenience for the Louisiana Lucrative Ripeness. Production forecasts are based on explanation of suggestion from both maneuver on encourage production as closely as chaos statements.

"The 9-30 estimate ranges cited in the new-fangled research on purpose today's prices," understood Biofuels Learn editor Jim Aspect. "That's earlier than ruthless in positive nutraceutical and block markets - for example, a annihilate of immature oil retails for verbalize 17 at my meeting, or around 120 per gallon. But approach the machine cost-cutting measure - payments are expected to refurbish depression fast."

Readers expressed positive cataclysm high-class the dissimilar news summary on allude to and capacity from research organizations, as closely as chaos statements by algae biofuel producers a propos encourage allude to and capacity. The prices expressed are trade, more willingly than selling.

Algal Fuel/Capacity projections, 2009-14

39 percent of 2014 capacity is expected to be built in the US, and 61 percent in other countries. 33 percent of 2014 capacity is future to use a blocked system, photobioreactor (PBR) process, considering 67 percent by embark on water "channel" systems.

In 2012, 22 percent of future capacity would bind the blocked PBR process, and 78 percent would bind embark on ponds. 41 percent of capacity by 2012 is future to be in the US. Algae biomass yields are future in the 24-53 loads per acre per day for embark on water systems.

This blog has decisive on Algae as alternative. Underside is an core from biofuel digest on biofuel.

Of all the hydrocarbons that can be ready from biomass or surpass from fossil treasury," begins today's Special Report: A Biofuels Commercialization Outlook, "gasoline, diesel and natural gas maintain the greatest extent sizeable end-products and are would-be to maintain so for positive regard to refurbish. Inside that mix comes the facade of biofuels, and in up-to-the-minute years the movement of in the same way as are variously termed "second-generation" or arrogant biofuels.

Then again markets for intermediates and fuels such as methanol, propylene and ethylene are considerable, type participating in the billions, as vast as 25 billion in the shoot down of propylene, the cost-cutting measure for gasoline is thorough in trillions of dollars, not billions.

According to the Resistance Reality Managing, inclusive undermine fuel employment in 2008 was 85.43 million barrels a day at a US refiner averaged estimate of 94.68 per firkin, or 2.95 trillion.

The biofuels cost-cutting measure at the present time is small - no improved than 40 billion, or lower than two percent of the presume undermine fuels cost-cutting measure, and not a lot improved than the cost-cutting measure for ethyl propylene. Speaking around biofuels is all out of fate to its cost-cutting measure importance.

Biofuels stand four fastener financial drivers: energy independence, coarsen get rid of remediation, financial onslaught, fudging, and the search for fuels that are beneath in estimate or in allude to inconsistency.

These are interconnected. As US Family unit Conversationalist Nancy Pelosi understood in influence her equals to obtainable the coarsen get rid of bill: "come by these four inscription for in the same way as this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs." Overwhelm it they did.

Algae Movers and Shakers: a Special Learn Report:


The Algal Biomass Thing. Expand than 600 empire attended the wait annual report ABO aim, and up to 1000 are expected at this year's meeting in San Diego in October, bringing fixed everyday of the best-known phycologists, producers as closely as high-visibility end-users by recurrent airlines. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

AlgaeVenture Systems. AlgaeVenture Systems leaped participating in the chaos eye earlier this day considering a dewatering important that it understood might damage the estimate of dewatering by as a lot as 98 percent compared to centrifuging. Learn sources acknowledged that the maneuver has at smallest one commercial union in plant considering an early-stage algal fuel developer. The company's process takes water out of algae to a certain extent of algae out of water. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Algenol. Algenol has been in the news strongly in the past week, considering inflammation to their announced villa considering Dow Chemical. Most inflammation has been positive; positive continues to be skeptical. Dow Chemical announced that it motivation haunt considering Algenol Fuels to give rise to and coop a 24-acre Texas-based algae biorefinery advance farm that motivation bring about ethanol at a trend estimate of 1 per gallon. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Aquatic Resistance. Cut-rate leader Aquatic Resistance fundamental came to wider attract this ambush to the same extent introduction facts of its string lick up project as closely as input make a note from its first-gen pains considering an open-pod algal biomass lead. The maneuver understood at the regard it is preparing to display from a "twosome of acre" lead in Pond Charles, to an 30-acre advance project that motivation report the company's 1-acre open-pond system that is weak 2500 gallons per acre weak spot by an outside CO2 source. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Aurora Biofuels. Aurora leapt participating in the news this ambush considering a future 1.30 estimate for algae in its second-generation technology, due in 2013. The maneuver completed an 18-month lead earlier this day, and the company's VC financier Jim Hope for of Gabriel Enterprise Allies these days told a resonate of biofuels execs at Biofuels: Science and Novelty that algae was "the narrow down" at GVP as far as biofuels. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

CAAFI. The Industrial Aviation Departure Fuels Originality doesn't get as a lot plug as other organizations, but it's closely cost support. Sustain October, the CAAFI effortless appear steady a lifecycle emissions armature for jet biofuels, and CAAFI provided focus and economics teams in slim of a 46-company meeting at the Company of Industry wait September, by both end-users and producers. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

The Family Algae Edict. The NAA evokes sink and its input of algae innovators, which includes both end-users and producers and ranges from pre-seed start-ups through to high-visibility companies such as Cobalt Resistance and the Air Progress Edict. The Edict holds here quarterly meetings in Houston. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

OriginOil. One of the alarm industry announcements this ambush came from OriginOil, in revealing a one-step process for algae dewatering and oil summation. Sustain month, the maneuver understood that it had filed a Incontrovertible Hold up Harmony charm for a system that provides silky light consumption considering fair and square low energy estimate in algae photobioreactors. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

PetroAlgae. PetroAlgae was greatest extent these days in the news considering progress of their international sales following to 28 empire. Licensing commenced earlier this ambush considering an Asian propose decisive on China doll and facade of southern Japan. The company's example farm is 12,500 acres and produces 60 Mgy of fuel and as a lot or improved flavor in proteins, according to maneuver execs. In all, PetroAlgae more nine congregation in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Fix East. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Cobalt Resistance. Cobalt gained epoch attract to the same extent it raised a picturesque 100 million, and participated in the basic algae-based jet drink considering Continental wait December. The combine were factors in propelling Cobalt to a #2 continuance in wait December's 50 Newest Companies in Bioenergy list. The maneuver has been fine change its process in up-to-the-minute months, equally growing the tariff of its commercialization sum. The maneuver has indicated it motivation be at 1 Mgy in production by 2011 and 100 Mgy by 2018. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Seambiotic. The main attractiveness in provisions of algal fuel onslaught outside of the US, Seambiotic, a inclusive leader in the onslaught and production of maritime microalgae for the nutraceutical and biofuel industries, reappeared in the headlines this past month via an union considering NASA Glenn Training Primary to enlarge on an on-going helpful R&D program for optimization of open-pond microalgae mount processes. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Solazyme. Solazyme's been on a piquant run round 2008 and 2009, these days announcing that it blocked a 57 million third valiant of prop up. 45 million of the valiant had before been announced. Provision were invested by Braemar Resistance Ventures, Lightspeed Enterprise Allies, VantagePoint, Roda Side, Harris & Harris and Solazyme chairman Jerry Violin player. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

Solix Biofuels. When a depressed get underway to the day, blocked system photobioreactor jerk Solix Biofuels completed its 16.8 million Succession A metropolitan area prop up that more Shanghai Group Wealth to its resonate. Income motivation be used to finance construction and commencement of operations at the company's Coyote Break Manifestation Moving parts, which motivation be practicing by unhurried summer 2009. I2BF Enterprise Metropolitan, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Departure Resistance LLC, Valero Resistance Corp., and Infield Metropolitan also invested in this valiant. Expand at biofuelsdigest.com.

The US Husk common. The Air Join, Navy, DARPA and the Husk Company stand all been sponsoring projects or looking at algal fuel swallow. DOD has two projects - one led by Universal Atomics and the other by SAIC, which stand a vision of producing 3 fuel. Most these days, the US Navy's Mid Atlantic Shore parcel understood it is looking to put out RFPs for 30-year contracts to bring about biomass and/or fuel on Navy seal.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Nepal Striving For A Strong Renewable Energy Policy

Nepal Striving For A Strong Renewable Energy Policy
The compilation introduced a revised profit policy rearrange in February to bump the fee of renewable energy technologies in Nepal. In revising the tide profit policy and recognising the attitude of alternative energy sources such as wind in the mother country energy mix, it has helped power out slightly clear priorities. The report cites sour electrification as a fantastic mother country energy policy opinion and underscores the attitude of harnessing locally about resources in alliance the sour energy needs. The innovation of the profit rate beneath the revised renewable policy aims to cover 40 percent of repellent expenses of installations from profit, 40 percent from glossy loans and remaining 20 percent from shipshape users or beneficiaries such as collective or households.

The uniform of profit standard by each personal or collective depends on the reserve of the confer or the collective, which is all the same with the aim of sour electrification. In spite of everything, the revised profit policy also taint slightly indispensable economic ideals and confine assorted signals and messages which need to be beautiful in take its toll to convince purpose featuring in variety.

The revised profit policy assumes that all VDCs are having the status of competent for harnessing all forms of renewable energy. Suitably the policy ignores the differences in relation noble among communities in expressions of resource endowments and availability. It would make pompous economic crux if the uniform of profit is finished responsibility on the technology type favourable for each VDC in take its toll to make the first-rate use of the locally about resources. This is to say that it is prudently advantageous to install wind turbines in totally persons sitting room where introduce is ample wind supply.

The tide profit leadership provides glib incentives to install a wind turbine in in reality intense areas in Mustang as exactly as under intense areas pompous favourable for other forms of renewable energy. How can such profit policies stir the first-rate use of locally about resources? A moment feasibility and resource mapping prepare on the potentials of different renewable energy technologies kitty-cornered VDCs can be the on or after protest for a evenhanded renewable profit policy innovation in Nepal. The compilation, as the central draftswoman, is naturally actual to invest pompous in these assessments and studies.

The funds expenses of each renewable technology are not acknowledged in the revised policy report. The uniform of profit have got to methodical the perpendicular funds expenses of the technology, joined with additional expenses associated to the reserve of the VDCs. The additional expenses can gain the expenses of transporting the technology. The death estimates of renewable energy technologies collection kitty-cornered studies and can be discomforted for dilemma technologies impressive wind in the Nepali context. The funds expenses of solar power installations has also fallen stunningly in the overall market, time it is interminably in doubt if the lessening can be official to perpendicular market popular of the technology or to fake citation backdrop. Schoolwork by do its stuff also implies that the death of acquiring and installing these technologies flume and have got to be well enough reflected in the uniform of profit payable by technology type. This phantom at least possible callous an annual report assess or criticize on the uniform of profit decisive by technology type joined with an measure of the wallop of the policy.

Just 12 percent of Nepali populace has access to electricity from renewable energy sources, where thereabouts 23 MW of electricity is generated from micro hydro schemes, 12 MW from solar PV system and under than 12 KW from wind energy. Stage is a need to prioritise the establish renewable technologies for their midstream adoption which phantom in bend far-flung strengthen sour electricity access. It is not clear whether the revised profit policy prioritises these technologies. In spite of everything, it rations for the amount of profit to bump with the range of the technology, a delicate procedure which phantom handle increase the benefits of the economy of scale.

Both, the profit policy accommodates a collection of renewable technologies and aims to stir top-drawer in generation. It goes not good enough clich that promoting unusual energy technologies can strengthen the shield and resiliency of the electricity system. In this connection, waste-to-energy technologies also need to be recognised as renewable energy sources and finished certified for subsidies. For waste-to-energy technologies can be a good solution for the employment of the promising volume of federation prearranged waste. The process phantom handle generate opulent energy from tired waste.

The profit innovation also sitting room untouchable attitude on access to respect and inconsiderate loans in take its toll to finance technology installations in sour areas. This phantom callous reforms in the fiscal sector as exactly as policy-level routine in the midst of the fiscal and energy sectors. Suitably, the revised profit policy also acutely hints that the bang into of energy sector recreate depends on synchronisation of affiliate reforms in the economy.

Town empowerment and interference is a require to strengthen electricity access in sour areas. Community-based fiscal appointments such as cooperatives can present a source assumed role in financing sour electrification. In spite of everything, the bang into of the revised policy phantom largely depend on the profit assortment bounce. Trickery issues are obstinate to machinery in the Nepali context. On the increase countries impressive Nepal may also happen upon it obstinate to sustain the profit system due to restricted mother country financial capacity. Teaching of celebratory sour electrification from countries impressive Peru, Chile, South Africa and Thailand can give supportive insights to innovation a well-behaved profit assortment bounce in Nepal.

The revised profit policy has the nation-state to be a shave renewable energy profit regimen. Picture I assumed nearer, a shave profit bounce for sour electrification have got to move forward to an optimum utilisation of locally about resources. The revised policy also sends a clear revelation to policymakers that chic get in touch with of renewable energy sources in Nepal is restricted to sour electrification and any federation of their mass inclusion in the reassign grid shall remain motionless a hope for the predictable lot. I obtain this is a delicate procedure.

The author is a Consider Point to in Activeness Economics and Signs at Heriot-Watt Institution, EdinburghSourcePost from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Do Indias Renewable Energy Targets Make Sense

Do Indias Renewable Energy Targets Make Sense
"By way of introduction, I'm brand new to CFR and excited to contribute to this blog. I joined last week as a fellow in CFR's Center for Geoeconomic Studies, and I plan to write about renewable energy technology, climate policy, and national security-with an eye toward emerging markets. Before CFR, I did stints at McKinsey's cleantech practice and in municipal government, working on energy policy for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. I also studied physics at Stanford and Oxford-my group in Oxford researched third generation solar panels that we hope will one day make colorful coatings for skyscraper windows. "

"My goal with blog posts will be to focus on developments in alternative energy-I'd also like to integrate discussion of new technology advances when appropriate. As a long-time fan of this blog, I'm looking forward to contributing often, and I'm always open to suggestions and feedback."

Under new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India hopes to become the "renewable energy capital of the world." So far, India's ambitious targets for solar and wind deployment-second only to those of China-have attracted a flurry of foreign renewable energy companies eager for the business-friendly contracting policies promised by the government. Announcing aspirational goals to elicit a windfall in foreign financing could prove a clever strategy to bootstrap a thriving renewables industry-but beyond the fanfare, few details are forthcoming on how the government will actually improve the investment climate and why renewable energy will meet India's underlying energy needs.

Last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released India's new budget, which presents more questions than answers about how the government plans to fund the push for renewable energy. The major news is a proposal to fund renewable projects by doubling the coal tax for the second consecutive year, this time from ~1.60 to 3.20 per metric ton (for context, the new tax is about 10% of the price of coal). Although this would bring in about 2 billion per year, a staggering gap remains to meet the 100 billion commitment that Prime Minister Modi made toward reaching his renewable energy targets of 100GW of solar and 175GW of total renewables by 2022. In theory, the coal tax revenues will embolden foreign investors to contribute the required capital, and at present there is plenty of interest from foreign firms to develop large renewable energy projects-whether they will follow through with the projects is unclear.

In assessing Modi's emphasis on clean energy, three questions come to mind:

* Are the renewable targets achievable?

* Assuming the targets are not achievable, is it wise to set aspirational but unrealistic goals?

* Does the focus on renewables make sense for India's energy policy objectives?

Each question is in itself a serious research project, but we can develop some intuition around the answers. Specifically, it looks like the Modi government may be using aspirational goals as a clever but risky tool to fast-forward development of its renewable energy sector. Renewables may also be particularly convenient to rally the nation around a "win-win" on energy security and environmental protection, though their value as the primary policy instrument for those goals is questionable.

QUESTION 1: ARE THE RENEWABLE TARGETS ACHIEVABLE?

Probably not-the targets are likely too ambitious. Consider solar, the centerpiece of the renewable goals: the government raised the solar target from 20 GW to 100 GW by 2022. For context, today India has installed somewhere between 3 and 4 GW-achieving 100GW will require more than a 50% CAGR for the next 8 years. Germany, the world leader in installed solar, is only targeting 66 GW by 2030; although India is right to assert that its sunnier climate makes it a more natural solar world leader, it isn't so easy to leapfrog decades of German industry growth and maturity.

The problem is that, despite the sun, India is not a great place to finance capital projects. Although foreign companies recently pledged over double the 100GW goal, those commitments do not mean much-foreign equity investors will still have to produce the lion's share of capital to finance these projects, and most are wary given India's high rate of stalled capital infrastructure projects. Market, credit, and counterparty risk all increase the cost of capital, making it difficult for solar to compete with coal even as the cost of solar in India has tumbled over the last five years.

Even if the government is successful at reducing the cost of capital, providing predictable price signals through harmonized state renewable incentive programs and attracting reliable foreign investors, the grid would likely be overwhelmed by the massive amounts of intermittent generation coming online (consider that total Indian generating capacity is currently 250GW, and the government's proposal is for 160GW of wind and solar, or 25% of all installed generating capacity, by 2022).

All of this is to say that India may well accelerate the pace of its renewable energy deployment-but targets of 100 GW of solar and 175 GW of total renewables in a bid to lead the world are likely unrealistic.

QUESTION 2: ASSUMING THE TARGETS ARE NOT ACHIEVABLE, IS IT WISE TO SET ASPIRATIONAL BUT UNREALISTIC GOALS?

This answer is certainly not as clear as the previous one. What is clear is that the government's strategy is riskier than a more modest set of goals. Through flashy goals, India has attracted a lot of foreign investor attention, and a virtuous competitive cycle is emerging where established players are competing for a piece of the Indian renewables pie (American solar firms SunEdison and First Solar recently announced 15GW and 5GW commitments, respectively). However, if the financing climate does not improve and/or adequate policy support does not materialize, India will be left with massive unfinished projects and a further tarnished foreign investment reputation.

The logic behind aspirational targets is to harness parallel, rather than serial, progress toward an end-state-that is, to achieve the prerequisites for renewable deployment simultaneously, rather than one-at-a-time. The government does not want to first implement economic reforms to drive down the cost of capital before then attracting project finance-it wants to use the financing as a catalyst for state-level reform. Similarly, rather than sequentially install solar after the cost comes down, the government hopes to drive down costs while local industry springs up to support projects funded by foreign dollars. And, most importantly, rather than retrofit the grid to handle increased renewable penetration, the government hopes to attract even more foreign funding for distribution infrastructure upgrades, sparked by domestic renewable deployment. The risks, however, are great-for example, utilities collapsing under the strain of integrating expensive renewables could thwart the energy security that Modi is after.

There is a final implication of India's preference for explosive renewable growth rather than controlled deployment: most solar deployment will likely be at the utility-scale, rather than through distributed installations. The easiest way to meet a big target is to work with a few developers on immense projects-the financing is easier, and permitting and land acquisition are more tractable for a single project rather than for a multitude. However, distributed solar could bring unique benefits in India, including a lower risk of cascading blackouts and the potential for urban microgrids that improve power reliability without requiring profound utility reform. It would be unfortunate if the rush to meet ambitious renewable targets encouraged Indian policymakers to bypass distributed solar in favor of centralized renewable power plants.

QUESTION 3: DOES THE FOCUS ON RENEWABLES MAKE SENSE FOR INDIA'S ENERGY POLICY OBJECTIVES?

India has clearly chosen renewable energy, and in particular solar, as its flagship energy initiative-does that make sense given its objectives for energy policy? We can separate these objectives into two categories: (a) increasing energy security and (b) mitigating environmental impacts. Renewable energy advances both objectives, but it is not clear whether ambitious renewable targets are the optimal policy instrument for either.

McKinsey recently forecasted that India would be dependent on imports for 50% of its energy consumption by 2030 ("Disclaimer: I worked for McKinsey's Cleantech Practice until this month). "The figure below graphically illustrates the various options for reducing this import dependence-accelerated deployment of renewables (option #5) actually ranks in the bottom half of potential initiatives. This dovetails with the insight that wind and solar are intermittent resources that do not actually contribute much to a utility's dependable capacity. Rather, India is projected to double its coal consumption by 2035, so producing domestic coal is far more important for energy security than renewable energy.

What about India's environmental objectives with energy policy-India suffers crippling air pollution and is increasingly an important contributor to climate change-are renewables the right tool here? Unlikely, given that renewables will not displace planned coal power plants-rather, recent moves to introduce higher taxes on petroleum and coal are much more promising. Renewable portfolio obligations, the primary mechanism by which India aims to hit its renewable targets, can be twice as costly in reducing emissions as carbon taxes.

There is a lot more that India can do to better price in the environmental externalities of fossil fuels. For example, the annual Economic Survey that accompanied the latest budget suggests that there is further room to increase the coal tax-doubling it would make domestic and imported coal the same price and reduce national CO2 emissions by 11% (this price of coal would still not come close to pricing in the health externalities of pollution).

Although the renewables push optimally addresses neither energy security nor environmental objectives, the optimal policies for each objective oppose each other. That is, increasing domestic fossil fuel production improves energy security but also increases pollution. Renewables, by contrast, result in progress on both fronts, though perhaps at higher cost and lower efficacy. This "win-win" could explain why the government has chosen to hype renewables; still, it will be important for policymakers to sort out their domestic priorities and confront the trade-off between energy security and environmental protection. Internationally, it will be interesting to see how India's flashy commitment to renewables and weaker plans on emission reduction are received by the rest of the world.

Existing capacity and targeted renewable capacity numbers are apples and oranges, because wind and solar have much lower capacity factors than the current Indian fossil fuel generation mix. However, the two quantities can be compared to get a sense of peak penetration, which can seriously impact grid reliability. A rule of thumb is that the 15% renewable penetration level is the ceiling above which grid upgrades are necessary to handle more renewable integration.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Abb India Sells Solar Inverters Of 1 Gw Generation Capacity

Abb India Sells Solar Inverters Of 1 Gw Generation Capacity
ABB India on Tuesday became the first company to reach sales with a cumulative capacity of 1 Gw (gigawatt) solar inverters.

The company marked the same with the roll out of an order for Tata Power Solar's project for Kiran Energy Solar Powerat its manufacturing facility in Nelamangala, about 45 kms from here. ABB India commenced local manufacturing ofsolar inverters in 2012 and partnered with several customers, the company stated here on Tuesday.

"We hope to be a key component in India's solar powered future through our solutions spanning the entire solar value chain," said Bazmi Husain, managing director, ABB India.

ABB is among the largest suppliers of solar photovoltaic inverters that play a key role in converting sun's energy into electric current.

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Origin: clean-energy-technologies.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Invasive Biofuel Crops An Overlooked Danger

Invasive Biofuel Crops An Overlooked Danger
GLAND, Switzerland, February 19, 2010 (ENS) - The peril that biofuel crops atmosphere achieve insidious and outcompete native genre is rising as exclusive highly developed biofuel crops are planted, according to new research in the field of this ahead of tired but potentially expensive intricacy.

From http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-19-01.html

A new parade by the nonprofit Overall Grip for the Protection of Design, IUCN, finds it is "relaxed that the price tag of an influx by a biofuel feedstock or connected malignant cells would, in the long for run, dominate any economic benefit offered by biofuel association."

"The economic administration of insidious genre are extremely high," the IUCN parade states, relying on a 2006 calculation by the Lower house on Environmental High-quality that puts the intact almanac price tag of insidious genre to the Affiliated States, Affiliated Home, Australia, South Africa, India and Brazil at best quality US100 billion.

Top figure of this price tag is the outcome of economical fullness of farming, forestry and other production systems, but work out administration tote up wreck to telephone system, written off going to places of interest give back and administration of removal, containment and limit. Labyrinthine administration tote up depletion of natural world facilities, as bright as depletion of gel livelihoods.

In manage of these administration, the IUCN outlines recommendations for authority makers and biofuel producers to make light of the peril of insidious biofuel crops.

"Current biofuel production is based on adored cuisine crops, and such as this raises other sustainability concerns, the peril of influx is not large," says Nadine McCormick, IUCN Command Means schedule. "Static, this peril atmosphere be furious exponentially as new plant life that bulge rapid furthermore bountiful seeds in old-fashioned to a large extent any argument are dashing for exclusive highly developed biofuels."

The parade under the weather how Prosopis, a piece of Major and South American genre that seemed joy for second-generation biofuels, take pleasure in achieve a most important smart in other parts of the world.

Prosopis are rapid up-and-coming, take pleasure in low nutrient requirements and are able to access durable sub-surface wash in dry areas. They are nitrogen deception and can nurture blot prosperity. So, Prosopis genre were introduced to Australia, Asia, and dryland Africa for fuelwood, hunt, emerge, to nurture soils and lower blot abrasion.

But Prosopis proved to be insidious "due to traits such as promptly outward show, limitless seed production, the fortitude to form impenetrable thickets, the condition to come into bud in dry, saline soils, and flora that is unpalatable to hoard," the parade states.

To the same extent grasp malformed, bountiful Prosopis plantations were immoral worsening average limit and removal, and the thickets now cloak millions of hectares in Africa, impacting grazing and gel pastoralist livelihoods.

The continuous thickets take pleasure in outcompeted gather genre and lowered kingdom and stream current levels in watersheds. In any case these critical effects, accurate explicit benefits from Prosopis tote up wood and charcoal so represent is repeatedly conflict best quality plans to ascendancy or smooth away it.

"Environmental invasions from the introduced genre themselves, as bright as from the production processes, are genuine risks to biodiversity and livelihoods," says Gfrey Howard, IUCN Indiscriminate Persistent Organize Schedule. "The risks can be economical by following the plan weve set out."

IUCN complete these plan downward an interactive process of consulting experts from resident directive, dairy farm safeguard organizations, research institutions, NGOs and the deepest split. The plan were complete following two workshops hosted by IUCN in Nairobi, Kenya and an all-embracing survey.

"The greatest cool shove is avoidance," says the IUCN. Biofuel crops are not, by setting down, insidious but they can be, depending on the zone everywhere they are dashing and how the crop is experienced. For chance, evil reed and giant grasses apiece take pleasure in a best of decorous insidious in bountiful ecosystems, so known factor confirmation needs to be industrious so assessing the peril of influx so they are introduced in the field of a new environment.

Jatropha curcas is standard to take pleasure in insidious tendencies in Western Australia, but that does not vitally suggest that it atmosphere be insidious in India everywhere it is instantly person shaped for biofuels.

Researchers at the Florida Aboriginal Shrub Company take pleasure in achieve distress bells, sign that jatropha can achieve an insidious genre in Florida, as kudzu and melaleuca take pleasure in. Scientists at the University of Florida take pleasure in rejected claims that jatropha is denouement to these other southern dairy farm invaders. Despite the fact that, critics of jatropha ingress that a visionary patsy complete in Australia that has 90 percent sincerity in shaping whether a dairy farm atmosphere achieve overshadowing, predicts that upshot for jatropha in Florida.

Key recommendations in the IUCN parade hit on four phases of custody biofuel crops from decorous insidious genre - step design, importation, and production additionally the supreme calculate of transportation and government.

In the step design calculate, all stakeholders - governments, developers and investors - requisite convey a cost-benefit report and recyclable pronouncement that includes the dig administration of an influx. These plans requisite tote up a chance provide as include for any proposed remedial events and a attachment from the commencement to be painstaking to the influx optimism, and allow procedures to hinder liveliness boundary the project zone.

In the importation calculate, a tough quarantine system requirement be in put in at. Governments requisite soar their parcel to display and presume phytosanitary symbols and overlook any fleas connected furthermore the biofuel plant life.

In the production calculate, an Emerald Expenditure Display audited by a blithe third cheeriness requisite be in put in at. A chance hunger requisite be in put in at in the motive of an consume of a dairy farm genre or malignant cells life that can burrow an influx. A chance provide to pay for removal, containment, limit, or renewal requisite be in put in at.

In the transportation and government calculate, risks of influx requisite be minimized by dropping the distances that practicable feedstocks are fevered, and, ideally, converting feedstocks to biofuels on-site. Governments and developers requisite try out average monitoring of transport vehicles for the vision of seeds, dairy farm feedstock surplus and fleas. And all stakeholders requisite help awareness between transporters on the subject of the risks of insidious genre.

These plan were complete by IUCN in next financial assistance furthermore the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, a multi-stakeholder design that has complete a Scale for sustainable biofuel production that addresses recyclable, companionable and economic issues.

The RSB Scale, published in November 2009, includes a set of ethics and criteria, compliance indicators, path documentation and a badge system.

Snap in the sphere of to take the IUCN Recommendations for preventing biofuel crops from decorous insidious genre.