South Africa plans to rely on wind and solar power to meet its renewable energy targets, Business Day reported, citing documents inviting bids from companies to supply power to the country.
Of the 3,725 megawatts South Africa wants to source from renewable energy it expects 1,850 megawatts to come from wind power, 1,450 megawatts from photovoltaic solar plants and 200 megawatts from concentrated solar plants, Business Day reported, citing the documents. The country also expects to get 75 megawatts from small hydropower plants, 25 megawatts from landfill gas and 12.5 megawatts each from biomass and biogas.
In addition the government has allocated another 100 megawatts for small-scale projects, generating less than 5 megawatts each, using the technnologies, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said.
2011년 8월 3일 수요일
Wind Power In The EU To Triple By 2020
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has published projections for onshore and offshore wind power deployment in the European Union out to 2030.
In its report entitled "Pure Power", the EWEA estimates massive growth in the wind energy sector, more than tripling its electricity output by 2020.
According to Justin Wilkes, the Policy Director of EWEA, 194 billion Euros will be invested in European onshore and offshore wind farms by the end of this decade.
"Wind power will not only make a very substantial contribution to meeting Europe's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It strongly accelerates a shift away from expensive fossil fuels, creates jobs, makes Europe more competitive, and provides secure and renewable power production in Europe", he said.
EU's wind energy sector currently produces enough electricity to provide the power needs for 50 million average EU households. Its contribution to the EU's energy mix is expected to skyrocket from a current 182 Terawatt hours (TWh) or 5.5% of total demand last year, to 581 TWh or 15.7% in 2020.
Looking at the longer term and assuming favourable policies, the EWEA estimates 1,154 TWh of electricity (28% of total demand) will be produced by wind power in 2030, more than the EU's predicted 241 million households are expected to consume that year.
EU's wind sector is becoming a major employer, with 189,000 people directly and indirectly employed in Europe last year. Assuming that EWEA’s targets are met by 2030, more than 462,000 people will be employed in the industry.
While the future is looking very rosy for the EU's wind energy sector, the EWEA warns renewables legislation and binding targets are needed now for the period after 2020 to take the EU from 19% renewable electricity today, to an expected 34% in 2020 and to 100% renewables by 2050.
In its report entitled "Pure Power", the EWEA estimates massive growth in the wind energy sector, more than tripling its electricity output by 2020.
According to Justin Wilkes, the Policy Director of EWEA, 194 billion Euros will be invested in European onshore and offshore wind farms by the end of this decade.
"Wind power will not only make a very substantial contribution to meeting Europe's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It strongly accelerates a shift away from expensive fossil fuels, creates jobs, makes Europe more competitive, and provides secure and renewable power production in Europe", he said.
EU's wind energy sector currently produces enough electricity to provide the power needs for 50 million average EU households. Its contribution to the EU's energy mix is expected to skyrocket from a current 182 Terawatt hours (TWh) or 5.5% of total demand last year, to 581 TWh or 15.7% in 2020.
Looking at the longer term and assuming favourable policies, the EWEA estimates 1,154 TWh of electricity (28% of total demand) will be produced by wind power in 2030, more than the EU's predicted 241 million households are expected to consume that year.
EU's wind sector is becoming a major employer, with 189,000 people directly and indirectly employed in Europe last year. Assuming that EWEA’s targets are met by 2030, more than 462,000 people will be employed in the industry.
While the future is looking very rosy for the EU's wind energy sector, the EWEA warns renewables legislation and binding targets are needed now for the period after 2020 to take the EU from 19% renewable electricity today, to an expected 34% in 2020 and to 100% renewables by 2050.
2011년 7월 31일 일요일
Israel should catch the wind
Wind energy is not generally considered worthwhile for Israel, but that's a costly misconception.
31 July 11 21:20, Daniel Farb
Global Wind Day, to celebrate the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the world, passed without a peep in Israel. I am often asked, “There isn’t much wind in Israel. Why should I support wind in Israel?” I’d like to provide some answers to that question. First, there IS wind in Israel. A good estimate is several thousand megawatts worth of it, but most people don’t pay attention to it because it is invisible unless it rustles the leaves of trees. The long central mountain range, the coast, the Golan, and several areas of the Negev have excellent wind resources. There is actually more wind energy hitting Israel than solar, because wind is concentrated solar energy, and because wind can be captured vertically much better than sun, and its capture doesn’t interfere with agriculture.
A variation on the question is, “But we have now found enough gas to last us 40 years!” One response to that is that we live in international markets, and there is no way that the gas it will be saved only for local use. Furthermore, it only helps us put off the day of reckoning. When that day comes, we will have an even harder time fitting in renewable energy that wasn’t part of the planned infrastructure, and our electrical needs will be several times higher. In addition, we need to reverse climate change now.
Secondly, wind energy can contribute to the economy. Wind energy was recently identified as the second best global growth industry for the next five years; this can be a great export market for Israel if it is addressed properly. This means that government money should be allocated immediately to help Israeli companies enter the sector more strongly and quickly.
This market for wind energy will only be accelerated by the recent nuclear disaster in Japan and Germany’s decision to drop nuclear power. Two of the world’s major economies are thus going green faster than anticipated. And it is well known that China is accelerating its development of renewable energy.
An objection might be made to government support of an industry. There are several answers to that:
1.It works. An evaluation of solar subsidies in Germany revealed that it created a new industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs, even though Germany is not very sunny.
2.Every other country supports crucial industries and Israel already does it with targeted industries. Why not consider wind in Israel a targeted industry?
3.We are currently in a super-cautious investment environment where capital markets are not working appropriately and the government needs to step in temporarily.
Wind energy can contribute to the economy in other ways. It doesn’t require purchase of fuels from other countries and a loss of foreign exchange. Most of the best wind in Israel is in the periphery, and wind energy installations can provide an important boost to underprivileged sectors. All prices are affected by energy costs, and anything that brings basic costs down assists economic development.
Third, wind energy makes an important contribution to the grid. What is the concept of peak power? If a country needs 500 gigawatts most of the day but 1000 gigawatts for just a few hours of peak use each summer, then it needs to build enough power plants to provide the “peak power” of 1,000 gigawatts. That means huge direct and indirect costs plus additional pollution to meet the demand that occurs a small percentage of the time. Many renewables can take up that slack between standard usage and peak usage at a much lower cost. That is only one major reason why it is worthwhile for a government to offer subsidies for renewables: because they save the economy money.
Wind in Israel is a perfect match for the peak power problem. Because of the geography of the country, the wind usually blows from late morning through the evening in different areas of the country, so it provides a lot of coverage of consumer needs. Combined with solar, which peaks at mid-day, it becomes even more effective in meeting the country’s power needs.
An objection might be raised as to whether wind is cost-effective on its own without a subsidized tariff. The answer in many locations is “no” right now, but as soon as installations begin in quantity, prices will likely drop. In addition, we have to take account now of the big unknown of energy inflation. We don’t want to wait till oil is over $200 a barrel to make our adjustments in crisis mode.
Fourth, providing wind and other renewable sources of power is a security issue. What if even a single power plant were disabled for some reason? Distributed power produced in thousands of different locations throughout the country is less likely to be knocked out at one time. This is even more important with the advent of the electric car now that the transportation sector is becoming dependent on the supply of electricity.
About a year and a half ago, I was the wind energy expert on a panel held at the Council for Foreign Relations in Washington. We spent a lot of time discussing the value of creating nodes of power production that could be isolated from the central grid in the event of a magnetic pulse attack from a country like Iran.
Here are some other possible objections to wind power in Israel:
Question: Israel is a major migratory path for birds. Won’t wind turbines interfere with that?
Answer: In some cases that is true, but only to a minor extent, and only with certain turbine types. There are certain types of small vertical axis turbines that pose absolutely no problem for birds.
Question: Israel is a small country with a lot of military needs and other land needs. Will wind turbines interfere with land use, the Air Force, and with radar?
Answer: There are a few areas that are unlikely to be settled with more than cows or simple agriculture and are not militarily sensitive. Those areas should be set aside for placement of higher output large wind turbines, which require isolation for many reasons. Israel is a small wind turbine country. Small vertical axis turbines do not interfere with the Air Force and radar. Because of the shortage of land, the emphasis should be on rooftops, traffic islands, and other locations that don’t interfere with agriculture or land use. The only type of turbine that can come this close to people is a vertical axis turbine.
Question: We all know that bureaucracy and zoning are a major hurdle in Israel. How can a wind turbine owner deal with that?
Answer: The turbine needs to be zoned easily, so the turbine needs to be pleasing to look at and quiet for the people in the building. It is possible to design such turbines.
There are some clear policy steps that can help wind energy companies in Israel succeed in creating a better world and a better local economy:
Dr. Daniel Farb is the founder and chairman of the Leviathan Energy group of companies, which includes two wind companies that won second and third place in a contest for the best clean technologies in Israel, a hydroelectric company that received the Eureka label from the EU and the Israeli Chief Scientist, and five others. Leviathan Energy is a member of the Israeli Association of Renewable Energy and the I-Consortium
A variation on the question is, “But we have now found enough gas to last us 40 years!” One response to that is that we live in international markets, and there is no way that the gas it will be saved only for local use. Furthermore, it only helps us put off the day of reckoning. When that day comes, we will have an even harder time fitting in renewable energy that wasn’t part of the planned infrastructure, and our electrical needs will be several times higher. In addition, we need to reverse climate change now.
Secondly, wind energy can contribute to the economy. Wind energy was recently identified as the second best global growth industry for the next five years; this can be a great export market for Israel if it is addressed properly. This means that government money should be allocated immediately to help Israeli companies enter the sector more strongly and quickly.
This market for wind energy will only be accelerated by the recent nuclear disaster in Japan and Germany’s decision to drop nuclear power. Two of the world’s major economies are thus going green faster than anticipated. And it is well known that China is accelerating its development of renewable energy.
An objection might be made to government support of an industry. There are several answers to that:
1.It works. An evaluation of solar subsidies in Germany revealed that it created a new industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs, even though Germany is not very sunny.
2.Every other country supports crucial industries and Israel already does it with targeted industries. Why not consider wind in Israel a targeted industry?
3.We are currently in a super-cautious investment environment where capital markets are not working appropriately and the government needs to step in temporarily.
Wind energy can contribute to the economy in other ways. It doesn’t require purchase of fuels from other countries and a loss of foreign exchange. Most of the best wind in Israel is in the periphery, and wind energy installations can provide an important boost to underprivileged sectors. All prices are affected by energy costs, and anything that brings basic costs down assists economic development.
Third, wind energy makes an important contribution to the grid. What is the concept of peak power? If a country needs 500 gigawatts most of the day but 1000 gigawatts for just a few hours of peak use each summer, then it needs to build enough power plants to provide the “peak power” of 1,000 gigawatts. That means huge direct and indirect costs plus additional pollution to meet the demand that occurs a small percentage of the time. Many renewables can take up that slack between standard usage and peak usage at a much lower cost. That is only one major reason why it is worthwhile for a government to offer subsidies for renewables: because they save the economy money.
Wind in Israel is a perfect match for the peak power problem. Because of the geography of the country, the wind usually blows from late morning through the evening in different areas of the country, so it provides a lot of coverage of consumer needs. Combined with solar, which peaks at mid-day, it becomes even more effective in meeting the country’s power needs.
An objection might be raised as to whether wind is cost-effective on its own without a subsidized tariff. The answer in many locations is “no” right now, but as soon as installations begin in quantity, prices will likely drop. In addition, we have to take account now of the big unknown of energy inflation. We don’t want to wait till oil is over $200 a barrel to make our adjustments in crisis mode.
Fourth, providing wind and other renewable sources of power is a security issue. What if even a single power plant were disabled for some reason? Distributed power produced in thousands of different locations throughout the country is less likely to be knocked out at one time. This is even more important with the advent of the electric car now that the transportation sector is becoming dependent on the supply of electricity.
About a year and a half ago, I was the wind energy expert on a panel held at the Council for Foreign Relations in Washington. We spent a lot of time discussing the value of creating nodes of power production that could be isolated from the central grid in the event of a magnetic pulse attack from a country like Iran.
Here are some other possible objections to wind power in Israel:
Question: Israel is a major migratory path for birds. Won’t wind turbines interfere with that?
Answer: In some cases that is true, but only to a minor extent, and only with certain turbine types. There are certain types of small vertical axis turbines that pose absolutely no problem for birds.
Question: Israel is a small country with a lot of military needs and other land needs. Will wind turbines interfere with land use, the Air Force, and with radar?
Answer: There are a few areas that are unlikely to be settled with more than cows or simple agriculture and are not militarily sensitive. Those areas should be set aside for placement of higher output large wind turbines, which require isolation for many reasons. Israel is a small wind turbine country. Small vertical axis turbines do not interfere with the Air Force and radar. Because of the shortage of land, the emphasis should be on rooftops, traffic islands, and other locations that don’t interfere with agriculture or land use. The only type of turbine that can come this close to people is a vertical axis turbine.
Question: We all know that bureaucracy and zoning are a major hurdle in Israel. How can a wind turbine owner deal with that?
Answer: The turbine needs to be zoned easily, so the turbine needs to be pleasing to look at and quiet for the people in the building. It is possible to design such turbines.
There are some clear policy steps that can help wind energy companies in Israel succeed in creating a better world and a better local economy:
- Continuation and expansion of the tariff program under the Ministry of Infrastructures.
- Rapid allocation of special funds for grants for company development in wind, just like the recent allocation to biofuels.
- Opening up agricultural areas for wind turbines in a responsible way. Many areas are zoned for agriculture but are unusable for agriculture. Furthermore, wind turbines can replace trees as windbreakers in agricultural areas.
- National zoning criteria that make approval of rooftop power routine. Even better would be a formula that requires rooftop power on every new building. Let it become as routine as rooftop hot water. This allows free markets to operate to choose the best solution. In one location, it may be solar, another wind, and even water in certain skyscrapers.
- The best way for the government to get mileage for money invested in the sector would be loan guarantees, which leverage the amount of capital available, for projects, research and development, demonstration projects, and manufacturing. Just as the Chief Scientist program has paid for itself many times over for a variety of technology companies, such a program would likely be successful. In this case, however, to speed development and to deal with the fact that there is a temporary shortage of capital, financing should be guaranteed up to 100% of a project, whether it is a power or a research project.
- Provide an additional allocation of subsidized renewable energy from any source that gives additional incentives to Israeli-manufactured goods. Ontario in Canada has already enacted such a program to benefit local industry.
Dr. Daniel Farb is the founder and chairman of the Leviathan Energy group of companies, which includes two wind companies that won second and third place in a contest for the best clean technologies in Israel, a hydroelectric company that received the Eureka label from the EU and the Israeli Chief Scientist, and five others. Leviathan Energy is a member of the Israeli Association of Renewable Energy and the I-Consortium
2011년 7월 19일 화요일
North American Power launches 100% renewable energy option
Retail energy supplier North American Power has launched a new option for homes and businesses across America to buy 100% renewable energy.
The new American Wind offering, a Green-e Energy certified product, marks a “significant milestone” for the Connecticut-based energy company, it said.The firm is expanding its services from deregulated energy markets to all fifty states, and amplify their customers’ ability to save, give, share and earn.
As with all North American Power products, American Wind customers will be able to give back to deserving charities including Save the Children, Action Against Hunger, The National MS Society and others via Mission to Millions, the company’s ongoing philanthropic program.
“From the start, we have been dedicated to offering our customers greater choice and the power to influence change,” said Kerry Breitbart, co-founder and CEO of North American Power. “With American Wind, we are working to advance the green energy movement and increase our country’s energy independence by motivating individuals to initiate change.”
Rewards
Built on an effective customer referral network, North American Power incentivizes customers to earn financial rewards for sharing its products. The company pays cash bonuses for referrals on an upfront and monthly basis for every customer that activates an account based on a fellow customer’s recommendation.North American Power’s leadership believes that this innovative combination of customer referrals and social network activation, which they call cause-based social networking, will drive the winds of change for renewable energy.
“The problems facing our environment and our economy are interdependent,” notes Breitbart. “So the solutions to these problems should be interdependent as well.”
2011년 7월 15일 금요일
Small Wind Turbines Rise in Popularity as Home Depot Starts Selling Them
Arizona-based Southwest Windpower, one of the pioneers and leading manufacturers of small wind turbines, says its Skystream 3.7 turbine will be available at stores in Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and California, and will expand to other states.
Southwest says the turbine is the first compact, all-inclusive grid-connected personal wind turbine with controls and inverter built in.
Designed for use on farms, homes and businesses, the turbine can produce up to 400 kWh of clean electricity per month depending on the wind resource and site location. The average US home uses about 930 kwh per month according to government figures.
The Skystream 3.7 price is based on where it's installed. A survey of websites that sell it shows it ranges from $6,000 to $9,000 before incentives. Customers may be eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit and local incentives available through state governments and utilities.
In 2009, close to 10,000 small wind turbines were sold in the US, according to the American Wind Energy Association - up from only 2,100 turbines in 2001.
However, because modern, residential wind power is relatively new in the US, permitting and zoning rules are an obstacle in many parts of the country, according to a recent story in USA Today.
Some cities, like Boston, are leading the way by adopting codes to clarify issues like installation height and noise requirements.
James Hunt, the city's chief of environmental and energy services, told USA Today that small scale wind is part of a broader vision the city has for renewable energy.
"We do envision the day when we will have houses that are super efficient, that are generating renewable energy through solar and building-integrated wind, and they are producing more energy than they consume and exporting energy into the grid," he says.
2011년 6월 13일 월요일
Investors Keen to Be Part of India's Green Growth .
NEW DELHI -- India has made it into the A-list of global investors in renewable energy, a recognition of the country's proactive government energy program, natural resources and mushrooming swathe of entrepreneurs.
India ranked as the third favored destination with 35% of the respondents saying they would invest in India, behind the U.S., which was targeted by 53% of the respondents, and China (38%), according to a report, called Green Power 2011: The KPMG Reneweable Energy M&A Report," released Wednesday by KPMG that is based on a survey of 500 executives active in the renewable energy arena globally.
For instance, India's wind-energy companies, which are in the midst of a hectic pace of development, have attracted more than $586 million of project financing this quarter. This already is 63% of the $934 million raised in all of 2010.
"The Indian market has become increasingly dynamic in recent years as a result of strong natural resources, greater accommodation to international investment compared with China and a variety of government incentives," the report said.
While Indian banks continue to be the main source of funding, international lenders are taking note. HSBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. provided $110 million debt project financing in March for a wind farm in the western state of Gujarat.
In the first quarter, 141 transactions worth $11.2 billion were signed, while last year, an average of 96 deals worth $5.5 billion were announced in each quarter.
"All in all, 2011 looks set to be another buoyant year," the report said, but added a caveat that the first quarter data doesn't reflect the impact of the tsunami in Japan in March.
The survey data also revealed that investors preferred to invest locally rather than across borders. But nearly 60% of Asia-Pacific acquirers said they are targeting India or China. India also features as one of the top three destinations for solar energy companies along with the U.S. and Italy.
"With India it is a combination of factors," said Siobhan Smyth, head of renewables at HSBC, who was interviewed as part of the survey.
"There is a portfolio standard on a state-by-state basis. Developers have the ability to get [public-private agreementss due to utility obligations. Then there are the generation-based incentive and tax-depreciation incentives. You are looking at 15% to 20% returns depending on the state you look at and the type of assets you are buying."
India ranked as the third favored destination with 35% of the respondents saying they would invest in India, behind the U.S., which was targeted by 53% of the respondents, and China (38%), according to a report, called Green Power 2011: The KPMG Reneweable Energy M&A Report," released Wednesday by KPMG that is based on a survey of 500 executives active in the renewable energy arena globally.
"The Indian market has become increasingly dynamic in recent years as a result of strong natural resources, greater accommodation to international investment compared with China and a variety of government incentives," the report said.
While Indian banks continue to be the main source of funding, international lenders are taking note. HSBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. provided $110 million debt project financing in March for a wind farm in the western state of Gujarat.
The pace of growth and investments in India is part of a worldwide trend. Deal activity among renewable energy companies globally surged 70% in 2010, and continues to maintain this hectic clip in the first quarter, according to the report.
"All in all, 2011 looks set to be another buoyant year," the report said, but added a caveat that the first quarter data doesn't reflect the impact of the tsunami in Japan in March.
The survey data also revealed that investors preferred to invest locally rather than across borders. But nearly 60% of Asia-Pacific acquirers said they are targeting India or China. India also features as one of the top three destinations for solar energy companies along with the U.S. and Italy.
"With India it is a combination of factors," said Siobhan Smyth, head of renewables at HSBC, who was interviewed as part of the survey.
"There is a portfolio standard on a state-by-state basis. Developers have the ability to get [public-private agreementss due to utility obligations. Then there are the generation-based incentive and tax-depreciation incentives. You are looking at 15% to 20% returns depending on the state you look at and the type of assets you are buying."
2011년 6월 8일 수요일
피드 구독하기:
덧글 (Atom)