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Photo credit: Sten Dueland via Flickr.
By Anders Lorenzen"
I recently wrote how renewables have had a record year in 2014. Investments in renewable energy sources have increased by an impressive 16% compared to 2013, though they still fall 2% short of the all-time record which was set in 2011. Despite a low oil price which some claim hurts growth in the clean energy sector, there are reasons to be optimistic that in 2015 investment in renewable energy will at least match 2014, and could even set a new all-time record. But how can you possibly be optimistic about this, you might ask? At a time of uncertain renewable energy policies in Europe and the US, as well as with a low oil price? Subsidy concerns?These are all valid questions. It is true that subsidy schemes for some renewable energy sources are being threatened in the west. The current UK government wants to see an end to onshore wind power. Germany has slashed subsidy schemes for solar. The US Congress has so far failed to renew the Production Tax Credit (PTC) that benefits wind power. The US has now been a year without the subsidy and, as a result, wind power investment has declined in the world`s largest economy. And it is not yet known when or if an extension of the PTC can be agreed. In Australia clean energy investments fell by a staggering 35%, due to Prime Minister Tony Abbott's repeal of the carbon tax. The important role of the developing worldBut here is the good news. Even if the west were to report a disappointing clean energy investment year (which I don't think would happen) I would still say there is a high chance 2015 could see an all- time clean energy investment record. The key is developing countries and the sheer scale of the clean energy market from Latin America, to Africa and China. In 2014 clean energy investment exploded in Latin America, led by Brazil who witnessed nearly a 90% growth. That growth also impacted on neighboring countries, such as Chile, which also had an impressive year with new wind and solar farms being constructed. Expect to see continued strong growth in China too, although it might not increase much more than the 32% reported in 2013. But 2014 saw important climate targets set by China following the announcement that they would ban coal in Beijing by 2020, and then the welcome news that they would set an emission cap in 2030. On top of that, new carbon tax schemes will continue to be rolled out across China's regions, eventually covering the entire country by 2016-2017. All these factors combined will spur increased investor confidence in the clean energy sector. India could be one of the rising stars of 2015. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi might not be too keen on environmental NGO's or setting legal requirements to limit the country's CO2 emissions, he is keen on solar power. Modi announced in 2014 that he wanted to create a solar revolution. He wants to nearly double India's solar energy output to a total of 34 Gigawatts (GW) installed capacity by 2022. In November last year India passed the milestone 3 GW of installed solar capacity. If India is to meet the 34 GW goal, large investments in solar will need to be made in the coming years.,Then there is Africa. While the continent is unlikely to witness the same pace of growth as Asia and Latin America, there is a steady increase of clean energy investment year on year. Wind farms have been constructed in South Africa and Morocco, while Kenya intends to build Africa's largest installation. On top of that, the huge potential of geothermal in the Rift Valley region is coming on line as well as other promising projects in both Kenya and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the quiet revolution of rooftop solar is continuing to grow in rural Africa. The key issue is to get enough capital investment flowing into Africa, as capital not potential is the only thing that holds the continent back from being a global leader on renewables. The maturing of renewable energy technologiesBut a fundamental reason why I'm optimistic for continued growth in renewables in 2015 is due to the maturing process of clean energy technologies. The cost of solar panels continues to drop, and in many countries they are edging closer to grid parity (the point at which one unit of electricity produced by solar costs the same as a unit of electricity from power plants). So, for example, now in the US one solar system is installed every four minutes, making up for the drop in wind energy investment. More people and businesses invest in solar, even in countries that have no subsidy schemes. Much the same arguments can be made for onshore wind which in many countries is the cheapest form of low carbon electricity. Offshore wind market to expandOffshore wind was one of the main contributors to renewable energy investment in 2014, despite the fact that only very few countries have so far installed the system. But as more countries enter the sector, expect costs to start coming down. Expect also the leading players, UK, Denmark, Germany, France and Belgium to be leading on offshore wind again in 2015, being joined by Norway and Sweden. But also expect US, South Korea and China to announce their first offshore projects. Unanswered questionsThe countries I have mentioned are just some of the leading players, which I expect will play a leading role in clean energy investments this year. But there is a host of countries who have not as yet made any big noise in the clean energy sector, that would also be worth watching in 2015. And they could provide a real boost to clean energy investments. One such country is Ukraine. That country, which wants to become more energy independent from Russia, has so far invested very little in renewables but has enormous potential. Will they finally embrace renewables in 2015? And what about Russia ? As the Russian economy struggles with the low oil price, will they finally start to diversify their energy policy by implementing more clean energy investments? Questions are many, and many remain unanswered, but one thing is certain, the current trend towards investment in renewable energy will continue to flourish, of that I'm convinced.
"Related news:"
Denmark's wind turbines register a new staggering record
UN warns the world must start clean energy revolution now to avert climate disaster
The graphs that shows you renewables are working in Australia
The primary concern for many consumers when discussing solar energy is the cost. Many home owners are unaware of the many programs available to help fund solar solutions. Some programs can even provide a rebate on some of the costs of switching to solar.
A good example is the California Solar Initiative (CSI) which is a part of the Go Solar California initiative. This is a solar rebate program for California residents who are customers of Pacific Gas and Eletric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM?
* Consumers must have an existing home and be a customer of PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E. The program also covers existing or new commercial buildings, and non-profit buildings.
* The home must have solar photovoltaics (PV) panels or other solar thermal generating technology installed. The program that funds this type of technology is referred to as the CSI general market program.
* The solar rebate program is also for low-income home owners who meet income and housing eligibility criteria. This program is referred to as the Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) program.
CSI also offers a variety of incentive levels based on the performance of the installed solar system. The system capacity is not the only factor taken into consideration when testing the solar panels performance. Other factors include installation angle, location, and tilt. The goal of these incentives is to reward systems that generate the maximum clean solar energy.
The post Solar Rebate Program appeared first on.
Reference: bioenergysystems.blogspot.com
While Saudi Arabian company ACWA Power has been making headlines recently for its record-breaking solar bids in Dubai, there are still many Saudi companies considering how best to enter the renewable energy market. In this interview, we ask Dr. Amer Alswaha, Apricum senior advisor based in Saudi Arabia and the former head of Saudi Electricity Company's IPP program, about the opportunities for Saudi companies in the renewable energy sector. Dr. Alswaha also shares his view on the key learnings for Saudi authorities to consider in building a renewable energy program.
DR. ALSWAHA, OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE MENA REGION, SUCH AS THE UAE, JORDAN, MOROCCO AND EGYPT, HAVE BUILT SIGNIFICANT MOMENTUM IN RENEWABLE ENERGY, WHAT CAN SAUDI AUTHORITIES LEARN FROM THEIR EXAMPLES?
The pace of introducing renewable energy projects has accelerated recently in the MENA region with a general trend of competitive IPP tenders, excluding Egypt. So far, the UAE has been the most active in the GCC, largely driven by initiatives in Dubai with the 1 GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Morocco is implementing a similar program; however, in place of PV it is running competitive tenders for large-scale CSP projects. So far, the 160 MW Noor I project is being constructed and the Noor II and III projects, which account for a combined capacity of 350 MW, have been awarded. Jordan has also adopted the competitive model and, likely a result of smaller projects and a fixed price in the initial rounds, featured more local companies participating than in the UAE's program. In Egypt, rather than massive mega-projects, we see a move towards numerous smaller projects using a feed-in-tariff program to build 4.3 GW of solar and wind projects in the next three years. Moving in a similar direction to encourage smaller projects, Dubai has announced plans for a net-metering program to allow small- and medium- scale rooftop installations.
Though the focus is often mainly on solar, wind energy has been gaining in prominence in recent years, particularly in Morocco and Jordan. The former received bids for 850 MW of wind power in 2014 and a 117 MW wind project in Jordan is under construction. With that, Morocco has become the MENA region's leader in wind power and CSP. Egypt's feed-in-tariff program will benefit from its early record of accomplishment with wind projects over the past 10 years.
If the goal of the Saudi Arabian authorities is local development, then they should closely consider the trends in these markets and design their program accordingly in order to attract Saudi and international renewable energy companies. To achieve that important local development goal, it is key that the eventual program has sufficient size of at least several hundred MW per year with a reliable timeline.
WHAT PROGRESS CAN BE OBSERVED IN SAUDI ARABIA'S RENEWABLE ENERGY EFFORTS?
Since Saudi Arabia announced its renewables program about two years ago with ambitious renewable energy targets to meet by 2032, several steps have already been taken in creating a foundation for development. For example, measurement stations to build a national renewable energy resource atlas have been installed, and studies have been conducted to address grid connection and control requirements to deal with the intermittent nature of solar and wind power depending on the penetration level.
The program's targets and its implementation steps, however, required a long-term commitment that necessitated a review process, particularly, with so many variables that have affected the local economy. For example, the government has made serious efforts to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency via a range of projects addressing building insulation, air-conditioning, automobiles and public transportation. Furthermore, the government's intention to use the unconventional gas resources in the western and northern parts of the country, as well as other factors, such as the recent volatility with oil prices, needed to be considered. The program's extension from 2032 to 2040 was formally announced by H.E. Dr. Yamani, the president of K.A.CARE, at the recent World Future Energy Summit.
Saudi Arabia actually started more than thirty years ago to utilize the abundant solar irradiation with a solar PV system to provide electricity to a small town north of Riyadh. Later, SEC, Saudi Aramco, KAUST and some other universities started testing and building pilot systems using solar energy. In particular, SEC started to cooperate with Saudi Aramco to commission in 2011 the first solar IPP PV on-grid power plant with a capacity of 500 kW, to help the remote Farasan Island to become a "green" island, reducing fuel and transportation costs. In addition, tendering is in progress with the Green Duba and the Waed Ashimal projects, which will add 100 MW of solar power to the Saudi grid. As an extension of this cooperation, 300 MW of solar and wind projects are expected to be announced shortly. It is anticipated that these projects will be tendered using EPC contracts initially but could evolve to an IPP model, and will attract a lot of competition from all major developers and contractors. On the water desalination front, the commissioning of a new 15 MW solar PV facility to produce 60,000 cubic meters per day for the northeastern city of Al Khafji is expected in 2017.
WHERE DO YOU SEE RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAUDI COMPANIES?
There are many good opportunities for Saudi companies to develop projects in the Kingdom and in regional markets; a good starting point is, of course, where the company already has a footprint or interest. Take the construction segment for example. This is a sector where Saudi companies have a long and successful history, and represents a good opportunity for Saudi companies to build solar power plants. Saudi companies can also potentially establish themselves in the manufacturing sector, offering locally produced polysilicon, wafers and modules as well as balance-of-system components including mounting structures and inverters.
As many areas in the Kingdom offer top-notch wind resources, wind energy projects will play a role in the Saudi renewables market. Given that this market will require significant local work, Saudi companies with compatible expertise, such as in large civil works, tower and pipe manufacturing and more, should investigate opportunities in the wind sector. Another considerable opportunity originates from the high cost of off-grid rural area power generation, where hybrid-RE solutions can be competitive.
There will be opportunities available for consulting services, EPC and O oil's share has dropped from 25% in 1973 to a mere 5% in 2012, according to the International Energy Agency.
In the Kingdom, where oil still constitutes a much higher share of electricity production, we see that the drop in oil prices has two offsetting effects on the national budget: it leads to both lower domestic oil subsidies (the difference between market price and the one charged to the utilities) and of course to a drop in oil revenue from exports.
I am optimistic about the Saudi renewable energy program; it may be starting slowly but it will grow very quickly and soon you will see the Kingdom as one of the leading nations in this industry. Renewable energy is the world's future energy source, and for the Kingdom, it will help save fossil fuel resources, maximize oil revenue, boost the economy by creating jobs and help the environment by reducing harmful emissions. Much less than one percent of the Kingdom's total land area is needed to produce all of the electricity needs for one year using solar power. Especially due to the significant decrease in the prices of PV modules, which dropped from USD 77/W in 1977 to around USD 0.67/W in 2014, solar was the fastest growing global power generation source in the last five years, and it can become the largest source of electricity generation by 2050.
For questions or comments, please contact Nikolai Dobrott, Apricum managing partner.
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Now are particular dreadful wind energy industry companies with publicly-traded stocks, standard for thinking by higher-risk longterm investors. Telepathist stake longterm investors may necessitate to usher accumulating positions in green energy stock defend and other diversified renewable power investments, such as ETFs that program clean energy company indices.
Create Sway Suggestion STOCKS
SUZLON Vitality Native (BOM:532667)
One of my favourite companies on the den, Suzlon is a top work with wind power resolute, and with the shares at 93.60 R (fur from 321), the top wind energy company in Asia is round at exactly 12.2 times profits.
VESTAS Create SYSTEMS (VWS.CO)
The top wind power company in the world, VWS has over and done with 30% shop position and can domination a premium for its safe products. Near the shares at 325 DKK, fur from 700, longterm investors may necessitate to research this one. One of the tip companies on dig out, at 27.6x earnings; make for VWS to maintain to be a global wind energy industry pompous for existence to enlarge.
Clipper Create REG S (CWP.L)
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KAYDON Harden (NYSE:KDN)
KDN is a dreadful transmitter of bearings to the wind power industry, and sells its products to clientele in a variety of robotics technology, therapeutic instruments, equipment dictate, point utensils, aerospace, joist, alternative energy, safeguard, electronic industries and for other industrial applications. Kaydon has been up and down in original existence, trading among 32 and 40 and failing today at 35.77, still far from the existence steal of 61.57. The shares gain 1.9% and regulars at a PE of 14.89, and though not a substantial renewable power visage, represents popular detection to wind energy industry recovery.
AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR Harden (NASDAQ:AMSC)
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More renewable power investing links:
Sumptuous Vitality Stocks Investing Info, Sumptuous Backing Prove
Windpower Stocks, Sumptuous Sway Investing
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Source: amosrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
When you're considering making the transition to using solar energy, there's a lot of different angles to take into account. Without question the first and most important one to the average home owner's mind is "How much is this going to cost me?" This question seems like a simple one on the surface, you just call up and ask your local solar panel provider in Australia for a quote, have them come out, job done, right? If all you're looking for is how much they'll cost you initially, then this is a complete answer, the long term answer is going to be much more complex. This is just a basic over-view of the costs of solar panels Melbourne and how to go about calculating their true cost on a long timeline. It is best to contact a solar power professional, and get a full no-obligation quote today!
HOW MUCH DO SOLAR PANELS COST - THE COMPONENTS:
* Cost of Solar Installation and Supplies - The base cost of your systems
* Government Solar Rebates- Ways to reduce your cost overall with government programs.
* Long Term Payouts - How solar panels pay you back.
COST OF INSTALLATION AND SUPPLIES
The base price of installing of installing SOLAR PANELS IN MELBOURNE can vary rather widely depending on your energy requirements. The first step is to call a professional solar contractor come out and assess your home, sit down with your power bill and go over all the details. Current research indicates that the total cost of installing a system in Australia today will run you between 18,000 and 40,000, with most companies offering a financing program to help reduce the initial costs. This is a significant investment in a Melbourne home or business, and this initial cost may give you pause, but this is just the base cost. There are other cost elements to consider.
GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
In Melbourne, Victoria you'll find that there are government solar rebates that can benefit you before and after investing in solar panels. Some government subsidies will pay a portion of the cost of the installation in certain circumstances, significantly lowering how much your initial investment would be. In most areas you'll also find yourself subject to an additional subsidy, where the power company is required to pay those who are producing more energy than they use, pumping it back into the grid. So not will your solar panels provide you with an overall reduction in your power bill, they can also actually pay you by pushing power back into the grid that you're not using!
LONG TERM PAYOUTS
Depending on where in the world you are, the overall cost of your solar units can wind up being completely eliminated on a long enough timeline. In others you'll actually find your solar panels actually paying for themselves in a few short years, and then paying for their ultimate upgrade or replacement long before that comes due. Also, be aware that in some cases the government subsidy isn't going to pay out immediately, and may take up to a year for that cost to be returned. Again, this is one of those moments where determining the true cost of your solar panels requires a long view.
The post How Much Do Solar Panels Cost? appeared first on Solar Panels Ideas.
Reference: cleanpowerlife.blogspot.com
It is possible to achieve a carbon neutral world...but it's up to technology developers to get us there.
"Guest columnist Takafumi Arai is Chief Specialist at Toshiba Smart Community." The concept of being carbon neutral has gained popularity from Hollywood celebs like Chris Martin of Coldplay to major corporations including Google and IKEA. The city of Palo Alto, California is also determined to be the first carbon-neutral city in the United States. These devotees know what they can do to be carbon neutral (e.g. buy carbon credits, or use renewable energy such as solar or wind). Yet, while consumers and corporations should continue to make the effort to be carbon neutral by being conscious of and using carbon off-set tactics, it is not truly possible to be carbon neutral until we address the issue on a higher level. We need to work together to reduce the amount of carbon being created and dispersed into our ecosystem in the first place. This is why it is important to explore the true meaning of carbon neutral, what can be done to achieve carbon neutrality, and discuss what the world would look like if it was truly carbon neutral. "Why carbon neutral? " One of the biggest challenges with managing carbon levels is that most consumers aren't even aware of the small activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition to driving a car or taking a plane, little things like simply turning on a computer contributes to the issue. And regardless of how hard a select group of people try to offset their own emissions, there will be approximately 102,465 flights per day in 2014, according to the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) and 2.4 billion units of mobile devices including PCs will be shipped in 2014, according to Gartner Research. Those numbers paint a bleak picture: it doesn't seem possible for consumers to off-set these carbon emissions on their own. That said, the contributions from major corporations do help. Google, for example, is putting programs into place that reduce its environmental impact, such as its shuttle and electric vehicle carpooling program, which the company estimates is equivalent to taking an estimated 5,700 cars off the road each year! These initiatives by major corporations and the offsetting efforts by consumer devotees are a good step in the right direction. But we need to find solutions that every consumer can take to stop carbon emissions before they are created and dispersed into our ecosystem. "So, what can be done today?" There are several technology developments that show a lot of promise for a carbon neutral future: * ELECTRIC VEHICLES. Because EVs use electric energy stored in on-board battery packs, they eliminate the need for a combustion engine, meaning no fossil fuels are burned. The batteries are lithium-titanate, and are safe, rechargeable battery solutions that have a high rate of performance. Plus, due to their long-life capabilities, the lifecycle of the car is extended, reducing the energy produced from the manufacturing and transportation of new vehicles. One current barrier to mainstream adoption, however, is costs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to compete with gas-powered cars, battery prices need to drop by between 50 and 80 percent. * HYDROGEN-POWERED VEHICLES. Fuel cell vehicles have been explored for many years by the government and car OEMs. And while the DoE's Fuel Cell Technology Program claims that, as of 2011, fuel cells achieved 42-53 percent vehicle efficiency at full power, there are still concerns that the cost of manufacturing will limit hydrogen vehicles in the near future. Yet, there are several major OEMs that are planning to introduce a production model of a fuel cell car in the next year. With new technologies being developed very quickly, we expect these vehicles will be around sooner than expected. * HYDROGEN FUEL CELL BATTERIES. In addition to the positive changes that hydrogen use can offer the mainstream automobile industry, we also can see pure hydrogen fuel cell batteries being used in commercial and public facilities, and in residential homes. For example, there are some very promising hydrogen town projects currently underway, such as those being implemented in Japan, where residential fuel cell systems are being used to provide heat and power in homes. Or if you look at the U.S., companies like Whole Foods and Coca-Cola have installed multi-megawatt (MW) fuel cell systems to provide heat and power to their commercial properties. "It is possible to achieve a carbon neutral world...but it's up to technology developers to get us there " The world is full of exciting technology developments that will eventually enable zero carbon emissions, like those mentioned above. When we reach the point that society is able to use all of these technologies in our everyday lives, this is when we will be able to reach carbon neutral. Read more at Energy Priorities - Smart energy information and ideas for business since 2004
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