EN [ GINEERING + ERGY + VIRONMENT ]

New Law on Long-term infrastructure planning - Ontario

2015-06-09T11:04:00.003-04:00

Quick Facts:

"Ontario has committed to investing more than $130 billion over 10 years in public infrastructure, which will support more than 110,000 jobs on average each year in construction and related industries.

The Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act will require the province to table a long-term infrastructure plan in the legislature within three years. Subsequent plans will be tabled at least once every five years.

Ontario joins Quebec as the only Canadian jurisdictions to legislate long-term infrastructure planning.

Ontario released its first long-term infrastructure plan, Building Together, in 2011.
The province’s long-term infrastructure plans will be available to the public, which is aligned with Ontario’s Open Government initiative.

In May 2015, Ontario launched consultations to inform the design of new infrastructure programs and a framework to prioritize needs for communities and regions outside the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)."

Sources:
http://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/engineering/long-term-infrastructure-planning-now-law-in-ontario/1003400429/

http://news.ontario.ca/medt/en/2015/06/building-ontarios-next-generation-of-infrastructure.html

Zonguldak Sewerage and Wastewater Treatment Plant - first long run project after graduate...

2015-04-09T13:41:00.000-04:00

Zonguldak Sewerage and Wastewater Treatment Plant

This project is, after graduation from university, my first long run marathon project between 2002-2005. Site visits with my senior managers, and collegues from Spanish partners. Easy times and hard times for all parties that participated and always be remembered that very close to my home town.

Here some technical data and satellite photos from Google Earth.

16 km of gravity interceptors, diameters between 300mm to 1200mm

6 km of force mains, diameters between 200mm and 900mm

7 pumping stations, capacities from 105m3 to 2530 m3

a biological wastewater treatment plant with flow 0.8 m3/sec. (2035 - 155.000 PE)

sea outfall with 640m long, 800mm diameter

WWTP - Selected site - 2004

WWTP Site - 2009

WWTP Construction - 2011

WWTP - under operation 2014

Two articles about tender and bidding procedures revision in Ontario and Quebec.

2012-11-27T08:46:00.001-05:00

From Canadian Consuting Engineer magasine

After appeals by the Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario (CDAO), the province's Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation and Infrastructure Ontario have agreed to modify their procurement practices. From now on knowledge of local construction matters will count for points in all future Infrastructure Ontario requests for proposals.
Barry Steinberg, P.Eng., chief executive officer of Consulting Engineers of Ontario and chair of CDAO, says the change "will send a message to foreign consortia bidding on Infrastructure Ontario projects that using Ontario firms is an important consideration."
Infrastructure Ontario also agreed to revise its practice of "bundling" its projects. The practice of combining miscellaneous projects into a large lot for bidding sometimes excludes smaller companies from being able to compete. From now on Infrastructure Ontario says it will submit bundling packages for review by an industry panel.
The Construction Design Alliance of Ontario comprises 12 construction groups, including Consulting Engineers of Ontario, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, Ontario Association of Architects, Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario, Ontario Contractors Association and Ontario Road Builders Association.
Infrastructure Ontario adds local knowledge in bidding | Canadian Consulting Engineer

The Quebec government introduced Bill No. 1 entitled the "Integrity Act for Public Contracts" to the National Assembly on November 1. The Association of Consulting Engineers of Quebec (AICQ) then had to quickly prepare a response to present to the Committee on Public Finance on November 12.
The Bill is being tabled in the midst of a flurry of allegations emerging at the ongoing Charbonneau Commission of Inquiry into corruption in the province's construction industry.
Bill No. 1 relates to companies doing business with any level of government in Quebec. It will make it mandatory that any company that wishes obtain a public contract must be authorized by AMF, the province's financial services regulator, (l'Autorité des marches financiers).
AICQ supports the legislation in principle but is not satisfied that some of the conditions deal fairly with consulting engineering companies.
In its latest newsletter, InfoConseil, AICQ writes: "Despite the principles of transparency, probity and fair competition that have guided the development of this bill and are consistent with the values of our association, the application of this legislation could have major consequences for engineering firms." [translation]
Johanne Desrochers, President and CEO of AICQ, expressed the association's concerns over the bill to the Committee on Public Finance in Quebec City on November 12. She was accompanied by Marc Tremblay, who is president of the AICQ Board of Directors and Executive Vice President and General Manager Canada of exp, and Patrice Morin, a lawyer with Borden Ladner Gervais.
They argued that certain rules seem difficult to apply and are subject to a subjective interpretation. For example, AICQ is concerned about how the AMF could consistently apply key concepts such as "de facto control," "misconduct," and "reasonable person" as criteria in deciding whether to grant or refuse authorization.
AICQ also says the legislation should allow more consistent mechanisms for companies to show that they have taken any necessary corrective actions in order to either keep their authorization or regain it.
AICQ also questions why the new rules should only apply to contracts that are over a certain financial threshold, which is provisionally set at $50 million.
Desrochers concludes: "The government seems determined to pass the bill quickly. Our efforts combined with briefs from other stakeholders, notably the Québec Bar, could possible lead to changes, but it is clear that for this Bill the pursuit of integrity will take precedence over all other considerations."
AICQ represents 40 engineering firms, 23,000 people and 90% of the consulting engineering industry in Quebec.
New rules on public contracts concern Quebec consulting engineers | Canadian Consulting Engineer

News: Japanese Proposed Tariffs Submitted | Renewable Energy News Article

2012-05-06T10:57:00.001-04:00

Japanese Proposed Tariffs Submitted | Renewable Energy News Article

In what may be the most significant renewable energy policy development worldwide in years, Japanese authorities are circulating proposed feed-in tariffs that-if confirmed by the Minister of Trade later this month-could lead to a crash renewables program.

Equivalent to putting the country on a war-time footing following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the unusually high tariffs will lead to a massive rush of renewable energy development.

Japan, a country long known for dragging its feet on developing its own renewable resources, may be embarking on a huge course correction in energy policy, turning its back on nuclear and turning toward renewables.

The outcome of the current policy debate is uncertain. Foreign analysts are left to read the tea leaves of Japanese political maneuvering to see what may be in the future for renewables in Japan.

Though major media outlets and trade publications have been reporting the proposed tariffs as fact, little is known in English.

From Japanese sources, it appears that the powerful Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Yukio Edano will rule on the tariffs by the end of the month and open them to public comment.

The tariffs are scheduled to go into effect this July.

Proposed Tariffs

The proposed policy includes tariffs for wind, geothermal, hydro, solar photovoltaics (solar PV), biogas, and biomass technologies.

Most tariffs are further differentiated by size but with limited categories. For example, there are only two tranches for wind, solar PV, and geothermal. There are three tranches for hydro.

There is only one tariff for biogas.

Germany until recently used six different size tranches for solar PV. For wind, Germany uses a continuum of tariffs from a targeted moderate wind resource to the resource at a windy site.

Similarly, Ontario's new tariffs include eight different tranches for solar PV and six different tranches for biogas.

The greater granularity that multiple size tranches provide a technology allow program designers to more closely tailor tariffs to actual costs, minimizing overall charges to consumers.

The Japanese, rather than adopting best practice from Germany, Ontario or other countries instead have opted for a simplified tariff schedule. Doing so has limited program designers' ability to refine the tariffs. Consequently, the resulting tariffs are among the highest in the world and for some technologies, such as for small wind, are the highest in the world.

Though there are reports that the committee's working documents justify the tariffs, these are not available in English.

Unlike Germany, the Japanese feed-in tariff program does not guarantee a grid connection and generators must pay for all grid connection costs.

Further, planning barriers in Japan are significant and may not only delay deployment but substantially increase development costs. Again, little is known about how this will play out once the program is underway.

Wind Tariffs Undifferentiated by Resource Intensity

Japan's pricing committee has proposed some of the highest wind tariffs in the world. The wind tariff of 23.1 yen/kWh is more than 2.5 times the tariffs in major wind markets of Germany, Ontario, and France. Moreover, the tariffs are fixed at the same level for the entire 20 year term unlike those in Germany and France.

In France and Germany the final tariffs are determined by resource intensity. After a trial period, ten years in France, five years in Germany, the tariffs are reduced substantially for turbines at the windiest sites. At the windiest sites, German tariffs are one-fourth those in Japan, French tariffs are one-eighth those proposed in Japan.

The proposed Japanese wind tariffs are even higher than Germany's offshore tariffs, which critics have charged were a political gift to German utilities following the reversal of policy on nuclear power.

If the Japanese wind tariffs were designed for offshore installations, they will, however, be equally applied to onshore installations under the current proposal.

Japan has limited experience as a manufacturer of wind turbines. Mitsubishi is the only manufacturer with international stature in the wind industry.

There are 2,500 MW of wind generating capacity operating in Japan. In 2010 wind turbines in Japan generated 5 TWh or less than 1% of supply.

Small Wind

The proposed Japanese tariffs for small wind are the highest in the world. The tariffs for wind turbines less than 20 kW are 1.5 times those in Nova Scotia and more than three times that of the small wind tariff in Vermont.

Japan has little domestic manufacturing capability in small wind. At these prices, this will change overnight with all the attendant consequences of newly-developed products rushed to market.

Geothermal

Proposed Japanese geothermal tariffs are much more in line with those elsewhere in the world than the tariffs for wind and solar. Japanese geothermal tariffs are comparable with those in Switzerland. However, Japan has considerably more geothermal generating capacity than Switzerland. In 2010 Japanese geothermal plants generated 3.5 TWh from 535 MW of capacity.

Biogas

The proposed Japanese tariff is the highest in the world by far. The proposed tariff is 2.5 times more than that paid in Germany or France.

Solar PV

As in the US, Japan has been losing market share in installed solar PV capacity to Europe and China. Nevertheless, Japan remains one of the world's largest markets for solar PV.

In 2011 Japan installed 1,300 MW of solar PV bringing total installed solar PV capacity to 5,000 MW. Solar PV generates about 4 to 5 TWh per year or less than 1 percent of the nation's consumption.

Analysts expect a boom in solar PV in Japan with the proposed tariffs. While not the most lucrative in the world, they are among the highest and rival those in Ontario for small systems.

Because the Japanese solar PV tariffs are in effect undifferentiated by size, large projects will receive as much per kilowatt-hour as smaller projects. On this basis, the proposed Japanese tariffs will be the highest in the world.

Japan has a strong domestic solar PV industry and they are expected to take the lions share of the market, if not all.

What Next?

The question now becomes how fast can the wind, solar, and geothermal industries get projects built and how fast will the government then ratchet down the tariffs for new projects.

Another question troubling analysts is how the tariffs were set. Are the tariffs, for example, simply too high? Did the power crisis-there's now only one reactor of 50 operating and it is scheduled to shut down this month — force the Japanese pricing committee to make rash decisions? Were industry lobbyists given too much influence to push prices to lucrative levels?

Only the Japanese know how costly it is to do business in Japan. And only the Japanese know first hand the seriousness of the crisis they face.

Nevertheless, experience worldwide proves that tariffs need not be exorbitantly high to result in massive development. The growth of solar PV in Germany is evidence of that. Germans have been paying among the lowest prices in the world for solar PV and yet the industry continues to expand.

Markets respond quickly to modest premiums above expected costs and at Japan's proposed prices, a boom — at least in project proposals — can be expected.

Feed-in tariffs are a proven mechanism for spurring the rapid development of massive amounts of renewable energy. They are Japan's policy of choice for reconstructing the nation's electricity system following the Fukushima disaster and Japanese loss of faith in nuclear power.

The next few years will determine if Japanese planners and politicians acted prudently or made injudicious decisions by their inability or unwillingness to take action sooner in a more deliberative fashion.

The lesson for other countries is clear: delaying the switch to renewable energy until confronting a crisis is more expensive than taking action when all is going well.

Image: ducu59us via Shutterstock

Book: Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application: James F. Manwell, Jon G. McGowan, Anthony L. Rogers: 9780470015001: Amazon.com: Books

2012-05-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

I would like to share a good resource for wind energy professionals, colleagues. see below.

Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application: James F. Manwell, Jon G. McGowan, Anthony L. Rogers: 9780470015001: Amazon.com: Books:

Wind Energy Explained is a great introduction to the field of wind energy engineering. The material for this textbook comes from course notes from Wind Energy Engineering, a course which has been taught at the University of Massachusetts since the mid 1970s, and teaches the fundamentals of energy conversion from wind energy to electricity and its use by society. The topics covered include meteorology, resource assessment, aerodynamics, electrical, mechanical, and design considerations, turbine control systems, siting issues, and economic and environmental considerations. Though it is geared for college seniors, first-year graduate students, and professionals in related fields, plenty of introductory information is given, making the material accessible to anyone with math, physics, or engineering backgrounds.

from http://www.umass.edu/windenergy

NEWS: GREEN - Turkey ranks low in environmental index

2012-05-02T00:54:00.001-04:00

GREEN - Turkey ranks low in environmental index:
Turkey’s environmental protection is getting worse and it draws the world’s attention, according to a nature association official, who released a statement.
Among 132 countries Turkey ranked at 109th in the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) released by Yale University.
The Environmental Performance Index is a method of quantifying and numerically benchmarking the environmental performance of a country’s policies.
The first 10 countries in the index were: Switzerland, Lithuania, Norway, Luxembourg, Costa Rica, France, Austria, Italy, England, and Sweden.
Trailing at the bottom of the index were: Libya, Bosnia Herzegovina, India, Kuwait, Yemen, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iraq.
This index was developed from the Pilot Environmental Performance Index, first published in 2002, and designed to supplement the environmental targets set forth in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Notes:
1. Canada is 37th country at the list.
2. Detailed information might be seen at Yale University web site for Environmental Performance Index (EPI). see: http://epi.yale.edu/

BOOK: Build Your Own Home Wind Power System by Leo Wiegman

2012-04-24T02:17:00.002-04:00

will be released February 2013, not published yet!

From www.amazon.ca

You'll be blown away by how much money you can save using wind power!
Perfect for technically savvy, home- and small-business owners, this TAB Green Guru Guide shows you how to harness the wind to generate clean, safe, reliable, and low-cost energy. The book explains how to evaluate a site, get permits, find components, and set up and connect the entire system.
Build Your Own Home Wind Power System includes details on costs, aesthetics, sound, property values, insurance, installation, regulations, and potential pitfalls. The book takes a look at recent developments and emerging trends in technology and policy relevant to small wind power. You'll also get information on how to make your community wind-power friendly, with real-world tips from the author who successfully led the charge in his own town in 2005.

About the Author
Leo Wiegman helped his village become the first municipal customer of wind power in the state of New York in 2005. He served as an elected Trustee in the Village of Croton-on-Hudson for 3 terms from 2001 to 2007. In 2008, Leo founded E to the fourth Strategic Communications and serves as its instigator-in-chief. The firm helps environmental organizations communicate more effectively with the public. Since 2007, Leo serves on the Westchester County’s Steering Committee for the Indian Brook-Croton Gorge Watershed Conservation Action Plan to unify land use and conservation efforts around water quality.

Details:
http://www.amazon.ca/Build-Your-Home-Power-System/dp/0071663541/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335247992&sr=1-1

NEWS: ENERGY - Candu also up for nuclear plant deal

2012-04-24T02:00:00.001-04:00

Candu also up for nuclear plant deal
ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Canadian firm Candu and Elektrik Üretim (EÜAS) signed a deal to conduct feasibility studies for the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant project on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The cost of the plant is roughly $20 billion.

“This signing ceremony will underline once more Turkey’s commitment to a nuclear power plant,” said Energy Minister Taner Yıldız at the World Leaders’ Energy Summit at Çırağan Palace on April 20. Yıldız said they would conducting studies with the Canadian firm for six months to determine whether the project is feasible and would make the results transparent.

“After six months we will see if we can reach an agreement. Maybe we can and maybe we can’t,” said Yıldız.

“There is one more point I want to clarify. We are open to other proposals as well,” said Yıldız, noting that Turkey was not only working with a Russian firm.

“We have been interested in the Turkish market for year,” Candu Vice President Ala Alizadeh said. “The feasibility studies will take six months and this will allow us to work on the project’s economic, technical, environmental and financial dimensions.”

Joint projects with China

Candu and EÜAS will form a joint team to complete the feasibility studies.

Meanwhile, Yıldız also told reporters before the summit that Turkey was willing to carry out joint energy projects with China. Yıldız said there were nuclear, charcoal, wind and solar energy possibilities in Turkey.

“I think that we can fulfil some of these projects with China,” Yıldız said. He added that one of the Chinese companies he met in China last week came to Turkey, and defined the meeting as significant.
“We will send a technical delegation headed by ministry undersecretary to China next week. They will discuss details there,” he said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also sent a message saying: “We plan to make more than $100 billion in energy investments in ten years. We plan to use our domestic and renewable energy resources first and then make nuclear energy 10 percent of our energy in 2023.” Erdoğan also stressed that these investments would largely come from the private sector and invited all global energy sector investors to keep their eyes Turkey.
April/21/2012

for CANDU:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CANDU_reactor

Product: Water Powered Green Clock

2012-04-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

Take a look at this! I like it - no battery just water...

News: ENERGY - Turkey, China sign two nuclear agreements during PM’s visit

2012-04-13T02:37:00.001-04:00

Turkey, China sign two nuclear agreements during PM’s visit

BEIJING

AFP photo

Turkey and China signed two nuclear agreements in Beijing yesterday.
The agreements, announced at a ceremony attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Turkish Prime Minsiter Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, pave the way for deeper nuclear cooperation between the two countries, but few concrete details of their contents were made available.
One of the accords signed is a letter of intent between China’s National Energy Administration and the Turkish Energy Ministry for further nuclear cooperation, but no other information was given. The second is the “Cooperation Agreement on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power.”

A potential partner
Turkey is seeking a partner for its second planned nuclear power plant, to be built in the northern province of Sinop. Russia, Japan and South Korea are other candidates, along with China, according to the Energy Ministry. Russian nuclear energy giant Rosatom will build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, near the Mediterranean coast. The foru-reactor plant will cost about $20 billion, according to the plan.
The government will decide on a tender for the second nuclear power plant in two months, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız said April 8 in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in the northwest of China, which was the first stop for the Turkish mission headed by the prime minister. Mutual trade between China and Turkey has soared from just $1 billion in 2000 to $19.5 billion in 2010.
Yıldız undersigned both contracts on behalf of his country. The two countries also signed agreements in several other fields. Turkey’s state-run broadcaster TRT and China’s CCTV signed a cooperation deal, and China’s national publishing group signed a cooperation deal with Turkey’s Turkuaz Magazines Group, a subsidiary of Çalık Holding. The two countries also agreed to mutually promote and protect each other’s investments, and each agreed to build a cultural center on the other’s soil, Anatolia news agency reported.
Turkish Deputy PM Bekir Bozdağ, Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, as well as high-ranking officials from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Officer Temel Kotil were also present at the signing ceremony.

April/10/2012

Blogger: Daily Energy Report

2012-04-13T01:28:00.000-04:00

Dear Colleagues, Energy & Environmental Professionals,
I would like to share another web portal which is all about energy. Site seems like US based but also have news and comments from all over the world.
Kindest regards,
http://www.dailyenergyreport.com/

News: EU tar sands pollution vote ends in deadlock

2012-02-23T15:15:00.001-05:00

EU tar sands pollution vote ends in deadlock

Decision on whether to label oil produced from tar sands as highly polluting is delayed as key vote fails to find majority

Damian Carrington
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 February 2012 13.45 GMT
Article history

Tar sands excavation mine in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Photograph: Orjan F Ellingvag/Dagens Nar

The European Union failed to label oil produced from tar sands as highly polluting on Thursday, with a key vote by member states ending in deadlock.

The issue is seen as a key test of the EU's ability to implement its climate change policies while under heavy pressure from the Canadian government and oil companies who want to prevent billions of barrels of tar sands oil from being designated as especially harmful to the environment. The lobbying has been intense, with Canada secretly threatening a trade war with Europe if the proposal is passed, while the Nasa climate scientist James Hansen has said full development of the tar sands would mean it was "game over" for the climate.

Darek Urbaniak at Friends of the Earth Europe said: "Some European governments have given in to Canadian and oil lobby pressure, instead of saying no to climate-hostile tar sands. High-polluting sources of fuels, such as tar sands, must be cleaned up or kept out of Europe – they are the dirtiest source of transport fuels, and will undermine Europe's ability to reach its climate ambitions."

Joe Oliver, Canada's minister of natural resources, said he was pleased with the result and warned: "If the EU moves ahead in implementing these discriminatory measures, Canada will not hesitate to defend its interests." He said Canada would continue to promote the oil sands as a "secure and responsible" source of energy.

The vote by officials needed a majority of about three-quarters to be approved, which would have led to the proposal passing quickly into law. In the event, there were 89 votes for the proposal, 128 against and 128 abstentions, including the UK. The impasse means the decision will be referred to ministers, who will send a proposal to the European parliament for passing into law. The decision should have been made more than a year ago.

The proposal came from the European commission and Connie Hedegaard, the EU commissioner for climate action, said: "With all the lobbying against the proposal, I feared member states would reject the proposal. I am glad that this was not the case. I hope ministers will realise that unconventional fuels need to account for their considerably higher emissions through separate values."

The issue has drawn fire on to the UK's transport minister, Norman Baker, whose Liberal Democrat colleagues have likened tar sands to "land mines, blood diamonds and cluster bombs", but whose coalition government was revealed as giving secret help to Canada by the Guardian.

Baker defended the UK's abstention. "We recognise there are big issues with tar sands but equally we did not feel the proposal met the requirement of dealing with other highly polluting crude oils. It was not an all encompassing solution," he told the Guardian.

He denied that the deadlocked vote would delay action. "It is the idea of dealing with tar sands now and dealing with the rest later, like Angolan and Venezuelan crudes, that is in fact kicking it into the long grass. Our advice is that we could have something up and running in 6-12 months."

Baker said there was an "open invitation" for Hedegaard to work with abstaining nations like the UK, Germany and France to find a solution: "Connie only has the tiddlers with her: 89 votes for and 128 against is not a position she is going to win from."

The senior Greenpeace campaigner Joss Garman said: "Baker should be congratulated. It's obvious that he's reacted positively to pressure from the clean energy lobby. But if we're going to keep tar sands out of Europe we now need Nick Clegg to step in and ensure that when ministers meet in June the result is a European ban on tar sands."

Canada's vast tar sands are the second largest reserve of oil after Saudi Arabia and many of Europe's largest oil companies have major interests in the fields, including BP, Shell, Total and Statoil. The EU proposal is to label tar sands oil as causing 22% more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil on average, because of the extra energy needed to blast the bitumen from the bedrock and refine it. This would make it unattractive to Europe's fuel suppliers who have to cut the impact of their products on global warming and would also set a very unwelcome international precedent for Canada.

The Canadian government argues it is unfair to single out tar sands when some other crude oils are also highly polluting but its opponents, including Hedegaard, argue those can be dealt with in due course and that the scientific case against tars sands is clear. Canada convened a high-level private summit in 2011 to discuss winning the tar sands argument in the EU, to protect the "huge investments from the likes of Shell, BP, Total and Statoil".

The UK proposed an alternative "banded" approach to ascribing carbon emissions to different fuel types, which does not single out tar sands. Opponents dismiss the proposal as a delaying tactic and the Guardian understands that the UK has failed to present its proposal formally. In January, the Guardian revealed another compromise plan that would weaken the impact on tar sands oil, this time from the Netherlands.

Colin Baines, toxic fuels campaigns manager at the Co-operative, said: "The oil industry must play its fair part in Europe's efforts to address climate change: to give it a free pass to make things worse by ignoring tar sands emissions would be a scandal. It is a positive sign that the UK and France abstained when they had been the subject of such intense lobbying from the oil industry and Canadian government. We hope they'll move further and support the fair and common sense proposal at the next vote."

Vote on proposal to label tar sands oil as highly polluting, by nation

• For: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden

• Against: Spain, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary

• Abstained: UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Cyprus

News: Progressive energy firms launch new climate alliance | EurActiv

2012-02-23T12:47:00.001-05:00

Eight of Europe’s largest energy companies have launched a clean energy alliance with a call for the EU to set legally enforceable targets for 2030 in emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The informal alliance describes itself as “a loosely-founded coalition of progressive energy companies [that] share the same views on accelerated transformation of the energy system”.

Its members are Acciona (Spain), DONG Energy (Denmark), EDP (Portugal), Eneco (the Netherlands), EWE (Germany), Public Power Corporation (Greece), Sorgenia (Italy) and SSE (UK).

“The lack of binding targets post-2020, an ETS failing to stimulate investment in renewables, and an outdated energy infrastructure, severely threaten to wreck the needed modernisation and decarbonisation of the European energy sector,” the group says in a strongly worded open letter to the European Commission.

“We call on the Commission and the Presidency of the Council to… decide on legal mandates for binding 2030 renewables, CO2, and energy efficiency targets,” the letter continues.

EU Roadmap

Last year’s EU’s roadmap for a low carbon economy by 2050 offered a milestone-paved route to the emissions reductions of between 80% and 95% that scientists say are needed to prevent global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius.

The first milestone comes in 2030, and the EU suggests it as a deadline for measures such as increasing the share of low carbon technologies in the energy mix to 75%-85%.

But draft conclusions for the 9 March Council of environment ministers, obtained by EurActiv, only invite the European Commission to present timely options for delivering the 40% carbon emissions reduction promised in the roadmap.

”Having a stable investment climate is critical for energy companies,” Aders Eldrup, chief executive of DONG Energy and a leading alliance member, told EurActiv in a written statement.

DONG is Denmark’s largest energy company and although its primary interest has been in oil and gas drilling, the company is reorientating itself towards renewable energy.

“Our current investment plans have a time span of a decade and more,” Eldrup said. “Binding 2030 targets for renewables and an effective CO2 price are crucial elements to set an economic framework that can drive the huge investments necessary to achieve the build-out of renewables and a modernised energy infrastructure.”

Milestones

But the wider business community is far from united on this question, according to Folker Franz, the environmental advisor to BusinessEurope, which represents Europe’s employers federations.

“We are enthusiastic for a discussion on 2030 but defining a figure is not enough; we don’t think you can close the door and decide to turn the roadmap milestone for 2030 into a target tomorrow,” he told EurActiv.

Folkner saw the ’20-20-20’ targets agreed in 2007 – for 20% improvements in Europe’s emissions, renewables and efficiency performance by 2020 – as “catchy” but “flawed”.

“Do we still need three binding targets like ‘40-40-40 or 30-30-30?” he asked. “I have my doubts. I think we’re beyond that and we need discussion on which elements of the 2030 package should be non-binding.”

BusinessEurope aggregates the views of a highly diverse business community through national federations which do not always consult their members on climate policy. This has led to complaints from some of its members about a democratic deficit in the organisation.

Source: http://bnj.mn/qcz3sP

News: EU tar sands vote looms

2012-02-23T02:36:00.000-05:00

The decision whether Europe will officially label oil produced from tar sands as highly polluting will be made on Thursday.

(Damian Carrington, guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 February 2012 06.45 GMT)

Mining trucks carry loads of oil-laden sand in Alberta, Canada. Photograph: Jeff Mcintosh/AP

A fierce battle over whether the European Union will officially label oilproduced from tar sands as highly polluting comes to a head on Thursday with a crucial vote.

The issue is seen as a key test of the EU's ability to implement its climate change policies amid pressure from the Canadian government and oil companies' ability to prevent billions of barrels of tar sands oil being designated as especially harmful to the environment. The lobbying has been intense, with Canada secretly threatening a trade war with Europeif the proposal is passed. The Nasa climate scientist James Hansen has said full development of the tar sands would mean it was "game over" for the climate.

The issue has also drawn fire on to the UK's transport minister, Norman Baker, whose Liberal Democrat colleagues have likened tar sands to "land mines, blood diamonds and cluster bombs", but whose coalition government was revealed as giving secret help to Canada.

Colin Baines, campaigns manager at the Co-operative, said: "Today is crunch time for the UK and other European governments. After years of aggressive lobbying by the Canadian government and oil industry it must now decide whether it supports their interests or Europe's ambition to reduce transport emissions. A vote against would threaten this globally important climate change legislation, giving the oil industry a free pass to increase the carbon intensity of its products and sending all the wrong signals to Canada about its unsustainable expansion plans."

The UK's shadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, said: "The UK government should be showing leadership, not ducking the opportunity to take an important stand over tougher labelling of highly polluting fuels. Considering the stance taken by his party before the election, it is disappointing to see Baker fail to stand up to vested interests on this issue." The UK and Canadian governments declined to comment before the vote.

Canada's vast tar sands are the second largest reserve of oil after Saudi Arabia and many of Europe's largest oil companies have major interests in the fields, including BP, Shell, Total and Statoil. The EU proposal is to label tar sands oil as causing 22% more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil on average, because of the extra energy needed to blast the bitumen from the bedrock and refine it. This would make it unattractive to Europe's fuel suppliers who have to cut the impact of their products on global warming and would also set a very unwelcome international precedent for Canada.

The Canadian government argues it is unfair to single out tar sands when some other crude oils are also highly polluting but its opponents, including Europe's climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, argue those can be dealt with in due course and that the scientific case against tars sands is clear. Canada convened a high-level private summit in 2011 to discuss winning the tar sands argument in the EU, to protect the "huge investments from the likes of Shell, BP, Total and Statoil".

The UK proposed an alternative "banded" approach to ascribing carbon emissions to different fuel types, which does not single out tar sands. But opponents dismiss it as a delaying tactic and the Guardian understands that the UK has failed to present its proposal formally or provide supporting evidence. In January, the Guardian revealed another compromise plan that would weaken the impact on tar sands oil, this time from the Netherlands.

The proposal to label oil from tar sands as highly polluting will be voted on in Brussels by officials from member states, part of the delayed implementation of an EU fuel quality directive adopted in 2009. If passed by the required majority of about three-quarters, it would then go to the European parliament, where it would be expected to pass quickly into law. If there is no majority, either for or against, as appears most likely, the decision is referred up from the officials to their ministers, who then have two months to send a proposal to the parliament. If the proposal is rejected by a three-quarters majority, it goes back to the European commission for possible amendment but would face an uncertain future.

Darek Urbaniak, at Friends of the Earth Europe, said: "European governments must defy pressure from Canada, and say no to tar sands, which will undermine Europe's ability to reach its climate ambitions."

The senior Greenpeace campaigner Joss Garman said: "For a Liberal Democrat party looking to burnish its environmental credentials this vote is a key moment. In a stroke Nick Clegg and Norman Baker could make an impact on the global stage by changing the economics of investment in the dirtiest oil on Earth."

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News: Canada Needs a National Solar Policy

2012-02-22T02:48:00.002-05:00

Canada Needs a National Solar Policy | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article

Canada Needs a National Solar Policy

By Jared Donald, President, Conergy Canada
February 17, 2012

While solar PV has made tremendous strides in Canada in the past year, each province still faces different challenges that call for a national solar energy policy.

Edmonton, Canada -- The solar industry has worked diligently over the last year to inform and educate the Canadian public and the federal government on the environmental and economic benefits of solar energy. As part of these efforts, representatives and members from the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) met with the Department of Finance and Natural Resources to discuss a national incentive structure. In addition, CanSIA representatives stood as witnesses before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment, presenting the benefits of solar PV for Canadians. These efforts were instrumental in garnering recommendations for the furthering of solar technology on a national level in the most recent Report of the Standing Committee on Finance. While the industry has made tremendous strides in the Canadian market in the past year, there is still significant work to be done and each province faces different challenges.

Without a national incentive structure, some provincial governments have developed policy infrastructures to support the deployment of solar within their respective provinces. In Ontario, the implementation of the feed-in tariff (FiT) and microFiT programs has increased employment and brought in local manufacturing. Ontario’s solar industry supports approximately 8,200 full-time jobs and more than 30 PV module and inverter manufacturing facilities. Through the FiT program’s first two years it faced a number of implementation challenges, mostly due to a lack of visibility and an inability of contract offers to keep pace with applications. The government has recently halted the program while it reviews how FiTs should be administered in 2012 and beyond.

Through this review Ontario requested that CanSIA, as the trusted voice in the solar industry, provide feedback outlining how the program can be improved. CanSIA members developed very specific and practical recommendations for presentation to the government. I believe that these actionable recommendations and the many in-person consultations between industry proponents and Provincial government representatives will significantly improve the design of the FiT programme for longer-term sustainability. One of the main improvements we hope to see in the new FiT programme is greater transparency, which will help all members of the value chain.

While Ontario’s solar incentive policies are far ahead of those of other provinces, the aforementioned FiT review process is having a detrimental impact on its industry. Most installers and manufacturers are in a holding pattern until the new rules are determined and released, causing layoffs across the industry and requiring solar professionals to either take extended vacations or search for new employment outside the industry. The work being done at the government and regulatory level appears to be occurring in a manner that will allow the development of a more sustainable FiT program, but until the policy framework is resolved the industry will remain in a very challenging state of flux.

Each province is at a different state in terms of solar energy implementation and each has very different goals, influenced by politics, economics and other considerations. Without a nationally administered solar energy directive, each province will continue to develop and administer its own policies in accordance with its own political, economic and environmental goals. This evolutionary development will greatly assist the growth of the solar industry in Canada, but it will occur in a slower and more fragmented manner.

The Ontario programme proved that FiTs are a very effective mechanism for creating market demand, but they are only one of many tools that support the effective growth of solar energy. It is hoped that jurisdictions outside Ontario take notice of the benefits the FiT program has generated for that province and implement funding programs with the same end goal: to further bolster the solar industry across Canada.

News: ENERGY - Turkey sends gas to Greece as EU slams gov’t in Athens

2012-02-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

ENERGY - Turkey sends gas to Greece as EU slams gov’t in Athens

Turkey sends gas to Greece as EU slams gov’t in Athens

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Overcoming a recent gas shortage, Turkey has started pumping natural gas to neighboring Greece again, Minister Yıldız says. ‘We could not disappoint Greece,’ he says

Hundreds demonstrate in Paris Feb. 18 in support of the Greek population badly hit by the crisis. ‘Solidarity does not come for free,’ says EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding. AP photo

Turkey restarted natural gas transfers to Greece over the weekend after Greek Energy Minister George Papaconstantinou called to request supplies.

“My Greek colleague called to say they were in difficulty,” Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız told journalists during a ceremony in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

“I couldn’t disappoint him because we have been suffering the same [problems],” Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, Yıldız denied some media reports in the Turkish press which quoted him as saying that he felt “pity” about Greece and so decided to relaunch the gas flow.

“I am the energy minister of a strong country, and a strong country would not have used such offending wording,” said Yıldız.

“I see some reports quoting me with insulting language; I have never used such wording and would never do so,” he said.

“My Greek counterpart called me and said they were facing a hard time, so I pitied them and relaunched the gas flow,” Turkish daily Sabah quoted Yıldız as saying yesterday.

“The neighbor begs, we open valves,” read Sabah’s headline story.

“After meeting the natural gas demand of all our citizens and industrialists, we have started transferring the remaining to Greece,” Yıldız said yesterday, according to Doğan news agency. “After all, Turkey does not transfer gas [to Greece] for free, along with neighborhood ties, this is a trade relation.”

Turkey had cut gas to western neighbor Greece after disruptions to its own supplies from Azerbaijan and Iran over the past two weeks.

Turkey’s gas imports from Azerbaijan and Iran fell sharply starting Feb. 7 due to technical problems in both countries, according to Turkey’s Energy Ministry. Gas flow into Turkey from both countries dropped to a daily 6 million-7 million cubic meters (mcm) from a usual 40 million (mcm).

Due to harsh winter conditions, the demand in Greece peaked to the equivalent of between 230,000 and 250,000 megawatt hour a day, from a high of 180,000 in the same period last year according to a Feb. 17 statement from the state-controlled natural gas supplier Public Gas Cooperation (DEPA).

Many European countries are facing gas shortage due to the hard winter conditions as Russia’s Gazprom, the biggest supplier struggles to meet the demand.

Analysts told Agence France-Presse yesterday that the shortage, during one of Europe’s coldest spells on record, points to supply inflexibility on the part of Gazprom that could spur the European Union’s bid to talk down the price of nearly a third of its total gas imports.

Nations stretching from Germany to Greece reported gas shortfalls that reached 28.9 percent in Italy and nearly forced cuts to some domestic clients.

“European clients of Gazprom have another strong argument for the price negotiation. The high prices of Russian gas did not guarantee the security of supply,” East European Gas Analysis chief Mikhail Korchemkin told the agency.

‘Solidarity not free,’ Europe tells Greece

VIENNA / ATHENS

Greece should stop looking for scapegoats abroad for its problems and work harder to get itself out of its economic mess, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said yesterday in an interview. “I wish the Greeks would concentrate on rebuilding their state rather than blaming scapegoats outside Greece for their plight,” Reding, who is also vice-president of the European Commission, said in an interview with Austrian daily Kurier. “It’s understandable that the (EU) finance ministers no longer want to stand by and watch as promises are not kept,” Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.

“Solidarity does not come for free, Greece must also earn this help,” Reding said in the interview. Eurozone finance ministers are to meet in Brussels today to finalize a second Greek bailout to write off 100 billion euros of debt and provide a loan of 130 billion euros.

But patience is running thin in Europe with Greek reform delays, while in Athens tough austerity measures have been greeted with violent protests.

Greece’s cabinet approved the final set of austerity measures sought by the EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Feb.18.

The approval was largely a formality after Athens unveiled details of the extra budget and public sector wage cuts last week, according to yesterday’s Reuters report. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters staged a rally in Athens yesterday to protest the budget cuts.

Hundreds of police were also out for the latest demonstration. “Poverty and Hunger Have No Nationality,” read one banner carried by demonstrators on Syntagma square outside Parliament. “We Are Greeks, Merkel and Sarkozy Are Freaks,” said another, referring to the German and French leaders.
Police put the number of protesters at 1,500.

February/20/2012

News: Renewables: Solar energy increasingly competitive

2012-02-16T20:20:00.000-05:00

RENEWABLES

Solar energy increasingly competitive

For many years solar energy was only profitable because of state subsidies. But photo-voltaic cell prices recently dropped significantly, making solar energy as cheap as standard electricity.

Developments on the international solar electricity market are proceeding at a rapid pace. These days a solar cell costs just half of what it did four years ago. Solar cell producers in places like China are giving companies in Germany and the US a real run for their money.

Meanwhile, those that produce their own solar electricity are seeing costs that are compareable to normal electricity grid users. This is putting the pressure on the established electricity companies.

Industry figures indicate that last year solar energy plants capable of producing 27 gigawatts (GW) of energy were installed around the world. That lifted international solar production to around 67 GW. By 2020 that is expected to increase to 430 GW - about the same as 80 nuclear power plants could produce.

Changing trends in Germany

As a producer of some 25 GW of solar power, Germany is the current leader in photovoltaic energy production. Although German industry creates high energy demands, some four percent of domestic electricity is already covered by solar power.

The comparatively high use of solar energy in Germany is due to the leading role played by private consumers and the agricultural sector. The Federal Renewable Energy Act has also been instrumental because it provides subsidies for renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and biogas.

Renewables now make up around 20 percent of the German energy market. The German Environment Ministry predicts a doubling of that figure by 2020.

Self-produced solar power

Such rapid development on the solar energy market has even surprised analysts. Thanks to the price drop for photovoltaic cells, private solar parks in Germany now offer cheaper power for the consumer than traditional energy providers. Even when taking into account the initial investment, one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs 0.24 euros ($0.31). Electricity from a traditional provider costs about four percent more.

Self-produced solar power becomes especially cost-effective when it is used long-term. In addition to benefiting from the state subsidy, consumers that are not reliant on the grid also avoid the electricity price hikes the market has seen. In the last 10 years German energy prices have risen by more than 50 percent.

Solar energy's newfound competitiveness is best shown by a case study from the Atacama desert in Chile where operators have set up a major solar farm without any government assistance. The plant is meant to provide power for a copper mine. According to the magazine "Photon," each kWh of solar electricity produced on site costs less than 0.10 euros.

Still work to be done

The solar farm in the Atacama desert in Chile was set up without any government assistance

Even during the winter months, solar cells can provide significant amounts of energy, especially in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest. But the energy does, of course, only get produced during daylight hours. Even cloudy conditions can greatly reduce output.

That's a problem for Germany. The extra electricity added to the grid fluctuates regularly because of the inconsistencies of solar and wind-based power. "We have to find a solution to that," said Johannes Kindler from the German energy regulator, BNetzA.

Renewable energy proponents are pushing for increases energy storage capacity and an improvement in electricity management, so that fluctuations can be handled.

That solution is likely to include gas power plants that go online whenever extra electricity is needed quickly. Linking up Europe's electricity grids better would also help ensure that electricity gets to where it is needed, when it is needed.

Author: Gero Rueter / al
Editor: Sarah Steffen

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15744469,00.html

News: Turkey - Power prices jump radically on day of natural gas cuts

2012-02-15T01:40:00.000-05:00

Electricity prices hit 2 Turkish Liras per kilowatt hour, up from 10 kuruş to 16 kuruş on average days in the open market. The increase was due to tight supplies as natural gas power plants receive less gas while the total gas supply barely meets the peak demand of households and industries, according to Reuters.
A lira is 100 kuruş.

The supply deficit in gas put wholesale electricity firms in a difficult situation, as many firms producing electricity, could not provide the contractual amount of electricity to their customers. “Most of those firms made a total loss of 10 million liras in just one day. They could not provide electricity to their customers as they could not produce it themselves. So they had to procure it from the open market at higher prices,” said Obahan Obaoğlu, the manager of the Electricity Producers Association, adding that prices calmed down to 16 kuruş as of Feb. 13.

Turkey faces a very serious gas crisis, said Önder Karaduman, the head of the association, according to Anatolia news agency, pointing to supply and demand disequilibrium in the domestic market.

“Turkey’s daily gas consumption has hit 180 million cubic meters. But even if all the gas contracts and underground stores are employed at full capacity, the supply can only provide 170 million cubic meters of gas to the market,” he said, adding that the gas crisis will turn into an electricity crisis if immediate action is not taken, he added.

“The shortage in gas supply is not reflected in citizens’ [consumption],” said Energy Minister Taner Yıldız yesterday, according to Anatolia news agency. The conditions were abnormal, but there were no planned cuts in gas flow, he said.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News

News: No comeback for nuclear power, say experts

2012-02-15T01:06:00.002-05:00

Despite plans for new atomic power plants in countries like the US, Poland, China and India, the nuclear heyday looks to be over. Energy policy experts say the number of such plants is set to shrink worldwide.

In 1974, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) predicted that global nuclear energy production would reach 4,500 gigawatts in the year 2000. But by 2010, the actual figure stood at 375 gigawatts.

There's continued interest in nuclear energy in some countries, especially in emerging Asian economies, but far less of the optimism that once surrounded the technology.

"The phase-out process is happening," according to Rebecca Harms, member of the European Parliament and the German Green party. Despite the new nuclear plants slated to be built in the coming years, she believes that "by 2030 or 2035 the number of nuclear plants will have fallen." Nuclear power's golden era is already long over, she said.

'Intentions, wishes and plans'

Last year's post-tsunami nuclear emergency in Japan has thus far done little to temper Asian enthusiasm for nuclear energy, however. India and China have made plans for dozens of new plants and several other Asian countries are keen to expand their nuclear sector. After 30 years of no new reactors in the US, the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia is due to be expanded by two reactors. And Poland, long dependent on coal, is diving head first into nuclear energy, with plans to build its first nuclear power plant.

China is still building nuclear power plants

But energy policy experts like Lutz Mez at Berlin's Free University have their doubts. Compared to the construction of conventional gas power plants in the US, the two new reactors are statistically "peanuts," he said.

And Mez says Poland faces some major challenges if it really wants to go nuclear. As an example, he cites Poland's lack of trained nuclear specialists, both in the private sector, and in the public sector, which will need public servants to take on licensing and monitoring duties.

"It normally takes 15 years to establish bodies of authority like this," Mez told Deutsche Welle. "Intentions, wishes and plans do not necessarily mean that the projects can be realized."

Despite increased energy needs in an expanding economy, China's nuclear power plants generate only two percent of the country's electricity. The figures for India are similar.

"There, nuclear power plants only play a supporting role," explained Mez. "They are mostly coal-fired power plants. Every two weeks, a 500-megawatt coal plant gets connected to the electricity grid in China, though in the last two to three years there has been more renewable energy too."

Questions of costs

Even in France, where 80 percent of energy is produced by nuclear plants, Mez said the mindset is changing.

France is due to elect a new president in a few weeks' time. Polls put the Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande ahead of President Nicolas Sarkozy. While Sarkozy supports nuclear energy, Hollande's plan is to reduce the amount of power it generates in France to 50 percent. According to his party's program, the nuclear plant in Fessenheim, near the German border, will be the first to close.

Hollande could make France less dependent on nuclear power

Aside from the much-discussed safety issues associated with nuclear plants, the economic aspect is gaining prominence in debates on the topic. Mez points out that a gas-fired plant is nearly ten times cheaper to construct than a nuclear plant. According to Rebecca Harms, a new nuclear plant costs around seven billion euros.

Moreover, the case of Germany's controversial Asse atomic waste depot - where increased levels of radiation were found - shows the potential costs associated with running a nuclear power plant. The depot, which holds containers with low and medium-grade radioactive waste, is run down, with water leaking into its underground tunnels. Recovering the contents would cost billions of euros and take decades.

Mez believes that "making large investments like this, where there is no certainty of recouping the costs, is increasingly risky." He adds that there is still no sure method of disposing highly radioactive waste and dismantling power plants that have been shut down is more expensive than previously thought. This is why, he says, nuclear energy will not experience a renaissance.

Author: Klaus Jansen / ew
Editor: Holly Fox

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15739401,00.html

Blogger: IFC's Sustainability Framework - 2012 Edition

2012-02-14T12:42:00.001-05:00

IFC's Performance Standards have been revised and published - which are effective after 1 January 2012 with under name of "Sustainability Framework". The Sustainability Framework consists of

The Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability, which defines IFC’s commitments to environmental and social sustainability.
The Performance Standards, which define clients’ responsibilities for managing their environmental and social risks.
The Access to Information Policy, which articulates IFC’s commitment to transparency.

Details please refer: www.ifc.org

News: Update on FIT Program review from Deputy Minister - Fareed Amin

2012-02-13T23:16:00.002-05:00

February 7, 2012: FIT Review Recommendations in Development

Ontario’s clean energy industry is strengthening our economy by attracting new investment and creating new jobs. As you know, Ontario is currently completing the scheduled two year review of the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT). The purpose of the review is to ensure the continued success and sustainability of the FIT program. I worked closely with the Ministry of Energy and the Ontario Power Authority to conduct the review. Recommendations are being developed to protect the interests of ratepayers and encourage investments in new clean energy in Ontario. The expectation is that the recommendations, once accepted, will be implemented as quickly as possible. Consultation has been central to the review process. Between October 31 and December 14, 2011, nearly 2,900 online surveys were completed and over 150 written submissions were received, and the province met with more than 80 stakeholders. This contribution has been invaluable as we move forward in developing changes to the FIT program to ensure its continued success. I am working with the OPA and Ministry staff to analyze the written submissions and comments we heard through the face-to-face meetings. I expect to submit my recommendations to the Minister in the near future.

Fareed Amin

Deputy Minister

Source: http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/update-fit-program-review-deputy-minister-fareed-amin

News: Experts Predict End of Month for Ontario FIT Review Update

2012-02-13T22:42:00.000-05:00

By late February the renewable energy industry should have direction from the Ontario government on some of the major changes ahead for the province’s landmark feed-in tariff program. “I am hoping we will have an announcement then with the megawatt (MW) targets and pricing, then new rules and contracts in March, and application processing in May,” said Jim MacDougall, Principal of Compass Renewable Energy and former FIT Manager for the Ontario Power Authority. Jason Chee-Aloy, Managing Director of Power Advisory, agrees with this timing for an initial policy announcement from Ontario’s Ministry of Energy. “There is no consensus in the sector right now in terms of where the FIT program should go and the Minister [of Energy] is receiving a lot of recommendations in terms of how it should evolve,” he says. “The government will unlikely be in any position to provide policy decisions in terms of revisions to the FIT program until late February or early March.” Currently the government is very busy digesting the 2,900 submissions it received in response to requests for comment on the FIT’s two-year review which looks at critical aspects of the program including pricing, grid capacity and contract rules. Renewable energy developers and suppliers are eagerly awaiting the review outcomes to inform their business plans. The industry in Ontario has been stalled over the last year by uncertainty over the FIT program’s future in the run-up to last fall’s provincial election and the two-year review process that was announced on October 31. This spring is expected to be a very busy build-out for the solar community in particular but a lot hinges on the review’s outcomes which will impact the entire supply chain and outline the future of Ontario’s renewable energy landscape. “What we have to remember is that the FIT program is a big standard offer procurement plan that has many moving parts so it’s not just revising rules, contracts and pricing,” adds Chee-Aloy, who headed the design and implementation of FIT as former Director of Generation Procurement at the Ontario Power Authority. “The review involves giving consideration into how these changes fit with other rules and reviewing the entire procurement process – everything up to contract execution.” Key policy decisions will likely be around the MW targets for the FIT program and their allocation between renewable energy technologies including wind, solar, bioenergy and hydro. Currently the FIT program has no such targets and the uptake of the program since its launch in 2009 has far exceeded expectations. To date, contracts have been awarded to approximately 2,500 medium and large FIT projects and over 11,000 microFIT projects and there are many more in the application queue. Specific MW targets by technology would provide the investment community with a more detailed roadmap of how the Ontario government plans to meet its long-term energy goals. The rates for wind and solar projects are expected to drop under the review. MacDougall predicts that prices for PV projects in most size categories will come down by at least 25%. The solar industry has been anticipating a price change given the drop in technology prices but the community is very eager to have the price question settled as soon as possible so business can move ahead. The other big questions for those invested in the Ontario market is how the government will handle the limited grid connection capacity available for renewables and the awarding of future FIT contracts. Current contract prioritization is based on application timestamp and connection capacity but that is likely to change. Chee-Aloy expects the government may introduce new prioritization criteria that consider the location of projects in relation to available grid capacity and the “shovel readiness” of those projects. “There is a small amount of generation capacity compared to the number of projects in the queue and the OPA and the government may look at ways to funnel the most shovel ready projects to the front of the application queue,” he says. The FIT program was designed on a first-come, first-served basis with a number of program rules and timelines built in for counterparties to meet along the way. It was very much a “production line” mentality with a number of checks and balances for projects, Chee-Aloy notes. There has been far more delays than anticipated, however, and the result is that some projects that would normally have been eliminated due to their failure to meet certain milestone dates are still alive. “It would make sense for the OPA and the government to consider some changes based on this experience,” he adds. Despite these challenges, this program remains North America’s most ambitious and comprehensive feed-in tariff to date. “Ontario's FIT has been tremendously successful at creating an industry of manufacturers, developers and even residential participation,” notes MacDougall. While renewable energy developers and suppliers are anticipating a scaling down of the FIT, they are also expecting more certainty and direction from the review process. As MacDougall summarizes, “The industry is anxiously awaiting these policy decisions to be able plan for their businesses going forward.” On April 3-4, Chee-Aloy and MacDougall will be speaking a the third annual Ontario Feed-in Tariff Forum which will offer the very latest updates on the FIT review and the next steps for renewable energy in Ontario with dedicated streams on wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy.

Visit the Ontario Feed-in Tariff Forum for more information or contact adrienne.baker@canadianclean.com.

News: Ontario Post Election: Is the Financing Market Ready?

2012-02-13T22:40:00.000-05:00

On October 6, 2011 the Ontario Liberals were re-elected paving the way for a continuation of the Green Energy Act. Shortly after that several announcements were made indicating that banks would be financing Feed-in Tariff (FIT) projects in Ontario.
On the solar side, Toronto-based SkyPower announced a $67 million credit facility with Deutsche Bank, while SunEdison announced a similar facility for $300 million with Deutsche Bank and Rabobank for opportunities in both Canada and the US. In November 2011, SunEdison proudly declared that it had begun construction on the first FIT ground-mount project in Ingleside, Ontario, near Cornwall.

In December, Recurrent announced that the Japanese bank Mizuho would be providing a credit facility for Recurrent’s Ontario portfolio to the tune of $250 million.
On the wind side, a number of FIT projects are continuing to move forward to financial closing. The key stumbling block for wind remains the slow pace of permitting approvals and connection agreements. Notwithstanding the slower than expected pace of development, 2012 should be a busy year for lenders with a variety of projects looking for funding. The question is: Are lenders ready?
Below we examine some issues that lenders consider as they evaluate Ontario FIT deals:
Equipment Supply – Key equipment for solar developments includes modules, inverters and racking. Because many of the manufacturing facilities in Ontario were constructed in order to satisfy domestic content requirements set for by the feed-in tariff, many of them are new. Therefore, their track records are limited.
In 2011, many solar and wind manufacturers were negatively impacted by equipment oversupply and some of them are therefore vulnerable to failure. Because of this, deep-pocketed wind and solar manufacturers have taken a greater share in the market, forcing out smaller players. Developers and lenders require that their equipment suppliers remain creditworthy during the 20-year lifetime of the project and since some manufacturers are on shaky ground, lenders have voiced concerns about Ontario-manufactured equipment. Competent developers will need to heed these concerns and provide the contractual protection and due diligence on their suppliers needed to reach financial closing.
Energy Production Forecasts – Since Ontario is a relatively new market for solar, there is a limited track record in terms of energy production forecasts as well as actual operating experience. Typically, baseline forecasts are conducted using the modeling software PVSyst, developed by a company in Switzerland. It is an input-output model in which the system design is loaded into the software along with historical weather data and certain assumptions around losses associated with soiling and snow, and others. A typical baseline (P50) output for a ground-mount plant in Year 1 is approximately 1,200 kilowatt-hours / kilowatt-year, but the output can vary based on location, system design (including whether or not trackers are used, panel tilt, and elevation), operations and maintenance approach (including whether the panels are washed and/or cleared of snow or not), weather data used and assumptions around availability (system uptime) and curtailment.
Wind energy forecasts have more of a track record in Ontario though it is interesting to note that wind forecasts have tended to be overly optimistic. Recent studies found that the wind regimes were not as good as originally thought and that system availability was lower than predicted. Models have since been calibrated to adjust for these lessons learned.
General consensus is that solar forecasts are more accurate and predictable so overly rosy forecasts are not expected. However, another issue for both solar and wind in Ontario is the possibility of economic curtailment due to surplus baseload generation. The Feed-in-Tariff contract contains a mechanism for compensation to wind and solar power developers should economic curtailment of their generating assets occur but the effectiveness of this compensation is still somewhat uncertain.
Lenders and developers should use a reputable independent party with experience in forecasting energy production in Ontario.
O&M Agreements – Operations and maintenance (O&M) agreements take different forms. In solar, many large developers have focused on providing their own O&M services. O&M typically involves warranty compliant maintenance, site maintenance (including clearing access roads), security, and spare parts reserves. The experience in Ontario has been that the project construction contractors and equipment suppliers provide O&M services during the initial warranty period and that the owners take over after project performance has been proven. This approach has been accepted by the lending community.
Financing Challenges – It is believed that over the next three years around $3 billion of new project financing will be required to meet the funding requirements to build out the back-log of feed-in tariff projects in Ontario. In the current uncertain financial climate, it is not clear if there will be sufficient lending capacity to meet this demand for capital.
It is expected that projects that have the best equipment supply agreements, energy production forecasts and O&M agreements in place and those with the most experienced developers will be able to reach financial close. Others will be forced to find alternative, and increasingly creative, ways to finance their projects or to sell them to those who can obtain financing.

By Andrew Kinross, Director, Energy Practice, Navigant Consulting and Jonathan Weisz, Head of Project Finance, Torys LLP
by Renewable Energy World Articles

News: Wind Energy Installed in 2011 Totals 41,000 MW

2012-02-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. The global wind industry installed just over 41,000 MW of wind power in 2011, bringing the world's total installed capacity to more than 238,000 MW, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reported. That represents a 21 percent increase, with an increase in the size of the annual global market of just over 6 percent. Today, about 75 countries worldwide have commercial wind power installations, with 22 of them already passing the 1 gigawatt level. “Despite the state of the global economy, wind power continues to be the renewable generation technology of choice”, said Steve Sawyer, GWEC secretary general. “2011 was a tough year, as will be 2012, but the long-term fundamentals of the industry remain very sound. For the second year running, the majority of new installations were outside the OECD, and new markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia are driving market growth.” According to the newly released GWEC annual market statistics, China consolidated its position as global market leader, with a cumulative capacity of more than 62,000 MW, despite having faced a challenging year. “2011 was not an easy year for the Chinese wind industry,” said Li Junfeng, secretary general of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association. “However, in the end, the industry has come out quite well, not only surviving the year, but also becoming more resilient to the various challenges. In the coming year, the industry will adapt to the government’s new requirements as well as those of the market. We expect the industry will grow stronger and more competitive in the next year.” For India, 2011 installations pushed India’s total capacity to just over 16,000 MW. “India reached another milestone with adding over 3,000 MW of wind power installed in 2011,” said D.V. Giri, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association. “This is likely to go up to 5,000 MW per year by 2015. Ongoing initiatives of the Indian government to create new policies will attract large quantities of private investments to the sector.” In the EU, 9,616 MW of wind energy capacity were installed in 2011, for a total installed capacity of 93,957 MW—enough to supply 6.3 percent of the EU’s electricity, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). “Despite the economic crisis gripping Europe, the wind industry is still installing solid levels of new capacity, said Justin Wilkes, policy director of EWEA. “But to achieve the EU’s long-term targets we need strong growth again in future years. A commitment from the European Union to put in place a binding renewable energy target for 2030 would send a very positive signal to potential investors.” Following a year in which industry numbers fell compared to previous record-setting years, the U.S. wind sector bounced back in 2011, with installations of more than 6,800 MW. “American wind energy’s long-term fundamentals are strong,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “We have installed more than a third of all new American electric generation in recent years and are well on our way to providing 20 percent of America’s electricity by 2030 as projected by the Bush Administration. Our 2011 installations alone provide enough electricity to power almost two million American homes.” North of the border in Canada, wind energy enjoyed a record year, surpassing 5,000 MW. “Canada, and in particular Ontario, is emerging as a very competitive destination for wind energy investment globally,” said Chris Forrest, vice president of communications and marketing at the Canadian Wind Energy Association. “Maintaining that position will require continued commitments to aggressive targets for wind energy development and a stable policy framework. As Canada continues to renew its electricity generation resources, wind energy will play an ever-increasing part in delivering reliable, economic and clean electricity.” Latin America also had a good year, growing by a total of more than 1,200 MW, led by Brazil. Brazilian installations were up by half, with the nation adding 587 MW to reach a total of just over 1,500 MW.
Carl Levesque is the communications editor at AWEA.
This article first appeared in the AWEA Windletter and was reprinted with permission from the American Wind Energy Association.
Source: Renewable Energy News Article