NG Power & Energy Europe

25% of Chinese Energy Production is Clean

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:01:00 +0000

According to the China Electricity Council (CEC), over a quarter of its energy consumption was powered by green sources. China's total output increased by 14.56 percent in 2010 to more than 4.19 trillion kWh.

According to the Xinhua news agency, in 2010, total installed power capacity increased just over 10 percent to 962 GW.

According to the report, Hydropower accounted for 213.4 GW, a noticeable improvement, up from 196 GW from 2009.

Wind power capacity almost doubled, with total use in 2010 reaching 31.07 GW. The report also highlights nuclear power, which increased slightly from 9GW in 2009 up to 10.82 GW in 2010.

According to the report, the improvement and larger capacity in renewables meant that China was able to close pollution creating fossil-fuel plants, cutting output from the sector by 11GW.

China plans to raise total power capacity to about 1,440GW by 2015, and hopes that ambitious wind, solar and nuclear projects will raise the level of renewables to more than a third of total capacity.

By 2015, China is hoping to have about 1/3 of its power capacity coming from clean energy sources, even with the goal of increasing total capacity to 1440 GW.

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Spain Opens New High-Speed Rail, Now Best in Europe

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Spain is joining the ranks of several other countries by laying more high-speed capable track, paving the way for reduced travel time and improved infrastructure.

Last week in Madrid, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos opened a high-speed railroad linking Madrid, the Spanish capital and largest city, and Valencia, the country's third-largest city after Barcelona. The new track means Spain holds the crown of Europe's biggest high-speed rail network, underlining the extent to which infrastructure spending has been at the heart of the country's boom-and-bust economy.

The 242-mile link between Madrid and Valencia extended Spain's high-speed rail lines to slightly more than 1,240 miles. France has 1,178 miles and Germany has about 800 miles.

To achieve Europe's current high-speed rail gold standard hasn't been cheap, with the projecting currently surpassing $15.7 billion, including the construction of a handful of new railway stations - adding to Spain's acute budgetary difficulties, which have recently unsettled investors and sent its borrowing costs soaring.

Spain is also in cahoots with France over a new rail line that will split the Pyrenees mountains, a move that will eventually lead to a cross-border, high-speed rail link connecting Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.

China currently possesses the most significant investment in high-speed rail which will increase further when it plans to cover 8,125 miles by 2012 and 10,000 miles by 2020. Overall China will have 42 high-speed routes. In comparison, across the Atlantic President Obama has insisted the US will improve on its ailing rail infrastructure. However despite planned high-speed rail networks in California, the US will still lag well behind China and Europe.

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UK Government Driving Forward with Electric Car Incentives

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:21:00 +0000

Nine electric vehicles will be eligible for grants up to the figure of £5000 according to the UK government.

The grant means that from January 1 motorists will be able to claim 25 percent off the cost of the Mitsubishi iMiEV, smart fortwo electric drive, Peugeot iON, Citroen CZero, Nissan LEAF, Tata Vista EV, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt. Although, only the Mitsubishi iMiEV, smart fortwo electric drive and Peugeot iON will actually be available to purchase in January, followed by the Nissan LEAF and Tata Vista in March and the Citroen CZero sometime early in the year.

Those wanting a Toyota Prius Plug-in, Vauxhall Ampera or a Chevrolet Volt will have to wait another year until early 2012 for the first UK deliveries.

To facilitate the influx of electric vehicles on Britain's roads, Plugged-In Places schemes will include charge points installed on streets and in car parks, retail and leisure centres.
The scheme promised to install over 4000 charging points and work has already started in the first three locations, London, Milton Keynes and the North East.

"A few years ago, ultra-low emission cars with mass market appeal appeared just a pipe dream. [Now] we are on the threshold of an exciting green revolution - 2011 could be remembered as the year the electric car took off," says Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.

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EU Fund Renewable Energy Infrastructure Project

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:27:00 +0000

The EU has agreed on three ambitious pan-European alternative energy research infrastructure projects that will cost €1.2 billion as part of the roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).

The new energy infrastructure projects will also see further investments within a 20 year time frame. The projects include funding to include a wind research facility in Denmark, a concentrated solar power installation in Spain, a nuclear reactor in Belgium and North Sea supergrid initiatives.

The North Sea project aims to develop transnational grid infrastructure in the North and North West Seas and to facilitate delivery of large-scale offshore wind projects to vastly increase the amount of renewable electricity generated from North Seas wind and waves. The North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative will partner several European countries including Denmark, France, UK, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Minister Ryan commented on the memorandum of understanding saying "This is the best policy decision taken in the EU since the 20-20-20 renewable energy and energy efficiency targets.

"Ireland has been driving this agenda since the beginning. We have the best wind and wave resources in Europe, and political will to match.

"This infrastructural project is set to be one of the biggest transnational power structures worldwide. It will ultimately connect offshore wind farms in Northern Europe allowing countries with surplus energy, to export to those with higher demand."

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, said, ‘Developing world-class research infrastructure in Europe, by pooling resources at EU level, is an important objective of the Innovation Union.

‘These facilities will enable ground-breaking research and innovation and ultimately they could help to secure the EU's future energy supply. We need to bring research, technology, industry and market implementation closer together and that is the purpose of the European SET Plan.

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Gaelectric Investing �22 Million in NI Wind Farm

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:10:00 +0000

The energy group Gaelectric plans to invest £22 million into a new wind farm after receiving planning permission for a 15 megawatt complex at initiative, near Pomeroy, in County Tyrone. The new farm will create 20 jobs.

The wind farm development will consist of six wind turbines, all of them will be 64 metres and a maximum blade diameter of 71 metres, and will be capable of generating enough renewable energy to meet the average annual electricity consumption of approximately 8,000 homes.

Gaelectric have invested heavily in Northern Ireland, and when the project is complete will have an a total output of 200 megawatts of power generation capacity.

Gaelectric secured full planning approval for two further wind energy developments, a 15 megawatts wind farm in Carn Hill, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim and a 12.5 Megawatts wind farm in Cregganconroe, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone earlier this year, giving the company 42.5 megawatts of consented projects in Northern Ireland. Construction of this £62 million pipeline will begin in early 2011.

"In these straitened times we do not have the luxury of behaving as if we live in an ideal world where every risk and threat can be perfectly balanced," Brendan McGrath, chief executive of Gaelectric said regarding the need for renewable energy even given the current financial climate.

"A focused and proactive approach to economic opportunities is needed to steer the economy - north and south - on a sustainable growth path.
"The Inishative approval is a further important demonstration of policy makers, planners and energy companies working together to harness renewable resources."

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BP Projects Solar Power to Equal Fossil Fuel Costs by 2020

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:11:00 +0000

BP officials have predicted the cost of solar energy will fall 10 percent a year for a decade, bringing the expense of solar energy to the same level as that of fossil fuels.

The comparative costs could meet in as soon as five years, according to Vahid Fotuhi, Middle East director of BP Solar, who explained at a conference in Abu Dhabi that the increasing cost of fossil fuel and the decreasing cost of alternative energy would likely meet in the middle.

The increase in oil prices are expected to continue indefinitely, and rise to an average of $94.50 a barrel in 2012 and $102.13 a barrel in 2013.

Middle East expansion

BP confirmed it plans to increase its solar capacity from 200 megawatts to 300 megawatts this year. Fotuhi also confirmed that BP would be pursuing large-scale solar projects in the Middle East.

Other projects in the Middle East include a 100-megawatt solar plant in Abu Dhabi's desert - with the UAE intending to generate seven percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

According to Bloomberg, several tenders to build plants with capacities of about 10 megawatts each will be announced in the Middle East and North Africa in the next year, said Sami Khoreibi, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi-based Enviromena Power Systems. Enviromena built a 10 megawatt plant at Masdar, the renewable energy and low-carbon city project being built in Abu Dhabi.

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Storing Energy in Chemical Form, the Next Step for Solar?

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Capturing the sun's energy and transferring it into electricity is the key to diminishing the global demand for fossil fuels, and new research from scientists at MIT could help quicken the process further.

Traditionally the sun's energy is captured using two distinct methods; by photovoltaics, which turn the sunlight into electricity, or solar-thermal systems, which concentrate the sun's heat and use it to boil water to turn a turbine, or use the heat directly for hot water or home heating.

However scientists at MIT have been seeking alternative methods developed decades ago; namely a thermo-chemical approach which capture the configuration of certain molecules and then release the energy on demand to produce usable heat.

According to the MIT website, researchers explored thermo-chemical fuel techniques in the 1970 but were unable to find a chemical that "could reliably and reversibly switch between two states, absorbing sunlight to go into one state and then releasing heat when it reverted to the first state." In 1996 scientists discovered ruthenium, a chemical that was able to perform the necessary chemical juggling act but was too rare and expensive to be considered a viable commercial option. Ruthenium also posed scientists a challenge: they couldn't understand how it performed the energy juggling act.

However there may now be a solution as scientists at MIT have isolated the molecule fulvalene diruthenium within ruthenium, which they believe is responsible for the process. In theory, now scientists believe that now they have identified the molecule responsible, they can locate it in other elements that are more abundant and financially viable.

"Essentially, the molecule undergoes a structural transformation when it absorbs sunlight, putting the molecule into a higher-energy state where it can remain stable indefinitely. Then, triggered by a small addition of heat or a catalyst, it snaps back to its original shape, releasing heat in the process."

Compared to other approaches to solar energy "it takes many of the advantages of solar-thermal energy, but stores the heat in the form of a fuel. It's reversible, and it's stable over a long term. You can use it where you want, on demand. You could put the fuel in the sun, charge it up, then use the heat, and place the same fuel back in the sun to recharge," said Jeffrey Grossman, the Carl Richard Soderberg Associate Professor of Power Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

"It's my firm belief that as we understand what makes this material tick, we'll find that there will be other materials" that will work the same way.

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Large Power Solar Tower Gets Go-Ahead in California

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:57:00 +0000

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating system, a project proposed by BrightSource of Oakland in 2007 and expected to begin construction in 2009 has finally got the go-ahead to be built, with a completion date of 2013.

The project is a boon for solar power tower projects in the US; similar projects like the 10 MW Solar One and Solar Two heliostat demonstration projects in the Mojave Desert have now been decommissioned. The project follows Europe's lead, specifically with Europe's first commercial concentrating Planta Solar 10 or PS10 solar power tower, which operates near Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. The 11 megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with 624 large movable mirrors called heliostats. It took four years to build and so far cost €35 million.

However the new project will create 1100 jobs and should produce up to 370 megawatts of clean energy, according to Brightsources' website. The project will be located in San Bernardino Country, and once completed will be the largest solar-energy project on US public soil to use the power tower.

The Power Tower

According to Brightsource, the proposed project includes "three solar concentrating thermal power plants, based on distributed power tower and heliostat mirror technology, in which heliostat (mirror) fields focus solar energy on power tower receivers near the center of each heliostat array."

In other words, mirrors concentrate heat into water contained within a tower, which releases enough steam to cause a turbine to turn, generating electricity. The mirrors track the sun, meaning they have a sun-tracking control system that is able to calibrate heliostats and monitor the performance of each heliostat within the field. This enables the tower to receive the maximum amount of direct sunlight, which generates more heat, more steam and consequently greater oscillation of the turbine, which creates more electricity.

The site at San Bernardino Country will need to be large, with each 100-MW site requiring approximately 850-acres (or 1.3 square miles). The 200-MW site would require approximately 1,600-acres (or 2.5 square miles) and would have four tower receivers and arrays.

To house the Power Towers and the operation and administration buildings would require an area in the region of 3,400-acres (or 5.3 square miles).

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Desertec: Electricity From Desert Unites Europe Arab World

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:07:00 +0100

Clean electricity from deserts will soon be making a growing contribution to supplying the people of North Africa and the Middle East with power. And electricity from solar and wind plants in the desert will also find its way to Europe within the space of the next decade. In doing so, it will help all 27 EU states achieve their ambitious renewable energy goals by the year 2020.

'Based on a foundation of mutual respect, partnership and cooperation, a new age of sustainable energy supply can begin that is to the benefit of all. We now want to show how the Desertec vision of electricity for North Africa, the Middle East and Europe from renewable energy sources can be turned into very real activities and projects through this collaboration,' said Dii CEO Paul van Son today at the first annual Dii conference in Barcelona.

Around 300 participants from the Arab nations and Europe are using this conference today and tomorrow to take stock of the progress being made on the topic of electricity from the desert. The presence of government and corporate representatives from potential electricity-generating countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt bears witness to the great interest that North Africa has in renewable energies. Opened by EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger, the conference will address all the important aspects of the Desertec vision:

- Generating energy in deserts:

At which locations in desert regions can energy be generated using sun and wind, with which technology and at what cost? These are the key questions in the field of power generation that international experts from the commercial and research sectors are discussing. On the basis of geo-scientific analysis, the possible locations have to be found and the best suited technologies identified, such as solar thermal and photovoltaic, and the expected generation costs calculated. The ways of reducing energy production costs are also an important consideration here.

- Transporting electricity to local and distant consumption centres:

There are also many technical and economic aspects that have to be clarified when it comes to how to transport the electricity from the generation locations to the places where consumers need it. Existing electricity grids have to be examined as to their suitability for the future, bottlenecks have to be identified and the best possible
transmission technologies selected. Within the scope of its work, Dii will also submit scenarios for the structure of the electricity grids by 2012, and the related investment propositions. In doing so, the close collaboration between Dii und MEDGRID/Transgreen will be of particular importance. This international industrial consortium is to be founded in Paris in November and develop an integrated master plan in the framework of the Mediterranean Solar Plan for a high-performance electricity grid in the Mediterranean. Using this grid, the plan is then to be able to transport up to five gigawatts from Africa to Europe.

- The development of the energy markets:

In the focus of the market analysis is the question of how the gap between the costs of electricity from the desert and the income that can be expected from it can be bridged over time. The analysis of the market potential is as important here as is the issue of who comes into question as a future buyer of the electricity. In order to make desert electricity marketable in the medium term, stimulation mechanisms have to be investigated and compared. In particular, a standardised pan-European feed-in tariff for North African solar and wind energy would be an important tool here. The earnings that can be achieved in Europe - for solar energy, for example - could also be used as financing levers for more investments in North Africa.

- Economic and social development potential for the MENA region:

A crucial success factor for the realisation of the Desertec vision will also be the analysis and ascertainment of the benefit that the potential producers of the energy from the desert will gain. To this end, the macro-economic effects of the expected investments have to be identified. The value created locally by Desertec has to become visible - for example, through the development of industries, the creation of jobs and the transfer of know-how.- Political-regulatory environment: The political-regulatory environment is another key factor for the realisation of the Desertec vision. The EU directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources provides the legal foundation for the integration of electricity from the desert. This directive makes it possible to import renewable electricity from non-EU states as long as it is then consumed within the EU. 'The EU directive for the promotion of renewable energies is an important regulatory lever for decisively advancing the vision of electricity from the desert,' says Paul van Son, CEO of the industry initiative Dii.

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Solar Sail, Enough Renewable Energy for Earth�s Population?

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:22:00 +0100

Scientists at Washington State University have proposed a renewable energy behemoth: A solar sail that traps solar wind deep in the atmosphere.

The idea is essentially splicing traditional solar and wind renewable principles, only on a far, far larger scale. To put the sheer size of the sail in perspective, the sail proposed will be 5,220-miles-wide - which is almost the same width at Russia from east-to-west - that will float in space and collect electrons radiating from the sun at hundreds of miles per second, pass these particles to a central spherical receiver, which produces a current.

To further highlight the energy capabilities of such a monster, the scientists have stipulated that 984-feet of copper wire attached to a 6.6-foot-wide receiver with a 33-foot sail would generate the energy necessary to power 1000 homes.

In principle the scientists say the concept could generate 1 billion, billion gigawatts of power, far more power than humanity need. The only problem? Transferring the collecting energy the millions of miles back to earth.

"It's quite amazing how much power it can actually produce," said Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a scientist at Washington State University and a co-author of the paper, which appears in the International Journal of Astrobiology. "In principle it should work quite well, but there are some practical issues."

The practical issues, aside from the sci-fi-esque nature of a Russia-wide sail floating millions of miles above the earth's surface, is how to transfer the energy captured on the sail's surface back to the earth for consumption, without losing the majority of it to deep space.

Of the electricity collected, a small majority would be used to power the sail's magnetic field; the rest would be lasered back to earth by strategically placed satellites, in a kind of intergalactic game of crack the whip.

However the distances between satellites are extreme, which mean that the laser would spread to thousands of miles wide, according to John Mankins, president of solar power consulting firm Artemis Innovation. He is quoted in New Scientist saying you would need "stupendously huge optics, such as a virtually perfect lens between maybe 10 to 100 kilometers (6.2 to 62 miles) across," to capture the laser.

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Building a Super-Grid

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:27:00 +0100

With efforts underway to receive 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, Europe is engaging in a number of alternative energy projects, one of the biggest of which is a plan to building a €400 billion super-grid to link both Europe and the Middle East, so the continents can benefit from their respective power sources.

Unsurprisingly states in the Middle East have been pursuing solar power projects with Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and more recently Saudi Arabia, planning projects all around the Gulf.
In Europe, where the sun is less regular, alternative renewable sources are being funded; hydro-electric plants in Scandinavia and the European Alps, onshore and offshore wind farms in the Baltic and North Sea and marine energy and biomass power facilities.

Projects such as Desertec, which is being planned by a consortium of European governments, non-governmental organisations and industrial corporations, is the sort of scheme that if the grid goes ahead could power homes on both continents. Representatives such as Peter Buhler, CEO of AEW Energie, Wayne Johncock, Head of Strategic Planning & Enterprise of Centrica/British Gas, Ireneusz Kulka, VP of Energa, Andy Muhlheim, Head of Information & Communication Technology of Swissgrid and Christian Chapus, Senior Manager of EDF will also be attending a NG Utilities Summit EU (hosted by GDS International) to discuss the benefits of a mass European smart grid.

When it comes to integrating renewables into a super-grid, there are many issues to deal with. The problem with putting clean energy onto any existing grid, without it being adequately integrated with other forms of power or optimized as a reliable first-tier energy source, would act as 'grid congestion' and has been the main barrier to full utilization. On top of that, potential renewable variability could cause reliability challenges at relatively high levels of distribution.
However a new super or smart grid could change that. In fact, it has the potential and the aim of providing 15 percent or more of Europe and the Middle East's electricity needs with solar power by 2050.

With renewable energy projects sprouting up all over both continents, the chances of getting all our power needs from clean technology is becoming more and more likely and would ease concerns over current energy supplies.

Earlier in the year, a study from international consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers stated that Europe and North Africa could achieve "complete independence" from fossil fuels by 2050 and that all the technologies necessary were already in place. Only time will tell if a European smart grid will become a reality.

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Thailand Adopted Strong Solar Strategy

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:35:00 +0100

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 90 percent of the world's 192 countries have yet to undertake large-scale solar deployment projects and just eight countries accounted for 89 percent of the world's total installed PV generating capacity of 15 GW in 2008.

This is in stark contrast to the IEA 2020 targets of 200 GW of global installed capacity for PV and 148 GW for concentrated solar power. Even the climate change conference in Copenhagen last December, which was seen as an opportunity to set some improved green targets and limit growth in gas emissions failed to accomplish anything concrete.

According to the IEA, countries that adopt a strong policy regime are in a better position to improve renewable infrastructure.

And you don't have to be number one for GDP for this to happen. According to the report Thailand ranks 20th in the world by population, 25th in GDP, and 23rd in electricity-generating capacity, and yet has an established an effective renewable infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy and strong export industries.

Due to its climate, Thailand has focused a large part of its infrastructure on solar energy production, and believes with the right investment and manufacture it could in theory power its whole population. Wisely Thailand hasn't set any figures in stone, but has set the objective to increase its PV capacity 15 times in 15 years, from around 35 MW in 2007 to 550 MW in 2022.

And Thailand is a great example to the 90 percent of countries who have yet to adopt large-scale deployment of RE. The country has over 1 GW of capacity receiving first-phase approval under a feed-in tariff, called an adder (to base electricity prices) of THB8/kWh (US25 cent/kWh), plans to build a $250 million 73 MW thin-film PV solar farm outside Bangkok by 2011 and first-stage moves to rationalise the process for issuing permits.

"Thailand's experience illustrates some of the difficulties faced by a developing solar industry, and may offer lessons on how to avoid them. It suggests that the large-scale growth of solar requires not just selective promotion of one or two large projects, but a wide and coherent set of action programmes," says Raymond Schonfeld, writing for RenewableEnergy.com.

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Italian Smart City Powered Solely With Renewable Energy

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:31:00 +0100

Tocco is a miniature Smart City. It produces a surplus of electricity from four wind turbines, all erected within eye-shot of the 2,700 houses that reside amongst the idyllic mountainous olive fields.

Although its cobbled streets and well-maintained church may not look like a renewable hot-bed, looks, in this instance, can be deceiving. The four wind turbines generated $200,000 alone last year, which meant Tocco could scrap local taxes and garbage pickup fees, as well as triple its budget on street cleaners.

The savings are a welcome sight for Tocco residents, as Italy - and much of Europe - fights against rising electricity and power prices. Italy itself doesn't have any fossil fuels to rely on, which means energy prices are only set to increase further. Local residents of Tocco are taking this further: the local cemetery office is lit by solar panels - a saving of $2,000 a year.

"Normally when you think about energy you think about big plants, but here what's interesting is that local municipalities have been very active," said Edoardo Zanchini, in charge of Legambiente's energy division. "That this can happen in a place like Italy is really impressive."

Tocco is very different to the oft-criticized country it calls home; Italy has been repeatedly criticized by the European Union for failing to follow the bloc's environmental directives. In fact, only seven percent of the country's renewables come from renewable sources.

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Top 7 alternative renewable energy sources

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:40:00 +0100

When it comes to renewables, we've all hear of solar, wind and hydro. But what about the teams working away on the slightly more ‘bleeding edge' energy sources? Power & Energy charts the ones to watch.

1. Tornadoes
Their wild cousins may wreak havoc, but man-made tornadoes have potential as an energy source. An atmospheric vortex engine (AVE) produces a controlled vortex whose base remains firmly anchored in the centre of a circular structure. The heat needed to trigger the process can come from solar sources, or simply from naturally occurring warm, moist air.

Power & Energy probability rating: even

2. Algae
It may look like green goo to you, but algae is one of the more advance of the emerging alternative energy sources, with even big players like Exxon Mobil showing an interest. Algae are often considered an ideal renewable energy source because they may grow faster than land plants and can be grown in the sea or on marginal land that is not useful for food crop production.

Power & Energy probability rating: high

3. Kites
Kite energy attempts to exploit the flight of automatically controlled tethered airfoils, which are similar to power kites used in surfing and sailing. The kites operate between 500 and 1000 m above the ground, with electricity generated at ground level by converting the traction forces acting on the tethers into mechanical and electrical power.

Power & Energy probability rating: low

4. Waves
Energy can be captured directly from waves on the surface of the ocean, or from pressure fluctuations below the surface. A number of technologies have been proposed to capture the energy from waves, including terminator devices, an oscillating water column and a point absorber. Some of the more promising of these are currently undergoing commercial testing.

Power & Energy probability rating: high

5. Lightning
Anyone who's been caught in a thunder storm knows the awesome power of lightning. One of the main drawbacks is lightning's unpredictability: a lightning capturing power plant would only be worth building in regions of the world with frequent thunderstorms. Another potential hurdle is the need for infrastructure that could survive the powerful surges created by strikes.

Power & Energy probability rating: low

6. Biogas
Biogas is composed of 40 to 60 percent methane, with the remainder being mostly carbon dioxide. It is produced by anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste, plant material and energy crops. Methane and carbon monoxide can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen, allowing biogas to be used as a fuel.

Power & Energy probability rating: even

7. Sugar
In 2007, Sony unveiled a fuel cell powered by glucose that could achieve a 50 MW output. The latest version, demonstrated at the International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo last year, can produce 70 MW on 28cc of sugar-filled cola. The battery uses enzymes to breakdown the energy from a glucose solution, and the only bi-product is water. However, its potential for larger scale use is currently unclear.

Power & Energy probability rating: even

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Seaswarm: A robot to clean up oil spills?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:12:00 +0100

Seaswarm is pretty similar to Ocean Therapy Solutions' device which filters crude oil from sea water, because it is designed to specifically siphon crude oil from sea water at a spill site. Ocean Therapy Solutions' largest device could siphon up to 200 gallons a minute, but Seaswarm claim that as a collective group, their machines can work together to clean even larger areas of ocean.

The machines are around five metres long and two metres wide, and resemble something similar in appearance to a treadmill. Costing $20,000, each machine requires no human intervention and can work independently, and according to Seaswarm can locate a spill and transmit its location to other machines using WiFi and GPS. Collectively the machines will work through polluted ocean, and collect all the oil.

The machines are able to do this by soaking up oil with the tread as it skims over the surface, which uses nanotechnology which attracts oil and repels water. Once the tread has collected its fill - around 20 times its own weight in oil - it will deposit the oil collected in the ocean in a bag which can be collected and reused.

The robots are friendly to the environment too; they only require 100 watts of power, the equivalent of a bright light bulb. They also work autonomously and don't need to return to the shore for constant maintenance.

Assaf Biderman, who supervised this project at MIT says, "Because it (conveyor belt) adheres to the surface of the water, it cannot capsize. So it can withstand quite severe weather. Imagine this like a leaf that lands on the surface of the water and moves with the waves and the currents and cannot be flipped over."

The team at MIT have calculated that if the Seaswarm robots were deployed during the current Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the costs of collecting the surface oil would have been significantly reduced. Biderman claimed that 10,000 Seaswarm robots could have cleaned up the oil in two months and the cost of the whole operation would have amounted to $100 million to $200 million.

"Ideally, when spillage happens, the best thing to do is to contain it right where the spillage occurs. But quite often the oil goes out of containment, and this is where this technology would be most effective," he said.

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�30m sustainability building coming to London docklands

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:01:00 +0100

Siemens have been granted full planning for a £30 million sustainability building in London's Docklands by the London Borough of Newham's strategic development committee.

The new construction will encapsulate modern, urban sustainability, and will consist of office space for 230 Siemens' employees, an exhibition space and education centre. The centre will also create 50 further jobs.

Sustainability

The building will be a forerunner for green trends and incorporate rainwater harvesting, water efficient appliances, ground source heat pumps and solar water heating will all be integral to the design and the building will be constructed using recycled steel and industrial by-product cement. Sustainable drainage and water efficient landscaping are Also part of the plans to create a relaxing waterside environment around the building.

The building will be based upon two interlocking triangular forms of multiple triangular facets.

The 7,002 sq m building will include:

• A 2,760 sq m flexible and interactive exhibition hall, with an education facility, shop and dockside café.

• A 1,395 sq m conference suite including a 300 seat auditorium, meeting rooms and café.

• 1,997 sq m of office space.

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Sticker could increase solar panel efficiency by 10%

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:40:00 +0100

With the world looking to shift the pendulum of energy consumption from oil to renewable alternatives, the improvement of alternative energy sources from energy capture and transfer is likely to pay a huge part in the eventual alternative infrastructure overhaul.

In an effort to increase solar capture efficiency, Genie Lens Technologies have created polymer films imprinted with special microstructures that stick over the solar panel in an effort to increase solar capture by 10 percent.

The polymer film can be applied to any existing photovoltaic panels, in an effort to lower costs due to increased efficiency.

"Designed to concurrently optimize several principles of physics, FUSION maximizes the boost to conversion efficiency and delivers previously unattainable gains for just pennies per watt," say Genie Lens Technologies on their website.

Genie Lens Technologies project that by 2015, the new stickers will have an annual market value of $5 billion. The proven efficiency gains will likely be around 10 - 12.5 percent, around $0.10 a watt.

"FUSION is engineered using proprietary software that concurrently optimizes multiple design principles, user-specified variables and desired outcomes. The current version of FUSION is a "generic" form that is applicable to a wide cross-section of the market, based upon average insolation and angles of incidence.

However, the world is not "one size fits all." FUSION technology is designed to be incredibly flexible, giving us the ability to develop custom-engineered versions based on specific requirements, such as higher or lower diffuse light conditions, targeted wavelength filtering or the unique specifications of various panel manufacturers. The result? Unparalleled efficiency gains at incredibly low cost," says the website.

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Wind power rising with better technology

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0100

With global demand for solar and wind energy capture rising, the gauntlet has been thrown down to manufacturers and scientists to deliver technological improvements in both photovoltaic cells on solar panels and efficiency and size on wind turbines.
The latter, according to reports, will grow to 447GW in the next five years and by year 2015, Asia will lead the world in installed wind capacity.

According to AlternativeEnergy.com: "Enercon is amongst the other manufacturers who are focusing on 3MV-class wind turbines based on E-82/2.0. Without increasing the component sizes, there are new designs to operate at 3MW power. There will be a 3-6 percent increased yield because of these innovative designs as claimed by the Enercon."

The key, of course, is for wind turbines to operate to maximum efficiency even when the wind isn't necessarily strong. REPower Systems AG presented two new improvements on their 3.XM series for sites with low-wind speed at the European Wind Energy Conference & Exhibition, held in Warsaw in April, which outlined design improvements on turbines in less windy locations, within the UK and Canadian market.

For onshore solutions, Alstom Power displayed a larger turbine which lends itself to easier maintenance and with an ergonomically viable design makes their flagship ECO 110 a successful larger scale rotor wind turbine.

Turbines are also becoming more efficient, with Gamesa and Siemens Energy both announcing a Direct Drive to their G128-4.5 MW wind turbine, and Nordex SE following suit with their N80, N90, and N100 models. Improvements in compact designs and superior specifications make these wind turbines remarkably efficient and should increase the profitability with an assurance and reliability.

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Zero emission locomotion? Audi joins party, aims for 2012

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:08:00 +0100

From Gas guzzlers, to Hybrids, to Electric, to Hydrogen-based Zero Emission; it's the green evolution of transport, and a necessary step for the automotive industry as oil dwindles, prices skyrocket and the Earth warms.

Audi, who have shown little interest in greener alternatives, unveiled an ambitious plan for a zero emission car back in 2006, and this week, at the launch of the Audi 7 Sportback in Munich, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler repeated his company's desire to produce a carbon-free vehicle.

Stadler confirmed Audi's electric program is very much ongoing, and the innovative company are keen to join the electric vehicle race and produce mass-market cars as technology improves. "We are planning for a changing market when customers will be ready," he said.

Audi's two prototype vehicles are the A1 e-tron concept and the insanely speedy 1,000 bhp sportscar the Audi Zero.

Electric supercar

The Audi R Zero is the brainchild of French engineers Franck Levivier, Rémi Marchand and Pierre-Olivier Wagner's, with the principle design centred around four individual in-wheel electric motors powered by a row of batteries positioned just forward of the rear axle.

The advantage of the drivetrain layout is that it has allowed the R-Zero's designers to capitalise on the cooling airflow provided by the front grille. Running the length of the Audi R-Zero is a hollow backbone frame which channels airflow in though the front grille, distributes cooling air to various temperature sensitive components - like the brakes, and then expels the air out the central rear grille.

Other emission-free options

In 2009, European auto maker Volkswagen and the Japanese Toshiba Corporation began collaborating on ion-based, zero-emission free vehicles, with Volkswagen chairman, Dr. Martin Winterkorn confirming the company's goal is to be the first auto manufacturer to mass-produce affordable emissions-free vehicles. He did acknowledge there would be "a considerable amount of research and development work still has to be carried out until we can produce the electric vehicle." They hope to have at least one model on the market by 2012.

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Germany & Italy in Ernst & Young�s top 5 for RE investment

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:04:00 +0100

In a new document released from Ernst & Young's latest renewable energy country attractiveness Indices, China has drawn level - and will eventually exceed - the US as the most appealing country to invest in renewable energy projects.

According to Ernst & Young, China joined the list in 2004, and has since risen to the top spot.

"A two point rise for China [...] together with a single-point fall for the US, brings the Asian giant into joint first position with the US. China invested almost twice as much in clean energy projects last year compared with the US, and has emerged as the world's market leader in installed wind power capacity in 2009," says the report.

With the US and China claiming the top two spots, Germany, Italy and India round off the final top five places.

"India has increased two points following the Government's injection of over US$1 billion into the green economy and the unveiling of plans for up to 4GW of wind capacity and 1GW of solar power to be installed in the short to medium term."

Mixed results in Europe

Other countries, from Europe to Australasia, both saw a negative result, with Mediterranean countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal losing points.

"Greece, Spain and Portugal have all suffered negative score changes due to worsening capital markets and a downward revision of sovereign credit ratings by Standard and Poor. Q1 was also a difficult period of Australia, dropping two points following the delay in the planned emission trading scheme until after 2012."

The UK saw an encouraging two-point rise.

"The UK has seen a two point increase following government plans to launch a £2 billion ‘green investment bank' fund, and approval for a £1 billion upgrade to the UK's electricity network to boost renewable energy integration."

The Ernst & Young country attractiveness indices provide scores for national renewable energy markets, renewable energy infrastructures and their suitability for individual technologies.

The indices provide scores out of 100.

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