Solar Energy

Conergy PV builds the largest park in the German state of Saarland

val — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:43:03 +0000

In the 2010-11 biennium Germany installed almost 15,000 MW, Spain, 723 MW

The European train is quite clear. The alternative to nuclear blackout, announced by Chancellor Angela Merkel succeeded shortly after the catastrophe of Fukushima-is renewable energy. Moreover, according to the latest photovoltaic EurObserv’ER barometer, Germany has added to its national PV park no less than 14,900 MW PV in the last biennium (2010-2011), which mark her as the nation of the world’s top PV power installed during this period, ahead of the vast China.

Does the latest example? The German multinational Conergy, which, following the recent opening of its park Grimmen (eight megawatts), now announces “the project’s largest photovoltaic German state of Saarland” (northwest of Stuttgart).

Von Boch family, from the brand of Vileroy & Boch china, is the investment in this facility, which is called to be the largest in the German state of Saarland: 10.5 MW are being implemented in the farm the landmark hotel Linslerhof. Conergy as prime contractor and is responsible for the installation and supply of components. The goal is to connect the park all to late June.

According to calculations by Conergy, “in total, all resort facilities generate 10,000 megawatt hours of solar electricity annually, enough energy to supply twenty times the energy needs of the resort and spa”.Von Boch family, which owns the hotel spectacular Linslerhof, has long been concentrating its business focus on environmental issues, including, apart from renewable energy, organic farming and a commitment to the local economy, according to Conergy. So, food, drink and hospitality equipment installations come mainly “from the immediate area surrounding it.”

Along with the installation on the roof of 500 kilowatts, the hotel complex of 330 hectares, will also feature a second solar power plant with 44,000 PowerPlus modules attached to the ground with Conergy SolarLinea structure and injected into the network over 30 investors .In 2010-2011, Germany was the country in the world has installed photovoltaic capacity: 14,906 MW, according to the latest photovoltaic EurObserv’ER barometer, published a few weeks ago. Behind her in second place is situated Italy, which has added to its national park FV 11,606 megawatts during those two years. Then, far away, lie-with respect to a strictly European-France (2,496 MW), Belgium (1506.3) and Spain, which has added to his account, as barometer that last PV, 723 megawatts (369 in 2010 and 354 in 2011).

Striking is the case of the Czech Republic, which installed 1,495.8 MW in 2010 and zero in 2011, according to the Czech Ministry of Industry. On the other hand, according to report on Saturday the International Economic Forum on Renewable Energies (Internationales Wirtschaftsforum Regenerative Energien), the German PV occurred at noon on Saturday more than 22,000 MWh, equivalent to the generation of twenty nuclear power plants and which is absolute global brand.

Conergy is a German multinational company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, with over 1,600 employees and declares, ” produced and sold more than 1,600 MW of clean solar energy from its founding in 1998.” According to the company, “this energy is more powerful than the largest nuclear reactor in Germany.”

In Spain, the Conergy Group is headquartered in Madrid and claims to have a wide sales network. Conergy Spain has more than fifty employees “and in the last twelve years and has installed over 187 MW sold from its portfolio of over a thousand customers.”

7,000 Billion Euros Investment In Renewable Energy

val — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:32:16 +0000

E.ON Group will invest over 7,000 billion euros in the next five years in renewable energy development, as evidenced by its Sustainability Report 2011, published for the eighth consecutive year.

The document sets out the main economic, environmental and social developed by the company – which since 2005 is a signatory to the Global Compact of the United Nations – in 2011 and the commitments made this year.

So, provides for the reduction of CO2 levels and increasing the participation of renewable energy generation mix, the development of new technologies, the implementation of a sustainable supply, improving the environmental protection criteria all processes, the establishment of policies on health and safety at work, the momentum of the culture of care, product offerings and customer service excellence, or the commitment to the development of HR policies to enable the company to adapt to global trends.

Furthermore, the social chapter, the group supports high-impact social action across Europe, such as those related to child training energy through programs such as ‘Environmental Champions’ or promoting healthy values through sport among the most youth initiatives such as ‘Family Football’.

For Johannes Teyssen, CEO of E.ON, “as energy company, is expected of us that we contribute our bit to help transform the energy system and to help Europe achieve the objectives of the Energy Road Map 2050.” “To achieve this, it is important to find sustainable solutions that make sense and also affordable for future generations,” he stated. “Therefore, we remain committed to innovation, reducing our CO2 emissions in Europe and the fight against climate change. We intend to improve energy systems in new regions where we operate with the implementation of better technologies and cleaner that are appropriate for each market, “he added.

Short-Term Politics Stifles Pentagon’s Green Energy Ambitions

val — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:46:06 +0000

The US Defense Department consumes more energy than any other department or sector in the country, spending around $20 billion annually by some estimates; but ambitious plans to make it the nation’s green leader have been swept under the rug over budgetary concerns that smack of campaign politics.

It is an inauspicious development for US energy independence, and indeed a contradictory one. The Defense Department is reeling under higher fuel costs already, which have left it short some $3 billion. A stronger focus on alternative fuels will cost more in the immediate and near-term, but in the longer-term, it is a smarter strategy.

Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee in a vote dampened the military’s green ambitions, refusing to allow a major shift to alternative fuels if they end up costing more than fossil fuels. They have also nixed the idea of the Pentagon building its own biofuels refinery or other biofuels facilities.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is largely divided right down the middle, as demonstrated by the 13-12 vote in favor of putting the brakes on green defense efforts.

Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the Committee, opposes what he sees as overly ambitious and expensive green initiatives (in the current political climate, that is). “In a tough budget climate for the Defense Department, we need every dollar to protect our troops on the battlefield with energy technologies that reduce fuel demand and save lives,” he told the Committee.

The White House objects to the vote as it would reduce the Pentagon’s capability to “procure alternative fuels and would further increase American reliance on fossil fuels, thereby contributing to geopolitical instability and endangering our interests abroad”.

This long-term vision was in part laid out in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, but also in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, section 203, which lays out a plan for the US Army’s contribution of renewable energy to an installation’s total electricity consumption.

The Armed Forces are very much on board for greening up. Both the Navy and the Air Force are interested in creating a stronger reliance on biofuels with the overall goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil.

Cutting the Pentagon’s investment potential in renewable energy is unaccountably short-sighted, and the cost-benefit analysis less than comprehensive.

The Pentagon’s renewable energy initiative, “Operational Energy Strategy”, was specifically intended to render its energy needs independent. After all, dependence on foreign oil ends up costing the Pentagon about $20 billion annually. Arguably, that dependence also leads to conflict and death, so the cost is enormous beyond the realm of paper currency. In addition, this dependence means that US forces are constantly guarding fuel convoys that come under attack from enemy forces.

It also pays to look at some of the Pentagon’s clean energy successes. For instance, the DoD has successfully developed hybrid tank batteries that allow them to go farther without fueling. Portable solar power has also been useful on the front lines in Afghanistan and reduces the frequency of fuel convoys that risk attack. (Keeping in mind that the US military goes through goes through more than 50 million gallons of fuel monthly.)

Marines use GREENS solar power, first used in Iraq in 2009, to provide continuous electricity in remote locations, and then in Afghanistan beginning in 2010.

“Better fuel economy for our aircraft means we can extend the range of our strike missions enabling us to base them farther away from combat areas. Being more efficient and more independent, more diverse in our sources of fuel improves our combat capability both strategically and tactically,” Tom Hicks, the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary for energy, said in 2011.

According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the DoD was the leader in 2010 of solar energy initiatives, accounting for more than 20 percent of all government solar initiatives. (It is also the lead polluter). Renewable energy sources could help the Pentagon “achieve its mission by, among other benefits, expanding and securing necessary energy supplies to reduce dependence on foreign oil.”

So why the short-sightedness in the vote to reduce the Pentagon’s clean energy ambitions? Undermining the Pentagon’s alternative energy plans can only be political, and specifically a Republican attempt to undermine the largely energy-focused campaign of President Barack Obama. After the elections, it should regain lost traction the next time it comes around for a vote.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Short-Term-Politics-Stifles-Pentagons-Green-Energy-Ambitions.html

By. Jen Alic of Oilprice.com

USA Leads World in Exports of Ethanol

val — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:05:50 +0000

Hart Energy’s newly released study, U.S. and Brazil Ethanol Outlook to 2022, finds the United States has vaulted over Brazil to lead the world in the export of ethanol, a title it is positioned to retain in 2012 and beyond.

The study also dismisses the notion that goals of two programs in the U.S. can be achieved. Biofuels volumes required by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) do not match with the realities of commercialization and availability, Hart Energy maintains, and changes in these policies will be necessary in the next few years.

“Much of the focus has been on the ‘blend wall,’ biodiesel, and cellulosic biofuels targets of the RFS program in the public forum,” said Tammy Klein, assistant vice president of Hart Energy. “But what’s so striking to us is that Brazilian ethanol is needed to meet targets under those programs – and our forecast shows it will not be available at critical points in the study period.”

“Brazilian ethanol will also be in high demand in other parts of the world, especially Europe, and will be a key part of the strategy for increasing octane and meeting renewable targets globally,” added Klein.

The study examines the public policies, market developments, and economics of the ethanol industry in the two countries which produce 80 percent of the world’s supply. The Outlook contends renewable fuel mandates in the U.S. will also create opportunities for increased production of corn-based ethanol and biodiesel.

“The good news is the U.S. ethanol industry has been able to move forward despite the ‘blend wall’ and open new export markets around the world,” said Maelle Soares Pinto, director of Hart Energy’s Global Biofuels Center (GBC). “The constraints we are seeing with Brazilian ethanol could open up opportunities for the U.S. ethanol industry, and this will be a key subject of study for us this year.”

Hart Energy projects Brazilian ethanol exports will see wide fluctuations and only return to their 2008 peak in 2019. A combination of factors hinders the Latin American giant, including insufficient investment in its sugarcane sector which has contributed to below-average recent harvests. Attractive world sugar prices will, at times, draw a significant portion of the country’s harvest away from ethanol production.

U.S. and Brazil Ethanol Outlook to 2022, authored by a team of Hart Energy biofuels and industry experts, addresses numerous factors affecting the ethanol industry, including a forecast for crude oil, gasoline, ethanol feedstocks and ethanol production, supply, demand, and Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs).

The First Tour Around The World With Solar Energy Is A Success !

val — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:53:11 +0000

Monaco (Monte Carlo), 4th of May 2012. Considering all means of transportation, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is the first vehicle to have successfully achieved the feat of travelling around the world using solar energy only. After more than 19 months of navigation around the globe, the world’s largest solar ship ever built, has crossed the finish line at 2.12 pm in the Hercule harbour in Monaco. After a journey of 60’006 km that has taken them through all the oceans and continents, the eco-adventurers finally met their loved ones and the onshore crew again under the applause of a large crowd that has come here to welcome them.

Following a course close to the equator, which led through the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar has made many stopovers during its voyage, such as Tangier, Miami, Cancun, the Galápagos, the French Polynesia, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bombay or Abu Dhabi and Doha. 28 countries in total ! These stopovers were unique opportunities to meet the local populations and to promote the use of solar energy ! The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is the first boat to have completed a world tour entirely powered by solar energy. Departed from Monaco on the 27th of September 2010, the ship has sailed under Swiss flag during 585 days without a single drop of fuel. Thus, PlanetSolar has shown the potential and reliability of solar energy.

Initiator and expedition leader of PlanetSolar, the Swiss Raphaël Domjan was very moved and has declared right after disembarking: “We are extremely happy to have achieved this first world tour with solar energy ! We have shown that we have the technologies as well as the knowledge to become sustainable and safeguard our blue planet! This exploit would not have been possible without the support of our partners, and in particular without the support of the German pioneer of solar energy, and co-founder of PlanetSolar Immo Stroeher, who was personally and financially committed to the success of this unique adventure.”

“The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is much more than a ship. It has become an ambassador of solar energy” says Immo Stroeher, main investor of the project. “The arrival in Monaco is only the start ! We now have to take advantage of the fame of PlanetSolar in order to promote the use of solar energy.”
Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs was also present to share the joy of seeing this world tour successfuly completed. The Swiss government is an official partner of the project. “The whole country is represented through this innovative project. The technology, the project PlanetSolar and the pioneer spirit of Raphaël Domjan and his crew is a reflection of Switzerland and its efforts in favour of the environment”.

Gareth Deaves, adjudicator for Guinness World Records™ will present PlanetSolar during the welcome ceremony, with the certificates for the ‘longest journey by solar powered boat’ and the ‘first circumnavigation by solar powered boat’. During its journey, MS Tûranor PlanetSolar also achieved the Guinness World Records™ for ‘fastest crossing of the South China sea by solar power ‘and the ‘fastest crossing of the Atlantic by solar power’.

A colourful weekend of celebrations in Monaco

Celebrations will continue in the port with a “SolarLightShow” and the concert of the Swiss band “Sonalp”. These events will be powered by the batteries of the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar. The success of this technological and ecological adventure gathers many partners and supporters together. They will all be there to celebrate the success of PlanetSolar on the weekend of 4 to 6 May in the Hercule Harbour in Monaco.

His Serene Higness Prince Albert II of Monaco is expected on board on Saturday, 5 May to congratulate the crew : “Welcoming back the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar after having seen her leave more than a year and a half ago is a great joy. I am happy to celebrate the success of this extraordinary adventure that proves that the resources necessary for a more environment-friendly mobility exist and can be used today. PlanetSolar, Raphaël Domjan and his team have made a big step in favour of solar energy and the Principality of Monaco is proud to be associated with this success”.

The solar ship will remain docked in the Monegasque harbour until Monday, 7 May. Then it will sail to Marseille where it will be one of the guests at the European Solar Days from 9 to 12 May.

New objectives for PlanetSolar

« The successful completion of the world tour is also a new start into a new era for the operating company PlanetSolar SA. » said Immo Stroeher. « We want to use our reputation, our contacts, our experience and our know-how in the management and implementation of solar projects in order to deliver concrete and practical solutions. As pioneers, we will support investors, individuals or companies in the realisation of their projects.»

“The successful completion of the world tour is also a departure into a new era for the operating company PlanetSolar SA.”, said Immo Stroeher, majority shareholder of PlanetSolar SA and pioneer of the German solar energy industry. “We want to use our reputation, our contacts, our experience and our know-how in the management of solar projects for the implementation of projects in the area of solar energy, and concrete, practicable problem solutions. As a builder of bridges, we will support investors, individuals and companies to implement their solar projects that are closely related to practice in a faster way – doers for doers, so to speak.”

“In a first step, we will introduce the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar to a new use. We are considering renting out the boat for scientific or commercial uses or even selling it. We are open for ideas and in talks with interested parties – from the use as a ‘green’ luxury yacht to scientific usages and the utilization as the world’s largest mobile solar power battery, everything is possible».

The Do and Think Tank PlanetSolar is intended to be financially self-supporting in the sense of a social entrepreneurship. Talks with potential partners will be taken up in the coming weeks.

About PlanetSolar SA

PlanetSolar SA has its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland and is operating company of MS Tûranor PlanetSolar’s world tour, the largest solar-powered boat and largest mobile power plant on earth. Majority shareholder of PlanetSolar SA and owner of MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is Immo Stroeher, CEO is Dr. Pascal Goulpié. On PlanetSolar’s Advisory Board are Immo Stroeher, Cordula Stroeher, Jan-Hendrik Stroeher, Dr. Luka Müller-Studer and Thomas Retzlaff. Over the course of 2012, PlanetSolar SA will be realigned to the advancement, use and distribution of solar technologies, and will become a Think Tank for solar energy. The focus of the Think Tank lies on the practical enabling of concrete, realistic and profitable solar projects.
About MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, built in Kiel, Germany, is a catamaran powered exclusively by solar energy. It is covered with 537 m2 of photovoltaic panels. After two years of design and construction, MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is behind many technological advances, especially in the field of composite manufacturing and storage of solar energy. The expedition was supported by PlanetSolar SA and private partners, such as the Swiss watchmaker Candino and German specialist in energy management Immosolar, but also by public institutions, including the Swiss Confederation, with “Presence Suisse”. Moreover, PlanetSolar uses weather forecasts offered by MeteoFrance. An innovative routing software has been developed specifically for this expedition thanks to the support of the HEIG-VD in Yverdon-les-Bains and the French firm ADRENA.

About Guinness World Records:

Guinness World Records (GWR) is the global authority onrecord-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records™ book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. The internationally renowned brand is now also available across a number of platforms – GWR’s global television shows are watched by 250 million viewers annually; digital media and online record-processing services attract more than 50 million visitors a year; and the live events team annually entertains and inspires 1.5 million people around the world. GWR receives more than 1,000 applications each week and has a specialized team of multi-language record managers and adjudicators who travel the globe to verify official record attempts. GWR also has a commercial division (Guinness World Records Corporate) that offers accessible record-breaking business solutions to other organizations and brands.

Planet Solar’s current Guinness World Records™

Longest journey by solar powered boat (2011)

The longest journey by boat on solar power only is 31,484 nautical miles (58,308 km; 36,231 miles), by MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar (Switzerland), which circumnavigated the world in a westward direction leaving Monaco on 27 September 2010, passing through the Panama Canal and returning to Monaco after 1 year 7 months and 7 days of navigation, on 4 May 2012.

First circumnavigation by solar powered boat (2011)

MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar (Switzerland) circumnavigated the world in a westward direction from Monaco in 1 year 7 months and 7 days from 27 September 2010 to 4 May 2012 on solar power only. The boat is expected to have accumulated 31,484 nautical miles (58,308 km; 36,231 miles) on its arrival in Monaco.

Fastest crossing of the South China Sea by solar power (2011)

The fastest crossing of the South China Sea made completely under solar power is 4 days 23 hours 45 minutes by MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar (Switzerland) and its crew of four from Subic Bay, Philippines, to Junk Bay, Hong Kong, from 9 to 14 August 2011. MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar crew members Erwan Le Rouzic (captain, France), Jens Langwasser (bosun, Germany), Christian Ochsenbein (engineer, Switzerland) and Tobias Wülser (reporter, Switzerland) set out from Subic Bay at 11:00 a.m. on 9 August and arrived in Junk Bay at 10:45 a.m. on 14 August 2011, having covered 580 nautical miles (1,074.16 km) in the process.

Fastest crossing of the Atlantic by solar power (2010)

The fastest transatlantic crossing made completely under solar power is 26 days 19 hr 10 min by MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar (Switzerland) and its crew of six from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain to Marigot, Saint Martin, from 22 October to 18 November 2010. MS TURANOR crew members Raphaël Domjan (founder and co-skipper, Switzerland), Patrick Marchesseau (captain, France), Jens Langwasser (bosun, Germany), Christian Ochsenbein (engineer, Switzerland), Mikaela Von Koskull (logistics, Finland) and Daniel Stahl (engineer, Germany) set out from Las Palmas at 11:50 a.m. on 22 October 2010 and arrived in Marigot, Saint Martin, at 2:00 a.m. on 18 November 2010, having covered 2,690 nautical miles (4,981.88 km) in the process.

Largest solar powered boat (2010)

MS Tûranor PlanetSolar (Switzerland) measures 31 m long (35 m with flaps), with a beam of 15 m (23 m with flaps) and has a displacement of 85 tonnes. The catamaran’s upper surface is covered in 537 m2 of solar panels allowing the vessel to be powered by solar energy alone. On 27 September 2010 the boat left Monaco on the first stage of an attempted circumnavigation.

Features of MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

Length : 35 m
Width : 23 m / Height : 6.10 m
Weight : 95 t
Solar cells: 537m2 (38’000 with 18.8% yield)
Maximum engine power : 120 kW
Average engine consumption : 20 kW (26.8 HP)
Crew : min 4 people

Bonn UN Climate Change Meeting

val — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:40:42 +0000

Meeting in Bonn for the first time after the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, governments made progress in ensuring that this year’s conference in Doha, at the end of 2012, can take the next essential steps towards meeting the long-term challenge of climate change.

Progress was made notably in the areas of preparing for the amendment of the Kyoto Protocol; on building the institutions and infrastructure that can benefit the poor and most vulnerable in developing countries; and on paving the way for a new global climate agreement.

“Work at this session has been productive. Countries can now press on to ensure elements are in place to adopt the Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol. I am pleased to say that the Bonn meeting produced more clarity on the Protocols’s technical and legal details and options to enable a smooth transition between the two commitment periods of the protocol,” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said.

Decisions scheduled to be taken in Doha include whether the second commitment period will be for 5 or 8 years and on the precise emission reduction commitments of industrialised countries that have obligations under the Protocol.

In terms of providing support to developing countries to adapt to climate change and to build their own sustainable energy futures, the Bonn meeting resulted in a raft of agreements relating to technology, finance and capacity-building (see below for details), which are also set to be adopted in Doha.

Meanwhile, the new ADP negotiation (the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action) was launched and its agenda agreed. The ADP is tasked to adopt a new global climate agreement by 2015, to take effect from 2020, and also to find ways to raise global ambition to act on climate change before 2020.

“The agenda guarantees that attention is given both to the 2015 agreement, as well as to efforts to raise ambition to curb greenhouse gases up to 2020. This is a very important component of the Durban Platform and a response to what science is telling us on a repeated basis, namely that current mitigation efforts are not sufficient,” said Ms. Figueres.

The UN’s top climate change official noted that this week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the door to avoiding a maximum 2 degrees Celsius global average temperature rise is about to close. The IEA noted that greenhouse gas emissions have reached a record high and would need to peak no later than 2017 for the world to have half a chance of staying below the 2 degrees Celsius rise.

Ms. Figueres called on governments to continue intensive, informal work on detailed substantive issues before the Doha meeting.

“Ministers can also take every opportunity with their governments and each other to resolve the outstanding high-level political issues that will deliver the next, successful step, in Doha” she said.

Key areas where progress was made on implementation:

Climate Technology Centre
Governments confirmed the ranking of three shortlisted hosts for the Climate Technology Center (CTC), with a UNEP-led consortium leading. The Climate Technology Centre, along with its associated Network, is the implementing arm of the UNFCCC’s Technology Mechanism established by the Cancun Agreements in 2010. This means that the UN Climate Change Secretariat can start work immediately to help establish the CTC.

Green Climate Fund

Progress was also made on the Green Climate Fund, envisioned as a major global channel for long-term financial support to help developing countries in the urgent task of building their own sustainable and climate-resilient futures. During the Bonn meeting, most nominations to the Board of the Green Climate Fund were received and those outstanding are expected soon.
Governments say they want a first Board meeting to go ahead at end June/beginning July, which would allow for the Fund to become operational in 2013.

Long-Term Finance

Regarding long-term Finance, there was strong endorsement of confidence in the Co-Chairs in Bonn and support to go ahead with a work programme that will deliver a clear report to governments meeting in Doha on the sources of finance that need to ramp up to $100 billion by 2020.

Adaptation

In the field of adaptation, a draft decision text for Doha was agreed on ways to implement National Adaptation Plans for least developed countries, including linking funding and other support. In addition, governments submitted nominations for the members of the Adaptation Committee. This paves the way for the first meeting of this important committee, which is tasked with better coordinating international adaptation efforts. In the area of loss and damage, governments agreed to recognize the impact of slow onset events, such as sea level rise and ocean acidification, and acknowledged the importance of local communities.

Registry

The UN Climate Change Secretariat presented the prototype of a registry that matches information on developing country actions to curb emissions with industrialized country support. The prototype was well-received, and the secretariat will now finalize a working prototype ready for Doha at the end of the year.

Iran Hopes to Export Electricity to Cover for Reduced Oil Demand

val — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:35:26 +0000

Against the backdrop of discussions about pending negotiations over its controversial nuclear program and the upcoming deadline of an European embargo on Iranian oil comes a quiet push by the Islamic republic to become a major electricity exporter. Tehran had said it was expecting to secure electricity deals with Syria and Lebanon and had somehow attracted an estimated $1 billion to help build new power plants in the country. With some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, Tehran might be able to shrug off international sanctions by embracing an ambitious electricity agenda.

European restrictions on Iranian oil go into force later this summer. Some U.S. allies in the European and Asian community have already started taking steps away from Iranian crude oil purchases in an effort to escape economic pressure from the West. Sanctions are meant to take oil revenue away from Tehran that its adversaries believe is financing a covert nuclear weapons program. But while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was praising New Delhi for its coordination with U.S. nuclear concerns, Indian delegates were in the other room landing trade deals with visiting Iranians. This suggests that despite Western pressure, there’s still some interest in working in an Iranian economy.

A week after Clinton left, Tehran started announcing that it was keen to develop a self-sufficient power sector. The Iranian government said it already has electricity export contracts with its neighbours, including Turkey and Iraq, and was now looking further away to Lebanon and Syria. The Energy Ministry said its electricity exports were up more than 38 percent for the calendar year ending in March, so there was plenty to go around. Despite an eight-year military and reconstruction campaign in neighbouring Iraq, Tehran could claim, parts of Baghdad still don’t have a reliable source of electricity so why not take advantage of the opportunity.

Further still come claims that Tehran has set aside roughly $650 million for renewable energy programs. This, the government said, would come from a slush fund set up by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year, when Iranian crude oil was still flowing freely, that designated 20 percent of the country’s oil and gas revenue for such social investments. On top of that was the announcement that the private sector can now sell Iranian crude in an effort to escape sanctions pressure.

OPEC in its monthly report said oil supplies were greater than oil demand. The IEA, for its part, said that while Iranian crude exports were down sharply, an “apparent” easing of tensions between Iran and the international community was helping to keep crude oil prices down. So much for back-breaking gasoline prices. That being said, with Iran ranking in the Top 5 among world natural gas producers, it might be onto something with its electricity ambitions. And if it’s indeed serious about a renewable energy program, its green revolution may come not from opposition leaders but in the form of renewables and natural gas.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Irans-Green-Revolution-may-come-from-Energy.html

By. Daniel Graeber of Oilprice.com

Wind Energy With Household Windmills

val — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:13:04 +0000

Solar energy vs wind power? No. The clean energy should not be competitive but complementary. This model has been tested with great results, but marketing is complicated because it does not advance. Now a Spanish company has shown its vertical axis windmills to generate power advantage to the slightest breeze from the roof of your home. The issue is whether they can do and if expensive adapt their requirements to a nice price to promote energy self-sufficiency.

While trying to avoid-unsuccessfully-the journalistic cliché to start an article about windmills with reference to the anti-hero of Cervantes, I feel the kinetic energy generated by the touch of my fingertips on the keys and reminds me of clean energy and alternative that generates many practical problems. We do not know exactly which model to adopt to take our homes, businesses or bans 60 ‘drenched psychedelia, a source of clean, sustainable and effective. Solar panels are expensive and cumbersome for certain geographies, although we have seen with all types of facilities in terms of physical location. But even with alternative energy alternative, and one of them is wind energy home. And talk about it, a Murcia company has become a model wind tower or windmill home that is installed on the roofs of houses to self-sufficiency.

Wind energy with household windmills

Located in a corner of your roof, household windmills require 4 square meters (their actions) in order to function, as indicated by its creators, the company supplies and assembly Wind SL of Spain. These mills are vertical axis, so that its structure is especially designed for household, differing requirements and operating with the horizontal axis we see in some larger areas. The brand is adorned with about 3 kilowatts and power generated, although this does not mean they will give that amount or less. Following the promotional description of your company makes the product; this home windmill can start producing energy from a light wind of 3 meters per second or 10.8 kilometers per hour. To give up, the breeze must be intense to 12 m / s or 43.2 km / s.

The details of the model

Needless to say, the consumption of each home is unique, but it has been suggested that the household windmills supplemented with solar panels can generate up to at least half the energy consumed by each household. According to the company, these mills do not wear out and lose effectiveness, so the initial investment of 23,000 euros would be protected in time. Without pretending to act as notaries and auditors of all, 23,000 euros may be a price to someone who is concerned about the current energy expenditure probably can not pay. Besides, how many years of savings would recoup the investment? That price is not viable, and do not know where it comes from the difference between $ 2000 to which the product is sold on their official website, then the installation can not be to catch about 17,000.

Conergy to build two 2.2 MW solar parks in Germany

val — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:53:10 +0000

The German solar energy systems company Conergy has won a competition to build two solar parks in Germany for SWT StadtwerkeTrier a local company with a total capacity of 2.2 megawatts (MW), the company reported in a note release.

One of them will have a total capacity of 1.2 MW and is located along Federal Highway A1 as it passes through the city of Trier (West Germany), while the other, 1 MW, will be located in a former military land between Trier and Bitburgo.

According to Conergy, the two parks will generate enough power for 800 homes in the area and prevent the emission of 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Both facilities, which will be connected to the next June, in addition to the other two also carried out jointly by Conergy SWT and StadwerkeTrier, with a combined total capacity of 13 MW.

First meeting of Green Climate Fund Board postponed

val — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:07:46 +0000

The first meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board has been postponed, pending finalisation of the process for nominations from countries to the membership of the Board. The Board had been expected to meet on May 31, shortly after this year’s first meeting of governments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is taking place now in Bonn, Germany.

“The next window to meet will be the last week in June or first week in July, in Geneva,” said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. “There is great enthusiasm from countries to be represented on the Board. While I would have liked to see the Board get down to work immediately, a short postponement to reach full agreement on its membership means it can launch smoothly and push ahead with the tasks before it,” she said. “To ensure that happens, I ask governments to submit their pending nominations without further delay so the pressing work of the Board can begin,” she added.

The GCF was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban last year, through the approval of its governing instrument and it has its own interim secretariat. The GCF is being designed as a major global channel for long-term financial support to help developing countries in the urgent task of building their own sustainable and climate-resilient futures.

One of the immediate tasks of the Board is to consider the six offers from countries to host the Fund, including Germany, Mexico, Namibia, Poland, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland.

The GCF has been designated an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention and will function under the guidance of, and be accountable to the Conference of the Parties (COP), meaning all countries under the UNFCCC. The Fund will have a Board of 24 members. Additionally, two private sector representatives, one each from developing and developed countries, and similarly two civil society representatives will participate in Board meetings as active observers.