Blockchain is being used to optimise performance across the board where wholesale digitalisation of trading processes, asset management and demand response is standard. Its adoption by sector operators is clearly visible but is everyone jumping on an untested bandwagon for fear of missing out or will its wide range of possible applications help deliver a leaner industry resulting in reduced costs and a more efficient transition? Gaurav Sharma … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2019
How much subsidy does solar need, and for how long?
Schalk Cloete presents his latest paper looking at what affects the profitability of an investment in a power sector. After reviewing onshore wind and nuclear, he now looks at solar. His analysis of coal and gas are to come. Intermittency, market share, maintenance, integration costs and other factors are modelled in detail to help predict solarâs future. *This article is brought to you via our new author platform. If you have an article you … [Read more...]
A grassroots fightback against Trump and U.S. Oil & Gas is underway
As the 116th Congress commences, in the wake of dire reports from climate scientists, the debate over U.S. climate policies has taken a welcome turn towards bold solutions. Capitol Hill is alive once again with policy proposals that edge towards the scale required to address the crisis weâre in. A new study by Kelly Trout of Oil Change International, along with 17 partner organisations, makes it clear that managing a rapid and equitable decline … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency gains must reduce our consumption, not just our bills
Energy Efficiencyâs role in the mix of tools we use to reduce carbon emissions is crucial. But Energy Efficiency gains can have a rebound effect: as your bills reduce, you have more money to spend on more energy. We need incentives and policies to reduce actual consumption, otherwise weâre making it harder to cut emissions, argues Parakram Pyakurel of Southampton Solent University, UK. … [Read more...]
Making deep decarbonisation a reality
While the final agreement of the Clean Energy Package represents a critical step forward for the energy industry, I have some bad news. There is still a lot more work to do. Whilst it might be tempting to think of the design of energy regulations and markets as a path from âbadâ to âgoodâ, this is not the case. It is a never-ending journey driven by changes in context, people and technology. Ten years ago, I helped produce the landmark … [Read more...]
“Consuming less energy may act as disincentive for investment in renewables”
According to Anthony Patt, Professor of Climate Policy at the ETH ZĂźrich in Switzerland, the less we spend on energy, the less attractive renewables can look to businesses and investment markets. Such remarkable insights fly in the face of received wisdom and defy logic. Patt claims his models show that doubling current energy efficiency improvement rates buys us only one extra year to hit the Paris targets. Really? - This is how Anthony … [Read more...]
Electric metering should break its link with power consumed and create it directly with the costs of delivery
In a world where electricity is generated from non-renewables (oil, gas, nuclear) our meters measure and charge us for electricity delivered, as if it was a fuel being consumed. Going forward, the cost should be measured against what is actually being consumed. In a renewables world â particularly 'run-of-the-river' hydro, wind and solar - thatâs not the electricity. Itâs the wear and tear on the infrastructure. Treating these types of renewable … [Read more...]
Energy Post Premium Quiz 2019: and the winners are…
From Finland to Brazil and all the way back to Brussels, thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to those of you who managed to answer all ten questions correctly. From all the correct entries submitted on time, we pulled ten out of the hat. The ten winners each get a 12-month subscription to Energy Post Premium worth âŹ315 absolutely free. See below for a recap of the quiz, this time with the answers! … [Read more...]
Transition will change economic winners and losers. Itâs not just technical, itâs political
On Wednesday 23rd January the ITRE committee vote on the agreement on the Electricity Market Design Directive and Regulation that was reached in December 2018. The day before, climate think tank E3G will publish a report on what still needs to be done by the next Commission, above and beyond the existing Clean Energy Package. In an interview with RAW Talks, E3Gâs Chairman, Tom Burke, talks about both the practical and political … [Read more...]
Nuclear power at the mercy of government subsidies while costs remain high
What affects the profitability of an investment in nuclear energy? What are the risks? Energy researcher and analyst Schalk Cloete presents his latest paper on the matter. He looks at the various effects on nuclear power investment, including the rise of other competing renewable energy sources, and the changing price of energy. *This article is brought to you via our new author platform. If you have an article you want to submit to us for … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency targets: Time to ramp up investment in buildings, industry and vehicles
Energy efficiency investment rates need to double now, and then double again in 2025, to meet energy efficiencyâs obligation to hitting the Paris targets. Right now there is a âŹ130bn annual energy efficiency investment gap in Europe. Peter Sweatman, Rapporteur for EEFIG, looks at the assets themselves and says we need to productise the measurement of their energy efficiency, and then legislate. Thatâs how to make energy efficient homes, offices, … [Read more...]
EU electricity supply from RES off course for 2030 â so is it more nuclear or gas?
Last yearâs strong reported performances for the share of clean energy in the UK and German energy mixes paint a rosy picture. It is the result of billions in investment and strong signals from Brussels and the COP series. Looking more broadly across the EU though, the share actually decreased by 17% from 2016 to 2017. Furthermore, due to lack of investment stretching back as far as 2011, the rate of growth has dropped significantly putting RES … [Read more...]
VW joins Tesla and BMW – EV and energy company all-in-one pays for business and consumers
Last weekâs announcement by VW that it is setting up a company called âElliâ (short for Electric Life) offering energy services shows VWâs vision of what lies ahead for the automotive industry. It brings them head to head with Tesla and BMW who are already playing a role outside the traditional bounds of the car business. They are the new breed, ready to profit from customers who want to go electric as long as it makes financial as well as … [Read more...]
Report maps out the new geopolitical power dynamics created by renewables
A new report by the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation says the new energy age will profoundly reshape relations between states and regions. It will bring âA New Worldâ of power, security, energy independence and prosperity. It will also reshape the geopolitical map, just as fossil-fuels have done over the last 200 years. No nation will be unaffected. … [Read more...]
Nuclear – critical choice for 2050
As the urgency of the climate crisis becomes more obvious, nuclear power is drawing another look. The power sector needs to develop to meet climate targets. Renewables (RES) have taken significant share of the energy mix in recent years but going further means securing far more investment and solving the complex challenge of integrating variable power. There is a need for alternatives to run alongside RES, keeping us on track. Matthew Wald from … [Read more...]