The European Commission’s strategy for decarbonising the road transport sector is finally taking shape: Brussels wants efficiency first, electrification second. But it doesn't know what to do about biofuels. “There is no appetite for [new] targets”, says Commission Director Marie Donnelly. Sonja van Renssen takes us on the bumpy road to a climate-friendly European transport sector. … [Read more...]
The grid will not be disrupted: why Tesla’s Powerwall won’t catalyze a solar revolution
When Tesla Motors debuted the Powerwall home storage battery at a glitzy launch at the end of April, the press and blogosphere hailed CEO Elon Musk as the inventor of the Holy Grail of renewable energy storage – and the nail in the coffin for the centralized grid. But does all the messianic talk of battery-powered “disruption” and solar triumphalism stack up? Hardly. For all their ballyhooed price reductions, Tesla batteries are still too … [Read more...]
Europe’s energy revolution marches on: one-third of power supply now renewable
Fully one-third of electricity produced in Europe last year came from renewable energy, reports ENTSO-E (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity). Four years ago this was just 24%. The increased share of renewables has come at the expense of fossil fuels. “There is a revolution taking place”, says Susanne Nies, Corporate Affairs Manager at ENTSO-E. … [Read more...]
Danish offshore wind: it’s getting better all the time
Denmark continues to set the pace in driving down the cost of offshore wind. In its latest tender for 350 MW of near-shore wind farms the maximum price has again been reduced. Danish offshore wind now costs roughly half of what the new nuclear plant at Hinkley in the UK will cost. … [Read more...]
EU still struggling to agree energy R&D priorities
R&D in energy is about to get a fresh push from Brussels through a new EU-wide Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan that is supposed to harness the combined power of public and private research in different Member States. But to what extent will Member States agree to align their national research agendas? And around what common goals? The Commission believes energy R&D should be structured around “the consumer” and “the energy system … [Read more...]
Tesla batteries: just the beginning of how technology will transform the electric grid
The spread of cost-effective batteries, such as Tesla’s new Powerwall, will fundamentally change the way the electric grid operates, writes Michael McElfresh of Santa Clara University. Combined with other innovations, batteries in homes and businesses will transform how people and businesses treat electricity. Along the way, these batteries will improve the efficiency and reliability of the grid overall. … [Read more...]
Why the Tesla battery heralds the beginning of the end for fossil fuels
The introduction of the Powerwall, Tesla’s new battery, will change the global energy equation fundamentally, writes John Mathews, Professor of Strategic Management, at Macquarie University in Australia. This is because it will make renewable energy “the new normal” and will put fossil fuel companies on the defensive. Instead of asking “can we have our own energy system?” communities will be asking “why can’t we have it?” … [Read more...]
How the Nest thermostat will change the energy market
The Nest thermostat is a deceptively simple piece of technology. But it’s already changing the energy market. It will not only save consumers money, but utilities even more so: it will reduce their need for gas peaker plants substantially, writes Deborah Lawrence, founder of the US consultancy group Energy Policy Forum. … [Read more...]
The Great Grid Special: where is Europe going with its grids?
The EU has adopted a 10% electricity interconnection target that all member states have to meet by 2020. However, experts question this one-size-fits-all approach. They do agree that new investment in power grids is crucial - but not which type should get priority: interconnection, transmission, distribution, "smart" or even microgrid. A new French report shows that most investment is actually going to gas grids where it may be less … [Read more...]
Clean Disruption: how Silicon Valley will make oil, nuclear, gas, coal obsolete (book review)
In his new book “Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation”, famous author, lecturer and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tony Seba predicts that by 2030 all power generation will be solar and wind and all cars will be self-driving electric vehicles. The existing energy industry will be “obliterated”. In a review of the book, JosĂ© Cordeiro, founding energy advisor at Singularity University and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of … [Read more...]
Off-grid solar power vs grid-connected solar power: what will be the road ahead?
Electricity customers using solar power plus batteries will increasingly be able to choose whether they want to maintain grid connection or go off-grid. In a new report, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) predicts that most customers will not defect from the grid. Nevertheless, grid use will be drastically reduced. Utilities will need to develop new business models and "innovative thinking" to cope with this new reality. The report focuses on the … [Read more...]
The myth of expensive offshore wind: it’s already cheaper than gas-fired and nuclear
Analysing public data on offshore wind in Denmark, energy consultant Mike Parr concludes that existing offshore wind is already cheaper than gas-fired power plants. Future offshore wind farms will be cheaper still – and up to 60% less expensive than the proposed nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C in the UK. This means, writes Parr, that government support for offshore wind can be quickly and substantially reduced. … [Read more...]
Solar PV can help not hinder the grid
Decentralised renewables such as solar panels on people’s roofs can actively support the grid, rather than being a nuisance for it. This is the main conclusion from an EU research project called “MetaPV”, whose final results were presented at a conference in Brussels on 24 March. … [Read more...]
Fraunhofer: Solar power will cost 2 cts/kWh in 2050
“In a few years, solar energy plants will deliver the most inexpensive power available in many parts of the world. By 2025, the cost of producing power in central and southern Europe will have declined to between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt hour, and by 2050 to as low as 2 to 4 cents.” These are the main conclusions of a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems commissioned by the German think tank Agora Energiewende. In view of … [Read more...]
Meet the world’s number 1 R&D player in sustainable energy: the Chinese Academy of Sciences
In a global study of top academic and research centers in a wide range of sustainable energies, the surprising winner is the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Among industrial innovators the number 1 is engineering company ABB. The in-depth study, conducted by KIC InnoEnergy and Questel Consulting, shows that Chinese research institutions are considerably ahead of their European and US peers in sustainable energy innovation, including wind, ocean and … [Read more...]
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