"The IEA is no longer the conservative bastion of oil it once was" writes Fereidoon Sioshansi. Distilling all 650 pages of their latest Outlook, he summarises how the pressing need to address climate change means the dwindling supremacy of oil is giving way to a growing role for electricity that will, amongst other things, cater for 1 billion EVs by 2040. Courtesy EEnergy Informer … [Read more...]
The risks related to onshore wind power investment
Bans on subsidies (in some countries) and reduced costs have hit total investment in onshore wind. Meanwhile, market share continues to grow across the EU28. Wind energy now accounts for almost 20% of installed capacity for power generation which makes researcher Schalk Cloete's sobering analysis of risks for onshore wind well worth reading. Following up on his previous article, he examines current assumptions and argues that the discount rate … [Read more...]
Investment risk: nuclear high, new load-following fossil fuel plants low
In the current policy environment many energy technologies can appear attractive with the right set of assumptions: discounted clean energy technologies (wind, solar and nuclear) where the discount rate is heavily influenced by risk (see graph) and, perhaps surprisingly, new load-following fossil fuel plants (especially natural gas) where continued wind/solar technology forcing actually provides substantial upside potential. CCS researcher Schalk … [Read more...]
We have a decade to prevent dangerous climate change: these 10 policies can save us
The climate change challenge is not technical nor even economic, but a matter of enacting the right policies, writes Silvio Marcacci, Communications Director at San Francisco-based think tank Energy Innovation. Based on new research, Marcacci outlines the the types of policies that are the most effective. … [Read more...]
Bioenergy carbon capture: Climate snake oil or 1.5C panacea?
Most models for meeting 1.5â or 2â climate change targets suggest we will be using bioenergy carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) to mop up the worldâs total annual CO2 emissions by around 2070 (for 2â). This means moving from todayâs three BECCS power plants to 16,000 by 2060. But, explains Paul Behrens of Leiden University, large-scale BECCS is a âmonumentally tricky idea,â and, while aiming to fix climate disruption, it makes many things … [Read more...]
Are solar microgrids the future in the developing world?
Setting out to evaluate the real-world performance of solar microgrids in developing countries, a team from the Energy Institute at Haas partnered with startup Gram Power to provide small smart grid systems to unelectrified rural communities in India. While many industry experts see microgrids as important for future electrification, what the team found was that few communities wanted them, and they were difficult to implement and operate. … [Read more...]
Energy transition: The greatest switch capital markets have ever seen
Even the most engaged energy pundits tend to gloss over what may be one of the biggest changes of all in a clean energy transition: how we pay for and finance the energy we use, and what that may mean for the investors, industries and companies that provide that energy. David Nelson of Climate Policy Initiative explains why investment strategies, financial markets and business models also need to transform. … [Read more...]
Electricityâs future: mostly behind the meter
The electricity sector has traditionally taken good care of getting energy from power plants to customer premises. But with the arrival of distributed generation and storage, there is a universe of possibilities on the other side of the meter, writes independent energy expert Fereidoon Sioshansi. âWhile the industry counts the billions it has invested in assets upstream of the meter, there is probably as much if not more on the customer side.â … [Read more...]
Tesla big battery defies sceptics, sends industry bananas over performance
Itâs less than a year since the Tesla big battery was installed at Hornsdale in Australia and the worldâs largest lithium-ion battery has exceeded all expectations, says Giles Parkinson of Reneweconomy.com. Quicker, cheaper and with greater reliability, versatility, accuracy and efficiency than predicted, the storage system also looks set to provide a fast return on investment â results that have led to a rash of new battery projects in the … [Read more...]
Chinaâs Belt and Road as a conduit for clean power projects
Chinaâs Belt and Road Initiative is arguably the biggest regional connectivity and cooperation programme in operation today. But with China being a major polluter, there are also concerns the Initiative could just be adding to global environmental stress. Not so, argue John A Mathews and Carol X Huang of Macquarie University, Sydney: itâs actually a magnet for renewable energy investments. Courtesy of The Asia-Pacific Journal. … [Read more...]
Solar panels replaced tarmac on a road. Here are the results
Using roads for solar energy generation is one of those ideas that makes engineers frown but seems to capture the public imagination, with an Indiegogo fundraising campaign for the concept pulling in almost $2.3m in 2014. But now the idea is being put into practice it appears the engineers may have been right all along, according to Dylan Ryan of Edinburgh Napier University. Courtesy of The Conversation. … [Read more...]
How do ambitious climate pledges impact economic growth?
At the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, delegates from all over the world made ambitious commitments to tackle climate change. But how will their actions impact economic growth? Chris Busch of think-tank Energy Innovation compares manufacturing and employment data from climate leader California to laggard Texas and the US as a whole. His findings suggest that climate actions are affordable and even provide a boost to economies. … [Read more...]
Flexible printed solar cells â a new manufacturing frontier?
The University of Newcastle in Australia has unveiled a 200m2 rooftop solar array made from innovative flexible and printed solar cells that could further revolutionise the global use and manufacturing industry of renewables. According to Professor John Mathews of Macquarie University in Australia, this could be a giant step forward for solar cells. Courtesy Global Green Shift blog … [Read more...]
Hydrogen is heading up the European policy agenda
Hydrogenâs momentum is building, as European ministers consider approving a new âHydrogen Initiativeâ this week that aims to âmaximise the great potential of sustainable hydrogen technology.â With funding from the EUâs Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a consortium of industrial heavyweights in the H2FUTURE project is already ramping up production of hydrogen from renewable sources. But, as the International Renewable Energy Agency notes … [Read more...]
Why we need a blackout
The risk of a cyber-attack that will take down the power system is seriously underestimated, writes financial energy specialist Gerard Reid. To prevent future disaster, we need to build a completely new power system. Reliability is not anymore about the âaverage minutes of downtime per yearâ. Courtesy Energy and Carbon blog. … [Read more...]
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