Ofgem’s recent framework decision on improving its performance-based regulation scheme, RIIO, indicates that it may be ready to take a much-needed step toward levelling the playing field between supply-side and customer-side resources. However, it is not yet clear what the details will look like. According to Jan Rosenow of the Regulatory Assistance Project, a global group of regulatory experts, Ofgem should put a network regulation scheme in … [Read more...]
Is coal power “dispatchable”?
As the clash over climate and energy policy in Australia reaches fever pitch – with the new ultra-conservative Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, appointing a fierce anti-renewable campaigner, Angus Taylor, as new energy minister – researcher Mark Diesendorf zooms in one point of contention: do coal power stations provide the reliability that its supporters claim they do? Article courtesy of Reneweconomy.com. … [Read more...]
Subsidy-free solar: how a solar farm in southeast England could bring a new dawn for renewable energy
The largest solar power plant ever proposed in the UK will be reviewed by the secretary of state within the next six months. The plan is for Cleve Hill to generate the lowest cost electricity on the UK network without needing subsidies to stay afloat. If it succeeds, it would usher in a new dawn for renewable energy in the UK, writes Alastair Buckley of the University of Sheffield. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Trading platforms and VPPs find profitable niches – and this is only the start
Trading platforms and virtual power plants are growing rapidly in advanced electricity markets in Europe, writes energy expert and author Fereidoon Sioshansi. According to Sioshansi, the first successful platforms may be able to make enormous profits as they corner the market. Courtesy EEnergy Informer. … [Read more...]
Energiewende enters a new phase – how is it performing?
The Energiewende is proceeding ahead of schedule with high grid reliability, writes researcher Schalk Cloete. However, costs are much higher than originally planned, while CO2emissions are stagnating. According to Cloete, wind/solar market shares have now reached the point where large grid expansion projects become critical. One problem is that the net value of new wind/solar is approaching zero as market value declines and integration costs … [Read more...]
Interview Sytse Zuidema, CEO EV charging leader NewMotion: “Charging at home and office will become the norm”
Over the next five years the European mobility market – as well as the electricity market – will undergo a transformation, says Sytse Zuidema, CEO of NewMotion, Europe’s largest EV charging company, acquired last year by Shell. The Amsterdam-based company is already developing products that anticipate on the coming digitalization of the energy value chain, such as a highly advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charger and apps that tell people at the … [Read more...]
Blockchain technology – a threat to distribution network operators?
Network operators should get involved soon in blockchain technology. If they miss the digital revolution, it will threaten their business model in the longer term and they could end up becoming pure network asset owners without operational responsibilities, writes Marius Buchmann of Jacobs University. Courtesy of Buchmann’s blog Enerquire. … [Read more...]
Trying to make sense of the RWE/EON utility deal…
There is economic and financial market rationale behind the recent deal between E.ON. and RWE, writes financial energy specialist Gerard Reid. From a strategic perspective, however, the decision will impact customers negatively, and will be bad for the long-term sustainability of both companies, Reid argues. Courtesy Energy and Carbon blog. … [Read more...]
Why there is so much aggressive bidding at renewables auctions – and what the risks are
Renewable energy auctions have seen very low prices in many parts of the world. Why do auctions seem to be so effective in driving down costs – and what are the risks? Ana Amazo-Blanco, Silvana Tiedemann of Navigant[1], and Dr. Stephen Tay and Monika Bieri of SERIS looked at a solar PV rooftop auction in Singapore and an offshore wind auction in Germany to discover the key factors behind the bids and suggest how project developers can make sure … [Read more...]
Is offshore wind about to hit cost-competitiveness in the U.S.?
Offshore wind may seem like a pricey option, but it’s actually an extremely valuable investment, writes Mike O’Boyle of San Francisco-based think tank Energy Innovation. According to a new analysis, the market value of electricity generated by offshore wind will soon exceed its cost in New York and several New England states. … [Read more...]
Why the EU should ban SF6
SF6, the most potent greenhouse gas in existence, was banned for all applications in the EU in 2014 – except in the electricity industry. The reason for the exemption, writes Nicholas Ottersbach, researcher at German cleantech startup Nuventura, was that there was no viable alternative. But according to Ottersbach that is no longer the case. He calls on EU policymakers to ban SF6, in the electricity industry when the relevant EU legislation is … [Read more...]
The dangers of green technology-forcing
Current technology-forcing policies imply that wind and solar power, combined with battery electric vehicles, represent our only viable energy future, observes independent researcher Schalk Cloete. Given the fundamental limitations of these technologies, this is a very dangerous notion, he argues. A shift to technology-neutral policies is needed, especially in developing nations. … [Read more...]
German electricity market in 2017: records for battery storage and redispatch
Renewable energy generation is still on the rise in Germany, though at a much lower pace than in the years around 2010, writes Marius Buchmann of Jacobs University in a detailed overview of the German electricity market in 2017. Costs of the feed-in tariff are stagnating, notes Buchmann, but redispatch costs which grid operators incur to keep the system stable, reached a new record far above €1 billion. Courtesy of Buchmann’s blog Enerquire. … [Read more...]
In the new era of inexpensive renewables, policy should remove systemic obstacles
As the cost of renewables goes down, the old approach of subsidizing generation no longer makes sense, writes Johannes Urpelainen of The Center on Global Energy Policy. We need a revolution in energy policy. Article courtesy The Center on Global Energy Policy. … [Read more...]
New research: Europe’s electricity networks are underused and can cope with electric cars
Electricity distribution networks in Europe run at well below their full potential, finds a new study from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). The findings imply that the unused network capacity could be utilised for charging electric vehicles with little or no need for additional capacity. Smart pricing and smart grid technologies will be the keys. … [Read more...]
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