Renewable energy has the future, but the industry has to do all it can to drive down costs. Technologies like offshore wind and energy storage, but also smaller scale renewables, are still “quite expensive”, says David Walker, CEO of DNV GL-Energy, one of the four business units of DNV GL, the new certification and consultancy giant that emerged last year out of the merger between DNV of Norway, GL of Germany and KEMA of the Netherlands. Walker, … [Read more...]
Smart grid and smart city predictions for 2020 (part 2)
Last week, Silicon Valley-based boardroom consultant and smart grid expert Christine Hertzog made five predictions for trends likely to occur in the smart energy sector, including the prediction that “Consumer intermediation threats would abound for utilities”. And wouldn’t you know it, on Tuesday Google announced it is expanding into “smart homes” with the acquisition of Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. One down for Christine! This week she follows … [Read more...]
European venture capital firms support KIC InnoEnergy’s cleanteach startups
A number of top European venture capital companies have signed a collaboration agreement to support the most innovative clean tech start-ups in the EU. In a first-of-its-kind move for the industry, the community will provide KIC InnoEnergy’s 37 European startups with access to €3 billion in the next two years. “This agreement has exceeded our initial expectations. The idea of a VC [venture capital] community was new in this sector, and we did … [Read more...]
Smart grid and smart city predictions for 2020
“The smart grid” is a notoriously complex subject that is still quite abstract to many in the energy industry. Few know more about it than Silicon Valley-based boardroom consultant, author (of the bilingual English-Chinese “Smart Grid Dictionary”), and professional explainer Christine Hertzog. In this article she offers her insights on the major smart grids trends to be expected in the coming years. Her focus is on the U.S., but for European … [Read more...]
2014: the year of energy storage
Energy storage: it’s no longer a problem, it’s become a huge business opportunity. As one market watcher recently put it: “The energy storage industry is in the early stages of what will become a giant global market”. As with any new market, however, it is difficult for participants to find reliable information. Fortunately, there is now the interactive International Energy Storage Database (IESDB) of the US Department of Energy (DoE), which … [Read more...]
The Mad Scientists at the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories
What energy innovation can we expect to come out of the United States in the coming years? Matthew Stepp, Senior Policy Analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington DC, takes us on a whirlwind tour of some of the most advanced American energy research going on. He visits five of the 17 National Laboratories of the US Department of Energy, where research is carried out on materials (e.g. for better … [Read more...]
EU Court upholds primary importance of internal energy market
In its first ruling on mandatory unbundling, the European Court of Justice has deemed this principle so vital to the internal market that it supersedes fundamental freedoms enshrined in the EU Treaties, such as free movement of capital. It is a victory of public interest over pure economics. The ruling in the case of the Netherlands vs. three energy companies comes on the eve of fresh EU guidance intended to better align the state interventions … [Read more...]
Exclusive: RWE sheds old business model, embraces transition
RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, has decided to radically depart from its traditional business model based on large-scale thermal power production. Henceforth, the company will “create value by leading the transition to the future energy world”. This is shown by confidential strategy documents that were discussed at a recent meeting of RWE’s Supervisory Board in Warsaw which Energy Post has seen. Photo: RWE power plant in Hamm-Uentrop … [Read more...]
The three ages of Europe’s single electricity market
It is still far from perfect and has been painfully slow in taking shape, but an EU-wide power market has now emerged. Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the European University Institute's Florence School of Regulation where he holds the Loyola de Palacio Chair, nevertheless warns that renewable energy and a “smarter” grid remain challenges to its further development. Photo by Filter Forge via Flickr … [Read more...]
The surprising new Schwarzenegger movie “Total Transition”
Energy Post editor Karel Beckman went to the première of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new movie “Total Transition” which had its first showing in the European Parliament in Brussels. His verdict: not too much action, but definitely worth seeing if you have anything to do with "transitions". Photo: Eva Rinaldi, Celebrity Photographer … [Read more...]
Reflections on a ravaged EU energy sector (plus some boardroom tips)
The CEO’s of Europe’s major energy companies seem to be in an unenviable position. They complain that they are facing a ‘perfect storm’ and warn policymakers that policies need to be drastically reformed or European security of supply might go under. In his first post for Energy Post, our chief editor Karel Beckman wonders if things are really that bad – and has some tips to offer to our beleaguered energy executives how they might withstand the … [Read more...]
Energy Harvesting: the Next Big Thing
Devices and materials that harvest lost energy have the potential of transforming our society, argues Silicon Valley-based consultant Christine Hertzog, author of the Smart Grid Library. “There’s a growing number of companies that are developing ways to capture the enormous amounts of energy that are currently wasted. But it’s going to take basic R&D to realise the full potential of energy harvesting.” Photo: Singularity Utopia Solar … [Read more...]
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