Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

NigeWick

'Bout time too.

lstar337

India will be the first to power its ports with green energy

the government will install 200 megawatt solar and wind plants at the ports by 2019. Around 75 percent of the total output will be generated via solar panels, with the remainder falling to on and off-shore wind farms.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/02/india-wind-solar-renewable-ports/

Martyn1981

As we switch to more and more RE generation, we will need more storage, and whilst the market is currently tiny, the growth potential looks to be staggering:-

UK distribution network operators: frantic energy storage activity

Specifically on storage, Laguna told the conference that UK Power Networks has received 13 GW of energy storage connection applications, up from zero just a year ago. Of this, the company has so far accepted 100 MW of proposals.

Earlier in May, Western Power Distribution (WPD), another British DNO, said the company has already accepted 1.13 GW of battery storage capacity to connect in its network and offered a further 1.1 GW to other applications. The total number of applications that WPD has received is even higher.

And the UK is to deploy a large flywheel storage system to help maintain the UK's frequency of 50Hz, which has depended largely on the mass of the giant turbines in the thermal plants, but as these reduce generation, alternative solutions will be needed.

UK to host Europe’s largest battery flywheel system

The UK is to become home to Europe’s largest battery flywheel system in a first for the country which will provide fast acting frequency response services and aid the integration of renewables.

The €4 million (~£3.5 million) project is being brought forward to support the project which will be delivered by a consortium of engineers from the University of Sheffield, flywheel specialists Schwungrad Energie and Adaptive Balancing Power, and product supplier Freqcon.

Almost two thirds (€2.9 million/~£25 million) is coming from the European Union’s Horizon2020 scheme, and the system will be connected to the Irish and UK grids to help respond to energy demand and stabilise pressure on existing infrastructure.

NigeWick

Martyn1981 wrote: »

As we switch to more and more RE generation, we will need more storage, and whilst the market is currently tiny, the growth potential looks to be staggering

I think that there will be great strides in battery technology making them far cheaper and longer lasting in the fairly near future.

Martyn1981

NigeWick wrote: »

I think that there will be great strides in battery technology making them far cheaper and longer lasting in the fairly near future.

I think you're right about the near future. I'm reminded of when I looked at the massive promise of PV and off-shore wind and thought blimey in 5 to 10 years this will be unstoppable, then 2yrs later it's already happened.

With 10's of MW's of storage being rolled out almost common place now in the news, and plans/contracts for 100's of MW's even GW's, I suspect the dam is about to burst (little bit of RE irony in their!)

Martyn1981

just to say that according to the live generation data, wind is currently generating 10GW and is providing more than nay other technology.

Live generation data from the Great Britain electricity grid

These numbers differ from Gridwatch as not all wind is metered, and therefore some shows up as demand reduction on Gridwatch, rather than as generation (as explained if you hover your cursor over the wind dial on Gridwatch).

Martyn1981

'Spectacular' drop in renewable energy costs leads to record global boost

Renewable energy capacity around the world was boosted by a record amount in 2016 and delivered at a markedly lower cost, according to new global data – although the total financial investment in renewables actually fell.

The greater “bang-for-buck” resulted from plummeting prices for solar and wind power and led to new power deals in countries including Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates all being priced well below fossil fuel or nuclear options.

Analysts warned that the US’s withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, announced last week by Donald Trump, risked the US being left behind in the fast-moving transition to a low-carbon economy. But they also warned that the green transition was still not happening fast enough to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, especially in the transport and heating sectors.

silverwhistle

Just seen that article but you've got here before me! What is worth noting are the pictures of local bazaars/markets with solar panels on sale as commodity items. They won't be the latest super-duper models, I imagine, but they are fulfilling a demand, and show how it's getting down to the lower levels where being able to have lighting or a charged mobile phone is a valuable development.

NigeWick

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Analysts warned that the US’s withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, announced last week by Donald Trump, risked the US being left behind in the fast-moving transition to a low-carbon economy. But they also warned that the green transition was still not happening fast enough to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, especially in the transport and heating sectors.

I don't think that one country will make any difference as the USA's businesses are well aware of profit margins increasing with the use of renewables and battery storage.

Martyn1981

Winds of change: gusts across Europe help set renewable power record

In the UK, wind, nuclear and solar power were together generating more electricity than gas and coal combined at 1pm on Wednesday, for the first time ever.

I think there's a typo in there. My understanding is that for the first time in the UK each technology (wind, nuclear and solar) were individually generating more than coal and gas combined.

All three were putting out 8GW+ whilst the F's dipped below 8GW.