Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

1…122123125127128…805

Comments

  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Want to save money ..... then roll out renewables!

    Shift to renewables would save Australians $20bn a year – report
    A total shift to renewable energy would pay for itself through cost savings within two decades, and ultimately save Australians $20bn a year in combined fuel and power costs, a new report says.

    The report, released on Thursday morning, outlines a path to powering homes and businesses from renewable sources by 2030. By 2035, 40% of transport could be emissions free, it says.
    The CPA estimates the household cost savings from transitioning to renewable power will account for 110% of the cost to finance the shift. Carbon pollution is estimated to reduce from about 450m tonnes in 2015 to 196m tonnes in 2030.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    That's not tidal power, this is tidal power!

    Tidal power plans for Alderney Race
    PLANS to run a tidal power barrage between France and Alderney have been submitted to the French government.
    Atlantis claimed that this will drive down the unit-cost of electricity over the lifetime of the tidal energy infrastructure – the Levelised Cost of Energy – to lower than that of any offshore wind farm currently being built in the UK or France.

    The study concluded that the Race had one of the best tidal energy resources in the world, and Atlantis said that if implemented this would be the largest tidal power project in existence.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,791 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Having sailed to and around Alderney I can confirm that the tides and overfalls are scary!
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Rumour or truth, no idea, but will be interesting if it happens.

    Tesla teases a potential giant new record-breaking 1 GWh energy storage project to be announced soon
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    This will make for an interesting future, and debates/discussions in the energy market, what to do with cheap/excess leccy when RE generation is 'too' high:

    Use excess wind and solar power to produce hydrogen !!!8211; report
    Electricity would be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with the hydrogen functioning as a form of energy storage for renewables. The gas would later be blended in with normal gas supplies for heating supplies, sent to fuel cells to generate electricity, or used for topping up hydrogen vehicles, iMechE said in a report backed by the gas industry.

    For me, I see an issue with value. The round trip efficiency is very low, about 30-40%, so storing the H2 for on-site leccy generation (via fuel cells) for later means a large loss.

    Or, using it as a mains gas blend, means a loss of energy, then selling it as a much lower value product.

    The best use would be to sell it as H2 for hydrogen fuel vehicles, assuming there will be any?

    But, the alternative is of course battery storage, and if EV rollout matches RE rollout, and we deploy smart chargers that charge EV's when prices are low, then you have storage for free - since the EV batts have been bought as part of the EV, so 'the grid' gets to use that enormous storage potential without any CAPEX (capital expenditure).

    What ever happens, at least there are options, so good news.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Renewable Energy Industry Adds Half A Million Jobs In 2017, Surpasses 10 Million Worldwide
    The renewable energy industry employed more than 10 million people in 2017, according to new figures published this week by the International Renewable Energy Agency, thereby surpassing the 10 million jobs figure for the first time thanks to an addition of more than 500,000 new jobs around the world.

    The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published its fifth annual Renewable Energy and Jobs annual review this week, revealing that renewable energy employment in 2017 had increased by 5.3% since 2016, an increase of over 500,000 jobs which brings renewable energy jobs up past the 10 million milestone for the first time ever.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Interesting development in French off-shore wind.

    Their earliest contracts still haven't arrived and costs have fallen so much since that they are looking at re-negotiating the costs. the costs were to be €150-180/MWh and also include grid connection costs, so similar to the earliest UK contracts of about £150/MWh.

    But they are to be delivered around 2023, when the latest UK CfD's are to arrive at £64/MWh.

    So it looks like a smart move by the French.

    France mulls offshore rethink
    Round 1 and 2 projects could be cancelled or subsidies renegotiated

    France is paving the way to renegotiate subsidies for the country's first offshore wind farms or even cancel the projects, which were awarded in the Round 1 and 2 tenders in 2012 and 2014.

    The proposals, first reported in the subscriber-only newsletter reNEWS, are included in draft legislation currently under discussion in the French parliament that could allow the government to offer already permitted offshore wind projects in future tenders.

    The amended legislation states that “in certain cases, especially when technical progress allows for considerable cost reductions, the government could renegotiate the conditions under which the bids were awarded”.

    It adds that “if a renegotiation of the contracts isn't possible, one option could be to cancel the project and launch a new (bidding) procedure”.

    The law will be discussed in the French Senate this week and could come into force in the coming weeks.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Possible 7MW monster wind turbines for Scotland ...... but these are on-shore!

    CWP maps 400MW onshore giant
    Sanquhar 2 to feature up to 58 turbines of 7MW in SW Scotland
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Coastalwatch
    Coastalwatch Posts: 3,137 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Martyn1981 wrote: »
    Possible 7MW monster wind turbines for Scotland ...... but these are on-shore!

    CWP maps 400MW onshore giant
    Sanquhar 2 to feature up to 58 turbines of 7MW in SW Scotland

    Thanks for that Mart. In following the link I spotted another heading "Vince seeks to sink Swansea Lagoon". Had to have a look and post the following link as an interesting alternative, cutting the original proposal costs by around half. It offers two similar tidal projects in the Solway Firth!

    http://renews.biz/111073/vince-plots-to-sink-swansea-lagoon/
    East coast, lat 51.97. 8.26kw SSE, 23° pitch + 0.59kw WSW vertical. Nissan Leaf plus Zappi charger and 2 x ASHP's. Givenergy 8.2 & 9.5 kWh batts, 2 x 3 kW ac inverters. Indra V2H . CoCharger Host, Interest in Ripple Energy & Abundance.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,762 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Coastalwatch wrote: »
    Thanks for that Mart. In following the link I spotted another heading "Vince seeks to sink Swansea Lagoon". Had to have a look and post the following link as an interesting alternative, cutting the original proposal costs by around half. It offers two similar tidal projects in the Solway Firth!

    http://renews.biz/111073/vince-plots-to-sink-swansea-lagoon/

    That's cool news, I missed it completely. I know the Cardiff Lagoon and others are expected to be half the cost (per MWh) than Swansea as Swansea is a small proof of concept, but if there are alternatives that skip the Swansea stage, then all the better.

    The predictability of tidal means it does a lot of damage to the 'what happens when the wind doesn't blow / sun doesn't shine' arguments. The more tools in the toolbox the better it becomes.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards