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The Cost of Wind Energy is the presentation by Dr Mike Hall delivered to delegates attending the Scotland Against Spin conference, held on the 24th November in Stirling.
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The core content of the COMMUNITY WIND TOOLBOX comes from The Community Wind Handbook, developed by Windustry on behalf of the Rural Minnesota Energy Board and published December 15, 2006 by a partnership of the Agriculture Utilization Research Institute, the Southwest Initiative Foundation, The Minnesota Project, Clean Energy Resource Teams, and the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council. The Community Wind Handbook offers high-quality practical information for farmers and rural landowners looking to develop commercial-scale wind projects.
The content of The Community Wind Handbook has been integrated with related content and interactive tools to create the Community Wind Toolbox, a robust on-line resource for community wind development that will be kept up-to-date with the rapidly changing wind energy landscape.
From a sustainable future market perspective, it's been a very good year. Don't leave 2014 without realizing there have been notable - often underreported - big capital market breakthroughs on climate change, water protection and other sustainability fronts. Stock exchanges requiring company disclosure on sustainability risks or bonds backed by electricity payments from solar rooftop panels may not at first glance seem compelling, but these are the mechanisms that move markets and help build a more sustainable future. Before we head into 2015, it's worth taking a moment to shine a light on key areas of progress. 1) Electric utility business models are changing before our eyes by eschewing new centralized power plants in favor of energy efficiency and decentralized distributed energy, which are less expensive for consumers and more resilient to extreme weather. Case in point: Consolidated Edison's ambitious 100-150 million investment in energy efficiency and distributed energy - rooftop solar, battery technologies and smartphone-assisted energy conservation - to avoid building a new 1.1 billion substation. 2) Energy storage is a critical cog in large-scale deployment of renewable energy. That's why it's a big deal that Southern California Edison announced contracts last month for more than 260 megawatts of energy storage, five times more than what the state's utilities commission required. Among the companies selected: Ice Energy, which installs rooftop devices called Ice Bears that freeze water in 450-gallon pots. The devices run at night when temperatures are lower so making ice is easier; during peak hours, the ice is used for space cooling.In a stunning recent analysis, Goldman Sachs found nearly 1 trillion of oil projects at risk due to shrinking demand and plummeting oil prices. 3) After many months of warnings, the financial industry is waking up to the oil industry's potentially wasteful spending on development of new fossil fuel reserves when global oil demand is weakening and carbon-reducing trends are taking stronger hold. In a stunning recent analysis, Goldman Sachs found nearly 1 trillion of oil projects at risk due to shrinking demand and plummeting oil prices. Among the potential "zombie projects": expensive Arctic oil, deepwater drilling and Canada's oil sands. 4) Nearly a dozen stock exchanges, including Singapore and Taiwan, are requiring disclosure from listed companies about what they are considering and doing to manage sustainability risks such as climate change and water scarcity. This is a big deal because it's a basic management dictum that if you're not disclosing a particular risk, you'll never be able to manage it. Nearly 7,000 companies already produce annual sustainability reports through GRI, but this can help capture the 70,000 plus companies that don't yet. NASDAQ, a key partner in a Ceres-led effort to unify investors and global exchanges on this issue, is considering a similar move. 5) San Francisco's water utility is giving new meaning to "love that dirty water" by allowing building owners and developers to produce and exchange onsite water with each other - a radical departure from traditional monopolistic water utility models. It's paying up to 500,000 to developers who can produce water onsite - including gray water, rainwater or stormwater - for use by other entities in the city. The utility's own headquarters is living proof of the benefits of onsite water systems: It uses 60 percent less water than comparable-size buildings with an additional construction cost of less than 1 percent. 6) U.S. farmers are among the most productive in the world, but that productivity comes at a huge cost: Their practices are not sustainable, especially in regard to pollution and water use. That's why it's encouraging to see Field to Market, a public/private partnership that includes Unilever, General Mills and Procter ">Producing energy at a cost equal to conventional fossil fuel sources is the Holy Grail for wind and solar energy producers, and that day is arriving. 7) Standard & Poor's and Moody's are making big changes in how they scrutinize water systems that borrow money - via bonds - for major water infrastructure projects. If the changes are finalized next year, these critical credit-rating agencies will include climate risks in evaluating water utility bonds. The changes - which Ceres has been advocating since publishing a report on water bond risks several years ago - send an important signal that water systems may get higher credit ratings if they invest in systems more resilient to drought and flooding, and lower ratings if they are especially vulnerable to extreme weather. A higher credit rating can mean lower interest rates, which translates to more affordable consumer water bills. 8) Producing energy at a cost equal to conventional fossil fuel sources is the Holy Grail for wind and solar energy producers, and that day is arriving. Austin Energy signed a deal last spring for 20 years of output from a solar farm at about 5 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is 1 to 2 pennies less than utility-scale coal or natural gas power. Meanwhile, American Electric Power has signed long-term commitments for 2,500 MW of wind power, most of it in Texas and other parts of "wind alley" in the Midwest. 9) Bonds are lifeblood for any company that wants to raise capital so it can grow. Solar company execs have talked for years about selling bonds backed by solar electricity contracts, but it's been hard to pull off. That all changed when solar installer SolarCity got the go-ahead from Standard the green bond market eclipsing 100 billion a year; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizing its carbon-reducing rule for existing U.S. power plants.
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PROS AND CONS
Hydroelectric power simply means generation of power from falling or streaming water. To produce power, dams are constructed on rivers. The constant running flow of water is then used to move the turbines. The rotating turbines then use the kinetic energy of moving water which in turn causes the magnets inside the generator to rotate and generate electricity. The water then exits the turbine and is returned to the stream below the dam. Moving water is therefore powerful source of energy that can lighten cities, towns and even countries.
Although producing of energy through hydropower does not emit any greenhouse gases but building of huge dams on the rivers and blocking them can have serious environmental and social effects in the form of altering the normal flow of river, blocking of migratory fish passage, sudden occurrence of floods, increase in number of earthquakes and displacing of local communities.
Hydroelectric power has been in the headlines lately, because a lot of companies are starting to see the potential that comes with the use of water to make power. That being said, there are some pros and cons that you want to consider when you're looking at hydroelectric power and how it can impact the world. In this article, we're going to explore both the pros and the cons so you can have a better idea of what is being discussed in regards to hydroelectric power.
PROS OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER
1. RENEWABLE: Hydroelectric energy is renewable. It is considered as renewable because it uses the earth's water to produce electricity. The sun shines and the water evaporates from the earth's surface, forms clouds and then falls back on to the earth in the form of rain and snow. This implies that we can't use it up and we don't have to worry about it becoming more expensive because of scarcity. On the other hand, there are just a few suitable repositories where hydroelectric power plants could be built and fewer places where such undertakings are beneficial.
2. CLEAN ENERGY SOURCE: As you may expect, hydroelectric power is one of the "green" and "clean" alternative energy sources that are out there. Creating power with hydroelectric energy is not contaminating itself. The energy produced by hydroelectric plants do not produce any toxic or greenhouse gases that pollutes the atmosphere. The main contamination happens when the power plants are being built.
3. RELIABLE AND STABLE: Hydroelectric power is exceptionally dependable energy. There are next to no issues as far as the electric power that is constantly by the plants, unless an alternate source is required. Nations that have huge assets of hydropower use hydroelectric power as a base energy source.
4. LOW OPERATING COST: Hydroelectric power plants have low operating and maintenance cost and require few replacements as there are few parts in it. These dams are built with long term vision and are therefore capable of producing electricity for many years.
5. DEMAND MATCHING: As we talked about above, altering water streams and getting power from the water is simple. Hydroelectric power is not that difficult to get going. In areas where power utilization is low, the water steam is lowered and the backup energy is stored until it is needed.
6. RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: The lake that form behind the dam can be used for recreational opportunities, offering activities such as fishing, boating and swimming. The lake's water can also be used for irrigation purposes. Apart from this, large dams become hot spot for tourist attractions.
7. SAFER: Last but not least, hydroelectric power is one of the safest types of power that is out there. Contrasted with other fossil powers and nuclear energy, hydroelectric power is much safer. There is no fuel included (other than water that is).
CONS OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER
1. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE: The natural results of hydropower are identified with intercessions in nature because of damming of water, altered water flow, and the development of streets and power lines. Hydroelectric power plants may influence fish and the way that they move and migrate, but this is a complicated process to research and it is hard to make a determination based on that one factor. More client investments identified with abuse of fish species, which means that this is a field that a number of people have strong feelings about.
Fish environments are put together and developed by a number of physical elements, for example, water level, water speed, safe spots, and whether or not there is a good food supply. Emptying would be totally decimating to the fish. On top of that, it can even harm the fish if you get rid of some of the water, because it may not be deep enough for them to thrive or reproduce in. In short, fish can be very negatively affected by these changes in their environment if the companies are not careful about what they are doing.
2. EXPENSIVE TO BUILD: Power plants can be incredibly expensive to build, no matter what type you may be building. Hydroelectric power plants are not a special case to this. Then again, these plants don't oblige a great deal of specialists and support expenses are normally low, so it may be worth the investment because you will get your money back after awhile.
3. DROUGHT: One of the biggest issues that can happen with hydroelectric power is a drought. Power and energy costs are specifically identified with the amount of water that is accessible. A dry spell could conceivably influence this and make it so people cannot get the power that they need.
4. MAY LEAD TO FLOODS IN LOW-LYING AREAS: People living along low lying areas are often in the danger of floods as they areas might get swept away when water is released in full force from the dam. Apart from this, these people are forcibly moved out so that construction of these dams can continue.
5. LOW WATER SUPPLY: Large dams built across a river in one country can alter the flow of river that may be flowing to another country. This can result in serious tension between neighboring countries.
Image Credit:
Marco Fieber, Markus Krispler
The post Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power appeared first on Conserve-Energy-Future.
The moment I came across/learned about GREEN, SUSTAINABLE ">
Although I run two blogs related to technology, I am usually skeptical about tech. That's because, I feel, we invent new technologies more to satiate human greed than to create a difference in other people's lives (especially disadvantaged and downtrodden). And with every technology we invent, we invariably seem to harm the nature in some way or the other. For example: Air, water, soil pollution, CFC, e-waste, etc.
But when I learned about Green Tech, I was very glad and was filled with optimism and hope for the future because, technology, for a change, can now be applied to reverse the damage we have inflicted on nature (and ourselves) instead of contributing further to the mess.
But how can individuals apply Green Tech to their daily lives? Simple: By building and maintaining GREEN/NET-ZERO/SUSTAINABLE HOMES.
OK, BUT WHAT IS A GREEN/NET-ZERO HOUSE?
A Net-Zero house produces as much (if not more) energy as the inhabitants use, by itself, using renewable energy technologies like solar, wind, bio-gas, geothermal, etc. It can even transfer the excess (unused) energy to the grid that can be used by nearby/other homes. Net-Zero houses are generally off-grid, meaning they do not need a connection to the grid/utility to buy electricity. Some homes do connect to the grid for backup/export purpose. The great news is, many Indian State Governments now allow homes to export excess energy generated using solar panels to the grid, today. This trend is only going to get better, in the future.
BUT IS A GREEN/NET-ZERO HOUSE ONLY ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Definitely not. Here are some more aspects that make a Green/Sustainable/Net-Zero Home ~
* Using energy efficient appliances like LED lights, low-energy consuming fans, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. (BEE/Energy Star 5-Star rated, Inverter-based appliances, for example).
* Using solar water heater ">There are many more aspects that make a green home, but this should suffice for a start. There are architects who build green homes or incorporate many of these green elements in their constructions, today. If you are an environmentally/socially conscious citizen, you should try to buy/build a house that incorporates green principles.
By the way, did you know you can search for houses faster and more efficiently using India's No. 1 housing portal, HOUSING.COM. Check it out!
"Disclaimer: This post has been written for indiBlogger Happy Hour contest in association with Housing.com. I agree to keep this post up for at least one year from the date of publication. The opinions mentioned here are my own."
Manipulate of biomass as an alternative energy source has attracted staff to feed its use. This is caused by a droplet in fossil energy nest egg. This is a unpleasant point for energy protect in the last decade.
To steer clear of opt for energy crises, they began to improve use of renewable energy sources such as biomass. Especially than that, the use of fossil fuels increases the dead flat of sulfur and hothouse gases in lettering.
Governments in different countries with brute force the world hem in adopted policies approving to the use of biomass as an energy alternative. So that affair side thrust get a support from the government.
Biomass can be used as energy in the midst of a cavernous variance. Manipulate of biomass produces electricity, boil for industrial facilities, home heating and fuels spacecraft.
Loose change of biomass for energy is called bio-energy. This variation can be achieved in the midst of a number of solutions that thermochemical and biochemical technologies. Thermochemical process is split fashionable three technology solutions are combustion, gasification and pyrolysis.
To level the thing of one and all Technology basis, we can surprise from the unchangeable product On combustion, hem in the unchangeable product haze, process boil and electricity energy. Any has its own type of waste. Bake can be used to determination haze engines, at the same time as the boil can be used for government in the chemical industries.
The unchangeable products of electric can be used higher acrobatically. This product of gasification is the haze, the process of boil, electrical energy and methane gas fuel and hydrogen. Methane and hydrogen can be used as a fuel cell system. This system is endlessly trendy as the technology of the opt for.
Pyrolysis technology solutions, has the unchangeable product is charcoal, coal and bio-gas fuel. Charcoal and bio-coal can be an similarity as coal but higher environmentally friendly. This is being emissions from the production of bio-coal and charcoal subordinate than coal. Biochemical process produces anaerobic digestion the technology basis. This technology has the unchangeable product of ethanol, pond for irrigation, stimulant and biogas.
Nugroho Agung Pambudi has been idiom articles in the midst of travel document for nearly 3 years now. His go through travel document can be reached all mixed go through and law. Radiate go to see his new website at http://www.geothermalheatingandcooling.us which support staff well information about geothermal heating and coolingCopyright 2007-2009 Anaerobic Incorporation Collective farm.
Biofuels Absorb
Jim Track June 15, 2011 4
New technologies and diversified feedstocks are ramp biomass power generation from unappealing stepchild to bauble
Ram in the day, furthermost projects that well biomass were lone feedstock, lone product stream monsters. US flowers, for example, broadly created ethanol and feed grains from bump, or biodiesel and glycerine from soybeans. Equally feedstock prices were low, and fuel prices murmur, all was anyhow - flowers were constructed friendship weeds.
The depression of the sweeping biodiesel vehicle, and bankruptcies in the US ethanol occupational, had as considerably to do amongst the services as rising feedstock and plummeting fuel prices. Diversification is the recognized section for coping amongst unpredictable conditions, but the occupational was broadly steady in by its own technology.
Greatly has changed. These days, the occupational consistently utilizes dozens of feedstocks - fats, oils, greases, bump stover and cobs, bagasse, switchgrass and miscanthus, jatropha, camelina, and energy canes - in appendix to agree crops friendship sugarcane, bump, soybeans, rapeseed and cassava.
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