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The much awaited Renewable Energy Target (R.E.T.) review has been released and a summary can be viewed here. In many ways the review comes as little surprise to the solar industry who have been very vocal in raising the potential risks for the solar industry in terms of potential job losses and business closures should the R.E.T. be scrapped or changed significantly.
WHAT THE REVIEW STATES IN RELATION TO SMALL SCALE SOLAR
The (SRES) or 'Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme' has been the driver of solar uptake in Adelaide over the last few years and creates the 'mechanism' for essentially 'subsidising' the cost of a solar system installation. Potential changes to the SRES are closely watch by the solar industry. The R.E.T. review states, in relation to the SRES the following:
"Options for reforming the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES)
Small-scale renewable energy systems supported by the SRES generated or displaced around
6,400 GWh of electricity in 2013, which is above the original expectation for the SRES of
achieving a minimum of 4,000 GWh of annual generation by 2020. Based on information
provided during the review, the Panel considers that the significant cost reductions of
small-scale solar PV systems combined with the increase in retail electricity prices means that
the small-scale renewable energy industry is becoming commercially viable. Additionally,
the cost of the CO2 -e emissions reductions achieved by the SRES is very high, in the order of
100-200 per tonne and at least two or three times that of the large-scale scheme.
Given these factors, the Panel considers that there is a strong case for winding back the SRES,
through either closing the scheme immediately or accelerating the phase-out of the scheme.
Modelling indicates that repeal of the SRES would have an immediate effect of reducing the
install rates of rooftop PV by at least 30 per cent and the number of solar water heaters by
around 16 per cent. However, by the early 2020s, the rate of small-scale solar PV systems
installed each year would recover to a rate similar to that if the SRES was left in place."
COMMENTARY
It is interesting to note the modelling claims that solar installations would decrease by at least 30 percent should the SRES be scrapped. Prices for solar systems would possibly increase by around 70 cents per watt meaning substantial short term price hikes to a solar system installed in Adelaide (and around the nation generally). The report indicated that long term, the rate of installations will essentially 'revert to the mean' or slow significantly but then recover.
PAY BACK PERIODS FOR SOLAR SYSTEMS WOULD INCREASE
Obviously if solar systems prices rise should the SRES go, then system prices will increase and the 'payback period' meaning the time that the savings on power bills take to recoup the installation cost of the solar panels system, will increase. What a 'new' payback period would look like is dependent on the size of the solar system (1.5Kw, 3Kw, 5Kw etc), your pattern of electricity usage, how much of the solar energy produced by the system is used in the home and how much is exported back onto the grid etc. Estimates of payback period should the SRES be removed and solar system prices increasing range from 4 to 8 years. Solar systems should work reliably and produce at least 80 percent of their rated power, for around 25 years. This is obviously dependent on purchasing quality solar panels, solar inverter and getting a 'quality' solar company to not only do the installation, but provide back up should it be required. Given a 'life expectancy' of 25 years for a quality solar system, even a 7 or 8 year payback period looks reasonable. Should electricity prices in South Australia increase, then the 'payback period' decreases.
WE AWAIT THE GOVERNMENTS RESPONSE TO THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET REVIEW
Tony Abbott today (29 August 2014) said that the government would study the R.E.T. review before making any decision over the 'next few weeks'. We will watch with interest. It is possible that people who have been thinking about installing solar systems may move now to get the system in a 'preemptive' move against possible price increases should the SRES be scrapped.
Source: bio-energy-today.blogspot.com
Wind power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - For the academic journal, see Wind Energy (journal). Wind power is extracted from air flow using wind turbines or sails to produce mechanical or electrical power.
Commercially Available Large Wind Turbines Have Chegg.com - Commercially available large wind turbines have blade span diameters as large as 100M and generated over 3 MW of electric power at peak design conditions.
Are Wind Turbines Viable - - Blades Turbine - - ARE WIND TURBINES VIABLE Gardiner Oct. 2010 ii Viability of Grid Connected Micro-wind Turbine Electricity or any other structure related to wind development. The commercially viable wind for East Africa-is teaching local Kenyan technicians to build the Night Heron wind
From Harvard to Amazon, several unexpected organizations are turning to wind power. See the map!
The Sunforce 44444 400 Watt Wind Generator uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics. Constructed from lightweight,...
noun 1. air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth's surface: A gentle wind blew through the valley. High winds were forecast
ABB solar inverters utilize over 40 years of experience and advances made in inverter and power converter technology that have contributed to ABB becoming the world
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy...
ABB solar inverters utilize over 40 years of experience and advances made in inverter and power converter technology that have contributed to ABB becoming the world
Toronto, Canada Vending location Completely Equipped Full size Pop, Snack Coffee for sale Solar Energy Systems and Wind Power Turbines - Buy online!
Commercially available large wind turbines have blade span diameters as large as 100 m and generate over 3 MW of electric power at peak design conditions.
Through a competitive solicitation, NREL selected five commercially available small wind turbine systems to test in 2008 and 2009. Abundant Renewable Energy's ARE 442; The small wind turbines were tested to standards adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission
RenewableUK is the UK's leading not for profit renewable energy trade association.
Magnetic levitation is an extremely efficient system for wind energy. Here's how it works: the vertically oriented blades of the wind turbine are suspended in the
WINDExchange is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Program's platform for disseminating credible information about wind energy. The purpose of WINDExchange...
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into electrical power. A wind turbine used for charging batteries may be referred to as a wind
The Original Post is Located Here: Commercially Availble Micro Wind Turbine
Chinese modules from tier-one manfuacturers are now more costly in the US than any other major PV market. Image: JA Solar. Module pricing in some of the markets tracked by GTM Research. Image: GTM Research. Chinese tier-one solar modules now cost more per watt than in any other major solar end market worldwide, a report from GTM Research reveals. According to the analyst firm's 'Global PV Market Research 2015' report published today, regional disparities in module prices grew in 2014 as a consequence of factors such as competition, falling currency values and trade disputes. The report revealed prices for top-brand Chinese modules in the US averaged US0.72/W in the fourth quarter of 2014, up from around US0.70 per watt a year earlier. GTM said prices in the US had been driven up year on year because of the ongoing trade case against China, which has seen a second round o...
Credit: help-save-planet.blogspot.com
One reason a lot of people have bought electric vehicles is because there has been a popular belief that they are better for the environment. However, that belief has recently been challenged as researchers claim electric cars are more harmful.
One study recently by the publication known as Environmental Science & Technology concluded electric vehicles may actually be more harmful than gas vehicles, at least in China, the most populated country in the world.
Christopher Cherry, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at University of Tennessee along with some of his colleagues concluded electric vehicles pollute the air more than gas vehicles because of how the electricity is generated. About 85 percent of China's electricity is created via fossil fuels, and about 95 percent of that is created via coal.
"The study emphasizes that electric vehicles are attractive if they are powered by a clean energy source," Cherry said to Eurekalert. "In China and elsewhere, it's important to focus on deploying electric vehicles in cities with cleaner electricity generation and focusing on improving emission controls in higher polluting power sectors."
Since not all of our electricity in the United States is produced the same way it is in China, it'd be interesting to hear how much better or worse people think electric cars are in America as opposed to China.
The Chinese government is still working to add more sources of electricity, and if that happens, electric cars could possible improve significantly.SIMILAR POSTS:
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Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: "This is a further move by the Government to rig the energy market against renewables in favour of nuclear and gas".
The Government is rigging the energy market after its announced nuclear power would pay five times less than wind energy in community benefit.
Ministers announced yesterday that communities around eight sites (Hinkley Point, Sizewell, Wylfa, Oldbury, Sellafield, Bradwell, Heysham, and Hartlepool) in England and Wales could be in line to receive benefits - otherwise known as bribes - worth up to lb1000/MW over 40 years from when and if nuclear power stations sited there begin operating.
The founder of leading renewable energy supplier Ecotricity, Dale Vince, said: "This is a further move by the Government to rig the energy market against renewables in favour of nuclear and gas. Nuclear power is already being fast-tracked through the planning system and today they've announced nuclear will pay a fraction of the community benefit paid by wind power."
On July 6 the Government announced that onshore wind farms should pay lb5,000/MW in community benefit - an increase of five fold. At that time Mr Vince said: "Will we see the same logic being applied to the new generation of gas plants and nuclear power stations? This is a slippery slope."
Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace UK, commented: "Whilst wind farms and even shale gas developers have to pay community benefits, only nuclear stations will get a fat taxpayer subsidy to fund them.
"Our entire energy policy is now absurdly distorted by the desperation to prop up EDF's faltering Hinkley C project, with the government piling the costs onto the taxpayer to avoid the embarrassment of admitting they backed the wrong technology. We can't go on like this."
Dale Vince added: "This shows the Government's approach to energy policy. Firstly, to fast-track planning for nuclear and gas; secondly, allowing nuclear to pay community benefit that's one fifth the cost burden of wind power; and thirdly, the new mechanism of financial support (Contracts for Difference), which it's widely believed will be two to three times higher for nuclear when compared to onshore wind.
"When you put those three parts together it shows an energy market being rigged. The Government shouldn't be picking winners in the energy industry, they should be providing a level playing field for competition. Are they really saying the impact of nuclear power in one fifth that of wind power?
"After 25 years, windmills are removed and the land returned to nature. The impact of nuclear power remains for hundreds of years and those sites will stay radioactive and never be safe."
The Government is clearly only thinking short term. What happens after 40 years is up and the site is radioactive?
Its motivation is the expected creation of employment, which it estimates as "up to 40,000 jobs in the sector" but crucially "at its peak", ie during the construction phase.
Its nuclear industrial strategy sets out the basis for a long-term partnership between government and industry to exploit those opportunities.
But communities hosting nuclear sites will be left with the toxic legacy long after these benefits have been forgotten.
Source: help-save-planet.blogspot.com
Developing countries are finding sustainable energy resources as a viable alternative to burning fossil fuels which are expensive and harmful to the environment. Five main renewable energy resources available to developing countries are solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass, hydropower and wind energy.
1. Solar Energy
Solar Energy is the harvesting of energy through the use of photovoltaic panels and can provide heat and energy to homes.
2. Geothermal Energy
Geothermal power plants are used to tap into reservoirs to gain access to steam or hot water underground which is used to power turbines to generate electricity.
3. Biomass
Biomass is organic material such as wood, manure and sugar cane used as a fuel source. Plants such as corn and sunflowers produce oils that are used to make biofuels which is an alternative to petroleum gas.
4. Hydropower
Hydropower or water power is generated by using the movement of water. Hydro plants consist of an electric plant, a dam and a reservoir. Three Gorges on the Yangtze River in China is one of the largest hydro plants in the world.
5. Wind Energy
Wind power is harnessed through the use of wind turbines which convert s the wind's energy into electricity.
MORE FOREIGN INVESTMENT TO COME IN CORE AREAS
BY ASHOK B SHARMA
India with its quest for attracting greater foreign direct investments (FDIs) has stepped up its diplomatic efforts around the world. Diplomatic efforts have gained a renewed vigour after the country relaxed FDI norms and shortlisted as many as 25 sectors to attract investments under the ambitious Make-in-India programme. These sectors are namely auto components, automobiles, aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, construction, defence manufacturing, electrical machinery, electronic system design and manufacturing, food processing, IT &BPM, leather, media and entertainment, mining, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, ports, railways, roads and highways, renewable energy, space, textiles, thermal power, tourism and hospitality and wellness.
Total cumulative inflows of FDI since the year 2000 to 2014, however, had not been encouraging. It stands at only 355,415 million including equity inflows, re-invested earnings and other capital. Therefore, the new government that came to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May last year has become bullish in attracting FDIs and has opened by as many as 25 sectors of the economy to foster growth. The government feels that in the current period of continuing global slowdown, India with a market size of 1.2 billion people can be the most suitable destination for global investors.
At a recent meeting of Heads of Indian Missions Abroad, Prime Minister Modi urged to step up diplomatic efforts aiming at garnering FDIs, augmenting country's trade opportunity and meeting energy needs. The President's address to the joint session of the Parliament just before the Union Budget has revealed government's intention to deepen engagements almost everywhere across the globe, including West Asia, Central Asia, Africa and South Americas.
Government's ambitious projects like Bullet Train, Digital India, Skill India, Housing for All, Swachh Bharat Mission, Namai Gange, Smart Cities, Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana to name a few would need investments by prospective overseas investors including Indian diaspora. Investments are also needed in infrastructure sectors like industrial corridors, railways, roads and highways, freight corridors, information technology highways. Energy sector, particularly clean energy sector has been earmarked as a priority area for attracting foreign investment and technology transfer.
Developing closer integration of South Asia is an integral part of Modi diplomacy. With the agreement on energy cooperation approved in the last SAARC Summit at Kathmandu, the government has planned setting up of solar energy generating capacities along the international borders. The idea of a dedicated satellite for SAARC region is another area of proposed cooperation with South Asian countries. The most vital and effective economic integration in South Asia can, however, be possible with the setting up of value chains across the region. For instance Bangladesh that does not grow cotton but source from India and exports readymade garments. Distributed value chains encourages competitive advantages in production of both raw materials and value-added products.
With prospects of Indian cricket team brightening up at the World Cup, India has embarked upon cricket diplomacy in the region. The Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has planned "SAARC Yatra" and would visit all the countries in the region. Some analysts believe that stalled dialogue between India and Pakistan is likely to revive after a popular government is put in place in Jammu and Kashmir. India's cricket diplomacy with Pakistan is likely to encourage people-to-people contact before the dialogue process resumes.
The President's address mentions the need for deepening cooperation with Europe. As Europe is currently undergoing recession in its economy, the prospective investors from that continent would look for investing in India if adequate environment is created. Though India has come closer to US in many ways and the latter has agreed to invest in the former's nuclear power project, New Delhi is cautious about restoring confidence and momentum in its time-tested strategic partnership with Russia. Both US and Russia have assured co-production and development in defence sector.
India is particular in developing its shipping sector also. Under Make-in-India programme it has planned to strengthen ship designing capabilities, ship building and ship repair activities.
India has taken up with sincerity about its relationship with ASEAN and East Asia Summit and have changed its policy to 'Act East Policy' The Chinese President Xi Jingping on his recent visit to India had pledged to invest 20 billion in industrial and infrastructure projects in India within a span of five years and 10 billion to other countries in South Asia. But Japan had promised more - an investment of 35 billion for building smart cities and next generation infrastructure with the same period. In addition, Japan has pledged ODA loan of 50 billion yen to India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd for a public-private partnership infrastructure projects in India. Australia has agreed to sell uranium for India's nuclear power projects.
President's address says about the need for deeper engagements with West Asia, Central Asia and South Americas. West is still remains a troubled spot, but is a necessary destination for sourcing India's energy needs and also Sovereign Funds for investment in the country. Central Asia is an energy rich region and India needs to strengthen its relations with the countries in the region. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is in the process of becoming a reality. India's proposed route through Chabahar port in Iran to Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond to Europe has been taken up with urgency.
Africa is a continent of strategic importance to India. The third India-Africa Forum Summit meeting that is slated to take place in this year is expected to take the relationship to a higher level. Similarly if the relationship with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is raised to summit level talks, India can get a firm foothold in the region. Some of the African and Latin American countries are energy rich and can meet India's energy needs.
India's ambition to strengthen its relationship across the globe can result in better trade relationships and two-way investment opportunities. Prime Minister Modi has so far met over 40 world leaders, including those at the margins of major multilateral events. He has directly appealed to the Indian diaspora and corporate houses in countries he visited for investing in India. He has received assurances from many world leaders and global corporate houses. It is to be seen how of the commitments translates into actual investments on the ground.
(IPA SERVICE)
