Posted by Petah Marian on October 13th, 2008
The electric vehicle industry is set to create supporting niche industries. Reporting from the Smart Garage Charrette in Portland, Oregon, Matter Network said: “Companies will be needed to assume a risk that car companies and utilities aren’t willing to take as a service layer between the two.
These supporting services include: Free public charging stations, battery servicing and reclamation, electric cars as a service (as Better Place is suggesting), electricity bargain hunting, charging station locators, as well as replacements for gasoline taxes that pay for road upkeep.
You can find out more about the report here.
This category is brought to you in association with Tandberg
Posted by Petah Marian on October 13th, 2008
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has raised concerns about the integration of renewable energy into the EU grid system and a proposed ‘review’ clause in the Renewable Energy Directive, which it says could undermine market stability and investor certainty.
The EWEA raised the issues in an open letter to French energy minister Borloo.
A ‘review clause’ in the directive is currently being debated, which would cause a review in 2014 of whether the flexibility mechanisms were ensuring EU member states were meeting their targets. This could undermine stable national support systems, market stability and investor certainty as well as discouraging member states from ensuring adequate investments before the results of the review are known, the EWEA claims.
The association sees it as vital that renewables are integrated into the EU grid system quickly, and in quantities that will meet the EU target. Supporting the European Commission’s proposal on grids and is urging the council to maintain it. The current proposal would ensure that member states take necessary steps to develop grid infrastructure and that renewables are granted priority access and grid connection.
The EWEA said that wind energy contributes to all three objectives of the EU’s energy policy, and that it would 328 million tonnes would be avoided if the installed wind energy in 2020 met 20 per cent of EU electricity demand.
Posted by Petah Marian on October 13th, 2008
The Sufragettes movement lives on - celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Suffragettes’ rush on Parliament, the Climate Rush will call for an end to airport expansion and for tougher environmental measures to control CO2 emissions.
The Climate Rush takes place on Monday 13th October and, instead of demanding votes for women, they will demand climate action. The rally has the support of organisations across the capital, including the Womens Institute (WI) and Oxfam.
Some of the women speaking at the event include former newspaper editor Rosie Boycott, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, Joy Greasley from the WI, Sam Roddick and Baroness Tonge.
They are protesting airport expansion, coal-fired power stations without carbon capture and storage and are calling for a cross-party coalition to create climate policy in line with the most recent research.
A Climate Rush spokesperson said:
“The Suffragettes won us the right to vote, but scientists tell us that in less than fifty years time those rights, won less than one hundred years ago, will be meaningless. The world we know won’t exist unless we take action now. We’re the last generation who will be able to slow down climate change and I believe future generations will judge us if we do nothing to rise to the challenge.”
Photo credit: Climate Rush Blog
Posted by Greenbang on October 10th, 2008
It’s gong season again and this November Greenbang sponsor Kyocera will be holding an awards ceremony of its own.
The company is calling for entries into its annual GreenLight Environmental Awards. Here’s what the company has to say about them:
“The awards recognise individuals and businesses that have clearly identified and met an environmental challenge associated with their business or promoted public concern for the enhancement and protection of the environment. They are open to businesses of all shapes and sizes who want to showcase the importance they place on sustainable development within their workplace.
There are five awards categories:
- Public Sector
- Private Sector (under 50 employees)
- Private Sector (over 50 employees)
- Kyocera Mita Channel Partner
Kyocera’s Marketing Director, Tracey Rawling Church said: “We feel that these awards are a fitting way to recognise those organisations that really are trying to make a difference to the environment in the course of their day-to-day business. The judges will be looking for organisations that have taken common business challenges and developed an environmental solution, or who have responded to the pressing challenges of global sustainability”
The awards will be presented at Kyocera’s Green Card Conference which will be held in conjunction with the Thames Valley iFestival at the Reading Museum on 25th November 2008
To enter, visit:
http://www.thegreencard.org.uk/index/sign_up/green_light_awards.html
Deadline: November 10th 2008.
Posted by Greenbang on October 8th, 2008
The UK needs to cut carbon emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050, climate experts have warned the government.
The government-appointed Committee on Climate Change (CCC), chaired by Lord Adair Turner, says the 80 per cent target should apply across all sectors of the UK economy - including international aviation and shipping.
The government’s current target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.
The CCC says meeting the 80 per cent target is “challenging but feasible” and has set out a range of options for reducing emissions including:
- Energy efficiency improvement in buildings and industry
- Decarbonisation of the power sector by replacing existing fossil fuel fired plants with renewable technologies, nuclear power and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- Transport sector decarbonisation through improving fuel efficiency of conventional engines and increased use of sustainable first generation biofuels, followed by progressive introduction of electric, hybrid and hydrogen powered vehicles
- Heat sector decarbonisation through increased use of biomass, air exchange and ground source heat pumps and modern electricity storage heating
- Decarbonisation of industry through the introduction of new technologies such as CCS in cement, iron and steel
Lord Adair Turner said:
“Climate change poses a huge potential threat to human welfare. If we do not act soon, in developed and developing countries, it will become too late to avoid serious and potentially catastrophic consequences. That is why it is so vital that a global deal is reached on climate change and that the UK contributes significantly towards this.”
More here.
Posted by Greenbang on October 8th, 2008
UK commercial wind farm developer Amec Wind Energy has been snapped up by one of the largest electricity generators in Europe, Sweden’s Vattenfall group, for £126.6m in an all cash deal.
Vattenfall is aiming to produce 50Twh from wind power by 2030 - enough electricity for around 10 million households - and sees the UK as a key market for future growth, particularly in new offshore wind power projects.
In the UK Vattenfall already owns and operates the Kentish Flats offshore wind farm, which has a capacity of 90 MW, and has recently announced its intention to make an offer to acquire Eclipse Energy which is currently developing several wind projects in the UK with the potential of over 200 MW from renewable energy.
Amec Wind owns one of the largest wind development portfolios in the UK with a potential of 573 MW. Its onshore portfolio in the UK represents 6.5 per cent of UK consented and in-development onshore projects, while its Scottish onshore portfolio represents 9.9 per cent of Scottish consented and in planning onshore projects. Should all of the projects be realised, the net annual production of the portfolio would be approximately 2 TWh supplying electricity to approximately 400 000 households.
Vattenfall CEO Lars G Josefsson, said:
“As part of our strategy to reduce emissions, Vattenfall has very ambitious plans for renewable energy. The UK is a prime target market for future renewables growth, due to its well-functioning support systems, a deregulated and competitive market for electricity and openness to foreign investment. Vattenfall sees the economics of the UK wind sector being attractive as the UK also benefits from high wind speeds, providing wind farms in the UK with higher load factors than wind farms in much of Continental Europe.”
Posted by Petah Marian on October 7th, 2008
Despite all the doom and gloom about the current economic climate, there could be a boom in jobs in the clean tech and renewable energy sector.
At the Reuters Global Environment Summit solar power company SunPower revealed it will add jobs to its US operations due to the extension in solar power tax credits passed by the US government last week.
SunPower CEO Tom Werner told Reuters the expansion will add hundreds of positions over the next 18 months to the company’s US workforce of about 3,000.
SunPower will be adding to its commercial sales division and its dealer support staff, including supply chain management. It also plans to add jobs in states with generous solar subsidies such as California, New Jersey and Colorado.
This comes after the US government extended billions of dollars in tax credits for solar and other renewable energy sources in its financial bailout plan, giving businesses a 30 per cent tax credit to offset the development costs of solar and other clean energy projects and eliminated a cap on tax credits for residential systems.
Posted by Petah Marian on October 7th, 2008
United Nations Foundation founder Ted Turner announced the first ever global sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN world Conservation Congress.
Joining with the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the framework is based on thousands of best practice standards in use around the world. Developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging industry of sustainable tourism and to help businesses, consumers, NGOs and education institutions to ensure that tourism helps local communities and the environment.
Turner said:
“Sustainability is just like the old business adage: ‘you don’t encroach on the principal, you live off the interest’. Unfortunately, up to this point, the travel industry and tourists haven’t had a common framework to let them know if they’re really living up to that maxim. But the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) will change that. This is a win-win initiative - good for the environment and good for the world’s tourism industry.”
Available at www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org, the criteria focuses on four areas experts recommended as the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism; maximising tourisms social and economic benefits to local communities, reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage, reducing harm to local environments and planning for sustainability.
A group of 27 organisations working together, the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) is working to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. Over the past 15 months the partnership consulted with sustainability experts and the tourism industry, reviewing more than 60 existing certification and voluntary sets of criteria already being used around the world.
This category is brought to you in association with Tandberg
Posted by Petah Marian on October 6th, 2008
Lasers, once the schtick of baddies in James Bond films, Pink Floyd concerts and scallywags, could be the next big commercial energy source - researchers suggest…
A European research group will harness natures prime energy source – Fusion – to demonstrate a credible path to laser driven fusion as a commercial energy production source and offer a broad based science research facility.
With physicists and government officials from 10 countries they signed an agreement today to coordinate a three-year preparatory phase to establish the planning and design for the full High Power Laser for Energy Research (HiPER) facility.
“This is a really exciting time for fusion,” said Professor Mike Dunne, director of Photon Science at the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
“The European community has defined a strategic way forward, centred on this new project. Some 26 institutions from across 10 nations are working together to meet this challenge – combining the science of the extreme with one of the most compelling issues facing our society. Fusion is not a short term fix, but is designed to meet the long terms needs of our civilisation.”
The proof of principle of laser fusion is anticipated in the next few years based on two very large-scale lasers currently nearing completion in California and Bordeaux, marking the culmination of over 50 years of research.
The HiPER laser will also enable researchers to study some of the most extreme conditions in the universe, reaching temperatures and pressures only otherwise found at the centre of the sun.
Posted by Petah Marian on October 6th, 2008
EcoConnect is celebrating its launch with a green technology showcase and networking forum on October 21st at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.
With Zak Goldsmith speaking, it will be an opportunity to connect with other people in the green technology and sustainability industries.
EcoConnnect is a not-for profit support community that will enable faster adoption of green technology. By uniting the UK’s green technology community, it hopes to provide opportunities for those working with green technology to expand their network and commercialise their offerings.
