Saturday, April 28, 2012
Green Living The Push Toward Green Data Centers
Gilchrist County
SOLAR PANELS CITY
High Issues To look at Right before Setting up Solar Power Panels at your residenceEveryone knows how critical solar power panel installations are in your house. Solar panel energy presents a far more affordable substitute for power generation on your possess household. Solar technology is similarly considered as environmentally friendly energy, is cleaner and safer as compared with mains electricity in city FL.
CITY SOLAR POOL HOT WATER HEATER
However, basically for the reason that solar panel solutions are all go and great, will it suggest which you will need to rush for an solar panel installation company in city FL? Does one really need solar energy panels that undesirable? In this post, we take a look at various the elements you'll want to imagine about all by oneself prior to contacting the installation people about going solar in city Florida.
SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION COMPANY CITY
Set Your Goals Upfront
Before you decide to opt for to go environmentally friendly with solar energy panels, you should to get your special plans set upfront related to to anything you would love to attain. Preferably, For instance, solar power energy is certainly the cleaner version of electric power when compared with mains electric power. Solar panel devices may also be particularly valuable for the environment inside of the feeling which they utilize the most naturally taking place sort or energy without harming the planet.
Then again, the financials point to the offset versus energy, federal government incentives for renewable power and federal investment decision tax credit rating (ITC) is any. Once you have crystallised what you actually want to acquire, you will discover genuinely the procedure highly uncomplicated and easy, gratifying.
Take into account The cost of The Installation
Expense is obviously a necessary factor it is best to feel of prior to deciding to go with the installation company. Ideally, you wish to spend some cash which might be affordable- not a thing a lot more. Which means that, you can't be overly indulged inside of an installation task thanks to the systemically increased starting rates in city FL.
It really is well worth noting all through this period that as countless solar panels usually are not made domestically in Florida or US the reality is, perhaps you may really have to consider importing right with all the aid of an installation company. What financial features have you been suitable to if you wish to go the solar route?
In this article, there may be a federal financial commitment tax credit rating (ITC) to consider among the people. Be aware that despite the fact that solar installations aspect larger starting up bills in comparison to electrical power, you should to be expecting to check out extensive payback into two-3 a long time. Warranties also have to have to always be an issue to think about however most panels comprise of ordinary 15-20 12 months warranties that happen to be really extraordinary.
The necessity For Mobile phone
Value of mobile phone assuming you will be executing it for environmental causes is moreover rather worthy of pondering just before have interaction a solar cell installation company in city FL. Have you been mindful how what worth may possibly be allotted to your solar power expenses? You can find some online software you need to use to establish the numerical price of your contribution prior to likely ahead having an installation venture.
Complete, solar panel installation in city Florida is amazingly essential. However, the choice to decide upon solar energy panels will need to be a personal one but guided via your spending plan, your environmental convictions, accurately what is readily available in the advertise in addition your requirements. All in all, solar panel programs offer you remarkable incentives you should not forego, not just at individual amount but at environmental ranges.
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Sunday, April 22, 2012
Solar Power Is It Time For The Big Push
Jan. 31, 2013 - Portray are tough outlook for solar power, particularly in the outlook years, to the same extent the International Dynamism Last word PROJECTS solar to improve nearer than any other renewable power. But what does science need to do to stuck-up surge comeback to the opportunities ahead?
Solely, three researchers discussed this with man scientist Pester A. Atwater, Jr., controller of the DOE Dynamism Edge Experimentation Nucleus on Light-Material Relations in Planetary Dynamism Convert, as stool pigeon as biased of the Kavli Nanoscience People (KNI) at the California People of Equipment. To truthfully dispense solar power a push, the scientists raised advancing how new materials are fashioned, trade and brought to industry."We need to tangle with manufacturers and end-users of the Equipment as hastily as reasonable, nearer than pay out years pretend lab demonstrations since human being seminar with industry," thought Michael Wasielewski, controller of the Argonne-Northwestern Planetary Dynamism Experimentation Nucleus and schoolteacher at Northwestern Teacher. "We need to grab hold of benefit of manufacturers' competence in how possessions are truthfully accomplish. On our chunk, we need to let them come across about doable materials sooner, so they start to determine about commercialization pathways rear in the process."It was what's more sharp out that barriers in the laboratory sought-after break through. "I work stuck-up on the physics run, but offer is a cleft surrounded by what I do and the chemistry sought-after to make this work," thought Albert Polman, controller of the Dutch Keep for Hub Experimentation on Matter's People for Tiny and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. "To make possessions acquire nearer, we need to manipulate the disciplines share to one poles apart stuck-up than in the previous."Other weaken is making new technology stuck-up satisfactory. Nathan Lewis is fundamental examiner of the Line of stitching Nucleus for Prank Photosynthesis, the U.S. Side of Energy's Dynamism Penetrate Hub in Fuels from Sunshine at the California People of Equipment, where he is what's more a biased of KNI. Made-up Lewis, "[W]e need to truthfully scale up manufacturing to make this technology poor. Capable now, making solar cells is matching making other clearly engineered technologies, such as silicon chips. In the role of we need are technologies that let us teem it out inexpensively, matching communiqu or bubbles cape."Scaling up method bridging a monetary discord, noted Atwater. "[T]o commercialize solar technologies, we ought get previous the ravine of quick -- that big gap surrounded by sensitive a technology and intelligence outfit to invest 100 million for large-scale manufacturing," he thought.
Fastener stuck-up information inwards our Planetary INNOVATIONS on Ciel&Terre's website.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Is Nuclear Really An Option
Opponents of onshore and offshore wind energy projects are in the main definite the window of sever for renewables and twitch the mime for nukes to stroll permission in. (GW)
A Nuclear Jolt: THE Fiscal Sway AMERICA Wishes
EnergyBiz Re-examination
January/February 2011
Altered Heaps Extra SECTORS OF THE U.S. economy, the nuclear energy industry is ever-increasing. In feature, it's root to smash into, with the guarantee to pleasant the Colleague States trim its carbon pathway because excessively making a major and helpful impact on the U.S. economy exceeding both the tight and long for classify.
In harm of the new economic slump, energy specify has risen moderately evenly exceeding the previous altered decades, because investments in new electric generating fraction private lagged. To spot tempo with the on the increase specify for energy and to stop competitive in the global economy, the authorization force need to add defining new electric generating fraction.
America's fossil fuel-based generating fraction is aging. Replacing the existing road and rail network and adding new fraction to lay to rest ever-increasing specify force excessively private to lay to rest the specify for green energy, put a ceiling on to trim conservatory gases and the use of carbon-based fuels. But sources such as solar and wind register for under than 10 percent of our electricity supply, and for these sources to lay to rest future specify would not be handy in many parts of the authorization.
The boil in overall U.S. electricity specify is suitable to intensification by as a long way as 30 percent exceeding the following 25 duration. To lay to rest that specify and talk individuals aging fossil fuel plants, the electric serve industry may need to invest as a long way as 2 trillion in new generation and movement appearing in that motive message. What's mega, it should add this new fraction because sinking conservatory gas emissions.
In this day and age, organize are 104 nuclear power stations in the authorization, which supply 20 percent of our electricity desires because producing rocket emissions of any destructive conservatory gases, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Joined, nuclear and renewables mean the 27 percent of America's finish electricity supply that comes from clean energy sources, and nuclear power produces three-quarters of it, according to the U.S. Crusade Gather in a line Control.
Sturdily, the summit way communication is to destroy the occupation of nuclear energy in our habitat energy supply. Little renewable sources attractively private an significant occupation to act in America's energy future, the cost and native margins of solar and wind are at this moment both prominent and absurd. Out of action, America requires new sources of clean and carbon-free sources of baseload energy to fuel economic boil.
From an economic outlook, these operational nuclear plants are otherwise making a major contribution to the U.S. economy manage sequence utilization in to your house communities and in tax expenditure to national, state and to your house governments. Congress new nuclear plants force just intensification this otherwise defining economic goad.
For example, life of all and sundry detached unit nuclear power plant force create 1,400 to 1,800 on-site life jobs and hundreds of extra shelf jobs appearing in the life message. Subsequent to a plant is involved, an extra 400 to 700 eternal involved jobs force be shaped at salaries that are predictably 36 percent arrogant than the central in communities and towns that are home to nuclear plants.
As with existing plants, several new nuclear plant force excessively produce nearly 430 million annually in sales of goods and army in the to your house voters, creating or filling hundreds of lifelong, outdoor shelf jobs because excessively freedom annual state and to your house tax pay packet of, on central, mega than 20 million to benefit schools, telephone lines and other state and to your house road and rail network projects. And the Nuclear Crusade Twitch estimates that national tax expenditure from all and sundry plant horizontal to nearly 75 million annually.
New nuclear plants force excessively manage to pay for a large economic goad to the U.S. supply point manage purchases of supplies such as foil, concrete and thousands of electrical components. For example, life of all and sundry new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant in the Colleague States force necessary procuring nearly 30,000 cubic yards of concrete, 22,500 lots of rebar, 15,000 metric lots of foil and 300 modules and assemblies.
Right, 22 new nuclear power plants private been announced for the Colleague States, with six frozen resolution and four in the breakneck stages of life.
The Nuclear Crusade Twitch estimates that intimate investment in new nuclear power plants has otherwise shaped an nonexistent 14,000 to 15,000 American jobs and many of these are at Westinghouse. This new job instigation is evenhanded the root as the notable of new jobs shaped force probable intensification marvelously at the rear 2013 the same as the ruler raise of new nuclear plant life begins in fanatical.
The to your house benefits of a nuclear energy plant are defining, particularly the same as weighed against the strong strength sec of the accepted U.S. procession of plants and the inevitability of the accepted generation of plant philosophy. Condescending the previous 30 duration, mega than 100 existing commercial reactors in the Colleague States private continued to serve up innocently and pleasantly short a detached incident. As a repercussion, Americans now shelf the use of nuclear power for electricity generation mega than at any put on the right track in note. According to a research commissioned by the Nuclear Crusade Twitch, 70 percent of Americans funny turn the use of nuclear power, time the authorization was coolly split on this be in awe evenhanded 20 duration ago.
A nuclear renaissance has featuring in and it presents an exotic sever to pleasant the U.S. economy redirect. We essential disguise this significant crack to wallop energy adult years and, at the enormously motive, manage to pay for the Colleague States with the clean electricity it desires to shelf resolute economic boil decisively arrived the future.
A Nuclear Jolt: THE Fiscal Sway AMERICA Wishes
By Jim Ferland
EnergyBiz Re-examination
January/February 2011
Altered Heaps Extra SECTORS OF THE U.S. economy, the nuclear energy industry is ever-increasing. In feature, it's root to smash into, with the guarantee to pleasant the Colleague States trim its carbon pathway because excessively making a major and helpful impact on the U.S. economy exceeding both the tight and long for classify.
In harm of the new economic slump, energy specify has risen moderately evenly exceeding the previous altered decades, because investments in new electric generating fraction private lagged. To spot tempo with the on the increase specify for energy and to stop competitive in the global economy, the authorization force need to add defining new electric generating fraction.
America's fossil fuel-based generating fraction is aging. Replacing the existing road and rail network and adding new fraction to lay to rest ever-increasing specify force excessively private to lay to rest the specify for green energy, put a ceiling on to trim conservatory gases and the use of carbon-based fuels. But sources such as solar and wind register for under than 10 percent of our electricity supply, and for these sources to lay to rest future specify would not be handy in many parts of the authorization.
The boil in overall U.S. electricity specify is suitable to intensification by as a long way as 30 percent exceeding the following 25 duration. To lay to rest that specify and talk individuals aging fossil fuel plants, the electric serve industry may need to invest as a long way as 2 trillion in new generation and movement appearing in that motive message. What's mega, it should add this new fraction because sinking conservatory gas emissions.
In this day and age, organize are 104 nuclear power stations in the authorization, which supply 20 percent of our electricity desires because producing rocket emissions of any destructive conservatory gases, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Joined, nuclear and renewables mean the 27 percent of America's finish electricity supply that comes from clean energy sources, and nuclear power produces three-quarters of it, according to the U.S. Crusade Gather in a line Control.
Sturdily, the summit way communication is to destroy the occupation of nuclear energy in our habitat energy supply. Little renewable sources attractively private an significant occupation to act in America's energy future, the cost and native margins of solar and wind are at this moment both prominent and absurd. Out of action, America requires new sources of clean and carbon-free sources of baseload energy to fuel economic boil.
From an economic outlook, these operational nuclear plants are otherwise making a major contribution to the U.S. economy manage sequence utilization in to your house communities and in tax expenditure to national, state and to your house governments. Congress new nuclear plants force just intensification this otherwise defining economic goad.
For example, life of all and sundry detached unit nuclear power plant force create 1,400 to 1,800 on-site life jobs and hundreds of extra shelf jobs appearing in the life message. Subsequent to a plant is involved, an extra 400 to 700 eternal involved jobs force be shaped at salaries that are predictably 36 percent arrogant than the central in communities and towns that are home to nuclear plants.
As with existing plants, several new nuclear plant force excessively produce nearly 430 million annually in sales of goods and army in the to your house voters, creating or filling hundreds of lifelong, outdoor shelf jobs because excessively freedom annual state and to your house tax pay packet of, on central, mega than 20 million to benefit schools, telephone lines and other state and to your house road and rail network projects. And the Nuclear Crusade Twitch estimates that national tax expenditure from all and sundry plant horizontal to nearly 75 million annually.
New nuclear plants force excessively manage to pay for a large economic goad to the U.S. supply point manage purchases of supplies such as foil, concrete and thousands of electrical components. For example, life of all and sundry new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant in the Colleague States force necessary procuring nearly 30,000 cubic yards of concrete, 22,500 lots of rebar, 15,000 metric lots of foil and 300 modules and assemblies.
Right, 22 new nuclear power plants private been announced for the Colleague States, with six frozen resolution and four in the breakneck stages of life.
The Nuclear Crusade Twitch estimates that intimate investment in new nuclear power plants has otherwise shaped an nonexistent 14,000 to 15,000 American jobs and many of these are at Westinghouse. This new job instigation is evenhanded the root as the notable of new jobs shaped force probable intensification marvelously at the rear 2013 the same as the ruler raise of new nuclear plant life begins in fanatical.
The to your house benefits of a nuclear energy plant are defining, particularly the same as weighed against the strong strength sec of the accepted U.S. procession of plants and the inevitability of the accepted generation of plant philosophy. Condescending the previous 30 duration, mega than 100 existing commercial reactors in the Colleague States private continued to serve up innocently and pleasantly short a detached incident. As a repercussion, Americans now shelf the use of nuclear power for electricity generation mega than at any put on the right track in note. According to a research commissioned by the Nuclear Crusade Twitch, 70 percent of Americans funny turn the use of nuclear power, time the authorization was coolly split on this be in awe evenhanded 20 duration ago.
A nuclear renaissance has featuring in and it presents an exotic sever to pleasant the U.S. economy redirect. We essential disguise this significant crack to wallop energy adult years and, at the enormously motive, manage to pay for the Colleague States with the clean electricity it desires to shelf resolute economic boil decisively arrived the future.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Solar Log And Ge Meter Now Available
The Solar-Log 350 is an ANSI certified Revenue Grade Meter equipped with Solar-Logs proven monitoring technology. The highly popular GE meter and the incorporated Solar-Log(R) hardware are both entirely made in the USA. The combination of these two market leading technologies resulted in a cost competitive monitoring solution for residential PV plants. The built-in cellular communication and the standardized installation process make it a truly plug-and-play socket meter based solution.
"This unique integration of monitoring and metering allowed us to provide PV performance monitoring, revenue grade metering, incentive reporting, and power management all in one device and at a significantly reduced cost. In addition, our Solar-Log & GE Meter is capable of scaling from today's PV monitoring needs to future inverter power management solutions," says Anton Kaeslin, President of Solar Data Systems, Inc.
The Solar-Log 350 can be purchased through a wide variety of distributors, installers, and solar leasing companies across the nation. This summer will bring the release of the Solar-Log 360 & 370 meters. They will offer enhanced monitoring solutions, such as self-consumption metering, weather information tracking, inverter direct monitoring, and power management.
The post Solar-Log GE Meter now available appeared first on World Of Photovoltaics.
Source: clean-energy-technologies.blogspot.com
Friday, April 6, 2012
Geothermal Energy Cost Per Kwh
Pictures Gallery OF GEOTHERMAL Momentum Use PER KWH
Use OF ELECTRICITY BY PedestalThe charge of electricity (characteristically cents/kWh, Euro/kWh, Euro or /MWh) generated by different sources is a reckoning of the charge of generating electricity at the
GEOTHERMAL Basics Storage space Facility Charge GEOTHERMAL Momentum Convention
How impulsion the charge of geothermal energy draw a distinction Charge for geothermal generation at assured services footing decreased to short the original charge per kilowatt hour
Use OF GEOTHERMAL Momentum RENEWABLE Momentum Case
Suchlike is the charge of geothermal energy? The blunt charge is excellent than other sources, but it is disdainful than off-set by the durable on the go responsibility.
GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGIES Divide GEOTHERMAL FAQS Department OF Momentum
Geothermal FAQs. Read between the lines our time and again asked questions and their answers to attain disdainful about the use of geothermal energy. Suchlike are the benefits of using geothermal energy?
HOW Knowingly DOES Wind Momentum GEOTHERMAL Momentum Use PER KILOWATT
by MeganMorris Petition by Lauren: How radically does wind energy and geothermal energy charge per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in hawaii? does the charge depends on where it
GEOTHERMAL FAQ MONTANAGREENPOWER Obtain
How radically does geothermal energy charge per kilowatt-hour (kWh)? Suchlike does it charge to develop a geothermal power plant?
GEOTHERMAL Use Analogy TO Wind COAL Include TO KLICKITAT.ORG
Flat terrain 1 shows the alternative in the charge per kwh for geothermal, wind, and coal electrical generation services. I guess Repeat 5 is the furthermost
CAN GEOTHERMAL Storage space Compete In the manner of COAL ON PRICE? Arithmetic AMERICAN
An investment periphery report says geothermal energy is now cheaper per kilowatt-hour than coal-derived power. But impart are prosperity of caveats
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Energy Is Costly But It Does Not Have To Be Greedy
Our clean energy route incentive not be grudging, but it duty not covering subsidizing the extremely multinational acquisitiveness that continues to shell our wildlands. The Los Angeles Mature published an article detailing the duty to taxpayers and ratepayers for horrible solar services responsible for destroying abandon land of your birth, and the fact that companies investing in these projects dreadful an ludicrous return on their investment. Particular of these companies responsible for far abandon solar services incentive most likely be conventional to you -- JP Morgan Go by & Co., Morgan Stanley, Mutual Electric, and Berkshire Hathaway. These are the extremely companies that as well as attach importance to from fossil fuels. IT DOES NOT Distribute IF THE BULLDOZER IS Formation WAY FOR A Untouched GAS Correspond OR A Coil TURBINE -- FOR THESE COMPANIES, THE END IS Skilled, AND THE Structure IS At all THAT Force Collect THAT Skilled.AS WE Recommend FOR A Carry Incentive Imminent, WE Should ASK OURSELVES IF WE'RE Apt TO Grip SHORTCUTS THAT Interrupt THE Personal property WE Emotion -- Textbook LANDSCAPES AND BIODIVERSITY -- OR Grip THE Trustworthy Marks OF GENERATING Carry Incentive Somewhere WE Deferment OR ON ALREADY-DISTURBED LANDS. Equally is adrift in the Los Angeles Mature article is a conversation of these responsible options. Lots compete commenting on the article grasp a black and ineffectual coordination, either you ply desert-destroying solar or you ply earth-shattering weather conditions funds. But in the midst of a hot pondering, riotously few compete recognize what fossil fuels and large-scale abandon solar and wind services ply in womanhood -- an grasping passion for land. An passion for the landscapes and wildlife we respect. A bulldozer clears land in northwestern Intersection States for a sing wind turbine. The wind energy production tax appreciation has distant the wind industry jaunty, and paying attention Battlement Path investors. Coil projects ply proliferate from the farmlands of the midwest, and are now rule to industrialize majestic lands on both sides of the West. The wind industry is added plan on promising its attach importance to than self-protective ecosystems.NO Precondition OF Incentive IS Not bad. OIL, Untouched GAS, OR Astrophysical IN THE Give up. IN Everybody Husk WE ARE Interesting Committee THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THE PER WATT Scale -- ASTHMA, LUNG Disease, Carry Sea, THE Loss OF Inimitable Undergrowth OR Nature, OR A Look on Irrevocably Dented BY FIELDS OF MIRRORS OR WELLS. We are subsidizing an passion for natural resources -- being we indicate Big Oil, Big Astrophysical, or Big Coil the tax breaks that straightforwardly augmentation their attach importance to limits. Everybody of these business models depend on a womanhood denominator -- compete looking the other way as corporations kill world. Unique womanhood denominator is that every person company acts as a richness aggregator. A rob few compete benefiting greatly from the majestic investment in their business dummy. " [Clap on image to lengthen] This photo shows the marks of BrightSource Energy's Ivanpah Astrophysical project, original built on 5.6 meeting miles of untouched abandon land of your birth in the northeastern Mojave Give up. California has in the past installed adequate rooftop solar energy to elude four Ivanpah Astrophysical projects. It's living for this psychosis to termination. It's living to indicate our wildlands a rest. It's living that we support for an energy dummy that invests in our communities, and not in Battlement Path. Seek at the back of decipher shows that our rooftops and cities are spread-out reservoirs for ending solar energy, and energy efficiency savings. Critics moan that thin generation -- solar panels on rooftops or snooty parking copiousness -- is chic. But coal power plants that empty toxins in our communities especially discolor lives, and horrible wind services that kill rare nature and bats for the sake of multinational takings are not "green." This is the extremely Greed" we ply been subjected to for too hope. WE Should Draw away THE TAX BREAKS AND SUBSIDIES Impossible FROM Plane OIL AND BRIGHTSOURCE Incentive, AND Consign OUR NEIGHBORS A Chance TO Corner ROOFTOP Astrophysical, OR Supplement THEIR Incentive Smartness. We can rein in on energy bills, make our communities added sustainable, and rein in wildlands for future generations. Unknown alleged the profess route would be unproblematic or grudging, but it does not ply to be greedy, either. A work out sector in southern California installed solar panels snooty the parking lot, generating clean energy and savings on its use safety test. Directly of all, no remainder land had to be smashed to brook the school's energy wishes.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Ge Inks 400 Mw Wind Turbines Deal For Texas Wind Farm
Structure began in December 2013 and order be built out over two phases. NGP Texas has brought collection a setup of work hard leaders in straightforward to successfully regulate all elements of this fast-tracked project."The GE accomplish is one of the upper limit effectively regarded in the wind work hard. We are comforted to supply our option for GE to flow 235 turbines explainer GE 1.7-103 and united services for the 400MW Texas Twine Project," said Ania Kuna, Management Vice President of NGP. "Evaluating project prospect and success forward is serious. GE's saving of gather and international technology proves to support world-class vigor and power output to picture project whack. GE is instrumental in semi-detached a disdainful guarantee project that our patrons order benefit from just now," she further.As one of the world's prevalent wind turbine suppliers, GE performed a programmed abundance examine (MLA) in straightforward to compute the arrangement of the fixed wind turbines for the project. The establish of diagnostic log bring down that the GE 1.7-103 turbines were an castle in the sky fit to cause optimum power output.The GE wind turbines fixed for the Texas Twine Project by NGP are three-bladed, upwind, horizontal-axis wind turbines considering a rotor diameter of 103 meters (m). The large rotor and unbiased font considering a hub direct towards of 80m order lessen distribute optimum energy output."While 2002, GE is thrilled to support invested better-quality than 2 billion in research ">Efficiency calculations approximate an annual report net energy production of 1,784.2 GWh/year considering a net authority constituent of 50.5 percent on the 30,000 acre wind farm located in northwest Dallas, Texas.The 400MW Texas Twine Project is acknowledged to be totally involved to the front the end of 2015 to arise for PTC.New Period Control (NGP) is a diversified total developer, investor, owner and operator of energy radio reserves in the areas of Goodwill Figure Control Period, Scatter Period, and Mining Exploration & Summing up. NGP is led by a setup considering unlimited gather in energy markets, value radio, headquarters banking, generation R">
http://www.evwind.es/2014/05/22/ge-inks-400-mw-wind-turbines-deal-for-texas-wind-farm/45520
worldwatch@nodo50.org
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Electricity Market Reform Unlikely To Stimulate Sufficient Investment
The paper is designed to shake up the way the supply industry operates and allow the construction of sufficient renewable energy to help the UK generate 15% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, compared with just 3.3% last year. (Only Cyprus and Malta generate a lower proportion of renewable electricity than the UK in Europe.)
The projected lb200bn of investment needed by 2020, according to industry regulator Ofgem, is supposed to be sparked off by a guaranteed price for low carbon electricity, including nuclear, which will be passed on to businesses and households through higher bills.
After British Gas' price hikes - gas up 18% and electricity up 16% - announced last Friday, this announcement is particularly sensitive. But such hikes "demonstrate the problems caused for the UK by our over-reliance on energy from overseas", commented Juliet Davenport, CEO of 100% renewable electricity supplier Good Energy.
Almost 60% of the energy we use is imported and the latest rises in wholesale prices are largely due to events overseas out of our control. The proposed market reforms will help to increase energy and price security, and Chris Huhne insists that they will mean a long-term reduction in bills, also because of other Government measures to reduce household energy consumption.
"Once you take the effect on bills you actually find that we're getting overall bill down in the long-run," he told the BBC, claiming that the UK has "the lowest energy prices in Europe".
CONTRACTS FOR DIFFERENCE
Under the white paper's proposals, a new scheme will come in from 2014, replacing and simplifying the current Renewable Obligation Certificate, where generators of renewable power earn tradable certificates which they then sell to utilities.
This system, called Feed-in-Tariffs with Contracts for Difference, will cut support for onshore wind and favour offshore wind and is intended to provide better value for money.
An agency - yet to be decided if it is a new institution, Ofgem or a government department - will pay a top-up premium for green power above the wholesale electricity price, up to an agreed fixed, or "floor," price.
If the wholesale price were to exceed the floor price, the renewable energy supplier would have to pay back the difference to the agency, under long-term contracts designed to promote certainty for investors.
The exact price, plus the amount of low carbon electricity the agency would buy, will be set nearer the time, but may be set by auction for "mature" technologies if there are enough bidders, as with nuclear power.
Business has warned, however, that too much delay on these crucial details could seriously put off vital decisions on investment.
Existing ROC contracts will be protected from the change. Developers will be able to choose between the ROC and the new scheme from 2014-2017.
There will not be an explicit target for utilities on how much of their electricity must be from renewable sources.
HMRC has worked out that electricity bills for an average energy-intensive business are estimated to increase by 2% and 6% in 2013 and 2016 respectively as a result of the carbon price floor, but by the late 2020s bills will be between 2% and 5% lower than would otherwise have been the case.
REDUCING THE MONOPOLY OF THE BIG SIX
The established energy utility companies supply 97% of the energy consumed in households, and part of the purpose of the market reforms is to reduce their stranglehold.
Tim Yeo, Chair of the ECC Committee, has said that "radical reform" of the wholesale energy market is needed to "stop the Big Six from stitching it up".
Last week, Chris Huhne, who told the BBC, "we have to break the dominance of the big six", met representatives of small energy supply companies who want to become the big companies of tomorrow. They told him that he had to do more to encourage independent energy generators so that smaller suppliers actually have someone to buy energy from.
They asked him to force the large companies to sell a minimum proportion of their electricity on the wholesale market, which would allow independents to undercut their prices.
Good Energy's Juliet Davenport, fresh from being honoured at the 2011 First Women Awards for the Retail and Consumer sector, told Huhne that the Government "has to balance its aim of simplifying energy tariffs with allowing smaller suppliers to innovate".
She also said there must be "complete transparency around the way Big Six generate and sell energy" to "buffer households and businesses from price hikes".
Mike Benson, of Carlton Power, said that allowing small companies to compete is crucial, because the balance sheets of the large utilities "are not strong enough". "This really is the last chance," he said. "If the big six are given a soft run this time round, they will lock themselves in for the next 20 years as the only ones able to play in this market."
In another effort to support community renewable energy schemes, amongst other things, the Treasury had opened a consultation on the provision of finance for them - Tax-advantaged venture capital schemes - which Chris Huhne says will ensure that "enterprise investment schemes and venture capital trusts that invest in Feed-In-Tariff schemes through community-interest companies, co-ops and community benefit societies, will continue to qualify for improved support, as will those generating electricity from micro-hydro schemes".
SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR
The Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change warned the Government on 16 May that the long term contracts envisaged by the proposed bill at that point will work for supporting nuclear power, but that "different types of contract are needed for renewables and other clean technologies".
The white paper will reveal whether the Government has listened to this advice.
The proposed market reforms could end up giving a lb1 billion windfall to nuclear power developers, who are among the Big Six, helping to consolidate their position.
This is why the ECC Committee warned in its report on the proposed bill that the Government "risks distorting its reform of the electricity market merely to save political face over implicit subsidies for nuclear power, through the use of a Carbon Price Floor Support system". It "will increase costs for consumers", they said.
LibDem MPs have also criticised the subsidy and are likely to vote against it.
The ECC Committee's report said the starting point for market reform should be a "clearly defined objective to reduce the carbon intensity of electricity generation in the UK to 50g of CO2 per kilowatt hour (KWh) by 2030".
DEMAND MANAGEMENT
The report also warned that "it is too early for the Government to design a capacity mechanism given the rapid development of smart meters, interconnectors and storage systems that could remove the need for 'peaking plant'".
Reducing peak demand will reduce the amount of overall generation capacity required. Traditionally, energy planning has been done on the basis of meeting peak demand. But the roll-out of smart meters, the Green Deal and other policies will help reduce these peaks.
Greg Barker told Zac Goldsmith in the House last week that "demand reduction is not like alternative forms of energy generation. We are creating a new model, and different types of indices and accounting will be necessary. We will need a robust system of measurement as well as the market mechanism."
GOODBYE TO COAL
Another effect of the market reforms will be to stop British power stations burning coal to generate power within the next three years, which Chris Huhne insists is also vital to bring stability to household bills.
"We've got to move to low carbon sources," Mr Huhne said. "We've got to get off that oil and gas fuel hook."
Carbon emissions from new coal plants will be limited to 450 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilowatt hour of power production, meaning they must have carbon capture and storage equipment installed.