jueves, 30 de abril de 2009

CANADA AIMS TO END TRADITIONAL COAL POWER: REPORT

David Ljunggren

The Canadian government plans new regulations that will effectively phase out traditional coal-fired power stations, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said in an interview published on Wednesday

OTTAWA, Canada; April 30, 2009.- He told the Globe and Mail newspaper that new coal plants would have to include technology to capture greenhouse gas emissions and inject them underground for permanent storage.

Ottawa also plans to impose absolute emission caps on utilities' existing coal-fired power plants and establish a market-based system to allow them to buy credits to meet those targets, he said.

"The approach that we've been working toward involves a cap-and-trade system relating to thermal coal, and the requirement of phasing out those facilities as they reach the end of their useful, fully amortized life," Prentice said.

"The concept is that, as these facilities are fully amortized and their useful life fully expended, they would not be replaced with coal," he added, saying the regulations would be unveiled later this year.

The Globe said coal-fired electricity represents roughly 18 per cent of Canada's current emissions, and eight of the 10 largest greenhouse gas emitters in the country are coal-fired power plants.

The minority Conservative government has long promised to release regulations aimed at major industrial emitters of greenhouse gases, including Alberta's oil sands producers.

(Reuters)

UK must pursue energy efficiency more aggressively to meet emissions target

The UK must pursue energy efficiency more aggressively to meet its target of an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, according to a new report from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC).

“UK energy policy goals are extraordinarily ambitious. Meeting them will require efforts well beyond the bounds of historical experience,” says Jim Skea, research director at UKERC.

But the goals are feasible if the Government pursues tougher energy efficiency measures at the same time as working to decarbonise the country’s electricity sector by 2050.

Decarbonising the electricity supply will require a mixture of nuclear, renewables and coal plants fitted with carbon capture and storage technology. New renewable capacity cannot come online quickly enough to meet UK and EU targets, says the report, and will have to go hand in hand with other energy sources.

However, aggressively pursuing energy efficiency could dramatically reduce the cost of decarbonising the UK, as well as opening up electricity to be used more in transport and buildings.

The UKERC says it could be possible to halve the energy used in the country’s homes through a mixture of energy efficiency improvements and modest lifestyle changes.

For further information:
www.ukerc.ac.uk

Fuente: Energy Efficiency News

Building sector must do better on energy efficiency

The building sector is not investing enough in energy efficiency to reach emissions reductions targets, according to a scathing report published by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) this week.

The report, Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings, concludes that “Under current financial and policy conditions, building decisionmakers will not spend sufficiently on energy efficiency, even on investments that pay off over a project lifetime.” Financial timescales are generally too short for owners of both residential and commercial buildings for energy efficiency measures to be attractive.

However, improvements are possible and the report outlines a roadmap of actions that could reduce the energy usage of buildings by 60% by 2050. In some countries such as the US this would require energy consumption to be reduced to 80% ‘business as usual’ levels.

“Unless there is immediate action, thousands of new buildings will be built without any concern for energy efficiency, and millions of existing, inefficient buildings using more energy than necessary will still be standing in 2050,” says Björn Stigson, president of the WBCSD.

Making changes on the necessary scale will not be driven by the market alone and require the right financial support mechanisms, as well as a step change in behaviour and attitude among building professionals and occupants.

Governments and policymakers also need to take action on codes for and labelling of energy-using products and services, provide incentives for energy efficiency investment and undertake large-scale education initiatives to change behaviour.

“Most building owners and occupants don’t know enough and don’t care enough about energy consumption, and inertia is reinforced by assumptions that costs are too high and savings too low. That’s why we are calling for a major, coordinated and global effort,” says Stigson.

The report came out of a $15 million, four-year research project that looked at the energy demand of buildings in the US, EU, Japan, China, India and Brazil.

The WBCSD calls for action are underpinned by another report out this week from Pike Research, which says that green renovations could represent a $400 billion market in coming years.

The Mayor of New York Michael R. Bloomberg is taking steps in the right direction with a new initiative that aims to reduce emissions in the city by around 5%.

“We’re introducing the greener, greater buildings plan, a far-reaching package of new local laws that will dramatically improve New York’s energy efficiency and reduce energy costs by some three-quarters of a billion dollars a year,” said Mayor Bloomberg at the initiative launch last week.

The six-point plan consists of four pieces of new legislation, including an Energy Code Bill to force building owners to meet energy efficiency standards whenever renovations are undertaken and a Benchmarking Bill to ensure all city buildings carry out annual benchmarking against a baseline level, and two PlaNYC programmes.

The other planned legislation would require commercial properties over 50,000 square feet to upgrade lighting systems to more energy efficient ones and conduct an energy audit once a decade. However, landlords would only be required to undertake retrofits that will pay for themselves within five years.

“[This] first-of-its-kind legislation will upgrade the city’s existing buildings with energy efficient technology,” said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn.

Fuente: Energy Efficiency News

miércoles, 29 de abril de 2009

China Has World's Fastest Growing Wind Power Capacity

The Global Wind Energy Council says that China will add more wind power capacity this year than any other country, including the U.S. It could add 10 gigawatts [10,000 megawatts] of additional capacity this year, while the U.S. will only add 8.5 gigawatts.
That’s a lot of juice, considering that one megawatt can power about 1,000 households in the west, probably a lot more in China, where household power consumption is still quite modest.

This is indeed an important milestone for China’s renewable energy business, especially considering the Middle Kingdom is currently so dependent on coal. About 70% of its power is thermal generated, which is the main reason why China is now the largest source of carbon emissions in the world. But the country saw wind power capacity double last year to 12 GW while the U.S. had about 25 GW of capacity.

Much of China’s new capacity will come from home-grown makers of wind turbines who are gaining market share on industry stalwarts such as Vestas of Denmark, the world’s largest wind turbine maker, and General Electric. Both companies have manufacturing plants in China but their local competitors, Xinjiang Goldwind, Sinovel Wind and Dong Fang Electric are expanding rapidly.

One challenge for China, however, is that most of its wind energy capacity is located a long way from the source of demand. When I visited a wind farm called Huitengxile in Inner Mongolia, we had to travel two and half hours by car out of the capital, Hohhot, and then make the final sojourn on horseback. An equally windy part of China is the northwest province of Xinjiang, and hence a great place for wind turbines. But it’s about 4000 kilometers away from China’s east coast, where most of the energy demand is.

Still, power companies are bullish on China. China Light & Power, which produces virtually all its power supplied to Hong Kong by burning coal, has finally found green religion. Today after its annual shareholders meeting the company told reporters China was ripe with opportunities for investing in wind power.

Fuente: worldofrenewables.com

Energy efficiency is most popular action to reduce emissions

Energy efficiency measures are the most popular action among businesses trying to reduce emissions, according to a survey of 300 large and small businesses in the UK.

But npower’s Business Energy Index (nBEI), an annual report of business opinion on energy use and carbon emissions, also found that more than eight out of ten businesses think the UK Government’s target of an 80% reduction in carbon emission by 2050 is unrealistic.

In the current economic climate, 97% of respondents said they were more interested in reducing costs than emissions. But on the upside, this means that 80% of companies say they are likely to increase energy efficiency initiatives in a bid to save on energy costs.

What is encouraging is that this year’s survey has seen an increase in the proportion of businesses recognising the need to be more energy efficient, Julia Lynch-Williams, director of energy services at npower, told Energy Efficiency News.

“While it’s understandable that businesses are more focused on the bottom-line in the current economic crisis, we would encourage them to see energy management as an effective means of reducing emissions as well as costs,” she adds.

The kind of energy saving measures being undertaken varies slightly according to the size of organisation. But what all businesses have in common is making employees aware of the benefits of energy efficiency as a matter of high priority. And key to that message is switching off equipment, lighting and other systems when not in use.

“Our advice to businesses is to make energy efficiency a priority now and in the long term,” says Lynch-Williams.

Once businesses take the first step in saving energy and see actual cost benefits, she believes it would be “unimaginable for businesses to revert to their old inefficient ways”.

But what businesses do need to take this first step is good advice on which energy efficiency measures to implement to cut costs and carbon emissions. Just over half of respondents (51%) said they did not think that the Government offers useful advice on energy efficiency or carbon reduction.

Lynch-Williams says there is a communications issue for the Government and organisations like the Energy Saving and Carbon Trust to address. Businesses need more access to unbiased, independent information to drive them towards more energy efficient operations.

Fuente: Energy Efficiency News

martes, 28 de abril de 2009

NY Announces Lake Erie & Ontario Wind Projects

Posted by John Davis – April 27th, 2009

offshore_wind_turbineGraceful wind turbines turning in the plentiful breezes off the Upstate New York shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario might soon become a reality.

This story from RenewableEnergyWorld.com says the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has announced a major public-private initiative to develop wind energy in that area:

To carry out the initiative known as the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project, NYPA, with the support of wind power proponents including National Grid, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, state and local environmental organizations, wind power developers and the University of Buffalo, is gathering a wide range of environmental, economic development, technical, financial and other information to serve as the foundation for the possible installation of wind power projects by one or more private wind power developers, sized to a minimum of 120 megawatts.

The first step in the initiative was taken when NYPA issued the [Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI)] for environmental, economic development, technical, operational, socio-economic, financial and other information from the wind power industry. This information will assist NYPA in determining the feasibility of taking the next step of preparing a wind power development [Request for Proposals (RFP)] which, if issued, would be expected to result in high-quality proposals for the construction of wind generating projects.

No big surprise, the announcement was welcomed by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):

“This is a great sign for offshore wind energy in the U.S.,” said Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA. “As we seek to dramatically expand wind energy, both on- and offshore, it is vital that we commit to long-term stable policies such as the Renewable Electricity Standard to allow the market to reach its full potential and enable businesses to build new factories and create new jobs.”

lunes, 27 de abril de 2009

GE WIND EYES DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH RATES IN 2010

HANOVER, Germany; April 25, 2009.- GE Wind's European business is expected to double this year thanks to the launch of new products, Rainer Broering told Reuters on the sidelines of the Hanover industry fair.

This would compensate for a decline in the U.S. business, he said.

General Electric Co, the U.S. industrial conglomerate, which makes everything from light bulbs to jet engines, has been battered by the financial crisis and decided to stop providing specific per-share profit forecasts when it reported a 36 percent drop in net income on April 17.
Broering said he is counting on planned investments by the Obama administration in the renewable energy sector for GE Wind's growth. GE Wind has a market share of 45 percent in the United States, he said.
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Small wind turbines struggling to gain momentum

Compared to the traditional wind market, the market for small wind turbines is growing at a slow speed. But according to Miamari Siitoinen, Marketing Director of Eagle Windpower Oy, 'the wind is turning' and small wind turbines are currently witnessing a strong increase in demand.
To what extent is that good news? What is the potential share of small wind turbines in the renewable energy mix? Sander Mertens of the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands conducted a research project comparing various quality parameters of small wind turbines presently on the market. The study shows that the potential of small wind production is overrated.
That said, some types of small wind turbines show good results.
According to Mertens’ study, it is mainly the very small systems used in residential environments that have the poorest efficiency.
The company mainly targets emerging economies. In those countries, small wind turbines can be used to improve the reliability of the electricity
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California rules to reduce fuel emissions 10% by 2020

California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) has adopted Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which calls for a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from fuels by 2020.

The legislation is aimed at increasing the use of alternative fuels and drastically cutting emissions.

“The drive to force the market toward greater use of alternative fuels will be a boon to the state’s economy and public health - it reduces air pollution, creates new jobs and continues California’s leadership in the fight against global warming,” commented ARB chairman Mary D. Nichols.

The ARB estimates that 1.5 billion gallons of biofuel will be required to meet demand, which will drive the expansion of biofuel facilities in the state.

Under the regulation, biofuel producers, refiners, importers and blenders will have to meet an average standard of ‘carbon intensity’ that will become progressively tighter.

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GET certifies Applied Materials SunFab thin-film PV line

Green Energy Technology (GET), a Taiwan-based maker of solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers and amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules, has certified its 8.5G SunFab thin-film line supplied by Applied Materials

GET began trial run of the SunFab line towards the end of 2008 and recently passed final tests in all respects of performance, GET indicated.

Applied Materials will maintain cooperation with GET to raise the efficiency of a-Si thin-film PV module production, according to Randhir Thakur, Applied Materials' senior vice president and general manager for the SunFab Thin-film Solar and Display Business Group.

The 8.5G line will turn out 2.2 x 2.6m (5.72 square meters) a-Si thin-film PV modules, the largest of its kind so far in Taiwan, GET said.

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ZenithSolar launches first 'cost-effective' solar energy plant

The 16 combined units will turn out about 150 MWh of electricity and 300 MWh of thermal energy per year.

"What is unique about our system is that we will be able to produce energy at around $0.08 per kilowatt/hour without a government subsidy, which is comparable to the cost of electricity from fossil fuel," ZenithSolar CEO Roy Segev told The Jerusalem Post ahead of the launch.

CPV technology has existed for two decades, Segev continued, but his company's proprietary optical and manufacturing systems give it a competitive edge. ZenithSolar installations consist mostly of plastic, glass and steel, which drive down costs, as does its unique manufacturing process, which relies on molds to mass produce plastic backing for the mirrors.

According to Segev, there is no other company in the world that offers a comparable system.

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New Systems Automate Composite Wind-Turbine Blade Fabrication, Double Throughput And Increase Quality

The company's new Rapid Material Placement System (RMPS) and quick-cure molding system for wind blades combine to reduce labor content by two-thirds, double throughput, and produce a consistently high-quality blade from the start of a shift to the end.

The new Rapid Material Placement System (RMPS) brings integrated manufacturing - with automation and repeatable process control - to what has largely been a manual or piecemeal-automated process. RMPS is an automated blade molding facility unto itself, capable of spraying in-mold coatings, dispensing/lay-up of glass and carbon fiber materials, and dispensing/application of adhesive. It brings 3 m/sec (10 ft/sec) lay-up speed to placement of materials in blade skin, spar cap, and sheer web molds, with laser- and vision-based wrinkle detection in cross or longitudinal directions. Depending on the laminate schedule, the system can reduce lay-up time 85 percent on a 45-meter blade.

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Solar Moves Ahead Despite Slow Economies

Communications, media and automotive services company, Cox Enterprises, has completed a 100 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) solar system at Cox's Manheim DRIVE facility in Stockbridge, Georgia.

The Manheim DRIVE Center is the first-of-its-kind innovation center in the vehicle remarketing industry. The Center hosts conferences, symposiums, roundtables and management retreats, as well as live auctions that are held in the 180-seat bidding theater. Since its opening in 2004, more than 20,000 guests from around the world have visited DRIVE.

Power from the system will be fed into the Georgia Power grid and is the largest solar array wired into the utility company’s power lines.

Cox also has photovoltaic power systems and solar thermal energy systems in facilities such as auction houses and automotive detailing shops in Bordentown, New Jersey; Phoenix, Arizona and Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

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Advanced Anaerobic Digestion: More Gas from Sewage Sludge

by Graham Neave
Northumbria, UK [Renewable Energy World Magazine]

At a time of heightened concerns about waste, climate change and the need for cleaner energy, it is worth pointing out that not all the news is bad. Technologies are redressing the balance -- and one of these is Advanced Anaerobic Digestion (AAD).

AAD will not turn muck into brass, or gold, but it does offer the potential to transform the sewage treatment process from a simple clean-up to one that recovers significant quantities of energy.

In the Northumbrian Water region, in the north-east of England, there are more than 400 (437 to be exact) sewage treatment works that all produce varying amounts of sludge. This material has to be removed from every works but, inevitably, it is difficult to handle and, to say the least, rather smelly.

To make this sludge stable to further degradation and (nearly) odour free, Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) has long employed anaerobic digestion techniques for about 10% of its total sludge.

These technologies harness natural oxygen-free decomposition by which organic materials break down to produce biogas – roughly made up of 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide – along with a much reduced residue of stabilized organic material. The latter can be safely deployed as fertilizer. In fact, by returning it to the soil in this way, nutrient and organic matter cycles that occur naturally are completed.

In the last five years, however, technology has advanced significantly and a technique has been perfected that can do much more.

Advanced Anaerobic Digestion significantly enhances the benefits of anaerobic digestion by separating and optimizing the key process stages used in more conventional digestion systems.

A More Sophisticated Process

There are two main pre-digestion processes used in AAD in the UK — thermal hydrolysis (the Cambi process) or enzymic hydrolysis (the Monsal process). Currently there are examples of each in operation and under construction.

Regardless of which process is used, the key to the AAD process is a phase that significantly enhances the breakdown of organic materials by, for example, breaking down cell walls. With thermal hydrolysis this is achieved by an initial high temperature of 165°C combined with high pressure (6 Bar) for less than one hour, or with enzyme hydrolysis this is achieved by phasing an increased temperature from 42°C to 55°C over several days.

The result is a far greater conversion of organic matter into biogas when the material is transferred into the anaerobic digestion phase. Following this digestion phase, there is a 50% reduction in sludge volumes, combined with the additional biogas/CHP- derived energy being produced, and ultimately a better quality bio-solids fertilizer.

One of the major benefits of this, of course, is that energy from biomass, including sewage sludge, are classed as renewable and therefore contribute to meeting Britain’s international commitments to address climate change.

But it does more than that too.

Using AAD reduces the mass of material that is required to be transported off site and offers the benefit of nutrient recovery from materials that are presently wasted.

Indeed, some particularly difficult materials, such as food wastes under the Animal By-products Order (ABPO), need the conditions of AAD to render them safe.

One other benefit that is not to be sniffed at, AAD results in reduced odour.

The digested sludge cake remaining after the process will be a Class A biosolid – a safe and low odour product containing no detectable levels of pathogens, such as E. coli, and may be used as a valuable agricultural fertilizer.

A New Sludge Strategy

With the obvious benefits AAD offers, NWL decided to invest in a complete new build AAD and CHP plant at its existing sludge treatment centre at Bran Sands on Teesside. The facility, on a 52 acre (21 ha) site, is the company’s largest, and treats sludge from Northumbrian Water sewage treatment works south of the river Tyne and in the Tees Valley.

The existing process at Bran Sands has served NWL very well since it was brought online in 1998. It involves the use of a thermal drying plant which dries wet sludge to pellets that have been used both as an alternative fuel and as a fertilizer. The downside is that the plant uses a lot of energy. The introduction of AAD will instead use the sludge to create energy and will reduce more than 500,000 tonnes of sludge — from the treatment of domestic sewage and industrial effluent from a population equivalent of 1.9 million people — to about 60,000 tonnes.

The methane produced in the process will be collected in 11 metre diameter biogas storage bags (similar to hot air balloons) before being used. The £33 million (US$50 million) contract to design, construct, install and commission the new facility was awarded to Aker Solutions E&C Ltd from Stockton in the Tees Valley.

The new plant will generate 4.7 MWe from the four on-site CHP engines. The engine heat recovery system captures a further 2 MWth, which is used to minimize the use of natural gas for steam production for the thermal hydrolysis process.

The process will also reduce Bran Sand’s reliance upon natural gas down to less than a tenth of previous requirements — from 17 MW to 1.4 MW.

Aside from Jenbacher, key equipment suppliers include Cambi, and Eurograde (boilers).

The energy recovered from the sewage sludge goes a long way towards making the entire wastewater treatment process energy self-sufficient, producing about half the requirements of the entire treatment works site at Bran Sands. This eliminates the need for large amounts of grid electricity and therefore has the dual benefits of cutting energy use and costs. Annually the advanced digestion facility has an annual output of 37 GWh, of which 22 GWh/year will be utilized to power the rest of the Bran Sands site. Financially, this equates to greater than £5 million ($7.5 million) in operational savings, which includes a renewable obligation certificate (ROC) contribution of £1.6 million ($2.4 million).

At Bran Sands, the processes also maximizes the efficiency of the solids loading for the anaerobic digestion phase. The thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment process begins with a sludge cake, produced by squeezing sludge to reduce the water content, which therefore provided the opportunity to review NWL’s sludge transport policy. By transporting cake wherever possible this avoids the wasteful transportation of large amounts of water associated with liquid sludge tankering.

These changes have resulted in a substantial reduction in the road miles associated with moving sludge.

Changing to AAD from thermal drying at Bran Sands, along with a planned change from lime stabilization at another NWL plant at Howdon on Tyneside, will reduce CO2 emissions by 62,000 tonnes a year for the group.

AAD has provided the company with a regional sludge management solution in line with their strategic direction statement, with the added benefit of a negligible odour impact on both the site and on the agricultural land when the residue produced is recycled for use as fertilizer.

There are regulatory benefits to take into consideration as well. Recycling treated bio-solids to agriculture is considered the best practicable environmental option (BPEO) by both the UK and the EU. The process produces an enhanced treated product that improves the public perception of recycling at a time when doubts have been expressed in some quarters.

The site is covered by Pollution Prevention and Control regulations (PPC), ensuring thorough monitoring of the total environmental impacts of the entire process and, when operational, the site will be registered with regulator Ofgem as a renewable electricity generation station.

To achieve these benefits does, of course, requirement investment — some £33 million [US $50 million] in total for a construction programme whose principal contractor is Aker Solutions E&C Ltd. There are a further 30 subcontracting teams and a total workforce of over 200 people.

Construction commenced in summer 2007, although the actual concept of introducing the new technology into Northumbrian Water began in 2005.

Much of the site construction work is now complete, with equipment already in place. Some 10,000 tonnes of concrete have been poured, a full 100,000 metres of cabling laid, along with 4000 metres of pipe work. Commissioning of the plant will begin shortly with biogas production commencing this summer. The full process and business benefits are due to be realized by the autumn of this year.

Construction of the new plant has involved the use of a very tight and complex scheme, which was only made possible through the integrated team approach of Northumbrian Water Ltd, the contractor and consultants working very closely together.

The AAD Advantage

The process that the Bran Sands AAD plant facilitates is not only environmentally friendly, it is economically attractive too. The plant approaching energy self-sufficiency not only reduces costs, it also shields the company from the impact of volatile and unpredictable energy prices. It further offers demonstrable operational cost savings and improves the efficiency of sludge management throughout the region.

In addition to the ever-important cost benefits, there are also significant operational benefits. The new AAD process allows reduced maintenance compared to the existing process, which has been operating on a ‘business as usual’ basis while the plant is being constructed. It continues to allow the utilization of existing sludge assets where cost effectiveness has been demonstrated and the current sludge drying facilities will be retained at Bran Sands as a strategic contingency back-up.

The final completion of the Bran Sands AAD plant (Teesside) is not the end of the process. NWL also plans to roll-out the sludge strategy to a second AAD centre at Howdon on Tyneside, see box panel on page 64.

Looking still further ahead, and aware of the growing synergy between the water and waste industries in relation to these processes, the company is actively investigating the possibility of co-digestion — the simultaneous digestion of compatible wastes — to understand the technical, regulatory and market implications. It seems that the Bran Sands development proves the old Yorkshire adage that ‘where there’s muck, there’s brass’, more advanced processes are now proving that where there’s muck there’s gas, and that is a valuable resource.

Graham Neave is a Northumbrian Water executive director and has overall responsibility for the Customer, Technical and Operations directorates.

sábado, 25 de abril de 2009

DIVERSIFICAN COMBUSTIBLES EN CALIFORNIA

El estado de California aprobó el primer reglamento en el mundo que sustituirá gradualmente el uso de gasolina por el de combustibles alternativos e impone a la industria automotriz la necesidad de diseñar vehículos anticontaminantes

SAN DIEGO, E.U. 25 abril 2009.- La administración del presidente Barack Obama está atenta a los resultados que obtengamos y podría adoptar la medida para aplicarla a todo el país, dijo a Notimex el portavoz de la Oficina de Recursos del Aire de California, Dimitri Stanich.

Agregó que la norma aprobada obliga a la industria automotriz a dar a California una cuota de nuevos vehículos eléctricos, híbridos, de hidrógeno y que tengan un reducido consumo de gasolina y un mayor consumo de etanol, biocombustible y aditivo al mismo tiempo.

California espera reducir con la medida unos 16 millones de toneladas de contaminantes del aire en los próximos 10 años y otros estados planean imitar el nuevo reglamento.

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CONSTRUIRÁN DOS CENTRALES SOLARES EN EL NORTE DE CHILE

SANTIAGO DE CHILE; 25 abril 2009.- El Gobierno impulsará la construcción de dos centrales solares en el norte del país, anunció el ministro de Energía, Marcelo Tokman.

La Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE) realizará un concurso internacional para licitar la adjudicación de las obras durante el segundo semestre del año, precisó Tokman.

El titular de Energía explicó que se trata de dos proyectos con tecnologías distintas, uno es "una granja fotovoltaica", con capacidad para generar un megavatio de potencia, y el otro "una planta de concentración solar", que puede llegar a los diez megavatios.

Está previsto que el concurso se adjudique a finales de este año o a principios de 2010 y la planta más pequeña podría entrar en funcionamiento el próximo año, mientras que la otra instalación estaría lista en 2012.

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NEW SOLAR FARM ADDS HOT WATER TO CHEAP ELECTRICITY

KVUTZAT YAVNE, Israel; April 25, 2009.- As with all solar energy systems, investors and consumers may be turned off by high initial costs and the need for strong sunlight. But if the commercial pilot works, Israeli start-up ZenithSolar plans to make small units for homes in two years.

ZenithSolar CEO Roy Segev says its energy dish can transform 75 percent of the sunlight it absorbs into electricity and hot water, with a cost of 8.6 cents per kilowatt hour.

Conventional solar panels generate electricity from sunlight with less than 15 percent efficiency and can cost more than double per kilowatt hour.

With billions of dollars being invested in global green stimulus plans, energy companies worldwide are racing to develop more efficient environmentally friendly technologies.
ZenithSolar says that in peak conditions, its system can produce electricity and hot water at a cost to consumers that can compete with fossil fuels without government subsidies.
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NREL, iTi Solar partner to make solar energy cheaper

Boulder-based iTi Solar, a new division of industrial inkjet company iTi Corp., on Wednesday announced NREL installed tailored versions of the Boulder company's Materials Deposition Systems as part of a new Atmospheric Processing Platform, a multi-functional process line to develop atmospheric processing methods and materials for photovoltaic applications.

"We certainly believe that what we're doing is important in achieving the objective of making solar more affordable for people," said Bruce Morgan, chief executive officer of the 32-employee iTi. "That's a driver for us."

Inkjet technology, Morgan said, could be more cost-effective than some of the solar cell manufacturing processes currently used. Now, metallic-based grids are essentially screen-printed on the panel faces, Morgan said, adding that there are more opportunities to waste expensive metals such as silver and not be able to use thinner substrates.

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viernes, 24 de abril de 2009

Lanzan concurso de innovación energética en México

clipped from www.elimparcial.com

El Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), en colaboración con GVEP International, GTZ y el gobierno de Corea lanzaron en México el concurso de Innovación Energética que premiará hasta con 200 mil dólares a proyectos que mejoren la eficiencia energética y el acceso a la energía renovable.

La iniciativa busca impulsar el desarrollo de soluciones a la escasez de energía que enfrenta la región, particularmente las áreas rurales y de bajos ingresos.

La invitación va dirigida a organizaciones no gubernamentales, empresas, fundaciones, centros de investigación, universidades o agencias de desarrollo que podrán postular proyectos de forma individual o en asociación con otras entidades.

Los criterios de evaluación incluirán el grado de innovación, el impacto en el desarrollo (económico, social y ambiental), la posibilidad de crecimiento o ampliación, la sostenibilidad financiera, la capacidad institucional y los riesgos inherentes al proyecto.
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PREFACIO A LA PROPUESTA PARA AMPLIAR LA MITIGACIÓN DE GASES DE EFECTO INVERNADERO EN EL SECTOR ELÉCTRICO DE MÉXICO

Opinión de Odón de Buen R.

A lo largo de más de cien años, México ha desarrollado un importante sistema eléctrico. A partir de la nacionalización del sector en 1960, y con el papel central y protagónico de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) y Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LFC), se ha logrado que, en términos generales, contemos con un servicio eléctrico de calidad.

Sin embargo, los modelos actuales de crecimiento y funcionamiento del sector ya no están en sintonía con los cambios que ocurren en esta industria en el mundo ni con las necesidades más amplias de México. En particular, son claras manifestaciones de esto:
el que el sector eléctrico mexicano tenga una gran dependencia en combustibles fósiles para producir electricidad;

el que, fuera del contexto de las dos empresas eléctricas nacionales, las empresas privadas se encuentren con un innumerable número de barreras para desarrollar proyectos que cubran sus necesidades y puedan aportar una mayor eficiencia en el uso de los combustibles; el que existan altos niveles de subsidio a ciertos conjuntos de usuarios (que promueven el desperdicio y que limitan los alcances de los programas de ahorro de energía eléctrica).

Así, por el lado de la oferta, aún dependemos en más de 70% de los combustibles fósiles para la generación de electricidad. Esta situación, además de lo que implica en costos para el sector y sus usuarios -cuando suben los precios del petróleo, gas y carbón-, también representa una alta intensidad de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, aspecto en el que México previsiblemente asumirá compromisos internacionales que lo obligarán a modificar su canasta de energéticos primarios para la producción de electricidad.

Igualmente, el escaso aprovechamiento de las oportunidades de cogeneración (debido, principalmente, a restricciones en el marco legal), limita el incremento en los niveles de eficiencia de la generación eléctrica en el país, un uso más eficiente de la energía primaria y una mejor utilización de la infraestructura de redes eléctricas de transmisión y distribución.

Por el lado de la demanda, no obstante que en el país se ha desarrollado una variedad significativa de programas exitosos y de gran impacto en ahorro y uso eficiente de la energía, en los últimos años se han reducido los esfuerzos para seguir explotando un potencial que sigue siendo considerable. En este sentido, el principal obstáculo continúan siendo los subsidios generalizados que, se supone, fueron establecidos para proteger la economía de los más pobres, pero realmente sirven para pagar el desperdicio de muchos.

Ante este panorama, ENTE ha elaborado el presente estudio, que analiza tanto los potenciales como los obstáculos y, a la vez, hace una propuesta orientada a una mayor eficiencia en el uso final de la electricidad y al aprovechamiento más amplio de las energías renovables para la generación eléctrica.

De acuerdo con el resultado de los análisis, el llevar a cabo estas acciones tendrá un costo total de 66,000 millones de pesos a lo largo de doce años (hasta el 2020). Esto significa que, en promedio, el programa costaría poco más de 5.5 mil millones de pesos por año (que es equivalente al 4.2% de lo que se gasta en subsidios anualmente).
En este sentido, se sugieren tres opciones para financiar la propuesta:

Aprovechar los recursos del fondo de 3,000 millones de pesos al año que ha sido comprometido dentro de la Ley para el Aprovechamiento de Energías Renovables y el Financiamiento de la Transición Energética. Sin embargo, utilizar el fondo como única fuente de recursos no será suficiente, pues éstos deberán asegurarse por veinte años para cubrir las necesidades de este programa.

Una segunda opción sería aprovechar una fracción de los subsidios que actualmente se otorgan al servicio eléctrico. Aquí lo que se sugiere es que, en un plazo no mayor a 24 meses, se empiece a transferir, hasta por doce años, 4.2% de los subsidios (cuyo total se estima en 130 mil millones de pesos anuales) e integrarlo a un fondo que sirva para financiar el programa.

Una combinación de las dos anteriores.

Es importante señalar que el programa permitiría reducir las emisiones anuales de gases de efecto invernadero (respecto de las que se estiman para generación eléctrica proyectada por la CFE para 2017) por cerca de 25 millones de toneladas anuales de CO2 equivalente (18% del total para ese año).

Igualmente, las medidas que aquí se proponen tendrían un efecto significativo en la demanda de productos y servicios mexicanos y, por lo tanto, el empleo en México.
Por supuesto, estas acciones deben ir acompañadas por un ajuste y/o modificación de las leyes que regulan el sector eléctrico, en particular las que hoy día detienen el desarrollo cabal de la generación con energía renovable y la cogeneración.

En síntesis, ENTE pone este estudio sobre la mesa de los actores públicos y privados, y formula esta propuesta para ser considerada, debatida y, en su caso, aprovechada.

(Transición Energética www.funtener.org)

IMPULSA CUBA USO DE ENERGÍA RENOVABLE PARA BENEFICIO SOCIAL

Cuba extiende el uso de la energía renovable y estimula la elaboración y ejecución de proyectos ambientales que contribuyan al bienestar social

LA HABANA, Cuba; 24 abril 2009.- Emir Madruga, vicepresidente de la Sociedad Cubana para la Promoción de las Fuentes Renovables de Energía y el Respeto Ambiental (CUBASOLAR), participó en un encuentro con especialistas del ramo en la provincia de Granma, donde elogió la labor del Centro Cubano de Estudio Solar.

Este se ubica en la comunidad de El Caney de Las Mercedes, municipio de Bartolomé Masó, en la provincia de Granma, donde radica el mayor sitio demostrativo de las ventajas económicas y ecológicas del uso de la energía renovable.

En la reunión de balance de la delegación de CUBASOLAR en este territorio, agregó que es necesario aumentar las acciones de investigación y diagnóstico en todos los territorios donde sea posible, para elevar la cultura de la población en cuanto al empleo de recursos ecológicos y generar beneficios palpables.

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NIST announces smart grid plan

The US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a three-phase plan to develop key standards for a nationwide smart grid to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely.

A smart grid is a key component of the Obama Administration’s commitment to moving the US toward energy independence and was awarded funds in the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“The smart grid will create jobs and contribute to the national effort to achieve energy independence and facilitate environmental improvements,” says Patrick Gallagher, NIST deputy director.

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) charges NIST with the “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems”.
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Sun to Power Wal-Mart Facilities in California

clipped from domesticfuel.com

walmartsolar1That familiar Wal-Mart smiley face might be glowing like the sun as the company has upped its commitment to sustainability efforts by adding solar panels to 10 to 20 Wal-Mart facilities in California.

This company press release
says these panels will be in addition to the 18 solar arrays currently installed at Wal-Mart facilities in California, bringing the retailer’s total solar commitment to:

• Generate up to 32 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy per year - the equivalent of powering more than 2,600 homes*;
• Avoid producing more than 22,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year - the equivalent of taking more than 4,000 cars off the road*;
• Provide 20 to 30 percent of each location’s total electric energy needs.
“Increasing the use of solar energy is the right thing to do for the environment and makes tremendous business sense, especially in these economic conditions,” said Kimberly Sentovich, Wal-Mart’s California regional general manager.
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U.S.-MEXICO ANNOUNCE BILATERAL FRAMEWORK ON CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

clipped from www.whitehouse.gov
President Obama and President Calderon today announced plans to strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation by establishing the US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. During their first conversation in January 2009, then President-elect Obama and President Calderon discussed the need for joint efforts to reach our common goal of achieving a low carbon future and a clean energy economy. This framework builds on that discussion.

During their discussions in Mexico City today, the two leaders agreed on the importance of promoting clean energy and combating climate change and the value of joint and practical collaboration in achieving these goals. The Bilateral Framework establishes a mechanism for political and technical cooperation and information exchange, and to facilitate common efforts to develop clean energy economies. It will also complement and reinforce existing work between the two countries.
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(SENER) COMBATE EFICIENCIA ENERGETICA EL CALENTAMIENTO GLOBAL

clipped from ve.invertia.com
MEXICO, Abril. 23.- La eficiencia energética es una de las formas más sencillas y menos costosas de combatir el calentamiento global, ya que los aparatos electrodomésticos actuales consumen menos electricidad y funcionan igual o mejor que los equipos de antaño, aseguró Georgina Kessel, secretaria de Energía (SENER).
Durante la presentación del Programa Nacional de Sustitución de Equipos Electrodomésticos para el Ahorro de Energía, la funcionaria comentó que dicho proyecto otorgará facilidades a las familias de escasos recursos para que dejen de utilizar aparatos ineficientes, con lo que se protegerán los bosques, ríos, selvas y playas de México.
Para este año se planea sustituir casi medio millón de electrodomésticos con lo que las familias ahorrarán en sus pagos de consumo de luz y ayudará a reactivar la economía regional y proteger el empleo, ya que tanto la industria como pequeñas y medianas empresas participan en la comercialización, acopio, destrucción y producción de los aparatos.
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jueves, 23 de abril de 2009

Obama presiona por energías renovables

clipped from www.cemda.org.mx

NEWTON, Iowa (Reuters).— El presidente Barack Obama dijo ayer que Estados Unidos debe liderar el desarrollo de energía renovable y presionó al Congreso de su país a fijar límites a las emisiones de gases efecto invernadero, ambos objetivos que consideró cruciales para el éxito de los diálogos mundiales sobre cambio climático.

Obama, quien ha mantenido la reforma energética como una de sus más altas prioridades desde que asumió en enero, aprovechó el Día de la Tierra para exaltar la necesidad de un cambio en Estados Unidos a combustibles menos contaminantes y de esfuerzos concertados para reducir la dependencia de la nación del petróleo extranjero.

“Es momento de que nosotros pongamos nuevos cimientos para un crecimiento económico al comenzar una nueva era de exploración energética en Estados Unidos”, expresó Obama a trabajadores en una planta de energía eólica en Iowa, el estado que impulsó su campaña presidencial hace más de un año.

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Al Gore insiste sobre la necesidad de desarrollar fuentes de energía verdes

clipped from www.cemda.org.mx

En el marco del Día de la Tierra, Albert Gore, galardonado en 2007 con el Premio Nobel de la Paz por su esfuerzo para combatir el cambio climático, hizo un llamado a la sociedad estadunidense para que exija al Congreso de ese país un marco legal que promueva las energías limpias.

El ex vicepresidente de Estados Unidos manifestó a través del organismo que preside, Repower America, que esa legislación será fundamental para impulsar la debilitada economía.

“Para resolver la crisis del cambio climático no basta solamente con cambiar focos, necesitamos modificar las leyes”, destacó.

“Estamos más cerca que nunca antes. El Congreso está debatiendo el marco legal para las energías limpias que impulsará a la economía y que ayudará a resolver el problema del clima.”

Se trata de una legislación histórica, agregó, que es esperada desde hace mucho tiempo, que permitirá generar millones de empleos, así como comenzar a reducir las emisiones de carbono a la atmósfera.

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