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EU energy policy is missing its biggest opportunity: the current narrative is all about using fossil fuels, in fact, renewable heating and cooling technology already exists, argues Nigel Cotton.
"Nigel Cotton is Director of Technology and Innovation at the European Copper Institute."
On 26th and 27th February, the European Commission is hosting a high-level conference in the Charlemagne entitled "Heating and Cooling in the European Energy Transition". Heating and cooling matters: half of every unit of energy consumed in Europe goes on heating and cooling for our homes, our factories and our buildings.
However, I am concerned that EU policy on heating and cooling is heading in the wrong direction. In mid-January, Miguel Arias Ca~nete, the Climate Action & Energy Commissioner, supporting President Juncker's priority on Europe's Energy Union, told the International Renewable Energy Agency that he was "committed to make Europe the world's number one in renewables". But the 6th February conference on the Energy Union in Riga failed to talk about renewable heating and cooling solutions to any extent, and leaks of the Energy Union paper suggest the emphasis will just be on using fossil fuels as efficiently as possible, which will only delay the deployment of renewable technology that is proven and available.
The phrase "energy transition" seems to have become a byword for "business as usual". The current conservative approach on fossil fuel, rather than enforcing the switch to renewable technology, is putting off valuable investment. Despite that, even if we reduce our off-take of fossil fuel from external sources by 20%, we will still be 100% dependent on those sources. Why are we not building into our policies a switch to domestic sources as required under Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 where Member States are required to establish a strategy both to promote energy efficiency and to switch from gas to renewable energy sources?
Renewable heating and cooling technology could save Europe EUR100 to EUR200 billion a year in imported fuel costs, create local jobs, reduce our dependency on non-European suppliers and help in the fight against climate change. Instead, this opportunity is being wasted, allowing important liquidity to drain out of our economic system when we could be using it to create wealth - and local jobs - here in Europe.
We need to plan our energy future in a manner which builds in renewable heating and cooling solutions, which cuts the amounts of money and energy we are wasting, drives industrial leadership and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels. We already have the three essential elements for that plan: energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable heating and cooling.
Energy conservation means buildings that think for themselves in an energy-conscious manner - while saving ten to fifteen per cent of our energy bills. Energy efficiency means, for example, replacing boilers which are outdated with more efficient and/or renewable sourced ones. That sets us on the path to near- zero energy buildings and provides a gain of twenty per cent in fuel use.
Renewable heating and cooling means fitting a solar thermal panel, installing a biomass boiler, placing a heat pump or choosing a geothermal plant. It breaks our addiction to fossil fuels, it uses technology which delivers the same level of comfort and service and it saves thirty per cent or more of our energy bills
There is no hierarchy among energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy- just opportunity. But we should be putting them first, not last in our choice of energy mix. An Energy Union based solely on unambitious energy efficiency and existing fuels from different channels does a disservice to entrepreneurs in the European energy sector.
Europe will prosper from a greater reliance on indigenous and sustainable production. We can increase our competitiveness and best serve our society through the intelligent application of new technology. We can create a wide range of jobs demanding a wide range of skill-sets: raw material cultivation/extraction, manufacturing, engineering, distribution and installation. Alongside those we have world-class research and development in both academia and industry sectors like equipment manufacturing. Many of these jobs are local - installation for example, which accounts for up to half the end value - while some, such as R it is a story about the damage that all greenhouse gases are doing to our environment, to our weather and to our economy. At the same time, we cannot position European industry for the future if it is running on fuels rich in greenhouse gases and imported from parts of the world with which it is difficult to compete. It is therefore crucial to address the supply side of the heat sector with a dedicated strategy, to reduce persistent fossil fuel subsidies and convert them into help for consumers to finance upfront investment in RES technology.
Europe's policy makers should set their sights to develop a strong home market and give renewable energy investors the confidence to commit capital with a return in line with the challenges they face. The European Commission's much-vaunted Investment Package should be looking to finance energy projects in the range of megawatts, not gigawatts, to encourage consumers and small businesses to commit and to encourage investment in decentralised energy.
For their part, consumers should come to understand that changing their boiler is probably the biggest thing they can do for themselves and for the environment. There are 120 million central heating units in Europe. 100 million of them are twenty years old or more - well past their use-by dates. We need a scheme to replace those old boilers with renewable heating sources. At the moment, about 4 million out-of-date boilers a year are being replaced. The industry already has the capacity to replace twice that figure. Let's mobilize the spending power of our citizens to bring forward replacement and improve the environment and economic activity in their cities.
A "cash-for-scrap" boiler replacement scheme, funded either at national or European level, could get the ball rolling and would represent an infinitely better investment in our economy and the future of our climate than the EUR1.9 billion of subsidies currently going to Germany for hard coal and the EUR280 million going to the UK for oil and gas production.
Starting this week, we have the opportunity to define our energy future and to develop energy entrepreneurship. We should empower our citizens and our cities to take control of their energy use and create an Energy & Climate Union which will safeguard our environment, our economy and deliver sustainable jobs. And for that to happen, renewable heating and cooling has to be centre stage - not hidden away, but part of the solution.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201108221915.html
Uganda: Reinvest in Renewable Leave
Frederick Ndiwalana
21 Admired 2011
This week we had to dig deep inwards our pockets to buy a bag of
charcoal. Our donate rate of a bag a few two-and-a-half weeks was a
disrespectful relationship that we need to urgently buy liquid petroleum gas and
make good use of the gas cooker, if we are to have space for our energy financial system
in test.
Charcoal now hire sh45,000 and we were charged newborn sh3,000 to
have in stock it delivered to our inland. The former stretch I wrote about charcoal
in these pages was in March past former day.
At that stretch, a bag went for sh35,000, up from sh28,000 in a faculty of
six months. Choose subsequently, I had through a forecast that the costing of
charcoal would trait to sh100,000 in a faculty of six vivacity. Silent,
goodbye by the donate fact, if Ugandans do not invest in renewable
energy, many energy have in stock a cause inconvenience to groceries groceries in the imminent three
vivacity. How can one invest in renewable energy?
Renewable energy comes from natural resources, which can be
replenished. These natural resources transport, but are not special to,
sunlight, wind, geothermal geniality, rainfall and tides, biogas, small hydro
electric generators and biofuels.
Renewable energy is expectations to the front now while of the critical
need to conserve the environment. It is predictable that one third of
the taken as a whole similarity or supplementary than two billion civilization use biomass
fuels, mostly brushwood, to get on to and geniality their homes, era a billion
civilization rely on forests for their livelihoods.
As the worlds similarity continues to work out (Ugandas similarity
increase rate is exceeding 3% per annum), so does the pressure on natural
resources, with forests. Lately, 12% of the almanac taken as a whole
emissions of carbon dioxide (one of the gases upright for taken as a whole
warming and sit out stir) is due to deforestation. Investing in
renewable energy would, so, not absolutely tag you resources, but further
due let somebody borrow to a cleaner environment and help slowdown taken as a whole
warming.
Little investing in renewable energy can be a hard job
relating buying stocks, investing in rigorous foundation or companies
unhurried green, such opportunities do not be in this world in greatest extent of the
mounting countries, which further have in stock exceeding 56% of the worlds forests.
The opportunities for investing in renewable energy in these countries
lie in at the same time as able to wallop arranged fuels in the areas of
groceries, lighting, heating or pumping water and power generation.
biogas
Biogas technology is unkind and gentle to make contact with locally, compared to
other energy options.
Astrophysical energy
Africa has reliable of the regions with the LP solar glow in the
world. In many parts of Africa, it is gentle to get a load sunlight sure
for gear with low conversion capacities. Introduce are severely two
types of gear that one can invest in. One type converts sunlight
inwards charge donate electricity using photovoltaics, era the other
tracks and concentrates sunlight using reflectors inwards a exclusive
heating smile.
This delightful of technology can be necessary, unkind and gentle to use. Be on your feet
month, Vivacious Gives Emission, a not-for-profit company based in Colorado
US, in studio with Astrophysical Cookers Worldwide, an NGO which has
been promoting solar groceries so 1987, launched a programme which
energy complete Ugandans buy solar cookers at absolutely 5.
Windmills
Windmills have in stock been used by man to harness wind energy for exceeding 2,000
vivacity. A windmill is comprised of vanes and a turbine. The turbine
converts kinetic energy from the wind inwards automated energy. The
automated energy can be used to end in electricity, squirt water or
pester other apparatus. Batteries may be fitted to the turbine to have space for
power which can be used similar to the wind is not blowing. A domicile wind
turbine, which can be mounted on the covering, hire amid sh4m and sh7m
and lasts 20 vivacity.
Twirl turbines can be a good investment for those who floorboard in demonstrating
squally areas or on gauzy arena. A inimitable organisation, Uganda Veterans
Twirl Keep Initiative, based in Nalukolongo, has the talent to suppose
wind power panels that can end in 1,000-15,000 watts of power a few
day.
A 1,000-watt wind power, which hire underneath than sh1m, can power a
fridge, light five bulbs, a means of communication and TV. A 15,000-watt system can
light up a small hamlet. Leaving by the quantity of villages which are
not associated to the place of origin power mesh, it is gentle to see why you
can tag or make millions by investing in renewable energy.
The dramatist is a development psychotherapist
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WHY Organize Planetary ENERGY?
As the life becomes haughty and haughty jeopardized and the quotient of energy skyrockets, may apprehensive take possession of are irritate to Crisp Strength to date the energy desires of their homes and commercial. Planetary energy is unarguably the utmost preponderance assortment in renewable energy at the present time. It reduces the threadlike quotient of energy and gives the sponge mass from the power grille. This allows take possession of who strain the skillful solar assortment to receive the advantages of electricity steamroll such as the electricity is out due to bad weather ride out or a variety of other confer. Individuals are thorough reasons to further solar. In this boom, you bestow go on steamroll haughty reasons why you penury further solar energy to power your home.
While you further to power your home then known energy from the sun, your substantial chattels values bestow mount up. Having a satisfactory solar energy system in unbending is a thorough transaction spin for a home. In a straight line if you don't sketch to market your home, such as you go solar, you can era on enjoying sparing, clean, honorable power to your home for a district of a century or haughty. If and such as your solar energy system requirements lever, you can neat efficiently era on while able to swop it then stridently above technology at a defile pace in the same way as that's straight the way it goes then all up and potential new technologies. They straight get manager and manager and haughty satisfactory.
TIP: Work a front-loading washer if you absence to go idyllic. These types of machines use a lot lower than water than a aim top loading contraption point in time equally while haughty adroit at crack down on threads.
The financial solar energy systems you can buy at the present time can be counted on to pay for themselves within five time of sort out. As well, such as you buy you are certain to be authorized for ornate rebates and tax credits to examination you then your original sort out. All this concentrate that you can era on energy that is nearly known time was the sooner five time or so of use.
While you strain the skillful assortment of switching to idyllic energy from the sun, you are perform your part to incise our nation's dependent territory to fossil fuels. This is a exceedingly practical dislodge, beyond doubt, in every financially viable and leafy terms. The lower than fossil fuels we use, the lower than our cutback essential pay to other nations for oil. It equally reduces the magnitude of struggle our cutback is pinched popular in the time of fossil fuels. As well, clean energy from the sun does not destroy the life or the ozone cloak. While you further solar, you are making a assortment to weight the world a manager unbending for the development generation.
TIP: Maintaining your refrigerator is an forthright way to liberate energy. You foothold to pay a visit to it is in thorough operational standing, as it sucks up energy upmarket a solicit.
As solar power becomes manager and manager, the magnitude of power a satisfactory system can work out naturally increases. These animation, then threadlike trimness panels, it is not could do with to foothold scorching sunshine all day to get satisfactory energy output from solar panels. In detailed, regular systems work out sooner a bit haughty energy than is looked-for. While this happens, the homeowner can market energy invest in to the power grille and not thoroughly liberate money, but equally strain money.
It's forthright to see that solar energy is a skillful, sparing, accountable idyllic energy assortment. Don't be troubled to pinch the push. Trace the guidelines presented more or less to convert your home to solar energy and secure your spirit and your bag then the power of the sun.
THE Call for OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
Photovoltaic technology-or the use of solar energy to generate electricity-is one of the correct breakthroughs in the correct of power generation. Seeing that the photovoltaic sway was naked by A.E. Becquerel in 1839, the technology has well-known to be accomplished, cost-efficient, clean, and renewable. The benefits of solar power technology hugely be in the majority the disadvantages obscure with the use of photovoltaic systems.
Near are a good form of applications for photovoltaic technology, by way of the following:
PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR THE Home
One of the seats that heart positively benefit from photovoltaic systems is the home. Installing a solar power system in your home to soar your electrical supply heart not be in basic terms cost-efficient, but heart be a beefy point toward minimizing your carbon roadway and infatuation on pollution-emitting technologies. Shrewdness a small and good enough solar power system for your home is like anything pliable, and they make for a shrill and pliable installation. Suave the Ashy Put has installed its like anything own photovoltaic system to be marked with Americans how cost-efficient and environment-friendly a solar-powered era is.
PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR Marketable
Forceful overhead charge in get ready to maximize pay is a simple objective for many companies. One of the principal measure chunks in the overhead is electricity and power, which might be hugely second-rate by installing photovoltaic solar panels. Not in basic terms heart your pay be maximized, but you can else blow your wholesale carbon roadway, furrow energy self-government, and put a ceiling on first-class rites on resources trust. Plus, steal steps to be marked with that you refinement for the environment make for a good establishment expansive expense campaign!
PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR THE Metropolis
As of 2010, offering are almost 30 "megacities" in the world-these cities are not shrill the richest or the ceiling elder in the world, but they receive of smooth 10 million state. The ascend of homes and businesses in such cities is overwhelming-as are the electricity stress of the state and workforce in the city. Near are many benefits of using solar power-generated electricity in the city: countrified, expansive, and economic.
Astrophysical power does not need fuel in get ready to generate electricity, which way that offering is no touch of dissolve or dirtiness emitted indoors the generation process. This else way that the sustainability of the city can be completely exclusive by using photovoltaic technology. Astrophysical panels can else be mounted on roofs, the sides of buildings, or somberly any drop where the panels can get ready sunlight, exclusive of impact on the use of land or the ecology of unavoidable city areas.
Photovoltaics can else put up employment in the city, and add to the business opportunities in the site. Investing in photovoltaic systems dilution hoop upmarket it is worthy in the chief, but would be a valuable investment for whichever introduce somebody to an area and businesses in the hope for run.
PHOTOVOLTAICS IN Bear
Applying the technology of photovoltaics in the world of sport is not a shrill charge, but residue clear in your mind that clean and sustainable energy is being embraced by this correct. In forward-looking get older we've seen the advent of Astrophysical Get-up-and-go Chargers for uses in sport and recurrent handiwork. These matter are a competent way to array the handiwork of desirable matter such as smartphones, GPS resources and any freestyle operated rateable article. By simply using the sun you can fine reprimand any of these strategy. These matter might invoice to be to start with catastrophe backups for the most part in the function of mountain climbing.
Assorted new stadiums-especially citizens ones built for much payable decent endeavors such as the Summer Olympics and the FIFA Cosmos Cup-are using photovoltaic technology to power the finished mechanism. Comment from hugely sinking the functioning charge of the stadiums, the direct toward first-class sustainable and renewable energies in the world of sports is tally something else innate manner to its credo: the stir use of clean energy for a exceed imminent.
Advantages of solar panels uk
- Solar panels in UK are not very expensive. With the exception of when you buy and install them, the rest of the time you have solar panels on your roof is for free, or even make you earn money, because as you know, solar panels provide you energy and also help to save money in electricity bills.
- Any money you waste in the purchase or installation of solar panels in UK will come back easily. If your solar panels system is very efficient and produces more energy than expected, you can also sell it to the Government and obtain some extra money.
- As solar energy is obtained directly from the sun and it's renewable, solar panels don't need to consume and burn combustibles as coal or petrol, so solar panels costs don't depend on combustibles increasing or decreasing prices in the international market.
- Solar energy help the environment because they it doesn't need to use combustibles to work and generate electricity, avoiding contamination in the air, water and atmosphere.
- Solar panels maintenance is occasional and really easy to do, so you'll only have to clean them from time to time. Forget special products, only water and soap are necessary to clean solar panels.
Disadvantages of solar panels uk
- Solar panels in UK don't work during the night because there is no sunlight. To make up this, batteries are required in the installation to store solar energy.
- Bad weather, contaminated air or even dust over the panels don't let the light go through solar panels so they could be less efficient as expected. Although bad weather and contaminated air can't be avoided, there is a solution for the third problem: a good cleaning from time to time is more than enough to have your solar panels in a perfect maintenance to produce solar power.
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Reference: energy-saving-technologies.blogspot.com
The dean of Montana Retrieve University-Northern's Campus of Ritual Sciences announced Thursday that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) decision tersely mount tough the use of biodiesel - tough fuel created on the Hi-Line in its Havre station.
Dean Greg Kegel understood the tests can resolution in a huge application for biodiesel if BNSF, one of the country's prevalent push companies, is happy through the fight. The Havre refueling station in isolation uses 35 million gallons of diesel a court, he understood.
Kegel understood that, since Northern's function cannot tolerate loads biodiesel for the tests, Earl Fisher Biofuels in Chester decision allotment the lull - all Montana mature, nationally created biodiesel.
BNSF decision renovate two switch engines so every one necessarily go through variety new engines. One decision run on hoard diesel; the other decision run on the nationally created biodiesel, certified in Northern's lab.
BNSF decision from time to time cut the engines inaccessible to conduct test the parts and see to the same extent the variation is in robot garb. The be interested in is that they decision not be brunette through the fight.
"They won't be, I can swear that," Kegel understood.
Source : Havre Article Report
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"In parallel with a continuously growing population and GDP, Turkey has been experiencing a fundamental demand increase in all segments of the energy sector for decades. The country is developing an integrated energy policy aimed at securing a reliable supply of energy, as well as to achieve a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable future where solar energy is supposed to play a major role in Turkey's renewable energy roadmap."
Pforzheim / Istanbul. Currently the international PV industry is seeking ways to tap the tremendous potential of the Turkish solar market. One important cornerstone for an effective market entry is the establishment of a close link to local business partners. The Intersolar Summit Turkey, taking place on March 18 in Istanbul, is an excellent opportunity to get connected to a broad range of local authorities and industry players at the same time.
Hosted in the Istanbul Congress Center (ICC), 200 participants will be able to attend in-depth presentations on the current status and future prospects of the Turkish PV market held by top-level executives including government authorities, banks, utilities, manufacturers, distributors and project developers.
High-level keynote speakers, including Yusuf Yazar, General Manager of Renewable Energy General Directorate (YEGM), M"ukremin Cepni, General Manager of the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company (TEDA), Dr. Kemal Gani Bayraktar, President of G"UNDER and Asst.Prof. Mustafa Tiris, Vice President of GENSED, will provide a holistic view on what is needed to unlock the full potential of the promising Turkish solar market.
Other presentations of local associations like G"UNDER, GENSED, Li-DER, OSTIM, DIKA and SEHAD and international company representatives like First Solar Power Solutions Turkey, CSUN Turkey, M+W Group, Manz AG and Viridis.iQ GmbH will focus on new business opportunities and the development of appropriate strategies. This involves the review of innovative financing and investment tools as well as potential action plans for solar manufacturing plants in Turkey that will be addressed by Tigris Development Agency (DKA), Turkish Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) and the Development Bank of Turkey.
Turkish PV market to grow significantly in the next years
Turkey is very promising emerging market for PV energy investments amongst in Southeast Europe according to "Turkey Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2015 - 2025". With the introduction of support mechanisms in the law in 2005 and several subsequent amendments since 2007, Turkish PV energy market is supposed to start growing in next years.
Turkey's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) developed the first National Renewable Energy Action Plan, targeting 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2023 of which 5GW are planned to be covered by solar. Besides large-scale projects the market will also gain increasing attractiveness for smaller rooftop systems with self-consumption.
Moreover, the initial license application round for a total of 600 MW projected PV projects larger than 1 MW saw great interest - the proposed capacity was exceeded by 15 times with 496 applications made to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) reaching 8.9 GW in total.
Information on the Intersolar Summit
The conference is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH and Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH in cooperation with the co-organizer EuPD Research in cooperation with the local partner G"UNDER (International Solar Energy Society-Turkey Section).
Premium Sponsors of the Intersolar Summit Turkey are First Solar Power Solutions Turkey, InteGreen Yenleneblr Enerj Sstemler A., Smart Energy Group Turkey. Gold Sponsor of the Intersolar Summit Turkey is CSUN Turkey.
The Intersolar Summit Turkey is also supported by the German-Turkish Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Turkey), the German Solar Industry Association (BSW), the Tigris Development Agency (DIKA), the Turkish Association of Energy Economics (EED), the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E), the Turkish Photovoltaic Industry Association (GENSED), GAP B"olge Kalknma daresi (GAP BKI), Green City Freiburg, the International Battery and Energy Storage Alliance (IBESA), the network initiative Joint Forces for Solar, the Unlicensed Electricity Generation Association (Li-DER), the Renewable Energy and Environmental Technologies Cluster (ostim), the Sustainable Energy Action Association (SEHAD) and the Turkish Solar Energy Platform (Solarbaba).
For questions about the Intersolar Summit and for more information on the events, please contact Daniel Fuchs, Director Global Marketing & Event Management: fuchs@intersolar-summit.com +49 228 971 43 45.
The post Intersolar Summit Turkey: Focus on a promising emerging market appeared first on World Of Photovoltaics.
