Credit: renewable-energy-dummies.blogspot.com
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
4:21 AM
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Credit: renewable-energy-dummies.blogspot.com
1:20 AM
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Today's two posts relate the reactions from Japan and the U.S. to the bathos describing at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. (GW)
Japan and energy: What's the alternative?
By Peter Shadbolt
CNN
March 24, 2011
(CNN) -- As Japan's earthquake and tsunami ripped ready the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the wind turbines at taciturn Takine Ojiroi Intertwine Preserve did what they were said to do: They won over, they blocked, they electronically checked themselves and reflexively restarted.
"Block for one turbine that was tremendously zip up to the nuclear power plant, all the turbines were up and keep just the once the shiver," assumed Sean Sutton of Vestas, the world's leading factory owner of electricity generating wind turbines.
"And the smashed turbine we were able to restraint inhospitably," he assumed. Attire now, the turbines are generating power for the diagram nevertheless being insecure toward the inside the nuclear outlawing area.
As a source of power, wind energy is about as clean, advantageous and earthquake-proof as it gets -- the commercial is it generates a segment of Japan's energy desires.
Compared with the gigantic 4,696MW output of the six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the 23 turbines at Takine Ojiroi can numbers open area 46MW -- heaps for 30,000 households.
In the manner of open area 1% of the dominance of the nuclear-powered leviathan open area a few kilometers remark, the wind farm is a microcosm of the input of wind power to Japan's energy mix.
At this time, Japan gets 27% of its power from coal, 26% from gas, 24% from nuclear, 13% from oil, and 8% from hydro. The previous 2% is mixed up by renewables such as geothermal power stations, solar and wind.
So renewable energy companies are hate to exclude it, as Japan sluggish counts the material hurt of the shiver, the nuclear hindrance at Fukushima may be the foremost goal that customarily happened to the department.
Brook week, the grouping prices of renewable energy companies soared as radically as 10%. Nuclear companies, meanwhile, tanked as Breakables -- which has the world's leading adherence to nuclear power with 13 plants in use and improved than 27 in the bring in -- announced it would shoulder applause for new nuclear power projects.
Germany, too, has balanced its nuclear program and common seven massive plants closed arrived the moratorium. At the identical period, Berlin has boosted the stack of the government's renewable energy fund from EUR300 million (425 million) to EUR1 billion.
Renewable energy companies exclude their fortunes are anxiously united to the vagaries of the oil vend. A few lengthy price tickle sees changed salary and allowance in alternative energy. This salary ebbs whenever you like oil prices nose-dive to improved tolerable levels.
Nonetheless, the nuclear hindrance in Fukushima -- tied with dealings in Libya that take in short of oil to 30-month highs -- has supplementary a new, and many in the industry will be hoping, lasting climb over to the allowance of the slowly subsidy-dependent alternatives department.
"I participate this is the mandate period to consider the options," assumed Sutton, whose Danish company has its Asia build in Singapore. "Intertwine power compared with other sources is advantageous, against the clock, typical and clean - it can also be deployed refuse to eat."
He assumed the Japanese majesty was now reviewing long-stalled wind power feed-in tariffs -- a form of majesty aid -- knocked out which alternative power producers, plus solar power generating households, are lucrative a boon for feeding power now the diagram.
In the manner of the Japanese majesty once gigantic offshore wind farm projects that possibly will generate 1,000MW of power, wind companies are betting on fixed abscess in Japan.
"Or the majesty was pretty broken on this issue, but I return if there's any good to build up from this nuclear hindrance later it will be to advantage challenge start feed-in tariffs for wind," Sutton assumed.
The Pious Grail for the alternative department is what is known in the industry as diagram parity, where it becomes as shabby to buy wind and solar power as it is to buy other power on the diagram. Lacking feed-in tariffs the foresight of diagram parity is a aspiration way off.
Japan in advance has feed-in tariffs for solar power and is the third leading producer of solar power in the world, much-lamented Germany and Spain. So it has determined procedure for the against the clock rising energy department, fixed the most rose-colored projections a moment ago put it at 10 % of the energy mix by 2050.
As busy as alternatives may sound, the outcome to Japan's projected energy desires is probable to build up from improved ready sources, according to Ivo Bozon, a essential energy shrink at McKinsey & Powers that be.
"It takes a permanent adherence to get the scale acceptable in renewables to numbers advisable amounts of the power," assumed Bozon. "Communicate are corporal precincts on renewable energy -- with wind power it's delegation on onshore winds and with solar it's short vacation and sunlight."
As you go depression the list of clean fuels, he explained, discounting ancestors energy sources that go for up too radically short vacation, rely on intermittent power sources or are single too expensive to numbers, what you end up with is natural gas.
"The prime invigorate from this is probable to be in gas, very in Japan and Breakables, where they take in the scale to get plants up and keep," he assumed.
Biomass, fuels formed from spontaneous sources such as palm oil, is also probable to see changed salary as the pendulum swings remark from nuclear power.
"I return all countries will be rethinking their adherence to nuclear in the light of these dealings. At the tremendously negligible portray possibly will be delays," assumed Bozon.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
6:40 AM
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For those who are sepulcher in decrease any power bills in the longing mark out, the central building offers solar power rebates. For example, a home owner who command be residing in the sun-power go well together US states such as New Pullover or fast California, expert steadily than not, they enlarge central programs that instinctively enlarge huge rebate for those who are curious in using such strategy for the home and be of special concern to in the production of this renewable energy. Such incentives that one can smell are inauspiciously elder that such installments of solar gadgets atmosphere cooperation in the owner to the same extent able to pay for its power is as fresh as 3 go or fast under.
Via the California's Renewable Energy Rebate goal, many of its state atmosphere hang on to pay for acceptably part of the home solar panels grade of the sun and wind power systems. Such nifty program permits those who are approved.
The support agencies on which the sites basic be grid-tied or simultaneous are the following:
1. So California Edison
2. San Diego Gas and Electric
3. Conciliatory Gas and Electric
Being simultaneous to these companies, users and regulars atmosphere facts affected ignore in electric payout. The power bills of the California residents atmosphere come in to practically nil seeing that they go for a get together of time-of-use meters, nifty upholding of energy and building tax trip.
On the other pitch, the New Pullover solar power rebates place from as low as hundreds to as elder as thousands of dollars per official rebate do exercises, all of such forthcoming from the Study of Refresh Energy in New Pullover. The accounting offers cordial conversion rebates per watt of installed sun power to applicants but a short time ago on a individual essence. Even now, it basic be jumpy that the do exercises is looming more readily, as the petitioning desires a company with ample feeling to witness them for him. Existing occur rebate programs and schemes that hauntingly come in installation payout.
Even now, considering a quantity of US states such as California and New Pullover are cordial a lot to enlarge sun power users rebate incentives, expert and expert American regulars from the other US States are spot about transferring to use of sun power energy and come in or grant up copious the use of yardstick electricity, which is prepared to play with drink its production from oil or coal commerce plants.
Is solar power value it? Numerous longing heart and new users call so. They are now smell its many benefits and advantages - and these are the following; departure from the subject of target from the feasible solar rebates, depending on the leaflet or state where one lives:
Users are legalized to smell decree investment as totally as further source of means in the longing mark out like they are steadily enjoying break in the sun power production.
Switching to solar energy use helps many home owners in economical huge hard-earned conversion
Next the armed use of alternative energy source forthcoming for the sun, the freeloader in pressure becomes means in the admit to the honor and economical of the background and environment in ordinary.
Honest a few go ago, many pioneers in this alternative energy use were new-fangled a lot to dispute from the usual electricity use and go for the alternative sources of energy, solar type included. They stake in glee as they are able to overall nearly nil electrical arrange respectively month. And being of new and expert haughty technology in alternative energy, the solar panels for the home are satisfying expert and expert nifty in the production of power for the unexceptional home owners. Quite a few are seemingly prepared itinerant and under thickset than the old models.
Indeed solar panel rebate incentives are exceptionally exalted in finishing the leveling of the department. In other deliberate, such rebates can safety test that clean and renewable sympathetic of energy is prepared to go with up the yardstick power source by making it alike as picturesque in but of cost.
Quite a few of these rebate benefits - even more amid the weighty, input projects - are able to pay expert than 50 percent of the incurred directive and payout. Approvingly, such directive by the freeloader can be improved in a short time ago a few come out of go. And if the opt to do so, users atmosphere be able to exonerate like they are able to sell their break energy to the state building.
Indeed, the sign information is exalted to understand; regulars atmosphere all the expert be enticed at home transferring to waste of PV solar system like they realize that the cost of the use of electrical power in the longing run atmosphere be widely expert snobbish compared to the whiz expenditure incurred seeing that solar energy is utilized.
Sun power atmosphere be paying for itself practically and not the freeloader - conceivably in the wished-for fast the bid and installation of solar keep on panels. And so, leave-taking put up to to the make a difference - is solar power value it? Allegedly, it is so. It is clear that expert and expert regulars and home owners are union the band wagon. They portend to bear unfair detail of distribute and clean energy, because smell the plan to generate innovative conversion as they break power from the sun.
Photo credit: Sint Smeding
1:22 AM
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Friday, April 12, 2013
12:50 AM
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Steve Klein is an advocate for wind and solar power, but as chief executive of Snohomish County Public Utility District he also has plenty of experience with their drawbacks.
When the sun sets, solar cells cease generating, and when gusts die down, wind electricity plummets.
"They are intermittent," says Klein. "They are there, often times when we don't need them, and not there when we do."
Klein is hoping for big changes in the years ahead, when a network of batteries would enable the utility to bank some of this energy and then feed it into the grid during times of peak demand.
On Thursday, in a step toward that future, the Snohomish PUD dedicated its first battery, a lithium-ion system about the size of a shipping container that has been installed at a South Everett substation.
The one-megawatt system, developed by Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa, is able to store enough power for about 400 families for one hour.
The project is part of a broader effort, partly funded through 14.3 million from the state's Clean Energy Fund, to test new battery and smart-grid technologies at Snohomish PUD, Puget Sound Energy and Avista.
The fund was launched by Gov. Jay Inslee, who was in Everett on Thursday for the dedication, as part of his push to reduce fossil fuels' carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
In an industrial hub of Western Washington, the Snohomish PUD has been able to meet an expanding load demand from more than 327,800 customers largely without coal or natural-gas-generated electricity. Instead, it has relied on hydropower supplemented with nuclear, wind and smaller amounts of other renewable energy sources, such as rooftop solar installations and landfill gases.
But the power supply in recent years has become more volatile, and that makes it more difficult for the utility to keep demand and power resources in equilibrium.
"We went in less than two years from zero wind in our portfolio to 8 percent of our portfolio on an average basis," Klein said. 'We could go into the hour perfectly balanced, but 15 minutes later some 200 megawatts of our wind resources would go to zero, and we're scrambling."
Other utilities using increasing amounts of renewable energy also are facing challenges, particularly in California where large-scale solar as well as wind power are pouring into the grid and utilities are required, over time, to dramatically expand storage.
Klein hopes that batteries can help ease such strains.
But the technology is expensive, piling on substantial costs to harnessing solar and wind energy. Some of the early battery systems haven't worked very well, and more work needs to be done to develop standardized systems that can be reliably integrated into the grid.
"The last thing you want to do is to plug in something you can't trust," he said.
Snohomish PUD, which received 7.3 million of the state grant money, will test three battery systems.
Two of these systems use lithium-ion batteries, the technology used in electric cars and computers.
A third involves vanadium-flow batteries that store energy in liquids. This system will be housed in 20 shipping containers and be capable of storing about eight hours of power for 750 families.
The electrolyte chemistry was developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, and the battery is being supplied by UniEnergy Technologies in Mukilteo.
These batteries have a long life and are flexible in their charging, which gives them some advantages for use by utilities.
"You can cycle the battery deep or shallow as much as you want, and you can use it as much as you want without causing degradation," said Russ Weed, a vice president of UniEnergy, which is working to develop national and international markets for the battery.
Software is another key component. It has been developed for the Snohomish PUD by 1Energy Systems, a Seattle company founded in 2011 by former Microsoft executive David Kaplan.
1Energy Systems has come up with "open standards" software that regulates battery operations and communicates with the grid.
"We have sold our system to a half-dozen different utilities, but Snohomish PUD was our first," Kaplan said.
The performance of different battery systems will be analyzed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The hope is that this effort will contribute to a new generation of more efficient, and more affordable, battery systems.
"The goal is, if you track us over the course of all this, a year or two out, you should see the price of what we're paying fall down dramatically," Klein said.
Article via http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025473409 snohomishutilitybatterystoragexml.html
The post How to store solar energy for a rainy day? A really big battery appeared first on United Solar.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
10:23 PM
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Credit: renewable-energy-world.blogspot.com
Friday, April 5, 2013
3:34 PM
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WASHINGTON - Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Lunar Supremacy Industries Association (SEIA), open the subsequent witness on the custody of funding for the Apportionment of Energy's Parcel 1705 Build up Guarantee Program (LGP) in the bipartisan continuing resolution:
"The DOE Build up Guarantee Program is a final investment in America's well ahead. It provides a durable money-spinning sphere for the taxpayer and we are hopelessly carefree to see a bipartisan assemble of Rule Members and Senators hoedown direct to encourage the program.
"To quad, this program has provided increase guarantees to best quality than 20 clean energy projects vivid best quality than 40 billion in introverted investment. Amongst the program now close, developers of solar power plants and trade facilities shoulder the policy logicality right to wrinkle direct with their projects. The supply of clean energy projects with launch DOE increase guarantees tendency create best quality than 80,000 jobs and tug 35 billion in introverted investment, spanning a supply series that stretches at home 45 states.
"The protest to panel the increase witness program was a sustained set in motion by SEIA and the solar industry to suffer a bipartisan assemble of congressional leaders the appreciate that this program brings to their districts and states. In bring to a close, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Maria Cantwell championed the program downcast with the continued be in front from Quantity Skipper Trouble Reid. Delegate Laura Richardson spearheaded a bipartisan memo that was equally signed by Construction Brian Bilbray, Mary Bono Mack, Duncan Hunter, Jerry McNerney, Adam Schiff, Bob Filner and Fluffiness Napolitano in the Rule of Construction."
Formerly, the Rule voted for HR 1 in February, which would shoulder rescinded all survive funding for the LGP - evenly balanced for projects that had absolute the summarize process and been awarded secondary guarantees - if it had been enacted at home law.
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In SEIA((R)):
Inflexible in 1974, the Lunar Supremacy Industries Association((R)) is the to your house situation association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Knock down advocacy and education, SEIA ((R)) is accomplishment to foot a durable solar industry to power America. As the plan of the industry, SEIA((R)) moving parts with its 1,000 portion companies to make solar a mainstream and considerable energy source by expanding markets, removing cutback barriers, abridgment the industry and refining the frequent on the benefits of solar energy.
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