Renewable Energy Is The Fire Extinguisher

Completely, electricity generated by renewable energy technologies are in general upper than their fossil fuel counterparts. Would that be the pattern if all the severely secret subsidies available to the oil, gas and nuclear industries were complete transparent? Who knows? That strife has been separation on for decades. But what's the resulting expenditure of the negative effects of the Flaw Shore beaches, marshes, oceanic ecosystems and tourism? What's the regard of climate-altering combustion?

German politicians and circle create vital (at least for the toll personality) that the expand in their electric bills is critically a reasonably small trust to pay what one considers all the options and their repercussion. (GW)

The German Experiment

The state-run sets a extra trust on solar and other alternative power sources. The policy offers lessons in ways to advocate the use of renewable energy.

By Evan I. Schwartz

Gear Reassessment

July/August 2010

A decade ago, Germany launched a renewable--energy plan on an unprecedented scale. Its council, the Bundestag, enacted a law obligating the nation's electric utilities to classification green power at vast rates--as widely as 60 cents per kilowatt-hour for solar--under hard contracts stable up to 20 kick. (German put up for sale prices for electricity, overall formed by coal and nuclear plants, were about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.) The purpose downward this "feed-in grade" was that everybody would be able to widen a renewable-power plant--or install rooftop solar panels--and be certified standard income by feeding energy modish the get, where utilities would buy it at extra prices. The upper expenditure would be passed on as monthly surcharges to ratepayers, take off out plus all homes and businesses in a obtain of about 80 million league. Relic and nuclear fuels better part to "global pyromania," held Hermann Scheer, the German representative who championed the policy. "Renewable energy is the take extinguisher."

Now, as the Dual States and other nations askew just before creating their own policies for healing with conditions change direction, the strike of the German try your hand is a subject of strife. From one perspective, the Renewable Constrain Sources Act of 2000 has exceeded its aims. Germany's basic through was to get at least 10 percent of its electric power from renewable sources by 2010. The German get now gets exceptional than 16 percent of its electricity from these sources, and the state-run has raised its through for 2020 from 20 percent to 30 percent. The obtain avoided pumping about 74 million metric bags of carbon dioxide modish the sensations in 2009. The German environment ministry the same touts a set benefit: just about 300,000 new jobs in clean power. As a notch, the feed-in grade has the subsidize not only of the left-leaning politicians who number one backed it but the same of top figure of the skeptics in the right-leaning parties that fought versus it, says Claudia Kemfert, who heads the energy division at the German Bring in for Pecuniary Analyze in Berlin. "The astonishment is concluded," she says. "We're celebrating the good thing."

But from choice perspective, the German policy is a state-run boondoggle. "It's not funny that if you block prosperity grant at a certain technology, league will use it," says Severin Borenstein, codirector of the Constrain Bring in at UC Berkeley's Haas Progression of The system. Yes, the incentives triggered a frenzy of renewable-power installations, but at "more accurately vast prices," says Henry Lee, a cut above of the Qualifications and Childlike Material goods Line at Harvard's John F. Kennedy Progression of Government. The use on photovoltaics has been in addition cost-inefficient in disclaimer of producing power, Lee adds, at the same time as "Germany is the cloudiest obtain in Europe." Nonetheless the weather, Germany now accounts for lacking the world's 20 gigawatts of installed solar rule. "To the same extent that gets you," says Lee, "is vast prices for electricity, reliable in for 20 kick, from technology that will be out of perceive appearing in three kick." Concludes -Borenstein: "That's a dud of grandeur policy."

As for the job-creation benefit, it may blunt out to be departure. Solar panels and wind turbines can be affected just about where in the world. Now, partly at the same time as of title fight from cheap manufacturing in China "(see "Solar's Stunning Frolic Dispatch," p.52)", many German manufacturers of this technology are besieged. Q-Cells, Conergy, and Solarworld create seen their stock steady flow widely of its support on or after the start of 2008. Anton -Milner, the institution CEO of Q-Cells, pessimistic in Parade whilst the company reported an annual report ruin of 1.36 billion euros (1.67 billion). In May, to call together pace with the tumbling regard of solar panels, the Bundestag cut the collect it set for issue solar power to the get by 11 to 16 percent on top of a without stopping annual report dive of 10 percent. To try to act with imports, solar companies create on fire hundreds of staff, and the nation's solar argument association has warned of ordinary exceptional layoffs.

Meanwhile, several of the countries that hackneyed key be opposite of the German policy create the same seen their booms start to fizz. In 2008, Spain set an lifetime transcribe for photo-voltaics, installing 2.46 gigawatts' advantage of solar panels in a greatest year--41 percent of all new installation worldwide, according to Solarbuzz, a research and consulting resolute. But in Spain, selling all that steep power became a interference to the utilities. That, out of action with a longer tremble demonstration and sullen pricing, caused the tariffs to be drastically cut. Without the vast incentives, in 2009 Spain installed only 6 percent of the world's new solar-power rule.

Anyway, concentration in feed-in tariffs is mounting in the Dual States. At least two cities--Sacramento, CA, and Gainesville, FL--have enacted pub diplomacy. California, Hawaii, and Vermont create passed laws that would create their own feed-in tariffs, and at least 15 other states create calculated it.

To the same extent cogency these policies cost? In Germany, electricity prices create soared exceptional than 60 percent concluded the exterior decade. But Germany's fresh ministry says the grade system is sensible for beneath than a 10th of that expand, or about 3 per month for a typical recognizable. In the role of German households usage about lacking as widely electricity as U.S. homes, the get by without regard for renewable energy has not been a deal-breaker for the grandeur, says Kemfert, who contends that a largest part of Germans subsidize it. Accomplish, the grade regard Germany an unreal 11 billion in 2008 separately, about a third of 1 percent of its GDP.

But why ordinary cover with soap with feed-in tariffs? Numerous economists focus either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system in which electricity plants buy permits to burn fossil fuel. "It would be better to tax shady power than fund green power," says Borenstein. Coal is the biggest carbon emitter plus all energy sources, and it right now accounts for about lacking the electricity formed in the Dual States as pleasingly as in Germany. Phasing out coal obligation be the main image, and pursuing that image by putting a trust on carbon, he says, allows the put up for sale to be of the same opinion which renewable sources are top figure competent. That's exceptional valuable than leasing the state-run set prices.

Nevertheless, neither cap-and-trade nor a rank tax may be politically probable in the Dual States. So would a in feed-in grade be an due alternative? Or would it the same be politically predetermined, on or after it, too, would extend electricity prices? To make a pattern for it, politicians would need to meet with the American grandeur that renewable power is advantage it, pointing to Germany as the example. Emphatically, the German try your hand does put on air that a large professional union can be in charge ambitious goals for scaling up new sources of clean electricity, with users paying the way. Germany expects to result in top figure of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Meanwhile, the Dual States produces only about 7 percent of its electricity from such sources, top figure of that from elderly hydroelectric plants.

The absolute moment of the German plan, on the other hand, may not be as a arise for other countries but as a source of enduring change direction in the world's energy economy. In this mode, Germany can be compared to in advance adopters of new gadgets, who habitually pay scandalous prices ordinary on the other hand they make somebody's acquaintance that others will get exceptional technology for widely beneath a few kick successive.

Grip the changes in the put up for sale for wind power. By 2006, Germany had by far the leading wind-power base in the world, with 20.6 gigawatts of rule. The older scale brought the regard short, and wind began nearing get parity in many parts of the world. In 2009, the Dual States and China were able to sweep over Germany in rule, but at far exceptional ample prices.

Praise in limb to the Germans, the self-same production now appears to be enfant terrible in solar, with prices of photovoltaic panels tumbling 40 percent train year separately. Yes, the critics are right that Germany's use was profusely fruitless. But what Germany did was prepare the global markets, inspection that renewable technologies can be a big business matchless of investment. As a notch, the Dual States may not need to mark out Germany's try your hand to get the rewards.

Evan I. Schwartz is an maker and author. He formed and cowrote "Saved by the Sun, "a PBS/"NOVA" documentary featuring a portion about the German solar policy.

Copyright Gear Reassessment 2010.

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Biofuelwatch Ecologist The Flawed Arguments Behind Biomass

http://www.theecologist.org/how to make a difference/climate change and energy/1294384/response the flawed arguments behind biomass.html

IS BIOMASS Exceedingly A LOW-CARBON, SUSTAINABLE Impulse SOURCE? Problem Collection Back BIOMASS SAY YES Despite the fact that Pocket watch Collection BIOFUELWATCH SAYS NO

The Back Biomass struggle wishes to existing bio-electricity as `sustainable', `proven' and `low carbon'. They accused Biofuelwatch of promoting folklore and misunderstandings about biomass in a late lamented "Ecologist" string.

Back Biomass say the process of converting wood to energy is unhurried low carbon by governments, etc. For example does `low carbon' mean? Is the biomass work hard manipulating the finish up to face that bioenergy is lesser carbon than it specifically is?

The UK Administration has resolute that biomass electricity is renewable if it has a carbon temperature of lower than 285 kg CO2 per MWh. Their make comes from a 60 per cent budget on the EU-wide fossil-fuel mean, not a 60 per cent budget compared to gas as asserted by Back Biomass. Forward looking gas power stations enfold a carbon temperature of cycle 440 kg CO2 per MWh - significantly lesser than the fossil-fuel mean. A wood power station is from now within as renewable and by corollary `low carbon' organized then again it in words of one syllable saves 35 per cent compared to gas. And of road it generates significantly above carbon than wind, solar and sea renewable energy.

The carbon make even adding up primarily to that make of a 35 per cent carbon budget is, so far, reminiscently immoral and overestimates the budget. It relies on reserve plants being ripened in colossal finish up, and valid soon, to absorb today's smokestack emissions. The aimed timescale for re-growth is uncontrollably up and about. A mature tree of 80 to 100 go takes in words of one syllable a few minutes to lone its crammed work with of carbon at home the setting past burnt, but its reserve - if ripened - takes a crammed century to re-sequester that carbon. Despite for that crammed century epoch the CO2 is subtle aloft in the setting, priestly cipher more it as non-existent.

Meanwhile, manmade comprehensive warming is in the works on a timescale of decades, by the CO2 emitted now by burning biomass creating warming and deep-sea acidification far quicker than a believed sequestration by a tree. Plus atmospheric CO2 concentrations earlier than substantially more 350 ppm, releasing music school gases that incentive not be in actual fact sequestered for the top side of a century, if perpetually, is trifling reasonable.

Bioenergy is at length classed as 'carbon dull or gutless carbon' to the same degree of while common scientists enfold described as a carbon priestly loophole in the Kyoto Behavior. The priestly system apparatus that not all of the emissions from bioenergy are recognized to the energy companies who burn biomass but, preferably, carbon wounded and other emissions from logging, manor conversion to plantations, fertiliser use, etc make a difference towards the forestry and encouragement sectors in those countries wherever the biomass is ripened. For imported biomass burnt in the UK, they are Brazilian, North American or African emissions, not 'ours'.

Court carbon priestly also ignores the land-use reform impacts that incentive plight from scientific scale tree harvesting. For sure, due to a immoral UN forest setting down, converting a voluminous, natural forest to a monoculture eucalyptus plantation constitutes neither land-use reform nor deforestation: the plantation is subtle classed as a forest. And if large areas of forest are clearcut - substantially, those are simply pithily unstocked forests', treated the same in the accounts as a arcane, glowing time forest.

Back Biomass say that the work hard is unwavering to sustainability, and machinery by bodies gone the FSC' to growth principles. And they grip that,comprehensive schemes gone this enfold been endorsed by primarily NGOs Greenpeace and WWF'.

Biofuelwatch's research at home the biomass create shackles for the major wood burning power stations in the UK so far variety that ceiling fuel is to be endorsed as `sustainable' by the US-based Sustainable Woodland Understanding (SFI), not the FSC. The SFI has been condemned as work hard greenwashing by a valid large total of NGOs. According to Greenpeace, for example: 'The SFI fixed does not salute sociable issues, particularly in expressions of regional peoples' responsibility for, and it is also limp by instance to ceiling countrified issues. And so, SFI-certified companies assemble to log old-growth and endangered forests, whack the house of in danger of extinction and endangered arrange and depose natural forest by plantations'.

Woodland Morals 2010 longer object reported that the SFI is funded, promoted and staffed by the valid paper and lumber work hard interests it claims to disapprove of. Greenpeace Canada wrote in 2011 that, perch plants for energy puts Canadian forests and survive at go out with.

And the FSC's role in assuring sustainability? Readers may continue Oxfam's adverts on land-grabbing earlier this year: home is wherever the bulldozers are'. Folks denounced a UK frozen that had cast out 22,500 the general public in Uganda to crass way for a tree plantation. That regiment intended FSC-certification - which is alleged to payment sociable as substantially as countrified 'sustainability'.

Biofuelwatch does not bring about that a comprehensive trade in wood pellets or wood chips for bioenergy monitored by discretionary documents schemes incentive be any above cost-effective than the blast provision to carte blanche other lumber. The comprehensive trade in lumber has been under attack by tribulations for decades to such an scope that EU legislation has had to be enacted to rummage sale by against the law imports. According to the WWF in 2010, a fifth of all lumber imports to the UK were next from against the law sources. The colossal increase in retrieve for wood fuel incentive simply magnify the blast tribulations.

The paper and paste work hard has second hand biomass in manhood for decades and the tribulations it causes are divergent in seats gone South America. Furrow Rainforest Fight tracks the impacts of the verdant deserts of eucalyptus and fade away plants ripened in monoculture plantations in Brazil and outdated - displacement of the general public, biodiversity reduced, hosepipe produce requisitioned or bitter.

So past Back Biomass say that, communicate is a pitch weighing machine of manor non-discriminatory for biomass globally which is leaving to shrivel.... A shop for sustainable feedstock encourages working spend which can eject in high-class biodiversity and wherever ruthless imitation on the surroundings is easy, we say: be seen at the atmosphere in the paper work hard for cranky touch equally than consenting safe assurances that impacts incentive be easy.

Back Biomass grip theirs is a safe and sound mature technology that incentive proliferation energy give an undertaking past reward shocks in other fuels increase worthwhile weight on energy users.'

If big biomass is mature technology sending a evade on inborn fuel prices, why does the work hard need polite public-money subsidies for 20 jump go to run its power stations?

If it's safe and sound and mature, why did a colossal firestorm uncommunicative disconsolate Tilbury power station rise month brusquely after it started functioning on wood pellets? And why do wood projectile production plants assemble to run into explosions and to stimulate eccentric air vileness cycle the world, and enfold dullness being paid insurance?

Big biomass is disgustingly excessive. To get, process and ship 100 plants from Canada to the UK as wood pellets requires the energy from at most minuscule 5 plants. Rage those pellets in a 30 per cent soft electricity-only power station and 70 of the one hundred plants repeat unemotional shrivel kindness and atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide, particulates and NOx.

Not well a reasonable use of natural resources, above a wizard sulk to cash in on subsidies.

And close fee a biomass promoter tells you that communicate are sufficient plants and `waste manor to create gigantic finish up of untaught power stations, recall while the fishing work hard second hand to say about fish stocks.

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Largest Wind Farm In Europe Alive

Fantanele/Cogealac Curl Hardheaded qualified by CEZ Hang loose

THE EUROPE'S Principal Curl Plant - 600 MW", "FANTANELE/COGEALAC Curl Hardheaded IN ROMANIA Manufacturing BY CEZ ROMANIA IS ONLINE.

This CEZ Romania Give off is deliberate as the Europe's principal onshore wind project. The Give off is blameless of Producing ample Expenses to light one million Romanian households moreover year. The Give off is located in Romania's highest reassuring Curl Regions - Dobrogea, Constanta Prefecture. The Europe's principal Curl Get-up-and-go Give off Utilized 240 2.5MW GE Curl Turbines.

CEZ Romania is part of CEZ Hang loose, the principal Thrilling Run in Very important Europe. As per GE, At the back of the installation of Europe's Principal Curl Give off, Curl Installed Propensity in Romania has risen from a water 14 MW to 614 MW. The Fantanele-Cogealac Curl Plant is situated in an intrigue of 12 by 6 kilometres honorable 17 kilometres from the shore of the Black Sea, To boot this Curl Plant drive concern close by 10% dispense of the whole Romanian renewable energy market.

Give off HAD Line GLOBALLY:

Curl Turbine Provider GE intended that it's 2.5 MW Turbine used for the Fantanele/Cogealac Curl Hardheaded, Utilized wind turbine components fashioned all aristocratic the world. The turbine nacelles were friendly from GE's facility in Salzbergen, Germany. The rotor blades and towers came from Germany, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Breakables. To boot the Give off saw the installation of it's 1,000th 2.5MW Separation Dispenser installation.

Paragraph Written by Rahul R Prabhu

For any Quires Contact: rprabhu@renewindians.com

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Blattner Energy Joins Seia Board Of Directors

WASHINGTON, DC - Blattner Energy has joined the board of directors for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, SEIA announced today. A premier EPC contractor in renewable energy construction, Blattner Energy has more than a century of experience leveraging new technologies and applying core competencies in emerging markets. "We are excited to welcome Blattner Energy to SEIA and to the Board," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. "We look forward to their unique insights, stemming from over 100 years of corporate stewardship and relationship-based business philosophy." "With a record 22,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects installed in the U.S., we are committed to supporting the growth of solar energy," said Stephen Jones, director - solar, Blattner Energy. "We are proud to join the SEIA board of directors and we look forward to working closely with other industry leaders to ensure solar energy's growth." America's solar energy industry employs 143,000 workers at more than 6,100 companies, most of which are small businesses spread across the United States, making solar one of the fastest-growing industries in America. Part of this amazing growth is attributed to the fact that the average cost of a solar system has dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past two years. Today, there are more than 17.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar electric capacity installed in the United States - enough to power more than 3.5 million American homes. ### ABOUT SEIA: Celebrating its 41st anniversary in 2015, the Solar Energy Industries Association(R) is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA(R) is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org ABOUT BLATTNER ENERGY: Blattner Energy is a diversified EPC contractor providing constructions solutions for the power delivery industry and leading expertise in renewable energy construction. With more than a century of experience building large-scale projects across the United States, Blattner provides complete engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for utility-scale solar projects, wind projects, and high voltage transmission and substation projects. Blattner has more than 22,000 megawatts of renewable energy installed across North America. For more information, visit www.blattnerenergy.com. MEDIA CONTACTS: Ken Johnson, SEIA Vice President of Communications, kjohnson@seia.org (202) 556-2885 Brittany Svendsen, Marketing Communications Manager, BrittanyS@blattnerenergy.com (320) 356-2365

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Wind Energy A Wasteful Use Of Resources Eroi

The Energy Return on Investment (EROI) measures the energy output given by a certain power supply technique over its lifetime in relation to the energy required to extract the fuel and build the power station to provide that same power supply. Recent research into the German energy system reveals the EROI for different types of power supply based on the most detailed study yet into the area :

http://festkoerper-kernphysik.de/Weissbach EROI preprint.pdf

They first of all calculated the unbuffered EROI for each power supply, which does not include storage systems. They then calculated the buffered EROIs, taking into account pumped storage which is required to balance wind power, so that like to like comparisons can be made with other power plants.

The results show that nuclear and hydro come out best with coal and CCGT (gas) on respectable positions. Renewables in general dont come out too well. Solar CSP, which are built in deserts, comes out the best. As for wind, when you add in all the concrete, steel, water, magnet processing and oil that goes into their manufacture, installation and maintenance, you get a relatively small amount of energy back over the turbine's lifetime :

Figure 1: EROI of different power sources

THE LIFETIME OF WIND TURBINES

One could argue that the EROI for wind may be slightly higher in Ireland with the slightly higher wind speeds over Germany. However, a lifetime of 20 years was assumed in this study. The lifetime of wind turbines, in particular the larger ones, is now been questioned as the experience in Denmark shows that turbines installed between 1990 and 2000 lasted on average for 15 years [Figure 1].

Figure 2: Decommissioned Danish Wind Turbines from 1990 to 2000. (Graph provided by John Dooley based on data from Danish Energy Agency)

Figure 3: Example of wind turbines variable output (Graph provided by John Dooley based on data from Danish Energy Agency)

And Figure 3 shows how a wind turbines output is not consistent over its lifetime. In fact, the output deteriorates on average at around year 10. So the EROI of wind would be even worse if the above factors had been taken into account in the analysis.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EROI

So why is the EROI important ? Well, one needs to put it into context. Our modern society evolved around the use of coal and later oil as sources of energy. Our present society would be unimaginable without them. The fallacy thrown around by wind lobbyists (and that of many other renewables) is that wind energy is comparable with fossil fuels. You can't build a modern grid from the bottom up with wind energy. Just ask our 18th and 19th Century ancestors. But you can build a modern grid around fossil fuels and then integrate other less reliable sources into it, but always at an additional cost to the consumer. The fossil fuel plants still have to kept running and open for business.

As Charles A.S. Hall explains :"The importance of EROI is far more than simply whether it is positive or negative. Several of the participants in the current debate about corn-derived ethanol believe that corn-based ethanol has an EROI of less than 1:1, while others argue that ethanol from corn shows a clear energy surplus, with from 1.2 to 1.6 units of energy delivered for each unit invested. But this argument misses a very important issue. Think of a society dependent upon one resource: oil. If the EROI for this oil was 1.1:1 then one could pump the oil out of the ground and look at it and that's it. It would be an energy loss to do anything else with it. If it were 1.2:1 you could refine it into diesel fuel, and at 1.3:1"you could distribute it to where you want to use it. If you actually want to run a truck with it, you must have an EROI ratio of at least 3:1 (at the wellhead) to build and maintain the truck, as well as the necessary roads and bridges (including depreciation). If additionally you wanted to put something in the truck and deliver it, that would require an EROI of, say, 5:1.

"Now say you wanted to include depreciation on the oil field worker, the refinery worker, the truck driver, and the farmer; you would need an EROI of 7:1 or 8:1. If their children were to be educated you would need perhaps 9:1 or 10:1, to have health care 12:1, to have arts in their lives maybe 14:1, and so on. Obviously to have a modern civilization one needs not "just surplus energy, but lots of it-and that requires "either a high EROI or a massive source of moderate-"EROI fuels. If these are not available, the remaining"

"low-EROI energy will be prioritized for growing food "and supporting families."

And to get to the stage where activist groups like Greenpeace can fly a bunch of unemployed people to Lima on a jet plane to desecrate an ancient structure in a protest against fossil fuels, you probably need something like an EROI of 20:1. And that's the trouble with fuel sources with such high EROI - it leads to large levels of waste. And the plans for large scale wind farms, storage units, pylons and interconnectors (all require significant use of fossil fuels and rare earths) are now becoming just that - wasteful projects.

What the green organisations don't tell you is that if their plans come to fruition, and oil and coal is kept in the ground, some very tough choices will need to be made about division of resources. Of course green (and most of their left wing supporters) groups usually don't concern themselves with "the law of unintended consequences :

"If the energy and hence economic pie is no longer get"ting larger-indeed, if because of geological constraints"it can no longer get larger-how will we slice it? This" may force some ugly debates back into the public vision."If EROI continues to decline then it will cut increas"ingly into discretionary spending (the engine for eco"nomic growth) and we will need to ask some very hard" questions about how we should spend our money."A problem with substitutes to fossil fuels is that, of the" alternatives currently available, none appear to have" all the desirable traits of fossil fuels, especially liquids."These include sufficient energy density, easy transport-"ability, relatively low environmental impact per net unit" delivered to society, relatively high EROI, and avail"ability on a scale that society presently demands. Thus" it would seem that the United States and the rest of the"world are likely facing a decline in both the quantity" and EROI of its principal fuels. How we adjust to this" will be a critical determinant of our future."

Google engineers, once very pro-renewables, are only now beginning to realize the folly of investing large amounts of money and resources into renewables (full article here) :

"At the start...we had shared the attitude of many stalwart environmentalists: We felt that with steady improvements to today's renewable energy technologies, our society could stave off catastrophic climate change. We now know that to be a false hope..."Renewable energy technologies simply won't work; we need a fundamentally different approach."So the question is how long will it take for governments to realize their mistake or will they carry on spending citizen's money on wasteful projects ? It is estimated that 500 BILLION DOLLARS has been invested in capital costs alone in European renewable projects - a lot of money that could have been invested in genuine environmental causes, education and health.

"Based on this US comparative pricing, the major Nations in Europe have expended of the order of about 0.5trillion on Renewable Energy installations to generate an amount of electrical energy that could have been provided by conventional sources for about 16th of the capital cost. This 16th of the cost also represents an estimate of the approximate cost of the spinning reserve needed to support the Renewable Energy Technologies as they are intermittent and non-dispatchable (link)."

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Effect Of Lignin Content On Changes Occurring In Poplar Cellulose Ultrastructure During Dilute Acid Pretreatment

Background:

Obtaining a become public benign of the obscure mechanisms happening modish lignocellulosic deconstruction is denouncing to the continued expansion of renewable biofuel production. A key mark in bioethanol production is thermochemical pretreatment to dwindle plant cell block revolt for downstream processes. Preceding studies of weaken snide pretreatment (DAP) presume away from home receive changes in fiber ultrastructure that come about modish pretreatment, but gift is composed a influential impression gap with respect to the take of lignin on these fiber ultrastructural changes. This execution was intended to maintain equilibrium how the presence of lignin influences DAP-induced changes in fiber ultrastructure, which command lastly presume large implications with respect to enzymatic deconstruction pains.
Results:
Geographical, organic hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x Populus deltoids) samples and a somewhat delignified poplar bit (facilitated by tartlet sodium chlorite pulping) were on your own pretreated with weaken sulfuric snide (0.10 M) at 160^0C for 15 minutes and 35 minutes, respectively. Stakeout total image, the somewhat delignified biomass displayed more than receive changes in fiber ultrastructure following DAP than the native organic biomass. Once respect to the native organic poplar, delignified poplar after DAP (in which surrounding 40% lignin dispossession occurred) experienced: increased fiber approachability indicated by increased Simons' stain (tawny dye) adsorption from 21.8 to 72.5 mg/g, decreased fiber weight-average measure of polymerization (DPw) from 3087 to 294 units, and increased fiber crystallite horror from 2.9 to 4.2 nm. These changes following DAP lastly increased enzymatic sugar send from 10 to 80%.
Conclusions:
Combined, the have a row imply a hearty take of lignin comfortable on fiber ultrastructural changes happening modish DAP. Once the dwindling of lignin comfortable modish DAP, the mound of fiber microfibril number and crystallite horror becomes more than discernible. Encourage, this mound of fiber microfibril number is recognized to confident processes, and the co-crystallization of crystalline fiber pressed by lasting inter-chain hydrogen bonding (related to hornification) and/or fiber annealing that converts amorphous fiber to paracrystalline and crystalline fiber. Mostly, lignin acts as a cover to refrain from fiber crystallinity arise and fiber fibril coalescence modish DAP.

Source: energy-saving-technologies.blogspot.com

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Remember The Obstructionists

Uncontaminated Drive reduces expenses, improves the environment and by a long way moreover.Last Massachusetts Executive Willard Appendage Romney withdrew from RGGI [Narrow School of dance Gas Theory]. Gubernatorial Contestant Charlie Baker [Furtive Tea Bagger] Opposed Isthmus Wind and abandoned his platform run for Executive. Now the Flip-Flopper supports Isthmus Wind? Don't bet on it! Massachusetts is deceptive and so basic the U.S. Opt for your candidates intelligently seeing that you vote so we test out electing the Receipt of the Dinosaurs.Call for way winning on clean energyBy Patrick CassidyPCASSIDY@CAPECODONLINE.COMJune 03, 2014The press release Monday that the U.S. Developing Watch over Agency would oblige states to cut carbon emissions from real power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 was cheered by Bay Call for environmentalists and Gov. Deval Patrick's control.But the impact on Massachusetts, which has been a leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency, will native be incited by what other states ought do if the policy are carried out."At the same time as the EPA significance does is model states verge on ours unwavering more of a big shadow wind," Massachusetts Border of Developing Watch over Commissioner David Burial alleged.Massachusetts, which is quality of a citizen emissions cap-and-trade program and has approved a pageant of laws to salute stick out rotate and terminate the use of fossil fuels, is Already 40 PERCENT Beneath ITS 1990 School of dance GAS EMISSIONS IN THE Decide Estate, Burial alleged.And by 2020 the state expects to be at 50 percent of 1990 levels, he alleged, accumulation that the state or has physically reached an area right mind in the new significance.A fellow citizen program to save emissions will native stretch more states in the sphere of cap-and-trade markets verge on the one Massachusetts participates in, assign to save expenses for each person, Burial alleged. In postscript, more wage war for clean energy and the technologies that stretch it will enhance support innovations Massachusetts companies are pursuing, he alleged."The superintendent has worked on the whole clear to expand the clean-energy economy all diagonally the working group," Burial alleged.Burial echoed EPA Executive Gina McCarthy's exclusion prior to in the day of the argue that revealing carbon emissions would damage the economy."OUR Pay Call for Come off HAS Amplified BY 70 PERCENT," Burial alleged about the set in the state's economic output such as 1990.Modeling for the citizen cap-and-trade program basic predicted a 1 to 2 percent mushroom in electricity prices, but prices be full of seemingly dropped by 8 percent, Burial alleged.And since declines in electricity prices in the U.S. be full of been related to natural gas prices, the Patrick control has been bullish on alternatives to fossil fuel, including wind energy and a prod to mushroom the capacity to give hydroelectric power to the state.With the pick up successes Patrick cites is a synopsis mushroom in solar energy diagonally Massachusetts from physically nonentity in 2002 to 518 megawatts nowadays. The control has set a right mind of 1,600 megawatts of solar energy installed in the state by 2020.On Isthmus Cod, solar projects be full of sprouted on rooftops and capped landfills, including finished a accepting of towns, counties and other agencies."We do equally tell this policy rotate for America assign to hydroplane the playing field," Isthmus and Chateau Thrilling Enclosure preferential projects controller Liz Argo alleged about the EPA significance.The accepting was bent in 2007 to footprint renewable energy projects in communities on the Isthmus and Martha's Chateau. It nowadays has about 29 megawatts of solar energy online or in development.The EPA's press release will equally prod Midwestern states to save emissions that end up on the Isthmus and Islands, Argo alleged. In postscript, the new requests legitimize decisions by the Isthmus Pale Certain to donate lucrative support for the accepting, Argo alleged.The buy, which buys power in maturity for electric clientele on the Isthmus and Chateau, provides energy efficiency programs for dweller businesses and land, and advocates for ratepayers, will be full of offered 3.7 million to the accepting by the end of fiscal 2015.Critics be full of argued for more decency in how the two agencies blend together and be full of questioned the compact's lucrative largesse. Cohorts, meanwhile, say the deeds of the two agencies are complementary.The accepting structure, which provides benefits on a citizen source, may well act as a model for other parts of the state seeking to overlook the EPA goals, Argo alleged.It's unsolved how the new significance will begin power plants in the state, nevertheless the property-owner of a coal-fired power plant in Holyoke announced Monday that it would go fast.A spokeswoman for NRG Drive declined to shine right on the greatly of the oil-fired plant it owns on the Isthmus Cod Canal, which has struggled to cast with other generators in too late days.In an email, NRG spokeswoman David Gaier wrote that the company supports the decline of school of dance gas emissions but uncertainties that the EPA's significance would adversely begin electricity faithfulness and regulars in absolutely states."We are purposefully reviewing the intentional significance and we gawk informal to operational with the EPA and state regulators to create suited, attainable guidelines for achieving huge emission reductions," he wrote.Burial alleged he expects the significance to ultimate permitted attacks by its critics. The EPA's ability to maximum carbon emissions was grave as a feature of law in a 2007 U.S. Vital Court shrewdness in observe of Massachusetts and other states that had sued to thrust the agency to take push."Massachusetts v. EPA in nature is the cornerstone permitted shrewdness in this pen," alleged Matthew Pawa, an naive lawyer with a introduce somebody to an area home in Brewster who has litigated one consequent clean-air gear.The court's shrewdness set up not wholly that the EPA can maximum carbon emissions but that it has the promise to do so, Pawa alleged, accumulation that the agency's ability to maximum carbon was reaffirmed by the great square in a procession he worked on that was decided in 2011.And since Pawa praised the Obama administration's shrewdness to tread informal in variable emissions from real plants, he alleged it basic be full of been by way of sooner."The industry is goodbye to broil this pointed tooth and keep score," he alleged, accumulation that if the new programming had been intentional prior to the state would be full of been by a long way enhance scheduled in transport out the changes and in commercial with the permitted domino effect. http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140603/NEWS/406030336/-1/NEWSLETTER100

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Canadian Solar To Scoop Up Sharp U S Solar Project Developing Firm For 265M

Sharp announced Tuesday that it's selling its U.S.-based solar project development business, Recurrent Energy, for 265 million in cash to Canadian Solar.

Sharp paid 305 million in cash for San Francisco-based Recurrent in 2010. Back then, the Japanese electronics and solar panel maker wanted to gain a foothold in the solar project development business in North America.

But Sharp has been restructuring its overall business since suffering big losses in 2011 and 2012, and it's decided to shrink the solar manufacturing and project development operations because of their high initial startup costs, the company said in a press release Tuesday.

The decision to sell Recurrent came because "the development business needs sufficient funds for initial development costs, and its profits are highly variable," the company said.

Sharp said it's also gotten out of solar power project business and ended a solar panel joint venture in Europe. But it hasn't given up on solar cell manufacturing and refresh its solar energy equipment sales by coming up with different designs. Sharp is among the top 10 solar panel makers in the world.

When Sharp bought Recurrent, Recurrent was developing 2 gigawatts of projects, including 330 megawatts that had contracts to deliver the energy to utilities. Now it will bring over 4 gigawatts of projects under development to Canadian Solar, with roughly 1 gigawatt of them in the "late stage" of development.

There isn't an industrywide metric for defining projects in various stages of development. The 1 gigawatt of late-stage projects refer to those with utility contracts, said Cate Powers, a Recurrent spokeswoman. Those projects include 200 megawatts to be delivered to Austin Energy, 206 megawatts to Southern California Edison, and 70 megawatts to Sonoma Clean Power in California, Powers said.

Reference: greenenergychoice.blogspot.com

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Alternatives To Food Based Biofuels

Rapeseed biodiesel is the innovative clean to our energy harms that has futile to put off up to its assurance as a green panacea (Biofuel fails EU sustainability judge, German researchers preserve, 20 Revered). Nevertheless, it is not frank that bioenergy production has to bully the world's forests and bundle up provisions prices. The biomass power plant we spell seasoned at Aston School overcomes many hurdles that spell reasonable bring forth this technology. By using residues and expend pretty of energy crops, the plant does not pressure the fragment of rainforests or agricultural land for palm-oil production. In describe, its by-product - biochar - can be used to wonderful crop yields. And by using loving pretty of incineration, it produces no emissions. The most important industrial-scale plant is active. If politicians are looking for alternatives to superb food-based biofuels, they need end product no further....

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How Long Do Solar Panels Last

For most people looking at going solar there are usually two big questions. Firstly, most folks want to know how long do solar panels last, and secondly they want to know are solar panels worth it? The short answers are; a minimum of 25 years and YES, solar panels are definitely worth it! It is quite unfortunate that so many people have to actually ask these questions because for anyone who knows anything about domestic solar power these days the answer is a no-brainer. There has been a quiet green energy revolution happening due to a drastic price drop in the solar panel cost for the regular Joe consumer. Coupled with high energy prices and an economic depression this industry has been bubbling away under the surface and is ready to explode! Solar Panel Lifespan One of the hardest aspects of answering the 'how long do solar panels last' question is actually finding a decent amount of actual domestic solar panels which have been around for longer than 20 years and are still being used today. Believe me, there aren't many out there. Of the few that have been found by ourselves, and using information collated from other solar panel reviews, it has been found that the majority of the systems assessed are still producing electricity at around 80% of their original power output. This includes a large sample of systems in California which were installed in the 1970's, an amazing result! Solar Panel Warranties According to studies on rooftop solar panel systems it has been found that all types of solar panels lose about 0.5 - 1% efficiency per year. These findings are consistent with the observations of older installations showing that systems 20-30 years old which are still running at around 80% output have dropped efficiencies within this range. The majority of solar roof panels come with 25 year warranties. While this is more than enough for most folks, it is becoming a well-known fact that your solar panels will last a lot longer than this if you look after them right. It's just not practical to give warranties longer than 25 years due to the drop in efficiency. How To Increase Your Solar Panel Lifespan To get the most life out of solar panels for your home it's important to know a little bit about maintenance. Looking after your solar panels mainly consists of regular cleaning. When I say regular I don't mean every day. Solar panels are relatively low maintenance. Keeping them clean with regular wipe downs to remove dust, dirt, smog, pollen and other airborne particles will increase the efficiency of the panels. How often you do this cleaning will depend on your conditions and the weather. In windy areas and places known for dirty or dusty air, cleaning will obviously need to happen a bit more. Additionally, be sure to keep clear any obstructions which might get in the way of sunlight coming on to your panels. Trees should be trimmed regularly and if you have fixed obstructions such as power lines or buildings, seriously think about moving your panels because loss of light during any part of the day will drastically reduce your system efficiency and output. Conclusion It has been proven that solar panels last well over 30 years and can still produce over 80% of their original output. The best solar panels in terms of efficiency are monocrystalline solar panels because the silicon is more stable and they won't lose efficiency as fast as polycrystalline panels or solar panel shingles. To find out how to get cheap solar panels for your home check out our Top 10 list of green energy guides.

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Geothermal Energy In Ohio

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Using green geothermal energy can economize you resources on energy bills. If you very last in Ohio, and are weird in our green energy air force, speak to Yoder Geothermal at the moment.

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How To Promote Green Energy Providers To Family And Neighbors

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Separation sore benefits your home and your strength, as to all intents and purposes as temporary a muted consequence on the habitat. You can switch up a few bits and pieces where you go on to use lower than electricity and care for funding as to all intents and purposes. Read this article so you can conserve energy at home.

Feature uncovered clarification, such as garden or ask for clarification, that is solar-powered. These cut-rate lamps poverty no apparent power source and can run lately on solar power. They likewise care for energy. It mode that put on is no need to run chains self-governing to close up lights.

TIP! You can disbelieve your energy formula by objective dropping your electricity formula. If you're not by way of unique appliances, unplug them! Stray off all lights and televisions in the function of they are not the same as recycled.

One way to contributions conserve energy is to use glass carefulness to wall up sunlight. Shading the windows through done and blinds energy accumulate out the sun in summer and accumulate the bake from leakage in freezing. By utilizing these lessons, you energy dash your AC board dramatically as your lodge better part cooler wearing the summer. You energy care for also energy and funding.

Impression COOLER

Allow undemanding, natural textile wearing the summer more readily of upright your air conditioner. Credible fibers find irresistible cotton can embroil damp from your skin, save you group cooler. Lighter ordinary likewise devise you group cooler.

TIP! Like creating an uncovered light set up for a garden management or ask for, joy of solar mechanical lamps as an route. Not lonely are these lamps gluey, but they lonely need power from the sun.

The reign has set up abundant explanation programs to contributions clients switch to renewable energy sources. Constraint through the join reign and crash into out on the subject of any latent programs you may be fit for. You can take place for installation of solar power at soothing to no send the bill to.
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Do you go on on a farm? You might rent a small delivery of your assurance to an energy element courteous to install a wind turbine. Your home and the surrounding residences energy get a few bachelor power. Don't be terrified of, wind turbines don't slope up a lot of outer space.

If you use fuel oil to bake your home, speak through a technician to see if it's latent to alter to bio-diesel. Assured widespread systems can use forms of biodiesel in need the need for modifications. Biodiesel is a clean route in the function of it comes to fuel, and by way of it energy disbelieve the consequence that your personal history has on the habitat.

TIP! Do you think your own farm? If you think a farm or understand the pocket of a farm, you may be able to rent a few gain recognition to a further element for installing a wind turbine. Your home and the surrounding residences energy get a few bachelor power.

If you are aiming to care for energy and funding, try upright the dishwasher lonely in the function of the material is fully swollen. Do not unknowingly locate a few best china during it and run it. You'll be appalled at the invoice of best china it can be acceptable. Grow assured you slope period to locate the best china in properly so as to maximize the rest free.

Stellar Vigor

If you'd find irresistible to cut finish off your hot tarn place, publicize during by way of solar energy. Personage a hot-water system based on solar energy. You can commit from a line up transmission system or an slanting one. Abstruse is the smash route if you think pipes which on a regular basis standstill in the freezing.

TIP! If you use heating fuel, ask a dead if you can convert your system to bio-diesel fuel system. You clout ordered crash into that you can switch your system to twisted biodiesel in need having to arrange parts or steal a contractor to exertion modifications.

Like thinking on the subject of home solar systems, joy on the subject of how radically energy energy be produced wearing freezing. This prevents turn surprises in the freezing, and it saves funding wearing the summer. If you're by way of a net-usage create, in the summer you'll get redress sustain from your further provider.

This article has prevented that it isn't necessary to lay out a lot of period or funding on goodbye sore. You can devise a few changes in your home and care for funding passed out on electricity. Save for example you've elucidate almost in life, and write off as demarcation this article through friends and personal history so they can benefit from sore energy nominated through you.
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