Category: Energy Matters

The KiteGen improves upon inefficient windmill systems that use a single propeller to generate energy. Unlike these static generators, the dynamic movement of the KiteGen’s kites allow it to use an autopilot-like system to adjust to wind conditions in order to achieve the highest possible speed, and therefore the greatest output. The efficiency of the system would be so great, in fact, that Sequoia estimates KiteGen could produce one gigawatt of power for just 1.5 euros per megawatt hour. Were it able to achieve these theoretical figures, KiteGen would be nearly 30 times more efficient than other European energy production techniques, which which cost about 43 euros per megawat hour. Sequoia believes it can produce a working model of the KiteGen within two years.

But even with the promise that the project has shown, Italian pundits and lawmakers alike are a bit dubious about the future of KiteGen. Invasion of air space seems to be an especially touchy matter, as KiteGen’s kites, which can fly higher than a mile above the ground, could interfere with the flight paths of planes, helicopters, or even birds. Said Luciano Pirazzi, an energy expert for the Italian government agency ENEA:

It’s a fascinating project, for the amount of power it promises and the low cost. But — and there are a series of buts — it is still basically a concept on the drawing board. Feasibility has to be proven.

Sequoia is acommodating for the concern with the development of a radar system that would detect such flying objects, automatically moving KiteGen’s kites out of the way. Were the project a success, KiteGen could help Italy meet standards set by the EU Renewable Energy Directive, which require that the country run on at least 22 percent renewable energy by 2010.

As the state’s newly established wave energy association, this group of industry, academic and state agency representatives just received $1 million from the Oregon Innovation Council. Officials believe that Oregon has the potential to create high-paying jobs and economic opportunity in Oregon, attract new investment and talent, and provide reliable, low-cost, clean, and renewable power. OWET was formed last year to build and share the expertise needed to support responsible development of this industry. “With great opportunity comes great challenges, and Oregon needs a central entity for all wave energy-related activities to support responsible industry development,” said Chandra Brown of Oregon Iron Works, one of the OWET partners.  Researchers say that the ocean is the largest, most concentrated source of renewable energy on Earth, and the potential for wave energy in Oregon is enormous – it could provide 10 percent of the state’s electricity needs by 2025.  “The state’s investment is aimed at addressing the challenges facing the industry, which include education and outreach, understanding potential environmental effects, responding to existing use conflicts, research and development, and state-wide planning,” said OWET’s acting Director Justin Klure. “The top priorities are determining potential ecological effects and working with existing ocean users to develop a plan to share the use of the ocean.”  Among recent and planned activities:

"These targets mark a new era in the development of wind and solar power in France, and though they are ambitious, they can be achieved," Jean-Michel Parroufe head of the renewable energy division at the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe, Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie), told RenewableEnergyAccess.com.

He said the plan would change the structure of France’s primary energy consumption — 275 million TOE (tons of oil equivalent) in 2006 — so that 20 percent would come from renewables, 25 percent from nuclear and 55 percent from fossil fuels by 2020, saving 20 million tons of oil.

"From now on a bigger range of renewable energies, and not just biomass, will help meet the challenge of fighting global warming in France," Parroufe said.

Parroufe, however, admitted it would not be easy for France to reach the target for wind.

With just 810 MW of installed capacity, France is the third biggest market in Europe behind Germany with 2233 MW and Spain with 1587 MW.

Installed wind capacity has been growing rapidly, doubling in 2004 and also in 2005 following a change in the law that had prohibited the state electrical company EDF Electricity France from buying electricity from wind parks over 12 MW.

According to Parroufe, the most difficult part of meeting the wind target will be "finding enough good sites for the wind turbines because they shouldn’t spoil the landscape. It is a big target but we believe the right financial and legal framework is in place and we can make a leap forward in wind power," he said.

The government has already laid solid foundations for growth in renewables by introducing more favorable feed-in tariffs for electricity from wind and solar power in July 2006 as well as tax breaks.

As a result of the tax breaks, solar thermal systems grew by 80 percent in 2006 to reach 210 MW of installed capacity.

Growth in PV installed capacity was 150 percent in 2006 boosted by a base feed-in tariff of 30 cents per KW/h for PV electricity in cities, said Rachel Massion from Enerplan, the Professional Association for Solar Energy [Association Professionelle de l’Energie Solaire].

"We expect the same sorts of figures this year and in the future," Rachel Masson told RenewableEnergyAccess.com. "Photovoltaics are growing at different rates in different parts of the country depending on the policies of the local authorities."

The Pays de Loire has become the leader in France with 1.4 MW of installed capacity followed by the Languedoc Rousillon, which has 1.18 MW because of special incentives for integrating solar panels into buildings.

Also, the city of Narbonne plans to build a 9 MW PV station to supply energy for public buildings and street lighting.

In spite of the growth in the wind and solar sectors, biomass will continue to provide the lion’s share of renewables in France even in 2020, Parroufe said.

With 9.3 million TOEs in 2006, France is the biggest consumer of fuel wood in Europe after Sweden and Finland: more than 40 percent of all domestic heating systems in the country today use wood as fuel — and the number is growing.

However, Parouffe said that expanding the use of biomass would require setting up a better network for collecting wood from the country’s forests.

Other measures that the French government has announced on the renewable front include huge new investments in renewable energy research, like developing second generation biofuels.

To boost the use of biogas, in 2006 the government increased the price by 50 percent as an incentive for drivers to use cleaner cars, such as electric and hybrid models.

Also, energy performance certificates recording the carbon emissions of new cars became obligatory in May 2006 and financial incentives were introduced to make cars with low carbon emissions more attractive.

The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy announced the new push for more renewables and more energy-efficiency to fight climate change in October following a three-month consultation period with representatives from environmental, business and social groups.

He said that cutting carbon emissions would be factored in to all government decisions in the future, including the construction of new buildings and the handling of waste.

The French parliament is set to pass the law in 2008.

Jane Burgermeister is a RenewableEnergyAccess.com European Correspondent based in Vienna, Austria

Now, the full stories

The European city of Vienna is testing a prototype of a solar powered street light called the solar tree. The multiple stemmed street lamp consists of a number of disks arranged atop multiple stems in the form of a stylised tree. Each disk is covered with solar panels on the upper side and a number of low energy light bulbs on the lower side. The street lamp continues to light the street below it all night, even after four days without sunshine. Street lighting is responsible for 2million Megawatt hours of electricity or 10 per cent of Europe’s electricity consumption, which produces almost 3 billion tonnes of green house gases.

The price of pasta in Italy has increased 27% during 2007, leading to the first organised food strikes in modern Italy. Food strikes have a long history in Europe, it was a bread riot which sparked the French Revolution in 1789 and classical Rome was thrown into chaos a number of times when pirates or corrupt governers interrupted the flow of grain from Africa, Sicily and Egypt to the Italian peninsula. In january 2007 a street march by 70,000 people led to government legislation controlling the prices of tortilla which have risen 700 per cent in the decade since the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed. The pasta price rises in Italy are largely due to increasing cost of fossil fuels but the Italians are so used to the government subsidising the price of food they believe it is corruption that has allowed this increases to flow through to the public. As one of the proposed solutions the organisers demanded more farmers markets where consumers can meet producers and cut out the “greedy” middle-man.

Speaking at the Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference in Monterey, California, Energy guru Amory Lovins suggested that the United States can win the “oil depletion endgame” by reducing its energy consumption rather than winning wars against other energy hungry nations. He cites the design of lightweight automobiles among other technology solutions that can vastly reduce the energy consumption in the US without destroying the economy or undermining the existing way of life. As most cars weigh more than ten times the occupants, ninety percent of the energy used by existing automobiles is spent on moving the vehicle rather than the passenger. The TED conference has been running for thirteen years and endeavours to present the most influential speakers of our times.

After winning an election against a Prime Minister he accused of backflipping on climate change, the new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is now praising the US for its “flexibility” on climate policy. The United States almost derailed the climate conference in Bali, refusing to participate in discussions that did not force India, Brazil and China to commit to reductions in Greenhouse emissions. Kevin Rudd has praised the US for its last minute compromise that allowed an agreed statement to be released, even though European nations and green activists were disappointed that the final agreement contains no specific targets. Nations leading the way on opposing climate change are concerned that Australia will become an advocate for the US position, instead of a powerful influence forcing the US to follow the rest of the world in taking specific action to reverse global warming.

Scientists at the Salk Institute in the US have released results of a study on fruit flies which indicate that the activity in which body cells consume themselves, known as autophage – self eating- may be a key process that limits ageing. For a long time it has been considered that the autophage process was a cause of many facets of ageing. The latest results indicate that it probably accelerates as we age because it reverses some of the effects of ageing. It appears that by cleaning up the accumulated toxins in these ageing cells by eating them, autophaging may prevent the onset of diseases like Alzheimers.

That was Energy Matters News on the Generator, Bay FM 99.9 one tenth of a degree below boiling. I’m Charlie Starret. Energy Matters news is available daily through ebono.org.

Source: ABC  

A survey conducted for Unions New South Wales shows 85 per cent of people in the state are opposed to the privatisation of the electricity sector.

Unions NSW secretary John Robertson says the survey found 96 per cent of the 1,011 respondents feared the State Government’s plan would push electricity costs higher, while 85 per cent were concerned jobs would go.

The results have been released as the union movement prepares to launch a campaign against the Government’s plan to sell off the electricity retailers and lease the state’s power generators.

Mr Robertson says delegates from across the state will meet in Sydney today to formally reject the plan.

"I’m confident we’ll be able to run a very effective campaign that puts pressure on the Government to think again," he said.

But Energy Minister Ian Macdonald is urging the unions to remain calm about the issue.

"I hope that over the next six weeks or so, we can have a further dialogue with the unions and other stakeholders that is free from over-the-top reactions," he said.

The unions are worried power prices will rise and jobs will be sent overseas if the sector is privatised.

Premier Morris Iemma says he is not concerned by the unions’ action.

"They are entitled to raise their issues and their questions, and the Government responds," he said.