Category: Energy Matters
The twentieth century way of life has been made available, largely due to the miracle of cheap energy. The price of energy has been at record lows for the past century and a half.As oil becomes increasingly scarce, it is becoming obvious to everyone, that the rapid economic and industrial growth we have enjoyed for that time is not sustainable.Now, the hunt is on. For renewable sources of energy, for alternative sources of energy, for a way of life that is less dependent on cheap energy.Â
admin /23 June, 2010
Insulation industry worried by ‘sloppy inspections’
By Timothy McDonald
Updated 1 hour 6 minutes ago
The Government has completed roughly half of the 50,000 inspections it will conduct of homes with foil insulation (ABC News: file photo)
Insulation installers and industry groups are worried that the Government’s safety inspections are being carried out by people who are not properly trained.
The Federal Government is currently working through 200,000 inspections of roofs where insulation was installed under its free program that was axed over safety and fraud concerns.
It has completed roughly half of the 50,000 inspections it will conduct of homes with foil insulation.
admin /23 June, 2010
Obama’s oil drilling ban overturned
By North America correspondent Kim Landers and wires
Posted 4 hours 3 minutes ago
A US judge has overturned the Obama administration’s six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The moratorium was put in place in response to the massive BP oil leak, and put a stop to drilling at 33 exploratory wells.
Now a New Orleans judge has overturned the six-month ban, saying the Interior Department failed to provide adequate reasons for it.
admin /22 June, 2010
100pc green energy possible by 2020: report
By Jennifer Macey
Updated 1 hour 17 minutes ago
Ambitious: wind and solar power currently provide less than 1 per cent of Australia’s total energy needs.
A Melbourne University report says all of Australia’s energy could come from renewable sources by 2020 as opposed to the Federal Government’s target of 20 per cent.
The Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan was launched in Canberra this morning by Coalition Senator Judith Troeth, independent Senator Nick Xenophon and Greens Senator Christine Milne.
admin /16 June, 2010
Why the Wind Market is Hurting
Texas, United States At first glance, last year’s 10 gigawatts of wind installations in the U.S. make it seem like the market is in good shape. But those numbers don’t tell the real story of the difficulties the wind industry is facing.
In 2009, financing was the big issue for the industry. There simply weren’t enough financial players healthy enough to put money into projects. The grant program created under the stimulus package helped move a number of projects forward, beefing up the installation figures for last year.
But today, financing isn’t necessarily the main problem; it’s demand. Due to a number of factors exacerbated by the dismal economy, some developers are simply unable to take advantage of the stimulus dollars available. Only 540 MW of wind capacity were installed in the first quarter of 2010, down from 2,800 MW in the first quarter of 2009.
admin /16 June, 2010
Olympic Dam expansion at risk over tax: Morgan Stanley
BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam site in South Australia. Source: The Australian
BHP Billiton’s massive Olympic Dam expansion project could be the next project put on hold because of the government’s resources super profits tax, according to Morgan Stanley.
Analyst Craig Campbell said in a note this morning the project, which is the world’s largest uranium deposit, would likely follow a series of projects put on hold if the tax remains in its current form.
admin /15 June, 2010
Tiny desert town goes solar in a big way
Grist’s Dave Roberts sent out a Tweet to his Tweeps today asking which city has installed the most solar. I’ve got an answer for you, Dave: Nipton, California.
The desert micropolis — population 38 — announced Thursday that it had installed a solar array that will provide 85 percent of the town’s electricity. (The population of this outpost on the edge of Mojave National Preserve spikes to 250 or so during tourist season.) The solar system is ground- rather than on rooftop-mounted, and only generates 82 kilowatts. But what is notable is the technology developed by Skyline Solar, a Silicon Valley startup I first wrote about for Grist last year.
The company’s power plants resemble solar thermal parabolic trough installations. They deploy long rows of mirrors which heat tubes of liquid that that suspended over the arrays. The heat turns the liquid into steam, which drives an electricity-generating turbine. Skyline’s system is purely solid state, however.
