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  • Australia takes lights off program to the world

    “Earth Hour is a reflection of widespread global concern over climate change, but it is also an excellent example of how Australian green innovation can succeed internationally.

    “This year, more than 50 million people in 370 cities in 35 countries turned off their lights to encourage governments, individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions.

    “The fact that in 2009, WWF are aiming to inspire one billion people with an idea that originated in Sydney only two years ago, also promotes Australia’s standing as a forward-thinking nation capable of the creativity and innovation needed to make a difference to global carbon emissions reduction. 

    “The high level of support for Earth Hour shows a strong commitment to tackling climate change in the global community, which in turn demonstrates the potential for Australian green innovation to expand trade and create jobs.

    “The global market for renewable energy is set to be worth US$750 billion a year by 2016. A recent United Nations Environment Program report also predicted investment of US$630 billion in sustainable energy implementation would create 20 million jobs globally by 2030.

    “The future international competitiveness of the Australian economy is reliant on our ability to position ourselves to go beyond resources, and by supporting innovation and the development of new industry capabilities.

    “From solar research and development and new geothermal technologies to green building design, Australia has the opportunity to become a world leader in a range of low emissions related technologies, products and services. 

    “The Rudd Government’s climate change policies require at least 20% of Australia’s electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2020, and that Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fall by 60% by 2050. From 2010 the Government will introduce a carbon price into the Australian economy for the first time through the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme,” Mr Harcourt said.

    Austrade is assisting Australian clean energy and environment companies to capitalise on new commercial opportunities arising from the transition to a lower carbon economy.

  • Multinationals may take over Farmers Federation

    Australia‘s National Farmers Federation NFF will vote this week to change its constitution and allow international corporations to become full members. Traditionally a farmers’ body, the NFF has recently lobbied government on behalf of seed, fertiliser and pesticide companies. A combination of the drought, international financial instability and scandals involving quasi-government organisations such as the Australian Wheat Board has made farmers cautious about aligning their interests with other organisations. Several state farmers associations have left the national body, feeling it has lost its way. Head of the National Farmers Federation, David Crombie, said that farmers will not lose their majority ownership of the NFF.

     Related article from the Land

  • Farmers Federation lets agribusiness in

    Mr Crombie said corporate agribusiness and other affiliated agricultural groups, which he would not name, would be offered a full membership class with full voting entitlements up to a certain limit.

    “But the critical issue put forward to us in all our meetings with farmer groups is that we retain farmer control of NFF,” Mr Crombie said.

    “While new members would be offered a full membership class, the management of affairs and the organisation would remain in the hands of farmers.

    “The model we are proposing and putting to our members next week would never see NFF in a position where State farmer organisations and commodity groups do not have the majority.

    “We are about preserving the majority shareholding in farmer hands.”

    Mr Crombie acknowledged NFF’s “long and deep heritage” as a representative voice for farmers which he did not want thrown away with any major structural change.

    He said change was still needed to help broaden the representation of the lobby group and spread it across the agricultural supply chain, representing changes in the sector now and through until 2020.

    “We need broader views in policy development, and new membership will give us that,” he said.

    “We need better research and better unity of purpose.

    “We also need to reduce duplication in agricultural representation and look at the issues we need to tackle at the national level to ensure we are doing that as effectively as possible.”

  • UK makes real plan for solar

    Like the other European Union nations, the UK has agreed to the binding target of 20% of total energy from renewable sources. As such, this recent report outlines a roadmap and the considerations that are necessary to implement that target. What makes this a seminal document is that it explicitly articulates how important renewable heat — in addition to the standard focus on electricity — will be to meet the stated energy targets. But the report goes further than just recognizing the essentialness of the renewable heat contribution; it analyses in depth the current sources of energy used in the UK and lays out a comprehensive strategy for spearheading the deployment of renewable heat on a widespread scale.

    Basically, the UK needs to go from a 1.5% share of renewable energy in their overall energy mix to 15% by 2020. Given that this represents a ten-fold increase, the question they have correctly identified is how is this realistically feasible? The report makes the point that in order to close the gap in terms of total energy coming from renewable sources, it might be easier to increase the share of renewable heat to a certain level, than to increase the level of renewable electricity, given the issues of grid capacity. Since renewable heat tends to be generated onsite, as opposed to distributed generation, the constraints affecting take-up are “modest.”

    The Situation Thus Far

    Globally, heating accounts for an estimated 50% of the total energy used in the building sector, and therefore it is one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions. Meaningful carbon reductions cannot be met without targeting this use of energy. Furthermore, the unit costs to generate renewable heat tends to be substantially less then the unit cost to generate renewable electricity, which means that to displace a certain amount of total energy, it will cost less money to displace the heating component. So given considerations of efficiency, governments should be extremely aggressive in providing the necessary mechanisms to allow for the most cost-effective uptake in renewable heat technology.

    In the UK, heat accounts for 49% of the final energy demand and 47% of carbon emissions. Up this point, this huge proportion of energy that is necessary for indoor space, ventilation, and water heating has not been adequately examined in terms of how it could be generated using renewable sources. With the new UK Renewable Energy Strategy, “decarbonising” the heating component is stated as being necessary to achieve the 15% renewable energy target. It is also recognized that this will require “develop[ing] a completely new approach to renewable heat [and] providing substantial incentives to jump-start this new market.”

    Now, as a caveat, I would disagree that the renewable heat technologies are “new” because there are many excellent solar thermal technologies that are being deployed around the world, but I think the point that is trying to be made is that as a market, “renewable heat” is just starting to come to the forefront. One other inaccuracy that I feel obliged to point out is that the report defines “solar thermal” as being only solar water heating, while omitting solar air heating. This is a serious flaw because solar air heating targets the largest usage of energy in the commercial and industrial sector (indoor space & ventilation heating). As well, independent monitoring analysis conducted in the UK by BSRIA has shown that solar air heating by itself is capable of fulfilling the 10% renewable energy target for set forth by the Merton Rule.

    Translating political objectives into action is at the crux of any good policy strategy. Accordingly, the UK Renewable Energy Strategy details the possible policy measures that could be used to jump-start the use of renewable heating. These government support mechanisms will be essential because without them, the current policies will only take the UK to a 5% level by 2020. This is why the status quo clearly cannot stand, and the report identifies the following options:

    • Direct financial support in the form of a grant to clients who install solar or other renewable heating systems.

    • Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme: This would likely take the form of a feed-in-tariff at a fixed £/MWh of thermal heat produced (like the feed-in-tariff used to drive the PV industry).

    • Renewable Heat Obligation: This would require that a certain percentage of heat energy in the UK be generated using solar, biomass or other renewable choices. Users would have to present Renewable Heat Certificates.

    • Cap and Trade System: This is a more general climate change strategy designed to make the cost of all carbon-based fuels higher, and therefore help facilitate the transition to a broad range of renewable energy technologies.

    In theory, all these policies will stimulate the use of renewable heat. However, when examining the practicality and costs of each scheme, the report makes a firm recommendation in favor of a Renewable Heat Incentive.

    On the matter of increasing the share of electric heat, the report argues against this on the basis that the electricity grid in the UK would have to be expanded by 130% in order to meet the peak winter heating demand. This would be contrary to the UK’s energy objectives of decreasing total energy to meet the 2020 targets.

    This emphasis on renewable heat is of the utmost extremely relevant for the United States and Canada — and perhaps even more so — because the overall heating load in these countries tends to be higher than it is in UK. It is essential from a variety of perspectives that municipalities and state energy offices recognize the necessity of crafting and aggressively promoting renewable heat strategies.

    This will allow the renewable heat industry to finally make a meaningful contribution to climate change that is proportionate to the benefits they offer in terms of CO2 displacement, energy production, and cost-effectiveness.

    Victoria Hollick is the VP of Operations at Conserval Engineering, which has been instrumental in promoting solar air heating around the world for the commercial & industrial sector with the SolarWall transpired collector.  Victoria has had a life-long interest in solar, and became further interested in effecting environmental and renewable energy policy while completing a graduate degree in economics.  She is also the Vice President of the Canadian Solar Industries Association.

  • San Diego gets solar powered ice rink

    In keeping with its commitment to transform UTC (University Town Center) into one of the greenest shopping centers in the country, Westfield today powered up the first major solar photovoltaic array on a regional shopping center in San Diego County.
     
    “The new UTC will be a model for green development in the shopping center industry, and powering up today’s solar project is the latest example of Westfield’s commitment to leading sustainability efforts here in San Diego,” said Jonathan Bradhurst, Senior Vice President Development, San Diego.  “Our customers enjoying a meal at the food court or coming out to skate will be using clean, green, renewable energy generated right above their heads.”
     
    The solar rooftop project is part of the enhanced green program for the New UTC, the $900 million planned revitalization approved by the City Council in July, 2008.
     
    The 100-kilowatt solar array, developed in partnership with Resource Energy Systems was installed by SPG Solar with modules produced by Sharp.  The array will provide approximately 50 percent of the power requirements for the common areas of the mall’s ice rink and food court.  Generating this power through renewable photovoltaics (PV) will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 250,000 pounds per year, which is like planting more than 30 acres of trees.  
     
    The New UTC is one of the first projects in the country to achieve Gold-level approval from the U.S. Green Building Council under its pilot LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Neighborhood Development) program.  Also planned for Westfield UTC are solar PV arrays on top of new parking structures and potentially more on the retail rooftops. In conjunction with many other energy-efficiency measures, innovative water conservation strategies, alternative transportation choices, waste reduction and use of sustainable construction techniques, the New UTC project will set a high standard for green development in San Diego and in the shopping center industry nationwide.
     
    “We are very pleased to have played an integral role in providing renewable energy to UTC” said Scott Reinstein, Chief Operating Officer of Resource Energy Systems. “The Westfield Group has long maintained a strong commitment to the environment. We look forward to working with them in providing solar energy systems at their other shopping centers across the nation.”

    “Sharp is very pleased to be helping Westfield realize its goal of reducing its carbon footprint – and achieve sustainability,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president of Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group.

    “SPG Solar values the opportunity to work with Westfield and Resource Energy Systems, and contribute to the success of Westfield’s New UTC LEED-ND program, “ said Edward C. Orrett, PE Senior Account Executive, SPG Solar.

  • Europe squabbles over burying carbon

    But it emerged on Wednesday that the French, who will chair the two-day summit, are proposing that only 150m permits – worth roughly 2bn euros – be allocated. A majority of the EU’s 27 countries is willing to support only a maximum of 200m permits, senior diplomats said.

    Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat MEP and chief European parliamentary negotiator on CCS, said MEPs would insist on obtaining their “final offer” of 350m permits. “The endgame on this critical issue takes place over the next 24 hours,” Davies said. “The UK government has to be as belligerent as other governments on other issues in getting its way on this.” The European parliament will meet on Saturday to assess the outcome – and could vote down the entire climate change package.

    CCS takes CO2 from power stations and heavy industrial plants and stores it in underground rock formations. It is viewed as a key but controversial element of global efforts to combat global warming, as it would allow the continued heavy use of coal for power. The incoming Obama administration in the US, which backs it, is looking to the EU for a lead. On the eve of the summit, energy companies and green groups joined to urge the EU to commit the required funding, arguing that it is vital if Europe is to meet its emissions reduction targets and could create many tens of thousands of new jobs.

    But Britain, as of Wednesday, can count on the support of only Poland, the Netherlands and, perhaps, the Czech Republic for its stand. Davies, however, suggested that Germany and Italy could be brought on board – if they win key concessions on other issues in the typical horse-trading at EU summits. “The government should treat this as a deal-breaker,” he said. “There’s no way 150m permits can pay for the full range of demonstration projects.”

    Some countries, such as Germany, are insisting that funding be taken from the existing EU budget, with each state paying its share according to GDP. Others, aware that none of the projects will be handed to them, are said to be digging in their heels over such subsidies. Poland, heavily dependent on coal, wants two of the projects for itself.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts the world’s use of power will increase by 50% by 2030, with 77% of that coming from fossil fuels. CCS technologies promise to trap up to 90% of the associated CO2 emissions. As such, it could be a vital tool for countries such as China, where the government’s economic growth and poverty reduction targets depend on building huge numbers of coal-fired power stations.

    “It is absolutely imperative that the heads of government commit to supporting the funding necessary to ensure that the demonstration projects can be operational by 2015,” said Joan MacNaughton, formerly an adviser to the UK government on energy and now senior vice president of power and environmental policies at French engineering company Alstom.

    Though each element of the CCS process is already proven and in use, until now no one has demonstrated a full-scale system – largely because developing it is likely to be very expensive. Many leading power companies have been reluctant to fund CCS individually, arguing that governments should shoulder some of the financial risks.

    Whatever the EU decides, said Stuart Haszeldine, a geologist at the University of Edinburgh and an expert on CCS, projects will go ahead regardless in Norway, Australia, Canada and US, leaving the rest of Europe behind. “It would be very embarrassing for Europe not to do anything. It’s not the end, but it means the ability to deliver the 2°C climate target, which Europe has always says is its top-level policy, the ability to deliver that becomes vanishingly small the longer this drags on.”

    In their letter, the environment and energy groups’ coalition cited a study by the IEA, which pointed out that the the window of opportunity for CCS to make a material impact on climate change was closing. “Now is the time to act. Every day that full-scale demonstration of CCS is delayed, we lock in new CO2 emissions and make the challenge of meeting our CO2 targets harder.”