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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1700 on: May 23, 2017, 09:02:31 PM »
I just emailed the IEA WEO chart to the IEA along with the question -

"Do you folks ever sit back and ponder whether you're getting stuff right?"


I don't expect to hear back....

 At some point, even they have to be embarrassed. ;D  ::)
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rboyd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1701 on: May 23, 2017, 09:54:16 PM »
Its like any of the governmental/intergovernmental organizations, including the IPCC as well as the IEA and EIA. All publications go through a political process, so as not to discomfort their backers too much publicly. I sometime wonder whether some of these organizations provide "for your eyes only" type assessments that are closer to the truth.

Imagine just the stock market implications if the IEA forecast significant reductions in oil demand in the next 10-15 years. The IEA officials involved would be taking massive personal career risks, most probably would get replaced as not "politically-aware" enough. Being right but unemployed is not good career management. As long as later they can say "well no one else saw it coming" their careers will be fine.

Governments have to manage their populations and these organizations are part of that management. Part of the societal inertia that threatens us all.

 

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1702 on: May 24, 2017, 01:26:37 AM »
I put very little trust in EIA predictions.  (High trust in their historical data.)

I suspect the EIA soft pedals things like coal and oil use dropping in the future out of concern that some members of Congress will come after their budget.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1703 on: May 24, 2017, 07:34:39 AM »
Quote
ScottishPower has won the rights for two massive U.S. wind farms that could total a combined 4 GW.

The two sites include the 1,500-MW Vineyard Wind project, which will span 115 square miles south of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, and an unnamed project in North Carolina that will generate up to 2,500 MW, Business Insider reported.

Vineyard Wind alone will be three times the size of the largest offshore wind project in the United Kingdom. That project is scheduled to begin operations in 2022, while the North Carolina project will become operational by 2025.

Keith Anderson, head of ScottishPower, said the company might have the largest offshore development pipeline of any company in America.

"The cost differential between onshore and offshore was so large that a lot of people never thought that America would be interested,” he said. "But now we're staring to see the process pick up speed as the cost of offshore wind comes down."

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2017/05/scottish-power-wins-right-to-build-two-u-s-offshore-wind-projects.html

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1704 on: May 25, 2017, 09:42:55 AM »
Whoa, Ol' Spot!  We're going over a cliff...


Quote
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) this week announced it would buy solar energy from a new 100MW solar plant at the historically low price of less than US3c/kWh – less than half of what it had agreed to pay in similar contracts over the last few years.

The project will also include 30MW/120MWh of battery storage, and the company says that the power purchase agreement for the combined output is “significantly less” than US4.5c/kWh – nearly two-thirds cheaper than the previous such contract struck in Hawaii, and well below the cost of a gas-fired peaking plant.

It is the first time in the US that a solar contract has fallen below US3c/kWh, although it has already occurred in Dubai (which holds the record low of 2.54c/kWh), Chile and Mexico. The prices in those countries are unsubsidised, and the US price includes the benefit of a 30 per cent tax credit, which pushes the unsubsidised price back up to near US4c/kWh.


http://reneweconomy.com.au/stunning-new-lows-in-solar-and-battery-storage-costs-13929/

Three cents means that the solar farm is generating for less than 4c/kWh.  For the first ten years of a likely 20 year contract (PPA) they can get a 2.3c/Wh production tax credit.  1.15/kWh over 20 years.  That takes 3c to 4.15/kWh but that price also includes the farm's profits.

At 4.5c/kWh the solar farm will be producing dispatchable electricity.  It will compete with the most expensive electricity of the day.  Probably from sundown to late evening, the "duck's neck". 

This will push gas peakers into a deeper backup role, make their output more expensive when it is used, and create a wider window for storage to sneak in.

Expect to hear weeping from behind fossil fuel's door....

rboyd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1705 on: May 25, 2017, 04:24:25 PM »
TEP's plan is still relatively conservative: at least 30% of power from renewables by 2030. Hopefully, this makes them seriously reconsider. In sunny Arizona they should be able to do way more than that over the next 13 years.

The supplier, NextEra is also building a 100MW wind farm for the city by 2019.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/25/tep-to-buy-solar-power-at-under-3-cents-per-kwh/

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1706 on: May 25, 2017, 04:33:20 PM »
Arizona is a very red/Republican state.  Republicans are late getting to the renewable energy dance.

Tor Bejnar

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1707 on: May 25, 2017, 05:07:24 PM »
I think it is Republican politicians who are late to this dance.
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

rboyd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1708 on: May 25, 2017, 05:26:51 PM »
As long as the change to renewables is driven by "market forces" Republicans may not have a problem. They just hate government intervention that may increase taxes and impinge on the power of the corporations and financiers that own them to make as much money as possible (massive bank bailouts, sweet deals for defence contractors, fossil fuel subsidies etc. are fine of course). Apart from the ones owned by the fossil fuel industry of course.


silkman

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1709 on: May 26, 2017, 09:47:48 PM »
The beautiful early summer weather we're enjoying here in the UK right now has resulted in a new record for solar generation - 8.7GW and 25% of demand at 1pm.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/26/solar-power-breaks-uk-records-thanks-sunny-weather

I'm currently involved with a Charity-funded study of the impact of behind the meter battery storage in social housing with solar arrays and tenants in fuel poverty. I had a text from one of my "clients" this evening "2.4 units (KWh) (purchased from the Grid) in a week of heavy usage. How can I not enjoy the sun?"

Add the potential revenue streams from provision of grid balancing services and it starts to look really interesting in terms of ROI for the social housing providers as well as their tenants.

« Last Edit: May 26, 2017, 09:56:08 PM by silkman »

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1710 on: May 28, 2017, 03:36:16 PM »
U.S.:
Republican senator criticizes energy secretary’s grid reliability study
Sen. Chuck Grassley is confused by DOE’s rush to finish the study in 60 days.
Quote
A Republican senator is pushing back against an electric grid reliability study ordered by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, expressing concern that the Department of Energy has predetermined that wind energy is undermining the grid.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Perry, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a long-time supporter of wind energy, questioned the premise of the DOE grid reliability review and expressed confusion over Perry’s rush to finish the study. The DOE secretary gave his staff 60 days, or until mid-June, to complete its review on the nation’s electric grid.

“I’m concerned that a hastily developed study, which appears to pre-determine that variable, renewable sources such as wind have undermined grid reliability, will not be viewed as credible, relevant or worthy of valuable taxpayer resources,” Grassley wrote in the letter.

In April, Perry sent a memo to his chief of staff that ordered DOE to study whether government support for wind energy and other renewable energy resources is threatening the reliability of the nation’s power grid. The memo specifically directed the agency to look at the extent to which “continued regulatory burdens, as well as mandates and tax and subsidy policies, are responsible for forcing the premature retirement of baseload power plants.”
...
https://thinkprogress.org/iowa-senator-questions-doe-grid-study-9705ce6db4c7


Energy Secretary Rick Perry's bona fides are less than stellar:

Quote
...
As governor, Perry strongly supported fossil fuel development in his state. Natural gas production in Texas increased by 50 percent during his governorship, while oil production ballooned by 260 percent.

“Under Mr. Perry, Texas has moved eagerly to build coal-fired power plants, even as other states have stopped issuing permits for the plants because of pollution concerns,” the Times reported in 2011.

Perry accepted more than $14 million in campaign donations from the energy industry during his tenure as governor, according to the National Institute on Money and State Politics.

And until recently, Perry sat on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Perry accepted a $6 million campaign donation from the company last year. He resigned from the board on Dec. 31, after being tapped to head the DOE.
....
Perry has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M — and, according to his college transcript, he graduated with a 1.88 GPA (D+) average in the science courses in his major.
...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rick-perry-department-of-energy_us_587721a0e4b092a6cae559d6
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1711 on: May 29, 2017, 04:28:45 PM »
Fighting against the change.

Texas lawmakers approve tax break limitations for wind turbines near military bases
Quote
The Texas legislature has passed a bill that would eliminate tax abatements for wind turbines sited within 25 miles of military bases, over concerns they pose a safety risk to bases with aviation operations.

Senate Bill 277 passed the House 76-65 on Tuesday, a day after a preliminary vote; the Senate passed the measure in April. Platts reports Gov. Greg Abbott's office has not indicated if he will sign the bill.

Opponents of the bill say wind turbines do not pose a threat to military bases, and that the measure is political.
...
http://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-lawmakers-approve-tax-break-limitations-for-wind-turbines-near-milita/443604/


Navy: Wind farm opposed by some North Carolina lawmakers won't harm radar
Quote
Navy: Wind farm opposed by some North Carolina lawmakers won't harm radar

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says it disagrees with Republicans in North Carolina who claim a $400 million clean energy project slated to power data centers for Amazon.com Inc. poses a threat to national security.

State legislative leaders have asked the incoming Trump administration to either kill or require major changes to the nearly completed wind farm, which they said will interfere with the operation of a military radar installation that scans for aircraft and ships hundreds of miles out over the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean.

Rep. Walter Jones, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, also wrote to Trump's choice to lead the Homeland Security Department last month to raise concerns about the project. The sprawling 20,000-acre facility in the congressman's district includes 104 spinning wind turbines, each nearly as tall as a 50-story building.

The Navy told The Associated Press this week it had extensively studied the potential for interference with its Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar, or ROHTR, system just across the state line in Chesapeake, Virginia.

"The Navy is committed to working with developers to ensure that renewable energy projects are compatible with our mission and operations," said Lt. Chika Onyekanne, a Navy spokesman. "While initial studies indicated a potential conflict between the Amazon wind project and the ROTHR, additional data collected since that time determined that the project is not likely to affect the mission." ...
https://www.navytimes.com/articles/navy-radar-north-carolina
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rboyd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1712 on: May 29, 2017, 06:00:12 PM »
Chopped up birds (wind turbines) and fried birds (solar PV), now a risk to flying and a provider of interference to radar. What next from the "beautiful minds" of the Republican parallel universe?

TerryM

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1713 on: May 29, 2017, 06:30:22 PM »
I've no idea how many good jobs Texas and N. Carolina Republicans are tossing out of their States, but other, less Ideologically Pure States, might be glad to pick up their cast off jobs.
This could cost them in 2018.


Terry

vigilius

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1714 on: May 30, 2017, 03:56:05 AM »
Quote
Chopped up birds (wind turbines)

Yeah I had a "friendly" argument with a co-worker about this and it was really strange how when it came to wind turbines he was suddenly so concerned about the birds when in the rest of the discussion he made it plain he didn't give a rat's a** about the environment.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1715 on: May 30, 2017, 04:10:14 PM »
Solar, wind meet more than 10% of U.S. electric demand in March
Quote
The United States has been well behind nearly all nations in Western Europe in the transition to renewable energy from fossil fuels. However, recent data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration shows that the United States, if not yet catching up, is also making remarkable progress.

EIA’s Electric Power Monthly shows that during March wind and solar together met 10.1% of U.S. electricity demand. This the first time that these two sources combined have ever met more than 10% of power, a fact which was first reported in the TerraJoule newsletter.
...
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/05/30/solar-wind-meet-more-than-10-of-u-s-electric-demand-in-march/


Elektrek says: "Hydro electricity from a wet spring season on the West Coast, which alone provided more than 10% of the nations’s electricity, as well as biomass and geothermal power, all renewable energy sources combined met 24% of electric demand in March – And if we add in the 20% we get from Nuclear power, 44% of electricity demand in the USA was met with non-fossil fuel electrons. We’re almost halfway there folks!"
https://electrek.co/2017/05/30/egeb-jinko-carbon-tax-bifacial-coal-shutdown/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1716 on: May 30, 2017, 04:58:30 PM »
Image is of frame-less solar panels that was shown off at a recent Department of Navy presentation
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1717 on: May 31, 2017, 02:53:00 PM »
Australia:  small solar roof-top farms provide local power and assist the grid.

“Solar farmlet” on livestock exchange leads rural push to local generation
Quote
A new solar project slated for the regional Victorian town of Wangaratta has highlighted the huge potential for rooftop PV in commercial farming and agriculture, as rising energy prices and concerns over energy security take a toll on regional businesses and councils.

The project will see the installation of a 750kW solar array on the huge and newly refurbished roof of the council-owned Wangaratta Livestock Exchange, pictured below.

Local clean energy developer, Countrywide Energy (CWE), which is also set to begin construction of a 20MW solar farm in Wangaratta, is undertaking the job, with plans to lease the rooftop from the Council and either offset the energy generated against the Council’s power bills or sell the energy to the grid, or a combination of both.

“We’d been asked by the Strathbogie Shire Council, to look at their sale yard – because Euroa has real difficulties with their summer load, and often has to hire a big diesel generator,” CWE director Geoff Drucker told One Step Off The Grid.

The idea was seized upon by the Wangaratta Council, which happened to have just refurbished the roof of its livestock exchange building, resulting in a 12,500 square meter, “over-enengineered” space that was ideal for solar.

“The Wangaratta Livestock Exchange (WLE) rooftop is an ideal location for a large-scale installation because of its carrying and load capacities and connection to the National Electricity Market,” said Drucker.

“This is the first of several larger roof spaces that offer ideal locations for a solar installation in and around Wangaratta,” he said.

Once completed, the exchange will host around 2,500 solar panels – enough to power about 200 homes. And, like the North Wangaratta solar farm, Drucker says the WLE system will be rented under a 25-year agreement, with an option to extend it by a further 25 years.

CWE says this sort of “solar farmlet” project is becoming increasingly attractive in rural Australia, as councils and businesses look to cut costs and secure their electricity supply.
...
https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/wangaratta-livestock-exchange-install-solar-farmlet-roof/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1718 on: May 31, 2017, 07:55:33 PM »
Thinking back to the farms that various relatives owned I can see a lot of roof area that could have been a revenue source for those farms.  Hay barns, equipment sheds, milking barns, winter stables, ....

And not all the roofs would need to be flat roofs angled toward the midday Sun.  Run the roofline North/South and deliver electricity to the grid over a longer period of the day.

crandles

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1719 on: June 03, 2017, 03:03:03 PM »
Quote
The Chinese Government has announced that they've completed the construction of the world's largest floating solar farm, and it's now producing energy.

Sungrow Power Supply have created created a 40-megawatt solar power plant, which sits atop of a flooded former coal-mining town in China's eastern Anhui province.

https://www.indy100.com/article/china-powered-largest-solar-power-farm-earth-renewable-fossil-fuel-floating-7759346

DrTskoul

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1720 on: June 03, 2017, 04:10:42 PM »
Quote
The Chinese Government has announced that they've completed the construction of the world's largest floating solar farm, and it's now producing energy.

Sungrow Power Supply have created created a 40-megawatt solar power plant, which sits atop of a flooded former coal-mining town in China's eastern Anhui province.

https://www.indy100.com/article/china-powered-largest-solar-power-farm-earth-renewable-fossil-fuel-floating-7759346

The concept has been floated for old mine waste ponds or process water ponds, for at least the last decade....good to see it getting implemented

Archimid

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1721 on: June 04, 2017, 03:23:58 AM »
All Dutch trains now run on 100% wind power

http://www.businessinsider.com/wind-power-trains-in-netherlands-2017-6

Quote
Initially, trains in the Netherlands were set to run entirely on renewable energy by 2018.

However, it seems officials have been able to beat that goal by an entire year. As of the first of January this year, all public transport trains are being powered by renewable energy, namely from wind power.
I am an energy reservoir seemingly intent on lowering entropy for self preservation.

TerryM

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1722 on: June 04, 2017, 05:05:58 PM »
All Dutch trains now run on 100% wind power

http://www.businessinsider.com/wind-power-trains-in-netherlands-2017-6

Quote
Initially, trains in the Netherlands were set to run entirely on renewable energy by 2018.

However, it seems officials have been able to beat that goal by an entire year. As of the first of January this year, all public transport trains are being powered by renewable energy, namely from wind power.


Wonderful news indeed!
I'm linking to the Guardian Article for those, like me, who use adblocker & can't access Business insider.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/10/dutch-trains-100-percent-wind-powered-ns


and a 2015 article about the wind powered light rail system that is heavily used in Calgary.
http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/c-train-success-nenshi-calgary


Could 'Gone with the Wind' have acquired a whole new meaning?


Terry

Hans

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1723 on: June 04, 2017, 05:29:13 PM »
From the website of NS, the Dutch railway company: ."... 1.4 TWh / year...all sourced from new build wind parks..." It is not only The NS, but all rail companies operating in NL: ProRail, Arriva, Connexxion, Kombi Rail Europe, DB Schenker, ERS Railways, HSL Logistik, Rotterdam Rail Feeding en Rurtalbahn Benelux.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1724 on: June 04, 2017, 09:32:03 PM »
Portland, Oregon, U.S.   From 2015:

Portland Now Generates Electricity From Turbines Installed In City Water Pipes
Quote
...
Portland has replaced a section of its existing water supply network with Lucid Energy pipes containing four forty-two inch turbines. As water flows through the pipes, the turbines spin and power attached generators, which then feed energy back into the city’s electrical grid. Known as the “Conduit 3 Hydroelectric Project,” Portland’s new clean energy source is scheduled to be up and running at full capacity in March. According to a Lucid Energy FAQ detailing the partnership, this will be the “first project in the U.S. to secure a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewable energy produced by in-pipe hydropower in a municipal water pipeline."
...
As the video explains, Lucid Energy’s system isn’t affected by the sort of external conditions (namely: the weather) upon which other renewable energy sources–like solar and wind power– are reliant. Nor does the technology, completely ensconced within a pipe, have adverse effects on a surrounding environmental ecosystem, as an exposed hydroelectric dam might.

Fast Company points out that, in order to be cost and energy effective, Portland’s new power generators must be installed in pipes where water flows downhill, without having to be pumped, as the energy necessary to pump the water would negate the subsequent energy gleaned. However, Fast Company also notes that the system does more than simply provide electricity: It can monitor both the overall condition of a city’s water supply network as well as assess the drinking quality of the water flowing through it.
...
https://www.good.is/articles/portland-pipeline-water-turbine-power
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TerryM

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1725 on: June 04, 2017, 10:52:27 PM »
SMN
I'm amazed!
I briefly looked into this a few decades ago and considered it akin to putting a windmill on a car. Whatever energy was extracted would just be a fraction of the energy propelling the car. Whether the pipe is headed uphill or down, energy pushed the water up the hill earlier, and energy (head), is still required at the far end.
I don't understand how energy can be extracted from this closed system without imputing more energy.
Terry

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1726 on: June 05, 2017, 01:04:46 AM »
Water runs downhill.

This is nothing different than putting a dam in a mountain valley and installing turbines.

TerryM

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1727 on: June 05, 2017, 01:28:52 AM »
Water runs downhill.

This is nothing different than putting a dam in a mountain valley and installing turbines.


Actually a large portion of Portland's water does arrive by gravity. I've apparently lived too long in cities that pumped their water from wells.


Good catch!
My bad  ::)
Terry

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1728 on: June 05, 2017, 01:45:43 AM »
http://arctic.blogs.panda.org/default/renewable-energy-in-the-far-north-is-it-feasible/

Quote
“Whenever I suggest using solar energy in Northern communities, the typical response is that there is too little, or no sunshine in the winter months. This is irrefutable. But so is the flip side of that argument: in the summer there is an abundance of sunshine in the far north. The city of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories gets about 8 per cent more sun energy per year than Berlin, Germany. In its peak summer months of May and June, Inuvik—also in the Northwest Territories and located 2 degrees above the Arctic Circle—gets more sun energy per month than Rio de Janeiro in any of its best months. For a good half of the year the sun is a great energy resource for the north.

I've been in touch with Klaus, hopefully I can get something done this year. If not, then next year.

ghoti

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1729 on: June 05, 2017, 04:52:51 AM »
I'd really love to see a multi-axis tracker doing full circles each day!

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1730 on: June 05, 2017, 11:00:11 PM »
Quote
A vice president with Sempra Energy, one of the nation’s largest utilities, made a stunning admission to a roomful of gas and oil executives this week: there is no technical impediment to California getting all of its energy from renewables – now.

“I am speaking with confidence now. We have a solution now to adjust the intermittency of solar and wind energy that is no longer a technology challenge. Now it is an economic decision,” said Patrick Lee, Sempra Energy vice president for major project controls. “So installing a base load power plant is no longer your only option. You can now look at solar, wind and storage as alternatives, and still be able to manage the reliability of the grid. So that is the takeaway I would like you to have.”

Sempra VP surprises, says 100 percent renewable grid is possible now
http://inewsource.org/2017/05/26/sempra-100-percent-renewables-pxise/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1731 on: June 06, 2017, 09:41:02 PM »
May was an 'Extraordinary' month for Scottish renewable energy
Quote
Scotland had "another extraordinary month" for renewable energy in May, according to environmental groups.

Wind turbines alone provided enough electricity to supply 95% of Scottish homes.

WWF Scotland analysed renewables data provided by WeatherEnergy.

It also found that in several parts of Scotland, homes fitted with solar PV panels had enough sunshine to generate more than 100% of the electricity needs of an average household.

Wind turbines provided 863,495 MWh of electricity to the National Grid during May, an increase of almost 20% compared to May 2016 when wind energy provided 692,896 MWh.

Overall the data showed that wind generated enough output to supply 100% or more of Scottish homes on 11 of the 31 days in May.
...
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40149604
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numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1732 on: June 06, 2017, 11:03:34 PM »
Quote
A vice president with Sempra Energy, one of the nation’s largest utilities, made a stunning admission to a roomful of gas and oil executives this week: there is no technical impediment to California getting all of its energy from renewables – now.

“I am speaking with confidence now. We have a solution now to adjust the intermittency of solar and wind energy that is no longer a technology challenge. Now it is an economic decision,” said Patrick Lee, Sempra Energy vice president for major project controls. “So installing a base load power plant is no longer your only option. You can now look at solar, wind and storage as alternatives, and still be able to manage the reliability of the grid. So that is the takeaway I would like you to have.”

Sempra VP surprises, says 100 percent renewable grid is possible now
http://inewsource.org/2017/05/26/sempra-100-percent-renewables-pxise/

Ah, capitalism!

CEO: "Can't do it, it's impossible. It'll destroy our business model, and for technical reasons it's literally impossible, we'll be in the Stone Age."

CTO: [murmurs]

CEO: "We're selling the technology to do it, place your order now!"

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1733 on: June 07, 2017, 05:38:06 AM »
Reminds me of a German automaker CEO (Audi?) who stated in an interview that his company would never make an electric car of any kind.

A couple weeks later the company showed a PHEV prototype at a car show.  Mr. CEO apparently had no clue....

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1734 on: June 07, 2017, 10:48:26 PM »
So good that a company with the mission to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy is now a Fortune 500 company.  Much work to do!

Tesla’s stock (TSLA) hits new all-time high again, joins Fortune 500 list
Quote
Fortune’s list goes by revenue and the $7 billion that Tesla pulled in last year was enough for the company to land in the #383 position.
https://electrek.co/2017/06/07/tesla-tsla-all-time-fortune-500-list/
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rboyd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1735 on: June 08, 2017, 06:19:44 PM »
Big Move By South Korea: From Coal+Nuclear to Gas+Renewables

"The new government of South Korea has unveiled a new energy policy that shifts away from coal and nuclear and focuses on natural gas and renewable energies instead. Gas-fired generation should be raised from around 18% of the power mix now to 27% by 2030, while the share of renewables - including hydropower - would rise from 5% to 20%. Meanwhile, the share of coal should drop from around 40% to 21.8% and that of nuclear from 30% to 21.6%, based on a 2.2% average growth in electricity consumption. The existing taxes on gas-fired generation would be corrected, while environmental taxes on coal and nuclear could be levied to help that energy shift."

"In May 2017, the new President announced that ten old, i.e. more than 30-year-old, coal-fired power plants would be temporarily shut down in June 2017 to reduce air pollution. During his electoral campaign, he had pledged to review existing plans to build eight nuclear reactors and nine coal-fired power plants."

https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/south-korea-reverses-energy-policy-turning-away-coal-and-nuclear.html

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1736 on: June 08, 2017, 07:22:54 PM »
Big Move By South Korea: From Coal+Nuclear to Gas+Renewables

"The new government of South Korea has unveiled a new energy policy that shifts away from coal and nuclear and focuses on natural gas and renewable energies instead. Gas-fired generation should be raised from around 18% of the power mix now to 27% by 2030, while the share of renewables - including hydropower - would rise from 5% to 20%. Meanwhile, the share of coal should drop from around 40% to 21.8% and that of nuclear from 30% to 21.6%, based on a 2.2% average growth in electricity consumption. The existing taxes on gas-fired generation would be corrected, while environmental taxes on coal and nuclear could be levied to help that energy shift."

"In May 2017, the new President announced that ten old, i.e. more than 30-year-old, coal-fired power plants would be temporarily shut down in June 2017 to reduce air pollution. During his electoral campaign, he had pledged to review existing plans to build eight nuclear reactors and nine coal-fired power plants."

https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/south-korea-reverses-energy-policy-turning-away-coal-and-nuclear.html

My bet would be that SK never reaches the 27% NG level.  Battery storage prices are dropping very fast and it's likely to be cheaper to use stored RE.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1737 on: June 09, 2017, 06:59:41 AM »
First quarter, 2017 solar prices from Greentech Media are out.



Fixed mount utility solar broke the $1/watt threshold at $0.99/watt.  Fixed watt utility is down 20.2% and tracked solar is down 23.4% from first quarter a year ago.  Commercial (flat roof) solar is down 16.1% and residential solar is down 11.5%.

Down is good....

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1738 on: June 10, 2017, 07:25:38 PM »
Prince Was a Secret Patron of Solar Power
The musician's anonymous investment ultimately helped dozens of clean-tech entrepreneurs in Oakland.
Quote
Before his abrupt death a year ago, the pop musician Prince made an investment in green energy that’s now helping solar start-ups weather an assault from President Donald Trump. ...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-06/prince-was-a-secret-patron-of-solar-power
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1739 on: June 11, 2017, 05:07:05 PM »
World renewable energy production increases by record levels in 2016 – enough to power half of Western Europe
Quote
The world added enough renewable energy capacity to power every house in the UK, Germany, France and Italy combined last year, according to a new report. The record figure of 161 gigawatts cost about £187bn, but this was a staggering 23 per cent cheaper than it would have cost in the previous year.

And, in a further sign of the tumbling price of low-carbon electricity, Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico, Peru and the United Arab Emirates are all now receiving supplies at less than five US cents (about 4p) per kilowatt-hour, “well below” fossil fuels and nuclear.

The Renewables 2017 Global Status Report, published by international renewable body Ren21, found solar panels made up nearly half, 47 per cent, of the extra capacity added, followed by wind on 34 per cent and hydro-electric schemes on 15.5 per cent.

In a statement, Ren21 said: “Renewables are becoming the least cost option. Recent deals in Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico, Peru and the United Arab Emirates saw renewable electricity being delivered at $0.05 per kilowatt-hour or less. This is well below equivalent costs for fossil fuel and nuclear generating capacity in each of these countries....
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/world-renewable-energy-production-record-increase-2016-green-power-western-europe-half-ren21-a7776646.html
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1740 on: June 11, 2017, 05:40:54 PM »
Quote
“Renewables are becoming the least cost option.

I've been trying to get a reliable number for the operating cost of generating electricity in a CCNG plant (US prices).  The EIA has been unhelpful as they lump NG plants and renewables together. 

So far it looks like costs might have been $0.06/kWh in 2015 with fuel being about 45% of the cost ($0.026/kWh for NG).

As wind and solar drop below the cost of gas then we'll see CCNG plants drop out.  US onshore subsidized wind is already lower than 2.6 cents and it looks like unsubsidized onshore is around 2.6 cents.  By the time the federal subsidy is played out new onshore unsubsidized wind should be cheaper than buying fuel.  And solar shouldn't be too far behind.
 




numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1741 on: June 11, 2017, 06:12:59 PM »
Made me look: my soon to be utility (Qulliq Energy) claims they get 3.73 kWh per litre. Diesel is $0.86 in Iqaluit (subsidized). So they pay at least $0.23 per kWh just in fuel -- and the government pays a bit more yet for that fossil fuel subsidy. Canadian dollars, so take off a quarter to get US: USD 0.17/kWh.

They claim they don't want to install wind and solar because it's too expensive and unproven. But they could pay a feed-in of up to $0.20/kWh and save money compared to their fuel budget.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1742 on: June 11, 2017, 06:56:54 PM »
Quote
They claim they don't want to install wind and solar because it's too expensive and unproven.

Sometimes people simply haven't kept up with what is happening. Wind and solar prices have fallen very rapidly and, clearly, wind and solar have been "proven". 

Wind seems to be catching on in remote villages in Alaska where importing fuel is very expensive.  It would be more expensive because there is no local installation infrastructure but certainly should be checked out.

Solar, you've got some long summer days.  Here's your solar irradiance per month...

Jan   0.76
Feb   1.53
Mar    2.77
Apr   4.86
May    4.97
Jun    5.24
Jul    5.11
Aug    3.89
Sep    2.99
Oct    1.92
Nov   0.88
Dec    0.00

In the summer you're getting about the same amount of sunshine as Miami, Florida.  A lot of fuel should be avoided.  Worth running the numbers to see what solar would cost there.  The nice thing about solar is that you can buy the hardware for the same price as everyone else is paying.  Shipping could add some cost.  But installation could be done with local labor, keeping the money in the community.

Any chance for geothermal?  Geothermal seems a good solution at high latitudes.  Performs 12 months a year and the "waste heat" can be used for building and greenhouse heating.





ghoti

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1743 on: June 11, 2017, 08:56:56 PM »
The Nunavut electricity situation is complicated by history and circumstance. There are isolated small communities with no grid interconnections. A monopoly utility that charges whatever it needs to pay for huge fuel costs. Excellent supply of workers capable of maintaining diesel generators but no experience in wind/solar. Very bad experience with early attempts at wind power decades ago when the technology was still young and zero knowledge of storage and micro grid tech existed and poor siting. The utilities have no reason nor desire to lower cost.

So there is huge resistance by the utility to add wind and solar. It took a mining company to change the situation and install wind power for their own use saving them a bundle.

Solar with batteries can supply all power to small communities during the summer and pay for themselves very quickly. I'm aware of only one NWT community that has done this so far though. So far the federal government is promoting the move to renewables to replace diesel but as far as I can tell it  is all talk and no action so far.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1744 on: June 11, 2017, 09:29:38 PM »
Quote
March 6, 2017 — I flew into Unalakleet, Alaska, on a late fall day. With about 700 people, Unalakleet is large by rural Alaska standards and serves as a regional hub. The village is located on a sandy spit of land where a clear river meets the turbid water of the Bering Sea. Out the plane window the sun shone bright, glittering off the wind-tossed whitecaps of the sea. To the east, the rolling Nulato Hills, clad in autumn foliage, provided a picturesque backdrop. As the small plane banked for our approach, a row of wind turbines appeared atop a ridge. Installed in 2009 they are among the numerous renewable power installations that have popped up across rural Alaska in the past decade.

(I)n many remote Alaskan villages, the cost of electricity is the highest in the nation, reaching a wallet-emptying US$1 per kilowatt-hour in some communities (the national average is US$0.12/kwh). The price is due to the cost of hauling fossil fuels (primarily diesel) by plane or barge to these remote areas.

The turbines I saw from my plane window as I descended into Unalakleet have a capacity of up to 600 kilowatts of power, enough to offset the consumption of tens of thousands of gallons of diesel over the course of a year. Across Alaska, similar projects are popping up. A map of renewable power projects on the REAP website shows wind turbine icons up and down the state’s coast. Gambell, Savoonga, Nome, Wales, Shaktoolik, Emmonak, Chevak and more than a dozen other villages have embraced wind-generated power. Indeed wind turbines surrounding Alaska’s villages are so common as to no longer be remarkable. What is remarkable is that these small, remote, economically challenged communities have successfully integrated renewable energy into their existing, diesel-based power grids with more success than just about anywhere else in the world. Remarkable indeed, and also a lesson to be applied elsewhere.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-rural-alaska-can-teach-the-world-about-renewable-energy/

There's a lot of similar information on the web.  If you live some place where electricity is expensive because expensive fuel is being used for generation perhaps it's time to do some guerilla educating.  Work up a good list of similar places where renewables are replacing expensive fuel and get the info in front of the people who have to pay for electricity.

If you can get a few citizens informed then pressure can be started to move away from fossil fuels.

Quote
Only accessible by small aircraft and snowmobiles in the winter, the tight-knit communities of Kasigluk, Old Kasigluk, and Nunapitchuk are known for their fishing, snowmobiling, and high fuel prices.

 To power these homes, AVEC used more than 150 diesel generators that cumulatively run more than
400,000 hours per year— equaling 950 diesel truck trips around the world. The five million gallons of diesel fuel used to power these villages was stored in bulk fuel tank facilities that needed regular maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.

“The skyrocketing cost of diesel last year resulted in the average AVEC consumer paying a fuel charge of almost 37 cents per kilowatt-hour. Now residents of Kasigluk and Nunapitchuk are paying 12 cents less, thanks to the wind turbines.”

- Meera Kohler, CEO and President, AVEC

http://www.northernpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/20141217-Kasigluk-Case-Study-US.pdf

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1745 on: June 12, 2017, 05:03:58 AM »
ghoti: mostly agree. Some details: the utility is a crown corporation, and they have a responsible minister. Energy costs are an electoral issue. So they actually can't charge whatever they want -- instead there's strong pressure to undercharge. The utility rate is roughly $0.30-$0.40 for residential, which doesn't pay enough to cover the cost of capital. A number of communities are running off generators that are beyond their expected lifetime, and that we're sized for a smaller and less electricity-dependent population back in the 1960s/70s.

I believe QEC's business model is threatened by grid parity (no surprise -- most utilities' models are) but at the same time, QEC is ideally set up to ingest large fractions of renewables since all they have are peaker plants. And old ones, so their assets aren't stranded.

(Not stranded, but irreplaceable at the moment given their capital budget.)

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1746 on: June 12, 2017, 04:33:09 PM »
Germany’s First Onshore Wind Auction Brings Low Prices for Citizen-Owned Projects
Quote
Once again, Germany shows that its renewable energy transition is citizen-owned—but now at a lower cost.

As Germany moves away from feed-in tariffs and toward competitive auctions for renewables, the country's first tenders are bringing positive results.

On Friday, the German network agency awarded contracts to 70 wind farms worth 807 megawatts under the country's first auction for onshore projects. The average bid price came in at €0.057 ($0.06) per kilowatt-hour.

"The first auction for onshore wind installations was successful. The pleasingly high level of competition made it possible to accept an average bid of 5.71 cents," said Jochen Homann, the president of Germany's federal network agency, in a statement announcing the bids.

Community projects -- wind farms owned directly by citizens -- made up 93 percent of the winning bids.

Germany has long promoted a citizen-centric approach to renewable energy development. Feed-in tariffs were seen as the best tool for empowering individuals to invest in wind, solar and biogas. But in order to control costs and target renewables development in specific areas, Germany moved to an auction system this year.

The latest onshore wind tender shows that community ownership can still take precedence under the new system -- while also encouraging lower costs.
...
Countries around the world are moving decisively toward competitive auctions, while phasing out expensive feed-in tariff programs. Auctions in Latin America, India and the Middle East have brought some of the lowest-priced solar ever seen -- with some solar PV projects approaching 2 cents per kilowatt-hour.
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/germanys-first-onshore-wind-auction-brings-low-prices-for-citizen-projects

Electrek says:
Quote
Germany’s First Onshore Wind Auction Brings Low Prices for Citizen-Owned Projects
 – Community projects — wind farms owned directly by citizens — made up 93% of the winning bids (65) or 96% of the volume – Locals are pooling resources to build energy. This document from 2014 – presents that there were close to 1,000 citizen owned projects and that those citizens represent 50% of all renewable ownership in the country. These numbers line up with what I’ve read in the past. You wonder why Germans approve paying some of the highest rates of electricity in the developed world? 50% of that green energy tax and electricity revenue goes back to the people – not international conglomerates or energy utilities. Voters like concrete paychecks versus distant financiers. Solar power and wind jobs – same thing. Side note – 1.7 million personal solar systems and greater than 50,000 battery systems. Cost of capital from regular folk much cheaper than investor groups – risk tolerances higher
https://electrek.co/2017/06/12/egeb-german-citizens-energy-company-omnio-sungrow-floating-solar-schneiderman/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1747 on: June 13, 2017, 12:19:17 AM »
For a Republican Mayor in Texas, Clean Energy Is a ‘No Brainer’
Quote
A volunteer politician from a little-known town in central Texas... is a Republican, a conservative and a Donald Trump voter (with an asterisk on the last point) who is so committed to green energy he has pushed his city to become one of the first in the country to get all of its electricity from the wind and the sun.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/republican-mayor-texas-clean-energy-no-brainer-n769056
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1748 on: June 13, 2017, 06:50:28 PM »
Greentech Media just published an interesting graph that shows neg capacity additions for fossil fuel baseload plants since 1970.



Before 1990 one can see the age of coal and nuclear.  Then the rise of natural gas generation with a flurry of NG plant construction between 2000 and 2005.

Starting in 2012 something new emerges that isn't specifically plotted.  The net addition of fossil fuel capacity turns negative as renewables and efficiency start to replace baseload generation.  More FF and nuclear is being closed than opened.


Tor Bejnar

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #1749 on: June 13, 2017, 08:25:42 PM »
Great find, Bob!
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"