Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You?
Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You?
If you are thinking about purchasing a solar energy system for your home or business then you are joining millions of other energy-conscious individuals around the world. Solar energy provides reliable, pollution free energy from a totally renewable resource namely the sun. Solar electricity systems are becoming much more affordable as advancements are made in photovoltaic design as well as construction, resulting in a big fall in solar panel costs in recent years.Even professionally installed systems are well within the price range of an increasing amount of householders today.
Adding to their affordability, a solar energy system is able to participate in net metering in many countries. This means that as your solar energy system generates more power than you are using, your meter runs backwards resulting in an even swap of power that you use at other times when you exceed the power supplied by your own solar electricity system.In some countries,the power companies even pay for the surplus electricity being produced.
Before you invest in a solar energy system for your home or business, it is best to understand exactly what you are purchasing and how solar electricity is generated. The building block of any solar panel system are the photovoltaic cells, which are wired together to produce solar electricity modules. The electricity produced from the modules or panels is then passed through an inverter that changes the current from AC to DC, making it usable to power your home or office as well as sending any surplus to the National Grid. It is often a popular choice to include batteries in a solar energy system as well, to store backup power to be used in times of low sun light or power cuts.
It is important to realize that all solar energy systems work intermittently or only when the sun shines. This is not a problem if you utilize battery backup systems or are connected to the grid. Installing a solar energy system can also come with an initially high investment cost and it can take years before the system pays for itself. Although, recent big falls in panel costs have reduced the payback period. However, with net metering and government funded rebates, many are able to pay off systems much more quickly.
You don’t need to know the technicalities of a solar energy system to understand its appeal.Such a system will never run out of fuel nor does it increase our dependency on foreign oil. So stop thinking and start investing in your financial freedom by installing your own solar energy system today.
Discover more interesting facts about Solar Energy
Say goodbye to electric bills and hello to renewable energy. Solar power is one of the best and most reliable renewable energy sources available. The problem most novice environmental warriors find is that the cost of professionally installed solar power systems is way beyond their budget and it could take well over 10 years to see a return on their investment. Never fear, there are alternatives. The most cost-effective way to take advantage of the power of the sun is to build your own solar panels.
Sound like too much? If you are scared it would be difficult, it is just not true. It is very easy and cost effective, to build solar panels if you have the proper instructions. Easy enough for kids, teens and adults alike. The required parts aren’t complicated either. Most of you what would need to build solar panels are readily available from your local hardware store or you can even purchase a solar panel kit, which will include all the parts you require to be generating your own energy from the sun.
It is possible to construct several small solar panels to power small appliances or small tools in your workshop. Or for the very adventurous and determined alternative energy seeker, you could build solar panels to service a much larger electric load.
There are many resources and guides available with detailed instructions on how to build solar panels. The first and most important step is to seek out quality detailed instructions. Then it is off to your local hardware store to find your supplies and next thing you know, you will be able to assemble and install the system yourself. Watch out though, your neighbours may start asking you to build solar panels for them too.
Not only is it going to save you money by building your own solar panels, but you can feel proud that you are doing your part for the environment as well. Declaring your independence from fossil fuels and making a much-needed impact on the world as well as in your neighbourhood.
With professional solar power systems costing thousands to be installed and in today’s economy with most of us not having money to spare,making the choice to go solar today and learning to build your own solar panels will bring savings you can be proud of.
Review the best DIY Solar Guides
Read more Green Energy Articles
Support for wind energy remains one of the most controversial aspects of renewable energy policy, despite the UK government’s commitment to expand the sector and evidence that wind turbines provide one of the most cost effective sources of clean power.
The sector has faced years of criticism with opponents questioning both it’s technical reliability and impact on the grid, as well as the scale of the emission reductions wind turbines actually deliver, and the justification for public subsidies.
But now a peer-reviewed report think tank IPPR along with engineering consultants GL Garrad Hassan have analysed and destroyed some of the most common myths that dog the wind energy sector in their landmark study, Beyond the Bluster – Why wind power is an effective technology. The reports main conclusions are listed here.
Myth: Wind energy subsidies are pushing up energy bills
Fact: Renewable energy subsidies do add to energy bills, but “from 2004 to 2010, government support for renewables added £30 to the average energy bill while rises in the wholesale cost of gas added £290″.
Myth: Back-up power plants mean wind energy does not deliver net reductions in carbon emissions
Fact: In 2011, wind turbines in the UK provided 15.5 terawatt hours to the grid. Due to its lower marginal cost this power would have displaced fossil fuel power from the grid, meaning that wind energy saved a minimum of 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 if gas was displaced and a maximum of over 12 million tonnes if coal was displaced. “Following this logic we can say that, using government figures about electricity generated in the UK from wind and the carbon intensity of the very best available gas technologies, the CO2 savings from wind energy were at least 5.5 million tonnes in 2011. This is around 2.5 per cent of the emissions the UK is legally obliged to save annually from 2008 to 2012, as required by its Climate Change Act 2008.”
Myth: The powering up and down of fossil fuel plants to cope with wind energy intermittency undermines their efficiency and leads to a net increase in emissions
Fact: More advanced modelling is required in the UK to disprove this hypothesis, but empirical studies from US states with a high proportion of wind energy have shown “unequivocally” that wind energy supplies have “significantly” reduced the average carbon intensity of fossil fuel power plants on the same grid. In the Mid West average wind energy carbon savings reached 831kg/MWh, while in Texas they hit 474Kg/MWh.
Myth: The “intermittent” nature of wind power makes it impossible to manage
Fact: Wind power is not “intermittent” in that it does not suddenly and unexpectedly turn on and off in the way that fossil fuel and nuclear plants do. Instead it is “variable”, meaning that increasingly accurate weather forecasting makes it possible to predict changes in output ahead of time. This makes wind energy significantly easier to manage as you bring it on to the grid.
The gap between the steps required to avoid “dangerous” climate change and current policies is widening and, without swift international action, global emissions will move the world further beyond a safe temperature trajectory, the UN has today warned.
According to a major new climate change report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report,mankind is currently responsible for 49 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions a year, but it needs to reduce emissions to around 44Gt by the end of the decade if we are to stand a reasonable chance of avoiding temperature increases that go beyond the internationally agreed 2°C limit.
To stay on the 2°C pathway and prevent worsening climate change, emissions would then need to drop to 37Gt by 2030, which is roughly equivalent to 1990 levels, and then fall again to 21Gt by 2050.
However, UNEP says that based on current projections emissions are likely to reach 58Gt in eight years’ time, leaving a gap of up to 14Gt; while even if countries meet their most ambitious stated emission targets. there will still be a gap of 8Gt – a gap that has increased by 2Gt since the body’s report last year.
The report comes after the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reported greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels last year and the World Bank warned the planet is on course for 4°C of warming,with possible catastrophic climate change results.
“Not only have we not made progress, we are actively moving in the wrong direction,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner told reporters this morning. “The world, having broken the speed limit, is putting its foot down on the pedal, even though it knows there is a T-junction ahead.”
Despite the dire situation, Steiner insisted it is still technically and economically feasible to bridge the emissions gap through improvements in current processes and technologies. “There is great alarm and concern about where we are in 2012, but it is not a reason to write off a 2°C target,” he said.
The report outlines potential emissions reductions of 17Gt from sectors such as buildings, power generation and transport. It says industry could deliver cuts of between 1.5Gt to 4.6Gt of CO2e, the power sector 2.2Gt to 3.9Gt, buildings 1.4Gt to 2.9Gt, and transportation, including shipping and aviation, cuts of 1.7Gt to 2.5Gt.
Joseph Alcamo, UNEP’s chief scientist, added that as global temperature increases are related to cumulative emissions rather than annual output, it is conceivable that action to reduce peak emissions could be delayed if they were followed up by stricter carbon cuts in subsequent years.
However, he strongly advised against this course of action, given the vastly increased expense and risk related to delaying action, as well as the need for a level of concerted global activity far beyond anything seen in the sector to date.
International climate negotiations have only resulted in an agreement to have a deal in place that will then come into force in 2020, but Alcamo said the world could not afford to wait until then to take action.
“[Later action] would be a bigger gamble, as we would expect bigger climate change impacts and cost of impacts,” he said. “It looks like we cannot wait until 2020 to begin emission reduction.”
Original article by Will Nichols http://www.businessgreen.com
Help combat climate change by installing your own Green Energy
The World Bank has warned failure to act on climate change has sent the planet “barrelling down a path” to flooded cities, intense storms, heat waves, and food and water shortages.
But it says such a desperate scenario can still be avoided through the smarter use of energy and resources, if only governments are prepared to be more “aggressive” in tackling climate change.
Turn Down the Heat, a report prepared for the bank by the respected Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Climate Analytics, says global mean temperatures are now about 0.8°C above pre-industrial levels and are set to be 4°Celsius warmer by end of this century.
This is double the 2°C mark most scientists agree will herald the worst effects of climate change and the report notes many climate change impacts have already started to emerge.
It warns that even if current greenhouse gas emissions pledges are met, they are unlikely to have a significant impact on rising temperatures, leading to already parched regions becoming drier, the inundation of wet and low-lying areas, and disrupted food, water, and energy supplies.
“The earth system’s responses to climate change appear to be non-linear,” said PIK director John Schellnhuber. “If we venture far beyond the 2°C guardrail towards the 4°C line the risk of crossing tipping points rises sharply. The only way to avoid this is to break the business-as-usual pattern of production and consumption.”
The bank calls for the more than $1tr of worldwide fossil fuel and “other harmful” subsidies to be put to better use, and also advocates the introduction of a measure for the value of natural capital that can be integrated into national accounts. Attempts to put a “value on nature” has proved controversial with some environmentalists, but the approach was strongly advocated at this year’s Rio +20 summit by the UK, which has introduced a natural capital committee to advise the Treasury.
Expanding public and private investment in green infrastructure able to withstand extreme weather impacts, low carbon transport systems, and improved energy efficiency in buildings are also options recommended by the bank.
Meanwhile, the report makes the case for carbon pricing mechanisms and international trading schemes, which were given the backing of around 100 global companies in a statement released today.
The report is likely to focus minds ahead of next week’s UN climate change summit in Doha, where governments will look to thrash out a deal on extending emissions reductions commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
“The world must tackle the problem of climate change more aggressively,” said World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim.
“Greater adaptation and mitigation efforts are essential and solutions exist. We need a global response equal to the scale of the climate problem, a response that puts us on a new path of climate smart development and shared prosperity. But time is very short.”
Original article written by Will Nichols http://www.businessgreen.com
Discover how you can help fight climate change by installing your own Green Energy
Wind energy could meet up to a fifth of global electricity demand by 2030, according to a major new report released yesterday by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Greenpeace International.
The report, which looks at a number of different scenarios for the development of the industry and projected levels of electricity demand, predicts installed capacity could increase more than four-fold from 240GW at the end of last year to 1,100GW by 2020, supplying between 11.7 per cent and 12.6 per cent of global electricity, and saving nearly 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions.
Under less ambitious scenarios, the group predicts total capacity would reach between 587GW and 759GW, providing up to 8.3 per cent of global electricity supply.
Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said that with wind energy proving cost competitive with fossil fuels in growing numbers of territories “it is clear that wind energy is going to play a major role in our energy future”.
However, he added that if the sector is to reach its full potential, governments need to continue to develop renewable energy policies that “act quickly to address the climate crisis, while there’s still time”.
His comments were echoed by Sven Teske, Greenpeace’s senior energy expert, who argued that “the most important ingredient for the long term success of the wind industry is stable, long term policy, sending a clear signal to investors about the government’s vision for the scope and potential for the technology”.
“The Global Wind Energy Outlook shows that the industry could employ 2.1 million people by 2020 – three times more than today, given the right policy support,” he added.
However, the report also acknowledges that the sector could face a slow-down over the next few years following several years of rapid growth.
“After 15 years of average cumulative growth rates of about 28 per cent, the commercial wind power installations in about 80 countries at the end of last year totalled about 240GW,
having increased by more than 40 times over that same period,” the report said.
The full version of this article first appeared on http://www.businessgreen.com.
Read more Wind Energy Articles
Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You?
If you are thinking about purchasing a solar energy system for your home or business then you are joining millions of other energy-conscious individuals around the world. Solar energy provides reliable, pollution free energy from a totally renewable resource namely the sun. Solar electricity systems
Solar Panels.Easily build your own.
Green Economy: Review of the ups and downs of 2012
A brief introduction to Geothermal Energy
Wind Energy: 4 great myths destroyed
Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You?
If you are thinking about purchasing a solar energy system for your home or business then you are joining millions of other energy-conscious individuals around the world. Solar energy provides reliable, pollution free energy from a totally renewable resource namely the sun. Solar electricity systems are becoming much more affordable as advancements are made in photovoltaic design as well as construction, resulting in a big fall in solar panel costs in recent years.Even professionally installed systems are well within the price range of an increasing amount of householders today.Adding to their affordability, a solar energy system is able to participate in net metering in many countries. This means that as your solar energy system generates more power than you are using, your meter runs backwards resulting in an even swap of power that you use at other times when you exceed the power supplied by your own solar electricity system.In some countries,the power companies even pay for the surplus electricity being produced.
Before you invest in a solar energy system for your home or business, it is best to understand exactly what you are purchasing and how solar electricity is generated. The building block of any solar panel system are the photovoltaic cells, which are wired together to produce solar electricity modules. The electricity produced from the modules or panels is then passed through an inverter that changes the current from AC to DC, making it usable to power your home or office as well as sending any surplus to the National Grid. It is often a popular choice to include batteries in a solar energy system as well, to store backup power to be used in times of low sun light or power cuts.
It is important to realize that all solar energy systems work intermittently or only when the sun shines. This is not a problem if you utilize battery backup systems or are connected to the grid. Installing a solar energy system can also come with an initially high investment cost and it can take years before the system pays for itself. Although, recent big falls in panel costs have reduced the payback period. However, with net metering and government funded rebates, many are able to pay off systems much more quickly.
You don’t need to know the technicalities of a solar energy system to understand its appeal.Such a system will never run out of fuel nor does it increase our dependency on foreign oil. So stop thinking and start investing in your financial freedom by installing your own solar energy system today.
Discover more interesting facts about Solar Energy
Solar Panels.Easily build your own.
Say goodbye to electric bills and hello to renewable energy. Solar power is one of the best and most reliable renewable energy sources available. The problem most novice environmental warriors find is that the cost of professionally installed solar power systems is way beyond their budget and it could take well over 10 years to see a return on their investment. Never fear, there are alternatives. The most cost-effective way to take advantage of the power of the sun is to build your own solar panels.Sound like too much? If you are scared it would be difficult, it is just not true. It is very easy and cost effective, to build solar panels if you have the proper instructions. Easy enough for kids, teens and adults alike. The required parts aren’t complicated either. Most of you what would need to build solar panels are readily available from your local hardware store or you can even purchase a solar panel kit, which will include all the parts you require to be generating your own energy from the sun.
It is possible to construct several small solar panels to power small appliances or small tools in your workshop. Or for the very adventurous and determined alternative energy seeker, you could build solar panels to service a much larger electric load.
There are many resources and guides available with detailed instructions on how to build solar panels. The first and most important step is to seek out quality detailed instructions. Then it is off to your local hardware store to find your supplies and next thing you know, you will be able to assemble and install the system yourself. Watch out though, your neighbours may start asking you to build solar panels for them too.
Not only is it going to save you money by building your own solar panels, but you can feel proud that you are doing your part for the environment as well. Declaring your independence from fossil fuels and making a much-needed impact on the world as well as in your neighbourhood.
With professional solar power systems costing thousands to be installed and in today’s economy with most of us not having money to spare,making the choice to go solar today and learning to build your own solar panels will bring savings you can be proud of.
Review the best DIY Solar Guides
Read more Green Energy Articles
Green Economy: Review of the ups and downs of 2012
As someone who knew a thing or two about festive stories once wrote, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.Green economy business leaders the world over can no doubt relate to this.
The past 12 months has been characterised by a dramatic mix of ups and downs for the green economy. The global energy industry is currently rushing headlong in two different directions, delivering record levels of low carbon investment at the same time as ploughing cash into Canadian tar sands and Arctic oil exploration.
This tension between the competing visions of a low- and high-carbon future (or to put it another way, the fight between green growth and environmental catastrophe) was ratcheted up throughout 2012, the coalition government’s high-profile internal battle over environmental issues providing a neat encapsulation of the debate going on in cabinets and boardrooms the world over.
It is a debate that in the UK has given us a policy landscape that promises a surge in low-carbon energy investment and then a few days later sets out a gas strategy that by its own admission could result in the breach of binding emissions targets; pledges to raise the share of green taxes and then hands out tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry; commits to being the “greenest government ever” and then appoints an Environment Secretary who regards climate change with a hearty scepticism. The contradictions and U-turns started last spring with scrapped forest sell-offs and farcical cuts to solar incentives that the industry is still yet to recover from. They are now still going strong as the shortest day approaches with yet another row brewing over the content of the Energy Bill.
THE BEST OF TIMES.
Thankfully, these endless contradictions – both in the UK and further afield – have failed to derail what has still been a very good year for the green economy.
Policy uncertainty has undoubtedly driven up the cost of capital for low-carbon projects, but I would be amazed if official figures for 2012 do not confirm that the green economy is continuing to grow strongly, outstripping the performance of the wider economy. Barely a week has passed without a clean tech or renewable energy record being broken or a major multinational committing to significant sustainability investments. As energy costs rise and the cost of low-carbon and energy efficient technologies fall, the commercial case for green investment and business models becomes ever more compelling. One of the most interesting events I attended this year was a debate hosted by PwC, where senior partners revealed that following the work the company undertook with Puma to develop the world’s first environmental profit and loss accounts, plenty of other unnamed firms are carrying out similar work. Sustainability’s march into the corporate mainstream has continued, despite the many obstacles placed in its way.
Again, taking the UK as a case study, we can see David Cameron is right to argue that we are entering a mobilisation phase for the green economy. The Energy Bill should drive billions of pounds of investment in renewables, nuclear and CCS, the Green Deal promises to revolutionise the energy efficiency of our building stock, the Renewable Heat Incentive and feed-in tariff are gaining momentum as small-scale clean energy technologies become ever more attractive, rising fuel prices make low-carbon vehicles compelling, and mandatory carbon reporting rules are making laggard businesses take sustainability more seriously. All of these policies have their flaws, but the direction of travel remains clear, regardless of how many Tory backbenchers take to the pages of the Telegraph to proselytise about fracking or bemoan the cost of decarbonisation. Looking back at the countless green business developments we have reported on over the past 12 months, it is increasingly apparent that genuine action to curb emissions, environmental impacts, and running costs is now completely normal for many high-profile firms.
THE WORST OF TIMES.
This good news has undoubtedly been diluted by the decision by many on the right of British life to declare all-out war on the green economy, shattering the political consensus that enabled the passage of the Climate Change Act and helped underpin recent green growth. The coalition in-fighting has done significant damage, both through the short-term increase in political risk and associated increase in the cost of capital and through the long-term fear that some within the Conservative Party are trying to turn opposition to the green economy into part of its DNA. It is a damaging scenario that has been allowed to fester by a prime minister who appears to instinctively want to address climate change, but is too weak to challenge his Tea Party-lite backbenchers.
It has also been aided and abetted by the heads-in-the-sand incompetence of those carbon intensive businesses who accept change has to come to their unsustainable business models, but insist these changes should not come just yet. As the admirable Carbon Tracker initiative has argued throughout this year they risk driving the entire global economy off a cliff through their reckless over-valuation of carbon assets that simply can not be burnt.
However, there has been a substantial silver lining to this kick back against the green economy that has become apparent during the second half of the year. In breaking the political consensus on climate change, right wing politicians and commentators have actually forced the issue back up the corporate and public agenda. The recklessness and weakness of the arguments put forward by those opposing green action have finally become painfully clear, and in calling for a “debate” on environmental policy they have simply invited an argument they cannot win.
The CBI and many other big businesses have taken to the barricades to make the case that the only form of sustainable economic growth is green growth. Green NGOs, for all their flaws, have become relevant again, mobilising public support for the green economy. Poll after poll has shown significant and stable majorities of people like wind farms and solar panels, want to see the UK weaned off fossil fuels, and do not accept the old canard that green policies are the main cause of rising energy prices. Meanwhile, Labour and the Lib Dems have become ever more vocal in their support for the green economy, and while Cameron has remained frustratingly silent he has, as yet, failed to cave in to the anti-greens’ demands.
The past year may have been dominated by a row over the future of the green economy, but only one side is winning the argument, and it is not the anti-green dinosaurs. Meanwhile, green businesses the world over have continued to normalise the deployment and use of clean technologies, as they rush to prove that a genuinely green economy is both feasible and attractive before it is too late.
For green business leaders, 2012 has been a remarkably busy, dramatic and at times infuriating year. But despite plenty of setbacks they remain representatives of the greatest under-reported success story in the world. They can look forward to 2013 with great expectations.
James Murray
This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on http://www.businessgreen.com
Read more Green Energy articles
The past 12 months has been characterised by a dramatic mix of ups and downs for the green economy. The global energy industry is currently rushing headlong in two different directions, delivering record levels of low carbon investment at the same time as ploughing cash into Canadian tar sands and Arctic oil exploration.
This tension between the competing visions of a low- and high-carbon future (or to put it another way, the fight between green growth and environmental catastrophe) was ratcheted up throughout 2012, the coalition government’s high-profile internal battle over environmental issues providing a neat encapsulation of the debate going on in cabinets and boardrooms the world over.
It is a debate that in the UK has given us a policy landscape that promises a surge in low-carbon energy investment and then a few days later sets out a gas strategy that by its own admission could result in the breach of binding emissions targets; pledges to raise the share of green taxes and then hands out tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry; commits to being the “greenest government ever” and then appoints an Environment Secretary who regards climate change with a hearty scepticism. The contradictions and U-turns started last spring with scrapped forest sell-offs and farcical cuts to solar incentives that the industry is still yet to recover from. They are now still going strong as the shortest day approaches with yet another row brewing over the content of the Energy Bill.
THE BEST OF TIMES.
Thankfully, these endless contradictions – both in the UK and further afield – have failed to derail what has still been a very good year for the green economy.
Policy uncertainty has undoubtedly driven up the cost of capital for low-carbon projects, but I would be amazed if official figures for 2012 do not confirm that the green economy is continuing to grow strongly, outstripping the performance of the wider economy. Barely a week has passed without a clean tech or renewable energy record being broken or a major multinational committing to significant sustainability investments. As energy costs rise and the cost of low-carbon and energy efficient technologies fall, the commercial case for green investment and business models becomes ever more compelling. One of the most interesting events I attended this year was a debate hosted by PwC, where senior partners revealed that following the work the company undertook with Puma to develop the world’s first environmental profit and loss accounts, plenty of other unnamed firms are carrying out similar work. Sustainability’s march into the corporate mainstream has continued, despite the many obstacles placed in its way.
Again, taking the UK as a case study, we can see David Cameron is right to argue that we are entering a mobilisation phase for the green economy. The Energy Bill should drive billions of pounds of investment in renewables, nuclear and CCS, the Green Deal promises to revolutionise the energy efficiency of our building stock, the Renewable Heat Incentive and feed-in tariff are gaining momentum as small-scale clean energy technologies become ever more attractive, rising fuel prices make low-carbon vehicles compelling, and mandatory carbon reporting rules are making laggard businesses take sustainability more seriously. All of these policies have their flaws, but the direction of travel remains clear, regardless of how many Tory backbenchers take to the pages of the Telegraph to proselytise about fracking or bemoan the cost of decarbonisation. Looking back at the countless green business developments we have reported on over the past 12 months, it is increasingly apparent that genuine action to curb emissions, environmental impacts, and running costs is now completely normal for many high-profile firms.
THE WORST OF TIMES.
This good news has undoubtedly been diluted by the decision by many on the right of British life to declare all-out war on the green economy, shattering the political consensus that enabled the passage of the Climate Change Act and helped underpin recent green growth. The coalition in-fighting has done significant damage, both through the short-term increase in political risk and associated increase in the cost of capital and through the long-term fear that some within the Conservative Party are trying to turn opposition to the green economy into part of its DNA. It is a damaging scenario that has been allowed to fester by a prime minister who appears to instinctively want to address climate change, but is too weak to challenge his Tea Party-lite backbenchers.
It has also been aided and abetted by the heads-in-the-sand incompetence of those carbon intensive businesses who accept change has to come to their unsustainable business models, but insist these changes should not come just yet. As the admirable Carbon Tracker initiative has argued throughout this year they risk driving the entire global economy off a cliff through their reckless over-valuation of carbon assets that simply can not be burnt.
However, there has been a substantial silver lining to this kick back against the green economy that has become apparent during the second half of the year. In breaking the political consensus on climate change, right wing politicians and commentators have actually forced the issue back up the corporate and public agenda. The recklessness and weakness of the arguments put forward by those opposing green action have finally become painfully clear, and in calling for a “debate” on environmental policy they have simply invited an argument they cannot win.
The CBI and many other big businesses have taken to the barricades to make the case that the only form of sustainable economic growth is green growth. Green NGOs, for all their flaws, have become relevant again, mobilising public support for the green economy. Poll after poll has shown significant and stable majorities of people like wind farms and solar panels, want to see the UK weaned off fossil fuels, and do not accept the old canard that green policies are the main cause of rising energy prices. Meanwhile, Labour and the Lib Dems have become ever more vocal in their support for the green economy, and while Cameron has remained frustratingly silent he has, as yet, failed to cave in to the anti-greens’ demands.
The past year may have been dominated by a row over the future of the green economy, but only one side is winning the argument, and it is not the anti-green dinosaurs. Meanwhile, green businesses the world over have continued to normalise the deployment and use of clean technologies, as they rush to prove that a genuinely green economy is both feasible and attractive before it is too late.
For green business leaders, 2012 has been a remarkably busy, dramatic and at times infuriating year. But despite plenty of setbacks they remain representatives of the greatest under-reported success story in the world. They can look forward to 2013 with great expectations.
James Murray
This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on http://www.businessgreen.com
Read more Green Energy articles
A brief introduction to Geothermal Energy
There might be a lot of discussion going on concerning geothermal energy but it surely is one of the most cost effective eco-friendly energy solutions that is available. Geothermal energy works month in month out and it can help you save on your energy bills. It is lower priced than solar powered energy and it’s also fully clean and environmentally friendly.
The best part of geothermal energy is that it may be used in all of the weather conditions. Doesn’t really matter if it’s cool or very hot outside the geothermal heat pump system constantly functions (not like solar energy panels for instance where you really need direct sunlight to shine for the solar panels to generate anything). Geothermal solutions need little maintenance plus they’re made to function for many years. They may be scaled according to the requirements. It’s really a fantastic solution for both residential or commercial use.
But what exactly is geothermal energy anyway?
The word “geothermal” is of Greek origin, which means “warmth from the planet”. We generally distinguish two types of geothermal energy. The first is geothermal heat that is generated from the magma of the earth, with the aid of nuclear reactions. In the heart of the earth conditions are so scorching (~7200 °F or ~4000 °C) that stone becomes liquid which then slowly moves towards the surface of the earth. Generally, the temperature rises roughly 120 °F (~50 °C) with each mile (~1.6 km) toward the center of the earth. The other type of geothermal heat essentially comes from the sun’s rays. The sunlight heats up the first few meters of the surface area of our Globe and this can also be harnessed.
So what’s in it for me personally?
Geothermal energy is normally used for heating or cooling. It can produce heat during winter and cooling can be done with it throughout summer. It will also help to meet hot water needs of a family. Needless to say there are good and bad points of geothermal energy, but the gains typically outweigh the negatives.
Conclusion
There is a lot more talk about climate change and the hunt for sustainable energy has never been such a hot subject as in these modern times. With geothermal heat pump systems getting more cost-effective, more efficient, and more reliable geothermal energy is one of the most discussed green solutions available. Even though setting up a geothermal heat pump system is in most cases more expensive than a regular system, the initial investment will probably pay off in a few years period.
Article by Guest Authour Joe Markson.
Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Joe-Markson/216697
Learn more about Green Energy
The best part of geothermal energy is that it may be used in all of the weather conditions. Doesn’t really matter if it’s cool or very hot outside the geothermal heat pump system constantly functions (not like solar energy panels for instance where you really need direct sunlight to shine for the solar panels to generate anything). Geothermal solutions need little maintenance plus they’re made to function for many years. They may be scaled according to the requirements. It’s really a fantastic solution for both residential or commercial use.
But what exactly is geothermal energy anyway?
The word “geothermal” is of Greek origin, which means “warmth from the planet”. We generally distinguish two types of geothermal energy. The first is geothermal heat that is generated from the magma of the earth, with the aid of nuclear reactions. In the heart of the earth conditions are so scorching (~7200 °F or ~4000 °C) that stone becomes liquid which then slowly moves towards the surface of the earth. Generally, the temperature rises roughly 120 °F (~50 °C) with each mile (~1.6 km) toward the center of the earth. The other type of geothermal heat essentially comes from the sun’s rays. The sunlight heats up the first few meters of the surface area of our Globe and this can also be harnessed.
So what’s in it for me personally?
Geothermal energy is normally used for heating or cooling. It can produce heat during winter and cooling can be done with it throughout summer. It will also help to meet hot water needs of a family. Needless to say there are good and bad points of geothermal energy, but the gains typically outweigh the negatives.
Conclusion
There is a lot more talk about climate change and the hunt for sustainable energy has never been such a hot subject as in these modern times. With geothermal heat pump systems getting more cost-effective, more efficient, and more reliable geothermal energy is one of the most discussed green solutions available. Even though setting up a geothermal heat pump system is in most cases more expensive than a regular system, the initial investment will probably pay off in a few years period.
Article by Guest Authour Joe Markson.
Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Joe-Markson/216697
Learn more about Green Energy
Wind Energy: 4 great myths destroyed
Support for wind energy remains one of the most controversial aspects of renewable energy policy, despite the UK government’s commitment to expand the sector and evidence that wind turbines provide one of the most cost effective sources of clean power.The sector has faced years of criticism with opponents questioning both it’s technical reliability and impact on the grid, as well as the scale of the emission reductions wind turbines actually deliver, and the justification for public subsidies.
But now a peer-reviewed report think tank IPPR along with engineering consultants GL Garrad Hassan have analysed and destroyed some of the most common myths that dog the wind energy sector in their landmark study, Beyond the Bluster – Why wind power is an effective technology. The reports main conclusions are listed here.
Myth: Wind energy subsidies are pushing up energy bills
Fact: Renewable energy subsidies do add to energy bills, but “from 2004 to 2010, government support for renewables added £30 to the average energy bill while rises in the wholesale cost of gas added £290″.
Myth: Back-up power plants mean wind energy does not deliver net reductions in carbon emissions
Fact: In 2011, wind turbines in the UK provided 15.5 terawatt hours to the grid. Due to its lower marginal cost this power would have displaced fossil fuel power from the grid, meaning that wind energy saved a minimum of 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 if gas was displaced and a maximum of over 12 million tonnes if coal was displaced. “Following this logic we can say that, using government figures about electricity generated in the UK from wind and the carbon intensity of the very best available gas technologies, the CO2 savings from wind energy were at least 5.5 million tonnes in 2011. This is around 2.5 per cent of the emissions the UK is legally obliged to save annually from 2008 to 2012, as required by its Climate Change Act 2008.”
Myth: The powering up and down of fossil fuel plants to cope with wind energy intermittency undermines their efficiency and leads to a net increase in emissions
Fact: More advanced modelling is required in the UK to disprove this hypothesis, but empirical studies from US states with a high proportion of wind energy have shown “unequivocally” that wind energy supplies have “significantly” reduced the average carbon intensity of fossil fuel power plants on the same grid. In the Mid West average wind energy carbon savings reached 831kg/MWh, while in Texas they hit 474Kg/MWh.
Myth: The “intermittent” nature of wind power makes it impossible to manage
Fact: Wind power is not “intermittent” in that it does not suddenly and unexpectedly turn on and off in the way that fossil fuel and nuclear plants do. Instead it is “variable”, meaning that increasingly accurate weather forecasting makes it possible to predict changes in output ahead of time. This makes wind energy significantly easier to manage as you bring it on to the grid.
Geothermal Energy – The Other Renewable Energy
When it comes to renewable energy, wind and solar are the media darlings. Every time I hear renewable energy mentioned on TV or radio, it’s always wind and solar. If geothermal energy is mentioned, it’s an afterthought, and said almost under the announcer’s breath. Why? Given the immense importance of the United States’ (and the world’s) energy future, this is not the time to be complacent. The stakes are too high as global warming looms large over our collective heads and the era of easily-accessible fossil fuels winds down. Our transition away from hydrocarbons to renewable energy is way too critical for any of us not to be informed about all available viable options.
Why you ask? Because informed and motivated citizens equates to political action which in turn starts the flow of money for development. We are all influenced by the media and public opinion. This is especially true of politicians. Why do you think they spend so much money doing polling. It is their way of determining what we, the public, want from them. We should also be wanting geothermal energy.
Solar and wind are viable alternatives but they have their detractions. So does geothermal energy. But given the facts, geothermal, at the very least, deserves equal billing. Actually, the US is already the world’s largest producer of electricity from geothermal sources. A fact that few, outside of the geothermal energy industry, know. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, “geothermal power makes up a total of 3.15 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in the United States, its largest producer, and more than 10 GW worldwide.” So, while geothermal gets fewer headlines and media attention it actually supplies more mega-watt hours of electricity than either wind or solar.
Geothermal power plants provide what is known as base load power i.e., they produce power at a constant rate, just like coal-fired, natural gas, hydroelectricity or nuclear power plants. Wind and solar energy are generally considered intermittent power sources. That doesn’t mean that wind and solar are unimportant, we need all three – four if you add in hydropower. Geothermal energy resources are not available everywhere, at least not for power plants. Home geothermal heat exchangers are used almost anywhere.
Fortunately, in the US, geothermal development is, albeit quietly, on the rise. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, “geothermal power projects grew 46 percent last year. That’s up from about 30 percent growth in 2008.” Furthermore, “If all of the planned projects were to go forwards as planned, an unlikely scenario, the total U.S. geothermal energy capacity would reach today’s worldwide capacity of 10 GW — enough to meet the power needs of an average 10 million people or supply 25 percent of California’s 2008 power consumption. But advocates believe the ultimate potential to be much larger still.”
As mentioned, not all of these planned geothermal projects will go forward. Nonetheless, there’s a quite a ground-swell of geothermal exploration and development happening in America and it’s happening right beneath our feet, literally and metaphorically.
The bottom line is, it is time geothermal energy started getting it’s due. When, and if, you ever talk aboutrenewable energy keep this article in mind. Tell your local politicians you care about funding geothermal exploration. When you see a news report about green energy, send them an email to mention geothermal next time. Start a groundswell. It’s our future and the stakes are high. David Brooks.
David Brooks is a freelance SEO consultant based in San Diego, CA.
This article first appeared on http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles
Read more Green Energy articles
Why you ask? Because informed and motivated citizens equates to political action which in turn starts the flow of money for development. We are all influenced by the media and public opinion. This is especially true of politicians. Why do you think they spend so much money doing polling. It is their way of determining what we, the public, want from them. We should also be wanting geothermal energy.
Solar and wind are viable alternatives but they have their detractions. So does geothermal energy. But given the facts, geothermal, at the very least, deserves equal billing. Actually, the US is already the world’s largest producer of electricity from geothermal sources. A fact that few, outside of the geothermal energy industry, know. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, “geothermal power makes up a total of 3.15 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in the United States, its largest producer, and more than 10 GW worldwide.” So, while geothermal gets fewer headlines and media attention it actually supplies more mega-watt hours of electricity than either wind or solar.
Geothermal power plants provide what is known as base load power i.e., they produce power at a constant rate, just like coal-fired, natural gas, hydroelectricity or nuclear power plants. Wind and solar energy are generally considered intermittent power sources. That doesn’t mean that wind and solar are unimportant, we need all three – four if you add in hydropower. Geothermal energy resources are not available everywhere, at least not for power plants. Home geothermal heat exchangers are used almost anywhere.
Fortunately, in the US, geothermal development is, albeit quietly, on the rise. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, “geothermal power projects grew 46 percent last year. That’s up from about 30 percent growth in 2008.” Furthermore, “If all of the planned projects were to go forwards as planned, an unlikely scenario, the total U.S. geothermal energy capacity would reach today’s worldwide capacity of 10 GW — enough to meet the power needs of an average 10 million people or supply 25 percent of California’s 2008 power consumption. But advocates believe the ultimate potential to be much larger still.”
As mentioned, not all of these planned geothermal projects will go forward. Nonetheless, there’s a quite a ground-swell of geothermal exploration and development happening in America and it’s happening right beneath our feet, literally and metaphorically.
The bottom line is, it is time geothermal energy started getting it’s due. When, and if, you ever talk aboutrenewable energy keep this article in mind. Tell your local politicians you care about funding geothermal exploration. When you see a news report about green energy, send them an email to mention geothermal next time. Start a groundswell. It’s our future and the stakes are high. David Brooks.
David Brooks is a freelance SEO consultant based in San Diego, CA.
This article first appeared on http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles
Read more Green Energy articles
Climate Change: UN warns World heading for Disaster
The gap between the steps required to avoid “dangerous” climate change and current policies is widening and, without swift international action, global emissions will move the world further beyond a safe temperature trajectory, the UN has today warned.According to a major new climate change report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report,mankind is currently responsible for 49 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions a year, but it needs to reduce emissions to around 44Gt by the end of the decade if we are to stand a reasonable chance of avoiding temperature increases that go beyond the internationally agreed 2°C limit.
To stay on the 2°C pathway and prevent worsening climate change, emissions would then need to drop to 37Gt by 2030, which is roughly equivalent to 1990 levels, and then fall again to 21Gt by 2050.
However, UNEP says that based on current projections emissions are likely to reach 58Gt in eight years’ time, leaving a gap of up to 14Gt; while even if countries meet their most ambitious stated emission targets. there will still be a gap of 8Gt – a gap that has increased by 2Gt since the body’s report last year.
The report comes after the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reported greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels last year and the World Bank warned the planet is on course for 4°C of warming,with possible catastrophic climate change results.
“Not only have we not made progress, we are actively moving in the wrong direction,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner told reporters this morning. “The world, having broken the speed limit, is putting its foot down on the pedal, even though it knows there is a T-junction ahead.”
Despite the dire situation, Steiner insisted it is still technically and economically feasible to bridge the emissions gap through improvements in current processes and technologies. “There is great alarm and concern about where we are in 2012, but it is not a reason to write off a 2°C target,” he said.
The report outlines potential emissions reductions of 17Gt from sectors such as buildings, power generation and transport. It says industry could deliver cuts of between 1.5Gt to 4.6Gt of CO2e, the power sector 2.2Gt to 3.9Gt, buildings 1.4Gt to 2.9Gt, and transportation, including shipping and aviation, cuts of 1.7Gt to 2.5Gt.
Joseph Alcamo, UNEP’s chief scientist, added that as global temperature increases are related to cumulative emissions rather than annual output, it is conceivable that action to reduce peak emissions could be delayed if they were followed up by stricter carbon cuts in subsequent years.
However, he strongly advised against this course of action, given the vastly increased expense and risk related to delaying action, as well as the need for a level of concerted global activity far beyond anything seen in the sector to date.
International climate negotiations have only resulted in an agreement to have a deal in place that will then come into force in 2020, but Alcamo said the world could not afford to wait until then to take action.
“[Later action] would be a bigger gamble, as we would expect bigger climate change impacts and cost of impacts,” he said. “It looks like we cannot wait until 2020 to begin emission reduction.”
Original article by Will Nichols http://www.businessgreen.com
Help combat climate change by installing your own Green Energy
Climate Change: World Bank warns Governments must be more ‘agressive’
The World Bank has warned failure to act on climate change has sent the planet “barrelling down a path” to flooded cities, intense storms, heat waves, and food and water shortages.But it says such a desperate scenario can still be avoided through the smarter use of energy and resources, if only governments are prepared to be more “aggressive” in tackling climate change.
Turn Down the Heat, a report prepared for the bank by the respected Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Climate Analytics, says global mean temperatures are now about 0.8°C above pre-industrial levels and are set to be 4°Celsius warmer by end of this century.
This is double the 2°C mark most scientists agree will herald the worst effects of climate change and the report notes many climate change impacts have already started to emerge.
It warns that even if current greenhouse gas emissions pledges are met, they are unlikely to have a significant impact on rising temperatures, leading to already parched regions becoming drier, the inundation of wet and low-lying areas, and disrupted food, water, and energy supplies.
“The earth system’s responses to climate change appear to be non-linear,” said PIK director John Schellnhuber. “If we venture far beyond the 2°C guardrail towards the 4°C line the risk of crossing tipping points rises sharply. The only way to avoid this is to break the business-as-usual pattern of production and consumption.”
The bank calls for the more than $1tr of worldwide fossil fuel and “other harmful” subsidies to be put to better use, and also advocates the introduction of a measure for the value of natural capital that can be integrated into national accounts. Attempts to put a “value on nature” has proved controversial with some environmentalists, but the approach was strongly advocated at this year’s Rio +20 summit by the UK, which has introduced a natural capital committee to advise the Treasury.
Expanding public and private investment in green infrastructure able to withstand extreme weather impacts, low carbon transport systems, and improved energy efficiency in buildings are also options recommended by the bank.
Meanwhile, the report makes the case for carbon pricing mechanisms and international trading schemes, which were given the backing of around 100 global companies in a statement released today.
The report is likely to focus minds ahead of next week’s UN climate change summit in Doha, where governments will look to thrash out a deal on extending emissions reductions commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
“The world must tackle the problem of climate change more aggressively,” said World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim.
“Greater adaptation and mitigation efforts are essential and solutions exist. We need a global response equal to the scale of the climate problem, a response that puts us on a new path of climate smart development and shared prosperity. But time is very short.”
Original article written by Will Nichols http://www.businessgreen.com
Discover how you can help fight climate change by installing your own Green Energy
Wind Energy could supply 20% of Global Electricity by 2030.
Wind energy could meet up to a fifth of global electricity demand by 2030, according to a major new report released yesterday by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Greenpeace International.The report, which looks at a number of different scenarios for the development of the industry and projected levels of electricity demand, predicts installed capacity could increase more than four-fold from 240GW at the end of last year to 1,100GW by 2020, supplying between 11.7 per cent and 12.6 per cent of global electricity, and saving nearly 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions.
Under less ambitious scenarios, the group predicts total capacity would reach between 587GW and 759GW, providing up to 8.3 per cent of global electricity supply.
Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said that with wind energy proving cost competitive with fossil fuels in growing numbers of territories “it is clear that wind energy is going to play a major role in our energy future”.
However, he added that if the sector is to reach its full potential, governments need to continue to develop renewable energy policies that “act quickly to address the climate crisis, while there’s still time”.
His comments were echoed by Sven Teske, Greenpeace’s senior energy expert, who argued that “the most important ingredient for the long term success of the wind industry is stable, long term policy, sending a clear signal to investors about the government’s vision for the scope and potential for the technology”.
“The Global Wind Energy Outlook shows that the industry could employ 2.1 million people by 2020 – three times more than today, given the right policy support,” he added.
However, the report also acknowledges that the sector could face a slow-down over the next few years following several years of rapid growth.
“After 15 years of average cumulative growth rates of about 28 per cent, the commercial wind power installations in about 80 countries at the end of last year totalled about 240GW,
having increased by more than 40 times over that same period,” the report said.
The full version of this article first appeared on http://www.businessgreen.com.
Read more Wind Energy Articles
Solar Farm: Green Light For UK’s Largest Facility
Plans to build the UK’s largest solar farm have moved a step closer to reality, after the developers Lark Energy, secured planning permission from the local council, to build a 32mw solar farm in Leicestershire.
The developers yesterday confirmed it had secured consent from Charnwood Borough Council for the £35m project planned for a former World War II airfield in Leicestershire.
Once complete, the solar farm will consist of 125,000 solar photovoltaic panels installed on the areas between the runways, delivering a capacity of 35MW. The arrangement of the panels will allow the site to continue to be used as a driving track and by a kite club.
Hazel Capital recently paid for the rights to acquire the project and finance construction, and work is now expected to start by the end of this month.
The companies aim to finish construction of the solar farm by the end of March 2013, ahead of a planned cut to the Renewables Obligation (RO) incentive for large solar schemes.
Hyper Smash
“We are delighted to be involved in this large, first-of-its-kind project in the UK,” Ben Guest, managing partner of Hazel Capital. “We believe that larger industrial sites make great locations for solar farm projects going forward in the UK.
This report first appeared on Business Green.com.
Interested in installing your own home Solar Power
Read more Green Energy articles
The developers yesterday confirmed it had secured consent from Charnwood Borough Council for the £35m project planned for a former World War II airfield in Leicestershire.
Hazel Capital recently paid for the rights to acquire the project and finance construction, and work is now expected to start by the end of this month.
The companies aim to finish construction of the solar farm by the end of March 2013, ahead of a planned cut to the Renewables Obligation (RO) incentive for large solar schemes.
Hyper Smash
“We are delighted to be involved in this large, first-of-its-kind project in the UK,” Ben Guest, managing partner of Hazel Capital. “We believe that larger industrial sites make great locations for solar farm projects going forward in the UK.
This report first appeared on Business Green.com.
Interested in installing your own home Solar Power
Read more Green Energy articles
- Solar panel kits
- Solar Electricity
- Cash Loans
- Wind energy articles
- How to build solar panel
Connect With Me
All the latest News- Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You? January 18, 2013If you are thinking about purchasing a solar energy system for your home or business then you are joining millions of other energy-conscious individuals around the world. Solar energy provides reliable, pollution free energy from a totally renewable resource namely the sun. Solar electricity systemsThe post Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You? appeare […]e2t2man
- Solar Panels.Easily build your own. January 9, 2013Say goodbye to electric bills and hello to renewable energy. Solar power is one of the best and most reliable renewable energy sources available. The problem most novice environmental warriors find is that the cost of professionally installed solar power systems is way beyond theirThe post Solar Panels.Easily build your own. appeared first onGreen Energy I […]e2t2man
- Green Economy: Review of the ups and downs of 2012 December 22, 2012As someone who knew a thing or two about festive stories once wrote, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.Green economy business leaders the world over can no doubt relate to this. The past 12 months has been characterised byThe post Green Economy: Review of the ups and downs of 2012 appeared first onGreen Energy Info Store. - All The Latest […]e2t2man
- Solar Energy System: Is It Right For You? January 18, 2013
Blogs/Feeds/Subscribe
Blogs/Feeds/Subscribe
Make sharing easier with AddThis for Internet Explorer.
posted by Unknown at
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home