New Record for German Renewable Energy in 2010

As the nuclear reactor accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant continues to dominate the world's attention, Germany has quietly broken more renewable energy records.

The conservative government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, struggling to stay ahead of public attitudes toward nuclear power in the run-up to regional elections, issued its annual report on the contribution of renewable energy to the German energy market in 2010.

Germany... a Force to Reckon with in Wind Energy Technologies

Wind turbines, hydroelectric plants, solar cells, and biogas digesters now provide nearly 17% of Germany's electricity.

Meanwhile, the German network agency (Bundesnetzagentur) issued its final update on the installation of solar photovoltaics (solar PV) in 2010.

The results are nothing short of startling and will add fuel to the heated debate about how countries such as Japan can meet their electricity needs without reliance on nuclear power.

German Federal Council Clears Renewable Energies Package, including 2011 Solar Feed-In Tariff Reduction

The Bundesrat (Federal Council) today cleared the European Law Alignment Act for Renewable Energies (EAG EE). the act transposes Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, but most importantly cuts solar feed-in tariffs and the so-called green power privilege pursuant to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

In its 881st plenary session the Bundesrat, the legislative body that represents the Länder (German states) on the federal level, did not object to the EAG EE, which theGerman Bundestag (Parliament) had recently passed. The EAG EE can therefore now be signed by the Federal President and published to become legally effective.

Parts of the regular solar feed-in tariff cuts previously scheduled for the beginning of 2012 are brought forward to 1 July, or 1 September 2011 for freestanding installations. The July/September reductions of up to 15% shall depend on PV capacity installed in March, April and May 2011. As of 1 January 2012 the EEG reallocation charge exemption (so-called green power privilege) for utilities supplying mainly green power will be capped at 2.0 Cent/kWh. The exemption will therefore no longer cover the full EEG  surcharge (presently 3.53 Cent/kWh). Thus even utilities covered by the green power privilege will have to partly pay for the difference between market prices for renewable energy and the feed-in tariffs pursuant to the EEG.

For further EAG EE amendments please see here.

South Africa Sets the Pace for Africa: 42% of Power Output from Renewables

South Africa has joined the league of countries with a strong political will and practical plan to achieve a realistic target for the use of renewable sources of energy to meet the energy needs of her population. Earlier today, the South African government announced its plan to produce 42% of the country's total power output from renewable energy technologies in the next two decades.

This Friday, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will be kicking off a “Let’s Save Energy” campaign to enlighten the general public on government plans.

Nigeria to Increase Solar Energy Awareness via 40 Households

“Access to Electricty in Odighi Community in Edo State using PV” is getting underway with the collaborative efforts of the Community Research and Development Centre (CREDC), Global Greengrants Fund (GGF), and the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN).

The project hopes to increase access to electricity in Odighi using PV to build capacity in the community to install and maintain solar systems, and to create awareness in Edo State on the potential for renewable energy technologies. In the project, a total of 40 households will be provided with electricity using solar generators and 50 youths from the community would be trained on installation and maintenance of solar system.

Source: http://www.ae-africa.com

Rio Ferdinand Swaps Man United Red for Green Goals

Rio Ferdinand is well known for his backing of anti-racism and other causes, such as encouraging youngsters from deprived communities who are seeking a career in sport.

Green Ambassador Rio Ferdinand

Now the Manchester United star and England captain has been doing his best to promote green and energy-efficient living, in his role as an ambassador for FA Cup sponsor E.On.

China Congress Pushes Gas, Renewable Energy Plans

China, the world’s biggest polluter, said it would accelerate its use of renewable energy and cleaner-burning fuels including natural gas over the next five years to cut pollution and reduce reliance on coal, which generates about 80 percent of the nation’s electricity.

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Selling the Sun... and the Wind

There's an old joke in Brazil that it is the nation of the future--and always will be. For decades the same has been said of the renewable-energy industry. Someday soon, its promoters kept promising, solar cells and wind turbines would produce electricity more cheaply than would traditional plants burning coal and oil and natural gas. There have been many false dawns, as fossil-fuel prices soared and then swooned. But the promised day appears finally to have arrived at, among other places, windswept hilltops in Texas and Colorado. 

On King Mountain, near McCamey, Texas, Renewable Energy Systems has teamed with Cielo Wind Power to build one of the world's largest wind-powered generating facilities, with a capacity to light as many as 139,000 homes. This was no feel-good exercise. Wind power was chosen according to the cold calculus of business. It will produce electricity over the 20-year life of the facility for an estimated 3[cents] to 6[cents] a kilowatt-hour (kw-h). That compares with a recent average of 7.6[cents] a kw-h charged by Texas utilities. Using a similar calculation in late March of this year, the Public Utility Commission in Colorado chose wind over gas to power a new generating station built by Excel in Lamar. Brian Evans of Renewable Energy Systems expects that wind power could explode to supply 20% of America's electricity within 20 years. Exults Hal Harvey, president of the Energy Foundation, based in San Francisco: "We've found the holy grail: wind is now cheaper than any fossil fuel-based power source.

"Since 1998, wind power has been the fastest-growing new source of electricity in the world, expanding an average of 30% a year. Sales of photovoltaic panels (also known as solar cells), which convert the sun's energy directly into electricity, grew by 37% last year. At high-tech companies and hospitals, executives with a special concern about power disruptions are looking at fuel cells to supply clean and reliable power on site (albeit at prices that currently remain higher on average than those charged by the big utilities).

Getting Paid to Produce Renewable Energy

In the current economic climate the ability to earn extra income, become self-sufficient and reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills could appear to be a contradiction in terms. Surely installing solar panels, for example, on the roof of your house is going to cost, not make money?

This is where the government's Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) are designed to make it worth your while to produce renewable electricity.

Selling excess energy from your solar panels into the UK National Grid could net you as much as £1,000. 

Essentially the FIT system is designed as an incentive for energy producers to move away from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

Essentially, it is government legislation which guarantees a fixed, premium rate for renewable electricity fed into the national grid. The power companies are obliged by government legislation to buy the renewable electricity, with additional costs passed onto the customers.

As many as half of Britain's homes could earn around £600 a year from roof top solar panels and some as much as £1000, according to Britain's biggest energy supplier, British Gas.