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Author Topic: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth  (Read 48885 times)

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AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #60 on: July 08, 2014, 03:58:56 pm »
Investment In Clean Energy At Highest Point Since 2012

Quote
New investment in the global clean energy sector totaled $66.2 billion in the second quarter this year. The post Investment In Clean Energy At Highest Point Since 2012 appeared first on ThinkProgress.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/08/3457438/clean-energy-investment-3/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Group Representing 590 Million Christians Divests From Fossil Fuel

Fri Jul 11, 2014 at 01:54 PM EDT.

"Perhaps recalling the parts of the Bible in which God asks that his followers be good stewards to the Earth, the World Council of Churches, a global coalition of 345 churches moved to no longer invest in oil, gas, or coal companies and urged their members to follow their lead. ...

The move is the biggest one yet by Christian groups attempting to reconcile the damages that climate change is causing with their beliefs to serve the planet well.

In a statement sent from its meeting in Geneva, the group strongly condemned the rampant burning of fossil fuels and its effects on the environment:  


“The World Council of Churches reminds us that morality demands thinking as much about the future as about ourselves– and that there’s no threat to the future greater than the unchecked burning of fossil fuels,” said Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, a global climate campaign that is supporting the divestment effort. “This is a remarkable moment for the 590 million Christians in its member denominations: a huge percentage of humanity says today ‘this far and no further.’”

This isn’t from a fringe group either, the WCC includes many of the biggest churches in the world. The 25 million-member Church of England and the 48 million-member Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church count themselves as members of the umbrella Christian coalition group."

  


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/11/1313294/-Group-Representing-Half-Billion-Christians-Divests-From-Fossil-Fuel

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD, HERE WE COME!
 


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #62 on: July 14, 2014, 11:52:17 pm »
07/14/2014 01:09 PM    Solar Wins Big In Iowa, Next Battle is Wisconsin

SustainableBusiness.com News

Solar just won big in Iowa in the latest battle with utilities.

Iowa's Supreme Court ruled in favor of solar leasing,  :emthup:  :icon_sunny: rejecting the utility's (and state regulators) claim 
 that only it can sell energy. In a typical leasing arrangement, the city of Dubuque signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Eagle Point Solar, which installed and owns the solar system.   :emthup:

 Alliant Energy Corp insists that Eagle Point acted like a public utility in signing a third party power purchase agreement, infringing on its monopoly in the service area. Iowa's regulatory board agreed.

 If the case ended there, solar installers would be subject to a gamut of regulations, increasing costs and complexity for the industry, says the Environmental Law and Policy Center, which represented a coalition of solar businesses and environmental groups in the appeal. 

 Alliant Energy's service area: (at the link  ;D)

Solar Alliant Energy Service Area

"One of the important aspects of the case is that it says that the purpose of utility regulation is to protect the public, not the utility industry,"  :icon_mrgreen: Brad Klein, a senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, told Midwest Energy News. "Generating one's own power "behind the meter" - meaning it doesn't move through a utility's distribution system - is a private transaction and should not be subject to interference by a utility."

On the East Coast, "conversations are beginning on how the electric utility industry transitions to a system that's more decentralized. We want to see these conversations happen in Iowa and the Midwest. We want to work with Alliant on approaches that are win-win," says Klein. represented a coalition of solar businesses and environmental groups in a case appealing an Iowa Utilities Board

Read our article, NY State Leads: Radical Changes Toward Distributed Energy.

Iowa gets close to 30% of its electricity from wind and is now moving to support the growth of solar. In May, the legislature voted - almost unanimously - to triple the solar tax credit and raise the rebate cap for residential and commercial projects.

What Will Happen in Wisconsin?

Amazingly, utility We Energies in Wisconsin is seeing how far it can go. Like so many utilities across the US, they want big surcharges from solar owners, and they even propose barring customers from leasing solar systems. 


"The proposals in Wisconsin right now are some of the most damaging to the growth of the solar industry, Brad Klein, an attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, told Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.   

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25807
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #63 on: July 15, 2014, 06:16:28 pm »
The World Is Going Solar  ;D

Thom Hartmann | July 15, 2014 2:49 pm

Snippet:
Quote
The bottom-line is that solar power and other renewable forms of energy are the energy of today and of the future, in both developed and developing nations. Not coal. Not oil. Not natural gas. And as the richest country in the world, we need to finally embrace that fact, and lead the world in investing more in these clean and green energies that will be powering our country into the future.

Each year, Big Oil receives $500 billion in government subsidies.  >:( Can you imagine what would happen if that $500 billion went to investing in developing renewable sources of energy instead?  ;D Despite what Big Oil executives and their cronies in Washington might say, going green isn’t just a choice. It’s reality.

It’s the only option we have if we want to save the human race from a climate disaster. So, let’s start treating it like that, by investing in a secure energy future for America, and the rest of the world.

http://ecowatch.com/2014/07/15/the-world-is-going-solar/2/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #64 on: July 17, 2014, 10:57:23 pm »
Quote
Contrary to widespread misreportage, closing those eight reactors did not cause more fossil fuel to be burned. Whenever renewable sources run in Germany, both law and econom­ics require them to displace costlier sources, so renewables always make fossil-fueled plants run less, though often in more complex patterns.

The data confirm this: from 2010 through 2013, German nuclear output fell by 43.3 TWh, renewable output rose by 46.9 TWh, and the power sector burned almost exactly as much more coal and lignite as it burned less of the costlier gas and oil. German utilities bet against the energy transition and lost.  ;D  Now they gripe that the renewables in which most of them long underinvested have made their thermal plants too costly to run. 

http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_07_08_opposite_energy_policies_turned_fukushima_disaster_into_a_loss_for_japan_and_a_win_for_Germany
Quote
Many claim renewables could harm grid stability. So why do Germany, with 25% renewable electricity in 2013, and Denmark, with at least 47%, have Europe’s most reliable electricity, about ten times more reliable than America’s?  

These countries, like three others in Europe (none very rich in hydropower) that used roughly half-renewable electricity in 2013—Spain 45%, Scotland 46%, Portugal 58%—simply require fair grid access and competition. Of all major industrial nations, only Japan doesn’t.


http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_07_08_opposite_energy_policies_turned_fukushima_disaster_into_a_loss_for_japan_and_a_win_for_Germany
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #65 on: July 30, 2014, 08:51:30 pm »
A Province of Denmark is totally energy independent. It can be done. 








Retired Monk - "Ideology is a disease"

Samsø, Denmark, Vineyard Power & Energy Independence

from Vineyard Voice Plus 4 years ago / Creative Commons License: by nc sa All Audiences
This video presents the reality of energy independence experienced by the people of Samsø, Denmark.

This film chronicles the success of the Danish island of Samsø in achieving energy independence through community involvement. Produced by Miljø Media, funded by European REislands and distributed by the International Network for Sustainable Energy, the film includes Samsø's perspectives and experiences with renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Much like Martha's Vineyard, Samsø, Denmark is an island community with a small core of year-rounders and an economy that relies on thousands of summer residents and visitors who take the ferry from the mainland to one of the island's two ports. Like Martha's Vineyard, much of Samsø is green, with agricultural lands and forests meeting the blue of the surrounding waters. Samsø's residents also pay higher prices on everything from sugar to tires, the result of an economy where everything is transported to the island by ferry.

One thing residents do not worry about, however, is their energy bills. By improving the efficiency of their homes and offices, using the natural resources that are found on and around the island, and working together as a community to take ownership of their future, the residents of Samsø have secured their energy future.


Eleven onshore and 10 offshore wind turbines now generate more electricity than Samsø uses.
Visitors still flock to the island to enjoy the agricultural surroundings and sparkling ocean vistas, but now the island's tourism industry has also grown to meet the interests of a whole new kind of visitor - the one interested in seeing sustainability and renewable energy at work.    The new education and conference center introduces thousands of tourists to Samsø's energy achievements each year.

Over the past few months, the Vineyard Energy Project (VEP) has been talking to Islanders about our energy resources and has found an overwhelming desire to take control of our Island's energy resources. Islanders have strongly supported the idea of a community-owned cooperative to generate our own power and promote energy efficiency, keeping the benefits on the Vineyard. This was underlined by the Island Plan's vision of a more sustainable energy future.

This excerpt is part of a longer "European Renewable Energy Islands." Permission for this excerpt was granted by Miljo Media.
Read More…


http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2014/07/report-out-states-offshore-wind-can-deliver-cleaner-more-affordable-energy-and-jobs-of#sthash.SjyrxBMO.dpuf

                               

 
Agelbert NOTE: They DID IT ALL on Samsø from insulation to wind power to solar to  biofuels to selling excess electricity all at a cost of about 4,000 euros per resident in LESS than ten years! Now they've got a nice fat 200,000 Euro account from their CLEAN energy profits!


The sooner we ELIMINATE FOSSIL FUELS, the BETTER!

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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smithsonian.com
 August 5, 2014


We Don’t Need a Huge Breakthrough to Make Renewable Energy Viable—It Already Is         



The idea that renewable energy can't handle the load is a myth, says Amory Lovins
 


By  Colin Schultz 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsgrahFln0s&feature=player_embedded

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/we-dont-need-huge-breakthrough-make-renewable-energy-viable-it-already-180952254/#P3iUtSFmKXE6lgA5.99
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #67 on: August 09, 2014, 12:52:56 am »
From the North American Student Energy Summit: Bright Outlook for a Carbon-free Future 

By Lauren Levin and Viktoriya Syrov 
on July 03, 2014 at 11:00 AM


California Continues To Lead U.S. In Green Technology

Breaking Energy was honored to be included in the recent North American Student Energy Summit held in New York City. Author and environmental activist Bill Hewitt and Breaking Energy’s Managing Editor Jared Anderson helped out with the Role of Media in Energy interactive breakout session in which students formulated blog posts about an important energy issue.

Students were asked to write about the following question: “Have there been any recent political and social developments that indicate significant movement towards fully decarbonized and denuclearized economies globally in the foreseeable future?” We selected the following post for publication on Breaking Energy:

“If properly harnessed, there is enough sunlight that falls on the Earth in just one hour to meet the world energy demands for a whole year,” explained Dr. Mark Jacobson, founder of The Solutions Project, to an audience of over 300 students at the first ever North American Student Energy Summit (NASES) held in New York City. Innovators and energy leaders like Jacobson, whose Solutions Project aims to power the United States on 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, along with policy makers and journalists, took the stage to present their work in the energy sector and answer challenging questions from the cross-disciplinary body of students in attendance.

As the subject of renewable energy makes its way into college curricula and news headlines –  and as we witness rising tides and an increasing number of storms – it has become more and more apparent that we live in a world of environmental thresholds. More than ever before, students are motivated to act to reduce the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and prevent further environmental destruction.

NASES, which was held on June 19-20,, 2014 at the United Nations and Columbia University, was one of four Regional Student Energy Summits taking place simultaneously around the world in Africa, Latin America, North America and Europe. The inaugural events, organized by nonprofit group Student Energy, aimed to connect approximately 1,200 students around the globe and inspire them to tackle the energy issues facing their nations. The issues are vast and entrenched, but the speakers at NASES were optimistic, they urged the young audience to steer the movement away from fossil fuels, as Carbon War Room COO, Peter Boyd, simply summarized it: “Go efficient and go renewable.”

Efficiency has been a driving force across all sectors during our lifetimes. In the U.S., policies now require all federal agencies to purchase only Energy Star and Federal Energy Management Program-designated products and for all new agency buildings to be constructed with LEED Gold standards in mind, setting a powerful example. On the social scale, the rise in popularity of the collaborative consumption movement has enabled the international success of sharing economy giants such as Airbnb and ZipCar, encouraging the maximized use of existing resources rather than wasteful acquisition of new products. Even the energy sector is learning lessons from sharing: a company called Sunrun leases out solar panels to homeowners in 11 states, providing users the benefit of lower energy bills and a clean source of electricity, without the often high initial installation costs.

The global community is implementing clean, renewable energy into existing and new infrastructure at unprecedented levels. “With every passing month, renewables become the most economical option in an ever greater number of places. Clean energy markets are scaling fast, with government incentives, economies of scale, and decreased production costs all factoring into the accelerating momentum for the industry,” noted Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of Urban Green Energy (UGE), a worldwide distributed renewable energy company.

The green energy sector has shown consistent growth in U.S., with 74% of electricity installations in the first quarter of 2014 being solar, and the first offshore wind farm approved this year off the coast of Massachusetts, the world’s second largest energy consumer is making great strides towards lowering carbon emissions and fulfilling the new EPA requirements of cutting carbon emissions by 30 percent of 2005 levels by 2030.

Although China has caused major unease with the proliferation of coal power plants, the government of the leading energy consumer has invested heavily in renewable energy ($54 billion in investments in renewables in 2013 compared to U.S. investment of $36.7 billion) and is leading the world in installed wind power. In Europe, Germany has set a goal to produce 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 100 percent by 2050 and just this month for the first time, was able to meet 50 percent of the country’s energy demand with solar.

Some islands are also at the forefront of the carbon-free, nuclear-free movement. Floreana island in the Galapagos and El Hierro in the Canary islands have already transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy   ;Dand many other island nations plan to follow in their footsteps. These and other advancements towards a global divestment in carbon and nuclear technologies will be discussed at the upcoming September UN Climate Summit in New York, in preparation for the 2015 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, where countries are expected to make strong commitments towards a low carbon future.

The students at NASES appear ready and willing to take on the speakers’ challenges. A glimpse into the United Nations Sustainable Energy Innovation Jam breakout session, shows they are well prepared. With only 90 seconds to pitch an innovative energy idea to a panel of experts from Sustainable Energy For All, including Blitterswyk of UGE and other experts, attendees presented diverse projects with high potential for improving our energy future. From the “low hanging fruit” of converting organic waste to energy in an urban metropolis such as New York City, a solution offered by John Ortolano of Columbia University and Earl Co of NYU, to the prospect of using satellite technology to assess viability of greenroof construction on urban buildings, proposed by Columbia graduate Alan Burchell, the ideas were applauded by the judges for their creativity and feasibility. “The technology is already in place,” said Co, “we just need policy to put it into action.”


Topics: Carbon Emissions Mitigation, Climate Change, Columbia University, Emissions, Energy Policy, EPA, EPA Carbon Rule, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Innovation, Jobs, Student Energy, Student Featured, Sustainable Energy for All, United Nations

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/07/03/from-the-north-american-student-energy-summit-bright-outlook-for-a-carbon-free-future/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Global Renewable Energy Status Uncovered
« Reply #68 on: August 13, 2014, 12:43:01 pm »
Global Renewable Energy Status Uncovered
 

“Over the last 10 years, continuing technology advances and rapid deployment of many renewable energy technologies have demonstrated that the question is no longer whether renewables have a role to play in the provision of energy services, but rather how we can best increase the current pace to achieve a 100 percent renewables future with full energy access for all.” -- Arthouros Zervos, chair of REN21

REN21’s 2014 Global Status Report reveals a number of key trends for the renewables sector, shedding light on likely policy and market movements across technologies. Despite stormy weather, the analysis picks up on a positive under current for renewables.

David Appleyard, Contributing Editor 
August 13, 2014

LONDON -- More than a fifth of the world's electrical power production now comes from renewable sources and in 2013 renewables accounted for more than 56 percent of all net additions to global power capacity. These remarkable conclusions come from this year’s Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) from REN21. This highly-regarded annual analysis — the 2014 edition was released this summer — concludes that renewable electricity capacity jumped by more than 8 percent overall in 2013, to produce some 22 percent of all global power production. Total global installed renewable electricity capacity reached a staggering 1,560 GW in 2013.

The Policy Landscape

At the end of 2013, China, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Germany remained the top five countries for total installed renewable power capacity. Excluding hydro, the top three were again China, the U.S. and Germany, but now followed by Spain and Italy and in sixth spot, India. Aside from the bare facts, the report also identifies a number of hotspots. For example, China's new renewable power capacity surpassed new fossil and nuclear capacity for the first time in 2013 while per capita, Denmark’s non-hydro renewable capacity places it as a clear lead. In the European Union, renewables represented the majority of new electric generating capacity for the sixth consecutive year, with a 72 percent share. But, relative to annual GDP, Uruguay, Mauritius, and Costa Rica were among the top countries for investment in new renewable power and fuels in 2013.

At least 144 countries now have renewable energy targets in place with 138 having renewable energy support policies, up from the 138 and 127, respectively, seen in 2012.

Inevitably policy mechanisms continued to evolve in 2013, with increasing differentiation by technology. Feed-in policies and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) remained the most commonly used support mechanism. Many countries with existing feed-in policies shifted towards premium payment schemes to top up prices traded on electricity markets. Competitive bidding gained further prominence, with the number of countries turning to public auctions rising from nine in 2009 to 55 as of early 2014.

Furthermore, the report also identifies a trend, particularly in Europe, that is seeing new policies emerge that respond to the issue of grid integration of renewable energy. This is in some cases being manifested as support for energy storage, demand-side management, and smart grid technologies, REN 21 finds. Indeed, variable output renewables achieved high levels of penetration in several countries in 2013, with wind meeting more than a third of Denmark’s and more than a fifth of Spain’s electricity demand. Meanwhile, solar met 7.8 percent of the total 2013 electricity demand in Italy.

In addition, a growing numbers of cities, states, and regions are developing strategies to transition to 100 percent renewable energy. For example, Djibouti, Scotland, and Tuvalu are targeting 100 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2020. Among those who have already achieved their goals are about 20 million Germans who live in so-called 100 percent renewable energy regions, the authors note.

This policy momentum continued in 2013 with city and local governments increasingly using their authority to regulate, make expenditure and procurement decisions, facilitate and ease the financing of renewable energy projects.

However, 2013 also saw an increasing focus on revision to existing policies, including retroactive changes that reduced financial support, either to improve policy effectiveness or to curb rising costs associated with renewables support schemes.

In some cases the reductions have exceeded even the rapid decline in technology costs, the report says. In Europe, policy uncertainty has also increased the cost of capital; as a result, the region continued to see a significant loss of start-up companies, especially in the solar PV sector, during 2013.

Technology Profiles


In the last five years, the report finds, hydropower capacity has increased by nearly 4 percent annually to approximately 1,000 GW. In 2013, hydropower and solar PV each accounted for about one-third of new renewable power capacity; however, solar PV has experienced the fastest growth of any energy technology, with growth in global capacity of 39 percent in 2013 and averaging almost 55 percent annually over the last five years. Non-hydro renewables for electricity generation, including wind, collectively grew nearly 17 percent during 2013 to more than 560 GW.

Hydropower and Marine/tidal

Global hydropower generation during 2013 was an estimated 3,750 TWh and about 40 GW of new capacity was commissioned over the year. By far the most capacity was installed in China at 29 GW, with significant capacity also added in Turkey, Brazil, Vietnam, India, and Russia.

Growth in the industry has been relatively steady in recent years, fuelled primarily by China’s expansion but modernization of ageing hydropower facilities is another growing global market. There also is increasing recognition of the grid support potential for hydropower to complement other renewables.


Ocean energy capacity,
mostly tidal power generation, was about 530 MW by the end of 2013 and a handful of pilot installations were deployed, notably in the U.K. and France. A key trend is the continued strategy of major corporations to consolidate their positions through partnerships and acquisitions.

Solar Photovoltaics

The global solar PV market had a record year, after a brief slowdown, installing more capacity than any other renewable technology except perhaps hydropower. Even as global investment in solar PV declined nearly 22 percent compared with 2012, new capacity installations increased by more than 27 percent. The solar PV market had a record year, adding about 38 GW for a total of around 138 GW. China accounted for nearly a third of the total global capacity added, followed by Japan and the U.S. During 2013, module prices stabilised, while production costs continued to fall and cell efficiencies to increase. Lower prices are opening up new markets from Africa and the Middle East to Asia and Latin America, while interest has continued to grow in corporate- and community-owned systems.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)


Global CSP capacity was up by nearly 0.9 GW (36 percent) in 2013 to reach 3.4 GW. The U.S. and Spain remained market leaders but markets are expanding to developing countries. Beyond the leading markets, capacity nearly tripled with projects coming on-line in the United Arab Emirates, India, and China. Thermal energy storage continued to gain in importance, but revised growth projections and competition from solar PV in some countries led a number of companies to close their CSP operations. The trend towards larger plants to take advantage of economies of scale was maintained, while improved design and manufacturing techniques reduced costs.

Wind


More than 35 GW of wind power capacity was added in 2013, making a total above 318 GW, but the market was down nearly 10 GW compared with 2012, reflecting the U.S. fall in installations.

The European Union remained the top region for cumulative capacity, with Asia nipping at its heels and set to take the lead in 2014. New markets continued to emerge with, for the first time, Latin America representing a significant share of 2013 installations. Wind power was excluded from one of Brazil’s national auctions because it was pricing all other generation sources out of the market.

Offshore wind had a record year, with 1.6 GW added, almost all of it in the EU. However, the record level hides delays due to policy uncertainty and project cancellations or downsizing.

Bioenergy

Global bioenergy electricity generation capacity was up by an estimated 5 GW to 88 GW, producing more than 400 TWh in 2013. Liquid biofuels met about 2.3 percent of global transport fuel demand in 2013, with production up by 7.7 billion litres to reach 116.6 billion litres. Ethanol production was up 6 percent, biodiesel rose 11 percent, and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) was up by 16 percent.

As of early 2014, at least 63 countries supported transport biofuels through regulatory policies, up from 49 in 2012, and some mandates were strengthened during 2013. In some countries, however, support for first-generation biofuels was reduced due to environmental and social sustainability concerns and overall investment in new biofuel plant capacity continued to decline from its 2007 peak.

Within the bioenergy sector, 2013 trends included the increasing use of renewables in combined heat and power plants and district heating and cooling systems. Hybrid solutions in the building sector and growing use of renewable heat for industrial purposes also featured. Meanwhile, demand is driving increased international trade in biofuels, including wood pellets, and new advanced biofuel production plants were commissioned in Europe and North America.

Geothermal


About 530 MW of new geothermal generating capacity came on-line in 2013, bringing total global capacity to 12 GW and representing 4 percent annual growth. Governments and industry have continued technological innovation to increase efficiency and the use of low-temperature fields for both power and heat continues to expand.

Solar Thermal Heating and Cooling

Solar water and air collector capacity reached an estimated 330 GWth by the end of 2013 with China accounting for more than 80 percent of the global market. Demand in key European markets continued to slow, but expanded in countries such as Brazil. The trend towards deploying large domestic systems continued, as did growing interest in district heating, cooling, and industrial applications. China maintained its lead in manufacturing while Europe saw accelerated consolidation during the year, with several large suppliers announcing their exit from the sector. Industry expectations for market development are brightest in India and Greece.

The Current Renewable Energy Landscape?

As renewable energy markets and industries mature, the report notes, they increasingly face new and different challenges, as well as a wide range of opportunities. In 2013, renewables faced declining policy support and uncertainty in many European countries and the U.S. Grid-related constraints, utility opposition and continuing subsidies for fossil fuels were also issues.

Nonetheless, markets, manufacturing, and investment expanded further across the developing world, and it became increasingly evident that renewables are no longer dependent upon a small handful of countries, the authors’ state. They add that continuing technological advances, falling prices, and innovations in financing means renewables have become increasingly affordable for a broader range of consumers. According to Janet Sawin, the report’s lead author, “renewable energy is considered crucial for meeting current and future energy needs in a growing number of countries.”


“Global perceptions of renewable energy have shifted considerably,” concludes Arthouros Zervos, chair of REN21. He continues: “Over the last 10 years, continuing technology advances and rapid deployment of many renewable energy technologies have demonstrated that the question is no longer whether renewables have a role to play in the provision of energy services, but rather how we can best increase the current pace to achieve a 100 percent renewables future with full energy access for all.”

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/08/global-renewable-energy-status-uncovered
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #69 on: August 27, 2014, 01:37:51 pm »
US Renewable Electrical Generation Hits 14.3 Percent

In the first half of 2014 US wind energy hit 5 percent, while solar more than doubled.

 http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/08/us-renewable-electrical-generation-hits-14-3-percent
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

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He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #71 on: September 01, 2014, 08:40:01 pm »
Germany Has Obtained 31% Of Its Electricity From Green Sources This Year (Through July)  ;D

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/01/germany-obtained-31-electricity-green-sources-july-ytd/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #72 on: September 08, 2014, 03:21:22 pm »

Above please observe the Fossil Fueler "concept" of "doing the math"  CENTRALIZED ENERGY "efficiency".


World Is Moving to Distributed Energy: 165 GW by 2023

SustainableBusiness.com News

Whether utilities, ALEC (and their coal/oil backers) like it or not, the world is moving to decentralized electricity.   ;D

Because of Western Europe's supportive renewable energy policies, utilities there have been struggling the most, losing hundreds of billions of dollars in market capitalization. In the US, a battle is underway from the threatened industry trying to hold onto its centralized business model.

But change is underway, with distributed energy installations expected to grow from 87.3 gigawatts (GW) in 2014 to 165.5 GW in 2023, according to Navigant Research, with worldwide revenue growing from $97 billion in 2014 to more than $182 billion by 2023.

"One of the most important issues for the energy industry is striking a balance between distributed generation growth and fairly compensating utilities for the ability to effectively use the existing electrical grid as a backup service for onsite power at higher concentrations in the future," says Dexter Gauntlett, senior research analyst with Navigant Research.  "Utilities that proactively engage with their customers to accommodate distributed generation - and even participate in the market themselves - limit their risk and stand to benefit the most."

By 2018, Navigant expects new distributed capacity additions worldwide to surpass new centralized ones, and by 2023, it will eliminate the need for at least 321 GW of new large-scale power plants. Extremely efficient diesel engines will dominate in the short term, followed by solar PV and natural gas.

Distributed Energy (Graphic at link)
Credit: Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

That's What NRG is Doing 

NRG Energy's latest initiative is a joint venture with another leader, Green Mountain Power of Vermont. They plan to make the city of Rutland an "Energy City of the Future," with intentions to spread the innovations state-wide.   

Starting next year, they will begin "transforming the distribution grid from a 100-year-old electric delivery model to a market-based platform that creates efficiencies and distributed energy solutions through renewable technologies and energy  storage," they say.   

"Our customers consistently tell us they want tools to save money and move to renewable energy, and we can show the rest of the   country how to get there," says Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain.     ;D 

"We hope to demonstrate that investing in a 21st century energy ecosystem is more sustainable, resilient, affordable and individually empowering than pouring more investment into the creaky old grid infrastructure from the 20th century," remarks David Crane, NRG's CEO. "In the course of so doing, we will prove the concepts of 'electric utility', 'renewables' and 'personal choice' are not mutually exclusive."     

Their offerings aren't new but combined, they make it easier for customers to generate and use renewable energy ... and provide revenue opportunities for the two utilities.

•comprehensive personal energy management allows subscribers to track and remotely manage energy use in homes;

•expand and connect a network of electric vehicle charging stations across Vermont using NRG's eVgo technology. Subscribers will find them at workplace and commercial locations;

•NRG is financing community solar arrays - its first, in Rutland, credits residential and business subscribers on their Green Mountain utility bill for their portion of electricity produced by solar - in exchange for a small fee.

•micro-generation solutions, such as NRG's Beacon 10, which generates up to 10 kilowatts of electricity, provides water and space heating, and battery storage for onsite solar systems.

NRG leads on solar and wind, and recently spun off NRG Yield. Green Mountain Power's "Cow Poop to Cow Power" is expanding across Vermont.


New York State is on the same track with its Reforming Energy Vision program, announced in May. No longer will utilities make money by selling more energy. Rather, revenue will come from helping customers use less energy, while "directing traffic" and "coordinating" thousands of small inputs to the grid. 

Read our article, With Renewables Rising, Business Model Changing for Utilities.   

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25889


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #73 on: September 09, 2014, 08:25:04 pm »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm-3kovWpNQ&feature=player_embedded
HUGE Renewable Energy BIO MACHINES POTENTIAL HERE!
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #74 on: September 14, 2014, 12:16:12 am »
Ontario Gets 35% of Energy From Renewables As Coal Plants Shut Down   ;D

CleanTechnica reports that, with 2,312 megawatts (MW) of wind power, 4,091 MW of hydro and 159 MW from other sources, renewables hit 35 percent of all the energy going into the grid one day this week. That amount will vary, of course, depending on how windy it is on a given day.

“Ontario is now the first jurisdiction in North America to fully eliminate coal as a source of electricity generation,” a press release from its Ministry of Energy said when Thunder Bay closed.


Full article at link below:

http://ecowatch.com/2014/09/12/ontario-renewable-energy/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

 

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