Webinar series - REN 21 Global Status Report 2012

The findings in the REN21 2012 Global Status Report (GSR) speak to the cumulating effect of steady growth in renewable energy markets, support policies and investment over the past years. In 2011:

Materials for electric busways

Busbars, busducts, and busways using copper conductors have several advantages compared to their counterparts fabricated from other materials.

The main advantages of copper arise from its high electric conductivity (low electric resistance). These characteristics make it possible to create busways with the same current carrying capacity but that are smaller and/or more energy efficient.

In addition, the use of copper results in highly durable connections that can resist strong mechanical forces.

Life Cycle Costing - The basics

Many attractive investment projects – for instance in energy efficiency – are not carried out because companies tend to underestimate their financial viability. Companies find it difficult to come up with a well-informed, satisfactory answer to the essential question: which projects are the most profitable in the long-term? What they need is a practical working method that is straightforward to use and produces reliable investment guidance.  Life Cycle Costing is just such a method.

Cable Conductor Sizing for Minimum Life Cycle Cost

Energy prices are high and expected to rise. All CO₂ emissions are being scrutinized by regulators as well as by public opinion. As a result, energy management has become a key factor in almost every business. To get the most out of each kilowatt-hour, appliances must be carefully evaluated for their energy efficiency.

Energy-related renovations of Europe’s building stock must accelerate

The cost of energy consumed during a building’s lifetime can be two-thirds of the construction cost. But across Europe, potential savings from energy-efficiency renovations have been largely ignored. There is little evidence that the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has changed behaviour, according to a recently published report from Ecofys.  If the number of major energy-related renovations to European buildings does not accelerate dramatically, it is clear from the data in the ‘Panorama of the European non-residential construction sector’ report that the European Union’s goal of an almost carbon-neutral building stock by 2050 is not achievable.

Time-Varying and Dynamic Rate Design

This report (from RAP) discusses important issues in the design and deployment of time-varying rates. The term, time-varying rates, is used in this report as encompassing traditional time-of-use rates (such as time-of-day rates and seasonal rates) as well as newer dynamic pricing rates (such as critical peak pricing and real time pricing). The discussion is primarily focused on residential customers and small commercial customers who are collectively referred to as the mass market.

Solar PV: State of the art of a booming market and impact of support schemes

The year 2011 was a record year for the solar photovoltaic industry, with more than 29 GW new capacity installed worldwide, corresponding to a 70% increase compared to 2010. Global PV capacity exceeded 69 GW in 2011, with 70% installed in European countries.

Safety in non-residential installations

Statistics regarding electrical accidents worldwide indicate that thousands of people are injured or killed every year. Electrical professionals working on the installation, maintenance, repair, and construction of electrical facilities are in fact the very people most likely to experience an electrical accident. Of these, electricians are the most vulnerable. Contact with electrical wiring or other electrical equipment is the most common cause of an electrical accident.