How green is clean power?

By
Bruno De Wachter
Thu, 11/20/2008 - 05:30

The problem of additionality

Green electricity sold by utility companies is a peculiar product. It guarantees the origin of your power, just like an ethical investment fund guarantees the origin of your profit, but what is the solid evidence for such a guarantee?

Guarantees of Origin (GoO) provide official proof that a certain amount of electricity has been generated by renewable sources. However, this system of accreditation was created before various kinds of state incentives for renewable energy came into being and complicated the situation with the problem of additionality.

The question of additionality is basically a question of whether the green power would have been produced anyway if the sale had not taken place. In most cases, additionality exists when the supply of electricity is generated over and above the requirement to meet existing legal obligations, or does not receive any state subsidies.

According to the website of Eugene Standard, most green power labels in Europe still do not include criteria for additionality – a system they view as 'greenwashing'. Even if additionality seems to be ensured in principle, there are still ways to escape it in practice. Read full article

New growth factors for wind industry

By
Bruno De Wachter
Thu, 07/03/2008 - 05:30

Improving technology, expansion offshore, and exploring the building sector potential

The wind sector has been growing spectacularly over the past decade. However, to sustain these impressive growth figures over the next twenty years in Europe and North America, business-as-usual will not be enough. In several European countries, the number of remaining onshore sites for building new wind farms is already declining (see interview with François and Benoît Henriet, 'Barriers for wind projects', on this blog). Maintaining current growth will require going off-hore, or at least off the beaten track.

  • Some offshore wind farms are already in operation, but there is still huge potential — if the technology can overcome some of its current teething problems (see blog post 'How fast can we move?').
  • Further expansion of the onshore potential is possible by scaling up existing wind farms in both size and efficiency; radical new design proposals are being put forward.
  • Building-integrated wind turbines have both advocates and sceptics in regards to their potential to open up a completely new market.
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A Norwegian potential of 14.000 TWh! Is it time for off-shore wind to boom?

By
Hans Nilsson
Mon, 02/25/2008 - 07:00

If you are Norwegian you will be inclined to say “yes” and will be able to provide good technological evidence to support this stand-point. If you are not, you may be allowed the benefit of the doubt. Mind you, such doubt could be based on envy rather than facts, because there are facts to support a very optimistic view. Let us take a brief look at the evidence.

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Norway goes carbon-lean

By
Bruno De Wachter
Fri, 10/27/2006 - 05:32

An unprecedented national program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Norway has become a trailblazer in CO2 reduction. On 11th March 2005, the Norwegian government appointed a Commission on Low Emissions, whose task was to draw scenarios for reducing Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50-80% by 2050. The Commission presented its final report to the Norwegian Minister of Environment, Helen Bjørnøy, on 4th October.

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Market based instruments for a sustainable energy sector

By
Hans Nilsson
Thu, 10/26/2006 - 05:43

Costly learnings

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Osmotic power

By
Hans Nilsson
Fri, 10/06/2006 - 05:56

Statkraft in Norway has, for some time, developed concepts for osmotic power, i.e. the power from the differences in pressure between salt seawater and sweet freshwater, the latter passing through a membrane (see figure below).

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PV support programmes show results

By
Bruno De Wachter
Tue, 07/25/2006 - 05:30

Statistics on installed Photovoltaic (PV) Power

The website on PV Systems of the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows several interesting statistics comparing figures between countries worldwide. Countries that have national development programmes, such as Germany with the 100.000 Roofs Programme, and Japan with the Residential PV System Dissimination Programme, stand out.

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Electrification and development

By
Hans Nilsson
Thu, 06/08/2006 - 05:47

As seen on this site there seems to be a connection between Human Development and electrification - up to a point, and 4000 kWh seems to be just enough. This "limit" is also compatible with the idea of a society with 2000W per capita as advocated by CEPE and Eberhard Jochem. It must, however, be remembered that several countries have developed their economies, during decades, based on their access to low-cost and abundant hydro power.

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Power Quality Regulation in Norway

By
Hans De Keulenaer
Thu, 05/12/2005 - 00:00

A new Power Quality Directive (PQD) developed by the Norwegian regulator was put into force January 1st 2005. The main purpose of the PQD is to ensure a satisfactory quality of supply in the Norwegian power system and contribute to a socio-economic rational operation, expansion and development of the power system, taking into account public and private interests that are affected.

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