By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Wed, 2010-03-10 15:48
Developing economic well-being and preserving a healthy environment are not opposed forces but do, on the contrary, have a primary relationship and require a similar way of thinking: maximizing the efficiency of a product over its life cycle will minimize its total financial cost as well as the total environmental impact over its life cycle.
The case studies bellow were developped to substantiate this Life-Cycle-Thinking by delivering high level messages supporting decision making on the sustainable energy arena.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2010-03-04 18:21
Now in its fourth year, the Spanish Solar Industry conference will take place on 7-8 October 2010 in Madrid. This annual event will, among other topics, cover legislative developments, national and international market trends, look at how close Spain is to grid parity and bring in finance experts to show how to reduce costs for PV installations.
Solarpraxis invites all companies, associations, institutes, public-sector bodies and professionals to submit contributions related to the broad field of solar energy.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2010-03-04 12:54
Following the training course on electricity markets regulation, a set of support papers is being delivered to complete the didactic set.
This paper explains the various concepts about the regulationof the power quality: quality regulation, commercial quality, reliability, performance publication, standards and quality incentives schemes.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2010-03-04 12:44
Following the training course on electricity markets regulation, a set of support papers is being delivered to complete the didactic set.
This paper explains the various price regulation methods: Rate of Return Regulation, Cap Regulation, Yardstick Competition, Sliding Scale and Profit Sharing Regulation.
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By Guy Kasier / Published on Mon, 2010-03-01 18:43
Istanbul is a city with many names (Byzantium, Constantinople) but also many satellite dishes. How many do you count on this picture?
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By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Mon, 2010-02-22 17:19
This analysis builds on the previously released Qualitative Analysis of Power Distribution Configurations For Data Centres. It takes a quantitative look at one aspect of the previous paper: efficiency.
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By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Mon, 2010-02-22 17:08
This paper is courtesy of The Green Grid - Get connected to Efficient IT.
Many different power distribution configurations exist today that can be used to power a data centre. Each of these configurations has its own advantages and disadvantages, which can have a major impact on all aspects of the facility.
This paper discusses the qualitative differences between seven possible configurations that can either be found in the United States or Canada today, or could be used in the future.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Fri, 2010-02-19 12:08
Following the training course on electricity markets regulation, a set of support papers is being delivered to complete the didactic set.
This paper explains the various market design possibilities: Single Buyer or Electricity Markets with Wholesale Competition. Additionally, it provides a view about Pool versus Bilateral Trading, Intra-day Trading and Balancing Mechanisms and Supplementary Capacity Schemes.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2010-02-16 14:58
The IEP roadmap to 2050
In December 2009, the International Electricity Partnership (IEP) published its 'Roadmap for a Low-Carbon Power Sector by 2050'. The IEP was created in October 2008 at an international summit of electricity chief executives held in Atlanta, USA. Its roadmap focuses on Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States.
The IEP industry leaders see a crucial role for the electrical power sector. Historically, electrical power has been the largest source of CO2 emissions, the main contributor to climate change. But in the upcoming decades electricity can become a key lever in evolving towards a low carbon economy, states the IEP. The key technological evolutions necessary to make this happen are the electrification of heating and transport, and carbon-free power generation.
Aggressive application of technology
The report sets a target of 60% to 80% reduction in carbon emission by 2050. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) this is the level of reductions required to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere at 450 to 550 ppm CO2eq. This is estimated to correspond with an average global temperature rise of 2-3 °C. The IEP argues that reaching this target is only possible through an aggressive application of technology. It advocates policies that provide incentives for high investments in renewable energy, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), nuclear power, smart grids, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and energy efficiency.
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