Renewables are trendy… but how far can we go?
By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Wed, 2007-08-01 17:08Further reading
Every day, we read in the newspapers, or maybe more in blogs, that renewable projects are breaking more records, lowering costs and producing more energy.
There are a number of examples just from the last day or two:
- 15,200 MW of new wind turbines were installed in 2006 worldwide. This represents an increase of 26% in global wind energy capacity. The new wind turbines installed in 2006 offset about 43 million tonnes of CO2 annually, the equivalent to 8 million passenger cars or 23 average-sized US coal fired power plants
- European Wind goals no breeze. Europe gets more than 3% of its electricity from wind, produced by 50,000 MW installed capacity. This is predicted to be close to 180,000 MW by 2020.
- Italy gets its first solar power plant. A 50 kW installation that is the part of a nationwide network of solar power stations that will generate an aggregate of 10 MW.
- Romania gets first biodiesel plant, the first to operate in Romania and in Eastern Europe, with a capacity of 26 million litres per year.
- Shell and Luminant announced the building of the World’s largest wind farm in Texas, with a capacity of 3,000 MW.
- The Mojave desert in California will receive the biggest solar power plant in the world with 553 MW installed capacity.
More examples could easily be found.
The landscape is changing and it will change even faster, for several reasons, for example the volatility of conventional energy prices.
Just yesterday, crude oil was trading above $78 a barrel, again. In March this year, the European Council adopted a 20% mandatory target for the share of renewables in Europe’s energy mix by 2020. The US House of Representatives is due to vote on “The House Energy Bill” by the 3rd of August, also setting a 20% target for renewables.
On the other hand, some claim that the benefits we gain with clean energy from renewables are lost by the “invasion of nature” we would need to meet global energy needs with renewables. A recent report analyses this problem, and the conclusion is that we need to be very careful.
How far can we go with renewables?
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Comments
Renewables
By Energy veteran / Published on Wed, 2007-08-01 19:40The growth in using renewables for energy will be a two steps forward, one step back process as we learn the true costs of renewable fuels use. For example, the politically encouraged use of corn/ethanol will push food prices up to a point where adjustments in the level of corn-based ethanol use.
History tells us that growth in solar and wind power will result in shortages of labor and materials to build and maintain those facilities and could dilute the level of growth of these alternatives.
The major point is that alternatives will be more a part of the energy picture, but to what extent and how soon is difficult to tell until market forces start teaching us their lessons.
History also tell us about "the learning process"
By Hans Nilsson / Published on Fri, 2007-08-10 21:15I am afraid that I do not share your opinon except that there is a need to change over to the second generation of bio-fuel rather soon (see http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/node/2138)
As for the growth (and the prices) of solar and wind there is a wealth of information on how the market develops in terms of lower costs and of higher performance. Captured in the Learning Rate that roughly says that by each doubling of the accumulated volume the costs are lowered with 20%.
Heritage Foundation Proposals
By Lars Fischer / Published on Fri, 2007-08-03 16:38 The Atlantic Community today features an article on the Heritage Foundation's five key proposals on US energy security. Sadly, it does not include a substantial reference to renewable energies. Maybe you as an expert on the topic would like to comment on how one could connect the ideas of Butler and Holmes with your own? Check it out here at the AC.biofuel from cellulose
By Suresh Kumar / Published on Mon, 2008-01-21 9:40Recently there was a report in Nature Biotechnolgy on new business models for biofuels based on the combination of biotechnology and chemical technology for conversion of cellulosic materials to biofuels at competitive prices.
I feel that more research with strategic alliances and sharing of informatin is vital for reaping more rewards from such initial successe. More research collaboration and funding support among the key players from the developed and developing world is also very crucial for faster diffusion and adoption
thanks
Suresh Kumar
Scientish and Head, Policy and Planning
NIIST, Trivandrum, India