If there is vision, good things simply follow! Like the 26-mile wide island Singapore. For years, Singapore has relied on imported water from Malaysia to provide 40 percent of its water supply.
To become more self-sufficient, Singapore has invested billions of dollars in membrane filtration technologies that allow wastewater to be reclaimed, filtered, and transformed into high purity potable water called NEWater. Desalination plants and rainwater-catching reservoirs have also helped reduce its reliance on imported water.
Singapore excels in building efficiency—an area with huge potential impact, given that an astounding 90 percent of the population lives in some form of high-rise condominium. Singapore has set an ambitious target of greening at least 80 percent of its buildings by 2030, including existing stock.
Using clean technology advancements Singapore has been making great strides in transportation, particularly around the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Since roughly 85 percent of Singapore’s power supply comes from natural gas, EVs provide a cleaner solution compared with conventional oil burning vehicles.
Singapore-based clean tech company Greenlots has been committed to designing and delivering hardware and software to enable utilities, municipalities, electric vehicle manufacturers and distributors and other private businesses to install, own and operate their own EV charging network. Already, it has established charging stations in major parking lots in the city.
One can argue that a small island can afford to change tracks which is difficult for larger nations and larger populations. But as the saying goes, where there is a will there is a way.
Showing posts with label clean energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean energy. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The big challenge
World Future Energy Summit today saw UN secy gen Ban Ki-moon warn that we are on the point of no return regarding climate change. This is the international year of sustainable energy for all that aims to electrify dark corners of the planet without adding to climate change.
UN General Assembly’s Resolution 65/151, which was passed in 2010, sees the initiative as engaging governments, the private sector, and civil society partners globally with the goal of achieving sustainable energy for all, and to reach three major objectives by 2030, viz., Ensuring universal access to modern energy services; Doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
One in five people worldwide lack access to modern electricity. Three billion people still rely on charcoal and dung for cooking, but if those three billion people were all to get their power from coal-fired plants, the planet's climate would be doomed.
The International Energy Agency estimates that global energy demand, spurred largely by developing nations coming online, will spike 50% by mid-century. Clean energy is an imperative, but implementation will need innovation, partnership with the private sector, and above all, visionary leadership. Do we have them all?
UN General Assembly’s Resolution 65/151, which was passed in 2010, sees the initiative as engaging governments, the private sector, and civil society partners globally with the goal of achieving sustainable energy for all, and to reach three major objectives by 2030, viz., Ensuring universal access to modern energy services; Doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
One in five people worldwide lack access to modern electricity. Three billion people still rely on charcoal and dung for cooking, but if those three billion people were all to get their power from coal-fired plants, the planet's climate would be doomed.
The International Energy Agency estimates that global energy demand, spurred largely by developing nations coming online, will spike 50% by mid-century. Clean energy is an imperative, but implementation will need innovation, partnership with the private sector, and above all, visionary leadership. Do we have them all?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Who will fix the faucet?
Often, big plans are stymied by implementation hurdles, and when talking clean energy, the biggest block often is scarcity of trained labour.
Plumbers are almost wholly unprepared for the "drastic change" to the way the UK's homes are heated as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions, according to leading engineers in UK.
The engineers were wary of government plans to upgrade homes through its much-vaunted "green deal" policy, which will come into force late this year. Under the scheme, households will be offered loans to improve their properties' energy efficiency.
In a report published on Thursday, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) also warned that government plans for insulation and green energy are not adequate for the changes needed for a shift to low-carbon heating. They called for a massive switch to renewable energy such as solar water heaters and wood-burning stoves to a street by street effort to upgrade insulation in Britain's draughty homes.
The lack of necessary skills among plumbers and heating installers is proving a major brake on the UK's ability to make this switch, the RAE found. The study found examples of inexperienced or underqualified installers causing serious problems. One household paid thousands more than it should have because a heat pump had been wrongly connected - instead of energy bills falling as they had expected, the bills soared from £30 to £250 a month. It cost thousands to fix. In another case cited by one of the study authors, solid wall insulation was badly installed in some old housing stock, causing condensation to collect on the walls and rot floor joists.
About a quarter of the UK's carbon emissions come from heating residential buildings, largely with gas. To meet future carbon reduction targets, the amount of fuel used must come down drastically and millions of homes will have to use new technology such as heat pumps.
Clean energy and energy efficiency measures will require a new crop of trained plumbers and electricians to work on the new system. This is what nations have to give priority to before embarking on grand schemes.
Plumbers are almost wholly unprepared for the "drastic change" to the way the UK's homes are heated as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions, according to leading engineers in UK.
The engineers were wary of government plans to upgrade homes through its much-vaunted "green deal" policy, which will come into force late this year. Under the scheme, households will be offered loans to improve their properties' energy efficiency.
In a report published on Thursday, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) also warned that government plans for insulation and green energy are not adequate for the changes needed for a shift to low-carbon heating. They called for a massive switch to renewable energy such as solar water heaters and wood-burning stoves to a street by street effort to upgrade insulation in Britain's draughty homes.
The lack of necessary skills among plumbers and heating installers is proving a major brake on the UK's ability to make this switch, the RAE found. The study found examples of inexperienced or underqualified installers causing serious problems. One household paid thousands more than it should have because a heat pump had been wrongly connected - instead of energy bills falling as they had expected, the bills soared from £30 to £250 a month. It cost thousands to fix. In another case cited by one of the study authors, solid wall insulation was badly installed in some old housing stock, causing condensation to collect on the walls and rot floor joists.
About a quarter of the UK's carbon emissions come from heating residential buildings, largely with gas. To meet future carbon reduction targets, the amount of fuel used must come down drastically and millions of homes will have to use new technology such as heat pumps.
Clean energy and energy efficiency measures will require a new crop of trained plumbers and electricians to work on the new system. This is what nations have to give priority to before embarking on grand schemes.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Capping coal
China tripled its solar energy generating capacity last year and notched up major increases in wind and hydropower, government figures showed this week, but officials are still struggling to cap the growth in coal burning, which comprises 79 percent of the energy pie.
After burning an extra 95m tonnes last year, China will soon account for half the coal burned on the planet. This has alarmed state planners concerned about the impact of air pollution and climate change. But can they do anything about it given the 9 percent growth imperatives?
Maybe. A meeting of China's National Energy Administration has called for energy use to be kept below 4.1bn tonnes of coal equivalent per year by 2015. In short, a cap. This will become one of the most important industrial targets in the world because it would largely determine how large a mountain of coal China burns and, as a result, how much CO2 it emits.
Its stride in renewables saw China register a rise of 47GW in wind power generating capacity, and the completion of an extra 12.6 gigawatts of hydropower, with almost twice that amount also likely to come on line this year. In comparison, the UK has 75GW of energy capacity, of all types.
The most spectacular growth, however, was in photovoltaic power generation, which rose threefold to 3GW.
Clearly that is the way ahead but not fast enough. An energy cap could help bolster such attempts. Will it go through? Will the growth soothsayers allow such a move which will decelerate their intentions? Can China become a true world leader? More important, will other nations follow suit?
After burning an extra 95m tonnes last year, China will soon account for half the coal burned on the planet. This has alarmed state planners concerned about the impact of air pollution and climate change. But can they do anything about it given the 9 percent growth imperatives?
Maybe. A meeting of China's National Energy Administration has called for energy use to be kept below 4.1bn tonnes of coal equivalent per year by 2015. In short, a cap. This will become one of the most important industrial targets in the world because it would largely determine how large a mountain of coal China burns and, as a result, how much CO2 it emits.
Its stride in renewables saw China register a rise of 47GW in wind power generating capacity, and the completion of an extra 12.6 gigawatts of hydropower, with almost twice that amount also likely to come on line this year. In comparison, the UK has 75GW of energy capacity, of all types.
The most spectacular growth, however, was in photovoltaic power generation, which rose threefold to 3GW.
Clearly that is the way ahead but not fast enough. An energy cap could help bolster such attempts. Will it go through? Will the growth soothsayers allow such a move which will decelerate their intentions? Can China become a true world leader? More important, will other nations follow suit?
Monday, November 7, 2011
Green Pilgrimages!
The newly formed Green Pilgrimage Network, of which the Sikh holy city of Amritsar is the only member from South Asia, has pledged to take a series of steps to turn pilgrim cities green.
A presentation on the Golden Temple and environment initiatives by SGPC and Amritsar city covered plantation drives, solar energy use and future water recycling programmes.
Among the initiatives agreed to by the group at its first convention in Assisi, Italy, are a ban on cars on pilgrimage routes, solar panels for cathedral roofs, provision of fresh clean water for pilgrims and planting of thousands of trees around sacred sites.
Now wouldn't that be great if more of the pilgrim cities and towns do a clean up? Especially in India, most of these places are ridden with plastic waste, bottles and cups and plates clogging streams and roadsides. Solar panels would be a good option while ban on cars would make it a real pilgrimage.
A presentation on the Golden Temple and environment initiatives by SGPC and Amritsar city covered plantation drives, solar energy use and future water recycling programmes.
Among the initiatives agreed to by the group at its first convention in Assisi, Italy, are a ban on cars on pilgrimage routes, solar panels for cathedral roofs, provision of fresh clean water for pilgrims and planting of thousands of trees around sacred sites.
Now wouldn't that be great if more of the pilgrim cities and towns do a clean up? Especially in India, most of these places are ridden with plastic waste, bottles and cups and plates clogging streams and roadsides. Solar panels would be a good option while ban on cars would make it a real pilgrimage.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
UN seeks high-profile drive for clean energy
The UN has called for a high-profile initiative to promote universal access to power such as electricity in developing countries based on a global advocacy campaign and investments on the ground for clean energy.
In its annual Human Development Report, the UN Development Progamme (UNDP) said the time is right for such a drive as the UN has designated 2012 as the international year of sustainable energy for all. This year's report, Sustainability and Equity, published on Wednesday, focuses on environmental degradation and its potential impact on human development. Environmental trends over recent decades show deterioration on several fronts, the report says, with adverse repercussions for human development.
As to the cost in moving to clean energy, the report cites estimates of total annual mitigation and adaptation costs by 2030 as ranging from $249bn to $1,371bn. While the amounts are large, the UNDP points out they are below current spending on defence, on recent banking bailouts and on "perverse" subsidies.
It points to "innovative" sources of financing such as a currency transaction tax – an idea it first mooted in 1994, which is gaining traction. The EU backs such a tax, although it is opposed by the UK which fears that such a move would undercut London's status as a financial centre. A tax of 0.005% would yield around $40bn a year worldwide, according to the report, while even a unilateral currency transaction tax limited to the euro could raise $4.2bn to $9.3bn in additional financing.
The report also puts particular emphasis on the need to empower women as a way of meeting the world's environmental challenges.
In its annual Human Development Report, the UN Development Progamme (UNDP) said the time is right for such a drive as the UN has designated 2012 as the international year of sustainable energy for all. This year's report, Sustainability and Equity, published on Wednesday, focuses on environmental degradation and its potential impact on human development. Environmental trends over recent decades show deterioration on several fronts, the report says, with adverse repercussions for human development.
As to the cost in moving to clean energy, the report cites estimates of total annual mitigation and adaptation costs by 2030 as ranging from $249bn to $1,371bn. While the amounts are large, the UNDP points out they are below current spending on defence, on recent banking bailouts and on "perverse" subsidies.
It points to "innovative" sources of financing such as a currency transaction tax – an idea it first mooted in 1994, which is gaining traction. The EU backs such a tax, although it is opposed by the UK which fears that such a move would undercut London's status as a financial centre. A tax of 0.005% would yield around $40bn a year worldwide, according to the report, while even a unilateral currency transaction tax limited to the euro could raise $4.2bn to $9.3bn in additional financing.
The report also puts particular emphasis on the need to empower women as a way of meeting the world's environmental challenges.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Clean revolution and India
India is patting itself on the back courtesy a report by international NGO The Climate Group that lauds its progress in energy efficiency where it says India will fast be surpassing the US with the market expected to treble to INR 351,000 crore (USD 77 billion) in the next ten years. It praises India which it says has prioritised low carbon development now, and creating a better, more secure, and more prosperous future for its more than one billion people.
The report, India’s Clean Revolution highlights other success stories in India’s low carbon economy. High fuel prices set by the Indian government for industry have driven dramatic energy efficiency improvements, such that India is now one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of both aluminium and steel.
The report describes how a low carbon development path is the only one that will guarantee future prosperity for India. Bold low carbon policies will increase India’s energy independence and help provide access to energy to those who still lack it, it says.
India’s share of the USD 2.2 trillion market for low carbon goods and services in 2020 could be as much as USD 135 billion, creating 10.5 million green jobs, and is likely to grow faster than any other country. Low cost labor and a highly skilled manufacturing base will make India a major hub for clean technologies.
And finally, it cautions India to avoid the developed world model of high cost, high carbon development and instead chart a new low carbon pathway based on energy efficiency and energy security. This is something we have stressed - given the massive investments in infrastructure, both ongoing and to come, and a large section still largely not relying on commercial energy, this is time for a change in track on the energy front.
The report, India’s Clean Revolution highlights other success stories in India’s low carbon economy. High fuel prices set by the Indian government for industry have driven dramatic energy efficiency improvements, such that India is now one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of both aluminium and steel.
The report describes how a low carbon development path is the only one that will guarantee future prosperity for India. Bold low carbon policies will increase India’s energy independence and help provide access to energy to those who still lack it, it says.
India’s share of the USD 2.2 trillion market for low carbon goods and services in 2020 could be as much as USD 135 billion, creating 10.5 million green jobs, and is likely to grow faster than any other country. Low cost labor and a highly skilled manufacturing base will make India a major hub for clean technologies.
And finally, it cautions India to avoid the developed world model of high cost, high carbon development and instead chart a new low carbon pathway based on energy efficiency and energy security. This is something we have stressed - given the massive investments in infrastructure, both ongoing and to come, and a large section still largely not relying on commercial energy, this is time for a change in track on the energy front.
Monday, May 9, 2011
UK can do it
Following IPCC report, here is some good news. Renewable energy should be able to make a major contribution to the decarbonisation of the UK economy over coming years, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has said.
The influential Committee’s Renewable Energy Review, which was commissioned by the Coalition Government last year, concludes that renewables could generate around 30% of the UK’s energy – or up to 45% if costs fall – by 2030.
The review highlights wind and marine energy as among the most promising renewable technologies, as well as air and ground source heat pumps and the use of bioenergy for heat generation. But committee chair Lord Turner adds that the UK Government should be committing support to less mature technologies now and putting in place incentives to drive increased investment in renewable heat and power generation over the next decade.
Well, we better start hurrying up! Rising global temperatures have reduced yields of wheat and corn in some countries, a decline that probably has contributed to the rise in agricultural commodity prices in recent years, according to a study in the journal Science. Researchers from Stanford and Columbia universities said that from 1980 to 2008, temperature increases of several degrees Fahrenheit in key growing regions — including Russia, India, China, and France — had cut into yields of corn and wheat compared to expected yields had growing season temperatures not risen.
The influential Committee’s Renewable Energy Review, which was commissioned by the Coalition Government last year, concludes that renewables could generate around 30% of the UK’s energy – or up to 45% if costs fall – by 2030.
The review highlights wind and marine energy as among the most promising renewable technologies, as well as air and ground source heat pumps and the use of bioenergy for heat generation. But committee chair Lord Turner adds that the UK Government should be committing support to less mature technologies now and putting in place incentives to drive increased investment in renewable heat and power generation over the next decade.
Well, we better start hurrying up! Rising global temperatures have reduced yields of wheat and corn in some countries, a decline that probably has contributed to the rise in agricultural commodity prices in recent years, according to a study in the journal Science. Researchers from Stanford and Columbia universities said that from 1980 to 2008, temperature increases of several degrees Fahrenheit in key growing regions — including Russia, India, China, and France — had cut into yields of corn and wheat compared to expected yields had growing season temperatures not risen.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Investments inadequate in renewables: IEA
Global investments in renewable energy have risen dramatically over the last decade, but governments need to step up support for clean energy innovation. The IEA’s Clean Energy Progress Report, notes that countries have spent $17 billion on renewable energy and energy efficiency research during the last 10 years — less than a third of the $56 billion directed to nuclear energy research. As much as $22 billion has gone toward fossil fuel research during the same period.
Clean energy ministers, according to IEA, should provide incentives for private sector investments in energy projects, using tax credits, “innovative public/private partnerships,” and “market-creating mechanisms.”
IEA also says fossil fuel subsidies ought to be “phased out,” and governments should establish a price for carbon emissions.The IEA, meanwhile, emphasizes a need for cooperation between the public and private sectors, and for support that goes beyond tax breaks or grants. The agency urges governments to clear “non-economic barriers” for renewable energy research, development, demonstration and deployment, which can range from administrative burdens to the somewhat nebulous challenge of public acceptance and awareness.
The right combination of policies and could deliver nothing short of “a clean energy revolution,” says the IEA. For examples, the agency points to Denmark’s successful cultivation of biomass and wind since the 1980s, and to China’s leap to achieve three times the installed wind power capacity of India in just five years.
Clean energy ministers, according to IEA, should provide incentives for private sector investments in energy projects, using tax credits, “innovative public/private partnerships,” and “market-creating mechanisms.”
IEA also says fossil fuel subsidies ought to be “phased out,” and governments should establish a price for carbon emissions.The IEA, meanwhile, emphasizes a need for cooperation between the public and private sectors, and for support that goes beyond tax breaks or grants. The agency urges governments to clear “non-economic barriers” for renewable energy research, development, demonstration and deployment, which can range from administrative burdens to the somewhat nebulous challenge of public acceptance and awareness.
The right combination of policies and could deliver nothing short of “a clean energy revolution,” says the IEA. For examples, the agency points to Denmark’s successful cultivation of biomass and wind since the 1980s, and to China’s leap to achieve three times the installed wind power capacity of India in just five years.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Clean energy market on a high
The market for clean energy products is growing among India’s rural poor, a massive segment that consists of 114 million households and more than 60 percent of the nation’s population of 1.15 billion. Since 2004, this market has grown at an average rate of 36 percent a year and could eventually grow to more than $2.1 billion annually, according to a report from World Resources Institute.
Cean energy services and products will require an upfront investment three to ten times greater than that for conventional energy sources such as kerosene and firewood, which often are subsidized or free to India’s rural consumers. Yet despite these and other drawbacks, the average annual gross revenue of the companies profiled in this report has grown 36 percent since 2004.
The report examined a representative selection of companies selling solar lanterns, solar home systems, energy-efficient cookstoves, and electricity generated from decentralized sources, including small hydro power plants and biomass gasifier systems. The potential market for the four sectors studied in this report is INR 97.28 billion (US$2.11 billion) per year, including INR 94.06 billion (US$2.04 billion) for decentralized renewable energy services and INR 3.22 billion (US$70.1 million) for energy products per year.
Good news for the poor, corporates and the planet.
Cean energy services and products will require an upfront investment three to ten times greater than that for conventional energy sources such as kerosene and firewood, which often are subsidized or free to India’s rural consumers. Yet despite these and other drawbacks, the average annual gross revenue of the companies profiled in this report has grown 36 percent since 2004.
The report examined a representative selection of companies selling solar lanterns, solar home systems, energy-efficient cookstoves, and electricity generated from decentralized sources, including small hydro power plants and biomass gasifier systems. The potential market for the four sectors studied in this report is INR 97.28 billion (US$2.11 billion) per year, including INR 94.06 billion (US$2.04 billion) for decentralized renewable energy services and INR 3.22 billion (US$70.1 million) for energy products per year.
Good news for the poor, corporates and the planet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
