SSE have launched a new car charging port and energy exhibition in the heart of Glasgow and I must say it’s fantastic you even have the opportunity to hire an electric car. And just so those of you not from Glasgow don’t miss out we have a video walk through of the exhibition for you.
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Renewable energy is in a state of flux at the moment regarding whether we’re going to push forward with it or start to scale back . This is due to budgetary constraints and more recent concerns that too much of our countryside and coastline is being taken over by the large increase in windfarms and offshore wind projects.
Whilst doing some research on the topic I came across this great video that details the future of renewable energy via a videoinfograph. Now I have to admit this is the first videoinfograph I’d seen and whilst it can be tricky to follow I think I like it.
Do you guys have any thoughts about what’s happening with renewable energy at the moment? Feel free to drop us a comment or even your own infograph/videoinfograph.
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It’s been an exciting first week for the new energy secretary MP Ed Davey but he certainly hasn’t shied away. Mr Davey is setting his renewable energy stall out against the army of critics by opening the world’s biggest offshore wind farm on Thursday.
The Walney Scheme, near Cumbria has cost around £1.2bn and has built more than 100 turbines which in turn will generate enough power for 320,000 homes.
Davey said: “Britain has a lot to be proud of in our growing offshore wind sector. Our island’s tremendous natural resource, our research base and a proud history of engineering make this the No 1 destination for investment in offshore wind.”
One of the UK’s leading renewable energy generators SSE a and Denmark’s Dong Energy have claimed that the Walney Project breaks a number of records by being built quicker and for less money than previous projects.
The new 367.2MW scheme, won’t be able to hold onto its title of world’s largest offshore windfarm for long as it will itself be dwarfed by the massive London Array off Kent which is currently under construction.
The Walney scheme has 2 parts Phase 1 and Phase 2 – it is believed that Phase 2 was the quickest built project of its kind.
Dong Energy is also an investor in the London Array – that is scheduled to bring its 630 turbines on stream by the end of 2012 – Dong are also pioneering deepwater gas projects off the west of Shetland, working alongside French energy company Total.
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We came across this small but intriguing report yesterday on the Wall Street Journal – reporting that the chief executive of Centrica (the largest retail energy supplier in the UK) feels there is a bit of a gulf between the energy policy goals of the UK government and what consumers are willing to pay to fund this change.
Green Going Up?
An opinion poll conducted by Populus for Centrica found that of the 2,005 respondents one-third would be willing to pay £100 a year more to ensure lower carbon emissions – whilst only 1% would be willing to stump up an extra £500 per year.
Centrica’s chief executive, Sam Laidlaw said:
“I believe that low carbon is the right route to take…but the public needs to know the price; and the public needs to take ownership of the decision, along with the energy companies and the Government.”
Is he correct about this? And how much would you be willing to pay if it meant a greener future? or is there another way of funding this without passing so much cost onto the consumer?…….please let us know your thoughts.
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Norway is looking to lead the way in the search for ways to make offshore wind farms more profitable with their plan for the world’s biggest offshore wind turbine, standing at an impressive 533 feet tall with a 475 foot rotor diameter. The massive turbine can generate 10 megawatts, enough to power 2000 homes, which is around 3 times more than current turbines are capable of.
The prototype is estimated to cost around $67.5 million to build, and green energy firm Enova have committed to providing $23 million of the total. Enova has a planned installation date of before the end of 2011.
The huge gain in power comes from both the news gearless generator system and a big reduction in the overall weight of the turbine. Norwegian company Sway will build the turbine, and unlike most offshore wind farms which rest on the sea floor Sway turbines float and are able to take advantage of stranger and more consistent winds.
Norway is one of the worlds top producers of oil and gas and electricity in the country is mostly generated via hydroelectric power.
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Business Green today reports on the CCC (Climate Change Committee) renewable energy review, and it’s some pretty interesting reading.
One of the most striking points made in the article is that renewables could by 2030 (a mere 18.5 years from now) be up to 45% of the energy mix, compared with 3% now.
Where we actually will be in 2030 is anyone’s guess, but as more and more energy is generated from renewable sources, the more and more economically viable it becomes. This is why it’s difficult to predict what the amount will be in 2030 – as a technology progresses it always reaches a critical mass where it becomes cheaper. This will happen with renewables (or is at least very likely to) and, conceivably, it could mean that take up of them is more than 45% by 2020.
What do you think the next two to three decades hold for renewables?
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Living on an island at the edge of Europe has its advantages and disadvantages – one disadvantage is obviously the rainy weather that gets rainier the further west you go. But one major advantage is written on the wind: renewables potential.
So it’s no surprise, then, that positive headlines regularly pop up in the environment pages – good news is a valuable commodity in any sector and renewable energy is getting its fair share right now.
Let’s take an example from the news this week, with edie.net reporting that the UK global marine energy market could be worth £76 billion. Although it’s not going to be any time in the near future, with 2050 the date being put on this estimate. However, what is clear from the article is that the UK is well placed in terms of having got in early and started innovating, which all being well will pay off in the decades to come, as the world continues on its low carbon path.
Green electricity was once something that would have been seen as utopian or the preserve of small ecological groups – but these days it’s big business, and getting bigger all the time.
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The continuing critical situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan has prompted debate across the globe into the future of Nuclear Power. We thought that we would conduct a poll of Green Forums readers to catch the pulse of your opinion.
Thanks for taking apart – feel free to debate Nuclear Power in the comments section.
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