Jens Widden

Impact of Renewables and Sustainable Energy

Renewable energy sources are providing greater impact upon the electricity generating market than ever before. In the United States EnergyWorld.com recently reported that for the first half of 2014 renewables were providing 56 percent of new electrical generating capacity, while in the UK renewables provided 40 percent of all Scottish energy for 2013 and government targets for sustainable energy are being vastly exceeded. Sources and Trends in Renewable Energy In the States for 2014 the percentage of newly generated power provided by these most popular new renewables is:

solar - providing 32.1%

wind - 19.8%

biomass - 2.5%

geothermal - 0.9%

hydropower - 0.5%

New systems that integrate every electrical process in power plants are bringing a new level of efficiency and productivity to the field of power generation.

In the world of power plants there is a new integrated approach to the electrical control systems at the heart of the operation, one that is delivering unprecedented cost efficiencies and even allowing defunct equipment to be brought back to life in a new incarnation. It's an exciting development that provides electrical solutions to the challenges of today's power generation industry - increased automation, environmentally responsible performance and the ability to operate within intense time and budgetary constraints. The new control systems differ from conventional ones in that they fully integrate every electrical system in a plant, allowing a higher level of central control than anything that has gone before. In power generation the best are those designed specifically for the industry and the unique challenges it faces, including the need to deliver electrical solutions that work as effectively in new plant as in projects intended to bring existing equipment up to modern standards. Electrical solutions meet the challenge of power Typical of the new breed is Siemens' SPPA-E3000 Electrical Solutions, a dedicated package of technology and expertise designed exclusively for power plants. The system works with equipment from any manufacturer, whether it is a new installation or an upgrade of old plant. It was recently even used to provide the electrical solution for a project that resurrected the generator of a disused German nuclear power plant and turned it into a synchronous condenser to help stabilize the national grid. This flexibility is a key advantage offered by the leading suppliers of integrated electrical control systems. Some projects, especially new plants and those undergoing full-scale modernization, require a complete turnkey package with all the components - and the project management - coming from a single source to minimize cost and ensure schedules are met. The result is that plant is commissioned on time and performs with outstanding energy efficiency thanks to its integrated design.

Traffic systems of the future - how will the look life? 

Smart technologies leveraging the ubiquitous IT environment around us with the ability to continuously sense, communicate and control systems and services promise to revolutionize the way we live and work.

These “internet of things” technologies utilized in traffic systems also have the potential to reduce our energy consumption and carbon footprint in transport systems. Environmentally Friendly Way

Advanced industrial engineering technologies in public transportation deployments, such as train and tram links, are already recognized as the most environmentally friendly way to get around town. By equipping new systems with the latest signalling and communications technologies, in combination with deploying new rolling stock that uses hybrid energy storage systems, next generation trams will produce less CO2 and also consume 30% less energy per year than anything else in service today. These new state-of-the-art trams will be built in Doha, Qatar. When operational, they will be the most energy-efficient tram system in the Middle East region. The hybrid energy storage system used on the tram is a new innovation in electromechanical battery design, using a fast spinning flywheel that can store and convert electrical to mechanical energy, and vice versa. It is an offshoot commercial development of the KERS technology so successfully used in current Formula One racing cars. Intelligent Traffic

Intelligent traffic control systems deployed for traffic management purposes not only contributes to the smooth flow of traffic on public roads, but also supports energy conservation through less fuel spent, while also reducing CO2 emissions for urban motor vehicle traffic.

In 2001, Portugal set themselves the target to use more renewable energy and to promote energy efficiency. By 2010 renewable energy accounted for 52% of the country’s electricity generation which showed a 28% increase in just 5 years. Portugal really is a world leader in renewable energy and it is important to look into the causes of their recent success and how other countries could follow their example.

The Drive for Energy Efficiency

As any visitor to the beautiful country of Portugal will realize from its ample sunshine and coastal wind that the country’s energy industry benefits greatly from its fantastic climate. The country truly had the desire to harness this natural power and improve their energy efficiency.

Portugal’s E4 program (Energy Efficiency and Endogenous Energies) was established with the primary aim to reduce gas emissions (particularly carbon dioxide) and to help counter the effects of climate change. It was also designed to improve the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy.

The first step was to introduce natural gas as a greener alternative to coal and oil which the country had massively relied upon in the past. It also invested significantly in wind, solar and hydro-electricity energy production. Portugal is now home to the world’s largest solar farm and Europe’s largest wind farm.

The E4 program aimed to open up the energy market in order to encourage competition and private investment. There has been a huge amount of local and foreign investment including energy companies such as the Finnish-owned AW Energy which are committed to making renewable power the primary source of energy. Project manager Jussi Akerberg said:

“In my dreams one day the sea will replace the oil field.”

In Portugal, it appears that this dream could become a reality.

The Long-term Effects and Benefits

There is no doubt that energy efficiency isn’t cheap. Electricity bills in Lisbon shot up by 16% in just 5 years after the E4 program was introduced. Despite this, prices will eventually level off and begin to decrease as fuel-free energy sources require little maintenance or upkeep. Portugal has no fossil fuels of its own and has used its abundant natural resources to produce its own energy that is safe, clean and domestically controlled. The country was once almost entirely reliant upon imported fossil fuels but now new projects like the Alto Minho windfarm and Moura solar power plant will allow it to shut down two conventional non-renewable energy using power plants.

Efficient petrol, hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars are all vying to dominate the future motor industry. Which will win this most important of all motor races?

It is an exciting time to be a writer in the motor industry, especially if, like me, you have an academic background in the environmental sciences. The Toyota Prius has become an established sight on our roads, along with other hybrids, but even those cars are in danger of becoming outmoded. Nissan has given us the first all-electric production car with the Leaf and Hyundai has now joined the market with the BlueOn. In Europe, Renault has brought out the Zoe, slashing $10,000 from the cost of a practical electric car and bringing electric cars to a far wider market. In the USA meanwhile, Tesla has announced the first profit in its 10 year history, making $15 million in the first three months of 2013.

Signs of a breakthrough?

Exciting times indeed; but does all this activity amount to a real breakthrough in alternatively fuelled cars? Perhaps not. The limitations of electric cars have not really been addressed. Most electric models have a range of less than 100 miles in real-world driving. That severely limits their appeal and makes them next to useless for anything except short urban journeys and limited commuting. Range anxiety is a real issue and with an absence of a proper recharging infrastructure, overnight recharges at home are the norm. Electric cars are expensive too. If you remove government subsidies they are uncompetitive with standard petrol models.

Undoubtedly electric cars win on CO2 emissions but they do not solve the problem of our dependence on fossil fuels. Instead, they simply move that dependence up the supply chain. The electric car may run on emissions-free electricity but that electricity is produced in our power stations and is produced, largely, by burning coal and gas. According to the US Energy Information Administration 44% of electricity generation in the US comes from the burning of coal and 23% from natural gas. Nuclear power accounts for 20% of production, with renewables coming in last at 9%. It could be fairly said then that electric cars are expensive, with extremely limited ranges and simply extend our dependence on fossil fuels.

The rise of hydrogen

The hydrogen fuel cell is a promising technology and addresses many of the issues associated with alternatively fuelled vehicles. Hyundai is already producing its ix35 car with the technology. The hydrogen fuel cell cars have a range of hundreds of miles which makes them substantially more practical than electric cars, whose ranges rarely top 100 miles. Crucially, they can be refuelled quickly, much in the same way that petrol cars are topped up. This means that driving patterns do not have to change and range anxiety is removed. The fuel cell does not require electricity that has been produced by burning fossil fuels but it has to be said that the extraction of hydrogen is thus far energy intensive.

When researching the prospects of electric cars in Africa, I found Richard M Kavuma's 2011 provocative and interesting article in the Guardian entitled 'Uganda's First Electric Car Proves the Potential of Africa's Universities'.

Kavuma argues that in a sense the fact that Ugandan students have constructed the first electric car in Uganda is an indication of how far behind the rest of the world this country has historically been when it comes to electromobility. As he notes, electric cars have 'been around for decades'. However, he also states that it is nevertheless 'big news for Uganda' as it is a testament to the high quality education available to Ugandan university students.

Kavuma predicts in his article, furthermore, that this electric car, named the Kiira EV, is likely to form a firm basis for later funding proposals by Ugandan academics. As a physical proof of the ability of young Ugandan engineers, the Kiira EV will, Kuvame projects, stand Ugandan university engineering and science departments in good stead to receive both national and international funding for future projects.

Kiira EV an the Ugandan nation

 Kuvame uses the Kiira EV to raise interesting questions about how Uganda ought to be conceptualised as a nation. Notably, he mentions that several commentators have critiqued the idea that Ugandans ought to be spending research funding on electromobility projects rather than addressing more pressing matters such as housing and poverty.

However, this is precisely the aspect of the Kiira EV that has, in many articles, been applauded. Writers such as Edwin Kee often state that thinking of Uganda as an African leader and innovator in electromobility and engineering is a new, and welcome, change from the prevalent worldwide focus on the poverty and joblessness in the region.

As Kuvame, notes, moreover, Uganda's gaze is indeed set on the future rather than the past. The decision to focus on electromobility is a smart one on the Ugandans' part. Many sources agree that the future of the automobile industry lies in electromobility. This is a global, rather than just an African, trend.

As this article shows, the European Parliament, for example, is working to roll out electrombolility projects across the EU. Money still needs to be spent on research into economics and welfare in Ugandan universities to help to address the country's other problems.

Renewables: good for the earth, good for us - © minicel73 - Fotolia.com

Renewable fuels and the latest technologies are both saving energy. Find out how energy efficiency can be achieved.

The generation and transportation of power can be a wasteful process. If the machinery used to generate power is imperfectly designed, for example, energy efficiency will be compromised. In these scenarios, energy that could have been used for useful purposes is simply dissipated into the environment.

Energy efficiency practices as crucial complement

Many companies have turned to using renewable sources of energy (such as wind power and biomass) rather than fossil fuels in order to produce and use energy more efficiently. Whilst reduction in the use of fossil fuels in this way is a great way to cut carbon emissions by saving energy, energy efficiency practices are a crucial complement to renewable sources of energy. Energy efficiency means that less energy is needed to perform all kinds of tasks.

Reduction of fossil fuels is not the only way to care for the planet

Some big brands have come to realize that saving energy using energy efficiency strategies is an important way to complement reductions in the use of fossil fuels. One example of such a company is Siemens, which as a recent article shows, is claiming to use this complementary pair of techniques for saving energy to great effect.

What if we could do something with all of the waste generated from human living, such as using it to fuel our cars or heat our homes, instead of just leaving to sit in landfills or pollute the air after incineration?

Incineration, according to the UK Environment Agency, is

“where waste is burnt at high temperatures to reduce its volume and to produce heat and/or electricity.”

It helps to reduce the space taken up by throwing things away, but the emissions it creates detract greatly from that advantage. However, the good news is that those emissions really can be reclaimed and made useful. The process of converting waste into usable energy is known as waste-to-energy (WtE,) or energy-from-waste (EfW). The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) describes several ways of achieving this.

One example is direct combustion, in which methane produced from incineration of dry waste is recaptured.

Another procedure, anaerobic digestion, involves micro-organisms breaking down wet waste, such as discarded food, which produces biogas.

In gasification, organic materials are turned into gas through use of controlled steam, oxygen, or both, without combustion.

In pyrolysis, organic materials are converted into gas through heat without oxygen. Pyrolysis creates gas and oil, and DECC predicts that pyrolysis oil will eventually be convertible into fuel for cars.

Humans will never run out of waste

The advantages of WtE are that it is cheap and sustainable, because one thing humans will never run out of is waste. It also reduces the volume of waste in landfills and harmful emissions going into the environment as byproducts of incineration.

However, a big disadvantage is that WtE is not an entirely clean energy, as it still creates pollutants. It also still means the unpleasant sight and smell of an incinerator in cities and neighbourhoods.

Renewable energy such as air, wind, and solar energy have gained in popularity in recent times. In 2011, renewable energy was responsible for meeting about 4 percent of global energy demands. This will increase to 13 percent by 2030.

The Harz region in Germany is exemplary for its use of alternative energy. Wind, solar, and other forms of alternative energy sources already contribute up to 60 percent of the power supply in the region. However, storage and synchronized use, remains a major concern. The grid faces a problem of plenty, especially during windy periods, when it becomes glutted with too much wind power. In such times, it becomes necessary to switch off the wind turbines, to prevent overloading. Conversely, people may draw heavily from the grid, when wind and solar energy is at its lowest, causing a strain on the grid. There is no provision to store the excess energy generated during the times of plenty, for use when demand peaks.

Companies, universities, and research institutions are working on solutions to this problem, and Harz.EE-Mobility is one of the major projects in this direction. The Harz.EE-Mobility project, which aims to integrating electric vehicles to the smart grid, would not only facilitate, and make easy, charging of electric vehicles through the power grid, but also allow electric vehicles to store and resell energy, as required. The project envisages using electric vehicles as mobile energy storage units. The integrated system would ensure that electric cars would recharge batteries at times of strong winds, especially at night. It would also facilitate electric cars to feed electricity back into the grid, at higher prices, when required. The biggest challenge is coordinating the vehicles with power generation and power distribution, intelligently. The project envisages installation of standardized power plugs at all charging stations, and communicating data among these points. Scientists are developing energy management systems that can effectively communicate and coordinate with the 2,000+ wind turbines, biogas facilities, solar power systems, and electric vehicles, in the Harz region, to ensure the seamless integration of all these units to the grid. The system would recognize when a vehicle is ready for charging, and communicate the output it can draw without overloading the grid. This works in the reverse way, as well. Researchers are factoring-in the movement profiles of electric vehicles, to allow the system to forecast the energy required at specific parking garages and commuter parking places, at specific times, and make provisions accordingly. Siemens CT, the major promoter of the project, has entered into partnerships with Deutsche Bahn railroad company, Vodafone, and a host of research institutes, to further the project. When completed later this year, the project would make recharging an electric vehicle at Harz as simple and convenient as pumping gas, and make Harz district a model region for electric mobility. Reference:

Electromobility in the Harz Region: Two E.ON Pilot Projects

As the global population continues to increase at a dramatic pace, a pronounced strain has been placed upon the limited amount of resources needed for energy production. Coal reserves cannot replenish themselves for tens of thousands of years while oil supply is becoming outstripped by our demand for it. These reasons underscore the need for continued research and development into viable renewable energy alternatives. Let us examine a few of the most realistic options available in the near future. 1) Solar power Solar power has been around for decades although it has not been until recent times that this option has become an affordable alternative for individuals and businesses alike. As this technology has become more advanced, the associated costs have dropped significantly. Governments are now offering incentives to businesses who utilise this resource and as our demand for clean energy continues to grow, solar power is predicted to become one of the major avenues for electricity in many parts of the globe.

Read more: How do solar cells work? 2) Wind power Wind power is another means by which energy can be generated. Indeed, many landscapes around the world are now dotted with massive wind turbines which are perpetually rotating and generating a perfectly renewable energy source. While in the past these mechanisms faced opposition due to their prominence on many natural landscapes, the economic and natural benefits have begun to outweigh any negative sentiment once felt.

Read more: Wind power explained here 3) Wave power A third form of alternative energy which has also garnered much attention is that of wave power. By harnessing the very currents of the ocean, electricity can be generated. The benefit here lies in the fact that this innovative technology can be placed in parts of the ocean that are otherwise too dangerous for shipping. Thus, the very same waves that were thought of as dangerous inconveniences are now becoming sources of cheap and clean energy.

Read more: Wave and tidal power as an energy source

There are different aspects to know, when we speak about rapid urbanization. Latin America´s rural environmental challenges often get most attention by TV and the internet, environmentalists and other observers around the world. Although these issues are certainly interesting, urban environmental concerns such as traffic jams, land use policies, waste disposal and air quality are more urgent to the majority of Latin America´s residents, simply because 81% of the population already lives in cities. By 2030, the figure will reach 86%, on a par with Western Europe.

The Latin American Green City Index, an Economist Intelligence Uni study, detect the measured values and assess the environmental performance of 17 major Latin American cities across a range of criteria. This report shows the key findings and highlights from the Index, and is intended to provide stakeholders with a unique tool to help Latin American cities learning from each other, in order to better address the usual environmental challenges they face.

No clean water - not life @ - robert - Fotolia.com

Singapore is an insular state, consisting of 63 islands which inhabit 4.8 million people in an area of only 704 km2. Due to its enormous population density and its geographical location, water supply in Singapore is rather difficult. Nevertheless reliable water supply is of high importance for the aspiring insular country, which becomes more of a key state for trade in Southeast Asia.

Until the mid of the 90ies of the last century, drinking water had to be imported completely from other countries. And even today the majority of Singapore’s drinking water comes via pipelines from the neighbor state Malaysia.

Now the ambitious insular state is engaged in a program for more intensive water treatment in order to emancipate from Malaysia in the long run. In the year 2061 the bilateral contracts expire and by then Singapore wants to decrease its dependence significantly with the help of the so called ‘4-tap-strategy’.

This strategy includes four measures or ‘taps’ to meet the country’s demand for water. Tap 1 is the import of drinking water, while tap 2 involves the intensive collection of rainwater. Tap 3 represents the treatment of used water and tap 4 produces fresh water by desalination of sea water. By the use of innovative technologies the quality of water produced by water treatment can be further increased. Water treated with a combination of UV light, ozone and peroxides can be used for industrial purposes.

Germany's new energy policy aims to not only reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 80% before 2050, in the same time they have pledged that renewable energy such as solar power and wind power should supply 80% of its energy requirements. With the planned phasing out of nuclear power by 2022 on the agenda too, it's an ambitious but commendable agenda in energy efficiency, in light of the current and projected energy crisis. Key Components of Germany's Plan For the Future Germany's  energy efficiency policy predicts that almost half of its energy will be from renewable sources by 2030, of which a large part will be from wind power, so it's expected that Germany will be a leader in the field in the EU. Transportation and storage of energy is another facet of this part of the policy. New power superhighways are planned to ensure that energy loss through power lines is cut dramatically. Storage on a large scale is problematic, so Germany plans to convert excess electricity to hydrogen which can then be integrated into the national gas grid. In turn, it can be stored underground before being reconverted to electricity for use in fuel cell vehicles.

Enhanced Efficiency Equals Less Power Wasteage Part of Germany's new policy is concerned with finding ways to cut energy consumption at the same time as keeping financial costs down. This in turn will lead to more economically viable consumption, and reduction of CO2 emissions. Overall, Germany's key goals are, energy efficiency through increased use of sustainable energy sources, coupled with upgraded transportation and storage. More use of coal derived energy as large coal reserves make it cheaper and more economically sound. The phasing out of nuclear power to be replaced by environmentally sound energy, plus the enhanced use of sustainable, eco-friendly energy by towns and industries will ultimately bring about a low waste, low emission power grid by 2050.

So much for the theory. In practice, much hard work lies ahead.