Worrying reports on Climate Change

Scientists have found the first unequivocal evidence that the Arctic region is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world at least a decade before it was predicted to happen, the Independent reported on Tuesday 16 December.
Independent

Ireland's energy related CO2 emissions are falling.

Figures from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI)show a decrease of 1.4% in the amount of CO2 the country produced between 2005 and 2007.

The amount of lower emitting vehicles people are buying has doubled since the Government introduced its new emission linked VRT scheme earlier in 20008.
It is expected that the recession will cause emissions to fall further.

Tech giants limber up for smart meter contract battle

"Some of the world’s biggest telecoms and technology companies have begun discussions to team up for a multi-billion-pound contract to run “smart meters” in Britain. Telecoms giants Vodafone, O2 and BT and system integrators Logica, Accenture, IBM and Capgemini are understood to have started talks to form bidding consortiums. The scheme envisages the installation of digital meters in every home to tell customers how much energy they are using. The government expects the scheme to revolutionise the energy industry and lead to lower consumption. The tender will be launched in the new year."
Times Online

The Scottish Government should do more.

"The Scottish Government should do more to encourage energy efficiency in the public sector, a watchdog has warned.... The report said public bodies should have clear guidance on how to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions." BBC News

Regulators must 'declare war' on water industry carbon emissions

Good article from Utility Week "Regulator Ofwat and the government "must declare war on the unseen enemy of climate change" if the water industry is to make inroads into its carbon emissions, according to Jack Carnell, managing director South Staffs Water."

Flights Across the World

Interesting visual display of flights across the world over a 24 hour period.
Click Here

Nokia plans energy-saving home project

"Nokia is developing a wireless platform which will be used to control heating and security systems in the home.

As part of the project, which is being flagged as an energy-efficiency initiative, Nokia has partnered with one of Europe's biggest energy companies, RWE with the intention of developing systems for managing energy consumption and CO2 footage in the home.

In a second step, Nokia and RWE, owner of npower in the UK, are planning additional services in connection with smart meters beyond 2009. The aim will be to provide energy users with real-time information about their energy consumption and allow them to control their energy bill remotely."

Electronicsweekly.com

Vattenfall in talks over Thanet wind farm

Vattenfall is in advanced talks with Christofferson, Robb and Company, an investment management company, for the rights to the 300MW Thanet wind farm off the Kent coast, the FT reported on Friday 7 November. Neither company would comment on the proposed deal. The value is likely to be less than £50mn but if successful, Vattenfall will have to invest an estimated £800mn to build the turbines. FT

Wind power drives Spanish electricity prices lower

Wind power is driving Spanish electricity prices down at a time when fuel prices are increasing, notably gas prices, according to the chairman of Spanish utility Endesa, Jose Entrecanales. Endesa's chairman has said that the wind power proposition is already paying off in Spain, bringing down electricity prices and contributing to job creation due to exports of renewable equipment. According to a study undertaken in 2008 by Endesa's markets division, the wind power capacity on the Spanish grid contributed to a reduction in electricity market prices of around E6 per MWh.
Energy Business Review

Scottish renewables capacity passes 3GW mark

Renewable energy capacity in Scotland has now surpassed 3GW, enough to power 1.5mn homes, Scottish energy minister Jim Mather said on Tuesday 28 October. He said renewables capacity in Scotland had grown by a fifth in the last year alone and could now power 60% of Scotland's homes.
Scottish Government article on passing 3GW mark

Further to this, the Scottish Government, announced it was planning a shake-up of Scotland's planning system leaner and fitter to improve efficiency and ensure planning is geared towards supporting increased sustainable economic growth. Read Article

Smart Meters domestic mandate

"I am pleased to announce that the Government have taken the decision to mandate smart meters for all households. This is a major step forward; no other country in the world has moved to an electricity and gas smart meter roll-out on this scale. The existing powers in the Energy Bill will enable the Government to proceed with a domestic roll-out....

We anticipate a period of around two years to resolve the issues and to design the full detail of a domestic roll-out. Our aim is then to ensure that the subsequent roll-out happens over a period of 10 years. This would see delivery of smart meters by the end of 2020 to align with our renewables targets."
Lord Campbell-Savours Houses of Parliament
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/15.htm

Infinis plan’s £1.2bn wind-energy company

Infinis, the waste-to-energy company owned by buyout firm Terra Firma, has set in motion a £1.2bn plan to build it into one of the largest wind-energy producers in the country, the Times reported on Sunday 26 October. Its aim is to buy or build up to 800MW of onshore wind-generating capacity over 10 years. Times Online http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article5014556.ece

National Grid delays ‘will mean that climate targets are missed’

"Renewable energy and climate change targets for 2020 will be missed unless the National Grid speeds up the rate at which new generators are connected, leading industry figures have said. The grid is undergoing its biggest upgrade since the 1960s as part of a £14 billion investment project by 2012 and up to £13.5 billion more by 2020. Unless it is made easier, however, for renewable energy generators, particularly wind farms, to connect to the grid, the investment will fail to enable Britain to meet its 2020 targets. Under an EU agreement earlier this year, Britain committed itself to increasing its reliance on renewable energy from about 2 per cent to 15 per cent." Times online
www.timesonline.co.uk+article5019749.ece

Micro-CHP poised to lead Microgeneration Revolution

23 October 2008:
Micro-CHP is set to make a significant contribution to the UK's battle to tackle Climate Change, following the Government's commitment to bring forward an amendment that would introduce a Feed-in-Tariff for small-scale, low-carbon electricity production. In a debate on the Energy Bill the Energy Minister, Lord Hunt, indicated that the 3rd Reading of the Energy Bill in the House of Lords would see a Government amendment for a feed-in tariff that 'should ... cover small non-renewable combined heat and power systems'. http://www.chpa.co.uk/

Joint lobby on Renewables

COSLA CoR member and COSLA Vice-President Cllr Corrie McChord
and Scottish MEPs Catherine Stihler and Elspeth Attwooll secured
unanimous approval on a crucial amendment to the draft
Renewables Directive in their respective votes at the CoR and the
European Parliament Committees. This COSLA inspired proposal, if
finally approved by the full Plenaries and the Member States, will
ensure local authorities are fully involved in developing national
and European plans to develop renewable energies and thus
combating climate change. Other MEPs such as David Martin and
John Purvis also tabled and lobbied for our views in debates. Struan
Stevenson MEP actively liaised with COSLA on the complex issue
of windfarms on peatlands.
http://www.cosla.gov.uk/index.asp?leftId=100019924-11001461&rightId=100019924-11000146

Miliband plans “big shift” in way homes are heated and powered

Ed Miliband, the new secretary of state for energy and climate change, is drawing up plans for a "big shift" in the way Britons heat and power their homes, the Independent said on Sunday 19 October. The plans––due to be published at the end of next month––are expected to include targets for cutting energy use in the country's 26mn homes and incentives to make it easy for householders to meet them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/milibands-blueprint-for-greener-homes-966239.html

Tesco hits out at high energy cost and Ofgem

Consumers are being hit by excessively high gas and electricity prices, Tesco has said, as it criticised Ofgem, the regulator, for not going far enough with the inquiry into energy markets it published this week. Tesco feels that companies are paying too much for their energy, and is trying to drive its costs down as it and other retailers compete to cut prices. Britain’s biggest retailer says the gas and electricity prices paid by businesses in the wholesale market are higher than would be justified by the price of oil.
www.ft.com