Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 1 June 2013

The wave of the future: microgrids for campuses, neighborhoods and cities

27/05/2013 - The number of microgrids—mini smart grids spanning a campus, neighborhood or city—is expected to quadruple by 2020. Microgrids have an important advantage: their independence from the central network offers improved reliability.

A booming market for urban mini smart grids

The global market for these local, decentralized, renewable-ready grids is expected to grow from $10 billion in 2013 to $40 billion by 2020, according to a new study from Pike Research, a division of Navigant Research. read more>>>

Australia on course to beat 2020 renewable energy target, says study

30 May 2013 - Australia is on course to surpass its renewable energy target by deriving 22.5% of its power from sources such as solar and wind by 2020, according to a new study.

The analysis of government agency data, by consultancy Green Energy Markets, forecast a long-term decline in fossil fuels, with the use of coal for electricity falling by a third over the next 20 years.Consultancy forecasts that country will derive 22.5% of its power from renewables by 2020 read more>>>

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Report: Climate change affects Virginia disasters

May 29, 2013 - More than nine out of 10 Virginians live in localities that have been hit by at least one federally declared weather disaster since 2007 - an accelerating trend linked to global warming, a new report says.

The report from the nonprofit Environment Virginia Research & Policy Center says human-induced climate change is likely to bring even more extreme weather events - including heavy rain and snow, heat, drought, wildfires, hurricanes and coastal storms - in years to come if carbon emissions are not curtailed. read more>>>

Green Economy for Sustainable Development

May 31st, 2013 - In an increasingly interconnected world where trillions of dollars worth of goods and services are traded annually, the rapidly expanding market for low-carbon and environmentally friendly products will create new opportunities, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in its recent report “Green Economy and Trade – Trends, Challenges and Opportunities.”

Pushing for greening global trade which is vital for sustainable development, the UNEP’s 298-page report finds that developing countries with abundant renewable resources are well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities provided by green products to increase their share in international markets for sustainable goods and services. read more>>>

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China vows continued cooperation with European countries in building green economy

2013-05-31 - Amid the China-EU trade frictions, a high ranking Chinese politician said China will continue to maintain its ties with western countries in an effort to build up a low-carbon economy.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks during his visit to Finland late on Thursday.

"China cannot develop without the world and China's development benefits the world," he told a prominent audience at the Confederation of Finnish Industries. read more>>>

University of Maine wins first stage of floating offshore wind demonstration competition

31 May 2013 - The university’s Advanced Structures and Composites Centre has won the first round of a potential $93.2 million deepwater offshore wind demonstration project

The competition for the project was organised by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the UMaine Composites Centre is one of five awardees chosen from over 70 competing proposals. The initial phase will allocate up to $4 million to each project in order to complete the engineering, design and permitting phase of the award. A year forward the DOE will select three of the five projects for follow-on phases concerned with siting, construction and installation. The overall aim is to achieve commercial operation by 2017. read more>>>

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Sustainable Marine Energy relocates to Isle of Wight

31 May 2013 - Tidal energy firm Sustainable Marine Energy has relocated its offices, moving to East Cowes on the Isle of Wight from London.

Company officials said the community is the perfect place to build its new turbine platform, called the PLAT-O, because it has both the expertise on the ground and he production capacity to see the technology through to installation. read more>>>

Unique utility efficiency program saves hospitals millions

May 31, 2013 - Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) has completed more than $3.7 million in energy-efficiency upgrades at Trinitas Regional Medical Center through the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program -- a $129 million effort to help 29 hospitals better manage their energy consumption.

Improvements to the hospital include updated heating and water cooling systems, as well as the installation of state-of-the-art lighting and energy management technologies. The upgrades will save Trinitas $390,000 annually in utility costs, or $7.8 million over the 20-year life of the new equipment. read more>>>

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Construction for the future - Turning buildings green

30 May 2013 - Multiple opportunities to improve the sustainability of buildings are presented by research summarised in a new special issue of Science for Environment Policy. Measures including careful choice of materials and effective refurbishments could play a vital part in improving resource efficiency in the EU, potentially reducing the construction sector’s overall energy consumption by a startling 42 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent read more>>>

Romania Green Building Council presents the 2013 Green Awards Gala

May 31, 2013 - Romania Green Building Council (RoGBC) presents an initiative to award sustainable projects of 2012,“Romania Green Building Council Awards Gala”, on June 10th, 2013, 6:30pm, Bucharest. The annual event wishes to recognize the leaders in the green construction industry that are sustainability-oriented and support the RoGBC mission for promoting high performance buildings that are both sustainable and profitable.

This year’s categories include: read more>>>