Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 23 July 2013

Global Microgrids Market- Industry Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecasts 2012-2018
07/17/2013 -- Factors such as increasing demand and cost of energy along with ageing energy infrastructure are driving microgrid market globally. Microgrid market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.7% during the period of 2012-2018. With advantages such as fewer line losses, lower demand of infrastructure and the ability to rely on more localized sources of power generation, microgrid is gaining more popularity in commercial, military and industrial sectors.

Microgrid is the integrated system of distributed energy resources operating as a single grid. It is a smaller version of traditional electrical grid or smart digitalized grid working parallel or isolated from existing power network grid. read more>>>

World Bank Abandons Coal, Green Light For Clean Micro-grids
14 July 2013 - The World Bank’s proposal to end coal financing reflects 21st century realities – severe public health and climate change impacts associated with coal are no longer justifiable in a century chock full of cheap and abundant clean energy alternatives. More importantly, coal and the centralized system it powers will not end energy poverty - only a decentralized clean energy ‘grid’ will get the job done. As other international public finance institutions (IFIs) step forward to end coal finance the real question is whether the World Bank will lead, follow, or get out of the way as this inevitable transition occurs.

The question of whether the World Bank leads is an important one. Historically the institution has helped set important policies and standards across the IFIs. read more>>>

Wind turbine - Ceramic Travel Mug

Unprecedented Climate Extremes Mark Decade 2001-2010
July 17, 2013 (ENS) – The first decade of the 21st century was the warmest decade recorded for both land and ocean surface temperatures since modern measurements began around 1850, finds a new report by the World Meteorological Organization.

More national temperature records were reported broken than in any previous decade, according to the report, “The Global Climate 2001-2010, A Decade of Extremes.”

“A decade is the minimum possible timeframe for meaningful assessments of climate change,”. read more>>>

U.S. Endures Heat Waves, Extended Drought
July 16, 2013 (ENS) – Heat waves and drought conditions are touching off wildfires, shriveling grasslands across the western states and stressing eastern urban residents, forcing lawmakers and public lands managers alike to rethink their approach to water supplies.

In Washington, the Senate Water and Power Subcommittee is holding a hearing today on the future of the Colorado River. The hearing follows recent deadly wildfires, a record-breaking heat wave and worsening drought conditions in the Southwest that have put the region’s residents, wildlife and natural resources at risk.

The subcommittee is examining the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Water Demand and Supply study, released last December, which found that there is not enough water in the Colorado River to meet the basin’s current water demands or future demand increases. read more>>>

Wind Energy Logo Modern Wall Clock

Energy-Efficient Transport Could Save Cities $70 Trillion
July 15, 2013 (ENS) – Energy demand for urban transport is expected to double by 2050, but the latest report from the International Energy Agency sees potential savings of up to US$70 trillion through energy efficiency.

“Energy efficiency is what we have termed the hidden fuel, and it is a key component in our efforts to achieve energy security, energy affordability, and environmental sustainability,” said Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the International Energy Agency. The 28-member, Paris-based organization works within the OECD framework. read more>>>

Buckingham County School
July 2013 - Healthy Kids, Happy Students: Through a unique partnership with public-health researchers, VMDO Architects transforms an old high school into a prototype for the next generation of green schools.

At any given time of day at Buckingham County Primary and Elementary School in Dillwyn, Virginia, you might find students playing tag on the front lawn, exploring the frog bog, or planting vegetables in the edible garden. In this groundbreaking pilot project designed by Charlottesville, Virginia–based VMDO Architects, lunch and playtime are as important to the curriculum as any math or spelling lesson. In fact, the meticulously researched design of the dining commons was really at the heart of the entire renovation and expansion of the former Carter G. Woodson High School into the county's primary and elementary school. read more>>>

Pennsylvania Wind Energy Hooded Sweatshirt

Solarize Brooklyn Signup Closes- Project is Huge Success So Far!
17 July 2013 - Signup for free solar assessments through Solarize Brooklyn closed at midnight on July 15. We are very happy to say that more than 375 Brooklyn homeowners and coop buildings signed up before the deadline, more than double our original goal!

Thank you so much to the project’s organizers Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace and Sustainable Flatbush, and to our All-Star team of volunteers and core group members: Soji Adewumi, Ellen Honigstock, Micah Kotch, T.R. Ludwig, Troy Martin, Anne Pope, Robert Saffer, and all the others who contributed their time and ideas. read more>>>

China Becomes World's First Nation to Install 3 GW of Utility-Scale Solar Power!
07/17/13 - China just secured its position as the world leader in solar power by installing a record 3 gigawatts of utility-scale solar power. The nation has constructed 40 new solar plants (with over 1 GW of production capacity) since December 2012, surpassing Germany as top solar producer in the world. China now operates an astounding 132 utility-scale solar plants.

Increases in solar power production since December have brought the worldwide total to nearly 15 GW of utility-scale power. New solar projects account for about 3.75 GW of power added, and China’s contribution accounts for over a quarter of that amount. read more>>>

Country Wind Farm Framed Tile

Each degree of global warming might ultimately raise global sea levels by more than 2 meters
Jul. 15, 2013 - Greenhouse gases emitted today will cause sea level to rise for centuries to come. Each degree of global warming is likely to raise sea level by more than 2 meters in the future, a study now published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows. While thermal expansion of the ocean and melting mountain glaciers are the most important factors causing sea-level change today, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets will be the dominant contributors within the next two millennia, according to the findings. Half of that rise might come from ice-loss in Antarctica which is currently contributing less than 10 percent to global sea-level rise.

“CO2, once emitted by burning fossil fuels, stays an awful long time in the atmosphere,” says Anders Levermann, read more>>>

US, China, South Africa lead rebound in clean energy investment
Jul. 11, 2013 - Second quarter investment rises 22% compared to Q1, but shrunken figure for Europe ensures that world total stays below that for Q2 last year

Global investment in clean energy was $53.1bn in the second quarter of 2013, up 22% from the first quarter thanks to an upturn in the financing of wind and solar projects and a 170% surge in equity funding for specialist companies on public markets.

The Q2 rebound was led by the US, which saw investment jump 155% compared to a weak first quarter, to reach $9.5bn, and also China (up 63% at $13.8bn) and South Africa (up from almost nothing in Q1 to $2.8bn in Q2). read more>>>


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