Green Energy Blog

Solar Power Plans in Turmoil?

An ambitious plan to have 15 per cent of Europe’s energy supply come from solar plants in North Africa has run into some trouble. 

The project had hoped to deliver an electricity generation network to Europe from the African continent via a network of underground cables from completely renewable sources.  Unfortunately the Desertec initiative has hit a snag because two large industrial backers have pulled investment out as well as the Spanish government have hesitated in signing an agreement with Morocco in order to have the solar “farms” built.

Desertec was initially founded in 2009 and its projected budget was approximately 400 billion euro and was set up so that the massive possibilities of renewable energies such as solar and wind could be tapped into.  The focus of the project was to have generated around 125 gigawatts of electric power by the year 2050. 

Not only would this meet all the local needs for power but would also ensure that there was sufficient electricity to export to Europe via high voltage current cables under the Mediterranean Sea.

However the project has little to show for the efforts that were so promising three years ago.  Two partners, Bosch and Siemens, have decided to abort the continued partnership and will no longer be part of the initiative.  This is obviously not good news and this view has been echoed by Dr Daniel Ayuk Mbi Egbe, who is an expert in the field of African solar resources at Linz University in Austria, and thinks the project will struggle without these two partners due to their enormity.

A declaration of intent was due to be signed in the near future for forthcoming solar plants that were due to be built in Morocco.  However, Spain has since reneged on this as they feel they would have difficulty in finding the subsidies required for the project, further casting the project into doubt.

Desertec have responded by stating that all these ‘small’ issues would be resolved and that the project is still due to commence forthwith.  What do you think will happen with the Desertec project?  Will it be a success?  Leave your thoughts below!

Morocco are moving towards a renewable energy future...

I caught this interesting piece in the Guardian about how Morocco is looking towards renewable energy in order to break their current dependence on fossil fuels. The article claims that the Morocco are aiming to be operating at around 42% renewable energy by as early as 2020 with solar energy powering around 14% of homes by 2014.

It's good to see countries being ambitious with their renewable energy goals and hopefully once their are some true success stories some of the late adopters will pick up on the benefits.

Source: Guardian Environment

Orkney Islands are the envy of Europe

The Orkney Islands have long been defined by their weather and harsh conditions, and these days things are no different there’s still few trees or crops and the weather is still pretty dismal. However as shown time and again the harshest conditions can bring the greatest innovations.

The Orkneys have found themselves home to a generation of eco-pioneers intent on using the uniquely harsh weather found around the Orkneys to produce renewable energy. So even though the islands are on the outskirts of Britain they are at the heart of what is making the UK a global leader in the race for renewable energy technology.

The renewable industry is bringing life back to these islands with new jobs, growing communities and a strong supply chain. Companies like the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are huge in the wave and tidal sector. In fact they are one of the few companies to offer developers the opportunity to test full scale prototypes in the sea. Not to mention the fact that these companies are now employing graduates from the islands and allowing existing businesses to grow.

A large part of the success can be attributed to the support of the local people, who are definitely on board with the exciting new direction their islands are taking. It would appear that things are definitely looking bright for the Orkneys, with the promise of jobs, international investment and to cap it all a £3m investment in the old naval base should help to continue the growth of the Orkneys.

 

 

Scottish Hydro to name new Clydeside Arena...

Plans were confirmed today, for the latest state-of-the-art addition to Scotland’s entertainment venue line-up. A 12,000 seat, arena style venue shall sit on the Clydeside along with the existing SECC and Clyde Auditorium.

The energy company Scottish Hydro have purchased the naming rights for the venue, which will open in early 2013 as the Scottish Hydro Arena. The deal is believed to be £1.5 million per annum for the next 10 years.

The new arena has been designed by award winning architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster & Partners Architects. And if initial reports are to be believed, the venue is going be living up to some ambitious plans, as management intend for it to hold around 140 major events a year ranging from sport to music.

Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy Ian Marchant certainly seems proud of the deal stating “The Scottish Hydro Arena is a significant investment for us and shows the strength of our commitment to Scotland….. This exciting partnership will enable us to provide an array of attractive benefits to our customers and staff right across the country, bringing an entertainment experience to Glasgow we are all very proud of.”

If the figures shown at the moment are to be believed then the venue could be fantastic for Scotland. Forecasts are claiming the venue should bring approximately 1 million visitors generating £131 million a year for the Scottish economy.

Keep up-to-date with the plans online at http://www.hydro.co.uk/

Caroline Lucas - The First Green MP!

Watch the moment when Caroline Lucas was elected as an MP for the Brighton Constituency - the first member of the Green Party to do so!

Boiler Scrappage Scheme To Start In Scotland

Time For Scotland To Receive The Boiler Scrappage Scheme

After the boiler scrappage scheme being introduced to England it looks like it's finally time for Scotland to get a chance of a new boiler and not before time I say!

Scottish gas prices are high enough without seeing our neighbours south of the border benefiting from the scrappage scheme while we miss out. The way it works is if you need a new boiler the scheme will give you £400 towards a new one which to be honest I wouldn't mind getting my self!

It's said that this doesn't only benefit the customers but plumbers as well, as you can imagine it will make their job a lot easier. Reports say that as much as 12,000 homes could benefit from the deal.

Anyway let me know what you think about this and wither you plan to try and be the one of the 12,000 trying to get on the scheme.

Yes Or No To Wind Farms

Wind Farms Ruining The Scenery?

For those of you who either stay in Wales or have at least visited this special looking country then you will know that it has fantastic scenery with hills and mountains going for miles basically it’s post card perfect.

 

What I would like to know is due to the sharp rise in wind farms being stuck in every hill all over Britain and spoiling this beautiful scenery would you rather it’s not there at all and a pay a little extra in energy bills or would you be happy for energy companies to cover your countryside with massive wind generators?

 

I would like to hear from everyone on this issue even if you’re not in Wales and its effecting you in places like England or Scotland then don’t hesitate to leave a comment and say what you feel.

Wind Turbines Sinking?

Just came across this report from that respected scientific journal The Daily Mail, reporting that a fault in the concrete used to fuse Dong Energy wind turbines to their steel housing has become warped and is causing them to sink into the sea!  This strikes me as most odd, surely the concrete should be of a standard that would last longer than this? 

You Can get Energy from Marks and Spencer?

Yes its true. British retailing favourite Marks and Spencer has teamed up with renewable enegy supplier Scotiish and Southern Energy to offer a unique method of supplying electricity and gas into our homes, plus if your a fan of the Volv-Au-Vents and Mini Pizzas on offer at M&S, you can save money on your shopping by being rewarded for energy efficiency.

They have a calculator on their site where you can work out how much you could save.

Alot of the times when retailers offer gas and electricity supply, it can seem a little lackluster, making energy another 'off-the-shelf' choice to stick in your shopping basket along with your Milk, Eggs and French Bread.

At least the M&S Energy scheme is trying to deliver a green energy message and bring some added value to their customers.

Renewable Energy to Kickstart Recovery

A spokesman for Highlands & Islands Enterprise [HIE] said recently that investment in renewable energy in the North of Scotland will also bring other business opportunities to the area. The statement was made at an event in Inverness recently, which was aimed at showing to the world how much potential the highlands have.

It is expected that as much as £20 billion will be invested in the north in the next 10 years and a significant proportion of it will be used to upgrade the local infrastructure, this not only brings the obvious benefits but will also cause many employment opportunities for the local population.

This will also contribute to the Governments commitment generate 25% of the UK's total power output by the year 2020. The spokesman was quoted as saying -

"We are convinced the business community in the Highlands and Islands has the capacity and experience to support the delivery of these large scale infrastructure projects proposed for UK waters. Through events such as this, we hope to stimulate contact between our own industry and the project developers responsible for delivery of the offshore wind projects - contacts that have potential to generate real and substantial business benefits for the region over the longer term."