Mobile Renewable Energy

Feed in Tariff for the UK

FEED IN TARIFF 15th July 2009

The UK Government has now announced feed in tariffs for small wind turbines and photovoltaic solar panels:
36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW, and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.
23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.

These tariffs will replace the current ROC system. Payments will begin on 1st April 2010, but all small wind and solar systems commissioned from now on will be eligible for both LCBP grants and the new feed in tariff.

Read more information on the tariffs click here.

Desert Power

I found this fascinating quote today:

One of the most ambigious renewable energy projects has had a sound start in Munich this week: Destertec. Within the next three years there are to be concrete plans for solar thermal plants in North Africa, the initiators, twelve major companies, said. Whilst there is still technical research to be done, the main objective now is the financing of the giant project that is to deliver up to 15% of European electricity demand within about 30 years, as well as to cover local demand. The investment will be around 400 bn. Euro until 2050.reegle.info, reegle Blog

You should read the whole article.

Offshore Wind Becomes a Priority for the Obama Administration

Calling it a major step forward in President Obama’s new energy frontier, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, joined by New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine, today issued five exploratory leases for renewable wind energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore New Jersey and Delaware.

“We are entering a new day for energy production in the United States – a time of clean energy from renewable domestic sources on our Outer Continental Shelf,” Secretary Salazar said. “Other nations have been using offshore wind energy for more than a decade. We made the development of offshore wind energy a top priority for Interior. The technology is proven, effective and available and can create new jobs for Americans while reducing our expensive and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”

Read full story here.

YouGen » Blog » UK renewables lag behind Europe

I’ve got good news and bad about the UK’s efforts at introducing renewable energy. For all the Government talk, you’d think that we’re doing quite well at generating heat and power from renewable sources. But, no, we’re not. In fact, if we compare ourselves with other European countries, only Luxembourg and Malta generate less. And that’s despite the much heralded excellent wind resource we have.

Let me put this bad news into context. Sweden leads Europe - 40.8% of its energy came from renewable sources in 2005. Austria was at 23%, Spain at 7.6% and Germany at 5.9%. The UK languished at 1.3%. That’s an increase from 1% in 1995. If we only increased it by that tiny amount in 10 years, we’ve got a bit of a challenge to meet our commitment to getting 15% of our energy from renewables by 2020.

Actually we have upped the pace a little. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change told the Guardian that between 2005 and now the proportion has risen to "about 1.8%". Does that include all the hot air from politicians I wonder?

Before we totally despair of all politicians, there is some good news on the renewables front too. An early day motion supporting significant investment in solar electricity (PV) has got the support of more MPs than any other motion introduced in this parliament. As I write 258 MPs have signed. You can check here to see if yours is on the list

YouGen » Blog » UK renewables lag behind Europe

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Wind Week 2009

Britain needs more sources of renewable energy deployed in as short a time as possible.

The arguments are compelling: energy security, fight against climate change, the need to drive down the costs of electricity… and last but not least – economic opportunity: jobs, investments and the chance to claim our place as a nation setting an agenda when it comes to renewable energy.

If you want to see more wind, wave and tidal energy in the UK please sign this petition.

Solar Botanic Secures funding

SolarBotanic Secures R & D Funding from California Based Renewable Energy Company

SolarBotanic has inked a major joint-venture deal with the renewable energy company GREENgENERGY, Inc. to fund the R & D phase for the company's patented energy harvesting artificial trees. The potential market for SolarBotanic's trees is virtually unlimited and it involves integrating a vast array of brilliant and cutting-edge technologies, said Craig Etchegoyen of GREENgENERGY. Mr. Etchegoyen, founder of digital security firm Uniloc USA, is recognized as a leader in developing technology-based IP.

London, UK (PRWEB) June 9, 2009 -- The company is very excited about the relationship with their American partners. They bring an expertise in financing and technical know-how that compliments SolarBotanic's existing board perfectly, stated a spokesperson for SolarBotanic Ltd. Their experience in one of the world's largest Energy-markets places the company in a very strategic position as it looks to expand in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, he added. SolarBotanic is in discussions with several very large technology firms and expects to have its first prototype tree in approximately 12 months.

The company's mission is to produce a cost-effective renewable energy solution that is easily implemented,carbon neutral, aesthetically appealing and community scalable.

To accomplish this goal, SolarBotanic (SB) has developed an innovative and efficient energy solution by combining bio-mimicry and nano technologies in unique, Patented, artificial trees.

To harness the power of the Sun and Wind, these artificial trees and plant structures are designed to utilize three major types of nano-technologies: photovoltaics, thermovoltaics and piezovoltaic, the result is a commercially viable alternative and/or supplement to other energy generating technologies.

Few sources of power fit the "renewable" bill better than wind and electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. Sunlight, wind and thermal (infrared) radiation is plentiful (supplies should last at least 5 billion years), emits no pollution and enough of this natural energy reaches the planet's surface in one hour (approximately 1,000watts/second/m2) to provide 100% of the world's energy needs for one year.

There are many exciting opportunities in the adaptation of solar, wind and thermal power. Large solar-arrays and wind-turbine farms are being developed in places that show the most geo-optimal concentrations of sunlight and wind, however, like all traditional power generation, none of these are likely to be the single "magic bullet" technology that will solve the entire world's energy demands. For one, they are usually extremely capitally intensive. They require large property acquisitions (trading one non-renewable resource like oil for another--land), and to date have not achieved grid parity. SOLARBOTANIC offers a piece of the energy solution that supplements, rather than competes with, these large-scale efforts.

Carbon Neutrality. The Kyoto Accords established targets for the global reduction of harmful green house gasses. There are many ways to achieve this goal. One approach is to produce things using less energy,and the other is to re-form waste into new products to minimize new GHG creation. Companies that do a particularly good job of reducing emissions can sell this value through Verified Emissions Reductions "VERs" and Reduced Emissions Credits "RECs". SolarBotanic trees will be manufactured from recycled and non-petroleum based materials.

Though the primary driver of the trees are the nanoleaves, the trunk can be designed for far greater purposes than merely holding up the canopy. Besides covering it's surface with PV or sound absorption materials, it houses the electrical converter units and filters which are designed to intake harmful GHGs and output clean air (just like real trees do to some extent). We believe that companies that generate a portion of their power from utilizing our trees will be able to create certifiable carbon credits that can be sold on the open market.

Solar Botanic

SolarBotanic will introduce artificial trees that make use of renewable energy from the sun and wind, they are an efficient clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar radiation and wind energy.

Using cutting edge materials and proven technology to harvest energy from the sun and wind, the company has been granted patents and has patents pending covering Biomimicry, Nanoleaf Technology,Energy transfer materials and process, and has moved past proof of concept criteria as required by investor groups. Solar Botanic has received approaches from different Government bodies who will provide advanced Research and Development facilities and interested investor groups. The company is now looking to select final business partners for investment, R&D, manufacturing, distribution and marketing from organisations with relevant specialist knowledge and sector understanding.