Wave and Tidal Expenditure Could Reach $1.2 Billion, says Research
January 31, 2011
UK, Canada and the US are the biggest markets.
Full Story [energyefficiencynews.com]
For Excess Solar Flow, a Veg-O-Matic for Voltage
January 31, 2011
Preventing a solar power overdose.
Full Story [green.blogs.nytimes.com]
2008 Revisited?
January 31, 2011
As oil prices hover close to $90US per barrel mark, people are wondering how long it will be before it hits the $147.27 per barrel high of July 2008.
In that year, it took about five months from mid-February when West Texas Intermediate broke $90 per barrel to mid-July when it topped out. So, are we to expect oil prices nudging $150 per barrel by June? Will we again be paying $1.37 per litre at the pumps before summer?
Pundits quoted in Nickle’s Daily Oil Bulletin say no. A lot has changed since 2008. First of all, there is a lot more shut-in production capacity than there was in 2008. OPEC alone holds between five and six million barrels per day compared to less than two million in 2008. As well, a number of major non-OPEC projects that were under development in 2008 are now either production capable or on stream.
Member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have more oil in storage, about 60 days worth compared to 53 in 2008.
Global refining capacity has increased and diversified, meaning oil can get to the end user faster.
And finally, there’s the recession. The economic downturn resulted in a drop in demand for petroleum products. And now that global economies are on the upturn, everyone wants to avoid an oil spike that could seriously impede recovery.
The simple fact is, oil is still a major commodity, in both the energy sector and the financial sector. And it will be for a long time to come. Its price will rise again, perhaps higher than in 2008, but not for some time yet. And what goes up, will come down.
India to Plug in Solar-powered Telecom Towers
January 31, 2011
Can you hear me now?
Weekly Twitter Updates for 2011-01-30
January 30, 2011
- The Centre has a FB page. Like us okay? http://on.fb.me/hje5AF #
The Future of Algae Fuels Is … When?
January 28, 2011
Chasing a dream?
Full Story [green.blogs.nytimes]
U.S. Wind Power Drops Off Despite Falling Prices
January 28, 2011
Direction of national wind policy unclear.
Chu Plugs R&D to Hit Obama’s Clean-energy Target
January 28, 2011
New US target: 80% of its electricity from clean-energy sources by 2035.
Study: By 2030, World Can Run on Renewables
January 27, 2011
Stanford University and the University of California have the plan.
Fuel Switching Part 2: Canada
January 27, 2011
Unlike the United States, there are federal government policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and they may result in gas to coal fuel switching. On June 23, 2010 the federal government announced regulations regarding the gradual phase-out of inefficient coal-fired generation in Canada in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The regulations will apply to new coal-fired facilities as well as those reaching the end of their economic life, defined as the longer of 45 years from commissioning date or the expiry of the power purchase agreement in effect when the policy was announced.
The performance standard will be the equivalent of the emissions intensity of natural gas combined cycle technology, which is between 360 and 420 tonnes per gigawatt-hour, and will come into effect in mid-2015.
Coal is used by five provinces as a primary fuel for generating electricity and accounts for 13 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.
However, some fuel-switching has already taken place. Since 1998, Alberta has added 615 megawatts of coal capacity and decommissioned 603 megawatts. Over the same period, as the demand for electricity rose, the province added 4,376 megawatts of natural gas fired electricity while decommissioning 877 megawatts.
Saskatchewan forecasts replacing its entire generating system by 2033. In the short term, it will focus on natural gas projects, including partnering with a natural gas power provider to build a 261 megawatt power station.
Ontario will phase out coal-fired generation by 2014, replacing switching to natural gas or biomass.
