bemoreeco

The first wind turbine to be used on Ministry of Defence (MoD) land has been installed by Eon at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Kent.

Over the 20-year lifespan of the turbine, it will save 114 tonnes of carbon emissions and will help contribute to the MoD’s target of generating ten percent of power from renewable sources.

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School is used to educate the children of serving army personnel and the turbine is also intended to teach pupils about renewable energy.

Colin Grenville, Eon’s microgeneration sales manager, told BusinessGreen: “Up to now, wind energy was seen as a bit of a no-go for MoD sites as there had been a number of issues with radar interference. This project shows what can be done even where there has been historic opposition.”

Mr Grenville added that the energy company was in talks with the MoD about installing more turbines.

The UK generated 6.7 percent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2009, statistics released recently by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show.

>>> Please read the full article here

More must be done to attract young people to careers within the energy industry, it has been claimed.

Zoe Robinson, ethical development manager at Warren Evans, said that the government and private sector must work in partnership to provide opportunities within the sector for school leavers and the long-term unemployed.

She added: “The UK can only be world leaders in the green energy revolution if we have world-leading skills.”

The comments come after energy firm Centrica warned of an emerging skills gap as many undergraduates are shunning employment opportunities in the industries that will contribute to low carbon growth.

One in four parents that took part in the survey said they would not actively encourage their children to enter the science, technology and energy sectors.

Ms Robinson warned that with the government cuts taking place in the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the coalition will have to “find new ways of delivering the green agenda”.

“While the public can do its part, the government’s responsibilities to deliver on this agenda will obviously not be met by telling us all to switch off our TVs,” she added.

>>> Please read the full article here

Swedish energy group Vattenfall said it had launched a major pilot project using algae to absorb greenhouse gas emissions from a coal-fired power plant in eastern Germany.

The two-million-euro (2.6-million-dollar) trial run, which will continue until October 2011, in the depressed Lausitz mining region is one of several experimental attempts in the sector using algae to slash carbon dioxide output.

“The microalgae use climate-killing CO2 to create valuable biomass,” the chairman of Vattenfall Europe Mining and Generation, Hartmuth Zeiss, said in a statement.

“Moreover the new technology will bring useful know-how to the Lausitz and increase its importance as a region for energy production.”

Half the funding for the project called green MiSSiON (Microalgae Supported CO2 Sequestration in Organic Chemicals and New Energy) comes from Vattenfall, the other half from state and European Union subsidies.

The gas emitted at the Senftenberg brown-coal-fired plant is being pumped through a kind of broth using algae cultivated in 12 plastic tanks.

“The aim is to find out what kinds of algae work with brown coal dust and then, how economical this kind of CO2 reduction is,” a spokesman for the Vattenfall division, Axel Happe, told AFP.

The biomass produced in the process can be used to produce biodiesel, to feed biogas power plants and as a nutritious supplement in fish food, Happe said.

He said it was difficult to quantify the amount of CO2 emissions normally emitted at Senftenberg or estimate how sizeable the reduction could be with the use of algae, which can scrub 10 times as much CO2 as land-based plants.

But he said the company aimed to publish initial results in late 2011.

A project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 found that diverting CO2 through an algae broth could reduce emissions by as much as 85 percent.

Vattenfall is the third biggest electricity provider in Germany.

Last month, European aerospace giant EADS unveiled what it called the world’s first “hybrid” aircraft to run on algae fuel.

>>> Please read the full article here

In a Sunday Telegraph interview, the Lib Dem minister backed new onshore and offshore wind power over nuclear.

Mr Huhne, whose department is facing cuts of between 25% and 40%, said turbines were “incredibly competitive” but not always popular among locals.

Offshore sites had fewer planning issues and were “likely to be an important part” of energy independence.

There are currently around 250 wind farms operating in the UK, with a further 12 offshore, with 2,909 turbines in operation in total. A further 27 onshore and five offshore wind farms are currently under construction while plans for another 468 wind farms have been announced.

Speaking ahead of a key policy statement to the Commons, Mr Huhne identified Dogger Bank in the North Sea as a prime area for further offshore development.

“It’s relatively cheap to put wind turbines in that shallow area,” he said.

Mr Huhne said the UK needed to become more independent in energy production to allow it to withstand “shocks from the outside world”.

“The lights will not go out on my watch,” he said.

The Energy Secretary said it was feasible for Britain to be totally self-sufficient thanks to renewable sources, which also includes wave power and harnessing tidal streams.

“It implies quite a stretch as it implies we would be building an awful lot of turbines around our coasts. But the technology is changing. It is becoming substantially cheaper to generate from these renewable sources,” he said.

Plans for new nuclear plants won support from both the Tories and Labour in the previous parliament but Mr Huhne said the new coalition had “no money” to subsidise such a move.

Under the coalition agreement, Lib Dem MPs can register their long standing opposition to the issue by abstaining from any parliamentary vote.

Mr Huhne, however, told the Telegraph he expected new power stations would be built through private investment “given the framework we can put in place”.

>>> Please read the full article here

Power generated from offshore wind farms is likely to play a “central role” in the UK’s energy future, but the industry faces uncertainty.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive at RenewableUK, said that the offshore wind sector has already proved its potential for power generation but the government must put a clear policy framework in place to remove uncertainty.

The milestone of creating 1,000MW of store capacity was achieved by the offshore wind industry this year and a further 40GW’s worth of projects are in development.

In its programme for the government, the coalition announced it would create an offshore energy grid to support the growth of the offshore wind industry but there has been no further information on how this will be achieved.

Ms McCaffery highlighted that the challenge for the offshore wind industry now was to establish “the cheapest and quickest way to deliver safely the huge potential of our sector”.

“We need to build confidence in the long-term commitment to this sector if we are to unleash over £100 billion of private investment,” she added.

>>> Please read the full article here

The team at Eco Picture Of The Day, EPOTD, have put together a selection of pictures which represent what happened and is happening in the Gulf Of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This has been a massive disater which is slowly being contained.

Click here to see the pictures they have collected.

Members of the energy industry are currently meeting in Bali, Indonesia, for the World Geothermal Congress 2010.

The event is already being called the largest forum ever held on the utilisation of the world’s natural heat energy.

And from its location on the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, Indonesia seems like the ideal host.

The BBC reports that the country has “ambitious plans” to make use of the natural heat energy to power the homes of its growing population. 

Indonesia estimates that it may have total reserves of 13,070 MWe contained in a number of different areas under its many islands.

To harness this, the country would have to drill into the earth before pumping down water to be naturally heated. It is then brought back to the surface and used to power generators and create electricity.

Scientists believe that it is possible the earth holds enough geothermal energy beneath its surface to meet the needs of the entire global population.

This conclusion is understandable when countries such as Indonesia and Iceland are used as examples.

However, what about countries like the UK, which don’t have an abundant supply of geothermal energy?

Well the UK government seems to have a number of options in mind.

Late last year it launched a £6 million investment fund to be used for the exploration of deep geothermal energy in Britain. 

It estimates that the energy stored within the south-west of England alone could meet two percent of the country’s energy needs, and, as such, plans for a geothermal power plant in the region are being looked into.

The Scottish Highlands are also thought to hold genuine promise as a centre for the production of electricity from geothermal energy.

Currently, the UK only uses geothermal energy for heat, through the Southampton District Energy Scheme. There is also a series of ground-source heat pumps installed in homes and businesses across the country which are being used to provide hot water and heat.

It is thought that the take-up of this microgeneration technology will increase following the introduction of the feed-in tariff scheme. 

So, is geothermal power really an option for the UK, or should it be consigned to the countries which have the abundant resources to properly utilise it?

>>> Please read the full article here

Are you looking for inspiration to make a change in your life? One Life Live at The Vitality Show is the perfect place to start! Packed with life coaching experts, career gurus and volunteering specialists, One Life Live has everything you need to start making a real difference to your future.

Whether you feel unfulfilled in your job, want a new personal challenge or simply achieve a happier work/life balance, One Life Live can help! To start you in the right direction, they have an exclusive ticket offer for you.

Book two tickets in advance for just £20, saving £15+, and be in with a chance of winning one of 20 introductory coaching days with The Smart School of Coaching worth £100 each. 
ook your tickets now or call 0871 230 5569 and quote SSL.

Roz McLeod is the founder and owner of Tall Poppy Training and Coaching (www.tallpoppytrainingandcoaching.com) and will be speaking on the One Life Live Theatre – come along and hear how you can make positive steps to change your life for the better.

Book 2 tickets for £20 now and be in with a chance of winning a coaching day worth £100 with The Smart School of Coaching. Book now or call 0871 230 5569 and quote SSL.

If you’re interested in a more personal and in depth experience, book your ticket for a One Life Live Workshop. Get expert advice in a friendly and informal environment on everything from careers to health and diet and life change to making the most of your CV. Limited availability. Tickets will be on a first come, first served basis.

>>> Link

Earlier this month the government announced a £100bn plan to boost wind power to an unprecedented scale. The Crown Estate confirmed the latest round of leasing of UK waters for offshore farms, which will add 25 GW of electricity generation (to the existing 8GW); this will be enough to power every household in the UK.
Additional plans for offshore wind farms in Scotland could bring the total capacity to about 40GW.

This is all very impressive. Construction is planned to begin 2013-2015. I was at parliamentary seminar on energy policy earlier this week where the shadow minister for Energy Charles Hendry rightly commented on these plans en passant ”we have a shortage of ships, skills, engineers, manufacturing capacity, and absolutely
no money, but other than that everything is going fine”. It’s a typical “Yes Minister” moment, and probably spot on, but there’re reasons to be optimistic.

There is a huge challenge in delivering the necessary volume to build these offshore farms and the cost involved, especially at a time when Britain is risking a rating downgrade and needs to keep a lid on printing money, but I have no doubt that we will rise to the challenge. It also beside the point that in all likelihood all this technology will be sourced from abroad.

The concerns about the unreliability of windpower are unjustified. If there’s wind for a net 50% of the time during the year, and we need to resort to burning coal and gas for the remainder to make up for the shortfall, that is a 50% cut in emissions already. There is no objective need to expect that any one renewable source will produce electricity
at a continuous level 24/7. The key is to diversify the energy mix and securing that the main elements of the mix delivering the lion’s share of the demand are low carbon.

The same applies at a micro-generation or household level. Solar panels can be a great investment because the excess production can be sold to the National Grid. The limited number of hours of daylight means that a household needs to buy back from the grid part of the time. However the net balance
is that an average set up with an initial outlay of £30000  can bring dividends of about 5-7% p.a. by selling the electricity, which is more than one would get from putting the money in a savings account, plus there’s the added advantage that the household becomes a carbon negative contributor to reducing emissions.

This is far from a trivial point. Micro-generation and energy efficiency can play a crucial role in decreasing demand that would otherwise spiral out of control.

Article by Mikel Susperregi – full article can be found at http://www.baseshow.co.uk/

Passengers who fly with no-frills carriers leave a softer “carbon footprint” than those on full-service airlines, new research has shown.

A couple flying with Ryanair from London to Venice and returning a week later have a carbon footprint of 410kg, while the equivalent journey on Alitalia would produce 977kg. A flight from London to Zurich with easyJet has a carbon footprint of 277kg per couple, compared with 688kg with Aer Lingus.

An easyJet spokesman said: “Our policy is to expand our fleet through the acquisition of the latest-technology aircraft, as these are more fuel-efficient than older models. The average age of an aircraft in our flight is 3.5 years. We also use these aircraft as efficiently as possible, by maximising load factors and seating density.” On an Airbus A319, the average full-service airline has 124 seats; easyJet has 156.

“Our analysis shows that the environmental stigma of budget travel may be unwarranted,” said Gbenga Kogbe of Liligo.co.uk. “Travellers can now assess the financial and environmental costs of travelling with low-cost airlines, traditional airlines and charter-flight companies.”

While many scheduled carriers report dwindling passenger numbers, low-cost carriers continue to see growth: easyJet reported a 9.3 per cent rise in passenger traffic in December compared with December 2008.
Analysts said the airline had benefited from the threat of Christmas strike action against BA and the disruption by snow of Eurostar services.

BA carried four per cent fewer passengers in December compared with the same month last year. Overall, passenger numbers fell by 750,000 to 25.2 million last year. It is not yet clear how damaging the renewed threat of strikes will be to bookings, but several travel agents have already switched flights away from BA since the cabin crew’s union, Unite, announced plans for a new strike ballot. The vote is expected to be held in early March.

Read the full article at the telegraph.co.uk