They may not qualify for the upcoming Academy Awards, but this has been a good week for new videos on aspects of sustainable energy. • Walt Patterson No one has analysed the electricity system more thoroughly than Walt Patterson, Associate Fellow at Chatham House and Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex. Walt recently wrote … Continue reading Videos of the week
Tag: energy companies
Who would think a wartime bunker could be transformed into a green energy power plant
The German energy transition takes many interesting twists. A military bunker in Hamburg has been transformed to provide heat for 3000 homes and electricity for a thousand. Plus, it includes a visitor centre and a war memorial. The project is described by Diarmaid Williams for the Cogeneration & On-site Power Production website. Hamburg Energie … Continue reading Who would think a wartime bunker could be transformed into a green energy power plant
Exploring the dynamics of the 21st century energy industry
Sometimes we complain that the low carbon transition is not happening fast enough. This week I was in Brussels and many people I met were worried that we may be going to fast and that the repercussions on our electricity system may lead to fewer long-term investments for both generation and transmission. And there are … Continue reading Exploring the dynamics of the 21st century energy industry
US utilities pushing for changing role of energy conservation
EiD has had many posts concerning the role and activities of energy companies, including, as we see in Europe, certain obligations to promote energy efficiency. Jim Malewitz writes in the New York Times about the efforts of utilities in many states to change the business model from an “energy only” market to a “capacity” model. … Continue reading US utilities pushing for changing role of energy conservation
How rooftop solar systems are affecting energy companies
We talk about being in an energy transition and it cannot always be a win-win situation, as much as we would like it to be. Mark Chediak, Christopher Martin and Ken Wells from Bloomberg news service write a very detailed account in renewableenergyworld.com about how utilities in the US are starting to fight back. This … Continue reading How rooftop solar systems are affecting energy companies
Is California dreaming?
Matthew Wald reports in the New York Times about the impact of the rapid increase of solar power in California. Interestingly, California utilities are taking a new approach by using a massive array of batteries in the afternoon to store surplus power when the sun’s rays are strongest and then using the power in the … Continue reading Is California dreaming?
Happy Birthday
On 15 December 2012, 16 environmental NGOs from 14 countries decided to join forces in the EKOenergy network. At the same time, they adopted the name EKOenergy. 10 weeks later, on 23 February 2013, the members of the Network approved the criteria for the first pan-European eco-label for electricity. Both the EKOenergy network and the … Continue reading Happy Birthday
Power politics – perplexing
The UK had an effective plan for consumers to save energy and save money. This week the UK Chancellor and the six biggest energy suppliers connived to kill it, and together they have handed a sobering message to the rest of Europe that if you want to save energy, don’t trust the energy companies. Since … Continue reading Power politics – perplexing
Let’s hope the answer is blowing in the wind
David Smith writes in the Guardian about the opening of Africa’s biggest windfarm in Ethiopia. Only 14% of the Ethiopian population has access to modern energy services and let’s hope this windfarm will turn that around to give access to the wider population. Ethiopia opens Africa's biggest windfarm A windfarm billed as the biggest in … Continue reading Let’s hope the answer is blowing in the wind
US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants
The World Bank has often been criticised for funding large-scale energy projects – from large hydropower dams to coal-fired power plants – that can have serious environmental consequences and certainly not in the realm of sustainable energy. Michael Shear writes in the New York Times that its largest funder, the US, has now taken a … Continue reading US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 