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Event - Green Profit Conference in Kingston Ontario

March 17, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Last call for the Green Profit Conference which will take place on Monday Mar 18, 2013, Kingston, Ontario. SWITCH Presents the 3rd Annual Green Profit Conference and Exhibition on Sustainable Energy: New Opportunities And The Road Ahead at the Sheraton Kingston. At this event innovators and leaders in business, industry, economic development, policy, research, the public sector, and the community will address the issues facing the sustainable energy sector in 2013 and beyond.

Who should attend?

SME’s, Innovators, Local Businesses, Business Leaders, Industry, Economic Development Agencies, Local and Provincial Government, Policy Analysts, Researchers, and anyone in the community with an interest in addressing the issues facing the sustainable energy sector today and in the future.

Why should you be there?

• Insight into the latest sustainable energy innovations and best practices making a difference in the world today
• Lessons from successful green business case studies
• Participation in the collaborative effort to develop solutions to challenges presented by changes in sustainable energy policy
• Inspiration and vision for a sustainable energy future
• Connections with green economy leaders and decision makers
• Visibility for you and your company among potential clients and customers Registration

Green Profit offers you the opportunity to:

Learn about the latest sustainable energy innovations and best practices that are making a difference in the world today Apply lessons from successful green business case studies to your business, municipality and home Collaboratively develop solutions to challenges presented by changes in sustainable energy policy Inspire and be inspired by a vision for a sustainable energy future Network with green economy leaders and decision makers Foster collaboration, strengthen existing networks, and broaden opportunities Establish and expand your visibility with potential clients and customers

Confirmed speakers at GreenProfit 2013 include:

Bryne Purchase, Former Chief Economist and Deputy Minister of Finance for Ontario
Brian Hewson, Senior Manager Networks & Smart Grid Policy at Ontario Energy Board
Charles Farmer, Director of Policy, Planning and Approvals at Ontario Power Authority
Kristopher Stevens, Executive Director at Ontario Sustainable Energy Association
Mark Mattson, President at Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Judith Lipp, Executive Director at Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative
Kirby Calvert, Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy
Robert Cumming, Environmental and Public Affairs Manager at Lafarge Cement
Ted Hsu, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands
John Gerretsen, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and The Islands
Mark Gerretsen, Mayor of the City of Kingston
Janice Ashworth, Operations Manager at Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative
Don Young, Dean of Faculty of Applied Science at St. Lawrence College
Mark Durant, Director of Energy Solutions at Nedco Canada
Mike Jablonicky, Operations Supervisor of Wolfe Island Wind Facility at TransAlta
Nhung Nguyen, Vice President of Development at Horizon Legacy
Graham Findlay, Founder and General Manager at 3G Energy Corporation
Fidel Reijerse, President at RESCo Energy Incorporated
Jeff Dixon, Associate Director at Queen's School of Business Monieson Centre
David Hahn, President at Wintergreen Renewable Energy Cooperative
Rob Miller, Manager of Solar Development at Northland Power
Harry French, Director of Community Power Services Group at OSEA

Prices:

Individual - $195 Student - $125

For more information click here.

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Event - World Green Energy Symposium (WGES)

March 17, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Last call for the World Green Energy Symposium (WGES) which will take place on March 26, 2013, at Hunter College, in New York. The WGES has a track record in showcasing new, alternative, sustainable and innovative product development and opportunities for businesses and the public. The WGES attracts the best minds and top decision makers through a carefully planned strategic process which has developed into the foundation leading to an outstanding premier technical program providing a world stage for a platform of education and information exchange on new and existing advances in sustainable energy.

WGES has made its mark consecutively since its inception in 2008, the program focuses on green/renewable energy technology and innovations in existing technologies as the vantage point in the new economy creating and maintaining jobs, contract and exporting opportunities, and new policies leading to economic vitality and a healthier planet.

The WGES provides opportunities for networking, learning, exchanging, exhibiting and investing in the future of the new energy and green technology and innovation & solutions to improve existing technologies. It is made up of a G2G, B2B and B2G audience. It also provides a platform to showcase products & technologies to an enthusiastic and forward thinking audience looking for solutions.

This is a leading technical symposium known for attracting the top echelon of speakers, scientists, researchers, innovators, officials, corporate leaders, exhibitors, program and contracting officers and a track record of proven results and equal caliber of sponsors and participants. To see the testimonials click here.

Since its inception it has developed a stellar reputation drawing the best minds. Participating agencies included: DOC, DOE, GSA (PBS, FAS) DOT, DHS, DOD (Pentagon – Army & Air Force), DOC, DOL, private sector such as AECOM, BAE, DOW, Tishman, Siemans, GE, Johnson Controls, and others, Mayor’s Office, Governors, Economic Development & Planning, Universities ,SBDC, PWC, AFE, and other trade organizations, Chambers of Commerce are partners, large and small companies global, national and local media.

For more information click here.

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Cleantechnica: Top 10 Wind Power Stories of 2012

January 14, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Cleantechnica recently posted its list of the top wind power stories of 2012. These stories include turbine technology, the Obama administration, leading wind power countries, costs and the US PTC, . Here is the unedited list of Cleantechnica's top 10 wind power stories of 2012.

10. Floating wind turbines take several steps forward.

In various ways, it’s clear that a lot of work is still being put into research and development of wind turbines. Floating wind turbine news was particularly noteworthy this year. Here are several notable floating wind turbine stories from 2012:

9. Wind turbines made of fabric; wind turbines made of wood; bigger & bigger turbine — wind turbine technology moves forward.

Some other top wind technology stories this year that were good examples of wind turbine innovation include:

8. Obama administration shows strong support for wind power.

Obama’s crew at the Department of Energy, Department of Interior, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management helped wind power along in several ways this year. Here’s some of the top news on this front:

7. Cape Wind gets closer to actually being built, likely to be 1st offshore wind farm in US.

Here are some top Cape Wind stories from the year:

6. Australia implements carbon pricing, driving more wind energy growth in the country.

Technically, Australia passed its carbon tax legislation in 2011, but it was implemented in mid-2012. As a result of that and wind power’s low and falling costs, installed wind power has surged this year.

5. Japan implements attractive wind energy feed-in tariff.

Perhaps even more significant than the Australian pricing legislation, Japan’s feed-in tariff for wind (not to mention for solar or geothermal) is geared at stimulating some serious wind power growth.

4. Wind power costs keep dropping — cheapest option for new electricity in many places.

Wind power is now the cheapest option for new electricity in many regions of the world, thanks to years of technological improvements and market maturation. Meanwhile, the continual improvement of wind power technology is projected to keep reducing the price of electricity from wind for years to come. Quite frankly, wind is a winner, and it is going to keep on winning. Here’s some 2012 news along this front:

It’s also worth remembering that, due to merit-order pricing, wind power drives down the price of electricity on the wholesale electricity market. Here are some stories along those lines from 2012:

3. Largest wind farm after largest wind farm — wind farm records set throughout the year.

From Europe to… well, mostly in Europe, there’s been quite a bit of news this year regarding record-breaking wind farms.

The largest onshore wind farm in the Europe started producing electricity in Romania this December. It has a power capacity of 600 MW.
The Walney wind farm, which turned on in June, is now the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
The London Array, which is expected to be the largest offshore wind farm in the world (once completed), had its first two turbines installed in February and then started producing electricity in October. The first phase of the wind farm is to total 630 MW, while the completed wind farm is supposed to eventually reach a power capacity of 870 MW (an application for the second phase of the London Array was submitted in October).
Meanwhile, also in October, ‘development’ of the East Anglia offshore wind farm began, and in December plans for the first 1,200 MW were submitted. That beast of a wind farm is projected to eventually be 7,200 MW, dwarfing the London Array.
Before the East Anglia offshore wind farm is built, however, the Moray Firth wind farm off the Scottish coast, projected to be 1,500 MW in size, could become the largest offshore (or onshore?) wind farm in the world. There was strong indication this year that construction could begin soon.
Development of a 996-MW offshore wind farm in Germany also began this year. If completed quickly enough, this wind farm could potentially become the largest offshore wind farm in the world… we’ll see.
While not as large as these European giants, Central America’s largest wind farm also went on-line this year, the 102-MW Cerro de Hula wind farm in Honduras.

2. Wind power growing by leaps & bounds around the world.

Beyond those record-breaking wind farms above, there has been a ton of other wind power development across this world this year. Here’s a sampling of stories that highlight wind power’s tremendous growth:

1. US wind power PTC is… going to be extended?

The extension has been delayed for many months due to GOP extremists in Congress, sacrificing thousands or even tens of thousands of US jobs. Some key stories on these and related topics from throughout the year:

Source: Cleantechnica

Cleantechnica: Top 10 Solar Stories of 2012

January 14, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Cleantechnica recently posted its list of the top solar stories of 2012. These stories include leading solar countries, new solar technologies, trade wars, and the reelection of Obama. Here is the unedited list of Cleantechnica's top 10 solar stories of 2012.

10. Giant US CSP power plants move along as planned, ready for completion in 2013.

While we didn’t see any big CSP power plants go online in 2012, a lot of work was going on behind the scenes, setting the stage for a boom in such utility-scale solar power plants in 2013. As noted less than a month ago:

The BrightSource Energy Ivanpah project in California is progressing on schedule, with the project (392 MW) coming online in stages during 2013.
Abengoa’s Solana 280 MW Generating Station in Arizona is over 75 percent complete and expected to be online in summer 2013.
SolarReserve continues power purchase agreement (PPA) discussions with Tri-State and Xcel for its 200 MW Saguache project in Colorado.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved an amended PPA for BrightSource’s 200 MW Sonoran West Project.

“Nano-flowers, newly created structures composed of germanium sulfide (GeS), have the potential to open the door to next-generation solar cells and energy storage devices.”

9. Research, research, research.

There are several stories each month on interesting and potentially breakthrough solar advancements. As just a sampling, here are some top recent stories (noted in Renewable Energy Big Pic Part II)::

8. Solar trade war grows.

While 2011 saw the start of the US–China “solar trade war,” 2012 saw the bulk of the activity (so far). Beyond US-initiated actions against Chinese solar companies, China retaliated with challenges to US solar policies, European companies initiated action against Chinese solar companies, India launched . Here are some of the most notable posts of the year in this arena:
EU–China

US–China

India vs US & China

7. Obama wins election, guaranteeing another 4 years of good solar power support from the most powerful person in the country (and, some say, in the world).

Obama’s win was a clear plus for US solar power among other things. As noted in November, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that he championed, broad and varied support was provided to solar energy (and all sorts of other cleantech). Furthermore, Obama has ordered the largest energy consumer in the nation, the US government, to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 28% by 2020; he has proposed eliminating fossil fuel subsidies (something that would help solar); he has fast-tracked the cleantech patent application process; he has overseen the quadrupling of clean energy on public land; he has created solar energy development zones on public lands in order to greatly boost solar power while also doing so in an environmentally sensitive way; and he has done much more to support this nascent industry.

Beyond the Obama success, clean energy champions across the US overwhelmingly won their races. While clean energy wasn’t necessarily the top factor in all of those races, it certainly was the top factor for some voters in each of them. And some of these candidates (such as Chris Murphy, Sherrod Brown, and Elizabeth Warren) are clear clean energy leaders who were running in tight races. Surely, being supportive of clean energy, which the vast majority of Americans support, helped them in their races.

Shams I

6. Largest single-unit solar power plant in world is completed in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

At the end of November, Masdar corporation announced that it was about to finish the largest solar power plant in the world (or, to be more accurate, the largest single-unit solar power plant in the world — there are some “solar power plants” that consist of multiple solar projects that are larger). Shams 1 in Abu Dhabi “a generation capacity of over 100 MW of power, and was built with the stated purpose of providing 20,000 homes in the region with electricity,” as Nathan reported at the time. “The project will be followed shortly thereafter by Shams 2 & 3, which are planned to generate similar levels of electricity.”

5. Solar panel and solar power prices continue to drop.

As reported on December 11, solar panel prices have continued to fall at a good clip over the last year.

“Average residential system prices dropped quarter-over-quarter from $5.45 per watt to $5.21 per watt nationally while average non-residential prices declined 15 cents per watt, falling to $4.18.”
“Average utility system prices, which are currently at $2.40 per watt, continue to see the greatest reduction in prices of the three market segments covered, falling by 30 percent since third quarter last year.”

Some solar companies (and certainly customers) have benefited from the falling price of solar, while others have been squeezed out of the business as a result. Overall, the solar industry needs these price drops, but that doesn’t mean this process doesn’t hurt some companies and, thus, people.
The quotes above are for the US, but similar trends have been seen around the world.

4. US growth continues to be strong, best year ever.

As a result of falling prices, innovative financing models, governmental policies, and clear individual and corporate interest in clean energy, solar power growth continued strong in 2012. In fact, 2012 is sure to be the biggest year of solar growth in the US.

As indicated in the charts above, 684 MW of solar PV were installed in the US in the 3rd quarter, up 44% from the 3rd quarter of 2011. In fact, 2012 3rd quarter installations were the third best ever, only behind the 2012 2nd quarter and the 2011 4th quarter (note that the 4th quarter tends to be the best quarter each year). And the 4th quarter installation total is projected to be huge. Cumulative 2012 installations at the end of Q3 hit 1,992 MW, more than 2011’s annual total of 1,885 MW.

Solar power plant in Japan via Shutterstock

3. Japan implements generous feed-in tariff, sparks huge solar power growth.

Japan, an early leader in the solar industry, sparked a solar installation surge for the record books this year. The country enacted a higher-than-expected government solar energy feed-in tariff of 42 yen ($0.525) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in July. It installed 725 MW of non-residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and 306 MW of residential solar PV systems in just in July and August.

And remember that the US has almost 2.5 times more citizens than Japan.

Image Credit: Australia solar stamp via Brendan Howard / Shutterstock.com

2. Australia — hidden decentralized solar giant — sees strong solar growth and better than grid parity solar prices.

Australia doesn’t get nearly the attention that Germany, the US, and China get when it comes to solar energy, but the land down under has developed one of the most attractive solar markets in the world.
While residential solar subsidies were cut in Queensland and Victoria in the middle of the year (resulting in boom–bust period), the falling cost of solar has kept the market alive and strong… in some respects, stronger than ever. The price of solar hit an all-time low in November, the same month that Australia reportedly passed 2,000 MW of installed solar PV capacity.

In October, Giles noted that “Australia now sports a rooftop array on one out of every 10 households.” That figure is 1/5 in South Australia.

Solar is so cheap in Australia that it makes sense for many homeowners and businesses to install solar without subsidies, and even home energy storage + solar may soon be viable, something that certainly threatens Australia’s big utilities (despite the fact that it offers them some financial benefits, too). Leading solar panel company Yingli has stated that Australia could be the first solar PV mass market.

Meanwhile, Australia’s new carbon tax doesn’t hurt, either. As Josh reported in October, “the intensity of the country’s electricity generation emissions has fallen since the introduction of the carbon price in July.” Here’s a chart on that note:

Australia passed 2000 MW of installed rooftop solar power in November 2012. With a population of just 22 million (compared to 312 million in the US), that makes US total solar PV capacity of 5,900 MW look quite weak.

With solar and wind doing so well in Oz, the country is bullish that renewables can supply 40% of its energy demand by 2035 and 85% by 2050.

1. Germany’s wicked growth and new records.

While Australia did beat Germany in rooftop solar installations in 2011, Germany still reigns supreme in most solar categories. For example, even at the end of 2011, Germany was #1 in total solar power capacity (by far) and solar power capacity per capita. I say “even” because the spread is likely to increase once 2012 data come in. Germany installed a staggering amount of solar power this year, breaking record after record.
Meanwhile, Germany’s government, which currently leans conservative, has been working with big utilities (who are losing considerable market share to households) and fossil fuel interests to challenge the evolution of the country’s clean energy success story.

Here are just a handful of the tremendous German solar power stories of the year:

German Solar Capacity & Electricity Production