Policy

Ministerial Meeting Gathers in Italy To Scale-Up Geothermal Energy Worldwide

Leaders and ministers from more than 25 governments will meet in Florence, Italy on 11 September, to accelerate the global adoption of geothermal energy. The Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) meeting is the largest such ministerial gathering dedicated to geothermal energy development. Geothermal energy today accounts for just 0.3 percent of globally installed renewable energy capacity. However – once start-up costs are met – it is one of the lowest-cost and most reliable renewable energy sources available. The global potential for geothermal is estimated to be in the region of 200 GW.

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Italy: Local Government Works With Enel To Make Florence A Leading Smart City

Head Lines, Policy

Public and private electric mobility and energy efficiency are the cornerstones of the partnership between the Municipality of Florence and Enel. The historic city has now made a bid to become Italy’s most cutting-edge smart city and a recent meeting between the two provided the opportunity to take stock of the current situation and plan the next moves for projects that include, and are not limited to, energy efficiency, smart grids, smart lighting, district heating with solar storage, e-mobility and the Internet of Things (IOT); complete with resilience, security and smart waste.

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US Electricity Generation – Renewables Level With Nuclear; Solar Growth Surges

Biomass, Geothermal, Head Lines, Hydro, Policy

The latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly” reveals that renewable energy sources are level with nuclear power, in regards to their respective shares of the nation’s electricity generation, with each providing roughly 20% of the total. While renewables and nuclear are each likely to continue to provide roughly one-fifth of the nation’s electricity generation in the near-term, the trend line clearly favors a rapidly expanding market share by renewables compared to a stagnating, if not declining, one for nuclear power.

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Offshore Wind Drives 6.1 GW Of European Wind Installations In First Half Of 2017

Deals & Finance, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Head Lines, Policy, Wind

6.1 GW of extra wind energy capacity was installed in Europe in the first half of 2017, according to figures released by WindEurope. The figure puts Europe on course for a bumper year for installations, although hides some worrying trends. WindEurope Chief Policy Officer, Pierre Tardieu, said: “We are on track for a good year in wind capacity installations but growth is driven by a handful of markets. At least ten EU countries have yet to install a single MW so far this year. Although this won’t translate into lower installations for another few years, the industry needs clarity on volumes for the post-2020 period to maintain the current cost reduction trend”.

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35% Of German Electricity Consumption Now From Renewables: Grid Challenges Ahead

Head Lines, Hydro, Policy, Solar, Wind

The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) have stated in an initial assessment that electricity generated from clean energy accounted for 35% of Germany’s consumption in 1H 2017. It’s the first time that this mark has been reached. The total share of electricity generated from renewables was up 2% from last year. The growth from onshore wind was 13.6%; offshore wind saw the steepest growth at 47.5%; growth from biomass increased by 2.2%, whilst the growth from PV systems was 13.5%, compared with the 1H 2016.

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Solar Power Exceeds Wind Installations; Can Surpass 80GW In 2017, 1TW In 2021

Energy, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Head Lines, Policy, Solar

SolarPower Europe (SPE) has launched the ‘Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2017-2021.’ The report confirms 2016 as another record year for solar, with global annual additions for solar growing by 50% with 76.6 GW installed. There’s now a total worldwide solar power generation capacity of 306.5 GW. James Watson, CEO of SPE said: “When looking at solar, the cost reductions experienced and predicted outstrip all other power generation technologies. Today, utility-scale solar is already cheaper than new gas, coal and nuclear power plants.”

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Digital, Smart, Connected: A New Energy World Emerges At Intersolar Europe 2017

Europe/Middle East/Africa, Policy, Solar

With a total of 40,000 visitors and 1,100 exhibitors from 51 countries present at the Intersolar Europe and at ees Europe 2017; the topic of smart renewable energy took centre stage, propelling the industry ever onward. Annual global deployment of PV installations cracked the 80 gigawatts(GW) mark for the first time in 2017 with 2016 already seeing a 50 percent increase in deployment over the previous year; a renewable energy future is arriving at a breathtaking pace. “Our vision of ‘24 hours of sunshine’ clearly foresees an energy future in which all energy is generated by renewable sources,” says Martin Hackl, Global Director of the Solar Energy Division at Fronius International GmbH. “We will achieve this vision by observing the four pillars of this future – intelligent and efficient generation, distribution, storage and consumption of energy.”

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Intersolar Europe 2017: A Meeting Point For The Solar Industry

Europe/Middle East/Africa, Policy, Solar, Technology

Intersolar Europe, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners, is now open. This year’s exhibition focuses on the new energy world. One of the highlights is the special exhibit Smart Renewable Energy. Other topics include new financing and business models for photovoltaics (PV), large-scale PV power plants and the operation and maintenance of PV installations. Manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the solar industry will be in Munich until June 2. Once again, ees Europe – Europe’s largest and most visited exhibition for batteries and energy storage – is taking place at the same time.

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Russia: Abundance Of Renewables Can Fuel Growth; Quadruple Clean Energy By 2030

Biomass, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Head Lines, Hydro, Policy

Russia can increase the share of renewables in its energy mix from roughly 3 percent today to more than 11 percent by 2030, according to new findings by IRENA. The growth in renewable energy use would represent nearly a fourfold increase in the share of renewables between 2014 and 2030. To implement the study’s recommendations, an annual investment of approximately USD 15 billion per year between 2015 and 2050 is required, but IRENA shows that the benefits can exceed costs when externalities related to human health and climate change are considered. According to current estimates Russia has the largest wind potential in the world.

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US Wind And Solar Surge: Providing Majority of New Generating Capacity Q1 2017

Biomass, Carbon, Geothermal, Hydro, Policy

According to the latest issue of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) “Energy Infrastructure Update” (with data through March 31, 2017), wind and solar provided 50.84% of the new electrical generating capacity added to the U.S. grid during the first quarter of 2017. Significantly, renewables power sources are now almost 20% of the total US electrical generating capacity. If current growth rates continue, renewables should top 20% before the end of this year. Generating capacity from renewable sources is now more than double that of nuclear power (9.10%) and rapidly approaching that of coal (24.25%).

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