All Europe's energy needs could be satisfied by Saharan solar panels
March 27, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Advances in technology and reductions in the cost of transporting electricity over long distances have combined to make feasible a plan to supply Europe with all its energy from the Sahara desert by means of a huge network of solar panels and wind farms.
A global warming conference in Copenhagen last week was the platform from which expert Dr Anthony Patt made the announcement, explaining that governments would need to invest some £50 billion over the next ten years in order for the scheme to become a reality. He is convinced that recent costings compare favourably with other alternative technologies and would be an attractive proposition for private investors.
The sun in the Sahara is sufficiently strong and reliable for the plans to work even in the winter. Mirrors would be used to focus the sun on to a pipe which would contain either water (which would be heated) or salt (which would be melted) and the energy produced as a result would be harnessed to power turbines. Initial trials would be likely to be carried out in Dubai, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria. The benefits to Europe would be both environmental (with carbon dioxide emissions being reduced as a result of our lessening dependence on fossil fuels) and political (with Europe becoming less dependent on Russia and the Middle East).
It is expected that Europeans may object, however, to the accompanying infrastructure that would be needed – especially transmission cables close to homes – and to the fact that African energy needs do not appear to be addressed by this project.
40% renewable energy possible by 2050
March 19, 2009 at 1:14 pm
It has been claimed in the past that renewable energy sources will only be able to make up a small proportion of the energy needs of the planet in the future. However, a new report has just been released which challenges this theory, offering hope to the renewable energy industry and to a planet increasingly at risk from the damage global warming is causing.
In the report, presented at the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change which is taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, Peter Lund of Helsinki University states that renewable energy could supply 40% of all the world’s electricity by 2050. This flies in the face of previous research, which Lund says is simply wrong. According to him and his team, with the right level of investment and adequate support from governments, renewables could play a significant role for us all.
As well as providing these figures, the research also looked into the possible prices that we could be expected to pay for renewable electricity. Lund has claimed that if renewable energies were given the same support as nuclear energy was given in the past, then by 2020 electricity produced by wind energy would be the same price as electricity produced from other sources, with solar power following in 2030. From then on, renewable energy would start to become the cheaper option.
He said that between $12.76 billion and $25.51 billion was needed per year in renewable investment to reach this figure. However, he warned that if governments did not step up their game then we could only expect 15% of our power to come from renewable resources in the future, which would have severe repercussions for the environment.
Ebico sets target to reduce energy bills by £1 million
March 5, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Ebico currently supplies over 52,000 homes and is the UK’s only not-for profit energy supplier. This year it has set itself the target of reducing the energy bills of low-income households by £1 million.
Ebico’s unique target has been set to celebrate its tenth year as a very different energy company to the ‘big six’ British energy suppliers. A partner of community regeneration charity Groundwork, its original name was The Equitable Billing Company, reflecting its mission of tackling fuel poverty in the UK.
The £1 million target set by Ebico also represents a challenge for every energy customer in the UK. The help to low-income households will depend on people pledging to reduce their household energy usage by 10% in Ebico’s Fuel Poverty Challenge.
Each person signing up on Ebico’s website will pledge to reduce their energy usage by 10%, and in return Ebico will provide £200 in energy-saving measures and lower tariffs to reduce the energy bills of a low-income household. A wealth of ideas and telephone support will be provided to help those taking part in the Fuel Poverty Challenge reach their 10% target.
Another initiative that sets Ebico apart from other energy suppliers is that its customers know that they are being charged the same, no matter what means they use to pay. Ebico is committed to charging the same amount to customers using a prepayment meter and those who pay for their energy by direct debit. This is one of Ebico’s core policies, and according to Managing Director Phil Levermore, a way of tackling the “outrageous” practice of charging more to households trying to budget their household expenses with the help of a prepayment meter.
