Pension funds see renewable energy as alternative to government bonds

In 2011 the global investment in renewable power generation hit a record high of US$260 billion (€197.514 billion) and by 2020 the annual investment is expected to double, as the prices for fossil fuels increase. In the United Kingdom renewable energy capacity grew by 15 percent between 2009-2010. Biomass also grew substantially by 17 percent along with the biofuel sector also 17 percent.

Graham Weale, Chief Economist at utility company RWE, said: "With interest rates in government bonds at a rather low level, there is quite a lot of money in pension funds chasing relatively reliable returns, which offer more than sovereign debt." "Both grid and renewable investments are regulated and relatively low risk, which makes them suitable for fixed-income funds and means they offer higher returns than are available elsewhere," he added. Read more ...

Building wind farms not as environmentally friendly as thought

One of the general reasons that we build wind farms today is to create clean energy that does not harm the environment, or cause more environmental damage than fossil fuel systems. But a recent study in Norway shows that act of building and operating a wind power plant produces non-renewable emissions.

A land based wind farm

A study in Environmental Research Letters (ERL) has taken a life-cycle approach to evaluate the environmental cost and benefits of creating a wind farm at the fundamental level. The research looked at life cycle inventories for both on shore and off shore wind farms to estimate the total emissions. Using a set of life cycle inventories for fossil fuel power stations they were compared and evaluated the emission saving of the wind-power. Read more ...

Inedible Biomass Key to Renewable Future?

SCI and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) are hosting a one day meeting for people who want to learn more about the commercial potential of the next generation of biorenewable energy, materials and fuels based on biomass.

Every year more than 40 million tons of wood and agricultural residues is produced. Converting just a fraction of this biomass into chemicals and fuels, like ethanol, could go a long way towards reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and wouldn't take crops away from food production. Read more ...

Renewable options for the farming community

One of the major drives for the farming community to adopt a variety of renewable fuels, will be the rising costs of oil processing along with the issues of food security. The fluctuations that occur in the price of oil is a major consideration, at present the cost of oil per barrel is at US$120 (€90.746) a barrel, but in the recent past it has reached as much as US$150 (€113.432) a barrel. Put this worry with the concerns of climate change and rising greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy starts to look like a very good choice in the long run.

However, at the same time the government is pressing for increasing amounts of renewable energy to be adopted. Speaking at the recent Energy Now conference and exhibition in the UK, Dr Jonathan Scurlock, chief advisor to the National Farmers' Union on renewable energy, said that in recent times in the UK there has been a turnaround in the take up of renewable energy in the country. "Photovoltaic has come from nowhere and anaerobic digestion, wind and small scale hydro all have a place," Dr Scurlock said. Read more ...

NGO study on Biofuels is full of factual errors

A new study that was commissioned by NGO's Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, has been criticised by the ethanol association ePURE as being flawed and full of factual errors. The new reports claims that biofuels are expected to cost EU consumers about €126 billion (US$167 billion), at the pump between now and 2020. According to ePURE, analysts FO Licht’s looked at the report and say: "There are inherent difficulties in calculating the differences in the cost of producing fossil fuels on the one hand and biofuels on the other. Even the study authors warn that it should be noted that these projections are extremely uncertain, and thus the results derived are indicative." Read more ...

The UK Energy Now Expo countdown begins

Thousands of farmers are expected at the Malvern Showground in Worcestershire next week for the third Energy Now Expo. Despite the recent legal challenge to proposed changes to the level of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) for solar PV, renewable energy remains one of the best choices for farmers and landowners looking to diversify their business.

With the cost of energy rising and many observers warning about the damaging effect of fossil fuels on the world's climate, adopting renewable alternatives will allow farmers to offset costs and reduce their carbon footprints. Read more ...

Funding for energy programs announced by USDA

The US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the available funding for the fiscal year 2012 for two key programs to encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels. Around US$25 million (€19.1 million) is to be made available through each program.

"President Obama has laid out a new era for American energy an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that will be designed and produced by American workers," said Secretary Vilsack. "These programs support that vision by helping biorefineries use renewable biomass as a replacement fuel source for fossil fuels and supporting advanced biofuel producers as they expand production." Read more ...

Denmark invests heavily in bioenergy

By 2050 Denmark aims to be using alternative fuels and be free of fossil fuels. One step in this direction was recently taken by Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program, EDDP, which has just granted UK£194 million (€233.115 million). "We have supported a number of major projects in the bioenergy field. The projects include trades to convert biomass into gas that can be used in an engine, refined into liquid fuels or long term storage of natural gas networks. Read more ...

British Gas acquires leading biomass heating company

Centrica the owners of British gas has announced that they have brought the remaining 81 percent of Econergy in a deal worth UK£6.5 million (US$10.106 million). Econergy is a market leader in biomass heating, which uses renewable energy sources for combustion to produce heat. Econergy offers a complete design, installation and energy services package to domestic properties, businesses and public sector customers. Read more ...

Pakistan energy crisis demand versus capacity

Pakistan has a problem, it is the increasing gap in energy demand versus capacity, this widening gap has put a lot of pressure on Pakistan. Energy is the key and a lifeline to a nation. The country as a whole spends about 20 percent on of its foreign exchange on fossil fuel imports. Annually US$7 (€5.254) billion is being eaten away in import of conventional energy resources that is equivalent to 40 per cent of total imports by the country. Read more ...

Nigeria reiterated its commitment to renewable energy

Nigeria's federal government has reiterated its commitment to enhance the country's power situation with increased input from renewable energy sources. Repeating this undertaking in a Renewable Energy Day address here, environment minister Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia said: “Nigeria is a fossil fuel based economy and the need to deploy sustainable means of powering the nation cannot be over-emphasised," "Nigeria is very mindful of the need to turn to the abundant available renewable sources of energy technologies to meet the local needs of our increasing population,” Ms Mailafia added. Read more ...

For a bio-based economy in Europe? Biorefineries

Fossil fuels are running out, the global demand for fuels and chemicals is high, additionally the European and National legislation has set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. To meet theses targets there needs to be the development of economically competitive solutions for biorefineries with low cost fermentation medium that are of important strategic interest. The production of bio-based fuels and chemicals requires the availability of a renewable feedstock at affordable costs. Today, industrial fermentation processes mainly use hydrolysed starch or glucose as a fermentation substrate. Read more ...

Could this be the worlds first biomass fund

A week into the new carbon price legislation in Australia, and the appetite for clean renewable energy is growing this is to be tested by AU$100 (€74.343) million fund raising for what could become the worlds first biomass fund. A company called First Biomass, a joint venture between a German-based project developer and carbon management firm First Climate and Spar Capital, a Sydney-based advisory firm headed by Chris West. Read more ...

Renewable energy to boost MSMEs

Two major international organisations have joined forces the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) has partnered to boost the use of renewable energy with the activities of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The Administrator, UNDP, Mrs. Helen Clark said that there is huge energy potential in Nigeria not just from fossil fuels but from sun and rice husks to feed into biomass fuel. According to her, the United Nation Secretary General has said that come 2030, there will be sustainable energy for all adding that his is a big agenda and will require a lot of investment. Read more ...

China to develop renewable energies over the next five years

China economy has grown and millions have had their living standards raised thanks to coal, but there is a downside to using coal, one is the transportation of coal, in a major traffic jam with over 20,000 other vehicles that lasted two days. The main reason for this was the majority of the trucks trapped in the extreme gridlock were there for the same reason, to transport coal. Now China seeks to change that by developing non fossil renewable energies over the next 5 years. They plan to increase consumption of non fossil energies by 210 million tons coal equivalent. Read more ...

Changing from fossil fuels to biomass energy

In Europe, North America and East Asia governments are looking for ways to end the use of fossil fuels and move into biomass energy and mitigate climate change. Biomass makes up 77 percent of the worlds renewable energy, trees, woody plants account for 87 percent of that biomass. Anjuli Bamzia, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences says, "To meet the growing energy needs of humanity-at- large in a sustainable manner, it's important to understand the implications of switching to alternate energy options such as bio-energy." Read more ...