Monthly Archives: July 2012

‘Smart city’ project funds bids for share of £24 to green up UK cities.

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The city of Sheffield is amongst those who have been awarded £50,000 from the UK Technology Strategy Board in a ‘smart city’ project. The money will go towards exploring potential improvements that might be made to the efficiency and coverage of district energy networks, and the use of smart technologies.

Over the next few months they, and other candidates, will put together a bid for a share of £24m that is available, which will be used to help make Sheffield an even greener city. They are currently working with a number of key partners within the city, including E.ON, Veolia and The University of Sheffield, looking into how the use of new smart technologies can improve their heat network; managing supply and demand, expand the existing network, and create new ones.

In regards to the applications, Joe Dignan, chief public sector analyst for Ovum, remarked “Over 50 applications which met the scope were considered for the funding, and 30 were given, rather than the 20 planned, because they were so good.”

Nottingham, Leeds, Derby and Bradford councils were also successful in receipt of £50,000 in funding for their own bids.

Onshore UK Wind Generation Increases Dramatically

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UK wind generation on the increase? It’s a breeze!

According to recent findings, things are looking positive for the UK renewable energy sector. It has been reported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) that in the first quarter of 2012, energy generated from onshore wind turbines reached a significant 3.6 TWh (Terawatt Hours), compared to just 2.4 TWh in the last three months of 2011.

There have also been large increases in offshore wind generation, which was boosted by 50%, and hydro generation, which had risen by 43% – because of unusually high winter rainfall levels.

“Today’s statistics show a clear increase on the first quarter of last year across all renewables – with rises in wind, hydro, solar and bioenergy generation.” Stated Charles Hendry, Energy Minister, “Alongside a 36% increase in renewables capacity in the last 12 months, this shows that the UK is powering forward on clean and secure energy and is clearly a very attractive place to invest.”

However, there is still a long way to go in the fight to get a larger portion of the UK’s total energy supply to be obtained from renewable resources. According to the first quarter of 2012, renewables represent 3.8% of the total UK energy supply – again an increase from 3.2% in 2010 – but still a relatively small number in comparison to non-renewables. Although with that said, there have been decreases in certain fossil fuel consumptions – with gas now representing only 27% (at a 14-year low point), and nuclear generation is down to 17%.

So maybe not quite a ‘breeze’, but things are looking positive for renewables, and certainly going in the right direction.

 

Small hydropower plants- on the rise.

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Some parts of the world may be as yet unfamiliar will hydropower as an option for producing clean energy. Those that do may still be underplaying the role it could well play in a greener future.

It’s kind of understandable that hydropower may have been overlooked when you consider that hydropower, like any method of production, comes with a number of stern disadvantages: -

- They’re extremely expensive to build to begin with, and the standard to which they must be built is notably high.
-Their high construction costs mean that dams are an investment- in our future, yes. But dams must also operate for years before they become profitable.

-There’s also the environmental cost (go figure!) as they require large areas to be flooded at the expense of part of the natural environment- or even the relocation of any any towns/villages in the valley where the dam is to be constructed.
-Geological damage is also an issue where large dams of concerned- the construction of the Hoover dam, for example, triggered a number of earthquakes.

Hydropower does come with its own plus points though: -

-Once constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate.

-Dams have an impressive lifespan, and so contribute to electricity production, potentially, for decades.
-The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for the purpose of irrigation
-The build up of water in the lake can be stored until needed- the sluice gates can be shut when demand is low, thereby saving the water for use when demand is high.
-Electricity that dams produce do not contribute to the pollution of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases.

-Large dams have a tendency to become quite the tourist attraction- look at the Hoover dam again- and can be used for a host of water-sports/leisure activities.

Small hydropower plants, on the other hand, are considered to be more reliable and affordable than their larger counterparts, which is a fair indicator of their rising popularity. They don’t have the same environmental impact- rise in water levels, deforestation, or damage to the local environment.

Faster construction, cheaper costs, and a smaller impact on the environment. It’s really no surprise at all that the use of small hydropower plants is on the rise.

The road to a low carbon future- miles to go before we sleep?

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London’s hopes of producing “the greenest Olympics ever”- potentially by generating enough renewable energy to cover the amount of energy the event will consume- might not quite measure up against their ambition sustainability goals, but not for lack of effort.

Understandably, London’s olympic organisers intended to showcase the region’s commitment to sustainability.

In a number of areas, England and the Uk have been pulling ahead in the race towards a low-carbon/clean energy future- recently ranking first among 12 of the world’s major economies.

There are other challenges still ahead. Plans for rolling out smart meters over the next couple of years is meeting opposition, and despite reports in the paper, The Independent, that “Britain is being powered by record levels of green energy (an increase in excess of 3% for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period of 2011), draft legislation under review in London could spell cuts to onshore wind energy programs- making onshore wind more expensive, leading to higher consumer bills.

We’re not alone in our predicament. Similar issues have arisen in the U.S, where smart meter installation has, in one instance, been met with extreme opposition as Thelma Taormina (55), resident of Harris County, pulled a gun on a CenterPoint Energy worker in order to prevent the installation of a smart meter on her property. Concern over the future of wind energy rings in the air as well, with the Production Tax Credit (PTC) due to expire later this year, and with their economic concerns, new tax incentives for renewables are looking less likely to be around the corner.

The Uk is still currently leading in offshore wind capacity, and aims to generate about 15% of our overall energy from renewable sources (such as wind, solar, and biomass) by 2020- and the road to a low-carbon, greener future looks to be more of a marathon than a sprint.

Safeguarding the UK’s future water supply- pirates aside

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Keeping our future water supply secure- except maybe from pirates.

It might sound silly that on this little island of ours- surrounded by water- we could find ourselves running out of fresh water in as little as 40 years, but as things are, this may well be our reality. It is estimated that by 2050, the UK will have shortages in our water supply of up to 10,000 million litres a day. Innovations in technology and services will be necessary if we want to avoid this grim prospect.

Ten small/mid-sized companies in the UK stand at the ready to deliver feasibility projects designed to help businesses keep our future water supply covered. If successful, these innovative projects could be applied both here and abroad.

With business investment, the total cost of these projects is just over £1 million, with an excess of £500,000 in funding from the Technology Strategy Board, and a potential £100,000 by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), with contributions from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as well.

The aim of these projects is to give businesses the means to develop the preliminary ideas necessary for the creation of innovative new technologies. These may then become larger projects with the potential to create the new markets of the future.

It is estimated that around 1.6 billion people currently live in countries where scarcity of water is a serious issue, making it a clear and weighty environmental issue for the world as a whole.

The Technology Strategy Board intends for this new venture to find solutions for safeguarding our future water supply, but also create a market opportunity by funding companies that can find new, profitable ways of using the water sources we have at present, more efficiently.

The challenge has been set- every company that is successful will be charged with creating new technologies and processes that can either save or recycle 1,000 million litres of water a day.

Of the intended projects, a couple of particular interest are those of Xeros, and Aquamesh:-

-Aquamesh will be using their knowledge of the mining industry to create a low energy sensor network for farmers, which should significantly reduce the amount of water used in irrigation, and potentially increase the yield of crops.

-Xeros, most recently in the limelight for their innovative new washing machine which use virtually no water. Xeros will be working with the leather industry to find a way of cleaning leather without consuming vast amounts of fresh water, and reduce the polluting toxins in the huge billion pound industry.

Fuel cells and hydrogen energy systems- viable option for greener future.

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The Uk’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change will be funding five major government-backed research and development projects intended to bring hydrogen and fuel cell technologies into everyday use. These projects will demonstrate how these technologies can be integrated into other areas of energy and transport (e.g. the generation of renewable energy, a refuelling infrastructure) to develop whole systems and how effectively they can work together.

The projects will be selected through a competitive process, and led by Air Products PLC, BOC Ltd, ITM Power, Rutland Management LTD and SSE plc with the following structure: -

- An end-to-end, integrated, green hydrogen production, distribution and retailing system (the first of its kind in the UK) which will be centred around a fully publicly accessible, state-of-the-art 200 bar renewable H2 refuelling station network across london. (Air Products PLC- expertise in atmospheric gases, process & specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment & services).

-The delivery of solar energy generated hydrogen for Swindon’s existing public access via an electrolyser, and its use in materials handling vehicles and light vans at Honda’s manufacturing plant (BOC ltd- versed in thousands of different gases and mixtures, as well as related equipment and services).

-The integration of an electrolyser based refueller with renewable energy which will allow zero carbon hydrogen to be produced for use as a transport fuel for a number of vehicles (ITM Power- design and manufacture of hydrogen energy systems for energy storage and clean fuel production).

-The demonstration of a viable solar-hydrogen energy system, with benefits shared by multiple end users of a business park in Surrey, through the necessary provision of green electricity and heat (Rutland Management LTD- expertise in facility management)

-The demonstration of a whole renewable hydrogen system by connecting a 1MWe electrolyser to the grid, in conjunction with an Aberdeenshire windfarm. This will explore grid impacts, and the energy storage potential of hydrogen generation, and provide the green hydrogen produced to power of fleet of fuel cell buses (SSE plc- UK’s best overall energy provider for eight consecutive years)

These projects will accelerate the process towards the commercialisation of fuel cells and hydrogen energy systems.

TED Prize Shows Futuristic Promise And Sustainability

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TED is a global conference held annually that brings together innovation from people working in the three respective areas of Technology, Entertainment and Design. This year, it was held in Edinburgh and the $100,000 prize went to an idea rather than a person.

The idea has been called “City 2.0,” and it consists of ten projects that are aimed at improving cities. There are have been five winners so far (with the rest to be announced in Autumn) who have inspiring projects relating to urban transformation.

The UK winners, Alastair Parvin & Nick Lerodiaconou hail from London, and their entry is based around the idea of a ‘Wikihouse.’

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The two designers set out to create a blueprint that would facilitate everyday people to create and live in their own homes, making use of open sourced designs along with materials that have been locally sourced. “For too long, cities have been made by the 1% and consumed by the 99%. We wanted to see what it would take to create something that would allow the 99% to make cities for the 99%.” Says Parvin.

Once they created this blueprint, they posted the designs along with instructions on how to assemble the homes in the hope that normal, everyday people would utilise their idea. They also encouraged others to come up with their own ideas, and since then, five prototypes have been created, in places as far-reaching as Korea and Brazil.

The TED prize fund is said to be increased in 2013 from $100,000 to a massive $1m, giving an even greater incentive to those dedicated to making the world a smarter, better place through technologies. The City 2.0 project is a brilliant example of how people can pool together ideas and give power to the masses to create and sustain their own future.

For more information on City 2.0, visit their website.

 

 

ADI for the development of next generation virtual power plants

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The Technology Strategy Board, the UK Government’s innovation agency, awarded their match-funded grant to a consortium set up by technology innovation firm the Advanced Digital Institute (ADI). This consortium included industry partners  such as ENER-G, Flexitricity, Smarter Grid Solutions and UK Power Networks. ADI is based in Saltaire, employs 12 staff, and has a customer range from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to corporates. They aim to help digital technology companies innovate.

The £100,000-worth of funding has been won by a project led by ADI to explore the development of “the next generation of virtual power plants”. These centrally-controlled plants will use clusters of combined heat and power (CHP) systems, small-scale generating capabilities at locations such as hospital and business parks, to bolster supply when they are not operating at capacity. The big idea behind this is that they want to help meet peaks in energy demand.

John Eaglesham, chief executive of ADI and managing the initiative, said that ADI s very excited to work together with some of the UK’s key smart grid industry players in addressing the challenge of future energy supply. The project will shore up electricity supply and they will also examine new solutions for low carbon and low cost heat distribution. This could incentivize the UK CHP industry to provide more CHPs in areas where current UK Government incentives have fallen short.

Dave Harson, programme manager at ADI, added to this that this is a completely new business area for ADI. So it’s also quite exciting for them to work in this area where they haven’t previously done any research in.

The feasibility study of ADI will try to find new ways of increasing overall security and efficiency of the electricity system, and decarbonising energy supplies across the UK as demand increases.  The study is scheduled for completion in May 2013.

Mr Harson also said that these assets are already around, they already exist anyway. So we need to tap into those and use them, use that capacity, so we don’t have to invest in other carbon-generating capacities to meet the demand. ADI will also include a large number smaller-scale CHP generators into a virtual power plant because they want to achieve “improves flexibility and greater load-balancing potential to improve resilience of supply and potentially reduce the need to large utility projects”.

Up until 2010, ADI used to receive public sector funding from Yorkshire Forward. But Harson said that business is good for the moment and ADI is now operating independently of any of that type of grant money. The grant they receive from their key partner the Technology Strategy Board is one to fund specific projects, as well as doing commercial work with other customers.

Chris Marsland, technical director at ENER-G, said that the project will investigate the feasibility of using networks of CHP generators to complement and reduce the need for reinforcement of the electricity network. The benefits of this could include greater use of clean electricity supplies, reduced domestic heating costs and less need for electricity infrastructure investments. So the project will benefit the industry and the consumers alike, while reducing carbon emissions.

The project will perform business and technical modeling based on data from UK Power Networks’s London electricity network. They use ENER-G CHP generator and software and a central control system provided by Smarter Grid Solutions. UK Power Network is also leading Low carbon London, a £30m programme that’s largely funded by Ofgem’s Low Carbon Network Fund, to help develop smart electricity networks in Britain.

TSB and DECC R&D Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

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The Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s innovation agency, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), are funding five new projects that are researching and developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These government-backed projects want to bring hydrogen and fuel cell technologies into everyday use so they are using research and development to speed up the adoption of energy systems using hydrogen en fuel cell technologies.

They want to develop whole systems and they want to show that fuel cell systems and hydrogen technologies can work together with other energy and transport component such as renewable energy generation, refueling infrastructure and vehicles. So energy and transport components can be integrated with the fuel cell systems and hydrogen technologies. These technologies can also be used in low carbon energy systems and transport.

Mark Prisk, Business Minister, said that the UK has innovative business developing world-leading hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The UK wants to capture a share of the global market by developing a coherent capability and vibrant industry. If they are in the position to capture that share of the market, they will be able to attract international partnerships and inward investment. This will also cause a growth of the national economy and create job opportunities. These five new projects complement the already joint government/industry project called UK H2 Mobility. This project is currently evaluating potential roll-out scenarios for hydrogen for transport in the UK.

Greg Barker, Energy and Climate Change Minister, said that hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies are at the cutting edge of new low carbon energy solutions. It is important to see how these technologies can be integrated with other energy and transport products and it are these new and exciting government-supported projects that will look into that. He also said that he is looking forward to seeing the results.

The five new projects were selected through a competitive process and will be led by Air Products plc, BOC Ltd, ITM Power (Trading), Rutland Management Ltd and SSE plc. The projects will:

  • Create the UK’s first end-to-end, integrated, green hydrogen production, distribution and retailing system. This will be centered around a fully publically accessible, state-of-the-art 700 bar renewable H2 refueling station network across London (Air Products Plc).
  • Deliver solar energy generated hydrogen for Swindon’s exiting public access H2 refueling station. This will happen via an electrolyser. And its use in materials handling vehicles and light vans at Honda’s manufacturing plant (BOC Ltd).
  • Integrate an electrolyser based refueller with renewable energy on the Isle of Wight. This will enable zero carbon hydrogen to be produced for use as transport fuel for a range of vehicles (ITM Power).
  • Demonstrate a viable solar-hydrogen energy system through the 24/7 provision of green electricity and heat. The benefits will be shared by multiple end users of a business park in Surrey (Rutland Management Ltd).
  • Demonstrate a whole renewable hydrogen system, connecting a 1MWe electrolyser to the grid. This is in conjunction with an Aberdeenshire wind farm. They want to explore the grid impacts and energy storage potential of hydrogen generation, and provide green hydrogen produced to power a fleet of fuel cell buses (SSE plc).

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, added that these innovative, large-scale demonstrators will show how fuel cells and hydrogen technologies can be adapted, developed and integrated to provide real-time and real-world low carbon solutions. These projects will also show how the Technology Strategy Board can help the UK businesses to accelerate the development and commercialization of technological innovations.

A grant funding of £9 million is provided by the Technology Strategy Board and DECC. This means the total value of the projects, including contributions from the industrial partners, is in excess of £19 million. The projects are building on previous Government support for fuel cells and hydrogen systems, accelerating the process towards commercialization.

Smart Appliances for a Smarter City

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Appliances with multiple functions have become the norm. Appliances that are energy conscious are becoming the need. Whereas the innovative had once been the ability to program your coffee machine to help you wake up each morning, or VHS/DVD combo, smart appliances stand ready to be absorbed into our day-to-day lives.

A smart appliance is a product that uses electricity, and also has the ability to interpret, and act on signals it receives from a utility such as a wireless device, which then modifies it’s operating behavior or energy consumption (e.g. a water heater that only heats the water based on the pattern by which you typically need it).

Smart appliances are going to play a critical role in moving from the current to a Smart Grid infrastructure. While smart appliances are sold as standalone products, typically on the basis of their low-energy consumption and semi-autonomous capabilities, their are further benefits if the Smart Grid becomes more widely adopted. The growth trend for smart appliances in the global market, however, shows a correlation with the successful development of a larger electric Smart Grid.

Though some consumers buy smart appliances for their addition functions, or to reap the potential economic savings that go with, many are reluctant to alter their behavior without proper incentives from utilities companies and appliance manufacturers.

By connecting smart appliances to a Home Energy Management System- which maximises the use of home electricity- while not being a requirement in order to use smart appliance owners, carry with them the potential for a 15% reduction to annual electric bills.