Renewable Energy News

Mariner Energy oil rig Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:34:36 +0000

An explosion has occurred on an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, 130km south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast. The blast threw 13 people into the water and set the platform on fire. The platform was not producing oil or gas however.

Rescue helicopters and boats have been sent to the site.

UK biofuels ‘falling short’ on environmental standards

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:58:27 +0000

Figures based on 2009/10 data collected by The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), the UK’s independent regulator for biofuels show that the vast majority of biofuels sold on UK forecourts do not conform to environmental standards. The Renewable Fuels Agency said although fuel suppliers were meeting legally binding volume targets some were falling “well short” on achieving voluntary green standards.

Read the full story on the BBC News website here.

Powys wind turbines get go-ahead

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:12:23 +0000

A local planning committee has given the go-ahead for the erection of twelve wind turbines at Tirgwynt wind farm, near Carno in Powys which will cover 440 hectares on the uplands of Mynydd yr Hendre and Mynydd Pistyll Du, between Carno and Cefn Coch. The wind farm will link up to the existing local grid, ensuring that no major building work will be needed to create a new one. Residents though, and Welshpool Town Council have repeatedly raised concerns about the transportation of the turbines by road to the wind farm site, and Welshpool mayor Estelle Bleivas joined protesters outside Powys council’s offices in Welshpool.

The wind farm is expected to produce 27.6 megawatts of energy and Paul Vernon, project director for the scheme said “It will give security to the many farming families involved in the scheme for some years to come”. He continued “Awel Newydd looks forward to working with the council, communities and various agencies to building this and making a valuable contribution to Wales’ carbon free energy generation targets.”

Renovating old homes ‘uses a third of CO2 as building a new one’

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:40:34 +0000

The British Property Federation reports that research by Empty Homes has found that renovating empty houses uses a third of the carbon emissions compared to creating a new build. Their figures also revealed that there are more than four million people on housing waiting lists and 762,000 empty homes in England.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation said: “Renovating empty homes is an opportunity for the government to get people off housing waiting lists and into ‘good as new’ homes; it will also save them money and reduce the burden off of over-stretched councils at a time when housing benefit is also being slashed.”

Read the full story here.

The Complete Guide to Renovating and Improving Your Property

Free Sustainable Transport Policy Event, 11th Aug

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:26:20 +0000

Discover the cultural, historical and political challenges to creating sustainable transport systems. Explore different policies that work at local, regional and national levels. Learn about successful and unsuccessful solutions from cities across the world.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 5:00 pm
Duration: 1 hour

Join the authors of An Introduction to Sustainable Transportation and Transport for Suburbia for an event that explores the problems that sustainability poses for transport planners and innovative solutions from around the world. Preston L. Schiller and Paul Mees will present the latest thinking on transport policy from global, regional and local perspectives.

Paul Mees is Senior Lecturer in transport planning at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Preston L. Schiller, is Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

More information here.

Moving People: Sustainable Transport Development: Challenging Expectations

Brazil Windpower 2010, 31st Aug – 2nd Sept

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:08:23 +0000

Why attend Brazil Windpower 2010?

Countless countries in Latin America have huge wind power resources, nevertheless, they face climate challenges and a increasing power demand. World wind power leaders recognize the market opportunities and growth potential in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and others important ones in Latin America.

These international leaders will be in Brazil Windpower 2010 to better perceive the Latin America market and its potential.

Don’t miss the chance to be with market experts and know all the opportunities that Brazil and Latin America have to offer.

More information here.

Wind Power

Report warns hydroelectric dams pose threat to tribal peoples

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:13:06 +0000

A global assessment by Survival International reports that giant hydroelectric dams being built or planned in remote areas of Brazil, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Peru and Guyana will devastate tribal communities by forcing people off their land, destroy hunting and fishing grounds, and suggests more than 300,000 indigenous people could be pushed towards economic ruin and, in the case of some isolated Brazilian groups, to extinction.

The Gibe III dam on the Omo river in Ethiopia will affect at least 200,000 people from eight tribes and a further 200,000 people will be adversely affected. In Sarawak, Malaysia ten thousand people have been displaced by the Bakun dam expected to open next year, and many thousands of people off their land by a series of Latin American dams.

Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale Wind Energy Systems

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:45:12 +0000

The availability of clean renewable energy is the defining challenge of the 21st century, and wind will lead the way. Internationally acclaimed wind-energy expert Paul Gipe is as soberly critical of past mistakes as he is convincingly optimistic about the future. Gipe explains why such a startlingly straight-forward solution is do-able, how it can be accomplished much sooner than most realise, and how it will help resuscitate our industrial infrastructure, create jobs and generate economic opportunity.

This thoroughly revised and expanded edition is the essential primer on wind for consumers, advocates and policy makers, and includes a new chapter on community wind, an exciting option for many who might otherwise struggle to put a small wind turbine in their garden, or worse, on their roof.

Table of Contents:
Technology
Wind Energy Basics
Estimating Performance
Siting
Off the Grid
Interconnection
Community Wind
Investing in Wind Energy
The Challenge

Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale Wind Energy Systems

The Energy Event, Birmingham 8/9th Sept 2010

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:15:00 +0000

The Energy Event is one of Europe’s largest exhibitions and conferences that focuses solely on energy procurement, management and efficiency, and takes place at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on the 8th & 9th September 2010.

Key attractions to the event include a top level conference entitled Energy Insight, held across the two days focusing on vital issues concerning energy at boardroom level.

A full FREE seminar programme organised by key independent organisations in the market such as ESTA, MEUC, CIBSE and Water Technology List.

A comprehensive exhibition area with over 110 exhibitors provides the opportunity to visit suppliers, view latest technologies and network with old and new friends in the industry.

Stay up to date with the latest Energy Event news, developments and conference content by signing up to our event e-newsletter, or by following us on Twitter.

For more information visit their website, here.

Renewable Energy

Solar Heating & Natural Building Design Workshops August 19 – 22

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:34:51 +0000

..a good foundation from which to grow your solar design – installation skills…

A residential 4-day Certificate Course.
Price includes all nutritious meals, campsite lodging, & morning, afternoon, evening instruction.

Crestone Solar School offers solar workshops in active and passive solar heating design, alternative natural building, photovoltaics (solar electric) basics and renewable energy applications. Both hands-on and theoretical study are combined in residential 4-day programs.

More information here.