Half Of the World's Newest Power Plants Are Using Renewable Sources

Nearly half of all the world’s power plants brought online in 2014 produce their energy by renewable means. No longer a niche market, rapidly expanding green energy is set to become the world’s main source of electricity within twenty years.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that green energy is currently the second-largest source of the world’s electricity, and it is gaining ground against its non-renewable and more polluting fossil fuel counterparts. A record high of 130 GW of renewable energy capacity was added to the power sector in 2014, in part due to supportive government policies and subsidies for solar and wind projects. While coal is still the world’s most relied-upon fuel for power plants, there has been a clear shift towards cleaner renewable energy sources, according to IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2015 report, published in November. They predict that at the current rate of the industry’s growth, renewables-based generation will reach 50% in the European Union, 30% in China, and 25% in the United States and India by 2040.

Global economic growth is expected to continue at current rates, and energy demand will grow by nearly one-third between now and 2040, according to the IEA report. They predict that China will soon reach a plateau of economic growth, and their demand for coal will remain stable or decrease in the next decade, but there will be dramatic increases in the energy demands of other countries in the developing world, like India and Indonesia. By 2040, Asia will be the consumer of up to 80% of all regionally traded coal and oil. But even as they pour more energy into their growing economies, many of those nations are also working towards better energy efficiency, adopting new technologies and government policies that aim to reduce energy waste. With improved efficiency and a global and regional shift towards wind and solar energy, we can expect a dramatic reduction in the rate of growth of energy-related carbon emissions coming from the energy industry.

Even so, emissions are expected to continue rising, with a global average temperature increase of almost 3C predicted by 2100. That temperature rise would have global implications: changing weather patterns and a rise in sea level will affect agriculture and increase water scarcity in many regions. The IEA report suggests that a “major course correction” will be necessary in order to reverse that trend and reach the world’s climate goals. The report also warns that measures towards energy efficiency and the shift towards renewable energy could be undercut by consistently low oil prices. With cheap fuel giving less incentive to developing economies to reduce their oil consumption, up to 15% of the potential energy savings from efficiency measures would be lost. Up to $800 billion of energy efficiency investments planned for the next 25 years could be discouraged if the price of oil remains low.

The price alone, though, isn’t enough to cripple green energy’s rise to the top spot in energy production: continued subsidies and government policies that benefit oil and coal companies are keeping the playing field uneven and putting green competitors at a disadvantage. It says something about current global attitudes towards climate that green energy power plants are being built so quickly despite the cheap appeal of the status quo.

Half Of the World"s Newest Power Plants Are Using Renewable Sources

House plants can help improve indoor air quality

Q: What is the truth about house plants purifying indoor air? Do they or don’t they substitute for air filters? Does living with plants contribute to healthier breathing? Are there particular plants which I should grow to improve the air in my home?

A: How much house plants affect air quality is a wonderful example of the difference between laboratory experiments and the world outside a lab. The first experiments to determine whether plants could clean up air were carried out by NASA. That was back in the 1980s. The idea, of course, was to find ways to provide the best quality air for astronauts on long space missions. The studies were done one chemical at a time, one potted plant at a time, in a sealed Plexiglas test chamber the same size as a compact car trunk.

Having decided that those test results were not necessarily useful even for a space capsule, in the late 1980s NASA built a new test chamber. On federal government property in Mississippi, it was called the BioHome Space Center. The building was a metal box on legs, with dimensions of 16 by 45 feet. The box included a large plant room for testing the effectiveness of plants in cleaning both recycled air and raw sewage. Tests found that people could live comfortably in the sealed environment once the plant system was well established and working.

Other organizations began experiments to duplicate or improve on the research by NASA. They have had generally positive results. On the other hand, by now no one knows how much the air is purified by plants and how much by the microbes which live in healthy potting soil.

A more recent experiment done in Australia attempted to judge the effect of plants on air pollution in the real world. It found that in an office building with sealed windows, three plants per office reduced air pollution enough to eliminate any health risk to people breathing the air.

Still more recently, research evaluations by EPA scientists have criticized most of the experiments on plants and air pollution as being poorly constructed. For one thing, some experiments had no controls against which to measure experimental results. Also, several experiments were carried out under artificial laboratory conditions. In some cases air sampling periods were only five minutes long. Nor did anyone pay attention to doors and windows opening and closing during some of the experiments. Studies done in a laboratory were carried out in sealed boxes far too small to hold even one person. Many studies measured only very high concentrations of pollutants, which were artificially introduced one at a time. The EPA noted that nothing measurable could yet be stated about the effect of plants on polluted air.

The bottom line is that house plants do clean up the indoor air we breathe, but no one yet knows how much. When applied to the real world, lists of the best plants for reducing air pollution mean nothing at all.

Compost pile starter

Q: Does my compost pile need to have some kind of starter added every year?

A: A booster shot of nitrogen will help the microbes in a new compost pile to start digesting the dead plants. The nitrogen can be in any form. A handful of commercial ammonium sulfate fertilizer will do the job. Or chicken manure. Or a shovelful of finished compost from another pile. Or any kind of urine, either straight or diluted.

Once a compost pile is working it needs no extra nitrogen. When a pile is turned or sieved or sorted into finished and unfinished compost, plenty of microbes should remain to start a new pile. All the “green stuff” that goes into a pile is a source of nitrogen. The nitrogen starter on a new pile is designed to help micro-organisms proliferate. Once their populations have reached the billions, no additives are needed; the composting process will perpetuate itself.

Miniature orchid

Q: I bought a miniature orchid a year ago. It has stayed alive, even though it stopped blooming last spring. Will it ever bloom again? It has long bare stems crawling outside the pot. Should I cut them off? I have been using my regular house plant fertilizer for the orchid. Does it need something special?

A: Let’s begin with your last question and work backwards. Orchids will thrive with the same fertilizer as other house plants. If your orchid is still alive and growing a year later, plainly it likes your care. Keep on watering and fertilizing it the way you have been.

The “stems” crawling around are really roots. Because the pot is full of roots, they continue to grow in the only space available – the air. Orchids do not live in soil, as most plants do; they anchor themselves to branches, rocks, or any other stable object. An orchid in a pot uses the pot only as a prop to keep itself from falling over. Often an orchid will have one or two roots growing outside the pot. When the number of aerial roots increases, the pot is full and it is time to move the orchid to a slightly larger pot. Be careful not to give it too big a pot, since that would be an invitation to root rot.

Pull the orchid out of its pot. The roots are big and fleshy and very tough; they do not mind being handled. Cut off any roots which look shriveled and dead. Bend the others around to pack them into the new pot. Pull off any pieces of potting material which are stuck to the roots. There will be no soil. Refill the pot with orchid mix, which is not potting soil. It is composed mostly of woody chunks, either coconut fiber or fir bark. Dump handfuls of the mixture into the pot and pack them down with your fingers. Do not try to be gentle with the roots. They are nearly indestructible, and they like to have the orchid mix firmly packed. Return the orchid to the spot where it has been living and to your usual watering schedule.

Most orchids bloom once a year, most commonly in winter. As long as your miniature is happy, you can expect it to bloom again. A nearby lamp which gives the orchid evening light may hurry the process, but orchid flower stalks develop very slowly. To begin with they look like one more aerial root which starts to tip upward instead of down.

Winter mulch

At last it is time to cover the most tender plants with mulch. Strawberries, garlic, and first-year perennials will all survive in greater numbers if mulched from now until early March. Use any kind of dry organic material which is available. Straw is fine, but so are chopped dead plants (including weeds), pine needles, dead leaves. White nonwoven row cover is an excellent winter mulch, and it is easy to remove next spring. Use one layer of the heavyweight row cover, or a double layer of the standard weight. Tender plants will all appreciate a blanket as temperatures cycle between 50 degrees above zero and 20 degrees below.

House plants can help improve indoor air quality

House plants can do amazing things

Back in the late 1960s, when I was finishing up my undergraduate studies, house plants were all the rage. In the trade we referred to them as foliage plants and had it not been for the draft and the Vietnam War my path might very well have been through the vast foliage growers of Encinitas, California, where range after range of greenhouses were packed with ferns, palms, golden pothos, snake plants, philodendrons, Swedish ivy and, of course, spider plants.

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Walking through a greenhouse with all these plants was much like having your own oxygen tank. It was invigorating to breathe the air with the elevated levels of not only oxygen but also humidity and generally good vibes from all those little photosynthesis factories. You just knew it was healthy to be in this kind of environment.

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Fast forward 50 years, and the homes we live in — and the offices we work in — are so well insulated and hermetically sealed that there is very little air exchange. Add to that all the synthetic materials that we use to build and decorate our homes with and you have a recipe for a very unhealthy environment.

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It can be so bad that there is something called the “sick building syndrome,” in which people suffer headaches, contract virus infections and develop allergies because of the compounds in the air. The main culprit is something called a VOC, or volatile organic compound, which can be emitted from carpeting, particle board, plastic furniture, cleaning compounds and a plethora of other sources that are prevalent in most homes and offices.

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The good news is that plants filter these VOCs out of the air. They are literally a living air filter and that is a very good thing. House plants are not always the easiest plant to grow because of low light, lack of humidity and general neglect from homeowners, but a few simple tricks will help growers find success.

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When first bringing home a new plant be careful not to overwater it. Invest in an inexpensive moisture meter that will tell you when to water. Most homeowners kill house plants by overwatering.

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The plant needs to adjust to its new environment, which is almost always darker and drier. Keep plants as close to windows as possible as the light intensity diminishes rapidly as you move away from the light source.

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Watch for insects like scale, mealy bugs, white flies, spider mites and aphids and don’t let them get out of hand. Fertilize more in the summer and less in the winter with a soluble fertilizer like Miracle-Gro. Keep foliage dust free. Repot as needed, but remember that most house plants don’t mind being a little pot-bound.

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This is an excellent time of year to select some new plants for your home. Garden centers have good supplies during the winter months and they can assist you in selecting the best and easiest varieties to grow for your home. Some varieties need high light while others will almost grow in the closet.

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Just like in the garden, it’s important to put the right plant in the right place. So go find some new air filters to decorate and make your home healthier. You’ll breathe a lot easier.

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Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

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Upcoming class
A class about selecting and growing house plants will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 24 at Sunnyside Nursery. For more information or to register, go to www.sunnysidenursery.net.

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House plants can do amazing things

Dutch Company Utilizes Plants To Power Streetlights, Wi-Fi, And Cell Phones

Over the past year, there has been a sudden boom from green technology companies to innovate ways to power cities never before thought of.

The Inquisitr reported on such daring projects in which the latest is about a prototype “wind tree,” a design that can harvest electricity from sloe-speed winds. In an earlier report on green power, a scientist found a way to create glow-in-the-dark plants, a beautiful alternative to bringing light to a city at night.

Now, there are reports of a new green method to provide power for people, which if utilized correctly, can replace present-day energy companies. This was discovered by a Dutch company that found a way to harvest electricity coming from the most unlikely of sources: plants.

According to Yes Magazine and followed-up by Inhabitat, the Dutch company known as Plant-e initially introduced their new energy project, known as “Starry Sky,” at a demonstration in Hembrug, Netherlands. In it, they were able to power 300 LED lights, a truly marvelous show for anyone in attendance. The unique part of this project is that the harvested electricity didn’t come from conventional or even traditional green energy sources — it was harvested from living plants.

Marjolein Helder, the co-founder and CEO of Plant-e, believes that the aforementioned method of harvesting electricity can be revolutionary. Using plants to generate clean energy provides an option on the table that has little to no impact on the environment, and may save consumers up to millions as a whole if implemented correctly into society. Yet, Helder understands to achieve such big dreams, one must take initial steps. For Plant-e, that is done not only through providing light, but by selling Wi-Fi hotspots, mobile chargers, and rooftop electricity modules, all fueled by living plants.

Apparently, the idea for using plants and photosynthesis to extract energy is an old one. Until now, such endeavors have been delegated to middle school projects, mostly in the form of clocks being powered by potatoes. Jim McGowan provided a graphic that gives a general summary of how this is done.

Though such an endeavor is novel, at this moment, it isn’t reliable as a commercial product. Ramaraja Ramasamy, an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia College of Engineering, explains that Plant-e utilizes sediment microbial fuel cells, a method that isn’t advanced enough to compete with more established green technology like solar panels and wind turbines. Also, it is fairly new, thus the research is quite limited.

In conclusion, Plant-e’s way of providing power through plants is interesting but not practical to use, especially in the United States and Japan, countries that use a monumental amount of electricity. Presently, Plant-e and other green technology companies like them are researching if it is possible to get around this situation.

Now that you’ve read the news on how a Dutch company is providing electricity through plants, what are your views? Do you think that such a way of providing power will eventually see the light of day in the United States or any other country that consumes a lot of electricity?

[Featured Image via Shutterstock, Post Image via Jim McGowan/Yes Magazine]

Dutch Company Utilizes Plants To Power Streetlights, Wi-Fi, And Cell Phones

Canadian Solar Completes Sale of Two Utility Solar Power Plants to Renewable Energy Trust Capital

Canadian Solar Completes Sale of Two Utility Solar Power Plants to Renewable Energy Trust Capital

Visit http://www.canadiansolar.com for further information

“We are pleased with the sale of these two plants to Renewable Energy Trust Capital, and we look forward to closing the sale of the third plant in early 2015,”

Submitted on 12/29/14, 03:29 PM

GUELPH, Ontario, Canada, December 29, 2014 – Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”, or “Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar power companies, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Canadian Solar Solutions Inc., completed the sale of two 10 MW AC solar power plants, DiscoveryLight and FotoLight, to Renewable Energy Trust Ontario Holdings, INC/ULC (RET Capital), at a valuation comparable to other recent project sales completed by Canadian Solar on a per megawatt basis in the Ontario market. These two plants utilize Canadian Solar’s CS6X-305P modules, and are part of a sales agreement whereby Canadian Solar will sell a total of three utility-scale solar power plants from its Ontario pipeline to RET Capital, for a total of 40.9 MW DC.

DiscoveryLight is located in the town of Beaverton, while FotoLight is located in the Township of Prince Edward County. The electricity generated by these two power plants, both currently in commercial operation, will be sold to Hydro One under a 20-year Ontario Power Authority feed-in-tariff contract.

Canadian Solar provided turnkey engineering, procurement and construction services, and will also provide operations and maintenance services. A third 10 MW AC power plant (“CityLights”) is scheduled to begin commercial operation in the first quarter of 2015 with closing occurring post commercial operation.

“We are pleased with the sale of these two plants to Renewable Energy Trust Capital, and we look forward to closing the sale of the third plant in early 2015,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar. “This transaction underscores the successful execution of our business plan in Ontario, as well as our proven track record as a leading project developer on a global scale.”

“The good work we have done with our friends at Canadian Solar means we will be able to bring clean and cost-effective energy to Ontario households for years to come,” said John A. Bohn, chief executive officer and chairman of RET Capital. “We are pleased to announce this 40.9 MW DC deal and look forward to identifying and engaging similarly strategic opportunities in the new year.”

About Canadian Solar Inc.
Founded in 2001 in Ontario, Canada, Canadian Solar is one of the world’s largest and foremost solar power companies. As a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and provider of solar energy solutions, Canadian Solar has an industry leading and geographically diversified pipeline of utility-scale solar power projects as well as a track record of successful solar deployment boasting over 7 GW of premium quality modules installed in over 70 countries during the past decade. Canadian Solar is committed to providing high-quality solar products and solar energy solutions to customers around the world. For more information about our company, products and projects please visit www.canadiansolar.com.

About Renewable Energy Trust
RET (Renewable Energy Trust) Capital is a privately held company that makes sponsor equity investments in solar PV power generation facilities. RET Capital works closely with its Asset Partners- project developers, EPC providers, IPPs, and utilities- to acquire projects with long-term contracted cash flows. The RET team endeavours to help our Asset Partners meet their objectives through innovative structuring and design of portfolio acquisition and joint ownership opportunities. For more information, please visit www.renewabletrust.com.

Canadian Solar Completes Sale of Two Utility Solar Power Plants to Renewable Energy Trust Capital

Brazil bank BNDES outlines plans to finance solar-power plants

SAO PAULO, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Brazil’s state-owned development bank BNDES will offer loans to power companies to cover up to 65 percent of the cost of new solar generation projects in the country, part of the government’s plan to rapidly develop a local solar energy industry.

BNDES announced the lending plan Tuesday.

The program comes after years of government resistance to solar power on cost grounds. Government efforts to diversify Brazil’s energy mix has been accelerated by an ongoing drought. That drought has underlined the weaknesses of a system that has long depended on hydroelectricity but finds itself increasingly reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels.

The bank also said it will not require a large share of locally produced equipment right away, easing concerns that high domestic-content rules might raise costs.

Companies building the new solar generation farms, however, will be offered better financial terms if they use more Brazilian-made parts than required.

Besides the regular financing line know as Finem, with a 5 percent annual interest rate, BNDES will offer solar projects access to its Climate Fund, which charges only 0.1 percent a year. Climate Fund loans, though, are limited to 15 percent of the total investment.

Companies are eligible to take loans from both credit lines.

In October Brazil will auction rights to sell solar power to the national grid, the first of its kind in the South American country.

Power companies have registered about 400 projects for the auction, but many asked for more clarity on investment conditions and financing before committing to bid.

Absolar, a Brazilian lobby group promoting solar power, said the financing rules were very positive.

“They will reduce the average capital needs for the projects,” said Rodrigo Sauaia, Absolar executive director.

(Reporting by Marcelo Teixeira and Leonardo Goy; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Brazil bank BNDES outlines plans to finance solar-power plants

India Should Exempt Solar Duties on Existing Plants: Tata

India should refrain from slapping retroactive duties on solar power plants already under construction to avoid disrupting investment into the industry, a unit of the nation’s biggest industrial group said.

The government needs to impose the tariffs it is planning in a way “that existing projects don’t get affected,” said Ajay Goel, chief executive officer at Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd, which makes photovoltaic panels for project developers including another unit of Tata. The commerce ministry, which recommended duties in May, hasn’t said whether they should be levied on projects signed before the decision.

India’s proposed levies are part of a broader protectionist trend sweeping across the U.S., Europe, and Australia, mainly targeting Chinese companies after a global supply glut pushed panel prices down by about half. Local developers are protesting the levies, saying the fee would stall three-quarters of existing projects in India.

Companies developing projects say the levy would threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition to spread solar energy to every home in India, which is part of his effort to reduce blackouts and provide power to the poor.

A way to avoid chilling investment and to still support a local manufacturing industry would be to hit only future projects with the levy and to provide a clear timeline for the measures to take force, Goel said.

The commerce ministry recommended duties of 11 cents to 81 cents a watt. Developers led by Welspun Energy Ltd. say that would double the cost of solar power.

Goel rejected those projections, saying duties would boost panel prices by about 20 percent. That increase, spread out across the two-decade lifetime of the average photovoltaic plant, would mean the cost of solar power would rise to about 8 rupees (13 cents) to 9 rupees a kilowatt-hour, he said.

Bids in a February national auction of solar licenses priced electricity from imported solar equipment at an average of 6.5 rupees a kilowatt-hour.

The Ministry of Finance has until Aug. 22 to implement the duties.

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalie Obiko Pearson in New Delhi at npearson7@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net Abhay Singh

India Should Exempt Solar Duties on Existing Plants: Tata

Weanas® 8V 2.5W Solar Powered Water Pump Built-in Storage Battery Backup Brushless Submersible Pump Motor Solar Energy Garden Fountain Pond Plants Pool

* This pump has the lowest rate of the power of solar battery to pump power, it is not only easy to operate the brushless motor under little sunshine lie the brush motor, but also it has much long life time than other brush motor solar fountain.

* Comes with storage battery, battery powered when no sun during cloudy and raining days.

Specification:

* Storage Battery Power:6.4V 1400mA

* Solar Panel Power consumption : 2.5W/8V

* Brushless Pump Power Consumption:6.4V 0.9W

* Solar Panel Size: 7.3×5.3×1.2inches

* Pump Size: 1.6×1.5×1.2inches

* Max flow quantity of Pump:170L/h

* Max water height:30-60cm (Depends on sunshine)

* Max Water lift of Pump:90cm

* Life time:over 20000hrs

* Delay:less than 5s

Installation:

1. Put the pump totally in the water with nozzle over the water ,be sure the pump is fixed firmly on the bottom of the fountain to avoid vibration.

2. Plug the jack of pump in the jack of solar panel output.

3. Put the solar panel under enough sunlight and face directly to sun.

Caution:

* Please ignore the yellow switch,only red switch can be used.

* Be sure to put enough water in the fountain, especially sunny days; always keep the pump under the water surface.

* Change water frequently to keep water cleaning to avoid any dirt to impede the pump.

* Be careful to protect the solar panel to avoid damage,keep surface cleaning constantly.

* The yellow switch is without any function, please just ignore it.

Package Include:

1xSolar Panel with battery(DC adapter NOT included)

1xBrushless Pump

3xFountain Head

4xNozzle Adapter

3xExtension Tube

1xUser Manual

Product Features

• Solor power fountain Pond pool water pump for garden plants caring ,bird baths and other small water features


• Solor powered,no need other power supply;Storage Battery powered during cloudy and raining days;


• Brushless Motor pump power consumption 8V 140mA


• 4 Spray heads nozzles included; Max water height: 90CM; Wide irrigated areas with 90cm 170L Pump


• Pump Size: 1.6×1.5×1.2inches; Solar pannel size:7.3×5.3×1.2inches

Click Here For More Information

Weanas® 8V 2.5W Solar Powered Water Pump Built-in Storage Battery Backup Brushless Submersible Pump Motor Solar Energy Garden Fountain Pond Plants Pool