The Australian Energy Market Operator has forecasted a fall in energy consumption for the first time, delaying a need for investments in new power plants and transmission networks. This fall can be attributed to lower demand and growth of renewable energy generation. This spells good news for Australia in meeting its greenhouse gas emissions target and for consumers seeking to lower their energy bills. Read more

Adam Morton and David Wroe (29 June 2012):

The body that manages Australia’s electricity grid has for the first time forecast a fall in energy use, and predicted it will delay for years the need for investment in new power plants or transmission networks.

The Australian Energy Market Operator says consumption will fall this year due to four factors: a decline in manufacturing, comparatively mild weather, the swift growth in rooftop solar panels and consumers reacting to rapidly rising electricity prices.

It reverses years of the operator projecting soaring growth in energy consumption, and has implications for the shift from coal-fired power to lower-emissions gas under the carbon price scheme.

It could also restrict the pace at which power bills increase. If demand for electricity is down, it will keep the wholesale electricity price paid to power plant owners low.

And if investment in new electricity infrastructure is deferred it could slow the increase in the amount consumers pay for the upgrade of poles and wires – nationally, the biggest contributor to rising electricity bills in recent years.

Matt Zema, the market operator’s chief executive, said the fall in energy use – down 2.4 per cent on last year and 5.7 per cent lower than projected – was the biggest since the creation of the National Electricity Market in 1998.

”For the first time, we’re seeing that GDP is still growing but energy demand is actually decreasing,” he said.

Of the nearly 6 per cent decline on last year’s projections, about half is due to a fall in industrial consumption – mainly due to the high Australian dollar increasing competition for manufacturing from cheap imports.

The other half is split between reduced demand for airconditioning due to a milder summer, the growth of photovoltaic solar panels to a point where they provide 0.9 per cent of energy used, and improved energy efficiency due to the advent of better appliances and light globes and consumers becoming more energy conscious. The market operator expects solar panels to generate 3.4 per of all energy in a decade.

Mr Zema said the fall in energy consumption had combined with other factors – including rising gas prices due to overseas demand for LNG – to hold up investment in gas-fired power plants, which had been expected to be a medium-term replacement for coal.

Tony Wood, an energy expert from the Grattan Institute, said it would make it easier for Australia to reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Electricity distributors would probably not have to spend as much on network and transmission costs, he said.

Source: www.smh.com.au

Cities around the world are setting an example in adopting electric and plug in hybrid vehicles by incorporating them into municipal fleets and public transportation, as well as providing the infrastructure to encourage higher pick-up rate among consumers. Now, 16 cities have set a cumulative target to increase the share of EVs to about 6% of total vehicle sales by 2020. To achieve that, innovative programs are being and have been initiated. Read more

By Max Frankel for Renew Economy (4 July 2012):

Sixteen cities around the world have set a cumulative target to sell almost six million electric and plug in hybrid electric vehicles by 2020. If they reach this goal, EVs would account for about 6% of total vehicle sales and about 20 million cars on the road.

A new report called the EV City Casebook highlights how these leading cities are putting the right pieces into place to encourage the adoption of EVs:

“Cities are also leading by example. Many have already added electric vehicles to municipal fleets and incorporated hybrid buses into public transportation. They are placing charging spots at public buildings and, in some cases, offering discounted electricity rates for EV users from municipal-owned utilities. Just as important, cities are using their convening power to assemble multi-stakeholder groups that include city planners, automakers, utilities, infrastructure suppliers, academic and research institutions, and city and national officials. These groups work together to create a roadmap for EV readiness that considers all stakeholder perspectives and seeks to identify and address technical, economic and regulatory barriers to EV adoption and integration.”

The sixteen cities involved in the collaborative project are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, BrabantStad, the Goto Islands in Nagasaki, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kanagawa, Los Angeles, New York, North East England, Portland, Research Triangle in North Carolina, Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Stockholm.

Three cities, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Los Angeles have taken the lead and are instituting innovative programs to reach their ambitious EV targets. Here’s a look at what they’re up to:

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a 219 square kilometer city with a population of a just over 780,000. There are almost a quarter million registered vehicles and the average commuter travels 8 kilometers everyday. Amsterdam currently has about 750 EVs in use and aims to have 10,000 on the roads 2015. To accomplish this goal, the city has number of initiatives in the works.

First, Amsterdam has reserved almost €9 million for subsidies. They pay companies up €5,000 for each electric car, €10,000 per electric bus, and €40,000 per electric truck that they integrate into their fleets. A pilot program run in 2009 yielded encouraging results, with over 200 EVs purchased.

Next, the City has a Car2Go program. Started in 2011, electric vehicles can be dropped off and picked up at any time from public parking spots for a nominal fee. This program closely resembles the Bikeshare and Zipcar programs we see in the U.S. Additionally, stating in 2013, an online database will provide live and up-to-the-minute information about the location and status of the city’s nearly 1,000 EV charging stations.

Finally, Amsterdam is slowly transitioning its taxi fleet to EVs. By the end of 2012, 40 of the city’s 2,500 diesel taxis will be electrically powered, up from 10 the previous year.

Amsterdam also aims to be fossil fuel free by 2040, powering its electric cars, trucks, boats, and buildings with energy generated by wind, solar, and biomass.

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of of more than 1.6 million people. It is a dense metropolis where people rely heavily on motorbikes and scooters to get around. The city has almost a million registered vehicles, but plans to expand its electric fleet from the 400 it has today to about 3,000 by 2014. Barcelona also aims to have almost 4,500 charging stations in two years.

In order to accomplish these goals, Barcelona has installed a series of “Mobecpoint” charging stations around the city to encourage the use of electric two-wheelers. The city is second only to Rome in its use of motorbikes and the Mobecpoint stations charge them for free. Barcelona hopes to encourage electric scooters enough so that they make up half of the two wheeled vehicle fleet. Volta Motorbikes, a popular manufacturer, has introduced an electric two wheeler named the ‘Barcelona’ due to its “design, environmental respect and quality.”

The city’s LIVE program (Logistics for the Implementation of the Electric Vehicle) is an open platform that provides information to users about everything from charging stations to opportunities for new innovation and investment. It also issues EV registration cards needed for using the municipal charging stations. LIVE is regarded as “the first citizens’ office in Europe to provide information regarding electric mobility.”

Through LIVE, Barcelona released an app called Chargelocator, which allows mobile users to find the nearest and cheapest available charging station.

Like Amsterdam, Barcelona is working on an EV car sharing program. This one is being worked on in collaboration with MIT and may resemble the University’s ideas for the City Car.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles has more than 2.5 million registered vehicles for its 4.1 million residents. Commuters travel an average of 23 miles a day and nearly 80% of them do it via passenger vehicle. Currently, Los Angeles has about 2,000 EVs in use, but aims to get that number closer to 80,000 by 2015.

To help reach that goal, the State of California has added a $2,500 purchase rebate in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit on electric vehicles. California also allows drivers traveling alone to use the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on highways if they are driving Zero-emissions cars.

In late 2011, the city of Los Angeles started using long-range all-electric eBuses to shuttle passengers to and from the terminals at LAX airport. The buses are significantly cleaner and cheaper than conventional buses; in fact, some estimate they can be up to $500,000 cheaper than normal buses over their life time.

The city of LA also started requiring all new construction projects to contain EV readiness infrastructure.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has taken a number of steps to further the development and deployment of EVs. It has invested $60 million in smart grid technology for the city, upgraded the local power grid to cope with EV charging stations, and provided a $2,000 discount to people who install EV charging stations in their homes.

Finally, the city is involved in a number of collaborative projects with local universities and state agencies to study and prepare for the rollout of a future EV fleet. LA has entered into a partnership with Shanghai, China to “cooperate and share data from their respective EV demonstration programs.”

It will still be many years before EVs become truly “mainstream.” But forward-thinking cities are preparing for their roll out today, setting the stage for a new phase in transportation.

Max Frankel is a senior at Vassar College and an intern with the energy team at the Center for American Progress. This article was first published on Climate Progress. Reproduced with permission.

Source: www.reneweconomy.com.au

Singapore’s Keppel Integrated Engineering has recently completed the state-of-the-art Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre in Qatar, capable of handling all household generated rubbish per day. Rising up from the desert, this is the first integrated waste management plant in the Middle East, and one of the first in the world to feature electricity generation as well. Read more

By Jonathan Kwok for the Straits Times (30 June 2012):

IN EARLY 2007, Australia-born engineer Geoffrey Piggott was driven to the middle of a vast desert near the Qatari industrial township of Mesaieed.

There, surrounded by flat stony and sandy desert as far as the eye could see, he had a 3sqkm area marked out for him.

He was told to build a modern waste management plant for Qatar’s government.

‘I had to look for the site with a GPS. It was completely flat, there were no roads, no water, no supplies, no electricity, no telecommunications,’ recalled Mr Piggott, a project director with Singapore’s Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE).

‘All we had were a few pegs in the ground marking out the site for us.’

That marked the start of the Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre, which stands on the site today. The state-of-the-art facility processes 2,300 tonnes of solid waste a day. A Qatar government strategy paper says this is about the amount of rubbish generated by all households in Qatar.

It has also put Singapore on the world map in terms of waste management. KIE was behind the design, construction and running of the facility.

The plant has received attention as the first integrated waste management plant in the Middle East – combining sorting and recycling, compost production, energy production from waste and landfilling all in one facility. It is also one of the first such plants in the world. A unique aspect is the different processes being in a single location, to treat all types of waste in an environmentally friendly way.

‘This plant is something that we are pretty proud of – as a Singapore-based company, to be able to do this in the Middle East, so far away,’ said BG (NS) Tay Lim Heng, chief executive of KIE, a subsidiary of rigbuilding giant Keppel Corp.

‘When we secured the contract, it was possibly one of the biggest single engineering projects won by a Singapore-based company in an overseas country.’

With the support of Singapore’s National Environment Agency, KIE had in 2006 snagged the contract worth 3.9 billion Qatari riyal – or about S$1.7 billion at the time – which includes operating and maintaining the facility for 20 years.

Work started in early 2007, and soon there were more than 2,000 workers from 26 countries working on the construction site.

The weather was a major challenge, with summer temperatures soaring to 40 deg C or more, and little or no rainfall.

The workers built everything from roads to accommodation, power supply and water supply – essentially, an entire small town out in the desert.

To cater to all the nationalities, there were three canteens serving different cuisines across the 3sqkm site – about the size of 420 football fields.

The wildlife was a challenge as well, said Mr Piggott. ‘We had to build a fence to keep out the camels. They would otherwise go wherever there was a drop of water on the site.’

On working with the Qatar government, Mr Piggott said that although the relevant ministries were helpful, some of the approval processes for various permits were lengthy.

Finally, after 10 million man-hours, the Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre was completed last October, handed to the Qatari government and started operating. Now, the plant is manned by 250 KIE personnel, including 15 Singapore citizens and permanent residents.

Less than 5 per cent of the waste volume arriving ends up in the landfill, with the rest being converted into compost, recycled or incinerated. Before that, Qatar buried its waste in landfills with minimal processing.

The centre includes waste separation and recycling facilities, which sort metals and plastics from the trash to be processed and reused. Organic waste material is sent to a compost plant within the compound, to be converted into compost fertiliser, while inorganic material goes to a waste-to-energy plant for the generation of electricity. Only a small volume of the original rubbish ends up in the on-site landfill, which will be able to last for about 20 years.

Mr Tay reckoned that such integrated facilities can be the way ahead for many countries, with the increasing focus on green energy and sustainable development.

Singapore does not have any totally integrated waste management plants. A major constraint is the scarcity of land here, he said.

In contrast, Qatar, which has the greatest number of proven reserves of oil and gas in the world, has plenty of land. It is 16 times Singapore’s size, with a population of only 1.8 million. Singapore’s four waste-to-energy plants will be able to fit into KIE’s Qatar facility easily, Mr Tay said.

But Singapore’s efforts in waste management include recycling facilities and a well-managed landfill at Pulau Semakau which stores incineration ash, experts say.

For KIE, Qatar’s Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre was its first project in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state.

Mr Tay said that with Qatar looking to build up its infrastructure for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, other possible projects in the country could include ‘district cooling’. This involves centralised cooling for many buildings using chilled water.

KIE already operates the district cooling systems in Singapore’s one-north, Woodlands Wafer Fab Park and Changi Business Park.

He added that with other GCC countries also facing challenges with waste management, KIE will be keen to pursue projects similar to the Qatar plant across the region.

Source: http://www.waste-management-world.com

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the health threat posed by air pollution, especially in Asia, which bears 65% of global deaths. At the Clean Air Forum in Singapore delegates were told the pollutant posing the greatest risk is identified as particulate matter – fine particles that deposit in airways and can lead to increased acute morbidity, mortality, and decreased lung growth and function. Action has been urged to clean up the air, especially from industry, transportation and energy production. And diesel is seen as a significant contributor, too.  Read more

Report from Ken Hickson at the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore:

Asia’s booming cities are experiencing mounting problems of air pollution and this is being borne out with the region having more than its share of deaths from environmental pollution, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).

While Singapore’s air might to amongst the cleanest in Asia,  attention is now turning to the very fine particles – less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter  and labelled PM2.5 – which are believed to pose the largest health risks, increasingly accounting for cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.

The Clean Air Forum jointly presented at the CleanEnviro Summit by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) set out to provide “innovative solutions to improve air quality among Asia’s growing cities”, but also drew sobering attention to the health and environmental impacts of indoor and outdoor pollution.

In a keynote address to the Forum, Nasir Hassan, PhD, Regional Adviser on Environmental Health for the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that globally 3 million children under the age of five die every year due to environment-related diseases, with half of them – 1.5 million – from acute respiratory infections.

While outdoor air pollution is the most obvious problem and is identified as the cause of 800,000 deaths a year, nearly 50% of pneumonia deaths among children under five are due to particulate matter inhaled from indoor air pollution.

Asia is carrying an “uneven burden” from environmental pollution, says Dr Hassan, as 65% of the world total of deaths and lost life-years occur in Asia.

He drew particular attention to the single most studied and the most important health-damaging pollutant: particulate matter (PM), which includes black carbon. Fine particles deposit in airways and can lead to increased acute respiratory morbidity (pneumonia, asthma), increased mortality (from all causes) and well as decreased lung growth and function.

While particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter (PM10) pose certain health concern, particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) and referred to as “fine” particles, are believed to pose the largest health risks. Because of their small size (less than one-seventh the average width of a human hair), fine particles can lodge deeply into the lungs. Exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and reduces life expectancy.

As some of the largest contributors to urban outdoor air pollution are industry, power generation, and transport, the WHO points to improvements in urban planning and public transport, stronger emissions controls for motor vehicles and regulations for industry  which have been shown to improve air quality and health.

May Ajero, the Programme Manager for Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Centre, told the Clean Air Forum that the Centre’s mission is to promote better air quality and liveable cities by translating knowledge to policies and actions that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from transport, energy and other sectors.

“We need to put air pollution back on the agenda,” she said, “as it is a major issue with severe impacts on public health and contributes to climate change”.

While Asia has measures in place to help bring down pollution, Ms Ajero believes there are still plenty of opportunities to bring down pollution further, identifying diesel exhaust as a major problem as it has been identified as a cause of lung cancer.

She drew attention to a report last month (June) by the International Agency For Research On Cancer (IARC) which has for more than two decades classified diesel engine exhaust as a “probable” carcinogen — a cancer-causing agent — but until recently there was no clear evidence linking it to higher cancer rates.

This winter, however, two studies in the United States were published based on research involving more than 12,000 mine workers done by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, known as the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study, or DEMS.

According to a CNN report – referenced by Ms Ajero – industry groups and clean-air advocates alike say recent improvements in diesel engines are dramatic, but older engines are still in widespread use. Dr. Christopher Wild, the IARC director said while the United States and Europe already have “stringent” guidelines on diesel fumes, but there is “relatively little information about diesel exhaust in developing countries.” Other scientists warn that cancer takes years or even decades to develop, meaning that people exposed to fumes in the past are still at risk.

The Clean Air Forum also saw the launch of a new initiative by SIIA to further draw attention to the problems of air pollution. It has established the Clean City Air Coalition, a partnership of various stakeholders to raise awareness of the impacts of air pollution to inform policy makers and private corporations as well as change behaviours of individuals and the broader society.

Nicholas Fang, Director of SIIA and one of moderators at the Clean Air Forum, felt that more needs to be done to raise public awareness of this issue, especially pertaining to sources of pollutants such as PM2.5 and NOX (Nitrous Oxides). In 2011, the annual PM2.5 level remained the same as the year before (2010) while the annual PM10 level increased slightly, with both exceeding the WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines.

In working towards raising awareness, the SIIA has been writing commentaries on the clean city air issue for local media and also has ambitious plans to ramp up online initiatives to reach out to the general population.

Source: www.wpro.who.int/topics/air_pollution/,  www.cleanairinitiative.org and www.siiaonline.org

Seventeen companies in Singapore have been awarded by the Singapore Business Federation for their sustainable business practices and application of green technologies. The fifty applications received from public-listed and private firms, including multinationals, exhibited the trend of shifting towards a higher commitment to corporate and social responsibility. In the long run, the award is expected to serve as a guide for firms to benchmark their sustainability efforts against. Read more

The Straits Times (4 Jul 2012):

REUSING beer bottles, recycling product labels or cutting waste production can make a big impact on the bottom line – just ask the winners of this year’s sustainable business awards.

There were 17 winners – 10 firms for sustainable business practice and seven under green technology – with Sembcorp Marine, Qian Hu Corp, the Housing Board (HDB), TP Vision Singapore and Cyclect Energy taking home the top honours.

Mr Victor Tay, chief operating officer of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), told a briefing yesterday that about 50 applications, from public-listed and private firms, including multinationals, from 16 industries were received.

The winners were judged on their sustainable business practices, pro-environment operation, corporate responsibility and innovation.

Mr Tay said: ‘This year’s winners exhibit the trend shift towards higher commitment to social responsibility.’

Mr Michael Chin, general manager of Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore), a winner in the large-enterprise category for sustainable business, said: ‘Sustainability is part of our DNA. It’s not because it’s sexy but because it’s the logical thing to do.’

He added that the firm has cut electricity consumption by 12 per cent – enough to power 47 HDB blocks a month.

TP Vision, which makes and markets Philips-brand TV sets, was another winner.

Managing director Wong Lup Wai said: ‘The award recognises our priorities in achieving targets of energy efficiency, reduction of hazardous material and use of recycled material in our products.’

HDB director Alan Tan said the organisation, which won top honour for the green technology awards, is conscious of the need to create well-designed townships and well-used spaces to meet the community’s needs.

The awards, now in their third year, are an SBF initiative to encourage businesses to employ long-term sustainable development goals.

The independent panel of judges comprised the Economic Development Board, IE Singapore, the National Environment Agency, the National University of Singapore, Spring Singapore, the Institute of Technical Education, KPMG and Frost & Sullivan.

SBF is also embarking on a series of workshops to enable firms to benchmark their sustainability efforts against other Singapore companies and industry best practice.

‘This knowledge will help businesses improve their environmental impact, and empower industries to improve collectively,’ SBF chief executive Ho Meng Kit told a gala dinner yesterday.

The awards were handed out at the dinner by Mr S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and for Trade and Industry, who was the guest of honour.

Source: www.spring.gov.sg

Communicating climate change and its consequences has never been easy. Taking the cake is Globe-Town, a new website that aims to showcase the complex nature of climate change and how it relates to individuals. It has been awarded a top three place at the inaugural ‘Apps for Climate’ competition held by the World Bank. Developed by a team from the University of Southampton, Globe-Town connects the global to the local, and enables individuals to explore how climate change affects them personally and the responsibilities and opportunities present. Read more

Eureka Alert (29 June 2012):

A new website that opens up the complex world of climate change and how it relates to the individual has won a major global award for a team from the University of Southampton.

Globe-Town.org won a top three place at the first international ‘Apps for Climate’ competition (#Apps4Climate) held by the World Bank presented at a ceremony in Washington DC.

By opening up the facts of climate change in different countries, Globe-Town shows how no one is isolated from the consequences in an interdependent world. The site also reveals how responding to climate change presents a world of opportunities to inspire individuals and entrepreneurs.

The application was conceived by web and sustainability researcher Jack Townsend (@JackTownsend_) and developed with a team including four other PhD students from the University’s Web Science Doctoral Training Centre. Jack says: “The World Health Organisation has estimated that climate change is killing 150,000 people a year. In order to tackle this challenge, we all need to know how it affects us personally and what we can do about it. Globe-Town does this by connecting the global with the local, so we can explore the risks, responsibilities and opportunities of climate change in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Jack continues: “The aim of Globe-Town is to open up our world of connections to exploration, whilst bringing home what the things we discover might mean to us personally. We hope to bring more transparency to the rich network of our connections, or, perhaps introduce people to their far-away next-door neighbours.”

Globe-Town originated with Jack’s research into the web and climate change. “I’m fascinated by the potential of web technologies and openness to tackle global challenges and advance sustainable development for all,” Jack adds. “Globe-Town is just one example of how they can contribute.”

Globe-Town is an easy-to-use web application where people can learn about each country’s environment, society and economy, so they can understand the challenges and opportunities that it faces in a changing world. Moreover, they can explore the connections between countries through relationships such as trade, migration or air travel. Stories can then emerge of how climate risks can be transmitted between distant countries, for instance the impact of the 2011 Thai floods on the Japanese economy. Similarly, the user can learn about shared responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions through the things we import, or opportunities to act to mitigate and to adapt, such as investing in renewable energy projects abroad.

Andrea Prieto (@Andrea__Prieto) designed the site graphics, and it was developed by architect Richard Gomer (@RichardGomer), and Huw Fryer, Will Fyson and Dominic Hobson. It builds heavily on the increasing amount of freely available ‘open data’ online, with much of it originating from the World Bank’s open data portal.

Jack concludes, “We are exploring a wide range of possibilities for the future of Globe-Town, such as enabling people to crowd-funding projects, participate in e-activism, or to contribute content so they can take action about what they discover. With ideas like these – along with the existing discussion feature – Globe-Town can go beyond exploring our existing links to forging new ones around the world. After all, we all live in the same Globe-Town.”

Watch a video about Globe-Town here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Q0_Is7Lw8

Source: www.eurekalert.org