A climate warming warning: Warmer temperatures are affecting lakes in the oilsands region

Researchers used dated lake sediment cores to reconstruct past algal production and industrial impact at 23 remote, helicopter-accessed lakes in the oilsands region. Snowpack samples were also used to determine the nutrient deposition across the landscape.

The paper was co-authored by Queen's University researcher John Smol (Biology) and Jamie Summers, a doctoral candidate in the Queen's Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory.

"One of the biggest challenges we have in environmental work is the lack of reliable long-term monitoring data. Fortunately with lakes, their sediments act like a 'history book', archiving past environmental changes" says Dr. Smol, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change.

Previous work by members of the research team showed that contaminants from oilsands operations were clearly recorded in the lake sediments, and that algal production was also increasing. However, since only six lakes were used in the initial study, the cause of increased algal populations remained uncertain.

This 2016 study greatly expands the initial work by examining 23 remote lakes with catchments undisturbed by industry, located up to 200 kilometres away from the main oilsands operations.

"Our approach identifies widespread increases in lake primary production that we cannot link solely to the fertilizing effects of the local industry. Rather, we find a stronger link to a warming climate, which is consistent with other studies in the region," says Ms. Summers, the lead author on the study.

"Industrial activities still present a significant threat to freshwaters in the region, but increasing algal production driven directly by aerial nutrient fertilization does not appear to be the dominant stressor. Instead, we found much closer relationships with warmer air temperatures, which can lead to favourable conditions for algal growth, including decreased ice cover and an extended growing season."

The study was published in PLOS One.

Original Post: Queen's University

Agricultural Impact: Make Bio-Ethanol form Corn

Due to rapid growth in population and industrialization, worldwide ethanol demand is increasing continuously. Conventional crops such as corn and sugarcane are unable to meet the global demand of bioethanol production due to their primary value of food and feed. Therefore, lignocellulosic substances such as agricultural wastes are attractive feedstocks for bioethanol production. Agricultural wastes are cost effective, renewable and abundant. Bioethanol from agricultural waste could be a promising technology though the process has several challenges and limitations such as biomass transport and handling, and efficient pretreatment methods for total delignification of lignocellulosics. Proper pretreatment methods can increase concentrations of fermentable sugars after enzymatic saccharification, thereby improving the efficiency of the whole process. Conversion of glucose as well as xylose to ethanol needs some new fermentation technologies, to make the whole process cost effective. In this review, available technologies for bioethanol production from agricultural wastes are discussed.

Original Post: Devvrat

JAPAN CLOSER TO HARVESTING SOLAR ENERGY FROM SPACE

Since 2008, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has been working hard to develop technologies to transmit electricity wirelessly. The goal of the Space Solar Power Systems (SSPS), is to be able to transmit energy from orbiting solar panels by 2030. On March 12th, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) successfully conducted a ground demonstration test of “wireless power transmission”, a technology that will serve as the basis for the SSPS.

In the test, 10 kilowatts of electricity was successfully transmitted via a microwave unit. Power reception was confirmed at a receiver located 500 meters away. LED lights on the receiver confirmed the transmission. This marks a new milestone in transmission distance and power load (enough to power a set of conventional kitchen appliances). The test also confirmed the success of the advanced control system technology that is used to direct the microwave beam so that it stays on target.

The new test results promise to lead to way to terrestrial applications like the SSPS, and will hopefully eliminate the need for traditional cable connections. Potentially, a solar battery in orbit (36,000 kilometers above earth) could generate power which would then be transmitted to earth via microwave/laser, without relying on cables. JAXA anticipates that this new technology could become a mainstay energy source that will simultaneously solve both environmental and energy issues here on Earth.

Original Post:Energy Innovations

Organic waste for sustainable batteries

Summary: 

A carbon-based active material produced from apple leftovers and a material of layered oxides might help reduce the costs of future energy storage systems. Both were found to have excellent Electro chemical properties and stand for the environmentally compatible and sustainable use of resources, say scientists.

A carbon-based active material produced from apple leftovers and a material of layered oxides might help reduce the costs of future energy storage systems. Both were found to have excellent electrochemical properties and stand for the environmentally compatible and sustainable use of resources. Now, these materials are presented by researchers of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in the journals "ChemElectroChem" and "Advanced Energy Materials."

Sodium-ion batteries are not only far more powerful than nickel-metal hydride or lead acid accumulators, but also represent an alternative to lithium-ion technology, as the initial materials needed are highly abundant, easily accessible, and available at low cost. Hence, sodium-ion batteries are a very promising technology for stationary energy storage systems that play a central role in the transformation of the energy system and will be a highly attractive market in the future.

Now, researchers of the team of Professor Stefano Passerini and Dr. Daniel Buchholz of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have made an important step towards the development of active materials for sodium-based energy storage systems. For the negative electrode, a carbon-based material was developed, which can be produced from the leftovers of apples and possesses excellent electrochemical properties. So far, more than 1000 charge and discharge cycles of high cyclic stability and high capacity have been demonstrated. This discovery represents an important step towards the sustainable use and exploitation of resources, such as organic waste.

The material developed for the positive electrode consists of several layers of sodium oxides. This active material goes without the expensive and environmentally hazardous element cobalt that is frequently used in active materials of commercial lithium-ion batteries. At the laboratory, the new active material, in which electrochemical energy storage proper takes place, reaches the same efficiency, cyclic stability, capacity, and voltage without any cobalt.

Both materials mark an important step towards the development of inexpensive and environmentally friendly sodium-ion batteries. The results are presented in two journals.

Original Post: Science Daily

Edited Post: Devvrat

100% Renewable Energy: Fact Or Fantasy?

What would it take to power the entire US economy on renewable resources alone?

Three big things:

1. Only build wind, solar, or hydro power plants after 2020
2. Reduce energy use compared to business as usual by 40%
3. Electrify everything

It’s the last that may be the most complicated, since it means a complete overhaul of the way we do everything from heating homes to moving people. Mark Jacobson, author of a seminal study on the transformation, doesn’t mince words about its complexity:

The recommendations — indeed, all 28 — would require coordinated action from Congress, federal agencies, state legislatures, and local officials. Together, they represent an unprecedented level of government activism, a skein of incentives, mandates, standards, and laws unmatched in U.S. history.

Original Post: Devvrat

5 ways to create a zero-waste kitchen

Whether you want to improve your health, clean up your eco-act or simply save money, looking at how much food you waste is a good idea.

Australians send four million tonnes of food to landfill every year and 60% of this is leftovers and fruit and vegetables that’ve been left to wilt.

This waste is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; for every tonne of food waste not sent to landfill, almost one tonne of CO2 emissions is saved.

It also makes good economic sense. The average Australian household throws away an estimated $1000 worth of food ever year, generally due to buying more than they need.

Thankfully, slashing your food waste isn’t hard. Follow these five simple tips and you’ll be well on your way:

1. Don’t fall for ‘buy in bulk’ specials

Grabbing two heads of cabbage for $3.50 instead of $5, for example, may seem like a great deal but unless you’re making a giant vat of sauerkraut, most likely the second cabbage will wilt before you get around to using it and will end up in the bin.

2. Store leftovers in the freezer

That way they won’t go to waste before you get around to eating them.

3. Don’t bother with peeling

Many peels are edible and in fact contain much of the nutritional content of vegetables. The skins of pumpkin, beetroot, potatoes and carrots are all edible.

4. Eat the leaves & stems

The leaves of veggies like beetroot, radish, kohl rabi and cauliflower and the stems of kale and broccoli are edible. Instead of throwing these out, use the leaves as you would silver beet or spinach and add the stems to casseroles or soups – they need a little longer to become tender.

5. Compost

Food wasting away in landfill produces greenhouse gases but in acomposting system, food waste is converted into nutritious soil for the garden. If you don’t have a garden or the space for a regular compost bin get your hands on a benchtop composting system. Many Councils now offer composting solutions, so check with your before you push ahead.

India may shelve dollar-denominated solar electricity tariff plan

India may shelve its plan to introduce dollar-denominated tariff for grid-connected solar power, according to several government officials aware of the development.The proposed move, aimed to attract foreign investment by reducing foreign exchange risk, has been put on hold at a time when the tariff for electricity generated from the sun has touched a record low of Rs4.34 per unit. Also, the rupee has weakened against the dollar.“The dollar-linked tariff plan for solar power has been put on the back burner given the volatility in the rupee-dollar exchange rate, and the downward trend in solar power tariffs,” said a senior government official requesting anonymity.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had come up with the dollar-linked tariff plan in order to bring solar tariff down at grid parity to increase its usage in the country. The plan’s formulation started last year when solar power was available at Rs6.70 per unit wherein the price of electricity available on the grid through other fuel sources was in the range of Rs3.60-5.79. Grid parity refers to the price of electricity being at par or comparable with the prices prevalent on the grid.

The proposed dollar-denominated tariff model suggested state-owned utilities, such as NTPC Ltd, invite bids to procure power from solar project developers in dollar terms, sell it to distribution companies in rupee terms and create an escrow fund to manage foreign exchange depreciation. Also, apart from the dollar, the government was exploring the idea of other prominent currencies, such as the euro and the yen, to target investments in solar. A senior NTPC executive requesting anonymity said, “The dollar-denominated mechanism is not being explored now.”

The Narendra Modi-led government’s 100 gigawatt solar generation target by 2022 is five times the previous goal. The increase of around 20 times from the current capacity of 5,129 megawatt (MW) is part of efforts to provide electricity to almost 280 million people who don’t have access to electricity. NTPC has been tasked to meet a quarter of this solar power generation target. “The dollar-denominated tariff has been kept in abeyance for the time being. As the tariff has plummeted, there is no point taking dollar-linked tariff plan forward,” said another NTPC executive who also didn’t want to be identified.

Taking into consideration the trend of annual rupee depreciation of around 3.0-3.5 per cent since the liberalisation of the economy in 1991, the hedging reserve was expected to remain positive for 25 years. Even considering a higher rate of depreciation of 5 per cent, the hedging reserve was expected to last for 17 years. The government was of the view that dollar-linked tariff would reduce the then-prevailing rate of solar power at Rs6.70 a unit to Rs4.37 and make green power affordable and accessible by all. This figure was breached during the last bid.

Spokespersons for India’s ministry for new and renewable energy and NTPC didn’t respond to queries emailed on 27 January. Experts concur with the government’s strategy. “Since the grid-connected solar power tariff has hit a record low of Rs4.34 per unit, it has significantly reduced the pressure on the government. I believe this is the reason why the government is going to shelve the dollar-denominated tariff for solar power,” said Kuljit Singh, partner and industry leader for infrastructure at EY, a consultancy firm.

The solar power tariffs have been declining in India. In November 2015, the US-based renewable energy firm SunEdison Inc. emerged as the lowest bidder by quoting an all-time low tariff of Rs4.63 per unit at an auction called by NTPC. It has further gone down in January 2016 when Fortum Finnsurya Energy Pvt. Ltd, a Finland-headquartered utility, quoted a record low of Rs4.34 per unit to get the mandate for developing a 70MW solar plant under NTPC's Bhadla Solar Park tender in Rajasthan. Also, the rupee has depreciated by around 51per cent since the start of calendar year 2011. “We have dropped the dollar-denominated tariff plan for solar power as the rupee is hovering around 68 against the dollar,” said another senior government official who also did not want to be named.

The solar strategy is at the heart of the Modi government's ambitious target to halve the country’s energy imports by 2030. India imported 192 million tonne of crude oil in 2014-15 at a cost of Rs6.92 trillion.

OriginalPost: Vccircle

India Needs to Make Silicon for Solar Power: Expert

India has set an ambitious target of generating 100,000 MW of solar energy by 2022 but does not have the technology to process sand into silicon, forcing its import in huge quantities, a top scientist said. 

"As silicon is not produced in the country, we are totally import-dependent for it. Though we have plenty of sand as raw material, we don't have the technology to process it into silicon wafers for solar cells or panels," former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee told IANS in an interview at the 103rd Indian Science Congress here, about 140 km from Bengaluru. Asserting that solar power would reduce carbon footprint in the long-term, Banerjee said energy generated from cells or panels was, however, 20-25 percent of the installed capacity as against 80 percent from a nuclear plant. 

"As setting up a solar plant is highly capital intensive owing to import of silicon for panels or photovoltaic cells, its power can only complement nuclear or other forms of energy, including renewable and conventional," Banerjee said on the occasion. 

Though India is a tropical country above the equator, with plenty of sunshine, especially in western, central and southern regions for at least 10 months, harnessing its energy and distributing it with minimum loss at source or in transmission is a challenge for its stakeholders in the absence of an ecosystem yet. 

"Unlike nuclear, which is a concentrated form of energy, solar is a distributed form, enabling us to have a mix of different sources. Both complement as they emit very low carbon footprint," Banerjee said after delivering a special address on 'Atomic Energy' in a plenary session in the University of Mysore campus. 

"We can have any installed capacity but what determines its utility and value is the quantum of energy produced in units per hour. A 1,000 mw solar-based plant will not produce more than one-third of what a nuclear or thermal-based plant does per hour," Banerjee pointed out. 

Ironically, for various reasons, every energy form has issues, including environmental, economic, social and political, which delay execution, leading to cost escalation and shortage in view of the growing demand for power across the country. 

"Our per capita electricity consumption is about 800 kilowatt per hour, with 25 percent of the population still having no access to power. In contrast, the world's per capita consumption of power is 2,600 kw per hour. We have to generate four times the present output to meet the energy needs of our population, which will be about 1.4 billion in 20 years (2035)," Banerjee noted. 

As domestic manufacturing of solar cells and panels was limited, the country is dependent on imports from China and other countries, including Germany. 

"Even if we invest a lot to produce energy from renewable solar and nuclear sources, our dependence on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas will continue though we can reduce proportionately to check carbon emission from thermal power units," he added. 

In a related development, the government on December 30 hiked the budget for tapping solar energy through rooftop installations across the country to a whopping Rs.5,000 crore from Rs.600 crore earlier. 

The increased budgetary support will enable utility providers to source power generated from rooftops solar systems through a grid over the next five years under the National Solar Mission. An estimated 4,200 MW of solar rooftop systems are expected to be installed over the next five years on residential, government, social and institutions sectors such as hospitals and educational buildings.

OriginalPost: IANS

IBC Solar Systems Presents System Solution For Agriculture Irrigation

IBC SOLAR AG has announced that it is giving farmers the opportunity to switch to a non-toxic, low-cost and reliable water supply: expensive and high-maintenance diesel generators can now be replaced with a PV system linked to the IBC PumpController. This system can be connected via a Siemens frequency converter to existing water pumps. Existing irrigation systems can therefore easily be converted to use a significantly more efficient and lower-cost power supply.

Both the existing pumps and the entire irrigation infrastructure are conserved during the conversion, and only the diesel generator is replaced by a PV system. The IBC PumpController system solution combined with a PV system is structured around concepts of standardisation, modularisation and the global quality promise of IBC SOLAR.

Only standard components are used by IBC SOLAR as they are easy to maintain and replace. The Sinamics S120 frequency converter including Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) from Siemens installed in the IBC PumpController ensures that the maximum output can be taken from the photovoltaic generator.

Replacing expensive diesel with reliable solar power. The benefits of the solar system solution will be immediately noticeable to farmers who are converting to a solar power supply. Diesel fuel is expensive to purchase and poses risks during transportation and storage. Diesel is also not cost effective as a fuel source because the cost of importing is supported by government subsidies in many countries. Solar energy, on the other hand, is a reliable and low-cost form of power supply in the agricultural sector, especially in areas where demand for water is high.

Furthermore, energy supply and water demand fit together perfectly. Water is typically in need after sunny days, thus right after water tanks have been filled with the aid of solar power. Once installed, the PV system also only incurs minimal maintenance costs. Pilot plants with cost recovery within 3 years.

A pilot plant on a farm in Namibia has been showing the practical functions of the system solution since June 2015. An IBC SOLAR PV system with a maximum output of 17.7 kWp and an IBC PumpController has permanently replaced an 11 kVA diesel generator. This conversion has made possible the environmentally-friendly and, above all, reliable drip irrigation of arable land, while saving 30 litres of diesel per day. "The investment in the solar-powered pump solution will pay off within 3 years," explains Dieter Miener, Technical Applications Engineer at IBC SOLAR.

IBC SOLAR will include 10 performance classes ranging between 3 and 90 kW in its portfolio. Due to the positive experiences gained in Namibia and further countries, IBC SOLAR is now offering the system solution in the target markets of Africa and Latin America through its Premium Partners. In addition to its use in agricultural fields, the solution can also be implemented in the fish farming, wastewater treatment or tourism sectors.

OriginalPost: Moulin Oza

Solar PV: Drivers for low-priced solar photovoltaic systems in the United States

Drivers for low-priced 

solar photovoltaic systems in the 

United States 

Share of low price systems in Each States

 Solar News                                  

Summary:

The price of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on homes and small businesses spans a wide range, and researchers have published a new study that reveals the key market and system drivers for low-priced PV systems.

Berkeley Lab's Ryan Wiser, a co-author of the study, explains, "Despite impressive recent cost reductions, installed prices for small-scale PV systems in the United States continue to show wide pricing differences depending on the location of the installation, the installer, the components of the system, and other factors. Our work seeks to pinpoint the characteristics of recently-installed PV systems at the lower end of the observed solar price range."

According to Greg Nemet of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the lead author of the report, "We find that low-priced PV systems, those cheaper than 90 percent of other systems nationally, are more prevalent in local markets with fewer active installers, and are more likely to be installed by companies that have more county-level experience installing PV systems. Not surprisingly, low-priced PV systems are also associated with a variety of system characteristics. For example, such systems are more likely to be customer owned (vs. leased), be larger in size, and use lower-efficiency modules; and are less likely to use tracking, building-integrated PV modules, micro-inverters, and batteries."

The analysis also finds significant variations across states. After accounting for other differences among markets, PV systems are more likely to be low-priced in Maine (51 times more likely than California, the "reference" state in the statistical analysis), Arizona (23 times more likely), New Hampshire (10 times), New Mexico (4 times), and New Jersey (3 times). Finally, the research finds that policy incentives can affect the prevalence of low-priced systems, though those influences are nuanced and require additional analysis to fully verify.

"Widespread adoption of PV will depend, in part, on the economics of those systems," explains Ryan Wiser. "By studying the attributes of low-priced PV systems, we can begin to identify what can be done to facilitate those conditions and thereby drive down PV system prices nationwide."

Berkeley Lab and researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Yale University, the University of Texas-Austin, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory collaborated on the study. The work draws upon Berkeley Lab's Tracking the Sun report series, which monitors trends in the installed price of PV systems in the United States.

The study focuses on systems ranging in size from 1 to 15 kiloWatts, and used a variety of statistical methods to analyze a dataset of over 40,000 PV systems in 15 U.S. states.

Original Post : DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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