Dear all I feel duty bound (well perhaps a bit strong, more a case of it would be a good idea) to provide some feedback on the comments I received to my previous ramble. Time as usual seems to have flown by and I stopped responding to some individual comments on the basis I was preparing this follow up ramble. So apologies to those who anticipated they were due another response. In deed I find I have the time to complete this ramble as I’m currently holed up with “flu like symptoms” or perhaps more appropriately “Man Swine Flu” but it has got me out of a red eye round trip to Aberdeen at least. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Renewable Energy’ Category
Carbon capture and storage rambling feedback
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
What is the supergrid?
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009This month the G8 Summit agreed the first steps towards a significant global strategy on climate change by agreeing that global warming temperatures should not exceed 2C of 1900 levels and that member nations will work towards an 80% reduction of green house gas emissions by 2050. The USA has taken a major step-change in its attitude towards the climate and President Obama who chaired the discussion stressed that the issue of climate change could no longer be ignored and that we should look towards December and Copenhagen. (more…)
Renewable energy people moves - June
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009US
Signet Solar, the global manufacturer of thin film silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules, announced a key addition to its executive team this month with the appointment of Bruce Horn as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Horn will oversee Signet’s financial development and offer strategic support as the company scales its manufacturing capabilities. (more…)
Global Wind Day - June 15th
Friday, June 12th, 2009This coming Monday, June 15, people around the world will be celebrating Global Wind Day.
The Global Wind Energy Council thought up the idea to give people around the world an opportunity to show their support for wind energy, and to highlight wind power not only as a real solution to global climate change, but also to highlight the economic benefits of investment in wind power such as high quality green jobs. There will be thousands of simultaneous celebrations going on in more than 25 countries around the world. (more…)
Raising project finance for renewable energy
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009Renewable Energy is a noble concept, but a reality that has been near impossible to get off the ground by its champions. Alternatives, such as coal and nuclear, while damaging to the environment as well as posing health risks, have always won the energy race. The low financial risk involved combined with the stability of the associated technologies have kept them a safer bet for lenders. Environmentally sustainable forms of energy have always come up against the hurdles of a lack dependable technologies available and an inability to generate capital. However, the times are changing. (more…)
The different flavors of renewable diesel (part 1)
Monday, June 8th, 2009Introduction
Distillate fuel oils, a category of fuels which includes petroleum diesel and home heating oil, account for almost 30% of global petroleum consumption. As fossil fuel reserves deplete, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products are needed. Biologically based distillate fuel oils have a long history, as peanut oil and whale oil were used as lubricants and energy sources long before they were displaced by petroleum products. (more…)
How to break in to cleantech
Monday, May 25th, 2009There are a many managers and executives keen to break into the cleantech sector but who simply don’t know how.
There is a definite (and often correct) assumption that there are barriers to entry for someone without direct experience within the energy or related industry sectors. Unless you have a technical background there are also fewer jobs on offer and so the task of breaking into the sector can sometimes appear almost impossible. (more…)
People moves, renewable energy - May 2009
Thursday, May 21st, 2009UK
Pannone the Manchester based law firm has strengthened its construction and projects team with the appointment of partner Simon Foy.
Foy has extensive experience in the energy, waste and PFI sectors and joins Pannone from Australian waste processing company Global Renewables where he was general counsel. He was in private practice at Simmons & Simmons and DLA Piper where he advised on many infrastructure, energy and PFI projects and was also the European legal director at US power company Edison Mission Energy.
US
Former Carter advisor, author and energy guru S. David Freeman will become the ‘Environmental Mayor’ of L.A.
Freeman helped shape the energy policy of the Carter era, and by funding the first wave of research into solar and wind technologies in the early 70’s helped to kick-start the renewable energy industry.
One of his first projects will be to revive a narrowly defeated solar energy plan for the city. Freeman is the man credited with putting solar panels on the White House. (more…)
Why we need a ‘Renewable Energy Action Plan’ now
Monday, May 18th, 2009Many compelling arguments have been made for renewable energy, although as of
August 2008 renewable energy sources have still only comprised 7% of all energy
sources used in the United States. Out of the total energy consumption, 40% is still
petroleum, 23% natural gas, 22% coal, and 8% of all energy is from nuclear electric
power (EIA, US Energy Consumption by Energy Sources, 2003-2007, May 2008). In
1991 – 18 years ago -, Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl, two writers more known for their
science fiction work, collaborated on a scientific survey piece entitled: Our Angry Earth.
The book starts by giving the political history of the U.S. involvement in the Persian Gulf
War, which led to one of the biggest “environmental wars” and disasters related to
politics since Hiroshima was dropped in Japan during WW II. What did it take to finally
get people’s attention? Al Gore losing the 2000 Presidential election so he could create
the Inconvenient Truth movement around the globe, which 8 years of real progress was
lost on the federal level in the United States. (more…)
2050 - will we get there?
Monday, May 18th, 2009Conferences, don’t you love them. We all go and there are just so many we could spend our entire lives listening to “experts” tell us about ‘climate change’ and ‘energy’. I was recently at the launch of the first 5 years’ Research Report by the UKERC. One-day long, excellent venue (IET, 2 Savoy Place), host of well-known folks on the podium, but I fell asleep. Literally. Must’ve been tired.
The UKERC Energy 2050 report is ‘weighty’ - “Making the Transition to a Secure and Low-Carbon Energy System”. You can tell, each word took several committees to determine. It is a “Synthesis Report”, bringing together the research results of a nationwide team assessing how the UK can “move to a resilient low-carbon ’system’”. If the report is not enough, you can wait for the book in 2010. And then maybe if you’re really keen, the film of the book…. The conference was merely the start of this publicity extravaganza.
But now here’s the thing - the research was a mix of behavioural, technological and mathematical, some of it doubtless excellent and new. But it is reported as a series of 23 “scenarios” with such romantic titles - CFH is the “Carbon Reduction Faint Heart” world where the UK achieves only half the 2050 targets; “LC Renew” is an accelerated technology pathway with all technologies delivered fast; “Dread” is the low-carbon world with any new technology ‘constrained’ and “Nimby” is a world where ‘local impact’ has forced the non-deployment of new technologies e.g. wind! (more…)
Announcement - Global Renewable Energy Recruitment Channel Survey & Global Renewable Energy Recruitment Awards
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Global Renewable Energy Recruitment Channel Survey
Renewable Energy Jobs is pleased to announce that it is launching the first Global Renewable Energy Recruitment Channel Survey. Our global survey will explore current and future trends in job seeker behaviour and analyse the effectiveness and popularity of various recruitment channels used across the renewable energy industry and around the world.
If you are currently involved directly within the industry please take part, it only takes 5 minutes.
Our results should benefit everyone involved in the industry, particularly both corporate and agency recruiters keen to ensure that they are utilising an effective mix of marketing resources, and projecting the right messages, enabling them to engage with job seekers on the right level.
We will be collecting data over the next three months and presenting our findings in September/October 2009. (more…)
