Marks & Spencer is launching a range of Solar PV and Solar Thermal water heating solutions in Britain to help customers cut their carbon emissions and reduce their energy bills. M&S is one of the first retailers to offer solar energy packages that enable customers to take advantage of Feed-in-Tariffs.

The tariffs allow Solar PV customers to earn money and a tax free return for every unit of electricity they generate over the next 25 years. M&S is offering two solar packages, Solar Thermal and Solar PV, which will both include the installation of roof mounted solar panels that will contribute to customers’ home energy needs.

The Solar Thermal works by collecting daylight energy to heat a customer’s water supply, for use throughout the day and night. Customers can choose from three different sized panel systems (from 2.05 sq m to 6.15 sq m), allowing users to save up to £85 a year on hot water heating bills, meeting up to 50% of an average household’s hot water requirement. Packages are available from £3,999.

The Solar PV works by collecting daylight energy and converting it into electricity for use within the home. With different sized panel systems on offer (from 10 sq m to 30 sq m), users will be able select the most appropriate solution to help reduce their energy bills by generating free renewable energy for their homes – with combined saving and earnings customers could be over £1000 a year better off. Packages are available from £7,999.

All M&S solar packages include a free assessment to determine the best solution for each home, and a full panel and system installation by an M&S approved installer accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Mr Binman, the regional waste collection and recycling company, and Waterford radio station WLP fm have launched the Mr Binman/Deise AM Bag for Life campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags in the South East.

Mr Binman is the current Repak Recycling Contractor of the Year and is constantly striving to increase the amount of recycling. To mark winning the Repak award for the third time, Mr Binman has decided to spread the recycling message further by providing recycling collections free of charge in Waterford City, Waterford County and South Tipperary.

“The challenge for us all is to make small modifications in our day to day practises. Small but significant steps such as reducing, reusing and recycling our waste can make a big difference. We want to encourage everyone to Make the Change,” says Joe Cleary, sales and marketing director of Mr Binman.

A family run company, Mr Binman employs over 150 people in the South East region.

CAPTION:

Pictured at the launch of the Mr Binman/Deise AM Bag for Life initiative are: Gary O’Keeffe, commercial director of Mr Binman; Billy McCarthy, director of programmes, WLR fm; and Joe Cleary, sales and marketing director of Mr Binman.

Dublin City Council has issued a statement reaffirming that is has been, and remains, in a contractual position for the provision of a waste-to-energy facility at Poolbeg to deal with Dublin’s residual waste into the future.

The Dublin Waste to Energy project contract is in line with current EU and Irish Government waste policy. The project, as detailed in the current Regional Waste Management Plan, will provide vital infrastructure to deal with waste arising in the Dublin region in the future as well as attracting significant inward foreign investment, at a time when foreign direct investment is so important to the Irish economy.

The statement follows RTE’s Primetime report on the controversial project, televised on 2nd September, which stated that the Council could “walk away with no cost” on 4th September 2010. This is factually incorrect, stresses Dublin City Council.

The four Dublin Local Authorities alone have spent substantial sums to date in land acquisition, statutory processes and client representative costs etc. Further major expenditure is committed arising from the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on part of the original site. These monies have or will be expended in implementing Government policy on waste disposal. This does not take into account any compensation that might be payable to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) company should the contract be terminated. The PPP company will also have incurred substantial costs.

The Dublin Authorities, and its partners in the project, believe that this project is essential to dealing with Dublin’s waste for many years to come; that it provides good value for money for the taxpayer, as certified by the National Development Finance Agency. It will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint and will provide for electricity generation and district heating for a large area of the city.

An update on the current position will be given to the members of the City Council at the City Council Meeting to be held today, 6th September 2010.

Turkey will connect to the European electrical grid this September using GE’s smart grid technology. The connection will allow for expanded energy and economic opportunities.

The Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) will now be able to buy and sell power in the European electricity market and the connection will strengthen the reliability and availability of energy throughout all of Europe.

The territory serviced by ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) is one of the highest demand regions for energy in the world, according to a report issued in 2009 by the Ministry of Energy. ‘The energy policies of ENTSO-E’s countries are driving a single market model through the synchronization of more networks, thus increasing the reliability of the supply of electricity to maximize the efficiency of generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy while minimizing environmental impact,’ says the report.

Connecting Turkey with the rest of the European grid is an important step to help meet these initiatives. The cross-border system may also enable a new, cleaner energy mix for Europe. There is a demand for renewable energy in European countries, and Turkey has massive renewable energy sources, which makes this new relationship mutually beneficial to both TEIAS and ENTSO-E.

“Smart grid solutions are opening energy opportunities in new ways every day,” says Yavuz Aydin, director of GE Energy Services, Turkey. “Our communications and control technologies are enabling international trade and power-sharing breakthroughs that seemed nearly impossible just a few years ago. When Turkey joins the European energy community, it will be a vital step forward for power systems on both sides of the connection.”

GE’s smart grid communications and wide area protection solutions will monitor grid status at the points of connection and automate the control of generation and load within Turkey. The system will optimise power sharing and power quality while improving reliability and preventing cascading outages.  

GE completed the engineering for the system in a matter of months. Currently in the final phases of testing, GE’s wide-area protection solutions should enable the first inter-connection of Turkey’s and European grids in September.

The fund managed by BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners has acquired 100% of Gortahile Windfarm, which owns and operates a 20 megawatt wind farm in County Laois, from ABO Wind Ireland. The Gortahile Windfarm began commercial operation at the end of August 2010. It is forecast to produce about 70 GWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 11,200 households.

“This acquisition represents the cornerstone of a larger portfolio that we intend to build in Ireland,” says Joost Bergsma, chief executive of the fund. “Ireland is a very attractive renewables market for financial investors because of its strong wind regime, its robust REFIT support policy, and its commitment to achieving its 2020 renewable energy target.”

As part of its geographically diversified investment portfolio, the team aims to acquire additional assets of wind generation capacity in Ireland over the course of its investment period. “We are securing a deep pipeline of projects with a number of developers and owners to enable us achieve our target investment size in Ireland,” says Francesco Cacciabue, chief financial officer and investment director. “We target both operational wind farms and wind farms under construction.”

The Gortahile Windfarm acquisition is the first in a partnership agreement between BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners and ABO Wind in which the parties have agreed to transact 50 megawatts of generation capacity over the next 16 months.

German-based ABO Wind is one of Europe‘s most experienced wind energy developers. With interests in Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Belgium and Argentina, the company has been successfully developing, constructing and maintaining commercial wind farms of 400 MW-rated capacity for almost 15 years. Currently 150 employees work for ABO Wind in these countries.

BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners invests in construction and operational clean energy infrastructure assets in on-shore wind, solar photovoltaic biomass and small scale hydro power generation in Europe.

The Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, TD, will today (September 1st) open the completed 32km M50 Upgrade Scheme that has transformed the M50 from a two-lane heavily congested road with toll barriers and signaled interchanges into a modern free-flowing motorway that has reduced journey times by up to 50%. The upgraded M50 has resulted in shorter, more reliable and safer journeys that improve commuters’ quality of life, increase efficiency for businesses and help Dublin to be more competitive in order to attract more foreign inward investment.

The one billion euro project was carried out over four and a half years, in the midst of 100,000 moving vehicles per day and was completed four months ahead of schedule. The final section of the upgraded M50 Motorway, the new and improved Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown Interchange), will open to traffic at 5.30pm this evening.

“This upgrade scheme will future proof the M50 by helping to reduce traffic congestion and providing very significant time savings for hard pressed motorists,” says Noel Dempsey. “This investment and the billions more that we are spending on the provision of world class transport infrastructure is helping to boost our national competitiveness. This Government will continue to invest in transport because we are committed to having the proper infrastructure in place to make the most of our economic recovery.”

The removal of the West-Link Toll Plaza and its replacement with a fully electronic barrier-free tolling system was a crucial element of the strategy for easing congestion on Ireland’s busiest roadway allowing drivers to travel unencumbered at the legal speed limit along the M50. As we reach the second anniversary of the commencement of barrier-free tolling, traffic volumes on the toll section are approaching an average of 100,000 vehicles per day, equating to 2.9 million transactions being processed per month.

The revenue raised through e-flow tolling is being used to fund the M50 motorway upgrade costs along with the future operation and maintenance costs of the road.

The M50 Upgrade Scheme was funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan and Transport 21 and was delivered through the National Roads Authority’s PPP mechanism.

Dublin-based CyclePower is a new Irish-owned company specialising in Electric Bikes and a full range of cycling accessories. An Electric Bike, also known as an E-Bike, is a bicycle with an electric motor used to assist with pedaling. Electric Bikes use rechargeable batteries and can travel up to 25 miles per hour (32 km/h). Indeed, in some countries they are rapidly replacing traditional bikes.

CyclePower also supplies Conversion Kits to transform customers’ own bicycles into Electric Bikes and this option offers a huge cost saving (providing the bicycle is suitable for conversion).

Bicycles are kind to the environment as they are quiet and pollution-free. Cycling is also part of the solution to our traffic congestion problems.

Advantages

Electric Bikes offer users many advantages:

* Save time – it is often quicker than taking the car

* Save effort – let the electric motor take the strain and smooth out the hills

* Save money – no insurance, no tax and no NCT

* Easy to charge batteries which are light and portable

* Use of Cycle Lanes

* Cyclepower bicycles are light and easy to pedal

* Low maintenance – few moving parts

* No petrol/diesel costs or emissions

* Improve personal fitness and health.

Green Business

Electric Bikes use rechargeable batteries and can travel up to 25 miles per hour.

An increasing number of Irish businesses are now realising the benefits of promoting the use of Electric Bikes. This mode of transport offers companies the following advantages:

* Regular cyclists tend to be fitter and healthier than non-cyclists. This contributes towards greater productivity and lower rates of absenteeism due to illness.

* Bikes are nimble vehicles, able to squeeze past the queues and the road-works. So cyclists tend to be more punctual employees.

* People want to cycle. So why hold them back? Give cyclists the facilities and the support that they deserve and you get a happier and more motivated workforce.

* Be seen to be ‘green’. Being a cycle-friendly employer is a way of winning valuable publicity at relatively little cost.

* Less parking problems.

CyclePower is available to call and demonstrate its Electric Bikes to organisations and staff, because the benefits are best appreciated by seeing and testing the bicycles. For more information on CyclePower’s Electric Bikes, visit www.cyclepower.ie or phone 01-4604641 or 086-8262300.

An increasing demand for reduced emissions and energy independence has fueled the need for new technology and the use of alternative fuels in agriculture. One of the most promising developments, the New Holland NH hydrogen-powered tractor, has just made its North American debut. More than just an idea, the NH tractor is a 106 hp working prototype able to perform all the tasks of a tractor while operating virtually silent and emitting zero pollutants.

New Holland’s experimental hydrogen-powered tractor is a key element in a project that hopes to free farmers from the cost of purchased fossil-fuel and allow them to achieve fuel autonomy while meeting increasingly stringent emissions standards. Farmers are in a unique position to benefit from hydrogen technology.

Unlike many people, they have the space to install alternative electricity generation systems, such as solar, wind, biomass or waste, and then store that power as hydrogen. Apart from the environmental benefits, such a system would allow customers to become energy independent and improve their financial stability.

Based on the popular New Holland T6000 Series tractor, the experimental NH tractor replaces the traditional combustion engine with hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. Compressed hydrogen drawn from a tank on the tractor reacts in the fuel cell with oxygen, drawn from the air, to produce water and electrons. The electrons are harnessed in the form of an electric current, which drives electric motors to power the tractor’s drivetrain and auxiliary systems.

The NH’s fuel cell generates 106 hp and emits only heat, vapor and water. The tractor has zero emissions because it does not produce polluting nitrogen oxides, soot particles or carbon dioxide. And because the NH is virtually silent, there is also no noise pollution.

New Holland Agriculture is a division of CNH Global, a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat.

SeaGen, the world’s first and only commercial scale tidal stream energy turbine has passed another electricity generation milestone by delivering its two millionth unit of electricity into the UK electricity grid. The 1.2MW SeaGen, located in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, is now operating 24 hours, seven days a week.

It is well on course to be the first tidal system to meet the power generation criteria for the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

Developed by Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines, SeaGen is the only tidal energy system regularly generating power into the UK electricity grid and is the only tidal system to be accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and also as a recipient of ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates). SeaGen is producing as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the capacity and unlike wind power generation SeaGen’s output is wholly predictable.

“Passing the 2 million kWh mark represents considerable progress and underlines the significant potential that our technology and base-load tidal energy has to offer. We are delivering marine energy on a daily basis which shows that our SeaGen technology is leading the race to harness the power of the seas by a large margin,” says Peter Fraenkel, technical director of Marine Current Turbines.

It took SeaGen from July 2008 until March of this year to generate the first million units largely due to licence restictions placed on its operation. However since March the restrictions, to check that SeaGen’s operation did not have any adverse effect on marine life, have been significantly relaxed by the regulating authority and 24/7 operation has been allowed. So in just the five months since 24/7 operation started, SeaGen has delivered its second million.

Peter Fraenkel adds: “SeaGen, which produces 1.2MW for all current velocities higher than 2.4m/s, remains the world’s most powerful tidal turbine and after two years of development and successful operation is ready to be deployed on a commercial basis in other stretches of tidal water.”

MCT is currently working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

The UK will miss its 2020 renewable energy targets unless a ‘quantum leap’ in offshore wind capacity investment is achieved, with reforms to the energy markets to attract pensions and life assurance funding, according to analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Offshore wind plays a make or break role in the UK’s renewable energy strategy. It is targeted with delivering around half of the additional 27GW generation capacity required to meet the UK’s 30% renewable generation target by 2020. Last year, less than half the average annual roll out rate of 1.1GW needed to meet the 2020 target was achieved.

Developers will face a peak cumulative funding need of up to £10 billion per annum to achieve the annual roll out rate needed to meet the target, assuming limited project finance is available during the construction stage.

“The required roll out rate to achieve the 2020 targets is being hampered by the scarcity of pre-construction finance. We need to dismantle the barrier to investment by creating mechanisms to either limit the risk associated with the construction phase or to improve short term returns, without unduly pushing excess costs on to the consumer,” explains Michael Hurley, global energy and utilities advisory leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “If the construction and technology risks could be underwritten or transferred, this would open up offshore wind to pension and life company investors.”

Reducing risk or improving returns for investors in offshore wind projects would attract more pensions and life assurance funding to the sector.

PwC examined the capital structure and market implications of four potential solutions, including the potential role of the Green Investment Bank:

1 Underwriting risk through a consumer levy: reducing construction and technology risks.

2 A regulated asset scheme: reducing construction, technology and price/volume risks.

3 Additional Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for a limited period: increasing short term returns for investors.

4 ISA bonds or equity funds: increasing short term returns for investors.

Solutions three and four focus on increasing the return on investment in the short term (the first few years of operation) to attract private investors who would seek a higher return in order to accept the risks associated with the construction phase, such as private equity houses, hedge funds and individuals.

PwC’s analysis of possible capital structures demonstrated an important role for the Green Investment Bank in bridging the funding gap, if focused solely on the highest risk loan elements in the construction process.

A low risk investor such as a pension fund could be attracted to a regulated asset regime for example, by participating as financier of the pre-construction phase of the project, with capped liabilities for cost over-runs, with the option of remaining as an investor for the duration of the asset life. Once the wind farm has demonstrated operational stability after an agreed period of operation, it would be auctioned off, and the finance arrangement would roll over to the operator acquiring the asset.

Michael Hurley continues:  “The stable and predictable annual cash flows of infrastructure investments are attractive to pension and life – companies provided that the construction risk is understood and steps taken to either insure or transfer it. They could provide finance for the 20 years + duration of the project, providing an end – to end solution that avoids the uncertainty and cost of having a bridging finance solution. ”

Currently, with limited availability of project finance or new sources of equity, the lion’s share of development is expected to come from big utilities companies. Yet analysis by PwC for the report shows that against an average £17 billion per annum investment needed across the whole energy sector to 2020, the current combined capital expenditure of the six largest utility companies and National Grid in the UK was less than half the level in 2009. 

Ronan O’Regan, director, renewables and clean technology, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, comments: “It would be highly risky for the UK to think it can plan for a significant increase in roll out towards the second half of the decade to reach the target once a recovery is in place, particularly if the targets were revised upwards in the interim, and given the reliance on a smooth supply chain, planning consent and grid access.”

The report found that current incentive mechanisms, in the form of ROCs and the carbon price, even with a floor, while important, were unlikely to address the specific challenge of offshore pre-construction financing alone. Using these incentives on their own to boost investment would also run the risk of pushing excessive cost onto the consumer warns the report.