Friday, May 1, 2020
Recycling Renewables and Sustainable Business 33
1 Clean air in Europe during lockdown ‘leads to 11,000 fewer deaths’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/30/clean-air-in-europe-during-lockdown-leads-to-11000-fewer-deaths
The improvement in air quality over the past month of the coronavirus lockdown has led to 11,000 fewer deaths from pollution in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, a study has revealed.
Sharp falls in road traffic and industrial emissions have also resulted in 1.3m fewer days of work absence, 6,000 fewer children developing asthma, 1,900 avoided emergency room visits and 600 fewer preterm births, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
2 Solar can drive down levelized cost of desalinated water
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/04/29/solar-can-drive-down-levelized-cost-of-desalinated-water/
The global average levelized cost of drinking water (LCOW) from desalinationplants could decline from around €2.40/m3 in 2015 to €1.05 by 2050 if solar, storage systems and other renewable energies are used to decarbonize the sector.
3 Falling LCOE of Solar Puts Existing Coal, Gas at Risk
https://solarindustrymag.com/falling-lcoe-of-solar-puts-existing-coal-gas-at-risk/
Solar PV and onshore wind are now the cheapest sources of new-build generation for at least two-thirds of the global population. Those two-thirds live in locations that comprise 71% of gross domestic product and 85% of energy generation. Battery storage is now the cheapest new-build technology for peaking purposes (up to two-hours of discharge duration) in gas-importing regions, like Europe, China and Japan.
4 Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on the Renewable Energy Industry
https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2020/04/understanding-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-renewable-energy-industry/33008
COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on every person and every industry on the planet, and at LevelTen, we are truly heartened to see our global community collaborate, improvise, and sacrifice during this unprecedented global crisis. To understand the effects the crisis could have on the renewable energy market, we conducted a survey of project developers, analyzed data from the LevelTen Marketplace, and talked to our customers. Here are five key takeaways.
5 Tesla installed 260MWh of energy storage in Q1 2020
https://www.energy-storage.news/news/tesla-installed-260mwh-of-energy-storage-in-q1-2020
Tesla has kept financial losses at bay in the first quarter of the year, posting strong group-wide EBITDA and revenue numbers amid high hopes for its solar roof line in the longer term.
Releasing a financial update on Wednesday, the Silicon Valley firm claimed its US$16 million in positive GAAP net income this quarter marks the first time the indicator is on the black in its Q1 series, a milestone achieved even as the COVID-19 crisis forced it to shutter factories.
6 Is The $110 Trillion Renewable Revolution Feasible?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Is-The-110-Trillion-Renewable-Revolution-Feasible.html
A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) show that, to save the planet, a massive transformation of the world’s energy system will need to occur, in which a large-scale shift to renewables and new carbon-free fuels is accompanied by a precipitous decline of hydrocarbons. The report gives solid numbers on what the world will look like in 2050 if the goals of the Paris Climate Accord are achieved.
7 CO2 Emissions Expected To Fall To 8-Year Lows
https://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/CO2-Emissions-Expected-To-Fall-To-8-Year-Lows.html
The International Energy Agency expects carbon dioxide emissions to decline by 8 percent this year due to the devastation the coronavirus wreaked on energy demand.
The agency said in the new edition of it Global Energy Review that the annual drop in oil demand this year could reach 9 percent, which translates into a loss of 9 million bpd. This would make 2020 oil demand equal to the average levels in 2012.
8 How global business could mitigate climate change
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/climate-math-what-a-1-point-5-degree-pathway-would-take
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, everyone is rightly focused on protecting lives and livelihoods. Can we simultaneously strive to avoid the next crisis? The answer is yes—if we make greater environmental resilience core to our planning for the recovery ahead, by focusing on the economic and employment opportunities associated with investing in both climate-resilient infrastructure and the transition to a lower-carbon future.
9 Australian grid could derive 75% of electricity from renewables by 2025
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/05/01/australian-grid-could-derive-75-of-electricity-from-renewables-by-2025/
Australia’s main electricity grid could safely derive up to 75% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by as soon as 2025, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said in a new study this week. However, this will only be possible if market conditions and the regulatory environment are modified.
10 Revealed: US fossil fuel companies handed at least $50m in coronavirus aid
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/fossil-fuel-firms-coronavirus-package-aid
US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they likely won’t have to pay back, according to a review of coronavirus aid meant for struggling small businesses by the investigative research group Documented and the Guardian.
A total of $28m is going to three coal mining companies, including two with ties to Trump officials, bolstering a dying American industry and a fuel that scientists insist world leaders must shift away from to avoid the worst of the climate crisis.
11 Expanding ‘Circularity’ through Advanced Recycling Technologies
https://www.ptonline.com/articles/expanding-circularity-through-advanced-recycling-technologies
Sustainability … What once was a niche business philosophy is now the driving force for businesses growth and development across all sectors. This could not be truer for the plastics industry, which is facing unprecedented scrutiny for mounting plastic pollution problems around the globe. For this reason, recycling and achieving circularity for materials is at the core of the plastics industry’s evolving sustainable business model.
12 The toxic chemicals in our homes could increase Covid-19 threat
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-toxic-chemicals-pfas-bpa
During the rare moments you’ve ventured outside these days, you’ve probably noticed clearer skies and the benefits of reductions in air pollution.
Long-term exposure to air pollution increases the danger associated with four of the biggest Covid-19 mortality risks: diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and asthma. It also can make the immune system overreact, exaggerating the inflammatory response to common pathogens.
But there are other common contaminants in our homes that are also likely to be hacking our immune systems, which have had less attention.
13 New Low-emissions Plant Will Power One Million More Homes In New York State
https://www.energytrend.com/news/20200430-17292.html
One million additional homes in New York state will receive low-carbon, affordable, safe and reliable power from the newly completed Cricket Valley Energy Center, which was built by Bechtel. The 1,100-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle plant in Dover, New York, will use advanced emissions-control technology to ensure it operates as one of the most efficient power-generation facilities in the U.S.
14 Hitachi to Bankroll UK Chain of Solar-Powered Supercharging Stations
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/hitachi-to-bankroll-u.k-chain-of-solar-powered-superchargers
Hitachi Capital is scaling up its financial support for a network of electric vehicle superchargers U.K. in partnership with Gridserve
Gridserve’s model is to develop subsidy-free solar-plus-storage plants alongside a network of EV infrastructure. The first such solar site was connected to the grid in December last year: a 34.7-megawatt solar system paired with a 30 megawatt-hour Samsung battery, and run on an entirely merchant basis. The first of its ‘Electric Forecourt’ filling stations is currently under construction and expected to open in the coming months.
15 Microgrids for EV charging are a ‘low carbon, resilient, economically viable opportunity’
https://www.energy-storage.news/news/microgrids-for-ev-charging-are-a-low-carbon-resilient-economically-viable-o
Moving from today’s gas stations to their electrified equivalent can present a challenge so “dramatic” that in some cases, microgrids may be the only viable solution, a representative of Schneider Electric has said.
16 Total to examine if O&G platforms can run on renewable energy
https://www.offshorewind.biz/?p=100181418
French energy major Total has joined a project to explore the potential of powering offshore oil and gas platforms with floating wind and wave energy.
The O/G Decarb innovation project will examine the possibility of using a combined wind and wave technology on a floating foundation to store energy that can convert electricity into hydrogen via electrolysis.
17 Britain Hits Three Weeks Coal-Free Record
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emanuelabarbiroglio/2020/04/30/britain-hits-three-weeks-coal-free-record/
Britain’s electricity system has not used energy provided by coal-fired plants over the past three weeks. National Grid ESO data shows that continuous time without coal has now been 20 days and 12 hours at the time of writing.
This is the longest period without coal energy since the Industrial Revolution, precisely after a public grid had been established in 1882. The first time Britain ran without coal was on May 9, 2016. The previous record of 18 continuous days was set last year on June 4.
18 Let’s Invest In An Energy Future That Preserves The Economy
https://www.forbes.com/sites/margooge/2020/04/30/lets-invest-in-an-energy-future-that-preserves-the-economy–and-life-on-this-planet/
It’s becoming evident the COVID-19 will disrupt the lives of the world’s 7.8 billion human inhabitants for much longer than we could have imagined. Already, millions are infected and hundreds of thousands dead, while the global economy could contract 3% this year in the worst downturn since the Great Depression.
Policymakers are responding by injecting trillions of dollars to help the sputtering economy. But for economic and environmental reasons, one sector should not receive a taxpayer bailout – the oil and gas industry.
19 Coronavirus will trigger biggest ever plunge in energy demand, emissions: IEA
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-energy-coronavirus-idUSKBN22C0HL
Economic lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic look set to cut global energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions by record amounts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday.
