Charanka solar park with an aggregated operational capacity of 500 MW is Asia’s first and the largest solar park
Even though Gujarat is a power surplus state, it is investing
huge amount of money in solar energy. Inaugurating the Charanka solar
park which had an aggregated operational capacity of 500 MW last month,
the state’s chief minister Narendra Modi dedicated it to the nation
calling it Gujarat’s contribution to the war against global warming and
climate change.
“For ages we have been worshiping Sun god. It’s time to get his
blessings. And, Gujarat will show how,” Narendra Modi told an applauding
crowd of 5000 in Charanka in Patan district. The chief minister was not
invoking gods to impress upon the audience.
He was talking about the amalgamation of science and technology with
business. The context was the inauguration of the 500 MW solar park,
Asia’s first and the largest on April 24.
The park has an aggregated operational capacity of 500 MW of solar power
projects commissioned on a single location with 21 solar project
developers setting up their projects.
While Gujarat’s contribution to the generation of solar energy may look
minuscule compared to the target of 20,000 MW set in the national solar
mission by 2020, it will appear huge seen in the context of all India
figure of 900 MW installation capacity.
“We have set our eyes on achieving the target of 10,000 MW soon,” Modi
said to the cheering audience. Although it will take a while before the
CM’s ambitious target becomes a reality, Gujarat has certainly raced
ahead of other states in getting huge investment in the solar energy
generation.
“The solar installations in Gujarat have attracted an investment of Rs
9,000 crore,” said DJ Pandian, principle secretary, energy, Gujarat
government.
Gujarat’s achievement in attracting investment in solar energy sector is
significant keeping in mind the energy requirements of the country.
According to ministry of power’s latest estimates India has an installed
capacity of 199.87GW, which though is world’s fifth largest, is short
by 21000 MW. And, with coal which accounts for 55 percent of India’s
installed electricity capacity, being a fast depleting resource, it is
important that the country looked for other source of power.
India has a rich solar energy resource. The country receives 200 MW/km
square (megawatt per kilometre square) of average intensity of solar
radiation. With a geographical area of 3.287 million km square, this
amounts to 657.4 million MW.
Although Gujarat is a power surplus state, it announced the solar power
Policy in January 2009. Under the policy, the Gujarat Electricity
Regulatory Commission (GERC) agreed for an attractive feed-in tariff of
Rs 15/unit (the GERC will buy power at this rate from the developers)
for the first 12 years and Rs 5/unit for the subsequent 13 years.
Also, since huge area of land is required for solar projects (approx. 5
acres/MW), the government introduced the concept of solar parks.
The Charanka solar park
The foundation stone for the solar Park was laid at Charanka on
December 30, 2010. Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL), the nodal
agency for implementation of the Solar Park, invested Rs 300 crore into
the Solar Park infrastructure, while Gujarat Energy Transmission
Corporation Limited (GETCO) invested Rs 650 crore into the smart
evacuation and transmission network. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
provided a loan of Rs 500 crore for smart transmission network
development to GETCO.
In a record one-year time the park was functional by January 2012.
“The park offers the advantage of access to government waste lands, high
solar radiations, utilisation of common infrastructure to host multiple
solar power projects and extending industry and employment to the
remote location of Gujarat,” said Pandian, principle secretary, energy.
The park has helped the local economy too. It has already provided
employment to 30,000 skilled and unskilled workers. The operation and
maintenance activity for the solar plants promises to provide steady
employment to 1,500 personnel for the next 25 years. Further, the solar
power plants will generate 30 lakh units of clean energy per day, which
can provide electricity to 10 lakh households. Above all, these solar
power plants will save CO2 emissions at the rate of 10 lakh tonnes per
year.
“India has huge potential in the solar energy sector, and Gujarat
government’s effort for encouraging investment is the step in the right
direction,” said Sunil Gupta, head, clean energy, Standard Chartered
Bank.
“The Gujarat government has exploited the economy of scale by setting up
this huge solar park and bringing together 21 solar power developers.
The prices of solar energy will certainly fall down,” said V Saibaba,
CEO, Lanco Solar.
Rooftop solar installations
While the concept of solar park has taken off and huge
investments are pouring in, the Gujarat government is not resting on its
laurels. “We will also simultaneously promote solar rooftop
installations,” said Pandian.
Gandhinagar, the state capital, is being developed as a model solar
city, the first-of-its-kind in the country. Gandhinagar Solar City
Project has multiple installations of solar rooftop systems ranging from
1 kilowatt (kW) to 150 kW at more than 150 locations, aggregating to a
capacity of 1.39 MW. These systems cover a total area of two hectares on
roofs, which amounts to approximately 2% of the total roof space in the
capital city. Further, these systems contribute to approximately 1% of
the total energy consumption of the city. Now, the government has
floated a 5 MW Gandhinagar (Solar) Photovoltaic Rooftop Programme
through public-private partnership (PPP). This is the largest solar
rooftop programme in India, and is structured with a vision to
mainstream the practice of solar rooftop systems in the country.
Similar solar rooftop programmes will be extended to more cities like
Mehsana, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara in the near future.
Eventually, the solar rooftop programme will open up to one and all in
Gujarat through a sustainable policy that will be launched in the near
future. “Everyone in Gujarat will be generating power on his rooftop in
the near future,” Pandian said.
“Mainstreaming the solar rooftop practice will open up floodgates to a
whole new industry in the state with a tremendous potential for
employment. It is a vision of the state that each citizen becomes
self-sufficient in terms of energy that is also clean,” he added.
Canal Solar Power
Gujarat has also pioneered canal-based solar power project. A 1
MW pilot project is already commissioned on Narmada branch canal near
Chandrasan village of Mehsana district’s Kadi taluka.
This project was inaugurated on April 24. It is developed by Gujarat
State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) with support from Sardar
Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). This 1 MW pilot is installed on a
750-metre stretch of the canal and will generate 1.6 million units of
clean electricity per year, as well as prevent evaporation of 90 lakh
litres of water per year from the canal. Hence, the canal solar concept
tackles two of our modern day challenges: energy security and water
security.
Today, Gujarat has about 458 kilometres of open main canal, while the
total canal length, including sub-branches is about 19,000 kilometres;
the final aim of SSNNL is to construct a total of 85,000 kilometres of
canal network.
Assuming a utilisation of only 10% of the existing canal network of
19,000 kilometres, it is estimated that 2,200 MW of solar power
generating capacity can be installed.
This implies that 11,000 acres of land, about 2,000 crore litres of water per year can be potentially conserved.
"Gujarat is the first state not only in India but also in Asia to set up a dedicated department for climate change,” Modi said.
Apart from setting up a dedicated department for climate change, the
government of Gujarat is spending a huge amount on renewable energy
(more than Rs 2,000 crore per year), which the chief minister said was
its contribution in the “war against global warming and climate change.”
Monday, October 22, 2012
India, China likely to face global garbage crisis by 2025
A wakeup call for policy makers, plastic bag manufacturers, disposable packaging companies etc.,
The world will produce ‘mountains of trash’ in the coming decade as nations are racing towards urbanisation, say a new report by the World Bank. In a report on “a relatively silent problem that is growing daily,” the World Bank said that the amount of trash produced daily will lead to global garbage crisis by 2025.
Leading the creation of garbage is India and China, said the report. “As countries, particularly India and China, continue their rapid pace of urbanisation and development, global solid waste quantities are projected to increase considerably,” said the report titled ‘What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management’.
The report also mentioned that China has already become largest waste generator of municipal solid waste in 2004. India is not far behind, according to the report. In a warning signal to both the high growth Asian economies, the report added, “India and especially China have disproportionately high urban waste generation rates per capita relative to overall economic status as they have large relatively poor rural populations that tend to dilute national figures.”
The amount of generation of waste by the countries is doubling in 10 years, which according to the report is “An enormous rate of growth!”
The amount of municipal solid waste will rise from the current 1.3 billion tonnes a year to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, as per the estimates of the study, which looked worldwide data in its 116 page report, authored by Daniel Hoornweg and Perinaz Bhada-Tata. “The annual cost of solid waste management is projected to rise from the current $205 billion to $375 billion, with cost increasing in low income countries,” it added.
The report argued that as a country urbanises and populations become wealthier, the consumption of inorganic materials (e.g. plastics, paper, glass, aluminum) increases, while the relative organic fraction decreases.
The report said that cities should go for an urgent plan approach solid waste in a comprehensive manner.
“What we’re finding in these figures is not that surprising,” said Hoornweg, “What is surprising, however, is that when you add the figures up we’re looking at a relatively silent problem that is growing daily. The challenges surrounding municipal solid waste are going to be enormous, on a scale of, if not greater than, the challenges we are currently experiencing with climate change. This report should be seen as a wake-up call for policymakers everywhere.”
The world will produce ‘mountains of trash’ in the coming decade as nations are racing towards urbanisation, say a new report by the World Bank. In a report on “a relatively silent problem that is growing daily,” the World Bank said that the amount of trash produced daily will lead to global garbage crisis by 2025.
Leading the creation of garbage is India and China, said the report. “As countries, particularly India and China, continue their rapid pace of urbanisation and development, global solid waste quantities are projected to increase considerably,” said the report titled ‘What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management’.
The report also mentioned that China has already become largest waste generator of municipal solid waste in 2004. India is not far behind, according to the report. In a warning signal to both the high growth Asian economies, the report added, “India and especially China have disproportionately high urban waste generation rates per capita relative to overall economic status as they have large relatively poor rural populations that tend to dilute national figures.”
The amount of generation of waste by the countries is doubling in 10 years, which according to the report is “An enormous rate of growth!”
The amount of municipal solid waste will rise from the current 1.3 billion tonnes a year to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, as per the estimates of the study, which looked worldwide data in its 116 page report, authored by Daniel Hoornweg and Perinaz Bhada-Tata. “The annual cost of solid waste management is projected to rise from the current $205 billion to $375 billion, with cost increasing in low income countries,” it added.
The report argued that as a country urbanises and populations become wealthier, the consumption of inorganic materials (e.g. plastics, paper, glass, aluminum) increases, while the relative organic fraction decreases.
The report said that cities should go for an urgent plan approach solid waste in a comprehensive manner.
“What we’re finding in these figures is not that surprising,” said Hoornweg, “What is surprising, however, is that when you add the figures up we’re looking at a relatively silent problem that is growing daily. The challenges surrounding municipal solid waste are going to be enormous, on a scale of, if not greater than, the challenges we are currently experiencing with climate change. This report should be seen as a wake-up call for policymakers everywhere.”
Report scathes Indian companies for rainforest plunder
Condemns corporates for destroying Indonesian rainforests for palm oil plantation
By
As leaders from developed and developing nations meet in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to discuss and reach an agreement on their political commitments for sustainable development at the UN Rio+20 Summit, Greenpeace India’s investigative report, “Frying the Forest”- How India’s use of Palm Oil is having a devastating impact on Indonesia’s rainforests, tigers and global climate has condemned Indian corporates. The report condemns corporates like ITC, Britannia, Godrej and Ruchi Soya for destroying Indonesian rainforests by their use of palm oil leading to worsening climate change and endangering the already endangered Sumatrian Tiger and Orangutan.
According to the report 13 million hectares of forests, mainly tropical rainforests are cleared every year and converted into agricultural land globally, including palm oil plantations. This has put the ecosystem, habitat, livelihoods of tens of millions of people depending on the forest at risk. Climate change, falling crop yields caused by floods, draught, erratic rainfall and other climate change affects approx 2.2 billion Asian farmers. “Destruction and degradation of forests is responsible for up to 1/5th of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions,” says the report.
Despite the recent commitment by Indonesia’s largest palm oil producer, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) to a ‘no deforestation footprint’ and Indonesian government’s commitment to strengthen the deforestation moratorium, destruction of Indonesia’s forests and peatlands for palm oil continues.
“Duta Palma in Riau province of Indonesia despite being a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil continues to destroy rainforests and peatlands. Here India cannot absolve itself of the responsibility as Duta Palma is a supplier to the Indian companies like Ruchi Soya, Adani-Wilmar, Cargill, Gokul Refoils, Emami and WF among others. Through Ruchi Soya, palm oil further moves via supply chains of major Indian brands like Britannia, ITC, Bunge India, Lotte India Cadbury(Kraft) India and Nestle India,” says the report.
Pointing that even state companies like PEC Limited under the ministry of commerce and industry and state trading corporation (STC) are Indonesian palm oil importers, the study criticizes both the governments for not making commitments to ensure that the palm oil they purchase is not linked to deforestation and peatland destruction.
Nandikesh Sivalingam Greenpeace forest campaigner said that despite their requests, no Indian company has so far made commitments to ensure that their palm oil and other supply chain components are not linked to deforestation. This poses a risk to their brands. “Greenpeace is urging Indian companies using palm oil to show true leadership and demonstrate that their sustainability commitments are not mere promises,” he said.
Asking Indian companies to stop trading with companies that destroy forests and peatlands and stop sourcing from third party suppliers who refuse to rule out supply from companies like Duta Palma, Greenpeace wants oil producers to operate in compliance with local laws and national regulations in their plantations and operations and ensure implementation of free prior and informed consent (FPIC) of indigenous people and other traditional forest users, participation of local communities in all developmental activities. To preserve biodiversity it calls for stopping deforestation and making it a central part of the political and corporate policy for taking the challenge of climate change.
In India, palm oil is the cheapest edible oil available and is the world’s largest market. With 7.2 million tonnes consumption of palm oil in 2011-2012, it is more than China (16%) and EU (14%) and 19% of the global total. Since 06-07, India’s palm oil consumption has doubled and slated to continue in the same pattern until 2030. By 2050, its consumption will triple.
Most of it is imported from Indonesia and is used in packaged food, cosmetics and even fuel. In 2009-2010, 5.8 million tonnes was imported from Indonesia out of its total consumption of 6.5million. Greenpeace report says that to establish palm oil plantations, forest is cleared and peatland drained which results in release of a huge amount of greenhouse gas.
Despite Indonesia’s National Climate Change Council statistics that palm oil sector is the key driver for natural forest loss and peatland degradation, it accounts for 17% of the world’s deforestation-related GHG emissions.
Annually, 1.8 billion tonnes of climate changing carbon dioxide emissions are released by degradation and burning of country’s peatlands from less than 0.1% of land on earth. These GHG emissions are comparable to the total reduction in annual emissions required under the Kyoto protocol from Annex 1 industrialized nations.
By
Geetanjali Minhas
Principal Correspondent (Mumbai)
As leaders from developed and developing nations meet in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to discuss and reach an agreement on their political commitments for sustainable development at the UN Rio+20 Summit, Greenpeace India’s investigative report, “Frying the Forest”- How India’s use of Palm Oil is having a devastating impact on Indonesia’s rainforests, tigers and global climate has condemned Indian corporates. The report condemns corporates like ITC, Britannia, Godrej and Ruchi Soya for destroying Indonesian rainforests by their use of palm oil leading to worsening climate change and endangering the already endangered Sumatrian Tiger and Orangutan.
According to the report 13 million hectares of forests, mainly tropical rainforests are cleared every year and converted into agricultural land globally, including palm oil plantations. This has put the ecosystem, habitat, livelihoods of tens of millions of people depending on the forest at risk. Climate change, falling crop yields caused by floods, draught, erratic rainfall and other climate change affects approx 2.2 billion Asian farmers. “Destruction and degradation of forests is responsible for up to 1/5th of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions,” says the report.
Despite the recent commitment by Indonesia’s largest palm oil producer, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) to a ‘no deforestation footprint’ and Indonesian government’s commitment to strengthen the deforestation moratorium, destruction of Indonesia’s forests and peatlands for palm oil continues.
“Duta Palma in Riau province of Indonesia despite being a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil continues to destroy rainforests and peatlands. Here India cannot absolve itself of the responsibility as Duta Palma is a supplier to the Indian companies like Ruchi Soya, Adani-Wilmar, Cargill, Gokul Refoils, Emami and WF among others. Through Ruchi Soya, palm oil further moves via supply chains of major Indian brands like Britannia, ITC, Bunge India, Lotte India Cadbury(Kraft) India and Nestle India,” says the report.
Pointing that even state companies like PEC Limited under the ministry of commerce and industry and state trading corporation (STC) are Indonesian palm oil importers, the study criticizes both the governments for not making commitments to ensure that the palm oil they purchase is not linked to deforestation and peatland destruction.
Nandikesh Sivalingam Greenpeace forest campaigner said that despite their requests, no Indian company has so far made commitments to ensure that their palm oil and other supply chain components are not linked to deforestation. This poses a risk to their brands. “Greenpeace is urging Indian companies using palm oil to show true leadership and demonstrate that their sustainability commitments are not mere promises,” he said.
Asking Indian companies to stop trading with companies that destroy forests and peatlands and stop sourcing from third party suppliers who refuse to rule out supply from companies like Duta Palma, Greenpeace wants oil producers to operate in compliance with local laws and national regulations in their plantations and operations and ensure implementation of free prior and informed consent (FPIC) of indigenous people and other traditional forest users, participation of local communities in all developmental activities. To preserve biodiversity it calls for stopping deforestation and making it a central part of the political and corporate policy for taking the challenge of climate change.
In India, palm oil is the cheapest edible oil available and is the world’s largest market. With 7.2 million tonnes consumption of palm oil in 2011-2012, it is more than China (16%) and EU (14%) and 19% of the global total. Since 06-07, India’s palm oil consumption has doubled and slated to continue in the same pattern until 2030. By 2050, its consumption will triple.
Most of it is imported from Indonesia and is used in packaged food, cosmetics and even fuel. In 2009-2010, 5.8 million tonnes was imported from Indonesia out of its total consumption of 6.5million. Greenpeace report says that to establish palm oil plantations, forest is cleared and peatland drained which results in release of a huge amount of greenhouse gas.
Despite Indonesia’s National Climate Change Council statistics that palm oil sector is the key driver for natural forest loss and peatland degradation, it accounts for 17% of the world’s deforestation-related GHG emissions.
Annually, 1.8 billion tonnes of climate changing carbon dioxide emissions are released by degradation and burning of country’s peatlands from less than 0.1% of land on earth. These GHG emissions are comparable to the total reduction in annual emissions required under the Kyoto protocol from Annex 1 industrialized nations.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Predicts 2012: Data Center Growth and the Impact of Cloud Computing on Energy Efficiency
Overview
Data center deployments are moving at different speeds in emerging
and mature markets, with focus on operational efficiency to drive down
cost for energy and real estate. Off-premises cloud computing not only
provides more-flexible infrastructure and fewer physical network layers,
but also enables organizations to conserve energy and therefore improve
their environmental performance. Despite the benefits of cloud
computing, the lack of IT maturity in emerging markets will slow cloud
computing adoption by enterprises.
Key Findings
- Operational efficiency and its impact on the data center footprint in urban areas are often triggered by high real-estate costs, as in Brazil.
- The stability and availability of energy and the lack of broadband connections remain big challenges for data center deployments in emerging countries.
- As data centers are increasing their server and rack workloads, their power and cooling requirements are expected to push the stable energy availability of the utility grid.
- Cloud providers are challenged to optimize their energy consumption planning by mapping peak utilization and safety margins of capacity with intelligent patterns to level usage across their available infrastructure resources.
- While China's government is pushing cloud computing through initiatives to enable economic growth, enterprises are slow in adoption due to security concerns and poor business models.
- Markets with low understanding of IT maturity and affinity are slow in adopting cloud computing and instead maintain their physical data center infrastructure.
- Stakeholder, government and shareholder interest is to avoid the brand reputation of a "dirty" data center, using coal-fired power.
Recommendations
- Data center sourcing should include energy sourcing and pricing agreements. Especially as data center capacity is increasing, data center executives should plan for capacity and performance constraints to avoid potential outages.
- Managers of cloud data centers or high-performance computing (HPC) should consider low-energy servers when mapping power and cooling directly to data center footprint.
- Reporting green data center performance, especially in a cloud delivery environment, has to include an assessment framework that is based on technology, workloads and applications, as well as energy sources as key parameters.
- A successful cloud computing strategy in data centers not only must include technical requirements but also must be tied into the overall business objectives of an organization.
- As governments, such as in Brazil and China, are pushing for IT penetration, utilize the momentum to build out data center infrastructure based on some government initiatives.
- Develop security solutions or hosted security services in order to overcome the security concerns of enterprise customers assessing the cloud computing opportunity.
Table of Contents
Contents
-
Analysis
- What You Need to Know
- Strategic Planning Assumptions
- A Look Back
Analysis
What You Need to Know
Data center energy management and cost and availability of energy remain main trends for stakeholders in data center management. In facilities and on the IT level, the deployment of low-energy servers, as well as cloud computing, can not only provide energy cost savings, but also significantly reduce the floor space, resulting in a decrease of real estate value, especially for data centers in urban environments. Especially in emerging countries, the range of operational efficiency not only has cost components but also includes the availability and the stability of the electricity grid in a growth mode of economic development. The plans to expand data center capacity must include early adoption of new infrastructure as a service and other cloud computing models in order to remove the glass ceiling of available total power in a grid for the data center. That could painfully inhibit international offshoring to markets such as India, China and Brazil when pricing for the availability of electricity is increasing with demand. As a result, vendors need to position their ability to offer energy management as a holistic view in order to enable their customers to visualize and efficiently reduce energy usage.
Table of Contents
Strategic Planning Assumptions
Strategic Planning Assumption: By year-end 2012, sales of extreme-low-energy servers, offered by several server providers, will grow to 1.5% of server market revenue.Analysis By: Errol Rasit
Key Findings:
Extreme-low-energy servers are defined as servers using processor types previously not designed to be used in server systems, rather typically found in small devices like tablets and smartphones, or small objects with embedded processors. Examples today for this type of server are Intel's Atom, ARM architecture and Tilera's TILE-Gx. The aim of using extreme-low-energy servers is to optimize data center space and reduce power and cooling costs. Optimization is achieved by rightsizing the processor to the requirement of the application thread or unit of work.
Extreme-low-energy servers are typically optimized for a limited number of workload types, unlike mainstream x86 servers that are appropriate for a broad range of workload types. Examples of suitable applications or application functions are as follows: Hadoop MapReduce, database management system searches, shared-memory servers like memcached, static Web servers performing many fetch functions, video servers running unmodified fetch functions, big data/simple logic searches, and HPC workloads in which input/output or memory is the point of constraint (e.g., specialized implementations in which thousands of nodes run one application, such as IBM's Blue Gene).
Market Implications:
Despite the number of workloads that are suitable for low-energy servers, today the technology segment is embryonic and has relatively little provider support but does show promise as a differentiated segment.
Extreme-low-energy servers are predominantly targeted at enterprise customers or those that typically buy servers in large volumes. Due to this market positioning, we expect growth in low-energy server sales will largely be targeted at mainstream x86 servers rather than purchases of non-x86 and PC-class servers.
Customers focused on the best power and cooling efficiency and organizations looking to reduce the data center footprint will stand to benefit from adoption of these servers. Energy and space-saving improvements are largest when transitioning from mainstream alternatives. We expect the relative difference between mainstream and extreme-low-energy servers will remain largely stable, with small incremental improvements as extreme-low-energy server technology evolves further.
Customer segments that have a workload bias toward applicable low-energy server workloads (for example, cloud data center providers or HPC customers) are obviously a natural target for low-energy servers. The profile of the workloads that can be addressed by these types of server, being typically broad — like Web or database search — means that potential adoption isn't limited to any particular customer vertical, but rather is limited by the attitude of the IT organization to invest in alternative solutions.
In order to gain a broad footprint, there will be ecosystems of energy efficiency in the energy stack of the data center, which needs to include the OS and software applications engineered to really leverage low-energy-server approaches effectively.
Recommendations:
- Benchmark to verify fit, and engineer the production environment in enough detail to understand the resulting expansion of server images, network and storage connections, and their effects on operational processes.
- Move work from traditional to extreme-low-energy servers when the net benefit, factoring in all the consequences and project costs, is sufficient to justify some added risk and the switching costs involved.
- Verify the key attributes of extreme-low-energy servers — relatively light CPU demands and excellent scaling — and benchmark them on real machines before committing to any purchases.
- Apply all traditional and mature approaches to increasing energy efficiency to solve short-term tactical constraints (such as imminent exhaustion of spare energy or space in an existing data center) before undertaking a move to extreme-low-energy solutions as a quick fix.
"Hype Cycle for Server Technologies, 2011"
"SWOT: SeaMicro, Servers, Worldwide"
"Market Insight: The Top Five x86 Server Workloads for the Optimal Data Center Strategy"
"Introducing Extreme Low-Energy Servers"
Strategic Planning Assumption: By 2013, 15% of enterprises investing in off-premises cloud computing will rate green measures among their top three priorities.
Analysis By: Errol Rasit
Key Findings:
In 2010, a global survey of organizations with more than 1,000 employees revealed that 33% of organizations planning cloud investment cited "green" as a driver, and 27% cited social responsibility as a driver. These drivers, however, ranked sixth and seventh on the list of priorities. The top three drivers for cloud investment were "improve business agility," "provide capital expenditure (capex) savings" and "part of our data center transformation strategy."
We believe that a number of factors will drive customers to increase the importance of green as a driver to invest in cloud computing:
- Gartner inquiries reflect that most organizations overprovision their infrastructure resources, such as server or storage, by provisioning based on peak utilization. In some cases, safety margins are added on top. Collectively, a public cloud provider has the potential to be extremely resource-efficient due to a high level of standardization that may result in better sharing and optimization of resources across a larger infrastructure base. While this is resulting in operating expenditure savings, it also offers more sustainable usage of infrastructure.
- Work by organizations such as Greenpeace has increased industry and customer interest around cloud provider power sources. Greenpeace published a report titled "How Dirty Is Your Data?" that judged several providers' data centers on the amount of coal used in powering data centers, the transparency of this information to the public domain, infrastructure location and mitigation strategy. In addition, financial benchmarks, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, are rating green IT efficiency and the utilization of the cloud for a more sustainable performance, giving thrust for CFOs to ask questions about sustainable business operations.
- Carbon tax schemes, aimed at penalizing the use of fossil fuels as a power source, are being implemented by many governments around the world, largely in response to the treaty set out by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC). The treaty is commonly referred to by its most famous legally binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, the Kyoto Protocol. Due to legally binding initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol, enterprises should expect that governments will increasingly seek to penalize consumers of fossil-fuel-based power.
Greening of any service is an end-to-end process, such as selection of technology, implementation, waste management or power production source. There are a number of alliances that are focused on providing standards or references for green computing, all of which are still evolving. Examples are the EU, Energy Star and the Green Grid.
Many of the current reference frameworks focus on measuring the technology that delivers the service. Although some providers are focusing on providing some measurements on green cloud services, green visibility varies wildly from provider to provider; some of them do not share information, because they consider the design and management of the data center to be a competitive differentiator and therefore a closely guarded secret. The responsibility of measuring the green credentials of a provider will likely stay with the customer in the near term until providers improve the visibility of their green credentials.
As it stands, green frameworks and standards are not all-encompassing, so there is no single standard to adhere to. There is significant scope for providers to improve their participation in standards adoption and investment. Gartner believes that the likelihood of an all-encompassing or recognized singular green cloud standard in the near future is low.
Recommendations:
- Monitor the development of green standards, such as Energy Star or the Code of Conduct of the EU; in particular, assess the implication of laws or taxes that may come into effect in locations where your IT resides.
- Before signing a commercial agreement, test your cloud computing provider's ability to share data that commonly used green metrics, frameworks and ratings require.
- Apply the same amount of stringency and detail of your internal IT infrastructure to your off-premises IT infrastructure in order to measure the end-to-end greenness of IT services independent of responsibility or ownership of infrastructure.
"Greening the Cloud: Location Is Critical for the Sustainable Future of Outsourced Data Storage and Services"
"Data Center Decisions: Build, Retrofit or Colocate; Why Not a Hybrid Approach?"
Strategic Planning Assumption: By 2016, data centers in India will reach limitations in power supply by utilities, which will gravely impact business operations.
Analysis By: Naresh Singh
Key Findings:
Data center capacities in India are expanding at a 20%-to-30% annual rate and are expected to touch a raised-floor supply of 5.5 million square feet by 2016. While service provider space will grow at a higher rate, captive data centers owned and managed by users will also see a healthy growth in the forecast period. For more details, see "Emerging Market Analysis: Future Outlook of Indian Data Center Market."
With growing adoption of high-density multicore servers and more-powerful network and storage devices, the energy use by data centers has become a big challenge for the IT organization among Indian users. Users are realizing the need to design and upgrade their data center power and cooling facilities to meet the current requirement, as well as future requirements. As users try to increase their server workload and rack equipment load, users are planning for an ever-higher energy "footprint" for their data centers. Planning for a modular data center, users are typically segmenting their data centers into racks with high-density usage, normal usage and low-density usage to be able to optimally meet the composite current and future requirements. These designs also essentially factor the cooling requirement implications that are different for different zones with varying IT loads.
Assuming that users will go for a mix of data center zones with typical rack loads of 4 kilowatts (kW), 10 kW and 20 kW, the total energy required, including the load necessary to cool all the data centers in India, will reach 4,397 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2016. This energy use equates to over 2% of the 218,209 MW projected demand of the country in the same period, according to the 17th Electric Power Survey of India published by Central Electricity Authority in 2007. This is an extraordinarily high task for an emerging country that is already challenged to meet its current public- and private-sector obligations. Power blackouts and unavailability are a persisting common problem even in the commercial capital of India, Mumbai — which has the largest concentration of data centers in India.
Market Implications:
- Both users and service providers stand a significant risk of their data center energy sourcing strategy becoming unsustainable. They need to address this risk by securing their future requirement through long-term commitments from local utilities. They also need to closely work with the utilities, sharing their forecast plans, etc., so that their future requirement can be met adequately and on time.
- Data centers in India will continue to see the need for relatively higher power generation backups than their global counterparts, because they are less likely to rely on their utility providers for an uninterrupted supply of electricity. The consequent greater use of captive generators will also mean higher capex and cost of operations.
- Energy-efficient IT equipment, technologies and data center designs will see growing demand in India, as the challenges escalate upward. Also, energy monitoring and management tools will have higher adoption in the coming years.
- India is unlikely to reduce or remove the negative perception of being an infrastructure-challenged location for the purpose of setting up data centers for a regional and global requirement. This not only can seriously impact India's ambitions of emerging as a preferred regional location for data center hosting, but also could impede the overall IT and business outsourcing opportunities for India.
- Data center technology providers: Encourage and educate users to adopt energy-efficient solutions and designs, even if they mean an apparently higher capex at the onset — especially if it will give the customer a sustainable data center strategy and also help achieve a lower total cost of ownership in the long run.
- Data center hosting service providers: Monitor the energy requirement mix of your existing as well as potential customers, and conduct scenario planning for low, medium and high energy demand. Shape your data center planning based on the most likely scenario, while having a Plan B for either of the other scenarios getting more realistic in the future.
- Users and hosting service providers: Make facility planning a board-level priority — with the stakes translated out adequately to the key business leaders. Initiate or support an energy-efficient culture among internal and external users of your data center.
- Users and hosting service providers: While planning your data centers, seriously evaluate locations that are not necessarily business hubs but have adequate current and future supplies of power, like major electricity grid sources, in addition to other necessary factors, like telecommunications facilities, water supply and disaster implications.
- Users: Create adequate power source backups and redundancies, like multiple grid providers. Maintain enough captive power generation capacities (along with redundancy designs) and adequate fuel to keep the data center running in the event of a long period of power blackouts, which are not uncommon in India.
"Emerging Market Analysis: Future Outlook of Indian Data Center Market"
"How to Build a World-Class Data Center in India"
Strategic Planning Assumption: By 2012, Brazil will surpass Canada and become the No. 7 country in the server market in terms of revenue.
Analysis By: Kiyomi Yamada
Key Findings:
Emerging markets have been increasing their presence in the server market as many organizations in these regions have been trying to build new IT infrastructure. By 2012, Brazil will become the new No. 7 country by surpassing Canada in terms of server revenue. The outlook for data center spending in Brazil is robust because its economy is expected to continue a growth spurt for the next five years. Brazil's data center business has been also supported by the government's commitment to push IT modernization throughout the country, as well as preparation for worldwide events, such as the Olympics (2016) and the World Cup (2014).
Market Implications:
The Brazilian server market has been steadily growing, and more providers are focusing on this market. We believe that the market is still undersaturated and has potential to grow further. In comparison with other technologies, such as PCs, the No. 7 ranking is not impressive for Brazil. It often is the case that consumer-related technologies (e.g., PCs or mobile phones) take off first and enterprise technology adoption follows. Brazil is the No. 4 country in the PC market in 2011 (in end-user spending).
The Brazilian server market outlook is bright, but the country needs to work more on the following points:
- IT infrastructure modernization projects have been done mainly in the metropolitan areas, although they are spreading to smaller cities.
- Few small and midsize businesses (SMBs) embrace data center functions.
- A shortage of trained IT personnel has been a big issue.
- Cloud services are still in an infancy stage because of unstable broadband connections and limited applications.
- Although many organizations have strong interests in cloud services, broadband coverage is still sketchy and expensive due to lack of infrastructure. Better broadband coverage and service will create additional data center demand, as the country can provide offshore services for other countries in addition to domestic service.
- Understand the characteristics for the Brazilian data center market. The interest in energy efficiency is relatively low compared with other countries because the country has abundant oil supplies and alternative energy resources (the country is a top global producer of ethanol and hydroelectricity). Instead, demand for small-footprint data centers is high, as the country's real estate prices are rising.
- Keep monitoring cloud service adoption in Brazil. Although interest in cloud services is very high, currently many organizations prefer to have their own data centers. In addition to immature infrastructure environments, conservative attitudes toward new technologies hinder further cloud adoption. This could, however, change dramatically once these services start being accepted.
- Work closely with government. The Brazilian government is very aggressive in promoting IT development.
- Try to expand market reach to smaller organizations and smaller cities via channels.
"Market Trends: Brazil's Emerging Middle-Class Consumer Subsegment Shines With IT Opportunities"
"Emerging Market Analysis: Brazil, a Growing IT Frontier"
Strategic Planning Assumption: By 2015, China's cloud computing will make up more than 25% of the Chinese data center market.
Analysis By: Jennifer Wu
Key Findings:
In 2010, the number of servers used in China's public cloud computing was estimated to be 10% of all servers sold. Gartner estimates that by 2015 this number will reach 20%. Given that servers are the main components of a data center, this projected growth indicates a healthy future of cloud in China (see "Market Trends: Opportunities for Server Providers in China's Public Cloud").
In mid-2010, Gartner conducted a survey of large enterprises in China to analyze the growth of private clouds in the country. Fifty-eight percent of Chinese respondents indicated they had already invested in cloud computing or planned to do so in 2011 (see "User Survey Analysis: China's Data Centers Accelerating Adoption of Storage Technologies and Cloud Computing").
In addition, in 2010, China's government vowed to support the five "cloud city" projects, serving as a signal of the government's incentives for enterprises to push the cloud throughout the country. Data centers and cloud infrastructure are seen as the foundation for future industrial growth and services (see "China Plans to Advance Its Economy by Exploiting Cloud Computing").
Market Implications:
Cloud computing has drawn the attention of the Chinese government and is seen as one of the ways in which the country can leapfrog over technologically more advanced economies. Given the government's long involvement and role as a catalyst to industrial innovation, its adoption of cloud computing as part of its Five-Year Plan indicates the importance that this will have in the market. The government is also directly investing in the development of a cloud-based environment both at the national and provincial levels. Enterprises generally follow the government's lead, hoping to emulate the success of mobile technologies that helped China skip the further spread of landlines to move directly into mobile telecommunications some 20 years ago.
Notably in 2011, China bypassed Japan, becoming the second-largest data center market in the world. That year, data centers in China accounted for about 8.3% of the world market. Gartner predicts that growth will continue into 2015 and rise to more than 11% of the global data center market. Cloud computing, both private and public, will be a significant factor in such growth. At the moment, many companies are being held back by concerns for security and stability. Gartner, however, believes that by 2013, these will become less of a problem due to the improvement of security technology and government endorsement of public cloud, and more than 30% of large companies will deploy private cloud computing solutions.
Successful cloud computing calls for more than just the technical infrastructure, as it also needs the support of management to be tied closely to overall business objectives. For now, it seems that Chinese enterprises still are weak in integrating the cloud into clear overall business plans and extracting the best usage for competitive ends.
Recommendations:
- Cloud technology providers have to build cloud teams capable of providing wider services than the physical components of clouds — integrating the cloud into the overall objectives of the enterprise and providing clear lines to successful business solutions.
- Cloud technology providers should use pilot and service trials for potential clients to facilitate commitment and broad implementation.
- Technology providers should be prepared to adjust product development priorities and market strategy to address China's unique characteristics. In particular, providers should explore market opportunities in security as a service and platform as a service in China. Cloud computing service suppliers should leverage the government's support to invest in China's cloud computing market.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
A New Approach To Measuring Performance in Solar
Written by Marc van Gerven
Marc van Gerven is managing director of Q-Cells North America.
But there is more: Beyond the academics of measuring solar production
in more meaningful ways, companies must ultimately execute on their
promise of predictability.
This is where one’s business model enters the picture. If you measure systems holistically, then the solutions you offer should be holistic as well. Only players with integrated systems experience can wrap or bundle their offerings based on the real-world experience of product performance. With a project-level perspective, an experienced developer possesses a thorough knowledge of field-tested plant performance down to the level of the solar module and even the solar cell itself. This breadth and depth of knowledge delivers the data needed to offer true performance guarantees– all tying back to predictability and ROI.
In sum, thinking about the development and execution of solar plant production differently – with an emphasis on predictability and system-wide guarantees – is what will move the needle toward mainstream investment in solar energy.
Marc van Gerven is managing director of Q-Cells North America.
Marc van Gerven:
We all know an energy revolution is coming, whether we embrace it or
not. One day soon (give or take a few years), we’ll live in a world that
generates energy in radically different ways than it does today. For
me, that’s the exciting part of working in the solar industry. And I
suspect, as most media coverage I read suggests, this is also the
exciting part for most casual observers of the clean technology sector.
Yet, while we all enjoy reading articles about new gizmos, electric
cars, space-age wind turbines, and of course, the latest advances in photovoltaics, these advancements represent only the surface of a much
larger, systemic change in the way we will soon conduct business. New
technologies, especially disruptive ones, bring with them new business
models, new forms of measurement, new modes of communication and
ultimately entirely new practices.
To drive the adoption of new things, we must be cognizant of the fact
that change is difficult and often scary– even for the “experts.”
Bridging the gap between what is well-understood today and what will
eventually be commonplace in the future requires a great deal of
confidence building. Ultimately, it comes down to predictability.
For the solar energy industry to truly mature, it needs a performance
model that can offer investors confidence and predictability in their
return on investment. In order to achieve this confidence, a new model
must do more than merely offer performance expectations; it must assure
system performance in the same way a traditional coal plant does today.
Until relatively recently, the solar energy industry had been too
young, and the technology too new, to accurately predict return on
investment. This led to the acceptance of simple models to evaluate the
cost of solar projects. While these models are straightforward and
present a more complete picture of a solar plant’s operational
capability than even earlier metrics, they still only measure the sum of
the parts rather than the whole.
Sadly, these and other simplified metrics are not focused on lifetime
costs versus lifetime returns, and so they paint an inaccurate and
short-term portrait of plant production. The end result is misaligned
expectations, which could doom big, utility-scale projects to financial
failure.
Fortunately, a new model for evaluating the complete system is emerging, the power plant performance ratio,
which measures a system’s efficiency in converting solar radiation into
electricity. Because the performance ratio looks at the whole, rather
than the sum of the parts, this indicator can take into consideration
individual variables that are ignored by current metrics. By measuring
the performance ratio, power plant owners and operators can immediately
and fully predict the performance of the plant over its lifetime,
accurately assessing the value of the plant. For the first time, the
business of solar energy is catching up to the promise of solar
technology.
This is where one’s business model enters the picture. If you measure systems holistically, then the solutions you offer should be holistic as well. Only players with integrated systems experience can wrap or bundle their offerings based on the real-world experience of product performance. With a project-level perspective, an experienced developer possesses a thorough knowledge of field-tested plant performance down to the level of the solar module and even the solar cell itself. This breadth and depth of knowledge delivers the data needed to offer true performance guarantees– all tying back to predictability and ROI.
In sum, thinking about the development and execution of solar plant production differently – with an emphasis on predictability and system-wide guarantees – is what will move the needle toward mainstream investment in solar energy.
Monday, September 12, 2011
China to cap energy use in national low-carbon plan
A cap on energy
consumption is expected to be at the heart of a Chinese low-carbon plan
to be issued this year, experts believe, amid reports that officials
have now agreed its level.
China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, making up a quarter of the global total. Experts say setting an energy limit would add certainty to the country's attempts to rein in emissions and should make it easier for emissions trading schemes to get off the ground.
The cap has been anticipated for some time but is now thought likely to emerge in the low-carbon plan understood to have been broadly approved by a panel set up by the state council, China's cabinet, and chaired by the premier, Wen Jiabao. It should be formally passed later this year.
Reuters reported that officials have settled on a total energy cap of 4.1bn tonnes of coal equivalent (TCE) by 2015 – a level more than 25% higher than last year.
Analysts warn that the plan has yet to be nailed down and that a cap could still be delayed by disagreements, to re-emerge in a later policy document.
The government in March unveiled its five year-plan for 2011-2015. Setting out the economic course for the nation, it aims for a more sustainable pace of growth and includes a new carbon intensity target – trying to slow emissions growth relative to GDP by 17% – as well as a goal of improving energy intensity by 16%. Officials are fleshing it out.
A cap "is significant, because it makes it much clearer to provinces what they have to do regardless of what GDP growth rate is", said Deborah Seligsohn, a climate policy expert working for the World Resources Institute in Beijing.
"The cap they have been talking about is essentially based on the growth rate they expect overall; it doesn't mean cutting further, but it does add certainty."
She said it would also make pilot emissions trading systems in six provinces and cities more effective. Although people have been looking at ways to base systems on carbon intensity, a cap would make matters much more straightforward.
A level of 4.1bn TCE would be higher than many had expected. Zhang Guobao, formerly China's top energy official, told the state news agency Xinhua in April that there would be a cap of 4bn TCE.
"There were some very aggressive suggestions from scholars. Some have suggested [4.1bn TCE] would be rather conservative, but from where I stand I think it is very positive," said Changhua Wu, the Climate Group's China representative.
"When you set a cap you obviously are going to set an attitude towards shifting the structure ... Part of the big lesson we learned in the last five years is that you could grow wind and solar and nuclear energy aggressively but keep consuming more."
Another key issue will be whether the plan spells out targets for individual provinces on energy and carbon intensity.
China's commitment to meeting environmental targets was underlined when provinces abruptly shut down plants last year to try to meet the goals of the last five-year plan.
With the central government keeping a closer eye on the progress of provinces, the National Development and Reform Commission – the country's top economic planning body – recently published the names of those struggling to meet targets.
"The Chinese government has made it pretty clear they expect these targets to be met. This time the provinces know that now, so they will be working from the beginning," said Seligsohn.
China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, making up a quarter of the global total. Experts say setting an energy limit would add certainty to the country's attempts to rein in emissions and should make it easier for emissions trading schemes to get off the ground.
The cap has been anticipated for some time but is now thought likely to emerge in the low-carbon plan understood to have been broadly approved by a panel set up by the state council, China's cabinet, and chaired by the premier, Wen Jiabao. It should be formally passed later this year.
Reuters reported that officials have settled on a total energy cap of 4.1bn tonnes of coal equivalent (TCE) by 2015 – a level more than 25% higher than last year.
Analysts warn that the plan has yet to be nailed down and that a cap could still be delayed by disagreements, to re-emerge in a later policy document.
The government in March unveiled its five year-plan for 2011-2015. Setting out the economic course for the nation, it aims for a more sustainable pace of growth and includes a new carbon intensity target – trying to slow emissions growth relative to GDP by 17% – as well as a goal of improving energy intensity by 16%. Officials are fleshing it out.
A cap "is significant, because it makes it much clearer to provinces what they have to do regardless of what GDP growth rate is", said Deborah Seligsohn, a climate policy expert working for the World Resources Institute in Beijing.
"The cap they have been talking about is essentially based on the growth rate they expect overall; it doesn't mean cutting further, but it does add certainty."
She said it would also make pilot emissions trading systems in six provinces and cities more effective. Although people have been looking at ways to base systems on carbon intensity, a cap would make matters much more straightforward.
A level of 4.1bn TCE would be higher than many had expected. Zhang Guobao, formerly China's top energy official, told the state news agency Xinhua in April that there would be a cap of 4bn TCE.
"There were some very aggressive suggestions from scholars. Some have suggested [4.1bn TCE] would be rather conservative, but from where I stand I think it is very positive," said Changhua Wu, the Climate Group's China representative.
"When you set a cap you obviously are going to set an attitude towards shifting the structure ... Part of the big lesson we learned in the last five years is that you could grow wind and solar and nuclear energy aggressively but keep consuming more."
Another key issue will be whether the plan spells out targets for individual provinces on energy and carbon intensity.
China's commitment to meeting environmental targets was underlined when provinces abruptly shut down plants last year to try to meet the goals of the last five-year plan.
With the central government keeping a closer eye on the progress of provinces, the National Development and Reform Commission – the country's top economic planning body – recently published the names of those struggling to meet targets.
"The Chinese government has made it pretty clear they expect these targets to be met. This time the provinces know that now, so they will be working from the beginning," said Seligsohn.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Arctic sea ice is melting at its fastest pace in almost 40 years
The Northwest Passage was, again, free of ice this summer and the polar region could be unfrozen in just 30 years.
Aerial view of the Petermann glacier, Greenland’s north-west coast – a
100 square-mile block of ice broke off it in August last year; by July
this year it had melted.
Photograph: Nick Cobbing/AFP/Getty Images
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years, say polar scientists.
Daily satellite sea-ice maps released by Bremen university physicists
show that with a week's more melt expected this year, the floating ice
in the Arctic covered an area of 4.24 million square kilometres on 8
September. The previous one-day minimum was 4.27m sq km on 17 September
2007.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado, which also tracks the extent of sea ice, has not posted data for a week but is expected to announce similar results in the next few days.
The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. "The sea-ice retreat can no more be explained with the natural variability from one year to the next, caused by weather influence," said Georg Heygster, head of the Institute of Environmental Physics at Bremen.
"It seems to be clear that this is a further consequence of the man-made global warming with global consequences. Climate models show that the reduction is related to the man-made global warming, which, due to the albedo effect, is particularly pronounced in the Arctic," he said. The albedo effect is related to a surface's reflecting power – whiter sea ice reflects more of the sun's heat back into space than darker seawater, which absorbs the sun's heat and gets warmer.
Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade.
Arctic temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as the global average over the past half century.
Separate, less reliable, research suggests that Arctic ice is in a downward spiral, declining in area but also thinning. Using records of air, wind and sea temperature, scientists from the Polar Science Centre of the University of Washington, Seattle, announced last week that the Arctic sea-ice volume reached its lowest ever level in 2010 and was on course to set more records this year.
The new data suggests that the volume of sea ice last month appeared to be about 2,135 cubic miles – just half the average volume and 62% lower than the maximum volume of ice that covered the Arctic in 1979. The research will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research.
"Ice volume is now plunging faster than it did at the same time last year when the record was set," said Axel Schweiger.
If current trends continue, a largely ice-free Arctic in the summer months is likely within 30 years –that is up to 40 years earlier than was anticipated in the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report.
The last time the Arctic was uncontestably free of summertime ice was 125,000 years ago, at the height of the last major interglacial period, known as the Eemian.
"This stunning loss of Arctic sea ice is yet another wake-up call that climate change is here now and is having devastating effects around the world," Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Centre for Biological Diversity in San Francisco told journalists.
Arctic ice plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate by reflecting sunlight and keeping the polar region cool. Retreating summer sea ice is widely described by scientists as both a measure and a driver of global warming, with negative impacts on a local and planetary scale.
This year, both the North-west and North-east passages were mostly ice free, as they have been twice since 2008.
Last month, the 74,000-tonne STI Heritage tanker passed through the North-east Passage with the assistance of ice breakers in just eight days on its way from Houston, Texas, to Thailand.
The north-east sea route, which links the Atlantic to the Pacific, is likely to become a commercial ship operator's favourite, saving thousands of miles and avoiding tolls on the Suez Canal tolls.
Further evidence of dramatic change in the Arctic came last week from Alan Hubbard, a Welsh glaciologist at Aberystwyth University, who has been studying the Petermann glacier in northern Greenland for several years.
The glacier, which covers about 6% of the icecap, is 186 miles (300km) long and up to 3,280ft (1km) high. In August last year, a 100 square-mile (260 sq km) block of ice calved from the glacier. Photographs show that by July this year it had melted and disappeared.
"I was gobsmacked. It [was] like looking into the Grand Canyon full of ice and coming back two years later to find it full of water," said Hubbard.
Last year (2010) tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record.
Photograph: Nick Cobbing/AFP/Getty Images
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Arctic sea ice has melted to a level not recorded since satellite observations started in 1972 – and almost certainly not experienced for at least 8,000 years, say polar scientists.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado, which also tracks the extent of sea ice, has not posted data for a week but is expected to announce similar results in the next few days.
The German researchers said the record melt was undoubtedly because of human-induced global warming. "The sea-ice retreat can no more be explained with the natural variability from one year to the next, caused by weather influence," said Georg Heygster, head of the Institute of Environmental Physics at Bremen.
"It seems to be clear that this is a further consequence of the man-made global warming with global consequences. Climate models show that the reduction is related to the man-made global warming, which, due to the albedo effect, is particularly pronounced in the Arctic," he said. The albedo effect is related to a surface's reflecting power – whiter sea ice reflects more of the sun's heat back into space than darker seawater, which absorbs the sun's heat and gets warmer.
Floating Arctic sea ice naturally melts and re-freezes annually, but the speed of change in a generation has shocked scientists – it is now twice as great as it was in 1972, according to the NSIDC, with a decline of about 10% per decade.
Arctic temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as the global average over the past half century.
Separate, less reliable, research suggests that Arctic ice is in a downward spiral, declining in area but also thinning. Using records of air, wind and sea temperature, scientists from the Polar Science Centre of the University of Washington, Seattle, announced last week that the Arctic sea-ice volume reached its lowest ever level in 2010 and was on course to set more records this year.
The new data suggests that the volume of sea ice last month appeared to be about 2,135 cubic miles – just half the average volume and 62% lower than the maximum volume of ice that covered the Arctic in 1979. The research will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research.
"Ice volume is now plunging faster than it did at the same time last year when the record was set," said Axel Schweiger.
If current trends continue, a largely ice-free Arctic in the summer months is likely within 30 years –that is up to 40 years earlier than was anticipated in the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report.
The last time the Arctic was uncontestably free of summertime ice was 125,000 years ago, at the height of the last major interglacial period, known as the Eemian.
"This stunning loss of Arctic sea ice is yet another wake-up call that climate change is here now and is having devastating effects around the world," Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Centre for Biological Diversity in San Francisco told journalists.
Arctic ice plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate by reflecting sunlight and keeping the polar region cool. Retreating summer sea ice is widely described by scientists as both a measure and a driver of global warming, with negative impacts on a local and planetary scale.
This year, both the North-west and North-east passages were mostly ice free, as they have been twice since 2008.
Last month, the 74,000-tonne STI Heritage tanker passed through the North-east Passage with the assistance of ice breakers in just eight days on its way from Houston, Texas, to Thailand.
The north-east sea route, which links the Atlantic to the Pacific, is likely to become a commercial ship operator's favourite, saving thousands of miles and avoiding tolls on the Suez Canal tolls.
Further evidence of dramatic change in the Arctic came last week from Alan Hubbard, a Welsh glaciologist at Aberystwyth University, who has been studying the Petermann glacier in northern Greenland for several years.
The glacier, which covers about 6% of the icecap, is 186 miles (300km) long and up to 3,280ft (1km) high. In August last year, a 100 square-mile (260 sq km) block of ice calved from the glacier. Photographs show that by July this year it had melted and disappeared.
"I was gobsmacked. It [was] like looking into the Grand Canyon full of ice and coming back two years later to find it full of water," said Hubbard.
Last year (2010) tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Carbon offsets near record low !!!
Carbon offsets neared all-time lows Friday, confirming their status as the world's worst performing commodity, as slumping demand meets rising supply of the U.N. instrument traded under the Kyoto Protocol.
A worsening global economic outlook has dented prices for emissions permits which depend on a robust economy belching greenhouse gases into the air, and has also impacted oil, grains, coal and natural gas.
Carbon
offsets have fared uniquely badly because a U.N. climate panel
continues to print new offsets, regardless of a widening glut in
emissions permits in the main demand market, the European Union's carbon
market.
Countries and companies in
the developed world can buy offsets as a way to meet emissions caps
agreed under Kyoto, paying for cuts in developing country projects
instead, but the financial crisis has left a global oversupply.
"If
the European economy goes through a double dip (recession) it could be a
lethal threat for the carbon market," said Marius-Cristian Frunza,
analyst at Schwarzthal Kapital.
The
U.N. scheme for generating certified emissions reductions (CERs),
called the clean development mechanism (CDM), faces additional problems
besides the economy.
Failure by
countries to agree a new round of carbon caps after 2012 under drifting
U.N. climate talks, has further curbed prospective demand.
The financial crisis has blown off course talks to agree a global climate deal,
which now seems years off. The CER market had a traded value of $18.3
billion last year, down from $26.3 billion in its peak year 2008.
Adding to CER woes, the EU has banned from 2013 imports of the most common type of offset, from refrigerant plants in China, prompting investors to dump these.
Benchmark
CERs fell as low as 7.4 euros Friday, down more than 7 percent on the
day, fractionally above an all-time low of 7.15 euros.
Prices
are now at around cost price in developing countries, squeezing margins
for project developers such as London-listed Camco, whose shares were
down more than 10 percent at midday, and by nearly 40 percent over the
past month.
Rival developer
Trading Emissions PLC last week pulled a proposed sale of its assets
because of falling carbon prices. Its average CER costs are 7.5 euros
per tonne.
European carbon prices also continued falls on Friday, to as low as 10.65 euros or by 5 percent.
See below for a performance ranking of various commodities
as of 1245 GMT Friday, compared with December 19 2008 when U.S. crude
hit a financial crisis low of $32. Change is also shown over the past
month.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Himalaya glaciers shrinking on global warming, some may disappear
Three Himalaya
glaciers have been shrinking over the last 40 years due to global
warming and two of them, located in humid regions and on lower altitudes
in central and east Nepal, may disappear in time to come, researchers
in Japan said.
Using global positioning system and simulation models, they found that the shrinkage of two of the glaciers -- Yala in central and AX010 in eastern Nepal -- had accelerated in the past 10 years compared with the 1970s and 1980s.
Yala's mass shrank by 0.8 (2.6 feet) and AX010 by 0.81 meters respectively per year in the 2000s, up from 0.68 and 0.72 meters per year between 1970 and 1990, said Koji Fujita at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies in Nagoya University in Japan.
"For Yala and AX, these regions showed significant warming ... that's why the rate of shrinking was accelerated," Fujita told Reuters by telephone.
"Yala and AX will disappear but we are not sure when. To know when, we have to calculate using another simulation (model) and take into account the glacial flow," Fujita said, but added that his team did not have the data to do so at the moment.
Their findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday.
The Himalayas is an enormous mountain range consisting of about 15,000 glaciers and some of the world's highest peaks, including the 8,848-meter-high Mount Everest and K2.
Apart from climate change and humidity, elevation also appears to play a critical role in the lifespan of glaciers, which are large persistent bodies of ice.
The Rikha Samba glacier in the drier region of west Nepal has also been getting smaller since the 1970s, but its rate of shrinking slowed to 0.48 meters per year in the past 10 years compared to 0.57 meters per year in the 1970s and 1980s.
This was because the 5,700-meter-high glacier was located on a higher altitude, which meant that losses in mass from melting could be compensated at least partly by collection of snowfall, Fujita said.
"In the case of Yala and AX, they are situated on lower elevation (altitudes), therefore shrinkage was accelerated. Glaciers that have no chance to get snow mass will eventually disappear," Fujita said.
Yala glacier is located about 5,400 meters above the sea level, while AX is 5,200 meters high.
Using global positioning system and simulation models, they found that the shrinkage of two of the glaciers -- Yala in central and AX010 in eastern Nepal -- had accelerated in the past 10 years compared with the 1970s and 1980s.
Yala's mass shrank by 0.8 (2.6 feet) and AX010 by 0.81 meters respectively per year in the 2000s, up from 0.68 and 0.72 meters per year between 1970 and 1990, said Koji Fujita at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies in Nagoya University in Japan.
"For Yala and AX, these regions showed significant warming ... that's why the rate of shrinking was accelerated," Fujita told Reuters by telephone.
"Yala and AX will disappear but we are not sure when. To know when, we have to calculate using another simulation (model) and take into account the glacial flow," Fujita said, but added that his team did not have the data to do so at the moment.
Their findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday.
The Himalayas is an enormous mountain range consisting of about 15,000 glaciers and some of the world's highest peaks, including the 8,848-meter-high Mount Everest and K2.
Apart from climate change and humidity, elevation also appears to play a critical role in the lifespan of glaciers, which are large persistent bodies of ice.
The Rikha Samba glacier in the drier region of west Nepal has also been getting smaller since the 1970s, but its rate of shrinking slowed to 0.48 meters per year in the past 10 years compared to 0.57 meters per year in the 1970s and 1980s.
This was because the 5,700-meter-high glacier was located on a higher altitude, which meant that losses in mass from melting could be compensated at least partly by collection of snowfall, Fujita said.
"In the case of Yala and AX, they are situated on lower elevation (altitudes), therefore shrinkage was accelerated. Glaciers that have no chance to get snow mass will eventually disappear," Fujita said.
Yala glacier is located about 5,400 meters above the sea level, while AX is 5,200 meters high.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
India is taking the first step in curbing down pollution !!! hurrah!!!
Govt plans Rs 1 lakh/day fine for missing energy saving target
On Wednesday 30 March 2011, 2:28 PM
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Power Ministry plans to impose huge penalties of over Rs 1 lakh per day on industries that fail to achieve energy efficiency targets under the three-year Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme starting April 1.
PAT, which aims to increase industrial energy efficiency, is expected to bring down energy consumption by 5 per cent, amounting to an avoided capacity of over 5,600 MW over the three-year period.
There would be strict penalties, as well as an incentives, for industries participating in PAT, starting April 1. The penalties would be more than Rs 1 lakh per day, apart from some other charges based on tonnes of oil equivalent consumption, a senior Power Ministry official told PTI.
"Those entities that fail to achieve the targets will have to pay huge penalties. Other (entities) that perform better will be awarded Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts), which can be traded," the official said.
Entities that are short of targets can also buy these certificates to make up for the shortfall.
Eight industries, which account for over 50 per cent of energy consumption, would be a part of PAT. These are: cement, thermal power plants, pulp & paper, textile, fertiliser, iron & steel, aluminium and chlor-alkali industries.
PAT is expected to result in electricity savings corresponding to about 9.78 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent. This would be more than 5,600 MW of avoided capacity (which otherwise need to be added).
The programme will end on March 31, 2014.
The basic aim of PAT is to bring down energy consumption and the programme has been finalised after many rounds of meetings and consultation with the stakeholders.
An initiative of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), the programme will be implemented by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
As per BEE, ESCerts would be traded on special trading platforms to be created on the two power exchanges. Data on traded prices, traded volumes and trends would also be maintained on the bourses.
On Wednesday 30 March 2011, 2:28 PM
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Power Ministry plans to impose huge penalties of over Rs 1 lakh per day on industries that fail to achieve energy efficiency targets under the three-year Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme starting April 1.
PAT, which aims to increase industrial energy efficiency, is expected to bring down energy consumption by 5 per cent, amounting to an avoided capacity of over 5,600 MW over the three-year period.
There would be strict penalties, as well as an incentives, for industries participating in PAT, starting April 1. The penalties would be more than Rs 1 lakh per day, apart from some other charges based on tonnes of oil equivalent consumption, a senior Power Ministry official told PTI.
"Those entities that fail to achieve the targets will have to pay huge penalties. Other (entities) that perform better will be awarded Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts), which can be traded," the official said.
Entities that are short of targets can also buy these certificates to make up for the shortfall.
Eight industries, which account for over 50 per cent of energy consumption, would be a part of PAT. These are: cement, thermal power plants, pulp & paper, textile, fertiliser, iron & steel, aluminium and chlor-alkali industries.
PAT is expected to result in electricity savings corresponding to about 9.78 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent. This would be more than 5,600 MW of avoided capacity (which otherwise need to be added).
The programme will end on March 31, 2014.
The basic aim of PAT is to bring down energy consumption and the programme has been finalised after many rounds of meetings and consultation with the stakeholders.
An initiative of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), the programme will be implemented by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
As per BEE, ESCerts would be traded on special trading platforms to be created on the two power exchanges. Data on traded prices, traded volumes and trends would also be maintained on the bourses.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Clean Energy Law Would Boost Jobs, Economy, Study Says
Comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation now before Congress could create 13,000 jobs in Montana by 2020 and would increase average household incomes in the state, according to research announced today by environmental groups.
The groups releasing the information include Climate Solutions and Montana Business Leaders for Clean Energy; CERES; the Clean Economy Network; and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
According to the groups, “clean energy legislation would create 918,000 to 1.9 million new jobs nationally, and increase national GDP by $39 billion to $111 billion more than what would occur without the legislation.”
In Montana, passage of the legislation would increase the GDP by as much as $500 million a year, and could increase annual average household income by as much as $1,700, the study shows. (To read the study in full, go to E2’s list of individual states, and click on Montana.)
The research—a collaborative effort by the University of California, Yale University and the University of Illinois—looked at the impacts of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, which is being heard this week in the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The legislation calls for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and a cap-and-trade program for reducing carbon emissions.
Here are some highlights from the study, taken verbatim from the groups’ announcement:
–”Montana has significant and largely untapped potential renewable resources, particularly in wind power and biofuels.”
– “Energy efficiency provisions in the legislation will reduce the costs for transportation, heating, electricity, etc., saving households, farmers and ranchers, and businesses money—money they can spend on domestic goods and services and create jobs.”
–”Clean energy legislation will strengthen national security by reducing America’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.”
The groups releasing the information include Climate Solutions and Montana Business Leaders for Clean Energy; CERES; the Clean Economy Network; and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
According to the groups, “clean energy legislation would create 918,000 to 1.9 million new jobs nationally, and increase national GDP by $39 billion to $111 billion more than what would occur without the legislation.”
In Montana, passage of the legislation would increase the GDP by as much as $500 million a year, and could increase annual average household income by as much as $1,700, the study shows. (To read the study in full, go to E2’s list of individual states, and click on Montana.)
The research—a collaborative effort by the University of California, Yale University and the University of Illinois—looked at the impacts of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, which is being heard this week in the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The legislation calls for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and a cap-and-trade program for reducing carbon emissions.
Here are some highlights from the study, taken verbatim from the groups’ announcement:
–”Montana has significant and largely untapped potential renewable resources, particularly in wind power and biofuels.”
– “Energy efficiency provisions in the legislation will reduce the costs for transportation, heating, electricity, etc., saving households, farmers and ranchers, and businesses money—money they can spend on domestic goods and services and create jobs.”
–”Clean energy legislation will strengthen national security by reducing America’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.”
Eco-Friendly Clothing To Save The Earth
Technology, industrialisation, plastic money etc, are terms generally associated with development but little do we remember that these same terms are also the cause of ecological degradation. A lot of natural products are exploited for all the modern amenities we enjoy in our day to day life, including our clothes. Today, Earth is endangered with constant exploitation of nature and thus, the term eco-friendly, has gained importance.
For most of us cotton clothes are the definition of eco-friendly clothing but the reality is different. In the process of growing cotton used in our clothes, a lot of pesticide are used which has an inverse effect on the agricultural land. It is also called green clothing and aims at using materials which do not harm the nature and is biodegradable.
Some of the regular products used to make eco-friendly clothing are -
Organic Cotton – There is no use of pesticides, herbicides or insecticides in the process of growing the crop. Plantation of organic cotton is gaining popularity in many parts of the world.
Bamboo Fabric – Such clothes are made out of Bamboo Pulp. It does not need chlorine to bleach it and can be dyed easily with the use of very less amount of water.
Natural Dyes – Usually, harsh chemicals are used to dye the dresses and the same waste is then disposed in rivers and land. This destroys the eco system. Natural dyes on the other hand uses natural products like heena, beet root, berries etc, to colour clothes. These do not have any bad effect on the environment and also has grown up to be a fashion trend.
Jute – Jute is yet another product used in eco-friendly clothing. The process of making jute clothes does not demand chemicals. Jute shoes are also a great alternative to leather. Leather, need a lot of chemicals to polish and a smooth finish, unlike jute.
Eco-friendly Clothing In India
Eco-friendly clothing has grown up to be a leading trend among people and specially with Top brands like Van Heusen, Benetton, Wills Lifestyle, Arrow etc, introducing green clothing, the trend is a hit among teenagers.
In India, this trend was heralded by designer Anita Dongre’s label Grassroot, in 2007. Van Heusen's, brand Mudura Garments, launched it's green clothing as an attempt and was an instant hit.
Levi's, famous for their organic jeans in US has now decided to launch the same in India. The jeans will be made out of organic cotton and natural dyes. The button, on the other hand will be made out of coconut shell.
If natural products are used for clothes all cross the globe, it can reduce the natural degradation to a large extent. So, go -green with your dressing, to save the Earth.
For most of us cotton clothes are the definition of eco-friendly clothing but the reality is different. In the process of growing cotton used in our clothes, a lot of pesticide are used which has an inverse effect on the agricultural land. It is also called green clothing and aims at using materials which do not harm the nature and is biodegradable.
Some of the regular products used to make eco-friendly clothing are -
Organic Cotton – There is no use of pesticides, herbicides or insecticides in the process of growing the crop. Plantation of organic cotton is gaining popularity in many parts of the world.
Bamboo Fabric – Such clothes are made out of Bamboo Pulp. It does not need chlorine to bleach it and can be dyed easily with the use of very less amount of water.
Natural Dyes – Usually, harsh chemicals are used to dye the dresses and the same waste is then disposed in rivers and land. This destroys the eco system. Natural dyes on the other hand uses natural products like heena, beet root, berries etc, to colour clothes. These do not have any bad effect on the environment and also has grown up to be a fashion trend.
Jute – Jute is yet another product used in eco-friendly clothing. The process of making jute clothes does not demand chemicals. Jute shoes are also a great alternative to leather. Leather, need a lot of chemicals to polish and a smooth finish, unlike jute.
Eco-friendly Clothing In India
Eco-friendly clothing has grown up to be a leading trend among people and specially with Top brands like Van Heusen, Benetton, Wills Lifestyle, Arrow etc, introducing green clothing, the trend is a hit among teenagers.
In India, this trend was heralded by designer Anita Dongre’s label Grassroot, in 2007. Van Heusen's, brand Mudura Garments, launched it's green clothing as an attempt and was an instant hit.
Levi's, famous for their organic jeans in US has now decided to launch the same in India. The jeans will be made out of organic cotton and natural dyes. The button, on the other hand will be made out of coconut shell.
If natural products are used for clothes all cross the globe, it can reduce the natural degradation to a large extent. So, go -green with your dressing, to save the Earth.
New innovations in Saving energy
Hotel offers free meal to guests who are willing to generate electricity >
The Crown Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen , Denmark , is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity - roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. They will then be given meal vouchers worth $36 (26 euros).
Disco pub gets electricity produced by people dancing at specially modified dance floor
All the flashing strobes and pounding speakers at the dance club are massive consumers of electrical power. So Bar Surya, in London, re-outfitted its floor with springs that, when compressed by dancers, could produce electrical current that would be stored in batteries and used to offset some of the club's electrical burden. The club's owner, Andrew Charalambous, said the dance floor can now power 60 percent of the club's energy needs.
Company creates a desktop printer that doesn't use ink nor paper
Who says printers only use paper to print documents? It's time for you to meet the PrePeat Printer then. Different from conventional printers, PrePeat adopts a thermal head to print on specially-made plastic sheets. These plastic sheets are not merely water-proof, but could be easily erased, just feed the sheets through the printer again, and a different temperature will erase everything or just write over it. Also claimed by the manufacturer, such one sheet could be used up to 1,000 times so that you'll reduce your expenses on paper for sure.
University constructs a green roof as a gathering place
Green design is an enormously popular trend in modern architecture, just take a look at this amazing green roof at the School of Art , Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore . This 5-story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.
Designer creates a sink that uses wasted water to grow a plant
Made of polished stained concrete, the Zen Garden Sink has a channel that allows the water used while washing your hands to water a plant. Created by young Montreal designer Jean-Michel Gauvreau the sink comes in single or double basin model. The sink is designed in a way you won't get your plants all soapy. There is a main drain at the bottom of the basin for soapy grime. Your little plant friend just gets whatever you choose to dole out.
Designer creates a shower that forces you to leave when you've wasted too much water
20% of our total domestic energy usage is from hot water for showering and bathing. That's over 6 times the energy usage of domestic lighting. So designer Tommaso Colia came up with his eco-friendly shower design that will force you to get out when you take too long and waste much water. The eco_drop shower features beautiful concentric circles that will rise to force you to stop showering when you take too long, and accordingly save water.
Designer creates light-switch that changes colors to teach children how to save energy
Teaching the importance of energy conservation is the goal of this design from Tim Holley. He calls it Tio, and it's a ghost-shaped light switch that gives kids a visual reminder of how much energy they've used by leaving lights on. Tio starts out green and smiling. If the light is left on for more than four hours, he turns yellow and looks shocked. And if you dare to leave that light on for more than eight hours, sweet little Tio turns into a raging red hulk, complete with frowny mouth and angry eyes. But he won't just visually remind your kids about their energy habits; information from the light switch is sent to Tio's computer program so the entire family can see how they're doing. In a brilliant piece of visual positive reinforcement, Holley's program lets kids grow a virtual tree which gets bigger and healthier the more energy they save.
Environmental company creates a staple-free stapler to avoid staple pollution
Staples are supposed to be so bad to the environment that a company decided to create a staple-free stapler. This product promises to make collation eco-friendly. Instead of using those thin metal planet-killers, the staple-free stapler "cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to five pieces of paper together." You can even order them customized with your corporate logo so you can, you know, brag about what your company is doing to stop the staple epidemic.
Designer creates an iPhone charger powered by a hand grip
The Crown Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen , Denmark , is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity - roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. They will then be given meal vouchers worth $36 (26 euros).
Disco pub gets electricity produced by people dancing at specially modified dance floor
All the flashing strobes and pounding speakers at the dance club are massive consumers of electrical power. So Bar Surya, in London, re-outfitted its floor with springs that, when compressed by dancers, could produce electrical current that would be stored in batteries and used to offset some of the club's electrical burden. The club's owner, Andrew Charalambous, said the dance floor can now power 60 percent of the club's energy needs.
Company creates a desktop printer that doesn't use ink nor paper
Who says printers only use paper to print documents? It's time for you to meet the PrePeat Printer then. Different from conventional printers, PrePeat adopts a thermal head to print on specially-made plastic sheets. These plastic sheets are not merely water-proof, but could be easily erased, just feed the sheets through the printer again, and a different temperature will erase everything or just write over it. Also claimed by the manufacturer, such one sheet could be used up to 1,000 times so that you'll reduce your expenses on paper for sure.
University constructs a green roof as a gathering place
Green design is an enormously popular trend in modern architecture, just take a look at this amazing green roof at the School of Art , Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore . This 5-story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.
Designer creates a sink that uses wasted water to grow a plant
Made of polished stained concrete, the Zen Garden Sink has a channel that allows the water used while washing your hands to water a plant. Created by young Montreal designer Jean-Michel Gauvreau the sink comes in single or double basin model. The sink is designed in a way you won't get your plants all soapy. There is a main drain at the bottom of the basin for soapy grime. Your little plant friend just gets whatever you choose to dole out.
Designer creates a shower that forces you to leave when you've wasted too much water
20% of our total domestic energy usage is from hot water for showering and bathing. That's over 6 times the energy usage of domestic lighting. So designer Tommaso Colia came up with his eco-friendly shower design that will force you to get out when you take too long and waste much water. The eco_drop shower features beautiful concentric circles that will rise to force you to stop showering when you take too long, and accordingly save water.
Designer creates light-switch that changes colors to teach children how to save energy
Teaching the importance of energy conservation is the goal of this design from Tim Holley. He calls it Tio, and it's a ghost-shaped light switch that gives kids a visual reminder of how much energy they've used by leaving lights on. Tio starts out green and smiling. If the light is left on for more than four hours, he turns yellow and looks shocked. And if you dare to leave that light on for more than eight hours, sweet little Tio turns into a raging red hulk, complete with frowny mouth and angry eyes. But he won't just visually remind your kids about their energy habits; information from the light switch is sent to Tio's computer program so the entire family can see how they're doing. In a brilliant piece of visual positive reinforcement, Holley's program lets kids grow a virtual tree which gets bigger and healthier the more energy they save.
Environmental company creates a staple-free stapler to avoid staple pollution
Staples are supposed to be so bad to the environment that a company decided to create a staple-free stapler. This product promises to make collation eco-friendly. Instead of using those thin metal planet-killers, the staple-free stapler "cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to five pieces of paper together." You can even order them customized with your corporate logo so you can, you know, brag about what your company is doing to stop the staple epidemic.
Designer creates an iPhone charger powered by a hand grip
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Google invests $38.8m in two US wind farms
Google invests $38.8m in two US wind farms
Internet search giant Google Inc has invested USD 38.8 million in two wind farms in North Dakota that generate enough energy to power more than 55,000 homes.
The investment in the wind farms, developed by NextEra Energy Resources, is Google's first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project.
Google has so far invested in early-stage green start-ups such as solar thermal companies BrightSource Energy and eSolar.
"Through this USD 38.8 million investment, we're aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in a way that makes good business sense, too," Rick Needham, Google's green business operations manager, wrote in a blogpost on Monday.
Google has pushed ahead in addressing climate change issues as a philanthropic effort through its Google.org arm.
The often-quirky company said in late 2007 that it would invest in companies and do research of its own to produce affordable renewable energy -- at a price less than burning coal -- within a few years.
Separately, NextEra Energy, a subsidiary of Florida utility FPL Group Inc, said on Monday that it has sold about USD 190 million of Class B membership interests in Peace Garden Wind, windfarms that produce 169.5 megawatts of power in North Dakota.
NextEra Energy is the largest owner of wind farms in the United States with more than 7,500 megawatts of installed wind capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
Internet search giant Google Inc has invested USD 38.8 million in two wind farms in North Dakota that generate enough energy to power more than 55,000 homes.
The investment in the wind farms, developed by NextEra Energy Resources, is Google's first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project.
Google has so far invested in early-stage green start-ups such as solar thermal companies BrightSource Energy and eSolar.
"Through this USD 38.8 million investment, we're aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in a way that makes good business sense, too," Rick Needham, Google's green business operations manager, wrote in a blogpost on Monday.
Google has pushed ahead in addressing climate change issues as a philanthropic effort through its Google.org arm.
The often-quirky company said in late 2007 that it would invest in companies and do research of its own to produce affordable renewable energy -- at a price less than burning coal -- within a few years.
Separately, NextEra Energy, a subsidiary of Florida utility FPL Group Inc, said on Monday that it has sold about USD 190 million of Class B membership interests in Peace Garden Wind, windfarms that produce 169.5 megawatts of power in North Dakota.
NextEra Energy is the largest owner of wind farms in the United States with more than 7,500 megawatts of installed wind capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
Small Business Owners Go Green for Environment
Small Business Owners Go Green for Environment
Columbus, Ohio As consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services continues to grow, businesses can't simply call themselves green–they must actually do their part. According to a survey by Manta, the largest website on and for small businesses, more than 90 per cent of small businesses selling green products/services or implementing green practices in the workplace genuinely care about the environment. Forty-six per cent of the 421 respondents also cited consumer demand as a major reason for "going green", the second most popular reason for doing so. These results also suggest that green initiatives have become part of everyday business.
In light of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and considering that approximately 80 percent of U.S. companies have nine employees or fewer (U.S. SBA & Census,) the Manta survey sought to discover how small businesses view environmental consciousness. The business owners surveyed all employ 100 people or fewer and have identified green initiatives on their claimed Manta profiles. Manta found that:
·79 per cent implement green practices in the workplace and also offer green products or services.
·79 per cent recycle or compost.
·76 per cent conserve energy by turning off lights or cooling and heating systems when not in use.
·31 per cent encourage taking public transportation, carpooling, walking or biking to work.
Despite high participation rates in low-cost green initiatives, small businesses want to do more for the planet and believe they need the government to support the cause.
·Only five per cent feel the government does enough to support small businesses taking on green initiatives.
·72 per cent believe the government doesn't do enough.
·43 per cent would like to receive cost incentives or tax breaks for being green.
·23 per cent would do more if there were better resources to make being green easier, such as in-building or curbside recycling and compost pickup.
"It's not surprising that small businesses have gone green," said Pamela Springer, Manta president and CEO. "Being innovative is part of their nature, and innovative practices often result in the production of environmentally friendly products and services. They have the right attitude about caring for the environment, and given that most businesses in the U.S. are small, they're bound to make a big difference in the long run. Hopefully the government will be inspired to implement the incentives many business owners need to go a step farther in protecting the planet".
With profiles of more than 64 million businesses and organizations, Manta is the Web's largest free source of information on and for small businesses. Manta aims to provide a free Web presence and networking capability for small business owners who may not have the resources to operate their own websites. With hard-to-find information such as estimated revenue, number of employees, company contacts, business descriptions and more, Manta enables business professionals to promote their companies and connect with the more than 14 million monthly visitors.
Survey Methodology
Manta surveyed its users using Zoomerang from April 13 to April 19, 2010, via email. The survey received 421 responses from small business owners whose companies were identified as having 100 employees or fewer and as employing some kind of green initiative in their workplace.
About Manta
Manta (www.manta.com) is the largest free source of information on small companies, with profiles of more than 64 million businesses and organizations. Business owners and sales professionals use Manta's vast database and custom search capabilities to quickly find companies, easily connect with prospective customers and promote their own services. Manta.com, founded in 2005, is based in Columbus, Ohio.
Columbus, Ohio As consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services continues to grow, businesses can't simply call themselves green–they must actually do their part. According to a survey by Manta, the largest website on and for small businesses, more than 90 per cent of small businesses selling green products/services or implementing green practices in the workplace genuinely care about the environment. Forty-six per cent of the 421 respondents also cited consumer demand as a major reason for "going green", the second most popular reason for doing so. These results also suggest that green initiatives have become part of everyday business.
In light of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and considering that approximately 80 percent of U.S. companies have nine employees or fewer (U.S. SBA & Census,) the Manta survey sought to discover how small businesses view environmental consciousness. The business owners surveyed all employ 100 people or fewer and have identified green initiatives on their claimed Manta profiles. Manta found that:
·79 per cent implement green practices in the workplace and also offer green products or services.
·79 per cent recycle or compost.
·76 per cent conserve energy by turning off lights or cooling and heating systems when not in use.
·31 per cent encourage taking public transportation, carpooling, walking or biking to work.
Despite high participation rates in low-cost green initiatives, small businesses want to do more for the planet and believe they need the government to support the cause.
·Only five per cent feel the government does enough to support small businesses taking on green initiatives.
·72 per cent believe the government doesn't do enough.
·43 per cent would like to receive cost incentives or tax breaks for being green.
·23 per cent would do more if there were better resources to make being green easier, such as in-building or curbside recycling and compost pickup.
"It's not surprising that small businesses have gone green," said Pamela Springer, Manta president and CEO. "Being innovative is part of their nature, and innovative practices often result in the production of environmentally friendly products and services. They have the right attitude about caring for the environment, and given that most businesses in the U.S. are small, they're bound to make a big difference in the long run. Hopefully the government will be inspired to implement the incentives many business owners need to go a step farther in protecting the planet".
With profiles of more than 64 million businesses and organizations, Manta is the Web's largest free source of information on and for small businesses. Manta aims to provide a free Web presence and networking capability for small business owners who may not have the resources to operate their own websites. With hard-to-find information such as estimated revenue, number of employees, company contacts, business descriptions and more, Manta enables business professionals to promote their companies and connect with the more than 14 million monthly visitors.
Survey Methodology
Manta surveyed its users using Zoomerang from April 13 to April 19, 2010, via email. The survey received 421 responses from small business owners whose companies were identified as having 100 employees or fewer and as employing some kind of green initiative in their workplace.
About Manta
Manta (www.manta.com) is the largest free source of information on small companies, with profiles of more than 64 million businesses and organizations. Business owners and sales professionals use Manta's vast database and custom search capabilities to quickly find companies, easily connect with prospective customers and promote their own services. Manta.com, founded in 2005, is based in Columbus, Ohio.
Google searches for smart, green energy investments
Google searches for smart, green energy investments
LondonGoogle is looking to expand into the energy smart meters business and to invest in renewable generation projects in Europe, the head of green business operations at the internet giant.
Gulf Oil Spill
The aim of smart metering technology is to let customers view real-time electricity and gas consumption and allow them to optimize usage and therefore cut energy waste and save money by using energy during low demand periods.
Through Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the Internet firm, the company has developed a free web-based application called PowerMeter, which collects data from smart meters and displays the data on a customizable customer webpage.
"We're looking at getting more utility partners and more device partners. We're always looking for a broader reach and we're talking to utilities in all the major markets," Ben Kott told on the sidelines at a news briefing in London.
In partnership with British independent energy retailer, First Utility, Google is providing an opt-in service to the utility's 30,000 smart meter customers.
"I think in the UK, people are relatively open to this, not only focusing on cost but also efficiency. It is also a highly liberal energy market, so there are opportunities for companies like First Utility who wouldn't be able to operate in other markets," Kott said.
He said there were no plans to charge for the PowerMeter web application.
"There's no money going backwards and forwards," First Utility chief executive Mark Daeche said.
Google is also looking at investing in renewable power generation projects in Europe, following a $38.8 million U.S. wind farm investment in North Dakota in early May.
"We're newcomers in the field and we're quite aware of that. We're not yet ready for very risky investments, but it is something that could become very interesting in a few years. Now we're looking more at onshore wind and solar project," Kott said.
LondonGoogle is looking to expand into the energy smart meters business and to invest in renewable generation projects in Europe, the head of green business operations at the internet giant.
Gulf Oil Spill
The aim of smart metering technology is to let customers view real-time electricity and gas consumption and allow them to optimize usage and therefore cut energy waste and save money by using energy during low demand periods.
Through Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the Internet firm, the company has developed a free web-based application called PowerMeter, which collects data from smart meters and displays the data on a customizable customer webpage.
"We're looking at getting more utility partners and more device partners. We're always looking for a broader reach and we're talking to utilities in all the major markets," Ben Kott told on the sidelines at a news briefing in London.
In partnership with British independent energy retailer, First Utility, Google is providing an opt-in service to the utility's 30,000 smart meter customers.
"I think in the UK, people are relatively open to this, not only focusing on cost but also efficiency. It is also a highly liberal energy market, so there are opportunities for companies like First Utility who wouldn't be able to operate in other markets," Kott said.
He said there were no plans to charge for the PowerMeter web application.
"There's no money going backwards and forwards," First Utility chief executive Mark Daeche said.
Google is also looking at investing in renewable power generation projects in Europe, following a $38.8 million U.S. wind farm investment in North Dakota in early May.
"We're newcomers in the field and we're quite aware of that. We're not yet ready for very risky investments, but it is something that could become very interesting in a few years. Now we're looking more at onshore wind and solar project," Kott said.
Nokia unveils bicycle charger
Nokia unveils bicycle charger
New Delhi: Nokia unveiled its first bicycle charger targeting consumers with limited access to electricity.
The charger kit consists of a charger, dynamo and a holder to secure the phone to the bike. Priced at about 15 euros (Rs 860), the kit will be available later this year, said a company spokesman.
When the kit is installed, the dynamo - a small electrical generator - uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through the standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia mobile phones.
"Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing. This is a great solution to a real challenge, whether people will use it due to limited access to electricity, or to be more environmentally responsible," says Alex Lambeek, vice president at Nokia.
Designed for tropical climates the Nokia bicycle charger is humidity and dust resistant.
New Delhi: Nokia unveiled its first bicycle charger targeting consumers with limited access to electricity.
The charger kit consists of a charger, dynamo and a holder to secure the phone to the bike. Priced at about 15 euros (Rs 860), the kit will be available later this year, said a company spokesman.
When the kit is installed, the dynamo - a small electrical generator - uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through the standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia mobile phones.
"Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing. This is a great solution to a real challenge, whether people will use it due to limited access to electricity, or to be more environmentally responsible," says Alex Lambeek, vice president at Nokia.
Designed for tropical climates the Nokia bicycle charger is humidity and dust resistant.
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