In sunny and windy Australia, imagine feeling proud, rather than embarrassed, if our leaders could even comprehend this accomplishment in Germany!
>more> ThinkProgress
..sign off prospectus for Byron Bay-based Enova, before…4 week road-show around Northern Rivers region to try and raise $3 to $4 million. It is also launching an ad campaign based around the concept – “Meet your new energy supplier – You”. Harris – who came out of retirement to help spear-head what has till now been a labour of love – says money raised in prospectus will be used to for the start up and operating costs for the business, including hiring and setting up systems.
If $3 million is raised, then Enova will need to have 5,000 customers within three years to be viable. It hopes to begin operations by the end of the year. As those figures suggest, Enova is not about to challenge the big 3 utilities. But it does intend to tap into a growing movement towards local generation and renewables that – if replicated across the country – could have a profound impact and provide the “glue” between new technologies, the grid and the community. Harris says Enova intends to tap into deep community interest in renewable energy, and opportunities afforded by plunging cost of solar PV and onset of battery storage, and do what he says bigger companies will struggle to do – adapt to change.
>more> OneStepOffGrid
NSW start-up plans to become Australia’s first community-owned renewable energy retailer – as well as cheapest – hoping to win local support..ahead of a public share offer.
Enova Energy, formed last year by residents from Northern Rivers Region, aims to retail renewable electricity, while also providing advice and professional services for those who want to install solar, and/or leave the grid entirely. It also hopes to generate decent returns for investors…not-for-profit group behind the venture, Enova Community Ltd…prepared a detailed prospectus for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), and host series of information events throughout the Northern Rivers region in coming weeks. Not short on ambition, Enova Energy wants to offer cheapest retail price for green electricity in Australia, pay highest feed-in tariff for rooftop solar exported to the grid, and provide consumer-targeted advice and technical support for people who want to go off-grid completely. However, company concedes.. only proceed.. if capital .. can be sourced ..local community.
>more> OneStepOffGrid
…it’s clear big El Niños need deviant trade winds to maintain feedback loop. During especially strong El Niños, like this year’s, trade winds sometimes reverse direction—and this week’s off-the-charts wind surge is at record-strength for so early in an El Niño event. Since all this takes place in the tropical Pacific Ocean—the planet’s biggest bathtub— fully mature El Niño has power to shift rainfall odds worldwide and boost global temperatures. That’s exactly what’s happening this year…defined by expanding, deepening pool of warmer-than-normal ocean water in tropical Pacific — has steadily grown stronger since the spring…presence of strong El Niño almost ensures that 2015 will become the warmest on record for Earth and will have ripple effects on weather patterns all over the world.
>more>ClimateCrocks
world’s 7th-largest economy is on path to meeting 2050 goal of reducing emissions by 80% below 1990 levels…California’s progress is driven by its cap-and-trade system…first state to set economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions…report notes lower emissions by doubling energy efficiency of existing buildings and reducing petroleum consumption by cars and trucks in half by 2030…
>more> ClimateGroup.org
…so much dust blown on to surface that ability of ice to reflect sunlight, kno
wn as albedo, dropped 20% in a single month. The dust that was darkening brilliant whiteness of snow was heating up in strong sun and melting snow and ice…American geologist…set up a mini weather station at 5,800m on Mount Himlung, on Nepal-Tibet border…east towards Everest…shocked…world’s highest glacier, Khumbu, turning visibly darker …fine dust, blown by fierce winds, settled on bright, fresh snow. “One-week-old snow turning black and brown before my eyes,”…Nearly invisible particles of “black carbon” resulting from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels from diesel engines are being swept thousands of miles from industrial centres in US, Europe and SE Asia, as is dust from Africa and Middle East, where dust storms are bigger as land dries out, with increasingly long and deep droughts…this year dust from Sahara swept north, several thousands miles, smothered Britain and reached Norway.
>more> TheGuardian
with Hazelwood…little change…to burn wood….evidence… already accredited…from native forests for generation of renewable energy certificates…(and only pay $0.0588/MWh royalty for brown coal, Robber Barons)…majority-owner, GDF Suez, controlled by French company Engie…well versed in biomass technology overseas…spent 125 million euros ($184 million) converting Belgian power station in Rodenhuize in 2011, amongst others. Engie declined several requests by ABC for interview to discuss international biomass experience…to co-fire a 1000MW power station with 3 per cent biomass, around 200,000 tonnes of ‘waste’ would be required…
>more> ABC RN Background Briefing
A sell out free event(!) at UofM last night, sensational presentation about class action in Dutch high court, triumph of law to outrank government policy, immediate shift from 4 to 25% renewables by 2020. If enough of us care enough, it will be enough to make it non-negotiable for government here. The law is in place to protect the people against all kinds of abuse, by all kinds of people, up to and including Federal Government.
Marjan Minnesma
>more>Envirojustice
Analysis, using detailed NEM operational data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) finds emissions intensity, which was increasing until shortly before June 2012, fell continuously (see graph below) for most of the two years to June 2014. Since then, it has increased consistently. All these changes were caused by changes in the market shares the different types of generation, just as expected.
>more> RenewEconomy
Minister for Environment Lisa Neville says decarbonisation is key component of government’s climate review…work with different groups to set policy direction.
On renewable energy, Environment Victoria says the Andrews government should hold “reverse-auctions” to buy power from new wind and solar projects, among other measures…Environment Victoria’s report – Six Steps to Climate Leadership – sets out markers green group thinks the Andrews government should hit…Amid recommendations is goal of totally decarbonising State. As part of that, it wants Victoria to set ambitious interim targets, such as a minimum 25 per cent cut to emissions from 2000 levels by 2020.
>more> TheAge
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