Home: Renewable Energy News: Monday 09 February, 2009

Renewable Energy News

MONDAY 09 FEBRUARY, 2009 |

WFC Advocating Feed In Tariffs For Renewables

Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff

The World Future Council (WFC) is a global advocate for the concerns of future generations, actively pursuing issues relating to human rights, sustainability, cultural and economic justice. The council consists of dozens of experts in their particular field, plus high profile personalities such as Bianca Jagger.

One of the WFC's current projects is climate and sustainability – how the use of alternative energies such as solar power and wind energy can be supported by the implementation of gross feed in tariffs.

The WFC’s mission is to assist policy makers and opinion leaders in the challenges facing future generations, while providing them with practical solutions, drawing on the knowledge and experiences of a network of thousands of parliamentarians, institutions and organizations around the globe.

Markus Lambert of Australian renewable energy company Energy Matters has been invited to participate on the WFC's expert list relating to feed in tariffs for the Oceania region. Mr. Lambert will be reporting to the council on the latest local developments in this area and share experiences with fellow experts from around the world.

"It is important that the renewable energy industry works together to learn from the experiences gained in other countries." states Mr. Lambert.

"This role will assist Energy Matters in communicating with a worldwide panel of experts on feed in tariffs and will help us emulate successful feed in tariff campaigns, hopefully resulting in the implementation of a gross feed in tariff across Australia."

Energy Matters has been very active in lobbying for a nationalised gross feed in tariff in Australia, whereby owners of renewable energy systems will be paid a premium for each kilowatt hour of electricity they produce. The company recently launched a petition at FeedInTariff.com.au that has already gained the signatures of over 8,000 Australians. Energy Matters' petition is also endorsed by organisations including the Australian Greens and the Alternative Technology Association.

The New South Wales Energy Matters office, together with Jenny Lu, Head of Suntech Australia and Richard Corkish, Head of the School of Photovoltaic at the University of NSW, also met with the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change Carmel Tebbutt on Friday to outline the clear benefits of a gross feed in scheme against a net tariff. The NSW State Government (Department of Climate Change) is currently formulating their feed in tariff policy.

Solar Power And Coal - An Unholy Alliance?

Solar power in the coal mix

While low emissions coal is often touted as a solution to this issue of greenhouse gases emitted by coal-fired power plants, it doesn't reduce the amount of coal used - in fact the energy required to mop up the emissions requires more coal be burned - and therefore mined.

Solar energy and the coal fired power generation industry might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to clean power, but the potential of solar power melding in with coal related activities is becoming a real possibility to help lessen the impact that the fossil fuel plants have in generating electricity.

New Mexico's Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has reached an agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute to use its Escalante Station in a project to incorporate solar energy. In a coal fired plant, the fuel is burned to produce steam that turns a generator's turbines. At Escalante, solar infusion would be used to augment that cycle in order to create the same amount of steam, but using less coal.

Late in January, solar company Ausra announced a change in business plan by focusing on being a technology and equipment supplier rather than an independent power developer and owner. Ausra's change of direction includes their expansion to include building medium-sized (50 MW equivalent) solar steam generating systems that can be used by utilities for power augmentation (booster) systems to deliver steam into existing fossil-fueled power plants, increasing their power output and reducing carbon emissions.

While some may see the incorporation of solar into coal plants as an unholy alliance, the fact that such systems can be added to existing plants has given many proponents of renewable energy hope that the concept may be a major step in finally moving towards coal-free power generation.