news
Rising prices and government initiatives raise awareness
Last Updated (Monday, 25 May 2009 00:12)
Written by Administrator
Monday, 25 May 2009 00:07
Smart meters allow users to precisely monitor and manage their consumption. The money-saving devices have been proven to conserve water, natural gas, and electricity. Consumers gain perspective on how they are using energy – and how much that consumption costs in real time. Smart meters also develop a historical record of energy consumption were consumers can find patterns over time, and make adjustments accordingly.
A challenge has been how to implement part L of the UK Government’s Building Regulations Act which requires that energy consumption be accurately measured. But with the British government’s recent announcement to install smart meters in more than 26 million UK homes it seems the answer has been found.
The underlying assumption behind a smart meter is that consumers will more actively participate in energy conservation measures if they have the ability to determine the price of energy. Without these devices installed it is impossible to determine how much energy usage costs at a specific point in time. Even when the monthly bill arrives, only the most dedicated could determine how much it cost to use energy on a given day.
Largest on-shore wind farm in Europe begins service
Thursday, 21 May 2009 15:03
The largest on-shore wind firm went into operation in Scotland on May 20. The Whitelee wind farm, with 140 wind turbines and 322 megawatts of capacity, had already enough supply for the needs of Glasgow 12 miles to the north. The latest phase increases capacity by one third.Whitelee is one of the first large wind farms to be constructed so near a large metropolitan area. Built on 55 square kilometres of moorland 1200 feet above sea level, each turbine stands 100 metres high and, on average, can generate around 2.5 megawatts annually. Scottish Power Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iberdrola, developed the wind farm.
Despite the completion of the latest expansion to Whitelee, further expansion is expected. As the latest phase came into service, Alex Salmond announced plans to increase generation capacity by another third to 452 megawatts. Salmond is Scotland’s first minister.
An even larger project – this one involving 150 turbines capable of producing 540 megawatts – has been announced by the Scottish government. The first minister announced ambitious goals for Scotland to have half its energy supply come from renewable sources by the year 2020. These announcements certainly fall in line with these goals. Officials say the 2011 goal requiring 31 percent of electricity come from renewable sources has already been met.
European power industry seeks regulatory support
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00)
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 00:00
Research & development costs, along with costs associated with installation and deployment of a smart grid are significant, said Eurelectric, the industry group. Eurelectric pointed out that most electricity networks in Europe are regulated so incentives to develop technology will be crucial in order to meet the EU’s carbon reduction goals.
At the end of 2008, the EU announced commitment to the 20-20-20 goals where overall carbon emissions must be 20 percent below the carbon emissions produced in 1990 by the year 2020. Also that year, the share of renewable energy present in the aggregate energy supply must equal 20 percent.
Smart grid technology integrates information technology within electricity distribution. Networking technology allows energy to flow bi-directionally which gives power grid operators a greatly enhanced ability to include renewable energy projects both large and small. A true smart grid would allow homeowners to generate their own power – and sell the excess not used back to the energy supplier.
Ericsson partners with WWF Sweden
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00)
Written by Administrator
Thursday, 14 May 2009 00:00
The pair will work together to develop new solutions and promote the “climate-positive” concept to other innovators within the information and communications (ICT) sector. The concept implies that new solutions can be developed that effectively reduce the carbon footprint of the ICT industry.
The collaborative effort is focusing on three specific areas: integrating low-carbon ICT solutions within city climate change strategies, methods for calculating carbon reductions, and support for solutions that promote sustainable business practices.
“Society faces a huge challenge to drastically reduce CO2 emissions by 2050, while the world economy will as much as triple,” said Elaine Weidman, vice president of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility at Ericsson. Weidman made her remarks at the announcement of the new partnership.
“Ericsson has a vision of using telecommunications to foster a more carbon-lean society,” continued Weidman, “and we would like to see ICT and telecom on the agenda for the global climate negotiations in Copenhagen later this year, as a viable means of helping policy makers and governments when it comes to reaching their carbon emissions targets. The opportunities for broadband to dematerialize and streamline the economy are almost unlimited.”
Unisys lands contract with Landis+Gyr
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00)
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 12 May 2009 00:00
Unisys Switzerland will continue to support end users, manage SAP solutions, and provide data centre services and a variety of other IT services to more than 5,000 employees at Landis+Gyr. Support for the smart grid innovator will be provided on-site and from its service centres.
“The difficult global economic situation has reinforced how important it is to have long-term partners who add value to the business,” said Dieter Hecht, executive vice president and chief procurement officer at Landis+Gyr. “Our decision to renew our contract with Unisys is based on the quality of the company’s services and the return on our investment they provide.”
“With Unisys driving forward the implementation of our global IT strategy, Landis+Gyr can respond effectively to the business challenges we face now and in the future,” continued Hecht.
Page 1 of 2
