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Energy conservation is key in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 15 2009 at 01:28PM by Nadine McCORMICK

Absolutely jean-christophe – all energy options can potentially have negative impacts on the environment – except for energy conservation, which should of course be favoured as a first course of action.

Given these impacts, any investment in energy infrastructure should not be taken lightly and questions should be asked whether energy savings could be made first. This actually happened in the United States where the Environmental Defense Fund helped broker a landmark private-equity buyout deal that canceled eight of eleven coal-fired power plants proposed by Texas energy giant TXU. See http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=583

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Diversification and conservation in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 15 2009 at 01:40PM by Nadine McCORMICK

Thanks for your comment GKarlsson. In developing countries where energy demand will increase even faster with increasing growth, it is important to help them leap-frog dirty, inefficient technologies and put in place technologies that can modernize their access to energy in an equitable and sustainable way.

Plant oils are one example, as GKarlsson highlights. Others may include biogas (gas collected from decomposing plant and animal waste), solar panels and micro-hydro power. We can’t just rely on one option – we need a range of different energy options depending on the local and national circumstances – and we should always think to reduce our energy use, which will save money as well as reduce environmental impacts.

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Renewable energy options in your local community in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 15 2009 at 01:45PM by Nadine McCORMICK

Thanks Tpneer2! You and many participants have mentioned solar energy. Yours is a great example of how renewable energy options can offer a solution for provision of key services, such as street lighting, especially when a community is far from the national grid.

Your point on light pollution is also interesting. Solar lighting also saves on the impacts of laying electricity cables between different user points.

I would love to hear more examples of other renewable energy options in your local communities. For example, have you heard about this “Cows to Kilowatts” project in Nigeria? http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/africa_casestudies/kilowatts.pdf

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What a waste! in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 20 2009 at 09:40AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Wow, I haven’t heard this before but it wouldn’t surprise me. What a waste of energy in this case! Wouldn’t it be better to store the power that is generated overnight in bigger and better batteries and use it at peak times?

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The importance of training.. in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 28 2009 at 08:20AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Hi g.pasan. Developing countries of course need access to more energy. In order to do so, they need access to sustainable, low-cost technology options – the barriers are both financial as well as knowledge about them. Biogas is one example that has huge potential, especially for rural, agricultural communities – but they need to understand how to implement as well as value it. Perhaps we should be focusing our efforts there.

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Using our supply in a smarter way... in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 28 2009 at 08:25AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Thanks for your reply Plato! I fully agree that there is no sense to use
up energy at night time for the sake of it being there. Smart grid designs are
high on Obama’s energy and climate change agenda. Smart use of electricity
should also be promoted, perhaps with better financial incentives for using
energy at smarter times. While the argument holds true that it’s difficult to
reply on 100% renewable energy due to fluctuations for supply, as you point
out, it’s these fluctuations that can be used to supplement a smaller base
supply from fossil fuel power plants. I hope energy investors are reading!

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Sustainability... in Renewable energy

Posted on Apr 29 2009 at 10:04AM by Nadine McCORMICK

I agree prajwal! Of course we’re not out of energy (I remember the 1st rule of thermodynamics from school – energy can neither be created or destroyed, it can only change forms) – but we are finding it harder to get to the highly concentrated carriers of energy such as oil – and the planet can no longer afford the extra greenhouse gas emissions associated with burning them. We have to be careful that we don’t overuse our renewable sources of energy too, such as biomass and water flows. For a 100% sustainable energy society, we need to find the optimal sustainable limits of energy supply from our ecosystems – and then reduce as much as possible our energy use to match that supply.

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A differentiated approach in Renewable energy

Posted on Jun 09 2009 at 09:08AM by Nadine McCORMICK

You couldn't be more right! Energy has been undervalued for so long with the full costs not incorporated in the price that we pay. Of course, there is a balance needed between affordable access to minimum services for poorer communities versus ensuring that those who use lots of energy pay a fair price for its provision. This brings us to industry, one of the main energy users - and where many big gains from a few actors can be achieved. In times of financial as well as climate crisis, it's clearly in the bottom-line interest of a business to find ways of saving energy and therefore money as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps one easy way is viewing waste not as rubbish but as valuable source of resources and even energy.

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The stick or the carrot? in Renewable energy

Posted on Jun 09 2009 at 09:10AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Thanks for your comment Heather. I agree that we can make a greener world together, and one aspect is using the "stick" approach to enforce necessary changes. We could also consider a "carrot" approach, one incentives can we put in place to help people make the right decisions. Monetary savings are an easy way. Other interesting ways include helping individuals feel like they're part of a worthwhile group effort for saving energy. One example is in South Africa where an icon is displayed on TV at peak energy times, which has successfully encouraged TV viewers to turn off devices that weren't being used and reduce pressure on the energy system. I wonder if anyone else has other examples?

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Your comment is very insightful thepk ... in Renewable energy

Posted on Jun 19 2009 at 09:03AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Your comment is very insightful, thepk, thank you. As you suggest, Nepal could be the "battery of Asia" with it's high mountain ranges and water flows - yet it struggles to power it's own economy. Indeed, there have been some poorly designed dams which not only impact on energy supply, but downstream users including fisheries and businesses. As you point out, the impacts of climate change will only make this worse. I like your suggestions to diverse the energy mix to include other renewable energy technologies. To be effective, these also need to be accompanied by capacity building so that communities can maintain the infrastructure, as well as awareness-raising to reduce overall energy consumption too. Your posting can hopefully contribute to this process!

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Many thanks for your video Kaveri_miguel ... in Renewable energy

Posted on Jun 19 2009 at 09:08AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Many thanks for your video Kaveri_miguel! It's great to watch. Energy is arguably at the centre of many current-day conflicts, whether oil or gas, or increasingly access to land for bioenergy or water for hydro. As a start, we can recognise that the risk of conflict over energy resources do exist (as your video does), and then push for action, such as the implementation of  codes of conducts for governments as well as private sector companies to ensure that such conflict risks are minimised.

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Hello Jennyist I'm not sure how ... in Renewable energy

Posted on Jun 19 2009 at 09:15AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Hello Jennyist. I'm not sure how feasible an international legal statute is in the short term. Given that negative impacts on people and the environment are happening now, other solutions include pressure on international companies to comply with regional or international sustainability principles for development of energy projects. This can be enforced through bank lending requirements (see UNEP FI's work), or through avoided penalties on targets, such as the in the EU. Though these are not a perfect solution, they at least show companies how they can reduce their risks and potential costs and do their business better, whether home or abroad.

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Renewable energy discussion summary in Renewable energy

Posted on Jul 01 2009 at 09:10AM by Nadine McCORMICK

Thanks to all connect2earth members for your insightful contributions to the future of energy! The fact that more than 170 comments were made shows how you agree that energy is an issue which is close to our lives and needs urgent action.

I write this summary from the International Hydropower Association World Congress – I can assure you that industry and governments here are very concerned about some of the issues that have been raised in these discussions.

Several common points emerged from the connect2earth discussions:

- energy resources are a critical security risk: energy is arguably at the centre of many current-day conflicts, whether to access oil or gas, or land for bioenergy or water for hydro. As a start, we can recognise that this risk of conflict over energy resources does exist, and then push for action to minimize the risk. For example, we could push for the implementation of “codes of conduct” for governments as well as private sector companies to ensure that people who depend on environmental resources have given their genuine consent to its use before these resources are accessed.

- put the right price on energy : energy has been undervalued for too long, with the full environmental and social costs not incorporated in the price that we pay. A balance is needed between affordable access to minimum services for poorer communities versus ensuring that high energy users pay a fair price for its provision. In the industry, one of the main energy users, many big gains can be achieved from a few actors. In times of financial as well as climate crisis, it's clearly in the bottom-line interest of a business to find ways of saving energy and therefore money as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps one easy way is viewing waste not as rubbish, but as a valuable alternative source of energy.

- saving energy is a priority: using less energy more wisely is the one approach that has only positive impacts for the environment and people. Investments in smart use of energy such as electricity should be prioritised, perhaps with better financial incentives for using energy in a smarter way.

- enforcing new energy choices: many of you recognized both pressure (the stick) and incentives (the carrot) are required for the necessary changes to happen.
An example of the ‘stick approach’ that was given is putting pressure on international companies to comply with regional or international sustainability principles for development of energy projects. This can be enforced through bank lending requirements (see UNEP FI's work), or through avoided penalties on targets, such as in the EU. Though these are not a perfect solution, they at least show companies how they can reduce their risks and potential costs and do their business better, whether at home or abroad.
An example of the ‘carrot approach’ is that incentives can be put in place to help people make the right decisions. Monetary savings are an easy way to go. Other interesting ways include helping individuals feel like they're part of a worthwhile group effort for saving energy. One example is in South Africa where an icon is displayed on TV at peak energy times, which has successfully encouraged TV viewers to turn off devices that weren't being used and reduce pressure on the energy system.

- optimising the energy mix: every energy option, except energy efficiency, has impacts on the environment. We need good assessments to work out the best mix of energy options with the least impact. Renewable energy investments  can be maximized when accompanied by capacity building so that communities can maintain the infrastructure, as well as through awareness-raising to reduce overall energy consumption. And we should be looking at a diverse range of energy options, rather than relying on just one or two "miracle" energy solutions. We should be looking for super-efficient regional grids, to build on the respective strengths of different regions - windy, sunny, wavy areas and all!

- using renewable energy wisely: while renewable energy has the potential to be sustainable, if it is over-harvested, it becomes unsustainable. Wise environmental management can help to maximize energy from natural sources. In imagining a future 100% sustainable energy society, we should consider optimal sustainable limits of energy supply from our ecosystems – and match demand to that supply.

For more information:
- www.iucn.org/energy
- http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/climate_carbon_energy/energy_solutions/

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