Power to the people

Even before September 11, the world's governments were beginning to look at energy policy in the light of new pressures. Fluctuating oil and gas prices had already brought energy security to the fore in some countries, and the declining nuclear industry is creating fear of a looming gap in electricity generation capacity on both sides of the Atlantic. Finally, the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been highlighted again by the Third Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change. The United States response to these pressures has been to ignore the climate change issue and retreat into an old style predict and provide mentality to tackle energy security. It forecasts the need for up to 1900 new large scale power stations to meet its escalating demand for energy. But if climate change is taken seriously, as the rest of world's governments do, more innovative methods of delivering secure energy supplies, whilst cutting greenhouse gases, have to be found. Clearly renewable energy will be at the forefront of such a strategy, but the implications for energy policy go far deeper than just replacing one set of electricity generators with another. The whole policy framework will need an overhaul. Chris Hewett, Institute for Public Policy Research, UK looks at options for the road ahead and how decentralised energy systems can help deliver the sort of low carbon economy needed to prevent climate change.     

Wind generates power for 35 million people

Wind turbines around the world generate enough electricity for 35 million people, according to the Worldwatch Institute. The use of renewables has ignored a lagging world economy and has experienced an “unprecedented surge” in growth in recent years, says the research group. More wind capacity is installed each year than nuclear, and the technology is “closing in rapidly” on hydroelectric power. “Wind power is the first renewable energy source to enter the mainstream,” president Christopher Flavin told the American Council for Renewable Energy. Sales of turbines generated US$7 billion last year and claims 100,000 jobs. Solar cells are nine years behind wind energy in terms of installed capacity, and growing at 24% each year. Annual production of solar power systems has grown 150% in the past three years, ahead of the 78% growth in wind, and “have even greater potential than wind energy because they can be placed almost anywhere.”This is a short news story only. Visit www.re-focus.net for the latest renewable energy industry news.     

太阳雨雨润四川

在中国太阳能界,江苏太阳雨集团一直以做国际化"社会公民企业"为己任.     

Electrons versus people [In My View]

Examines the August 2003 blackout and argues that deregulation has contributed to a general decline in reliability.     

发展生态农业减少生态破坏贵州10万农户用沼气煮饭照明

贵州省政府计划今年上半年建成的１０万个沼气池到５月上旬已完成进度的９３％。５月下旬，１０万套沼气燃具已运达贵州８７个项目县，１０万农户将陆续用上沼气煮饭、照明。近年来，大力发展沼气成为贵州农村生态建设和农业产业结构调整中的一大亮点。去年全省农村新建沼气池６．３万口，累计已达１２．５万口。以过去每户年烧薪柴约５吨计算，每年可减少近４０多万亩林地生态遭受破坏。在争取到中央财政５０００万元专项资金支持的基础上，今年初贵州省政府又把建设２０万口沼气池列为２００２年的十件实事之一来抓。发展以沼气为纽带的生…     

What people do when they say they are conserving electricity

Econometric practitioners must always make the case that existing data may be used to forecast future responses to price changes. In residential electricity markets this means providing assurances that either territories with different prices are similar enough to be used as a guide, or that households are still able to react to price changes with the same conservation measures they have in the past. This article presents the results of a conservation behavior survey conducted both concurrent with and immediately after the last California electricity crisis in 2000–2001. The survey used open-ended questions that provide some assurance that there are still conservation behaviors that may be performed, as well as raw data that may be used to construct new closed-ended questions. The prevalence of conservation behaviors is modeled with a forgetfulness process, necessary when using data from open-ended questions, and implemented with a generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator.     

万人签名热身太阳能"奥运"

伴随北京奥运倒计时的脚步越来越近,世界太阳能行业的"奥运会"也在紧锣密鼓的筹备—2007年9月,世界太阳能大会将在北京召开。近日,太阳能热水行业"百万民众大调查万人签名迎太阳能‘奥运’"活动启动。此次活动由太阳能热水器行业巨头清华阳光牵头发起,旨在连心消费者,普及推     

Biomass for energy, food and materials in an industrial society of 10 billion people

In this paper we analyse the requirements of bioproductive land in a future industrial society of 10 billion people, with an average per capita economic standard comparable to that of the industrialized countries of today. Despite significantly more efficient technology, lowering demand for both energy and material per service delivered, requirement for food and material alone will call for a heavily increased demand for bioproductive land for use in agriculture and forestry. Large areas of short rotation energy plantations may be biophysically possible, but will clearly compete for available bioproductive land with agriculture and silviculture, as well as with preservation of the world's biodiversity. Therefore, the notion that there exists large areas of surplus or degraded land, which, without coming in conflict with food production and preservation of biodiversity, can be used for large energy plantations has not fully taken into account possible increased demand for bioproductive land from global industrialization and the raising of the global average economic standard.     

Rural people pay for solar: experiences from the Zambia PV-ESCO project

In the eastern province of Zambia, three companies for solar energy services have been operating for more than two years, with 400 clients paying for the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Clients do not become owners of the systems. Instead, the company continues to charge a fee for keeping the systems in operation. In this way, the useful lifetime of the solar systems is increased, and clients have local access to skilled service and spare parts. The fees for solar services cover the full operational costs of the companies, including battery replacement and makes them independent of further support from government or donors. Results to date show that clients are happy with their systems, which are of a standard solar home (SHS) size of 50 Wp, with four lights and a socket for radio or other light DC appliance. This is in spite of paying a higher price than what was previously spent on candles and kerosene for lighting. The most important benefit cited among the clients is that children now have the possibility to do their homework in the evening. The second most highly valued feature is entertainment, such as radio and video. Solar systems contribute to increased income earning opportunities especially in the service sector. The poorest rural people cannot afford to pay for a solar system in their house, but benefit from systems in the shops.     

Power of the people: Public awareness and involvement in renewable energy in Scotland

The renewables scene in Scotland is dynamic, with new projects, funding and other support packages being announced at an ever increasing rate. Janice McLaughlin, Environmental Consultant and Maf Smith, Development Manager of the Scottish Renewables Forum look at developments from the perspective of public awareness and how improving understanding, and providing information and opportunities for more local involvement can facilitate development of projects large and small. They provide selected examples of projects and initiatives that are working towards improving public awareness of renewable energy in Scotland.     

太阳热水器:解决我国百姓生活热水的唯一有效途径

提起小康水平，人们往往想到人均收入、人均住房面积、人均受教育程度等，往往忽视了更能体现人们生活品质的另一项重要指标：人均生活热水消耗量。目前，发达国家家庭热水能源消耗占总能耗的比例为２５％～３０％。我国是一个能耗大国，人均常规能源占有量极低，２１世纪面临着经济的可持续发展与节能环保的双重课题。用可再生清洁能源解决全部或部分家用热水，节能环保意义重大，推广普及太阳热水器决不是无关紧要的，而是唯一有效途径。就现状而言，解决普通百姓生活热水的途径主要有使用电热水器、燃气热水器和太阳热水器三种。我们从能…     

Why don't people weatherize their homes? An ethnographic solution

The authors' analysis of energy decision-making in 60 households in Santa Cruz County. California, reveals a seeming anomaly in consumers' energy decision strategies. Few households have taken advantage of the low cost and high savings potential of weather-stripping and caulking, though many have spent thousands of dollars on other energy-conserving investments that are expensive and have long payback periods. An ethnographic model, which incorporates sociocultural and psychological goals, makes this perplexing pattern comprehensible. We conclude that a model of strict economic rationality is inadequate in explaining energy-conservation behavior. The notion of rationality must be expanded to incorporate noneconomic goals. The failure to do so may have serious consequences for the marketing of energy-conservation products and programs.     

Dimensions of the “people problem” in energy research and “the” factual basis of dispersed energy futures

Those of us advocating adaptive behavior in times of scarcity and change of resources need to be more aware of the roles we are playing and of the ideas that influence our actions. Some important dimensions of the “people problem” often appear in binary opposition: institutional constraints vs individual freedom, credible vs non-credible, tangible vs abstract, restricted vs global time perspective, specialist vs generalist, voluntary vs involuntary, and progress vs decline or status quo. Several of these dimensions were central to our understanding of two transitional mechanisms in California: the Residential Building Code and the exploration of the potential of dispersed electric generators. The “people problems” of energy reach beyond the technical-science problems, and beyond educating the little people in the value of efficiency, conservation, and the impending exhaustion of fossil fuels. Indeed, they are central to any compilation of the factual basis of dispersed energy futures. Experts and decision-makers need to look within themselves for an improved understanding of what constitutes “the” energy problem and, indeed, what constitutes “the” factual basis for energy planning.     

Lay discourse about hydrogen energy and the environment: Discussion by young people and adults following a first visit to a Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Centre

This paper explores the public's understanding of 'sustainable energy', focusing upon hydrogen, which for most is unfamiliar. We report reactions to a first tour of the recently established 'Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Centre' in the Valleys of South Wales, which was guided by its scientists and engineers. The visitors lived within 50 miles and fell into three age-categories: 14-year old Baccalaureate students; 18–19 year old students at Tertiary College; and adult- members of a Citizens' Panel. They took part in six focus groups which were facilitated, recorded and then analysed thematically by independent sociologists. The paper examines themes on which the groups agreed or disagreed, and how clear or ambiguous their discourse was. While broad consensus was reached on benefits, costs and safety of hydrogen, there were differences in how groups imagined incorporating it into their lives. In conclusion, we draw lessons for securing wider public commitment to sustainable energy.