Plus: Rolls Royce launches battery for ships; Cement that be a battery too?; EV owners face higher insurance in UK
Hi Everyone,
There were enough stories from Canada this week that it was necessary to devote a little section to highlight them all.
For the rest, you’ll see a mix of signals: some pointing to a slower transition to renewables, others a faster one.
I encourage you to forward on to others who may be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Canada, eh. Stories from this glorious land
Largest energy storage system of its kind to be constructed in Sault Ste. Marie
Excerpt: It will see the construction of a 45MW/165MWh energy storage facility that will reduce the need for expensive peak generation and help businesses lower energy costs. Total projected savings to businesses will be about $3-$5million per year in energy costs, or $100 million over the course of the project. Taking about six hours to completely charge, it will be operated as a generator during peak hours and will have three hours of capacity for Class A customers and 4 hours for Class B customers. The Sault Star
Alberta invests in greener public transit
Excerpt: The $215 million Alberta Community Transit (ACT) Fund will be available to municipalities, Métis Settlements and transit commissions and authorities to invest in low and zero-emission transit vehicles, and increase transit ridership across the province. This will help reduce overall emissions and give more Albertans the option to use public transit. Alberta.ca
Tesla Ridesharing Company Launches In Calgary
Excerpt: The Canadian startup InOrbis transports travelers between Calgary and Edmonton using Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles — echoing the business models of similar startups such as Tesloop and Tesla Shuttle. Clean Technica
First Large Scale Net Zero Building in Alberta – The Mosaic Centre
Excerpt: The gap from net-zero houses to large-scale net-zero commercial buildings has been bridged. The Mosaic Centre for Conscious Community and Commerce in Edmonton is the first commercial net-zero office building in Alberta. Pembina Institute
Tesla suing Ontario government over cancellation of electric vehicle rebates
Excerpt: In an application for judicial review, Tesla Motors Canada says the decision by Premier Doug Ford’s government to halt the program in July left hundreds of its customers no longer eligible for rebates they expected to get when they ordered their vehicles. In July, the government announced the cancellation of the rebate program but said that incentives would be honoured for vehicles ordered through a dealership if they are delivered and registered by Sept. 10. Global News
Corporations Already Purchased Record Clean Energy Volumes in 2018, and It’s Not an Anomaly
Excerpt: A new report from Bloomberg NEF shows that corporations have already purchased 7.2GW of clean energy globally in 2018 through July, shattering the previous record of 5.4GW for the whole of 2017. Companies have now signed long-term contracts to purchase solar and wind in 28 markets, and the number of industries involved in clean energy purchasing continues to grow. BloombergNEF
California curtailed enough green energy to power San Fransisco for 20 days
Excerpt: In the first seven months of 2018, California curtailed enough clean energy to power San Francisco for 20 days, it said. Now, we know what you’re thinking: energy storage is just the thing to deal with this issue. Problem solved.
The only thing is, California already has the most aggressively supportive policy regime for energy storage in the US, if not the world.
If the state is having to throw away growing amounts of renewable power, then something is amiss. For now, of course, we don’t have details of what renewable energy is being curtailed in California, or why.
But it’s worth noting that the cost of storage still often makes it more economical to curtail surplus renewable production rather than store it.
As long as that remains the case, renewable generation will continue to go to waste and energy storage will struggle to be seen as the ultimate key for the widespread implementation of low-carbon technologies. Credit: Jason Deign – Energy Storage Report
This graph is courtesy of the NRDC article: How Not to Waste Clean Energy
Rolls-Royce launches new battery system to electrify ships
Ground transport is currently leading the transition to electric propulsion, but maritime transport is now starting to see its share of electrification and Rolls-Royce wants in.
The British power system company is launching a new battery system to electrify ships. Rolls-Royce describes the new system called ‘SAVe Energy’:
“Rolls-Royce now offers SAVe Energy, a cost competitive, highly efficient and liquid cooled battery system with a modular design that enables the product to scale according to energy and power requirements. SAVe Energy comply with international legislations for low and zero emission propulsion systems.” Electrek
British consumer advocate says slow down smart meter installs; push deadline from 2020 to 2023
Excerpt: Citizen Advice, a British charity group, claimed that consumers were suffering from aggressive sales practices from suppliers trying to get smart meters installed, problems with installations, and customers having to submit their meter readings manually despite having a smart meter installed. Current
Electric vehicle owners face unexplained insurance hit
Excerpt: Owners of electric cars in the UK are getting charged up to 60 percent more for insurance than their internal combustion engine counterparts, the latest research has found. Motor 1
Smart cement mixture turns buildings into batteries
Comment: I’m managing my expectations until we see commercial scale deployment at competitive pricing.That said, it does appear enticing.
Excerpt: A house constructed with exterior or partition walls made with KGP, for example, could store electricity from solar panels during the day, and discharge it at night. Panels built from KGP could also be retrofitted onto homes and other buildings.
A six-metre tall lamppost built from KGP would be capable of storing enough renewable energy to power itself through the evening – typically around 700W. Meanwhile curb stones could provide power to sensors capable of monitoring traffic, drainage and pollution levels. The Engineer
Lightsource BP Acquires 135 Megawatts Of US Solar
Excerpt: British solar developer Lightsource BP has announced the acquisition of a US portfolio of six solar development assets worth 135 megawatts (MW) based in the United States.
“The acquisition of the largest solar development portfolio in Pennsylvania builds on our proven reputation as a global renewable energy leader,” said Nick Boyle this month. “We are accelerating the development of solar with a strong focus on new and underserved markets, as it is an important component of a diverse fuel mix.” Clean Technica
VW-backed Electrify America launches ad campaign to promote EVs
Excerpt: The ad is brand-neutral, and the “Plug into the Present” website associated with the campaign allows consumers to compare models across different EV brands. Smart Cities Dive
Michigan utilities propose more than $20M in EV charging programs
Excerpt: DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are both looking to time-of-use rates in an attempt to move electric vehicle charging to off-peak hours. Utility Dive
After $80 Billion Blowouts, Mega Oil and Gas Projects Are Back
Excerpt: Investors are about to find out whether the world’s largest oil companies have learned their lesson from $80 billion of cost blowouts in major projects during the era of $100 crude.
From liquefied natural gas in Mozambique to deep-oil in Guyana, the world’s biggest energy companies are gearing up to sanction the first slate of mega-projects since the price crash in 2014, Wood Mackenzie Ltd. analysts including Angus Rodger said in a report. Firms will approve about $300 billion in spending on such ventures in 2019 and 2020, more than in the three years from 2015 to 2017 combined. Bloomberg
