Features for November 2007

Features Archive

REFF calls for extra policy muscle REFF calls for extra policy muscle

The 9th annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF) was held recently at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London. The consensus of opinion pointed to some muscular challenges ahead for clean energy.

WATTS 2007 wind and tidal symposium: report WATTS 2007 wind and tidal symposium: report

George Marsh reports back from the Renewable Energy Association's Wind & Tidal Symposium (WATTS) 2007 at Cowes, Isle if Wight, and Adam Westwood brings Renewable Energy Focus the latest project developments from the offshore wind and marine sector.

Renewable energy in the news Renewable energy in the news

Steve Sawyer continues his tour of high-level meetings around the world in his role as ambassador for GWEC, and remains frustrated by the intransigence of many who should by now know better.

HVDC transmission from energy source to consumer HVDC transmission from energy source to consumer

Finding efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways of transmitting electricity generated can be almost as important as generating the electricity in the first place. Peter Jones and Bo Westman look at HVDC Light.

Green building: How can passive and active systems work together? Green building: How can passive and active systems work together?

The debating chamber building for the National Assembly of Wales - the Senedd - was officially inaugurated in March 2006. The design approach is an interesting example of how to create a building that naturally responds to the dynamics of the local environment on the one hand; while ensuring it's possible to use a selection of renewables - geothermal and biomass in this case - on the other.

Electrical connection systems for offshore windfarms and marine applications

It isn't just transmission that needs to be looked at carefully when delivering renewables in challenging environments and special applications. Chris Plant and Mike Foster introduce a project investigating sub-sea electrical and fibre-optic connector technology.

Montana firefighters use Photovoltaics (PV) technology for emergency response Montana firefighters use Photovoltaics (PV) technology for emergency response

Despite a number of studies from organisations like the US' Center for Energy and Environmental Policy and the Florida Solar Energy Center - focused on using PV for emergency power - most US federal, state and local agencies have not integrated PV into disaster planning or emergency response infrastructure. Montana is a notable exception.

Electricity on the right track Electricity on the right track

How can a particular volume of electricity generation i.e. from renewable energy sources, be properly accounted for in order to be allocated to a particular consumer or to receive subsidies? This is exactly what an important project has been looking into.

Heating up the EU biomass market Heating up the EU biomass market

The European Biomass Association's (AEBIOM) new European Biomass Statistics 2007 report offers a comprehensive analysis of the current bioenergy situation in the EU 27 member states. Herwig Ragossnig looks at where the EU currently stands with regard to biomass, and finds that a strategy to encourage renewable heating is vital of the EU is to achieve the magic renewable energy target of 20% by 2020.