In the previous post, there was mention of three pillars brokered by Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and the United States. The plan for immediate action focused upon mitigation, transparency and finance. This post focuses upon 2 specific mitigation strategies: 1) greater acceptance of photo voltaic power and 2) weatherization or weather proofing.
A program in Portland Oregon, Clean Energy Works, “uses $2.5 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds the city received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as seed money to start a revolving loan fund that will enable Portland homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes at no up-front cost. The energy improvements… include insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, and improvements to space heating and water heating systems.”
A search of previous AG posts indicate convergence on 2 of the topics (tags) from the previous post: transparency (monitoring) and finance. A first thought was what is missing is mitigation, i.e., keeping the average global temperature beneath 1.5 degrees C and reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere to 350 ppm or less.
But, what if it is a formula? What if you implement monitoring of key indicators, e.g., temperature, C02, sea level, etc.; and, you provide financing for clean energy and “negawatts“? Will this result in mitigation?
Further pondering upon a “winning” formula, suggests that what could be a measure of success is mitigation / investment. And, perhaps, total investment equates to the cost of mitigation plus the cost of monitoring. Simple stuff, eh?
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The premise, repeated often by this blog is that supplanting the combustion of fossil fuel for power with a switch to renewable energy and energy efficiency would slow the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Specifically, the switch to clean energy would mean widespread usage of low cost photo voltaic energy.
Interestingly, there was convergence on one, sole entry, Energy Trends, Rules and Futures, and the entry had a solitary comment, an observation by Travis Bradford of the Prometheus Institute reported by Renewable Energy Access in 2007:”To say that Chinese PV producers plan to expand production rapidly in the year ahead would be an understatement. They have raised billions from international IPOs to build capacity and increase scale with the goal of driving down costs.”
“GTM Research… analyzed the scope and financing of power projects by major developers such as Sempra Generation and Renewable Ventures. It also examined policies and demand of big solar states, and detailed the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
Solar energy installations in the United States are poised to grow about 50 percent annually in the next three years as the country closes in on Germany, the largest solar market in the world.
The U.S. is likely to install 400 megawatts of new solar projects in 2009, and see the growth reach 1.5 gigawatts to 2 gigawatts of new installations in 2012.
The strong demand represents over $6.1 billion in investments per year and the creation of 50,000 jobs, GTM Research said.
The report, The United States PV Market Through 2013: Project Economics, Policy, Demand and Strategy, analyzed the scope and financing of power projects by major developers such as Sempra Generation and Renewable Ventures. It also examined policies and demand of big solar states, and detailed the impact of the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009).
Like other hot solar markets in the world, government incentives are a big reason for fueling growth in the next few years. Last October, Congress extended a 30 percent investment tax credit for solar installations for eight years. The legislation gets rid of a $2,000 cap for residential installations and allows the utilities to take advantage of the tax credit.
Another booster shot is coming from the ARRA, which has created a host of grants, tax credits and loan guarantees for manufacturing solar energy equipment and installing it.
These federal subsidies, coupled with states’ own incentives and mandates for renewable energy installations and consumption, will propel growth for residential and utility-scale projects, the report said. Projects developed to service utility customers will likely grow the fastest, from installing nearly 91 megawatts in 2009 to adding 466 megawatts in 2012, under a conservative estimate.
Solar is fiercely resisted by Big Oil and King Coal. Could a concerted attack upon the introduction of low-cost photo voltaic systems from China throw cold water on Chinese bankers? We already have seen flag-waving used as a strategy by some of our ear-tagged Congress critters against cheap, clean energy systems from China. Or, are cheap, clean energy systems and their encouragement a timely idea that no amount of swift boating can stop?
AG Related Posts
- End Use — Least Cost — Most Sustainable
- Who Needs Wind and Solar When We just can continue Importing Oil?
- A Solar Bill of Rights
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- Going Solar (timesunion.com)
- Clinton Climate Initiative Focusses on the South African Sun (simplygreen.co.za)
- 53 MW Thin-Film Solar Power Plant Now Germany’s Largest (treehugger.com)
- Solar energy for no money down! (climateprogress.org)
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No longer is a matter of Developed vs. Developing countries, rather it is a matter of the major emitters vs. everyone else, posts Andrew Light, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.
HuffPo contributor Johann Hari has a less optimistic take on the outcome of the UNFCCC’s 15th Council of the Parties:
Renewable Energy Access contributor Justin Moresco notes that “the photo voltaic industry was hit hard this year, contracting in size as the economic crisis took hold, credit markets tightened and the once-hot Spanish market slowed to a crawl.”
“The US, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil agreed to a voluntary climate pact.” The deal failed to produce commitments on emissions reductions. “Yet the agreement — and the approach to reaching it – could have far-reaching and positive implications for future negotiations on difficult issues, particularly for the US and China. That is the spin according to Harvard University’s Robert Stavins, director of the university’s Project on International Climate Agreements, as reported by Peter N. Spotts for the Christian Science Monitor via T r u t h o u t.
Despite the disappointment expressed by many, Stavins believes it was important to the future of US-Chinese relations. Those relations are “of the utmost importance” for the future of the two countries and for global security in general, as the world’s most important economy today works out its relationship with the world’s most important economy tomorrow… “If the US and China had left this meeting without an agreement, it would have boded poorly for dealing with a range of other issues, from trade, to the environment, to human rights.” …From a climate standpoint, he continues, the agreement lays the foundation for bringing emerging economies into a global climate agreement.
HuffPo – her Eve Solomon informs that they, whoever they are who get paid to know such things, probably, economists, say “the Recession has slowed down the rapid rise of alternative energy technologies like solar and wind…” Nevertheless, this Wise Woman, Mr. Deity, tells HuffPo readers that “the future is still quite bright.”