PricewaterhouseCoopers, an international accountancy and professional services firm, published an ambitious plan for Europe's energy future. Three research institutes (PIK, IIASA and ECF) have collaborated with PwC.
Their analysis for the plan asserts a pan-European, cross-Mediterranean grid (dubbed SuperSmart Grid) will enable Europe to meet their electricity needs 100% from renewable electricity.
If this kind of geographically optimized power mix is achievable thanks to a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system, the same is possible in North America.
Fulltext: http://www.pwc.co.uk/pdf/100_percent_renewable_electricity.pdf
Citation: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), & European Climate Forum (ECF). (2010). 100% Renewable Electricity: A Roadmap to 2050 for Europe and North Africa. London, UK: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
G-20 countries' clean energy investments in 2009
G-20's clean energy investments in 2009 were ranked by country as below.
(G-20: 19 major countries + the European Union)
Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2010). Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? Growth, Competition and Opportunity in the World’s Largest Economies. Washington, DC: The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Full-text: http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Global_warming/G-20%20Report.pdf
(G-20: 19 major countries + the European Union)
| Rank | Country | Investment ($ billion) | |
| 1 | China | 34.60 | |
| 2 | United States | 18.60 | |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 11.20 | |
| 4 | Rest of EU-27 | 10.80 | |
| 5 | Spain | 10.40 | |
| 6 | Brazil | 7.40 | |
| 7 | Germany | 4.30 | |
| 8 | Canada | 3.30 | |
| 9 | Italy | 2.60 | |
| 10 | India | 2.30 | |
| 11 | Mexico | 2.10 | |
| 12 | France | 1.80 | |
| 13 | Turkey | 1.60 | |
| 14 | Australia | 1.00 | |
| 15 | Japan | 0.80 | |
| 16 | Indonesia | 0.35 | |
| 17 | South Africa | 0.13 | |
| 18 | Argentina | 0.08 | |
| 19 | South Korea | 0.02 |
Full-text: http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Global_warming/G-20%20Report.pdf
Thursday, March 25, 2010
IEA. (2010). Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2010 Edition
Today, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published its latest estimation of the levelised costs of generating electricity (LCOE).
In every region in the world, nuclear power is computed to be the cheapest source of electricity, when the discount rate is 5%. The 10% discount rate just increases the costs of onshore wind electricity, while nuclear powered electricity still demands the lowest costs in North America and Asia Pacific regions.
This kind of analysis not new. Nuclear electricity always tops the electricity from renewable sources in terms of costs. When numbers are out, governments cannot ignore them.
How can renewable energy sources compete with non-renewable (and possibly dangerous) ones?
I want to find the answer!!!!!
International Energy Agency. (2010). Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2010 Edition.
You can access its full text here (http://j.mp/IEA2010LCOE).
Below is its table of contents.
Table of contents
Part I Methodology and Data on Levelised Costs for Generating Electricity
Chapter 1 Introduction and context ............................. 29
Chapter 2 Methodology, conventions and key assumptions.......... 33
2.1 The notion of levelised costs of electricity (LCOE)......... 33
2.2 The EGC spreadsheet model for calculating LCOE ............. 37
2.3 Methodological conventions and key assumptions for calculating
LCOE with the EGC spreadsheet model ...................... 41
Conclusions .................................................... 45
Chapter 3 Technology overview .................................. 47
3.1 Presentation of different power technologies ............... 47
3.2 Technology-by-technology data on electricity generating costs ...... 59
Chapter 4 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs for different technologies ...................................... 65
4.1 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs (bar graphs) .. 65
4.2 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs
(numerical tables) .................................... 89
Part II Sensitivity analyses and boundary isues
Chapter 5 Median case ......................................... 101
Chapter 6 Sensitivity analyses ................................ 105
6.1 Multi-dimensional sensitivity analysis .................... 106
6.2 Summary results of the sensitivity analyses for different parameters .. 112
6.3 Qualitative discussion of different variables affecting the LCOE ...... 123
Chapter 7 System integration aspects of variable renewable power generation ....... 141
7.1 Introduction .............................................. 141
7.2 Variability................................................ 142
7.3 Flexibility................................................ 145
7.4 Costing variable renewable integration..................... 146
7.5 Power system adequacy...................................... 149
Chapter 8 Financing issues .................................... 151
8.1 Social resource cost and private investment cost: the difference
is uncertainty ..................................... 151
8.2 The role of corporate taxes and the coherence of fiscal and
energy policy ....................................... 155
8.3 The impact of the financial and economic crisis ........... 158
8.4 Options for improving investment conditions in the power sector .... 160
Chapter 9 Levelised costs and the working of actual power markets .............. 163
9.1 Use and limitations of LCOE ............................... 164
9.2 Power market functioning and electricity pricing in
competitive markets .................................. 168
9.3 Qualitative assessment of major risks associated with generation
technologies ....................................... 172
9.4 Policy considerations ..................................... 174
Chapter 10 Carbon capture and storage ......................... 177
10.1 Introduction ............................................. 177
10.2 Role of CCS in CO2 mitigation ............................ 178
10.3 CO2 capture and storage in power generation .............. 181
10.4 Demonstration and deployment of CCS ...................... 187
Chapter 11 Synthesis report on other studies of the levelised cost of electricity........ 189
11.1 Introduction ............................................. 189
11.2 Common lessons ........................................... 196
In every region in the world, nuclear power is computed to be the cheapest source of electricity, when the discount rate is 5%. The 10% discount rate just increases the costs of onshore wind electricity, while nuclear powered electricity still demands the lowest costs in North America and Asia Pacific regions.
This kind of analysis not new. Nuclear electricity always tops the electricity from renewable sources in terms of costs. When numbers are out, governments cannot ignore them.
How can renewable energy sources compete with non-renewable (and possibly dangerous) ones?
I want to find the answer!!!!!
International Energy Agency. (2010). Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2010 Edition.
You can access its full text here (http://j.mp/IEA2010LCOE).
Below is its table of contents.
Table of contents
Part I Methodology and Data on Levelised Costs for Generating Electricity
Chapter 1 Introduction and context ............................. 29
Chapter 2 Methodology, conventions and key assumptions.......... 33
2.1 The notion of levelised costs of electricity (LCOE)......... 33
2.2 The EGC spreadsheet model for calculating LCOE ............. 37
2.3 Methodological conventions and key assumptions for calculating
LCOE with the EGC spreadsheet model ...................... 41
Conclusions .................................................... 45
Chapter 3 Technology overview .................................. 47
3.1 Presentation of different power technologies ............... 47
3.2 Technology-by-technology data on electricity generating costs ...... 59
Chapter 4 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs for different technologies ...................................... 65
4.1 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs (bar graphs) .. 65
4.2 Country-by-country data on electricity generating costs
(numerical tables) .................................... 89
Part II Sensitivity analyses and boundary isues
Chapter 5 Median case ......................................... 101
Chapter 6 Sensitivity analyses ................................ 105
6.1 Multi-dimensional sensitivity analysis .................... 106
6.2 Summary results of the sensitivity analyses for different parameters .. 112
6.3 Qualitative discussion of different variables affecting the LCOE ...... 123
Chapter 7 System integration aspects of variable renewable power generation ....... 141
7.1 Introduction .............................................. 141
7.2 Variability................................................ 142
7.3 Flexibility................................................ 145
7.4 Costing variable renewable integration..................... 146
7.5 Power system adequacy...................................... 149
Chapter 8 Financing issues .................................... 151
8.1 Social resource cost and private investment cost: the difference
is uncertainty ..................................... 151
8.2 The role of corporate taxes and the coherence of fiscal and
energy policy ....................................... 155
8.3 The impact of the financial and economic crisis ........... 158
8.4 Options for improving investment conditions in the power sector .... 160
Chapter 9 Levelised costs and the working of actual power markets .............. 163
9.1 Use and limitations of LCOE ............................... 164
9.2 Power market functioning and electricity pricing in
competitive markets .................................. 168
9.3 Qualitative assessment of major risks associated with generation
technologies ....................................... 172
9.4 Policy considerations ..................................... 174
Chapter 10 Carbon capture and storage ......................... 177
10.1 Introduction ............................................. 177
10.2 Role of CCS in CO2 mitigation ............................ 178
10.3 CO2 capture and storage in power generation .............. 181
10.4 Demonstration and deployment of CCS ...................... 187
Chapter 11 Synthesis report on other studies of the levelised cost of electricity........ 189
11.1 Introduction ............................................. 189
11.2 Common lessons ........................................... 196
Monday, March 22, 2010
Solar power market is half of wind power market
Last year, global solar power market ($30.7 billion) was less than half of world's wind power market ($63.5 billion).
Source: http://www.cleanedge.com/reports/reports-trends2010.php
Source: http://www.cleanedge.com/reports/reports-trends2010.php
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