Climate Change Bulletin 20 September

Description:Climate Change Innovation - August 2011
20th September 2011

Kia Ora,

This is our 16th edition and this month we will take a look at Britain’s expansion into the world’s low carbon markets, more electric fill up stations on Britain’s roads, Coke goes green and a fascinating insight into a commute across London in the new all electric Nissan Leaf.

• Britain expands into Global low carbon market.

• New Island named as the ice sheets melt.

• Short term pain in Solar power revenues.

• Coke goes Green.

• More Charge Stations in UK for electric cars.

• UK green construction firm launches in USA.

• Whisky to electricity.

• A special: A day in the life of the Nissan Leaf as a commuter wagon.

A greener, more sustainable future makes sound business sense

Description: Customer training is an important feature at Weir’s valve facility in Suzhou, China. Image by Weir GroupMany UK firms are involved in finding the way to a greener, more sustainable future, focusing on some of the most critical issues including environmental processes, energy and water supply.

And both they and the overseas companies that are seeing the strong opportunities made available by being based in the United Kingdom are finding that it makes sound business sense. The UK market for low carbon and environmental goods and services is valued at more than 112 billion pounds sterling, within a global market value in excess of 3.2 trillion pounds.

The opportunities are huge, and the potential for further growth is massive. By 2015 the global market is expected to be worth more than 4.3 trillion pounds, when then the UK market could be worth 150bn pounds and employ more than 1.2 million people.

The sector covers a whole spectrum from renewable energy to sustainable infrastructure, water treatment to ICT, advanced manufacturing to financial services. The UK exported 10.8bn pounds worth of low carbon and environmental goods and services in 2008, the last year for which complete figures are available, and growth is expected year on year.

A recent specialist trade show, Sustainabilitylive!, featured many companies and leading industry experts at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, central England.

The event attracted more than 9,000 visitors, with all major industry names represented. The packed seminar theatres and busy exhibition floor show the strength of the water, energy, environment and sustainable business sectors and displayed the emphasis that more and more companies are placing on sustainability.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the government’s business development organisation, offered companies attending an opportunity to meet potential customers from more than 45 markets around the globe. Buyers and key decision makers from priority markets including China, India, Brazil, the United States, Korea, Australia, Russia, Canada, Cyprus, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa, Chile, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt took part.

The UK’s Low Carbon Business Ambassador, Professor Julia King, said: “With the UK government’s continued commitment to the green agenda, businesses that are proactively developing their low carbon strategy look set to benefit in the future.

“While efficiency and new legislation are key drivers for the manufacturing industry to cut costs, investment in innovative technologies, green solutions, and services will ensure that the UK maintains and strengthens its competitive advantage. This, in turn, will enable UK companies - including innovative SMEs [small and medium-size enterprises] - to profit from the growing low carbon global economy as demand for their products and services looks set to grow.”

For example, UKTI launched a new report on environment and water opportunities on Brazil at the event. Brazil is the world’s seventh largest economy and accounted for about five per cent of the total low carbon market - 84bn pounds in 2008/09 - and is growing fast.

Low carbon opportunities in Brazil are being heavily influenced by the demands placed on renewing infrastructure, as Brazil looks forward to hosting the Football World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The UK offers a host of other products and services in the growing environmental sector. Landmark Information Group announced that its market-leading environmental desk study service, Envirocheck, is now available internationally. Envirocheck International is a “one-stop-shop” providing environmental risk assessment reports for environmental consultants working on land divestiture, acquisitions and refinancing across the world.

Consultants working on sites outside the UK have often found it a time-consuming and expensive process to undertake due diligence, painstakingly sourcing and collating reports from around the globe.

The launch of Envirocheck International will provide a fast, accurate screening service across mainland Europe as well as more detailed reports for European Union and non-EU countries including the Middle East, Africa, Russia, the Far East, Australasia, Latin America and North America (via Landmark's sister company EDR). The service offers a convenient and cost-effective alternative to manual data collection, giving quick and easy access to reports.

David Mole, managing director of Landmark Environmental Due Diligence, Landmark Information Group, said: "Envirocheck International is set to revolutionise the way site risk assessment is undertaken outside the UK.”

Another report suggests that the UK could significantly benefit from producing more refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for export to northern Europe to meet rising demand for additional feedstock. Signs of a rapidly developing export market to countries such as Germany and the Netherlands emerged from six months’ research by Tolvik Consulting.

With only limited investment in existing waste infrastructure, the study estimated the UK could potentially produce up to 4.8 million tonnes of RDF for export and which equates to 16 per cent of all combustible waste currently sent to landfill.

Source :UKTI

New atlas shows extent of climate change

The world's newest island makes it on to the map as the Arctic Uunartoq Qeqertaq, or Warming Island.

Description: Greenland ice cover in Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World

In Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World, Greenland has lost around 15% of its ice cover between 10th edition (1999) (left) and 13th edition (2011) (right). Photograph: Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World

If you have never heard of Uunartoq Qeqertaq, it's possibly because it's one of the world's newest islands, appearing in 2006 off the east coast of Greenland, 340 miles north of the Arctic circle when the ice retreated because of global warming. This Thursday the new land – translated from Inuit as Warming Island – was deemed permanent enough by map-makers to be included in a new edition of the most comprehensive atlas in the world.

Uunartoq Qeqertaq joins Southern Sudan and nearly 7,000 other countries and places added or changed since the last edition of the Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World, reflecting political change in Africa, administrative changes in China, burgeoning cities in developing countries, climate change, and large infrastructure projects which have changed the flow of rivers, lakes and coastlines.

The world's biggest physical changes in the past few years are mostly seen nearest the poles where climate change has been most extreme. Greenland appears considerably browner round the edges, having lost around 15%, or 300,000 sq km, of its permanent ice cover. Antarctica is smaller following the break-up of the Larsen B and Wilkins ice shelves.

But the Aral Sea in central Asia, which had previously shrunk to just 25% of its size only 80 years ago, is now larger than it was only five years ago, thanks to Kazakhstan redirecting water into it. Elsewhere in Asia, islands are appearing off the mouths of the Ganges and the Yangtze rivers as the amount of silt brought down from the Himalayas and inland China changes.

Sections of the Rio Grande, Yellow, Colorado and Tigris rivers are now drying out each summer. In Mongolia, the Ongyin Gol has been redirected to allow gold mining, while the Colorado river these days does not reach the sea most years. "We are increasingly concerned that in the near future important geographical features will disappear for ever. Greenland could reach a tipping point in about 30 years," said Jethro Lennox, editor of the atlas.

Source: Guardian

Research: Solar revenues to dip ahead of long-term gains

New report from Lux Research predicts drop in revenues for solar industry as panel prices fall

The solar industry will experience a rollercoaster few years as revenues dip ahead of a rapid recovery, according to a major new study from analyst firm Lux Research, which predicts the market will contract from $64.4bn in 2010 to $56.9bn next year, before recovering to more than $65bn by 2016.

The report, which analyses the cost of solar power and rate of return from solar investments across 156 countries, argues that scaling back subsidies in core European markets has resulted in a period of oversupply that has forced down the price of solar panels – a trend that is likely to continue as solar technologies improve.

As a result, the value of the market is expected to fall, despite continued increases in the rate of solar installation, driven in large part by incentive schemes in Japan, China, India and North America.

"The global solar market for grid-connected systems will grow from 15.8GW in 2010 to 37.5GW in 2016, a compound annual growth rate of 15.5 per cent," said Lux Research Analyst Matt Feinstein, in a statement. "However, price declines will outpace volume increases, at least at first – the industry will actually shrink on a revenue basis – from $64.4bn in 2010 to $56.9bn in 2012 before recovering to $65.4bn in 2016."

Significantly, the research backs up predictions from solar manufacturers that solar energy will be able to compete on price with conventional power by the second half of the decade – a scenario known as "grid parity".

The report predicts that 10 states or nations will see commercial rooftop installations reach grid parity by 2016, while seven residential markets will achieve the landmark by the same date, including Hawaii, Italy, Denmark and the Ukraine.

In an another encouraging development for solar manufacturers the report suggests that subsidies or grid parity are not always necessary for solar markets to prosper, as demand can increase as a result of an anticipated future increase in the cost of conventional energy.

The study cites the example of Brazil, where investors in solar installations are expecting to see rates of return of 12 per cent on commercial scale arrays by 2016, despite the absence of a subsidy and the expectation that grid parity will take several more years to materialise.

The report will also provide further ammunition to campaigners in the UK who have roundly criticised the government for cutting incentives for large-scale solar installations earlier than expected and are currently urging ministers not to impose further deep cuts when they review the UK's feed-in tariff incentive scheme next year.

Further Reading

• SunPower and First Solar ink peace deal with US conservation groups

• Solarpod provides glimpse of 24 hour solar power future

Source: Business Green

Coke slakes thirst with sustainable packaging

All bottles could be made from recycled plastic and plant-based materials by 2020

Bottles made from a mixture of plant material and recycled plastic are the latest addition to Coca-Cola's sustainable product line.

The company yesterday released the first of more than 200 million PlantBottle packages to hit UK shelves this year, as part of a global rollout comprising more than five million packs across 20 countries.

Description: 500ml bottles developed with the WWF are made of up to 22.5 per cent bioethanol from sugarcane and up to 25 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic.

First launched in Denmark in 2009, seven brands use the new bottle, including Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

The company has been looking to increase its use of renewable and recycled materials, and has targeted making all its plastic bottles from a combination of plant-based materials and recycled PET plastic by 2020.

Coca-Cola pioneered the use of bottles containing recycled plastic in 1991, and invested in a £15m bottle recycling plant in Lincolnshire earlier this year which could double the UK's recycled plastic output.

Jon Woods, country manager for Coca-Cola in Great Britain and Ireland, described PlantBottle as "a significant step on our journey towards more sustainable packaging".

Woods added that Coca-Cola is already looking to produce a new generation of packaging, which could be released by 2014.

"We're especially excited about the potential to develop recyclable plastic from natural, renewable resources like stems, fruit peels and bark, which can be sourced from almost anywhere in the world," he said.

"We're not there yet as a commercial product but, working with our research partners, we think we'll get there in the next three to five years

Further reading

Coke's £15m deal aims to double UK recycled plastic output

Source: Businessgreen

Ecotricity charges up 'electric superhighway'

Description: Ecotricity charge point at Welcome Break's Michaelwood servicesNetwork of electric car charge points at motorway services across the country edges close to reality as first six are installed

Ecotricity has installed the first six electric car charging points at motorway service stations in the UK, allowing drivers to travel from London to Birmingham or Bristol without worrying about running low on charge.

The devices are the first phase of Ecotricity's planned 'electric superhighway', which began with a top-up zone at South Mimms services in Hertfordshire in July. Ecotricity aims to fit charge points at all 27 Welcome Break service stations within 18 months.

Each of the charge points is powered by the company's wind turbines and solar facilities, although the top up point on the M4 at Reading is directly powered by the famous Green Park turbine towering above it.

Drivers can choose a rapid recharge point with a 32A supply that can top-up in just 20 minutes and fully charge in two hours, or a slower 13A supply which fully recharges a car while travellers stay overnight at motorway service hotels.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, who plans to drive from Land's End to John O'Groats in his Nemesis electric sportscar using the points, explained that making it possible to drive between cities for the first time could spark increased demand for electric cars.

"It's often said that one of the reasons more people don't buy electric cars is because of a lack of charging facilities, while the reason more charging facilities aren't built is because not enough people are buying electric cars. Classic chicken and egg stuff," he said in a statement.

"We're hoping to break that impasse [by] creating the infrastructure to get Britain's electric car revolution moving."

The six top-up points now installed are:

• Hopwood Park services (M42 at junction 2)

• Membury services (M4 between London and Bristol - between J14 and J15)

• South Mimms services (M25 and M1 junction)

• Michaelwood services (M5 between Bristol and Birmingham)

• Oxford services (M40 between London and Birmingham - junction 8a at Oxford)

• Green Park windmill (M4 near Reading)

Further reading

• Service station charge points offer Welcome Break from range anxiety

Source : Ecotricity

UK s green company Modcell launches in US.

Description: Image: man putting in insulationCompanies in the US and Canada will soon get the chance to benefit from exclusive trade opportunities offered by UK-based green construction firm ModCell.

The Bristol-based company is working on establishing licence agreements across the pond after setting up an office in San Francisco.

ModCell, which uses green materials such as straw bale and hemp to build super-insulated, high-performance, low-energy buildings, has launched its San Francisco site just three years after it started trading in the UK.

The UK company has rapidly become recognised as a global leader in the field of green construction with its innovative use of timber frame panels filled with locally sourced straw or hemp, which are put together off-site in “flying factories” close to build projects.

The panels are said to be able to reduce heating bills by as much as 80% thanks to their improved thermal insulation.

UK Trade & Investment helped the company to establish itself in the US after it identified the region as a key market.

ModCell managing director Craig White said: “With UKTI’s help, we now understand what it really takes to develop a business overseas. Our experience to date, coupled with further support from UKTI will unquestionably pave the way for further international development.”

Story links

www.modcell.com (ModCell)

Source: Press Association

Cheers! “Whisky Power” boosts energy to thousands of homes

Description: Scottish whisky makers will use grain residue from distilleries to provide electricity to local homes: Image by The Scotch Whisky AssociationWhisky power to the people. Natural grain waste from whisky distilleries in Scotland is to be turned into electricity for as many as 16,000 homes after a leading energy developer set up..

Scottish whisky makers will use grain residue from distilleries to provide electricity to local homes: Image by The Scotch Whisky Association

Cheers! “whisky power” boosts energy to thousands of homes

The Helius Energy group said, when built, its combined heat and power plant at Rothes, in Moray, at the renowned Speyside scotch distilleries will cut the production by of about 46,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent each year.

Experts say the project in one of Scotland’s most picturesque locations is the ultimate sustainable energy cycle and a prime example of the potential of the growing biomass energy industry.

Speyside’s world-known drinks companies include Diageo (that produces Bell’s, J&B, White Horse, Johnnie Walker, among other drinks), Edrington (The Famous Grouse, The Macallan, Highland Park among them) and Pernod Ricard.

In whisky production, the solid grain product residue removed from the mash tun tanks - prior to fermentation of the liquor - is known as draff. Draff from the distilleries will be taken to the Speyside site and burned along with wood to provide energy amounts of up to 7.2MWe (megawatt electrical).

This will be used to power the area’s homes and to run an animal-feed production process. Steam created will be used to evaporate liquid residue - called pot ale - into a syrup that can then be used to make animal feed. Pot ale is a high-protein co-product removed prior to final distillation of the spirit.

At present, waste from the Speyside distilleries is taken to an animal feed plant in Rothes that burns gas to turn the pot ale into syrup. After treating the residues, the product will then be used to fire boilers to produce the energy for the distilling process.

The combined heat and power (CHP) plant will be built next to the animal-feed factory that is owned by the Combination of Rothes Distilleries (CoRD), a joint venture set up in 1904 to process whisky by-products.

CoRD handles by-products from 16 Speyside distilleries. It is owned by a consortium of Chivas Brothers, Glen Grant Distillery, Inver House Distillers, Diageo Distilling, BenRiach Distillery, John Dewar & Sons, and the Edrington Group.

The plant’s construction is expected to start soon and it is scheduled to be commissioned during the third quarter of 2012 and fully operational during the first half of 2013. The CHP project will create about 100 jobs during construction and employ about 20 full-time staff once operational.

Helius expects the project to deliver profits of 6m-8m pounds a year, particularly as electricity prices could be between 15 and 20 per cent higher than today.

Alan Lyons, Helius’s chief financial officer, said: “This deal shows there is still funding available for biomass CHP projects … With the uncertainty around the building of new generating plant to replace aged coal and nuclear, we believe electricity will become an increasingly precious commodity.”

He added that the Helius group is progressing with plans for a 300m pounds project to construct a 100MW energy plant driven by burning woodchip material at Avonmouth, Bristol, western England.

“It will be Britain’s largest biomass plant when it is finished,” said Adrian Bowles, a co-founder and chief executive of Helius. He is a chartered engineer who began his career in the pre-privatisation Central Electricity Generating Board.

Avonmouth will be fired by recycled timber and the bark, offcuts and chipping from sawmills sourced from the UK and Europe. Helius is sourcing its turbines and boilers from suppliers to similar-size projects up and running elsewhere in the world.

“There are plans for 300MW biomass plants in the UK but for us that would be a technology challenge. We are going with proven technology, proven on 100MW plants. That is all about managing the risk in the company. We are a project management company employing clean technology,” added Adrian Bowles.

Source: London Press Service

A week in the Leaf Electric Car – Commuting

Will Nichols spends a week with Nissan's trail-blazing electric car

Electric cars are designed for commuters, so it makes sense to see how the Leaf copes with my journey to and from work.

Before driving home last night, I spent at least 25 minutes manoeuvring out of the subterranean BusinessGreen garage, which gave me ample chance to use the rear camera - a necessity really, as the high back of the Leaf would makes reversing pretty hairy otherwise - and means I'm more used to the hair-trigger pedals.

Description:
This is just as well as the sunny evening meant Soho was filled with people who had clearly decided a trip to Dignitas was far too expensive and plumped for the cheaper option of throwing themselves under my car.

Being charitable, perhaps these suicidal tendencies are down to the Leaf's legendary silence. It is definitely quiet. I crawled behind one oblivious pigeon for some five minutes, weighing up whether Nissan would appreciate being handed a car covered in bloodied feathers, before resorting to the horn.

But even without a blaring horn, the Leaf is by no means inconspicuous. A man crossing in front of me has already issued an audible: "What the f**k is that?" while another woman just barely dodged an unfortunate encounter with a lamp post.

I found similar reactions in Hampstead later on, when completing yet another duty of the urban male: picking up your girlfriend and her friend from the pub.

The speed bumps on the drive over were initially worrisome considering that the Leaf's rather expensive battery is spread along the floor of the car. But it takes all manner of traffic calming obstacles with ease, and in fact the only problem I have is entirely self-inflicted - realising I'm about to miss my turning I slam on the brakes only to stop almost dead and narrowly avoid being rear-ended by an irate Porsche Carrera.

On my arrival, the girls were impressed: "It looks like a proper car!" They also liked the design and the amount of room in the passenger and back seats. All in all, it's a thumbs up.

The Leaf spent the night on the street as like most Londoners, I don't have off-street parking or a garage. But it was delivered to me fully charged - hence its arrival on a trailer - so I still have 75 miles left of battery power despite all the driving around yesterday.

It's August in London, so naturally the weather's taken a turn for the worse. I switch on the wipers, intrigued to see if that will affect the battery life, but the indicator does not even blink. The radio too has no effect on my power levels.

But it's a different story with another of those essential tools you need as a British driver - the de-mister. Flicking the switch drops my battery life by 15 miles immediately, even in eco-mode, a feature that recaptures energy from braking to boost mileage 10 per cent.

I still have more than enough to get to work, though, so I plough on, feeling particularly smug that I'm driving through London exempt from paying the congestion charge.

The Leaf's sharp acceleration makes slipping through the slow moving traffic a joy and within 40 minutes I'm pulling back into Soho, looking for somewhere to leave the car for the day.

Find out how I get on with parking and charging next month .

Further reading

• A week in the Leaf – Day 1: Arrival

• Clarkson's electric car category error

Source: Businessgreen

And don’t forget we have a Facebook site where you can also catch up on the latest Climate Change stories and more from the British High Commission: http://www.facebook.com/ukinnewzealand

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