Initially the carbon price, being called a carbon tax by its attackers, will apply only to the 500 worse polluters.  It is a bold move for a country which generates 80% of its energy from coal and which is one of the world’s largest coal exporters.

As with similar schemes in Europe, heavy polluters such as steelmakers, coal mines and power generators will be compensated through the transition. The scheme is wrapped in a number of other economic and tax reforms designed to soften the blow for Australian households and industry.

Forget the Sahara. Is Cornwall the new solar power capital? A solar goldrush may be just about to emerge as the Cornwall Council has issued a Public Tender Notice for a series of solar power plant plans. The Council says it has posted this notice to advertise its intention to establish a framework agreement for contractors to be appointed for the design, build, operation and maintenance of solar energy generation projects located within the UK regions of Cornwall, Plymouth and Devon.

The general scope of works will involve the design and construction of the entire solar energy generation system, including the associated works to ensure it is connected to the electricity grid and/or any consumer connections. The works will also include the operation and maintenance of the solar energy generation projects to ensure they are kept in working order and maintain their expected energy generation outputs.

The type and range of projects intended to be procured under this framework agreement will range from large-scale solar parks to smaller scale commercial and or domestic installations. The projects called-off under this framework will vary in terms of their electricity generation outputs from an estimated 0.01MW to 5MW.

The first project, named the Kernow Solar Park, to be procured under the Framework will be a ground-based photovoltaic installation, located within close proximity to Newquay Airport in Cornwall, capable of achieving a maximum 5MW output.

Full details of the solar energy generation projects framework agreement will be disseminated to the shortlisted tenderers as part of the Invitation to Tender stage.

In mid-November, Cornwall Council leader Alec Robertson wrote to Energy Minister, Greg Barker to reaffirm the area’s commitment to renewable energy generation. The letter describes the potential problems which could be caused by cutting the feed-in tariffs and also outlines the council’s argument for large-scale solar.

“As part of our ambitious and innovative approach to renewable energy we have developed separate and specific teams responsible for our regulatory function and the facilitation of Cornwall’s green ambitions,” said Robertson.

“It is the council’s belief that the development of ground-based solar PV will provide substantial opportunities to drive the market price down for PV in the UK.”

Starting in early 2011, the plant will have an annual production capacity of approximately 75 000 solar receivers. In a second step the plant’s capacity is to be increased to 140 000 per year.

“With the increase of our shares in Archimede we are further strengthening our cooperation with Angelantoni Industries,” said René Umlauft, CEO of the Siemens’ Renewable Energy Division. “Siemens already has the most comprehensive portfolio in the promising concentrated solar power business.

“We can provide about 70 percent of the components of a solar thermal power plant from a single source. If required, we can even supply complete solutions. The solar receivers of Archimede Solar Energy use molten salt as the heat transfer medium. This is a very promising technological option for solar thermal power plants and an ideal addition to our existing portfolio.”

A first commercial plant is currently under construction in Sicily. The Priolo Gargallo project will use 1500 solar receivers with molten salt as the heat transfer medium and is expected to go operational in summer 2010. The use of molten salt in the receivers can significantly increase the efficiency of solar thermal power plants.This share increase is part of Siemens’ strategy to successively expand its portfolio in the growth market for solar thermal energy. Siemens has long been supplying vital components for solar thermal power plants in the form of steam turbines, electrical and I&C systems and cooling systems.

With the highly-promising molten-salt receiver technology from Archimede Solar, and the proven thermal-oil-based receiver technology from Siemens Concentrated Solar Power Ltd. (formerly Solel Solar Systems), Siemens is now a supplier of a complete range of products for the solar thermal power industry.
“We intend to expand upon the success we now enjoy with our wind energy business to take in the solar power market and become the leading provider of solar thermal power plants. This is why we offer our customers on this market key technologies from a single source,” explains René Umlauft. Siemens estimates that the solar thermal power plant market will experience double digit annual growth up to 2015, reaching a volume of more than EUR10bn ($12.3bn).

“After the recession, after people’s faith in politics has been trampled into the mud after the expenses scandal, it was not the best time to ask people to take a risk and put their faith in politics, but that is what the people of Brighton Pavilion have done. The word historic fits the bill.”

The 49-year-old former MEP has always been the bookies favourite but after neighbouring seats in Hove and Kemptown went to the Tories it looked like all was lost.

The Green campaign was supported by celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Greta Scacchi, best-selling author Philip Pullman and comedian Alistair McGowan.

CCS is a rapidly developing sector and involves the capture of CO2 from major emissions sources such as coal and gas fired power generation facilities, LNG and gas processing plants. The resulting CO2 is safely transported and permanently stored deep underground in depleted gas reservoirs or saline aquifers.

As part of the Petrofac group, CO2DeepStore will accelerate its plans for growth and development, while the acquisition represents Petrofac’s first step into the low carbon energy sector. There are many synergies between the CO2 transport and storage business and Petrofac’s Offshore Engineering & Operations and Energy Developments businesses. The combination of the two organisations establishes a leading development capability for CO2 storage projects, providing a complete storage service for power generators and other CO2 emitters.

Robin Pinchbeck, Petrofac’s group director, strategy and corporate development, commented: “The storage of CO2 is an important part of the emerging low carbon energy mix and we are excited about the potential opportunities for our group in this sector. We are very pleased to welcome Alan and his team to Petrofac and look forward to working with them to progress our plans.”

Alan James, managing director, CO2DeepStore said: “The combination of Petrofac’s financial strength and development capability together with our specialist knowledge and experience will help to position CO2DeepStore as the leading CO2 storage project developer in this new sector servicing the requirements of the major emitters who are establishing CCS projects.”

Energyflo Construction Technologies Limited produces the world’s first dynamic insulation and filtration product, the Energyflo cell, which makes it easier and cheaper for developers to comply with new carbon reduction regulations. The investment, of £0.75m from SSEF II and £0.75m from the Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-Investment Fund, will support the large-scale commercialisation of the Energyflo cell and the development of new products and markets.

Reinhard Clemens, member of the Deutsche Telekom Board of Management and T-Systems CEO, added: “The energy market is facing a radical change: power and data networks are converging. We have the necessary broadband fixed and mobile network, the service staff on-site and experience in handling mass data. After all, we process more than 40 million telecommunication invoices every month in our data centers.”

Smart grids are the key to integrating renewable energies profitably, efficiently and securely and improving energy efficiency in power supply, according to the cooperation partners.

Under the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, the share of energy obtained from renewable energy sources is to increase to at least 30 percent in Germany by 2020. An increasing number of decentralized and regenerative energy sources are making the distribution network more and more complex. In future networks, power consumption must be adapted better to fluctuating energy generation - otherwise it will not be possible to operate the overall system efficiently.

Smart grids can provide the information required for intelligent automated control in real time via data networks. On the consumer side, smart meters and suitable displays can measure and display power consumption at short intervals, enabling households to control their power consumption in a more targeted manner. The intelligent displays will also be able to communicate with individual devices in the future allowing - even in the consumer’s absence - cheaper rates to be used. This would then enable providers to motivate energy users to consume excess and cheaper energy by way of rates signals.

As the Government introduces Feed in Tariffs (FITS) - designed to give cash payments to green energy users in the UK - wind turbine installers say they cannot meet impossible performance deadlines.

Currently microgeneration installers are signed up to a transitional Government-supported list in order to get turbines quality marked. This list aims to protect consumers who buy into green technology and gives wind turbine installers time to gain appropriate certification.
Without certification, owners of wind turbines will not be eligible for the Government tariff known as FITS.

Introduced on April 1, the scheme will help to combat the threat of global warming and depletion of North Sea oil.
Payments of up to 41.3p per kilowatt-hour will be given to installers of solar, wind and hydropower. There are also savings on electricity bills and extra cash when surplus energy is exported back into the national grid.

Paul Young of Coemi, who installs Skywing turbines, believes installers face a near-impossible task to meet rigorous standards within the time scales but without vital Government back up. Somerset-based Paul explained: “I support the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) because it provides a quality mark but along with robust standards we need a better organised certification process or face disaster.

“Coemi spent three months getting on the transitional list but I have heard from good sources that there is going to be a purge because we have to meet safety and performance tests within an impossibly short time space.
“This could demolish the wind turbine industry in the UK as there is only one place in Scotland set to deal with around 90 installers.

“Each model requires six months’ testing and costs around £30,000 per turbine yet there are just eight test pads to carry out that certification. “If my models aren’t certified my customers will not get Government FITS so how does this help renewable energy in the UK? Our Skywing turbines have been rigorously tested and are the very best on the market and guaranteed for five years by which time they are likely to have made money back for clients. The Government says it wants renewables then why is it putting bureaucracy before green energy?”

Brendan McGarry is a spokesman for the independent Microgeneration Certification Scheme, which operates the transitional list with support from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. He said: “This scheme is industry-led to set quality standards and to protect the consumer. I don’t accept a purge is going to be carried out.”

Department of Energy and Climate Change spokeswoman Helen MacBain, said: “We cannot confirm the numbers who are going to come off the transitional list before it’s made public.”

Andreas J. Goss, Siemens’ chief executive in the UK, said: “The UK government has created a stable framework to attract inward investment in renewables and offshore wind power in particular. The competition for land development, announced in the Budget last week, gives us confidence that the appropriate UK port infrastructure can be made available to support our production plans. ”

“The new Siemens wind turbine factory will create around 700 new local jobs once it is in production, as well as additional indirect jobs in the supply chain. With the anticipated growth in the renewables market, there is potential for expansion of the facility in the future. This £80m investment plus additional investment in our UK infrastructure for renewables will provide a much-needed economic boost for the region, as well as driving growth in the UK’s innovative wind power industry,” said Goss.

Siemens is currently exploring a number of sites on the East Coast and in the North East and will make its decision about the exact location when the competition process for land development is complete. The company is working closely with the Regional Development Agencies and its partners to find the optimum site.

Siemens is already investing in renewable skills development and research and development in renewable energy in the UK. The company has established a new Energy Sector training centre in Newcastle and has located its global Centre of Competence for offshore grid connections in Manchester. Siemens has also established R&D Centres of Excellence for wind power at Keele and Sheffield Universities. The new manufacturing facility will produce the next generation of turbines for offshore application and will draw on R&D provided by its dedicated Centres of Excellence for wind power in the UK.

According to Siemens, more than 40% of the electricity from wind power in the UK is provided using Siemens Wind Power technology.