Engerati Europe
An Engerati snapshot will provide you with background information and additional information about key analysts, content sites, events and search terms that will provide you with enough information to become knowledgeable about a region or topic. Generation Snapshot: France Grid Snapshot: Netherlands Grid Snapshot: United Kingdom
16 Apr 2012
Landis+Gyr to supply Spain’s smart meters ... Isle of Wight gets 1.6MW PV power plant ... Siemens technology helps Munich realize smart grid goals ... UK’s Centrica to replace smart meters.
Smart Meters: Landis+Gyr Selected for Spanish Smart Meter Deployment
Smart Meters reports that Landis+Gyr will supply Iberdrola with smart meters for its Spanish rollout. The rollout falls under the STAR1 project’s third phase. This project, launched in 2010, will see the installation of 1 million smart meters by 2012.The article quotes Javier Jiménez, Landis+Gyr chief executive officer for Spain and Portugal who...
30 Apr 2012
Iceland’s Landsvirkjun to lower EU data centers’ carbon footprint and power bill.
What happened
Iceland’s energy utility, Landsvirkjun, is offering European data centers the most competitive power rates to benefit from the IT industry’s escalating energy demands, reports Renewable Energy Magazine. The utility’s recent public quotes offer 12 year contracts with fixed real rates of US$43/MWh, whereas European average real market rates for short term contracts start from US$65/MWh (2011.)The state-owned utility’s goal is to secure 1% of Europe...
16 May 2012
A leaked European Commission renewable energy impact assessment suggests that the EU could generate over 3 million jobs by further developing renewables in the EU.
What happened
Reuters revealed details of a leaked European Commission (EC) draft and impact assessment on renewable energy, which will be officially released late May, 2012. The draft suggests the following :
Free access to emerging renewable energy markets including Brazil, China and India will help the European Union stay ahead in the renewable energy market. This will enhance renewable energy export opportunities
Improved infrastructure will allow EU member states to share...
15 Mar 2012
UK community energy projects continue to grow ... While Europeans work towards a sustainable lifestyle ... And the renewable energy potential of the Mediterranean ... Still solar PV brings electricity prices down.
Engerati: UK Energy Independence at a Local Level
Denise Philip of Engerati reports that community-owned energy projects in the UK will receive US$1.5m from the Co-operative Group’s Enterprise Hub. The Hub aims to help communities develop and sustain their own energy projects.
Philip explains that compared to Germany, the UK has very little community-generated energy. This is due partly to the dominant role played by the “Big Six”energy companies.
Other factors include the...
21 Feb 2012
Israel’s local companies, like AORA Solar, take their technology and expertise to countries that offer attractive energy policies and high feed-in tariffs (FITs.)
What happened
AORA Solar – developers of high-temperature concentrated solar power (CSP) – have opened a gas-turbine solar thermal power station in Spain. The 52-heliostat solar panels turn on two axes to capture sunlight, which the 35-meter, tulip-shaped tower then receives. The tower’s “petals” contain a solar receiver and gas turbine. The receiver, uses the incoming solar energy to heat the air to 1,000°C. This then powers the turbine.
This tower can...
10 Apr 2012
Huawei and Landis+Gyr sign a joint agreement to develop UK smart metering solutions ahead of the national rollout.
What happened
Chinese technology leader Huawei and smart meter manufacturer Landis+Gyr are joining forces to develop smart metering products for the UK by mid 2012, reports Smart Meters. The collaboration comes ahead of the UK’s planned smart meter rollout, whereby the UK government plans to install a smart meter in every British household by 2019, writes Manchester Evening News.
The companies will develop a "universal communications hub" for power utilities and...
23 Nov 2011
France has the second largest energy sector in the EU. It is also the EU’s largest net exporter of electricity. Overall, France’s per capita CO2 emission rate is one of the lowest in Europe, due to its strong dependence of nuclear power. Nuclear energy also keeps the electricity production costs down.
Nuclear Energy
The country’s nuclear power industry has been labelled a “success” in terms of providing cheap, CO2-free energy. However, France's nuclear reactors are commonly used in load-following mode. Some reactors are closed over the weekend as there is no market for the generated electricity. 11 of the 15 inland plants have cooling towers, which use evaporative cooling. Others use lake or river water directly. As a result, generation output is limited during hot...
04 Apr 2012
Italy’s utility – Enel – looks to Africa for renewable energy growth opportunities.
What happened?
Abundant renewable energy sources in Morocco and South Africa offer attractive investment opportunities for Italy’s largest renewable energy group, Enel Green Power SpA (EGPW), reports Bloomberg. EGPW has its sights set on Africa as Europe’s “demand slumps” due to the recession and subsidy cuts. EGPW Chief Executive Officer, Francesco Starace, says the countries have a “promising abundance” of renewable-energy potential and a “huge...
21 Mar 2012
Green Investment Bank opens in Edinburgh ... Barcelona measures its efficiency and sustainability IQ ... Poland rejects EU’s carbon cut ... ADR system introduced to Europe.
Engerati: Scotland wins Green Investment Bank
Denise Philip of Engerati reports that Edinburgh will host the UK’s Green Investment Bank, which is to attract investment for new renewable energy projects. The bank forms part of the UK’s plan to make renewable energy account for 15% of the country’s electric supply by 2020, however Scotland is aiming for 100%. The bank will open with public funds of US$4.7bn(£3bn) and will be fully operational by end 2012, pending...
09 Feb 2012
Vienna is the world’s smartest city … will the EU cope without Iran’s oil? … UK’s “green” data centers not that efficient.
Smart Planet: Top 10 smartest cities in the world
Tyler Falk of Smart Planet writes about the world’s current top 10 ten smart cities, as listed by researcher Boyd Cohen, at Fast Company’s Co.Exist blog. The cities have been chosen according to:
· Past innovations
· Standard of life
· Sustainability and digital community
· ...
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