EU-Supported Renewable Energy Projects Begin to Make an Impact

By Anonymous

SOLAIR: Solar heating and cooling (2007-09) Electricity consumption for air conditioning has been increasing dramatically in the EU. Solar cooling is an eminently sensible technology since demand and supply of energy coincide: solar radiation is abundantly available in the summer, during peak air conditioning use.

The EU-financed SOLAIR project will help bring small and medium- sized solar air conditioning appliances for residential and commercial sectors to market, along with the combination of domestic hot water supply and space heating with air conditioning. The program aims to resolve some of the major obstacles to the widespread use of solar air-conditioning technology by improving awareness, know-how, programs and standards.

DOWNVInD: Distant Offshore Wind Farms with No Visual Impact in Deepwater (2004-09)

Wind energy is one of the most promising renewable energy technologies. The global wind power industry is concentrated in Europe, which accounts for 70 percent of capacity worldwide, and cumulative wind power in the EU increased by an average 32 percent per year between 1995 and 2005.

The DOWNVInD project, which benefits from EU funding, is working to develop large-capacity offshore wind farms in deep water. A demonstration project to install and monitor two wind turbine generators in deep water off the coast of northeast Scotland could pioneer the development of deep water wind farms, improve and commercialize the technology, and share knowledge and experience across Europe.

BEST: Bioethanol for Sustainable Transport (2006-09)

To help boost ethanol use in transport and pave the way for a market breakthrough for ethanol-fueled vehicles, the EU is helping to fund a demonstration project to introduce vehicles and distribution lines at ten strategically selected sites in an integrated public/private partnership of cities/regions, car manufacturers, fuel producers, gas stations, and fleet owners. Almost 9,000 vehicles and more than 150 gas stations are expected to result, making this the largest demonstration of alternative fueled vehicles supported by the EU to date.

PS 10 Solar Power Tower: Solar electric power generation (2006- 09)

Seville, Spain is the site of PS 10, the first commercial concentrating solar power plant in Europe, which is designed to produce enough electricity to supply a population of 10,000 (eliminating about 16,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year).

More than 600 moveable mirrors, or heliostats, concentrate solar radiation onto the top of a 115 meter (377 foot) high tower, where a solar receiver and a steam turbine convert solar power into electricity. PS 10 successfully demonstrates the commercial viability of the solar tower approach to feed solar electricity into the electricity grid at an annual amount higher than 21 GWh.

“On energy efficiency, meeting our 20 percent reduction target here should save the EU some euro100 billion, and cut emissions by 800 million metric tons. In virtually all areas of our lives, we can find savings – in transport, electrical goods, buildings, power generation, and transmission. A mixture of legislation and public information will be required, but once again, a major effort is needed from both public authorities and EU citizens…. technology must be factored in. Wind and solar energy are becoming more commercially viable every day, and not just because of the oil price. Energy efficiency is becoming a key design factor in products ranging from the light bulb to complex production machinery.”

European Commission President

Jose Manuel Barroso

An Energy-Efficient EU

While the EU is working to achieve cleaner, more diversified, and more secure sources of energy, it is also intent on tempering demand through improved energy efficiency and conservation. The cleanest and least expensive source of energy is the energy never consumed. The EU’s objective of increasing energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2020 focuses on cogeneration, eco-design of energy consuming products, energy labeling of domestic appliances, end-use efficiency and energy services, and ameliorating the energy performance of buildings.

The buildings sector accounts for 40 percent of the EU’s energy requirements, so EU measures set minimum standards for the energy performance of public, commercial and private buildings in all Member States. EU rules also promote and facilitate the installation and operation of electrical cogeneration plants, which use a single process to produce both heat and electricity.

The EU’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan, introduced in late 2006, includes more than 75 cost-effective initiatives that would make energy appliances, buildings, transport, and energy generation more efficient, to be pursued over the next five years. It also proposes stringent new efficiency standards, promotion of energy services, and specific financing mechanisms to support more energy-efficient products.

Copyright Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Jul/Aug 2008

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