The long lead times of wind turbines
It may take a long time before wind turbines will actually generate energy, even in a ‘technical landscape’, as our editor Paul Reinshagen called the Dutch province of Flevoland, an area reclaimed from the sea. It will take a long time to align all people involved; politicians, civil servants and electricity companies may have ideas
BP redresses its low renewable energy forecasts – too little, too late
In February, BP published a new Energy Outlook. The main difference with previous outlooks lies in its renewable energy forecasts. The previous ones were scandalously low. The company partly redressed this state of affairs, and even confessed that it had previously made ‘a mistake’. But in spite of this, the new forecasts are still on
Small solar panels are an affordable way to try solar power
Whereas some solar power projects are large-scale, covering entire fields, and other projects cover entire rooftops, solar power can also be used small-scale. Starting small is a good strategy for people who cannot afford big sized solar panels at once. Small solar panels are available in the market; just a few appliances in the household
Drivers for renewable energy development
The latest Renewables Global Status Report contains an instructive paragraph on drivers for renewable energy development. Otherwise than many might expect, climate policy is not the most important driver anymore. Cost-effectiveness comes to the forefront. And: renewable energy development is by far not restricted to industrialized countries. Cost-effectiveness main driver for renewable energy development True,
Perspective on renewable energy rapidly changing
IEA Global Energy Outlook 2017, released last November, marks a rapid development in the perspective on renewable energy. IEA has always downplayed the importance of renewable energy for future global energy supply; but in its latest outlook, renewable energy and energy efficiency have moved to the forefront. Cheapest source of electricity generation Three of the
Energy producing landscapes
The world will have to take another look at renewable energy. We need to start thinking visionary and large-scale. Time is over when solar and wind energies had to adapt themselves to their environment. On the contrary, from now on sustainable energy is actively going to create its environment. Thoughts about energy producing landscapes emerge.
Geopolitics of renewable energy
Renewable energy sources are by nature ready to harvest anywhere in the world, and therefore not a source of international conflict by themselves. However, they depend in part on critical materials – materials of which the supply is by no means assured, particularly if renewable energy should grow very fast. The most important group of
Geopolitics of sustainability
Geopolitics has long circled around reserves of fossil fuels, the most critical assets in a fossil-based world. But although they will be around for a few more decades, fossil fuels will gradually become less important as a global power factor. What will come in their place? Will energy continue its role in a different form?
