Greenpeace: Battle of the GridsPublication - January 18, 2011
How Europe can go 100% renewable and phase out dirty energy
...Today, Europe’s electricity grid is characterised by big, polluting power stations pumping out constant energy, regardless of consumer need, along a wasteful, aging A/C (alternating current) network. The patchwork of national grids stitched together over the years is an uncomfortable, uneconomical fit.
Climate policy and consumer demand are hurtling us towards a smarter, more efficient Europe-wide grid that is already opening up vast new technological, business and consumer opportunities. Such a grid could guarantee supply despite extreme weather conditions, delivering green energy around Europe via efficient, largely below ground DC (direct current) cables. However, the report’s title, Battle of the Grids, hints at the fact that we are at a political crossroads.
Despite the remarkable growth in renewables, last year they generated more investment than any other sector, we are fast reaching a showdown between green and dirty energy. Thousands of wind turbines delivering near free energy were turned off in 2010 to allow polluting and heavily subsidised nuclear and coal plants to carry on business as usual. It is estimated Spain had to ditch around 200GWh of energy last year. The buzz on the lips of industry specialists, lobbyists and in boardrooms is about system clash and
the costs of building and running what is increasingly becoming a dual system. This groundbreaking report demonstrates the problem on a European scale. It also proves that Europe is capable of moving smoothly to a system that delivers nearly 100 percent renewable power around the clock
Taken with Greenpeace’s 2010 Energy
evolution report, Battle of the Grids builds on Greenpeace’s earlier Renewables 24/7 study. It is a ‘how to’ manual for the kind of system we need to deliver 68 percent renewable energy by 2030 and nearly 100 percent by 2050....
http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/Publications/2011/battle-of-the-grids/
PDF: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/climate/2011/battle%20of%20the%20grids.pdf
Renewables 24/7
Publication - February 4, 2010
Smart grid or super grid, decentralised or centralised renewable power plants? The discussion about the future of our power supply is running hot, and hi- tech visions are everywhere.
Executive summary: The solar and wind markets have continued to grow despite the economic crisis. So as more and more renewable power generation comes online a question arises. How do we transport and integrate renewable energy sources into existing power grids? Will the lights go out if the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining? Do we still need coal or nuclear power to provide base-load and back-up for wind and solar power?
Climate friendly infrastructure is needed in all countries. The time to build up our ‘climate friendly infrastructure’ – comprising networked smart grids and district heating pipelines – is now! The window of opportunity is available for industrialised countries as well as developing countries. While the industrialised nations in North America, Europe and Australia have to reinforce their 40- and 50-year old grids, developing countries – especially China and India – are in the process of building theirs for the first time.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/renewables-24-7/