Leonardo ENERGY - The Global Community for Sustainable Energy Professionals

Life cycle costs for extra high voltage cables and overhead lines

HDK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:49:26 +0000

Underground cables (UGCs) are – at installation – more expensive than overhead lines (OHLs), although it is very difficult to draw general cost ratios, due to the specificity of every project. In most cases comparisons are made solely on the capital costs of the equipment together with the costs of installation and accommodation works. In other cases, respective life costs are considered that take into account transmission losses, maintenance costs, availability (and associated outage related costs) and decommissioning.

Environment impacts of extra high voltage cables and overhead lines

HDK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:35:18 +0000

For economic reasons, extra high voltage (“EHV”) underground cables (“UGCs”) are rarely appropriate for an entire new AC power transmission project (although in some long distance circumstances a DC cable may be a solution). UGCs are though especially effective at helping power transmission projects to cross areas where there are environmental sensitivities. These include areas that are:

Underground Cables at Extra High Voltage Levels

HDK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:30:50 +0000

Europacable is the European Confederation of Associations of Manufacturers of Insulated Wires and Cables. Europacable, and its member companies in the European cable industry have spent 30 years investing in innovative technology for underground cabling that overcomes the limitations of overhead lines in certain circumstances and today cable manufacturers are able to provide innovative and customised solutions for the modern power transmission industry.

What are the Electro-Magnetic Fields from overhead lines and cables?

HDK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:27:32 +0000

As part of the European Union’s energy strategy, there is a commitment to reducing the social and environmental risks associated with the transmission of energy and in this respect cables can provide benefits as they have been shown to be more effective in mitigating potential health impacts.

Feed-In Tariffs : SERN interviews Miguel Mendonça, from the World Future Council

Fernando Nuno — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:52:45 +0000

Our partner SERN, the Sustainable Energy Regulation Network, has interviewed Miguel Mendonça (World Future Council Research Manager) on feed-in tariffs. Xavier Lemaire, who already provided a webinar about off-grid regulation, carried out the interview.

Training Module on Electricity Market Regulation - SESSION 6

Fernando Nuno — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:10:40 +0000

Training Module on Electricity Market Regulation - SESSION 5

Fernando Nuno — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:59:13 +0000

Training Module on Electricity Market Regulation - SESSION 4

Fernando Nuno — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:52:20 +0000

Project 1

HDK — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:21:43 +0000

Master tasklist

HDK — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:18:30 +0000

Don't buy the numbers

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Do them by yourself, on the back of an envelope

Numbers have something that mere words seem to lack. Let’s call it an aura of absolute truth, of incontestability.

Distribution transformer replacement

Bruno De Wachter — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:05:12 +0000

What are the decision factors in replacing an operating distribution transformer with a new one

Usually, distribution transformers are only replaced after failing.

IT and Telecom: maximum system availability demands continuous power supply

Isabelle Heriakian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

To achieve system availabilities of the order of the six “9”s and beyond, IT and Telecom service providers are totally dependent upon a continuous power supply. Power variations or interruptions create significant disruptions for sectors that are judged by the reliability of their services.

Power Quality Control In An Industrial Estate

Isabelle Heriakian — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

This case study presents a methodology for improving power quality in an important industrial estate. A project was initiated to reduce the number of interruptions and enhance power quality in the estate and focused on reducing weak points in the power distribution system by inspecting distribution lines in both customer and utility areas. Once weaknesses were identified, corrective action would be taken and preventative measures taken to prevent re-occurance in order to provide high power availability to customers.

Quality of supply

Isabelle Heriakian — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by David Chapman, from CDA UK, including slides.

Pharmaceuticals: unplanned interruptions generate high costs and create long delays

Isabelle Heriakian — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:09:18 +0000

Setting up a production process for the pharmaceuticals sector is not a trivial undertaking.

Electrical power variations or even minor interruptions can neutralise tightly controlled biological working conditions and ruin an entire batch, resulting in irretrievable production losses.

The longer the event, the harder a pharmaceutical company’s profit margins are hit. Ensuring continuity of power supply is therefore of fundamental importance for this sector.

Science Magazine reports on the efficiency gap

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:30:00 +0000

How to do more with off-the-shelf energy efficient technology

The August edition of Science Magazine dedicated an eight page long focus article on how to leap the efficiency gap. This gap consists of the imbalance between the wide range of energy efficient technology that is readily available on the market and the rather small share this technology represents in the daily practice of industry, buildings, and transport.

Circuit Breaker Tripping in Semiconductor Plant Caused by Voltage Dips

Isabelle Heriakian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:36:18 +0000

A semiconductor plant experienced a problem where the LV side main circuit breaker was tripped by voltage dips. As a result, power to all connected loads was interrupted and manufacturing processes were halted. The main cause of this problem was the unsuitable design of the under-voltage protection system. When a voltage dip occurred it was misinterpreted as an under-voltage event by the protection system, which erroneously tripped the circuit breaker.

Webinar - Silicon(e) technology’s role in sustainable building

Jean-Paul Hautekeer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:16:42 +0000

Workshop on smart grids

Isabelle Heriakian — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by Peter Vaessen, from Kema, including slides.

The mobile smart grid

Isabelle Heriakian — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by Andre Postma, from Enexis, including slides.

Electricity storage

Isabelle Heriakian — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:15:03 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by Jillis Raadschelders, from Kema, including slides.

Reverse auction market feed-in tariffs

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:30:00 +0000

California stimulating middle-scale renewable energy projects

California regulators have designed a new market system for stimulating middle-scale renewable energy projects in a competitive way. The main idea is to create a reverse auction market where renewable energy companies can offer their services for green energy projects. The company that offers to sell electricity at the lowest rate wins a particular purchase agreement. Subsequently, the state will pay the developers the feed-in tariff that is sufficient to bring that particular project online.

Aggregated Electricity Load Modeling & Control for Regulation and Load Following Ancillary Services (PSERC Webinar)

HDK — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:26:01 +0000

When ICT & Electro-technology meet

Guy Kasier — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:19:23 +0000

Once an electrical installation had been installed in a home in the past, that was it. So, when a domestic electrical installation was fitted, it was and in a many cases still is considered to be an unmodifiable fixture. In fact, it has always been quite difficult to make any changes to a classical electrical appliance once it is installed. Fortunately the arrival of integrated home systems means that such flexibility is now available to us (see: Definition of integrated home systems), even if the communications aspect (see: Increasing communication) is, admittedly, still in its infancy.

Support for small renewables in Australia

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Avoiding a high administrative burden

The Australian government’s Department of Climate Change has created a new system of Renewable Energy Credits (REC) for systems up to 1.5 kW. Those small systems are mainly comprised of PV systems, along with small wind and hydroelectric installations. The problem with the former Renewable Energy Certificates system was that the resulting administrative burden for such small systems was too high and the resulting income too low to result in a successful incentive.

In the new RECs system, the energy production is not measured but estimated. The certificates are paid for in advance, at the time the system is purchased, for a lifetime of fifteen years. The production estimation is based on standard figures of mean solar irradiation in the local region. To provide an extra incentive for small systems, this figure is multiplied by 5 for systems installed between June 2009 and June 2012. This multiplier will decrease gradually after 2012 and be set at 1 from June 2015 onwards.

Ocean energy

Isabelle Heriakian — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by Hans Christian Soerensen, from EU-OEA, including slides.

Concentrated solar plants

Isabelle Heriakian — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:53:45 +0000

From Low Carbon Electricity Systems congress, here is the full recorded video presentation made by Luis Crespo from Protermosolar including slides.

Geo-engineering does not offer an easy way out

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

No effective, affordable, low risk solutions available

If we are able to influence the earth’s CO2 density and climate in a negative way, it seems logical to assume that we are also able to influence it in a positive way. That is the basic idea behind geo-engineering solutions to climate change. Those solutions generally include such ideas as afforestation, CO2 air capture, ocean fertilisation, cloud albedo (using sea water spray to whiten clouds and increase cloud reflectivity), surface albedo (using specifically coloured roofing and paving materials), creating stratospheric sulphur aerosols, and space solar reflectors.

Is CCS geo-engineering?

A recent article on the subject in the Financial Times also includes CO2 capture at the stack ('Carbon Capture and Storage', CCS) among other geo-engineering solutions. This is noteworthy primarily since this solution is generally seen as more realistic. CCS already receives significant amounts of R&D funding, in contrast with the other geo-engineering solutions.

US invests in Energy Frontier Research Centres

Bruno De Wachter — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Focus on PV, CCS, nuclear, hydrogen, biomass, and energy storage

In August, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the delivery of $377 million in funding for 46 new Energy Frontier Research Centres. The centres will be hosted by universities, national laboratories, non-profit organisations, and private companies. The research domains that were chosen offer a good sampling of those technologies the US Department of Energy (DOE) sees as potentially important in the energy landscape of the future. The funded projects are focussed on:

Improving the efficiency of photovoltaic systems; with particular projects dedicated to hybrid inorganic/organic PV cells and nanometre-sized PV cells
Advanced nuclear techniques
Carbon capture and geological storage (CCS)
Hydrogen, including the production of hydrogen as well as hydrogen fuel cells
Biomass, including energy-rich plants and the conversion of biomass into chemicals and fuels
Energy storage systems
Superconductivity (1 project)