Creating "African Lion" countries with geothermal energy

It has much of the idea of the 'lion' countries, imitating Asias made famous 'tiger' has been. There is no reason Africa should not behave like Asia - hordes of international businessmen should travel in air-conditioned offices and lavishly stocked bars in cities like Nairobi and Dar es Salaam well in my life. There are many thorns, this Lions paws must be removed. But I suggest that renewable energy sources, in particular geothermal potential, the energy and the electrification of the cultural offering his massive load, the Sahara needs to bring international partnerships and healthy and competitive economy, can help.

Foreign investment can provide the necessary advantage, but must eventually transition to a self-sustaining industry.

GeoPower Africa conference tackles this issue in July in Dar es Salaam. Mail flow on investments in the region a high ebb seemed to reach: a new geothermal energy project in Lake Assal, Djibouti was announced not one week after the Conference found to have closed its financiers, and the keynote event company, AfDB, joined in the $32 million project by the sustainable energy fund for Africa (SALIBA), the African Development Fund, the global environment facility, the OPEC Fund for international development (OFID) and the global geothermal energy development plan (GGDP).

Rwanda of NewTimes published soon after the event at the opening of the three holes for geothermal resources on July 19 to explore a piece. An interesting point to note is that KenGen said his move to the advice at the event, was contracted to do the surveying. Two points to note here: First, the highly desirable and praised African approach, Africans, the development of Africa in contrast to just with bits of land to foreign investors; Secondly, a positive example for African companies to develop its expertise so that it presents itself as a diversified energy supply companies can present a range of services. With a little luck will find KenGen even open offices within and outside the continent in the coming years. Ad hoc injections of cash and capacity can match the potential of real partnerships and domestic powerhouses.

Identify the individual characteristics of each country.

"Africa is too big, and its lands are too diverse to follow a script," said Rhonda Zygocki Chevron in a blog Huffington Post. Key in identifying lion core, are turning away from the idea of Africa as Africa the the entire sub-Saharan region for growth, stability and will pull. Americans and British deal with Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and other countries as separate entities.

Investors in geothermal, like any other industry need to perceive a business case for the establishment of a shop in the African countries of the Lions. Lynn Tabernacki said of the United States overseas private investment Corporation (OPIC):

A number of countries are ready for accession in Kenya success in the area of geothermal energy. Of course, viable geothermal resources have a slew of countries in larger Rift Valley. These resources, contrasted against the high tariffs in countries instructed, at the diesel generating by attracting these markets from a business perspective. The leading countries are the ones who could draw public and private support to adequately to investors to avoid the perceived risks together however. For example, a country needs a regulatory framework of the sector energy supports investment and development. There must be proof also investors with an expectation of political stability and a corporate culture, the sanctity of the contract.We heard apart from Kenya of geothermal development in Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. I hope projects in all of these countries can be developed in a reasonable schedule that know, that experience has won Kenya each of the.

The right projects for the right countries.

It is time to demonstrate the high potential of sub-Saharan economies taking arrival on the major population in the region, they need through a well-managed energy projects. And many of these countries are plans to tinker.

The GeoPower-Africa Summit saw some constructive and honest input from KenGens Chairman Titus Kitili Mbathi and other expert members of the Board such as a geothermal energy project to get really. "Drill!" was the message. You must search survey, resources, then go back and drill. Surveying and consulting and auditing indefinitely - but if the project must move needs to be moved. The energy is there, as presentation of WWF later stressed. It has always been, it must be unlocked only.

These are the countries where companies to send their management development will, as soon as she've cut their teeth in Hong Kong and Singapore Raffles place? These countries are the the whole region towards the coveted investment rating upgrade will drive? And energy is the key?

Kenya is located in the area of geothermal energy, and the next hot markets are probably Djibouti, Ethiopia and Tanzania in particular.

"Booming economy of Tanzania is set to attract new FDI in almost all key sectors including infrastructure and energy. However, it is the energy sector, in particular renewable energy projects, which should accelerate direct investment in Tanzania,"said Albert Rweyemamu ATI about his homeland. "A greater role in the provision of the necessary financial resources and risk aversion support ambitious programs like the US initiative to play"power for Africa"and Pan African expect institutions such as ATI in clean power generation not only to Tanzania, but also for the entire continent."

View the original article here

Are Geothermal Heat Pumps Ready for the Mainstream?

Geothermal heat pumps have long been on the fringes of modern day HVAC equipment. The latest estimates put market penetration at less than 1% of the overall housing market. This was easily explained twenty years ago. Oil was cheap, geothermal technology was still working out its kinks, and a wide ranging and professional installer network was just beginning to form. These barriers kept geothermal from being an automatic consideration when upgrading a residential heating system.

Now, 20 years later, these are no longer issues. Oil is more costly and experts agree that it’s only going to get more expensive. Natural gas, though relatively new to the HVAC scene, still comes with its own risks and expense.

Geothermal technology has also come a long way, and automation has moved forward with leaps and bounds. Now, a home owner can check the status of their geothermal unit remotely, from their iPhone. They can program the smart thermostat to raise and lower the temperature remotely, and check on the actual function of the machine to make sure there are no warning indicators. Even the worry of losing heat in the middle of winter is no longer necessary, since all heat pumps come with an optional electric back up.

The largest barrier by far to geothermal adoption has been the standardization of the industry and the lack of certified, qualified professionals in the industry. In the infancy of the technology, installations were done by geothermal enthusiasts, who often had little or no standardized training or certification. With the introduction of the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition in Canada, a new standard of excellence was now attainable. The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition offers training courses and certifications, as well as a centralized, national registry of certified individuals. This organization also became an advocate for geothermal, allowing the technology to become eligible for energy efficiency grants across the country.

This broad sweeping standardization and certification enables homeowners to rely on a certain standard of excellence and knowledge that the CGC certified installers would possess, making the process of installing a geothermal heat pump through a reputable company easier than ever before. Many large HVAC companies have added geothermal installations to their wide repertoire of services, pushing geothermal even closer to the mainstream.

Geothermal has come a long way in the last 20 years. The technology has improved in leaps and bounds, rising oil prices and general concern for the environment make them a compelling investment, and the presence of certified and professional installers eliminate the concerns most homeowners have about high quality workmanship.

There is still work to be done, however. More effort needs to be put into eliminating the remaining barriers, including access to financing for homeowners and ensuring that realtors value the home appropriately after a geothermal heat pump is installed. Homeowners must currently seek bank financing for their geothermal installation, which can be cumbersome. Additionally, realtors need to be educated in the value that geothermal provides a home, so that they can fully convey the benefits to prospective buyers and price the home accordingly.

Geothermal is on the cusp of entering the mainstream of the HVAC market. The technology is ready, the distribution and installation system is in place, and the incentives are there. The barriers to geothermal have reduced significantly over the years and are continuing to disappear.

The information and views expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of RenewableEnergyWorld.com or the companies that advertise on this Web site and other publications. This blog was posted directly by the author and was not reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

View the original article here

Efficiency New Brunswick Cuts Geothermal Energy Incentives

Throughout Canada, energy efficiency retrofit grants have helped stimulate the geothermal industry and have made geothermal heat pumps more popular than ever before. The introduction of these substantial financial incentives on both a provincial and federal level have been a boon for the geothermal industry and the energy efficiency retrofit industry in general. They made energy efficiency upgrades accessible to home owners, stimulated the economy, and generated enough tax revenue to cover the cost of implementing the program.

Unfortunately, energy efficiency grants have been gradually phased out over the past few years, to the dismay of homeowners and energy efficiency professionals. The Canadian federal ecoENERGY retrofit program has been discontinued, and the latest program on the chopping block is the energy efficiency program administered by the Efficiency New Brunswick organization.

Efficiency New Brunswick has offered substantial grants for homeowners of both new and existing homes seeking to incorporate energy efficient building materials into their homes. It offered significant financial incentives for a variety of retrofits including the installation of geothermal heat pumps. The $5,000 grant offered for new and existing buildings significantly reduced the pay back period for a geothermal installation.

Unfortunately, Efficiency New Brunswick recently followed the lead of the federal government through discontinuing some of their incentive programs. In particular, the grants available for new homes are no longer available. This program was very popular, paying out $1.6 million in grants in 2011 and 2012. This sudden turn of events came as a shock to many homeowners who were planning on incorporating energy efficient features into their new homes, and were counting on the grants to defray the initial cost.

In addition to discontinuing the new homes incentive, four contract employees and two permanent staff were also laid off. This is one more blow in a series of misfortunes that the energy efficiency industry has suffered over the past several years, and will make accessing affordable ground source heat pump installations even more difficult.

View the original article here

Developers will invest in next five years 1.9 trillion into clean energy.

NEW York-developers and financiers invested $1.9 trillion build clean energy power plants worldwide from 2012 to 2018 as demand for electricity rises, according to the Pew Charitable trusts.

Development costs for solar and wind farms and other types of renewable energy assets rising to $327 billion in 2018 by about $200 billion in the last year, according to a report, which is now published on the Bank's website.

These numbers can increase even more if Governments to create national energy policy, contain the obligations for renewables, Phyllis Cuttino, Director of Pew said clean energy program in Washington, yesterday in a telephone interview. The incentives should give duration defined clarity of the industry.

The "political role", she said. "You've got to have a renewable energies target or a standard. Or something in the tax code. Or to remove market obstacles. There are several guidelines that you can use to get there, but you have to do something. You can have not only no national energy policy."
Global energy consumption is expected to increase by 47 percent by 2010 to 2035 and investments in the renewable energy industry can $5.9 trillion in the same period the Pike research LLC was prepared according to the report, approach.

"" "" Said industry has clearly given us, "what we need is we need to have certainty," said Cuttino. "It was an unequal playing field, tilted in favor of established technologies. And we need to get over the hump."

View the original article here

Geothermal energy provides baseload electricity for Christmas in California

California independent system operator (ISO) maintains, reliability and accessibility to one of the largest and most modern power grids in the world. Its target of 33 per cent of electricity produced from renewable energy sources meets each day it Golden reported State on the production of renewable energy in the because it tries by end of 2020.

Families available on Christmas day as California sat down for a meal of Turkey, ham or tamales, renewables candied 2,000 MWe, of the approximately 26,000 MWe load on 06 in the early evening.

The Sun went down, and it was not a windy day in the West. However, geothermal energy offered a reliable base load supply of 928 MWe.

In addition, geothermal power delivered most on Christmas day 21.354 MWh, about 40 percent of the total renewable on this day. Geothermal energy helped bring Christmas to California! The information and opinions in this blog post are solely those of the author and not necessarily the RenewableEnergyWorld.com or companies, the advertising on this Web site and other publications. This blog has been directly by the author and has not been reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

View the original article here

Why look not Maine in, Sun, geothermal energy?

Posted at: August 6
Updated: today at 11:17 PM

Pocono Raceway received the Pennsylvania Governor's award for environmental excellence for the development of a three-megawatt, ground-mount photovoltaic solar energy systems, which in September went online. The 25-acre solar installation is the electric main source for Raceway and adds enough power, power nearby houses close to 1,000.

Why Maine ignored official solar power, since it is far less harmful nature as any source? And what is literally flows with energy-source past us: Kennebec River. Why not take advantage of the heat in its water? Hydro heat pumps which will efficiently extract energy are far better than the air surrounding all us that tap. River water varies very little, a great advantage.

Geothermal energy is in the water table, especially in Skowhegan, and probably many other cities.

Revive some electric power pumps are used to, but it is a small cost.

Paul O. Sylvain

View the original article here

Viewpoint: Community-centric model for geothermal energy provided

Innovation development group held recently a meeting at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center on Maui, geothermal energy on sustainable community-oriented way to the Hawaiian Islands to discuss development. Big Mahalo to the Maui community for more than 150 people who take time to come talk to us - we were thrilled by the positive response - attended.

How many learn is a native-owned, Hawaii-based strategic planning innovations development group and development company specializing in the development of indigenous land and resource management assets with a focus on renewable energy.

We are currently working with Maori land trusts in New Zealand so that it's their geothermal resources in a way to develop the environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable.

Our proprietary native to-native model for development, which we are already using in New Zealand, provides a fair return all stakeholders – investors, the landowners, including the indigenous peoples, who have the assets.

Key elements of our native to-native model include indigenous participation, protection of indigenous lands and community benefits in terms of employment, scholarships and training. We want to apply our native to-native model for development of geothermal resources on Maui, in partnership with Maui Electric Co. and the wider community.

The informative session we July 20 became the first of many yet to come. We will be hosting community workshops provide training on the various technologies to be contemplated, are commitments, community benefit-sharing, a creation of community confidence and small businesses for the Maui project financing. We have been and will continue to fully transparent in the way his in which we approach this opportunity.

While we were pleased that our recent meeting the Maui news, we think it is covered some important, perhaps unintentionally misleading to correct impressions that article has been left on 22 July.

First of all, our process is open, fair and based on input of the community. It is how we manage our geothermal venture in New Zealand and it is how we are run.

Secondly we were published in February in planning mode for MECO his initial announcement on the company renewable energy projects on Maui. Still the complete request for proposal has not be released. Details are worked out, and we will with the public in the future, the meetings and, where appropriate, the corresponding share information, not proprietary or confidential nature. The figures for the cost quoted for the production of geothermal energy does not exactly represent what was said at the meeting.

A few other clarifications, which point out: Mililani Trask is no officer of IDG, but rather a principal indigenous consultant, a contractor of IDG. Ku'ulei Kealoha Cooper is trustee of the Kealoha estate, not Kealoha Foundation.

Hulu Lindsey is part of IDG. Bob Lindsey, an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, was not in the session as reported, although it is of course true that OHA the session helped sponsor.

We look forward to working with the community of Maui in the geothermal venture, and see flow advantages to all parties. That we believe would be a Pono way to approach of the development of public assets and build a truly diversified, renewable energy portfolio for the Islands. We can no longer make the totally private sector, profit-oriented model of the past. It has proved ruinous.

We believe that our already embraced development approach for our jointly owned geothermal plants is native to-native model, at the international level, fits the hopes and we all have dreams for Hawaii's energy independence. We're on encouraged by the Assembly dynamics of interest, what we have to offer by IDG. We give briefings, legislators, the Department of land and natural resources, the Department of Hawaiian home of lands, OHA and others involved in and were invited by the discussion have stimulated these briefings. Furthermore, the continuing positive requests of the public stress all us in faith, the time now is different thinking and go boldly to use the great gifts that Pele has left for that probably all.

* Patricia is the Chief Executive Officer of innovations development group.

View the original article here

UNR geothermal drill program adds 3 d Imaging

A Department of energy funded geothermal program at the University of Nevada Reno, which is designed to improve research methods, and well reduce the risk of drilling unproductive is the second phase occurs.

The project, based in Bureau of mines and geology in the College of science of the University developed a catalogue of reasonable structure for multiple locations for potentially lebensfahiger as geothermal. System error patterns and models, along with site specific targeting based on fault analysis include geothermal.

Their a-year mark has reached, will the project detail study five or six 250 potentially viable sites. As part of the second phase 3-d representation will be used for some of the sites.

The project is funded by a $1 million to give the DOE from the American recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

View the original article here

Pune's geothermal plant to more power to deliver

Associated press - 10 February 2011 8: 34 PM ET

HONOLULU (AP) - agreed the operator of the Puna's geothermal plant to provide Hawaii electric light co. with an additional eight megawatt performance.

Puna geothermal venture, a unit of Ormat technologies, currently offers the big Iceland utility with about 30 megawatts of power. The increase is approx. 5,200 makes houses.

Companies, who said in a joint statement Thursday additional electricity flows after Hawaii electric light grid modifications in the third quarter this year to begin.

Puna geothermal venture has provided the island power grid since 1993. Ormat runs geothermal plants around the world and Puna geothermal 2004 acquired.

2009 Hawaii utilities must receive 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 under a State law.

Copyright 2011 associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed are.

View the original article here