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September 22, 2006

Renewable Energy Reaching a Positive Tipping Point

by Stephen Lacey, RenewableEnergyAccess.com
Peterborough, New Hampshire [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

History will judge 2006 as the start of a major paradigm shift for the world's energy infrastructure, according to a leading environmental thinker.

Flavin said the tipping point toward renewable energy is forming now. The growing momentum will soon force the political realm and the business sector to change one another, drastically transforming the energy economy.

Speaking on RenewableEnergyAccess.com's Inside Renewable Energy podcast, Worldwatch Institute President Christopher Flavin said, "While much more needs to be done, I think we will look back and say, 'this was the moment.'"

Flavin said the tipping point toward renewable energy is forming now. The growing momentum will soon force the political realm and the business sector to change one another, drastically transforming the energy economy.

Want to hear more of what Flavin had to say? Check out this week's episode of Inside Renewable Energy. Also in the podcast: Saving money on your winter heating bills.
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Reader Comments (14)
 
No image available
September 22, 2006
The tipping point? Good News.
Comment 1 of 14
No image available
September 23, 2006
Donald You will find a list of 26 companies that make pelletizing equipment and their contact information at:

http://www.thomasnet.com/products/pelletizers-pelletizing-equipment-plants-57613804-1.html

adrianakau@aol.com
Comment 2 of 14
No image available
September 23, 2006
Donald. You will need to post your contact information. There are some companies that produce good equipment for pelletizing sawdust or other similar substances. Perhaps you could use this type of equipment.

adrianakau@aol.com
Comment 3 of 14
No image available
September 23, 2006
Hi I made an error. My previous comment said, I think this is very positive way of depending on fossil fuel. It should have said this is a very positive way of not depending on fossil fuel.
Comment 4 of 14
No image available
September 23, 2006
Good Day All;
I live in Quebec, Canada and I'm trying to start up a Grass Pellet plant. I think this is a very positive way of depending on fossil fuel to heat our home's and create less greenhouse gases. This way the money we make from this way of thinking will stay in our countries and create jobs for our people and support the farmer's that are really needed for there survival. If anybody has any information on how I can get some funding to get this project off the ground, it would be well appreciated.
Regards,
Donald Reed
Comment 5 of 14
No image available
September 23, 2006
Yes , Renewable energy is reaching a positive tipping point.

There are several examples.
Now floating wind turbine concept is also picked up for Power generation.

We should not think in isolation.
We should consider solar as well as wind energy should be tapped simultaneously.

Australia is building a Solar Chimney in which solar energy generate wind which generates power.

Similarly we should have floating solar chimney so that sea surface can be used for power generation.

P.J.LAKHAPATE
plakhapate@rediffmail.com
Comment 6 of 14
No image available
September 24, 2006
"this was the moment"

I don't think so, Christopher Flavin, at least not as far as our country is concerned.

I don't know too much about tipping points. I think our Washington polititions have not yet reached that point because they seem to be about 5 years behind Europe when it comes to energy concerns and development. They talk alot but don't actually do much. Because of this inaction, I think we are on the opposite side of the tipping point at the moment even though other countries have passed this point a long time ago.

Forgive my bluntness!

adrianakau@aol.com
Comment 7 of 14
No image available
September 24, 2006
Donald. You might contact Can REA (Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance) members for financing assistance information:

Melinda Zytaruk at Ontario Sustainable Energy Association
melinda@ontario-sea.org

Jose Etcheverry at the David Suzuki Foundation
jetcheverry@davidsuzuki.org

adrianakau@aol.com
Comment 8 of 14
No image available
September 27, 2006
To Edward Fulmer - I have developed an idea to pursue a locally organized method for producing large amounts of solar energy in Arizona. I's called a Solar Energy Improvement District. You can see a description of on on my blog at http://sunminer.blogspot.com.
Comment 9 of 14
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September 27, 2006
I belong to a rural electric cooperative which purchases wholesale power from a generating corporation in another state. The co-op is signing a long term contract with the corporation which has announced plans to build three coal fired power plants. This will put us at risk in terms of rate increases to pay for the coal plants, transmission problems, and future regulation of these dirty plants. We have ranchers, farmers, dairy operations, business people and home owners who are interested in generating electricity from wind, solar, goethermal and biomass. Local people, using local resources to benefit the local economy. We need regulation changes, favorable tax laws and capitalization for these projects. People will take it from there.
Comment 10 of 14
No image available
September 27, 2006
The US has been slow to adopt renewables but a tipping point may indeed be at hand.

Solar Pool Heating has sustained and grown. My company, Fafco alone, accounts for over 2000 megawatts in equivalent electrical power from our installed base.

Solar Domestic Hot Water Heating (SDHW) has languished from a high of six hundred million in annual sales at its peak in the eighties. This nascent industry is growing again with modest tax credit support. It will likely sustain this cycle since energy prices today are more a reflection of lagging supply than dislocation due to embargo which was the case in 73/74.

The key to a sustained SDHW market will depend on improved cost effectiveness similar to the experience curve that PV now enjoys.
Comment 11 of 14
No image available
September 27, 2006
Storage. Find a way to store electricity or hydrogen that has the following features:

1) can be charged discharged 10s of thousands of times without degradation

2) made from inexpensive material

3) at least as safe as diesel

There is some great work in ultra capacitors and batteries (redux flow already shipping!).

Once we get storage figured out then we can move to a real energy policy instead of an oil & gas policy.

Singularity in use, diversity in source. This gives you the ability to chose a clean energy to use (electricity or hydrogen) and a lot of sources that make shortages and price fixing almost impossible.

The side benefit of running things on locally produced energy is that the money is kept local and not sent around the world. Jobs are created locally and every country on the planet gets wealthier and more independent.
Comment 12 of 14
No image available
September 27, 2006
Hello everyone
It is a good news that the renewable energy is approaching tipping point. The policy makers worldwide must realize this and start considering renewable energy sources as viable alternatives to fossil fuels. Countries like India can benefit from solar energy because it is plentiful and available everywhere.
nmoorthy2001@yahoo.com
Comment 13 of 14
No image available
October 7, 2006
To Joe - Thanks for the Improvement District link. This is the kind of nuts and bolts solutions aggragating customers and capitalizing projects that I feel will get us to a sustainable energy future.
Comment 14 of 14
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