By Roy L Hales
Germany added 2.3 GW of new onshore wind capacity in the first half of 2017. Though it failed to meet the target last year, the Renewable Energy Act set annual target of installing 2.5 GW new solar capacity. Add in a warm autumn and the winter storms Xavier and Herwart, and it is easy to see how renewables supplied 44.1 per cent of Germany’s energy in October.
Continue reading Renewables Supplied 44.1 Per Cent Of Germany’s Energy
By Roy L Hales
The Ocotillo wind farm went online almost five years ago. Were they not documented in such meticulous detail, some of the reports coming from the tiny desert community this project surrounds would be difficult to believe. I once received a constant stream of YouTube videos and reports. It was one of the sites that shaped my perception of the energy sector. To some extent, I’ve moved on from this story, but I always knew I would be revisiting Ocotillo.
Continue reading Revisiting Ocotillo
By Roy L Hales
The numbers fluctuate. At 10:19 AM Pacific Time, on December 13, wind turbines fed 434 MW into the grid. There have been days when they produced 140% of the nation’s need. Then there is solar energy and biomass. According to the Danish Energy Agency, renewables supply 56% of Denmark’s Domestic electricity consumption.
Continue reading Renewables Supply 56% of Denmark’s Domestic Electricity
By Roy L Hales
Germany led the world for the number of solar installations during 2012. This relatively small European nation added 7.60 GW of capacity to the grid. Then their numbers started going downward: 3.30 GW of new solar capacity in 2013; 1.56 GW in 2014; 1.4 GW in 2015. As of October 31, only 0.79 GW of new capacity has been added this year. Germany’s critics are once again hailing the imminent demise of this nation’s renewable revolution. What happened to Energiewende?
By Roy L Hales
The American people have spoken. Donald Trump is not Dr Allan Hoffman’s choice for President. While it is still possible that Trump will be more reasonable than his pre-election rhetoric suggests, this is unlikely. Hoffman described Trump as a demagogue who appears to be a climate denier, whose statements about energy were “uninformed, ignorant and terrible.” Never-the-less, he has been elected and, for the next four years, “the American public is going to have to live with that.” Hoffman spoke about the realities of living with a Trump presidency.
