Uncertainties connected with the continuing global financial crisis have not hindered investment in renewable energy. According to the latest industry report from Ernst & Young (Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices), investments in 2010 reached an unprecedented level: $243 billion (181 billion euros), a 30% increase over the previous year.

China still leads the ranking, thanks to new wind installations, which registered a 64%increase compared to 2009, raising the total domestic capacity to over 42,000 MW.

The US follow, though wind power registered a sharp slowdown, with 5,100 MW installed, approximately half of what had been achieved the previous year. By contrast, the US actively developed the concentrating solar power market.

Europe shows a highly diversified scenario. Onshore wind power attracted less investments, with a 14% reduction of additional capacity. On the other hand, offshore installations increased significantly (51%).

The solar energy photovoltaic industry kept on attracting investment and installed capacity has grown considerably, particularly in Germany and Italy. Investment in biomass remained fairly stable, also confirming outside of Europe the levels it had reached in 2009.

Source: www.evwind.es

In a memorandum of understanding, the ten ministers agreed to explore how best regulatory, legal, planning and technical challenges can be resolved to make the grid a reality.

One of the aims of the grid would be to link up the 140 Gigawatt windfarm being built in the North Sea to Europe. This grid would enable Europe to help meet its emission targets.

The grid would act as an “inter-connector” between the United Kingdom, Ireland and mainland Europe enabling sharing of electricit.

The grid would help the UK export electricity to Europe and Scotland is well placed to gain from it said Scottish Government Energy Minister Jim Mather.#

“Scotland is playing a key role in the development and deployment of an interconnected offshore grid in the North Sea, recently highlighted as a European Union priority project,” he said.

The cost of the grid is expected to reach around £170 Billion and those backing the offshore grid believe it would be operational by 2020. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the governments of the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

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Furthermore, all energy-related CO2 emissions can be reduced by better than 90 percent in just 40 years. In the shorter term, an average annual reduction of 1,200 megatons would be achieved by 2020.

According to an executive summary of the report, bioenergy will take up the largest portion of its perceived RE mix, followed by a fairly even mix of geothermal, wind power, CSP, solar thermal and photovoltaics. Hydroelectric and ocean power would add a relatively small portion as well.

But the wind energy industry in Europe thinks it can do even better. The report caused a stir recently at the annual European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition in Warsaw, put on by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). There, wind industry leaders were especially excited, according to Renewable Energy World, asserting that wind power, which is already a solid contributor to Europe’s energy mix, could feasibly supply at least 50 percent of that renewable energy. Wind energy in the European Union has grown by 23 percent per year on average over the last decade.

For more information, and to download the full report, see the EREC website.

He said: “With imagination, vision, determination – and with Europe’s help – our energy could be made up of solar energy from Seville, tidal power from Rathlin island and Torr Head; geothermal power from Reykjavik; hydro electric electricity from Norway; wind power from Denmark; wave power from the Kerry coast and biomass crops from Germany.”

Taking his inspiration from President Obama’s Jobs and the Green New Deal, he added: “An energy super grid is one element that could advance the Green New Deal – a proposal to create ‘green collar jobs’ for five million Europeans by mobilising 500 million euro of private and public investment over the next five years.”

Addressing the Greens’ Northern Ireland annual conference in Belfast he said in that new economy Northern Ireland was uniquely placed – not least in terms of its abundant renewable, and especially wind and marine, energy supplies.

“With the right political, business, union and environmental leadership and partnership, it could become a green economy leader,” said Mr Gormley.

The Greens’ sole Stormont Assembly member used the conference to accuse Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister Sammy Wilson of having “made an idiot of himself” on the international stage.

Mr Wilson is an outspoken sceptic of the argument that climate change is man made and Green MLA Brian Wilson questioned how, with his opinions, he could be tasked with implementing the Climate Change Act.

The minister recently censored a UK government made “Act on CO2″ advertisement in Northern Ireland, something which Brian Wilson said had made Northern Ireland look ridiculous throughout the world.

He said his namesake was “a minister who had made an idiot of himself”.

He added: “The minister’s views are completely incompatible with his role as Minister for the Environment and his responsibility to promote the fight against climate change as set out in the Programme for Government.”

Mr Wilson said that overall the Assembly’s progress as far as green issues were concerned had been dismal.

“In fact, it would seem to be stuck in reverse gear,” he added.  

(Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk)