- Email: [email protected]
WIREC debates the FiT
President’s corner
[WIREC] was a big occasion and the first time that I have really felt that renewable energy is now regarded as mainstream.
WIREC debates the FiT Earlier this year I attended the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC). About 6000 people from 119 countries came to take part in the ministerial conference, trade exhibition and side events. Even George Bush came to talk. It was a big occasion and the first time that I have really felt that renewable energy is now regarded as mainstream. There was a sense that people were there not only to network but also to invest in renewables. Noticeable were investment bankers, politicians, business leaders as well as the usual solar industry and R&D people. Last year in the USA, high oil and falling housing prices together with a drop in consumer confidence saw stock market losses. However venture capital and private equity in the clean energy market increased.
Individual: Regular, Senior, Student Silver (5 years), Gold (life-time) Corporate: Company, Silver Company (5 years) Institution, Silver Institution (5years) Small Company (up to 20 staff members) Silver Small Company (5years) Services: • Solar Energy Journal & Renewable Energy Focus: High quality periodicals; • Workshops, conferences, seminars: Exchange of ideas, education; • Projects and initiatives: Development and application of RE systems
Contact details: ISES International Headquarters Villa Tannheim Wiesentalstr. 50 79115 Freiburg Germany Tel: +49 761 459060 Fax: +49 761 45906 99 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.ises.org
Also at WIREC there was a lot of talk on Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) – regarded by some as “one of the world’s best environmental policies”. According to the World Future Council there are now over 40 countries, states and provinces globally with FiTs, some much better than others. The consensus of opinion seems to be that those based on the German model are best. ISES intends to keep track of performance and any information from readers is welcome. Certainly during my recent visit to the ISES headquarters in Freiburg it was good to see that in some parts of the city there were just as many, if not more, buildings with PV than without it. Even the ISES building is benefiting from the FiT, as its new carport PV array generated for ISES a revenue in its first 10 months of operation over 7000. Good income for the Society and most welcome!
18
renewable energy focus
May/June 2008
A global alliance with a vision: rapid transition to a renewable energy world Purpose: • Encourage the use and acceptance of renewable energy (RE) technologies; • Promote development and access to RE technologies globally; • Realise a global community by fostering: Co- operation between members; Exchange of ideas and technology; • Create and distribute literature/publications: Facilitate an information exchange; Transfer know-how; • Offer meeting opportunities: Bring together industry, research, political decision makers in support of renewable energy.
Member Structure:
The buoyant mood at WIREC led one head of a RE research institution in the US to comment that he hoped there would not be a “dot com” type investment bubble in unproven renewable energy companies that could lead to the industry getting a bad name. This is a risk that emerging technologies often face, and one that we should be alert to.
And finally, the University of Delaware is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit, bestowed biennially upon an individual who has made significant pioneering contributions to the promotion of solar energy as an alternate source of energy (through research, development or economic enterprise) or to an individual who has made extraordinarily valuable and enduring contributions to the field of solar energy in other ways. The formal announcement and nominating form are available online at www.udel.edu/iec/boer_award.html.
International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
Executive Committee 2008- 2009: President: Monica Oliphant Vice Presidents: Membership Affairs: Prof. Jan-Olof Dalenbäck Scientific and Technical Affairs: Dr. David S. Renné Public Affairs: Mahalath Halperin Industries: Isao Ike Yukawa Secretary: Dr. Eduardo A. Rincón Mjía Treasurer: Torben Esbensen Executive Director: Christine Hornstein
ISES National Sections More information and contact details for ISES National Sections can be found at http://www.ises.org – under Contacts – National Sections Argentina, Austria, Australia & New Zealand, Arab Section, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, South Pacific (Fiji), Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, U.S.A. ISES Regional Offices are ISES Africa, ISES Asia-Pacific, ISES Europe, and ISES South America.
President: Monica Oliphant
[WIREC] was a big occasion and the first time that I have really felt that renewable energy is now regarded as mainstream.
WIREC debates the FiT Earlier this year I attended the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC). About 6000 people from 119 countries came to take part in the ministerial conference, trade exhibition and side events. Even George Bush came to talk. It was a big occasion and the first time that I have really felt that renewable energy is now regarded as mainstream. There was a sense that people were there not only to network but also to invest in renewables. Noticeable were investment bankers, politicians, business leaders as well as the usual solar industry and R&D people. Last year in the USA, high oil and falling housing prices together with a drop in consumer confidence saw stock market losses. However venture capital and private equity in the clean energy market increased.
Individual: Regular, Senior, Student Silver (5 years), Gold (life-time) Corporate: Company, Silver Company (5 years) Institution, Silver Institution (5years) Small Company (up to 20 staff members) Silver Small Company (5years) Services: • Solar Energy Journal & Renewable Energy Focus: High quality periodicals; • Workshops, conferences, seminars: Exchange of ideas, education; • Projects and initiatives: Development and application of RE systems
Contact details: ISES International Headquarters Villa Tannheim Wiesentalstr. 50 79115 Freiburg Germany Tel: +49 761 459060 Fax: +49 761 45906 99 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.ises.org
Also at WIREC there was a lot of talk on Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) – regarded by some as “one of the world’s best environmental policies”. According to the World Future Council there are now over 40 countries, states and provinces globally with FiTs, some much better than others. The consensus of opinion seems to be that those based on the German model are best. ISES intends to keep track of performance and any information from readers is welcome. Certainly during my recent visit to the ISES headquarters in Freiburg it was good to see that in some parts of the city there were just as many, if not more, buildings with PV than without it. Even the ISES building is benefiting from the FiT, as its new carport PV array generated for ISES a revenue in its first 10 months of operation over 7000. Good income for the Society and most welcome!
18
renewable energy focus
May/June 2008
A global alliance with a vision: rapid transition to a renewable energy world Purpose: • Encourage the use and acceptance of renewable energy (RE) technologies; • Promote development and access to RE technologies globally; • Realise a global community by fostering: Co- operation between members; Exchange of ideas and technology; • Create and distribute literature/publications: Facilitate an information exchange; Transfer know-how; • Offer meeting opportunities: Bring together industry, research, political decision makers in support of renewable energy.
Member Structure:
The buoyant mood at WIREC led one head of a RE research institution in the US to comment that he hoped there would not be a “dot com” type investment bubble in unproven renewable energy companies that could lead to the industry getting a bad name. This is a risk that emerging technologies often face, and one that we should be alert to.
And finally, the University of Delaware is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit, bestowed biennially upon an individual who has made significant pioneering contributions to the promotion of solar energy as an alternate source of energy (through research, development or economic enterprise) or to an individual who has made extraordinarily valuable and enduring contributions to the field of solar energy in other ways. The formal announcement and nominating form are available online at www.udel.edu/iec/boer_award.html.
International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
Executive Committee 2008- 2009: President: Monica Oliphant Vice Presidents: Membership Affairs: Prof. Jan-Olof Dalenbäck Scientific and Technical Affairs: Dr. David S. Renné Public Affairs: Mahalath Halperin Industries: Isao Ike Yukawa Secretary: Dr. Eduardo A. Rincón Mjía Treasurer: Torben Esbensen Executive Director: Christine Hornstein
ISES National Sections More information and contact details for ISES National Sections can be found at http://www.ises.org – under Contacts – National Sections Argentina, Austria, Australia & New Zealand, Arab Section, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, South Pacific (Fiji), Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, U.S.A. ISES Regional Offices are ISES Africa, ISES Asia-Pacific, ISES Europe, and ISES South America.
President: Monica Oliphant