tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/solar-farms-38655/articles
Solar farms – The Conversation
2024-01-28T19:05:07Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/214712
2024-01-28T19:05:07Z
2024-01-28T19:05:07Z
Do we want a wind farm outside our window? What Australians think about the net zero transition
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557393/original/file-20231103-19-qqubic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1735%2C1796&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-white-dress-shirt-and-blue-denim-jeans-sitting-on-white-and-black-solar-panel-wmaP3Tl80ww">Bill Mead, Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A paradox lies at the heart of Australian public opinion about climate change. While there is clear general support for substantial government action to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, there is also strong concern about the local impacts of new renewable energy infrastructure. </p>
<p>The rise of protest groups in regional Australia objecting to the installation of wind farms and transmission lines, in particular, presents a serious challenge to the Albanese government in communicating the importance of the net zero transition to the public.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-973" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/973/534c98def812dd41ac56cc750916e2922539729b/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>In principle it seems that Australians strongly support this transition. In a poll for the Australia Institute’s <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Climate-of-the-Nation-2023-Web.pdf">Climate of the Nation report</a> last year, two in three respondents went as far as to say our country should be a world leader in climate action.</p>
<p>Similarly, a 2020 <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/report/Australia_s_Clean_Technology_Future_Audience_Perceptions_and_Message_Framing/23896950">Monash University study</a> found eight out of ten Australians think the shift to renewable energy is inevitable, and two-thirds think we should be exporting renewable energy.</p>
<p>Studies also show <a href="https://doi.org/10.25919/fqbk-0y13">strong support</a> for renewable energy production through solar farms, with 90% of Australians prepared to live within ten kilometres of one, according to a 2021 CSIRO study. And a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/31/guardian-essential-poll-results-labor-net-zero-climate-change-renewables#:%7E:text=The%20poll%20found%2038%25%20of,height%20of%20black%20summer%20bushfires.">Guardian Essential poll</a> from October last year found about 70% of respondents supported solar farms and 60% supported both offshore and onshore wind farms.</p>
<h2>Local opposition to the net zero transition</h2>
<p>But at the same time the installation of these same wind farms has attracted strong local protests, especially in NSW and Victoria. There has also been <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-clean-energy-grid-means-10-000km-of-new-transmission-lines-they-can-only-be-built-with-community-backing-187438">significant community pushback</a> to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s plan to install 10,000 kilometres of overground transmission lines, which are key to carrying renewable energy to the electricity grid. Only 35% of respondents in the Guardian Essential poll supported them. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-homes-can-be-made-climate-ready-reducing-bills-and-emissions-a-new-report-shows-how-219113">Australian homes can be made climate-ready, reducing bills and emissions – a new report shows how</a>
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<p>In an equally serious challenge for the net zero transition, 70% of respondents felt renewable energy should not be developed “at the expense of local communities”.</p>
<p>In a bid to address these concerns, the Australian Energy Market Commission has drafted <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/news-centre/media-releases/final-community-engagement-rules-major-transmission-projects">new community engagement rules</a> to ensure communities are involved early in the process of designing the routes of transmission lines.</p>
<p>The changes seek to ensure all stakeholders get information about a project in a clear and timely fashion (including advice on how they can best play a role) and have opportunities to be regularly involved throughout the planning of projects.</p>
<h2>A more nuanced look at public opinion</h2>
<p>There might be an even bigger issue that helps to explain the tension between apparent general support for acting to arrest global warming and local opposition to specific renewable energy projects. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352154621000929?via%3Dihub">Segmentation studies</a>, first undertaken in 2008 by researchers at Yale and George Mason Universities in the United States, and replicated in many countries, including Australia, are valuable for explaining this apparent paradox.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-laggard-to-leader-why-australia-must-phase-out-fossil-fuel-exports-starting-now-219912">From laggard to leader? Why Australia must phase out fossil fuel exports, starting now</a>
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<p>These studies break down views on climate change into segments of the population with different levels of concern. The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352154621000929?via%3Dihub">original research</a> divided American popular opinion into six groups: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful and Dismissive. </p>
<p>The spectrum ranges from those most worried about climate change and who tend to take the most action, both in their personal lives and politically, to those who either don’t accept climate change is happening, or feel it isn’t something we need to address.</p>
<p>A range of segmentation studies conducted in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2022.2048407">2011, 2016, 2020</a> <a href="https://sunriseproject.org/compass/">and 2022</a> by researchers from both Australia and the US show Australians have become more worried over time. The Alarmed segment more than doubled between 2011 and 2022.</p>
<p>However, the studies show different segments of the population have different views of when we need to act to arrest climate change. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://sunriseproject.org/compass/">2022 Climate Compass report</a> highlights that people in the Concerned segment — the largest group, comprising one in four Australians — feel climate change is a serious problem but that its impacts will be most felt by future generations. These Australians see cost of living as a much more urgent problem. </p>
<p>While the polling data do not show whether many protesters against renewable energy projects belong to the Concerned segment of the population, it remains essential to explore communication strategies that might move the large numbers of Australians who identify as Concerned into the Alarmed camp. One way to do this might be on the nightly TV news. </p>
<h2>Looking more closely at the weather</h2>
<p>From flooding to heat, many Australian extreme weather records <a href="https://climateextremes.org.au/stateof2022/">have been broken</a> in recent years. Some people feel that is part and parcel of living in Australia, and remain unaware of the connection between climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather. And it can be difficult to translate complex climate phenomena into terms the public can easily understand.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-beat-rollout-rage-the-environment-versus-climate-battle-dividing-regional-australia-213863">How to beat 'rollout rage': the environment-versus-climate battle dividing regional Australia</a>
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<p>Yet while the research is not conclusive, there is <a href="https://theconversation.com/extreme-weather-events-are-exactly-the-time-to-talk-about-climate-change-heres-why-210412#:%7E:text=But%20research%20offers%20contrasting%20results,these%20effects%20are%20only%20temporary.">good evidence</a> that floods, fires and heat waves increase popular concern about global warming by exposing the connection between extreme weather and climate change. <a href="https://www.monash.edu/mcccrh/publications/reports/a-survey-of-australian-tv-audiences-views-on-climate-change">Research from our centre</a> argues that weather presenters can play a greater role in making this connection clearer. Australians see weather presenters, along with climate scientists, farmers and fire fighters, as the most trusted sources of information about climate change. </p>
<h2>Looking ahead</h2>
<p>Whether or not we fully understand the ways climate change is impacting our society, most Australians realise it’s only going to get worse unless we do something about it. We’ve now moved into the implementation phase of the net zero transition, but many doubt that we’ll achieve it in time. The Guardian Essential poll <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/31/guardian-essential-poll-results-labor-net-zero-climate-change-renewables#:%7E:text=The%20poll%20found%2038%25%20of,height%20of%20black%20summer%20bushfires.">showed just 31% of respondents</a> felt it was “very” or “quite” likely Australia would achieve its net zero target.</p>
<p>Therefore, it is crucial that we ramp up action towards transforming our energy sector, but it’s equally important that communities be part of deciding how this is achieved. In doing so, we can improve public support, and bring net zero within reach. </p>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214712/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucy Richardson has received funding from the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation for research on community attitudes to renewable energy. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ella Healy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Australians want government to act on climate change, but not necessarily now, or in their neighbourhood. How can governments resolve this dilemma?
Lucy Richardson, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University
Ella Healy, Operations Manager, Monash University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220554
2024-01-11T17:24:22Z
2024-01-11T17:24:22Z
Reflectors in space could make solar farms on Earth work for longer every day
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568709/original/file-20240110-19-1lmnvi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1914%2C1077&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Viale (University of Glasgow)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you happened to be looking at the sky in Europe on a cold night on February 5 1993, there is a chance you could have seen a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/05/world/russia-s-mirror-in-space-reflects-the-light-of-the-sun-into-the-dark.html">dim flash of light</a>. That flash came from a Russian space mirror experiment called Znamya-2. </p>
<p>Znamya-2 was a 20-metre reflective structure much like aluminium foil (Znamya means “banner” in Russian), unfurled from a spacecraft which had just undocked from the Russian Mir space station. Its goal was to demonstrate solar energy could be reflected from space to Earth.</p>
<p>This was the first and only time that a mirror had ever been launched into space for that purpose. But, three decades on, colleagues and I believe it’s time to revisit this technology.</p>
<p>Unlike proposals to build <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-could-soon-be-getting-energy-from-solar-power-harvested-in-space-210203">solar power stations in space</a> and transmit energy down to earth, all the generation would still happen down here. Crucially, these reflectors could help solar farms generate electricity even when direct sunlight is not available, especially during evening and early morning hours when demand for clean energy is greatest. Colleagues and I call this concept “orbiting solar reflectors”.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Satellite with reflective material" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568695/original/file-20240110-19-jxskg5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Znamya-2 produced a 5km-wide bright spot that travelled across Europe from France to Russia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Znamya_(satellite)#/media/File:Znamya-2.jpg">RSC Energia (РКК </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>Pioneering rocket scientist Hermann Oberth recognised the potential all the way back in 1929, when he <a href="https://ia600304.us.archive.org/24/items/nasa_techdoc_19720008133/19720008133.pdf">envisaged reflectors in space</a> relaying sunlight to illuminate large cities and ship routes. He predicted that these reflectors would be very large, thin and ultralightweight, and built in space by astronauts wearing diving suits. </p>
<p>Colleagues and I recently published a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117723003939">paper</a> in which we explored the possibility of orbiting solar reflectors in the near term. We think Oberth’s vision may now be achievable thanks to up-and-coming technologies such as robotic spacecraft that can manufacture and assemble structures in space. The reflectors and other materials necessary to build such large structures could be launched by modern rockets such as SpaceX’s colossal <a href="https://theconversation.com/spacex-launches-most-powerful-rocket-in-history-in-explosive-debut-like-many-first-liftoffs-starships-test-was-a-successful-failure-204248">Starship</a>.</p>
<p>Each time a reflector passes over a solar power farm, it could angle itself to illuminate the solar farm and its immediate surroundings. Each “pass” would extend the “day” of the solar farm and hence its hours of electricity generation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Reflectors in space bouncing sunlight down to earth" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568822/original/file-20240111-23-g19gjy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When the reflectors can see a large solar farm, they would steer themselves to redirect sunlight towards it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Viale, University of Glasgow; NASA (for Earth texture)</span></span>
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<p>When the reflector can no longer illuminate the solar farm, it can be rotated such that it is edge-on to the Sun and no light is reflected to the ground. For this reason, we expect the potential disturbance to ground-based astronomical observations would be minimal.</p>
<h2>Illuminate a 10km area</h2>
<p>With the reflectors orbiting 900km above us – about twice the altitude of the International Space Station – we estimate that the illuminated area on the Earth would be approximately 10km across when at its brightest. Therefore, a system like this would not be aimed at individual rooftop solar panels but large solar power farms, typically located away from inhabited areas. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Satellite image of solar park in desert" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=318&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568431/original/file-20240109-25-uisy1i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Potential target? The vast Bhadla Solar Park in a desert in India is 14 km (8.7 miles) end to end.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.google.com/maps/@27.4967019,71.9634197,12445m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu">Google Maps</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>Each pass would extend energy generation by about 15 to 20 minutes around the dawn or dusk hours. This is important because those hours are when electricity demand is the highest and often exceeds the amount being generated by wind and solar, meaning coal and gas power plants are used to compensate. Reflectors may therefore help abate fossil fuel use without needing to store energy during the day.</p>
<p>These reflectors would be high enough to service multiple solar farms on the same orbit. Their orbits could even be used to inform where to build new solar farms in especially sunny regions.</p>
<p>Our proposal uses hexagonal reflectors with sides 250 metres long. Each weighs about 3 tonnes. It would currently cost a few thousand US dollars per kilogram to launch something like this into space, though costs are on a downward trend. If costs are reduced to a few hundred US dollars per kilo, then we would expect orbiting reflectors to be viable within a few years.</p>
<p>We expect these reflectors to operate for 20 to 30 years, though the carbon footprint of a system such as this is hard to estimate since spacecraft generally take a long time to design, build and operate. Further research will be needed to produce a full lifecycle assessment, but in the long run, we expect the reflectors would help generate enough clean energy to outweigh their carbon footprint.</p>
<h2>No more nighttime?</h2>
<p>Three days after the news of the Znamya-2 experiment was published in the New York Times, a reader wrote to the editor wondering whether we would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/21/opinion/l-before-we-give-up-night-altogether-120193.html">give up our nights</a>. The short answer is no. </p>
<p>Even at its brightest, we estimate that the illumination levels would last only a few minutes per reflector and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273117721007936">not exceed an overcast day level</a>. This means that, unless you are very close to the solar power farm, the illumination may not even be noticeable most of the time, especially at dawn/dusk times when the sky is already quite bright compared to nighttime.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram of earth and solar reflectors" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568843/original/file-20240111-25-3vlapj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A 1929 sketch by Hermann Oberth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://ia600304.us.archive.org/24/items/nasa_techdoc_19720008133/19720008133.pdf">Oberth / NASA / Internet Archive</a></span>
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<p>We also estimate that the reflector itself would not be visible to the naked eye unless you are close to the solar farm. These estimations suggest that the impact of these reflectors on the natural environment around the solar power farm may also be minimal, though more research is necessary.</p>
<p>When the reflectors are old or no longer needed, they could <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-sail-through-space-on-sunbeams-solar-satellite-leads-the-way-42223">“sail” on sunlight</a> into less-congested higher orbits or into a lower orbit to burn up safely. </p>
<p>Orbiting solar reflectors are still some way off. But they represent a way to connect the space and energy sectors to help accelerate the transition towards clean energy and tackle climate change.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u1w-Ty-8Kfs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How this might work (Video: Andrea Viale, University of Glasgow)</span></figcaption>
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220554/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Onur Çelik and his colleagues receive funding from European Research Council. He collaborated with Dr. Andrea Viale, Dr. Temitayo Oderinwale, Dr. Litesh Sulbhewar and Prof. Colin R. McInnes in the preparation of the article and on the SOLSPACE project. SOLSPACE project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 883730)</span></em></p>
Proposed reflectors would help provide clean energy when demand peaks near dawn and dusk.
Onur Çelik, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Space Technology, University of Glasgow
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/213876
2023-10-18T00:49:51Z
2023-10-18T00:49:51Z
Climate change will affect solar power and grid stability across Australia – here’s how
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554431/original/file-20231017-15-sromml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=821%2C0%2C4486%2C2393&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/huge-solar-power-plant-panels-renewable-2142285649">Taras Vyshnya/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Renewable electricity generation is at record levels in Australia. Renewables produced <a href="https://assets.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/documents/Clean-Energy-Australia-Report-2023.pdf">36% of the nation’s electricity</a> in 2022. Solar photovoltaics (PV) had the highest renewable contribution (about 15%) and are expected to keep growing in coming years. </p>
<p>But the increase in the share of grid-connected renewables adds to the challenge of maintaining a stable electricity grid, given the impact of weather conditions on their output. </p>
<p>An increasingly important question is what impact will climate change have on weather-induced inconsistencies in solar generation? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.112039">Our newly published research</a> is the first to quantify climate change’s impact on solar resource reliability in Australia over the next century.</p>
<p>We find that as the climate warms, in some regions of Australia there will be more weather-induced variability than in others. In particular, the eastern parts of Australia can expect fewer intermittent or lull periods of solar power generation by the end of the century. By contrast, some regions in the west will face prolonged periods of minimum-to-no power generation in the future. </p>
<p>Despite the changing climate, the good news is the future of solar power looks promising in most of Australia. Our research suggests solar resource reliability will increase in the regions where we have our existing solar farms. </p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-948" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/948/288b55303b284314a27a69ec97008bf5a1f567e8/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-successful-energy-transition-depends-on-managing-when-people-use-power-so-how-do-we-make-demand-more-flexible-213079">A successful energy transition depends on managing when people use power. So how do we make demand more flexible?</a>
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<h2>How does solar growth affect grid stability?</h2>
<p>The grid distributes electricity generated from coal and gas-fired power stations, large solar and wind farms, rooftop solar, hydropower and so on. </p>
<p>Unlike coal or gas-fired stations, the power renewables generate is not constant. It varies depending on the local weather. For example, the amount of solar power generated depends on the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2a64/meta">amount of irradiance</a> (intensity of sunlight) and, most importantly, cloud cover at that location. </p>
<p>So, any changes in the weather affect the amount of energy supplied to the grid. These variable outputs can not only cause an imbalance between electricity supply and demand, but also lead to voltage fluctuations and blackouts. </p>
<p>Electrical equipment is designed to function at a specific frequency and voltage. If the voltage exceeds the threshold it can damage the equipment. At a larger scale, voltage changes or frequency instability can trigger safety mechanisms that take parts of the grid offline, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38566-z">leading to blackouts</a>.</p>
<p><iframe id="cOGin" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cOGin/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>How does climate change affect solar output?</h2>
<p>Using regional climate model projections, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.112039">our results</a> predict that under a higher emissions scenario known as <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-the-high-emissions-rcp8-5-global-warming-scenario/">RCP8.5</a>, often described as “business as usual”, the availability of solar resources will increase in most of Australia by up to 1% by 2099. We predict minor decreases of 0.25–0.5% near the west.</p>
<p>Similarly, the duration of extractable solar power (called “episode lengths”) will increase in the east by up to 30 minutes per year. We predict minor decreases in the west. This means the resource will be more reliable in the east and we can expect a more stable electricity supply from solar PV generation. This doesn’t take into account higher temperatures, which can <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2a64/meta">decrease the PV yield</a>.</p>
<p>We also predict the times with no-to-minimum power generation (called “lulls”) will reduce in eastern Australia by about 25 minutes per year. We expect minor increases in lulls in the west. These changes are mainly due to an increase in the number of clear-sky days in the east. </p>
<h2>A less sunny outlook for world’s largest solar farm</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.suncable.energy/our-projects">Sun Cable</a> is developing the largest solar farm in the world in the Northern Territory. It will have a generation capacity of at least 14 gigawatts. Sun Cable plans to supply electricity to Darwin and Singapore.</p>
<p>Based on our simulations, we predict a 2% reduction in radiation at the Sun Cable solar farm by 2099. This could lead to a loss of about 280 megawatts in its total generation capacity by then. </p>
<p>We also predict reduced episode lengths for the Sun Cable farm. This points to shorter periods of reliable power output. Likewise, the power generated is predicted to be highly variable throughout the day due to an increase in lull periods.</p>
<p>Sun Cable will likely need to consider having energy storage systems and strategies to control voltage fluctuations to tackle intermittency. </p>
<h2>What else does Australia need to consider?</h2>
<p>The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/">report</a> stresses the urgent need to prepare for extreme climate change and greatly reduce carbon emissions. One of the most efficient ways to do this is to develop more grid-connected renewable energy technologies world-wide. </p>
<p>Australia has an ambitious <a href="https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/advocacy-initiatives/renewable-energy-target">renewable energy target</a>, and we expect more grid-connected solar farms in the future. This means grid operators and distributors will have to manage future periods of high demand and variable supply. </p>
<p>One of the most efficient solutions is to use storage facilities to soak up energy at times of high output. These can then supply energy when renewable output stops or is intermittent. Batteries are an obvious choice, and Australia will have <a href="https://www.power-technology.com/data-insights/top-five-energy-storage-projects-in-australia/">several big battery storage plants</a> by 2025. </p>
<p>Before setting up large-scale solar plants, we should assess the impacts of climate change using a range of climate models and different future scenarios to minimise future risks. We should also consider installing hybrid renewable energy plants, such as solar and wind at the same site. This will help optimise the energy mix to reduce intermittency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213876/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shukla Poddar is affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes.
</span></em></p>
Solar power generation varies greatly depending on the weather. A new study suggests in some parts of Australia, solar has a bright future.
Shukla Poddar, Senior Research Fellow, School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/202094
2023-04-26T21:16:23Z
2023-04-26T21:16:23Z
How shading crops with solar panels can improve farming, lower food costs and reduce emissions
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522881/original/file-20230425-1231-3mecq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C13%2C986%2C547&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Agrivoltaic farming — growing crops in the protected shadows of solar panels — can help meet Canada's food and energy needs.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexis Pascaris, AgriSolar)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you have lived in a home with a trampoline in the backyard, you may have observed the unreasonably tall grass growing under it. This is because <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228">many crops, including these grasses, actually grow better when protected from the sun</a>, to an extent.</p>
<p>And while the grass under your trampoline grows by itself, researchers in the field of <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/photovoltaics-and-electricity.php#:%7E:text=">solar photovoltaic technology</a> — made up of solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity — have been working on shading large crop lands with solar panels — on purpose.</p>
<p>This practice of growing crops in the protected shadows of solar panels is called <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/agrivoltaic-farming-solar-energy/">agrivoltaic farming</a>. And it is happening right here in <a href="https://agrivoltaicscanada.ca/">Canada</a>.</p>
<p>Such agrivoltaic farming can help meet Canada’s food and energy needs and reduce its fossil fuel reliance and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/how-canadians-can-cut-carbon-footprints-1.6202194">greenhouse gas emissions</a> in the future. </p>
<h2>When shade equals protection</h2>
<p>Our recently published paper found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228">Canada has an enormous agrivoltaic potential</a> as it is a global agricultural powerhouse — with <a href="https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/knowledge/canada-agri-food-powerhouse.html">Canadian-produced food export goals set at $75 billion by 2025</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram showing the benefits of agrivoltaic farming" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516130/original/file-20230317-3219-h1ixfx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Agrivoltaics provide numerous services including renewable electricity generation, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, increased crop yield, plant protection and so on.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228">(U. Jamil, A. Bonnington, J.M. Pearce)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many crops grown here, including corn, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat and pasture grass have already been proven to increase with agrivoltaics. </p>
<p>Studies from all over the world have shown crop yields increase when the crops are partially shaded with solar panels. These yield increases are possible because of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2013.04.012">microclimate created underneath the solar panels</a> that conserves water and protects plants from excess sun, wind, hail and soil erosion. This makes more food per acre, and could help bring down food prices.</p>
<p>And as <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2022/06/08/just-the-facts-the-cost-of-solar-has-fallen-more-quickly-than-experts-predicted/">the costs of solar energy plummet</a>, nations across the world are <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.024">installing agrivoltaic systems</a> and offsetting the burning of fossil fuels by profitably producing more renewable energy.</p>
<h2>Solar farming is now globally trending</h2>
<p>The agricultural industries in Europe, Asia and the United States have been aggressively expanding their agrivoltaic farms with wide public support. </p>
<p>In Europe, solar panels are put over different types of crops, including <a href="https://debate.energy/en/i/133-agrivoltaic-systems-produce-energy-and-food/">fruit trees</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116338">in China, agrivoltaics is used to reverse desertification</a> which is literally using solar panels to green former deserts. </p>
<p>In the U.S., social science studies have shown the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102023">photovoltaic industry</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121885">farmers</a> and the general public are enthusiastically looking forward to the implementation of such projects. </p>
<p>Surveys of the rural U.S., from Michigan to Texas, show <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s44173-022-00007-x">81.8 per cent of respondents would be more likely to support solar development in their community if it integrated farming</a>. Rural residents generally like the idea of maintaining agricultural jobs, increased revenue from the sale of energy and the fact that it could provide a continued source of income. They believe it can act as a buffer against inflation and bad growing seasons.</p>
<h2>It’s time to expand Canadian solar farms</h2>
<p>In Canada, agrivoltaics has primarily been applied to <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/12/29/news/doubting-farmers-proof-solar-panels-and-sheep-get-along-just-fine">conventional solar farms</a> and used by shepherds and their sheep. While the shepherds get paid to cut the grass on solar farms, the sheep use the grass and pastures under the solar panels for shade and grazing. Sheep-based agrivoltaics is found throughout Canada.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A map showing parts of Canada with high solar flux." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516133/original/file-20230317-2069-js4ch1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A map showing the agrivoltaic potential in Canada. The colours indicate the solar flux (amount of solar energy per unit area) in the areas that are currently farmed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228">(U. Jamil, A. Bonnington, JM Pearce)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The life cycle analysis of agrivoltaics, which assesses its impact from its conception to use, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cles.2022.100036">found that these solar-covered farms emit 69.3 per cent less greenhouse gases and demand 82.9 per cent less fossil energy compared to separate food farms and solar farms-based production</a>. </p>
<p>This is great, but to remain competitive with other major agriculture producers, Canada needs to start large-scale agriculture in the shadow of solar panels. This will enable the production of numerous crops that have been known to increase yield when covered.</p>
<p>This would include vegetables like broccoli, celery, peppers, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes as well as field crops like potatoes, corn and wheat.</p>
<p>Seriously embracing agrivoltaics in Canada would completely drop fossil fuel use. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043228">Less than one per cent of Canadian land would be sufficient to support over 25 per cent of the country’s electrical energy needs using this system</a>.</p>
<p>This in turn can help the nation honour its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the non-emitting share of electricity generation to <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/climate-change/erp/Canada-2030-Emissions-Reduction-Plan-eng.pdf">90 per cent by 2030</a>.</p>
<h2>Agrivoltaic solar farms outstrip electricity demand</h2>
<p>The potential of agrivoltaic-based solar energy production in Canada far outstrips current electric demand. This solar energy can be used to electrify and decarbonize transportation and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/en14040834">heating</a>, expand economic opportunities by <a href="https://doi.org/10.5195/ledger.2023.278">powering the burgeoning computing sector</a> and export green electricity to the U.S. to help eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels as well.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An EV getting charged" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523063/original/file-20230426-1087-axvgjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This solar energy from agrivoltaic farms can be used to electrify and decarbonize transportation and heating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Electricity produced by agrivoltaic farms can also be stored by <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies10060114">charging electric vehicles</a> as well as hydrogen production, thus benefiting transportation. Solar can already profitably meet <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/en14040834">Ontario households’ heating requirements by replacing natural gas furnaces with solar-powered heat pumps</a>.</p>
<p>Lastly, any extra agrivoltaic electricity could be used to <a href="https://doi.org/10.5195/ledger.2023.278">power computing facilities and cryptocurrency miners at profit</a> and possibly be exported to the U.S. to help them clean up their much dirtier grid. This would help increase our trade surplus as well as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.119">health and environmental benefits of decreasing the American pollution</a> that wafts across the border.</p>
<h2>When benefits outweigh the costs</h2>
<p>Despite the numerous benefits of agrivoltaic farming, there are some barriers to its distribution in Canada. There are well-intentioned regulations that are holding these farms back. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053037">Ontario for example, you cannot install solar in the Greenbelt</a> because of the law to protect farms. Similar <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010053">issues arise in Alberta on Crown Land</a>.</p>
<p>In the old days that made sense. We did not want to repeat the U.S. fiasco of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.49.9.30-43">raising food prices for energy crops</a>. Now we know that with agrivoltaics we can get more food while using solar technology to make electricity.</p>
<p>The other main issue holding agrivoltaics back is capital costs. Agrivoltaics has a much higher capital cost per acre than farmers are accustomed to, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.024">but the revenue is much higher</a>. So even though it is profitable it is difficult for farmers to implement large agrivoltaic systems on their own. </p>
<p>This means we need new methods of financing, new partnerships and new business models to help Canada take advantage of the strategic benefits of agrivoltaics for our farmers and the country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202094/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joshua M. Pearce has received funding for research from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Mitacs, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Defense, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition, his past and present consulting work and research is funded by the United Nations, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, many non-profits and for-profit companies in the energy and solar photovoltaic fields. He is a founding member of Agrivoltaics Canada. He does not directly work for any solar manufacturer and has no direct conflicts of interests. </span></em></p>
Canada can meet its carbon emission reduction targets, make food cheap again and open up a gigantic trade surplus with the U.S. by shading farm crops with solar panels.
Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/200512
2023-02-23T14:54:49Z
2023-02-23T14:54:49Z
After oil: the challenge and promise of getting the world off fossil fuels – podcast
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511783/original/file-20230222-20-7zla0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3800%2C2850&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Moving beyond our dependency on oil requires developing viable alternative energies.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our dependence on fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the fight against climate change. But production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-03/even-conservative-estimates-see-fossil-fuel-use-peaking-soon">expected to peak within the next decade</a>.</p>
<p>In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we speak to two researchers who examine the political challenges of transitioning to a world after oil, and what it means for those states who rely on oil for resources.</p>
<iframe src="https://embed.acast.com/60087127b9687759d637bade/63f7705a6c3fc000119db3cf" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="190px"></iframe>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-561" class="tc-infographic" height="100" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/561/4fbbd099d631750693d02bac632430b71b37cd5f/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Oil is not only used as a fuel, but is integral to everyday life through its applications in plastics, manufacturing processes, fabrics, paints and chemicals. In order to consider alternatives to oil, we need to be aware of the scale of its integration into our lives. </p>
<p>Caleb Wellum is an assistant professor of U.S. history at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.</p>
<p>“I almost hesitate to say this, because this kind of depiction of deep dependence on oil has actually been a strategy of oil companies themselves to say, look, you can’t have a modern world, a modern way of life without oil,” Wellum points out. “So this is not to say it’s inescapable, but it’s to say that the challenges are significant to transitioning to some kind of after-oil.”</p>
<p>Defining that transition can be tricky, because it carries different stakes depending on how it is interpreted: does it mean continuing to extract oil “until the last drop,” or finding alternatives right now?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="two children play baseball with two large oil wells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511818/original/file-20230222-20-ly5drc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children play baseball close to two derelict oil wells in Cabimas, Venezuala.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wellum notes that the 1970s oil crisis was a significant moment in human history that helped shape our current consumption patterns. There was a debate between environmentalists and economists that signalled a moment at the crossroads for our current relationship with oil.</p>
<p>“I noticed there was a need to transition away from oil. And there was also a free market argument that argued the energy crisis was a sign of bad government policy of governments intervening in markets and making it inefficient,” he said. “Eventually, this market argument won out and there was no energy transition.”</p>
<p>There was a growing awareness of the environmental impact of the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, and the urgent need to combat climate change to reduce global warming. And recently, governments around the world — including in countries dependent on oil revenues — are committing to finding energy alternatives.</p>
<p>Natalie Koch is a professor of human geography at the Geography Institute at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Her research looks at how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2022.2127481">petrostates have presented spectacular alternative energy projects</a> to distract from the need to move away from oil.</p>
<p>“There’s a focus on spectacular sustainability projects, and by that you see the scale and the size is just enormous. And that’s what spectacle does — it’s supposed to attract a lot of attention because the size range of the project is really quite impressive,” Koch said.</p>
<p>But these ambitious alternative energy projects aren’t all as they seem, she cautions. Koch describes how a solar farm in the desert in Morocco — one of the largest such projects in the world — is facing challenges because of the amount of water required. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZSDo67E1k3s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A PBS report on the world’s largest solar farm in Morocco.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To transition to a world post-oil, whatever that may look like, requires more than successful and sustainable alternative technologies. </p>
<p>“There are a lot of factors that go into why it is that we’re dependent on oil, but they’re not just about the convenience of the source of energy,” Wellum points out. “It’s about political decisions.”</p>
<p>Listen to the full episode of The Conversation Weekly to find out more. </p>
<p>This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. </p>
<p>You can find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TC_Audio">@TC_Audio</a>, on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">@theconversationdotcom</a> or <a href="mailto:podcast@theconversation.com">via email</a>. You can also sign up to The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter">free emails here</a>. A transcript of this episode will be available soon. </p>
<p>Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our <a href="https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/60087127b9687759d637bade">RSS feed</a>, or find out <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-listen-to-the-conversations-podcasts-154131">how else to listen here</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200512/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Political will is necessary for governments to move away from oil. But alternative energies are not all that they seem, and should be considered carefully beyond the appearance of sustainability.
Nehal El-Hadi, Science + Technology Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
Daniel Merino, Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/194920
2023-02-02T03:02:58Z
2023-02-02T03:02:58Z
Win-win: how solar farms can double as havens for our wildlife
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507735/original/file-20230201-18-mw16wc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C6%2C4067%2C2297&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s renewable energy transition has prompted the construction of dozens of large-scale solar farms. The boom helps reduce Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels, but requires large areas of land to be converted to host solar infrastructure. </p>
<p>Solar farms are mostly built in rural areas. This has raised <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-23/solar-farms-conflict-with-agricutural-land-use-/100920184">concerns</a> about a potential decline in both agricultural production – as arable land is used for solar energy production – and wildlife habitat. </p>
<p>But there are ways to expand solar infrastructure so both nature and people win. We’ve already <a href="https://theconversation.com/farmers-shouldnt-have-to-compete-with-solar-companies-for-land-we-need-better-policies-so-everyone-can-benefit-173333">seen this</a> in so called “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/agrivoltaic-farming-solar-energy/">agrivoltaics</a>”, where land under and around solar panels is used to <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7846">grow crops</a> and graze livestock. But what about “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.13289">conservoltaics</a>”, combing conservation and solar energy?</p>
<p>My new research examines whether solar farms could also be used to help conserve native species. I found solar panels can provide valuable habitat for wildlife – and potentially benefit both the land and farmers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="sheep graze among solar panels" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507775/original/file-20230202-5481-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Agrivoltaics’ involves combining solar generation with agriculture – but what about ‘conservoltaics’?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A new place to call home</h2>
<p>Our wild landscapes are diminishing and protected areas, such as national parks, cover only <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/land/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=land+use">about 9%</a> of Australia. </p>
<p>Many agricultural landscapes have been cleared of trees to provide pasture for livestock. It means wildlife that rely on trees have lost vast tracts of habitat.</p>
<p>So we must find new places for wildlife to forage, rest, shelter and breed.</p>
<p>My work examines how solar parks on agricultural land can double as wildlife habitat. It involves surveys and trapping to identify what plants and animals occupy solar farms, how long they take to recolonise, and how we can promote even more biodiversity. </p>
<p>My new paper coins a new term for this dual land-use: conservoltaics. I highlight research from overseas into how solar parks can bring conservation benefits, and describe the research still needed.</p>
<p>Solar panels add three-dimensional structure and complexity to an environment. They can provide animals shelter from predators and the elements, much like <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00282/full">artificial reefs</a> in lakes and oceans. They can also act as perch or nesting structures.</p>
<p>Solar infrastructure also creates a mosaic of sun and shade patches – and so <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X21008562">provide</a> many “micro-habitats” for plants and animals.</p>
<p><a href="https://helapco.gr/wp-content/uploads/Solar_Farms_Biodiversity_Study.pdf">Research</a> from Europe has shown large solar farms can enhance the diversity and abundance of plants, grasses, butterflies, bees and birds.</p>
<p>What’s more, vegetation between solar panel rows <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121003531?via=ihub#fig3">can also provide</a> travel corridors, nesting sites and shelter for wildlife.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-queensland-is-still-ground-zero-for-australian-deforestation-196644">Why Queensland is still ground zero for Australian deforestation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="butterfly on plant in front of solar panel" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507748/original/file-20230201-20-nxfh9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Research shows solar arrays can increase the presence of pollinators such as butterflies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Management is key</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121003531?via=ihub#fig3">Research suggests</a> several management strategies that can maximise the benefits of solar farms for wildlife. </p>
<p>Land managers should provide a diverse mix of flowering plant species to encourage pollinators. And grass between solar panels should not be mowed too short or too often. Pollinators prefer tall vegetation where they can forage – though vegetation should not be so tall that it shades the solar panels.</p>
<p>The use of herbicides and other chemicals should be avoided where possible. And solar farms should be connected to other vegetated areas, using features such as hedgerows and wildflower strips, so wildlife can move between the solar farm and other habitats.</p>
<p>Landholders who combine solar farms with wildlife habitat may reap several benefits.</p>
<p>They could receive financial returns by earning environmental credits through schemes that reward carbon sequestration and biodiversity improvements. </p>
<p>They may also improve the health of their land by, for example, increasing pollination or providing habitat for predators such as raptor perches or nest boxes – which in turn could help control pests.</p>
<p>Much work remains, however, to understand these opportunities. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="small frog on human hand in front of solar panels" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507749/original/file-20230201-20-eoke8k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Farm management strategies can maximise the benefits of solar farms for wildlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Eric Nordberg</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Looking ahead</h2>
<p>The benefit of renewable energy in reducing carbon emissions is well known. But more work is needed to understand how solar farms can benefit wildlife.</p>
<p>Research is also lacking on how to locate, configure and manage solar farms to best enhance biodiversity. Collaboration between industry, land managers and researchers is needed so clean energy production and conservation can go hand-in-hand.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-much-more-solar-and-wind-power-but-where-are-the-best-sites-we-mapped-them-all-196033">Australia needs much more solar and wind power, but where are the best sites? We mapped them all</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194920/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eric Nordberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Solar panels can provide places for animals to rest, shelter and breed – potentially benefitting both the land and farmers.
Eric Nordberg, Senior Lecturer (Applied Ecology and Landscape Management), University of New England
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/191222
2022-10-13T16:43:29Z
2022-10-13T16:43:29Z
Solar farms a ‘blight on the landscape’? Research shows they can benefit wildlife
<p>Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister, isn’t a fan of solar farms. In 2014, when she was environment secretary, she described rows of panels arranged in a field to capture energy from the sun as a “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29679312">blight on the landscape</a>”. Eight years later, as a candidate for the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, she said they were a threat to UK food supplies. Now her government seems intent on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/10/ministers-hope-to-ban-solar-projects-from-most-english-farms">banning new solar farms</a> by redefining some of the most promising sites for building them as prime farmland.</p>
<p>Tackling the climate emergency demands urgent decarbonisation of electricity systems. And amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and volatile gas prices, there is further need for homegrown renewable energy. To meet its target of a clean electricity grid by <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-unveiled-to-decarbonise-uk-power-system-by-2035">2035</a>, the government expects to boost the deployment of solar power <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-energy-security-strategy/british-energy-security-strategy">fivefold</a>. This would only increase the land allocated to solar farms to <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-is-solar-power-a-threat-to-uk-farmland/">0.3%</a>, roughly 0.5% of that used for agriculture.</p>
<p>Overhauling energy supply is certain to create conflict. But there is an opportunity to design energy plants that have multiple benefits. For instance, solar farms last for 25 to 40 years. These sites, where human disturbance is minimal, could offer shelter to embattled wildlife and regenerate the soil.</p>
<p>Though research is still in its infancy, the evidence so far suggests solar farms can address more than one of the crises bearing down on the world. </p>
<h2>Biodiversity on solar farms</h2>
<p>Britain has lost more of its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/10/nearly-half-of-britains-biodiversity-has-gone-since-industrial-revolution">biodiversity</a> – the variety of life which exists from bacteria and viruses all the way up to large mammals, birds and fish – than almost anywhere else in western Europe. Massive habitat loss since the industrial revolution has afflicted many well-loved species, with <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/february/britains-rural-hedgehogs-see-dramatic-population-decline.html#:%7E:text=Analysis%20from%20The%20State%20of,for%20the%20past%20two%20decades.">hedgehogs</a> and <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-report-points-30-decline-water-vole-distribution">water voles</a> among those whose populations are shrinking.</p>
<p>Butterflies and bees are thought to be worth around <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1025350/10_TB_Pollinators.pdf">£400 million a year</a> (US$443 million) to the UK economy as pollinators. Changes to how the land is used and the advent of intensive farming have swept away insect-rich wildflower meadows, which are at around <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/wildflower-meadows-farms-agriculture-flowers-environment-brexit-butterflies-bees-defra-a8433541.html%22%22">3% of their former extent</a>. A full or partial switch from agricultural land to <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/30/agrivoltaic-solar-farms-feature/">solar farms</a> in some places would allow the land to recover.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A tractor trundles along the horizon of a ploughed field." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489537/original/file-20221013-19-j2q0ui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The disturbance caused by ploughing and sowing can prevent wildlife from gaining a foothold in farmland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tractor-seeding-fallow-ploughed-field-18601910">David Hughes/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 2017, government adviser <a href="http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/6384664523046912">Natural England</a> published a review of scientific evidence on the effect of solar farms on ecosystems, stating that not enough research had been done to definitively say whether solar farms benefit wildlife. This was especially true for birds and bats. But several studies have indicated that solar farms can increase the diversity of plant species growing at a site, and so encourage pollinating insects. </p>
<p>A 2016 paper found that solar farms tended to have more species of plant, insect and bird than <a href="https://helapco.gr/wp-content/uploads/Solar_Farms_Biodiversity_Study.pdf">equivalent farm fields</a>. Earlier research from 2013 seemed to support this finding: when compared to the surrounding farmland, which the solar farm used to be a part of, greater numbers of butterflies and bees were found <a href="http://assets.lightsource-re.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/06/Solar-and-Biodiversity-Report-Parker-McQueen-2013d.pdf">on the site</a>. </p>
<p>More recently, a series of reports illustrated the benefits of solar farms for <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5840">bumblebees</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721003840?via=ihub">honeybees</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121003531?via=ihub">pollinator populations more generally</a>. Where solar farms are managed in a way that allows flowers to grow from April to early autumn, these insects have more places to forage and breed. It stands to reason that bigger insect populations would benefit species that feed on them, such as small mammals, bats and birds. Solar panels can provide some birds with a place to nest and perch while small mammals such as field voles can gain hiding places from birds of prey. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two storks sit atop a row of solar panels." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489536/original/file-20221013-22-z4muox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not a bad place to sit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pair-storks-standing-on-solar-panel-119662498">MyImages - Micha/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Solar panels also create their own <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074016">microclimates</a> by casting shade and changing the pattern of rainfall landing on the ground. Evidence from the UK indicates lower ground temperatures, light and moisture are found beneath panels compared with adjacent farm fields. While this could disadvantage some grassland species which prefer more direct sunlight, it presents an opportunity for their shade-tolerant counterparts. </p>
<p>The patterns of shading created by the panels offer a range of habitats for plants, with those in the shade often flowering later. Pollinators generally need flowers into October, so a range of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01562-4">flowering times</a> helps to extend the time they can spend foraging. The potential to grow crops in the microclimates under panels, a system called agrivoltaics, is also being <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/growing-crops-under-solar-panels-could-substantially-boost-energy-production">explored</a>. </p>
<p>Biodiversity below ground and the soil may also benefit from solar farm installations. The switch from intensive agriculture to permanent grassland means less fertiliser, insecticide and herbicide, and less disturbance from ploughing. This could allow the health of the soil to improve, although more research is needed to confirm and quantify this effect.</p>
<h2>An ongoing experiment</h2>
<p>At Keele University, we recently installed a low-carbon energy generation park which consists of 12,500 solar panels, two wind turbines and a large battery for storing excess electricity, all connected to the campus via a smart <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484722017693">network</a> that can control energy demand in different buildings, allowing the university to maximise the use of its own renewable energy and reduce the use of grid electricity when it has higher carbon emissions. During the site’s first year of operation, we began a study which will span several years researching the effect of the solar array on biodiversity and soil health. </p>
<p>Plants, pollinators, amphibians, badgers, birds, bats and small mammals are all being monitored, alongside various soil characteristics. While the construction will have disturbed the soil and wildlife, our monitoring shows that the area is recovering quickly. Large areas of the site have naturally established a grassland habitat, increasing the diversity of plant species compared with before when the site was a ploughed field. Foxes and predatory birds plus a wide variety of insects are among the visitors so far.</p>
<p>Clearly, there are multiple potential benefits from solar farms, a fact recognised by <a href="https://solarenergyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Natural-Capital-Best-Practice-Guidance.pdf%22%22">the industry itself</a>. The climate crisis and the ecological crisis are inextricably linked and must be tackled together. Well-considered, designed and managed solar farms could offer this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X21008562?via=ihub">opportunity</a>.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191222/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angie Turner is a member of the Solar Energy UK Natural Capital Working Group.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleanor Harrison and Zoe Robinson do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Nestled among farmland, solar farms can be a refuge for wildlife.
Angie Turner, Lecturer in Sustainability and Green Technology, Keele University
Eleanor Harrison, Teaching Fellow Animal Biology, Keele University & PhD Candidate, Staffordshire University
Zoe Robinson, Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures/Professor of Sustainability in Higher Education, Keele University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188804
2022-09-01T20:03:05Z
2022-09-01T20:03:05Z
Good news – there’s a clean energy gold rush under way. We’ll need it to tackle energy price turbulence and coal’s exodus
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482210/original/file-20220901-20-gfta5v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C5168%2C3437&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lucas Pezeta/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week, the Australian Energy Market Operator warned <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-31/power-supplies-in-australias-biggest-grid-to-run-short-by-2025/101389018">gaps in electricity supply</a> are likely within three years.</p>
<p>The reason? Coal plants are quitting the market earlier than expected, as well as becoming less reliable. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove coal, gas, petrol and diesel prices to painful highs. Domestic energy bills are soaring too, due in large part to <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-did-gas-prices-go-from-10-a-gigajoule-to-800-a-gigajoule-an-expert-on-the-energy-crisis-engulfing-australia-184304">ballooning gas prices</a>. At one stage, outages and fuel shortages at coal and gas plants, coupled with low solar and wind output, <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/market_notices_and_events/market_event_reports/2022/nem-market-suspension-and-operational-challenges-in-june-2022.pdf">very nearly</a> cut power to a third of all east coast customers. </p>
<p>But the good news is there’s a clean energy gold rush under way, now we have a legislated emissions target and <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/national-partnership-at-last-for-an-affordable-reliable-net-zero-power-system-20220814-p5b9ok">strong engagement</a> between state and federal energy ministers. Investors are moving with <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/labor-opens-up-stunning-green-investment-opportunity-20220524-p5ao1l">increased confidence</a>, accelerating their investments in clean energy generation and storage.</p>
<p>Even so, there’s a big task ahead to reach the goal of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/06/labor-has-set-an-exceptionally-ambitious-target-for-renewable-energy-can-it-be-met">82% renewables by 2030</a>. We’ll need rapid deployment – not only to meet grid demand, but also new demand from the move to “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/17/why-we-need-electrify-everything-according-saul-griffith/">electrify everything</a>” in our homes and on our roads. </p>
<p>So what changes can you expect to see? </p>
<h2>Solar panels and wind farms will pop up in many more places</h2>
<p>The first thing you’re likely to notice is the rapid construction of new clean energy projects.</p>
<p>Over the past year, many of our coal power stations have become <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/market_notices_and_events/market_event_reports/2022/nem-market-suspension-and-operational-challenges-in-june-2022.pdf?la=en">less reliable</a> due to old age, heat stress and lack of fuel. There’s going to be a rush to the exit for coal. What’s the point of operators spending money propping up power stations at the end of their service life? </p>
<p>As a result, five coal plants are now expected to shut by the end of the decade – significantly more than anticipated.</p>
<p>What will replace them? Solar and wind farms, as these are the <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/news/News-releases/2022/GenCost-2022#:%7E:text=even%20when%20considering%20additional%20integration%20costs%20arising%20due%20to%20the%20variable%20output%20of%20renewables%2C%20such%20as%20energy%20storage%20and%20transmission">cheapest forms of new generation</a>, supported by energy storage in batteries and pumped hydro. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1564749994720219137"}"></div></p>
<p>The market operator conservatively expects 7.3 gigawatts of new generation to be built by the end of 2026-27, with half this again (3.4GW) “anticipated” to be built, meaning AEMO has a good degree of confidence these renewables will be built. </p>
<p>Even so, this is only a tiny fraction of the <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2022-integrated-system-plan-isp">estimated 45GW</a> of renewable opportunities in Australia readily available to investors and clean energy developers. We’ll need to build all 45GW – and then at least 5GW more – to hit our renewable target of 82%. </p>
<p>Unlike thermal power stations, solar and wind farms are made of simple building blocks that are quicker to scale in manufacturing and deployment. </p>
<p>In particular, you can expect to see solar and wind farms popping up in <a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/renewables/renewable-energy-zones">renewable energy zones</a> like New England and the central west of New South Wales. These zones are designed to share the costs of new grid construction amongst a concentration of clean energy generation in areas with good sun and wind resources.</p>
<h2>Batteries to store and transmission lines to move electricity</h2>
<p>Further major infrastructure investments will be made into energy storage and transmission lines.</p>
<p>The increasing value to the grid of storage is driving major investments like the plans for <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/us-investment-giant-blackrock-in-1-billion-big-battery-play-in-australia/">A$1 billion of new grid-scale batteries</a> recently announced by US investment giant Blackrock, as well as AGL’s A$763 million plan to build batteries next to the <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/agl-gets-green-light-for-2gwh-battery-at-liddell/">decommissioned Liddell coal power plant</a>.</p>
<p>Much of this investment is occurring in coal country, like Victoria’s Gippsland and the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/world-s-largest-battery-to-be-built-in-hunter-valley-20210204-p56zns.html">Hunter Valley in NSW</a>. Here, companies are vying to place grid-scale batteries at old coal stations. Why? To take advantage of the existing strong connections to the grid. </p>
<p>While our existing transmission infrastructure will host many new renewable power stations and batteries, new transmission lines will need to be built. Especially between states, like <a href="https://www.projectenergyconnect.com.au/">EnergyConnect</a> between NSW and South Australia, as well as new grid extensions to connect renewable energy zones to major cities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/4-reasons-our-gas-and-electricity-prices-are-suddenly-sky-high-184303">4 reasons our gas and electricity prices are suddenly sky-high</a>
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<h2>A focus on flexible use of power</h2>
<p>In addition to the infrastructure placed in the grid, there will be a new focus on unlocking the value of flexibility in energy demand to better match the variability of when solar and wind plants generate electricity.</p>
<p>Storage is one source of flexibility. Timing our own electricity use is another. </p>
<p>Flexible energy use is far less resource intensive than new infrastructure and offers the greatest benefit to system reliability. But it relies on human behaviour and our willingness to change established habits. </p>
<p>Expect to see strong price incentives for you to use electricity when it’s abundant. The sunniest hours are already the <a href="https://www.sapowernetworks.com.au/future-energy/projects-and-trials/timeofuse-network-tariffs">cheapest time</a> to use power in most of Australia - and this will only get cheaper.</p>
<p>Not only that, but you will likely see <a href="https://arena.gov.au/knowledge-bank/origin-energy-electric-vehicles-smart-charging-trial-lessons-learnt-2/">grid incentives</a> at times of peak demand. Picture notifications offering you a financial incentive to turn off energy-hungry appliances such as electric vehicle chargers, home batteries and heaters use at particular times - and for these functions to be offered through automation.</p>
<p>This focus on the demand-side of electricity use is already well understood by <a href="https://flowpower.com.au/the-wholesale-demand-response-mechanism-explained/">energy-hungry industries</a>. Last year, for the first time, this demand response was <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/rule-changes/wholesale-demand-response-mechanism">enabled for home users</a> as well. </p>
<h2>What can you to do prepare?</h2>
<p>The long-overdue energy transformation will affect everyone, in how we use energy at home as well as the infrastructure in our communities.</p>
<p>This transition depends on us all for support and direction. Projects will need social licence – support by local communities – political backing, and, in some cases, personal investment in technology and services. </p>
<p>Investments of time will be particularly important if we want to save billions of dollars and millions of tonnes of critical materials through making demand-side flexibility a reality. </p>
<p>So be ready to see change, and to take part in it. While change can be daunting, the energy transition is really about embracing flexible new paths to the same goal, as my <a href="https://bjornsturmberg.com/amys-balancing-act/">children’s book</a> on the energy transition shows. And the benefits are huge: abundant, cheap power, generated locally and in flourishing regions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-want-to-be-part-of-that-movement-residents-embrace-renewable-energy-but-worry-how-their-towns-will-change-184743">'We want to be part of that movement': residents embrace renewable energy but worry how their towns will change</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188804/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bjorn Sturmberg has received funding from the State and Federal governments, including from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, for work related to solar, batteries, microgrids, and electric vehicles. He is the author of the illustrated children's book, Amy's Balancing Act.</span></em></p>
Coal plants are exiting the grid faster than expected. We’ll need to redouble efforts to add flexibility into our energy systems and build renewables and storage.
Bjorn Sturmberg, Research Leader, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program, Australian National University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188811
2022-08-17T20:04:58Z
2022-08-17T20:04:58Z
To hit 82% renewables in 8 years, we need skilled workers – and labour markets are already overstretched
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479549/original/file-20220817-12-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C2800%2C1856&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Evgeniy Alyoshin/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In just eight years time, the Labor government wants Australia to be 82% powered by renewable energy. That means a rapid, historic shift, given only 24% of our power was supplied by renewables as of <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/taylor/media-releases/2021-australian-energy-statistics-electricity#:%7E:text=The%202021%20Australian%20Energy%20Statistics,21%20per%20cent%20in%202019.">last year</a>. </p>
<p>To make this happen, we must rapidly scale up our renewable energy construction workforce. Last week’s <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-ministers/meetings-and-communiques">energy ministers’ meeting</a> calls for assessment of the “workforce, supply chain and community needs” for the energy transition. The government’s jobs and skills summit in early September will tackle the issue too. While it’s positive the government is focused on these challenges, the reality is we’re playing catch-up. </p>
<p>Why? Because Australia is already stretched for workers, and it takes time to give new ones the skills they will need. <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/market-capacity-electricity-infrastructure">Our research</a> estimates the renewable energy transition will need up to 30,000 workers in coming years to build enough solar farms, wind farms, batteries, transmission lines and pumped hydro storage to transform our energy system. Most of these jobs will be in regional areas.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-renewable-target-is-much-more-ambitious-than-it-seems-we-need-the-best-bang-for-buck-policy-responses-186302">Labor’s renewable target is much more ambitious than it seems. We need the best bang-for-buck policy responses</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In coming decades, Australia will invest around A$66 billion in large-scale renewables and $27 billion in rooftop solar and battery storage. This creates openings for industry development like the $7.4 billion market opportunity for an <a href="https://fbicrc.com.au/australias-7-4-billion-opportunity-in-future-battery-industries/">integrated battery supply chain</a> and manufacturing which builds on our strengths, such as <a href="https://fbicrc.com.au/australias-7-4-billion-opportunity-in-future-battery-industries/">wind towers</a>. </p>
<p>If we get this right, we can create new manufacturing and supply chain jobs and reverse the long drift of these jobs overseas. But if we get it wrong, skill shortages could derail the vision of a new energy system by 2030. </p>
<h2>What jobs will we need and where?</h2>
<p>Much of the debate on the energy transition to date has focused on technical challenges like integrating renewable energy into the grid. </p>
<p>But as a <a href="https://www.csq.org.au/renewables/#">new report</a> from Construction Skills Queensland points out: “The biggest challenge in delivering the (renewable energy) boom could be the scale of the construction workforce required.”</p>
<p>Across the eastern states in the National Energy Market, the construction workforce needs to scale up rapidly to build wind and solar farms, rooftop solar, battery storage and transmission lines throughout the 2020s. As the volume of renewable energy grows, our modelling finds the share of operations and maintenance jobs will increase, making up around 50% of all jobs by 2035 based on the Australian Energy Market Operator’s <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2020-integrated-system-plan-isp">roadmap</a> for the energy system. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=177&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479335/original/file-20220816-16-6grk0p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=223&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This figure shows the numbers of jobs needed by technology and type, transmission construction, electricity generation and storage under a 2021-2035 step change scenario.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AEMO 2020 Integrated System Plan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Notably, our projections include very few jobs in manufacturing. That’s because at present, most renewables manufacturing is done offshore. But as the country which pioneered <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-09-19/solar-panels-why-australia-stopped-making-them-china/100466342">key solar technologies</a>, we could harness these investments to build local production.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/historic-new-deal-puts-emissions-reduction-at-the-heart-of-australias-energy-sector-188296">Historic new deal puts emissions reduction at the heart of Australia's energy sector</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Skill shortages could cripple the renewables boom</h2>
<p>While it sounds simple in theory, the hard part is making this a reality. How can we best scale up the construction workforce in regional areas? How can we best leverage public and private clean energy investment to increase local manufacturing jobs? </p>
<p>It’s going to be a challenge. That’s because we are already facing widespread skill shortages in key jobs such as engineers, electricians and transmission lineworkers.</p>
<p>Australia is in the midst of an <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report">“unprecedented” boom</a> in infrastructure. Think of the huge transport projects like <a href="https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/">inland rail</a> and metro projects in major cities. </p>
<p>Our regions are already struggling to supply workers for these projects. Infrastructure Australia has <a href="https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report">projected</a> a shortage of 41,000 engineers and 15,000 trades in the next few years. This is a real worry for the renewables industry. Where will the new workforce come from? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="windfarm building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479553/original/file-20220817-12-mex1o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fuel is free - but building renewables needs skilled workers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the labour market tightens, there’s a risk skill shortages will become a constraint on construction timetables. There are industry reports of bidding wars as companies vie to secure skilled workers by offering higher wages. That’s great for the workers with the skills, but it also speaks to the fact the pool of skilled people is too small – even before we launch this major transition. </p>
<p>People in many regional communities are concerned the renewable boom could follow the mining boom with a reliance on fly-in, fly-out workers. This approach overheats local economies and housing and ultimately leaves little benefit, as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-03/barnaby-joyce-port-hedland-growth-pilbara-economy-fifo-jobs/101016816">towns like Karratha</a> have found. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Road sign karratha" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479554/original/file-20220817-14-wtiwro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regional towns like Karratha have found the mining boom a mixed blessing. We need to tackle this to make sure the renewable boom has lasting impact.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What do we need to do?</h2>
<p>Governments will need to roll out regional programs to increase the size of this workforce, by creating direct training pathways to help school leavers get into the renewables sector. This can slow the well known “youth drain” of country kids to the cities. </p>
<p>Specific programs <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">could also help</a> First Nations people in remote areas into jobs <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-21/aboriginal-owned-solar-farm-completed-by-2022/100473610">close to their communities</a> such as in <a href="https://esdnews.com.au/bomen-solar-farm-helps-locals-get-back-into-workforce/">best-practice solar farms</a> and transmission projects. </p>
<p>We’ll also need urgent investment in regional training facilities, courses and apprenticeships. </p>
<p>While the federal government has committed to fund <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/new-energy-apprenticeships">energy apprentices</a>, we will also need more industry-government partnerships like the pioneering <a href="https://www.skills.tas.gov.au/about/current_projects/energising_tasmania">Energising Tasmania</a> initiative to train and redeploy new and existing workers backed by government support.</p>
<p>And we will also need skilled migration as part of the solution. That’s because the regions cannot supply the full scale of the workforce required and time is short. But regional communities will want to see programs encouraging workers and businesses to put down roots. If renewables become another FIFO-boom, we risk community backlash. </p>
<p>While the government has many other things to juggle, this is a big one. Without skilled workers, we won’t reach the goal of transforming our energy system by 2030. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-an-aussie-invention-could-soon-cut-5-of-the-worlds-greenhouse-gas-emissions-121571">How an Aussie invention could soon cut 5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188811/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The article draws on research undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Future which has been commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, Infrastructure Australia and the NSW Renewable Energy Sector Board. ISF is currently undertaking research on renewable and skills for the NSW Department of Education and Training and EnergyCo.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article draws on research undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Future which has been commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, Infrastructure Australia and the NSW Renewable Energy Sector Board. ISF is currently undertaking research on renewable energy and skills for the NSW Department of Education and Training and EnergyCo.</span></em></p>
Australia is already in the grip of a skills shortage. We’re going to have to solve that before we can start on the big renewables build.
Chris Briggs, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Rusty Langdon, Research Consultant, University of Technology Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/184743
2022-06-14T19:58:00Z
2022-06-14T19:58:00Z
‘We want to be part of that movement’: residents embrace renewable energy but worry how their towns will change
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468665/original/file-20220614-11-ztvr06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C2995%2C1985&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amid soaring energy costs, the new Labor government is working to deliver a <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/rewiring_the_nation">A$20 billion pledge</a> to rebuild and modernise Australia’s electricity grid. It will help deliver <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2022-integrated-system-plan-isp">a plan</a> for 122 gigawatts of new renewable energy in the National Electricity Market by 2050, eventually replacing coal generation.</p>
<p>The transition will bring significant social, economic and environmental change. Electricity generation in New South Wales, for example, will shift from the concentrated coal power of the Hunter Valley and Central Coast to multiple sites across the state’s centre, north and southwest. </p>
<p>The shift also entails a host of new infrastructure. According to our calculations, the predicted extra renewable energy capacity will require nationally 24,000 large wind turbines or around 2,000 large solar farms, as well as new large-scale batteries. </p>
<p>So, in the <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/renewables-rural-australia/">first major study</a> of its kind, we travelled to where renewable energy is expanding in NSW to ask communities how they feel about the changes. While their outlook was generally positive, governments can do more to ensure community support for the transition. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="girl looks at wind turbines" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468661/original/file-20220614-12-quifw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The renewables transition will bring significant social, economic and environmental change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What our work involved</h2>
<p>Most new energy infrastructure will be concentrated in designated “<a href="https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/UpdatedFactsheet_202012.pdf">renewable energy zones</a>”. These are areas where both renewable energy is generated, and the high-voltage poles and wires exist to deliver it where needed.</p>
<p>The national pilot zone will begin in NSW’s Central-West Orana region from 2023, followed by another zone in New England. Three more zones will be established in the Riverina, Hunter-Central Coast and Illawarra regions.</p>
<p>Our research involved travelling to and staying in affected towns including Wellington, Glen Innes, Inverell, and Uralla. New wind and solar farms are already built near these places and many more are proposed in the coming years in the Central-West Orana and New England.</p>
<p>We spoke to a broad range of residents. All together we conducted 44 semi-structured interviews, several group interviews and a community forum. We also visited solar and wind farm sites and landowners’ properties (both hosts of new utilities and their neighbours). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-key-measures-in-the-suite-of-new-reforms-to-deal-with-australias-energy-crisis-184554">3 key measures in the suite of new reforms to deal with Australia's energy crisis</a>
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</p>
<hr>
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<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/675661377" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Positive, but unsure what lies ahead</h2>
<p>Overall, people were generally positive about the future development of renewable energy zones and the opportunities they presented. One resident told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“There are hundreds of small rural communities throughout Australia that are struggling, and most won’t have an opportunity like this development. We want to be part of that movement, we want to grow and evolve in a rapidly changing world.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>But some people were unsure about how the energy transition would affect their communities. This is unsurprising, given the lack of transition planning by the last federal government.</p>
<p>In places where multiple renewables projects have been built or planned, changes to land use and public assets were a concern to some. As one community member said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Rural views are a big issue out here. And bush fires. There’s a question mark over the viability of agricultural land, particularly with the solar farms. And wear and tear on the roads and infrastructure.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>State planning review processes will be tested as more closely located projects are proposed. This cumulative problem that needs to be addressed to ensure community support for renewable energy zones. </p>
<p>Local councils have fine-grained knowledge about their areas and should be key to these new planning processes. However, they have little co-ordinating power. As one council officer put it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It’s really market forces deciding when [projects] get built, or don’t get built.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On transmission projects, Labor <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/not-fit-for-purpose-labor-vows-to-overhaul-regulatory-process-for-transmission-projects/">has said</a> it will require the Australian Energy Regulator to take a broader view of costs and benefits and increase community engagement on transmission decisions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="turbines behind sheep in field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468659/original/file-20220614-11-x3kfuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some residents feared reduced agricultural production.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How are benefits shared?</h2>
<p>Landowners are paid to host wind or solar projects and this can form a big part of a farm’s income. One host landholder told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The proposed solar development on our property is a massive positive. It allows us to drought proof our farm and continue as a viable business for the next generation.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, renewables projects can cause conflicts with neighbours who may be affected by the development but are only eligible for much smaller payments – or sometimes none at all. </p>
<p>Areas designated as renewable energy zones have a much higher proportion of Aboriginal residents than the NSW average. To maximise socioeconomic benefits and protect heritage during the energy transition, Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal residents should be <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">better included</a> and consulted, in culturally appropriate ways, than they have been in the past.</p>
<p>Communities were generally positive about the broad economic benefits that flow from renewable energy projects during the construction phase. A local worker told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The workers would fill their vehicles [with fuel] in town before they left, or they’d get local caterers, or they’d sponsor local activities, that sort of thing.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But renewable energy projects have a lifetime of up to 30 years. Ensuring they create local benefits beyond the construction phase requires a broader industrial strategy and more carefully coordinated development to spread out the construction phases over time. </p>
<p>Some renewable energy companies run small grants schemes to contribute to local community organisations. We support proposals to formalise and combine some of these schemes. This would create a very significant pool of funds that could make substantial investments within a renewable energy zone.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">How can Aboriginal communities be part of the NSW renewable energy transition?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="man installs solar panels" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468671/original/file-20220614-20-p8kn3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Renewable energy zones have a much higher proportion of Aboriginal residents than the NSW average.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lucy Hughes Jones/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Planning for equitable change</h2>
<p>The pilot renewable energy zones embody a bold vision for Australia’s clean energy future. They should be used as a policy test-bed to ensure we get the transition right.</p>
<p>In particular, the pilots must ensure all residents can participate and share in the benefits, that socioeconomic development is sustainable and co-ordinated, and projects give back to communities over their full lifespan.</p>
<p>If we can nail all this at the pilot stage, renewable energy zones can bring significant benefits to other host communities and Australia as a whole.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/laggard-to-leader-labor-could-repair-australias-tattered-reputation-on-climate-change-if-it-gets-these-things-right-182860">Laggard to leader? Labor could repair Australia’s tattered reputation on climate change, if it gets these things right</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184743/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Pearse receives funding from the Australia Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel J Cass is Energy Policy & Regulatory Lead at the Australia Institute and Senior Advisor to the Clean Energy Investor Group.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda Connor receives funding from Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Riikka Heikkinen receives receives funding from UTS for her PhD. She has student memberships in the Australian Institute of Energy, Smart Energy Council and RE-Alliance.</span></em></p>
In the first major study of its kind, the authors travelled to where renewable energy is expanding in NSW to ask communities how they feel about the changes.
Rebecca Pearse, Lecturer, Australian National University
Daniel J Cass, Research Affiliate, University of Sydney
Linda Connor, Professor of Anthropology, University of Sydney
Riikka Heikkinen, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/183640
2022-05-27T06:03:02Z
2022-05-27T06:03:02Z
3 ways the Albanese government can turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower – without leaving anyone behind
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465619/original/file-20220527-12-qism61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C11%2C3976%2C1988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australians will bear yet <a href="https://theconversation.com/expect-more-power-price-hikes-a-1970s-style-energy-shock-is-on-the-cards-183911">another blow</a> to our cost of living in July when electricity prices will surge up to 18.3%, which amounts to over <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-26/benchmark-power-prices-electricity-bills-to-soar-australia/101098128">A$250 per year</a> in some cases. </p>
<p>This is partly due to geopolitical tensions driving up the cost of generating electricity from coal and gas – costs that are increasingly volatile – leading the <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/news-release/aer-sets-energy-price-cap-to-protect-consumers">Australian Energy Regulator</a> to increase its so-called “default market offers” for electricity retailers in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. </p>
<p>If the Albanese government ever needed another reason to turbocharge its efforts on renewable energy and storage, this is it. </p>
<p>Investing in renewables, energy storage, electric vehicles and other clean industries will not only lower power prices, but will also lower emissions, increase our self-sufficiency, create new jobs, and protect us from international price shocks like we’re seeing now. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/expect-more-power-price-hikes-a-1970s-style-energy-shock-is-on-the-cards-183911">Expect more power price hikes – a 1970s-style energy shock is on the cards</a>
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<p>Fortunately, the Albanese government has a strong mandate for game-changing <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-the-major-parties-rate-on-climate-policies-we-asked-5-experts-181790">climate action</a> this decade. The government aims for renewable energy to make up <a href="https://keystone-alp.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/prod/61a9693a3f3c53001f975017-PoweringAustralia.pdf">over 80% of</a> Australia’s electricity mix by 2030, but its pledge of $20 billion for new transmission infrastructure means we can aim higher and go faster. </p>
<p>Holding us back, however, is continued investment in the coal industry. Indeed, doubling down on fossil fuels right now would be extraordinarily reckless from a security perspective – as the United Nations climate envoy <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/11/do-not-use-ukraine-war-to-defer-climate-goals-warns-mark-carney-energy-crisis">pointed out</a> this month, “no one owns the wind or the sun”. </p>
<p>So how can Australia transform into a renewable energy powerhouse? Here are three important ways the Albanese government can meet its ambition swiftly and justly. </p>
<h2>1. Energy justice with community energy</h2>
<p>Communities must be placed at the heart of the energy transition if we’re to see <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032121012016">energy justice</a> in Australia.
Energy justice is when <a href="https://irena.org/publications/2021/Nov/Community-Energy-Toolkit-Best-practices-for-broadening-the-ownership-of-renewables">all members of society</a> are granted access to clean energy, particularly disadvantaged communities such as those without housing security. </p>
<p>One way to make this happen is with community-owned renewable energy and storage, such as wind energy co-operatives. For example, the <a href="https://www.hepburnwind.com.au/">Hepburn Wind Co-operative</a> is a 4.1 megawatt wind farm owned by more than 2,000 community shareholders. Another example is community-owned social enterprise electricity retailers such as <a href="https://www.enovaenergy.com.au/">Enova</a>, which has more than 1,600 community shareholders.</p>
<p>Labor has made a great start. Its <a href="https://keystone-alp.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/prod/61a966013f3c53001f975016-REPUTEX_The%20economic%20impact%20of%20the%20ALP's%20Powering%20Australia%20Plan_Summary%20Report.pdf">Powering Australia</a> plan pledges to install 400 community batteries and develop shared solar banks to give renters, people in apartments, and people who can’t afford upfront installation costs access to solar energy. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/farmers-shouldnt-have-to-compete-with-solar-companies-for-land-we-need-better-policies-so-everyone-can-benefit-173333">Farmers shouldn't have to compete with solar companies for land. We need better policies so everyone can benefit</a>
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<p>The next step should be a rapid roll out of a federal community solar scheme, similar to a program in the United States. The <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/community-solar-basics">US Community Solar scheme</a> is backed by legislation to create a third-party market for communities. It allows communities to own solar panels or a portion of a solar project, or to buy renewable energy with a subscription. </p>
<p>This means lower socio-economic households can benefit from clean, reliable and cheaper electricity from solar when they’re not able to put panels on their rooftop. </p>
<p>Australia needs a dedicated national policy or government body that builds on the work of other bodies, such as the <a href="https://c4ce.net.au/strategic-initiatives/">Coalition for Community Energy</a>, to govern community-based energy and enshrine the principles of energy justice.</p>
<h2>2. Rapid uptake of offshore wind</h2>
<p>Offshore wind farms represent a key opportunity for Australia’s decarbonisation – the combined capacity of all proposed offshore wind projects <a href="https://theconversation.com/wind-turbines-off-the-coast-could-help-australia-become-an-energy-superpower-research-finds-164590">would be greater</a> than all Australia’s coal-fired power plants. </p>
<p>But Australia’s offshore wind industry is only in its infancy. And while Labor’s Powering Australia plan targets manufacturing <a href="https://keystone-alp.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/prod/61a9693a3f3c53001f975017-PoweringAustralia.pdf">wind turbine components</a>, it lacks policy ambition for offshore wind. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wind-turbines-off-the-coast-could-help-australia-become-an-energy-superpower-research-finds-164590">Wind turbines off the coast could help Australia become an energy superpower, research finds</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/what-is-renewable-energy-zone/">Renewable Energy Zones</a> (a bit like the renewables equivalent of a power station) are currently being rolled out Australia wide. These should encompass offshore wind zones to encourage the rapid uptake of this vast energy source. </p>
<p>For example, in February, the Renewable Energy Zone in the <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/100-billion-of-investment-potential-for-hunter-central-coast-renewable-energy-zone">Hunter-Central Coast</a> region had seven offshore wind proposals and attracted over $100 billion in investment. Potential renewable energy projects in this region represent over 100,000 gigawatt hours of energy – the same as the annual output of <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/100-billion-investment-potential-for-hunter-central-coast-renewable-energy-zone">ten coal-fired power stations</a>. </p>
<p>The federal government should also set an offshore wind target to accelerate uptake. Victoria, for instance, recently announced <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/victoria-launches-australias-first-offshore-wind-targets">a target</a> of 2 gigawatts installed by 2032, 4 gigawatts by 2035, and 9 gigawatts by 2040. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465625/original/file-20220527-16-tn6xzn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The federal government should also set an offshore wind target.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Similarly, the United Kingdom recently increased its offshore wind target to <a href="https://www.offshorewind.biz/2022/04/07/uk-to-raise-2030-offshore-wind-target-to-50-gw-slash-project-approval-times/#:%7E:text=Advertisement-,UK%20to%20Raise%202030%20Offshore%20Wind%20Target,GW%2C%20Slash%20Project%20Approval%20Times&text=UK%20Prime%20Minister%20Boris%20Johnson,offshore%20wind%20capacity%20by%202030.">50 gigawatts</a> by 2030 – the equivalent to powering <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-acceleration-of-homegrown-power-in-britains-plan-for-greater-energy-independence">every household </a> in the nation, according to the UK government. </p>
<p>Despite its potential, Australia only introduced <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-first-offshore-wind-farm-bill-was-a-long-time-coming-but-here-are-4-reasons-its-not-up-to-scratch-yet-167196">federal legislative framework</a> for offshore wind last year – and it needs work. For example, the legislation doesn’t incorporate <a href="https://maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu/sector-information/offshore-wind-energy#:%7E:text=However%2C%20maritime%20spatial%20planning%20is,is%20supported%20by%20national%20policy.">marine spatial planning</a>, which is a process of coordinating sectors that rely on the ocean, such as marine conservation, the fishing industry, and the government. </p>
<h2>3. Just transitions for coal communities</h2>
<p>The Australian Energy Market Operator <a href="https://aemo.com.au/newsroom/media-release/2021-esoo#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CBy%202025%2C%20there%20will%20be,and%20affordable%20energy%20to%20consumers.">says</a> the National Electricity Market could be 100% powered by renewables by 2025. Further closures of aging and unreliable coal-fired power stations are inevitable. </p>
<p>The government must not leave carbon-intensive regions <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-next-government-must-start-talking-about-a-just-transition-from-coal-heres-where-to-begin-181707">behind</a> in the transition to new clean industries. If we do this right, generations of Australians could be working in renewable energy, clean manufacturing, renewable hydrogen, and the extraction of critical minerals. </p>
<p>Creating a national coal commission could help produce a roadmap away from fossil fuels, and seize on the opportunity to <a href="https://keystone-alp.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/prod/61a9693a3f3c53001f975017-PoweringAustralia.pdf">create clean jobs</a>. This is being done <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-transition-from-coal-4-lessons-for-australia-from-around-the-world-115558">in Germany</a>, where a government-appointed coal commission consulted unions, coal regions, local communities and more to develop a pathway to transition the coal industry by 2038.</p>
<p>We can also see this in <a href="https://www.rncanengagenrcan.ca/en/collections/just-transition">Canada</a>, which is developing legislation with principles of a just transition by establishing a body to provide advice on strategies supporting workers and communities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-aboriginal-communities-be-part-of-the-nsw-renewable-energy-transition-181171">How can Aboriginal communities be part of the NSW renewable energy transition?</a>
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<p>Strong climate and energy policy will take hard work – let’s hope this truly marks the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-22/anthony-albanese-labor-ready-to-govern/101088900">end of the climate wars</a> and the start of Australia’s turbocharged energy transition.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183640/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeline Taylor had received funding from ACOLA and the AIEN. She is a Climate Councillor for the Climate Council. </span></em></p>
The soaring power prices expected to hit Australians are yet another reason the Albanese government should turbocharge its efforts on renewable energy and storage.
Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/173333
2021-12-16T19:09:10Z
2021-12-16T19:09:10Z
Farmers shouldn’t have to compete with solar companies for land. We need better policies so everyone can benefit
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437454/original/file-20211214-13-1g02mk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C29%2C3980%2C2205&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When it comes to solar energy, Australia has a huge natural advantage with an abundance of sun and vast, flat expanses of land. This makes it relatively easy to build solar farms across the continent. </p>
<p>Some proposed projects, however, overlap with arable land. As a result, solar companies and farmers are often in competition, with conflicts already arising in <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/contested-100mw-solar-project-on-canberras-outskirts-gets-green-light/">Canberra</a>, <a href="https://www.allens.com.au/insights-news/insights/2018/08/solar-farm-wins-court-approval-despite-conflicts-with/">Queensland</a> and <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/6845990/call-to-halt-works-at-eunony-valley-solar-project/?cs=4963">Wagga</a>, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-23/battle-over-the-future-of-prime-australian-agricultural-land/11140144">South Riverina</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-24/jindera-solar-farm-approved-despiter-farmer-concerns/13013156">Greater Hume</a> in New South Wales.</p>
<p>But these are familiar battlegrounds. Such tension has played out over many decades with agricultural communities facing serious environmental, social and health impacts from coal and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-28/farmers-fear-coal-seam-gas-could-cause-prime-ag-land-to-subside/13207950">coal seam gas</a> projects. </p>
<p>We can avoid history repeating itself if we urgently set the right policies and laws in place. The pressing task for law and policymakers now is to ensure Australia’s clean energy transition sees solar development occur with co-benefits for local communities, and protects productive agricultural land. </p>
<h2>Rising tension</h2>
<p>Australia has the highest average <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/summer-gas-stats-2020-21/">solar radiation</a> <a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/resources/other-renewable-energy-resources/solar-energy">per square metre</a> of any continent in the world. This has led the federal government to aim for ultra-low cost solar production in its long-term plan to reduce emissions.</p>
<p>Likewise, <a href="https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-centre/parliament-house-press-conference-labor-powering-australia-plan&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1639373014593000&usg=AOvVaw2UcDse-v_PXOdcnWcd-BMp">Labor’s</a> recent announcement of 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 relies heavily on increased renewable energy. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/renewables-need-land-and-lots-of-it-that-poses-tricky-questions-for-regional-australia-156031">Renewables need land – and lots of it. That poses tricky questions for regional Australia</a>
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<p>But right now, the state and territory governments are leading Australia’s clean energy revolution, rolling out crucial “<a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/what-is-renewable-energy-zone/">Renewable Energy Zones</a>”, often within or near agricultural regions.</p>
<p>Agricultural land is flat, cleared, and sometimes situated near existing power infrastructure and distribution networks. Such conditions are <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19-060.pdf">ideal for solar farms</a>, which can require up to 2-3 hectares per 1 megawatt (MW) of solar energy.</p>
<p>Clean energy companies must avoid the development mistakes of the fossil fuel industry or risk losing their <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-contentious-nsw-gas-project-is-weeks-away-from-approval-here-are-3-reasons-it-should-be-rejected-144201">social licence</a>. </p>
<p>In fact, rising tension between agricultural communities and solar companies has led the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/solar-wind-farm-development-limits/100538634">NSW government to recently consider</a> restricting solar and wind farm developments in regional towns.</p>
<p>Some communities who have experienced the impacts of <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kicking-the-Gas-Habit-How-Gas-is-Harming-our-Health.pdf">coal seam gas</a>, such as the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-14/coal-seam-gas-wells-drilled-under-farmland/100155818">Darling Downs</a>, are particularly sensitive to the potential impacts of any new energy development. This includes aquifer contamination, damage to the surrounding environment and ecosystems, and the displacement of communities.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/against-the-odds-south-australia-is-a-renewable-energy-powerhouse-how-on-earth-did-they-do-it-153789">Against the odds, South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse. How on Earth did they do it?</a>
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<p>Now, these communities are once again being asked to negotiate land access and compensation arrangements for solar farms. Vast solar farms may mean arable land can no longer be used for growing crops. </p>
<p>The main problem is the twin policy objectives of accelerating renewable energy development and preserving sensitive land uses aren’t woven into legal precedent in some states.</p>
<p>For example, in <a href="https://dsdmipprd.blob.core.windows.net/general/solar-farm-guideline-part-1-local-government.pdf">Queensland</a>, local councils usually need to assess the merits of a new solar farm project by default, rather than assess them “against a range of other existing uses or matters such as agriculture”. </p>
<h2>What co-benefits could look like</h2>
<p>Experiences in Victoria show a better alternative. <a href="https://hsfnotes.com/environmentaustralia/2019/11/14/recent-vcat-refusals-for-three-of-five-solar-projects/">Two Victorian</a> tribunal cases assessed solar farm proposals on agricultural land from companies <a href="https://jade.io/article/668770">PowerVault Mildura</a> and <a href="https://jade.io/article/668769">Helios Volta</a>. The tribunal emphasised the need for “co-location” as a foundational policy pillar to balance the overall community benefit.</p>
<p>The Victorian government has also taken steps to create best practice guidelines for renewable energy companies to deal with agricultural land loss. This includes protecting high-quality soils and <a href="https://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/schemes/vpps/14_01-01S.pdf">strategic agricultural land</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-need-to-see-the-benefits-from-local-renewable-energy-projects-and-that-means-jobs-138433">People need to see the benefits from local renewable energy projects, and that means jobs</a>
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<p>But it’s not just about managing loss of land. Best practice regulation could lead to a range of benefits for farmers, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QaCy9T5Wzw&t=1s">electricity benefits</a> in the local community to sustainable farming practices. </p>
<p>For one farmer in Dubbo, installing 56,000 solar panels provided crucial shade and condensation to help grass stay green for sheep grazing during drought. Likewise, solar energy from <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-15/port-augusta-sundrop-farms-sold-to-investment-fund-morrison-co/11108046">Sundrop Farms</a> in South Australia powers a desalination unit, which produces pure water to irrigate crops.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9SeFK4UPWA4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How over 50,000 solar panels provided shade and green grass for a farmer’s sheep during drought.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>So what needs to happen now?</h2>
<p>Governments should incentivise and prioritise renewable energy and storage facilities on rehabilitated land, such as land previously used to develop coal, gas or other minerals. Agricultural land should be selected only if no alternative sites are available, or if co-location is possible. </p>
<p>An excellent example of this is the recent site selection of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/01/australias-biggest-privately-funded-battery-under-construction-at-hazelwood-power-station-site">150MW battery</a> earmarked for construction at the previous Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. </p>
<p>Another is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlcae3UvF5Q">Kidston</a> in regional Queensland, where an abandoned gold mine was transformed into the world’s first solar and pumped hydro system.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">An old mine in outback Queensland becomes a renewables goldmine.</span></figcaption>
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<p>As the world surges towards net-zero emissions, coal and gas will be rapidly phased-out. Solar and wind are now the cheapest form of energy generation and are already <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/new-data-reveals-gas-slump-national-electricity-market/">outcompeting</a> coal and gas in the electricity grid. </p>
<p>The clean energy revolution will create endless economic and job opportunities <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/clean-jobs-plan/">for regions</a>. Australia could lead the world in renewable energy and other clean industries such as <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-could-lead-the-world-on-green-hydrogen-with-the-right-policies-20211103-p595lp.html">renewable hydrogen</a>. </p>
<p>But we need strategic and holistic planning to ensure the transformation of our energy system strikes the right balance for both our champion industries - renewable energy and agriculture. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-coal-is-coming-3-times-faster-than-expected-governments-must-accept-it-and-urgently-support-a-just-transition-173591">The end of coal is coming 3 times faster than expected. Governments must accept it and urgently support a 'just transition'</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173333/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeline Taylor is a Climate Councillor at the Climate Council and is affiliated and has received funding from ACOLA.</span></em></p>
Such tension has played out over many decades between agricultural communities and coal companies. We can avoid history repeating itself if we urgently set the right policies and laws in place.
Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/158754
2021-05-03T12:04:34Z
2021-05-03T12:04:34Z
Installing solar panels over California’s canals could yield water, land, air and climate payoffs
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397904/original/file-20210429-19-1kptpgw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C1196%2C788&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The California Aqueduct, which carries water more than 400 miles south from the Sierra Nevada, splits as it enters Southern California at the border of Kern and Los Angeles counties.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixel-ca-dwr.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000knJL28McpOA/G0000gJKyl5gbEQU/I0000jXSI5vvAnAA/FL-Aqueduct-Y-Split-8042-jpg">California DWR</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Climate change and water scarcity are front and center in the western U.S. The region’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006323117">climate is warming</a>, <a href="https://nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=300492&org=NSF&from=news">a severe multi-year drought is underway</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa8ac0">groundwater supplies are being overpumped</a> in many locations. </p>
<p>Western states are pursuing many strategies to <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/25/">adapt to these stresses and prepare for the future</a>. These include measures to promote renewable energy development, conserve water, and manage natural and working lands more sustainably.</p>
<p>As engineers working on climate-smart solutions, we’ve found an easy win-win for both water and climate in California with what we call the “solar canal solution.” About <a href="https://gis.data.ca.gov/datasets/b788fb2628844f54b92e46dac5bb7229_0?geometry=-131.081%2C33.559%2C-105.548%2C39.723">4,000 miles of canals</a> transport water to some 35 million Californians and 5.7 million acres of farmland across the state. Covering these canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation of precious water – one of California’s most critical resources – and help meet the state’s renewable energy goals, while also saving money. </p>
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<h2>Conserving water and land</h2>
<p>California is <a href="https://www.ppic.org/publication/droughts-in-california/">prone to drought</a>, and water is a constant concern. Now, the changing climate is bringing hotter, drier weather. </p>
<p>Severe droughts over the past 10 to 30 years <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001339">dried up wells</a>, caused officials to implement <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/app/uploads/2015/05/California-Imposes-First-Mandatory-Water-Restrictions-to-Deal-With-Drought-%E2%80%93-Article.pdf">water restrictions</a> and fueled <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/04/10/drought-wildfires-california-west/">massive wildfires</a>. As of mid-April 2021, the entire state was <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA">officially experiencing drought conditions</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, California has ambitious conservation goals. The state has a mandate to <a href="https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/SGMA-Groundwater-Management">reduce groundwater pumping</a> while maintaining reliable supplies to farms, cities, wildlife and <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-we-expand-solar-power-dramatically-without-damaging-protected-lands-49429">ecosystems</a>. As part of a broad climate change initiative, in October 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom directed the California Natural Resources Agency to spearhead efforts <a href="https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Expanding-Nature-Based-Solutions">to conserve 30% of land and coastal waters by 2030</a>. </p>
<p>Most of California’s rain and snow falls north of Sacramento during the winter, while 80% of its water use <a href="https://water.ca.gov/Water-Basics/The-California-Water-System">occurs in Southern California</a>, mostly in summer. That’s why canals snake across the state – it’s the largest such system in the world. We estimate that about 1%-2% of the water they carry is lost to evaporation under the hot California sun.</p>
<p>In a 2021 study, we showed that covering all 4,000 miles of California’s canals with solar panels would <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00693-8">save more than 65 billion gallons of water annually</a> by reducing evaporation. That’s enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or meet the residential water needs of more than 2 million people. By concentrating solar installations on land that is already being used, instead of building them on undeveloped land, this approach would help California meet its sustainable management goals for both <a href="https://water.ca.gov/Programs/California-Water-Plan">water</a> and <a href="https://calepa.ca.gov/2021/01/08/press-release-governors-task-force-outlines-actions-to-reduce-wildfire-risk-improve-health-of-forests-and-wildlands-1-8-21/">land</a> resources. </p>
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<h2>Climate-friendly power</h2>
<p>Shading California’s canals with solar panels would generate substantial amounts of electricity. Our estimates show that it could provide some 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is about half of the new sources the state needs to add to meet its <a href="https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/renewables/">clean electricity goals</a>: 60% from carbon-free sources by 2030 and 100% renewable by 2045.</p>
<p>Installing solar panels over the canals makes both systems more efficient. The solar panels would reduce evaporation from the canals, especially during hot California summers. And because water heats up more slowly than land, the canal water flowing beneath the panels could cool them by 10 F, <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8634893">boosting production of electricity by up to 3%</a>. </p>
<p>These panels could also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2003.10.004">generate electricity locally</a> in many parts of California, lowering both <a href="http://insideenergy.org/2015/11/06/lost-in-transmission-how-much-electricity-disappears-between-a-power-plant-and-your-plug/">transmission losses</a> and costs for consumers. Combining solar power with battery storage can help build microgrids in rural areas and underserved communities, making the power system more efficient and resilient. This would mitigate the risk of power losses due to extreme weather, human error and wildfires. </p>
<p>We estimate that the cost to span canals with solar panels is higher than building ground-mounted systems. But when we added in some of the co-benefits, such as avoided land costs, water savings, aquatic weed mitigation and enhanced PV efficiency, we found that solar canals were a better investment and provided electricity that cost less over the life of the solar installations.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Solar panels shade canals and canals cool the panels." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397187/original/file-20210426-23-1xorm5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Solar panels installed over canals increase the efficiency of both systems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Brandi McKuin</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Benefits to the land</h2>
<p>Solar canals are about much more than just generating renewable energy and saving water. Building these long, thin solar arrays could prevent more than 80,000 acres of farmland or natural habitat from being converted for solar farms. </p>
<p>California grows food for an ever-increasing global population and <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/">produces more than 50% of the fruits, nuts and vegetables</a> that U.S. consumers eat. However, up to 50% of new renewable energy capacity to meet decarbonization goals could be <a href="https://www.scienceforconservation.org/products/power-of-place">sited in agricultural areas</a>, including large swaths of prime farmland. </p>
<p>Solar canal installations will also protect wildlife, ecosystems and culturally important land. Large-scale solar developments can result in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134602">habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation</a>, which can harm threatened species such as the <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/massive-desert-solar-project-experiment-in-tortoise-survival">Mojave Desert tortoise</a>. </p>
<p>They also can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0574-x">harm desert scrub plant communities</a>, including plants that are culturally important to indigenous tribes. As an example, construction of the <a href="https://www.power-technology.com/projects/genesis-solar-energy-center-riverside-county-california/">Genesis Solar Energy Center</a> in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts in 2012-2014 <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/01/18/tribes-want-biden-balance-renewable-energy-and-cultural-issues/4102836001/">destroyed trails and burial sites and damaged important cultural artifacts</a>, spurring protracted legal conflict. </p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p>
<h2>Clearing the air</h2>
<p>By generating clean electricity, solar canals can improve air quality – a serious problem in central California, which has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sanjoaquinvalley/epa-activities-cleaner-air">some of the dirtiest air in the U.S.</a> Solar electricity could help retire particulate-spewing diesel engines that pump water through California’s agricultural valleys. It also could help charge <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/achieving-carbon-neutrality-california-final-report-e3">growing numbers of electric light- and heavy-duty vehicles</a> that move people and goods around the state. </p>
<p>Yet another benefit would be curbing aquatic weeds that choke canals. In <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-solar-canals-revolutionising-indias-renewable-energy">India</a>, where developers have been building solar canals since 2014, shade from the panels limits growth of weeds that block drains and restrict water flow. </p>
<p>Fighting these weeds with herbicide and mechanical equipment is expensive, and herbicides threaten human health and the environment. For large, 100-foot-wide canals in California, we estimate that shading canals would save about US$40,000 per mile. Statewide, savings could reach $69 million per year. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Solar panels would form a glass roof over canals." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397902/original/file-20210429-23-1q3uacf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Artist rendering of a solar canal system for California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Solar Aquagrid LLC</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Bringing solar canals to California</h2>
<p>While India has built solar arrays over canals and the U.S. is developing <a href="https://www.pv-tech.org/us-largest-floating-solar-farm-completed-in-wine-country/">floating solar projects</a>, California lacks prototypes to study locally. </p>
<p>Discussions are underway for both large and small demonstration projects in the Central Valley and Southern California. Building prototypes would help operators, developers and regulators refine designs, assess environmental impacts, measure project costs and benefits, and evaluate how these systems perform. With more data, planners can map out strategies for extending solar canals statewide, and potentially across the West.</p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklysmart">You can get our highlights each weekend</a>.]</p>
<p>It will take a dozen or more partners to plan, fund and carry out a solar canal project in California. Public-private partnerships will likely include federal, state and local government agencies, project developers and university researchers.</p>
<p>California’s aging power infrastructure has contributed to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pge-caused-california-wildfires-safety-measures-2019-10">catastrophic wildfires</a> and <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/wildfires/2020/08/19/california-power-outages-rolling-blackouts-why-they-happening-again/5612003002/">multi-day outages</a>. Building smart solar developments on canals and other disturbed land can make power and water infrastructure more resilient while saving water, reducing costs and helping to fight climate change. We believe it’s a model that should be considered across the country – and the planet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158754/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nothing to disclose.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Bales does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Installing solar panels over California’s 4,000 miles of canals could generate less expensive, renewable energy, save water, fight climate change – and offer a solution for the thirsty American West.
Roger Bales, Distinguished Professor of Engineering, University of California, Merced
Brandi McKuin, Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/157987
2021-04-13T11:29:03Z
2021-04-13T11:29:03Z
Floating solar farms could cool down lakes threatened by climate change
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394308/original/file-20210409-19-7tdcx3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4031%2C2268&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The future of solar energy?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Giles Exley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Solar power is now the <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-is-now-cheapest-electricity-in-history-confirms-iea">cheapest source of electricity in history</a>, according to a <a href="https://webstore.iea.org/world-energy-outlook-2020">2020 report</a> by the International Energy Agency. But there’s something holding this clean energy powerhouse back: space. Unlike fossil fuel power stations, solar farms need a lot of room to generate enough electricity to keep up with demand. Most solar farms are composed of ground-mounted panels that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0309-z">take up land</a> that could be used to grow food or provide habitat for wildlife.</p>
<p>Although electricity and water don’t usually mix, a growing number of <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/19/8154">floating solar farms</a> are being deployed worldwide. Floating solar panels on a lake or reservoir might sound like an accident waiting to happen, but recent studies have shown the technology <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X20311853">generates more electricity</a> compared with rooftop or ground-mounted solar installations. This is thanks to the cooling effect of the water beneath the panels, which can boost how efficiently these systems generate electricity by as much as <a href="https://ietresearch.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1049/iet-rpg.2015.0120">12.5%</a>.</p>
<p>That said, lakes and reservoirs are already very important for people and the planet. While these freshwater bodies cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface, they nurture almost <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1017/S1464793105006950">6% of its biodiversity</a> and provide drinking water and crop irrigation that’s vital to billions of people. Worryingly, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0067-5">climate change</a> has raised the surface temperatures of lakes globally by an average of <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015GL066235">0.34°C per decade since 1985</a>, encouraging <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/320/5872/57?ijkey=42eb549c22938ef3ce5a0daec395d340e1bd6748&amp;keytype2=tf_ipsecsha">toxic algal blooms</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-018-0114-8">lowering water levels</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0322-x">preventing water mixing</a> between the distinct layers which naturally form in larger and deeper lakes, starving the depths of oxygen.</p>
<p>In the rush to decarbonise energy in order to slow global warming, might turning to floating solar farms simply add to the strain on the world’s precious freshwater reserves? Remarkably, in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X2100116X">new research</a>, we found that carefully designed floating solar farms could actually reduce the threats posed by climate change to lakes and reservoirs.</p>
<h2>A buffer against warming</h2>
<p>Along with colleagues, I used a computer model to simulate how floating solar farms are likely to affect lake water temperatures. Our simulations are based on Windermere, the largest lake in England and one of the most <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/monitoring-site/lake-observatories">well-studied</a> lakes in the world.</p>
<p>Floating solar farms reduce how much wind and sunlight reaches the lake’s surface, changing many of the processes that occur within. As each floating solar farm has a different design, we ran simulations to see how lake temperatures changed with over 10,000 unique combinations of wind speed and solar radiation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A raft of solar panels held in place on a reservoir's surface with a mooring rope." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394010/original/file-20210408-23-16423l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A floating solar farm generating electricity for a water treatment works at a reservoir in north-west England.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Giles Exley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X2100116X">Our results</a> suggest that the changes to water temperatures caused by floating solar farms could be as big as climate change itself, only in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>A floating solar farm that reduces wind speed and solar radiation by 10% across the entire lake could offset a decade of warming from climate change. Designs that shaded the lake more than sheltered it, by reducing sunlight more than wind, had the greatest cooling effect. Evaporation fell and the lake was mixed more frequently, which helps oxygenate the deeper water.</p>
<p>These effects might vary depending on a lake’s <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf7b">depth, surface area and location</a>. But ecological processes in lakes are most affected by wind speed and sunlight, which is what our simulations focused on.</p>
<h2>Global potential</h2>
<p>While most of our simulations indicated a win-win for lakes and floating solar farms, some suggested undesirable side effects. In a small number of simulations, we found that floating solar farms that reduced wind speed at the lake’s surface more than they reduced sunlight might actually mimic or amplify the effects of climate change, increasing how long deeper lakes remain stratified. Thankfully, we think the careful design of floating solar farms should reduce these risks.</p>
<p>Floating solar power has grown more than a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211285520306893">hundredfold</a> in the past five years, reaching <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/09/22/floating-solar-pv-gains-global-momentum/">2.6 gigawatts of installed capacity</a> across 35 countries. If just 1% of the surface area of all human-made water bodies (which are easier to access and typically less ecologically sensitive than natural lakes) was covered by floating solar panels, <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/31880/Floating-Solar-Market-Report.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">it could generate 400 gigawatts</a> – enough electricity to power 44 billion LED light bulbs for a year.</p>
<p>Floating solar is likely to make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of the world’s energy supplies. In a stroke of serendipity, our research suggests this could have the added benefit of offsetting part of the damage to lakes caused by rising temperatures.</p>
<p>Still, our simulations only covered the physical effects of floating solar, while other questions remain unresolved. How would floating solar farms interact with other lake uses, such as sport or aquaculture? How would the wildlife sharing the lake fare? And which lakes are best suited to hosting a floating solar farm? The work to fully understand the potential of this technology is only just beginning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157987/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Giles Exley receives funding from NERC and United Utilities for their Envision DTP PhD studentship.</span></em></p>
Earth’s floating solar power capacity has grown one-hundredfold in the last five years.
Giles Exley, Associate Lecturer of Energy and Environment, Lancaster University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/156031
2021-03-01T05:12:14Z
2021-03-01T05:12:14Z
Renewables need land – and lots of it. That poses tricky questions for regional Australia
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386894/original/file-20210301-15-14u409x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3866%2C2089&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Renewable energy capacity in Australia is <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/Files/Electricity/NEM/Planning_and_Forecasting/ISP/2019/Draft-2020-Integrated-System-Plan.pdf">expected to</a> double, or even triple, over the next 20 years. There is one oft-overlooked question in this transition: where will it all be built?</p>
<p>Many renewable energy technologies need extensive land area. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230284417_Optimal_turbine_spacing_in_fully_developed_wind_farm_boundary_layers">Wind turbines</a>, for instance, cannot be located too close together, or they won’t work efficiently.</p>
<p>Some land will be in urban areas. But in the transition to 100% renewable energy, land in the regions will also be needed. This presents big challenges, and opportunities, for the farming sector.</p>
<p>Two important factors lie at the heart of a smooth transition. First, we must recognise that building renewable energy infrastructure in rural landscapes is a complex social undertaking. And second, we must plan to ensure renewables are built where they’ll perform best.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Aerial view of solar farm" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386896/original/file-20210301-15-mxmf96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s renewable energy expansion will require plenty of space – most of it in the regions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Bringing renewables to the regions</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811594953?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ChapterAuthorCongrat">My research</a> has examined how much land future energy generation will require, and the best way to locate a 100% renewable electricity sector in Australia. </p>
<p>A National Farmers Federation <a href="https://nff.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NFF_A4_Regionalisation-Agenda_2021_V7-compressed_1.pdf">paper</a> released last week called for a greater policy focus on renewable energy in regional Australia. It said so-called renewable energy zones should “be at the centre of any regionalisation agenda” and that this would give the technology a competitive advantage.</p>
<p>Hosting renewable energy infrastructure gives farmers a second income stream. This can diversify a farming business and help it withstand periods of financial pressure such as drought. An influx of new infrastructure also boosts regional economies. </p>
<p>But successfully integrating renewables into the agricultural landscape is not without challenges.</p>
<h2>A wicked problem</h2>
<p>Renewable energy enjoys widespread <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/06/most-australians-want-more-renewables-to-help-lower-power-prices-poll">public support</a>. However its development can lead to social conflicts. For example, opposition to wind wind farms, often concentrated at the local level, can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421516304888?via%3Dihub">motivated by concerns</a> about:</p>
<ul>
<li>perceived health impacts</li>
<li>changes to the landscape</li>
<li>damage to wildlife</li>
<li>loss of amenity</li>
<li>reduced property values</li>
<li>procedural fairness.</li>
</ul>
<p>A proposed A$2 billion wind energy development on Tasmania’s King Island shows the difficulties involved in winning community support. The project was eventually <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/b-king-island-wind-farm-scrapped/news-story/8fb4923b62e2c13a53dcd47552b0c051">scrapped</a> in 2014, for economic reasons. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421516304888?via%3Dihub">Research</a> showed how despite the proponents TasWind using a “best practice” mode of community engagement, the proposal caused much social conflict. For example, the holding of a vote served to further polarise the community, and locals were concerned that the community consultation process was not impartial.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/against-the-odds-south-australia-is-a-renewable-energy-powerhouse-how-on-earth-did-they-do-it-153789">Against the odds, South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse. How on Earth did they do it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The local context was also significant: the recent closure of an abattoir, and associated job losses, had increased the community’s stress and sense of vulnerability. This led some to frame the new proposal as an attempt by a large corporation to capitalise on the island’s misfortune. </p>
<p>The King Island experience has all the hallmarks of a “<a href="https://nnsi.northwestern.edu/wicked-problems-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-of-interest-to-nnsi-researchers/">wicked problem</a>” – one that is highly complex and hard to resolve. Such problems are <a href="https://www.apsc.gov.au/tackling-wicked-problems-public-policy-perspective">common in policy areas</a> such as land-use planning and environmental protection. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People protest against wind farm proposal" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386897/original/file-20210301-19-14vly6t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Achieving community consensus on wind farm developments can be challenging.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daniel Mariuz/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wicked problems typically involve competing perspectives and interests. Often, there is no single, correct solution that works for everyone. For example at King Island, the abattoir closure did not mean all locals considered the wind energy proposal to be the answer. </p>
<p>When seeking to address complex policy problems, such as building renewable energy in regional areas, the <a href="https://www.apsc.gov.au/tackling-wicked-problems-public-policy-perspective">best approach</a> involves:</p>
<ul>
<li>collaboration between all affected parties, including people beyond the property where the infrastructure will be located </li>
<li>relationship-building between all those involved, to allow each to see the other’s perspective</li>
<li>shared decision-making on whether the infrastructure will be built, and where.</li>
</ul>
<p>Competition for land is <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811594953?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ChapterAuthorCongrat">intensifying</a> around the world, especially as the population grows. High consumption levels in the West require ever-more land for resources such as food, and land degradation is rife.</p>
<p>To help alleviate this pressure, renewable energy developments may need to co-exist with other land uses, such as cattle <a href="https://edlenergy.com/project/wonthaggi/">grazing</a> around wind turbines. And in many cases, renewable energy should not be built on the most productive cropping land.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cows graze in front of wind turbines" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386898/original/file-20210301-23-1oh7r0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cattle grazing and wind turbines can co-exist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Recipe for success</h2>
<p>A successful energy transition will require strategic, long-term planning to determine where renewable generation is best located. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261916309400?casa_token=MQLjNzEVIzsAAAAA:cxKgbE30d72eWV_Uj71SNS1mjGz4QDf0uD5LPDG8wiZh3qlcvCxNf7lnhnBKitTx-xO-kJIf5LOS">Our research</a> indicates that while many places in Australia have renewable energy potential, some are far better than others. Wind energy is usually best located near the coast, solar farms in arid inland regions and rooftop solar power in densely-populated eastern Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-electricity-transmission-system-and-why-does-it-need-fixing-147903">What is the electricity transmission system, and why does it need fixing?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Traditionally, Australia’s electricity grid infrastructure, such as high-voltage transmission lines, has been located around coal-fired generators and large population centres. Locating renewables near this infrastructure might make it cheaper to connect to the grid. But those sites may not be particularly windy or sunny.</p>
<p>Australia’s electricity grid should be upgraded and expanded to ensure renewables generators are located where they can perform best. Such strategic planning is just what the National Farmers Federation is asking for. Improved connectivity will also help make electricity supplies more reliable, allowing electricity to be transferred between regions if needed.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h4XlSkoDq0k?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Making renewables do-able</h2>
<p>The economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy are well known. But without social acceptance by communities hosting the infrastructure, the clean energy transition will be slowed. There is more work to be done to ensure new renewables projects better respond to the needs of regional communities. </p>
<p>And to ensure Australia best fulfils its renewable energy potential, electricity grid technology must be upgraded and expanded. To date, such planning has not featured prominently enough in public conversation and government policy. </p>
<p>If Australia can overcome these two tricky problems, it will be well on the way to ensuring more reliable electricity, the best return on investment and a low-carbon energy sector.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-need-to-see-the-benefits-from-local-renewable-energy-projects-and-that-means-jobs-138433">People need to see the benefits from local renewable energy projects, and that means jobs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156031/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bonnie McBain received funding from the Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP0669290) to undertake some of the work reported in this article.</span></em></p>
The transition to 100% renewable energy will require a lot of land – mostly in regional Australia. This presents big challenges, and opportunities, for the farming sector.
Bonnie McBain, Lecturer, University of Newcastle
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/153992
2021-02-11T13:01:34Z
2021-02-11T13:01:34Z
Solar panels in Sahara could boost renewable energy but damage the global climate – here’s why
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/383732/original/file-20210211-16-3u8xlq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3834%2C2017&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-solar-power-panels-desert-1013882755">Wadstock/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world’s most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power – the most abundant and clean source of energy we have. Deserts are spacious, relatively flat, rich in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/silicon">silicon</a> – the raw material for the semiconductors from which solar cells are made — and never short of sunlight. In fact, <a href="https://www.power-technology.com/features/the-worlds-biggest-solar-power-plants/">the ten largest solar plants</a> around the world are all located in deserts or dry regions. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45435593">Researchers imagine</a> it might be possible to transform the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, into a giant solar farm, capable of meeting <a href="https://theconversation.com/massive-solar-and-wind-farms-could-bring-vegetation-back-to-the-sahara-102745">four times</a> the world’s current energy demand. Blueprints have been drawn up for projects in <a href="https://www.tunur.tn/">Tunisia</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20161129-the-colossal-african-solar-farm-that-could-power-europe">Morocco</a> that would supply electricity for millions of households in Europe. </p>
<p>While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only a fraction (<a href="https://news.energysage.com/what-are-the-most-efficient-solar-panels-on-the-market/">around 15%</a>) of that incoming energy gets converted to electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat. The panels are usually much darker than the ground they cover, so a vast expanse of solar cells will absorb a lot of additional energy and emit it as heat, affecting the climate.</p>
<p>If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a sparsely populated and barren desert. But <a href="https://energypost.eu/10000-sq-km-of-solar-in-the-sahara-could-provide-all-the-worlds-energy-needs/">the scale of the installations</a> that would be needed to make a dent in the world’s fossil energy demand would be vast, covering thousands of square kilometres. Heat re-emitted from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A satellite view of four different solar farms in deserts." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382614/original/file-20210204-14-5qk8s4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Clockwise from top left: Bhadla solar park, India; Desert Sublight solar farm, US; Hainanzhou solar park, China and Ouarzazate solar park, Morocco.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google Earth</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A greener Sahara</h2>
<p><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6406/1019">A 2018 study</a> used a climate model to simulate the effects of lower albedo on the land surface of deserts caused by installing massive solar farms. Albedo is a measure of how well surfaces reflect sunlight. Sand, for example, is much more reflective than a solar panel and so has a higher albedo.</p>
<p>The model revealed that when the size of the solar farm reaches 20% of the total area of the Sahara, it triggers a feedback loop. Heat emitted by the darker solar panels (compared to the highly reflective desert soil) creates a steep temperature difference between the land and the surrounding oceans that ultimately lowers surface air pressure and causes moist air to rise and condense into raindrops. With more monsoon rainfall, plants grow and the desert reflects less of the sun’s energy, since vegetation absorbs light better than sand and soil. With more plants present, more water is evaporated, creating a more humid environment that causes vegetation to spread.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-turn-the-sahara-desert-into-a-huge-solar-farm-114450">Should we turn the Sahara Desert into a huge solar farm?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This scenario might seem fanciful, but studies suggest that a similar feedback loop kept much of the Sahara green during <a href="https://oxfordre.com/climatescience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-532">the African Humid Period</a>, which only ended 5,000 years ago.</p>
<p>So, a giant solar farm could generate ample energy to meet global demand and simultaneously turn one of the most hostile environments on Earth into a habitable oasis. Sounds perfect, right?</p>
<p>Not quite. In <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020GL090789">a recent study</a>, we used <a href="http://www.ec-earth.org/">an advanced Earth system model</a> to closely examine how Saharan solar farms interact with the climate. Our model takes into account the complex feedbacks between the interacting spheres of the world’s climate – the atmosphere, the ocean and the land and its ecosystems. It showed there could be unintended effects in remote parts of the land and ocean that offset any regional benefits over the Sahara itself.</p>
<h2>Drought in the Amazon, cyclones in Vietnam</h2>
<p>Covering 20% of the Sahara with solar farms raises local temperatures in the desert by 1.5°C according to our model. At 50% coverage, the temperature increase is 2.5°C. This warming is eventually spread around the globe by atmosphere and ocean movement, raising the world’s average temperature by 0.16°C for 20% coverage, and 0.39°C for 50% coverage. The global temperature shift is not uniform though – the polar regions would warm more than the tropics, increasing sea ice loss in the Arctic. This could further accelerate warming, as melting sea ice exposes dark water which absorbs much more solar energy.</p>
<p>This massive new heat source in the Sahara reorganises global air and ocean circulation, affecting precipitation patterns around the world. The narrow band of heavy rainfall in the tropics, which accounts for more than 30% of global precipitation and supports the rainforests of the Amazon and Congo Basin, shifts northward in our simulations. For the Amazon region, this causes droughts as less moisture arrives from the ocean. Roughly the same amount of additional rainfall that falls over the Sahara due to the surface-darkening effects of solar panels is lost from the Amazon. The model also predicts more frequent tropical cyclones hitting North American and East Asian coasts.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four maps depicting regional climate changes under different Sahara solar farm scenarios." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382615/original/file-20210204-22-1ojvzze.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Global temperature, rainfall and surface wind changes in simulations with 20% and 50% solar panel coverage of Sahara.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020GL090789">Lu et al. (2021)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some important processes are still missing from our model, such as dust blown from large deserts. Saharan dust, carried on the wind, is a vital <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-satellite-reveals-how-much-saharan-dust-feeds-amazon-s-plants">source of nutrients</a> for the Amazon and the Atlantic Ocean. So a greener Sahara could have an even bigger global effect than our simulations suggested.</p>
<p>We are only beginning to understand the potential consequences of establishing massive solar farms in the world’s deserts. <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-turn-the-sahara-desert-into-a-huge-solar-farm-114450">Solutions</a> like this may help society transition from fossil energy, but Earth system studies like ours underscore the importance of considering the numerous coupled responses of the atmosphere, oceans and land surface when examining their benefits and risks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153992/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zhengyao Lu receives funding from the Swedish Research Council FORMAS and the Swedish government-funded Strategic Research Area Modelling the Regional and Global Earth System (MERGE). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Smith receives funding from The Swedish Research Council FORMAS, the European Union project Coordinated Research in Earth Systems and Climate: Experiments, Knowledge, Dissemination and Outreach (CRESCENDO), and the Swedish government-funded Strategic Research Area Modelling the Regional and Global Earth System (MERGE).</span></em></p>
In a bid to ditch fossil fuels, some countries are considering carpeting deserts with solar panels.
Zhengyao Lu, Researcher in Physical Geography, Lund University
Benjamin Smith, Director of Research, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/148348
2020-10-27T02:36:10Z
2020-10-27T02:36:10Z
Super-charged: how Australia’s biggest renewables project will change the energy game
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365437/original/file-20201026-21-sba7oi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C0%2C4986%2C2948&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia doesn’t yet export renewable energy. But the writing is on the wall: demand for Australia’s fossil fuel exports is likely to <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-just-stunned-the-world-with-its-step-up-on-climate-action-and-the-implications-for-australia-may-be-huge-147268">dwindle</a> <a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3105693/china-australia-relations-canberra-keeping-door-open">soon</a>, and we must replace it at massive scale.</p>
<p>The proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub (<a href="https://asianrehub.com">AREH</a>) will be a huge step forward. It would eventually comprise 26,000 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar energy, generated in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Once complete, it would be Australia’s biggest renewable energy development, and potentially the <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/job-creating-energy-hub-given-major-status-backing">largest</a> of its type in the world. </p>
<p>Late last week, the federal government <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/huge-50bn-pilbara-green-hydrogen-hub-granted-major-project-status-17416/">granted</a> AREH “major project” status, meaning it will be fast-tracked through the approvals process. And in another significant step, the WA government this month <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/massive-asian-renewable-energy-hub-grows-to-26gw-of-wind-and-solar-49343/">gave</a> environmental approval for the project’s first stage.</p>
<p>The mega-venture still faces sizeable challenges. But it promises to be a game-changer for Australia’s lucrative energy export business and will reshape the local renewables sector. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Map showing proposed location of the Asian Renewable Energy Hub." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365444/original/file-20201026-21-wgxgza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=586&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Map showing proposed location of the Asian Renewable Energy Hub.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AREH</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Writing on the wall</h2>
<p>Australia’s coal and gas exports have been growing for decades, and in 2019-20 reached almost <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-mining-idUSL3N26L0OI">A$110 billion</a>. Much of this energy has fuelled Asia’s rapid growth. However, in recent weeks, two of Australia’s largest Asian energy markets announced big moves away from fossil fuels.</p>
<p>China <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-just-stunned-the-world-with-its-step-up-on-climate-action-and-the-implications-for-australia-may-be-huge-147268">adopted a target</a> of net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2060. Japan will <a href="https://theconversation.com/japan-is-closing-its-old-dirty-power-plants-and-thats-bad-news-for-australias-coal-exports-144452">retire</a> its fleet of old coal-fired generation by 2030, and will <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/japan-net-zero-2050-emissions-climate-crisis-prime-minister-yoshihide-suga-b1251563.html">introduce</a> legally binding targets to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. </p>
<p>There are signs other Asian nations are also moving. Singapore has <a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/singapore/">weak climate targets</a>, but on Monday <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/taylor/media-releases/australia-and-singapore-work-together-accelerate-low-emissions">inked a deal</a> with Australia to cooperate on low-emissions technologies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Night scene in Japan" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365447/original/file-20201026-19-fnu1u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Japan wants to decarbonise its economy by using hydrogen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Export evolution</h2>
<p>The Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) would be built across 6,500 square kilometres in the East Pilbara. The first stage involves a 10,000MW wind farm plus 5,000MW of solar generation – which the federal government <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/job-creating-energy-hub-given-major-status-backing">says</a> would make it the world’s largest wind and solar electricity plant. </p>
<p>The first stage would be capable of generating <a href="https://asianrehub.com/">100 terawatt-hours</a> of renewable electricity each year. That equates to about 40% of Australia’s total electricity generation <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html">in 2019</a>. AREH recently expanded its longer term plans to 26,000MW. </p>
<p>The project is backed by a consortium of global renewables developers. Most energy from AREH will be used to produce <a href="https://asianrehub.com">green hydrogen</a> and ammonia to be used both domestically, and for shipping to export markets. Some energy from AREH will also be exported as electricity, carried by an undersea electrical cable. </p>
<p>Another Australian project is also seeking to export renewable power to Asia. The 10-gigawatt <a href="https://www.suncable.sg/">Sun Cable project</a>, backed by tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, involves a solar farm across 15,000 hectares near Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory. Power generated will supply Darwin and be exported to Singapore via a 3,800km electrical cable along the sea floor.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/it-might-sound-batshit-insane-but-australia-could-soon-export-sunshine-to-asia-via-a-3-800km-cable-127612">It might sound 'batshit insane' but Australia could soon export sunshine to Asia via a 3,800km cable</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The export markets for both AREH and Sun Cable are there. For example, both South Korea and Japan have indicated strong interest in Australia’s green hydrogen to decarbonise their economies and secure energy supplies. </p>
<p>But we should not underestimate the obstacles standing in the way of the projects. Both will require massive investment. Sun Cable, for example, will cost an estimated <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/some-crazy-folks-behind-mike-cannon-brookes-20b-sun-cable-project-22944">A$20 billion</a> to build. The Asian Renewable Energy Hub will reportedly require as much as <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/huge-50bn-pilbara-green-hydrogen-hub-granted-major-project-status-17416/">A$50 billion.</a></p>
<p>The projects are also at the cutting edge of technology, in terms of the assembly of the solar array, the wind turbines and batteries. Transport of hydrogen <a href="https://hydrogenenergysupplychain.com/supply-chain/">by ship</a> is still at the pilot stage, and commercially unproven. And the projects must navigate complex approvals and regulatory processes, in both Australia and Asia. </p>
<p>But the projects have good strategic leadership, and a clear mission to put Australian green energy exports on the map. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Red sand and tussocks of grass" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/365441/original/file-20201026-15-1tnu3qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s Pilbara region would be home to Australia’s biggest renewables development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Shifting winds</h2>
<p>Together, the AREH and Sun Cable projects do not yet make a trend. But they clearly indicate a shift in mindset on the part of investors. </p>
<p>The projects promise enormous clean development opportunities for Australia’s north, and will create thousands of jobs in Australia – especially in high-tech manufacturing. As we look to rebuild the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, such stimulus will be key. All up, AREH is <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/job-creating-energy-hub-given-major-status-backing">expected to support</a> more than 20,000 jobs during a decade of construction, and 3,000 jobs when fully operating. </p>
<p>To make smart policies and investments, the federal government must have a clear view of the future global economy. Patterns of energy consumption in Asia are shifting away from fossil fuels, and Australia’s exports must move with them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/china-just-stunned-the-world-with-its-step-up-on-climate-action-and-the-implications-for-australia-may-be-huge-147268">China just stunned the world with its step-up on climate action – and the implications for Australia may be huge</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148348/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Mathews receives funding from he Australian Research Council for research on the clean energy transition in Asia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Thurbon currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Academy of Korean Studies. She has previously received funding from the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Korea Foundation. She is an elected member of the Executive Council of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) and a Research Committee and Board member of the Jubilee Australia Research Centre (JARC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hao Tan receives funding from the Australia Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project 2019-2021. He previously received funding from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and funding from the Confucius Institute Headquarters under the "Understanding China Fellowship" in 2017.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sung-Young Kim receives funding from the Australia Research Council (ARC) and has previously received funding from the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS). He is Chair of the Organising Committee for the 2021 Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) Annual Conference and is Treasurer of the Korean Studies Association of Australasia (KSAA).</span></em></p>
Many Asian nations are shunning fossil fuels, presenting a huge opportunity for Australia’s renewables sector. And one massive project has stepped up to the plate.
John Mathews, Professor Emeritus, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University
Elizabeth Thurbon, Scientia Associate Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, UNSW Sydney
Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle
Sung-Young Kim, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Discipline of Politics & International Relations, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/142972
2020-07-23T01:30:21Z
2020-07-23T01:30:21Z
In a world first, Australian university builds own solar farm to offset 100% of its electricity use
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348792/original/file-20200722-35-1kkklly.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5176%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Glenn Hunt</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Limiting global warming to well below 2°C this century <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/#:%7E:text=Global%20net%20human%2Dcaused%20emissions,removing%20CO2%20from%20the%20air.">requires</a> carbon emissions to reach net zero by around 2050. Australian households have done much to support the transition via <a href="https://assets.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/documents/resources/reports/clean-energy-australia/clean-energy-australia-report-2020.pdf">rooftop solar investments</a>. Now it’s time for organisations to take a more serious role. </p>
<p>The University of Queensland’s efforts to reduce its electricity emissions provides one blueprint. Last week UQ opened a <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/node/126784">64 megawatt solar farm</a> at Warwick in the state’s southeast. It’s the <a href="https://giving.uq.edu.au/stories/100-cent-renewable-energy-uq-sets-new-standard">first major university</a> in the world to offset 100% of its electricity use with renewable power produced from its own assets. In fact, UQ will generate more renewable electricity than it uses.</p>
<p>The Warwick Solar farm shows businesses and other organisations that the renewables transition is doable, and makes economic sense.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348787/original/file-20200722-19-1a94fhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The renewables transition makes economic sense.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Glenn Hunt</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A model for the future</h2>
<p>UQ’s electricity decarbonisation journey started a decade ago when it installed a <a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/renewable-energy/uq-rooftop-solar-facilities">1.2MW rooftop solar array</a> across buildings at the St Lucia campus. At the time, it was the largest rooftop solar array in Australia. </p>
<p>In 2015 UQ launched the <a href="https://solar-energy.uq.edu.au/facilities/gatton">3.3MW solar farm at Gatton</a> – part of a world-class solar research facility open to researchers from around the world.</p>
<p>Building on this, last week UQ opened the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/node/126784">Warwick solar farm</a>, primarily funded through a <a href="https://universitas21.com/sites/default/files/2020-04/University%20of%20Queensland_Jessica%20Gallagher.pdf">A$125 million loan</a> from the Queensland Government. The <a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/warwick-solar-farm-technical-information">output</a> – about 160 gigawatt-hours a year – is equal to powering about 27,000 homes or reducing coal consumption by more than 60,000 tonnes. This generation will more than offset the total amount of energy UQ’s sites use each year. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/really-australia-its-not-that-hard-10-reasons-why-renewable-energy-is-the-future-130459">Really Australia, it's not that hard: 10 reasons why renewable energy is the future</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>Money that would previously have been spent paying the university’s electricity bills will instead now pay off this loan, over about a decade. This shows how an organisation can redirect operating expenditure to invest in emissions reduction. </p>
<p>Three months ago, UQ also installed a <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/05/uq%E2%80%99s-tesla-battery-saving-big-energy-bucks">1.1MW Tesla battery</a> at its St Lucia campus. As Queensland’s largest on-site battery, it saved UQ almost A$75,000 in <a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/files/11868/EPBQtyRptq12020.pdf">electricity costs</a> during the first three months of operation. It did this by buying power when it was cheap and selling it during peak demand periods, as well as helping support the grid during faults. </p>
<p>These projects provide a “living laboratory” for teaching and research. They also give crucial insights into how organisations can invest in renewable generation and energy storage assets today, to increase their commercial viability. </p>
<p>UQ has made data generated by its <a href="http://dashboards.sustainability.uq.edu.au/warwick-solar-farm/display/">solar</a> and <a href="http://dashboards.sustainability.uq.edu.au/engineering-precinct-battery/interactive/#/">battery</a> assets publicly available so other organisations can learn from its efforts.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bdBWVBoXiXM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Opening of UQ’s Warwick Solar Farm in 2020.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why organisations must act</h2>
<p>About 2,000 companies are jointly responsible for more than <a href="https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/onwards-together/">half the world’s emissions</a>. In many cases, investors are now <a href="http://www.climateaction100.org">calling on companies</a> to demonstrate how their activities are compatible with a net-zero emissions target.</p>
<p>Organisations generate greenhouse gas emissions in different ways. “Scope 1” emissions come from assets owned or controlled by the organisation, such as company-owned vehicles or power plants. “Scope 2” emissions come from electricity consumed, and “Scope 3” involves a wide range of indirect emissions such as staff commuting or waste disposal. </p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-pretty-good-start-but-room-for-improvement-3-experts-rate-australias-emissions-technology-plan-132866">A pretty good start but room for improvement: 3 experts rate Australia's emissions technology plan</a>
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<p>Companies can also contribute to emissions produced overseas, but these are generally not captured by standard national <a href="https://publications.industry.gov.au/publications/climate-change/climate-change/climate-science-data/greenhouse-gas-measurement/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-factors-august-2019.html">emissions accounts</a>.</p>
<p>A 2015 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2770">study</a> was the first to translate global climate targets to a company level. Since then, more than 900 companies have committed to climate action through the <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/">Science Based Targets initiative</a>. </p>
<p>Typically, companies are not yet evaluated in terms of their performance against <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650319825764">climate goals</a>. However, attention from investors on climate risk and impact is increasing. It’s only a matter of time before lagging companies will face greater scrutiny from investors, governments and the broader public. All the more reason to start acting today. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=312&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=312&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=312&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348809/original/file-20200722-19-8xe00q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Public pressure is building on companies to reduce emissions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">School Strike 4 Climate Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Over to you</h2>
<p>An organisation must take a holistic view of all its activities, to fully understand the emissions it creates. From this they can develop a sustainability “action plan” which includes setting <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/">science-based targets </a>. UQ is currently finalising a ten-year Sustainability Strategy based on the UN’s <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">Sustainable Development Goals</a>.</p>
<p>Other ways organisations can reduce emissions include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>entering into <a href="https://arena.gov.au/knowledge-bank/corporate-renewable-power-purchase-agreements-in-australia-state-of-the-market-2019/">power purchase agreements</a> with renewable energy generators – basically a contract for the sale and supply of renewable energy</p></li>
<li><p>investing in <a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/campus-sustainability/energy">energy efficient equipment</a> such as LED lighting and modern air conditioners</p></li>
<li><p>transitioning to a low-emission vehicle fleet and supporting <a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/campus-sustainability/transport">sustainable transport alternatives</a> such as electric scooters, bikes, cars and buses </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/campus-sustainability/recycling-and-waste">minimising waste</a> and recycling more</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/sustainable-food">supporting sustainable food practices</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The time for talk is over. Organisations must now actively play their part in achieving global net-zero emissions. The University of Queensland shows how it can be done.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-could-the-world-stop-using-fossil-fuels-today-138605">Climate explained: could the world stop using fossil fuels today?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142972/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Jake Whitehead is the Tritium e-Mobility Fellow at the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation at The University of Queensland, a Research Fellow at the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland, holds an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship focussed on how electric vehicles can deliver co-benefits to the energy sector, is a Member of the International Electric Vehicle Policy Council, and is an AR6 Lead Author for The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peta Ashworth is Director, Andrew N Liveris Innovation and Leadership Academy and Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland. Peta has previously received funding from the Australian Council of Learned Academies Secretariat on "Understanding the socio-economic challenges for energy storage uptake"; from Australian Renewable Energy Agency for "Investigating the Australian public's attitudes to hydrogen"; Peta currently leads the Social License to Operate Work Package 2 of the Future Fuels CRC among other research grants from the Australian Research Council.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saphira Rekker is a Lecturer in Finance at the University of Queensland. Saphira is a member of the Technical Working Group for the Oil & Gas sector methodology of the Science-Based Targets initiative and Assessing Carbon Transitions initiative. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tapan K Saha is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland since 2005, where he joined as a Lecturer in January 1996. He leads UQ Solar research for grid integration. He receives funding from Australian Research Council, Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Queensland State Government and Commonwealth Government departments, Australian Electricity Supply Industry, Australian Power Institute, Energy Networks Australia etc. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Wilson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Households shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting in the renewables transition. A new solar farm shows organisations and businesses how it’s done.
Jake Whitehead, Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellow & Tritum E-Mobility Fellow, The University of Queensland
Andrew Wilson, Project Director - Warwick Solar Farm, The University of Queensland
Peta Ashworth, Professor and Chair in Sustrainable Energy Futures, The University of Queensland
Saphira Rekker, Lecturer Finance, The University of Queensland
Tapan K Saha, Professor, Leader-UQ Solar, The University of Queensland
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/138433
2020-06-18T20:05:36Z
2020-06-18T20:05:36Z
People need to see the benefits from local renewable energy projects, and that means jobs
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341753/original/file-20200615-65925-qdesrt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=395%2C745%2C4361%2C2242&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/holidaypointau/8022726021/">Holiday Point/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government’s <a href="https://consult.industry.gov.au/climate-change/technology-investment-roadmap/supporting_documents/technologyinvestmentroadmapdiscussionpaper.pdf">investment roadmap</a> for low-emissions technologies promises <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/morrisons-lack-of-transparency-is-undermining-green-recovery-mps-say-41767/">more taxpayers’ money to the gas industry</a> but fails to deliver the policy needed for people to support a transition to renewable energy. </p>
<p>It ignores what <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/the-curious-case-of-taylor-s-technology-road-map-20200521-p54vaa">academic experts</a>, the <a href="https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/pub?pid=csiro:EP189502" title="GenCost 2018: Updated projections of electricity generation technology costs">CSIRO</a>, the <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/news/renewable-integration-study">Australian Energy Market Operator</a>, the <a href="https://cdn.aigroup.com.au/Speeches/2020/Address_Economic-Recovery-and-Energy-Transition-CEC_5May_2020.pdf">Australian Industry Group</a> and <a href="https://www.smartenergy.org.au/stimulus-summit-renewablesled-economic-recovery">several premiers and energy ministers</a> are all saying: renewable sources of energy are <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-future-of-solar-power-from-unbelievably-cheap-to-insanely-cheap-77615/">already cheaper</a> than gas or coal generation, and wind and solar could provide <a href="https://aemo.com.au/en/news/renewable-integration-study">up to 75% of Australia’s electricity by 2025</a>. </p>
<p>The technologies could also drive employment in a post-COVID renewables-led recovery, enabling Australia to “<a href="https://cdn.aigroup.com.au/Speeches/2020/Address_Economic-Recovery-and-Energy-Transition-CEC_5May_2020.pdf">rebuild stronger and cleaner</a>”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-giants-want-to-thwart-reforms-that-would-help-renewables-and-lower-power-bills-140640">Energy giants want to thwart reforms that would help renewables and lower power bills</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But policymakers need to make sure the communities bearing the costs of the energy transition also share in its benefits.</p>
<h2>Get local people involved</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://decarbenergy.net/">research</a> on the social impacts of renewable energy shows a strong emphasis on sharing the benefits with the community and encouraging participation is essential for successful energy transitions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342609/original/file-20200618-41213-r2qg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wind farms and other renewable energy developments could help drive a post-COVID recovery.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/indigoskies/6438065087">Flickr/Indigo Skies Photography</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The bulk of well-paid, plentiful jobs in renewables come during <a href="https://www.irena.org/publications/2017/Jun/Renewable-Energy-Benefits-Leveraging-Local-Capacity-for-Onshore-Wind">manufacture and construction</a>, but who benefits from those jobs can be an issue.</p>
<p>Mortlake, in south-west Victoria, is home to two wind farms that won tenders under the state’s <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorian-renewable-energy-auction-scheme">Renewable Energy Auction Scheme</a>.</p>
<p>The scheme is successful in making local content commitments, with regional supply chains and training in <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/vestas-wind-turbine-assembly-plant-opens-at-old-ford-factory-in-victoria-20839/">Geelong</a>, <a href="https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/news/wind-turbine-factory-brings-fresh-air-to-manufacturing-to-geelong">Ballarat</a> and <a href="https://www.cefc.com.au/media/63400/cefc-factsheet-pacifichydro_lr.pdf">Portland</a>. Local content in this context refers to the <a href="https://jobs.vic.gov.au/about-jobs-victoria/our-programs/major-projects-skills-guarantee">Victorian Major Projects Skills Guarantee</a> and the <a href="https://localjobsfirst.vic.gov.au/">Local Jobs First</a> policy. These government schemes are principally designed to encourage employment in Victoria.</p>
<p>While some construction workers have come from <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/local-industry-leading-the-charge-at-mortlake-south-wind-farm-38707/">nearby areas</a>, employment is mainly local to the state, not to people living in Mortlake. One of the locals described the experience to us as a “circus coming to town” – not jobs. </p>
<p>Commitments to Australian employment are a step in the right direction, but the term “local” should be used with caution. </p>
<p>The suppliers and tradespeople in a community earmarked for any renewable energy project may lack the specialist training and hence are less likely to get hired. Industry tendering processes still tend to favour large national or international contractors with established supply chains.</p>
<p>The wind industry in Mortlake has become a better listener to community concerns, partly due to lessons learnt from <a href="https://www.standard.net.au/story/5651589/huge-meeting-rejects-proposed-mount-fyans-wind-farm/">previous local opposition</a> to proposed wind farms. The emphasis now is on local benefits and engagement.</p>
<p>For example, one of the wind farm developers agreed to put the transmission line underground <a href="https://www.standard.net.au/story/5944640/mortlake-south-wind-farm-transmission-lines-will-be-installed-underground/">following council lobbying</a>. </p>
<h2>Don’t divide communities</h2>
<p>Renewable energy projects are often in direct competition with gas for the hearts and minds of communities.</p>
<p>Yet one <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/institute-sustainable-futures/news/renewable-energy-could-power-future-narrabri">study</a> found there are many more potential jobs in renewables than in gas in north-west New South Wales.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341760/original/file-20200615-65925-1ilmvm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Solar farms promise jobs, but who gets them?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pietermorlion/7002498434/">Flickr/Pieter Morlion</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Narrabri is close to the NSW government’s <a href="https://energy.nsw.gov.au/renewables/renewable-energy-zones/">New England Renewable Energy Zone</a>. According to the <a href="https://altenergy.com.au/">AltEnergy database</a>, there have been proposals dating from 2018 for at least six solar farms in the region (three each in Narrabri and Gunnedah). </p>
<p>Together these would produce about 600 megawatts of electricity. Most of the projects have undertaken community consultation and secured planning approvals. Only Gunnedah South, which has secured a <a href="https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/amazon-signs-first-australian-ppa-to-buy-output-from-nsw-gunnedah-solar-farm/">power supply contract with Amazon</a>, appears to be imminent, with <a href="https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/projects/2018/11/gunnedah-solar-farm">150 locally sourced jobs</a> in the construction phase.</p>
<p>Locals we interviewed in Narrabri and Gunnedah in 2018 were sceptical that renewables could deliver lasting jobs. Clearly, there still needs to be evidence on the ground that the renewables industry can create local employment, whether directly or via related ventures and supply chains.</p>
<p>While few people knew of the numerous solar projects or could name the companies involved, everybody we spoke to knew of Santos and its proposal to drill the region for gas.</p>
<p>Santos <a href="https://narrabrigasproject.com.au/ask-us/">says</a> it will create “up to” 200 ongoing jobs from its operations. But this is <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/5402881/twice-as-many-jobs-if-narrabri-chooses-renewables-over-gas-report/">contested</a> and there are concerns about <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/low-confidence-expert-panel-raises-concerns-about-santos-coal-seam-gas-impacts-20170830-gy6wgc.html">impacts of gas drilling on water and on agriculture</a>.</p>
<p>Opposition to the gas project has been strong. In 2018 the <a href="https://gisera.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Social-7-Final-Report-correct.pdf">CSIRO found</a> no more than 43% of locals would “be OK with” the proposed gas operation.</p>
<p>Yet Santos has created a sophisticated operation to press its case. The gas giant has its own store in town and <a href="https://narrabricourier.com.au/2019/12/17/santos-donates-40000-to-help-drought-families/">donates money to local organisations</a>. As we found, its name is everywhere: on rugby jerseys, at the golf course, in the local newspaper. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZNM1MniuyN8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Santos in Narrabri.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Locals miss out on the benefits</h2>
<p>The real problem with getting acceptance of renewables lies in ownership and participation. If local communities miss out on economic benefits from corporate-owned renewables, their willingness to accept infrastructure, such as an ever-greater density of wind farms, declines.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/really-australia-its-not-that-hard-10-reasons-why-renewable-energy-is-the-future-130459">Really Australia, it's not that hard: 10 reasons why renewable energy is the future</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The clear lesson is that social legitimacy comes from local benefits. If people see little local benefit and have weak relationships with the energy companies, they are likely to focus on negatives such as disruption to views, ecology and land use.</p>
<p>Improving the quality and stability of jobs would be a good start. Supporting local ownership, making regulation more renewables-friendly and diversifying and democratising energy production would help build a lasting social base for the energy transition we have to have.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138433/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Morton receives funding from Australian Research Council </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Goodman receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Paul Marshall is involved in project "Society and climate change: A social analysis of disruptive technology" and participating in "Decarbonising Electricity: a Comparison in Socio-ecological Relations". He is a member of the Greens.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katja Müller received ARC funding for 'The Coal Rush and Beyond' and 'Decarbonising Electricity'.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Riikka Heikkinen receives funding from a scholarship from UTS for my PhD. She has student memberships in the Australian Institute of Energy, Smart Energy Council and Australian Wind Alliance.</span></em></p>
Renewable energy projects are often in direct competition with fossil fuels for the hearts and minds of communities. There’s a way to win people over though, with ongoing local employment.
Tom Morton, Associate Professor, Journalism, Stream Leader, Climate Justice Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney
James Goodman, Professor in Political Sociology, University of Technology Sydney
Jonathan Paul Marshall, Future Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
Katja Müller, Postdoctoral Researcher in Anthropology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Riikka Heikkinen, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/136168
2020-05-15T12:12:32Z
2020-05-15T12:12:32Z
Solar farms, power stations and water treatment plants can be attractions instead of eyesores
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334817/original/file-20200513-156651-13qpfmc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1024%2C843&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Infrastructure as art: Jacob van Ruisdael, 'Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede,' c. 1670. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://hart.amsterdam/collectie/object/amcollect/38744">Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amid the economic and social fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people see the process of restarting society as a chance to do things differently. Some organizations are calling for big investments in infrastructure, both to <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/featured/infrastructure-productivity-boost-coronavirus">generate jobs</a> and to promote <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/a-green-reboot-after-the-pandemic/">green economic growth</a>. </p>
<p>But projects that sound worthy in the abstract can meet stiff resistance when it’s time to break ground locally. For example, in 2012 I served on a committee tasked with choosing an energy provider to build a solar farm on an old landfill in the progressive town of Amherst, Massachusetts. Neighbors, who were not consulted, fought to preserve a bucolic meadow that had grown up on the landfill site. After several lawsuits, the project died an unhappy death.</p>
<p>This debacle got me thinking. As an <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=K9EF21oAAAAJ&hl=en">architectural historian</a>, I knew that Americans had not always been so disconnected from facilities that produced necessities like food, energy and clean water. My new book, “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/landscape-and-infrastructure-9781350071094/">Landscape and Infrastructure: Re-Imagining the Pastoral Paradigm for the 21st Century</a>,” explores how Western views of the systems that sustain society have evolved. It also highlights contemporary projects that successfully marry infrastructure and community into places where people want to be.</p>
<h2>Art objects and tourist attractions</h2>
<p>In European landscape paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/jacob-van-ruisdael">Jacob Ruisdael’s Dutch landscapes</a>, windmills compete with church spires for prominence on the skyline. This wasn’t just an aesthetic choice. Painters focused on windmills because they generated wealth and prosperity.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334805/original/file-20200513-156665-uw4kqo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The ha-ha in front of Heaton Hall, Heaton Park, Manchester, U.K.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Heaton_Hall_Ha-Ha_%28filtered%29.JPG">Richerman/English Wikipedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Classic English landscape gardens include a feature called <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/what-is-a-ha-ha">a ha-ha</a> – a grassy trench running across a lawn, reinforced by a sunken wall that was invisible from the main house. This created a view of what looked like unbroken lawn, grazed by sheep and cattle – key sources of wealth and prosperity – while separating visitors from the animals and their waste.</p>
<p>In the 19th and 20th centuries a handful of architects and artists wrangled with weaving infrastructure and nature together. Frederick Graff’s 1823 <a href="https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/water-works-restaurant-and-lounge/">Fairmount Water Works</a> protected Philadelphia’s water supply and drew hordes of visitors to admire its Neo-Palladian architecture and landscape park along the Schuylkill River. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334816/original/file-20200513-156641-seia91.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thomas Doughty, ‘View of the Fairmount Waterworks, Philadelphia, from the West Bank of the Schuylkill River,’ 1826.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/343835.html?mulR=64047836%7C6">Philadelphia Museum of Art</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And in the 1930s Frank Lloyd Wright envisioned a utopian community called <a href="https://franklloydwright.org/revisiting-frank-lloyd-wrights-vision-broadacre-city/">Broadacre City</a> – his Depression-era answer to urban planning. This project, which was never built at scale, wove together gardens, industry and residences into what he called a <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/usonia-the-beautiful/">Usonian society</a> – one that offered Americans deeper connections with nature and productivity. </p>
<h2>Going industrial</h2>
<p>Yet as societies industrialized, artists and landscape architects began to downplay or separate industry and infrastructure from their views of nature. People came to understand nature as something unspoiled and separate from modern communities – a view that still dominates today.</p>
<p>As cities and suburbs expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries, so did power stations, water treatment plants and waste facilities. Increasingly, these structures were built on the industrial fringes of metropolitan areas, out of sight and out of mind. Often they were located in underserved communities that lacked the political clout to object. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329536/original/file-20200421-82654-17b5ujt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A solar farm in Hadley, Massachusetts, that produces renewable electricity but does nothing for the land it sits on.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Margaret Vickery</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even renewable energy systems, for all of their green cachet, often perpetuate this destructive tradition. Many solar farms across the U.S. are lifeless slabs encircled by chain link fences, taking up land and habitat. For most of us, the idea that infrastructure can be inviting and aesthetic seems contradictory.</p>
<h2>Productive and attractive</h2>
<p>What’s the alternative? In my book I highlight recent infrastructure projects whose creative teams included artists, architects or landscape architects and invited community input. These facilities don’t just generate electricity or process waste: They also offer recreation and education, and connect visitors to the sources of their energy and drinking water.</p>
<p>Hampden, Connecticut’s <a href="https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/CT-01-009-0098">water filtration plant</a>, completed in 2005, is one such ecological and aesthetic asset. The structure, which resembles an inverted silver teardrop, emerges from a landscape carefully designed to mimic the filtering processes that happen within the building. Paths and ponds around the site provide recreation, education and wildlife habitat. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335141/original/file-20200514-77235-1ro2zib.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lake Whitney Water Purification Plant, Hamden, Connecticut, 2005. Steven Holl Architects, Michael van Valkenburgh Landscape Architects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Elizabeth Felicella</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="http://www.hooddesignstudio.com/solarstrand">Solar Strand</a> at the University at Buffalo, New York, designed in 2012, is a dramatic contrast to fields of solar panels arranged in unbroken rows. Laid out like a strand of DNA, irregular placement of arrays creates breakout spaces for outdoor classrooms. Paths meander through, wildflowers bloom and rabbits graze. It is a place of learning and recreation that showcases the school’s commitment to clean energy. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-7nI98b1R8I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Landscape architect Walter Hood describes his concept for the UB Solar Strand.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Copenhagen’s <a href="http://www.volund.dk/Waste_to_Energy/References/ARC_Amager_Bakke_Copenhagen">Amager Bakke</a> waste-to-energy plant, completed in 2019, converts trash to electricity and provides an <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150162866/big-s-waste-to-energy-ski-slope-amager-bakke-is-now-open">artificial ski slope</a> and climbing walls for visitors who come to recycle their washing machines, paper and plastics. The ski track on the plant’s sloping roof is bordered by green plantings that spread seeds across the surrounding landscape. Waste-to-energy plants are <a href="https://theconversation.com/garbage-in-garbage-out-incinerating-trash-is-not-an-effective-way-to-protect-the-climate-or-reduce-waste-84182">highly unpopular in many places</a>, but developers built a new apartment complex near Amager Bakke to take advantage of the recreational opportunities it offers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335144/original/file-20200514-77239-ms84yq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On the sloping roof of the Amager Bakke Waste to Energy Plant, Copenhagen, 2018 (artist’s rendition).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">© SLA Landscape Architects</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.cfmoller.com/p/Energy-Climate-and-Environmental-Park-i3034.html#">Solrøgård Energy, Climate and Environmental Park</a>, opened in 2019 in Hillerød, Denmark, is home to a recycling center, geothermal energy system and state-of-the-art <a href="https://www.designraid.net/11126/solrodgard-water-treatment-plant-by-henning-larsen-architects/">wastewater treatment plant</a>. The plant features two buildings, bifurcated by rainwater gardens and flowering trees, tucked within the landscape. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHj3kA2Ay_E&feature=youtu.be">Paths lead over their grassy roofs</a>, and large windows offer views of the treatment processes taking place inside. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335146/original/file-20200514-77255-ayr0ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hillerød Renseanlaeg Water Treatment Plant, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">© Henning Larsen Architects A/S/</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>All of these facilities involve the surrounding community, educate the public and include nature and the landscape. Such creative approaches could have avoided the bitter dispute Amherst experienced in 2012. </p>
<p>Projects like these demonstrate that infrastructure can do more than provide energy and water: It can also create aesthetically welcoming spaces for society. As U.S. leaders consider how to restart the economy, I believe they should consider investing in projects that are not only productive, but enhance and revitalize the communities around them. </p>
<p>[<em>Insight, in your inbox each day.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=insight">You can get it with The Conversation’s email newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136168/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meg Vickery receives funding from the University of Massachusetts Amherst for research. </span></em></p>
Are facilities that produce necessities like energy and clean water doomed to be ugly? Not when artists and landscape architects help design them.
Margaret Birney Vickery, Lecturer in Art History, UMass Amherst
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/127612
2020-02-26T05:01:28Z
2020-02-26T05:01:28Z
It might sound ‘batshit insane’ but Australia could soon export sunshine to Asia via a 3,800km cable
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317035/original/file-20200225-24651-1472rmd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=29%2C22%2C4962%2C3300&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/top-view-solar-panels-cell-farm-727265005">SHUTTERSTOCK</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is the world’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/19/australia-is-third-largest-exporter-of-fossil-fuels-behind-russia-and-saudi-arabia">third largest fossil fuels exporter</a> – a fact that generates intense debate as climate change intensifies. While the economy is heavily reliant on coal and gas export revenues, these fuels create substantial greenhouse gas emissions when burned overseas.</p>
<p>Australia doesn’t currently export renewable energy. But an ambitious new solar project is poised to change that. </p>
<p>The proposed <a href="https://www.suncable.sg/">Sun Cable</a> project envisions a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/20/billionaires-invest-in-giant-australian-solar-farm-to-supply-power-to-singapore">ten gigawatt capacity solar farm</a> (with about 22 gigawatt-hours of battery storage) laid out across 15,000 hectares near Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory. Power generated will supply Darwin and be exported to Singapore via a 3,800km cable slung across the seafloor. </p>
<p>Sun Cable, and similar projects in the pipeline, would tap into the country’s vast renewable energy resources. They promise to provide an alternative to the export business of <a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/country/aus/">coal, iron ore and gas</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-energy-exports-increase-global-greenhouse-emissions-not-decrease-them-118990">Australia's energy exports increase global greenhouse emissions, not decrease them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As experts of east-Asian energy developments, we welcome Sun Cable. It could pioneer a renewable energy export industry for Australia, creating new manufacturing industries and construction jobs. Importantly, it could set our economy on a post-fossil fuel trajectory. </p>
<h2>Long-term cost benefits</h2>
<p>Sun Cable was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/14/just-a-matter-of-when-the-20bn-plan-to-power-singapore-with-australian-solar">announced last year</a> by a group of Australian developers. The project’s proponents say it would provide <a href="https://www.suncable.sg/">one-fifth of Singapore’s power supply</a> by 2030, and replace a large share of fossil fuel-generated electricity used in Darwin.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317241/original/file-20200225-24655-1rgb5ic.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Submarine cables are laid using deep-sea vessels specifically designed for the job.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_jamieson/35030875253/">Alan Jamieson/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To export renewable energy overseas, a high-voltage (HV) direct current (DC) cable would link the Northern Territory to Singapore. Around the world, some HVDC cables already carry power across long distances. One ultra-high-voltage direct current cable <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/the-smarter-grid/chinas-state-grid-corp-crushes-power-transmission-records">connects central China to eastern seaboard cities</a> such as Shanghai. Shorter HVDC <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/interconnectors">grid interconnectors</a> operate in Europe. </p>
<p>The fact that long distance HVDC cable transmission has already proven feasible is a point working in Sun Cable’s favour. </p>
<p>The cost of generating solar power <a href="https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2019/May/Falling-Renewable-Power-Costs-Open-Door-to-Greater-Climate-Ambition">is also falling dramatically</a>. And the low <a href="https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2019/May/Falling-Renewable-Power-Costs-Open-Door-to-Greater-Climate-Ambition">marginal cost</a> (cost of producing one unit) of generating and transporting renewable power offers further advantage. </p>
<p>The A$20 billion-plus proposal’s biggest financial hurdle was covering initial capital costs. In November last year, billionaire Australian investors Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/twiggy-joins-cannon-brookes-in-backing-sun-cable-20191120-p53cef">provided initial funding</a> to the tune of up to A$50 million. Cannon-Brookes said while Sun Cable seemed like a “<a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/cannon-brookes-plan-to-export-aussie-solar-power-to-singapore-20190924-p52u9o">completely batshit insane project</a>”, it appeared achievable from an engineering perspective. </p>
<p>Sun Cable is expected to be completed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/20/billionaires-invest-in-giant-australian-solar-farm-to-supply-power-to-singapore">in 2027</a>.</p>
<h2>Bringing in business</h2>
<p>The proposal would also bring business to local high-technology companies. Sun Cable has <a href="https://5b.com.au/news/press-release-5b-sun-cable-announce-plans-worlds-largest-solar-farm-northern-territory-australia/">contracted with Sydney firm 5B</a>, to use its “solar array” prefabrication technology to accelerate the building of its solar farm. The firm will pre-assemble solar panels and deliver them to the site in containers, ready for quick assembly.</p>
<p>The Northern Territory government has also shown support, granting Sun Cable <a href="http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/31259">“major project”</a> status. This helps clear potential investment and approval barriers. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-australia-a-renewable-energy-exporting-superpower-107285">Making Australia a renewable energy exporting superpower</a>
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<p>Across Australia, similar renewable energy export plans are emerging. The Murchison Renewable Hydrogen Project in Western Australia will use energy <a href="https://new.siemens.com/au/en/company/press-centre/2019/murchison-renewable-hydrogen-project.html">produced by solar and wind farms to create renewable hydrogen</a>, transported to east Asia as liquid hydrogen. </p>
<p>Similarly, the planned <a href="https://asianrehub.com/">Asian Renewable Energy Hub</a> could have renewable hydrogen generated in Western Australia’s Pilbara region at 15 gigawatts. This would also be exported, and supplied to local industries.</p>
<p>These projects align with the Western Australian government’s ambitious <a href="http://www.drd.wa.gov.au/Publications/Documents/wa_renewable_hydrogen_strategy.pdf">Renewable Hydrogen Strategy</a>. It’s pushing to make clean hydrogen a driver for the state’s export future. </p>
<h2>Reliable solutions</h2>
<p>Generating and transmitting power from renewable resources avoids the energy security risks plaguing fossil fuel projects. Renewable projects use manufactured devices such as solar cells, wind turbines and batteries. These <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/economics-manufacture-renewables-to-build-energy-security-1.15847">all generate energy security</a> (a nation’s access to a sufficient, affordable and consistent energy supply). </p>
<p>Australia controls its own manufacturing activities, and while the sun may not shine brightly every day, its incidence is predictable over time. In contrast, oil, coal and gas supply is limited and heavily subject to geopolitical tensions. Just months ago <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/saudi-oil-attacks-latest-updates-190916102800973.html">in the Middle East</a>, attacks on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities impacted 5% of global oil supply.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-fuel-stockpile-is-perilously-low-and-it-may-be-too-late-for-a-refill-96271">Australia's fuel stockpile is perilously low, and it may be too late for a refill</a>
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<h2>Renewing international links</h2>
<p>Apart from exporting electricity produced on its own solar farm, Sun Cable could profit from letting other projects export electricity to Asia through shared-cost use of its infrastructure. </p>
<p>This would encourage future renewable energy exports, especially to the energy-hungry <a href="https://asean.org/">ASEAN nations</a> (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.</p>
<p>This would strengthen Australia’s economic relationships with its ASEAN neighbours – <a href="https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/12/18/grand-opportunities-for-australias-hydrogen-industry-and-for-a-strategic-regional-rebalancing/">an importantc geo-economic goal</a>. In particular, it could help reduce Australia’s <a href="https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/understanding-australias-economic-dependence-china">growing</a> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-15/china-economy-slowdown-will-affect-australia/10716240">export dependence on China</a>.</p>
<p>However, as with any large scale project, Sun Cable does face challenges.</p>
<p>Other than raising the remaining capital, it must meet interconnection standards and safety requirements to implement the required infrastructure. These will need to be managed as the project evolves. </p>
<p>Also, since the power cable is likely to run along the seabed under Indonesian waters, its installation will call for <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/1/200/pdf">strategic international negotiations</a>. There has also <a href="https://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2019/11/23/20bn-sun-cable-has-national-security-risks-expert-warns/">been speculation</a> from mining interests the connection could present national security risks, as it may be able to send and receive “performance and customer data”. But these concerns cannot be validated currently, as we lack the relevant details.</p>
<p>Fortunately, none of these challenges are insurmountable. And within the decade, Sun Cable could make the export of Australian renewable energy a reality.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127612/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Mathews receives funding from ARC</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Thurbon receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Academy of Korean Studies. She is affiliated with the Jubilee Australia Research Centre. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hao Tan receives funding from the Australia Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project 2019-2021; and previously received funding from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia under the Australia-China (CASS) Joint Action Program and from the Confucius Institute Headquarters under the "Understanding China Fellowship" in 2017.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sung-Young Kim receives funding from the Australia Research Council and has previously received funding from the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).</span></em></p>
Sun Cable could provide Australia an alternative to the export business of coal and gas, and even reduce our export dependence on China.
John Mathews, Professor of Strategic Management, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University
Elizabeth Thurbon, Scientia Fellow and Associate Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, UNSW Sydney
Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle
Sung-Young Kim, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern History, Politics & International Relations, Macquarie University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/119266
2019-06-25T23:13:58Z
2019-06-25T23:13:58Z
Without changes, Scheer’s climate plan will be expensive or useless
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281164/original/file-20190625-81776-1v6qh84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=69%2C79%2C3124%2C2180&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer delivers a speech on the environment in Chelsea, Que. on June 19, 2019.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/scheer-climate-environment-plan-election-von-scheel-1.5177187">Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer unveiled his long-awaited climate plan</a>, he said he could eliminate the federal carbon tax and still meet Canada’s emissions targets by focusing on investments into green technology. Tech, not taxes, he said.</p>
<p>Under the plan, major emitters would not pay a carbon tax and would, instead, have to invest in “emissions-reducing technology.” But if you look closer, these investments may not actually reduce emissions. </p>
<p>Instead of investing in proven green technology such as wind farms and solar power, Scheer’s plan allows industries to fund things with the potential to reduce emissions, like research or green companies. This flexibility reduces the guaranteed benefits of these green investments.</p>
<p>Although the details remain sparse, Scheer’s proposal isn’t entirely off base: My own research shows that investment into green technologies can offset the emissions of an entire industry, but it can only work in certain circumstances. With a couple of modifications, policies like Scheer’s can bring more predictable and affordable emissions reductions.</p>
<h2>A disguised carbon tax</h2>
<p>Scheer’s plan includes “<a href="https://arealplan.ca">green investment standards</a>” that would force major emitters to invest a set amount, based on their emissions. Investments must go to activities, technologies, companies or research that might eventually reduce emissions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281226/original/file-20190625-81741-12l88eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Unless large emitters invest in proven technologies, emissions may continue to rise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shuttersock</span></span>
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<p>These mandatory investments would create financial pressure to lower emissions, much like a carbon tax. But, unlike many carbon taxes, these investments aim to reduce emissions in the “medium term,” according to Scheer. </p>
<p>It’s not clear how long that might be or what the investment amounts will be. Surprisingly, the standards let emitters invest in indirect emissions reductions, including funding research or a purchasing a clean-tech start-up company. </p>
<p>Allowing investments that do not create substantial short-term emissions reductions creates a major loophole. For example, a $1 million factory expansion that also reduced factory emissions by 0.01 per cent might be considered an eligible investment under Scheer’s plan, but that $1 million would have little effect on emissions. </p>
<p>Scheer could improve his plan with this change: Make explicit emissions-reduction targets for investments, and let the private sector innovate and find cheaper paths to those targets.</p>
<h2>Affordable or effective?</h2>
<p><a href="https://repository.law.umich.edu/articles/52/">Typical climate policies fall into two categories</a>. Defined costs, like a carbon tax, where fixed financial penalties encourage greener choices, but the benefits can vary. Or, defined benefits, like cap-and-trade, where regulations require emissions to change, but the costs can vary. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://doi.org/10.3386/w19338">research suggests that the details of a climate policy matter more than its structure</a>, Scheer is proposing a new policy structure without providing details. Without details, Scheer’s plan may seem like the best of both a carbon tax and a cap-and-trade system. But without firm emissions-reduction targets, Scheer’s policy relies on its financial incentives for emissions reductions and will behave like a carbon tax.</p>
<p>To be effective, therefore, the required investments per tonne of emissions in Scheer’s plan would need to be similar to the per tonne costs of the carbon tax. Yet Scheer decries projections that an effective federal carbon tax would need to climb north of $100 per tonne. Both Scheer’s plan and the federal carbon tax rely on financial incentives to reduce emissions. Either policy will force Canadians to choose between an affordable climate policy and an effective one. </p>
<p>My research team has found a way to ease this dilemma. With a couple of modifications, the efficiency of policies like Scheer’s can be improved by as much as five times.</p>
<h2>A savings opportunity</h2>
<p>We looked at what would happen to emissions if fossil fuel producers were forced to invest in green technologies that were known to be profitable or save costs, and were further required to reinvest a portion of those profits or cost savings. We created a simulation where oil and gas producers in North Dakota were forced to invest in wind turbines — and reinvest a fraction of the wind turbines’ revenue into more wind turbines.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281225/original/file-20190625-81766-y94swh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">In a simulation, researchers found that when oil and gas producers in North Dakota invested and reinvested in wind turbines, emissions and costs decreased.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>The initial investments in wind turbines turned a profit and some of that profit went towards growing the wind farm. This feedback loop allowed the wind farm and its emissions offsets to grow exponentially and reduced the necessary initial investments. In North Dakota, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.03.158">the investments needed to offset all of the emissions from producing and consuming oil and gas dropped from about 50 per cent of the value of the hydrocarbons to 10 per cent because of reinvestments</a>. </p>
<p>Combining investment and reinvestment into proven and successful green technologies allows green technologies to expand more quickly. Policies with reinvestment are like a savings account with a high interest rate — over time, the balance is funded by more than the initial investment. </p>
<p>Reinvestment makes green technologies and their emissions reductions available at a lower cost to consumers and businesses. Owning profitable and growing green technologies gives businesses, consumers and heavy emitters a transition plan, which my colleagues and I call “black-into-green,” or the BIG transition. </p>
<h2>Mandate reinvestments</h2>
<p>While our case study is not directly applicable everywhere (and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2017.01.003">is not as favourable in the Athabasca oil sands</a> due to lower wind speeds and greener Canadian electricity), it demonstrates the benefits of pairing investments and reinvestments into profitable or cost-saving green technologies.</p>
<p>Our work suggests Scheer should make another modification to his plan: The green investment standards should mandate that heavy emitters make profitable or cost-saving green investments and reinvest a portion of those profits or savings.</p>
<p>Scheer’s green investment plan is missing key details and needs two major improvements. The Conservatives should mandate the efficacy of investments and require reinvestments. Without these modifications, the proposed green investment standards, like a carbon tax, are another climate policy that can be either affordable or effective — but not both. </p>
<p>Given this trade-off, Canadians should fear promises of affordability and advocate for more efficient climate policies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119266/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Taylor has and continues to receive some funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Were the Green Investment Standards implemented, David Taylor might be eligible for some of the funding allocated to "research" as part of these standards. </span></em></p>
The Conservatives’ green investment standards may not have a direct impact on emissions. But with a few tweaks, it could be effective and affordable.
David Meyer, Assistant Professor in Global and Civil Engineering, University of Toronto
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/99020
2018-07-31T20:14:48Z
2018-07-31T20:14:48Z
What’s wrong with big solar in cities? Nothing, if it’s done right
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228975/original/file-20180724-76263-9i8ydz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Residents near big solar projects are often concerned they cause glare and noise.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Electrical_and_Mechanical_Services_Department_Headquarters_Photovoltaics.jpg">Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters rooftop solar, Hong Kong/Wikimedia Commons</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many of us are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/02/under-the-sun-australias-largest-solar-farm-set-to-sprout-in-a-queensland-field">familiar with developments</a> of big solar farms in rural and regional areas. These are often welcomed as a positive sign of our transition towards a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-get-to-zero-carbon-emissions-and-grow-the-economy-32015">low-carbon economy</a>. But do large-scale solar installations have a place in our cities? </p>
<p>The City of Fremantle in Western Australia is considering a proposal to use a former landfill site for a large-scale solar farm. The reportedly <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/council-faces-backlash-over-bid-for-fremantle-solar-farm/news-story/8d9842c63d35e41cc282fdbcb9978197">4.9 megawatt solar power station</a> on an eight-hectare site would be, it’s said, <a href="https://www.communitynews.com.au/fremantle-gazette/news/proposal-could-see-south-fremantle-become-site-of-largest-urban-solar-farm-in-australia/">Australia’s largest urban solar farm</a>. The initiative is part of Fremantle’s ambition to be powered by 100% clean energy <a href="http://citiespowerpartnership.org.au/partners/city-of-fremantle/">within a decade</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/solar-is-now-the-most-popular-form-of-new-electricity-generation-worldwide-81678">Solar is now the most popular form of new electricity generation worldwide</a>
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<p>The proposal is facing some community opposition, however. <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/council-faces-backlash-over-bid-for-fremantle-solar-farm/news-story/8d9842c63d35e41cc282fdbcb9978197">Residents are reportedly alarmed</a> by the potential public health consequences of building on a rubbish dump, which risks releasing toxic contaminants such as asbestos into the environment. Other concerns include glare from the solar panels, or excessive noise. </p>
<p>Similar complaints about solar panels in cities are being seen <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solar-panel-boom-pits-neighbor/">all over the world</a>, with opponents <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/eastern-wake-news/ewn-opinion/article81653762.html">generally of the view</a> “they do not belong in residential areas”. So what are the planning issues associated with large-scale solar installations in cities? And should we be concerned about possible negative impacts?</p>
<h2>What is large-scale solar?</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/How-to-participate-in-the-Renewable-Energy-Target/eligibility-for-the-renewable-energy-target/defining-small-scale-and-large-scale-solar-systems">Australian Clean Energy Regulator</a>, large-scale solar refers to “a device with a kilowatt (kW) rating of more than 100 kilowatts”. A kilowatt is a measure of power – the rate of energy delivery at a given moment – whereas a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a measure of the total energy produced (so a 100kW device operating for one hour would produce 100kWh of electricity).</p>
<p>Device here refers to not only the photovoltaic (PV) panels – the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-photovoltaic-solar-energy-12924">actual panels</a> used in solar energy – but also to the infrastructure “behind the electricity meter”. So interconnected panels may still constitute a single device.</p>
<p>By this definition, there may already be large-scale solar installations in Australian cities. In Sydney for example, the recently opened system on top of the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/elon-musk-turns-sydney-transport-depot-into-green-energy-hub-20180627-p4zo1t.html">Alexandra Canal Transport Depot</a> is by all accounts a large-scale solar system. It combines around 1,600 solar panels with enough battery storage for 500kWh of electricity.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sydneys-closer-to-being-a-zero-carbon-city-than-you-think-85976">Sydney's closer to being a zero-carbon city than you think</a>
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<p>But this is not Sydney’s largest solar installation. That honour is presently held by the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/sydney-markets-flicks-the-switch-on-massive-solar-installation-20180312-p4z3xr.html">Sydney Markets in Flemington</a>, among Australia’s largest rooftop solar installations, which generates around 3 megawatts (that’s 3,000kW). To date, there have been no publicly disclosed complaints received about these facilities.</p>
<p>Large-scale solar (<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-big-solar-australia-could-be-backing-a-winner-but-it-still-needs-leadership-47351">sometimes called “big solar”</a>) can also refer to <a href="https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/technologies/large-scale-solar-PV.html">solar arrays that use mirrors</a> to concentrate sunlight onto solar PV panels. This is different to concentrated <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-a-bit-of-concentration-solar-thermal-could-power-your-town-2005">thermal solar</a>, which uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto the top of a tower to heat salt, oil or other materials that can then be used to generate steam to power turbines for electricity generation.</p>
<h2>What’s the problem with solar in cities?</h2>
<p>Internationally, there is increasing recognition <a href="https://grist.org/business-technology/we-could-put-utility-scale-solar-plants-in-our-cities/">cities could be ideal locations</a> for large-scale solar installations due to the amounts of unused land. This includes land alongside freeways and main roads, flood-prone land, and rooftops on factories, warehouses and residences. And locating big solar in cities can also <a href="http://insideenergy.org/2015/11/06/lost-in-transmission-how-much-electricity-disappears-between-a-power-plant-and-your-plug/">reduce the energy losses</a> that occur with transmitting electricity over long distances.</p>
<p>Australia’s combined rooftop solar installations already supply the equivalent of <a href="https://arena.gov.au/blog/rooftopsolar/">enough power for all the homes in Sydney</a>. And even <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/solar-power-plants-large-scale-pv#.W1Z4Oy1L2Lg">former landfill sites</a> – which have few uses other than parkland and are often too contaminated to sustain other land uses such as residential development – can be a good use of space for solar farms. But such sites would need to be carefully managed so contaminants are not released during construction.</p>
<p>Large-scale solar installations can present some challenges for urban planning. For instance, mirrors can cause problems with glare, or even damage if they were misaligned (<a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/05/huge-solar-plant-caught-fire-thats-least-problems/">problems thus far</a> have been in solar thermal plants). Maintenance vehicles may increase traffic in neighbourhoods. Installing solar panels could cause temporary problems with noise and lighting. And views could potentially be disrupted if adjoining residents overlook a large-scale solar installation.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pace-of-renewable-energy-shift-leaves-city-planners-struggling-to-keep-up-82206">Pace of renewable energy shift leaves city planners struggling to keep up</a>
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<p>But not all of these impacts would be long-term, and they can all potentially be managed through planning approval, permitting processes and development conditions. Installing screens or trees can improve views, for instance. Glare is a potential problem but again can be managed via screening (<a href="http://planning.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/swift/MediaTemp/42494-1950963160.pdf">at the site or on overlooking buildings</a>) or <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140415084419.htm">protective films</a> on the panels.</p>
<p>The issue with the proposed solar farm in Fremantle is the fact it’s planned atop a former landfill site, known to contain harmful substances including asbestos, hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Unless carefully managed, construction of the solar farm could disturb these materials and potentially expose nearby residents to health impacts. </p>
<p>Most state environmental protection agencies recognise risks if the use of potentially contaminated land is to be changed, and have developed <a href="https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/your-environment/land-and-groundwater/contaminated-site-management">stringent guidelines</a> for landfill management.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229166/original/file-20180724-194131-1gqfz2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Algarve Lagos solar farm in Portugal shows how empty land in cities can be used to host energy efficiency platforms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portugal_-_Algarve_-_Lagos_-_solar_farm_(25504697990).jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The City of Fremantle has <a href="https://mysay.fremantle.wa.gov.au/development-application-solar-farm">approved the proposed development</a>, subject to the preparation of a site management plan among other conditions. Depending on site management, and the characteristics of surrounding neighbourhoods, poorly managed big solar on landfill sites could become an <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-environment-shouldnt-just-be-for-the-rich-10439">environmental justice issue</a>. From this perspective, residents’ concerns are understandable, and the City of Fremantle will need to ensure it carefully monitors construction. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/infrasound-phobia-spreads-to-solar-energy-cells-whats-next-46023">Infrasound phobia spreads ... to solar energy cells! What's next?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Lessons for planning</h2>
<p>It is reasonable to expect that cities will increasingly host large-scale solar installations. With careful site selection and management, the multiple benefits of clean energy can accrue to urban residents. Otherwise leftover or marginal land can derive an economic return.</p>
<p>Of course care will need to be taken to minimise <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solar-farms-threaten-birds/">potential habitat loss</a> or off site impacts such as visual intrusion, noise, and glare. But solar farms also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/07/solar-farms-to-create-natural-habitats-for-threatened-british-species">have the potential to provide new habitats</a> both via physical infrastructure (sites for nesting) and as part of site rehabilitation and management.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99020/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Byrne receives funding from the Australian Research Council for research on (i) climate change and social innovation and (ii) green space and health. He is a member of the Planning Institute Australia, Institute of Australian Geographers and Association of American Geographers. Jason donates to environmental groups (e.g. Australian Conservation Foundation). He also provides research consultancy services to state and local government.</span></em></p>
Big solar has a potentially bright future in cities, but we need to get the planning right first.
Jason Byrne, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/82038
2017-09-21T00:11:19Z
2017-09-21T00:11:19Z
How Trump could undermine the US solar boom
<p><a href="https://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/articles/2020-utility-scale-solar-goal-achieved">Tumbling prices</a> for solar energy have helped stoke demand among U.S. homeowners, businesses and utilities for electricity powered by the sun. But that could soon change.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump – whose proposed 2018 budget would <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal">slash support</a> for alternative energy – will soon get a new opportunity to undermine the solar power market by imposing duties that could increase the cost of solar power high enough to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5790d1efe58c624620780af3/t/599c2f2f579fb35b895cd2a3/1503407919563/Mounting+Manufacturers+Letter+in+Opposition+to+Petition+to+ITC.pdf">choke off the industry’s growth</a>.</p>
<p>As scholars of how public policies affect, and are affected by, energy, we have been studying how the solar industry is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqw055">increasingly global</a>. We also research what this means for who wins and loses from the renewable energy revolution in the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421517301283">U.S.</a> and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563467.2017.1330878">Europe</a>.</p>
<p>We believe that imposing steep new duties on imported solar equipment would hurt the overall U.S. solar industry. That in turn could discourage choices that slow the pace of <a href="http://www.ren21.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GSR2017_Highlights_FINAL.pdf">climate change</a>.</p>
<p></p><hr><p></p>
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<h2>Trade complaints</h2>
<p>A bankrupt manufacturer has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-solar-insight/prospect-of-trump-tariff-casts-pall-over-u-s-solar-industry-idUSKBN1AA0BI">petitioned the Trump administration</a> to slap new <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/a-guide-to-the-latest-solar-trade-case">duties</a> on imported crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, the basic electricity-producing components of solar panels – along with imported panels, also known as modules.</p>
<p>This case follows earlier and narrower <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solarworld-wins-again-big-anti-dumping-tariffs-in-us-china-solar-panel-tra">complaints filed by SolarWorld</a>, a German solar manufacturer with a factory in Oregon, that Chinese companies were getting an unfair edge as a result of <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/agrm8_e.htm">subsidies and dumping</a>. </p>
<p>Due to those cases, the U.S. has imposed duties on solar panels and their components imported from <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/07/24/u-s-court-upholds-strict-scope-for-duties-on-chinese-taiwanese-imports/">China and Taiwan</a>. The punitive Chinese tariffs averaged 29.5 percent last year, <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solarworld-files-for-insolvency-citing-ongoing-price-erosion">according to the Greentech Media</a> research firm.</p>
<p>Suniva, a U.S. company that – oddly enough – is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-26/china-owned-u-s-solar-maker-seeks-u-s-tariffs-on-china-imports">majority-owned by a Chinese company</a>, lodged this complaint in April under a rarely activated <a href="https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/93-618.pdf">1974 Trade Act</a> provision called Section 201. <a href="https://www.solarworld-usa.com/newsroom/news-releases/news/2017/solarworld-americas-joins-section-201-trade-action">SolarWorld Americas</a> joined in a month later.</p>
<p>The key difference in this new case is that it will potentially lead to tariffs on all imported solar cells and panels, rather than specific kinds from particular countries.</p>
<p>Suniva’s petition calls on the Trump administration to set a 40-cent-per-watt duty on cells and a minimum 78-cent-watt price for panels.</p>
<p>Prior to the complaint, global prices for solar panels had fallen to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-26/china-owned-u-s-solar-maker-seeks-u-s-tariffs-on-china-imports">34 cents a watt</a>. </p>
<h2>Enormous progress</h2>
<p>This big increase in import duties could undermine the enormous progress the industry has made in cutting the cost of solar-generated electricity. The <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/68925.pdf">National Renewable Energy Laboratory</a> finds that tumbling solar module prices contributed a lot to the 61 percent reduction in the cost of U.S. household solar power systems – typically located on rooftops – between 2010 and 2017.</p>
<p>The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents the sector in the U.S., calculates a blended average price that takes residential, commercial and utility-scale systems into account. It finds prices fell more sharply, dropping by more than 73 percent during that period. </p>
<p></p><hr><p></p>
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<p></p><hr><p></p>
<p>Likewise, the <a href="https://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/articles/2020-utility-scale-solar-goal-achieved">Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative</a> declared in September that U.S. utility-scale solar systems were already generating electricity at the competitive rate of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour – three years ahead of the program’s ambitious target for 2020. Falling costs for solar panels played a big part in helping the industry hit this milestone ahead of time.</p>
<p>The International Trade Commission issued a preliminary finding on Sept. 22 that imported cells and panels are “<a href="https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2017/er0922ll832.htm">substantial cause of serious injury, or threat of serious injury</a>” to domestic manufacturers. The independent, bipartisan U.S. agency will hold a hearing on <a href="http://www.utilitydive.com/news/breaking-itc-finds-injury-to-us-solar-manufacturers-sending-tariff-decisi/505602/">Oct. 3</a> to explore ways to respond.</p>
<p>Regardless of what remedies the commission recommends, the White House would get broad powers to increase the cost of imported solar cells and panels to at least <a href="https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2017/08/09/suniva-solarworld-claim-trade-protections-could-generate-114800-solar-jobs/">theoretically</a> protect Suniva.</p>
<h2>Jeopardizing jobs</h2>
<p>Imposing duties on imported solar equipment will not help the U.S. industry as a whole. Like most experts, we believe that the remedy sought in this case will make solar power more expensive for businesses and consumers, which will reduce its competitiveness against other sources of energy.</p>
<p>Imposing new import duties also ignores the fact that the U.S. solar industry <a href="https://www.thesolarfoundation.org/national/">employs an estimated 260,000 people</a> in installation, manufacturing, sales and other related activities, according to the Solar Foundation, but only a small fraction of these workers are involved in cell production. </p>
<p>Protecting certain manufacturers would thus come at the costs of harming other parts of the industry. The Solar Energy Industries Association, which opposes Suniva’s petition, <a href="http://www.seia.org/news/solar-industry-expects-loss-88000-jobs-us-next-year-if-government-rules-companys-favor-trade">estimates</a> that 88,000 jobs may be at risk. Steep duties could thus undermine the contribution solar power makes to the U.S. economy. </p>
<p></p><hr><p></p>
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<p></p><hr><p></p>
<h2>Solar globalization</h2>
<p>Along with ignoring the effects on jobs across the entire industry, the petition misses the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/isq/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/isq/sqw055/3813359/Globalizing-Solar-Global-Supply-Chains-and-Trade">bigger picture</a>. Cell and panel manufacturing composes a small part of a much larger industry that takes advantage of the global manufacturing base.</p>
<p>The rise of China as a solar manufacturing hub is an integral part of what has helped drive costs down for installation companies and consumers around the world. Lowering the cost of solar power systems makes solar energy more competitive against more carbon-intensive sources of electricity, including coal-fired power plants.</p>
<p>The growth of solar energy is one factor helping many U.S. states <a href="https://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/state/analysis/">reduce their energy-related greenhouse gas emissions</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/06/01/trump-says-goodbye-to-the-paris-climate-agreement-heres-what-that-means/">Experts disagree</a> about how much the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change matters, particularly as states like California continue to work hard on reducing their <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/inventory.htm">carbon footprints</a>.</p>
<p>But there is no debate over whether imposing duties on imported solar cells and panels would hinder the growth of renewable energy in the U.S. – reversing climate progress.</p>
<h2>Timeline and punishment</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/us_safeguard.htm">Section 201 cases differ</a> from more standard trade complaints because they do not require a determination of unfair trade practices. They also open the door to broader trade restrictions to remedy the perceived problem in a given industry. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://energytradeaction.org/section-201-trade-case/">International Trade Commission</a> is expected to give the White House its recommendations by Nov. 13. Trump will probably <a href="https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/us_safeguard.htm">respond within 60 days</a>.</p>
<p>It took decades of research and investment to drive down the cost of solar power to the point where it is <a href="https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/pdf/electricity_generation.pdf">competitive with conventional</a> sources of electricity. Should these latest trade woes increase the cost of going solar, it would be likely to kill domestic jobs and slow progress toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions across the nation.</p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article originally published on Sept. 20, 2017.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82038/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonas Meckling receives funding from the Climate Works Foundation for research not discussed in this article. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Llewelyn Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
A trade spat could jack up the cost of going solar, killing jobs and obstructing efforts to do something about climate change.
Llewelyn Hughes, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University
Jonas Meckling, Assistant Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, University of California, Berkeley
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/82929
2017-08-23T14:50:28Z
2017-08-23T14:50:28Z
It’s time to accept carbon capture has failed – here’s what we should do instead
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183152/original/file-20170823-20456-1dix6lw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Drax and Eggborough power stations in England.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/145489125@N03/31886390394/in/photolist-QzG5XC-UtHunS-WBmux4-Wmq9tf-UFSQxm-Vk7qEq-Vdyb9J-UFVqYS-V2FhHd-V2FNxJ-UG5biS-VdyTb3-Vh9Wk2-V2EX2Q-6xg3v6-VnNv5K-Vdw2YE-9rSGPs-Vk7q2G-V2Fo9d-VdzpYA-at4Wdg-bqhVSm-U3up2R-TZEp6Y-bqhVSs-TZE6qs-6RGMBa-Vdwogo-dQaanu-V2PHY7-W25a3d-VhiYFX-ezM2KF-Wmq8Pj-f8jYo-UFSTRf-V2PNtQ-VdzKby-dEPLp-n9gRcq-djwZcs-VnNong-8HDwEU-pW6xA9-W256ew-8GkUCa-KjSWz-dCEjd9-Vh9xhZ">Pete Richman</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For years, optimists have talked up carbon capture and storage (CCS) as an essential part of taking emissions out of electricity generation. Yes, build wind and solar farms, they have said, but they can’t be relied on to produce enough power all the time. So we’ll still need our fleet of fossil-fuel-burning power stations; we just need to stop them pumping carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. </p>
<p>Most of their emphasis has been on post-combustion capture. This involves removing CO₂ from power station flue gases by absorbing them into an aqueous solution containing chemicals known as amines. </p>
<p>You then extract the CO₂, compress it into a liquid and pump it into a storage facility – the vision in the UK being to use depleted offshore oil and gas fields. One of the big attractions with such a system is it could be retrofitted to existing power stations. </p>
<h2>The big let-down</h2>
<p>But <a href="http://www.ccsassociation.org/docs/2007/CCSA%20Press%20Release%20on%20BERR%20Competition%20Announcement%20101007.pdf">ten years after</a> the UK government first announced a £1 billion competition to design CCS, we’re not much further forward. The reason is summed up by the geologist Lord Oxburgh in his contribution to the government-commissioned report on CCS published last year:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There is no serious commercial incentive and it will stay that way unless the state demonstrates there is a business there. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The problem is that the process is costly and energy intensive. For a gas-fired power station, you <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/special-reports/srccs/srccs_wholereport.pdf">typically have</a> to burn 16% more gas to provide the capture power. Not only this, you end up with a 16% increase in emissions of other <a href="https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/120465/mtc_chem_of_air_pollution.pdf">serious air pollutants</a> like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Concerns have also been <a href="https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/155585/review-of-amine-emissions-from-carbon-capture-systems.pdf">expressed about</a> the potential health effects of the amine solvent used in the carbon capture. </p>
<p>You then have to contend with the extra emissions from processing and transporting 16% more gas. And all this before you factor in the pipeline costs of the CO₂ storage and the uncertainties around whether it might escape once you’ve got it in the ground. Around the world, the only places CCS looks viable are where there are heavy state subsidies or substantial additional revenue streams, such as from enhanced oil recovery from oilfields where the CO₂ is being pumped in. </p>
<p>Well, say the carbon capture advocates, maybe another technology is the answer. They point to oxy-combustion, a system which is <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/goodbye-smokestacks-startup-invents-zero-emission-fossil-fuel-power">close to</a> reaching fruition at a plant in Texas. </p>
<p>First <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2017/02/21/revolutionary-power-plant-captures-all-its-carbon-emissions-at-no-extra-cost/#50c9a4402db0">proposed</a> many years ago by British engineer Rodney Allam, this involves separating oxygen from air, burning the oxygen with the fossil fuel, and using the combustion products – water and CO₂ – to drive a high-pressure turbine and produce electricity. The hot CO₂ is pressurised and recycled back into the burners, which improves thermal efficiency. It has the additional advantage that CO₂ is also available at pressures suitable for pipeline transportation. </p>
<p>It is, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/08/02/british-inventor-close-holy-grail-carbon-capture-zero-cost/">according to</a> some enthusiasts, the “holy grail” of CCS. Admittedly it looks promising, but I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not suitable for retrofitting existing power stations. With many existing stations viable for several decades, this will do little for immediate emissions. And you are still obtaining and moving fossil fuels in large quantities, with the resultant emissions along the way. Finally, my experience would indicate that there is always very significant cost growth with new technology scaled up to industry. </p>
<h2>Number crunching</h2>
<p>One UK post-combustion CCS project that was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-38687835">cancelled earlier</a> this year was the joint-venture between SSE and Shell at the Peterhead gas-fired ation in northeast Scotland. It aimed to capture 10m tonnes of CO₂ over a 10-year period and store it 2km under the North Sea. </p>
<p>Let’s put this saving into context. The diagram below summarises the amount of power produced and used in the UK. It shows that the country uses 108 terawatt hours (TWhrs) of domestic electricity per annum. </p>
<p><strong>UK electricity generation/consumption</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183144/original/file-20170823-13271-1ab6oas.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All numbers are in terawatt hours (TWhrs).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/633779/Chapter_5.pdf">DECC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of this domestic usage, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261914011623">16% goes to</a> cooking. Boiling kettles makes up 34% – that’s 5.9TWhrs per annum, the equivalent of a 670MW power station. Domestic kettle use is particularly inefficient as we regularly overfill our kettles. We could save at least half the energy if we boiled only what we need to make tea and coffee. </p>
<p>That would negate the need for 335MW of power. Now compare that to what CCS would have saved from Peterhead – 85% of a 400MW gas turbine, or 340MW. Simply by not overfilling our kettles, we could remove about the same amount of CO₂. Unlike CCS, let alone oxy-combustion, we could do this immediately, for free, and cut our electricity bills and remove various air pollutants at the same time. </p>
<p>Of course, being kettle smart will only deliver a fraction of the UK’s required carbon reduction goals. It’s only about 3TWhrs out of the approximately 170TWhrs produced by gas-fired power in the UK each year. But it hopefully illustrates why energy efficiency is a much smarter way of reducing carbon and other harmful air emissions than CCS. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183154/original/file-20170823-13303-mpsn59.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tower of power.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/metal-kettle-closeup-kitchen-251796247?src=BvTXAoEjjxSm4xzUEXv1ig-1-12">gmstockstudio</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If we took the same approach to lighting, computer monitors, TVs on stand-by, running water and everything else, it becomes a very different proposition. If we could achieve the aim of a carbon-neutral house, <a href="http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/resources/reports/Zero_Carbon_Strategies_for_Tomorrows_New_Homes.pdf">we could</a> shut down half the UK’s existing gas-fired power stations. And if industry and other non-domestic consumers made energy savings of the order of 20%, that would bring down the gas-fired power requirement by a corresponding percentage. </p>
<p>Is 20% realistic? As a chemical engineer with a 40-year industrial career, I am confident it is. Key areas to be considered would be pump and compressor efficiency, energy use in separation processes, combined heat and power, furnace fuel management, green concrete and energy integration.</p>
<p>Together with the government giving greater priority to renewable energy like offshore wind and solar, you have a viable plan for delivering the UK’s carbon goals. CCS may still have its place, but as a means of removing carbon emissions from burning things like wood and rubbish as opposed to fossil fuels. Suffice to say it looks more promising on that front. </p>
<p>But in short, it is time for governments to stop wasting time and money on technologies like CCS that aren’t working. They need to finally get serious about leading a major drive for energy efficiency instead.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82929/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Baxter does occasional oil and gas consultancy work for Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants, but the ideas in this piece are entirely his own. </span></em></p>
Why go to all that bother when you can just half-fill the kettle?
Tom Baxter, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Aberdeen
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.