Tag Archives: economics of energy efficiency

Sustainable City Masdar

The sustainable city of Masdar, designed to house 50,000 people and covering an area of 7 sq. km. on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, will be the world’s first carbon neutral city.

Whilst we in Australia are still debating how to tackle Climate Change and implement policies to shift from carbon-guzzling fuels to alternative energy, in a most unlikely place in the world, the United Arab Emirates is well on its way to making this shift. Based on policy decisions made years ago, the UAE already has real programs for a carbon neutral sustainable city at an advanced stage of implementation.

The State of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, launched their Masdar ‘Carbon Neutral’ City Plan and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (‘MIST’) in 2007. Four years later, sustainable city Masdar, with MIST (associated with USA’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology) at its centre, is under construction.

Masdar Institute of Science and Technology

Image Solar Panel Roof MIST

Sustainable City Solar Panel Rooftop

MIST, with onsite student accommodation facilities, solar, geothermal and construction prototype practice facilities was designed by Lord Foster (Foster & Partners Architects UK) has been completed. Abhu Dabi’s Future Energy Company (FEC’) Headquarters, also designed by Foster, is now under construction.

Sustainable City Promises

Image of model Masdar Sustainable City

Residential Quarter Model by Aedas Int'l

The water use savings for Masdar are huge. For a city of 50,000 people the sustainable city designers promise 8,000 cu m3 of desalinated water use compared to 20,000 cu m for a conventional city: a saving of $2 billion in oil use over 25 years.

Additionally, the design offers 99% recycling of city/construction waste and a car-free person-mover automated transport system with 200m maximum  walking distance from domicile to public transport.

Whilst China’s Dong Tan Eco-City has yet to get off the drawing board, the Masdar development is in its second stage.

Alternative Energy Companies Hub

Construction of a hub of 1,500 alternative and sustainable energy and associated technologies companies, including company giants like Siemens, are taking space around the administrative core of the city.

Benefitting From Results

It is the FEC management and the Masdar Institute that methodically plot the technological space and the standards that define this carbon neutral city. Their aim is to develop methodologies, intellectual property and hardware which Masdar FEC’s management will sell to the rest of the world:

Reproduce Masdar Elsewhere

The management of MIST distils the results of field testing from their various initiatives, including the use of materials and their  industry applications to define guidelines based on these results.

Abu Dhabi intends to leverage the knowledge gained in developing this sustainable city with a minimum carbon footprint, by building other sustainable communities elsewhere.

The Masdar project is developing through a six-pronged development structure consisting of:

1.    Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
2.    Masdar Research Network,
3.    Innovation and Investment,
4.    Special Projects,
5.    Carbon Management and
6.    Masdar Zone Development

What Australia Can Learn From Masdar

There are lessons here for Australia, specifically ‘how to implement and quickly achieve real results,’ in a situation where we are running out of time.

This article written by Sasha Ivanovich FRAIA

SIA Architects Pty Ltd

sasha@slaarchitects.comlau

http://www.slaarchitects.com

Sasha recently returned from a four week study of the City of Masdar as the recipient of the Commonwealth Endeavour Award and hosted by Aedas International in UAE and supported by RISE.

AuSES Conference Best Papers: Solar Energy Environmental Benefits Best Papers

We have prepared list of solar-e.com’s own selection of ranked candidates for the Solar Energy Environmental Benefits best papers presented at the ‘Solar 2010’ Conference: Policies and Strategies (including the Economics of solar energy, diversity of derived forms of solar energy, electricity grids and data collection)

The analysis and understanding the of more obscure fields of solar energy related technology and policy developments is obviously another critical step forward to applying more solar energy in our economy. this section will hopefully expand as more papers are delivered in the future.

AuSES Committee – Best Papers at AuSES Solar 2010 as judged by the AuSES panel

Student Prizes – Wal Read Memorial Prizes
Post Graduates Prizes
BILBAO, Jose “PV-Thermal Water Systems as a Retrofit for Near Zero Energy Homes”
Winner $1500 AUD
BAMBROOK, Shelley “Experimental PVT Air System for Dwellings”
Highly Commended $1000 AUD
LHENDUP, Tshewang “Simulation of a Ground-coupled Heat Pump Combined with Solar Collectors”
Commended $250 AUD
ELLISTON, Ben “Grid parity: A potential misleading concept?”
Commended $250 AUD

Undergraduates Prizes
BRAZIER, Thomas “Dependence of installed cost of a 1.5 kW rooftop PV system on module efficiency”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
BOEREMA, Nicholas “Economics of constraints on wind farms – SA”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
O’BRIEN, Paul “Exergetic analysis of a steam-flashing thermal storage system”
Joint Winner $1,000 AU

Solar Energy Environmental Benefits: Solar-e.com Director Garry Baverstock’s personal selection of the Best Papers

At the conference the papers were presented under a number of category headings such as Built Environment, Wind Power, Photovoltaics, Environmental Benefits, Solar Thermal and Solar Energy Economics. Following is our selection of the worthwhile papers and a ranking based on relevance to world situation on Climate Change, the impact on the increased use of solar energy and the quality of the research as presented in the paper.
The Solar Energy Environmental Benefits best papers, in our opinion, have been listed below. This is our opinion, but we are interested in what the solar experts think and any comments are welcome. If we have overlooked a paper or you disagree with our assessment please feel free to offer your opinion. If bona fide it will be published.

A comment by solar-e.com is included after each listing.

Image Trees in Forest

1.A Novel  System of Combined Power Generation and Hot water Desalination Using Renewable Energy

Fulaqi, Anhitijit Date, Aliakbar Akbarzadeh
Comment: Desalination is already becoming a necessity and this is renewable energy must be used to make water supply economically viable.

2. Efficiency Improvement Using Solar Desiccant Drying for Selected Solar Seeds

Kame Khouzam
Comment:Drying of seeds in developing countries is an important use of solar energy to increase yields and food production

3. Sustainable Non Condensable Gas Removal from Geothermal Waters

Anna Khaghani1, Abhijit Date, Rene Wolke, Aliakbar Akbarzadeh
Comment: Geothermal will be a large industry eventually and we must control the environmental side effects pollution

4.Efficiency Improvement Using Solar Desiccant Drying For Selected Seeds

Kame Khouzam
Comment:Agricultural applications of solar energy is a potentially large contribution to Climate Change and a betterment of developing countries.

5.  Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic and Water & Waste water Treatment System

M.Vivar, L Kumaresan, V Muugesan, M Lluch, S Iniyan, K Palanivelu, I Skryabin
Comment: Combining waste heat from photvoltaics with waste water treatment will lower fossil fuel use in water conservation as global populations balloon in the next 40 years.

6. Solar Thermal drying of Canarium Indictum Nuts

T Curtis, R Corkish, RJ Fuller
Comment:The availability of better nutrition and food preserving is critical in the developing world.

DO YOU WISH TO BUY ANY OF THESE PAPERS?

A message from AuSES
People who were not delegates at Solar 2010 (or AuSES members) who would like to access this resource they can apply for access for an annual fee of $140 (ex GST). Please go to AuSES website.

Solar-e.com invites you to leave comments on our ranking of Solar Energy Economics Best Papers at the end of this article.

Experts who disagree with our rating and choices we invite you to make comment and if enough substance is shown we will reserve the right to change the ranking at anytime or keep the ranking the same.

Solar-e.com related links:

http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/green-economics
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/24/ethical-investment
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/employment-opportunities
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/wave-power
http://www.solartec.iinet.net.au/solare/innovation/strategiesindevelopingproducts.htm

AuSES Conference Best Papers: Photovoltaics Best Papers

We have prepared list of solar-e.com’s own selection of ranked candidates for the Photovoltaics best papers presented at the ‘Solar 2010’ Conference: Policies and Strategies (including the Economics of solar energy, diversity of derived forms of solar energy, electricity grids and data collection)

The analysis and understanding the of more obscure fields of solar energy related technology and policy developments is obviously another critical step forward to applying more solar energy in our economy. this section will hopefully expand as more papers are delivered in the future.

AuSES Committee – Best Papers at AuSES Solar 2010 as judged by the AuSES panel

Student Prizes – Wal Read Memorial Prizes
Post Graduates Prizes
BILBAO, Jose “PV-Thermal Water Systems as a Retrofit for Near Zero Energy Homes”
Winner $1500 AUD
BAMBROOK, Shelley “Experimental PVT Air System for Dwellings”
Highly Commended $1000 AUD
LHENDUP, Tshewang “Simulation of a Ground-coupled Heat Pump Combined with Solar Collectors”
Commended $250 AUD
ELLISTON, Ben “Grid parity: A potential misleading concept?”
Commended $250 AUD

Undergraduates Prizes
BRAZIER, Thomas “Dependence of installed cost of a 1.5 kW rooftop PV system on module efficiency”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
BOEREMA, Nicholas “Economics of constraints on wind farms – SA”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
O’BRIEN, Paul “Exergetic analysis of a steam-flashing thermal storage system”
Joint Winner $1,000 AU

Photovoltaics: Solar-e.com Director Garry Baverstock’s personal selection of the Best Papers

At the conference the papers were presented under a number of category headings such as Built Environment, Wind Power, Photovoltaics, Environmental Benefits, Solar Thermal and Solar Energy Economics. Following is our selection of the worthwhile papers and a ranking based on relevance to world situation on Climate Change, the impact on the increased use of solar energy and the quality of the research as presented in the paper.
The Photovoltaics best papers, in our opinion, have been listed below. This is our opinion, but we are interested in what the solar experts think and any comments are welcome. If we have overlooked a paper or you disagree with our assessment please feel free to offer your opinion. If bona fide it will be published.

A comment by solar-e.com is included after each selection.


1. Investigation of single layers of silicon quantum dots in SiO2 matrix for energy selective contacts in hot carriers solar cells

P.Aliberti, B.P. Veettil, Ruoyu Li, S.K. Shrestha, B. Zhang, A. Hsieh M.A. Green, G.J. Conibeer
Comment: High Quality scientific PV research

2. High Efficiency Flexible Mono-Crystalline Silcon Modules

EA Thomsen, V Everett, A Blakers, M Brauers, E Davies, J Muric-Nesic, C Samundsett, T Ratcliffe, H Zhao, I Skryabin
Comment: This is significant research in the race between polycrystalline and mono-crystalline cells.  Of course the winner will all about area available for collection and the cost of installed PV /sq m.

3. Large Increases in Bulk Lifetime of Commercial Grade CZ Silicon Wafers Through Hydrogenation

Brett Hallam, Ned Western, Stuart Wenham
Comment: High quality research with large potential benefits to PV industry

4.Improved Implied Voc for Commercial Grade Wafers by Rear Surface Passivation in Conjunction with Rear Laser Doping Technique

X. Bai1, A. Sugianto1, S. R. Wenham1 and B. J. Hallam
Comment: High Quality PV research.  Improvement of the efficiency of PV is the main area that will increase the viable use of PV in the built environment and the various agricultural applications

5.Tandem Photoelectrochemical Cell for Direct Water Splitting

Haixiang Zhang 1, Shujuan Huang1, Gavin Conibeer 1
Comment: This PV production of hydrogen could be a potential industry in the secod half of the 21st century or even earlier

6.Third Generation Photovoltaics

Gavin Conibeer
Comment: Good visions for future improvements of PV.

DO YOU WISH TO BUY ANY OF THESE PAPERS?

A message from AuSES
People who were not delegates at Solar 2010 (or AuSES members) who would like to access this resource they can apply for access for an annual fee of $140 (ex GST). Please go to AuSES website.

Solar-e.com invites you to leave comments on our ranking of Solar Energy Economics Best Papers at the end of this article.

Experts who disagree with our rating and choices we invite you to make comment and if enough substance is shown we will reserve the right to change the ranking at anytime or keep the ranking the same.

Solar-e.com related links:

http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/green-economics
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/24/ethical-investment
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/employment-opportunities
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/wave-power
http://www.solartec.iinet.net.au/solare/innovation/strategiesindevelopingproducts.htm

AuSES Conference Best Papers: Solar Energy Economics Best Papers

We have prepared list of solar-e.com’s own selection of ranked candidates for the Solar Energy Economics best papers presented at the ‘Solar 2010’ Conference: Policies and Strategies (including the Economics of solar energy, diversity of derived forms of solar energy, electricity grids and data collection)

The analysis and understanding the of more obscure fields of solar energy related technology and policy developments is obviously another critical step forward to applying more solar energy in our economy. this section will hopefully expand as more papers are delivered in the future.

AuSES Committee – Best Papers at AuSES Solar 2010 as judged by the AuSES panel

Student Prizes – Wal Read Memorial Prizes
Post Graduates Prizes
BILBAO, Jose “PV-Thermal Water Systems as a Retrofit for Near Zero Energy Homes”
Winner $1500 AUD
BAMBROOK, Shelley “Experimental PVT Air System for Dwellings”
Highly Commended $1000 AUD
LHENDUP, Tshewang “Simulation of a Ground-coupled Heat Pump Combined with Solar Collectors”
Commended $250 AUD
ELLISTON, Ben “Grid parity: A potential misleading concept?”
Commended $250 AUD

Undergraduates Prizes
BRAZIER, Thomas “Dependence of installed cost of a 1.5 kW rooftop PV system on module efficiency”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
BOEREMA, Nicholas “Economics of constraints on wind farms – SA”
Joint Winner $1,000 AUD
O’BRIEN, Paul “Exergetic analysis of a steam-flashing thermal storage system”
Joint Winner $1,000 AU

Solar Energy Economics: Solar-e.com Director Garry Baverstock’s personal selection of the Best Papers

At the conference the papers were presented under a number of category headings such as Built Environment, Wind Power, Photovoltaics, Environmental Benefits, Solar Thermal and Solar Energy Economics. Following is our selection of the worthwhile papers and a ranking based on relevance to world situation on Climate Change, the impact on the increased use of solar energy and the quality of the research as presented in the paper.
The Solar Energy Economics best papers, in our opinion, have been listed below. This is our opinion, but we are interested in what the solar experts think and any comments are welcome. If we have overlooked a paper or you disagree with our assessment please feel free to offer your opinion. If bona fide it will be published.

Image Businessmen shaking hands

SOLAR ENERGY ECONOMICS

A comment by solar-e.com is included after each listing.

1. Renewable Energy Education at UNSW

Richard Corkish1,2, Stephen Bremner1, Anna Bruce1, Hanzheng Duo1, Evatt Hawkes1, Merlinde Kay1, Alison Lennon1,2, Alistair Sproul1, Ted Spooner3, Santosh Shrestha1,2, Geoff Stapleton1, Ashraf Uddin1,2, Muriel Watt1, Darcy Wentworth1
Comment: This an exceptional run-down on what the UNSW does in the field.

2.Improving investment outcomes in the development and commercialization of ‘clean’ energy technologies within Australia

Allan Aaron1, Iain MacGill1
Comment: This is the key for faster change and adoption of solar energy technology and systems

3.Comparing the Economics of Nuclear and Renewable Sources of Electricity

Mark Diesendorf1
Comment: This really makes one think hard and long to go nuclear in Australia, on economic grounds

4.A Supply-Demand Model for a Zero-Carbon Australia
Trevor Jack1, Robyn Bateup2, Vernie Everett3
Comment: Looking at a visionary big picture view is the essence of this paper

5.Using policy design to manage the impact of stakeholder pressure during the policy development process
Robert Passey and Iain MacGill
Comment: Interesting perspectives for governance

6.Status of Rural Electrification in the ‘Heart of Borneo’: Role of Micro Hydro Projects

S.Murni1, J.Whale1, J.K.Davis1, T.Urmee1, D.Harries2
Comment: This is a visionary approach for Australia and relevant to the developing world

7.Valuable insight into the strategic thinking by governments – Urban growth, albedo and global warming

G.B. Smith1, A.R. Gentle1 and I. Edmonds2
Comment: A unique blend of big–picture thinking and solid scientific principles.

8.Lessons learnt from implementing intelligent metering and energy monitoring devices in a new housing development

D.M. Whaley, W.Y. Saman, E. Halawa, L.T. Mudge
Comment: Having evidence based-learning will lead to better results in the built environment

DO YOU WISH TO BUY ANY OF THESE PAPERS?

A message from AuSES
People who were not delegates at Solar 2010 (or AuSES members) who would like to access this resource they can apply for access for an annual fee of $140 (ex GST). Please go to AuSES website.

Solar-e.com invites you to leave comments on our ranking of Solar Energy Economics Best Papers at the end of this article.

Experts who disagree with our rating and choices we invite you to make comment and if enough substance is shown we will reserve the right to change the ranking at anytime or keep the ranking the same.

Solar-e.com related links:

http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/green-economics
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/24/ethical-investment
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/employment-opportunities
http://solar-e.com/knowledge/2009/11/30/wave-power
http://www.solartec.iinet.net.au/solare/innovation/strategiesindevelopingproducts.htm