Energy Efficiency = Lower targets for renewables

My fave insightful webtoonist Stuart McMillen published his treatise on energy efficiency back in April. I thought it was worth reproducing here.

The fundamental tenet is that as we continue to innovate appliances to reduce their energy usage, we can reduce our energy demand to a level that can be met by renewables.

Do Solar Flares cause global warming?

Solar Power Facility Sites

The community consultation process for the ACT’s solar power plant has kicked in – details are available here. Signage at the potential sites at Kowen and Ingledene will go up soon with public meetings being scheduled for June. A Context_Map is available showing both locations.

I’m very excited about this project – it’s something I campaigned for in last year’s ACT election and I’ve blogged about it in the past.

One thing I’m trying to get more info on is the potential location at Kowen in relation to the Sparrow Hill MTB trails. It doesn’t appear to be the same spot – a lot of mountain bikers would be very unhappy if it is.

Solar Power Plant Feasibility Study

The announcement today of a joint-funded feasibility study into a Solar Power Plant in the ACT is exciting news for the Territory.

ActewAGL and the ACT Government will explore options for a large-scale reduction in our greenhouse emissions through the building of a facility capable of supplying power to thousands of ACT homes.

The terms of reference for the feasibility study will include (but not be limited to):

• Assess options for suitable location/s for such a facility, having regard to land availability, grid connectivity, environmental considerations and access for students and visitors;
• Determine the optimum size of the solar facility in terms of initial capacity and the potential for future expansion, and identify the environmental benefits flowing from the proposed solar facility in terms of emissions reductions;
• Assess current solar technologies and determine the optimum proven technology for large-scale generation, having regard to cost efficiency and the environmental impact of proven technology, and the ability to expand output using emerging new technology;
• Determine the cost of constructing and operating the solar facility and the level of indirect or direct subsidy, if any, that might be required to make the investment commercially viable, with consideration to regulatory and electricity pricing implications;
• Undertake a full cost-benefit analysis of the solar facility proposal, having regard to net environmental impact, cost efficiency, social equity, public safety and Federal and ACT Government greenhouse gas policy;
• Compare the cost efficiency of the proposed solar facility withy mainstream electricity generation and any other local green energy generation alternatives that might be viable;
• Identify and consider all planning and statutory requirements relating to the proposal; and
• Provide a report to the joint parties by 1 July 2008.

Encyclopaedia of Life

The Encyclopaedia of Life (www.eol.org) was launched on the internet yesterday. It’s a huge project to catalogue the 1.8 million species on Earth.

While only 24 species have been fully documented to date, the idea is to gradually complete the encyclopaedia over the next 10 years. It’s intent is to bring together the sheer scale and volume of work on each species into one central location that is available to everyone.

The Encyclopaedia of Life is the brainchild of EO Wilson, an emeritus Harvard professor who is a world leader in biodiversity and sociobiology and is an environmental advocate.

But don’t expect to be able to jump straight into the EOL website – it’s been completely flooded since it launched and takes ages to load. It’s worth the wait though.