Offshore Wind delivers Green Growth in UK

Growth of up to 10% per year with up to 230,000 jobs in 2050 New economic analysis released today by the Carbon Trust reveals that the global offshore wind sector is set to grow by up to 10 per cent per year and the Carbon Trust expects the UK to capture around a 10% share of the global offshore wind market, which is estimated to be worth up to £170bn/year1 by 2050. The new analysis also concludes the sector could be employing up to 230,000 people in the UK by 2050. The research examined the potential of offshore wind to drive green growth in the UK, based on global deployment levels of up to 1150GW by 2050. It looked in detail at jobs and revenues by industry sector, including turbines, foundations, collection & transmission, installation and the operation and maintenance of offshore windfarms. It found that offshore wind could represent a gross contribution to UK GDP generated by business of up to £10bn2 a year, or £100bn cumulatively between 2010 and 2050. By 2050, the greatest contribution for the UK will be created by the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, followed by turbine manufacture and installation. The new data also concludes that offshore wind could create up to 230,000 jobs in the UK by 2050. Exports from the UK offers significant growth potential, generating up to 80 per cent of total jobs out to 2050. Benj Sykes, director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, commented: “This analysis confirms that offshore wind is a strategically important economic asset for the UK that can deliver long term growth and energy security. The economic prize for the UK economy is vast and we have to grab it now. We are in an excellent position to be a global market leader. If we seize this green growth opportunity, the UK will benefit from hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a booming new export market and billions of pounds of business benefits.” The table below outlines the potential gross contribution to UK GDP generated by the offshore wind sector, based on a scenario of 1150GW deployed globally by 2050 broken-down into each of the five major component areas. This is based on assumptions about the feasibility of exporting from the UK to different geographies and about how much supply chain capability develops in the UK. http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/

The future of green jobs in the U.S. and China - Berkeley-Stanford

Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Conference: Sputnik 2.0? The Pursuit of Green Jobs in China and the U.S. Conference

Keynote Speaker: U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Save the Date: Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, 2011

Click Here for an Earlybird Discount

Friday, April 8, 2011: 4:30pm-7:30pm Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Launchpad Business Plan ShowcaseWhite Plaza, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA Visit the Showcase Expo and vote for the winner of the Launchpad Cleantech Business Plan Competition: $10,000 in cash and prizes at stake (Enter Your Team! Submissions close March 15)http://www.cleantechlaunchpad.com/

Saturday, April 9, 2011: 10am-8pm The 7th Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech ConferencePG&E Auditorium, San Francisco, CA President Obama says the U.S. is at a Sputnik moment. BSCC7 brings together industry, academia, and policy to examine how China and the U.S. will create green jobs. cleantech.berkeley.edu or cleantech.stanford.edu

Q-Cells: World efficiency record for mass produced CIGS modules

Q-Cells SE, one of the world’s leading photovoltaics companies, achieved a world efficiency record for mass-produced CIGS thin-film solar modules manufactured via monolithic integration. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has confirmed an efficiency of 14.7 per cent (aperture area) for a Q-Cells Q.SMART UF solar module manufactured by Q-Cells’ 100 per cent subsidiary Solibro GmbH.

The record efficiency, measured in February 2011 by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany confirmed a power output of 100.3 Watt peak (Wp) under standard test conditions. The Q-Cells Q.SMART UF solar module, with an area of 0,75 m², reaches a total area efficiency of 13.4 per cent. Moreover, with an aperture area of 0,684 m², the module's aperture area efficiency is 14.7 per cent. Q-Cells CIGS thin film technology now holds the world record for monolithically integrated photovoltaic modules based on the record efficiency table compiled by Progress in Photovoltaics*.

“In June 2010, Q-Cells achieved the previous efficiency world record of 13 per cent with the same type of CIGS solar module out of series production”, noted Gerhard Rauter, COO of Q-Cells. “With this new record – 13.4 per cent – Q-Cells proves one more time its technological leadership in the photovoltaic sector.” Q-Cells’ CIGS thin film modules are currently taking part in a number of reference installations and are exhibiting stable and outstanding energy yields (KWh/KWp). Even after one year of operation Q.SMART systems in different European regions of irradiation show improved performances. The Q.SMART UF achieved currently among the top performers in a benchmark at the test field of “Desert Knowledge Australia Solar centre”, a peak performance under extreme climate conditions. So far the Q.SMART UF is the highest-performing solar module in this international comparison. www.dkasolarcentre.com.au.
The Q.SMART UF is the unframed CIGS solar module from Q-Cells. It stands out for its performance and high quality. Due to its homogenous black surface it is a perfect fit on visual aesthetics and building integrated installations and suitable for private and small to medium-sized commercial and industrial rooftop and in-roof installations. The unframed modules stand out for their efficient self-cleaning, making them perfect for flat roofs and façade solutions.

Produced in the German city of Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Q.SMART UF exemplifies "Made in Germany" quality. The solar modules are designed for good response to temperature and low light, ensuring high energy yields. This is supported by the positive sorting +5/-0 watts, allowing deviations only to higher than expected levels. Advantageous cell geometry makes the modules especially efficient in the event of partial shading or a less-than-optimal positioning of the roof. The module features durable glass encapsulation with a proven edge seal for long-term stability, ensuring protection and resistance to environmental influences. Q-Cells currently offer two CIGS thin film formats: Q.SMART (framed), Q.SMART UF (unframed) and Q.SMART UF L (unframed large). The latter format is 25% wider than the former two so as to reduce the associated BOS costs on large rooftop and free-field installations.
http://www.q-cells.com

Greening America's Classrooms: ChaCha & DoSomething.org

Companies Engage Young Environmentalists Through Cross-Platform Campaign

ChaCha, the popular real-time answer service that millions of young people turn to for fun-size answers to any question, has teamed up with DoSomething.org to reach teens for its nationwide Green Your School Challenge. One of the largest organizations in the United States that works to drive youths toward volunteerism, DoSomething.org's mission for Green Your School is to encourage students to help the environment first-hand by launching green projects at school.

With over 2 million teens turning to it for answers every day, ChaCha reaches a large, highly-engaged audience of young people, who interact with the company on a wide variety of subjects. This past week, DoSomething.org began to leverage ChaCha's unique mobile and online platforms to inform and inspire teens to get active and involved in the program. The collaboration includes the addition of DoSomething.org's content to ChaCha's rapidly growing questions-and-answers database and to its mobile and online advertising. ChaCha's mobile video service is core to the program, allowing users to watch a short video clip about the program on their mobile phones and respond with interest by joining DoSomething.org's mobile opt-in list.

"ChaCha is the 'smart friend' teens turn to every day for answers to questions that are most important to them," said Scott Jones, ChaCha's CEO. "Based on the inquiries we receive from young people, it is clear that this group is keenly aware of the environmental challenges that face our planet and we are honored to be a part of this program that encourages today's youths to take action, starting in their schools."

Additionally, ChaCha is able to target users based on specific question categories and keywords. This precise targeting capability is being used to provide DoSomething.org's message to users who are most likely to be interested in the program. Questions asked around Green Living, Science and Technology, and other educational topics were included. ChaCha users ask over 105 million questions per year related to these topics. Here are some sample questions:

Do you know if Anthony Kiedis does a lot of charity work?
How can students help Japan after the earthquake and tsunami?
What is a good community service project our student council can help with?
Which high school is the most environmentally friendly?
How can I help the deforestation problem?

For more information, a DoSomething.org partner page can be found at this link:
http://www.chacha.com/topic/dosomething.org

Top US Utility Investors in Demand Side Management - ZPryme

With Smart Grids in the foreseeable future, Demand-Side Management
(DSM) is on the cusp of a revolution that will forever alter the way
that homes and businesses use electricity. To add to the positive DSM
buzz, budgets to facilitate Smart Grid planning and implementation are
on the rise, according to a recent March survey by Microsoft. In the
survey, 73 percent of utility professionals and executives surveyed
said budgets for these efforts are on the rise. Governments and
utilities have long sought to improve DSM through conservation and
load management programs. To gain insight into this transformation,
Zpryme examined the level of investment by utilities in DSM over the
past 5 years while acknowledging their sales (MWh) and revenue.

The top ten are:

Pacific Gas & Electric
Southern California Edison
Florida Power & Light
San Diego Gas & Electric
New York Power Authority
Public Service Electric & Gas
Baltimore Gas & Electric
Massachusetts Electric
PacifiCorp
Progress Energy Florida

Full report: http://zpryme.com/

Offshore Wind China 2001: June 15-17

OFFSHORE WIND CHINA 2011 is to be unveiled June 15-17, 2011 with a
brand new level at Shanghai New International Expo Center. The
offshore wind industry leaders from home and aboard will take an
active part in proving the unique charm of China as the country with
the most potential for offshore wind power development in the world.

OFFSHORE WIND CHINA 2011 is jointly organized by the Chinese Renewable
Energy Industries Association, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries
Committee and Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. After the
successful experiences of the previous three sessions in 2007, 2009
and 2010, the organizers will join hands again to present a more
superior event. Moving to Shanghai New International Expo Center, the
exhibition will cover an area of above 20,000 sq.m, which triples the
last session. The conference is to be held in the newly built Pudong
Shangri-La Kerry Hotel with an anticipation of 800 persons to attend,
25% more than last session. The recruitment of OFFSHORE WIND CHINA
2011 is currently undergoing and it has received an active
participation from the industry.

In last June, OFFSHORE WIND CHINA 2010, the No.1 offshore wind event
in Asia, reached a big success in Shanghai. The national and
provincial development reform commissions' officials led by Mr. Wang
Jun, Director General of the National Energy Administration New Energy
& Renewable Energy Department, addressed the event. Sinovel and
Vestas, leading the global offshore wind power enterprises, gathered
together. China's Giant Five farm developers all participated.
National pavilions from offshore wind developed countries like
Denmark, UK and Norway came all the way to design the blueprint for
the world's offshore wind development. The last event gathered
insiders and specialists from 25 countries and regions with an
overseas percentage of 30%. 98 speakers delivered speeches in 14
sessions, attracting 639 conference delegates, and over 130 domestic
and foreign media made a full coverage of the brilliant event.
www.offshorewindchina.com