News in brief - 3 December 2008
Wind dying down?
LONDON, UK, December 4, 2008. The global economic turmoil has started having an impact on the wind energy industry in Europe, according to Frost & Sullivan, who say some companies are cutting down forecasts and production for 2009.
Building a low-carbon economy
LONDON, UK, December 3, 2008. The UK environment watchdog Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has presented a report recommending targets for cutting the UK’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 42% in 2020.
Fuel cells operate for 5500 hours
ALBANY, NEW YORK, USA, December 2, 2008. MTI MicroFuel Cells, which develops Mobion® off-the-grid portable power solutions, has achieved 5500 hours of continuous operation with a Mobion laboratory fuel cell.
Gold Standard CERs from China
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, December 2, 2008. Essent Trading has bought and received what it says is the first ever Gold Standard Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) issued for the People’s Republic of China.
Boosting the power of solar cells
MIT, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, December 2, 2008. New ways of squeezing out greater efficiency from solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are emerging from computer simulations and lab tests conducted by a team of physicists and engineers at MIT.
California greening
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA, December 2, 2008. A sweeping plan to reinvigorate California’s competitive advantage in innovative technology through public-private investments in electric vehicles and other elements of “green” infrastructure, has been introduced.
UNCCC - Poznań kick-off
POZNAŃ, POLAND, December 1, 2008. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) - Poznań kicked off on Monday, 1 December.
Marine Current Turbines to apply for Pentland Firth lease
BRISTOL, UK, December 1, 2008. The UK tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines, has confirmed its intent to apply for a lease from the Crown Estate to deploy its tidal technology in Scotland’s Pentland Firth.
FiT for Australian solar?
AUSTRALIA, December 1, 2008. Australia is in a strong position to develop a thriving national solar industry over the next 20 years, according to a report into the renewable energy sector released by the Clean Energy Council (CEC).
UK Lords question dash for intermittent RE
LONDON, UK, December 1, 2008. The UK Government's efforts to meet its EU 2020 renewable energy targets, even if successful, may encourage the UK to adopt an unnecessarily costly and risky approach to reducing carbon emissions, according to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee.
American Wind Wildlife Institute launched
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA, November 27, 2008. Twenty of US’ science-based conservation and environmental groups and wind energy companies have created a national institute to facilitate timely and responsible development of wind energy while protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat.
PSE expands Wild Horse wind farm
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, USA, November 27, 2008. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has placed an order for 22 wind turbine generators from Vestas for the proposed expansion of the utility’s Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility in Kittitas County, Washington, USA.



