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a reprint from triplepundit , 2018-10-25 Renewable energy funds are on the rise, seeking to match profits with a commitment to sustainability. These funds invest not only in generators of solar and wind power and their suppliers, but also in manufacturers of LED light bulbs, electric cars and automobile batteries. Stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are jumping on the bandwagon—from big players like Fidelity Investments and its  Select Environment and Alternative Energy Portfolio to smaller ones that have been at it for decades, such as the  New Alternatives Fund . The fact that major companies like Facebook, with its pledge to power global operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2020, are going in big for renewables sweetens the financial prospect for investors. Electricity sector leads the way in renewable energy investment According to the International Energy Agency’s latest market forecast , renewables will continue their ex...

2018-10-19 Renewable energy, its useful and sustainable supply and consumption pose a significant challenge. Many stakeholders and as many interests are involved. Inconsistent approaches need to be aligned. The web-based application ener MET seeks to foster the integration of renewable energy in populated areas by providing comprehensive and concise information by analysing relevant data sources. In the present release of ener MET (version 1.3.8beta, visit: http://enerMET-data.blogspot.ch ) a new extension jSOLAR.js has been included. It represents a very useful GIS-Add-on to ener MET linking present weather data (weather data are updated in intervals of 10') and geographical energy information. This new extension draws on a development by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE): http://www.sonnendach.ch . In the current release of ener MET the extension jSOLAR.js covers Switzerland. Along with the implementation of the new extension various minor adjustments have been...

a reprint from Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft , 2018-10-17 Seit 2008 hat sich der Strommarkt stark verändert. Getrieben wird diese Entwicklung vom technologischen Fortschritt bei der erneuerbaren Stromproduktion und den digitalen Technologien, der Preisentwicklung der fossilen Energien und des CO2 sowie von neuen energie- und klimapolitischen Zielen der Schweiz und ihrer europäischen Nachbarn. Der Bundesrat hat vor diesem Hintergrund entschieden, für den Schweizer Strommarkt neue Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen. Er hat an seiner Sitzung vom 17. Oktober 2018 dazu die Revision des Stromversorgungsgesetzes (StromVG) in die Vernehmlassung gegeben. Im Zentrum stehen die Versorgungssicherheit, ein effizient funktionierender, offener Markt sowie neue Netzregulierungen, die den Ausbau der dezentralen, erneuerbaren Stromproduktion unterstützen sollen. Die Vernehmlassung dauert bis am 31. Januar 2019. D...

a reprint from Naturwissenschaften Schweiz , 2018-10-17 Ein Rückblick auf das erste schweizweite NCCS Forum, ein Ausblick auf die Lancierung der neuen Schweizer CH2018 Klimaszenarien und das NCCS als Film einfach erklärt. Das erste NCCS Forum: Ein Rückblick Am 5. Dezember 2017 stellte das National Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) – das Netzwerk des Bundes für Klimadienstleistungen – sich und seine Aufgaben und Aktivitäten in seinem ersten Forum in Bern vor. Ziel des schweizweiten Anlasses war es, eine Schnittstelle für den Dialog zwischen Produzentinnen und Produzenten und Nutzenden von Klimadienstleistungen zu schaffen, dadurch zu vernetzen sowie interaktiv Ideen und Bedürfnisse auszutauschen. Nach einem Einstieg in die Klimadienstleistungs-Thematik und einer Präsentation zum NCCS berichteten drei Nutzerinnen und Nutzer, warum und wofür sie für ihre Arbeit Klimadienstleistungen benötigen: Die Finanzexpertin Sabine Döbeli von Swiss Sustainable Finance ...

a reprint from the economist , 2018-06-25 A LITTLE over a decade ago, when JinkoSolar, a Shanghai-based company, entered the solar business, it was such a novice that when it visited international trade fairs, all it had was a bare table and a board with its name scribbled on it. But it also had luck, a technological edge and lots of public money on its side. The industry globally was riding high on subsidies. Generous feed-in-tariffs (FITs), financial incentives for installing solar, made Germany the world’s largest solar market by around 2010. Germans turned to China for cheap sources of crystalline silicon solar panels, not least because subsidised land and loans enabled China’s fledgling manufacturers to undercut European and American competitors. When European solar subsidies slumped during the euro crisis, the Chinese government once again stepped in to support its renewable-energy champions. It offered FITs to slather the remote west of China with solar farms. By 2013 C...

a reprint from IEA , 2018-06-16 Fossil fuels currently play a critical role in industry, not only as sources of energy, but also of feedstocks and process agents. Clean electricity could provide a sustainable alternative , but hurdles remain – particularly in terms of costs. In Northern Europe, offshore wind is showing potential to provide significant amounts of clean power to industry, with generation costs possibly falling to the range of €55 to € 70/MWh. This increasingly affordable renewable electricity strengthens the potential for cost-effective replacement of fossil fuels by electricity in industry. However, the continuing cost gap with the direct use of gas or coal to generate heat limits this potential to those electric technologies that are at least twice as efficient as fossil fuel uses. For now, a complete shift would require carbon prices at levels up to € 150 per tonne, a level even higher than projected for 2040 in the World Energy Outlook Sustai...