Panama And California Laying A Path For Sustainability

Posted on June 26, 2012 by QuestPoint

The 9th Annual Global California Panama Conference was held this past Friday in San Jose California. The all day information packed conference was presented by TradePort, United States Panama Business Council – West, GlobalCalifornia.com, Monterey Bay International Trade Association and the City of San Jose. Robert Krieger, President of Krieger Worldwide and a featured panelist described Panama as the next Hong Kong. The new Free Trade Agreement and the fact that the Panama Canal is set to double its capacity means a boast for Panama, California and the Americas. Panama is now the largest free trade zone in the Western hemisphere.

Keynote speaker Juan Sosa the Former Ambassador to Panama and current President of United States – Panama Business Council said “the Panama Canal is now operating at 95% capacity. Panama is experiencing double digit growth with only 1% of the population in Latin America. Now as a logistic hub we believe that ports on the west coast, the Gulf and the Atlantic will benefit by our new capacity if they too can upgrade their capacity.” Port of Oakland’s Ron Brown who also spoke welcomed Panama’s expansion as a sign of growth for California.

The heightened economic activity in Panama is not just about the canal. Panama City the nation’s capital dubbed “Panhatten” is a dynamic city. Real estate, banking, ecotourism and renewable energy are all poised for growth throughout the nation. Alvaro Cabal Lachman also a panelist and head of USPAW and CEO of Nearshore Development provided key insights on real estate in the country today and in the future. Participating panelists and sponsors shared valuable insight on doing business in the country. In attendance were representatives of Morgan Stanley, Citibank, FedEx, Panama Pacifo, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Jose Branca, NICE Inc. and US Commercial Service. Daniel Robin a Senior Partner with In3 Finance Group who has worked on agricultural and renewable energy projects and ventures in Latin America suggested that PPA’s (Power Purchase Agreements) could provide an affordable solution to bringing solar energy to Panama. A trade mission to Panama will be held on July 25-27, 2012. By Richard Andrews

India Looks To Solar Power

Solar Impulse Flies To Sahara On Sun Energy

Posted on June 24, 2012 by QuestPoint

After completing its historic 2,500-kilometer intercontinental flight to Morocco earlier this month, the Swiss solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, lifted off from Morocco’s capital Rabat this morning on the second attempt at its most challenging flight yet — to the Sahara desert and Ouarzazate, where Morocco is building the world’s largest solar-thermal plant to harness renewable power from the Sahara sun for North Africa and Europe. The pioneering solar-powered aircraft faced “difficult meteorological conditions” that last week forced pilot Andre Borschberg to turn back after experiencing unexpectedly strong headwinds halfway through the flight. Today, Solar Impulse took off from Rabat at 7:05 A.M. local time and flew over the Atlas Mountains before heading for a landing at Ouarzazate expected around midnight local time (early evening Thursday Eastern Time).

Pilot Andre Borschberg was forced to fly the Solar Impulse back to Rabat when turbulence made it impossible to cross the Atlas Mountains in southern Morocco on June 14, 2012. But yesterday’s second attempt was finally successful, and the team was welcomed in Ouarzazate by a jubilant crowd. The 683 km journey was completed in 17 hours and 20 minutes at an average altitude of 16, 405 feet. Reports Green Profit. The solar plane, powered by 12,000 solar cells in its 207-ft wing-span and not a drop of fossil fuel, touched down in Morocco on June 5 after flying from Switzerland via Madrid. After landing, the Solar Impulse team joined events highlighting renewable energy technologies, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI and at the invitation of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, MASEN, which oversees Morocco’s solar energy plans.

MASEN President Mustapha Bakkoury welcomed Solar Impulse pilot Bertrand Piccard at Rabat’s airport, calling the flight important for raising awareness about solar energy’s potential to reduce global dependence on oil, and saying, “we share a common message with Solar Impulse.” He said Morocco will be producing solar energy by 2014, when Solar Impulse plans to fly a round-the-world tour. The solar flight to Morocco coincides with construction launch of a World Bank-financed solar thermal project in Ouarzazate — the first of five sites — that will produce 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy from the Sahara sun and create many jobs in the area. When it reaches Ouarzazate, Solar Impulse plans to fly over the site and land nearby to show its support for the innovative solar power project.

Hotels house honeybees on rooftops

Waves Of Change At Rio+20 Sustainability Conference

Posted on June 21, 2012 by QuestPoint

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking yesterday at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development outlined a series of actions he believes the global community must take over the next five years to build the future we want. In a speech to the General Assembly last September Mr. Ban presented five imperatives or generational opportunities that must be addressed to ensure a better future for the world’s people. These are sustainable development; preventing and mitigating conflicts, human rights abuses and the impacts of natural disasters; building a safer and more secure world; supporting countries in transition; and working to engage the talents of women and young people. Today I want to share with you an action agenda for the coming five years, he told the Assembly as he returned to the rostrum to brief Member States on his vision for his second term.

A plan to help create a safer, more secure, more sustainable, more equitable future. A plan to build the future we want. A plan to make the most of the opportunities before us. A plan to help create a safer, more secure, more sustainable, more equitable future. A plan to build the future we want, he said. The action agenda presented today describes specific measures regarding each of the five imperatives, including an unprecedented campaign to wipe out five of the world’s major killers malaria, polio, paediatric HIV infections, maternal and neonatal tetanus, and measles.

Mr. Ban also announced that the UN will work with Member States to make Antarctica a World Nature Preserve and that he will appoint a new special representative for youth. Among his other proposals is the convening of a first-of-its-kind World Humanitarian Summit to help share knowledge and establish common best practices, and the creation of a New UN Partnerships Facility to harness the full power of transformative partnerships across the world body. Waves of change are surging around us, he told the Assembly. If we navigate wisely, we can create a more secure and sustainable future for all. The United Nations is the ship to navigate these waters.

Rio 20 years later: Pollution up, forests down

SunPower Solar Tracker Makes Energy For Bloomberg

Posted on June 18, 2012 by QuestPoint

SunPower Corp. today announced the completion of a 1.8-megawatt solar power system for Bloomberg in New Jersey. The eight-acre, ground-mounted solar tracking system is generating the equivalent of 58 percent of electricity demand at the 100,000-square-foot main building at Bloomberg‘s Skillman, N.J. campus. It is the first completed renewable energy project at a Bloomberg facility. “Renewable energy development is a core part of Bloomberg’s overall commitment to environmental sustainability. This significant solar installation contributes to Bloomberg’s environmental and financial goals, and diversifies New Jersey’s energy supply with reliable, clean and affordable power,” said Curtis Ravenel, global head of sustainability for Bloomberg.

Bloomberg is buying the power generated from the system at prices below retail rates, providing a long-term hedge against rising power prices with no initial capital investment. The system is owned by a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Services, Inc., which is also selling the solar renewable energy credits and environmental attributes associated with the project. The system is being partially financed through PSE&G’s Solar Loan Program, through which PSE&G offers low-interest loans for solar power development. The system uses high-efficiency SunPower solar panels with the SunPower T0 Tracker system. The Tracker follows the sun’s movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over conventional fixed-tilt systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements.

“The T0 Tracker delivers more solar energy per square meter and greater energy savings than conventional systems, reliably maximizing the clean, renewable solar power generated on site for the next 20 years or more,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “With this system, Bloomberg is achieving significant long-term cost savings on electricity and supporting renewable energy development that is critical to environmental health and energy independence.”

Cali And Panama Conference Targets Renewable Energy

Hillary Clinton Heading US Rio Sustainability Delegates

Posted on June 17, 2012 by QuestPoint

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will head the U.S. delegation to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, which will take place June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Secretary also plans to meet with key world leaders while at the conference. Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will serve as alternate head of delegation, and Todd Stern, Special Envoy on Climate Change, will serve as chief negotiator. This conference commemorates 20 years since the June 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (the “Earth Summit”).

The 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or “Rio+20” is a forum on how to make sustainable development a reality for seven billion people today, and to define the future we want for nine billion by 2050. With a presence in 177 countries and territories, UNDP assists governments, private sector and civil society to build inclusive, prosperous, and greener societies. We advise our partners to consider every policy and investment from an economic, social and environmental perspective. This holistic, integrated approach to decision making is the path towards empowered lives, resilient nations and a sustainable future. Sustainable development is about people. It is about creating jobs and improving lives while respecting the environment. Eradicating poverty, preventing conflicts, empowering women and girls, and building responsible governing institutions are critical components.

In addition to Secretary Clinton, Administrator Jackson, and Special Envoy Stern, the U.S. delegation will include the following U.S. Government representatives including but not limited to Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., Ambassador of the United States to Brazil, Carlos Pascual, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Department of State and Elizabeth L. Littlefield, President and CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Other members of the U.S. delegation include technical experts from the Department of State, the United States Mission to the UN, the United States Agency for International Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy and the Treasury Department. They will also be accompanied by nine Private Sector Advisors representing business, state and local officials, nongovernment organizations, youth, women, and labor.

Stanford Finds Future Of Solar Power Is Bright

Posted on June 17, 2012 by QuestPoint

Nearly everyone thinks that generating electricity via solar power is good for the environment, but there’s much less agreement on whether it makes sense from an economic point of view. At what point will solar power be competitive with electricity generated by conventional, fossil-fuel plants, and how long will subsidies need to remain in place before the solar industry can stand on its own? Those are some of the questions addressed in “The Prospects for Cost-Competitive Solar PV Power,” a new working paper by Stefan Reichelstein, William R. Timken Professor of Accounting at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Michael Yorston, graduate student in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. Their paper breaks new ground in studying the life-cycle cost of electricity generated by solar photovoltaic, paying particular attention to key factors such as location, public subsidies, and the long-term learning effects in manufacturing solar panels.

Concerning the future, and this may sound like a pun, the future of solar PV looks rather bright. The industry has consistently been able to lower the cost of solar panels. If this trend can be maintained for the next 10 years, and if subsidies are continued for that period, there is a real prospect for solar to become cost competitive on its own (that is, without a subsidy), at least for commercial installations. Utility-scale installations will take longer to become competitive; possibly 15 years, though it obviously becomes murkier to make projections that far into the future.

Renewable energy and solar in particular remain rather controversial in the public debate about energy policy. Passions have been running high. What motivated me is the bewildering range of statements you have out there regarding the cost effectiveness of electricity based on solar PV. Given the range of opinions, I wanted to do my own analysis. I’m looking at it from the point of view of a business economist who is interested in measuring the life-cycle cost of this abundant energy source.