Energypedia News
International Fuel Prices Now Online
The International Fuel Prices database which provides an overview of retail prices of gasoline and diesel, taxes and price policies in 170 countries, is now available on energypedia.info. The fuel price database allows the comparison of global fuel prices and policies over the last years. In this way it can help in developing and implementing rational energy pricing policies.
Policies for fuel pricing, fuel prices and taxes vary from country to country. However, generally spoken, fuel taxes are one of the most important options for financing the transport sector: 10 US cents per liter may yield the financial resources necessary to maintain the road system, an additional 3-5 US cents can be a financing option for urban transport.
The International Fuel Prices is a service of the sector project Transport Policy Advisory Services, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Energy Sector News
Bonn International Cooking Energy Forum 2013
The topic of clean cooking has gained tremendous momentum on the international agenda with the creation of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves in 2010. The Alliance seeks to enable 100 million households to adopt clean cooking solutions by the year 2020. More efficient and alternative cooking energy systems are under continuous development - however, access to affordable, sustainable and clean cooking energy for two thirds of the world’s population still remains a challenge.
To discuss the latest developments in the cooking energy sector and to share experiences, more than 130 participants from ministries, the private sector, investors and non-governmental organizations from around the world came together at the Bonn International Cooking Energy Forum, held from the 26th to the 28th of June. The Forum was hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
The main topics of discussion were how the participants could best harmonize their contributions towards reaching the '100 million by 2020' goal, identifying emerging opportunities in cooking fuels and usage, and assessing how the private and public sector could join forces to create vibrant markets for cookstoves.
Find out more about the Forum:
Thailand Adding 1,000 Megawatts of Solar with New Feed-in Tariffs
Plans are underway for Thailand to add another 1,000 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) by the end of 2014. Thailand's National Energy Policy Commission (NEPC) has approved new feed-in tariffs for both rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV with contract terms of 25 years. This brings Thailand into alignment with similar programs in Germany, Great Britain and Canada.
The new feed-in tariffs for solar PV will be differentiated by size and application, with three size tranches for rooftop solar PV and a separate tranche for community-owned, ground-mounted installations. However, tariffs for community-owned projects will vary by time period as follows: 1 to 3 years; 4 to 10 years; and 11 to 25 years.
800 MW has been reserved for community-owned projects which must be installed by the end of 2014. The additional 1,000 MW will raise Thailand's total target for solar PV to 3,000 MW.
IRENA Renewable Energy Learning Partnership - New Global Internship Database
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has launched the IRENA Renewable Energy Learning Partnership (IRELP) database for renewable energy internship opportunities. The internship database is an addition to the existing IRELP portal, which currently features more than 1,500 renewable energy courses, seminars, degree programs, webinars and training guides. The global internship database has been created with the intent to help young professionals enter the field of renewable energy and raise the profile of renewable energy as an attractive career option.
New Energy Publications
Productive Use of Thermal Energy - An Overview of Technology Options and Approaches for Promotion
Thermal energy – used for cooking, heating, drying and smoking – is an essential input for production processes in agricultural businesses, small industries and commercial services. Alongside electricity and mechanical energy, thermal energy plays a key role in processing goods and offering services, particularly in remote areas where biomass and solar radiation are often the only source of energy available.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the EU Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF) have recently published “Productive Use of Thermal Energy – An Overview of Technology Options and Approaches for Promotion”. The brochure sheds light on improved thermal energy technologies for productive purposes and approaches for promoting these technologies. Focus is on micro, small and medium enterprises in the agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. It also provides guidance on how to promote effectively the distribution of efficient biomass and solar thermal appliances for productive uses for energy and private sector development practitioners. Additionally, project profiles illustrate opportunities for promoting productive use of thermal energy from countries in Africa and Latin America, based on experience and first-hand information by GIZ energy programs.
What Have We Learned about Household Biomass Cooking in Central America?
37,000 premature deaths a year are associated with household air pollution from smoke due to wood burning in Central America. According to the new Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) report on clean cooking, approximately 86% of the biomass users in Central America are concentrated in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, including both urban and rural areas. However, less than 10% of the biomass users utilize improved cooking devices. Household air pollution is also linked to other health problems like pneumonia in children and chronic lung disease in women.
The study finds that biomass for cooking in the region will continue to be significant for a long time because of population growth, high poverty, high liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices and relatively easy access to fuel wood in the region.
Some lessons from the last decade of experience in Central America and other regions in promoting improved stoves are:
- Providing households with clean and efficient cooking solutions is not just an energy issue, but touches on poverty, gender inequality, public health, environmental sustainability, climate change, agriculture, and local employment.
- A large-scale, regional clean cooking program requires a solid technical component and an enabling environment that oversees and coordinates energy, health, environment, and gender issues related to household biomass use.
Recommendations in the report include the need to develop regional standards for improved cookstoves and remove regional trade barriers; the need to develop country-based information campaigns so that end-users understand how improved cookstoves can help save fuel, provide a healthy environment for women and children, and ensure environmental sustainability.
Meeting Renewable Energy Targets: Global Lessons From the Road to Implementation
The report on 'Meeting Renewable Energy Targets: Global Lessons From The Road To Implementation' published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI), documents the challenges and solutions to scaling up renewable energy in China, India, Germany, Morocco, Philippines, South Africa and Spain. The report highlights key findings of what factors are required in order to reach renewable energy targets at the national level based on lessons learned from experience in the renewable energy policy from the seven countries.
Four recommendations are made for policy makers to create better, more sustainable electricity plans:
- Clearly defined policy objectives that have wide public support and flexible yet stable promotion mechanisms.
- Decision-making that reflects transparency, accountability, coordination, cooperation, and multi-stakeholder participation.
- Enabling industry structures with adequate infrastructure and technology.
- A clear understanding of and plan for institutional and human capacity needed (skills, training, education, and capacity-building) to manage renewable energy systems.
Road Transport: The Cost of Renewable Solutions
According to the new International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report 'Road Transport: The Cost of Renewable Solutions', advanced biofuels, electric vehicles and biomethane for transport are set to be competitive with fossil fuels by 2020. This however depends on the enhancement and expansion of support policies.
The use of renewables in the transport sector remains low, accounting for only 2.5% of energy consumption for all types of transport, and 3.3% for road transport, in 2010. While the current environment for renewables in transport is challenging, IRENA’s analysis presents the latest cost data and shows an increasingly positive outlook, while confirming the need for enhanced support at this critical stage.
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Template:Wl-publish: 2013-07-25 16:59:02 +0200
