Renewable energy investments in India increased by more than 52 percent in 2011, the fastest growth among major global economies, according to a new report.

More than $10.3 billion was invested in renewable energy projects in India last year, with about $4.6 billion targeting wind energy projects and another $4.2 billion going toward solar projects, the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report said.

For solar, that represented a seven-fold increase from 2010, when investments totaled about $600 million. According to a separate report, the declining price of solar panels has now made solar powera cheaper energy option than diesel generators in India.

“India’s record performance in 2011, and the momentum it is carrying into 2012, is one of the bright spots in the clean energy firmament,” said Michael Liebreich, BNEF’s chief executive.

According to the BNEF report, India is likely to exceed its target of adding 12.4 gigawatts of grid-connected renewable energy as set out in its current five-year plan, which ends next month.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

Related posts:

• Global Energy Consumption to Grow 53 Percent by 2035, Report Says
• Confidence Picks Up in Clean Tech Funding: Report
• Hilary Clinton Advocates For Clean Cookstoves in India Visit
• Wind Generated More than 10 Percent of Energy in 4 U.S. States in 2009
• One Million Households Powered by Solar Energy in Bangladesh

India has a Solar Mission to install 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. Solar electricity is already cheaper than electricity produced with diesel generators.

These optimistic figures from India, the second most populated country in the world, has led the New Scientist magazine to write an in-depth article about it saying that India’s solar power revolution could have a ripple effect across the globe.

Solar panel prices fell by nearly 50 percent in 2011 and now they cost just one-quarter of what they did in 2008. This is good news for a good slice of the Indian population, one quarter of which lacks access to electricity. But electricity connection is not reliable, hence the use of diesel generators as backup power, increasing India’s share of greenhouse gases.

Solar electricity has fallen to 8.78 rupees per kilowatt hour (against 17 rupees for diesel-generated power) due to falling production costs. According to a Bloomberg News Energy Finance specialist, solar is now cheaper than diesel wherever it’s as sunny as Spain, which includes many parts of the world such as chunks of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Analysts say that by 2015 solar electricity will be as cheap as grid electricity in half of all countries.

This is good news because according to another report in the New Scientist, solar power will be the only truly clean form of power for humanity’s energy-demanding future.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

Related posts:

• Indian Clean Energy Growth Was Fastest in World in 2011, Report Says
• Energy Intensity: Energy Use by Country
• Blackstone Invests $300 Million in One of India’s Leading Solar PV Companies
• Mass Water Shipment Planned From Alaska to India
• India’s CO2 Emissions Will At Least Triple in the Next 20 Years

When you live with 5 million other people on a relatively small island, finding ways to live more sustainably isn’t so much a luxury as a necessity.

That’s why Singapore—which has the third greatest population density of any sovereign state in the world—has become something of a pioneer in finding ways to live in a more sustainable manner.

Start with water. For years, Singapore has relied on imported water from Malaysia to provide 40 percent of its water supply.

To become more self sufficient, Singapore has invested billions of dollars in membrane filtration technologies that allow wastewater to be reclaimed, filtered, and transformed into high purity potable water called NEWater. This is in addition to heavy investments in desalination plants and rainwater-catching reservoirs that further reduce its reliance on imported water.

Another area where Singapore excels is building efficiency—an area with huge potential impact, given that an astounding 90 percent of the population lives in some form of high-rise condominium. Singapore has set an ambitious target of greening at least 80 percent of its buildings by 2030, including existing stock.

Clean technology advancements are also allowing Singapore to make great strides in transportation, particularly around the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Since roughly 85 percent of Singapore’s power supply comes from natural gas, EVs provide a cleaner solution compared with conventional oil burning vehicles.

And while EVs typically travel a shorter distance compared with conventional vehicles, that’s not really a concern on a 26-mile wide island.

Singapore-based clean tech company Greenlots is developing the best way to charge these EVs. Since 2008, the company has been committed to designing and delivering hardware and software to enable utilities, municipalities, electric vehicle manufacturers and distributors and other private businesses to install, own and operate their own EV charging network. Already, Greenlots has established charging stations in major parking lots in the city, including those at Bedok Point Shopping Centre and Kovan Residences.

By investing in clean technology innovations, Singapore is able to tackle multiple areas that impact its future. Its forward-thinking design solutions to environmental problems are sure to yield benefits both today and tomorrow.

Susan Gladwin leads the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program, which provides clean tech innovators powerful software and opportunities to help them develop solutions that address our most pressing environmental issues. In North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program offers $150,000 of Autodesk software for $50 (JPY 10,000 in Japan).

Related posts:

• Mandatory Roof Gardens Urged As Solution to Singapore Flooding
• Singapore is Greenest City in Asia, According to New Survey
• Exploring a Flawed Paradigm: Why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is Not Enough
• Ascent Solar Strikes Profit-Rich International Deals
• Water Management & Conservation — Singapore Sets Another Example

Nissan Motors Ltd., commonly known as just Nissan, is a multinational automobile manufacturer located in Japan. Like all other global automobile manufacturers, Nissan Motors has quickly realized the importance of environmental stewardship and environmental sustainability. Knowing that automobiles are the primary cause for much of the carbon dioxide emissions, Nissan Motors is now taking necessary steps in reducing their carbon footprint, both with the automobiles the automobile manufacturer produces as well as within all its offices and manufacturing factories. Below is a list of just ten of the sustainability initiatives Nissan Motors is involved in.

1 ) Nissan Green Program. The Nissan Green Program is Nissan Motor’s way of creating a more sustainable mobile society by addressing environmental challenges and finding routes around them, mainly being a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, minimizing emissions to preserve the water, soil, and atmosphere, and resource recycling to promote reducing, reusing, and recycling. The overall objective is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions wherever Nissan Motors has corporate endeavors, including offices, shops, and factories.

2 ) Nissan Green Shops. Nissan Green Shop Activities includes a large variety of environmental efforts that take place at Nissan Motor dealerships throughout the globe, including reducing waste, recycling, and energy saving endeavors. The program was introduced in April of 2000 as an environmental management system for all car dealerships. According to the website, “Dealerships that have been certified in Nissan Green Shop have appointed environmental staff and directors to be in charge of environmental activities, and established a system of responsibility for these activities. Working within this system, the environmental staff and directors (1) ensure that end-of-life vehicles and waste are disposed of properly, (2) manage environmental facilities, and (3) conduct public relations and other activities to inform customers of Nissan’s environmental efforts.”

3 ) Nissan LEAF Wins 2011-2012 JAHFA Car of the Year Award. In December of 2011, Nissan Motors won the 2011 – 2012 Japan Automotive Hall of Fall (JAHFA) Car of the Year and Car Design of the Year awards for their 100 percent electric car, the Nissan LEAF. It won car of the year because of, “The courage that Nissan displayed in developing a mass-market electric vehicle ahead of the rest of the world’s automakers; it is an attractive, competitive product that has been recognized globally; [and] it has an EV-IT system that enhances the usability of the vehicle.” It won for car design of the year because, “It expresses thoughtful styling as a pioneer EV sedan; it reduces wind noise through its aerodynamic form; [and] the car’s interior design expresses the feeling of a new era.”

4 ) Nissan Starts Japan Sales for a New Quick Charger for Electric Vehicles. On November 30, 2011 Nissan Motors made the announcement that it was starting sales for its brand new quick charger throughout Japan. The newly developed unit has the same high performance as the current charger but is half the size. It has the same safety features and complies with CHAdeMO protocol. It is compatible with all Nissan electric vehicles and electric vehicles that were manufactured by other automakers. Not only is it a lot smaller, but it is also a lot easier to install.

5 ) Nissan Delivers 100 Percent Electric LEAF to Wuhan. In November of 2011, Nissan Motor and the Wuhan Municipal Government are going ahead with a new pilot program that would promote zero emission mobility. With this, Wuhan accepted the delivery from Nissan of 15 Nissan LEAFs, with ten more of these units to be delivered sometime in 2012. In this pilot program, Nissan is working alongside the city on a number of joint activities that are aimed at the contribution of the establishment of a city that is environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Another focus is to aid in the planning for a complete rollout of electric vehicles into the Chinese market.

6 ) Nissan and Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport Launch Test for Road Guidance. In December of 2011, Nissan Motor and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport began a large-scale demonstration test for the new Traffic Information System Model Project. The demonstration will start the end of January of 2012 and will “verify the effects of traffic dispersion by dynamic route guidance with IT devices.” In the test, 12,000 individuals are going to be given IT devices to provide eco-drive support and dynamic route guidance. Users in the trial can expect to see reduced fuel consumption and travel time as well as a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

7 ) Activities at Plants. At all Nissan Motor production plants, a number of systems are thoroughly implemented to control substances that can have a negative environmental impact. Activities are undertaken to reduce the total amount of the harmful substances used as well as emitted during production operations. Other activities at the plant include introducing equipment that is energy saving and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and controlling all standards and systems to manage all air pollutants and participate in a number of activities to reduce the substances that are emitted at production plants.

8 ) Activities in Products. Nissan Motor believes that the company can contribute to a sustainable mobile society by improving these aspects. Therefore, Nissan looks to offer vehicles that are not only attractive, but also have a reduced environmental impact. Nissan is undertaking a lot of aggressive efforts to improve overall fuel efficiency and aid in the development of vehicles that only use clean energies. Nissan is also in the development process of clean vehicles, including EVs and FCEVs that do not emit carbon dioxide emissions or even exhaust when operated.

9 ) Nissan Green Program 2016. The Nissan Green Program 2016 was created to help the company achieve its environmental philosophy of “Symbiosis of People, Vehicles, and Nature.” This program promotes activities “not only in development and manufacturing departments associated with the production of automobiles, but also in sales, service, and all other departments company-wide. In specific terms, this program ensures that environmental action plans are formulated, the targets and aims relating to business activities and associated indirectly with the environment are set for mid-term, long-term, and yearly periods, and that every possible effort is made to achieve sustainable development.”Activities include the penetration of zero-emission vehicles, wider application of fuel efficient vehicles, corporate carbon footprint minimization, and natural resource usage minimization.

10 ) Increased Biofuel Use. Nissan takes use of biofuels seriously. In North America, Nissan Motor markets flexible-fuel vehicles – cars that can handle ethanol-based mixtures and not present any kind of problem. In another example, in April of 1008, Nissan Motor started taking part in the Tokachi E10 Trials, which looks to increase the utilization of E10 fuel, which is a biofuels.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.

Related posts:

• ESFLOW: Nissan’s New Electric Sports Car Concept
• Chevy Volt Attracting Chevrolet Newbies
• GM’s Chevrolet Volt — Catching Up With Toyota’s Prius & Nissan’s Leaf
• Insight into Dell’s Sustainability Initiatives
• Nissan’s Leaf Named Car of the Year at Tokyo Motor Show

The Chinese government has ordered five cities and two provinces to set caps on greenhouse gas emissions in preparation for a series of regional carbon markets.

Last week, China’s National Development and Reform Commission urged Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen, as well as the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong, to set “overall emissions control targets” and submit strategy proposals on how to achieve them.

A plan developed by Guangdong — which commits the province to achieving 20 percent of its total energy consumption from non-fossil fuels by 2015 — has already been approved by the central government. The province must also cut its “carbon intensity,” or the CO2 emissions per unit of economic growth, by 19.5 percent.

China as a whole, which has already passed the U.S. as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has committed to reducing its carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020. According to a new government report, China’s urban population surpassed its rural population for the first time ever in 2011.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

Related posts:

• China Pushes Commitments From Western Nations at Global Climate Talks
• U.S., China Energy Use Predicted to Flatten in Coming Decades
• India Will Reject Curbs On Its CO2 Emissions
• China Says It Will Move to Enforce Greenhouse Gas Goals
• China’s Per Capita Emissions Could Rival U.S.’s By 2017

In front of a packed house of dignitaries, delegates and energy industry leaders assembled for the 2012 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik each independently reaffirmed their country’s commitment to nuclear power as an essential part of a low carbon future. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning, the two leaders outlined their country’s clean energy and energy efficiency accomplishments over the last several years, and outlined the framework for transitioning to a low carbon energy economy in the years to come.

“We will gradually change the current energy mix dominated by coal,” Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the opening session of the 2012 World Future Energy Summit, by raising the output of “natural gas, renewable energy and nuclear energy,” referring to nuclear as “safe, reliable and technologically mature.”

Premier Wen outlined a long list of Chinese accomplishments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, capping them off by reporting that China now gets 11% of its electricity from renewable energy.

But Premier Wen underscored that the transition to clean energy would not be sudden. “Fossil fuels will continue for a long time,” Wen told conference attendees. “So we need to follow a low-carbon approach to carbon-intense technologies,” Wen said.

Premier Wen was not alone in committing to nuclear energy in the long term. In the second keynote address at the opening session of the 2012 WFES, Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik told conferees that “To accelerate the worldwide spread of renewable energy and for it to replace fossil fuels we must promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.”

The message from Prime Minister Kim was very clear: climate change is a serious issue that poses a threat to people all over the planet. “Humanity faces a serious challenge with global climate change,” Kim said.

And if you take Prime Minister Kim’s words at face value, his government is backing up their clean energy talk with clean energy action. According to Kim, the “green government has invested 2% of GDP [gross domestic product] in renewable energy and clean technologies and has set a goal to be the worlds fifth largest clean energy economy.”

Wrapping up the morning’s powerhouse session of Asian leaders, UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon praised the promise of “sustainable energy,” demanding that “energy poverty must end.”

“It is not acceptable that 3 billion people have to rely on wood, coal and charcoal and animal waste for cooking and heating,” said the Secretary General.

Article by Timothy Hurst, appearing courtesy ecopolitology.

Tim Hurst’s travel expenses to the 2012 World Future Energy Summit were covered by Masdar.

Related posts:

• South Korea, Malaysia Discuss Nuclear Energy Cooperation
• North Korean Leader Supports Russian Natgas Pipeline to South Korea
• South Korea Seeking Rare Earth Concessions in South Africa
• Thailand and South Korea Announce Huge Renewable Energy Projects
• South Korea Aims to Produce 1 Million Electric Cars by 2020

A panel formed to study solutions to increased flooding in Singapore has urged the government to require green roofs on new and retrofitted buildings.

The 12-member panel, which was created after torrential rains caused flash flooding across eastern and central Singapore last year, said improved weather modeling and infrastructure improvements are needed to handle a surge in stormwater runoff caused by urbanization in Singapore.

In the meantime, however, the panel urged simpler steps to reduce and delay flooding, including better storage tanks, porous pavements, and rain gardens. Such rooftop gardens, which are often added to reduce heat or for aesthetic reasons, can absorb six to 34 liters of water per square meter and limit water flow, local contractors said.

After flash floods inundated large areas of Singapore last June for the second consecutive year, a government official warned that the nation’s drainage system is not equipped to handle the region’s “changing” weather patterns.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

Related posts:

• Singapore’s Sustainability Imperative
• India May Make CSR Spending Mandatory
• Singapore is Greenest City in Asia, According to New Survey
• Ascent Solar Strikes Profit-Rich International Deals
• Water Management & Conservation — Singapore Sets Another Example

The Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean that is threatened by rising sea levels, is turning to solar power to get its electricity.

State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) and Renewable Energy Maldives (REM) have devised a solar energy project to generate electricity for six islands of Malé atoll. Altogether, The Maldives are comprised of nearly 1,200 islands and atolls.

The project is part of the country’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the country’s Environment Minister, Mohamed Aslam and Katherina Reiche, who is the Parliamentary Secretary of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The rooftop of the Muhiyiddeen School in Villimalé district, one of the island districts of Malé, received the first solar energy panels that accompanied the inauguration of the project. The panels are expected to generate 61 kilowatts of electricity with the potential to power 30 houses.

The other five islands included in this project are Maafushi, Guraidhoo, Himmafushi, Kaashidhoo and Thulusdhoo. The plan is to achieve a generation of 652 kilowatts of electricity using solar energy.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

Related posts:

• Beyond Copenhagen: Prepare for Climate Chaos
• Clean Tech Revolution In Need of a Green Gandhi. He May be Emerging.
• Small, Portable Solar Light
• New Boiler Turns Prunings Into Power
• Egyptian Garbage Collector Champions Alternative Energy

The minerals known as rare earths are likely the most important, but least understood factor in our transition to a low-carbon, clean-energy future. They’re essential ingredients to just about every source of renewable energy and nearly every consumer electronic device we use today.

But China dominates worldwide rare earth supplies and production, and their monopoly could corner the world economy. energyNOW! chief correspondent Tyler Suiters explores how U.S. dependence on China’s rare earths could affect our energy future and high-tech lifestyles. The full video is available below.

Americans are used to seeing the words “Made in China” on most things we buy, but could they soon also read “Mined in China?” The nation controls 97 percent of global production of the elements we rely upon in every aspect of modern life. Consider the technologies requiring rare earths: computers, smart phones, military jets, rocket systems, electric cars, wind turbines, energy-efficient light bulbs, and flat-screen televisions, to name a few.

China’s claim on the rare earths market began in the 1980’s. Premier Deng Xiaoping famously quipped “the Middle East has oil, but China has rare earths,” and the country ramped up mining efforts. This drove production costs down so sharply that rare earth mining became unprofitable in other countries, including the U.S., which had led global production since the 1960s. It also boosted China’s economy.

“They were very effectively using their control over the rare earth industry to force high-tech manufacturing into China,” said John Burba, CTO of Molycorp, operator of the only active rare earths mine in America. “I could look and see how fast it was leaving the United States.”

Molycorp hopes to counter China’s rare earths monopoly through its Mountain Pass mine in California. Until the 1980s, Mountain Pass was the single top producing rare earths mine in the world. Plunging commodity prices and a series of environmental accidents forced it to close.

Through a revamped approach that favors computer control and automation, Molycorp says it can safely produce 40,000 tons of rare earths a year by 2013 – equal to all U.S. demand. “A facility of this size in China would probably require 3,000 to 4,000 people,” said Mark Smith, Molycorp CEO. “We’ll have 300 or 400.”

Meeting that demand is critical to the burgeoning cleantech economy, which consumes 20 percent of the world’s rare earths. They coat the inside of compact fluorescent light bulbs, go into the magnets that turn electric vehicle batteries, and power the electrical generators inside wind turbines. For context, some of the biggest turbines can each use two tons of rare earths.

If production can’t be increased, another solution may be to find replacements. Companies with a big stake in renewables are actively looking for rare earth substitutes. General Electric says it has developed a higher-performance wind turbine magnetizer coil, completely free of rare earths, and Toyota is working on an EV motor that doesn’t need rare earths at all. But, both are still in the experimental phase and not yet market-ready.

So while breaking up the rare earths monopoly has environmental consequences, it also represents an economic imperative – and the window is closing. “The big danger is that China totally controls the production of all devices containing rare earths,” said Jack Lifton, of Technology Metals Research. “If we haven’t made any significant moves by 2015, we will simply no longer be a nation with any hope of doing so.”

Article by Silvio Marcacci, appearing courtesy Earth & Industry.

Related posts:

• China to Keep Rare Earths Export Quota at 2010 Levels
• China and Rare Earths – Monopoly for Now
• Molycorp’s Expansion across the Rare Earth Supply Chain
• Molycorp Prepares to Reopen Their Rare Earth Materials Mine
• Rare Earth Mineral Deposits Discovered on Pacific Seafloor

A recent Bloomberg survey of key energy decision-makers concluded that China shows more government support than any other country for funding renewable energy. It also shows equally high support for transformational clean technologies, like smart grids and electric cars. With the right government backing, China could address its own energy security issues with technology to spare for export.

The graphs charting China’s economic growth and energy demand mirror one another: each resembles the left side of a mountain with no peak in sight. By the IEA’s reckoning, China’s electricity demand alone will nearly triple by 2035. On the surface, this may come across as resoundingly bad news to environmentalists. However, China’s industrial cloud has a strong green lining. And unlike the Olympics, China’s not just using green paint this time.

This year, Bloomberg Businessweek Research Services in partnership with ABB surveyed energy professionals, government officials and CFOs about the future of energy, the opportunities and the barriers. Among the results of this 2011 Energy Survey, China emerged as the strongest government supporter of clean energy technologies.

China’s renewable energy: Readers may remember that China’s wind power capacity surpassed the United States in 2010, and continues to grow. The National Development and Reform Commission estimates that China, the world leader in wind, could generate as much as 1 TW of wind energy by 2050. Similarly, this year China bumped its four-year targets for solar generation up by 50%, and the shear volume of solar panel production from the People’s Republic had US solar manufacturers suddenly in a panic.

Where will the greenbacks for China’s green energy growth come from? The Bloomberg survey shows that nearly 90% of Chinese energy decision-makers believe that the government should fund renewable energy growth. That makes China far and away the most enthusiastic about government support of renewables. By contrast, fewer than 40% of Americans surveyed think it’s the government’s role to fund clean energy. In the ongoing war of words between China and the US over climate change and energy security, those numbers speak volumes.

Smart grids: China will likely soon also be the world’s biggest smart grid market. Last year alone, it invested 3.7 billion US dollars in modernizing its electricity grid, and the so-called “12th Five-Year Plan” calls for wide installation of smart meters, IT software and other components of a smart grid over the next few years. The 2011 Energy Survey reflects the same strong government support of smart grids as for renewable energy. All of the decision-makers surveyed agreed that updating China’s is either somewhat important or very important. Moreover, as with renewable energy, over 90% believe that continued investment in China’s smart grid will come from the government.

Electric vehicles: With a smart grid with vehicle to grid technology in place, electric vehicles (EVs) also become a convenient way to store and provide energy to the grid. China’s planning to have one million EVs on the road by 2014. To support these electric cars, it’s building 400 electric vehicle charging stations by 2016. According to the 2011 Energy Survey, over 80% of Chinese decision-makers believe that the Chinese government should support the EV infrastructure, a full ten percent more than the next leading country and a great deal more than the USA, where fewer than 40% agree with government support for EVs. To this tune, the Chinese government is investing 100 billion Yuan (15 bn USD) in alternative fuel vehicles over the next ten years.

The 2011 Energy Survey is still open for participation for members of the public to give their input on the future of energy and compare their views with those of energy market decision-makers. Take the survey. You can also view a detailed list of the survey’s conclusions and watch related videos. For a summary of the conclusions, see this infographic.

Article by Gavin Hudson, appearing courtesy Earth & Industry.

Related posts:

• China Pushes Commitments From Western Nations at Global Climate Talks
• China Named Leader in Green Energy Investing
• Investment in Renewables Outstrip Fossil Fuels in Europe and U.S.
• Wind Energy Could Meet China’s Energy Needs Until 2030
• First Solar Strikes a Global Deal