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Immediate telephone support from a transformer expert and a fast response to site.

UK February 22, 2010 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has launched a new 24/7 transformer emergency hotline number – 0800 083 3211. Any customer who has a transformer problem – no matter who the original manufacturer was – can call this helpline any time of day or night to get immediate support and advice from an ABB transformer expert. If a site visit is required, then ABB promises to have an expert on site, anywhere in the UK, within 24 hours from the first call.

The transformer emergency hotline covers power transformers from larger MV (Medium Voltage) units (33KV and 66KV) to large HV (High Voltage) grid transformers (132KV and above). Services available through the hotline include: emergency on site response within 24 hours; further diagnostic and inspection services; options for maintenance, inspection and repair; insurance reports and support; regular transformer service updates; simple asset registration process.

In many cases, when a fault is reported, even with no loss of supply, ABB’s transformer service team is able to carry out advanced diagnostic tests that identify the nature of the fault, its location within the unit and how serious it is, without needing to take the transformer out of service. They can then advise the customer on the best way to manage the fault to minimise network disruption – in some situations the transformer might be kept in service on reduced load under constant monitoring until a planned outage can be taken to carry out repairs.

In the event of a major failure, then ABB will advise on the most effective route to restore service as fast as possible. There are many examples where a failed transformer that appeared to be a write-off has been remanufactured successfully to better than new condition. This can even be within a much shorter timescale than that required to source a new transformer.

ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

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Eddie O’Connor, founder and CEO of Mainstream Renewable Power, was presented with the first ever Leadership award at the annual Ernst & Young Global Renewable Energy Awards in London’s Science Museum last night. EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs was also nominated for the award.

Now in their sixth year, the awards are dubbed the “Green Oscars” and recognise the projects, companies and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the global renewable energy sector. Dr. O’Connor received the award in recognition of his” vision, leadership and personal commitment to advancing the renewable energy sector”.

Former CEO of Airtricity, Dr. O’Connor founded Mainstream Renewable Power in February of last year and during this time has created a significant pipeline of onshore and offshore wind farm projects in Europe, North America, South America and South Africa. Mainstream was shortlisted for the “Entrepreneurial Developer of the Year” award at last night’s ceremony.

Dr. O’Connor is widely known for his personal commitment to bringing forward the concept of the European Offshore Supergrid – a vision of electricity interconnectivity which has the power and scale to transform the outlook for European energy security. Large-scale grid interconnection has been adopted as EU energy policy, and a number of EU member States are looking closely at the concept as part of their efforts to meet the challenge of the 2020 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.

Commenting at the awards ceremony, Dr. O’Connor said “I am both humbled and honoured to be recognised by my peers in this way. The world is going through a once-off transition to sustainability and we need more people with the vision and the commitment to look beyond the here and now. We’ve built this world of ours on fossil fuels and now we have to un-build it and completely revolutionise not only the way we generate our electricity but the way we deliver it to consumers. The European Offshore Supergrid has the potential to achieve energy independence for Europe as well as reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. I am personally and wholeheartedly committed to realising this potential”.

Dr. O’Connor was named world energy policy leader by Scientific American magazine in 2003 and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from University College Dublin in June 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Industrial Engineering and has a doctorate in Business Administration from the International Management Centres, Europe. He is Secretary of the European Wind Energy Association.

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• Mainstream Renewable Power

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The Government announcement of a strategy to make Britain’s buildings more energy efficient, give a boost to low carbon energy and slash carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 was welcomed by most energy analysts – and by BusinessNet Explorer Construction, Manufacturing and Energy news teams.

‘A vision of a Britain with smart meters, electric cars, clean power and greener buildings within a decade is overdue but great news ’ said BNE editor Paul Garrett.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband outlined nothing less than a green energy revolution which promises that 40 per cent of electricity in the UK will come from low carbon sources, including new nuclear power, by 2020.

Energy efficiency in buildings will be boosted by a £3.2 billion which will be invested by energy companies. Energy use will also be greener thanks to the introduction of smart meters in homes and businesses across Britain.

Financial support will be made available for homes and businesses which generate their own energy through local or micro CHP, solar or wind power.

There will also be support for hybrid and electric cars.

It is estimated that 400,000 ‘green jobs’ will be created as a result of these initiatives. But the cost of energy to homes of businesses could also rise a the price of Britain’s move towards a low carbon economy.

Along with the creation of new jobs to support this low carbon revolution, businesses and households could, despite higher energy costs, actually save money through more sustainable energy use. The economy could also benefit as Britain moves to the forefront of low carbon technologies such as marine – wave and tidal – electricity generation.

‘The whole world faces an opportunity to tackle climate change head on and also be more efficient and less wasteful’ said BNE’s Garrett ‘The UK Government’s announcement shows the way forward and it us up to every home and business to grasp the opportunities now presenting themselves to go on to live, work and play in a greener, more sustainable way’.

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The European Offshore Wind & Transmission Forum 2009

Whenever renewable low carbon energy is illustrated it is usually with a picture of a wind turbine. Increasingly that wind turbine is pictured in an offshore location.

But that offshore location can be in an inaccessible or stormy location, and also needs to be wired up to where the energy from the turbine is actually needed.

Next week in Brussels energy experts and their stakeholders and suppliers will gather to learn best practice in terms of connecting up Europe’s fast-growing offshore wind power industry. From North Sea supergrid integration to help overcome intermittence and balance the system, through to financing, supply chain issues, the technical, maritime and climatic challenges, this will be the forum to attend if your future is connected to offshore wind.

If you would like to find out more about this event – which EnergyBusinessNet will be attending and reporting on – contact Valerie.giblin@greenpowerconferences.com

PG 21.5.2009

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Naturalwatt designs and installs renewable energy systems for both the public and private sector. Systems include solar PV, solar thermal and wind turbines. Coming from an engineering background, Naturalwatt have now designed and developed a unique product that makes renewable energy visible.

Energy from the sun and wind is turned into electricity by solar panels (photo voltaic or PV) and wind turbines. It can be difficult to know how much energy is being generated by a system and how much is being used by the property or household.

The Naturalwatt Dashboard Controller makes this lack of information a thing of the past. It provides a new level of control for renewable energy systems. The dashboard measures and displays LIVE solar production and wind turbine output, as well as many other renewable energy system components e.g. solar thermal controllers (normally Resol), heat meters etc.. Naturalwatt manage the system remotely and make any necessary software updates. The live data is displayed and monitored on the internet. It can tunnel securely out of Broadband (ADSL/DHCP) environments with the minimum of easy setup.

Will Grafton M.D. of Naturalwatt says “Commercial and private property owners installing renewable energy systems see the Dashboard Controller as the heartbeat of their system. By being able to see the green energy their system produces as well as how much energy they use they can change the way they use energy and reduce energy bills even further.”

The Internet Dashboard
Available anywhere you can connect to the internet, the dashboard shows the energy generated, energy currently being used and CO2 saved. With off –grid storage systems it also shows the amount of energy left in the storage. Each of these dashboard displays can be turned into a graph showing energy generation and/or use over a number of different time frames. The picture below shows a graph of the power generated over seven days.

Key benefits

• Dynamic view of each system’s renewable energy production as well as household energy consumption (with approved meter)
• Save on electricity bills by helping to modify behaviour and the way energy is used
• Recording Interaction Modules for SMA Fronius Steca Victron Wind Turbines and many other Renewable Technologies
• New Software Modules can generally be produced on demand
• Personal view via the web to monitor energy produced, and used in each property
• Direct SECURE link to our Central control System for 24hr recording and updating
• Enables ROCS to be claimed via Ofgem approved mechanism
• Effective, reliable and proven technology which has already been successfully used for 3 years
• Can be easily enhanced as new renewable technologies become available
• 240V Power Supply included
• Can integrate with Davis Weather Stations for Schools
• Linux basis gives 100% reliable operation

Specification
Installation Time 1 hour
Telephone Support included
Inputs Victron Steca SMA Fronius Wind up to 6kW, Micro Hydro, CHP
Space Required Minimal Space Required 15 cm x 10cm
System Warranty 2 Years.
S/W Maintenance Self Maintained – Web Costs – £36 per annum after 1st year
Internet Connection DSL local Ethernet Connection or via GPRS (cost option)

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Welcome to EnergyBusinessNet.com, the latest addition to the BusinessNet Explorer site many of you will already be familiar with. With the energy sector constantly in the news, forever tasked to keeping the lights on and always in need of investment this is a sector that can’t be ignored and must, as Britain faces a looming energy generation gap, strict carbon targets and energy price and efficiency challenges, demand our full attention.

We might need a new generation of nuclear power stations, acres more wind farms, new carbon capture technology, reinforced and smarter energy grids, microgeneration, a step change in energy saving and insulation, fuel cells, heat pumps and smart meters – but can all this be achieved in the current economic climate?

We think that, with intelligent procurement decision making and the right information platforms, it can. That’s where EnergyBusinessNet.com can help you. This is a sales and marketing platform where you can also view up to date news and opinion which brings you the context in which your decisions have to be made.

That context is a fast moving one. March has brought us news that after withdrawels by BP and Shell, ScottishPower’s Spanish owners Iberdrola has now decided to defer 40 per cent of its investment in UK offshore wind generation.

That decision has been a huge blow to the Government’s 2020 renewable energy targets and won’t have been good news for the wind turbine industry and those who work with them either.

But renewable energy in its many forms and energy efficiency should not be seen as a luxury in a recession, but an opportunity to produce more efficient, sustainable energy and consume it in a more cost effective way.

EnergyBusinessNet.com will help to showcase the best in sustainable energy solutions, while bringing in the news and policy context in which the energy sector operates – as well as providing the platform for the industry and its suppliers themselves to show what they have to offer.

Clean energy is being cited the world over, from Barack Obama to the G20 summit, as a way to reignite the world economy and help create green jobs for a sustainable future. Let’s see energy as an opportunity to move the economy – and your business – forward.

Paul Garrett
Editor
30 March 2009

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Information from Future Energy Strategies
January to July

In italics – event has taken place
Bold – attended by Future Energy Strategies

January

8 January – An Audience with Steve Holliday, CEO National Grid, London
19-21 January – World Future Energy Summit (with Masdar), Abu Dhabi
20 January – Energy Industries Club, Lord Browne of Madingly, London
21 January – British Wind Energy Association Parliamentary reception, London
22-23 January – Claes & Casteels EU Energy Law and Policy Conference, Brussels
27 January – Environmental Industries Commission reception, London
28 January – Energy Security, organised by the Economic Research Council, London
28-29 January – European Gas Conference, Vienna

February

2 February – Platt’s 3rd Central and Eastern European Power Conference, Warsaw
4 February – Strategic Issues in UK and US Nuclear Markets (Westminster Energy Forum), London
9 February – Platt’s 3rd Annual European Gas Storage Summit, Budapest
9-13 February – Sustainable Energy Week (European Commission), Brussels
16 February – Financial Times special report: Working in Energy
16-19 February – International Petroleum Week, London
17-19 February – Energy from Waste, London
19 February Meeting of EU transport and energy ministers, Brussels
23 February – Solar Power Generation, Barcelona
24 February – Utility Street Works: Best Practice, keys to success (SBGI-ENA), London
24 February – Energy Industries Club, Nick Horler CEO Scottish Power, London
25 February – Nuclear Decommissioning 2009, Manchester

March

2 March – EU Environment Ministers debate including emissions legislation and environmental management
4-6 March – New Energy Finance Summit, London
5 March – After RBI-X – What Next? London
5 March –Energy Market Risk, Global Energy Advisory, London
9 March – Nuclear New Build Construction Challenges, London
9-12 March – The Doha Natural Gas Conference, Qatar
9-13 March – Flame, International Gas and LNG Conference Amsterdam
11 March – National Grid meeting at Elexon, London
11 March – British Wind Energy Association’s BWEA Connect with Norton Rose, London
11 March – Energy Prices with the Utility Strategy Group and Simmons & Simmons, London
16-17 March Energypact conference on Energy, Environment & Development, Geneva
16-19 March – European Wind Energy Conference, Marsaille
17 March – Nuclear New Build (Energy Institute), London
17 March – Transmission and Distribution Europe 2009, Barcelona
17-18 March – The Future of Utilities (IEA, Marketforce) , London
18 March – Clean Coal (Energy Institute), London
19 March – The Metering Forum (IEA, Marketforce) , London
24 March – Energy Industries Club, Paul Golby CEO Eon UK, London
24 March – $75 oil – a fair price? CGES Conference, London
25 March – Energy Technologies – Policy, Development & Deployment (Westminster Energy Forum), London
25 March Building the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Future conference, Birmingham NEC
31 March – Adapting Your Energy Strategies for Turbulent Times, with the MEUC, Birmingham NEC
31 March-1 April – Carbon in the Environment, Health and Energy, Manchester

April

2 April – Platt’s European Renewable Energy Conference, Berlin
16 April – How Green is Your CRC, London
22 April – APX Energy Trading Symposium (with Moffatt Associates), Brussels
22-13 April International Small Wind (with the BWEA), Watford
28 April – Peak Gas ? Organised by the Economic Research Council, London
30 April- Energy Industries Club, Steve Holliday CEO National Grid, London
30 April British Wind Energy Association, Bath
30 April – 1 May – SHE 2009 (Safety, Health and the Environment) with Western Power Distribution and ERA, Bath

May

6-7 May Private Equity International (PEI) Global Energy Forum, London
19 May – Delivering UK & EU Renewables Targets (Westminster Energy Forum), London
12 May – The Energy Charter Treaty (Energy Institute), London
13 May Carbon Capture and Storage (Energy Institute), London
19-21 May NEMEX, Birmingham
28 May – Energy Industries Club, Vincent de Rivaz CEO EDF Energy, London

June

9-11 June European Future Energy Summit (Masdar), Bilbao
23-25 June – The Global LNG Congress, Istanbul

July

2 July – Annual Review of UK & EU Energy Policy & Regulation (Westminster Energy Forum), London

August

September

9-11 September – World Nuclear Association 34th Annual Symposium (WNA), London

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News of major energy companies like Shell, BO and now Scottish Power’s Spanish owners Iberdrola pulling out of wind energy don’t bode well for green energy right now. But as government’s everywhere look desperately for green shoots to lead us all out of economic meltdown, there are still signs that the environmental services sector – and low carbon energy – could buck the economic trend and help lead the way to recovery.

The growing number of job vacancy websites featuring opportunities in the green energy sector is evidence of this. Look in places like lowcarbon.com and environmental strategy managers, renewable energy consultants, sustainable development officers and carbon offsetting researchers are being sought by public and private sector alike.

A glimmer of economic life is there in the sustainability and carbon abatement sector – and there are even signs that with targets in Britain of zero carbon new homes by 2016 and ambitious renewable energy and emissions targets for 2020, there may even be a skills shortage in terms of establishing ‘green teams’ to deliver Britain’s low carbon future.

Many of our environmental targets come from the European Commission and were conceived before the recession hit. But additional low carbon impetus has come from the need to drive ourselves out of the current economic plight. In the US, where the recession began, Barack obama was talking about green energy as an economic catalyst even before he was elected President.

He said at the end of 2008: ‘We’ll invest $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can’t be outsourced, and help our dependence on foreign oil’. He was supported by Senator Barbara Boyer, the chair of the senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who said: ‘We need a tax incentive so people will put solar rooftops on, invest in solar, wind and geothermal’. All the signs are that now in office Obama is delivering on his promise. And others, including the UK government, are trying to follow suit.

The kick-start that green energy jobs can bring is certainly supported by the European Commission. DG Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said recently: ‘The Climate and Energy package is part of the solution and will enhance Europe’s energy security, increase the competitiveness of European industry and create high quality green jobs’. Europe, of course, has a big driver here – targets for the year 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy consumption and increase the contribution made by renewable energy.

In Britain, an ‘energy gap’ is looming from 2015 when old coal and nuclear power stations start to shut down. New job opportunities in low carbon energy, be it wind, wave, nuclear or carbon capture, are possible. Green homes, too, offer prospects.

But industry will have to contribute to skilling the new green workforce – providing the needed investment in low carbon energy and housing is able to go ahead.. Paul Davies of UK housing contractor Wates told The Guardian recently: ‘Only if we get a long term, broad investment in green homes will the right personnel be found and trained on the scale needed for a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions’.

So the green jobs of hope await, building and managing wind farms, nuclear power stations and zero emissions housing estates, not to say working across the whole panoply of energy efficient technologies from insulation to smart metering. It all makes economic and environmental sense – providing governments, regulators and industry can work together to create the investment framework to make it happen.

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Wind, wave and tidal energy will create jobs

BWEA, UK's leading renewable energy trade association, welcomed the Prime Minister's endorsement today of the enormous potential of renewable energy to create employment in the UK. Studies published by BWEA in October 2008, concluded that wind, wave and tidal energy projects could drive job creation and stimulate sectors of the economy crucial to delivering the country’s 2020 renewable energy targets.

Maria McCaffery, BWEA Chief Executive, said: “The research we conducted in 2008 gave us a clear indication that wind, wave and tidal energy will become an economic powerhouse not only in terms of energy output, but in terms of employment and the beneficial effect on related sectors. We are delighted that the Prime Minister has now recognised this and are looking forward to concrete measures to bring this about.”

The report commissioned by BWEA from Bain and Co. in late 2008 reiterated that “the wind industry is now established as one of the highest-growth industries in Europe, growing at an average rate of 12 percent over the last 5 years.” The conclusions of the report also urged policy makers not to repeat the mistakes of the early phase of development, when the UK was not agile enough in securing sector jobs domestically.

The accompanying report delivered by SQW went even further in surveying the skills landscape, in terms of what skills will be in demand, and how potential skills shortages will be resolved.

“In these difficult economic times there is a sense that renewable energy is the way forward. Wind energy in the UK has yet to be developed to its full potential, so that the country as a whole can benefit. We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement, which chimes with what the BWEA has been saying for years – it is now important for the Government to follow up words with actions,” concluded McCaffery.