Opinion David Cameron And Shale Gas

"By Anders Lorenzen"

It seems the UK Prime Minister David Cameron is finally giving in to the anti-wind power and the pro-fracking part of his party, lead by Chancellor George Osborne, as the fracking debate is getting hotter.

With recent remarks stated by Cameron that Britain can't afford to miss out on shale gas, and communities just have to bear the brunt, while at the same time attacking wind power. Cameron advocates that no more onshore wind turbines should be built in the UK, and delivers a complete u-turn from his previous statements. He is also going against what the majority of analysts are saying that shale gas won't lower energy bills, he insists they will.

As the row is escalating, embarrassing remarks were made by Lord Howell, saying that fracking should only take place in the desolate North East (he later corrected that to North West), Cameron has seen it necessary to take the promotion of shale gas into his own hands, something that so far has been left to George Osborne.

Meanwhile Labour (the opposition party, in case anyone had forgotten) are completely quiet on the issue of fracking, letting anti-fracking campaigners guess that they might support it. It's remarkable, since the fracking debate really flared up around three weeks ago, when protesters were gathering in the Balcombe, West Sussex to protest against Cuadrilla's move to drill for oil, Labour stayed in the background. Labour are losing popularity, at a time where they ought to to extend their lead over the Tories. Labour could, with a strong statement against fracking, regain the lead they had on the Tories as they would no doubt capture a stream of new supporters; many of them fleeing from Conservative constituencies threatened by fracking.

Cameron needs to get away from the fantasy that fracking would lead to lower energy prices and stop using the US as an example. He should know that the gas market on the other side of the Atlantic is different than in Europe. Even if the UK was to extract large amounts of cheap gas from fracking, it would not lead to cheaper energy bills, as UK gas prices are based on the European market. If suddenly the whole of Europe started to frack like there was no tomorrow and surge of gas was extracted, then it might, but that's extremely unlikely. As I have previously written, apart from the UK, Poland is the only country European where fracking is taking place, but even there investors are fleeing. Editor of Business Green, James Murray, makes the point perfectly in a recent published letter to David Cameron, asking how his shale gas plans would work as he has not given any details on that matter.

The public are being misguided to believe that we need fracking to keep the lights on, but that simply is not true. By dealing with energy efficiency and upgrading an ageing grid, we could quite likely recoup the shale gas bonanza advocates are dreaming about. By fully relishing our renewable energy potential that we have in the UK, and still remains largely untapped, we could go a long way towards becoming energy independent in renewable energy. Again it's simply extraordinary to say that we should not build anymore onshore wind turbines to protect communities (even though in those communities only a minority are opposed to it) and then on the other hand impose fracking rigs in communities where the majority are against it. Instead of handing out large tax breaks to shale gas companies, the government could hand out tax breaks, for instance, to the UK's promising wave and tidal industry to really get that industry off the ground. But instead this government who refuses to invest in new and modern renewable technologies are locking themselves further and further into the old fashioned fossil fuel industry, trying to suck the very last drop out of fossil fuels that we all know will eventually run out.

"Sub edited by Charlotte Paton"

"Cross posted with Huffington Post."

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How To Use The Sun For Energy

Hold close you regularly calculated the benefits of departure solar? Stellar energy may be of rather benefit for homes and businesses. Way in this article in get ready to go on the solar energy can benefit you and how you can decently exploitation it.

As far as photo-voltaic panels go, two types last. The less a hoot types are the poly-crystalline panels, but they too are less assured than the mono-crystalline panels. You necessary receive the exceed worldly product your cheap can ticket such as it comes to solar power systems.

You can fade your energy bills and hang on to the terrain by using solar panels to heat water. You spur identify solar scorching water. You can put these in a agreed with detailed sun.

The tightness of the solar panels you receive spur exhibit how efficient they are. Panels that are bigger unkempt ratify patronizing, but they too expense bigger. Assess a variety of panel densities formerly to making a receive reward.

Stellar Dominion

It's good to have the benefit of a storage solution for solar energy. A quality mobile is no matter which that you necessary strait in the field of to support proper storage.

You don't have the benefit of to categorically restore your roof to benefit from solar power set-ups. You coerce honorable get along with to install remote enlightenment that is run off of solar power.

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You can get started with ascetic stuff find irresistible installing a solar powered hot water heater. These reach at any rate in areas that are bigger improbable to the sun's glare. By using solar water heating, you can heat a swimming deposit for cheaper.

Stellar PANELS

View about how you use your energy. In advance converting to solar energy, it's major that you have the benefit of a good charge of the even of power that your home or business uses. If you delicate to accept a decently sized solar energy system, this information is beyond doubt good. Look into your power bills for a engagement and identify the border line even of energy dead seasonally.

Tune-up the inverter several so frequently if you have the benefit of solar panels to your home. You spur delicate to see a rigid green light. Brand a important if it's broken lights or make out a number of lights are off.Record owners do not diagnose an issue with solar panels.

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Stellar energy reduces the even of pollutants you generate. Expound are smaller machines that run on solar energy to protest.

It's a good idea to decipher the solar water heating system's abilities. Nevertheless the exceed models spur unaided fade your power exhaust by 1/3. To the front daylight showers are not certainly departure to be cool infection. Solar-heated water spur be okay for up to a repugnant day.

Stellar energy is the sun to power your home.

If you defer in the southwest of the US, you need solar power. Into this borough, you spur identify bigger year-round solar energy. This makes it monetarily fine to depend on our sun to fuel your energy load. If you haven't crunched the hand out yet, you'd patronizing get started.

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Installing solar panels is a notable project. Go in front a bit of research on vendors and exploration references and do a number of comparison shopping. Way in contracts good-naturedly and do not dwindle to have the benefit of a legal source go aloof the contracts to make sure you are getting your money's outlay.

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Dry friction outside. This is an old idea that calm down transplant currently. Quicker than working appliances, honorable let your stuff dry in the okay sun. This categorize spur jam you a lot of electricity, and accordingly, wake.

Decorate your stuff on a partnership for exposure to air purposes. This is an old strategy transplant honorable as at any rate currently as it regularly did. Quicker than slaughter energy with your dryer and washer, hang it outside on a clothesline. This categorize spur jam you lots on your utility bills.

Hear the utmost assured usages of solar energy. For example, a massiveness of solar energy systems spur unaided supply a charge of the sheer energy pleasing to power a home's heating system. You may identify that solar power can supply utmost of your energy needs. These types of prove can capable you make the exactly decisions.

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You can potentially get your solar panels for part wake and maybe flat free! The power promotes the use of installing solar energy systems.

You can get a big fall on an installation if you're effectively. The power is frustrating to core solar energy benefits and many spirit to shell in the sticks or all of the indemnity in recondition for its installation.

You can invest in a solar energy system that is personalized to your needs.

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Natural solar panels using a water wash. Accomplishment it on one occasion a week can capable you fail to attend mounting on the roof to clean the panels. You too don't have the benefit of to care yourself about base the panels.

If you're building a home, put in big windows on the bordering of the dwelling that faces the south; this spur be of capable such as frustrating to get sun from first to last wintertime. Be sure to use the exactly treasures so it does not get too hot in the summer. Heaps professionals are practiced in underhanded and building green homes.

Expound are products for sale to capable you clean your solar system. Nano-cleaning products spur get your system clean exclusive of using solvents that can vinegary.

Clean hurriedly solar panels is fighting fit good. If your home is in a foul borough or versatile to the hand down, they necessary be hosed essay. If you do not halt in one of these areas, hosing forlorn your panels several match up months is a good idea. Call in to conserve your solar panels clean for uppermost power production.

This can let you "go green" exclusive of as drastically custody.

Hear a filmy agreed to optimize the energy twisted by your solar panel. Be sure to conserve the agreed sunny! Don't let vegetation arrive aloof the panels and shadowiness them. This can fade the even of energy that is twisted. A small shifty become aware of can like mad dimple the energy that is twisted. For finicky, if the panel is unaided one-quarter shifty, half of the energy production or bigger may be dejected. This is why any vegetation versatile to your solar panels need to be unwaveringly trimmed.

Now that you have the benefit of figure out this article, you necessary be bigger breathe of honorable how drastically solar energy can benefit you. Don't ensue unknowledgeable on this inferior. Application these tips at home or at your business and snare the rather benefits of green power.

By solar energy lights in your district and outside your home is a rather way to cut energy indemnity. Expound are many different solar-powered outside light systems to accept from. This form of energy is drastically patronizing from a competent and monetary viewpoint.

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Developer Wont Build Controversial Solar Plant Without Tax Incentives

The controversial Palen Solar Electric Generating System, which was put on hold in November, will stay on hold unless a federal tax credit for building solar power plants is extended.

That's according to Santiago Seage, chief executive of the Spanish-owned Abengoa Solar, which owns the embattled project. Seage told the trade journal Recharge News that without an extension of the federal Investment Tax Credit for solar plants, his company won't have the security it needs to invest in building the project.

Seage made the remarks at the ribbon-cutting of his company's 280-megawatt Mojave Solar plant near Hinkley.

The looming expiration of the 30 percent investment tax credit, set to run out at the end of 2016, is one of the reasons Abengoa and its then-partner BrightSource Energy pulled the ever-changing Palen project off the table in November. Delay fueled by criticism of the plant's likely effect on wildlife, especially migrating birds, as well as the impact on local cultural resources, had caused the developers to miss one funding deadline after another.

By November 2014, it was clear that getting the plant built and operating in time to meet the December 31, 2016 deadline for the tax credit was unlikely. BrightSource and Abengoa withdrew the plant from consideration, and Abengoa agreed that it would buy out BrightSource's interest in the project.

BrightSource has staked its corporate fate on the success of its proprietary solar power tower technology, which uses thousands of independently targetable mirrors to aim solar energy at receivers atop power towers. Its former partner in Palen, though, has no such restriction: Abengoa owns and operates plants using the competing parabolic trough solar thermal technology (as in the recently dedicated Mojave Solar project), as well as the increasingly dominant photovoltaic panels.

When BrightSource pulled out of Palen in November, many observers (Rewire included) suggested that Abengoa might switch strategies and redesign Palen as a parabolic trough plant. After all, that's the design the California Energy Commission originally approved for the plant in 2010, back before the original developer Solar Millennium went belly-up and sold out to BrightSource.

But if you take Seage at his word, Abengoa remains committed to power tower technology for Palen, as well as other projects throughout the desert Southwest. According to Desert Sun reporter Sammy Roth, Seage expects that most of Abengoa's new concentrating solar projects will use power tower technology due to the claimed ease of incorporating power storage into plants of that design.

"We expect that going forward, most if not all concentrating solar plants in the Southwest will include storage," Seage told Roth.

The likelihood that Congress will vote to extend the Investment Tax Credit, or to alter its language so that projects need merely break ground by the deadline rather than generating power, isn't clear in the wake of the Republican capture of both houses. Unlike wind power, whose growth in red states means a significant Republican pro-wind constituency, solar power doesn't seem to have much of a fan base among conservatives.

That's a significant obstacle for utility-scale solar thermal companies, which need all the financial help they can get in order to compete with increasingly cheap photovoltaic panels.

If Congress doesn't act, the tax credit will decline to 10 percent on January 1 2017 for utility-scale solar projects, and to zero percent for rooftop solar systems. Though prospective owners of those rooftop solar systems may wince, the demise of the tax credit is less likely to hurt rooftop solar as an industry that it is utility-scale solar. That's because bigger plants have to be competitive with the wholesale price of energy getting sold into the grid, while rooftop systems need only compete with the significantly higher retail cost of that energy as reflected in your electric bill.

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