A partnership is being formed between the energy sectors in Orkney and Norway to look at ways they can work together to develop marine renewables. Representatives from the west of Norway have been in the isles to discuss how expertise can be shared. They believe knowledge built up in Scandinavia through work in the oil and gas sector could prove key to the next stage in developing technologies. Orkney is a major Scottish hub for renewables. In January, plans for a £6.5m research and innovation campus in Stromness in Orkney took a step forward after the organisations driving the project agreed funding. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council are behind the venture. The campus is aimed at supporting sectors including marine renewables.
BBC 30th March 2017 read more »
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy “now appears irreversible” as the cost of green power plunges, according to a new report. In The Transition Takes Hold, Clean Energy Canada said some 6.7 million people were working in the sector worldwide with one out of every 50 new jobs in the US being created by the solar industry alone. And it highlighted prediction that generation costs for large-scale solar power plants were expected to drop by a massive 57 per cent by 2025, with onshore and offshore wind expected to become 26 and 35 per cent respectively. “In both China and India, renewable energy offers a critical solution to the pollution choking fast-growing cities. Smog has become increasingly disruptive – socially, economically and politically -closing schools in Delhi, grounding airplanes in China and contributing to the premature deaths of millions of citizens. In the US, the renewable energy sector has become a major job creator: since 2009, the solar industry created one out of every 80 new jobs, and the country’s fastest-growing occupation is wind turbine technician.
Independent 30th March 2017 read more »
New figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have revealed that 2016 was the strongest year yet for renewable energy. Here, edie digs deep into the data to bring you 10 key statistics that chart a record-breaking year for the world’s clean energy transformation.
Edie 30th March 2017 read more »