MORE SUNDAY WORLD, 5-10 (UGANDA HAS SUN; EU TO BYPASS RUSSIA; UK TO STUDY MARINE ENERGY IMPACTS)

UGANDA HAS SUN
Solar is Solution to Uganda’s energy woes
Ibrahim Kasita, 8th May 2009 (The New Vision)

"As Uganda explores fossil fuels like oil to solve her energy woes, yet they cause global warming, wealthier nations are exploiting solar power to preserve the environment.

"From household solar panels to solar heating systems, solar energy has enjoyed an explosive growth in Europe and the US, except Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa."

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"Solar power is converted into electrical power using solar panels…[Solar power] is common in those wealthier nations because of tax rebates and supportive investment policies…[F]inancial incentives motivate investors to put their money in solar technology.

"…[O]nly 5% of Uganda’s 31 million people have electricity…Although Uganda has plenty of sunshine, it is facing an acute energy crisis, yet cold places like Berlin in Germany utilise solar power…[S]olar power [can be] easy to install and cheap because it is not affected by the supply and demand of fuel…"

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"Since reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions is a critical issue, solar energy can help since it is clean, renewable and sustainable…[and it] can be operated in remote rural areas without connection to a power grid…

"However, the supply of solar power can fluctuate depending on the amount of sunshine…Also, solar panels are still expensive for most consumers in third world countries like Uganda…This means the majority of Ugandans, who live on less than $2 a day, cannot afford solar panels…"

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) is doing important solar energy development work in African nations. (click to enlarge)


EU TO BYPASS RUSSIA
Deal to boost key EU gas project
Oana Lungescu, May 8, 2009 (BBC News)

"…[Anxious to improve energy security after a Russia-Ukraine row in January cut gas supplies, the] EU has signed an energy agreement with [the leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Egypt] aimed at developing a "southern corridor" for gas supplies bypassing Russia…It commits them to speeding up the construction of a long-delayed pipeline to bring Caspian gas to Central Europe.

"Key to this meeting was a commitment by Turkey's President Abdullah Gul to sign up to an agreement on the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline by next month…In a symbolic gesture, the agreement is to be signed in Turkey, after years of haggling over transit rules…Mr Gul also made clear he expected some progress on Turkey's stalled EU membership talks.

"…[T]he Nabucco pipeline [across a new "southern corridor" dubbed the "modern Silk Road"]…will stretch for 3,300km (2,050 miles) between Azerbaijan and Austria…[and hoppefully] start pumping gas by 2014."

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"But Russia, which supplies one-fifth of Europe's gas, is nervous about any pipeline it does not control…The representatives of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan refused to sign the agreement…because - diplomats said - of Russian pressure…Iraq, which was also invited at the meeting, did not send anyone, although it is expected to sign an agreement on energy with the EU soon…

"A Czech official…said, the EU had just been talking and not being serious [for 15 years] - now it has to put its money where its mouth is…[Or] Central Asian countries would be pushed to sell their gas to Russia and energy prices in Europe would skyrocket…

"Work is scheduled to start on Nabucco in 2011. It is expected to cost about 10bn euros…"


UK TO STUDY MARINE ENERGY IMPACTS
UK launches green study for marine energy
Nao Nakanishi (w/Keiron Henderson), April 30, 2009 (Reuters)

"The UK government is to launch an environmental study on marine energy projects in England and Wales, paving the way for commercial wave and tidal devices to be deployed.

"Lord Hunt, Climate Change Minister, told a conference the government would start screening for the Strategic Environmental Assessment for marine energy in the two countries, required for all major infrastracture projects by the EU…It is to be completed by late 2011…"

The UK has resources worth making an effort to study (click to enlarge)

"The government wants Britain to become a world leader in wave and marine technologies, creating renewable energy jobs…It was one of the sectors where the government had identified Britain had an advantage and it was to support…

"…[T]he government [recently] announced it would provide 405 million pounds ($600 million) to support emerging low-carbon technology, such as marine and tidal energy, as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. But the government's Marine Renewable Development Fund (MRDF) has been criticized for being too strict in selecting projects…"

An ideal site for the study of UK resources. (click to enlarge)

"Only full-scale projects that have collected data from three-months operating at sea qualify for support from the 50-million pound ($74.19 million) fund which was set up three years ago.

"Commercial scale wave and tidal devices were only put into operation for the first time last year and there [are] none with a full 3-months of data because of bad sea conditions…."