NewEnergyNews: QUICK NEWS, 3-21: JAPANESE FOOD, WATER RADIATES; THE PV MATERIALS MARKETS; UK STUDY CLEARS WIND AGAIN; COUNTING TELECOM EMISSIONS/

NewEnergyNews

Gleanings from the web and the world, condensed for convenience, illustrated for enlightenment, arranged for impact...

The challenge now: To make every day Earth Day.

YESTERDAY

THINGS-TO-THINK-ABOUT WEDNESDAY, August 23:

  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And The New Energy Boom
  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And the EV Revolution
  • THE DAY BEFORE

  • Weekend Video: Coming Ocean Current Collapse Could Up Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Impacts Of The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current Collapse
  • Weekend Video: More Facts On The AMOC
  • THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 15-16:

  • Weekend Video: The Truth About China And The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Florida Insurance At The Climate Crisis Storm’s Eye
  • Weekend Video: The 9-1-1 On Rooftop Solar
  • THE DAY BEFORE THAT

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 8-9:

  • Weekend Video: Bill Nye Science Guy On The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: The Changes Causing The Crisis
  • Weekend Video: A “Massive Global Solar Boom” Now
  • THE LAST DAY UP HERE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 1-2:

  • The Global New Energy Boom Accelerates
  • Ukraine Faces The Climate Crisis While Fighting To Survive
  • Texas Heat And Politics Of Denial
  • --------------------------

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    Founding Editor Herman K. Trabish

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    WEEKEND VIDEOS, June 17-18

  • Fixing The Power System
  • The Energy Storage Solution
  • New Energy Equity With Community Solar
  • Weekend Video: The Way Wind Can Help Win Wars
  • Weekend Video: New Support For Hydropower
  • Some details about NewEnergyNews and the man behind the curtain: Herman K. Trabish, Agua Dulce, CA., Doctor with my hands, Writer with my head, Student of New Energy and Human Experience with my heart

    email: herman@NewEnergyNews.net

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      A tip of the NewEnergyNews cap to Phillip Garcia for crucial assistance in the design implementation of this site. Thanks, Phillip.

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    Pay a visit to the HARRY BOYKOFF page at Basketball Reference, sponsored by NewEnergyNews and Oil In Their Blood.

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  • WEEKEND VIDEOS, August 24-26:
  • Happy One-Year Birthday, Inflation Reduction Act
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 1
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 2

    Monday, March 21, 2011

    QUICK NEWS, 3-21: JAPANESE FOOD, WATER RADIATES; THE PV MATERIALS MARKETS; UK STUDY CLEARS WIND AGAIN; COUNTING TELECOM EMISSIONS

    JAPANESE FOOD, WATER RADIATES
    Radioactive Food Worries Expand in Japan
    Steve Herman, March 20, 2011 (Voice of America)

    "Japanese government officials say…[radiation on produce, in milk and in tap water] is being detected in a wider than expected area. Some shipments are now being stopped, although authorities stress that ingesting the items will not immediately harm people…

    "Japan is now halting the sale of raw milk from Fukushima prefecture and spinach from Ibaraki prefecture…[T]wo more vegetables, canola and chrysanthemum greens, have also been found to be contaminated and in three more prefectures…Further restrictions on distribution of crops…are being considered…[O]fficials say even in the worst cases of radiation detected in the food, a person would have to consume the items for a year before health concerns would arise."


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    "Another worry is rising levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in tap water, with the highest concentrations in Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures…[Deputy chief cabinet secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama] was asked if he would allow his children to drink the contaminated milk and tap water and eat spinach…[He said] he does not allow his children to drink milk…even before this incident…[R]egarding the spinach and the tap water, at the current radiation concentrations, he would not hesitate to permit his children to consume [them]…

    "…[S]ome suspect produce may have been shipped before it could be tested for radiation…Traces of radioactive substances in the air and water, believed to emanate from the crippled nuclear plant, have been detected as far as Tokyo, 250 kilometers away…[Officials have asked] the public to act calmly and not be confused by groundless rumors from unreliable sources."


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    "The food and water contamination scares are a further headache for Japan's government, already overwhelmed by the triple crises of extensive earthquake damage, destroyed communities from the resulting tsunami, and the disaster at the six-reactor Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant…[which] continues to emit high levels of radiation as workers attempt to restore power for critical pumps and firefighters in tandem spray water on reactor buildings and re-fill fuel-rod cooling pools…

    "Yet another concern is on the horizon. Weather forecasters predict rain showers…Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the precipitation would not pose any health worries, but given the current levels of radioactivity, people should avoid getting wet while outdoors."



    THE PV MATERIALS MARKETS
    PV Bill of Materials Outlook: 2010-2015
    February 4, 2011 (Greentech Media Research)

    "…[A]nalyses [of a solar PV module’s bill of materials] have until now focused on polysilicon feedstock since it represented the bulk of the module’s cost…[W]ith the declines in polysilicon prices over the past two years beginning to level, and in light of thin-film PV’s increasing market share, supply and cost competition over PV’s complete bill of materials is mounting.

    "GTM Research estimates that the cumulative market for these other PV materials…will hit $12.8 billion over the next five years…a 50% increase over the [210] market…[T]hese materials’ current cost for module manufacturers is approaching that of polysilicon feedstock…[I]ndustry players…[must] understand future cost evolution… to identify the role and business opportunities of each material."


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    "…[It is] crucial to identify the role each material plays in the final [polysilicon-based] module and their respective contributions to PV manufacturing’s cost evolution…[F]or [thin film] technologies…materials have traditionally been the major contributor to the total cost of the module.

    "The cost of paste is expected to rise due to its high dependence on metals such as silver, but its improved quality also increases the cell conversion efficiency…[P]aste cost in terms of $/Wp decreases over time even though the price of paste increases mainly due to increased efficiency and lower [gm/cell] usage of paste…[but] risk to this figure is most certainly skewed to the upside, as spot prices for silver are forecasted to push beyond the $25/lb level."


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    "GTM Research forecasts cumulative material costs to drop 16% by 2014 for crystalline silicon modules. For thin film, GTM Research projects cumulative material costs for CdTe, CIGS and a-Si modules to fall 9%, 12%, and 16% respectively over that same time period.

    "Thin film materials are estimated to be a $1.5 billion market in 2010, and this figure is projected to grow to $3.1 billion in 2014, which represents a CAGR of 19.5% during that period…[A]s one would expect, it is dominated by CdTe in 2010. Growth from 2010 to 2014 is driven largely by the increase in CIGS production; the CIGS materials market will increase from just $218 million in 2010 to $928 million in 2014."



    UK STUDY CLEARS WIND AGAIN
    Study rejects wind turbine "shadow flicker" fears; Government-commissioned report downplays concerns over light flickering effect from wind turbines
    16 March 2011 (BusinessGreen)

    "The so-called shadow flicker caused by wind turbines does not pose a ‘significant risk to health’ and is not a major issue for UK wind farms, according to a new independent study.

    "…
    [Update of UK Shadow Flicker Evidence Base] from infrastructure firm Parsons Brinckerhoff was commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and peer-reviewed by independent experts…and DECC's Engineering and Analysis Team."

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    "It assessed the impact of shadows cast by rotating wind turbine blades through constrained openings, such as the windows of neighbouring properties, a phenomenon known as shadow flicker that has been used by some anti-wind farm groups as a reason for opposing new developments."

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    "Researchers only identified one case of shadow flicker in the UK and reported that in cases where problems have arisen, they have been resolved through mitigation measures, such as shutting down turbines for the period during the day when shadow flicker is an issue…The report also concluded that…’it should not cause a significant risk to health’…[and] proved that existing planning guidance relating to shadow flicker is fit for purpose and does not need to be changed…

    "…[The UK government is preparing] for a parliamentary debate on a number of imminent changes to its Renewables Obligation subsidy mechanism…which will come into effect next month…[The changes] include the introduction of mandatory sustainability requirements for biomass and bioliquids used in energy projects, and new rules for offshore wind projects that allow developers to register groups of turbines for entry into the renewables obligation scheme in phases."



    COUNTING TELECOM EMISSIONS
    Sprint Releases Findings of Industry-First Trucost Supply-Chain Carbon Report; Trucost assessment provides comprehensive analysis of Sprint’s supply-chain carbon footprint
    March 16, 2011 (Business Wire)

    "Sprint Nextel…[and] Trucost…released the findings of a comprehensive Scope 3 supply-chain assessment. Trucost’s detailed assessment examines Sprint’s total supply-chain carbon emissions and quantifies and identifies ‘hot spots’ where Sprint can focus its efforts. Sprint is the first wireless carrier to complete and publicly release such a thorough supplier carbon assessment…[It will use the] data to define and implement further plans to effectively manage and reduce supplier emissions…

    "Trucost’s fast, affordable proprietary approach to assessing Scope 3 supply-chain emissions produces a detailed evaluation of the carbon performance of suppliers, helping corporations identify and manage environmental risks and opportunities along the supply chain…[It] outlines the source of CO2 emissions, giving an indication of [whether] a supplier’s carbon burden lies…in direct operations (Scope 1), electricity suppliers (Scope 2), first-tier suppliers (Scope 3 – First Tier), or with all other suppliers further up the supply chain (Scope 3 – All Others)…"


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    "The Trucost study of Sprint’s Scope 3 supply chain was completed in just four weeks, at a fraction of the cost of more traditional Scope 3 supplier assessments. The methodology…complies with guidance in the most recent World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard..."

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    "...Key findings of [Sprint Nextel Supply Chain Carbon Footprint] include:…[1] [S]upplier emissions total 2.08M metric tons of CO2, slightly more than Sprint’s total direct and indirect emissions of 1.95M metric tons in 2009…[2] The top 50 suppliers of Sprint’s supply chain account for more than 94 percent of the total carbon footprint…[3] [The] analysis covers 98 percent of Sprint’s supply-chain expenditure.

    "…For the second year in a row, Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies on Newsweek’s 2010 Rankings of America’s Greenest Companies at No. 6, up from No. 15 in 2009…[It] was also ranked highest among the wireless carrier industry on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s ‘Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index’…[and] received the ‘Sustainability Leadership Award’ at the 2010 International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo (IERCE) for its leadership among wireless carriers in the recycling of mobile handsets."

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