Greening the Energy Supply Monga Mehlwana Tuesady, 05 October 2010

Green Power - Intro Emissions concerns of CO 2, SO 2, NO 2, Hg, CH 4, N 2 O, particulate matter, etc from burning fossil fuels Traditional electricity generation (e.g. impacts of mining, drilling, processing, transporting, & disposing of fuels Greening energy supply (decarbonising energy supply) = (a) RE purchasing & RE generation many possible ways to decarbonise: changing lifestyles, improving EE & finding different ways to produce energy GHG reduction strategies are becoming key energy policy drivers, although RE are not always the first or most cost effective options Short-term GHG reduction measures emphasise no radical changes to current system of energy supply & use (e.g. shifts to gas based options, like cogeneration and CCGT, increased efficiencies of coal-based systems, emissions trading schemes, and sequestration Long-term – EE and RE an essential part of the energy supply and demand mix, with the costs of RE falling due to technology developments & scale-up of manufacture, installation & maintenance.

Defining Green Power Wind, wave, tidal and small-scale hydropower - movement of air/water turns blades of a turbine & motion of blades generates electricity Biomass - heats water and generates steam that turns a turbine, & co-firing (can replace some of the coal in a coal plant) Landfill gas - extracted from landfills using a series of wells & a blower/flare (or vacuum) system – centrally collected gas processed & treated, depending upon ultimate use for gas (industrial & manufacturing operations, fuel greenhouse operations, or upgraded to pipeline quality gas Geothermal - captures heat energy from underground sources to generate electricity Solar - panels to absorb the sun's energy & convert it into electrical current Fuel cells – H2 & O2 to produce electricity & heat

Green power purchase options Purchased from off-site providers or produced via onsite generation Green power generators can be installed on the site of the consuming building Benefit of locally sited RE infrastructure & low-carbon forms of energy generation is that heat & transmission losses are eradicated Decentralised low-carbon energy infrastructure in urban areas is a leading strategy for many cities around the world

Activities to promote green power Target setting - CO 2 reduction targets on amounts of RE electricity in city, for govt operations &/ buildings, buildings/homes with RE installations, biofuels for govt vehicle fleet &/ for public transport Regulation based on legal responsibilities & jurisdiction (urban, building taxes) Operation of municipal infrastructure (purchase, invest, utility) Voluntary actions & govt serving as role model (demos, grants, land, etc) Info promotion & raising awareness incl. public media campaigns awards & recognition; forums & working groups; energy audits, etc