why Green Buildings? News
Environmental Design/Green Building Construction News Blog
Wind Power on Lake Superior?
The Chronicle-Journal By Kris Ketonen
September 29, 2004
The Township of Shuniah is taking part in a wind power study which could lead to a 100-megawatt, $150-million wind farm on township land.
Reeve Maria Harding said Tuesday that John Douglas of wind-power company Ventus Energy appeared before Shuniah council at Monday’s meeting and proposed the 12-month study into wind currents on township property near Mount Baldy on the north side of Highway 11/17. “It’s good news,” Harding said Tuesday. “We could all benefit from it,” she said, adding the study is the “first step toward a wind farm.” Ventus will cover any expenses, Harding said.
Douglas said his company has been doing formal wind power measurement on 5,000 acres of private land the company has optioned for a wind farm. He couldn’t specify the site due to confidentiality agreements. “We thought it was about time to introduce ourselves to the council,” he said, adding the presentation Monday went well. However, he said, it’s important to continue studies through the winter because winter winds are much stronger than summer winds. Power would be sold into the hydro grid, which Douglas said would help in Northwestern Ontario, an area he said “needs more generation.”
The provincial government plans to shut down the province’s coal-fired power plants by 2007, and there are concerns the move will jeopardize the power supply. To offset that, the government has said it’s committed to finding 300 megawatts worth of renewable energy sources to deal with the power crunch.
Douglas said the project — construction could begin as early as 2005 if everything goes smoothly — would create about 300 direct and indirect jobs.The farm would have a 20-year operational phase, he said. Ventus is talking with engineering firms and has set up a project office, Douglas said. It’s one of 20 projects Ventus has going across Canada, and one of four in Northwestern Ontario.
The Chronicle-Journal By Kris Ketonen
September 29, 2004
The Township of Shuniah is taking part in a wind power study which could lead to a 100-megawatt, $150-million wind farm on township land.
Reeve Maria Harding said Tuesday that John Douglas of wind-power company Ventus Energy appeared before Shuniah council at Monday’s meeting and proposed the 12-month study into wind currents on township property near Mount Baldy on the north side of Highway 11/17. “It’s good news,” Harding said Tuesday. “We could all benefit from it,” she said, adding the study is the “first step toward a wind farm.” Ventus will cover any expenses, Harding said.
Douglas said his company has been doing formal wind power measurement on 5,000 acres of private land the company has optioned for a wind farm. He couldn’t specify the site due to confidentiality agreements. “We thought it was about time to introduce ourselves to the council,” he said, adding the presentation Monday went well. However, he said, it’s important to continue studies through the winter because winter winds are much stronger than summer winds. Power would be sold into the hydro grid, which Douglas said would help in Northwestern Ontario, an area he said “needs more generation.”
The provincial government plans to shut down the province’s coal-fired power plants by 2007, and there are concerns the move will jeopardize the power supply. To offset that, the government has said it’s committed to finding 300 megawatts worth of renewable energy sources to deal with the power crunch.
Douglas said the project — construction could begin as early as 2005 if everything goes smoothly — would create about 300 direct and indirect jobs.The farm would have a 20-year operational phase, he said. Ventus is talking with engineering firms and has set up a project office, Douglas said. It’s one of 20 projects Ventus has going across Canada, and one of four in Northwestern Ontario.
Re: Hotter and Drier: how long will the trend continue, Pique, Sept. 3.
I certainly appreciated Adam Daff’s story on how the warming global climate is affecting our alpine environment. The changes that many of us are observing in our mountains are serious and appear to only be the sign of things to come. In a few decades, for example, scientists predict snowlines to rise beyond the tops of many of the world’s ski resorts. Clearly this is a topic that resonates with mountain enthusiasts.
However, I’d like to address and hopefully clarify an important aspect of this topic. While the global climate has been warmer and colder at times in our geological history, it’s critical to understand that countless scientific studies have shown that most of the warming (globally) observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities and not natural processes. For example, carbon dioxide, one of the major culprits of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, has risen 32 per cent since the start of the industrial era and has now reached the highest levels in at least 420,000 years.
While scientists still debate some of the details of climate change (like where droughts will occur), the largest group of scientists examining any issue on the planet agree most of this warming is caused by humans, it is a serious problem, and it should be addressed. Seventeen national academies of science, a special report commissioned by U.S. President Bush, and the heads of two of the largest international oil companies, BP and Shell, all agree.
We in mountain communities have much to lose from climate change. Dialogue about this issue is a vitally important step and I applaud the Pique for choosing to investigate this topic.
Ian Bruce
Melting Mountains Awareness Program
Alpine Club of Canada
Vancouver
I certainly appreciated Adam Daff’s story on how the warming global climate is affecting our alpine environment. The changes that many of us are observing in our mountains are serious and appear to only be the sign of things to come. In a few decades, for example, scientists predict snowlines to rise beyond the tops of many of the world’s ski resorts. Clearly this is a topic that resonates with mountain enthusiasts.
However, I’d like to address and hopefully clarify an important aspect of this topic. While the global climate has been warmer and colder at times in our geological history, it’s critical to understand that countless scientific studies have shown that most of the warming (globally) observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities and not natural processes. For example, carbon dioxide, one of the major culprits of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, has risen 32 per cent since the start of the industrial era and has now reached the highest levels in at least 420,000 years.
While scientists still debate some of the details of climate change (like where droughts will occur), the largest group of scientists examining any issue on the planet agree most of this warming is caused by humans, it is a serious problem, and it should be addressed. Seventeen national academies of science, a special report commissioned by U.S. President Bush, and the heads of two of the largest international oil companies, BP and Shell, all agree.
We in mountain communities have much to lose from climate change. Dialogue about this issue is a vitally important step and I applaud the Pique for choosing to investigate this topic.
Ian Bruce
Melting Mountains Awareness Program
Alpine Club of Canada
Vancouver
ECONOMIST - RENEWABLE ENERGY
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
ECONOMIST - RENEWABLE ENERGY
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
ECONOMIST - RENEWABLE ENERGY
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB member countries
Description: Economist (2 person months)
The economist will be responsible for, but not limited to, the
following tasks:
(i) Review the existing least-cost expansion plans for the Gansu
power network and analyse options for new energy services for rural
and poor customers. Check if the priority projects are part of the
least-cost option.
(ii) Review the regulatory framework and identify barriers to energy
service development in poor and rural areas, and recommend steps to
remove barriers and mobilise private sector participation.
(iii) Review the economic impacts of existing and proposed energy service initiatives.
(iv) Assess the economic performance of existing energy service
initiatives.
(v) Confirm demand for potential output and cost-effectiveness of proposed energy service projects.
(vi) Conduct economic assessment using ADB's Guidelines for Economic
Analysis of Projects for the identified priority projects; calculate
the economic internal rate of return and confirm that it is greater
than the hurdle rate.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to Economists with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China.
Application Instructions: Please send CV to the address below
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER
Job Type: Contract
Organisation: Connell Wagner
Country: China
City: Gansu Province
Closing Date: 27th September 2004
Restrictions: ADB Member countries
Description: Position Description: Team Leader/Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Specialist (5 person months)
In addition to team leader activities, the renewable energy and
energy efficiency specialist will be responsible for, but not limited
to, the following tasks:
Review previous renewable energy studies, ongoing studies and recent
TA reports, and feasibility/pre-feasibility reports for priority
projects identified by the Executing Agency (EA) or the Implementing
Agency (IA). Review the Government's energy policy, regulatory
framework, and plans for energy sector development in the project
area. Also:
(i) Detailed analysis of feasibility of priority projects and their
initial preparation for financing. Screen and refine indicative list
of proposed projects to develop short-list of projects in order of
their priority.
(ii) Evaluate constraints on private sector participation and
recommend changes in the regulatory framework to encourage and
mobilise private sector provision of energy services in poor and
rural areas.
(iii) Visit small towns and villages in the project area and prepare
an inventory of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and
identify potential new energy service alternatives that can be
developed. With other team members, identify a package of renewable
energy projects for detailed analysis, and determine their
suitability for meeting the population's needs.
(iv) Identify the institutional and human resource requirements for a
self-sustaining energy service organisation that designs, builds, and
operates energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
(v) Prepare a business plan to establish a locally owned commercial
energy service provider, including (a) legal requirements for
different corporate structures (e.g., independent power producer,
energy service company, cooperative, not-for-profit company); (b)
staffing, recruiting, and internal training; (c) market development;
and (d) initial capitalisation and ongoing financial management.
(vi) Identify potential investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, taking into account technical, social,
environmental, financial, and economic factors; potential use of
existing government subsidy; and possible packaging with inexpensive
external finance under government guarantee.
(vii) After consultation with the government and other local
stakeholders, prepare two pilot projects that are suitable for
commercial investment.
(viii) Present project pilot designs at a stakeholder workshop
involving government, local community representatives, and potential
renewable energy investors.
Applicant Requirements: Applicants should send a detailed curriculum
vitae, preferably in ADB format to Ms. Nikki Ballagh at the email
address below. Preference will be given to candidates with Renewable
Energy experience, especially hydropower, in China and also Team
Leadership experience.
Application Instructions: Please email CV to the address below.
Contact Name: Ms. Nikki Ballagh
E-mail : ballaghn@conwag.com
Guy Battle: Sustainability Goes Mainstream - But where next?
Sustainability is now a part of our everyday vernacular, it has become mainstream and everybody seems to be talking about it, wanting to get on the band wagon and take advantage of the benefits that it can offer - Architects, engineers, clients. But does everyone really believe in what they are doing, or is it just a branding effort to get more work in a declining market?
Sustainable design is more than just having all of your team LEED accredited (although very creditable); it is also about being creative and innovative with the knowledge that you have gained. Buildings are responsible for over 40% If the world's energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Of this figure, the USA, despite only having 5% of the world's population, produces 25% of the worlds CO2. You are the arch polluter, and you have a global responsibility to begin to show the way through - Beyond LEED.
Forget buildings that are merely reducing consumption by 25%, where's that famed American spirit and adventurism, the world needs net zero energy and carbon negative buildings! In Europe we are way ahead, but still drastically under achieving. We Need You!
Sustainability is now a part of our everyday vernacular, it has become mainstream and everybody seems to be talking about it, wanting to get on the band wagon and take advantage of the benefits that it can offer - Architects, engineers, clients. But does everyone really believe in what they are doing, or is it just a branding effort to get more work in a declining market?
Sustainable design is more than just having all of your team LEED accredited (although very creditable); it is also about being creative and innovative with the knowledge that you have gained. Buildings are responsible for over 40% If the world's energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Of this figure, the USA, despite only having 5% of the world's population, produces 25% of the worlds CO2. You are the arch polluter, and you have a global responsibility to begin to show the way through - Beyond LEED.
Forget buildings that are merely reducing consumption by 25%, where's that famed American spirit and adventurism, the world needs net zero energy and carbon negative buildings! In Europe we are way ahead, but still drastically under achieving. We Need You!
Green Goals "LEED" To Calls To Enhance Building Rating System
Planners urge Smart Growth principles in design evaluation By Carolyn Kelly Great Lakes Bulletin News Service
Although Michigan struggles with one of the highest sprawl rates in the country, it is succeeding handsomely with another crucial, more positive aspect of 21st century development: “Green” building construction. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an industry trade group, Michigan ranks eighth in the nation for the number of energy efficient, environmentally friendly building projects it has on the drawing board. If the trend continues, Michigan could become a model state for green building activity.
The council lists 57 projects either completed or now being planned in Michigan that have or should soon earn USGBC green certification. The projects range from six stories of recycled steel housing a public high school in Detroit; to Ford Motor Company’s transformation of its huge, 1920s-vintage Rouge Plant into a green factory topped by a vegetated roof that saves energy and absorbs storm water; to the Surface Transportation Center in Grand Rapids that helps citizens “go greener” by riding buses, trains, and bicycles.
Many of the criteria that the council’s 69-point Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system considers when evaluating new structures or rehabilitated old ones are obvious. They include tighter insulation, more efficient lighting, alternative energy sources, recycling storage areas, use of non-toxic materials, and storm water management. Taken together, they can earn a building many points.
But Smart Growth considerations, such as building on brownfields instead of greenfields, locating projects near alternative transportation, and employing more compact design, while counted, can earn at most only nine points. This has spurred some environmental and Smart Growth organizations that enthusiastically support green building codes to begin working with green building advocates to take what they see as the next step: Crafting an expanded rating system that pays attention not only to how, but also to where buildings are constructed.
Adjusting the Point SpreadThe experience of a veteran developer who specializes in urban rehabilitation projects suggests that the more innovative members of the development community are ready for such a move.
“It seems to us that much of the LEED point system is geared towards new construction projects with a lot of emphasis on green areas” that are currently undeveloped, said Dennis Sturtevant, a member of Dwelling Place, a non-profit affordable housing organization in Grand Rapids. “To secure a LEED certification is in some ways more challenging in a tight urban site than where you have more room.”
Mr. Sturtevant’s group and another community organization, Cherry Street Health Services, collaborated on a project that is both smart and LEED-certified. They converted a 1924 building in a high-density, low-income neighborhood from a car dealership into a first-floor dentists’ office serving 2,500 low-income patients annually, and a second-floor office for Dwelling Place, which has a 25-year history of revitalizing downtown Grand Rapids with housing and commercial redevelopment.
While LEED awards points for things that Smart Growth advocates hold dear, such as compact design, locations near alternative transportation, and brownfield redevelopment, a project’s point total can be held down by such obstacles as space limitations, the toxins often found in building that are undergoing rehabilitation, and outdated building and zoning codes. For example, Mr. Sturtevant said, it is often harder for urban sites to earn points for storm water management because they typically have so much concrete around them.
Location and Energy ConsumptionIn fact, under the current LEED rating system, a building can earn a top, “platinum” rating even though it is being constructed in a green field miles from any public transportation. In other words, a project can completely ignore location considerations and still gain high honors for being environmentally sustainable.
Smart Growth advocates say there should be a fairer way of awarding points to urban or smart projects. They reason that locating such projects in places where people already live, work, shop, and play, and where roads, public transportation, and utilities such as sewer, water, and power lines are already constructed, automatically saves a great deal of energy, construction material, farmland, recreational areas, and wildlife habitats.
That, according to Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, should count for a lot: “I would think at least 50 percent and maybe even more,” he said.
Kevin Pierce of Farr Associates, a Chicago-based firm that designs green buildings and walkable neighborhoods with an eye toward historic preservation, suggests that location may actually be the single most important factor when it comes to saving energy, a goal at the heart of the green building movement. He says that the energy used to operate commercial buildings is actually less than the energy used by the vehicles people drive to get to them.
It follows that energy-efficient buildings, even those powered by solar panels or wind turbines, cannot by themselves compensate for the energy workers spend commuting to them when they are located well away from metropolitan centers. Only better locations and better access to public and alternative transportation can accomplish that.
Change Is ComingSmart Growth advocates who support LEED agree. They point out that even the greenest of buildings contribute to sprawl if they are built on the fringe of a metropolitan area, where they eat up farmland and wildlife habitats. That is a particularly acute problem in Michigan where, between 1997 and 2002, sprawl consumed 360,929 acres of farmland, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the problem is also a serious one nationwide; sprawl devours farmland at a steady two acres per minute.
Several groups are now working to bring LEED and location together. The U.S. Green Building Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Congress for the New Urbanism are collaborating on a new set of standards, called Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design – Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), which, according to Mr. Benfield of the NRDC, a founding member of the committee, will represent a “new step from what’s been done in the past.”
Several members of the committee working on the LEED-ND standard said they hope the original green building standards and the new one will complement and inform one another. They say that it is too soon to say exactly what LEED-ND will encompass when it is complete, but it will likely address three major considerations: The way a development’s location fits into a larger region; the design of the development itself; and environmental management practices for such things as storm water and energy efficiency.
“It will be a consensus-oriented process,” said Mr. Benfield. “My hope is that when we’re done it will stand out as a real incentive and reward for developers who want to do the right thing. Right now it’s harder to build Smart Growth than it is to build sprawl. What we want to do is help level the playing field by creating some incentives and rewards for building in a smart way.”
Carolyn Kelly, a student at the University of Chicago, is writing this summer as a Jeff Metcalf Fellow on the Michigan Land Use Institute's news desk.
She can be reached at carolyn@mlui.org
Planners urge Smart Growth principles in design evaluation By Carolyn Kelly Great Lakes Bulletin News Service
Although Michigan struggles with one of the highest sprawl rates in the country, it is succeeding handsomely with another crucial, more positive aspect of 21st century development: “Green” building construction. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an industry trade group, Michigan ranks eighth in the nation for the number of energy efficient, environmentally friendly building projects it has on the drawing board. If the trend continues, Michigan could become a model state for green building activity.
The council lists 57 projects either completed or now being planned in Michigan that have or should soon earn USGBC green certification. The projects range from six stories of recycled steel housing a public high school in Detroit; to Ford Motor Company’s transformation of its huge, 1920s-vintage Rouge Plant into a green factory topped by a vegetated roof that saves energy and absorbs storm water; to the Surface Transportation Center in Grand Rapids that helps citizens “go greener” by riding buses, trains, and bicycles.
Many of the criteria that the council’s 69-point Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system considers when evaluating new structures or rehabilitated old ones are obvious. They include tighter insulation, more efficient lighting, alternative energy sources, recycling storage areas, use of non-toxic materials, and storm water management. Taken together, they can earn a building many points.
But Smart Growth considerations, such as building on brownfields instead of greenfields, locating projects near alternative transportation, and employing more compact design, while counted, can earn at most only nine points. This has spurred some environmental and Smart Growth organizations that enthusiastically support green building codes to begin working with green building advocates to take what they see as the next step: Crafting an expanded rating system that pays attention not only to how, but also to where buildings are constructed.
Adjusting the Point SpreadThe experience of a veteran developer who specializes in urban rehabilitation projects suggests that the more innovative members of the development community are ready for such a move.
“It seems to us that much of the LEED point system is geared towards new construction projects with a lot of emphasis on green areas” that are currently undeveloped, said Dennis Sturtevant, a member of Dwelling Place, a non-profit affordable housing organization in Grand Rapids. “To secure a LEED certification is in some ways more challenging in a tight urban site than where you have more room.”
Mr. Sturtevant’s group and another community organization, Cherry Street Health Services, collaborated on a project that is both smart and LEED-certified. They converted a 1924 building in a high-density, low-income neighborhood from a car dealership into a first-floor dentists’ office serving 2,500 low-income patients annually, and a second-floor office for Dwelling Place, which has a 25-year history of revitalizing downtown Grand Rapids with housing and commercial redevelopment.
While LEED awards points for things that Smart Growth advocates hold dear, such as compact design, locations near alternative transportation, and brownfield redevelopment, a project’s point total can be held down by such obstacles as space limitations, the toxins often found in building that are undergoing rehabilitation, and outdated building and zoning codes. For example, Mr. Sturtevant said, it is often harder for urban sites to earn points for storm water management because they typically have so much concrete around them.
Location and Energy ConsumptionIn fact, under the current LEED rating system, a building can earn a top, “platinum” rating even though it is being constructed in a green field miles from any public transportation. In other words, a project can completely ignore location considerations and still gain high honors for being environmentally sustainable.
Smart Growth advocates say there should be a fairer way of awarding points to urban or smart projects. They reason that locating such projects in places where people already live, work, shop, and play, and where roads, public transportation, and utilities such as sewer, water, and power lines are already constructed, automatically saves a great deal of energy, construction material, farmland, recreational areas, and wildlife habitats.
That, according to Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, should count for a lot: “I would think at least 50 percent and maybe even more,” he said.
Kevin Pierce of Farr Associates, a Chicago-based firm that designs green buildings and walkable neighborhoods with an eye toward historic preservation, suggests that location may actually be the single most important factor when it comes to saving energy, a goal at the heart of the green building movement. He says that the energy used to operate commercial buildings is actually less than the energy used by the vehicles people drive to get to them.
It follows that energy-efficient buildings, even those powered by solar panels or wind turbines, cannot by themselves compensate for the energy workers spend commuting to them when they are located well away from metropolitan centers. Only better locations and better access to public and alternative transportation can accomplish that.
Change Is ComingSmart Growth advocates who support LEED agree. They point out that even the greenest of buildings contribute to sprawl if they are built on the fringe of a metropolitan area, where they eat up farmland and wildlife habitats. That is a particularly acute problem in Michigan where, between 1997 and 2002, sprawl consumed 360,929 acres of farmland, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the problem is also a serious one nationwide; sprawl devours farmland at a steady two acres per minute.
Several groups are now working to bring LEED and location together. The U.S. Green Building Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Congress for the New Urbanism are collaborating on a new set of standards, called Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design – Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), which, according to Mr. Benfield of the NRDC, a founding member of the committee, will represent a “new step from what’s been done in the past.”
Several members of the committee working on the LEED-ND standard said they hope the original green building standards and the new one will complement and inform one another. They say that it is too soon to say exactly what LEED-ND will encompass when it is complete, but it will likely address three major considerations: The way a development’s location fits into a larger region; the design of the development itself; and environmental management practices for such things as storm water and energy efficiency.
“It will be a consensus-oriented process,” said Mr. Benfield. “My hope is that when we’re done it will stand out as a real incentive and reward for developers who want to do the right thing. Right now it’s harder to build Smart Growth than it is to build sprawl. What we want to do is help level the playing field by creating some incentives and rewards for building in a smart way.”
Carolyn Kelly, a student at the University of Chicago, is writing this summer as a Jeff Metcalf Fellow on the Michigan Land Use Institute's news desk.
She can be reached at carolyn@mlui.org
Talk About Investing in Hot Air
SWITZERLAND: September 10, 2004
BUERGENSTOCK, Switzerland - The European Climate Exchange will launch its carbon-dioxide futures contract in 60 days, kicking off exchange trade in the environmental derivatives in Europe, ECX officials said yesterday.
The launch will be well before the start in January of the European Unions carbon emissions trading scheme which aims to cut back emission of CO2 in a bid to protect the environment and improve public health.
"A series of futures contracts will be listed by end-October, early November," ECX Chief Executive Peter Koster told Reuters after a presentation on the contracts at the 25th annual conference of the Swiss Futures and Options Association.
The offering beats Germanys power bourse, the European Energy Exchange, and Austrian EXAA electricity market to the punch. They are also planning CO2 contracts.
Koster said the ECX was in talks with these and other markets about electronic links giving traders and investors access to the futures on ECX, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX).
The contracts will be listed on the electronic platform of London's International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), creating the first European market for greenhouse gas emissions trading.
HEDGING AND TRADING
Koster rebuffed criticism that utilities and other firms directly affected by the upcoming EU rules on CO2 reductions would be the main investors in the emissions market.
He said there would be opportunities for more speculative traders too who could for instance pick up the contracts before expected weather swings which would typically increase CO2 output and as a result demand for hedging.
"There is a correlation between energy consumption and emissions - emissions would go up in a heatwave just like the price for Brent crude oil would go up," Koster said.
He added that created a natural link between IPE products and carbon contracts.
With CO2 output capped under the EU rules, demand for CO2 futures would also rise as economies grew, he said. Under the rules, firms which overshoot their targets will be allowed to buy spare quota from firms which undercut theirs. Koster said the market would basically be twofold.
One application was for firms seeking to comply with EU efforts to meet Kyoto protocol obligations to curb greenhouse-gas pollution, the so-called compliance market.
The other would be for traders taking positions before events such as severe weather changes and bullish GDP forecasts.
ECX commercial director Albert de Haan said he expected demand for the contracts to grow over time.
The EU will initially target only utilities and refineries, seen as the main CO2 polluters, with the new regime, widening its reach out to other sectors such as transport and chemicals by 2008.
Also, the rules also envisage a gradual reduction of the permitted CO2 target level, by three percent a year, which should result in fresh emissions trading opportunities.
The ECX will begin by offering one-year 2005, 2006 and 2007 futures as well as four three-month contracts. Cash products are to follow in 2005.
The products are the brainchild of Richard Sandor, founder of interest-rate futures some 25 years ago, and chairman and CEO of CCX.
The futures will be cleared by LCH.Clearnet Ltd.
Story by Nieck Ammerlaan
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
SWITZERLAND: September 10, 2004
BUERGENSTOCK, Switzerland - The European Climate Exchange will launch its carbon-dioxide futures contract in 60 days, kicking off exchange trade in the environmental derivatives in Europe, ECX officials said yesterday.
The launch will be well before the start in January of the European Unions carbon emissions trading scheme which aims to cut back emission of CO2 in a bid to protect the environment and improve public health.
"A series of futures contracts will be listed by end-October, early November," ECX Chief Executive Peter Koster told Reuters after a presentation on the contracts at the 25th annual conference of the Swiss Futures and Options Association.
The offering beats Germanys power bourse, the European Energy Exchange, and Austrian EXAA electricity market to the punch. They are also planning CO2 contracts.
Koster said the ECX was in talks with these and other markets about electronic links giving traders and investors access to the futures on ECX, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX).
The contracts will be listed on the electronic platform of London's International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), creating the first European market for greenhouse gas emissions trading.
HEDGING AND TRADING
Koster rebuffed criticism that utilities and other firms directly affected by the upcoming EU rules on CO2 reductions would be the main investors in the emissions market.
He said there would be opportunities for more speculative traders too who could for instance pick up the contracts before expected weather swings which would typically increase CO2 output and as a result demand for hedging.
"There is a correlation between energy consumption and emissions - emissions would go up in a heatwave just like the price for Brent crude oil would go up," Koster said.
He added that created a natural link between IPE products and carbon contracts.
With CO2 output capped under the EU rules, demand for CO2 futures would also rise as economies grew, he said. Under the rules, firms which overshoot their targets will be allowed to buy spare quota from firms which undercut theirs. Koster said the market would basically be twofold.
One application was for firms seeking to comply with EU efforts to meet Kyoto protocol obligations to curb greenhouse-gas pollution, the so-called compliance market.
The other would be for traders taking positions before events such as severe weather changes and bullish GDP forecasts.
ECX commercial director Albert de Haan said he expected demand for the contracts to grow over time.
The EU will initially target only utilities and refineries, seen as the main CO2 polluters, with the new regime, widening its reach out to other sectors such as transport and chemicals by 2008.
Also, the rules also envisage a gradual reduction of the permitted CO2 target level, by three percent a year, which should result in fresh emissions trading opportunities.
The ECX will begin by offering one-year 2005, 2006 and 2007 futures as well as four three-month contracts. Cash products are to follow in 2005.
The products are the brainchild of Richard Sandor, founder of interest-rate futures some 25 years ago, and chairman and CEO of CCX.
The futures will be cleared by LCH.Clearnet Ltd.
Story by Nieck Ammerlaan
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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