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sfce aug 3
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ZKenergy Wins Lawsuit Against Wuxi Suntech in First Trial
Aug 3, 2015 | FinanzNachrichten
ZKenergy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. ("ZKenergy") announced today that the company has won the lawsuit against Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. ("Wuxi Suntech") over contract disputes and received the Notice of Judgment on July 23, 2015, in reference to Case (2014) Sushang First Trial-00022. -
Obama to Boost Goal in Climate Rule with New Solar, Wind Push
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Mark Drajem
The Obama administration said it will increase carbon reductions in its landmark rule to curb greenhouse gases by providing more of an incentive for renewable-energy growth. President Barack Obama is set to unveil the regulations, the centerpiece of his plans to combat global warming, at the White House on Monday. -
Hundreds of businesses promote climate rule to governors
Jul 31, 2015 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Devin Henry
A sustainability group, along with 365 companies and businesses, is telling governors around the country to support President Obama’s upcoming rule governing power plant carbon emissions. In a letter sent to governors, the companies said the forthcoming Clean Power Plan rules are “critical for moving our country toward a clean ... -
Obama’s Climate Legacy Takes Shape With Move on Power Plants
Aug 2, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem
The Obama administration on Monday will issue rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants, a move designed to secure the president’s legacy on climate and one which has already influenced the campaigns of those who want to succeed him. -
EPA’s New Emissions Rule to Alter Energy Landscape
Aug 2, 2015 | The Wall Street Journal
By Rebecca Smith
The Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules on carbon emissions from power plants will alter the way Americans make and consume electricity, accelerating a dramatic shift to cleaner fuels, renewable energy and consumer choice. Even as the new regulations on greenhouse gases face legal challenges, they... -
Efficient energy generation saved UK £250m
Jul 31, 2015 | Energy Live News
The UK saved almost £250 million in fuel costs last year by generating its energy more efficiently. That’s equivalent to the gas bills of more than 350,000 homes, according to a new government report. It also stated there was an increase in combined heat and power (CHP) plants in 2014 with 54 new projects. -
Opportunities in China’s green building boom
Aug 3, 2015 | Eco-Business
By Jean Chua
Green buildings – with their energy-saving technologies, temperature-optimising insulation, solar panels and smart appliances, among other features – are popping up everywhere in China, from Xinjiang in the west to Heilongjiang in the north. Unheard of as recently as a decade ago, they are quickly becoming a feature... -
Across China: Pollution control goes beyond Beijing to neighbors
Aug 1, 2015 | Shanghai Daily
Beijing and neighbor cities have already joined hands in battling pollution, and experts say the city's successful 2022 Winter Olympics bid will boost the efforts. "The roadmap for intercity pollution control has been unveiled, and Beijing will offer the Winter Olympics athletes a better environment," said Song Qiang, an environmental expert in Beijing. -
Newfoundland and Labrador Unveils Net Metering Policy
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
Newfoundland and Labrador unveiled a new net metering policy framework that would permit small-scale renewable energy generators to feed surplus electricity into the provincial grid. When fully implemented by provincial electricity utilities, the new net metering policy will permit customers to feed surplus power into the distribution system... -
Former Top China Environmental Official Investigated
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Michael Standaert
A former top Chinese environmental official is being investigated for alleged bribery in connection with the handling of environmental impact assessments, the government said July 31. Former vice minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection Zhang Lijun... -
Google Street View Cars to Track Urban Air Pollution
Jul 31, 2015 | Newsweek
By Zoë Schlanger
You might not know it, but living in a city is like playing air-quality roulette all day long. The air you breathe on your drive to work is different from what you’re sucking in while walking to get your midmorning coffee. Air pollution can vary significantly from neighborhood to neighborhood, depending on factors like proximity to parks and trees...
Suntech News
Industry News
Full Text of Stories Below
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ZKenergy Wins Lawsuit Against Wuxi Suntech in First Trial
Aug 3, 2015 | FinanzNachrichten
ZKenergy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. ("ZKenergy") announced today that the company has won the lawsuit against Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. ("Wuxi Suntech") over contract disputes and received the Notice of Judgment on July 23, 2015, in reference to Case (2014) Sushang First Trial-00022.
ZKenergy filed a lawsuit against Wuxi Suntech on September 1, 2014, alleging that the latter failed to perform its obligations under the terms of Solar Module Sales Contract (No.C-M-201312127) and the supplementary agreement, and requiring Wuxi Suntech to restitute the payment totaling 206 million RMB and to be liable for breach of the agreements. ZKenergy received the notice that the court had agreed to hear the case on September 3, 2014. Wuxi Suntech filed a counterclaim to ZKenergy's claim on December 25, 2014, requiring ZKenergy to pay its loss of 246.6 million RMB.
The Jiangsu Province Higher People's Court entered the first-trial judgment as follows: "1. Wuxi Suntech is to restitute the payment totaling 206 million RMB within 10 days of the judgment going into effect, as well as pay interest and penalties due to the breach of the agreement (from March 31, 2014 to December 31, 2014, with the interest calculated on the basis of the benchmark lending rate set by The People's Bank of China for the same period and the principal of 206 million RMB; from January 1, 2015 to the actual date of payment, with interest and penalties calculated on the basis of four times the benchmark lending rate set by The People's Bank of China for the same period and the principal of 206 million RMB. However, interest and penalties calculated based on this criterion shall not exceed 30.9 million RMB; and, in the event interest and penalties exceed 30.9 million RMB, from the date when they start to exceed this amount to the actual date of payment, interest and penalties are to be calculated based on the benchmark lending rate set by The People's Bank of China for the same period and the principal of 206 million RMB. 2. Reject ZKenergy's other claims. 3. Reject Wuxi Suntech's counterclaims."
Shunfeng International Clean Energy Limited (HK01165, formerly and until November 2014 "Shunfeng Photovoltaic International") acquired a controlling stake in Wuxi Suntech in 2014 from Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP, "Suntech Power"). Shunfeng International Clean Energy, listed in Hong Kong on July 13, 2011, is a manufacturer of solar wafers, cells and modules.
Link to the case judgment: http://www.zkenergy.com/news/zknews/653.htmlAbout ZKenergy
ZKenergy Science & Technology Co., Ltd is a high-tech company that specializes in the development, manufacturing and application of products in the clean energy field and supplies turnkey solutions and core parts for small-and medium-sized wind and solar integrated application systems.
FinanzNachrichten link (German): http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2015-08/34533031-zkenergy-gewinnt-rechtsstreit-gegen-wuxi-suntech-in-erster-instanz-007.htm
Finanzen.net (German): http://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/ZKenergy-gewinnt-Rechtsstreit-gegen-Wuxi-Suntech-in-erster-Instanz-4458985
El Economista (Spanish): http://www.eleconomista.es/internacional/noticias/6913924/08/15/COMUNICADO-ZKenergy-gana-la-demanda-contra-Wuxi-Suntech-en-su-primer-juicio.html#.Kku8UvZLDqyOHqP
Le Lezard (French): http://www.lelezard.com/communique-7756712.html
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Obama to Boost Goal in Climate Rule with New Solar, Wind Push
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Mark Drajem
The Obama administration said it will increase carbon reductions in its landmark rule to curb greenhouse gases by providing more of an incentive for renewable-energy growth.
President Barack Obama is set to unveil the regulations, the centerpiece of his plans to combat global warming, at the White House on Monday. The plan, which relies on cutting the reliance on coal and natural gas and replacing it with lower-carbon resources, will put the country on the path to meeting Obama’s pledge to negotiators trying to reach a global accord this year, an administration official said.
“It’s time for America, and the world, to act on climate change,” Obama said in a video message released on the White House Twitter feed.
The final rule will bring about a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions from power plants by 2030, compared to 30 percent in the EPA’s proposal last year. The EPA’s plan will accomplish this by in part by giving states credit for solar or wind projects that break ground in the next few years, before the rule kicks in in 2022, the official said.
The White House says that while it’s backing off on an initial deadline for the rule, and making other changes to help states, the final plan will lead to more reductions in greenhouse gases long term because it will boost carbon-free energy and rely less on switching from coal to natural gas. The incentive plan will reward states that submit plans to the White House early.
As it worked on the final rule, the administration came under assault from struggling coal producers, power operatives and Republican lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, advised governors to refuse to write the required plans to cut emissions. In those cases, it would then be up to the EPA to come up with a plan to force power producers to reduce emissions. The new idea on renewable incentives gives the EPA more of a prod to states to get them to submit plans.
Obama pledged the U.S. will cut greenhouse-gas emissions 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025, as part of United Nations-led negotiations for a global climate accord. According to the official, with the changes in this regulation, the U.S. will be on track to meet that goal.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/lpages/lpages.adp?pg=breaking_news&bn_product=deln#urn:bna:a0h0r0e8t9
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Hundreds of businesses promote climate rule to governors
Jul 31, 2015 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Devin Henry
A sustainability group, along with 365 companies and businesses, is telling governors around the country to support President Obama’s upcoming rule governing power plant carbon emissions.
In a letter sent to governors, the companies said the forthcoming Clean Power Plan rules are “critical for moving our country toward a clean energy economy.” They said the governors should comply with the rule and find ways to meet the emission reduction goals the plan will lay out for states.“The plan’s flexible approach provides an exciting opportunity for states to customize their own energy portfolio, expand clean energy solutions, attract new industries to the state, and create thousands of jobs,” the letter said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to release its Clean Power Plan as early as next week. The landmark rule, a cornerstone of Obama’s climate change agenda, will look to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by 30 percent by 2030.
The letter, from sustainability group Ceres, went to 29 governors. Companies signing the letter included Fortune 500 firms General Mills, eBay and Staples, as well as local businesses. Ceres said businesses in all 50 states are represented on the list, representing more than 340,000 employees and $350 billion in annual revenue.
“Clear and consistent policies can send market signals that help businesses and investors plan for the future,” the letter said. “We are seeking long-term policies that provide businesses the certainty needed to transition to a clean energy economy.”
Ceres’s letter is the latest example of green groups and environmental officials tapping the private sector to make the case for action on climate change.
Thirteen major companies signed a White House pledge this week to focus on green policies ahead of a climate conference scheduled for later this year in an effort to show private sector support for a greenhouse gas treaty.
Ceres sent Friday’s letter to a handful of governors who have signaled their opposition to the Clean Power Plan, including those in Wisconsin, Kentucky and Texas.
Link: http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/249901-hundreds-of-businesses-promote-climate-rule-to-governors
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Obama’s Climate Legacy Takes Shape With Move on Power Plants
Aug 2, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Mark Drajem
The Obama administration on Monday will issue rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants, a move designed to secure the president’s legacy on climate and one which has already influenced the campaigns of those who want to succeed him.
The Environmental Protection Agency will finalize measures that promise to upend a century of electrical power generation, as it prods states and utilities to use less coal and more wind, solar and natural gas. The plan, estimated to cost $8.4 billion, is among the most complex in agency history and is expected to face a series of contentious legal challenges from states and coal producers.
Elements of the plan were released Sunday by the White House, ahead of the full roll-out. The rules are designed, in part, to put the U.S. on track to meet the goal President Barack Obama laid out as part of negotiations for a global accord on climate change. Those talks are set to conclude this at the Paris climate conference in December.
“It’s time for America, and the world, to act on climate change,” Obama said in a video message released on the White House Twitter feed.
The final rule aims to accomplish a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions from the nation’s fleet of power plants by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, against 30 percent in the EPA’s original 2014 proposal. Emissions are already down 15 percent from that peak.
The plan will accomplish this by in part by giving states credit for solar or wind projects that break ground in the next few years, before the rule takes effect in 2022. It will also force utilities to run natural gas plants more or encourage customers to use less electricity. Biggest Source
Power generation, specifically the burning of coal to make electricity, is the biggest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., and until now there was no cap on those emissions.
“The way electricity is being produced is being significantly transformed,” said Michael Brune, president of the Sierra Club. “It will amount to a move away from fossil fuels toward clean energy.”
Power plants burning coal produce almost 40 percent of the nation’s electricity, down from about half just a few years ago. That’s forecast to decline more as these rules kick in.
The administration has bowed to industry demands, though, and will include a safety valve that would delay the rules for individual states if they threaten the reliability of electricity delivery, according to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “We really don’t expect the safety valve to ever have to be used,” McCarthy said in a media conference call Sunday. State Plans
The general EPA plan is actually a set of targets for the states. States will have to submit plans to the agency by 2018 on how it will achieve the EPA-mandated goal, which begin to bite in 2022 and phase in through 2030.
The EPA’s initial proposal would have forced states with a lot of natural-gas plants and scope for renewable power growth, such as Arizona, to make cuts in emissions of more than 50 percent by 2030.
Meanwhile, coal-heavy states including Kentucky, West Virginia, Wyoming and Montana faced cuts of 21 percent or less. The EPA tweaked its forecasts for the amount of natural-gas and renewable-energy growth it estimates can be accomplished in those states.
“At the end of the day, you will see state goals more uniform,” said Brian Deese, a White House adviser on energy and climate. Greenhouse Gases
The White House says that while it’s backing off on an initial deadline for the rule and making other changes to help states, the final plan will lead to more reductions in greenhouse gases long term because it will boost carbon-free energy and rely less on switching from coal to natural gas. The incentive plan will also reward states that submit plans to the White House early.
“The states that join the race first, and run it the fastest, will win both more investment in clean technologies and less air pollution for their communities,” Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit group, said in a statement.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said the plan is “a significant step forward” in meeting the threat of climate change.
“It sets a smart federal standard that gives states the flexibility to choose how to reduce carbon pollution most effectively,” Clinton said in a statement, adding that it promotes a healthier environment and a stronger economy. RNC Statement
The Republican National Committee said in response to Clinton’s statement that Obama’s plan will have “devastating consequences” for the economy and cost jobs.
One thing the EPA didn’t do is bend to complaints from utilities and discard a separate proposal to require new coal plants to use expensive carbon-capture technology. While the only coal plant now under construction has carbon capture, that rule could mean no more coal plants are built in the U.S., industry critics say.
“EPA’s final Clean Power Plan reflects political expediency, not reality for supplying the nation with low cost reliable power,” said Hal Quinn, president of the National Mining Association. On Monday, the group will file a stay to try to stop the plan from going into effect, he said.
The regulation is also expected to face lawsuits from coal-dependent states, coal producers and some utilities or power cooperatives. They argue that the EPA is exceeding its authority and forcing a reorganization of power generation for which it doesn’t have the legal mandate. ‘Unprecedented Interference’
“State leaders are angry that EPA has finalized an unprecedented interference into state authority over energy regulation and markets, clearly inconsistent with statutory and Constitutional principles,” Scott Segal, a lawyer at Bracewell & Giuliani in Washington, said in a research note Friday.
Obama pledged the U.S. will cut greenhouse-gas emissions 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025, as part of United Nations-led negotiations for a global climate accord. With the changes in this regulation, the U.S. will be on track to meet that goal, according to the White House.
One advantage of boosting renewables and relying less on natural gas is that the emission reductions after 2030 will be greater, Deese said.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-02/obama-to-boost-goal-in-climate-rule-with-new-solar-wind-push
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EPA’s New Emissions Rule to Alter Energy Landscape
Aug 2, 2015 | The Wall Street Journal
By Rebecca Smith
The Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules on carbon emissions from power plants will alter the way Americans make and consume electricity, accelerating a dramatic shift to cleaner fuels, renewable energy and consumer choice.
Even as the new regulations on greenhouse gases face legal challenges, they will force sweeping changes to the once hidebound electricity business. Utility companies and state regulators will need to rewire the electric grid to accommodate more renewable power, much of it generated by customers.
Cutting carbon emissions 32% by 2030 will require billions of dollars in investments to pay for new transmission lines that accommodate more solar and wind power and new pipelines to fuel natural-gas-fired generation, as coal becomes less important as a fuel for power plants.
Utilities, which expect to spend more than $100 billion next year on capital projects, will adjust their spending programs to reflect the new rules even as court challenges proceed, experts said.
“Utilities already are moving in that direction by retiring coal plants and adding renewables,” said Nick Akins, chief executive of Ohio-based American Electric Power Co. , one of the nation’s biggest utilities, which has been a major user of coal. Though some states may object to the EPA rule, he said, most utilities “will be reaching out to our states and be very factual and objective and see if we can comply.”
Executives worry about the EPA plan’s cost, in part because it could result in shuttering power plants that aren’t yet paid off, he said, meaning consumers will still have to pay for assets that aren’t providing any benefit. Other executives said consumers may be able to trim their electricity use and keep their bills flat.
To date, states like California and those in the Northeast have been in the minority in devising programs to trim carbon-dioxide emissions.
The new rule “will act like an accelerant,” said Ted Craver, chief executive of California-based Edison International, parent of Southern California Edison. “Now all the states will have to grapple with the need to reduce carbon emissions.”
The final rule, expected to be unveiled by President Barack Obama on Monday, will call for the nation to get 28% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030, versus the roughly 13% it got last year. States will have to put in place compliance plans by 2018 and meet their first targets for reductions by 2022.
One effect of the new rule: Utility customers won’t simply be passive consumers of electricity, as they have been for most of the past 100 years. To achieve carbon-reduction goals, they will have to become active participants. They could become sellers of power from their own mini-generators, or collect payments for cutting electricity use when the grid is stressed.
To encourage people to replace old refrigerators, furnaces and air conditioners with more efficient models, utilities are expected to pump up rebate offers.
“All the complexity of overhauling the electric system will need to be behind the curtain,” said Gil Quiniones, president and chief executive of the New York Power Authority, the nation’s biggest state-owned utility. “Utilities or new entrants who can do it well will end up the winners.”
State regulators will play a pivotal role, nudging power companies to overhaul their fleets of power plants—and to get out of the way of consumers who want to install their own solar panels, heat exchangers, basement generators, fuel cells or other technology.
U.S. utilities have installed more than 65 million smart meters that measure electricity consumption throughout the day. Many experts think this will be the technology that will drive other innovations forward—smart meters will make it possible for most consumers in California to pay time-based prices for electricity by 2019.
“Things are moving so fast,” said Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, the state’s utility regulator. “Every executive I talk with says there’s been more change in the past five to seven years than in the last 100 years. And it will accelerate now.”
California utilities got 27% of their electricity from renewable sources in 2014, excluding hydropower’s contribution. In a year of normal rainfall—something the state hasn’t had for four years—hydro could add 15% or more to the renewable-energy mix. The state’s aim is to get 33% of its power from clean sources and it is considering increasing the goal to 50%.
As utilities shut down big coal plants, electric-grid operators will have their work cut out to make sure the system can handle power that is flowing from many decentralized sources—think of millions of rooftop solar systems and thousands of wind turbines. Meanwhile, big utility-owned power plants that have provided around-the-clock electricity may face new restrictions that reduce their hours of operation due to emissions limits.
Statistics already are beginning to reflect the new pecking order for power generators.
In April, power plants that burn natural gas produced more electricity than those that burn coal, the first time there has been such a reversal in U.S. history, according to the Energy Information Administration. Last year, about one-quarter of the new generation added to the grid was solar generation, up 70% from 2013, and more than half came from efficient gas-fired plants. There was no significant amount of coal capacity added.
Utilities have been shutting down coal plants for several years now to satisfy requirements of other EPA rules.
Since 2011, for example, Duke Energy Corp. says it has retired 40 older coal units in the Carolinas and the Midwest and replaced them with super-efficient coal units or gas-fired plants at a total cost of $9 billion.
Atlanta-based Southern Co. , which owns utilities in four states, has invested roughly $10.6 billion in environmental controls since 1990, and Chief Executive Tom Fanning said last week it burned more gas than coal in the second quarter of the year. It is building a power plant in Mississippi that will convert coal to a flammable gas and strip out most of the pollutants, including carbon dioxide, the only project of its kind in the U.S.
Link: http://www.wsj.com/articles/epas-new-emissions-rule-to-alter-energy-landscape-1438550219
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Efficient energy generation saved UK £250m
Jul 31, 2015 | Energy Live News
The UK saved almost £250 million in fuel costs last year by generating its energy more efficiently.
That’s equivalent to the gas bills of more than 350,000 homes, according to a new government report.
It also stated there was an increase in combined heat and power (CHP) plants in 2014 with 54 new projects.
The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) however added some industrial sectors didn’t receive new investment and others saw “significant” reductions in CHP capacity and generation.
Tim Rotheray, ADE Director said: “The opportunity is much greater. There are hundreds more commercial and industrial sites that could benefit from generating their own heat and power locally by putting the right policy framework in place.”
Earlier this week the government announced it would stop funding the Green Deal, its energy efficiency scheme.
Link: http://www.energylivenews.com/2015/07/31/energy-efficiency-saved-uk-250m/
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Opportunities in China’s green building boom
Aug 3, 2015 | Eco-Business
By Jean Chua
Green buildings – with their energy-saving technologies, temperature-optimising insulation, solar panels and smart appliances, among other features – are popping up everywhere in China, from Xinjiang in the west to Heilongjiang in the north. Unheard of as recently as a decade ago, they are quickly becoming a feature on China’s vast and varied landscape.
This is thanks to a barrage of policies by the Chinese government aimed at slashing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and ridding itself of its ignoble title as the world’s biggest carbon polluter. The second-largest economy said in November last year that it wants its carbon emissions to peak around 2030, as part of a joint commitment with the United States.
In its 12th Five-Year plan initiated in October 2010, the government also said it will invest heavily in green projects, a key part of which will be in green buildings. All these signs point to a booming industry in sustainable buildings.
“We in China may be late to the game, but I think in terms of collective effort, we are progressing really quickly,” says Professor Wang Youwei, chairman of the China Green Building Council, an academic organization that does research on green buildings and building energy efficiency, promotes green building development in the country, and acts as an intermediary between academia and industry.
“We know that we need to look at buildings because they collectively account for 30 to 40 per cent of the entire country’s energy usage,” he adds. “The Chinese government is promoting green buildings aggressively, linking energy efficiency with urbanisation.”
Green building space in China has grown 154 times since 2008 and the country has taken the lead from the US in terms of green gross floor area, according to a report released last month by global real estate consultancy CBRE.
The report – ‘The New Era of Green Buildings in China’ – found that as of January 2015, China had 2,538 projects with the country’s Green Building Evaluation Standard certification, representing a gross floor area of 290 million square metres (sq m), as well as 627 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects as of April 2015, adding an additional 28 million sq m.
China’s Green Building Evaluation Standard is a set of guiding principles for the design, construction, operation and rating of green buildings in China, with a scoring system of one, two of three stars, with three stars being the best label. LEED, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, an non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in buildings in the US, is a system that rates green buildings, homes and even neighbourhoods in terms of design, construction, operation and maintenance.
All these projects totalled about 320 million sq m, overtaking the 310 million sq m of LEED gross floor area in the US, the report says.
“CBRE estimates that in the period between 2014 and 2020, the total new construction of urban green buildings in China is expected to reach 7 billion sq m,” the report says. “This massive boom in the construction of green buildings will usher in unprecedented opportunities for development.” From Xinjiang to Shanghai
Professor Wang notes that the private sector has a major role to play in delivering on the emissions pledge: developers, consultants, researchers and others should all contribute to development of green buildings in the country, he adds.
And this development has to focus on what he calls “local conditions”, says Professor Wang, who is also a consultant at Beijing Municipal People’s Government, and a principal member on the board that approves the national Green Building Evaluation Standard. Related News & Opinion Report: the green building era hits ChinaMegaworld’s next projects LEED-certifiedNew study shows strong business case for upgrading buildings
“In the west of China, where it’s very dry and temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter and soar to the high 30s in summer, green technology will have to suit those conditions,” Professor Wang says.
“In Guangdong in the south, it’s very wet and warm. So, do we use stone, steel, or wood? Is the area mountainous? Is land expensive and hence we have to build them tall instead of sprawling? You have to consider all these factors.”
At the same time, cost is very important because China is still a developing country, he adds.
More affluent cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are easy markets for green buildings, as “branding” offices as sustainable is seen as a differentiating factor. “ In smaller second- or third-tier cities, where average incomes tend to be lower and there may be fewer local incentives and subsidies, green buildings could appear a less attractive option.
In these cities, retro-fitting existing buildings with green features will be the Chinese government’s strategy, Professor Wang says.
China’s Ministry of Construction targets to retrofit 25 per cent of existing public and residential buildings to make them greener by 2020. It estimates that the total cost of retrofitting these existing buildings with energy saving systems will total US$193 billion.
But the benefits are huge, as greening 25 per cent of existing buildings alone could reduce coal use by 135 million tonnes a year, according to the ministry. That’s about 10 per cent of the total amount used in 2014 to generate power in the country.
For developers and building owners unable or unwilling to spend on constructing new buildings with green technology, retrofitting can be an attractive option, Professor Wang says.
“Developers interested in the green space in China will therefore need to spend some time thinking about where they can contribute their expertise,” Professor Wang says. Whether it’s approaching existing buildings for retrofitting projects or designing a green building from scratch, they will need to tailor specific strategies for specific locations.
At the upcoming International Green Building Conference (IGBC) 2015 to be held in Singapore, Professor Wang will be speaking at the opening plenary on China’s national certification scheme, as well as opportunities in China’s green building industry.
The IGBC - held at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands from 2 to 4 September - is organised by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and the anchor event of the Singapore Green Building Week (SGBW), which is in its seventh year. SGBW is Singapore’s biggest trade show for the green building and construction industry.
IGBC 2015 expects more than 1,000 participants – international green building experts, policy-makers, academics, built environment practitioners, tenants and end-users, as well as members of the public and students – from over 30 countries to gather to discuss ideas, collaborate, and share knowledge on the international green building movement.
As Professor Wang notes, “We’ve already achieved a lot in terms of doing something positive for the environment. I think with technological breakthroughs and more collective effort, we can do more. It’s not lip service.”
Link: http://www.eco-business.com/news/opportunities-in-chinas-green-building-boom/
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Across China: Pollution control goes beyond Beijing to neighbors
Aug 1, 2015 | Shanghai Daily
Beijing and neighbor cities have already joined hands in battling pollution, and experts say the city's successful 2022 Winter Olympics bid will boost the efforts.
"The roadmap for intercity pollution control has been unveiled, and Beijing will offer the Winter Olympics athletes a better environment," said Song Qiang, an environmental expert in Beijing.
Song said Beijing's commitment to pollution control stems from public outcry and government resolve to improve the living environment, but "the Winter Olympics will come as a big force to further push environmental protection efforts."
"There will be more public and international scrutiny of Beijing, and the city will be obliged to fulfill its promise to host a clean Olympics," he added.
Since the beginning of this year, China's central government has pushed for the integration of Beijing and neighboring cities to create a new economic belt and environment-friendly zone, incorporating the surrounding Hebei Province, and Tianjin, a port city to the capital's southeast.
The Jing-Jin-Ji (Jing for Beijing, Jin for Tianjin, Ji, a traditional abbreviation for Hebei) Integration Plan includes everything from information sharing, exchange of officials, environmental protection and economic development.
Experts say prior to the 2008 Olympics, Beijing moved polluting and high energy consuming plants to neighboring cities. However, pollutants have continued to drift in from neighboring cities, so the Chinese capital is now opting for a collective strategy to join hands with neighbors and spread its pollution control measures far beyond the city limits
"Beijing and its neighboring cities have much work to do if they want to achieve their goal of a better living environment. The cities must step up work in pollution control, and it's important that they do this together," said Chen Tian, chief of Beijing's Environment Protection Bureau, in an interview with Xinhua.
Chen said the "collective strategy" to curb pollution reflects the central government's resolve to transcend geographic and political boundaries. "It has a penetrating power," he said.
Under such directives, richer cities like Beijing and Tianjin must fork out money to support smaller cities in Hebei.
This year, Beijing will supply 460 million yuan (75 million U.S. dollars) to help curb pollution in two cities, Langfang and Baoding. Tianjin must spend 400 million yuan for Tangshan and Cangzhou, another two cities in Hebei.
The funds will be used to take down small coal-fueled boilers at steel factories and improve the energy efficiency of larger boilers.
Zhuang Zhidong, deputy of the Beijing environmental protection bureau, said the first task will be to close some iron and steel, thermal power and cement plants, which have already been deemed "excessive capacity" under the current economic situation.
Hebei alone will shut down a third of its steel production, about 60 million tonnes, by 2017.
Other measures will include promoting the use of natural gas, energy-efficient fuel and electric cars.
Beijing has vowed to cut PM2.5, airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, by 20 percent by 2017, and by 45 percent in 2022. Total environmental protection spending will total 130 billion U.S. dollars. < "Environmental protection relies on how much the government is willing to invest its attention, manpower and money into this," said Chai Fahe, deputy director of China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
"A roadmap is already in place, and no slacking should be allowed if we want to meet the targets," he said.
Link: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=295355
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Newfoundland and Labrador Unveils Net Metering Policy
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
Newfoundland and Labrador unveiled a new net metering policy framework that would permit small-scale renewable energy generators to feed surplus electricity into the provincial grid. When fully implemented by provincial electricity utilities, the new net metering policy will permit customers to feed surplus power into the distribution system and to draw power when their generation does not fully meet their needs, provincial Natural Resources Minister Derrick Dalley said July 28. “The provincial government is committed to further diversifying the province's electricity supply mix with renewable sources,” Dalley said. Eligibility for the program is limited to small-renewable sources with maximum production of 100 kilowatts, but for either commercial or domestic customers, and only one metering point is permitted per account and property. Net excess generation is to be credited at the end of each billing period, with annual net excess generation settled through a cash payment or bill credit at retail electricity rates. The net metering program is subject to an overall cap of 5 megawatts a year. Details are available at http://bit.ly/1IuyrSd.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=73605132&vname=dennotallissues&fn=73605132&jd=73605132
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Former Top China Environmental Official Investigated
Aug 3, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Michael Standaert
A former top Chinese environmental official is being investigated for alleged bribery in connection with the handling of environmental impact assessments, the government said July 31.
Former vice minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection Zhang Lijun is the highest ranking environmental official to come under investigation in an anti-corruption drive started when President Xi Jinping assumed office in 2013.
The investigation follows a June announcement that more 2,000 officials are being investigated for alleged environmental protection infractions. The countrywide crackdown comes in the wake of China's efforts to curb pollution (133 DEN A-5, 7/13/15).
China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a July 30 statement that Zhang, who served as vice minister of the MEP from March 2008 to February 2013, was under investigation for “suspected serious violations of the law”—the standard statement the agency issues to indicate when an official will likely be charged in an anti-corruption probe.
Zhang held environmental policy positions since he was named director and party secretary of the Jilin provincial environmental protection bureau in 1989. He joined the State Environmental Protection Administration in 1998, which became the Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2007. He served in a high-level post from 2008 to 2013, when he retired, according to the South China Morning Post.
Environmental Impact Approvals
Zhang is one of eight retired provincial or ministerial-level officials to be investigated by CCDI, which also has investigated 17 provincial and ministerial-level officials still in office, according to a July 31 report from state-run Xinhua news agency.
The same report indicated that at the time the CCDI was investigating improper handling of environmental impact assessment approvals and bribery cases related to those assessments among MEP officials, a letter exposing Zhang's possible connection to these issues was sent to the investigation body by an environmental reporter in Guangdong province. The CCDI originally made a statement regarding the investigation in February (29 DEN A-8, 2/12/15).
“Everybody agrees [the government] needs to establish effective institutions to monitor and punish officials, discipline them if they violate laws and rules,” Chen Dingding, an assistant professor of government and public administration at the University of Macau, told Bloomberg BNA July 31. “They want to make sure senior party members are clean and competent and efficient.”
In China, environmental impact assessments are supposed to be conducted by independent, licensed evaluators, reviewed by environmental protection bureau authorities and presented to the public. The MEP, in fact, has been calling for greater transparency and oversight of the process.
The newly amended Environmental Protection Law, which went into effect Jan. 1, also raised the legal bar in regard to transparency and environmental impact assessment requirements by cementing them into an official law.
The CCDI launched another round of investigations at the end of April to address problems related to bribery occurring in the oversight of environmental impact assessment approvals, solid waste management and management of water pollution funding, it said in a statement.
“Such low salaries surrounded by such opportunities, it is really difficult to resist those temptations,” Chen said. “I think they will do something to increase [top government official] salaries and benefits to make sure it is compatible with their position. More important is to cut off the opportunities so they don't have so much power to make decisions themselves.”
More Oversight
In mid-June, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), China's top body for investigation, announced that its agencies had investigated or prosecuted more than 2,163 officials between January 2014 and April 2015 on crimes related to environmental protection that included bribery and dereliction of duty.
The SPP launched a two-year campaign for monitoring how law enforcement handles environmental cases, particularly as they relate to corruption or improper use of official positions, it said.
“China just won the rights to the 2022 Winter Olympics, so that should give them extra incentive to clean up the environment,” Chen said, referring to the July 31 announcement that Beijing will host the Olympics.
China's top leadership held meetings in early July where they approved several documents related to strengthening the accountability of officials over environmental protection responsibilities, said a State Council statement from July 5.
The documents included guidelines for establishing a mechanism to monitor and audit how current officials handle environmental protection, and another one on auditing officials and Chinese Communist Party officers after they retire, a policy that could find officials guilty of dereliction of duty or other crimes after they leave the government.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=73605122&vname=dennotallissues&fn=73605122&jd=73605122
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Google Street View Cars to Track Urban Air Pollution
Jul 31, 2015 | Newsweek
By Zoë Schlanger
You might not know it, but living in a city is like playing air-quality roulette all day long. The air you breathe on your drive to work is different from what you’re sucking in while walking to get your midmorning coffee. Air pollution can vary significantly from neighborhood to neighborhood, depending on factors like proximity to parks and trees, the topography of the land and where congestion hot spots are clustered. Then there’s the issue of timing: Pollution varies widely throughout the day, according to several factors like weather and human activity. The air you breathe in the morning may be drastically different from the air you breathe at dusk—even if you’re sitting in the exact same spot.
But what if you could see a detailed picture of your city’s daily air pollution along your route the way you now check the weather? In the not-so-distant future, that might be possible. Last week, Google announced it was partnering with Aclima, a San Francisco–based company that designs environmental sensor networks, to outfit some Google Street View cars with sensors that allow them to track air pollution in real time, while the vehicles go about their business of crisscrossing a city and taking panoramic images for Google Earth. The technology can take in data on several pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, black carbon, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Each of these can negatively impact human health from chronic exposure, with threats ranging from asthma and cardiovascular disease to low birth weight, cognitive delays and even heightened suicide risk. The World Health Organization linked air pollution worldwide to 7 million deaths in 2012, which amounts to 1 in 8 people who died that year.
Last year, Aclima and Google Street View went for a test-spin in Denver. The three cars in the pilot program drove around for one month and gathered 150 million data points about Denver’s street-level air quality over 750 hours of driving time. The test was deemed a success: The Environmental Protection Agency provided scientific expertise and corroborating data from its own network of stationary air-quality monitors, confirming that the mobile system worked.
"If you're a mother of an asthmatic child, you could plan your day using this kind of information," Karin Tuxen-Bettman, who leads Google Earth’s partnership with Aclima, told NPR. "If you're a local government, you could look at this kind of information and say, 'What and where can me make some changes on a small scale to have some good impact?'”
Next, the air-sniffing Street View cars are coming to the Bay Area in California. Air quality there is relatively good compared with, say, smoggy L.A. down the coast. Both Aclima and Google are headquartered in the Bay Area, so the location was chosen for convenience while the program is being fleshed out. But Aclima says it hopes to expand to other cities in the near future.
Rolling out the project to cities where pollution is a matter of daily concern could have a significant impact. Take Vernal, for example, a small Utah town plagued by ozone pollution where the state recently found abnormally high numbers of infant deaths. Some residents suspect that the air pollution is at fault. They cite the area surrounding one intersection in town that sees an exceptionally high degree of truck traffic as being a particular hot spot for risk. The pollution-mapping project could inform speculation with data sets for communities like Vernal, warning the public and helping municipal governments effectively address any problems.
The project is the latest partnership for Google Earth, which teamed with the Environmental Defense Fund last year to use its Street View cars to detect methane pollution leaking from underground pipes in Boston, Indianapolis and Staten Island, New York.
Link: http://www.newsweek.com/google-street-view-cars-track-urban-air-pollution-358621
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