Page 6 - North American Clean Energy January February 2014

editor's note
news bites

IT’S SOMETHING MOST OF US, in North Charge and change
America at least, take for granted most Schneider Electric recently announced its Charge the World Change

days—and that’s water. As many of
the World initiative, a philanthropic program created to give EV
us are struggling to ensure we get our drivers an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on global re
eight glasses a day, many others don’t sustainability when purchasing an EV charger. For every EVlink Moo
even have access to a single, clean or home charging station sold in North America, Schneider Electric le
chel
safe cup of water. he statistics are will donate a solar-powered, battery-operated LED lamp to a family Mi
quite startling actually: 768 million without access to electricity.
o by
people still use unsafe drinking water
EVlink is a complete electric vehicle charging solution that hot
P
sources, and 2.5 billion people worldwide lack improved delivers lexible, safe, reliable, and compatible charging of electric
sanitation facilities (based on numbers from the WHO/ vehicles. Learn more by watching their YouTube video. For every
UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and 100 unique views, Schneider Electric will donate another light to a
Sanitation, released in 2013).
family in need.

It’s estimated that every 20 seconds or so, a child dies as a Go to www.youtube.com, and search “Charge the World Change the
result of poor sanitation. hat’s 1.5 million preventable deaths World initiative”
each year. According to the United Nations Development Schneider Electric | www.scheider-electric.com/ca
Programme, the water crisis claims more lives through disease

than any war claims through guns.
Globally, diarrhoea is the leading cause of illness and death,
and most of those deaths are directly related to a lack of access Predicting solar
to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities Recently released, “Solar Energy Forecasting and Resource

(www.unwater.org). Although the majority of illness and death Assessment,” by Jan Kleissl (2013) provides important insight
occur in developing countries (check out www.water.org for
for solar energy professionals, addressing a critical gap in the
an interactive map with the estimated numbers per country), core literature of the ield. As major barriers to solar energy
the United States isn’t immune to the global water crisis—as implementation (such as materials cost and low conversion

shocking as that might sound as one of the wealthiest nations eiciency) continue to fall, issues of intermittency and reliability
in the world. An increasing number of Americans are either have risen to the surface.
homeless, or living in their homes without any electricity or Scrutiny from solar project developers and their inanciers
water.
on the accuracy of long-term resource projections, and grid

he Navajo people present one such example. A federally operators’ concerns about variable short-term power generation,
recognized, semi-autonomous Indian nation, the Navajo have made the ield of solar forecasting and resource assessment
people live on the largest reservation in the US, which covers especially signiicant in today’s market. his volume provides an
over three states in the Four Corners area of the southwest— authoritative voice on the topic, incorporating contributions from

yet, nearly half live in poverty. As per our top story (see page an internationally recognized group of top authors from industry
08 ), “they light their homes with a single kerosene lamp
and academia.
that emits toxic gasses, and live every day without indoor Elsevier | www.elsevier.com
plumbing, running water, or electricity.”

However, the Navajo reservation also presents an example of
where renewable energy is now making a diference. Everyone
might not have access to clean water or electricity, but we’ve all

experienced sunlight. And, the Navajo nation is nothing if not
abundant with sunshine. he creation of Plateau Solar Project
has tapped into the power of the sun, transforming the living
conditions of many of the elders, to ensure they have access to Prospering from the
wind
basic electricity, heat, and clean running water.
Another project in Australia is also relying on renewable Many of the world’s most underserved
energy to make a diference; only this time wind power is at Long-term roadmap for biofuels citizens rely primarily on diesel
play. By using wind turbines to convert saltwater to fresh needed
generators for what power they have,

water (instead of just for electrical use), a wind farm in
he United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is expensive and polluting. Wind
Perth routinely generates as much as 40 million gallons of should develop a new, long-term plan to reach its biofuels for Prosperity is a unique business
drinking water each day. Combining wind turbines with water production goals, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) told innovation, designed to bring afordable
desalination plants is an especially promising technology being the agency during a public hearing in December 2013. he UCS electricity to energy-poor, wind-rich

presented to undeveloped countries, especially in Africa where believes a revised roadmap is required to meet the proposed rural communities.
water shortages are common (read more on page 22).
biofuel volume targets for 2014, under the Renewable Fuel Utilizing Vestas’ weather data
he United Nations suggests that each person needs 20
Standard (RFS).
processing capabilities to identify
to 50 liters of water a day to ensure their basic needs for he EPA proposal calls for scaling back the overall mandate, energy-poor, but wind-rich areas,

drinking, cooking, and cleaning. For many in this country, a including reductions in corn ethanol and advanced biofuels, to Wind for Prosperity locates areas
simple 10-minute shower uses up to about 30 gallons of water account for the slower-than-expected development of cellulosic where wind hybrid solutions can power
(that’s over 100 liters!). Utilizing renewable resources seems biofuels—as well as constraints in the fueling infrastructure social and economic growth, bringing
like an obvious solution for water-scarce regions across the that make blending more than 10% ethanol challenging. For afordable and reliable electricity to

globe and locally.
the past two years, UCS has urged EPA to take advantage of the rural populations that currently lack it.
his issue, we bring you information on many of the RFS’s lexibility to adapt to the changing dynamics of the US Anchored on wind power technology,
products and technologies that could help make such a transportation system. It asks the agency to adopt the much- Wind for Prosperity creates an
diference. Don’t miss our annual Solar Buyers Guide (page needed task of overhauling the mandates out to 2022 and opportunity for business, government,

31), as well as the promise of ofshore wind power (page 14) beyond, to provide the policy certainty the cellulosic industry and inancial institutions to combine
and the waste-to-energy solutions biopower can ofer (starting needs to continue expanding.
their talents to improve people’s lives
on page 72).
Full details on the UCS position, including policy analysis and fact and generate risk-adjusted returns for
We hope you enjoy the read, and take a moment as 2014 sheets, are available on the UCS website.
private investors.

begins to be grateful for all you do have and might take for
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)
Learn more at www.windforprosperity.com
granted. Michelle Froese
www.ucsusa.org
Vestas | www.vestas.com

6 nacleanenergy.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014