Power outages across china have caused devastation and deprivation to millions of people across central and southern china this winter. The worst snow storms for 50 years are estimated to have caused the loss of an area larger than England to China’s already depleted forests. Cities were also damaged as buildings and infrastructure collapsed. As transportation ground to a halt, it became clear that in many provinces the additional power required to deal with additional heating and alternative transport wasn’t available. Huge numbers of people were simply stuck in the cold and dark.
Managers of hospitals, hotels and other mission critical facilities face disastrous consequences when this is the case. Many facilities have backup generators to cover during intermittent or disabled mains power supply. The majority of additional power supply comes from diesel generators (of which China is the world’s largest manufacturer), which are cheap, reliable and effective in cold weather. However, this technology is anything but green, the quality of diesel pumped through generators in China is of a low grade, producing even fouler fumes than regular coal fired power plants.
| China currently obtains 8 percent of its energy and 17 percent of its electricity from renewables |
Luckily, China has already recognised need for alternative power supply and, given the scale of the shortages it is no surprise that the country is one of the largest global developers of alternative energy. As such, it may be one of the places where alternatives to highly polluting coal, diesel and petroleum will see their first widespread commercial uses. Viable alternatives include small hydro schemes biomass, biogas and liquid bio-fuels, according to Gold Standard, a company that certifies and funds carbon trading projects.
Trouble in the grid
China’s grid energy supply is in all sorts of trouble. Balancing unprecedented economic growth with environmental concerns is a difficult task. A lack of regulations and unlicensed operators mean that the coal mines which fuel the majority of China’s power stations are the world’s most dangerous. Recent disasters, negative publicity and grassroots protests are all affecting the industry at the same time that the government is trying to downsize reliance on coal. China’s state news agency, Xinhua, reported that China would continue shutting down small coal-fired power stations in 2008, targeting a total reduction of 13 million kilowatts, as part of its efforts to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The figure is about 30 percent more than the target set for last year by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s economic planning agency. The coal plant closures have left the country with a power gap of up to 69.63 mil kilowatts (kW) as a coal shortage cuts generation at some plants, according to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC). The coal gap is estimated to be at 330,000 tons per day. This has led 13 provincial-level regions, including Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Guangdong to ration electricity, according to SERC chairman You Quan. Concurrently, drought has reduced hydroelectric output and hampered waterway coal transportation. Severe power shortages affected most Chinese provinces and cities from 2002 to 2006, and have come to global attention during January and February 2008.
The new wave
Even before the disastrous cold weather brought power shortages to the fore, the development of renewable energy sources at all levels in China was already booming. Mid cold-snap crisis, on 29 January, ReneSola Ltd began trading on the New York Stock Exchange at US$13 per share for 10 mil American Deposit Shares. The company produces materials for solar cells and supplies to some of the leaders in the industry, including one of the world leaders in PV cell technology, Suntech Power Holdings Co. Suntech’s Chairman and CEO, Dr. Zhengrong Shi, was named one of China’s Green Persons of the Year on 14 December 2007 for his outstanding contribution to environmental protection initiatives and environmental awareness within China.
On receiving his award Dr. Shi said: “The increasing symptoms of climate change are a concern not just for China, but the entire world and I believe that it is our responsibility, both as individuals and as corporations, to proactively support initiatives that conserve our environment and encourage sustainable development. I have no doubt that solar power will play a critical role in this broader environmental conservation movement, and Suntech will continue to drive technology advancements to reduce cost and facilitate the widespread adoption of solar power.” Suntech is currently constructing its new headquarters in Wuxi, China, to be powered by 85 percent renewables. The building will incorporate a wide variety of environmentally friendly architectural techniques including geothermal heating, convection cooling, extensive use of natural light, rain water recycling, and a 1MW solar facade that are designed to ensure that the building will generate 85 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources.
A renewable future
In an article by Worldwatch Report: Powering China’s Development: The Role of Renewable Energy by Eric Martinot, Li Junfeng, a landmark renewable energy law, enacted in 2005, supports continued expansion of renewables as a national priority. China currently obtains 8 percent of its energy and 17 percent of its electricity from renewables, shares that are projected to increase to 15 percent and 21 percent by 2020. Biomass and bio-fuels are likely to grow and China only needs to tap into its large agricultural and forestry wastes to make this a possibility. The authors predict that China will likely meet and even exceed its renewable energy development targets for 2020. By that date, the total power capacity from renewables could nearly triple from 2006 levels, and reach 400 gigawatts by 2020, with hydro, wind, biomass, and solar PV power making the greatest contributions.
Martinot notes that rooftop solar collectors currently provide hot water to nearly 40 million households worldwide, most of these in China, and more than 2 million geothermal heat pumps are used in 30 countries for building heating and cooling. Biomass-fueled heating is even more widespread, providing five times more heat worldwide than solar and geothermal combined. While China’s remarkably inadequate electrical infrastructure was painfully revealed this year, an opportunity to adopt faster to market, cleaner and proximate energy sources also became realistic. The resulting pain may be the first in a series of events that puts China at the forefront of green power generation.
The new alternatives
The technology surrounding these new alternatives is dazzling, as is their rapid pace of advancement. This means that accurate projections of the share of fuel supply renewables will account for are almost impossible to quantify. While many of these technologies are still at the very experimental level, they show how the increasing need for portable, renewable on demand power for individuals and in the structures we occupy is being met by technological innovations around the world.
Gas
Even in the non-renewable but still somewhat greener sector, natural gas is a better alternative and according to China Business Intelligence reports is a key energy growth sector. Greener than coal or dirty diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be transported overland or stored at 1/600th the size of natural gas. Pipelines for its distribution require the same infrastructure necessary for a next generation hydrogen power network. This burgeoning network should already be a consideration for corporates, hotels and industrial planners when deciding where to locate large power consuming facilities. While hydrogen fuel deployment is still at developmental stage in most parts of the world, the infrastructure to support it is most likely to see widespread commercial use in China, which is already starting introducing the concept for transportation applications. Groups such as the China Association for Hydrogen Energy (CAHE) are currently promoting an earlier transition to a hydrogen economy.
Solar
In the near term, solar and alternative fuel cell technology looks like the best renewable alternative to mains or on-site combustion generator power. The acronym BIPV (Building Integrated Photo-Voltaics) is becoming increasingly common and is likely to catch on in-part due to the current energy crises, not to mention because China is the largest market for solar panels after Germany. BIVP refers to photovoltaic systems integrated into a building during planning and construction rather than as an afterthought. Architects, civil engineers and PV system designers work together to combine the solar panels into the façade and roof. “Shadow- Voltaic” PV systems that are also used as shadowing systems are an interesting choice, allowing some light to penetrate the panels and light the interior of the building. Large local players such as Suntech dominate, but Shell, Kyocera and BP are also investing in developing these technologies. Shell in particular has divested many of its silicone based PV initiatives in favour of thin film research and development.
According to a white paper by Malcolm Brown for BP Solar, the holy grail of solar panel manufacturers is “grid parity”, being able to offer same or lower prices of grid power, which has happened in some regions. The company has moved away from the thin film approach to focus on improving efficiencies in its silicone cells. However, many of the companies competing for space in this market feel that new technologies may be about to completely change the direction of the market. Two of the most significant which BP are researching are nanotechnology and organic photovoltaics and refining existing silicon technoligies to make the whole process more efficient.
Wind
So far wind power has reached the closest to grid parity in China and is expected to drop a further 30 percent to be closer still by 2010. After 1337 MW of wind power was newly installed in 2006 to total capacity was 2604 MW, 3.5 percent of the global total. While foreign players dominate domestic, local wind turbine manufacturers inlcude Goldwind, Sinovel, Windey, Dongfang Steam Turbine and HEC, however their total capacity is only a paltry 0.41 percent.
Fuel Cells
There are many stationary fuel cells available on the market, and most run on hydrogen or ethanol. One company marketing directly to building owners and facilities managers, DirectFuelCell, offer power systems that run on natural gas or biogas such as digester gas from wastewater treatment and food processing plants are already being promoted directly to. With adjustments to their system they claim their plants can also run on propane, diesel fuel, ethanol, coal gas, and other hydrocarbons. Additionally, the waste water and heat they silently produce can be used to heat swimming pools or for other facility needs.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy, or using energy generated by geological movements far beneath the earth’s surface, is restricted to certain geographical systems. However extracting geothermal heat via water in a closed loop fashion is possible everywhere and a very clean effective form of heat extraction used widely in China.
Sound and Nanotechnology
Beside the more conventional alternatives there are some exciting new advances in energy generation emerging. In June 2007, Science Daily reported that University of Utah physicists led by Professor Orest Symko are developing small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity. The technology holds promise for changing waste heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers and radars. “It is a new source of renewable energy from waste heat,” Professor Orest Symko was quoted as saying. A team of scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology led by Zhong Lin Wang have developed a fabric covered with pairs of zinc oxide nanowires that produce pulses of electricity when rubbed together, as might happen when walking or through other physical movement.
