WP 5.3 Mechanisms that could be implemented to introduce an independent certification authority in EU WP 4.3 Recommendations related to DG and the Buildings Directive WP 3.3 Recommendations on actions needed to benefit from the values of local electricity production WP 3.2 value model for local electricity production WP 3.1 values of local electricity production WP 2.5 Net metering and feed in - tariffs ELEP WP 5.2 report presents proposals for DG certification and authorisation protocols that should be applicable across EU ELEP WP3.1 report on the value of distributed generation is now available ELEP WP2.4 report on Distributed Generation Ownership issues within EU ELEP WP5.1 report reviews the Certification and Authorisation procedures of DG across EU ELEP seminar on June 5 on enhancement of the integration of Distributed Generation into the Electrical Networks US Department of Energy publishes a report on Potential Benefits of Distributed Generation ELEP Newsletter 4 The SmartGrids Technology Platform recently presented a Strategic Research Agenda for Europe’s Electricity Networks of the Future ELEP report on case case studies related to DG and the Buildings Directive New Communication from the Commission on Energy Efficiency Power Engineering Meeting in Montreal in June 2006 ELEP Newsletter 3 ELEP report on Stranded Cost in connection with Distributed Generation The UK Government has recently published a report with proposals that are aimed at reinforcing the UKs long-term energy policy ELEP has recently published a report on how DG is included in today?s grid planning and with suggestions on future approaches in this area In its report 4.1 ELEP reviews the EU Buildings Directive and what effect it has and may have in the future on the use of Distributed Generation Strong support for distributed generation in the European Commission´s Green Paper on Energy Efficiency - Doing more with less Support for microgeneration in the UK ELEP participated at COGEN week, Brussels, 27-31 March and at Smart Grid, Brussels, 6-7 April A summary of the discussion at the ELEP Berlin Workshop is now available Presentations from ELEP Berlin Workshop is now available ELEP`s recommendations on institutional, regulatory and procedural issues related to interconnection of DG are now available New study on potential benefits of DG to be carried out in the USA DOE invites stakeholders and other interested parties to relate experiences, convey data and communicate results of case studies or analyses, pertaining to the planning, installation, commissioning and operation of cogeneration or small power production systems. Workshop - Integration of Distributed Generation into the electricity networks, March 8 Berlin Interim findings from ELEP activities on integration standarisation and policy issues regarding DG will be presented and discussed at this workshop. Newsletter 2 Newsletter 2 from the ELEP project is now available online. Report from ELEP work package 1.1 and 1.2 regarding Interconnection and Standarisation is now available. Two importamt conslusions from this report are: "The overall sense of uncertainty and opaqueness is increased by the fact that in many instances there lacks a robust legal and regulatory framework for the interconnection of DG" "... has underlined the urgent need for a novel, consistent and pan-European approach to DG interconnection issues." Report from ELEP work package 2.1 regarding Connection Charging is now available. One of the key conlusions is that it is generally very difficult for new DG and RES plant developers to obtain public-domain information from DNOs regarding the methods they use for deriving the costs of a new connection. One of the recommendations is that fully transparent interconnection procedures, connection charging mechanisms and connection costs should be introduced (and enforced) across Member States. Microgeneration could make a significant contribution to the UK's future energy mix Wicks welcomes new report which underlines possibilities of local energy production Mini wind turbines, solar panels and other small scale technologies could provide a substantial portion of the UK's energy needs by 2050, according to a new report from the Energy Saving Trust, that is published today. It also finds that microgeneration technologies could deliver significant household carbon reductions in future with the right circumstances in place. Follow the link to read more. Ministers meet to discuss climate change 2 November 2005 - Government ministers from around the world have met in London to discuss how best to tackle climate change. Representatives from 20 countries, both in the developed and developing world, are likely to agree that implementing new technologies is the best way to tackle the problem, not through binding agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol. UK Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett, told delegates at the meeting that technology was essential for the world to switch to a low carbon economy. Beckett said: "There is more evidence that the oceans are warming, that a long-term reduction in arctic ice cover is accelerating and that the strength of hurricanes has increased in the last 30 years." Malcolm Wicks, the UK Energy Minister, echoed the likely outcome of the meeting with the announcement of a three year, £30m ($53m) funding package for the development of micro wind turbines, solar panels and other micro generation technologies. DOE Draft Plan Examines Technologies to Cut Greenhouse Gases DOE has released a draft strategic plan for accelerating the development and reducing the cost of new and advanced technologies that avoid or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The draft plan provides strategic direction for about $3 billion in federal spending for climate change-related technology research and development. The plan aims to reduce emissions from energy supply technologies, such as power plants, while also cutting emissions from the energy infrastructure and from the end users of energy, such as our cars and houses. Part of the strategy is to capture, store, and sequester carbon dioxide. The plan also aims to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide, such as methane. Among the energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and programs highlighted in the plan are the FreedomCAR program, the 21st Century Truck Partnership, the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy, methane-to-energy projects, distributed generation, and an increasing emphasis on wind energy, biomass energy, and solar power. The plan also emphasizes high-temperature superconductivity, energy storage, FutureGEN clean coal plants, and nuclear fission and fusion technologies. DOE is accepting public comments on the plan until November 2nd, and expects to release the final plan next year. The technologies developed under the Climate Change Technology Program will be used and deployed among the partners in the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development that was announced earlier this year. See the DOE press release and the draft strategic plan. From a new report by Greenpeace "Less well known, but at least as important, is the potential to reduce wastage and emissions by remodelling our lectricity system around a decentralised pathway, where energy is produced close to where it is consumed." Netherlands plans radical network restructuring The Netherlands government has decided to adopt a radical approach in liberalizing its national electricity market, according to Economics Minister Laurens Brinkhorst. The applicable EU Directive calls for production and supply of power to users to be separated from electricity network operation. However, Brinkhorst said the Netherlands was drafting legislation that would separate the two sectors and oblige Dutch producers to sell their energy networks to local municipalities or provincial authorities. At present the Dutch market largely belongs to four main players: Delta, Eneco, Essent and Nuon. They were said to be surprised at the announcement, as they do not wish to sell off their profitable networks and investment projects, and because they had been in talks with the government and believed they had achieved a consensus. It is suggested they may take legal action. ref: Power Engineering International, April 2005 G8 Leaders Commit to Clean Energy Technologies at Summit Leaders of the world's eight largest industrialized nations have adopted a 38-point plan of action to address the related issues of climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development. During early July's two-day summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, the Group of Eight (G8) - comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States - agreed that climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that has the potential to affect every part of the globe, and acknowledged that the use of energy from fossil fuels, and other human activities, contribute in large part to increases in greenhouse gases associated with the warming of Earth's surface. The G8 statement noted that "we know enough to act now to put ourselves on a path to slow and, as the science justifies, stop and then reverse the growth of greenhouse gases." The G8 agreed to a plan of action that calls for the promotion of greater energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, surface transport, aviation, industry, power generation, and other sectors. The agreement also calls for further efforts to promote renewable energy technologies and hydrogen technologies. Notable among those efforts is the G8's plan to launch a Global Bioenergy Partnership to support biomass and biofuels deployment. ref: http://www.eere.energy.gov ELEP newsletter A new newsletter from the ELEP-project is now available online. FERC Approves Small Generator Interconnection Standard The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued standard procedures last week for the interconnection of small power generating equipment to power grids. The new procedures are meant to reduce the uncertainty, time, and costs associated with connecting systems to the grid that have generating capacities of 20 megawatts or less. The rule directs public utilities to offer non-discriminatory, standardized interconnection service for small generators and to provide technical procedures for connecting to the grid. Public utilities will also have to provide a Small Generator Interconnection Agreement, which contains the contractual provisions for the interconnection and spells out who pays for improvements to the utility's electric system, if needed to complete the interconnection. The rule allows simpler interconnection for systems of 2 megawatts or less, and even simpler procedures for systems of 10 kilowatts or less that use inverters. The rule applies only to interconnections with facilities already subject to FERC jurisdiction and does not apply to local distribution facilities. See the FERC press release and the final rule, a 705-KB PDF file, at: http://www.ferc.gov/press-room/pr-current/05-12-05.asp and http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/Files/20050512110357-order2006.pdf WADE publishes 2005 Annual World Survey of Decentralized Energy The World Alliance for Decentralized Energy (WADE) has today published its 2005 Annual World Survey of Decentralized Energy. The report concludes that he market share of decentralised power generation has increased slightly to 7.2 per cent, up from 7 per cent in the last annual survey. Around 32.2 GWe of decentralized generation capacity was added between 2002 and 2004.