ENERGY

Feeling our way towards hydrogen

-Tina Schirr, Executive Director, BusinessNZ Energy Council Right now hydrogen is getting a lot of attention. Many countries are focusing on producing hydrogen for fuel, or procuring it, or planning for its future use. Hydrogen fuel is highly desirable – clean hydrogen produces none of the harmful emissions of other energy sources. So hydrogen is potentially a very good energy source for powering our post-carbon world. But there’s a catch – production of hydrogen is not economic at present and currently can’t be produced cost-effectively. As a result, countries are taking the initiative in different ways as they feel their way towards a hydrogen-powered future. Recently, the World Energy Council (WEC) released a report on hydrogen – Hydrogen on the Horizon: Ready, Almost Set, Go?: the BusinessNZ Energy Council, WEC’s representative in New Zealand, contributed to the report, along with 128 other countries. The report highlights the global activity that’s occurring in the development of hydrogen as a fuel source. A number of countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the Americas are focusing on producing hydrogen. Others, in Asia and Europe, are more focused on procuring it. Their reasons for looking to hydrogen are varied – including its potential to diversify energy sources, decarbonise economies, allow for repurposing infrastructure, and to grow green jobs and green economies. Some countries – notably Germany, Japan, South Korea and Singapore – are partnering with others to ensure they can achieve global hydrogen supply chains and adequate supply once hydrogen becomes cost-effective to produce in significant quantities. New Zealand is becoming integrated into such partnerships, signing bilateral partnership agreements with Japan and Singapore and partnering with Germany on green hydrogen research projects. New Zealand is also among the countries that are seeking ways to produce hydrogen cost-effectively. Last week Contact Energy and […]

New government alliance to lead technology climate response

A cross-government partnership is on a mission to turn New Zealand into a centre of global CleanTech excellence, solving pressing environmental problems. Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand Growth Capital Partners, the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge, Auckland Unlimited and UniServices have established the NZ CleanTech Mission partnership to convert local CleanTech into thriving and profitable businesses. The joint mission follows the freshly launched New Zealand Climate Tech for The World, a deep-dive report into NZ’s CleanTech opportunities, the most in-depth research to date in this area. Among the report’s key recommendations is to increase collaboration among government organisations. “We need to support climate innovation as a step towards achieving the national and global carbon targets, set by the Climate Commission. Through creating technologies to address these targets, New Zealand can also build a high-value export sector, and new employment opportunities,” says James Muir, CleanTech Lead at Callaghan Innovation. Solving commercialisation challenges The partnership statement outlines a number of key actions: Developing a five-year roadmap, supercharging local and international connections, scoping initiatives to boost commercialisation and, ultimately, a targeted approach to CleanTech clusters. “It’s not easy for innovators to navigate the challenging commercialisation stages of R&D and investment to translate their ideas into globally successful businesses. The New Zealand Climate Tech for The World report, for example, reveals that NZ? innovators are raising 95% less investment than other comparable small, advanced economies,” Mr Muir explains. “The NZ CleanTech Mission will ensure that CleanTech is flagged as a critical priority, on a nationwide and coordinated level. The aim is to ensure CleanTech innovators, whether out of businesses, labs or garages, have a responsive, connected, and easy-to-navigate ecosystem of support.” New Zealand’s CleanTech opportunities Callaghan Innovation’s recent review of NZ’s early- and growth-phase businesses identified up to 300 CleanTech innovators working on […]

Climate 101: Let’s talk about carbon

By Barbara Nebel, CEO of thinkstep-anz In the rising conversations around climate change and climate action, carbon is one of the most significant — and ambiguous — words that can be heard. More terms are quickly coming out of the woodwork — carbon offsets, scope 3 emissions, science-based targets — but what do they all mean? While the attention on climate action is encouraging, the buzz around climate terminology can become a little hard to follow. We break down some of the most common and confusing climate related terms to cut through the fog — starting with the puzzling carbon. Are carbon emissions the same as greenhouse gas emissions? Carbon can refer to many different things depending on the context. At its simplest and most accurate, carbon is a chemical element. Carbon combines with oxygen to make carbon dioxide (CO2) and combines with hydrogen to make methane (CH4) — both are greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming because they form a layer around the earth that acts like a glass house by trapping the heat from incoming sunshine. Since carbon is present in many greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, carbon and carbon emissions are used as blanket terms to talk about the different groups of greenhouse gases and their emissions. It doesn’t hurt that carbon also features noticeably less syllables. However, some of these gases such as nitrous oxide, refrigerant gases, and sulfur hexafluoride don’t have anything to do with carbon, but are still sometimes covered under the slightly liberally used term ‘carbon emissions’. This is not only because it’s just easier to use — the standard unit for measuring the impact of greenhouse gas emissions is carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). CO2e expresses the global warming potential of each greenhouse gas in terms of how much […]

We’re big coal users

-Editorial, March issue NZ Manufacturer Its common to sling the mud at Australia about its coal mines, reliance on coal and exports to South Asia nations. But it’s something else to realise that New Zealand has been importing coal at levels not seen in 14 years. million tonnes were imported into New Zealand last year, much higher than the combined total for 2018 and 2019. Why is this happening? Because the Government three years ago banned exploration for natural gas. We even had a climate – change emergency in December last year with coal imports 41 percent higher than in December 2019. Food for thought? The 2018 ban on companies exploring for natural gas has caused this spike. New Zealand’s manufacturing sector saw a slower rate of expansion during February, according to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). The seasonally adjusted PMI for February was 53.4 (a PMI reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). This was down 4.6 points from January. PMI Time Series Table National Indicies Feb 2020 Oct 2020 Nov 2020 Dec 2020 Jan 2021 Feb 2021 BNZ – BusinessNZ PMI 54.1 52.2 54.9 48.3 58.0 53.4 Production 54.9 51.9 55.4 52.4 59.3 57.3 Employment 51.5 52.3 51.3 49.8 56.1 49.8 New Orders 56.2 53.2 56.7 50.5 62.8 56.2 Finished Stocks 53.5 49.3 59.5 45.3 52.9 51.2 Deliveries 53.6 49.1 51.6 45.0 48.8 47.6

Get your carbon diet on track: 5 steps to carbon reporting

– Barbara Nebel, CEO thinkstep-anz Is reducing your carbon emissions on your list of New Year’s resolutions? Want to put your business on a carbon diet, but not sure how? Whether you are new to carbon measurement or looking to make an ambitious pledge to further reduce your emissions, the following five steps offer inspiration for tackling your carbon in 2021. This can be taken as a step-by-step guide or a reference for your company’s next carbon initiative. The reality is that reducing your carbon emissions is no longer an option — it’s as essential to a healthy planet as good nutrition is to a healthy body. The 2015 Paris agreement united 195 of the world’s governments in committing to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. At thinkstep-anz, we believe the actions of businesses will be instrumental to achieving this goal. Keep in mind that the carbon strategy you choose will depend on your business goals and who you share your carbon reduction plan with. 1. Start with a no-frills approach If you are new to this, we recommend starting with a no-frills approach. Internal carbon reporting should be your first step. Focus on aligning the actions you take with your organisation’s values and be carbon conscious. At the early stages, there is no need to communicate externally, nor is it necessary to get your targets externally verified or reviewed. However, it is always a good idea to follow best practice and get guidance from internationally recognised standards. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) provides the most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards in the world. 2. Demonstrate best practice If you want to gain some recognition, stand out among your peers for your carbon reporting, or even fulfil a membership requirement, you will need to demonstrate best […]

Solar giant Q CELLS enters New Zealand market

Globally renowned solar technology leader and total energy solutions provider, Q CELLS, is entering the New Zealand energy market for the first time in response to local demand for its high-quality, affordable products. The move comes as New Zealand establishes itself as one of the most exciting emerging renewable power markets in the world, reflecting the country’s strong commitment to a more sustainable future. According to state-owned energy supplier Transpower, over the next five years to 2025 New Zealand’s solar market is expected to more than double, making up 0.5% of the Country’s total power output. With New Zealand’s commitment to being carbon-neutral by 2050, household solar power is expected to play a key role in helping the country achieve its ambitious target. Established in Germany in 1999, Q CELLS is amongst the oldest and most well-known solar manufacturers in the world. The company is internationally recognised as a key player in solar panel innovation that focuses on high-quality, and is expanding its business area into integrated energy solutions. Part of Hanwha Group, Fortune Global 500 Company and the 7th largest conglomerate in South Korea, Q CELLS maintains its Technology and Innovations Headquarters in Germany with manufacturing facilities operating in the USA, Korea, Malaysia, and China. The first New Zealand solar installer to join Q CELLS’ Q.Partner program, a preferred network of vetted and trained Q CELLS suppliers, and be officially recognised as a supplier of Q CELLS solutions is Think Solar, comprising Wanaka Solar, Queenstown Solar and Dunedin Solar. Q CELLS is a leading supplier for residential and commercial solar in Germany, the USA, South Korea and Japan, where it is trusted for the quality of its manufacturing and is renowned for its research and development expertise. Mr Bae said that the partnership with Think Solar reflected Q CELLS […]

The Interview: Greg Kushnir, Founder, Emrod

Greg Kushnir. How are you finding current business conditions?Challenging. But there’s really only two things one can do about it. Complain (which doesn’t help much) or get busy doing whatever possible to persevere. We have been very busy all through the Covid-19 turmoil and actually hired additional staff during lockdown. Do you believe that through adversity opportunities exist?Competition is important and so is having an incentive to those who “win” it. It provides the sense of urgency which is essential for turning a good idea into a great start-up. This virus is not going to go anywhere soon. Has Covid impacted on your business plans? It has, unfortunately. It’s rather hard to build things like electronic systems and antennas if you can’t access your lab and test facilities. We have also suffered from delays in supply of components from overseas. But we have been luckier than most and I’m very grateful to be living in a country that has dealt with Covid so well. We have colleagues and friends overseas that have been under lockdown for months now. My heart goes to them. I wish we could do more to help those who have been less fortunate in dealing with the pandemic. Is your company utilising government financial assistance? We are. We have been utilising an R&D grant from Callahan Innovation. It would have been very hard to get to where we are without the consistent support we have been receiving from Callahan Innovation which extends far beyond the financial support. What are your short and long term plans for Emrod ? Develop deep IP in New Zealand and make sure we are providing maximum value to Kiwi employees and investors. In the short term we will be developing and delivering wireless power systems to electricity distribution companies. I would […]

Funding boost for UC research on airborne microplastics

Could microplastics in the atmosphere play a role in climate change UC atmospheric chemist Dr Laura Revell is leading an investigation into this important question, with the support of a $300,000 Fast-Start grant from the 2019 Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau. In July 2019, a new report by the Royal Society Te Apārangi highlighted the issue of waste plastics in Aotearoa, noting that the amount of plastic produced each year has doubled over the last 20 years and is still growing rapidly. Less than 20 per cent of the waste plastic generated each year is recycled worldwide. Much of this plastic waste piles up in landfills or the natural environment and, as it breaks down, produces microplastics that contaminate waterways, oceans and land. Some also becomes airborne, with microplastics having recently been discovered over several of the world’s megacities as well as in several remote environments throughout the northern hemisphere. Dr Revell, a lecturer in environmental physics, is leading a team looking into what role these airborne microplastics could be playing in climate change. The endeavour has attracted a Marsden Fund Fast-Start grant, awarded to select world-class standard projects by emerging researchers. Joining Dr Revell on the collaborative project are associate investigators Associate Professor Sally Gaw (UC), Professor Eric Le Ru (Victoria University of Wellington) and Dr Andrea Stenke (ETH Zürich). The project’s mentor is UC chemistry researcher Dr Deborah Crittenden. The discovery of atmospheric microplastics is still so recent that it is not known whether they significantly influence Earth’s climate or not. “However, given that they are now being discovered in the atmosphere around the world and that their abundance is expected to increase in future, it is important to understand the role of microplastics in a changing climate,” Dr Revell says. By combining observational work, laboratory investigations and […]

This is what we can really do about climate change

Despite efforts to achieve net-zero by 2050, global emissions are still rising. A new study suggests ways to fast-track efforts to decarbonise the planet. Building a business case for sustainable energy could drive the transition. It’s not too late to stop climate change. According to new research, decarbonising fast enough to stabilise the climate and fast-track the planet to net-zero rests on all of us changing how we think and act – and doing it fast. The report, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), identifies six “tipping dynamics”, or interventions, that could act as catalysts to bring about rapid societal and technological change towards a sustainable future. The study highlights the importance of intervening to make fossil fuels less economically – and morally – attractive. A step-change of this kind could bring about tipping points that divert investment and consumer demand away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable energy sources. It says this can be done by: Removing fossil-fuel subsidies and boosting incentives to move to decentralised energy systems and make clean energy production and storage systems more economically competitive. Encouraging financial markets to divest of assets linked to fossil fuels, to divert investment towards less-polluting technologies, leaving investors keen to avoid the prospect of holding ‘stranded assets’ tied to fossil fuels. Building sustainable cities powered by renewable energy. Revealing the “moral implications” of fossil fuels. Disclosing greenhouse gas emissions information. Strengthening climate education and engagement. While awareness of the climate emergency is growing, global efforts to reduce carbon emissions are not moving fast enough to avoid irreversible damage to the planet. Moving from the fossil fuels that drive global warming to cleaner energy sources, such as wind or solar power, is at the heart of global efforts to decarbonize. Yet emissions […]

5G is about to change the world in ways we can’t even imagine yet

Blue sky thinking: We don’t yet know what wave of change 5G will create. 5G networks were rolled out in 2019 and will expand rapidly in 2020. 5G will connect everything and everyone. 5G will underpin remote surgery, self-driving cars – and movies you can download in seconds. We live in a time when words meant to represent significant or unique ideas are so overused, they have been trivialised. “Revolutionary” is such a word, a victim of hyperbolic marketing that has rendered meaningless a term meant to evoke profound change to our world. When everything is “revolutionary,” nothing is. Yet here I am, unable to find an alternative as comprehensively descriptive of 5G and the infinite number of ways the newest generation of wireless technology will change our world. In fact, the revolution has already begun. The global deployment of 5G networks got a running start in 2019 and is set to rapidly expand beyond anything we expected a year ago. But the public understanding of 5G hasn’t caught up. While 3G put the mobile Internet in your hand and 4G gave us mobile broadband – redefining how we interact with our world – 5G will connect everything and everyone. The technologies within 5G were and continue to be designed to vastly expand network capacity so cars, utility grids, appliances, medical devices, industrial machinery, homes, cities, farms and more can all be connected. And 5G will reduce delays and improve reliability, thereby enabling mission-critical tasks such as remote surgery, self-driving cars and enhanced public safety, to make possible secure connections so lightning-fast that an entire movie can be downloaded in seconds. The faster smartphones and always-connected personal computers that consumers are already using on the initial 5G networks are just a hint of the transformations to come. While 3G and 4G technology were designed to […]

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