4. April 2017 / / Comments Off on IBM and Chinese Energy-Blockchain Labs build blockchain-based carbon asset management platform 
The technology giant and the Beijing-based Energy-Blockchain Labs want to use the new platform for allowing its users to manage their carbon assets. With the help of blockchain technology they want to improve efficiency in China’s national carbon market, which will be opened during 2017.
22. March 2017 / / Comments Off on Germany’s CO2-emissions: Between ambition and reality 
Total greenhouse gas emissions of Germany in 2016 rose by 4 million tons compared to 2015. The reduction target for emissions of 40 percent by 2020 will not be attainable with current measures. An annual decline of 40 million tons until 2020 would be necessary to achieve the target.
16. March 2017 / / Comments Off on Addition of 8.4 GW of new wind power until 2018 in Germany 
With 8840 MW of wind power successfully approved by the end of 2016, this capacity could still be remunerated through the regular and fixed feed-in tariff. Only 5 percent of the approved capacity aims to take part in the tendering procedure.
20. February 2017 / / Comments Off on Transitioning the heating sector – What is necessary for decarbonizing the heating sector? 
Huge efforts are required in order to achieve the targets in the German climate action plan 2050. According to Agora Energiewende, increasing renovation rates, the installation of heat pumps and a stronger expansion of renewable energies will be necessary.
9. February 2017 / / Comments Off on Power statistics China 2016: Huge growth of renewables amidst thermal-based generation 
Total electricity consumption in China rose to 5920 TWh last year. Renewables had a share of more than 25 percent, while year-on-year growth for thermal power generation was largest.
6. February 2017 / / Comments Off on European energy transition advances, though slower 
In 2016 electricity consumption did not decline further and the investment in new solar and biomass facilities decreased. Due to less electricity generation from coal and more from natural gas, CO2-emissions in Europe went down by 4.5 percent.
31. January 2017 / / Comments Off on The call for a coal exit in Germany is getting louder
Within a short amount of time the Green party, the German Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the WWF have expressed the opinion that the phase out of coal energy should begin soon. Different groups and players have said and proven with scientific papers that without an ambitious plan to get rid of coal as a source of energy Germany’s climate goals cannot be fulfilled.
26. January 2017 / / Comments Off on Dreaming of the copper plate: How physics and power trading diverge 
Germany as a central hub of the European power trading is a net electricity exporter. A detailed analysis however reveals pronounced differences between Germany’s electrical neighbors, as well as between commercial schedules for power trade and actual physical power flows in the grid.
