100% Green Energy Author in Kilkenny Tomorrow

Rigor Mortis

Got sent this as a press release, so apologies for the format


Moving to an energy market completely based on clean renewable energy sources will lead to higher employment and increased security of energy supply for countries, this is according to Dr. Harry Lehmann of the World Council of Renewable Energy, who will visit Ireland this Friday to address the annual conference of Irish wind energy group Meitheal na Gaoithe.
The global energy expert has indicated that one of the biggest challenges faced in achieving the goal of renewable energy deployment is a failure on the part of governments to realize that energy investments had long term consequences and that continuing investment in conventional power plants would have a lifetime of decades. According to Dr. Lehmann “everyday that goes by without a renewable energy strategy only increases and complicates the problem as governments are continuing to postpone the search for solutions to climate change”.
According to research in Europe carried out by Dr. Lehmann for the World Renewable Energy Council, Carbon emissions could be reduced in Europe by 80% by 2050, through the adoption of renewable energy technologies. The ‘Long Term Integration of Renewable Energy into the European Energy System’ study identified that the move to renewables could be achieved without significant financial or technological hurdles.
A further piece of research undertaken by Dr. Lehmann ‘The Energy Rich Japan Report’ was commissioned by Greenpeace International (Amsterdam) and Greenpeace Japan to explore the potential of renewable energy to develop security of supply. The report demonstrated the potential to halve energy consumption in Japan, without adverse economic effect, while increasing employment through greater deployment of renewable energy.
The Energy Rich Japan study challenges the presumption that renewable energy deployment relies on a base level of conventional energy to smooth fluctuations in supply. By developing a portfolio of diverse sources such as wind (both on and offshore), geothermal, solar and hydro power, in addition to creating robust interconnected regional grid infrastructure, the same result can be achieved as with conventional power sources such as coal and oil. The fundamental difference being that these renewable energy resources will, in the long term be more environmentally and economically efficient.
Dr. Lehmann will outline the mechanics of developing a 100% renewable energy market at the Meitheal na Gaoithe Conference at the Hotel Kilkenny Conference this Friday. His analysis will also give an indication of how renewable energy might be deployed in an effective manner in an Irish context.