Wondering what is meant by "baseload power"? Trying to get your head around various forms of energy? Struggling to explain to people how we can make the transition to renewable energy? Greenpeace energy campaigner, Julien Vincent, answers many common questions on renewable energy.

What is baseload power?

Can renewable energy replace coal?

How much can energy-saving programs actually save?

Aren't there limits to how much renewable energy you can have on the grid?

But can we really rely on renewable energy? What happens when the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing?

If this is all true, why are so many people saying that renewable energy can't deliver enough power?

Other FAQs about clean energy:

How do I switch to green power?

Which green power product/energy supplier does Greenpeace recommend?

I want to install solar panels at home and need some advice.

What is green power?

I heard that more energy is required during the manufacture of solar panels than they actually produce when in use. Is this true?

Isn't renewable energy too expensive to save us?

I heard that climate change isn't real. Where can I get information on climate sceptics and proof that climate change is real?

What can I do about climate change?

I want to find more information on biodiesel.

I'm concerned about aeroplanes and climate change. What can I do? What is Greenpeace doing about this?

Does Greenpeace support geothermal energy?

What is Greenpeace's position on windfarm developments. Do you think they can be put anywhere?

What is Greenpeace's position on the use of geosequestration or nuclear power to stop climate change?

Are wind turbines noisy?

Do wind farms kill birds?

Are wind farms unreliable?

Do wind farms really reduce greenhouse emissions?

I heard that Greenpeace is telling people to eat kangaroo meat so that they can reduce their greenhouse emissions. Is that true?

What is baseload power?

 

Baseload power simply refers to a strong and steady source of electricity which can be used as the base or foundation for our energy supply. On top of baseload, we add 'peaking power' to meet increased demand at peak times, such as early evening. In most of Australia, baseload is provided by coal. However, this can change. There are many examples around the world, and even in Australia, where renewable energy is providing baseload power.

Can renewable energy replace coal?

Yes. In fact, if we are going to avoid runaway climate change, we have to replace coal with renewable energy. There are many sources of renewable energy which provide strong and steady electricity to supply our baseload needs as well as our peak demand. This is already happening in countries including Germany, Spain and Denmark, where governments have encouraged renewable energy industries. To make this happen in Australia, we must:

• speed up renewable energy installation;
• develop a broad range of renewable energy technologies;
• develop strong energy-saving programs.

By taking these three steps on a large scale, we could start turning off the most polluting coal-fired power stations within a few years. We would replace them with megawatts of power produced by renewable energy and 'nega-watts' of power saved by cutting energy waste. You can help drive this growth by purchasing green power (see below) and minimising your energy use, But it is governments that can do the most to promote renewables by creating the right political environment to stimulate the industry's growth.

How much can energy-saving programs actually save?

Strong energy efficiency programs can significantly reduce demand for baseload power. In the US, California has kept its per capita demand for energy steady for over 30 years and, in Vermont, per capita energy use has gone down even with major economic growth over that time.

Australian governments have estimated that 30 per cent of electricity demand could be eliminated with no impact on energy services (such as lighting, heating, power for computers, industry and air conditioning) and with significant financial, jobs and greenhouse benefits (1). And that's a government estimate agreed to by all state governments and the federal government!

So we could significantly reduce baseload demand and start decommissioning the dirtiest coal-fired power stations in just four years.

(1) COAG Ministerial Council on Energy “Towards a National Framework for Energy Efficiency- issues and challenges" (discussion paper), p3, http://www.nfee.gov.au/public/download.jsp?id=183

Aren't there limits to how much renewable energy you can have on the grid?

Currently in Australia, only eight per cent of our electricity comes from renewable energy (2). Most of this is hydro power built years ago. So we could massively increase the amount of renewable energy on the grid, and close coal-fired power stations, without encountering any major grid instability.

In some parts of the world, renewable energy contributes a lot of electricity generated and, with careful planning of the electricity network, the problems that some feared are being avoided. In Australia, the communities of Denham and King Island are generating 50 to 60 per cent of their electricity from wind power alone. South Australia sources 11 per cent of its power from wind turbines and Tasmania gets 81 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy (mainly hydro  but also significant wind power).

Internationally, Sweden sources over 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy (mostly hydro and bioenergy), and has a target to increase this to 60 per cent by 2010. Major energy economies like California plan to fast track renewables to provide 20 per cent of electricity by 2010 and 33 per cent by 2020. In parts of Germany and Denmark, wind power provides over 100 per cent of the region's power needs for months of the year and they even export renewables-generated electricity to other parts of Europe.

(2) REGA June 2006, "Renewable Energy: A Contribution to Australia’s Environmental and Economic Sustainability", http://www.rega.com.au/reports.htm

 

But can we really rely on renewable energy? What happens when the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing?

There are many different renewable energy sources. Some, like solar thermal, geothermal, wave, tidal, and bioenergy (burning crop waste) are no more intermittent than coal, gas or nuclear power. Others, like wind power and rooftop solar panels, are intermittent at a local level. But when they are spread over a sufficiently large area, with different climatic conditions, they are barely more intermittent than coal.

Some technologies, like hydro power and bioenergy,  are highly predictable and controllable. They can be deployed when it is most useful, providing either baseload or peak power. While Australia has seen its last large-scale hydro power stations, there is still plenty of scope for smaller projects like the Bogong 140MW hydro power station being built in Victoria.

Emerging technologies, like geothermal and solar thermal, could provide large quantities of baseload power in Australia long before a single nuclear reactor can be built (they take 10-15 years) or a commercially feasible carbon capture and storage coal-fired power station could be developed. The Liddell solar thermal power station in New South Wales is already substituting for coal-fired power. While tidal power is in early stages of development, some excellent pilot projects are under way in Port Kembla, NSW, and Fremantle, WA.

Wind and solar power are subject to the weather. However, weather forecasting is very reliable and, in most cases, any lack of sun or wind can be predicted and compensated for (for instance, by cranking up hydro and biomass generation). In Germany, wind forecasters can tell 48 hours in advance how much electricity will be generated from the country's 18,000 MW of installed wind capacity with just a five per cent margin of error. By contrast, coal-fired generation suffers unpredictable outages and breakdowns that are much more likely to plunge the electricity grid into crisis.

It is unlikely that there will be no sun or wind anywhere across the electricity network of Australia. By deploying wind and solar across the landscape we can reduce any intermittency of wind and solar generators. In addition, exciting new developments in energy storage technologies will mean excess energy be stored for use when demand is higher than supply.

Solar power is particularly useful for delivering power at times of peak demand. Hot, sunny days when people  are using their air conditioner, will generally be days when there is plenty of solar energy generated. Rooftop solar has the added advantage of producing electricity where it is used, so less energy is lost in transmission. About 11 per cent of the electricity produced at a big coal-fired power station is lost while being transported to the end user.(3)

Solar water heating is hugely underused in sunburnt Australia. Less than five per cent of houses have a solar water heater. Some other countries, Israel, Spain and Ireland, are making solar water heating mandatory, while China has over 60 per cent of the world's installed solar water heating capacity.

(3) For example, see the CSIRO's power overview at http://www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/ps1fv,,.html

 

If this is all true, why are so many people saying that renewable energy can't deliver enough power?

Renewable energy is threatening the market share of the coal and nuclear industries. Renewable energy is big business. The solar and wind industries are among the fastest-growing businesses in the world. At least $100 billion was invested in renewable energy in 2007. (4)

Because renewable energy can replace fossil fuels, the fossil fuel industries are fighting back to protect their market share. Their primary line of attack is to belittle renewable energy technologies and try to stop progressive policy to fast-track renewable energy. By claiming that renewable energy can't deliver, the coal industry delays climate change action and the nuclear industry tries to recast itself as a climate change solution.

In Australia, the coal industry and the nuclear lobby have been very effective in controlling the federal government's energy policy. Author Guy Pearse (Liberal insider turned whistleblower who wrote the book High and Dry) details the "coal mafia's" strong influence on developing energy policy under the Howard government. With the Rudd government, there is reason for optimism that the coal industry’s influence will waver but we can expect the coal lobby to keep knocking on the government’s door.
 
Renewable energy and energy savings programs can replace coal-fired generation in Australia. We have the technology. We just need the political will to make it happen.

(4) REN21, "Renewables global status report: 2006 update", http://www.ren21.net
(5) High and Dry: John Howard, climate change and the selling of Australia’s future, G. Pearse, Penguin/Viking 2007. www.highanddry.com.au

How do I switch to green power?

Green power is available from your usual energy supplier in nearly all Australian states. For more information on accredited green energy products visit the Green Power website.

Which green power product/energy supplier does Greenpeace recommend?

In keeping with our independence, we don't accept funding from or endorse businesses. This means we don't endorse a particular green power product or supplier.

We recommend that you sign up for accredited 100% renewable energy products. Ask your supplier for a green energy product sourced entirely from renewable energy sources.

If you also ask for green power products that contain 'new' renewable energy you'll not only reduce greenhouse pollution, you'll drive the expansion of the renewables industry. New renewable energy is energy generated since 1997 - instead of energy generated, for instance, by a hydro power station that was built in the 1950s.

Find out how green groups rank electricity suppliers' green power products.

I want to install solar panels at home and need some advice.

Good on you!

• The Clean Energy Council provides a list of accredited installers in each state.
• The Alternative Technology Association (ATA) provides extensive and practical information on using renewable energy at home.
• The federal government offers a photovoltaic rebate to offset initial costs when installing solar PV systems.

Have you thought about also installing solar water heating? While the initial cost is more than gas or electric, it pays for itself in a few years and can dramatically reduce your household electricity bill. The federal government provides rebates for some solar hot water systems.

What is green power?

Green Power is energy that electricity suppliers buy on behalf of their customers from renewable sources. When you switch to green power, your energy supplier will pay for more clean, renewable energy to be delivered into the electricity grid. Learn more about green power.

I heard that more energy is required during the manufacture of solar panels than they actually produce when in use. Is this true?

This isn't true. New photovoltaic (PV) cells have a payback period for embodied energy of around two to three years. The systems are expected to run for at least 30 years. Furthermore much of the embodied energy in a solar panel is actually in the aluminium frame. New solar tiles and built-in PV cells remove the need for an aluminium frame.

Isn't renewable energy too expensive to save us?

Renewable energy doesn't cost a fortune. Technological improvements and increased production have reduced costs. Nowadays, in many regions, the cost of electricity produced from renewable sources matches or beats the cost of generating power from fossil fuels. And let’s remember that the cost of electricity generated from polluting coal does not count the health, economic and social costs of air pollution and climate change.

Find out more about renewables.

I heard that climate change isn't real. Where can I get information on climate sceptics and proof that climate change is real?

The scientific consensus is that human activities are causing climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that the climate is definitely warming.  Scientists are more than 90% confident that this is due to human greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more about the evidence of climate change

There are a handful of climate sceptics who occasionally receive media attention. Visit the RealClimate website for scientists' commentary on developing climate stories and climate sceptics.

A useful summary of some of the Australian sceptics who aim to create doubt and confusion about climate change can be found in Melissa Fyfe’s article “The Global Warming Sceptics”.

 

What can I do about climate change?

Here are two things you can do:

• Use your voter power and encourage your elected leaders to commit to effective and clean climate change solutions.
• Save energy and reduce your impact on the planet

I want to find more information on biodiesel.

You can learn more about biodiesel by visiting the Biodiesel Association of Australia's website.

I'm concerned about aeroplanes and climate change. What can I do? What is Greenpeace doing about this?

Aviation accounts for 3 per cent of carbon emissions globally. The is expected to increase to 7% if industry growth continues at the same pace. As fuel prices increase, airlines are looking to increase efficiencies.

To reduce, but not completely eliminate the impact of our operations, we have joined Climate Friendly, a company that helps us reduce the impact of our greenhouse emissions.  Climate Friendly follows the international Clean Development Mechanism Gold Standard developed by the world's leading NGOs. Gold Standard carbon credits are the highest standard of carbon credit available globally. The credits are Kyoto compliant and independently verified.  We recognise, however, that over the long-term the real solution to climate change is a shift away from taking fossil fuels out of the ground and burning them in the first place.

Does Greenpeace support geothermal energy?

Greenpeace is excited about Australia's geothermal potential. The environmental impacts of many proposed projects, however, are not yet clear and we believe that each project should be assessed accordingly. We are hopeful that geothermal developers can minimise any impacts of their projects and provide large amounts of clean energy in the future.

Learn more about geothermal energy

What is Greenpeace's position on windfarm developments. Do you think they can be put anywhere?

Greenpeace promotes wind power as one of a suite of renewable energy and energy savings technologies. We support the best practice guidelines on the development of wind energy facilities. You can find a copy of this on the Clean Energy Council's website.

What is Greenpeace's position on the use of geosequestration or nuclear power to stop climate change?

Geosequestration and nuclear power are not solutions to climate change. 

Are wind turbines noisy?

Wind turbines do make some noise, but improvements mean new turbines make less and less noise. For example, a modern wind turbine at 350 metres sounds about as noisy as a quiet bedroom, or as noisy as a busy road a full five kilometres distant. A wind turbine 100 metres away in a typical Australian residential area would be drowned out by the sound of traffic and other background noise. The main noise is the "swishing" sound of a turbine's rotating blades. If you stand close enough you will also hear the noise from its gearbox. As the wind picks up, the swishing gets louder, but is usually masked by the sound of the wind in the surroundings. Wind turbine noise is usually described as a natural, rather than an industrial sound.

Do wind farms kill birds?

All tall structures pose a risk to birds. Greenpeace opposes building wind farms on sensitive bird habitat, however, properly sited modern wind turbines in Australia carry a very low risk to birds. They typically cause one to two bird deaths per turbine each year.

Compared to power lines, cars, and domestic cats, wind farms' risk to birds is low. Bird deaths at Australian windfarms are also lower than in the northern hemisphere. Research at Victoria's Codrington and Toora wind farms reported very few deaths of common bird species, and no deaths of rare, endangered or threatened birds.

On the other hand, climate change threatens the extinction of up to 37 per cent of all Australian species, including birds, by 2050. Building wind farms to produce clean energy is an important way to address this risk.

The UK Royal Society for the Protection of Birds agrees that climate change is the greatest long-term threat to birds, and advocates the use of appropriately sited wind farms, along with other types of renewable energy.

Are wind farms unreliable?

Wind farms only work when it is windy, which is why wind turbines are located to take advantage of strong and consistent winds. In Australia, wind farms are generally in use more than in 95 per cent of the time. This compares favourably with conventional power plants. In some parts of Germany, wind energy can contribute up to 70 per cent of a region's electricity needs.

The wind does not stop blowing everywhere in Australia all at once. As more wind farms are built throughout the country, their contribution to the electricity grid will even out. State of the art wind forecasting can also help us predict and manage wind farm energy.

We shouldn't expect to rely on wind farms for 100 per cent of our needs but they are an important part of our future energy mix. Australians cannot continue to rely on greenhouse-intensive, polluting coal power for 84 per cent of our electricity needs.

Do wind farms really reduce greenhouse emissions?

Yes. For example, a 10-megawatt wind farm in Victoria would displace about 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, according to the Victoria's Sustainable Energy Authority. That is equivalent to taking 9200 cars off the road. At the same time this wind farm would supply enough energy for 5700 average households. The exact quantity of greenhouse emissions prevented by wind farms would vary from place to place, because it depends on the energy used in a given area. Gas and bioenergy generation can be quickly "turned on and off". These energy sources can be used to complement and even out the variable power from wind farms.

I heard that Greenpeace is telling people to eat kangaroo meat so that they can reduce their greenhouse emissions. Is that true?

Greenpeace is not advocating that people eat kangaroo meat.

A report that details options for Australia to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 30% by 2020 entitled “Paths to a Low Carbon Future” was released in October.  It was partly funded by Greenpeace Australia Pacific, but was authored independently by Dr Mark Diesendorf of the Sustainability Centre.

According to Dr Mark Diesendorf Australia can cut its greenhouse pollution by 30% by 2020, but only if we get really serious about shifting from coal to renewables, massively increasing energy efficiency and decarbonising our transport fleet. Australia will also need to eliminate land-clearing and deforestation and consider changing some of its lifestyle choices to reduce greenhouse pollution.

The report suggests, amongst other things, that reducing beef consumption would help reduce our emissions and offers eating less beef and / or substituting beef with kangaroo meat as one way we could do that. This suggestion in the report has been picked up by some media that are claiming “Greenpeace is urging kangaroo consumption to fight global warming”. This is not the case.  Not all of the measures in the report are Greenpeace policy and Greenpeace does not advocate eating kangaroo meat. We are disappointed by this media coverage and think it trivialises the important issues this report exposes. This report was intended to help us take a hard look at the changes necessary if we are going to tackle global warming.