Wadebridge in Cornwall has moved another step towards becoming the first solar powered town in the UK, as PV installations begin to go up across the municipality. The area aims to generate at least a third of its electricity from solar and wind power by 2015, which is the equivalent of 15,000MWh a year. By generating renewable energy at this level, Wadebridge will be able to benefit significantly from the UK’s feed-in tariff, enabling significant cash contributions for local community projects.

Ministers have tried to address public lack of trust in energy companies by offering assurances about the “Green Deal” – a policy designed to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Under this plan, any householder will be able to spend up to £10,000 making their home more energy efficient, funded by the savings from future gas and electricity bills.

Located in the province of Hai Duong, Hong Duong Co., Ltd. is an enterprise specialized in producing and processing agricultural products, foodstuffs and types of salt with the production capacity of 12,000 tons of salt per year. Although the equipment is relatively uniform and modern, each year, the company still consumes a lot of energy: 278,400 kWh of electricity per year and 367.2 tons of coal per year. How to reduce consumption of these resources is the main concern of the company's leaders.

Thai Nguyen is known not only as the revolutionary base, the cradle of the metallurgic industry, but also the center of education - training of Viet Bac, and ranks 3rd in the number of universities, colleges, secondary vocational schools located in the locality. Therefore, the demand for electricity is very high, the current maximum power consumption is 250MW, and the required power output is 4.5 million kWh per day, of which electricity for industrial production accounts for nearly 80%. So in recent years, Thai Nguyen has been actively implementing energy saving in all sectors from industrial production, offices to public lighting...

This was a prerequisite for building plans of sustainable development and more proper distribution of electric energy, thus overcoming the chronic shortage of electricity and helping businesses build a clear orientation for power efficiency so that they could reduce production costs and improve competitiveness.

At the Electricity Customer Conference in 2011, one of the typical reports on the most successful energy saving measures in 2010 was delivered by Quy Nhon Green Parks and Urban Lighting Ltd., whose measures not only beautified the city with high efficient lighting but also saved great amounts of electric energy. Correspondent of Vietnam Electricity Central Power Corporation Website (EVNCPC) had an interview with Mr. Do Dinh Phuong - Director of Quy Nhon Green Parks and Urban Lighting Ltd. on this issue.

According to Mr Vu Huy Quang - PV Power CEO, PV Power plants are operating stably, securely and efficiently, and have high power output. Four units of PV Power have generated commercial electricity: Ca Mau 1 and 2, Nhon Trach 1, Nhon Trach 2 with the stable annual power output of about 12.5 billion kWh, accounting for 15% of total electricity production nationwide. Particularly in 2010, PV Power's total commercial electricity output reached 12.685 billion kWh.

In a sunny corner of Italy that produces roses and olive oil, an American startup will get to demonstrate its technology to harvest both electricity and heat. Solergy, which is in the process of raising a B round of funding, plans to install a hybrid solar electric and thermal system on top of a greenhouse for the farm Azienda Agricola Ciccolella in the Puglia region, and intends to team up with Ciccolella to market Solergy’s systems to growers in the area, said Yoav Banin, Solergy’s CEO.

The Uboat concept design by Wyatt Little of Houston, Texas, tackles all the major issues associated with green living on a boat. Electricity for the Uboat is provided courtesy of 3 Schüco 180 Watt, 16 Volt solar panels, mounted to a green roof (which we assume can also grow herbs and veggies for human consumption).

According to Mr Nguyen Xuan Duong, General Director of Hung Yen Garment Joint Stock Company, in recent years, the company has significantly reduced electricity costs thanks to the use of energy saving lighting system and installation of energy saving devices for the sewing machine motors. Most recently, in 2009, the company invested nearly VND 200 million in installing Sewsaver device for 400W industrial sewing machines. Through one year of operation, 110 thousand kWh has been saved, over 85 tons of CO2 emissions has been reduced.

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) is all set to establish first on-grid solar electricity generation system in the country during the current year to overcome energy crisis.“This solar system and smart grid is becoming a reality in less than a year,” said PEC Chairperson Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, addressing a press conference Saturday.

The World Bank approved on earlier this week a new loan of US$330 million for Vietnam to support the mid-sized multipurpose Trung Son Hydropower Project (TSHPP) which will help meet growing domestic demand for electricity and bring flood control and irrigation benefits to rural and poor communities in Thanh Hoa Province.

Cement industry is one of the industries that have been making a significant contribution to economic growth in Vietnam. However, in face of the soaring prices of fuels such as gasoline, oil and electricity, it is meeting with a lot of difficulties. Technological innovation, costs reduction, quality improvement and energy efficiency are what the Viet Nam Cement Corporation is endeavoring for.

Along with the pressure of raising electricity prices, fuel prices, adjusting the VND/USD exchange rate, price of coal sold to cement households has risen by 40% since the beginning of April, which has added a greater burden to cement enterprises. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thien, Chairman of Vietnam Cement Association, currently, the total energy costs account for 45% - 50% of cement production costs. An 18% increase in gasoline price, a 15.3% increase in electricity price and a 40% increase in coal price have made price of cement increase by 10% to 15%.

In recent times, Gia Lai Power Company has taken many measures in propagating the economic and effective use of electricity, thus saving not only an energy source for the country but also expenses for agencies, businesses and households. Thereby Gia Lai Power Company has made a good use of the electric energy source allocated for production and social-economic development in the province, contributing significantly to the electric energy saving movement.

Currently, each day, Ninh Hoa Sugar Joint Stock Company processes 3,000 tons of sugar cane without using grid power. The entire electricity needs are met by the thermal electric unit with the capacity of 6 MW, the fuel for boiler is bagasse. From Dec 2010, the company installed one more bagasse generator with the capacity of 3 MW.

With strong propagation, awareness of people and power users has improved considerably; in the last 3 months, Ho Chi Minh City has saved 6.9 million kWh of electricity, 30% higher than same period of 2010. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Ly, Deputy General Director of HCM City Power Corporation, amid difficulties in the current power supply, promoting energy saving is one of the most positive solutions.

Vietnam Electricity Group has assigned Power Corporations to direct power companies to perform power supply in April 2011 under the motto of no power reduction. Besides, EVN has required Power Corporations to continue to closely monitor the daily load situation, report to the Group to assess the situation of power supply in April and report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade on power supply plans in May and June 2011.

Google is helping build a massive undersea power cable along the East Coast that's designed to ferry clean power from offshore wind farms to the country's most populous region. Starting off in southern Virginia and ending in northern New Jersey, the cable would lay on the sea floor some 10 to 20 miles offshore. It could carry up to 6,000 megawatts of clean electricity, enough to power nearly 2 million homes.

In doing so, it will launch the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), to take decisions on cross border energy supply. ACER will draft framework guidelines for the operation of cross border electricity networks, establishing rules that are consistent with these guidelines, the Commission said. Its role will be to monitor the newly managed internal European electricity market, including retail prices, available network access for electricity produced from renewable sources.