Hey IRENA, It's time for an International Renewable Energy Agency

[LMagic007]

Time for an International Renewable Energy Agency?

Time for an International Renewable Energy Agency?

At the invitation of the German Federal Government, representatives from more than 60 countries met in Berlin earlier this month to discuss the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an intergovernmental organization that will exist to exclusively promote the adoption of renewable energy worldwide.

Come on IRENA I swear what I meana, at this moment, you mean everything.

[spadlet]

I hope that they will also develop an IRENA that works in partnership or alongside existing national agencies where countries have them rather than undermining/replicating their work.

[forfismum]

And when did that ever happen Spadlet? We will have someone else's technology forced on us or be dragged down to the lowest common demominator

[spadlet]

The BWEA and AWEA seem to have some good international links with each other. They both also seem pretty up to speed with research by the National Renewable Energy Agency (America).

I think that one of the things with the renewables industry is that having been underfunded and sporadic in the past, people with experience tend to have links with many different places e.g. anyone trying to do research on tidal turbines will come across Peter Frankel at Marine Current Turbines, in name or published work, if not person. MCT is also a spin off from IT Power, alot of people of heard of CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) in Wales, people have been taken on study tours to see work in other parts of Europe due to a lack of examples wherethey live etc.

Any international agency with any sense would recognise the value in all of these links and support and build upon them. Why spend money bringing together organisations that already work together to a degree?

Instead the money could be sepnt funding international research into resource availability, production and enforcement of international product standards, ways of sharing information on schemes that have been run and best practice etc. That way people can learn from other peoples' mistakes rather than re-inventing the wheel.

[forfismum]

You mean like another IPCC or UN ?

[spadlet]

*shrug* I don't know. I don't know enough about how the IPCC or UN work.

I have just seen some areas where it makes sense to have agreed international standards, such as when products are being traded internationally. Also some of the UK standards are pretty much translations of the IEC ones (International Electrotechnical Commission) so it would make sense if all countries were following the same principles (let alone getting all of the local councils to follow the same procedures ).

It also seems a bit odd to me that the knowledge of local councils still seems to vary dramatically. If renewable technologies are going to be fully mainstream then it would assist greatly if there was research into areas where there is not enough information to ensure standard deployment procedures. I'm assuming that other countries are having similar problems, so if genuine knowledge gaps can be identified and each nation contributed a small ammount towards research into the area, everyone would benefit from the knowledge without having to pay too much to provide an effective programme.

Have I left the relms of reality yet?

[forfismum]

Originally Posted by spadlet

Have I left the relms of reality yet?

Not at all,there has always been great co-operation between the professional bodies and universities and societies and their collaborations have been very worth while.Its when numpty politicians get in on the act that it all goes belly up.Just think of when you get cabinet shuffles in the UK for example,one minute we have an expert on social welfare,next he or she is spouting off about nuclear power.I know that they have civil serpents feeding them stuff but they still make the policy.Look at the deals done by the unelected EU which fly in the face of common sense,deals which over-ride any laws passed by parliament as the UK and Ireland are ruled from brussels these days.

[spadlet]

But you need some sort of interaction with civil servants to get the procedures translated into council action (especially where things come under planning permission requirements etc).

[forfismum]

Remember I tol' you about the fun and games with the jobsworth from Dublin City Council about incineration ? 26 years on and building work is about to start although they are still argueing.The council should have been told that ,A we have a rubbish problem ,B here is the solution ,C it will heat x number of houses,D this technology is in use all over the world even unto Sheffield [ ] E get off yer arse and do the paperwork. maybe I am wrong about civil serpents but after all they are servants and should do what they are told.or be shot.

[spadlet]

Originally Posted by forfismum

maybe I am wrong about civil serpents but after all they are servants and should do what they are told.

So should politicians be renamed as honourary civil servants and thus have to do what the electorate tells them?