The 7th Asia SOLAREXPO, taking place on 3–5 December 2011 in Shenzhen and jointly held by PennWell Corporation and Shenzhen Bai De Exhibition Co Ltd, will target one of the most dynamic sectors in China’s rapid expansion in power generation.

POWER-GEN Asia conference director Nigel Blackaby picks out some of the likely highlights of the upcoming POWER-GEN Asia conference on 27–29 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and previews some of the most enticing sessions from the Renewable Energy World Asia conference.

Gas-rich, and having enjoyed cheap power for decades, Malaysia is on the cusp of a radical shift in its energy profile. Recent electricity price hikes and a concerted move to cut carbon emissions are set to release a surge in renewables. As Kuala Lumpur prepares to host POWER-GEN Asia, PEi reports on Malaysia’s bid to restructure its power industry.

The REN21 Global Status Report finds that economic turbulence has failed to prevent renewable energy sources from continuing an expansion that led to them meeting 20 per cent of final energy consumption in 2010.

Diesel generator sets are often the mainstay for electrical power in remote areas in the developing world. But their associated costs have recently soared, which adds to concerns over CO₂ emissions in driving the search for alternative solutions. A hybrid power system incorporating rechargeable battery technology may hold the key.

Utilization of biomass resources to produce electricity is growing worldwide, but its gasification to produce biogas has stubbornly remained small-scale. Now an innovative project in Finland is about to change all that.

Pumped-storage hydro plants offer the most technologically advanced and readily available facilities for stabilizing the grid as more intermittent renewable energy sources come online worldwide, which is prompting significant development of new plants and expansion work at existing facilities.

The role of coal fired plants in power generation is changing, with an increasing number covering peak demand, rather than baseload. This, combined with the pressure to reduce carbon emissions, is encouraging operators to introduce significant plant upgrade programmes so they can operate their fleet in the most economic and environmental manner.

The UK’s massive offshore wind expansion is propelling the development of a new generation of offshore wind turbines rated at 6 MW and above, which are also bringing innovative solutions in engineering, finance, transmission and maintenance in their wake.

Germany, like many countries, has plans for a massive expansion in wind energy, in particular into inland areas. But how can planners, operators and investors identify suitable wind farm sites and reliably predict yields and break-even periods? On behalf of Baden-Wuerttemberg’s State Ministry of the Economy, TÜV SÜD has developed a wind atlas for identifying ideal wind sites.

On the afternoon of Friday 11 March 2011 the Great East Japanese Earthquake set off global convulsions for the nuclear industry, yet continuing global investment suggests its outlook remaining promising, with enduring prospects for growth in Europe and vast opportunities in Asia.

The emergence of new models of energy supply for commercial developments using efficient engine-based technology is gathering pace in Asia, as exemplified by recent on-site power and trigeneration schemes in Singapore and Jakarta.