Solar Energy Initiatives-owned Solar Park initiatives announced that as a part of their campaign "RENEW THE NATION," it has signed a contract to secure land for designing, constructing and operating a solar park in California. This is all part of the initiative to make solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) technologies more available. The financial aspect of the park and engineering, permitting construction, operations and maintenance will be the responsibility of Solar Park Initiatives. The solar panels and balance of system for the project will be obtained by Solar Energy Initiatives.
Zoning, permitting, EPA approvals and other such preliminary activities are soon to begin, with estimates point to the end of 2010. The 100 MW project is to be constructed over a span of three years, with the contract covering 25 years with an option for renewal.
Solar Energy Initiatives' CEO, David Fann, stated, "This endeavor represents strong validation that Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives’ synergistic relationship is extremely capable of securing large scale contracts and expanding market presence. We believe that as Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives continue to grow as market leaders and establish credibility with municipalities and landowners that both companies will secure additional contracts, increase our earnings and achieve our primary goal of improved shareholder value. Combined with our previously announced solar park in Western Texas we now have a combined 400 megawatts worth of projects that will begin in the next eighteen months."
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
ENERGY-DENMARK: Samso Island, Beyond Fantasy
On the Danish island of Samsø, a model of energy self-sufficiency, even cow’s milk helps reduce emissions of climate changing gases.
Samsø has an area of 114 square kilometres with just over 4,000 people, located in the Bay of Kattegat, in the North Sea, some 120 km west of Copenhagen.
ts reputation as a model of sustainability is due to the fact that it uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate all of the electricity consumed by local residents.
Since 1997, when Samsø won a national competition to become a prototype community in the use of renewable energy sources, the Samsingers, as locals are known, revolutionised all aspects of their daily lives in order to contribute to greater efficiency.
The effort has such a broad scope that even milk production is part of the energy system.
At the time of milking, cow’s milk has a temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius and has to be cooled immediately to three degrees. Some dairy farmers in Samsø connected a heat transfer mechanism to the collection tank to prevent the warmth from the milk from dissipating into the air, and harnessing it instead to help heat their homes.
So far, despite their inventiveness, the farmers have not resolved the problem of methane and other greenhouse gases generated by the bovine digestive system. But they are studying the system used on a model farm on the Jutland Peninsula, which recycles gases and waste from raising pigs and uses them as energy sources and fertiliser to grow tomatoes.
Although the transfer of heat from the milk to household heating is just a small component in the Samsø community’s energy system, it illustrates how hard the Samsingers are willing to work towards living in harmony with nature.
The centrepiece of the system are 11 wind turbines, which generate an average of 28,000 megawatts annually. That’s enough to meet the community’s electricity demands, supply the island’s entire public transportation system, and have a surplus of 10 percent to sell to other regions of Denmark.
The income from those sales is reinvested in the local renewable energy system.
It’s not that the Samsingers have given up their cars and other usual modes of transport. For example, the three ferries that connect the island with the mainland consume 9,000 litres of petroleum per day. Even so, Samsø sells more clean energy to the continent than it purchases in fossil fuels.
The community is interested in experimenting with electric cars. ”The distances here are very short, less than 50 kilometres,” said Søren Hermansen, director of the island’s Energy Academy and a pioneer in the local environmental revolution.
”If the battery of an electric car can store up energy for, say, 120 kilometres, then that would mean we wouldn’t have to sell our clean energy and we would use it here,” Hermansen told Tierramérica.
Farmers have adapted their tractors and other vehicles to consume ethanol or other fuels distilled from locally grown plants, like canola.
Samsø also has four generators that run on the combustion of hay, which is abundant on the island. The generators are especially efficient because they produce both heat and electricity. Many homes have installed solar panels, geothermal heating, and solar boilers.
Samsø has an area of 114 square kilometres with just over 4,000 people, located in the Bay of Kattegat, in the North Sea, some 120 km west of Copenhagen.
ts reputation as a model of sustainability is due to the fact that it uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate all of the electricity consumed by local residents.
Since 1997, when Samsø won a national competition to become a prototype community in the use of renewable energy sources, the Samsingers, as locals are known, revolutionised all aspects of their daily lives in order to contribute to greater efficiency.
The effort has such a broad scope that even milk production is part of the energy system.
At the time of milking, cow’s milk has a temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius and has to be cooled immediately to three degrees. Some dairy farmers in Samsø connected a heat transfer mechanism to the collection tank to prevent the warmth from the milk from dissipating into the air, and harnessing it instead to help heat their homes.
So far, despite their inventiveness, the farmers have not resolved the problem of methane and other greenhouse gases generated by the bovine digestive system. But they are studying the system used on a model farm on the Jutland Peninsula, which recycles gases and waste from raising pigs and uses them as energy sources and fertiliser to grow tomatoes.
Although the transfer of heat from the milk to household heating is just a small component in the Samsø community’s energy system, it illustrates how hard the Samsingers are willing to work towards living in harmony with nature.
The centrepiece of the system are 11 wind turbines, which generate an average of 28,000 megawatts annually. That’s enough to meet the community’s electricity demands, supply the island’s entire public transportation system, and have a surplus of 10 percent to sell to other regions of Denmark.
The income from those sales is reinvested in the local renewable energy system.
It’s not that the Samsingers have given up their cars and other usual modes of transport. For example, the three ferries that connect the island with the mainland consume 9,000 litres of petroleum per day. Even so, Samsø sells more clean energy to the continent than it purchases in fossil fuels.
The community is interested in experimenting with electric cars. ”The distances here are very short, less than 50 kilometres,” said Søren Hermansen, director of the island’s Energy Academy and a pioneer in the local environmental revolution.
”If the battery of an electric car can store up energy for, say, 120 kilometres, then that would mean we wouldn’t have to sell our clean energy and we would use it here,” Hermansen told Tierramérica.
Farmers have adapted their tractors and other vehicles to consume ethanol or other fuels distilled from locally grown plants, like canola.
Samsø also has four generators that run on the combustion of hay, which is abundant on the island. The generators are especially efficient because they produce both heat and electricity. Many homes have installed solar panels, geothermal heating, and solar boilers.
Sanyo Delays Increase in Solar Cell Production
Sanyo Electric has delayed a planned increase in production of solar cells, citing poor market conditions.
In February this year Sanyo began construction of a third factory at its site in Nishikiminami in western Japan, with plans to begin solar cell production around now. The factory has been completed but the start of high-volume production has been pushed back to December next year.
When it begins production the factory will have an annual production capacity of 135 megawatts, which is in line with Sanyo's original plans. That will take total production at the plant, which includes two other factories, to 345 megawatts.
Sanyo is also planning to increase production at its other Japanese solar cell plant in Shimane, also in western Japan, from 130 megawatts to 220 megawatts around April 2010.
The revised plans will mean that Sanyo will end its current financial year in March 2010 with total production unchanged on that of the previous year at 340 megawatts. In the coming financial year, from April 2010, it will first raise production in Shimane and then in the second half of the financial year start up the new factory in Nishikiminami.
If all goes according to the revised schedule Sanyo will finish its next fiscal year with solar cell production of 565 megawatts.
Sanyo is in the process of being acquired by Panasonic in a deal that is expected to close before the end of the current financial year.
In February this year Sanyo began construction of a third factory at its site in Nishikiminami in western Japan, with plans to begin solar cell production around now. The factory has been completed but the start of high-volume production has been pushed back to December next year.
When it begins production the factory will have an annual production capacity of 135 megawatts, which is in line with Sanyo's original plans. That will take total production at the plant, which includes two other factories, to 345 megawatts.
Sanyo is also planning to increase production at its other Japanese solar cell plant in Shimane, also in western Japan, from 130 megawatts to 220 megawatts around April 2010.
The revised plans will mean that Sanyo will end its current financial year in March 2010 with total production unchanged on that of the previous year at 340 megawatts. In the coming financial year, from April 2010, it will first raise production in Shimane and then in the second half of the financial year start up the new factory in Nishikiminami.
If all goes according to the revised schedule Sanyo will finish its next fiscal year with solar cell production of 565 megawatts.
Sanyo is in the process of being acquired by Panasonic in a deal that is expected to close before the end of the current financial year.
Solar Air Heater for Commercial or Home Heating
Solar air heater systems use the solar radiations to heat a particular room using solar panels. There are many ways of using solar air heating, and we can even build one at home using help from online sources. It is a type of solar thermal system, where air is heated in a collector by the sun's radiation and either transferred directly to the interior space or to a storage medium such as a rock bin.
Solar panels are used to operate such systems. The solar panels heat the air which is then conveyed into a room. The basic component of this system includes solar collector panels, a duct system and diffusers. The heated air can operate with or without a fan. Without the fan the air is distributed by the action of a natural ventilation system.
In agriculture, the food produced sometimes needs to be kept in warm places especially during the monsoons. The solar air heater works here. It can raise the temperature of the room so that it is appropriately heated. In this way the products can stay safe and will not get spoiled because of the humidity.
The solar air heater works in much the same way as a solar water heater works. The heater is place outside the room in the open so that it can catch the sunlight. It is generally made up of solar panels but people use a variety of things. Some use aluminum drink cans and paint them black. Then they are arranged on a board and fit to a frame. The panels or the cans should have holes in them connecting each other so that the air travels through them. Hence the cold air from the room moves through the cans and the warm air enters into the room causing raise in temperature. In this way a solar air heater is a very economical way to heat a room. Rather than using expensive heating devices that require a lot of electricity it is definitely a cost-effective solution.
Solar panels are used to operate such systems. The solar panels heat the air which is then conveyed into a room. The basic component of this system includes solar collector panels, a duct system and diffusers. The heated air can operate with or without a fan. Without the fan the air is distributed by the action of a natural ventilation system.
In agriculture, the food produced sometimes needs to be kept in warm places especially during the monsoons. The solar air heater works here. It can raise the temperature of the room so that it is appropriately heated. In this way the products can stay safe and will not get spoiled because of the humidity.
The solar air heater works in much the same way as a solar water heater works. The heater is place outside the room in the open so that it can catch the sunlight. It is generally made up of solar panels but people use a variety of things. Some use aluminum drink cans and paint them black. Then they are arranged on a board and fit to a frame. The panels or the cans should have holes in them connecting each other so that the air travels through them. Hence the cold air from the room moves through the cans and the warm air enters into the room causing raise in temperature. In this way a solar air heater is a very economical way to heat a room. Rather than using expensive heating devices that require a lot of electricity it is definitely a cost-effective solution.
What is a Photovoltaic Cell?
A photovoltaic cell is made up of a nonconductor, with one side coated with metal atoms that produce electrons when they are exposed to the sun. The other side of the PV cell is coated with negative electron atoms. If you connect a wires, from each side of the cell, to a device, current will flow when the positive side is exposed to sunlight.
The downside of using a photovoltaic cell is that it can be less efficient than other types of power. A small solar panel can can only power equipment which doesn't require a lot of power. What's more, when you?re outdoors, you can't always expect the weather to cooperate with you.
Chances are, you?ll experience bad days when the sun barely peeks out of the clouds. At times like these you?re solar-powered gadgets will not work. This is the reason why majority of these solar-powered camping gear feature additional energy sources, such as batteries, hand crank dynamos, or the option to charge them from a wall socket when available. There are even solar chargers that can recharge your AA batteries, so that you can later use them to run your small electronics.
Some people enjoy camping in RVs. Solar power can be used to charge the RV?s batteries. Photovoltaic cells can be discreetly placed on the dashboard.
Some people like to take hot baths, even in the wild. A solar shower can be utilized for this task.
Or, by using a solar cooker, you can have hot meals without risking a forest fire.
As you can see, solar camping gear can make your outdoor life a easier, as well as safer. And it can help you to enjoy nature even more ? without doing additional damage to the environment you are camping in.
Anna is provides information on the uses of solar power, solar equipment, and solar technology. To find out more about solar-powered equipment, please visit Solar Power Equipment & Information.
The downside of using a photovoltaic cell is that it can be less efficient than other types of power. A small solar panel can can only power equipment which doesn't require a lot of power. What's more, when you?re outdoors, you can't always expect the weather to cooperate with you.
Chances are, you?ll experience bad days when the sun barely peeks out of the clouds. At times like these you?re solar-powered gadgets will not work. This is the reason why majority of these solar-powered camping gear feature additional energy sources, such as batteries, hand crank dynamos, or the option to charge them from a wall socket when available. There are even solar chargers that can recharge your AA batteries, so that you can later use them to run your small electronics.
Some people enjoy camping in RVs. Solar power can be used to charge the RV?s batteries. Photovoltaic cells can be discreetly placed on the dashboard.
Some people like to take hot baths, even in the wild. A solar shower can be utilized for this task.
Or, by using a solar cooker, you can have hot meals without risking a forest fire.
As you can see, solar camping gear can make your outdoor life a easier, as well as safer. And it can help you to enjoy nature even more ? without doing additional damage to the environment you are camping in.
Anna is provides information on the uses of solar power, solar equipment, and solar technology. To find out more about solar-powered equipment, please visit Solar Power Equipment & Information.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Cash Incentives for Solar Energy in California
It seems the California Governor is making an all-out effort to encourage people to switch over the renewable source of energy. Assembly Bill 920, authored by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-Marin, and signed by the governor of California, requires utilities to pay solar customers who produce more energy than they use.
Currently homeowners that produce more solar energy than they produce can zero their bills but they’re not paid for the extra energy they feed back into the grid. The payment for producing extra energy is known as “feed-in tariffs” and such an incentive has seen great success in European countries like German and Spain.
Under the new law, the California Public Utilities Commission is required to set the rate for the paybacks by Jan. 1, 2011.
The idea aims to utilize the empty and unused lots like rooftops, water house roofs and parking areas for the purpose of producing solar energy. Aside from these there remain many unused private properties that can be easily converted into solar power generating units, bringing in extra cash for the home owners.
Currently homeowners that produce more solar energy than they produce can zero their bills but they’re not paid for the extra energy they feed back into the grid. The payment for producing extra energy is known as “feed-in tariffs” and such an incentive has seen great success in European countries like German and Spain.
Under the new law, the California Public Utilities Commission is required to set the rate for the paybacks by Jan. 1, 2011.
The idea aims to utilize the empty and unused lots like rooftops, water house roofs and parking areas for the purpose of producing solar energy. Aside from these there remain many unused private properties that can be easily converted into solar power generating units, bringing in extra cash for the home owners.
Wrapping Solar Cells around an Optical Fiber
Dye-sensitized solar cells are flexible and cheap to make, but they tend to be inefficient at converting light into electricity. One way to boost the performance of any solar cell is to increase the surface area available to incoming light. So a group of researchers at Georgia Tech has made dye-sensitized solar cells with a much higher effective surface area by wrapping the cells around optical fibers. These fiber solar cells are six times more efficient than a zinc oxide solar cell with the same surface area, and if they can be built using cheap polymer fibers, they shouldn't be significantly more expensive to make.
The advantage of a fiber-optic solar-cell system over a planar one is that light bounces around inside an optical fiber as it travels along its length, providing more opportunities to interact with the solar cell on its inner surface and producing more current. "For a given real estate, the total area of the cell is higher, and increased surface area means improved light harvesting and more energy," says Max Shtein, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the research.
Fiber-optic solar cells could also be used in ways that aren't possible currently. Zhong Lin Wang, professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, says fiber solar cells would take up less roof area than planar cells because long lengths of the fibers could be nestled into the walls of a house like electrical wiring.
Dye-sensitized solar cells use dye molecules to absorb light and generate electrons. The Georgia Tech group first removes the cladding from optical fibers and then grows zinc-oxide nanowires along their surface, like bristles on a pipe cleaner. Next, the fibers are treated with dye molecules, which the zinc-oxide structures absorb. The advantage of coating nanowires, rather than a smooth surface, with the dye is that the wires collectively have a very large surface area. The more dye molecules there are over a given area of such a cell, the more light it can absorb, says Wang. The dye-coated fibers are then surrounded by an electrolyte and a metal film that carries electrons off the device.
The advantage of a fiber-optic solar-cell system over a planar one is that light bounces around inside an optical fiber as it travels along its length, providing more opportunities to interact with the solar cell on its inner surface and producing more current. "For a given real estate, the total area of the cell is higher, and increased surface area means improved light harvesting and more energy," says Max Shtein, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the research.
Fiber-optic solar cells could also be used in ways that aren't possible currently. Zhong Lin Wang, professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, says fiber solar cells would take up less roof area than planar cells because long lengths of the fibers could be nestled into the walls of a house like electrical wiring.
Dye-sensitized solar cells use dye molecules to absorb light and generate electrons. The Georgia Tech group first removes the cladding from optical fibers and then grows zinc-oxide nanowires along their surface, like bristles on a pipe cleaner. Next, the fibers are treated with dye molecules, which the zinc-oxide structures absorb. The advantage of coating nanowires, rather than a smooth surface, with the dye is that the wires collectively have a very large surface area. The more dye molecules there are over a given area of such a cell, the more light it can absorb, says Wang. The dye-coated fibers are then surrounded by an electrolyte and a metal film that carries electrons off the device.
Ausra wins solar steam boiler contract for 100MW Jordan thermal project
California concentrated solar developer Ausra has been awarded a contract to supply a solar boiler supplier for the JOAN1 100MW concentrated solar project under development in Ma’an, Jordan by German developers MENA Cleantech.
Expected to be operational by 2013, JOAN1 will be the largest concentrated solar power in the world using direct solar steam generation, and will be fitted with a back-up fossil fuel boiler to guarantee 24 hour coverage. Ausra is to install a manufacturing facility in Jordan to supply the plant with solar steam boilers. According to the company, the project is scheduled for financial close at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in 2011.
Samer Zureikat, managing director of MENA Cleantech, said ‘Ausra’s robust and cost-effective solar boiler technology, its team of experienced power industry veterans, as well as its OEM business model make it the most suitable solar steam boiler company to provide equipment for this landmark project.
Regarding the choice of Ma’an as the site for the world’s first large-scale direct steam CSP plant, Zureikat noted that, “Jordan’s modern investment laws and progressive regulatory climate coupled with its unparalleled solar resource make Ma’an one of the best locations in the world to build a Concentrating Solar Power plant.’
In late 2008, the Ausra launched a 5MW solar plant in California, the first in the state for nearly 20 years.
Expected to be operational by 2013, JOAN1 will be the largest concentrated solar power in the world using direct solar steam generation, and will be fitted with a back-up fossil fuel boiler to guarantee 24 hour coverage. Ausra is to install a manufacturing facility in Jordan to supply the plant with solar steam boilers. According to the company, the project is scheduled for financial close at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in 2011.
Samer Zureikat, managing director of MENA Cleantech, said ‘Ausra’s robust and cost-effective solar boiler technology, its team of experienced power industry veterans, as well as its OEM business model make it the most suitable solar steam boiler company to provide equipment for this landmark project.
Regarding the choice of Ma’an as the site for the world’s first large-scale direct steam CSP plant, Zureikat noted that, “Jordan’s modern investment laws and progressive regulatory climate coupled with its unparalleled solar resource make Ma’an one of the best locations in the world to build a Concentrating Solar Power plant.’
In late 2008, the Ausra launched a 5MW solar plant in California, the first in the state for nearly 20 years.
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