Green Energy WA

The most exact definition of Solar Energy is plainly “the energy from the sun”. It is a term used to classify the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun and intercepted by the Earth. It is the world’s most permanent and reliable source of energy and the most copious.

The uses of solar energy on earth include solar heating for buildings, solar heat for manufacturing or industry and electricity production. So what is solar energy? How does it affect us?

Solar energy is responsible for weather systems and ocean currents. It provides light, heat, and energy to all living things on Earth. It has many uses. It supplies electricity; it can be used to power cars.

Solar energy is also used as a power for satellites in space and in space shuttles. It could also power boats, generators during emergencies, toys, and even security systems.

The amount of solar energy that the earth receives is about 770 trillion kilowatts (kW), an amount 5,000 times bigger than the sum of all other energy, may it be terrestrial nuclear energy, geothermal energy or gravitational energy.

There are two types of solar energy. These are:

1. Thermal Energy
2. Electric Energy

What is the difference between the two types energy?

Thermal energy is kinetic energy. It is everywhere. It makes the earth hot and even heats up our homes. It helps us to dry our clothes. It is used as well to heat up water for household use or even pools. That is why thermal energy is called the heat energy because it is stored in the centre of the earth as well.

Electric energy is widely known to us as the electricity. It is an essential part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. This uses sunlight to power ordinary electrical equipment, such as household appliances, computers, and lighting.

Most applications of solar energy depend on systems including collectors, storage and controls. Storage is needed for a reason that solar energy is only available at daylight hours, but the demand for energy is needed both day and night. Controls are used to guarantee that the storage system works safely and efficiently.

The accessibility of solar energy is determined by three factors:

The location is usually measured by latitude, longitude and altitude.
The time.
The weather.

Aside from knowing that solar energy is a free energy still, you have to realise that it also has advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages are:

Solar energy is almost limitless; it will be available for as long as there are still humans in the earth.
It is abundant. You will not worry of running out of it.
It could provide more power than all known fossil fuel reserves.
Solar energy is available during the day when electricity usage is really important.
It is the most inexhaustible, renewable source of energy known to man.
Solar energy can be absorbed, reflected, transmitted, and insulated.
It can be collected and stored in batteries.

The disadvantages are:

It is not suitable in cloudy areas.
It is not available at night time.
And it may require large land areas.

As a reminder, solar energy levels are lesser the farther north the site. Considering geography, season is an important determinant of solar energy levels because the Sun’s position and the weather vary greatly from summer to winter.

An eco-umbrella maker and a group of holiday cottages have today become the first businesses to benefit from the government’s flagshipRenewable Heat Incentive (RHI), after installing heat pumps in their properties.

The government today announced that Sheffield-based umbrella supplier Booth Brothers and Broadgate Farm Cottages in Beverley, East Yorkshire, will both receive RHI payments of 4.5p per kWh for the next 20 years. Both businesses have installed green heating devices that qualify for the pioneering incentive scheme.

Charles Booth, chief executive ofBooth Brothers, said fitting the 24kW water source heat pump had been a natural next step for the company’s plan to create a “carbon negative” business, following the installation of two wind turbines, solar panels and a hydro-electric system to meet its electricity requirements.

The heat pump, fitted by Earthtest Energy, will power a new underfloor heating system in the company’s offices, housed in an 18th-century former corn mill.

The whole project, which also includes a new ventilation system, cost about £85,000, but Booth Brothers decided to press ahead with the investment despite delays to the launch of the RHI.

“We ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ about the RHI because the technology was so new and the project was delayed when the launch of the RHI was delayed,” he said. “But in the end, we decided to do it on the basis that the RHI would come in.”

Booth’s confidence has paid off and the company now predicts the RHI payments will halve the time it takes to pay back the investment, from 15 years to just seven or eight years.

Elaine Robinson, owner of Broadgate Farm Cottages, toldBusinessGreen that she was delighted when the government launched the RHI last year as she had been looking to install three heat pumps to heat her five cottages since 2008.

She hired Kensa Engineering to fit the first 4.3kW heat pump, followed by a further two devices, for which she is also applying for RHI approval from Ofgem.

In total, the three heat pumps cost more than £40,000 and will provide lower cost hot water and heating than from traditional sources like oil. Robinson expects the RHI payments will help reduce the payback time to about 10 years.

Heat pumps were the obvious choice for her businesses because the cottages lack a mains gas supply and, as such, costs have risen in line with spiralling fossil fuel prices.

Robinson added that an efficient green heating is necessary for her holiday lets, because customers usually visit during summer and winter, when they need more cooling or heating.

However, both Booth and Robinson advised that green heating systems will not suit every business.

“Everybody’s got to consider what works for them,” said Robinson. “If you’re in something for the long term, then this works. But if your plans aren’t quite as long-term as ours, it might not be the right choice.”

Although the first two RHI payments will go to heat pumps, the government is keen to see a range of technologies benefit from the £860m pot, including biomass boilers and solar thermal panels.

According to industry estimates, the RHI scheme is widely expected to reduce payback periods on a wide range of renewable heat technologies to a point where they are competitive with conventional heating systems.

Welcoming the news, climate change minister Greg Barker said he hopes the RHI will help the UK cut its carbon emissions and boost employment.

“It’s fantastic news that the Renewable Heat Incentive has received its first two successful applicants, and this is just the start,” he said.

“Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future. It’ll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies.”

The government has estimated that the RHI could increase the number of green heat installations seven-fold to about 126,000 and support the thousands of existing jobs in the heating sector.

http://www.businessgreen.com

The small island of Palau, an island nation located 500 miles east of the Philippines and with a population of 21,000 people, has installed a 226.8kW solar energy array on its airport. The panels were supplied by Kyocera, one of the world’s biggest solar cell manufacturers.

The initiative was a collaboration between Kyocera and Wakachiku Construction Co, with funding provided by the Japanese government’s Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The solar panels now sit atop of the shading structures in the parking lot. It is the first grid-connected system in the country and it comprises 1,080 210W solar modules.

According to Kyoecera, as the island is prone to typhoons, the backside of the modules have been reinforced with extra support bars for enhanced wind-pressure resistance.

The system is expected to produce an annual power output of 250MWh, off-setting roughly 80 tons of CO2 per year.

via Palau Installs Solar Panels On Its Airport | Solar Feeds.

Schott Solar and Stadtwerke Mainz to Build Solar Park in Ilfeld

Mainz,   Germany

Consumers will soon be able to rely on clean solar electricity from the Southern Harz now that Mainz Solar GmbH is installing a solar system in Ilfeld that will feature 24,000 modules. Mainz Solar is a joint venture between SCHOTT Solar and Stadtwerke Mainz AG. 3 S Solarstrom GmbH is both the project developer and the general contractor for this solar park.

Following its expected completion in December of 2011, the system will generate about 5.25 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year and feed it into E.ON Thüringen’s grid. In purely mathematical terms, this would allow for the entire population of Ilfeld of around 3,000 to be supplied with green electricity.

“This system sends a signal that extends well beyond Ilfeld and the Southern Harz and proves that, with the appropriate will, it is already possible, at least in mathematical terms, to supply 100% of the population with environmentally friendly electricity. Ilfeld has good reason to feel proud that its name will now be associated with a good share of pioneering work,” notes the mayor of the community, René Schröter-Appenrodt (CDU).

The two Managing Directors of Mainz Solar are also quite pleased with their collaboration with the community of Ilfeld, the property owners and 3 S Solarstrom GmbH: “Thanks to how smoothly the respective parties have been working together, we will be able to complete this project on schedule,” Stephan Krome and Burkhard Söhngen both note.

via Schott Solar and Stadtwerke Mainz to Build Solar Park in Ilfeld | Solarbuzz.

Photowatt, the leading French photovoltaic panels’ manufacturer, located in Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère) was placed in receivership, as announced by the financial daily “Les Echos (4/11)”.

The solar energy scene is developing in Australia with a remarkable pace. The impressive thing is that everyone in Australia is trying their hard to push this green project forward regardless of them being individuals, companies or even a part of the government.

And speaking of efforts, I’m bringing today some fresh news that will make you jump if you’re a solar energy enthusiast who lives in Australia. The news is that “Beyond Zero Emission”, which is a nonprofit and independent organisation that works on funding and encouraging renewable energy based projects, is gathering efforts to construct a “Solar Thermal Power Plant” at Port Augusta, Australia.

The project’s idea itself belongs to last year, it first began when “Beyond Zero Emission” has teamed up to make the Playford B station make environment friendly changes or face the danger of closure. The Playford B station encountered this fate due to their not so environment friendly practices; we are not saying they are doing something illegal but here is the thing: Playford B is a facility that’s basically powered by coal acquired from Leigh Creek Coal Mine. Their gases emission were estimated by 1,77 million tons according to Carbon Monitoring. As you can see, that was very environment damaging.

Beyond Zero Emission’s idea was to convert this environment damaging facility into a solar thermal energy generator by installing the according equipment there. The whole process consists in placing giant mirrors in a sun exposed field to enable a total solar energy suction and injection into pipes full of a special fluid. The heated fluid is pumped afterward into a heat exchanger in order to create the steam that drives a steam turbine.

Back to the subject, Beyond Zero Emission’s confirms that this solar thermal planting is going to be more rewarding and powerful than the existing Playford B station and is going to generate more than 40% of the total Australian electricity demand.

This initiation was highly supported by the Port Augusta Council which is the main reason that Beyond Zero Emission are going to hold a presentation concerning this project on the 29th of October 2011, 3:30 p.m at Cooinda Club. This is definitely something that shouldn’t be missed as it might change that face of the solar energy scene in Australia forever.

Make sure to stay tuned as we will follow with further updates as soon as there are any! Thanks for reading.

Story Basma J. 26th Sep 2011
Green Energy WA

After The Revolution: Tunisia Creates a green industry to generate Green Jobs

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE IMPORTANT REASONS TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY; IT CONTRIBUTES TO ENERGY SECURITY AND HAS A BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

On the other hand, some of these reasons are purely economic:
• Industrial competitiveness.
• Development of a strong green industry for the local market and exportation.
• Regional Economic Development.
• Job creation.

Employment positions created are spread over a range of sectors, which are mainly private entities:
• the development and manufacturing.
• The construction and installation.
• The operation and maintenance.
• The strategy of export of goods and services worldwide.

In the case of Europe, job creation falls in the range of 1.66 million. The estimations say that 2.463 million jobs are going to be created by the year 2020.

In the case of Tunisia, the annual increase in the energy needs is within the range of 7%, which is the equivalent of 200 megawatts per year. This increment requires a heavy investment from the state which can be amounted to hundreds of millions dinars.

While trying to discuss this issue, some people have proposed the following:

To develop a green industry that can generate thousands of job positions and reduce the Tunisian government commitments, 50 of the 200 megawatts of annual growth have to be generated from private Tunisian companies to encourage them to produce green and renewable energy only in areas that are identified by the State.

The 50 megawatts will take the form of small plants of a few megawatts each, dedicated to industrial zones (these zones don’t exist yet, but they are coming soon HOPEFULLY). In these regions, the State will encourage the installation of engineering offices, installers and maintenance services for these plants.

STEG (Tunisian Society of Electricity and Gas) will handle the distribution of this energy and give a well-studied “Feed In Tariff”-“FIT” that will allow private businesses to recover their investment and profit over the next medium term. Currently, the STEG is reluctant to apply a FIT beneficial for private investors in Tunisia which is the main reason why the renewable energy industry could not take off. According to their analysis, the STEG is being reasonable when thinking about the costs of KW and the state compensation when it fails in the long run.

In this case, the state will pay more by:

a) The blocked funds invested by the State in areas of conventional energy, which could be invested in other sectors.
b) The positions of potential jobs are to be lost due to the non-development of the green industry with its integrated components of consultants, installers, labor, etc…
c) With the price of a barrel that can reach $ 200 one day, the bill the state will pay will be greater than the premium subsidy FIT it gives to a private company to develop a green industry.

On the other hand, this approach has enabled the success of this industry in Germany (with 300 000 positions and jobs created), especially in the disadvantaged regions of the former GDR. The green energy industry employs mainly graduates with immediate solutions to youth employability and future opportunities for economic and technological influence of Tunisia on the international stage.

So what do you think? Will the political and social Tunisian revolution expand to cover the renewable energy? And if it does, will it be a success? Stay tuned!

Basma – Green Energy International Correspondent – 21/10/11

Sustainable construction projects are not lacking in Austria. And today we’re going to direct the spotlight on one of them and that is the “E-4 Ziegelhaus 2020″ solar house (“Ziegel” means “tile”), which promises an energy balance and a positive CO2 balance.

Collaboration between Wienerberger and TIAs
This is a concept of a two-story house with an optimized energy consumption, this house is being built in the small town of Zwettl in Lower Austria, which is known for being one of the coldest areas in Austria – the temperatures frequently go down below twenty degrees Celsius in winter. Thus, manufacturers can determine if the concept is effective even in such an environment. At a cost of the normal prices in the area (i.e. around 1700 euros per square meter), this house does indeed consume only little energy – and this energy does come largely from the house itself: the solar thermal energy is used for hot water and heating (in this case supplemented by a boiler) and photovoltaic cells.

The field implementation does not allow optimal solar exposure. This is why the building’s architecture is adapted: the roof is rotated relatively to the body of the building while the solar collectors are installed on a slope at 60°. This arrangement allows us to reflect most of the solar radiations in summer, to capture as much power as possible in winter when the sun is low in the sky and drag the snow itself so that it obstructs no floor space. And at the heart of the house, lies a storage tank of 9600 liters, where water can be heated to a maximum of 38° C. Great!

According to calculations made by the Austrian Institute Of Technology (AIT, the largest research organization outside the university in the country), this house needs 39 kWh per square meter per year for heating. The total energy consumption (including electricity) is estimated at 71 kWh per square meter per year – while it should produce 73kWh at least. At the same time, the carbon must be slightly positive during the use of this accommodation. The comparison with the results of the calculations will be done in three years: the owners will move in the summer of 2012 and will have to measure the two years energy parameters and compare them to the simulations.

This project, led by Wienerberger (Austrian company employing approximately 12,000 people, including world leader in the manufacture of bricks), has more than a dozen partners and supporters.

Basma – Green Energy International Correspondent – 26/10/11

The Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), a leading global player in the photovoltaic solar energy production, has provided 636,000 solar modules for the largest photovoltaic complex in the world, located in southern Brandenburg, Germany. Canadian Solar and its two partners, Saferay and GP JOULE, provided 148 MW of the 166 accounts that this park possesses. The base power of the 78 MW system was guaranteed by Saferay. The park is expected to produce enough green energy to meet the energy needs of nearly 50,000 homes. It was inaugurated by Matthias Platzeck, Minister President of Brandenburg, on September 24. The ceremony took place at the site of the photovoltaic Senftenberg.

During his speech, Mr. Platzeck presented his thanks to corporate partners of the project, stating that “large-scale photovoltaic power plants, such as Senftenberg and Schipkau play a major role in energy supply in Germany and help accelerate the energy shift desired. Brandenburg is at the forefront of renewable energy in Germany, giving it their full support and promoting it, which allowed it to be recognized as the best land (federal state) for renewable energy.” The photovoltaic plant is a further evidence of the relevance of Germany for projects of this size, an opinion shared by Andreas Fredrich, Mayor of Senftenberg, stated that “thanks to the large number of former mining sites and existing power grids, our region is the ideal place to host large photovoltaic systems.”

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, said, meanwhile, another major asset for many communities, “cities and communities do not only get an environmental benefit but they can also benefit from the income from the taxation of solar parks, or incentive rates when operating them themselves. In addition, projects such as this have a positive impact on the local economy since most construction contracts and operations are carried out by local businesses. We are delighted to have contributed to the economic development of Brandenburg. ”

The central Senftenberg II / III plant was built in three months on 200 hectares of former mining site Meuro. This site, owned by Agrargenossenschaft Großräschen eG coop., Can accommodate up to 330,000 crystalline photovoltaic modules. “The project Senftenberg, can demonstrate that the development and construction of large Photovoltaic systems are faster than for any other type of plant. Thus, even in a country like Germany, which has a lower sunshine duration, we are able to produce energy cheaper than offshore wind farms “, says Dr. Marko Schulz, CEO of saferay GmbH. The project funding, required a budget of nearly 150 million EUR which was provided by three German banks. Saferay holds two thirds of the investments and operations.

The effort to develop this solar park has drawn Unlimited Energy GmbH, a developer of projects in Berlin. In addition to working on the legal framework of the project, Unlimited Energy GmbH has also focused on the issue of environmental protection during the studies of plant design. Torsten Kasch, CEO of Energy Unlimited GmbH, explains that “we have defined an area of 24 hectares only for larch, outside the PV Park. In addition, the rows of PV modules are protected by splendid windbreak belts and green belts that can become a habitat for birds and other wildlife. Similarly, we have attached particular importance to the protection of plants and animals in our thinking about the concepts of site maintenance. ”

About Safery GmbH
Saferay GmbH builds and finances power plants and operates essentially to clean and actively contribute to the development of future energy concepts of the world’s largest markets. The company has installed a capacity exceeding 350 MW.

About Unlimited Energy Gmbh
Unlimited Energy GmbH is a promoter of renewable energy projects, particularly in the photovoltaic and wind power. The company, whose headquarters in Berlin, specializes in assembling solutions that meet the special requirements of large scale projects and already has to its credit the development of solar and wind farms of several hundred megawatts since its inception. Besides Germany, which is its main market, Unlimited Energy Gmbh is also present in Bulgaria in the development of renewable energy sector.

About Canadian Solar
Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is one of the largest companies specializing in solar power worldwide. This manufacturer produces high quality of ingots, wafers, cells and solar modules, solar systems and customs, which are used worldwide. Throughout the world, Canadian Solar provides its customers with products for solar installations connected to the network and stand-alone systems. With subsidiaries in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Canadian Solar is characterized by exceptional quality and cost effective solar solutions all by staying environment friendly and promoting sustainable development worldwide. You can find more information about this company at www.gewa.com.au

Story by Basma J. 15th Oct 2011
Green Energy WA

That’s it, it’s done! The idea which was conceived back in 2007 has now become a reality that radiates its 97,000 photovoltaic tiles placed on the roofs of the Society of St. Charles, France. At first, it was just a crazy daring bet buoyed by the boom in the solar energy scene and the local track. This idea has been made possible after a huge investment of around 55 million euros, negotiated and approved during a financial crisis by 72 owners. Not bad, huh?.

That was a master stroke that has definitively Perpignan put on the world map of solar energy. This plant, the first of its size ever built in the world, now produces the equivalent of 10% of the electricity consumption of the city of Perpignan. No less! Visitors from around the world come to witness this technological green peak. Now besides the Eiffel Tower, France has this!

There are many manufacturers of solar energy around the globe that insist on visiting the site, as indicated by George Jordan, CEO of Saint-Charles International. “The Japanese, Germans, the Swiss have already contacted. This week we welcome American and Algerian delegations to present the solar platform,” he enthuses. For beyond technical innovation, this major project does also shine and brighten the image of the first European platform for distribution of fruits and vegetables.

This was definitely an achievement to be proud of. André Joffre, President of the competitiveness cluster Derbi (Development Of Renewable Energy In Buildings And Industry), partner of St. Charles in the creation of the plant. “This project is awesome in every sense of the word. It features a total size of 7 hectares, nine megawatts of power and the fact that these are local businesses that participated, what is remarkable is that St. Charles anticipated the European regulation of positive energy buildings, set in 2020,” notes André Joffre, President of Derbi.

This is a great project that has to be, MUST be remembered. And we don’t have to forget that a Swiss industrialist who had discovered the surface of buildings while consulting Google Earth was the one who immediately decided to start this plant. Legend or reality? We can simply note that he propelled Perpignan at the top of solar energy.

Story by Basma J. 15th Oct 2011
Green Energy WA