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on December 13th, 2011% 
Tired of all the noise and smell from your diesel generator? the Instapark SP-30W solar panel offers you a quiet, clean while carbon-free alternative. Capable of converting virtually unlimited solar energy into clean, green, most importantly, free electricity,this solar panel is made of high efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells embedded in transparent vinyl acetate behind tempered glass with heavy back sheet ensuring maintenance free performance. unlike amorphous solar panels, which only last about 5-7 years of continuous use, mono-crystalline solar panels can still retain over 80% of efficiency even after 25 years of continuous use. Also, the mono-crystalline panels are much more efficient and thus smaller in size while producing higher wattage.
This solar panel is designed and engineered to primarily charge 12-Volt batteries, which store and provide usable power when needed, ideal for powering your RVs, ATV, marine boats and electronic equipments. Other than recreational applications, solar power can also help lower your energy bills by reducing your dependence on the main electrical grid and provide back-up power during power outages.
Powerful 30 Watts high efficiency mono-crystalline solar panel ;can be used in single-module and multiple-module systems Maximum power voltage ( Vpm ) : 17.5V ;Maximum Power Current: 1.68A Cable lengths : 3′ Dimension 21 1/2 x 17 1/4 x 1 1/8 in Open circuit voltage ( Voc ) : 21.95V
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Tags: Instapark, Monocrystalline
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 at 11:24 pm and is filed under Shopping Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
on December 13th, 2011% ![]()
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cogenra Solar, provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems and renewable energy service solutions, today announced that its solar cogeneration technology has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) for its Installation Energy Test Bed initiative for FY2012. Cogenra’s hybrid solar solution is among the 27 projects chosen from 575 proposals competing to demonstrate effectiveness in meeting the DoD’s goals on environmental, energy and economic performance.
“We are honored to be among the very few companies selected by the DoD to be part of their renewable energy efforts”
Cogenra was chosen for a $2M contract for two military sites, a U.S. Navy and a U.S. Army facility, that were specifically selected based on diverse building types, climates, and hot water usage to expedite adoption of solar cogeneration at other DoD sites nationwide upon completion. Producing hot water and electricity, the installations will be evaluated throughout the year to demonstrate high energy production and cost effectiveness of the technology for military applications.
“We are honored to be among the very few companies selected by the DoD to be part of their renewable energy efforts,” said Dr. Gilad Almogy, CEO of Cogenra Solar. “This program is a great vehicle to demonstrate solar cogeneration’s many benefits to the DoD, such as lower energy costs, reduced dependence of fossil fuels, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions. We welcome this opportunity to grow Cogenra’s footprint in the military market.”
with more than 300,000 buildings and 2.2 billion square feet of space, the DoD spends $4 billion a year on the “facility energy” to power these buildings. The Installation Energy Test Best Initiative is a pivotal program for testing, evaluating and scaling up innovative new energy technologies to improve the U.S. military’s energy security and reduce facility energy costs. Demonstrations focus on renewable energy sources that are mission-compatible and at the appropriate scale for remote military installations. Cost, performance and reliability data gathered from operational deployment of innovative renewable energy sources on DoD installations will inform decisions on their widespread applicability across DoD.
The two Cogenra installations will deliver hot water and electricity to the sites’ dining halls for cleaning and cooking as well as residential quarters for everyday uses, such as showing, laundry and other amenities. Based in California, the Port Hueneme Naval Base in Ventura County will have a 242 kW rooftop array, and the Army Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Dublin will deploy a 121 kW system. in addition to the standard install, the project scope includes development of design tools in order to facilitate rapid adoption of solar cogeneration on other DoD sites.
Cogenra’s solar cogeneration solution encompasses both photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies to deliver low-cost electricity and hot water in one modular and scalable system. Capturing up to 75 percent of the sun’s delivered energy, Cogenra’s technology maximizes energy production by producing hot water from the waste heat of PV generation.
in addition to the award by DoD, Cogenra was among an elite group of twelve vendors selected to exhibit its technology in September 2011 at ExFOB, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Experimental Forward Operating Base demonstration to determine how energy efficient technologies hold up in the extreme desert environment. As a result, the Marine Corps selected Cogenra’s technology for further testing and validation with the possibility of expedited deployment at Forward Operating Bases around the world.
About Cogenra Solar
Cogenra Solar is a distributed solar cogeneration company that combines photovoltaic electricity production and heat collection to deliver low cost electricity and hot water for commercial, industrial and institutional facilities. Cogenra’s solution enables clean, renewable energy below utility rates while reducing natural gas and grid-fed electricity consumption. Cogenra is located in Mountain View, California. Please visit cogenra.com for more information.
on December 12th, 2011% ![]() Carl Franzen November 10, 2011, 3:20 PM
TINA CASEYWhen you go about designing the world’s most efficient solar cell, the natural inclination is to develop a device that can trap as much light as possible.
Yet, in a counter-intuitive leap, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California have smashed the previous world record by designing a solar cell that emits more light.
The light is fluorescent, so it is not visible under normal conditions, but it still consists of photons and that’s what counts.
The calculated release of photons enabled the research team to find a way around a key factor that limits the efficiency of a single junction solar cell: if too much light is absorbed, the solar cell loses excess energy in the form of heat instead of converting it to electricity (single junction basically refers the use of a single material to collect light in a solar cell, rather than a “sandwich” of multiple materials).
Theoretically, the most efficient single junction solar cell could convert about 33.5 percent of the solar energy it collects into electricity.
So far, the closest that scientists have gotten to that limit is about 24 percent. the Berkeley team’s new fluorescent solar cell leapfrogs over that bar with an efficiency of 28.4 percent.
The ability of the fluorescent effect to “boost” the voltage of a solar cell was predicted by a member of the research team, Owen Miller, who calculated that a rare material called gallium arsenide would release enough photons to achieve a more precise balance between the amount of light absorbed and the amount converted to electricity.
Gallium arsenide is made from arsenic and gallium, which is a byproduct of aluminum smelting. this nasty-sounding compound turns out to be an ideal material for solar cells, partly due to its ability to withstand high temperatures.
The hitch is that gallium arsenide is far more expensive than silicon, the most common material used in solar cells. In order to survive in the commercial market, a gallium arsenide solar cell would have to be far more efficient than its silicon-based competitors.
The Berkeley solar cell has a good chance of achieving that benchmark, since a relatively small amount of gallium arsenide can do the same job that a much larger chunk of silicon can do. a highly efficient gallium arsenide solar cell can be just a few microns thick. In comparison, crystalline silicon requires a thickness of at least 100 microns.
In a statement for the press, lead researcher Eli Yablonovitch explained, “Gallium arsenide absorbs photons 10,000 times more strongly than silicon for a given thickness but is not 10,000 times more expensive. Based on performance, it is the ideal material for making solar cells.”
There are other ways to get around the cost factor, such as layering gallium arsenide onto a cheaper substrate, growing new gallium arsenide cells on a reusable template, or developing manufacturing processes that create an extremely thin film.
As for whether or not you can get a gallium arsenide solar cell on your roof any time soon, Yablonovitch has co-founded a company called Alta Devices, which will deploy a thin film process (also developed by Yablonovitch) to churn out solar cells at a relatively low cost. They will hit the market within a year, so go ahead – hold your breath.
on December 11th, 2011% ![]()
the issue of global warming is gaining wide acceptance with more and more countries making the endeavor to delay the catastrophic effects of this phenomenon. If you landed here, then you probably are considering how to build solar power for your home. If you are ready and are just looking for build solar power kit, you can get a reputable one here. Don’t be too hasty though. Do your research and read our build solar power kit review. Today, scientists and environmentalists are offering people, across the world, alternatives that can be used in their everyday life. in particular, consumers are being encouraged to build solar power. when you build solar power, you are using the energy of the sun to generate electricity. Leveraging solar energy or the heat of the sun is on such attempt. Of all the natural sources of power on earth, solar power is believed to be the most powerful. If you build solar power, you will be accessing the most plentiful energy sources in existence. It is derived from the sun, which has been producing energy for billions of years. Solar energy reaches the earth in the form of solar radiation and is converted directly or indirectly into various forms of energy like electricity and heat. in spite of it being one of the primary sources of energy, you will encounter these drawbacks when you build solar power: 1. the unpredictable and constantly changing patterns of the earth. 2. you will need a large area for harness this power. you can build solar power for multiple purposes from heating water for use at homes to drying agricultural products and even generating electrical energy. Trivia: in the 1830s, a British astronomer named John Hershel decided to build solar power with a colletor box and used it during his African expedition to cook food. consider these advantages for you to build solar power energy: * when you build solar power, you are harnessing a renewable resource and it will take around 5 billion years for the sun to burn out. Therefore, the homes that build solar power electricity will be able to harvest the amount of power needed to continue everyday operations such as cooking, vacuuming, etc and can supply commercial usage without fear of power outages.
* when you build solar power, you aren’t creating pollution. as compared to any other energy resource like oil or coal, when you build solar power, you will not emit greenhouse gases into the air and hence is considered environmentally friendly.
* There is a small initial investment to build solar power but after that the solar power is free. as compared to oil or coal, which you have to buy, using solar power will cost you much less or almost zero in the long run. in the beginning, it may be necessary to invest a bit to get the photovoltaic solar cells for you build solar power kit. There is virtually no maintenance required for photovoltaic cells or panels. Besides this, the useful life of the photovoltaic panel is a lot longer and does have a lifetime warranty. you can build solar power using solar cells to heat water or even drive a car. the solar panels are able to take light and turn it into electricity. they are also called photovoltaic cells or PV cells. these are different times and cirumstances demand urgent action. you can build solar power and use solar energy for various purposes. Some of the uses of solar energy by organizations and individuals are as follows: 1. Companies are trying to build solar power using photo-voltaics in electric utilities. the photovoltaic process allows you to build solar power and energy that becomes directly converted to electricity. 2. you can build solar power electricity directly from steam generators using solar thermal collectors that can heat working fluid’ 3. There are many companies globally who have started to build solar power and implement Solar PV modules, which can easily be retrofitted into existing roofs. to build solar power using Solar PV modules, buildings are connected to a grid supply for generating electricity, which can be used by offices on the premises. Photovoltaic Energy Photovoltaic energy can convert sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PVs) cells when you build solar power. the everyday name for these cells is the solar cell. Photovoltaic panels are made up of non-mechanical units that are comprised mainly of silicon alloys.
Sunlight is basically composed of millions of different particles of solar energy also known as photons. every photon has a differing degree of energy that correlates to the varying wavelengths within the solar array.
when a photon strikes a photovoltaic cell, they will either get absorbed, reflected, or pass right through. the photons which get absorbed can provide enough energy to build solar power electricity. when enough energy becomes absorbed in the semiconductor chip, then the electron particles become displaced from their material atoms and that is the technology that underlies how you build solar power.
Photovoltaic cells are being increasingly used in driving solar powered products. here are some of them:
Solar chargers * these chargers can charge some of the most powerful electronic devices like mp3 players, cell phones and digital cameras. * Many of the world’s most powerful businesses are using them for their electronic appliances like Sony, Ericsson, Palm, Motorola, and Nokia. * these chargers consist of folding solar panels of different outputs like 6.25 watts, 12 watts, and 5 watts. * the are manufactured with highly efficient solar cells that are concentrated and lightweight. * these photovoltaic solar cell powered chargers can juice up flashlights, mobile phones, global position devices, MP3 players and many other appliances.
Solar Modules * the solar modules are mostly he mono-crystalline silicon and are composed of composed of solar cells that have an average conversion efficiency of 15% or more and comes with solar glass and Tedlar (TPT) back sheet and EVA sheet compounded from fluoric-plastic and dacron.
Solar Power Radio & Crank Flashlight * Multi-function solar radio features and can work on MW/FM/SW1/SW2 MW: 530-1600KHZ/FM: 88-108 MHZ/SW1: 3.8-10 MHZ/SW2: 11-17 MHZ * the solar radio works on built-in single solar cell
This has been your introduction on the basic things to know before you build solar power. anybody can build solar power provided they have a reputable build solar power kit. be fearless and go build solar power today!
on December 10th, 2011% ![]()
Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California took an unconventional approach in their bid to design the world’s most efficient solar cell. Instead of developing a device that can absorb as much light (or photons) as possible they created a solar cell that emits more light, Talking Points Memo recently reported. Their solution: Fluorescence.
Sunlight absorbed in a solar cell produces electrons that must be extracted as electricity. If electrons aren’t removed fast enough, they decay and release their energy. If that energy is released as heat — which it typically is — the solar cell produces less power.
Scientist found that fluorescent light — which consists of photons, yet isn’t visible under normal conditions — was the key to unlocking the efficiency puzzle. Scientist Owen Miller figured out that if the released energy left the solar cell as external fluorescence, it would boost its voltage. Eli Yablonovitch, the Berkeley lab electrical engineer who led the research, put it this way in a recent feature published by LBNL, “The better a solar cell is at emitting photons, the higher its voltage and the greater efficiency it can produce.”
Theoretically, the most efficient single junction solar cell — which uses a single material to collect light — could convert about 33.5 percent of the energy it absorbs into electricity. Miller discovered that using a rare material called gallium arsenide as a semiconductor helped hit that sweet spot between the amount of light absorbed and the amount converted to electricity and is capable of hitting that solar efficiency limit.
Alta Devices, a private company co-founded by Yablonovitch, has fabricated fluorescent solar cells from gallium arsenide that achieved a record conversion efficiency of 28.4 percent. That’s 5 percent more efficiency than solar cells in commercial use today that are made from monocrystalline silicon wafers, according to LBNL.
Of course, there are challenges to manufacturing these fluorescent solar cells — namely that gallium arsenide is far more expensive than the commonly used solar cell material silicon. This is the same conundrum faced by every other non-silicon solar panel maker. Companies like First Solar, which uses cadmium telluride, are able to offset the cost of the material because the solar panels are more efficient than ones made with silicon.
Yablonovitch, not surprisingly, makes the same argument for gallium arsenide, which he says absorbs photons “10,000 times more strongly than silicon for a given thickness, but is not 10,000 times more expensive.”
[via Talking Points Memo; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]
Photo: Flickr used pranav. CC 2.0
on December 10th, 2011% ![]()
SIGNAL HILL, Calif., Nov 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) —-190 new Homes Represents Largest ‘Pre-Wired’ Neighborhoods in the U.S.
how would you like never having to pay for gasoline? with the just completed “Plug into History” press event featuring the Nissan LEAF with a City Ventures home pre-wired for electric cars, the dream is now realized. Integrated with each residence, City Ventures homes feature solar power and energy-efficient design, bringing energy bills to near net zero. the coupling of high-tech solar home with advanced electric car completes the circuit, allowing low-cost, low-carbon, gasoline-free living. the City Ventures earth-friendly neighborhoods, comprising over 190 homes, represent the largest collection of new, solar, no-gas homes in the United States. They are currently under construction in the California cities of Signal Hill, Santa Barbara and Brea. Prices for these homes start in the high $200,000s.
“A City Ventures residence puts homeowners farther on the path to net-zero energy independence than any other new home on the market,” says Herb Gardner, president of City Ventures’ Homebuilding Division. “Its built-in solar power provides ‘off-the-grid’ energy, while its highly efficient appliances and materials reduce energy consumption compared to most new homes. the electric bills are exceptionally low and there are no gas bills. all this makes for a green earth and green wallet, returning immediate savings to the owner. our Signal Hill Collection is the first opportunity to see these homes and their pre-wired LEAF technology in action.”
City Ventures is following up the “Plug into History” event by inviting interested homeowners and the general public to come tour its Signal Hill Collection on Saturday, November 19th from noon-3 p.m. at 1850 N. Orizaba Avenue, Signal Hill, Ca 90755. This is the first opportunity to tour a pre-wired, all-electric neighborhood and experience first-hand the groundbreaking features of these residences. the program will include:
— Free Nissan LEAF Plug-in — Demonstrations for current LEAF owners as well as test drive and pre-sales opportunities from neighborhood dealer Hooman Nissan. Noon — 3 p.m..
— Chef Susan Millis from Seal Beach PREP demonstrating cooking techniques and tastings from the advanced technology kitchens that include induction and convection appliances. 1-2 p.m.
— Signal Hill’s unique solar power technology will be explained onsite by suppliers Petersen Dean. noon-3 p.m.
— Prize Raffles — Flat screen TV, gift certificates and PREP cooking classes (raffle drawings on the hour starting at 1 p.m.)
City Ventures sustainable homes are branded as Green Key residences. the Green Key home initiative began as part of City Ventures’ mission to design and develop environmentally responsible homes in urban areas at competitive price points. As part of the company’s ultimate mandate to build only net-zero-energy communities, a large portion of the power required to operate each home is generated on-site through built-in solar panels. the solar energy, combined with the most-efficient materials and appliances available, make a City Ventures’ Green Key home the most sustainable new-construction residence available.
City Ventures earth-friendly residences elements include:
— Garage pre-wired for electric cars.
— High-performance integrated solar power.
— Energy Star-rated hybrid electric water heater.
— Low-flow faucets and shower heads.
— Energy Star high-efficiency dishwasher.
— Low-emission windows for superior insulation against cold and heat.
all Green Key homes will exceed state-mandated Title 24 environmental efficiency standards by at least 30%. They are LEED Gold level and Energy Star-certified.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50078509&lang=en
SOURCE: City Ventures
Paolucci Communication Arts | Public Relations Steve Fisher (310) 791-2759 ext. 320 (818) 688-1502 cell sfisher@PaolucciCommArts.com
Copyright Business Wire 2011
on December 9th, 2011% ![]() by Richard Hart
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) — can electricity from solar panels ever become as cheap as electricity from fossil fuels? one Bay Area company is convinced that it can — even without subsidies. This week, it broke a solar energy record. Richard Hart reports on the Drive to Discover cheap solar.
In Mountain View this week, workers are unloading and assembling a pilot plant to manufacture the most efficient commercial photovoltaic solar panel yet. it turns almost one-third of the sun’s energy into electricity, a new record.
“But that barrier, the theoretical limit, seems to keep increasing over time,” observes Chris Norris. “No, I don’t think we can get 100 percent, but there’s quite a bit of evidence you could get to near 50 percent.”
Norris is CEO of Alta Devices, developer of solar semiconductors. he points out that current solar power plants generate electricity at a cost of 20 cents per kilowatt hour; a new nuclear plant would do it for 15 cents, and gas and coal for 10.
“The next generation of solar is actually capable of being below 10 cents per kilowatt hour,” Norris said. “Very competitive with all of the mainstream, and other, sources of energy.”
Paradoxically, Alta’s nano-material is relatively expensive, super-thin film gallium arsenide.
some people, such as researchers at UC Berkeley, maintain that the solution is cells made from abundant super-cheap materials. Norris counters that cheap material means larger panels, and larger panels mean larger power plants that nullify any savings in material.
“Most of the costs are the fixed plant costs, not the cost of the semiconductor material,” Norris said. “Decreasing the efficiency by half to reduce the cost of the semiconductor material, just causes you to expand the most expensive part of the solar plant, which is all the steel and the wire and the labor to put it together.”
in other words, energy density at the panel can enable cheaper solar all the way from sun to socket.
the marketplace is already doing its part to bring down costs, with demand for solar panels doubling every year. A technology breakthrough like this one is just an added ray of home.
Solar Efficiency Record Broken
Alta Devices Technology
(Copyright ©2011 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Drive to Discover »
solar energy, drive to discover
on December 9th, 2011% ![]()
Whether rural masses or the urban masses, everyone is facing problem with the pollution spread in atmosphere. The gradual depletion of renewable energy sources is a major concern even for the government. Renewable energy is very important because it is harnessed from natural resources like solar energy, wind energy, tides, water etc. this exhaustion of fossil fuels is one of the main reasons which contribute to Global Warming. so much of depletion is pushing all the powerful countries to adopt the renewable source of energy. The major function of exploiting natural resources is it is less expensive and does not lead to any kind of pollution. we all are striving for pollution free environments then let’s just stick to the solar power systems. One must first know completely what is solar energy? People have been using the energy of sunlight from ancient times like drying the cloth. With times it has advanced in a better way like generating electricity, producing coal, natural gas and oil. Solar Energy products like solar panels for homes are now broadly utilized in India and other countries as well.
The population of India is mounting and that is why the power needs are also rising. The disproportionate use of Fossil fuels is already going on and soon we are moving towards a time when they will be depleted completely. we need to turn to renewable energy sources to meet our needs. using solar energy efficiently seems to be a perfect solution. it is the most consistent resource accessible today. it has huge potential and we should think of strategies to harness the energy totally. The solar energy facts are known to the world. there are many solar solutions like solar generators, solar heating systems and solar inverters.
The solar inverters are made up of Photovoltaic systems. whenever the sunlight reflects on the semiconductor material then the energy is absorbed in the photovoltaic cells. The energy moves in different layers and an electric current is produced which is stored in the battery. this electricity is much economical and contamination free. using this electricity in our household or various industries won’t affect the environment in any way. many renowned and prestigious companies manufacture various power protection devices like online UPS, voltage regulator and inverter. The customers are bound to get a complete value of money here. The perfect solution of energy problem is only using solar energy.
on December 3rd, 2011% ![]()
As the world steadily eats away at its energy resources, it is important that we reduce our dependency on non-renewable energy sources such as oil and coal. we understand that some non-renewable sources of energy are approaching their peak supply so renewable energy offers a way forward as the supply decreases. there are three major types of energy solutions which can be stated now. these are solar energy solutions, solutions for hydropower and wind power solutions. This article is about solar energy solutions.
Solar power solutions arise as the sun is arguably the source of all energy on the planet. it is the most abundant source on earth so we should enjoy this free energy. you can use solar power solutions at home and this will not only reduce your electricity bill but also help you contribute to a greener world. Solar energy has many uses, especially in times of energy crisis. To begin with, solar energy is found in the following areas: cooking, electricity, heating and bio-crops. it is clean since, after the panels are constructed, there is no fuel to burn. Solar solutions consist of solar cookers, solar heating, solar lighting systems and solar dryers. the sun has always been a source of heat and light energy so it makes sense to continue this into the future,
Energy made from a solar power system has many advantages including being cost-effective and environmentally friendly. a photovoltaic system is low maintenance which saves time and effort and also can offer a financial return very quickly. Cooking with solar energy is also considered very healthy. Families have also started using solar energy to power their homes and this is happening in both residential homes and also in more remote locations. Such locations are mountain lodges and places far away from the electricity grid. Power can also be provided at all times of day as battery storage can be readily integrated into a solar panel system.
To conclude, the sun is the most abundant energy source on Earth. in these times of resource depletion, greenhouse gas pollution and rising prices solar energy seems to be an excellent way forward. It’s currently not the cheapest form of energy although the fact that no fuel is required after construction means that it’s definitely a choice for the future. more importantly, the environment must be protected now and therefore it is a choice that should be made today.
on November 30th, 2011% ![]()
CAIRO, Nov. 3 (UPI) — the first phase of the world’s most ambitious solar power project is to get under way in Morocco in early 2012 and is likely to extend to Algeria and Tunisia.
The Desertec Industrial Initiative, the German-led consortium behind the $549 billion carbon-free project, announced in Cairo Wednesday that “all systems are go in Morocco.”
The plan is to use vast arrays of solar panels across the Sahara Desert to harness the rays of the sun, which shines there virtually all year round, to produce steam to drive turbines that will generate electricity for the region through an envisioned supergrid that would supply 15-20 percent of Europe’s requirements.
Because North Africa’s sunlight is much more intense than that in Europe, solar photovoltaic panels used by the Desertec project could generate up to three times the electricity that similar projects in northern Europe produce.
Arnulf Jaeger-Walden of the European Commission’s Institute for Energy, has said it requires only 0.3 percent of the sunlight falling on the Sahara and other Middle Eastern deserts to provide all of Europe’s energy needs.
At DII’s Cairo conference, Chief Executive Officer Paul Van Son disclosed that the first phase of the project gets under way next year with the construction of a $2.8 billion, 2.5-square-mile solar farm, using parabolic mirrors that will feed a 500-megawatt power plant.
It’s expected this will be located near the Moroccan desert city of Ouarzazate. this phase will take two to four years to complete, with electricity production starting no later than 2016.
Van Son described Desertec as a “win-win” deal for both Europe and the Middle East.
He said discussions were under way with Tunisia on building a solar farm there, with Algeria the next “obvious” country because of its proximity to Europe.
Algeria is already a key supplier of natural gas to energy-hungry Europe, which is striving to lessen its dependence on Russian gas supplies.
Eventually, Van Son observed, Libya, Egypt, Syria and faraway Saudi Arabia would join the Desertec power grid through a network of high-voltage lines that will be built across the Middle East from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.
Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younes said Cairo was eager to join the project and already has a 150MW hybrid gas-solar power plant that opened this year 60 miles south of the Egyptian capital.
The DII was launched in 2009 by a 20-member German-led consortium headed by Deutsche Bank, Siemens, the Munich re insurance giant and energy heavyweight E.on.
The project envisages building solar thermal power plants across 34,740 square miles of the Sahara, a small fraction of its total area of around 3.47 million square miles, in Morocco and its neighbors.
These would generate much of the electricity for North Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia at the eastern edge of the Arab world, by 2050.
The concept has caught on across Europe, particularly in Germany which plans to phase out nuclear power completely by 2022, in part as a consequence of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March.
“Desertec opened up an opportunity for us,” Jochen Homann of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, said in Cairo.
“We want to enter the age of renewables with sustainable sources of electricity supplying 80 percent of our power generation by 2050 …
“Germany’s government will continue to support Desertec. It’s an inspiring vision which is good for foreign, climate and economic policies,” he said.
In January 2010, nine European countries drew up plans to link clean energy projects around the North Sea.
The nine — Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Britain — are working on building a high-voltage direct current network within the next decade.
“This network, made up of thousands of kilometers of highly efficient undersea cables that could cost $41.3 billion, would solve one of the biggest criticisms faced by renewable power — that unpredictable weather means it is unreliable,” Britain’s the Guardian newspaper reported.
Connected to Norway’s many hydroelectric power stations, it could act as a giant 30 gigawatt battery for Europe’s clean energy, storing electricity when demand is low and be a major step toward a continent-wide supergrid that could link into the vast potential of solar power farms in North Africa.”
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