In.gr, 30 Ιουνίου 2010

Για πρώτη φορά τα φωτοβολταϊκά στοιχεία για την παραγωγή ενέργειας από τον Ήλιο είναι πιο φτηνά από την πυρηνική ενέργεια ή την ενέργεια από ορυκτά καύσιμα, αναφέρουν επιστήμονες του Πανεπιστημίου του Ντιουκ στις ΗΠΑ που συνέταξαν τη σχετική έκθεση. Το κόστος έχει φτάσει πλέον στα 0,16 δολάρια την κιλοβατώρα για την πολιτεία της Βόρειας Καρολίνας όπου επικεντρώθηκε η έρευνα. Πρόκειται για μία ιστορική καμπή, αναφέρουν οι συντάκτες της έρευνας στους New York Times. Διαβάστε περισσότερα....

Saudi Arabia to Replace Oil with Sun Power for Desalination Plants

ENN, February 01, 2010

Up to now, the more than 28 desalination plants scattered around the Kingdom have had to rely of fossil fuel, most notably fuel oil, to provide to power to run the equipment used to extract salt and other minerals from sea water.
Much of this may be changing, however, as Saudi Arabia is now interested in using solar energy to provide the power needed, instead of oil. According to an article on the UAE Top News media site, the Kingdom is now planning to build solar energy based desalination plants in order to save on energy costs, as well as be in tune with new environmental polices. This might be to secure membership in the International Renewable Energy Agency, otherwise known as IRENA. Read more...

Using the Sahara Sun to Power Europe

ENN, November 02, 2009

A $400 billon (£240 billion) plan to provide Europe with solar power from the Sahara desert moved a step closer to reality with the formation of a consortium of 12 companies to carry out the work. Known as the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DDI), the German-led consortium consists of some of country's biggest engineering and power companies, along with Munich Re, the largest reinsurer in the world. Read more...

Solar Heating Industry Review 2009

Renewable Energy World.com, September 21, 2009

In 2008, solar thermal heating and cooling solutions gained favour in more and more countries,’ says European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) president Olivier Drücke. ‘The solar thermal market in the EU and Switzerland grew by over 60% to 3.3 GWth of new capacity, that is 4.76 million m2 of collector area,’ he adds.
Indeed, the latest ESTIF annual statistics on European solar thermal markets show that while demand for solar thermal technologies increased strongly in Spain, Italy and France, the biggest push came from the German market, which more than doubled from 0.7 GWth to 1.5 GWth of newly installed capacity in 2008. Read more...

U.S. becomes top wind producer, solar next

ENN, February 3, 2009

The United States overtook Germany as the biggest producer of wind power last year, new figures showed, and will likely take the lead in solar power this year, analysts said on Monday.
Even before an expected "Obama bounce" from a new President who has vowed to boost clean energy, U.S. wind power capacity surged 50 percent last year to 25 gigwatts (GW) -- enough to power more than five million homes. Read more...

Canadians Set Up First Solar Powered Community In North America

ENN, December 29, 2009

A new Canadian neighborhood is North America's first solar-powered community. The community, named the Drake Landing Solar Community (DLSC) is located in the town of Okotoks, Alberta, and consists of 52 houses all powered by solar (what else?) energy. Read more...

Japan to bring back solar power subsidy for homes

ENN, December 24, 2008

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan plans to bring back subsidies for solar panel equipment from January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Wednesday, as the world's fifth-biggest emitter struggles to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.
METI said the government would offer 9 billion yen ($99.6 million) in the first quarter of 2009 and possibly more in the fiscal year starting next April to foster use of solar panel equipment in homes. Read more...

Japan's first solar cargo ship

ENN, December 19, 2008

TOKYO - THE world's first cargo ship partly propelled by solar power took to the seas on Friday in Japan, aiming to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions when automakers ship off their exports.
Auriga Leader, a freighter developed by shipping line Nippon Yusen K.K. and oil distributor Nippon Oil Corp, took off from a shipyard in the western city of Kobe, officials of the two firms said.
The huge freighter capable of carrying 6,400 automobiles is equipped with 328 solar panels at a cost of 150 million yen (S$2.4 million dollars), the officials said. Read more...

Yet read also: Japan’s First (Barely) Solar Powered Cargo Ship Takes to the Waves

Berlin aims to become solar powerhouse

Planet 2025, October 5, 2008

Berlin wants to become a world leader in the solar energy field, both as a user of the sun's rays for energy and as a pioneer in solar technology despite its northern, cloud-covered location, its economy minister said. "You don't necessarily have to have the best natural geographic conditions to be a solar power capital," Harald Wolf told Reuters in an interview, referring to the German capital's 52-degree north latitude and its cloud cover for about two-thirds of daylight hours. Read more...

Spain expects 3,000 MW in solar plants by 2010

ENN, September 26, 2008

Spain's government said its new and less generous subsidy scheme, due to take effect shortly, foresees solar power plants reaching a capacity of 3,000 megawatts by 2010, or about double the present total. Read more...

Solar Powered Air Conditioner Released

ENN, August 11, 2008

A company called GreenCore Air has released an air conditioner than can be powered by a single 170 watt solar panel. The GreenCore air conditioning unit can heat and cool a 600 square foot room. It runs on DC power, so there is no need to put an AC inverter between the solar panel and the air conditioner. This eliminates the power losses associated with converting AC to DC. Read more...

Φωτοβολταϊκό σύστημα εγκαθίσταται στη στέγη της Βουλής

In.gr, 19 Μaΐου 2008

Η Ρυθμιστική Αρχή Ενέργειας ενέκρινε και χορήγησε στη Βουλή την προβλεπόμενη έγκριση για την εγκατάσταση στη στέγη του Μεγάρου του Κοινοβουλίου, φωτοβολταϊκού συστήματος συνολικής ισχύος 78,336KW. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Korean Village Runs On 100% Solar Power

ENN, May 12, 2008

The Korean village Donggwang gets 100% of its power from the sun. The village is located on the semi-tropical island of Jeju-do. The village’s forty houses and the school all have large solar panels covering their roofs. A typical roof will have a two kilowatt solar installation. In 2004, the government subsidized the solar systems in Donggwang, paying 70% of the installation fees. Read more...

65 Million Square Feet of Solar Rooftops: Powering 162,000 Hom

ENN, March 31, 2008

In an ambitious move, a Californian utility plans to create a massive, distributed “powerplant” by installing a total of 2 square miles of solar celss on the roofs of businesses. Southern California Edison plans to install 250 megawatts’ worth of solar power, generating enough electricity to power 162,000 homes. Read more...

The Dirty Side of a “Green” Industry

ENN, March 14, 2008

As people worldwide increasingly feel the heat of climate change, many are applauding the skyrocketing growth China’s fledging solar-cell industry. Solar power and other “green” technologies, by providing electricity from renewable energy sources like the sun and wind, create hope for a world free of coal-burning pollution and natural resource depletion. A recent Washington Post article, however, has revealed that China’s booming solar industry is not as green as one might expect. Many of the solar panels that now adorn European and American rooftops have left behind a legacy of toxic pollution in Chinese villages and farmlands. Read more...

Φωτοβολταϊκό μεγα-πάρκο σε εξαντλημένο λιγνιτωρυχείο της ΔΕΗ στη Μεγαλόπολη

Καθημερινή, 7/11/2007

Tο πράσινο φως για την εγκατάσταση ενός από τα μεγαλύτερα φωτοβολταϊκά πάρκα στον κόσμο έδωσε στη ΔEH το υπουργείο Aνάπτυξης. Tο σχέδιο προβλέπει την παραγωγή ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας από φωτοβολταϊκό σταθμό συνολικής ισχύος 50 MW, σε έκταση του ήδη εξαντληθέντος λιγνιτωρυχείου της ΔEH στην περιοχή Xωρεμίου Mεγαλόπολης. H ετήσια παραγωγή του υπολογίζεται σε 58.000.000 κιλοβατώρες καθαρής ενέργειας που καλύπτει τη συνολική κατανάλωση 28.000 νοικοκυριών, που αντιστοιχούν στο 42% των νοικοκυριών του νομού Aρκαδίας. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Solar plane flies into the night

BBC News, September 9, 2007

A lightweight solar-powered plane has smashed the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight.
UK defence firm Qinetiq, which built the Zephyr unmanned aerial vehicle, said it flew for 54 hours during tests. Read more...