Texas is urged to help expand solar power

2010 Feb 10 
Texas "has what it takes to be a national leader in solar power," including ample sunshine, but it needs to embrace more ambitious policies and adopt new financial incentives to make it happen, according to a "Lone Star Power" report issued Wednesday by Environment Texas and the Go Solar Texas Coalition.
The groups urged Gov. Rick Perry -- in a letter signed by more than 80 businesses, including 12 in Dallas-Fort Worth -- to make development of solar power a much higher priority.
The biggest criticism of solar has been its high cost compared with other energy sources. But the report contends that if Texas electric companies would "offer a variety of incentives and rebates to reduce the upfront cost," that would "help create economies of scale to make solar affordable for everyone and create a major economic engine for the state to boot."
Oncor Electric Delivery, the major electric transmission and distribution company in North Texas, has a Texas Solar Photovoltaic Program to provide financial incentives for solar installations.
The Texas Public Utility Commission is considering adopting a new target of 500 megawatts of new nonwind renewable energy by 2015, an amount roughly equal to the generating capacity of a single coal-fired power plant. But the Go Solar Texas Coalition wants the state to aim for 1,000 megawatts of solar power by 2015 and 5,000 megawatts by 2025, which would still be less than 10 percent of Texas' total generating capacity. Solar now provides less than 1 percent of Texas' power.
Four potential solar facilities -- totaling 459 megawatts -- could be established in Presidio, Pecos and Tom Green counties in West Texas, said Dottie Roark, a spokeswoman for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, operator of the power grid for most of the state.
 
Read more:  http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02/10/1961196/texas-is-urged-to-help-expand.html

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Group urges Texas to promote more solar power use

2010 Feb 10

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – With a surplus of both land and sunshine, Texas could easily be the nation's leader in solar power generation but needs more help from state leaders, advocates said Wednesday.
A coalition of environmentalists, politicians and more than 80 businesses held events around the state to release a letter urging Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Public Utility Commission to take more action promoting solar power use.
The group noted that Texas, which produces and refines a huge portion of the nation's oil, already is home to many companies in the solar business as well as plenty of high-tech and energy industry expertise. So they say there's no reason only 0.01 percent of the state's power should come from the sun.
"We're here today to call on Governor Perry to use his authority to make Texas go solar," Environment Texas spokesman Sriram Madhusoodanan said at a 5,000-square-foot home in suburban Dallas that produces its own solar energy. "Right now is really the time for Texas to take the lead, to lead the world."
Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said the governor supports all sorts of alternative energy in Texas, which leads the nation in wind energy production. Three major solar projects are scheduled to begin this year, others are in development and 11 utility companies are already offering rebates for solar energy systems, she said.
"Texas is the very picture of a state aggressively seeking its future in alternative energy through incentives and innovation, not mandates and overreaching regulation," Castle said.
Energy supply is a huge concern in Texas. The state is growing so fast that an estimated 2.2 million single-family homes are expected to be built between 2010 and 2030. Texas also has chronically dirty air, caused in part by numerous coal-fired power plants.
The PUC is considering a rule requiring electric companies to obtain 500 megawatts of electricity from solar energy and other emerging renewable technologies by the year 2015. That's about the size of one coal-fired power plant.
The solar group, called the Go Solar Texas Coalition, wants the rule passed quickly and wants Perry to increase those numbers dramatically. It thinks Texas should push for 1,000 solar megawatts by 2015 and 5,000 by 2025.
 
Read more:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100210/ap_on_bi_ge/tx_solar_power_texas

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Energy Resources: Solar power for Venezuela?

2010 Feb 9

CARACAS, Venezuela, (UPI) -- Venezuela announced plans to invest more than $6 million in solar power as the government declares a formal electricity emergency.
Venezuela's Foundation for the Development of Electric Service announced plans to invest $6.2 million to install 1,531 photovoltaic systems throughout the country.
Jesus Marerro, the national director of the so-called Sewing Light program, said the plans include installations on schools, community centers and water purification centers, Venezuela's El Universal newspaper reports.
The plans come as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a formal electricity emergency as the country struggles with rolling blackouts.
Chavez said during his radio program that pervasive drought was causing problems for his country, which relies on hydropower for much of its energy needs, the BBC reports.
 
Read more:  http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2010/02/09/Solar-power-for-Venezuela/UPI-32461265737904/

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Posted by Christopher Beau at 3:44 PM

Solar Power Is Now an Option for Even the Most Cash-Strapped Suburbanites

2010 Jan 16

Residential solar leases offer a no-money-down, low-monthly plan that makes solar electricity cheaper than the stuff we get by wire -- and you don't have to buy the panels.

Say hello to the thing that could save our sun-splashed suburban lifestyle: affordable residential solar power that puts roof-top solar panels within reach of the most cash-strapped America consumer. This breakthrough is not a result of technological innovation, but a new financing scheme cooked up on Wall Street called a "residential solar lease," a no-money-down, low-monthly plan that has made solar electricity cheaper than the stuff we get by wire. It's an old approach to a new source of energy, and it is taking California by storm.

"Go solar for $0 down. Now you can afford to go solar without the high initial cost of installing a system. Instead of buying the equipment, you simply lease it,"  boasts the Web site of SolarCity, a well-financed Silicon Valley start-up that has been pioneering the residential solar lease.

A solar lease is a fairly simple arrangement that is not unlike a car lease. Instead of dishing out tens of thousands of dollars upfront to buy and install a rooftop solar array, homeowners simply borrow one for a low monthly fee. Like a car lease, customers sign a contract that locks them in for a specified period of time with the option of extending their lease or buying the panels at the end of the contract. 
Read more:  http://www.alternet.org/environment/145205/solar_power_is_now_an_option_for_even_the_most_cash-strapped_suburbanites/
  
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Startup claims 24/7 solar power breakthrough

2010 Jan 20

New chemical storage technology makes solar baseload power-capable, says small, newly formed U.S. company.

A U.S. and Australian partnership has introduced a new solar thermal storage approach it believes could be disruptive to the fledgling solar storage industry.
Unveiling it for the first time at the World Future Summit in Abu Dhabi, Solar Fusion Power Director Wayne Bliesner described the system as having ten times the density of conventional molten salt solar storage.
"Twenty-four hour solar storage becomes easy with this technology," he told the Cleantech Group. "We could do thirty to forty hours."
The company's approach uses calcium hydride, a simple, non-toxic salt.
Under Solar Fusion's plan, solar heat is collected by an array of heliostats directed to a central down mirror, eliminating the requirement for a power tower.
The heat, focused on a power head immersed in liquid calcium, chemically separates the calcium and hydrogen during the day. At night, the hydrogen, having been collected in a separate tank, is pumped back and reacts with the calcium to reform as calcium hydride.
The reaction runs at approximately 1,000 degrees, and powers a dual shell Stirling engine of Bliesner's design to create power after dark.
"We can generate electricity continuously unlike other solar technologies," said Bleisner, inventor of the technology and a former Boeing engineer.

Read more: http://cleantech.com/news/5536/startup-247-solar-storage-breakthrough
 
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European space company wants solar power plant in space

2010 Jan 21


EADS Astrium, Europe's biggest space company, plans to put a solar power satellite in orbit to demonstrate the collection of solar power in space and its transmission via infrared laser to provide electricity on Earth.

Chief executive officer of Astrium, François Auque, said the system is at the testing stage, but that a viable system collecting and transmitting power from space could be within reach soon. Auque said space solar power is an attractive idea because it is an inexhaustible and clean form of energy. Unlike solar plants on Earth, orbital solar collectors can work around the clock, and there is no interference from clouds or atmospheric dusts or gases, which means the energy hitting photovoltaic cells in orbit is much greater than it would be for the same panels on the ground.
Earlier concepts of beaming power to Earth from space were criticized because they relied on microwaves to transmit the power to the ground, which has safety concerns, so Astrium plans to use infrared lasers instead, which means that even if they were misdirected people and objects hit by the laser beams could not be scorched.
The transmission of power via infrared laser has been tested in Astrium’s laboratories, and they are now concentrating on improving the system’s efficiency. Work on developing converters to convert received infrared energy to electricity is proceeding rapidly, and Astrium is collaborating in this work with scientists at the University of Surrey, in the UK. The company is hoping to achieve 80% efficiency in the conversion.
According to Astrium’s chief technology officer, Robert Laine, at present the power handled by the system is limited by the size of the laser that can be built. A demonstration mission would also be necessary to prove the system works, and this should be possible within the present decade.
The concept of harvesting solar power in space has been discussed for at least the last three decades, but the problems of power loss during transmission and the expense and difficulty of assembling large arrays of solar collectors in space have seemed almost insurmountable. However, Astrium is not the only company close to bringing the idea to fruition. Last September Japan announced it is planning to put a small demonstration solar collecting satellite in orbit by 2015. This system will transmit the power to Earth using microwaves.

Read more: http://www.physorg.com/news183278937.html
 
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Beijing To Increase Investment In Solar Power

2010 Jan 11


From 2010, Beijing will invest at least CNY200 million each year in six major solar power projects.
These investments are outlined in "Guideline on Accelerating the Development and Utilization of Solar Power in Beijing" which was jointly released by the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Beijing Municipal House Construction Commission, and three other agencies.
The six projects are a 20,000-kilowatt photovoltaic rooftop project, a 50,000-kilowatt solar energy demonstration power plant project, a solar power campus project, a solar power hot water project, a solar power agriculture project, and a solar power night landscape project.
It is expected that the policy support will help drive a total of CNY6.5 billion social investment in three years, and with the policy in place, the total area covered by solar power heating systems in the city will reach seven million square meters, solar power generation system will reach 70 megawatts in capacities and the value of solar power output will be over CNY20 billion.

Read more: http://www.chinacsr.com/en/2010/01/11/6940-beijing-to-increase-investment-in-solar-power/
 
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India can be solar power leader: PM

2010 Jan 11


NEW DELHI (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid out ambitious plans to make his country a global leader in solar power on Monday as he launched a government initiative to boost use of the technology.
Solar can help secure India's energy independence and tackle climate change, Singh said, as well as offering new opportunities for industry in a country with a crippling shortage of power.
The National Solar Mission, launched Monday, could "establish India as a global leader in solar energy" in the areas of power generation and technology production, Singh told business leaders and government officials.
"The rapid spread of solar lighting systems, solar water pumps and other solar power-based rural applications can change the face of our rural energy sector," he said.
The Solar Mission has the goal of increasing solar energy capacity exponentially to reach 20,000 megawatts for the year 2022, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
That amount would provide enough power for 20 million homes, with each receiving one kilowatt of power.
Government figures show approximately 80,000 impoverished Indian villages have no access to grid electricity.
India currently produces just under nine megawatts of solar power, data from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) showed in October.
The prime minister said India boasted some of the world's greatest science and techology minds and they had revolutionised atomic energy, space and information technology.
"I am convinced that solar energy can be the next scientific and industrial frontier in India," he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100111/sc_afp/indiaenergyalternativesolar
 
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eSolar strikes deal to build power plants in China

2010 Jan 9

BEIJING – A U.S. solar power company said Saturday it will help build a series of solar thermal power plants in China, as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases tries to decrease its heavy reliance on coal, imported gas and oil.
California-based eSolar Inc. will provide Shandong Penglai Electric Power Equipment Manufacturing Co. with the technology and information to build the concentrated solar thermal power farms with a capacity totaling 2,000 megawatts.
The $5 billion investment would be the largest such project in China, though the companies didn't say who would be investing how much.
"This is a huge jump for China," said Deborah Seligsohn, director of the China climate program for the U.S-based World Resources Institute. "That amount suggests a number of commercial plants."
Interest in China as a solar energy market is growing quickly as the government looks for alternatives to coal. Saturday's deal comes four months after the largest solar panel maker in the U.S., First Solar, struck a tentative deal to build a massive solar field in China.
The eSolar deal is for concentrated solar thermal power — not the traditional image of vast farms of solar panels, but a system of taking what essentially are mirrors and focusing them to heat water to create steam to power a generator.
"There's room in the world for both systems, and we need both," Seligsohn said.
China is moving much faster than the U.S. in solar power development, eSolar officials said.
"This is an excellent example of what we all must do to fight climate change," Merrick Kerr, eSolar's chief financial officer, told a news conference Saturday in Beijing.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_china_solar_power;_ylt=AvHlwmWd8F1wC6KEsKwpc_yaK8MA
 
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China Tries a New Tack to Go Solar

2010 Jan 8


HONG KONG — As it moves rapidly to become the world’s leader in nuclear power, wind energy and photovoltaic solar panels, China is taking tentative steps to master another alternative energy industry: using mirrors to capture sunlight, produce steam and generate electricity.

So-called concentrating solar power uses hundreds of thousands of mirrors to turn water into steam. The steam turns a conventional turbine similar to those in coal-fired power plants. The technology, which is potentially cheaper than most types of renewable power, has captivated many engineers and financiers in the last two years, with an abrupt surge in new patents and plans for large power operations in Europe and the United States.
This year may be China’s turn. China is starting to build its own concentrating solar power plants, a technology more associated with California deserts than China’s countryside. And Chinese manufacturers are starting to think about exports, part of China’s effort to become the world’s main provider of alternative energy power equipment.
Yet concentrating solar power still faces formidable obstacles here, including government officials who are skeptical that the technology will be useful on a large scale in China.
Much of the country is cloudy or smoggy. Water is scarce. The sunniest places left for solar power are deserts deep in the interior, far from the energy-hungry coastal provinces that consume most of China’s electricity. Provinces deep in the interior have few skilled workers or engineers to maintain the automated gear that keeps mirrors focused on towers that transfer the heat from sunbeams into fluids.
Concentrating solar power “is not very suitable for China,” wrote Li Junfeng, a senior government energy policy maker, in a detailed e-mail reply to questions this week.
Yet the private sector in China is racing to embrace the technology anyway.
A California solar technology company and a Chinese power equipment manufacturer plan to sign a deal on Saturday for the construction of up to 2,000 megawatts of power plants using concentrating solar power over the next decade, executives from both companies said this week. That is equivalent to the output of a couple of nuclear power plants. They will start with a 92-megawatt plant in Yulin, a town in a semi-desert area of Shaanxi Province in central China.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/business/energy-environment/09solar.html
 
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West Bengal targets 115 mw solar power by 2013

2009 Dec 28


Kolkata, West Bengal expects to generate 115 megawatt solar power by March 2013, an official said Monday.

"We are expecting to generate 110 mw from land-based solar power plants to be set up with the help of private sector companies. Another 5 mw will be produced through rooftop panels by 2013," West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC) managing director S.P. Gon Chaudhuri told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here.

Around Rs.1,500 crore will be invested to produce the 115 mw.

The government has given a proposal to the union New and Renewable Energy Ministry to get this amount. At present, the state produces only 15 mw of solar power.

According to the National Solar Mission, India should have an installed capacity of 20,000 mw by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan in 2022, implemented in three stages. For the first phase, scheduled to be over by 2013, the solar power capacity is expected to be around 1,300 mw.

"Out of 20,000 mw by 2022, we want to produce 2,000 mw," Gon Chaudhri said at the seminar, which was part of the Industrial India Trade Fair organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said the state would take up the task of making solar modules with a generation capacity of at least 500 mw of power by 2013.

By 2013, the whole country is expected to produce that much module, which can generate 5,000 mw of solar power, according to the mission.

Read more: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-20133.html 

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