"Perhaps it's not surprising that balmy Hawaii is home to a company that's pushing the envelope of solar thermal technology.
Start-up Sopogy, based in Honolulu, has taken the basic design of large solar thermal power plants and shrunk it down so it can fit on a building's roof. "
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Solar Energy Poised to Go Mainstream, Say Researchers
"SAN FRANCISCO, May 24 (OneWorld) - Solar power is the fastest growing source of energy in the world and likely will become much more affordable in the next few years, according to a new report out this week.
"As production costs fall, technologies continue to advance, and supply and demand come into balance," the report reads, "[solar power] prices will fall more than 40 percent in the next three years relative to prices in late 2006. Such a decline would make solar electricity far more affordable in markets across the globe." "
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"As production costs fall, technologies continue to advance, and supply and demand come into balance," the report reads, "[solar power] prices will fall more than 40 percent in the next three years relative to prices in late 2006. Such a decline would make solar electricity far more affordable in markets across the globe." "
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Saturday, May 19, 2007
We Have Just Begun to Tap Geothermal Energy's Potential, Industry Leader Tells Congressional Hearing
"Today, we are tapping only 3.5% of the estimated hydrothermal resource base. Is that acceptable when our country imports 10 million barrels of oil a day and is 60% dependent on net petroleum imports?" Paul Thomsen, Public Policy Manager of Ormat Technologies, asked the House Science Subcommittee on Energy and Environment."
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Friday, May 11, 2007
6 Million American Households to be Powered by Geothermal Energy, New Survey Reports
"
"The surge in new geothermal power development continues in the US," Gawell stated. According to the Geothermal Energy Association's new report, as of May 2007 there were 75 new geothermal power projects underway in 12 states. This is an increase of 14 projects in an additional three states compared to a survey completed just last November.
"New federal and state initiatives to promote geothermal energy are paying off," commented Karl Gawell, GEA's Executive Director. "State renewable standards coupled with the federal production tax credit are creating a renaissance in US geothermal power production," he added."
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"The surge in new geothermal power development continues in the US," Gawell stated. According to the Geothermal Energy Association's new report, as of May 2007 there were 75 new geothermal power projects underway in 12 states. This is an increase of 14 projects in an additional three states compared to a survey completed just last November.
"New federal and state initiatives to promote geothermal energy are paying off," commented Karl Gawell, GEA's Executive Director. "State renewable standards coupled with the federal production tax credit are creating a renaissance in US geothermal power production," he added."
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Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Tas search for geothermal power
"The Tasmanian Government has granted an exploration licence covering almost 3,000 square kilometres near Rosebery.
Deputy Premier Steven Kons says the initial reviews are encouraging.
"There's documented evidence showing that high heat flows emanating from the west coast granites are a suitable source of energy when water runs over these rocks, this heats them and causes steam," he said."
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Deputy Premier Steven Kons says the initial reviews are encouraging.
"There's documented evidence showing that high heat flows emanating from the west coast granites are a suitable source of energy when water runs over these rocks, this heats them and causes steam," he said."
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New view of photosynthesis could help develop better solar cells
""This pioneering research gives us new insights into the basic mechanism of photosynthesis," said Kamal Shukla, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. "Understanding such basic biological processes can lead to important societal benefits."
For example, the answer may be good news for the development of organic solar cells, said Shukla, which have been of commercial interest because of their relatively low cost compared to traditional silicon solar cells."
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For example, the answer may be good news for the development of organic solar cells, said Shukla, which have been of commercial interest because of their relatively low cost compared to traditional silicon solar cells."
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WFU gives solar cells an energy boost
"Researchers at Wake Forest University have increased the efficiency of plastic solar cells to more than 6 percent, double the previous standard of 3 percent.
The plastic solar cells could make it easier - and cheaper - for consumers to use solar energy for heat and electricity, they said.
“Six percent is a big number,” said David Carroll, the director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at WFU. “You’ve now got a device that’s good enough to start thinking about a commercial product.”"
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The plastic solar cells could make it easier - and cheaper - for consumers to use solar energy for heat and electricity, they said.
“Six percent is a big number,” said David Carroll, the director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at WFU. “You’ve now got a device that’s good enough to start thinking about a commercial product.”"
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Saturday, May 5, 2007
Power station harnesses Sun's rays (Solar Thermal)
"There is a scene in one of the Austin Powers films where Dr Evil unleashes a giant "tractor beam" of energy at Earth in order to extract a massive payment.
Well, the memory of it kept me chuckling as I toured the extraordinary scene of the new solar thermal power plant outside Seville in southern Spain. "
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Solar Thermal can provide energy for two billion people, just from Australia alone
This is an interview with Australian Professor David Mills. In it he state he believes he can provide energy for 2 billion Australian by developing Solar Thermal Plants
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David on the 7:30 Report
"KERRY O’BRIEN: Australia's main energy suppliers have released a study today supporting the Federal Government's expressed view that clean coal, if and when it is economically feasible, backed by nuclear power is the nation's best hope for reducing future greenhouse gas emissions. The study puts solar power and other renewables down the list. Coincidentally, Australia's leading solar power innovator leaves the country tomorrow because big American investors want to put his technology to far greater use in California. Professor David Mills, a Canadian expatriate who has made Australia home and carved out a reputation here as a world pioneer in solar research, has developed solar technology that, he believes, could power Australia. The frustrated scientist believes this country can't see past its rich coal and uranium reserves and recognise that the sun is Australia's richest energy resource of all. Matt Peacock reports.
MATT PEACOCK: Solar power in NSW coal country, where Macquarie Generation’s Liddell power station is topping up its dirty coal power with this clean, green solar plant.
DAVID MILLS, CHAIRMAN, SOLAR HEAT AND POWER (2004): Eventually this field will be 135,000 square metres. At the moment it is 1 per cent of that size and what will happen is that sunlight on a clear day like this strikes those mirrors and is gathered up onto the tower, and there is an absorber underneath that tower. In that absorber there are steam pipes and water and water is simply boiled there and that steam is drawn off and taken to the application. In this case, the application will be spliced into the power station that already exists.
MATT PEACOCK: Professor David Mills is a world leader in solar research and his company, Solar Heat and Power, has no doubt about the potential of this plant.
DAVID MILLS: Our solar technology can probably run the biggest size turbines today of any solar technology.
MATT PEACOCK: So what you are saying is that you could power Sydney?
DAVID MILLS: Yes, we could power Sydney, but we can power Australia on it.
MATT PEACOCK: But a study released today by the Energy Supply Association of Australia's CEO, Brad Page, rates clean coal, nuclear and gas far ahead of solar in the race to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
BRAD PAGE, ENERGY SUPPLY ASSOC OF AUSTRALIA: Solar and wind remain relatively low on the list because we don't see that their cost is going to come down to competitive levels.
DAVID MILLS: We've never been in contact with them about this technology. But what I will say is that when we look at our situation in the United States for a coal plant built in the United States, and the building of such a plant would not be significantly different in cost than in Australia, our construction cost for a large plant would come within the range of present coal plants - not in the mid range, but we don't have fuel costs.
MATT PEACOCK: Today, like a string of other Australian solar researchers before him, David Mills is packing his bags to move overseas.
DAVID MILLS: For 30 years, I've been trying to develop a solar industry in Australia. So I think that's a good effort. I've given it a good go. I'm happy, because I think the planet needs this technology. It's not just Australia that needs this technology.
MATT PEACOCK: Mills and his company headquarters are moving to California, the world's seventh-largest economy, where in a biapartisan move Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to cut greenhouse emissions by a massive 80 per cent over the next 45 years. Now the race is on.
ARNOLD SCWARZENEGGER: Our goal is we have to roll it back to the 1990 level. We can do that.
PROF STEPHEN SCHNEIDER, CLIMATE SCIENTIST, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: California is at the moment leading the world in terms of its commitment to reduce greenhouse gases. There is also a lot of people here and a lot of money. There is a lot of sunshine. There is a lot of wind, and as a result of that there is going to be a lot of experimentation to see who comes out the cheapest and the safest and the fastest."
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David on the 7:30 Report
"KERRY O’BRIEN: Australia's main energy suppliers have released a study today supporting the Federal Government's expressed view that clean coal, if and when it is economically feasible, backed by nuclear power is the nation's best hope for reducing future greenhouse gas emissions. The study puts solar power and other renewables down the list. Coincidentally, Australia's leading solar power innovator leaves the country tomorrow because big American investors want to put his technology to far greater use in California. Professor David Mills, a Canadian expatriate who has made Australia home and carved out a reputation here as a world pioneer in solar research, has developed solar technology that, he believes, could power Australia. The frustrated scientist believes this country can't see past its rich coal and uranium reserves and recognise that the sun is Australia's richest energy resource of all. Matt Peacock reports.
MATT PEACOCK: Solar power in NSW coal country, where Macquarie Generation’s Liddell power station is topping up its dirty coal power with this clean, green solar plant.
DAVID MILLS, CHAIRMAN, SOLAR HEAT AND POWER (2004): Eventually this field will be 135,000 square metres. At the moment it is 1 per cent of that size and what will happen is that sunlight on a clear day like this strikes those mirrors and is gathered up onto the tower, and there is an absorber underneath that tower. In that absorber there are steam pipes and water and water is simply boiled there and that steam is drawn off and taken to the application. In this case, the application will be spliced into the power station that already exists.
MATT PEACOCK: Professor David Mills is a world leader in solar research and his company, Solar Heat and Power, has no doubt about the potential of this plant.
DAVID MILLS: Our solar technology can probably run the biggest size turbines today of any solar technology.
MATT PEACOCK: So what you are saying is that you could power Sydney?
DAVID MILLS: Yes, we could power Sydney, but we can power Australia on it.
MATT PEACOCK: But a study released today by the Energy Supply Association of Australia's CEO, Brad Page, rates clean coal, nuclear and gas far ahead of solar in the race to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
BRAD PAGE, ENERGY SUPPLY ASSOC OF AUSTRALIA: Solar and wind remain relatively low on the list because we don't see that their cost is going to come down to competitive levels.
DAVID MILLS: We've never been in contact with them about this technology. But what I will say is that when we look at our situation in the United States for a coal plant built in the United States, and the building of such a plant would not be significantly different in cost than in Australia, our construction cost for a large plant would come within the range of present coal plants - not in the mid range, but we don't have fuel costs.
MATT PEACOCK: Today, like a string of other Australian solar researchers before him, David Mills is packing his bags to move overseas.
DAVID MILLS: For 30 years, I've been trying to develop a solar industry in Australia. So I think that's a good effort. I've given it a good go. I'm happy, because I think the planet needs this technology. It's not just Australia that needs this technology.
MATT PEACOCK: Mills and his company headquarters are moving to California, the world's seventh-largest economy, where in a biapartisan move Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to cut greenhouse emissions by a massive 80 per cent over the next 45 years. Now the race is on.
ARNOLD SCWARZENEGGER: Our goal is we have to roll it back to the 1990 level. We can do that.
PROF STEPHEN SCHNEIDER, CLIMATE SCIENTIST, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: California is at the moment leading the world in terms of its commitment to reduce greenhouse gases. There is also a lot of people here and a lot of money. There is a lot of sunshine. There is a lot of wind, and as a result of that there is going to be a lot of experimentation to see who comes out the cheapest and the safest and the fastest."
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Ontario goes solar
"The Ontario government has given approval for a California company to construct a massive solar "farm" near Sarnia that will blanket an area larger than all three Toronto islands with hundreds of thousands of sun-soaking panels.
It will be the largest solar power station in North America and among the most expansive in the world to use photovoltaic cells that produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. Once complete, the 40-megawatt Sarnia project will be able to supply enough emission-free electricity to power between 10,000 and 15,000 homes on sunny days. "
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Solar World: Conergy builds U.S. presence
"A major German solar company is stepping up its activity in the United States, anticipating a growing market in the near future.
"The (United States) will become the most-promising solar market in the years to come," Cameron "Mac" Moore, the North American regional head of the Conergy Group, told United Press International in an e-mail message.
"From our point of view, in five years the U.S. market will be the strongest worldwide."
The company has experience in other strong solar markets, Moore said, and it will be able to apply that experience stateside.
"Here in the (United States), we have the chance to apply all the experiences that we have gathered in other countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy for the past 10 years."
Spain and Italy are two other leading solar markets.
"We are currently in a pole position to address the U.S. energy issue with the right renewable energy solution for every market segment," he said. "
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"The (United States) will become the most-promising solar market in the years to come," Cameron "Mac" Moore, the North American regional head of the Conergy Group, told United Press International in an e-mail message.
"From our point of view, in five years the U.S. market will be the strongest worldwide."
The company has experience in other strong solar markets, Moore said, and it will be able to apply that experience stateside.
"Here in the (United States), we have the chance to apply all the experiences that we have gathered in other countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy for the past 10 years."
Spain and Italy are two other leading solar markets.
"We are currently in a pole position to address the U.S. energy issue with the right renewable energy solution for every market segment," he said. "
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N.M. solar company seeks tax incentives
""The world is moving forward in this technology, and we have some room to make up," testified Chet Boortz, Advent's vice president of business development."
"Boortz said Germany and Japan are the countries with the fastest-growing use of solar power, because they put in place the biggest incentives to use photovoltaic cells."
"Bingaman told Boortz, 'I don't disagree the first step is to increase demand.'
But he added that, without some subsidies for investment and production in the United States, "we may wind up buying more and more (photovoltaic cells) from China," instead of adding jobs here."
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"Boortz said Germany and Japan are the countries with the fastest-growing use of solar power, because they put in place the biggest incentives to use photovoltaic cells."
"Bingaman told Boortz, 'I don't disagree the first step is to increase demand.'
But he added that, without some subsidies for investment and production in the United States, "we may wind up buying more and more (photovoltaic cells) from China," instead of adding jobs here."
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Solar Energy Coming of Age
"Flush with capital and fattened up on government subsidies, sun power companies are positioning themselves to grab market share in high-demand areas of the globe, notably Spain, South Korea, Greece, Italy, and California.
The race to corner the market is spurring some companies to test unusual business strategies. Just last week, Hayward, California-based OptiSolar’s Canadian unit announced plans to build the largest complex of solar power stations in North America in southern Ontario.
But what has piqued analysts’ interest in the 40-megawatt project isn’t its scale or ambition—it’s OptiSolar’s unconventional move to both build and operate the solar farm, which can deliver enough electricity to light up 6,000 homes.
“It’s very unusual” to do both, said Jenny Chase, senior analyst for solar at London-based research firm New Energy Finance. “I don’t know of any company that’s vertically integrated from manufacturing to project development.”
Until recently, manufacturing was the moneymaker in the industry. Rising demand for solar panels, silicon wafers, and photovoltaic cells, coupled with a worldwide shortage of polysilicon, pushed up prices—and therefore profits."
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The race to corner the market is spurring some companies to test unusual business strategies. Just last week, Hayward, California-based OptiSolar’s Canadian unit announced plans to build the largest complex of solar power stations in North America in southern Ontario.
But what has piqued analysts’ interest in the 40-megawatt project isn’t its scale or ambition—it’s OptiSolar’s unconventional move to both build and operate the solar farm, which can deliver enough electricity to light up 6,000 homes.
“It’s very unusual” to do both, said Jenny Chase, senior analyst for solar at London-based research firm New Energy Finance. “I don’t know of any company that’s vertically integrated from manufacturing to project development.”
Until recently, manufacturing was the moneymaker in the industry. Rising demand for solar panels, silicon wafers, and photovoltaic cells, coupled with a worldwide shortage of polysilicon, pushed up prices—and therefore profits."
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