[TECHNOLOGY] submarino que funciona íntegramente con energía solar

La Exposición Internacional de Zaragoza fue ayer el escenario de la presentación del primer submarino solar del mundo.

Goldfish, así se llama el proyecto de origen suizo, se mueve gracias a una plataforma solar flotante y móvil que tiene forma de nenúfar. Dicha plataforma está equipada con una central solar y una estación de recarga y es adaptable a múltiples aplicaciones industriales, turísticas o de transportes.

Sus creadores, los ingenieros Martin Pfisterer y Matthias Zelweger, explicaron ayer en el pabellón de Suiza el funcionamiento y las ventajas que ofrece el proyecto, desarrollado por la empresa eléctrica BKW-FMB Energie, y la compañía de transportes BLS SA, ambas ubicadas en el cantón de Berna.

El estudio de viabilidad del proyecto concluyó el pasado mes de junio con el resultado de que «es realizable desde el punto de vista técnico y puede obtener los permisos de explotación necesarios». Los costes para materializar la iniciativa se elevan a 10 millones de francos suizos y la primera inmersión del submarino está prevista para el segundo semestre de 2011.

El primer lugar donde se utilizará la plataforma será el lago Thun, en los Alpes suizos, donde flota como «una isla en medio del lago», según una de las responsables de la dirección del proyecto, Marie-Anne Kiener.

La plataforma hará también las funciones de embarcadero y alimentará tanto el submarino, como el trasbordador solar que trasladará a los visitantes desde tierra firma.

La plataforma cuenta con cinco satélites laterales donde se encuentran las placas fotovoltaicas que se direccionan maximizando el aporte de energía.

En total son 300 metros cuadrados de células fotovoltaicas, que cuentan con una potencia de 30 kilovatios. La movilidad de la isla se consigue a partir de de los motores subacuáticos que otorgan a la plataforma una capacidad de giro de 360 grados.

Tanto la plataforma como los diferentes elementos que desarrolla consiguen energía de una manera totalmente limpia. La planta almacena la energía generada en baterías, y carga los objetos dependientes de él mediante un cable.

El proyecto está pensado para sitios con poco espacio, debido a la densidad de edificios; en aguas con poco oleaje y en regiones con suficiente irradiación solar, según los responsables.

Asimismo, la plataforma se puede instalar en ríos, lagos o puertos. La plataforma flotante está equipada con una central solar y una estación de recarga.

«La energía que produce esta central solar debe ser suficiente para las inmersiones del submarino y para asegurar el funcionamiento de la plataforma. Esta se puede acomodar automáticamente en todo momento con una capacidad para 60 personas y es el atracadero para el submarino y el transportador solar», según los creadores del proyecto.

El submarino solar se construirá sobre la base de un submarino convencional de uso comercial que se adaptará de forma conveniente. Según los autores del proyecto, tanto la plataforma como los diferentes elementos que desarrolla consiguen energía de una manera totalmente limpia. Las dimensiones del vehículo subacuático pueden oscilar de los 20 a 30 metros de longitud, y podrá albergar de 20 a 30 pasajeros.

El submarino será capaz de sumergirse hasta 200 metros en 10 minutos, y su consumo diario es de 100 kilovatios hora, lo que permite cuatro inmersiones diarias. Además, contará con ojos de buey de 60 a 70 centímetros de diámetro para una visión de gran ángulo, reflectantes potentes para ver en la oscuridad de las aguas profundas, y podrá funcionar los 365 días del año.

Source: El Mundo

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[RUSSIA] Investors Bet Millions on the Sun

The image of Russia as a dark northern country that lives off its fossil fuels might be well-founded. But companies that rely on global demand for solar energy and Russia's scientific base have investors convinced.

The next step: convincing their own government.

Nitol Solar, a private company in the east Siberian town of Usolye-Sibirskoye, has raised $600 million in investment since opening five years ago, including $190 million from Alfa Bank on Aug. 12 and $75 million from the World Bank's International Finance Corporation in late July.

The latest investment agreements were signed after Nitol Solar produced its first batch of polysilicon, an energy-intensive raw material that is the main component of solar cells.

Nitol Solar's production of polysilicon was big news in the solar power market, which currently provides about 1 percent of global energy consumption and has been growing rapidly in the past couple of years, fueled by rising energy costs and environmental awareness. The main reason the market is not expanding more quickly is a shortage of polysilicon, which absorbs the sun's photons in order to generate an electric current.

Nitol Solar, based in a restructured Soviet chemical plant in the Irkutsk region, plans to produce 3,700 tons of polysilicon per year, or about 9 percent of last year's global supply, by the end of 2009.

These plans have attracted big players like Chinese solar power holding Suntech Power, the world's third-biggest producer of solar cells with a market capitalization of $6.3 billion. Suntech has signed a seven-year supply agreement with Nitol and has agreed to purchase $100 million worth of newly issued ordinary shares in the Russian company.

In addition to China, Nitol Solar supplies raw materials for solar cell production to several European countries, the United States, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, with total contracts worth of $1.5 billion through 2015, said executive director Dmitry Kotenko.

The company currently has no long-term contracts with Russian solar panel manufacturers. But industry players and investors expect that to change.

Kotenko is optimistic that a government drive to promote innovative technologies will jump-start the solar power industry. "The photovoltaic industry is technologically and scientifically intensive. In this regard, Russia can take advantage of its general scientific potential while developing such innovative industry sector," he said.

Alfa Bank vice president Veniamin Gutnikov echoed Kotenko's hopes. "We expect the solar power market to develop in Russia in the next four years and anticipate an introduction of subsidies and reduced taxes for companies in the sector," he said.

Solar manufacturers in Europe and the United States enjoy similar perks already.

President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree in early June that ordered the government to "consider supporting and stimulating renewable energy projects" from the federal budget starting in 2009.

Energy Ministry spokesman Pavel Rodionov could not immediately say Thursday whether any legislation to support alternative energy initiatives was in the works.

Only 0.7 percent of energy production in Russia comes from renewable resources, and the domestic market is expected to grow. Some parts of Siberia and regions in the south of the country get as many as 300 sunny days a year, which is comparable to the amount of sun in southern Europe, where solar panels are increasingly popular, Gutnikov said.

Russia has several solar panel manufacturers, most of which are experiencing shortages of polysilicon. Krasnodar-based Solar Wind, which produces solar modules for Spain, Germany and Greece, has the capacity to produce four times more than it is actually producing because of the raw-material shortage, said company spokesman Timofei Serov. "Demand is so high that we hardly have any storage space -- clients purchase our product immediately," he said.

While solar power in Europe is increasingly replacing conventional power production in urban areas, in Russia solar cells are primarily installed in remote areas to power antennas for cellular phones and security systems, Serov said. In recent years, the share of Solar Wind's Russian clients has grown from 5 to 20 percent, he said.

Using alternative energy such as solar cells makes economic sense in regions that spend a lot of money to ship in energy, said Igor Podgorny, head of Greenpeace's energy efficiency program. Last year, the northern republic of Sakha paid 1.2 billion rubles to transport fossil fuel, according to Greenpeace data.

"It's hard for new players to come into Russia's energy sector," Podgorny said.

Equipping a dacha with solar panels is still relatively costly, while companies have shown little interest in using innovative alternative technology for industrial facilities and power plants, he said.

As a result, conventional energy production is chosen even when it may not make economic sense. When it was decided to replace the polluting diesel-powered electric station on Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal, the authorities chose a complex system of power lines and underwater cables that stretched to the island from the shore. "That project was so complex that it will only pay for itself in 70 years, which is extremely high for the energy industry," Podgorny said.

Cheaper alternatives based on solar and wind power were proposed, but they did not get approved, he said.

Worldwide, solar power is taking off. Last year, the amount of energy produced by solar cells shot up 51 percent to 3,733 megawatts, while installations of solar cells have increased fivefold in the past five years, according to the Worldwatch Institute. The solar cell industry raised $10 billion and generated $17.2 billion in global revenues in 2007, according to an industry report by Solarbuzz.

The International Energy Agency has predicted that solar power production will grow 60-fold worldwide between 2004 and 2030.

Kotenko of Nitol Solar said tax breaks and other perks could help Russia's solar power sector, but he expressed optimism that the industry breakthrough would eventually come because of market forces. "Market conditions will make solar power competitive with traditional energy because prices for traditional energy are growing while improving photovoltaic technology is lowering prices for solar," he said.

"The solar power sector is growing exponentially. It's one of the most dynamic industries worldwide," he added.

Solar Wind also has ambitious expansion plans. "The polysilicon shortage is a resolvable issue, so we plan to increase our capacity from 8 peak kilowatt per year to 150 peak kilowatt per year in 2012," Serov said. "We already have an investor, and work is under way."

Source: The Moscow Times|By Maria Antonova

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TECHNOLOGY: Sunovia Announces National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Solar Applications Contract

Sunovia Energy Technologies and EPIR Technologies are pleased to announce the execution of an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the development of advanced high-efficiency, ultra-lightweight solar cells with thicknesses reduced by a factor of more than ten as compared to those currently in use.

These cells will be used to power spacecraft and, in some cases, for propulsion in all NASA science missions, including the Comet Surface Sample Return (CSSR), Comet Nucleus Sample Return (CNSR), and Mars Sample Return (MASR) missions. The contract leverages EPIR's vast experience in the development of advanced light detection devices and extensive expertise in what is commonly referred to as II-VI materials.

Light-detection devices and solar cells are very similar, both being designed to efficiently convert light into an electric current and differing primarily in the intensity of light available. In detectors, the current generated is used as a signal to detect the light while in solar cells the current generated is used to generate power.

On January 30, Sunovia and EPIR announced the execution of an exclusive partnership that allows them to focus their talents within specific fields of expertise for the benefit of each company. The expertise within the companies in areas including II-VI materials, light detection, infrared imaging, systems integration, detector arrays and infrared (IR) sensors provides them with a marked advantage in the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) and semiconductor technologies that can be transferred to cutting-edge products.

The companies are working on a unique II-VI solar PV technology with encapsulates that they believe will produce an energy conversion efficiency approaching 30 percent. That technology will build on EPIR's pioneering leadership in the growth of II-VI materials on Si for IR detectors and cameras.

Further, the companies announced today the execution of an agreement that provides each company with a 10 percent equity ownership in the other. The mutual ownership further solidifies the relationship of the companies initially established by the exclusive partnership.

Terms of the exclusive partnership include an equal share of ownership in any and all developed intellectual properties (patents, copyrights, unique processes, etc.), and Sunovia received the exclusive marketing rights to any and all products, existing and future. This includes solar PV, infrared, biosensors, LEDs and other advanced products and technologies.

Sunovia and EPIR are developing high-efficiency solar PV technologies and advanced encapsulates based on II-VI materials that eliminate the need for many of the glass encapsulates that are prevalent in today's market.

In addition, the companies are working on a transparent and electrically conductive encapsulate that could eventually eliminate the requirement for contacts on the solar cell. A number of system considerations, including weight and rigidity, make glass an impractical and inefficient system solution for solar encapsulation within the renewable energy market.

Bob Fugerer, Sunovia's president, said, "The contract with NASA is great news for our shareholders and investors, and we are proud to be working with EPIR to develop advanced technologies for the United States that will improve our country's satellite and space technology systems. Our partnership with EPIR has truly enhanced our R and D efforts and I am confident that our shareholders will understand the value of this incredible organization, and its founder Dr. Sivananthan, as we move forward. The contract with NASA is a great testimony to the technology capabilities and proven track record of success for which EPIR is well known in the industry."

Source: SPX

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EUROASIA: Turkey embraces wind power

In an era of record high oil prices, many countries increasingly are turning to alternative fuels, including biofuel, solar energy and wind power. This pattern is typically pronounced in Turkey, forced to import more than 90 percent of its energy needs, with energy suppliers that are not only expensive, but erratic.

In 2006, Turkey spent $29 billion on energy imports, primarily from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Russia. High prices and fickle suppliers have stimulated Turkey's growing interest in wind power.

Turkish interest in alternative fuels has been spurred by recent events. Turkish natural gas imports come primarily from Russia via the South Stream pipeline and Iran. On Dec. 31, Turkmenistan halted its deliveries of natural gas deliveries to Iran, citing the need for urgent pipeline repairs. The cutoff subsequently forced Iran to reduce its gas exports to Turkey by 75 percent, from 20 million cubic meters to 5 million cu. m., as inclement weather increased domestic demand, disrupting Iran's domestic gas distribution. Tehran subsequently claimed that Turkmen action was, in fact, a retaliatory move over proposed price increases. Iran then stopped shipments completely Jan. 8, leading Ankara the next day to halt the flow of Azeri gas to Greece because of the suspension of gas supplies from Iran.

Turkey is Iran's sole export market for natural gas, but the relationship has not been smooth, again due to disputes over price. The Turkmen incident had a feeling of deja vu, as in January 2006 Iran halved its supplies of natural gas to Turkey to around 7 million cubic feet per day, citing "climactic conditions" and increased domestic need, while in December 2006 it temporarily shut off supplies completely.

During the most recent dispute, Turkey turned to Russia with a request for additional natural gas supplies, but was rebuffed. Instead, Moscow also reduced exports, citing severe weather. As natural gas powers half of Turkey's power stations, state pipeline company Botas was forced to tap reserves in its gas depot near Silivri, Turkey's sole gas-storage facility.

The incident has provided further incentives to Turkish efforts to seek alternatives. A measure of Ankara's determination to free itself from the grip of avaricious, erratic energy suppliers is a dramatic rise in governmental interest in wind power, which is illustrated in government figures. While in 2006, wind power in Turkey generated 19 megawatts of electricity, last year Turkey's 10 wind farms produced nearly 140 megawatts, a 736 percent increase.

Turkey's interest in renewable energy dates back to 2005, when the Turkish Grand National Assembly passed a renewable energy law harmonizing government legislation with European Union legislation to support renewable sources, including wind power. The new law provided a government guarantee to purchase electricity at a set price for seven years.

Marmara University Energy Department Associate Professor and World Wind Energy Association Vice President Tanay Sidki Uyar recently said that if Turkey properly developed all of its renewable energy potential resources, including solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power sources, the country could become self-sufficient in energy. Uyar told RenewableEnergyAccess.com, "Wind power could supply Turkey's electricity needs twice over within five to 10 years if the government had the political will to develop this sector." Uyar added, "We have terrific geographic conditions for solar and wind power in Turkey. Exploiting it is already economically and technically possible, but the problem is that the government favors fossil fuels and nuclear energy."

Epitomizing Ankara's determination to become energy self-sufficient is a contract signed last July with General Electric for 52 of its latest generation of wind turbines with a generating capacity of 2.5 megawatts apiece. The GE 2.5xl is the largest GE wind turbine available for onshore applications and is specifically designed to meet EU requirements, where the relative lack of available land is a significant constraint on project size. While previous wind park projects were primarily situated in Turkey's western regions and the Aegean coast, the 130-megawatt GE wind power project in southeastern Turkey will be the world's largest installation of GE latest 2.5xl wind turbine technology and will more than double Turkey's installed wind capacity.

Turkey is not limiting itself to U.S. suppliers; on Jan. 30, Turkey's Rotor Energy Co., a subsidiary of Zorlu Energy, signed a contract with Ecosecurities to build a wind power plant in the southern province of Osmaniye. The Osmaniye facility, scheduled to come online in 2009, will initially generate about 135 megawatts daily, with an annual capacity of 500,000 megawatts.

Ankara is not moving on the issue as swiftly as alternative energy advocates would like, however; proposals to build wind farms with a total operating capacity of 8,000 megawatts is still awaiting government approval. Ankara has already issued about 40 licenses for wind parks, each with an installed 20-60 megawatt capacity.

The future looks bright for alternative energy companies, as the Turkish government intends to privatize a significant proportion of the country's primarily state-owned energy and gas supply companies over the next few years. Given the "pipeline politics" that Turkey has recently endured with its fickle natural gas suppliers Russia and Iran, Ankara's move toward alternative energy makes both fiscal and ecological sense.

Source: United Press International |by John C.K. Daly

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CANADA: Mondial Energy Announces Photovoltaic SOP Contract With Crown Holding

Mondial Energy is pleased to announce it has been awarded a Standard Offer Price contract with the Ontario Power Authority for a 326 kW photovoltaic panel installation. The designed installation is more than three times larger than anything built in Canada to date. Under the SOP contract, Mondial will receive $0.42 per kWh for 20 years for the electricity from the panels delivered in to the electricity grid.

The site is the roof of a warehouse owned by CROWN Metal Packaging, a subsidiary of Crown Holdings, in Weston, Ontario. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with Crown, Mondial will pay a roof lease to Crown for the use of the roof. Mondial is currently in negotiations with turnkey installation contractors for construction of the PV site.

Mondial has applied for a second SOP contract for another Crown site. "Crown is excited about the opportunity to create environmentally friendly energy from renewable resources," said Raymond L. McGowan, President, Americas Division. "This initiative is one more example of our commitment to sustainability and resource usage reduction as expressed in our Corporate Sustainability Policy."

Source: SPX

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TECHNOLOGY: OutBack Power Systems Begins Shipping FLEXmax 80 Continuous Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller

OutBack Power Systems announces the immediate availability of their newest innovation in solar charge controllers, FLEXmax 80. The FLEXmax 80 brings a new level in solar harvesting efficiency through OutBack's unique Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology.

The FLEXmax 80 offers 30% improvement in power production in a rugged die cast chassis allowing it to operate at its fully rated 80 amps in ambient temperatures up to 104 Degrees Fahrenheit (40 Degrees Celsius). FLEXmax 80 comes with a standard five (5) year limited warranty.

"We are very excited about our newest generation charge controller, FLEXmax 80, as it offers our customers a higher power alternative for larger solar applications. The FLEXmax 80 with its continuous maximum power point tracking technology is particularly important for customers who reside in warmer climates or where solar irradiance is interrupted by cloud cover or wide temperature swings. FLEXmax 80 offers our customers unmatched energy production and solar harvesting efficiency," said Mark Thomas, President/CEO of OutBack Power Systems.

The FLEXmax 80 has a broad DC input range of up to 150VDC and an 80 amp DC current rating. FLEXmax 80 is compatible with 12 VDC to 60 VDC systems, allowing for flexibility in both wiring as well as solar array sizing. The ability to step-down a high voltage solar array to a low voltage battery helps save money by reducing the size of wire required, thereby making the installation easier. Revised menus and setup procedures provide a superior installation and user experience.

Included in the FLEXmax 80 are all of the features first developed by OutBack Power Systems in the revolutionary MX60, such as support for a wide range of nominal battery voltages and the ability to step-down a high voltage solar array to recharge a low voltage battery. A built-in backlit display shows status information at the touch of a button. Enhanced network communications allow the FLEXmax

Source: SPX

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ASIA: Solar energy in Uzbekistan

An era of record-high oil prices topping $80 a barrel has left investors and nations scrambling to develop alternative sources of energy. The theoretical annual potential of solar power is estimated to exceed all fossil fuels reserves by more than 10-20 times.

In Central Asia, solar power is receiving renewed attention, particularly in Uzbekistan, with a population of 26 million.

Besides a climate suited to solar power, Uzbekistan brings advantages to the table, including a longstanding interest in generating power from sunlight, an advanced industrial base and a highly literate, hard-working population. Since 1965, the Uzbek Academy of Sciences has published the quarterly journal Geliotekhnika ('Applied Solar Energy,') the former Soviet Union`s sole scientific publication devoted to solar power. Topics covered range from solar radiation, photovoltaics and solar materials to direct conversion of solar energy into electrical power.

The technical potential of solar energy in Uzbekistan is immense and is estimated to exceed by 400 percent the country`s annual energy needs of 65 million tons of oil equivalent. The problem for Uzbekistan, as with many alternative energy sources, is the relatively high start-up costs.

Initial projects have been modest in scope, with a major effort being made to develop solar-powered hot-water supply systems for use in such enterprises as agricultural hothouses, cattle farms and the drying and canning of fruits and vegetables.

Officials in Tashkent have been busy searching out funding for solar projects from a variety of sources, including the United Nations. Under a grant from the U.N. Development Program, scientists of the Uzbek Physical and Technical Institute and Agency for Technology Transfer have instituted the 'Pure Energy for Rural Communities in Karakalpakstan' project, which allowed specialists at Uzbekistan`s 'Foton' Plant to produce 25 photoelectrical systems for supplying the people of the Aral Sea region with electricity and hot water in the designated Ayazkala tourist complex, which uses solar photovoltaic batteries to supply the facility with energy and desalinated drinking water.

Uzbekistan has also sought cooperation with foreign specialists from countries including Israel, Denmark and Japan through its 'Physics-Sun' Scientific Industrial Association. Currently operating solar facilities include a 'Big Solar Stove' located in Parkent`s Materials Science Institute with a generating capacity of 1 megawatt.

Uzbekistan is on the crest of a development wave in alternative energy sources, as high energy prices are driving many nations to consider solar power. In March, Portugal opened the world`s largest solar power plant in Serpa. The $109 million 11-megawatt facility, a joint GE Energy Financial Services, PowerLight Corp. and Catavento project containing 52,000 photovoltaic modules, sprawls across a 150-acre site 124 miles southeast of Lisbon and produces 40 percent more energy than Germany`s Gut Erlasse solar plant, the world`s second largest. Environmentally friendly, the Serpa facility is capable of generating 20 gigawatt-hours of power per year and will produce sufficient power for 8,000 residences as it replaces fossil-fuel fired plants that would otherwise emit 30,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

Uzbekistan is pressing forward with bringing together solar specialists from around the world to share ideas on research on solar power. Later this month the 'Physics-Sun' Scientific Industrial Association is holding an international conference covering collateral solar issues of magnetism and superconductivity in the Academy of Mamun in Khiva. The Uzbek government, the Uzbek Academy of Sciences and Cambridge University are sponsoring the seminar, which is expected to bring together 120 participants from 70 nations.

Uzbekistan also has a potential partner in developing its burgeoning interest in solar -- its rising trade partner China. In 2006 China passed the United States to become the world`s third-largest producer of solar panels, behind Germany and Japan. While the costs of polysilicon, the chief material in photovoltaic solar panels, remains high, some specialists estimate that costs could fall 40 percent in the next few years as purified polysilicon production is boosted by more than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan and the United States, with many analysts speculating that China, with its industrial base and lower labor costs, will quickly develop a commanding lead in the field. Chinese solar-cell makers already export 90 percent of their output to Germany, Japan the United States and other countries, surging a ten-fold increase in prices for polysilicon to $200-300 per kilogram. Chinese-Uzbek trade has similarly expanded; during January-July 2006, the volume of bilateral trade soared to $659 million, a 62.6 percent gain from the same period in 2005.

Sad to say, there seems to be a nexus between energy and terrorism, and the issue has even indirectly touched Uzbekistan`s growing interest in solar power. On Aug. 15 German authorities arrested Tolga Durbin, a 29-year-old German of Turkish descent, and charged him with incitement to violence after his deportation from Pakistan, where on June 10 he was arrested on the Iranian-Pakistani frontier. Durbin, born in Turkey, introduced his friend Fritz Gelowicz, whom he knew from working in Gelowicz`s father`s solar heating firm in Ulm, to radical Islam. On Sept. 4 Gelowicz along with German Muslim convert Daniel Martin Schneider and Turkish citizen Adem Yilmaz were taken into custody. German authorities allege that the men were members of the anti-Uzbek Islamic Jihad Union and received terrorist training in Pakistan, after which they returned to Germany and procured 1,500 pounds of hydrogen peroxide to fashion into explosives to attack U.S. military installations in Germany.

Both terrorism and renewable energy resources are global problems. Power generation can in itself be a tool to combat terrorism, as it produces a rising standard of living for those with access to it. As the world searches for acceptable alternatives to increasingly expensive fossil fuels, nations previously seen as marginal players in the global energy market will increasingly come to the fore. Given its expertise and abundant sunshine, the future of Uzbek solar power looks bright indeed.

Via|Monster & Critics News | by John C.K
Martin Schneider,solar power,solar energy,Japan,Uzbekistan,PowerLight,GE,Adem Yilmaz,Fritz Gelowicz,Germany,Uzbek solar power,energyblog

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ASIA: La India creará una zona económica especial para potenciar a las empresas de energía solar

La India establecerá una zona económica especial con beneficios fiscales dedicada exclusivamente a fabricar equipamiento relacionado con la energía solar a fin de promover este tipo de recurso, informó el ministro para Energías Renovables, Vilas Muttenwar.

"Será una zona para fabricar materiales para producir energía renovable. Ello ayudará a aumentar la eficiencia energética de la India", dijo Muttenwar, en declaraciones recogidas por la agencia IANS.

Añadió que cinco regiones de la India ya han mostrado su disposición a albergar esta Zona Económica Especial (SEZ, siglas en inglés) y "pronto se tomará una decisión final sobre el lugar" donde se levantará.

Cerca del 7,7 por ciento de la energía que genera la India proviene de energías renovables, como la solar y la eólica. De estas fuentes se producen cerca de 11.000 megavatios anuales, aunque según el ministro el país asiático tiene potencia para generar, sólo a partir de estos recursos, cerca de 200.000 megavatios.

Muttenwar hizo estas declaraciones durante un seminario celebrado para conmemorar los 25 años de la creación de un departamento gubernamental dedicado exclusivamente a energías renovables, y que a finales de la década de 1990 se convirtió en Ministerio.

El Gobierno indio está embarcado en un plan que promueve las Zonas Económicas Especiales, terrenos en los que las empresas gozan de beneficios fiscales, a fin de potenciar la industrialización.

Via: EFE

India |Zona Economica,IANS,solar energy,renewable energy,SEZ,Vilas Muttenwar,India,wind energy,energyblog

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OCEANIA: Australia eyes solar

Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced he will allot nearly $300 million in green vouchers for schools to improve energy and water efficiency.

'Every school in Australia will be eligible for a voucher of up (to approximately) $44,000 to help install solar hot water systems and rainwater tanks,' Howard said in a speech, according to his Web site.

'Not only will this help reduce energy and conserve water, but it will provide students and our school communities with a first-hand lesson in how we can act locally to preserve the environment,' he said Tuesday.

However, some said the money could be more wisely spent.

'Schools are being used 200 days a year. So, for half the year that hot water`s not going to be used,' Professor Tim Flannery told reporters in the capital, Canberra.

'If you want to maximize emission abatements, you put those solar hot-water units on houses where there is a demand 365 days a year for hot water,' Flannery said, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Instead of spending a dollar and getting 50 cents back, you`ll be spending a dollar and getting a dollar`s worth of value,' Flannery said.

And while he allowed that Howard`s hot-water project was also educational, according to the newspaper, he qualified that statement: 'Even so, you could still look at putting solar panels on schools where you generate electricity that would be used somewhere in the grid.'

According to Howard, his hot-water initiative for schools is just the latest step in a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The series of steps, dating back to 1990, 'will prevent about 87 million tons of climate-changing carbon a year entering the atmosphere by 2010.'

'That`s a massive reduction and a tangible example of (the Howard government`s) commitment to the climate change challenge,' he said.

New Zealand also saw an uptick in solar energy activity this week, when SunSeeker Energy (Australasia) went public on the New Zealand stock exchange, NZAX. The company 'said it was now a subsidiary of the New Zealand-listed entity and expected to begin production for Asia, Australia and New Zealand this month,' the New Zealand Herald reported.

'The Australian company said it chose the NZAX after research revealed `(a) pro-business attitude ... plus the cost-effective option of compliance listing,`' according to the report.

'The move was a good fit for us and our existing shareholders, as at this early stage in the company`s development we are not seeking to raise public capital,' the newspaper quoted SunSeeker`s chairman, Geoffrey Taylor, as saying.

The company said on its Web site its 'engineers have designed a solar energy unit that utilizes segments of trough concentrator optics to focus the energy from the sun on a photovoltaic array.'

This somewhat ambiguous description has led critics to question the decision to list the company so early: 'Frankly, there is hardly any information available and that makes any assessment of the company`s prospects, even at the most basic level, difficult,' Bruce McKay a director of niche banker Saffron Capital, wrote Wednesday in Wellington, New Zealand`s Dominion Post.

'Clearly, the plan is to raise capital to build manufacturing capacity, sales and marketing channels and the necessary company and administration facilities, but how much is an open question. The ... product is a new technology and there is no information as to how this might be received by potential purchasers,' McKay said.

He said: '(SunSeeker Energy`s) only asset is a 32 per cent shareholding in a company called Sun Seeker Energy (UK) Ltd, a British-based company that holds the rights for the marketing and manufacture of SunSeeker`s products in Australasia, and is negotiating to acquire the rights for the British market.'

According to the New Zealand Herald, the company`s technology is not yet patented.

Via: Monster & Critics

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Blogalaxia Tags: Australia

Tags: SunSeeker Energy, UK, Australia, New Zeland, solar energy, energy efficiency, John Howard, Geoffrey Taylor, NZAX, photovoltaic

AMERICA: Sops key to solar growth in U.S.

The potential of solar energy to help solve many of America`s energy woes is real, but its success hinges on establishing long-term incentives, industry advocates say.

'The only risk posed by solar is not going forward rapidly,' Michael Splinter, chief executive officer of Silicon Valley-based Applied Materials, said this week at a briefing sponsored by the New America Foundation on the potential for the technology to meet global energy demand.

Solar is a viable way to meet much of U.S. and world energy needs -- and to reduce carbon emissions, Splinter said.

Solar represents one-tenth of 1 percent of the 5,000 gigawatts of electricity produced globally each year, Splinter said. The global solar industry is a $15 billion market expected to grow to $50 billion by 2010, he said.

So far, most of Allied Material`s business is overseas, particularly Germany, where the industry is further developed in part because there are strong incentives both for consumers and industry to use solar, Splinter said. Most production is also happening overseas, he said, including new solar production lines Allied Materials is building in Germany, Spain, China and India.

Applied Materials, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, began creating photovoltaics capacity for solar panels several years ago and is now producing thin-film machines for use in solar panel production. Since signing its first contracts just a year ago, the company has seen a huge increase in demand, Splinter said.

'We`ve exceeded our first year forecast by 50 percent and are raising our projection to $400 million this year ... we`re adding jobs ... and racing to meet demand,' he said.

A key to moving the nascent industry forward in the United States is an eight-year extension on tax incentives that would provide certainty for investors and companies -- in contrast to the two-year incentives included in the 2005 energy bill, Splinter said. His company, along with numerous others, has urged the U.S. Congress to take on the issue.

A new energy bill, which will be introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in the Senate next week, combines broad energy-related legislation including energy efficiency, renewable energy and foreign-relations aspects, said a spokesman on energy issues in the office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

When asked about the difference between today`s efforts and the numerous solar initiatives that began in the 1970s, Splinter said it`s much cheaper today to produce solar panels and people are increasingly recognizing the need to diminish use of fossil fuels. A silicon shortage, which drove up prices for the material (because silicon producers weren`t prepared for the additional demand from the solar industry), is also changing, he said.

Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said silicon production was expanding and that when prices were high the industry learned to use silicon more efficiently, such as with thin-film applications.

Splinter emphasized that increasing economies of scale are essential for bringing down costs and urged businesses and anyone with a big rooftop to get involved: 'Every large rooftop in the U.S. should be a candidate for solar' and 'as taxpayers we own a lot of government rooftops ... certainly there are plenty here in Washington.'

Splinter earlier said that while the United States is the biggest energy consumer in the world, the U.S. government is the biggest electricity consumer. He praised companies like Wal-Mart and Google that have announced plans to incorporate solar installations, which will, in turn, increase demand.

'Congress has historically jump-started emerging industries,' said Resch, making the case for longer tax incentives. He said 'a cap-and-trade system is going to take a long time to develop, but at the end of the eight years, we`ll have a mature cap-and-trade system and markets will do the work.'

Proposed legislation would also allow utility companies to take advantage of tax incentives, which was previously not allowed, and that -- along with new renewable energy portfolio standards -- will push utility companies toward solar, Resch said.

'Solar is an asset to the grid,' he said. 'It provides energy at the time of use and at peak use times. It shaves off peak demand and that helps stabilize the grid.'

Resch said he thinks utilities will eventually adopt a distributive business model and offer solar to customers, which will save both utilities and customers money.

M&C
by Megan Harris

INTERESTING: Sistema de generación eléctrica por medio de energía solar en base a los principios del Software Libre

by Marcos Guglielmetti

Las ideas del software libre se vienen extendiendo hacia otros campos de la vida humana. En este caso se trata de la energía solar. Hace casi 3 años, Richard Stallman en la Cámara de Diputados de Buenos Aires, Argentina[1], se preguntaba lo siguiente: "si las ideas del software libre pueden aplicarse a otros campos de la vida."

Recuerdo que quedé muy impresionado por esa charla, al igual que todos los que estábamos allí. Fue un momento clave en mi vida, y quizá en la vida de otras personas.

Energía solar con principios del software libre
Hoy vemos que las ideas del Software Libre efectivamente se han expandido hacia campos de la cultura, como el caso de Wikipedia, Creative Commons, y ahora nos toca este tema de la construcción de un nuevo sistema abierto, independiente de la locación, seguro y limpio para la generación de energía renovable.

¿Qué significa esto? Contaminar menos el planeta, y crear parte de lo que serían las bases de una vida sustentable (porque de este modo la vida en la tierra no es sustentable según los últimos informes científicos). Es por cierto una cuestión de vida o muerte que la humanidad comprenda esta cuestión.

Con un nombre extraño y nada marketinero, "SHPEGS" no quiere saber nada sobre registro de patentes y secreto industrial: el proyecto se dirige al público, no oculta nada y acepta en gran parte las contribuciones que puedan realizarse, es decir que opera como lo haría un grupo de desarrolladores de Software Libre.

¿Cómo sería nuestro mundo si todos pudiéramos generar nuestra propia energía eléctrica para nuestros hogares? El planteo es desafiante. Los invito a leer este informe, y a divulgarlo entre sus allegados con inclinaciones tecnológicas, le harán un favor al mundo.

Los desarrolladores de este proyecto piensan que "la energía es fundamental para la sociedad moderna, y debería ser apropiada por parte de la gente, no por parte de una corporación. La gente tiene moral, las corporaciones tienen responsabilidades con respecto a sus accionistas para obtener grandes beneficios".

Se intenta diseñar y construir un sistema que use una combinación de energía solar recolectada directa e indirectamente para generar electricidad, y guardar energía térmica de un modo económico, amigable con el medio ambiente, escalable, seguro, eficiente, independiente de una locación, utilizando materiales de construcción comunes.

Los creadores lo dicen claramente: la esperanza está puesta en que mediante la filosofía abierta (libre) el proyecto logre un desarrollo similar al éxito de "Linux" (el kernel) y los otros proyectos de software libre, proporcionando un sistema que pueda cumplir con futuros requerimientos de energía de un modo sustentable.

¿Cómo trabaja?

Una torre es construida para permitir que grandes cantidades de aire se muevan a través de intercambiadores de calor por convección natural producida por flotabilidad.

El calor termal o el profundo calor geotérmico se utiliza para accionar una bomba de calor que mueve una cantidad mucho más grande de calor mediante el aire. El calor del aire y el calor que acciona la bomba de calor se almacenan en un lugar de almacenamiento poco profundo.

El almacenamiento térmico es utilizado para explotar la diferencia en cambios de temperatura que son producto de la diferencia entre temperaturas en diversos momentos del día entre el aire y el subsuelo poco profundo, o entre el día y la noche o entre diferentes estaciones.

En efecto esto crea una fuente geotérmica local y la baja energía de trasmisión de medios permite lograr un sistema geotérmico eficiente de generación de energía. Esta fuente es confiable y puede ser utilizada para una estructura de calentamiento y generación eléctrica de carga de base.

Se puede encontrar buena información sobre plantas existentes de energía solar en la siguiente página: http://www.shpegs.org/b ackground.html

¿Cuál es el foco principal del diseño?

El foco principal del diseño está en construir una estación de energía factible y renovable para climas moderados, como por ejemplo Canada y el norte de los EEUU, Asia y Europa, o el sur de América del sur, donde hay un algo nivel de insolación durante el verano, pero también muy bajas temperaturas y poca luz del día en invierno. Es el caso del centro y sur de Argentina y Chile también.

En un clima del norte del planeta, hay dos picos anuales de uso de electricidad, en el verano, debido a la utilización del aire acondicionado, y en el invierno, debido a la temperatura de las estructuras y a las baja cantidad de horas de sol.

Los sistemas de energía solar directos logran acumular suficiente carga de energía durante los veranos, pero no proveen casi nada durante los meses fríos y oscuros del invierno.

Los sistemas SHPEGS tratan de usar el almacenamiento geotermal y las temperaturas frías del invierno para construir un sistema de generación eléctrica que pueda dar satisfacción al uso eléctrico tanto como sea posible.

Einstein

La bomba de calor de SHPEGS está basada en el principio de absorción de gas. A pesar de que hay muchos sistemas industriales basados en este principio, generalmente no es muy bien entendido. Albert Einstein ayudó al desarrollo del refrigerador por absorción de gas y obtuvo una patente en 1930, pero la bomba mecánica que funciona mediante compresión mecánica ha sido más eficiente para refrigerar y por eso ha sido más comúnmente empleada. En utilidades de transformación calórica industriales, el principio de absorción de gas es un sistema muy adecuado y bastante eficiente para aumentar el calor mediante una fuente de calor adicional disponible.

Algunos detalles más: por qué este proyecto es abierto

Un factor fundamental es crear comodidad "fuera del sistema" tan rápido como sea posible. Competir contra las formas de energía no renovables (petróleo, etc.) supone una enorme innovación, eficiencia, y además por mucho tiempo los sistemas de energía renovable no se quedarán sin nafta y prevalecerán sobre los sistemas no renovables. Es muy difícil para una aventura comercial privada sostener una operación durante ese tiempo: es decir que podría una empresa ir a la quiebra, pero un pueblo entero que logre crear sus fuentes de energía, no.

En el sitio se destaca que antes del año 1900, todo fue construido sin petróleo y la carencia de piedras no terminó con la edad de piedra. Éste (http://www.energytower .org/stucco.html) es un ejemplo de 190 pies (3000ft2) de pared de estuco construido por una persona a mano en su tiempo disponible sobre un verano, no puedes estar asustado de una pala.

El espíritu del proyecto está basado en unir a la gente para trabajar en conjunto en algo que sea beneficioso para todos.

La Tierra Sin Mal

Quienes estén interesados en participar del proyecto, debería contactarse con:
Robert J. Rohatensky (bob.rohatensky -arroba- sasktel.net)

Sitio del Proyecto:
http://www.shpegs.org

Richar d Stallman en La Plata:
[1] http://www.solar.org.ar/download/copyright-stallman-3-8-2004.pdf


Blogalaxia Tags: Energia,
Sostenibilidad y
Tecnologia

TECH: La energía solar es capaz de convertir al CO2 en combustible

La posibilidad de aprovechar la luz solar para reducir el calentamiento global no es ninguna novedad. Lo interesante es aprovecharla para transformar un gas de efecto invernadero en un producto que sea útil.

Este invento, que todavía es un prototipo, divide el dióxido de carbono en monóxido de carbono (CO) y oxígeno.

El trabajo fue desarrollado por los científicos Clifford Kubiak y Aaron Sathrum, de la Universidad de California en San Diego.

Como su dispositivo no está optimizado aún, necesitan suministrarle energía adicional para que el proceso funcione.

Sin embargo, esperan que sus resultados atraigan la atención sobre el prometedor método.

Al separar el CO2, se genera CO, un importante producto químico industrial que se produce a partir del gas natural.

De manera que al separar el dióxido de carbono es posible ahorrar combustible, producir un producto químico útil y reducir la presencia de un gas con efecto invernadero.

Aunque el monóxido de carbono es venenoso, tiene algunos usos. Cada año es empleado para fabricar productos químicos de diverso tipo, como combustible.

Pero la tecnología de conversión del monóxido de carbono en combustible líquido ha estado disponible desde antes.

Fue inventada en Alemania en la década de 1920. Estados Unidos estuvo interesado en esa tecnología durante la crisis energética de los años 70, pero al terminar la crisis perdió el interés.

Hoy se ha cerrado el círculo porque los crecientes precios del petróleo hacen económicamente competitivo convertir el CO en combustible.

El dispositivo para dividir el dióxido de carbono utiliza un semiconductor y dos capas delgadas de catalizadores. Por el momento, el aparato está a prueba.

¿Cómo funciona el dispositivo?

El dispositivo, creado por un grupo de investigadores, captura los fotones, las partículas que componen la luz, generadas por energía solar mediante el semiconductor. El segundo paso es la conversión de energía luminosa en energía eléctrica por el semiconductor. El tercer paso es la aplicación de la energía eléctrica a los catalizadores. Estos últimos convierten, a su vez, el dióxido de carbono en monóxido de carbono en un lado del dispositivo y en oxígeno en el otro lado.

En la actualidad, la Universidad de California, en San Diego, donde se diseñó este prototipo, lidera los estudios químicos para frenar el calentamiento global. El desarollo de este nuevo dispositivo tardó más de un año.

El Comercio

Blogalaxia Tags: Energia,
Sostenibilidad y
Tecnologia

EFICIENCIA: Casas ‘verdes’ son el futuro

by Yolanda Arenales

El tono dominante en las casas del futuro será el verde, sin que ello signifique que haya que pintar las paredes de ese color, sino conseguir que el edificio sea energéticamente eficiente y respetuoso del medio ambiente.

Muchos expertos también matizan que el futuro en este contexto significa empezar desde ya a introducir cambios tanto en las edificaciones nuevas como en las ya existentes.

"Tan sólo en cuanto a impacto de carbono, en el mundo desarrollado los edificios y casas están un 90% por debajo de lo que deberían", señala Alisdair McGregor, de la firma global de ingeniería y diseño Arup.

McGregor añade que el objetivo del Instituto Americano de Arquitectos (AIA) es conseguir que para 2030 todas las nuevas construcciones tengan un "impacto cero".

Para 2030, todas las viviendas serán eficientes en cuanto a consumo de energía y no afectarán el medio ambiente

Pero las emisiones de carbono constituyen sólo uno de los muchos aspectos en los que los edificios pueden contribuir a mejorar el medio ambiente, ya que se estima que un 40% de la energía total que se consume en Estados Unidos se utiliza para los edificios (residenciales y comerciales).

Glen Salas, ingeniero sénior de la organización Sociedad para la Tecnología Avanzada (PATH), hace referencia a un estudio del año pasado de la entidad McGraw-Hill Construction, según el cual para 2010 entre el 40% y el 50% de las casas serán verdes —conteniendo al menos de tres a cinco componentes con esas características— frente al 2% de 2006.

Por el momento, ya varios estados —como California, Nueva York y Wisconsin— ofrecen algunos incentivos importantes hacia la inclusión de sistemas de energía eficiente y positivo impacto medioambiental.

Además, algunos propietarios consideran este tipo de mejoras como una inversión que añade valor al inmueble.

"Nosotros planeamos vender la casa como en unos tres años, pero creemos que una ventaja añadida cuando salga al mercado será contar con paneles solares", dice Mónica Sherman, de Chino, California, quien acaba de reinvertir 28 mil dólares sacados de la plusvalía de su vivienda en instalar el sistema que permitirá que el sol sea la principal fuente de energía de la vivienda.

Paul Scott, experto en eficiencia energética de la firma EE Solar, de Pomona, comenta que en promedio se tarda entre ocho y 12 años en amortizar —mediante los descuentos en la factura eléctrica— este tipo de instalaciones solares, a partir de los cuales el ahorro es para siempre.

"Mi factura de la luz del año pasado fue de menos de 50 dólares y eso debido a las tarifas por el uso de contadores más que al consumo", dice Scott, matizando que eso incluye toda la energía de su casa y la de su automóvil eléctrico.

Claire Boham-Carter, directora regional de Desarrollo Sostenible de Faber Maunsell, firma que está trabajando con el gobierno británico en un proyecto de mejora energética, comenta que en la Unión Europea (UE) existe ya un sistema de calificaciones de la A a la G que indica en qué medida la residencia o edificio en cuestión es "eficiente" y respetuoso del medio ambiente.

"Se trata de una directiva que todavía tiene que desarrollarse en los diferentes países de la UE, pero significará, entre otras cosas, que el valor de mercado de las viviendas va a verse pronto afectado por esa calificación", dice Boham-Carter, sugiriendo que lo que ya está sucediendo en Europa puede ser una pista de lo que podría pasar pronto en Estados Unidos.

Según PATH, a pesar del peso de la construcción residencial en la economía del país, las inversiones en mejoras tecnológicas en esta industria son mínimas.

Esta organización reporta que puede tomar entre 10 y 25 años para que una nueva tecnología residencial penetre completamente en el mercado.

"La razón principal es que los constructores no están familiarizados con las nuevas tecnologías y se resisten a probar algo nuevo", dice Salas.

El ingeniero añade que aunque construir de forma "más verde" puede incrementar los costos, también en muchos casos ocurre lo contrario.

"Las viviendas total o parcialmente construidos en fábrica cuestan menos porque se hacen más deprisa y generan menos residuos", comenta Salas, quien explica que el aislamiento con que cuentan muchos de estas viviendas puede reducir los costos del sistema de calefacción y aire acondicionado entre un 30% y un 40%.

Dichos ahorros, y la buena conciencia que crea el uso de sistemas y productos beneficiosos para el medio ambiente, son cada vez más apreciados por los consumidores.

"Muchos compradores los valoran con tanto o más interés que el estado de los baños o de la cocina", dice Scott, subrayando que la actitud de los consumidores está siendo decisiva a la hora de impulsar la demanda de "casas verdes".

La Opinion

Blogalaxia Tags: Energia,
Sostenibilidad y
Tecnologia

SOLAR ENERGY: Arriba a Nueva York el barco solar "Sun 21"

Después de una travesía de casi 7 meses, el barco solar "Sun 21" arribó a Nueva York tras haber zarpado del puerto de Basen en Suiza, el pasado 16 de octubre en su primer viaje trasatlántico.

La embarcación, navegó 7 mil millas náuticas sin consumir una sola gota de combustible debido a que funciona completamente con energía solar.

“A los marineros usualmente no nos gusta dar discursos, pero esta vez es diferente. Me siento como si quisiera gritarle al mundo que el sol es la fuente de energía del futuro”, comentó Michael Tunney, navegante del Sun 21.

En el muelle de Nueva York estuvo presente el cónsul general de Suiza, Christoph Bubb, para recibir a los 5 tripulantes de la embarcación y destacar las ventajas del uso de esta energía.

“En el agua, el Sun 21 ha marcado un nuevo paradigma en el uso de la energía solar”, dijo cónsul general de Suiza en Nueva York.

Este viaje patrocinado por la empresa de transatlánticos Sun 21, busca en un futuro que las embarcaciones marinas utilicen únicamente la energía del sol. Para los científicos a bordo del barco, la experiencia les deja muchos datos útiles para mejorar los sistemas de aprovechamiento de la energía solar.

“Ahora nos enfrentamos a otro reto: el cambio climático. Nosotros con el Sun 21 queremos mostrar lo que se necesita hacer a gran escala con un ejemplo de menor escala”, concluyó Martin Vosseler, oficial de Física del Sun 21.

ONCE TV

Blogalaxia Tags: Energia,
Sostenibilidad y
Tecnologia

ECUADOR: Energía solar ayuda al medio ambiente

¿Cómo podemos los ciudadanos comunes y corrientes ayudar a solucionar los problemas de contaminación? Una de las formas de evitar ese problema y su consecuencia de calentamiento global, es el de usar energías renovables como la que proviene del sol, aire, agua.

Eso es lo que buscan hacer decenas de comunidades amazónicas que tienen el apoyo de Servicios Básicos de Iniciativa Local para la Amazonía Ecuatoriana, SILAE, con el auspicio de la Unión Europea, para instalar mini centrales hidroeléctricas y paneles de energía solar en medio de la selva.

“Nuestra preocupación no es dar un panel o una microcentral, sino la sostenibilidad”, dice Milton Balseca, coordinador nacional de SILAE. Así es como se formaron las empresas comunitarias de electricidad rural.

Mediante este sistema, explica Balseca, se busca que los pobladores se unan y se apropien del proyecto para que lo mantengan en el tiempo.

Para su formación deben tener entre 400 y 500 clientes y su manejo debe ser como empresa privada, con accionistas, que son los pobladores, las municipalidades, consejos provinciales y, si existe, algún inversionista privado.

Hasta el momento han identificado a alrededor de 16.000 usuarios, para cuya atención se requiere de una inversión de 14 millones de dólares en tres años. Hasta septiembre se espera formar una o dos empresas comunitarias, pero todavía buscan financiamiento.

La inversión inicial, que es de entre 600 mil y un millón de dólares, busca ser subsidiada con dinero del Fondo de Electrificación Rural y Urbano Marginal, FERUM, pero el mantenimiento del proyecto deberán hacerlo los accionistas de las empresas.

Uno de los objetivos es replicar este proyecto de electrificación en lugares que no cuentan con servicio eléctrico en la Sierra y la Costa.

Esa fue una de las propuestas presentadas durante el Seminario Internacional de Energías Renovables: Oportunidades para generación de empleo, que se desarrolló en Cuenca el 17 y 18 de abril pasado, organizado por la Comisión de Gestión Ambiental, CGA, de la Municipalidad de Cuenca y con el apoyo de la Unión Europea, a través del proyecto URB-AL Energías Renovables y Redes de Desarrollo Local.

ECUADOR INMEDIATO

Blogalaxia Tags: Energia,
Sostenibilidad y
Tecnologia

TECH : Nintendo Wii with solar power

Is amazing. I found this interestint articule about Nintendo Wii. This boys made a station that works with solar energy to play with the Nintendo Wii.

Yo can read all their articule, theare some pictures and a video, if you wanna understand the keys to made your own station.
iMAT

Inside the Solar Powered Wii

by Rob Wright

Tom's Hardware Guide recently built a mobile Wii station, complete with an HD monitor, that's powered in part by a solar energy (check out the Tom's Workshop video of the project). It's a simple invention on many levels. For one, it didn't cost much at all to find a battery, power converter and appropriately-sized solar power panel. And the station itself is just wood with a couple of wheels and a coat of blue paint slapped on. For this purposes of this experiment, we decided to keep the costs low and create a repeatable formula in case anyone else wanted to try something similar. THG video editor Ben Meyer and lab manager Shelton Rohmanyi procured the parts, while Shelton and THG camera man Max Wilson put the actual station together. I left for Wondercon and GDC and by the time I got back a week later, the entire thing was completed. Here are the various parts with their respective prices (not including taxes or shipping fees):

How it works: basically, we slapped an HD monitor on a cart with wheels and threw a Wii and a battery inside. The cherry on top of the sundae, of course, is the solar panel, which draws around 20 watts of electricity. The electricity is stored in the battery and then sent through the power inverter to both the Wii and the HD monitor and speakers. Unfortunately, because we required a small form factor, the solar panel only supplies about one tenth of the total power draw. Oddly enough, the Wii itself draws only 40 to 45 watts, while the monitor and speakers draw 130 watts at maximum use. Still, the panel contributes a (mostly) continuous flow of power to the battery, which is an integral part of prolonging the play time. Plus, all that's needed to recharge the battery is leaving the cart out in direct sunlight.

SLIDE SHOW
VIDEO

We constructed the wood frame for the Wii, power unit, and solar panel fairly quickly. The monitor was mounted at an angle on the front of the frame so that players would be able to view the screen comfortably. Underneath the monitor a small platform was built for the Wii itself; we used Velcro stickers to hold the console in place. The battery was situated on the base of the cart and held in place with a fastening strap.

Surprisingly, it wasn't very hard to find an affordable solar electric panel. The PowerUp BSP 20-12 panel was inexpensive and also had a size (16.7" x 19.8" x 0.63") and weight (approximately 6.5 lbs) that comfortable fit our blueprint for the contraption. The hardest part, actually, was building a platform that would hold the extremely heavy deep cycle battery. We decided to go with a larger core battery because it would theoretically give us 8 hours of continuous use. While the solar panel only contributed a little more than 10 percent of the electricity needed to power the Wii and monitor, we were encouraged by the plethora of solar panels available for our needs (special thanks to the Alternative Energy Store). And the most expensive part for the whole scheme was none other than the HD display.

Why we built it: there are a few reasons. First, we were bored. Second, we hadn't built anything in a while. Third, we had been discussing applications for solar power for some time and this just seemed like a natural fit. And finally, a mobile Wii seemed like an interesting toy that we could bring to social events, conferences and conventions and play around with. Nintendo itself had fancy Segways rigged with monitors running Wii during the console launch in L.A. last November. Sadly, we didn't really have $4,000 to spend on a Segway.

Why we chose the Wii: it seemed like the best option of the three next-generation consoles. Not only is it the smallest and lightest of the three, but it consumes less power. Plus, the Wii seemed ideally suited for a mobile station because of its motion sensor controllers. Wii sports needs to be played standing up instead of sitting down anyway. And we threw in Excite Truck because we're all fans of the game here at THG.

Why we chose solar power: Ben and I have an ongoing debate about who came up with this idea first, and since Ben actually got the ball rolling and purchased the parts, I've decided to concede. But the issue of solar power and consoles has been broached before by THG. Last year I wrote a rather controversial column on TwitchGuru about energy consumption of game consoles and the possibility of using solar power to reduce gamers' electric bills. That column was sparked by an excellent review on the game blog DX Gaming that discerned how much energy "leaked" from some of the major consoles while they were in stand by mode. Overall, we at THG were interested in alternative energy technology and felt like now was a good time to play around with it.

What's next: besides playing with our new creation and taking it to different locations in the greater Los Angeles area, we'll continue to look at the energy consumption of the next generation consoles, as well as top shelf gaming PCs, and also analyze the cost effectiveness (or lack thereof in some cases) of investing in solar power technology to help offload some of the energy bill. Stay tuned for more from Toms Hardware Guide.

The Twitchguru

CHINA: Chinese Solar Companies Claim Polysilicon Shortage is Easing Up

by Himanshu Pandya

According to Think Equity’s David Edwards, who visited with several public and private Chinese solar module manufacturers, silicon shortage is waning and that availability is increasing. Several producers have reported greater than 10% declines in feedstock prices - both at the wafer and silicon level - in the past six months. Additionally many Chinese producers have optimistic outlooks on the silicon supply moving forward with the bottleneck relaxing significantly by late 2007 vs. previously anticipated 2008.

However, the firm also added that any softening of the situation is perceived more favorably in China than it actually is for the market more broadly.

There is also some news from the Polysilicon and Solar industry conference in Munich. Hemlock and M.Setek, Polysilicon producers, announced they were increasing capacity. However, Piper Jaffray analyst Jesse Pichel also noted that competitors’ capacity plans may not come to fruition as quickly as they hope.

Once again we are uncertain about when the supply of polysilicon will start easing up. This is what prompted me to write this article about Polysilicon shortage a few weeks ago. MEMC electronics (WFR) got hit yesterday on this news but recovered pretty strongly by the end of the day.

I am still betting that shortage eases up by end of this year or 2008 rather than 2010. My reasoning behind shorting FSLR and WFR has a lot to do with the supply of polysilicon. First Solar Inc. (FSLR) is overpriced regardless in my opinion. I am also long Suntech Power (STP).

SeekingAlpha