At least 400 megawatts of electricity from wind projects in Gharo and Jhimpir will be added to national grid by the end of current year (2012) which is being observed as the year for wind energy.
This was stated by the chief executive officer of Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) Arif Alauddin while talking to media at a reception organised by National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) here the other day.
He said that investment commitments of $500 million have been made for energy projects. Four wind projects were at advanced stage, while 12 projects have completed their financial close. They included Zorlu of Turkey, CWE of China, Three Gorges, Fauji Fertilizers, Fauji Foundation, Arif Habib and Lucky Cement, he added. He was of the opinion that 1,200 MW will be added to the national grid every year from 2013.
Renewable resources and non renewable resources are at two ends of a tug-of-war battle. While the latter is presently being used to an exhaustive extent, the former is still trying to find a prominent place in the list of energy sources. Conventional sources like coal have been used for a number of decades to power industries and homes. Its abundance and cheap cost is what propelled many to turn to it in the first place. The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries saw huge amounts of coal being used to drive countries like Britain to the forefront of progress. Earlier, this natural resource was used in small quantities and coal could be mined from close to the surface of the earth. However, as demands increased, there was a need to drill ever deeper.
Israel’s Eco Wave Power is just entering the second phase of proving its new wave energy harvest and conversion system that’s claimed to produce cheaper energy than existing coal-fired power plants. Energy is captured by the influence of rising and falling waves on two proprietary float designs called the Wave Clapper and Power Wing, which are installed on existing, stable structures. The floats are said to be capable of gathering energy from both high and low waves, which is fed through undersea cabling to a land-based power plant for conversion to usable electricity.
Borrowing a design concept from the consumer electronics industry, ‘Plug n’ Play’ solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are making their way into the consumer mass market. Plug n’ Play solar PV systems offer homeowners the possibility of purchasing a complete, pre-packaged solar PV system that can be set up at low cost with relative ease. Perhaps the greatest advantage they offer is the ability to start drawing clean, renewable energy from the PV panels by simply plugging in an extension cord.
The first two versions of an “all-in-one” 330-Watt (W) “Plug-N-Play” solar home PV system designed by Colorado’s Onyx Service and Solutions were due to arrive at a demonstration site in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, on schedule for press and prospective customers to get a first-hand look at them from installation to operation.
With the ever-increasing environmental awareness, design houses and architects from around the globe are looking for new and innovative ways to give an eco friendly touch to their creations. Every other day, we get to see and hear of amazing examples of solar energy being integrated into residential, commercial and industrial applications. The efforts are on to exploit the solar power in every possible way for the benefit of Mother Nature and the human race. Some designers have even come up with creative sculptures that are designed to run on solar energy. Check out some of the best solar powered sculptures after the jump.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan said that the government had devised a plan to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity from Thar coal by 2020.
The federal government had been approached for laying a transmission line to take the electricity from Thar field to the national grid, he said while presiding over a meeting on Thar coal at the Governor’s House Thursday. He said installation of transmission network is the integral part of the plan which should be ready by the time power projects are ready to generate electricity from Thar coal.
The Governor pointed out that Thar coal would be utilised to make Pakistan self-sufficient in power generation to strengthen economy and make this area the hub of the petro-chemical industry.
Flexible thin-film solar PV manufacturer Ascent Solar Technologies announced yesterday that China’s TFG Radiant Group is acquiring an additional 21% equity stake in the company by purchasing shares owned by Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS for $4 million. The purchase price, at about $0.50 per share, is a 19% premium to Nasdaq-listed Ascent’s $0.42 closing share price on Tuesday, and will bring TFG’s overall equity in Ascent to 41%.
India seems to aim higher and think bigger in terms of its solar energy: from a set goal of 20 GW, the National Solar Mission grew its prospects to 33.4 GW all around the country, according to a report by Bridge to India.
The first step is to have 14.15 GW by 2018. By then, solar energy will have its own respected place on the national grid and more progress will have been made regarding the emissions level.
This will be possible due to the increased production of PV cells and the possibility of cheap imports from China. The final cost is estimated at around 40% less than what it is now.
Spanish venture is as big as 210 football pitches and has 600,000 mirrors. But there’s a dark side
Just under a month ago, on an empty mountain plateau in Andalusia, the last of 600,000 parabolic mirrors were connected, and Andasol, the world’s largest solar power station, become operational. It is, as it glints in the Spanish sun, a shining example – literally – of what renewable energy offers.
Big almost beyond belief, it is powerful, clean and looks unlike any power station you could ever imagine. Spread over terrain which covers the equivalent of 210 football pitches, there is nothing to see behind the security fences and drainage ditches but interminable lines of gleaming, eerily silent, parabolic mirrors. They gyrate simultaneously to follow the sun’s path through the sky – for all the world like an enormous Star Wars android army awaiting orders from above to destroy the local populace.