tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34963860813652105822024-03-09T02:54:11.462+05:30Renewable energyRenewable energy is a source of energy that can never be exhausted.
We can obtain renewable energy from the sun (solar energy), from the water (hydropower), from the wind (windmills), from hot dry rocks, magma, hot water springs (geothermal) and even from firewood, animal manure, crop residues and waste (Biomass).karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-81586090608556290272009-07-22T10:18:00.000+05:302009-07-23T14:58:58.708+05:30Venture Capital Rushes Into Alternative Energy<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:85%;" ><br />Money is flowing into<a href="http://www.altprofits.com"> alternative energy</a> companies so fast that “the warning signs of a bubble are appearing,” according to a report on investment in clean technology by a New York research firm, Lux Research.<br /><br />The report also suggests that companies that make equipment to cleanse air or water, or that process waste, have been overlooked by investors.<br /><br />Matthew M. Nordan, president of Lux, said that the amount of venture capital put into clean energy investments last year was $1.5 billion, up 141 percent from the $623 million of 2005, and that in the same period, initial public offerings by companies in this sector rose to $4.1 billion, from $1.6 billion in 2005.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/business/30energy.html">Link</a></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-3815600282710520232009-06-19T18:43:00.000+05:302009-06-19T18:46:33.463+05:307 amazing facts about renewable energy<div>The Sustainable Energy Coalition is hosting a <a href="http://www.mnn.com/technology/gadgets-electronics/blogs/renewable-energy-parade-comes-to-dc">big energy expo</a> in D.C. today, and they have assembled a nice collection of interesting factoids about renewable energy. Here are 7 facts about the renewable market you probably didn't know: </div> <div> </div> <div>. . . that <strong>renewable energy</strong> sources provided nearly 10% of both domestic energy production and U.S. electrical generation in 2008 with non-hydro renewable electricity expanding by 17.6% over the previous year; renewable energy will account for about a third of new electricity capacity added to the U.S. grid over the next three years.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that U.S. <strong>wind powe</strong>r grew by 50% in 2008 and accounted for 42% of all new power generation in the United States last year; wind energy could supply at least 20% of U.S. electricity needs by 2030 while avoiding 7.6 cumulative gigatons of carbon dioxide.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that <strong>grid-tied photovoltaic</strong> (PV) capacity increased 58% in 2008 and solar water heating capacity increased 40%; the PV industry today is 10 times larger than 1998 and likely to grow by 50% annually in the coming years; solar thermal plants covering an area equal to 9% of Nevada could generate enough electricity to power the nation; solar power is on the verge of reaching cost parity with conventional energy sources.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that there may be more than 90,000 MW overall of untapped water potential in the United States; through <strong>new hydropower technologies</strong>, such as advanced turbines, and new applications, such as tidal, wave, ocean currents, and in-stream hydrokinetic approaches, the industry could double its output over the next 20 years.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that six million Americans are using <strong>geothermal energy</strong> in their homes – three million receive electricity from geothermal power plants and another three million use geothermal heat pumps to heat & cool their homes; more than 100 new geothermal power projects now under development in 13 states will more than double the county’s geothermal capacity over the next five years.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that total ethanol capacity expanded 34% and E85 stations exceeded 1,800 in 2008; the fuel now represents more than 7% of the nation’s gasoline supply and can be found in more than 70% of gasoline gallons sold in the U.S.; the 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol produced last year added $47.6 billion to the nation’s GDP; moreover, <strong>cellulosic ethanol</strong> requirements are projected to boom during the coming decade.</div> <div> </div> <div>. . . . that <strong>biomass</strong> is presently the largest U.S. renewable energy source with more than 200 existing biopower plants now providing electricity for 1.5 million American homes; manure-to-energy biogas projects are expanding and could power up to 3% of North America’s electricity needs.</div>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-3308181489729940562009-06-19T18:41:00.000+05:302009-06-19T18:42:52.642+05:30What's The Advantage Of Renewable Energy?So you want to know what <i>is</i> the <b>advantage of renewable energy</b>? <p>Thank you for visiting this page where you will learn about some obvious, and some not so obvious advantages of renewable energy. </p><p>Well, when using energy from sources that are easily replaced, you are using <a href="http://www.alternate-energy-sources.com/what-is-renewable-energy.html" target="_new">renewable energy.</a>Examples are the use of sunshine, wind, flowing water, biological- and geothermal processes. They are often described as clean and green forms of energy because of their minimal environmental impact compared to fossil fuels. </p><p><b>One advantage of renewable energy therefore is the more sustainable use of finite sources of energy.</b> </p><p>You probably are aware of that advantage already. But of course there is more. <a href="http://yellagonga.hatcreek.hop.clickbank.net/" onclick="window.open('/cgi-bin/counter.pl?url=http%3A%2F%2Fyellagonga%2Ehatcreek%2Ehop%2Eclickbank%2Enet&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ealternate-energy-sources%2Ecom%2Fadvantage-of-renewable-energy%2Ehtml'); return false;">And by the way, there is much that you can do yourself about using renewable energy.</a> <br /> <br /> And many ready-made solutions to applying renewable energy in your home exist. <a href="http://altenergystore.com/AIDLink.html?BID=2536&AID=28404" onclick="window.open('/cgi-bin/counter.pl?url=http%3A%2F%2Faltenergystore%2Ecom%2FAIDLink%2Ehtml%3FBID%3D2536%26AID%3D28404&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ealternate-energy-sources%2Ecom%2Fadvantage-of-renewable-energy%2Ehtml'); return false;">Click here to visit the Alternative Energy Store for discount prices on solar panels, wind turbines and renewable energy equipment for your home.</a> <br /> <br /> </p><h3>No carbon-based planet warming and polluting</h3><p>The advantage of renewable resources includes their inability to produce carbon-based warming and polluting agents into the atmosphere. The financial cost of its applications is not always cheap but if the environmental costs of using <a href="http://www.alternate-energy-sources.com/fossil-fuels-as-energy-sources.html" target="_new">fossil fuels</a> are accounted for, renewable energy wins hands-down. There are also indirect savings on health and its costs as there are no harmful emissions.</p><p>The great advantages of renewable energy then are:</p><ul><li><b>We can use it repeatedly without depleting it. </b></li><li><b>No contribution to global warming, </b></li><li><b>No polluting emissions </b></li><li><b>Low cost applications when counting all costs</b></li><li><b>Saving on health and its costs</b></li></ul><p>But there is still more.</p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-48373680974039841242009-06-17T12:31:00.000+05:302009-06-17T12:32:32.012+05:30Scientists make solar energy breakthroughResearchers at Canada's National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta say they have engineered an approach that is leading to improved performance of plastic solar cells (hybrid organic solar cells). The development of inexpensive, mass-produced plastic solar panels is a goal of intense interest for many of the world's scientists and engineers because of the high cost and shortage of the ultra-high purity silicon and other materials normally required.<br /><br /><br />Plastic solar cells are made up of layers of different materials, each with a specific function, called a sandwich structure. Jillian Buriak, a professor of chemistry at the U of A, NINT principal investigator and member of the research team, uses a simple analogy to describe the approach:<br /><br />"Consider a clubhouse sandwich, with many different layers. One layer absorbs the light, another helps to generate the electricity, and others help to draw the electricity out of the device. Normally, the layers don't stick well, and so the electricity ends up stuck and never gets out, leading to inefficient devices. We are working on the mayonnaise, the mustard, the butter and other 'special sauces' that bring the sandwich together, and make each of the layers work together. That makes a better sandwich, and makes a better solar cell, in our case".<br /><br />After two years of research, these U of A and NINT scientists have, by only working on one part of the sandwich, seen improvements of about 30 per cent in the efficiency of the working model.<br /><br />Michael Brett, professor of electrical and computer engineering, NINT principal investigator and member of the research team is optimistic saying: "our team is so incredibly cross-disciplinary, with people from engineering, physics and chemistry backgrounds all working towards this common goal of cheap manufacturable solar cells. This collaboration is extremely productive because of the great team with such diverse backgrounds, [although] there is still so much more for us to do, which is exciting."<br /><br />The team estimates it will be five to seven years before plastic solar panels will be mass produced but Buriak adds that when it happens solar energy will be available to everyone. She says the next generation of solar technology belongs to plastic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800566007_1800008_NT_b0d545e9.HTM">View More</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-26160970977928744472009-06-17T12:24:00.002+05:302009-06-17T12:31:18.800+05:30The Solar Energy Breakthrough Will Change the Energy Business LandscapeThe cost of solar modules has fallen substantially over the past six months and is expected to fall still further. Photovoltaic solar energy is nearing its breakthrough point. This will happen once the cost of solar electricity equals the cost of electricity from the grid.<br /><br />That point is referred to as "grid parity" and will vary from country to country depending on the market segment. In sunny California, the grid parity point for private households is near, as solar irradiation is high and consumers pay a high price for their electricity. In France– a little less sunny and with low electricity costs due to its cheaply available nuclear power– grid parity is a little further away.<br /><br />Nevertheless, grid parity for solar PV will come to all countries eventually, because the cost of solar electricity will continue to fall, while the cost of electricity generated through fossil fuels will only increase. Solar modules and systems will become cheaper as a result of improvements in technology and the scaling up of manufacturing processes. The cost of electricity from the grid will become more expensive as a result of growing demand and the scarcity of fossil fuels. Increasing environmental concerns translating themselves into eco-taxes may raise the price as well. Grid parity could be reached in California and southern Italy in less than two years, while it may take a little longer in other countries, such as Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Other countries will soon follow suit. What can we then expect?<br /><br />Once grid parity has been reached, consumers will be presented with a choice: (1) to buy all their electricity from traditional energy utilities or (2) to pay the same price and (partly) generate green renewable solar energy from their own roofs. Not only will the growing focus on green and sustainable development make solar power a preferential alternative, but even more important will be price stability. Following its installation, a solar energy power system will generate solar electricity at fixed cost for at least 25 years. Operation and maintenance costs are negligible. The cost of solar electricity will be determined by the depreciation schedule and the interest rate. Both of these can be forecast over a long period of time. Compare this to the annually changing cost of grid electricity. Is it likely that fossil fuel-based electricity prices will be stable over the next 25 years? This would seem to be an unlikely scenario when looking at growing concerns about climate change, Asia’s rapidly increasing energy demands, international political instability, and anticipated uncertainties about the easy exploration of oil reserves.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.solarplaza.com/article/the-solar-energy-breakthrough-will-change-the-ener">View More</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-58519762560859200562009-04-21T18:24:00.001+05:302009-04-21T18:28:19.177+05:30Payback of Solar Energy Systems<span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >A customer investing in a solar PV system should understand the <b>economic payback</b> on his or her investment, even if there may be strong non-economic (e.g. environmental) factors driving the purchasing decision.<br /> <br /> The initial investment depends on the system size. A convenient factor that takes this into account is the price per peak Watt (Wp) of the system. Hence, <b>a 2000 Watt peak (2kWp) solar energy system</b> costing <b>$16000 in total </b>(i.e. including installation) will correspond to a <b>price of $8/Wp</b>. In some countries, you may be able to obtain a grant or rebate towards the cost of the system, which will obviously improve the economic payback on the purchase.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >You may have different options to finance the purchase, but each of them has a cost. If you are investing cash then you lose its future interest; if you borrow the m</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >oney then you pay a financing cost. Either way, there is a cost of financing the purchase that can be represented by a so-called "discount rate". The normal cost of borrowing may be reduced if local banks offer low interest loans for the purc<img src="http://www.solarbuzz.com/Photos/Paybackpic.gif" vspace="5" width="125" align="left" height="100" hspace="5" />hase of solar PV systems. Alternatively, your bank might allow you to extend your <b>home loan or mortgage</b>; this may be the <b>cheapest form</b> of standard borrowing.<br /> <br /> The <b>economic return</b> on your investment is the value of the electricity that you generate. This will, as a minimum, displace electricity that you would have otherwise bought from your utility or energy service provider during the day. Through certain schemes, it may be separately metered and rewarded at a defined rate (possibly related to the domestic tariff or set by a national or state program). <b>Market incentive programs</b> in certain countries offer some or all of the range of benefits from grants or rebates and low-interest loans to preferential electricity purchase rates. Your local Retailer (also known as "dealer") should be able to advise if any incentives are available to you. </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >The following graph shows the impact of the solar system price on the <b>payback time</b> of the purchase as a function of the value of the electricity generated, using a discount rate of 5%. As you would expect: the cheaper the Solar System, the faster the economic payback. The higher your regular electricity rate (shown on the bottom axis), the faster the payback on your Solar Energy System.</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" ><br /> <br /> </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >For example, if your average electricity rate is <b>20 US cents per kilowatt hour</b> and your installed cost was <b>$4 per Watt</b> (this is achievable where government or utility programs are available), your payback time will be just over <b>15 years</b>. If you are exposed to peak pricing on electricity rates, take account of tax incentives (available for Corporate purchasers), payback closer to 10 years is reasonable.</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" ><br /> </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:8;" ><img src="http://www.solarbuzz.com/Photos/Payback3.gif" width="508" height="401" /></span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.solarbuzz.com/consumer/payback.htm">Read More</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-55711970100833971172009-04-21T18:19:00.001+05:302009-04-21T18:23:34.121+05:30Solar Energy Businesses in the WorldHere you can find solar energy business oppurtunities throughout the world..<br /><br /><a href="http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/solar/solar.shtml"><br />Read More</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-91924862672766604022009-03-28T20:19:00.001+05:302009-03-28T20:41:53.966+05:30U.S. Energy Investment ServicesThe prospects for excellent returns from a direct investment in domestic wells are the best in many years with annual returns exceeding all time highs.<br /><br />U.S. Energy Investment Services will send you information regarding the strongest performing direct investment opportunities with the finest established domestic oil and gas producers, currently seeking investors for direct participation in multiple oil well and gas programs in proven domestic oil and gas fields, this includes Green Fuel and other alternative fuel solutions.<br /><br />U.S. Energy Investment Services will send you details on the finest established U.S. Oil and Gas firms, with proven track records of drilled successful producing Oil and Gas wells all over the USA. Fill out the Energy Investor Evaluation to receive details about these firms current direct participation opportunities.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />Tax Incentives<br />Under the current tax code, the most favored investment is drilling for oil and gas. Development of natural gas and oil from domestic reserves helps to make our country more self sufficient by reducing our dependence on foreign imports so Congress provides tax incentives to stimulate this production by private sources. Many investments, which were previously thought of as tax shelters were reclassified under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 as “passive” activities (a business in which the taxpayer does not actively participate). The significant exception to this rule is drilling for oil and natural gas. It is specifically stated as NOT being a passive activity.<br /><br />So what does this mean to you?<br /><br />It means that as an investor in oil and gas drilling, one would have significant tax write offs. The first and largest write off is the Intangible Drilling Costs (IDC). Intangible Drilling Costs are expenses that are incurred during the drilling and developing of a well such as labor, testing, geological studies etc. Equipment, however, is excluded, as it is tangible. Usually 70-80% of the investment pays for intangible drilling costs and these can be written off in the year that they occur. Tangible Costs include well equipment and is depreciated over a 7 year period.<br /><br />As each project and each company is structured differently, please see your personal tax advisors to see how these apply to your particular situation.karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-2493913603090695662009-03-28T20:12:00.000+05:302009-03-28T20:13:59.382+05:30India close to solar energy breakthroughSOLAR cells used to tap energy from the sun are made up of photovoltaic substances such as silicon which, when combined with suitable additives and exposed to sunlight, produce electricity. Extracting crystalline silicon from the compounds in which it is found is highly energy-intensive and the element itself accounts for upto 50 per cent of the total cost of producing photovoltaic systems. Crystalline silicon for photovoltaic applications costs about Rs 1500 (US $50) per kg in the global market. A little over 25 gms of monocrystalline wafers is required to produce one watt of electricity.<br /><br />Amorphous silicon has a lower silicon content and costs half as much as crystalline silicon to produce because of its non-crystalline form. The Japanese have extensively used amorphous silicon cells in solar-powered calculators and watches.<br /><br />The Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNES) has been exploring the use of amorphous silicon technology to reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar cells. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bangalore division, was assigned the task of establishing a plant to produce amorphous silicon solar cells and set up one at Gurgaon, Haryana, which was commissioned in July 1992. The Rs 16-crore plant produces amorphous silicon solar cells equivalent to 500 kwp (kilowatt peak output of electricity) per shift and has an annual capacity to produce 300 kg of Silane gas, an essential raw material. During pre-commissioning runs, the plant produced over 2000 modules of solar cells with different process parameters. Efficiencies of converting solar energy into electricity exceeding 7 per cent were achieved on individual cells in the modules.<br /><br />According to R K D Shah, Executive Director (corporate planning and development), BHEL, "At present the production of amorphous silicon photovoltaic cells is still in an experimental stage. Though the potential applications are many, amorphous silicon cells are still being tested and tried in various systems and applications."<br /><br />Scientists at BHEL say that amorphous silicon cells have half the efficiency of crystalline silicon cells but they cost less than half as much. According to Praveen Saxena, principal scientific officer, DNES, the cost of monocrystalline silicon, used in large-scale applications, is about Rs 225 per watt, while that of amorphous silicon, as yet used only in small systems, is Rs 150 per watt. According to BHEL sources, amorphous silicon cells produced in very large quantities can bring down the cost of solar panels to Rs 60 per peak watt.<br /><br />Research in India has focused on increasing the efficiency of amorphous silicon, which is also unstable and loses efficiency at high temperatures.<br /><br />Efficiency levels of over 12 per cent have been achieved by the Bangalore unit of BHEL. It has produced solar cells of 10 cm diameter which have achieved upto 14.3 per cent efficiency -- the highest achieved in the country so far. The conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices in the international market is around 17.5 per cent.<br /><br />Work on photovoltaic solar cells began in India as early as October 1980, when the Central Electronics Limited, Sahibabad, was established to produce monocrystalline silicon cells.<br /><br />A separate technology mission was, therefore, set up for the development of amorphous silicon technology in the seventh plan. Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, who has taken particular interest in solar energy development, asserted in Parliament, "We are at the point of achieving a breakthrough in commercial applications of photovoltaic technology."<br /><br />S Mehrotra, an official at BHEL, says, "When we started working on the amorphous silicon technology, we were perhaps 15 to 20 years behind the developed countries. But now we have definitely closed the gap."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/4376">Source</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-18253875543156672932009-03-02T20:12:00.001+05:302009-03-02T20:18:30.512+05:30Green Mountain Coffee Roasters going solar<p><span>WATERBURY, Vt.—</span><org idsrc="NASDAQ" value="GMCR">Green Mountain Coffee</org> Roasters is hoping to cut its electric bill with a major solar power installation set for spring.</p><div id="articleEmbed"><div class="embed" id="relatedContent"> </div></div><p>The Waterbury-based company plans to put 530 solar panels on top of its distribution center in a partnership with <org idsrc="NYSE" value="GMP">Green Mountain Power Corp.</org>, and White River Junction-based groSolar.</p><p>The project is expected to produce electricity equivalent to what it takes to run 16 houses year-round.</p><p>Paul Comey, the coffee roaster's vice president of environmental affairs, says the company sometimes draws up to a megawatt of electricity.</p><p>The project is getting helped along by a $250,000 grant from the state's Clean Energy Development Fund.</p><p>------</p><p>Information from: WCAX-TV, <a href="http://www.wcax.com/">http://www.wcax.com</a></p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-24236094715916744782008-11-28T20:34:00.001+05:302008-11-28T20:36:32.247+05:30The Best Wind Energy Companies<p><strong>The Wind Energy Industry</strong></p> <p>First, let’s get a quick rundown of the growth of the domestic and international wind markets out of the way.</p> <p>Here’s the chart for wind power capacity growth by year:</p> <p><img src="http://images.angelpub.com/2008/35/1158/wind-power-capacity-growth-by-country.gif" alt="wind power capacity growth by country" border="0" /></p> <p>As you can see, global installed capacity for wind energy has grown 482% over the last seven years, from 14,604 MW in 2000 to 84,934 MW in 2007.</p> <p>Broken down further, the international wind industry has a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR or year-over-year) of 28.6%, which is impressive, to say the least.</p> <p>But the past performance of the wind energy stocks is going to do little to help the future performance of your portfolio, apart from establishing an historic trend and highlighting what you’ve been missing.</p> <p>So here’s the global wind energy installed capacity forecast, going out to 2012:</p> <p><img src="http://images.angelpub.com/2008/35/1160/wind-energy-installed-capacity-forecast.gif" alt="wind energy installed capacity forecast" border="0" /><br />This data reveals that the industry will grow 215% between 2007 and 2012, from 84,934 MW to 267,837 MW. That’s a CAGR of 25.8%</p> <p>Now this is information that can give your portfolio a boost. In an industry that’s doubling in size every four years or less, there are surely more than a few companies worthy of investment operating within it.</p> <p>The only thing left to do is to actively seek out the best ones.</p> <p>To start the search, it’s probably worth taking a look at the countries currently boasting the highest year-over-year growth in the wind industry. So here they are, along with their respective annual growth rates, as provided by GlobalData:</p> <ul><li>Turkey, 95.4%</li><li>Mexico, 84.7%</li><li>Brazil, 61%</li><li>China, 54%</li><li>Poland, 50.9%</li></ul> <p>Of course, those are the fastest growing markets. According to GlobalData, the largest markets by megawatt capacity are:</p> <ul><li>China, 51,200 MW</li><li>U.S, 45,454 MW</li><li>Spain, 36,715 MW</li><li>Germany, 35,829 MW</li><li>India, 25,935 MW</li></ul> <p>The only thing left to do is single out the largest operators in those areas, invest, and reap the profits.</p><p><a href="http://www.dailymarkets.com/stocks/2008/08/27/a-snapshot-of-the-best-wind-energy-companies/">Read More From here</a><br /></p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-54739696293889215172008-11-15T16:55:00.002+05:302008-11-15T17:05:13.586+05:30Solar Power Wins Enthusiasts but Not Money<p>The trade association for the nuclear power industry recently <a href="http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=4&catid=1022" target="new">asked 1,000 Americans</a> what energy source they thought would be used most for generating electricity in 15 years. The top choice? Not nuclear plants, or coal or natural gas. The winner was the sun, cited by 27 percent of those polled.<br /></p> <div id="articleInline"><div id="inlineBox"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/business/16solar.html#secondParagraph" class="jumpLink"></a> <div id="inlineMultimedia"> <h4>Multimedia</h4> <div class="story first"> <a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC2.html', '920_359', 'width=920,height=359,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"> <span class="mediaType graphic"></span></a><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC2.html', '920_359', 'width=920,height=359,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/07/15/business/0716-nat-webonly-SOLAR2.190.jpg" alt="Solar Energy Now and in the Future" border="0" height="126" width="190" /></a><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC2.html', '920_359', 'width=920,height=359,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"> </a> <h2> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC2.html', '920_359', 'width=920,height=359,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')">Solar Energy Now and in the Future</a></span> </h2> </div> <div class="story"> <a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC1.html', '620_729', 'width=620,height=729,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"> <span class="mediaType graphic"></span></a><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC1.html', '620_729', 'width=620,height=729,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"><span class="mediaType graphic"></span></a><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC1.html', '620_729', 'width=620,height=729,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/07/15/business/0716-nat-sub-webSOLAR1.190.jpg" alt="Energy Research" border="0" height="126" width="190" /></a><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC1.html', '620_729', 'width=620,height=729,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')"> </a> <h2> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/15/business/20070716_SOLAR_GRAPHIC1.html', '620_729', 'width=620,height=729,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')">Energy Research</a></span><br /></h2> </div> </div> </div> </div><a name="secondParagraph"></a> <p>It is no wonder solar power has captured the public imagination. Panels that convert sunlight to electricity are winning supporters around the world — from Europe, where gleaming arrays cloak skyscrapers and farmers’ fields, to Wall Street, where stock offerings for panel makers have had a great ride, to California, where Gov. <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/arnold_schwarzenegger/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More articles about Arnold Schwarzenegger.">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>’s <a href="http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/energy/million-solar-roofs" target="_0">“Million Solar Roofs”</a> initiative is promoted as building a homegrown industry and fighting <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival news about global warming.">global warming</a>.</p><p>But for all the enthusiasm about harvesting sunlight, some of the most ardent experts and investors say that moving this energy source from niche to mainstream — last year it provided less than 0.01 percent of the country’s electricity supply — is unlikely without significant technological breakthroughs. And given the current scale of research in private and government laboratories, that is not expected to happen anytime soon.</p><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/business/16solar.html">Read More</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-19181678764485178612008-11-15T16:43:00.000+05:302008-11-15T16:49:32.155+05:30The Awesome Solar Tower of Seville<p>Located in the Andalusian countryside of Southern Spain, near Seville, is a giant 115 meter high concrete tower surrounded by a field of 624 huge mirrors. These mirrors collect the sunlight and focus it at the top of the concrete tower, where it heats water passing through pipes, converting it into steam. This steam drives a series of turbines that produce electricity. Simple, efficient, environment friendly and spectacular!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkpmGza1mI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/Ljp9vrRzPE0/solar-tower%20%285%29%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower (5)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkpou9PJuI/AAAAAAAAC0c/Li6K0MKyph8/solar-tower%20%285%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="200" width="450" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkprbfuIvI/AAAAAAAAC0g/kTSTqsaBZuY/solar-tower%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkpuz7dnGI/AAAAAAAAC0k/F_wb9rtGNnQ/solar-tower_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="338" width="450" /></a> </p> <p><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower (2)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkpxJTbmJI/AAAAAAAAC0o/NIbjXoysVZ0/solar-tower%20%282%29%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="381" width="280" /> </p> <p> </p> <p>These 624 parabolic mirrors each having a surface area of 120m² are heliostats, that track the sun throughout the year, precisely focusing the sunlight to the top of the tower at all times. The temperature at the top rises to over 400'C (750'F).</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkpzdZYxrI/AAAAAAAAC0s/xAe9CqAF0vg/solar-tower%20%281%29%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower (1)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkp1_CtyjI/AAAAAAAAC0w/tXuCcsKuJGo/solar-tower%20%281%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="294" width="450" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkp5k6Kg3I/AAAAAAAAC00/U5b0J_giZcg/solar-tower%20%283%29%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower (3)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkp9PjgnaI/AAAAAAAAC04/L3czakuoiqU/solar-tower%20%283%29_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="338" width="450" /></a> </p> <p><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="solar-tower (4)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kaushik810/SMkqApZYiGI/AAAAAAAAC08/2sPdETLpUNk/solar-tower%20%284%29%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="271" width="360" /> </p> <p>The current capacity of the Solar Tower is 11MW. The plant when completed in 2013, will produce around 300MW – energy enough for 180,000 homes, equivalent to the needs of the city of Seville, and saving 600,000 tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions. We urgently need more of these. - <a href="http://35mm.instantfundas.com/2008/09/green-energy-amazing-solar-tower-of.html">Original Source</a><br /></p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-78533892675140099962008-10-30T00:31:00.002+05:302008-10-30T00:36:39.513+05:305 Powerful Reasons To Invest Into Solar Panels and Save Money!<h2>Save Money With Solar Panels</h2>So 2008 is winding down and many things have happened this year. Recently the particle accelerator (Large Hadron Collider) was fired up and Barack Obama made young people everywhere have faith in politics.<br /><br />But the real theme of 2008 has been <span style="font-weight: bold;">gas prices.</span> Many people everywhere are still wondering whether gas prices are going to get any cheaper. The reality is that, it will never get cheaper. That's right - <span style="font-weight: bold;">never.</span> Not only will gas never get cheaper, but everything we pay for that relies on <span style="font-style: italic;">petrochemicals</span> for production - that is - everything you use - from your chair, computer, desk, plastics, vehicles - will never get cheaper.<br /><br />Just think about that for a moment - everything that you rely on takes a source of energy that is quickly depleting. It takes many different refined sources of oil (petrochemicals) to manufacture pretty much all the goods and technology we enjoy in abundance. Some argue we have 20 years left, some argue we have 50 - the bottom line is there is a time line within most of our lifetimes.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Let's take a look at your home or apartment for a moment.</span><br /><br />Depending on your location, your home is tied into a vast energy grid that is powered by things such as Hydroelectric dams to coal power plants. All of these take petrochemicals to maintain and construct as well.<img style="width: 278px; height: 191px;" src="http://www.infobarrel.com/media/image/460.jpg" align="right" /><br /><br />My main point here is that, as a globe we need to begin changing our energy infrastructure while we have the oil to do it. Don't sweat though, the power is actually in your hands.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>So while we have this black gold available, we're still able to manufacture such things as <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">solar panels</span> </span>to empower people to get off the grid.<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ADMINI%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />Solar panels are pretty new, but have been around in theory for many many years. If you're a home owner, or even live in a small apartment - a solar panel can help you save money in the long run. But why should you invest besides reasons such as a lack of oil resources?<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's 5 reasons why you should:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reason #1 - Durability & Longevity</span><br /><br />On average, a solar panel can last up to 30 years or more. With just a few arrays set up, you can be powering your home with your own renewable energy. Not only that, but solar panels are designed to withstand harsh climates. One common misconception is that you need the sun shining to convert to electricity. Solar panels can still convert from solar energy to electrical or thermal power even on a cloudy day (although not at the same capacity).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reason #2 - Unlimited Power!</span><br /><br />While everyone else is crying and whining about gas prices and high energy costs - you will have an unlimited supply of solar power. Unless the sun blows up and destroys our entire solar system - you won't really need to worry about never having power<img style="width: 282px; height: 210px;" src="http://www.infobarrel.com/media/image/459.jpg" align="left" />.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reason #3 - Tax Incentives</span><br /><br />Once you invest into solar, you are eligible for <span style="font-style: italic;">Federal, State, Provincial And Utility</span> Tax incentives and rebates. These aren't the <span style="font-style: italic;">'$30 off'</span> from your coffee maker rebates - <span style="font-weight: bold;">they add up</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">big time</span>! For example, in Australia, if you spend $16,000 on a solar set up, they will rebate you up to $8000 back. This doesn't include other rebates you can get either. You'll need to check your own country's government policies - but, in the next 5-10 years - all countries will be jumping on the solar bandwagon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reason #4 - Not Just A 'One Time' Set Up + Easy Installation</span><br /><br />With solar, you don't need to invest into a bunch of costly arrays right away. You're able to set up one panel at a time, and add additional panels whenever you feel the time is right. Furthermore, installing a solar panel is actually quite a lot easier than people think. You can do it yourself, or have an installer come and have it set up for you the same day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reason #5 - Add A 'Capacitor' And You Are Laughing + No More 'Blackouts'</span><br /><br />A capacitor is a device that lets you store unused energy. So if you're over producing solar energy - usually two things happen. You can either give that energy back into the system grid (that is, pooling your energy into the grid for other people in your community to use) or you can store it in a capacitor. If you were ever to run out of energy, or you are seeing 'under production' - a capacitor lets you have energy that you stored previously. This means you will always have a back up of energy in a time of crisis.<br /><br />What this also means (and having solar in general) is that when the system grid goes over its maximum energy potential (that is, too much energy is being used in the city which causes a blackout) - you will still be powered up! Your neighbors will be looking in jealousy at the one shiny house in the block.<br /><br />So there you have it. If you're still not convinced - check out <a href="http://solar.envirohub.net">http://solar.envirohub.net</a> for more information.karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-38406891791398097692008-10-20T20:04:00.001+05:302008-10-20T20:06:45.965+05:30Top 5 countries to invest in renewable energy<p>According to the Ernst & Young <a href="http://www.ey.com/global/download.nsf/International/Country_Attractiveness_Indices_Winter_2006/$file/Country%20Attractiveness%20Indices%20Winter%202006.pdf" target="_blank">'Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index'</a>, the 5 most attractive countries for investment are</p><ol style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><li>Spain</li><li> USA</li><li> Germany<br /></li><li>UK </li><li> India</li></ol><p>in that order. The index provides an overall score for renewable technologies that are currently entering the market on a large scale, i.e. wind, solar and biomass. Wind as the most important renewable from a business perspective today, is weighted 85%, solar and biomass respectively 5% and 10%. </p><p>For each technology, an index is constructed based on a mixture of infrastructure and technology factors: </p><ul><li><strong>Infrastructure</strong> (35%): Market risk, Planning & grid connection issues, Access to finance</li><li><strong>Technology</strong> (65%): Power offtake attractiveness, Tax climate, Grant/soft loan availability, Market growth potential, Current installed base, Resource quality, Project size</li></ul><p>Financial aspects, i.e. access to finance, power offtake attractiveness, tax climate and grants/soft loans, often regarded as the critical factor of success for renewable energy sources, are weighted together 35.5%. They're a very necessary, but far from sufficient condition for development. </p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-57728194683889998972008-10-20T16:34:00.000+05:302008-10-20T20:02:01.572+05:30Top 5 renewable energy technology in UK<span class="largetext"><p><strong>Renewable energy may make up only a small proportion of the UK’s overall electricity supply, but it is growing. According to the government’s own figures, renewable energy made up 4.55 per cent of all electricity generated in the UK in 2006, which is 0.32 per cent higher than in 2005, and nearly a whole percentage point ahead of the 2004 figure.</strong></p> <p>That 4.55 per cent makes up 18,133 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity generated, an increase of 7.5 per cent compared to 2005. It may sound like a lot, but greater London alone consumed around 41,436GWh of electricity in 2005. And the big guns are still coal (which produces 33 per cent of the UK’s electricity), nuclear (20 per cent) and gas (a whopping 40 per cent).</p> <p>Renewable energy is measured in megawatt-electrical (MWe), the amount of electrical power a plant has the capacity to produce. For renewables, of course, power capacity doesn’t always equate to how much power is actually produced — wind turbines, for example, only produce power when there is wind. Nevertheless, the UK’s current renewables capacity is 5,659MWe. The UK’s entire electricity power capacity — including coal, gas and nuclear power stations — is 83,045MWe.</p> <p>The UK still lags well behind other countries in renewable energy generation. In Spain over a weekend in March, according to the AEE (Spanish Wind Energy Association), wind power accounted for an average of 28 per cent of Spain’s entire power demand. But renewables are growing and will continue to do so, as necessity dictates. To shed some light on the use of renewable technologies for electricity production, we’ve looked at the UK’s top five renewables — in no particular order — in terms of total installed capacity and future potential.</p> <p><strong>Photovoltaic solar panels</strong><br />The final major renewable energy technology in the UK is photovoltaics solar panels (PV), which currently contribute 12MWe of the UK total electricity capacity. Many installations are on schools and office buildings, but some are being offered directly to consumers by house builders, as with the in Reading. Photovoltaics are growing rapidly, with 2.4MWe of this capacity having become operational since January 2007. Much of that growth was driven by a government funding programme that is now complete, which offered grants for small, medium and large-scale implementations. Whether this growth will continue is a moot point as the government’s successor programme has been criticised by Friends of the Earth for failing to offer consumers enough funding.</p> <p><strong>Wind</strong><br />Wind power has massive potential in the UK with offshore wind farms alone apparently able to meet all of the UK’s current electricity needs, according to the government’s figures. Onshore facilities, however, are easier to build and 327 wind farms currently make up 1,842MWe of the UK’s electrical power capacity, according to statistics from the RESTATS database. Wind turbines are more difficult and expensive to install at sea and such make up a more modest 394MWe, but offshore wind farms have fewer planning issues and 90MWe of new capacity has become operational since January 2007. There are currently seven operational offshore wind farms in the UK with a further five under construction.</p> <p><strong>Hydroelectric<br /></strong>These plants can be divided into large (producing over 5MWe) and small (below 5MWe) hydroelectric plants. Most of the large plants are concentrated in Scotland and Wales and draw their water from high-level reservoirs with their own natural catchment areas, and make up 1,369MWe of energy capacity. Opportunities to grow large hydro capacity are very limited as most of the potential sites are already in use. Smaller-scale plants are growing in popularity and are typically used for domestic or small business purposes and make up 156MWe.</p> <p><strong>Biofuels<br /></strong>There are many different kinds of biofuels in use for electricity generation, such as the oats-powered plant used by Quaker Oats. Landfill gas is one of the fastest-growing areas — it is the methane-rich biogas formed by the decomposition of organic matter in landfill and can be used to fuel electricity turbines or directly in boilers. RESTAT estimates that this makes up some 875MWe of electricity capacity. Another growing area is sewage sludge digestion, which uses the gas produced to maintain the temperature necessary for the process. This makes up 122MWe with the excess energy being sold off onto the grid. The final growth area is municipal solid waste, which is produced in incinerators and makes up 327MWe of energy capacity. At the end of 2006, there were 24 such plants in operation burning municipal solid waste (MSW), refuse derived fuel (RDF) and general industrial waste (GIW). Other biomass generation projects include Lockerbie’s plant powered mainly by forestry waste, and a straw-fired power station near Ely, Cambridgeshire.</p> <p><strong>Wave and tidal stream<br /></strong>Being an island at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean makes the UK well-suited for wave and tidal power, but the difficulty in harnessing this means that it so far contributes just 0.5MWe of total energy capacity. The Limpet oscillating water column is the only wave device in the UK. It is located off the isle of Islay in Scotland and is operated by Wavegen. Tidal energy is estimated to have the potential to produce up to 22,000GWh per year, but current deployments are still only prototypes. The government has launched a couple of schemes to encourage wave and tidal plants, but these are not expected to amount to more than around 25MWe of capacity in total, the majority of which will come on stream after 2010.</p> <p>Original Source: <a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/">The Smart Planet</a></p></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-51478891806594135392008-10-15T20:41:00.002+05:302008-10-15T20:56:57.390+05:30Poor nations rich in renewable energy potential<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scidev.net/scidev_images/windmills_NREL_Gretz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="http://www.scidev.net/scidev_images/windmills_NREL_Gretz.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Developing nations have the potential to generate large amounts of energy from renewable sources, according to a US$10 million assessment coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). <p>UNEP hopes to attract support to enable developing countries to transform the assessment's findings into effective energy policies.</p> <p>The initial results of the Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA), which looked at 13 developing countries, were announced last week (14 April).</p> <p>They show how developing countries could harness thousands of megawatts of electricity from solar and wind energy.</p> <p>"In developing countries all over the world we have removed some of the uncertainty about the size and intensity of the solar and wind resource," said Klaus Toepfer, executive director of UNEP last week.</p> <p>"These countries need greatly expanded energy services to help in the fight against poverty and to power sustainable development. SWERA offers them the technical and policy assistance to capture the potential that renewable energy can offer."</p> <p>The SWERA project used satellites and ground-based instruments to assess the potential for wind and solar-powered renewable energy.</p> <p>Its findings have generated a range of tools to promote the implementation of policies that promote use of renewable energy sources. These tools include maps of wind and solar resources.</p> <p>The researchers created the 'geospatial toolkit' to overlay wind and solar maps with electricity distribution grids.</p> <p>Already, the project has influenced policy in several countries, including Nicaragua and Guatemala.</p> <p>In Nicaragua, the SWERA assessment showed that there was much more potential for wind energy production than was previously thought.</p> <p>As a result, the Nicaraguan National Assembly passed a decree in 2004 giving wind energy priority over other forms of energy when feeding into the electricity grid.</p> <p>In Guatemala, estimates that renewable energies could yield 7,000 megawatts of electricity prompted the Ministry of Energy to create the Centre for Renewable Energy and Investment. The centre will identify sites for wind energy development.</p> <p>According to previous UNEP estimates, the African continent needs 40,000 megawatts of electricity to power its industrialisation. An initial SWERA assessment in Ghana suggests that the nation has the potential to generate more than 2,000 megawatts from wind energy.</p> <p>It takes about 1,000 megawatts to power a US city the size of Seattle, whose population is 560,000.</p> <p>Tom Hamlin, project manager for SWERA, said last week that the project will be seeking support to meet requests from renewable energy development programmes in other developing countries.</p> <p>The 13 developing nations involved in SWERA are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka.</p><br /><a href="http://www.scidev.net/en/news/poor-nations-rich-in-renewable-energy-potential.html">See complete article</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-47187996728968857962008-10-12T13:58:00.001+05:302008-10-12T14:01:45.527+05:30Top Ten Cost-effective Renewable Energy Systems<p> 1. A <strong>solar thermal system</strong> to heat your hot water pays for itself in two to three years depending on your location.<br /> 2. A <strong>solar water heating system</strong> for your pool or hot tub also pays for itself in two to three years.<br /> 3. <strong>Solar photovoltaics</strong> to power your home or business, using government incentives, will reduce your monthly electricity costs significantly, in some areas. In some countries, such as Japan, solar is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. In North America, fossil fuels will continue to rise in cost and solar will continue to decline.<br /></p><p> 4. A <strong>portable solar system</strong> for an RV will cost less than a thousand dollars and provide you with power for many years.</p><p> 5. <strong>Solar panels for remote electricity</strong> (electric fence, lights, monitoring station, etc.) are much cheaper than hooking up to the grid.<br /> 6. A <strong>solar photovoltaic system for your cottage</strong> or remote location can cost much less than connection to the grid.<br /> 7. A <strong>geothermal system</strong> will pay for itself in five years or less and provide you with heat energy for the lifetime of your home or business.<br /> 8. A<strong> backup power system</strong> to cover your essential electricity needs, when a power outage strikes.<br /> 9. A <strong>wind energy system</strong> to power your farm, home or cottage could make your farm energy self-sufficient, in some geographical areas.<br /> 10. A <strong>micro hydro power station</strong> can provide you with limitless energy, if you have running water on your property.</p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-26188606609650642042008-10-12T13:55:00.000+05:302008-10-12T13:56:43.242+05:30Top Ten Important Solar Energy Power Tips1. Whatever solar power system or product you plan to utilize, always ensure that the solar panel faces in the direction of the sun. In the Northern hemisphere the panel must face south and at an angle to the horizontal equal to your latitude plus 15º.<br /><br />2. Before meeting a consultant regarding the installation of a solar power system, always have on hand a list of all your electrical appliances together with their wattage and the hours of use. Any dealer worth his salt will need to know this information.<br /><br />3. Before committing to a specific power system always check to find out exactly what the local, state and federal incentives are in your town. All this information can be found at the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy) database at http://www.dsireusa.org/<br /><br />4. Always have a local licensed installer put in your system (but make sure he has experience with Grid connected systems) - they know all the local regulations and will be able to give you valuable information regarding these rules.<br /><br />5. Keep solar panels clean - even if it means getting up onto your roof once a month. A thin layer of dust or dirt on the glass cover will effectively block off some solar power and the system will operate below its maximum efficiency.<br /><br />6. When calculating the number of panels you need, do so using winter sunshine hours rather than summer hours - there are roughly twice as many hours sunshine in summer and the wrong calculation could leave you needing to use backup power in winter more often than you would like.<br /><br />7. In any solar system keep your panels as close as you can to the batteries to avoid losing power in the cable. Always make sure that your panels are not shaded.<br /><br />8. When planning a solar heating system, always consider the use of solar shades or smart glass to augment your system - their use can save you a lot of energy that might otherwise escape from the house.<br /><br />9. Many states organize tours of homes that are fully converted to solar. Try to get yourself on one of these tours so that you can see a solar home in its working state.<br /><br />10.Before installing a solar system try to make your home as energy efficient as possible - install double glazing, add new insulation where possible, replace incandescent light globes with fluorescent etc. By reducing your needs you can reduce the size and cost of the system you're installing. karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-18025675995233224192008-10-10T21:19:00.000+05:302008-10-10T21:25:28.571+05:30Benefits of Going Solar<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:16;" ><table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span class="bigNbold" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:20;" >Why have over 1.5 million Americans invested in solar?</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Surveys taken over the last ten years confirm that the vast majority of owners (94% or more) consider that investment a wise decision. Consumer investment and satisfaction have spawned a small but growing solar hot water (SHW) industry here in the U. S. that is providing even broader benefits to our nation and has the potential to contribute much more.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Clean and Safe<span style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Solar hot water systems in use today produce approximately 1000 megawatts of energy annually. That is the equivalent of two medium-sized coal plants. The life-cycle costs of SHW systems are about the same as gas and far better than electric water heating systems.<o:p></o:p></p>Solar energy is pollution-free, an important benefit when the cost of removing pollutants from the environment is considered. For example, a typical SWH system will, over its lifetime, displace 10.5tons of CO<sub>2<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></sub>if replacing a natural gas system, or 71.5 tons if replacing an electric system.</td><td><p face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="12px" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><img src="http://www.aetsolar.com/images/solar_1.jpg" shapes="_x0000_i1025" height="363" width="293" /></p></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><span class="bigNbold" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:20;" >Readily Available Resource<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>The U. S. Department of Energy estimates that Americans consume approximately 2.5 quads of end-use energy annually to produce hot water at a cost of over $20 billion dollars. Solar energy currently provides only a tiny fraction of that demand, but huge portions of our country possess sufficient insolation to produce much greater quantities of energy.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">Enough sunlight reaches the earth’s surface each yearto produce approximately 1000 times the same amount of energy produced by burning all fossil fuels mined and extracted during the same period. Sunlight does not have to be explored, mined, extracted, transported, combusted, transmitted — or imported.</p><p class="bigNbold" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Quality, Reliability, Durability</p><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">Solar water heating technology, pioneered in the U. S., is the oldest and most developed of all renewable energy systems. Modern solar water heating systems can provide a large portion (40 - 80%) of household hot water demand depending on local climate conditions and the size and type of system. Most systems pay for themselves in four to sevenyears and continue to provide hot water for many years thereafter.</p></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://www.aetsolar.com/images/how_it2.jpg" border="0" height="181" width="280" /></td><td><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><strong>Much of the United States receives abundant sunshine, making solar hot water<o:p></o:p>systems a very economical investment. This map shows the average daily solar radiation available on a south-facing surface measured in megajoules per square meter each day.</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><br /></td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">Solar pool heating often provides an even better investment. Payback can be as low as two years and the solar system can extend the swimming season by several weeks without additional cost. Many homeowners have regretted the purchase of a conventional pool heating system after receiving their first utility bill.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">Another cost-efficient application for solar energy is preheating ventilation air for commercial and industrial facilities.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">The vast majority of U. S. manufacturers of solar equip ment voluntarily comply with national consensus standards devel oped by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). The SRCC tests and certifies collectors as well as complete systems for performance, reliability and durability. In addition, manufacturers and installers comply with the SRCC’s strict requirements for proper installation, labeling and homeowner information regarding operation and maintenance. Assurances of performance and quality are backed by warranties that in many cases exceed the guarantees of other household appliances.</p><br /><a href="http://www.aetsolar.com/Solar_Residential_Commercial/Solar_Benefits.html">Read Complete Article</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-58360858082358895342008-10-10T21:08:00.000+05:302008-10-10T21:18:41.827+05:30China Plans for 30% Renewable Energy by 2050<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p class="viewStoryIntro" style="margin-top: 0px;">In the June 2007 issue of the China Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development Report from Lou Schwartz, recent developments in renewable energies in China offer insight into that country's burgeoning challenges between population, energy and the environment.</p><p class="viewStoryQuote" style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(108, 145, 200); border-width: 1px 3px 3px 1px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 20px; padding: 10px; background-color: rgb(243, 243, 243); float: right; width: 200px; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 130%; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">"Between 2005 and 2030, China will account for 23% of the world's investment in power, spending $1.2 trillion U.S.D. in that period."<br /><br />-- China Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development Report, June 2007<br /></p><div id="newsStoryBody" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The report cites that the "Persistent rural poverty in China and periodic power shortages all have impressed upon Beijing that renewable energy must be a large part of China's economy if China is to both complete its economic transformation and achieve energy security."<p style="margin-top: 0px;">"Between 2005 and 2030, China will account for 23% of the world's investment in power, spending $1.2 trillion U.S.D. in that period," Schwartz notes. "China's ambitious growth target for renewable energy production will require an investment of approximately 800 billion Yuan (~$100 billion U.S.D.) by 2020. In the long term China has set an objective of having 30% or more of its total energy requirements satisfied by renewable sources by 2050."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">Current business opportunities, foreign participation, relevant conferences, and production and consumption are also discussed in this month's China Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development Report.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">The in-depth report examines developments across China's renewable energy industry, as seen in these excerpts:</p><blockquote><p style="margin-top: 0px;">- Solar: "The Chinese government has recently announced that large new buildings will all utilize photovoltaic power generating technology."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">- Wind: "Researchers at the Jiangsu Province Macroeconomic Research Institute have advocated that large-scale wind power should be directly used to provide electric power to industries, which are large consumers of power."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">- Hydropower: "In 2007 there will be another 500 MW of small to medium sized hydroelectric power generating capacity constructed in Guangxi Province."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">- Biomass, Biofuels: "China hasn't yet standardized its macro-economic policies with respect to the bio-diesel industry, but it is now formulating and will soon..."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">- Laws and Policies: "These sets of issues include the fact that there are more than 10 million Chinese who do not have access to electric power and the often-spotty access to power among tens of millions of other rural Chinese."</p><br /><a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/infocus/story?id=49057">Read Full Article</a><br /></blockquote></div></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-73128669712093995702008-10-08T20:50:00.000+05:302008-10-08T20:55:20.266+05:30Renewable energy alone can save India<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p>Dr Prodipto Ghosh, former secretary in the ministry of environment and forests, currently a special energy adviser with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), believes the future lies in developing renewable forms of energy.</p><p>Dr Ghosh, who played a key role in penning the recently released PMO report on climate change, believes: "Renewable forms of energy, including solar, wind and tidal, must be mainstreamed in order that they can substantially displace oil, gas and coal. Many renewable forms are already being used in niche applications such as street signalling, remote area power supply and village homes."</p><p>This turnaround can be best illustrated by the example of wind power. Thirty-five years ago, when the world began to look at wind power, it needed a great deal of government support. In the late 90s, when the global capacity of wind energy was increased to 65,000 megawatts, it became competitive with coal.</p><p>Since India receives a great deal of sunshine, the key question is how to make solar energy commercially viable, especially since only one per cent of India’s landmass would be required by solar PVs to meet our electricity needs. Dr Ghosh agrees but states, "A great deal of R&D is required to bring solar energy costs down. A strong government commitment to R&D, matched by an increasing scale of technology, will help kickstart this change."</p><a href="http://howrah.org/india_news/24020.html"><br />Read the full article</a><br /></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-27648979615895453762008-10-07T19:58:00.000+05:302008-10-07T19:59:39.103+05:30Dell Headquarters Uses 100% Renewable Energy<p>As of April 2, Round Rock, Texas-based Dell is powering 100 percent of its 2.1 million square-foot global headquarters campus with 100 percent green power.</p> <p>"It's time for our industry to take a lead role in creating a clean energy future," said Paul Bell, president, Dell Americas. "We are challenging every technology company to work with their suppliers and partners in integrating green power and energy-efficient strategies into their operations."</p> <p>Dell is using all of the power generated from Waste Management's Austin Community Landfill gas-to-energy plant, meeting 40 percent of Dell headquarters’ campus power needs. The remaining 60 percent comes from existing wind farms and is provided by TXU Energy. </p> <p>The computer company also announced it is increasing green power use for its Austin Parmer Campus, provided by Austin Energy, from 8 percent to 17 percent. Dell also is powering its Twin Falls, Idaho, facility with 100 percent green power, 97 percent of which is wind power and 3 percent solar.</p> <p>In September 2007, Dell announced it would make company owned and leased facilities "carbon neutral" in 2008 through a strategy of improving energy-efficiency in its operations and maximizing the purchase of renewable power. This commitment is part of the company's climate strategy which also seeks to minimize carbon impact of supplier operations and customer product use.</p><br /><a href="http://www.eponline.com/articles/60787/">Read the full article</a>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-21897567800768751202008-10-07T19:54:00.001+05:302008-10-07T19:58:07.200+05:30Top 10 US Cities for Renewable Energy<h3 class="articalPage"><strong>Top Ten US City Use of Renewable Energy</strong></h3> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="320"><caption style="display: none;">data table<br /><br /><br /></caption> <thead style="display: none;"> <tr> <th>table header row 1<br /><br /><br /></th><th>table header row 2<br /><br /><br /></th><th>table header row 3<br /><br /><br /></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td width="5">1.</td><td width="250">Oakland, CA</td><td width="65">(17%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">2.</td><td width="250">Sacramento/SF/San Jose, CA </td><td width="65">(12%)*</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">3.</td><td width="250">Portland, OR</td><td width="65">(10%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">4.</td><td width="250">Boston</td><td width="65">(8.6%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">5.</td><td width="250">San Diego, CA</td><td width="65">(8%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">6.</td><td width="250">Austin, TX</td><td width="65">(6%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">7.</td><td width="250">Los Angeles, CA</td><td width="65">(5%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">8.</td><td width="250">Minneapolis, MN</td><td width="65">(4.5%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">9.</td><td width="250">Seattle, WA</td><td width="65">(3.5%)</td></tr> <tr><td width="5">10.</td><td width="250"> Chicago, IL</td><td width="65">(2.5%)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="padding-top: 10px;">Which of the largest 50 US cities provide citizens with the highest percentage of power produced from renewable energy? SustainLane Government (<a href="http://www.sustainlane.us/home.jsp">www.sustainlane.us</a>) determined the percentage of each city’s electricity that comes from renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal, and small-scale hydro energy. </p> <div id="mConTubeRN"><img src="http://www.sustainlane.us/images/air-fan.gif" alt="" /><img src="http://www.sustainlane.us/images/solar_gas.gif" alt="" style="margin-top: 20px;" /><img src="http://www.sustainlane.us/images/clouds.gif" alt="" /><br /><br /> </div> <div id="mConTubeLN"><!--<img src="/images/white_car.gif" alt="" />--> <br /> <!-- Natts, replace the following link with the link that Richard provides for you. <a href="http://climate.weather.com/ontv/climateCode_resources3.html#videos" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/video.jpg" border="0" /> </a>--> </div> <p>Renewable energy sources produce electricity with no global climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions or regional air pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Renewable energy technologies also produce regional jobs while limiting the importation of energy from other nations.</p> <p>Just over 33 percent of greenhouse gases produced in the United States came from electricity production in 2004, making it the leading category of such emissions over other areas such as transportation (27.9 percent), industry (19.6 percent) and agriculture (7 percent).</p> <p>The leading cities in renewable energy could have an advantage in any upcoming federal or state regulations aimed at regulating or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions or developing renewable energy standards. If the greenhouse gases that cause climate change get priced, cities with strong renewable energy programs could save a lot of money in the long run and their economies could gain a tax advantage.</p> <p>Oakland, California led the nation with 17 percent of its electricity being produced by energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. Oakland gets some of its wind energy power from one of the largest wind power generating facilities in the nation at nearby Altamont Pass.</p> <p>San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose tied for second with 12 percent of their electricity coming from renewable energy sources.</p> <p>California cities rank high in general because of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which set minimal requirements in 2002 for utility purchases of renewable energy for the state’s electric grid. That standard requires a 20 percent renewable energy total for the state’s utilities by 2020.</p> <p>Some U.S. cities have also set goals for increasing renewable energy ranging from Chicago’s 20 percent goal by 2010, to Portland, Oregon’s goal of obtaining 100 percent renewable energy by 2010.</p>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496386081365210582.post-53063456089050761422008-10-05T12:45:00.001+05:302008-10-05T12:47:46.983+05:30Renewable energy made from waste<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(77, 77, 79); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A company in Swindon has developed technology which it claims turns household rubbish into clean renewable energy.<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><table class="storycontent" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%; width: 786px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><td class="storybody" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; float: left; display: block; line-height: 1.4em; font-size: 1.3em; width: 466px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45073000/jpg/_45073236_plasma226.jpg" alt="Gas plasma plant " style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 5px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;" border="0" height="170" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="226" /></div></span><table style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="226"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></span><b>A company in Wiltshire has claimed it is one of the first in the UK to turn household rubbish into clean renewable energy using "gas plasma technology".</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">Advanced Plasma Power (APP) said its small-scale plant in Swindon sends less than 1% of waste back to landfill.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">The process uses a beam of electrified gas at temperatures approaching 10,000C to destroy waste turning it into a flammable gas generating electricity.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">It hopes to create jobs around the new technology developed in Swindon.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;"><b>'Electricity generated'</b></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">Andrew Hamilton, of APP, said: "We see great potential to develop and exploit the technology for the benefit of not only us but we hope it will create substantial jobs in the area."</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">Dr Tim Johnson, of APP, said: "The reality is, that if waste is not turned into a fuel like this then it would have to go to landfill, so we're diverting material from landfill to make fuel."</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">The process is called "plasma gasification" - all recyclable materials such as glass and metals are removed and the remaining waste is then transformed into a hydrogen-rich gas. When the gas is then burned in the reactor electricity is generated.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; outline-width: 0px; font-size: 100%;">APP claims that a full-scale plant could process 50,000 tonnes of waste annually.<span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p></span>karthikeyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750820720282095081noreply@blogger.com1