News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

Iceland: Here we are, plug us in (Mother Nature Network)

In the process of transforming national transport toward electric cars, a small country such as Iceland might be the first. A conference on electric cars is going to be held in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Reykjavik has a total population of 200,000 individuals, which represents 60 percent of the country’s population.

Roughly, 75 percent of Iceland’s population lives within a proximity of 37 miles of Reykjavik. The rural areas are linked with a road of 840-mile. Practically, 15 fast-electric-charging stations would be enough to provide power to electric vehicles. It is already known that “80 percent of Iceland’s energy” is generated from renewable energies such as hydropower and geothermal energy. It is only the transport sector which uses fossil fuel and energy supply.

In 2003 Shell opened a commercial hydrogen pumping station as they intended to change Iceland into a hydrogen-based energy economy. There are already a few hydrogen-burning Priuses driving in Iceland. Unfortunately, the production of hydrogen cars is not done in mass quantities, so the hydrogen dream is currently being delayed to a targeted date in 2015.

Solar Century Says Jobs Installing Panels in U.K. Rise 75% After Incentive (Bloomberg)

According to Solar Century Holding Ltd, the employment market for solar power jobs has risen by 75 percent as the government is providing incentives for photovoltaic panels. The number of employees working for Solar Century (and its associates) has increased from 200 to 350 since the turn of the year. However, they expect that the total workforce will reach 500 by 2011.

Employment is being created in semi-skilled and skilled electrical and roofing jobs.

The Feed-in Tariffs introduced in April has already boosted solar installation to a total of 4.6 megawatts. It is more than what was installed in 2009.
Japan’s biggest solar maker, Sharp Corp announced that it will increase its product of solar cells by 100 percent in the U.K

Climate Change: How Extreme Heat May Affect Your Food (Times)

Recently, 15 states were under the imminent menace of high temperature. One of the hottest temperatures was recorded in U.S during June according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In June the average temperature was roughly 1.3 degree Fahrenheit above the norm of the 20th century. In New York, record figures were administrated showing June as the hottest month. The consequence was that the city had it highest electric bill, as air conditioners ran 24-hours.

Vestas Climbs as Largest Turbine Maker Wins Australian Wind Farm Contract (Bloomberg)

The largest wind power project in Australia was won by Vestas Wind Systems A/S. It is currently the largest wind-turbine maker. The approval of the project gave the company a steady rise on the Copenhagen trading.

The supply order helped Vestas to raise 5.1 percent. The order confirmed the supply of a total of 140 new wind turbines of their latest V112-3.0 megawatt model. It is going to be installed at the Macarthur Wind Farm located close to Victoria town of Hawkesdale in 2011-2013. The wind park will be constructed by Meridian Energy Ltd and AGL Energy Ltd.
The Vestas V112 model will be the first one of its kind installed in Australia. This turbine works effectively both on at sea and on land. The model has a very high capacity. The recent launch of the V112 is delighting the company as its order book is steadily rising. For this year, the company has already booked a total expansion capacity of 8,000 to 9,000 MWs.

Source: Our Planet Today