News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

In the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) a potential solar energy capacity of 630,000 terawatts is unexploited while Europe uses only 4,000 terawatts. ‘Studies’ are suggesting that if solar thermal plants were erected in the MENA desert over a surface area equivalent to Austria it would be sufficient to provide energy to the whole world.

Solar thermal energy is a competitive source of energy. It does even have the potential to store and generate energy overnight.

Solar thermal energy can generate power at a cost of 8 cents per watt, and the cost would further shrink if production was to be established on grand-scales. It is amazing how the sun can provide energy to the whole world:

- Harnessing one percent of the sunshine in the Sahara Desert would be enough to power the whole world.
- Harnessing one percent of America’s Southwest deserts would be enough to power all the states of America.

Efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells is improving while the cost of developing solar panels is falling. Experts in the solar industry expect solar power to reach grid parity. Currently new coal plants produce electricity at a cost of $2.1 per watt (excluding fuel cost and pollution). It is possible that solar energy can be produced at $2 per watt as modern solar cells are being developed. Besides, there are companies such as Nanosolar, which are already assembling solar panels at a very competitive price.

Solar Energy could represent 69 percent of the total energy supply in America by 2050. This is what Scientific America explained in an article published; A Solar Grand Plan. Moreover, the cost of using fossil fuel to produce electricity is more than we expect (Hidden Cost of Oil {PDF}). There is an abundance of hidden cost, so solar energy is a critical solution to solve energy problems in America.

“I’d put my money on the sun & solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
Thomas Edison, 1931

Solar thermal plants have a competitive edge, as they can store energy, and generate electricity even during the night. Spain was the first country in the world to introduce a solar thermal plant using ‘molten salt to store heat and generate energy during off-sunshine hours’.


Time for Action

If we enumerate some of the argument against solar or wind energy, amazingly very few make sense today. The most compelling argument that has been levied against renewable energy is that it is too irregular, and intermittent. This is no longer the case. Countries like Germany and Denmark have regions where wind power represents 40 percent of the total energy supply. These two nations are definitely less concern about intermittency than America.

The fact is that most of the compelling argument against wind and solar energy are communicated by the fossil fuel companies.

Renewable Energy

In reality, renewable is the only viable energy solution for the future. Fossil fuels are limited while the sun has a repository of limitless energy. The most intense hurdle to make renewable energy America’s prime source of power is neither technology nor money but rather lack of public awareness. Clearly solar power is a convenient alternative with immense potentials.

Solar energy can cut import on oil, thus reducing the negative cost on the balance of payment by roughly $300 billion per annum (assuming that crude oil cost $60). The fear of global warming and increasing greenhouse emission can equally be tackled as fossil fuel plants will play a lesser role. Renewable energy can therefore, improve availability of power as well as the health of the economy.

Set America Free, (PDF document) claims that the hidden cost of oil amount to $825 billion per annum. In other words it is twice as much as what America’s Department and Defence Budget was in 2006.

Source: Home Energy Saving Review