One very good example might be the purchase of Warren Buffett; last year the latter bought First Solar, a Californian solar plant, by the means of his company, known as Berkshire Hathaway.

This transaction was turned even more alluring due to the profitable contracts which were made a reality through the government laws in California requiring a 0.33 percent of the government’s electricity to be provided by renewable sources by the year 2020. Nevertheless, this does not simply imply more wind, biofuels and solar. Renewable energy is obtainable from range of varied sources; several of which have not yet come into general consciousness.

Geothermal Power

People who do not have any particular interest in science matters are less prone to know about geothermal energy, however, global installed capacity has exceeded 10,000 MW, with the US which has taken the lead worldwide through the generation of geothermal power of capacity greater than 3000 MW.

This model is rather simple. The globe’s heat content varies from ten to thirty-one power joules; a big amount of energy. While the exploitation of that energy is rather hard due to the globe’s crust, there are still ways to make use of the naturally happening heat of the globe in order to produce electricity by the means of an array of different techniques.

The majority of these methods consist of drilling wells in regions that are volcanically active and subsequently empowering a turbine by the means of steam that is produced from the underground heat. The most familiar plant which is in use is what is commonly known as “a flash steam power plant”. The latter is powered through highly pressurized hot water obtainable from the underground.

Ocean Power

Also known like “Marine Power” or even “Marine Energy”, making use of the sea’s natural heat and movements to produce electricity can prove to be rather an alluring proposition (in case particularly less thrilling to any person staying in Kansas).

In accordance to the yearly report of International Energy Agency for the year 2007, the sea has the capability to generate upto 15,000 GW of electricity by the means of thermal power, currents, waves and tides. One of the greatest problems with solar and wind power is the fact that they are rather unpredictable in nature. Solar plants’ output and that of wind farms can easily be affected by weather patterns and consequently the solar plants will be unable to generate power at night.

On the contrary, sources that are related to the sea are much more stable as well as reliable, thus turning them much more attractive potential as power sources. Oceanic current energy is produced by exploiting kinetic energy of marine currents such the Gulf Stream. Power sources that come from the tide and wave are very familiar hypothesis, searching ways to empower turbines through the use of naturally happening kinetic releases of the sea.

Marine thermal energy makes use of the heat difference between cold profound waters and hotter shallow waters. Nonetheless, probably the most fascinating type of electricity drawn from the sea is salinity or osmotic gradient energy. This consists of using a technique that makes use of the salinity difference between the river and ocean water in order to power osmosis by ion specific membranes which produces energy.

Varied Solar Techniques

Solar remains probably the most familiar type of renewable energy. However, it is not so famous that there exist various different methods of collecting solar power farther than the photovoltaic cell. There are solar plants which are being constructed which utilize an array of novel techniques which are beyond the traditional range of panels. Methods, which comprise of lens and mirrors for focusing on solar power onto a tiny area and exploiting the thermal energy it carries, are the most common ones. Turbines are then empowered by the concentrated heat to produce electricity. The most advanced among these methods is known as the parabolic trough. The latter makes use of curved mirrors which concentrate the solar power towards a pipe found in the middle that consists of a working liquid which is heated and after that used to warm water to empower a turbine. Apart from these types of plants, the other plants comprise of focusing solar power onto a tower in the center of a range.

Source: Equities Editorial

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Key points revealed at Abu Dhabi’s World Future Energy Summit 2012.

1. United Arab Emirates – Motivated To Promote Renewable Energy

In the Arab world, only a few countries are embracing renewable energy. UAE is steadily becoming a strong supporter of building eco-friendly-cities. An example is the Masdar City, which is an evident attempt to go for green cities.

According to the Chief Executive of Masdar, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, says that UAE is constantly reinforcing their stance as a green energy exporter. He also mentioned at the summit, that green companies in Abu Dhabi are motivated to stand-out as a provider of clean energy solutions.

In other words, UAE isn’t a gas and oil exporter; they are an energy exporter.

2. Importance of Renewable Energy Growing Across the World

The Slogan ‘going green’ is a big business. However, in people’s mind, supporting green energy and economies, includes additional expenditures.

Large economies such as China, Japan and Germany as well as smaller countries such as Belgium, Sweden and Serbia are displaying their commitment towards green growth. At the summit, several Emirati leaders were present, not to forget, Chinese Premier, Wan Jiabao and South Korean PM Kim Hwang-sik Affluent people say that emerging economies need renewable energy.

In addition, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon was present and highly interested about Masdar, which was promoted by GE, Siemens, Vestas and Mitsubishi.

3. Great Britain Strong in Green Innovation

In Britain, there is strong innovation in renewable technology. The famous Solar Impulse (solar-powered plane) had Bertrand Piccard and PlanetSolar boat, and various cars with solar panels were displayed; just mention the machine and soon you will find solar panels sticked unto it.

‘Pauley, a UK designed company’ have created the Solar Cucumber. It is a floating de-salination device, that reverses osmosis in order to segregate salt from water, and the apparatus is powered by solar energy. The device has been designed to provide fresh consumable water to coastal communities. The Solar Cucumber provides fresh water at source.

Apple Green Home has provided a very effective home energy solution. A house strongly insulated and operating on energy produced on site. The running cost of such an energy system is not more than £400 a year. Countries’ social housing institutes such as in New Zealand and Brazil have all showed great interest.

4. Global Warming Stirring Investment Into Alternative Source of Energy

According to Birol, the global temperature has a predicted trajectory rise in temperature by six degrees. Fatih Birol is the chief economist of IEA. It is fundamental to invest in renewable to avoid the worse potential climate effects.

The 85 percent of emissions have already led to an increase in temperature by 2 degrees. According to Birol, if investors don’t gear towards clean energy systems, the temperature rise will become a global pandemic.

Yet, financial restriction might make the growth in the green sector rather gloomy. Still in this strive towards a cleaner and greener economy, innovation stands as the genuine solution to overcome hurdles such as cost and climate changes.

Source: business Green

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The above mentioned companies were the winners of an order offered by the Ministry of Environment. It consist of conducting a research to determine whether or not the Minamisoma city, located in Fukushima, is appropriate to generate twenty megawatts of solar energy, stated Toshiba in a shared statement. Minamisoma is found approximately 30 kilometers from the nuclear plant Dai- Ichi. The plant found in Fukushima was demolished during the recent catastrophe.

The project obtained by Toshiba is not the sole one that the Ministry is planning. According to the announcement made by the Ministry there are seven other such feasibility study projects. Three of these projects will be based on solar energy, one will focus on geothermal and the remaining will deal with wind energy.

The Ministry further stated that another study in solar power will be carried out in Kesennuma city by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co.

Moreover the Ministry explained that the quick introduction of renewable energy in regions hit by disasters forms part of the government’s reconstruction efforts.

When contacted by phone, one of the officers from the government’s climate-change policy division, Yasuhiro Muroishi, said that a budget of $5 million has been allocated to these studies by the Ministry.

It is expected that Toshiba along with the two additional companies will bring together the end results of their studies by the end of March.

Source: business Week

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1. Conventional Power Generation & T&D Infrastructure Development will be the strongest and largest source of revenue for power equipment industry.

6. Some major policies emerging from the Durban Climate Change Talks

According to Frost & Sullivan report, in Asia Pacific the strongest driver for renewable energy will be; Energy Security & fuel Diversity; Emphasis on Smart Energy; Growth in Energy Demand and Investment in new Infrastructure. These 4 drivers are going to support a 20 percent growth in renewable energy in the Asia Pacific markets in 2012.

Yet, there are some key restraints such as; economic uncertainty; project cost & currency fluctuation and delayed market liberalization, which is going to act as challenges for a constant growth. Efficient government support will, however, help to tackle a high degree of the restraints.

Source: Frost & Sullivan (Slide 5)

For the field of solar energy, China will act as powerful global manufacture of solar-energy solutions. She will also be one of the fastest growing solar markets in Asia, particularly for on-grid Solar PV. Other markets such as Malaysia have had Panasonic and Bosch investing heavily in PV manufacturing plants. Yet, Thailand is expected to have a weak progress in the solar market due to floods.

In Japan feed-in tariff is will help solar PV to be sustained, and experience a favorable growth. In other countries such as Australia, government policies such as imposition of ‘Carbon Tax’ will support the solar market to grow.

Forecast for Solar PV Installed Capacity in 2012

- Total Capacity installed 5,330 MW
- Market growth of 38.6 percent
- Japan represent 2,600 MW
- China Representing 1,360 MW
- India Representing 450 MW
- Australia representing 450 MW
- Korea representing 150 MW

In 2012, Asia Pacific will remain the world’s fastest growing market, in relation to its new installed capacity followed by North America and thereafter Europe. Besides, in Asia Pacific, china will be the largest consumer of renewable energy due to its strong demand of power. In the China, there will be drive to go towards offshore wind power.

Forecast for Solar PV Installed Capacity in 2012

- Total World Capacity Installed 21, 257 MW
- A Capacity growth of 26.7 percent
- China representing 15,000 MW

Nevertheless, coal fired power plants will maintain the strongest capacity creation. But, the emphasis will be on ultra supercritical boilers and other systems where pollution can be controlled and minimized. In countries like India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mongolia there will be an attractive demand for coal power in 2012. In overall, conventional power can expect an anticipated investment of $130 to $140 billion which represents a growth of 4 to 5 percent, but as mentioned the focus will be on clean coal fired generation plants.

In the expansion of smart grids, companies such as Schneider, CISCO and Toshiba will start to invest more attention. They will foster strategic international partnership to deploy new smart grid technology into countries. The expected investment is US$ 10 billion, which represent a growth of 60 to 70 percent, since 2011. The key markets for smart grid in Asia Pacific will be China, Australia, Korea and Thailand. There are currently smart grid projects which are reaching its completion stage in Korea and Australia.

Source: Frost & Sullivan (Slide 15)

Source: Frost & Sullivan

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It is true that nuclear fission reactors of today are a result of the ‘Splitting the atom’. However, there are significant differences and refinement in the nuclear fusion process. Nuclear fusion fuses atomic nuclei with each other instead of splitting them to form less heavy nuclei, thereby setting their binding energy free. However, in order to do so, it is necessary to go past the basic repelling electrostatic force which is present between any two particles carrying a charge. Breaking this barrier requires high pressure and temperature. The core of the Sun is heated up to over 15 Million Degrees Celsius, a temperature it uses to produce energy by fusing hydrogen nuclei to give rise to helium. So, in a nutshell, earthly nuclear fusion reactors need to match these temperature requirements, which, needless to say, is a difficult task. Not just nuclear scientists across the globe, but the advanced spacecraft propulsion researchers who were due to attend the 100 Year Star ship Symposium in Orlando, FL, on 1st and 2nd October this year, are also facing this challenge.

Though, there do exist, some absolutely innovative answers to this issue. In the scenically beautiful countryside of Oxfordshire, situated on the banks of the Thames are currently housing a revolutionary development in the field of energy production. Even if so, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy located there is witnessing nuclear scientists paving the way to the future with their attempts to operate Europe’s largest fusion reactor, called JET or Joint European Torus. The process involves the use of a huge apparatus shaped like a doughnut, known as ‘tokamak’ [a colloquial term for to – roidal, ka – chamber and mak – machine]. In the tokamak, magnetic fields carrying a power equivalent to 20,000 times that of the Earth’s magnetic field (1 Tesla), hold plasma of nuclei of tritium and deuterium in confinement. An electric field is passed through this plasma, thereby heating it to millions of degrees Celsius. This phenomenon is known as MRC (Magnetic Confinement Reactor). It is essential to confine the plasma to prevent it from touching the walls of the tokamak. So cooling of the reactor is highly important to avoid defects of the reactor.

The current obstacle in the path of nuclear fusion study is to devise ways of generating surplus energy, or simply generating more energy than is used for the fusion itself. JET’s tokamak has been able to achieve a maximum of 16MW of energy, which lasts for a couple of seconds, the process for which, utilizes 25 MW. JET uses so much power in the process that it is mandatory to seek a permit from the National Grid before turning the tokamak on. It is necessary to be able to reverse this energy shortage to ensure viability of fusion energy. However, a strategy involving 15 Billions EUR in the building of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) close to Marseille in France, are providing promising hope for the situation in the future.

Picture of ITER – TOKAMAK

According to Culham’s Fusion Programme Manager, Dr. Tim Hender, ITER is the next big innovation. He says that it will be the first tokamak trial to be conducted on an industrial scale. It is expected to generate an energy output of 500 MW, gaining 10MW of total power in the process. If things turn out fine, ITER will prove that it is possible to create fusion reactors with commercial viability. Hender also says that by 2050, mankind can expect to see the National Grid include fusion energy derived out of magnetic confinement. Since the fuels used for fusion are widely available in the crust of the Earth and in seawater. So mankind can obtain a sustainable source of energy, which is free of carbon emission, for several thousand years.

This seemingly great solution for scientists might spell a challenge for those interested in making starships; one which is 7,000 tonne in weight. This is the estimated weight of an interstellar spaceship fitted with a propulsion system based on tokamak. Since the International Space Station weighs only 417 tonnes, it seems impossible to overcome this challenge. However, there appears to be one solution, which your own home is likely share.

Power of lasers

The first ever ‘ruby’ laser was developed by Theodore Maiman back in 1960 and so in 2010. Laser has been in available for 50 years. There have been several changes over the years. Blu-Ray and CD players, supermarket barcode scanners, name it and lasers are present. Apart from beaming television and the internet by way of fibre-optic cables, they have also found tremendous use in the medical fields. The National Ignition facility, which is a part of the California based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, used such lasers to generate electricity; laser superseding one another carry a capacity of generating 1015 Watts (also called petawatts) of power in just a matter of short pulses lasting for nanoseconds. Although they present for very few seconds, these pulses can generate the temperatures and pressures required for nuclear fusion amongst tiny pellets of tritium-deuterium fuel.

Firstly, the outer surface of the pellet is sublimated by a laser pulse. The gas thus formed carries a tremendously high temperature which causes it to ionise into plasma. The remaining laser energy is then absorbed by the plasma and transferred inwards by its free electrons. This causes the plasma to compress the pellet at a pressure equivalent to 10,000 atmospheres. The pellet bursts inward reaching the fusion ignition point. It takes a stream of pellets to keep up the reaction, causing a mini nuclear explosion in series of pulses.

Picture: National Ignition Facility

The benefit of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), more commonly known as laser driven fusion, is that the reactor comprises of only a small chamber and the system itself, unlike the large volume of a tokamak. According to experts’ estimate’s spaceship for travel to the stars, based on ICF, would weigh less than 500 tonnes along with fuel. This is huge, no doubt, but not something which we cannot overcome. The British Interplanetary Society had recommended ICF in the design of the 1977 Daedalus project. According to Kelvin Long of the University of Warwick, even today it is a much sought-after option for Project Icarus, which is the follow-up to Daedalus.

Long, who is one of the most important people involved in Icarus, is pursuing a PhD in laser plasma interactions and ICF. Icarus is a five-year research programme carried out jointly by the British Interplanetary Society and the Tau Zero Foundation. The aim of Icarus is not to build a spaceship as such but to study the design thereby showing that travel to the stars can be a possibility some day, after Icarus successfully tackles the issues of mass. However, Long is very certain that this can be done. He cites the example of computers, which were as huge as a large room when they were introduced but now have been brought down to the size of a Blackberry phone through which communication is as easy as cakewalk. He says that technology history has proof that mankind has always improvised every invention and found better ways of using it by shrinking the technology. The same principle can be applied to fusion technology as the decades pass by.

Miniaturizing of an ICF based system might be easier than that of a tokamak. Hender says that it will need plasma instabilities to be controlled actively if the same power has to be derived out of smaller plasma, something, which has already been done, to some extent. It would also entail finding means to bring down the mini turbulence in the plasma which is responsible for the loss of heat. Hender also says that a more compact built device calls for building material that is capable of withstanding the increased pressures created when the highly volatile fusion neutrons leave the plasma. Even if all these conditions are met, an MCR reactor with all the ancillary equipment will still be considerably large.

To tackle the issue of mass, a double staged engine design, known to improve the mass ratio, was applied to Daedalus. Imitating the Apollo Saturn V rocket’s technique, that involved dropping off stages, the first stage of Daedalus exhausted its fuel before it was separated from the spacecraft. This reduced the total mass which in turn decreased the mass. The second stage had to counteract, thereby enabling the ship to reach higher speeds.

How much speed can it attain?

It looks like the ICF will be the winner in the competition of space propulsion. Assuming the technology to be effective, what are the possible benefits it will bring to our much-awaited spaceship?

The speed attained may disappoint some admirers of science fiction who are accustomed to travel faster than light. To sum it up, pushes of several thousands of Newtons accompanied by specific impulses equivalent to millions of seconds, can be looked forward to, thereby implying speeds of tens of thousands of kilometers for every second. No doubt this is fast, yet Proxima Centauri, which is the nearest star and located at a distance of 40 trillion KM from Earth. But, even with such high speed, it will take a very long time to reach there.

Mr. Long says that ‘Specific Impulse’ is a measure for performance. The thrust of the engine divided by the rate of the mass of the propellant which is running through the engine will give you the Specific Impulse, measured in units of seconds. A higher specific impulse will give you a greater thrust by the engine using that particular amount of the propellant. This implies that specific impulse and exhaust velocity are directly proportional. For journeys through space to other stars, specific impulses of millions of seconds are required, says Mr. Long. Fewer specific impulses will take you nothing less than over a century to reach your destination. A comparative study shows that theoretically, chemical engines can give you a specific impulse of 500 seconds in contrast to ion engines, which can give you those of thousands of seconds.

The rate at which the reactor is fed with pellets in case of ICF propulsion systems is one additional factor that needs to be considered. Mr.Long says that Daedalus had an insane rate of 250 inward bursts per second. If the rate of the reaction is that fast, it would require a fuel of 30 billion pellets to be loaded onboard. This would raise the starship’s mass and give rise to other issues; such a huge number of detonations, which gives off high heat, radioactive neutrons and energy, thereby creating the need for larger shields and larger structures to hold it. While the future range of commercial reactors is looking at around 10 pellets per-second detonations, Icarus is aiming at a maximum of 10-50 per second.

Picture: NASA – New Nuclear Fusion Propulsion System Bring People To Stars – A reality within 100 years.

A fuel mixture of deuterium and tritium is used by the reactors on Earth. Tritium fusion gives rise to large amounts of neutrons that radio-activate the reactor. However, there is no waste product generated in contrast to nuclear fission in power stations of today. Furthermore, if an emergency arises, similar to the one in Japan in early 2011, a fusion plant will shut itself off thus saving it from being destroyed. The magnetic fields cannot direct the neutrons into a ship’s exhaust outlet to give an additional thrust because they don’t carry an electrical charge. Another option to overcome this limitation is a reaction between deuterium and helium-3, a helium isotope, which generates fewer neutrons and more energy, being also more efficient. This reaction is an abundant source of protons, which can be channelized through the exhaust vent by the magnetic fields. An increased thrust is therefore generated, which reduces the radiation. It is a pity that because Earth does not produce it naturally, helium-3 can be utilized only for space-related purposes. However, it is present in the atmosphere of stars having tremendous quantities of gas and also on the Moon’s surface; the solar winds having deposited on the moon.

It may sound like a perfect plan, but if nuclear fusion has to be used successfully in space, hordes of money and loads of work needs to be invested and several technical hindrances have to be crossed. It is precisely for this reason that the 100 Year Starship Symposium is considered a vital step to determine a way to advance from the present on to a future where it would be possible for us to explore our neighboring stars.

According to Long, the first development has to be for the National Ignition Facility to realize the ignition. The NIF has kept a target of reaching fusion ignition before the end of the next two years. Mr. Long believes that the NIF will achieve this, for the sake of Icarus. He says that this is very important for the success of Icarus which highly depends on this factor. It would render them untrustworthy if Icarus turns out to be laid on an ignition plan that fails to work.

The age-old saying ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’, applies here. The problem is that governments and MNCs carry the ability to provide funds for the development of nuclear fusion, but it is still not certain whether they would actually want to help..

Culham physicist and engineer, David Homfray, says that the prevalent economy situation is forcing countries to disregard funding for research. Governments are continuing to point fingers at spending as the roadblock for development. He says that if a project like Apollo was initiated with the help of some funds, it would be possible to complete it very soon and not after 40 years or so.

Occurrence of ignition at NIF or commercially viability of ITER; combined with increasing fuel prices and environmental concerns might help to expedite things. The electricity supplied to a light switch may be coming from a fusion reaction in a few decades, and the same energy source will have taken us to the stars in the span of a century.

Source: Astronomy Now -

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Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, says that India is exposed to a rich amount f solar energy, which can be quantified to above 5 thousands trillion KWH per year. In other words, solar energy available does significantly exceed India’s annual energy requirements.

In India, the daily average solar incident is in the range of 4 – 7 kWh per square meter. The variance depends on the region as well as the season of the year. This rate of solar radiation is available for approximately 300 days each year.

Currently, solar-energy power plants in India are generating 45.5 MW. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission that was launched in 2010 aims to leverage the installed solar capacity to 20,000 MW by 2022. There will also be an extra 2,000 MW of solar energy installed off the grid.

In the future, the price of solar power is also expected to fall tremendously due to the significant progress in technology improvement and deployment.

Source: EV-Wind & Info on India’s solar Mission 2022

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Based on, 164 former world scenario assessments and six forms of renewable energy resources – wave, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydro power – were studied by IPCC. A collective report on the findings was drafted for the ruling committees in both government and private divisions to equip them with information about socio-economic and environmental expenses and profits, and the influence on national, regional and global power security.

Not the entire 164 global scenarios illustrate an obvious mitigation in the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, but as noted in the report; the issue of global warning can be solved with an immense improvement in the development of renewable energy.

Environmental and water resource engineering expert, Lama al-Hatow, supports IPCC’s research as the report has countered the over-reliance of most nations on fossil fuels and has also verified the practicability of renewable energies.

Unfortunately, Hatow is rather pessimistic about the market for renewable energy technologies because fossil fuels are comparatively well-financed both nationally and internationally, and renewable energies are falling behind due to their monetary outlays.

As said by Hatow, with insufficient monetary support, it will be problematic when attempting to get third world countries involved in renewable energy development projects, even if they are practical long-term investments. The initial capital expenditures are quite intimidating.

However, the feed-in tariff (FIT) – a government-backed plan to hasten the financing of renewable energy generation by suggesting long-term proposals to renewable energy suppliers – is recommended by Hatow as a possible mean to improve the long-term cost competitiveness of renewable energy. Egypt’s legislative body is considering the implementation of FIT, which is presently adopted in Germany. In addition, Hatow also explains the need to return fossil fuel subsidies, which is seen by him as a complicated political matter.

Hatow’s beliefs are approved by an environmental consultant, Sherif Baha al-Din, who declares the huge startup capital as “a wise long-term investment”. Baha al-Din further enhances his statement by clarifying that the costs will eventually decrease following the progress and commercialization of renewable energy. He encourages his nation to begin applying and expanding the use of such technology as fossil fuel sources are limited.

IPCC’s report highlights a significant discovery that the third world hosts 53 percent of present global renewable power capacity, and will also be the main location for upcoming renewable power expansion.

In an interview issued to the World Resources Institute, analyst Lutz Weischer, who is involved in renewable power policy making, emphasized that developing countries are “acting in their national interests”, with the “national interests” being to focus on electricity access, energy security, economic growth potential and the reduction of health risks associated to fossil fuels.

Baha al-Din disagrees with heavy investments in renewable energy resources when the issue of high energy wastage is yet to be solved. He expresses that judicious, efficient use of energy and the growing establishment of renewable energy as Egypt’s new energy trend should go hand-in-hand via “an integrated, incremental energy policy”.

Source: Almas Ryal Youm

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Although the Native Americans, some environmentalists and other parties are somewhat critical about the solar power exploiting process and phase that it is increasing. The havoc done on endangered species of animals, plants and also areas that are culturally sensitive is severe. Most people appreciate the initiative taken by those companies to produce energy that is cleaner. In addition, utility-scale solar will also help the economy, especially in the region where there is a high lack of employment.

Since the previous year, eight major projects on solar power have been approved in Southern California by the Federal Department of the Interior and the California Energy Commission. Seven of these projects are to be started in deserts that are in the north and east of the valley of Coachella. Out of all the approved projects, only two are to be on public land. Areas which are mostly undeveloped that is under the management of the Bureau of Land Management.

The following is expected to be generated by these projects.

1. Approximately 3,600 megawatts of electricity that does not emit carbon, able to light roughly 1.8 million households.

5. Gov. Jerry Brown stated last Monday that, California leads the nation in renewable energy, and our state is on the way to be number one leader in the generation of clean energy.

A bipartisan bill was also signed by Brown at the beginning of this month to push further the portfolio standard of California for clean energy, thereby insisting that electricity generated from renewable sources should supply one third of power to utilities by the year 2020, an increase of 20 percent.

The speedy approvals of these projects by politicians are contended by critics because of the severe damage that these projects might have on the areas within the state that are culturally, historically and prehistorically important. It will also affect endangered species of animals and plants in the area.

The funny thing is that, we are putting away environmental laws that have been passed and in place for more than 30 or 40 years for the sake of saving the planet. This is what an analyst working for solar power, Wedbush Securities, Christine Hersey, said. There are great concerns related to solar projects on the environment, adding more says that “it is actually a kind of frenzy”.

The problem is that it is ‘green with green’. It means that the parties who place their interests in the fragile eco system of the desert and endangered species rise against those specialists who are working to find ways of reducing emissions to the atmosphere in order to minimize changes in the climate.

A consultant of the biology, former park ranger, Kevin Emmerich who lives just across California’s border in Beatty’s Mojave desert, Nevada said, with the current political situation, the state of the economy and the climate crisis notoriously added by the media, which I’m not at all skeptical about, it has turned into a somewhat dangerous mix which the environmental activists really don’t know how to deal with. He also claimed that there is a school of thought claiming that something has to be forgone; most of these groups think that there is a change in the climate and in some way the deserts are vanishing anyway, and that the world has to give up something to save the rest.

Steven Chu, Energy Secretary of the U.S. announced that federal loan guarantees worth $2.1 billion has been proposed for a single project near Blythe for harnessing of solar energy. The project is expected to generate 1000 megawatts of electricity, clearly showing that the federal government and the state of California are encouraging the development of solar power projects in the desert by issuing of federal loan guarantees, tax breaks and granting of cash by the billions of dollars.

Eastern San Bernardino County’s Ivanpah in February received federal loan guarantees worth $1.37 billion dollars to spend on the development of another solar power project.

Director of the Western Lands Project, a non-profit organization, Janine Blaeloch has questioned the large commitment made by the taxpayer towards the projects on solar power. She is also a member of an organization named Solar Done Right, a gathering of activists on public land, experts on electrical engineering and advocates of renewable power that are optimistic about the huge projects on solar energy. She is also the co-author of a report recently released titled “Wrong from the start” that focus’ on the push that the government gives to projects on solar energy in the open desert.

BP, Goldman Sachs, Chevron and Morgan Stanley are some names she included in her report those are the company’s’ corporate investors who are constructing Solar power projects in the desert of California.

She said that “it’s big oil and big money”. “These are the same people who drove us into the hole in the first place, and they are now trying to drive us into another one”.

To some it can be an irony, because there is an argument that the modern development of desert solar power plants in the large scale were started under the administration of George W. Bush, the former president and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the republican governor of California.

Part 2
Part 3: California Found Gold: Solar Power

Part 3: California Found Gold: Solar Power

Source: My Desert

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The London based researcher stated today that, money flowing into share sales, private equity, asset finance as well as venture capital fell to $31.1 billion in the first quarter of 2011. It represents a decrease of more than a third of the venture capital in last quarter 2010, which amounted to $47.1 billion.

Reductions in guaranteed prices paid for electricity produced by renewable sources have been announced by many countries, including Spain and Germany. Rates are being reviewed by the government of UK. Prices of gas fell to its lowest in the US since 2002 despite a halt in production.

According to, Michael Liebreich, the chief Executive for BNEF, a slight hangover was visible in the first quarter due to the activity seen in hectic investment in the late months of last year as investors hurried to close deals to reach their internal targets or to catch expiring feed-in tariffs in some countries including Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany,

New Energy Finance, furthermore, stated that investment in solar parks, wind farms and other sources of renewable energy has changed the rising trend. It was the first quarter, reported lower than 2009 first quarter’s expenditure of $20.5 billion.

According to the study, asset finance came down from $36.6 billion to $25.7 billion at the end of 2010, European solar and US wind sectors having dropped the most, said the analysis. Investment in wind power rose to $10 billion, representing an increase by a fourth in China. Equally, in last year’s same three months, Brazil doubled their investment to $2.1billion, said the BNEF.

The analyst company also stated that Alternate Power Companies share sales for last year end fell from $8.1 billion to $3.6 billion, with transactions of Sinovel Wind Group Co. listing $1.4 billion. A rise from $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion during the last three months was reported on the venture capital and private equity funding for renewables.

Source: Bloomberg

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Within a year, the very idea of this solar system and grid will turn into a reality, hoped the Senator Rukhsana Zuberi; the PEC Chairperson, and we will see a boom in energy since our country is already rich in energy sources.’

The chairperson is hopeful that, thanks to the On-Grid Solar Electricity Generation System. Pakistan will soon become self-sufficient is energy and power production. ‘Such environment friendly steps will not only save the foreign exchange but will also create numerous job opportunities for the needy’, she added, while holding a press conference on Saturday.

Such endeavors are likely to resuscitate the already suffocated job market in the country’, said the chairperson. She continued by saying, ‘Excess electricity generated by On-Grid Solar Electricity Generation System will be supplied to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and national grid through smart-meter.’

The grant for the project has arrived from the government of Japan in the form of 480 million yen under the clean earth programme.

As per the chairperson the PEC building, located in Islamabad, will be converted into solar energy by the end of February 2012 after the successful installation of two solar electricity generation systems – each system generates a power of 180 KW. The first installations will be set up at the PEC and Planning Commission, Islamabad.

The chairperson is hopeful that this system will create a plethora of job as well as business opportunities within the country. As per her, this mega energy system will provide much needed breakthroughs in the country, and it will also be providing business and investment opportunities.

According to the chairperson, people can produce domestic electricity by connecting their solar energy system into the smart grid. The extra power, as per the chairperson, ‘can be transferred to the main grid which – apart from saving money will produce income at the government level.

It is, therefore, important to create awareness amongst people by telling them the benefits of the On-Grid Solar Electricity Generation System. Surely, it will bring glad tidings to the people after their energy bills will be reduced by placing solar panels and connecting them to the grid – at the roof tops of their houses. Also the fact should be highlighted here that with the arrival of this new system, people will not only be able to make electricity for their own use but can also make a profit by selling it.

Source: Daily Times

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