The key sources of alternative energy come either directly or indirectly from the sun. Directly, from the sun thermal energy (heating) or lighting energy can be harnessed to generate electricity. The typical water heating systems found on rooftops are examples of thermal energy.

The sun does also generate heat, which stimulates winds. The energy generated by winds is captured using wind turbines.

In addition, heat emitted by the sun and stimulated by winds cause water to evaporate. This water comes back to surface in the forms of snow or rain. The water currents in rivers depend on the amount of rain, and the speed of water flow can be used to generate hydro energy.

The contribution of the sun doesn’t end with only generating rain; the rain and sunlight are also required by plants to grow. The organic matters present in the growing of plants are called biomass. Biomass is another form of renewable energy, which can be used to generate electricity or converted into bio-energy.

In organic compounds, we can find Hydrogen. It is also present in water, not to mention that hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element present on Earth. It is a gas which is always mixed with other sources such as water and oxygen. It is only when hydrogen is separated from it’s combined element, that it can be burned to generate electricity.

However, a source of energy that isn’t really associated with the sun is geothermal energy. The heat of the earth can also be used to produce electricity and for purposes such as heating and cooling buildings. Also, ocean tides which operate on the gravitational pull of the
Earth, influenced by the moon and sun, is commonly exploited using underground ocean wave turbines.

The sea can provide an abundance or alternative energy sources such as tides, temperature difference in the sea, as well as osmosis (where sea water meets – river water) energy.

Source: Renewable Energy World

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Specification

1. The machine can provide 15,000 gallons of hygiene and drinking water from rivers, wells, lakes and other potential sources of fresh water.

4. In case energy is required during the night, the machine has 20KWh of battery.
A system is purely environmentally friendly; No noise pollution; No Fossil Fuel.

Haiti – Mobile MaxPure

In Haiti, WorldWater has been operating for several years, even before the earthquake that stroke the country in 2010. In total, there are actually 6 Mobile MaxPure Solar Power Water Purification Systems running in the Haiti Island.

In collaboration with Food For the Poor as well as other active NGOs, WorldWater managed to provide 2 Mobile MaxPure System to Haiti in 2008. It was intended to support the country after severe hurricanes leaving the island in-active for weeks with no grid electricity, flooding and debris on the streets. Due to natural calamities, water sources are left polluted and non-consumable. The self-powered system solved this drastic water shortage issue.

In January 2010, a devastating earthquake rendered normal water sources non-consumable. The two MaxPure System was immediately deployed as a life-saving tool. In addition other organization supported and provided a third Mobile MaxPure system.

Other NGOs have thereafter sponsored the deployment of additional Mobile MaxPure systems to Haiti in order to overcome cholera, agricultural issues, provide electricity and to provide consumable water to people whenever the need arose.

Japan –

Just, one month after that Japan had been rattled by the earthquake that hit Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant, Gamesa and WorldWater arranged for 2 Mobile MaxPure System to be airlifted to Japan to provide purified water to people living in a village situated close to the Nuclear Plant.

Iraq

The US Military Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) deployed several of the WorldWater solar powered water purification systems to sustain clean water and energy wherever required.

In the past, Iraqis consumed contaminated and unfiltered water. In 2008, May to July PRT provided 12 MMP to Fallujah, which are used to filter water from Euphrates River. At Iraq Water Treatment Facility the Chief Engineer, Abbas Hassan says that the machine help to solve the key issues such as providing clean water.

Hamid Hamid Ahmed Hashim Al-Alwani, who is the District Council Chairman for Fallujah says that providing clean drinking water by purifying water immediately from Euphrates River with solar power will help to reduce diseases like bilharzias and cholera.

The three years of service in Iraq have worked well.

In another district, Tigris, US Army provided 25 MMP in 2009. From the Tigris River, twenty MMP pumps are used to purify water while five are used as a reverse osmosis system to purify brackish water.

According to Fallujah District Council Spokesman, Sheikh Salam Halbusi says that many children fall sick due to the consumption of non-hygiene water, but now with the MMP the admittance to hospitals has gone down.

The Solar-Powered water filtration technology is a field where US Army has been very successful in helping Iraqis to have clean water and to survive on their own.

Source: World Water Solar

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At University of Buffalo, researchers have already demonstrated that embedding quantum dots into modern photovoltaic cells increase the energy output significantly. It allows the cells to generate energy from infrared light and therefore, the energy that can be harvested from photoelectrons is amplified.

In the Journal of Nano Letters, in May, the research team having Andrei Sergeev, Vladimir Mitin and Nizami Vagidov from the faculty of UB’s electrical engineering department; Kimberly Sablon a nanofabricate expert and John Little from the U.S. Army Research laboratory; John Little; as well as Kitt Reinhardt from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

OPtoElectronic Nanodevices LLC (OPEN LLC) is a company that has been founded by Vagidov and Mitin Sergeev, in order to provide rapid innovation into the commercialized market.

Mitin says that since a decade ago, scientists have been trying to effectively integrate quantum dots to solar panels. It has been known since long that, this would enhance the efficiency by permitting the solar cells to capture invisible (infrared) light. Yet, previous studies have been hit by limitations.

The UB team and the military colleagues have been able to integrated quantum dots, to exploit infrared light, but also they have been able to significantly increase the built-in charge of the dots present in the solar cells.

The built-in charge is highly advantageous, electrons repel and this compels electrons to move within the quantum dots. The advantage of harvesting moving electrons is that electric currents are avoided.

Mitin, a SUNY Distinguished professor at UB’s office of Science, Technology Transfer, and Economic Outreach (STOR) says that the efficiency of the solar cells has increased to 45 percent.

The presence of highly efficient solar cells will bring clean technology to another playground. Solar energy will become cheaper, requiring smaller footprint and provides affordable energy to consumers.

Currently, OPEN LLC is seeking for federal programs as well as private investors to fund the projects to bring the quantum dot with a built in charge to the market. The team has already spent long-days in developing this astounding solar cell technology.

Source: Science Daily and ACS Publications

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It was an over-promised goal, but renewable energy is an exception. The country produced more than twice of the forecast renewable-energy supply. Clean energy in India has been growing steadily since the slogan ‘Power for All’. In the first quarter of 2007, the country had a total installed renewable-energy capacity equivalent to 10.2 GW. AS at the last quarter of 2011, the amounts rouse to 22 GW. Renewable energy currently supplies 11 percent of the country’s total demand.

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, it was found that India was the leader in 2011 in terms of growth in renewable-energy investments. They experienced a growth of 52 percent, to a total of $10.3 billion; mainly supported by the galloping growth in the solar and wind market.

Indian businessmen have since long been waved as strong players, by the western world, since they developed the Tulsi Tanti, a giant wind turbine by Suzlon. However, nowadays entrepreneurs are exploiting rural areas For instant, Selco is currently providing rural areas, where there was no access to electricity, power from solar lighting.

The winner of 2011’s Magsaysay Award, Harish Hande is driving this program. The prestigious Magsaysay award is given to people who are devoted to solve systemic poverty, lack of opportunity and poor health in Asia. Investors such as Draper Fisher Jurveston, Shell Foundation, International Finance Corporation, ReNew Wind Power, and Goldman Sachs are helping villages such as Gyanesh Pandey to operate Husk Power systems. It is a system which can generate electricity at a low rate, and can be sold to rural households.

The main buyer of this renewable energy is power distribution companies, and the financial helps are worsening over the years. It is essential that the grid is modernized, so that additional large-scale projected can be connected to the system. To support the slogan ‘Power for All’ it is essential that this modernization to the grid is effected, which can thereafter be concretized with renewable energy.

Currently, interest rates and inflations are alarming, yet, the $4.2 billion invested in India’s solar market in 2011, suggests that 2012 can be a sustainable year.

Source: Bloomberg

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The report says that the solar market has experienced as strong growth in 2011; with falling cost and rising employment creation. Some facts of the Solar Market in 2011 have been recorded in this article:

1. Solyndra – was part of a Growing Industry

Unfortunately, Solyndra filed for bankruptcy in August 2011. However, this doesn’t mean that the market was weak. On the contrary, the market expanded by 140 percent and cost decreased by 40 percent. Solyndra failed to compete but the solar-energy market remains strong, as ‘90 percent of Americans believe that it is critical to progress towards the expansion of solar energy.

2. U.S Solar Industry Employees Above 100,000 Americans
In the recent years, the solar industry has become a growing employer. In America above 5,000 companies are employing more than 100,000 Americans in small, medium and large green solar companies. According to the solar Foundation’s national Job Census 2011, people were employed as engineers, administrative professionals, sales people, installers, electricians, plumbers, contractors and roofers. New job opportunity in the solar industry has been beneficial during the severe economic downturn.

3. Currently, the Solar Industry is one of American’s fastest growing sectors.

Most American companies support the growth of solar industry; This includes companies such as Google, Whole Foods, Target, Johnson & Johnson, Walgreens, Safeway and others, which have invested significantly.

4. Cost of Solar Panels has Decreased by 40 %

In U.S there are approximately 1.5 million houses having solar water heaters while solar energy is currently powering 730,000 households. Yet, with increasing research and development as well as bulk production solar panels are getting cheaper. Since 2010 to 2011, the price of solar cells has decreased by more than 40 percent while only 2011’s second to third quarter experienced a fall in price by 14.4 percent.

5. Cut-throat competition in a Growing solar Industry
United state have experienced a tremendous growth in the export of solar technology, which highly positive for the domestic industry with job creation. In 2010, the net export of solar products reached $2 billion.

Companies in the solar industry are operating in a very uncertain environment with high dependency on governmental support. These investment mechanisms are determining the market losers as well as winners. In 2011, more than 22,000 energy projects were completed across the 50 states, with a total private investment amounting to $23 billion. The Congress is pushing for additional support to promote the industry over 2012.

In America, Solar really works well, and 2011 was a great year for the solar industry. Yet, constant struggle and devotion are required to drive the industry in 2012 together with well devised energy policies.

Source: Clean Technica

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According to Zhu’s team, it was found that the efficiency of harnessing electrons from a single photon of sunlight could be doubled by the use of organic plastic semiconductor material.

Zhu says that plastic semiconductor solar cell has several advantages such as low cost, capability for synthesis thanks to molecular design and this makes it possible to exploit solar energy at far more efficient levels than currently.

This break-through was published by Zhu and his team in Science, 16th of December 2011.

Currently, conventional silicon solar cell can reach a maximum theoretical efficiency rate of 31 percent, and this is because most of the sunrays that struck the cell are too strong to be converted into electricity. The ‘hot electron’ is heat energy that is practically lost. Solar cells that could capture hot electrons could boost up the energy conversion rate of solar energy from 31 to 66 percent.

Recently, in 2010, Zhu and his team showed that it is possible to harness hot electrons by the use of semiconductor nano-crystals. However, Zhu admits that introducing such technology is extremely complex.

According to Zhu, an efficiency rate of 66 percent can only be captured when sunlight is focused on the solar panel not only raw sunlight. So there is a need to develop a new engineered device that ensures higher concentration of sunlight.

The team found a solution to this, when they found that a photon can make a dark quantum or so called ‘shadow state’ whereby two electrons can be captured via the use of a semi-conductor pentacene.

The use of this simple mechanism would practically increase converstion rate of solar cells by 44 percent. There would also be no need to develop a new device to have a concentrated solar beam. According to Zhu, it is a technology that could be pervasively used by the public.

Main Facts in the Findings:

1. When a photon is absorbed in a pentacene semi-conductor, it makes a so called excited electron-hole pair, which is known as an exciton.
2. An exciton is practically a pair of quantum forming a dark ‘shadow state’ which is known as multiexciton.
3. When an electron material is used like fullerene, the dark shadow state can very efficiently absorb two electrons.
4. The Dark Shadow state can increase the efficiency of solar cells by as much as 44 percent.

The National Science Foundation as well as the Department of energy sponsored this research that was spearheaded by Wai-lun Chan; One of Zhu’s postdoctoral fellows. In the team, other postdoctoral fellows were involved including Luis Miaja-Avila, Loren Kaake, Manuel Ligges and Askat Jailaubekov.

Source: Science Daily and Zeitnews

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Apparently, the world’s largest polluter is investing most in green technology. This shows the country’s intention to rapidly reduce greenhouse gases. And to change her reputation as a polluter to a green economy.

A country with 1.5 billion inhabitants is spending an unprecedented sum on the spurring green industry.

This is an important footstep for Beijing residents who are seldom able to see the sky, due to thick layers of smog emitted by coal-fired power plants, transportation, industrial pollution as well as the construction sector. This thick cloud of polluting particles is common for most cities in China.

The greenhouse gas has reached an alarming level in China. It is even affecting productivity and attendance rate of workers. In other words, it is affecting corporate performance. On a yearly basis, it was estimated that 410,000 Chinese people decease from pollution according to CLPmag.org.

The crisis of pollution is an ongoing challenge, acting as a vicious circle; works fall sick due to high pollution levels; this reduces productivity and also profit levels. As a result, companies are pushing the government to induce severe environmental regulations. The cost of investing in green energy is clearly higher than inaction.

The progress is fascinating; China has become the World’s largest manufacturer of solar panels, as they exceed U.S in the End of 2011. Only a minor percentage is being exported, most solar panels are being used to replace the typical coal-fired power plants.

Yet, the astounding rise in demand for electricity is forcing the country to build a new coal-burning power plant every week. So has the trend been since 2008. A figure that is alarming as every one tonne of coal burned in the power plant emits 2.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Chinese government has plans to generate 100 MW of electricity, which will be able to power up to 62,000 households by:

1. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) -100 MW plant cost around $ 700 million

The cost of having the sun generating energy from curved mirrors is practically zero after the initial investment has been done. In modern CSP plants, it has been noted that energy can be produced on a 24-hour basis, as molten salt can be used to store thermal energy. It is a technology with practically no greenhouse emission and the cost of maintaining a CSP plant is relatively cheap.

A CSP plant generating 100 MW reduces annual carbon emission by 164,000 tons.

2. Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant – 100 MW cost roughly $300 million
The cost of photovoltaic is steadily falling and in addition is becoming more efficient. There is practically no fuel emission involved in generating electricity via Photovoltaic cells. The only huge cost is the initial investment, after that, the maintenance cost is extremely low.

A photovoltaic solar power plant generating 100 MW reduces annual carbon emission by 164,000 tons.

For a coal-burning power plant of 100 MW – the cost is $250 million, and this is a cost which is increasing; in contrast to green technology having a falling price. There are also a constant maintenance cost and new technology to make coal-fired power plants greener is adding additional millions to the power plants.

For coal generated electricity, the cost of construction is only one of the various costs involved. The real effect is transcended to the consumer.

China had 620 – coal power station as at the end of 2010, which burned above 3 billion tons of coal a year. In other words, it is an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, airborne mercury, nitrous oxide as well as other toxins emitted. The construction and manufacturing industry emits only 7.2 billion tons of carbon emission per year.
The Chinese government has effectively lowered the emission of nitrous oxide, yet all the emission levels will at least experience a one-fold increase by 2020.

In China, the annual cost on coal is as much as $375 billion only for coal power plants, while shipping and railway are in addition to that figure. The supply of the coal comes as far as from U.S and western Canada.

All figures are expected to increase significantly by 2020. So if nothing is done to the energy sector, the expenditure on power will reach alarming heights.

China’s Ultimate Solution: Green Technology

Not only is the cost of coal power high in China – it is causing 410,000 death per year, together with deteriorating air, food, land and water. There are strong reasons why China is firmly determined to promote green-tech solution so as to enhance the environment.

For China to go Green represent a step to save hundreds of thousands of lives per year, while equally lower the healthcare cost.

China’s government understands the various importance of clean energy; for people and the economy – and they are now clearly displaying their interest as they are becoming a world-top investor in solar and other green technologies.

Source: Huffington Post & EVwind

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The renewable-energy minister says that companies are bidding at rate as low as 7.49 per unit for the construction of solar plants this year. It might not be long until solar-energy reaches ‘grid parity’, which will make solar energy even more demanded as a source of energy.

The Joint Secretary Minister, Tarun Kapoor says that the price will constantly fall year-by-year. Previously, the aim was to reach grid-parity by year 2022. However, the industry is given a positive indication that this target can now be reached by 2017. In addition, the cost of coal projects has gone up from 5.50 to 6 per unit due to the lack of local supply of coal and the need to import.

In the bids given on the National Solar Mission, the average price per unit was 8.78 while the lowest bid was laid by a French company, SolaireDirect, at as low as 7.49 per units for a typical 5 MW project.

In the round of bids, there were 28 suggested projects and each company could be given a maximum of 3 projects:

- 8 project of 20 MW
- 5 projects 15 MW
- 10 project of 10 MW
- 6 projects of 5 MW

Azure Power was given projects to construct solar power projects matching 35 MW. Their CEO, Inderpreet Wadhwa says that solar power does nowadays have the same market potentials as computers had in 1970s. The cost of solar power will be further pushed down with technology enhancement and innovation. In the first round in 2009, the company had given a quote of 17.91 per unit while for the current bid, the price has been laid at 8.21.

This remarkable improvement in the cost-competitiveness of solar power is showing that large investment can take place in India’s solar industry.

It is encouraging at an international level to see how India is driving price down. It is the only country of the few emerging countries that are supporting solar energy at a very large level.

The director from Renewable Energy Ministry did in the previous month’s Central Electricity Regulation Committee (CERC) emphasis on the decreased capital cost for typical collar cells. This is considered as a prime reason for the reduction in price. The cost of solar power will constantly fall to enable solar power to reach grid-parity.

The so called cost per megawatt is expected to fall even more; to 10 crore in 2013 from 14 crore in 2012.

Yet, reasons such as improvement in technology, international fall in the cost of solar cells and efficiency are other forces pushing the price of solar power down.

Source: Economic Times

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In a recent study released by Greenpeace found that Apple ranked last in the field of being Green. The pool included large tech companies. But now they are slowly moving towards solar power by switching the source of energy of their east coast data centre to be solar powered instead of coal.

In North Carolina, the company is planning to construct a solar farm just next to the $1 billion data centre located in Maiden.

This new facility is likely going to improve Apple’s ranking in the Greenpeace report. The computing operations currently rely mostly on dirty energy like coal.

Energy companies are very secret about data centres. So a spokeswoman for Apple said that the company is preparing the ground situated just next to the data centre.

It was only in mid-October that the project became known to the public when121 acre of land was cleared. People living nearby complained of the burning down of bushes.

Apple has been spending huge on developing data centres to support their web-based service. These centres are usually expanded in areas where cheap electricity is available, just like in North Carolina.

Other companies such as Facebook, American Express and Google have constructed Data Centre in the same region, North Carolina. According to Sam Schultz who is the Maiden planning director, Apple is constructing one of the biggest Data Centres utilizing an estimated 500,000 sq. Ft of land.

Nevertheless, environmental group says that cloud computing is shooting up electricity usage up to higher levels. In addition, most of the electricity used in the IT industry comes from heavy polluting coal. According to Greenpeace reports, in America, Data Centres consumes 3 percent of the country’s electricity supply. In North Caroline, most of the energy used to power these Data Centres comes from nuclear or/and coal.

The large Duke Energy supplier says that they provide most of the energy for the Data centres and according to their annual sustainability report, 78 percent of this energy comes either from coal or nuclear energy. The Greenpeace report highlighted that companies are not required to disclose their energy use, they can keep it secret.

http://www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/10-11-sustainability-report.pdf

However, Todd Herms who is the Maiden’s town manager says that it isn’t yet sure when Apple will publicly say that they are going to construct a solar facility. First, the company has to apply for a permit of construction. There are some hints already provided in Apple’s initial requisitions for permits.

Norton says that in the plans provided for permits, it is mentioned solar farms, yet the company might be building a large mobile home park.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

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Jeffery Grossman, an engineering Professor at MIT has been inspired by the natural way that tree’s capture sunlight from their leaves has developed three-dimensional shapes of solar cells that can generate solar energy with higher efficiency. Apparently, it was found that the 3-dimension solar panels are ostensibly more efficient than the flat structure even during rainy days.

The team of Professor Grossman explains the efficiency of their 3D solar panels on the roof of the Boston research Lab at MIT on a rainy day.

For most solar technologies, it would be useless to do a demonstration of solar panels during a rainy day. However, for 3D solar panels, this isn’t the case, even during a rainy-day Professor Grossman and his team are able to demonstrate how 3D panels can generate electricity. They claim the 3-dimensional solar panels to be as effective during cloudy days as in sunny ones.

The dynamic shapes of the solar panels that have literally been inspired by nature are impressive. They are resilient against bad weather and equally have a higher capacity to capture direct sunlight than typical flat panels using the same footprint. This is because the solar panels can be designed in a vertically.

The team’s architect Rachelle Villalon, says that solar panels are usually designed to be hidden on the rooftops. With this new 3D design the team envisions a day when it would be possible to create iconic statues or architects placed all around in cities to generate electricity.

Source: Yahoo (News)

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