A British solar-powered aircraft has been confirmed as a record-breaker following its non-stop two-week endurance flight earlier this year, officials say.
The Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the world governing body for air records, has confirmed three records for the Zephyr aircraft, including longest time aloft, the BBC reported Friday.
Built by U.K. defense technology company Qinetiq, the Zephyr completed its two-week flight in the United States in July.
The FAI confirmed the Zephyr smashed the previous record for the absolute duration of an unmanned autonomous vehicle flight, set by Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk in 2001, by a factor of 11.
The organization confirmed the official duration at 336 hours, 22 minutes and eight seconds.
Qinetiq says it sees applications for Zephyr aircraft in surveillance and communications.
The military could use them as reconnaissance and communications platforms, the company said, while civilian and scientific programs can equip them with small payloads for Earth observation duties.
Source - Solardaily
Friday, 31 December 2010
Friday, 10 December 2010
In Greece's fallow fields, solar energy stirs
The son and grandson of farmers, Spyros Papathanassiou spends most of the day overseeing his family olive press and winery in the outskirts of Asopia, a village northeast of Athens.
But his future is invested in a fenced-off contraption in the hills outside the village -- a 5,800-square-metre solar farm on which Papathanassiou sank nearly half a million euros (dollars) three years ago.
"Agricultural income has been severely restricted in recent years," says the 58-year-old former village mayor, shouting above the din of the olive press.
"Essentially, this job has never been very profitable."
Last year, this entrepreneur and civil servant completed the 450,000-euro (618,000-dollar) solar farm in a discarded family vineyard, some 90 kilometres (56 miles) from the capital.
Though barely enough to power the local water drill, it is already helping his family supplement their income by selling electricity to the national grid. Papathanassiou hopes to repay his bank loans and break even in 4-5 years.
With agriculture in Greece facing a bleak future from rising costs and falling produce prices, thousands of farmers now want to follow his example.
Some 6,000 applicants have so far rushed to join a government-backed, self-financed programme unveiled this summer to sow solar farms in the Greek countryside.
The programme offers both farmers and the state-owned electricity operator PPC, which controls most of the energy market, a way out of a looming impasse.
Accustomed to depend on European Union subsidies for their crops, Greek farmers have progressively driven themselves into a corner by growing produce that the bloc can get more cheaply elsewhere, such as cotton and tobacco.
The frequent sight of angry growers, dumping unwanted crops at ministries and blocking highways with their tractors is something the authorities would be glad to eliminate, particularly now, when the purse strings have tightened.
Greece is in the midst of a deep recession following the debt crisis that saw the country reach the brink of bankruptcy earlier this year.
Likewise, the PPC has for too long depended on its vast supplies of lignite, a form of brown coal, to fire up its power generators.
Lignite is a major pollutant, and the PPC -- nearly half of whose electricity production comes from coal-fired plants -- is Greece's single largest offender in carbon dioxide emissions.
So the investment in solar cells in Greece, a country that has abundant sunshine throughout the year, holds out promise both to the farmers and the power company.
For the PPC, it is a chance to expunge its dirty past while helping the country meet its renewable energy quota, set at 20 percent of national electricity production by the end of the decade.
The farmers meanwhile have a chance to boost their dwindling income with a steady source of funds that no longer requires back-breaking, round-the-clock labour.
"This is the last chance to have a serious investment in the Greek agricultural sector," says farmer's union activist Vassilis Kollias.
"Farm incomes have fallen by 40-50 percent in the last 15 years."
"Most full-time farmers are over 50 years old, many of them without someone to pass the torch to. They have nothing else to look out for."
Overall, the Greek environment ministry has said it will allow a capacity of 2.200 megawatts (MW) of solar energy-fueled power by 2020. Out of that threshold, farmers have been allotted a share of 750 megawatts.
Farmers have been told to aim for a maximum of 100 kilowatts of power from each solar farm, which means the state can grant them up to 7,500 production licences.
Not only does the interest from applicants far exceed this allowed capacity, but the farmers are having to contend with unforeseen difficulties.
One worrying sign is that the price of electricity, currently 40 cents per kilowatt hour in Greece, has fallen to 25 cents in neighbouring Spain where a similar programme is already up and running, says Kollias.
This can dampen enthusiasm at a time when the startup capital needed can be at least 25,000 euros, and as high as 80,000 euros, plus bank loans.
Another is that the PPC does not actually have power lines in all the rural areas that want to join the supply grid, he adds.
"It is a good idea, but it's been put together on the hoof," says Kollias.
Most of the interest has come from the western Greek region of Agrinio, where many growers are struggling after the withdrawal of EU subsidies for tobacco, which had been their staple crop.
"We have a lot of tobacco producers who have lost their income, so they are doubly interested," says Penelope Sidira, solar project supervisor at the Agrinio farmers' co-operative, which has received over 500 applications.
"Besides, there's little else left for them here," she notes.
Source - Solar Daily
But his future is invested in a fenced-off contraption in the hills outside the village -- a 5,800-square-metre solar farm on which Papathanassiou sank nearly half a million euros (dollars) three years ago.
"Agricultural income has been severely restricted in recent years," says the 58-year-old former village mayor, shouting above the din of the olive press.
"Essentially, this job has never been very profitable."
Last year, this entrepreneur and civil servant completed the 450,000-euro (618,000-dollar) solar farm in a discarded family vineyard, some 90 kilometres (56 miles) from the capital.
Though barely enough to power the local water drill, it is already helping his family supplement their income by selling electricity to the national grid. Papathanassiou hopes to repay his bank loans and break even in 4-5 years.
With agriculture in Greece facing a bleak future from rising costs and falling produce prices, thousands of farmers now want to follow his example.
Some 6,000 applicants have so far rushed to join a government-backed, self-financed programme unveiled this summer to sow solar farms in the Greek countryside.
The programme offers both farmers and the state-owned electricity operator PPC, which controls most of the energy market, a way out of a looming impasse.
Accustomed to depend on European Union subsidies for their crops, Greek farmers have progressively driven themselves into a corner by growing produce that the bloc can get more cheaply elsewhere, such as cotton and tobacco.
The frequent sight of angry growers, dumping unwanted crops at ministries and blocking highways with their tractors is something the authorities would be glad to eliminate, particularly now, when the purse strings have tightened.
Greece is in the midst of a deep recession following the debt crisis that saw the country reach the brink of bankruptcy earlier this year.
Likewise, the PPC has for too long depended on its vast supplies of lignite, a form of brown coal, to fire up its power generators.
Lignite is a major pollutant, and the PPC -- nearly half of whose electricity production comes from coal-fired plants -- is Greece's single largest offender in carbon dioxide emissions.
So the investment in solar cells in Greece, a country that has abundant sunshine throughout the year, holds out promise both to the farmers and the power company.
For the PPC, it is a chance to expunge its dirty past while helping the country meet its renewable energy quota, set at 20 percent of national electricity production by the end of the decade.
The farmers meanwhile have a chance to boost their dwindling income with a steady source of funds that no longer requires back-breaking, round-the-clock labour.
"This is the last chance to have a serious investment in the Greek agricultural sector," says farmer's union activist Vassilis Kollias.
"Farm incomes have fallen by 40-50 percent in the last 15 years."
"Most full-time farmers are over 50 years old, many of them without someone to pass the torch to. They have nothing else to look out for."
Overall, the Greek environment ministry has said it will allow a capacity of 2.200 megawatts (MW) of solar energy-fueled power by 2020. Out of that threshold, farmers have been allotted a share of 750 megawatts.
Farmers have been told to aim for a maximum of 100 kilowatts of power from each solar farm, which means the state can grant them up to 7,500 production licences.
Not only does the interest from applicants far exceed this allowed capacity, but the farmers are having to contend with unforeseen difficulties.
One worrying sign is that the price of electricity, currently 40 cents per kilowatt hour in Greece, has fallen to 25 cents in neighbouring Spain where a similar programme is already up and running, says Kollias.
This can dampen enthusiasm at a time when the startup capital needed can be at least 25,000 euros, and as high as 80,000 euros, plus bank loans.
Another is that the PPC does not actually have power lines in all the rural areas that want to join the supply grid, he adds.
"It is a good idea, but it's been put together on the hoof," says Kollias.
Most of the interest has come from the western Greek region of Agrinio, where many growers are struggling after the withdrawal of EU subsidies for tobacco, which had been their staple crop.
"We have a lot of tobacco producers who have lost their income, so they are doubly interested," says Penelope Sidira, solar project supervisor at the Agrinio farmers' co-operative, which has received over 500 applications.
"Besides, there's little else left for them here," she notes.
Source - Solar Daily
Solar-Powered Recharging Stations For Electric Bicycles
Kyocera, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Kyocera
Communication Systems, have announced the development of its new "Solar Cycle Station" - an environmentally friendly solar-powered recharging station for electric-assisted bicycles that uses the company's high performance solar modules. The system, which was codeveloped by the two companies, is sold in Japan by KCCS starting this month.
The stations utilize solar modules to generate clean energy for recharging the battery of electric bicycles, but are also connected to the regular power grid, via a DC-AC converter, ensuring stable service during cloudy weather and for recharging during the night. Furthermore, the stations are equipped with conventional outlets so that they can be used as a power source in the event of a power outage or emergency.
In recent years the popularity of electric bicycles has grown immensely due to a growing awareness of environmental issues which has led more and more people to seek ways to use alternative means of transportation, as well as the expanded use of electric bicycles at rental shops as fun and relaxing recreation in tourist areas. However, with the expanded use comes a growing need to construct more recharging stations. By using solar modules to generate the power for these bicycles Kyocera aims to provide an economical and ecological solution.
Kyocera is continually searching for new and interesting applications for solar energy, and has been providing solar modules for cars, boats, parking lot "Solar Grove" shading structures, as well as more conventional residential and large-scale solar power generation.
Source - Solardaily
Communication Systems, have announced the development of its new "Solar Cycle Station" - an environmentally friendly solar-powered recharging station for electric-assisted bicycles that uses the company's high performance solar modules. The system, which was codeveloped by the two companies, is sold in Japan by KCCS starting this month.
The stations utilize solar modules to generate clean energy for recharging the battery of electric bicycles, but are also connected to the regular power grid, via a DC-AC converter, ensuring stable service during cloudy weather and for recharging during the night. Furthermore, the stations are equipped with conventional outlets so that they can be used as a power source in the event of a power outage or emergency.
In recent years the popularity of electric bicycles has grown immensely due to a growing awareness of environmental issues which has led more and more people to seek ways to use alternative means of transportation, as well as the expanded use of electric bicycles at rental shops as fun and relaxing recreation in tourist areas. However, with the expanded use comes a growing need to construct more recharging stations. By using solar modules to generate the power for these bicycles Kyocera aims to provide an economical and ecological solution.
Kyocera is continually searching for new and interesting applications for solar energy, and has been providing solar modules for cars, boats, parking lot "Solar Grove" shading structures, as well as more conventional residential and large-scale solar power generation.
Source - Solardaily
Solar Boat Sails into Cancun Port During U.N. Climate Talks
What better time than now — when delegates from around the world are gathering in Cancun for a second week of United Nations climate talks — to show the world what we can do with solar power?
So goes the thought of Germany’s Immo Stroeher, who today docked his solar-powered boat at the Caribbean vacation spot. The boat — dubbed PlanetSolar — is the largest solar-powered boat in the world. At over 60 feet long, it can sail the seas at an average speed of 7 or 8 knots — and has been doing so since last Fall when the ship set sail in Monaco for a voyage around the world. After a short stay in Mexico, PlanetSolar will head off to Cartegena, Colombia, and is expected to complete its 31,000 mile mission in the Spring of 2012. If the crew really puts the pedal to the metal, Turanor PlanetSolar can cruise as high as 15 knots.
PlantSolar was introduced earlier this year in Kiel, Germany, covered with over 5,780 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. It’s capable of holding a 50-member crew, but they all have to be inside the boat as any potential lounging space on the deck is covered in solar cells.
Stroeher isn’t making the voyage just for fun. He wants his boat to serve as an example for other inventors. The message? You don’t have to choose between clean energy and innovation in transportation; you can have the proverbial pie and eat it too:
The aim is to offer future-proof solutions for sustainable living in major cities and environmentally responsible mobility concepts. Solar mobility can make a significant contribution to this endeavor.”
Docking alongside the U.N. meeting definitely gave leaders something to consider. But they shouldn’t need a giant boat to be placed in front them to realize the benefits of solar energy. Everywhere you look, new solar-powered inventions are popping up, from solar airplanes and pilotless drones, to solar cars and even solar surfboards (and don’t forget the home solar installations!).
Source - GetSolar
So goes the thought of Germany’s Immo Stroeher, who today docked his solar-powered boat at the Caribbean vacation spot. The boat — dubbed PlanetSolar — is the largest solar-powered boat in the world. At over 60 feet long, it can sail the seas at an average speed of 7 or 8 knots — and has been doing so since last Fall when the ship set sail in Monaco for a voyage around the world. After a short stay in Mexico, PlanetSolar will head off to Cartegena, Colombia, and is expected to complete its 31,000 mile mission in the Spring of 2012. If the crew really puts the pedal to the metal, Turanor PlanetSolar can cruise as high as 15 knots.
PlantSolar was introduced earlier this year in Kiel, Germany, covered with over 5,780 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. It’s capable of holding a 50-member crew, but they all have to be inside the boat as any potential lounging space on the deck is covered in solar cells.
Stroeher isn’t making the voyage just for fun. He wants his boat to serve as an example for other inventors. The message? You don’t have to choose between clean energy and innovation in transportation; you can have the proverbial pie and eat it too:
The aim is to offer future-proof solutions for sustainable living in major cities and environmentally responsible mobility concepts. Solar mobility can make a significant contribution to this endeavor.”
Docking alongside the U.N. meeting definitely gave leaders something to consider. But they shouldn’t need a giant boat to be placed in front them to realize the benefits of solar energy. Everywhere you look, new solar-powered inventions are popping up, from solar airplanes and pilotless drones, to solar cars and even solar surfboards (and don’t forget the home solar installations!).
Source - GetSolar
Farmers set to cash in on solar boom
SOLAR energy could be the next major UK cash crop after a survey revealed eight out of ten farmers would consider installing solar photovoltaics on their roofs within the next three years.
The technology has become an enticing prospect for farmers attempting to guard against rising electricity prices and take advantage of Government incentives.
Farmers can earn up to £16,000 a year from solar energy and save over £1,800 in electricity bills, according to solar energy specialist Solarcentury, thanks to the Government’s green agenda which offers a feed-in tariff (FIT) of 31.4 pence per unit of solar electricity generated.
Even though capital costs can be as high as £200,000 for a medium-sized farm solar roof, Derry Newman, Solarcentury CEO, said the economic returns were becoming hard to resist for UK farmers hoping to get ‘a maximum return from their property’.
“Sustainable farming is at the core of a healthy future for the UK, and it’s great to see farmers recognising the opportunity they now have with solar,” he said.
Dr Jonathan Scurlock, NFU renewable energy advisor, agreed more farmers should follow in the footsteps of Michael Eavis, the host of Glastonbury Festival, who installed photovoltaics on his cow shed earlier this year.
“Agricultural and horticultural buildings present ideal platforms for solar PV, and small-to-medium sized roof-mounted systems are likely to be an attractive investment,” he said.
Solarcentury conducted the survey of 130 farmers with Farming Futures, a pan-industry body that tackles climate change.
Source - Farmersguardian
The technology has become an enticing prospect for farmers attempting to guard against rising electricity prices and take advantage of Government incentives.
Farmers can earn up to £16,000 a year from solar energy and save over £1,800 in electricity bills, according to solar energy specialist Solarcentury, thanks to the Government’s green agenda which offers a feed-in tariff (FIT) of 31.4 pence per unit of solar electricity generated.
Even though capital costs can be as high as £200,000 for a medium-sized farm solar roof, Derry Newman, Solarcentury CEO, said the economic returns were becoming hard to resist for UK farmers hoping to get ‘a maximum return from their property’.
“Sustainable farming is at the core of a healthy future for the UK, and it’s great to see farmers recognising the opportunity they now have with solar,” he said.
Dr Jonathan Scurlock, NFU renewable energy advisor, agreed more farmers should follow in the footsteps of Michael Eavis, the host of Glastonbury Festival, who installed photovoltaics on his cow shed earlier this year.
“Agricultural and horticultural buildings present ideal platforms for solar PV, and small-to-medium sized roof-mounted systems are likely to be an attractive investment,” he said.
Solarcentury conducted the survey of 130 farmers with Farming Futures, a pan-industry body that tackles climate change.
Source - Farmersguardian
Many UK farmers 'keen on idea of solar PV technology
Many UK farmers are keen on the idea of using solar photovoltaic technology in the years ahead, new survey results have suggested.
As many as 80 per cent of those queried as part of a poll from Farming Futures and Solarcentury would like their roofs to be fitted with these devices in the coming three-year period, the organisations have revealed.
Nevertheless, just 55.2 per cent of the farmers who responded to the study had a firm grasp of the full earnings they could make by signing up to the government's feed-in tariff scheme.
Farming Futures' Madeleine Lewis feels that, in recent months, a strong appetite for this kind of technology has been seen among farmers.
She stated: "It's great to see so many farmers recognising this opportunity to create an income and diversify - as well as contribute to developing a low carbon economy in the UK."
A sizeable solar power system was introduced to a building at the Glastonbury Festival farm site earlier in the winter.
Source - Taylorvinters
As many as 80 per cent of those queried as part of a poll from Farming Futures and Solarcentury would like their roofs to be fitted with these devices in the coming three-year period, the organisations have revealed.
Nevertheless, just 55.2 per cent of the farmers who responded to the study had a firm grasp of the full earnings they could make by signing up to the government's feed-in tariff scheme.
Farming Futures' Madeleine Lewis feels that, in recent months, a strong appetite for this kind of technology has been seen among farmers.
She stated: "It's great to see so many farmers recognising this opportunity to create an income and diversify - as well as contribute to developing a low carbon economy in the UK."
A sizeable solar power system was introduced to a building at the Glastonbury Festival farm site earlier in the winter.
Source - Taylorvinters
Iberdrola takes a shine to the U.S. solar power plant मार्केट
Iberdrola Renewables, the Spanish green energy giant, has jumped into the United States solar power plant market, announcing a deal Thursday with Silicon Valley’s SunPower for a 20-megawatt photovoltaic farm to be built in Arizona.
Altogether, SunPower, based in San Jose, Calif., will construct 50 megawatts’ worth of solar power plants for Iberdrola, including a 30-megawatt project to be built in Colorado.
“We are excited to enter the U.S. solar business by building our first 50 megawatts with SunPower,” Martin Mugica, Iberdrola’s executive vice president, said in a statement Thursday.
The U.S. solar ambitions of Iberdrola, the world’s largest wind developer, had been something of a mystery.
In 2008, Iberdrola quietly acquired Pacific Solar Investments, a year-old Henderson, Nev., startup – and its lease claims on about 180,000 acres of federal land in Arizona, California and Nevada. Pacific Solar was among a score of companies – from Goldman Sachs to no-name speculators – filing claims on United States Bureau of Management Land during the great solar land rush of 2007-2008.
(BLM records show that Pacific Solar began filing solar lease claims while its founder, David Saul, was still serving as chief operating officer of Solel, an Israeli solar power plant builder subsequently acquired by Siemens for $418 million last year.)
Iberdrola still has lease claims on 165,600 acres of BLM land in Arizona, California and Nevada for both photovoltaic and solar thermal projects, according to federal filings.
The company has maintained radio silence about its plans, if any, for that desert real estate. But on Thursday, Iberdrola said it will own and operate the Copper Crossing solar farm to be built by SunPower, one of the U.S.’s largest solar module makers and developers, on 144 acres of agricultural land in Pinal County, Ariz. Iberdrola will the electricity to utility Salt River Project.
Source - Reuters
Altogether, SunPower, based in San Jose, Calif., will construct 50 megawatts’ worth of solar power plants for Iberdrola, including a 30-megawatt project to be built in Colorado.
“We are excited to enter the U.S. solar business by building our first 50 megawatts with SunPower,” Martin Mugica, Iberdrola’s executive vice president, said in a statement Thursday.
The U.S. solar ambitions of Iberdrola, the world’s largest wind developer, had been something of a mystery.
In 2008, Iberdrola quietly acquired Pacific Solar Investments, a year-old Henderson, Nev., startup – and its lease claims on about 180,000 acres of federal land in Arizona, California and Nevada. Pacific Solar was among a score of companies – from Goldman Sachs to no-name speculators – filing claims on United States Bureau of Management Land during the great solar land rush of 2007-2008.
(BLM records show that Pacific Solar began filing solar lease claims while its founder, David Saul, was still serving as chief operating officer of Solel, an Israeli solar power plant builder subsequently acquired by Siemens for $418 million last year.)
Iberdrola still has lease claims on 165,600 acres of BLM land in Arizona, California and Nevada for both photovoltaic and solar thermal projects, according to federal filings.
The company has maintained radio silence about its plans, if any, for that desert real estate. But on Thursday, Iberdrola said it will own and operate the Copper Crossing solar farm to be built by SunPower, one of the U.S.’s largest solar module makers and developers, on 144 acres of agricultural land in Pinal County, Ariz. Iberdrola will the electricity to utility Salt River Project.
Source - Reuters
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