Solar power stations that concentrate sunlight could generate up to one-quarter of the world's electricity needs by 2050, according to a study by environmental and solar industry groups. The technology, best suited to the desert regions of the world, could also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and save millions of tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Concentrating solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto water. This produces steam that can then turn turbines and generate electricity. It differs from photovoltaics, which use solar panels to turn sunlight directly into electricity and can operate even on overcast days. CSP only works in places where there are many days with clear skies and is a proven, reliable technology.
At the end of 2008 CSP capacity was around 430MW, and worldwide investment in the technology will reach
€2bn (£1.8bn) this year, according to Sven Teske of Greenpeace International and co-author of the report. He said investment could increase, under a relatively moderate scenario, to €11.1bn by 2010 and provide 7% of the world's generating capacity by 2030. By 2050 investment could reach €92.5bn, creating almost 2m jobs by 2050 and saving 2.1bn tonnes of CO2 every year.
"Due to the feed-in tariff in Spain and a few schemes in the US, this technology is actually taking off and we wanted to highlight that we have a third big technology to fight climate change — wind, photovoltaics and now CSP," said Teske.
Spain is leading the field on CSP: more than 50 solar projects in the country have been approved for construction by the government and, by 2015, it will generate more than 2GW of power from CSP, comfortably exceeding current national targets. Spanish companies are also exporting their technology around the world.
Environmentalists argue that many countries in the "sun-belt" around the equator would benefit from CSP technology — including desert regions in the southern United States, north Africa, Mexico, China and India.
The new study, carried out by Greenpeace International, the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association and the International Energy Agency's (IEA) SolarPACES group, looked at three scenarios of future growth in CSP. The first was business-as-usual reference scenario that assumed no increases at all in CSP; the second continued the CSP investments seen in recent years in places such as Spain and the US; while the advanced scenario was most optimistic, removing all political and investment barriers to give figures for the true potential of CSP.
Under the third, most optimistic, scenario there could be a giant surge in investments to €21bn a year by 2015 and €174bn a year by 2050, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. In this case, solar plants would have installed capacity of 1,500GW by 2050 and provide 25% of the world's electricity capacity. Even in the second scenario, which sees only modest increases, the world's combined CSP capacity could reach 830GW by 2050, representing up to 12% of the world's energy generation needs.
Teske acknowledged that these estimates were far higher than official figures from the IEA. It says that by 2050, CSP would provide only0.2% of global power generation. But Teske added that the IEA analysis does not assume any increases in production capacity in the next few decades, hence CSP forms a very small part of the overall energy mix.
The new report also said that CSP technology was improving rapidly, with many new power plants fitted with storage systems for steam so that they could continue to operate at night. In addition it said the cost of the electricity produced , currently at €0.15 to €0.23 a kilowatt, would fall to €0.10-€0.14 by 2020 if governments continued to support the technology with incentives such as feed-in tarriffs.
Source - The guardian
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Professor Steven Chu: paint the world white to fight global warming
As a weapon against global warming, it sounds so simple and low-tech that it could not possibly work. But the idea of using millions of buckets of whitewash to avert climate catastrophe has won the backing of one of the world’s most influential scientists.
Steven Chu, the Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by President Obama as Energy Secretary, wants to paint the world white. A global initiative to change the colour of roofs, roads and pavements so that they reflect more sunlight and heat could play a big part in containing global warming, he said yesterday.
Speaking at the opening of the St James’s Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, for which The Times is media partner, Professor Chu said that this approach could have a vast impact. By lightening paved surfaces and roofs to the colour of cement, it would be possible to cut carbon emissions by as much as taking all the world’s cars off the roads for 11 years, he said.
Building regulations should insist that all flat roofs were painted white, and visible tilted roofs could be painted with “cool-coloured” paints that looked normal, but which absorbed much less heat than conventional dark surfaces. Roads could be lightened to a concrete colour so they would not dazzle drivers in bright sunlight. “I think with flat-type roofs you can’t even see, yes, I think you should regulate,” Professor Chu said.
Pale surfaces reflect up to 80 per cent of the sunlight that falls on them, compared with about 20 per cent for dark ones, which is why roofs and walls in hot countries are often whitewashed. An increase in pale surfaces would help to contain climate change both by reflecting more solar radiation into space and by reducing the amount of energy needed to keep buildings cool by air-conditioning.
Professor Chu said that his thinking had been influenced by Art Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission, who drove through tough new building rules in the state. Since 2005 California has required all flat roofs on commercial buildings to be white; the measure is being expanded to require cool colours on all residential and pitched roofs.
Dr Rosenfeld is also a physicist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, of which Professor Chu was director. Last year Dr Rosenfeld and two colleagues from the laboratory, Hashem Akbari and Surabi Menon, calculated that changing surface colours in 100 of the world’s largest cities could save the equivalent of 44 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide — about as much as global carbon emissions are expected to rise by over the next decade.
Professor Chu said: “There’s a friend of mine, a colleague of mine, Art Rosenfeld, who’s pushing very hard for a geo-engineering we all believe will be completely benign, and that’s when you have a flat-top roof building, make it white.
“Now, you smile, but he’s done a calculation, and if you take all the buildings and make their roofs white and if you make the pavement more of a concrete type of colour rather than a black type of colour, and you do this uniformly . . . it’s the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars on the road for 11 years.”
The US needed to increase its investment in clean energy research, he said, citing high-tech industries that spent 10 to 20 per cent of their income on research. The US was spending $1 trillion on generating electricity, but “nothing like” the $100 billion to $200 billion on research that would meet that standard, he said.
Source - The Times
Steven Chu, the Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by President Obama as Energy Secretary, wants to paint the world white. A global initiative to change the colour of roofs, roads and pavements so that they reflect more sunlight and heat could play a big part in containing global warming, he said yesterday.
Speaking at the opening of the St James’s Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, for which The Times is media partner, Professor Chu said that this approach could have a vast impact. By lightening paved surfaces and roofs to the colour of cement, it would be possible to cut carbon emissions by as much as taking all the world’s cars off the roads for 11 years, he said.
Building regulations should insist that all flat roofs were painted white, and visible tilted roofs could be painted with “cool-coloured” paints that looked normal, but which absorbed much less heat than conventional dark surfaces. Roads could be lightened to a concrete colour so they would not dazzle drivers in bright sunlight. “I think with flat-type roofs you can’t even see, yes, I think you should regulate,” Professor Chu said.
Pale surfaces reflect up to 80 per cent of the sunlight that falls on them, compared with about 20 per cent for dark ones, which is why roofs and walls in hot countries are often whitewashed. An increase in pale surfaces would help to contain climate change both by reflecting more solar radiation into space and by reducing the amount of energy needed to keep buildings cool by air-conditioning.
Professor Chu said that his thinking had been influenced by Art Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission, who drove through tough new building rules in the state. Since 2005 California has required all flat roofs on commercial buildings to be white; the measure is being expanded to require cool colours on all residential and pitched roofs.
Dr Rosenfeld is also a physicist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, of which Professor Chu was director. Last year Dr Rosenfeld and two colleagues from the laboratory, Hashem Akbari and Surabi Menon, calculated that changing surface colours in 100 of the world’s largest cities could save the equivalent of 44 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide — about as much as global carbon emissions are expected to rise by over the next decade.
Professor Chu said: “There’s a friend of mine, a colleague of mine, Art Rosenfeld, who’s pushing very hard for a geo-engineering we all believe will be completely benign, and that’s when you have a flat-top roof building, make it white.
“Now, you smile, but he’s done a calculation, and if you take all the buildings and make their roofs white and if you make the pavement more of a concrete type of colour rather than a black type of colour, and you do this uniformly . . . it’s the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars on the road for 11 years.”
The US needed to increase its investment in clean energy research, he said, citing high-tech industries that spent 10 to 20 per cent of their income on research. The US was spending $1 trillion on generating electricity, but “nothing like” the $100 billion to $200 billion on research that would meet that standard, he said.
Source - The Times
Perpetual Power Installs PV System On Budweiser Facility
Perpetual Power has announced the completion of a 416kW DC solar installation on a Budweiser cold beer storage building in Contra Costa County, Calif. The Markstein Sales Company, a family owned business operating since 1919, and a distributor of Budweiser and other beverages, decided to install solar power on its facility to reduce its energy costs while contributing to the protection of the environment.
The solar system was designed and installed by San Francisco-based Perpetual Power, and is the first system to use their new proprietary "Oasis" roof mounting system.
The system was designed with minimal connections and a low weight per square foot to reduce stress on the building's rooftop. The new mounting system also passed a rigorous wind tunnel test to meet the requirements in this area and ensure stability and safety.
Paul Townsend, founder of Perpetual Power, LLC, commented on the new installation: "We continue to focus our solar installations on large commercial buildings in California, including this new building for Markstein Sales Company. We also focus on large agribusiness installations where solar power makes a real difference in lowering energy bills for these companies."
The solar installation includes 2,240 185Wp Mitsubishi Electric polycrystalline photovoltaic modules, made with 100% lead-free solder. Mitsubishi Electric modules were chosen due to their reputation for outstanding quality and high power output.
Antioch is in the eastern part of the Bay Area and typically experiences hot summer temperatures which drives up the energy requirements of a cold storage facility.
"A cold storage facility is an excellent example of a building that can gain immediate benefits from solar power," said Gina Heng, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's photovoltaic division.
"Due to the high temperatures and amount of refrigeration required for this facility, solar panels can help the company shave off its most expensive tier it pays to the utility, resulting in immediate savings."
The system will cover approximately 60 percent of the 110k square foot building's energy needs and is estimated by climatecare.org to produce 600,000kWh resulting in a annual savings of approximately $100,000. Based on this estimation, the amount of carbon saved by installing the system is equivalent to driving over 22 million miles over the 25 year life of the system, or keeping 8,000 tons of CO2 from entering the environment.
Source - Solardaily
The solar system was designed and installed by San Francisco-based Perpetual Power, and is the first system to use their new proprietary "Oasis" roof mounting system.
The system was designed with minimal connections and a low weight per square foot to reduce stress on the building's rooftop. The new mounting system also passed a rigorous wind tunnel test to meet the requirements in this area and ensure stability and safety.
Paul Townsend, founder of Perpetual Power, LLC, commented on the new installation: "We continue to focus our solar installations on large commercial buildings in California, including this new building for Markstein Sales Company. We also focus on large agribusiness installations where solar power makes a real difference in lowering energy bills for these companies."
The solar installation includes 2,240 185Wp Mitsubishi Electric polycrystalline photovoltaic modules, made with 100% lead-free solder. Mitsubishi Electric modules were chosen due to their reputation for outstanding quality and high power output.
Antioch is in the eastern part of the Bay Area and typically experiences hot summer temperatures which drives up the energy requirements of a cold storage facility.
"A cold storage facility is an excellent example of a building that can gain immediate benefits from solar power," said Gina Heng, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's photovoltaic division.
"Due to the high temperatures and amount of refrigeration required for this facility, solar panels can help the company shave off its most expensive tier it pays to the utility, resulting in immediate savings."
The system will cover approximately 60 percent of the 110k square foot building's energy needs and is estimated by climatecare.org to produce 600,000kWh resulting in a annual savings of approximately $100,000. Based on this estimation, the amount of carbon saved by installing the system is equivalent to driving over 22 million miles over the 25 year life of the system, or keeping 8,000 tons of CO2 from entering the environment.
Source - Solardaily
World's Largest Commercial Rooftop Solar-Powered Heating And Cooling System
ERS is currently working with Steinway and Sons to install the largest solar-sourced industrial heating/cooling system in the world at the renown piano maker's 11-acre manufacturing complex in Long Island City, NY. ERS conceived the design and approached Steinway with the project.
"ERS was instrumental in the development of this project, and they've played a key role in all phases including securing grants, conducting the technical and economic analyses, and participating in the design and implementation process. They will also conduct commissioning and analysis upon completion of the installation," said Bill Rigos, Facilities Manager at Steinway.
The system works by collecting the sun's rays with 38 rooftop solar concentrating troughs that reflect and focus the energy onto receiver tubes through which a thermal fluid circulates.
Once the liquid reaches 340 degrees Fahrenheit, the system pumps it to a high performance 100-ton double-effect absorption chiller that uses the superheated water to develop a chilled water supply through a highly specialized process.
The chilled water will be used to provide cool air and dehumidification to help maintain the consistent environment required for Steinway's piano manufacturing.
Another unique facet of this solar-powered system is that when cooling/dehumidification is not needed, the solar hot water can be converted to steam for process or space heating purposes in the factory. "You don't see many renewable projects targeted at the industrial sector," says Mark D'Antonio, Vice President of ERS.
"However this type of system makes great sense when you can utilize the solar energy year-round. Steinway has seasonal loads for both heating and cooling/dehumidification, and they always have process loads. Anytime the sun shines, they can put the energy to good use."
Since this sustainable project is being installed in New York City - not typically considered a premier solar location - innovative features have been used to optimize the system. The collectors automatically track the sun across the sky, ensuring a maximum amount of sunlight collection. And for those cloudy days when there is very little direct sunlight, the dual-fuel chiller can use natural gas power instead of solar to operate.
"Although one might not consider New York City to be the sunshine capital of the U.S.," D'Antonio says, "there are adequate solar resources for this type of system. Couple this with high regional energy costs, available funding sources, and tax benefits, and this system becomes a good business proposition."
The project is being partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and federal tax benefits, which, combined with Steinway's cost share, result in a simple payback of less than 5 years.
ERS and NYSERDA will study the performance of this innovative system in order to advance and promote the technology with hopes that it will be suitable for wide adoption and implementation at other commercial and industrial facilities.
Source - Solardaily
"ERS was instrumental in the development of this project, and they've played a key role in all phases including securing grants, conducting the technical and economic analyses, and participating in the design and implementation process. They will also conduct commissioning and analysis upon completion of the installation," said Bill Rigos, Facilities Manager at Steinway.
The system works by collecting the sun's rays with 38 rooftop solar concentrating troughs that reflect and focus the energy onto receiver tubes through which a thermal fluid circulates.
Once the liquid reaches 340 degrees Fahrenheit, the system pumps it to a high performance 100-ton double-effect absorption chiller that uses the superheated water to develop a chilled water supply through a highly specialized process.
The chilled water will be used to provide cool air and dehumidification to help maintain the consistent environment required for Steinway's piano manufacturing.
Another unique facet of this solar-powered system is that when cooling/dehumidification is not needed, the solar hot water can be converted to steam for process or space heating purposes in the factory. "You don't see many renewable projects targeted at the industrial sector," says Mark D'Antonio, Vice President of ERS.
"However this type of system makes great sense when you can utilize the solar energy year-round. Steinway has seasonal loads for both heating and cooling/dehumidification, and they always have process loads. Anytime the sun shines, they can put the energy to good use."
Since this sustainable project is being installed in New York City - not typically considered a premier solar location - innovative features have been used to optimize the system. The collectors automatically track the sun across the sky, ensuring a maximum amount of sunlight collection. And for those cloudy days when there is very little direct sunlight, the dual-fuel chiller can use natural gas power instead of solar to operate.
"Although one might not consider New York City to be the sunshine capital of the U.S.," D'Antonio says, "there are adequate solar resources for this type of system. Couple this with high regional energy costs, available funding sources, and tax benefits, and this system becomes a good business proposition."
The project is being partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and federal tax benefits, which, combined with Steinway's cost share, result in a simple payback of less than 5 years.
ERS and NYSERDA will study the performance of this innovative system in order to advance and promote the technology with hopes that it will be suitable for wide adoption and implementation at other commercial and industrial facilities.
Source - Solardaily
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Looming energy gap according to energy industry leaders
The UK must avoid being lured into a new dash for gas as it seeks to bridge a looming power generation gap, according to energy industry leaders.
Ministers and the industry are committed to a range of power-generation options, from nuclear and cleaner coal through gas to renewables and energy saving, but striking the right balance may not be easy. New nuclear reactors are the best part of a decade away, even on optimistic assumptions. Coal is controversial and its future looks to be closely tied to the ability to develop carbon capture and storage. In terms of generation, that leaves gas and renewables to take the strain as a raft of ageing or environmentally unacceptable generating plant is taken out of service.
David Porter, chief executive of the Association of Electricity Producers, argues that in the long run Britain “could be well very well provided with a diverse range of technologies for power generation”. The problem is the near term: around a third of the UK’s generating capacity may need to be replaced by 2015. Some analysts believe the crunch could come earlier.
“At the moment companies are having to go ahead with what looks to be easiest,” Porter says. “Despite supply scares and price volatility, gas-fired generation is still easier to do than most.”
Recent developments back his view. The government has just given the green light to three gas-fired power plants, including a 2 gigawatt power station in Pembrokeshire.
Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy, said this month that Britain will lose 14 to 18GW of capacity by 2015. He told the Commons business and enterprise committee that some 7GW of gas generating capacity was under construction and another 6GW had been given the go-ahead. That is balanced by some 46 renewable projects, providing about 5 megawatts of power generation.
Paul Golby, chief executive of E.ON UK, said last week that it was vital the UK maintained a variety of options: “Clearly gas has an important part to play, both in the near and the medium term. But we can’t become overly reliant on a single form of power generation if we’re to ensure security of supply, reduce our carbon emissions and ensure energy remains affordable for our customers.
“The only way we can do that is to, yes, build gas-fired power stations… But we also need to ramp up our renewable build, create a new generation of cleaner and, eventually, clean coal-fired power stations - and, longer term, replace the UK’s nuclear fleet. To become overly reliant on a single fuel - and one that will, in the next decade or so, become 80% imported - is simply too dangerous.”
Centrica chief executive Sam Laidlaw says this winter’s row between Russia and Ukraine has brought security of supply issues sharply back into focus and that the UK needs to develop diverse sources of gas as its dependence on imports increases. “Russia will play a role in the long term… but also more LNG [liquefied natural gas] coming from other sources has to be the answer so we aren’t dependent on one source. But, thinking about power generation, we can’t have another dash for gas.”
EDF has placed a multi-billion-pound bet on the development of a new generation of nuclear power in the UK through its acquisition of British Energy. Its UK subsidiary, EDF Energy, plans to build four new nuclear reactors and is aiming to have the first coming on stream at the end of 2017. In the meantime, the company is building a 1.3GW gas plant in Nottinghamshire. “Until nuclear can come on line, it is likely that much of the energy gap will be filled by new ‘combined-cycle’ gas turbines, as these are relatively cheap, quick to build and flexible, meaning they are able to respond to market prices,” the company says.
Gas and renewables, notably wind, can be complementary, rather than alternatives, with gas taking on the back-up role as more wind generation comes on stream. A key test, however, is whether companies will be able to secure returns on their investment in gas if the plant runs only to supplement wind power.
Money is an issue. Ian Parrett from energy analyst Inenco says: “Funding difficulties in the current economic climate are resulting in new generating capacity being delayed or even shelved. The UK’s lack of gas storage leaves the country running the risk of being held to ransom and forced to pay a premium for gas in a highly volatile market.”
Ministers and the industry are committed to a range of power-generation options, from nuclear and cleaner coal through gas to renewables and energy saving, but striking the right balance may not be easy. New nuclear reactors are the best part of a decade away, even on optimistic assumptions. Coal is controversial and its future looks to be closely tied to the ability to develop carbon capture and storage. In terms of generation, that leaves gas and renewables to take the strain as a raft of ageing or environmentally unacceptable generating plant is taken out of service.
David Porter, chief executive of the Association of Electricity Producers, argues that in the long run Britain “could be well very well provided with a diverse range of technologies for power generation”. The problem is the near term: around a third of the UK’s generating capacity may need to be replaced by 2015. Some analysts believe the crunch could come earlier.
“At the moment companies are having to go ahead with what looks to be easiest,” Porter says. “Despite supply scares and price volatility, gas-fired generation is still easier to do than most.”
Recent developments back his view. The government has just given the green light to three gas-fired power plants, including a 2 gigawatt power station in Pembrokeshire.
Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy, said this month that Britain will lose 14 to 18GW of capacity by 2015. He told the Commons business and enterprise committee that some 7GW of gas generating capacity was under construction and another 6GW had been given the go-ahead. That is balanced by some 46 renewable projects, providing about 5 megawatts of power generation.
Paul Golby, chief executive of E.ON UK, said last week that it was vital the UK maintained a variety of options: “Clearly gas has an important part to play, both in the near and the medium term. But we can’t become overly reliant on a single form of power generation if we’re to ensure security of supply, reduce our carbon emissions and ensure energy remains affordable for our customers.
“The only way we can do that is to, yes, build gas-fired power stations… But we also need to ramp up our renewable build, create a new generation of cleaner and, eventually, clean coal-fired power stations - and, longer term, replace the UK’s nuclear fleet. To become overly reliant on a single fuel - and one that will, in the next decade or so, become 80% imported - is simply too dangerous.”
Centrica chief executive Sam Laidlaw says this winter’s row between Russia and Ukraine has brought security of supply issues sharply back into focus and that the UK needs to develop diverse sources of gas as its dependence on imports increases. “Russia will play a role in the long term… but also more LNG [liquefied natural gas] coming from other sources has to be the answer so we aren’t dependent on one source. But, thinking about power generation, we can’t have another dash for gas.”
EDF has placed a multi-billion-pound bet on the development of a new generation of nuclear power in the UK through its acquisition of British Energy. Its UK subsidiary, EDF Energy, plans to build four new nuclear reactors and is aiming to have the first coming on stream at the end of 2017. In the meantime, the company is building a 1.3GW gas plant in Nottinghamshire. “Until nuclear can come on line, it is likely that much of the energy gap will be filled by new ‘combined-cycle’ gas turbines, as these are relatively cheap, quick to build and flexible, meaning they are able to respond to market prices,” the company says.
Gas and renewables, notably wind, can be complementary, rather than alternatives, with gas taking on the back-up role as more wind generation comes on stream. A key test, however, is whether companies will be able to secure returns on their investment in gas if the plant runs only to supplement wind power.
Money is an issue. Ian Parrett from energy analyst Inenco says: “Funding difficulties in the current economic climate are resulting in new generating capacity being delayed or even shelved. The UK’s lack of gas storage leaves the country running the risk of being held to ransom and forced to pay a premium for gas in a highly volatile market.”
Development Of Solar-Powered Pasteurization System In Peru
A team of students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be spending part of the summer designing and starting to build solar-powered pasteurization systems for communities in rural Peru.
The group of engineers, led by Assistant Professor Lupita D. Montoya, was one of four student teams nationally to win a highly competitive Summer Engineering Experience in Development (SEED) grant from nonprofit volunteer organization Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW).
The project aims to help the Langui and Canas community in southern Peru by developing affordable, solar-powered pasteurization equipment.
Many families in the region have dairy cows and produce milk, yogurt, and cheeses on a small scale, but cannot obtain certification to market these products because they lack proper sanitation equipment.
The new pasteurization systems will allow these families to meet governmental regulations and begin selling their dairy products and earning additional income.
"Currently farmers make dairy products for personal consumption and trade with neighbors. During our first trip people told us that they were looking to sell products beyond their town but needed certification," said team member Tara Clancy, an environmental engineering major at Rensselaer who graduates this week.
"Obtaining certification will enable farmers to strengthen their economic independence, but they won't be able to be certified without direct access to water, energy, and sanitary facilities. That's where we can start to implement appropriate technologies."
This summer, Montoya, Rensselaer mechanical engineering doctoral student Erin Lennox, and rising junior Anna Cyganowski will volunteer their time in Langui and Lima, Peru. Along with working on the design and engineering of pasteurization devices, they will partner with students from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú (PUCP) to investigate the social and economic aspects of creating a dairy enterprise.
This effort will include examining how the community currently produces dairy products, looking into local manufacturing regulations, and studying the local marketplace.
The student team also plans to work with microfinance experts in Peru to make small loans to families to purchase the equipment and improve facilities. A student supported by the Office of the Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer will also join this team.
"The villagers in the region stated their interest in selling dairy products at the larger markets, but they also recognize that they lack the appropriate technologies and conditions needed to achieve certification," Lennox said. "It will be exciting and challenging for us to apply our engineering know-how to help them attain this important goal."
"It's rewarding to be involved with a real-world project and know that your hard work can have a direct positive impact on not just one person, but an entire community," Cyganowski said.
The project builds on past humanitarian engineering work by Montoya to challenge students to develop new, affordable technologies to help improve the quality of life in rural Peru.
These student innovations are currently installed or housed in the project flagship Ecological Home for the Andes, which serves as a community training site in Langui and aims to showcase the technologies for nearby communities.
The students hope to have their new pasteurization system designed, operational, and in place at the Ecological Home for the Andes in one year.
"This wonderful group of students clearly realizes their own potential," Montoya said.
"Often our students are reminded of the rich history of this institution, but these students are now making their own history, one that is more inclusive and in-tune with our present challenges. They are not just smart; they have the courage to take on big challenges and the determination to engineer solutions and implement them in ways that make a difference in the world beyond Rensselaer."
Along with Rensselaer, the other ESW SEED grant winners were Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley, and Purdue University.
Founded in 2001, the ESW is "an engaged technical community with the vision of changing the world through engineering education, innovation, and practical action," and seeks to stimulate and foster an increased and more diverse community of engineers, as well as infuse sustainability into the practice and studies of every engineer.
Source - Solar daily
The group of engineers, led by Assistant Professor Lupita D. Montoya, was one of four student teams nationally to win a highly competitive Summer Engineering Experience in Development (SEED) grant from nonprofit volunteer organization Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW).
The project aims to help the Langui and Canas community in southern Peru by developing affordable, solar-powered pasteurization equipment.
Many families in the region have dairy cows and produce milk, yogurt, and cheeses on a small scale, but cannot obtain certification to market these products because they lack proper sanitation equipment.
The new pasteurization systems will allow these families to meet governmental regulations and begin selling their dairy products and earning additional income.
"Currently farmers make dairy products for personal consumption and trade with neighbors. During our first trip people told us that they were looking to sell products beyond their town but needed certification," said team member Tara Clancy, an environmental engineering major at Rensselaer who graduates this week.
"Obtaining certification will enable farmers to strengthen their economic independence, but they won't be able to be certified without direct access to water, energy, and sanitary facilities. That's where we can start to implement appropriate technologies."
This summer, Montoya, Rensselaer mechanical engineering doctoral student Erin Lennox, and rising junior Anna Cyganowski will volunteer their time in Langui and Lima, Peru. Along with working on the design and engineering of pasteurization devices, they will partner with students from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú (PUCP) to investigate the social and economic aspects of creating a dairy enterprise.
This effort will include examining how the community currently produces dairy products, looking into local manufacturing regulations, and studying the local marketplace.
The student team also plans to work with microfinance experts in Peru to make small loans to families to purchase the equipment and improve facilities. A student supported by the Office of the Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer will also join this team.
"The villagers in the region stated their interest in selling dairy products at the larger markets, but they also recognize that they lack the appropriate technologies and conditions needed to achieve certification," Lennox said. "It will be exciting and challenging for us to apply our engineering know-how to help them attain this important goal."
"It's rewarding to be involved with a real-world project and know that your hard work can have a direct positive impact on not just one person, but an entire community," Cyganowski said.
The project builds on past humanitarian engineering work by Montoya to challenge students to develop new, affordable technologies to help improve the quality of life in rural Peru.
These student innovations are currently installed or housed in the project flagship Ecological Home for the Andes, which serves as a community training site in Langui and aims to showcase the technologies for nearby communities.
The students hope to have their new pasteurization system designed, operational, and in place at the Ecological Home for the Andes in one year.
"This wonderful group of students clearly realizes their own potential," Montoya said.
"Often our students are reminded of the rich history of this institution, but these students are now making their own history, one that is more inclusive and in-tune with our present challenges. They are not just smart; they have the courage to take on big challenges and the determination to engineer solutions and implement them in ways that make a difference in the world beyond Rensselaer."
Along with Rensselaer, the other ESW SEED grant winners were Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley, and Purdue University.
Founded in 2001, the ESW is "an engaged technical community with the vision of changing the world through engineering education, innovation, and practical action," and seeks to stimulate and foster an increased and more diverse community of engineers, as well as infuse sustainability into the practice and studies of every engineer.
Source - Solar daily
Taiwan's solar stadium 100% powered by the sun
Taiwan recently finished construction on a solar-powered stadium that will officially open later this year to welcome the 2009 World Games. From Inhabitat, part of the Guardian Environment Network.
Taiwan recently finished construction on an incredible solar-powered stadium that will generate 100% of its electricity from photovoltaic technology! Designed by Toyo Ito, the dragon-shaped 50,000 seat arena is clad in 8,844 solar panels that illuminate the track and field with 3,300 lux. The project will officially open later this year to welcome the 2009 World Games.
Building a new stadium is always a massive undertaking that requires millions of dollars, substantial physical labor, and a vast amount of electricity to keep it operating. Toyo Ito's design negates this energy drain with a stunning 14,155 sq meter solar roof that is able to provide enough energy to power the stadium's 3,300 lights and two jumbo vision screens. To illustrate the incredible power of this system, officials ran a test this January and found that it took just six minutes to power up the stadium's entire lighting system!
The stadium also integrates additional green features such as permeable paving and the extensive use of reusable, domestically made materials. Built upon a clear area of approximately 19 hectares, nearly 7 hectares has been reserved for the development of integrated public green spaces, bike paths, sports parks, and an ecological pond. Additionally, all of the plants occupying the area before construction were transplanted.
Non-sports fans in the community have a lot to jump up and down for as well. Not only does the solar system provide electricity during the games, but the surplus energy will also be sold during the non-game period. On days where the stadium is not being used, the Taiwanese government plans to feed the extra energy into the local grid, where it will meet almost 80% of the neighboring area's energy requirements. Overall, the stadium will generate 1.14 million KWh per year, preventing the release of 660 tons of carbon dioxide into atmosphere annually.
• This article was shared by our content partner Inhabitat, part of the Guardian Environment Network
Source - The Guardian
Taiwan recently finished construction on an incredible solar-powered stadium that will generate 100% of its electricity from photovoltaic technology! Designed by Toyo Ito, the dragon-shaped 50,000 seat arena is clad in 8,844 solar panels that illuminate the track and field with 3,300 lux. The project will officially open later this year to welcome the 2009 World Games.
Building a new stadium is always a massive undertaking that requires millions of dollars, substantial physical labor, and a vast amount of electricity to keep it operating. Toyo Ito's design negates this energy drain with a stunning 14,155 sq meter solar roof that is able to provide enough energy to power the stadium's 3,300 lights and two jumbo vision screens. To illustrate the incredible power of this system, officials ran a test this January and found that it took just six minutes to power up the stadium's entire lighting system!
The stadium also integrates additional green features such as permeable paving and the extensive use of reusable, domestically made materials. Built upon a clear area of approximately 19 hectares, nearly 7 hectares has been reserved for the development of integrated public green spaces, bike paths, sports parks, and an ecological pond. Additionally, all of the plants occupying the area before construction were transplanted.
Non-sports fans in the community have a lot to jump up and down for as well. Not only does the solar system provide electricity during the games, but the surplus energy will also be sold during the non-game period. On days where the stadium is not being used, the Taiwanese government plans to feed the extra energy into the local grid, where it will meet almost 80% of the neighboring area's energy requirements. Overall, the stadium will generate 1.14 million KWh per year, preventing the release of 660 tons of carbon dioxide into atmosphere annually.
• This article was shared by our content partner Inhabitat, part of the Guardian Environment Network
Source - The Guardian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
