By Fernando Nuno / Published on Tue, 2010-03-09 11:14
In this session the main elements of the parabolic trough technology will be described: concentrators, receivers, heat transfer fluids, connecting elements, etc.
Then, the main characteristics of today’s parabolic trough solar thermal power plants will be presented: design, operation and costs.
Finally, the audience will get some ideas for future developments.
This is the 2nd lesson of the general training on CSP technology.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2010-03-04 18:21
Now in its fourth year, the Spanish Solar Industry conference will take place on 7-8 October 2010 in Madrid. This annual event will, among other topics, cover legislative developments, national and international market trends, look at how close Spain is to grid parity and bring in finance experts to show how to reduce costs for PV installations.
Solarpraxis invites all companies, associations, institutes, public-sector bodies and professionals to submit contributions related to the broad field of solar energy.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2010-02-18 15:55
Lesson 1 : Fundamentals of concentrating solar thermal power
In this session, the contents will focus on the physical and thermodynamic basis of Concentrated Solar Power:
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By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-11-02 06:16
Jean-Paul Hautekeer will explain why innovation, efficiency and sustainability have become such crucial needs for business and how silicon technology can help to meet those needs, particularly in the context of building design and protection. He will begin by discussing some of the factors influencing sustainability, defining sustainable building and explaining its benefits. Looking towards the future, he will reflect on why cities will increasingly depend on sustainable technologies and how silicon will contribute to the needs of urban areas.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2009-09-15 05:30
Integrating road networks and power networks
The US Department of Transportation has awarded funding for building a 'solar highway' prototype. A solar highway contains photovoltaic (PV) modules covered with bulletproof glass as a road surface. The surface also contains a grid of LEDs that can light the roadway, draw lines, and flash warnings that react to traffic sensors. Apart from supplying power for the LEDs and sensors, the energy generated by the PV modules will also be used to heat the highway when required. The remaining energy can be used for houses and businesses alongside the road. If this systems works as projected, it could well make power stations and power lines superfluous. According to an article on Matter Network, covering all American roads with this system would produce an annual yield of energy three times as large as the entire U.S. energy consumption in 2006.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Wed, 2009-09-09 11:54
This document is an overall report of the seminar “Electricity in the next decade”, the first in an annual series of events regarding “Low carbon electricity systems”. KEMA, ECI and Leonardo ENERGY are jointly organising these events.
Next to the topics presented during the first event, a few additional topics have been added in order to create a white paper and a more complete picture on the theme “Electricity in the next decade”.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2009-09-01 05:30
Massive investments in wind and solar energy projects
China is well on track to surpass the US as the world’s largest market for wind turbines. While the European Union is struggling to reach its renewable energy targets, China is surpassing its own targets with ease. At the beginning of 2008, the target of the Chinese government was to have 5,000 MW of wind power installed by the end of 2010. Only a few months after proclaiming this figure, it was doubled to 10,000 MW. As of today, it looks like China is going to have 30,000 MW of wind power installed by the end of next year.
A favourable regulatory climate
The Chinese government has mandated that electricity companies must generate 8% of their power from renewable resources by 2020. Combine this figure with the enormous, steep, and ever expanding energy consumption in the country, and you realise that only a development of renewable energy at an up-to-now unseen scale will accomplish such a goal.
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By HDK / Published on Wed, 2009-05-27 08:10
The development of photovoltaic (PV) panels has made solar-powered pumps a reality. The pump drivers are usually direct-current (DC) motors, which are fed by power electronic converters with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to extract the whole energy that the PV panels can generate, depending on environmental conditions including irradiation and temperature. The implementation of the MPPT algorithm essentially involves sensing both an input current and an input voltage. Understandably, such realisation is expensive.
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By Fernando Nuno / Published on Thu, 2009-01-22 17:58
A methodology and software for high resolution solar resource mapping and monitoring will be presented by Green Power Labs (Canada). Solar radiation can be modelled based on satellite-derived information on visible clouds. This provides a comprehensive source of high-resolution solar climatology data for utility-scale solar power/thermal energy producers, and power utilities as well as other industries requiring accurate solar energy data.
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By Stefan Fassbinder / Published on Mon, 2009-01-05 10:00
It is cold, and a little bit of snow has fallen onto the terrace table. – Only snow? No. For some reason a few black particles have dropped off the sky during New Year's Eve. Now the next day the sun shines bright, but still it is too cold to melt the snow. The white snow reflects most of the light. Only the black particles convert light into heat and melt the snow in their proximity.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-07-10 05:30
Feasible if all stakeholders actively co-operate
A new study by Clean Edge concludes that generating 10% of the electricity consumed in the US with solar energy by 2025 is a feasible target. The Utility Solar Assessment (USA) Study has presented utilities, solar companies, and regulators a roadmap of how to reach this target.
Today, solar energy in the US contributes a mere 0.06% of all power generated. Reaching 10% by 2025 would require an active and co-ordinated effort on the part of all stakeholders. The following are the main action points mentioned in the report:
- Utilities should take advantage of solar energy’s ability to generate peak power, and they should implement solar energy as a key element in the build-out of the smart grid
- Solar companies need to bring the cost of a solar installation down to $3 per watt peak by 2018
- Regulators and policy makers should continue the current system of tax credits for solar energy for the foreseeable future
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By Angelo Baggini / Published on Mon, 2008-06-16 09:00
Year: 2006
Policy Status: In force
Upon its publication in the EU Official Journal on January 4th 2003, the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) entered into EU law. The Directive's principal objectives are:
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Mon, 2008-05-19 15:36
Thin film, silicon, concentrated solar power (CSP), concentrated photovoltaics (CPV), ... These are just some of the terms demonstrating that solar technologies are rapidly entering the electricity system in countries such as the United States, Spain or Australia. Furthermore, the largest improvements, which will bring generation cost closer to competitive prices are just around the corner.
This webinar is dedicated to utility scale and baseload solar technologies: CSP and CPV.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2007-11-22 08:30
And is already here in parts of California
The role of solar power is still negligible in the world’s overall energy system. It accounts for a mere 0.3 per cent of the energy production in Germany and even less in the rest of the world. According to industry leaders, energy producers are waiting for price parity with fossil fuels before making the necessarily massive investments. They simply cannot rely on politically fickle subsidies in their long term planning.
Until recently, this so-called grid parity still seemed very far away. Solar electricity was calculated to be at least five times as expensive as fossil fuels. Today however, new reports claim that in the sunny parts of the United States, Japan, and southern Europe, parity with fossil fuels could very well be reached by 2012. Even more, in certain parts of the State of California, grid parity is already reality.
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By Sergio Ferreira / Published on Fri, 2007-09-21 12:53
Energy crises lead to technological breakthrough. Some of these breakthroughs survive. The charcoal crisis in England centuries ago boosted coal mining and the development of the steam engine. More recently, the shortages of many goods such as energy after the Second World War promoted nuclear energy supported by the ‘Atoms for Peace’ program. The oil crisis in the seventies of the last century gave birth to modern wind energy technology. In all these periods of energy crisis, attention was given to and development spent on a number of new energy technologies.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Fri, 2007-09-21 11:18
Different techniques can be used for on-site power generation in data centers, which can eliminate dependence on grid power or be used for backup power in situations where the grid power is expensive or unreliable. On-site power production is most commonly achieved via diesel generators, as illustrated in both Figure 2 and Figure 3 [5], [8], but alternative sustainable technologies, delivering significant advantages in terms of reduced emissions, reduced noise levels and reduced fuel dependency are already available and could be of interest to data centers as well.
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By Franklin Ossuetta / Published on Wed, 2007-09-19 18:00
A message from Nigeria: Franklin Ossuetta installed 1760 Watt solar power using 16 * 110 W panels. The system is backed up by 16 * 200 Ah-12V dc deep cycle batteries, and runs offgrid to power a television, lights, fans, refrigerator, water pump and other electronic home appliances.
The system was fully financed by the client - an obvious challenge. And it doesn't help that shipping, duty and clearing added 40% extra costs.
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