Month: April 2011

Why solar powered garden lights?

There are many ways to accentuate a garden’s beauty without the brilliant light of the midday sun, and this can be easily achieved through the use of solar powered garden lights.
Why solar powered garden lights? There are several major reasons for selecting a solar powered fixture over a traditional “hard wired” option. For instance, in order to use and operate a hard wired fixture a home or property owner may have to hire a professional electrician to install the proper exterior fixtures and wires. What kind of outdoor solar lights are available? A gardener could easily, and at a relatively affordable cost, light their entire yard or garden. There are sets of lighting fixtures intended to line an entire sidewalk or pathway, and there are also lighting fixtures meant to be used as accent or solar spot lights to illuminate a particular area of the yard or a specimen tree or bush, and there are even lights intended to be attached to flag poles and properly light a flying flag during the hours of darkness.
One of the major benefits of using solar powered lighting fixtures for the yard or garden is that their cost free operation will almost immediately “repay” the owner the initial cost of investing in the lights.
As light generating device most garden solar lights use LED’s. A LED is small light embittering semiconductor (diodes). Compared to regular light bulbs they use very little energy. A light bulb converts about 5% of the absorbed energy to light and a LED about 83%.

Source: www.solarlighting.com

The Solar and Wind Expo 2011

In Maryland The Expo will be held at the Timonium Fairgrounds May 13 through May 15, located right in the heart of the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area.
In Pennsyvannia The Solar and Wind Expo will be held June 10th through the 12th 2011 at the Valley Forge Convention Center, which is located in King of Prussia is directly across from Valley Forge National Park.
Attendees will browse exhibits and hear top experts in the field of green technology speak in the comfort of an air-conditioned venue with ample parking, as well as being located off of major public transportation routes.
“The best renewable energy event of the year!  The Solar & Wind Expo was well marketed, managed and attended and far exceeded our expectations even with Sunday being Mother’s day!”
Source: thesolarandwindexpo.com

Solar Powered Lanterns – donated to Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures

Panasonic donated 4,000 pieces Solar Powered Lantern to Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, hoping that they’ll help add a bit of comfort and assistance to those who have been hit hardest by the quake.
Panasonic states, “One of the models also include USB output which can be used to recharge mobile phones. We hope that the products will be able to bring light in midst the situation, especially where electrical supply is still limited. Panasonic Group and its employees sincerely hope for swift recovery of the people and areas affected by the disaster.”
A solar Lantern is produced of three essential elements – the solar cell panel, the battery and the lamp. The procedure is really easy. The solar energy is reformed to electric energy by the solar cell panel and put in a sealed maintenance-free battery for later apply during the night hours. A single charge can work the lamp for around 4-5 hours.
Source: www.treehuger.com

Google invests into solar thermal power plant

Google said it would invest $168 million into the Ivanpah solar thermal power plant being erected by BrightSource Energy.
The Ivanpah plant, rated at 392 megawatts, is slated to be the first in a series of large solar thermal plants from BrightSource. The company has additional power contracts for 1,300 megawatts with Southern California Edison and 1,310 megawatts with Pacific Gas & Electric.
The technology underlying Ivanpah and many of the other new projects differs from conventional solar thermal power plants. At Ivanpah, fields of relatively flat, computer-controlled mirrors will focus the heat of the sun onto a water tank to create steam. The steam ultimately powers a turbine. The architecture, says BrightSource, can more economically and efficiently capture and transfer energy than the traditional systems that use parabolic mirrors to heat oil in tubes. BrightSource should know: It grew out of a parabolic company called Luz that built some of the most successful parabolic fields ever erected.
Google has invested $250 million in alternative power projects, including wind and solar farms.

Source: www.greentechmedia.com

CanWEA’s 27th Annual Conference and Exhibition

CanWEA’s 27th Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held October 3-6, 2011 in Vancouver, BC. This premier wind energy event will bring together over 2,500 experts from all over the world to discuss the opportunities and latest developments in the Canadian wind energy industry. The exhibition hall will feature over 250 exhibiting companies and will provide companies with an exclusive opportunity to network and generate new business leads.

Source: www.canwea2011.ca

Mannvit acquires shares in GTN Latin America in Chile

Mannvit, a leading geothermal energy consulting company, becomes a shareholder in GTN Latin America, founded by Fundación Chile and GTN from Germany, to service the Chilean geothermal market.
Mannvit’s acquisition of shares in GTN Latin America (“GTN LA”) is a part  of the company’s strategic international growth plan and one that will provide needed geothermal industry expertise to Chile and the region as a whole. The acquisition of shares also allows Mannvit to expand its service offerings in renewable energy to South and Central America countries, while helping to pave the way for this growing industry in Chile. With over four decades of experience, the Iceland-based Mannvit has participated in development and construction of projects producing over 1000 MW in geothermal power and heating, adding to GTN LA’s capacity. GTN LA is a company founded by Fundacion Chile and GTN of Germany. The company offers innovative solutions for the direct use of geothermal energy.  Recent Chilean projects include geothermal heating and cooling systems.
“GTN LA’s range of services increases with the entrance of Mannvit, at a time when we can see a definite increase in the development of geothermal energy in Chile,” says Marcela Angulo, Head of Energy and Climate Change at Fundación Chile. “The services they offer is quite distinguished, and integrates decades-long experience in utilizing geothermal energy. For the Chilean market, we foresee the need to utilize their geothermal expertise for direct heat, electricity production and combined heat and power applications, all done with a strong emphasis on the sustainability of the geothermal resource, which we are confident will contribute to a greater acceptance of geothermal energy by communities and the general public,” she added.  Mannvit’s Deputy CEO, Runolfur Maack added, “We see a tremendous potential for geothermal energy in Chile and by becoming a part of GTN LA, Mannvit can contribute to the development of this growing industry in Chile and in South America”, adding that “because Mannvit offers technical services ranging from exploration and engineering of power plants to project management in every phase of geothermal projects, we can service the entire geothermal market”.
Geothermal energy has recently emerged as one of the best options to supply Chile’s growing economy with locally-sourced energy. Geothermal energy is clean, renewable energy that has proven itself to be highly competitive with traditional sources of power.  Further, geothermal is a proven technology with a high capacity factor and minimal impacts to the environment and neighboring communities.
Source: www.renewableenergy.com

$25 million to a joint solar research effort by Stanford and UC-Berkeley

The U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative recently awarded $25 million to a joint research effort by Stanford and UC-Berkeley. The team, called the Bay Area Photovoltaics Consortium (BAPVC), will work to address technical barriers to the solar power industry and reduce the cost of solar installations.
BAPVC will fund research and development that aims to produce cost-effective solar modules in high volume. It will look closely at new materials, device structures and production methods.
BAPVC co-director Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, was optimistic about these efforts.
“The future of solar is clearly in cheaper, better performing photovoltaics,” Cui said to the Stanford News Service. “The SunShot funding and the exciting collaborative approach between the universities and national labs guided by industrial perspectives will advance all the components of solar modules that will bring down the dollar-per-watt cost dramatically.”

Source: www.stanforddaily.com

Two Environmental Events on Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Waste Management and Recycling for South East Europe to be held on 13-15 April, 2011

The Institute for Sustainable Waste Management and Technology is the official partner of Waste Management & Recycling Conference for South East Europe. Via Expo has started a new partnership in October this year with the organizer of DepoTech, the largest waste management conference in Austria. The contemporary and up-to-date issues, the presentations quality, and the organizational general set-up have established its reputation far beyond the Austrian borders.
The Waste Management & Recycling Conference will be held on 13-15 April 2011 in Sofia, Bulgaria. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Turkish-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Bulgarian-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also partners of the event.
Two local municipality organizations partner the Conference as it supports the know-how transfer of good practices in waste management and high level environmental technologies which will help the ecological development of the Region.
Some of the Conference topics are: Advanced waste treatment technologies; Landfills – design, construction and monitoring; Composting; Waste management – Laws and regulations; Construction and demolition waste; Electrical waste; Trends in Recycling Technologies; Packaging Recycling. Parallel to the Conference there will be an exhibition for waste management and recycling technologies.
Special attention will be paid on the Waste-to-Energy topic which will be included in the Program of the 7th South East European EE & RES Congress, organized during the same period. Over 50 speakers are due to speak at the event next year. Other Congress sessions are EE & Renewable Financing – International & Local Incentive Programs; RES Electricity; Smart Grid; Renewable Heating & Cooling; Electric vehicles, etc.
In 2011 the parallel expo for EE & renewable energy will have more than 200 stands including leading service providers such as: Enercon, Germany; Fronius, Austria; Global Wind Power, Denmark; Phono Technologies, Switzerland; Franki Grundbau, Eurosol, Germany and many others as well as Spanish national participation, group participations from Austria, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and China.
Source:www2.viaexpo.com

Astenik Solar Announces Exclusive Partnership with Largest Solar Parts Manufacturer in China

Astenik Solar is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with Hangzhou First PV Material Co., the largest solar parts manufacturer in China, and a recognized global leader in providing superior quality PV materials for the solar industry.
The partnership recognizes Astenik Solar’s commitment to providing its clients with innovative solar products that have been developed after rigorous R&D and have achieved certification compliance.
“Our company is honoured to have been chosen as Hangzhou First PV Material Co.’s exclusive Canadian distributor,” said Marcus Lou, President of Astenik Solar. “This relationship will ensure that our customers have immediate access to the highest quality solar PV materials at affordable prices.”
Hangzhou First PV Material Co. was founded in 1994, and today, the company continues its rapid growth with three plants in China and a fourth under construction. Hangzhou First currently dominates 40% of the global solar EVA Film market with sales revenue of 6.6 GW in 2010. Over 600 panel manufacturers worldwide rely on Hangzhou for their solar product requirements.
“Entering the Canadian market is a natural extension of our global growth strategy,” said Mr. Lin JianHua, president of Hangzhou First PV Material Co. “Choosing the right distributor who is as committed to quality and service as our company is of critical importance. Astenik Solar is an excellent choice to be our valued partner, and we look forward to working together to provide the Canadian solar market with superior PV materials.”
Hangzhou First PV Material Co. received its UL, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and QHSAS 18001 certifications which recognize the company’s commitment to excellence.
For its EVA film production capacity alone, Hangzhou is forecasting a doubling of its capacity over the next two years with 100 automated produced lines and 2000 workers by 2013.
Source: www.renewableenergy.com

Reports regarding wind market

America’s wind power industry grew 15 per cent last year, according to a new industry report which warned that the sector’s expansion was held back by weak electricity prices and unpredictable policies.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) yesterday unveiled its US annual report, showing that 5,116MW of new capacity was added last year, taking the total volume of US installations to 40,181MW, now generating enough electricity to power more than 10 million homes.
However, despite the increase in capacity, last year’s growth was significantly lower than the average 39 per cent growth rate recorded in the previous five years.
The sector blamed weak electricity prices and investor uncertainty caused by doubts over whether key federal tax incentives would be extended for the relatively sluggish performance.
The report follows recently released figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) which show that in 2009 China overtook the US in terms of the volume of new installations and manufacturing of wind turbines for the first time.
Denise Bode, AWEA chief executive, remained optimistic that the US was on track to produce 20 per cent of America’s electricity by 2030 from wind energy, as predicted by the Department of Energy during the Bush administration.
“The American wind industry is delivering, despite competing with energy sectors that have permanent government subsidies in place,” she said. “Wind is consistently performing … adding 35 per cent of all new generating capacity since 2007- that’s twice what coal and nuclear added combined.”
On top of new construction starts, the industry brought 14 new manufacturing facilities online in 2010, consistent with 2009, meaning that wind energy now accounts for up to 20,000 manufacturing jobs across 42 states.
“Continued interest and investment by manufacturers in America demonstrates that the US continues to be a global powerhouse for wind development, today and in the future,” Bode added.
Meanwhile, a separate report released by GWEC has this week argued that India’s potential for wind power development is higher than previously calculated, and could reach 65.2GW by 2020, up from 13.1GW at the end of 2010.
According to the Indian Wind Energy Outlook 2011, published yesterday by GWEC,  the World Institute of Sustainable Energy and the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA), India’s potential for wind power development could exceed 100GW, reaching 160.7GW by 2030, if the potential of offshore wind power and repowering was fully exploited.
Achieving 65.2 GW of wind capacity by 2020 would attract around $10.4bn of annual investment to the sector and create 170,000 new jobs.
Source: www.businessgreen.com