Cheap Solar Power

Cheaper solar panels on the way, say scientists

2012-08-21T06:15:00.002-07:00

Cheaper solar energy is on the way through more sustainable roof tiles that generate high levels of renewable energy, say American scientists.

As there is enough sun falling on domestic roofs to potentially supply most, if not all of America's electricity, scientists are excited about future prospects.

Tiles that take electricity from the sun, and can be fitted just like traditional roofing, are already commercially available.

Now, solar cells created from "earth-abundant" materials are more productive, affordable and flexible than ever, making it easier to deploy photovoltaics into new areas of buildings, the scientists believe.

The scientists' comments came during a sustainability symposium at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) 244th National Meeting & Exposition. ACS is the world's largest scientific society.

One of those taking part, Harry A. Atwater, Ph.D., says, "Sustainability involves developing technology that can be productive over the long-term, using resources in ways that meet today's needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. That's exactly what we are doing with these new solar-energy conversion devices."

The new photovoltaic devices use freely-available cheaper metals such and copper and zinc, described as "earth-abundant materials". They replace indium, gallium and other "rare earth" elements. These often come from foreign countries. For instance, China mines more than 90% of the rare earth elements in batteries for hybrid cars, magnets, electronics and similar high-tech products.

Dr Atwater and James C. Stevens, Ph.D., described how to replace expensive rare earth metals in photovoltaic devices with cheaper and more sustainable materials.

Dr Atwater, a California Institute of Technology physicist, and Dr Stevens, Dow Chemical Company chemist, led collaboration between the two in researching and developing new electronic materials to be used in solar power generation devices.

New devices using zinc phosphide and copper oxide shattered records for the amount of electrical current and voltage generated by thin-film solar energy conversion devices that were made with zinc and copper.

The advance reinforces evidence that zinc phosphide and copper oxide could achieve very high efficiencies and produce electricity at a similar cost to coal-fired energy plants within 20 years.

Dr Stevens assisted in the development of Dow's PowerHouse Solar Shingle at the end of 2011, which generates electricity and can be fitted like traditional roofing. The special shingles make use of copper indium gallium diselenide photovoltaic technology. Dr Stevens and his team are now aiming to incorporate sustainable earth-abundant materials into PowerHouse shingles.

He says, "The United States alone has about 69 billion square feet of appropriate residential rooftops that could be generating electricity from the sun. The sunlight falling on those roofs could generate at least 50 percent of the nation's electricity, and some estimates put that number closer to 100 percent. With earth-abundant technology, that energy could be harvested, at an enormous benefit to consumers and the environment."

The ACS symposium has also heard about:

Moves by mining company Molycorp to increase and update its Mountain Pass, Colorado, facilities to boost production of rare earth elements with more eco-friendly and cheaper technology.

A summary of the challenges of how to maintain a sustainable supply of critical materials from rare earth elements to more abundant metals such as copper.

A new material that can recover rare metals from the 800 billion gallons of wastewater that comes from mining and oil and gas drilling annually.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit body that has more than 164,000 members. It is a worldwide leader in giving access to chemistry-related studies through its many databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main bases are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Source:http://www.earthtimes.org/energy/cheaper-solar-panels-scientists/2132/

Infinia to solar power US army depot

2012-08-20T06:15:00.001-07:00

Infinia Corporation has announced the company's partnership with CDM Smith to provide a 1.5 MW installation of Infinia's concentrating solar product - the PowerDish - at the Tooele Army Depot (TEAD), Tooele, Utah in the US.

Backed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tooele installation is Infinia's largest commercial, utility-scale PowerDish deployment.

The PowerDish, based on Infinia's proven free-piston Stirling generator platform of energy production products, is an innovative grid inter-connected solar power-generating product that converts the sun's heat into electricity, without the use of water.

Groundbreaking for the Tooele Army Depot project will be held on August 17, 2012.

Once complete, the solar array will be spread among 17 acres and reduce energy consumption from the local utility, providing TEAD with a significant portion of their electricity needs.

Located in Tooele County, Utah, TEAD is currently the Department of Defense's western region conventional ammunition hub for the storage, receipt, issue, maintenance, and demilitarization of ammunition.

Source:http://www.cospp.com/articles/2012/08/infinia-to-solar-power-us-army-depot.html

GM Adds 8.15 Megawatts of Solar Power in Germany

2012-08-18T07:26:00.001-07:00

General Motors is moving closer to doubling its global solar output with the addition of an 8.15-megawatt solar array on the rooftop of the Opel Russelsheim facility in Germany. The array - one of the largest in Europe - is equivalent to the area of 32 soccer fields.

The array will generate approximately 7.3 million kW hours from sunlight. This represents a CO2 reduction of approximately 3,150 tons per year, or equal to the amount of carbon isolated annually by 609 acres of pine forests.

"When we announced last year our plans to double our global solar power output by the end of 2015, we had large projects like this in mind," said Mike Robinson, GM vice president, Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs. "And it is because of this type of progress that we are committed to increasing renewable energy use to 125 megawatts by 2020."

Combined with the other European installations in GM's solar footprint in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Zaragoza, Spain, GM will be capable of producing 19.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity - equivalent to the avoidance of 8,200 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. That's the same amount of carbon sequestered annually by 1,586 acres of pine forests.

The solar electricity produced at Russelsheim feeds directly into the grid of the plant and is used in vehicle production. Excess solar power is fed into the public grid of Stadtwerke Mainz, a leading energy provider in Germany.

GM is committed to increasing the use of solar power at facilities worldwide. The Russelsheim array is a significant renewable energy complement to two of the top five largest rooftop solar arrays in the world at the world's largest rooftop solar array on top of GM's Zaragoza and Kaiserslautern facilities. y, as well as GM's Kaiserslautern facility. The amount of electricity generated by the trio is equivalent to the amount needed to supply 5,800 households with their annual electricity needs.

"The projects we undertake in Europe are great examples of the way we roll sustainable practices into our manufacturing process," said Robinson. "We seek out renewable energy opportunities around the world to help clean the grid, improve our bottom line, and reduce our impact on the environment."

Source:http://www.equities.com/news/headline-story?dt=2012-08-18&val=392951&cat=energy

Arizona solar-power clients in lurch

2012-08-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Perfect Power owner Lynn Paige said the company has cash-flow problems because energy grants that were supposed to provide substantial funding of the solar systems aren't being approved quickly enough. She pledged to deliver the systems or refund all customers by the end of the year.

Treasury officials would not comment on the situation. Government e-mails sent to Paige suggest Perfect Power's grant applications were incomplete. In them, officials point to problems with submissions and warn of potential denials.

Industry experts and owners of other solar companies in Arizona said that the grant program is fraught with risks for solar companies and that some built business models based on future payments from the government without the financial reserves to cope with delays. They describe the situation as a high-tech gamble that some companies lost.

Residential solar-power systems cost $15,000 to $40,000. The Section 1603 grant program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, offered developers cash to offset 30 percent of the costs. Although the program was not available to homeowners, some companies tapped the grants to sell residential solar systems as leases. A company would install and own the system, then lease it to a homeowner.

Program rules required developers to complete installations before they could apply for reimbursement. But funding was not guaranteed, and even after systems were built, the government delayed approval of some applications and denied others.

"The (grants) appeared far too simple and attractive. That is where the problems began for inexperienced groups," said John Casey, CEO of GreenFuel Technologies in Phoenix, a solar-power and alternative-energy contractor. "I assure you, these groups have brought the problems on themselves."

Perfect Power, once viewed as a market leader in the solar-power industry, does not have the capital to immediately refund or build solar systems for all the customers who paid up-front fees, Paige said.

More than 40 percent of Perfect Power's business is tied up in the grants. Company officials have recently scaled back operations, moved the Phoenix-based company headquarters to a more affordable location and are working on a schedule to repay or deliver systems to customers, Paige said.

"We didn't tuck tail and run as some companies have done, or change our name five ways from Sunday or file bankruptcy," Paige said. "We have stayed the course and are working very hard to be the business we purport to be."

Paige pointed out that Perfect Power fronted the cost for nearly 200 residential solar systems it built under the grant program. She said long-delayed government reimbursements were supposed to be used to pay for the next round of projects.

Denna Bodfield of Queen Creek said she bought into Perfect Power's lease program in December under assurances that her system would be up and running by April.

"In this particular case, I feel like a sucker," Bodfield said, adding that e-mails from Paige left her frustrated. "You don't tell people that they are going to have a power system in four months and then push it back and push it back."

For months, Bodfield said, Paige would not give her an answer about installing her system or refunding her money. Bodfield obtained a refund in July. The check was issued on the same day Bodfield told Paige that Bodfield was being interviewed by Call 12 for Action.

Of 102 customers waiting for solar systems, 23 have requested cancellation of their leases, Paige said in July. As long as she can raise capital from projects unrelated to the grants, she will be able to front the costs for the remaining 79 customers by the end of the year, she said.

"All canceled leases will have to come from our current cash flow," she said.

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2012/08/17/20120817arizona-solar-power-clients-lurch.html#ixzz23o3XYzwl

George Douglas - GDI Solar Power Box

2012-08-16T05:32:00.002-07:00

With Tropical Storm Ernesto threatening to put a damper on Independence celebrations two weeks ago, Olympic- and Jubilee-frenzied Jamaicans were sent scurrying to the supermarkets and hardware stores to stock up on food and other supplies.

From where George Douglas sits, those preparations could be significantly boosted if more Jamaicans had their own emergency power system utilising solar energy.

Douglas is aware of the high cost of acquiring a solar system. "Solar energy is very expensive, (and) most Jamaicans don't have money like that," he said.

That is why the inventor has introduced the GDI Solar Power Box. At $65,000, he says it is very affordable and could make a world of difference during the testy hurricane season.

The GDI system includes an easy-to-carry- around power box, which has the capacity to light up a 65 watt 110 volt/50 htz LED lamp. It is completed by solar panels.

Said to be a dependable emergency unit, Douglas told The Gleaner the GDI Solar Power Box is good for operating a television set, radio, fan, blender and other small appliances including an iron (though with limited capacity). It can also "bring a kettle to boil" with water for your favourite tea during the storm as well as power up security lighting for the home.

src backed

The project, according to Douglas, has had the backing of the Scientific Research Council (SRC), which "is assisting with research, materials and the patent". The council had previously lent technical support on Douglas' DBH Genesis Solar 3-Phase Pump which powers up an entire household.

At the same time, Douglas, who named Tropical Battery as one of the few entities to have thrown their support behind him by providing him with batteries, is lamenting the lack of support for persons like himself who, he says, have innovative ideas that can help the country.

"Technology has no limit. We [Jamaica] don't have to pay the kind of money we are paying in oil bill right now," he said of the general lack of regard for home-grown inventors.

Protégés, brothers Duane and Demar Thomas agree.

Duane, who assists with the communication side of things as well as building some of the equipment, said it is difficult to pitch their inventions to most persons because of "stereotypes", especially since they do not wear jacket and tie to work.

He is certain, however, that "if persons take [an] interest in this it could help them reduce their energy costs".

For Demar, who recently completed level two mechanics at the Jamaica German Automotive School, the group's inventions are a constant learning curve.

An inventor since he was 10 years old, Douglas' passion grew from hours of watching his technician father and the popular '80s television series Airwolf, on the then JBC TV. A steady diet of aviation books and geographical and scientific channels also helps him "restructure" and make his inventions "more efficient."

He fessed up to The Gleaner: "I used to steal my father's car parts (for my inventions).

Source:http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120816/news/news4.html

Sunflowers inspire more efficient solar power system

2012-08-16T05:31:00.002-07:00

Unlike other "active" solar systems that track the sun's position with GPS and reposition panels with motors, electrical and computer engineering professor Hongrui Jiang's concept leverages the properties of unique materials in concert to create a passive method of re-orienting solar panels in the direction of the most direct sunlight. His design, published Aug. 1 in Advanced Functional Materials and recently highlighted in Nature, employs a combination of liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE), which goes through a phase change and contracts in the presence of heat, with carbon nanotubes, which can absorb a wide range of light wavelengths. "Carbon nanotubes have a very wide range of absorption, visible light all the way to infrared," says Jiang. "That is something we can take advantage of, since it is possible to use sunlight to drive it directly."

Source: http://phys.org/news/2012-08-sunflowers-efficient-solar-power.html#jCp

Gates puts his money on solar-powered toilet

2012-08-15T05:26:00.002-07:00

Bill Gates is betting the toilet of the future for the developing world will be solar powered.

The world's leading private philanthropist handed a $100,000 (about R800 000) prize to the California Institute of Technology on Tuesday for its work on a self-contained, sun-powered system that recycles water and breaks down human waste into storable energy.

Gates is focusing on the need for a new type of toilet as an important part of his foundation's push to improve health in the developing world. Open defecation leads to sanitation problems that cause 1.5 million children under five to die each year, Gates said, and Western-style toilets are not the answer as they demand a complex sewer infrastructure and use too much water.

The Microsoft co-founder is looking to change that by sparking new inventions in toilet technology, which he says has not fundamentally changed since the invention of the flush toilet in 1775.

“Imagine what's possible if we continue to collaborate, stimulate new investment in this sector, and apply our ingenuity in the years ahead,” Gates said at his foundation's Seattle headquarters on Tuesday. “Many of these innovations will not only revolutionise sanitation in the developing world, but also help transform our dependence on traditional flush toilets in wealthy nations.”

His foundation announced $3.4 million in new funding on Tuesday for toilet projects being worked on by various organisations, bringing total investment in its “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” to about $6.5 million.

About 2.6 billion people, or 40 percent of world's population - mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia - lack access to safe sanitation and are forced to defecate in the open, according to Gates.

Last year the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave grants to eight universities around the world to help tackle the problem by creating a hygienic toilet that uses little or no water, is safe and affordable and can transform waste into energy, clean water and nutrients.

Gates presented prizes on Tuesday to the teams that showed the most progress, handing Caltech the first prize of $100,000 for its working model of a solar-powered bathroom, where a solar panel produces power for an electrochemical reactor that breaks down feces and urine into hydrogen gas, which can be stored in hydrogen fuel cells to provide a back-up energy source for night operation or use in low-sunlight conditions.

The workings of the toilet are designed to be buried underground beneath a conventional-looking stall and urinal set-up, which the Caltech team showed in cross-section at the Gates Foundation courtyard. Water recovered from the continuous process is pumped up again to provide water to flush the toilet.

Gates also handed out prizes to Britain's Loughborough University and Canada's University of Toronto for their designs, which focus on transforming feces into usable resources.

The software pioneer is hoping many of the universities work together to develop the best technologies and is aiming to get new-style toilets into use in the next two to four years.

Gates' foundation is spending about $80 million a year on water, sanitation and hygiene issues, areas where it thinks it can make a marked difference in people's lives.

The $370 million in total it has committed to that area so far is still only a small slice of global funding for health, development and education provided by the foundation, which has handed out, or is committed to, more than $26 billion in grants since Gates started his philanthropic endeavours in 1994.

The foundation, which Gates co-chairs with his father and wife, Melinda, is the world's biggest private philanthropic organisation with an endowment worth more than $33 billion. - Reuters

Source:http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/gates-puts-his-money-on-solar-powered-toilet-1.1362897#.UCuVb6AkrbU

The Ten Best: Solar-Powered Gadgets

2012-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Things to make life better and easier for you.

1 Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio – £115.75 at amazon.co.uk

With such an array of iPad cases and stands to choose from, why not opt for one that really stands out from the crowd? Open this protector up and it connects a full Qwerty keyboard to your device via Bluetooth to enable speedy input and offers a handy stand too.

2 Petal Solar Light – £14.95 from red5.co.uk

If you hate the demands of pruning and watering, get a few of these planted around your garden. The solar panel soaks up the rays during the day and lights up your patio area by night. They’re ideal for outdoor entertaining or just brightening up the place.

3 Solar power kit – £6.99 from amazon.co.uk

This educational kit will teach the kids everything they need to know about the basics of solar power.

Complete with a motor and fan, it’s a practical and fun way to find out about harnessing the power of the sun.

4 Freeloader Pico Solar Charger – £17.99 from firebox.com

This ingenious gadget soaks up the orb’s power and stores it for that most annoying of moments when your mobile phone runs out of juice.

With several adaptors for a range of handsets, you just plug in the Freeloader Pico, which boasts its own solar panel, to download some of that energy – in some cases up to 35 hours’ worth.

5 Eton Soulra XL – £199.99 from nevadamusic.co.uk

No need to pop in your earphones when you’re out and about, let your music roam free on this rather chic-looking docking station.

The fold-out solar panel will soak up all the power you need to keep the internal speakers pumping out the tunes for all to enjoy.

6 20-litre camp solar-powered shower – £5.99 from mountainwarehouse.com

Cool campers will want to get their hands on one of these gadgets. The sun will warm the water, giving you a pleasant wash that will leave you feeling half-human.

7 Green Science Solar Robot – £15.49 from brightsparktoys.co.uk

Using a solar panel and a motor, build your own moving mini-robot with this easy-to-follow kit. It will wander about when exposed to some rays.

8 Trevor Baylis wind-up mini radio – £24.99 from oxfam.org.uk

Have music on the go with this excellent wind-up/solar-panelled mini radio. It’s perfect for camping and has a built-in LED light.

9 Solar-powered helicopter kit – £20.39 from thesolarcentre.co.uk

Made from laser-cut plywood for easy, no-glue assembly, this ready-made helicopter kit is a great demonstration of how efficiently modern solar cells work even when the only available light is from a desk light. Great fun, educational and a unique desk ornament.

10 Solar Queen – £14.95 from red5.co.uk

Celebrate Her Majesty by always having on hand her iconic wave. This solar-powered window sill filler will have passers-by glancing and grinning.

Source:http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/the-ten-best-solar-powered-gadgets-1-4160353

New York announces $107 million for large solar power installations

2012-08-12T05:46:00.002-07:00

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is seeking proposals for large scale solar power installations to receive support of $107 million expansion of the state’s solar initiative.

Under the NY-Sun Competitive PV Program, a total of $36.4 million will be available in 2012 and $70.5 million in 2013.

The first round proposals are due November 8 and to better leverage state resources with funding cap set at $3 million, these projects will require co-funding from private developers.

“The NY-Sun program has helped establish New York State as a leader in solar power, and these investments in photovoltaic systems will allow businesses and municipalities to put in place green, cost-effective electric generating installations,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “I encourage all businesses and municipalities eligible for these grants to apply."

Source:http://www.examiner.com/article/new-york-announces-107-million-for-large-solar-power-installations

Solar power plant investment analysis and EPC operation Training successfully held in Xining

2012-08-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

From Aug 6 to 7, the Investment Policy Analysis of medium and large Solar Power Plant and EPC Operation Practice & Use the Developing Experience of Qinghai PV Power Generation for Reference Training was successfully held in Xining, Qinghai. This Training class was sponsored by the training center of NDRC and co-organized by Hubei Surpass Sun incorporated company.

Over 180 people attended the training, including well-known experts in solar application field throughout the country, organizations participated in PV power generation design and construction projects, solar cell manufacturing enterprises, principals of photovoltaic systems engineering companies, etc.

The chairman of Surpass Sun Electric, Chen Jianguo was also invited to attend the ceremony and delivered a speech. The chief engineer Xue Jianke from Surpass Sun New Energy branch company gave a special lecture on the application and optimization of centralized inverter technology in large-scale photovoltaic power plants, combining with our high power photovoltaic grid-connected inverter technology and the application of the technical products in total turnkey projects for large-scale photovoltaic power plant in Qinghai.

During the training, the technicists, engineers, and business personnel also communicated with the trainees about our experience on the design and engineering construction of solar power station, which comprehensively displayed our technology advantage in the field of photovoltaic power generation, outstanding achievements and excellent brand image and were spoken highly by the trainees.

Source: http://www.pv-magazine.com/services/press-releases/details/beitrag/solar-power-plant-investment-analysis-and-epc-operation-training-successfully-held-in-xining_100008052/#ixzz23993LJhM

Solar-powered Silent Falcon UAV unveiled

2012-08-09T22:37:00.002-07:00

UAVs have become increasingly common in everything from carrying out missile strikes against terrorists to helping map archaeological sites. They come in all sizes from jet-powered behemoths to ones so small that they can sit in your hand. On Monday, Silent Falcon UAS Technologies of Alburquerque, New Mexico rolled out the latest in the small UAV class with the unveiling of its solar-powered Silent Falcon at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) conference in Las Vegas.

Built in collaboration with Bye Aerospace, Silent Falcon is designed to be a man-portable small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) for long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. This in itself isn’t very new, but Silent Falcon is built of lightweight carbon composites and employs a solar electric propulsion system, which gives it an endurance of up to 14 hours in the sky. To give some idea of how much the solar power contributes, Silent Falcon can only fly up to six hours running on battery power at night.

The power for the craft comes from thin film photovoltaic panels built into the wings with lithium polymer batteries for storage. This allows Silent Falcon the endurance for ISR missions, yet it remains light enough at a maximum of 12.3 kilograms (27.1 lb) to be carried and hand launched, though rocket launching is also an option. This makes it suitable for both military and civilian applications.

In addition to its solar propulsion system, the 1.77 meter (5.8 ft) long Silent Falcon is modular with three sets of interchangeable wings giving it a span ranging from 2.1 meters (6.9 ft) to 5.2 meters (17 ft). It has a top speed of 112 km/h, (60 knots), an operational flying altitude from 100 feet (30.5 m) to 20,000 feet (6,096 m) and a range of 25 kilometers (15.5 mi). As a bonus, the electric motor makes Silent Falcon, for want of a better word, silent and, according to the makers, it can’t be heard beyond about 100 feet (30.5 m).

But what gives Silent Falcon a particular edge over other small UAVs is that it carries in its belly a motorized, gimbal-mounted, stowable electro-optical imaging system dubbed FalconVision. This includes a high-definition dual imager with night vision capability, a laser pointer, an onboard HD video processor and the whole thing is inertially stabilized. This allows it to send back stable, high-definition images, identify and track targets and perform geo-location and geo-tracking operations.

Currently, Silent Falcon is still in the preproduction phase, but the makers say that commercial production will begin early on 2013.

Source:http://www.gizmag.com/silent-falcon-uav/23641/

Solar Power Can Power, Heat, Cool Rural Schools, Clinics

2012-08-08T05:39:00.001-07:00

In some isolated clinics in parts of Africa, the electricity needed to power lights and medical devices is generated by expensive imported diesel fuel; the water supply can be so cold in winter that health workers can’t even wash their hands properly. But a startup company established by a team of MITstudents and alumni aims to change that.

The patented technology they developed uses a mirrored parabolic trough to capture sunlight, heating fluid in a pipe along the mirror’s centerline. This fluid then powers a sort of air conditioner in reverse: instead of using electricity to pump out cold air on one side and hot air on the other, it uses the hot fluid and cold air to generate electricity. At the same time, the hot fluid can be used to provide heat and hot water — or, by adding a separate chiller stage, to produce cooling as well.

A prototype of the system has been installed at a small clinic in the southern African nation of Lesotho; next year, the MIT team plans to have five fully operational systems installed in isolated clinics and schools there for field-testing. The key element of the system — a device called a scroll expander, used to convert the heat to power — is described in a paper to be published in the ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power.

Matthew Orosz Meng, the lead author of the paper, says the idea for the project began years ago, when he spent two years working in a village in Lesotho as a Peace Corps volunteer — with no access to electricity or hot water. There are some 30,000 clinics and 60,000 schools around the world that similarly lack access to electricity but have sufficient sunshine to meet their power needs, Orosz says; he returned to MIT determined to do something about that.

Working with fellow student Amy Mueller, their thesis advisor Harold Hemond, a professor of engineering at MIT and others, Orosz set up a nonprofit company called Solar Turbine Group (now known as STG International) to develop the solar technology that he envisioned as a practical alternative for these off-the-grid facilities.

Today, Orosz explains, there are only two viable options to provide electricity for such places: a solar photovoltaic (PV) array or a diesel generator. Both are somewhat less expensive to install than his company’s solar trough system, but when the costs of replacement parts and fuel are factored in, he estimates the solar trough system will be substantially cheaper over its lifetime.

People think of Africa as uniformly hot, Orosz says, but in fact Lesotho is temperate and has cold winters with occasional snowfall — making heat and hot water a significant bonus. “We’ve had nurses tell us they avoid washing their hands in the winter, because the water is so cold,” he says. “So hot water is very welcome.”

The pilot system, which Orosz and his colleagues started to assemble at Lesotho’s Matjotjo Village Health Clinic in 2008, provided the initial proof of principle, though it took years to get all the parts working properly in that remote location. While they were able to demonstrate the successful operation of their heat-powered generator — a system called an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engine — the system required a skilled operator to adjust the temperatures, pressures and voltages as conditions changed.

Since then, the STG team has developed a sophisticated computerized control system, allowing the system to run virtually hands-free. Once that system is installed, the only routine maintenance required is washing the huge mirrors every six months or so.

Right now the STG team, which also includes Elizabeth Wayman and Brian Urban, is working on a test installation at Eckerd College in Florida to test the new control system. The clinic in Lesotho, now closed for renovations, is expected to reopen early next year, when the team plans to return to the site and begin full-time operations with the newly automated setup. Over the course of the year, they plan to install four more systems at other schools and clinics in that country, with help from Lesotho’s ministries of health and education and three local engineers who are members of the STG team.

The team hopes to create a local source of jobs and revenues; the systems will be built, owned and operated by local companies set up for that purpose, Orosz says.

Daniel Kammen, a professor of energy at the Univ. of California at Berkeley, who is not involved in this project, says, “There are a number of exciting solar thermal technology options, including but not limited to that being tested by STG International. All hold promise.” He adds that, “the challenge is not in the basic hardware, but in sustainable, viable field operation” — the area that STG is focusing on for its tests next year. “That is an excellent first step,” he says, “but the jury is out until these facilities function in the field, operated by the local communities.”

Over the years, STG’s project has won numerous awards and grants to help develop the technology, the financing systems and the supply chains using local materials and labor. An initial prize from the MIT IDEAS competition was followed by a grant from the World Bank, a Conoco Philips Energy prize, an Echoing Green Fellowship and others. The team’s ongoing research and development work will be aided by grants from the MIT Energy Initiative, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the government of India.

Source:http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/videos/2012/08/solar-power-can-power-heat-cool-rural-schools-clinics

Resort boosts solar power to protect Reef

2012-08-07T05:45:00.001-07:00

Climate leader Peter Gash set new benchmarks for sustainable tourism in the Great Barrier Reef when he harnessed solar power to reduce his resort's diesel consumption by 70 per cent.

Now, the owner of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort off Bundaberg is about to boost the resort's solar-generation capacity and slash diesel consumption further.

"The hybrid solar power system we installed in 2008 has a 20kW capacity and produces around 120kW hours of renewable energy per day," Mr Gash said.

"We've just begun installing another 96 solar panels onto existing buildings at the resort so we can effectively double our renewable power capacity."

Mr Gash said the project would cut the 150-bed resort's diesel consumption to 100 litres a day by the end of this year, compared to 550 litres a day when diesel generators powered the resort.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Tourism and Recreation Director Chris Briggs said Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was among a number of high standard tourism operators working with marine managers to reduce their impact on the Reef.

"A healthy Great Barrier Reef is vital for a healthy tourism industry and we commend operators who are taking action to minimise their impact on the marine environment," he said.

"Mr Gash has worked closely with us to establish a Great Barrier Reef Tourism Climate Change Action Strategy, which guides operators on how they can improve reef health and the viability of their industry.

"Conducting an energy audit and making changes that minimise the operation's impact on the environment is a key action identified in this strategy."

The GBRMPA is recognising marine tourism operators who are taking powerful action on climate change to encourage other operators to adopt best environmental practices.

Mr Gash took over the lease of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, the southernmost reef island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, in 2005.

His involvement with GBRMPA's Tourism Climate Change Action Group prompted him to conduct a major energy audit in 2007. That kicked off a series of sweeping changes to make the resort carbon neutral.

Mr Gash said one of the biggest benefits of installing a solar power system was the way it had influenced behaviour.

"The fact that we are creating our own electricity has made staff and guests very conscious about the need to conserve power and not waste it. Apart from the obvious benefits for the Reef, this culture shift has been the most positive spin-off of all."

Source:http://www.investinaustralia.com/news/resort-boosts-solar-power-protect-reef-12c3

Sainbury’s lays claim to Europe’s largest solar power array

2012-08-06T05:28:00.002-07:00

UK supermarket retailer Sainsbury’s says it installed over 69,500 solar panels making it the operator of the largest solar power array in Europe.

The solar panels installed across 169 of its 572 stores add up to a total capacity of 16 MW, enough to power 4100 homes.

The solar rollout is part of the company’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan to cut operational carbon emissions 30% against 2005 levels by 2020. The solar panels will reduce the supermarket’s carbon emissions by around 6800 tonnes a year.

“We’ve already made real progress towards achieving our environmental commitments,” says chief executive Justin King. “This solar rollout is another big step forward. It makes sense for us - it’s good for the environment and for our business and we are actively looking to install more panels.”

King says that the retail sector should take another look at solar power as a way to reduce environmental impact, which is becoming increasingly vital in the face of rising energy costs and tighter regulations.

“Supermarkets have the equivalent of football fields on their roofs, many of them underutilised. It’s a perfect time to turn that space into something positive,” says King.

Solar energy costs could reach parity with the grid for commercial installations within the next two to four years, believes King, which could herald a new boom in the industry.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has warmly welcomed Sainsbury’s effort as an example to other businesses.

“This major solar investment will make Sainsbury’s a greener grocer and gives a significant boost to the UK’s renewable energy sector,” says campaigner Andrew Pendleton.

Source:http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5305/?cid=3

NJ solar power boom has been fueled by ratepayer subsidies

2012-08-05T05:00:00.002-07:00

Country Clean Paper Supplies in Ocean Township made the leap to solar energy a year ago, hoping it would eliminate its $1,800 monthly electric bill and receive credits that would provide a return on its investment.

It wasn’t long before the the credits’ value dwindled. And as much as the company has embraced the environment, its president last week sounded like he had buyer’s remorse; it will take him six years to repay what he borrowed to install the system.

“Down the road, when the loan is paid off, I’m saving $1,800 a month,” Frank Pavia said. “But I’m six years older.”

In a rare, bipartisan display, New Jersey lawmakers last month enacted a law designed to make Pavia’s investment worthwhile. It hopes to pump up demand in solar energy and help the state maintain its leadership in an industry that has reduced its dependence on fossil fuels and created thousands of jobs.

It shed light, however, on a market that nearly collapsed under the weight of its own success. It attracted more solar providers than the market could bear, forcing the state to step in and continue to subsidize the industry.

The law in a roundabout way could cost ratepayers $6 billion over the next 16 years, said Stefanie A. Brand, director of the Division of Rate Counsel, a state agency designed to protect utility customers.

Brand said she supported the law because the solar industry is relatively new and worth giving time to get its footing.

But “I don’t think it’s fair for the developers to assume that they’re going to continue to get subsidies and that ratepayers are going to ensure that (the solar industry) will never lose money,” she said. “At some point we have to take the training wheels off and let this industry move on its own.”

The Garden State’s ties to solar energy run deep; some of the biggest milestones in the industry’s development happened at Bell Labs and Fort Monmouth, said Lyle Rawlings, vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group.

Source:http://www.app.com/article/20120805/NJBIZ/308050010/NJ-solar-power-boom-has-been-fueled-by-ratepayer-subsidies

Sundial Solar Power Developers Helping Jackson Become Greener

2012-08-04T05:30:00.001-07:00

Solar power is currently the fastest growing form of energy in the world. The use of solar energy is increasing two-fold. There’s a black-owned, Jackson-based business, Sundial Solar Power Developers, which is introducing its solar panel systems within the state of Mississippi.

Willie Shirley, co-owner of the company, said Sundial Solar Power Developers, analyzes, designs, and installs solar systems residentially and commercially.

Shirley said the solar market is growing because of the significant savings consumers can see on their electric bills.

The solar panel works by converting light from the sun into electricity. The collection of solar cells spread over a large area on the panel to provide enough energy to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it produces..

“The use of solar panels is picking up in the city of Jackson and in the state. Sundial Solar installed solar panels for Central Mississippi Health Services on Robinson Road Extension earlier this year,” Shirley said. “I’m sure more homeowners and businsesses will be interested in solar panels to save on their electric bills.”

Shirley went before the Jackson Public School Board recently to propose use of solar panels on every school in the district.

“The cost of solar panels fell 50 percent in 2011, making it more affordable to the consumer,” Shirley said.

Solar energy has proven to be a practical and economical solution to cutting costs on energy bills. More cities across our country are opting for the use of solar to save money and to make our country greener.

Hopefully our state and city leaders will think seriously about using solar energy on a statewide level.

Source:http://voices.clarionledger.com/jsmithlott/2012/08/04/sundial-solar-power-developers-helping-jackson-become-greener/

Blackouts In India Highlight Benefits Of Solar Power

2012-08-03T05:32:00.002-07:00

India recently faced two massive power outages that were the largest in the past decade. The first power grid collapse took place on Monday, affecting seven states in northern India. The power went out at 2:35 a.m. and was brought back six hours later, only to go out again. The first outage was followed by a second, even larger, power grid collapse on Tuesday which affected almost half of the country, hitting northern and eastern India.

Being someone of Indian decent, and having visited the country, I know that the country and its people are no strangers to power outages–sometimes they are government mandated to save energy and at other times they are brought on by power grid failures. If the two outages this past week have made one thing clear, it is this: India needs to take energy planning seriously and start reform.

Even though India is Asia’s third-largest economy, the country still depends on coal for its energy needs. Each year India — the world’s fourth-largest consumer of electricity — emits 1,602, 120, 000 tons of carbon dioxide, making it the third largest emitter in the world. One the biggest reasons for this high ranking is that the country relies on coal for 90 percent of its electricity, which accounts for more than a third of the country’s emissions.

And if you’re reading this article then chances are you know that CO2 emissions are the accepted cause behind the climate change, which is held responsible for drastic alterations in our environment, including but not limited to: fluctuation in rainfall and agricultural crop yields, more frequent and longer heat waves, negative affects human health, and changes to forests and other ecosystems.

With a population of over a billion–and counting–it is no surprise that the nation faced a supply shortfall of 8.6 percent this year in the month of June. The Confederation of Indian Industry, India’s top business lobby, voiced support for energy reform: ”The increasing gap between the demand and supply of electricity has been a matter for concern. Today’s outage is an urgent reminder for addressing these issues as a priority.”

Energy sourced from coal is clearly not enough to sustain the nation (and has such devastating effects on the environment) and the lack of rain this year has shown the down side of hydroelectric power, leaving solar power the answer to India’s problems. In fact, during this past week, solar power was the knight in shining armor for many Indians who had invested in solar technology. Scientific American reported that rural villagers who cannot afford electricity are the ones who use solar panels in their homes, and they fared better than their wealthier counterparts when the power grid failed.

Perhaps it is an overly idealistic notion, and easier said than done, but a combination of hydroelectric power (ideal for a country with a notorious monsoon season) and solar power just may be the answer to decreasing the number of blackouts, reducing CO2 emissions and providing the entire population with access to power.

Source:http://www.greenerideal.com/alternative-energy/0803-blackouts-in-india-highlight-benefits-of-solar-power/

Email posting Cheap Solar Power

2012-08-02T05:27:00.002-07:00

With the descent of darkness life in the remote Indian village of Meerwada came to a standstill. Workers abandoned their, tools, kids strained to see their school books while adults struggled to carry out the most basic of household chores under the faint glow of aged kerosene lamps.

The arrival of solar power last year has changed all that. On a humid evening splashed with rain, fans whirr as children sit cross-legged to catch up on their Hindi lessons and people delight over the fact that they can actually see what they are eating and drinking. –Reuters.

Source:http://dawn.com/2012/08/02/solar-power-lights-up-indian-village/

Study rates nuclear a cheap source of energy

2012-08-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

Nuclear energy is among the cheapest power sources available to Australia under a carbon price, rating alongside solar and wind as one of the least expensive options, says a world-first study.

The study by the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics found both nuclear and solar photovoltaics would be more cost-competitive than previously thought.

Nuclear power came in on par with solar photovoltaics and just a little more expensive than wind power in a comparison of low carbon technologies in 2020.

At about $50 to $100 a megawatt hour, nuclear was found to be the second cheapest low carbon technology now and remains one of the cheapest low emission technologies until 2030.

Neither major political party formally backs domestic nuclear power, but the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr, has said it should remain an option and the Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, has insisted it is still ”a live debate in Australia, despite the best efforts of the Greens and non-government organisations to demonise the discussion”.

The Coalition leader, Tony Abbott, has said ”the Coalition has no policy for promoting nuclear power” but his deputy, Julie Bishop, has said it should be considered ”in the mix”.

The study will feed into the government’s energy white paper to be released later in the year. It finds the cheapest low emission power available now is generated from methane escaping from landfill, along with power generated from biomass, onshore wind farms and combined cycle gas.

The director of the ANU energy change institute, Professor Ken Baldwin, said the study had ”thrown up a few surprises”.

“It indicates that a number of technologies – notably nuclear and wind power – are already competitive, with other renewable technologies like commercial solar-cell farms joining the mix in the very near future,” he said. ”It shows nuclear is in fact no more expensive than other technologies.”

Politicians and energy experts have made assertions, assumptions and best-guesses about the relative cost of various technologies in the energy policy debate in the past but the new study is the first to provide them with specific, long term projections, with a model that can be varied as government policy or global circumstances change.

Huge falls in the cost of solar cells is one reason for the differences in the relative rankings.

Biogas and biomass electricity generation, while attracting relatively little attention in the Australian debate, remain some of the most cost competitive forms of electricity generation to 2050.

The Clean Energy Council said the study showed renewables were ”winning the race” and were both clean and cost-effective.

“While the recent public debate often oversimplifies Australia’s energy choice as ‘clean vs cheap’, this report shows the argument is now desperately out of date. Renewables are rapidly becoming the cheapest source of energy,” said the council’s deputy chief executive, Kane Thornton.

The study, done with consultants WorleyParsons, found carbon capture and storage on coal-fired power plants will not be cost competitive until 2030.

Source:http://www.eco-business.com/news/study-rates-nuclear-a-cheap-source-of-energy/

New Rooftop Solar Project Will Power 120 Homes

2012-07-31T09:36:00.001-07:00

Ontario's newest rooftop solar installation is bringing more clean electricity online while creating good jobs for families.

The rooftop solar project at Jamieson Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Windsor is one of the largest rooftop solar projects to come online since Ontario's Feed-In Tariff program was introduced.

The project, to be completed this fall, will have a total of 4,500 solar panels. Once completed, this project will generate 1.3 megawatts of clean electricity -- enough to power 120 homes each year. During its peak construction period, this project is expected to create about 70 jobs.

Through the manufacturing, construction and installation of this project, Solar Power Network is partnering with suppliers in Windsor, Mississauga, and Wallaceburg.

Growing the clean energy sector is an important part of the McGuinty government's plan to create and support jobs for Ontario families while ensuring we have the electricity we need to power our homes, schools, hospitals and the economy.

Source:http://news.ontario.ca/mei/en/2012/07/ontario-brings-more-clean-solar-power-online-creates-jobs.html

Solar powered cold storage launched

2012-07-30T05:25:00.000-07:00

PT Contained Energy Indonesia has launched a solar powered cold storage solution .

developed and deployed as a stand-alone, off-grid, 100 per cent solar-powered cold storage facilities it uses thermal energy storage (TES) technology in combination with ultra-efficient compressor packages.

The system operates without external power source and thus has zero energy costs.

The first two units 20 m3 installed, one on a remote island in Wakatobi and another in Pacitan, Indonesia, were designed to keep 1000 kg of fish at -2 deg C, in ambient temperatures of up to 40 deg C, with the capacity of adding and cooling 200 kg of ‘un-iced’ fish per day (for a total cooling load of 30 kWh per day), but the system can just as easily be deployed for agricultural produce, dairy chilling, ice-making and other purposes as well.

It is energized by a 6.4 kWp solar array through a 3-phase Outback inverter system, backed up by a relatively small 10 kWh VRLA battery bank.

One of the unique features of the system is that it incorporates a large volume of Phase Change Material (PCM) in the ceiling, capable of storing 15 kWh of cooling capacity at -4 deg C.

This thermal energy storage technology allows the compressor package to do most of its ‘work’ during the day, when the solar power is available. This saves a substantial quantity of battery storage that would otherwise be required.

The unit features walls, ceiling and floors constructed from 15cm insulated modular panels, stainless steel door with heating element, aluminium chequered floor plates, lighting and a programmable digital control system.

Source:http://www.racplus.com/news/solar-powered-cold-storage-launched/8633815.article?blocktitle=Latest-news&contentID=2332

Photovoltaic solar power tariffs may hurt EU industry

2012-07-29T05:06:00.002-07:00

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday that protectionist measures will harm the European solar energy industry and the two sides should resolve the dispute through negotiations.

The move came after a report revealed that Germany’s SolarWorld and other European solar panel makers filed a complaint this week seeking import tariffs on Chinese-made products.

The ministry has taken note of relevant reports and is verifying the information, said an official with the ministry.

“Thanks to low prices of raw materials and technological progress, Chinese solar energy products are more price competitive than European Union (EU) ones. That’s not dumping, as accused by some European companies,” the official said.

The import price of polysilicon — the major material for solar photovoltaic panels — has fallen to less than $30 per kilogram from nearly $300 in 2008, according to her.

Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises have invested heavily in improving technology and scaling up production, she added.

“Dumping allegations are groundless,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

She noted that Chinese enterprises only have advantages on the production side and they have to import most of the raw materials, equipment and manufacturing technologies from the EU and the United States.

China’s solar industry not only contributes to fueling EU exports of materials and equipment, but also helps create many job opportunities in the debt-ridden zone, she said.

The EU solar industry provides over 300,000 jobs for local people, and more than 80 percent of employees work in upstream and downstream industries, including raw material supplies, equipment manufacturing and system design, according to previous reports.

“The two sides should resolve the dispute through negotiations in order to maintain a healthy and stable industry environment. Amid global economic uncertainties, a stable free trade environment guarantees common development of solar photovoltaic industries on both sides,” she said.

Her comments came as the latest salvo in a battle between China and the EU over the solar product trade.

Chinese experts on Friday warned of a possible trade war if the EU imposes anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese-made solar products.

“No one will be a winner in a trade war. Both China and the EU should work to avoid it,” said Meng Xiangan, deputy director of the China Renewable Energy Society.

The country’s four major solar panel makers — Yingli, Suntech, Trina and Canadian Solar — issued a joint statement Thursday rejecting allegations that they have received illegal subsidies and dumped solar products in Europe and urging the government to take “necessary measures to protect our legitimate rights and interests.”

“The EU should be very clear that any kind of limit on market liberalization may destroy the balanced development of the photovoltaic industry, hinder energy reform and undermine global efforts to fulfill long-term energy-saving and emissions-reduction goals,” the statement said.

SolarWorld spearheaded a similar initiative in the US, leading the country to impose duties of about 31 percent on solar panel imports from China in May.

In response, China launched investigations into imported US solar-grade polysilicon last week.

China will likely initiate anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probes on EU-imported polysilicon if the EU decides to penalize Chinese solar companies, Meng said.

Chinese experts and entrepreneurs denied that the Chinese government has provided any illegal subsidies to its own manufacturers, saying many US and EU companies, as well as global industry associations, have agreed that SolarWorld filed the complaint primarily to ensure its own commercial interests and its allegations were groundless.

Many overseas economic organizations and industry groups have voiced opposition to imposing duties on Chinese-made solar products.

“Like a crazed agent provocateur, SolarWorld is fueling global solar industry infighting for its own selfish interests. On behalf of tens of thousands of US solar workers, we are very disheartened by SolarWorld’s unnecessary and destructive actions and urge the EU to reject their petition,” said the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) in an email interview with Xinhua.

The CASE is a coalition of American solar companies representing 97 to 98 percent of jobs in the US solar industry.

On Thursday, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) announced that it has filed a formal letter of protest to the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission against tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic cells and modules.

As the premier economic development group for the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area, GPEC said a solar tariff of 50 percent will result in the loss of 14,877 to 43,178 jobs by 2014.

The tariffs will not only force solar companies to alter their business models, but also make future Chinese investment in Arizona more challenging, according to GPEC President and Chief Executive Officer Barry Broome.

Source:http://www.evwind.es/2012/07/28/photovoltaic-solar-power-tariffs-may-hurt-eu-industry/

Turning Clothes into Solar Energy Powers Start-Up

2012-07-28T05:11:00.002-07:00

It’s hard to make a more personal commitment to renewable energy and reducing the carbon footprint than by wearing clothes and accessories that create solar power.

That’s the business plan behind Salt Lake City, Utah-based Exotic Solar, a start-up that has developed a technology to make cheap and foldable solar panel fabric that can be attached or integrated with clothes to convert the sun’s energy into power.

The company is led by chief executive officer and president Surabhi Pandey, who was a textile designer in India and has a degree in knitwear designing from India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Other team members include chief technical officer Ashutosh Tewari, a tenured associate professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Utah and director of the Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory there; materials scientist Gene Siegel, a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah who worked with Tewari to develop the technology; and Indian American chief business development officer Vini Joseph.

Exotic Solar’s patent-pending technology miniaturizes and strengthens high efficiency solar cells using ultra-light fiberglass. They are then embedded in a soft polymer matrix to render them flexible.

Silicon, Tewari told India-West in a phone interview, is currently the industry standard semiconductor for fabricating solar cells. “Silicon-based solar cells give 15 to 16 percent efficiency, are very stable and reasonably inexpensive. However, these solar cells are brittle and very fragile. As a result these need to be protected inside metallic frames, which make them very heavy.”

“We take brittle solar cells, cut them into small pieces and put them together on a polymer sheet. They are strong, flexible and light. They can be arranged in patterns and attached to just about anything.”

Pandey told India-West she started the company with about $1.5 million from venture capitalists. Her fashion skill fit perfectly with the technical breakthroughs from the University of Utah researchers.

She said she decided to market the products (see photos) directly to consumers.

“The sun gives us tremendous amount of energy every day,” she told one journal. “If we can convert even a tiny part of that into useful electricity, it will fulfill all our electricity needs. This is the promise, riding on which photovoltaic industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing industry in the world.”

Tiwari, who has Ph.D. in matter physics from IIT-Kanpur, said cables are connected from accessories such as the “sling” product (see photo) and then attached to power batteries on cell phones and devices.

The company is even looking into deploying the technology for water purifiers and solar tents, Pandey added.

Source:http://indiawest.com/news/5718-turning-clothes-into-solar-energy-powers-start-up.html

Solar power systems to back up ATMs during power cut

2012-07-27T05:25:00.002-07:00

In an attempt to tap renewable energy sources, State Bank of India, Tiruchi, has installed solar power systems to provide back-up power supply to five automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city. The five ATMs, functioning on the branch premises, would now be powered by solar energy, though as a back-up to start with to keep the machines functional at times of load shedding. The bank would gradually move towards using solar power for the machines fully, officials said.

Currently, the bank has rented out a solar system for the ATMs and hoped to achieve substantial savings on power expenditure. Another ATM at Nannilam has been functioning fully with solar power. Bank officials claimed that the SBI was the first to go in for solar-powered ATMs in the State. The ‘Green ATMs’ in the city was formally dedicated by Collector Jayashree Muralidharan at a brief ceremony on Thursday. Ms.Muralidharan also handed over five Braille typewriters, each costing about Rs.25,000, to the Government Girls School for the Blind at Puthur, donated by the bank and educational assistance to a girl child adopted by the bank as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives. The bank authorities also formally handed over 500 tree guards to the Collector on the occasion.

Ms.Muralidharan commended the bank for donating the Braille typewriters to the blind school, which she pointed out had achieved cent per cent results in public exams. The visually challenged girls were proving that they could outdo normal children, if given the right opportunities. Referring to the greening drive taken up across the district, Ms.Muralidharan said that much more needs to be done to improve the green cover, especially within the city limits where the pollution levels are high. She appealed to the bank to come forward to donate more tree guards and adopt traffic islands in the city.

Arun Agarwal, deputy general manager, SBI, said the bank has taken up a slew of measures under its corporate social responsibility initiatives and has adopted 85,000 girl students across the country. B.Manivasagam, AGM, SBI, Tiruchi, and senior bank officials were present.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article3691923.ece

Chinese solar panel firms fear Europe trade war

2012-07-26T05:36:00.002-07:00

The plea came after European competitors asked the EU to investigate whether China was helping its firms to export cheaper panels unfairly.

Four big Chinese solar panel firms asked their government to "immediately seek high-level dialogue with the EU to find a way to improve the situation".

In May the US imposed tariffs of about 31% on solar panel imports from China.

The US Commerce Department ruled that Chinese firms were flooding the US market with government-subsidised products.

Most of the top Chinese exporters are affected, including Suntech Power Holdings and Trina Solar.

The ruling came after several US manufacturers, led by SolarWorld, asked for government action against Chinese companies dumping low-priced products on US markets.

On Thursday the focus switched to Brussels, as the European Commission received a complaint from SolarWorld and other European manufacturers over alleged Chinese dumping.

"Chinese companies are offering their products below manufacturing costs despite their own massive losses," said Milan Nitzschke, president of the manufacturers' group EU ProSun.
Green energy tensions

Bloomberg news says increased Chinese competition has hit European wind- and solar-power firms hard, and several of them now face bankruptcy.

The issue is particularly sensitive for the EU, which has been spearheading global efforts to switch to renewable energy.

Four Chinese firms warned against escalating trade tensions on Thursday - Yingli, SunTech, Trina and Canadian Solar.

"If the EU were to follow the precedent of the US and launch an anti-dumping investigation on Chinese solar products, the Chinese solar industry would suffer a fatal blow," said Wang Yiyu, chief strategy officer at Yingli Solar.

"The investigation would also trigger a whole-scale trade war between China and the EU, which would cause huge losses to both parties," he told a briefing in Beijing.

Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18996975