In the context of growing awareness of the different components of sustainable development, renewable energy sources are having a major boost. With this article we highlight the current trend, starting from a framework of context, and then drill out the views of industry leaders and application examples.
Everyone knows that renewables are the next big thing of today and tomorrow, but we often forget is that the management is always key and there are some companies that truly excel at this.
The sources include most forms of renewable energy production provided by non-fossil fuels, as examples, geothermal energy, biomass and biogas, wind energy, solar energy (both solar thermal and photovoltaics), energy from waves and tides. In essence, all renewables (renewed by natural processes) resulting in a form rather than another direct radiation from the Sun as the Earth's surface, the values are about 600-1500W/m2, although obviously there's no uniform energy distrinution and climatic conditions, the index of radiation (mean energy from the sun in one day) ranges from 2.26 (northern Europe) to 6.39 (African region) Kwatt/day/m2.
To convert this energy into electricity, exemplifying photovoltaics, photovoltaic modules are used as the basis of silicon, whose technology (from light energy to the photovoltaic effect) is now well established for nearly 40 years, with a conversion efficiency continues to grow. Normal commercial modules provide an efficiency of 10-16%, ie only 10-16% of the energy that comes from the sun is converted into electrical energy, although in laboratory environments controlled percentages have been reached even higher than 40%.
Showing posts with label renewable energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label renewable energy. Show all posts
Friday, 16 March 2012
Monday, 12 March 2012
Turkey going green
It was once considered the door that opened to Europeans the boundless spaces of Asia. Today, Turkey is a country that is growing before our eyes, and represents one of the most interesting of the global landscape.
A nation that has almost 75 million inhabitants, growing at an average rate of 4-5% per annum and that, consequently, has a huge appetite for energy.
Not surprisingly, the turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has adopted a policy to have the best guarantee of security of supply of raw materials, which are mainly oil and gas.
Meanwhile, the country that has good resources in terms of hydropower, is developing a very demanding program to exploit renewable energy. In short, the government in Ankara has moved forward in the politics of the energy mix for some time that we also hope to our house. And as well think big so does "green" so that Erdogan has announced plans to install by 2015 about 600 MW of new geothermal capacity only.
Ankara has long been an area of primary interest for giant oil and gas such as Eni and Gazprom. The six-legged dog, along with the turkish Çalik Enerji Group, has planned the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline and, with Gazprom as majority shareholder, is grappling with the long gestation of the ambitious South Stream.
But today the Turkish case history goes green enough to stimulate the interest of major European power utilities, including Enel. And the Enel CEO Fulvio Conti, on the sidelines of a conference organized in Istanbul Italy dall'Aspen Institute, said that "Turkey for us, potentially, is a very important country" that promises a "full development potential especially from the side of renewables. "
The group led by Conti short pricked up antennas on the market "green" in Ankara so much so that through its renewable arm, Enel Green Power, is already working with the group Uzon to exploit the geothermal potential offered by Turkey.
After the gas then Turkey is preparing to become a strategic partner for Europe also in terms of renewables. The race is open, the Bosphorus is increasingly becoming a gateway between Europe and Asia.
A nation that has almost 75 million inhabitants, growing at an average rate of 4-5% per annum and that, consequently, has a huge appetite for energy.
Not surprisingly, the turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has adopted a policy to have the best guarantee of security of supply of raw materials, which are mainly oil and gas.
Meanwhile, the country that has good resources in terms of hydropower, is developing a very demanding program to exploit renewable energy. In short, the government in Ankara has moved forward in the politics of the energy mix for some time that we also hope to our house. And as well think big so does "green" so that Erdogan has announced plans to install by 2015 about 600 MW of new geothermal capacity only.
Ankara has long been an area of primary interest for giant oil and gas such as Eni and Gazprom. The six-legged dog, along with the turkish Çalik Enerji Group, has planned the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline and, with Gazprom as majority shareholder, is grappling with the long gestation of the ambitious South Stream.
But today the Turkish case history goes green enough to stimulate the interest of major European power utilities, including Enel. And the Enel CEO Fulvio Conti, on the sidelines of a conference organized in Istanbul Italy dall'Aspen Institute, said that "Turkey for us, potentially, is a very important country" that promises a "full development potential especially from the side of renewables. "
The group led by Conti short pricked up antennas on the market "green" in Ankara so much so that through its renewable arm, Enel Green Power, is already working with the group Uzon to exploit the geothermal potential offered by Turkey.
After the gas then Turkey is preparing to become a strategic partner for Europe also in terms of renewables. The race is open, the Bosphorus is increasingly becoming a gateway between Europe and Asia.
Monday, 27 February 2012
Access to electricity to the entire world population
Ensuring access to electricity to the entire world population is one of the biggest challenges, and not coincidentally the year 2012 has been declared by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "the year of sustainable energy for all."
Even today, over 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity, while 2.7 billion can cook or simply heat with wood, charcoal and animal waste.
There is a lack of energy but not lacking in waste, some say. Because more and more often, initiatives arise when the energy comes from waste.
The most recent comes from Kenya, where Access: Energy, Energy Division of the Association Access: collective, is promoting the use of mini wind turbines, called Night Heron Turbines, providing people with the technical knowledge to achieve their wind turbine from scrap metal, car parts and electronic waste.
But, as we said, the combination of garbage and sustainable energy is not new. From Africa we move to Latin America, specifically in Brazil, where since 2007 Coelce has initiated the project Ecoelce, which provides discounts on the energy bill to customers who return the material to be sent for recycling at the collection points.
In other words: to promote sustainable energy, every idea is good. Garbage seems to give plenty.
Even today, over 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity, while 2.7 billion can cook or simply heat with wood, charcoal and animal waste.
There is a lack of energy but not lacking in waste, some say. Because more and more often, initiatives arise when the energy comes from waste.
The most recent comes from Kenya, where Access: Energy, Energy Division of the Association Access: collective, is promoting the use of mini wind turbines, called Night Heron Turbines, providing people with the technical knowledge to achieve their wind turbine from scrap metal, car parts and electronic waste.
But, as we said, the combination of garbage and sustainable energy is not new. From Africa we move to Latin America, specifically in Brazil, where since 2007 Coelce has initiated the project Ecoelce, which provides discounts on the energy bill to customers who return the material to be sent for recycling at the collection points.
In other words: to promote sustainable energy, every idea is good. Garbage seems to give plenty.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Water is still the greatest resource
In our day and age sometimes we forget that the most simple things are still the best and on of them is water, seems to be a simplicistic thing to say but without water there is no agriculture, without agriculture there is no life, To keep our water resources we need to do more recycling to keep a better environment and be responsible
Many major companies are responsible in regards to water management and recently my attention came at Severn Trent Water, whose non-executive director is Andrew Duff, the firm serves over 8 million customers across the heart of the UK, stretching from the Bristol Channel to the Humber, and from mid-Wales to the East Midlands. This company is really active and is doing a very good effort in keeping our environment clean.
Water, when i think about that we need it, you cannot stop thinking about the energy of the sun as well, is just like ice and fire, they go hand in hand together and they existed since the beginning of times.
Many major companies are responsible in regards to water management and recently my attention came at Severn Trent Water, whose non-executive director is Andrew Duff, the firm serves over 8 million customers across the heart of the UK, stretching from the Bristol Channel to the Humber, and from mid-Wales to the East Midlands. This company is really active and is doing a very good effort in keeping our environment clean.
Water, when i think about that we need it, you cannot stop thinking about the energy of the sun as well, is just like ice and fire, they go hand in hand together and they existed since the beginning of times.
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