Underground Coal Gasification UCG
Featured on 7.30 report 5.7.2010
Underground coal gasification
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The only way Is Up: CSP Builds Up Heat
The Only Way Is Up: CSP Builds Up Heat
London — If you’re wondering where the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is heading from here, crane your neck and look upward. Forecasts show industry growth climbing steeply from 2010.
The International Energy Agency says the resource could account for 11% of global electricity demand by 2050, with North America as the largest producer, followed by North Africa and India. Emerging Energy Research (EER) forecasts the addition of 20 GW of CSP globally by 2020, up from about 1 GW today.
Big Solar: The Sun’s Rising Power
Big Solar: The Sun’s Rising Power
Chinese manufacturing power, falling prices, and technology breakthroughs have transformed the solar industry from a green niche into a mushrooming market.
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Solar power is the source of nearly all our energy. New technologies allow to harness it with growing efficiency (Photo: Reuters) |
“The Sun Always Shines on TV”, a famous Europop song in the 1980s, could be re-released for the 21st century, just slightly modified: nowadays, the sun always shines on PV.
Photovoltaic solar panels have become a symbol of renewable energy and a greener future – unfortunately, they still represent less than 0.1 percent of global energy production.
But growth is tremendous. Solar capacity in Germany, the world’s leading PV nation, will double in 2010 from 10GW to 20 GW, estimates the Swiss bank UBS. And despite Germany’s moderate climate, these solar panels do already produce massive amounts of electricity.
Figures from the European Energy Exchange show that solar power accounted for 10 percent of Germany’s electricity consumption during midday peak load on more than ten days in July 2010producing some 7GWh of solar power, comparable to the power output of seven nuclear power plants.
Top Five Mistakes When considering Solar Power For Your Home
Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power For Your Home
So you’ve decided to invest in solar power for your home to lower your utility bills. Great! But before you proceed any further, it’s important to know some of the more common solar mistakes that homeowners make so you can avoid them. Here are five of the most common mistakes:
Mistake # 1: Missing out on limited time rebates and incentives.
Nothing’s worse than making the right step towards solar power and then realizing that you missed out on a large incentive or rebate. These programs are great for homeowners, but they can have very strict requirements and most expire after a set period. Make sure you know what solar financial incentives and rebates are available from the federal, state, and municipal government and your local electrical utility. More importantly, make sure your home solar power system meets every requirement necessary to qualify for the programs and that these programs don’t expire before you’ve completed your installation. Professional solar installers are intimately familiar with the programs and can make sure that you are able to take advantage of all applicable solar rebates and financial incentives.
Temporary Gassifier
Gentlemen, please review and re-distribute as widely as you think isappropriate : this is a simplified downdraft gassifier that was designedand tested back in the late 80’s for use in an emergency if petroleum basedfuel was unavailable for essential activities such as agricultural foodproduction and emergency transport. It should be noted : devices of this Continue Reading →
Funding cuts will finish Britain’s clean energy race
Funding cuts will finish Britain’s clean energy race
The UK is losing out to countries with poorer natural resources but greater willingness to invest
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- guardian.co.uk, Monday 19 July 2010 15.35 BST
- Article history
A wind turbine factory. The government has cut £34m from low-carbon technology programmes for offshore wind, wood fuels, building insulation and geothermal energy. Photograph: Gautam Singh/AP
In the 1970s the UK invested about 0.15% of GDP each year in research and development (R&D) into providing cheaper and cleaner energy. Britain was putting more public money into nuclear power and other new sources of electricity than almost any other economy.
From the mid-1980s the amount invested each year has fallen almost continuously. The figure today is about 0.01%, one 15th of what it was a generation ago. We now sit at the bottom of the international league. The US, for example, spends three times as much as a percentage of its GDP, Japan nine times as much.
The UK government announced last week that it was cutting yet more money from of the energy R&D budget. Some £34m is to be axed, affecting low-carbon technology programmes including offshore wind, wood fuels, building insulation and geothermal energy. This represents a reduction of just under 20% of total public expenditure on low-carbon technologies. This figure is on top of the cancellation of the £80m loan to Sheffield Forgemasters that would have paid for much of the installation of a new press to make the huge parts necessary for new nuclear power stations.