As reported by Stanford News, a new solar energy conversion process discovered by Stanford engineers could revamp solar power production. This
process simultaneously combines the light and heat of solar radiation to generate electricity could offer more than double the efficiency of existing solar cell technology, say the Stanford engineers who discovered it and proved that it works. The process, called “photon enhanced thermionic emission,” or PETE, could reduce the costs of solar energy production enough for it to compete with oil as an energy source.

FFC Energy Limited (FFCEL) has finalised contracts of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) with Nordex of Germany for development of 50 Megawatt Wind Power Project at Jhimpir, Sindh.

FFCEL is a fully owned subsidiary of Fauji Fertiliser Company Limited (FFC), while Nordex AG is a leading manufacturer of Wind Turbines in the world. Founder and Chief Sales Officer of Nordex Carsten Pedersen and Lieutenant General Malik Arif Hayat (Retd) CE & MD, FFC & FFCEL exchanged the contract documents, a press release issued here said.

Arif Alauddin, CEO Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) Pakistan was also present at the ceremony. FFCEL shall soon be filing Tariff Petition with NEPRA for the project. The construction of the project, shall begin after Tariff approval from National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and signing of Energy Purchase Agreement between FFCEL and Central Power Purchase Agency. The project, once operational, shall address electricity shortage in the country and will also help the economy by providing cleaner, sustainable and economical electricity to the nation.

FFC has further planned to develop and establish more renewable energy projects in Pakistan to contribute towards fulfilling Pakistan’s electricity needs through captive renewable resources. To that end, FFC has already obtained Letter of Intent (LOI) of additional 100 MW Wind Power Projects from (AEDB)

.

Windbelt is a small-scale wind power technology that was first announced a few years ago. The Windbelt was devised as a wind power generator to meet the very modest power needs of families in third-world countries. The device is revolutionary for being non-revolving — most wind power is produced by something going around in a circle and turning on an axis to drive a generator. Windbelt, however, uses the oscillation of a thin strip of material held in tension with a spring to vibrate a magnet that generates electrical power.

Source: Inhabitat

Pakistan Ministry of Water and Power would provide electricity to around 100 villages through solar energy during this year as part of its programme to ensure light in every village of the country. Electrification through Renewable Energy Technologies in remote and off-grid villages of country is the prime focus of the government which has initiated projects not only to overcome power shortage but also to electrify the remotest parts, said an official at the Ministry.

The official said a project has already been approved to electrify 400 remote villages of Sindh and Balochistan through solar energy. Around 49 villages (3000 households) have been electrified in district Tharparker using solar energy through government own funds.

The funds for remaining work in Sindh and the projects in Balochistan are being negotiated with the donors and are expected to be initiated during this year. Moreover, 100 Solar Home Systems in three villages of district Dera Bugti, 119 Solar Home Systems in 10 villages of Deh Tiko Baran district Jamshoro, Sindh and 200 Solar Home Systems in 16 Villages of district Khuzdar, Balochistan are also being installed through which thousands of people would be facilitated.

The official said in view of the electricity crises in the country the government has given a serious thought to both short and long-term measures. Public sector hydro plants with generation capacity of 347 MW will be added to the system at a cost of US $500 million and 1,700 MW of high efficiency public sector thermal generation would start generation between end 2010 and upto 2012. The outlay for these projects is estimated as US $1.5 billion.

The official further informed that Wapda has been assigned construction of 32 small and medium dams in four provinces and Fata. The plan will be implemented in two phases as in first phase (2009-2013) 12 dams and in second phase 20 dams will be constructed during the period 2010-2014.

A dam across Sirran River is also included in second phase of the plan, the official said and added the engineering study of Sirran Dam in district Mansehra (NWFP) on Sirran River will be initiated during this year. When asked whether there is any proposal to get 1100 Megawatt electricity from Iran to control power crisis, the official said two possible projects of electricity imports are being processed.

Giving details, the official said import of 100 MW power from Iran for Gwadar which includes construction of a 220 KV Grid Station at Gwadar and 75 km associated 220 KV double circuit Transmission Line from Pak-Iran Border to Gwadar. The project is intended to be financed by Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) for which negotiation with the Bank is in progress.

The Project is expected to be completed by year 2011. The other project is import of 1000 MW power from Iran for the National Grid. The final report along with the detailed financial analysis based on techno-economic studies and the implementation plan for the project will be submitted by the consultants soon. Further action could be taken depending upon the outcome of the feasibility study and arrangement for the financing of project.

The project may take 4-5 years from commencement of the project implementation activities. This is envisaged to take care of a substantial level of demand of Balochistan and the South-East of Pakistan. Moreover, construction work on new dams is expected to be started during the next two years, which included Diamer Basha Dam, Kurm Tangi Dam Project and Munda Dam.

Giving province wise names of the small and medium dam projects where construction work is expected to be started during next two years, the official said in Balochistan they are Hingol Dam, Naulong Dam, Winder Dam, Garuk Dam and Pelar Dam. In Sindh they are Nai Gaj Dam, Darwat Dam and Sita Dam, in NWFP Bara Dam and Daraban Zam Dam and in Punjab they are Ghabir Dam and Papin Dam.

Since 2002, venture-capital investments in cleantech world-wide have soared from about $1 billion to an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion this year, according to the Cleantech Group, a San Francisco market-research firm. After experiencing one of its first back-to-back quarterly declines in March, venture funding for cleantech, much of it based in California’s Silicon Valley, has resumed its climb.

In the U.S., the lack of a strong Copenhagen deal may set back some of these investments, already hurt by falling oil prices. But the Obama administration still plans to use the Environmental Protection Agency to clamp down on the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions, and the Energy Department remains committed to spending billions in public funds to jump-start alternative-energy technology. In the European Union, companies still have to comply with laws that require member nations to reduce emissions collectively to 20% below their 1990 levels by 2020, despite the summit’s lack of binding targets.

More from WSJ:

On a smaller scale, California is pursuing a program to garner a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, more than double current levels. Most Northeastern states are expected to cut carbon-dioxide emissions, based on regional targets.

The adoption of renewable-energy standards, completed or under way in many states, should boost demand for technologies that make electrical grids more efficient, says Dan Adler, president of the nonprofit California Clean Energy Fund, set up by the state to help spur cleantech investment. Such efforts have fueled the growth of Silver Spring Networks Inc., a Redwood City, Calif., grid-technology provider, which has tripled its work force since 2008 to about 450.

“From our standpoint, we have been cheerleading Copenhagen,” says Eric Dresselhuys, the company’s executive vice president, “but it’s not a direct impact on this business.”

Many U.S. states will continue to shift toward lower-carbon fuels, says Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates investor-owned electric, gas and water utilities in the state. California is “not going to turn back,” he says.

Officials at Iberdrola, the Spanish power company and the world’s biggest renewable-energy company say they are evaluating investments based on local policies, such as renewable-energy standards in states like Texas.

Some businesses, worried about a patchwork of federal and state regulation, are still pushing for Congress to enact a nationwide system for cutting carbon-dioxide emissions. But the prospects for congressional action in the 2010 election year look dim.

China, spurred in part by its desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil, remains committed to a sweeping energy efficiency program that calls for cutting carbon intensity, a measure of emissions relative to the size of the economy, by 40% to 45% from 2005 levels by 2020. That means government support for alternative energies, and for Chinese companies in that field, is likely to continue to grow.

Gao Jifan, chief executive of Trina Solar Ltd., a Chinese maker of solar panels, says the continuous cost reductions being achieved by solar-panel producers are making the technology more affordable. “So the outlook for its development is unstoppable,” he said in a statement.

One way to wean ourselves from oil is to come up with renewable sources of transportation fuel. That means a new generation of biofuels made from nonfood crops.

Researchers are devising ways to turn lumber and crop wastes, garbage and inedible perennials like switchgrass into competitively priced fuels. But the most promising next-generation biofuel comes from algae.

Source: Saferenviroment

Algae grow by taking in CO2, solar energy and other nutrients. They produce an oil that can be extracted and added into existing refining plants to make diesel, gasoline substitutes and other products.

Algae grow fast, consume carbon dioxide and can generate more than 5,000 gallons a year per acre of biofuel, compared with 350 gallons a year for corn-based ethanol. Algae-based fuel can be added directly into existing refining and distribution systems; in theory, the U.S. could produce enough of it to meet all of the nation’s transportation needs.

But it’s early. Dozens of companies have begun pilot projects and small-scale production. But producing algae biofuels in quantity means finding reliable sources of inexpensive nutrients and water, managing pathogens that could reduce yield, and developing and cultivating the most productive algae strains.

Source WSJ

Keeping coal as an abundant source of power means slashing the amount of carbon dioxide it produces. That could mean new, more efficient power plants. But trapping C02 from existing plants—about two billion tons a year—would be the real game-changer.

Source: Vattenfall

Carbon dioxide is removed from smokestack gases and compressed. It’s then pumped deep underground and stored in porous rock formations.

Techniques for modest-scale CO2 capture exist, but applying them to big power plants would reduce the plants’ output by a third and double the cost of producing power. So scientists are looking into experimental technologies that could cut emissions by 90% while limiting cost increases.

Nearly all are in the early stages, and it’s too early to tell which method will win out. One promising technique burns coal and purified oxygen in the form of a metal oxide, rather than air; this produces an easier-to-capture concentrated stream of CO2 with little loss of plant efficiency. The technology has been demonstrated in small-scale pilots, and will be tried in a one-megawatt test plant next year. But it might not be ready for commercial use until 2020.

Via WSJ

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world’s largest crystalline silicon
photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer, announced today that it has entered
into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pakistan’s Alternative Energy
Development Board (AEDB) to work towards the widespread use of solar energy
technologies to meet the energy shortage in Pakistan.

The objective of the MOU is to facilitate cooperation between Suntech and
the public sector and private companies in Pakistan to help implement solar
programs including the AEDB’s Rural Electrification Program; the development
of Solar Power Pumping Systems with the AEDB and the World Bank; and Solar
Power Telecom Projects in collaboration with Pakistani telecom companies.
“We are proud to collaborate with the Alternative Energy Development Board
to bring the latest in crystalline silicon solar technology to Pakistan,” said
Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s Chairman and CEO. “This is a clear example of the
promise of solar energy in meeting growing demands for electricity in the
developing world in an environmentally friendly way. With rapid improvements
in solar energy technology and operational efficiency, solar energy is
establishing itself as a crucial, cost-competitive part of the global energy
mix.”

“We are very pleased to be working with Suntech towards developing clean
renewable energy in our country,” said Mr. Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador
to China. “Pakistan is committed to using solar power as a way to solve
Pakistan’s energy shortage, and we are confident in Suntech’s reputation as a
global industry leader to bring reliable environmentally sustainable solutions
to Pakistan’s growing energy needs.”
The MOU sets forth the agreement in principle of the parties concerning
the project and related activities. Final agreement between the parties is
subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements among the
parties.

About the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB)
The Alternative Energy Development Board was created by the government of
Pakistan in 2003. The board is comprised of twelve members and chaired by Mr.
Raja Pervez Ashraf. The functions of the Board are to develop national
strategy, policies and plans for utilization of alternative and renewable
energy resources to achieve the targets approved by the Federal Government, to
act as a forum for evaluating, monitoring and certification of alternative or
renewable energy projects and products, to act as a coordinating agency for
commercial application of alternative or renewable technology, and to
facilitate power generation through alternative or renewable energy resources.
For more information, please visit http://www.aedb.org .

About Suntech
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is the world’s leading solar
energy company as measured by production output of crystalline silicon solar
modules. Suntech designs, develops, manufactures, and markets premium quality,
high-output, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solar products for
electric power applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, and
public utility sectors. Suntech’s patent-pending Pluto technology for
crystalline silicon solar cells improves power output by up to 12% compared to
conventional production methods. Suntech also offers one of the broadest
ranges of building-integrated solar products.

Suntech designs and delivers commercial and utility scale solar power
systems in China and the United States. With regional headquarters in China,
Switzerland and San Francisco and sales offices worldwide, Suntech is
passionate about improving the environment we live in and dedicated to
developing advanced solar solutions that enable sustainable development. For
more information, please visit http://www.suntech-power.com .

Siemens has announced the release of a new 3.6-megawatt (MW) wind turbine featuring a 120 meter rotor diameter. The SWT-3.6-120 turbine is based on the proven technology of the SWT-3.6-107 – the world’s most popular offshore wind turbine. The new machine will be equipped with 58.5 meter long rotor blades. The turbine has a swept area of 11,300 square meters, which is equivalent to nearly two football fields.

“We anticipate that our new SWT-3.6-120 wind turbine will generate roughly ten per cent more electricity at a typical offshore site compared to our SWT-3.6-107,” said Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. “With this new wind turbine we will continue to maintain our technology leadership in offshore wind power. We have already seen a lot of interest from the market in this new product.” The SWT-3.6-120 extends the performance of the proven Siemens 3.6 MW turbine type, which is already established as the preferred offshore turbine type in the multi-megawatt class. Siemens has installed 100 of its 3.6 MW wind turbines and has another 700 turbines on order.

Earlier this year Dong Energy signed orders for more than 450 SWT-3.6-120 machines. 175 of these new wind turbines will be installed in the first phase of the British London Array project, which will ultimately be the world’s first offshore wind farm on a gigawatt-scale. Furthermore, 51 SWT-3.6-120 wind turbines will be installed at the Walney II Offshore Wind Farm, also in the U.K. These orders from Dong Energy are part of the world’s largest wind power agreement for the supply of up to 500 offshore wind turbines, which was signed earlier this year. The wind turbines to be delivered under the supply agreement will have a total capacity of up to 1,800 megawatts.

The first two prototypes of the SWT 3.6-120 will be used by Dong Energy at Avedøre in Copenhagen, and installed in time for the COP 15 / UN World Climate Summit in Copenhagen. The Hvidovre Vindmøllelaug, a group of local investors, is contributing to this project.
Wind turbines are an important component of the Siemens environmental portfolio, which earned the company revenues of nearly EUR19 billion in fiscal 2008, roughly a quarter of the company’s total revenues. Today, Siemens is the world’s leading supplier of environmentally friendly technology.

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world’s leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR22.6 billion and received new orders totaling approximately EUR33.4 billion and posted a profit of EUR1.4 billion. On September 30, 2008, the Energy Sector had a work force of approximately 83,500.

Source: www.powergeneration.siemens.com

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