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December 22nd, 2009Sharp has developed a new solar cell with the highest efficiency of conversion in the world
November 5th, 2009Sharp experts have managed to increase the efficiency of energy conversion in a photovoltaic device up to 35.8%.
The Japanese company reported that this index is the record-breaking one among other cells not using solar radiation concentrators.
The new photocell is consisting of three photo-absorption layers. The lower layer is almost always made of Germanium, this way simplifying the manufacturing. At the same time Germanium prevents from high efficiency, that’s why the Japanese engineers used InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide).
Having formed a high InGaAs crystallinity layer the developers placed GaAs and InGaP layers on top of it. As a result the energy conversion efficiency, making up to 31.5% in previous Sharp’s cell models, has been increased to 35.8%.
The largest windmill in the country was launched in Bulgaria
October 14th, 2009Oct. 6 the largest wind power plant in Bulgaria was put into operation. The windmill network was built and launched by AES Geo Energy company – Bulgarian division of American giant – AES Corporation.
Wind power plant consisting of 52 turbines with the capacity of 156 MW is located not far from Kavarna resort city on the coast of the Black sea. The construction cost its owners about €270 million ($398 million). This project is the largest in Bulgaria and one of the most significant ones in the entire region. From now on the total capacity of all Bulgarian windmills amounts to 330 MW.
The government plans to receive about 11 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 201, and 16 per cent by 2020.
By the way, this year the largest shore wind power plant in Europe will be put into operation. It is based in Romania and is able to generate 600 MW of electricity. The estimated cost of this project amounts to €1.1 billion ($1.6 billion). The construction is accomplished by Czech CEZ company.
German solar cell producers are on the brink of collapse
October 14th, 2009German solar cell companies are threatened with bankruptcy. Their revenues are close to zero, because as a result of crisis the demand for solar cells dropped drastically. Although households consider solar cells worth investing in, investment organizations are not interested in this field.
Today solar energy, generated in Germany, constitutes 1 per cent of the total country’s energy mix, although this branch is being sponsored by the government. The situation is worsened by the fact that new center-right coalition government is more interested in preserving nuclear reactors rather than in development of solar energy. The German producers’ business is undermined by Chinese competitors, who keep conquering new markets.
Still, Germany and Spain remain world leaders in using solar energy – they receive 4,000 and 600 MW of solar energy correspondingly. However, the Germans consider wind power to be the most prospective type of energy. In the nearest decades the country plans to build about thirty offshore windmills in Baltic and North seas. They are expected to generate about 11,000 MW of electricity per year.
World’s consumption of biofuel to double by 2015
October 14th, 2009It is expected that by 2015 the world will consume twice as much biofuel as it consumes now.
Hart Energy Consulting Company predicts that in five years Brazil will become the world’s largest biofuel exporter, as for its consumption – the highest rates will be observed in the USA, the increase will constitute up to 30% by comparison with today’s numbers.
The popularity of biofuel will cause the world’s demand for bio ethanol to constitute 12% – 14% of the total need in gasoline by 2015.
Brazil will increase the biofuel production capacities by 30% and double the export. In Europe Germany will remain the leader in this field. The experts predict that the largest volumes of production will belong to biodiesel fuel from palm oil and rape seeds and first generation ethanol. Argentina, Columbia, France, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand will make their contributions into the development of this industry, too.
However, this doesn’t mean that biofuel industry will thrive in the following decade. Out of 170 biofuel production projects being developed worldwide only 30 per cent are going to be completed by 2015.
Sugar cane cultivating can be banned in Brazil’s ecologically important areas
October 14th, 2009The government of Brazil is reviewing a draft, prohibiting the cultivation of sugar cane is the regions with volatile environment.
The reason why this proposal was made is because the developing biofuel industry speeds up the destruction of the forests in Amazonian basin.
According to the bill, by 2010 the area of sugar cane plantations shouldn’t exceed 64 million hectares, that is 7.5 % of the territory of the county that has been a sugar cane world leader for many years. Moreover, the bill suggests to stop turning new territories into plantations, as well as to stop building plants distilling the ethanol in the areas where grocery plants are grown and on the swamp areas.
Next year the bill is expected to be reviewed by the National Congress of Brazil.
As we already mentioned previously, in June the destruction of Amazonian forests quadrupled as compared to the previous month. The satellite images show that in June 578 square kilometers of forests were cut and burnt in the Amazonian basin. These forests were considered a strong buffer against the global warming. The area of destruction is equal to that of Swiss Geneva Lake or half of Los-Angeles, California’s largest city.
However, last year, in December the government of Brazil promised to reduce the rates of world’s largest forest area deforestation by 70% within the next decade. The new bill regarding the prohibition of sugar cane cultivation is a part of this project.
China to switch fully to wind power by 2030
October 14th, 2009China is able to fully cover own needs in energy by using the wind power. It is possible only if the government keeps subsidizing the construction of wind power plants with price guarantee.
China is already the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, however the country’s need in energy is expected to double in the following decades. At present this country is launching several new coal power plants every week.
The whole world is wondering whether China has any other alternatives. The American scientists have calculated the total wind capacity of China and then estimated the volumes of energy the Chinese windmills are able to generate profitably. It turns out that energy suppliers may profitably meet the expected demand in energy in China by 2030, if they keep receiving at least 7.6 cents per kilowatt-hour during the first ten years.
These numbers correspond to the price guarantees, given by the Chinese government, which promised the suppliers to fix prices at 0.382-0.551 yuans per kilowatt-hour. Science magazine claims that a large part of carbon dioxide emissions can be eliminated.
If the price of kilowatt-hour amounts to 0.4 yuans, this will be enough to replace about 23 per cent of coal power plants.
This achievement will require significant investments and is possible only in case if a thorough long-term plan is prepared. The authors of the research say that the final benefit will help China have better air and save considerably.
The largest solar power plant to be built in China by the Americans
October 14th, 2009First Solar – the well-known US energy company has won a tender for building the largest solar power plant in the world in China.
The company will construct a 2 GW plant in Ordos, situated in в Internal Mongolia autonomous region. The building will undergo four stages during ten years. The energy produced by the plant will cover the needs of about 3 million Chinese households.
By 2010 China is planning to receive 10 per cent of energy from renewable resources, by 2020 this indicator is to rise up to 15 per cent. Today the total capacity of all solar power plants operating in China amounts to 90 MW, but the authorities want the country to receive 2 GW of solar power by 2011 and 10-20 GW by 2020. Their previous aims were more modest – 1.8 GW by 2020.
Wind is another source of alternative energy China is planning to utilize. According to the plans, Chinese wind power plants will generate about 40% of the total energy mix by 2050. By 2020 their total capacity will amount to 100 GW.
Today China is world’s fourth largest producer of wind energy. The first three are as follows: the United States of America, Germany and Spain. As for the amount of consumed energy, here China has the second place. The capacity of Chinese wind power plants operating now makes up to 12 GW.
Norway starts testing the first floating wind turbine
October 14th, 2009The first fully functional wind turbine in the world was built in Norway.
5,300-ton, 65-meter tall Hywind turbine is based 10 km away from Karmoy Island, not far from the country’s south-western coast. The turbine is installed onto a floating platform, attached to the sea bottom with the help of three cables. In order to ballast the platform water and stones are used.
Hywind will be tested for about two years, after that StatoilHydro, its manufacturer, will start installing such turbines in other countries. Japan, South Korea, Spain, California and the entire western coast of the US are considered to be the markets, having the most potential in being interested in this new technology.
The main thing that differentiates Hywind from the existing offshore turbines is its ability to be located far from the coast, where the depth is amounting to 120 – 700 meters. This construction will be successfully used in the countries that have deep nearshore zone or have no lands to place it on.
This project has received over $ 66 million investments. The turbine’s capacity makes up to 2.3 MW. The production of energy by this turbine is about to start on the nearest weeks.
Angola Will Grow Sugarcane for Biofuel Production
September 2nd, 2009After a 30-year break Angola is back to growing sugarcane for biofuel production.
Angolan government adopted this program to revive country’s agriculture after several decades of civil war and to make the economy less dependent on extractive industries (oil and diamond ones). The $220-million project will be implemented by Angolan oil company Sonagol, Damer private company and Odebrecht Brazilian construction organization.
The country currently imports 100% of the consumed sugar, but soon the situation will change and at least a small part of that amount will be produced inside of the country.
The agricultural boom and transmission of Luanda (Angolan capital) production capacities to other regions will help to create tens of thousands of new jobs. The central part of the project is a new sugar-works that will produce 280,000 tons of sugar and 30,000 m3 of ethanol. Sugarcane fiber, leaves and other waste left after the production of sugar will be used for generating 217 MW of electricity per year.
Brazil has been a world leader of sugarcane production for many yeas. India, China, Pakistan and Mexico are next in the ranking. Sugarcane cultivation requires (sub) tropical climate and 600 mm of precipitations per year. The yield of the sugarcane in regions where it dominates among other crops (like Hawaii) makes up to 20 kg from a square meter.