Solar power is the energy answer

[Derrick]

From Business Day:
WITH the world preoccupied with current high oil prices and dwindling energy resources, India is taking the lead in finding solutions to meet surging global demand by developing solar power as an alternative energy source.
India, which is expected to rank among the top four generators of solar power within a few years, is also a major manufacturer and supplier of solar panels and related technologies.
There is clearly a sense of urgency and an unprecedented rush in India to tap solar energy as investors come up with projects to manufacture technologies that can help to generate power for an energy starved world.
India’s phenomenal growth has led to increased demand for energy, especially oil and electricity.
Leading Indian industrialists and the government are unanimous in their agreement that solar energy could be the next big sector worldwide.
Indian investors are viewing the sector with keen interest and billions of dollars are being spent in manufacturing solar-power technologies.
More investments are expected to come as Indian businesses come up with ambitious plans for the sector.
The government has already developed policies to promote the development and has announced special incentives for potential investors in technologies that will help to generate solar energy. This has seen several major companies queuing up with cash to invest. This is not surprising as the trend around the world suggests there is increasing interest in this renewable form of energy that is ecofriendly.
In its national energy action plan released recently, the Indian government highlighted the importance of solar energy and set targets to increase the generation of solar thermal power significantly to 1000MW a year.
To date the Indian government is said to have received proposals from businesses adding up to investments worth $16bn to manufacture solar- power technologies.
The sense of urgency in India to develop solar energy is aptly expressed by industrialist Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, who feels that India still has a timid and incremental policy support.
Writing in The Times of India on this issue recently, he sees the development of solar energy as the next big step in India’s industrial development and argues that even though the government is taking the steps in the right direction, this was still not enough.
“This is a step in the right direction, but is this the best that can be done? Thinking small would be tragic, given that the world’s most abundant energy resource bestows itself generously over most of our country.”
Mahindra suggests that the solar thermal electricity generation (STEG) technologies be implemented in a very big way because they are cheaper and a cleaner way of producing energy.
“If we focus our policy support on scale and commercialisation we can attract private-public partnerships. We put all plans on a fast track and become the STEG technology leaders and suppliers to the world. And get ourselves plenty of energy into the bargain.
“Other countries, many of which receive half the sunlight we get, are taking the lead in commercialising solar power technologies successfully.
“Germany is becoming the largest photovoltaic (PV) market in the world.
“The US and Spain are hot spots in the global STEG market. All this is due to policy and incentive support,” he writes.

[RobbieN30]

...
“Other countries, many of which receive half the sunlight we get, are taking the lead in commercialising solar power technologies successfully.
“Germany is becoming the largest photovoltaic (PV) market in the world.
“The US and Spain are hot spots in the global STEG market. All this is due to policy and incentive support,” he writes.

Very informative article here. And yes, using the resources most freely available to every unique country or location (with its own climate or geological characteristics) coupled with efficient energy use practices with least toxic waste emission is the best way to go.

Solar power may work for a lot of tropical countries while wind generator plans work better for others.

[antowan]

I honestly do not know why anybody would wonder about it! We should focus all our money and attention on drawing power from the sun! And it should be decentralized! Every home should manage their own power needs by managing their own solar power drawn from their roof and other surfaces. It would be a tragedy if solar power generation is still centralised in big corporate power utilities. Their time has com and gone.... If it turns out otherwise we should realise that our governments see us as nothing but money growing sheep...

[FNfal]

This technology was sold to the Germans WTF
The technology was researched and developed in South Africa, the patent was filed in 2003, and from 2004 to 2006 an innovation pilot facility was constructed at the UJ.
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/art...ead-2009-10-12

[Sinbad]

Solar is still way out of reach for the average household.
I was quoted 50k to take just my pool pump off grid.

[B.O.F.H.]

Its all the damn batteries and such that screw the average oke over....

I guestimated that to take my house off the grid entirely would cost in excess of R300k... ... no bloody chance I'm dropping that kind of investment on a R1m house...

[noxibox]

The huge cost is why it is more likely to be implemented along similar lines to current power generation.

Its all the damn batteries and such that screw the average oke over....

I guestimated that to take my house off the grid entirely would cost in excess of R300k... ... no bloody chance I'm dropping that kind of investment on a R1m house...

On top of that the batteries wear out.

[wily me]

This technology was sold to the Germans WTF
The technology was researched and developed in South Africa, the patent was filed in 2003, and from 2004 to 2006 an innovation pilot facility was constructed at the UJ.
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/art...ead-2009-10-12

The SA elite in Escum and Government was not interested to invest in the product, so Germany got the bonus deal.

[MickeyD]

Its all the damn batteries and such that screw the average oke over....

I guestimated that to take my house off the grid entirely would cost in excess of R300k... ... no bloody chance I'm dropping that kind of investment on a R1m house...

I do not think they are referring to smaller household installations.

[antowan]

The huge cost is why it is more likely to be implemented along similar lines to current power generation.


On top of that the batteries wear out.

Isn't it artificially high though? I cannot believe that this tech is so damned expensive still...

[Madman88]

Isn't it artificially high though? I cannot believe that this tech is so damned expensive still...

the buzz in the battery industry in that we will be seeing cheaper and more efficient solar panels in the next year.

weather its sales reps looking for something to talk about or if its fact time will tell.

My gut feeling is that if it is true it will be either suppressed, prices artificially inflated or taxed to crap.

[Windpomp]

Its all the damn batteries and such that screw the average oke over....

I guestimated that to take my house off the grid entirely would cost in excess of R300k... ... no bloody chance I'm dropping that kind of investment on a R1m house...

we where quoted R 180 K with a 37KW inverter just did not have the money left over after the new house would be complete

and funny enough its a product from Germany with 20 yr guarantee

[biometrics]

I'm all for solar electricity, in fact I have a 85W panel, 95Ah battery and two 200W sine wave invertors.

See the problem?

Batteries ... You need to store the energy. Batteries don't last so domestic solar electricity is pretty dirty actually.

[Windpomp]

I'm all for solar electricity, in fact I have a 85W panel, 95Ah battery and two 200W sine wave invertors.

See the problem?

Batteries ... You need to store the energy. Batteries don't last so domestic solar electricity is pretty dirty actually.

would have looked like this

[Madman88]

I'm all for solar electricity, in fact I have a 85W panel, 95Ah battery and two 200W sine wave invertors.

See the problem?

Batteries ... You need to store the energy. Batteries don't last so domestic solar electricity is pretty dirty actually.

Everything in a battery is recyclable, and in SA we recycle everything! So not really as dirty as you would think, as you are required to give your old battery in for recycling when you buy a new one or pay a surcharge.
The main issue is with the imports that don't care about the surcharge, or if they do, they sell them to a lead smelter that is not green.

But yea, the storage part of the system is by far the most costly part of the process. There are new kinds of batteries coming out now with a higher cycling rate than ever before. While these batteries are designed for Stop/Start technology, they are also ideal for solar applications. Theyre still quite a bit more expensive than standard batteries tho, but the price will drop as demand increases.

You have to be careful what kind of battery you buy for your solar application, standard car/truck batteries are designed for massive output over a shallow cycle. Thats what you need to start a car or truck. They need to be charged almost immediately by the alternator. Everytime your car battery goes flat you risk damaging it and you shorten the life considerably. Cycling batteries on the other hand are designed to steadily output power over a +- 70% cycle. then they can be fully recharged with no adverse effects.
Even these batteries should not be discharged below 30% or you risk damaging it.

Dont EVER by a battery that says "Deep Cycle" on it. There is no such thing as a deep cycle battery that you can pick up without a forklift.