You can call this a celestial show on earth or probably the most eco-friendly display of dazzling light aimed at producing clean energy.

The Solucar solar park, near Seville, Spain, has been designed to produce 11 megawatts of electricity from the sun’s rays, collected by 624 giant movable mirrors. This is the first in a set of a solar power generation plants that will produce a whooping 300 megawatts of electricity by 2013, making it a project with potential that matches its visual spectacle and grandeur.

The project works by bringing together some very simple principles of physics. It uses giant mirrors to concentrate solar energy o to a tall tower. With Seville having bright and clear weather for over 320 days a year, the 624 moving mirrors would have enough sunlight to reflect.

Also, the tower uses water that is converted to steam which produces energy by the known method of rotating turbines. The giant solar light show in Seville is yet another demonstration of how the world is progressively discovering grand new ways to use renewable energy to the fullest.

Remember Renfe’s AVE S103? Spain is doing incredible progress to become sustainable.

Source: DailyMail

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Solar energy is without a shadow of a doubt, the leader when it comes to renewable energy sources. It seems that the State of California is assuming the mantle of being the new “Sunshine State” in the US with its amazing progress in utilizing solar energy to the optimum level. Even the economic meltdown that hit the country so hard seems to have been a lot kinder to California’s solar march into the future, as it showing no signs of stopping.

Designed by Ausra in mere seven months, the Kimberlina Solar Thermal Plant is the first of its kind in North America. It was built using an array of solar-thermal panels that use a technology called Compact Linear Fresnel Reflectors, that revolutionizes the traditional notion of solar power. With the Fresnel principle, solar energy is converted into thermal energy and that heat is used to turn water into steam. The working from there on is pretty common with the steam producing electrical energy by rotating the turbines.

The plant will utilize 1,000-foot long mirrors to enhance the process and produce 5MW of electricity when at full capacity.

The Bakersfield plant is also a testing prototype for a future 177MW facility set to open in 2010 in San Luis Obispo that will power more than 120,000 homes. For something so grand and involving solar power, it had to be Arnold who cut the ribbon and so he did.

The future sure looks sunny and bright for California! Check out more pictures after the break. (more…)

I don’t know if this is spelled right or wrong but it looks to me like somebody lost their backside. Not so. A hinny is a cross between a stallion and a female donkey. Two of them were found at a golf course in Primghar, Iowa.

The sheriff’s office is looking for the owner of the two unusual four-legged creatures found wandering around. The deputy’s offices corralled the pair and took them a city pasture. But, nobody is claiming the hinnies. It’s believed that the animals were abandoned because of tough financial times.

Truthfully, am I the only one who has never heard of a hinny? I wonder, what other cross-breed animals there are that I haven’t heard of. Teach me, please. Ligers…and, well, I can’t think of others.

It’s good to know the maker has a sense of humor, isn’t it? What was it Spielberg said, “Life will find a way.” A way to make us laugh, eh?

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

The world’s economy may be taking a hit, but solar-cell-related business is still on the up and Japanese companies know this well. Four such companies are increasing the output of their contribution to the solar-cell industry.

Mitsui Chemicals produces a sealant film to prevent solar cells from cracking. The firm will raise its annual production of the film from 9,000 tons to 20,000 tons.

Bridgestone, which together with Mitsui Chemicals, owns 30% of the global market for the film will triple its output capacity at one of its plants.

Toray Industries “will increase output of PET plastic film used in solar panel backsheets that prevent electronics components from weathering.” Toray has a majority of the global share. The company will raise its monthly output from 400 tons to 1,000 tons.

Teijin will invest ¥500 million to double production capacity of the PET plastic film to 600 tons a month.

Good business, bad business, these Japanese companies know where to make money and make the world a better place. We salute them all!

Source: Nikkei (sub needed) and Image copyright reiner.kraft

Pope Benedict has become the first ever Pontiff to be using solar power as an energy source for the Vatican. The Pope VI auditorium, which is used by the Pope to meet the pilgrims in bad weather conditions, will have 2,700 solar panels replacing the original roofs.

The $1.5 million panels were gifted to the Pope by a Bonn-based company called Solar World and according to its engineers, these photovoltaic panels will trap solar power to generate enough electricity to light, heat or cool the 6,600 seat auditorium.

Pope Benedict XVI, ever since he was elected in 2005, has been against the excessive use of power resources. He has the notion that this environment hazard is making the lives of poor people miserable.

The small “plant” will cut down on 200 tons of carbon dioxide which is equivalent to 70 tons of oil, and when the hall is not being used, the power will be stored in the Vatican’s power network. We’ll throw in a white ball for the Pope and his green initiatives. – via BBC.co.uk

TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co) will build two solar power plants on the waterfront in Kawasaki, Kanagawa (near Yokohama), that will have a capability of producing some 20,000kw – enough energy for 5,900 households. That’s great news, only 24,994,100 households to go. TEPCO’s investment will come to about Y10B ($100 million).

Solar power wind turbine lampost in Tokyo, Japan

The solar panels will cover some 30 hectares at two landfills and construction starts next year and will be finished within two years. Overall, the plant will reduce carbon emissions by 8,900 tons and TEPCO has similar plans for plants in other parts of Japan.

Meanwhile – KEPCO ( Kansai Electric Power Co.) and Sharp Corp. are jointly building a 28,000kw solar power facility in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, that’s going to be two times smaller.

Source (subscription required) – Image courtesy of Howard.Gees

Nature - an energy-capturing powerhouse

A London-based company, Solar Botanic, claims to have developed life-like artificial plants and trees that have the ability to trap solar and wind power. The prominent feature of these plants is the ‘Nano Leaf‘ which can harness these powers.

Its photovoltaic and thermo voltaic cells absorb the sun’s energy while the branches produce electricity whenever the wind brings movement in them. According to the company’s calculations, an average-sized tree with a 6sq meter canopy can produce reasonable energy to suffice a single household.

The company also plans to use this energy to power motorways, suburban streets and parks and everywhere else that trees can be planted. What lies in future for this invention is yet a distant thought? Since Solar Botanic has not divulged much of its plans, we will just have to watch for its developments. – via CleanTechnica

Nano-leaf technology : Environmental Benefits

Solar cells which have been in use for sometime have a new generation of cells being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the Northern University. This new solar cell technology makes use of very minutely sliced silicon chips instead of the rigid plastic currently used in these cells.

The solar cells which are nearly a hundred times slimmer than the normal silicon chips are placed on a flexible surface making it convenient to be used on a curved surface or fabric.

The cells also use greatly competent single crystal silicon in place of the thin film solar cells that are already being manufactured by Sharp and Q-Cells.

These cells have been specifically designed to fulfill various functions, including being used as a solar skin on top of buildings and aircrafts or as large easy to roll sheets as well as a tinting film on sun roofs.

Although the costs of production have not yet been compared to its low usage of material, researchers are sure this brilliant new technology will over shadow its recent counterpart. – via CleanTechnica

Ah, this is something Japan knows how to do, and do well. Research.

Sharp Corp. Sanyo Electric Co. and 15 other companies has joined forces with Gifu University to conduct research on nanocrystalline silicon, a promising material for highly energy-efficient thin-film solar cells.

The consortium will

1. explore the nanocrystalline silicon as the next-generation photovoltaic material = solar cell. Japan is a leader in solar cells and wants to pull far ahead.
2. analyze the properties of nanocrystalline silicon
3. collect the kinds of basic data needed to develop solar cell materials
4. use a scanning probe microscopes to observe electron movements in the silicon when the material is exposed to light
5. study unknown phenomena taking place on the surface of the silicon thin film
6. create a device to use for quick, objective evaluations during the product development process.

In the end, cheaper and more efficiently made and higher quality products, if Japan does what Japan does best.

Image courtesy of brixton

Tokyo has its eyes on weaning electric, gas, and petroleum companies from fossil fuels. The Japanese government will require the big users to utilize certain amounts of nonfossil fuels – solar, hydraulic and nuclear power.

The goal is for the proportion of nonfossil fuels to be 30% of the total energy supplies in Japan by 2030. It was 18% in 2005. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will overhaul a 30 year old law to promote the development and use of nonpetroleum fuels.

Japan wants to:

1. stop relying on foreign oil

2. fight global warming

3. and to reduce dependence on natural gas, coal and other greenhouse gas generators.

Energy companies already are required to use solar and wind power. Under the new law, nuclear power will be a requirement as well. Which country will be the next to follow suit?