Solar energy, universally applicable.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Solar Future.
The first major solar energy conference of this century in the Netherlands took place on April 22, 2009 in Rotterdam: The Solar Future. This day was organized by Johan Trip and Edwin Koot of Solar Plaza.
Solar Plaza has fifteen years experience in the international market for solar energy. It has many major international solar energy conference organized by others in the U.S., China, India, Spain and Germany.
However, it was bitter need to agree a date to be organized in the Netherlands, because our country is hopelessly behind in terms of the use of solar energy. In vain were invitations to people from the public sent. They had to default on the grounds that The Solar Future conference a commercial would happen and it was not desirable as members of the public present.
It was a beautiful day with a hopeful number of impressive speakers such as the charismatic Hermann Scheer and very driven professor Wim Sinke
The turnout was great and the day came to me as a business meeting, but rather as a day focused on our future and that of future generations. There were a number of Dutch solar energy entrepreneurs, most of which operate internationally, to present their experiences to tell.
For an overall impression of the contents of the solar energy conference ga I have a number of important issues summarize.
I would like to discuss the world situation in terms of our energy future and how the current look.
Then I explain what is solar energy.
In my speech I will especially Hermann Scheer and Wim Sinke quote. Also, I have a few successful Dutch entrepreneurs mention and explain why Ireland is so behind in the solar energy revolution.
The situation in which our world is: oil dependence, finite energy supplies and climate change.
Our entire civilization depends on energy. Our society would collapse if all together there would be no more energy. Pull the plug from the power supply and our houses are not heated, our cars, trucks and aircraft are quiet, there is a lot less food production (including fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides have oil as raw material) and food is no longer in consumers. Even things that seem trivial such an emergency, such as jeans or a few trainers can no longer be made.
Humanity would be subject to famines, wars and chaos.
The availability of oil (such as the nineteenth century the century of coal has been the twentieth century was the century of oil) there is a huge increase in food production possible, and as a result, our population has grown explosively.
A world that runs on fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) is a world without a future.
The fossil fuels while we become a wholly dependent upon them. By law there is also sometimes spoken of an oil addiction.
The knife cut even on both sides. Except that the stocks run out, they also consumed much faster. China and India are an enormous economic growth and are large consumers of fossil fuel stocks. Except that luxury goods such as cars, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and microwave ovens introduced in China and India, will also take the meat consumption when people have more money to spend.
Besides the fact that the knife cuts both ways because the stocks are finite and the energy of the world grows, is even the sword of Damocles over our head: the oil are not evenly distributed around the world and this gives the owners it very much power. The Middle East and Russia are major players and are increasingly important. Now this is not the most stable areas on the earth, and this global friction.
As if all this still not disastrous enough, the soil we have in a different way under the feet swept away. We suffer through the use of fossil fuel pollution and climate change. Even if the opinions are divided, most scientists consider it highly likely that a large part of climate change resulting from the use of fossil fuels and associated emissions of CO2.
The world is currently eighty percent for fossil fuels and the Netherlands even more than ninety percent.
Actually we have already in my eyes no choice, but the very need to switch to renewable energy.
Sustainable energy
There are different definitions of what sustainable energy, but really it comes down to sustainable energy sources which are not run down and not pollute our environment. Solar energy and wind energy, but also biofuels (made from biomass) and geothermal energy (the gain of heat from the earth) are forms of renewable energy. Wind, hydro and biomass are also known as indirect solar energy the (There were, as the solar energy via a detour).
There is direct solar energy as the sunlight is converted directly into heat or electricity.
This category can be divided into passive solar energy (sunlight that falls within buildings and used for heating and lighting) and active solar energy (solar water heaters) and photovoltaic solar energy or simply PV (Photo Voltaic to the English). PV is a step in sunlight that is converted into electricity.
The term is used for solar installations that convert sunlight into heat and the word is used for solar panel installations that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Simply put, this is as follows. The absorption of light (photons) are released electrons which can move.
When these electrons move positively charged holes they leave behind. The operation of the solar cell is due to the separation of electrons and holes. There is a negative voltage with front and back with a positive voltage (or vice versa). Where and rear are connected create an electric current. In this way solar cells to sunlight into electricity.
There are several types of solar cells: the thin-film solar cells and solar cells made from crystalline silicon paste.
Thin-film solar cells can be made of three materials. One is derived from the silicon solar panels and the other two consist of Cadmium Telluride and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (these are heavy metals more efficiently convert sunlight into electricity).
(Note: Opinions are divided as regards the sustainability of nuclear energy. Some experts believe it is a sustainable form of energy and others not. The stock of uranium is finite, and nuclear energy produces radioactive waste safely away what safeguards should be.
These would be two reasons for non-nuclear forms of renewable energy to share.)
Hermann Scheer
In Germany, the development of large-scale solar addressed. Dr. Hermann Scheer, SPD politician has created a subsidy for one hundred thousand solar panels on roofs. He has a number of laws known as the Feed-In Tariff Laws. These laws are electricity companies in Germany required to incorporate renewable power by wind turbines or solar panels of citizens is generated. By Hermann Scheer, the subsidy in Germany much more lucrative and more stable than in our country. Until 2023, the citizen who has invested in solar panels on the roof guaranteed subsidy. The system of making money by producing clean electricity works excellent.
These developments in Germany show how important encouragement by the government.
Hermann Scheer has a lot of good care and during his speech, he knows the audience really excited to get.
He is often compared with Al Gore and indeed he possesses the same passion as Al Gore. But I personally feel a big difference between Al Gore and Hermann Scheer. The film "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore gave me a feeling of despondency, while the reading of Hermann Scheer in The Solar Future gave me hope.
Hermann Scheer course also mentioned climate change and the dangers of the use of conventional fuels which are increasingly restricted stock. He suggested, however, compared with solutions that go beyond cutting back on energy use.
The available everywhere clean solar energy would have a sense of freedom and autonomy can give, said Hermann Scheer. It would be the sense of nihilism which many now can eliminate suffering.
Old structures would be completely changed, because these structures do not work for a new system. Of course, those who now have much power because they were the owners of fossil fuels, not to jump to the switch to renewable energy and therefore, there are other people in need. Sun and wind are no private property and can be monopolized by anyone. We would trade a fuel switch to a technology trade. This is a change, but a good change is Hermann.
Sometimes people's view on technology that something valuable is if the technology is complex and expensive and it is this what the whole solar is not the case.
The technology is a simple and universally applicable.
According to Hermann Scheer is no reason to wait any longer to switch to renewable energy. It is Germany which has become a leader of solar energy. This country has the largest market for PV in the world. In Germany, every two days as many solar panels installed in the Netherlands in a whole year.
The Dutch government late opportunities.
Dennis Gieselaar.
Dennis Gieselaar is the President of the Solar PV section Holland and presented his vision of the Dutch solar energy policies in a concise and clear speech again.
Unlike Germany, the Netherlands is behind what the solar energy revolution.
Gieselaar Dennis believes that the Netherlands suffers from a lack of vision regarding solar energy. It is it not the citizens of this form of renewable energy just to see, but our government. The subsidy schemes fail properly. The jar with subsidies is far too small and within two days blank. Then there is only thirty percent of applications in the short term something done. The people in the other seventy percent of the applicants do not hear or not something, which creates unnecessary tijdsverspilling. Would be first people to install solar panels and then grant them guaranteed or long term. The arrangements are not based on continuity and that is precisely what a business like. People want guarantees and security. Netherlands, according to Dennis Gieselaar very fixated on control of the budget. The principle is to ensure massive stagnation in the market.
Wim Sinke.
Like Dennis Gieselaar Wim Sinke is also in favor of a faster development towards sustainable energy in the Netherlands.
Wim Sinke is the Dutch expert and professor of solar energy. For thirty years, he is doing here and he is very active in disseminating knowledge of this form of renewable energy.
At The Solar Future conference he held an emotional speech in which he several myths regarding solar energy invalidated.
Many people think that solar energy is only suitable for very sunny climates such as desert countries. This is an untruth. Everywhere, the sun, even during cloudy days the solar energy used. Obviously, a country with more sun hours more solar energy, but in a country like the Netherlands, the operation of solar energy well into reality. Netherlands gets about 1000_kWh/m2 per year to sunlight. This is a great offer. The problem lies in the large differences between summer and winter. We would therefore other sources of energy available to these differences can be contained and ultimately save energy.
A second myth is that solar energy is a small part of our energy needs could be covered. The opposite is true. In the middle of this century may be one third of the total energy supplied by solar energy.
It is also often thought that solar energy can not compete with other forms of energy. Within ten years solar will be cheaper for consumers in the Netherlands than gray flow from the outlet in some countries already within a few years the case.
This is the term "grid parity" is used. It is the time when solar energy is cheaper than conventional energy. Grid parity (at the level of consumer prices) for the short term like the holy grail, though it is only a first step towards full competition on the width (also at the level of wholesale prices of electricity, for example).
Another myth is that PV needs a breakthrough while solar energy itself is the breakthrough. The technology is already there continuously improved. Why wait?
In a clear and clever speech know Sinke hall to enthuse and in clear language he explains how solar energy is the future.
Some success stories of Dutch people abroad.
Fortunately, there are plenty of Dutch international good performance as regards the fight against the emergency scenarios of energy shortages that are increasingly closer.
Jos van der Hyden.
Jos van der Hyden is Vice President of Business Development First Solar.
First Solar is a company with vision. It aims to reduce the cost of solar power as much as possible to get down. This focus has ensured that First Solar the world's lowest production costs for solar panels has. In 2009, it has a capacity of more than 1,000 MWp. Jos van der Hyden wants to ensure that PV is no longer the image will fill up time. If the cost of solar panels, but low enough, the grid parity achieved quickly and people are more dependent on subsidies.
First Solar late twenty-four hours per day year round machine turning thin film solar cells make.
Constant work is to further developments and the company is very good. First Solar is about 11.7 billion dollars worth.
Albert Jacks.
Albert Jacks is an assistant and advisor to the chairman of Good Energies.
The Brenninkmeijer family (from the store C & A) is investing through its investment company Good Energies in 13 solar energy, why SolarFun, Trina Solar and Q-Cells.
The speech of Albert Jacks is mainly driven and idealistic. It is wonderful to see how Good Energies many people out of their poverty have been achieved. The images that Albert showed a village in Ethiopia totally turned on and lived solar energy made much impression on the people in the room. The combination of working on a better future with sustainable energy and as far as possible people to human dignity is fantastic.
Conclusion.
We live in exciting times in the negative sense. Our earth is polluted and plundered. The world runs on fossil fuels run out and ensure growth in the greenhouse.
Even the superpowers China and India by advancing their economies growing consumers of the already limited supplies of oil and gas and the highly polluting coal. Politically, the world is not a stable equilibrium and those who possess the oil have much power that they can abuse.
Gloort Yet there is hope on the horizon. Renewable energies, including solar energy are the solution. Fortunately, the global sales of PV systems with more than one hundred percent growth last year. The grid parity is expected within three years in southern Europe and then also in the north countries achieved this important milestone.
Except that the environment is spared, renewable energies give a guarantee that they will not run out.
The future can look bright when steps are taken to the doomsday scenarios of oil depletion, famine and war.
The era of wait and pretend we have a choice to make is over. It is not a matter of choice whether or not we need to switch to renewable energy, it is a necessity.
Sources:
Home - The Solar Future (website of the organizers of the conference).
Energy research Centre of the Netherlands: ECN (website of Prof. Dr. Wim Sinke)
The struggle for power. How the growing hunger for oil and gas crisis in the world collapsed.
Roy on the field.
Business Contact 2008.
Amsterdam.
Energy Revolution
Solutions for finite resources, political dependence and climate change.
Jos Wassink.
Veen Magazine 2007
Diemen.
Irma Ellen Maat. This article was published in July 2009 Spiegelbeeld.
Read also: Interview of Prof. Wim Sinke, by Irma Ellen Maat on solar energy
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Solar Future.
The first major solar energy conference of this century in the Netherlands took place on April 22, 2009 in Rotterdam: The Solar Future. This day was organized by Johan Trip and Edwin Koot of Solar Plaza.
Solar Plaza has fifteen years experience in the international market for solar energy. It has many major international solar energy conference organized by others in the U.S., China, India, Spain and Germany.
However, it was bitter need to agree a date to be organized in the Netherlands, because our country is hopelessly behind in terms of the use of solar energy. In vain were invitations to people from the public sent. They had to default on the grounds that The Solar Future conference a commercial would happen and it was not desirable as members of the public present.
It was a beautiful day with a hopeful number of impressive speakers such as the charismatic Hermann Scheer and very driven professor Wim Sinke
The turnout was great and the day came to me as a business meeting, but rather as a day focused on our future and that of future generations. There were a number of Dutch solar energy entrepreneurs, most of which operate internationally, to present their experiences to tell.
For an overall impression of the contents of the solar energy conference ga I have a number of important issues summarize.
I would like to discuss the world situation in terms of our energy future and how the current look.
Then I explain what is solar energy.
In my speech I will especially Hermann Scheer and Wim Sinke quote. Also, I have a few successful Dutch entrepreneurs mention and explain why Ireland is so behind in the solar energy revolution.
The situation in which our world is: oil dependence, finite energy supplies and climate change.
Our entire civilization depends on energy. Our society would collapse if all together there would be no more energy. Pull the plug from the power supply and our houses are not heated, our cars, trucks and aircraft are quiet, there is a lot less food production (including fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides have oil as raw material) and food is no longer in consumers. Even things that seem trivial such an emergency, such as jeans or a few trainers can no longer be made.
Humanity would be subject to famines, wars and chaos.
The availability of oil (such as the nineteenth century the century of coal has been the twentieth century was the century of oil) there is a huge increase in food production possible, and as a result, our population has grown explosively.
A world that runs on fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) is a world without a future.
The fossil fuels while we become a wholly dependent upon them. By law there is also sometimes spoken of an oil addiction.
The knife cut even on both sides. Except that the stocks run out, they also consumed much faster. China and India are an enormous economic growth and are large consumers of fossil fuel stocks. Except that luxury goods such as cars, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and microwave ovens introduced in China and India, will also take the meat consumption when people have more money to spend.
Besides the fact that the knife cuts both ways because the stocks are finite and the energy of the world grows, is even the sword of Damocles over our head: the oil are not evenly distributed around the world and this gives the owners it very much power. The Middle East and Russia are major players and are increasingly important. Now this is not the most stable areas on the earth, and this global friction.
As if all this still not disastrous enough, the soil we have in a different way under the feet swept away. We suffer through the use of fossil fuel pollution and climate change. Even if the opinions are divided, most scientists consider it highly likely that a large part of climate change resulting from the use of fossil fuels and associated emissions of CO2.
The world is currently eighty percent for fossil fuels and the Netherlands even more than ninety percent.
Actually we have already in my eyes no choice, but the very need to switch to renewable energy.
Sustainable energy
There are different definitions of what sustainable energy, but really it comes down to sustainable energy sources which are not run down and not pollute our environment. Solar energy and wind energy, but also biofuels (made from biomass) and geothermal energy (the gain of heat from the earth) are forms of renewable energy. Wind, hydro and biomass are also known as indirect solar energy the (There were, as the solar energy via a detour).
There is direct solar energy as the sunlight is converted directly into heat or electricity.
This category can be divided into passive solar energy (sunlight that falls within buildings and used for heating and lighting) and active solar energy (solar water heaters) and photovoltaic solar energy or simply PV (Photo Voltaic to the English). PV is a step in sunlight that is converted into electricity.
The term is used for solar installations that convert sunlight into heat and the word is used for solar panel installations that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Simply put, this is as follows. The absorption of light (photons) are released electrons which can move.
When these electrons move positively charged holes they leave behind. The operation of the solar cell is due to the separation of electrons and holes. There is a negative voltage with front and back with a positive voltage (or vice versa). Where and rear are connected create an electric current. In this way solar cells to sunlight into electricity.
There are several types of solar cells: the thin-film solar cells and solar cells made from crystalline silicon paste.
Thin-film solar cells can be made of three materials. One is derived from the silicon solar panels and the other two consist of Cadmium Telluride and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (these are heavy metals more efficiently convert sunlight into electricity).
(Note: Opinions are divided as regards the sustainability of nuclear energy. Some experts believe it is a sustainable form of energy and others not. The stock of uranium is finite, and nuclear energy produces radioactive waste safely away what safeguards should be.
These would be two reasons for non-nuclear forms of renewable energy to share.)
Hermann Scheer
In Germany, the development of large-scale solar addressed. Dr. Hermann Scheer, SPD politician has created a subsidy for one hundred thousand solar panels on roofs. He has a number of laws known as the Feed-In Tariff Laws. These laws are electricity companies in Germany required to incorporate renewable power by wind turbines or solar panels of citizens is generated. By Hermann Scheer, the subsidy in Germany much more lucrative and more stable than in our country. Until 2023, the citizen who has invested in solar panels on the roof guaranteed subsidy. The system of making money by producing clean electricity works excellent.
These developments in Germany show how important encouragement by the government.
Hermann Scheer has a lot of good care and during his speech, he knows the audience really excited to get.
He is often compared with Al Gore and indeed he possesses the same passion as Al Gore. But I personally feel a big difference between Al Gore and Hermann Scheer. The film "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore gave me a feeling of despondency, while the reading of Hermann Scheer in The Solar Future gave me hope.
Hermann Scheer course also mentioned climate change and the dangers of the use of conventional fuels which are increasingly restricted stock. He suggested, however, compared with solutions that go beyond cutting back on energy use.
The available everywhere clean solar energy would have a sense of freedom and autonomy can give, said Hermann Scheer. It would be the sense of nihilism which many now can eliminate suffering.
Old structures would be completely changed, because these structures do not work for a new system. Of course, those who now have much power because they were the owners of fossil fuels, not to jump to the switch to renewable energy and therefore, there are other people in need. Sun and wind are no private property and can be monopolized by anyone. We would trade a fuel switch to a technology trade. This is a change, but a good change is Hermann.
Sometimes people's view on technology that something valuable is if the technology is complex and expensive and it is this what the whole solar is not the case.
The technology is a simple and universally applicable.
According to Hermann Scheer is no reason to wait any longer to switch to renewable energy. It is Germany which has become a leader of solar energy. This country has the largest market for PV in the world. In Germany, every two days as many solar panels installed in the Netherlands in a whole year.
The Dutch government late opportunities.
Dennis Gieselaar.
Dennis Gieselaar is the President of the Solar PV section Holland and presented his vision of the Dutch solar energy policies in a concise and clear speech again.
Unlike Germany, the Netherlands is behind what the solar energy revolution.
Gieselaar Dennis believes that the Netherlands suffers from a lack of vision regarding solar energy. It is it not the citizens of this form of renewable energy just to see, but our government. The subsidy schemes fail properly. The jar with subsidies is far too small and within two days blank. Then there is only thirty percent of applications in the short term something done. The people in the other seventy percent of the applicants do not hear or not something, which creates unnecessary tijdsverspilling. Would be first people to install solar panels and then grant them guaranteed or long term. The arrangements are not based on continuity and that is precisely what a business like. People want guarantees and security. Netherlands, according to Dennis Gieselaar very fixated on control of the budget. The principle is to ensure massive stagnation in the market.
Wim Sinke.
Like Dennis Gieselaar Wim Sinke is also in favor of a faster development towards sustainable energy in the Netherlands.
Wim Sinke is the Dutch expert and professor of solar energy. For thirty years, he is doing here and he is very active in disseminating knowledge of this form of renewable energy.
At The Solar Future conference he held an emotional speech in which he several myths regarding solar energy invalidated.
Many people think that solar energy is only suitable for very sunny climates such as desert countries. This is an untruth. Everywhere, the sun, even during cloudy days the solar energy used. Obviously, a country with more sun hours more solar energy, but in a country like the Netherlands, the operation of solar energy well into reality. Netherlands gets about 1000_kWh/m2 per year to sunlight. This is a great offer. The problem lies in the large differences between summer and winter. We would therefore other sources of energy available to these differences can be contained and ultimately save energy.
A second myth is that solar energy is a small part of our energy needs could be covered. The opposite is true. In the middle of this century may be one third of the total energy supplied by solar energy.
It is also often thought that solar energy can not compete with other forms of energy. Within ten years solar will be cheaper for consumers in the Netherlands than gray flow from the outlet in some countries already within a few years the case.
This is the term "grid parity" is used. It is the time when solar energy is cheaper than conventional energy. Grid parity (at the level of consumer prices) for the short term like the holy grail, though it is only a first step towards full competition on the width (also at the level of wholesale prices of electricity, for example).
Another myth is that PV needs a breakthrough while solar energy itself is the breakthrough. The technology is already there continuously improved. Why wait?
In a clear and clever speech know Sinke hall to enthuse and in clear language he explains how solar energy is the future.
Some success stories of Dutch people abroad.
Fortunately, there are plenty of Dutch international good performance as regards the fight against the emergency scenarios of energy shortages that are increasingly closer.
Jos van der Hyden.
Jos van der Hyden is Vice President of Business Development First Solar.
First Solar is a company with vision. It aims to reduce the cost of solar power as much as possible to get down. This focus has ensured that First Solar the world's lowest production costs for solar panels has. In 2009, it has a capacity of more than 1,000 MWp. Jos van der Hyden wants to ensure that PV is no longer the image will fill up time. If the cost of solar panels, but low enough, the grid parity achieved quickly and people are more dependent on subsidies.
First Solar late twenty-four hours per day year round machine turning thin film solar cells make.
Constant work is to further developments and the company is very good. First Solar is about 11.7 billion dollars worth.
Albert Jacks.
Albert Jacks is an assistant and advisor to the chairman of Good Energies.
The Brenninkmeijer family (from the store C & A) is investing through its investment company Good Energies in 13 solar energy, why SolarFun, Trina Solar and Q-Cells.
The speech of Albert Jacks is mainly driven and idealistic. It is wonderful to see how Good Energies many people out of their poverty have been achieved. The images that Albert showed a village in Ethiopia totally turned on and lived solar energy made much impression on the people in the room. The combination of working on a better future with sustainable energy and as far as possible people to human dignity is fantastic.
Conclusion.
We live in exciting times in the negative sense. Our earth is polluted and plundered. The world runs on fossil fuels run out and ensure growth in the greenhouse.
Even the superpowers China and India by advancing their economies growing consumers of the already limited supplies of oil and gas and the highly polluting coal. Politically, the world is not a stable equilibrium and those who possess the oil have much power that they can abuse.
Gloort Yet there is hope on the horizon. Renewable energies, including solar energy are the solution. Fortunately, the global sales of PV systems with more than one hundred percent growth last year. The grid parity is expected within three years in southern Europe and then also in the north countries achieved this important milestone.
Except that the environment is spared, renewable energies give a guarantee that they will not run out.
The future can look bright when steps are taken to the doomsday scenarios of oil depletion, famine and war.
The era of wait and pretend we have a choice to make is over. It is not a matter of choice whether or not we need to switch to renewable energy, it is a necessity.
Sources:
Home - The Solar Future (website of the organizers of the conference).
Energy research Centre of the Netherlands: ECN (website of Prof. Dr. Wim Sinke)
The struggle for power. How the growing hunger for oil and gas crisis in the world collapsed.
Roy on the field.
Business Contact 2008.
Amsterdam.
Energy Revolution
Solutions for finite resources, political dependence and climate change.
Jos Wassink.
Veen Magazine 2007
Diemen.
Irma Ellen Maat. This article was published in July 2009 Spiegelbeeld.
Read also: Interview of Prof. Wim Sinke, by Irma Ellen Maat on solar energy
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