2060: Solar Could Power Half the World's Energy

Can you picture what life will be like in the year 2060? Is it the same futuristic landscape that people imagined in 1960 for the year 2010? It's probably likely that everyone will have a hybrid car rather than a flying car, but more than 50% our energy could come from solar electricity san diego and other natural resources.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 50 years at least half of the world could be powered by solar energy san diego photovoltaic and solar thermal power plants. This hopeful forecast beat out the previous one that projected that we would be running on 21% by 2050. Leaning harder toward the use of solar energy in the next 50 years is intended to wean us of our use of expensive fossil fuels. In turn this will greatly reduce the amount of carbon waste being released into the atmosphere - a projected savings of 27 gigatons.

According to the senior analyst of IEA, Cedric Philibert, "Photovoltaic and concentrated solar power together can become the major source of electricity," he told Bloomberg, "You'll have a lot more electricity than today but most of it will be produced by solar-electric technologies." A more in-depth statement will be released in early September when Philibert speaks at the ISES Solar World Congress in Kassel, Germany.

¡Vamos España! Powering Spain With Concentrated Solar Plants

The country recognized for its emblematic black Osborne bull seen on its vast landscapes will soon be known for solar plants that will dot the countryside as well. 61 concentrated solar thermal plants are proposed to provide solar power san diego to all of Spain by 2014.

Protermosolar, or the Spanish Association of Solar Thermal Industry, has deemed it possible to supply solar electricity san diego to the entire country with the use of concentrated solar plants. Concentrated solar thermal power plants utilize lenses or mirrors to direct sunlight toward an array of photovoltaic panels. The light is converted into heat which powers a generator.

Currently, there are about 21 plants already in operation and about 26 in construction. The plan to add 14 more was approved by the Ministry of Industry. The majority of the solar thermal plants are or will be located in the south of Spain, especially concentrated in the provinces of Bajadoz, Sevilla and in Ciudad Real. In 2014, the different plants will be connected to the power grid and will be producing 7.3 gigawatts of energy per year and will hopefully eliminate 3.4 tons of CO2 emissions.

U.S. Army Combats Energy Costs By Implementing Solar

The U.S. Army is planning on making their their energy source match the color of their fatigues: green. Last week, Army secretary John McHugh announced they are launching a new Energy Initiatives Office Task Force at the GovEnergy Conference. The Task Force will plan large-scale solar energy san diego projects generating an estimated total of 2.1 million megawatt hours per year. The solar installations will supply power to military facilities and bases within the continental U.S..

Due to the high cost of fossil fuels, the Army has choosen to take the steps to implement renewable energy. Their concern is to ensure that the facilities have available energy at all times and can run operations seamlessly. Even in the midst of a grid power outage or natural disaster, they will still have solar hot water san diego and electricity available to them. The task force should be up for operation by September 15th next month and the goal is to be reliant on 25% solar and renewable energy by the year 2025. Being that the project is about a $7.1 million endeavor, the Task Force will be turning to outside, private investors for support to help the Army with their environmentally-friendly mission. At the GovEnergy Conference, McHugh stated "The Energy Initiatives Office Task Force will help the Army build resilience through renewable energy while streamlining our business practices so developers can invest in and build an economically viable, large-scale renewable energy infrastructure."

Blowin' In the Wind: How Wind Power Works

Did you know that Solaire Energy Systems also installs wind turbines? For more information about how you can turn your back yard into your own wind farm, call 800-847-7751.

Wind power, unlike photovoltaic panels, has been a source of energy and irrigation since long before modern times, dating back to 3000 B.C.. The rise in solar systems san diego and green energy have brought wind energy back into the limelight recently. You may have seen wind farms on long road trips but probably never really gave a second thought about how they work.

Wind power is a renewable, natural resource like solar electricity san diego. Wind turbines are simple mechanisms composed of a rotor blade, a shaft and a generator. As wind blows through the wind farm, it gets blocked by the rotor blades and forces them to rotate. The rotor blades are connected to the shaft that spins as the rotor spins and is connected to a generator at the base of the turbine, like the alternator in a car. As we all learned in middle school science class: friction creates electric voltage. Like solar, it can be immediately used or be stored and returned back to the grid. Green energy tax incentives are available for wind installations - information for your state can be found on DSIRE's site.