Solar Energy

The problems of rising prices of fuels such as oil and gas and the pollution they cause (air pollution) have led scientists to work on solar energy for future human use. About half of the sun’s energy is light, about half is infrared radiation (heat, energy, etc. in the rays), and very little ultraviolet radiation. In ancient China, Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, and Italy, solar energy was used to evaporate (turn into steam) salt water to obtain salt. Drying crops by the heat of the sun was also common. It was used to make wine in Chile (South America) in the 19th century. Into…

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Polls show that many voters in Britain’s most rural constituencies are concerned about climate change and support net zero and local renewables.

The poll, for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Union (ECIU) think tank, supports other polls showing Labor ahead of the Tories in traditional heartlands with 35 per cent of the vote.

This is down from 50 per cent in 2019, compared to 30 per cent for the Conservatives.

And it found that more than half (58 per cent) of voters in rural areas support new onshore wind in their local area, while 64 per cent support a solar farm, with higher levels of support among those switching from the Conservatives to Labour. .

But a survey of more than 2,000 people by More in Common found that those in the 30 most “highly rural” constituencies in England, Wales and Scotland think both main party leaders should show more respect for communities like them.

The poll polled people in seats including Rishi Sunak’s Richmond and Northallerton constituencies, former prime minister Liz Truss’ South West Norfolk seat and former Lib Dem leader Tim Farrow’s Westmoeland and Lonsdale.

It revealed that rural voters are more concerned about climate change and support net zero – the aim to end the UK’s contribution to global warming by reducing emissions to zero by 2050 – than the country as a whole.

Tory-to-Labor voters were more likely to support climate action – although fewer left the Conservatives in favor of British Reform.

Around three-quarters (73 per cent) of voters in rural areas are most concerned about climate change, with 70 per cent of people nationwide and 68 per cent in rural areas backing the UK’s net zero target. in a survey representative of the country as a whole.

Conservative voters who plan to support Labor in this election in 2019 are even more concerned about climate change (81 per cent) and more than three-quarters (77 per cent) support net zero.

Only 47 percent of reformers were concerned about climate change, while 44 percent supported net zero.

Rural communities have noticed the effects of climate change in their local area, with two-thirds (66 percent) seeing more frequent or severe flooding, and more than half (55 percent) experiencing crop damage from extreme weather.

The survey also found that more than three-quarters (78 per cent) would like to see government schemes to help farmers switch to eco-friendly practices – significantly higher than 59 per cent in the national sample.

Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of rural voters supported turning some farmland into nature reserves or forested areas to protect wildlife from flooding caused by climate change, and 60 percent supported such a move to protect people.

Eight in 10 people polled thought farmers should grow food sustainably to increase wildlife and reduce pollution, compared with one in 10 who thought they should grow food as cheaply as possible, even if it means food becomes more expensive.

It makes perfect sense that voters in most rural areas would show high levels of support for net zero when they first see the impacts of climate change on agriculture and wildlife.

Tom Lancaster, ECIU

The poll also had a caveat for party leaders, with only 21 per cent thinking Rishi Sunak “respects communities like mine”, while 56 per cent thought he did not.

Meanwhile, just over a quarter (26 per cent) thought Sir Keir Starmer respected communities like theirs, while 41 per cent did not.

Tom Lancaster, land, food and agriculture analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “It makes perfect sense that voters in most rural areas would show high levels of support for net zero when they first see the effects of climate change. of agriculture and wildlife and is often at higher risk of flooding.

“Sometimes characterized as less of a concern about climate change, this survey actually shows that rural residents see it as a major concern.

“Rather than being ‘blockers’, rural voters show strong support for policies needed to combat climate change, such as more funding for greener farming and renewable energy in their area.

“To win the respect of voters in these new constituencies, all political parties need a strong proposition on climate change and must be careful not to get on the wrong side of the debate with voters in these vital rural areas.” he said.

Representative image. Credit: Canva

Hamburg-based renewable energy firm Blue Elephant Energy GmbH (BEE) recently purchased an 11.7 MW photovoltaic (PV) park from German project developer F&S solar concept in August 2023. The park is located near the municipality of Binissalem in Majorca. , is currently being built by GOLDBECK SOLAR, a leading supplier of large-scale PV plant construction.

Scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2024, the park is expected to generate approximately 18,000 MWh of green electricity annually and serve more than 7,200 households in the region. This initiative is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by around 6,000 tonnes per year, a significant step forward in Mallorca’s energy transition efforts.

Tim Callas, Chief Investment Officer of Blue Elephant Energy GmbH, emphasized the strategic importance of the project and said: “Mallorca’s abundant sunshine makes it an ideal location for solar energy. “Our 12 MWp PV system will contribute to reducing the island’s dependence on fossil fuels.” He further highlighted the joint efforts with partners F&S solar concept and GOLDBECK SOLAR, expanding their Iberian portfolio to 262 MW.

Georg Schmiedel, managing director of F&S solar concept GmbH, emphasized the importance of the project in solving energy transition problems on the island. “We are pleased to contribute to Mallorca’s sustainable energy transition through the development of the Binissalem solar park,” he said, highlighting the fruitful collaboration with Blue Elephant Energy GmbH.

The project represents a significant milestone in the development of renewable energy infrastructure in Mallorca and highlights the commitment of industry stakeholders to promote sustainable energy solutions.

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In this undated photo, surface mining is underway on a 2,700-acre site in Clearfield County, PA, where the state’s largest solar array could be built. (Swift Current Energy)

The federal government is offering up to $90 million to a renewable energy developer to build Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm on 2,700 acres of reclaimed coal mining land along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

Located in north-central Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County, about 20 miles from State College, the $800 million Mineral Basin Solar Project will generate 402 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 70,000 homes.

At the same time, the project can be a valuable model for other state and federal initiatives.

In recent years, there has been a broad push in Pennsylvania to repurpose the state’s abandoned and reclaimed mine lands for renewable energy.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Mineral Basin Solar Project by Boston-based Swift Current Energy is intended as a prototype that can be replicated in existing and former mining communities across the country. A grant under the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Also, the Biden administration’s new Justice40 Initiative seeks to direct 40% of the benefits from federal clean energy and climate investments to disadvantaged regions—in this case, declining coal mining communities. About $20 million of the project costs will go toward employee training and community benefits.

Under the project proposal, the developer would partner with local community colleges and other educational institutions to provide job training or retraining for residents in communities across 27 counties in Pennsylvania and New York.

If built, the solar project would boost Pennsylvania’s relatively poor track record of renewable energy adoption, but none of the electricity it produces would power Pennsylvania homes.

This reclaimed mine site in Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County could be home to the state’s largest solar array. The West Branch of the Susquehanna River is visible in the distance. (Swift Current Energy)

Fast current energy

All electricity has been reserved for 20 years by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to meet its commitment to reach 70% renewable energy by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2040. This is the state’s largest investment in renewable energy. .

The project was one of five selected from 98 applicants that DOE selected to receive up to $475 million in funding to accelerate clean energy development on mine lands. Applicants must meet various technical and public benefit standards along the way to receive their money.

Other projects slated for infrastructure funding will develop geothermal heat and battery storage at copper mines in Arizona; creating a pumped hydroelectric project in a coal mine in Kentucky; building a solar farm and battery storage at gold mines in Nevada; and build a utility-scale solar farm in coal mines in West Virginia.

The mostly open field in Clearfield County, PA sits along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and was mined until about 24 years ago. A waste coal-fired power plant was once planned there, but never materialized.

Permits for the solar project have been filed through Girard and Goshen Townships and Clearfield County, though more are needed. There were no objections from the residents at the public meetings held regarding the project.

“I’ve been saying this for years. We were a coal economy and we need to move to a clean, green society like everyone else. It’s a big step,” said Clearfield County Commissioner John Glass, who grew up in the area. “I can’t think of a better use of this land than green energy. This is a good project at a good time.”

During the application process, Democratic US Senator Robert Casey sent a letter to the DOE requesting funding for the project. “If successful,” he wrote, “this project could bring the potential of a green energy economy to the coal fields that power our nation’s industrial growth.”

The proposal also pleases the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, a nonprofit that works with state agencies to make mine lands a priority for clean energy deployment. Pennsylvania has approximately 352,000 acres of mine land suitable for grid-scale solar energy within 2.5 miles of a power substation.

“Such projects relieve pressure on the land [to be used for solar]”, said Robert E. Hughes, executive director of the coalition.

This is not a small idea. “If it replaced good farmland, we wouldn’t support it. But this is a reclaimed minefield in a remote area,” Glass noted.

The broad community benefits required to receive a federal grant can bolster local support, said Rob Swales, the economic development arm of Clearly Ahead Development, Clearfield County.

Swift Current Energy will provide $200,000 annually to the two townships and $1.1 million in annual tax revenue to the county, school district and local townships to support local community projects.

Swift is working with Clearly Head Development to help remove two low-head dams along the West Branch, part of a plan to create new paddling space and open nearly 100 miles of barrier-free river trails.

In addition to already being largely open and graded, the Mineral Basin site has a transmission line from a nearby closed coal-fired power plant. The land for the solar energy field will be leased for the expected 30-year operating period of the facility.

Plans are to grow a mix of native plants under solar panels to enrich the soil and attract insect pollinators. A spokeswoman for Swift said agrovoltaic options, such as farming or raising livestock, would also be explored.

In addition to the solar array, the developers are considering building a battery facility on a nearby property to store some of the electricity generated during the day, which will be distributed to the grid at night or when it’s most needed.

Since its founding in 2016, Swift Current Energy has built more than 2 gigawatts of utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage projects in the United States, primarily in Texas and Illinois. The company said it plans to build an additional 2,000 megawatts of solar, wind and battery storage projects on former mining land in Pennsylvania, enough to power about 344,000 homes.

Swift Energy officials said they want to start construction in 2025 and start generating electricity in 2027. The project will create six permanent jobs and approximately 750 construction jobs.

CEZ Group has developed a new solution to provide solar photovoltaics in unstable underground areas from the center of conveyor belts previously used in strip coal mines. Several piles of steel construction have already been placed in the reclaimed area near the Bilina mine in the north of the Czech Republic.

May 28, 2024 Patrick Jowett

Czech utility CEZ Group has developed a new solution for protecting solar panels in unstable underground areas such as landfills, tailings ponds and other uncertain areas.

It involves the use of the central part of the conveyor belts used in coal mines. Engineers at Prodeco, part of the CEZ Group, are developing prototypes using old mining equipment, particularly the steel structure that forms the central part of the belts.

“We used the central parts of the conveyor belts, which offer great advantages: they are strong because they are designed to work with heavy loads and they have side rails that are currently used for cross-country transport,” the company said.

Luboš Straka, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Proedco, said that the center sections of the conveyor belts offer great advantages because they are designed to handle heavy loads and have side rails that are currently used for cross-country transportation. “This makes these structures suitable for any unstable underground or environmentally loaded subsurface, as they rest only on the surface, are extremely stable and offer a non-invasive method of constructing photovoltaic power plants,” Straka said.

CEZ says that if solar panels were installed on uneven terrain with standard construction, they would clog and crack. By using old steel structures from conveyor belts, the structure bends as a whole after the extracted material settles, so the stress does not affect the solar panels.

CEZ says thousands of these modules will be available at its Bilina mine in the northern Czech Republic after coal mining ceases. Experts have tested the results and several pilot structures have already been placed in the reclaimed area near the Bilina Mine extraction site.

“The positive news is that the performance of the solar panels has not decreased,” said Jan Kalina, head of the Renewable and Conventional Energy Department at CEZ Group. “For unstable subsurfaces, it will be more appropriate to use technologies other than conventional silicon panels, such as thin-film panels without silicon elements, where the semiconductor is applied directly to the glass. “Choosing the ideal technology is now the subject of further development.”

CEZ aimed to create renewable sources with a capacity of up to 6 GW by 2030.

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