Harnessing the Power of the Sun: Saudi Arabia Builds Massive Solar Farm

Posted on May 7, 2013 by lathamsa

This post was written by Katherine Cunningham, an intern at the U.S. Department of State and currently a senior at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She majors in International Affairs with a concentration in International Environmental Resources.

“Saudi Arabia is located in the Sun Belt, where the returns from solar plants would be the greatest” (Picture and caption from Michael Urban/AFP)

As the world confronts climate change, countries are turning to alternative energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, to reduce greenhouse gas output. These two alternative energy sources are renewable, which means the source will always be available in the future. This is in contrast to nonrenewable sources, such as oil and gas, of which there is a definite or finite amount on the Earth’s surface.

Saudi Arabia is one country that is pursuing a renewable energy program and recently completed a solar farm project in its capital Riyadh. As a country known for its large oil reserves, this is a very impressive project. According to RenewableEnergyWorld.com, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer, and 80 percent of its exports and revenue come from the production and sale of hydrocarbon resources. Saudi Arabia is also the largest oil consumer in the Middle East, and if it doesn’t reduce its energy demand, it could become an oil importer by 2030. Therefore, as a country that receives some of the most intense sunlight in the world, Saudi Arabia is diversifying its energy sources by utilizing the power of the sun. According to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., Saudi Arabia receives about 105 trillion kilowatt hours of sunlight a day which equates roughly to 10 billion barrels of crude oil in energy terms.

“Saudi Arabia Embracing Sustainable Development” (Picture and caption from: GFI Media)

Solar panels, made up of photovoltaic cells, are a renewable energy source that work by using light energy from the sun to generate electricity. The Saudi Arabian solar farm located in Riyadh consists of 12,684 solar panels and was completed in early 2013. By 2032, Saudi Arabia hopes to produce 16 gigawatts (GW) of solar power (photovoltaic) and 25 GW of concentrated solar power, allowing the country to reduce domestic consumption of oil, decrease its release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and even export electricity to countries in Europe. You can learn more about Saudi Arabia’s plan to export electricity here.

It is clear that the Saudi Arabian government is excited about their solar energy initiatives. At a recent talk held at the Center for Strategic & International Studies on April 30^th, 2013, Saudi Minister of Oil Al-Naimi recognized the importance of solar energy when he said “we hope solar energy will help meet a growing share of our electricity needs – and even help us create a thriving solar industry and expertise in the Kingdom.”

How will Saudi Arabia’s investment in renewable energy, specifically solar power, benefit the country beyond the reasons listed above? Consider that the electricity will be used for water desalination and agriculture, as well as to power water pumps, refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters, and communications equipment. Would a renewable energy project work in your country? If so, what type of project would be best?

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.

Bringing Renewable Energy to Rural Communities

Posted on April 12, 2013 by lathamsa

"The first Women Barefoot Solar Engineers of Mauritania are installing solar panels in their villages. These African women trained for 6 months at the Barefoot College of Tilonia in Rajasthan, India. They will earn an income paid by the people in their village for maintaining the solar-powered lighting systems that they install for each house in the village." (Text and photo: Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia)

Renewable energies such as solar, wind, and geothermal are being used in communities around the world. Rural communities, particularly those struggling with severe poverty, may be forced to rely on energy sources that are not healthy, environmentally-friendly, or sustainable. In India, smoke inhalation from traditional cook stoves poses a serious health problem, particularly for the women and children that do the majority of the cooking. Using renewable energies can provide a safer, more environmentally-friendly source of power.

It is important to note, however, that the initial investment in getting solar panels installed, wind turbines up and running, or tapping into geothermal energy can be very expensive. As these sources become more wildely used and as technologies advance, these sources of energy are becoming cheaper. There are projects being sponsored by both organizations and governments around the world to offset some of these costs.

One organization working specifically with

women to bring renewable energy to rural communities is Solar Sister. Check out these four guest blogs by members of Solar Sister for more information about their work and some of their projects!

What are some of the benefits of renewables in rural communities? As this United Nations article states, “Remote and scattered, rural homes, unlike homes in urban areas, are costly and often impractical to connect to the grid.” Renewable energy such as solar power can be particularly useful in areas where grid connection is difficult and/or expensive: “African countries, blessed with sunlight all year round, are tapping this free and clean energy source to light up remote and isolated homes that have no immediate hope of linking to their national electricity grid.”

For more information on how renewable energies are being used in developing countries, check out this February 2013 publication by the World Resources Institute, “Implementation Strategies for Renewable Energy Services in Low-Income, Rural Areas.”

Renewable Energy

Posted on July 11, 2012 by lathamsa

cheap cialis

0″ height=”400″ />The three main forms of

renewable energy are wind, solar, and water. While geothermal and biofuel are two up and coming renewable technologies, but this post will focus on the three largest and most popular forms.

So what is renewable energy? It is energy that is created from natural resources (sunlight, wind, rain, etc.), and the “renewable” part means it naturally replenishes itself. Fossil fuels like oil and gas, which are the most commonly used forms of energy right now, are non-renewable. There are only so much of them in the world, and one day they will run out; unlike renewable energy sources, fossil fuels take millions of years to form and thus cannot be easily or quickly replenished.

Wind power refers to the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy like electricity. The most common large-scale wind power is created by wind turbines or windmills. One common criticism of wind power as a large-scale source of energy is that wind can be variable (sometimes it is not windy enough to generate a lot of power), which can also make it more suitable for certain areas than others. To learn more about wind energy, check out the website of the Global Wind Energy Council. There is information on the science of wind turbines, new technologies, and statistics, among other things.

Solar energy converts sunlight into electricity, either directly through photovoltaics or indirectly through concentrated solar power. You may have seen solar panels on the tops of buildings. To learn how solar cells work (you may have used a solar power-charged calculator or cell phone charger), check out this site.

Hydropower (water power) is power that comes from the energy of falling water, and is commonly used as a term to describe the conversion of that energy from falling water into electricity. Hydropower can rely on a dam to harness power, or capture the kinetic energy in rivers or streams without needing dams. For more information on hydropower, explore the National Geographic page on the topic.

Does your community use any of these renewables? Do you have a preference?

Coral Reefs and Solar Power

Posted on April 27, 2012 by lathamsa

Below are two stories about exciting environmental projects made possible in part by a grant from the Regional Environmental Office of the U.S. Department of State. One features the work of college students protecting coral reef in Vanuatu, and the other explores a solar power project spearheaded by the University of the South Pacific.

Reef Check Vanuatu: Rural Awareness Program

Reef Check Vanuatu Project

The Malpoa College Reef Check Team advanced its work on a project called “Reef Check Vanuatu: Rural Awareness Program,” with a small environmental award of $13,000 from the Department of State’s Regional Environmental Office (REO) in Suva in November 2010. Reef Check Vanuatu employed college student volunteers in a coral reef preservation project on Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

Coral reefs, now threatened by overfishing, pollution, and sedimentation, are the locus for a great amount of marine biodiversity in the South Pacific. They are essential to the survival of the ecosystem and provide food and shelter for fish and other marine animals. Many Pacific Islanders depend on these fish and other reef dwellers to maintain a living and feed their families.

Reef Check Vanuatu Project participants

Reef Check Vanuatu focuses a large component of its activities on building community awareness of the economic and social benefits of reef preservation. The Reef Check team conducted interviews with local villagers and elders, held a workshop for adults from Louanatom Villages on coral reef biology and the need for marine preservation, and developed a reef-check toolkit, posters and printed materials to promote awareness among government agencies and local NGOs. The volunteers produced and distributed 300 copies of the manual and presented educational dramas to more than 250 elementary school students at six schools on similar topics.

The volunteers also led two reef check surveys for community members, providing them with a first-hand look at the health of their local reefs. The team also led half-day reef planting workshops for reef restoration. An inspection a month after the project was completed showed that the community has been maintaining the coral.

Reef Check Vanuatu Project

University of South Pacific: Solar-Powered “Fales” for Students

The University of the South Pacific (USP) launched a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its Laucala Campus in Suva on December 17, 2010. This renewable energy system, designed by the Head of USP’s School of Engineering and Physics, Dr. Atul Raturi, was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Small Regional Environmental Grants program. The system uses sunlight to provide a sustainable source of electricity for recently built student study areas called “fales” (pronounced “far-lay”) – eco-friendly structures based on traditional Tongan design.

University of South Pacific Solar Photovoltaic Fales Project

Another aim of this project is to spread the knowledge of and build capacity for the use of renewableoff-grid power systems. The Pacific Islands, which currently must import expensive, polluting fossil fuels from outside the region, are increasingly affected by the adverse impacts of climate change. Since 80% of Pacific Islanders have no access to electricity, these types of renewable energy projects are vital to the region’s future.

In its one-year existence, USP’s solar-powered “fales” have increased awareness among studentsand staff about the potentials of renewable energy. They have produced more than one megawatt-hour of electricity savings for the university. (One megawatt can power 1,000 homes in the United States, at the average rate of electricity use, for a year.) The project also reduced USP’s carbon footprint by more than one ton of carbon dioxide. This new solar PV system has become a centerpiece of capacity building efforts at USP’s School of Engineering Physics, where students and technical staff learn about its design, operation, and maintenance.

The success of this renewable energy pilot has also attracted the attention of the EU and a Korean renewable energy research company.

University of South Pacific Solar Photovoltaic Fales Project

Innovative Solar Projects

Posted on December 29, 2011 by lathamsa

Sahara Desert, Photo Credit: Cliff Williams (http://bitly.com/stxdLt)

Around the world, exciting solar projects are being designed and undertaken. From the African desert to the sunny California coast, innovations in solar technology are making this clean energy more affordable, available, and usable in our everyday lives.

This year, India launched its national solar mission, “Solar India.” The Worldwatch Institute commented that this move “confirms the country’s intention to assume a global leadership role on solar energy and to stake out a low-carbon development path at home.” hopes to install 3,000 MW of solar by 2017, and projects that with international investment, that number could reach as much at 10,000 MW. The primary goal of Solar India “is to create an enabling policy environment for rapid diffusion of solar technology across the country.”

On a more local level, the America Solar Energy Society has a National Solar Tour every year that is “the world’s largest grassroots solar event” and “offers you the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how you can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.” It is one way to learn the practical, economical side of small-scale, home solar panel usage. On the other side of the world and on a much larger scale, in the Saharan desert, two monumental solar projects are in the development process: Desertec and the Sahara Solar Breeder Project (also known as the Super Apollo Project).

Desertec is the brain child of German particle physicist Gerhard Knies, who has been working on the idea since 1986. According to Clean Technica, “Desertec is a set of plans for a massive network of solar and wind farms stretching across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and intended to connect to Europe via high voltage direct current transmission cables.” One exciting component of this project is how international it is in nature: though the idea comes from Germany, companies from 15 different countries are involved in the project. To learn more about how Desertec will actually work, check out this article.

The Sahara Solar Breeder Project will also harness the incredible heat and sunlight of the Saharan Desert. Created as a joint project between universities in Algeria and Japan, it is being led by Hideomi Koinuma of the University of Tokyo. Like Desertec, there are some serious desert-related obstacles to overcome. In this case: “frequent sandstorms, the need to use liquid nitrogen to cool cables and to bury them in the sand to minimize fluctuations in temperature” are two of the big ones.

While Desertec’s goal is to power 15% of Europe by 2050, the Sahara Solar Breeder project has the much loftier goal of powering half the world by 2050. Do you think these are achievable goals?

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Tag Archives: Solar Power

Harnessing the Power of the Sun: Saudi Arabia Builds Massive Solar Farm

Bringing Renewable Energy to Rural Communities

Renewable Energy

Coral Reefs and Solar Power

Innovative Solar Projects