AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

Europe  ’s dem for renewable electricity continues to grow in 2016. Based on statistics from the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB  ) from 2011 to 2016 the market experienced an annual growth (CAGR) of 12,5%. Last year the dem rose by 5% compared to 2015, now reaching nearly 370 TWh.

“Behind this growth are thouss of businesses millions of households in numerous European countries purchasing renewable electricity documented with Guarantees of Origin” said Tom Lindberg, Managing Director at ECOHZ. “Much of the dem is driven by an increased sense of urgency among leading international businesses in contributing to combating climate change – by switching from fossil fuel power to clean, renewable energy.”

In the context of leading companies across various industries defined a clear sustainability agenda to ensure their future competitiveness. In the last two years several initiatives with similar goals have arisen inter alia RE100 which has now 87 corporate members that have all pledged to consume 100% renewable energy in the next years.

According to the Managing Director from ECOHZ, Hydropower remains the dominant source of electricity, with an approximate 75% market share. However this growth has slowed while the supply of solar wind power documented with EECS GO, grew by 300% 50% respectively, now providing nearly 70 TWh.

Recent statistics from AIB show that Germany, Switzerl, Sweden the Netherls remain as the largest markets for renewable purchases in Europe. While Europe’s biggest market, Germany, has halted its rapid growth, the Dutch market continues to grow at a faster pace than the rest, almost reaching 50 TWh in 2016.

According to Lindberg, Spain has shown an impressive speed after a slow start, now issuing nearly 50 TWh in 2016. The markets France Italy continue their sturdy growth, thus underlining their increasing in significance.

The UK is now the only large renewable producer that not actively participates in the European markets. However, thanks to policy frameworks that allow imports of certain European EECS GO for domestic use, the British market shows too an overall dem growth in 2016, as the Managing Director from ECOHZ said.

Beside the UK, there are more European markets with national systems that do not participate in the Pan-European market place but unlikely have yet to adopt the EECS stard. According to AIB these markets total more than 200 TWh of purchased renewable power. If this is included the actual market volume renewable almost compromises 600TWh in 2016. This represents 50% of all renewable power production in Europe.

The AIB statistics only include Guarantees of Origin based on the EECS stard, that are tradable across national borders, among countries which have joined AIB, that are connected to AIB’s electronic GO hub.

AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

Location：Malaysia

Solar Power：2.2kW

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

2.2kW Solar powered pumping system in Malaysia

Solar energy powers pump system for irrigation solutions.

Solar energy powers pump system for irrigation solutions.

A farmer in Myanmar waters his crop with the help of a solar water pump

Every mouthful of food eaten by virtually every creature on Earth depends ultimately on the sun. But it can do much more than nurture the crops that feed us − and humans are starting to exploit this potential in striking new ways.

Farmers are now using solar energy to do far more than simply enable their crops to grow. Already it’s helping them to irrigate their fields and to clean their dairy equipment.

Only about 5 per cent of Africa’s cultivated land is irrigated, compared with Asia’s 41 per cent. Until recently, the other available methods have been manual irrigation, which is time-consuming and laborious, or petrol or diesel pumps, which are too expensive for many farmers and also add to greenhouse gas emissions.

But now there’s another way – solar-powered irrigation pumps. One pioneer of this technology is MNE Technology, based in China,manufacturing solar water pump system.

The pump’s solar panel directly converts solar energy into electrical power, which is transferred to a simple motor that rotates a flywheel, whose turning moves a piston up and down to draw water through the pump cylinder.

The pump, which can produce enough water to irrigate about half an acre of land per hour, works on sunny and cloudy days, in the early morning and late into the evening – and is easily transportable.

The solar panels provide the pump’s power directly without the need for batteries.Water is pumped into a raised storage tank by day, and all the farmer needs to do in the evening is to open a valve on the tank so that the water flows down through a filtration system and onto crop root zones via drip irrigation tape.

If you want to learn more about solar water pumping system,welcome to contact us by email sales@megawatt.com.cn

More info:  Solar energy powers pump system for irrigation solutions.

India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

An auction in the India state of Madhya Pradesh has today set a new record low for solar  power in the country.

The Rewa ultra-mega solar park, a 750 MW joint venture between Solar Energy Corp of India (SECI) Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Ltd., has attracted bids of INR 3.59/kWh ($0.053/kWh) – the lowest ever recorded in India.

Bidding rules outlined by the developers deemed that the lowest tariff accepted would serve as a base price for the reverse auction. The developers that submitted the highest proposed tariff would be excluded from the e-auction. This unique set of rules has helped to drive the cost below the previous Indian record-low of INR 4.34/kWh, set last year in Rajasthan.

The Rewa solar capacity is being doled out in three, 250 MW units – the first of which is set at a price of INR 3.59/kWh, rising to INR 3.61/kWh for the second unit, INR 3.26/kWh for the third.

There were 20 developer proposals submitted in the e-auction, this number was whittled down to 18 following the exclusion of Shapporji Pallonji Torrent Power – both of who offered the two highest prices.

“The auction will begin at the country’s lowest solar power rate it is likely to go further down,” said India’s principal secretary of new renewable energy, Manu Shrivastav. The completed Rewa solar park will not only be India’s cheapest such installation, but its largest too, usurping Tamil Nadu’s 648 MW solar farm.

A portion of the energy produced onsite at the 750 MW, 1,500 hectare plot will be purchased by Delhi Metro Rail, with Madhya Pradesh utilities committed to buying the rest of the power produced.

More info: India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

Solar Powered Irrigation System:A Solution to Water Management in Agriculture

Solar Powered Irrigation System:A Solution to Water Management in Agriculture

The use of solar energy in irrigation can be beneficial to farmers in very rural areas and developing countries.

Farmers have always played a significant role in our society as they provide the world’s population with food. However, one may forget that, not only do they provide food but they also provide energy, which nowadays, is of paramount importance, especially as in light of renewable energies. Indeed, farmers can produce energy from the wind, the sun or the biomass and they can use it for their own farm, or, if they have a surplus, resell it to companies.

Solar energy might be one of the easiest ways for farmers to produce energy. Indeed, farmers usually have several large buildings whose roofs are directly under the sun, without being hindered by the shadows of the trees, turning them into an ideal place to settle a photovoltaic system. Therefore, the use of solar energy in agriculture is becoming increasingly popular and the energy produced from this renewable source can be used either on the farm or in the local power grid, providing the farmer with an additional income. 

One of the areas in agriculture that benefits the most from solar energy is irrigation, especially in arid regions. The main reason is that using the sun for irrigation represents a virtuous circle: when the sun shines, it feeds the irrigation system, well, we know that crops needs more water when the sun shines a lot. Therefore, a large quantity of energy is available when it is actually needed.

How does a solar irrigation system work? 

Solar energy use in agriculture is becoming increasingly popular

The pumps used for the transport of the water are equipped with solar cells. The solar energy absorbed by the cells is then converted into electrical energy via a generator which then feeds an electric motor driving the pump. Most of the traditional pump systems mainly work with a diesel engine or with the local power grid. However, these two modes of operations present disadvantages compared to solar pumps.

In many rural areas, especially in developing and emerging countries, the access to the electricity grid is not always guaranteed. In this case, farmers cannot rely on the traditional irrigation system. Thus, using an independent and alternative energy system can be a solution for the farmer to secure a safe power source and for the public grid to avoid saturation.

Diesel pumps are slightly more efficient than AC powered pumps as they allow greater flexibility. However, one of the main constraints is that this system relies on the fuel availability, added to a greater impact on the environment. Diesel-driven pumps are cheaper than solar-powered pumps but the operating costs are quite high and depend heavily on the diesel price. In solar-powered systems, it works the other way round, that is, although this system is relatively expensive, the source of energy is free, therefore, after the amortization period, there are no longer operating costs (only the maintenance costs must be considered). Therefore, solar pumps turn out to be a viable long term investment.

As several studies have shown the access to water for agricultural purposes remains critical in some areas such as in arid regions of Africa and Southern Asia. Many Indian and African farmers fetch the water directly from the well or the rivers and irrigate their fields using buckets. If farmers of those regions could have access to a motorized pump, they would increase their yield by 300%. 

Where is solar irrigation happening?

A drip irrigation system

The installation of solar pumps in arid regions such as in Africa, Asia and South America is also part of many development projects, aiming at increasing local farmers productivity and as a consequence, improving their living conditions. One of the successful example of this is the initiative of a Physics teacher in a school in Blankenese (Germany) where students have developed two solar-powered pumping systems in cooperation with the company SET GmbH from Wedel. They installed these systems in two farms in Nicaragua to pump underground water. This project could also be achieved with the collaboration of the UNAN University in León, which deals a lot with the exploitation of solar energy. Indeed, the project has been running for over 10 years and 30 pumps are in operation now in Nicaragua. It is supervised by the Nicaraguan company Enicalsa that helps farmers benefit from solar irrigation. The use of solar pumps allows the latter to produce all year round, even in dry season and thus to increase their income and strengthen their position in the local market. 

Aside from the regions previously mentioned, there is also an increasing interest in solar irrigation systems in Europe. Just a few months ago, a mobile solar drip irrigation system from Austria has reached the production stage. The Austrian company Wien Energie carried out this project which pursues a dual objective: on the one hand, reduction of CO2 emissions owing to the use of solar energy, on the other hand, achievement of 30% water savings thanks to the drip irrigation method versus the traditional sprinkler irrigation.

The principle of the drip irrigation method is quite simple. With the use of various valves, hoses and pipes, water drips slowly and at regular intervals to the roots of the plants. Therefore, there is no water waste as water goes directly where it should go, contrary to a sprinkler system in which water evaporates into the air or seeps into soils where no plants grow. Therefore, drip irrigation method enables to grow more crops with less water, turning it into a highly efficient irrigation method.

Therefore, in countries which suffer from high temperatures and scarce water resources, the drip irrigation system could contribute to an efficient water management. This is all the more important as farmers have to face three challenges: save water, money and energy. Mobile solar drip irrigation systems shall turn out to be the perfect answer to face these challenges. Although these systems are still quite expensive and complicated to settle, many R&D projects are working on the democratization of the use of solar power in agriculture, which, in the future (and even now), could play a vital part in the management of the food and energy crisis.

More info: Solar Powered Irrigation System:A Solution to Water Management in Agriculture

15KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

15KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

System Power:15KW

Location:Hainan,China

15KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

15KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

More info:15KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Thanks to Solar powered Pumps for agricultural Irrigation

Thanks to solar power pumps, production at this farm in Wadi Dawan and several other farms in Yemen’s province of Hadramout has not stopped despite suffering from massive diesel shortage due to the ongoing war in the country.

The farm, located in the eastern gate of Wadi Dawan along an arid stream, is known for two reasons: its premium honey and being the ancestral home of Osama Bin Laden’s father.

When he first began working here, Abdul Rahman Al Sakuti remembers how he used to spend countless hours irrigating the farm.

“I used to spend the early hours of the day on diesel pumps; fill in fuel, and start them manually. When the machines broke down, we used to wait for hours or days for engineers to repair them,” Al Sakuti

During the latest cycle of violence in the poverty-stricken country where diesel became scarce, farmers had either to buy fuel at exorbitant prices from the black market or halt farm production altogether.

But Al Sakuti took advantage of large cash incentives given by the government a few years ago to encourage farmers to invest in solar power pumps in order to curb reliance on diesel.

The Solar Energy Pump System Has Made Lives of The Farmers Much Easier.

“Now, when the sun shines, the pumps automatically switch on and the water flows into the farm. We do not even bother to look at them,” Al Sakuti said.

Now, Hadramout’s long agricultural valley is strewn with solar panels as far as the eye can see.

Farmers here say that the solar power has boosted production as there is plenty of water and farmers are able to spend more time on the crops.

“The solar power water pumps have definitely boosted crop production. We are able to irrigate them daily.

Government Aims at Helping Farmer Arcoss Yemen to Covert to Green Energy

Aimed at helping farmers across Yemen to covert to the green energy, the government kicked off a programme in 2014 to subsidise solar power pumps and panels.

Through a local state-run bank, the government would pay 25 per cent of the price of the solar system if the farm’s owner would pay the total cost upfront.

Landlords who could not afford the upfront payment were able to take an interest-free loan and the government would slash 10 per cent for those who could pay it back in two years and five per cent if they could pay it back in three years.

Omar Saeed Bin Frijan, an engineer who runs a solar power company called Al Wadi, told that many people took advantage of the government incentive in order to ditch costly diesel pumps.

“During the early months of programme, we used to install five pumps monthly as demand was very high,” he said.

But many others hesitated to apply for the government loan due to the high initial cost of the system.

The cost of installing a 15kw solar-powered pump in August 2014 cost $28,000.

But the farmers who acted on time have saved thousands of dollars as they dodged high diesel and oil prices and maintenance costs.

But, only a few months after approving the programme it was suspended as Yemen erupted into civil war.

To the disappointment of many farmers, the government called off the incentive programme when the war broke out early 2015.

Many unlucky farmers who did not have the solar panels yet were forced to shut down operations.

Al Sakuti said that his landlord used the money they saved from diesel and repairs to buy more solar power pumps.

Since it began operations in June 2013, Frijan’s company has installed 58 solar power systems in different places in Hadramout.

Not only are they useful for farmers, but they are also used to pump drinking water for residents.

But, the number of solar power systems is relatively low compared to the hundreds of diesel-generated pumps throughout Yemen.

“While people knew that it was a smart investment and operational costs would be zero, most could not afford to buy them,” Frijan said.

“The government should revive the programme,” he added.

Despite the host of benefits of using the renewable energy system, some critics say that if farmers excessively pump water to irrigate their farmland, then the country’s underground reservoirs would be in danger of depletion.

“The farmers are not up to date on how to use modern irrigation systems,” Salem Buraji, the director of ministry of agriculture in Hadramout’s Wadi Dawan

“They still use mud furrow instead of plastic pip

More info :Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms