EU Looks Up to Sahara’s Massive Solar Project for its Energy Needs.
Posted in Cells, Electricity, Energy, Power, Renewable, Solar, government on 25 July 2008

The Sun is rising in political spheres! Valuing the sun as renewable source of clean solar power, the EU supergrid gets a crucial political backing from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is jointly decided now that the vast desert of Sahara would be the land where dozens of solar farms will be constructed as a part of the $71 Billion EU supergrid infrastructure. The latter is an initiative taken by the European Commission to meet the continent’s electricity demands in future. The clean power generated by this supergrid will be shared by all the EU countries.
It is projected that each farm of the supergrid will generate upto 200 Megawatts of power. This would then be transferred to EU states via high voltage DC transmission, which is a better option over AC lines. The energy loss incurred over long distances is much lesser when DC lines are used. The decision to build solar panels in Sahara originates from the simple fact that the desert receives intense sunlight throughout year which can be effectively harnessed.

 According to an estimate PhotoVoltaic panels installed in Sahara will be 3 times more energy efficient (in terms of electricity generation) than those fitted in the European countries.
The project’s success will effectively reconfirm that solar power will be the most potent among renewable energy sources which also include wind and geothermal powers.

Via: treehugger

At $17 you can Have An Eco-Cooking Option for Your Home!
Posted in Eco-Friendly, Eco-friendly products, Environment, Go green, Health, Himalayas, Solar, concept on 24 July 2008

 

What kills roughly 2 million people but is not AIDS? Answer: indoor cooking related diseases. Shocked? This fact is found and recorded in a World Health Organization report. The problem aggravates in villages where modern gas burners are rarely available and the smoke chullas (stoves) are vicious enough to choke your lungs!
In an attempt to alleviate this situation, students from MIT have designed a clean solar cooker out of yak-wool canvas panels, for villagers of the Himalayan region. The panels are stretched over bamboo ribs and faced with reflective Mylar in a manner that in first look you might think it to be some sort of an umbrella!

But this unique light weight cooking device comes for only $17 and for an extra $26 one can attach a metal coil for heating one’s house. This solar cooker helps in cutting down carbon emission as opposed to the traditional yak dung or wood fuel the cooker uses solar power to make yummy food! Its design has won a prize and loads of public attention at the MIT IDEAS competition and in near future one may happen to find it in markets for sale. This means clean and green cooking at an affordable price and no more choking or coughing over horrible gas stoves!

Via: wiredscience