Renewable Energy Industry

Renewable Energy Industry Flexes its Muscles

As a year expected to be a booming one for renewable energy closes out its second month, the industry is looking to iron out the details that will ensure 2010 is a year to remember. That process begins by illustrating all that the RE industry has accomplished recently, especially the solar power industry. It finishes when vital regulations are enacted, including a national renewable energy standard that would ensure a positive outcome this year and for years to come.

The numbers are impressive for solar power.

The industry added 20,000 jobs and 470 megawatts of generated solar electricity in 2009 alone, according to Rhone Resch, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Resch added that solar could add another 45,000 in 2010 if certain federal incentives and grants set to expire at the end of the year are extended.

“I think 2010 is going to be a bigger year than 2009,” said Resch. “Most analysts expect the solar industry to grow by 100 percent this year.”

But that’s this year. The long-term success of renewable energy depends on legislative action by Congress. Beside the continued strength of existing incentives, the more expansive goal — that which would benefit the entire renewable energy industry equally — is a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that would require utilities to get a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources before a set date in time.
Some 28 states have their own renewable standards that have helped advance clean energy there. But renewable industry insiders are pushing for a national standard that could move clean tech to the forefront in all 50 states. However, that notion is not without controversy in Congress, especially from coal-producing states and those that claim they don’t have the same renewable resources as other states.

Yet despite arguments over the details, the idea of a national energy standard is growing in popularity. Most of the populace has accepted clean energy as a definite part of our future, and players in Congress are beginning to respond. A few bills, including the Waxman-Markley climate change bill, contain provisions that would establish an RPS. Indeed, it is mostly bureaucracy and coal-dependent states, many of which have very little, if any, renewable infrastructure, that are holding up the process.

Nevertheless, the renewable industry is out pushing for beneficial legislation by touting both its recent accomplishments and its vast potential. 2010 looks to be a bright year for all renewable players, but it is to the long term that leaders are looking. The RE industry is hot right now, and they know there’s no better time to strike than while the iron is hot.

Source: Green Inc.


EADS Astrium Develops Lasers to Beam Space Solar Power to Earth

EADS Astrium, Europe’s biggest space company, plans to have its own go at space-based solar power. This represents the continent’s boldest move yet into the undeveloped yet promising space solar power (SSP) sector. Last year, Japan announced plans to put energy-generating solar panels in orbit and several U.S. interests are working on it as well.

Space solar power has some distinct advantages over earth-based power.

Orbital systems can work around-the-clock and receive zero interference from clouds or atmospheric dust. Furthermore, the concentration of energy able to strike space solar power panels is much more intense than on earth.
In the past, SSP system designs relied on microwave transmissions to transfer collected solar energy to earth. They have experienced controversy due to inefficiency and safety concerns. So, Astrium plans instead to use infrared lasers to beam energy to earth. Initial laboratory tests of their technology have been promising, says the company, and they hope to have a demonstration project in place by 2020, a timeline similar to projects germinating in Japan and the US.


In the meantime, EADS Astrium is working to improve the efficiency of the laser system that will transmit solar power to earth.

Similar work on the system that converts received infrared energy into usable electricity is reportedly advancing fast. Financially, Astrium is seeking investments from key stakeholders in renewable energy, like the EU, national governments, space agencies and power companies.

Among projects in Europe, Japan and the United States, it has become more than apparent that space solar power is getting real attention. The SSP concept is an old one, but has always been prohibitively expensive. Advances in space and solar technology, plus our dire need for a new energy paradigm, have the solar industry reaching for the stars. Real, utility-scale systems are probably decades away, but the possibility of a demo project within 10 years is a truly fascinating prospect.