“We expect to commission the first solar thermal power plants in 2016-2017, the first stage will be operational in El Oued with a capacity of 150 MW,” said Boutarfa.

A transition to renewable energy

By decision dated 28 August 2011, a committee of national integration of renewable energy was created within the Sonelgaz Group companies. The latter task in particular to develop the engineering in the field of renewable energy and stop the manufacturing strategy components associated with the production of photovoltaic plants.

In its program of development of renewable energy, Sonelgaz includes the construction of 67 electric power projects, 27 solar photovoltaic power plants with 27 hybrid plants, 6 solar thermal power plants, and 7 wind farms.

The most powerful type of solar power will be solar thermal, with a maximum capacity of 400 MW for one of them. To a question of optimum efficiency, they will all be located in the southern regions, particularly in the prefectures of El Oued and Bechar.

Algeria has and invest $60 billion in renewable energy to develop an installed capacity of 12,000 MW by 2030, eventually 40% of its needs. The countries of North Africa will spend 15 billion dollars by 2020, with the energy transition, to gradually free themselves from fossil fuels.

Operation of the hybrid plant (solar-gas) from Hassi R’Mel

The hybrid plant in Hassi R’Mel began operations in July 2011 with a production capacity of 150 MW including 120 MW produced from gas and 30 MW based on solar energy. Connected to the national grid, the plant a source of renewable alternative energy.

This hybrid plant was carried out as part of a joint venture between the Algerian society NEAL (New Energy Algeria) and the Spanish firm Abener for an investment of $350 million. The management of this station is currently provided by Algerian and Spanish engineers, before being assigned completely, after a term of five years by Algerian engineers.

Located near Tilghemt, 25 km north of the industrial complex of Hassi R’Mel, the plant covers an area of 152 hectares including 18 hectares forming the basis for the installation of equipment and nearly 3,000 photovoltaic panels. It should be noted that the choice of implantation site of the energy project in the region responds to the combination of several factors, including the nearby gas field of Hassi R’Mel and sunshine in the region, with nearly 3,000 hours per year.

Located about 800 km east of the Philippines, the solar power plant with a capacity of 226.8 kilowatts become the largest of its kind, the island state.

Kyocera and Wakachiku Construction participated in the design and implementation of the proposed solar parking. It was funded through official development assistance (ODA) provided by the Japanese government, which aims to contribute to the growth of the country.

The solar modules are installed on the parking shade structures. This solar integrated building which consists of 1,080 Kyocera solar modules, a power of 210 watts, remains the first country to be connected to the network.

Moreover, because of the high frequency of typhoons on the island, the back of the modules has been strengthened by support bars to improve the resistance to wind pressure.

The system is designed to produce an annual output of 250 MWh, the environmental gain is approximately 80 tonnes of CO2 per year.

A study released by the Energy Platform Studies Center for Labor and Agrarian Development (CEDLA) reveals that 97 percent of Bolivia’s territory is suitable for solar energy use, thanks to high solar radiation levels in large part of Bolivia.

“It can be concluded that the use of solar energy level throughout the country is possible, except for some areas that constitute less than 3 percent of national territory,” says the study “The role and impact energies socioeconomic renewable rural Bolivia. ”

Research carried out by Miguel Fernández Sources identified that the only space “impracticable” for the use of solar energy is the cloud-forming regions located in the eastern belts of the Cordillera de Los Andes, at the low rate of solar radiation.

The high values ​​of solar radiation in Bolivia, according to a study published in 2011, are due to the geographical position that has the land, which is located in the tropical South, between parallels 11 ° and 22 °. Therefore, the radiation rate between winter and summer season does not represent differences that exceed 25 percent.

The document notes that in the country, the average values ​​of solar radiation vary for the highland areas, valleys and plains. The areas of the plateau region showed the highest rate of radiation, which decreases towards the plain areas.

“In Bolivia, the highland regions and the valleys are a high rate of solar radiation between 5 and 6 kWh/m2d (kilowatt-hours per square meter per day), depending on the time of year. In the plains area average radiation rate is between 4.5 and 5 kWh/m2d. This energy is sufficient to provide daily 220 Wh / day of electricity through a 50 Wp PV panel, “the technical explanation.

According to The National Load Dispatch Center (CNDC), renewable energy production in Nicaragua was 51.4% due to wind turbines for wind farms. Emilio Rappaccioli, Minister of Energy and Mines, said recently that one of the things that is helping the clean energy production rates to remain high is the productivity of wind energy, which is benefiting from the impact of the winds of time that register constant speeds.

Rappaccioli, who participated in the International Renewable Energy Fair, which was held in the city of Granada, noted that the official records of CNDC indicating a wind energy production capacity (63 megawatts), which has been combined with hydropower, geothermal and biomass, for a better balance of generation in the country’s energy matrix.

“According to CNDC, renewable energy production was 51.4% recently, and the thermal production of only 48.6%. This was due to wind production reached full capacity for almost 24 hours, encouraging energy supply. Also noteworthy is the production of biomass with the sugar, increased ability to San Jacinto Tizate with 36 megawatts already working in sustainable operationally reliable, “said the official.

Data recorded by the CNDC reflected that renewable plant production reached 229.9 megawatts of thermal power and recorded 270.1 megawatts, with demand in the afternoon of 500 megawatts in total.

The Energy Cabinet met this week to discuss the positives of the situation, which favors the electricity sector.

Rappacccioli said that in some way there is stability in the electricity sector, as production from renewable resources allows a favorable cost of generation, but did not specify that at the moment is to apply a rate reduction to energy, which suffered a increase of 9% this year, combined with the financial outlay of over U.S. $ 26 million as a subsidy to not affect business users with the measure.

Rappaccioli said that at present can not be said that this type of energy is maintained throughout the year, since the supply of wind and biomass plants low in the coming months.

“The wind decreases at some point, the sugar productivity down in June and July. The average renewable generation we have calculated for 2012 is at least 40 to 41% as Central American hydroelectric plants and will enter a maintenance phase this year,” said Carlos Fonseca .

Blue Wind Power will inject extra 40 megawatts

However, the Minister Rappaccioli said the first phase of expansion of San Jacinto Tizate obtained at least 40 to 42 megawatts, producing almost a thousand megawatt hours a day, covering 9% of total generation in the country.

He stressed that they expect by May this year, including the wind farm operations of Blue Power Energy, with 40 megawatts and 36 megawatts, geothermal, the second phase of expansion of San Jacinto Tizate, which will be of great weight in the national energy mix and contribute to more stable energy prices.

UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) researchers will launch a project to assess geothermal resources in the Peninsula of Baja California, the first of its kind that will reveal the richness of this source of sustainable energy.

The objective of this project of experts from the Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Geophysics, led by Rosa María Prol Ledesma, is to provide authorities information that could exploit this wealth, not only for electricity production, but for the water desalination.

Four decades ago, Mexico was the second largest producer of geothermal electricity, but since abandoned this source of clean energy to give priority to oil, far exceeding the country not only U.S. but also the Philippines and Indonesia.

This despite the Mexican territory is rich in that resource, especially in areas like the Peninsula of Baja California, where the geothermal system in the country’s largest operation, explained in a statement.

In this sense, the researcher said to be the first time you have an entire wealth study geothermal specific perimeter, an area of huge economic importance also needs to increase its agricultural production and livestock to reduce their dependence on these aspects .

Prol Ledesma stressed that receives funding from the Ministry of Energy (Sener), which provide resources to scientists in the next five years to conduct research on the development of sustainable energy sources.

He explained that when attending a call Sener made ​​the proposal to make an assessment, so that they could deliver reports to the municipal and state governments and the Secretariat itself.

The expert from UNAM said that since 2004 has worked around the geothermal resources in Baja California, as part of a driven projects of this university, called Seawater Desalination with energy renewable.

At that time the budget was completed, convinced that the study was worthwhile, was achieved two years funding of the Fund for International Cooperation in Science and Technology (FONCICYT) to make an assessment of submarine resources of the northern Gulf of California, he added.

This fund is financed by the European Union and Mexico, through the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), said Rosa María Prol.

“We found that the area studied for this project is important in energy resources, as well as having significant biodiversity, with many endemic species,” he said.

The plan “Dubai 2030 Integrated Energy” provides cause a 5% share of solar energy in its program and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, while importing energy nuclear neighbors. The final allocation would be as follows: 5% solar, 12% nuclear, 12% coal and 71% gas.

According to the emir of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this solar park covering an area of 48 square kilometers is expected to cost around 2.6 billion euros. It will be directed by the Supreme Council of Energy (SCE) and operated by DEWA (Dubai Water and Electricity Authority).

The first solar power plant located in 30 km southeast of the city will have a capacity of 10 MW. The work is not expected before the end of 2013.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains a major oil exporters in the world, where production reached about 2.6 million barrels a day (bpd). However, according to figures from the U.S. administration of energy, the bulk of oil production is concentrated in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, while Dubai is content with only about 100,000 bpd, from 4 existing fields.

The Emirate of Dubai has nearly 2 million inhabitants remains as one of the largest consumers of electricity per capita in the world, mainly due to extreme temperatures, leading to extensive use of air conditioning from June to September, and forcing the country to import more gas.

“We recognize the preservation of our energy resources as one of the biggest challenges in our efforts for sustainable development. Dubai and show the great achievements is one of the most competitive countries in the world. This leading position is the culmination of the efforts of our leadership to create a stimulating business environment, characterized by an advanced infrastructure, and efficient and reliable services “said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-President of the Supreme Council of Energy at the launching ceremony.

The facility consists of 7220 mono crystalline solar panels with a total capacity of 1.7 MW peak annual production of 1500 MWh, comparable to the annual electricity consumption of about 450 households. This current is injected directly into the electricity distribution network from the airport, which is about 1% of annual consumption.

The result of the test project, installed in 2010 on the roof of a firefighter building, has proved positive, the decision was made to put solar panels on the roof of a tall logistics building of Brucargo West. The total area of ​​the roof is 30,000 m², the equivalent of about six football fields. The work of adapting to the roof structure and placement of signs was done last fall.

In future the airport will investigate further opportunities to increase the share of solar energy in the electricity supply of the site, without neglecting the possibilities to include other energy sources renewable.

“We had already committed to a policy of sustainable management of energy and significantly reduce our CO2 emissions under the Airport Carbon Accreditation program. For technical reasons, the share of renewables in our energy mix remains small at the moment, but each change of one percent is an important step for a daily consumption of 20,000 staff members and 50,000 passengers, “said Arnaud Feist, director of the airport.

Scientists and agency experts predict an increase of one third of energy demand over the next 25 years, forcing nations to make investments to avoid shortages of basic resources and increase dangerous emissions that contribute to global warming.

“The time is running out, but you can still take action. If there is no investment and a global commitment to the environment binding, with the current infrastructure (factories, cars and gasoline-driven public transport), emissions of greenhouse gases that would be allowed through 2035 for the average global temperature does not rise above two degrees and avoid a global tragedy, will be exhausted in 2017,” they said.

For this a little bit cloudy future, and facing an energy crisis that is approaching inevitably, the United Nations (UN) declared 2012 as the year of green energy or sustainable.

It means that the wind, sun and heat that comes from the center of the earth to become the primary sources worldwide.

Today, only 19 percent of world energy is renewable. But according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it should meet 80 percent of global needs by 2050.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said that the development of the renewable energy sector is inevitable, and it should play a role in sustainability.

The idea is that its use can multiply by 20. Here we meet two reasons: take advantage of those resources seem inexhaustible as the sun’s power, which may be exhausted within 5,000 years, and that humanity receives free, and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases today are produced by burning fossil fuels to heat homes, such as oil or coal.

In addition, optimal use of water, which, as in Colombia, is used to ignite the bulbs most major cities and through dams increasingly questioned because of its impact on ecosystems.

For Domingo Guinea, the National Research Council of Spain, the most urgent task to accomplish these objectives is that the energy and water are transformed into a public service and are increasingly a source of financial gain.

“At the moment it is no longer used only as a channel to generate profits, there will be a clear possibility of self-sufficiency in much of the planet.”

Guinea says sustainable energy used by our ancestors and the rather more common sense, no need to waste energy from fossil materials, such as electricity. “We’ve been rich and be rich and we continue to squander squandered everything we can.”

However, for the UN, things are going well. Today, China has overtaken the U.S. in renewable energy investments. American investors led the ranking until last year, when the Asian giant nearly doubled the amount spent on the construction of specialized facilities to produce clean energy versus $ 34,600 million to 18,600 million U.S., according to the NGO Pew Charitable Trusts.

This nation invests more in 148 percent renewable in 2005. Another country that stands out in its environmental awareness is Turkey, which invests 178 percent over five years ago. In Europe, meanwhile, more than 20,000 offshore wind farms under construction.

In Colombia there are efforts in wind energy in the Alta Guajira, where Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) launched the first wind farm, Jepirachi, with 15 wind turbines that provide 19.5 megawatts to the national grid. There is research to generate energy from biomass, and in this case, sugar cane bagasse in Santanderes, the Eastern Plains and the Atlantic coast. As with the waves, to produce 30 gigawatts by 3,000 kilometers of coastline.

Also detected the possibility of producing electricity with geothermal energy. This energy is pollution-free, but it costs two to three times more than normal and is limited to areas of tectonic activity. Geothermal Atlas of Colombia indicates that there are possibilities to have it from the Chiles volcano, Cerro Black and Azufral (Nariño) in Nevados National Park and the Geothermal Area Paipa-Iza (Boyaca).

Also in the Nevado del Ruiz. Studies by the University, this mountain is characterized by explosive eruptions periodically and have multiple layers of hardened lava (pyroclastic) and volcanic ash. The exploration phase will begin this year with the drilling of five wells with depths of 2 to 3 kilometers (each with an estimated cost of $ 5 million). If you check the existence of the resource, the production wells drilled and water reinjection at the end of 2013. The next step will be building a plant to generate electricity, which would be operated by Isagen, possibly from 2013.

These local efforts have led in recent years has increased investment in renewable ‘green’ all over the globe. Between 2004 and 2009, renewable energy capacity grew by 10 to 60 percent. And while in 2005 only 55 countries promoted in 2010 that number increased to 100.

According to the IEA, between now and 2035 would require a global investment of 38 billion dollars in infrastructure to meet growing energy demand, of which 90 percent come from countries like China and India. But everything will depend on the balance in the grants management change and these are reduced to fossil fuels (400,000 million dollars a year). Greenpeace accounts make clear the way: “With just redirect all subsidies for fossil fuels to renewable energy programs, the 2,000 million poor people have access to energy, not 2030, but in this decade.”

In Canada: Its branch – Canadian Solar Solutions (CSSI) – has signed an agreement of nearly 470 million Canadian dollars, with TransCanada to provide a portfolio of 86 MW photovoltaic. Thus, CSSI will service nine solar power plants spread over the territory of Ontario. These plants will begin production in late 2012 and summer 2013. All solar modules are manufactured by the Canadian Solar site in Guelph (Ontario).

Spain: Canadian Solar had previously signed a commercial contract with Siemens for the supply of 2.5 MW of solar modules for two solar projects – a roof and shelter for vehicles (parking) – built by Siemens at the destination University of Murcia in Spain. The company also announced the provision of solar modules for a 9 MW photovoltaic plant located in the city of Ablitas Spain (Navarre). Built by OPDE Group and to be put into service for the last quarter of 2011.

Germany: Canadian Solar has extended its collaboration with the Berlin company Saferay for the photovoltaic solar power plant which will build  36,000 modules in Lindenhof . The 8.5 MW solar power plant based in Lindenhof near Neubrandenburg in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania should be completed in January 2012. Last September, Saferay completed the construction of “Senftenberg II / III”, a complex of 78 MW as part of the largest solar power plant in the world (166 MW) located in Brandenburg.

The financial vice president of the Balearic Government has released the new call for public aid to renewable energy development, with funds from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDEA), divided 2,275,000 euros between Islands.

The sector, one of the few to rise during the economic crisis, welcomes this new line of grants as an opportunity to convince people of the need to install renewable energy equipment in their own homes in order to overcome the progressive increase in the cost of light , already has gone up to 75% in the last five years and promises to continue to rise in the future.

Assistance organized by the economic department of the Bauzà Government granted to either solar, wind, mixed, biogas or thermal biomass teams. The resolution of Vice President Josep Ignasi Aguiló makes it clear that it will subsidize up to 30% of the cost of installation and the maximum injection of public money will be € 200,000 per applicant.

The official deadline for eligibility for support will end on Sunday 22 January. To be awarded some of the grants, you only have to prove that is has undertaken any renewable installation of its kind between the August 14, 2010 and August 15 this year. Installation companies can also seek help from the administration.

The cumulative production of renewable energy in 2011 was 10.2% lower than the same period in 2010 and has cut its weight by 2.3 points in the ‘mix’ generation, from 35% last year to 32.7 % now.

These data, which are included in the daily monitoring of Spain’s Red Electrica (REE) of the electrical system are not yet final, 2011, coincided with a sharp increase in the production of coal-fired plants, which provide a 95 % more.

The burning of this fuel for electricity generation is fueled by a royal decree or gifts of technical restrictions that gives preference to domestic coal, whose use has increased by 84%. Still, imported coal production rises by 119%.

Among the renewable technologies, wind is nearing the end of the year down 4.5% after it cut production by 8.5% so far this month, while the hydraulic generates 24% less than electricity and has grown from providing a 16% to 11.5%.

In any case, the wind has not significantly reduced their weight in the ‘mix’. If in 2010 accounted for 16% of electricity, now accounts for 15.8%. This slight variation reflects the fact that electricity demand drops by 1%, while in 2010 increased 2.9%. On the other hand, solar photovoltaic now produces 25% more weight and already has close to 3% in the ‘mix’, while the CSP, in the takeoff, nearly triple its contribution.

The main change in conventional technologies applicable to coal, which has gone from having a weight of 8% of the parent generation to 15.4% today.

Nuclear power produces a 7% less, but just a point cut in its contribution to the overall electrical system, from 22% to 21%, while gas combined cycle reduce its production by 241% and go from 23% despite to 18.8%.

The study shows that solar energy will be the main source of electricity in 2050. Peru has the advantage of receiving light and solar heat evenly and in high volume and quality throughout the year in almost all its territory and, in particular in the regions of Tacna, Arequipa and Moquegua, which have with the highest average annual solar radiation, reaching 2.300KWh/m2. Solar energy has great potential and in Peru, especially to provide electricity to those who do not possess or that are located in areas far from cities.

It is anticipated that new power plants will be in the energy market by June 2012 and most of them are located in southern Peru. ReparticiónSolar20T and MajesSolar20T plants will be promoted and operated by T-Solar, while TacnaSolar20T and PanamericanaSolar20TS will be for Solarpack in partnership with T-Solar.

In addition, the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru is about to launch a call for the academic community energy projects that contribute to fully exploit information provided by the above study. Pedro Gamio, former deputy energy minister and current head of Community Relations and Social Promotion Atacocha Mining Company, spoke on the matter and suggested that the government should place greater emphasis on developing the National Energy Plan for the projects have one looks in common.

Activ Solar GmbH, headquartered in Vienna, announced on 21/12/2011 the completion and commissioning of the fourth phase of construction of photovoltaic power plant in Perovo. Thus, the total capacity of solar farm, which began construction in July 2011, is 80 megawatts (MW). Phase I, II, III and IV are expected to produce 106 000 megawatt hours of solar electricity annually, enough to cover to meet the electricity needs of 22,000 households. Perovo is the largest PV park built in the CIS countries (former Soviet Union). Activ Solar acted as project developer and EPC contractor.

The recently completed Ohotnikovo solar farm with a total capacity of 80 megawatts (MW) consists of 360 000 PV modules and covers an area of ​​160 hectares. The project comprised four phases of construction, each with 20 MW. Three phases were completed during the year and connected to the national grid. The power plant, according to Activ Solar, is expected to produce 100,000 megawatts hours of solar electricity per year and help us save 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The energy needs of 20,000 households can be covered with solar farm in Ohotnikovo.

The additional power of 10 MWp which is divided between the two facilities “Lotti” and “Petiver” is issued more than 40,000 Kyocera modules (model KD240GH-2PB). According to Kyocera, the high efficiency of this module the large predestined to facilities on industrial sites or solar farms. With 60 cells, the module has an output of 240 Wp.

In recent months, these new facilities complement existing solar park of 6 MW, operated by Enermill in the town of Cigliano Italy (Piedmont).

The solar park of Enermill which covers an area of 22 ha has now reached a total capacity of 16 MWp. It is the largest installation in Italy equipped with Kyocera solar modules. With a total of 68,100 ** modules, it is possible to produce annually about 20 GWh of solar electricity. This energy corresponds roughly to the annual energy needs of 4,500 homes will save 18,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Italy has a very good solar radiation and an attractive feed-in tariff, which can only encourage its expansion in the field of solar energy.

In Europe, Italy is one of the largest markets for photovoltaic systems. According to GSE, controlled by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, and whose mission is to promote and support the development of renewable, photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of 6.5 gigawatts have been installed between January and September 2011 .

In addition, the Italian State encourages the production of renewable electricity from the photovoltaic feed-in tariff by a particularly challenging compared to other European countries.

“Google, KKR and (solar infrastructure operator) Recurrent Energy announced an investment in the field of photovoltaic solar energy in the city of Sacramento, California.

“This investment clearly demonstrates the ability of the solar energy sector to attract capital (groups) such as Google and KKR prestigious,” said Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy, who will manage the operation of these infrastructures.

According to Harris, the operation shows that the solar industry “is becoming a viable and essential part of our energy economy.”

Three solar plants will be completed in early 2012 and fourth in the passing of that year. The plants will generate 160,000 kilowatt / hour for the first year of operation, representing the average consumption of 13,000 homes in the United States.

“We had a busy year in Google. Since January, we have invested over $ 880 million in renewable energy projects. We believe that the world needs a wide range of solutions, from wind, transmission, solar energy photovoltaic and solar thermal, and hope that next year, new opportunities arise to further expand our portfolio of renewable energy investments, “said Google, through a communique issued in one of his blogs.

The venue this time is eastern Nepal after the failure in 1989 which involved the installation of wind turbines in the north, where six months were shattered by the strong currents of air down a ridge that is the roof of the world.

The aim of the new initiative is to produce 12 kilowatts per day by wind turbines and solar panels to provide electricity to the population of Dahubadi, in which the project has been a real revolution for its 400 inhabitants.

“Now we can watch TV when you want to charge mobile phones and that our children study at night,” told Efe Padam Bhadur Rana Magar, a resident of the village who explained that the new system has a host of other jobs.

To provide them with that until now was its main source of energy, kerosene, Dahubadi residents were forced to travel on foot, by car or donkeys and horses the 27 miles that separate the village from the nearest road.

When running out of kerosene, the issue was more complicated, the neighbors sometimes had to resort to burning the dried feces of cattle, and also human, for lighting, heating and cooking, a scenario that has been finished with the new system.

Dahubadi lives ginger cultivation, which is their main source of income and a plant that is dried before sale, up to the launch of the initiative drying wood burning was achieved but the process now made ​​solar panels.

The next innovation will be the access to drinking water, people get walking for fifteen minutes to reach the nearest spring but once started the project it is hoped soon to be pumped to the town.

Sponsor of the revolutionary system is the Asian Development Bank (ADB), based in Manila, as part of a program that also includes projects in other African countries such as Bangladesh, Mongolia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

In Nepal, the hope is that, to be crowned with success, Dahubadi model used to apply the method in another 1,000 towns in the country, one of the poorest in the world where 48 percent of its population lacks electricity .

That prospect has prompted authorities in Kathmandu, who lack political line in the field of renewable energies, to plan the creation of a sector fund, announced Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Krishna Gyawali.

But sources said the finance company promoter Dahubadi experience before extending the project to other locations where calibration is required and how to install the hybrid system to avoid fiascoes like a little more than two decades.

An expert from the government’s Center for Alternative Energy Promotion, Surya Sapkota, Efe told that the danger is precisely the capacity to generate wind power has the Himalayas, whose enormity can become an obstacle.

The environmental organization and the social networking giant, jointly develop programs to raise awareness among Facebook users about the importance of energy saving, to then transfer this initiative to the entire community.

This announcement comes two years after the launch of Greenpeace’s global campaign, “Facebook: No to coal’. The campaign won the support of more than 700,000 e-activists who demanded that all its offices Facebook run on clean energy instead of fossil fuel generated. This set a new Guinness record for the largest number of comments from Facebook generated in one day.

As a result of this announcement today, the campaign comes to an end.

“Greenpeace and Facebook work together to encourage major energy producers to abandon the use of coal and instead invest in renewable energy,” said Martin Prieto, Executive Director of Greenpeace in Argentina. “This shift toward clean energy and safe, help fight against the greenhouse effect and ensure a stronger economy, with healthy communities,” said Prieto.

Facebook announced today that the goal is to their operations, and even their data centers, fed by the use of renewable and clean energy. The company will increase its leadership in these initiatives through its project called Open Compute Project (“Open Computer”) will encourage their use in other technology companies.

“Facebook looks forward to the day when the main energy sources are clean and renewable, for that we are working with Greenpeace and others to achieve our desire,” said Marcy Scott Lynn, the program’s sustainability Facebook. “Greenpeace was successful in using the Facebook platform to generate environmental awareness and action. We are quite happy to work with them and explore new ways that Facebook can be used to zoom in and connect users with the environmental issues that concern them most, from their own energy consumption through access to clean sources.”

As part of the agreement, the social networking giant, will continue its research on energy efficiency and sharing of results via Open Computer Program, which will be supported by Greenpeace. In turn, Facebook plans to engage in dialogue with its suppliers of energy sources used in their datacenters.

“Facebook’s commitment to challenge other companies in computing and cloud computing, such as Apple, IBM, Microsoft and Twitter,” said Prieto. “Facebook campaign showed that people worldwide want their social networks to commit to clean energy and not derived from coal. Greenpeace will continue measuring, reporting and campaigning for a green computer industry, “he said.

In turn, Greenpeace and Facebook also agreed to develop and promote these experiences on Facebook, so connecting to the public and organizations with issues related to renewable energy. Greenpeace makes extensive use of Facebook to engage its partners in campaigns and the environmental organization has more ‘I like’s on Facebook.

The ambitious initiative may have been encouraged by a rapid increase in the installation of solar energy in recent months after the government unified the tariffs for solar energy projects in July and offered a higher price for the projects put into operation before year-end.

China had already doubled its goal of producing solar energy by 2015, 10 GW, after the crisis of the Japanese nuclear plant. The installed capacity of solar power in late 2010 was less than 1 GW in China, the world’s largest exporter of photovoltaic products and home to some of the best players in the industry, like Trina Solar, JA Solar, LDK Solar and Suntech Power .

Annual production of solar energy will reach 20,000 million kilowatt hours in 2015 and wind energy production will reach 190,000 million kWh, China National Radio said.

Projected capacity of 100 GW of wind power in 2015, will be built in 5 GW offshore wind farms. The total production target of wind power remained stable. The production of non-fossil energy, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and nuclear power, is 480 million tons of coal in 2015.

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest and most solar radiation the planet. That’s where Subsole, a major national export fruit table, plans for future growth through the use of solar energy and energy efficiency.

With a loan of U.S. $ 32 million and technical assistance from the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), Subsole plans to increase fruit production by 60 percent over the next four years, mainly by expanding the cultivation in the valley of Copiapo, 800 miles north of Santiago, surrounded by the Atacama desert.

In order to boost production on a competitive basis Subsole plans to build a solar power plant of 300 kWp (kilowatt peak) in the valley to supply their irrigation systems. The new PV, the first in the history of Chilean fruit production, will allow the company to supply water from underground aquifers at a low cost and sustainable way in a region where there is competition for the limited power available with a booming industry mining.

“The solar plant will allow us to reduce the carbon footprint and at the same time ensuring stable energy costs and greater energy efficiency,” said Miguel Allamand Subsole president, who founded the company 20 years ago. Subsole understand the powerful combination of quality and sustainability. Much of its operating costs are allocated to knowledge and technology transfer to farmers.

Thanks to the technical and financial support from the IDB, the company will energy audits in six areas under irrigation, three packaging plants and cold stores. In addition, conduct a feasibility study to implement solar technology in refrigeration, to improve methods of irrigation and water storage, packaging and building core deposits and efficient energy technology, such as frequency converters for hydraulic pumps and water systems and energy management.

The investment will allow Subsole remain at the forefront of table fruit production in Chile. The Santiago-based company is known for its inclusive business model, where the benefits of development of the company are shared with farmers. It was one of the first to implement a certification program for quality control throughout the value chain also pioneered the implementation of benefit programs for employees include: free meals, transportation and housing, actions have particularly benefited women from low income families.

“The investment of Subsole improve sustainability practices and have a great impact on the entire supply chain, will directly benefit 275 small and medium producers and generate over 10,000 jobs directly and indirectly. In total, some 82,000 people will benefit along the supply chain,”said Paola Bazan, project team leader of the Finance Department of the IDB Structured and Corporate. “The investment will ensure that sustainable and responsible corporate practices continue to support innovation, which is central to the strategy of the IDB’s private sector.”

The company controlled by Buffett acquired last December 7 First Solar company to another construction site in central San Luis Obispo (California), considered the second largest photovoltaic power layout of the world.

Neither company disclosed details of the transaction related to the project in Agua Caliente, 290-megawatt capacity and will cost 1,800 million dollars when completed in 2014, NRG Energy, based in Princeton (New Jersey).

The solar power plant is also being built by First Solar and is expected to generate enough clean electricity to suppress the emission into the atmosphere of 5.5 million tons of CO2 over the next 25 years.

President and CEO of MidAmerican Energy, Greg Abel said they are “aggressively pursuing opportunities” to expand its “presence in the renewable energy sector and the Agua Caliente project is an important step towards that goal.”

Meanwhile, his counterpart from NRG Energy, David Crane, said that the agreement “increases the strength and credibility of which is already one of the largest photovoltaic solar energy paths of the world.” The transaction is subject to the approval of the United States Department of Energy.

Wind in Brazil: booming wind energy market. Brazil has 1,400 MW of wind power, and provides multiplicarr eight the number of wind turbines by 2014, according to the Brazilian Wind Energy Association, ABEEólica.

Brazil is undergoing a boom in wind energy thanks to its lower output prices, coupled with government incentives that attract a growing number of foreign companies. The country’s wind industry has a current capacity of 1,400 MW and is expected that this figure is multiplied by eight for 2014, according to the Brazilian Wind Energy Association, ABEEólica.

A study by Emerging Energy Research Institute IHS notes that Brazil, the largest wind energy market in Latin America, will be 31.6 GW wind (a gigawatt equals 1,000 MW) of installed capacity by 2025.

In an energy auction in August organized by the government, owners of 44 wind farms in Brazil won 39% of the total capacity offered, providing for the first time an average price of 99.58 reais ($ 62.91) per MWH below the average of two gas projects (103.26 reals) and a hydroelectric project (102 reals).

Lower producer prices, government incentives and rising energy demand in Brazil have attracted a significant number of foreign companies.

Wobben Windpower, a subsidiary of German group Enercon, installed the first wind turbine factory in the 90s and expects to install 22 wind farms totaling 554 MW by the end of 2012. This company followed the Spanish Gamesa, Argentina’s Impsa, Germany’s Siemens, Vestas, the Danish maker of wind turbines in the world, GE Wind (a branch of GE Energy, a subsidiary of General Electric) and India Suzlon.

The latest to join the group of investors is the French giant Alstom engineering, who on Wednesday opened a plant to build wind turbines in Bahia (northeast), its first in Latin America.

The factory, located in the Camacari industrial complex near Salvador, Bahia’s capital, will have a production capacity of 300 MW to meet the domestic and export markets. Alstom said that his ambition is to reach its current wind industry 40% share in the hydroelectric sector in Brazil.

This “showcase project” is presented at the 17th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP17) to be held from November 28 to December 9, 2011 in Durban.

This is a central cover of 180 parking spaces, conducted in the parking lot of the head office of Eskom, the national power. It will produce 675 MWh per year and will provide 5% of energy needs of Eskom.

The inauguration of this facility on November 25 was the start of the great plan of development of renewable energy which has set South Africa, a country where coal is currently the dominant energy.

The solar complex was developed by the joint venture including Energy Division of Guma Group and the French company Coruscant where two shareholders are committed to develop larger scale other photovoltaic projects in the country.

“We are very proud of this first project is at the forefront of our ambition in the field of renewable energy,” said Robert Matana Gumede, CEO of Guma group. “Photovoltaics is a method of energy production growth. This project will be the flagship of our strategy of producing non-polluting energy.”

The engineering and expertise of photovoltaic shade structures were made by Coruscant, while the construction was awarded to local companies. Equipment, including 2600 m2 of photovoltaic modules (produced by Tenesol, a subsidiary of Total) and support structures were manufactured in South Africa. The inverters are supplied on site by the French company Schneider Electric.

Finally, 80% of the total budget of 1.2 million euros has been spent locally, in accordance with the target set by the South African government to develop on-site activities related to renewable energy.

“We are very pleased that the first project in South Africa is a shade house photovoltaic parking, this validates the relevance of energy production without consumption of land and no impact on the environment,” said Thierry Mueth CEO Coruscant. “The French company Coruscant has extensive experience in the production of solar energy. A pioneer of photovoltaic shade structures in France, their technical input has been invaluable, “concluded the Director of the Division of Energy Guma Group, Deon van der Walt.

While this is laudable initiative aimed at, one can simply regret that South Africa is only beginning to turn to this renewable energy, from which it could benefit on a large scale.

The Environment Minister Juergen Reinholz inaugurated on November 21 the official launch of the solar power plant built on the roof of an agricultural cooperative to Grossenlupnitz.

The installation, created by Maxx-solar & energy, 3000 includes 42 modules and inverters provided by IBC SOLAR and follows a shipyard asbestos removal and renovation of the roof.

This solar plant is implementing 7,000 m² roof to produce 600,000 kilowatt hours of photovoltaic electricity per year, equivalent to 370 tonnes of CO2 emissions if the same amount of energy had to be produced from hydrocarbon resources .

“The Free State of Thuringia is involved in renewable energy and the number of installed PV systems continues to grow,” said Dieter Ortmann, Director General of Maxx solar, who added: “The potential of this region remains however, still to be exploited. This project clearly demonstrates the benefits of solar power plants are of this size in our state. ”

The energy produced by the PV system will be paid up to 25.86 cents per kilowatt hour.

“The energy investment in agricultural cooperatives is an example for Thuringia and shows that the transition to renewable energy is not only a political duty, but also a mission for businesses and citizens. I am particularly proud to see local partners work together for the success of projects as emblematic for the region, “Juergen Reinholz summarized, Environment Minister of Thuringia.

The scheme developed by scientists around the world staged power plants in orbit that capture the sun’s rays before them passing to the ground. This process is technically feasible within a decade or two, nothing that based on existing technologies in laboratories.

Specifically, the project would be to launch satellites into geostationary orbit in charge of capturing the sun’s energy and provided with adjustable articulated arm. The major advantage of the proposed system lies in the positioning of the various satellites in orbit over the equator that receive maximum sunshine and permanent (24/7).

Each satellite would transmit then the collected energy to a master device, which in turn convert the concentrated energy to electricity after transmitting to the Earth via laser or a microwave antenna. Finally, ground equipment would look to recover these flows and inject them into power systems.

“A pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of this technology is quite possible thanks to low-cost launch vehicle currently under development,” said John Mankins, – former manager at NASA Concept – who led the study.

However, there are obstacles before reaching such an embodiment, the report quoted jumble: the problem of space debris, the lack of targeted studies and the final cost of development. The report therefore recommends that the actors both public and private sectors jointly funding feasibility studies.

Specializing in the design, operation, and development of photovoltaic industry and the roof to the ground, Ciel et Terre will connect the 20th solar power since the moratorium. Or a total capacity of 8 MWp on industrial roofs with an area between 1000 and 22 000 m2. In addition, the company is now present on the tender “great power on the ground” with four projects in Provence, Languedoc and Aquitaine.

However, despite the new regulations of the French photovoltaic, Ciel et Terre plans to continue! Indeed, by recently creating innovative solar power plants in a lake. These photovoltaic great powers are both floating, recyclable, French-made and constructed in accordance with the biodiversity of water bodies (industrial basins, ancient lakes career…).

This new method of designing electricity in a technically efficient and economically viable, attractive sunny today in many countries where electricity is very expensive for the time and space scarce.

Therefore, Heaven and Earth has strengthened its position by participating in development of international solar projects under “Sky & Earth” brand. According to the company, many partnerships have been forged in order to export the concept of solar lake in India, Israel, Thailand and the United States and Ecuador.