Owner: Technology for life URL:http://technology4life.wordpress.com Join Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:22:42 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: News about business developments linking Spain and the US, especially in the fields of renewable energies, the environment and infrastructures. Site statistics:Click here
BP Solar builds in Spain one of the largest solar cell plants in Europe 2007-03-26 00:42:56 BP Solar, a division of BP, announced on March 22 that it has begun constructing a mega cell plant at its Europe
an headquarters in Tres Cantos, Madrid. The company is aiming to expand its annual cell capacity from 55 megawatt (MW) to around 300 MW.
BP Solar´s activities in Spain
go way back, since it arrived in the country in 1982. The other two largest solar cell manufacturers in the country are Atersa and Isofoton. Coincidentally, Isofoton inaugurated a 200 MW manufacturing plant last year as well, so this announcement is yet another confirmation of the good perspectives perceived for solar industry in the country, both as a market and a manufacturing base.
Bertrand Boulin, BP Solar’s vice president of Manufacturing and Supply alluded to their confidence in the growth projections of the European market. “We already have an established manufacturing presence in
Madrid, a skilled and talented workforce, and direct access to some of the fastest growing PV
From batteries to silver and fertilizer 2007-03-25 06:46:39 From time to time, I like to bring you the story of a small company or outfit that is working in renewable energies or the environment in simple ways. The reason is to prove the point that it is not a question of large companies and budgets. Innovation can come from anywhere and may be done with relatively modest means.
Terra Viva, the channel for Environment from Euronews, features the story of two Spanish businessmen that have a small operation recycling button batteries
to extract their silver (used again in jewelry) and other elements that are turned into fertilizer. They have received offers for their technology from other companies abroad (China, France and Belgium).
To watch the video, click here
Introduction to the video from Terra Viva:
“In the small Andalusian town of Montilla, a few kilometers from Cordoba, two men are pioneering a revolutionary system of recycling. Their company has become the first in Europe capable of recycling the tiny button batter
For the 1st time, Wind power becomes Spain´s top energy source 2007-03-25 03:27:27 Tree Hugger, via The Age, reported yesterday how, ”taking advantage of a particularly gusty period, Spain
’s wind energy generators this week have reached an all-time high in electricity production, exceeding power
generated by any other source“.
Wind power generation rose to contribute 27 per cent of the country’s total power requirement, said a statement by the nation’s electricity network authority (Red Electrica).
Wind power contributed 8,375 mega watts to the nation’s power consumption of 31,033. Although we must consider that this is a peak, not an average, this is a symbolic moment for the wind industry, not just in Spain.
The special intermittent nature production of wind power means it is necessary to have a backup power system provided by other sources of energy. Therefore, forecasting, tracking and control functions related to this type of generation must be as accurate as possible.
Red electrica uses state-of-the art technology to
The new kid on the block 2007-03-22 23:45:18 In posts in the last few weeks I have been following the tracks of Spanish investors in the field of renewable energies in the US, such as Gamesa, Acciona Energy, Iberdrola and Naturener. Now it is the turn for an additional entrant stepping up to the plate.
Elecnor, a diversified holding with a $ 1,030 million revenue in 2005 is coming to Chicago in April to participate in a Spain-US Investment event, with the view to expanding its activities in turnkey projects in the US and, specifically, in the Midwest.
We expect to have more news to report about this significant move, given that the Elecnor Group is one of Spain’s leading companies in the field of project planning and development in the areas of renewable energy, electricity and infrastructures. It currently has a presence in over 20 countries and 11 subsidiaries ranging from aerospace to wind power (Enerfin) to production of Solar modules (Atersa).
View from a wind turbine of the largest (150 MW) wind Read more:block
Non-stop power from micro wind turbines 2007-03-20 04:52:12 I enclose an extract of an interesting story by Claudia Blume (full story here), picked up at VOA News (Hong Kong):
Engineers at the University of Hong Kong and a private renewable energy company have developed a new micro
wind turbine that can generate electricity even if wind speeds are as low as two meters per second.
Micro wind turbines (Courtesy of VOA News)
“We never stop this machine and they never stop because there is always one meter per second wind - 365 days, 24 hours a day, they keep working,” said Lucien Gambarota - the main inventor of the technology.
They are ideal for crowded cities because they can be installed on rooftops and balconies.
Their design is simple: plastic gearwheels, each about 25 centimeters in diameter, are linked to one another and turn, moved by the wind. Groups of gearwheels can be arranged in an array of shapes and sizes. The energy generated by the turbines is stored in a battery, which then power
s electrical appliances.
The
Harvesting the sun 2007-03-19 01:12:14 Yesterday, Monte alto (9,5 MW), one of the solar pv plants with the highest yield in the world (14 Million annual Kwh) was officially inaugurated by Acciona Solar in the city of Milagro (Navarra, North Eastern Spain - mentioned in a post some days ago).
The project will produce clean electricity equivalent to the consumption of five thousand families and will avoid the emission of 13.5 million tons of CO².
It is a peculiar style of plant, of the kind called in Spain “Huerta Solar” (pronounced more or less like wehrtah sohlar) It means literally solar orchard, though, less poetically, they could simply be called solar farms.
A “Huerta Solar” is a grid-connected solar power plant based on individual structures, each with their own investor. Individuals may invest directly in these small photovoltaic installations that become their property but are located on a common site with other owners. These subsystems are usually equipped with automated sun tracking devices t
In the right path to control climate change? 2007-03-18 01:28:10 The Day after tomorrow
This video from the World Wildlife Fund WWF about developments in CSP (Concentrating Solar Power) and biomass from olives in Spain and solar energy in Australia ends with a call for bold measures that was at least partially heeded at the last European Union summit.
The European leaders agreed to a greenhouse gas reduction in the EU of 20 per cent by 2020, and 30 per cent if other industrialized countries will take action.
This commitment by European leaders to scale up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent by 2020 sets the right path to control climate change at the global level. But appropriate laws and measures are needed to be put into place so that the goal does not remain hot air.
Thirsty and energy starved islands 2007-03-16 05:21:24 The Greek government announced on Wednesday the introduction of a series of steps aimed at helping to increase water supplies on some of the country’s more popular islands.
Eight desalination units, used to remove excess salt and other minerals from water in order to obtain fresh water suitable for irrigation, will be built on the Aegean islands of Myconos, Santorini, Tinos and Paros, among others.
Rainfall this winter has been lower than the average in a number of regions across Greece, as in many other parts of the world. As a matter of fact, this been the world’s warmest winter since record-keeping began more than a century ago, as the U.S. government agency that tracks weather (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA) reported on Thursday.
Climate change affects islands crucially, in matters such as sea level rise, fragile ecosystems and limited water resources.
There are different initiatives to help islands transform their energy systems from Read more:Thirsty
, starved
Of termites, algae and microbes 2007-03-14 14:15:28 The search to derive alternatives to fossil fuels through algae and microbes gains momentum.
Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Program, said a Brazilian newspaper last week that termites host microbes that can transform wood waste into sugar for ethanol production “in an effective and economic way.”
He was referring to studies underway and a lot of investment being spent on termites in the US and Researchers funded by Europeans that are studying tropical insects in laboratories in Kenya. The termite technology could surpass “in a few years” corn and sugar cane-based ethanol, used by the United States and Brazil respectively, Steiner said.
The promise held by this line of investigation had been voiced many times before, for example, by Steve Chu - a Nobel laureate, no less (see “Termite guts…” a 2005 article at Science Daily).
Originally uploaded by mini-d
Anyway, as if confirming Steiner´s words, CNET reported yes
The little champion of renewable energy 2007-03-11 03:59:41 In a moment when the big news were that the European Union leaders agreed that a fifth of its energy by 2020 will come from renewable sources, a piece from BBC News on Friday talked about a place where right now, almost 70% of its energy comes from the wind and sun. (Watch a clip with the story by clicking here)
It is the region of Navarra, in Northeastern Spain, better known in the US for the “running of the bulls” in Pamplona, made famous by Hemingway.
Being poor in energy resources, it bet heavily on renewable energy in the eighties.
clipped from news.bbc.co.uk
Now (…), this tiny region is capable of generating more electricity from renewable sources than big EU countries like France or Poland.
This strategy has worked well, as this industry has become one of the largest in the region and, in the process, it has created a lot of jobs (4,000 in the last decade).
Image courtesy of Acciona Energia
Some 1,100 windmills are dotted Read more:little
, champion
Portuguese EDP buys U.S. Horizon Wind Energy 2007-03-28 04:39:06 Portugal´s largest industrial company, the power utility EDP, has agreed to buy U.S. wind-park company Horizon Wind Energy
from Goldman Sachs at an enterprise value of $2.9 billion to enter the U.S. market and boost its position in renewable energy.
Both EDP and Horizon had been expanding their portfolios in wind power projects very aggressively. Houston based Horizon has 559 gross megawatts of operating wind projects and another 997 MW under construction due to be completed by the end of this year.
“Horizon also has a strong pipeline of projects in several stages of development in 15 different states across the country, with combined aggregate generating potential of over 9,000 MW,” EDP said.
EDP or Energías de Portugal moved into the number seven spot in the global ranking of MW wind power owned through 2006.
EDP saw a 68% spike in its total wind MW owned in 2006 following an aggressive acquisition strategy in its neighbouring country, Spain, where it Read more:Portuguese
The concentrated power of the sun in action 2007-03-30 05:20:03
Video by Shaine Ibrahimi (Life on the Green side TV)Â and seen first in RE Access on the Nevada Solar One plant, the third largest Concentrating Solar Power facility in the world.
Acciona Solar Power owns the plant and Schott Solar provides the mirrors. More info. here (RE Access) and here (ZD Net)
Read more:power
Profit and sustainability: not mutually exclusive 2007-03-29 06:32:55 A team of MBA students from Instituto de Empresa (IE) came up with the Grand Prize at the Thunderbird Sustainable Innovation Summit competition, taking home $20,000 and the title "2007 Global Champions of Sustainable Innovation"
The IE team competed against 85 teams from 45 universities from the US, Europe and Asia. German students Philipp Pausder and Tobias Schirmer, Macedonian Blagoja Hamamdziev and Mexican Guillermo Ortega presented their work called "Disruptive Thoughts" to a jury integrated by experts in innovation and CSR, including entrepreneurs, business men, consultants and academics.
IE Students also won in 2004 and were in 3rd place last year at the same competition , which was named Global Citizenship Challenge back then.
The 10 teams in the final round of the competition were challenged to develop the most innovative and sustainable business plans that addressed real-life challenges faced by Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Inc.
Merck asked the MB
Europe´s First Commercial CSP Tower Opens in Spain 2007-04-02 00:22:24 A project I mentioned in a post in February (World hotbeds of solar activity II) became Europe
´s first commercial concentrating solar power plant when it was officially inaugurated today near the Spanish city of Seville
By the way, sometimes it is mentioned as the world´s first, others only as Europe´s first, I am sorry to say that I have not been able to get the straight dope on this one.
Anyway, this 11 megawatt project by Solucar (a division of Abengoa) known as PS10, produces electricity with 624 large movable mirrors or “heliostats”.
Each of the mirrors has a surface measuring 1,290 square feet that concentrates the Sun’s rays to the top of a 377 foot high tower where a solar receiver and a steam turbine are located. The turbine drives a generator, producing electricity.
Another plant doubling its capacity (PS20) is planned for the same area. A further six plants featuring different technologies will be added in time to form the Sanlucar la Mayor S Read more:First
, Commercial
, Tower
, Spain
US companies busy in the Spanish solar market 2007-04-04 06:21:07 Business Week reports today that SunPower Corp., a maker of solar cells, on Tuesday said it agreed with two Spanish
companies to build a solar electric power plant in Spain.
San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower said its subsidiary PowerLight agreed to develop the project with Spain’s Agrupacion Solar and Solarpack Corp. Tecnologica SL.
The plant will be located in Llerena (Extremadura) Spain, and will have capacity to generate 4.8 megawatts of power. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2007.
As I have mentioned elsewhere in the blog, Powerlight is also a key partner for other large solar projects in the same region of Spain (with Atersa).
But it is not the only American company with something going on in Spain. There are many types of collaboration, in all the fields that you can imagine.
Applied Materials, Inc. was recently awarded a milestone contract to provide T-Solar Global S.A. with Europe’s first thin film solar module production line using ultra-lar
Water woes in Florida 2007-04-07 06:46:24 Water story from different sources (NBC or Tampa Bay´s 10, see here):
“State officials say there will be no additional water from the Everglades for Florida
’s population”.
That means utilities will now be forced to develop alternative means of production.It is the first time in history that Everglades water has been deemed off-limits.
South Florida water suppliers in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties currently depend on an estimated 500 (m) million gallons each day from the Everglades.
I had been reading lately a lot about water problems in Florida, an apparent paradox to anyone who might think of Florida as a very wet place. To better understand it, I have looked around and found a very interesting post at the blog “Eye on Miami“, recuperating an award winning series from the Orlando Sentinel. I have tried to condense it here (in dark blue), but for a full understanding of the situation I recommend heartily reading the whole thing
Global Water Intelligence Awards 2007-04-07 23:52:52 At GWI 2007, on 2 and 3 April, Global
Water Intelligence, the British analysts of private water projects, brought together investors and the key people from the international water and desal sector for a high level summit in Barcelona, Spain.
The Global Water Awards
2007 were presented during the summit.
Puerto de Barcelona
Originally uploaded by ronisui.
Black & Veatch, CH2M Hill, , Poseidon Resources, GE Water were the American companies that won distinctions or commendations.
Energy Recovery Inc. won the prize for Environmental contribution of the year, recognizing the success of its PX energy recovery device, that reaches a 98% efficiency.
Local companies did well at the awards, scooping up the categories of water company of the year (Aqualia), developer of the year (Befesa) and desalination company of the year (Acciona Agua).
According to the organizers, some of the reasons why Acciona Agua won were its confidence to take on some of the toughest engineering chal
Fuel cell demo plane by Boeing ready for test flights 2007-04-10 06:12:47 Boeing researchers at the company R+D center in Madrid (BR&TE) and industry partners from Spain and other European countries are planning to conduct experimental flight tests this year of a manned airplane powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries.
Photo credit: Boeing Illustration
With a wing span of 16.3 meters (53.5 feet), the airplane will be able to cruise at approximately 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) using fuel cell-provided power.
“Given the efficiency and environmental benefits of emerging fuel cell technology, Boeing wants to be on the forefront of developing and applying it to aerospace products,” said Francisco Escarti, BR&TE managing director. “The Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane project is an important step in that direction.”
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen directly into electricity and heat without combustion. Fuel cells are emission-free and quieter than hydrocarbon fuel-pow Read more:Boeing
, ready
, flights
Iberdrola´s buying spree of wind assets in the U.S. 2007-04-12 06:05:07 Spanish energy company Iberdrola
has acquired 100% of the U.S. wind power firm CPV Wind Ventures from for $73.8 million and is going to invest $2 billion in the company’s expansion.
CPV Wind Ventures is based in Silver Spring (Maryland) and plans to start building 3,500 MW of wind power next year across 15 U.S. states. It also has a contract for a large block of General Electric wind turbines to support the development portfolio.
It was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) and ArcLight Capital Partners.
Iberdrola’s aim is to use its capacity to boost its own total US wind-generating output to around 8500MW. Its current worldwide portfolio includes projects with a capacity of 18,500 MW.
Photo: Courtesy of Iberdrola
CPV is the latest in a series of U.S. investments by Iberdrola. To the acquisition in May 2005 of Community Energy, from Pennsylvania (2,000 MW in wind projects), it added some months ago the purchase of M
The Greenest City in the United States: Oakland, California 2007-04-18 22:20:19 Oakland
’s Skyline
According to a survey conducted by SustainLane.us, the number one city in the UnitedStates
for renewable energy is Oakland, California
with 17% of its energy coming from renewable sources. Second place was a three-way tie between San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento with 12% of their energy coming from renewable sources. In fact, six of the top ten greenest cities in the United States were in California. San Diego came in 5th with 8% of its energy deriving from green sources and Los Angeles came in 7th with 5%. According to SustainLane the reason for the strong showing of Californian cities is due to the California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard that requires the state’s utilities to derive 20% of its energy from renewable sources.
Chicago came in tenth place with 2.5%. Chicago, using its own renewable portfolio standard, aims to have 20% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2010.
Here’s the ful top ten list:
1.
Oakland, C
Military Power and…Green Power? 2007-04-20 21:28:53
Generally, when people hear the words “military power” they picture tanks, aircraft carriers, and fighter-jets–big gas-guzzling machines that generally blow things to smithereens. So, it is no wonder that “military power”, much less“U.S. military power”, fails to conjure up notions associated with green energy. Â
 Yet, soon enough, the largest solar power plant on the North American continent will be built to provide electricity to Nellis Air Force base, situated just outside of Las Vegas. The 140-acre solar plant will be capable of producing 15 megawatts of power, enough to provide Nellis, where 12,000 people work daily and 7,215 live, with 30% of its power needs.
From USA Today:Â “It allows the Air Force to show its leadership in applying renewable energy and new technology to reduce our needs to use traditional forms of electric power,” says Maj. Don Ohlemacher, operations flight chief and acting commander of the 99t Read more:Military
, hellip
, Green
Rankings of states in wind power potential and capacity 2007-04-22 16:46:59
Tops in wind potential*
1. North Dakota 1,210
2. Texas 1,190
3. Kansas 1,070
4. South Dakota 1,030
5. Montana 1,020
6. Nebraska 868
7. Wyoming 747
8. Oklahoma 725
9. Minnesota 657
10. Iowa 551
* As measured in billions of kilowatt hours
Source: An Assessment of the Available Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential in the Contiguous United States, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, 1991
Tops in wind capacity*
1. Texas 2,768
2. California 2,361
3. Iowa 936
4. Minnesota 895
5. Washington 818
* Installed capacity in megawatts, as of Dec. 31.
Source: American Wind Energy Association
The Des Moines Register offers these two lists which are good to see side by side, even though the units used in the rankings are different. As someone who has lived for some months in North Dakota, I can attest to the wind potential of the state.
The most glaring gap between the two lists is how California is ahead in capacity, well beyond its potential, compared to Midwestern and Mou Read more:Rankings
, power
Tiny Tech and Green Tech: Partners for the Future 2007-04-27 22:55:21 GreenBiz.com is reporting an interesting article about the environmental benefits of nanotechnology. In a recent report, researchers and environmentalists from the Project on Emerging Nanotechnology listed the four possible ways in which nanotechnology can have a positive impact on the environment.
“Green technology” is the name given to nanotechnology that is designed and conceptualized with “the environment on the mind” according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnolgoy. The four ways in which nanotechnology can be a direct help to the environment, according to GreenBiz.com are the following:
Creating new nanotechnology-enabled products and processes that are environmentally benign - or “clean and green”;
Managing nanomaterials and their production to minimize potential environmental, health, and safety risks;
Using nanotechnology to clean up toxic waste site and other legacy pollution problems;
Substituting green nanotechnology products for existing Read more:Green
, Partners
, Future
Acciona and Iowa: An Example of a “Technological Dialogue” 2007-04-27 06:54:20 Many weeks ago, we reported (link here) that Acciona
Energy North America, the American subsidiary of Pamplona-based Acciona Energia, had narrowed down its choice of location for its proposed wind turbine plant in the United States to two states: Illinois and Iowa.
Today, Acciona announced that it has chosen West Branch, Iowa as the site of its new wind turbine assembly plant. This will be the Spanish company’s first such assembly plant in the United States and its fourth plant worldwide, with two in Spain and a third in China.
According to the West Branch Times, West Branch has been waiting on “pins and needles” for news ever since Acciona announced that it was considering West Branch for its plant site in February. Iowa Governor Chet Culver and the West Branch are no doubt ecstatic over Acciona’s decision.
“We are thrilled that ACCIONA has chosen the state of Iowa for its first production facility in the U.S.,&rdquo
; said Iowa Governor Chet Culver. &ldquo
;We welcome the Read more:Example
Solar homes for the world of tomorrow 2007-04-25 05:41:42 For some days in October, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will become a “solar village” with teams from different colleges and universities around the globe, participating in an unparalleled competition, the Solar
Decathlon, to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home.
All 20 teams selected to participate in the event present cutting-edge technologies and compete in 10 different categories to determine the winner.
These 10 categories are: Architecture, Engineering, Market Viability, Communications, Comfort Zone, Appliances, Hot Water, Lighting, Energy Balance and Getting Around.
Past Decathlons took place in the fall of 2005 and fall of 2002. During each of the past Solar Decathlons, more than 100,000 visitors flocked to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to visit the “solar village.”
In 2005, as in 2002, the University of Colorado team took home the top trophy by achieving the highest combined s Read more:tomorrow
More about sustainable buildings 2007-05-01 05:37:26 The recent post about the Solar Decathlon contest piqued my curiosity about initiatives related to sustainable building. In the public/private field we have, of course, the DOE, with its Building America partnership. It works with home builders in projects around the country that strive to implement energy-efficient solutions and technologies.
It is hard to get into what private companies are doing, the list would be so long…. just today I was reading about the project SunEdison is providing for Kohl´s department stores. More that 75% of Kohl´s locations in California will be converted to solar power.
Other companies provide services related to Green Building, to achieve the most energy efficient designs. An example in Miami is PGI Group, a firm that has been awarded with the “2006 M.E.P. Engineering Firm of the Year” by the South Florida Latin Builders Association. Its mother company in Spain, has worked in projects like the largest European photovoltaic syste
600 mirrors and a tower in Seville 2007-05-09 05:59:15 It sounds like the beginning of a poem, but this time it is something else: solar power to, eventually, meet the needs of a city of 600,000 people without emitting a single puff of greenhouse gases.
People like myself, working in manufacturing in Spain, sometimes are eager to remind foreigners that not everything in in the country revolves around “Sun and beaches”.
This special from the BBC about the new solar tower by Solucar in the outskirts of Seville
, seems to prove that the first part of the tandem works for industry and technology as well as for tourism. Whoever has been to Seville in summer may tell you that it is certainly a good spot for a solar thermal power plant; they do not seem to be lacking sunrays, definitely.
The article captures well the surreal effect of the tower from a distance: After all, it is ”A concrete tower - 40 storeys high (377 feet)- bathed in intense white light“. The effect is compounded by “the rays of sunlig
First woman scientist from Spain in the National Academy of Sciences 2007-05-13 03:22:03 Margarita Salas is the first womanscientist
from Spain
to become a member of the NationalAcademy
of Sciences
. She joins other 17 foreign scientists and 72 American new selected members of the Academy.
Members and foreign associates are elected annually in recognition of their distinguished achievements in original research; election is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a scientist or engineer.
The Academy membership is composed of approximately 2,000 members and 350 foreign associates, of whom more than 200 have won Nobel Prizes.
Dr. Salas, a researcher for the Spanish Council of Scientific Research or CSIC, joins the three only Spaniards to have been selected to date, Mr. Antonio García Bellido, the paleontologist Juan Luis Arsuaga and the economist Andreu Mas-Colell.
She is currently working at the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology. Her main line of research is the study of the bacteriophage Phi29 virus. It’s a virus which infects the Baci Read more:First
Solar thermal projects mushroom in Spain 2007-05-16 15:06:48 Two projects for 50 MW Solar
electric thermal plants in Spain
have been announced recently. Many more to come.
Ener-t Global an Israeli company, and Grupo Enhol, a Spanish group, have sealed a deal to develop solar electric thermal plants in Spain (Renewable Energy Magazine). The first one (50 MW) will be built in Badajoz (Spain), as the area has “optimum radiation and climate conditions, which will achieve a greater performance for the plant“. The electricity produced will be able to power the town of Mérida, capital city of the region.
Their agreement includes the creation of a society shared at 50% by both companies, aiming to develop and build plants using parabolic troughs. The total investment will be around 600 million euros.
This piece of news follows the announcement made by IDAE and Iberdrola of the construction of another 50 MW plant in Puertollano, not too far away from Badajoz.
Expected to be ready next year, the project will cost 200 m euros an
Taming the wind and sun 2007-05-19 23:17:13
Molinos de viento Windmills in La Mancha (Both the old and new varieties)
Originally uploaded by Zilargile (Top) and Strawjam (Bottom)
Everyone that has heard about La Mancha, knows from the musical and the Quixote novel that it is a sun-drenched land of windmills that might be giants (or not).
With all that sun and wind, the thinking of the locals seems to have been”If we got them, let´s put them to good use! “
Correspondingly, the landscape in the region is dotted here and there with the iconic modern version of the windmills, that make a stellar appearance in the movie “Volver” by Almodovar.
Trying to profit from the other natural resource in abundance in the area, regional authorities are pushing forward an ambitious plan to boost solar energy. Besides the plants mentioned in my previous posts in Puertollano (solar thermal power), the city is the site for the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems or ISFOC (website in Read more:Taming
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