Zed Solar Energy in Alice Springs, Northern Territory | Energy company

Zed Solar Energy

Locality: Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Phone: +61 487 348 702

Address: Desery Knowledge Precinct, South Stuart Highway Alice Springs, NT, Australia

Website: http://www.catprojects.com.an

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21.01.2022 CHINA IS NOW THE LEADING GLOBAL MARKET & MANUFACTURER OF SOLAR PANELS It’s already the world’s leader in making solar panels, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a shock that China is now also the globe’s biggest market for the energy saving devices. A new report from GTM research says China looks to hold a quarter of the world’s solar panels this year amid the country’s rabid desire to add as much power as possible, including but not limited to solar. What’s more, countries in ...the Asia Pacific region account for over half of the world’s solar panels in 2015. Much of what China is implementing, though, are solar panels in large grids in desolate areas. That is, while some solar panels are being used on rooftops for businesses and residences, a majority of them are in fields and farmlands, built in large numbers and then sold to utilities. These massive solar panel farms are growing rapidly, including those in the Gobi desert. These installations are spurred by the government’s five-year plan that called for a set amount of solar panels installed, as well as the tax benefits offered by buying and using the energy-savers. Of course, China too is looking to curb its huge pollution problem, and solar energy prevents a worthy solution. As China continues to close coal factories, they need equal energy production replaced and are looking to solar. China is also now benefitting from the fact they are they buying more of their own country’s productions. Last week, however, three large Chinese solar panel manufacturers were kicked out of a pact signed with the EU that allowed them to export panels with low tariffs. The European Commission said that three companies were violating an agreement while warning five other producers and stating that dozens were indeed in compliance. European and U.S. producers have warned that as China has mass-produced panels, they are selling excess product to the west at low costs, hurting competing manufacturers. Still, all around the world installations are expected to grow, including in emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Such growth will lead to a profound change in the global landscape for solar project, said analyst Adam James of GTM Research. The United States, meanwhile, is anticipated to install 8 gigawatts of solar panels this year, which would make up about 14% of the global market. While China is big on solar panels farms, usage in the U.S. meanwhile is predominately on rooftops of homes and businesses.

21.01.2022 SCIENCE VIEW: HOW SOLAR PANELS WORK Solar panels have long been a feature of the quest for renewable energy, and as such feel like a very modern technology indeed. However, their origins go back to 1839, when French physicist Edmund Bequerel first discovered that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light - the photoelectric effect. Albert Einstein provided the real breakthrough for modern photovoltaic technology in 1905, when he d...escribed the nature of light and used this to explain the nature of the photoelectric effect, for which he later won a Nobel prize. It took some time from that discovery to the production of the first photovoltaic module in 1954, but by the 60s engineers started to make use of the technology to provide power for spacecraft, and through use in space programmes around the world the technology progressed to being a potential source for domestic energy. This article attempts to show how the photoelectric effect works in solar panels and how that creates usable energy. Silicon is a key component of the photovoltaic cells which make up solar panels. This is because it’s a semi-conductor, so can both conduct electricity under certain conditions, and also insulate under certain conditions, making it a good medium for the control of electrical current. Silicon atoms are arranged in a tightly-bound structure. By introducing tiny quantities of different elements into this structure, two different types of silicon can be created: n-type, which has spare electrons and p-type which is missing electrons. These two types of silicon are then placed side-by-side within a photovoltaic cell. The spare electrons from the n-type silicon rush to fill the gaps left by missing electrons in the p-type silicon. This causes the n-type to become positively charged and the p-type to become negatively charged. It’s at this point that the insulating qualities of silicon become useful: it is able to maintain this imbalance. In this imbalanced state, the cell is ready for sunlight. When sunlight, which is composed of tiny particles called photons, hits the silicon atoms, they transfer their energy to loose electrons, knocking them off the silicon atoms. However, rather than just being a confused mass of loose electrons, the electrical field created by the imbalance keeps the electrons moving in a steady current of electricity - rather like water running downhill - ready to be harnessed and used.

20.01.2022 THE WORLD'S FIRST SOLAR ROAD IS PRODUCING MORE ENERGY THAN EXPECTED. In its first six months of existence, the world’s first solar road is performing even better than developers thought. The road, which opened in the Netherlands in November of last year, has produced more than 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy enough to power a single small household for one year, according to Al-Jazeera America. ...Continue reading

19.01.2022 Coming up shortly: Power Engineering made simple 1. What is demand side management? 2. Can demand side management help the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (Zesco) minimise load shedding? 3. Can demand side management better address the current Zesco power deficit issues than adding more solar generators?

19.01.2022 FLOATING SOLAR PANELS: HOW THEY WORK Since 2011, French Company Ciel & Terre has been developing large-scale floating solar solutions. Their innovative Hydrelio Floating PV system allows standard PV panels to be installed on large bodies of water such as: drinking water reservoirs, quarry lakes, irrigation canals, remediation and tailing ponds, and hydro electric dam reservoirs. This simple and affordable alternative to ground-mounted systems is particularly suitable for wate...r-intensive industries who cannot afford to waste either land or water. The main float is constructed of high-density thermoplastic (HDPE) and is set at a 12 degree angle to support a standard 60 Cell PV solar module. A secondary non-slip HDPE float is then used to link the main floats together and provide a platform for maintenance and added buoyancy as illustrated below. According to Ciel & Terre, the system is easy to install and dismantle, can be adapted to any electrical configuration, is scalable from low to high power generation, and requires no tools or heavy equipment. It is also eco-friendly, fully recyclable, has low environmental impact and is cost effective. To date the system has been installed in the UK, and a Japanese system will be installed by March 2016.

19.01.2022 INNIVATIVE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM An Austrian company Smartflower recently unveiled a unique and innovative solar energy system, which does away with traditional roof-top mounted solar panels. The so-called Smartflower POP system is a 3.2 kW solar power array that is ground-mounted. It gets its name from the folding panels, which close up at night and in strong wind conditions, and automatically unfold again in the morning. The units are available in 8 different colors. The Smar...tflower features a dual axis tracking system that works to orient the panels directly at the sun at all times. This enables the system to harvest 40% more solar energy than a conventional fixed solar power array, according to the company. They also claim that the units can produce between 3,400 and 6,200 kWh of energy per year. Also, according to the website, the Smartflower achieves a degree of self-utilization of around 60%, which is a big improvement over a comparable rooftop mounted unit that achieves around 30%. The units are also a lot more portable, and can easily be removed from its stand and moved to a new home if required. Due to the Smartflower’s design, the company also maintains that losses due to dirty panels or overheating are greatly reduced. The system is also apparently very simple to install and should take no more than an hour to do so, according to the product website. After that it pretty much functions autonomously and automatically. There’s no denying that the Smartflower looks a lot better than the traditional rooftop mounted solar array. It is also very likely that its design really does make it more efficient. It appears that the units are only available in Europe for the moment, and there is no price listed, but I assume they don’t come cheap.

12.01.2022 SOLAR-POWERED CLASSROOMS TO ROAM RURAL AFRICA For African students living in remote, off-the-grid locations, learning about computers and digital technology is virtually impossible. But what if the digital world were brought to them? That’s the idea behind the DigiTruck project, a fledgling initiative that hopes to deploy a fleet of mobile, solar-powered digital classrooms that can travel self-sufficiently to, from and between rural African communities.... Digital literacy non-profit Close the Gap, in partnership with Arrow Electronics and Hoops of Hope, began the DigiTruck project last year. The project’s first mobile classroom is a standard 40-foot shipping container fitted with solar panels and a power management system designed for extended off-the-grid use. The container can be transported via standard tractor-trailer trucks. Inside the mobile classroom, the DigiTruck features workstations stocked with refurbished computer equipment, including laptops, routers, a large LED display screen and a printer. The classroom can accommodate up to 18 students and can run off solar energy and rechargeable battery reserves for days at a time. The DigiTruck is designed to be versatile as well it can morph into a mobile health center or training space, depending on what’s needed. Close the Gap keeps the classroom stocked through its Project Cycle program, which distributes donated and refurbished electronic equipment. The pilot model of the DigiTruck was built by local workers in Arusha, Tanzania and is currently in use at the Tuleeni orphanage in the country’s Kilimanjaro region. The truck will move on to a new location in 2016, and Close the Gap hopes to build a fleet of DigiTrucks in the next few years. The DigiTruck can educate the world, says Tuleeni orphanage founder Mama Faraji in the project’s demo video, below. Through those computers we learn so many things there. I think it will be a very big thing for us.

12.01.2022 WHAT IS DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT? Demand side management(DSM) is a load management strategy that can help balance power supply and power demand by encouraging customers to curtail power usage during times of high demand. Electricity utility companies around the world are looking at demand side management as an important and integral strategy for addressing the challenges of chronic peak and energy shortages, improving access and providing affordable power or energy. The DSM str...ategy aims to change or control the use of electricity by end users to increase, decrease, or shift energy consumption between high and low peak periods. Effective implementation of the DSM strategy can help free up generation capacity on a network and help expand connectivity or increased access to electricity. Before we look at how DSM is implemented let us look at how a basic power system works. BALANCING POWER SUPPLY AND POWER DEMAND In a power system the power generated(supply) must always be equal to the power consumed(demand). If there is an imbalance between power supply and power demand a power system becomes unstable and power outages occur. If more power is generated than consumed the system frequency increases. If more power is consumed than what is generated the system frequency reduces. Bothe high and low frequency can cause power outage. Power System Controllers are responsible for balancing power generated and power consumed. System controllers are able to control the amount of power generated or supplied by traditional generators like hydro power plants, coal fired generators and diesel generators. However, controlling renewable generators like solar and wind plant can be challenging because the energy output is dependent on weather conditions. Power System Controllers are unable to control power consumption or demand because it is dependent on unpredictable consumer behaviour. Demand side management is strategy utility companies are increasingly using to enable them to have some degree of control on power consumption to help them balance supply and demand. Tomorrow we will look at how DSM is implemented and what Zesco is proposing.

10.01.2022 KENYAN COMPANY TO CONNECT ONE MILLION HOMES TO SOLAR BY 2017 A Kenyan solar company says it’s targeting to connect one million homes by the end of 2017, in east Africa. The company has a foothold in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and has connected well over 275, 000 homes so far. The African region is well endowed with numerous renewable energy resources but most remain under utilised. The continent receives mores sunlight than any other region in the world, which makes solar po...wer a key energy source and there are different projects harnessing solar energy being rolled-out across the region. One such project is being offered by a solar company which is selling 500 new systems each day across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. M-Kopa says it’s targeting to connect one million homes by the end of 2017, in east Africa. According to Jesse Moore, Managing Director and Co-Founder, it took the company two years to connect its first 100,000 homes and just eight months to connect its second 100,000 homes. Solar energy could help to spur development, tackle poverty and boost job creation. The company uses pay-as-you-go system to provide energy to off grid homes, through an annual payment plan. To access the service, customers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, pay an initial deposit of $35, followed by 365 daily payments of 43 cents paid using your mobile money service, according to the company website. The full payment amounts to $192 and after completion of the payment package, customers own their system outright. The company’s battery-powered 8W system has three lights, a phone-charging facility and a chargeable radio. Reports suggest that about 640 million Africans lack access to electricity. The affordable solar initiatives being rolled-out across Africa could help to spur development, tackle poverty and boost job creation

05.01.2022 SOLAR POWERED CARS RACE ACROSS AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK Despite technological advances in fuel and engine efficiencies, vehicles remain high on the list of polluters. In the U.S alone, carbon emissions from gas-powered cars and other vehicles account for about 27% of our total greenhouse-gas output annually. The 'World Solar Challenge' hopes to change that some day with cars fueled by our biggest, cleanest, and cheapest, source of energy - The sun! The competition challenges univer...Continue reading

02.01.2022 MOROCCO IS BUILDING THE LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN The natural fit between the Earth’s deserts and humanity’s growing interest in solar power is obvious, but the resource has still been largely untapped, until now. Ouarzazate is a city in the completely landlocked desert region of Morocco, but you’ve probably seen it before in movies and TV shows like Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, and perhaps most famously, Game of Thrones. But aside from the fictional...Continue reading

02.01.2022 JAPAN PLEDGES $US 100 MILLION FOR SOLAR PLANT IN EGYPT Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Japan on the weekend to discuss bilateral relations including trade and security During his visit, Japan pledged to fund a solar power plant at a cost of $US 100 million. The power plant will have a capacity of 20 megawatts and will be located in the sunny Red Sea resort town of Hurghada. According to a statement released by Ismail Khairat, Egypt’s Ambassador to Tokyo, this m...arks the first cooperation of its kind in the renewable energy field. The deal will allow Egypt to take advantage of advanced Japanese technology in the renewable energy sector and will support Egypt’s vision to achieve a greener future. Ambassador Khairat added that President Sisi will visit Tokyo in the near future to launch a number of economic and development projects between the two countries and to increase political and security coordination. The latest renewable energy deal comes as President Sisi is expected to address the Climate Summit in Paris on behalf of African states.

01.01.2022 5 SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES CHANGING THE WORLD With the way we’re depleting the Earth’s natural resources, there have been many who claim that renewable energy is the future. After all, what better source of energy to harness than the sun, which is freely available for about 12 hours every day or more in some countries? Solar energy has become one of the most utilized renewable energy sources over the years and innovators are finding more and better ways to harness solar ener...Continue reading