Tropical Islands Plan to Use Only Coconuts and the Sun for Power

Photo courtesy: kwc909 / cc

In the 1960's sitcom Gilligan's Island, it seemed there was nothing resident smarty-pants 'The Professor' couldn't do with a simple coconut and a bit of know-how -- except maybe craft a boat to actually make it off their desert isle. But now, in similarly inventive fashion, officials on the tiny South Pacific islands of Tokelau are planning to power their territory entirely by sustainable means, with sunlight and coconut oil -- two things the island has plenty of -- by this time next year.

Nowadays, the three islands that make up Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, run mostly on fossils fuels which it needs to import from the mainland. But, according to the atolls' chief administrator Foua Toloa, by this time next year the islands will be completely self-sustaining using renewable energy, 93 percent of which will be produced through solar installations. The rest, says Toloa, will come from coconut oil.

So what could inspire an island to completely rethink its energy infrastructure? The possibility that climate change could sink it, that's what. Tokelau sits just 16 feet above sea level, which means it would be particularly vulnerable to rising oceans associated with carbon-emissions fueled global warming.

"Because we are affected left right and centre, you know, by the impact of climate change. And while the rest of the world is not listening to the impact of climate change in a very small country in the pacific this project is a vehicle and a message to the whole world to actually walk the talk and not just buy lip service," Toloa said in an interview with Radio New Zealand International.

If all goes according to plan, Toloa says that no outside energy will be needed -- and that's actually quite doable. To provide enough clean-energy to power the island, experts say just some 600 square meters of solar panels will be required in total, along with a few hundred coconuts.

The Professor would be proud.

High-Speed European Train Goes Green

The tunnel on the Paris-Amsterdam high-speed rail line is topped with 16,000 solar panels. Photo courtesy: SPS2900 via TreeHugger

The 2 gigantic solar farms just launched in France are part of a much wider push for large-scale solar and renewables going on in Europe right now. In fact, the same company responsible for these farms has today unveiled a huge 1MW solar tunnel that will protect trains from falling trees (reducing the need for tree felling), and provide power to one of Belgium's most important railway stations in the process.

The high-speed line running from Paris to Amsterdam passes Antwerp and a nearby ancient forest. To avoid the need to fell protected trees, a long tunnel was built over the line which has now been topped with 16,000 solar panels. The electricity produced is equivalent to that needed to power all the trains in Belgium for one day per year, and will also help power Antwerp station.

"For train operators, it is the perfect way to cut their carbon footprints because you can use spaces that have no other economic value and the projects can be delivered within a year because they don't attract the protests that wind power does," said Bart Van Renterghem, UK head of Belgian renewable energy company Enfinity, which installed the panels.

"We had a couple of projects lined up around London with train operators and water utilities, but they have been put on hold."

Van Renterghem said this was due to the UK government's controversial review of subsidies for large-scale solar power projects, which will lower the returns available.



The video above gives a sense of scale of the tunnel. Enfinity, the renewable energy company behind the project, was also due to build similar projects along train lines around London. But Bart Van Renterghem, UK head of the company, told the Guardian that these plans are currently on hold pending the Government's review of feed-in solar tariffs for large scale energy production.

The UK government argues that solar technology is too expensive, but Van Renterghem said he had seen the cost of cells halve in the last two to three years thanks to economies of scale in Germany, France and Belgium.

The new Blackfriars station in London, which will span the River Thames, will host the largest single collection of solar panels in the UK when it opens in spring 2012.

The roof of the new station will have 4,400 panels and a capacity of 1MW, enough to provide 50% of the station's electricity. However, the development is not dependent on the level of government subsidy for solar power as the £7.3m ($12m USD) bill was paid by the transport department's environment fund.

Via TreeHugger and guardian

Solar Cemetery

Photo: Courtesy Associated Press

The destruction man has wrought upon the planet is starting to demand some creative measures to overcome and/or compensate for the damage done. It is going to require that people open their minds to solutions that may not be quite to everyone’s liking; but, minds will have to rethink traditional concepts if we are to have any chance of salvaging our planet.

And so, a small Spanish town outside Barcelona has found a unique way to make the best of a land-poor situation. They lack a sufficient amount of flat, sun-soaked available land on which to implement their renewable energy program. What to do?

Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a working-class town of 124,000, is crowded into only 1.5 sq. mi. (4 sq. km.). City officials had exhausted all options in their search to find viable spaces to set up more solar panels in an effort to continue expanding their solar energy program. The town already has four smaller solar installations on top of local buildings; so, they are already used to utilizing non-traditional spaces.

Some might say the spot finally chosen might have been just too non-traditional for some. The city officials decided to set up the solar panels in the city cemetery.

Of course, some eyebrows were raised; and, Antoni Fogue, a key city council member behind the plan says, “Let’s say we heard things like, ‘they’re crazy. Who do they think they are? What a lack of respect!’” However, Fogue continues, "There has not been any problem whatsoever; because, people who go to the cemetery see that nothing has changed. This installation is compatible with respect for the deceased and for the families of the deceased."

A subsequent municipal public-awareness campaign showed the town how the solar panels could be a win-win situation. The low-angled installation would be unobtrusive and not cause any disharmony to the landscape of the area. The town would not only benefit now in the value of the solar energy reaped; but, this is a long-term project that will help the town far into the future. While the panels cover a mere 5% of the cemetery’s land area, they offset an estimated 62 tons of carbon emissions and there is still room for expansion if desired.

Now connected to the local energy grid, the 462 solar panels power 60 homes. Town council hopes to install more panels in the future to triple the output. Currently, the panels are located on top of dense rows of mausoleums, populated five layers deep.

"The best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations. That is our leitmotif," says Esteve Serret, director of Conste-Live Energy, the renewable energy company that runs the solar cemetery in Santa Coloma.

Solar Energy

Is it any wonder that the world is looking at alternate energy with world conditions the way they are today? We are already beginning a recession due to the continually rising prices of gasoline and other petroleum products.

A world food crisis is beginning due to the cost of shipping food worldwide. Added to that are the problems with the world rice harvest. Already people living in the third world are dying of starvation. Rice is a staple food for more than three billion people world wide. The increased rice prices are causing wide-spread starvation in some countries. But the problem doesn't there.

While the financial pinch we are feeling due to the rising cost of gasoline used to transport foodstuffs, petroleum produces more than gasoline. The Rankin Energy Corportation (www.ranken-energy.com/UsefulInfo.html) provides a partial list of products made from petroleum. This list represents only 144 of 6000 items made from oil.

Solvents, Diesel, Motor Oil, Bearing Grease, Ink, Floor Wax, Ballpoint Pens, Football Cleats, Upholstery, Sweaters, Boats, Insecticides, Bicycle Tires, Sports, Car Bodies, Nail Polish, Fishing Lures, Dresses, Tires, Golf Bags, Perfumes, Cassettes, Dishwasher, Tool Boxes, Shoe Polish, Motorcycle Helmet, Caulking, Petroleum Jelly, Transparent Tape, CD Player, Faucet Washers, Antiseptics, Clothesline, Curtains, Food Preservatives, Basketballs, Soap, Vitamin Capsules,
Antihistamines, Purses, Shoes, Dashboards, Cortisone, Deodorant, Footballs, Putty, Dyes, Panty Hose, Refrigerant, Percolators, Life Jackets, Rubbing Alcohol, Linings, Skis, TV Cabinets, Shag Rugs, Electrician's Tape, Tool Racks, Car Battery Cases, Epoxy, Paint, Mops, Slacks, Insect Repellent, Oil Filters, Umbrellas, Yarn, Fertilizers, Hair Coloring, Roofing, Toilet Seats, Fishing Rods, Lipstick, Denture Adhesive, Linoleum, Ice Cube Trays, Synthetic Rubber, Speakers, Plastic Wood, Electric Blankets, Glycerin, Tennis Rackets, Rubber Cement, Fishing Boots, Dice, Nylon Rope, Candles, Trash Bags, House Paint, Water Pipes, Hand Lotion, Roller Skates, Surf Boards, Shampoo, Wheels, Paint Rollers, Shower Curtains, Guitar Strings, Luggage, Aspirin, Safety Glasses, Antifreeze, Football Helmets, Awnings, Eyeglasses, Clothes, Toothbrushes, Ice Chests, Footballs, Combs, CD's, Paint Brushes, Detergents, Vaporizers, Balloons, Sun Glasses, Tents, Heart Valves, Crayons, Parachutes, Telephones, Enamel,
Pillows, Dishes, Cameras, Anesthetics, Artificial Turf, Artificial limbs, Bandages, Dentures, Model Cars, Folding Doors, Hair Curlers, Cold Cream, Movie Film, Soft Contact Lenses, Drinking Cups, Fan Belts, Car Enamel, Shaving Cream, Ammonia, Refrigerators, Golf Balls, Toothpaste, Gasoline

Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.

If the price of petroleum continues to rise, we could be in for a world-wide recession.

So…what can we do? Is there a way to make changes now and avert disaster? Several new technologies are being investigated as replacement sources of energy. Probably the one most talked about is solar energy.

Shi Zhengrong, the world’s first solar billionaire, predicts solar power will rival oil and coal before the end of the next decade.

Even though solar energy remains more expensive than nearly any other form of energy, it is being investigated now due to concerns about climate change. However, carbon is becoming more expensive and improved technology combined with increased capacity has driven down the manufacturing cost of photovoltaic cells (directly convert light into electricity at the atomic level) to reduce the price gap between solar and other energies.

Two examples of how the use of and interest in solar power is taking off.
· Last year in China, the National Development and Reform Commission, announced that solar projects would be initiated in ten provinces
· Florida started a solar rebate program that proved to be overwhelmingly successful. If residents of Florida purchased and installed a new solar energy system into their homes between July 1, 2006 & June 30, 2010, the state would rebate a portion of the purchase price

An excellent website which discusses ALL aspects of solar energy is: www.facts-about-solar-energy.com
They compiled the following list describing the pros and cons of solar energy.

Solar Energy Advantages

Saves you money

• After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
• The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very short depending on how much electricity your household uses.
  Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost. (visit www.dsireusa.org to find out about incentives available in the state you live in!).
• If your system produces more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This nifty little scheme is called "net-metering".
• It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
  Solar energy does not require any fuel.
• It's not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
• The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
  The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

Environmentally friendly

• Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
• It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generation does.
• Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
• It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
• It's generated where it is needed.
• By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.

Independent/ semi-independent

• Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption.
• It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
• A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independently, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
• The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
• Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.

Low/ no maintenance

• Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
• Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
• They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
• More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family's needs grow.

Solar Energy Disadvantages

• The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
• The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
• Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.
• The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
• The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.
• Similarly, no solar energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to save electricity and money.
• As far as solar powered cars go - their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught up in today's rat race.