"Open Access" Ideas from Around the Web

              flickr

Have you heard this before? The so called "open access" that the Department of Energy will be implementing on September of 2012. Here's the excerpt from different source.

from Sun Star
"Representative Albee Benitez (3rd district, Negros Occidental) said “open access” can help solve the high cost of power in the province. He said the Department of Energy has talked about the so-called “open access” where consumers can purchase power from anywhere in the country.

For this, the transmission lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines must be in place and properly installed so that consumers can access power anywhere in the country.

“I think we should not be really be alarmed on the issue of high power rates because open access can give us the choice to source power from other parts of the country that has cheaper excess power. But if we don’t have the infrastructure in place, then it becomes a problem,” he said."

from Philippine Daily Inquirer
"Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras has vowed to start the implementation of open access and retail competition scheme by September 2012, as he expected the Department of Energy (DoE) and other concerned agencies to have threshed out all the issues by then.

“We’re almost 100 percent sure that we will be able to do that by our committed timeline,” Almendras said on the sidelines of the Energy Investment Forum on Tuesday.

The energy secretary said the government has been working hard to solve all the infrastructure, system and procedural challenges and put all the necessary mechanisms in place."

Here's the explaination about Open Access from the Department of Energy.

"What is Open Access?
At present, practically all households and commercial establishments are not free to choose their electricity supplier. There are several generating companies that can supply power but consumers generally buy power only from their local distribution utility.

By the same token, generators/suppliers cannot sell directly to households and commercial establishments. They can only sell to distribution utilities who re-sell the electricity to end-users.

The implementation of the retail open access will break open this supply chain. Retail open access is a condition wherein consumers- industries, commercial establishments and residential users- exercise freedom to choose their respective supplier of electricity whom they deem offers the most reasonable cost and the most efficient service.

The supplier of electricity could be a power generator, distribution utility or an independent aggregator. An aggregator is an electric industry participant who adds together individual power requirements into a size large enough that would enable them to shop for a best deal in the, power market. In like manner, power suppliers can directly transact business with any customer class - commercial establishments and the residentials."

It could be the start of lower electricity cost for us consumers. Let's just hope that the outcome will be a positive one.

Two Great Things A Solar Cell Can Do

                   gmanews


It has been a while since my last post but here I am again bringing you two good news that renewable energy has to offer aside from the fact that it produces power when conventional power sources and electrical grids are not available.


First is the news about winning in the Pacific-wide photo contest sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) by  Reynaldo C. Mondez, a Filipino, on a photograph relating to solar energy and how this photo according to him "gives hope to a sustainable future".


This is a very heartwarming photo because as most of us didn't know, some part of our country is not yet reach by electricity on power grid as we know it. And with the installation of this simple solar panel on most homes in the rural areas, we are also "installing" hope on people which has been long deprived by this basic things that the majority of us are enjoying for such a long time.


Second is the upgrading of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's (PAGASA) equipment specifically on mass installation of more than 70 automatic rain gauges across the country as part of an efforts to improve the country’s flood forecasting system.


This system is a great improvement especially in an agency that makes use of a very small government budget allocation and receives lots of bad criticisms most of the time. What make it great aside from gathering and giving fast and accurate data is the fact that it was powered by solar cells which make it operable even on remote areas where the cell sites which this gauges will be installed is located.


These things doesn't only makes you feel good but makes you excited and marvel on what could be the next thing that solar power or renewable energy sources has to offer.


source: GMA News and Manila Bulletin

2 Power Companies That Will Boost Negros Occidental’s Development

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News of the additional investors on renewable energy in Negros Occidental once again proved that the province is on the way to become the ideal place for investment especially from multinational firms. Aside from the real estate development which is sprouting everywhere - either north, central or south of the province - renewable energy is also one of the areas that the province will set to become a leader. Here are the two recent companies that will surely create more jobs in the province.

1. Thomas Lloyd Investments Group

Thomas Lloyd Investments Group, a German firm who recently visited Negros Occidental initially set to invest in the first power plant in San Carlos City in partnership with Bronzeoak Philippines in a project dubbed as San Carlos BioPower, an 18-megawatt biomass plant slated for operation two to three years from now. $40-million investment is needed for this biomass plant project which can be provided by Thomas Lloyd Investments Group.

The firm is also interested in developing 2 more areas of the province.

2. Youil Renewable Energy Corporation

This is another company that will surely help uplift the economic condition of Negros Occidental.

A South Korean firm, Youil Renewable Energy Corp. has secured the support of Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. for its proposed 30- to 40-megawatt (MW) solar power plant on a 71-hectare property in E.B. Magalona town, about 24 kilometers north of Bacolod.

This firm has one solar farm in Cagayan de Oro that was installed in 2005 and still operational until now.

sources: philstar.com and gmanews.tv

Who Else Wants to Invest in the Philippines?

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The title of this post reflects what came into my mind when I read the news from Sun Star. These 10 companies will be great addition to others who started investing on renewable energy here in the Philippines specifically solar energy. This will be a big help in the realization of Philippine government's dream to fully energize the rest of the country, particularly in the remote areas.

The report said that 10 German companies are set to visit the Philippines soon to consider the renewable energy sources of the country as an investment opportunity. Let’s hope that this will be happen.

Here's the whole story.

"ABOUT 10 German companies are set to visit the Philippines soon to study the potential investment opportunities in the country for renewable energy, specifically on photovoltaic solar power generation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

Citing reports from the Philippine embassy in Berlin, the DFA said that a special program has been organized by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for German companies to familiarize themselves on the country’s investment potential.

Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad reported that German firms have “renewed confidence” on the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

In a workshop on solar energy technologies organized in Berlin by the GIZ and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology(BMWi), Natividad told German executives that “the Philippines aims to provide electricity to 90 percent of all households by 2017,” which she added can “only be made possible by harnessing solar energy that can reach the most remote communities.”

Regular and traditional transmission systems can no longer work in remote communities as these systems are only viable in high-density populated areas.

She added that while in 2010, the installed solar power capacity of the Philippines was only 0.01 percent or one-ten thousandth of the total installed capacity nationwide and may appear to be negligible.

 This, however, means that there is still a big potential for development and expansion, Natividad stressed."

source: Sun Star 

Five LGU Worth Emulating Due to Their Renewable Energy Projects

           http://www.flickr.com/photos/selva/23816545


How do you tranform garbage into something that is really valuable, not just aesthetically which you can see on thrown away things being transform into great work of arts but also directly, like tranforming it into electricity like biomass. The following list shows that the emerging new technology and cooperation between local government units and private sector will go a long way to foster growth of renewable energy and prevent improper  disposal.


1. Pampanga - $63-million waste-to-power facility, at least 800 metric tons of garbage a day will go through combustion to generate 22 megawatts of electricity, to energize 110,000 homes, partnership with local and foreign companies.


2. Laguna - first landfill gas power plant in San Pedro, 4 megawatts of electricity for sale to the local grid


3. Naga City -  waste-to-energy facility that generates low-priced electricity being made available to local electric cooperatives and power distribution utilities, with assistance from Korea-based company


4. Pagadian City, San Miguel, Guipos, Tukuran, and Aurora in Zamboanga Del Sur - signed an agreement with a private firm for a 25-year public-private partnership to operate a waste-to-energy facility that will convert solid waste into renewable energy, installation of waste thermal gasification.


5. Baseco, Manila - 120 homes in Baseco, Tondo were installed with a solar bulb made from a two-liter plastic bottle filled with a solution of water, salt, and chlorine that gathers and amplifies sunlight, the bottle acts as lens and provides interior light equivalent to 55 watts during daytime.

The Truth About Solar Panel Manufacturing Competition

                                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/zooboing/4845067066
                                          Ancient Greece Vase


The collapse of Solyndra and Evergreen, both US based solar companies may have triggered other renewable energy companies specifically solar manufacturing companies to defend whats left on them especially that China are heavily subsidizing its own solar companies to efficiently compete in the international market. Report from Bloomberg states that solar manufacturers are preparing a U.S. trade complaint against China.

"Solar manufacturers including a unit of SolarWorld AG (SWV) are preparing a U.S. trade complaint against China, as they seek to counter low-cost, subsidized imports, according to people familiar with the matter.

The case, which would be filed at the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, would be one of the largest targeting China, with political implications as both nations race to develop clean- energy technologies.

The companies say that China’s subsidies to solar companies violate global trade rules and provide those manufacturers with an unfair advantage, according to the people, who spoke yesterday on condition of anonymity because no complaint has yet been filed.

“We are actively conversing with our federal contacts in seeking help on how to prevent China from decimating another U.S. industry,” Ben Santarris, a spokesman for SolarWorld Industries America Inc. in Hillsboro, Oregon, said in an interview. He declined to discuss a possible filing.

In the first seven months of this year, China shipped $1.4 billion of solar panels to the U.S., more than the $1.2 billion of panels it sent in all of 2010, according to U.S. International Trade Commission data. Imports from South Korea, the Philippines and India also jumped."

(Please click here for full report)

One thing sure about this thing is that the price of solar panels must go down to become accessible to everybody. Those who could give the most value at the lowest cost will ultimately win and China is leading on this race.


source: bloomberg

Who Else Wants to Follow Energy Logistics Way

                                http://www.flickr.com/photos/22352749@N07/5733901983

                                            WIND FLOWER

Amidst many issues hounding the renewable energy industry particularly the effect of feed-in-tariff (FIT) on the power consumers let us be thankful that more and more energy companies are willing to invest and start the development of this projects. One of this which is worth emulating is the Energy Logics of the Delgado Group which has wind and solar power on their project portfolio.

Energy Logics is eager in pursuing its 670-megawatt wind and solar projects. Here's the full report.

Energy Logics of the Delgado Group remained keen on pursuing its planned 670-megawatt wind and solar power portfolio, despite the troubles hounding the renewable energy industry.

“We at Energy Logics believe that we must continue to pave the way for renewable energy. We are custodians of our planet for future generations and we must make immediate changes to preserve our resources,” said company managing director Marco Prieto Delgado in an interview.

Delgado told the Inquirer that the company remained optimistic on and still viewed renewable energy as a bright investment spot in the country.

“The Philippines is one of the countries that have subscribed to renewable energy ahead of others as early as the 1970s through geothermal and hydro. We are also one of the first to pass a renewable energy law. Our country is blessed with abundant natural resources that can be harnessed to generate enough power to be self-sufficient and cost-effective, but we have to keep going,” Delgado said.

Over the next seven years, Energy Logics plans to put up wind farms that can generate a total 420 MW, and a solar power portfolio that can produce more than 250 MW in additional capacity.

Energy Logics’ proposed projects, which may require $1.8 billion in investments over the next seven years, are currently being held back due to delays in the issuance of feed-in-tariff rates for renewable energy sources.

Delgado said that because of these delays, the timelines of the company’s projects had been pushed back by at least six months. The financial closing for its projects, particularly the 120-MW Pasuquin East in Ilocos Norte, can be completed only after the feed-in-tariff rates are finalized and announced, he said.

 Delgado also said the delays were also giving “foreign investors another reason to doubt the competitiveness of the Philippines as an investment site.”

source: inquirer 

Philippine Solar Car Team Ready for Australian Race

            http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobias7/5682643940

This coming October, the Philippine Solar Car Team will be racing in high spirit in the 2011 Veolia World Solar Challenge.

The race will be held on a cross-continent trip from Darwin to Adelaide from October 16 to 23 —a journey of almost 3,000km! They’ve trained doubly hard for the challenges of the Australian Outback. For another, they’re making the trip down under earlier, so that all preparations and tests can be worked out just in case problem arises the dry, Australian climate.

“I am mostly preparing for being inside a car for four to eight hours in the hot sun," said Danver Panganiban, one of the four drivers for Sikat II, this year’s Philippine entry in the race. Panganiban was also one of the drivers for the Philippine team in the 2007 race and now he’s all revved up to be back in his old hot seat.

Improved specs this time around due to the lightness of materials use for the car frame (50% less weight than 2009 Sikat), the design is more aerodynamic and will consume less energy due to the usage of Panasonic lithium ion phosphate batteries.

Overall, Sikat II has a top speed of 110kph with its two-kilowatt motor, ostensibly clocking in faster than its predecessors at the test run held at NLEX earlier this year. Running on its solar array, the car has a top speed of 85kph and can travel for more than 800kms.

Still, the team will need all the help they can get to gain an edge against Japan’s Tokai University Team (which won in the 2009 race) and the Dutch Team (which won four times before Tokai took away their crown), who are at the head of the pack. In 2007, the Philippine solar car entry dubbed Sinag finished 12th among 40 participating nations.

For a country who entered the race for the first time, that isn’t a bad spot to be in, but the current team is of the opinion that they can do so much better this year.

Running the race is of course a means to promote the feasibility of sun energy in the country. The whole idea behind the technology of a solar car is to hasten the development of alternatively-fuelled real world applications, eventually lessening dependency on fossil fuels.

“We have a lot of the solar resource here," said Ramon Agustines, President of the Philippine Solar Car Challenge Society, the pioneering organization responsible for putting the country on the solar race map. “It’s most viable in areas that can’t be reached by the grid, a very good way to light the outskirts. We hope people in charge will be looking at this more closely for uses in the local sector like agriculture and even in urban areas for lightening the load of commercial buildings."

“This is the future," agreed Jong Jimenez, a representative of Sun Power Philippines. “With the help of the solar car race, I am very optimistic about the future of solar energy in the Philippines."

The Truth About US Solar Power Market

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Although a number of companies, including Solyndra and Evergreen Solar went out of business entirely in the US, installations of solar panels have skyrocketed 69 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, thanks largely to commercial and government projects, according to an industry trade group report released Tuesday. U.S. manufacturing is an entirely different story, where success is mixed and highly dependent on where the products are headed.

For the concentrating solar power market and concentrating photovoltaics, there are currently 600 MW under construction in the US, with an additional 7 GW at various stages of development.

The only segment of the solar power market which did not grow in the Q2 2011 was the residential PV market, which declined for the second consecutive quarter. During Q2, 60 MW were installed, a decline of 5.7% over the previous year. However, the Solar Market Insight expects the residential market to pick up, as residential solar-leasing programs expand.

Meanwhile, companies that make solar products in the U.S. and sell directly to the domestic market have fared much better. The U.S. solar market is the fastest growing market in the world, Rhone Resch, executive director of the Solar Energy Industries Association said in a teleconference Tuesday to discuss the industry report.

Foreign and domestic companies keen on tapping the U.S. market are increasingly building factories here. Resch made particular note of Chinese solar panel maker Suntech Power, which opened last year a 117,000-square-foot plant in Goodyear, Arizona. In May, the company added a third production shift.

This growth in solar power market in the US has an impact here in the Philippines as more US base solar cell companies put up manufacturing plants in different parts of the countries either as direct manufacturers or in sub-contractors.

source: smartplanet

More Support for Philippine Renewable Energy Act

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The visit of President Aquino to the US could be more timely as more American businessmen supports the government in the full implementation of Renewable Energy Act as what this report states.

American businessmen want to see the Philippines fully implement the Renewable Energy Act as they said this would generate investments in high-technology industries.

They also pressed for the harmonization of investment incentives and regulations.

The businessmen’s sentiments were gathered during the meeting of President Aquino with senior US business executives at the Peninsula Hotel in New York on Monday.

A statement released by the US-Asean Business Council – which co-organized with the US Chamber of Commerce the roundtable with the President – said Aquino updated the US business community on the progress being made in improving the business climate, promoting effective governance, and enhancing competitiveness.

The statement said some possible avenues of collaboration include supporting the growth of the renewable energy sector, developing public private partnerships to support infrastructure development, and potential measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Philippines in high-tech industries.

"We are eager to hear more about the next steps planned for implementation of the renewable energy law, which will help attract more high-tech investment," said Tami Overby, vice president for Asia of the US Chamber of Commerce.

"President Aquino’s administration continues to be responsive and engaged with US business," said Alexander Feldman, president of the US-Asean Business Council. Feldman said the Aquino administration’s focus on transparency and good governance has already won investor confidence as demonstrated by increased US investment in the Philippines from companies such as AES, The Coca-Cola Co. and Procter & Gamble.

"We look forward to working with President Aquino and his administration to continue developing public-private partnerships and other initiatives that help to strengthen the Philippine economy and build platforms for sustained growth benefiting American companies and all Filipinos," Feldman said.

Overby said: "We appreciate the chance to continue our dialogue with President Aquino on building bilateral economic ties. The Aquino administration’s willingness to regularly engage with US business helps build investor confidence in the economic reforms in place in the Philippines."

Among the executives who met Aquino were Glenn Jordan, president for Pacific Group, The Coca-Cola Co.; Margery Krauss, founder and chief executive officer, APCO Worldwide; Loida Nicolas Lewis, chairman, TLC Beatrice International; Miles Young, chief executive, Ogilvy and Mather; Bruce Tuchman, president, MGM Worldwide Networks; and Jay Collins, global co-head of the Public Sector Group at Citi.

Other companies represented included AES, Baker McKenzie, Cargill, Google, JP Morgan, McClarty Associates, Peregrine Development International, Pfizer, and Qualcomm.

source: malaya.com 

Siemens Exits Nuclear Business

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News broke last Sunday, a little late though but worth posting here that industrial giant Siemens is exiting the nuclear business – a direct consequence of the country’s decision to abandon a nuclear future, itself triggered by last March’s nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.


Siemens chief executive Peter Loescher told Spiegel magazine it was the firm's answer to "the clear positioning of German society and politics for a pullout from nuclear energy".


"The chapter for us is closed," he said, announcing that the firm will no longer build nuclear power stations.


A long-planned joint venture with Russian nuclear firm Rosatom will also be cancelled, although Mr Loescher said he would still seek to work with their partner "in other fields".


Siemens was responsible for building all 17 of Germany's existing nuclear power plants, which will be shutdown by 2022 as announced last May by German chancellor, Angela Merkel. Although more recently, the firm has limited itself to providing the non-nuclear parts of plants being built by other firms, including current projects in China and Finland.




The latest decision according to BBC report appears to imply a step back from building "conventional islands" - the non-nuclear plant in nuclear power stations - an area in which Siemens has remained active.


However, Mr Loescher also said Siemens would continue to make components, such as steam turbines, that are used in the conventional power industry, but can also be used in nuclear plants.


He also gave his backing to the German government's planned switch to renewable energy sources, calling it a "project of the century" and claiming Berlin's target of reaching 35% renewable energy by 2020 was achievable.


source: BBC & SmartPlanet.com

Philippine Companies Not Interested in Sustainability?

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Just got this news from ABS-CBN headlined as "PH companies not interested in sustainability?". Well thank God that it has a question mark and not a period at the end of it. I don't really think that Philippine companies are not interested in sustainability since most of them are also involved in renewable energy sources development. Anyway you will be the judge. Here is a portion of the report, read the whole news here.

"BANGKOK, Thailand - If Philippine companies’ non-participation in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is any indication, then it seems like sustainable development is not a priority.

WBCSD president Bjorn Stigson said the CEO-led organization of some 200 top global companies is happy to invite Philippine companies to join.

“We have no member from the Philippines. Only the Philippine Business for the Environment is part of our regional network… It seems to be an indication (of their lack of interest). We would be very happy to invite the Philippine companies,” Stigson told reporters on the sidelines of the Thailand Sustainable Development Symposium 2011.

Organizers had invited some 10 CEOs of top Philippine companies to participate but not one agreed to come. The symposium, which was attended by 500 CEOs from around Asia, discussed the importance of sustainable development policies as the world prepares for the future.

Stigson said the world is in transition to sustainability, and companies can no longer say it is “business as usual.” The world population is expected to increase to 9.2 billion by 2050, the majority of which will come from emerging markets, from the 6.9 billion in 2010. This will mean increased competition for resources, and immense pressure on ecosystems.

Stigson said many countries are now competing in a “Green Race,” where they will be fighting it out to become a leading supplier of resource-efficient and low-polluting technologies and solutions. 

China is poised to become a leader in the green race, since sustainable development is a key part of the government’s 5-year plan. Renewable energy investments have already reached $49 billion, already outpacing the United States.

South Korea is also a strong contender, having the largest share of government-led economic stimulus for the “green” sector. Japan is known as one of the most energy efficient countries. India is also interested in becoming a supplier of low-cost solutions based on domestic demand for its large poor population.

“This is the biggest business opportunity. There is a need for new solutions, new products, etc… There is a lot of growth. It’s a different kind of growth but it will have to be resource-efficient, low-polluting, otherwise we won’t have a functioning world,” Stigson said."

source: abs-cbnnews.com 

Dutch Firm to Develop 70-Megawatt Solar Power Project

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A 70-megawatt solar power project portfolio costing $280 million (P12 billion) will be put up in the country by Netherlands-based Sunconnex Projects BV.

JJ Samuel A. Soriano, SunConnex local unit's president said that the company is planning to set-up solar farms with 5MW to 10MW capacity ranges in Laguna, Bataan, Pampanga, Cavite and Zambales.

In addition, to attain this 70MW project, SunConnex are inspecting more sites in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao according to Soriano.

He also added that the timetable of the project is dependent on the implementation of the feed-in tariff (FIT) for renewable energy.

FIT plays a big rule on this project since it guarantees renewable energy source developers to get paid for the energy that they will produce and inject into the transmission or distribution systems.

However, Sunconnex is urging the government to maintain the stability of the country’s business climate by implementing the policies that had been passed under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 and not to change the rules midway through the game.

“Sunconnex remains hopeful that the Philippine government will maintain stability in its policies to develop renewable energy including solar. Sunconnex hopes that the government will not change the rules and policies and proceed with the programs outlined in the RE Act,” Soriano added.

Makiling Geothermal Project's Sales Pact Signed

         http://www.flickr.com/photos/andynelson/4347584820

I have previously posted an article regarding the 20-megawatt Maibarara geothermal project, a renewable energy source located on the western flank of Mount Makiling at San Pablo, Laguna, Philippines. Well here's an update from Manila Bulletin.

"PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) has signed an energy sales agreement (ESA) with partner Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. for the off-take of the generated electricity from the 20-megawatt Maibarara geothermal project, which is targeted to be on stream by September 2013.

This was disclosed by PERC to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Trans-Asia, a licensed wholesale aggregator in the deregulated power market, has emphasized in a separate disclosure to the local bourse that the ESA “covers a 20-year period.”

The energy sales pact prescribes that “Trans-Asia will purchase all the electricity output of said power facility at an agreed price, subject to certain adjustments.”

The geothermal power venture is under corporate vehicle Maibarara Geothermal Inc. (MGI) which consigns the operatorship to PECR’s subsidiary Petrogreen Energy Corporation with 65-percent stake. Trans-Asia holds 25-percent equity while state-owned Philippine National Oil Company-Renewables Corporation owns the minority stake of 10-percent.

“MGI will sell the entire output of the plant starting in 3rd quarter of 2013, when the power facility is targeted to begin commercial operations,” PetroEnergy Resources said.

The company expounded that the agreed electricity price will cover payments for capacity fee, operations and maintenance fee and annual escalation based on inflation and foreign exchange adjustments.

“The ESA will be subject to review every five years,” it added.

The project sponsors are already moving headway into the venture’s implementation. Previous deals closed had been those on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.

The facility will be among the capacity additions to the Luzon grid coming from conventional renewable energy (RE) resource."

source: Manila Bulletin 

Solar Powered PC Now Close To Realization

         http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/22022010

Intel has developed a Windows PC desktop powered by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. This could be the smallest solar cell that could power a desktop and can potentially create a lot of savings in electricity at homes and offices. Intel’s demo of a desktop powered by a postage-sized solar cell reaffirms the company’s effort to reduce not only the size of microprocessors but also its power consumption.

This may be the latest version of the smallest solar cell, a renewable energy source, ever produced like this one from University of Michigan wherein they developed minuscule solar sensors able to perpetually harvest energy from its surroundings and efficiently manage the energy it gathers. Or this one from  University of South Florida wherein they have develop a solar cell so small it’s just 1/4 the size of a grain of rice. The research team says that just 20 of these cells are enough to generate 7.8 volts of electricity.

Intel’s solar cell PC may not be the smallest solar cell but it certainly will be the smallest to be use on a desktop and probably other gadget manufacturers will follow ( hope more of them), like integrating it on laptops, tablets and mobile phones. This way not all electricity consumption of all new gadgets out there would be charge to electricity produce from power plants.

A breathe of additional fresh air in the future.

The Philippines Should Learn from This Project

           http://www.flickr.com/photos/senatormarkudall

The Philippines should have project like this one or close to it, to answer the shortage of power in a cleaner way. A report from ens-newswire.com says that;

"The Asian Development Bank has approved a US$100 million loan to the state of Gujarat in western India to accelerate the rollout of one the world's largest solar power facilities.
 The funding for the Gujarat Solar Power Transmission Project will support the 500 megawatt Patan Solar Park, Asia's largest such project, located at Charanka village about 60 km (40 miles) from India's border with Pakistan...
 ... "By putting in reliable power transmission facilities in the solar park, Asian Development Bank will help draw in private sector developers, while providing a model which can be replicated to scale up solar power in a significant manner in India," said Naoki Sakai, senior climate change specialist with the bank.
 Japanese multi-national corporations Sharp, Panasonic, Mitsui and the Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corp., the Swiss corporation Oerlikon and Germany's Schott Solar have "evinced interest" in setting up units in the park, according to the Office of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi...
 ... The U.S.-based Clinton Foundation, headed by former President Bill Clinton, is partnering with the Gujarat government on the solar park. The Clinton Climate Initiative helped to select the site."

The Philippines is a country with vast resources specially the ever free sunlight and other renewable energy sources but always experience a power shortage. We need to change it. Lets start now.

The Energy From Waste Story

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The consumption habits of modern consumer lifestyles are causing a huge worldwide waste problem. Wastes are piling up faster than we can collect.


In a recent study conducted, it shows that the Philippine provinces are currently generating tons of wastes daily place in hundreds of landfill sites, less than five percent of this is being recycled while zero per cent being used for renewable energy (power generation) and energy recovery (gas harvesting).


These problems don’t just happen in the Philippines but with the rest of the world. Luckily the government are focusing on coming up with doable solutions and alternative measures to address the increasing prices of energy sources in the country as it encourages for more studies that will help in mitigating its effects to the Filipino people.


Heeding to this call, MGT Green Energy Solutions of Malaysia introduces the newest approach in providing sufficient energy for the Filipinos, the Cool Plasma Technology (CPT). MGT is specializing on the transformation of garbage into useful energy is unabatedly gaining grounds locally with its proposed “Energy from Waste (EfW)” concept aimed at addressing such concern of the government and ease the lives of the people.


This project also brings in more benefits that we can get in using renewable energy like minimizing the degradation of the environment, conservation of energy use and natural resources and further reduction of environmental damage to surface, ground and air, and the creation of hundreds job opportunities for the people.


This has to be done available across the archipelago so that not only Manila can benefits from this power producing technology but the rest of the nation.

Seven "Ways" to Make Briquette for Fuel Purposes

                   photo courtesy of agripinoy.net


It's the thing that pops on my mind. To post something about charcoal making, I'm thinking about charcoal made of sawdust and dung or something like that. A friend of mine (Google) told me that this kind of fuel is called briquette (never heard that before), a compressed mass of sawdust, dried animal waste or other flammable material, often in regular shape of a pillow, brick or even in bar form of either hexagonal or square shape.


This is one kind of fuel that can be produce and supplement the usage of other fuel particularly for cooking purposes in our home. A kind of renewable energy - biomass to be specific.


Instead of posting here the step by step procedure for briquette making, I have made a list of sites that provides different making techniques. Choose which one is best suited for you.


1. agripinoy.net/how-to-make-charcoal-bricks-briquettes
- The specific materials here were well-charred charcoal made through the modified pit method and cassava corn or camote starch as binder.


2.ask.com/questions-about/Make-Charcoal-Briquettes
- plenty of answers can be found on this site, choose the best one


3. ehow.com/how_4473349_make-charcoal-briquettes.html
- see the step by step and detailed procedure on this site.


4. rictec.com.sg/charcoal/sawdust-briquette-charcoal
- want to see some picture of the actual making of briquettes, see it on this site.


5. buzzle.com/articles/how-to-make-charcoal-briquettes
- Another step by step procedure same with ehow.com


6. madehow.com/Volume-4/Charcoal-Briquette
- includes history and other periodicals for additional briquette information


7.www.squidoo.com/make-your-own-charcoal-briquets
- read this site for a different kind of briquette making technique

Who Else Wants to Offer a Share on the Market

          http://www.flickr.com/photos/tenaciousme/1798225470

It’s been more or less 5 days since I post an article in here. While browsing the internet, I have read the news regarding the Philippine Stock Exchange's (PSE) who are expecting more offering coming from energy sector.

Some companies like Aboitiz Power Corp., Energy Development Corp., PetroEnergy Resources Corp., and Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. which are listed on the local bourse (bourse means stock exchange) have interests in the renewable energy industry.

There is a reason why PSE were expecting at least one energy/renewable company that would go public this year. This is due to last' week happening, also... at PSE. It approved new rules easing the listing process for the energy industry: new petroleum and renewable energy firms seeking to list on the local bourse are no longer required disclosing one-year operating histories.

According to the report from Business World Online,

This new rule will also apply to existing firms intending to engage in additional capital-raising...
... Strong investor interest in renewable energy ventures should also persuade firms to raise capital via a public offering... The investing public wants to invest, but the question is: are firms ready? - Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras.”

This is good news because if more renewable energy company goes public, more capital will flow on the companies which means more money will be use on the development of renewable energy projects. More importantly it will hasten the energy department capacity which is seeking to more than double the country’s renewable energy capacity to 15,263 megawatts (MW) from 5,369 MW by 2030.

The "Big Wind" is Coming - Three Reasons Why

         http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt6t7/5581232595

The news is in the business section of three local paper sites, the 1.3Billion USD investment on wind energy development between publicly listed Greenergy Holdings Inc. and China-based Tianjin Tianbao Investment and Development Corp. (TTIDC).

A portion of the news from Inquirer:

"MANILA, Philippines—Publicly listed Greenergy Holdings Inc. plans to invest at least $1.3 billion (roughly P55 billion) to develop wind power projects in the Philippines over the next 10 years."

From Manila Times:

"GREENERGY Holdings Inc. has partnered with a Chinese firm for the development of wind energy projects in the Philippines."

Also part of the news from Business World:

"GREENERGY HOLDINGS, Inc., formerly MUSX Corp., has moved to forge a joint venture with a Chinese firm to put up $1.3 billion worth of renewable energy projects in the next 10 years, a disclosure to the local bourse yesterday showed."

This could be the biggest investment so far and also the biggest project for wind energy development here in the Philippines and renewable energy in general. The location of the project was not yet disclosed but wherever it may be put up, it will surely boost the economy and tourism of that lucky place.

This project also boosted Greenenergy Holdings’ shares that rose to P0.011 on Wednesday from P0.0099 each Friday last week - an 11% increased.

Let us hope that the establishment of joint venture company will be fast track so that this project will become operational sooner.