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Solar - a Renewable Source with Great Potential |
It takes the sun just three hours to send as much energy earthward as humans consume in a year. To put it another way, the sunlight hitting an area of just 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) in size would meet humans' entire primary energy needs.
Although solar is the renewable energy with the greatest potential, it met just 0.8 percent of Germany's electricity needs in 2008. Wind energy accounted for just over 8 percent. Wind is in the lead (and, for now, more economic). But solar is making up ground fast, and E.ON is playing an active role in its development. Our solar activities are managed by E.ON Climate & Renewables.
Currently, there are two ways to generate electricity from solar energy. The first is photovoltaics (PV): solar cells transform the sun's rays directly into electricity. The second is concentrated solar power (CSP): the sun's rays are concentrated to produce heat that generates steam to drive a turbine and generator, much like in a conventional power plant. A key element of E.ON Climate & Renewables' solar portfolio, next to its project development efforts, is Malibu, a joint venture with Schüco, the world's leading supplier of building envelopes. Malibu's facility for manufacturing a new generation of PV modules was officially opened in June 2009. This was also when the first phase of our solar farm in southern France, which uses Malibu solar modules, was completed.
With the acquisition of Conilhac Energies, a developer of photovoltaic projects in southern France, we are continuing the rapid development of our solar activities in one of Europe’s most important markets for solar energy. Conilhac already worked successfully as developer of photovoltaic projects in southern France and assembled a significant pipeline of photovoltaic projects at various stages of maturity. The acquisition will enhance our capabilities to develop and implement photovoltaic projects in an industrialized fashion.
E.ON Climate & Renewables and Abengoa Solar have formed a partnership that will see them jointly own and operate two 50 MW Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants, Helioenergy 1 & 2. The plants which are already under construction are located in Ecija (Seville), Southern Spain, one of the best areas in Europe in terms of solar radiation.
The 50:50 partnership will invest around 550 million Euros into the two plants which will start operation in 2011. The solar facilities will produce enough power to supply 52,000 homes and avoid the emission equivalent to 63,000 tonnes of CO2.
Furthermore E.ON, together with 11 other companies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII). The objective of this initiative is to analyse and develop the technical, economic, political, social and ecological framework for carbon-free power generation in the deserts of North Africa. The DESERTEC concept, developed by the TREC Initiative of the Club of Rome, describes the perspectives of a sustainable power supply for all regions of the world with access to the energy potential of deserts.
Although solar is the renewable energy with the greatest potential, it met just 0.8 percent of Germany's electricity needs in 2008. Wind energy accounted for just over 8 percent. Wind is in the lead (and, for now, more economic). But solar is making up ground fast, and E.ON is playing an active role in its development. Our solar activities are managed by E.ON Climate & Renewables.
Currently, there are two ways to generate electricity from solar energy. The first is photovoltaics (PV): solar cells transform the sun's rays directly into electricity. The second is concentrated solar power (CSP): the sun's rays are concentrated to produce heat that generates steam to drive a turbine and generator, much like in a conventional power plant. A key element of E.ON Climate & Renewables' solar portfolio, next to its project development efforts, is Malibu, a joint venture with Schüco, the world's leading supplier of building envelopes. Malibu's facility for manufacturing a new generation of PV modules was officially opened in June 2009. This was also when the first phase of our solar farm in southern France, which uses Malibu solar modules, was completed.
With the acquisition of Conilhac Energies, a developer of photovoltaic projects in southern France, we are continuing the rapid development of our solar activities in one of Europe’s most important markets for solar energy. Conilhac already worked successfully as developer of photovoltaic projects in southern France and assembled a significant pipeline of photovoltaic projects at various stages of maturity. The acquisition will enhance our capabilities to develop and implement photovoltaic projects in an industrialized fashion.
E.ON Climate & Renewables and Abengoa Solar have formed a partnership that will see them jointly own and operate two 50 MW Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants, Helioenergy 1 & 2. The plants which are already under construction are located in Ecija (Seville), Southern Spain, one of the best areas in Europe in terms of solar radiation.
The 50:50 partnership will invest around 550 million Euros into the two plants which will start operation in 2011. The solar facilities will produce enough power to supply 52,000 homes and avoid the emission equivalent to 63,000 tonnes of CO2.
Furthermore E.ON, together with 11 other companies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII). The objective of this initiative is to analyse and develop the technical, economic, political, social and ecological framework for carbon-free power generation in the deserts of North Africa. The DESERTEC concept, developed by the TREC Initiative of the Club of Rome, describes the perspectives of a sustainable power supply for all regions of the world with access to the energy potential of deserts.
Also Dr. Hervé Touati, Managing Director of E.ON Climate & Renewables, commented on the initiative:
“E.ON is convinced that the future belongs to solar technology in the long term. We share the DESERTEC vision of exploiting the sun’s energy on a grand scale to supply power to Europe and the African countries. We are supporting the initiative with a view to making this great idea possible. Apart from this, E.ON is constantly expanding its involvement in solar power, especially in the field of solar thermal power plants – as envisaged for supplying power in the DESERTEC Initiative.”
Solar energy is also an important part of our effort to research and develop the energy technologies and applications of the future. In April 2009, several E.ON Research Awards went to projects focusing on solar energy.
Location is an essential factor for success.
Thinfilm technology turns sunlight directly into electric energy.
