Energy From the Desert

7/31/2019 Energy From the Desert

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January 2008

Confidential strategy paper

ENERGY FROM THE DESERT

- a solid basis for socio-economic development -

Free Energy International BV

Eindhoven, the Netherlands


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Future energy scenario (GWBU, Germany)

ABSTRACT:

Deserts can be looked at as large lands with cruel surfaces, underground wealth, sunny and windy

climate conditions and severe inhabitants living conditions. A more challenging and realistic way of

looking at deserts is, as

Regions with abundant and inexhaustible sources of clean energy and fresh water, offeringa huge potential for socio-economic development

This conclusion was made during our more than 10 years global co-operation in IEA PVPS Task 8

(Very Large Photovoltaic Power Systems for Desert Regions). The main driver for such socio-

economic development would be a VLS-PV power generation system, which would create a

sustainable market for solar electricity, PV- and system components, installations and CO2

credits.

This development would also create many jobs and would involve technology transfer from

industrialized countries to desert countries. The generated electricity can be used for lighting,

communication, entertainment, industrial and education purposes, but also for providing potable

water, for irrigation, agriculture and mining. VLS PV-plants will contribute to energy security,provide fair access to energy for everybody and reduce the thread of climate change.

INTRODUCTION:

As predicted by a German group of high level scientists (GWBU), the worldwide use of primary

energy will more than double in the next decades and will be four times as much towards the end of

this century. Since the availability of fossil fuels will not be sufficient for supporting this drastic

increase and since our climate will be influenced badly by such increase, most of the growth in

primary energy has to come from renewable energies. As can be seen in the graph, the major part of

the energy at the end of the century will come from the sun. What we also can see is, that solarenergy is practically non existing today. It is still difficult to predict how the development as

indicated will take place, but we have to accept that something like indicated is most likely to occur.


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In order to assess and to evaluate possible applications for photovoltaic (PV) solar energy, the

International Energy Agency (IEA) installed international task groups. In PVPS Task 8, we

investigated the potential for very large power generation systems in desert regions. The purpose of

our work has been, to examine the possibilities for solving the world problems concerning fair

access to clean energy and fresh water for everybody. We started with studying power generation

by converting solar irradiation, directly or indirectly, into electricity. In addition, we touched onsubjects as electricity transmission and storage, water pumping, (sea-) water desalination, irrigation,

agriculture, community development and socio-economic development. During our work, we came

to the inescapable conclusion that desert regions contain abundant and inexhaustible sources of

clean energy and fresh water, offering a huge potential for socio-economic development. Therefore

we shifted our focus from a technological approach towards a socio-economic approach.

STATEMENTS BY WORLD RECOGNISED INSTITUTIONS:

IEA PVPS Task 8:

- Step-by-step development is possible; relatively low initial investment and modular growth in

conjunction with decreasing generating costs.

- System evolution from standalone bulk systems via local grid networks to integrated networks to

global networks.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal, President of the Club of Rome, April 2006:

- The sun-belt and the technology belt, when coupled together, can turn deserts into clean and

inexhaustible power houses for the world.

- Clean power for Europe and fresh water for the MENA regions would be a win-win situation to all

of us.

- Look at our deserts through new eyes as an overabundant and inexhaustible source of clean energyand fresh water.

GN READER (Global Network for Renewable Energy Approaches in Desert Regions) [3]:

- Deserts represent large lands with cruel surfaces, underground wealth, sunny and windy climate

conditions and severe inhabitants living conditions.

- Deserts contain abundance of renewable energy and high shortage of water.

- Level of ground water is dropping due to large water pumping programs.

- Salinity of ground water in these regions is increasing.

Energy Declaration Amman 2006 [4]:

- The current and even further increasing world energy demand results in: conflicts for the limited fossil fuels

climate changes and other environmental degradations- The high rate of ground water extraction is unsustainable, leading to depletion of aquifers, to the

decrease of their levels and to the increase of their salinity.

GENERAL CONCLUSION:

Having studied the justification for above statements in depth and having discussed the relevant

issues on a global level, we came to the inescapable conclusion that:


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Desert regions contain abundant and inexhaustible sources of clean energy and fresh water,

offering a huge potential for socio-economic development

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Potential benefits for desert countries:

Economic:

Create local market, local production and export of solar electricity and components (solar cells,

modules, silicon, etc) and CO2

credits

Social:

Employment, international co-operation, technology transfer

Security of energy supply:Secure sustainable future energy source

Environmental:Climate change/Kyoto protocol

Peace/poverty alleviation:

Fair access for everybody to affordable and sustainable energy solutions

Recognition:

Become model country in desert regions

Connected areas:

Irrigation, agriculture, water pumping, desalination, transmission and storage, hydrogen technology

2. Creation of a local market:

Standalone systems: Solar home systems in rural areas

Grid connected systems: In urban areas, for those who have access to the grid

Building integrated systems: In urban areas, for those who have access to the grid

Solar electricity plants: Very large scale photovoltaic power generating systems in desert areas

3. Creation of local industry:

Assembly of PV solar panels: For local use & export

Manufacturing of solar cells: For local use & export

Manufacturing of silicon: For local use & export


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Installation, building and services: For local use

Note: as a matter of fact, local industries for e.g. glass, concrete, aluminium and steel will benefit a

lot from this development

4. Education:

Awareness creation: At all levels

Transfer of system- and application know how: To renewable energy institutes & energy

companies

Transfer of technology: To educational institutes

Transfer of policy matters: To decision makers

5. Major stakeholders are:

- Renewable Energy Institutes

- Energy companies

- Government institutions

- Financing institutions

- Educational institutes


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Solar electricity generation plant in Springervillle, USA

Solar roofs in the Netherlands

Solar home system in Morocco

MARKET EVOLUTION FOR SOLAR ELECTRICITY:

1. Rural electrification:

After the initial development of PV solar electricity by the aerospace

industry, this technology was adopted in the early eighties of the past

century for rural electrification in developing countries. In the pastdecades, millions of solar home systems, consisting of a solar panel, a

battery and some lights have been installed in rural Africa and have

contributed to the improvement of the quality of life of the rural

families. Also village systems, consisting of solar panels, batteries

and a local electricity network have been developed and installed in

many places.

2. Grid Connected systems:

In the past decade, the market for grid

connected applications, mainly in

industrialised countries like Japan and

Germany has developed more strongly;

PV solar installations on houses and

buildings have been strongly promoted

and subsidised, leading to a marketgrowth of more than 40 % each year.

3. Large scale solar electricity generating systems:

In recent years, the market for large

scale solar electricity generation plantshas developed more strongly,

especially in southern Europe and the

USA. Economies of scale and higher

solar irradiation have lead to electricity

prices which are approaching end-user

prices in those countries.

This kind of electricity generation is

especially interesting for utility

companies, who have easy access to

electricity transmission systems.


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Multi-crystalline silicon panel

Thin film solar panel

TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION:

1. Wafer based solar panels:

The first decades in the application of solar electricity systems have been

dominated by the use of wafer based solar panels, notably mono-crystalline

or multi-crystalline silicon panels. This technology has proven to be very

robust. However, the cost reduction potential is limited and the relatively

high need for silicon material has lead to availability problems.

Manufacturers are trying to overcome these problems by designing panels

with thinner wafers and by using newly designed solar grade silicon.

2. Thin film solar panels:

Significant cost reduction can be achieved by applying thin film solar

cell technology. In this case, very thin layers of semiconductormaterials are deposited on glass, metal or plastic substrates and

electrical connections are made by advanced laser structuring methods.

Thin film solar panels have been a promise for cost reduction since

many years and the results of intensive R & D at institutions and

companies has resulted in lower costs per watt indeed; most effort

today is put into the design of faster production processes and higher

conversion efficiencies. Basically, three different semiconductor

materials can be used, notably thin film silicon and compounds of

cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium di-

selenide/sulphide (CIGS) materials. Manufacturers of thin film panels

in each technology are rapidly expanding their production capacities,in order to utilise their potential economies of production scale.


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Principle of solar concentration

3. Concentrating photo-voltaic systems (CPV):

Another way of obtaining lower system costs and, consequently,lower electricity costs, is the use of concentration. In this case, the

sunlight is concentrated by lenses or mirrors and concentration

factors of 500 to 1000 are easily achieved. By concentration,

expensive semiconductor material can be partly replaced by relatively

cheap glass or plastic material for lenses and metal for cooling.

Concentration systems need to be placed in direct sunlight and need

to follow the sun. Therefore, they are only effective in at locations

with a lot of direct sunshine and they need to be placed on sun-

tracking systems.

One of the attractive options for using concentrating solar panels in desert regions is, that a major

part of the panels can be produced locally.

CPV tracking system at AIST, JapanConcentrating solar panelfrom Daido Steel, Japan


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Very Large Scale PV system deployment scenario

NETWORK EVOLUTION:

The introduction of VLS-PV

in desert regions can be

made in discrete steps; Atfirst, a stand-alone bulk

system is introduced to

supply electricity for

surrounding villages or anti

desertification facilities in

the vicinity of deserts (stage

1). Secondly, plural systems

are connected by a regional

grid; this contributes to load

levelling and reduced power

fluctuation (stage 2). In the

next stage (stage 3). The

regional network is

connected to a primary

transmission line; generated electricity can now be supplied to a load centre and industrial zone.

Total use, combined with other power sources and storage becomes important for matching the

demand pattern and improving the capacity factor of the transmission line. Furthermore, by the time

that stage 3 is reached, seasonal differences can be adjusted. Finally, a global network is developed

(stage 4). Most of the energy consumed by human beings can be supplied through solar energy. For

the last stage, a breakthrough in advanced energy transmission, such as superconducting cable,

flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) or chemical media will be required.


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CONNECTED AREAS:

1. Irrigation/agriculture:

In many countries, the

major part of the available

water resources is used foragricultural purposes. The

efficiency of most

irrigation systems is still

very poor and inefficient

irrigation often leads to

soil degradation.

Using PV solar power in combination with modern desalination techniques leads to more efficient

irrigation systems. Less precious water is spoiled and salinity of the soil is prevented. Therefore,

more efficient agricultural development can take place.

Pump

PV-cell Water-Tank

Emiter

ED

PumpPump

PV-cell Water-Tank

Emiter

EDED

Improved irrigation system

Inefficient irrigation


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2. Seawater desalination:

Desalination is needed because of:

Increasing fresh waterdemand because of

population growth

Reduction of naturalground water resources

Pollution or salinization ofnatural ground water

Today, Reverse Osmosis

systems may offer the best

solution for desalination

systems powered by (solar)electricity.

Further cost reduction of

desalination systems can

be expected because of

innovative desalination

technologies.

Cost reduction potential of

desalination processes

Water resources


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Solar electricityfor local useand export

Hydrogen forlocal use andexport

3. Transmission networks:

Efficient transport of the generated electricity can take place by high voltage DC transmission

networks.

A second option is to convert and store the generated electricity into liquid hydrogen. In this case,

transport can take place by ship.

In future, the further development of super conducting technology may lead to transmission

networks with very low losses.

TOWARDS DEVELOPING PROJECTS:

The technologies for converting solar irradiation into electricity and for transport and storage of

electricity are widely available. We also believe that financing can be made available for excellent

project proposals. Therefore, the main challenge is to make these excellent project proposals and to

convince governments, energy companies and financing institutions to be positively involved in

realising ambitious projects for the large scale generation of solar electricity. Connected issues,

such as (sea-) water desalination, irrigation, agriculture, community development and socio-

economic development should be covered as well. We should focus on proven technology with

substantial cost reduction potential and on a step by step development, with relatively low initial

investment and modular growth in conjunction with decreasing costs. For these reasons, we will

focus on electricity generation by converting solar irradiation directly into electricity (photovoltaic

systems).

Transport of electricity Transport of liquid hydrogen


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Project development:

For developing realistic projects, we want to cooperate with influential local institutions that have

sufficient expertise and a powerful network. The target size of the projects should be in the order of

1 gigawatt, to be extended to 10 gigawatt in time. In order to make maximum use of the foreseeableprice decreases, the first gigawatt should be built in steps during a time frame of e.g. 10 to 15 years.

Community development should take place in parallel to the growth of the PV power plant. Such

kind of long term planning will allow the creation of a sustainable local industry for all required

materials, components and services.

For more information:

Free Energy International BVmail: P.O. BOX 9564, 5602 LNEindhoven, Netherlandsoffice: Ambachtsweg 23, 5627BZ Eindhoven, Netherlands

phone: +31 40 2901242; fax: +31 40 2421049e-mail: [email protected] websites: www.freeenergyinternational.com/

www.energyfromthedesert.com

Ex ected

Expected 2009

Energy from the Desert III

Expected in 2009Published in 2007Published in 2003

Documents

Energy From the Desert