Electricity-starved Gazans go solar

Gaza’s 1.9m population has only one power plant and even that has not escaped damage during the course of Israel’s wars

Gaza: Nahed Abu Assi’s farm has been bombed in each of the three Gaza wars since 2008 and, like in the rest of the Palestinian enclave, he receives only a paltry amount of electricity each day.

With his chickens dying and the cost of using generators high, Abu Assi now hopes to do as others have done in Gaza – if he can find a loan to pay for it, install solar panels.

“The electricity is cut for hours every day,” the balding 52-year-old said.

“You have to connect to generators that cost a lot to fuel and that need regular repairs to keep the lamps and the livestock fans running around the clock.”

A growing number of Gazans fed up with their erratic electricity supply are turning to solar power in an area where the sun shines for the vast majority of the year.

Grey and black solar panels are increasingly visible on rooftops.

Stores and advertisements promoting such technology have also expanded.

“Schools, hospitals and public institutions have been equipped with solar panels and other projects have been launched to at least try to partially resolve the electricity crisis,” said Raed Abu Al Haj, head of the solar energy unit in the strip’s energy authority.

Some 10,000 homes could soon be equipped with photovoltaic panels.

The option is not cheap. Abu Assi expects to fork out between 4,500 euros (Dh18,290) and 5,400 euros for panels, but he says the investment will pay off over time.

Gaza and its population of 1.9 million people has only one electricity plant and it has been damaged by wars with Israel, the most devastating of which was fought in the summer of 2014.

Gaza imports electricity from Israel and Egypt, but those supplies are not nearly enough.

Electricity demand is estimated at 450 megawatts, but only 250 is available: 27 per cent from Israel, 22 per cent provided by Gaza’s own plant and six per cent by Egypt.

Israel has maintained a blockade on the Gaza Strip for around a decade.

But Gazans – half of whom live below the poverty line – are now being allowed to import solar panels and prices have gradually come down, Al Haj says.

Those taking advantage include Daoud Tarazi, who decided to equip his home and his petrol station with solar panels.

He said it was “no longer possible to work with 18 hours of electricity cuts per day” at his station, he said.

At home, where he receives 12 hours of electricity per day, “food spoils in the refrigerator and electronic equipment always breaks down”.

With the solar panels, Tarazi’s bills have fallen, since he no longer has to operate generators.

Beyond that, solar power does not pollute and he no longer has to deal with days without electricity.

“There are only five or six days per year without sun in Gaza,” he said.

Solar panels also provide a safer alternative to the dangers of generators and candles, said Mohammad Atallah, a businessman and member of a renewable energy organisation that has installed solar panels for street lights for roads traversing the Gaza Strip.

Health officials say explosions and fires from generators and candles have caused the deaths of 24 people in recent years, most of them children.

But despite the recent spike in interest, solar power remains only a tiny part of the energy mix in the Gaza Strip – amounting to around three megawatts, says Al Haj.

“But within three years, we hope to reach 15 megawatts,” he said.

More On The Hanergy Solar Powered Cars From China

The Hanergy solar-powered cars have caused quite a stir. We now have new information on the cars and the company’s plans. Production of the first solar car is two to three years away. The cars are fitted with a standard lithium-ion battery and can be charged at any charging station. The solar panels function as an extra source to extend range. In the future Hanergy wants to make fully solar-powered cars.

Hanergy is a large clean-energy company and one of the largest thin-film solar cell manufacturers in the world. Hanergy is also the owner of U.S. based Alta Devices, which it bought in 2014.

Much of the technology used in the solar panels that cover the Hanergy cars is based on Alta Devices AnyLight, which was devised as a range-extending technology for electric vehicles.

Hanergy is planning to use this technology to build fully-solar powered cars. The company says the current solar energy conversion rate of its high-end cells is 31.6%. This is expected to go up to 38% in 2020 and 42% in 2025, which would make a fully-solar powered car possible, according to the company.

The Solar 0 is designed for car sharing schemes in big cities, driving short distances. Its solar panels have a size of 3.5 square meter. The panels are located in the roof and on the hood.

When the vehicle is not moving the windshield functions as an additional panel, bringing the total solar panel size to 4.2 meters. A full solar charge in full sunlight takes five to seven hours. Range on solar power alone is 50 to 60 kilometer.

Hanergy didn’t disclose the exact combined range (solar + battery). They only said that combined range was about 350 kilometer for each of the four cars, which seems a bit odd since each vehicle’s solar-range differs, and size varies a lot.

The Hanery Solar 0, Solar A, and Solar L, showing their roof-based panels in red.

The same vehicles with their roof panels extended. On the 0 the panels extend over the windshield, on the A the panels fold out to the rear, and the L is truly space age with large panels folding out to the left and right.

The Hanergy Solar A is designed to resemble a yacht. It has solar panels in the roof and on the hood. It also has solar panels behind the windshield on top of the dashboard. The energy these panels generate is used to power the car’s infotainment system.

The solar panels have a surface of five square meter, this goes up to 7.5 meter with the extended rear panel. Charging takes five to six hours in full sunlight. Range on solar power alone is 80 kilometers.

The Hanergy Solar L is the most futuristic car of the four. It has large gull wing doors, four individual seats, and a very slippery body. You are looking at the front here. Hanergy hasn’t disclosed many details. The body is made out of carbon fiber, resulting in a curb weight of 700 kilo. Its solar panels have a surface of six square meters. Hanergy didn’t say how much the folding panels would add to that, but on the image above it looks like the total surface would at least tripe.

Hanergy Solar L. It is just over six meters long.

The Hanergy Solar R previews a sportscar. It has solar panels on the hood, on the roof, on the entire rear deck, and on the surfaces besides the side windows. The R has two motors, one over the front axle and one over the rear axle. Power from the solar panels and battery can be steered to any motor or to both.

The R does not have extending or foldable panels. Hanergy did not disclose any more information, but we have since learned that the body of the Solar R was designed by Beijing-based design firm CH Auto, and that it is underpinned by the same basic platform as the Qiantu Motor K50.

Hanergy Solar R.

And as usual with these launched there was also a lot of cloud and app speak. The connectivity does the usual things like keeping an eye on the battery, finding a vehicle in the car sharing scheme, and finding charging stations. One thing however is rather special: the system can also find nearby places with high sunlight intensity, for the fastest solar-charge. That is seriously clever stuff.

The whole idea is rather smart, and there are many real-world applications already. Hanergy announced a cooperation with Foton to build solar panels on top of their electric buses, where the panels will work as a range extender. The company furthermore says it has agreements with various Chinese specialty-vehicle manufacturers to add solar power to the likes of recreational vehicles, tour buses, and catering trucks.

More as we get it.

Pan Africa Solar signs first solar PPA with NBET, plans $1bn investments

Pan Africa Solar, a utility scale solar energy company, on Monday said it is developing a 1,000 megawatt portfolio of solar projects in Nigeria and is also developing a plan to bring more than $1 billion of foreign direct investments into the country over the next five years, BusinessDay reports.

Marcus Heal, the company’s CEO, stated this in Abuja when the federal government, through the Nigeria Bulk Energy Trader (NBET), and Pan Africa Solar signed Nigeria’s first ever solar power purchase agreement (PPA). The PPA signed with NBET was to pave way for the commencement of the 75mw solar photovoltaic power project, located in Katsina State worth $146 million. When completed, energy produced from the plant projected to be commissioned in 2017, will be sold for a tariff of 11.5 cents per kWh.

Pan Africa Solar says that once commissioned, this 75mw solar project will be the largest of its type in Sub Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) and will provide power for 1.1 million Nigerians. A consortium of sponsors for the project is made up of Pan Africa Solar, JCM Capital and the African Finance Corporation (AFC). The FMO are the lead arrangers of debt raised from the development finance institutions that include DEG and Proparco. The project is also receiving support from the World Bank, Power Africa and MIGA.

NBET, 12 firms sign PPAs for 975mw solar projects

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) on Monday signed pacts with 12 firms who are to construct solar power plants in eight states and generate a cumulative 975megawatts (mw) into the electricity grid, Daily Trust reports.

Speaking after signing the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Abuja, the acting Managing Director of NBET, Mr Waziri Bintube said the massive solar investment is a revolution in terms of diversifying the energy mix due to the present constraints on gas supply to the thermal stations across the country. Mr. Waziri said 10 of the firms have foreign developers who are willing to bring in about $2million to $2.5billion of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the economy.

Construction of the plants to be sited in Enugu, FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi and Plateau states is expected to happen within 12 to 18 months after their financial close by year end. The power generated on completion will be evacuated into the national grid through the substations to be built at some of the sites, the investors said. NBET said the generated electricity will be fed first into the distribution companies (Discos) where the plants are sited and that it would boost supply across four Discos comprising Jos, Kano, Enugu, and Abuja.

Dubai to purchase power from 2400 MW clean coal power plant

ByDiarmaid Williams
International Digital Editor

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed an agreement to purchase power from the planned ACWA Power’sHassyan clean coal power project.

The first phase of the project involves development of four 600 MW units while the second phase with 1,200 MW capacity includes installation of two 600 MW units featuring ultra-supercritical coal technology.

Scheduled to be commissioned in March 2023, the project is expected to contribute to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to generate environmentally-friendly energy mix, with 25 per cent from solar energy, 7 per cent from nuclear power, 7 per cent from clean coal, and 61 per cent from gas by 2030.

DEWA signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the consortium.

ACWA Power chairman Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan said: "Signing this agreement exemplifies the success of Public Private Partnerships and the importance of involving the private sector in enhancing efficiency, productivity and cost reduction, in addition to optimizing resources, transferring the technology, and training and developing local skills in the energy industry."

“It also reflects DEWA's commitment to its goals of energy diversification and sustainability of resources, and achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which focuses on producing electricity from clean coal as part of Dubai's energy mix."

Electricity generation across the nation drops to 2,524MW

Nigeria’s electricity generation, yesterday, crashed from the 5,500 Mega Watts (MW) ever attained to 2,524.2MW, which is lower than the 17,720MW national peak demand forecast for the country, The Guardian reports.

A daily generation report released by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday, showed that the country recorded its lowest generation of 60.5MW the same day. According to the TCN report, despite the fact that the country has an installed capacity of 11,165.40mw, the country’s network operational capability remained at 5,500mw.

Corroborating the TCN daily electricity generation report, the weekly energy watch released by the Nigerian Electricity and Regulatory Commission (NERC), put the average energy constrained during the week at 4,571mw. The NERC report revealed that gas was responsible for about 4,399mw of power constraint while water management and line limitation was responsible for the constraint of 50mw and 181mw respectively.

FG considers biofuel alternative for farmers due to high cost of diese

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe has said that due to the high cost of diesel, Federal Government is considering bio-diesel as an alternative source of fuel for farmers to enhance food production and supply, Vanguard reports.

Ogbe, who disclosed this in his office in Abuja, expressed concern over the persistent hardship farmers face in accessing diesel, which now sells for between N200 and N210 per litre.  “We will take a look at the production of Jathropha seeds and oil processing to give farmers self-sufficiency in diesel production as an organic fuel (bio-diesel). This is expected to promote renewable energy, improve our environment and reduce expenses on importation” he said.

Ogbe also assured mechanised farmers all over the country that the problem of diesel supply and pricing would be addressed to cushion the effects on their operations and avoid negative impact on food production in 2016, vowing to tackle the problem, both in the long and short terms.