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EnergyRefuge.com

Latin America’s Largest Rooftop Solar Power Farm Unveiled

A Brazilian utility has become home to the largest rooftop solar power farm in Latin America. The farm is installed at the administrative headquarters of Eletrosul in Santa Catarina (Brazil) and can generate up to 1.2 GWh per year.

Dubbed Usina Megawatt Solar, the farm cost US$4.2 million with funds from the power Eletrosul and the German government. The farm features 4,200 solar modules and will generate enough power to supply around 540 homes, or 1,800 people.

The power generated by the solar farm will be connected to the regional grid to be used locally. Companies and consumers will be allowed to take part of alternative energy auctions.

The objective of the project is to stimulate locals and companies to switch to clean, renewable solar power.

July 15, 2014 1 comment

GM’s Volt Reaches Half A Billion Miles in California

written by EnergyRefuge.com

GM has released the results of a survey about the use of its EV model Volt, which was released in late 2010. It looked at the use of Volt by more than 300 drivers in California. The main find: more than half a billion miles have been covered, mostly gasoline-free, with the Volt.

The survey also includes good news for those who suffer range anxiety in relation to EVs. Many Volt drivers are exceeding the EPA-rated label of 35 miles per full charge and 15 percent of the drivers are actually covering a range longer than 40 miles.

And drivers are going mostly for the fully electric experience as 63 of all the driving they’ve been doing has been in EV mode. They survey also found that Volt owners who are always recharging usually cover 970 miles until they fully recharge again. Visits to a gas station are also quite rare: only once a month. They are saving on average $1,450 per year in fuel costs.

A separate, independent research carried out in the second half of 2013 found that Volt drivers who took part in the Department of Energy’s EV Project managed by Idaho National Labs totaled 1,198,114 vehicle trips. Of the total, 81.4 percent, were completed without the gasoline-powered generator being used.

June 23, 2014 0 comment

Gibraltar Enters Wave Power Agreement

written by EnergyRefuge.com

The Government of Gibraltar in Southern Spain recently signed a deal with Israeli renewable energy company, which includes the installation of a 0.5MW energy device on Gibraltar’s east side. There are plans to expand it to 5MW if the project is successful.

Eco Wave Power is an international wave power developer headquartered in Israel. Its technologies use buoys to capture and convert wave energy into low-cost, clean electricity. The floaters will be specifically designed in accordance with the region’s wave climate. The system will also have in-built storm protection and shock-wave protection mechanisms.

The choice of energy type was based on Gibraltar’s unique location by the sea, coupled with its ability to reliably calculate and project wave patterns. The agreement is part of the local government’s plan to increase the clean energy’s share of energy generation.

June 17, 2014 0 comment

Martifer Solar Awarded Solar Project in Jordan

written by EnergyRefuge.com

In order to reach their goal of generating 10% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020, the government of Jordan has awarded a contract to a emerging solar energy company based in Portugal.

Ma’an, Jordan will soon be home to a 10 Megawatt solar PV plant thanks to Martifer Solar, a subsidiary of Martifer SGPS, and the Dubai based investment and development company, Adenium Energy Capital. The companies recently executed the 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Jordan’s national untility- National Electric Power Company (NEPCO). The tariff rate for the solar energy will be $0.169 (USD ) which will save the country considerable costs compared to their oil generation rates. The total cost of the project is projected to be about $26 million dollars.

It is not surprising that Martifer Solar has been selected as the lead developer for the project because they have installed more than 500 MW of photovoltaic energy all over the world. With a worldwide presence in more than 20 countries on 4 continents, the company is one of the top 20 PV integrators in the world. The company is not just a typical solar installation company.

They will provide engineering, procurement and construction services as well as operations and maintenance after the project is completed.

“The successful award of this PPA for a new 10 MW plant in Jordan confirms our abilities as a fully-integrated player capable of adapting our 360° business model to new and emerging markets. The fact that the Jordan government has approved Martifer Solar as the lead Developer for this project is the best testimonial to our proven strength and track record in project development from other successful markets, such as the United Kingdom,” stated Henrique Rodrigues, CEO of Martifer Solar. “We look forward to additional achievements throughout 2014 as we continue to stay one step ahead as a leader in the global PV market.”

At the completion of the project, the plant is expected to produce an estimated 25 GWh/year which will power more than 27,000 inhabitants of Jordan per year.

May 20, 2014 0 comment

Understanding How Photovoltaic Panels Work

written by EnergyRefuge.com

We recently came across a smartly produced video by the Department of Energy explaining how sunlight becomes electricity through PV panels. Here’s an excerpt of the video:

“Sunlight is made of tiny packages of energy called photons. These photons radiate out from the sun and 93 million

March 23, 2011 0 comment

Volvo Introduces a Diesel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Scheduled for a 2012 release date, the V60 is the first diesel plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the world.

According to Technologic Vehicles, the V60 features three driving modes: Pure (electric only), Hybrid (default mode) and Power, when the engines act together.

It also features a four-wheel drive mode: at

March 22, 2011 0 comment

310 Miles Per Liter Car is Exhibited in Brazil

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Students at Fundação Educacional Inaciana (FEI) in Brazil have developed two car prototypes whose goal is to be light and economical. One of them is made of aluminium, but the one that really caught our attention is a vehicle that can run 300 miles on one liter of gasoline.

The model is called X-16. It is made with

March 21, 2011 0 comment

Bipartisan Bill Wants an End to Corn Ethanol Subsidies

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md) have joined forces to sponsor a bill that ends the refundable Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). This tax credit subsidizes the blending of corn-based ethanol into gasoline. The legislation, if enacted immediately, would save taxpayers nearly $4 billion during the remainder of 2011,

March 17, 2011 0 comment

New Technology Can Get More Energy Out of Waste

written by EnergyRefuge.com

As we look for ways to reduce our dependence on finite oil reserves that emit greenhouse gases and cause climate change, the solutions will come in varied forms.

One company that is researching a novel way to turn waste into electricity is Plasma2Energy, a Texas-based technology

March 16, 2011 2 comments

Students Show Electric Race Car

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Students from the University of Pennsylvania are preparing to show an all-electric race car, the result of a five-year effort carried out by 40 graduate and undergraduate students from the School of Arts and Sciences, Penn Engineering and Wharton.

Called Renegade, the carbon-fiber-clad

March 15, 2011 1 comment

Small Scale Wind Power: It’s Beautiful, But Not Everyone is Convinced

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Some people call them ‘kinetic art sculptures’ while detractors say the investment is not worth it.

The fact is that vertical axis wind turbines are constantly evolving and we’re likely to see more of them on top of residences and commercial buildings. They can be placed quite close to the ground, which makes

March 14, 2011 4 comments

World’s First Hybrid Solar Plant Opens in Florida

written by EnergyRefuge.com

The first hybrid solar power plant in the world was inaugurated in Florida by Florida Power and Light Company at FPL’s Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. It is one of three solar facilities commissioned by FPL.

It features 190,000 solar panels that work in conjunction with an existing natural-gas

March 11, 2011 1 comment

Meet the Couple Who Love Their Veggie Car

written by EnergyRefuge.com

One happy couple shares their experience of switching from dirty oil to, well, dirty oil – but of the vegetable kind.

Diesel engine can run on waste vegetable oil from restaurants, which gives the grease two happy solutions: it prevents it from clogging up sewerage and powers a vehicle with fewer emissions.

March 10, 2011 0 comment

Are Women Greener Than Men?

written by EnergyRefuge.com

Some people claim that women tend to be greener than men when it comes to everyday actions we can take to mitigate our impact on the planet. For example, women are more likely to be vegetarian (60 per cent more) than men; they’re also more consistent with their recycling.

The fact is that in the U.S. women control 85 per cent of all purchasing decisions, which means it’s in their

March 9, 2011 0 comment

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