By Kumar David –
Prof. Kumar David
Are renewable-energy evangelicals doing themselves a disservice?
OK let me clarify the title which was chosen for brevity. It need not be at Sampur, it can be elsewhere. It need not be a 500 MW Indian plant and a 1200 MW Japanese plant (the two offers on the table) if better offers to be on-line within ten years can be clinched. If gas can be shown to be as feasible as coal, that too is fine. Written out in longhand what the title is attempting to say is that 1500 to 2000 MW of additional thermal capacity is needed, unavoidably needed, within the next decade. This is not a crusade, campaign or conspiracy against renewable energy which accusers and abusers allege I am spearheading. It is just coming to terms with the unavoidable. If politics is the art of the possible, so is electricity sector expansion planning.
Let me get the abusers and accusers out of the way first. They are paltry, but it is a Lankan trait that we do not discuss topics but abuse and insult persons; or we go off the track damning people but unable to explore ideas. I do not refer to myself as I am not the worst sinned against; that honour on Lankan websites goes to Dr Dayan Jayatilleka. Politically, I have zero to do with DJ, but I spurn specious spats and despise cowardly anonymous commentators who indulge in ad hominem insults.
What prompted the previous paragraph? I had a piece on the electricity sector recently which I concluded with the aside that a thermal plant as outlined in my opening paragraph was needed. It was greeted on the web with personal abuse and phony tirades (there were productive contributions as well). One donkey accused me of being an LTTer and a Tamil racist; even if true what has that to do with electric power? I was challenged to produce my CV and prove I had a single refereed journal paper on any aspect of renewable energy. I do, and have conducted a graduate course on the topic at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden; but that is beside the point. The point is that the asinine focus is on a person one dislikes, not on the topic. A few of my former students – displaying the heroism of anonymity (look I don’t grade your coursework any longer) – lamented that their former lecturer had decayed into a senile fuddy-duddy. Ok, but still you must discuss the substantive topic at hand. A few did and they are the ones who shunned anonymity. OK subject closed.
Case for renewable energy
Climate change, environmental concerns and in consequence or for other reasons, vigorous pursuit of electricity generation from renewable and non-polluting sources is our moral obligation to our children – in my case grandchildren. That’s a categorical imperative and needs no repetition; case closed again. As always however the devil is in the details; in what steps (time-frame) and in what ways (technologies) to do it, and what intermediate measures to take in the interim. Every Sri Lankan green-energy evangelical I have come across flops on this score; well ok, there are exceptions, but the more your passion – god bless your sainted soul – the more likely it is you overreach. I will return to a challenge that I have thrown at renewable-energy evangelicals, but a little about technology first.
Cheap, essential power; but environmental downside also
There are three credible technologies for large-scale green electricity generation in Lanka – solar, biomass and wind. Solar is promising; the technology is advancing and location problems are the least. Biomass and wood burning (including ‘dendro’ plantations) are small scale, a few kW at a place, and even with the best effort will not exceed a few tens-of-thousands of units. A total of 100 GWh per year will be a marvel. (GWh, giga-watt hour, is one million of those things we call ‘units’ when the meter-reader comes calling; the technical name is kWh, kilo-watt hour).
There are very few outstanding onshore sites for wind generation in Lanka; offshore is expensive and the sites are no good. I have not examined the latest wind-power potential maps but I would hazard the guess that 100 GWh per annum within a decade would be a very generous estimate. Ok, be more lavish, call me mean, multiply biomass and wind by an order of magnitude and declare all can be done by Superman within ten years. Still compared to the output of a 1700 MW thermal plant at 80% load factor (12,000 GWh) it is peanuts.
That brings me to solar, the most credible option. My attention was caught by a report in the Economist, 16 April 2016 of a proposed 160 MW solar park on a 5 sq km site at Ma’an, Jordan. The site is one of the best in the world with 330 sunny days a year. Still the sun does not shine by night (not even in Jordan) and by day it is directly overhead for only a few hours. We have to estimate the equivalent-time when the plant will generate a full 160 MW. I propose 30 to 40% equivalent-full-power-duration. How much energy is this? Trust me; it is 420 to 560 GWh per annum. Since this is on a 5 sq km site it works out at 84 to 112 GWh per sq km per year for this top-class site.
A ball-park number, if actual studies are unavailable, is that 1MW of installed solar capacity at a really good site gives 1.5 to 2.5 GWh a year; less than 1.2, junk the project! The MW capacity per unit area should, as a rule of thumb, be the same at all sites since one wants to extract full power at ‘cloudless high noon’, even if that duration be short. Design power determines plant acreage and it is reasonable to think of 35 MW or thereabouts of solar installed capacity per sq km. Levelized cost of modern, already operating, solar in the best desert locations is about Rs 12 per kWh.
Anil Cabral has sent me a spread-sheet where he estimates that 12,000 GWh of solar powered electricity can be obtained per year from hypothetical 110 sq km of good sites in Lanka. This is 109 GWh per sq km per year and near the top of my Jordanian estimate. He is optimistic (where in Lanka can you get 330 cloud free days?) but let that pass; technology is on his youthful side in that solar panel efficiency is rising year by year. For convenience – an important consideration at my age when the multiplication table gives me goose pimples – let us optimistically compromise on a future 100 GWh per sq km per year. Then to get the 12,000 GWh – equivalent to the proposed Sampur thermal plant – we need 120 sq km of prime land, all plant commissioned, technical complexities sorted out, and electricity squirting into the grid by say 2025. Is this reasonable? If you were the CEB would you stick your neck out for this option? Manic speed-merchants (I do not include Cabral) do not stick out their own necks; no smartasses stick out other people’s necks – “those who should do it”, the CEB, the government, etc. QED, another chapter closed.
Minister Champika Ranawaka’s eruption
Let me digress for a moment. What amazes me is not that the Minister previously in charge of the CEB for five years makes statements that would make the public think the place is a nest of rogues and vermin, especially the engineers. No, what astounds me is that the present minister Ranjit Siambalapitiya is taking it lying down; and not a squeal from the CEB, its Chairman, Board of Directors and A/D/X/Y GMs the place is crawling with; nor a whimper from the usually loud trade unions. (The unions may have made a grovelling statement but have been careful to ensure it gets minimum publicity). If a senior Cabinet Minister calls your corporation a nest of thieves what is the Corporate and Managerial top doing about it? Isn’t silence acceptance of complicity? What is Siambalapitiya doing? Does he agree with his Cabinet colleague; if so what action to root out ‘massive corruption’ is he taking? Does he reject it; then why does he not call a press conference and tell his buddy to shut up and stop splurging through his lower orifice? And finally, what are President and PM doing? If they concur they should send in the riot squad to clean up the CEB; if they dissent, collective responsibility dictates that they rid the Cabinet of a reckless stirrer.
Ranawaka was minister in charge of the CEB for many years. Did crooked engineers sprout out of thin air the moment he left? What did he do when he was there to root out venality? I am not in the political know of what political game he is up to since I don’t hob-knob in high circles, but I repeat, it is not Ranawaka’s ranting, it is the cowardice of the other parties who I named that has got me shaking my head. Speak up, otherwise bend your heads in shame and don’t tell anyone that you graduated from Perdeniya EFac, or for that matter Moratuwa.
My challenge to the evangelicals
There is a challenge that I have thrown but has thus far found no takers. The purpose is not to put down anybody but to force manic renewable-energy evangelicals to be serious on the time-frame issue. The CEB will need about 20,000 GWh (20 TWh or terra-watt hours) in 2020 or thereabouts; fifty percent of this is10 TWh and a quarter 5 TWh. I ask evangelicals who declaim that all, half or a quarter of Lanka’s electricity needs “can easily” be met from renewables within a decade to cough up concrete proposals. Halt your clamour lovely ladies and kind gentleman and get out your data bases and laptops.
I am asking you for a list of projects, concrete proposals, specific and concrete, that the worthies claim can generate 5, 10 or 20 TWh (depending on how manic your optimism) within a decade. No finessing data or evangelical exuberance; let’s have specifics, including:-
Location of projects: Not vacuous “in Hambantota, around Jaffna, floating on Minneriya Tank”.
Technology details: E.g. wind 10×100 kW turbines; solar project outline, etc.
Land needed; proof that land is available, or people to be displaced and forest cover to be felled.
Proper engineering estimates of annual energy production of each project.
Proper and convincing explanation projects can be completed within a decade.
Reasonable proof they can be linked into the grid and integration issues solved.
Estimates of capital costs and comparison with Sampur.
Energy costs per GWh and comparison with Sampur.
If evangelicals can’t make concrete proposals adding up to 5, 10 or 20 TWh to be done within 10 years, they should descend from Mount Sinai and join us mundane folk to work on realistic ways to increase renewable content over time. Realistic 5% solar penetration by about 2025 means about 40 MW distributed in about 10 sq km of sites. In the meantime Sampur is a necessity. And what after the best renewable sites are used up (as already with hydro)? Our visionaries would do well to mull over the longer term as well.
Lal De Mel / May 8, 2016
Considering the fact that Sri Lanka has Natural Gas Fields waiting for commercial exploitation and that CEB has taken a decision to install a 200 Mw LNG power plant in Kerawalapitiya, it is a mistake to consider installing a 500 Mw or a 1000 Mw Coal power plant in Sampur. The better option is to install two 350 Mw LNG power plants in Kerawalapitiya. Gradually, the Kerawalapitiya power plant can be expanded to meet the thermal power requirements of Sri Lanka.
Even without considering the gas deposits, LNG is the better option because it is the most environmentally friendly source of thermal power. In addition the plant cost is about 1/3rd the cost of an equivalent coal power plant and it can be switched on to meet the peak power demand and switched off when not required.
The projections are that wind power will be cheaper than coal power by 2020. With the huge wind power generating capacity available in Sri Lanka, there is a possibility of locating wind power sites in the hills such as Ambewela, in addition to the belt from Mannar to Chilaw and Hambantota, to provide our power requirements throughout the year. Solar power is also rapidly becoming a competitive source of power.
At a time when the Chronic Kidney Disease is becoming a major threat to the people living in vast areas of Sri Lanka, deposits of fly ash with a high content of heavy metals in these CKD prone areas can result in the closure of the Sampur power plant within ten years of commencement of operations. If so, all those responsible for commencing this ill considered coal power plant should be held accountable.
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Abhaya / May 8, 2016
David is right for once , but This is the same david who a few months agos ranted that Noracholai should be closed down for Good !!!!!!!!!!!! .
Did Goliath kick David’s nuts ?
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Fuddy Duddy / May 8, 2016
[Edited out]
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EW Golding / May 8, 2016
I very much appreciate the point of view of renewable energy enthusiasts. But I agree that to be effective they have to make a family of concrete proposals stretching over the next 15 years.
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reality / May 8, 2016
On Coal :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5urakRvTQCw&feature=em-share_video_user
For the concrete proposal see :
EAM-Sri _Lanka-feasibility study, submitted to the PUCSL in 2012 and totally ignored
The specifics that you requested are there, have you not seen it ?
questions :
Who made up the assumptions in the CEB ‘demand scenarios” ? how real are these assumptions ?
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CHANAKYAN / May 8, 2016
Evangelicals
Can you take up Dr, David’s challenge with specifics?
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Armchair Economist / May 8, 2016
We will take it up when he tells us when and how biomass became a “green” technology, and why he has not touched on LNG as a viable option.
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S,Sivathasan / May 8, 2016
Dr. Kumar David
Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency – TEDA – reports this year that as on 31.3. 2016, installed capacity in TN was:
Wind Power 7,597 MW
Solar Power 1,061 MW
These statistics do not challenge KD’s assertion thrown at the Evangelicals. Rather they reinforce the need for potential and time frame specifics.
In 1975, when I served at the Ministry of Irrigation, Power & Highways I was directed to represent the Ministry where an NGO discussed Wind Power. The first area to be discussed was Mannar and the second Hambantota. Of the two options, first choice was the latter.
In the last 40 years what is the achievement? How much time can the country spend in wishful thinking? In assessing potential are not TN and SL comparable?
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Non PhD / May 8, 2016
I thought Asian religions emphasise on harmony with nature and use of produces by nature for daily life.
Buddhist evangelism started in Mt Mhintale and evolved since then.
Sadly the real Buddhism by & large has been transformed into political Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Now that the Ven Sobhita Thero is no more with us, can a new Buddhist evangelism be started by the likes of
Ven. Yatamalagala Sumanasara Thera ?
Sri Lanka is in desperate situation and needs non political Buddhist Clergies to bring change for the better.
First step should be not allow politicians to make use of religious or places of worship for political propaganda to advance their self interests.
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sekara / May 8, 2016
Professor David is justifiably angry about the personal abuse and tirades aimed at him. Yet, there is a more mature way to respond to silly behavior than to resort to calling people names like “donkey” in return.
An intelligent reader can tell between serious comment and frivolous nonsense. What any other thinks is irrelevant as this is not a popularity poll or a beauty contest.
It will be good if Professor David can avoid wilfully provocative language. He has used such language elsewhere to attack people whom he disapproves of.
“Are renewable-energy evangelicals doing themselves a disservice?”
Said once, it could be funny. But by repeatedly calling renewable energy enthusiasts “evangelicals” he is making himself vulnerable to similar attack.
I am, if at all, a renewable energy skeptic because many renewables are themselves not 100% renewable, and involve large non-renewable energy input component. They also have negative environmental impact although less than fossil fuel and are far less risky than nuclear energy.
Today’s leading environmentalists are Marxists who present reasoned argument linking the environmental tragedy with the capitalist notion of ‘development’. There are several highly reputed engineering professionals in the energy sector of Sri Lanka who oppose the Sampur project.
Energy for consumerist development should not be allowed to destroy lives and livelihood.
Marxism is not about destroying human environment for economic ‘development’.
What we see before us is not development but blind, destructive hedonism.
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Upali Wickramasinghe / May 8, 2016
“There are three credible technologies for large-scale green electricity generation in Lanka – solar, biomass and wind”
Dr. David, I may be treding on very sensitive corns.I am not an engineer at all.However I have read that in Greenland grid power is produced using fuel cells.Fuel cells require Hydrogen.
Dr. Charles Weizman who developed the ABE process, specifically used for the purpose of producing Acetone during the War,had as products Butanol, Acetone Ethanol, CO2 and Hydrogen.The using the microbe identified by Weizmann yields were very low 6:3:1. However another US scientist obtained much higher yields 22.31: 6.15:1.54. The microbe used was different This means that the yield of H2 is also higher.
My point is this:Butanol can be used a alternate to petrol.Acetone and Ethanol will add to improve the quality of the fuel and the H2 can be used in a fuel cell.
H2 so produced can be used to generate Electricity as in Greenland or in vehicles with fuel cells.
The uniqueness of the ABE reaction is that any plant based raw material could be used.This country can produce Rice – so why not identify a suitable microbe and go in for the production of Butanol and H2 and get our electricity at Low GHG pollution and price. No fossils be it Petroleum or Natural gas or Coal.
I await your comment to this suggestion
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Berners Lee / May 9, 2016
Dear Professor Kumar David
In defense of Champika, I offer the following:
In the wake of Josef Stalin’s death, Nicolas Khrushchev gave a secret speech denouncing the horrors of Stalin’s reign and his betrayal of the nation. Daniel Schorr picks up the narrative:
It was said that at one point a delegate shouted, “And Nikita Sergeyevich, where were you while all this was happening?” Khrushchev had looked up and snapped, “Who said that? Stand up!” When no one rose, Khrushchev said, “That’s where I was, comrade” (from Daniel Schorr, Stay Tuned (2001), 75-76).
Do you seriously think that you’d be braver?
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Jaliya / May 9, 2016
Dear Editor of CT,
Please publish the below comments for we all love our country. Please do it for the sake of the poor masses. They are killing time and wasting million of poor souls’ money on coal and whatever when there is cheap, clean, affordable and unlimited source of power is available. Solar Power’s benefits to the country and people are in many folds. Please take this massage to the masses.
Thank you.
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Dear Mr. Professor, In mother Lanka, all the energy professionals, experts, CEB, government and private decisions markers and politicians as far as energy is concerned are not in this world, for that matter. living far away in the real way gone dark ages, and don’t know a clue about what’s going on in the real now a day’s energy world. Just NATO, no action talk only.
Before going further to the main subjects, let me highlight few things for all’s information for CEB supposed to be have 1500 engineers and how
smart they are in providing the nation’s energy.
The electrical power being used in the Boston area in the USA is brought in by a single cable of 1500 miles long with 2% power loss, from the hydro
electric dams in Northern Ontario, Canada.
Few years back, one Indian engineer known to me, working for Siemens which had the contract to maintain the substations and supply circuits for Dubai Electricity Company, said they have apart from the main circuit additional three back circuits to maintain constant power supply, if one fails
the other takes over automatically in a blink of an eye. No one notice there is a power failure.
In Sweden, the entire power generation net work of 18 hydroelectric dams are controlled from one central control center manned by only two persons. From these dams, they get cheap energy for more than their needs. This is the reason Facebook has set up their cloud servers there in a 300,000 sq ft facility.
In the US, they are going to double their power supply without adding new capacity by upgrading their grid to smart grid and using energy efficient
bulbs, appliances and equipment and machinery.
Gas is cheap, plenty and current world’s reserve would last for hundreds of years, particularly in the US, their is a glut and prices are historically lowest. To take advantage of this, they are converting their entire fleet of municipality trucks, passenger and good transportation vehicles , even converting coal power plants to gas. Also they are converting gas import facilities to export to Asia – China, Japan, Korea and India.
In Morocco, they and the Saudi’s are setting up a solar plant the size of three hundred soccer fields. There intention, first to them, next with several other plants to supply to Europe with under water cables through the Mediterranean.
In India, in Gujarat, Mr. Modi is building a solar plant the size of Manhattan Island.
Now to the subject. Solar going to be the king of energy. It’s going to push oil, coal and nuclear energy to the dust bin. It’s cheap and plenty. Only
one time investment to set it up with regular maintenance, and solar energy is free and clean unlike oil, coal and nuclear.
Thanks to a stunning breakthrough in chemical engineering…These tiny sand granules have unlocked an unlimited supply of fuel…Enough fuel, in fact, to power the ENTIRE PLANET for over 36,000 years. And the cost of this fuel is absolutely zero. It’s free.
The incredible thing is, this is a “universal fuel.” It can be used for everything…It can power your car…Light and heat your home…Run factories…Propel cruise ships…t can even power the ENTIRE U.S. electrical grid…According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), this fuel could soon become the #1 source of energy on the planet… surpassing oil, gas, and coal power. USA Today says this fuel is “sizzling hot”…And Forbes magazine simply calls the opportunity “massive”..Jon Wellinghoff, one of the world’s top energy experts and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), says the use of this fuel is…
“…growing so fast it’s going to overtake everything… It could double every two years.” – Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
This fuel is so cheap – and so easily accessible – that Fortune 500 companies are rushing to set up their own “power companies.”Google, for example, is investing $300 million to do it…Apple is investing nearly $1 billion! Everywhere you look, America’s biggest companies are going all in… including: Facebook, Amazon, AT&T, General Motors, Costco, Target, Cisco, FedEx, KaiserPermanente, Johnson & Johnson.And many more Fortune 500 companies are pouring money into this fuel at an almost unfathomable pace.
Why?
Because it’s suddenly become so cheap, companies can invest millions UP FRONT, and still come out way ahead of the utility companies. In fact, Walmart’s investment in this fuel is so enormous – and so cost-effective – the giant global retailer is projected to SAVE as much as $1 billion annually on energy costs. And that’s just the beginning…This free fuel can be “harvested” in most parts of the world… in huge quantities… and WITHOUT drilling, mining, or growing grain for ethanol or any other crazy biofuel. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, this fuel is so plentiful and powerful that in one single week it can produce 1,000 times more energy than oil, natural gas, and coal do in a full year – combined!
And the man behind this breakthrough?
He’s one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century… responsible for the television, remote control, garage-door opener, laser, DVD…Yet it’s this discovery that will go down as THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT contribution to mankind ever. A new energy hierarchy has emerged, and this new fuel is the undisputed King of the Realm.., and it’s solar. The incredible thing is, the science behind this free fuel is NOT new. Physicists have known about unlimited free fuel for over 100 years.
The problem is, they just couldn’t get it beyond the laboratory. Until now. Revolutionary breakthroughs have cut the cost of harvesting this fuel by over 99%…And suddenly, this fuel is so cheap that major U.S. utility companies – including the nation’s largest power company, PG&E – are desperately lobbying Congress trying to stamp it out before it decimates their fat profits. But that’s not going to happen. At this moment, an unprecedented alliance of billionaire investors…World governments…And giant corporations…Are pushing this fuel into the mainstream at breakneck speed.
The U.S. Department of Defense – the largest energy consumer in the world – committed $7 billion in one day alone to put this fuel to use…Showing it’s VITAL to America’s national security and energy independence. China is already using this fuel to replace oil, gas, and coal at a frenetic pace. India is expanding its use of this fuel by 3,300% and building a new “fuel-ready” power plant the size of Manhattan! And even Saudi Arabia – a country with enough cheap oil to last for 100 years – is investing a staggering $109 billion to commercialize this new energy.This fuel is so cheap… so abundant… and so easy to access… that the Saudi oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, says the country could COMPLETELY STOP using oil and gas.The reason is simple. This Fuel Makes Oil Obsolete!
No matter where you look, no matter which expert you ask, the consensus today is the same.This fuel’s TOTAL DOMINANCE of the global energy markets is inevitable…In the coming months and years, this MASSIVE INVESTMENT is going to completely reshape the world energy structure. It’s also going to create unprecedented wealth…Right now, this fuel is just a tiny niche sector, worth about $60 billion. It accounts for less than 1% of the global energy market. It’s less than one-fifth the size of Exxon.But that’s all about to change…Based on projections by the International Energy Agency, we calculate that $48 trillion could potentially pour into this niche in the coming years.That’s a growth rate of 80,000%.
You see, at the center of this energy revolution sits one tiny company that’s about to go from virtual obscurity to household name. Their revolutionary technology has completely transformed the way this fuel is harvested. At the same time, they have over 130 patents protecting their market share. To say this company is in the driver’s seat would be an understatement of epic proportions. At this moment, every major energy player on the planet is banging on their door looking for cheap energy. Their client roster is a “who’s who” of global energy players, and they are poised for a global rollout of unprecedented proportions In short, the upside is staggering…Remember, Google, Walmart, Facebook, Apple, and the U.S. Department of Defense are making massive investments into solar. And with 130 patents, this company is in the driver’s seat.
Already, cities, companies, and countries from around the globe – the biggest energy consumers on the planet – are rushing to harness this company’s innovative technology. In fact, demand for their patented technology is so off-the-charts extraordinary, they’ve set up offices around the world to handle the overflow. I’m talking about China… India… Brazil… Mexico… Japan… the United Kingdom… Germany… and even Saudi Arabia.
Right now we are in the midst of a global transformation that would have been unimaginable just a few months ago. Thanks to a remarkable technological breakthrough, a powerful fuel is transforming the global energy markets…And changing the world in the process. This amazing fuel is not only abundant and limitless… it’s now dirt cheap. And oftentimes…It’s cheaper than natural gas…It’s cheaper than coal…It’s cheaper than oil…More importantly, the supply of this fuel is virtually infinite, vast enough to power the ENTIRE GLOBE for the next 36,000 years. As I mentioned, this fuel, in its raw form, is not new. The initial discovery that turns it into energy was made over 100 years ago. But because harvesting costs were astronomical, it has never been a viable alternative to oil, gas, coal, or nuclear power. Until now…Stunning developments have cut costs by over 99%…And positioned this fuel as the new King of the Energy World.
.
Every single one of them is transitioning out of oil, gas, and coal… and into this limitless free energy.
Until a few months ago, this would have been unthinkable. And yet it’s happening. Right now. FAST! There’s just no turning back. Industry experts – including the IEA and the U.S. Department of Energy – project that in the coming years…
This fuel will stand as the #1 source of energy on the planet… Bigger than natural gas. Bigger than coal. Bigger than oil. Based on IEA projections, we believe this brand new sector could see 80,000% growth in the coming years. At the center of this massive, unprecedented expansion… sits one tiny company with patented technology to make it all happen. Already, this company has locked down deals with the biggest energy users on the planet. And surging demand has prompted them to set up offices around the globe in places like China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and even Saudi Arabia simply to handle the overflow!
The Greatest Thinker of the 20th Century!
He’s the most accomplished scientific genius in the history of the world…
Like I mentioned, he is responsible for the TV and everything from remote controls to DVDs. But this achievement will go down as his greatest ever. Not only does it solve the world’s energy problems, but also it could save the planet itself. I’m talking about Albert Einstein, Time magazine’s “Person of the 20th Century”…Now, when most folks think of Einstein, they think of his Theory of Relativity…
Or his groundbreaking formula: E=mc2…
Or his Quantum Light Theory, which led to the TV, remote controls, CDs, and lasers.
However, his GREATEST CONTRIBUTION to mankind is just now coming to light.
You see, back in 1905 – over 110 years ago – Einstein discovered an infinite supply of free fuel…With the proven capacity to power the entire globe for the next 36,000 years.
At first, there were plenty of skeptics…And the greatest minds in the world – scientists, PhDs, esteemed scholars – descended on Einstein’s discovery, trying to poke holes in it from every angle. When all was said and done, all the experts came to the same conclusion: Einstein was right. Zipping through the air, all around us, exist trillions upon trillions of energy particles. These particles are tiny, too small for the human eye to see individually. And each and every particle, in and of itself, is pretty meaningless. We walk, eat, sleep, and breathe in a world of energy surrounding us at all times. We are literally swimming in the stuff without even noticing! But when you “harvest” those trillions upon trillions of energy particles – capture and direct them in a concentrated way…Well, you’ve got the most massive energy source in the universe. The incredible thing is, the energy is PERPETUAL! In other words, it’s constantly REGENERATING all around us, replacing itself over and over again, second after second, every minute of every day. And the power is beyond comprehension.
More Powerful than 20 Billion Hydrogen Bombs! If you capture just one second’s worth of this energy and concentrate it, it’s more powerful than 20 billion hydrogen bombs going off.
As you can imagine, the scientific community was in complete awe of Einstein’s discovery. In fact, it was for this discovery – not the Theory of Relativity – that Einstein won the Nobel Prize. And rightfully so. Einstein had cracked the biggest problem facing modern society: an inexhaustible supply of energy – more power than the world would ever need. The great part is, this fuel is ABSOLUTELY FREE, available to anyone with the means to harvest it.
And even better, it’s in INFINITE SUPPLY. Unlike oil, gas, coal, or even uranium, this perpetual energy will never run out. As you’ll see in a moment, we could harvest enough of this fuel in just three years’ time to power the entire world for over 36,000 years.
A 36,000-Year Supply of Clean, Cheap Energy! So, where does this perpetual energy come from? Simple. It originates from our closest star.. the Sun.
That’s right…The energy particles I’m talking about make their way from the sun’s core and travel at the speed of light to the Earth’s atmosphere.
Trillions upon trillions of these energy particles make their way into the Earth’s atmosphere every second of every day. And they will continue to do so as long as the sun exists. Now, am I talking about solar energy? Are these energy particles the basis for what we call solar power? Well, yes and no…Technically speaking, this perpetual energy comes from the infinite power of the Sun. But this NEW GENERATION is completely different from what most folks imagine when they think of traditional solar power. I don’t know about you, but when I think of solar power, I think of expensive, cumbersome panels plastered all over my neighbor’s roof. And I think of liberals taxing me into oblivion so they can make everybody “green.”Rest assured, today’s new solar power has changed so much, it’s virtually UNRECOGNIZABLE. I’ll share some of these startling innovations in a moment. But first, let’s take a look at why solar power has taken 100 years to hit the mainstream.
100 Years in the Making.
The potential of solar was obvious from the start. Thomas Edison, a genius in his own right, was so convinced by the limitless source of fuel from the sun that he said: “I’d put my money on that. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to run out of oil and coal before we tackle this.”
– Thomas Edison
The U.S. Department of Energy states that 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth every second. That’s 10,000 times the world’s total energy consumption.That means enough sunlight hits the Earth every 40 minutes to power the ENTIRE WORLD for a full year. In other words, enough sunlight hits the Earth in every single month to power the world for 1,000 years. In three years’ time – 36 months – we could capture enough energy to power the world for 36,000 years. There was only one problem…Back in 1905, no one – not even Albert Einstein – had the technology to harness this infinite power. Consequently, for decades the world continued to burn oil, gas, and coal as trillions upon trillions of energy particles floated all around us, just out of reach.
Harnessing the Sun’s Infinite Power.
Finally, in 1954, a solution. Scientists working for Bell Labs created a new way to capture these energy particles and turn them into usable energy. The way it works was a level of genius that would have made Einstein proud. The scientists fashioned a “solar cell” with metal conductors on the surface.When sunlight hits these conductors, energy particles are absorbed. And here’s where the magic happens. As the sun’s energy particles are absorbed, they knock the solar cell’s existing electrons loose. Because the solar cell is made of conductors, it is able to herd these electrons into a current and funnel it to an external device, such as a lightbulb.Creating the world’s first infinite source of electricity.
The New York Times stated that this new discovery was:
“The beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of harnessing the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization.”
Problem was, it was still so costly that it didn’t offer a viable alternative to oil, gas, or coal. Over the years, improvements were made. But still, harvesting energy from our nearest star was much more expensive than fossil fuels – roughly 110 times the cost of oil, gas, and coal. It worked fine for your handheld calculator, but it would never heat your home. Until now…
Remarkable advancements in chemical engineering have cut costs by a stunning, mind-blowing 99%! Suddenly, sun power has – in many cases – become the CHEAPEST form of energy on the planet! Cheaper than coal.Cheaper than natural gas. And cheaper than oil. In fact, you could cut the cost of oil in half, over and over again, all the way down to $1 per barrel, and solar would still look cheap! You want a strong, thriving economy? You want American workers to keep more of what they earn, and put less in the pockets of the greedy utility monopolies?
Well, this is the Holy Grail!
Consequently, solar is growing leaps and bounds. Solar capacity has jumped 20-fold in the U.S. alone. That’s a 2,000% increase! In addition, the industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. And while cloudy days were a problem in the past, one new technology is so effective it can collect solar power at NIGHT… while there is NO SUN! With new storage capabilities, it doesn’t take long to collect an inexhaustible supply of power. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 10,000 times the world’s total energy use is generated every second by the sun…Every 40 minutes, enough energy-filled sunlight hits the Earth to power the entire world for one full year. And the cost? That’s the best part. You see, the sun’s power isn’t just cheap… it’s free. Sure, there’s an upfront cost for the technology. But once you’re set up, the fuel itself is FREE. It would be like owning a car, and being able to pull up to the pump and fill up for free… every time! Let’s say oil drops… from $50 to $25 to $12 to $6 to $3 to $1.That isn’t going to happen. But even if it did, sun power would still be cheaper.Let me repeat myself:
The Sunlight is Free!
The only reason sun power hasn’t gone mainstream before is the technology necessary to harness solar energy has been too expensive.But suddenly the technology’s cost has plunged over 99% and is going lower every day.
As you can see, the cost of solar technology has plummeted from over $76 per watt to about 5 cents per watt in some cases. That’s almost inconceivable. It’s a staggering 99.94% reduction in cost…And the impact is revolutionary. Suddenly solar is now cheaper than oil, natural gas, coal, and even nuclear power in many areas. NEVER BEFORE in the history of the world has one single form of energy had the potential to completely capture the entire global market.That is EXACTLY the potential with solar…
Total 100% Global Domination!
Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), puts it this way…Sun power is “going to overtake everything… it could double every two years”…He’s not the only expert who thinks so…According to Ray Kurzweil, a New York Times best-selling author and Google’s Director of Engineering, solar has doubled every two years for the last 20 years. At this rate, solar is less than 16 years away from meeting 100% of the world’s energy needs. And Kurzweil believes that’s exactly what’s about to happen: The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that solar will soon be the #1 source of energy on the planet, pushing oil, gas, and coal to the side. A distinguished fellow at Stanford University and Director of Research at Duke University’s School for Engineering, compares solar’s rise to the proliferation of mobile phones. “Within 15 years,” he says, “100% of the Earth’s energy needs will be met by solar.”
And it could happen even sooner..A.comprehensive, 334-page MIT study indicates that there are already enough solar panels to power 100% of the world in coming years.Think about that…Right now, solar accounts for less than 1% of the global energy market. An expansion to 100% in the next 16 years is on a scale we’ve never seen before. And with global energy demand expected to DOUBLE during the same timeframe, we are looking at EXPONENTIAL GROWTH that’s hard to comprehend.
And yet solar could DWARF anything that’s come before it… And it’s just starting… with the biggest energy players on the planet making gargantuan shifts away from fossil fuels and into solar.The U.S. Department of Defense. Saudi Arabia. India. China. Google.Walmart.Facebook.Amazon. Apple.GM. Cisco.
This fact has not been lost on the world’s smartest investors. In fact, billionaires are now rushing in with full force. For example, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the world’s richest man – the man who once called solar “cute” – has done a complete 180-degree turnaround and is investing BILLIONS into next-generation energy technologies like solar. Warren Buffett has already invested as much as $15 billion in solar and wind power and is set to double down.“There’s another $15 billion ready to go,” says Buffett. Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son and his partners plan to invest $20 billion on solar projects in India. Russia’s richest man, oil oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, has shifted away from his oil roots to invest a massive stake in Russia’s solar development near Siberia and Kazakhsatan.
Smart Solar Cells
As I mentioned, solar cells have always been big, bulky, and INEFFICIENT. In other words, they don’t capture much sunlight. And of the sunlight they do capture, only a SMALL PERCENTAGE is converted into usable energy.Consequently, the cost of solar power has been extremely high, as much as $76 per KWH. The company I’m recommending today has taken solar cells to a whole new level… helping bring the cost of solar power down by a stunning 99%. And the way it works is amazing. In fact, their patented technology turns grains of sand, right off the beach, into highly efficient, wafer-thin solar cells that deliver dirt-cheap energy. That’s right. Sand contains tiny particles of a bluish metalloid called “Si.”
Research physicists have determined that Si contains 14 electrons, arranged in four different shells. This is a very unique molecular structure. In fact, Si is completely different than any other element in the entire universe, and IDEAL for converting sunlight into solar energy. You see, Si is able to SHARE its four outer-shell electrons with other atoms.The sharing phenomenon creates a chain-reaction that CONVERTS sunlight into usable energy. It’s a complicated process, and this company has taken it to a whole new level. You see, in its raw form, Si is full of impurities…These impurities inhibit the conversion process, making for expensive energy, once as high as $76 per KWH.
That’s what makes this company’s patented technology such a remarkable breakthrough. First, raw Si is melted in a mono-crystalline electric furnace.
During the melting process, a stream of Argon is pumped into the furnace to remove impurities and inhibit oxidation.The molten Si is then cast into square blocks and cooled. The blocks are then sliced into wafer-thin slices of pure Si…
The technology is scientific genius and creates highly purified Si, ready to convert sunlight into ready-to-use power. In fact, this tiny company’s patented solar cells set a NEW WORLD RECORD for power output.
Incredible… and the big thing: the cost…Again, traditional solar cells delivered energy at a cost of $76 per KWH. This company’s technology is so efficient, and creates such pure Si, they are supplying a utility company with solar at 5 cents per KWH. That’s right. This company’s technology is so significant that utility companies are throwing in the towel and buying solar power! Let me repeat that:
This company is supplying solar at 5 cents per KWH!
No wonder every major player in the world is lining up to do business with this company. No wonder surging demand is so extraordinary they’ve had to set up offices around the world in places like China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and even Saudi Arabia just to handle the overflow! No wonder people everywhere are pouring billions into this tiny company! Can you blame them? This company is moving fast, and the client roster using their technology will stop you in your tracks. Like when Southern California Edison and PG&E, the nation’s two largest utility companies, signed a deal to convert California’s power grid into solar. Think about that. The utility industry has lobbied Congress to STOP SOLAR. But this company’s technology is so extraordinary, the biggest utility companies in the U.S. are throwing in the towel. And it makes perfect sense. If you’re a government or a company desperately trying to secure energy security, now and in the future, where are you going to invest? Are you going to invest in fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal? Remember, these are deadly, expensive, and difficult to transport. Or will you bet on this company, and their ability to deliver a clean, endless supply of CHEAP ENERGY… for as low as 5 cents per KWH. It’s a no-brainer! Listen: The Department of Defense just invested $7 billion in a single day in solar. Think about that ..The US DoD is the world’s largest energy player. It’s going to spend billions upon billions going forward. And that includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. In addition, the U.S. Government – including the Department of Energy – is rushing into solar so fast it’s hard to keep track.
The private sector is going all in as well. Staples.Whole Foods. Walmart – the largest corporate user of solar in the country – has signed a deal for solar facilities across the nation. At the same time, Google is investing $157 million in a utility-scale solar project driven by proprietary technology from the tiny company I’ve been telling you about… and their growth is not exclusive to the United States…In China, this tiny company has landed solar contracts with China’s national power grid, as well as Southern Power Grid Synthesis Energy, a subsidiary of China Southern Power, one of the nation’s largest state-owned utility companies.In energy-starved India, where the country is building a solar facility the size of Manhattan, this tiny company signed monstrous supply deals for a combined total of over 46 MW of solar power. In Africa, where Senegalese-American recording artist Akon – a five-time Grammy nominee – has pledged to bring sun power to 600 million people…This tiny company has already landed a deal for 300 MW worth of solar projects in South Africa alone.
New Wonder and Smart Battery For storage of Solar Power
This company has developed a way to store the endless power of the sun – anytime, anywhere – to be used on cloudy days and even at night! It’s the company that made solar available at night… and sold out in a week!
I’m talking about solar batteries…Sleek, wall-mounted batteries with massive capacity. Powerful enough to store 10,000 watt-hours of electricity. The ramifications of this are rattling the industry. You see, until now, folks using solar had to stay plugged into the local utility company in order to maintain power at night or on rainy days. Not anymore…Now you can capture energy while the sun is shining, and then store it for use during the evenings or when the weather gets rough.This new technology could ELIMINATE the need for utility companies, allowing individuals and corporations to go completely “off-the-grid.” Think of it…No more utility bills.No more power outages.No more meter readers…
In essence, this gives consumers the key to the kingdom: their very own power company! The great part is, because of the sun’s infinite power, folks who set up a solar battery can harness MORE energy than they need. That means they can sell their excess energy for a profit, and still have enough left over to use 24 hours a day. The Washington Post calls this company’s battery the “coming revolution in energy storage.”Remember: The solar market is tiny, only 1% of the global energy market. With billions of people on the planet moving into solar, you can bet every single one of them is going to want a battery.
And with 750 patents, this company is positioned to dominate the market before the rest of the industry even realizes what’s happening.
When the company rolled out its new batteries, they expected a positive response. But what happened is nothing short of stunning.
“This company’s solar battery grabbed $800 million in its first week.”
– Bloomberg
Orders were flowing in so fast, they couldn’t keep up. In fact, they completely sold out in a matter of days! “We’re basically sold out through the middle of next year – in a week!”
– said the company’s president
Nighttime Solar! An Israeli firm says it has developed a way to keep solar plants running at full capacity, 24/7, day and night! This is a breakthrough that could revolutionize the solar industry.
Reverse Solar! Imagine capturing “reverse sunlight” as it bounces OFF the earth and returns to space. This could double the effectiveness of solar.
Liquid Solar! Harvard’s done it again. This time, they’ve found a way to turn sunlight into liquid fuel. Sunlight-in-a-jug could be coming soon.
Solar Paint! Imagine slapping a new coat of paint on your house, and turning your home into a mini-power company. Now imagine turning that dream into a reality for your car! That means no stops at the gas station because the fuel source is literally painted onto your vehicle.
Ultra-thin and flexible solar cells! A U.S. patent has been awarded for a solar cell that is 100 times thinner than a piece of paper. Amazing. The solar cells are incredibly flexible and lightweight, making for endless applications in both the military and commercial sector.
Solar Roads! That’s right. No need for fuel. Your car could one day run on the power generated by the road itself! Folks are bound to get wealthy once America’s highway system produces extraordinary power.
My dear Professor, the above is a small glimpse of the Solar Revolution. All are from the experts. They are real verifiable facts and no fiction at all. We should put away all our differences for the sake of our country and it’s poor folks. We should move vigorously on this path of the Solar Power, instead of killing time and wasting millions of poor people’s money. Now, only cheap, reliable, good and unlimited source of power is the King Solar. I’m aware that you are in one energy committee of the government, and in their eat shots. Please, kindly take this message to them.
Ask them to set up hard hitting and high powered organization with dynamic and capable persons to take forward this Solar Revolution. If this taken well forward it could change people’s life in many ways and change the face of the
entire nation.
Ask them to wave off duties on solar cells and equipment. Provide incentives and assistance to home owners and businesses going solar. Also to the solar entrepreneurs. This could saves huge in foreign exchange and create massive
employment opportunities on a scale never heard in the history of the country.
All these revolutionary solar companies with their cutting edge products are from the USA. Our government could get all the assistance from the US government to tap the resources of these companies to move ahead with this Solar Drive for the good of all.
Than you.
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Old Codger / May 9, 2016
In my humble opinion, everybody is trying to climb the wrong tree. Why is it necessary to consume more and more energy?
Where does it go? Is it not mostly to run millions of electric fans and air conditioners? Air conditioners are needed because our newfangled buildings are uninhabitable without them. Why not make it compulsory to design buildings so that they use natural ventilation as in the past? Forget aesthetics.
If solar power ever becomes competitive, the people who benefit will be the ones with plenty of empty desert space for solar panels, aka the Saudis. Indeed, Allah is merciful!!
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Jaliya / May 10, 2016
Man..Man.. Old Codger, it’s hard to comprehend what kind of human beings all of you are? Nothing good is going to sink into your’s thick skulls. Even, all of you wouldn’t deserve to live in Africa for it’s a better place one to live. All of you should live in the caves in the thick jungles.
Man.. it’s owning to people like you this country and it’s poor souls are in this sorry pathetic plight.
It’s not worth spending time to replying to you but I’m doing it to put some sense to all of them like you else all would suffer.
Man… even with cheap and unlimited oil, Saudis want to go solar for it would make their life better. Due to global warming, now everywhere it’s hot and warm, no amount of keeping windows and doors open and natural ventilation would cool buildings. Energy is not only required for fans and a/c but for every thing for lightening homes, work places and hospitals, transport, farming, etc. These are not luxuries but plain basic needs of human kind.
Man… if no sooner better means of energy is found, life of the people in that country would go to worst and not better at all.
Do you know more than 2/3rd of the nation’s foreign exchange and the income is spent on import of fuel – that’s energy, and hardly left any money for better things like food, health, education, good road and all other facilities required for people’s good life.
Man .. for Solar you spend one time to set it up with little spend for regular
maintenance, that’s it, and there after the fuel is free for fever. Think about it, the savings of foreign and money which could be put to better use. When more foreign exchange stays back in the country, the currency rate become stable, that would make the cost of living flat and put more money into the people’s pockets, and they could use it for good living.
Man …. At the present Solar energy is cheaper than everything else. We could put up solar cells on top of all the buildings. Also present day Solar technology works 24/7, rain or shine, even in the night. Solar ernergy, it could be used for lightening, cooking, charging the vehicles’ batteries etc. All others are dirty and poisonous and make people sick but Solar clean and good.
Hope, that make some sense to you.
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Jaliya / May 10, 2016
Hey Old Codger, look at what’s below.Man..Solar energy is life saving, got it!
Life-Saving Solar Water!
If you follow the news, you know a severe water shortage is currently plaguing California. What you may not know is that 750 million people around the world lack access to clean water.In fact, 840,000 people die each year from a lack of clean water. Fortunately, incredible technological developments are now turning the sun into our greatest ally against deadly droughts. In fact, solar power is now being used to turn salty, undrinkable ocean water into fresh, drinkable water that saves millions of lives. As the global population grows, and fresh drinking water becomes harder to come by, this new trend is going to be huge, creating fortunes along the way. Billions are being invested, everywhere from the United States to Australia to the Middle East. Make no mistake: The money to make from life-saving solar water is exceptional.
Here, in California 40% household gone Solar, and same almost over the country. Most of them get checks – money – instead of bills from the power companies for their excess power.
Here, all are in this band wagon, all kinds of financiers, banks, vendors, contractors etc. All are in a mighty hurry to make millions in this mad gold rush. In this, one Indian venture capitalist became a billionaire. His company pioneered a novel concept to finance solar. It works like this. You sign up with his company and they install solar in your household at their cost, total power is free for you, but they get their money from the power company for the excess power supplied to them. Now, so many are doing same and earning big money. Ha..Old Codger, ha..nice and good man. See Solar is doing wonders for the man kind.
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