A Brighter Future For Australian Solar Power From June 22

 

The dark days for solar power in Australia will officially end on June 22 according to renewable energy company Energy Matters.
  
What makes them so sure and what are these dark days anyway - isn't solar power a booming industry in the country; particularly since the launch of the new Solar Credits Scheme? 

Yes it is, but June 21 marks Winter Solstice in Australia for 2009 - the shortest day and longest night of the year. From that point on, days in Australia will start getting longer.
  
Here's how long the shortest day will be in various capitals throughout the country on Winter Solstice June 21
  
Adelaide: 9h 48m 18s
Canberra: 9h 46m 22s
Sydney: 9h 53m 36s
Darwin: 11h 23m 33s
Brisbane: 10h 24m 14s
Hobart: 9h 00m 46s
Melbourne: 9h 32m 29s
Perth: 10h 03m 21s
 
From June 22 onwards, solar power system owners will rejoice in the steadily increasing amount of daylight available to their solar panels.
 
A minute or two of extra sunlight might not seem like such a big deal, but just 2 minutes of sunlight on a 1.5kW solar power system translates to 50Wh of electricity production - enough to power a laptop for nearly an hour, or a compact fluorescent light for up to 10 hours.
  
While most people pay little attention to weather and astronomical conditions, for solar power system owners it can become a real hobby and point of conversation as natural phenomena play a major role in how much a system produces. A conversation between two system owners can be like listening to an exchange between meteorologists or astronomers at times!
 

Renewable Energy Jobs Boom In Europe

 

A new study by the WWF has revealed that of the 130 million people employed in the European Union altogether, in excess of 3.4 million European jobs are directly related to renewable energy, sustainable transport and energy efficiency related goods and services - far more than the 2.8 million jobs in polluting industries.
   
Indirect jobs related to the green collar sector are estimated at approximately another 5 million.
   
Close to 400,000 people are employed specifically in renewable energy activities, such as the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of wind turbines and solar panels.
   
The leading European countries for wind power are Germany, Spain and Denmark. For solar power jobs, Germany and Spain are the front runners. Germany and Spain have or had generous gross feed in tariff programs that were major contributors to the solar power boom in both countries.
   
Germany, which experiences far less sunlight than countries such as Australia, is light years ahead in solar power uptake. Germany commands close to half the global installations market and is also a leading producer of solar cells.
  
Even with the current global financial crisis taking a toll, the report says all European countries are showing significant growth in green collar industries, with particular focus on wind power, solar photovoltaic, bioenergy, public transport and building sectors.
  
European wind industry employment has the potential to reach 329,000 jobs in 2020 says the report, and 377,000 in 2030. Under fairly conservative assumptions, Europe’s solar panel related workforce is expected to expand strongly 1.4 million.
   
Download the full report: Low Carbon Jobs for Europe: Current opportunities and future prospects (PDF)
  

News for Tuesday 16 June, 2009

 

• Queensland Electricity Prices Will Make Solar More Attractive
  


• Solar Powered Drone - The Silent Sentinel
  

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