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太陽能
1999年４月，當時的南非總統尼爾森•曼德拉，在東角省發起一項大型的鄉村電氣化專案。該發電站專案由Eskom公司和殼牌再生能源公司合資進行，為5萬個鄉村社區內的50萬個家庭架設太陽能電池板，但不要求他們購買或保留太陽能設備。對許多鄉村居民來說，沒有補助金就負擔不起這些設備，因此兩家公司只要求居民支付150蘭特的系統安裝費，以及每月47蘭特的光電電池使用和維修保養費。地方資產的零售商店，將負責系統的安裝和維修。這個系統並且設計了防盜功能。
在美國和其他地方，有些電力公司已經建立起「淨計量」系統，使已安裝太陽能裝置、並與供電電網相連接的戶主，能夠將太陽能回饋輸入輸電網。運作的過程是，在輸入各家太陽能裝置產生的電力時，電錶會倒轉，從而減少該家庭的電費帳單金額。到了月底，如果消費者耗用的電比太陽能設備所發的電多，他們就只需付給差額給電力公司；但若他們用太陽能設備發的電比用掉的電多，電力公司就必須給該用戶這個差價的金額。如此一來就不必安裝專門的計量設備。「淨計量」系統可以鼓勵人們安裝太陽能系統，因為戶主們即使不在家使用自家設備生產的電力，他們也同樣能夠獲利。目前，美國已有20 多個州建立起這樣的專案。
更大規模的太陽能發電系統可以用來取代電力公司過時的、或污染嚴重的發電廠。太陽熱能系統使用透鏡和反射鏡，集中太陽的能量從而產生熱能。由於熱能可以被儲存，因此這些工廠可以24小時提供電力。太陽能發發電廠的模型已經得到發展，現在已經可以大規模發電。在美國，ReCast專案正在努力創建「太陽能企業區」，到世界各地去鼓勵發展這種技術。負責執行專案的團體聲稱，到2003年底前，這些發電廠可以生產7億瓦特的電力；到2010年，則可以生產50億瓦特的電力。隨著這項技術的應用日益廣泛，價格將會下降。而南非和納米比亞已經開始開發太陽熱能。
附註：一個功率為一千瓦的光電電池系統可以有下列影響：
▲停止開採150磅的煤炭
▲防止300磅二氧化碳進入大氣
▲每月節省398公升的水！國際太陽能組織 提供
【文章連載】
■新能源的產生 (上) (下)
版權歸屬 國際河網IRN，環境資訊協會（陶俊、李傑 譯，吳國玢、李瑞玉 審校）
中英對照全文：http://e-info.org.tw/issue/water/2001/is-water-irn01110501.htm |
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Solar
In April 1999, then-President Nelson Mandela launched a huge rural-electrification programme in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The Powerhouse programme, a joint venture between Eskom and Shell Renewables, will bring solar panels to 500,000 homes in 50,000 rural communities. Households will not be required to purchase or maintain solar equipment, which can be unaffordable to many rural dwellers without subsidies, but instead will pay R150 to have the system installed and R47 a month for the use and maintenance of the PV. Locally owned outlets will cover installation and maintenance of the systems. The system was designed to prevent theft.
In the US and elsewhere, some utilities have set up "net metering" systems, which allow grid-connected homeowners who have installed solar systems to feed solar energy back into the grid system. Feeding in their own solar power makes the homeowner's electricity meter run backwards, thereby reducing the house-hold's energy bill accordingly. At the end of the month, if the consumer has used more energy than their solar system generated, they owe the utility the difference; if they generated more electricity than they used, the utility owes them. No special metering equipment is required. This system encourages the installation of solar systems because homeowners get advantages even if they are not home to use the power they are generating. Currently, 20 states in the United States have such
programmes.
Larger scale solar power systems can be used to replace a utility's outdated or highly polluting energy plants. Solar thermal systems generate heat by using lenses and reflectors to concentrate the sun's energy. Because the heat can be stored, these plants can provide power around the clock. Prototypes have been developed that can provide large-scale power generation. A US programme, ReCast, is working to create "Solar enterprise zones" to encourage this kind of technology around the world. The group says that these plants should be producing 700 megawatts by the year 2003, and 5,000 MW by 2010. As the volume in this technology increases, prices will go down. Solar thermal is already being explored in South Africa and Namibia.
A one-kilowatt PV system:
▲prevents 150 lbs. of coal from being mined,
▲prevents 300 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere,
▲keeps 398 litres of water from being consumed each month!
by SOLAR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL
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