Despite the fact that the Ukrainian Constitution declared Ukraine to be a unitary state, the country has an autonomous region to the south. This autonomous region is Crimea. The Crimea peninsula is very different in both economic and political terms when compared to the other regions in Ukraine. But the Crimean power industry and its problems closely resemble many countries that soon regretted their hasty decisions on shutting down nuclear generation projects.

The local electricity output in Crimea accounts for less than ten percent of the total electricity generation, and the peninsula could not possibly satisfy its own demand for power. Crimea receives electricity generated by the Ukrainian mainland power stations, transmitted along four lines to the region. These transmission lines are:

• 330 kV Melitopol - Simferopol. – Major line that provides about 350-450 MW and covers up to forty percent of autumn-winter peak power demand in Crimea

• 330 kV Kakhovka - Krasnoperekopsk -Dzhankoi.

• 330 kV Kakhovka - Dzhankoi.

• 220 kV Kakhovka - Ostrovskoye.

Their total transmission capacity is limited to less than 1.3 GW, whereas the maximum demand for electrical power in Crimea was about 1.5 GW in 1993.

As can be seen, the first-mentioned line is overloaded and the next three pass through Kakhovka. The Kakhovka lines from time to time face threat of flooding from water storage formerly intended for servicing the Crimean Soda Plant. In some cases, the transmission poles are only 40-50 meters from the affected areas. The poles have been in service for periods ranging between 20 and 40 years, and are said to have very low margins of safety. Should anything happen to any single pole, then Crimea would suffer a severe electricity shortage.

When it was part of the former USSR, Crimea tried to solve the energy supply problem through implementation of the Energy City Project in Scholkino, where three power plants (nuclear, wind and solar) were planned. More than a quarter of century has passed since construction of the nuclear power plant commenced (1976), and eighteen years since construction was terminated in 1989. The former USSR government invested about 550 mln. rubles or more in the project, i.e. around US$600 in prices of 1980/84. The 4GW project, as in many countries, fell victim to environmental concerns. Many nuclear power experts said that this plant would be able to allow Crimea to develop its power industry, and that the water moderated reactors in rigid housings posed no serious threat to the environment.

However, the nuclear power plant was put up for sale, and Crimea entered a lingering period of electricity deficit. Many Crimeans suffered a fall in the standard of living not only because of dissolution of the Soviet Union, but also because of continuous energy deficit.

Environmentalists fought for the alternative solar and wind plants. The solar power plant at Scholkino first generated electricity in September 1985, but was shut down forever in September 1994. Its mirrors are now almost incapable of reflecting light. During its nine years of operation, the solar plant generated 2GWh of electricity, although the project was supposed to ensure an annual output of 5.6GWh.

The wind power plant is currently under construction. Of the 20 turbine towers planned, the 12 towers of the Aktash wind power plant have already been built. The plant at Aktash has a total capacity of 4MW, and it will be a constituent part of the Eastern Crimea Wind Power System, which is due to have hundreds of turbine towers to generate 500MW for the Crimea Grid. Eleven turbine towers are installed in Donuzlav. Provision has been made for the installation of turbine towers in the Arabat and Sudak sites. A 1.2 MW windmill was commissioned at Saki in 2006. The activity around the wind and solar power projects may give some greens comfort to think Crimea will be energy sufficient in the nearest future, but that is nothing short of self-delusion when you decide to compare wind and solar figures with the real demand for electricity.

The central Ukrainian government has decided to tackle the problem by improving the transmission capacity from mainland Ukraine to Crimea and by increasing local generation capacity to 400 MW over the coming four years. Today, the electricity demand and consumption are actually much lower than those in early 1990s, but the consumption increased by 30 percent in 2006 and is expected to exceed its historical maximum of 9 TWh in 2010 without considering any sizable investment into the Crimean resort industry. On the other hand, the Crimean authorities are planning to build a large network of medium-quality hotels in the near future. What will environmentalists say in 2010s, when all the air conditioners in the Crimean hotels will work in the summer and heaters in the winter?

Vyacheslav Melnik
http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/nuclear-power-regains-respect-among-ukrainians-108966.html

Renewable electric power is beginning to soar. The current surge of activity, which has been accelerating over the last few years, is driven by several factors: high fuel prices; ongoing improvements in renewable power technologies; and increasing political support, which grows out of concern about energy security and climate change.

Although renewable power is still generally more expensive than electricity generated from fossil fuels, the cost of renewables has declined significantly. Moreover, energy investment decisions are increasingly made not solely on an economic basis, but with environmental and sociopolitical considerations factored in as well.

It’s taken a long time to get here. Three decades and $30 billion of research funded by the United States and other industrial countries have gone into renewables, along with billions more from the private sector. The effort has been marked by booms-and-busts, ups-and-downs in research funding, disappointment and long dry periods. But after languishing for many years on the fringe, renewable power is now headed into the mainstream.

Renewable power technologies generate electricity using natural regenerating resources such as sunlight, wind and waves. Traditional renewable power technologies include hydro, geothermal and biomass. Familiar to most people, hydro power involves the use of dams and running water to drive electric turbines.

Geothermal systems capture steam and hot water in geologic reservoirs to generate electricity. Biomass plants burn forest products and agricultural residues to produce steam to accomplish the same. These traditional renewable power technologies account for more than 90 percent of global renewable power capacity and are growing at a modest pace.

The menu is being widened with more exotic technologies. Concentrated solar power plants use mirrors to focus sunlight and boil a fluid to produce steam to drive a turbine. Enhanced geothermal systems produce electricity with steam made from water that is injected into the earth and heated by contact with hot rocks. Biomass gasification plants turn biomass into a gas that can be used in a combined-cycle generator. These technologies have great potential, but are still developmental.

Wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV) cells occupy the middle ground between the traditional renewable power sources of today and the promising technologies of tomorrow. Although both wind and solar PV have been commercially available for decades, these technologies have matured over the last thirty years due to ongoing research and accumulated know-how. They are now experiencing rapid market growth.

The big winner so far is wind. Global wind power capacity has tripled since 2000 and reached nearly 75 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2006. This is still small-less than two percent of total world capacity-but it is enough to meet the annual electric needs of nearly 20 million U.S. households.

Germany, the United States, Spain, India and Denmark have the largest installed wind base, but in 2006, North America saw the fastest growth. In the U.S., nearly 3 GW of new wind turbines were installed last year, with overall wind capacity breaking 10 GW along the way. U.S. wind growth was fueled by a federal tax credits and state renewable portfolio standard programs, which require utilities to purchase a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources.

At the same time, continuing technological advances are being made in the design and operations of windmills.

Asia is emerging as a center of growth for both wind energy use and wind turbine manufacturing capacity. Over 3 GW of new capacity was installed in Asia in 2006, the bulk in China and India. This came as a result of policies supporting renewables, such as China’s new Renewable Energy Law, which requires 5 percent of China’s electric capacity to be renewables-based by 2010. India is the world’s fourth-largest wind power market, thanks to sustained government support for the sector.

Solar PV is hot, too. It works by converting sunlight directly into electricity using semiconducting materials such as polysilicon. Global solar PV installations have grown by an average annual rate of 35 percent over the last five years. Germany, Japan and the U.S. are the leaders in solar PV use, combining to account for 85 percent of the global installed base of more than 6 GW. PV installations in the U.S. grew by over 20 percent last year due to the expansion of federal and state support.

Solar PV is also on the rise in Asia, particularly in China, which is positioned to emerge as one of the world’s largest solar PV manufacturers and consumers over the next several years.

The surge in wind and solar PV over the last several years is creating its own obstacles. The wind industry is currently struggling with turbine component shortages. These shortages have driven up the installed cost of wind turbines from as low as $1,100 per kilowatt a few years ago to $1,500 or higher today-if you can find them.

Polysilicon demand from PV manufacturers is now greater than demand from the semiconductor business, and there is simply not enough silicon production capacity today to meet these twin sources of demand.

This has created a shortage and driven up prices. Polysilicon prices exceeded $100 per kilogram in 2006, up from $35 per kilogram a few years ago. These shortages are expected to persist until 2008, when new wind turbine component and silicon manufacturing capacity comes on line. In the meantime, technologists are seeking to find ingenious ways to innovate around these shortages.

The rapid growth in renewable power has been accompanied by an associated increase in investment. According to New Energy Finance, investment in clean energy reached $70 billion in 2006, up from $50 billion in 2005. Venture capitalists are now focusing on this sector as well. According to the Cleantech Venture Network, the North American venture capital community invested $758 million in wind and solar startups in 2006, a threefold increase from 2005.

Policy uncertainty and fossil fuel prices are among the biggest threats to renewable power in the short and medium terms. Renewable power options have yet to achieve cost parity with fossil fuel sources, although some wind projects are competitive today in favorable sites with abundant wind resources and tax incentives.

Solar PV still has a way to go, with current costs of PV-generated power approximately five times those of electricity from a natural gas plant. As a result, wind and solar must rely upon robust and stable government supports to fuel industry growth. But renewable power policies can be just as intermittent as the wind and sun themselves.

Although recent events have spurred strong support for incentives and renewable power targets, declining fossil fuel prices could make such policies less tenable. Especially important is what happens to natural gas prices and whether and when a price is put on carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants.

When considering the future prospects for renewables, perspective is important. Despite their recent rapid growth, wind and solar together account for just two percent of global power generation capacity. Even with a continuation of the strong growth seen in recent years, wind and solar are likely to account for less than five percent of global capacity a decade from now.

Moreover, there are questions as to how renewables will interface with existing technologies and infrastructure.

But by the middle of the next decade, as wind and solar PV continue to grow-and as concentrated solar power, advanced biomass and geothermal technologies become increasingly competitive-renewables can begin to make a more significant impact in global power markets. Indeed, it is likely that renewable power will continue to grow at a rapid rate, given the prospect for continued technology improvements and the likelihood that climate change and energy security will remain important concerns.

Daniel Yergin
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/renewable-electric-power-takes-off-133017.html

It is no secret that the sun can be harnessed to provide a source of energy for homes and businesses.

The sun is a powerful star. It supplies us with energy, through a process called nuclear fusion, and sustains life on our planet Earth. Solar energy, or energy from the sun, has existed since prehistoric times when men would magnify the sun’s energy in efforts to start fires.

The sun is a valuable resource that radiates enough energy on the United States in one day to meet the nation’s needs for one and a half years. Since it is a free, clean and renewable source of energy, it is an energy source that will play a vital role in our future.

Using the sun’s energy for our energy source seems like an easy solution to having an energy supply forever. Harnessing the suns energy is where the problem lies. The sun’s rays shine all over the world and not in just one spot. Although it takes only 8 minutes for sunlight to travel to the earth, trying to catch the rays over such a wide area can prove to be tricky. Also, the energy in any one given place will vary due to factors, such as, clouds and weather conditions.

The history of using solar energy began in 1890’s when solar water heaters were used in the United States. Solar water heating requires a storage collector and a storage tank. Flat plate solar collectors are mounted on rooftops. Pipes carrying water are pumped through these collectors. The tubes are painted black so they will get hot quicker. As the heat is collected the fluid in the tubes get heated. A storage tank holds the hot liquid. This helps with central heating and cutting fuel costs. Solar heaters became popular when natural gas was expensive and burning wood and coals were burdensome. It’s popularity diminished with the discovery of an abundance of natural gas and oil deposits. Now they are making a comeback to replace the depleting fossil fuels that had taken its place.

Solar energy can be in the form of heat energy or light energy. The technology of photovoltaic, or PV as it is commonly called, converts the suns energy into electric currents through the use of solar cells. These electric currents can be used instantaneously or stored for later use. The PV cells consist of pieces of silicon under a thin piece of glass. They have both a positive and negative charge. Simple examples of this are the solar powered calculators that are common today. More complex examples are solar panels placed on roofs. This consists of using thin film solar cells as rooftop shingles, roof tiles, and even glazing for skylights. Unfortunately, the cells generate only about one sixth of the sun’s energy into electricity. This means bigger arrays are needed and along with this come larger costs.

Solar thermal power plants use the sun to heat fluid, which in turn, is transferred into steam similar to fossil fuel burning plants. The steam is transformed into mechanical energy in a turbine and electrical energy from a generator. The downfall is solar plants cannot produce energy on cloudy days.

It is expected the next few years will see millions of households using solar energy. As research continues and processes improve, using our sun as a renewable energy source will produce efficiency and cost savings. So, let the sun shine in and take full advantage of this warm energy source where you live.

Matthew Hick
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-renewable-energy-sun-power-103549.html

A typical solar system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. Often the plumbing from a solar heater connects to a houses existing water heater, which stays inactive as long as the water coming in is hot or hotter than the temperature setting on the indoor water heater. When it falls below this temperature, the homes water heater can kick in to make up the difference. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities.

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. The Co-operative Insurance Building in Manchester has the largest commercial solar system in the UK. I think it looks very futuristic and cool!

You can generate electricity for a single building like the co-op but there is the potential in the future to generate enough power for a power plant. The author of a recent Christian Aid report, John McGhie, said that for $50bn (£26bn) the whole of sub-Saharan Africa could be turned into a solar-generated economy. And $50bn is exactly the same amount as the continent would have to pay on extra fuel bills from oil,” he said.

Electrical retailer Currys is about to add a new item to its usual array of washing machines and other white goods - solar panels. Currys is taking a risk as the solar panels will cost far more than anything else the store sells. They say it will cost the average three bedroom household about £9,000 to buy and install solar panels - compared to £16,000 in specialist stores. There are also grants available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

What other solar gadgets can you buy?

Well, Sharp, the world’s number one solar cell producer, has just turned its hand to glass studded with LED lights and cells. Instead of generating enough electricity to run a home, it creates a psychedelic light show at night, powered entirely by the day’s sun.

You can also buy solar chargers for iPods and phones. Other recent outlandish additions include a solar-powered tent, scooter and LED house numbers, while mundane ones like bike lights, torches and radios have been around for years.

People can also use captured passive solar heat to cook food. A basic cooker consists of an insulated box with a glass top. Heat from concentrated sunlight gets trapped in the box and can be used to heat food enclosed in the box. These have not been very popular to date.

Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-power-saves-on-electricity-bills-84454.html

Solar power is recently broadly used not only from business but from private homes instead of traditional energy resources. The main benefit of using it is that it is renewable - solar power cannot finish and as long as there is sunlight power can be generated.

What do you need to have to benefit from renewable solar power? In fact the equipment needed is neither extraordinary nor very expensive. All you need to have to start using solar power as alternative energy source s solar panels. Moreover solar panels are pretty easy to be manufactured in case you want to do them yourself. The materials required are not very expensive and the actual manufacturing does not require great skills.

Once you have the solar panels installed you should decide what for you will use the renewable solar power. It can be used for generating electricity or heating of your home or just for heating water. Many people prefer using solar panels to get hot water only. Other uses it for home heating as well. Some also get panels installed to generate electricity. Still you will have to get a lot of solar panels installed if you want to fully replace your current electricity supply. However in the most cases you will be able to generate enough power for your garden lighting or other small electricity consumables.

No matter what power of your home needs you replace with renewable solar power, you will definitely cut your utilities bills, especially during winters when you have to pay hundreds just for heating.

Not only renewable solar power is good for your pocket, it is in fact very beneficial for the global ecology. Solar power is totally pollution free - to generate it you don’t need to use any fuels and by generating it you don’t pollute the air, water or soil in any way. It is actually better than using wind power because solar power generators do not produce any noise. The only real disadvantage is that you cannot generate power during nights and if bad cloudy weather power generation is greatly reduced.

Abhinav Sidana
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/renewable-solar-power-598820.html

But why choose solar power outdoor lighting? 

Perhaps the best answer is your wallet. Installing outdoor lighting fixtures that run on solar power does not add to your electricity bill because solar power is free! That is a clear advantage outdoor solar lighting gives to any homeowners. Aside from that, solar power is safe and does not damage the environment in any way. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.

Solar powers gives light to your homes and even the exteriors and you don’t have to pay the electric company.

However, you might worry with regards to electrical fixtures in the garden or the patio. Since an outdoor solar lighting systems do not depend on electricity from any power outlets, that means there are no pesky wires and other electrical devices that may cause injuries or accidents. The only thing to consider is the location of the solar panels, since obviously they generate more power when directly exposed in the sun.  

While installing solar panels to light up your home’s exterior may cost you some money (though a lot less if you build them yourself), the return of investments can be seen in a matter of weeks. To get the best out of your outdoor solar lighting systems, all you have to do is ensure that the panels are placed where they can absorb direct sunlight.