Solar Energy in Spain

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Solar Energy in Spain

Spain is forging ahead with plans to build concentrating solar power plants, establishing the country and Spanish companies as world leaders in the emerging field. At the same time, the number of installed photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially, and researchers continue to explore new ways to promote and improve solar power.

This is the seventh in an eight-part series highlighting new technologies in Spain and is produced by Technology Review, Inc.s custom-publishing division in partnership with the Trade Commission of Spain.

From the road to the Solcar solar plant outside Seville, drivers can see what appear to be glowing white rays emanating from a tower, piercing the dry air, and alighting upon the upturned faces of the tilted mirror panels below.

Appearances, though, are deceiving: those upturned mirrors are actually tracking the sun and radiating its energy onto a blindingly white square at the top of the tower, creating the equivalent of the power of 600 suns. That power is used to vaporize water into steam to power a turbine.

This tower plant uses concentrating solar technology with a central receiver. Its the first commercial central-receiver system in the world.

Spanish companies and research centers are taking the lead in the recent revival of concentrating solar power (CSP), a type of solar thermal power; expanses of mirrors are being assembled around the country. At the same time, Spanish companies are investing in huge photovoltaic (PV) fields, as companies dramatically increase production of PV panels and investigate the next generation of this technology.

Spain is already fourth in the world in its use of solar power, and second in Europe, with more than 120 megawatts in about 8,300 installations. Within only the past 10 years, the number of companies working in solar energy has leapt from a couple of dozen to a few hundred.

Power from the Suns Heat

Southern Spain, a region known the world over for its abundant sun and scarce rain, provides an ideal landscape for solar thermalpower. The tower outside Seville, built and operated by Solcar, an Abengoa company, is the first of a number of solar thermal plants and will provide about 10 megawatts of power.

The company Sener is completing Andasol 1, the first parabolic trough plant in Europea 50-megawatt system outside Granada that will begin operation in the summer of 2008.

Unlike photovoltaic panels, which harness the movement of electrons between layers of a solar cell when the sun strikes the material, solar thermal power works by utilizing the heat of the sun. CSP has until recently cost nearly twice as much as traditional naturalgas or coal power plants, and it is effective only on a large scale.

“You need a very large budget to set up a concentrated solar power system,” says Eduardo Zarza, director of concentrating solar research at the Solar Platform of Almera (PSA in Spanish), a research, development, and testing center.

Gary Cardone Knows A Thing Or Two About Energy

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Gary Cardone And His Contributions To The Energy Industry

Gary Cardone has been linked to the energy industry for quite a while. He has a long history with such major providers as Dynegy and Accord Energy.

After the profitable sale of Accord Energy Gary Cardone served to create Dynegy Europe which developed into one of the most productive U.S. energy companies operating in Europe. After three years of operations it had obtained 87% of the Storage of Natural Gas in great britan, had 600 staff members with power and gas positions in Germany and Holland with establishments in Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Holland.

Gary Cardone was managing director of Dynegy UK and Dynegy Europe. Cardone, who had been earlier director and gm of Energy Trading at Dynegy UK, took over responsibilities for all of Dynegy’s UK and European gas, power and crude oil trading and marketing activities and development of new business prospects.

When Gary Cardone was chosen as managing director of Dynegy UK and Dynegy Europe, Chuck Watson, chairman and chief executive officer of Dynegy, said, “We are pleased that Gary has decided to tackle the job of managing director as Dynegy moves to participate in the deregulating energy markets in Europe”

Gary did exactly that.

Cardone joined up with Dynegy in 1987 and relocated to London in 1994 in order to develop its European energy organization. The business began trading the U.K. and Scandinavian power markets.

Gary has worked in all sectors of Dynegy’s commercial activities across the US and Canada. Cardone joined Dynegy UK in 1993 and was a key component in the formation of Accord Energy, a joint venture between BG and Dynegy. When operational control of Accord was transferred to Centrica at the begining of 1997, Gary became director and general manager of Energy Trading in the recently formed Dynegy UK.

Gary Cardone ran lots of functions purchasing as well as managing gas acquisition with the North Eastern States, Gulf of Mexico and flows to California as well as imports from Canada. Left in 1993 to build up a business for NGCH in Europe.

Accord Energy was a joint venture whereby Gary was the architect of between British Gas PLC and Natural Gas Clearinghouse to exploit the inefficiencies inside gas and electric industry in britain.

Following the successful sale of Accord Energy Cardone helped make Dynegy Europe which became one of the successful U.S. energy companies doing work in Europe. After three years of operation it had acquired 87% of all Storage of Natural Gas in england, had 600 employees with power and gas jobs in German and Holland with office buildings in Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Holland.

Gary Cardone functioned as Commercial Advisor with a large Private Equity firm leading them on discovering deals on the sell and buying side. He focused on opportunity to co-invest, midstream acquisitions including pipelines, expansions, platforms, and divestments of gas and oil properties, midstream assets, and renewable assets.

Accord Energy was a joint venture that Gary Cardone was the architect of between British Gas PLC and Natural Gas Clearinghouse to take advantage of the inefficiencies within the natural gas and electric industry in great britain.

Play safe with the help of Renewable Energy

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If we individually see this word ENERGY then we can say that “Energy is defined as the ability or the capacity to do work”. And we use energy to do work and make all movements. When we eat, our bodies transform the food into energy to do work. When we run or walk or do some work, we burn energy in our bodies. Cars, planes, trolleys, boats, and machinery also transform energy into work. Work means moving or lifting something, warming or lighting something. There are many sources of energy that help to run the various machines invented by man.”Man has discover fire by burning wood for cooking and heating which we can say one type of energy and the use of energy.

For thousands of years we only used sun, water and wind power but in todays world we are mainly depend on fossil power. As early as 4000-3500 BC, ships were running by wind energy. With the use of hydropower through water mills or irrigation systems, things began to move faster. In rural India still people are using fuel wood and dung cakes as major source of energy. Solar energy is used for drying and heating.

As industry grows, the use of energy in the form of fossil fuels began. It started with exploitation of coal to exploitation of oil. In early stage, we used coal, after that oil, and natural gas were in use as the main source of energy. Before half of century nuclear power began being used as an energy source. But as the usage increased it starts affecting environment.

Oil prices are increasing day by day because production is decreasing. And at the same time demand of the energy is also increasing and the price of natural gas, too, has risen. Therefore, Renewable Energy has grasp public, media, and political attention as a potential key to the critical concern of environment change.

There are many product projects which are commenced for constructing Renewable Energy Systems. Many companies which are in Energy business are inventing new ways to dig out Renewable Energy from renewable sources. In couple of next few years cost of oil will boost up. Oil supply may soon peak as utilization continues to grow, known supplies run out and new reserves turn out to be difficult to discover.

Prices of oil and natural gas have risen at the same time electricity is no longer chipper. If we compare Renewable Energy from wind and solar powered alternatives with available energy of oil and natural gas then no longer look so costly. Global warming, a long-range phenomenon, may not be uppermost in peoples minds during an economic downturn. Alternate energy may be costly now but will reduced to zero prices for the manufactures, so the costumer will get benefit from that also.

The most effective solution is to diversify our energy supplies at home. That means, to opening up areas to safe and environmentally responsible development and built more Renewable Energy Systems to support safe environment. Instead of paying for high prices of gas and oil imports we should use our own, clean domestic resources to fuel our own economy here like using solar and wind technologies.

Main weakness of Renewable Energy Systems is high initial cost of set up. Problem with Renewable Energy Systems is substantial investment for infrastructure to generate it. Current market of renewable energy is not as broad as gas and primary energy source has. High initial cost and scarcity of market are making Renewable Energy very costly for consumer.

Energy Psychology The Way to Overcome Irrational Fear, Anger, & Anxiety is in Your Hands

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You feel nervous about a talk you have to give this evening. But, you try a new technique you have heard about. Your fear dissolves in ten minutes and you deliver a great talk.

What caused this change? How did you overcome your irrational fear?

Every time your husband’s ex-wife appears at your home to pick up her daughter you are filled with jealousy. It makes no sense to your rational mind. This time, however, after using this new technique, you greet her with a genuine smile. You show her a new appreciation for each of your roles in your stepdaughter’s life.

What caused these changes?

You have been using Energy Psychology.

“Energy Psychology” Is One of the Most Exciting Innovations to Come From Psychotherapy in Decades!

People from many walks of life now claim that they are eliminating debilitating fears, prolonged grief, irrational jealousies, and pesky anxieties using simple Energy Psychology techniques.

Even veterans dealing with the intrusion of haunting memories, insomnia, and phobias are now getting help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that had in many instances resisted years of psychotherapy.International treatment teams are also finding that Energy Psychology is the best approach available to them for applying psychological first-aid in the field after a disaster strikes.

While these claims are extraordinary enough, what’s most surprising about Energy Psychology is how easy it is to learn and apply.

How Energy Psychology Can Help You Overcome Irrational Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Jealousy!

Energy Psychology provides you with freedom from the grip of irrational fears and anxieties, self-defeating patterns of behavior, and kneejerk reactions to challenging situations. Energy Psychology accomplishes quickly what even the best talk therapies accomplish only slowly.

Energy Psychology draws from the principles of acupuncture, but without the use of needles. It has also been called “acupuncture for the emotions” and “acupuncture without needles.” When you use the techniques of Energy Psychology, you tap acupuncture points on your body with your fingers.

This is combined with a variety of thoughts, statements, affirmations, and various physical tasks such as humming and counting. The method ultimately sends signals to the brain that rapidly reprogram your emotional responses.

Sound strange?

Maybe, but it works. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people are reporting that it works! The tapping is believed to send signals to the brain that change your brain’s response to the situation you are visualizing. Neurological patterns that interfere with your success, happiness, and wellbeing can all be targeted.

Energy Psychology in the Clinic and in the Home

Some people learn Energy Psychology from a book. Others learn it from a class or from a therapist or other practitioner. While the tapping itself is easy to learn and can be done on your own, sound judgment in knowing where to focus your attention is critical. If you decide to learn it from a therapist or a class, then as with any health care treatment, be sure you do some investigation and find a practitioner you can trust.