We all know that the sun is a practically infinite source of energy for us humans here on earth. We also know very well that solar energy can be used to generate electricity using photo-voltaic cells or solar panels. However, tapping this renewable source on a large scale so as to provide truly substantial quantities of energy is rare. Spain however has taken a bold leap ahead in this field by opening the largest ‘solar farm’ in the world in the southern region of Jumilla. This 100 acre solar farm has a capacity to generate close to 23 MW of electricity, enough to power over 20,000 homes. According to an article in technology4life.wordpress.com, the project involves some 120,000 solar panel arrays clustered into 200 arrays and promises revenues upwards of 28 million USD. As far as onebluesphere is concerned, the most important benefit of this project is the reduction of nearly 40,000 tons of CO2, the principal villain behind global warming. What adds the cherry on top of the cake is the initiative by the project’s developers to replant thousands of trees to offset the impact of initial deforestation due the project. With many countries having vast swathes of hot deserts receiving strong uninterrupted sunshine, solar energy should be looked at as a clean and efficient source of electricity.
Spain's move towards solar energy is in keeping with a commendable European Union target of 20% energy from renewable sources, and onebluesphere hopes that other countries will also adopt similar norms. If you are also interested in exploring possibilities in developing solar farms, you may check out the website of Elecnor, the developers of the Jumilla solar farm, at http://www.elecnor.com/www_elecnor/ingles/index.html
To learn more about solar energy as a viable power source and solar energy technology, check out the following links:
http://www.altenergymag.com/emagazine.php?issue_number=06.08.01&article=huerta
http://us.sunpowercorp.com/
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