08/11/2008
The best renewable energy technologies ready for applications depends on which country we are talking about and their natural resources. A country should select a mixture (4 or 5) of technologies most suitable from the following list. Fossil fuel should be carefully used in an efficient way to fill the gap.
Renewable energy technologies for future use and their current status:
1. Large scale & mini-hydro power - Fully developed
2. Bio-mass (Wood, Bio-gas, Bio-fuel, Energy from waste etc.) - Some are fully developed and others are entering the market
3. Wind Power - Fully developed & growing rapidly
4. Solar Power (Solar thermal and Solar PV) - Fully developing and growing at an impressive rate. The first revolution in the 21st century is expected to come from solar power
5. Geothermal power - Fully developed
6. Tidal & Wave Power - At the development stage.
It is interesting to read a quotation by a famous scientist, Nikola Tesla -1916. The unit of magnetic field "Tesla" comes after his name.
“We have at our disposal three main sources of life-sustaining energy; fuel, water-power and the heat of the sun's rays…If we use our fuel to get our power, we are living on our capital and exhausting it rapidly. This method is barbarous and wantonly wasteful, and will have to be stopped in the interest of coming generations. The heat of the sun's rays represents an immense amount of energy vastly in excess of waterpower…”
There are a few major factors contributing to the price increase of oil.
(a) The increase of demand over supply
(b) The weakening of US dollar
(c) OPEC vs. non-OPEC or the World politics
(d) Increasing difficulty in extraction of oil from the earth crust.
(a) The major reason in the recent years in the rise in oil prices, is the vast increase of demand of oil by the two fastest developing countries, China and India, whose population amounts to one third of the world's population.
(b) Another interesting factor has been the USA and its dollar. The US demand has been high for most of 1990's; that combined with India and China, the prices went up. However, in the recent times, the weakening dollar has been another factor. The oil is priced in US dollars and the dollar's value has dropped dramatically since the turn of the century. Thus the US is paying more for the oil and hence the oil prices are high.
(c) The OPEC has been trying to amend the price increase recently by increasing the supply but the market is not entirely controlled by the OPEC. For example, Nigeria is the world's 8th largest oil exporter. The volatile political situations and threats to lives of oil workers and oil companies have been on the increase in the past few years, which has caused in reduced supply of oil to the world market. The effect has been the increase in oil prices. There is also a contribution from the speculation by the financial sector similar to the recent credit crunch.
(d) From the technical point of view, the mankind has used up much of the easily accessible oil during the past two centuries. Although there is enough oil in the earth crust, extraction is becoming harder and expensive. Imagine the extraction from harsh and hostile environment like in the north sea when compared to initial oil wells dug on the land. The oil prices are going to steadily increase due to this gradual depletion. 21/07/2008
ACES academic, Prof. I M Dharmadasa (Dharme) was recently invited by the Royal Society (RS) to a UK-China delegation to establish new research links in the fast growing solar energy field. The delegation was organised by the RS in UK and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in China
Twelve leading solar energy researchers in the UK were invited by the RS, to take part in this delegation. Twenty Chinese scientists were invited by CAS to meet visitors and have a workshop on solar energy in Beijing.
The purpose of the event was to exchange information and promoting potential collaboration between scientists from CAS and the UK on solar-photovoltaics and solar-thermal utilisation.
The workshop was held at the Beijing International Conference Centre, and several visits were organised to selected Institutes in Beijing. The events were co-sponsored by the CAS in China and the RS in UK.
After delivering a lecture on scientific research at SHU, Dharme established new collaborations with Institute of Semiconductors and Suzhou Institute of nano-tech and nano-bionics.
Dharme delivering his lecture on "Solar Energy Research at SHU" in Beijing
Readers all around the world can now download a renewable energy handbook compiled by experts at Sheffield Hallam University and other institutes to help promote the clean energy technologies.
The success of the Sheffield Hallam team’s work to raise international public awareness of sustainable energy supplies has already lead to the formation of SAREP (South Asia Renewable Energy Programme) with the support from the UK Department for International Development, the British Council and the Commonwealth Science Council. This renewable energy promotional work has also attracted awards and praise including a Eurosolar UK prize for inspiring renewable energy projects, and a Fellowship from the World Innovation Foundation.
Prof. IM Dharmadasa who is leading the project is an expert in solar energy technologies. He explains why educating people around the world about the potential of renewable energy.
"I’ve been working in this area for over 30 years but about 15 years ago, I started to promote solar energy applications by delivering public understanding of science lectures in schools and community centres in the UK. The University now works with the Commonwealth Science Council, the British Council and other bodies around the world. Our work ranges from laboratory and desk research to field work and lecture halls, developing and encouraging new technology, enhancing awareness and starting demonstration projects that can help reduce poverty in rural areas. By making this handbook free to download wherever you are in the world is an effective and environmentally friendly way of sharing some of the knowledge that my colleagues and I have built up. The team is hoping to develop this handbook to a comprehensive product as the Renewable Energy sector matures with time." 26/06/2008
I have been researching on electronic materials and devices for the development of low cost solar cells over the past 30 years. I have published widely in the field and my publication list provides the areas of my research interests.
SAREP is a renewable energy promotional programme jointly initiated by the Commonwealth Science Council, UK, the Renewable Energy Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, the British Council and in-country counterparts to increase the public awareness and accelerate the use of renewable energy technologies.
SAREP Aims & Objectives are:
• To train young scientists in renewable technology areas through postgraduate programmes.
• To enhance the awareness of renewable energy applications among entrepreneurs, policy makers, politicians and the general public.
• To facilitate entrepreneurs in Asia to develop trade & investment relations with partners in other parts of the world including Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States.
• To start CARES (Centres for Applications of Renewable Energy Sources) as large demonstration projects in rural areas needing development, contributing to reduction of poverty.
Twenty two SAREP newsletters have been written and electronically distributed to-date for improving public awareness on various renewable energy technologies and their applications. They cover topics such as solar, wind, hydrogen economy, story of oil, solar villages etc, and describe what is happening in different countries round the globe. The countries featured so far are: Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, UK, Japan, Cuba, Mexico,.....
I M Dharmadasa (IMD) is the Professor of Electronic Materials & Devices at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK and leads the Solar Energy Research Group within the Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI).
His research activities focus on the development of a new generation of low cost, high efficiency solar cells. He has twenty eight years of experience in both industry and academia and his work has secured six new patents, based on novel process developments. He has also sparked scientific debate by proposing two new scientific theories concerning development of photovoltaic solar cells. IMD has published over 85 refereed journal papers, 3 book chapters and given over 100 conference presentations, including plenary and invited talks. In this process, he has successfully supervised 9 postgraduate theses, 8 years of postdoctoral research and examined 15 postgraduate candidates. He is now working with three industrial partners after obtaining DTI funding to commercialise new science that his group is producing.
Earlier in his career, IMD graduated from the Univ. of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka by completing two BSc Honours degrees covering Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. He won the Dr. Hewavitharana memorial prize for best performance in 1975, and joined the academic staff of the Physics Department in the Science Faculty at Univ. of Peradeniya. After wining an open commonwealth scholarship in 1977, he completed his PhD thesis in 1980 at the Univ. of Durham (UK), before returning to his post in Sri Lanka. A deep research interest generated by his PhD thesis led to his return to the UK in 1984, where he was an active solar energy researcher at Univ. College Cardiff and the British Petroleum Company (BP), before joining Sheffield Hallam University in 1990.
IMD is actively involved in the promotion of clean energy technologies for social development and the reduction of poverty. He helped establish and now leads the South-Asia renewable energy promotional programme (SAREP), which aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy technologies. Back home in the UK, he regularly gives guest lectures at secondary schools around Sheffield, with the hope of instilling the importance of renewable energy technologies in the minds of young students. In fact a local student whose A-level class he addressed, as part of National Science Week several years ago, is now an enthusiastic PhD student in his solar energy group.
IMD is Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation and the UK Institute of Physics. He referees for over 8 international Journals and currently serves as assessor & panel member for the UK funding council (EPSRC), Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) and the British Council (BC). IMD holds dual citizenship (Sri Lankan & British) and has advised ministers in several countries about the benefits of renewable energy as a tool for social development and the empowerment of rural communities. 11/05/2008
I am involved in solar energy research & development, Renewable Energy Applications and other charitable activities.
There is a worldwide community involved in these activities and this is my presence on the worldwide web to keep in touch and share ideas with fellow professionals and the general public.
This site provides articles, photos and other resources arising from my work. The aim of the site is to share knowledge and accelerate the take up of renewable energy applications as a means for social development and reduction of poverty.
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