Solar energy can meet all the world's energy demands: expert …

Solar energy can meet all the world's energy
demands: expert
                                                  A solar thermal electric power plant in Sanlucar La Mayor in February 2008. The
                                                  world must speed up the deployment of solar power as it has the potential to meet all
                                                  the world's energy needs, the chairman of an industry gathering which wrapped up
                                                  Friday in Spain said.




The world must speed up the deployment of solar power as it has the potential to meet all the world's
energy needs, the chairman of an industry gathering which wrapped up Friday in Spain said.


"The solar energy resource is enormous, and distributed all over the world, in all countries and also
oceans," said Daniel Lincot, the chairman of the five-day European Photovoltaic Solar Energy conference
held in Valencia.

"There is thus an enormous resource available from photovoltaics, which can be used everywhere, and can
in principle cover all the world energy demand from a renewable, safe and clean source," he added.

Lincot, the research director of the Paris-based Institute for Research and Development of Photovoltaic
Energy, said solar energy was growing rapidly but still made only a "negligible" contribution to total energy
supply.

Last year the world production of photovoltaic models represented a surface of 40 square kilometres (16
square miles) while meeting the electrical consumption of countries like France or Germany would require
5,000 square kilometres, he said.

Under current scenarios, photovoltaic models will represent about 1,000 square kilometres by 2020
accounting for about only 3.0 percent of energy needs in the 27-member European Union, he added.

Over 200 scientists and solar power experts have signed a declaration calling on the accelerated deployment
of photovoltaic power which was launched at the conference.

More than 3,500 experts and 715 sector firms took part in the gathering, billed as the largest conference
ever organised in the field of photovoltaic conversion of solar energy.

Germany and Spain are the world leaders in solar energy power. Germany has 4,000 megawatts of installed
capacity while Spain has 600 megawatts.

© 2008 AFP


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Original story at www.physorg.com/news139844301.html                                                                     Page 1/1