Three Jordanian villagers returned this week from training at the Barefoot College in India (Petra photo). 

Here’s a heartwarming story published in the Jordan Times yesterday that can distract us for a few moments from the human and environmental catastrophe in Japan: A new grassroots program in Jordan aims to bring solar power to rural areas.

While the Israeli-Palestinian Comet-ME partnership is similarly installing solar and wind technology in impoverished Palestinian villages in the Hebron hills, Jordan’s program is unique in that it will be led by three local residents who received six months of training in solar power technology at the Barefoot College in India, a college that only accepts people from remote areas across the world.

Sixty-one-year-old Seiha Al Raja, her son Bader Awad Fahed Hamed, and Rafia Enad Fahed Hamed from the Mansheyet Al Ghayath village returned home this week and are now awaiting  funds to initiate a JD50,000 project to install solar panels for about 200 families in the village, according to Jordan’s Ministry of Environment, which has contacted several donor bodies and private sector entities that have expressed interest in financing the venture.

“The training in India was excellent. I will train other people in my village and other villages in the area on how to use solar cells to generate power. Some people in the village are not provided with electricity. Many others do not have money to pay for it,” Bader told the Jordan Times yesterday.

“I never would have believed that the sun can be used to generate electricity,” his mother Seiha said. “At the end of the course, I was surprised and very happy that I could assemble and conduct maintenance for solar cells to generate electricity. I am illiterate, but am proud of myself now,” she added.

Solar grandmothers

Barefoot College has trained 140 grandmothers in 23 countries. As a result, some 600 villages in India, Asia, Africa and South America are now running on solar power.

Jordan’s Minister of Environment Taher Shakhshir noted that the project is the first of its kind in the region, and said the ministry has coordinated with the Ministry of Education to provide a classroom for the three Jordanians to spread the know-how they acquired in India.

Environment Ministry officials emphasized the importance of such projects, noting that supplying electricity to remote villages costs about JD250,000.  Jordan has set a goal of meeting 10% of its energy needs with solar power by 2020.

:: Jordan Times

Read related stories on Green Prophet:

Comet-ME Continues to Bring Power to Villagers in the South Hebron Hills
SolarPower for Small Portable Solar Grids Virtually Anywhere
Jordan Signs Up for Epic ‘Sahara Forest Project’

Tel Aviv is preparing to launch a bike-sharing program, joining over 200 cities in the world that already operate such systems.

The pessimists and optimists will continue to disagree about the ultimate outcome of the amazing wave of protests sweeping through the Middle East (including bicycle-riding protestors in Cairo), but here’s one revolution everyone can applaud: New bike-sharing schemes are being inaugurated in Doha and Tel Aviv to ease urban congestion and reduce pollution.

Amidst reports of growing revolutionary fervor in Qatar (at least on Facebook, if not in the streets), a pilot program of bike rentals was recently launched in Doha. Initially, the bikes will be rented for 30-minute periods at no charge. “The idea is to eventually make the country bicycle-friendly with separate cycling lanes,” Qatar Cycling Federation president Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani told Gulf Times at the launch.

Bike stations are also being installed in Tel Aviv, which is slated to inaugurate its Tel-Ofan bike-sharing system next month. The first stage of the project will include 75 stations and 750 bicycles. Environmental organizations and transportation planners are enthusiastic about the program, but worry that the city lacks an appropriate infrastructure of bike paths.

:: Gulf Times
:: TheMarker (in Hebrew)

Image via The Bike-Sharing Blog

Read more about bicycles in Tel Aviv:

Greenie Wants YOU to Become a Bicycle Courier in Tel Aviv
Israel Becomes A Nation of Pedalers (Cycling Freaks)
Tel Aviv Cafes Offer Great Cappucinos and Free Bike Rentals
Bike Sharing Down to a Science

And for something completely different::

Egyptian Man Takes Biking To A Whole New Level… Under Water

Friendly Energy has installed 70 rooftop solar systems in Israel, like this one in Beersheva. 

European companies continue to find interest in photovoltaic (PV) solar projects in Israel. For example, we recently reported about the joint venture between the Spanish multinational Soltec Renewable Energies and Shikun & Binui Solaria to build a solar power plant in Timna, not far from Kibbutz Ketura, where the German multinational Siemens (a part owner of Arava Power Company) is helping to build the first PV field in Israel. Now an Italian energy company, Enerpoint, has acquired the Israeli solar EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) firm Friendly Energy.

Friendly Energy, which will now be known as Enerpoint Israel, has already installed 70 rooftop PV facilities in Israel at commercial and residential sites, and has orders for another 70 PV installations.

Enerpoint, established in 2001, has built PV facilities across Europe with a total capacity for generating 185 MW of electricity. It recorded revenues of €250 million in 2010 and has an orders backlog of €50 million.

As part of the Italian company, Enerpoint Israel will pursue EPC contracts for medium-sized and large PV projects in Israel.

In announcing the acquisition this week, Enerpoint president Paulo Rocco Viscontini said: “We have been examining the Israeli market for 18 months as a business target. We consider collaboration with Friendly Energy as an opportunity to combine forces and capabilities to become a leading player in Israel. We have the capabilities, connections, team, and will to succeed.”

:: Globes

Read more about solar power in Israel:

Solar Power Spreads To Har Gilo Settlement in the West Bank
Israel Approves New Licenses For Mid-Sized Solar Fields
Arison Group’s Solaria Teams With Soltec To Build Solar PV Field in Israel

Israel’s first commercial photovoltaic field is slated to be completed at Kibbutz Ketura in May.

As Susan laments in her recent post (What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?), Israel has been slow in deploying solar energy at home, despite its pioneering R&d work in this field. And last week the country seemed to take another step backward, as the Finance Ministry froze incentives for large solar plants in Israel.

However, this week brought sunnier news: On Tuesday, as the 4^th annual Eilot-Eilat Renewable Energy Conference convened in Israel’s southernmost city, Arava Power celebrated the start of construction on Israel’s first solar field, a 4.9 MW facility at Kibbutz Ketura. In addition, the Electricity Authority issued 30 new licenses this week for medium-sized solar power plants that together promise to generate some 66 MW of electricity.

With the 30 new licenses, the Electricity Authority has now awarded a total of 86 licenses for medium-sized solar plants, slated to produce 138 MW of electricity. This represents 46% of the 300 MW quota set for these plants. Dalkia, the energy arm of Veolia-Israel, won three of the licenses awarded this week and its total licensed capacity of 30.1 MW accounts for some 10% of the approved quota. Other companies receiving licenses this week were Sun Power, Doral, Super Solar and Paz Solar, according to TheMarker (link in Hebrew).

Near the Gaza border

The Globes business newspaper notes that about 30% of these licenses and about 50% of the projected output  are for projects slated for construction in fields adjacent to the Gaza Strip. (In fact, all of the medium-sized solar plants are earmarked for outlying areas.) According to the head of the Electricity Authority, Moshe Sheetrit, the planned deployment of solar fields near the Gaza border demonstrates that entrepreneurs are  not deterred by fears of  rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Saving electricity

And here’s some more good news: Three environment-friendly regulations were approved this week by the Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee, the Jerusalem Post reported. (Thank you to our reader Boris for alerting us to this news item.) The regulations restrict the import and sale of 1) “electricity-guzzling” TV tuners; 2) appliances with a standby function; 3) inefficient light bulbs. 

The new regulations are part of the National Infrastructure Ministry’s energy efficiency plan, which aims to cut electricity demand by 20% by 2020. (This demand is currently growing about 4% annually.)

Image via Siemens

::  TheMarker (in Hebrew)
:: Jerusalem Post
:: Globes

More on Green Prophet:

What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?
Israel Freezes Incentives for Large Solar Plants
Israel Signs Landmark Solar Agreement with Arava Power

Solaria displays this image on its website, where it states that its vision is to “to enable every household and business in Israel to make use of and profit from advanced solar energy technology.”

Israel-based Shikun & Binui Solaria, a subsidiary of the Arison Group’s Shikun & Binui Renewable Energies, will build a 6.7 MW solar PV (photovoltaic) field in southern Israel in collaboration with the Spanish multinational Soltec Renewable Energies. According to the agreement announced this week, the solar power facility will be built at the site of the Timna copper mines, not far from Kibbutz Ketura, where Arava Power is building Israel’s first land-based PV array following a landmark power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in November.

Solaria and Soltec formed a joint venture to pursue solar projects in Israel and the partners now have over 12 MW of solar facilities in the pipeline for 2011-2012. “We are very pleased to collaborate with Shikun & Binui Solaria to develop the photovoltaic market in Israel,” said Raul Morales, CEO of Soltec Renewable Energies in the announcement this week. Tali Nechushtan, CEO of Shikun & Binui Solaria, feels likewise: “We are pleased to be one of the pioneers of PV ground installations in Israel with Soltec.”

The two companies are apparently undeterred by Israel’s decision this week to freeze the feed-in tariff regime for large-scale solar projects of 10 MW and over.

Copper was mined at the Timna site for thousands of years and continued through the mid-1980s. Today the Timna Copper Mines company engages in recycling non-ferrous scrap metals.

Read related Green Prophet posts:

Israel Signs Landmark Solar Energy Agreement with Arava Power

Will Solar Fields Cover Israel’s Last Open Spaces?

Spain’s Solaer is Bullish on Israel’s PV Market

As noted in a previous post, there was some disappointing environmental news in Israel this week: The Finance Ministry slapped a freeze on development of large solar power plants, pending a review of the feed-in tariff scheme. But there were also some good news: A new pipeline was dedicated this week that will bring natural gas to northern Israel, allowing petrochemical plants and other industries in the Haifa area to switch from diesel and crude oil, thus significantly reducing air pollution.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new pipeline, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the new pipeline would mean the reduction of 12,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year. To illustrate this scope of emissions, he said: “Imagine that every day a supertanker flew over the area and dumped 35 tons of pollutants.”

The mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, also welcomed the new pipeline’s potential for improving the city’s air quality, but complained that Haifa’s reputation for poor air quality is unwarranted: Tel Aviv’s air pollution is worse, he said.

:: Jerusalem Post

Read news on Haifa and gas on Green Prophet posts:

Revolution in Egypt May Cut Off Natural Gas to Israel
Scaaary Air Pollution Video of Haifa
Haifa Chemicals and Citi To Sell Carbon Credits ]]> http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/02/gas-pipeline-israel/feed/ 0 http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/02/solar-freeze-in-israel/ http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/02/solar-freeze-in-israel/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:24:23 +0000 Ira Moskowitz http://www.greenprophet.com/?p=41289
Israel’s solar industry will showcase its wares next week at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference.

Just a week before the 4th annual celebration of Israel’s renewable energy industry in Eilat, the country’s slow progress toward generating green energy hit another bureaucratic snag and zigzag. The Ministry of Finance froze implementation of the feed-in tariffs the Electricity Authority approved last month for a 500 MW quota of  large solar power plants. Minister of Infrastructure Uzi Landau angrily accused the Ministry of Finance of “the targeted killing of the solar industry” and argued that the treasury’s action was contrary to government policy.

The feed-in tariffs approved last month were NIS 1.08/KWh for plants of 10-60 MW capacity, and NIS 0.99/KWh for plants of 60+ MW.  Solar developers were disappointed with these tariffs, arguing that they are low by world standards.

On the other hand, the treasury’s Budgets Division contends that the tariffs are exorbitant – some NIS 0.40/KWh higher than conventional electricity production – and warns that the subsidized rates for solar-generated power could drive the price of electricity up by 20%.

A ministerial committee on renewable energy – which met this week for the first time since its formation two years ago – decided to send this issue back to the government for review and rejected Landau’s proposal to lift the freeze in the meantime.

The chairman of the Eilot Regional Council, Udi Gat, said in response: “The freeze is a critical blow to the renewable energy industry. The large fields will enable the generation of electricity – immediately and effectively.”  Dorit Banet, the co-managing director of the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative, added: “With all due respect for the hysteria from the gas discoveries, we need to also generate renewable and green energy throughout the country and especially in the periphery.”

Image: Jesse Fox

:: TheMarker (Hebrew)
:: Calcalist (Hebrew)

More Green Prophet reports on solar energy in Israel:
Israel Signs Landmark Solar Energy Agreement with Arava Power
Eilat-Eilot Conference: The Ins & Outs Of Renewable Energy In Israel
Solar Energy’s Not So Sunny Side

.

Bellisimo! Sunflower already produces some 24 MW of solar energy in

Israel-based Sunflower Sustainable Investments is continuing to find sunny prospects in Italy for its solar activity, announcing the purchase of another solar energy farm last week. This comes on the heels of the financial investment house’s acquisition of three Italian solar farms at the end of 2010.

Sunflower’s latest agreement is for a 2 MW solar park at a cost of about €5 million. Taking advantage of supportive Italian legislation for solar-generated electricity, Sunflower signed deals in 2010 to build solar farms with a total generation capacity of 12-15 MW. Sunflower, based in Ramat Gan, is a public company, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

:: Globes 
Image: John Harding

More on Israeli solar activity in Italy:

Sunflower Sustainable Investments Adds Three Italian Solar Farms

Israeli Firm Gilatz To Build Another 2MW Solar Plant In Italy

Enlightening! If you bought Enlight stock a year ago, your portfolio would be dazzling.

Though it might be frigid in many parts of the world, it has been a sunny January for Israel-based Enlight Renewable Energy Solutions. So far this month, the photovoltaic (PV) solar power integrator has announced deals to install 13-16 small PV units for two different localities, as well as 45 PV solar installations for IDF bases. Investors in Enlight, a public company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, also have good cause to feel warm and fuzzy: The stock has delivered a handsome return of 154% over the past year.

Enlight’s share price began to climb during the second half of 2010 as the company won a series of solar contracts, including two separate deals to install a total of 20 rooftop PV systems on public buildings in Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Bialik (suburbs of Haifa), agreements with two Italian companies to set up ground and rooftop solar energy facilities, and two 630-kilowatt PV facilities at the communities of Yonatan and Ramat Magshimim on the Golan Heights.

Earlier this month, the Globes business newspaper reported that Enlight won two separate tenders from the Hod Hasharon Municipality and the Ramat Hanegev Regional Council to install 13-16 PV facilities to generate a total of 500-700 kilowatts of electricity. This was followed by a report this week on Enlight’s plan to install 45 rooftop units on IDF bases, each generating 50 kilowatts for a total of 2.25 megawatts.

Image via Enlight.

:: Globes

Read related posts on Green Prophet:

Enlight To Ignite 25 Solar Projects In Israel
Israel’s Air Force Plans Solar Installations at All its Bases
IDF Adopts Solar Energy Field Rechargers in Army Practices

No it’s not Spiderman and friends, just green activists trying to call attention to the environmental impact of coal-burning power plants.

Greenpeace went to great heights yesterday to express opposition to plans for a new coal-burning power plant in Israel. Five Greenpeace activists scaled the cables of the Chords Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem and hung a huge banner (44 square meters) imploring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Stop the coal plant.

Israel currently generates nearly all of its electricity from imported fossil fuels – coal (60-65%), natural gas and crude oil. Efforts to transition from coal to natural gas, a greener solution, received a boost with the recent discovery of substantial off-shore reserves of natural gas. The Israeli government has also set a goal of generating 5% of the country’s electricity needs from renewable energy in 2014 and 10% in 2020. (Today, renewable energy accounts for less than 1%.) The projected mix of renewable energy in 2020 includes: about 49% solar, 30% wind and 21% biofuel.

Greenpeace is not the only opponent of the proposed coal-fired plant. The Ministry of Environment also says: “The construction of a new coal-fired power plant in Israel would present a health and environmental hazard due to the high pollutant emissions and low energy efficiency of such a station compared to stations fired by natural gas.”

Image via Greenpeace

You can read a lot more on this issue on Green Prophet:

Coal-Clad Celebrities Take Part in Greenpeace Israel Exhibition

Greenpeace Israel Boards Coal Ship At Sea To Protest New Coal Plant

Shut Down the New Coal-Fired Power Plants, Says Environment Minister

The Battle Against Coal Power Stations Heats Up in Israel

“The Story of Coal” a Wake-Up Call to Users (and Abusers) of Electricity