10 Billion Baht Solar Power Plant Proposed By Gulf Electric

[Jai Dee]

Gulf Electric proposes Bt10-bn solar power plant

Gulf Electric Plc, one of Thailand's Independent Power Producers (IPPs), said it had put forward a proposal to the Energy Ministry for a Bt10-billion-plus investment plan to set up the Kingdom's first-ever solar cell power plant.

The plant would be built on 2,000 rai of land at Bor Nok in Prachuap Khiri Khan province and would have a total production capacity of 50 megawatts.

This is a revised plan after the company's previous coal-powered plant project was cancelled due to a marathon protest by villagers in the area. The protestors were afraid of its effects not only upon the environment but also their way of life.

Full story from The Nation here.

[astral]

A good step.

A few years back I researched solar products in Thailand and gave up.

What little was available was priced beyond belief as it was imported and heavily taxed.

Perhaps the government will wake up,

or get all those university whizz kids working on the subject.

[ROFL]

This is something I'm very interested in.

I often look out from my balcony seeing no solar cells and think what a waste.

IMHO solar power, here and in countries like the USA should be as much a no brainer as putting insultion in your attic.

In the states I know several people who's meter outside their house is now turning counter clockwise due to the fact that they are now SELLING their excess back to the power companies.

I read an interesting article on the BBC the other day about solar power becoming one of the "crops of the future".

But the report also proposes that deserts become the powerhouses of the next century, capturing the world's solar energy and potentially exporting electricity across continents. For instance, a 310-square mile area of the Sahara could, with today's technology, generate enough electricity for the whole world.

Its time for the common man to take ownership of this technology before the power companies do. If not in the future you will be "renting" all the equipment from the power companies.

It could be a huge industry, much like the heating and air conditioning industry. Lots of jobs.

[ROFL]

A good step.

A few years back I researched solar products in Thailand and gave up.

What little was available was priced beyond belief as it was imported and heavily taxed.

Perhaps the government will wake up,

or get all those university whizz kids working on the subject.

Might want to give Indo-Siam a PM, he works with solar powered products...refrigeration I think.

[ROFL]

A good step.

A few years back I researched solar products in Thailand and gave up.

What little was available was priced beyond belief as it was imported and heavily taxed.

Perhaps the government will wake up,

or get all those university whizz kids working on the subject.

Since you're interested in the Solar power industry thought I would pass this on to you, its not Thailand but its a sign that the tide has begun to turn so to speak.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2006...tent_607740.htm

1,000 MW solar power plant for China

I think the industry holds huge oppurtunities for those who are willing to go for it....NOW.

[ROFL]

Wow, it seems the tide has certainly come in for solar power. I you're thinking about getting "involved" do it now or you'll be kicking yourself like I did for "talking about" and not buying gold back in 2001.

*I know its not Thai related, but its thread related.

I think it would be great if this started an international pissing contest about who can build the WORLDS BIGGEST.

Portugal starts huge solar plant

The Portuguese plant will be bigger than any other in the world

Construction work has begun in southern Portugal on what is set to be the world's largest solar power station.

The 58m euro (£40m) plant near Serpa, 200km (125 miles) south of Lisbon, will produce enough electricity for 8,000 homes when it starts next January.

The 11-megawatt solar power plant, to be made up of 52,000 photovoltaic modules, will cover a 60-hectare (150-acre) southern-facing hillside.

Portugal plans other solar plants to counter a rise in carbon emissions.

The project in the sunny Alentejo region has been developed by Portuguese renewable energy company Catavento, in conjunction with solar polar provider Powerlight and funded by General Electric Energy Financial Services.

The panels will be raised around two metres off the grass which, Catavento's Piero Dal Maso says, the sheep will take care of.

"The Serpa solar power project, along with other renewable energy initiatives, helps lay the foundation for Portugal's energy future," he said.

"The project takes maximum advantage of the excellent environmental conditions in Portugal for solar power."

Renewable future

He told the BBC World Today programme that they were expecting a good yield.

"It should provide energy enough for 8,000 homes. It will save 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions, so that is probably around 1% of domestic consumption of Portugal.

Mr Dal Maso says he believes the future will need a mix of renewable energies - wind, solar, water and wave energies to help provide coverage.

"It is a drop, but we think in Portugal that it will make sense to use renewables to get away from oil issues and the dependency on energy from outside which we have in Portugal."

The plant will use PowerLight's PowerTracker technology which follows the sun as it moves across the sky throughout the day. The firm say this generates more electricity than conventional fixed-mount systems

[Anek18]

Someone finally ok with my idea of solar power is the best way to go in Thailand.

We have plenty of sunlights all year long, and we should take advantage of it instead of relying on other resources. Very Good

[ROFL]

Someone finally ok with my idea of solar power is the best way to go in Thailand.

We have plenty of sunlights all year long, and we should take advantage of it instead of relying on other resources. Very Good

I agree.

Its not the cure for all a countries energy needs but every little bit helps. I would think that we (the world) could set up huge solar farms floating out in the oceans where the large space recquired for industrial solar power wouldnt harm the enviroment.

.....then again Greenpeace would probably complain that plankton are being killed.

Cant win sometimes.

[Pond Life]

Anyone interested in installing their own solar electric system in Thailand should visit,

www.leonics.com

Their solar panels are comparable in price to the US & Australia.

I do not recomend their inverters as their no load current drain is very high.

[Crossy]

The Thai government would do well to realise that silicon photovoltaic cells are not the only way to convert solar energy into electricity for example:-

http://www.nrel.gov/features/

This 64 MegaWatt array covers 300Acres (about 760Rai) about 1/3 the area of the proposed plant.

Solar powered Stirling engines are also a practical solution and all the parts could be manufactured in Thailand