Going Solar 

Three key men in Israel, dealing with the phenomenon of energy, agree that alternate renewable sources in this country could have been developed earlier. Top scientists, the know-how and technology (and, more recently, environment consciousness) have all been present since the 1950's. That is when South African-born Israeli scientist Harry Zvi Tabor, the father of solar research in the world, first came up with the idea of harnessing the sun's rays.

One key man in the field blames the disparity of cost between green and fossil–driven energy. Another speaks of government short- sightedness, while still another points to inertia, lack of will. No doubt all of these are contributing factors to the reality that Israel, a country which possesses no energy resources of its own, but has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year, is still totally dependent on imported coal and oil. While some one million homes get their hot water from solar energy, the abundant heat from the sun has not yet been tapped to produce electricity. That reality may soon be taking a radical turn in another direction.

The first key man, physicist Professor David Faiman, is particularly keen on talking about the subject to which he has devoted half his lifetime: research in solar energy. The English-born physicist has been researching the potential of the sun's rays since 1976, at the Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Center (part of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research), located in sunny Sde Boker in the Negev, a spot on the map he also calls home.

Professor Faiman believes he is on the threshold of a real breakthrough – getting sun energy to become viable. According to him, the major stumbling block in creating green, renewable energy from the sun has been the cost. Whenever the price of oil goes up, politicians begin thinking and talking about alternative energy. But the thoughts never get much beyond the talking stage, never get off the ground. And when oil costs drop, so do the talks. Thus, the big problem has been viability. "What has prevented the installation of solar plants up to now is the fact that creating electricity from solar energy has been more expensive than creating conventional energy from coal," says the Professor Faiman.

Faiman explains that most costly in the equation are the materials that go into making the solar panels. These panels contain the photovoltaic cells (PV), electronic devices that convert solar energy into electricity. At the moment the panels do both: collect the sun's rays and turn them into energy. The Negev scientist proposes a different, more efficient method that he devised: in place of the panels, a concentrated way of gathering the sun's heat, leaving the PV's to convert it into electricity.

After 30 years of researching and experimenting, Professor Faiman has come up with this novel technology: using large concave dishes instead of flat panels and placing the PV cells on top at a direct angle to the sun (a device turns the PV cells to "catch up" to the sun). The process, by virtue of concentrating the sun's rays, actually multiplies the energy gained from 1 to 1000 kilowatts per hour. (kwh). He notes that Israel consumes some 50 billion kwh a year, and these needs are constantly rising. (One megawatt equals 1million watts, 1 kilowatt equals 1000 watts).

Faiman advocates the building of solar power plants where there is ample space, like the Negev. In fact, his advice has been heeded: the Israel Government is currently publishing a tender to build four solar power plants in the Negev, at Ashalim, south of Beersheva. According to Hezi Kugler, the Brooklyn-bred Director-General of the Ministry of National Infrastructure, (the second key man), seven Israeli and international companies have reached the prequalified stage; among them are the three biggest in Israel: Luz II, Solel and Ormat. He hopes the winning company/ies will be chosen "sometime around spring." Altogether in Ashalim, it is hoped to produce some 100-110 megawatts (mgw) of electricity. Kugler maintains that Israel is one of the leaders in the development of solar energy, and in some aspects of know-how THE leader. "As for research, we are on the cutting edge...The economic aspect – profit – should not be the overriding consideration in choosing the type of energy for the country." He says that the reason Israel has not as yet built any solar power stations is "shortsightedness on the part of the government." "But we have now convinced the Ministry of Finance to set goals for green energy and to provide the means to reach these goals." One method to reduce total dependence on fossil energy (coal and gas) is the amendment to the Electricity Law passed by the Knesset in the summer of 2008. This new law actually forces the Electric Company to buy green energy from the consumer. The consumer – a homeowner or small institution – installs solar panels with photovoltaic (PV) cells on the roof, (a not inexpensive investment, which, Kugler claims, can redeem itself in about 8 years.) These panels produce the electricity the consumer requires. He then sells it to the Israel Electric Company for 50 cents per kwh (currently, "normal" electricity from the Electric Company costs 11-13 cents per kwh.).This kind of incentive, Kugler explains, is what in some countries takes the form of tax breaks.

Kugler expresses the aim of his ministry: "By 2020 our goal is to have 10% of Israel's total energy as alternate renewable energy - 5% from sun, 5% from wind. For a country that has no available energy resources whatsoever, that is not bad. Of the remaining 90%, 40% would be from natural gas and 50% from "clean" coal (coal converted into gas)."

While Kugler speaks of photovoltaic solar energy, Faiman talks of thermal solar. The difference is that the latter needs more space and that, simultaneously with producing electricity, its waste heat can produce hot water.

The company that pioneered in the field of thermal solar as a fuel substitute was the Jerusalem-based firm, Luz International. Between 1984 and 1990 Luz, under its founder and CEO Arnold Goldman (who immigrated to Israel from California in 1970 – the third key person) built and installed nine solar power stations in the Mojave Desert in California.

A first pilot based on Goldman's thermal solar and Faiman's concentrated energy ideas is about to be launched this spring in Kibbutz Yavne, in Israel's south, within the framework of a recently established (2006) start-up company, ZenithSolar, associated with Ben Gurion University. Some 20 concave dishes outfitted with mirrors topped with a photovoltaic cell will not only produce electricity for the use of the kibbutz members, but will also create water heating for them, thus greatly increasing the solar power conversion. While an ordinary photovoltaic cell normally produces one watt of electricity, claims Faiman, in this case, one "concentrated" cell can produce a thousand watts.

The acquired solar-powered electricity by Kibbutz Yavne will then be sold to the electric company -- an added "fringe benefit." While Israel's energy needs are constantly rising, so is the cost of fossil energy. Yoram Yamush, who is working on the Yavne project, is confident that, as more natural energy is generated, its cost will eventually get lower. Not only will it be appreciated for its inexhaustible and non-polluting qualities, but also because it does not create a "greenhouse effect" which causes the earth to get warmer and change the environment. Should the pilot project succeed, adds Yamush, his company is ready to install the system throughout the country.

No one in Israel has any illusion that solar energy combined with other alternative green energies, such as wind, can hope to take the place of the conventional kind. But the goal, as Arnold Goldman expressed it, "is to drastically reduce oil consumption, so as to alter the current balance. The fact is that 5,000 times more solar energy is generated every day than the world consumes. It's universally available and economically competitive. It simply has to be more intelligently balanced with fossil fuel."

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