What is the Future – Solar or Wind?

In the last few months there has been an endless parade of news items touting new projects for both Solar and Wind Power, all of them impressive and all aimed at helping the planet become more sustainable.

We do have to realize that there are location factors for each type of project.  Chances are you are not going to put a Wind project where there is not a huge amount of wind or a Solar project where you will not get the most benefit.  One common factor is that both types of projects do take up a great deal of real estate and that is something that needs to be taken into account.

1968 Nobel Prize winner for Physics, Jack Steinberger, spoke at a conference of Nobel Laureates last week in London and was very vocal in support of Solar Power as the way of the future.  "Europe should cancel its big wind plans" he stated and he also predicted that fossil fuels will be gone in 60 years.    He reasoning for the support of Solar Power is that Wind power still requires backup power when the wind isn’t blowing and that decreases its contribution to emission reductions.  Steinberger estimates that 80 percent of Europe’s power could be provided by solar thermal power plants in the Sahara Desert and transmitted to Europe via undersea power cables.  He is currently trying to get funding for just such a project.

Both Solar and Wind have advanced in leaps and bounds recently and the efficiency of both will continue to grow.  Both also have advantages but as mentioned before the geographical location is the true barometer of what one will work for that location.

Some of the recent projects announced are:

• Vatican City is building a solar farm that will power all of the Holy See
• China has announced that they will spend 14.6 Billion in wind power in the next two years
• India has announced to spend 22 Billion to become the world solar leader
• The London Array is a proposed 1000MW wind farm to be built 20k off the coast of England
• The Arena for the World Games is powered by solar panels on its roof
• The NaiKun wind project will be located in the Hecaite Strait off of British Columbia’s coast

So whether it be solar or wind powered there seems to be no shortage of projects going forward and with each one comes jobs and power.

As I don’t have a preference because I am not an expert in these matters by anyone’s measuring stick I will have to pick my winner the same way I bet on the horses …………I don’t.

John Gough

For More Information: GLOBE-Net
(Source: http://www.globe-net.com/blog/listing.cfm?newsID=4322)