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27th November, 2008
France’s Bright Future is 2020
Ambitious may be the best way to describe recent news from France that by the year 2020 this county would enact an ambitious plan to capture more than 400 times the solar energy it collects today.
According to a Reuters.com report France’s environmental ministry said in a statement, “[Our] ambition is to play a leading role in the technological revolution which is about to happen in solar power.” Current plans include the construction of, “at least one solar power plant for each of France's regions by 2011 with a combined total capacity of 300 megawatts (MW).”
While many might argue that there is a wide disparity between costs for traditional forms of energy and an alternative energy source like solar. There are both passive and active solar energy programs that can and are assisting consumers.
For instance geo-thermal heating essentially takes warmth inside the earth to draw energy from the ground to heat a home. The sun is an active participant because it provides the catalyst for evaporation and subsequent rainfall replenishing underground moisture. The end result is efficient heating within the home.
The advancements in viable energy sources are often found when multiple parties become willing to adopt and adapt an alternative energy supply to fit with consumer demand while developing an infrastructure for widespread use. This is the environment envisioned by France.
The stated capacity of 300 megawatts is roughly a third of the power created by a nuclear power plant, but the resulting energy could help France reach a target of 23% for renewable energy sources in that country by 2020.
Reuters.com also indicated, “France only has 24.5 MW of solar power switched to the grid.” Their goal of 300 MW is a sizeable improvement over current performance.
As scientists learn more about the various frequencies of solar energy they are also developing better receptors to capture available energy from the sun. This should aid France in their long-term energy objectives.
In news related to long-term performance, Alternative Energy News recently reported, “Researchers at U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have set a world record in solar cell efficiency. This photovoltaic mechanism transforms 40.8 percent of the light that goes through it into energy. This is the highest confirmed efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date.”
This device is intended to capture power from the sun for use as electricity in homes and businesses. As evidence continues to mount that this renewable energy source is becoming more efficient and cost effective through technological advances it is also an indicator that governments like France are beginning to see a greater potential to solar energy than simply a passive home heating device.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), “France ranks fourth in the European Union (EU) for installed solar capacity, after Germany, Spain and Italy.” AFP also reported, “According to France's energy agency, Ademe, the market for renewable energy could reach 24 billion euros (30.24 billion dollars) in 2012 and foster 120,000 jobs.” The end result also decreases the carbon footprint created from France on the whole.
The logic behind the expansion of solar energy is one that allows for reduced dependence on non-renewable energy supplies as well as employment creation that will revise and expand France’s electric infrastructure to be more competitive in the European Union (EU).
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