What a big photovoltaic facility, when you finally see it up close like I did yesterday!
The two parallel perimeter fences stretch on forever . . .
. . . and make it hard to get a clear photo.
It was a long hike from Meitar, seen in the distance, including a quick dash across busy Highway 60.
It's funny, on one side is a farm field of Kibbutz Kramim . . .
. . . and on the other side a solar farm!
The land is leased from the kibbutz by SOLON Elco Renewables Ltd.
It is a joint venture of Berlin-based Solon Energy GmbH, a producer of solar power modules and systems, and Israel's Elco company.
Israel Electric Corporation will buy all the MW this photovoltaic project produces.
I understand that it just became operational about a year ago (at least that was the plan).
Israel's notorious bureaucracy makes getting permits problematic and time consuming.
And with PV projects you need to obtain a building permit, a grid connection permit, and a permit stating you can receive the feed-in tariff.
This is the view from the center of Meitar. (Enlarge the photo to see better.)
The solar field shimmering way way down there was always tantalizing for me.
Yesterday's beautiful weather with the temperature shooting up to 25C finally gave me the get-up-and-go to get up and go there.
See six bigger versions of impressive aerial photos of Kibbutz Kramim (aka Cramim) at the website of Enlighten Eurocom Group.
See an orthophoto showing both Meitar and Kramim in my earlier post.
UPDATE Jan. 26: This just published about how all this renewable energy can be stored.
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UPDATE Feb. 3: A paragraph was published about Kibbutz Kramim.
UPDATE July 23: New in the Negev: http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-inks-deal-for-1b-solar-power-plant/
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(Linking to SkyWatch Friday.)
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They're not unlike the solar projects we see here. I find myself wondering about that smoke rising in the background of one of those shots.
ReplyDeleteWilliam, I was guessing that the smoke might be from burning tires in one of the demonstrations in a Bedouin town. The Bedouin have been protesting for the last several days after police shot a man in a drug bust in their town who soon died. See
ReplyDeletehttp://www.timesofisrael.com/police-commissioner-urges-restraint-as-bedouin-city-burns/
This is great... and in the right place for a lot of sun!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful. They've been putting up solar panels on top of roofs of businesses here in Hawaii also. I don't know if we have a lot of solar farms though. I know there's also some controversy about windmills killing birds, etc. I think we need to try to harness energy in other ways than oil and gas.
ReplyDeleteI hope my native country Philippines start to use solars. We have plenty of sun light in there much as well use it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKim,USA
I feel so much more use should be a basic form of progress in our world need for energy. Fascinating series of photos.
ReplyDeleteI think if any nation on the planet could function well on solar power, Israel would be it!
ReplyDeleteOlá,
ReplyDeleteLindas fotos!
Thanks Dina for your kind comment on my blog. Thanks also for your interesting post. Solar projects like this seem just right for Israel's climate.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for your exchange with William regarding the smoke. I'm off to follow the link you gave.