Kibbutz Kramim PV solar farm!

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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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Noise maker

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Yeah, so the local country club (the 3 pools  post) had a healthy living happening on Friday.
Venders set up booths to explain and hopefully sell everything from Speedo bathing suits to health food lines.

But what caught my attention poolside was this ATV.
Meitar's neighbor, Kibbutz Kramim, apparently has a company called Tslil Noded that offers guided off-road tours on these  Terracross 2-person  buggies.
Anything from a 1.5 hour tour of the kibbutz and the surrounding forests to a 2-day adventure in the Negev desert.

You might be surprised at the other activities the tourism department offers!

I might have to go check out that kibbutz myself.
So far,  all I can see of them from the entrance road of Meitar is Kramim's huge solar field off in the distance.
Enlarge the photo with two separate clicks  and see the many ground-mounted  solar panels.
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