Thursday, June 17, 2010

News Update Davao consumers tap solar energy for power

DAVAO CITY (PNA) - The Sikat solar-powered car may be the most flamboyant example of how solar energy can be harnessed for practical uses.

However, there are more practical uses for solar energy than one can imagine, and they are on the rise, right here in this city.

Aware of the growing concern for climate change, consumers here are now looking at the possibility of using solar energy in households and commercial establishments, paving the way for the rise of more green buildings.

The Davao City International Airport, for instance, has taken advantage of this alternative source of power by commissioning a 4KVA (kilovolt-ampere) solar power system for its middle marker.

While residents of Marilog in the city's third district were among those who first tried the benefits of solar energy, after the United States-funded Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE), through the Yamog Renewable Energy Development Corporation, introduced solar power in the area sometime in 2005.

Solar energy is a renewable and a cleaner source of energy, making it an ideal alternative source of energy considering the worsening effects of the power crisis and the climate change.

The use of solar energy is silent, non-polluting and requires very little maintenance. The equipment used to convert solar energy to power can, however, be expensive, but cost-effective in the long run.

The sun can be a good source of power for those in the hinterlands like this city's third district.

The AMORE project made use of solar modules to convert sunlight to direct current electricity, which is then stored in a battery. The battery is used to power the streetlamps and fluorescent lamps used in the homes of the beneficiaries.

The project also required the establishment of solar charging stations where people can charge their solar batteries.

Unlike other sources of energy like fuel, the sun can exist for billions of years, thus making it an ideal source of energy for heat and electricity.

It has been decades since John Herschel, a British astronomer, used solar energy through a solar thermal collection box to cook food during an African expedition in the 1830s. However, man has not yet fully maximized this energy source.

Perhaps, the power crisis which is being felt in this city and in other areas in Mindanao, plus the negative effects of climate change, might encourage people to consider the sun as an alternative source of power, this time on a wider scale.