Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., September 18, 2008 Elul 18, 5768 | | Israel Time: 16:33 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Israel's first solar power station up and running in Negev By Avi Bar-Eli, TheMarker Correspondent Tags: Israel, Solar power  Israel's first solar power station is up and running. Moshe Tenne built the plant on his Negev farm for NIS 1.3 million, and he estimates he will sell NIS 220,000 of electricity a year to the national power grid. The state incentives to produce solar power took effect on July 1; they allow home and industrial customers to install solar power panels and receive NIS 2.01 per kilowatt hour for the electricity they produce  compared with the NIS 0.50 per kilowatt hour they pay the Israel Electric Corporation. The new agreement is for photovoltaic cell array technology, and the power produced is intended for the producer's use, while any extra power may be sold to the IEC. The state limits household power plants to 15 kilowatts, and business customers to 50 kilowatts. Advertisement Tenne inaugurated his 50-kilowatt solar array this week. It will provide two-thirds of the needs of his central Negev farm, located on the region's so-called Wine Route. The Tenne family established its farm three years ago, and makes its living from a sophisticated dairy barn with 70 cows producing about 800,000 liters of milk a year. Tenne's power plant has thin-film solar panels made by Sharp on 600 square meters of the cowshed's roof. He also installed another array of multicrystal silicon solar cells, a different technology. These are mounted on systems that track the sun during the day and are spread out over about a dunam of his farmland, about a quarter acre. The arrays were installed by the company Solar-Power. Tenne paid for the new power generating system with loans and out of his own funds. The customers will settle accounts with the IEC by offsetting the power they sell back to the electric company each month against the rest of the electric bill, based on the readings of new electric meters. The system is already powering the farm, and will be hooked up to the national grid in another two weeks. "With the introduction of the new regulations, the project became economically worthwhile. But in addition, it's necessary," Tenne said. "If electricity prices rise, the IEC's prices will already meet the cost of solar energy in 2016. That's another reason the project is worthwhile. It's more than the need to be independent." In addition, Tenne is not waiting for the expected wind power incentives to take effect, and he is installing small turbines for electricity production around his farm. The first one is already working as a pilot, producing 1 to 2 kilowatts and operating 12 hours a day. Such turbines cost between NIS 30,000 and NIS 40,000 each Bookmark to del.icio.us   Unexpected guest Clinton cancels spot at Jewish groups' anti-Iran rally over Palin invite. Critique served cold Ex-IDF chief Ya'alon says the air force failed in the Second Lebanon War.   1.   if it can`t kill the zionazi not interested 03:16  |  get a clue 28/08/08   2.   Israel needs to get Iran interested in solar energy 04:09  |  PK 28/08/08   3.   To #1 04:24  |  Avi 28/08/08   4.   MAZAL TOV. Israel is self sufficient in Natural gas 05:53  |  PETER SM 28/08/08   5.   Tenne is an Israeli Hero 06:22  |  Greg Whitcher 28/08/08   6.   Israel`s first solar power station up and running in Negev 09:52  |  martin list, m.d. 28/08/08   7.   peter sm 11:49  |  potobac 28/08/08   8.   First Solar Power Plant 12:12  |  Chris 28/08/08   9.   POTOBAC neither will oil.The world moves on 12:22  |  PETER SM 28/08/08   10.   POTOBAC neither will oil.The world moves on 12:22  |  PETER SM 28/08/08   11.   Any move to stop oil is good. 12:31  |  Petra 28/08/08   12.   Solar Power Stations 12:50  |  Michael J 28/08/08   13.   Get a Clue, #1 Clueless 14:03  |  FOX 28/08/08   14.   Renewable Energy 22:52  |  Eric Mair 28/08/08   15.   peter sm 22:20  |  potobac 30/08/08

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