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BGU Technology Used in Israel's First Solar Farm
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, April 28, 2009 – ZenithSolar, an Israeli start-up company, launched its first "solar farm" near Tel Aviv on April 26, based on concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems developed by Prof. David Faiman of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).
[View video of new solar farm.]
Prof. David Faiman at solar farm unveiling
Faiman, who is chairman of the Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics at BGU's Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, believes the new system will harvest more than 70 percent of incoming solar energy (as compared to industry norms of 10 percent to 40 percent).
"By concentrating solar energy to a level 1,000 times more intense than natural sunlight and taking advantage of the higher efficiencies at which solar cells operate under these conditions, only minute amounts of expensive PV material are necessary to produce large amounts of power," Prof. Faiman explained.
Faiman believes that systems such as ZenithSolar's will eventually be able to operate economically without the need for subsidies.
"Israel has the capability to become the leading country in the promotion of alternative energy technologies," said Israel's President Shimon Peres before cutting the ceremonial ribbon with the help of children from Kibbutz Kvutzat Yavne, where the half acre farm is located.
Israel's President Shimon Peres with children of Kibbutz Kvutzat Yavne during the ribbon cutting ceremony. BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi is far right and ZenithSolar CEO Roy Segev is left of Mr. Peres.
"As I stand here looking at this solar farm, I feel great pride in my heart that such a small country has such great minds."
Speaking at the ceremony, BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi said, "Ben-Gurion University is proud to be a partner in positioning Israel at the center of the world in developing unique solar energy technologies."
Roy Segev, chief executive officer and founder of ZenithSolar explained, "The potential for this technology to provide low-cost, accessible energy for customers around the world is enormous. Our system is simple enough to be applicable in almost any situation, whether it is industrial, commercial, residential or related to eco-tourism. There is currently no other comparable technology available in the world."
Segev added, "Working closely with Prof. David Faiman and Dr. Andreas Bett, head of the Department of Materials - Solar Cells Technology and his staff at Germany's Fraunhofer Gesellschaft for Solar Energy Systems, we have created a solar energy system that is more efficient than any similar solar product."
About ZenithSolar
ZenithSolar is set to develop and mass produce the most reliable cogeneration solar power system – with a full vertically integrated strategy – that can be deployed as a distributed energy network. Founded in 2006, the ZenithSolar system is price competitive with traditional forms of energy without government subsidies. The ZenithSolar concentrated solar energy generation system is based on a new paradigm in optical design and high-efficiency solar cells. www.zenithsolar.com
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel’s southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev.
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Andrew Lavin |
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