Israel Sept 21/2000 SOLAR POWER-ISRAEL Israel ? In Sept of 2000 Mohammed Sobhi looked out across 800 square meters of solar panels absorbing sun power to air-condition an Israeli office building. He envisioned a similar system producing electricity in the desert south of Cairo. With the recent Intifada or uprising of Palestinians in Israel these dreams may be put on hold. Sobhi, a senior official in the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy, joined energy officials from the United States and Japan as Israel-based Solel Solar Systems switched on the power source it says will in the coming days replace 70 percent of its own conventional electricity needs. Indeed, as world oil prices soar, nations are taking a closer look at possible energy alternatives. Solel's solar panels are producing 50 kilowatts of power ? enough for all the air conditioning, 10 percent of the electricity and part of the heat in the winter as well. Although Egypt's sources of both oil and gas are plentiful, the country hopes to increase use of solar energy there as an environment-friendly energy alternative in the future. The World Bank, too, has expressed interest in Solel technology for solar power station projects it will support worth $200 million in Egypt, India, Morocco and Mexico. Solel's technology can already be found far from the Middle East. A power station in California's Mojave Desert uses Solel's sosis does not occur. This leaves a white color to the corrals and they eventually die off which gives us the term "bleaching").Scientists have seen major corral changes near the shore and at depths of up to 4-5 meters where temps are warmer. Less is known about areas of depths near 10-15 meters but major changes have also been noted at those depths.. |