Why virtual Power Plants are the Future of Solar Energy

03.09.2024

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proença)

Renewable energy sources like solar are volatile, meaning there is not enough energy production to meet demand when the sun doesn’t shine.

However, when the sun does shine, solar panels can feed so much electricity into the grid that the electricity becomes worthless at market.

Virtual power plants – decentralized battery networks of sources such as EVs – can help achieve 100 percent renewable energy systems.

Moving from energy ‘prosumers’ to ‘flexumers’

Today’s renewables still work in a conventional setting. Homeowners – often dubbed ‘prosumers’ as they produce and consume energy – feed in the electricity from their solar panels into the grid when the sun shines or when their battery is fully charged.

These solar energy systems could with some justification be called ‘dumb’, just as an old mobile phone could take calls but was unable to do anything else prior to today’s smartphone era.

Instead, the future of solar must be smart and connected. Prosumers will give the floor to ‘flexumers’ that are integrated into the grid and can react to market signals.

Just as an autonomous vehicle can be updated remotely and have more and more features while the body of the car remains the same, the domestic solar energy system will look the same in terms of hardware, but its software will be much more powerful.

‘Sector coupling’ key to the future of solar energy

The ‘magic wand’ to make this happen is the so-called ‘sector coupling’ – merging the previously separate areas of electricity, heat and fuels. In the future, electricity will also be used for heat generation via heat pumps, as well as for charging electric vehicles (EVs) at home.

De-facto, an EV is a large battery on wheels. A medium-sized car battery, such as that of the Volkswagen ID3 in mid-range configuration, has a capacity of 62 kWh – equivalent to the amount of electricity a family in a single-family home consumes in 6-7 days (approximately 8-10 kWh per day).

By 2030, Germany alone aims to have 15 million electric cars on the road, and typically private cars remain unused for 23 hours a day.

This presents tremendous potential for using electric cars as mobile storage, intelligently-networked and controlled via smart energy management. Bi-directional charging, enabling power flow between the grid and EVs, is under way and will soon be usable.

Heat pumps are also a form of buffer storage: they heat water to provide heating and hot water.

The impact of a temperature difference of 1-2ºC in the supply temperature is negligible above a minimum threshold. If you adjust the operation of heat pumps to reduce usage during periods of expensive energy and maximize usage when energy is inexpensive, they can help stabilize fluctuations in renewable energy supply.

Creating a domestic decentralized battery network

Hundreds of thousands of home batteries, EVs and heat pumps are poised to connect into a vast, decentralized battery network – offering capacity akin to several nuclear power plants, but with unparalleled flexibility.

German renewables company Enpal is targeting a capacity exceeding one gigawatt by 2026, supported by a growing number of similar projects.

This networked battery, called a ‘virtual power plant’ (VPP), intelligently manages and aggregates electricity generation, storage and consumption from participating households, while also trading profitably on the electricity market.

For instance, it charges the storage or electric vehicle when electricity is very cheap or when the household solar panels generate surplus energy. Electricity is sold back to the grid when market prices are high due to low sunlight or wind.

This artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform enables homeowners to save significant costs and generate additional income. The smart integration into the energy market also paves the way for transitioning away from solar subsidies.

Virtual power plants can optimize energy operations

By optimizing operations in the intraday continuous market, VPPs simultaneously play a crucial role in relieving and better utilizing electricity grids.

They decentralize storage of surplus electricity when the grid is overloaded and inject electricity back into the grid as needed. This reduces peak loads, ensures a more even distribution of electricity generation and demand, and stabilizes electricity grids.

Source: World Economic Forum

The Role of Hydrogen and Iron in an Innovative Solution for Solar Energy Storage

02.09.2024

Although solar energy currently available in many countries could meet a significant portion of electricity needs, certain challenges are associated with this energy source. Solar energy is not consistently available. For example, there is more of it during the summer months than needed, while in winter, there is less of it because sunny days are rarer, and the sun sets earlier.

In the case of Switzerland, solar energy could cover more than 40 percent of electricity needs by 2050, but the challenge of its storage remains. Therefore, even though there is a surplus of solar energy in the summer, it cannot be made available in the winter when it is most needed.

As a solution, it is suggested that the excess solar energy produced in the summer be used to generate hydrogen, which would then be stored and used in the winter. The reason for this solution is that hydrogen can be used to produce electricity and heat. However, hydrogen storage presents a challenge of its own. It is highly flammable, easily spreads, and can make materials brittle. Special high-pressure tanks are needed for its storage, and cooling technology, which is expensive and energy-intensive, is also required. Finally, hydrogen has such properties that it can penetrate materials and cause leaks, which can lead to environmental problems and additional costs to stop the leaks.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, led by Wendelin Stark, a professor of functional materials at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosystems, have developed a new technology for seasonal hydrogen storage that is much safer and cheaper than existing solutions. It involves the use of the fourth most abundant element on Earth – iron, as well as the steam-iron process, known since the 19th century.

The steam-iron process uses iron to store and release hydrogen, allowing for efficient energy storage. When there is excess solar energy in the summer, it is used to electrolyze water and produce hydrogen. This hydrogen is introduced into a reactor filled with iron oxide. There, hydrogen reacts with iron oxide, removing oxygen and leaving elemental iron and water. In this way, the energy from hydrogen is stored in the form of iron.

During winter, when there is a need for energy, the process is reversed. Steam is introduced into the reactor and reacts with iron, converting it back into iron oxide, while releasing hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be used to produce electricity or heat.

The advantage of this process is that it uses a cheap and readily available material, iron, and allows long-term energy storage with minimal losses. Although the process is not perfectly efficient, it represents an innovative way to use solar energy during the winter.

“This chemical process is similar to charging a battery. It means that the energy in hydrogen can be stored as iron and water over long periods with almost no losses,” the researchers explain.

They further explain that the reactor in which the reaction occurs does not need to meet special safety requirements. It consists of walls made of stainless steel only six millimeters thick, and the reaction takes place at normal pressure, while the storage capacity increases with each cycle.

However, the main drawback of using hydrogen remains its low efficiency, as up to 60 percent of energy is lost during production and conversion. This means that hydrogen is attractive as an energy storage medium only when wind or solar energy surpluses are available, and when other options are not feasible.

A pilot plant on the Hönggerberg campus, one of ETH’s two main campuses, already demonstrates the technical feasibility of this technology, with plans to cover one-fifth of the campus’s winter energy needs by 2026 using hydrogen stored from solar energy collected in the summer.

Katarina Vuinac

Schneider Electric Empowers Building Owners and Operators to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Goals With EcoStruxure™ Energy Hub

01.09.2024

GettyImages-1159763203 — Photo: Schneider Electric

Facility managers must be empowered to monitor energy usage and emissions in real-time. Yet, the vast majority of electrical assets in buildings are not digitally connected, limiting the visibility of energy usage.

EcoStruxure™ Energy Hub provides visibility into energy usage, costs and performance, and energy-saving recommendations – all in an intuitively designed package that is simple to install, configure and use. It makes energy management easy and secure, all via a smartphone app.

EcoStruxure™ Energy Hub enables facility managers to automatically collect, store, and visualize energy data while generating reports on energy consumption – whether they manage a single building or a portfolio of buildings.

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Implementation of EcoStruxure™ Energy Hub helps building owners comply with building energy codes and creates transparency to help drive energy-efficient and sustainable behavior.

The solution encourages accountability of tenants by providing a simplified allocation of building energy usage, billing configuration and report generation. Analytics helps to develop deep insights into waste reduction and operational improvements, including energy savings tips.

Energy optimization helps organizations drive continuous energy improvement in building operations without investing in expensive, sophisticated, on-premises automation systems. The software enables you to monitor energy infrastructure in real-time emailing or messaging notifications. It provides visibility into energy usage, records, responds and accelerates total energy consumption issue solving.

Schneider Electric

Read the whole story in the new issue the Energy portal Magazine AGROSOLAR ENERGY AND RES.

Eco Gym – Nurturing the Health of People and Nature

31.08.2024

Stvaramo bolju buducnost slika — Photo: Eco Gym

When people neglect to take care of their health, they also distanced themselves from nature. In the same way, neglecting nature inevitably endangers a person’s health. In a world where the awareness of this unbreakable bond is declining, there are individuals who, thanks to their knowledge and passion, do not allow this bond to fall into oblivion. During the pandemic and isolation, when we seemed to be the furthest from nature, Marko Ćirić, professor of sports, devised a way to reconnect us with nature. Marko comprehensively described the idea that brings multiple benefits in one sentence – “This is a circular economy project where, with the help of volunteers, we clean rivers, collect wood waste and give it a new life through a socially useful Eco gym”.

As a professor of sports and owner of a raft on the Sava River for over 40 years, he often organized river cleaning campaigns, but he did not know what he could do with the collected wooden waste. They used the separated waste to create decorations for the coast but without a clear picture of how they could use it. As Mr Ćirić explains, he focused his time during the pandemic on research, which helped him find the connection between his primary occupation and his love for the river. After devising the initial idea, he assembled a five-member team to implement the concept together with him.

“We had no idea how many challenges would be ahead of us. In August 2023, we became a part of the UNDP EU project for the Green Agenda in Serbia, during which a public call to submit innovative solutions related to the circular economy was launched. With their help, especially Ana Mitić and Tatjana Jovančević, we started to develop a project”, says our interlocutor.

Some of the challenges the team faced were the technical drawings and statics of all devices, the acquisition of the necessary documentation, and the design of the gyms. They paid special attention to safety by obtaining safety certificates from the IMS Institute, patenting, securing copyright rights, promoting, and other related activities.

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The entire process of creating an Eco Gym consists of several stages. Depending on the chosen location, the team finds a river nearby and conducts a cleaning campaign at least once a month. The collected waste is sorted, and most is used for recycling. Branches and trees are transferred to the dryer and workshop. PET packaging, which is also collected, is sorted and taken to recycling centers, and the collected bottled caps are transported to the Čepom do Osmeha organization in Novi Sad. About 10 per cent of the waste wood is used to make the equipment, which is then coated, while the rest is used to make a floor for the gym. In this way, the entire process of circularity is completed, with no leftover waste and where each part has its purpose. After all the segments are made, they are transported to the selected location and assembled into the Eco Gym, which consists of 13 pieces of equipment. Eco Gym has equipment to exercise the whole body, designed so that several muscle groups can be worked on one device, and you can add extra weights. This gym is intended for a wide range of users, from high school students to senior citizens. Some of the equipment available includes eco squat, eco deadlift, eco bench, eco decline, eco stretch and others.

So far, three Eco Gyms have been built and installed. In cooperation with UNDP, the world’s first gym of this type was opened in Vršac in June 2023. Antoine Avignon opened the gym in front of the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden, the UNDP delegation, and representatives of the Vršac government. The other two gyms are located in Zlatibor and Sokobanja.

Prepared by Katarina Vuinac

Read the whole story in the new issue the Energy portal Magazine AGROSOLAR ENERGY AND RES.

Can EU Mining Waste Regulations Address the Challenges of Increased Mining?

30.08.2024

rudarenje — Photo-illustraion: Freepik (ArthurHidden)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Shane McLendon)

In an effort to reduce its reliance on the import of critical raw materials, which are essential for various industries, including technology, energy, and automotive, Europe plans to increase mining in the coming years. Moreover, new mines will be opened to achieve the goal set by the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to produce at least 10 percent of these raw materials within Europe.

The question arises: are European mining regulations sufficient to meet such a challenge? The organization Transport & Environment (T&E) commissioned a legal analysis of the 2006 EU Mining Waste Directive (EWD) and outlined what its revision should include. It is noted that although Europe is considered to have the highest environmental standards in the world, it is questionable whether those related to mining waste are adequate or outdated for modern needs.

One of the main conclusions of the legal analysis conducted by the law firm Hörchner Advocaten is the risk that EU member states may apply the Directive in different ways. Furthermore, many important provisions are not clearly defined and are left to each member state to implement at their discretion. For example, it is unclear who is responsible in the event of an accident or damage, as well as how often and to what extent prevention and monitoring plans should be implemented.

Another important conclusion of the analysis is that some of the best available techniques are not mandatory, leaving companies the option to decide on their own. In this case, the example given is filtered tailings dams, a technique for managing mining waste that improves safety and reduces environmental risks associated with tailings storage.

Finally, current regulations regarding environmental protection and the well-being of local communities are not sufficiently robust.

Based on the conclusions drawn from the legal analysis, T&E calls on the European Commission to update the Mining Waste Directive and reform it into a new European Mining Waste Regulation. This would ensure the harmonized application of rules across member states. In addition, the best available techniques should become mandatory. Companies should be required to implement them, relying on expert knowledge and guidelines. These guidelines and recommendations on the best available techniques for managing various industrial processes, including mining waste management, are outlined in the Best Available Techniques Reference Document (BREF). This would not only improve environmental protection and safety but would also positively impact communities living near mining sites.

The third proposal put forward by T&E is to rely on the Safety First Guidelines, developed by experts in mining, civil society, and academia. These guidelines provide detailed explanations on how tailings dams should be designed, managed, and closed. Additionally, they establish key financial and governance provisions that should be implemented. Furthermore, in the new regulation, environmental protection measures and community safety should be strengthened, recognizing the significant and long-lasting impacts on land, biodiversity, and human health in the event of tailings dam failure and spillage.

Finally, it is emphasized that communities should be involved in all stages of mining projects through consultations and should be informed of any incidents should they occur.

Katarina Vuinac

Child of the Year and the Soap that Cures Skin Cancer

29.08.2024

sapuni — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Allie Smith)

Just over a year ago, I lost my aunt—a person very dear to me—to that insidious disease.

Since then, I often think about cancer—all those people who fight valiantly despite poor medical prognoses, the arduous and uncertain treatments, and the feeling of helplessness that spreads to the entire family. Will I one day find myself in the ring with the deadliest disease in the world? Will I be able to defeat it? These fears sometimes keep me awake at night, and I can’t help but wonder how science has come so far yet still hasn’t found a cure for cancer.

I admit that I have slightly leaned into hypochondria, often catching myself googling the symptoms of various types of cancer and searching for recipes for healthy drinks that will make my immune system invincible. And just as I was studying skin cancer and methods of safe tanning, my scrolling was interrupted by amazing news: Young scientist Heman Bekele has created a soap that can cure skin cancer!

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Despite being only 15 years old, Bekele earned the title of “Child of the Year” after devising a simple and economical way to treat skin cancer. In an interview with Time magazine, this promising teenager revealed that he is originally from Ethiopia, where he was daily exposed to people who were overexposed to the sun and had the chance to see the effects on their health.

After moving to the United States with his family, Bekele received his first set of test tubes and chemistry equipment when he was just seven years old.

At first, he experimented with household chemicals like laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. He often mixed different substances and left them overnight to see how they would react, and his parents were even afraid that Heman would burn down the house.

Fortunately, that did not happen. What did happen is that Bekele grew up to become a true young scientist who brings hope to the entire world that the insidious disease—which often starts as a tiny spot and can end fatally—might finally be easily curable.

Bekele explains that the drug “Imiquimod,” which is used to treat skin cancer, is inaccessible to many vulnerable groups—especially those living in less developed parts of the world. That’s why he thought about how to make the application of this drug more economical, and the solution came in the form of combining the drug with soap.

The reason for this is simple—soap is used daily by almost everyone in the world. If we were to bathe with Bekele’s innovative soap, after rinsing off the lather with water, the drug particles would remain on the skin as an active component capable of treating melanomas.

The teenager explains that the support of older mentors, who contributed their knowledge and experience to the perfection of the cancer-curing soap, was crucial on his path to this discovery. It is possible that this drug will soon be available for sale.

The significance of this young scientist’s discovery is further evidenced by the fact that Bekele won the 2023 Young Scientist Challenge. Well-deserved!

According to data from the World Health Organization, skin cancer is the most widespread form of cancer globally. In the United States, more than five million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer in the country. Therefore, it’s clear why every step towards improving cancer treatment is immensely important, and Bekele has just proven that even young people like him can make the world a better place.

“If it seems like everything has already been invented and that there’s nothing left for you to create, know that it’s not true. Keep creating and making this world a better place to live,” said Bekele. I think that because of these words, I will sleep much more peacefully tonight.

Milena Maglovski

How Degraded Are Freshwater Systems – What the United Nations Report Reveals

29.08.2024

NOVO voda , reka — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jacek Smoter)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ezra Jeffrey-Comeau)

The state of our freshwater ecosystems has been highlighted in a study conducted by UN-Water and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Through three reports on progress in the area of freshwater resources, it has been shown that a significant number of countries worldwide are experiencing degradation in one or more types of freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and aquifers. This series of reports is published every three years to assess the progress made in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims for clean water and sanitation for all by protecting and restoring freshwater sources.

The main changes observed include a significant reduction in river flow, a decrease in the surface area of water bodies or their complete disappearance, a deterioration in ambient water quality, and the indication that water management is not on the right track.

More precisely, 90 percent of countries, most of which are located in Africa and Central or Southeast Asia, report degradation in one or more freshwater systems. Contributing factors include pollution, dam construction, land-use changes, excessive water extraction, and climate change.

It is reported that river flow has decreased in 402 river basins worldwide, influenced by climate change and land use. This represents a fivefold increase compared to the year 2000. In a significantly smaller number of river basins, river flow is increasing.

In Southeast Asia, there is a drastic decline in mangroves, and their loss due to human activities poses a serious risk to coastal communities, freshwater resources, biodiversity, and the climate. Their role in ecosystem preservation is multifaceted. To clarify, mangroves are coastal forest systems found in tropical and subtropical regions. The significance of these systems lies in their ability to store up to four times more carbon from the atmosphere than other types of forests. Additionally, they act as a natural barrier protecting coastal communities from erosion, storms, or tsunamis, and they provide habitat for a significant portion of biodiversity. As another example, mangroves have the ability to filter water before it enters open water systems.

The reports have also shown that lakes and other surface water bodies are shrinking or disappearing, in 364 basins worldwide.

The poorest half of the world contributes less than three percent of global water quality data. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of these systems, as it is crucial for the adequate management of water resources. Where data does exist, it shows that the quality of freshwater has deteriorated since 2017. The reports recommend expanding government water quality monitoring programs, incorporating citizen science, and using satellite technologies to fill data gaps.

To sustainably manage water resources, integrated water resource management across all sectors must be implemented by 2030. Although 47 countries have achieved or nearly achieved such management, 63 countries need to accelerate implementation, and 73 have limited capacities. If this trend continues, the world will achieve sustainable water management only by 2049. This further means that by 2030, 3.3 billion people in over 100 countries will likely have inefficient water management systems.

Katarina Vuinac

Accelerated Growth Trend of Solar Capacities

28.08.2024

solar , panel — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mark Merner)

Photo: Courtesy of Profefsor Nikola Rajaković. PhD

The prevailing stance in expert circles today regarding solar energy is undeniably positive. Particular emphasis is placed on its achieved technological maturity and the most rapid growth trend compared to other renewable energy sources, making comparisons with the future share of fossil fuels even more compelling. For the future of energy, an optimal mix that includes wind energy and hydropower, with a carefully measured place for nuclear technologies and moderate hope for nuclear fusion technologies in the more distant future, is indeed being considered.

Energy perspectives on the consumption side must account for the electrification of transport (where feasible) and strong electrification of the heating and cooling sectors and industry. It is essential to focus on reducing energy consumption to improve energy efficiency indicators and possibly due to changes in value systems in what we call the geopolitical West, where there are tentative theories about the need to reduce per capita consumption at this level of development to achieve sector sustainability (degrowthers). Electricity production perspectives balance consumption perspectives.

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For instance, in Europe in 2022, there was a production of 5.7 MWh/ person, and by 2050, a production of 11.7 MWh/person is expected, dominated by renewable energy sources (RES), primarily solar. As an illustration, the final consumption of all types of energy in Europe was 31 MWh/person in 2022, and it is expected to be 23 MWh/person by 2050 due to the impact of the previously analyzed trends. The concept of sustainable development, which sees environmental degradation as the central problem, is often accompanied by much demagoguery. Its main opponent is fundamentally liberal capitalism, which, with its growing hunger for profit, is practically in a perpetual war with sustainability. In 2023, 500 GW of RES capacities were built – a record year!

Of that, 50 per cent of the new RES capacities were built in China. Almost all analyses show that we will reach the peak use of all fossil fuels before 2030, followed by an accelerated decline in the share of fossil fuels in the energy sector. It is worth noting that, according to analyses, the RES sector will participate with about 80 per cent in the construction of new energy capacities in 2030, with solar technologies dominating with more than 50 per cent share. The growth trend of solar capacities is well illustrated by the fact that 220 GW of new solar capacities were built in solar power plants in 2022, and 500 GW of new solar capacities are expected by 2030. Decentralization refers to electricity production from small, geographically distributed renewable energy sources.

Decentralization (distributed production) also brings elements of democratization to the sector by dismantling monopolies of large energy giants. This segment is particularly significant for solar technologies, with solar panels installed on the roofs of family homes, public institutions, parking lots, supermarkets, and factories. In the future, decentralized production of all types of energy is expected to meet almost a third of total energy needs, with solar technologies again standing out as dominant due to their modularity, low cost, environmental friendliness, and potential for installation on vertical facades, car roofs, and numerous unconventional solutions.

Centralized production remains dominant (large power plants) but in synergy with decentralized production, which practically does not burden high-voltage transmission networks, forming an optimal hybrid mix. Agrosolar, or the simultaneous use of land for electricity production through solar panels and food production or biomass, is a significant segment of solar technology applications. The use of agrosolar in viticulture has already proven remarkably successful, where grape yields under solar panels, which have adjustable angles, are somewhat reduced, but accelerated airing of the vines after rain minimizes the development of fungal diseases, achieving optimal sunlight conditions (not too much, not too little sun), leading to a winwin situation with additional income from the produced electricity. For the development of large solar projects, it is crucial to successfully solve three parts of a complex puzzle: land (with the labyrinth of urban project development), grid connection (with realistic and conservative limitations imposed by grid operators), and the power purchase agreement (PPA) for the produced electricity (ensuring project bankability).

A significant characteristic of the energy transition in recent years is undoubtedly the speed of change, especially in reducing solar panel and battery technology costs. It is essential to note that hybrid solutions (combining solar power plants with powerful batteries at the same location as one balancing group) are very competitive today.

Professor Nikola Rajaković, PhD

Read the whole story in the new issue the Energy portal Magazine AGROSOLAR ENERGY AND RES.

A 600-Year-Old Coral Records Changes in Pacific Ocean Temperatures

27.08.2024

korali — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Milos Prelevic)

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Navigator175)

Global warming is affecting the increase in sea and ocean temperatures, leaving its mark on underwater life. One such coral in Fiji, over 600 years old, has recorded how the temperatures of the Pacific Ocean have changed throughout its long lifespan.

Data from this ancient coral reveal how climate patterns, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, have evolved over the centuries, offering crucial context for understanding current and future climate trends.

The research was published in the journal Science Advances, and the species of coral is Diploastrea heliopora, sometimes known as the “honeycomb coral.” This massive coral was discovered in 1998, and scientists obtained samples by drilling into it.

This remarkable 627-year-old record from the coral (1370–1997) represents the longest continuous sea surface temperature record to date. To establish the chronology of temperatures in the waters around Fiji, this coral’s record was compared with others from the Fiji archipelago.

From the coral, scientists determined that local ocean temperatures were high between 1380 and 1553, comparable to those in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. However, when combined with other coral records, the warming observed across the Pacific since 1920, largely attributed to human-induced emissions, represents a significant deviation from the natural variability recorded in earlier centuries.

While the waters around Fiji were almost as warm in the past as they are today, the problem is that the warming is becoming increasingly synchronized across the tropical and subtropical Pacific.

Due to climate change and rising water temperatures, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent, with four global bleaching events recorded so far, leading to the disruption of marine ecosystems.

One of the study’s authors stated that long-term climate variability in the Pacific is crucial for predicting future climate changes.

Energy portal

Cloud Seeding with Drones as a Response to Drought

27.08.2024

drone-in-the-forest — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

After a severe drought hit the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China, the country has begun testing revolutionary technology that uses drones for cloud seeding to induce rainfall wherever needed.

According to Chinese media reports, the TB-A drones, typically used in military operations, have been equipped with silver iodide sticks for cloud seeding purposes, which stimulate cloud condensation.

The use of drones offers numerous advantages over traditional methods, including greater precision, flexibility, and lower operational costs. The TB-A drone, equipped with three engines, can carry up to 3,250 kg, has an endurance of 40 hours, and a range of 8,000 km, making it ideal for long-duration operations in remote areas.

The testing in the Xinjiang region will last 45 days, with the aim of increasing precipitation in this drought-stricken area. A successful outcome could lay the groundwork for broader application of this technology in other arid regions, both in China and globally. As climate change intensifies, innovative approaches like this one could become crucial tools in combating drought and managing water resources.

However, experts are concerned that the widespread use of this technology could lead to various consequences, such as increased pollution and the risk of excessive rainfall. Although China is at the forefront of cloud seeding technology, questions remain about the effectiveness and long-term impacts of this technique on the environment.

The Practice of Cloud Seeding in China

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique used to increase precipitation. This process involves dispersing substances such as silver iodide into the atmosphere, which encourages the condensation of water vapor into clouds, thereby increasing the likelihood of rain or snow. China is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to the application of this technology, with the goals of managing water resources, combating droughts, and reducing air pollution.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China used cloud seeding to ensure ideal weather conditions for the opening ceremony and the duration of the games. Approximately 1,100 rockets were launched from the ground to disperse silver iodide into the clouds. The goal was to induce rainfall before the clouds reached Beijing, thereby reducing the chances of rain during the opening ceremony.

Milena Maglovski

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Moving from energy ‘prosumers’ to ‘flexumers’

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‘Sector coupling’ key to the future of solar energy

Creating a domestic decentralized battery network

Virtual power plants can optimize energy operations

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Polluting Companies “Choose” Poorer Areas

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