Renewable Energy

Solar energy

The energy contained in sunlight is far greater than that generated by burning coal, oil and gas, or by nuclear power. Solar energy systems, which use sunlight to generate electricity, are non-polluting, occupy little land space and consume minimal amounts of water in operation.
For many years, copper has been used intensively for storing and distributing the water heated by solar power.
More recently, the world's leading solar energy companies have been developing technology that uses copper for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells. This innovative process promises to make solar power more plentiful as well as much less expensive than the silicon cell systems currently in use.

Other alternative energy sources

Whether they depend on solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cell or other technologies, alternative energy sources will be crucial in meeting the increasing demand for power that will accompany continuing world industrialisation. A large wind-driven turbine alone incorporates more than a tonne of copper. All these systems will depend heavily on copper to transmit the energy they generate with maximum efficiency and minimum environmental impact.
The need for efficient designs in this area is all the more important given the current high price of energy (kWh) produced through alternative systems.