Israeli military invests in solar energy to make its bases greener
Gazans also look to solar energy - as a means to solve energy crisis
With an abundance of sunshine throughout the year, Israel has been taking advantage of this natural resource for years and using solar panels to create energy.
Not wanting to be left out of the energy revolution, the Israeli military has implemented a plan to replace all of its diesel generators with solar powered panels to supply energy to bases around Israel.
The IDF plans to reach a point over the next two decades that it will produce almost all the energy it needs from solar sources.
According to the Israeli Air Force website, the Israeli Institute, determined to take an advantage of the promised governmental rewards for renewable energy breakthroughs, has expanded its facilities in recent years.
"The government's initiative has created a large market for equipment suppliers, serving those who explore new technology possibilities", according to Lieut. Col. A. "The financial incentive prompted us to focus on this field."
"We did make a significant progress, but we are still far away from exhausting our abilities in full. We are yet to learn on how to use all of the energy absorbed, and we are yet to develop satisfactory ability to store solar energy", notes Lieut. Col. (in reserve) A. "we cannot rely on direct sunlight alone. Wrong time of day or even bad weather will paralyse us entirely. Sunlight is not available 24/7 to us."
While a move to solar energy would benefit the army financially because of reduced costs, it will also help lower levels of pollution in the country as a whole.
In January, the army announced that it was well on its way to installing a million square feet of solar panels for electricity generation on Israel Air Force bases.
“In 2014, we started to run a pilot project to examine alternative energy sources, with an emphasis on solar energy,” said Col. Oded Yackobovitz, a commander in the IDF Ground Forces, according to the Times of Israel. “It’s all about combining solar panels, hybrid generators for backup, batteries and electrical supervision.”
Gazans also turn to solar power
Meanwhile, across the border in Gaza, many of the coastal enclave's 1.6 million inhabitants are beginning to see solar power not just as a viable alternative, but perhaps as the only solution to the energy crisis.
“We were forced to consider relying on solar power alone after the energy crisis that events in Egypt brought about,” said hospital director Nabil al-Burqani, referring to the closure of cross-border tunnels which halted the fuel supply into Gaza.
“We need solar energy in order to keep up care for babies in the maternity ward,” he told AFP.
“If there’s just a minute-long cut to the electricity that runs the baby incubators, a child could die.”
Gazans have learned to live with daily power outages of up to 12 hours that have affected private homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and water and sanitation plants.
The ruling Hamas movement has blamed the crisis on Egypt’s destruction of cross-border tunnels which had been used for importing fuel, a decision implemented after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The tunnels had played a key role in Gaza’s economy since 2006, when Israel imposed a blockade after the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid. The restrictions were tightened the following year when Hamas seized power.
Although the Israeli restrictions have since been eased, the tunnels continued to be the main conduit for fuel.
By harnessing the energy of the intense sunlight that beats down on the coastal enclave most of the year, Gazans are optimistic they can overcome the crisis in the long term.
And initial setup costs — which include buying and installing panels and converters, and the batteries needed to run them — are potentially outweighed by the benefits.
Staff with agencies