Following the advent of the industrial revolution, fossil fuels have been massively exploited and as a result, they are beginning to dry up.
Energy is vital to industrial development, as most energy is used in industrial processes. Data show that the industrial sector accounts for more than 50 percent of the world’s total energy consumption, mostly in construction, agriculture, mining and manufacturing.
The large volume of literature discussing the energy efficiency and emissions from industrial processes, electric motors, high-pressure air processes and boilers makes it clear that this sector uses a lot of energy.
As a result of environmental concerns and the rapid growth of oil prices, many businesses no longer favor using fossil fuels. Basically, the use of renewable energy systems in the industrial sector can lead to significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
This is the reason traditional energy consumption should be shifted toward renewables, and it is imperative that the industrial sector develops and applies new energy technologies.
Among the sources of renewable energy, solar has received the most attention because it is the most attractive option for the industrial sector. Solar energy is inexhaustible and does not create noise or air pollution. Thus far, the industrial sector has harnessed solar energy through collectors, photovoltaic panels, trackers and giant mirrors among others.
The application of solar energy in industry can be divided into two categories: solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaic energy. Some common applications include heating water, producing steam, drying and dehydration procedures, preheating, concentration, pasteurization, sterilization, washing, cleaning, chemical reactions, industrial space heating, food, plastics, construction, the textile industry and even the commercial sector.
In the industrial sector, solar energy can be used as a source of power and directly in the industrial process itself. If the application is distinguished by whether any external power is involved, solar energy applications can be divided into passive and active systems.
Passive applications do not require external power and are mainly used in household water heaters. Active applications require external power and have a wider range of applications, including air conditioning, refrigeration, steam production and seawater desalination.
Solar energy systems are reliable and cost-effective, and their primary purpose in the industrial sector is to address energy sustainability issues. According to primary energy consumption data released by Shell, solar power generation will have increased significantly by 2030.
Renewable energy development experience shows that within the solar energy industry chain, smooth coordination among designers, engineers, developers, technical consultants, operations and maintenance personnel, and material suppliers is crucial to sustainable industrial development. However, government and community policy play the key role in making this happen.
Lu Shyi-min is a retired energy policy researcher at the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Green Energy and Environment Laboratories.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
On Sept. 3 in Tiananmen Square, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) rolled out a parade of new weapons in PLA service that threaten Taiwan — some of that Taiwan is addressing with added and new military investments and some of which it cannot, having to rely on the initiative of allies like the United States. The CCP’s goal of replacing US leadership on the global stage was advanced by the military parade, but also by China hosting in Tianjin an August 31-Sept. 1 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which since 2001 has specialized
In an article published by the Harvard Kennedy School, renowned historian of modern China Rana Mitter used a structured question-and-answer format to deepen the understanding of the relationship between Taiwan and China. Mitter highlights the differences between the repressive and authoritarian People’s Republic of China and the vibrant democracy that exists in Taiwan, saying that Taiwan and China “have had an interconnected relationship that has been both close and contentious at times.” However, his description of the history — before and after 1945 — contains significant flaws. First, he writes that “Taiwan was always broadly regarded by the imperial dynasties of
A large part of the discourse about Taiwan as a sovereign, independent nation has centered on conventions of international law and international agreements between outside powers — such as between the US, UK, Russia, the Republic of China (ROC) and Japan at the end of World War II, and between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since recognition of the PRC as the sole representative of China at the UN. Internationally, the narrative on the PRC and Taiwan has changed considerably since the days of the first term of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic
A report by the US-based Jamestown Foundation on Tuesday last week warned that China is operating illegal oil drilling inside Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island (Dongsha, 東沙群島), marking a sharp escalation in Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics. The report said that, starting in July, state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp installed 12 permanent or semi-permanent oil rig structures and dozens of associated ships deep inside Taiwan’s EEZ about 48km from the restricted waters of Pratas Island in the northeast of the South China Sea, islands that are home to a Taiwanese garrison. The rigs not only typify
RSS