Following on Eric’s blurb on Qatar’s growing investment in photovoltaics, I thought I’d share this picture I took during my recent travels to the Middle East. These solar water heaters are found on nearly every rooftop around Jerusalem. I saw a good number of PV panel installations as well, especially atop commercial centers and government buildings, but neglected to snap a shot as it was raining quite heavily that day.
Given Israel’s location and high rates of insolation, and relatively limited domestic sources of energy, it’s not surpising to see so many individuals making use of solar power. And given the ever-precarious political situation, it’s not surprising that the Israeli government has been taking steps to reduce its reliance on imported oil by increasing funding to solar technologies. Whether the Negev will ever produce to the recently hyped 1-gigawatt of power remains to be seen. What does seem clear, however, is the start to a mildly ironic trend: in a region that sits on 2/3 of global oil reserves, solar energy is making noteworthy headway.
(P.S.: For info on a nascent proposal to convert all of Israel’s cars to electric motors, check out President Ehud Olmert’s recent speech.)
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