Opinion | Desertec: the renewable energy grab?
If you use social media, you may well have seen a graphic going around, showing a tiny square in the Sahara desert with the caption: ‘This much solar power in the Sahara would provide enough energy for the whole world!’ Can this really be true? It’s based on data from a research thesis written by Nadine May in 2005 for the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany. Read More
Interview | Winners of the 2014 Algerian Paper of the Year Award in Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Dr Yazid Bouznit is a researcher at the Laboratory of Materials Study, Jijel University. He is the first author of the paper that won the 2014 Algerian Paper of the Year Award in Physical Sciences and Mathematics entitled “New co-spray way to synthesize high quality ZnS films” and which was published in the journal Applied Surface Science. Inspire magazine speaks to Dr Bouznit about the work reported in the award winning paper. Read More
Feature | The potential of a solar powered irrigation system to support Algerian farmers
In a sunny North African country like Algeria, the potential of solar power is yet to be fully explored. To secure power resources needed for their daily activities, Algerian farmers currently have to resort to two basic options. The first is to use free power that is supplied by the government as part of the various schemes deployed around the country for this purpose. Algeria has a well-established network of electricity reaching the majority of towns and villages, but unfortunately when it comes to agricultural lands, it only covers a small portion of farming instalments. Additionally, this option is not ideal since not all farmers within the reach of the network receive their supply of free power during adequate times of the day. Read More