With costs plunging in solar and wind power in the past three years, wind-powered energy alone will be able to supply 20 percent of global demand, according to the director of Renewable Energy Partner, a leading U.K.-based company.
“Renewables are almost reaching the point where they can survive without government subsidies,” Adel Baba-Aissa, director of the company, which specializes in renewable energy projects in the Middle East and Africa, said.
“I can say the future is bright for ‘clean’ energy,” he said.
Baba-Aissa said it was easier to set up solar systems compared to wind. “Yet wind-powered systems are easier to construct than geothermal and hydro power systems, still providing an advantage,” he added.
It takes at least two years to take measurements for wind-based systems whereas the preparatory work for geothermal and hydropower processes takes at least three to five years, Baba-Aissa remarked.
In this regard, solar-powered systems are the easiest to bring to life, with the possibility of setting up solar plants within 9 to 12 months, he added.
“But not all countries have access to this resource,” Baba-Aissa emphasized.
He added the company was also closely looking at possibilities in the Turkish market as it offers huge potential in terms of wind, solar and geothermal power.
By Sibel Akbay
Anadolu Agency
sibel.akbay@aa.com.tr