Electricity from the sun | Bangkok Post: learning

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School in Phangnga for children who lost parents in 2004 tsunami will show people how to cut electricity bills with solar power technology.

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Economics

Solar power lights up Phangnga school

Natural energy points to a sustainable future
20/11/2012
Nareerat Wiriyapong

It was a perfect day for students of Yaowawit school in Phangnga to enjoy their weekend. The weather was not so hot, with showers in the morning before bright sunlight came at noon.

Like most parts of southern Thailand, Phangnga has sunshine most of the year except in the monsoon season. This makes the school, which covers 25 hectares, a suitable location for a solar field to lower its energy costs and make it more self-reliant.

...The school is thought to be the first school in Thailand to have its own solar field. Covering an area of 476 square metres... the system produces 227,400 watts of power per day, more than enough to serve the school's daytime energy needs.

The school was opened in 2006 by a German founder, for children who lost their parents in the 2004 tsunami and provides shelter to 110 underprivileged students aged 4-18.

...The solar panel field will not only give students the opportunity to learn about how solar energy functions but will allow the school to reduce its energy costs for the next 25 years.

The solar installation is the result of a partnership between the German government and two German companies... built for a total cost of 3 million baht.

The solar field is expected to generate 83,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year and help lower the school's energy bill by half or about 20,000 baht per month.

The energy output is not stable over the day, increasing with the intensity of the sun. Maximum output will be reached between 10am and 2pm.

Running at full capacity, the system generates a lot more than the school's needs during peak hours, so the management of the school is obtaining a selling licence from the Provincial Electricity Authority to supply the surplus electricity to the power grid to offset energy consumption earlier and later in the day.

Conergy, a provider of the solar power system is building its fifth and sixth solar parks in Thailand...

Thailand is among the region's leaders in solar energy production... aiming to secure a quarter of its energy from renewable sources by 2021.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, Solar power lights up phangnga school, Natural energy points to a sustainable future, 20/11/2012, Nareerat Wiriyapong, link) 


Solar Power Vocabulary

solar - involving the sun เกี่ยวกับดวงอาทิตย์
solar power - electricity generated from the sun (See Wikipedia)
solar power lights up phangnga school

grid - a set of wires that carries the electricity supply สายไฟ
power grid - the system of power lines and power stations that sends electricity around an area or a whole country

power - energy in the form of electricity produced in large quantities and used to operate lights, machines, and heating พลังงาน
power line - a thick wire that carries electricity above or below the ground
power station - a large building that contains machines that produce electricity

energy - Same as "power" พลังงาน

generate (verb) - to produce ก่อให้เกิด create สร้าง กระตุ้นให้เิกิด
generate 83,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year

generation (noun)
power generation 

panel - a flat piece of metal, wood, glass or other material that forms part of something such as a door or wall ไม้กระดานที่ใช้ปิดผนัง
solar panel - the flat panel used to generate electricity from the sun (See Wikipedia)

nature (noun) - ธรรมชาติ
natural (adjective)  - เป็นธรรมชาติ, เกี่ยวกับธรรมชาติ, ตามธรรมชาติ
natural energy

sustainable - can be continued for long periods of time, without being forced to stop แบบยั่งยืน ที่ดำเนินต่อไป
natural energy points to a sustainable future

showers - rain

bright - when lots of light comes from something, shine สว่าง
bright sunlight

the weather was not so hot, with showers in the morning before bright sunlight came at noon.

monsoon - the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries มรสุม ฤดูมรสุม (See Wikipedia)
season - one period of time during the year with a certain kind of weather ฤดู  กาล  ฤดูกาล

monsoon season
Phangnga has sunshine most of the year except in the monsoon season

suitable - right for a situation; acceptable or right for someone or something เหมาะสม
suitable location

solar panel field
a suitable location for a solar field

self-reliant - can take care of its own needs (does not need help from outside) พอเพียง
lower its energy costs and make it more self-reliant

founder - a person who establishes an institution, business, or organization ผู้ก่อตั้ง
the school was opened in 2006 by a German founder

shelter - a place where people are protected form danger or bad weather ที่หลบภัย ที่พักชั่วคราว
underprivileged - not having as many advantages or opportunities as most other people ด้อยโอกาส

the school provides shelter to 110 underprivileged students aged 4-18.

function - work or operate in the normal and correct way
how it functions - how it works or operates
how solar energy functions

opportunity - a situation when it is possible to do something that you want to do (See glossary)
give students the opportunity to learn about how solar energy functions

installation - the process of putting a new system or piece of equipment in place and making it ready for use การติดตั้ง
the solar installation

partnership - when two or more people or organizations work together in a project
a partnership between the German government and two German companies.

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
expected to generate 83,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year

stable - firmly fixed, not likely to move or change a lot, not likely to fail คงที่ ไม่เปลี่ยนแปลง มั่นคง
energy output is not stable

intensity - strength ความเข้มข้น
the intensity of the sun.

the energy output is not stable over the day, increasing with the intensity of the sun.

maximum - the highest amount possible  จำนวนสูงสุด, จำนวนมากที่สุด,
maximum output
maximum output will be reached between 10am and 2pm.

peak - the time when something is at its highest or greatest level ช่วงเวลาที่พบมากที่สุด
peak hours - the hours during the day when people and businesses are using the most electricity

full capacity - the greatest amount that can be handled or done ปริมาณสูงสุดที่จะรับได้  ความสามารถที่จะรับได้
running at full capacity

Running at full capacity, the system will generate a lot more than the school's needs during peak hours.

licence - 1. official permission from government to do a business or some activity; 2. an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something ใบอนุญาต
surplus - an amount above the required or necessary amount

offset - reduce by moving in the opposite direction

consumption - using, eating or drinking something การบริโภค
energy consumption

The management is obtaining a selling licence from the Provincial Electricity Authority

supply the surplus electricity to the power grid to offset energy consumption early and later in the day.

secure - to get or achieve something ได้รับ, ทำให้ได้ผล การได้มาซึ่ง เพื่อเป็นประกันว่า (examples: secure a food supply, secure rice supplies)

quarter - 25%

renewable - renewable resource, a natural resource that when used up more will be produced over time through biological or natural processes, replenished with the passage of time, part of our natural environment  (See Wikipedia)

renewable energy sources - energy that comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat (not using oil or natural gas, fossil fuels that will eventually run out) (See Wikipedia)

aiming to secure a quarter of its energy from renewable sources by 2021.

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