Solar cyclists start round the world adventure
London, Friday 15th May 2009: The UK solar industry, ‘We Support Solar’, the UK campaign for solar energy; SolarAid and G24 Innovations, is backing three environmental campaigners on a round-the-world bicycle expedition which aims to highlight the potential of solar power in the fight against climate change.
Along with leg power, Susie Wheeldon, Jamie Vining and Iain Henderson are equipped with thin-film photovoltaic (PV) panels - custom built into their panniers by G24 Innovations - to power the very latest in Nokia navigation, communications and sports technology; allowing their supporters to follow them second by second around the globe.
The intrepid team will set off from London’s City Hall on Friday 15th May, also known as European Solar Day. The gruelling nine month, 12,000 mile journey will take them through 14 countries, searing hot deserts and snow-capped mountains to raise money for SolarAid; the UK charity established by one of the world’s leading thinkers on environmental sustainability, Jeremy Leggett.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said ‘I would like to wish Susie, Jamie and Ian who are kicking off their intrepid expedition right outside London's City Hall, the very best of luck. Their trip demonstrates the very latest solar technology, which not only has an important role to play in tackling climate change but also helps to support the development of the green economy.'
The campaigners hope their adventure visiting solar energy projects across the world will help demonstrate the potential for solar energy to provide a reliable, available and affordable solution for global energy needs. Together with the campaign ‘We Support Solar’ they are calling for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference to recognise solar photovoltaics ability to address the credit, energy and climate crunch with a ‘global feed-in tariff’; see its potential to help ease poverty and create 6.3 million jobs by 2030. They are also asking the UN to consider the potential for condensing solar power (CSP) stations to harness the suns rays, as promoted by the Desertec Foundation.
Expedition sponsor Nokia is supplying the cyclists with Nokia N79 Active devices; which come with a heart rate monitor and pre-loaded Nokia Sports Tracker. This application will enable them to measure their distance, speed and pace when cycling, as well as upload their location via GPS to www.thesolarcyclediaries.com. The device also features Nokia Maps, which will provide the essential navigation to guide them on their journey using A-GPS technology.
Using the video capabilities of the Nokia N79 Active, the three person team will create a ‘Here comes the sun’ video viral in each of the 14 countries visited, to be used for educational content on YouTube. Key eco sites, including CSP plants and Nokia solar powered base stations, will be geo-tagged on the devices and directly uploaded to the SolarCycle Diaries website.
Susie Wheeldon comments; “With the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference at the end of the year we have an amazing opportunity to adopt technology that can tackle climate change and create new sustainable industry. This expedition allows us to highlight already available solar solutions as well as demonstrate how solar energy can be used to power everyday appliances such as our phones. In this regard we are particularly thrilled to be partnering with Nokia. Nokia not only won the Green Awards Grand Prix last year but are leading the way in adopting renewable energy in their product creation and operating systems. What their mobiles and web applications can do is incredible. My mother is especially pleased that the Sports Tracker and geo-tagging mean she can follow what we are doing at all times!"
Susie, Jamie and Iain will also be using their Nokia N79 Active devices to geo-tag, blog, Tweet, and Facebook throughout their expedition. You can learn more about solar energy and follow their journey in real time at: www.thesolarcyclediaries.com.
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Notes to Editors:
We Support Solar
In 2010 the UK government will set up a Feed-in-Tariff to help promote solar power and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Feed-in Tariff will help reduce global warming, boost UK clean-tech jobs and reward people for installing solar power. We Support Solar is working to highlight the value of solar PV in the UK to ensure the Government sets an appropriate rate for the Feed-in Tariff and creates a clean, renewable future for generations to come.
The SolarCycle Diaries team will act as Ambassadors for the ’We Support Solar’ campaign.
http://wesupportsolar.net/
Media enquiries:
Charlotte Webster: Solarcentury
0207 803014
Charlotte.webster@solarcentury.co.uk
www.solarcentury.co.uk
The route
The journey will go through: France, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and the US. The team will cross the seas and oceans by ferry and cargo ship in order to minimise the environmental impact of the journey. They will also visit PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) stations along their route.
SolarAid
SolarAid was set up to fight the two most important threats facing the world today: global poverty and climate change. The charity trains some of the poorest communities in rural Africa to build and sell small solar devices. These devices can charge mobile phones and can power radios and lanterns. SolarAid also works with partner organisations, installing larger solar systems on schools, community centres and clinics.
The SolarCycle Diaries expedition will raise money for SolarAid.
http://www.solar-aid.org/
G24 Innovations thin film PV panels
G24 Innovations have embedded dye-sensitised thin film solar panels in the team's panniers. These flexible solar cells will be used to power their mobile telephones and other electrical devices.
As G24i’s advanced technology is sensitive to far more of the visible light spectrum than traditional photovoltaics, devices can be recharged using artificial or indoor light. Therefore, the team can access electric energy anywhere in the world.
http://www.g24i.com
Desertec
Desertec is an initiative of The Club of Rome, the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation and the National Energy Research Center of Jordan (NERC). Using Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), the Desertec concept would take advantage of the truly enormous quantities of energy falling as sunlight on the world's deserts.
The SolarCycle Diaries will promote the Desertec concept and encourage UK citizens to sign Early Day Motion 123.
http://www.desertec.org/
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.
Nokia kit and communications equipment.
Nokia has supplied the campaigners with the Nokia N79 Active, which features a wireless Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt from Polar, A-GPS tracking and a new version of the Nokia Sports Tracker application.