Bicycle holidays in the sun
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]As news come through that Australia has committed to the world’s biggest ever solar energy plant, three intrepid cyclists have set off on a round-the-world bicycle trip to show the potential of solar power in the fight against climate change. Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London, saw the three off from outside City Hall on Friday the 15thMay on the first leg of a nine month journey. Susie Wheeldon, Jamie Vining and Iain Henderson will be equipped on their expedition with a set of custom built thin-film PV solar panels on their panniers. The team setting off coincides with European Solar Day and the money raised by the expedition will go to SolarAid, a charity that trains some of the poorest communities in rural Africa to build and sell small solar devices. Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has announced plans to build what it says is the world's largest solar power station. The station, which could have a total output of 1000 megawatts is backed with $1.4bn of public funds and the new plant will have around the three times the generating power of the next biggest site located in California. Elsewhere in the new world of renewable energy sources, billions of Euros are expected to be ploughed in Eastern European renewable energy projects over the next two years as loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) inspire additional finance from private investors. The EBRD plans to invest up to €5bn in the region's renewable energy sector before 2011 and estimates that this will attract further co-financing of around €10bn from investors to replace traditional wasteful energy sources with sustainable energy. The EBRD believes that by stimulating renewable energy production in the region it can help these nations reduce their carbon output while at the same time providing a boost to their economies.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]