Caesarea adds an additional green element to its environmental agenda and begins producing solar energy

Since the first days of its inception, the Caesarea Development Corporation has been involved in and working towards the preservation of our environment. The Corporation, which continues the work of the Rothschild family, has developed a thriving and prosperous community, an industrial park, an international Golf club and many tourist attractions, places an emphasis on the environment and quality of life.

Now the Corporation seeks to advance the use of green technologies, and has decided to place a solar energy system on rooftops in the Caesarea Industrial Park to transfer the sun's energy into electricity using safe photo voltaic panels that do not emit any harmful radiation.

The CEO of the Caesarea Development Corporation, Michael Karsenti: "The environmental vision that the Corporation leads isn't a trend, but firmly established in our nature. In all of its activities, the Corporation considers the environment, from early planning stages, the establishment, the operation and including community activities. The Industrial Park was built close to the Coastal Aquifer and the Menashe Stream site and the Caesarea Development Corporation constantly monitors the area including infrastructure, aquifer and reservoir water quality and closely examines building plans and operation of factories in the park. The company is now taking another step forward and is promoting the erection of solar power systems within the park, as part of its policy to allocate resources that will preserve the environment."

The Caesarea Industrial Park is meticulously planned and is considered a leader in Israel in matters of the environment. More than 7000 people work within the park in some 180 companies and factories. The Park was established on the eastern side of the town between the Tel Aviv-Haifa railroad to the east and the Menashe Stream works to the west.

It took 17 years to get all the needed authorizations for the establishment of the Park because of its closeness to the water facility that is used to insert rainwater into the underground reservoir that is a source of drinking water. This demands a continuous investment in preliminary planning and action to preserve the environment in general and the quality of the water specifically. Today, 15 years since its foundation, the Park is an example to all the green groups and organizations that delayed its establishment and a showcase that brings government ministers, members of the Knesset, environmental groups and activists to learn how this unique project and site are managed.

Regarding the photo voltaic panels and the field of renewable energy, solar energy with its source in the sun's rays, is the most talked about subject in the world of energy today. The sun, considered to be the best and cleanest alternative energy source available, is a vast energy source of which Israel has plenty.

Now Caesarea will begin to produce clean, green solar energy that utilizes the sun's rays for the production of electricity and heat.

The need of alternative and renewable energy sources is vital for modern man and scientists around the world are searching for readily available solutions. The sun's energy, with a high energy output, is a significant energy source in the global market.
The uses for energy with the sun as its source are many and varied, from day to day uses such as heating, drying laundry, evaporation pools, water heaters, heat engines and for the production of electricity.

The use of the sun's energy for the production of electricity is possible in one of two ways:
- Thermal-solar energy - a liquid is heated to power a heat engine that generates electricity or mechanical energy.
- Photo voltaic energy - the use of photo voltaic cells to convert the sun's light directly into electricity.

On the 1st of July 2008, new regulations from the Public Services Authority came into effect that made photo voltaic systems for the production of electricity for personal use possible and allowed for the sale of excess power to the Israel Electric Company. The new regulations related to systems with a combined national maximum capacity 50 mega watts. For each kilo watt of electricity produced, the consumer (producer) receives 1.97 shekels (as opposed to 0.5 shekels paid for electricity from the national grid). The authorization for each system is conditional upon being a customer of the IEC. This tariff is guaranteed for 20 years and linked to the cost of living index. The IEC is committed to purchasing all power produced by these systems. The owner of each system must have permission from his municipal authority and the Ministry of National Infrastructures before the system can be hooked up to the national grid system.